SMA MASSES Survey

The Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and their Evolution with the SMA (MASSES) survey used the SMA to observe continuum and spectral lines toward all protostars within the Perseus Molecular Cloud (distance ~ 300 pc).

The banner image shows data MASSES outflows on top of a three color image from the Spitzer Gould's Belt Survey (blue: 3.6 μm, green: 4.5 μm, red: 8.0 μm).

The main science questions motivating the survey are:

1. When, where, and how do cores and disks fragment into multiple systems?
2. What role do disks play in the transfer of mass from cores to stars?
3. To what extent do outflows regulate the protostellar mass accretion process?

The survey will allow for legacy products for all protostars in the Perseus molecular cloud.

Below are some example MASSES images of CO(2-1) protostellar outflows.