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VLBA multi-epoch water maser observations towards Cepheus A

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2017

José M. Torrelles
Affiliation:
Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC/CSIC) and Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio (CSIC), Edifici Nexus, C/ Gran Capità, 2-4, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
Nimesh A. Patel
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
José F. Gómez
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental (INTA), Apdo. Correos 50727, E-28080 Madrid, Spain
Paul T. P. Ho
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Luiz F. Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astronomía (UNAM), Apdo. Postal 72-3, (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacán, México
Guillem Anglada
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Ap. Correos 3004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Guido Garay
Affiliation:
Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago, Chile
Lincoln Greenhill
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Salvador Curiel
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astronomía (UNAM), Apdo. Postal 70-264, DF 04510, Mexico
Jorge Cantó
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astronomía (UNAM), Apdo. Postal 70-264, DF 04510, Mexico

Abstract

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We have carried out and recently reported VLBA multi-epoch water maser observations toward Cepheus A with an angular and velocity resolution of 0.5 mas and 0.2 km s−1, respectively. Some of the masers detected previously with the VLA (observations made with angular and velocity resolutions of 80 mas and 1.3 km s−1, respectively) are resolved now into linear/arcuate coherent “microstructures”. These structures, while smaller than the VLA beam, are 6-200 times the size of the VLBA synthesized beam. The morphology and the observed proper motions found in these structures imply three different centers of star formation activity in a region of ⋍ 0.3 radius (⋍ 200 AU). The most remarkable result from these observations is the discovery of an arc of water masers which is perfectly fitted by a circle to one part in a thousand. This arc is expanding and suggests a spherical “puff” of ejected material ejected 33 years ago from a protostar located 600 mas south of the radio jet HW2. This spherical ejection represents a very strong challenge for theoretical studies of star formation.

Type
Part 1. Star Formation
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2002 

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