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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,153 records · Page 64
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DOE OSTI2014

MOJAVE: Monitoring of jets in active galactic nuclei with VLBA experiments. XI. Spectral distributions

We have obtained milliarcsecond-scale spectral index distributions for a sample of 190 extragalactic radio jets through the Monitoring of Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei with the VLBA Experiments (MOJAVE) project. The sources were observed in 2006 at 8.1, 8.4, 12.1, and 15.4 GHz, and we have determined spectral index maps between 8.1 and 15.4 GHz to study the four-frequency spectrum in individual jet features. We have performed detailed simulations to study the effects of image alignment and (u, v)-plane coverage on the spectral index maps to verify our results. We use the spectral index maps to study the spectral index evolution along the jet and determine the spectral distributions in different locations of the jets. The core spectral indices are on average flat with a mean value of +0.22 ± 0.03 for the sample, while the jet spectrum is in general steep with a mean index of –1.04 ± 0.03. A simple power-law fit is often inadequate for the core regions, as expected if the cores are partially self-absorbed. The overall jet spectrum steepens at a rate of about –0.001 to –0.004 per deprojected parsec when moving further out from the core with flat spectrum radio quasars having significantly steeper spectra (mean –1.09 ± 0.04) than the BL Lac objects (mean –0.80 ± 0.05). However, the spectrum in both types of objects flattens on average by ∼0.2 at the locations of the jet components indicating particle acceleration or density enhancements along the jet. The mean spectral index at the component locations of –0.81 ± 0.02 corresponds to a power-law index of ∼2.6 for the electron energy distribution. We find a significant trend that jet components with linear polarization parallel to the jet (magnetic field perpendicular to the jet) have flatter spectra, as expected for transverse shocks. Compared to quasars, BL Lacs have more jet components with perpendicular magnetic field alignment, which may explain their generally flatter spectra. The overall steepening of the spectra with distance can be explained with radiative losses if the jets are collimating or with the evolution of the high-energy cutoff in the electron spectrum if the jets are conical. This interpretation is supported by a significant correlation with the age of the component and the spectral index, with older components having steeper spectra.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

On the operation of X-ray polarimeters with a large field of view

The measurement of linear polarization is one of the hot topics of high-energy astrophysics. Gas detectors based on the photoelectric effect have paved the way for the design of sensitive instruments, and mission proposals based on them have been presented in the last few years in the energy range from about 2 keV to a few tens of keV. In addition, a number of polarimeters based on Compton scattering are approved or being discussed for launch on board balloons or space satellites at higher energies. These instruments are typically dedicated to pointed observations with narrow field of view telescopes or collimators, but there are also projects aimed at the polarimetry of bright transient sources such as soft gamma repeaters or the prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts. Given the erratic appearance of such events in the sky, these polarimeters have large fields of view to catch a reasonable number of them, and as a result, photons may impinge on the detector off-axis. This dramatically changes the response of the instrument to polarization, regardless of whether photoabsorption or Compton scattering is involved. Instead of the simple cosine-squared dependence expected for polarized photons that are incident on-axis, the response is never purely cosinusoidal, and a systematic modulation also appears for unpolarized radiation. We investigate the origin of these differences and present an analytical treatment that proves that such systematic effects are actually a natural consequence of how current instruments operate. Our analysis provides the expected response of photoelectric or Compton polarimeters to photons impinging with any inclination and state of polarization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Limb-brightened jet of 3C 84 revealed by the 43 GHz very-long-baseline-array observation

We present a study of the sub-parsec scale radio structure of the radio galaxy 3C 84/NGC 1275 based on the Very Long Baseline Array data at 43 GHz. We discover a limb brightening in the 'restarted' jet that is associated with the 2005 radio outburst. In the 1990s, the jet structure was ridge brightening rather than limb brightening, despite the observations being done with similar angular resolutions. This indicates that the transverse jet structure has recently changed. This change in the morphology reveals an interesting agreement with the γ-ray flux increase, i.e., the γ-ray flux in the 1990s was at least seven times lower than the current one. One plausible explanation for the limb brightening is that the velocity structure of the jet is in the context of the stratified jet, which is a successful scenario that explains the γ-ray emission in some active galactic nuclei. If this is the case, then the change in apparent transverse structure might be caused by the change in the transverse velocity structure. We argue that the transition from ridge brightening to limb brightening is related to the γ-ray time variability on the timescale of decades. We also discuss the collimation profile of the jet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Intergalactic medium emission observations with the cosmic web imager. I. The circum-QSO medium of QSO 1549+19, and evidence for a filamentary gas inflow

