3-D Kinematics of the near-IR HH 223 outflow in L723

TL;DR

This study derives the full 3-D kinematics of the HH 223 outflow in L723, linking near-infrared and CO outflows and identifying their exciting source using multi-epoch imaging and spectroscopy.

Contribution

First application of multi-object spectroscopy in the near-infrared for an extended outflow, providing detailed 3-D kinematic analysis of HH 223.

Findings

Confirmed the relationship between near-infrared and CO outflows.

Identified the exciting source of the outflow.

Demonstrated the effectiveness of MOS in near-infrared for extended objects.

Abstract

In this work we derive the full 3-D kinematics of the near-infrared outflow HH 223, located in the dark cloud Lynds 723 (L723), where a well-defined quadrupolar CO outflow is found. HH 223 appears projected onto the two lobes of the east-west CO outflow. The radio continuum source VLA 2, towards the centre of the CO outflow, harbours a multiple system of low-mass young stellar objects. One of the components has been proposed to be the exciting source of the east-west CO outflow. From the analisys of the kinematics, we get further evidence on the relationship between the near-infrared and CO outflows and on the location of their exciting source. The proper motions were derived using multi-epoch, narrow-band H$_2$ (2.122 $\mu$m line) images. Radial velocities were derived from the 2.122 $\mu$m line of the spectra. Because of the extended (~5 arcmin), S-shaped morphology of the target, the spectra were obtained with the Multi-Object-Spectroscopy (MOS) observing mode using the instrument LIRIS at the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope. To our knowledge, this work is the first time that MOS observing mode has been successfully used in the near infrared range for an extended target.