ALMA CO observations of a giant molecular cloud in M33: Evidence for high-mass star formation triggered by cloud-cloud collisions

Sano H, Tsuge K, Tokuda K, Muraoka K, Tachihara K, Yamane Y, Kohno M, Fujita S, Enokiya R, Rowell G, Maxted N, Filipovic MD, Knies J, Sasaki M, Onishi T, Plucinsky PP, Fukui Y (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan Universal Academy Press, Inc.

Book Volume: 73

Pages Range: S62-S74

DOI: 10.1093/pasj/psaa045

Abstract

We report the first evidence for high-mass star formation triggered by collisions of molecular clouds in M33. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we spatially resolved filamentary structures of giant molecular cloud 37 in M33 using (CO)-C-12(J = 2-1), (CO)-C-13(J = 2-1), and (CO)-O-18(J = 2-1) line emission at a spatial resolution of similar to 2pc. There are two individual molecular clouds with a systematic velocity difference of similar to 6kms(-1). Three continuum sources representing up to similar to 10 high-mass stars with spectral types of B0V-O7.5V are embedded within the densest parts of molecular clouds bright in the (CO)-O-18(J = 2-1) line emission. The two molecular clouds show a complementary spatial distribution with a spatial displacement of similar to 6.2pc, and show a V-shaped structure in the position-velocity diagram. These observational features traced by CO and its isotopes are consistent with those in high-mass star-forming regions created by cloud-cloud collisions in the Galactic and Magellanic Cloud H II regions. Our new finding in M33 indicates that cloud-cloud collision is a promising process for triggering high-mass star formation in the Local Group.

Authors with CRIS profile

Jonathan Knies Professur für Multiwellenlängenastronomie Manami Sasaki Professur für Multiwellenlängenastronomie

Involved external institutions

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan / 国立天文台(NAOJ) JP Japan (JP) Nagoya University / 名古屋大学 JP Japan (JP) Osaka Prefecture University 大阪府立大学 JP Japan (JP) University of Adelaide AU Australia (AU) University of New South Wales (UNSW) AU Australia (AU) University of Western Sydney AU Australia (AU) Nagoya City Science Museum JP Japan (JP) Harvard University US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Sano, H., Tsuge, K., Tokuda, K., Muraoka, K., Tachihara, K., Yamane, Y.,... Fukui, Y. (2021). ALMA CO observations of a giant molecular cloud in M33: Evidence for high-mass star formation triggered by cloud-cloud collisions. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, 73, S62-S74. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pasj/psaa045

MLA:

Sano, Hidetoshi, et al. "ALMA CO observations of a giant molecular cloud in M33: Evidence for high-mass star formation triggered by cloud-cloud collisions." Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan 73 (2021): S62-S74.

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