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J. J. Wiseman (JHU), A. Wootten (NRAO), G. A. Fuller (UMIST), H. Zinnecker, M. J. McCaughrean (Astrophysikalisches Institut, Potsdam)
Radio and millimeter arrays provide a means to map the warm dust and molecular gas in regions encircling protostellar accretion zones. Line observations, in particular, provide the means not only for excitation studies but also for kinematical studies of the protostellar environment. Radio and millimeter interferometers are being used to trace infall, rotation, and outflow of dense gas. Recently, flattened large (~10,000 AU) molecular gas envelopes around protostars were detected and show strong evidence for rotation (e.g. Zhang et al. 1998, Wiseman et al. 1999). We present here our most recent VLA ammonia maps showing flattened disk-like envelopes with velocity gradients indicative of rotation around the sources of the jets HH111, HH211 and HH212. HH211 and HH212 are two of the youngest, most embedded jets known from low-mass sources, while HH111 is a more massive flow system. We discuss interaction of the jets and outflows with the surrounding dense gas, and we discuss the relationship between rotation and infall in these large protostellar envelopes.
J.W. acknowledges the support of a Hubble Fellowship from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: jwiseman@pha.jhu.edu