2022A&A...666A.191W

Context. The observational counterparts of theoretically predicted first hydrostatic cores (FHSC) have been searched for in the interstellar medium for nearly two decades now. Distinguishing them from other types of more evolved but still embedded objects remains a challenge because these objects have a short lifetime, are small, and embedded in a dense cocoon. One possible lead to finding them is the characterization of the outflows that are launched by these objects, which are assumed to have a low velocity and be small extent.
Aims. We observed the L1451-mm FHSC candidate with the NOEMA interferometer (and complementary IRAM 30m data) in order to study the emission of several molecules.
Methods. Molecular lines were reduced and analyzed with the GILDAS package network, the CASSIS software, and some python packages. A nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium analysis of the CH₃OH detected lines was performed to retrieve the physical conditions of the emitting region around the central source, together with the CH₃OH, SiO, CS, and H₂CO column densities.
Results. Of the targeted molecules, we detected lines of c-C₃H₂, CH₃OH, CS, C³⁴S, SO, DCN, DCO+, H₂CO, HC₃N, HDCO, and SiO. One of the methanol lines appears to be a maser line. The detection of this class I maser and the SiO line in L1451-mm support the presence of a low-velocity and compact outflow. The excitation conditions of the thermal lines of methanol are also compatible with shocks (H₂ density of ∼3 × 10⁶ cm^–3 and a temperature higher than 40 K).
Conclusions. Although these low-velocity outflows are theoretically predicted by some models of FHSC, these models also predict the shock temperature to be below 20 K, that is, not evaporating methanol. In addition, the predicted velocities would not erode the grains and release silicon in the gas phase. We therefore conclude that these new observations favor the hypothesis that L1451-mm would be at a very early protostellar stage, launching an outflow nearly on the plane of the sky with a higher velocity than is observed.