Binary Protostellar System Research Articles

Accurate proper motions of the protostellar binary system L 1551 IRS 5

Abstract We present an extensive astrometric study of the protostellar binary system L 1551 IRS 5, utilising nearly four decades of interferometric observations obtained between 1983 and 2022 with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). We focus on observations with sufficient angular resolution to separate the two protostars (L 1551 IRS 5 N and S) in the system and derive accurate absolute proper motions for the two sources, as well as the relative proper motion between them. The absolute proper motion is dominated by the solar motion with only a modest contribution from L 1551 IRS 5’s peculiar velocity, as expected for a young stellar object. The relative proper motions enable us to constrain the orbit and derive a total mass of 0.96 ± 0.17 M⊙ for the system. While the emission of both sources at wavelengths shorter than about 1.3 cm is compact, the emission at longer wavelengths (λ ≳ 2 cm) is often affected by a free-free contribution from nearby shock features. The results presented here demonstrate that, when appropriate care is taken to combine the observations, interferometric data collected with different facilities, at different frequencies, and with different gain calibrators can be combined to obtain accurate astrometry. Observations of L 1551 IRS 5 over the next several decades with the VLA, ALMA and eventually the ngVLA and SKA ought to improve its dynamical mass measurement down to an accuracy of a few percent. Similar observations of other young multiple systems have the unique potential to provide dynamical mass estimates for the youngest known stellar objects.

Simulated analogues I: apparent and physical evolution of young binary protostellar systems

ABSTRACT Protostellar binaries harbour complex environment morphologies. Observations represent a snapshot in time, and projection and optical depth effects impair our ability to interpret them. Careful comparison with high-resolution models that include the larger star-forming region can help isolate the driving physical processes and give context in the time domain to the observations. We carry out four zoom-in simulations with au scale resolution that result in three binaries and a single star. For the first time ever, we follow the detailed evolution of a protobinary in a full molecular cloud context until a circumbinary disc forms. We investigate the gas dynamics around the young stars and extract disc sizes. Using radiative transfer, we obtain the evolutionary tracer Tbol of the binary systems. We find that the centrifugal radius in prestellar cores is a poor estimator of the resulting disc size due to angular momentum transport at all scales. For binaries, the disc sizes are regulated periodically by the binary orbit, having larger radii close to the apastron. The bolometric temperature differs systematically between edge-on and face-on views and shows a high-frequency time dependence correlated with the binary orbit and a low-frequency time dependence with larger episodic accretion events. These oscillations can cause the appearance of the system to change rapidly from class 0 to class I and, for short periods, even bring it to class II. The highly complex structure in early stages, as well as the binary orbit itself, affects the classical interpretation of protostellar classes, and the direct translation to evolutionary stages has to be done with caution and include other evolutionary indicators such as the extent of envelope material.

Early Planet Formation in Embedded Disks (eDisk). XIII. Aligned Disks with Nonsettled Dust around the Newly Resolved Class 0 Protobinary R CrA IRAS 32

Young protostellar binary systems, with expected ages less than ∼105 yr, are little modified since birth, providing key clues to binary formation and evolution. We present a first look at the young, Class 0 binary protostellar system R CrA IRAS 32 from the Early Planet Formation in Embedded Disks ALMA large program, which observed the system in the 1.3 mm continuum emission, 12CO (2−1), 13CO (2−1), C18O (2−1), SO (65−54), and nine other molecular lines that trace disks, envelopes, shocks, and outflows. With a continuum resolution of ∼0.″03 (∼5 au, at a distance of 150 pc), we characterize the newly discovered binary system with a separation of 207 au, their circumstellar disks, and a circumbinary disklike structure. The circumstellar disk radii are 26.9 ± 0.3 and 22.8 ± 0.3 au for sources A and B, respectively, and their circumstellar disk dust masses are estimated as 22.5 ± 1.1 M ⊕ and 12.4 ± 0.6 M ⊕, respectively. The circumstellar disks and the circumbinary structure have well-aligned position angles and inclinations, indicating formation in a smooth, ordered process such as disk fragmentation. In addition, the circumstellar disks have a near/far-side asymmetry in the continuum emission, suggesting that the dust has yet to settle into a thin layer near the midplane. Spectral analysis of CO isotopologues reveals outflows that originate from both of the sources and possibly from the circumbinary disklike structure. Furthermore, we detect Keplerian rotation in the 13CO isotopologues toward both circumstellar disks and likely Keplerian rotation in the circumbinary structure; the latter suggests that it is probably a circumbinary disk.

