2025ApJ...992L..15L

We report the discovery of a dense molecular ringlike structure in a dense (10⁵ cm^–3), cold (parsec-scale CO depletion at a factor of 5), and young (10⁴ yr) star-forming region G34.74-0.12, revealed by C¹⁸O (2-1), HNC (1-0), and N₂H⁺ (1-0) observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The ringlike structure is redshifted with respect to the clump, spanning from V_sys,lsr + 0.9 to V_sys,lsr + 2.9 km s^–1, with a total mass of 109 M_⊙. It is spatially coincident with 1.3 and 3.0 mm dust continuum emission from the cores, and several protostellar outflows. However, no free-free emission or H II region is detected in association with this structure. With a slow expansion speed indicated by the position-velocity diagram, this ring structure differs from rings previously identified in more evolved star-forming regions. Possible explanations for the ring-like structure include a relic windblown bubble produced by a deeply embedded young stellar object, a hollow cavity formed by cloud-cloud interactions, a gas ring resulting from a temperature gradient, or a line-of-sight superposition of multiple outflows or dense clouds. This discovery offers a rare observational glimpse into the earliest dynamical processes involved in massive star formation.