Prestellar Cores Research Articles

CN and CCH azirine derivatives, possible precursors of prebiotic molecules: formation and spectroscopic parameters

ABSTRACT N-heterocycles are of special relevance in astrobiology but at present no nitrogen-containing heterocycles have been detected in the interstellar medium (ISM). Thus far, the simplest N-heterocyclic compound, 2H-Azirine (c-C2H3N), has not been conclusively identified, despite being searched for. Recently, several cyano and ethynyl derivatives of unsaturated hydrocarbons have been discovered in the cold prestellar core Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC-1). The purpose of this work is to assess the feasibility of the possible formation of cyano and ethynyl derivatives of azirine (c-C2H2N-CN, c-C2H2N-CCH) under interstellar conditions and provide high-level theoretical spectroscopic parameters of the most relevant cyano- and ethynyl-azirine isomers to facilitate their experimental identification. Six isomers are located for each, cyano- and ethynyl-azirine derivatives, and their interconversion processes are studied. The reactions of 2H-azirine with the CN or CCH radicals in the gas phase are explored as possible formation routes of cyano and ethynyl azirine. We found that the formation processes of the most stable isomers, namely 3-cyano-2H-azirine, 2-cyano-2H-azirine, 3-ethynyl-2H-azirine, and 2-ethynyl-2H-azirine, are exothermic and barrier free. Thus, these compounds stand out as potential targets to be searched for in space. Based on the newly determined rotational spectroscopic parameters, which also account for 14N hyperfine splittings, we compile a line catalogue for each system up to 50 GHz as a preliminary and required step to characterize these molecules experimentally, whether in the laboratory or directly in the ISM.

Chemical Evolution of Some Selected Complex Organic Molecules in Low-mass Star-forming Regions

The destiny of complex organic molecules (COMs) in star-forming regions is interlinked with various evolutionary phases. Therefore, identifying these species in diversified environments of identical star-forming regions would help to understand their physical and chemical heritage. We identified multiple COMs utilizing the Large Program Astrochemical Surveys At Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) data, dedicated to chemical surveys in Sun-like star-forming regions with the IRAM 30 m telescope. It was an unbiased survey in the millimeter regime, covering the prestellar core, protostar, outflow region, and protoplanetary disk phase. Here, we report the transitions of seven COMs, namely, methanol (CH3OH), acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), methyl formate (CH3OCHO), ethanol (C2H5OH), propynal (HCCCHO), dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), and methyl cyanide (CH3CN) in sources L1544, B1-b, IRAS4A, and SVS13A. We found a trend among these species from the derived abundances using the rotational diagram method and Monte Carlo Markov chain fitting. We have found that the abundances of all of the COMs, except for HCCCHO, increase from the L1544 (prestellar core) and peaks at IRAS16293-2422 (class 0 phase). It is noticed that the abundance of these molecules correlates with the luminosity of the sources. The obtained trend is also visible from the previous interferometric observations and considering the beam dilution effect.

Protonated hydrogen cyanide as a tracer of pristine molecular gas

Context. Protonated hydrogen cyanide, HCNH+, plays a fundamental role in astrochemistry because it is an intermediary in gas-phase ion-neutral reactions within cold molecular clouds. However, the impact of the environment on the chemistry of HCNH+ remains poorly understood. Aims. We aim to study HCNH+, HCN, and HNC, as well as two other chemically related ions, HCO+ and N2H+, in different star formation regions in order to investigate how the environment influences the chemistry of HCNH+. Methods. With the IRAM 30 m and APEX 12 m telescopes, we carried out HCNH+, H13CN, HN13C, H13CO+, and N2H+ imaging observations toward two dark clouds, the Serpens filament and Serpens South, both of which harbor sites of star formation that include protostellar objects and regions that are quiescent. Results. We report the first robust distribution of HCNH+ in the Serpens filament and in Serpens South. Our data suggest that HCNH+ is abundant in cold and quiescent regions but is deficient in active star-forming regions. The observed HCNH+ fractional abundances relative to H2 range from 3.1 × 10−11 in protostellar cores to 5.9 × 10−10 in prestellar cores, and the HCNH+ abundance generally decreases with increasing H2 column density, which suggests that HCNH+ coevolves with cloud cores. Our observations and modeling results suggest that the abundance of HCNH+ in cold molecular clouds is strongly dependent on the H2 number density. The decrease in the abundance of HCNH+ is caused by the fact that its main precursors (e.g., HCN and HNC) undergo freeze-out as the number density of H2 increases. However, current chemical models cannot explain other observed trends, such as the fact that the abundance of HCNH+ shows an anticorrelation with that of HCN and HNC but a positive correlation with that of N2H+ in the southern part of Serpens South’s northern clump. This indicates that additional chemical pathways have to be invoked for the formation of HCNH+ via molecules such as N2 in regions in which HCN and HNC freeze out. Conclusions. Both the fact that HCNH+ is most abundant in molecular cores prior to gravitational collapse and the fact that low-J HCNH+ transitions have very low H2 critical densities make this molecular ion an excellent probe of pristine molecular gas.

