The environmental imprint on molecular layering in the dusty streamer of M512
M. De Simone, L. Cacciapuoti, D. Capela, E. Macias, L. Podio + 5 more
TLDR
Study of the M512 protostellar streamer reveals chemical stratification and environmental shaping, challenging single-flow accretion models.
Key contributions
- M512 protostellar streamer exhibits clear chemical stratification of C18O, DCO+, and N2D+ species.
- Chemical layering indicates environmental shaping, not a simple coherent infalling flow, for the streamer.
- Only the densest gas close to the protostar is likely to accrete onto the disk.
- Highlights the critical role of the surrounding cloud's imprint on streamer morphology and chemistry.
Why it matters
This paper challenges the simple infalling flow model for protostellar streamers. It shows environmental factors critically shape their chemistry and morphology, influencing disk accretion. This is vital for understanding disk growth.
Original Abstract
Protostellar streamers are elongated structures that channel material from larger scale onto disks, influencing their physical and chemical evolution. The M512 protostar in Orion/Lynds 1641 hosts one of the most massive and extended streamer discovered so far, offering a unique opportunity to study these processes. We investigate the morphology, chemistry, and origin of this streamer,and its potential impact on the protostellar disk. Using archival ALMA observations of C18O, DCO+, N2D+, and HCO+, we compare their spatial distributions through moment maps and spatial profiles. The streamer shows clear chemical stratification: C18O lies on the western side of the protostar, N2D+ is farther out to the east, and DCO+ is in the middle. This suggests that the structure has been shaped by environmental effects rather than tracing a single coherent infalling flow, with only the densest gas near the protostar likely to accrete onto the disk. Overall, the bulk of the streamer reflects the physical and chemical imprint of the surrounding cloud, highlighting the importance of environmental shaping in interpreting streamer-disk connections and their role in disk growth.
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