Subarcsecond Imaging of the NGC 6334 I(N) Protocluster: Two Dozen Compact Sources and a Massive Disk Candidate

Using the SMA and VLA, we have imaged the massive protocluster NGC6334I(N) at high angular resolution (0.5"~650AU) from 6cm to 0.87mm, detecting 18 new compact continuum sources. Three of the new sources are coincident with previously-identified water masers. Together with the previously-known sources, these data bring the number of likely protocluster members to 25 for a protostellar density of ~700 pc^-3. Our preliminary measurement of the Q-parameter of the minimum spanning tree is 0.82 -- close to the value for a uniform volume distribution. All of the (nine) sources with detections at multiple frequencies have SEDs consistent with dust emission, and two (SMA1b and SMA4) also have long wavelength emission consistent with a central hypercompact HII region. Thermal spectral line emission, including CH3CN, is detected in six sources: LTE model fitting of CH3CN(J=12-11) yields temperatures of 72-373K, confirming the presence of multiple hot cores. The fitted LSR velocities range from -3.3 to -7.0 km/s, with an unbiased mean square deviation of 2.05 km/s, implying a dynamical mass of 410+-260 Msun for the protocluster. From analysis of a wide range of hot core molecules, the kinematics of SMA1b are consistent with a rotating, infalling Keplerian disk of diameter 800AU and enclosed mass of 10-30 Msun that is perpendicular (within 1 degree) to the large-scale bipolar outflow axis. A companion to SMA1b at a projected separation of 0.45" (590AU; SMA1d), which shows no evidence of spectral line emission, is also confirmed. Finally, we detect one 218.440GHz and several 229.7588GHz Class-I methanol masers.Comment: 54 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Version 2: Keywords updated, and three "in press" citations updated to journal reference. Version 3: corrected the error in the quantum numbers of the 218 GHz methanol transition in the text and in Table 8. For a PDF version with full-resolution figures, see http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~thunter/papers/ngc6334in2014.pd

First Results from a 1.3 cm EVLA Survey of Massive Protostellar Objects: G35.03+0.35

We have performed a 1.3 centimeter survey of 24 massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) using the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). The sources in the sample exhibit a broad range of massive star formation signposts including Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs), UCHII regions, and extended 4.5 micron emission in the form of Extended Green Objects (EGOs). In this work, we present results for G35.03+0.35 which exhibits all of these phenomena. We simultaneously image the 1.3 cm ammonia (1,1) through (6,6) inversion lines, four methanol transitions, two H recombination lines, plus continuum at 0.05 pc resolution. We find three areas of thermal ammonia emission, two within the EGO (designated the NE and SW cores) and one toward an adjacent IRDC. The NE core contains an UCHII region (CM1) and a candidate HCHII region (CM2). A region of non-thermal, likely masing ammonia (3,3) and (6,6) emission is coincident with an arc of 44 GHz methanol masers. We also detect two new 25 GHz Class I methanol masers. A complementary Submillimeter Array 1.3 mm continuum image shows that the distribution of dust emission is similar to the lower-lying ammonia lines, all peaking to the NW of CM2, indicating the likely presence of an additional MYSO in this protocluster. By modeling the ammonia and 1.3 mm continuum data, we obtain gas temperatures of 20-220 K and masses of 20-130 solar. The diversity of continuum emission properties and gas temperatures suggest that objects in a range of evolutionary states exist concurrently in this protocluster.Comment: To appear in Astrophysical Journal Letters Special Issue on the EVLA. 16 pages, 3 figures. Includes the complete version of Figure 3, which was unable to fit into the journal article due to the number of panel

VLA Observations of the Infrared Dark Cloud G19.30+0.07

We present Very Large Array observations of ammonia (NH3) (1,1), (2,2), and CCS (2_1-1_0) emission toward the Infrared Dark Cloud (IRDC) G19.30+0.07 at ~22GHz. The NH3 emission closely follows the 8 micron extinction. The NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) lines provide diagnostics of the temperature and density structure within the IRDC, with typical rotation temperatures of ~10 to 20K and NH3 column densities of ~10^15 cm^-2. The estimated total mass of G19.30+0.07 is ~1130 Msun. The cloud comprises four compact NH3 clumps of mass ~30 to 160 Msun. Two coincide with 24 micron emission, indicating heating by protostars, and show evidence of outflow in the NH3 emission. We report a water maser associated with a third clump; the fourth clump is apparently starless. A non-detection of 8.4GHz emission suggests that the IRDC contains no bright HII regions, and places a limit on the spectral type of an embedded ZAMS star to early-B or later. From the NH3 emission we find G19.30+0.07 is composed of three distinct velocity components, or "subclouds." One velocity component contains the two 24 micron sources and the starless clump, another contains the clump with the water maser, while the third velocity component is diffuse, with no significant high-density peaks. The spatial distribution of NH3 and CCS emission from G19.30+0.07 is highly anti-correlated, with the NH3 predominantly in the high-density clumps, and the CCS tracing lower-density envelopes around those clumps. This spatial distribution is consistent with theories of evolution for chemically young low-mass cores, in which CCS has not yet been processed to other species and/or depleted in high-density regions.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication by ApJ. Please contact the authors for higher resolution versions of the figure

