The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: SCUBA-2 observations of radiative feedback in NGC1333

TL;DR

This study uses SCUBA-2 observations to map dust temperatures in NGC1333, revealing how radiative feedback from young stars influences the environment and potentially star formation.

Contribution

First detailed temperature maps of NGC1333 using SCUBA-2 data, linking radiative feedback to star formation processes.

Findings

Dust in northern NGC1333 is heated to 20-40 K by young stars.

Temperature rises identify luminous protostars.

Radiative feedback may increase future star masses.

Abstract

We present observations of NGC1333 from SCUBA-2 on JCMT, observed as a JCMT Gould Belt Survey pilot project during the shared risk campaign when the first of four arrays was installed at each of 450 and 850 microns. Temperature maps are derived from 450 micron and 850 micron ratios under the assumption of constant dust opacity spectral index beta=1.8. Temperatures indicate that the dust in the northern (IRAS 6/8) region of NGC1333 is hot, 20-40 K, due to heating by the B star SVS3, other young stars in the IR/optically visible cluster, and embedded protostars. Other luminous protostars are also identified by temperature rises at the 17" resolution of the ratio maps (0.02 pc assuming a distance of 250 pc for Perseus). The extensive heating raises the possibility that the radiative feedback may lead to increased masses for the next generation of stars.