THE SAGITTARIUS-B2 STAR-FORMING REGION .2. HIGH-RESOLUTION H66-ALPHA OBSERVATIONS OF SAGITTARIUS-B2 NORTH

Citation
Cg. Depree et al., THE SAGITTARIUS-B2 STAR-FORMING REGION .2. HIGH-RESOLUTION H66-ALPHA OBSERVATIONS OF SAGITTARIUS-B2 NORTH, The Astrophysical journal, 451(1), 1995, pp. 284-297
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Journal title
ISSN journal
0004637X
Volume
451
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Part
1
Pages
284 - 297
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-637X(1995)451:1<284:TSSR.H>2.0.ZU;2-J
Abstract
We have observed the Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) North star-forming region with the Very Large Array in the continuum (1.3 cm) and in the radio recombination lines H66 alpha and He66 alpha. Sgr B2 North contains re gions of ionized gas ranging in size from unresolved (d < 0.01 pc) to extended (d similar to 0.5 pc) and thus presents an ideal laboratory t o study the effects of circumstellar environments on H II region evolu tion. The H66 alpha data provide high spatial (0''.25) and spectral (1 0 km s(-1)) resolution kinematics of the ionized gas associated with m assive stars. The helium and hydrogen data are used together as a high -resolution probe of Y+ values and variations within Sgr B2. In Sgr B2 North, we measure a helium abundance of [Y+] = 13% +/- 2%. We present the H66 alpha and He66 alpha results from Sgr B2 K, and the nearby so urces L, R, and X. Region K consists of six subregions, one of which ( K6) has a continuum morphology and a double-peaked spectral line consi stent with an expanding shell of ionized gas (v(exp) similar to 22 km s(-1)). We detect no radio recombination line emission (T-l/T-c < 3%) from the ultracompact H II region K2, which is cospatial in projection with the dynamical center of a bipolar molecular outflow imaged in HC 3N (Lis et al. 1993). The recombination line velocities of K1 and K3 a gree with the north-south rotation in molecular gas observed by Lis ct al. (1993). Source L is an ''arclike'' region with a large velocity g radient of similar to 70 km s(-1) pc(-1) perpendicular to its edge-bri ghtened rim. The large velocity gradient at this orientation observed in Sgr B2 L may be due to rotation of the ionized gas around similar t o 150-200 M(.), consisting of low-mass stars.