Imaging the Ionized Disk of the High-Mass Protostar Orion-I

M. J. Reid; K. M. Menten; L. J. Greenhill; C. J. Chandler

doi:10.1086/518929

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arXiv · 0704.2309

Imaging the Ionized Disk of the High-Mass Protostar Orion-I

M. J. Reid·K. M. Menten·L. J. Greenhill·C. J. Chandler

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Abstract

We have imaged the enigmatic radio source-I (Orion-I) in the Orion-KL nebula with the VLA at 43 GHz with 34 mas angular resolution. The continuum emission is highly elongated and is consistent with that expected from a nearly edge-on disk. The high brightness and lack of strong molecular lines from Orion-I can be used to argue against emission from dust. Collisional ionization and H-minus free-free opacity, as in Mira variables, require a central star with >10^5 Lsun, which is greater than infrared observations allow. However, if significant local heating associated with accretion occurs, lower total luminosities are possible. Alternatively, photo-ionization from an early B-type star and p+/e- bremsstrahlung can explain our observations, and Orion-I may be an example of ionized accretion disk surrounding a forming massive star. Such accretion disks may not be able to form planets efficiently.

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M. J. Reid, K. M. Menten, L. J. Greenhill, C. J. Chandler. 2007-04-18. Imaging the Ionized Disk of the High-Mass Protostar Orion-I. https://doi.org/10.1086/518929

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