arXiv subjects

Francesca Bacciotti

Publications and source records attributed to Francesca Bacciotti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Ionized gas emission in protoplanetary disks with the SKAO

Protoplanetary disks represent a crucial stage in the evolution of Young Stellar Objects towards the formation of fully formed planetary systems. While substantial progress has been made in the last decades in the characterization of the dust and molecular gas in these systems, the ionized component remains poorly understood. Ionized gas traces important processes such as photoevaporation, accretion, disk winds, and jets, and therefore is key to studying disk dynamics, evolution, and ultimately planet formation. In this paper, we investigate the capabilities of the forthcoming SKA telescope to probe this component in protoplanetary disks within nearby star forming regions. We present state-of-the-art simulations of photoevaporative, magneto-thermal, and magnetohydrodynamic winds, and generate theoretical predictions and synthetic SKAO observations to assess its potential in detecting and characterizing free-free emission and Hydrogen recombination lines. Finally, we discuss synergies with complementary facilities and how they will provide a comprehensive, multi-scale view of disk winds and offer critical insights on the mechanisms driving disk evolution and the onset of planet formation.

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arXiv2026

Jets and Outflows in Young Stellar Objects with the SKAO

Jets and outflows are ubiquitous phenomena associated with the formation of young stellar objects (YSOs). They play a crucial role in removing angular momentum from the accreting system and in regulating star-formation efficiency. Theoretical studies and observations with ALMA and VLA have shown that jets and winds may have a crucial role in promoting dust growth in the envelope-disc system and in shaping the physical and chemical properties of the surrounding environment. Despite these significant advances, many fundamental questions remain unanswered regarding the acceleration, collimation, and chemical impact of jets and outflows from YSOs. The SKA-project will overcome the limitations of current mm/cm-facilities by enabling high-angular resolution and high-sensitivity cm-observations, crucial for probing jets/outflows near YSOs. Radio recombination lines, combined with proper motions, offer a unique opportunity to study the 3D-kinematics of jets. Non-thermal linearly polarised synchrotron emission will allow measuring magnetic field strength and morphology at unprecedented scales of a few au. Observations of dust emission in outflow cavities will allow studying how dust grows and is eventually transported from the disc to the envelope and back. Finally, the SKA-project will allow exploring the dust composition and chemical enrichment in shocks, where sputtering/shattering of grains cause the release of their mantles and refractory cores in the gas-phase. Complementary to ALMA's detection of simple and complex organic molecules, the SKAO will probe, for the first time, long carbon chains/rings, several Cl-, Al-, Mg-, and other metal-bearing species (missed by current sub-mm facilities).

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arXiv2025

PROJECT-J: the shocking H2 outflow from HH46

We analyze the H2 emission observed in the HH46 Class I system as part of PROJECT-J (Protostellar Jets Cradle Tested with JWST), to investigate the origin and excitation of the warm molecular outflow. We used NIRSpec and MIRI spectral maps (1.6-27.9 microns) to trace the structure and physical conditions of the outflow. By fitting the H2 rotational diagrams with a multi-temperature gas model, we derived key physical parameters including temperature, extinction, column densities, and the ortho-to-para ratio. This information is combined with a detailed kinematical analysis and comparison with irradiated shock models. We find no evidence of H2 temperature or velocity stratification from the axis to the edge of the outflow, as would be expected in MHD disk-wind models and as observed in other outflows. Instead, the observations suggest that the H2 emission arises from shock interactions between jet bow shocks and/or wide-angle winds with the ambient medium and cavity walls. NIRSpec emission and velocity maps reveal expanding molecular shells, likely driven by the less luminous source in the binary system. We infer an accretion rate of less than 10^-9 solar masses per year for the secondary source, approximately one order of magnitude lower than that of the primary. The H2 emission is consistent with excitation by low-velocity (approximately 10 km/s) J-type shocks, irradiated by an external UV field that may originate from strong dissociative shocks driven by the atomic jet. Future JWST observations will further constrain the evolution of the expanding shell and the mechanisms driving the outflow.

