CO Column Density Research Articles

Physical conditions of the molecular gas in metal-poor galaxies

Studying the molecular component of the interstellar medium in metal-poor galaxies has been challenging because of the faintness of carbon monoxide emission, the most common proxy of H2. Here we present new detections of molecular gas at low metallicities, and assess the physical conditions in the gas through various CO transitions for 8 galaxies. For one, NGC 1140 (Z/Zsun ~ 0.3), two detections of 13CO isotopologues and atomic carbon, [CI](1-0), and an upper limit for HCN(1-0) are also reported. After correcting to a common beam size, we compared 12CO(2-1)/12CO(1-0) (R21) and 12CO(3-2)/12CO(1-0) (R31) line ratios of our sample with galaxies from the literature and find that only NGC 1140 shows extreme values (R21 ~ R31 ~ 2). Fitting physical models to the 12CO and 13CO emission in NGC 1140 suggests that the molecular gas is cool (kinetic temperature Tkin<=20 K), dense (H2 volume density nH2 >= $10^6$ cm$^{-3}$), with moderate CO column density (NCO ~ $10^{16}$ cm$^{-2}$) and low filling factor. Surprisingly, the [12CO]/[13CO] abundance ratio in NGC 1140 is very low (~ 8-20), lower even than the value of 24 found in the Galactic Center. The young age of the starburst in NGC 1140 precludes 13C enrichment from evolved intermediate-mass stars; instead we attribute the low ratio to charge-exchange reactions and fractionation, because of the enhanced efficiency of these processes in cool gas at moderate column densities. Fitting physical models to 12CO and [CI](1-0) emission in NGC 1140 gives an unusually low [12CO]/[12C] abundance ratio, suggesting that in this galaxy atomic carbon is at least 10 times more abundant than 12CO.

Upper Limits to Magnetic Fields in the Outskirts of Galaxies

Based on CO(2-1) public data, we study the monoxide oxygen gas excitation conditions and the magnetic field strength of four spiral galaxies. For the galaxy outskirts, we found kinetic temperatures in the range of $\lesssim$35--38 K, CO column densities $\lesssim 10^{15}$--$10^{16}$ cm$^{-2}$, and H$_2$ masses $\lesssim 4\times 10^6$--$6\times10^8$ M$_\odot$. An H$_2$ density $\lesssim 10^3$ cm$^{-3}$ is suitable to explain the 2$\sigma$ upper limits of the CO(2-1) line intensity. We constrain the magnetic field strength for our sample of spiral galaxies and their outskirts by using their masses and H$_2$ densities to evaluate a simplified magneto-hydrodynamic equation. Our estimations provide values for the magnetic field strength on the order of $\lesssim$6--31 {$\upmu$G}.

Ground-based measurement of column-averaged mixing ratios of methane and carbon dioxide in the Sichuan Basin of China by a desktop optical spectrum analyzer

Remote sensing of the atmospheric greenhouse gases, methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), contributes to the understanding of global warming and climate change. A portable ground-based instrument consisting of a commercially available desktop optical spectrum analyzer and a small sun tracker has been applied to measure the column densities of atmospheric CH4 and CO2 at Yanting observation station in a mountainous paddy field of the Sichuan Basin from September to November 2013. The column-averaged dry-air molar mixing ratios, XCH4/XCO2, are compared with those retrieved by satellite observations in the Sichuan Basin and by ground-based network observations in the same latitude zone as the Yanting observation station.

