Jets from massive protostars as gamma-ray sources: the case of IRAS 18162-2048

TL;DR

This paper models gamma-ray emission from jets of the massive protostar IRAS 18162-2048, suggesting that current gamma-ray observatories could detect such emissions, thus linking protostellar jets to high-energy astrophysics.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed modeling of gamma-ray emission from a specific massive protostellar jet, demonstrating its detectability with current instruments.

Findings

Gamma-ray emission from IRAS 18162-2048 jets is detectable by current facilities.

Non-thermal particles in protostellar jets can produce gamma-rays.

Protostellar jets may contribute to the gamma-ray sky.

Abstract

Protostellar jets are present in the later stages of the stellar formation. Non-thermal radio emission has been detected from the jets and hot spots of some massive protostars, indicating the presence of relativistic electrons there. We are interested in exploring if these non-thermal particles can emit also at gamma-rays. In the present contribution we model the non-thermal emission produced in the jets associated with the massive protostar IRAS 18162-2048. We obtain that the gamma-ray emission produced in this source is detectable by the current facilities in the GeV domain.