Abstract
We analyze the gravitational stability of a shocked interstellar gas layer and show how such a layer fragments into protostellar condensations whilst it is still confined mainly by ram pressure. As a consequence, the resulting protostars are massive and well separated. Our analysis is completely general and applies both to layers resulting from collisions between molecular cloud clumps, and to shells swept up by expanding nebulae. We present a numerical simulation of the former scenario, which produces a cluster of 35 massive stars resembling an OB subgroup, with most of the stars in binary systems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bertschinger, E.: 1986,Astrophys. J.,304, 154–177.
Chapman, S. J.et al.: 1994, in preparation.
Elmegreen, B. G.: 1989,Astrophys. J.,340, 786–811.
Elmegreen, B. G. and Elmegreen, D. M.: 1978,Astrophys. J.,220, 1051–1062.
Elmegreen, B. G. and Lada, C. J.: 1977,Astrophys. J.,214, 725–741.
Lada, E.: 1991,Astrophys. J.,393, L25-L28.
Larson, R. B.: 1985,Mon. Not. Roy. Astr. Soc.,214, 379–398.
Lubow, S. H. and Pringle, J. E.: 1993,Mon. Not. Roy. Astr. Soc.,263, 701–706.
Shu, F. H.: 1991, inThe Physics of Star Formation and Early Stellar evolution, eds. C. J. Lada and N. D. Kylafis, Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp.365–410.
Vishniac, E. T.: 1983,Astrophys. J.,274, 152–167.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chapman, S.J., Bhattal, A.S., Disney, M.J. et al. Star formation in shocked layers. Astrophys Space Sci 216, 317–321 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00982511
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00982511