STAR FORMATION AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF GAS AND DUST IN THE CIRCINUS CLOUD
- Department of Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Tokyo Gakugei University, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8501 (Japan)
We present results of a study on the Circinus cloud based on {sup 13}CO (J = 1 - 0) data as well as visual to near-infrared (JHK{sub S}) extinction maps, to investigate the distributions of gas and dust around the cloud. The global {sup 13}CO distribution of the Circinus cloud is revealed for the first time, and the total molecular mass of the cloud is estimated to be 2.5 x 10{sup 4} M{sub sun} for the assumed distance 700 pc. Two massive clumps in the cloud, called Circinus-W and Circinus-E, have a mass of {approx}5 x 10{sup 3} M{sub sun}. These clumps are associated with a number of young stellar objects (YSOs) searched for in the literature, indicating that they are the most active star-forming sites in Circinus. All of the extinction maps show good agreement with the {sup 13}CO distribution. We derived the average N({sup 13}CO)/A{sub V} ratio in the Circinus cloud to be 1.25 x 10{sup 15} cm{sup -2} mag{sup -1} by comparing the extinction maps with the {sup 13}CO data. The extinction maps also allowed us to probe into the reddening law over the Circinus cloud. We found that there is a clear change in dust properties in the densest regions of Circinus-W and Circinus-E, possibly due to grain growth in the dense cloud interior. Among the YSOs found in the literature, we attempted to infer the ages and masses of the H{alpha} emission-line stars forming in the two clumps, and found that they are likely to be younger than 1 Myr, having a relatively small mass of {approx}<2 M{sub sun} at the zero-age main sequence.
- OSTI ID:
- 21574780
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 731, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/731/1/23; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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