The IC1396N proto-cluster at a scale of 250 AU

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution interferometric observations to analyze the dust and gas morphology of the IC1396N proto-cluster, revealing a hot core sub-cluster, dust property variations, and molecular emission characteristics.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed high-resolution imaging of IC1396N's dust and molecular gas, identifying a hot core sub-cluster and analyzing dust property differences within the proto-cluster.

Findings

Discovery of a hot core sub-cluster in IC1396N

Significant differences in dust properties between cores and envelope

Molecular emission peaks at the most massive hot core

Abstract

We investigate the mm-morphology of IC1396N with unprecedented spatial resolution to analyze its dust and molecular gas properties, and draw comparisons with objects of similar mass. We have carried out sensitive observations in the most extended configurations of the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer, to map the thermal dust emission at 3.3 and 1.3mm, and the emission from the $J$=13$_k\to12_k$ hyperfine transitions of methyl cyanide (CH$_3$CN). We unveil the existence of a sub-cluster of hot cores in IC1396N, distributed in a direction perpendicular to the emanating outflow. The cores are embedded in a common envelope of extended and diffuse dust emission. We find striking differences in the dust properties of the cores ($\beta\simeq$ 0) and the surrounding envelope ($\beta\simeq$ 1), very likely testifying to differences in the formation and processing of dust material. The CH$_3$CN emission peaks towards the most massive hot core and is marginally extended in the outflow direction.