arXiv subjects

Hector G. Arce

Publications and source records attributed to Hector G. Arce.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Rotating Bullets from A Variable Protostar

We present SMA CO(2-1) observations toward the protostellar jet driven by SVS13A, a variable protostar in the NGC1333 star-forming region. The SMA CO(2-1) images show an extremely high-velocity jet composed of a series of molecular 'bullets'. Based on the SMA CO observations, we discover clear and large systematic velocity gradients, perpendicular to the jet axis, in the blueshifted and redshifted bullets. After discussing several alternative interpretations, such as twin-jets, jet precession, warped disk, and internal helical shock, we suggest that the systematic velocity gradients observed in the bullets result from the rotation of the SVS13A jet. From the SMA CO images, the measured rotation velocities are 11.7-13.7 km/s for the blueshifted bullet and 4.7+/-0.5 km/s for the redshifted bullet. The estimated specific angular momenta of the two bullets are comparable to those of dense cores, about 10 times larger than those of protostellar envelopes, and about 20 times larger than those of circumstellar disks. If the velocity gradients are due to the rotation of the SVS13A jet, the significant amount of specific angular momenta of the bullets indicates that the rotation of jets/outflows is a key mechanism to resolve the so-called 'angular momentum problem' in the field of star formation. The kinematics of the bullets suggests that the jet launching footprint on the disk has a radius of about 7.2-7.7 au, which appears to support the extended disk-wind model. We note that further observations are needed to comprehensively understand the kinematics of the SVS13A jet, in order to confirm the rotation nature of the bullets.

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arXiv2015

Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and Their Evolution with the SMA (MASSES). Multiplicity and the Physical Environment in L1448N

We present continuum and molecular line observations at 230 GHz and 345 GHz from the Sub-millimeter Array (SMA) toward three protostars in the Perseus L1448N region. The data are from the large project "Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and their Evolution with the SMA" (MASSES). Three dust continuum sources, Source B, Source NW, and Source A, are detected at both frequencies. These sources have corresponding emission peaks in C18O (J=2-1), 13CO (J=2-1), and HCO+ (J=4-3), and have offsets with N2D+ (J=3-2) peaks. High angular resolution data from a complimentary continuum survey with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array show that Source B is associated with three 8 mm continuum objects, Source NW with two, and Source A remains single. These results suggest that multiplicity in L1448N exists at different spatial scales from a few thousand AU to < 100 AU. Velocity gradients in each source obtained from two-dimensional fits to the SMA C18O emission are found to be perpendicular to within 20 degrees of the outflow directions as revealed by 12CO (J=2-1). We have observed that Sources B and NW with multiplicity have higher densities than Source A without multiplicity. This suggests that thermal Jeans fragmentation can be relevant in the fragmentation process. However, we have not observed a difference in the ratio between rotational and gravitational energy between sources with and without multiplicity. We also have not observed a trend between non-thermal velocity dispersions and the level of fragmentation. Our study has provided the first direct and comprehensive comparison between multiplicity and core properties in low-mass protostars, although based on small number statistics.

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arXiv2015

Episodic molecular outflow in the very young protostellar cluster Serpens South

The loss of mass from protostars, in the form of a jet or outflow, is a necessary counterpart to protostellar mass accretion. Outflow ejection events probably vary in their velocity and/or in the rate of mass loss. Such `episodic' ejection events have been observed during the Class 0 protostellar phase (the early accretion stage), and continue during the subsequent class I phase that marks the first one million years of star formation. Previously observed episodic-ejection sources were relatively isolated; however, the most common sites of star formation are clusters. Outflows link protostars with their environment and provide a viable source of turbulence that is necessary for regulating star formation in clusters, but it is not known how an accretion-driven jet or outflow in a clustered environment manifests itself in its earliest stage. This early stage is important in establishing the initial conditions for momentum and energy transfer to the environment as the protostar and cluster evolve. Here we report that an outflow from a very young class 0 protostar, at the hub of the very active and filamentary Serpens South protostellar cluster, shows unambiguous episodic events. The $^{12}$CO (J=2-1) emission from the protostar reveals 22 distinct features of outflow ejecta, the most recent having the highest velocity. The outflow forms bipolar lobes --- one of the first detectable signs of star formation --- which originate from the peak of 1-mm continuum emission. Emission from the surrounding C$^{18}$O envelope shows kinematics consistent with rotation and an infall of material onto the protostar. The data suggest that episodic accretion-driven outflow begins in the earliest phase of protostellar evolution, and that the outflow remains intact in a very clustered environment, probably providing efficient momentum transfer for driving turbulence.

