|
|
De Luca M, Gupta H, Neufeld D, Gerin M, Teyssier D, Drouin BJ, et al. Herschel/HIFI discovery of HCL+ in the interstellar medium. Astrophys. J. Lett.. 2012;751(2):L37.
Abstract: The radical ion HCl+, a key intermediate in the chlorine chemistry of the interstellar gas, has been identified for the first time in the interstellar medium with the Herschel Space Observatory's Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared. The ground-state rotational transition of H35Cl+, 2Π3/2 J = 5/2-3/2, showing Λ-doubling and hyperfine structure, is detected in absorption toward the Galactic star-forming regions W31C (G10.6-0.4) and W49N. The complex interstellar absorption features are modeled by convolving in velocity space the opacity profiles of other molecular tracers toward the same sources with the fine and hyperfine structure of HCl+. This structure is derived from a combined analysis of optical data from the literature and new laboratory measurements of pure rotational transitions, reported in the accompanying Letter by Gupta et al. The models reproduce well the interstellar absorption, and the frequencies inferred from the astronomical observations are in exact agreement with those calculated using spectroscopic constants derived from the laboratory data. The detection of H37Cl+ toward W31C, with a column density consistent with the expected 35Cl/37Cl isotopic ratio, provides additional evidence for the identification. A comparison with the chemically related molecules HCl and H2Cl+ yields an abundance ratio of unity with both species (HCl+ : H2Cl+ : HCl ~ 1). These observations also yield the unexpected result that HCl+ accounts for 3%-5% of the gas-phase chlorine toward W49N and W31C, values several times larger than the maximum fraction (~1%) predicted by chemical models.
|
|
|
|
Bujarrabal V, Alcolea J, Soria-Ruiz R, Planesas P, Teyssier D, Marston AP, et al. Herschel/HIFI observations of high-J CO transitions in the protoplanetary nebula CRL 618. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L3 (1 to 5).
Abstract: Aims. We aim to study the physical conditions, particularly the excitation state, of the intermediate-temperature gas components in the protoplanetary nebula CRL 618. These components are particularly important for understanding the evolution of the nebula.
Methods. We performed Herschel/HIFI observations of several CO lines in the far-infrared/sub-mm in the protoplanetary nebula CRL 618. The high spectral resolution provided by HIFI allows measurement of the line profiles. Since the dynamics and structure of the nebula is well known from mm-wave interferometric maps, it is possible to identify the contributions of the different nebular components (fast bipolar outflows, double shells, compact slow shell) to the line profiles. The observation of these relatively high-energy transitions allows an accurate study of the excitation conditions in these components, particularly in the warm ones, which cannot be properly studied from the low-energy lines.
Results. The 12CO J = 16–15, 10–9, and 6–5 lines are easily detected in this source. Both 13CO J = 10–9 and 6–5 are also detected. Wide profiles showing spectacular line wings have been found, particularly in 12CO J = 16–15. Other lines observed simultaneously with CO are also shown. Our analysis of the CO high-J transitions, when compared with the existing models, confirms the very low expansion velocity of the central, dense component, which probably indicates that the shells ejected during the last AGB phases were driven by radiation pressure under a regime of maximum transfer of momentum. No contribution of the diffuse halo found from mm-wave data is identified in our spectra, because of its low temperature. We find that the fast bipolar outflow is quite hot, much hotter than previously estimated; for instance, gas flowing at 100 km s-1 must have a temperature higher than ~200 K. Probably, this very fast outflow, with a kinematic age <100 yr, has been accelerated by a shock and has not yet cooled down. The double empty shell found from mm-wave mapping must also be relatively hot, in agreement with the previous estimate.
|
|
|
|
Benz AO, Bruderer S, van Dishoeck EF, Stäuber P, Wampfler SF, Melchior M, et al. Hydrides in young stellar objects: Radiation tracers in a protostar-disk-outflow system. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L35 (1 to 5).
Abstract: Context. Hydrides of the most abundant heavier elements are fundamental molecules in cosmic chemistry. Some of them trace gas irradiated by UV or X-rays.
Aims. We explore the abundances of major hydrides in W3 IRS5, a prototypical region of high-mass star formation.
Methods. W3 IRS5 was observed by HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory with deep integration (2500 s) in 8 spectral regions.
Results. The target lines including CH, NH, H3O+, and the new molecules SH+, H2O+, and OH+ are detected. The H2O+ and OH+ J = 1–0 lines are found mostly in absorption, but also appear to exhibit weak emission (P-Cyg-like). Emission requires high density, thus originates most likely near the protostar. This is corroborated by the absence of line shifts relative to the young stellar object (YSO). In addition, H2O+ and OH+ also contain strong absorption components at a velocity shifted relative to W3 IRS5, which are attributed to foreground clouds.
Conclusions. The molecular column densities derived from observations correlate well with the predictions of a model that assumes the main emission region is in outflow walls, heated and irradiated by protostellar UV radiation.
|
|
|
|
Maret S, Bacmann A, Bottinelli S, Parise B, Caux E, Faure A, et al. Nitrogen hydrides in the cold envelope of IRAS 16293-2422. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L52.
Abstract: Nitrogen is the fifth most abundant element in the Universe, yet the gas-phase chemistry of N-bearing species remains poorly understood. Nitrogen hydrides are key molecules of nitrogen chemistry. Their abundance ratios place strong constraints on the production pathways and reaction rates of nitrogen-bearing molecules. We observed the class 0 protostar IRAS 16293-2422 with the heterodyne instrument HIFI, covering most of the frequency range from 0.48 to 1.78 THz at high spectral resolution. The hyperfine structure of the amidogen radical o-NH2 is resolved and seen in absorption against the continuum of the protostar. Several transitions of ammonia from 1.2 to 1.8 THz are also seen in absorption. These lines trace the low-density envelope of the protostar. Column densities and abundances are estimated for each hydride. We find that NH:NH2:NH3 â‰<2c6> 5:1:300. Dark clouds chemical models predict steady-state abundances of NH2 and NH3 in reasonable agreement with the present observations, whilst that of NH is underpredicted by more than one order of magnitude, even using updated kinetic rates. Additional modelling of the nitrogen gas-phase chemistry in dark-cloud conditions is necessary before having recourse to heterogen processes.
|
|
|
|
Dedes C, Röllig M, Mookerjea B, Okada Y, Ossenkopf V, Bruderer S, et al. The origin of the [C II] emission in the S140 photon-dominated regions. New insights from HIFI. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L24.
Abstract: Using Herschel's HIFI instrument, we observe C ii along a cut through S140, as well as high-J transitions of CO and HCO+ at two positions on the cut, corresponding to the externally irradiated ionization front and the embedded massive star-forming core IRS1. The HIFI data were combined with available ground-based observations and modeled using the KOSMA-Ï„ model for photon-dominated regions (PDRs). We derive the physical conditions in S140 and in particular the origin of C ii emission around IRS1. We identify three distinct regions of C ii emission from the cut, one close to the embedded source IRS1, one associated with the ionization front, and one further into the cloud. The line emission can be understood in terms of a clumpy model of PDRs. At the position of IRS1, we identify at least two distinct components contributing to the [C ii] emission, one of them a small, hot component, which can possibly be identified with the irradiated outflow walls. This is consistent with the C ii peak at IRS1 coinciding with shocked H2 emission at the edges of the outflow cavity. We note that previously available observations of IRS1 can be reproduced well by a single-component KOSMA-Ï„ model. Thus, it is HIFI's unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution, as well as its sensitivity that has allowed us to uncover an additional hot gas component in the S140 region.
|
|