Combined model for 15N, 13C, and spin-state chemistry in molecular clouds

We present a new gas-grain chemical model for the combined isotopic fractionation of carbon and nitrogen in molecular clouds. To this end, we have developed gas-phase and grain-surface chemical networks where the isotope chemistry of carbon and nitrogen is coupled with a time-dependent description of spin-state chemistry, which is important for nitrogen chemistry at low temperatures. We updated the rate coefficients of some isotopic exchange reactions considered previously in the literature, and here we present a set of new exchange reactions involving molecules substituted in 13C and 15N simultaneously. We applied the model to a series of zero-dimensional simulations representing a set of physical conditions across a prototypical prestellar core, exploring the deviations of the isotopic abundance ratios in the various molecules from the elemental isotopic ratios as a function of physical conditions and time. We find that the 12C/13C ratio can deviate from the elemental ratio to a high factor depending on the molecule, and that there are highly time-dependent variations in the ratios. The HCN/H13CN ratio, for example, can obtain values of less than ten depending on the simulation time. The 14N/15N ratios tend to remain close to the assumed elemental ratio within approximately 10%, with no clearly discernible trends for the various species as a function of the physical conditions. Abundance ratios between 13C-containing molecules and 13C+15N-containing molecules however show somewhat increased levels of fractionation as a result of the newly included exchange reactions, though they still remain within a few tens of percent of the elemental 14N/15N ratio. Our results imply the existence of gradients in isotopic abundance ratios across prestellar cores, suggesting that detailed simulations are required to interpret observations of isotopically substituted molecules correctly, especially given that the various isotopic forms of a given molecule do not necessarily trace the same gas layers.

Evolution of Chemistry in the envelope of HOt corinoS (ECHOS)

Context. Within the project Evolution of Chemistry in the envelope of HOt corinoS (ECHOS), we present a study of sulphur chemistry in the envelope of the Class 0 source B 335 through observations in the spectral range λ = 7, 3, and 2 mm. Aims. Our goal is to characterise the sulphur chemistry in this isolated protostellar source and compare it with other Class 0 objects to determine the environmental and evolutionary effects on the sulphur chemistry in these young sources. Methods. We have modelled observations and computed column densities assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and large velocity gradient approximation. We have also used the code Nautilus to study the time evolution of sulphur species, as well as of several sulphur molecular ratios. Results. We have detected 20 sulphur species in B 335 with a total gas-phase S abundance similar to that found in the envelopes of other Class 0 objects, but with significant differences in the abundances between sulphur carbon chains and sulphur molecules containing oxygen and nitrogen. Our results highlight the nature of B 335 as a source especially rich in sulphur carbon chains unlike other Class 0 sources. The low presence or absence of some molecules, such as SO and SO+, suggests a chemistry not particularly influenced by shocks. We, however, detect a large presence of HCS+ that, together with the low rotational temperatures obtained for all the S species (<15 K), reveals the moderate or low density of the envelope of B 335. Model results also show the large influence of the cosmic ray ionisation rate and density variations on the abundances of some S species (e.g. SO, SO2, CCS, and CCCS) with differences of up to ~4 orders of magnitude. We also find that observations are better reproduced by models with a sulphur depletion factor of 10 with respect to the sulphur cosmic elemental abundance. Conclusions. The comparison between our model and observational results for B 335 reveals an age of 104 < t < 105 yr, which high-lights the particularly early evolutionary stage of this source. B 335 presents a different chemistry compared to other young protostars that have formed in dense molecular clouds, which could be the result of accretion of surrounding material from the diffuse cloud onto the protostellar envelope of B 335. In addition, the theoretical analysis and comparison with observations of the SO2/C2S, SO/CS, and HCS+/CS ratios within a sample of prestellar cores and Class 0 objects show that they could be used as good chemical evolutionary indicators of the prestellar to protostellar transition.

