The Envelope and Embedded Disk around the Class 0 Protostar L1157-mm: Dual-wavelength Interferometric Observations and Modeling

TL;DR

This study uses dual-wavelength interferometry and modeling to analyze the structure of the Class 0 protostar L1157-mm, revealing a steep density profile, signs of grain growth, and constraints on the embedded disk.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed dual-wavelength observational analysis combined with Bayesian modeling to characterize the envelope and disk of L1157-mm, favoring a power-law envelope model.

Findings

Steep density profile with index ~2

Dust opacity spectral index (beta) ~0.9 indicating grain growth

Embedded disk < 40 AU in radius and < 4-25 M_Jup in mass

Abstract

We present dual-wavelength observations and modeling of the nearly edge-on Class 0 young stellar object L1157-mm. Using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy, a nearly spherical structure is seen from the circumstellar envelope at the size scale of 10^2 to 10^3 AU in both 1 mm and 3 mm dust emission. Radiative transfer modeling is performed to compare data with theoretical envelope models, including a power-law envelope model and the Terebey-Shu-Cassen model. Bayesian inference is applied for parameter estimation and information criteria is used for model selection. The results prefer the power-law envelope model against the Terebey-Shu-Cassen model. In particular, for the power-law envelope model, a steep density profile with an index of ~2 is inferred. Moreover, the dust opacity spectral index (beta) is estimated to be ~0.9, implying that grain growth has started at L1157-mm. Also, the unresolved disk component is constrained to be < 40 AU in radius and < 4-25 M_Jup in mass. However, the estimate of the embedded disk component relies on the assumed envelope model.