arXiv subjects

Mélisse Bonfand

Publications and source records attributed to Mélisse Bonfand.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

An Eccentric Massive Protobinary Assembled via a Core-merger Parabolic Encounter

Most massive stars form in binary systems, which profoundly influence their subsequent evolution. However, how such systems form remains poorly understood, with several competing scenarios proposed, including disk fragmentation, core fragmentation and capture. Determining the orbital architectures of massive binaries, particularly during their earliest embedded phases, is therefore crucial for distinguishing among these formation pathways, but direct measurements of their three-dimensional motions have remained exceptionally challenging. Here we present high-resolution, multi-epoch sub-millimeter-to-centimeter ALMA and JVLA observations of the massive protobinary IRAS 07299$-$1651, complemented by JWST and VLT infrared imaging. We detect orbital proper motion of the binary components, enabling a full three-dimensional orbital reconstruction. Combining orbital fitting, multi-wavelength continuum modelling, hydrogen recombination line kinematics and jet observations, we find that the preferred orbital solutions are highly eccentric and close to parabolic, while both circumstellar disks are strongly misaligned with the orbital plane. These properties are naturally explained by a ``core-merger'' scenario in which the two protostars originated independently from initially unbound cores that recently underwent a near-parabolic encounter, producing an eccentric binary with a current separation of about 200 au. These findings suggest that the core-merger process may represent an important pathway for forming eccentric massive binaries.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

First Detections of PN, PO, and PO+ toward a Shocked Low-mass Starless Core

Phosphorus is a key element that plays an essential role in biological processes important for living organisms on Earth. The origin and connection of phosphorus-bearing molecules to early Solar system objects and star-forming molecular clouds is therefore of great interest, yet there are limited observations throughout different stages of low-mass ($M < $ a few M$_\odot$) star formation. Observations from the Yebes 40 m and IRAM 30 m telescopes detect for the first time in the 7mm, 3mm, and 2mm bands multiple transitions of PN and PO, as well as a single transition of PO$^{+}$, toward a low-mass starless core. The presence of PN, PO and PO$^{+}$ is kinematically correlated with bright SiO(1-0) emission. Our results reveal not only that shocks are the main driver of releasing phosphorus from dust grains and into the gas-phase, but that the emission originates from gas not affiliated with the shock itself, but quiescent gas that has been shocked in the recent past. From radiative transfer calculations, the PO/PN abundance ratio is found to be $3.1^{+0.4}_{-0.6}$, consistent with other high-mass and low-mass star-forming regions. This first detection of PO$^{+}$ toward any low-mass star-forming region reveals a PO$^{+}$/PO ratio of $0.0115^{+0.0008}_{-0.0009}$, a factor of ten lower than previously determined from observations of a Galactic Center molecular cloud, suggesting its formation can occur under more standard Galactic cosmic-ray ionization rates. These results motivate the need for additional observations that can better disentangle the physical mechanisms and chemical drivers of this precursor of prebiotic chemistry.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

ALMA-IMF XIV: Free-Free Templates Derived from H$41α$ and Ionized Gas Content in Fifteen Massive Protoclusters

We use the H$41α$ recombination line to create templates of the millimeter free-free emission in the ALMA-IMF continuum maps, which allows to separate it from dust emission. This method complements spectral-index information and extrapolation from centimeter wavelength maps. We use the derived maps to estimate the properties of up to 34 HII regions across the ALMA-IMF protoclusters. The hydrogen ionizing-photon rate $Q_0$ and spectral types follow the evolutionary trend proposed by Motte et al. The youngest protoclusters lack detectable ionized gas, followed by protoclusters with increasing numbers of OB stars. The total $Q_0$ increases from $\sim 10^{45}$ s$^{-1}$ to $> 10^{49}$ s$^{-1}$. We used the adjacent He$41α$ line to measure the relative number abundances of helium, finding values consistent with the Galactic interstellar medium, although a few outliers are discussed. A search for sites of maser amplification of the H$41α$ line returned negative results. We looked for possible correlations between the electron densities ($n_e$), emission measures (EM), and $Q_0$ with HII region size $D$. The latter are the better correlated, with $Q_0 \propto D^{2.49\pm0.18}$. This favors interpretations where smaller ultracompact HII regions are not necessarily the less dynamically evolved versions of larger ones, but rather are ionized by less massive stars. Moderate correlations were found between dynamical width $ΔV_\mathrm{dyn}$ with $D$ and $Q_0$. $ΔV_\mathrm{dyn}$ increases from about one to two times the ionized-gas sound speed. Finally, an outlier HII region south of W43-MM2 is discussed. We suggest that this source could harbor an embedded stellar or disk wind.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Thermal Properties of the Hot Core Population in Sagittarius B2 Deep South

We report the discovery of 9 new hot molecular cores in the Deep South (DS) region of Sagittarius B2 using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 6 observations. We measure the rotational temperature of CH$_3$OH and derive the physical conditions present within these cores and the hot core Sgr B2(S). The cores show heterogeneous temperature structure, with peak temperatures between 252 and 662 K. We find that the cores span a range of masses (203-4842 M$_\odot$) and radii (3587-9436 AU). CH$_3$OH abundances consistently increase with temperature across the sample. Our measurements show the DS hot cores are structurally similar to Galactic Disk hot cores, with radii and temperature gradients that are comparable to sources in the Disk. They also show shallower density gradients than Disk hot cores, which may arise from the Central Molecular Zone's higher density threshold for star formation. The hot cores have properties which are consistent with those of Sgr B2(N), with 3 associated with Class II CH$_3$OH masers and one associated with an UCHII region. Our sample nearly doubles the high-mass star forming gas mass near Sgr B2(S) and suggest the region may be a younger, comparably massive counterpart to Sgr B2(N) and (M). The relationship between peak CH$_3$OH abundance and rotational temperature traced by our sample and a selection of comparable hot cores is qualitatively consistent with predictions from chemical modeling. However, we observe constant peak abundances at higher temperatures ($T \gtrsim 250$ K), which may indicate mechanisms for methanol survival that are not yet accounted for in models.

astro-ph.GA↗