Subclustering and Star Formation Efficiency in Three Protoclusters in the Central Molecular Zone

Zhang, S; Lu, X; Ginsburg, A; Budaiev, N; Cheng, Y; Liu, HB; Liu, T; Zhang, Q; Qiu, K; Feng, S; Pillai, T; Tang, X; Mills, EAC; Luo, Q; Li, S; Issac, N; Liu, X; Xu, F; Wallace, J; Mai, X; Zhang, YK; Battersby, C; Longmore, SN; Shen, Z

Subclustering and Star Formation Efficiency in Three Protoclusters in the Central Molecular Zone

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Zhang, S ORCID: 0000-0002-8389-6695, Lu, X ORCID: 0000-0003-2619-9305, Ginsburg, A ORCID: 0000-0001-6431-9633, Budaiev, N ORCID: 0000-0002-0533-8575, Cheng, Y ORCID: 0000-0002-8691-4588, Liu, HB ORCID: 0000-0003-2300-2626, Liu, T ORCID: 0000-0002-5286-2564, Zhang, Q ORCID: 0000-0003-2384-6589, Qiu, K ORCID: 0000-0002-5093-5088, Feng, S ORCID: 0000-0002-4707-8409, Pillai, T ORCID: 0000-0003-2133-4862, Tang, X ORCID: 0000-0002-4154-4309, Mills, EAC ORCID: 0000-0001-8782-1992, Luo, Q ORCID: 0000-0003-4506-3171, Li, S ORCID: 0000-0003-1275-5251, Issac, N ORCID: 0000-0002-7881-689X, Liu, X ORCID: 0000-0001-8315-4248, Xu, F ORCID: 0000-0001-5950-1932, Wallace, J ORCID: 0009-0002-7459-4174, Mai, X ORCID: 0000-0001-7573-0145 et al (2025) Subclustering and Star Formation Efficiency in Three Protoclusters in the Central Molecular Zone. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 982 (1). ISSN 2041-8205

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Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb30b

Abstract

We present the highest-resolution (∼0".04) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 1.3 mm continuum observations so far of three massive star-forming clumps in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), namely 20 km s−1 C1, 20 km s−1 C4, and Sgr C C4, which reveal prevalent compact millimeter emission. We extract the compact emission with astrodendro and identify a total of 199 fragments with a typical size of ∼370 au, which represent the first sample of candidates of protostellar envelopes and disks and kernels of prestellar cores in these clumps that are likely forming star clusters. Compared with the protoclusters in the Galactic disk, the three protoclusters display a higher level of hierarchical clustering, likely a result of the stronger turbulence in the CMZ clumps. Compared with the mini-starbursts in the CMZ, Sgr B2 M and N, the three protoclusters also show stronger subclustering in conjunction with a lack of massive fragments. The efficiency of high-mass star formation of the three protoclusters is on average 1 order of magnitude lower than that of Sgr B2 M and N, despite a similar overall efficiency of converting gas into stars. The lower efficiency of high-mass star formation in the three protoclusters is likely attributed to hierarchical cluster formation.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	astro-ph.GA; astro-ph.GA; astro-ph.SR; 5101 Astronomical Sciences; 51 Physical Sciences; 5101 Astronomical Sciences; 51 Physical Sciences; 0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences; Astronomy & Astrophysics; 5101 Astronomical sciences; 5109 Space sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Astrophysics Research Institute
Publisher:	American Astronomical Society
Date of acceptance:	27 January 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	12 June 2026
Date Deposited:	12 Jun 2026 13:39
Last Modified:	12 Jun 2026 13:39
DOI or ID number:	10.3847/2041-8213/adb30b
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28830

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