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Dynamical ejections of stars due to an accelerating gas filament

Abstract:
Observations of the Orion A integral shaped filament (ISF) have shown indications of an oscillatory motion of the gas filament. This evidence is based on both thewave-likemorphology of the filament and the kinematics of the gas and stars, where the characteristic velocities of the stars require a dynamical heating mechanism. As proposed by Stutz & Gould, such a heating mechanism (the 'Slingshot') may be the result of an oscillating gas filament in a gas-dominated (as opposed to stellar-mass dominated) system. Here we test this hypothesis with the first stellar-dynamical simulations in which the stars are subjected to the influence of an oscillating cylindrical potential. The accelerating, cylindrical background potential is populated with a narrow distribution of stars. By coupling the potential to N-body dynamics, we are able to measure the influence of the potential on the stellar distribution. The simulations provide evidence that the slingshot mechanism can successfully reproduce several stringent observational constraints. These include the stellar spread (both in projected position and in velocity) around the filament, the symmetry in these distributions, and a bulkmotion of the stars with respect to the filament. Using simple considerations, we show that star-star interactions are incapable of reproducing these spreads on their own when properly accounting for the gas potential. Thus, properly accounting for the gas potential is essential for understanding the dynamical evolution of star-forming filamentary systems in the era of Gaia (GaiaCollaboration 2016).
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1093/mnras/stx1821

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Department:
PHYSICS
Sub department:
Theoretical Physics
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-6911-6584


Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Journal:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society More from this journal
Volume:
471
Issue:
3
Pages:
3590-3598
Publication date:
2017-07-19
Acceptance date:
2017-07-17
DOI:
EISSN:
1365-2966
ISSN:
0035-8711


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1138140
Local pid:
pubs:1138140
Deposit date:
2021-08-13
ARK identifier:

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