1996/08/13 by R. E. Pudritz, Ralph E. Pudritz, Christine D. Wilson +9 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/310309
14 pages, aastex, 2 postscript figures; accepted for publication in ApJ Letters; also available at http://www.physics.mcmaster.ca/Wilson_Preprints
arxiv created 1996/08/13 · openalex publication_date 1996/10/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Continuum emission at 220 and 355 GHz from the prototype Class 0 source VLA 1623 has been detected using the JCMT-CSO interferometer. Gaussian fits to the data place an upper limit of 70 AU on the half-width half-maximum radius of the emission, which implies an upper limit of ~175 AU for the cutoff radius of the circumstellar disk in the system. In the context of existing collapse models, this disk could be magnetically supported on the largest scales and have an age of ~6x104 yr, consistent with previous suggestions that Class 0 sources are quite young. The innermost region of the disk within ~6 AU is likely to be in centrifugal support, which is likely large enough to provide a drive for the outflow according to current theoretical models. Alternatively, if 175 AU corresponds to the centrifugal radius of the disk, the age of the system is ~2x105 yr, closer to age estimates for Class I sources.