ArT\'eMiS imaging of the filamentary infrared dark clouds G1.75-0.08 and G11.36+0.80: Dust-based physical properties of the clouds and their clumps

TL;DR

This study uses multi-wavelength submillimeter observations to analyze the physical properties, stability, and star formation potential of two filamentary infrared dark clouds, revealing their fragmentation and gravitational states.

Contribution

It provides detailed dust-based physical characterization and stability analysis of IRDCs G1.75-0.08 and G11.36+0.80, highlighting their fragmentation and star formation thresholds.

Findings

G1.75-0.08 consists of two cold, massive, non-self-gravitating clumps.

G11.36+0.80 is moderately supercritical with four gravitationally bound clumps.

Clump separation and mass-radius analysis support filament fragmentation models.

Abstract

We imaged the infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) G1.75-0.08 and G11.36+0.80 at 350 $\mu$m and 450 $\mu$m using the ArT\'eMiS bolometer. These data were used in conjunction with our previous 870 $\mu$m observations with the Large APEX BOlometer CAmera (LABOCA). The clumps in G11.36+0.80 were also observed in the N$_2$H$^+(1-0)$ transition with the IRAM 30-metre telescope. G1.75-0.08 was found to be composed of two cold ($\sim14.5$ K), massive (several $\sim10^3$ M$_{\odot}$) clumps that are projectively separated by $\sim3.7$ pc. Both clumps are 70 $\mu$m dark, but they do not appear to be bounded by self-gravity. The G1.75-0.08 filament was found to be subcritical by a factor of $\sim14$ with respect to its critical line mass. G11.36+0.80 was found to be moderately (by a factor of $\sim2$) supercritical and composed of four clumps. The dust temperatures of the clumps are $\sim13-15$ K, and their masses are in the range $\sim 232-633$ M$_{\odot}$. All the clumps are gravitationally bound. The projected, average separation of the clumps is $\sim1$ pc. A configuration that is observed in G1.75-0.08, namely two clumps at the ends of the filament, could be the result of gravitational focussing acting along the cloud. The two clumps fulfil the mass-radius threshold for high-mass star formation. Owing to the location of G1.75-0.08 near the Galactic centre ($\sim270$ pc), environmental effects such as a high level of turbulence, tidal forces, and shearing motions could affect the cloud dynamics. The observed clump separation in G11.36+0.80 can be understood in terms of a sausage instability. The G11.36+0.80 clumps do not lie above the mass-radius threshold for high-mass star formation. The substructure observed in one of the clumps in G11.36+0.80 suggests that the IRDC has fragmented in a hierarchical fashion. This conforms to the filamentary paradigm for Galactic star formation.