The W3 IRS 5 cluster: Radio continuum and water maser observations

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (54) References (23) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS The W3 IRS 5 Cluster: Radio Continuum and Water Maser Observations Claussen, M. J. ; Gaume, R. A. ; Johnston, K. J. ; Wilson, T. L. Abstract High sensitivity and angular resolution observations of the radio continuum toward W3 IRS 5, along with observations of strong water masers, have been made with the Very Large Array (VLA). At least seven distinct radio continuum sources have been discovered, which are most likely a cluster of B0.5-B0 stars with ionized stellar winds. This is in contrast to previous interpretations of observational data, which suggested that IRS 5 is a single massive protostar with bolometric luminosity of 2 x 105 solar luminosity. The spatial distribution of the water masers roughly follows that of the radio sources; and these masers show a gradient in radial velocity similar to that found in a larger scale molecular outflow. We suggest that previously observed, multicomponent absorption in CO infrared transitions traces outflows from the several stellar wind sources, rather than episodic outbursts from a single source. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: March 1994 DOI: 10.1086/187270 Bibcode: 1994ApJ...424L..41C Keywords: Angular Resolution; Masers; Protostars; Radio Sources (Astronomy); Radio Spectra; Sensitivity; Spatial Distribution; Spectroscopy; Star Formation; Bolometers; Radial Velocity; Signal To Noise Ratios; Stellar Luminosity; Stellar Winds; Very Large Array (Vla); Astronomy; ISM: H II REGIONS; MASERS; RADIO CONTINUUM: ISM; STARS: FORMATION full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (15)