AAS 207th Meeting, 8-12 January 2006
Session 184 Masers, Millimeter and Centimeter Observations of Protostars
Poster, Thursday, 9:20am-4:00pm, January 12, 2006, Exhibit Hall

## [184.10] Clumpfinding in the Perseus Molecular Cloud

J.E. Pineda, A. Goodman, N.A. Ridge, M. Borkin, S. Schnee (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

The COordinated Molecular Probe Line Extinction Thermal Emission (COMPLETE) Survey of Star Forming Regions collaboration has finished mapping of the Perseus molecular cloud in 12CO and 13CO (1arrow 0), covering an area of \approx 2\deg \times 7\deg.

Using 13CO emission as a density tracer and the Clumpfind algorithm (Williams et al, 1996), we have created a clump list for Perseus. From this list we choose targets to be observed in higher density tracers in order to perform a more detailed study. Using the velocity width for the clumps found by Clumpfind we estimate clump column densities and masses. However, integrated molecular line emission does not trace column density as well as near-IR extinction or thermal emission due to dust. So, we use COMPLETE's near-IR and far-IR/sub-mm mapping of dust to determine clump column densities instead.

Using the clump mass, radius, and velocity dispersion measurements, we can compute how many of the clumps are gravitationally bound within the cloud, and address the question of whether young stars are gravitationally bound to the region where they are formed. We compare the results for different parameters in the clumpfind algorithm.

Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #4
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.