ALMA observations of the Extended Green Object G19.01–0.03 – ii. A massive protostar with typical chemical abundances surrounded by four low-mass pre-stellar core candidates

ABSTRACT We present a study of the physical and chemical properties of the Extended Green Object (EGO) G19.01−0.03 using sub-arcsecond angular resolution Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) 1.05 mm and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) 1.21 cm data. G19.01−0.03 MM1, the millimetre source associated with the central massive young stellar object (MYSO), appeared isolated and potentially chemically young in previous Submillimetre Array observations. In our ∼0.4 arcsec-resolution ALMA data, MM1 has four low-mass millimetre companions within 0.12 pc, all lacking maser or outflow emission, indicating they may be pre-stellar cores. With a rich ALMA spectrum full of complex organic molecules, MM1 does not appear chemically young, but has molecular abundances typical of high-mass hot cores in the literature. At the 1.05 mm continuum peak of MM1, N(CH3OH) = (2.22 ± 0.01) × 1018 cm−2 and $T_{\mathrm{ex}} = 162.7\substack{+0.3 \\ -0.5}$ K based on pixel-by-pixel Bayesian analysis of LTE synthetic methanol spectra across MM1. Intriguingly, the peak CH3OH Tex = 165.5 ± 0.6 K is offset from MM1’s millimetre continuum peak by 0.22 arcsec ∼ 880 au, and a region of elevated CH3OH Tex coincides with free–free VLA 5.01 cm continuum, adding to the tentative evidence for a possible unresolved high-mass binary in MM1. In our VLA 1.21 cm data, we report the first NH3(3,3) maser detections towards G19.01−0.03, along with candidate 25 GHz CH3OH 5(2, 3) − 5(1, 4) maser emission; both are spatially and kinematically coincident with 44 GHz Class I CH3OH masers in the MM1 outflow. We also report the ALMA detection of candidate 278.3 GHz Class I CH3OH maser emission towards this outflow, strengthening the connection of these three maser types to MYSO outflows.

Looking for evidence of high-mass star formation at core scale in a massive molecular clump

Context. High-mass stars are formed as a result of the fragmentation of massive molecular clumps. However, what it is not clear is whether this fragmentation gives rise to stable prestellar cores massive enough to directly form high-mass stars or leads to prestellar cores of low masses that, by acquiring material from the environment, generate high-mass stars. Several recent observational studies focused on the characterisation of prestellar massive clump candidates. Nevertheless, studies of active massive clumps at different evolutionary stages are still needed to gain a complete understanding of how high-mass stars form. Aims. We present a comprehensive physical and chemical study of the fragmentation and star formation activity towards the massive clump AGAL G338.9188+0.5494, which harbours the extended green object EGO 338.92+0.55(b). The presence of an EGO embedded in a massive clump suggests that high-mass star formation is occurring at clump scale. The main goal of this work is to find evidence of such high-mass star formation, but at core scale. Methods. Using millimetre observations of continuum and molecular lines obtained from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array database at Bands 6 and 7, we study the substructure of the massive clump AGAL G338.9188+0.5494. The angular resolution of the data at Band 7 is about 0″.5, which allows us to resolve structures of about 0.01 pc (~2000 au) at the distance of 4.4 kpc. Results. The continuum emission at 340 GHz reveals that the molecular clump is fragmented into five cores, labelled C1 to C5. The 12CO J = 3−2 emission shows the presence of molecular outflows related to three of them. The molecular outflow related to core C1 is among the most massive (from 0.25 to 0.77 M⊙) and energetic (from 0.4 × 1046 to 1.2 × 1046 erg), considering studies carried out with similar observations towards this type of source. Rotational diagrams for the CH3CN and CH3CCH yield temperatures of about 340 and 72 K, respectively, for the core C1. The different temperatures show that the methyl cyanide would trace a gas layer closer to the protostar than the methyl acetylene, which would trace outermost layers. Using a range of temperatures going from 120 K (about the typical molecular desorption temperature in hot cores) to the temperature derived from CH3CN (about 340 K), the mass of core C1 ranges from 3 to 10 M⊙. The mid-IR 4.5 µm extended emission related to the EGO coincides in position and inclination with the discovered molecular outflow arising from core C1, which indicates that it should be the main source responsible for the 4.5 µm brightness. The average mass and energy of such a molecular outflow is about 0.5 M⊙ and 1046 erg, respectively, which suggest that 10 M⊙ is the most likely mass value for core C1. Additionally, we find that the region is chemically very rich with several complex molecular species. In particular, from an analysis of the CN emission, we find strong evidence that this radical is indirectly tracing the molecular outflows, or, more precisely, the border of the cavity walls carved out by such outflows, and therefore we point out that this is probably one of the first clear detection of CN as a tracer of molecular outflows in star-forming regions.

