Radiative Compression of Dense Cores in the Pillars of Creation as Revealed by JWST Extinction Mapping

Abstract

The Pillars of Creation in M16 represent an iconic star-forming region where stellar feedback shapes molecular cloud evolution. We present a detailed investigation of dust extinction and density structure in the Pillars of Creation using multiband photometric observations from \emph{JWST} NIRCam. A high-resolution (2\arcsec) extinction map reaching depths of $A_V\sim 100$ mag has been constructed using NIRCam filters F090W, F200W, F335M, and F444W. This map clearly reveals the intricate structure of dense gas within the molecular cloud in the Pillars of Creation region. Analysis of the column density probability distribution function (N-PDF) exhibits a characteristic lognormal distribution at intermediate extinctions ($A_V\approx10-30$\,mag), which transitions to a power-law tail at high extinctions ($A_V\gtrsim$ 30\,mag) where star-forming cores reside. The power-law slope $\alpha$ displays significant spatial variation, steepening from $\alpha\approx 2.0$ at the pillar tips facing the NGC 6611 cluster to $\alpha\approx$4.0 in regions distant from the cluster. This systematic gradient demonstrates that stellar feedback not only disperses molecular clouds but can also locally enhance the formation of dense, self-gravitating structures through radiative compression.