ALMA and VLA observations: evidence for ongoing low-mass star formation near Sgr A

Using the Very Large Array (VLA), we recently detected a large number of protoplanetary disc (proplyd) candidates lying within a couple of light years of the massive black hole Sgr A*. The bow-shock appearance of proplyd candidates points towards the young massive stars located near Sgr A*. Similar...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Yusef-Zadeh, F., Cotton, B., Wardle, M., Royster, M. J., Kunneriath, D., Roberts, D. A., Wootten, A., Schödel, Rainer
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:digitalcsic_::a49cf7bb024baae9b88ea5708e799134
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/151635
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Stars: formation
ISM: general
Galaxy: nucleus
Galaxies: nuclei
Galaxies:spiral
Galaxies: star formation
Descripción
Sumario:Using the Very Large Array (VLA), we recently detected a large number of protoplanetary disc (proplyd) candidates lying within a couple of light years of the massive black hole Sgr A*. The bow-shock appearance of proplyd candidates points towards the young massive stars located near Sgr A*. Similar to Orion proplyds, the strong UV radiation from the cluster of massive stars at the Galactic centre is expected to photoevaporate and photoionize the circumstellar discs around young, low-mass stars, thus allowing detection of the ionized outflows from the photoionized layer surrounding cool and dense gaseous discs. To confirm this picture, ALMA observations detect millimeter emission at 226 GHz from five proplyd candidates that had been detected at 44 and 34 GHz with the VLA. We present the derived disc masses for four sources as a function of the assumed dust temperature. The mass of protoplanetary discs from cool dust emission ranges between 0.03 and 0.05 M-circle dot. These estimates are consistent with the disc masses found in star-forming sites in the Galaxy. These measurements show the presence of ongoing star formation with the implication that gas clouds can survive near Sgr A* and the relative importance of high-versus low-mass star formation in the strong tidal and radiation fields of the Galactic centre.