Ultracompact HII Regions Research Articles

The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: evidence for radiative heating in Serpens MWC 297 and its influence on local star formation

We present SCUBA-2 450micron and 850micron observations of the Serpens MWC 297 region, part of the JCMT Gould Belt Survey of nearby star-forming regions. Simulations suggest that radiative feedback influences the star-formation process and we investigate observational evidence for this by constructing temperature maps. Maps are derived from the ratio of SCUBA-2 fluxes and a two component model of the JCMT beam for a fixed dust opacity spectral index of beta = 1.8. Within 40 of the B1.5Ve Herbig star MWC 297, the submillimetre fluxes are contaminated by free-free emission with a spectral index of 1.03+-0.02, consistent with an ultra-compact HII region and polar winds/jets. Contamination accounts for 73+-5 per cent and 82+-4 per cent of peak flux at 450micron and 850micron respectively. The residual thermal disk of the star is almost undetectable at these wavelengths. Young Stellar Objects are confirmed where SCUBA-2 850micron clumps identified by the fellwalker algorithm coincide with Spitzer Gould Belt Survey detections. We identify 23 objects and use Tbol to classify nine YSOs with masses 0.09 to 5.1 Msun. We find two Class 0, one Class 0/I, three Class I and three Class II sources. The mean temperature is 15+-2K for the nine YSOs and 32+-4K for the 14 starless clumps. We observe a starless clump with an abnormally high mean temperature of 46+-2K and conclude that it is radiatively heated by the star MWC 297. Jeans stability provides evidence that radiative heating by the star MWC 297 may be suppressing clump collapse.

THE MILKY WAY PROJECT: WHAT ARE YELLOWBALLS?

Yellowballs are a collection of approximately 900 compact, infrared sources identified and named by volunteers participating in the Milky Way Project (MWP), a citizen-science project that uses GLIMPSE/MIPSGAL images from Spitzer to explore topics related to Galactic star formation. In this paper, through a combination of catalog cross-matching and infrared color analysis, we show that yellowballs are a mix of compact star-forming regions, including ultra-compact and compact HII regions, as well as analogous regions for less massive B-type stars. The resulting MWP yellowball catalog provides a useful complement to the Red MSX Source (RMS) survey. It similarly highlights regions of massive star formation, but the selection of objects purely on the basis of their infrared morphology and color in Spitzer images identifies a signature of compact star-forming regions shared across a broad range of luminosities, and by inference, masses. We discuss the origin of their striking mid-infrared appearance, and suggest that future studies of the yellowball sample will improve our understanding of how massive and intermediate-mass star-forming regions transition from compact to more extended bubble-like structures.

Modeling and predicting the shape of the far-infrared to submillimeter emission in ultra-compact HII regions and cold clumps

Dust properties are very likely affected by the environment in which dust grains evolve. For instance, some analyses of cold clumps (7 K- 17 K) indicate that the aggregation process is favored in dense environments. However, studying warm (30 K-40 K) dust emission at long wavelength ($\lambda$$>$300 $\mu$m) has been limited because it is difficult to combine far infared-to-millimeter (FIR-to-mm) spectral coverage and high angular resolution for observations of warm dust grains. Using Herschel data from 70 to 500 $\mu$m, which are part of the Herschel infrared Galactic (Hi-GAL) survey combined with 1.1 mm data from the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey (BGPS), we compared emission in two types of environments: ultra-compact HII (UCHII) regions, and cold molecular clumps (denoted as cold clumps). With this comparison we tested dust emission models in the FIR-to-mm domain that reproduce emission in the diffuse medium, in these two environments (UCHII regions and cold clumps). We also investigated their ability to predict the dust emission in our Galaxy. We determined the emission spectra in twelve UCHII regions and twelve cold clumps, and derived the dust temperature (T) using the recent two-level system (TLS) model with three sets of parameters and the so-called T-$\beta$ (temperature-dust emissvity index) phenomenological models, with $\beta$ set to 1.5, 2 and 2.5. We tested the applicability of the TLS model in warm regions for the first time. This analysis indicates distinct trends in the dust emission between cold and warm environments that are visible through changes in the dust emissivity index. However, with the use of standard parameters, the TLS model is able to reproduce the spectral behavior observed in cold and warm regions, from the change of the dust temperature alone, whereas a T-$\beta$ model requires $\beta$ to be known.

