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1. Dust polarized emission observations of NGC 6334: BISTRO reveals the details of the complex but organized magnetic field structure of the high-mass star-forming hub-filament network

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202038624  

   Arzoumanian, D. ; Furuya, R. S. ; Hasegawa, T. ; Tahani, M. ; Sadavoy, S. ; Hull, C. L. ; Johnstone, D. ; Koch, P. M. ; Inutsuka, S. ; Doi, Y. ; et al ( March 2021 , Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   Context. Molecular filaments and hubs have received special attention recently thanks to new studies showing their key role in star formation. While the (column) density and velocity structures of both filaments and hubs have been carefully studied, their magnetic field (B-field) properties have yet to be characterized. Consequently, the role of B-fields in the formation and evolution of hub-filament systems is not well constrained. Aims. We aim to understand the role of the B-field and its interplay with turbulence and gravity in the dynamical evolution of the NGC 6334 filament network that harbours cluster-forming hubs and high-mass star formation. Methods. We present new observations of the dust polarized emission at 850 μ m toward the 2 pc × 10 pc map of NGC 6334 at a spatial resolution of 0.09 pc obtained with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) as part of the B-field In STar-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) survey. We study the distribution and dispersion of the polarized intensity ( PI ), the polarization fraction ( PF ), and the plane-of-the-sky B-field angle ( χ B_POS ) toward the whole region, along the 10 pc-long ridge and along the sub-filaments connected to the ridge and the hubs. We derived the power spectra of the intensity and χ B POS along the ridge crest and compared them with the results obtained from simulated filaments. Results. The observations span ~3 orders of magnitude in Stokes I and PI and ~2 orders of magnitude in PF (from ~0.2 to ~ 20%). A large scatter in PI and PF is observed for a given value of I . Our analyses show a complex B-field structure when observed over the whole region (~ 10 pc); however, at smaller scales (~1 pc), χ B POS varies coherently along the crests of the filament network. The observed power spectrum of χ B POS can be well represented with a power law function with a slope of − 1.33 ± 0.23, which is ~20% shallower than that of I . We find that this result is compatible with the properties of simulated filaments and may indicate the physical processes at play in the formation and evolution of star-forming filaments. Along the sub-filaments, χ B POS rotates frombeing mostly perpendicular or randomly oriented with respect to the crests to mostly parallel as the sub-filaments merge with the ridge and hubs. This variation of the B-field structure along the sub-filaments may be tracing local velocity flows of infalling matter in the ridge and hubs. Our analysis also suggests a variation in the energy balance along the crests of these sub-filaments, from magnetically critical or supercritical at their far ends to magnetically subcritical near the ridge and hubs. We also detect an increase in PF toward the high-column density ( N H 2 ≳ 10 23  cm −2 ) star cluster-forming hubs. These latter large PF values may be explained by the increase in grain alignment efficiency due to stellar radiation from the newborn stars, combined with an ordered B-field structure. Conclusions. These observational results reveal for the first time the characteristics of the small-scale (down to ~ 0.1 pc) B-field structure of a 10 pc-long hub-filament system. Our analyses show variations in the polarization properties along the sub-filaments that may be tracing the evolution of their physical properties during their interaction with the ridge and hubs. We also detect an impact of feedback from young high-mass stars on the local B-field structure and the polarization properties, which could put constraints on possible models for dust grain alignment and provide important hints as to the interplay between the star formation activity and interstellar B-fields. 

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2. Distance, magnetic field, and kinematics of the filamentary cloud LDN 1157