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arXiv2021

Probing jets from young embedded sources: clues from HST near-IR [Fe II] images

We present near-infrared [Fe II] images of four Class 0/I jets (HH 1/2, HH 34, HH 111, HH 46/47) observed with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3. The unprecedented angular resolution allows us to measure proper motions, jet widths and trajectories, and extinction along the jets. In all cases, we detect the counter-jet which was barely visible or invisible at shorter wavelengths. We measure tangential velocities of a few hundred km/s, consistent with previous HST measurements over 10 years ago. We measure the jet width as close as a few tens of au from the star, revealing high collimations of about 2 degrees for HH 1, HH 34, HH 111 and about 8 degrees for HH 46, all of which are preserved up to large distances. For HH 34, we find evidence of a larger initial opening angle of about 7 degrees. Measurement of knot positions reveals deviations in trajectory of both the jet and counter-jet of all sources. Analysis of asymmetries in the inner knot positions for HH 111 suggests the presence of a low mass stellar companion at separation 20-30 au. Finally, we find extinction values of 15-20 mag near the source which gradually decreases moving downstream along the jet. These observations have allowed us to study the counter-jet at unprecedented high angular resolution, and will be a valuable reference for planning future JWST mid-infrared observations which will peer even closer into the jet engine.

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arXiv2020

ALMA chemical survey of disk-outflow sources in Taurus (ALMA-DOT) V: Sample, overview, and demography of disk molecular emission

We present an overview of the ALMA chemical survey of disk-outflow sources in Taurus (ALMA-DOT), a campaign devoted to the characterization of the molecular emission from partly embedded, young stars. The project aims at better understanding the gaseous products that are delivered to planets by means of high-resolution maps of assorted lines probing disks at the time of the planet formation (less than 1 Myr). Nine different molecules are surveyed by our observations of six Class I/flat-spectrum sources. A series of accompanying articles analyze specific targets and molecules. Here we describe the sample and provide a general overview of the results, focusing on the spatial distribution, column densities, and abundance ratios of H$_2$CO, CS, and CN. The results of this work are a first step toward the characterization of the disk chemical evolution that need to be complemented by further observations of less exceptional disks and customized thermo-chemical modeling.

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arXiv2020

ALMA chemical survey of disk-outflow sources in Taurus (ALMA-DOT): I. CO, CS, CN, and H2CO around DG Tau B

The chemical composition of planets is inherited by the distribution of the various molecular species in the protoplanetary disk at thetime of their formation. As of today, only a handful of disks has been imaged in multiple spectral lines with high spatial resolution. As part of a small campaign devoted to the chemical characterization of disk-outflow sources in Taurus, we report on new ALMA Band 6 observations with 20 au resolution toward the embedded young star DG Tau B. Images of the continuum emission reveals a dust disk with rings and, putatively, a leading spiral arm. The disk, as well as the prominent outflow cavities, are detected in CO, H2CO, CS, and CN while they remain undetected in SO2, HDO, and CH3OH. From the absorption of the back-side outflow, we inferred that the disk emission is optically thick in the inner 50 au. This morphology explains why no line emission is detected from this inner region and poses some limitations toward the calculation of the dust mass and the characterization of the inner gaseous disk. The H2CO and CS emission from the inner 200 au is mostly from the disk and their morphology is very similar. The CN emission significantly differs from the other two molecules as it is observed only beyond 150 au. This ring-like morphology is consistent with previous observations and the predictions of thermochemical disk models. Finally, we constrained the disk-integrated column density of all molecules. In particular, we found that the CH3OH/H2CO ratio must be smaller than 2, making the methanol non-detection still consistent with the only such a ratio available from the literature (1.27 in TW Hya).

