ALMA view of the L1448-mm protostellar system on disk scales: CH$_3$OH and H$^{13}$CN as new disk wind tracers

Abstract

Protostellar disks are known to accrete, however, the exact mechanism that extracts the angular momentum and drives accretion in the low-ionization "dead" region of the disk is under debate. In recent years, magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) disk winds have become a popular solution. Yet, observations of these winds require both high spatial resolution (${\sim}10$s au) and high sensitivity, which has resulted in only a handful of MHD disk wind candidates so far. In this work we present high angular resolution (${\sim}30$ au) ALMA observations of the emblematic L1448-mm protostellar system and find suggestive evidence for an MHD disk wind. The disk seen in dust continuum (${\sim}0.9$ mm) has a radius of ${\sim}23$ au. Rotating infall signatures in H$^{13}$CO$^+$ indicate a central mass of $0.4\pm 0.1$ M$_\odot$ and a centrifugal radius similar to the dust disk radius. Above the disk, we unveil rotation signatures in the outflow traced by H$^{13}$CN, CH$_3$OH, and SO lines and find a kinematical structure consistent with theoretical predictions for MHD disk winds. This is the first detection of an MHD disk wind candidate in H$^{13}$CN and CH$_3$OH. The wind launching region estimated from cold MHD wind theory extends out to the disk edge. The magnetic lever arm parameter would be $\lambda_{\phi} \simeq 1.7$, in line with recent non-ideal MHD disk models. The estimated mass-loss rate is ${\sim}4$ times the protostellar accretion rate ($\dot{M}_{\rm acc} \simeq 2 \times 10^{-6} M_{\odot}/yr$) and suggests that the rotating wind could carry enough angular momentum to drive disk accretion.