Redshifted methanol absorption tracing infall motions of high-mass star formation regions

W. J. Yang, K. M. Menten, A. Y. Yang, F. Wyrowski, Y. Gong, S. P. Ellingsen, C. Henkel, X. Chen, Y. Xu

Published 2022-01-05Version 1

Gravitational collapse is one of the most important processes in high-mass star formation. Compared with the classic blue-skewed profiles, redshifted absorption against continuum emission is a more reliable method to detect inward motions within high-mass star formation regions. We aim to test if methanol transitions can be used to trace infall motions within high-mass star formation regions. Using the Effelsberg-100 m, IRAM-30 m, and APEX-12 m telescopes, we carried out observations of 37 and 16 methanol transitions towards two well-known collapsing dense clumps, W31C (G10.6-0.4) and W3(OH), to search for redshifted absorption features or inverse P-Cygni profiles. Redshifted absorption is observed in 14 and 11 methanol transitions towards W31C and W3(OH), respectively. The infall velocities fitted from a simple two-layer model agree with previously reported values derived from other tracers, suggesting that redshifted methanol absorption is a reliable tracer of infall motions within high-mass star formation regions. Our observations indicate the presence of large-scale inward motions, and the mass infall rates are roughly estimated to be $\gtrsim$10$^{-3}$ $M_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$, which supports the global hierarchical collapse and clump-fed scenario. With the aid of bright continuum sources and the overcooling of methanol transitions leading to enhanced absorption, redshifted methanol absorption can trace infall motions within high-mass star formation regions hosting bright H{\scriptsize II} regions.