Atomic Shocks in the Outflow of L1551 IRS 5 Identified with SOFIA-upGREAT Observations of [OI]

TL;DR

This study uses SOFIA/upGREAT observations to analyze atomic shocks in the outflows of the protostar L1551 IRS 5, revealing broad [OI] emission components linked to shocks and atomic winds, and supporting a momentum-conserving outflow model.

Contribution

First detection of broad [OI] emission components associated with shocks and atomic winds in L1551 IRS 5 using velocity-resolved SOFIA observations.

Findings

[OI] emission is only detected in the blue-shifted outflow, indicating shock origin.

The broad [OI] component suggests atomic winds with a mass loss rate of ~1.3×10^{-6} M_sun/yr.

Atomic winds carry most of the momentum, driving the molecular outflows.

Abstract

We present velocity resolved SOFIA/upGREAT observations of [OI] and [CII] lines toward a Class I protostar, L1551 IRS 5, and its outflows. The SOFIA observations detect [OI] emission toward only the protostar and [CII] emission toward the protostar and the red-shifted outflow. The [OI] emission has a width of $\sim$100 km s$^{-1}$ only in the blue-shifted velocity, suggesting an origin in shocked gas. The [CII] lines are narrow, consistent with an origin in a photodissociation region. Differential dust extinction from the envelope due to the inclination of the outflows is the most likely cause of the missing red-shifted [OI] emission. Fitting the [OI] line profile with two Gaussian components, we find one component at the source velocity with a width of $\sim$20 km s$^{-1}$ and another extremely broad component at -30 km s$^{-1}$ with a width of 87.5 km s$^{-1}$, the latter of which has not been seen in L1551 IRS 5. The kinematics of these two components resemble cavity shocks in molecular outflows and spot shocks in jets. Radiative transfer calculations of the [OI], high-J CO, and H$_2$O lines in the cavity shocks indicate that [OI] dominates the oxygen budget, making up more than 70% of the total gaseous oxygen abundance and suggesting [O]/[H] of $\sim$1.5$\times$10$^{-4}$. Attributing the extremely broad [OI] component to atomic winds, we estimate the intrinsic mass loss rate of (1.3$\pm$0.8)$\times$ 10$^{-6}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The intrinsic mass loss rates derived from low-J CO, [OI], and HI are similar, supporting the model of momentum-conserving outflows, where the atomic wind carries most momentum and drives the molecular outflows.