STAR-FORMING ACTIVITY IN THE H ii REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IRAS 17160–3707 COMPLEX

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Astronomical Journal (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-6256/152/5/146· OSTI ID:22662938

Nandakumar, G.; Veena, V. S.; Vig, S.; Tej, A. ^[1]; Ghosh, S. K.; Ojha, D. K. ^[2]

---

1. Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695 547 (India)
2. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (Bombay) 400 005 (India)

We present a multiwavelength investigation of star formation activity toward the southern H ii regions associated with IRAS 17160–3707, located at a distance of 6.2 kpc with a bolometric luminosity of 8.3 × 10{sup 5} L {sub ⊙}. The ionized gas distribution and dust clumps in the parental molecular cloud are examined in detail using measurements at infrared, submillimeter and radio wavelengths. The radio continuum images at 1280 and 610 MHz obtained using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope reveal the presence of multiple compact sources as well as nebulous emission. At submillimeter wavelengths, we identify seven dust clumps and estimate their physical properties such as temperature: 24–30 K, mass: 300–4800 M {sub ⊙} and luminosity: 9–317 × 10{sup 2} L {sub ⊙} using modified blackbody fits to the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) between 70 and 870 μ m. We find 24 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the mid-infrared, with a few of them coincident with the compact radio sources. The SEDs of the YSOs have been fitted by the Robitaille models and the results indicate that those having radio compact sources as counterparts host massive objects in early evolutionary stages with best fit age ≤0.2 Myr. We compare the relative evolutionary stages of clumps using various signposts such as masers, ionized gas, presence of YSOs and infrared nebulosity, and find six massive star-forming clumps and one quiescent clump. Of the former, five are in a relatively advanced stage and one in an earlier stage.

• OSTI ID: 22662938
• Journal Information: Astronomical Journal (Online), Journal Name: Astronomical Journal (Online) Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 152; ISSN 1538-3881
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BOLOMETERS
CLOUDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COSMIC DUST
DISTANCE
ENERGY SPECTRA
H2 REGIONS
IMAGES
LUMINOSITY
MASERS
MASS
MHZ RANGE
RADIO TELESCOPES
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
WAVELENGTHS