The environment of the infrared dust bubble N65: a multiwavelength study

Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (CONICET-UBA), CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina e-mail: apetriella@iafe.uba.ar

Received: 6 November 2009
Accepted: 14 January 2010

Abstract

Aims. We investigate the environment of the infrared dust bubble N65 and search for evidence of triggered star formation in its surroundings.

Methods. We performed a multiwavelength study of the region around N65 with data taken from large-scale surveys: Two Micron All Sky Survey, GLIMPSE, MIPSGAL, SCUBA, and GRS. We analyzed the distribution of the molecular gas and dust in the environment of N65 and performed infrared photometry and spectral analysis of point sources to search for young stellar objects and identify the ionizing star candidates.

Results. We found a molecular cloud that appears to be fragmented into smaller clumps along the N65 PDR. This indicates that the so-called collect and collapse process may be occurring. Several young stellar objects are distributed among the molecular clumps. They may represent a second generation of stars whose formation was triggered by the bubble expanding into the molecular gas. We identified O-type stars inside N65, which are the most reliable ionizing star candidates.