Journal
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Volume 641, Issue 2, Pages L121-L124Publisher
IOP Publishing Ltd
DOI: 10.1086/504150
Keywords
stars : formation; stars : kinematics; stars : winds, outflows
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We argue that rich star clusters take at least several local dynamical times to form and so are quasi-equilibrium structures during their assembly. Observations supporting this conclusion include morphologies of star-forming clumps, momentum flux of protostellar outflows from forming clusters, age spreads of stars in the Orion Nebula cluster ( ONC) and other clusters, and the age of a dynamical ejection event from the ONC. We show that these long formation timescales are consistent with the expected star formation rate in turbulent gas, as recently evaluated by Krumholz & McKee. Finally, we discuss the implications of these timescales for star formation efficiencies, the disruption of gas by stellar feedback, mass segregation of stars, and the longevity of turbulence in molecular clumps.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available