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The mass growth of protostars is a central element to the determination of fundamental stellar population properties such as the initial mass function. Constraining the accretion history of individual protostars is therefore an important aspect of star formation research. The goal of the study presented here is to determine whether high-mass (proto)stars gain their mass from a compact (<0.1 pc) fixed-mass reservoir of gas, often referred to as dense cores, in which they are embedded, or whether the mass growth of high-mass stars is governed by the dynamical evolution of the parsec-scale clump that typically surrounds them. To achieve this goal, we performed a 350- μ m continuum mapping of 11 infrared dark clouds, along side some of their neighbouring clumps, with the ArTéMiS camera on APEX. By identifying about 200 compact ArTéMiS sources, and matching them with Herschel Hi-GAL 70 - μ m sources, we have been able to produce mass versus temperature diagrams. We compare the nature (i.e. starless or protostellar) and location of the ArTéMiS sources in these diagrams with modelled evolutionary tracks of both core-fed and clump-fed accretion scenarios. We argue that the latter provide a better agreement with the observed distribution of high-mass star-forming cores. However, a robust and definitive conclusion on the question of the accretion history of high-mass stars requires larger number statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To constrain models of high-mass star formation it is important to identify the massive dense cores (MDCs) that are able to form high-mass star(s). This is one of the purposes of the Herschel/HOBYS key programme. Here, we carry out the census and characterise of the properties of the MDCs population of the NGC 6357 H II region. Methods. Our study is based on the Herschel/PACS and SPIRE 70−500 μm images of NGC 6357 complemented with (sub-)millimetre and mid-infrared data. We followed the procedure established by the Herschel/HOBYS consortium to extract ~0.1 pc massive dense cores using the getsources software. We estimated their physical parameters (temperatures, masses, luminosities) from spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. Results. We obtain a complete census of 23 massive dense cores, amongst which one is found to be IR-quiet and twelve are starless, representing very early stages of the star-formation process. Focussing on the starless MDCs, we have considered their evolutionary status, and suggest that only five of them are likely to form a high-mass star. Conclusions. We find that, contrarily to the case in NGC 6334, the NGC 6357 region does not exhibit any ridge or hub features that are believed to be crucial to the massive star formation process. This study adds support for an empirical model in which massive dense cores and protostars simultaneously accrete mass from the surrounding filaments. In addition, the massive star formation in NGC 6357 seems to have stopped and the hottest stars in Pismis 24 have disrupted the filaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Understanding the formation mechanisms of protoplanetary disks and multiple systems and also their pristine properties are key questions for modern astrophysics. The properties of the youngest disks, embedded in rotating infalling protostellar envelopes, have largely remained unconstrained up to now. Aims. We aim to observe the youngest protostars with a spatial resolution that is high enough to resolve and characterize the progenitors of protoplanetary disks. This can only be achieved using submillimeter and millimeter interferometric facilities. In the framework of the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer survey CALYPSO, we have obtained subarcsecond observations of the dust continuum emission at 231 and 94 GHz for a sample of 16 solar-type Class 0 protostars. Methods. In an attempt to identify disk-like structures embedded at small scales in the protostellar envelopes, we modeled the dust continuum emission visibility profiles using Plummer-like envelope models and envelope models that include additional Gaussian disk-like components. Results. Our analysis shows that in the CALYPSO sample, 11 of the 16 Class 0 protostars are better reproduced by models including a disk-like dust continuum component contributing to the flux at small scales, but less than 25% of these candidate protostellar disks are resolved at radii >60 au. Including all available literature constraints on Class 0 disks at subarcsecond scales, we show that our results are representative: most (>72% in a sample of 26 protostars) Class 0 protostellar disks are small and emerge only at radii <60 au. We find a multiplicity fraction of the CALYPSO protostars ≲57% ± 10% at the scales 100–5000 au, which generally agrees with