MPE: Close-up View Reveals Binary Protostars in Formation

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MPE: Close-up View Reveals Binary Protostars in Formation

Post by bystander » Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:07 pm

Close-up View Reveals Binary Protostars in the Process of Assemblage
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics | 2020 Jun 09
High-resolution observations of a young star forming system clearly unveil a pair of proto-stars at their earliest stages of evolution deeply embedded within the source IRAS 16293-2422 in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. The team led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics used the ALMA interferometer not only to pin down the source configuration, but also to measure the gas and stellar kinematics, determining the mass of the young binary. The two close proto-stars are somewhat heavier than previously thought and they revolve around each other once in about 400 years.

The system called IRAS 16293-2422 is one of the brightest star-forming regions in our neighborhood. It is located in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud at a distance of about 460 light-years and has been widely studied, also because it shows strong emission of numerous complex organic molecules, building blocks of pre-biotic species. However, until now the detailed configuration of the region was unclear, with observations at different wavelengths showing multiple compact sources at slightly different locations. This confusion was due to the large amount of material in front of the nascent proto-stars, expected at these earliest stages of formation. ...

Orbital and Mass Constraints of the Young Binary System IRAS 16293-2422 A ~ Maria Jose Maureira et al
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