Journal
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Volume 731, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/731/2/91
Keywords
galaxies: star clusters: general; H II regions; ISM: individual objects (30 Doradus); ISM: kinematics and dynamics; stars: formation; stars: massive
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Funding
- AAUW
- National Science Foundation [NSF-AST0955836, AST-0807739]
- Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship
- NASA [NNX09AK31G]
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien
- Division Of Astronomical Sciences [0955836] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Astronomical Sciences
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [0807739] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Observations show that star formation is an inefficient and slow process. This result can be attributed to the injection of energy and momentum by stars that prevents free-fall collapse of molecular clouds. The mechanism of this stellar feedback is debated theoretically; possible sources of pressure include the classical warm H II gas, the hot gas generated by shock heating from stellar winds and supernovae, direct radiation of stars, and the dust-processed radiation field trapped inside the H II shell. In this paper, we measure observationally the pressures associated with each component listed above across the giant H II region 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We exploit high-resolution, multi-wavelength images (radio, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray) to map these pressures as a function of position. We find that radiation pressure dominates within 75 pc of the central star cluster, R136, while the H II gas pressure dominates at larger radii. By contrast, the dust-processed radiation pressure and hot gas pressure are generally weak and not dynamically important, although the hot gas pressure may have played a more significant role at early times. Based on the low X-ray gas pressures, we demonstrate that the hot gas is only partially confined and must be leaking out the H II shell. Additionally, we consider the implications of a dominant radiation pressure on the early dynamics of 30 Doradus.
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