The big problems in star formation: The star formation rate, stellar clustering, and the initial mass function

Studying the properties of young planetary systems can shed light on how the dynamics and structure of planets evolve during their most formative years. Recent K2 observations of nearby young clusters (10–800 Myr) have facilitated the discovery of such planetary systems. Here we report the discovery of a Neptune-sized planet transiting an M4.5 dwarf (K2-25) in the Hyades cluster (650–800 Myr). The light curve shows a strong periodic signal at 1.88 days, which we attribute to spot coverage and rotation. We confirm that the planet host is a member of the Hyades by measuring the radial velocity of the system with the high-resolution near-infrared spectrograph Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer. This enables us to calculate a distance based on K2-25's kinematics and membership to the Hyades, which in turn provides a stellar radius and mass to ≃ 5%–10%, better than what is currently possible for most Kepler M dwarfs (12%–20%). We use the derived stellar density as a prior on fitting the K2 transit photometry, which provides weak constraints on eccentricity. Utilizing a combination of adaptive optics imaging and high-resolution spectra, we rule out the possibility that the signal is due to a bound or background eclipsing binary, confirming the transits' planetary origin. K2-25b has a radius (3.43}_(-0.31)^(+0.95)R_⊕) much larger than older Kepler planets with similar orbital periods (3.485 days) and host-star masses (0.29 M_⊙). This suggests that close-in planets lose some of their atmospheres past the first few hundred million years. Additional transiting planets around the Hyades, Pleiades, and Praesepe clusters from K2 will help confirm whether this planet is atypical or representative of other close-in planets of similar age.

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Zodiacal exoplanets in time (zeit). i. a neptune-sized planet orbiting an m4.5 dwarf in the hyades star cluster

Star formation lies at the center of a web of processes that drive cosmic evolution: generation of radiant energy, synthesis of elements, formation of planets, and development of life. Decades of observations have yielded a variety of empirical rules about how it operates, but at present we have no comprehensive, quantitative theory. In this review I discuss the current state of the field of star formation, focusing on three central questions: what controls the rate at which gas in a galaxy converts to stars? What determines how those stars are clustered, and what fraction of the stellar population ends up in gravitationally-bound structures? What determines the stellar initial mass function, and does it vary with star-forming environment? I use these three question as a lens to introduce the basics of star formation, beginning with a review of the observational phenomenology and the basic physical processes. I then review the status of current theories that attempt to solve each of the three problems, pointing out links between them and opportunities for theoretical and numerical work that crosses the scale between them. I conclude with a discussion of prospects for theoretical progress in the coming years.

The Big Problems in Star Formation: the Star Formation Rate, Stellar Clustering, and the Initial Mass Function

The clusters of young stars in massive star-forming regions show a wide range of sizes, morphologies, and numbers of stars. Their highly subclustered structures are revealed by the MYStIX project's sample of 31,754 young stars in nearby sites of star formation (regions at distances <3.6 kpc that contain at least one O-type star.) In 17 of the regions surveyed by MYStIX, we identify subclusters of young stars using finite mixture models—collections of isothermal ellipsoids that model individual subclusters. Maximum likelihood estimation is used to estimate the model parameters, and the Akaike Information Criterion is used to determine the number of subclusters. This procedure often successfully finds famous subclusters, such as the BN/KL complex behind the Orion Nebula Cluster and the KW-object complex in M 17. A catalog of 142 subclusters is presented, with 1-20 subclusters per region. The subcluster core radius distribution for this sample is peaked at 0.17 pc with a standard deviation of 0.43 dex, and subcluster core radius is negatively correlated with gas/dust absorption of the stars—a possible age effect. Based on the morphological arrangements of subclusters, we identify four classes of spatial structure: long chains of subclusters, clumpy structures, isolated clusters with a core-halo structure, and isolated clusters well fit by a single isothermal ellipsoid.

