Molecular hydrogen jets and outflows in the Serpens south filamentary cloud

G. D. C. Teixeira, M. S. N. Kumar, R. Bachiller, J. M. C. Grave

Abstract
Aims. To map the jets and outflows from the Serpens South star forming region and find an empirical relationship between the magnetic field and outflow orientation.
Methods. Near-infrared H₂ ν=1-0 S(1) 2.122µm -line imaging of the ~30’-long filamentary shaped Serpens South star forming region was carried out. Ks broadband imaging of the same region was used for continuum subraction. Candidate driving sources of the mapped jets/outflows are identified from the list of known protostars and young stars in this region, which was derived from studies using recent Spitzer and Herschel telescope observations.
Results. 14 Molecular Hydrogen emission-line objects(MHOs) are identified using our continuum-subtracted images. They are found to constitute ten individual flows. Out of these, nine flows are located in the lower-half(southern) part of the Serpens South filament, and one flow is located at the northern tip of the filament. Four flows are driven by well-identified Class 0 protostars, while the remaining six flows are driven by candidate protostars mostly in the Class I stage, based on the Spitzer and Herschel observations. The orientation of the outflows is systematically perpendicular to the direction of the near-infrared polarization vector, recently published in the literature. No significant correlation was observed between the orientation of the flows and the axis of the filamentary cloud.

Keywords
stars: formation - open clusters and associations: individual: Serpens South - infrared: stars - ISM: clouds - ISM: jets and outflows

Notes
Figure 5 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume 543, Page A51_1
July 2012

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