The Palomar Cosmic Web Imager (PCWI), an integral field spectrograph designed to detect and map low surface brightness emission, has obtained imaging spectroscopic maps of Lyα from the circum-QSO medium (CQM) of QSO HS1549+19 at redshift z = 2.843. Extensive extended emission is detected from the CQM, consistent with fluorescent and pumped Lyα produced by the ionizing and Lyα continuum of the QSO. Many features present in PCWI spectral images match those detected in narrow-band images. Filamentary structures with narrow line profiles are detected in several cases as long as 250-400 kpc. One of these is centered at a velocity redshifted with respect to the systemic velocity, and displays a spatially collimated and kinematically cold line profile increasing in velocity width approaching the QSO. This suggests that the filament gas is infalling onto the QSO, perhaps in a cold accretion flow. Because of the strong ionizing flux, the neutral column density is low, typically N(H I)∼10{sup 12}--10{sup 15} cm{sup −2}, and the line center optical depth is also low (typically τ{sub 0} < 10), insufficient to display well separated double peak emission characteristic of higher line optical depths. With a simple ionization and cloud model we can very roughly estimate the total gas mass (log M {sub gas} = 12.5 ± 0.5) and the total (log M {sub tot} = 13.3 ± 0.5). We can also calculate a kinematic mass from the total line profile (2 × 10{sup 13} M {sub ☉}), which agrees with the mass estimated from the gas emission. The intensity-binned spectrum of the CQM shows a progression in kinematic properties consistent with heirarchical structure formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Velocity-resolved [Ne III] from X-ray irradiated Sz 102 microjets

Neon emission lines are good indicators of high-excitation regions close to a young stellar system because of their high ionization potentials and large critical densities. We have discovered [Ne III] λ3869 emission from the microjets of Sz 102, a low-mass young star in Lupus III. Spectroastrometric analyses of two-dimensional [Ne III] spectra obtained from archival high-dispersion (R ≈ 33, 000) Very Large Telescope/UVES data suggest that the emission consists of two velocity components spatially separated by ∼0.''3, or a projected distance of ∼60 AU. The stronger redshifted component is centered at ∼ + 21 km s{sup –1} with a line width of ∼140 km s{sup –1}, and the weaker blueshifted component at ∼ – 90 km s{sup –1} with a line width of ∼190 km s{sup –1}. The two components trace velocity centroids of the known microjets and show large line widths that extend across the systemic velocity, suggesting their potential origins in wide-angle winds that may eventually collimate into jets. Optical line ratios indicate that the microjets are hot (T ≲ 1.6 × 10{sup 4} K) and ionized (n{sub e} ≳ 5.7 × 10{sup 4} cm{sup –3}). The blueshifted component has ∼13% higher temperature and ∼46% higher electron density than the redshifted counterpart, forming a system of an asymmetric pair of jets. The detection of the [Ne III] λ3869 line with the distinct velocity profile suggests that the emission originates in flows that may have been strongly ionized by deeply embedded hard X-ray sources, most likely generated by magnetic processes. The discovery of [Ne III] λ3869 emission along with other optical forbidden lines from Sz 102 supports the picture of wide-angle winds surrounding magnetic loops in the close vicinity of the young star. Future high-sensitivity X-ray imaging and high angular-resolution optical spectroscopy may help confirm the picture proposed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Collective outflow from a small multiple stellar system

The formation of high-mass stars is usually accompanied by powerful protostellar outflows. Such high-mass outflows are not simply scaled-up versions of their lower-mass counterparts, since observations suggest that the collimation degree degrades with stellar mass. Theoretically, the origins of massive outflows remain open to question because radiative feedback and fragmentation of the accretion flow around the most massive stars, with M > 15 M {sub ☉}, may impede the driving of magnetic disk winds. We here present a three-dimensional simulation of the early stages of core fragmentation and massive star formation that includes a subgrid-scale model for protostellar outflows. We find that stars that form in a common accretion flow tend to have aligned outflow axes, so that the individual jets of multiple stars can combine to form a collective outflow. We compare our simulation to observations with synthetic H{sub 2} and CO observations and find that the morphology and kinematics of such a collective outflow resembles some observed massive outflows, such as Cepheus A and DR 21. We finally compare physical quantities derived from simulated observations of our models to the actual values in the models to examine the reliability of standard methods for deriving physical quantities, demonstrating that those methods indeed recover the actual values to within a factor of two to three.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Megaparsec relativistic jets launched from an accreting supermassive black hole in an extreme spiral galaxy

