The pre-ZAMS nature of Mol160/IRAS23385+6053 confirmed by Spitzer

TL;DR

This study uses Spitzer observations to confirm that Mol160/IRAS23385+6053 is a massive young stellar object in a pre-ZAMS phase, actively accreting without hydrogen fusion, and reveals its dense core at mid-infrared wavelengths.

Contribution

First detection of Mol160/IRAS23385+6053's dense core at 24 and 70 microns, confirming its pre-ZAMS status through detailed spectral analysis.

Findings

Core detected at 24 and 70 microns for the first time.

Luminosity is five times lower than previous IRAS-based estimates.

Spectroscopy indicates typical PDR/PIR conditions and possible intermediate-mass ZAMS stars.

Abstract

Determining the timeline for the formation of massive YSOs requires the identification and characterisation of all the phases that a massive forming YSO undergoes. It is of particular interest to verify the observability of the phase in which the object is rapidly accreting while not yet igniting the fusion of hydrogen that marks the arrival on the ZAMS. One of the candidate prototypical objects for this phase is Mol160/IRAS23385+6053, which previous studies suggest it could be in a pre-Hot Core stage. We further investigate this issue by means of Spitzer imaging and spectroscopy in the 5-70 micron range. The dense core of Mol160/IRAS23385+6053, which up to now had only been detected at submm and mm wavelenghts has been revealed for the first time at 24 and 70 micron by Spitzer. The complete 24 micron -3.4 mm continuum cannot be fitted with a standard model of a Zero-Age Main-Sequence (ZAMS) star embedded in an envelope. A simple greybody fit yields a mass of 220 solar masses. The luminosity is slightly in excess of 3000 solar luminosities, which is a factor of 5 less than previous estimates when only IRAS fluxes were available between 20 and 100 micron. The source is under-luminous by the same factor with respect to UCHII regions or Hot-Cores of similar circumstellar mass, and simple models show that this is compatible with an earlier evolutionary stage. Spectroscopy between 5 and 40 microns revelas typical PDR/PIR conditions, where the required UV illumination may be provided by other sources revealed at 24 microns in the same region, and which can be plausibly modeled as moderately embedded intermediate-mass ZAMS stars. Our results strengthen the suggestion that the central core in Mol160/IRAS23385+6053 is a massive YSO actively accreting from its circumstellar envelope and which did not yet begin hydrogen fusion.