A search for massive young stellar objects with 98 CH3OH maser sources

Abstract

Using the 13.7 m telescope of the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO), a survey of the J = 1–0 lines of CO and its isotopes was carried out on 98 methanol maser sources in January 2008. Eighty-five sources have infrared counterparts within one arcmin. In the survey, except for 43 sources showing complex or multiple-peak profiles, almost all the 13CO line profiles of the other 55 sources have large line widths of 4.5km s−1 on average and are usually asymmetric. Fifty corresponding Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) sources of these 55 sources have Lbol larger than 103 L⊙, which can be identified as possible high-mass young stellar sources. Statistics show that the 13CO line widths correlate with the bolometric luminosity of the associated IRAS sources. Here, we also report the mapping results of two sources: IRAS 06117+1350 and IRAS 07299–1651. Two cores were found in IRAS 06117+1350 and one core was detected in IRAS 07299–1651. The northwest core in IRAS 06117+1350 and the core in IRAS 07299–1651 can be identified as precursors of UC HII regions or high-mass protostellar objects (HMPOs). The southeast core of IRAS 06117+1350 has no infrared counterpart, seeming to be at a younger stage than the pre-UC HII phase.