AMI Large Array radio continuum observations of Spitzer c2d small clouds and cores

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution radio imaging to detect and analyze deeply embedded protostars in small clouds, establishing correlations between radio and bolometric luminosities to better understand protostellar evolution.

Contribution

It provides new detections of radio protostars, including potential new sources, and explores the relationship between radio emission and protostellar luminosity.

Findings

Detected 15 radio protostars, including 2 new candidates.

Established a correlation between radio luminosity and bolometric luminosity.

Suggested radio flux as a proxy for protostellar internal luminosity.

Abstract

We perform deep 1.8 cm radio continuum imaging towards thirteen protostellar regions selected from the Spitzer c2d small clouds and cores programme at high resolution (25") in order to detect and quantify the cm-wave emission from deeply embedded young protostars. Within these regions we detect fifteen compact radio sources which we identify as radio protostars including two probable new detections. The sample is in general of low bolometric luminosity and contains several of the newly detected VeLLO sources. We determine the 1.8 cm radio luminosity to bolometric luminosity correlation, L_rad -L_bol, for the sample and discuss the nature of the radio emission in terms of the available sources of ionized gas. We also investigate the L_rad-L_IR correlation and suggest that radio flux density may be used as a proxy for the internal luminosity of low luminosity protostars.