The enigmatic outflow alignments in small globules: A case study of IC 1396 W

Beside giant molecular clouds, stars are formed also in small isolated globules. In such places the formation of stars might be induced by the propagation of an ionization shock front, the so called radiation driven implosion mechanism. Many of the investigated globules clearly show signs of ongoing star formation by outflow activity and by the presence in them of very young star clusters. The investigations of outflow activity in such small (<1 pc) clouds uncover a surprisingly large number of parallel aligned outflows. Examples of three parallel outflows are Ï? Oph A, L1551 and IC 1396 N. Such alignment practically cannot be explained by coincidence. Here we present a new example of perfectly aligned outflows discovered in the IC 1396 W globule. Three ouflows driven by one Class 0 and two Class 1/2 objects are aligned within three degrees in projection. Additionally, in this globule an embedded cluster of young stars is detected. We discuss the properties of the outflow and the newly discovered young stellar population, as well as possible reasons for the outflow alignment in this and other cases.