Multiple Jets in the Bursting Protostar HOPS 373SW

We present the outflows detected in HOPS 373SW, a protostar undergoing a modest 30% brightness increase at 850 μm. Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of shock tracers, including SiO 8–7, CH3OH 7k–6k, and 12CO 3–2 emission, reveal several outflow features around HOPS 373SW. The knots in the extremely high-velocity SiO emission reveal the wiggle of the jet, for which a simple model derives a 37° inclination angle of the jet to the plane of the sky, a jet velocity of 90 km s−1, and a period of 50 yr. The slow SiO and CH3OH emission traces U-shaped bow shocks surrounding the two CO outflows. One outflow is associated with the high-velocity jets, while the other is observed to be close to the plane of the sky. The misaligned outflows imply that previous episodic accretion events have either reoriented HOPS 373SW or that it is an unresolved protostellar binary system with misaligned outflows.

Observations of high-order multiplicity in a high-mass stellar protocluster

The dominant mechanism forming multiple stellar systems in the high-mass regime (M* ≳ 8 M⊙) remained unknown because direct imaging of multiple protostellar systems at early phases of high-mass star formation is very challenging. High-mass stars are expected to form in clustered environments containing binaries and higher-order multiplicity systems. So far only a few high-mass protobinary systems, and no definitive higher-order multiples, have been detected. Here we report the discovery of one quintuple, one quadruple, one triple and four binary protostellar systems simultaneously forming in a single high-mass protocluster, G333.23–0.06, using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array high-resolution observations. We present a new example of a group of gravitationally bound binary and higher-order multiples during their early formation phases in a protocluster. This provides the clearest direct measurement of the initial configuration of primordial high-order multiple systems, with implications for the in situ multiplicity and its origin. We find that the binary and higher-order multiple systems, and their parent cores, show no obvious sign of disk-like kinematic structure. We conclude that the observed fragmentation into binary and higher-order multiple systems can be explained by core fragmentation, indicating its crucial role in establishing the multiplicity during high-mass star cluster formation.

Misaligned Twin Molecular Outflows from the Class 0 Protostellar Binary System VLA 1623A Unveiled by ALMA

Abstract We present the results of ALMA observations toward the low-mass Class 0 binary system VLA 1623Aab in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud in 12CO, 13CO, and C18O(2–1) lines. Our 12CO (J = 2–1) data reveal that the VLA 1623 outflow consists of twin spatially overlapped outflows/jets. The redshifted northwestern jet exhibits three cycles of wiggle with a spatial period of 1360 ± 10 au, corresponding to a time period of 180 yr. The wiggle-like structure is also found in the position–velocity (PV) diagram, showing an amplitude in the velocity of about 0.9 km s−1. Both the period and velocity amplitude of the wiggle are roughly consistent with those expected from the binary parameters, i.e., the orbital period (460 ± 20 yr) and the Keplerian velocity (2.2 km s−1). Our 13CO and C18O images show a dense gas nature in the two centimeter/millimeter sources, VLA 1623B and W, and its relation to the outflows, and strongly support the previous interpretation that both are shocked cloudlets. The driving sources of the twin molecular outflows are, therefore, likely to be the VLA 1623Aab binary. The outflow axes of the two molecular outflows are estimated to be inclined by 70° to each other across the plane of sky, implying that protostellar disks are also misaligned by . Such nature together with a small binary separation of 34 au in one of the youngest protobinary systems seems difficult to explain by disk fragmentation in quiescent environments. Other effects such as turbulence probably play roles.

