No Arabic abstract
Up to now only a few intermediate-mass molecular outflows have been studied with enough high-angular resolution. The aim of this work is to study in detail the intermediate-mass YSO IRAS 22272+6358A, which is embedded in L1206, and its molecular outflow, in order to investigate the interaction of the outflow with the dense protostellar material, and to compare their properties with those of lower mas counterparts. We carried out OVRO observations of the 2.7 mm continuum emission, CO(1-0), C18O(1-0), and HC3N(12-11) in order to map with high-angular resolution the core of L1206, and to derive the properties of the dust emission, the molecular outflow and the dense protostellar envelope. The 2.7 mm continuum emission has been resolved into four sources, labeled OVRO~1, 2, 3, and 4. The intermediate-mass Class~0/I object OVRO 2, with a mass traced by the dust emission of 14.2 Msun, is the source associated with IRAS 22272+6358A. The CO(1-0) observations have revealed a very collimated outflow driven by OVRO 2, at a PA ~140 degr, that has a very weak southeastern red lobe and a much stronger northwestern blue lobe. Photodissociation toward the red lobe produced by the ionization front coming from the bright-rimmed diffuse HII region could be responsible of the morphology of the outflow. The spatial correlation between the outflow and the elongated dense protostellar material traced by HC3N(12-11) suggests an interaction between the molecular outflow and the protostellar envelope. Shocks produced by the molecular outflow, and possibly by the shock front preceding the ionization front could account for the southern enhancement of HC3N. The properties of the intermediate-mass protostar OVRO 2 and the molecular outflow are consistent with those of lower mass counterparts.
OMC-2 FIR 4 is one of the closest known young intermediate-mass protoclusters, located at a distance of 420 pc in Orion. This region is one of the few where the complete 500-2000 GHz spectrum has been observed with the heterodyne spectrometer HIFI on board the Herschel satellite, and unbiased spectral surveys at 0.8, 1, 2 and 3 mm have been obtained with the JCMT and IRAM 30-m telescopes. In order to investigate the morphology of this region, we used the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer to image OMC-2 FIR 4 in the 2-mm continuum emission, as well as in DCO+(2-1), DCN(2-1), C34S(3-2), and several CH3OH lines. In addition, we analysed observations of the NH3(1,1) and (2,2) inversion transitions made with the Very Large Array of the NRAO. The resulting maps have an angular resolution which allows us to resolve structures of 5, equivalent to 2000 AU. Our observations reveal three spatially resolved sources within OMC-2 FIR 4, of one or several solar masses each, with hints of further unresolved substructure within them. Two of these sources have elongated shapes and are associated with dust continuum emission peaks, thus likely containing at least one molecular core each. One of them also displays radio continuum emission, which may be attributed to a young B3-B4 star that dominates the overall luminosity output of the region. The third source identified displays a DCO+(2-1) emission peak, and weak dust continuum emission. Its higher abundance of DCO+ relative to the other two regions suggests a lower temperature and therefore its possible association with either a younger low-mass protostar or a starless core. It may alternatively be part of the colder envelope of OMC-2 FIR 4. Our interferometric observations evidence the complexity of this region, where multiple cores, chemical differentiation and an ionised region all coexist within an area of only 10000 AU.
We present the results of the first high angular resolution observations of SiO maser emission towards the star forming region W51-IRS2 made with the Very Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Our images of the water maser emission in W51-IRS2 reveal two maser complexes bracketing the SiO maser source. One of these water maser complexes appears to trace a bow shock whose opening angle is consistent with the opening angle observed in the distribution of SiO maser emission. A comparison of our water maser image with an image constructed from data acquired 19 years earlier clearly shows the persistence and motion of this bow shock. The proper motions correspond to an outflow velocity of 80 km/s, which is consistent with the data of 19 years ago (that spanned 2 years). We have discovered a two-armed linear structure in the SiO maser emission on scales of ~25 AU, and we find a velocity gradient on the order of 0.1 km/s/AU along the arms. We propose that the SiO maser source traces the limbs of an accelerating bipolar outflow close to an obscured protostar. We estimate that the outflow makes an angle of <20 degrees with respect to the plane of the sky. Our measurement of the acceleration is consistent with a reported drift in the line-of-sight velocity of the W51 SiO maser source.
We report on subarcsecond observations of complex organic molecules (COMs) in the high-mass protostar IRAS20126+4104 with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in its most extended configurations. In addition to the simple molecules SO, HNCO and H2-13CO, we detect emission from CH3CN, CH3OH, HCOOH, HCOOCH3, CH3OCH3, CH3CH2CN, CH3COCH3, NH2CN, and (CH2OH)2. SO and HNCO present a X-shaped morphology consistent with tracing the outflow cavity walls. Most of the COMs have their peak emission at the putative position of the protostar, but also show an extension towards the south(east), coinciding with an H2 knot from the jet at about 800-1000 au from the protostar. This is especially clear in the case of H2-13CO and CH3OCH3. We fitted the spectra at representative positions for the disc and the outflow, and found that the abundances of most COMs are comparable at both positions, suggesting that COMs are enhanced in shocks as a result of the passage of the outflow. By coupling a parametric shock model to a large gas-grain chemical network including COMs, we find that the observed COMs should survive in the gas phase for about 2000 yr, comparable to the shock lifetime estimated from the water masers at the outflow position. Overall, our data indicate that COMs in IRAS20126+4104 may arise not only from the disc, but also from dense and hot regions associated with the outflow.
Intermediate mass protostarsprovide a bridge between theories of low- and high-mass star formation. Emerging molecular outflows can be used to determine the influence of fragmentation and multiplicity on protostellar evolution through the correlation of outflow forces of intermediate mass protostars with the luminosity. The aim of this paper is to derive outflow forces from outflows of six intermediate mass protostellar regions and validate the apparent correlation between total luminosity and outflow force seen in earlier work, as well as remove uncertainties caused by different methodology. By comparing CO 6--5 observations obtained with APEX with non-LTE radiative transfer model predictions, optical depths, temperatures, densities of the gas of the molecular outflows are derived. Outflow forces, dynamical timescales and kinetic luminosities are subsequently calculated. Outflow parameters, including the forces, were derived for all sources. Temperatures in excess of 50 K were found for all flows, in line with recent low-mass results. However, comparison with other studies could not corroborate conclusions from earlier work on intermediate mass protostars which hypothesized that fragmentation enhances outflow forces in clustered intermediate mass star formation. Any enhancement in comparison with the classical relation between outflow force and luminosity can be attributed the use of a higher excitation line and improvement in methods; They are in line with results from low-mass protostars using similar techniques. The role of fragmentation on outflows is an important ingredient to understand clustered star formation and the link between low and high-mass star formation. However, detailed information on spatial scales of a few 100 AU, covering all individual members is needed to make the necessary progress.
We discuss a generalization of logic puzzles in which truth-tellers and liars are allowed to deviate from their pattern in case of one particular question: Are you guilty?