Protostars and Planets V 2005
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AN FU ORIONIS OUTBURST OBJECT IN THE CYGNUS OB7 MOLECULAR CLOUD. T.A. Movsessian, T.Yu. Magakian,
E.H. Nikogossian, Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, 378433 Aragatsotn reg., Armenia, (tigmov@bao.sci.am), T. Khanzadyan,
Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany (khtig@mpia-hd.mpg.de), C. Aspin, T. Beck,
Gemini Observatory, 670 N. Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, USA, A. Moiseev, Special Astrophysical Observatory,N.Arkhyz,
Karachaevo-Cherkesia, 369167 Russia, M.D. Smith, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG, Northern Ireland,
UK.
Figure 1: The appearance of the reflection nebula in various
spectral ranges and epochs.
Introduction:We present an optical and near-infrared in-
vestigation of a new FUor-like outburst recently discovered in
an active star formation region surrounding RNO 127, located
in the Cygnus OB7 dark cloud complex [1]. In this region,
several new cometary nebulae, Herbig-Haro objects, and out-
flows/jets were found [1]. The detection of a new near-IR
reflection nebula in this region immediately brought our at-
tention to the possibility of its creation by a FUor outburst.
This nebula, designated ‘IR-Neb’, has already been described
in detail in [1]. Here, we bring together all available evidence
on the nature of the optical and near-IR nebulosity and the un-
derlying young star with the aim of determining whether the
associated young star has undergone a FUor-like outburst.
Optical imaging and spectroscopy: The first direct op-
tical images of the region containing RNO 127 were obtained
with the 2.6 m telescope of the Byurakan Observatory, Ar-
menia, in August 2000 with the ByuFOSC-2 camera at prime
focus and CCD detector. Additional images were acquired in
2001 and 2002 using the multi-mode ’SCORPIO’ camera.
Long-slit optical spectroscopy of the brightest section of
the IR nebula was obtained using the SCORPIO camera with
10Å resolution on the 2.6m telescope on 2003. The spectral
range was 4000Å to 7000Å.
A spectrum with higher spectral resolution was obtained
on the 6m telescope of Special Astrophysical Observatory
(Russia) in September 2004 using a similar SCORPIO camera.
A dispersing holographic grism gave a resolution about 2.5Å
in the red spectral range. The same brightest region in the IR
nebula was observed.
Scanning Fabry-Perot interferometry: These observa-
tions were carried out at the prime focus of the 6m SAO tele-
scope on May 2003. We used a scanning Fabry-Perot interfer-
ometer with the SCORPIO focal reducer. A field-of-view of
4.80 square was observed with a scale of 0.5600 per pixel.
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Figure 2: Optical and NIR spectrum of the source.
Near infrared imaging and spectroscopy: For the near-
IR images we first used the Omega Prime camera at the Calar
Alto 3.5m telescope, Spain. A Ks broad-band filter with a
passband centered at λ2.196µm was used and images were
acquired on December 2000.
Additional near-IR K band images of the IR Nebula were
obtained at the "Fredrick C. Gillett" Gemini North Telescope
on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 22 August 2003. The facility near-
IR imager NIRI (REF) was used for the observations with a
K-band filter. The seeing during the acquisition sequence was
0.600 .
Finally, we have utilized the 2MASS Sky Atlas to study
the region at an earlier epoch.
We have acquired K-band near-IR spectroscopy of the
stellar source associated with the IR Nebula. These data were
taken at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) on
Manua Kea, Hawaii on UT 31 May 2004 using the spectrom-
eter SpeX.
Results: The nebulous object is totally absent on the plate
from the Digital Sky Survey POSS-II, which was taken on
UT 24 August 1990 and does not show any optical nebulosity,
though it is well seen on all our images starting from 2000 [1].
In the Fig. 1 we present the appearance of the nebula in
the various wavelengths. In optics it resembles a curving or
possibly helical filament and since it is seen in all passbands
it is likely at least partly of a reflection origin. The upper
two images on Fig.1 show the light propagation in the nebula.
After 2001 there were no major changes in nebula illumina-
Protostars and Planets V 2005
disk
LVF
source
HVF
Figure 3: Image of the nebula in K band (contours) and in I
band (grayscale) (left panel) and the scheme of formation of
double helical structure in high and low velocity flows (right
panel).
tion/excitation, which is confirmed also by the photometry of
its brightest curving region.
In near-IR Ks band image (see Fig. 1 lower left) the source
appears dramatically different from the optical one. At 2 µm
we observe a cometary reflection nebula, with very bright core.
