Super Hot Cores in NGC 253: Witnessing the formation and early evolution of Super Star Clusters. (arXiv:1909.11385v1 [astro-ph.GA])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rico_Villas_F/0/1/0/all/0/1">Fernando Rico-Villas</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martin_Pintado_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jesus Martin-Pintado</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Gonzalez_Alfonso_E/0/1/0/all/0/1">Eduardo Gonzalez-Alfonso</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martin_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Sergio Martin</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rivilla_V/0/1/0/all/0/1">Victor M. Rivilla</a>
Using $0.2^{prime prime}$ ($sim3$ pc) ALMA images of vibrationally excited
HC$_3$N emission (HC$_3$N$^*$) we reveal the presence of $8$ unresolved Super
Hot Cores (SHCs) in the inner $160$ pc of NGC,253. Our LTE and non-LTE
modelling of the HC$_3$N$^*$ emission indicate that SHCs have dust temperatures
of $200-375$ K, relatively high H$_2$ densities of $1-6times 10^{6}$ cm$^{-3}$
and high IR luminosities of $0.1-1times 10^8$ L$_odot$. As expected from
their short lived phase ($sim 10^4$ yr), all SHCs are associated with young
Super Star Clusters (SSCs). We use the ratio of luminosities form the SHCs
(protostar phase) and from the free-free emission (ZAMS star phase), to
establish the evolutionary stage of the SSCs. The youngest SSCs, with the
larges ratios, have ages of a few $10^4$ yr (proto-SSCs) and the more evolved
SSCs are likely between $10^5$ and $10^6$ yr (ZAMS-SSCs). The different
evolutionary stages of the SSCs are also supported by the radiative feedback
from the UV radiation as traced by the HNCO/CS ratio, with this ratio being
systematically higher in the young proto-SSCs than in the older ZAMS-SSCs. We
also estimate the SFR and the SFE of the SSCs. The trend found in the estimated
SFE ($sim40%$ for proto-SSCs and $>85%$ for ZAMS-SSCs) and in the gas mass
reservoir available for star formation, one order of magnitude higher for
proto-SSCs, suggests that star formation is still going on in proto-SSCs. We
also find that the most evolved SSCs are located, in projection, closer to the
center of the galaxy than the younger proto-SSCs, indicating an inside-out SSC
formation scenario.
Using $0.2^{prime prime}$ ($sim3$ pc) ALMA images of vibrationally excited
HC$_3$N emission (HC$_3$N$^*$) we reveal the presence of $8$ unresolved Super
Hot Cores (SHCs) in the inner $160$ pc of NGC,253. Our LTE and non-LTE
modelling of the HC$_3$N$^*$ emission indicate that SHCs have dust temperatures
of $200-375$ K, relatively high H$_2$ densities of $1-6times 10^{6}$ cm$^{-3}$
and high IR luminosities of $0.1-1times 10^8$ L$_odot$. As expected from
their short lived phase ($sim 10^4$ yr), all SHCs are associated with young
Super Star Clusters (SSCs). We use the ratio of luminosities form the SHCs
(protostar phase) and from the free-free emission (ZAMS star phase), to
establish the evolutionary stage of the SSCs. The youngest SSCs, with the
larges ratios, have ages of a few $10^4$ yr (proto-SSCs) and the more evolved
SSCs are likely between $10^5$ and $10^6$ yr (ZAMS-SSCs). The different
evolutionary stages of the SSCs are also supported by the radiative feedback
from the UV radiation as traced by the HNCO/CS ratio, with this ratio being
systematically higher in the young proto-SSCs than in the older ZAMS-SSCs. We
also estimate the SFR and the SFE of the SSCs. The trend found in the estimated
SFE ($sim40%$ for proto-SSCs and $>85%$ for ZAMS-SSCs) and in the gas mass
reservoir available for star formation, one order of magnitude higher for
proto-SSCs, suggests that star formation is still going on in proto-SSCs. We
also find that the most evolved SSCs are located, in projection, closer to the
center of the galaxy than the younger proto-SSCs, indicating an inside-out SSC
formation scenario.
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