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Resolved images of a protostellar outflow driven by an extended disk wind
Per Bjerkeli1,2, Matthijs H D van der Wiel1,3, Daniel Harsono4
1Centre for Star and Planet Formation, Niels Bohr Institute &Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
Nature
|December 16, 2016
Summary
Young stars eject gas through disk winds, removing angular momentum to fuel growth. Resolved images show this outflow originates from an extended region of the protostellar disk, not just the star itself.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Stellar Evolution
- Protostellar Outflows
Background:
- Young stars exhibit powerful molecular gas outflows, crucial for angular momentum removal and stellar growth via accretion.
- The precise mechanism and location of outflow launching remain poorly understood, with models proposing stellar winds or disk winds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the launching region of molecular outflows associated with young stars.
- To resolve the spatial extent of gas ejection and angular momentum removal in protostellar systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized resolved imaging of carbon monoxide (CO) emission.
- Focused on the outflowing gas associated with the TMC1A protostellar system.
Main Results:
- Resolved images reveal gas ejection extending up to 25 astronomical units from the central protostar.
- Demonstrated that angular momentum is removed from an extended region of the protostellar disk.
Conclusions:
- The findings support an extended disk wind model for outflow launching.
- Outflowing gas originates from a significant portion of the protostellar disk, not solely the immediate stellar vicinity.
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