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No high-mass protostars in the silhouette young stellar object M17-SO1

Author

Listed:
  • Shigeyuki Sako

    (The University of Tokyo
    National Institutes of Natural Sciences
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Takuya Yamashita

    (The University of Tokyo
    National Institutes of Natural Sciences)

  • Hirokazu Kataza

    (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

  • Takashi Miyata

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Yoshiko K. Okamoto

    (Ibaraki University)

  • Mitsuhiko Honda

    (The University of Tokyo
    National Institutes of Natural Sciences
    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

  • Takuya Fujiyoshi

    (National Institutes of Natural Sciences)

  • Hiroshi Terada

    (National Institutes of Natural Sciences)

  • Takeshi Kamazaki

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Zhibo Jiang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Tomoyuki Hanawa

    (Chiba University)

  • Takashi Onaka

    (The University of Tokyo)

Abstract

The birth of very massive stars is not well understood1,2,3, in contrast to the formation process of low-mass stars like our Sun4,5. It is not even clear that massive stars can form as single entities; rather, they might form through the mergers of smaller ones born in tight groups6,7. The recent claim of the discovery of a massive protostar in M17 (a nearby giant ionized region) forming through the same mechanism as low-mass stars8 has therefore generated considerable interest. Here we show that this protostar has an intermediate mass of only 2.5 to 8 solar masses (M⊙), contrary to the earlier claim of 20M⊙ (ref. 8). The surrounding circumstellar envelope contains only 0.09M⊙ and a much more extended local molecular cloud has 4–9M⊙.

Suggested Citation

  • Shigeyuki Sako & Takuya Yamashita & Hirokazu Kataza & Takashi Miyata & Yoshiko K. Okamoto & Mitsuhiko Honda & Takuya Fujiyoshi & Hiroshi Terada & Takeshi Kamazaki & Zhibo Jiang & Tomoyuki Hanawa & Tak, 2005. "No high-mass protostars in the silhouette young stellar object M17-SO1," Nature, Nature, vol. 434(7036), pages 995-998, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:434:y:2005:i:7036:d:10.1038_nature03471
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03471
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