Aims. The HIFI instrument onboard Herschel has allowed high spectral resolution and sensitive observations of ground-state transitions of three molecular ions: the methylidyne cation CH+, its ...isotopologue 13CH+, and sulfanylium SH+. Because of their unique chemical properties, a comparative analysis of these cations provides essential clues to the link between the chemistry and dynamics of the diffuse interstellar medium. Methods. The CH+, 13CH+, and SH+ lines are observed in absorption towards the distant high-mass star-forming regions (SFRs) DR21(OH), G34.3+0.1, W31C, W33A, W49N, and W51, and towards two sources close to the Galactic centre, SgrB2(N) and SgrA*+50. All sight lines sample the diffuse interstellar matter along pathlengths of several kiloparsecs across the Galactic Plane. In order to compare the velocity structure of each species, the observed line profiles were deconvolved from the hyperfine structure of the SH+ transition and the CH+, 13CH+, and SH+ spectra were independently decomposed into Gaussian velocity components. To analyse the chemical composition of the foreground gas, all spectra were divided, in a second step, into velocity intervals over which the CH+, 13CH+, and SH+ column densities and abundances were derived. Results. SH+ is detected along all observed lines of sight, with a velocity structure close to that of CH+ and 13CH+. The linewidth distributions of the CH+, SH+, and 13CH+ Gaussian components are found to be similar. These distributions have the same mean (⟨Δυ⟩ ~ 4.2 km s-1) and standard deviation (σ(Δυ) ~ 1.5 km s-1). This mean value is also close to that of the linewidth distribution of the CH+ visible transitions detected in the solar neighbourhood. We show that the lack of absorption components narrower than 2 km s-1 is not an artefact caused by noise: the CH+, 13CH+, and SH+ line profiles are therefore statistically broader than those of most species detected in absorption in diffuse interstellar gas (e.g. HCO+, CH, or CN). The SH+/CH+ column density ratio observed in the components located away from the Galactic centre spans two orders of magnitude and correlates with the CH+ abundance. Conversely, the ratio observed in the components close to the Galactic centre varies over less than one order of magnitude with no apparent correlation with the CH+ abundance. The observed dynamical and chemical properties of SH+ and CH+ are proposed to trace the ubiquitous process of turbulent dissipation, in shocks or shears, in the diffuse ISM and the specific environment of the Galactic centre regions.
Context. Deuterated ions, especially H2D+ and N2D+, are abundant in cold (~10 K), dense (~105 cm-3) regions, in which CO is frozen out onto dust grains. In such environments, the N2D+/N2H+ ratio can ...exceed the elemental abundance ratio of D/H by a factor of $\simeq$104. Aims. We use deuterium fractionation to investigate the evolutionary state of Class 0 protostars. In particular, we expect the N2D+/N2H+ ratio to decrease as temperature (a sign of the evolution of the protostar) increases. Methods. We observed N2H+ 1-0, N2D+ 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, C18O 1-0 and HCO+ 3-2 in a sample of 20 Class 0 and borderline Class 0/I protostars. We determined the deuteration fraction and searched for correlations between the N2D+/N2H+ ratio and well-established evolutionary tracers, such as TDust and the CO depletion factor. In addition, we compared the observational result with a chemical model. Results. In our protostellar sample, the N2H+ 1-0 optical depths are significantly lower than those found in prestellar cores, but the N2H+ column densities are comparable, which can be explained by the higher temperature and larger line width in protostellar cores. The deuterium fractionation of N2H+ in protostellar cores is also similar to that in prestellar cores. We found a clear correlation between the N2D+/N2H+ ratio and evolutionary tracers. As expected, the coolest, i.e. the youngest, objects show the largest deuterium fractionation. Furthermore, we find that sources with a high N2D+/N2H+ ratio show clear indications of infall (e.g. $ \delta v$ < 0). With decreasing deuterium fraction, the infall signature disappears and $ \delta v$ tends to be positive for the most evolved objects. The deuterium fractionation of other molecules deviates clearly from that of N2H+. The DCO+/HCO+ ratio stays low at all evolutionary stages, whereas the NH2D/NH3 ratio is >0.15 even in the most evolved objects. Conclusions. The N2D+/N2H+ ratio is known to trace the evolution of prestellar cores. We show that this ratio can be used to trace core evolution even after star formation. Protostars with an N2D+/N2H+ ratio above 0.15 are in a stage shortly after the beginning of collapse. Later on, deuterium fractionation decreases until it reaches a value of ~0.03 at the Class 0/I borderline.
