scholarly journals Deuterium fractionation in low-mass star-forming regions

Author(s):  
A. F. Punanova ◽  
◽  
I. V. Petrashkevich ◽  

In this work, we study how deuterium fraction changes depending on the physical conditions in cold cores embedded in the molecular clouds of Taurus, Perseus and Ophiuchus. The results show that the deuterium fraction in cold cores varies in different star-forming regions. In the densest and most turbulent of the studied regions, L1688 in Ophiuchus, the deuterium fraction is two times higher than that of L1495 in Taurus and B5 in Perseus. In L1495 and L1688, the deuterium fraction in the central parts of the cores and in their envelopes differ by a factor of 10, while in B5 only by a factor of 2—3.

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 406-407
Author(s):  
Doug Johnstone

AbstractCoordinated multi-wavelength surveys of molecular clouds are providing strong constraints on the physical conditions within low-mass star-forming regions. In this manner, Perseus and Ophiuchus have been exceptional laboratories for testing the earliest phases of star formation. Highlights of these results are: (1) dense cores form only in high column density regions, (2) dense cores contain only a few percent of the cloud mass, (3) the mass distribution of the dense cores is similar to the IMF, (4) the more massive cores are most likely to contain embedded protostars, and (5) the kinematics of the dense cores and the bulk gas show significant coupling.


2019 ◽  
Vol 629 ◽  
pp. A77
Author(s):  
A. I. Gómez-Ruiz ◽  
A. Gusdorf ◽  
S. Leurini ◽  
K. M. Menten ◽  
S. Takahashi ◽  
...  

Context. OMC-2/3 is one of the nearest embedded cluster-forming regions that includes intermediate-mass protostars at early stages of evolution. A previous CO (3–2) mapping survey towards this region revealed outflow activity related to sources at different evolutionary phases. Aims. The present work presents a study of the warm gas in the high-velocity emission from several outflows found in CO (3–2) emission by previous observations, determines their physical conditions, and makes a comparison with previous results in low-mass star-forming regions. Methods. We used the CHAMP+ heterodyne array on the APEX telescope to map the CO (6–5) and CO (7–6) emission in the OMC-2 FIR 6 and OMC-3 MMS 1-6 regions, and to observe 13CO (6–5) at selected positions. We analyzed these data together with previous CO (3–2) observations. In addition, we mapped the SiO (5–4) emission in OMC-2 FIR 6. Results. The CO (6–5) emission was detected in most of the outflow lobes in the mapped regions, while the CO (7–6) was found mostly in the OMC-3 outflows. In the OMC-3 MMS 5 outflow, a previously undetected extremely high-velocity gas was found in CO (6–5). This extremely high-velocity emission arises from the regions close to the central object MMS 5. Radiative transfer models revealed that the high-velocity gas from MMS 5 outflow consists of gas with nH2 = 104–105 cm−3 and T > 200 K, similar to what is observed in young Class 0 low-mass protostars. For the other outflows, values of nH2 > 104 cm−3 were found. Conclusions. The physical conditions and kinematic properties of the young intermediate-mass outflows presented here are similar to those found in outflows from Class 0 low-mass objects. Due to their excitation requirements, mid − J CO lines are good tracers of extremely high-velocity gas in young outflows likely related to jets.


1994 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 470-472
Author(s):  
M. Kun

Radio molecular observations in the millimeter wavelength region in the last decade have revealed a number of giant molecular cloud complexes at relatively high galactic latitudes. Examples for such cloud complexes are Cepheus Flare (Lebrun 1986), and Ursa Major and Camelopardalis clouds (Heithausen et al. 1993). Because of their high galactic latitudes, these cloud complexes probably belong to the nearest molecular clouds and among them we may find some nearby regions of low-mass star formation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. A125 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wienen ◽  
F. Wyrowski ◽  
K. M. Menten ◽  
J. S. Urquhart ◽  
C. M. Walmsley ◽  
...  

