Testing envelope models of young stellar objects with submillimeter continuum and molecular-line observations

Theoretical models of star formation make predictions about the density and velocity structure of the envelopes surrounding isolated, low-mass young s tars. This paper tests such models through high-quality submillimeter conti nuum imaging of four embedded young stellar objects in Taurus and previousl y obtained molecular-line data. Observations carried out with the Submillim eter Continuum Bolometer Array on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope at 850 and 450 mu m of L1489 IRS, L1535 IRS, L1527 IRS, and TMC 1 reveal similar t o 2000 AU elongated structures embedded in extended envelopes. The density distribution in these envelopes is equally well fitted by a radial power-la w of index p = 1.0-2.0 or with a collapse model such as that of Shu. This i nside-out collapse model predicts (CO)-C-13, (CO)-O-18, HCO+, and (HCO+)-C- 13 line profiles that closely match observed spectra toward three of our fo ur sources. This shows that the inside-out collapse model offers a good des cription of YSO envelopes, but also that reliable constraints on its parame ters require independent measurements of the density and the velocity struc ture, e.g., through continuum and line observations. For the remaining sour ce, L1489 IRS, we find that a model consisting of a 2000 AU radius, rotatin g, disklike structure better describes the data. Possibly, this source is i n transition between the embedded class I and the optically revealed T Taur i phases. The spectral index of the dust emissivity decreases from beta = 1 .5-2.0 in the extended envelope to 1.0 +/- 0.2 in the central peaks, indica ting grain growth or high optical depth on small scales. The observations o f L1527 IRS reveal warm ( greater than or similar to 30 K) material outlini ng, and presumably heated by, its bipolar outflow. This material comprises less than or similar to 0.2 M-circle dot, comparable to the amount of swept -up CO but only 10% of the total envelope mass. Two apparently starless cor es are found at similar to 10,000 AU from L1489 IRS and L1535 IRS. They are cold, 10-15 K, contain 0.5-3.0 M-circle dot, and have flat density distrib utions characterized by a Gaussian of similar to 10,000 AU FWHM. The proxim ity of these cores shows that star formation in truly isolated cores is rar e even in Taurus.