The star-forming content of the W3 giant molecular cloud

We have surveyed a ~0.9-square-degree area of the W3 giant molecular cloud and star-forming region in the 850-micron continuum, using the SCUBA bolometer array on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. A complete sample of 316 dense clumps was detected with a mass range from around 13 to 2500 Msun. Part of the W3 GMC is subject to an interaction with the HII region and fast stellar winds generated by the nearby W4 OB association. We find that the fraction of total gas mass in dense, 850-micron traced structures is significantly altered by this interaction, being around 5% to 13% in the undisturbed cloud but ~25 - 37% in the feedback-affected region. The mass distribution in the detected clump sample depends somewhat on assumptions of dust temperature and is not a simple, single power law but contains significant structure at intermediate masses. This structure is likely to be due to crowding of sources near or below the spatial resolution of the observations. There is little evidence of any difference between the index of the high-mass end of the clump mass function in the compressed region and in the unaffected cloud. The consequences of these results are discussed in terms of current models of triggered star formation.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 1 table (full source table available on request). Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (Main Journal

A SCUBA survey of Orion, the low-mass end of the core mass function

We have re-analysed all of the SCUBA archive data of the Orion star-forming regions. We have put together all of the data taken at different times by different groups. Consequently we have constructed the deepest submillimetre maps of these regions ever made. There are four regions that have been mapped: Orion A North & South, and Orion B North & South. We find that two of the regions, Orion A North and Orion B North, have deeper sensitivity and completeness limits, and contain a larger number of sources, so we concentrate on these two. We compare the data with archive data from the Spitzer Space Telescope to determine whether or not a core detected in the submillimetre is pre-stellar in nature. We extract all of the pre-stellar cores from the data and make a histogram of the core masses. This can be compared to the stellar initial mass function (IMF). We find the high-mass core mass function follows a roughly Salpeter-like slope, just like the IMF, as seen in previous work. Our deeper maps allow us to see that the core mass function (CMF) turns over at ~ 1.3 Mo, about a factor of 4 higher than our completeness limit. This turnover has never previously been observed, and is only visible here due to our much deeper maps. It mimics the turnover seen in the stellar IMF at ~ 0.1 Mo. The low-mass side of the CMF is a power-law with an exponent of 0.35 +/- 0.2, which is consistent with the low-mass slope of the young cluster IMF of 0.3 +/- 0.1. This shows that the CMF continues to mimic the shape of the IMF all the way down to the lower completeness limit of these data at ~ 0.3 Mo.Comment: 9 pages, inc. 6 figures (+ Appendix; 1 Table = 6 pages

Very compact radio emission from high-mass protostars. II. Dust disks and ionized accretion flows

This paper reports 43 GHz imaging of the high-mass protostars W33A, AFGL 2591 and NGC 7538 IRS9 at 0.04'' and 0.6'' resolution. In each case, weak (~mJy), compact (~100 AU) emission is detected, which has an elongated shape (axis ratio ~3). For AFGL 2591 and NGC 7538 IRS9, the emission is single-peaked, while for the highest luminosity source, W33A, a `mini-cluster' of three sources is detected. The derived sizes, flux densities, and broad-band radio spectra of the sources support recent models where the initial expansion of HII regions around very young O-type stars is prevented by stellar gravity. In these models, accretion flows onto high-mass stars originate in large-scale molecular envelopes and become ionized close to the star. These models reproduce our observations of ionized gas as well as the structure of the molecular envelopes of these sources on 10^3--10^4 AU scales derived previously from single-dish submillimeter continuum and line mapping. For AFGL 2591, the 43 GHz flux density is also consistent with dust emission from a disk seen in near-infrared `speckle' images. However, the alignment of the 43 GHz emission with the large-scale molecular outflow argues against an origin in a disk for AFGL 2591 and NGC 7538 IRS9. In contrast, the outflow from W33A does not appear to be collimated. Together with previously presented case studies of W3 IRS5 and AFGL 2136, our results indicate that the formation of stars and stellar clusters with luminosities up to ~10^5 L0 proceeds through accretion and produces collimated outflows as in the solar-type case, with the `additional feature' that the accretion flow becomes ionized close to the star. Above ~10^5 L0, clusters of HII regions appear, and outflows are no longer collimated, possibly as the result of mergers of protostars or pre-stellar cores.Comment: Accepted by A&A; 11 pages, 4 b/w figure