Investigation of the rotational spectrum of CD3OD and an astronomical search toward IRAS 16293-2422

Solar-type prestellar cores and protostars frequently display large amounts of deuterated organic molecules and, in particular, high relative abundances of doubly and triply deuterated isotopologs. Recent findings on CHD2OH and CD3OH toward IRAS 16293–2422 suggest that even fully deuterated methanol, CD3OD, may be detectable as well. However, searches for CD3OD are hampered in particular by the lack of intensity information from a spectroscopic model. The objective of the present investigation is to develop a spectroscopic model of CD3OD in low-lying torsional states that is sufficiently accurate to facilitate searches for this isotopolog in space. We carried out a new measurement campaign for CD3OD involving two spectroscopic laboratories that covers the 34 GHz–1.1 THz range. A torsion-rotation Hamiltonian model based on the rho-axis method was employed for our analysis. Our resulting model describes the ground and first excited torsional states of CD3OD well up to quantum numbers J ⩽ 51 and Ka ⩽ 23. We derived a line list for radio-astronomical observations from this model that is accurate up to at least 1.1 THz and should be sufficient for all types of radio-astronomical searches for this methanol isotopolog. This line list was used to search for CD3OD in data from the Protostellar Interferometric Line Survey of IRAS 16293–2422 obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. While we found several emission features that can be attributed largely to CD3OD, their number is still not sufficiently high enough to establish a clear detection. Nevertheless, the estimate of 2 × 1015 cm−2 derived for the CD3OD column density may be viewed as an upper limit that can be compared to column densities of CD3OH, CH3OD, and CH3OH. The comparison indicates that the CD3OD column density toward IRAS 16293–2422 is in line with the enhanced D/H ratios observed for multiply deuterated complex organic molecules.

The hunt for formamide in interstellar ices

Context. Although solid-state pathways are expected to dominate the formation mechanisms of many complex organic molecules (COMs), very few COMs have been securely identified in interstellar ices, in stark contrast with the many COM detections in the gas phase. The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and its increase in sensitivity and spectral resolution opens the possibility of identifying more COMs in ices, but additional laboratory data are necessary. Formamide (NH2CHO) is one such COM that is of great interstellar and prebiotic relevance where more laboratory data are needed in the hunt for its presence in interstellar ices. Aims. This work aims to characterize the mid-IR spectra of formamide in its pure form as well as in mixtures of the most abundant interstellar ices via laboratory simulation of such ices, as well as to demonstrate how these laboratory spectra can be used to search for formamide in ice observations. Methods. Mid-IR spectra (4000–500 cm−1/2.5–20 μm) of formamide, both in its pure form as well as in binary and tertiary mixtures with H2O, CO2, CO, NH3, CH3OH, H2O:CO2, H2O:NH3, CO:NH3, and CO:CH3OH, were collected at temperatures ranging from 15–212 K. Results. Apparent band strengths and positions of eight IR bands of pure amorphous and crystalline formamide at various temperatures are provided. Three of these bands are identified as potential formamide tracers in observational ice spectra: the overlapping C = O stretch and NH2 scissor bands at 1700.3 and 1630.4 cm−1 (5.881 and 6.133 μm), the CH bend at 1388.1 cm−1 (7.204 μm), and the CN stretch at 1328.1 cm−1 (7.529 μm). The relative apparent band strengths, positions, and full width half maxima (FWHM) of these features in mixtures at various temperatures were also determined. All of the laboratory spectra are available to the community on the Leiden Ice Database for Astrochemistry (LIDA) for use in the interpretation of both observations (e.g., from JWST) and laboratory spectroscopic data. Finally, the laboratory spectra are compared to observational spectra of a variety of low- and high-mass young stellar objects as well as prestellar cores observed with the Infrared Space Observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and JWST. A comparison between the formamide CH bend in laboratory data and the 7.24 μm band in the observations tentatively indicates that, if formamide ice is contributing significantly to the observed absorption, it is more likely in a polar matrix. Upper limits ranging from 0.35-5.1% with respect to H2O were calculated via scaling the formamide:H2O laboratory spectrum to the observations. These upper limits are in agreement with gas-phase formamide abundances and take into account the effect of a H2O matrix on formamide’s band strengths.

