CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

We analyze the distribution of the molecular gas and the dust in the molecular clump linked to IRAS 10361-5830, located in the environs of the bubble-shaped hii region Gum 31 in the Carina region, with the aim of determining the main parameters of the associated material and investigating the evolutionary state of the young stellar objets identified there.Using the APEX telescope, we mapped the molecular emission in the J = 3-2 transition of three CO isotopologues, 12CO, 13CO and C18O, over a region of 1arcmin x 1.5 arcmin around the IRAS position. We also observed the high density tracers CS and HCO+ toward the source. The cold dust distribution was analyzed using submillimeter continuum data at 870 microns obtained with the APEX telescope. Complementary IR and radio data at different wavelengths were used to complete the study of the ISM.The molecular gas distribution reveals a cavity and a shell-like structure of 0.35 pc in radius centered at the position of the IRAS source, with some young stellar objects (YSOs) projected onto the cavity. The total molecular mass in the shell and the mean H2 volume density are 310 M_sun and 7500 cm-3, respectively. The cold dust counterpart of the molecular shell has been detected in the far-IR at 870 microns and in Herschel data at 350 microns. Weak extended emission at 24 microns from warm dust is projected onto the cavity, as well as weak radio continuum emission.A comparison of the distribution of cold and warm dust, molecular and ionized gas allows us to conclude that a compact hii region has developed in the molecular clump, indicating that this is an area of recent massive star formation. Probable exciting sources capable of creating the compact hii region are investigated. The 2MASS source 10380461-5846233 (MSX G286.3773-00.2563) seems to be partially responsible for the formation of the hii region.