Rotational Structure and Outflow in the Infrared Dark Cloud 18223-3

We examine an Infrared Dark Cloud (IRDC) at high spatial resolution as a means to study rotation, outflow, and infall at the onset of massive star formation. Submillimeter Array observations combined with IRAM 30 meter data in 12CO(2--1) reveal the outflow orientation in the IRDC 18223-3 region, and PdBI 3 mm observations confirm this orientation in other molecular species. The implication of the outflow's presence is that an accretion disk is feeding it, so using high density tracers such as C18O, N2H+, and CH3OH, we looked for indications of a velocity gradient perpendicular to the outflow direction. Surprisingly, this gradient turns out to be most apparent in CH3OH. The large size (28,000 AU) of the flattened rotating object detected indicates that this velocity gradient cannot be due solely to a disk, but rather from inward spiraling gas within which a Keplerian disk likely exists. From the outflow parameters, we derive properties of the source such as an outflow dynamical age of ~37,000 years, outflow mass of ~13 M_sun, and outflow energy of ~1.7 x 10^46 erg. While the outflow mass and energy are clearly consistent with a high-mass star forming region, the outflow dynamical age indicates a slightly more evolved evolutionary stage than previous spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling indicates. The calculated outflow properties reveal that this is truly a massive star in the making. We also present a model of the observed methanol velocity gradient. The rotational signatures can be modeled via rotationally infalling gas. These data present evidence for one of the youngest known outflow/infall/disk systems in massive star formation. A tentative evolutionary picture for massive disks is discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A. Figures 2,3,6, and 9 are available at higher resolution by email or in the journal publicatio

Circumventing the radiation pressure barrier in the formation of massive stars via disk accretion

We present radiation hydrodynamics simulations of the collapse of massive pre-stellar cores. We treat frequency dependent radiative feedback from stellar evolution and accretion luminosity at a numerical resolution down to 1.27 AU. In the 2D approximation of axially symmetric simulations, it is possible for the first time to simulate the whole accretion phase (up to the end of the accretion disk epoch) for the forming massive star and to perform a broad scan of the parameter space. Our simulation series show evidently the necessity to incorporate the dust sublimation front to preserve the high shielding property of massive accretion disks. While confirming the upper mass limit of spherically symmetric accretion, our disk accretion models show a persistent high anisotropy of the corresponding thermal radiation field. This yields to the growth of the highest-mass stars ever formed in multi-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations, far beyond the upper mass limit of spherical accretion. Non-axially symmetric effects are not necessary to sustain accretion. The radiation pressure launches a stable bipolar outflow, which grows in angle with time as presumed from observations. For an initial mass of the pre-stellar host core of 60, 120, 240, and 480 Msun the masses of the final stars formed in our simulations add up to 28.2, 56.5, 92.6, and at least 137.2 Msun respectively.Comment: 55 pages, 24 figures, accepted at Ap

Multiple outflows in IRAS 19410+2336

PdBI high-spatial resolution CO observations combined with near-infrared H2 data disentangle at least 7 (maybe even 9) molecular outflows in the massive star-forming region IRAS19410+2336. Position-velocity diagrams of the outflows reveal Hubble-like relationships similar to outflows driven by low-mass objects. Estimated accretion rates are of the order 10^-4 Msun/yr, sufficiently high to overcome the radiation pressure and form massive stars via disk-mediated accretion processes. The single-dish large-scale mm continuum cores fragment into several compact condensations at the higher spatial resolution of the PdBI which is expected due to the clustering in massive star formation. While single-dish data give a simplified picture of the source, sufficiently high spatial resolution resolves the structures into outflows resembling those of low-mass star-forming cores. We interpret this as further support for the hypothesis that massive stars do form via disk-accretion processes similar to low-mass stars.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, higher resolution version of images at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~hbeuther/. A&A, accepte

Different Evolutionary Stages in the Massive Star Forming Region W3 Main Complex

We observed three high-mass star-forming regions in the W3 high-mass star formation complex with the Submillimeter Array and IRAM 30 m telescope. These regions, i.e. W3 SMS1 (W3 IRS5), SMS2 (W3 IRS4) and SMS3, are in different evolutionary stages and are located within the same large-scale environment, which allows us to study rotation and outflows as well as chemical properties in an evolutionary sense. While we find multiple mm continuum sources toward all regions, these three sub-regions exhibit different dynamical and chemical properties, which indicates that they are in different evolutionary stages. Even within each subregion, massive cores of different ages are found, e.g. in SMS2, sub-sources from the most evolved UCHII region to potential starless cores exist within 30 000 AU of each other. Outflows and rotational structures are found in SMS1 and SMS2. Evidence for interactions between the molecular cloud and the HII regions is found in the 13CO channel maps, which may indicate triggered star formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 22 pages, 23 figure

Hot high-mass accretion disk candidates

To better understand the physical properties of accretion disks in high-mass star formation, we present a study of a 12 high-mass accretion disk candidates observed at high spatial resolution with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) in the NH3 (4,4) and (5,5) lines. Almost all sources were detected in NH3, directly associated with CH3OH Class II maser emission. From the remaining eleven sources, six show clear signatures of rotation and/or infall motions. These signatures vary from velocity gradients perpendicular to the outflows, to infall signatures in absorption against ultracompact HII regions, to more spherical infall signatures in emission. Although our spatial resolution is ~1000AU, we do not find clear Keplerian signatures in any of the sources. Furthermore, we also do not find flattened structures. In contrast to this, in several of the sources with rotational signatures, the spatial structure is approximately spherical with sizes exceeding 10^4 AU, showing considerable clumpy sub-structure at even smaller scales. This implies that on average typical Keplerian accretion disks -- if they exist as expected -- should be confined to regions usually smaller than 1000AU. It is likely that these disks are fed by the larger-scale rotating envelope structure we observe here. Furthermore, we do detect 1.25cm continuum emission in most fields of view.Comment: 21 pages, 32 figures, accepted for ApJS. A high-resolution version can be found at http://www.mpia.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm

Disk and outflow signatures in Orion-KL: The power of high-resolution thermal infrared spectroscopy

We used the CRIRES spectrograph on the VLT to study the ro-vibrational 12CO/13CO, the Pfund beta and H2 emission between 4.59 and 4.72mu wavelengths toward the BN object, the disk candidate source n, and a proposed dust density enhancement IRC3. We detected CO absorption and emission features toward all three targets. Toward the BN object, the data partly confirm the results obtained more than 25 years ago by Scoville et al., however, we also identify several new features. While the blue-shifted absorption is likely due to outflowing gas, toward the BN object we detect CO in emission extending in diameter to ~3300AU. Although at the observational spectral resolution limit, the 13CO line width of that feature increases with energy levels, consistent with a disk origin. If one attributes the extended CO emission also to a disk origin, its extent is consistent with other massive disk candidates in the literature. For source n, we also find the blue-shifted CO absorption likely from an outflow. However, it also exhibits a narrower range of redshifted CO absorption and adjacent weak CO emission, consistent with infalling motions. We do not spatially resolve the emission for source n. For both sources we conduct a Boltzmann analysis of the 13CO absorption features and find temperatures between 100 and 160K, and H2 column densities of the order a few times 10^23cm^-2. The observational signatures from IRC3 are very different with only weak absorption against a much weaker continuum source. However, the CO emission is extended and shows wedge-like position velocity signatures consistent with jet-entrainment of molecular gas, potentially associated with the Orion-KL outflow system. We also present and discuss the Pfund beta and H2 emission in the region.Comment: 12 pages, 15 pages, accepted for A&A, you find a high-resolution copy at http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm

Identifying the outflow driving sources in Orion-KL

The enigmatic outflows of the Orion-KL region have raised discussions about their potential driving sources for several decades. Here, we present C18O(2-1) observations combined from the Submillimeter Array and the IRAM30m telescope. The molecular gas is associated on large scales with the famous northwest-southeast high-velocity outflow whereas the high-velocity gas on small spatial scales traces back to the recently identified submm source SMA1. Therefore, we infer that SMA1 may host the driving source of this outflow. Based on the previously published thermal and maser SiO data, source I is the prime candidate to drive the northeast-southwest low-velocity outflow. The source SMA1 is peculiar because it is only detected in several submm wavelength bands but neither in the infrared nor cm regime. We discuss that it may be a very young intermediate- to high-mass protostar. The estimated outflow masses are high whereas the dynamical time-scale of the outflow is short of the order 10^3yrs.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Astrophysical Journal Letters in press, a high-resolution version is available at http://www.mpia.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm

Fragmentation, infall, and outflow around the showcase massive protostar NGC7538 IRS1 at 500 AU resolution

Aims: Revealing the fragmentation, infall, and outflow processes in the immediate environment around massive young stellar objects is crucial for understanding the formation of the most massive stars. Methods: With this goal in mind we present the so far highest spatial-resolution thermal submm line and continuum observations toward the young high-mass protostar NGC7538 IRS1. Using the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in its most extended configuration at 843mum wavelength, we achieved a spatial resolution of 0.2"x0.17", corresponding to ~500AU at a distance of 2.7\,kpc. Results: For the first time, we have observed the fragmentation of the dense inner core of this region with at least three subsources within the inner 3000 AU. The outflow exhibits blue- and red-shifted emission on both sides of the central source indicating that the current orientation has to be close to the line-of-sight, which differs from other recent models. We observe rotational signatures in northeast-southwest direction; however, even on scales of 500 AU, we do not identify any Keplerian rotation signatures. This implies that during the early evolutionary stages any stable Keplerian inner disk has to be very small (<=500 AU). The high-energy line HCN(4-3)v2=1 (E_u/k=1050K) is detected over an extent of approximately 3000 AU. In addition to this, the detection of red-shifted absorption from this line toward the central dust continuum peak position allows us to estimate infall rates of ~1.8x10^(-3)Msun/yr on the smallest spatial scales. Although all that gas will not necessarily be accreted onto the central protostar, nevertheless, such inner core infall rates are among the best proxies of the actual accretion rates one can derive during the early embedded star formation phase. These data are consistent with collapse simulations and the observed high multiplicity of massive stars.Comment: Accepted for Astronomy & Astrophysics, 8 pages, also available at http://www.mpia.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm

Magnetic field structure in a high-mass outflow/disk system

To characterize the magnetic field structure of the outflow and core region within a prototypical high-mass star-forming region, we analyzed polarized CO(3-2) - for the first time observed with the Submillimeter Array -- as well as 880mum submm continuum emission from the high-mass outflow/disk system IRAS18089-1732. Both emission features with polarization degrees at a few percent level indicate that the magnetic field structure is largely aligned with the outflow/jet orientation from the small core scales to the larger outflow scales. Although quantitative estimates are crude, the analysis indicates that turbulent energy dominates over magnetic energy. The data also suggest a magnetic field strength increase from the lower-density envelope to the higher-density core.Comment: 4-5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for ApJ