Are there disks around young OB stars ? - Unveiling the massive star formation mechanism with 3D radiative transfer image modeling
Juergen STEINACKER
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Heidelberg
Résumé :
While a paradigm for the formation of low-mass stars has been
established that is based on accretion of gas and dust through a
circumstellar disk, there is no agreed formation scenario for stars with
masses greater than 10 solar masses. In this talk, I will summarize the
current obstacles in understanding massive star formation. The general
approach of 3D radiative transfer modeling is briefly described. I will
present evidences for the existence of large-scale flattened structures
around young massive stars and compact HII regions and the
corresponding modeling:
i) An analysis as well as new data of the most-extended circumstellar
disk known so far including a stability analysis of extended disk
structures. ii) A comparison of K-band images of the first hypercompact
HII region with a disk candidate and scattered light models. iii) A
modeling of the first candidate for a remnant disk around a massive star.
The results will be discussed in the framework of a general massive star
formation model and I will end with a short outlook on upcoming research
in this field.