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202037438  

   Sharma, Ekta ; Gopinathan, Maheswar ; Soam, Archana ; Lee, Chang Won ; Kim, Shinyoung ; Ghosh, Tuhin ; Tej, Anandmayee ; Kim, Gwanjeong ; Sharma, Neha ; Saha, Piyali ( July 2020 , Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   Context. LDN 1157 is one of several clouds that are situated in the cloud complex LDN 1147/1158. The cloud presents a coma-shaped morphology with a well-collimated bipolar outflow emanating from a Class 0 protostar, LDN 1157-mm, that resides deep inside the cloud. Aims. The main goals of this work are (a) mapping the intercloud magnetic field (ICMF) geometry of the region surrounding LDN 1157 to investigate its relationship with the cloud morphology, outflow direction, and core magnetic field (CMF) geometry inferred from the millimeter- and submillimeter polarization results from the literature, and (b) to investigate the kinematic structure of the cloud. Methods. We carried out optical ( R -band) polarization observations of the stars projected on the cloud to map the parsec-scale magnetic field geometry. We made spectroscopic observations of the entire cloud in the 12 CO, C 18 O, and N 2 H + ( J = 1–0) lines to investigate its kinematic structure. Results. We obtained a distance of 340 ± 3 pc to the LDN 1147/1158, complex based on the Gaia DR2 parallaxes and proper motion values of the three young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with the complex. A single filament of ~1.2 pc in length (traced by the Filfinder algorithm) and ~0.09 pc in width (estimated using the Radfil algorithm) is found to run throughout the coma-shaped cloud. Based on the relationships between the ICMF, CMF, filament orientations, outflow direction, and the hourglass morphology of the magnetic field, it is likely that the magnetic field played an important role in the star formation process in LDN 1157. LDN 1157-mm is embedded in one of the two high-density peaks detected using the Clumpfind algorithm. The two detected clumps lie on the filament and show a blue-red asymmetry in the 12 CO line. The C 18 O emission is well correlated with the filament and presents a coherent structure in velocity space. Combining the proper motions of the YSOs and the radial velocity of LDN 1147/1158 and an another complex, LDN 1172/1174, that is situated ~2° east of it, we found that the two complexes are moving collectively toward the Galactic plane. The filamentary morphology of the east-west segment of LDN 1157 may have formed as a result of mass lost by ablation through interaction of the moving cloud with the ambient interstellar medium. 

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3. Multi-scale analysis of the Monoceros OB 1 star-forming region: II. Colliding filaments in the Monoceros OB1 molecular cloud

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834903  

   Montillaud, Julien ; Juvela, Mika ; Vastel, Charlotte ; He, Jinhua ; Liu, Tie ; Ristorcelli, Isabelle ; Eden, David J. ; Kang, Sung-ju ; Kim, Kee-Tae ; Koch, Patrick M. ; et al ( November 2019 , Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   Context. We started a multi-scale analysis of star formation in G202.3+2.5, an intertwined filamentary sub-region of the Monoceros OB1 molecular complex, in order to provide observational constraints on current theories and models that attempt to explain star formation globally. In the first paper (Paper I), we examined the distributions of dense cores and protostars and found enhanced star formation activity in the junction region of the filaments. Aims. In this second paper, we aim to unveil the connections between the core and filament evolutions, and between the filament dynamics and the global evolution of the cloud. Methods. We characterise the gas dynamics and energy balance in different parts of G202.3+2.5 using infrared observations from the Herschel and WISE telescopes and molecular tracers observed with the IRAM 30-m and TRAO 14-m telescopes. The velocity field of the cloud is examined and velocity-coherent structures are identified, characterised, and put in perspective with the cloud environment. Results. Two main velocity components are revealed, well separated in radial velocities in the north and merged around the location of intense N 2 H + emission in the centre of G202.3+2.5 where Paper I found the peak of star formation activity. We show that the relative position of the two components along the sightline, and the velocity gradient of the N 2 H + emission imply that the components have been undergoing collision for ~10 5 yr, although it remains unclear whether the gas moves mainly along or across the filament axes. The dense gas where N 2 H + is detected is interpreted as the compressed region between the two filaments, which corresponds to a high mass inflow rate of ~1 × 10 −3 M ⊙ yr −1 and possibly leads to a significant increase in its star formation efficiency. We identify a protostellar source in the junction region that possibly powers two crossed intermittent outflows. We show that the H  II region around the nearby cluster NCG 2264 is still expanding and its role in the collision is examined. However, we cannot rule out the idea that the collision arises mostly from the global collapse of the cloud. Conclusions. The (sub-)filament-scale observables examined in this paper reveal a collision between G202.3+2.5 sub-structures and its probable role in feeding the cores in the junction region. To shed more light on this link between core and filament evolutions, one must characterise the cloud morphology, its fragmentation, and magnetic field, all at high resolution. We consider the role of the environment in this paper, but a larger-scale study of this region is now necessary to investigate the scenario of a global cloud collapse. 