Characterizing the Transition from Diffuse Atomic to Dense Molecular Clouds in the Magellanic Clouds with [C ii], [C i], and CO

Abstract We present and analyze deep Herschel/HIFI observations of the [C ii] 158 μm, [C i] 609 μm, and [C i] 370 μm lines toward 54 lines of sight in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). These observations are used to determine the physical conditions of the line-emitting gas, which we use to study the transition from atomic to molecular gas and from C+ to C0 to CO in their low-metallicity environments. We trace gas with molecular fractions in the range , between those in the diffuse H2 gas detected by UV absorption ( ) and well-shielded regions in which hydrogen is essentially completely molecular. The C0 and CO column densities are only measurable in regions with molecular fractions in both the LMC and the SMC. Ionized carbon is the dominant gas-phase form of this element that is associated with molecular gas, with C0 and CO representing a small fraction, implying that most (89% in the LMC and 77% in the SMC) of the molecular gas in our sample is CO-dark H2. The mean conversion factors in our LMC and SMC sample are larger than the value typically found in the Milky Way. When applying a correction based on the filling factor of the CO emission, we find that the values of in the LMC and SMC are closer to that in the Milky Way. The observed [C ii] intensity in our sample represents about 1% of the total far-infrared intensity from the lines of sight observed in both Magellanic clouds.

CMAQ simulation of atmospheric CO2 concentration in East Asia: Comparison with GOSAT observations and ground measurements

Satellite observations are widely used in global CO2 assimilations, but their quality for use in regional assimilation systems has not yet been thoroughly determined. Validation of satellite observations and model simulations of CO2 is crucial for carbon flux inversions. In this study, we focus on evaluating the uncertainties of model simulations and satellite observations. The atmospheric CO2 distribution in East Asia during 2012 was simulated using a regional chemical transport model (RAMS-CMAQ) and compared with both CO2 column density (XCO2) from the Gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) and CO2 concentrations from the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG). The results indicate that simulated XCO2 is generally lower than GOSAT XCO2 by 1.19 ppm on average, and their monthly differences vary from 0.05 to 2.84 ppm, with the corresponding correlation coefficients ranging between 0.1 and 0.67. CMAQ simulations are good to capture the CO2 variation as ground-based observations, and their correlation coefficients are from 0.62 to 0.93, but the average value of CMAQ simulation is 2.4 ppm higher than ground-based observation. Thus, we inferred that the GOSAT retrievals may overestimate XCO2, which is consistent with the validation of GOSAT XCO2 using Total Carbon Column Observing Network measurements. The near-surface CO2 concentration was obviously overestimated in GOSAT XCO2. Compared with the relatively small difference between CMAQ and GOSAT XCO2, the large difference in CO2 near surface or their vertical profiles indicates more improvements are needed to reduce the uncertainties in both satellite observations and model simulations.

An Airborne 2-μm Double-Pulsed Direct-Detection Lidar Instrument for Atmospheric CO2 Column Measurements

AbstractThis study reports airborne measurements of atmospheric CO2 column density using a 2-μm double-pulsed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. This new 2-μm IPDA lidar offers an alternative approach to measure CO2 column density with unique features. The online frequencies of this lidar can be tuned to 1–6 GHz from the CO2 R30 absorption line peak. It provides high measurement sensitivity to the lower-tropospheric CO2 near the ground surface. This instrument was flown in the spring of 2014 in a NASA B200 aircraft. The results of these test flights clearly demonstrate the measurement capabilities of this lidar instrument. The CO2 column dry mixing ratio is compared to an in situ CO2 measurement by a collocated NOAA flight. The IPDA lidar measurement is determined to be in good agreement with a 0.36% difference, which corresponds to 1.48 ppm. It is the average difference between the IPDA lidar measurements and the NOAA air samples in the flight altitudes from 3 to 6.1 km.

