A search for cyanopolyynes in L1157-B1 Mendoza, Edgar; Lefloch, B; Ceccarelli, C ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
04/2018, Letnik:
475, Številka:
4
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We present here a systematic search for cyanopolyynes in the shock region L1157-B1 and its associated protostar L1157-mm in the framework of the Large Program`Astrochemical Surveys At IRAM' (ASAI), ...dedicated to chemical surveys of solar-type star-forming regions with the IRAM 30-m telescope. Observations of the millimeter windows between 72 and 272 GHz permitted the detection of HC3N and its 13C isotopologues, and HC5N (for the first time in a protostellar shock region). In the shock, the analysis of the line profiles shows that the emission arises from the outflow cavities associated with L1157-B1 and L1157-B2. Molecular abundances and excitation conditions were obtained from the analysis of the Spectral Line Energy Distributions under the assumption of Local Thermodynamical Equilibrium or using a radiative transfer code in the Large Velocity Gradient approximation. Towards L1157 mm, the HC3N emission arises from the cold envelope (T_rot=10K) and a higher-excitation region (Trot = 31K) of smaller extent around the protostar. We did not find any evidence of 13C or D fractionation enrichment towards L1157-B1. We obtain a relative abundance ratio HC3N/HC5N of 3.3 in the shocked gas. We find an increase by a factor of 30 of the HC3N abundance between the envelope of L1157-mm and the shock region itself. Altogether, these results are consistent with a scenario in which the bulk of HC3N was produced by means of gas phase reactions in the passage of the shock. This scenario is supported by the predictions of a parametric shock code coupled with the chemical model UCL_CHEM.
Context. Extragalactic observations allow the study of molecular chemistry and excitation under physical conditions which may differ greatly from those found in the Milky Way. The compact, obscured ...nuclei (CON) of luminous infrared galaxies (LIRG) combine large molecular columns with intense infrared (IR), ultra-violet (UV), and X- radiation and represent ideal laboratories for the study of the chemistry of the interstellar medium (ISM) under extreme conditions. Aims. Our aim was to obtain for the first time a multi-band spectral scan of a LIRG, and to derive molecular abundances and excitation to be compared to other Galactic and extragalactic environments. Methods. We obtained an ALMA Cycle 0 spectral scan of the dusty LIRG NGC 4418, spanning a total of 70.7 GHz in bands 3, 6, and 7. We use a combined local thermal equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE (NLTE) fit of the spectrum in order to identify the molecular species and to derive column densities and excitation temperatures. We derive molecular abundances and compare them with other Galactic and extragalactic sources by means of a principal component analysis. Results. We detect 317 emission lines from a total of 45 molecular species, including 15 isotopic substitutions and 6 vibrationally excited variants. Our LTE/NLTE fit find kinetic temperatures from 20 to 350 K, and densities between 105 and 107 cm-3. The spectrum is dominated by vibrationally excited HC3N, HCN, and HNC, with vibrational temperatures from 300 to 450 K. We find that the chemistry of NCG 4418 is characterized by high abundances of HC3N, SiO, H2S, and c-HCCCH but a low CH3OH abundance. A principal component analysis shows that NGC 4418 and Arp 220 share very similar molecular abundances and excitation, which clearly set them apart from other Galactic and extragalactic environments. Conclusions. Our spectral scan confirms that the chemical complexity in the nucleus of NGC 4418 is one of the highest ever observed outside our Galaxy. The similar molecular abundances observed toward NCG 4418 and Arp 220 are consistent with a hot gas-phase chemistry, with the relative abundances of SiO and CH3OH being regulated by shocks and X-ray driven dissociation. The bright emission from vibrationally excited species confirms the presence of a compact IR source, with an effective diameter smaller than 5 pc and brightness temperatures higher than 350 K. The molecular abundances and the vibrationally excited spectrum are consistent with a young AGN/starburst system. We suggest that NGC 4418 may be a template for a new kind of chemistry and excitation, typical of CON. Because of the narrow line widths and bright molecular emission, NGC 4418 is the ideal target for further studies of the chemistry in CONs.
We investigate the origin and nature of the profiles of water and ammonia observed toward the L1157-B1 clump as part of the HIFI CHESS survey using a new code coupling a gas-grain chemical model with ...a parametric shock model. First results from the unbiased survey reveal different molecular components at different excitation conditions coexisting in the B1 bow shock structure, with NH3, H2CO, and CH3OH emitting only at relatively low outflow velocities whereas H2O shows bright emission at high velocities. Our model suggests that these differences are purely chemical and can be explained by the presence of a C-type shock whose maximum temperature must be close to 4000 K along the B1 clump.
