A Lifetime of Influence: Abstracts, Talks, and Posters
 

Where and How Are Massive Stars Formed in Isolation?

You-Hua Chu
University of Illinois

Margaret Gelman
University of Illinoie

Michael Johnson
University of Illinois

Rosie C.-H. Chen
University of Virginia

Robert Gruendl
University of Illinois

Hans Zinnecker, Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam

Massive stars are most frequently found in clusters or OB associations, but can they be formed in isolation? and under what conditions are they formed in isolation? To investigate the former, we have used WR stars in the LMC as probes and examined their stellar and interstellar environments to assess the fraction of WR stars that may have truly formed in isolation. To investigate the latter, we have used the massive young stellar objects in the LMC identified from Spitzer database, and categorized their stellar and interstellar environments in order to assess whether they are or have the potential to be in OB associations. We find the statisics to be highly dependent on the definitions of "massive stars" and "isolation". As expected, the more restrictive the definition is, the fraction of massive stars to be in isolation drops significantly, but never reaches zero.