EARLY STAR-FORMING PROCESSES IN DENSE MOLECULAR CLOUD L328; IDENTIFICATION OF L328-IRS AS A PROTO-BROWN DWARF

This paper presents the results of millimeter to sub-millimeter observations of CO, HCN, N2H+, and HCO+ lines in the dense molecular cloud L328, which harbors L328-IRS, a Very Low Luminosity Object (VeLLO). Our analysis of the line width finds that 13CO and N2H+ lines are broadened right over the smallest sub-core S2 where L328-IRS is located, while they are significantly narrower in other regions of L328. Thus, L328-IRS has a direct association with the sub-core. CO observations show a bipolar outflow from this VeLLO with an extent of ∼0.08 pc. The outflow momentum flux and efficiency are much less than those of low-mass protostars. The most likely mass accretion rate (∼3.6 × 10–7 M☉ yr–1) inferred from the analysis of the CO outflow is an order of magnitude smaller than the canonical value for a protostar. If the main accretion lasts during the typical Class 0 period of a protostar, L328-IRS will accrete the mass of a brown dwarf, but not that of a star. Given that its envelope mass is small (∼0.09 M☉) and 100% star formation rate is unlikely, we suggest that L328-IRS is likely a proto-brown dwarf. Inward motions are found in global scale in the L328 cloud and its sub-cores with a typical infall speed found in starless cores. L328 is found to be fairly well isolated from other nearby clouds and seems to be forming three sub-cores simultaneously through a gravitational fragmentation process. Altogether, these all leave L328-IRS as the best example supporting the idea that a brown dwarf forms like a normal star