Metal enrichment of the intracluster medium: SN-driven galactic winds

We investigate the role of supernova (SN)-driven galactic winds in the chemical enrichment of the intracluster medium (ICM). Such outflows on galactic scales have their origin in huge star forming regions and expel metal enriched material out of the galaxies into their surroundings as observed, for example, in the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253. As massive stars in OB-associations explode sequentially, shock waves are driven into the interstellar medium (ISM) of a galaxy and merge, forming a superbubble (SB). These SBs expand in a direction perpendicular to the disk plane following the density gradient of the ISM. We use the 2D analytical approximation by Kompaneets (1960) to model the expansion of SBs in an exponentially stratified ISM. This is modified in order to describe the sequence of SN-explosions as a time-dependent process taking into account the main-sequence life-time of the SN-progenitors and using an initial mass function to get the number of massive stars per mass interval. The evolution of the bubble in space and time is calculated analytically, from which the onset of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in the shell can be determined. In its further evolution, the shell will break up and high-metallicity gas will be ejected into the halo of the galaxy and even into the ICM. We derive the number of stars needed for blow-out depending on the scale height and density of the ambient medium, as well as the fraction of alpha- and iron peak elements contained in the hot gas. Finally, the amount of metals injected by Milky Way-type galaxies to the ICM is calculated confirming the importance of this enrichment process.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, to be published in Astronomische Nachrichten (proceedings of Symposium 6 of the JENAM 2008, Vienna

Hidden Subluminous sd/wd among the FAUST UV sources toward OPHIUCHUS

A UV image in the direction of Ophiuchus, obtained with the FAUST instrument is analysed. Suitable candidates as unrecognized subluminous stars are selected comparing the observed UV flux to the predicted one. The uv-excess objects were observed at the 1.0 m Wise telescope. This method yields to the detection of eight broad Balmer lines objects. Six are classified as sds and two wds, comparing the Hbeta line profile with that of stellar model atmospheres.Comment: 2 pages, including 2 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 13th European Workshop on White Dwarfs. NATO Science Series II, Kluwer Academic Publishe

The Formation of Low-Mass Binary Star Systems Via Turbulent Fragmentation

We characterize the infall rate onto protostellar systems forming in self-gravitating radiation-hydrodynamic simulations. Using two dimensionless parameters to determine disks' susceptability to gravitational fragmentation, we infer limits on protostellar system multiplicity and the mechanism of binary formation. We show that these parameters give robust predictions even in the case of marginally resolved protostellar disks. We find that protostellar systems with radiation feedback predominately form binaries via turbulent fragmentation, not disk instability, and we predict turbulent fragmentation is the dominant channel for binary formation for low-mass stars. We clearly demonstrate that systems forming in simulations including radiative feedback have fundamentally different parameters than those in purely hydrodynamic simulations.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted to Ap

Phase II Study of Bevacizumab in Combination with Trastuzumab and Capecitabine as First-Line Treatment for HER-2-positive Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer

The first results from a phase II, open-label study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine as first-line therapy for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2–positive locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer are reported

Molecular line contamination in the SCUBA-2 450 {\mu}m and 850 {\mu}m continuum data