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) We present Herschel/HIFI observations of 30 transitions of water isotopologues toward the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334 I. ...The line profiles of ..., ..., ..., and HDO show a complex pattern of emission and absorption components associated with the embedded hot cores, a lower-density envelope, two outflow components, and several foreground clouds, some associated with the NGC 6334 complex, others seen in projection against the strong continuum background of the source. Our analysis reveals an H sub(2)O ortho/para ratio of 3 + or - 0.5 in the foreground clouds, as well as the outflow. The water abundance varies from ~10 super(-8) in the foreground clouds and the outer envelope to ~10 super(-6) in the hot core. The hot core abundance is two orders of magnitude below the chemical model predictions for dense, warm gas, but within the range of values found in other Herschel/HIFI studies of hot cores and hot corinos. This may be related to the relatively low gas and dust temperature (~100 K), or time-dependent effects, resulting in a significant fraction of water molecules still locked up in dust grain mantles. The HDO/H sub(2)O ratio in NGC 6334 I, ~2 x 10 super(-4), is also relatively low, but within the range found in other high-mass star-forming regions.
Aims: We identify a prominent absorption feature at 1115 GHz, detected in first HIFI spectra towards high-mass star-forming regions, and interpret its astrophysical origin. Methods: The ...characteristic hyperfine pattern of the H2O+ ground-state rotational transition, and the lack of other known low-energy transitions in this frequency range, identifies the feature as H2O+ absorption against the dust continuum background and allows us to derive the velocity profile of the absorbing gas. By comparing this velocity profile with velocity profiles of other tracers in the DR21 star-forming region, we constrain the frequency of the transition and the conditions for its formation. Results: In DR21, the velocity distribution of H2O+ matches that of the C ii line at 158 μm and of OH cm-wave absorption, both stemming from the hot and dense clump surfaces facing the H ii-region and dynamically affected by the blister outflow. Diffuse foreground gas dominates the absorption towards Sgr B2. The integrated intensity of the absorption line allows us to derive lower limits to the H2O+ column density of 7.2 × 1012 cm-2 in NGC 6334, 2.3 × 1013 cm-2 in DR21, and 1.1 × 1015 cm-2 in Sgr B2. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.
Herschel/HIF delta observations have revealed the presence of widespread absorption by hydrogen fluoride (HF) J = 1-0 rotational transition, toward a number of Galactic sources. We present ...observations of HF J = 1-0 toward the high-mass star-forming region Sagittarius B2(M). The spectrum obtained shows a complex pattern of absorption, with numerous features covering a wide range of local standard of rest velocities (--130 to 100 km --1). An analysis of this absorption yields HF abundances relative to H2 of ~1.3 X 10--8, in most velocity intervals. This result is in good agreement with estimates from chemical models, which predict that HF should be the main reservoir of gas-phase fluorine under a wide variety of interstellar conditions. Interestingly, we also find velocity intervals in which the HF spectrum shows strong absorption features that are not present, or are very weak, in spectra of other molecules, such as 13CO (1-0) and CS (2-1). HF absorption reveals components of diffuse clouds with small extinction that can be studied for the first time. Another interesting observation is that water is significantly more abundant than hydrogen fluoride over a wide range of velocities toward Sagittarius B2(M), in contrast to the remarkably constant H2O/HF abundance ratio with average value close to unity measured toward other Galactic sources.
