Surround & Squash: The Interstellar Medium around Scorpius Centaurus OB2

TL;DR

This study combines multi-wavelength observations and 3D hydrodynamical simulations to understand the physics, history, and star formation processes in the Scorpius-Centaurus OB2 superbubble, revealing how superbubbles influence gas dynamics and star formation.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis integrating observations and simulations to elucidate the impact of superbubbles on interstellar gas and star formation in Sco-Cen, a novel approach for this region.

Findings

Superbubbles can compress gas and trigger star formation.

Gas distribution was initially elongated, influencing star formation patterns.

Simulations match observed star distributions and kinematics.

Abstract

We exploited observational constraints on stars, gas and nucleosynthesis ashes for the closest region of recent massive-star formation, Scorpius-Centaurus OB2, and combined them with 3D hydrodynamical simulations, in order to address physics and history for the case of the Scorpius-Centaurus superbubble. We used published cold gas observations through PLANCK survey data processing, HERSCHEL and APEX, continuum and molecular line observations. We analysed the Galactic All Sky Survey (GASS) to investigate shell structures in atomic hydrogen, and used HIPPARCOS and Gaia data in combination with interstellar absorption against stars to obtain new constraints for the distance to the Hi features. Hot gas is traced in soft X-rays via the ROSAT all sky survey. Nucleosynthesis ejecta from massive stars were traced with new INTEGRAL spectrometer observations via 26Al radioactivity. We also performed 3D hydrodynamical simulations for the Sco-Cen superbubble. To investigate the impact of massive star feedback on extended clouds, we simulate the interaction of a turbulent cloud with the hot, pressurised gas in a superbubble. The hot gas fills the tenuous regions of the cloud and compresses the denser parts. Stars formed in these dense clumps would have distinct spatial and kinematic distributions. The combined results from observations and simulations are consistent with a scenario where dense gas was initially distributed in a band elongated in the direction now occupied by the OB association. Superbubbles powered by massive stars would then repeatedly break out of the elongated parent cloud, surround and squash the denser parts of the gas sheet and thus induce more star formation. The expected spatial and kinematic distribution of stars is consistent with observations of Sco-Cen. The scenario might apply to many similar regions in the Galaxy and also to AGN-related superbubbles.