The physical structure of high-mass star-forming cores

We present models of the temperature and density structure of the envelopes of ten deeply embedded massive stars associated with ultracompact HII regions. Constraints come from 60-1300 (mu)m photometry including ISO-LWS spectra, maps at 450 and 850 (mu)m , and CS emission line data. Radial profiles extracted from the maps after removing neighbouring sources were modelled taking the chopping process into account. The line data are modelled with a Monte Carlo program and the continuum data with a dust radiative transfer code. For an assumed n(r) (proportional to) r(-p) density structure, the index p is found to be uniformly distributed between 1.25 and 2.25 for this sample. The density power law index from radial profiles and emission lines agree well (by +- 0.25), while the continuum spectrum sometimes deviates (by +- 0.5). Reliable models thus require all three kinds of data.