Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2009-03-31
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal. 49 pages, 12 figures. For a version with high-quality figures, see http://www.astro.p
Scientific paper
10.1088/0004-637X/696/1/47
We explore here the young stellar populations in the Rosette Molecular Cloud (RMC) region with high spatial resolution X-ray images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which are effective in locating weak-lined T Tauri stars as well as disk-bearing young stars. A total of 395 X-ray point sources are detected, 299 of which (76%) have an optical or near-infrared (NIR) counterpart identified from deep FLAMINGOS images. From X-ray and mass sensitivity limits, we infer a total population of about 1700 young stars in the survey region. Based on smoothed stellar surface density maps, we investigate the spatial distribution of the X-ray sources and define three distinctive structures and substructures within them. Structures B and C are associated with previously known embedded IR clusters, while structure A is a new X-ray-identified unobscured cluster. A high mass protostar RMCX #89 = IRAS 06306+0437 and its associated sparse cluster is studied. The different subregions are not coeval but do not show a simple spatial-age pattern. Disk fractions vary between subregions and are generally 20% of the total stellar population inferred from the X-ray survey. The data are consistent with speculations that triggered star formation around the HII region is present in the RMC, but do not support a simple sequential triggering process through the cloud interior. While a significant fraction of young stars are located in a distributed population throughout the RMC region, it is not clear they originated in clustered environments.
Feigelson Eric D.
Garmire Gordon
Lada Elizabeth
Roman-Zuniga Carlos G.
Townsley Leisa Kay
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