Discovery of extremely high velocity "molecular bullets" in the HH 80-81 high-mass star-forming region

Abstract

We present Submillimeter Array 1.3 mm waveband continuum and molecular line observations of the HH 80-81 high-mass star-forming region. The dust continuum emission reveals two dominant peaks, MM1 and MM2, and line emission from high-density tracers suggests the presence of another core, MC. Molecular line emission from MM1, which harbors the exciting source of the HH 80-81 radio jet, yields a hot molecular core at a gas temperature of 110 K. The two younger cores, MM2 and MC, both appear to power collimated CO outflows. In particular, the outflow arising from MM2 exhibits a jet-like morphology and a broad velocity range of 190 kms-1. The outflow contains compact and fast moving molecular clumps, known as "molecular bullets," first discovered in low-mass class 0 protostellar outflows. These "bullets" cannot be locally entrained or swept up from the ambient gas, but are more likely ejected from the close vicinity of the central protostar. The discovery of this remarkable outflow manifests an episodic, disk-mediated accretion for massive star formation. © 2009. The American Astronomical Society.