AN EVOLUTIONARY MODEL FOR COLLAPSING MOLECULAR CLOUDS AND THEIR STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY

Journal Article · Sun May 20 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/751/1/77· OSTI ID:22037222

Zamora-Aviles, Manuel; Vazquez-Semadeni, Enrique; Colin, Pedro ^[1]

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1. Centro de Radioastronomia y Astrofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apdo. Postal 3-72, Morelia, Michoacan, 58089 (Mexico)

We present an idealized, semi-empirical model for the evolution of gravitationally contracting molecular clouds (MCs) and their star formation rate (SFR) and efficiency (SFE). The model assumes that the instantaneous SFR is given by the mass above a certain density threshold divided by its free-fall time. The instantaneous number of massive stars is computed assuming a Kroupa initial mass function. These stars feed back on the cloud through ionizing radiation, eroding it. The main controlling parameter of the evolution turns out to be the maximum cloud mass, M{sub max}. This allows us to compare various properties of the model clouds against their observational counterparts. A giant molecular cloud (GMC) model (M{sub max} {approx} 10{sup 5} M{sub Sun }) adheres very well to the evolutionary scenario recently inferred by Kawamura et al. for GMCs in the Large Magellanic Cloud. A model cloud with M{sub max} Almost-Equal-To 2000 M{sub Sun} evolves in the Kennicutt-Schmidt diagram, first passing through the locus of typical low-to-intermediate-mass star-forming clouds, and then moving toward the locus of high-mass star-forming ones over the course of {approx}10 Myr. Also, the stellar age histograms for this cloud a few Myr before its destruction agree very well with those observed in the {rho}-Oph stellar association, whose parent cloud has a similar mass, and imply that the SFR of the clouds increases with time. Our model thus agrees well with various observed properties of star-forming MCs, suggesting that the scenario of gravitationally collapsing MCs, with their SFR regulated by stellar feedback, is entirely feasible and in agreement with key observed properties of MCs.

• OSTI ID: 22037222
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 751; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DENSITY
DIAGRAMS
EFFICIENCY
GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
MASS
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS