THE PROGRESSION OF STAR FORMATION IN THE ROSETTE MOLECULAR CLOUD

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 2013 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/769/2/140· OSTI ID:22127192

Ybarra, Jason E.; Lada, Elizabeth A. ^[1]; Roman-Zuniga, Carlos G. ^[2]; Balog, Zoltan ^[3]; Junfeng, Wang ^[4]

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1. Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32605 (United States)
2. Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Unidad Academica de Ensenada, Apdo. Postal 22860, Ensenada, B. C. (Mexico)
3. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Heidelberg (Germany)
4. Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Northwestern University, 2131 Tech Dr, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States)

Using Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory data, we identify young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Rosette Molecular Cloud (RMC). By being able to select cluster members and classify them into YSO types, we are able to track the progression of star formation locally within the cluster environments and globally within the cloud. We employ the nearest neighbor method analysis to explore the density structure of the clusters and YSO ratio mapping to study age progressions in the cloud. We find a relationship between the YSO ratios and extinction that suggests star formation occurs preferentially in the densest parts of the cloud and that the column density of gas rapidly decreases as the region evolves. This suggests rapid removal of gas may account for the low star formation efficiencies observed in molecular clouds. We find that the overall age spread across the RMC is small. Our analysis suggests that star formation started throughout the complex around the same time. Age gradients in the cloud appear to be localized and any effect the H II region has on the star formation history is secondary to that of the primordial collapse of the cloud.

• OSTI ID: 22127192
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 769; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
DATA ANALYSIS
DENSITY
EFFICIENCY
ENVIRONMENT
PARTICLE TRACKS
SPACE
STARS
TELESCOPES
X RADIATION