New detection of near-infrared H₂line emission in AFGL 5157

Abstract

Narrow-band –0 S (1) and broad-band imaging observations towards AFGL 5157 revealed a number of new knots associated with the NH3 core in the region, implying that the multiple H2 outflows are driven by a cluster of embedded point sources in the core. The shell around the infrared cluster is more clearly seen than before, showing a few of newly detected ridge-like features. A string of knots newly revealed along one lobe of the known CO outflow suggests a parsec-scaled jet emanating from a young source in the core. These outflows and jet, together with the known compact H II region, radio continuum source, and H2O masers further imply an extremely embedded cluster containing massive stars within it. The evidence shows that the massive young stars within the cluster are in a strong outflow stage of evolution, and together with the nearby infrared cluster in NGC 1985, further confirms that star forming process propagates from the west to the east in AFGL 5157. The two types of H2 line emission, knots and shell, may be indicators of two different stages of star formation in clusters: the shocked H2 knots are driven by the young stellar sources embraced in the younger cluster, while the diffuse shell-like structure comes from UV photons of relatively evolved cluster. The near-infrared nebula in AFGL 5157 is found to be only associated with the evolved cluster but not observed in the embedded cluster.