Proper motions of spectrally selected structures in the HH 83 outflow

Abstract

Context. We continue our program of investigation of the proper motions of spectrally separated structures in the Herbig–Haro outflows with the aid of Fabry–Perot scanning interferometry. This work mainly focuses on the physical nature of various structures in the jets. Aims. The aim of the present study is to measure the proper motions of the previously discovered kinematically separated structures in the working surface of the HH 83 collimated outflow. Methods. We used observations from two epochs separated by 15 yr, which were performed on the 6 m telescope with Fabry–Perot scanning interferometer. We obtained images corresponding to different radial velocities for the two separate epochs, and used them to measure proper motions. Results. In the course of our data analysis, we discovered a counter bow-shock of HH 83 flow with positive radial velocity, which makes this flow a relatively symmetric bipolar system. The second epoch observations confirm that the working surface of the flow is split into two structures with an exceptionally large (250 km s−1) difference in radial velocity. The proper motions of these structures are almost equal, which suggests that they are physically connected. The asymmetry of the bow shock and the turning of proper motion vectors suggests a collision between the outflow and a dense cloud. The profile of the Hα line for the directly invisible infrared source HH 83 IRS, obtained by integration of the data within the reflection nebula, suggests it to be of P Cyg type with a broad absorption component characteristic of the FU Ori-like objects. If this object underwent an FU Ori type outburst, which created the HH 83 working surfaces, its eruption took place about 1500 years ago according to the kinematical age of the outflow.