GBT16B-278

KEYSTONE: KFPA Examinations of Young Stellar (O-star) Natal Environments

Abstract

We propose KEYSTONE, a Large Project to map NH3 and H2O emission across 11 GMCs out to 3 kpc distance. These clouds were observed previously as part of the Herschel OB Young Star (HOBYS) survey that revealed widespread filamentary substructures, some of which appear to be related to the formation of high-mass stars. With the proposed GBT data, we will be able to 1) characterize the kinematics and mass accretion in GMC filaments; 2) explore the impact of environment on star formation in GMCs; 3) determine the dynamics of dense substructure, in particular at intersections of filaments where clusters appear to form preferentially; 4) examine NH3 chemistry over a wide sample of clouds; and 5) obtain a census of H2O masers within each cloud. The proposed observations provide a necessary and critical bridge between observations of dense gas in nearby molecular clouds and and in more-distant GMCs in the Galactic Plane, completing the picture of how such gas forms stars.

Investigators

Name	Institution
James Di Francesco *	Herzberg Institute
Loren Anderson	West Virginia University
Jared Keown	Victoria, University of
Erik Rosolowsky	British Columbia at Okanagan, University of ; Alberta, University of
Helen Kirk	Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada
Ian Stephens	Boston University; Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Worcester State University
Jim Jackson	Green Bank Observatory
Jaime Pineda	Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
Michael Chen	Queen's University
James Urquhart	Australia Telescope National Facility ; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Kent, University of
Rachel Friesen	Toronto, University of
Davide Elia	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Eugenio Schisano	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Stefano Pezzuto	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Charles Figura	Wartburg College
Anthony Marston	European Space Agency ; Space Telescope Science Institute
Scott Whitaker	Boston University
Todd Hunter	National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Vlas Sokolov	Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
Adam Ginsburg	National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Florida, University of; Colorado at Boulder, University of; European Southern Observatory
Maohai Huang	National Astronomical Observatories, CAS
Jing-Hua Yuan	National Astronomical Observatories, CAS
Nicola Schneider	Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique
Frederique Motte	Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique
Jill Rathborne	Boston University; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Australia Telescope National Facility
Christopher Matzner	Toronto, University of
Hong-Li Liu	National Astronomical Observatories, CAS
Arabindo Roy	Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique
Sylvain Bontemps	Bordeaux, Observatoire de
jinzeng Li	National Astronomical Observatories, CAS
Glenn White	Open University
jiali zhu	National Astronomical Observatories, CAS
Paola Caselli	Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik; Leeds, University of
Hector Arce	Yale University
Peter Martin	Toronto, University of
Yoshito SHIMAJIRI	Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique
Philippe Andre	Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique
Crystal Brogan	National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Stella Offner	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Massachusetts at Amherst, University of; Texas at Austin, University of
Alana Rivera-Ingraham	European Space Astronomy Centre
Phil Myers	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Annie Hughes	Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Steven Longmore	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; European Southern Observatory; Liverpool John Moores University
Derek Ward-Thompson	Lancashire, University of Central
Patricio Sanhueza Nunez	National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

* indicates the PI