Detection and modelling of CH3NC in TMC-1

ABSTRACT Two closely related isomeric pairs of cyanides, CH3[CN/NC] and H2C[CN/NC], are studied in cold, dark interstellar cloud conditions. In contrast to the diverse detections of methyl cyanide (CH3CN) in space, methyl isocyanide (CH3NC) has previously only been observed in warm and hot star-forming regions. We report the detection of CH3NC in the cold pre-stellar core Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC-1) using the Green Bank Telescope with a detection significance of 13.4σ. Hyperfine transitions in H2CCN and quadrupole interactions in CH3CN and CH3NC were matched to a spectral line survey from the Green Bank Telescope Observations of TMC-1: Hunting for Aromatic Molecules large project on the Green Bank Telescope, resulting in abundances with respect to hydrogen of $1.92^{+0.13}_{-0.07} \times 10^{-9}$ for the cyanomethyl radical (H2CCN), $5.02^{+3.08}_{-2.06} \times 10^{-10}$ for CH3CN, and $2.97^{+2.10}_{-1.37} \times 10^{-11}$ for CH3NC. Efforts to model these molecules with the three-phase gas-grain code nautilus in TMC-1 conditions overproduce both CH3CN and CH3NC, though the ratio of ∼5.9 per cent is consistent across observations and models of these species. This may point to missing destruction routes in the model. The models capture the larger abundance of H2CCN well. Dissociative recombination is found to be the primary production route for these molecules, and reactions with abundant ions are found to be the primary destruction routes. H + CH3NC is investigated with transition state theory as a potential destruction route, but found to be too slow in cold cloud conditions to account for the discrepancy in modelled and observed abundances of CH3NC.

Similar levels of deuteration in the pre-stellar core L1544 and the protostellar core HH211

Context. In the centre of pre-stellar cores, deuterium fractionation is enhanced due to low temperatures and high densities. Therefore, the chemistry of deuterated molecules can be used to probe the evolution and the kinematics in the earliest stages of star formation. Aims. We analyse the deuterium fractionation of simple molecules, comparing the level of deuteration in the envelopes of the prototypical pre-stellar core L1544 in Taurus and the young protostellar core HH211 in Perseus. Methods. We used single-dish observations of CCH, HCN, HNC, and HCO+ and their 13C-, 18O-, and D-bearing isotopologues, detected with the 20 m telescope at the Onsala Space Observatory. We derived the column densities, and subsequently the carbon isotopic ratios and deuterium fractions of the molecules. Additionally, we used radiative transfer simulations and results from chemical modelling to reproduce the observed molecular lines. We used new collisional rate coefficients for HNC, HN13C DNC, and DCN that consider the hyperfine structure of these molecules. Results. For CCH, we find high levels of deuteration (10%) in both sources, consistent with other carbon chains. We find moderate deuteration of HCN (5–7%), with a slight enhancement towards the protostellar core. Equal levels of deuteration for HNC towards both cores (~8%) indicate that HNC is tracing slightly different layers compared to HCN. We find that the deuterium fraction of HCO+ is enhanced towards HH211, most likely caused by isotope-selective photodissociation of C18O. With radiative transfer, we were able to reproduce the observed lines of CCH, HCN, H13CN HNC, HN13C and DNC towards L1544 as well as CCH, H13CN HN13C DNC, H13CO+ HC18O+ and DCO+ towards HH211. Conclusions. Similar levels of deuteration show that the deuterium fractionation is most probably equally efficient towards both cores, suggesting that the protostellar envelope still retains the chemical composition of the original pre-stellar core. The fact that the two cores are embedded in different molecular clouds also suggests that environmental conditions do not have a significant effect on the deuterium fractionation within dense cores. Our results highlight the uncertainties when dealing with 13C isotopologues and the influence of the applied carbon isotopic ratio. Radiative transfer modelling shows that it is crucial to include the effects of the hyperfine structure to reproduce the observed line shapes. In addition, to correctly model emission lines from pre-stellar cores, it is necessary to include the outer layers of the core to consider the effects of extended structures. In addition to HCO+ observations, HCN observations towards L1544 also require the presence of an outer diffuse layer where the molecules are relatively abundant.

