Investigating the physical conditions in extended system hosting mid-infrared bubble N14

TL;DR

This study uses multi-wavelength observations to analyze the physical conditions and star formation activity in an extended molecular system associated with the mid-infrared bubble N14, revealing signs of fragmentation and collapse.

Contribution

It provides a detailed multi-wavelength analysis of a large-scale environment around N14, highlighting the role of global collapse and fragmentation in star formation.

Findings

Extended physical system of ~59x29 pc hosting star-forming clumps.

Presence of non-thermal emission and young ionized clumps.

Velocity oscillations indicating fragmentation and collapse.

Abstract

To observationally explore physical processes, we present a multi-wavelength study of a wide-scale environment toward l = 13.7 - 14.9 degrees containing a mid-infrared bubble N14. The analysis of 12CO, 13CO, and C18O gas at [31.6, 46] km/s reveals an extended physical system (extension ~59 pc x 29 pc), which hosts at least five groups of the ATLASGAL 870 micron dust clumps at d ~3.1 kpc. These spatially-distinct groups/sub-regions contain unstable molecular clumps, and are associated with several Class I young stellar objects (mean age ~0.44 Myr). At least three groups of ATLASGAL clumps associated with the expanding HII regions (including the bubble N14) and embedded infrared dark clouds, devoid of the ionized gas, are found in the system. The observed spectral indices derived using the GMRT and THOR radio continuum data suggest the presence of non-thermal emission with the HII regions. High resolution GMRT radio continuum map at 1280 MHz traces several ionized clumps powered by massive B-type stars toward N14, which are considerably young (age ~10^3 - 10^4 years). Locally, early stage of star formation is evident toward all the groups of clumps. The position-velocity maps of 12CO, 13CO, and C18O exhibit an oscillatory-like velocity pattern toward the selected longitude range. Considering the presence of different groups/sub-regions in the system, the oscillatory pattern in velocity is indicative of the fragmentation process. All these observed findings favour the applicability of the global collapse scenario in the extended physical system, which also seems to explain the observed hierarchy.