The M 16 molecular complex under the influence of NGC 6611: Herschel's perspective of the heating effect on the Eagle Nebula

The authors present Herschel images from the HOBYS key program of the Eagle Nebula (M 16) in the far-infrared and sub-millimetre, using the PACS and SPIRE cameras at 70 mu m, 160 mu m, 250 mu m, 350 mu m, 500 mu m. They investigate the heating effect of NGC6611 on the entire M 16 star-forming complex seen by Herschel including the diffuse cloud environment and the dense filamentary structures identified in this region. In addition, they interpret the three-dimensional geometry of M 16 with respect to the nebula, its surrounding environment, and the NGC6611 cavity. The dust temperature and column density maps reveal a prominent eastern filament running north-south and away from the high-mass star-forming central region and the NGC6611 cluster, as well as a northern filament which extends around and away from the cluster. The authors show that in high-mass star-forming regions OB clusters impact the temperature of future star-forming sites, modifying the initial conditions for collapse and effecting the evolutionary criteria of protostars developed from spectral energy distributions.