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An S-shaped Filament Formed Due to Cloud-Cloud Collision in Molecular Cloud G178.28-00.61

  • Tianwei Zhang*
  • , Tie Liu
  • , Yuefang Wu
  • , Linjing Feng
  • , Sihan Jiao
  • , Derek Ward-Thompson
  • , Alessio Traficante
  • , Helen J. Fraser
  • , James Di Francesco
  • , Doug Johnstone
  • , Paul F. Goldsmith
  • , Yasuo Doi
  • , Xunchuan Liu
  • , Chang Won Lee
  • , Fengwei Xu
  • , Ram K. Yadav
  • , Glenn J. White
  • , Leonardo Bronfman
  • , Yi Jehng Kuan
  • , Kee Tae Kim
  • Donghui Quan
*Corresponding author for this work
  • Zhejiang Lab
  • CAS - Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
  • Peking University
  • CAS - National Astronomical Observatories
  • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
  • University of Central Lancashire
  • National Institute for Astrophysics
  • Open University Milton Keynes
  • National Research Council of Canada
  • University of Victoria BC
  • California Institute of Technology
  • The University of Tokyo
  • Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
  • National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand
  • Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
  • Universidad de Chile
  • National Taiwan Normal University
  • Research Center for Astronomical Computing

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present compelling observational evidence supporting G178.28-00.61 as an early-stage candidate for cloud-cloud collision (CCC), with indications of the formation of an S-shaped filament, evenly separated dense cores, and young star clusters. The observations of CO molecular line emission demonstrate the existence of two interacting molecular clouds with systemic velocities of 0.8 km s−1 and −1.2 km s−1, respectively. The convergence zone of these two clouds reveals an S-shaped filament in the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope 850 μm continuum image, suggesting cloud interaction. In line with expectations from CCC simulations, broad bridging features are discernible in the position-velocity diagrams. An elevated concentration of identified Class I and II young stellar objects along the filament at the intersection area further supports the hypothesis of a collision-induced origin. This observation could be explained by a recent MHD model of CCC, which predicts a similar morphology, scale, density, and unbound status, as well as the orientation of the polarization.

Original languageEnglish
Article number25
JournalAstrophysical Journal, Supplement Series
Volume280
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2025
Externally publishedYes

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