High Resolution Studies of Star-Forming Molecular Clouds

Abstract

Observations of star formation sites in a number of molecular clouds, including NGC 7538, NGC 2071, Cepheus A and K3-50A, have been made using the Owens Valley millimeter wave interferometer. The measurements of ^(12)CO, ^(13)CO, CS and continuum emission are at resolutions of order 7″. Continuum emission at 2.7 mm is detected from all the cloud cores and, in general, the ^(12)CO interferometer maps reveal the presence of high velocity, bipolar outflows within 10″ of these continuum sources. Thus, the origins of the outflows are readily identifiable; the flows themselves appear to remain collimated on scales of less than 10^(17) cm. The orientations of the flows are similar to those seen at lower resolution, except in Cepheus A, where the interferometer is capable of distinguishing between two outflows which are confused in single telescope maps.

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