The curved jet in the young star FN Tau

TL;DR

This paper reports the detection of a curved bipolar jet and Herbig-Haro objects near FN Tau, suggesting jet precession possibly caused by disk dynamics, linked to past stellar outbursts.

Contribution

First observation of a curved jet in FN Tau, proposing jet precession due to disk dynamics as the cause, and linking it to historical stellar outbursts.

Findings

Detected microjet and Herbig-Haro objects near FN Tau.

Jet axis inclined at less than 20 degrees to line of sight.

Historical outbursts likely triggered the microjet.

Abstract

In the vicinity of the young star FN Tau, we have detected a microjet and four Herbig-Haro objects, whose positions and kinematics indicate the presence of a bipolar collimated outflow from the star - HH 1267. The stellar jet does not propagate rectilinearly, and we discuss the possibility that the curved shape of the jet, whose axis is inclined to the line of sight at an angle $<20^\circ$, results from the precession of the inner regions of the FN Tau protoplanetary disk. Approximately 60 years ago, the star underwent outbursts with an amplitude of $\Delta m_{\rm pg} \sim 2^{\rm m}$ lasting several months, which we associate with the onset of the microjet.