FAUST. II. Discovery of a Secondary Outflow in IRAS 15398-3359: Variability in Outflow Direction during the Earliest Stage of Star Formation?
Abstract
We have observed the very low-mass Class 0 protostar IRAS 15398-3359 at scales ranging from 50 to 1800 au, as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array Large Program FAUST. We uncover a linear feature, visible in H2CO, SO, and C18O line emission, which extends from the source in a direction almost perpendicular to the known active outflow. Molecular line emission from H2CO, SO, SiO, and CH3OH further reveals an arc-like structure connected to the outer end of the linear feature and separated from the protostar, IRAS 15398-3359, by 1200 au. The arc-like structure is blueshifted with respect to the systemic velocity. A velocity gradient of 1.2 km s-1 over 1200 au along the linear feature seen in the H2CO emission connects the protostar and the arc-like structure kinematically. SO, SiO, and CH3OH are known to trace shocks, and we interpret the arc-like structure as a relic shock region produced by an outflow previously launched by IRAS 15398-3359. The velocity gradient along the linear structure can be explained as relic outflow motion. The origins of the newly observed arc-like structure and extended linear feature are discussed in relation to turbulent motions within the protostellar core and episodic accretion events during the earliest stage of protostellar evolution.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 2021
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2101.07404
- Bibcode:
- 2021ApJ...910...11O
- Keywords:
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- Stellar jets;
- Star formation;
- Shocks;
- Protostars;
- Young stellar objects;
- Interstellar medium;
- Interstellar molecules;
- Astrochemistry;
- 1607;
- 1569;
- 2086;
- 1302;
- 1834;
- 847;
- 849;
- 75;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abddb1