Characterization of the young star cluster associated with FZ CMa

• Grant number: 22/09374-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Stellar Astrophysics
• Principal Investigator: Jane Cristina Gregorio-Hetem
• Grantee: Joao Victor Correa Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/18100-4 - Stellar populations in the Milky Way: bulge, halo, disk and star forming regions; instrumentation for high resolution spectroscopy, AP.TEM

Abstract

The in-depth knowledge of the star formation scenario in OB Associations can bring important clues to better understand the structure and evolution of the Galaxy. In particular, the Canis Major OB1/R1 region, which contains hundreds of young stars associated with the bubble-like distribution named "CMa shell", is very interesting for exploring the supernova (SN) effect on star forming regions, in order to investigate how they can affect the molecular environment and the processes related to the young clusters evolution. The survey of young low-mass stars in the CMa region is still incomplete, but it is crucial for the investigation of fundamental questions about star formation induced by SN, or in the contrary, the effects of preventing the star formation processes, or even the early disappearance of circumstellar discs.This work is dedicated to improving the survey of the young stellar population of low mass found in the direction of FZ CMa, a region that contains a group of stars seeming to represent a mixture of populations. This region is in between two clusters with different age ranges, which are associated with the stars Z CMa (< 5 Myr) and GU CMa (> 10 Myr). The analysis will be performed on the basis of observational data that have not been previously explored, which were acquired by our group using the Gemini and SOAR telescopes.The youth of the sample will be evaluated by means of optical spectroscopy that will also provide the stellar parameters determination. The circumstellar features will be studied by means of infrared photometry, based on data from public catalogs and data obtained by our group. (AU)