Infrared polarimetry of the southern massive star-forming region G333.6−0.2

We present     spectropolarimetry, and 12- and 2-μm imaging polarimetry of the southern massive star-forming region G333.6−0.2. Spectro-polarimetry measurements show that the polarization observed towards the nebula contains a mixture of both absorptive and emissive polarizations. Model fitting to the spectra indicates that the temperature of the mid-infrared emitting dust grains is generally ∼200 K and the optical depth of the absorbing dust at 9.7 μm is ∼1.5. Fits are also made to the polarimetry spectra, which show a reasonably constant peak absorptive polarization (∼3.4 per cent at 43°) across the face of the H  ii region. This absorptive polarization position angle is consistent with that found by the 2-μm imaging polarimetry     and is most likely due to the Galactic magnetic field local to G333.6−0.2. When the absorptive polarization is subtracted from the 12-μm polarization image, the emissive polarization pattern that is intrinsic to the star-forming region is revealed. A probable magnetic field configuration implied by the intrinsic polarization suggests star formation initially influenced by the Galactic magnetic field which is eventually perturbed by the star formation process.     

Near-infrared imaging observations of the southern massive star-forming region G333.6−0.2

We present near-infrared broad-band JHK ' images of the southern massive star-forming region G333.6−0.2. The slope of the K -luminosity function towards the region  (0.24 ± 0.01)  is considered to be equivalent to that expected for main-sequence stars in the solar neighbourhood. Point sources with their ( H − K ) colour greater than 1 are more likely to be located in extended emission and it is suggested that these objects are physically associated with the H  ii region.     

Photodissociation regions and star formation in the Carina nebula

We have obtained wide-field thermal infrared (IR) images of the Carina nebula, using the SPIREX/Abu telescope at the South Pole. Emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at 3.29 μm, a tracer of photodissociation regions (PDRs), reveals many interesting well-defined clumps and diffuse regions throughout the complex. Near-IR images  (1–2 μm)  , along with images from the Midcourse Space Experiment ( MSX ) satellite  (8–21 μm)  have been incorporated to study the interactions between the young stars and the surrounding molecular cloud in more detail. Two new PAH emission clumps have been identified in the Keyhole nebula, and have been mapped in  ¹²CO(2–1)  and  (1–0)  using the Swedish–ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST). Analysis of their physical properties reveals that they are dense molecular clumps, externally heated with PDRs on their surfaces and supported by external pressure in a similar manner to the other clumps in the region. A previously identified externally heated globule containing IRAS 10430−5931 in the southern molecular cloud shows strong 3.29-, 8- and 21-μm emission, the spectral energy distribution (SED) revealing the location of an ultracompact (UC) H  ii region. The northern part of the nebula is complicated, with PAH emission intermixed with mid-IR dust continuum emission. Several point sources are located here, and through a two-component blackbody fit to their SEDs we have identified three possible UC H  ii regions as well as a young star surrounded by a circumstellar disc. This implies that star formation in this region is ongoing and not halted by the intense radiation from the surrounding young massive stars.     

Sh2-205 – II. Quiescent star-formation activity

We present a study of active star-forming regions in the environs of the H  ii region Sh2-205. The analysis is based on data obtained from point source catalogues and images extracted from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), Midcourse Space Experiment ( MSX ) and IRAS surveys. Complementary data are taken from a CO survey. The identification of primary candidates for star-formation activity is made following colour criteria and a correlation with molecular gas emission.
A number of star-formation tracer candidates are projected on to two substructures of the H  ii region: SH 148.83–0.67 and SH 149.25–0.00. However, the lack of molecular gas related to these structures casts doubt on the nature of the sources. Additional infrared sources may be associated with the H  i shell centred at  ( l , b ) = (149°0', −1°30')  .
The most striking active area was found in connection with the H  ii region LBN 148.11–0.45, where star-formation candidates are projected on to molecular gas. The analytical model of the 'collect and collapse' process shows that star-formation activity could have been triggered by the expansion of this H  ii region.     

