2016/05/09 by Anthony Moraghan, Chin-Fei Lee, Chin‐Fei Lee +2 · 18 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Atomic and Molecular Physics #Binary number #Galaxy #Jet (fluid) #Knot (papermaking) #Mechanics #Physics #Pluto #Proper motion #Protostar #Radial velocity #Star formation #Stars #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1089
published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 460(2), 1829-1838 (Oxford University Press) · 11 pages, 6 figures
openalex publication_date 2016/05/09 · arxiv created 2016/05/10 · arxiv updated 2016/05/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Recent high-resolution, high-sensitivity observations of protostellar jets have shown many to possess deviations to their trajectories. HH 211 is one such example where sub-mm observations with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) have revealed a clear reflection-symmetric wiggle. The most likely explanation is that the HH 211 jet source could be moving as part of a protobinary system. Here, we test this assumption by simulating HH 211 through 3D hydrodynamic jet propagation simulations using the pluto code with a molecular chemistry and cooling module, and initial conditions based on an analytical model derived from SMA observations. Our results show the reflection-symmetric wiggle can be recreated through the assumption of a jet source perturbed by binary motion at its base, and that a regular sinusoidal velocity variation in the jet beam can be close to matching the observed knot pattern. However, a more complex model with either additional heating from the protostar, or a shorter period velocity pulsation may be required to account for enhanced emission near the source, and weaker knot emission downstream. Position–velocity diagrams along the pulsed jet beam show a complex structure with detectable signatures of knots and show caution must be exercised when interpreting radial velocity profiles through observations. Finally, we make predictions for future HH 211 observations with Atacama Large Millimeter Array.