JWST Mid-infrared Spectroscopy Resolves Gas, Dust, and Ice in Young Stellar Objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal 2024-03, Vol.963 (2), p.94
• Main Authors: Nayak, Omnarayani, Hirschauer, Alec S., Kavanagh, Patrick J., Meixner, Margaret, Chu, Laurie, Habel, Nolan, Jones, Olivia C., Lenkić, Laura, Nally, Conor, Reiter, Megan, Robberto, Massimo, Sargent, B. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Ammonia; Astrophysics; Carbon dioxide; Emission lines; Emissions; Fine structure; Hydrocarbons; Infrared instruments; Infrared spectra; Infrared spectroscopy; Ionizing radiation; James Webb Space Telescope; Large Magellanic Cloud; Magellanic clouds; Molecular clouds; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Protostars; Space Sciences (General); Space telescopes; Spectrum analysis; Star & galaxy formation; Star clusters; Star formation; Stars; Stellar populations; Young stellar objects
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad18bc

In this work, we present spectra of 11 young stellar objects (YSOs) taken with the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) / Medium Resolution Spectroscopy (MRS) instrument onboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The YSOs are located in the N79 region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), an active star forming region with hundreds of Spitzer - and Herschel-identified YSOs and host to super star cluster (SSC) candidate H72.97-69.39. The three giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in N79 (East, West, and South) have varying star formation rates and stellar populations. MRS follow-up observations of four Spitzer -identified YSOs in N79 East, West, and South reveal that what seemed to be a single, massive YSO is actually a cluster of YSOs. We discuss the emission and absorption lines of six YSOs which have complete or almost-complete spectral coverage from 4.9 – 27.9 µm. YSO Y3, located in N79 East, is the youngest source in this study and likely to be less than 10,000 years old inferred from the prominent CH4, NH3, CH3OH, CH3OCHO, and CO2 ice absorption features. The most luminous source is the central ionizing YSO of SSC H72.97-69.39, Y4, which has dozens of fine-structure and H2 emission lines. Unlike the other YSOs in this work, Y4 has no polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission lines due to the intense ionizing radiation destroying these large carbon chain molecules. The mass accretion rate based on H I (7-6) line luminosity of YSOs Y1, Y2, Y4, and Y9 range between 1.22 × 10−4 – 1.89 × 10−2 M⊙ yr−1 For the first time in the mid-infrared, we are able to resolve individual high-mass protostars forming in small clusters in an extra-galactic environment like the LMC.