Author(s): Sarah Schoultz , Molly Vitale Sullivan

Presentation: poster

Using the Milky Way Project (MWP) datasets, we hope to explore questions about star formation specifically in relation to bubbles and Yellowballs (YBs). The MWP is a citizen science website where anyone can identify stellar objects after a quick tutorial. Initially, citizens were instructed to identify infrared bubbles, HII regions which are associated with star formation. After being launched, users began flagging yellowish compact spheres which became known as Yellowballs. YBs are believed to be infant bubbles and therefore could add another link in the star formation process. To explore the hypothesis that YBs evolve into bubbles which then triggers star formation, we will use the MWP bubble and YB data bases to identify locations for follow-up studies. We identified prospective bubbles adjacent to and intersecting infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), then produced a catalog of bubbles within the galactic range of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). The bubbles in this catalog are targets for follow-up GBT observations to determine the role that bubble expansion plays in causing star formation in IRDCs. Similarly, we plan to create a more complete YB catalogue using the existing MWP’s YB catalogue thus helping us to determine if YB’s are the precursor to bubbles.

The College of Idaho     2112 Cleveland Blvd Caldwell, ID  8360     USA 208-459-5011    800-2C-IDAHO