Deuterium fractionation across the infrared-dark cloud G034.77−00.55 interacting with the supernova remnant W44

Context. Supernova remnants (SNRs) may regulate star formation in galaxies. For example, SNR-driven shocks may form new molecular gas or compress pre-existing clouds and trigger the formation of new stars. Aims. To test this scenario, we measured the deuteration of N2H+, DfracN2H+ – a well-studied tracer of pre-stellar cores – across the infrared-dark cloud (IRDC) G034.77-00.55, which is known to be experiencing a shock interaction with the SNR W44. Methods. We use N2H+ and N2D+J = 1−0 single pointing observations obtained with the 30m antenna at the Instituto de Radioas-tronomia Millimetrica to infer DfracN2H+ towards five positions across the cloud, namely a massive core, different regions across the shock front, a dense clump, an+d ambient gas. Results. We find DfracN2H+ in the range 0.03−0.1, which is several orders of magnitude larger than the cosmic D/H ratio (~10−5). The DfracN2H+ across the shock front is enhanced by more than a factor of 2 (DfracN2H+ ~ 0.05 - 0.07) with respect to the ambient gas (≤0.03) and simila+r to that measured generally in pre-stellar cores. Indeed, in the massive core and dense clump regions of this IRDC we measure DfracN2H+ ~ 0.01. Conclusions. We find enhanced deuteration of N2H+ across the region of the shock, that is, at a level that is enhanced with respect to regions of unperturbed gas. It is possible that this has been induced by shock compression, which would then be indirect evidence that the shock is triggering conditions for future star formation. However, since unperturbed dense regions also show elevated levels of deuteration, further, higher-resolution studies are needed to better understand the structure and kinematics of the deuterated material in the shock region; for example, to decipher whether it is still in a relatively diffuse form or is already organised in a population of low-mass pre-stellar cores.

Reconstructing the Volume Density Profile of Prestellar Cores with the Anisotropic Inverse Abel Transform Method

Most studies of the 3D density structure of prestellar cores have used isotropic evolution models, which are projected into 2D for direct comparison with observation data. In this study, we introduced the anisotropic inverse Abel transform method for reconstructing the 3D volume density profile of prestellar cores. We demonstrated that this approach could accurately preserve information about the realistic 3D structure with numerical simulation. This method has great advantages compared to the shape-assumption methods, particularly in high-density regions. We applied this method to the Herschel 2D column density maps of three prestellar cores, and the results showed good agreement with theoretical models. By changing the direction of the inversion axis of symmetry, we confirmed that the density profiles of prestellar cores exhibit nearly cylindrical symmetry.

Mother of dragons

Context. Core accretion models of massive star formation require the existence of massive, starless cores within molecular clouds. Yet, only a small number of candidates for such truly massive, monolithic cores are currently known. Aims. Here we analyse a massive core in the well-studied infrared-dark cloud (IRDC) called the ‘dragon cloud’ (also known as G028.37+00.07 or ‘Cloud C’). This core (C2c1) sits at the end of a chain of a roughly equally spaced actively star-forming cores near the center of the IRDC. Methods. We present new high-angular-resolution 1 mm ALMA dust continuum and molecular line observations of the massive core. Results. The high-angular-resolution observations show that this region fragments into two cores, C2c1a and C2c1b, which retain significant background-subtracted masses of 23 M⊙ and 2 M⊙ (31 M⊙ and 6 M⊙ without background subtraction), respectively. The cores do not appear to fragment further on the scales of our highest-angular-resolution images (0.2″, 0.005 pc ~ 1000 AU). We find that these cores are very dense (nH2 > 106 cm−3) and have only trans-sonic non-thermal motions (ℳs ~ 1). Together the mass, density, and internal motions imply a virial parameter of <1, which suggests the cores are gravitationally unstable, unless supported by strong magnetic fields with strengths of ~1–10 mG. From CO line observations, we find that there is tentative evidence for a weak molecular outflow towards the lower-mass core, and yet the more massive core remains devoid of any star formation indicators. Conclusions. We present evidence for the existence of a massive, pre-stellar core, which has implications for theories of massive star formation. This source warrants follow-up higher-angular-resolution observations to further assess its monolithic and pre-stellar nature.

3D physico-chemical model of a pre-stellar core

Context. Pre-stellar cores represent the earliest stage of the formation process of stars and planets. By characterizing the physical and chemical structure of these cores, we can establish the initial conditions for star and planet formation and determine to what degree the chemical composition of pre-stellar cores is inherited by the later stages. Aims. We aim to determine the underlying causes of spatial chemical segregation observed in pre-stellar cores and study the effects of the core structure and external environment on the chemical structure of pre-stellar cores. Methods. A three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic model of a pre-stellar core embedded in a dynamic star-forming cloud was post-processed with a sequentially continuum radiative transfer, a gas-grain chemical model, and a line-radiative transfer model. The results were analyzed and compared to observations of CH3OH and c-C3H2 in L1544. We compared nine different chemical models to the observations to determine which initial conditions are compatible with the observed chemical segregation in the prototypical pre-stellar core L1544. Results. The model is able to reproduce several aspects of the observed chemical differentiation in L1544. Extended methanol emission is shifted towards colder and more shielded regions of the core envelope, while c-C3H2 emission overlaps with the dust continuum, which is consistent with the observed chemical structure. Furthermore, these results are consistent across a broad spectrum of chemical models. Increasing the strength of the interstellar radiation field or the cosmic-ray ionization rate with respect to the typical values assumed in nearby star-forming regions leads to synthetic maps that are inconsistent with the observed chemical structure. Conclusions. Our model shows that the observed chemical dichotomy in L1544 can arise as a result of uneven illumination due to the asymmetrical structure of the 3D core and the environment within which the core has formed. This highlights the importance of the 3D structure at the core-cloud transition on the chemistry of pre-stellar cores. The reported effect is likely to affect later stages of the formation process of stars and planets through chemical inheritance.

