Multiband IR Study of the Earliest Stages of Star Formation Within Infrared Dark Filaments
Abstract
Most stars in the Galaxy, if not all, form within cold, dense, and filamentary molecular clouds. Many of these clouds are seen in extinction against the bright mid-infrared Galactic background and understanding star formation requires probing the physics within these infrared dark clouds (IRDCs). To tackle this problem, we are currently carrying out a systematic study of the principal characteristics of ~150 IRDCs in the Galaxy using archival data from Herschel and Spitzer satellites, as well as molecular line observations. Data from the Herschel satellite allows us to observe the large scale structure of the star forming infrared dark filaments, in emission, and with unprecedent sensitivity. This study provides the most complete dataset to date where to study the molecular and dusty structure associated to the earliest stages of clustered star formation. Deriving column densities, masses, temperatures, and the young-stellar content of a large sample of these filamentary clouds is a first crucial step to assess: i) the relevance that filamentary geometry has on star formation, determining the initial mass and luminosity distributions, ii) how pertinent are turbulence, large-scale shocks, magnetic fields, and/or tidal forces in shaping this particular morphology. We present the first results of our study, focusing on statistically significant determination of the main physical parameters of IRDCs in the Galaxy, and consistent theoretical interpretations.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #221
- Pub Date:
- January 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AAS...22131203G