Distributed YSOs in the Perseus Molecular Cloud from the Gaia and LAMOST Surveys

TL;DR

This study identifies and confirms new young stellar members in the Perseus Molecular Cloud using Gaia and LAMOST data, revealing spatial, age, and motion characteristics that inform star formation processes.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive census of Perseus YSOs combining Gaia and LAMOST data, including new members and insights into the cloud's star formation history.

Findings

Confirmed 51 new members with LAMOST spectra

Discovered two new stellar aggregates in Perseus

Identified a significant distance gradient across the cloud

Abstract

Identifying the young optically visible population in a star-forming region is essential for fully understanding the star formation event. In this paper, We identify 211 candidate members of the Perseus molecular cloud based on Gaia astronomy. We use LAMOST spectra to confirm that 51 of these candidates are new members, bringing the total census of known members to 856. The newly confirmed members are less extincted than previously known members. Two new stellar aggregates are identified in our updated census. With the updated member list, we obtain a statistically significant distance gradient of $\rm 4.84\;pc\;deg^{-1}$ from west to east. Distances and extinction corrected color-magnitude diagrams indicate that NGC 1333 is significantly younger than IC 348 and the remaining cloud regions. The disk fraction in NGC 1333 is higher than elsewhere, consistent with its youngest age. The star formation scenario in the Perseus molecular cloud is investigated and the bulk motion of the distributed population is consistent with the cloud being swept away by the Per-Tau Shell.