Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?

Characterizing pre-stellar cores in star-forming regions is an important step towards the validation of theoretical models of star formation. Due to their sub-arcsecond resolution, ALMA observations can potentially provide samples of pre-stellar cores up to distances of a few kpc, where regions of m...

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Authors: Padoan, Paolo, Pelkonen, Veli Matti, Juvela, Mika, Haugbølle, Troels, Nordlund, Åke
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2023
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:digitalcsic_::a26c545e515b84f6c8d612e25b15b513
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/337589
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:MHD
Turbulence
Stars: formation
Stars: luminosity function
Mass function
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spelling Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?Padoan, PaoloPelkonen, Veli MattiJuvela, MikaHaugbølle, TroelsNordlund, ÅkeMHDTurbulenceStars: formationStars: luminosity functionMass functionCharacterizing pre-stellar cores in star-forming regions is an important step towards the validation of theoretical models of star formation. Due to their sub-arcsecond resolution, ALMA observations can potentially provide samples of pre-stellar cores up to distances of a few kpc, where regions of massive star formation can be targeted. However, the extraction of real cores from dust-continuum observations of turbulent star-forming clouds is affected by complex projection effects. In this work, we study the problem of core extraction both in the idealized case of column-density maps and in the more realistic case of synthetic 1.3 mm ALMA observations. The analysis is carried out on 12 regions of high column density from our 250 pc simulation. We find that derived core masses are highly unreliable, with only a weak correlation between the masses of cores selected in the synthetic ALMA maps and those of the corresponding three-dimensional cores. The fraction of real three-dimensional cores detected in the synthetic maps increases monotonically with mass and remains always below 50 per cent. Above ∼1M⊙ , the core mass function derived from the column-density maps is steeper than that of the three-dimensional cores, while the core mass function from the synthetic ALMA maps has a slope closer to that of the real three-dimensional cores. Because of the mass uncertainties, proper guidance from realistic simulations is essential if ALMA observations of protoclusters at kpc distances are to be used to test star formation models.PP and VMP acknowledge financial support by the grant PID2020-115892GB-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by the grant CEX2019-000918-M funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033. MJ acknowledges support from the Academy of Finland grant No. 348342. The research leading to these results has received funding from the Independent Research Fund Denmark through grant No. DFF 8021–00350B (TH).Peer reviewedOxford University PressMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)Academy of FinlandIndependent Research Fund Denmark202320232023info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/337589reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020/PID2020-115892GB-I00info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/CEX2019-000918-MSupplemental material can be obtained from a dedicated public URL: http://www.erda.dk/vgrid/alma-imf/https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1213Noinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:digitalcsic_::a26c545e515b84f6c8d612e25b15b5132026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
title Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
spellingShingle Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
Padoan, Paolo
MHD
Turbulence
Stars: formation
Stars: luminosity function
Mass function
title_short Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
title_full Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
title_fullStr Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
title_full_unstemmed Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
title_sort Will ALMA reveal the true core mass function of protoclusters?
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Padoan, Paolo
Pelkonen, Veli Matti
Juvela, Mika
Haugbølle, Troels
Nordlund, Åke
author Padoan, Paolo
author_facet Padoan, Paolo
Pelkonen, Veli Matti
Juvela, Mika
Haugbølle, Troels
Nordlund, Åke
author_role author
author2 Pelkonen, Veli Matti
Juvela, Mika
Haugbølle, Troels
Nordlund, Åke
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)
Academy of Finland
Independent Research Fund Denmark
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv MHD
Turbulence
Stars: formation
Stars: luminosity function
Mass function
topic MHD
Turbulence
Stars: formation
Stars: luminosity function
Mass function
description Characterizing pre-stellar cores in star-forming regions is an important step towards the validation of theoretical models of star formation. Due to their sub-arcsecond resolution, ALMA observations can potentially provide samples of pre-stellar cores up to distances of a few kpc, where regions of massive star formation can be targeted. However, the extraction of real cores from dust-continuum observations of turbulent star-forming clouds is affected by complex projection effects. In this work, we study the problem of core extraction both in the idealized case of column-density maps and in the more realistic case of synthetic 1.3 mm ALMA observations. The analysis is carried out on 12 regions of high column density from our 250 pc simulation. We find that derived core masses are highly unreliable, with only a weak correlation between the masses of cores selected in the synthetic ALMA maps and those of the corresponding three-dimensional cores. The fraction of real three-dimensional cores detected in the synthetic maps increases monotonically with mass and remains always below 50 per cent. Above ∼1M⊙ , the core mass function derived from the column-density maps is steeper than that of the three-dimensional cores, while the core mass function from the synthetic ALMA maps has a slope closer to that of the real three-dimensional cores. Because of the mass uncertainties, proper guidance from realistic simulations is essential if ALMA observations of protoclusters at kpc distances are to be used to test star formation models.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023
2023
2023
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/337589
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/337589
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020/PID2020-115892GB-I00
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/CEX2019-000918-M
Supplemental material can be obtained from a dedicated public URL: http://www.erda.dk/vgrid/alma-imf/
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1213
No
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Oxford University Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Oxford University Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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