Investigating the physical properties and fragmentation of the AFGL 333-Ridge

TL;DR

This study uses multi-wavelength observations to analyze the physical properties, turbulence, and fragmentation processes of the AFGL 333-Ridge, identifying prestellar cores and their potential for massive star formation.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the fragmentation mechanisms of the AFGL 333-Ridge, highlighting the roles of turbulence and thermal pressure in core formation.

Findings

Turbulence dominates the velocity dispersion in the ridge.

14 cores identified, including 2 protostellar and 12 starless cores.

Most cores have potential to form massive stars.

Abstract

We present multi-wavelength data to investigate the physical properties and fragmentation of AFGL 333- Ridge. A statistical analysis of velocity dispersion indicates that turbulence is the dominant motion in the ridge. However, the linear mass density (1124.0 M/pc) of AFGL 333-Ridge far exceeds its critical value of 406.5 M/pc, suggesting that additional motions are required to prevent the filament radial collapse. Using the getsources algorithm, we identified 14 cores from the Herschel maps, including two protostellar cores and 12 starless cores. All of these starless cores are gravitationally bound, and are therefore considered to be prestellar cores. Based on their radius-mass relation, 11 of 14 cores have the potential to form massive stars. Moreover, the seven cores in two sub-filaments of AFGL 333-Ridge seem to constitute two necklace-like chains with a spacing length of 0.51 pc and 0.45 pc, respectively. Compared the spacing length with theoretical prediction lengths by Jeans and cylindrical fragmentations, we argued that the combination of turbulence and thermal pressure may lead to the fragmentation of the two sub-filaments into the cores.