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arXiv2015

Assessing molecular outflows and turbulence in the protostellar cluster Serpens South

Molecular outflows driven by protostellar cluster members likely impact their surroundings and contribute to turbulence, affecting subsequent star formation. The very young Serpens South cluster consists of a particularly high density and fraction of protostars, yielding a relevant case study for protostellar outflows and their impact on the cluster environment. We combined CO $J=1-0$ observations of this region using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) and the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30 m single dish telescope. The combined map allows us to probe CO outflows within the central, most active region at size scales of 0.01 pc to 0.8 pc. We account for effects of line opacity and excitation temperature variations by incorporating $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO data for the $J=1-0$ and $J=3-2$ transitions (using Atacama Pathfinder Experiment and Caltech Submillimeter Observatory observations for the higher CO transitions), and we calculate mass, momentum, and energy of the molecular outflows in this region. The outflow mass loss rate, force, and luminosity, compared with diagnostics of turbulence and gravity, suggest that outflows drive a sufficient amount of energy to sustain turbulence, but not enough energy to substantially counter the gravitational potential energy and disrupt the clump. Further, we compare Serpens South with the slightly more evolved cluster NGC 1333, and we propose an empirical scenario for outflow-cluster interaction at different evolutionary stages.

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arXiv2014

CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey: Structure and Kinematics of Dense Gas in Serpens Main

We present observations of N2H+(1-0), HCO+(1-0), and HCN(1-0) toward the Serpens Main molecular cloud from the CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey (CLASSy). We mapped 150 square arcminutes of Serpens Main with an angular resolution of 7 arcsecs. The gas emission is concentrated in two subclusters (the NW and SE subclusters). The SE subcluster has more prominent filamentary structures and more complicated kinematics compared to the NW subcluster. The majority of gas in the two subclusters has subsonic to sonic velocity dispersions. We applied a dendrogram technique with N2H+(1-0) to study the gas structures; the SE subcluster has a higher degree of hierarchy than the NW subcluster. Combining the dendrogram and line fitting analyses reveals two distinct relations: a flat relation between nonthermal velocity dispersion and size, and a positive correlation between variation in velocity centroids and size. The two relations imply a characteristic depth of 0.15 pc for the cloud. Furthermore, we have identified six filaments in the SE subcluster. These filaments have lengths of 0.2 pc and widths of 0.03 pc, which is smaller than a characteristic width of 0.1 pc suggested by Herschel observations. The filaments can be classified into two types based on their properties. The first type, located in the northeast of the SE subcluster, has larger velocity gradients, smaller masses, and nearly critical mass-per-unit-length ratios. The other type, located in the southwest of the SE subcluster, has the opposite properties. Several YSOs are formed along two filaments which have supercritical mass per unit length ratios, while filaments with nearly critical mass-per-unit-length ratios are not associated with YSOs, suggesting that stars are formed on gravitationally unstable filaments.

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arXiv2014

A spider-like outflow in Barnard 5 - IRS 1: The transition from a collimated jet to a wide-angle outflow?