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The Spatial Structure of Young Stellar Clusters. I. Subclusters

We introduce a new method to measure the dispersion of mmax values of star clusters and show that the observed sample of mmax is inconsistent with random sampling from an universal stellar initial mass function (IMF) at a 99.9% confidence level. The scatter seen in the mmax-Mecldata can be mainly (76%) understood as being the result of observational uncertainties only. The scatter of mmax values at a given Meclare consistent with mostly measurement uncertainties such that the true (physical) scatter may be very small. Additionally, new data on the local star-formation regions Taurus-Auriga and L1641 in Orion make stochastically formed stellar populations rather unlikely. The data are however consistent with the local IGIMF (integrated galactic stellar initial mass function) theory according to which a stellar population is a sum of individual star-forming events each of which is described by well defined physical laws. Randomly sampled IMFs and henceforth scale-free star formation seems to be in contradiction to observed reality.

The mmax-Mecl relation, the IMF and IGIMF: probabilistically sampled functions?

The Hyades cluster is an ideal target to study the dynamical evolution of a star cluster over the entire mass range due to its intermediate age and proximity to the Sun. We wanted to extend the Hyades mass function towards lower masses down to 0.1 Msol and to use the full three-dimensional spatial information to characterize the dynamical evolution of the cluster. We performed a kinematic and photometric selection using the PPMXL and Pan-STARRS1 sky surveys, to search for cluster members up to 30 pc from the cluster centre. We determined our detection efficiency and field star contamination rate to derive the cluster luminosity and mass functions down to masses of 0.1 Msol. The thorough astrometric and photometric constraints minimized the contamination. A minimum spanning tree algorithm was used to quantify the mass segregation. We discovered 43 new Hyades member candidates with velocity perpendicular to the Hyades motion up to 2 km/s. They have mass estimates between 0.43 and 0.09 Msol, for a total mass of 10 Msol. This doubles the number of Hyades candidates with masses smaller than 0.15 Msol. We provide an additional list of 11 possible candidates with velocity perpendicular to the Hyades motion up to 4 km/s. The cluster is significantly mass segregated. The extension of the mass function towards lower masses provided an even clearer signature than estimated in the past. We also identified as likely Hyades member an L0 dwarf previously assumed to be a field dwarf. Finally we question the membership of a number of previously published candidates, including a L2.5-type dwarf.

Towards a complete stellar mass function of the Hyades. I. Pan-STARRS1 optical observations of the low-mass stellar content

Aims. The Hyades cluster is an ideal target to study the dynamical evolution of a star cluster over the entire mass range due to its intermediate age and proximity to the Sun. Methods. We wanted to extend the Hyades mass function towards lower masses down to 0.1 M ⊙ and to use the full three-dimensional spatial information to characterize the dynamical evolution of the cluster.Results. We performed a kinematic and photometric selection using the PPMXL and Pan-STARRS1 sky surveys, to search for cluster members up to 30 pc from the cluster centre. We determined our detection efficiency and field star contamination rate to derive the cluster luminosity and mass functions down to masses of 0.1 M ⊙ . The thorough astrometric and photometric constraints minimized the contamination. A minimum spanning tree algorithm was used to quantify the mass segregation. Conclusions. We discovered 43 new Hyades member candidates with velocity perpendicular to the Hyades motion up to 2 km s-1 . They have mass estimates between 0.43 and 0.09 M ⊙ , for a total mass of 10 M ⊙ . This doubles the number of Hyades candidates with masses smaller than 0.15 M ⊙ . We provide an additional list of 11 possible candidates with velocity perpendicular to the Hyades motion up to 4 km s-1 . The cluster is significantly mass segregated. The extension of the mass function towards lower masses provided an even clearer signature than estimated in the past. We also identified as likely Hyades member an L0 dwarf previously assumed to be a field dwarf. Finally we question the membership of a number of previously published candidates, including a L2.5-type dwarf.

