Revealing a Centrally Condensed Structure in OMC-3/MMS 3 with ALMA High Resolution Observations

TL;DR

Using ALMA's high-resolution observations, we revealed a highly centrally condensed structure with a bipolar outflow in MMS 3, indicating a young low-mass protostar in the Orion Molecular Cloud 3 region.

Contribution

This study presents the first high-resolution imaging of MMS 3, uncovering its compact core, envelope, and outflow, providing new insights into early protostellar evolution.

Findings

Detected a compact, centrally condensed continuum source.

Identified a bipolar outflow aligned perpendicular to the envelope.

Estimated the protostar's age to be around 1000 years.

Abstract

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we investigated a peculiar millimeter source MMS 3 located in the Orion Molecular Cloud 3 (OMC-3) region in the 1.3 mm continuum, CO ($J$=2-1), SiO ($J$=5-4), C$^{18}$O ($J$=2-1), N$_2$D$^+$ ($J$=3-2), and DCN ($J$=3-2) emissions. With the ALMA high angular resolution ($\sim$0''.2), we detected a very compact and highly centrally condensed continuum emission with a size of 0''.45 $\times$ 0''.32 (P.A.=0.22$^\circ$). The peak position coincides with the locations of previously reported $Spitzer$/IRAC and X-ray sources within their positional uncertainties. We also detected an envelope with a diameter of $\sim$6800 au (P.A.=75$^\circ$) in the C$^{18}$O ($J$=2-1) emission. Moreover, a bipolar outflow was detected in the CO ($J$=2-1) emission for the first time. The outflow elongates roughly perpendicular to the long axis of the envelope detected in the C$^{18}$O ($J$=2-1) emission. Compact high-velocity CO gas in the (red-shifted) velocity range of 22-30 km s$^{-1}$, presumably tracing a jet, was detected near the 1.3 mm continuum peak. A compact and faint red-shifted SiO emission was marginally detected on the CO outflow lobe. The physical quantities of the outflow in MMS 3 are relatively smaller than those in other sources in the OMC-3 region. The centrally condensed object associated with the near-infrared and X-ray sources, the flattened envelope, and the faint outflow indicate that MMS 3 harbors a low mass protostar with an age of $\sim$10$^3$ yr.