Neon emission lines are good indicators of high-excitation regions close to a
young stellar system because of their high ionization potentials and large
critical densities. We have discovered [Ne III]{\lambda}3869 emission from the
microjets of Sz 102, a low-mass young star in Lupus III. Spectroastrometric
analyses of two-dimensional [Ne III] spectra obtained from archival
high-dispersion (R≈33,000) Very Large Telescope/UVES data suggest that
the emission consists of two velocity components spatially separated by ~ 0."3,
or a projected distance of ~ 60 AU. The stronger redshifted component is
centered at ~ +21 km/s with a line width of ~ 140 km/s, and the weaker
blueshifted component at ~ -90 km/s with a line width of ~ 190 km/s. The two
components trace velocity centroids of the known microjets and show large line
widths that extend across the systemic velocity, suggesting their potential
origins in wide-angle winds that may eventually collimate into jets. Optical
line ratios indicate that the microjets are hot (T≲1.6×104 K)
and ionized (ne≳5.7×104 cm−3). The blueshifted component
has ~ 13% higher temperature and ~ 46% higher electron density than the
redshifted counterpart, forming a system of asymmetric pair of jets. The
detection of the [Ne III]{\lambda}3869 line with the distinct velocity profile
suggests that the emission originates in flows that may have been strongly
ionized by deeply embedded hard X-ray sources, most likely generated by
magnetic processes. The discovery of [Ne III]{\lambda}3869 emission along with
other optical forbidden lines from Sz 102 support the picture of wide-angle
winds surrounding magnetic loops in the close vicinity of the young star.
Future high sensitivity X-ray imaging and high angular-resolution optical
spectroscopy may help confirm the picture proposed.Comment: 33 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in the ApJ
(minor typo and reference list fixed
