Understanding the Star -Forming Environment in Stellar Clusters
Wang, Shiya
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/85188
Description
Title
Understanding the Star -Forming Environment in Stellar Clusters
Author(s)
Wang, Shiya
Issue Date
2008
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Looney, Leslie W.
Department of Study
Astronomy
Discipline
Astronomy
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Physics, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Language
eng
Abstract
The main goal of this thesis is to investigate the physical conditions of the star-forming environment in stellar clusters, especially for the formation of low-mass cluster members. Embedded, young, and intermediate-mass stellar clusters around Herbig Ae/Be stars are sampled. Mid- and near-infrared observations identifying young stars and millimeter interferometric observations probing dense molecular gas and dust continuum are presented. These observations are used to reveal the large-scale young stellar population around the vicinity where the sampled clusters form, probe the physical conditions of dense molecular clumps which are capable of forming individual low-mass cluster members, and examine the influence of the most massive star in the cluster on its siblings and natal cluster-forming cloud. This study shows that stars within the cluster tend to seem younger than those outside the cluster, suggesting a higher and continuous star-forming rate within the cluster than outside, or massive stars are initiated later than low-mass stars within the same cloud. A thorough investigation of young stars and dense gas toward the MWC 1080 cluster further suggests a domination of the most massive star in the cluster on both the natal cloud dispersal and its low-mass cluster members. As active outflows and winds from the Herbig Ae/Be stars increase the non-thermal motion in the cloud, low-mass cluster members are formed within denser and more turbulent cores, than isolated low-mass star-forming cores. In addition, the strong gas dispersal from the Herbig Ae/Be stars also helps the removal of the circumstellar material around nearby low-mass stars. This makes these low-mass cluster members appear older. In summary, this thesis provides the observational evidence showing how the most massive star in the cluster affects the formation and evolution of low-mass cluster members and the physical conditions of star formation in the cluster.
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