Hierarchical Fragmentation and Jet-like Outflows in IRDC G28.34+0.06, a Growing Massive Protostar Cluster

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution submillimeter observations to reveal hierarchical fragmentation and jet-like outflows in a massive protostar cluster, providing insights into the early stages of massive star formation.

Contribution

It presents detailed imaging of IRDC G28.34+0.06, demonstrating hierarchical fragmentation and outflow activity in a massive protostar cluster, advancing understanding of intermediate-mass to massive star formation.

Findings

Hierarchical fragmentation observed from clump to core scales.

Detection of bipolar, jet-like CO outflows from all cores.

Cores are larger than thermal Jeans mass predictions.

Abstract

We present Submillimeter Array (SMA) \lambda = 0.88mm observations of an infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G28.34+0.06. Located in the quiescent southern part of the G28.34 cloud, the region of interest is a massive ($>10^3$\,\msun) molecular clump P1 with a luminosity of $\sim 10^3$ \lsun, where our previous SMA observations at 1.3mm have revealed a string of five dust cores of 22-64 \msun\ along the 1 pc IR-dark filament. The cores are well aligned at a position angle of 48 degrees and regularly spaced at an average projected separation of 0.16 pc. The new high-resolution, high-sensitivity 0.88\,mm image further resolves the five cores into ten compact condensations of 1.4-10.6 \msun, with sizes a few thousands AU. The spatial structure at clump ($\sim 1$ pc) and core ($\sim 0.1$ pc) scales indicates a hierarchical fragmentation. While the clump fragmentation is consistent with a cylindrical collapse, the observed fragment masses are much larger than the expected thermal Jeans masses. All the cores are driving CO(3-2) outflows up to 38 km/s, majority of which are bipolar, jet-like outflows. The moderate luminosity of the P1 clump sets a limit on the mass of protostars of 3-7 \msun. Because of the large reservoir of dense molecular gas in the immediate medium and ongoing accretion as evident by the jet-like outflows, we speculate that P1 will grow and eventually form a massive star cluster. This study provides a first glimpse of massive, clustered star formation that currently undergoes through an intermediate-mass stage.