Multi-frequency Studies of Massive Cores with Complex Spatial and Kinematic Structures

TL;DR

This study investigates the physical and kinematic properties of dense cores in massive star-forming regions using multi-frequency molecular line observations, revealing complex motions and molecular abundances.

Contribution

It provides detailed measurements of core parameters, molecular abundances, and kinematic motions, highlighting the diversity and complexity of massive star-forming cores.

Findings

Core temperatures are 20-40 K.

Molecular line widths decrease with distance from core centers.

Evidence of collapse and expansion motions in different cores.

Abstract

Five regions of massive star formation have been observed in various molecular lines in the frequency range $\sim 85-89$ GHz. The studied regions possess dense cores, which host young stellar objects. The physical parameters of the cores are estimated, including kinetic temperatures ($\sim 20-40$ K), sizes of the emitting regions ($\sim 0.1-0.6$ pc), and virial masses ($\sim 40-500 M_{\odot}$). Column densities and abundances of various molecules are calculated in the local thermodynamical equilibrium approximation. The core in 99.982+4.17, associated with the weakest IRAS source, is characterized by reduced molecular abundances. Molecular line widths decrease with increasing distance from the core centers ($b$). For $b\ga 0.1$~pc, the dependences $\Delta V(b)$ are close to power laws ($\propto b^{-p}$), where $p$ varies from $\sim 0.2$ to $\sim 0.5$, depending on the object. In four cores, the asymmetries of the optically thick HCN(1--0) and HCO$^+$(1--0) lines indicate systematic motions along the line of sight: collapse in two cores and expansion in two others. Approximate estimates of the accretion rates in the collapsing cores indicate that the forming stars have masses exceeding the solar mass.