Circumbinary Disks of the Protostellar Binary Systems in the L1551 Region

Abstract We report Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Cycle 4 observations of the Class I binary protostellar system L1551 IRS 5 in the 0.9 mm continuum emission, C18O (J = 3–2), OCS (J = 28–27), and four other Band 7 lines. At ∼0.″07 (=10 au) resolution in the 0.9 mm emission, two circumstellar disks (CSDs) associated with the binary protostars are separated from the circumbinary disk (CBD). The CBD is resolved into two spiral arms, one connecting to the CSD around the northern binary source, Source N, and the other to Source S. As compared to the CBD in the neighboring protobinary system L1551 NE, the CBD in L1551 IRS 5 is more compact (r ∼ 150 au) and the m = 1 mode of the spirals found in L1551 NE is less obvious in L1551 IRS 5. Furthermore, the dust and molecular-line brightness temperatures of CSDs and CBD reach >260 and >100 K, respectively, in L1551 IRS 5, much hotter than those in L1551 NE. The gas motions in the spiral arms are characterized by rotation and expansion. Furthermore, the transitions from the CBD to the CSD rotations at around the L2 and L3 Lagrangian points and gas motions around the L1 point are identified. Our numerical simulations reproduce the observed two spiral arms and expanding gas motion as a result of gravitational torques from the binary, transitions from the CBD to the CSD rotations, and the gas motion around the L1 point. The higher temperature in L1551 IRS 5 likely reflects the inferred FU Ori event.

Gas Flows Within Cavities of Circumbinary Disks in Eccentric Binary Protostellar Systems

Abstract The structure and evolution of gas flows within the cavity of a circumbinary disk (CBD) surrounding the stellar components in eccentric binaries are examined via two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations. The degree to which gas fills the cavity between the circumstellar disks (CSDs) and the CBD is found to be greater for highly eccentric systems, in comparison to low-eccentricity systems, reflecting the spatial extent over which mass enters into the cavity throughout the orbit. The pattern of the gas flow in the cavity differs for eccentric binaries from that of binaries in a circular orbit. In particular, the former reveals tightly wound gas streams and figure-eight-like structures for systems characterized by eccentricies e ≥ 0.4, whereas the latter only reveal relatively loosely bent streams from the CBD to the CSDs. Hence, the description of the stream structures can be a probe of sufficient non-circularity of the binary orbital motion. Given that the inner edge of the CBD is not very well defined for highly eccentric systems due to the complex gas structures, it is suggested that the area of the cavity for high-sensitivity imaging observations may prove to be a more useful diagnostic for probing the effectiveness of CBD clearing in the future.

ALMA Reveals a Collision between Protostellar Outflows in BHR 71

Abstract For a binary protostellar outflow system in which its members are located close to each other (the separation being smaller than the addition of the widths of the flows) and with large opening angles, the collision seems unavoidable regardless of the orientation of the outflows. This is in contrast to the current observational evidence of just a few regions with indications of colliding outflows, which could also suggests that the average distance between protostars is larger than the width of the flows. Here, using sensitive observations of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, we report resolved images of carbon monoxide (CO) toward the binary flows associated with the BHR 71 protostellar system. These images reveal for the first time solid evidence that their flows are partially colliding, increasing the brightness of the CO, the dispersion of the velocities in the interaction zone, and changing part of the orientation in one of the flows. Additionally, this impact opened the possibility of knowing the three-dimensional geometry of the system, revealing that one of its components (IRS 2) should be closer to us.

First hot corino detected around an isolated intermediate-mass protostar: Cep E-mm

