Protostellar accretion traced with chemistry: comparing synthetic C¹⁸O maps of embedded protostars to real observations

TY - JOUR

T1 - Protostellar accretion traced with chemistry

T2 - comparing synthetic C18O maps of embedded protostars to real observations

AU - Frimann, Søren

AU - Jørgensen, Jes Kristian

AU - Padoan, Paolo

AU - Haugbølle, Troels

N1 - Accepted for publication in A

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - Context. Understanding how protostars accrete their mass is a central question of star formation. One aspect of this is trying to understand whether the time evolution of accretion rates in deeply embedded objects is best characterised by a smooth decline from early to late stages or by intermittent bursts of high accretion. Aims. We create synthetic observations of deeply embedded protostars in a large numerical simulation of a molecular cloud, which are compared directly to real observations. The goal is to compare episodic accretion events in the simulation to observations and to test the methodology used for analysing the observations. Methods. Simple freeze-out and sublimation chemistry is added to the simulation, and synthetic C18O line cubes are created for a large number of simulated protostars. The spatial extent of C18O is measured for the simulated protostars and compared directly to a sample of 16 deeply embedded protostars observed with the Submillimeter Array. If CO is distributed over a larger area than predicted based on the protostellar luminosity, it may indicate that the luminosity has been higher in the past and that CO is still in the process of refreezing. Results. Approximately 1% of the protostars in the simulation show extended C18O emission, as opposed to approximately 50% in the observations, indicating that the magnitude and frequency of episodic accretion events in the simulation is too low relative to observations. The protostellar accretion rates in the simulation are primarily modulated by infall from the larger scales of the molecular cloud, and do not include any disk physics. The discrepancy between simulation and observations is taken as support for the necessity of disks, even in deeply embedded objects, to produce episodic accretion events of sufficient frequency and amplitude.

AB - Context. Understanding how protostars accrete their mass is a central question of star formation. One aspect of this is trying to understand whether the time evolution of accretion rates in deeply embedded objects is best characterised by a smooth decline from early to late stages or by intermittent bursts of high accretion. Aims. We create synthetic observations of deeply embedded protostars in a large numerical simulation of a molecular cloud, which are compared directly to real observations. The goal is to compare episodic accretion events in the simulation to observations and to test the methodology used for analysing the observations. Methods. Simple freeze-out and sublimation chemistry is added to the simulation, and synthetic C18O line cubes are created for a large number of simulated protostars. The spatial extent of C18O is measured for the simulated protostars and compared directly to a sample of 16 deeply embedded protostars observed with the Submillimeter Array. If CO is distributed over a larger area than predicted based on the protostellar luminosity, it may indicate that the luminosity has been higher in the past and that CO is still in the process of refreezing. Results. Approximately 1% of the protostars in the simulation show extended C18O emission, as opposed to approximately 50% in the observations, indicating that the magnitude and frequency of episodic accretion events in the simulation is too low relative to observations. The protostellar accretion rates in the simulation are primarily modulated by infall from the larger scales of the molecular cloud, and do not include any disk physics. The discrepancy between simulation and observations is taken as support for the necessity of disks, even in deeply embedded objects, to produce episodic accretion events of sufficient frequency and amplitude.

KW - astro-ph.SR

KW - stars: formation

KW - stars: protostars

KW - ISM: molecules

KW - astrochemistry

KW - magnetohydrodynamics

KW - radiative transfer

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201527622

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201527622

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 587

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series

M1 - A60

ER -