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Measuring the ionisation fraction in a jet from a massive protostar
Date Issued
2019-08-09
Date Available
2019-10-11T08:57:40Z
Abstract
It is important to determine if massive stars form via disc accretion, like their low-mass counterparts. Theory and observation indicate that protostellar jets are a natural consequence of accretion discs and are likely to be crucial for removing angular momentum during the collapse. However, massive protostars are typically rarer, more distant and more dust enshrouded, making observational studies of their jets more challenging. A fundamental question is whether the degree of ionisation in jets is similar across the mass spectrum. Here we determine an ionisation fraction of ~5–12% in the jet from the massive protostar G35.20-0.74N, based on spatially coincident infrared and radio emission. This is similar to the values found in jets from lower-mass young stars, implying a unified mechanism of shock ionisation applies in jets across most of the protostellar mass spectrum, up to at least ~10 solar masses.
Sponsorship
European Commission Horizon 2020
European Research Council
Science Foundation Ireland
Other Sponsorship
National Science Foundation (USA)
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
Springer
Journal
Nature Communications
Volume
10
Copyright (Published Version)
2019 the Authors
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2041-1723
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
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