THE INTERSTELLAR BUBBLES OF G38.9–0.4 AND THE IMPACT OF STELLAR FEEDBACK ON STAR FORMATION

Abstract

We present a study of the star formation (SF) region G38.9-0.4 using publicly avail-able multiwavelength Galactic Plane surveys from ground- and space-based observa-tories. This region is composed of four bright mid-IR bubbles and numerous infrared dark clouds. Two bubbles, N 74 and N 75, each host a star cluster anchored by a single O9.5V star. We identified 162 young stellar objects (YSOs) and classify 54 as stage I, 7 stage II, 6 stage III, and 32 ambiguous. We do not detect the classical sign-posts of triggered SF, i.e., star-forming pillars or YSOs embedded within bubble rims. We conclude that feedback-triggered SF has not occurred in G38.9-0.4. The YSOs are preferentially coincident with infrared dark clouds. This leads to a strong correlation between areal YSO mass surface density and gas mass surface density with a power law slope near 1.3, which closely matches the Schmidt-Kennicutt Law. The correlation is similar inside and outside the bubbles and may mean that the SF efficiency is neither enhanced nor supressed in regions potentially influenced by stellar feedback. This sug-gests that gas density, regardless of how it is collected, is a more important driver of ar X iv