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Ammonia towards dust clumps in the giant molecular cloud associated with RCW 106

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2013

Vicki Lowe
Affiliation:
School of Physics, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, 2052, Australia email: Vicki.Lowe@unsw.edu.au CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
Maria R. Cunningham
Affiliation:
School of Physics, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, 2052, Australia email: Vicki.Lowe@unsw.edu.au
James S. Urquhart
Affiliation:
CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121, Bonn, Germany
Shinji Horiuchi
Affiliation:
Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex, PO Box 1035, Tuggeranong, ACT 2901, Australia
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Abstract

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High-mass stars are known to be born within giant molecular clouds (GMCs); However, the exact processes involved in forming a high-mass star are still not well understood. It is clear that high-mass stars do not form in isolation, and that the processes surrounding high-mass star formation may affect the environment of the entire molecular cloud. We are studying the GMC associated with RCW 106 (G333), which is one of the most active massive-star formation regions in the Galactic plane. This GMC, located at l = 333° b = − 0.5°, has been mapped in over 20 molecular line transitions with the Mopra radio telescope (83-110 GHz), in Australia, and with the Swedish-ESO Submillimeter Telescope (SEST) in the 1.2 mm cool dust continuum. The region is also within the Spitzer GLIMPSE infrared survey (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm) area. We have decomposed the dust continuum using a clump-finding algorithm (CLUMPFIND), and are using the multiple molecular line traditions from the Mopra radio telescope to classify the type and stage of star formation taking place therein. Having accurate physical temperatures of the star forming clumps is essential to constrain other parameters to within useful limits. To achieve this, we have obtained pointed NH3 observations from the Tidbinbilla 70-m radio telescope, in Australia, towards these clumps.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2013