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arXiv · 1104.3706

Detection of a large massive circumstellar disk around a high-mass young stellar object in the Carina Nebula

Thomas Preibisch·Thorsten Ratzka·Tiago Gehring·Henrike Ohlendorf·Hans Zinnecker·Robert R. King·Mark J. McCaughrean·James R. Lewis
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Abstract

(abbreviated) We investigate the spatial structure and spectral energy distribution of an edge-on circumstellar disk around an optically invisible young stellar object that is embedded in a dark cloud in the Carina Nebula. Whereas the object was detected as an apparently point-like source in earlier infrared observations, only the superb image quality (FWHM ~0.5") of our VLT / HAWK-I data could reveal, for the first time, its peculiar morphology. It consists of a very red point-like central source that is surrounded by a roughly spherical nebula, which is intersected by a remarkable dark lane through the center. We construct the spectral energy distribution of the object from 1 to 870 microns and perform a detailed radiative transfer modeling of the spectral energy distribution and the source morphology. The observed object morphology in the near-IR images clearly suggests a young stellar object that is embedded in an extended, roughly spherical envelope and surrounded by a large circumstellar disk with a diameter of ~5500 AU that is seen nearly edge-on. The radiative transfer modeling shows that the central object is a massive (10-15 Msun) young stellar object. The circumstellar disk has a mass of about 2 Msun. The disk object in Carina is one of the most massive young stellar objects for which a circumstellar disk has been detected so far, and the size and mass of the disk are very large compared to the corresponding values found for most other similar objects.

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Thomas Preibisch, Thorsten Ratzka, Tiago Gehring, Henrike Ohlendorf, Hans Zinnecker, Robert R. King, Mark J. McCaughrean, James R. Lewis. 2011-04-19. Detection of a large massive circumstellar disk around a high-mass young stellar object in the Carina Nebula. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201116528

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