Context. The initial conditions of molecular clumps in which high-mass stars form are poorly understood. In particular, a more detailed study of the earliest evolutionary phases is needed. The APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the whole inner Galactic disk at 870 μm, ATLASGAL, has therefore been conducted to discover high-mass star-forming regions at different evolutionary phases. Aims. We derive properties such as velocities, rotational temperatures, column densities, and abundances of a large sample of southern ATLASGAL clumps in the fourth quadrant. Methods. Using the Parkes telescope, we observed the NH3 (1, 1) to (3, 3) inversion transitions towards 354 dust clumps detected by ATLASGAL within a Galactic longitude range between 300° and 359° and a latitude within ± 1.5°. For a subsample of 289 sources, the N2H+ (1–0) line was measured with the Mopra telescope. Results. We measured a median NH3 (1, 1) line width of ~ 2 km s-1, rotational temperatures from 12 to 28 K with a mean of 18 K, and source-averaged NH3 abundances from 1.6 × 10-6 to 10-8. For a subsample with detected NH3 (2, 2) hyperfine components, we found that the commonly used method to compute the (2, 2) optical depth from the (1, 1) optical depth and the (2, 2) to (1, 1) main beam brightness temperature ratio leads to an underestimation of the rotational temperature and column density. A larger median virial parameter of ~ 1 is determined using the broader N2H+ line width than is estimated from the NH3 line width of ~ 0.5 with a general trend of a decreasing virial parameter with increasing gas mass. We obtain a rising NH3 (1, 1)/N2H+ line-width ratio with increasing rotational temperature. Conclusions. A comparison of NH3 line parameters of ATLASGAL clumps to cores in nearby molecular clouds reveals smaller velocity dispersions in low-mass than high-mass star-forming regions and a warmer surrounding of ATLASGAL clumps than the surrounding of low-mass cores. The NH3 (1, 1) inversion transition of 49% of the sources shows hyperfine structure anomalies. The intensity ratio of the outer hyperfine structure lines with a median of 1.27 ± 0.03 and a standard deviation of 0.45 is significantly higher than 1, while the intensity ratios of the inner satellites with a median of 0.9 ± 0.02 and standard deviation of 0.3 and the sum of the inner and outer hyperfine components with a median of 1.06 ± 0.02 and standard deviation of 0.37 are closer to 1.


2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A14 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Paron ◽  
M. B. Areal ◽  
M. E. Ortega

Aims. Estimating molecular abundances ratios from directly measuring the emission of the molecules toward a variety of interstellar environments is indeed very useful to advance our understanding of the chemical evolution of the Galaxy, and hence of the physical processes related to the chemistry. It is necessary to increase the sample of molecular clouds, located at different distances, in which the behavior of molecular abundance ratios, such as the 13CO/C18O ratio, is studied in detail. Methods. We selected the well-studied high-mass star-forming region G29.96−0.02, located at a distance of about 6.2 kpc, which is an ideal laboratory to perform this type of study. To study the 13CO/C18O abundance ratio (X13∕18) toward this region, we used 12CO J = 3–2 data obtained from the CO High-Resolution Survey, 13CO and C18O J = 3–2 data from the 13CO/C18O (J = 3–2) Heterodyne Inner Milky Way Plane Survey, and 13CO and C18O J = 2–1 data retrieved from the CDS database that were observed with the IRAM 30 m telescope. The distribution of column densities and X13∕18 throughout the extension of the analyzed molecular cloud was studied based on local thermal equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE methods. Results. Values of X13∕18 between 1.5 and 10.5, with an average of about 5, were found throughout the studied region, showing that in addition to the dependency of X13∕18 and the galactocentric distance, the local physical conditions may strongly affect this abundance ratio. We found that correlating the X13∕18 map with the location of the ionized gas and dark clouds allows us to suggest in which regions the far-UV radiation stalls in dense gaseous components, and in which regions it escapes and selectively photodissociates the C18O isotope. The non-LTE analysis shows that the molecular gas has very different physical conditions, not only spatially throughout the cloud, but also along the line of sight. This type of study may represent a tool for indirectly estimating (from molecular line observations) the degree of photodissociation in molecular clouds, which is indeed useful to study the chemistry in the interstellar medium.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S270) ◽  
pp. 103-106
Author(s):  
R. Rao ◽  
J.-M. Girart ◽  
D. P. Marrone

