VLA and BIMA Observations toward the Exciting Source of the Massive HH 80–81 Outflow

Abstract

We present high angular resolution VLA and BIMA observations of NH$_3$, HCO$^+$, HCN and SO molecular emission and 1.4, 3.5 and 7 mm continuum emission toward the exciting source of the HH~80-81 system. This object is one of the few massive protostars known to be driving a collimated outflow. We report the first detection of SO 5$_5$--4$_4$ molecular emission toward the exciting source of HH 80-81, suggesting that this transition may be a good tracer of molecular gas near massive protostars. We also detected toward this source dust continuum emission at 1.4 and 3.5 mm. From the SO molecular emission and the dust emission we roughly estimated that the molecular mass associated with the circumstellar surroundings of the exciting source of the thermal jet is in the range 1 -- 3 M$_\odot$. Weak and broad (2,2) ammonia emission was also found in the direction of the jet suggesting the presence of small amounts of molecular gas at high temperatures ($>$ 50 K). The VLA observations show the presence of three ammonia components toward the HH 80-81 region. The brightest component peaks at $\sim8^{\prime\prime}$ to the NE of the thermal jet and is associated with the H$_2$O maser spots in the region. A second ammonia clump is located about 25$^{\prime\prime}$ to the NE of the jet and is associated with class I methanol masers. The third ammonia component is located 1$^\prime$ to the south from the thermal jet and may be a molecular core yet without stellar formation. The BIMA observations show that the strongest emission in the HCO$^+$ and HCN lines originate close to the H$_2$O maser, and cover the same spatial region and velocity range as the brightest ammonia component.