Context. Intermediate-mass (IM) protostars provide a bridge between the low- and high-mass protostars. Despite their relevance, little is known about their chemical diversity. Aims. We want to investigate the molecular richness towards the envelope of I-M protostars and to compare their properties with those of low- and high-mass sources. Methods. We have selected the isolated IM Class 0 protostar Cep E-mm to carry out an unbiased molecular survey with the IRAM 30 m telescope between 72 and 350 GHz with an angular resolution lying in the range 7–34″. Our goal is to obtain a census of the chemical content of the protostellar envelope. These data were complemented with NOEMA observations of the spectral bands 85.9–89.6 GHz and 216.8–220.4 GHz at angular resolutions of 2.3″ and 1.4″, respectively. Results. The 30 m spectra show bright emission of O- and N-bearing complex organic molecules (COMs): CH3OH and its rare isotopologues CH2DOH and 13CH3OH, CH3CHO, CH3OCH3, CH3COCH3, HCOOH, HCOOCH3, H2CCO, NH2CHO, CH3CN, C2H3CN, C2H5CN, HNCO and H2CO. We identify up to three components in the spectral signature of COMs: an extremely broad line (eBL) component associated with the outflowing gas (FWHM > 7kms−1), a narrow line (NL) component (FWHM < 3kms−1) associated with the cold envelope, and a broad line (BL) component (FWHM ≃ 5.5kms−1) which traces the signature of a hot corino. The eBL and NL components are detected only in molecular transitions of low excitation and dominate the emission of CH3OH. The BL component is detected in highly excited gas (Eup > 100 K). The NOEMA observations reveal Cep E-mm as a binary protostellar system, whose components, Cep E-A and Cep E-B, are separated by ≈1.7″. Cep E-A dominates the core continuum emission and powers the long-studied, well-known, high-velocity jet associated with HH377. The lower flux source Cep E-B powers another high-velocity molecular jet, reaching velocities of ≈80 km s−1, which propagates in a direction close to perpendicular with respect to the Cep E-A jet. Our interferometric maps show that the emission of COMs arises from a region of ≈0.7″ size around Cep E-A, and corresponds to the BL component detected with the IRAM 30 m telescope. On the contrary, no COM emission is detected towards Cep E-B. We have determined the rotational temperature (Trot) and the molecular gas column densities from a simple population diagram analysis or assuming a given excitation temperature. Rotational temperatures of COMs emission were found to lie in the range 20−40 K with column densities ranging from a few times 1015 cm−2 for O-bearing species, down to a few times 1014 cm−2 for N-bearing species. Molecular abundances are similar to those measured towards other low- and intermediate-mass protostars. Ketene (H2CCO) appears as an exception, as it is found significantly more abundant towards Cep E-A. High-mass hot cores are significantly less abundant in methanol and N-bearing species are more abundant by two to three orders of magnitude. Conclusions. Cep E-mm reveals itself as a binary protostellar system with a strong chemical differentiation between both cores. Only the brightest component of the binary is associated with a hot corino. Its properties are similar to those of low-mass hot corinos.

The formation of protostellar binaries in primordial minihalos

The first stars are known to form in primordial gas, either in minihalos with about $10^6$~M$_\odot$ or so-called atomic cooling halos of about $10^8$~M$_\odot$. Simulations have shown that gravitational collapse and disk formation in primordial gas yield dense stellar clusters. In this paper, we focus particularly on the formation of protostellar binary systems, and aim to quantify their properties during the early stage of their evolution. For this purpose, we combine the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code GRADSPH with the astrochemistry package KROME. The GRADSPH-KROME framework is employed to investigate the collapse of primordial clouds in the high-density regime, exploring the fragmentation process and the formation of binary systems. We observe a strong dependence of fragmentation on the strength of the turbulent Mach number $\mathcal{M}$ and the rotational support parameter $\beta{}$. Rotating clouds show significant fragmentation, and have produced several Pop.~III proto-binary systems. We report maximum and minimum mass accretion rates of $2.31 \times 10^{-1}$~M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ and $2.18\times 10^{-4}$~M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The mass spectrum of the individual Pop III proto-binary components ranges from $0.88$~M$_{\odot}$ to $31.96$~M$_{\odot}$ and has a sensitive dependence on the Mach number $\mathcal{M}$ as well as on the rotational parameter $\beta{}$. We also report a range from $\sim0.01$ to $\sim1$ for the mass ratio of our proto-binary systems.

Theoretical Models of Protostellar Binary and Multiple Systems with AMR Simulations

We present theoretical models for protostellar binary and multiple systems based on the high-resolution numerical simulation with an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code, SFUMATO. The recent ALMA observations have revealed early phases of the binary and multiple star formation with high spatial resolutions. These observations should be compared with theoretical models with high spatial resolutions. We present two theoretical models for (1) a high density molecular cloud core, MC27/L1521F, and (2) a protobinary system, L1551 NE. For the model for MC27, we performed numerical simulations for gravitational collapse of a turbulent cloud core. The cloud core exhibits fragmentation during the collapse, and dynamical interaction between the fragments produces an arc-like structure, which is one of the prominent structures observed by ALMA. For the model for L1551 NE, we performed numerical simulations of gas accretion onto protobinary. The simulations exhibit asymmetry of a circumbinary disk. Such asymmetry has been also observed by ALMA in the circumbinary disk of L1551 NE.

