Very Cold and Massive Cores near ISOSS J18364−0221: Implications for the Initial Conditions of High‐Mass Star Formation

We report the discovery of two very cold and massive molecular cloud cores in the region ISOSS J18364-0221. The object has been identified by a systematic search for very early evolutionary stages of high-mass stars using the 170 μm ISOPHOT Serendipity Survey (ISOSS). Submillimeter continuum and molecular line measurements reveal two compact cores within this region. The first core has a temperature of 16.5 K, shows signs of ongoing infall and outflows, has no near- or mid-infrared counterpart, and is massive enough ( M ~ 75 M ☉ ) to form at least one O star with an associated cluster. It is therefore considered a candidate for a genuine high-mass protostar and a high-mass analog to the Class 0 objects. The second core has an average gas and dust temperature of only ~12 K and a mass of M ~ 280 M ☉ . Its temperature and level of turbulence are below the values found for massive cores so far, and we suggest that this represents the initial conditions from which high-mass star formation occurs.