We report the detection of a compact source at millimeter wavelengths located at the center of symmetry of the main L 1448 molecular outflow. The detection was performed with the IRAM 30-m radiotelescope equipped with the MPIfR bolometer operating at lambda-1.3 mm, and with the IRAM interferometer at Plateau de Bure at lambda-3.5 mm. The source (named "L 1448-mm") is at alpha (1950.0) = 03h22m34.s3, delta (1950.0) = 30-degrees 33'35" ( +/- 1"), i.e., within the error box of the position predicted by Bachiller et al. (1990) for the exciting source of the outflow. L 1448-mm has a spectral index consistent with optically thin dust emission in the millimeter range, and is associated with a weak IRAS source. Accordingly, we suggest that L 1448-mm is the dust circumstellar structure, possibly a disk, around the young stellar object driving this spectacular outflow. The finding of the driving source confirms the remarkable symmetry (in position and velocity) of the high-velocity molecular bullets found by Bachiller et al. (1990) along the axis of the L 1448 outflow, and is consistent with MHD disk-driven models for the origin of bipolar outflows from young stars.
