A

IPA: Class 0 Protostars Viewed in CO Emission Using JWST

The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 974, pp. 112

Abstract

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 and Mid-Infrared Instrument. CO line emission images and fluxes are extracted for a forest of ∼150 rovibrational transitions from two vibrational bands, v = 1−0 and v = 2−1. However, 13CO is undetected, indicating that 12CO emission is optically thin. We use H2 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 (∼600 to 1000 K and 2000 to ∼104 K), while one hotter component is required for v = 2 (≳3500 K). 13CO is depleted compared to the abundances found in the interstellar medium, indicating selective UV photodissociation of 13CO; therefore, UV radiative pumping may explain the higher rotational temperatures in v = 2. The average vibrational temperature is ∼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 ∼1022 g for the lowest mass protostars to ∼1026 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 27

  1. University of Rochester

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bausch & Lomb Hall, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA; arubinst@ur.rochester.edu

    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, India

  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, Taiwan, ROC

  5. Leiden University · European Southern Observatory · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

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

    Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands

  6. University of Massachusetts Amherst

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant St, 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. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

    Affiliation as printed

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

  9. Space Telescope Science Institute

    Affiliation as printed

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

  10. University of Rochester

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bausch & Lomb Hall, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA; arubinst@ur.rochester.edu

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

  11. University of Toledo

    Affiliation as printed

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

  12. Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands

  13. Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands

  14. Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands

  15. Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands

  16. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Baden-Wemberg, DE, Germany

  17. SKA Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

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

  18. Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies

    Affiliation as printed

    Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 31 Fitzwilliam Pl, Dublin, Ireland

  19. University of Michigan

    Affiliation as printed

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

  20. Royal Observatory · UK Astronomy Technology Centre

    Affiliation as printed

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

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

    Affiliation as printed

    Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Thuringia, DE, Germany

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Baden-Wemberg, DE, Germany

  22. 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

  23. Space Telescope Science Institute

    Affiliation as printed

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

  24. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Gießenbachstra 185748 Garching, DE, Germany

  25. National Radio Astronomy Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

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

  26. Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian

    Affiliation as printed

    Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

  27. RIKEN

    Affiliation as printed

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

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References 167