Young Stars and Gas Structure within the ALMA Coverage of Dwarf Irregular Galaxy WLM
Abstract
We request HST WFC3/UVIS and WFC3/IR observations of the areas within local dwarf irregular galaxy WLM that have been surveyed with ALMA in CO(2-1) and CO(1-0) in order to dissect and understand the star forming regions in this low-metallicity environment. WLM has an oxygen abundance that is 13% of solar, and the structure of the molecular clouds at these low metallicities is fundamentally different from those found in higher metallicity spirals such as the Milky Way. Recent analysis of star forming regions with CO cores within WLM raised questions about the role of these cores in the overall star forming event in these regions. The proposed HST observations from 0.275 to 1.6 microns will allow (1) measurements of the age and extinction toward massive stars that have formed in the star-forming regions, (2) calculation of the ionized gas mass in the star-forming regions, (3) constraint of the cloud boundaries, (4) identification of YSOs that are forming in the CO cores and determination of their evolutionary stage, (5) mapping of the extinction as a tracer of the gas within the star-forming regions, and (6) placement of the CO cores in the context of the gas and dust. This is crucial for our understanding of the role of the small CO cores in low metallicity star-forming regions.
- Publication:
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HST Proposal
- Pub Date:
- June 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022hst..prop17068A