Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 50
This version created on 05 October 2006

A Chandra View of the Rosette Star-Forming Complex


Junfeng Wang, Penn State University
Leisa K. Townsley, Penn State University
Eric D. Feigelson, Penn State University
Patrick S. Broos, Penn State University
Konstantin V. Getman, Penn State University

We present high spatial resolution X-ray images of the Rosette
star-forming complex (d~1.4 kpc), consisting of the massive open
cluster NGC 2244 in the Rosette Nebula (age ~2 Myr) and embedded
near-infrared clusters in the Rosette Molecular Cloud (RMC;  age <1
Myr).  Over 1300  X-ray sources are detected in the entire image
mosaic (covering ~1 deg x 0.25 deg), most of which are X-ray emitting
young stellar cluster members.  Optical and 2MASS counterparts are
identified for the X-ray detections and JHK
color-color/color-magnitude diagrams are used to explore their stellar
properties.  The X-ray luminosity function for NGC 2244 is analyzed to
estimate its total stellar population.  The spatial distribution of
X-ray stars and their association with the RMC embedded clusters are
examined.  We detect all known O stars;  X-ray spectra for these
massive stars, a variety of highly variable light curves of X-ray
luminous pre-main sequence stars, and a few interesting objects
recovered in X-ray are presented.

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