2011/03/30 by A. Noriega-Crespo, A. C. Raga, V. Lora +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/2041-8205/732/1/l16
Accepted for publication, ApJLetters
arxiv created 2011/03/30 · openalex publication_date 2011/04/11 · arxiv updated 2015/05/27 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
We present Spitzer Infrared Array Camera images of the Herbig-Haro (HH) 111 outflow that show a wealth of condensations/knots in both jet and counterjet. Studying the positional distribution of these knots, we find very suggestive evidence of a mirror symmetric pattern in the jet/counterjet flow. We model this pattern as the result of an orbital motion of the jet source around a binary companion. From a fit of an analytic, ballistic model to the observed path of the HH 111 system, we find that the motion in a binary with two ∼1 M ☉ stars (one of them being the HH 111 source), in a circular orbit with a separation of ∼186 AU, would produce the mirror symmetric pattern seen in the outflow.