On the Star Formation Rates in Molecular Clouds

Understand

In this paper we investigate the level of star formation activity within nearby molecular clouds.

• We employ a uniform set of infrared extinction maps to provide accurate assessments of cloud mass and structure and compare these with inventories of young stellar objects within the clouds.
• We present evidence indicating that both the yield and rate of star formation can vary considerably in local clouds, independent of their mass and size.
• We find that the surface density structure of such clouds appears to be important in controlling both these factors.