Properties of the dense cores and filamentary structures in the Vela C molecular cloud

The initial and boundary conditions of the Galactic star formation in molecular clouds are not well understood. In an effort to shed new light on this long-standing problem, we measured the properties of dense cores and filamentary structures in the Vela C molecular cloud, observed with Herschel. We used the hires algorithm to create high-resolution surface densities (11.7″) from the Herschel multiwavelength dust continuum. We applied the getsf extraction method to separate the components of sources and filaments from each other and their backgrounds before detecting, measuring, and cataloging the structures. The cores and filamentary structures constitute 40% of the total mass of Vela C; most of the material is in the low-density molecular background cloud. We selected 570 reliable cores, of which 149 are the protostellar cores and 421 are the starless cores. Almost 78% (329 of 421) of the starless cores were identified with the gravitationally bound prestellar cores. The exponent of the CMF (α = 1.35) is identical to that of the Salpeter IMF. The high-resolution surface density image helped us determine and subtract backgrounds and measure the sizes of the structures. We selected 68 filaments with at least one side that appeared not blended with adjacent structures. The filament widths are in the range from 0.15 pc to 0.63 pc, and have a median value of W = 0.3 ± 0.11 pc. The surface densities of filaments are well correlated with their contrasts and linear densities. Within uncertainties of the filament instability criterion, many filaments (39) may be both supercritical and subcritical. A large fraction of filaments (29), in which are found 94 prestellar cores, 83 protostellar cores, and only 1 unbound starless core, can definitely be considered supercritical. Taking into account the uncertainties, the supercritical filaments contain only prestellar and protostellar cores. Our findings support the idea that there is a direct relationship between the CMF and IMF and that filaments play a key role in the formation of prestellar cores, which is consistent with the previous Herschel results.

The ALMA Survey of 70 μm Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). VIII. Dynamics of Embedded Dense Cores

We present dynamical properties of 294 cores embedded in twelve IRDCs observed as part of the ASHES Survey. Protostellar cores have higher gas masses, surface densities, column densities, and volume densities than prestellar cores, indicating core mass growth from the prestellar to the protostellar phase. We find that ∼80% of cores with virial parameter (α) measurements are gravitationally bound (α < 2). We also find an anticorrelation between the mass and the virial parameter of cores, with massive cores having on average lower virial parameters. Protostellar cores are more gravitationally bound than prestellar cores, with an average virial parameter of 1.2 and 1.5, respectively. The observed nonthermal velocity dispersion (from N2D+ or DCO+) is consistent with simulations in which turbulence is continuously injected, whereas the core-to-core velocity dispersion is neither in agreement with driven nor decaying turbulence simulations. We find a not significant increment in the line velocity dispersion from prestellar to protostellar cores, suggesting that the dense gas within the core traced by these deuterated molecules is not yet severely affected by turbulence injected from outflow activity at the early evolutionary stages traced in ASHES. The most massive cores are strongly self-gravitating and have greater surface density, Mach number, and velocity dispersion than cores with lower masses. Dense cores do not have significant velocity shifts relative to their low-density envelopes, suggesting that dense cores are comoving with their envelopes. We conclude that the observed core properties are more in line with the predictions of clump-fed scenarios rather than with those of core-fed scenarios.

