2011ApJ...727...99C

We present the detection of multiple high-velocity silicon monoxide (SiO v = 1, 2, J = 1-0) maser features in the high-mass protostar W51 North which are distributed over an exceedingly large velocity range from 105 to 230 km/s. The SiO v = 1, J = 1-0 maser emission shows 3-5 narrow components which span a velocity range from 154 to 230 km/s according to observational epochs. The SiO v = 2, J = 1-0 maser also shows 3-5 narrow components that do not correspond to the SiO v = 1 maser and span a velocity range from 105 to 154 km/s. The multiple maser components show significant changes on very short timescales (<1 month) from epoch to epoch. We suggest that the high-velocity SiO masers may be emanated from massive star-forming activity of the W51 North protostar as SiO maser jets and will be a good probe of the earliest evolutionary stages of high-mass star formation via an accretion model. Further high angular resolution observations will be required for confirmation.