We employ SCUBA-2 (Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array 2) observations of the Orion A North molecular cloud to derive column density and temperature maps. We apply a novel, Hessian-based ...structural identification algorithm for detection of prestellar cores to these data, allowing for automated generation of the prestellar mass function. The resulting mass function is observed to peak at
$1.39^{+0.18}_{-0.19}$
M⊙, indicating a star-forming efficiency lower limit of ∼14 per cent when compared with the Orion nebula Cluster initial mass function (IMF) peak. Additionally, the prestellar mass function is observed to decay with a high-mass power-law exponent
$\alpha =2.53^{+0.16}_{-0.14}$
, indicating approximate functional similarity with the Salpeter IMF (α = 2.35). This result, when combined with the results of previous investigations suggests a regional dependence of the star-forming efficiency.
Aims.We present a comparison between independent computer codes, modeling the physics and chemistry of interstellar photon dominated regions (PDRs). Our goal was to understand the mutual differences ...in the PDR codes and their effects on the physical and chemical structure of the model clouds, and to converge the output of different codes to a common solution. Methods. A number of benchmark models have been created, covering low and high gas densities $n = 10^3,10^{5.5}$ cm-3 and far ultraviolet intensities χ = 10, 105 in units of the Draine field (FUV: 6 < $h\,\nu$ < 13.6 eV). The benchmark models were computed in two ways: one set assuming constant temperatures, thus testing the consistency of the chemical network and photo-processes, and a second set determining the temperature self consistently by solving the thermal balance, thus testing the modeling of the heating and cooling mechanisms accounting for the detailed energy balance throughout the clouds. Results.We investigated the impact of PDR geometry and agreed on the comparison of results from spherical and plane-parallel PDR models. We identified a number of key processes governing the chemical network which have been treated differently in the various codes such as the effect of PAHs on the electron density or the temperature dependence of the dissociation of CO by cosmic ray induced secondary photons, and defined a proper common treatment. We established a comprehensive set of reference models for ongoing and future PDR model bench-marking and were able to increase the agreement in model predictions for all benchmark models significantly. Nevertheless, the remaining spread in the computed observables such as the atomic fine-structure line intensities serves as a warning that there is still a considerable uncertainty when interpreting astronomical data with our models.
A photodissociation region study of NGC 4038 Bisbas, T. G; Bell, T. A; Viti, S ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
09/2014, Letnik:
443, Številka:
1
Journal Article
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We present a model of the photodissociation regions of NGC 4038, which is part of the Antennae galaxies. We have considered one-dimensional slabs of uniform density, all having a maximum A
V = 10 ...mag, interacting with plane-parallel radiation. The density range in our simulations spans four orders of magnitude (100 ≤ n ≤ 106 cm−3) and the UV field strength spans more than three orders of magnitude (10 ≤ χ ≤ 104.5 multiples of the Draine field), from which we generated a grid of about 1400 simulations. We compare our results with Herschel SPIRE-FTS, CSO and ISO-LWS observations of eight CO transition lines (J = 1-0 to 8-7) and the C i 609 μm and O i 146 μm fine-structure lines. We find that the molecular and atomic emission lines trace different gas components of NGC 4038; thus, single emission models are insufficient to reproduce the observed values. In general, low-J CO transition lines correspond to either low-density regions interacting with low UV field strengths, or high-density regions interacting with high UV field strengths. Higher J CO transition lines are less dependent on the UV field strength and are fitted by gas with density n ∼ 104.5-105.2 cm− 3. We find that the observed fine-structure line ratio of C i 609 μm/O i 146 μm is reproduced by clouds subject to weaker UV fields compared to the CO lines. We make estimates of the X
CO factor which relates the CO emission with the column density of molecular hydrogen, and find that it is less than the canonical Milky Way value.
Context. We study the chemistry of small hydrocarbons in the photon-dominated regions (PDRs) associated with the ultra-compact H ii region (UCH ii) Mon R2. Aims. Our goal is to determine the ...variations in the abundance of small hydrocarbons in a high-UV irradiated PDR and investigate the chemistry of these species. Methods. We present an observational study of the small hydrocarbons CH, CCH, and c-C3H2 in Mon R2 that combines spectral mapping data obtained with the IRAM-30 m telescope and the Herschel space observatory. We determine the column densities of these species, and compare their spatial distributions with that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), which trace the PDR. We compare the observational results with different chemical models to explore the relative importance of gas-phase, grain-surface, and time-dependent chemistry in these environments. Results. The emission of the small hydrocarbons show different spatial patterns. The CCH emission is extended, while CH and c-C3H2 are concentrated towards the more illuminated layers of the PDR. The ratio of the column densities of c-C3H2 and CCH shows spatial variations up to a factor of a few, increasing from N(c - C3H2)/N(CCH) ≈ 0.004 in the envelope to a maximum of ≈0.015 − 0.029 towards the 8 μm emission peak. Comparing these results with other galactic PDRs, we find that the abundance of CCH is quite constant over a wide range of G0, whereas the abundance of c-C3H2 is higher in low-UV PDRs, with the N(c - C3H2)/N(CCH) ratio ranging ≈0.008–0.08 from high to low UV PDRs. In Mon R2, the gas-phase steady-state chemistry can account relatively well for the abundances of CH and CCH in the most exposed layers of the PDR, but falls short by a factor of 10 of reproducing c-C3H2. In the low-density molecular envelope, time-dependent effects and grain surface chemistry play dominant roles in determining the hydrocarbon abundances. Conclusions. Our study shows that the small hydrocarbons CCH and c-C3H2 present a complex chemistry in which UV photons, grain-surface chemistry, and time dependent effects contribute to determining their abundances. Each of these effects may be dominant depending on the local physical conditions, and the superposition of different regions along the line of sight leads to the variety of measured abundances.
