Starburst in NGC 1569, a dwarf irregular galaxy (NASA photo).
A starburst is an astrophysical process that involves star formation occurring at a rate that is large compared to the rate that is typically observed. This starburst activity will consume the available interstellar gas supply over a timespan that is much shorter than the lifetime of the galaxy. For example, the nebula NGC 6334 has a star formation rate estimated to be 3600 solar masses per million years[1] compared to the star formation rate of the entire Milky Way of about seven million solar masses per million years.[2] Due to the high amount of star formation a starburst is usually accompanied by much higher gas pressure and a larger ratio of hydrogen cyanide to carbon monoxide emission-lines than are usually observed.[3]
Tarantula Nebula, the largest starburst region in the local group.
Starbursts can occur in entire galaxies or just regions of space. A starburst region is a region of space that is undergoing a large amount of star formation. For example, the Tarantula Nebula is a nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud which has one of the highest star formation rates in the Local Group.[4] By contrast, a starburst galaxy is an entire galaxy that is experiencing a very high star formation rate. One notable example is Messier 82 in which the gas pressure is 100 times greater than in the local neighborhood, and it is forming stars at about the same rate as the entire Milky Way in a region only about 600 parsecs (2,000 ly) across.[3] At this rate M82 will consume its 200 million solar masses of atomic and molecular hydrogen in 100 million years (its free-fall time).[3]
Starburst regions can occur in different shapes, for example in Messier 94 the inner ring is a starburst region.[5] Messier 82 has a starburst core of about 600 parsec in diameter.[3] Starbursts are common during galaxy mergers such as the Antennae Galaxies. In the case of mergers, the starburst can either be local or galaxy-wide depending on the galaxies and how they are merging.
^"NOAO: NGC 6334 – A Mini Starburst Region? |". noirlab.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
^Robitaille, Thomas; Whitney, Barbara (2010). "The present-day star formation rate of the Milky-Way determined from Spitzer detected young stellar objects". The Astrophysical Journal. 710 (1): L11–L15. arXiv:1001.3672. Bibcode:2010ApJ...710L..11R. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/710/1/L11.
^ abcdSparke, Linda; Gallagher, John III (2007). Galaxies in the Universe. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-521-67186-6.
^Lebouteiller, V.; Bernard-Salas, J.; Brandl, B.; Whelan, D. G.; Wu, Y.; Charmandaris, V.; Devost, D.; Houck, J. R. (2008-06-10). "Chemical composition and mixing in giant HII regions: NGC3603, 30Doradus, and N66". The Astrophysical Journal. 680 (1): 398–419. arXiv:0710.4549. Bibcode:2008ApJ...680..398L. doi:10.1086/587503. ISSN 0004-637X.
^C. Muñoz-Tuñón; N. Caon; J. Aguerri; L. Alfonso (2004). "The Inner Ring of NGC 4736: Star Formation on a Resonant Pattern". Astronomical Journal. 127 (1): 58–74. Bibcode:2004AJ....127...58M. doi:10.1086/380610.
than are usually observed. Starbursts can occur in entire galaxies or just regions of space. A starburstregion is a region of space that is undergoing...
up starburst or starbursts in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Starburst most often refers to: Starburstregion, a generic term to describe a region of...
A starburst galaxy is one undergoing an exceptionally high rate of star formation, as compared to the long-term average rate of star formation in the...
luminous than the Milky Way and its central region is about one hundred times more luminous. The starburst activity is thought to have been triggered by...
concentration of young massive stars in this part of the LMC qualifies it as a starburstregion. R136 produces most of the energy that makes the Tarantula Nebula visible...
other galaxy collisions, the merging of two galaxies may create a starburstregion of new stars. In that case, they fall back into each other and eventually...
Nebula would cast visible shadows. In fact, it is the most active starburstregion known in the Local Group of galaxies. It is also one of the largest...
However, the central ~650 pc radius volume of the core is a strong starburstregion. The star formation rate here is 0.7 M☉ y−1 and it is being fed by...
interaction with NGC 4438 compressing gas and dust in that region, triggering a starburst. It also appears to have a long tidal tail possibly caused by...
Barba, Rodolfo (2004). "An in-depth analysis of a prototypical giant H II region: NGC 604". HST Proposal ID #10419: 10419. Bibcode:2004hst..prop10419B. "NASA/IPAC...
hidden starburstregion. Also NeV emission has been detected in the nucleus, indicating the presence of a hot gas in the coronal line region, while hot...
10% or less. Galaxies undergoing such rapid star formation are known as starburst galaxies. The post-merger elliptical galaxy has a very low gas content...
spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. The Sculptor Galaxy is a starburst galaxy, which means that it is currently undergoing a period of intense...
structure is the site of the intense star forming activity known as a starburstregion. This activity is bright enough that it is masking whatever weak nuclear...
e.g. intense, nuclear starbursts. Spectropolarimetric studies reveal that only 50% of Seyfert 2s show a hidden broad-line region and thus split Seyfert...
throughout the gaseous region. Only when the available gas is nearly consumed or dispersed does the activity end. Starbursts are often associated with...
arm region. The nucleus is Seyfert type II and is engulfed by a starburstregion. The strongest polarized emissions come from the northeastern region which...
Common names include crystal, galaxy, starburst and tooth coral. They are abundant on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region and the Red Sea. They are found in...
core isn't very compact and its spectrum indicates the presence of a starburstregion with an age between 1.5 and 5 million years. A shell of hydrogen gas...
70,000 light years. This emission not being driven by winds from a starburstregion, so the root cause is unknown. On October 12, 2005, a magnitude 16...
galaxy, showing little star formation activity. However, there is a starburstregion in the nucleus forming new stars at the rate of about one solar mass...
is host to a galactic-scale superwind which is streaming from the starburstregion. The actively star-forming regions and the base radius of the outflow...
sight from the Earth. NGC 4102 has a region of intense star formation in the nuclear region, known as a starburstregion. This volume is 1,000 ly (310 pc)...
outside the plane of the galaxy. NGC 4631 contains a central starburst, which is a region of intense star formation. The strong star formation is evident...
summed it up as "low-budget Nordic nonsense". In contrast James Hanton of Starburst asserted that, of the Viking movies in circulation, "this one punches...
Robert; D. Devost; R. Doyon (2000). "The Star Formation History of the StarburstRegion NGC 2363 and its Surroundings". The Astronomical Journal. 119 (22):...
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