The radio galaxy phenomenon is directly connected to mass-accreting, spinning supermassive black holes found in the active galactic nuclei. It is still unclear how the collimated jets of relativistic plasma on hundreds to thousands of kiloparsec scales form and why they are nearly always launched from the nuclei of bulge-dominated elliptical galaxies and not flat spirals. Here we present the discovery of the giant radio source J2345–0449 (z = 0.0755), a clear and extremely rare counterexample where relativistic jets are ejected from a luminous and massive spiral galaxy on a scale of ∼1.6 Mpc, the largest known so far. Extreme physical properties observed for this bulgeless spiral host, such as its high optical and infrared luminosity, large dynamical mass, rapid disk rotation, and episodic jet activity, are possibly the results of its unusual formation history, which has also assembled, via gas accretion from a disk, its central black hole of mass >2 × 10{sup 8} M {sub ☉}. The very high mid-IR luminosity of the galaxy suggests that it is actively forming stars and still building a massive disk. We argue that the launch of these powerful jets is facilitated by an advection-dominated, magnetized accretion flow at a low Eddington rate onto this unusually massive (for a bulgeless disk galaxy) and possibly fast spinning central black hole. Therefore, J2345–0449 is an extremely rare, unusual galactic system whose properties challenge the standard paradigms for black hole growth and the formation of relativistic jets in disk galaxies. Thus, it provides fundamental insight into accretion disk-relativistic jet coupling processes.

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DOE OSTI2014

Synchrotron self-inverse Compton radiation from reverse shock on GRB 120326A

We present multi-wavelength observations of a typical long duration GRB 120326A at z = 1.798, including rapid observations using a Submillimeter Array (SMA) and a comprehensive monitoring in the X-ray and optical. The SMA observation provided the fastest detection to date among seven submillimeter afterglows at 230 GHz. The prompt spectral analysis, using Swift and Suzaku, yielded a spectral peak energy of E{sub peak}{sup src}=107.8{sub −15.3}{sup +15.3} keV and an equivalent isotropic energy of E{sub iso} as 3.18{sub −0.32}{sup +0.40}×10{sup 52} erg. The temporal evolution and spectral properties in the optical were consistent with the standard forward shock synchrotron with jet collimation (6.°69 ± 0.°16). The forward shock modeling, using a two-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic jet simulation, was also determined by the reasonable burst explosion and the synchrotron radiation parameters for the optical afterglow. The X-ray light curve showed no apparent jet break and the temporal decay index relation between the X-ray and optical (αo – α{sub X} = –1.45 ± 0.10) indicated different radiation processes in each of them. Introducing synchrotron self-inverse Compton radiation from reverse shock is a possible solution, and the detection and slow decay of the afterglow in submillimeter supports that this is a plausible idea. The observed temporal evolution and spectral properties, as well as forward shock modeling parameters, enabled us to determine reasonable functions to describe the afterglow properties. Because half of the events share similar properties in the X-ray and optical as the current event, GRB 120326A will be a benchmark with further rapid follow-ups, using submillimeter instruments such as an SMA and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.