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arXiv2020

Protostellar Outflows at the EarliesT Stages (POETS). IV. Statistical properties of the 22 GHz H2O masers

We wish to perform a statistical study of the location and motion of individual 22 GHz water maser cloudlets, characterized by sizes that are within a few au, with respect to the radio thermal emission from young stellar objects (YSO). For this purpose, we have been carrying out the Protostellar Outflows at the EarliesT Stages (POETS) survey of a sample (38) of high-mass YSOs. The water maser positions and three-dimensional (3D) velocities were determined through Very Long Baseline Array observations with accuracies of a few milliarcsec (mas) and a few km/s, respectively. The position of the ionized core of the protostellar wind, marking the YSO, was determined through sensitive continuum Jansky Very Large Array observations with a typical error of 20 mas. The statistic of the separation of the water masers from the radio continuum shows that 84% of the masers are found within 1000 au from the YSO and 45% of them are within 200 au. Therefore, we can conclude that the 22 GHz water masers are a reliable proxy for the YSO position. The distribution of maser luminosity is strongly peaked towards low values, indicating that about half of the maser population is still undetected with the current Very Long Baseline Interferometry detection thresholds of 50-100 mJy/beam. Next-generation, sensitive radio interferometers will exploit these weak masers for an improved sampling of the velocity and magnetic fields around the YSOs. The average direction of the water maser proper motions provides a statistically-significant estimate for the orientation of the jet emitted by the YSO: 55% of the maser proper motions are directed on the sky within an angle of 30 deg from the jet axis. Finally, we show that our measurements of 3D maser velocities statistically support models in which water maser emission arises from planar shocks with propagation direction close to the plane of the sky.

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arXiv2019

Protostellar Outflows at the EarliesT Stages (POETS). III. H2O masers tracing disk-winds and jets near luminous YSOs

The goal of the Protostellar Outflows at the EarliesT Stages (POETS) survey is to image the disk-outflow interface on scales of 10-100 au in a statistically significant sample (36) of luminous young stellar objects (YSO), targeting both the molecular and ionized components of the outflows. The outflow kinematics is studied at milliarcsecond scales through VLBI observations of the 22 GHz water masers. We employed the JVLA at 6, 13, and 22 GHz in the A- and B-Array configurations to determine the spatial structure and the spectral index of the radio continuum emission. In about half of the targets, the water masers observed at separation <= 1000 au from the YSOs trace either or both of these kinematic structures: 1) a spatially elongated distribution oriented at close angle with the direction of collimation of the maser proper motions (PM), and 2) a linear LSR velocity (Vlsr) gradient across the YSO position. The kinematic structure (1) is readily interpreted in terms of a protostellar jet, as confirmed in some targets via the comparison with independent observations of the YSO jets, in thermal (continuum and line) emissions, reported in the literature. The kinematic structure (2) is interpreted in terms of a disk-wind (DW) seen almost edge-on on the basis of several pieces of evidence: first, it is invariably directed perpendicular to the YSO jet; second, it agrees in orientation and polarity with the Vlsr gradient in thermal emissions (when reported in the literature) identifying the YSO disk at scales of <= 1000~au; third, the PMs of the masers delineating the Vlsr gradients hint at flow motions at a speed of 10-20 km/s directed at large angles with the disk midplane. In the remaining targets, the maser PMs are not collimated but rather tend to align along two almost perpendicular directions, and could originate in DW-jet systems slightly inclined (<= 30 deg) with respect to edge-on.

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arXiv2019

Polarization in Disks

Polarized dust emission outside of disks reveal the magnetic field morphology of molecular clouds. Within disks, however, polarized dust emission can arise from very different mechanisms (e.g., self-scattering), and each of them are useful for constraining physical properties in the disk. For example, these mechanisms allow us to constrain the disk grain size distributions and grain/disk geometries, independent from current methods of measuring these parameters. To accurately model these features and disentangle the various polarization mechanisms, multiwavelength observations at very high resolution and sensitivity are required. With significant upgrades to current interferometric facilities, we can understand how grains evolve in disks during the planet formation process.

