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| Paper: |
IRAM 30m Continuum Surveys of Star-Forming Regions |
| Volume: |
217, Imaging at Radio Through Submillimeter Wavelengths |
| Page: |
152 |
| Authors: |
André, P.; Motte, F.; Neri, R. |
| Abstract: |
Bolometer arrays developed by the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR) in Bonn have been available for general use on the IRAM 30m telescope since February 1993. The current system consists of 37 channels in an hexagonal structure cooled to 300 mK and operating at 1.25 mm. Dust observations with these sensitive continuum receivers are a powerful tool to map the column density structure of star-forming regions, and make it possible to probe diffuse cloud material, pre-collapse condensations, collapsing/accreting protostars, and post-collapse circumstellar envelopes/disks at the same time. A summary of the main scientific results obtained in this area is presented, with a particular emphasis on the earliest stages of low-mass star formation. Small-scale mapping surveys with the early versions of the bolometer system led to the identification of young protostars at the beginning of the main accretion phase (`Class 0' objects), and provided a very effective tracer of the circumstellar evolution of YSOs. More recently, wide-field imaging with the large-format versions of the array has opened up a new observational approach to understanding the genetic link between pre-stellar fragments and accreting protostars on global, molecular cloud scales. The results of the recent wide-field surveys support the view according to which the initial mass function (IMF) of embedded star clusters is primarily determined by fragmentation at the pre-stellar stage of star formation. |
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