Uncovering three past massive star-forming complexes that shaped local interstellar structures
- Author(s)
- Cameren Swiggum, Joao Alves, Robert A. Benjamin, Sebastian Ratzenböck, Núria Miret Roig, Josefa Elisabeth Großschedl, Stefan Meingast, Alyssa Goodman, Ralf Konietzka, Catherine Zucker, Emily Hunt, Sabine Reffert
- Abstract
The introduction of three-dimensional (3D) dust maps of our local (< 2 kpc) Galaxy have revolutionized the way nearby star-forming regions and large-scale ISM structures can be visualized. Numerous cavities observed in 3D dust maps are recognized as expanding shells and bubbles, and their formations are believed to be propelled by the cumulative energy released from multiple supernovae events hosted by star-forming complexes. The availability of Gaia-based star cluster catalogs with precisely constrained 3D positions and kinematics has opened the possibility to trace back young clusters and find their birth regions. In this contribution, we show that the majority of young star clusters (57%) within one kiloparsec of the Sun have originated from three past star-forming complexes beginning over 30 Myr ago. We estimate that these three families of clusters have collectively produced over 200 supernovae and have driven the formation and expansion of the Local Bubble and the nearest Galactic super-shell, GSH 238+00+09, both visible in modern three-dimensional dust maps. Our findings provide insights into the formation of major local interstellar structures and a basis for future research on the evolution of both stellar and interstellar environments near the Sun.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Astrophysics, Research Group Visualization and Data Analysis, Research Network Data Science
- External organisation(s)
- University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Landessternwarte Königstuhl (LSW)
- Journal
- Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society
- Volume
- 56
- ISSN
- 0002-7537
- Publication date
- 07-2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103004 Astrophysics, 103003 Astronomy
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/fd748813-5eef-4667-a27e-ccd12081c486