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arXiv2018

ALMA observations of polarized emission toward the CW Tau and DG Tau protoplanetary disks: constraints on dust grain growth and settling

We present polarimetric data of CW Tau and DG Tau, two well-known Class II disk/jet systems, obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array at 870 $\mu$m and 0."2 average resolution. In CW Tau, the total and polarized emission are both smooth and symmetric, with polarization angles almost parallel to the minor axis of the projected disk. In contrast, DG Tau displays a structured polarized emission, with an elongated brighter region in the disk's near side and a belt-like feature beyond about 0."3 from the source. At the same time the total intensity is spatially smooth, with no features. The polarization pattern, almost parallel to the minor axis in the inner region, becomes azimuthal in the outer belt, possibly because of a drop in optical depth. The polarization fraction has average values of 1.2% in CW Tau and 0.4% in DG Tau. Our results are consistent with polarization from self-scattering of the dust thermal emission. Under this hypothesis, the maximum size of the grains contributing to polarization is in the range 100 - 150 $\mu$m for CW Tau and 50 - 70 $\mu$m for DG Tau. The polarization maps combined with dust opacity estimates indicate that these grains are distributed in a geometrically thin layer in CW Tau, representing a settling in the disk midplane. Meanwhile, such settling is not yet apparent for DG Tau. These results advocate polarization studies as a fundamental complement to total emission observations, in investigations of the structure and the evolution of protoplanetary disks.

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arXiv2018

SHARK-NIR, the coronagraphic camera for LBT, moving toward construction

SHARK-NIR is one of the two coronagraphic instruments proposed for the Large Binocular Telescope. Together with SHARK-VIS (performing coronagraphic imaging in the visible domain), it will offer the possibility to do binocular observations combining direct imaging, coronagraphic imaging and coronagraphic low resolution spectroscopy in a wide wavelength domain, going from 0.5{\mu}m to 1.7{\mu}m. Additionally, the contemporary usage of LMIRCam, the coronagraphic LBTI NIR camera, working from K to L band, will extend even more the covered wavelength range. In January 2017 SHARK-NIR underwent a successful final design review, which endorsed the instrument for construction and future implementation at LBT. We report here the final design of the instrument, which foresees two intermediate pupil planes and three focal planes to accomodate a certain number of coronagraphic techniques, selected to maximize the instrument contrast at various distances from the star. Exo-Planets search and characterization has been the science case driving the instrument design, but the SOUL upgrade of the LBT AO will increase the instrument performance in the faint end regime, allowing to do galactic (jets and disks) and extra-galactic (AGN and QSO) science on a relatively wide sample of targets, normally not reachable in other similar facilities.

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arXiv2015

A Search for Consistent Jet and Disk Rotation Signatures in RY Tau

We present a radial velocity study of the RY Tau jet-disk system, designed to determine whether a transfer of angular momentum from disk to jet can be observed. Many recent studies report on the rotation of T Tauri disks, and on what may be a signature of T Tauri jet rotation. However, due to observational difficulties, few studies report on both disk and jet within the same system to establish if the senses of rotation match and hence can be interpreted as a transfer of angular momentum. We report a clear signature of Keplerian rotation in the RY Tau disk, based on Plateau de Bure observations. We also report on the transverse radial velocity profile of the RY Tau jet close to the star. We identify two distinct profile shapes: a v-shape which appears near jet shock positions, and a flat profile which appears between shocks. We do not detect a rotation signature above 3 sigma uncertainty in any of our transverse cuts of the jet. Nevertheless, if the jet is currently in steady-state, the errors themselves provide a valuable upper limit on the jet toroidal velocity of 10 km/s, implying a launch radius of < 0.45 AU. However, possible contamination of jet kinematics, via shocks or precession, prevents any firm constraint on the jet launch point, since most of its angular momentum could be stored in magnetic form rather than in rotation of matter.

