Title: "X-ray insights into clustered star formation"

By: K. V. Getman on behalf of the MYStIX team

Synopsis: I will present the recent science results from our MYStIX
project ( http://astro.psu.edu/mystix ).

Abstract: X-ray observations are an effective strategy for obtaining a
census of young stars in massive star forming regions (MSFRs). The MYStIX
(The Massive Young star-forming complex Study in Infrared and X-ray)
project combines NASA’s Chandra X-ray studies of MSFRs lying 0.4–3.6 kpc
from the Sun with near-infrared (NIR) surveys from the United Kingdom
Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), often from the UKIDSS project, and mid-IR
surveys from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera. MYStIX
is aimed at improving our understanding of clustered star formation in
rich OB-dominated regions within. A sample of ~31,000 probable complex
members allows study of a variety of astrophysical questions. Current
MYStIX results include: demonstration of diverse morphologies of young
clusters from simple ellipsoids to elongated, clumpy substructures;
demonstration of spatio-age gradients across star forming regions; the
discovery of core-halo age gradients within two rich nearby MYStIX
clusters; and the discovery of empirical correlations among different
intrinsic subcluster properties such as age, absorption, core radius,
central stellar density, and total intrinsic population. These MYStIX
results provide observational evidence for cluster expansion with possible
subcluster merger following gas dissipation. MYStIX also shows that the
complicated distribution of star clusters of different ages and sizes
associated with the nearby Orion clouds is typical for Galactic massive
star forming regions.