5 research outputs found
Spitzer Observations of the HII Region NGC 2467: An Analysis of Triggered Star Formation
We present new Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the region NGC 2467,
and use these observations to determine how the environment of an HII region
affects the process of star formation. Our observations comprise IRAC (3.6,
4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 um) and MIPS (24 um) maps of the region, covering
approximately 400 square arcminutes. The images show a region of ionized gas
pushing out into the surrounding molecular cloud, powered by an O6V star and
two clusters of massive stars in the region. We have identified as candidate
Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) 45 sources in NGC 2467 with infrared excesses in
at least two mid-infrared colors. We have constructed color-color diagrams of
these sources and have quantified their spatial distribution within the region.
We find that the YSOs are not randomly distributed in NGC 2467; rather, over
75% of the sources are distributed at the edge of the HII region, along
ionization fronts driven by the nearby massive stars. The high fraction of YSOs
in NGC 2467 that are found in proximity to gas that has been compressed by
ionization fronts supports the hypothesis that a significant fraction of the
star formation in NGC 2467 is triggered by the massive stars and the expansion
of the HII region. At the current rate of star formation, we estimate at least
25-50% of the total population of YSOs formed by this process.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal, set to appear in Volume 701;
18 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables. This version reflects a few major changes
made in the accepted version, including new figure
Parent Stars of Extrasolar Planets VII: New Abundance Analyses of 30 Systems
The results of new spectroscopic analyses of 30 stars with giant planet
and/or brown dwarf companions are presented. Values for Teff and [Fe/H] are
used in conjunction with Hipparcos data and Padova isochrones to derive masses,
ages, and theoretical surface gravities. These new data are combined with
spectroscopic and photometric metallicity estimates of other stars harboring
planets and published samples of F, G, and K dwarfs to compare several subsets
of planet bearing stars with similarly well-constrained control groups. The
distribution of [Fe/H] values continues the trend uncovered in previous studies
in that stars hosting planetary companions have a higher mean value than
otherwise similar nearby stars. We also investigate the relationship between
stellar mass and the presence of giant planets and find statistically marginal
but suggestive evidence of a decrease in the incidence of radial velocity
companions orbiting relatively less massive stars. If confirmed with larger
samples, this would represent a critical constraint to both planetary formation
models as well as to estimates of the distribution of planetary systems in our
galaxy.Comment: 27 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astronomical
Journa