We present line and continuum observations made with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) of the young stellar object Barnard 5 - IRS1 located in the Perseus molecular cloud. Our $^{12}$CO(2-1) line observations resolve the high-velocity bipolar northeast-southwest outflow associated with this source. We find that the outflowing gas shows different structures at three different velocity regimes, in both lobes, resulting in a spider-like morphology. In addition to the low-velocity, cone-like (wide-angle) lobes that have previously been observed, we report the presence of intermediate-velocity parabolic shells emerging very close to the Class I protostar, as well as high velocity molecular bullets that appear to be associated to the optical/IR jet emanating from this source. These compact high-velocity features reach radial velocities of about 50 km s$^{-1}$ away from the cloud velocity. We interpret the peculiar spider-like morphology is a result of the molecular material being entrained by a wind with both a collimated jet-like component and a wide-angle component. We suggest the outflow is in a transitional evolutionary phase between a mostly jet-driven flow and an outflow in which the entrainment is dominated by the wide-angle wind component. We also detect 1300 $μ$m continuum emission at the position of the protostar, which likely arises from the dusty envelope and disk surrounding the protostar. Finally, we report the detection of $^{13}$CO(2-1) and SO(6$_5$-5$_4$) emission arising from the outflow and the location of the young stellar object.

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arXiv2014

Star Cluster Formation and Feedback

Stars do not generally form in isolation. Instead, they form in clusters, and in these clustered environments newborn stars can have profound effects on one another and on their parent gas clouds. Feedback from clustered stars is almost certainly responsible for a number of otherwise puzzling facts about star formation: that it is an inefficient process that proceeds slowly when averaged over galactic scales; that most stars disperse from their birth sites and dissolve into the galactic field over timescales $\ll 1$ Gyr; and that newborn stars follow an initial mass function (IMF) with a distinct peak in the range $0.1 - 1$ $M_\odot$, rather than an IMF dominated by brown dwarfs. In this review we summarize current observational constraints and theoretical models for the complex interplay between clustered star formation and feedback.

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arXiv2013

ALMA Observations of the HH 46/47 Molecular Outflow

The morphology, kinematics and entrainment mechanism of the HH 46/47 molecular outflow were studied using new ALMA Cycle 0 observations. Results show that the blue and red lobes are strikingly different. We argue that these differences are partly due to contrasting ambient densities that result in different wind components having a distinct effect on the entrained gas in each lobe. A 29-point mosaic, covering the two lobes at an angular resolution of about 3", detected outflow emission at much higher velocities than previous observations, resulting in significantly higher estimates of the outflow momentum and kinetic energy than previous studies of this source, using the CO(1-0) line. The morphology and the kinematics of the gas in the blue lobe are consistent with models of outflow entrainment by a wide-angle wind, and a simple model describes the observed structures in the position-velocity diagram and the velocity-integrated intensity maps. The red lobe exhibits a more complex structure, and there is evidence that this lobe is entrained by a wide-angle wind and a collimated episodic wind. Three major clumps along the outflow axis show velocity distribution consistent with prompt entrainment by different bow shocks formed by periodic mass ejection episodes which take place every few hundred years. Position-velocity cuts perpendicular to the outflow cavity show gradients where the velocity increases towards the outflow axis, inconsistent with outflow rotation. Additionally, we find evidence for the existence of a small outflow driven by a binary companion.

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arXiv2013

CARMA observations of protostellar outflows in NGC 1333

We present observations of outflows in the star-forming region NGC 1333 using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy (CARMA). We combined the 12CO and 13CO (1-0) CARMA mosaics with data from the 14-m Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) to probe the central, most dense and active region of this protostellar cluster at scales from 5'' to 7' (or 1000 AU to 0.5 pc at a distance of 235 pc). We map and identify 12CO outflows, and along with 13CO data we estimate their mass, momentum and energy. Within the 7'x7' map, the 5'' resolution allows for a detailed study of morphology and kinematics of outflows and outflow candidates, some of which were previously confused with other outflow emission in the region. In total, we identify 22 outflow lobes, as well as 9 dense circumstellar envelopes marked by continuum emission, of which 6 drive outflows. We calculate a total outflow mass, momentum and energy within the mapped region of 6 Msun, 19 Msun km/s, and 7x10^44 erg, respectively. Within this same region, we compare outflow kinematics with turbulence and gravitational energy, and we suggest that outflows are likely important agents for the maintenance of turbulence in this region. In the earliest stages of star formation, outflows do not yet contribute enough energy to totally disrupt the clustered region where most star formation is happening, but have the potential to do so as the protostellar sources evolve. Our results can be used to constrain outflow properties, such as outflow strength, in numerical simulations of outflow-driven turbulence in clusters.

