A

IPA: Class 0 Protostars Viewed in CO Emission Using JWST

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

We investigate the bright CO fundamental emission in the central regions of five protostars in their primary mass assembly phase using new observations from JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). CO line emission images and fluxes are extracted for a forest of $\sim$150 ro-vibrational transitions from two vibrational bands, $v=1-0$ and $v=2-1$. However, ${}^{13}$CO is undetected, indicating that ${}^{12}$CO emission is optically thin. We use H$_2$ emission lines to correct fluxes for extinction and then construct rotation diagrams for the CO lines with the highest spectral resolution and sensitivity to estimate rotational temperatures and numbers of CO molecules. Two distinct rotational temperature components are required for $v=1$ ($\sim600$ to 1000 K and 2000 to $\sim 10^4$ K), while one hotter component is required for $v=2$ ($\gtrsim 3500$ K). ${}^{13}$CO is depleted compared to the abundances found in the ISM, indicating selective UV photodissociation of ${}^{13}$CO; therefore, UV radiative pumping may explain the higher rotational temperatures in $v=2$. The average vibrational temperature is $\sim 1000$ K for our sources and is similar to the lowest rotational temperature components. Using the measured rotational and vibrational temperatures to infer a total number of CO molecules, we find that the total gas masses range from lower limits of $\sim10^{22}$ g for the lowest mass protostars to $\sim 10^{26}$ g for the highest mass protostars. Our gas mass lower limits are compatible with those in more evolved systems, which suggest the lowest rotational temperature component comes from the inner disk, scattered into our line of sight, but we also cannot exclude the contribution to the CO emission from disk winds for higher mass targets.

Authors 23

  1. University of Rochester

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics and Astronomy , Bausch & Lomb Hall , University of Rochester , Rochester , NY 14627 , USA

  2. The University of Texas at Austin

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astronomy , University of Texas at Austin , 1 University Station C1400 , Austin , TX 78712 , USA

  3. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics Tata Institute of Fundamental Research , Homi Bhabha Rd , Colaba , Mumbai , Maharashtra , IN

  4. Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica

    Affiliation as printed

    Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics , No. 1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Rd. , Taipei 10617 , TW , R.O.C

  5. Leiden University · European Southern Observatory · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2 , 85748 Garching , DE

    Leiden Observatory , Leiden University , PO Box 9513 , 2300 RA Leiden , South Holland , NL

  6. University of Massachusetts Amherst

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astronomy , University of Massachusetts Amherst , 710 North Pleasant Street , Amherst , MA 01003 , USA

  7. University of Toledo

    Affiliation as printed

    Ritter Astrophysical Research Center , Department of Physics and Astronomy , University of Toledo , Toledo , OH 43606 , USA

  8. Space Telescope Science Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive , Baltimore , MD 21218 , USA

  9. University of Rochester

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics and Astronomy , Bausch & Lomb Hall , University of Rochester , Rochester , NY 14627 , USA

  10. University of Toledo

    Affiliation as printed

    Ritter Astrophysical Research Center , Department of Physics and Astronomy , University of Toledo , Toledo , OH 43606 , USA

  11. Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory , Leiden University , PO Box 9513 , 2300 RA Leiden , South Holland , NL

  12. Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory , Leiden University , PO Box 9513 , 2300 RA Leiden , South Holland , NL

  13. Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory , Leiden University , PO Box 9513 , 2300 RA Leiden , South Holland , NL

  14. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Heidelberg , Baden-Württemberg , DE

  15. SKA Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    SKA Observatory , Jodrell Bank , Lower Withington , Macclesfield SK11 9FT , UK

  16. University of Michigan

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astronomy , University of Michigan -Ann Arbor , 1085 S. University Ave , Ann Arbor , MI 48109 , USA

  17. Royal Observatory · UK Astronomy Technology Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre , Royal Observatory Edinburgh , Blackford Hill , Edinburgh EH9 3HJ , GB

  18. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy · Friedrich Schiller University Jena

    Affiliation as printed

    Friedrich Schiller University , Jena , Thuringia , DE

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Heidelberg , Baden-Württemberg , DE

  19. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · National Radio Astronomy Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astronomy , University of Illinois , 1002 West Green St , Urbana , IL 61801 , USA

    National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 520 Edgemont Rd. , Charlottesville , VA 22903 , USA

  20. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Gießenbachstraße 185748 Garching , DE

  21. National Radio Astronomy Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 520 Edgemont Rd. , Charlottesville , VA 22903 , USA

  22. Pioneer (United States)

    Affiliation as printed

    RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research , Wako-shi , Saitama , 351-0106 , JP

Cited by 0 stored of 0

No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).

References 0