A

The GRAVITY young stellar object survey

Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 635, pp. L12

Abstract

Context. The inner regions of the discs of high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs) are still poorly known due to the small angular scales and the high visual extinction involved. Aims. We deploy near-infrared spectro-interferometry to probe the inner gaseous disc in HMYSOs and investigate the origin and physical characteristics of the CO bandhead emission (2.3–2.4 μm). Methods. We present the first GRAVITY/VLTI observations at high spectral (ℛ = 4000) and spatial (mas) resolution of the CO overtone transitions in NGC 2024 IRS 2 . Results. The continuum emission is resolved in all baselines and is slightly asymmetric, displaying small closure phases (≤8°). Our best ellipsoid model provides a disc inclination of 34° ±1°, a disc major axis position angle (PA) of 166° ± 1°, and a disc diameter of 3.99 ± 0.09 mas (or 1.69 ± 0.04 au, at a distance of 423 pc). The small closure phase signals in the continuum are modelled with a skewed rim, originating from a pure inclination effect. For the first time, our observations spatially and spectrally resolve the first four CO bandheads. Changes in visibility, as well as differential and closure phases across the bandheads are detected. Both the size and geometry of the CO-emitting region are determined by fitting a bidimensional Gaussian to the continuum-compensated CO bandhead visibilities. The CO-emitting region has a diameter of 2.74±0.070.08 mas (1.16 ± 0.03 au), and is located in the inner gaseous disc, well within the dusty rim, with inclination and PA matching the dusty disc geometry, which indicates that both dusty and gaseous discs are coplanar. Physical and dynamical gas conditions are inferred by modelling the CO spectrum. Finally, we derive a direct measurement of the stellar mass of M* ∼ 14.7−3.6+2 M⊙ by combining our interferometric and spectral modelling results.

Authors 25

  1. University College Dublin · Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies · European Southern Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, D02 XF86 Dublin, Ireland

    European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany

    University College Dublin, School of Physics, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

  2. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

  3. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

  4. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy · Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70264, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

  5. Leiden University · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85741 Garching bei München, Germany

  6. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  7. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  8. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  9. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · University of California, Berkeley

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics, Le Conte Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85741 Garching bei München, Germany

  10. Instituto Superior Técnico

    Affiliation as printed

    CENTRA, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal

  11. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  12. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  13. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

  14. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  15. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85741 Garching bei München, Germany

  16. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  17. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  18. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

  19. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

  20. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85741 Garching bei München, Germany

  21. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85741 Garching bei München, Germany

  22. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85741 Garching bei München, Germany

  23. University of Cologne

    Affiliation as printed

    I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany

  24. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85741 Garching bei München, Germany

  25. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France

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