We examine the recent star formation associated with four supergiant shells (SGSs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC): LMC 1, 4, 5, and 6, which have been shown to have simple expanding-shell structures. H II regions and OB associations are used to infer star formation in the last few Myr, while massive young stellar objects (YSOs) reveal the current ongoing star formation. Distributions of ionized, H I, and molecular components of the interstellar gas are compared with the sites of recent and current star formation to determine whether triggering has taken place. We find that a great majority of the current star formation has occurred in gravitationally unstable regions, and that evidence of triggered star formation is prevalent at both large and local scales.
@article{arxiv.0901.0400,
title = {Star Formation Around Supergiant Shells in the LMC},
author = {Laura G. Book and You-Hua Chu and Robert A. Gruendl and Yasuo Fukui},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0901.0400},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
12 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal, improved image quality of figures