The bipolar optical outflow associated with PV Cephei

We describe deep 10'X19' CCD images of the bipolar [S II] jet emanating from the Herbig Ae/Be star PV Cephei. The similar to 2.3 pc long jet exhibits a clear S-shaped morphology and lies within the lobes of the molecular outflow. The 23 HH knots-including 21 new detections-suggest an intermittent outflow with major eruptions every similar to 2000 yr. We model the morphology of the optical outflow with a simple precessing jet; our preferred model has a large inclination to the Line-of-sight, i similar to 80 degrees; an opening angle for the precession axis, theta similar to 45 degrees; and a modest precession period of similar to 8300 yr. The close association of optical and radio outflows-together with our simple dynamical jet model-is consistent with Masson & Chernin's (1993, ApJ, 414, 230) picture where a precessing optical jet carves out cavities in an infalling envelope and drives a molecular outflow. (C) 1997 American Astronomical Society.