AbstractThere have been a number of theoretical and computational models which state that magnetic fields play an important role in the process of star formation. Competing theories instead postulate that it is turbulence which is dominant and magnetic fields are weak. The recent installation of a polarimetry system at the Submillimeter Array (SMA) has enabled us to conduct observations that could potentially distinguish between the two theories. Some of the nearby low mass star forming regions show hour-glass shaped magnetic field structures that are consistent with theoretical models in which the magnetic field plays a dominant role. However, there are other similar regions where no significant polarization is detected. Future polarimetry observations made by the Submillimeter Array should be able to increase the sample of observed regions. These measurements will allow us to address observationally the important question of the role of magnetic fields and/or turbulence in the process of star formation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
Nagayoshi Ohashi

We have carried out interferometric observations of pre-protostellar and protostellar envelopes in Taurus. Protostellar envelopes are dense gaseous condensations with young stellar objects or protostars, while pre-protostellar envelopes are those without any known young stellar objects. Five pre-protostellar envelopes have been observed in CCS JN=32–21, showing flattened and clumpy structures of the envelopes. The observed CCS spectra show moderately narrow line widths, ~0.1 to ~0.35 km s–1. One pre-protostellar envelope, L1544, shows a remarkable velocity pattern, which can be explained in terms of infall and rotation. Our C18O J=1–0 observations of 8 protostellar envelopes show that they have also flattened structures like pre-protostellar envelopes but no clumpy structures. Four out the eight envelopes show velocity patterns that can be explained by motions of infall (and rotation). Physical properties of pre-protostellar and protostellar envelopes are discussed in detail.


Author(s):  
K. Altwegg ◽  
H. Balsiger ◽  
J. J. Berthelier ◽  
A. Bieler ◽  
U. Calmonte ◽  
...  

The European Rosetta mission has been following comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko for 2 years, studying the nucleus and coma in great detail. For most of these 2 years the Rosetta Orbiter Sensor for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) has analysed the volatile part of the coma. With its high mass resolution and sensitivity it was able to not only detect deuterated water HDO, but also doubly deuterated water, D 2 O and deuterated hydrogen sulfide HDS. The ratios for [HDO]/[H 2 O], [D 2 O]/[HDO] and [HDS]/[H 2 S] derived from our measurements are (1.05 ± 0.14) × 10 −3 , (1.80 ± 0.9) × 10 −2 and (1.2 ± 0.3) × 10 −3 , respectively. These results yield a very high ratio of 17 for [D 2 O]/[HDO] relative to [HDO]/[H 2 O]. Statistically one would expect just 1/4. Such a high value can be explained by cometary water coming unprocessed from the presolar cloud, where water is formed on grains, leading to high deuterium fractionation. The high [HDS]/[H 2 S] ratio is compatible with upper limits determined in low-mass star-forming regions and also points to a direct correlation of cometary H 2 S with presolar grain surface chemistry. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’.


1994 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 60-61
Author(s):  
Takahiro Iwata ◽  
Hiroshi Takaba ◽  
Kin-Ya Matsumoto ◽  
Seiji Kameno ◽  
Noriyuki Kawaguchi

A molecular outflow is one of the most conspicuous active phenomena associated with protostars, and the kinetic energy of its outflowing mass is as large as that of random motions of ambient molecular cloud, which suggests that outflow has dynamically influence on ambient molecular gas. Possible observational evidence which suggests the existence of dynamical interaction between molecular outflow and ambient molecular cloud has been detected in several star forming regions (Fukui et al. 1986; Iwata et al. 1988). Recent detections of H2O maser emission associated with low-mass protostars (e.g. Comoretto et al. 1990) also suggest that there still exist active phenomena in the low-mass star forming regions.Molecular outflow ρ Oph-East, discovered toward a low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422 (Fukui et al. 1986), has been known as a site of dynamical interaction between molecular outflowing gas and ambient molecular cloud by CO and NH3 observation (Mizuno et al. 1990). Existence of several strong H2O maser spots (Wilking & Claussen 1987; Wotten 1989; Terebey et al. 1992) also suggests that active phenomena are occurring in this region. In this paper, we report our result of H2O maser observation for molecular outflow ρ Oph-East with milli-arcsecond resolution by VLBI.


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