Time-Resolved AU-Scale Jets Traced by Masers in the IRAS 4A/B Regions of NGC1333

TL;DR

This study uses VLBI observations of water masers to trace the very young, AU-scale jets in IRAS 4A/B regions, revealing complex outflow structures and potential unresolved companions.

Contribution

First detailed VLBI maser observations of IRAS 4A/B jets, revealing their proper motions and complex structures at AU scales.

Findings

Masers trace jets expanding at 53 and 78 km/s.

Maser structures do not align with larger scale outflows.

Potential unresolved companions suggested.

Abstract

We present results of VLBI observations of the water masers associated with IRAS 4A and IRAS 4B in the NGC 1333 star-forming region taken in four epochs over a two month period. Both objects have been classified as extremely young sources and each source is known to be a multiple system. Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we detected 35 masers in Epoch I, 40 masers in Epoch II, 35 in Epoch III, and 24 in Epoch IV. Only one identified source in each system associates with these masers. These data are used to calculate proper motions for the masers and trace the jet outflows within 100 AU of IRAS 4A2 and IRAS 4BW. In IRAS 4A2 there are two groups of masers, one near the systemic cloud velocity and one red-shifted. They expand linearly away from each other at velocities of 53 km/s. In IRAS 4BW, masers are observed in two groups that are blue-shifted and red-shifted relative to the cloud velocity. They form complex linear structures with a thickness of 3 mas (1 AU at a distance of 320 pc) that expand linearly away from each other at velocities of 78 km/s. Neither of the jet outflows traced by the maser groups align with the larger scale outflows. We suggest the presence of unresolved companions to both IRAS 4A2 and 4BW.