176P/LINEAR is a member of the new cometary class known as main-belt comets (MBCs). It displayed cometary activity shortly during its 2005 perihelion passage, which may be driven by the sublimation ...of subsurface ices. We have therefore searched for emission of the H2O 110–101 ground state rotational line at 557 GHz toward 176P/LINEAR with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) onboard the Herschel Space Observatory on UT 8.78 August 2011, about 40 days after its most recent perihelion passage, when the object was at a heliocentric distance of 2.58 AU. No H2O line emission was detected in our observations, from which we derive sensitive 3-σ upper limits for the water production rate and column density of <4 × 1025 mol s-1 and of <3 × 1010 cm-2, respectively. From the peak brightness measured during the object’s active period in 2005, this upper limit is lower than predicted by the relation between production rates and visual magnitudes observed for a sample of comets at this heliocentric distance. Thus, 176P/LINEAR was most likely less active at the time of our observation than during its previous perihelion passage. The retrieved upper limit is lower than most values derived for the H2O production rate from the spectroscopic search for CN emission in MBCs.
High-resolution far-infrared and sub-millimetre spectroscopy of water lines is an important tool to understand the physical and chemical properties of cometary atmospheres. We present observations of ...several rotational ortho- and para-water transitions in comet C/2008 Q3 (Garradd) performed with HIFI on Herschel. These observations have provided the first detection of the 212–101 (1669 GHz) ortho and 111–000 (1113 GHz) para transitions of water in a cometary spectrum. In addition, the ground-state transition 110–101 at 557 GHz is detected and mapped. By detecting several water lines quasi-simultaneously and mapping their emission we can constrain the excitation parameters in the coma. Synthetic line profiles are computed using excitation models which include excitation by collisions, solar infrared radiation, and radiation trapping. We obtain the gas kinetic temperature, constrain the electron density profile, and estimate the coma expansion velocity by analyzing the map and line shapes. We derive water production rates of 1.7–2.8 × 1028 s-1 over the range rh = 1.83–1.85 AU.
We present Herschel/HIFI observations of the fundamental rotational transitions of ortho- and para-H216O and H218O in absorption towards Sagittarius B2(M) and W31C. The ortho/para ratio in water in ...the foreground clouds on the line of sight towards these bright continuum sources is generally consistent with the statistical high-temperature ratio of 3, within the observational uncertainties. However, somewhat unexpectedly, we derive a low ortho/para ratio of 2.35 +/- 0.35, corresponding to a spin temperature of similar to 27 K, towards Sagittarius B2(M) at velocities of the expanding molecular ring. Water molecules in this region appear to have formed with, or relaxed to, an ortho/para ratio close to the value corresponding to the local temperature of the gas and dust.
Comet C/2006 W3 (Christensen) was observed in November 2009 at 3.3 AU from the Sun with Herschel.The PACS instrument acquired images of the dust coma in 70-μm and 160-μm filters and spectra covering ...several H2O rotational lines. Spectra in the range 450–1550 GHz were acquired with SPIRE. The comet emission continuum from 70 to 672 μm was measured, but no lines were detected. The spectral energy distribution indicates thermal emission from large particles and provides a measure of the size distribution index and dust production rate. The upper limit to the water production rate is compared to the production rates of other species (CO, CH3OH, HCN, H2S, OH) measured with the IRAM 30-m and Nançay telescopes. The coma is found to be strongly enriched in species more volatile than water, in comparison to comets observed closer to the Sun. The CO to H2O production rate ratio exceeds 220%. The dust-to-gas production rate ratio is on the order of 1.
We have examined methanol emission from Orion KL withthe Herschel/HIFI instrument, and detected two methanol bands centered at 524 GHz and 1061 GHz. The 524 GHz methanol band (observed in HIFI band ...1a) is dominated by the isolated ΔJ = 0, K = −4 → −3, vt = 0 Q branch, and includes 25 E-type and 2 A-type transitions. The 1061 GHz methanol band (observed in HIFI band 4b) is dominated by the ΔJ = 0, K = 7 → 6, vt = 0 Q branch transitions which are mostly blended. We have used the isolated E-type vt = 0 methanol transitions to explore the physical conditions in the molecular gas. With HIFI’s high velocity resolution, the methanol emission contributed by different spatial components along the line of sight toward Orion KL (hot core, low velocity flow, and compact ridge) can be distinguished and studied separately. The isolated transitions detected in these bands cover a broad energy range (upper state energy ranging from 80 K to 900 K), which provides a unique probe of the thermal structure in each spatial component. The observations further show that the compact ridge is externally heated. These observations demonstrate the power of methanol lines as probes of the physical conditions in warm regions in close proximity to young stars.
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