Infrared Dark Clouds

Details Infrared Dark Clouds Infrared Dark Clouds

May 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008aspc..387...44j&link_type=abstract

Massive Star Formation: Observations Confront Theory ASP Conference Series, Vol. 387, proceedings of the conference held 10-14 S

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

2

Scientific paper

Infrared Dark Clouds are identified as deep extinction features against the Galactic mid-infrared background. Through ^{13}CO and CS observations, we have determined kinematic distances to over 500 IRDCs. We find characteristic sizes of several pc and masses of a few thousand M_&sun;, comparable to cluster-forming molecular clumps like Orion and Ophiuchus. Millimeter continuum images show that IRDCs contain compact cores with sizes <0.5 pc and masses ˜100 M_&sun;. About 1/3 of these cores show unambiguous evidence for active star formation, such as outflows, high densities, broad lines, evidence for shocks, and `hot core' chemistry. Several have luminosities >10,000 L_&sun;, conclusively demonstrating that they contain high-mass protostars. Interferometeric images often reveal binary or multiple protostellar systems, indicating cluster formation. The `quiescent' IRDC cores are probably high-mass `starless cores'.

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