Molecular line mapping of the giant molecular cloud associated with RCW 106 – II. Column density and dynamical state of the clumps

We present a fully sampled C¹⁸O (1–0) map towards the southern giant molecular cloud (GMC) associated with the H  ii region RCW 106, and use it in combination with previous ¹³CO (1–0) mapping to estimate the gas column density as a function of position and velocity. We find localized regions of significant ¹³CO optical depth in the northern part of the cloud, with several of the high-opacity clouds in this region likely associated with a limb-brightened shell around the H  ii region G333.6−0.2. Optical depth corrections broaden the distribution of column densities in the cloud, yielding a lognormal distribution as predicted by simulations of turbulence. Decomposing the ¹³CO and C¹⁸O data cubes into clumps, we find relatively weak correlations between size and linewidth, and a more sensitive dependence of luminosity on size than would be predicted by a constant average column density. The clump mass spectrum has a slope near −1.7, consistent with previous studies. The most massive clumps appear to have gravitational binding energies well in excess of virial equilibrium; we discuss possible explanations, which include magnetic support and neglect of time-varying surface terms in the virial theorem. Unlike molecular clouds as a whole, the clumps within the RCW 106 GMC, while elongated, appear to show random orientations with respect to the Galactic plane.     

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 (GMC) and star-forming region in the 850-μm continuum, using the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. A complete sample of 316 dense clumps were detected with a mass range from around 13 to  2500 M_⊙  . Part of the W3 GMC is subject to an interaction with the H  ii region and fast stellar winds generated by the nearby W4 OB association. We find that the fraction of total gas mass in dense, 850-μm traced structures is significantly altered by this interaction, being around 5–13 per cent in the undisturbed cloud but ∼25–37 per cent 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.     

Extended Galactic emission at l=312°: a comparison of mid-infrared and radio continuum (843 MHz) images

We report on the comparison of images of a region of the Galactic plane (centred on l =312°) as seen by the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) at 8.3 μm and by the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST) at 843 MHz in the radio continuum. We note that the survey from each telescope is without peer and occupies a niche in panoramic coverage with high spatial resolution. Using independent classification of sources in the selected region, a detailed comparison of the two surveys was made. The aim of the project was to seek global characteristics for different types of source, with a view to establishing predictive criteria for identification and hence emission mechanisms. Several strong trends were found. There is a complete absence in this field of any detected MSX counterparts to non-thermal radio sources. Almost every H  ii region in the radio image has its MSX counterpart, in the form of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon halo in the neutral zone surrounding the ionized gas. Both surveys show large-scale 'braided' filamentary structures, extending over 1°, which appear to be produced by thermal processes. These filaments may be structures in the warm ionized phase of the interstellar medium or extended haloes around H  ii regions. The comparisons in this paper were made using both preliminary MSX 8.3-μm results with 46-arcsec resolution and final MSX images with the intrinsic 20-arcsec resolution of the instruments.     

The distribution of atomic gas and dust in nearby galaxies – I. Presentation of matched-resolution VLA H i and SCUBA 850-μm maps

We present matched-resolution VLA H  i and SCUBA 850-μm maps of 20 IRAS -bright galaxies. Of the galaxies observed, two were not detected in H  i and two were detected in absorption. The H  i distributions of the galaxies have a range of morphologies. Some of the systems appear H  i deficient in the central regions which could be due to a high conversion rate of H  i into molecules or H  i absorption. In contrast to the H  i , the 850-μm emission has a smooth distribution which is concentrated towards the optical centre of each galaxy. We also find evidence for 850-μm emission extending to the periphery of the optical disc in some of the galaxies. Finally, we note that the relative lack of 850-μm emission when compared with H  i does not necessarily mean that the atomic gas and dust do not have similar mass distributions.     

Extended dust emission in NGC 7465

We present SCUBA 850-μm, JCMT  CO( J =2→1)  , B -band imaging and VLA H  i observations of the NGC 7465/4/3 group of galaxies. The 850-μm emission associated with NGC 7465 extends to at least ∼2 R ₂₅ and is well correlated with the H  i . We investigate a range of possible mechanisms by which dust beyond R ₂₅ may be heated to give the observed extended submillimetre emission. By modelling the dust heating by stars in two extreme geometries, we fail to find any reasonable star formation scenario that is consistent with both the 850-μm and optical data. Furthermore, we do not detect any  CO( J =2→1)  emission coincident with the extended dust and atomic gas as would be expected if significant star formation were occurring. We show that shock-heating of dust via cloud–cloud collisions in the stripped interstellar medium of NGC 7465 could be sufficient to explain the extended 850-μm emission and lack of optical emission in the stripped gas, and suggest that cloud–cloud collisions may be an important dust heating mechanism in gas-rich systems.     