Observations of the dust emission using millimetre/submillimetre bolometer arrays can be contaminated by molecular line flux, such as flux from 12CO. As the brightest molecular line in the submillimetre, it is important to quantify the contribution of CO flux to the dust continuum bands. Conversion factors were used to convert molecular line integrated intensities to flux detected by bolometer arrays in mJy per beam. These factors were calculated for 12CO line integrated intensities to the SCUBA-2 850 {\mu}m and 450 {\mu}m bands. The conversion factors were then applied to HARP 12CO 3-2 maps of NGC 1333 in the Perseus complex and NGC 2071 and NGC 2024 in the Orion B molecular cloud complex to quantify the respective 12CO flux contribution to the 850 {\mu}m dust continuum emission. Sources with high molecular line contamination were analysed in further detail for molecular outflows and heating by nearby stars to determine the cause of the 12CO contribution. The majority of sources had a 12CO 3-2 flux contribution under 20 per cent. However, in regions of molecular outflows, the 12CO can dominate the source dust continuum (up to 79 per cent contamination) with 12CO fluxes reaching \sim 68 mJy per beam.Comment: Accepted 2012 April 19 for publication in MNRAS. 21 pages, 13 figures, 3 table

Herschel/PACS observations of young sources in Taurus: the far-infrared counterpart of optical jets

Observations of the atomic and molecular line emission associated with jets and outflows emitted by young stellar objects can be used to trace the various evolutionary stages they pass through as they evolve to become main sequence stars. To understand the relevance of atomic and molecular cooling in shocks, and how accretion and ejection efficiency evolves with the source evolutionary state, we will study the far-infrared counterparts of bright optical jets associated with Class I and II sources in Taurus (T Tau, DG Tau A, DG Tau B, FS Tau A+B, and RW Aur). We have analysed Herschel/PACS observations of a number of atomic ([OI]63um, 145um, [CII]158um) and molecular (high-J CO, H2O, OH) lines, collected within the OTKP GASPS. To constrain the origin of the detected lines we have compared the FIR emission maps with the emission from optical-jets and millimetre-outflows, and the line fluxes and ratios with predictions from shock and disk models. All of the targets are associated with extended emission in the atomic lines correlated with the direction of the optical jet/mm-outflow. The atomic lines can be excited in fast dissociative J-shocks. The molecular emission, on the contrary, originates from a compact region, that is spatially and spectrally unresolved. Slow C- or J- shocks with high pre-shock densities reproduce the observed H2O and high-J CO lines; however, the disk and/or UV-heated outflow cavities may contribute to the emission. While the cooling is dominated by CO and H2O lines in Class 0 sources, [OI] becomes an important coolant as the source evolves and the environment is cleared. The cooling and mass loss rates estimated for Class II and I sources are one to four orders of magnitude lower than for Class 0 sources. This provides strong evidence to indicate that the outflow activity decreases as the source evolves.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, accepted by A&

The JCMT Spectral Legacy Survey: physical structure of the molecular envelope of the high-mass protostar AFGL2591

The understanding of the formation process of massive stars (>8 Msun) is limited, due to theoretical complications and observational challenges. We investigate the physical structure of the large-scale (~10^4-10^5 AU) molecular envelope of the high-mass protostar AFGL2591 using spectral imaging in the 330-373 GHz regime from the JCMT Spectral Legacy Survey. Out of ~160 spectral features, this paper uses the 35 that are spatially resolved. The observed spatial distributions of a selection of six species are compared with radiative transfer models based on a static spherically symmetric structure, a dynamic spherical structure, and a static flattened structure. The maps of CO and its isotopic variations exhibit elongated geometries on scales of ~100", and smaller scale substructure is found in maps of N2H+, o-H2CO, CS, SO2, CCH, and methanol lines. A velocity gradient is apparent in maps of all molecular lines presented here, except SO, SO2, and H2CO. We find two emission peaks in warm (Eup~200K) methanol separated by 12", indicative of a secondary heating source in the envelope. The spherical models are able to explain the distribution of emission for the optically thin H13CO+ and C34S, but not for the optically thick HCN, HCO+, and CS, nor for the optically thin C17O. The introduction of velocity structure mitigates the optical depth effects, but does not fully explain the observations, especially in the spectral dimension. A static flattened envelope viewed at a small inclination angle does slightly better. We conclude that a geometry of the envelope other than an isotropic static sphere is needed to circumvent line optical depth effects. We propose that this could be achieved in envelope models with an outflow cavity and/or inhomogeneous structure at scales smaller than ~10^4 AU. The picture of inhomogeneity is supported by observed substructure in at least six species.Comment: 17 pages; accepted for publication in A&