Gravitationally unstable condensations revealed by ALMA in the TUKH122 prestellar core in the Orion A cloud

Abstract

We have investigated the TUKH122 prestellar core in the Orion A cloud using ALMA 3 mm dust continuum, N${}_2$H${}^{+}$ ($J=1-0$), and CH${}_3$OH ($J_K=2_K-1_K$) molecular line observations. Previous studies showed that TUKH122 is likely on the verge of star formation because the turbulence is almost dissipated and chemically evolved among other starless cores in the Orion A cloud. By combining ALMA 12-m and ACA data, we recover extended emission with a resolution of $\sim 5"$ corresponding to 0.01 pc and identify 6 condensations with a mass range of $0.1-0.4$ $M_{\odot }$ and a radius of $\lesssim 0.01$ pc. These condensations are gravitationally bound following a virial analysis and are embedded in the filament including the elongated core with a mass of $\sim 29$ $M_{\odot }$ and a radial density profile of $r^{-1.6}$ derived by {\it Herschel}. The separation of these condensations is $\sim 0.035$ pc, consistent with the thermal jeans length at a density of $4.4\times 10^5$ cm${}^{-3}$. This density is similar to the central part of the core. We also find a tendency that the N${}_2$H${}^{+}$ molecule seems to deplete at the dust peak condensation. This condensation may be beginning to collapse because the linewidth becomes broader. Therefore, the fragmentation still occurs in the prestellar core by thermal Jeans instability and multiple stars are formed within the TUKH122 prestellar core. The CH${}_3$OH emission shows a large shell-like distribution and surrounds these condensations, suggesting that the CH${}_3$OH molecule formed on dust grains is released into gas phase by non-thermal desorption such as photoevaporation caused by cosmic-ray induced UV radiation.

13 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