Unveiling the Nature of Protostellar Jets and Outflows

by Dr Somnath Dutta (Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taiwan)

Tuesday 16 Jun 2026, 16:00 → 17:00 Asia/Kolkata

AG-66

Protostellar jets and outflows are key agents in removing excess angular momentum from circumstellar disks, thereby facilitating stellar accretion. Recent observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and James Webb Space Telescope have opened a new window on these phenomena. Infrared spectroscopy with JWST of H₂ rovibrational and rotational lines, along with atomic and ionized emission lines, reveals warm shock structures and multiple temperature components along the jet. In contrast, ALMA observations of CO and SiO rotational lines trace the colder, denser gas in the shocked regions. Multiwavelength observations are therefore essential, as jets span a wide range of physical conditions. Only by combining infrared and submillimeter diagnostics can we fully constrain their temperature, density, kinematics, and energetics. In this talk, I will present combined JWST–ALMA results on embedded protostellar systems, highlighting how these complementary diagnostics provide a more complete view of jet physics and their interaction with the surrounding envelope. I will also discuss how observations from Indian infrared facilities, such as TANSPEC on the Devasthal Optical Telescope and TIRSPEC on the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, are well suited to extend these studies through sensitive imaging and spectroscopy. 

Together with submillimeter observatories, these facilities promise a comprehensive understanding of protostellar jet launching, evolution, and feedback in diverse star-forming environments.