Disk-mediated accretion burst in a high-mass young stellar object

Journal
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
•
Stecklum, B.
•
Garcia Lopez, R.
•
Eislöffel, J.
•
Ray, T. P.
•
•
•
Walmsley, C. M.
•
Oudmaijer, R. D.
•
de Wit, W. J.
•
•
Greiner, J.
•
Krabbe, A.
•
Fischer, C.
•
Klein, R.
•
Ibañez, J. M.
DOI
Abstract
Solar-mass stars form via disk-mediated accretion. Recent findings indicate that this process is probably episodic in the form of accretion bursts, possibly caused by disk fragmentation. Although it cannot be ruled out that high-mass young stellar objects arise from the coalescence of their low-mass brethren, the latest results suggest that they more likely form via disks. It follows that disk-mediated accretion bursts should occur. Here we report on the discovery of the first disk-mediated accretion burst from a roughly twenty-solar-mass high-mass young stellar object. Our near-infrared images show the brightening of the central source and its outflow cavities. Near-infrared spectroscopy reveals emission lines typical for accretion bursts in low-mass protostars, but orders of magnitude more luminous. Moreover, the released energy and the inferred mass-accretion rate are also orders of magnitude larger. Our results identify disk-accretion as the common mechanism of star formation across the entire stellar mass spectrum.
Volume
13
Issue
3
Start page
276
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
1745-2473
Ads BibCode
2017NatPh..13..276C
Rights
open.access
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