An ALMA Study of the Massive Molecular Clump N159W-North in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A Possible Gas Flow Penetrating One of the Most Massive Protocluster Systems in the Local Group

Tokuda K, Minami T, Fukui Y, Inoue T, Nishioka T, Tsuge K, Zahorecz S, Sano H, Konishi A, Chen CHR, Sewilo M, Madden SC, Nayak O, Saigo K, Nishimura A, Tanaka KE, Sawada T, Indebetouw R, Tachihara K, Kawamura A, Onishi T (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society

Book Volume: 933

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac6b3c

Abstract

Massive dense clumps in the Large Magellanic Cloud can be an important laboratory to explore the formation of populous clusters. We report multiscale ALMA observations of the N159W-North clump, which is the most CO-intense region in the galaxy. High-resolution CO isotope and 1.3 mm continuum observations with an angular resolution of similar to 0.'' 25 (similar to 0.07 pc) revealed more than five protostellar sources with CO outflows within the main ridge clump. One of the thermal continuum sources, MMS-2, shows an especially massive/dense nature whose total H-2 mass and peak column density are similar to 10(4) M (circle dot) and similar to 10(24) cm(-2), respectively, and harbors massive (similar to 100 M (circle dot)) starless core candidates identified as its internal substructures. The main ridge containing this source can be categorized as one of the most massive protocluster systems in the Local Group. The CO high-resolution observations found several distinct filamentary clouds extending southward from the star-forming spots. The CO (1-0) data set with a larger field of view reveals a conical, similar to 30 pc long complex extending toward the northern direction. These features indicate that a large-scale gas compression event may have produced the massive star-forming complex. Based on the striking similarity between the N159W-North complex and the other two previously reported high-mass star-forming clouds in the nearby regions, we propose a "teardrops inflow model" that explains the synchronized, extreme star formation across >50 pc, including one of the most massive protocluster clumps in the Local Group.

Authors with CRIS profile

Kisetsu Tsuge Professur für Multiwellenlängenastronomie

Involved external institutions

Kyushu University / 九州大学 JP Japan (JP) Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) JP Japan (JP) Nagoya University / 名古屋大学 JP Japan (JP) Konan University / 甲南大学 JP Japan (JP) National Astronomical Observatory of Japan / 国立天文台(NAOJ) JP Japan (JP) Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie / Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy DE Germany (DE) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) US United States (USA) (US) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot FR France (FR) Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) US United States (USA) (US) Kagoshima University JP Japan (JP) National Institute of Natural Sciences (NINS) / 自然科学研究機構 JP Japan (JP) University of Virginia (UVA) US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Tokuda, K., Minami, T., Fukui, Y., Inoue, T., Nishioka, T., Tsuge, K.,... Onishi, T. (2022). An ALMA Study of the Massive Molecular Clump N159W-North in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A Possible Gas Flow Penetrating One of the Most Massive Protocluster Systems in the Local Group. Astrophysical Journal, 933(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac6b3c

MLA:

Tokuda, Kazuki, et al. "An ALMA Study of the Massive Molecular Clump N159W-North in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A Possible Gas Flow Penetrating One of the Most Massive Protocluster Systems in the Local Group." Astrophysical Journal 933.1 (2022).

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