Mid-infrared observations of methanol maser sites and ultracompact H ii regions: signposts of high-mass star formation

N -band (10.5 μm) and/or Q -band (20.0 μm) images taken with MANIAC on the ESO/MPI 2.2-m telescope are presented for 31 methanol maser sites and 19 ultracompact (UC) H  ii regions. Most of the maser sites and UC H  ii regions are coincident with mid-infrared (MIR) sources to within the positional uncertainties of ∼ 3 arcsec, consistent with the maser emission being powered by the MIR source. The IRAS source positions, however, do not always coincide with the MIR sources.
Based on an average infrared spectral energy distribution, we deduce that the MIR objects are luminous enough that they should also produce a strong ionizing radiation. Some sources are consistent with stars of later spectral type, but not all can be. A number of maser sites show no detectable radio continuum emission associated with MIR emission, despite a powering source luminous enough potentially to produce an UC H  ii region. Since no signs of an UC H  ii region are detected here, these maser sites might be produced during a very early stage of stellar evolution.
We present objects that show evidence of outflow activity stemming from a maser site, exhibiting CO and/or CS line profiles indicative of outflows coincident with the MIR source. These cases are promising examples of maser sites signposting the earliest stages of high-mass star formation.     

The far-infrared signature of dust in high-latitude regions

We present ISOPHOT observations of eight interstellar regions in the 60–200 μm wavelength range. The regions belong to mostly quiescent high-latitude clouds and have optical extinction peaks from   A_V ∼1–6 mag  . From the 150- and 200-μm emission, we derived colour temperatures for the classical big grain component which show a clear trend of decreasing temperature with increasing 200-μm emission. The 200-μm emission per unit   A_V   , however, does not drop at lower temperatures. This fact can be interpreted in terms of an increased far-infrared (FIR) emissivity of the big grains. We developed a two-component model including warm dust with the temperature of the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) of   T = 17.5 K  , and cold dust with   T = 13.5 K  and FIR emissivity increased by a factor of >4. A mixture of the two components can reproduce the observed colour variations and the ratios   I ₂₀₀/ A_V   and  τ₂₀₀/ A_V   . The relative abundance of small grains with respect to the big grains shows significant variations from region to region at low column densities. However, in lines of sight of higher column density, our data indicate the disappearance of small grains, perhaps a signature of adsorption/coagulation of dust. The larger size and porous structure could also explain the increased FIR emissivity. Our results from eight independent regions suggest that these grains might be ubiquitous in the galactic ISM.     

The initial conditions of isolated star formation – VII. Spitzer mapping of pre-stellar cores

We have retrieved Spitzer archive data of pre-stellar cores taken with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) at a wavelength of 160 μm. Seventeen images, containing 18 cores, were constructed. Flux densities were measured for each core, and background estimates were made. Mean off-source backgrounds were found to be 48 ± 10 MJy sr⁻¹ in Taurus and 140 ± 55 MJy sr⁻¹ in Ophiuchus. Consistency was found between the MIPS 170-μm and ISOPHOT 160-μm calibrations. Fourteen cores were detected both by MIPS and by our previous submillimetre surveys. Spectral energy distributions were made for each core, using additional 24- and 70-μm data from the Spitzer data archive, as well as previous infrared and submillimetre data. Previous temperature estimates were refined, and new temperature estimates were made where no Infrared Space Observatory ( ISO ) data exist. A temperature range of 8–18 K was found for the cores, with most lying in the range 10–13 K. We discount recent claims that a large number of pre-stellar cores may have been misclassified and in fact contain low-luminosity protostars detectable only by Spitzer . We find no new protostars in our sample other than that previously reported in L1521F. It is shown that this has a negligible effect on pre-stellar lifetime estimates.     

Submillimetre continuum images of the NGC 2024 star-forming ridge

We present 450- and 800-μm images, made with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, of the NGC 2024 molecular ridge. The seven previously known compact cores, FIR1–7, have been detected, and FIR5 has been resolved into a compact object and an associated extended source to the east. The estimated masses of the dense cores vary between 1.6 and 5.1 M⊙ per 14-arcsec beam, assuming a dust temperature of 30 K and a dust opacity of κ_800 μm = 0.002 m² kg⁻¹. A spectral index map made from the 450- and 800-μm images shows spatial variations, with the spectral index, α ( F _ν ∝ ν^α), being systematically lower towards the dense cores. We interpret this as evidence for a lower value of the frequency dependence of the dust opacity, β, towards the denser cores relative to the surrounding molecular material. This may indicate that grain growth is occurring in the cores, prior to planetesimal formation. By comparing the high-resolution 450-μm image with interferometer maps of the integrated CS(2–1) emission, the previously reported discrepancy between dust continuum emission and molecular line emission is found to be very localized. Depletion and temperature variations are discussed as possible explanations.     

