ALMA-IMF. XX. Core Fragmentation in the W51 High-mass Star-forming Region

Abstract We present a study of core fragmentation in the W51-E and W51-IRS2 protoclusters in the W51 high-mass star-forming region. The identification of core fragmentation is achieved by the spatial correspondence of cores and compact sources, which are detected in the short- (low-resolution) and the long-baseline (high-resolution) continuum images from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Bands 3 (3 mm) and 6 (1.3 mm), respectively. We characterize the compact sources found in the long-baseline images, and conclude that the compact sources are pre-/protostellar objects (PPOs) that are either prestellar dust cores or dust disks or envelopes around protostars. The observed trend of core fragmentation in W51 is that (i) massive cores host more PPOs, (ii) bright PPOs are preferentially formed in massive cores, and (iii) equipartition of flux between PPOs is uncommon. The thermal Jeans masses of the parent cores are insufficient to explain the masses of their fragments, and this trend is more prominent for high-mass cores. We also find that unfragmented cores are large, less massive, and less dense than fragmented cores.

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Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2025-11-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae0619
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.15
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article

ALMA-IMF. XX. Core Fragmentation in the W51 High-mass Star-forming Region

M. Bonfand, Patricio Sanhueza, Luis A. Zapata, N. Cunningham et al.
1 citations
The Astrophysical Journal
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
1.15
article

ALMA-IMF. XX. Core Fragmentation in the W51 High-mass Star-forming Region

M. Bonfand, Patricio Sanhueza, Luis A. Zapata, N. Cunningham, G. Busquet, T. Nony, N. Kessler, Roberto Galván-Madrid, A. Koley, J. Braine, Adam Ginsburg, Nazar Budaiev, M. Valeille-Manet, C. Goddi, D. Díaz-González, A. Gusdorf, Fernando A. Olguin, F. Motte, T. Csengeri, James Di Francesco, B. Thomasson, L. Bronfman, M. Armante, Taehwa Yoo, Manuel Fernández-López, F. Louvet, Amelia M. Stutz, Hongli Liu, Qizhou Zhang, S. Bontemps
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Abstract We present a study of core fragmentation in the W51-E and W51-IRS2 protoclusters in the W51 high-mass star-forming region. The identification of core fragmentation is achieved by the spatial correspondence of cores and compact sources, which are detected in the short- (low-resolution) and the long-baseline (high-resolution) continuum images from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Bands 3 (3 mm) and 6 (1.3 mm), respectively. We characterize the compact sources found in the long-baseline images, and conclude that the compact sources are pre-/protostellar objects (PPOs) that are either prestellar dust cores or dust disks or envelopes around protostars. The observed trend of core fragmentation in W51 is that (i) massive cores host more PPOs, (ii) bright PPOs are preferentially formed in massive cores, and (iii) equipartition of flux between PPOs is uncommon. The thermal Jeans masses of the parent cores are insufficient to explain the masses of their fragments, and this trend is more prominent for high-mass cores. We also find that unfragmented cores are large, less massive, and less dense than fragmented cores.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 994(2)
Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (CA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Université de Bordeaux (FR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR), University of Concepción (CL), Yunnan University (CN), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (JP), Université Paris Cité (FR), National Tsing Hua University (TW), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (FR), Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory (IT), Observatoire de Paris (FR), École Normale Supérieure - PSL (FR), University of Florida (US), Sorbonne Université (FR), Clínica Las Condes (CL), Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ES), Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (FR), SKA Observatory (GB), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Cagliari (IT), Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía (AR), Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari (IT), Instituto de Geofísica y Astronomía (CU), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (JP), University of Virginia (US), University of Chile (CL), Universitat de Barcelona (ES), The University of Tokyo (JP), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (ES)
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
1.15
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