Protostars and Planets VI, Heidelberg, July 15-20, 2013

Poster 1G001

Determining Protostar Masses: L1527 IRS in Taurus

Terebey, Susan (California State University, Los Angeles)
Isella, Andrea (California Institute of Technology)
De Vries, Christopher (California State University, Stanislaus)

Abstract:
Protostar masses have been difficult to determine, in part due to the complex nature of protostar environments. We report on a pilot study to determine the mass of the L1527 protostar using CARMA interferometer data. The velocity channel maps are compared with a model that incorporates 1) LVG radiative transfer, 2) TSC collapse envelope and outflow cavity, and 3) a CARMA interferometer simulation. The models are able to reproduce observed C18O(2-1) channel maps quite well, and are sensitive to the gravity field of the infalling gas. The best-fit mass is 0.24 +/- 0.04 Mo for the L1527 protostar plus disk. The models indicate that line-width is a sensitive and robust indicator of mass. We conclude that this method of comparing millimeter interferometer data with infall models incorporating radiative transfer shows promise for determining a fundamental but poorly known quantity, the protostar mass.

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