Observational characteristics of dense cores with deeply embedded young protostars

Abstract

Class 0 objects, which are thought to be the youngest protostars, are identified in terms of NIR or radio emission and/or the presence of molecular outflows. We present combined hydrodynamic and radiative transfer simulations of the collapse of a star-forming molecular core, which suggest two criteria for identifying dense cores with deeply embedded very young protostars that may not be observable in the NIR or radio with current telescopes. We find that cores with protostars are relatively warm (T>15K) with their SEDs peaking at wavelengths <170 micron, and they tend to appear circular.