High-resolution a = 2.7 millimeter observations of L1551 IRS 5: A protobinary system?

Leslie W. Looney, Lee G. Mundy, W. J. Welch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present subarcsecond resolution imaging of the λ = 2.7 mm continuum emission from the young, embedded system L1551 IRS 5 using the nine-element, high-resolution configuration of the BIMA array. The observed emission arises from two compact sources separated by 0″.35, coinciding with the two sources seen at λ = 2 cm and λ = 1.3 cm. When the high-resolution data are combined with data from two compact configurations, L1551 IRS 5 is argued to consist of a protobinary system separated by ∼50 AU with individual circumstellar disks, a circumbinary structure, and a large-scale envelope. The characteristic masses of the components are 0.024 M for the northern circumstellar disk, 0.009 M for the southern circumstellar disk, 0.04 M for the circumbinary material, and 0.28 M for the envelope.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)L157-L160
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume484
Issue number2 PART II
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Binaries: close
  • Circumstellar matter
  • Infrared: stars
  • Radio continuum: stars
  • Stars: formation
  • Stars: individual (L1551 IRS 5)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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