2024AJ....167..158I

We present a detailed structural and gas kinematic study of the star-forming complex W5-NW. A cloud-cloud collision scenario unravels with evidence of collision-induced star and cluster formation. Various signatures of cloud-cloud collision such as “complementary distribution” and “bridging features” are explored. At the colliding region, the two clouds have complementary morphologies, where W5-NWb has a filamentary key-like shape that fits into the U-shaped cavity in W5-NWa that behaves like a keyhole. The interaction region between the two clouds is characterized by bridging features with intermediate velocities connecting the two clouds. A skewed V-shaped bridging feature is also detected at the site of the collision. A robust picture of the molecular gas distribution highlighting the bridges is seen in the position-position-velocity diagram obtained using the SCOUSEPY algorithm. Star cluster formation with an overdensity of Class I and Class II young stellar objects is also seen towards this cloud complex, likely triggered by the cloud collision event.