Disk fragmentation in high-mass star formation
Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 655, pp. A84
Abstract
Context. Increasing evidence suggests that, similar to their low-mass counterparts, high-mass stars form through a disk-mediated accretion process. At the same time, formation of high-mass stars still necessitates high accretion rates, and hence, high gas densities, which in turn can cause disks to become unstable against gravitational fragmentation. Aims. We study the kinematics and fragmentation of the disk around the high-mass star forming region AFGL 2591-VLA 3 which was hypothesized to be fragmenting based on the observations that show multiple outflow directions. Methods. We use a new set of high-resolution (0′′.19) IRAM/NOEMA observations at 843 μm towards VLA 3 which allow us to resolve its disk, characterize the fragmentation, and study its kinematics. In addition to the 843 μm continuum emission, our spectral setup targets warm dense gas and outflow tracers such as HCN, HC3N and SO2, as well as vibrationally excited HCN lines. Results. The high resolution continuum and line emission maps reveal multiple fragments with subsolar masses within the inner ~1000 AU of VLA 3. Furthermore, the velocity field of the inner disk observed at 843 μm shows a similar behavior to that of the larger scale velocity field studied in the CORE project at 1.37 mm. Conclusions. We present the first observational evidence for disk fragmentation towards AFGL 2591-VLA 3, a source that was thought to be a single high-mass core. While the fragments themselves are low-mass, the rotation of the disk is dominated by the protostar with a mass of 10.3 ± 1.8 M⊙. These data also show that NOEMA Band 4 can obtain the highest currently achievable spatial resolution at (sub-)mm wavelengths in observations of strong northern sources.
Authors 32
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Aida Ahmadi Aachen
Affiliation as printed
Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937, Köln, Germany
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Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique
Affiliation as printed
IRAM, 300 rue de la Piscine, Domaine Universitaire, 38406 St.-Martin-d’Hères, France
IRAM, 300 rue de la Piscine, Domaine Universitaire, 38406 St.-Martin-d'Hères, France
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux
Affiliation as printed
Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Bordeaux, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, B18N, allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France
Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Bordeaux, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, B18N, allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France
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Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Chinese Academy of Sciences · National Institutes of Natural Sciences · National Astronomical Observatory of Japan · National Astronomical Observatories · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, ROC
CAS Key Laboratory of FAST, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
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Affiliation as printed
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Affiliation as printed
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Royal Observatory · UK Astronomy Technology Centre
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UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
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Heidelberg University · University of Tübingen
Affiliation as printed
Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Straße 2, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari
Affiliation as printed
INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Via della Scienza 5, 09047, Selargius (CA), Italy
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Liverpool John Moores University
Affiliation as printed
Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
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Affiliation as printed
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
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Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937, Köln, Germany
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Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Affiliation as printed
Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica (IRyA), UNAM, Apdo. Postal 72-3 (Xangari), Morelia, Michoacán 58089, Mexico
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Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4M1, Canada
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Affiliation as printed
School of Physics & Astronomy, Cardiff University, Queen’s building, The parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK
School of Physics & Astronomy, Cardiff University, Queen's building, The parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy · Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemistry, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Butenandtstr. 5-13, House F, 81377 Munich, Germany
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937, Köln, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2,7NH, UK
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Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
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Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Avda Pedro de Valdivia 425, Providencia, Santiago de Chile, Chile
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