the multiplicity properties of Class I protostars at similar scales. Conclusions. We compare our observational constraints on the disk size distribution in Class 0 protostars to the typical disk properties from protostellar formation models. If Class 0 protostars contain similar rotational energy as is currently estimated for prestellar cores, then hydrodynamical models of protostellar collapse systematically predict a high occurrence of large disks. Our observations suggest that these are rarely observed, however. Because they reduce the centrifugal radius and produce a disk size distribution that peaks at radii <100 au during the main accretion phase, magnetized models of rotating protostellar collapse are favored by our observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conditions leading to the formation of the most massive O-type stars are still an enigma in modern astrophysics. To assess the physical conditions of high-mass protostars in their main accretion phase, here we present a case study of a young massive clump selected from the ATLASGAL survey, G328.2551–0.5321. The source exhibits a bolometric luminosity of 1.3 × 104L⊙, which allows us to estimate that its current protostellar mass lies between ~11 and 16 M⊙. We show high angular resolution observations with ALMA that reach a physical scale of ~400 au. To reveal the structure of this high-mass protostellar envelope in detail at a ~0.17′′ resolution, we used the thermal dust continuum emission and spectroscopic information, amongst others from the CO (J = 3–2) line, which is sensitive to the high-velocity molecular outflow of the source. We also used the SiO (J = 8–7) and SO2 (J = 82,6 − 71,7) lines, which trace shocks along the outflow, as well as several CH3OH and HC3N lines that probe the gas of the inner envelope in the closest vicinity of the protostar. Our observations of the dust continuum emission reveal a single high-mass protostellar envelope, down to our resolution limit. We find evidence for a compact, marginally resolved continuum source that is surrounded by azimuthal elongations that could be consistent with a spiral pattern. We also report on the detection of a rotational line of CH3OH within its vt = 1 torsionally excited state. This shows two bright emission peaks that are spatially offset from the dust continuum peak and exhibit a distinct velocity component ±4.5 km s−1 offset from the systemic velocity of the source. Rotational diagram analysis and models based on local thermodynamic equilibrium assumption require high CH3OH column densities that reach N(CH3OH) = 1.2−2 × 1019 cm−2, and kinetic temperatures of the order of 160–200 K at the position of these peaks. A comparison of their morphology and kinematics with those of the outflow component of the CO line and the SO2 line suggests that the high-excitation CH3OH spots are associated with the innermost regions of the envelope. While the HC3N v7 = 0 (J = 37–36) line is also detected in the outflow, the HC3N v7 = 1e (J = 38–37) rotational transition within the first vibrationally excited state of the molecule shows a compact morphology. We find that the velocity shifts at the position of the observed high-excitation CH3 OH spots correspond well to the expected Keplerian velocity around a central object with 15 M⊙ consistent with the mass estimate based on the bolometric luminosity of the source. We propose a picture where the CH3 OH emission peaks trace the accretion shocks around the centrifugal barrier, pinpointing the interaction region between the collapsing envelope and an accretion disc. The physical properties of the accretion disc inferred from these observations suggest a specific angular momentum several times higher than typically observed towards low-mass protostars. This is consistent with a scenario of global collapse setting on at larger scales that could carry a more significant amount of kinetic energy compared to the core-collapse models of low-mass star formation. Furthermore, our results suggest that vibrationally excited HC3 N emission could be a new tracer for compact accretion discs around high-mass protostars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To constrain models of high-mass star formation, the Herschel-HOBYS key program aims at discovering massive dense cores (MDCs) able to host the high-mass analogs of low-mass prestellar cores, which have been searched for over the past decade. We here focus on NGC 6334, one of the best-studied HOBYS molecular cloud complexes. Methods. We used Herschel/PACS and SPIRE 70-500 μm images of the NGC 6334 complex complemented with (sub)millimeter and mid-infrared data. We built a complete procedure to extract ~0.1 pc dense cores with the getsources software, which simultaneously measures their far-infrared to millimeter fluxes. We carefully estimated the temperatures and masses of