The Correlation between Low and High Mass Star Formation: Comparing the Envelope Mass Infall Rate of Low and Intermediate Mass Protostars

Abstract Linking low and high-mass star formation is a key goal in star formation theory. Building on the shared framework of inside-out collapse and turbulent core models, forming high-mass sources requires accreting 100–1000× faster than for low-mass stars, for a similar 10 5 yr age. Because high-mass stars quickly disrupt their environments, we focus on intermediate-mass protostars, expected to accrete 10–100× faster while remaining less disruptive. To better probe environment, we focus on Class 0 protostars. First, with the standard assumption of a 0.5 M ⊙ central protostar, we determine infall rates for Class 0 sources from the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey to show a positive correlation between protostellar luminosity and mass infall rate. We then relax this assumption using luminosity as a protostar mass proxy, based on recent studies, to demonstrate that this correlation increases, with intermediate-mass protostars showing 10–40× higher infall rates compared with low-mass stars, consistent with theoretical predictions.