The VMC Survey. XXII. Hierarchical star formation in the 30 Doradus-N158-N159-N160 star-forming complex
- We study the hierarchical stellar structures in a similar to 1.5 deg(2) area covering the 30. Doradus-N158-N159-N160 starforming complex with the VISTA Survey of. Magellanic Clouds. Based on the young upper main-sequence stars, we find that the surface densities cover a wide range of values, from log(Sigma.pc(2))less than or similar to -2.0 to log(Sigma. pc(2)) greater than or similar to 0.0. Their distributions are highly non-uniform, showing groups that frequently have subgroups inside. The sizes of the stellar groups do not exhibit characteristic values, and range continuously from several parsecs to more than 100. pc; the cumulative size distribution can be well described by a single power law, with the power-law index indicating a projected fractal dimension D-2 = 1.6 +/- 0.3. We suggest that the phenomena revealed here support a scenario of hierarchical star formation. Comparisons with other star-forming regions and galaxies are also discussed.
Author details: | Ning-Chen SunORCiD, Richard de GrijsORCiDGND, Smitha SubramanianORCiD, Maria-Rosa L. CioniORCiD, Stefano RubeleORCiD, Kenji BekkiORCiD, Valentin D. IvanovORCiD, Andrés E. PiattiGND, Vincenzo RipepiORCiD |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/171 |
ISSN: | 0004-637X |
ISSN: | 1538-4357 |
Title of parent work (English): | The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics |
Publisher: | Institute of Physics Publ. |
Place of publishing: | Bristol |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2017/01/27 |
Publication year: | 2017 |
Release date: | 2022/06/29 |
Tag: | Magellanic Clouds; galaxies: clusters: general; infrared: stars; stars: formation |
Volume: | 835 |
Issue: | 2 |
Number of pages: | 10 |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 53 Physik / 530 Physik |
Peer review: | Referiert |