The nebula is ∼1’ in total extent and again exhibits a curving,
possibly helical morphology. The same region imaged in the
2MASS survey does not show any nebular or stellar source in
this point. Photometry of the IR Nebula indicates a near-IR
brightening of at least 4 magnitudes.
If we look at the core star-like object at slightly higher
spatial resolution from our Gemini NIRI image (Fig. 1 lower
right), we see that at low contrast, the star is resolved in a point-
like source with linear extensions protruding to the south-west
and west. These are most likely the walls of the inner region
of the outflow cavity from the young star. The full-width
half-maximum (FWHM) of the stellar profile is ∼0.800 in this
image while other stellar sources im the region have a FWHM
of ∼0.5500 . This suggests that even at 2 µm, we have still
not detected the stellar photosphere itself probably due to the
presence of a dense, overlying circumstellar envelope around
it. We also note that at high contrast we detect the existence
of a faint counter-flow, extending to the north-east from the
brightest point of the nebula.
Our optical spectra of the brightest knot of the optical
nebula show strong and wide Hα absorption with a small
redshifted emission component. The BaII absorption blend
is also present (see Fig. 2). The existence of the young star
indicator absorption line λ6707Å Li I is yet to be confirmed.
These features make this spectrum similar to that of FU Orionis
itself and another known FUor, BBW 76 [2].
One noteworthy point is the strong asymmetric Hα ab-
sorption profile. The central radial velocity of Hα absorption
(deepest absorption) corresponds to −220 km s−1 , and its blue
wing can be traced out to −540 km s−1 . Such profile usually
is considered as an evidence of a high mass loss in the form
of a stellar wind and is a typical characteristic of FUors. The
velocity of probable emission component is low: +20 km s−1
and may correspond to ongoing and active accretion. As whole
this profile is quite similar to the spectra of classic FUors [3].
In [1] it was noted that just on the axis of optical reflection
nebula two HH objects are seen: HH629 to the south-west
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and HH635A north-east of the IR Nebula. Our FP scanning
interferometry of this region confirms the suggestion in [1]
that these HH objects represent a bipolar outflow from the
stellar source associated with the IR-nebula. HH629 has a
negative radial velocity of −81 km s−1 while HH635A has a
positive value of +57 km s−1 (and also a significant velocity
gradient). The FP data also confirm that the optical nebula is
purely reflective in nature with no trace of any emission lines
such as Hα emission along its extent.
The 2 µm spectrum of the near-IR star-like source is shown
in the lower part of Fig. 2. This spectrum shows a rising
red continuum with no strong features other than deep CO
absorption from 2.3–2.4 µm. Yet again, this type of spectrum
is typical of FUor objects where the continuum emission is
dominated by the circumstellar disk and the absorption by the
low surface gravity atmosphere of the disk itself (rather than
the stellar atmosphere). We conclude from this spectrum that
the circumstellar disk around this young star is dominant at
near-IR wavelengths.
Conclusion: To summarize, without doubts, we see that
the variable optical nebula is illuminated by the bright IR
object which increased in NIR in several magnitudes between
pre- and post-outburst. We did not observe directly the process
of the brightening of the IR object; nevertheless, it took place
shortly after 21.06.1999 (set by 2MASS observation date)
This object represents a still rare case of FUor with op-
tically detected outburst, which also is a source of bipolar
outflow. As in other similar cases: e.g., V346 Nor [4] and
probable FUors Z CMa [5] and Re 50 [6], the age of outflow
(about 2000 years in our case) is much greater than the period
of outburst. This brings two possibilities: either each FUor
outburst adds new HH condensations in the flow (thus such
outbursts much be recurrent), either these two phenomena are
not directly related.
As was already mentioned in [1], the appearance of the
reflection nebula is quite different in optics and NIR. How-
ever, morphologically both images have indications to helical
structure, but with different opening angle and step. This can
be schematically repersented as two helices enclosing one an-
other (Fig.3). Such structure can be formed if two components
with significantly different velocities exist in the outflow; each
one of them will be responsible for the formation of separate
helix.
All these results strongly support the idea that the source
star, still invisible in optics, can be the genuine FU Ori object.
This work was mainly supported by INTAS grant 03-51-
4838 and by grant of CRDF/NFSAT AS 062-02/CRDF 12009.
T.Yu.M. and T.A.M. thank the administration of Gemini Ob-
servatory for the support of their visit.
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