How do dense cores embedded in a pc scale filamentary clouds form, by gas flow motions along filamentary clouds and/or contracting motions by themselves?

  • Kim, Shinyoung (Korea Astronomy and Space science Institute) ;
  • Lee, Chang Won (Korea Astronomy and Space science Institute) ;
  • Myers, Philip C. (Center for Astrophysics, Harvard-Smithsonian) ;
  • Caselli, Paola (Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik) ;
  • Kim, Mi-Ryang (Korea Astronomy and Space science Institute)
  • Published : 2020.10.13

Abstract

Understanding how the filamentary structure plays a role in the formation of the prestellar cores and stars is a key issue to challenge. We have observed two prestellar cores in surrounding filamentary environments in 13CO, C180 (3-2) and HCO+ (4-3) molecular lines with the Heterodyne Array Receiver Program (HARP) of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), in order to search for the evidence related to the possible flow motions along the filament and/or the radial accretion (or infalling motions) of gas material toward the dense cores from their surrounding filamentary cloud. In L1544, the velocity gradient of 1.6 km s-1 pc-1 toward the core was measured in a small branch of filament lying on a radial direction of main filament while no velocity gradient along the main axis of filament in both 13CO and C18O lines. In L694-2, we found the velocity gradient of 0.6 km s-1 pc-1 along the filament in only 13CO lines. The projected accretion rate of ~6 M◉ Myr-1 was estimated in both cases. The infall (or radially contracting) velocity of gas material was measured ~0.16 km s-1 in both 13CO and HCO+ lines and in both L1544 and L694-2, which leads to estimate a mass infall rate of ~20 M◉ Myr-1. Our analysis suggests that our targets are at a stage where the gravitational contraction dominates the mass accretion through the surrounding filamentary cloud. This is consistent with the fact that our targets are highly evolved prestellar cores on a verge of star formation. More detailed results will be presented at the meeting.

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