Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2007-09-29
Astrophys.J.673:354-362,2008
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
To appear in the Astrophysical Journal. 21 pages, 5 figures. A version with high-quality figures is available at http://www.
Scientific paper
10.1086/524031
An 800 sq-arcmin mosaic image of the W3 star forming complex obtained with the Chandra X-ray Observatory gives a valuable new view of the spatial structure of its young stellar populations. The Chandra image reveals about 1300 faint X-ray sources, most of which are PMS stars in the cloud. Some, but not all, of the high-mass stars producing hypercompact and ultracompact H II (UCHII) regions are also seen, as reported in a previous study. The Chandra images reveal three dramatically different embedded stellar populations. The W3 Main cluster extends over 7 pc with about 900 X-ray stars in a nearly-spherical distribution centered on the well-studied UCHII regions and high-mass protostars. The cluster surrounding the prototypical UCHII region W3(OH) shows a much smaller (<0.6 pc), asymmetrical, and clumpy distribution of about 50 PMS stars. The massive star ionizing the W3 North H II region is completely isolated without any accompanying PMS stars. In W3 Main, the inferred ages of the widely distributed PMS stars are significantly older than the inferred ages of the central OB stars illuminating the UCHIIs. We suggest that different formation mechanisms are necessary to explain the diversity of the W3 stellar populations: cluster-wide gravitational collapse with delayed OB star formation in W3 Main, collect-and-collapse triggering by shock fronts in W3(OH), and a runaway O star or isolated massive star formation in W3 North.
Feigelson Eric D.
Townsley Leisa Kay
No associations
LandOfFree
The Diverse Stellar Populations of the W3 Star Forming Complex does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Diverse Stellar Populations of the W3 Star Forming Complex, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Diverse Stellar Populations of the W3 Star Forming Complex will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-462279