Explosive molecular outflows are a rare subclass of outflows associated with massive star formation and are thought to originate from highly energetic dynamical events. In this talk, I will present the discovery of a new candidate explosive outflow in the high-mass star-forming complex G34.26+0.15. ALMA CO and SiO observations reveal multiple high-velocity streamers with a nearly linear morphology that appear to originate from a common center. Their apparent origin also coincides with a cometary ultra-compact HII region. The outflow carries an energy of ~10⁴⁸ erg, indicating an exceptionally energetic event. In addition, JCMT polarization observations show that the magnetic field is preferentially aligned with the outflow streamers, suggesting that the ambient magnetic field may have been reshaped by the explosion. These results provide compelling evidence for an explosive outflow in G34.26+0.15 and highlight the potential importance of such an energetic phenomenon in massive star formation.
Dr. Namitha completed her PhD from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in 2021, where she worked on the multiwavelength investigation of the early stages of massive star formation. Following her PhD, she joined the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) as a Postdoctoral Fellow. From 2023 to 2026, she was a postdoctoral Researcher at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, focusing primarily on large-scale surveys of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) using VLA and ALMA observations, as well as studies of explosive outflows in our Galaxy. She will be joining the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute as a postdoc later this year.