Radio Imaging of the NGC 1333 IRAS 4B Region

TL;DR

This study used high-resolution radio observations to analyze the structure and properties of the IRAS 4B region in NGC 1333, revealing details about its components and their emission characteristics.

Contribution

First high-resolution radio imaging of IRAS 4B region, identifying disk-like structure and analyzing the nature of IRAS 4BII as a potential very low luminosity object.

Findings

IRAS 4BI shows a disk-like structure about 50 AU in size.

IRAS 4BII is undetectable in mid-IR, possibly a very low luminosity object.

IRAS 4BI does not exhibit multiplicity.

Abstract

The NGC 1333 IRAS 4B region was observed in the 6.9 mm and 1.3 cm continuum with an angular resolution of about 0.4 arcseconds. IRAS 4BI was detected in both bands, and BII was detected in the 6.9 mm continuum only. The 1.3 cm source of BI seems to be a disk-like flattened structure with a size of about 50 AU. IRAS 4BI does not show any sign of multiplicity. Examinations of archival infrared images show that the dominating emission feature in this region is a bright peak in the southern outflow driven by BI, corresponding to the molecular hydrogen emission source HL 9a. Both BI and BII are undetectable in the mid-IR bands. The upper limit on the far-IR flux of IRAS 4BII suggests that it may be a very low luminosity young stellar object.