The Embedded Massive Star Forming Region RCW 38

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dc.creatorWolk, Scott J.
dc.creatorBourke, Tyler L.
dc.creatorVigil, Miquela
dc.date2008-08-25
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T09:58:16Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T09:58:16Z
dc.descriptionRCW~38 is a uniquely young ($<$1 Myr), embedded ($A_V \sim 10$) stellar cluster surrounding a pair of early O stars ($\sim$O5.5) and is one of the few regions within 2 kpc other than Orion to contain over 1000 members. X-ray and deep near-infrared observations reveal a dense cluster with over 200 X-ray sources and 400 infrared sources embedded in a diffuse hot plasma within a 1 pc diameter. The central O star has evacuated its immediate surroundings of dust, creating a wind bubble $\sim$0.1 pc in radius that is confined by the surrounding molecular cloud, as traced by millimeter continuum and molecular line emission. The interface between the bubble and cloud is a region of warm dust and ionized gas, which shows evidence for ongoing star formation. Extended warm dust is found throughout a 2--3 pc region and coincides with extended X-ray plasma. This is evidence that the influence of the massive stars reaches beyond the confines of the O star bubble. RCW~38 appears similar in structure to RCW~49 and M~20 but is at an earlier evolutionary phase. RCW~38 appears to be a blister compact H{\small II} region lying just inside the edge of a giant molecular cloud.
dc.description14 Pages, 5 figures (quality reduced). Part of Handbook of Star Forming Regions Vol. II. The Southern Sky B. Reipurth ed
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0808.3385
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0808.3385
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/167658
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleThe Embedded Massive Star Forming Region RCW 38
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