Searches for HH objects and emission stars in star formation regions. V. Two new cometary nebulae in Perseus

A small region surrounding the emission star LkHα 326 in the Perseus dark cloud is studied in the optical range. Two new cometary nebulae are described and their relationship to the Herbig-Haro objects in this region is examined. An HH-jet is discovered near the central star of one of these nebulae. Six emission stars, of which four are new, are detected by slitless spectroscopy. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 219–228 (May 2008).     

Hα emission objects in Circinus

We present a new survey for Hα emission objects in the Circinus cloud complex and introduce an efficient photometric method for detecting Hα emission via observations in a narrow‐band filter. The observed flux is compared to a blackbody fit of the continuum. Our search strategy reveals 20 stars with strong Hα emission (EW > 10 Å), eight of them being new detections. All Hα stars display infrared excess corroborating their youth. On the other hand, the region contains a number of infrared excess objects that do not show Hα emission. Our results support the picture that accretion – as witnessed by Hα emission – is a highly variable phenomenon. Therefore, Hα surveys can only trace the temporarily active objects. In contrast, infrared excess is a more robust tracer that reveals most of the population of young stellar objects in a star forming region. Our analysis of the general stellar content of the region yields a reliable distance of 450 pc for the Circinus cloud. Moreover, we find a ratio of total‐to‐selective extinction of R^V = 2.8 suggesting that smaller‐than‐normal dust grains may be present. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Emission stars in Cyg OB7. new flare stars. III

A continued search for emission objects in three new fields within the association Cyg OB7 yielded eight new emission stars in one of these fields. No emission stars were detected in the other two fields, apparently because we have come to the boundary of the T association on this side. Two UV Cet-type flare stars have been detected in this region for the first time.     

Search for HH-objects and emission stars in star formation regions. VI. Herbig-Haro objects and emission stars in the region of the GM 1-64 and GM 2-4 nebulae

Three new Herbig-Haro and 12 emission stars, mainly belonging to the T Tau class, have been discovered in a study of the region of the GM 1-64 and GM 2-4 nebulae in the direction of the galactic anticenter. GM 1-64 and GM 2-4 are typical cometary nebulae illuminated by emission stars. In GM 2-4 the central star is surrounded by a dense dust envelope and is observed only in the IR. Two stellar-like sources which are bright in the IR are found in this same region and can be regarded as young, Class 1 stars. One of them (CPM 19) is surrounded by a compact group of fainter PMS objects. It is found that CPM 19 shows up clearly in the optical range and undergoes large amplitude brightness variations.     

The chemical re-classification of 6 sources in the new carbon star catalog

We have found that six sources listed in the new carbon star catalog are not really carbon-rich objects but oxygen-rich stars, because they all have prominent silicate features in emission at 10 and 18 μm. Moreover, one of them has a typical oxygen-rich spectrum in the optical region, whereas others have SiO maser emission. Most of these objects were considered as carbon stars in the catalog based only on their locations in the near infrared—IRAS two color diagram. Therefore, to use this diagram to distinguish carbon-rich stars from oxygen-rich stars requires caution. For individual star the other methods should be also employed to verify the results from the infrared two color method.     

New Hα stars. Cyg OB7 region. I.

Preliminary results from a search for emission stars in the neighborhood of Cyg OB7 are reported. A new region of size 14×14 arc min lies 12 arc min to the south of HH 448. 17 new objects have been found, of which one is related to a nebula with an interesting shape and, apparently, the characteristics of a cometary nebula. Inside the nebula there are 4 faint, compact formations with very high proper motions. The spectrum of a star shows that it is of spectral class K9-M0 and is a T Tau type star at a distance of 220 pc. Most of the discovered stars with a strong or intermediate Ha emission line intensity are presumably also T Tau stars. This region appears to be a continuation of the T association around HH 448.     

Circumstellar disks and rings - observational results

Recent advances in the observation of star-forming regions at visual, infrared and radio wavelengths have demonstrated that disks or rings of dust and molecules are suspected or even seen to exist around newly borne stars. They might be the prestage of a planetary system. Typical objects of this kind which are discussed in some detail are the bipolar nebula S 106 and the molecular cloud surrounding it as well as the CO outflow source in the dark cloud L 1551 with its central infrared star IRS 5.     

On the Alignment of T Tauri Stars with the Local Magnetic Field in the Taurus Molecular Cloud Complex

Magnetic field is believed to play an important role in the collapse of a molecular cloud. In particular, due to the properties of magnetic forces, collapse should be easier along magnetic field lines. This is supported by the large-scale sheet-like structures observed in the Taurus giant molecular cloud for instance. Here we investigate whether such a preferred orientation for collapse is present at a much smaller scale, that of individual objects, i.e., about 100AU. We use recent high-angular resolution images of T Tauri stars located in the Taurus star-forming region to find the orientation of the symmetry axis of each star+jet+disk system and compare it with that of the local magnetic field. We find that (i) T Tauri stars that are associated to a jet or an outflow are generally oriented parallel to the magnetic field, as previously demonstrated. More surprising, given our current knowledge of these objects, we also find that (ii) T Tauri stars that are not at present believed to be associated to a jet or an outflow are oriented very differently, i.e., mostly perpendicular to the magnetic field. We present some implications of this puzzling new result.     

