Investigating Particle Acceleration in Protostellar Jets: The Triple Radio Continuum Source in Serpens

TL;DR

This paper investigates non-thermal synchrotron emission in the protostellar jet of the Triple Radio Source in Serpens, providing evidence for particle acceleration mechanisms in intermediate-mass protostellar jets.

Contribution

It presents radio observations and analysis of the Serpens jet, highlighting the presence of non-thermal emission and discussing particle acceleration in protostellar jets.

Findings

Detection of non-thermal radio emission in the Serpens jet.

Analysis supports shock acceleration of particles at jet-environment interactions.

Insights into the physical conditions enabling synchrotron emission in protostellar jets.

Abstract

While most protostellar jets present free-free emission at radio wavelengths, synchrotron emission has been also proposed to be present in a handful of these objects. The presence of non-thermal emission has been inferred by negative spectral indices at centimeter wavelengths. In one case (the HH 80-81 jet arising from a massive protostar), its synchrotron nature was confirmed by the detection of linearly polarized radio emission. One of the main consequences of these results is that synchrotron emission implies the presence of relativistic particles among the non-relativistic material of these jets. Therefore, an acceleration mechanism should be taking place. The most probable scenario is that particles are accelerated when the jets strongly impact against the dense envelope surrounding the protostar. Here, we present an analysis of radio observations obtained with the Very Large Array of the Triple Radio Source in the Serpens star-forming region. This object is known to be a radio jet arising from an intermediate-mass protostar. It is also one of the first protostellar jets where the presence of non-thermal emission was proposed. We analysed the dynamics of the jet as well as the nature of the emission and discuss these issues in the context of the physical parameters of the jet and the particle acceleration phenomenon.