The spatial distribution of star formation in the solar neighbourhood: do all stars form in dense clusters?

被引：261

作者：

Bressert, E. ^{[1
,2
]}

Bastian, N. ^{[1
,3
]}

Gutermuth, R. ^{[4
]}

Megeath, S. T. ^{[5
]}

Allen, L. ^{[6
]}

Evans, Neal J., II ^{[7
]}

Rebull, L. M. ^{[8
]}

Hatchell, J.

Johnstone, D. ^{[9
,10
]}

Bourke, T. L. ^{[2
]}

Cieza, L. A. ^{[11
]}

Harvey, P. M. ^{[7
]}

Merin, B. ^{[12
]}

Ray, T. P. ^{[13
]}

Tothill, N. F. H. ^{[1
,14
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Exeter, Sch Phys, Exeter EX4 4QL, Devon, England

[2] Harvard Smithsonian Ctr Astrophys, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

[3] Univ Cambridge, Inst Astron, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England

[4] Univ Massachusetts, Smith Coll, Northampton, MA 01063 USA

[5] Univ Toledo, Dept Phys & Astron, Toledo, OH 43606 USA

[6] Natl Opt Astron Observ, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA

[7] Univ Texas Austin, Dept Astron, Univ Stn C1400 1, Austin, TX 78712 USA

[8] Spitzer Sci Ctr Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA

[9] Natl Res Council Canada, Herzberg Inst Astrophys, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, Canada

[10] Univ Victoria, Dept Phys & Astron, Victoria, BC V8P 1A1, Canada

[11] Univ Hawaii Manoa, Inst Astron, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA

[12] ESA, Herschel Sci Ctr, Villanueva De La Canada 28691, Madrid, Spain

[13] Dublin Inst Adv Studies, Sch Cosm Phys, Dublin, Ireland

[14] Univ New S Wales, Sch Phys, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

来源：

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY | 2010年 / 409卷 / 01期

基金：

爱尔兰科学基金会;

关键词：

stars: formation; stars: protostars; open clusters and associations: general; infrared: stars; YOUNG STELLAR POPULATION; MAIN-SEQUENCE; SPITZER OBSERVATIONS; KILOPARSEC; EVOLUTION; OPHIUCHUS; PERSEUS; CHANDRA; ORIGIN; CLOUDS;

D O I：

10.1111/j.1745-3933.2010.00946.x

中图分类号：

P1 [天文学];

学科分类号：

0704 ;

摘要：

We present a global study of low-mass, young stellar object (YSO) surface densities (Sigma) in nearby (< 500 pc) star-forming regions based on a comprehensive collection of Spitzer Space Telescope surveys. We show that the distribution of YSO surface densities in the solar neighbourhood is a smooth distribution, being adequately described by a lognormal function from a few to 10(3) YSOs pc(-2), with a peak at similar to 22 stars pc(-2) and a dispersion of sigma(log10) (Sigma) similar to 0.85. We do not find evidence for multiple discrete modes of star formation (e. g. clustered and distributed). Comparing the observed surface density distribution to previously reported surface density threshold definitions of clusters, we find that the fraction of stars in clusters is crucially dependent on the adopted definitions, ranging from 40 to 90 per cent. However, we find that only a low fraction (< 26 per cent) of stars are formed in dense environments where their formation/evolution (along with their circumstellar discs and/or planets) may be affected by the close proximity of their low-mass neighbours.

引用

页码：L54 / L58

页数：5

共 34 条

[1]

Allen L., 2007, Protostars and Planets V, P361

[2] Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) colors of young stellar objects [J].