|
Detailed studies of cluster forming clumps can shed light on the physical conditions required for clustered star formation.
We will present recent millimeter results obtained on a nearby protocluster associated with a prominent near-IR extinction clump in the Serpens / Aquila Rift complex, identified by us while preparing our HERSCHEL survey of the Gould Belt.
Our millimeter dust continuum mapping with MAMBO on the IRAM-30m telescope revealed several protostellar condensations embedded in a dense filamentary clump. This elongated clump is associated with a rich embedded cluster recently observed with IRAC on SPITZER, showing that this region is actively forming stars.
We also mapped the region in molecular lines with HERA (IRAM-30m), and found that the elongated cluster forming clump exhibits signatures of extended infall in tracers such as CS(2-1) and HCO+(3-2), pointing to a global infall pattern along the long axis of the clump, as was observed in the protocluster NGC2264-C.
The results obtained both in Serpens and NGC2264C protoclusters suggest that global collapse may be a key feature of protoclusters at early evolutionary stages.
|
