ALMA survey of massive cluster progenitors from ATLASGAL

Csengeri, T., Bontemps, S., Wyrowski, F., Motte, F., Menten, K. M., Beuther, H., Bronfman, L., Commerçon, B., Chapillon, E., Duarte-Cabral, A., and others. (2017) ALMA survey of massive cluster progenitors from ATLASGAL. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 600 . Article Number 10. ISSN 0004-6361. E-ISSN 1432-0746. (doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629754) (KAR id:61365)

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629754

Abstract

The early evolution of massive cluster progenitors is poorly understood. We investigate the fragmentation properties from 0.3 pc to 0.06 pc scales of a homogenous sample of infrared-quiet massive clumps within 4.5 kpc selected from the ATLASGAL survey. Using the ALMA 7 m array we detect compact dust continuum emission towards all targets and find that fragmentation, at these scales, is limited. The mass distribution of the fragments uncovers a large fraction of cores above 40 M⊙, corresponding to massive dense cores (MDCs) with masses up to ~400 M⊙. Seventy-seven percent of the clumps contain at most 3 MDCs per clump, and we also reveal single clumps/MDCs. The most massive cores are formed within the more massive clumps and a high concentration of mass on small scales reveals a high core formation efficiency. The mass of MDCs highly exceeds the local thermal Jeans mass, and we lack the observational evidence of a sufficiently high level of turbulence or strong enough magnetic fields to keep the most massive MDCs in equilibrium. If already collapsing, the observed fragmentation properties with a high core formation efficiency are consistent with the collapse setting in at parsec scales.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1051/0004-6361/201629754
Uncontrolled keywords:	stars: formation / stars: massive / submillimeter: ISM
Institutional Unit:	Schools > School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics > Physics and Astronomy
Former Institutional Unit:	Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User:	James Urquhart
Date Deposited:	18 Apr 2017 11:09 UTC
Last Modified:	20 May 2025 09:42 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/61365 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Urquhart, J.S..

Creator's ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1605-8050
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