Fragmentation and dynamics of dense gas structures in the proximity of massive young stellar object W42-MME

Abstract

We present an analysis of the dense gas structures in the immediate surroundings of the massive young stellar object (MYSO) W42-MME, using the high-resolution (0".31 x 0".25) Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array dust continuum and molecular line data. We performed a dendrogram analysis of H13CO+ (4-3) line data to study multiscale structures and their spatio-kinematic properties, and analysed the fragmentation and dynamics of dense structures down to ∼2000 au scale. Our results reveal 19 dense gas structures, out of which 12 are leaves and 7 are branches in dendrogram terminology. These structures exhibit transonic-supersonic gas motions (1<M<5) with overvirial states (αvir ≥ 2). The non-thermal velocity dispersion-size relation (σnt–L) of dendrogram structures shows a weak negative correlation, while the velocity dispersion across the sky (δVlsr) correlates positively with structure size (L). Velocity structure function (S2(l)1/2) analysis of H13CO+ data reveals strong power-law dependences with lag (l) up to a scale length of ≲6000 au. The mass-size (M-R) relation of dendrogram structures shows a positive correlation with power-law index of 1.73 ± 0.23, and the leaf L17 hosting W42-MME meets the mass-size conditions for massive star formation. Blue asymmetry is observed in the H12CO+ (4-3) line profiles of most of the leaves, indicating infall. Overall, our results observationally support the hierarchical and chaotic collapse scenario in the proximity of the MYSO W42-MME.