NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
The star-formation history of very young clustersThe popular idea that star formation has proceeded sequentially from lowest to highest mass members in open clusters is examined critically. For extremely young clusters, such as NGC 2264 and NGC 6530, this sequential hypothesis is a consequence of the assignment of pre-main-sequence contraction ages to all member stars. However, such ages yield a formation history which is implausible from a physical point of view, since the critical time for the onset of formation at any stellar mass is equal to the pre-main-sequence contraction time for that mass. Moreover, these ages are in conflict with the strong observational evidence that a substantial fraction of cluster members have already reached the main sequence. After reconsideration of the probable main-sequence members, the stellar ages in NGC 2264 and NGC 6530 are consistent with a variety of formation histories, and, in particular, with the view that all stellar masses form in approximately the same interval of time within a given cluster, i.e., that there is no mass-age correlation. A notion closely related to the sequential hypothesis, that the total star-formation rate increases exponentially with time, is subject to the same criticism.
Document ID
19850054868
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Stahler, S. W.
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal, Part 1
Volume: 293
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
85A37019
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-246
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available