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Title: Role of H II regions during star formation and chemical enrichment in globular clusters

Journal Article · · Astrophys. J.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/160196· OSTI ID:7064079

The shapes of the H II Stroemgren ''spheres'' produced by stars located within massive gas clouds are determined by solving the equation of ionization equilibrium. The cloud is taken to be spherical, with an r/sup -2/ internal density distribution. The minimum distance that a star can be situated from the cloud center and still ionize gas out to the surface has been calculated, as well as the solid angle subtended by such H II regions at the cloud center. It is concluded that bright OB stars can form quite deep within the interiors of open cluster gas clouds and still ionize a large fraction of them. Globular cluster protoclouds are not susceptible to this form of disruption provided that they were more massive than their stellar progeny. The requirement for a greater initial gas mass is particularly stringent if the first generation of stars were supermassive (approx.500 M/sub sun/).

Research Organization:
Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, Research School of Physics Sciences, Australian National University
OSTI ID:
7064079
Journal Information:
Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 259:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English