Shock fragmentation model for gravitational collapse

A cloud of gas collapsing under gravity will fragment.We present a new theory for this process,in which layers of shocked gas fragment due to their gravitational instability.Our model explains why angular momentum does not inhibit the collapse process.The theory predicts that the fragmentation process produces objects which are significantly smaller than most stars,implying that accretion onto the fragments plays an essential role in determining the initial masses of stars.This prediction is also consistent...     

Massive young stellar objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud: water masers and ESO-VLT 3–4 μm spectroscopy

We investigate the conditions of star formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We have conducted a survey for water maser emission arising from massive young stellar objects in the 30 Doradus region (N 157) and several other H  ii regions in the LMC (N 105A, N 113 and N 160A). We have identified a new maser source in 30 Dor at the systemic velocity of the LMC. We have obtained 3–4 μm spectra, with the European Southern Observatory (ESO)-Very Large Telescope (VLT), of two candidate young stellar objects. N 105A IRS1 shows H recombination line emission, and its Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) and mid-infrared colours are consistent with a massive young star ionizing the molecular cloud. N 157B IRS1 is identified as an embedded young object, based on its SED and a tentative detection of water ice. The data on these four H  ii regions are combined with mid-infrared archival images from the Spitzer Space Telescope to study the location and nature of the embedded massive young stellar objects and signatures of stellar feedback. Our analysis of 30 Dor, N 113 and N 160A confirms the picture that the feedback from the massive O- and B-type stars, which creates the H  ii regions, also triggers further star formation on the interfaces of the ionized gas and the surrounding molecular cloud. Although in the dense cloud N 105A star formation seems to occur without evidence of massive star feedback, the general conditions in the LMC seem favourable for sequential star formation as a result of feedback. In an Appendix , we present water maser observations of the galactic red giants R Doradus and W Hydrae.     

Search for HH Objects and Emission Stars in Star Formation Regions. III. PMS Stars in NGC 7129

Slitless spectroscopy is used to discover 22 emission stars in the central and northwest regions of the cluster located in the NGC 7129 nebula. 16 of them are found for the first time. This sample is essentially complete up to V 20.0. The emission stars are distributed nonuniformly over the field of the cluster and are concentrated toward its center. Photometry in the V, R, and I bands is conducted on more than a hundred stars in the cluster. This yields an average absorption coefficient A _V=1.7±0.27 for this region. Based on their positions in color diagrams for the optical and near IR ranges, most of the emission stars can be regarded as T Tau objects.     

Chemically peculiar stars in the orion OB1 association. I. occurrence frequency, spatial distribution, and kinematics

A total of 85 CP stars of various types are identified among 814 members of the OriOB1 association. The fraction of CP stars decreases with age for different cluster subgroups: from 15.1% in the youngest subgroup (b) to 7.7% in the oldest one (a). Individual comments are provided for each of the 85 stars, where we analyze the physical parameters and distance of the objects. All the 23 Am stars identified as a result of this study are found to have heliocentric distances between 100 and 300 pc and appear not to be members of the OrionOB1 association, but foreground objects. We identified 59 Bp stars, which account for 13.4% of the total number of B-type stars in the association. The fraction of peculiar B-type stars in the OriOB1 association is found to be twice higher than that of peculiar A-type stars. The same is true for field stars. The association contains 22 magnetic stars, out of which 21 are Bp stars and only one is an Ap star. Seventeen of these stars are objects with anomalous helium lines. Magnetic stars show a well-defined tendency to concentrate in the central region of the association (in Orion’s Belt), which contains most of these objects. No significant differences are found between the field strengths in the B-type stars of the association and Bp-type field stars, although there is a noticeable trend for He-rich stars to have stronger fields compared to He-weak stars. We identified 17 binaries, which make up 20% of the total number of peculiar stars studied, which is the standard ratio for CP stars. Except for one HgMn star (HD35548), the radial velocities and proper motions of our identified objects are consistent with the corresponding parameters of normal B-type stars.     

Jets and molecular outflows from Herbig-Haro objects

We review status of theoretical development for jets and molecular outflows from young stellar objects. A particular framework for explaining these phenomena is one based on the X-wind theory in an environment of magnetized collapsing molecular cloud cores. The magnetized gravitational collapse follows the standard picture of isolated low-mass star formation, from quasi-static evolution of the parent molecular cloud cores. The outflow phenomena operate throughout the early evolution of young stars as a result of star-disk interaction. We discuss emission mechanisms of jets and formation of molecular outflows in this general framework. The general theoretical framework provides room for self-consistent interpretations for recent observations. Jets and outflows are integral part of earliest evolution of young stellar objects.     

