Chandra/ACIS Observations of Massive Star Forming Regions

Much of the stellar populations inside of the massive star forming regions are poorly studied in the optical and infrared wavelengths because of observational challenges caused by large distance, high extinction, and heavy contamination from unrelated sources. High spatial resolution X-ray images have opened a new window to probe the rich intermediate-mass and low-mass young stellar populations accompanying the massive OB stars in each region. I present Chandra/ACIS observations of two massive star forming complexes, namely the NGC 6357 region and the Rosette Complex, concentrating on the new census of low-mass cluster members and new knowledge of the IMFs. These studies demonstrate the unique power of studying star formation in the X-ray band.

Dr. Junfeng Wang
Penn State