ALMA–IMF

Context.The origin of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) and its relation with the core mass function (CMF) are actively debated issues with important implications in astrophysics. Recent observations in the W43 molecular complex of top-heavy CMFs, with an excess of high-mass cores compared to the canonical mass distribution, raise questions about our understanding of the star formation processes and their evolution in space and time.Aims.We aim to compare populations of protostellar and prestellar cores in three regions imaged in the ALMA-IMF Large Program.Methods.We created an homogeneous core catalogue in W43, combining a new core extraction in W43-MM1 with the catalogue of W43-MM2&amp;MM3 presented in a previous work. Our detailed search for protostellar outflows enabled us to identify between 23 and 30 protostellar cores out of 127 cores in W43-MM1 and between 42 and 51 protostellar cores out of 205 cores in W43-MM2&amp;MM3. Cores with neither outflows nor hot core emission are classified as prestellar candidates.Results.We found a similar fraction of cores which are protostellar in the two regions, about 35%. This fraction strongly varies in mass, fromfpro≃ 15–20% at low mass, between 0.8 and 3M⊙up tofpro≃ 80% above 16M⊙. Protostellar cores are found to be, on average, more massive and smaller in size than prestellar cores. Our analysis also revealed that the high-mass slope of the prestellar CMF in W43,α= -1.46-0.19+0.12, is consistent with the Salpeter slope, and thus the top-heavy form measured for the global CMF,α= −0.96 ± 0.09, is due to the protostellar core population.Conclusions.Our results could be explained by ‘clump-fed’ models in which cores grow in mass, especially during the protostellar phase, through inflow from their environment. The difference between the slopes of the prestellar and protostellar CMFs moreover implies that high-mass cores grow more in mass than low-mass cores.

Nitrogen fractionation in ammonia and its insights into nitrogen chemistry

Context. Observations of the nitrogen isotopic ratio 14N/15N in the interstellar medium are becoming more frequent thanks to increased telescope capabilities. However, interpreting these data is still puzzling. In particular, measurements of 14N/15N in diazenylium have revealed high levels of anti-fractionation in cold cores, which is challenging to explain. Aims. By using astrophysical simulations coupled with a gas-grain chemical code, it has been suggested that the 15N-depletion in prestellar cores could be inherited from the initial stages, when 14N15N is selectively photodissociated and 15N atoms deplete onto the dust grain, forming ammonia ices. Our aim is to test this hypothesis. Methods. We targeted three sources (the prestellar core L1544, the protostellar envelope IRAS4A, and the shocked region L1157-B1) with distinct degrees of desorption or sputtering of the ammonia ices. We observed the ammonia isotopologues with the Green Bank Telescope, and we inferred the ammonia 14N/15N via spectral fitting of the observed inversion transitions. Results.15NH3 (1,1) is detected in L1544 and IRAS4A, whilst only upper limits are deduced in L1157-B1. The NH3 isotopic ratio is significantly lower towards the protostar (14N/15N = 210 ± 50) than at the centre of L1544 (14N/15N = 390 ± 40), where it is consistent with the elemental value. We also present the first spatially resolved map of NH3 nitrogen isotopic ratio towards L1544. Conclusions. Our results are in agreement with the hypothesis that ammonia ices are enriched in 15N, leading to a decrease in the 14N/15N ratio when the ices are sublimated back into the gas phase for instance due to the temperature rise in protostellar envelopes. The ammonia 14N/15N value at the centre of L1544 is a factor of 2 lower than that of N2H+, which can be explained if a significant fraction of nitrogen remains in atomic form and if the ammonia formed on the dust grains is released in the gas phase via non-thermal desorption.

The ALMA Survey of 70 μm Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). IX. Physical Properties and Spatial Distribution of Cores in IRDCs

The initial conditions found in infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) provide insights on how high-mass stars and stellar clusters form. We have conducted high-angular resolution and high-sensitivity observations toward thirty-nine massive IRDC clumps, which have been mosaicked using the 12 and 7 m arrays from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The targets are 70 μm dark massive (220–4900 M ⊙), dense (>104 cm−3), and cold (∼10–20 K) clumps located at distances between 2 and 6 kpc. We identify an unprecedented number of 839 cores, with masses between 0.05 and 81 M ⊙ using 1.3 mm dust continuum emission. About 55% of the cores are low-mass (<1 M ⊙), whereas ≲1% (7/839) are high-mass (≳27 M ⊙). We detect no high-mass prestellar cores. The most massive cores (MMC) identified within individual clumps lack sufficient mass to form high-mass stars without additional mass feeding. We find that the mass of the MMCs is correlated with the clump surface density, implying denser clumps produce more massive cores. There is no significant mass segregation except for a few tentative detections. In contrast, most clumps show segregation once the clump density is considered instead of mass. Although the dust continuum emission resolves clumps in a network of filaments, some of which consist of hub-filament systems, the majority of the MMCs are not found in the hubs. Our analysis shows that high-mass cores and MMCs have no preferred location with respect to low-mass cores at the earliest stages of high-mass star formation.