Optical spectroscopic classification and membership of young M dwarfs in star-forming regions

The spectral type is a key parameter in calibrating the temperature which is required to estimate the mass of young stars and brown dwarfs. We describe an approach developed to classify low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in the Trapezium Cluster using red optical spectra, which can be applied to other star-forming regions. The classification uses two methods for greater accuracy: the use of narrow-band spectral indices which rely on the variation of the strength of molecular lines with spectral type and a comparison with other previously classified young, low-mass objects in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region. We have investigated and compared many different molecular indices and have identified a small number of indices which work well for classifying M-type objects in nebular regions. The indices are calibrated for young, pre-main-sequence objects whose spectra are affected by their lower surface gravities compared with those on the main sequence. Spectral types obtained are essentially independent of both reddening and nebular emission lines.
Confirmation of candidate young stars and brown dwarfs as bona fide cluster members may be accomplished with moderate resolution spectra in the optical region by an analysis of the strength of the gravity-sensitive Na doublet. It has been established that this feature is much weaker in these very young objects than in field dwarfs. A sodium spectral index is used to estimate the surface gravity and to demonstrate quantitatively the difference between young (1–2 Myr) objects, and dwarf and giant field stars.     

Merging time-scales of stellar subclumps in young star-forming regions

Recent observations and hydrodynamical simulations of star formation inside a giant molecular cloud have revealed that, within a star-forming region, stars do not form evenly distributed throughout this region, but rather in small subclumps. It is generally believed that these subclumps merge and form a young star cluster. The time-scale of this merging process is crucial for the evolution and the possible survival of the final star cluster. The key issue is whether this merging process happens faster than the time needed to remove the residual gas of the cloud. A merging time-scale shorter than the gas-removal time would enhance the survival chances of the resulting star cluster. In this paper, we show by means of numerical simulations that the time-scale of the merging is indeed very fast. Depending on the details of the initial subclump distribution, the merging may occur before the gas is expelled from the newly formed cluster via either supernovae or the winds from massive stars. Our simulations further show that the resulting merger objects have a higher effective star formation efficiency than the overall star-forming region and confirm the results that mass-segregated subclumps form mass-segregated merger objects.     

2800 Mg II emission in the most active radio stars

Spectral recordings in the region near 2800 Å are examined from the IUE archives for the twenty most active radio stars, which are also close binary systems. In all of these spectra, the doublet k and h Mg II is seen in strong emission. We find that the observed fluxes of the magnesium doublet emission are directly proportional to the mean fluxes of the observed radio emission at the frequency of 8.4 GHz. The same correlation is found between the absolute luminosities of the radio emission and magnesium doublet emissions. It is argued that the source of both emissions, radio and magnesium doublet, is related to a high temperature stratified cloud located between the components of the binary system. The fluxes of the magnesium doublet emission of these sources are much larger, by one or two orders of magnitude, compared with the usual chromospheric magnesium emission seen in single stars.     

New Hα objects in dark nebulae. I.

Results of a search for new H objects in the Cepheus region are presented. The observations on which the search was based were made in 1979 and 1985 at the 40 Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory with a 4° objective prism. Of the 80 emission stars detected, 68 are new. Most of them are fainter than the sun in absolute magnitude. A large fraction of the emission stars discovered may be flare stars as well as T Tau and Herbig Ae/Be stars.Translated fromAstrofizika, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 57–65, January–March, 1996.     

Star formation in the Cepheus Flare region – II. A-type stars associated with IRAS sources

In order to reveal the star-forming history of the molecular cloud complex we studied the intermediate mass stellar population in the Cepheus Flare region. (Paper I dealt with the distance and the young stellar object candidates of the region.) Correlating the IRAS Point Source Catalogue and Faint Source Catalogue positions with those of 1214 B8–A8 and 1760 F0–F5 type stars brighter than     and classified during an objective prism survey, we identified 19 stars showing far-infrared excess emission in the Cepheus Flare region. In addition to the 16 stars whose counterparts are given in the IRAS catalogues, we found three more stars with infrared excess not recognized before. In order to identify the young medium-mass stars associated with the Cepheus Flare molecular clouds we observed the optical spectra of the IR-excess stars, and using published optical photometry and the IRAS data we examined their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and IRAS two-colour diagram. The observations resulted in the discovery of a new Herbig Ae/Be star, BD +68°1118, coinciding with IRAS 21169+6842. More evolved HAe/Be stars may be SAO 19953, BD +67°1314 and BD +69°1231, whose H α lines showed weak emission components. Possible β Pictoris- or Vega-type stars may be HD 203854, HD 212826 and HD 216486, whereas the far-infrared fluxes at the positions of BD +72°1018, HD 210806 and HD 217903 can be attributed to the heating of the interstellar environment. We used distances and radial velocities of the stars derived from the spectroscopy and published optical photometry as indicators of their relations to the clouds. Information on the environment of the observed stars deduced from the diffuse interstellar band at λ 6613 is briefly discussed.