Vortragsdetails

Mittwoch, 14. Februar 2007 - 15:15

Dr. Thomas Preibisch (MPIfR):

"Triggered Star Formation in OB Associations"

Zusammenfassung. I will compare observational evidence for sequential star formation in OB associations to theoretical models of triggered star formation. The main focus of this talk will be on the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association, the nearest OB association to the Sun, where several extensive studies allowed to reveal the full stellar population and to reconstruct the star formation history in some detail. The comparison of the observed properties of Scorpius-Centaurus (and other OB associations) to theoretical models suggests that the formation of whole OB subgroups (each consisting of several thousand stars) requires large-scale triggering mechanisms such as shocks from expanding wind- and supernova-driven super-bubbles surrounding older subgroups. Other triggering mechanisms, like radiatively driven implosion of globules, also operate, but seem to be secondary processes, forming only small stellar groups rather than whole OB subgroups.