J. L. Yun, P. M. N. M. G. Martins, G. Zubiri-Elso, A. A. Djupvik
Abstract
We present a study of the star formation occurring in the most active region of a molecular cloud in the second quadrant of the (outer) Galaxy towards IRAS 03523+5343. Near-infrared JHKS images and K-band spectroscopy were obtained with NOTCam at the Nordic Optical Telescope at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory. Mid-infrared WISE satellite images and submm JCMT/SCUBA-2 catalogue sources were also explored. In addition, millimetre line CS spectra were obtained with the Yebes 40 m telescope. Within the region of the molecular cloud covered by our CS (J=1‑0) maps, the line is strong and extends over all the mapped region of 3.7‧×3.7‧. This high-density molecular gas defines a molecular core exhibiting an angular size FWHM of about 1‧ (0.7 pc at 2.4 kpc distance). We estimate a lower limit to the mass of the molecular gas in this region to be about 995 M⊙. A SCUBA-2 core was detected with an estimated total mass of 250 M⊙. We identify a young stellar cluster with a few hundred sources with colours compatible to YSOs at the location of a strong enhancement of the stellar density coincident with the IRAS position. The main counterpart of the IRAS source is a very red and bright source with radio jets likely to be a high-mass young stellar object. A second bright source is a Herbig Be candidate source displaying a blue nebula with a morphology that suggests the dissipation of a collimated flow.
Keywords
Stars: Formation / ISM: Clouds / ISM: Individual (IRAS 03523+5343) / Infrared: stars / (ISM:) dust / extinction
New Astronomy
Volume 119, Number 102405
2025 October