these dense cores from their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We also identified the densest pc-scale cloud structures of NGC 6334, one 2 pc × 1 pc ridge and two 0.8 pc × 0.8 pc hubs, with volume-averaged densities of ~105 cm-3. Results. A cross-correlation with high-mass star formation signposts suggests a mass threshold of 75 M⊙ for MDCs in NGC 6334. MDCs have temperatures of 9:5-40 K, masses of 75-1000 M⊙, and densities of 1 × 105-7 × 107 cm-3. Their mid-infrared emission is used to separate 6 IR-bright and 10 IR-quiet protostellar MDCs while their 70 μm emission strength, with respect to fitted SEDs, helps identify 16 starless MDC candidates. The ability of the latter to host high-mass prestellar cores is investigated here and remains questionable. An increase in mass and density from the starless to the IR-quiet and IR-bright phases suggests that the protostars and MDCs simultaneously grow in mass. The statistical lifetimes of the high-mass prestellar and protostellar core phases, estimated to be 1-7 × 104 yr and at most 3 × 105 yr respectively, suggest a dynamical scenario of high-mass star formation. Conclusions. The present study provides good mass estimates for a statistically significant sample, covering the earliest phases of high-mass star formation. High-mass prestellar cores may not exist in NGC 6334, favoring a scenario presented here, which simultaneously forms clouds, ridges, MDCs, and high-mass protostars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Herschel observations of water and highly excited CO (J > 9) have allowed the physical and chemical conditions in the more active parts of protostellar outflows to be quantified in detail for the first time. However, to date, the studied samples of Class 0/I protostars in nearby star-forming regions have been selected from bright, well-known sources and have not been large enough for statistically significant trends to be firmly established. Aims. We aim to explore the relationships between the outflow, envelope and physical properties of a flux-limited sample of embedded low-mass Class 0/I protostars. Methods. We present spectroscopic observations in H2O, CO and related species with Herschel HIFI and PACS, as well as ground-based follow-up with the JCMT and APEX in CO, HCO+ and isotopologues, of a sample of 49 nearby (d < 500 pc) candidate protostars selected from Spitzer and Herschel photometric surveys of the Gould Belt. This more than doubles the sample of sources observed by the WISH and DIGIT surveys. These data are used to study the outflow and envelope properties of these sources. We also compile their continuum spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from the near-IR to mm wavelengths in order to constrain their physical properties (e.g. Lbol, Tbol and Menv). Results. Water emission is dominated by shocks associated with the outflow, rather than the cooler, slower entrained outflowing gas probed by ground-based CO observations. These shocks become less energetic as sources evolve from Class 0 to Class I. Outflow force, measured from low-J CO, also decreases with source evolutionary stage, while the fraction of mass in the outflow relative to the total envelope (i.e. Mout/Menv) remains broadly constant between Class 0 and I. The median value of ~1% is consistent with a core to star formation effciency on the order of 50% and an outflow duty cycle on the order of 5%. Entrainment effciency, as probed by FCO/Macc, is also invariant with source properties and evolutionary stage. The median value implies a velocity at the wind launching radius of 6.3 km s-1, which in turn suggests an entrainment effciency of between 30 and 60% if the wind is launched at ~1 AU, or close to 100% if launched further out. L[O i] is strongly correlated with Lbol but not with Menv, in contrast to low-J CO, which is more closely correlated with the latter than the former. This suggests that [O i] traces the present-day accretion activity of the source while CO traces time-averaged accretion over the dynamical timescale of the outflow. H2O is more strongly correlated with Menv than Lbol, but the difference is smaller than low-J CO, consistent with water emission primarily tracing actively shocked material between the wind, traced by [O i], and the entrained molecular outflow, traced by low-J CO. L[O i] does not vary from Class 0 to Class I, unlike CO and H2O. This is likely due to the ratio of atomic to molecular gas in the wind increasing as the source evolves, balancing out the decrease in mass accretion rate. Infall signatures are detected in HCO+ and H2O in a few sources, but still remain surprisingly illusive in single-dish observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. So-called snow lines, indicating regions where abundant volatiles freeze out onto the surface of dust grains, play an important