Astronomy:RCW 38

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RCW 38
Nebulosity around the embedded star cluster in RCW 38
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationVela
Right ascension 08h 59m 05.52s[1]
Declination−47° 30′ 39.2″[1]
Distance5,500 ly (1.7 kpc)[1]
Physical characteristics
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

RCW 38 is a star-forming region in the southern constellation of Vela (known as the Sails).[2] It includes an embedded HII region and a super star cluster. This region is located at a distance of approximately 5,500 light-years from the Sun.[1]

This is the youngest super star cluster in the Milky Way galaxy, with age estimates ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 Myr. It has around 10,000 member stars.[3] The cluster member stars are still enshrouded within the dark cloud in which they were born.[4] The star cluster is surrounded by clouds of brightly glowing gas and includes many protostars.[4] Observations by the Chandra X-ray Observatory have revealed more than 800 X-ray emitting young stellar objects in the cluster.[5] 139 infrared sources have been identified as variable, of which 47% are candidate young stellar objects.[6] Jets emerging from young protostars drive further star formation in the surrounding cloud.[7]

The cluster includes about 20 massive O-type stars concentrated in a volume a few parsecs across. The latter stars are having a dissipative effect on the surrounding molecular gas.[3] Five bow shocks have been identified coming from these objects, driven by strong stellar winds.[7] When these massive stars die, likely before the dispersal of the cluster, they will explode as supernovae.[2] It is hypothesized that these O-type stars were formed by a collision of two molecular clouds.[8] The primary cloud has a mass of 3×104 M☉, while the secondary cloud has 2×103 M☉.[3]

In the infrared, the brightest star in this region is designated IRS 2.[9] This is a binary star system consisting of two spectral type O5.5 stars. It is located at the heart of the cluster,[10] and appears to lie at the center of the H II region.[11] The second brightest source is a dust ridge designated IRS 1, positioned about 0.1 pc to the west of IRS 2. Both sources are surrounded by a dust-free cavity about 0.1 pc across.[3]

RCW 38 includes Gum 22, Gum 23, and Gum 24.[12][clarification needed]

  • The location of RCW 38 (circled in red)
    The location of RCW 38 (circled in red)
  • An X-ray view of the dense central star cluster
    An X-ray view of the dense central star cluster
  • Central part of RCW 38, showing some of the brown dwarf candidates detected within the cluster[13]
    Central part of RCW 38, showing some of the brown dwarf candidates detected within the cluster[13]
  • The wider region surrounding RCW 38
    The wider region surrounding RCW 38

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wolk, Scott J. et al. (September 2006). "X-Ray and Infrared Point Source Identification and Characteristics in the Embedded, Massive Star-Forming Region RCW 38". The Astronomical Journal 132 (3): 1100–1125. doi:10.1086/505704. Bibcode: 2006AJ....132.1100W. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Star cluster RCW 38". ESO. http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso0929b/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Torii, Kazufumi et al. (February 2021). "ALMA view of the Galactic super star cluster RCW 38 at 270 au resolution". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan 73 (1): 205–219. doi:10.1093/pasj/psaa115. Bibcode: 2021PASJ...73..205T. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Turner, Calum (July 11, 2018). "Colourful Celestial Landscape". Garching bei München, Germany: ESO Public Information Office. https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1823/?stream=science. 
  5. ↑ Broos, Patrick S. et al. (2013). "Identifying young stars in massive star-forming regions for the MYStIX project". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 209 (2): 32. doi:10.1088/0067-0049/209/2/32. ISSN 0067-0049. Bibcode: 2013ApJS..209...32B. 
  6. ↑ Dörr, M. et al. (May 2013). "Near-infrared variability in the star-forming region RCW 38". Astronomy & Astrophysics 553: id. A48. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220311. Bibcode: 2013A&A...553A..48D. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Winston, E. et al. (January 2012). "Spitzer Observations of Bow Shocks and Outflows in RCW 38". The Astrophysical Journal 744 (2): id. 126. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/126. Bibcode: 2012ApJ...744..126W. 
  8. ↑ Fukui, Y. et al. (March 2016). "The Two Molecular Clouds in RCW 38: Evidence for the Formation of the Youngest Super Star Cluster in the Milky Way Triggered by Cloud-Cloud Collision". The Astrophysical Journal 820 (1): id. 26. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/820/1/26. Bibcode: 2016ApJ...820...26F. 
  9. ↑ Ascenso, Joana (June 2022). "Hidden power of near-infrared data for the study of young clusters: Illustrative case of RCW 38". Astronomy & Astrophysics 662: id. A31. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202142582. Bibcode: 2022A&A...662A..31A. 
  10. ↑ Winston, E. et al. (December 2011). "The Structure of the Star-forming Cluster RCW 38". The Astrophysical Journal 743 (2): id. 166. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/743/2/166. Bibcode: 2011ApJ...743..166W. 
  11. ↑ Wolk, S. J. et al. (2008). "The Embedded Massive Star Forming Region RCW 38". in Reipurth, B.. Handbook of Star Forming Regions, Volume II: The Southern Sky ASP Monograph Publications. 5. Astronomical Society of the Pacific. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-58381-670-7. Bibcode: 2008hsf2.book..124W. 
  12. ↑ Lang, Kenneth R. (December 6, 2012) (in en). Astrophysical Data: Planets and Stars. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4684-0640-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=0_EHCAAAQBAJ&q=IC+2944+rcw+60&pg=PA414. 
  13. ↑ "Billions of new neighbours?". https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1729a/. 

Further reading



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