H2O masers and protoplanetary disk dynamics in IC 1396 N

We report H2O maser line observations of the bright-rimmed globule IC 1396 N using a ground-space interferometer with the 10-m RadioAstron radio telescope as the space-based element. The source was not detected on projected baselines >2.3. Earth diameters, which indicates a lower limit on the maser size of L > 0.03 AU and an upper limit on the brightness temperature of 6.25 × 1012 K. Fringe-rate maps are prepared based on data from ground-ground baselines. Positions, velocities and flux densities of maser spots were determined. Multiple low-velocity features from −4.5 km/s to +0.7 km/s are seen, and two high-velocity features of V LSR = −9.4 km/s and V LSR = +4.4 km/s are found at projected distances of 157 AU and 70 AU, respectively, from the strongest low-velocity feature at V LSR = ~+0.3 km/s. Maser components from the central part of the spectrum fall into four velocity groups but into three spatial groups. Three spatial groups of low-velocity features detected in the 2014 observations are arranged in a linear structure about ~200 AU in length. Two of these groups were not detected in 1996 and possibly are jets which formed between 1996 and 2014. The putative jet seems to have changed direction in 18 years, which we explain by the precession of the jet under the influence of the gravity of material surrounding the globule. The jet collimation can be provided by a circumstellar protoplanetary disk. There is a straight line orientation in the “V LSR-Right Ascension” diagram between the jet and the maser group at V LSR = ~+0.3 km/s. However, the central group with the same position but at the velocity V LSR ~ −3.4 km/s falls on a straight line between two high-velocity components detected in 2014. Comparison of the low-velocity positions from 2014 and 1996, based on the same V LSR-Right Ascension diagram for low-velocity features, shows that the majority of the masers maintain their positions near the central velocity V LSR = ~0.3 km/s during the 18 year period.