role for planet growth and bulk composition in protoplanetary disks. They can already be observed in the envelopes of the much younger, low-mass Class 0 protostars, which are still in their early phase of heavy accretion. Aims. We aim to use the information on the sublimation regions of different kinds of ices to understand the chemistry of the envelope, its temperature and density structure, and the history of the accretion process. This information is crucial to get the full picture of the early protostellar collapse and the subsequent evolution of young protostars. Methods. As part of the CALYPSO IRAM Large Program, we have obtained observations of C18O, N2H+, and CH3OH towards nearby Class 0 protostars with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer at sub-arcsecond resolution. For four of these sources, we have modeled the emission using a chemical code coupled with a radiative transfer module. Results. We observe an anti-correlation of C18O and N2H+ in NGC 1333-IRAS4A, NGC 1333-IRAS4B, L1157, and L1448C, with N2H+ forming a ring (perturbed by the outflow) around the centrally peaked C18O emission. This emission morphology, which is due to N2H+ being chemically destroyed by CO, reveals the CO and N2 ice sublimation regions in these protostellar envelopes with unprecedented resolution. We also observe compact methanol emission towards three of the sources. Based on our chemical model and assuming temperature and density profiles from the literature, we find that for all four sources the CO snow line appears further inwards than expected from the binding energy of pure CO ices (~855 K). The emission regions of models and observations match for a higher value of the CO binding energy of 1200 K, corresponding to a dust temperature of ~24 K at the CO snow line. The binding energy for N2 ices is modeled at 1000 K, also higher than for pure N2 ices. Furthermore, we find very low CO abundances inside the snow lines in our sources, about an order of magnitude lower than the total CO abundance observed in the gas on large scales in molecular clouds before depletion sets in. Conclusions. The high CO binding energy may hint at CO being frozen out in a polar ice environment like amorphous water ice or in non-polar CO2-rich ice. The low CO abundances are comparable to values found in protoplanetary disks, which may indicate an evolutionary scenario where these low values are already established in the protostellar phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of massive stars is a fundamental open issue in modern astrophysics. Pre-ALMA interferometric studies reveal precursors to early B to late O type stars with collapsing envelopes of 15-20M on 1000-3000AU size-scales. To search for more massive envelopes we selected the most massive nearby young clumps from the ATLASGAL survey to study their protostellar content with ALMA. Our first results using the intermediate scales revealed by the ALMA ACA array providing 3-5" angular resolution, corresponding to ~0.05- 0.1 pc size-scales, reveals a sample of compact objects. These massive, dense cores are on average two-times more massive than previous studies of similar types of objects. We expect that once the full survey is completed, it will provide a comprehensive view on the origin of the most massive stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We report the first detection of the J = 1-0 (102.6 GHz) rotational lines of CF+ (fluoromethylidynium ion) towards CygX-N63, a young and massive protostar of the Cygnus X region. Methods. This detection occurred as part of an unbiased spectral survey of this object in the 0:8-3 mm range, performed with the IRAM 30 m telescope. The data were analyzed using a local thermodynamical equilibrium model (LTE model) and a population diagram in order to derive the column density. Results. The line velocity (-4 km s-1) and line width (1.6 km s-1) indicate an origin from the collapsing envelope of the protostar. We obtain a CF+ column density of 4 × 1011 cm-2. The CF+ ion is thought to be a good tracer for C+ and assuming a ratio of 10-6 for CF+/C+, we derive a total number of C+ of 1.2×1053 within the beam. There is no evidence of carbon ionization caused by an exterior source of UV photons suggesting that the protostar itself is the source of ionization. Ionization from the protostellar photosphere is not effcient enough. In contrast, X-ray ionization from the accretion shock(s) and UV ionization from outflow shocks could provide a large enough ionizing power to explain our CF+ detection. Conclusions. Surprisingly, CF+ has been detected towards a cold, massive protostar with no sign of an external photon dissociation region (PDR), which means that the only possibility is the existence of a significant inner source of C+. This is an important result that opens interesting perspectives to study