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Unpublished Paper
Detection of Infall Signatures Towards Serpens SMM4
Astrophysical Journal (2002)
  • Gopal Narayanan, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • G. Moriarty-Schieven
  • C.K. Walker
  • H.M. Butner
Abstract
We present the detection of kinematic infall signatures toward the Class 0 protostellar system SMM4 in the Serpens cloud core. We have observed the dense molecular gas toward the embedded source using millimeter and submillimeter line transitions of density sensitive molecular tracers. High signal-to-noise ratio maps obtained in HCO+ J = 1 → 0, J = 3 → 2, and J = 4 → 3, and CS J = 2 → 1 show the blue-bulge infall signature. The blue-bulge infall signature can be observed in the centroid velocity maps of protostellar objects when infall dominates over rotation. The line profiles of HCO+ and CS exhibit the characteristic blue asymmetric line profile signature consistent with infall. In addition, HCO+ and CS optical depth profiles obtained using isotopic observations show a red asymmetry also consistent with an infall interpretation. Using three-dimensional radiative transfer models based on the rotating, collapse model of Terebey, Shu, & Cassen, we derive infall parameters of the source. To determine the direction and orientation of molecular outflows in the larger Serpens cluster, wide-field mapping of CO J = 1 → 0 emission was also performed.
Keywords
  • Stars: Circumstellar matter,
  • ISM: Clouds,
  • ISM: Individual alphanumeric SMM4,
  • Stars: formation
Publication Date
2002
Comments
http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/565/1/319/fulltext/53238.text.html
Citation Information
Gopal Narayanan, G. Moriarty-Schieven, C.K. Walker and H.M. Butner. "Detection of Infall Signatures Towards Serpens SMM4" Astrophysical Journal (2002)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/gopal_narayanan/3/