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The Conditions for Star Formation at Low Metallicity: Results from the LMC
We present our recent work on the conditions under which star formation
occurs in a metal-poor environment, the Large Magellanic Cloud ([Fe/H] ~ -0.4).
Water masers are used as beacons of the current star formation in HII regions.
Comparing their location with the dust morphology imaged with the Spitzer Space
Telescope, and additional Halpha imaging and groundbased near-infrared
observations, we conclude that the LMC environment seems favourable to
sequential star formation triggered by massive star feedback (Oliveira et al.
2006). Good examples of this are 30 Doradus and N 113. There are also HII
regions, such as N 105A, where feedback may not be responsible for the current
star formation although the nature of one young stellar object (YSO) suggests
that feedback may soon start making an impact. The chemistry in one YSO hints
at a stronger influence from irradiation effects in a metal-poor environment
where shielding by dust is suppressed (van Loon 2005)Comment: in "Triggered Star Formation in a Turbulent ISM", IAU symposium,
poster contribution; a better quality version of this manuscript can be found
at http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/~jacco/papers/proc.ps a full version of the
poster can be found at
http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/~jacco/papers/IAUS237_LMC_2006.pd
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