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4. Large-scale magnetic field in the Monoceros OB 1 east molecular cloud

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202039065  

   Alina, D. ; Montillaud, J. ; Hu, Y. ; Lazarian, A. ; Ristorcelli, I. ; Abdikamalov, E. ; Sagynbayeva, S. ; Juvela, M. ; Liu, T. ; Carrière, J.-S. ( February 2022 , Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   Context. The role of large-scale magnetic fields in the evolution of star-forming regions remains elusive. Its investigation requires the observational characterization of well-constrained molecular clouds. The Monoceros OB 1 molecular cloud is a large complex containing several structures that have been shown to be engaged in an active interaction and to have a rich star formation history. However, the magnetic fields in this region have only been studied on small scales. Aims. We study the large-scale magnetic field structure and its interplay with the gas dynamics in the Monoceros OB 1 east molecular cloud. Methods. We combined observations of dust polarized emission from the Planck telescope and CO molecular line emission observations from the Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory 14-metre telescope. We calculated the strength of the plane-of-sky magnetic field using a modified Chandrasekhar-Fermi method and estimated the mass-over-flux ratios in different regions of the cloud. We used the comparison of the velocity and intensity gradients of the molecular line observations with the polarimetric observations to trace dynamically active regions. Results. The molecular complex shows an ordered large-scale plane-of-sky magnetic field structure. In the northern part, it is mostly orientated along the filamentary structures, while the southern part shows at least two regions with distinct magnetic field orientations. Our analysis reveals a shock region in the northern part right between two filamentary clouds that, in previous studies, were suggested to be involved in a collision. The magnetic properties of the north-main and north-eastern filaments suggest that these filaments once formed a single one, and that the magnetic field evolved together with the material and did not undergo major changes during the evolution of the cloud. In the southern part, we find that either the magnetic field guides the accretion of interstellar matter towards the cloud or it is dragged by the matter falling towards the main cloud. Conclusions. The large-scale magnetic field in the Monoceros OB 1 east molecular cloud is tightly connected to the global structure of the complex. In the northern part, it seems to serve a dynamically important role by possibly providing support against gravity in the direction perpendicular to the field and to the filament. In the southern part, it is probably the most influential factor governing the morphological structure by guiding possible gas inflow. A study of the whole Monoceros OB 1 molecular complex at large scales is necessary to form a global picture of the formation and evolution of the Monoceros OB 1 east cloud and the role of the magnetic field in this process. 

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5. Multi-scale Physical Properties of NGC 6334 as Revealed by Local Relative Orientations between Magnetic Fields, Density Gradients, Velocity Gradients, and Gravity

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acb540  

   Liu, Junhao ; Zhang, Qizhou ; Koch, Patrick M. ; Liu, Hauyu Baobab ; Li, Zhi-Yun ; Li, Shanghuo ; Girart, Josep Miquel ; Chen, Huei-Ru Vivien ; Ching, Tao-Chung ; Ho, Paul T. ; et al ( March 2023 , The Astrophysical Journal)

   We present ALMA dust polarization and molecular line observations toward four clumps (I(N), I, IV, and V) in the massive star-forming region NGC 6334. In conjunction with large-scale dust polarization and molecular line data from JCMT, Planck, and NANTEN2, we make a synergistic analysis of relative orientations between magnetic fields (θ_B), column density gradients (θ_NG), local gravity (θ_LG), and velocity gradients (θ_VG) to investigate the multi-scale (from ∼30 to 0.003 pc) physical properties in NGC 6334. We find that the relative orientation betweenθ_Bandθ_NGchanges from statistically more perpendicular to parallel as column density ($N_{{\mathrm{H}}_2}$) increases, which is a signature of trans-to-sub-Alfvénic turbulence at complex/cloud scales as revealed by previous numerical studies. Becauseθ_NGandθ_LGare preferentially aligned within the NGC 6334 cloud, we suggest that the more parallel alignment betweenθ_Bandθ_NGat higher$N_{{\mathrm{H}}_2}$is because the magnetic field line is dragged by gravity. At even higher$N_{{\mathrm{H}}_2}$, the angle betweenθ_Bandθ_NGorθ_LGtransits back to having no preferred orientation, or statistically slightly more perpendicular, suggesting that the magnetic field structure is impacted by star formation activities. A statistically more perpendicular alignment is found betweenθ_Bandθ_VGthroughout our studied$N_{{\mathrm{H}}_2}$range, which indicates a trans-to-sub-Alfvénic state at small scales as well, and this signifies that magnetic field has an important role in the star formation process in NGC 6334. The normalized mass-to-flux ratio derived from the polarization-intensity gradient (KTH) method increases with$N_{{\mathrm{H}}_2}$, but the KTH method may fail at high$N_{{\mathrm{H}}_2}$due to the impact of star formation feedback.

    

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