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DOE OSTI2014

Fermi bubbles inflated by winds launched from the hot accretion flow in Sgr A*

A pair of giant gamma-ray Bubbles has been revealed by Fermi-LAT. In this paper we investigate their formation mechanism. Observations have indicated that the activity of the supermassive black hole located at the Galactic center, Sgr A*, was much stronger than at the present time. Specifically, one possibility is that while Sgr A* was also in the hot accretion regime, the accretion rate should be 10{sup 3}-10{sup 4} times higher during the past ∼10{sup 7} yr. On the other hand, recent magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations of hot accretion flows have unambiguously shown the existence and obtained the properties of strong winds. Based on this knowledge, by performing three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations, we show in this paper that the Fermi Bubbles could be inflated by winds launched from the 'past' hot accretion flow in Sgr A*. In our model, the active phase of Sgr A* is required to last for about 10 million years and it was quenched no more than 0.2 million years ago. The central molecular zone (CMZ) is included and it collimates the wind orientation toward the Galactic poles. Viscosity suppresses the Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and results in the smoothness of the Bubbles edge. The main observational features of the Bubbles can be well explained. Specifically, the ROSAT X-ray features are interpreted by the shocked interstellar medium and the interaction region between the wind and CMZ gas. The thermal pressure and temperature obtained in our model are consistent with recent Suzaku observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Three-dimensional MHD simulation of the Caltech plasma jet experiment: first results

Magnetic fields are believed to play an essential role in astrophysical jets with observations suggesting the presence of helical magnetic fields. Here, we present three-dimensional (3D) ideal MHD simulations of the Caltech plasma jet experiment using a magnetic tower scenario as the baseline model. Magnetic fields consist of an initially localized dipole-like poloidal component and a toroidal component that is continuously being injected into the domain. This flux injection mimics the poloidal currents driven by the anode-cathode voltage drop in the experiment. The injected toroidal field stretches the poloidal fields to large distances, while forming a collimated jet along with several other key features. Detailed comparisons between 3D MHD simulations and experimental measurements provide a comprehensive description of the interplay among magnetic force, pressure, and flow effects. In particular, we delineate both the jet structure and the transition process that converts the injected magnetic energy to other forms. With suitably chosen parameters that are derived from experiments, the jet in the simulation agrees quantitatively with the experimental jet in terms of magnetic/kinetic/inertial energy, total poloidal current, voltage, jet radius, and jet propagation velocity. Specifically, the jet velocity in the simulation is proportional to the poloidal current divided by the square root of the jet density, in agreement with both the experiment and analytical theory. This work provides a new and quantitative method for relating experiments, numerical simulations, and astrophysical observation, and demonstrates the possibility of using terrestrial laboratory experiments to study astrophysical jets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The launch region of the SVS 13 outflow and jet

We present the results of Keck telescope laser adaptive-optics integral field spectroscopy with OSIRIS of the innermost regions of the NGC 1333 SVS 13 outflow that forms the system of Herbig-Haro objects 7-11. We find a bright 0.''2 long microjet traced by the emission of shock-excited [Fe II]. Beyond the extent of this jet, we find a series of bubbles and fragments of bubbles that are traced in the lower excitation H{sub 2} 1-0 S(1) line. While the most recent outflow activity is directed almost precisely (P.A. ≈ 145°) to the southeast of SVS 13, there is clear indication that prior bubble ejections were pointed in different directions. Within these variations, a clear connection between the newly observed bubble ejection events and the well-known, poorly collimated HH 7-11 system of Herbig-Haro objects is established. The astrometry of the youngest of the expanding shock fronts at three epochs, covering a timespan of over 2 yr, gives kinematic ages for two of these bubbles. The kinematic age of the youngest bubble is slightly older than the historically observed last photometric outburst of SVS 13 in 1990, consistent with that event, launching the bubble and some deceleration of its expansion. A re-evaluation of historic infrared photometry and new data show that SVS 13 has not yet returned to its brightness before that outburst and thus reveal behavior similar to FUor outbursts, albeit with a smaller amplitude. We postulate that the creation of a series of bubbles and the changes in outflow direction are indicative of a precessing disk and accretion events triggered by a repetitive phenomenon possibly linked to the orbit of a close binary companion. However, our high-resolution images in the H and K bands do not directly detect any companion object. We have tried, but failed, to detect the kinematic rotation signature of the microjet in the [Fe II] emission line at 1.644 μm.