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arXiv2013

SMA Observations of Class 0 Protostars: A High-Angular Resolution Survey of Protostellar Binary Systems

We present high angular resolution 1.3 mm and 850 um dust continuum data obtained with the Submillimeter Array toward 33 Class 0 protostars in nearby clouds (distance < 500 pc), which represents so far the largest survey toward protostellar binary/multiple systems. The median angular resolution in the survey is 2.5 arcsec, while the median linear resolution is approximately 600 AU. Compact dust continuum emission is observed from all sources in the sample. Twenty-one sources in the sample show signatures of binarity/multiplicity, with separations ranging from 50 to 5000 AU. The numbers of singles, binaries, triples, and quadruples in the sample are 12, 14, 5, and 2, respectively. The derived multiplicity frequency (MF) and companion star fraction (CSF) for Class 0 protostars are 0.64+/-0.08 and 0.91+/-0.05, respectively, with no correction for completeness. The derived MF and CSF in this survey are approximately two times higher than the values found in the binary surveys toward Class I YSOs, and approximately three (for MF) and four (for CSF) times larger than the values found among MS stars, with a similar range of separations. Furthermore, the observed fraction of high order multiple systems to binary systems in Class 0 protostars (0.50+/-0.09) is also larger than the fractions found in Class I YSOs (0.31+/-0.07) and MS stars (< 0.2). These results suggest that binary properties evolve as protostars evolve, as predicted by numerical simulations. The distribution of separations for Class 0 protostellar binary systems shows a general trend in which companion star fraction increases with decreasing companion separation. We find that 67%+/-8% of the protobinary systems have circumstellar mass ratios below 0.5, implying that unequal-mass systems are preferred in the process of binary star formation. We suggest an empirical sequential fragmentation picture for binary star formation.

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arXiv2013

The Luminosities of Protostars in the Spitzer c2d and Gould Belt Legacy Clouds

Motivated by the long-standing "luminosity problem" in low-mass star formation whereby protostars are underluminous compared to theoretical expectations, we identify 230 protostars in 18 molecular clouds observed by two Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy surveys of nearby star-forming regions. We compile complete spectral energy distributions, calculate Lbol for each source, and study the protostellar luminosity distribution. This distribution extends over three orders of magnitude, from 0.01 Lsun - 69 Lsun, and has a mean and median of 4.3 Lsun and 1.3 Lsun, respectively. The distributions are very similar for Class 0 and Class I sources except for an excess of low luminosity (Lbol < 0.5 Lsun) Class I sources compared to Class 0. 100 out of the 230 protostars (43%) lack any available data in the far-infrared and submillimeter (70 um < wavelength < 850 um) and have Lbol underestimated by factors of 2.5 on average, and up to factors of 8-10 in extreme cases. Correcting these underestimates for each source individually once additional data becomes available will likely increase both the mean and median of the sample by 35% - 40%. We discuss and compare our results to several recent theoretical studies of protostellar luminosities and show that our new results do not invalidate the conclusions of any of these studies. As these studies demonstrate that there is more than one plausible accretion scenario that can match observations, future attention is clearly needed. The better statistics provided by our increased dataset should aid such future work.

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arXiv2012

Revealing The Millimeter Environment of the New FU Orionis Candidate HBC722 with the Submillimeter Array

We present 230 GHz Submillimeter Array continuum and molecular line observations of the newly discovered FUor candidate HBC722. We report the detection of seven 1.3 mm continuum sources in the vicinity of HBC722, none of which correspond to HBC722 itself. We compile infrared and submillimeter continuum photometry of each source from previous studies and conclude that three are Class 0 embedded protostars, one is a Class I embedded protostar, one is a Class I/II transition object, and two are either starless cores or very young, very low luminosity protostars or first hydrostatic cores. We detect a northwest-southeast outflow, consistent with the previous detection of such an outflow in low-resolution, single-dish observations, and note that its axis may be precessing. We show that this outflow is centered on and driven by one of the nearby Class 0 sources rather than HBC722, and find no conclusive evidence that HBC722 itself is driving an outflow. The non-detection of HBC722 in the 1.3 mm continuum observations suggests an upper limit of 0.02 solar masses for the mass of the circumstellar disk. This limit is consistent with typical T Tauri disks and with a disk that provides sufficient mass to power the burst.

