@article{01GKMJA50WA9DZ0HS7HRDHWTEF,
  abstract     = {{  We combine JWST observations with ALMA CO and VLT-MUSE H$\alpha$ data to
examine off-spiral arm star formation in the face-on, grand-design spiral
galaxy NGC 628. We focus on the northern spiral arm, around a galactocentric
radius of 3-4 kpc, and study two spurs. These form an interesting contrast, as
one is CO-rich and one CO-poor, and they have a maximum azimuthal offset in
MIRI 21$\mu$m and MUSE H$\alpha$ of around 40$^\circ$ (CO-rich) and 55$^\circ$
(CO-poor) from the spiral arm. The star formation rate is higher in the regions
of the spurs near to spiral arms, but the star formation efficiency appears
relatively constant. Given the spiral pattern speed and rotation curve of this
galaxy and assuming material exiting the arms undergoes purely circular motion,
these offsets would be reached in 100-150 Myr, significantly longer than the
21$\mu$m and H$\alpha$ star formation timescales (both <10 Myr). The invariance
of the star formation efficiency in the spurs versus the spiral arms indicates
massive star formation is not only triggered in spiral arms, and cannot simply
occur in the arms and then drift away from the wave pattern. These early JWST
results show that in-situ star formation likely occurs in the spurs, and that
the observed young stars are not simply the `leftovers' of stellar birth in the
spiral arms. The excellent physical resolution and sensitivity that JWST can
attain in nearby galaxies will well resolve individual star-forming regions and
help us to better understand the earliest phases of star formation.
}},
  articleno    = {{L27}},
  author       = {{G. Williams, Thomas and Sun, Jiayi and T. Barnes, Ashley and Schinnerer, Eva and D. Henshaw, Jonathan and van der Wel, Sharon Meidt and Querejeta, Miguel and J. Watkins, Elizabeth and Bigiel, Frank and A. Blanc, Guillermo and Boquien, Médéric and Cao, Yixian and Chevance, Mélanie and V. Egorov, Oleg and Emsellem, Eric and C. O. Glover, Simon and Grasha, Kathryn and Hassani, Hamid and Jeffreson, Sarah and J. Jiménez-Donaire, María and Kim, Jaeyeon and S. Klessen, Ralf and Kreckel, Kathryn and M. Diederik Kruijssen, J. and L. Larson, Kirsten and K. Leroy, Adam and Liu, Daizhong and Pessa, Ismael and Pety, Jérôme and Pinna, Francesca and Rosolowsky, Erik and M. Sandstrom, Karin and Smith, Rowan and Stuber, Sophia and A. Thilker, David and C. Whitmore, Bradley}},
  issn         = {{2041-8205}},
  journal      = {{ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL}},
  keywords     = {{CLOUD-CLOUD COLLISIONS,INTERSTELLAR-MEDIUM,HIGH-RESOLUTION,MOLECULAR GAS,MILKY-WAY,GALAXIES,EVOLUTION,SIMULATIONS,ASTROPY}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  title        = {{PHANGS-JWST first results : spurring on star formation : JWST reveals  localised star formation in a spiral arm spur of NGC 628}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aca674}},
  volume       = {{941}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}

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