The star formation history of RCW 36

TL;DR

This study investigates the star formation history of RCW 36, revealing multiple generations of stars, ongoing accretion in young stellar objects, and detailed jet properties, providing insights into the region's stellar formation processes.

Contribution

It offers new spectroscopic and photometric data on RCW 36, elucidating the formation and accretion history of stars in this massive-star forming region.

Findings

Detection of active accreting young stellar objects with bipolar jets.

Detailed physical and kinematic properties of jets from HH 1042.

Insights into the sequential star formation process in RCW 36.

Abstract

Recent studies of massive-star forming regions indicate that they can contain multiple generations of young stars. These observations suggest that star formation in these regions is sequential and/or triggered by a previous generation of (massive) stars. Here we present new observations of the star forming region RCW 36 in the Vela Molecular Ridge, hosting a young cluster of massive stars embedded in a molecular cloud complex. In the periphery of the cluster several young stellar objects (YSOs) are detected which produce bipolar jets (HH 1042 and HH 1043) demonstrating that these objects are still actively accreting. The VLT/X-shooter spectrum of the jet structure of HH 1042 provides detailed information on the physical conditions and kinematical properties of the jet plasma. From this information the YSO's accretion history can be derived. Combining the photometric and spectroscopic observations of RCW 36 gives insight into the formation process of individual stars and the star formation history of this young massive-star forming region.