DISCOVERY OF BROAD MOLECULAR LINES AND OF SHOCKED MOLECULAR HYDROGEN FROM THE SUPERNOVA REMNANT G357.7+0.3: HHSMT, APEX, SPITZER, AND SOFIA OBSERVATIONS

ABSTRACT We report a discovery of shocked gas from the supernova remnant (SNR) G357.7+0.3. Our millimeter and submillimeter observations reveal broad molecular lines of CO(2-1), CO(3-2), CO(4-3), 13CO (2-1), and 13CO (3-2), HCO+, and HCN using the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, the Arizona 12 m Telescope, APEX, and the MOPRA Telescope. The widths of the broad lines are 15–30 km s−1, and the detection of such broad lines is unambiguous, dynamic evidence showing that the SNR G357.7+0.3 is interacting with molecular clouds. The broad lines appear in extended regions (&gt;4.′5 × 5′). We also present the detection of shocked H2 emission in the mid-infrared but lacking ionic lines using Spitzer/IRS observations to map a few-arcminute area. The H2 excitation diagram shows a best fit with a two-temperature local thermal equilibrium model with the temperatures of ∼200 and 660 K. We observed [C ii] at 158 μm and high-J CO(11-10) with the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT) on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. The GREAT spectrum of [C ii], a 3σ detection, shows a broad line profile with a width of 15.7 km−1 that is similar to those of broad CO molecular lines. The line width of [C ii] implies that ionic lines can come from a low-velocity C-shock. Comparison of H2 emission with shock models shows that a combination of two C-shock models is favored over a combination of C- and J-shocks or a single shock. We estimate the CO density, column density, and temperature using a RADEX model. The best-fit model with n(H2) = 1.7 × 104 cm−3, N(CO) = 5.6 × 1016 cm−2, and T = 75 K can reproduce the observed millimeter CO brightnesses.

THE MOLECULAR BARYON CYCLE OF M82

ABSTRACT Baryons cycle into galaxies from the intergalactic medium and are converted into stars; a fraction of the baryons are ejected out of galaxies by stellar feedback. Here we present new high-resolution (3.″9; 68 pc) 12CO(2–1) and 12CO(3–2) images that probe these three stages of the baryon cycle in the nearby starburst M82. We combine these new observations with previous 12CO(1–0) and [Fe ii] images to study the physical conditions within the molecular gas. Using a Bayesian analysis and the radiative transfer code RADEX, we model temperatures and densities of molecular hydrogen, as well as column densities of CO. Besides the disk, we concentrate on two regions within the galaxy: an expanding super-bubble and the base of a molecular streamer. Shock diagnostics, kinematics, and optical extinction suggest that the streamer is an inflowing filament, with a mass inflow rate of molecular gas of 3.5 yr−1. We measure the mass outflow rate of molecular gas of the expanding super-bubble to be 17 yr−1, five times higher than the inferred inflow rate and 1.3 times the star formation rate of the galaxy. The high mass outflow rate and large star formation rate will deplete the galaxy of molecular gas within eight million years, unless there are additional sources of molecular gas.

First image of the L1157 molecular jet by the CALYPSO IRAM-PdBI survey

Fast jets are thought to be a crucial ingredient of star formation because they might extract angular momentum from the disk and thus allow mass accretion onto the star. However, it is unclear whether jets are ubiquitous, and likewise, their contribution to mass and angular momentum extraction during protostar formation remains an open question. Our aim is to investigate the ejection process in the low-mass Class 0 protostar L1157. This source is associated with a spectacular bipolar outflow, and the recent detection of high-velocity SiO suggests the occurrence of a jet. Observations of CO 2-1 and SiO 5-4 at 0.8" resolution were obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer as part of the CALYPSO large program. The jet and outflow structure were fit with a precession model. We derived the column density of CO and SiO, as well as the jet mass-loss rate and mechanical luminosity. High-velocity CO and SiO emission resolve for the first time the first 200 au of the outflow-driving molecular jet. The jet is strongly asymmetric, with the blue lobe 0.65 times slower than the red lobe. This suggests that the large-scale asymmetry of the outflow is directly linked to the jet velocity and that the asymmetry in the launching mechanism has been at work for the past 1800 yr. Velocity asymmetries are common in T Tauri stars, which suggests that the jet formation mechanism from Class 0 to Class II stages might be similar. Our model simultaneously fits the inner jet and the clumpy 0.2 pc scale outflow by assuming that the jet precesses counter-clockwise on a cone inclined by 73 degree to the line of sight with an opening angle of 8 degree on a period of 1640 yr. The estimated jet mass flux and mechanical luminosity are 7.7e-7 Msun/yr, and 0.9 Lsun, indicating that the jet could extract at least 25% of the gravitational energy released by the forming star.

