The physical structure of high-mass star-forming cores

Abstract

We present models of the temperature and density structure of the envelopes of ten deeply embedded massive stars associated with ultracompact H regions. Constraints come from 60-1300 µm photometry including ISO-LWS spectra, maps at 450 and 850 µm, and CS emission line data. Radial profiles extracted from the maps after removing neighbouring sources were modelled taking the chopping process into account. The line data are modelled with a Monte Carlo program and the continuum data with a dust radiative transfer code. For an assumed n(r) ∝ r −p density structure, the index p is found to be uniformly distributed between 1.25 and 2.25 for this sample. The density power law index from radial profiles and emission lines agree well (by ±0.25), while the continuum spectrum sometimes deviates (by ±0.5). Reliable models thus require all three kinds of data.