The Protocluster G18.67+0.03: A Test Case for Class I Methanol Masers as Evolutionary Indicators for Massive Star Formation

We present high angular resolution Submillimeter Array (SMA) and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the massive protocluster G18.67+0.03. Previously targeted in maser surveys of GLIMPSE Extended Green Objects (EGOs), this cluster contains three Class I methanol maser sources, providing a unique opportunity to test the proposed role of Class I masers as evolutionary indicators for massive star formation. The millimeter observations reveal bipolar molecular outflows, traced by 13CO(2-1) emission, associated with all three Class I maser sources. Two of these sources (including the EGO) are also associated with 6.7 GHz Class II methanol masers; the Class II masers are coincident with millimeter continuum cores that exhibit hot core line emission and drive active outflows, as indicated by the detection of SiO(5-4). In these cases, the Class I masers are coincident with outflow lobes, and appear as clear cases of excitation by active outflows. In contrast, the third Class I source is associated with an ultracompact HII region, and not with Class II masers. The lack of SiO emission suggests the 13CO outflow is a relic, consistent with its longer dynamical timescale. Our data show that massive young stellar objects associated only with Class I masers are not necessarily young, and provide the first unambiguous evidence that Class I masers may be excited by both young (hot core) and older (UC HII) MYSOs within the same protocluster.Comment: Astrophysical Journal Letters, accepted. emulateapj, 7 pages including 4 figures and 1 table. Figures compressed. v2: coauthor affiliation updated, emulateapj versio

VLA Survey of Dense Gas in Extended Green Objects: Prevalence of 25 GHz Methanol Masers

We present $\sim1-4"$ resolution Very Large Array (VLA) observations of four CH$_3$OH $J_2-J_1$-$E$ 25~GHz transitions ($J$=3, 5, 8, 10) along with 1.3~cm continuum toward 20 regions of active massive star formation containing Extended Green Objects (EGOs), 14 of which we have previously studied with the VLA in the Class~I 44~GHz and Class~II 6.7~GHz maser lines (Cyganowski et al. 2009). Sixteen regions are detected in at least one 25~GHz line ($J$=5), with 13 of 16 exhibiting maser emission. In total, we report 34 new sites of CH$_3$OH maser emission and ten new sites of thermal CH$_3$OH emission, significantly increasing the number of 25~GHz Class I CH$_3$OH masers observed at high angular resolution. We identify probable or likely maser counterparts at 44~GHz for all 15 of the 25~GHz masers for which we have complementary data, providing further evidence that these masers trace similar physical conditions despite uncorrelated flux densities. The sites of thermal and maser emission of CH$_3$OH are both predominantly associated with the 4.5 $\mu$m emission from the EGO, and the presence of thermal CH$_3$OH emission is accompanied by 1.3~cm continuum emission in 9 out of 10 cases. Of the 19 regions that exhibit 1.3~cm continuum emission, it is associated with the EGO in 16 cases (out of a total of 20 sites), 13 of which are new detections at 1.3~cm. Twelve of the 1.3~cm continuum sources are associated with 6.7~GHz maser emission and likely trace deeply-embedded massive protostars

Investigation of juncture stress fields in multicellular shell structures

Discontinuity stress fields in thin elastic multicellular shell structures subject to inertial, pressure, and thermal loadin

OH (1720 MHz) Masers: A Multiwavelength Study of the Interaction between the W51C Supernova Remnant and the W51B Star Forming Region

We present a comprehensive view of the W51B HII region complex and the W51C supernova remnant (SNR) using new radio observations from the VLA, VLBA, MERLIN, JCMT, and CSO along with archival data from Spitzer, ROSAT, ASCA, and Chandra. Our VLA data include the first 400 cm (74 MHz) continuum image of W51 at high resolution (88 arcsec). The 400 cm image shows non-thermal emission surrounding the G49.2-0.3 HII region, and a compact source of non-thermal emission (W51B_NT) coincident with the previously-identified OH (1720 MHz) maser spots, non-thermal 21 and 90 cm emission, and a hard X-ray source. W51B_NT falls within the region of high likelihood for the position of TeV gamma-ray emission. Using the VLBA three OH (1720 MHz) maser spots are detected in the vicinity of W51B_NT with sizes of 60 to 300 AU and Zeeman effect magnetic field strengths of 1.5 to 2.2 mG. The multiwavelength data demonstrate that the northern end of the W51B HII region complex has been partly enveloped by the advancing W51C SNR and this interaction explains the presence of W51B_NT and the OH masers. This interaction also appears in the thermal molecular gas which partially encircles W51B_NT and exhibits narrow pre-shock (DeltaV 5 km/s) and broad post-shock (DeltaV 20 km/s) velocity components. RADEX radiative transfer modeling of these two components yield physical conditions consistent with the passage of a non-dissociative C-type shock. Confirmation of the W51B/W51C interaction provides additional evidence in favor of this region being one of the best candidates for hadronic particle acceleration known thus far.Comment: Accepted to Ap