ALMA reveals a cloud-cloud collision that triggers star formation in N66N of the Small Magellanic Cloud

TL;DR

ALMA observations reveal a cloud-cloud collision in N66N of the Small Magellanic Cloud, providing direct evidence that such interactions can trigger star formation in low-metallicity environments.

Contribution

This study presents the first observational evidence of a cloud-cloud collision triggering star formation in N66N of the SMC, with detailed kinematic analysis and collision timescale estimation.

Findings

Identification of interacting filaments with multiple velocity components.

Detection of a V-shape in the position-velocity diagram indicating collision.

Collision likely triggered star formation approximately 0.2 Myr ago.

Abstract

We present the results of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observation in $^{12}$CO(1-0) emission at 0.58 $\times$ 0.52 pc$^2$ resolution toward the brightest HII region N66 of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The $^{12}$CO(1-0) emission toward the north of N66 reveals the clumpy filaments with multiple velocity components. Our analysis shows that a blueshifted filament at a velocity range 154.4-158.6 km s$^{-1}$ interacts with a redshifted filament at a velocity 158.0-161.8 km s$^{-1}$. A third velocity component in a velocity range 161-165.0 km s$^{-1}$ constitutes hub-filaments. An intermediate-mass young stellar object (YSO) and a young pre-main sequence star cluster have hitherto been reported in the intersection of these filaments. We find a V-shape distribution in the position-velocity diagram at the intersection of two filaments. This indicates the physical association of those filaments due to a cloud-cloud collision. We determine the collision timescale $\sim$ 0.2 Myr using the relative velocity ($\sim$ 5.1 km s$^{-1}$) and displacement ($\sim$ 1.1 pc) of those interacting filaments. These results suggest that the event occurred at about 0.2 Myr ago and triggered the star formation, possibly an intermediate-mass YSO. We report the first observational evidence for a cloud-cloud collision that triggers star formation in N66N of the low metallicity $\sim$0.2 Z$_{\odot}$ galaxy, the SMC, with similar kinematics as in N159W-South and N159E of the Large Magellanic Cloud.