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arXiv2012

SMA and Spitzer Observations of Bok Glouble CB17: A Candidate First Hydrostatic Core?

We present high angular resolution SMA and Spitzer observations toward the Bok globule CB17. SMA 1.3mm dust continuum images reveal within CB17 two sources with an angular separation of about 21" (about 5250 AU at a distance of 250 pc). The northwestern continuum source, referred to as CB17 IRS, dominates the infrared emission in the Spitzer images, drives a bipolar outflow extending in the northwest-southeast direction, and is classified as a low luminosity Class0/I transition object (L_bol ~ 0.5 L_sun). The southeastern continuum source, referred to as CB17 MMS, has faint dust continuum emission in the SMA 1.3mm observations (about 6 sigma detection; ~3.8 mJy), but is not detected in the deep Spitzer infrared images at wavelengths from 3.6 to 70 micron. Its bolometric luminosity and temperature, estimated from its spectral energy distribution, are less than 0.04 L_sun and 16 K, respectively. The SMA CO(2-1) observations suggest that CB17 MMS may drive a low-velocity molecular outflow (about 2.5 km/s), extending in the east-west direction. Comparisons with prestellar cores and Class0 protostars suggest that CB17 MMS is more evolved than prestellar cores but less evolved than Class0 protostars. The observed characteristics of CB17 MMS are consistent with the theoretical predictions from radiative/magneto hydrodynamical simulations of a first hydrostatic core, but there is also the possibility that CB17 MMS is an extremely low luminosity protostar deeply embedded in an edge-on circumstellar disk. Further observations are needed to study the properties of CB17 MMS and to address more precisely its evolutionary stage.

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arXiv2012

Discovery of A Binary System in IRAM 04191+1522

We present high angular resolution observations of the Class 0 protostar IRAM04191+1522, using the Submillimeter Array (SMA). The SMA 1.3 mm continuum images reveal within IRAM04191+1522 two distinct sources with an angular separation of 7.8\,$\pm$\,0.2$"$. The two continuum sources are located in the southeast-northwest direction, with total gas masses of about 0.011 M_sun and about 0.005 M_sun, respectively. The southeastern source, associated with an infrared source seen in the Spitzer images, is the well-known Class 0 protostar with a bolometric luminosity of about 0.08 L_sun. The newly-discovered northwestern continuum source is not visible in the Spitzer images at wavelengths from 3.6 to 70 micron, and has an extremely low bolometric luminosity (< 0.03 L_sun). Complementary IRAM N2H+(1-0) data that probe the dense gas in the common envelope suggest that the two sources were formed through the rotational fragmentation of an elongated dense core. Furthermore, comparisons between IRAM04191+1522 and other protostars suggest that most cores with binary systems formed therein have ratios of rotational energy to gravitational energy $β_{\rm rot}$ > 1%. This is consistent with theoretical simulations and indicates that the level of rotational energy in a dense core plays an important role in the fragmentation process.

