Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
1999-10-05
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
24 Pages, 20 Figures, to appear in ApJ
Scientific paper
Far-UV (FUV), H-alpha, and HI observations of dwarf galaxy Holmberg II are used to trace the interaction between sites of massive star formation and the neutral and ionized components of the surrounding ISM. The data emphasize the importance of local conditions in regulating star formation from evidence such as massive stars inside ionized shells, compact HII regions surrounding aging clusters, and stars formed in chains of progressing age. Large-scale triggering by HI shells is supported by observations of progenitor populations as well as secondary sites of star formation associated with their dense rims. Analysis of the energy available from massive stars inside HI shells indicates energy deposited into the ISM from supernovae and stellar winds is sufficient to account for the HI morphology. Ages of individual star forming regions are derived using B, H-alpha, and FUV photometry. The distribution of ages is reconciled with the HI morphology, showing a clear preference of young regions for areas of dense HI and old regions for HI voids. Global kinematical properties may also play a role in the star formation process since differences in the rotation characteristics of the neutral gas disk correlate with differences in triggering mechanisms.
Byrd Gene Gilbert
Cheng Kwang-Peng
Fanelli Michael N.
Hill Jesse K.
Neff Susan G.
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