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Preprint E/12

Spatially Resolved Observations of the Bipolar Optical Outflow from the Brown Dwarf 2MASSJ12073347-3932540

Whelan E. (1,2), Ray T. (1), Comeron F. (3), Bacciotti F. (4), Kavanagh P.J. (5)

(1) Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Cosmic Physics, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
(2) UJF-Grenoble 1 / CNRS-INSU, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG) UMR 5274, Grenoble, F-38041, France
(3) ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
(4) INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
(5) IAAT, Kepler Center for Astro and Particle Physics, Eberhard Karls Universitaet, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany

To be published in: ApJ

Abstract. Studies of brown dwarf (BD) outflows provide information pertinent to questions on BD formation, as well as allowing outflow mechanisms to be investigated at the lowest masses. Here new observations of the bipolar outflow from the 24 M_JUP BD, 2MASSJ12073347-3932540 are presented. The outflow was originally identified through the spectro-astrometric analysis of the [OI]λ6300 emission line. Follow-up observations consisting of spectra and [SII], R-band and I-band images were obtained. The new spectra confirm the original results and are used to constrain the outflow PA at ~ 65°. The [OI]λ6300 emission line region is spatially resolved and the outflow is detected in the [SII] images. The detection is firstly in the form of an elongation of the point spread function along the direction of the outflow PA. Four faint knot-like features (labelled A-D) are also observed to the south-west of 2MASSJ12073347-3932540 along the same PA suggested by the spectra and the elongation in the PSF. Interestingly, D, the feature furthest from the source is bow-shaped with the apex pointing away from 2MASSJ12073347-3932540. A color-color analysis allows us to conclude that at least feature D is part of the outflow under investigation while A is likely a star or galaxy. Follow-up observations are needed to confirm the origin of B and C. This is a first for a BD, as BD optical outflows have to date only been detected using spectro-astrometry. This result also demonstrates for the first time that BD outflows can be collimated and episodic.
 
Key words: interstellar medium: jets and outflows; stars: pre-main-sequence

Astrophysics (astro-ph): 1210.7106

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