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DOE OSTI2014

Recollimation boundary layers as X-ray sources in young stellar jets

Young stars accrete mass from circumstellar disks and, in many cases, the accretion coincides with a phase of massive outflows, which can be highly collimated. Those jets emit predominantly in the optical and IR wavelength range. However, in several cases, X-ray and UV observations reveal a weak but highly energetic component in those jets. X-rays are observed both from stationary regions close to the star and from knots in the jet several hundred AU from the star. In this article, we show semianalytically that a fast stellar wind that is recollimated by the pressure from a slower, more massive disk wind can have the right properties to power stationary X-ray emission. The size of the shocked regions is compatible with observational constraints. Our calculations support a wind-wind interaction scenario for the high-energy emission near the base of young stellar object jets. For the specific case of DG Tau, a stellar wind with a mass-loss rate of 5 × 10{sup –10} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} and a wind speed of 800 km s{sup –1} reproduces the observed X-ray spectrum. We conclude that a stellar wind recollimation shock is a viable scenario to power stationary X-ray emission close to the jet launching point.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A substellar-mass protostar and its outflow of IRAS 15398–3359 revealed by subarcsecond-resolution observations of H{sub 2}CO and CCH

Subarcsecond (0.''5) images of H{sub 2}CO and CCH line emission have been obtained in the 0.8 mm band toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 15398–3359 in the Lupus 1 cloud as one of the Cycle 0 projects of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array. We have detected a compact component concentrated in the vicinity of the protostar and a well-collimated outflow cavity extending along the northeast-southwest axis. The inclination angle of the outflow is found to be about 20°, or almost edge-on, based on the kinematic structure of the outflow cavity. This is in contrast to previous suggestions of a more pole-on geometry. The centrally concentrated component is interpreted by use of a model of the infalling rotating envelope with the estimated inclination angle and the mass of the protostar is estimated to be less than 0.09 M {sub ☉}. Higher spatial resolution data are needed to infer the presence of a rotationally supported disk for this source, hinted at by a weak high-velocity H{sub 2}CO emission associated with the protostar.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Very Large Array and Jansky Very Large Array observations of the compact radio sources in M8

We analyze high-resolution Very Large Array continuum observations of the M8 region carried out at several epochs that span a period of 30 yr. Our maps reveal two compact sources. One is associated with Her 36 SE, a possible companion of the O7 luminous massive star Her 36, and the other is associated with G5.97–1.17, whose proplyd nature was previously established. Using the analyzed data, we do not find significant time variability in any of these sources. The derived spectral index of ≥0.1 for Her 36 SE, the marginal offset of the radio emission with the previous infrared detection, and the associated X-ray emission previously reported suggest the presence of an unresolved interaction region between the strong winds of Her 36 and Her 36 SE. This region would contribute non-thermal contamination to the global wind emission of Her 36, flattening its spectral index. On the other hand, the emission of G5.97–1.17 can also be explained by a mixture of thermal and non-thermal emission components, with different relative contributions of both emission mechanisms along the proplyd. We argue that the shock created by the photo-evaporation flow of the proplyd with the collimated stellar wind of Her 36 accelerates charged particles in G5.97–1.17, producing considerable synchrotron emission. On the contrary, an electron density enhancement at the southwest of G5.97–1.17 makes the thermal emission dominant over this region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

AN INFRARED-LUMINOUS MERGER WITH TWO BIPOLAR MOLECULAR OUTFLOWS: ALMA AND SMA OBSERVATIONS OF NGC 3256

We report Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array and Submillimeter Array observations of the infrared-luminous merger NGC 3256, the most luminous galaxy within z = 0.01. Both of the two merger nuclei separated by 5'' (0.8 kpc) have a molecular gas concentration, a nuclear disk, with Σ{sub mol} > 10{sup 3} M {sub ☉} pc{sup –2}. The northern nucleus is more massive and is surrounded by molecular spiral arms. Its nuclear disk is face-on, while the southern nuclear disk is almost edge-on. The high-velocity molecular gas in the system can be resolved into two molecular outflows from the two nuclei. The one from the northern nucleus is part of a starburst-driven superwind seen nearly pole-on. Its maximum velocity is >750 km s{sup –1} and its mass outflow rate is >60 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} for a conversion factor X{sub CO}=N{sub H{sub 2}}/I{sub CO(1−0)} of 1 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup –2} (K km s{sup –1}){sup –1}. The molecular outflow from the southern nucleus is a highly collimated bipolar jet seen nearly edge-on. Its line-of-sight velocity increases with distance, out to 300 pc from the nucleus, to the maximum de-projected velocity of ∼2000 km s{sup –1} for the estimated inclination and ≳1000 km s{sup –1} taking into account the uncertainty. Its mass outflow rate is estimated to be >50 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} for the same X {sub CO}. This southern outflow has indications of being driven by a bipolar radio jet from an active galactic nucleus that recently weakened. The sum of these outflow rates, although subject to the uncertainty in the molecular mass estimate, either exceeds or compares to the total star formation rate. The feedback from nuclear activity through molecular outflows is therefore significant in the gas consumption, and hence evolution, of this system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE COMPLEX NORTH TRANSITION REGION OF CENTAURUS A: RADIO STRUCTURE