the early development of ionized regions and to approach the issue of the evolution of the inner regions of collapsing envelopes of massive protostars. The existence of high energy radiations early in the evolution of massive protostars also has important implications for chemical evolution of dense collapsing gas and could trigger peculiar chemistry and early formation of a hot core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The SiO molecule is formed through interstellar shocks and is often used as a tracer of high-velocity shocks from protostellar outflows. However, recent studies have suggested that low-velocity shocks in the interstellar medium can be responsible for a significant amount of SiO emission observed in star-forming regions. Aims. We aim to investigate the existence of SiO emission that may or may not be associated with outflow shocks, within several massive dense clumps (MDCs), and explore how the SiO luminosities compare with the outflow properties estimated using CO. Methods. We used observations of SiO (2-1) from the Plateau de Bure Interferomètre, towards a sample of six MDCs in Cygnus-X, and compared them to the CO high-velocity outflow emission, and to the velocity shears found in these regions. Results. We find that most molecular outflows are detected in both SiO and CO, although there are some cases of CO outflows with no SiO counterpart. The data also shows narrow line SiO emission (σv ≲ 1:5 km s-1) which, in some cases, appears to be unrelated to outflows. The kinematics of this narrow emission often differs from those found by other high-density tracers such as H13CO+, and its extent varies from rather compact (∼0:03 pc) to widespread (∼0:2 pc).We find that the least centrally concentrated clumps with the least massive protostellar cores have the most widespread narrow SiO emission. The fraction of the total SiO luminosity that is not associated with outflows is highly variable in the different MDCs (from 10% to 90%); this might be a problem when extrapolating outflow properties from SiO luminosities without resolving individual outflows. Conclusions. In line with previous evidence of SiO emission associated with low-velocity shocks, we propose an evolutionary picture to explain the existence and distribution of narrow SiO line profiles. In this scenario, the least centrally condensed MDCs are at an early stage where the SiO emission traces shocks from the large-scale collapse of material onto the MDC. This could be the case of CygX-N40, a MDC with a low-mass protostar at its centre, a weak outflow, and where 90% of the SiO emission is narrow and arises from the outskirts. As the MDC collapses, the SiO emission becomes more confined to the close surroundings of cores, tracing the post-shock material from the infalling MDC against the dense cores, such as in the small-scale converging flows of CygX-N3, N12, and N48. At later stages, when single massive protostars are formed, as for instance in CygX-N53 and N63, the SiO luminosity is largely dominated by powerful outflows, and the weaker narrow component shows perhaps the last remnants of the initial collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Star formation effciency (SFE) theories are currently based on statistical distributions of turbulent cloud structures and a simple model of star formation from cores. They remain poorly tested, especially at the highest densities. Aims. We investigate the effects of gas density on the SFE through measurements of the core formation effciency (CFE). With a total mass of ∼2 × 104 M☉ the W43-MM1 ridge is one of the most convincing candidate precursors of Galactic starburst clusters and thus one of the best places to investigate star formation. Methods. We used high-angular resolution maps obtained at 3 mm and 1 mm within the W43-MM1 ridge with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer to reveal a cluster of 11 massive dense cores, and, one of the most massive protostellar cores known. A Herschel column density image provided the mass distribution of the cloud gas. We then measured the "instantaneous" CFE and estimated the SFE and the star formation rate (SFR) within subregions of the W43-MM1 ridge. Results. The high SFE found in the ridge (∼6% enclosed in ∼8 pc3) confirms its ability to form a starburst cluster. There is, however, a clear lack of dense cores in the eastern part of the ridge, which may be currently assembling. The CFE and the SFE are observed to increase with volume gas density, while the SFR per free fall time steeply decreases with the virial parameter, αvir. Statistical models of the SFR may describe the outskirts of the W43-MM1 ridge well, but struggle to reproduce its inner part, which corresponds to measurements at low αvir. It may be that ridges do not follow the log-normal density distribution, Larson relations, and