FIR Spectroscopy of the Galactic Center: Hot and Warm Molecular Gas

AbstractThe angular resolution (~10″) achieved by the Herschel Space Observatory ~3.5 m telescope at FIR wavelengths allowed us to roughly separate the emission toward the inner parsec of the galaxy (the central cavity) from that of the surrounding circumnuclear disk (the CND). The FIR spectrum toward Sgr A* is dominated by intense [O iii], [O i], [C ii], [N iii], [N ii], and [C i] fine-structure lines (in decreasing order of luminosity) arising in gas irradiated by the strong UV field from the central stellar cluster. The high-J CO rotational line intensities observed at the interface between the inner CND and the central cavity are consistent with a hot isothermal component at Tk ≈ 103.1 K and n(H2)≈ 104 cm−3. They are also consistent with a distribution of lower temperatures at higher gas density, with most CO at Tk≈300 K. The hot CO component (either the bulk of the CO column density or just a small fraction depending on the above scenario) likely results from a combination of UV and shock-driven heating. If UV-irradiated and heated dense clumps do not exist, shocks likely dominate the heating of the hot molecular gas component. Although this component is beam diluted in our FIR observations, it may be resolved at much higher angular resolution. An ALMA project using different molecular tracers to characterize UV-irradiated shocks in the innermost layers of the CND is ongoing.

On the detectability of CO molecules in the interstellar medium via X-ray spectroscopy

We present a study of the detectability of CO molecules in the Galactic interstellar medium using high-resolution X-ray spectra obtained with the XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer. We analyzed 10 bright low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) to study the CO contribution in their line-of-sights. A total of 25 observations were fitted with the ISMabs X-ray absorption model which includes photoabsorption cross-sections for O I, O II, O III and CO. We performed a Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation analysis of the goodness of fit in order to estimate the significance of the CO detection. We determine that the statistical analysis prevents a significant detection of CO molecular X-ray absorption features, except for the lines-of-sight toward XTE~J1718-330 and 4U~1636-53. In the case of XTE~J1817-330, this is the first report of the presence of CO along its line-of-sight. Our results reinforce the conclusion that molecules have a minor contribution to the absorption features in the O K-edge spectral region. We estimate a CO column density lower limit to perform a significant detection with XMM-Newton of N(CO) > 6x10^{16} cm-2 for typical exposure times

EVIDENCE FOR A CO DESORPTION FRONT IN THE OUTER AS 209 DISK

ABSTRACT Millimeter observations of CO isotopologues are often used to make inferences about protoplanetary disk gas density and temperature structures. The accuracy of these estimates depends on our understanding of CO freezeout and desorption from dust grains. Most models of these processes indicate that CO column density decreases monotonically with distance from the central star due to a decrease in gas density and freezeout beyond the CO snowline. We present ALMA Cycle 2 observations of 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 2 − 1 emission that instead suggest CO enhancement in the outer disk of T Tauri star AS 209. Most notably, the C18O emission consists of a central peak and a ring at a radius of ∼ 1 ′ ′ (120 au), well outside the expected CO snowline. We propose that the ring arises from the onset of CO desorption near the edge of the millimeter dust disk. CO desorption exterior to a CO snowline may occur via non-thermal processes involving cosmic rays or high-energy photons, or via a radial thermal inversion arising from dust migration.

How well does CO emission measure the H2mass of MCs?

