The Enigma of Star Formation at High Galactic Latitudes

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent discoveries of young star clusters at high galactic latitudes, challenging traditional views on star formation in low-density halo environments and exploring their origins and implications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of high-latitude embedded clusters and discusses potential mechanisms and origins of star formation in the Galactic halo, including upcoming observations with Astrosat.

Findings

High-latitude clusters are younger than 5 Myr.

Clusters are located 1.8 to 5 kpc from the galactic plane.

Potential star formation processes in low-density halo environments.

Abstract

Molecular clouds at very high latitudes ($b > 60^o$) away from the Galactic plane are considered rare and not conventional sites of star formation. Contrary to this, the recent discovery of high latitude embedded Clusters can possibly change our understanding of the Galaxy formation, evolution and dynamics and the role of the halo in the Galactic evolutionary process. This article reviews a study of nine embedded clusters (ECs) reported in recent literature with ages less than 5 Myr and vertical distances from the galactic disc ranging from 1.8 to 5 kpc. It discusses the processes that could cause star formation within low density and extraplanar environments in the halo and discuss the possible origins of these clusters. Are these episodic events or is star cluster formation a systematic phenomenon in the Galactic halo? Two of these objects will be observed by us with Astrosat, so we shall comment on the possible results we expect to get with Astrostat UV and Xray data.