stationary conditions forced in the statistical SFR models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We investigate the origin of complex organic molecules (COMs) in the gas phase around the low-mass Class 0 protostar NGC 1333-IRAS2A, to determine if the COM emission lines trace an embedded disk, shocks from the protostellar jet, or the warm inner parts of the protostellar envelope. Methods. In the framework of the CALYPSO IRAM Plateau de Bure survey, we obtained large bandwidth spectra at sub-arcsecond resolution towards NGC 1333-IRAS2A. We identify the emission lines towards the central protostar and perform Gaussian fits to constrain the size of the emitting region for each of these lines, tracing various physical conditions and scales. Results. The emission of numerous COMs such as methanol, ethylene glycol, and methyl formate is spatially resolved by our observations. This allows us to measure, for the first time, the size of the COM emission inside the protostellar envelope, finding that it originates from a region of radius 40-100 AU, centered on the NGC 1333-IRAS2A protostellar object. Our analysis shows no preferential elongation of the COM emission along the jet axis, and therefore does not support the hypothesis that COM emission arises from shocked envelope material at the base of the jet. Down to similar sizes, the dust continuum emission is well reproduced with a single power-law envelope model, and therefore does not favor the hypothesis that COM emission arises from the thermal sublimation of grains embedded in a circumstellar disk. Finally, the typical scale ~60 AU observed for COM emission is consistent with the size of the inner envelope where Tdust > 100 K is expected. Our data therefore strongly suggest that the COM emission traces the hot corino in IRAS2A, i.e., the warm inner envelope material where the icy mantles of dust grains evaporate because they are passively heated by the central protostellar object [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and kinematics of Class 0 protostars on scales of a few hundred AU is poorly known. Recent observations have revealed the presence of Keplerian disks with a diameter of 150-180 AU in L1527-IRS and VLA1623A, but it is not clear if such disks are common in Class 0 protostars. Here we present high-angular-resolution observations of two methanol lines in NGC1333-IRAS2A. We argue that these lines probe the inner envelope, and we use them to study the kinematics of this region. Our observations suggest the presence of a marginal velocity gradient normal to the direction of the outflow. However, the position velocity diagrams along the gradient direction appear inconsistent with a Keplerian disk. Instead, we suggest that the emission originates from the infalling and perhaps slowly rotating envelope, around a central protostar of 0.1-0.2 M☉. If a disk is present, it is smaller than the disk of L1527-IRS, perhaps suggesting that NGC 1333-IRAS2A is younger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The earliest phases of the formation of high-mass stars are not well known. It is unclear whether high-mass cores in monolithic collapse exist or not, and what the accretion process and origin of the material feeding the precursors of high-mass stars are. As outflows are natural consequences of the accretion process, they represent one of the few (indirect) tracers of accretion. Aims. We aim to search for individual outflows from high-mass cores in Cygnus X and to study the characteristics of the detected ejections. We compare these to what has been found for the low-mass protostars, to understand how ejection and accretion change and behave with final stellar mass. Methods. We used CO (2-1) PdBI observations towards six massive dense clumps, containing a total of 9 high-mass cores. We estimated the bolometric luminosities and masses of the 9 high-mass cores and measured the energetics of outflows. We compared our sample to low-mass objects studied in the literature and developed simple evolutionary models to reproduce the observables. Results. We find that 8 out of 9 high-mass cores are driving clear individual outflows. They are therefore true equivalents of Class 0 protostars in the high-mass regime. The remaining core, CygX-N53 MM2, has only a tentative outflow detection. It could be one of the first examples of a true individual high-mass prestellar core.We also find that the momentum flux of high-mass objects has a linear relation to the reservoir of mass in the envelope, as a scale up of the relations previously found for low-mass protostars. This suggests a fundamental proportionality between accretion rates and envelope masses. The linear dependency implies that the timescale for accretion is similar for high- and low-mass stars. Conclusions. The existence of strong outflows driven by high-mass cores in Cygnus