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arXiv2014

Numerical simulations of stellar jets and comparison between synthetic and observed maps: clues to the launch mechanism

High angular resolution spectra obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) provide rich morphological and kinematical information about the stellar jet phenomenon, which allows us to test theoretical models efficiently. In this work, numerical simulations of stellar jets in the propagation region are executed with the PLUTO code, by adopting inflow conditions that arise from former numerical simulations of magnetized outflows, accelerated by the disk-wind mechanism in the launching region. By matching the two regions, information about the magneto-centrifugal accelerating mechanism underlying a given astrophysical object can be extrapolated by comparing synthetic and observed position-velocity diagrams (PVDs). We show that quite different jets, like those from the young T Tauri stars DG-Tau and RW-Aur, may originate from the same disk-wind model for different configurations of the magnetic field at the disk surface. This result supports the idea that all the observed jets may be generated by the same mechanism.

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arXiv2012

Spatially Resolved Observations of the Bipolar Optical Outflow from the Brown Dwarf 2MASSJ12073347-3932540

Studies of brown dwarf (BD) outflows provide information pertinent to questions on BD formation, as well as allowing outflow mechanisms to be investigated at the lowest masses. Here new observations of the bipolar outflow from the 24 M$_{JUP}$ BD, 2MASSJ12073347-3932540 are presented. The outflow was originally identified through the spectro-astrometric analysis of the [OI]$\lambda$6300 emission line. Follow-up observations consisting of spectra and [SII], R-band and I-band images were obtained. The new spectra confirm the original results and are used to constrain the outflow PA at $\sim$ 65$^{\circ}$. The [OI]$\lambda$6300 emission line region is spatially resolved and the outflow is detected in the [SII] images. The detection is firstly in the form of an elongation of the point spread function along the direction of the outflow PA. Four faint knot-like features (labelled {\it A-D}) are also observed to the south-west of 2MASSJ12073347-3932540 along the same PA suggested by the spectra and the elongation in the PSF. Interestingly, {\it D}, the feature furthest from the source is bow-shaped with the apex pointing away from 2MASSJ12073347-3932540. A color-color analysis allows us to conclude that at least feature {\it D} is part of the outflow under investigation while {\it A} is likely a star or galaxy. Follow-up observations are needed to confirm the origin of {\it B} and {\it C}. This is a first for a BD, as BD optical outflows have to date only been detected using spectro-astrometry. This result also demonstrates for the first time that BD outflows can be collimated and episodic.

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arXiv2012

Jet rotation investigated in the near-ultraviolet with HST/STIS

We present results of the second phase of our near-ultraviolet investigation into protostellar jet rotation using HST/STIS. We obtain long-slit spectra at the base of five T Tauri jets to determine if there is a difference in radial velocity between the jet borders which may be interpreted as a rotation signature. These observations are extremely challenging and push the limits of current instrumentation, but have the potential to provide long-awaited observational support for the magneto-centrifugal mechanism of jet launching in which jets remove angular momentum from protostellar systems. We successfully detect all five jet targets (from RW Aur, HN Tau, DP Tau and CW Tau) in several near-ultraviolet emission lines, including the strong Mg II doublet. However, only RW Aur's bipolar jet presents sufficient signal-to-noise for analysis. The approaching jet lobe shows a difference of 10 km/s in a direction which agrees with the disk rotation sense, but is opposite to previously published optical measurements for the receding jet. The near-ultraviolet difference is not found six months later, nor is it found in the fainter receding jet. Overall, in the case of RW Aur, differences are not consistent with a simple jet rotation interpretation. Indeed, given the renowned complexity and variability of this system, it now seems likely that any rotation signature is confused by other influences, with the inevitable conclusion that RW Aur is not suited to a jet rotation study.

