We describe a new method for determining proper motions of extended objects, and a pipeline developed for the application of this method. We then apply this method to an analysis of four epochs of [S~II] HST images of the HH~1 jet (covering a period of ∼20~yr). We determine the proper motions of the knots along the jet, and make a reconstruction of the past ejection velocity time-variability (assuming ballistic knot motions). This reconstruction shows an "acceleration" of the ejection velocities of the jet knots, with higher velocities at more recent times. This acceleration will result in an eventual merging of the knots in ∼450~yr and at a distance of ∼80" from the outflow source, close to the present-day position of HH~1.
@article{arxiv.1708.01585,
title = {Proper motions of the HH1 jet},
author = {A. C. Raga and B. Reipurth and A. Esquivel and A. Castellanos-Ramirez and P. F. Velazquez and L. Hernandez-Martinez and A. Rodriguez-Gonzalez and J. E. Rechy-Garcia and D. Estrella-Trujillo and J. Bally and D. Gonzalez-Gomez and A. Riera},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1708.01585},
year = {2017}
}