ALMA Observations toward the S-shaped Outflow and the Envelope around NGC1333 IRAS 4A2

TL;DR

This study uses ALMA data to analyze the complex outflow and envelope structures around NGC1333 IRAS 4A2, revealing an S-shaped outflow, a misaligned magnetic field, and high-velocity components, advancing understanding of protostellar evolution.

Contribution

First detailed ALMA analysis of the S-shaped outflow and envelope around IRAS 4A2, linking observations with MHD simulations and proposing explanations for the morphology and dynamics.

Findings

S-shaped outflow morphology linked to magnetic field misalignment or binary precession.

Discovery of a high-velocity component near IRAS 4A2.

Opposite velocity gradients in envelope and outflow regions.

Abstract

We have analyzed the ALMA archival data of the SO ($J_N=6_5-5_4$ and $J_N=7_6-6_5$), CO ($J=2-1$), and CCH ($N=3-2, J=7/2-5/2, F=4-3$) lines from the class 0 protobinary system, NGC1333 IRAS 4A. The images of SO ($J_N = 6_5-5_4$) and CO ($J=2-1$) successfully separate two northern outflow lobes connected to each protostar, IRAS 4A1 and IRAS 4A2. The outflow from IRAS 4A2 shows an S-shaped morphology, consisting of a flattened envelope around IRAS 4A2 with two outflow lobes connected to both edges of the envelope. The flattened envelope surrounding IRAS 4A2 has an opposite velocity gradient to that of the circumbinary envelope. The observed features are reproduced by the magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the collapsing core whose magnetic field direction is misaligned to the rotational axis. Our simulation shows that the intensity of the outflow lobes is enhanced on one side, resulting in the formation of S-shaped morphology. The S-shaped outflow can also be explained by the precessing outflow launched from an unresolved binary with a separation larger than 12 au (0.04arcsec). Additionally, we discovered a previously unknown extremely high velocity component at $\sim$45-90 km/s near IRAS 4A2 with CO. CCH ($J_{N,F}=7/2_{3,4}-5/2_{2,3}$) emission shows two pairs of blobs attaching to the bottom of shell like feature, and the morphology is significantly different from those of SO and CO lines. Toward IRAS 4A2, the S-shaped outflow shown in SO is overlapped with the edges of CCH shells, while CCH shells have the velocity gradients opposite to the flattened structure around IRAS 4A2.