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Title:
Massive star formation: nurture, not nature
Authors:
Bonnell, Ian A.; Vine, Stephen G.; Bate, Matthew R.
Affiliation:
AA(School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS), AB(School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS), AC(School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL)
Publication:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 349, Issue 2, pp. 735-741. (MNRAS Homepage)
Publication Date:
04/2004
Origin:
MNRAS
Astronomy Keywords:
stars: formation, stars: luminosity function, mass function, globular clusters: general, open clusters and associations: general
DOI:
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07543.x
Bibliographic Code:
2004MNRAS.349..735B

Abstract

We investigate the physical processes that lead to the formation of massive stars. Using a numerical simulation of the formation of a stellar cluster from a turbulent molecular cloud, we evaluate the relevant contributions of fragmentation and competitive accretion in determining the masses of the more massive stars. We find no correlation between the final mass of a massive star, and the mass of the clump from which it forms. Instead, we find that the bulk of the mass of massive stars comes from subsequent competitive accretion in a clustered environment. In fact, the majority of this mass infalls on to a pre-existing stellar cluster. Furthermore, the mass of the most massive star in a system increases as the system grows in numbers of stars and in total mass. This arises as the infalling gas is accompanied by newly formed stars, resulting in a larger cluster around a more massive star. High-mass stars gain mass as they gain companions, implying a direct causal relationship between the cluster formation process and the formation of higher-mass stars therein.

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