•A random fc domain has been simulated on the base of a large experimental campaign.•Two alternative in-plan fc distribution models have been assumed to model a 3D case-study.•The effect of fc ...variability in terms of seismic demand and seismic performance have been evaluated.•The effectiveness of Eurocode 8 has been checked.•An extended interpretation of EC8 has been suggested.
Mechanical properties of concrete can consistently affect the seismic performance of RC buildings. A proper determination of the concrete strength is therefore essential for a reliable modeling of the structure. The current European Technical Code, Eurocode 8, provides a criterion for the strength assumption related to the knowledge level of the structure, which does not take into account the variability of the strength. If the concrete strength is affected by a large variability, the conventional strength value suggested by Eurocode 8 can be not conservative, since it does not consider the possible torsional effects due to a not homogeneous strength distribution and the reduced capacity of the weaker members.
In this paper the effects of the concrete strength variability on the seismic performance are investigated with a case study, that is a 4-storeys 3D framed building. The seismic response of the case study by assuming different amounts of strength variability has been compared with the Eurocode 8 previsions, both in terms of possible torsional effects and seismic performance.
We derive molecular-gas-phase 12C/13C isotope ratios for the central few hundred parsecs of the three nearby starburst galaxies NGC 253, NGC 1068, and NGC 4945 making use of the λ ∼ 3 mm 12CN and ...13CN N = 1–0 lines in the ALMA Band 3. The 12C/13C isotopic ratios derived from the ratios of these lines range from 30 to 67 with an average of 41.6 ± 0.2 in NGC 253, from 24 to 62 with an average of 38.3 ± 0.4 in NGC 1068, and from 6 to 44 with an average of 16.9 ± 0.3 in NGC 4945. The highest 12C/13C isotopic ratios are determined in some of the outskirts of the nuclear regions of the three starburst galaxies. The lowest ratios are associated with the northeastern and southwestern molecular peaks of NGC 253, the northeastern and southwestern edge of the mapped region in NGC 1068, and the very center of NGC 4945. In the case of NGC 1068, the measured ratios suggest inflow from the outer part of NGC 1068 into the circum-nuclear disk through both the halo and the bar. Low 12C/13C isotopic ratios in the central regions of these starburst galaxies indicate the presence of highly processed material.
Seeds of Life in Space (SOLIS) Benedettini, M; Viti, S; Codella, C ...
Astronomy & astrophysics,
01/2021, Letnik:
645
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Context. The isotopic ratio of nitrogen presents a wide range of values in the Solar System: from ~140 in meteorites and comets to 441 in the solar wind. In star-forming systems, we observe even a ...higher spread of ~150–1000. The origin of these differences is still unclear. Aims. Chemical reactions in the gas phase are one of the possible processes that could modify the 14N/15N ratio. We aim to investigate if and how the passage of a shock wave in the interstellar medium, which activates a rich chemistry, can affect the relative fraction of nitrogen isotopes. The ideal place for such a study is the chemically rich outflow powered by the L1157-mm protostar, where several shocked clumps are present. Methods. We present the first measurement of the 14N/15N ratio in the two shocked clumps, B1 and B0, of the protostellar outflow L1157. The measurement is derived from the interferometeric maps of the H13CN (1–0) and the HC15N (1–0) lines obtained with the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) interferometer as part of the Seeds of Life in Space (SOLIS) programme. Results. In B1, we find that the H13CN (1–0) and HC15N (1–0) emission traces the front of the clump, that is the apex of the shocked region, where the fast jet impacts the lower velocity medium with an averaged column density of N(H13CN) ~ 7 × 1012 cm−2 and N(HC15N) ~ 2 × 1012 cm−2. In this region, the ratio H13CN (1–0)/HC15N (1–0) is almost uniform with an average value of ~5 ± 1. The same average value is also measured in the smaller clump B0e. Assuming the standard 12C/13C = 68, we obtain 14N/15N = 340 ± 70. This ratio is similar to those usually found with the same species in prestellar cores and protostars. We analysed the prediction of a chemical shock model for several shock conditions and we found that the nitrogen and carbon fractionations do not vary much for the first period after the shock. The observed H13CN/HC15N can be reproduced by a non-dissociative, C-type shock with pre-shock density n(H) = 105 cm−3, shock velocity Vs between 20 and 40 km s−1, and cosmic-ray ionization rate of 3 × 10−16 s−1; this agrees with previous modelling of other chemical species in L1157-B1. Conclusions. Both observations and chemical models indicate that the rich chemistry activated by the shock propagation does not affect the nitrogen isotopic ratio, which remains similar to that measured in lower temperature gas in prestellar cores and protostellar envelopes.