MOLECULAR LINE OBSERVATIONS OF MCLD 123.5+24.9 IN THE POLARIS CIRRUS

Abstract

In this paper, we present results of millimeter-wave observations with various molecular lines made toward MCLD 123.5+24.9 in the Polaris cirrus using the 45 m telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory. MCLD 123.5+24.9 is one of the rare dense cores forming in diffuse cirrus clouds where star formation may rarely take place. In order to investigate the structure, dynamics, the evolutionary stage of MCLD 123.5+24.9, we observed this core in 17 emission lines from 13 different molecular species. Emission lines of CS, CCS, and HC3N are strongly detected all over the core, while those of SO and N2H+ are weak or remain undetected, indicating that MCLD 123.5+24.9 is in an early stage of core evolution in terms of chemical composition. Based on comparison of the fractional abundances of CCS and HC3N, which are considered indicators of chemical age, with those of other cores with and without star formation as well as with model calculations in the literature, we suggest that MCLD 123.5+24.9 is in a phase prior to star formation. From the C18O data obtained, we derived the total molecular mass of MCLD 123.5+24.9 to be ~3 M ☉ at an assumed distance of 150 pc. There are three subcores in MCLD 123.5+24.9, called CS-A, CS-B, and CS-C. We derived their masses to be 0.2-0.6 M ☉. We also investigated the dynamical stability of MCLD 123.5+24.9 and the subcores by applying the virial theorem to find that MCLD 123.5+24.9 is not gravitationally bound as a whole, while the individual subcores are in the virial equilibrium and can collapse with a small increase of external pressure imposed on their surfaces.