An S - shaped outflow from IRAS 03256 + 3055 in NGC 1333

The IRAS source 03256+3055 in the NGC 1333 star forming region is associated with extended sub-millimeter emission of complex morphology, showing multiple clumps. One of these is found to coincide with the driving source of a bipolar jet of S-shaped morphology seen in the emission lines of Hα and [SII] as well as in the H2 emission lines in the K-band. Detailed images of the driving source at the wavelengths of Hα and [SII] and in the I, J, H, and K-bands as well as a K-band spectrum and polarimetry are discussed. The near-infrared morphology is characterized by a combination of line emission from the jet and scattered light from a source with a steep continuum spectrum. The morphology and proper motion of the jet are discussed in the context of a binary system with a precessing disk. We conclude that the molecular core associated with IRAS 03256+3055 consists of several clumps, only one of which shows evidence of recent star formation at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. We also briefly discuss a second, newly found near-infrared source associated with a compact sub-millimeter continuum source near IRAS 03256+3055, and conclude that this source may be physically unrelated the cluster of molecular clumps. 1 Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 640 N. Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, email: [email protected] 2 University of Colorado Astrophysical & Planetary Sci., 391 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, email: [email protected] 3 Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg Tautenburg, Germany email: [email protected] 4 Joint Astronomy Center 660 N. Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI, 96720 email: [email protected]