Spiral Arms, Infall, and Misalignment of the Circumbinary Disk from the Circumstellar Disks in the Protostellar Binary System L1551 NE

Abstract We report the ALMA Cycle 2 observations of the Class I binary protostellar system L1551 NE in the 0.9 mm continuum, C18O (3–2), 13CO (3–2), SO (78–67), and CS (7–6) emission. At 0.″18 (=25 au) resolution, ∼4 times higher than that of our Cycle 0 observations, the circumbinary disk (CBD) as seen in the 0.9 mm emission is shown to be composed of a northern and a southern spiral arm, with the southern arm connecting to the circumstellar disk (CSD) around Source B. The western parts of the spiral arms are brighter than the eastern parts, suggesting the presence of an m = 1 spiral mode. In the C18O emission, the infall gas motions in the interarm regions and the outward gas motions in the arms are identified. These observed features are well reproduced with our numerical simulations, where gravitational torques from the binary system impart angular momenta to the spiral-arm regions and extract angular momenta from the interarm regions. Chemical differentiation of the CBD is seen in the four molecular species. Our Cycle 2 observations have also resolved the CSDs around the individual protostars, and the beam-deconvolved sizes are 0.″29 × 0.″19 (=40 × 26 au) (P.A. = 144°) and 0.″26 × 0.″20 (=36 × 27 au) (P.A. = 147°) for Sources A and B, respectively. The position and inclination angles of these CSDs are misaligned with those of the CBD. The C18O emission traces the Keplerian rotation of the misaligned disk around Source A.

FORMATION OF THE UNEQUAL-MASS BINARY PROTOSTARS IN L1551NE BY ROTATIONALLY DRIVEN FRAGMENTATION

ABSTRACT We present observations at 7 mm that fully resolve the two circumstellar disks and a reanalysis of archival observations at 3.5 cm that resolve along their major axes the two ionized jets of the Class I binary protostellar system L1551NE. We show that the two circumstellar disks are better fit by a shallow inner and steep outer power law than a truncated power law. The two disks have very different transition radii between their inner and outer regions of ∼18.6 au and ∼8.9 au, respectively. Assuming that they are intrinsically circular and geometrically thin, we find that the two circumstellar disks are parallel with each other and orthogonal in projection to their respective ionized jets. Furthermore, the two disks are closely aligned if not parallel with their circumbinary disk. Over an interval of ∼10 yr, source B (possessing the circumsecondary disk) has moved northward with respect to and likely away from source A, indicating an orbital motion in the same direction as the rotational motion of their circumbinary disk. All the aforementioned elements therefore share the same axis for their angular momentum, indicating that L1551NE is a product of rotationally driven fragmentation of its parental core. Assuming a circular orbit, the relative disk sizes are compatible with theoretical predictions for tidal truncation by a binary system having a mass ratio of ∼0.2, in agreement with the reported relative separations of the two protostars from the center of their circumbinary disk. The transition radii of both disks, however, are a factor of ≳1.5 smaller than their predicted tidally truncated radii.

