Detection of Substructures in Young Transition Disk WL 17

WL 17 is a young transition disk in the Ophiuchus L1688 molecular cloud complex. Even though WL 17 is among the brightest disks in L1688 and massive enough to expect dust self-scattering, it was undetected in polarization down to Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array’s (ALMA’s) instrument sensitivity limit. Such low polarization fractions could indicate unresolved polarization within the beam or optically thin dust emission. We test the latter case by combining the high-sensitivity 233 GHz Stokes I data from the polarization observations with previous ALMA data at 345 and 100 GHz. We use simple geometric shapes to fit the observed disk visibilities in each band. Using our simple models and assumed dust temperature profiles, we estimate the optical depth in all three bands. The optical depth at 233 GHz peaks at τ 233 ∼ 0.3, which suggests the dust emission may not be optically thick enough for dust self-scattering to be efficient. We also find the higher-sensitivity 233 GHz data show substructure in the disk for the first time. The substructure appears as brighter lobes along the major axis, on either side of the star. We attempt to fit the lobes with a simple geometric model, but they are unresolved in the 233 GHz data. We propose that the disk may be flared at 1 mm such that there is a higher column of dust along the major axis than the minor axis when viewed at an inclination. These observations highlight the strength of high-sensitivity continuum data from dust polarization observations to study disk structures.

Monoceros OB4: a new association in Gaia DR2

ABSTRACT We use Gaia DR2 data to survey the classic Monoceros OB1 region and look for the existence of a dispersed young population, co-moving with the cloud complex. An analysis of the distribution of proper motions reveals a 20–30 Myr association of young stars, about 300–400 pc away from the far side of the Mon OB1 complex, along the same general line of sight. We characterize the new association, Monoceros OB4, and estimate it contains between 1400 and 2500 stars, assuming a standard initial mass function, putting it on par in size with NGC 2264. We find from the internal proper motions that Mon OB4 is unbound and expanding. Our results seem to unveil a larger and more complex Monoceros star formation region, suggesting an elongated arrangement that seems to be at least 300 × 60 pc.

The Perseus OB2 Superbubble and the Taurus-Auriga-California-Perseus Molecular Cloud Loop

Located at a distance of about 300 pc, Perseus OB2 (or Per~OB2 for short) is one of the major OB associations in the solar vicinity\cite{Zeeuw99,Belikov2002}, which has blown a supershell with a diameter of about 15 degree seen in the atomic hydrogen line surveys\cite{Sancisi1974,Heiles1984,Hartmann1997}. It was long considered that stellar feedback from the Per~OB2 association had formed a superbubble that swept up the surrounding interstellar medium into the observed supershell\cite{Bally2008}. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of the Per~OB2 superbubble, based on wide-field atomic hydrogen and molecular gas (traced by CO) surveys. The measured diameter of the superbubble is roughly 330 pc. Multiple atomic hydrogen shells/loops with expansion velocities of about 10 km/s are revealed in the superbubble, suggesting a complicated evolution history of the superbubble. Furthermore, the inspections of the morphology, kinematics and timescale of the Taurus-Auriga, California, and Perseus molecular clouds shows that the cloud complex is a super molecular cloud loop circling around and co-expanding with the Per~OB2 superbubble. We conclude that the Taurus-Auriga-California-Perseus loop, the largest star-forming molecular cloud complex in the solar neighborhood, is formed from the feedback of the Per~OB2 superbubble.

HESS J1858+020: A GeV-TeV source possibly powered by cosmic rays from SNR G35.6-0.4

Context. The supernova remnant (SNR) G35.6−0.4 shows a non-thermal radio shell, however, no γ-ray or X-ray counterparts have been found for it thus far. One TeV source, HESS J1858+020, was found near the SNR and this source is spatially associated with some clouds at 3.6 kpc. Aims. To attain a better understanding of the origin of HESS J1858+020, we further investigate the association between SNR cosmic rays (CRs) and the clouds through the Fermi-LAT analysis and hadronic modeling. Methods. We performed the Fermi-LAT analysis to explore the GeV emission in and around the SNR. We explored the SNR physics with previously observed multi-wavelength data. We built a hadronic model using runaway CRs of the SNR to explain the GeV-TeV observation. Results. We found a hard GeV source (SrcX2) that is spatially coincident with both HESS J1858+020 and a molecular cloud complex at 3.6 kpc. In addition, a soft GeV source (SrcX1) was found at the northern edge of the SNR. The GeV spectrum of SrcX2 connects well with the TeV spectrum of HESS J1858+020. The entire γ-ray spectrum ranges from several GeV up to tens of TeV and it follows a power-law with an index of ~2.15. We discuss several pieces of observational evidence to support the middle-aged SNR argument. Using runaway CRs from the SNR, our hadronic model explains the GeV-TeV emission at HESS J1858+020, with a diffusion coefficient that is much lower than the Galactic value.