/pdf/towards-a-complete-stellar-mass-function-of-the-hyades-i-pan-1b0f64mit7.pdf

Towards a complete stellar mass function of the Hyades - I. Pan-STARRS1 optical observations of the low-mass stellar content

Context. The recent realization that most stars form in clusters, immediately raises the question of whether star and planet formation are influenced by the cluster environment. The stellar density in the most prevalent clusters is the key factor here. Whether dominant modes of clustered star formation exist is a fundamental question. Using near-neighbour searches in young clusters, Bressert and collaborators claim this not to be the case. They conclude that – at least in the solar neighbourhood – star formation is continuous from isolated to densely clustered environments and that the environment plays a minor role in star and planet formation.Aims. We investigate under which conditions near-neighbour searches in young clusters can distinguish between different modes of clustered star formation. Methods. Model star clusters with different memberships and density distributions are set up and near-neighbour searches are performed. We investigate the influence of the combination of different cluster modes, observational biases, and types of diagnostic on the results. Results. We find that the specific cluster density profile, the relative sample sizes, the limitations of the observation, and the choice of diagnostic method decide, whether modelled modes of clustered star formation are detected by near-neighbour searches. For density distributions that are centrally concentrated but span a wide density range (for example, King profiles), separate cluster modes are only detectable under ideal conditions (sample selection, completeness) if the mean density of the individual clusters differs by at least a factor of  ~65. Introducing a central cut-off can lead to an underestimate of the mean density by more than a factor of ten especially in high density regions. The environmental effect on star and planet formation is similarly underestimated for half of the population in dense systems. Conclusions. Local surface-density distributions are a very useful tool for single cluster analyses, but only for high-resolution data. However, in a simultaneous analysis of a sample of cluster environments, it is found that effects of superposition suppress characteristic features very efficiently and thus promote erroneous conclusions. While multiple peaks in the distribution of the local surface density in star forming regions imply the existence of different modes of star formation, the converse conclusion is impossible. Equally, a smooth distribution is no proof of continuous star formation, because such a shape can easily hide modes of clustered star formation.

https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/2012/09/aa19881-12.pdf

Modes of clustered star formation

The realization that most stars form in clusters, raises the question of whether star/planet formation are influenced by the cluster environment. The stellar density in the most prevalent clusters is the key factor here. Whether dominant modes of clustered star formation exist is a fundamental question. Using near-neighbour searches in young clusters Bressert et al. (2010) claim this not to be the case and conclude that star formation is continuous from isolated to densely clustered. We investigate under which conditions near-neighbour searches can distinguish between different modes of clustered star formation. Near-neighbour searches are performed for model star clusters investigating the influence of the combination of different cluster modes, observational biases, and types of diagnostic and find that the cluster density profile, the relative sample sizes, limitations in observations and the choice of diagnostic method decides whether modelled modes of clustered star formation are detected. For centrally concentrated density distributions spanning a wide density range (King profiles) separate cluster modes are only detectable if the mean density of the individual clusters differs by at least a factor of ~65. Introducing a central cut-off can lead to underestimating the mean density by more than a factor of ten. The environmental effect on star and planet formation is underestimated for half of the population in dense systems. A analysis of a sample of cluster environments involves effects of superposition that suppress characteristic features and promotes erroneous conclusions. While multiple peaks in the distribution of the local surface density imply the existence of different modes, the reverse conclusion is not possible. Equally, a smooth distribution is not a proof of continuous star formation, because such a shape can easily hide modes of clustered star formation (abridged)

/pdf/modes-of-clustered-star-formation-10jlx82dxg.pdf

C. Olczak

Papers

Towards a complete stellar mass function of the Hyades. I. Pan-STARRS1 optical observations of the low-mass stellar content

Towards a complete stellar mass function of the Hyades - I. Pan-STARRS1 optical observations of the low-mass stellar content

Modes of clustered star formation

Modes of clustered star formation