CARMA observations of protostellar outflows in NGC 1333

TL;DR

This study uses CARMA observations to map and analyze protostellar outflows in NGC 1333, revealing their properties, impact on turbulence, and potential evolution in a star-forming cluster.

Contribution

It provides detailed measurements of outflow characteristics and their role in turbulence within a protostellar cluster, combining high-resolution data with existing surveys.

Findings

Identified 22 outflow lobes and 9 dense envelopes.

Estimated total outflow mass of 6 solar masses.

Suggests outflows contribute to turbulence maintenance.

Abstract

We present observations of outflows in the star-forming region NGC 1333 using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy (CARMA). We combined the 12CO and 13CO (1-0) CARMA mosaics with data from the 14-m Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) to probe the central, most dense and active region of this protostellar cluster at scales from 5'' to 7' (or 1000 AU to 0.5 pc at a distance of 235 pc). We map and identify 12CO outflows, and along with 13CO data we estimate their mass, momentum and energy. Within the 7'x7' map, the 5'' resolution allows for a detailed study of morphology and kinematics of outflows and outflow candidates, some of which were previously confused with other outflow emission in the region. In total, we identify 22 outflow lobes, as well as 9 dense circumstellar envelopes marked by continuum emission, of which 6 drive outflows. We calculate a total outflow mass, momentum and energy within the mapped region of 6 Msun, 19 Msun km/s, and 7x10^44 erg, respectively. Within this same region, we compare outflow kinematics with turbulence and gravitational energy, and we suggest that outflows are likely important agents for the maintenance of turbulence in this region. In the earliest stages of star formation, outflows do not yet contribute enough energy to totally disrupt the clustered region where most star formation is happening, but have the potential to do so as the protostellar sources evolve. Our results can be used to constrain outflow properties, such as outflow strength, in numerical simulations of outflow-driven turbulence in clusters.