A multiwavelength study of the ultracompact HII region associated with IRAS 20178 + 4046

Aims. We present a multiwavelength study of the ultra compact HII region associated with IRAS 20178+4046. This enables us to probe the different components associated with this massive star forming region. Methods. The radio emission from the ionized gas was mapped at 610 and 1280 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), India. We have used 2MASS JHKs data to study the nature of the embedded sources associated with IRAS 20178+4046. Submillimetre emission from the cold dust at 450 and 850μm was studied using JCMT-SCUBA. Results. The high-resolution radio continuum maps at 610 and 1280 MHz display compact spherical morphology. The spectral type of the exciting source is estimated to be ∼ B0.5 from the radio flux densities. However, the near-infrared (NIR) data suggest the presence of several massive stars (spectral type earlier than O9) within the compact ionized region. Submillimetre emission shows the presence of two dense cloud cores which are probably at different evolutionary stages. The total mass of the cloud is estimated to be ∼ 700 – 1500 M⊙ from the submillimetre emission at 450 and 850μm. Conclusions. The multiwavelength study of this star forming complex reveals an interesting scenario where we see the presence of different evolutionary stages in star formation. The ultra compact HII region coinciding with the southern cloud core is at a later stage of evolution compared to the northern core which is likely to be a candidate protocluster.