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Title: YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGION W49

Abstract

We present the initial results of our investigation of the star-forming complex W49, one of the youngest and most luminous massive star-forming regions in our Galaxy. We used Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) data to investigate massive star formation with the primary objective of locating a representative set of protostars and the clusters of young stars that are forming around them. We present our source catalog with the mosaics from the IRAC data. In this study we used a combination of IRAC, MIPS, Two Micron All Sky Survey, and UKIRT Deep Infrared Sky Survey (UKIDSS) data to identify and classify the young stellar objects (YSOs). We identified 232 Class 0/I YSOs, 907 Class II YSOs, and 74 transition disk candidate objects using color–color and color–magnitude diagrams. In addition, to understand the evolution of star formation in W49, we analyzed the distribution of YSOs in the region to identify clusters using a minimal spanning tree method. The fraction of YSOs that belong to clusters with ≥7 members is found to be 52% for a cutoff distance of 96″, and the ratio of Class II/I objects is 2.1. We compared the W49 region to the G305 and G333 star-forming regions and concluded that W49more » has the richest population, with seven subclusters of YSOs.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
  2. Yale University, Department of Astronomy, 208101, New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States)
  3. University of Massachusetts, Department of Astronomy, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22518644
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 813; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; CAMERAS; CATALOGS; COLOR; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DIAGRAMS; MILKY WAY; PROTOSTARS; SKY; STAR CLUSTERS; STAR EVOLUTION; STARS

Citation Formats

Saral, G., Hora, J. L., Willis, S. E., Koenig, X. P., Gutermuth, R. A., and Saygac, A. T., E-mail: gsaral@cfa.harvard.edu. YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGION W49. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/813/1/25.
Saral, G., Hora, J. L., Willis, S. E., Koenig, X. P., Gutermuth, R. A., & Saygac, A. T., E-mail: gsaral@cfa.harvard.edu. YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGION W49. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/813/1/25
Saral, G., Hora, J. L., Willis, S. E., Koenig, X. P., Gutermuth, R. A., and Saygac, A. T., E-mail: gsaral@cfa.harvard.edu. 2015. "YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGION W49". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/813/1/25.
@article{osti_22518644,
title = {YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGION W49},
author = {Saral, G. and Hora, J. L. and Willis, S. E. and Koenig, X. P. and Gutermuth, R. A. and Saygac, A. T., E-mail: gsaral@cfa.harvard.edu},
abstractNote = {We present the initial results of our investigation of the star-forming complex W49, one of the youngest and most luminous massive star-forming regions in our Galaxy. We used Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) data to investigate massive star formation with the primary objective of locating a representative set of protostars and the clusters of young stars that are forming around them. We present our source catalog with the mosaics from the IRAC data. In this study we used a combination of IRAC, MIPS, Two Micron All Sky Survey, and UKIRT Deep Infrared Sky Survey (UKIDSS) data to identify and classify the young stellar objects (YSOs). We identified 232 Class 0/I YSOs, 907 Class II YSOs, and 74 transition disk candidate objects using color–color and color–magnitude diagrams. In addition, to understand the evolution of star formation in W49, we analyzed the distribution of YSOs in the region to identify clusters using a minimal spanning tree method. The fraction of YSOs that belong to clusters with ≥7 members is found to be 52% for a cutoff distance of 96″, and the ratio of Class II/I objects is 2.1. We compared the W49 region to the G305 and G333 star-forming regions and concluded that W49 has the richest population, with seven subclusters of YSOs.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/813/1/25},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22518644}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 813,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}