The initial conditions of high-mass star formation: Radiative transfer models of IRDCs seen in the Herschel * Hi-GAL survey

L. A. Wilcock; J. M. Kirk; D. Stamatellos; D. Ward-Thompson; A. Whitworth; C. Battersby; C. Brunt; G. A. Fuller; M. Griffin; S. Molinari; P. Martin; J. C. Mottram; N. Peretto; R. Plume; H. A. Smith; M. A. Thompson

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015488

The initial conditions of high-mass star formation: Radiative transfer models of IRDCs seen in the Herschel * Hi-GAL survey

L. A. Wilcock, J. M. Kirk, D. Stamatellos, D. Ward-Thompson, A. Whitworth, C. Battersby, C. Brunt, G. A. Fuller, M. Griffin, S. Molinari, P. Martin, J. C. Mottram, N. Peretto, R. Plume, H. A. Smith, M. A. Thompson

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Abstract

The densest infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) may represent the earliest observable stage of high-mass star formation. These clouds are very cold, hence they emit mainly at far-infrared and sub-mm wavelengths. For the first time, Herschel has provided multi-wavelength, spatially resolved observations of cores within IRDCs, which, when combined with radiative transfer modelling, can constrain their properties, such as mass, density profile and dust temperature. We use a 3D, multi-wavelength Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to model in detail the emission from six cores in three typical IRDCs seen in the Hi-GAL survey (G030.50+00.95, G031.03+00.26 and G031.03+00.76), and thereby to determine the properties of these cores and compare them with their low-mass equivalents. We found masses ranging from 90 to 290 M⊙ with temperatures from 8 to 11 K at the centre of each core and 18 to 28 K at the surface. The maximum luminosity of an embedded star within each core was calculated, and we rule out the possibility of significant high mass star formation having yet occurred in three of our cores. © 2011 ESO.

Original language	English
Article number	A159
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	526
Issue number	19
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201015488
Publication status	Published - Feb 2011

Keywords

dust, extinction
ISM: clouds
stars: formation

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10.1051/0004-6361/201015488

http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201015488

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Wilcock, L. A., Kirk, J. M., Stamatellos, D., Ward-Thompson, D., Whitworth, A., Battersby, C., Brunt, C., Fuller, G. A., Griffin, M., Molinari, S., Martin, P., Mottram, J. C., Peretto, N., Plume, R., Smith, H. A., & Thompson, M. A. (2011). The initial conditions of high-mass star formation: Radiative transfer models of IRDCs seen in the Herschel * Hi-GAL survey. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 526(19), Article A159. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201015488

@article{bd72f1f2b54645ff83ab232d94734182,

title = "The initial conditions of high-mass star formation: Radiative transfer models of IRDCs seen in the Herschel * Hi-GAL survey",

abstract = "The densest infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) may represent the earliest observable stage of high-mass star formation. These clouds are very cold, hence they emit mainly at far-infrared and sub-mm wavelengths. For the first time, Herschel has provided multi-wavelength, spatially resolved observations of cores within IRDCs, which, when combined with radiative transfer modelling, can constrain their properties, such as mass, density profile and dust temperature. We use a 3D, multi-wavelength Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to model in detail the emission from six cores in three typical IRDCs seen in the Hi-GAL survey (G030.50+00.95, G031.03+00.26 and G031.03+00.76), and thereby to determine the properties of these cores and compare them with their low-mass equivalents. We found masses ranging from 90 to 290 M⊙ with temperatures from 8 to 11 K at the centre of each core and 18 to 28 K at the surface. The maximum luminosity of an embedded star within each core was calculated, and we rule out the possibility of significant high mass star formation having yet occurred in three of our cores. {\textcopyright} 2011 ESO.",

keywords = "dust, extinction, ISM: clouds, stars: formation",

author = "Wilcock, {L. A.} and Kirk, {J. M.} and D. Stamatellos and D. Ward-Thompson and A. Whitworth and C. Battersby and C. Brunt and Fuller, {G. A.} and M. Griffin and S. Molinari and P. Martin and Mottram, {J. C.} and N. Peretto and R. Plume and Smith, {H. A.} and Thompson, {M. A.}",

year = "2011",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201015488",

language = "English",

volume = "526",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "EDP Sciences",

number = "19",

}

Wilcock, LA, Kirk, JM, Stamatellos, D, Ward-Thompson, D, Whitworth, A, Battersby, C, Brunt, C, Fuller, GA, Griffin, M, Molinari, S, Martin, P, Mottram, JC, Peretto, N, Plume, R, Smith, HA & Thompson, MA 2011, 'The initial conditions of high-mass star formation: Radiative transfer models of IRDCs seen in the Herschel * Hi-GAL survey', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 526, no. 19, A159. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201015488

TY - JOUR

T1 - The initial conditions of high-mass star formation: Radiative transfer models of IRDCs seen in the Herschel * Hi-GAL survey

AU - Wilcock, L. A.

AU - Kirk, J. M.

AU - Stamatellos, D.

AU - Ward-Thompson, D.

AU - Whitworth, A.

AU - Battersby, C.

AU - Brunt, C.

AU - Fuller, G. A.

AU - Griffin, M.

AU - Molinari, S.

AU - Martin, P.

AU - Mottram, J. C.

AU - Peretto, N.

AU - Plume, R.

AU - Smith, H. A.

AU - Thompson, M. A.

PY - 2011/2

Y1 - 2011/2

N2 - The densest infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) may represent the earliest observable stage of high-mass star formation. These clouds are very cold, hence they emit mainly at far-infrared and sub-mm wavelengths. For the first time, Herschel has provided multi-wavelength, spatially resolved observations of cores within IRDCs, which, when combined with radiative transfer modelling, can constrain their properties, such as mass, density profile and dust temperature. We use a 3D, multi-wavelength Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to model in detail the emission from six cores in three typical IRDCs seen in the Hi-GAL survey (G030.50+00.95, G031.03+00.26 and G031.03+00.76), and thereby to determine the properties of these cores and compare them with their low-mass equivalents. We found masses ranging from 90 to 290 M⊙ with temperatures from 8 to 11 K at the centre of each core and 18 to 28 K at the surface. The maximum luminosity of an embedded star within each core was calculated, and we rule out the possibility of significant high mass star formation having yet occurred in three of our cores. © 2011 ESO.

AB - The densest infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) may represent the earliest observable stage of high-mass star formation. These clouds are very cold, hence they emit mainly at far-infrared and sub-mm wavelengths. For the first time, Herschel has provided multi-wavelength, spatially resolved observations of cores within IRDCs, which, when combined with radiative transfer modelling, can constrain their properties, such as mass, density profile and dust temperature. We use a 3D, multi-wavelength Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to model in detail the emission from six cores in three typical IRDCs seen in the Hi-GAL survey (G030.50+00.95, G031.03+00.26 and G031.03+00.76), and thereby to determine the properties of these cores and compare them with their low-mass equivalents. We found masses ranging from 90 to 290 M⊙ with temperatures from 8 to 11 K at the centre of each core and 18 to 28 K at the surface. The maximum luminosity of an embedded star within each core was calculated, and we rule out the possibility of significant high mass star formation having yet occurred in three of our cores. © 2011 ESO.

KW - dust, extinction

KW - ISM: clouds

KW - stars: formation

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201015488

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201015488

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 526

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

IS - 19

M1 - A159

ER -

The initial conditions of high-mass star formation: Radiative transfer models of IRDCs seen in the Herschel * Hi-GAL survey

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Keywords

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