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Molecular clouds and the formation of open clusters
Author(s) -
Stecklum B.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
astronomische nachrichten
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-3994
pISSN - 0004-6337
DOI - 10.1002/asna.2113100512
Subject(s) - molecular cloud , physics , stars , astrophysics , star formation , open cluster , cloud computing , mass spectrum , star cluster , astronomy , mass spectrometry , quantum mechanics , computer science , operating system
Using analytical approximations of the mass spectra of molecular clouds and stellar systems including open clusters and associations a relation between the final star formation efficiency (final SFE) and the initial cloud mass is derived. The dependence of the SFE on cloud mass is estimated for two cases of molecular cloud destruction by stellar winds in spherical geometry. The result of growing SFE with rising cloud mass does not agree with current observations and the above relation. A decrease of the SFE is expected if the fraction of high‐mass stars grows with increasing mass of the cloud.