Variations in 24-μm morphologies among galaxies in the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey: new insights into the Hubble sequence

To study the distribution of star formation and dust emission within nearby galaxies, we measured five morphological parameters in the 3.6- and 24-μm wavebands for 65 galaxies in the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) and eight galaxies that were serendipitously observed by SINGS. The morphological parameters demonstrate strong variations along the Hubble sequence, including statistically significant differences between S0/a-Sab and Sc-Sd galaxies. Early-type galaxies are generally found to be compact, centralized, symmetric sources in the 24-μm band, while late-type galaxies are generally found to be extended, asymmetric sources. These results suggest that the processes that increase the real or apparent sizes of galaxies' bulges also lead to more centralized 24-μm dust emission. Several phenomena, such as strong nuclear star formation, Seyfert activity, or outer ring structures, may cause galaxies to deviate from the general morphological trends observed at 24 μm. We also note that the 24-μm morphologies of Sdm-Im galaxies are quite varied, with some objects appearing very compact and symmetric but others appearing diffuse and asymmetric. These variations reflect the wide variation in star formation in irregular galaxies as observed at other wavelengths. The variations in the 24-μm morphological parameters across the Hubble sequence mirror many of the morphological trends seen in other tracers of the ISM and in stellar emission. However, the 24-μm morphological parameters for the galaxies in this sample do not match the morphological parameters measured in the stellar wavebands. This implies that the distribution of dust emission is related to but not equivalent to the distribution of stellar emission.     

Studies of ultracompact H II regions – III. Near-infrared survey of selected regions

A survey towards a selection of 35 methanol maser and/or ultracompact (UC) H  ii regions, reported in Papers I and II and by Norris et al., has been conducted in the near-infrared (NIR). Out of 25 methanol maser sites surveyed, 12 are associated with a NIR counterpart. Out of 18 UC H  ii regions (8 of which overlap with maser emission), 12 are associated with a NIR counterpart. Counterparts can be confidently identified not only by the positional agreements, but also by their unusually red colours. Spectral types for the embedded stars can be unambiguously determined for six sources, all of which imply massive, ionizing stars. One of these infrared sources has methanol maser emission, but no UC H  ii region. It is possible that the maser emission associated with this source arises from a pre-UC H  ii phase of massive stellar evolution or it could be that nearly all the ultraviolet photons are absorbed by dust within the UC H  ii region. We have modelled the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for some sources and find that a single blackbody can be used to estimate the stellar luminosity, but cannot represent the whole infrared SED. A two-component blackbody model and a radiative transfer model were also used to derive essential parameters of the infrared sources. The radiative transfer model also indicates which infrared sources are relatively young and which are older. Both models show that silicate absorption at 9.7 μm must be a dominant feature of these SEDs.     

Extended emission associated with young H ii regions

We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to make observations of a sample of eight young ultra-compact H  ii regions, selected on the basis that they have associated class II methanol maser emission. We have made observations sensitive to both compact and extended structures and find both to be present in most sources. The scale of the extended emission in our sample is in general less than that observed towards samples based on IRAS properties, or large single-dish flux densities. Our observations are consistent with a scenario where extended and compact radio continuum emission co-exists within H  ii regions for a significant period of time.
We suggest that these observations are consistent with a model where H  ii evolution takes place within hierarchically structured molecular clouds. This model, which is the subject of an upcoming companion paper by Shabala et al., addresses both the association between compact and extended emission and the ultra-compact H  ii region lifetime problem.     

Galactic H i on the 50-au scale in the direction of three extragalactic sources observed with MERLIN

We present MERLIN observations of Galactic 21-cm H  i absorption at an angular resolution of  ∼0.1–0.2  arcsec and a velocity resolution of 0.5 km s⁻¹, in the direction of three moderately low latitude  (−8° < b < −12°)  extragalactic radio sources, 3C 111, 3C 123 and 3C 161, all of which are heavily reddened. H  i absorption is observed against resolved background emission sources up to ∼2 arcsec in extent and we distinguish details of the opacity distribution within 1–1.5 arcsec regions towards 3C 123 and 3C 161. This study is the second MERLIN investigation of small-scale structure in interstellar H  i (earlier work probed Galactic H  i in the directions of the compact sources 3C 138 and 3C 147). The 0.1-arcsec scale is intermediate between H  i absorption studies made with other fixed element interferometers with resolution of 1–10 arcsec and very long baseline interferometry studies with resolutions of 10–20 mas. At a scale of 1 arcsec (about 500 au), prominent changes in Galactic H  i opacity in excess of 1–1.5 are determined in the direction of 3C 161 with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 10σ. Possible fluctuations in the H  i opacity at the level of about 1 are detected at the  2.5–3σ  level in the direction of 3C 123.     