We present numerical simulations of molecular clouds (MCs) with self-consistent CO gas-phase and isotope chemistry in various environments. The simulations are post-processed with a line radiative transfer code to obtain $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO emission maps for the $J=1\rightarrow0$ rotational transition. The emission maps are analysed with commonly used observational methods, i.e. the $^{13}$CO column density measurement, the virial mass estimate and the so-called $X_{\textrm{CO}}$ (also CO-to-H$_2$) conversion factor, and then the inferred quantities (i.e. mass and column density) are compared to the physical values. We generally find that most methods examined here recover the CO-emitting H$_{2}$ gas mass of MCs within a factor of two uncertainty if the metallicity is not too low. The exception is the $^{13}$CO column density method. It is affected by chemical and optical depth issues, and it measures both the true H$_{2}$ column density distribution and the molecular mass poorly. The virial mass estimate seems to work the best in the considered metallicity and radiation field strength range, even when the overall virial parameter of the cloud is above the equilibrium value. This is explained by a systematically lower virial parameter (i.e. closer to equilibrium) in the CO-emitting regions; in CO emission, clouds might seem (sub-)virial, even when, in fact, they are expanding or being dispersed. A single CO-to-H$_{2}$ conversion factor appears to be a robust choice over relatively wide ranges of cloud conditions, unless the metallicity is low. The methods which try to take the metallicity dependence of the conversion factor into account tend to systematically overestimate the true cloud masses.

SMA OBSERVATIONS OF THE EXTENDED12CO(J= 6–5) EMISSION IN THE STARBURST GALAXY NGC 253

We present observations of the $^{12}$CO(6-5) line and 686GHz continuum emission in NGC253 with the Submillimeter Array at an angular resolution of ~4arcsec. The $^{12}$CO(6-5) emission is clearly detected along the disk and follows the distribution of the lower $^{12}$CO line transitions with little variations of the line ratios in it. A large-velocity gradient analysis suggests a two-temperature model of the molecular gas in the disk, likely dominated by a combination of low-velocity shocks and the disk wide PDRs. Only marginal $^{12}$CO(6-5) emission is detected in the vicinity of the expanding shells at the eastern and western edges of the disk. While the eastern shell contains gas even warmer (T$_{\rm kin}$>300~K) than the hot gas component (T$_{\rm kin}$=300K) of the disk, the western shell is surrounded by gas much cooler (T$_{\rm kin}$=60K) than the eastern shell but somewhat hotter than the cold gas component of the disk (for similar H$_2$ and CO column densities), indicative of different (or differently efficient) heating mechansisms. The continuum emission at 686GHz in the disk agrees well in shape and size with that at lower (sub-)millimeter frequencies, exhibiting a spectral index consistent with thermal dust emission. We find dust temperatures of ~10-30K and largely optically thin emission. However, our fits suggest a second (more optically thick) dust component at higher temperatures (T$_{\rm d}$>60K), similar to the molecular gas. We estimate a global dust mass of ~10$^6$Msun for the disk translating into a gas-to-dust mass ratio of a few hundred consistent with other nearby active galaxies.

Molecular emission in dense massive clumps from the star-forming regions S231–S235

The article deals with observations of star-forming regions S231-S235 in 'quasi-thermal' lines of ammonia (NH$_3$), cyanoacetylene (HC$_3$N) and maser lines of methanol (CH$_3$OH) and water vapor (H$_2$O). S231-S235 regions is situated in the giant molecular cloud G174+2.5. We selected all massive molecular clumps in G174+2.5 using archive CO data. For the each clump we determined mass, size and CO column density. After that we performed observations of these clumps. We report about first detections of NH$_3$ and HC$_3$N lines toward the molecular clumps WB89 673 and WB89 668. This means that high-density gas is present there. Physical parameters of molecular gas in the clumps were estimated using the data on ammonia emission. We found that the gas temperature and the hydrogen number density are in the ranges 16-30 K and 2.8-7.2$\times10^3$ cm$^{-3}$, respectively. The shock-tracing line of CH$_3$OH molecule at 36.2 GHz is newly detected toward WB89 673.

