  Spitzer Space Telescope observations of a point-like source, L1014-IRS, close
to the dust peak of the low-mass dense core L1014 have questioned its starless
nature. The presence of an object with colors expected for an embedded
protostar makes L1014-IRS the lowest luminosity isolated protostar known, and
an ideal target with which to test star formation theories at the low mass end.
In order to study its molecular content and to search for the presence of a
molecular outflow, we mapped L1014 in at least one transition of 12CO, N2H+,
HCO+, CS and of their isotopologues 13CO, C18O, C17O, N2D+ and H13CO+, using
the FCRAO, the IRAM 30 meter and the CSO. The data show physical and chemical
properties in L1014 typical of the less evolved starless cores: i.e. H2 central
density of a few 10^5 molecules cm^-3, estimated mass of ~2M_sun, CO integrated
depletion factor less than 10, N(N2H+)~6*10^12 cm^-2, N(N2D+)/N(N2H+) equal to
10% and relatively broad N2H+(1--0) lines (0.35 km/s). Infall signatures and
significant velocity shifts between optically thick and optically thin tracers
are not observed in the line profiles. No classical signatures of molecular
outflow are found in the 12CO and 13CO observations. In particular, no high
velocity wings are found, and no well-defined blue-red lobes of 12CO emission
are seen in the channel maps. If sensitive, higher resolution observations
confirm the absence of an outflow on a smaller scale than probed by our
observations, L1014-IRS would be the only protostellar object known to be
formed without driving an outflow.
