We present high angular resolution SMA and Spitzer observations toward the Bok globule CB 17 .
SMA 1.3 mm dust continuum images reveal within CB 17 two sources with an angular separation of \sim 21 ^ { \prime \prime } ( \sim 5250 AU at a distance of \sim 250 pc ) .
The northwestern continuum source , referred to as CB 17 IRS , dominates the infrared emission in the Spitzer images , drives a bipolar outflow extending in the northwest-southeast direction , and is classified as a low luminosity Class 0/I transition object ( L _ { bol } \sim 0.5 L _ { \odot } ) .
The southeastern continuum source , referred to as CB 17 MMS , has faint dust continuum emission in the SMA 1.3 mm observations ( \sim 6 \sigma detection ; \sim 3.8 mJy ) , but is not detected in the deep Spitzer infrared images at wavelengths from 3.6 to 70 \mu m. Its bolometric luminosity and temperature , estimated from its spectral energy distribution , are \leq 0.04 L _ { \odot } and \leq 16 K , respectively .
The SMA CO ( 2–1 ) observations suggest that CB 17 MMS may drive a low-velocity molecular outflow ( \sim 2.5 km s ^ { -1 } ) , extending in the east-west direction .
Comparisons with prestellar cores and Class 0 protostars suggest that CB 17 MMS is more evolved than prestellar cores but less evolved than Class 0 protostars .
The observed characteristics of CB 17 MMS are consistent with the theoretical predictions from radiative/magneto hydrodynamical simulations of a first hydrostatic core , but there is also the possibility that CB 17 MMS is an extremely low luminosity protostar deeply embedded in an edge-on circumstellar disk .
Further observations are needed to study the properties of CB 17 MMS and to address more precisely its evolutionary stage .