ROTATIONALLY DRIVEN FRAGMENTATION IN THE FORMATION OF THE BINARY PROTOSTELLAR SYSTEM L1551 IRS 5

ABSTRACT Both bulk rotation and local turbulence have been widely suggested to drive the fragmentation in collapsing cores that produces multiple star systems. Even when the two mechanisms predict different alignments for stellar spins and orbits, subsequent internal or external interactions can drive multiple systems toward or away from alignment, thus masking their formation processes. Here, we demonstrate that the geometrical and dynamical relationship between a binary system and its surrounding bulk envelope provide the crucial distinction between fragmentation models. We find that the circumstellar disks of the binary protostellar system L1551 IRS 5 are closely parallel, not just with each other but also with their surrounding flattened envelope. Measurements of the relative proper motion of the binary components spanning nearly 30 years indicate an orbital motion related to that of the envelope rotation. Eliminating orbital solutions whereby the circumstellar disks would be tidally truncated to sizes smaller than observed, the remaining solutions favor a circular or low-eccentricity orbit tilted by up to ∼25° from the circumstellar disks. Turbulence-driven fragmentation can generate local angular momentum to produce a coplanar binary system, but this would have no particular relationship to the system’s surrounding envelope. Instead, the observed properties conform with predictions for rotationally driven fragmentation. If the fragments were produced at different heights or on opposite sides of the mid-plane in the flattened central region of a rotating core, the resulting protostars would then exhibit circumstellar disks parallel with the surrounding envelope but tilted from the orbital plane, as is observed.

THE VLA NASCENT DISK AND MULTIPLICITY SURVEY OF PERSEUS PROTOSTARS (VANDAM). II. MULTIPLICITY OF PROTOSTARS IN THE PERSEUS MOLECULAR CLOUD

ABSTRACT We present a multiplicity study of all known protostars (94) in the Perseus molecular cloud from a Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array survey at Ka-band (8 mm and 1 cm) and C-band (4 and 6.6 cm). The observed sample has a bolometric luminosity range between 0.1 L ⊙ and ∼33 L ⊙, with a median of 0.7 L ⊙. This multiplicity study is based on the Ka-band data, having a best resolution of ∼0.″065 (15 au) and separations out to ∼43″ (10,000 au) can be probed. The overall multiplicity fraction (MF) is found to be 0.40 ± 0.06 and the companion star fraction (CSF) is 0.71 ± 0.06. The MF and CSF of the Class 0 protostars are 0.57 ± 0.09 and 1.2 ± 0.2, and the MF and CSF of Class I protostars are both 0.23 ± 0.08. The distribution of companion separations appears bi-modal, with a peak at ∼75 au and another peak at ∼3000 au. Turbulent fragmentation is likely the dominant mechanism on >1000 au scales and disk fragmentation is likely to be the dominant mechanism on <200 au scales. Toward three Class 0 sources we find companions separated by <30 au. These systems have the smallest separations of currently known Class 0 protostellar binary systems. Moreover, these close systems are embedded within larger (50–400 au) structures and may be candidates for ongoing disk fragmentation.

DISPERSING ENVELOPE AROUND THE KEPLERIAN CIRCUMBINARY DISK IN L1551 NE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR BINARY GROWTH

We performed mapping observations of the Class I protostellar binary system L1551 NE in the C$^{18}$O ($J$=3-2), $^{13}$CO ($J$=3-2), CS ($J$=7-6), and SO ($J_N$=7$_8$-6$_7$) lines with Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE). The ASTE C$^{18}$O data are combined with our previous SMA C$^{18}$O data, which show a $r \sim$300-AU scale Keplerian disk around the protostellar binary system. The C$^{18}$O maps show a $\sim$20000-AU scale protostellar envelope surrounding the central Keplerian circumbinary disk. The envelope exhibits a northeast (blue) - southwest (red) velocity gradient along the minor axis, which can be interpreted as a dispersing gas motion with an outward velocity of 0.3 km s$^{-1}$, while no rotational motion in the envelope is seen. In addition to the envelope, two $\lesssim$4000 AU scale, high-velocity ($\gtrsim$1.3 km s$^{-1}$) redshifted $^{13}$CO and CS emission components are found to $\sim$40$^{\prime\prime}$ southwest and $\sim$20$^{\prime\prime}$ west of the protostellar binary. These redshifted components are most likely outflow components driven from the neighboring protostellar source L1551 IRS 5, and are colliding with the envelope in L1551 NE. The net momentum, kinetic and internal energies of the L1551 IRS 5 outflow components are comparable to those of the L1551 NE envelope, and the interactions between the outflows and the envelope are likely to cause the dissipation of the envelope and thus suppression of the further growth of the mass and mass ratio of the central protostellar binary in L1551 NE.