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arXiv2011

A Bubbling Nearby Molecular Cloud: COMPLETE Shells in Perseus

We present a study on the shells (and bubbles) in the Perseus molecular cloud using the COMPLETE survey large-scale 12CO(1-0) and 13CO(1-0) maps. The twelve shells reported here are spread throughout most of the Perseus cloud and have circular or arc-like morphologies with a range in radius of about 0.1 to 3 pc. Most of them have not been detected before most likely as maps of the region lacked the coverage and resolution needed to distinguish them. The majority of the shells are coincident with infrared nebulosity of similar shape and have a candidate powering source near the center. We suggest they are formed by the interaction of spherical or very wide-angle winds powered by young stars inside or near the Perseus molecular cloud -a cloud that is commonly considered to be mostly forming low-mass stars. Two of the twelve shells are powered by high-mass stars close to the cloud, while the others appear to be powered by low or intermediate mass stars in the cloud. We argue that winds with a mass loss rate of about 10^-8 to 10^-6 M_sun/yr are required to produce the observed shells. Our estimates indicate that the energy input rate from these stellar winds is similar to the turbulence dissipation rate. We conclude that in Perseus the total energy input from both collimated protostellar outflows and powerful spherical winds from young stars is sufficient to maintain the turbulence in the molecular cloud. Large scale molecular line and IR continuum maps of a sample of clouds will help determine the frequency of this phenomenon in other star forming regions.

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arXiv2011

Detection of a Bipolar Molecular Outflow Driven by a Candidate First Hydrostatic Core

We present new 230 GHz Submillimeter Array observations of the candidate first hydrostatic core Per-Bolo 58. We report the detection of a 1.3 mm continuum source and a bipolar molecular outflow, both centered on the position of the candidate first hydrostatic core. The continuum detection has a total flux density of 26.6 +/- 4.0 mJy, from which we calculate a total (gas and dust) mass of 0.11 +/- 0.05 Msun and a mean number density of 2.0 +/- 1.6 X 10^7 cm-3. There is some evidence for the existence of an unresolved component in the continuum detection, but longer-baseline observations are required in order to confirm the presence of this component and determine whether its origin lies in a circumstellar disk or in the dense inner envelope. The bipolar molecular outflow is observed along a nearly due east-west axis. The outflow is slow (characteristic velocity of 2.9 km/s), shows a jet-like morphology (opening semi-angles ~8 degrees for both lobes), and extends to the edges of the primary beam. We calculate the kinematic and dynamic properties of the outflow in the standard manner and compare them to several other protostars and candidate first hydrostatic cores with similarly low luminosities. We discuss the evidence both in support of and against the possibility that Per-Bolo 58 is a first hydrostatic core, and we outline future work needed to further evaluate the evolutionary status of this object.

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arXiv2010

The Dynamics of the Envelope Surrounding the Protostar HH 211-mm

We present a study of the structure and dynamics of the dense gas surrounding the HH 211-mm source, using VLA observations of the ammonia (1,1) and (2,2) inversion transitions. We find the envelope around this Class 0 source has an elongated geometry, extending about 104 AU in the direction perpendicular to the well-known HH 211 jet, and exhibits a velocity distribution consistent with rotation along the major axis. Our VLA observations indicate that the envelope is mostly in virial equilibrium. However, comparing our data with results from previous studies it appears that the gas within approximately 0.005 pc of the central protostar is undergoing dynamical collapse. The size of this collapsing radius may constrain the amount of mass that can eventually infall into the forming star. We also find that the envelope is mostly internally heated, most probably by radiation from the central protostar. In addition, we detect evidence of outflow-envelope interaction in the ammonia data. These include a velocity gradient in the dense gas along the outflow axis and significant line broadening that is spatially correlated with the jet and it might be the result of outflow-induced turbulence in the envelope.

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arXiv2010

R CrA SMM1A: Fragmentation in A Prestellar Core

We report the discovery of multiple condensations in the prestellar core candidate SMM1A in the R~CrA cloud, which may represent the earliest phase of core fragmentation observed thus far. The separation between the condensations is between 1000 and 2100 AU, and their masses range from about 0.1 to 0.2 M_sun. We find that the three condensations have extremely low bolometric luminosities (< 0.1 L_sun) and temperatures (< 20 K), indicating that these are young sources that have yet to form protostars. We suggest that these sources were formed through the fragmentation of an elongated prestellar core. Our results, in concert with other observed protostellar binary systems with separations in the scale of 1000 AU, support the scenario that prompt fragmentation in the isothermal collapse phase is an efficient mechanism for wide binary star formation, while the fragmentation in the subsequent adiabatic phase may be an additional mechanism for close (< 100 AU) binary star formation.

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