Characterizing Non-axisymmetric Structure in Protostellar Envelopes

Details Characterizing Non-axisymmetric Structure in Protostellar Envelopes Characterizing Non-axisymmetric Structure in Protostellar Envelopes

Jan 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21541408t&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #414.08; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.255

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We use archived IRAC images from the Spitzer Space Telescope to show that many Class 0 protostars exhibit complex, irregular, and non-axisymmetric structure within their dusty envelopes. Our 8 micron extinction maps probe some of the densest regions in these protostellar envelopes. Many of the systems are observed to have highly irregular and non-axisymmetric morphologies on scales > 1000 AU. Dense flattened or filamentary structures are seen in some cases; these regions are not always aligned perpendicular to outflows. In addition, envelopes may also be displaced relative to the protostellar source either perpendicular to or along the direction of outflows. These results suggest that the dense envelope regions we observe are the result of collapse from protostellar cores with initially complex, non-equilibrium structures. The striking non-axisymmetry observed in many envelopes could provide favorable conditions for the formation of binary systems. Going further, we have begun to survey these envelopes with dense molecular tracers (e.g. N2H+, HCO+) with observations from CARMA, IRAM 30m, and SMA. N2H+ traces the 8 micron extinction structures very well enabling us to map the velocity field of the non-axisymmetric envelopes and HCO+ tends to trace the inner envelope kinematics and seems to show an infall signature in some cases. We have developed an analytic model simulating the collapse of an infalling filament which shows that the velocity gradients we observe can be interpreted as projected infall at a given viewing angle.

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