Atomic hydrogen associated with the high-velocity flow in NGC 2071

We report the first detection of 21 cm atomic hydrogen emission from a star-forming region exhibiting energetic molecular outflow. Observing with the VLA, we find a δv = 120 km s-1 wide H I line formed within a 0.1 pc radius of a cluster of moderate luminosity infrared stars associated with the bipolar outflow in NGC 2071. The column density of high-velocity atomic hydrogen is 8 x 1020 cm-2, a total of 0.1 M/sub sun/ of H I. The high-velocity atomic gas may either be formed by the dissociation of H2 behind the shock that is responsible for the broad 2.12 μm H2 emission line in this source or the result of H2 having been photodissociated by the UV radiation field of the embedded, recently formed stars