ANGULAR MOMENTUM EXCHANGE BY GRAVITATIONAL TORQUES AND INFALL IN THE CIRCUMBINARY DISK OF THE PROTOSTELLAR SYSTEM L1551 NE

We report an ALMA observation of the Class I binary protostellar system L1551 NE in the 0.9 mm continuum, C18O (3–2), and 13CO (3–2) lines at a ∼1.6 times higher resolution and a ∼6 times higher sensitivity than those of our previous SubMillimeter Array (SMA) observations, which revealed a r ∼ 300 AU scale circumbinary disk in Keplerian rotation. The 0.9 mm continuum shows two opposing U-shaped brightenings in the circumbinary disk and exhibits a depression between the circumbinary disk and the circumstellar disk of the primary protostar. The molecular lines trace non-axisymmetric deviations from Keplerian rotation in the circumbinary disk at higher velocities relative to the systemic velocity, where our previous SMA observations could not detect the lines. In addition, we detect inward motion along the minor axis of the circumbinary disk. To explain the newly observed features, we performed a numerical simulation of gas orbits in a Roche potential tailored to the inferred properties of L1551 NE. The observed U-shaped dust features coincide with locations where gravitational torques from the central binary system are predicted to impart angular momentum to the circumbinary disk, producing shocks and hence density enhancements seen as a pair of spiral arms. The observed inward gas motion coincides with locations where angular momentum is predicted to be lowered by the gravitational torques. The good agreement between our observation and model indicates that gravitational torques from the binary stars constitute the primary driver for exchanging angular momentum so as to permit infall through the circumbinary disk of L1551 NE.

Evolution of linear warps in accretion discs and applications to protoplanetary discs in binaries

Warped accretion discs are expected in many protostellar binary systems. In this paper, we study the long-term evolution of disc warp and precession for discs with dimensionless thickness $H/r$ larger than their viscosity parameter $\alpha$, such that bending waves can propagate and dominate the warp evolution. For small warps, these discs undergo approximately rigid-body precession. We derive analytical expressions for the warp/twist profiles of the disc and the alignment timescale for a variety of models. Applying our results to circumbinary discs, we find that these discs align with the orbital plane of the binary on a timescale comparable to the global precession time of the disc, and typically much smaller than its viscous timescale. We discuss the implications of our finding for the observations of misaligned circumbinary discs (such as KH 15D) and circumbinary planetary systems (such as Kepler-413); these observed misalignments provide useful constraints on the uncertain aspects of the disc warp theory. On the other hand, we find that circumstellar discs can maintain large misalignments with respect to the plane of the binary companion over their entire lifetime. We estimate that inclination angles larger than $\sim 20^\circ$ can be maintained for typical disc parameters. Overall, our results suggest that while highly misaligned circumstellar discs in binaries are expected to be common, such misalignments should be rare for circumbinary discs. These expectations are consistent with current observations of protoplanetary discs and exoplanets in binaries, and can be tested with future observations.

On the thermal sensitivity of binary formation in collapsing molecular clouds

We report the results of a numerical study on the initial formation stages of low-mass protostellar binary systems. We determine the separation of protostellar binaries formed as a function of the initial thermal state by varying the initial temperature in a slightly modified version of the Burkert and Bodenheimer collapse test. We find that the outcome is highly sensitive to both the initial temperature of the cloud and the initial amplitude of azimuthal density perturbation A. For A=10 %, variations of only 1 unit Kelvin below 10 K lead to changes of up to 100 AU ( i.e. of order 30 %) in the instantaneous separation, whereas for this small A the initial temperatures above 10 K yield, instead of a binary, a single low-mass fragment that never reaches protostellar densities. Protostellar binaries, however, do emerge when the perturbation amplitude is increased from 10 % to 25 %. We also investigate the impact of the critical density which governs the transition from isothermal to adiabatic thermodynamic behaviour of the collapsing gas. We find that the critical density not only affects the overall structural evolution of the gas envelope, but also the size of the rotating disk structures formed during collapse as well as the number of protostellar fragments resulting from the final fragmentation of the disks. This mechanism can give rise to young protostellar objects constituting bound multiple stellar systems.