Letter to the Editor High resolution observations of molecular outflows in the HH 1–2 region

We report 12CO J = 3–2 high resolution observations of compact molecular outflows around VLA 1 and VLA 3, two young stellar objects in the HH 1–2 region. We have confirmed the existence of a new outflow associated with VLA 1, the powering source of these well known Herbig-Haro objects. The VLA 1 outflow exhibits redand blue-shifted peaks with a separation of only 30′′. The two lobes are clearly distinct from each other, suggesting that the out flow axis is close to the plane of the sky. The outflow is aligned with the HH 1–2 axis, but the lobes are inside the HH knots. Our calculations have shown that this outflow is one of the weakest, youngest and most compact ever seen. Its total mass is 1.1×10−3 M and the dynamical timescale is ' 1×103 years. We have also mapped the more extended outflow from VLA 3 confirming the existence of two young, distinct and very compact molecular outflo ws in this region.