X clearly indicates that high-mass Class 0 protostars exist. The collapsing envelopes of these Class 0 objects have similar sizes and a similar fragmentation scale to the low-mass equivalents, and have enough mass to directly form high-mass stars from a monolithic collapse. If the pre-collapse evolution is quasistatic, the fragmentation scale is expected to limit the size of the initial mass reservoirs for all masses leading to higher densities at birth and therefore shorter free-fall times for higher mass stars. However, we find the collapse timescales to be similar for both lowand high-mass objects. This implies that in a quasi-static view, we would require significant turbulent/magnetic support to slow down the collapse of the more massive envelopes. But with this support still to be discovered, and based on independent indications of large dynamics in pre-collapse gas for high-mass star formation, we propose that such an identical collapse timescale implies that the initial densities, which should set the duration of the collapse, should be similar for all masses. Since the fragmentation scale is identical for all masses, a lower initial density requires that the mass that incorporates massive stars has to have been accreted from larger scales than those of low-mass stars and in a dynamical way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. Here, we focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of star formation. Using a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps, we identify two high-density filamentary clouds, called the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges. Both have gas masses of 2.1 × 104M☼ and 3.5 × 104M☼ above >10 and within areas of ∼6 and ∼14 pc2, respectively. The W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures that are coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion measured by the N2H+ (1-0) lines of the W43-HERO IRAM large program. Another intriguing result is that these ridges harbor widespread (∼10 pc2) bright SiO (2-1) emission, which we interpret to be the result of low-velocity shocks (⩽10 km s–1). We measure a significant relationship between the SiO (2-1) luminosity and velocity extent and show that it distinguishes our observations from the high-velocity shocks associated with outflows. We use state-of-the-art shock models to demonstrate that a small percentage (10%) of Si atoms in low-velocity shocks, observed initially in gas phase or in grain mantles, can explain the observed SiO column density in the W43 ridges. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges of high-density gas and the shocked SiO gas suggest that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Herschel images from the HOBYS key program of the Eagle Nebula (M 16) in the far-infrared and sub-millimetre, using the PACS and SPIRE cameras at 70 μm, 160 μm, 250 μm, 350 μm, 500 μm. M 16, home to the Pillars of Creation, is largely under the influence of the nearby NGC 6611 high-mass star cluster. The Herschel images reveal a clear dust temperature gradient running away from the centre of the cavity carved by the OB cluster. We investigate the heating effect of NGC 6611 on the entire M 16 star-forming complex seen by Herschel including the diffuse cloud environment and the dense filamentary structures identified in this region. In addition, we interpret the three-dimensional geometry of M 16 with respect to the nebula, its surrounding environment, and the NGC 6611 cavity. The dust temperature and column density maps reveal a prominent eastern filament running north-south and away from the high-mass star-forming central region and the NGC 6611 cluster, as well as a northern filament which extends around and away from the cluster. The dust temperature in each of these filaments decreases with increasing distance from the NGC 6611 cluster, indicating a heating penetration depth of ∼10 pc in each direction in 3-6 × 1022 cm-2 column density filaments. We show that in high-mass star-forming regions OB clusters impact the temperature of future star-forming sites, modifying the initialconditions for collapse and effecting the evolutionary criteria of protostars developed from spectral energy distributions. Possible scenarios for the origin of the morphology seen in this region are discussed, including a western equivalent to the eastern filament, which was destroyed by the creation of the OB cluster and its subsequent winds and radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We present Herschel-HIFI observations of 14 water lines in W43-MM1, a massive protostellar object in the luminous star-cluster-forming region W43. We place our study in the more general context of high-mass star formation. The dynamics of these regions may be represented by either the monolithic collapse of a turbulent core, or competitive accretion. Water