Multiple Outflows in the LkHα 234 Region

Abstract

We report results of radio continuum (1.3 and 3.6 cm) and H2O maser line observations, carried out with the Very Large Array (VLA) in its A configuration, toward the star-forming region LkHα 234. We detected five radio continuum sources (VLA 1, VLA 2, VLA 3A, VLA 3B, and LkHα 234) in a region of 5'' (5000 AU), of which three were previously unknown (VLA 1, VLA 2, and VLA 3B). VLA 3A and VLA 3B seem to form a close (220 AU) binary system. Their elongated morphologies and positive spectral indices suggest that both VLA 3A and VLA 3B could be thermal radio jets. In addition, we detected three clusters of water masers, which are spatially associated with VLA 1, VLA 2, and VLA 3B. Based on the analysis of the distribution of the water masers and the characteristics of the continuum emission, we favor the new radio continuum source VLA 2 as the exciting source of the large-scale CO/[S II] outflow observed in the region. Moreover, we find that the multiple outflows observed in the region share a similar orientation. Finally, our data confirm that there is no evidence indicating that the Herbig Be star LkHα 234 is driving any of the outflows in the region.