MOLECULAR OUTFLOWS WITHIN THE FILAMENTARY INFRARED DARK CLOUD G34.43+0.24

Abstract

We present molecular line observations, made with angular resolutions of ~20", toward the filamentary infrared dark cloud G34.43+0.24 using the APEX [CO(3-2), 13CO(3-2), C18O(3-2) and CS(7-6) transitions], Nobeyama 45 m [CS(2-1), SiO(2-1), C34S(2-1), HCO+(1-0), H13CO+(1-0) and CH3OH(2-1) transitions], and SEST [CS(2-1) and C18O(2-1) transitions] telescopes. We find that the spatial distribution of the molecular emission is similar to that of the dust continuum emission observed with 11" resolution showing a filamentary structure and four cores. The cores have local thermodynamic equilibrium masses ranging from 3.3x10^2 - 1.5x10^3 solar masses and virial masses from 1.1x10^3 - 1.5x10^3 solar masses, molecular hydrogen densities between 1.8x10^4 and 3.9x10^5 cm^{-3}, and column densities >2.0x10^{22} cm^{-2}; values characteristics of massive star forming cores. The 13CO(3-2) profile observed toward the most massive core reveals a blue profile indicating that the core is undergoing large-scale inward motion with an average infall velocity of 1.3 km/s and a mass infall rate of 1.8x10^{-3} solar masses per year. We report the discovery of a molecular outflow toward the northernmost core thought to be in a very early stage of evolution. We also detect the presence of high velocity gas toward each of the other three cores, giving support to the hypothesis that the excess 4.5 $\mu$ emission ("green fuzzies") detected toward these cores is due to shocked gas. The molecular outflows are massive and energetic, with masses ranging from 25 -- 80 solar masses, momentum 2.3 - 6.9x10^2 \Msun km/s, and kinetic energies 1.1 - 3.6x10^3 \Msun km^2 s^{-2}; indicating that they are driven by luminous, high-mass young stellar objects.