Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 118
This version created on 05 October 2006

The Eagle Nebula:  Pillars of Creation, EGGs, and PMS stars in NGC
6611


Jeffrey Linsky, JILA, University of Colorado
Marc Gagne, West Chester University
Anna Mytyk, West Chester University
Mark McCaughren, University of Exeter
Morten Andersen, University of Arizona

We report on our 78 ks Chandra ACIS-I observation of the Eagle Nebula
(M16) and the young cluster NGC 6611.  We detected a total of 1101
X-ray sources, most of which are PMS stars in the cluster.  Near the
tip of one of the "Pillars of Creation", we detected a luminous X-ray
source M16ES-1 which we believe is an O star like Theta1 Orionis C
heated by magnetically channeled wind shocks.  We obtained upper
limits on the X-ray flux from the EGGs (evaporating gaseous globules),
which are thought to be dense formations at the edges of the pillars
that are being photoevaporated by the harsh UV radiation from O stars.
EGGs could be the very earliest stage of star formation.  The
nondetection of X-rays from the EGGs with embedded infrared point
sources indicates that either the EGGs do not yet contain protostars
or that at the very early stage of stellar formation the protostars
have not yet become X-ray active.  We will also report on the X-ray
properties, including ages and disk properties, of the YSOs in NGC
6611 and compare their properties to the YSOs in the Orion Nebula
Cluster.  This work is supported by NASA through grant H-04630D to the
University of Colorado.

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