HIGH-RESOLUTION STUDY OF THE MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGION IRAS 06061+2151

Abstract

We present observations of 3.6 cm continuum and water maser emission toward the high-mass star-forming region IRAS 06061+2151 (AFGL 5182), made at ~03 and ~01 resolution, respectively, using the Very Large Array (VLA) in the A configuration. Continuum and maser emission are not detected toward the center of AFGL 5182. However, we detected two groups of continuum sources located ~12'' and ~3' to the west and northeast of AFGL 5182, respectively. The first group, labeled as the G188.79+1.03 complex, is composed of three continuum sources in a region of about 6'' × 10'', while the second group, associated with the source G188.77+1.07, is composed of at least two continuum sources in a region ~1'' in diameter. The physical parameters estimated, based on the morphology and the continuum emission, suggest that all the continuum sources in both groups are ultracompact H II regions, associated with ZAMS B-type stars. Water maser emission is only detected toward the compact source VLA N2, which is located in the G188.79+1.03 complex. Accuracy in the relative positions between the radio continuum source and the water masers is of the order of 15 mas. In addition, the observed spatial and kinematical distribution of the water maser features has remained stable for several years, and we confirm that they are tracing a bipolar outflow, where the best candidate of the source powering the water masers and the outflow is VLA 2N.