Probing the hidden atomic gas in Class I jets with SOFIA

TL;DR

This study uses SOFIA observations of five Class I protostellar outflows to map warm atomic gas via [OI] lines, aiming to understand jet composition and estimate mass-loss rates.

Contribution

It provides the first spatially resolved [OI] maps of Class I outflows, revealing the extent of warm atomic gas and enabling mass-loss rate measurements.

Findings

Spatial extent of atomic gas mapped in outflows.

Potential to measure jet mass-loss rates.

Insights into atomic component of protostellar jets.

Abstract

We present SOFIA/FIFI-LS observations of five prototypical, low-mass Class I outflows (HH111, SVS13, HH26, HH34, HH30) in the far-infrared [OI]63mum and [OI]145mum transitions. The obtained spectroscopic [OI]63mum and [OI]145mum maps enable us to study the spatial extent of warm, low-excitation atomic gas within outflows driven by Class I protostars. These [OI] maps may potentially allow us to measure the mass-loss rates ($\dot{M}_\text{jet}$) of this warm component of the atomic jet.