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The earliest stages of massive star formation: near and mid infrared observations |
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| Authors: | MS Nanda Kumar Christopher J Davis Rafael Bachiller |
| Institution: | 1. Centro de Astrofisica da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, s/n,4150-762, Porto, Portugal 2. Joint Astronomy Center, 660 N. A'ohōkū Place, University Park, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA 3. IGN Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Apartado 1143, E-28800 Alcalá de Henares, Spain |
| Abstract: | We present new near-IR and mid-IR images of relatively isolated massive star forming regions with a special emphasis on the candidate precursors to ultra-compact HII regions. These images reveal compact, almost circularly symmetric young stellar clusters, dominated by a single luminous massive member. The clusters indicate flattened structures and dynamically unrelaxed states. In 4 of these young clusters we have discovered a nearly centrally located, prominent dark region visible at 2μm. 10μm images show examples where the dark region is associated with embedded luminous members of the cluster, as well as cases with no central 10μm source. The dark patches without embedded sources could be dense cores surviving inside the (proto?)clusters or left over wreckage from cluster formation. These images support current theoritical simulations of cluster formation. |
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