X Marks the Spot: Nexus of Filaments, Cores, and Outflows in a Young
  Star-Forming Region
  We present a multiwavelength investigation of a region of a nearby giant
molecular cloud that is distinguished by a minimal level of star formation
activity. With our new 12CO(J=2-1) and 13CO(J=2-1) observations of a remote
region within the middle of the California molecular cloud, we aim to
investigate the relationship between filaments, cores, and a molecular outflow
in a relatively pristine environment. An extinction map of the region from
Herschel Space Observatory observations reveals the presence of two 2-pc-long
filaments radiating from a high-extinction clump. Using the 13CO observations,
we show that the filaments have coherent velocity gradients and that their
mass-per-unit-lengths may exceed the critical value above which filaments are
gravitationally unstable. The region exhibits structure with eight cores, at
least one of which is a starless, prestellar core. We identify a low-velocity,
low-mass molecular outflow that may be driven by a flat spectrum protostar. The
outflow does not appear to be responsible for driving the turbulence in the
core with which it is associated, nor does it provide significant support
against gravitational collapse.
