Studying Young Stellar Objects with the EVLA Luis

Studying Young Stellar Objects with the EVLA Luis F. Rodriguez, CRy. A, UNAM Morelia, México • • Disks and jets in young stars VLA results Possibilities with the EVLA Conclusions

This scheme is supported by observations, in particular forming low-mass stars.

JET: removes excess angular momentum and magnetic flux, produces outflows and HH objects. DISK: allows accretion, planets may form from it.

DISK JET Rodriguez et al. 2008 Gomez et al. (2003) VLA continuum observations at several frequencies reveal characteristic spectrum jet+disk.

HH 1 -2 VLA 1 “Thermal” jets, systematically found at the center of low mass star-forming regions with outflows…

What are thermal jets? • (Partially) ionized, collimated outflows that emanate from young stars. • Detectable as weak free-free sources. • They are believed to be the “base” of the large scale outflow phenomena like the bipolar outflows and HH systems. • They are almost always found in the case of lowmass protostars, but rarely in high-mass protostars.

Why are thermal jets rare to find in association with high mass protostars? • Different formation mechanism? • Confusion from bright HII regions in region? • Stellar multiplicity a serious problem. • Molecular outflows (large scale) are, however, relatively frequent.

HH 80 -81 (GGD 27) in L 291 dark cloud Distance 1. 7 kpc (Rodríguez et al. 1980), Luminosity: 2 x 104 LSol Star: B 0. 5 ZAMS

H 2 O maser Thermal Jet Gómez et al. (1995)

Marti et al. (1998) analyzed thermal jet over several years.

Derive velocities for knots of 500 km/s. These studies will be much better with the EVLA.

Sequence of images of radio jet at 3. 6 cm Curiel et al. (2006)

The EVLA and jet kinematics • Proper motions now limited by sensitivity: impossible to detect in weak jets, very difficult to follow up ejecta that become too weak with time. • With the possibility of recombination line “stacking” we may be able to detect radial motions, getting 3 -D kinematics.

RRL from jets? Assume electron temperature = 10, 000 K, frequency around 30 GHz, and a linewidth of 100 km/s: For = 10 m. Jy = 0. 5 m. Jy In the Ka band (26. 5 – 40 GHz) you expect a 1 -sigma noise of 0. 1 m. Jy for 10 km/s velocity resolution and 12 -hour integration. => You get a modest signal-to-noise of 5. But…

Stacking Radio Recombination Lines • But, in the Ka band (26. 5 -40 GHz) you can get 8 alpha RRLs (H 62 a to H 55 a) so you gain a factor of about 3 sensitivity and to an interesting signalto-noise ratio of 15 (spatially integrated line). • Rotating jets? • In general, observations of wide lines become possible with the EVLA (broad line HII regions).

Synchrotron emission in knots? • It has been argued that there are synchrotron components in the ejecta from some of these jets. • However, only in the case of the jet near W 3(OH) is this clear. • Other sources are weak and spectral indices are unreliable. The EVLA will solve this.

Let us now switch to disks… • Traced by millimeter dust emission and molecules. • Expected to be perpendicular to outflow axis.

L 1551 IRS 5: Binary system with disks. VLA 7 mm Lim & Takakuwa (2006) Minus third component and jet contribution

L 1551 IRS 5: Binary system with jets VLA 3. 6 cm Rodriguez et al. (2003)

Massive (B 0) protostar. 7 mm image suggests presence of disk, but limited by signal-to-noise, not by angular resolution. Carrasco-Gonzalez et al. (2009)

HH 111 is a quadrupolar outflow source. This quadrupolar structure is marginally appreciated in the 3. 6 cm (free-free emission). More clearly present in the 7 mm image. Are we seeing in this image two disks? Or a disk and a jet? One needs excellent deep images at different frequencies to get spatially-resolved spectral indices.

HL Tau: Jet and disk Carrasco-Gonzalez et al. (2009) Possible presence of “gaps” in disk may signal planet formation. However images severely limited by signal-to-noise ratio.

The structure of disks can tell us a lot about how is planet formation taking place… • According to Durisen (2009) there are two main models for the formation of giant planets: • 1. Core accretion: Will produce gaps in disks, as possibly observed in HL Tau. • 2. Disk instability: Will produce spiral patterns in disk. Has this been observed?

A hint of spiral structure in this 7 mm VLA image that traces dust? Disk instability?

Rodmann et al. (2006) did VLA-D survey at 7 mm, detecting 10 T Tau stars. Sources resolved at 1” scale, but little information on structure. The EVLA will image this type of disks with high fidelity and signal-to-noise ratio.

IRAS 16293 -2422 B Continuous spectral index Studies of spectral indices as a function of radius in disk will help understand problem of grain growth.

Weak, multiple sources… VLA-A; 3. 6 cm

Weak “companions” VLA-A; 3. 6 cm

IRAS 16457 -4742 At a distance of 2. 9 kpc, it has a bolometric luminosity of 62, 000 solar luminosities, equivalent to an O 8 ZAMS star.

VLA images of IRAS 16547 -4247

The outflow carries about 100 solar masses of gas (most from ambient cloud) and has characteristics of being driven by a very luminous object.

SMA data Velocity gradient in SO 2 (colors) suggests total mass of 20 to 40 solar masses and a radius of 1, 000 AU for the disk (Franco. Hernandez et al. 2007). Most massive young star known with jets, disk, and large scale infall.

The EVLA will also be powerful for the study of more evolved stages. • Hypercompact HII regions: what is the nature of their compactness, why some are variable, …

Component A 1 diminish its flux density between the two epochs (note years!) Galván-Madrid et al.

NGC 7538 IRS 1 Franco-Hernández & Rodríguez (2004) The EVLA will be able to study these time variations ina multifrequency mode and will also detect RRLs from the componentes, that are expected to be weak and wide.

Still many open questions in star formation. . . • Better cm and mm interferometers will play a key role in the observational aspect. • The EVLA will have powerful synergies with e-MERLIN and ALMA (0. 05” angular resolution over a range of 100 in frequency).

Thank you