Combustion kinetics of laser irradiated porous graphite from imaging Fourier transform spectroscopy

The combustion plumes arising from laser-irradiated graphite targets were investigated experimentally using hyperspectral, imaging Fourier transform spectroscopy (IFTS). Porous graphite targets were irradiated with a 1.07 µm, 20-kW ytterbium fiber laser at irradiances of 0.25–4 kW/cm2. Emissive plumes from the oxidation of graphite in air were monitored using a mid-wave infrared imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer with spatial resolution of 0.52 mm per pixel. Strong spectral emission of CO and CO2 were observed in the infrared between 1900 and 2400 cm−1 with an instrument spectral resolution of 2 cm−1. A homogeneous single-layer plume, line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM) and two band models (EM2C and RADCAL) were applied to estimate spatial maps of temperature and column densities of CO and CO2 with a temporal resolution of 0.47 s per hyperspectral image. Steady surface temperatures of 1800–2900 K are achieved after ∼1 min for irradiances of 0.25–1.0 kW/cm2. A stable, gas phase combustion layer extends from 4 to 12 mm from the surface, with buoyancy driving a gas flow of ∼8 m/s. Plume extent and intensity is greater for the larger porosity (6 mm particle size) samples. Steady-state gas temperatures exceed surface temperature by up to 400 K. Column densities for CO and CO2 of up to 1018 molec/cm2 were observed. The CO/CO2 concentration ratio peaks at 2500 K. The initial rise with temperature is consistent with effective activation energies of 149–111 kJ/mol at distances between 0.72 mm and 3 mm, respectively.

Accounting for aerosol scattering in the CLARS retrieval of column averaged CO2 mixing ratios

AbstractThe California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing Fourier transform spectrometer (CLARS‐FTS) deployed at Mount Wilson, California, has been measuring column abundances of greenhouse gases in the Los Angeles (LA) basin in the near‐infrared spectral region since August 2011. CLARS‐FTS measures reflected sunlight and has high sensitivity to absorption and scattering in the boundary layer. In this study, we estimate the retrieval biases caused by aerosol scattering and present a fast and accurate approach to correct for the bias in the CLARS column averaged CO2 mixing ratio product, XCO2. The high spectral resolution of 0.06 cm−1 is exploited to reveal the physical mechanism for the bias. We employ a numerical radiative transfer model to simulate the impact of neglecting aerosol scattering on the CO2 and O2 slant column densities operationally retrieved from CLARS‐FTS measurements. These simulations show that the CLARS‐FTS operational retrieval algorithm likely underestimates CO2 and O2 abundances over the LA basin in scenes with moderate aerosol loading. The bias in the CO2 and O2 abundances due to neglecting aerosol scattering cannot be canceled by ratioing each other in the derivation of the operational product of XCO2. We propose a new method for approximately correcting the aerosol‐induced bias. Results for CLARS XCO2 are compared to direct‐Sun XCO2 retrievals from a nearby Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) station. The bias‐correction approach significantly improves the correlation between the XCO2 retrieved from CLARS and TCCON, demonstrating that this approach can increase the yield of useful data from CLARS‐FTS in the presence of moderate aerosol loading.

INFRARED ABSORPTION LINES TOWARD NGC 7538 IRS 1: ABUNDANCES OF H2, H3+, AND CO

We report high-resolution near-infrared absorption spectroscopy of H2, H3+, and CO toward the young high mass object NGC 7538 IRS 1. The v = 1–0 H2 S(0) line and lines in the CO v = 2–0 band were detected; the v = 1–0 H2 S(1) line and the v = 1–0 H3+ lines [R(1, 1)l, R(1, 0), R(1, 1)u] were not detected. The line of sight traverses two clouds, with temperatures 45 and 259 K and with roughly equal column densities of CO. Assuming that H2 is at the same temperature as CO and that the two species are uniformly mixed, [H2]/[CO] = 3600 ± 1200. NGC 7538 is the most distant object from the Galactic center for which [H2]/[CO] has been directly measured using infrared absorption spectroscopy.

STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY IN THE LONG, FILAMENTARY INFRARED DARK CLOUD G53.2

We present star formation activity in the infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G53.2, a remarkable IRDC located at Galactic coordinates $(l,b)\sim(53^{\circ}.2,\,0^{\circ}.0)$ based on the census of young stellar object (YSO) candidates. IRDC G53.2 was previously identified as several IRDCs in mid-IR images, but it is in fact a long ($\gtrsim$45 pc) cloud, well consistent with a CO cloud at $v\sim23$ \kms\ (or at $d\sim$1.7 kpc). We present a point-source catalog of IRDC G53.2 that contains $\sim$370 sources from our photometry of the {\it Spitzer} MIPS 24 \um\ data and Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire Catalog. The classification of the identified sources based on their spectral index and control field analysis to remove field star contamination reveals that IRDC G53.2 is an active star-forming region with $\sim$300 YSO candidates. We compare the YSO classification based on spectral index, mid-IR colors, and the wavelength range used, which results in consistent classification, except for flat-spectrum objects, with some ambiguity between Class I and II. Comparison of the YSO population in IRDC G53.2 with those of other nearby star-forming clusters indicates that they are similar in age; on the other hand, stronger association with mid-IR stellar sources in IRDC G53.2 compared with other IRDCs indicates that IRDC G53.2 is at a later evolutionary stage among IRDCs. Spatial distribution of the YSO candidates in IRDC G53.2 shows a good correlation with $^{13}$CO column density and far-IR emission, and earlier-class objects tend to be more clustered in the regions with higher density.

A laboratory study of ion-induced erosion of ice-covered carbon grains

Context. It has been confirmed that solid carbon dioxide (CO2) is abundantly present along the line of sight to quiescent clouds and star-forming regions via space IR observations with ISO-SWS and Spitzer Space Telescope. Since CO2 has low abundance in the gas-phase, the assumption is that it is synthesized on grains after energetic processing of icy mantles and surface reactions. Aims. The role of solid carbon is investigated as a reservoir for molecule formation and structural modifications of the material with and without an ice layer upon ion bombardment. Methods. A gas-phase condensation technique was used to prepare a layer of 13 C amorphous grains. These grains were covered with H2 Oa nd O 2 ice and finally bombarded with 200 keV protons. The formation of new molecular species was analyzed using IR spectroscopy. The formation cross sections of solid 13 CO and 13 CO2 were determined from the increase in the column density as a function of the fluence. In addition, bare carbon grains were bombarded with a comparable fluence of protons to study the processing of the grains without ice layer. Imaging techniques such as transmission electron microscopy were used to monitor the changes in the structure. Results. CO and CO2 were formed efficiently at the interface between ice and solid carbon grains at the expense of solid carbon, leading to strong grain erosion. Given the initial thickness of our C-samples (about 120 nm), this resulted in an erosion of about 50% after 200 keV proton bombardment with 6.76 × 10 16 ions/cm 2 . The column density of CO and CO2 follows an exponential trend as a function of the irradiation fluence. The asymptotic values obtained when O2 ice is deposited on top of the carbon grains are about one order of magnitude higher than the values obtained when H2O ice is deposited on the solid carbon layer. The carbon grains were strongly graphitized upon ion bombardment in a surface layer. Less graphitization accompanied by the formation of fullerene molecules and structures from cage fragments present in the original material were observed beneath the graphitic layer. Conclusions. The formation of CO and CO2 at the expense of solid carbon strongly restricts the lifetime of the solid carbon material and may influence the formation of more complex molecules in astrophysical environments. Graphitization of carbonaceous grains upon ion bombardment affect the spectral properties of the carbon grains in particular in the far-IR range.