Multiplicity of the Protostar Serpens SMM 1 Revealed by Millimeter Imaging

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution millimeter imaging to reveal that the protostar Serpens SMM 1 is a binary system with two young stellar objects, providing new insights into its multiplicity and structure.

Contribution

The paper presents the first high-resolution millimeter observations revealing the multiplicity of Serpens SMM 1 as a protobinary system.

Findings

Identification of two sources with dust emission in SMM 1

SMM 1b coincides with a bright mid-IR source

Estimated dense gas mass around 8 solar masses

Abstract

The Serpens SMM 1 region was observed in the 6.9 mm continuum with an angular resolution of about 0.6 arcsec. Two sources were found to have steep positive spectra suggesting emission from dust. The stronger one, SMM 1a, is the driving source of the bipolar jet known previously, and the mass of the dense molecular gas traced by the millimeter continuum is about 8 solar mass. The newly found source, SMM 1b, positionally coincides with the brightest mid-IR source in this region, which implies that SMM 1b is yet another young stellar object. SMM 1b seems to be less deeply embedded than SMM 1a. SMM 1 is probably a protobinary system with a projected separation of 500 AU.