No Arabic abstract
This paper reviews the results of studies of star forming regions, carried out at the Konkoly Observatory in the last two decades. The studies involved distance determination of star-forming dark clouds, search for candidate pre-main sequence stars, and determination of the masses and ages of the candidates by spectroscopic follow-up observations. The results expanded the list of the well-studied star forming regions in our galactic environment. Data obtained by this manner may be useful in addressing several open questions related to galactic star forming processes.
We present a study of the properties of star-forming regions within a sample of 7 Wolf-Rayet (WR) galaxies. We analyze their morphologies, colours, star-formation rate (SFR), metallicities, and stellar populations combining broad-band and narrow-band photometry with low-resolution optical spectroscopy. The $UBVRI$ observations were made through the 2m HCT (Himalayan Chandra Telescope) and 1m ARIES telescope. The spectroscopic data were obtained using the Hanle Faint Object Spectrograph Camera (HFOSC) mounted on the 2m HCT. The observed galaxies are NGC 1140, IRAS 07164+5301, NGC 3738, UM 311, NGC 6764, NGC 4861 and NGC 3003. The optical spectra have been used to search for the faint WR features, to confirm that the ionization of the gas is consequence of the massive stars, and to quantify the oxygen abundance of each galaxy using several and independent empirical calibrations. We detected the broad features originated by WR stars in NGC 1140 and NGC 4861 and used them to derive their population of massive stars. Using our H$alpha$ images we have identified tens of regions within these galaxies, for which we derived the SFR. For all regions we found that the most recent star-formation event is 3 - 6 Myr old. We used the optical broad-band colours in combination with Starburst99 models to estimate the internal reddening and the age of the dominant underlying stellar population within all these regions. Knots in NGC 3738, NGC 6764 and NGC 3003 generally show the presence of an important old (400 - 1000 Myr) stellar population. However, the optical colours are not able to detect stars older than 20 - 50 Myr in the knots of the other four galaxies. This fact suggests both the intensity of the starbursts and that the star-formation activity has been ongoing for at least some few tens of million years in these objects.
We model the dynamical evolution of star forming regions with a wide range of initial properties. We follow the evolution of the regions substructure using the Q-parameter, we search for dynamical mass segregation using the Lambda_MSR technique, and we also quantify the evolution of local density around stars as a function of mass using the Sigma_LDR method. The amount of dynamical mass segregation measured by Lambda_MSR is generally only significant for subvirial and virialised, substructured regions - which usually evolve to form bound clusters. The Sigma_LDR method shows that massive stars attain higher local densities than the median value in all regions, even those that are supervirial and evolve to form (unbound) associations. We also introduce the Q-Sigma_LDR plot, which describes the evolution of spatial structure as a function of mass-weighted local density in a star forming region. Initially dense (>1000 stars pc^{-2}), bound regions always have Q >1, Sigma_LDR > 2 after 5Myr, whereas dense unbound regions always have Q < 1, Sigma_LDR > 2 after 5Myr. Less dense regions (<100 stars pc^{-2}) do not usually exhibit Sigma_LDR > 2 values, and if relatively high local density around massive stars arises purely from dynamics, then the Q-Sigma_LDR plot can be used to estimate the initial density of a star forming region.
Maser emission plays an important role as a tool in star formation studies. It is widely used for deriving kinematics, as well as the physical conditions of different structures, hidden in the dense environment very close to the young stars, for example associated with the onset of jets and outflows. We will summarize the recent observational and theoretical progress on this topic since the last maser symposium: the IAU Symposium 242 in Alice Springs.
The determination of accurate distances to star-forming regions are discussed in the broader historical context of astronomical distance measurements. We summarize recent results for regions within 1 kpc and present perspectives for the near and more distance future.
This paper will review the basic concepts of gas-phase and grain surface chemistry of dense molecular clouds, where low mass and high mass stars form. The chemistry of cold pre-stellar cloud cores, where molecular freeze-out and deuterium fractionation dominate, will be presented. Then, following cloud evolution after protostellar birth, hot core and shock chemistry will be discussed in view of recent observations. A brief summary of the chemistry in protoplanetary disks will also be furnished. The aim is to identify important gas tracers in the various steps of the star formation process, pointing out the main problems still open in the field of astrochemistry.