We present deep radio images of the inner ∼50 kpc of Centaurus A, taken with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at 90 cm. We focus on the Transition Regions between the inner galaxy—including the active nucleus, inner radio lobes, and star-forming disk—and the outer radio lobes. We detect previously unknown extended emission around the Inner Lobes, including radio emission from the star-forming disk. We find that the radio-loud part of the North Transition Region (NTR), known as the North Middle Lobe, is significantly overpressured relative to the surrounding interstellar medium. We see no evidence for a collimated flow from the active galactic nucleus through this region. Our images show that the structure identified by Morganti et al. as a possible large-scale jet appears to be part of a narrow ridge of emission within the broader, diffuse, radio-loud region. This knotty radio ridge is coincident with other striking phenomena: compact X-ray knots, ionized gas filaments, and streams of young stars. Several short-lived phenomena in the NTR, as well as the frequent re-energization required by the Outer Lobes, suggest that energy must be flowing through both Transition Regions at the present epoch. We suggest that the energy flow is in the form of a galactic wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

FRAGMENTATION OF MOLECULAR CLUMPS AND FORMATION OF A PROTOCLUSTER

Sufficiently massive clumps of molecular gas collapse under self-gravity and fragment to spawn a cluster of stars that have a range of masses. We investigate observationally the early stages of formation of a stellar cluster in a massive filamentary infrared dark cloud, G28.34+0.06 P1, in the 1.3 mm continuum and spectral line emission using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array. Sensitive continuum data reveal further fragmentation in five dusty cores at a resolution of several 10{sup 3} AU. Spectral line emission from C{sup 18}O, CH{sub 3}OH, {sup 13}CS, H{sub 2}CO, and N{sub 2}D{sup +} is detected for the first time toward these dense cores. We found that three cores are chemically more evolved as compared with the other two; interestingly, though, all of them are associated with collimated outflows as suggested by evidence from the CO, SiO, CH{sub 3}OH, H{sub 2}CO, and SO emission. The parsec-scale kinematics in exhibit velocity gradients along the filament, consistent with accretion flows toward the clumps and cores. The moderate luminosity and the chemical signatures indicate that the five cores harbor low- to intermediate-mass protostars that likely become massive ones at the end of the accretion. Despite the fact that the mass limit reached by the dust continuum sensitivity is 30 times lower than the thermal Jeans mass, there is a lack of a distributed low-mass protostellar population in the clump. Our observations indicate that in a protocluster, low-mass stars form at a later stage after the birth of more massive protostars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Jet motion, internal working surfaces, and nested shells in the protostellar system HH 212

HH 212 is a nearby (400 pc) highly collimated protostellar jet powered by a Class 0 source in Orion. We have mapped the inner 80″ (∼0.16 pc) of the jet in SiO (J=8−7) and CO (J=3−2) simultaneously at ∼ 0.″ 5 resolution with the Atacama Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (SMA) at unprecedented sensitivity. The jet consists of a chain of knots and bow shocks with sinuous structures in between. Compared to what we saw in our previous observations with the SMA, the jet appears to be more continuous, especially in the northern part. Some of the knots are now observed to be associated with small bow shocks, with their bow wings curving back to the jet axis, as seen in pulsed jet simulations. Two of the knots are reasonably resolved, showing kinematics consistent with sideways ejection, possibly tracing the internal working surfaces formed by a temporal variation in the jet velocity. In addition, nested shells are seen in CO around the jet axis connecting to the knots and bow shocks, driven by them. The proper motion of the jet is estimated to be ∼115 ± 50 km s{sup −1}, comparing with our previous observations. The jet has a small semi-periodical wiggle with a period of ∼93 yr. The amplitude of the wiggle first increases with the distance from the central source and then stays roughly constant. One possible origin of the wiggle could be the kink instability in a magnetized jet.

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