The SCUBA Local Universe Galaxy Survey – II. 450-μm data: evidence for cold dust in bright IRAS galaxies

This is the second in a series of papers presenting results from the SCUBA Local Universe Galaxy Survey. In our first paper we provided 850-μm flux densities for 104 galaxies selected from the IRAS Bright Galaxy Sample and we found that the 60-, 100-μm ( IRAS ) and 850-μm (SCUBA) fluxes could be adequately fitted by emission from dust at a single temperature. In this paper we present 450-μm data for the galaxies. With the new data, the spectral energy distributions of the galaxies can no longer be fitted with an isothermal dust model – two temperature components are now required. Using our 450-μm data and fluxes from the literature, we find that the 450/850-μm flux ratio for the galaxies is remarkably constant, and this holds from objects in which the star formation rate is similar to our own Galaxy, to ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) such as Arp 220. The only possible explanation for this is if the dust emissivity index for all of the galaxies is ∼2 and the cold dust component has a similar temperature in all galaxies     . The 60-μm luminosities of the galaxies were found to depend on both the dust mass and the relative amount of energy in the warm component, with a tendency for the temperature effects to dominate at the highest L ₆₀. The dust masses estimated using the new temperatures are higher by a factor of ∼2 than those determined previously using a single temperature. This brings the gas-to-dust ratios of the IRAS galaxies into agreement with those of the Milky Way and other spiral galaxies which have been intensively studied in the submm.     

A shallow though extensive H2 2.122-μm imaging survey of Taurus–Auriga–Perseus – I. NGC 1333, L1455, L1448 and B1

We discuss wide-field near-infrared (near-IR) imaging of the NGC 1333, L1448, L1455 and B1 star-forming regions in Perseus. The observations have been extracted from a much larger narrow-band imaging survey of the Taurus–Auriga–Perseus complex. These H₂ 2.122-μm observations are complemented by broad-band K imaging, mid-IR imaging and photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope , and published submillimetre CO   J = 3–2  maps of high-velocity molecular outflows. We detect and label 85 H₂ features and associate these with 26 molecular outflows. Three are parsec-scale flows, with a mean flow lobe length exceeding 11.5 arcmin. 37 (44 per cent) of the detected H₂ features are associated with a known Herbig–Haro object, while 72 (46 per cent) of catalogued HH objects are detected in H₂ emission. Embedded Spitzer sources are identified for all but two of the 26 molecular outflows. These candidate outflow sources all have high near-to-mid-IR spectral indices (mean value of  α∼ 1.4  ) as well as red IRAC 3.6–4.5 μm and IRAC/MIPS 4.5–24.0 μm colours: 80 per cent have [3.6]–[4.5] > 1.0 and [4.5]–[24] > 1.5. These criteria – high α and red [4.5]–[24] and [3.6]–[4.5] colours – are powerful discriminants when searching for molecular outflow sources. However, we find no correlation between α and flow length or opening angle, and the outflows appear randomly orientated in each region. The more massive clouds are associated with a greater number of outflows, which suggests that the star formation efficiency is roughly the same in each region.     

Magnetic field evolution of accreting neutron stars – IV. Effect of the curvature of space–time

We report near-infrared molecular hydrogen and Brackett γ observations towards the massive star formation site G323.74−0.26. The region contains an H  ii region, ∼30 arcsec across, and two Class II methanol maser sites, which are separate from the H  ii region. We show that the spectral type of the star powering the H  ii region is B0. We also show that at least one of the maser sites is powered by an infrared source that appears to be at least as luminous as the star responsible for the H  ii region. However, neither of the two stars associated with the methanol maser sites shows any signs of radio continuum emission above 0.2 mJy. For at least one of these maser sites, this shows a real deficiency in the radio continuum flux, which we suggest is an indication that the star is in an early stage of development, before its H  ii region becomes visible, or it is a multiple intermediate mass star system. A shocked molecular hydrogen outflow is seen extending from one of the maser sites towards the west and possibly in a fan shape, suggesting that the stars associated with the maser sites are indeed at a very early stage of evolution.