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arXiv2011

Numerical simulations of radiative magnetized Herbig-Haro jets: the influence of pre-ionization from X-rays on emission lines

We investigate supersonic, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) jets with a time-dependent injection velocity by numerical simulations with the PLUTO code. Using a comprehensive set of parameters, we explore different jet configurations in the attempt to construct models that can be directly compared to observational data of microjets. In particular, we focus our attention on the emitting properties of traveling knots and construct, at the same time, accurate line intensity ratios and surface brightness maps. Direct comparison of the resulting brightness and line intensity ratios distributions with observational data of microjets shows that a closer match can be obtained only when the jet material is pre-ionized to some degree. A very likely source for a pre-ionized medium is photoionization by X-ray flux coming from the central object.

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arXiv2011

The First X-shooter Observations of Jets from Young Stars

We present the first pilot study of jets from young stars conducted with X-shooter, on ESO/VLT. As it offers simultaneous, high quality spectra in the range 300-2500 nm X-shooter is uniquely important for spectral diagnostics in jet studies. We chose to probe the accretion/ejection mechanisms at low stellar masses examining two targets with well resolved continuous jets lying on the plane of the sky, ESO-HA 574 in Chamaleon I, and Par-Lup3-4 in Lupus III. The mass of the latter is close to the sub-stellar boundary (Mstar=0.13 Msun). A large number of emission lines probing regions of different excitation are identified, position-velocity diagrams are presented and mass outflow/accretion rates are estimated. Comparison between the two objects is striking. ESO-HA 574 is a weakly accreting star for which we estimate a mass accretion rate of log(\dot{Macc}) = -10.8 \pm 0.5 (in Msun/yr), yet it drives a powerful jet with \dot{Mout} ~ 1.5-2.7 10^-9 Msun/yr. These values can be reconciled with a magneto-centrifugal jet acceleration mechanism only assuming that the presence of the edge-on disk severely depresses the luminosity of the accretion tracers. In comparison Par-Lup3-4 with stronger mass accretion (log(\dot{Macc}) = -9.1 \pm 0.4 Msun/yr), drives a low excitation jet with about \dot{Mout} ~ 3.2 10^-10 Msun/yr in both lobes. Despite the low stellar mass, \dot{Mout} / \dot{Macc} for Par-Lup3-4 is at the upper limit of the range usually measured for young objects, but still compatible with a steady magneto-centrifugal wind scenario if all uncertainties are considered.

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arXiv2010

Tracing kinematical and physical asymmetries in the jet from DG Tau B

Stellar jets can be highly asymmetric and have multiple velocity components. To clarify the origin of jet asymmetries and constrain their launch mechanism we study the physical and kinematical structure of the flow emitted by DG Tau B. The analysis of deep spectra taken at the KECK telescope allows us to infer the physical properties (the electron and total density, ne and nh, the ionisation fraction, xe, and the temperature, te) and the spatial distribution of the velocity components in the two jet lobes. The presence of dust grains in the jet is investigated by estimating the gas-phase abundance of calcium with respect to its solar value. At the base of the jet the lines are broad (~100 km/s) and up to three velocity components are detected. At 5" from the source, however, only the denser and more excited high velocity components survive and the lines are narrower (~10-30 km/s). The jet is strongly asymmetric both in velocity and in its physical structure. The red lobe, slower (~140 km/s) and more collimated, presents low ionisation fractions (xe~0.1-0.4) and temperatures (te<5e3 K), while the total density is up to ~2.5e4 ccm. The blue lobe, faster (~-320 km/s) and less collimated, is also less dense (nh~1e4 ccm) but highly excited (te up to ~5e4 K and xe up to 0.9). The estimated mass loss rate is similar in the two lobes (~6-8e-9 Msol/yr), suggesting that the ejection power is comparable on the two sides of the system, as expected from a magneto-centrifugal ejection mechanism, and that the observed asymmetries are due to different mass load and propagation properties in an inhomogeneous environment. Calcium is strongly depleted, indicating that the jet contains dust grains and, therefore, should originate from a region of the disk extending beyond the dust sublimation radius. The depletion is lower for higher velocities, consistent with dust destruction by shocks.

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