Multiple Bipolar Molecular Outflows in the L1551 IRS5 Protostellar System

TL;DR

This study reveals complex bipolar molecular outflows in the L1551 IRS5 protostellar system, identifying multiple structures and suggesting a precessing outflow driven by a potential third protostar with a misaligned disk.

Contribution

First detailed high-resolution imaging of multiple outflow components in L1551 IRS5, indicating a precessing outflow driven by a third protostar with a misaligned disk.

Findings

Identified three distinct outflow components with different velocity patterns.

Detected a precessing outflow likely caused by a third protostar.

Proposed gravitational interactions influence outflow morphology.

Abstract

The multiple protostellar system L1551 IRS5 exhibits a large-scale bipolar molecular outflow. We have studied this outflow within ~4000 AU of its driving source(s) with the SubMillimeter Array. Our CO(2-1) image at ~4" (~560 AU) resolution reveals three distinct components: 1) an X-shaped structure spanning ~20" from center with a similar symmetry axis and velocity pattern as the large-scale outflow; 2) an S-shaped structure spanning ~10" from center also with an opposite velocity pattern to the large-scale outflow; and 3) a compact central component spanning ~1.4" from center again with a similar symmetry axis and velocity pattern as the large-scale outflow. The X-shaped component likely comprises the limb-brightened walls of a cone-shaped cavity excavated by the outflows from the two main protostellar components. The compact central component likely comprises material newly entrained by one or both outflows from the two main protostellar components. The S-shaped component mostly likely comprises a precessing outflow with its symmetry axis inclined in the opposite sense to the plane of the sky than the other two components. This outflow may be driven by a recently reported candidate third protostellar component in L1551 IRS5, whose circumstellar disk is misaligned relative to the two main protostellar components. Gravitational interactions between this protostellar component and its more massive northern neighbor may be causing the circumstellar disk and hence outflow of this component to precess.