turns out to be a particularly good tracer of the structure and kinematics of the inner regions, allowing an improved description of the physical structure of the massive protostar W43-MM1 and an estimation of the amount of water around it. Methods. We analyze the gas dynamics from the line profiles using Herschel-HIFI observations acquired as part of the Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel project of 14 far-IR water lines (H216O, H217O, H218O), CS(11-10), and C18O(9-8) lines, using our modeling of the continuum spectral energy distribution. The spectral modeling tools allow us to estimate outflow, infall, and turbulent velocities and molecular abundances. We compare our results to previous studies of low-, intermediate-, and other high-mass objects. Results. As for lower-mass protostellar objects, the molecular line profiles are a mix of emission and absorption, and can be decomposed into "medium" (full width at half maximum FWHM ≃ 5-10 km s-1), and "broad" velocity components (FWHM ≃ 20-35 km s-1). The broad component is the outflow associated with protostars of all masses. Our modeling shows that the remainder of the water profiles can be well-fitted by an infalling and passively heated envelope, with highly supersonic turbulence varying from 2.2 km s-1 in the inner region to 3.5 km s-1 in the outer envelope. In addition, W43-MM1 has a high accretion rate of between 4.0 × 10-4 and 4.0 × 10-2 M☉ yr-1, as derived from the fast (0.4-2.9 km s-1) infall observed. We estimate a lower mass limit for gaseous water of 0.11 M☉ and total water luminosity of 1.5 L☉ (in the 14 lines presented here). The central hot core is detected with a water abundance of 1.4 × 10-4, while the water abundance for the outer envelope is 8 × 10-8. The latter value is higher than in other sources, and most likely related to the high turbulence and the micro-shocks created by its dissipation. Conclusions. Examining the water lines of various energies, we find that the turbulent velocity increases with the distance from the center. While not in clear disagreement with the competitive accretion scenario, this behavior is predicted by the turbulent core model. Moreover, the estimated accretion rate is high enough to overcome the expected radiation pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. As part of the Herschel guaranteed time key programme "HOBYS", we present the PACS and SPIRE photometric survey of the star-forming region Vela-C, one of the nearest sites of low-to-high-mass star formation in the Galactic plane. Our main objectives are to take a census of the cold sources and to derive their mass distribution down to a few solar masses. Methods. Vela-C was observed with PACS and SPIRE in parallel mode at five wavelengths between 70 μm and 500 μm over an area of about 3 square degrees. A photometric catalogue was extracted from the detections in each of the five bands, using a threshold of 5σ over the local background. Out of this catalogue we selected a robust sub-sample of 268 sources, of which ∼75% are cloud clumps (diameter between 0.05 pc and 0.13 pc) and 25% are cores (diameter between 0.025 pc and 0.05 pc). Their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) were fitted with a modified black body function. We classify 48 sources as protostellar, based on their detection at 70 μm or at shorther wavelengths, and 218 as starless, because of non-detections at 70 μm. For two other sources, we do not provide a secure classification, but suggest they are Class 0 protostars. Results. From the SED fitting we derived key physical parameters (i.e.mass, temperature, bolometric luminosity). Protostellar sources are in general warmer ([T] = 12.8K) and more compact ([diameter] = 0.040 pc) than starless sources ([T] = 10.3K, [diameter] = 0.067 pc). Both these findings can be ascribed to the presence of an internal source(s) of moderate heating, which also causes a temperature gradient and hence a more peaked intensity distribution. Moreover, the reduced dimensions of protostellar sources may indicate that they will not fragment further. A virial analysis of the starless sources gives an upper limit of 90% probability for the sources to be gravitationally bound and therefore prestellar in nature. A luminosity vs. mass diagram of the two populations shows that protostellar sources are in the early accretion phase, while prestellar sources populate a region of the diagram where mass accretion has not started yet. We fitted a power law N(log M) α M-1.1±0.2 to the linear portion of the mass distribution of prestellar sources. This is in between that typical of CO clumps and those of cores in nearby star-forming regions. We interpret this as a result of the inhomogeneity of our sample, which is composed of comparable fractions of clumps and cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]