[OI]63micron jets in class 0 sources detected by Herschel

Abstract

We present Herschel PACS mapping observations of the [OI]63 micron line towards protostellar outflows in the L1448, NGC1333-IRAS4, HH46, BHR71 and VLA1623 star forming regions. We detect emission spatially resolved along the outflow direction, which can be associated with a low excitation atomic jet. In the L1448-C, HH46 IRS and BHR71 IRS1 outflows this emission is kinematically resolved into blue- and red-shifted jet lobes, having radial velocities up to 200 km/s. In the L1448-C atomic jet the velocity increases with the distance from the protostar, similarly to what observed in the SiO jet associated with this source. This suggests that [OI] and molecular gas are kinematically connected and that this latter could represent the colder cocoon of a jet at higher excitation. Mass flux rates (M$_{jet}$(OI)) have been measured from the [OI]63micron luminosity adopting two independent methods. We find values in the range 1-4 10$^{-7}$ Mo/yr for all sources but HH46, for which an order of magnitude higher value is estimated. M$_{jet}$(OI) are compared with mass accretion rates (M$_{acc}$) onto the protostar and with M$_{jet}$ derived from ground-based CO observations. M$_{jet}$(OI)/M$_{acc}$ ratios are in the range 0.05-0.5, similar to the values for more evolved sources. M$_{jet}$(OI) in HH46 IRS and IRAS4A are comparable to M$_{jet}$(CO), while those of the remaining sources are significantly lower than the corresponding M$_{jet}$(CO). We speculate that for these three sources most of the mass flux is carried out by a molecular jet, while the warm atomic gas does not significantly contribute to the dynamics of the system.

37 pages and 12 figures, accepted for publication on Astrophysical Journal