|
EPoS |
|
EPoS Contribution
|
|
Mass segregation in dense core clusters and groups
Helen Kirk HAA-NRC, Victoria, CA | |
| The presence of primordial mass segregation within young stellar clusters has been debated for many years, as numerous observational challenges make it difficult to distinguish primordial mass segregation from rapid early dynamical mass segregation. The JCMT Gould Belt Survey, which mapped the full population of dense star-forming cores within nearby (<500 parsec) molecular clouds visible in the northern hemisphere, offers a novel avenue to address this question. Many of the observational challenges in studying mass segregation in young stellar systems are diminished or removed entirely by studying instead dense cores in the midst of forming stars. Our results, validated by using several independent mass segregation measures, suggest that mass segregation exists along a continuum in these young star-forming systems. More vigourously star-forming environments, like Orion, show strong signs of mass segregation, while more quiescent environments, such as Taurus, do not. Models of star and cluster formation therefore need to account for this varied behaviour in dense core populations. | |
 | |
| Caption: A comparison of Allison's ΛMSR measurement for cores in Orion A (top panel) and Taurus L1495 (bottom panel). With this measure, mass segregation is indicated by values above 1 (horizontal dotted line). The error bars indicate the 1/6 to 5/6 range obtained from a comparison to randomly distributed masses. Here, Orion A shows signs of mass segregation for the highest flux cores, while Taurus L1495 does not. | |
| Collaborators: JCMT GBS team various institutes primarily CA and UK |
Relevant topic(s): Clustered SF Cores |
| Relevant Big Question: What are the initial conditions of cluster formation? | |