Episodic infall towards a compact disk in B335?

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution ALMA data to investigate gas infall and potential disk formation in B335, revealing signs of an emerging disk and asymmetric infall velocities exceeding free-fall speeds, challenging magnetic braking models.

Contribution

It provides the first high-resolution imaging evidence of an elliptical dust structure and asymmetric infall in B335, suggesting early disk formation and complex kinematics.

Findings

Elliptical dust structure (~10x7 au) indicating a forming disk.

Asymmetric infall predominantly from north and south.

Infall velocities exceeding free-fall speeds near the protostar.

Abstract

Previous observations of B335 have presented evidence of ongoing infall in various molecular lines, e.g., HCO$^+$, HCN, CO. There have been no confirmed observations of a rotationally supported disk on scales greater than ~12~au. The presence of an outflow in B335 suggests that also a disk should be present or in formation. To constrain the earliest stages of protostellar evolution and disk formation, we aim to map the region where gas falls inwards and observationally constrain its kinematics. Furthermore, we aim to put strong limits on the size and orientation of any disk-like structure in B335. We use high angular resolution $^{13}$CO data from ALMA, and combine it with shorter-baseline archival data to produce a high-fidelity image of the infall in B335. We also revisit the imaging of high-angular resolution Band 6 continuum data to study the dust distribution in the immediate vicinity of B335. Continuum emission shows an elliptical structure (10 by 7 au) with a position angle 5 degrees east of north, consistent with the expectation for a forming disk in B335. A map of the infall velocity (as estimated from the $^{13}$CO emission), shows evidence of asymmetric infall, predominantly from the north and south. Close to the protostar, infall velocities appear to exceed free-fall velocities. 3D radiative transfer models, where the infall velocity is allowed to vary within the infall region, can explain the observed kinematics. The data suggests that a disk has started to form in B335 and that gas is falling towards that disk. However, kinematically-resolved line data towards the disk itself is needed to confirm the presence of a rotationally supported disk around this young protostar. The measured high infall velocities are not easily reconcilable with a magnetic braking scenario and suggest that there is a pressure gradient that allows the infall velocity to vary in the region.