2025A&A...694L..18B

Context. Star clusters, including high-mass stars, form within hub-filament systems (HFSs). Observations of HFSs that remain unaffected by feedback from embedded stars are rare yet crucial for understanding the mass inflow process in high-mass star formation. Using the JWST NIRCAM images, a recent study reported that the high-mass protostar G11P1 is embedded in a candidate HFS (G11P1-HFS; < 0.6 pc).
Aims. Utilizing ALMA N₂H⁺(1-0) data, we confirm the presence of G11P1-HFS and study the dense gas kinematics.
Methods. We analyzed the position-position-velocity (PPV) map and estimated on-sky velocity gradient (V_g) and gravity (ℱ_g) vectors. We examined the spatial distribution of the gas velocity and the H₂ column density.
Results. A steep V_g of 5 km s^–1 pc^–1 and -7 km s^–1 pc^–1 toward either side of G11P1-hub and a decreasing V_g toward the hub identify G11P1-HFS as a small-scale HFS in its nascent phase. Additionally, the V_g and ℱ_g align along the filaments, indicating gravity-driven flows.
Conclusions. This work highlights the wiggled funnel-shaped morphology of an HFS in PPV space and suggests the importance of sub-filaments or transverse gas flows in mass transportation to the hub.