Water lines spectra of 4 protostellar objects

Using water as a tracer of the structure and kinematics, we aim to individually study each of these objects, to estimate the amount of water around them, but to also shed light on the high-mass star formation process. We analyze the gas dynamics from the line profiles using Herschel-HIFI observations acquired as part of the WISH key-project of 14 far-IR water lines (water, H_2_^17^O, H_2_^18^O), and several other species.

Then through modeling of the observations using the RATRAN radiative transfer code, we estimate outflow, infall, turbulent velocities, molecular abundances, and investigate any correlation with the evolutionary status of each source. The four sources (plus previously studied W43-MM1) have been ordered in terms of evolution based on their SED: NGC64334I(N)-W43-MM1-DR21(OH)-IRAS16272-4837-IRAS05358+3543. The molecular line profiles exhibit a broad component coming from the shocks along the cavity walls associated with the protostars, and an infalling (or expansion for IRAS05358+3543) and passively heated envelope component, with highly supersonic turbulence likely increasing with the distance from the center.