A Monopolar Jet from Protostar HOPS 10: Evidence for Asymmetric Magnetized Launching

TL;DR

This study presents high-resolution observations of the protostar HOPS 10, revealing a unique monopolar jet likely caused by asymmetric mass loading, advancing understanding of jet launching mechanisms in star formation.

Contribution

First detailed observation of a monopolar protostellar jet, providing evidence for asymmetric magnetic launching in star formation.

Findings

Detected a clear monopolar high-velocity jet in HOPS 10.

Confirmed the jet's collimation and asymmetry with multiple tracers.

Suggested asymmetric mass loading as the cause of monopolarity.

Abstract

A fundamental challenge in star formation is understanding how a protostar accretes mass from its circumstellar disk while removing excess angular momentum. Protostellar jets are widely invoked as the primary channels for angular momentum removal, yet the mechanism by which they are launched and extract angular momentum remains poorly constrained. Here we report high-resolution ALMA Band 7 (345 GHz) and Band 6 (230 GHz) observations of CO (3-2), CO (2-1), and SiO (5-4) emission from the protostar HOPS 10 (G209.55-19.68S2). The combined data trace both the entrained outflow and the collimated jet with excellent spatial and velocity resolution, revealing a uniquely monopolar protostellar jet, the clearest example reported to date. The system exhibits a distinctly unipolar high-velocity jet with velocity offsets of +44 to +66 km s-1, unlike the predominantly bipolar morphology characteristic of most protostellar jets. While the low-velocity outflow, with velocity offsets of -20 to +30 km s-1, is detected in both directions, the high-velocity jet appears only on one side, and this monopolarity is consistent across all tracers. Given the nearly edge-on geometry and low submillimeter extinction, comparable emission would normally be expected from both lobes. The shock tracer SiO emission confirms a genuine, highly collimated jet rather than cloud contamination, and no ambient structure is capable of obscuring a counterjet. We argue that intrinsically asymmetric mass loading along the disk magnetic field lines provides the most plausible explanation for the observed monopolarity.