DUSTY CRADLES IN A TURBULENT NURSERY: THE SGR A EAST H II REGION COMPLEX AT THE GALACTIC CENTER

We present imaging at 19, 25, 31, and 37 {\mu}m of the compact HII region complex G-0.02-0.07 located 6 pc in projection from the center of the Galaxy obtained with SOFIA using FORCAST. G-0.02-0.07 contains three compact HII regions (A, B, and C) and one ultra-compact HII region (D). Our observations reveal the presence of two faint, infrared sources located 23'' and 35'' to the east of region C (FIRS 1 and 2) and detect dust emission in two of the three "ridges" of ionized gas west of region A. The 19/37 color temperature and 37 {\mu}m optical depth maps of regions A - C are used to characterize the dust energetics and morphology. Regions A and B exhibit average 19/37 color temperatures of ~105 K, and regions C and D exhibit color temperatures of ~115 K and ~130 K, respectively. Using the DustEM code we model the SEDs of regions A - D and FIRS 1, all of which require populations of very small, transiently heated grains and large, equilibrium-heated grains. We also require the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in regions A - C in order to fit the 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 {\mu}m fluxes observed by Spitzer/IRAC. The location of the heating source for region A is determined by triangulation from distances and temperatures derived from DustEM models fit to SEDs of three different points around the region, and is found to be displaced to the northeast of the center of curvature near the color temperature peak. Based on total luminosity, expected 1.90 {\mu}m fluxes, and proximity to the mid-IR color temperature peaks we identify heating source candidates for regions A, B, and C. However, for region D, the observed fluxes at 1.87 and 1.90 {\mu}m of the previously proposed ionizing star are a factor of ~40 times too bright to be the heating source and hence is likely just a star lying along the line of sight towards region D.

Fe II] 1.64 μm IMAGING OBSERVATIONS OF THE OUTFLOW FEATURES AROUND ULTRACOMPACT H II REGIONS IN THE FIRST GALACTIC QUADRANT

We present [Fe II] 1.644 um features around ultracompact H II regions (UCHIIs) found on a quest for the "footprint" outflow features of UCHIIs---the feature produced by the outflowing materials ejected during the earlier, active accretion phase of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs). We surveyed 237 UCHIIs in the 1st Galactic quadrant, employing the CORNISH UCHII catalog and UWIFE data which is an imaging survey in [Fe II] 1.644 um performed with UKIRT-WFCAM under ~ 0.8" seeing condition. The [Fe II] features were found around five UCHIIs, one of which is of low plausibility. We interpret that the [Fe II] features are shock-excited by outflows from YSOs, and estimate the outflow mass loss rates from the [Fe II] flux, which are ~ 1 x 10^-6 - 4 x 10^-5 Ms yr^-1. We propose that the [Fe II] features might be the "footprint" outflow features, but more studies are required to clarify it. This is based on the morphological relation between the [Fe II] and 5 GHz radio features, the outflow mass loss rate, the travel time of the [Fe II] features, and the existence of several YSO candidates near the UCHIIs. The UCHIIs accompanying the [Fe II] features have a relatively higher peak flux density. The fraction of UCHIIs accompanying the [Fe II] features, 5/237, is small when compared to the ~ 90 % detection rate of high-velocity CO gas around UCHIIs. We discuss some possible explanations on the low detection rate.

Deuteration around the ultracompact HII region Monoceros R2

The massive star-forming region Mon R2 hosts the closest ultra-compact HII region that can be spatially resolved with current single-dish telescopes. We used the IRAM-30m telescope to carry out an unbiased spectral survey toward two important positions (namely IF and MP2), in order to studying the chemistry of deuterated molecules toward Mon R2. We found a rich chemistry of deuterated species at both positions, with detections of C2D, DCN, DNC, DCO+, D2CO, HDCO, NH2D, and N2D+ and their corresponding hydrogenated species and isotopologs. Our high spectral resolution observations allowed us to resolve three velocity components: the component at 10 km/s is detected at both positions and seems associated with the layer most exposed to the UV radiation from IRS 1; the component at 12 km/s is found toward the IF position and seems related to the molecular gas; finally, a component at 8.5 km/s is only detected toward the MP2 position, most likely related to a low-UV irradiated PDR. We derived the column density of all the species, and determined the deuterium fractions (Dfrac). The values of Dfrac are around 0.01 for all the observed species, except for HCO+ and N2H+ which have values 10 times lower. The values found in Mon R2 are well explained with pseudo-time-dependent gas-phase model in which deuteration occurs mainly via ion-molecule reactions with H2D+, CH2D+ and C2HD+. Finally, the [H13CN]/[HN13C] ratio is very high (~11) for the 10 km/s component, which also agree with our model predictions for an age of ~0.01-0.1 Myr. The deuterium chemistry is a good tool for studying star-forming regions. The low-mass star-forming regions seem well characterized with Dfrac(N2H+) or Dfrac(HCO+), but it is required a complete chemical modeling to date massive star-forming regions, because the higher gas temperature together with the rapid evolution of massive protostars.

THE MID-INFRARED APPEARANCE OF THE GALACTIC MINI-STARBURST W49A

The massive star forming region W49A represents one of the largest complexes of massive star formation present in the Milky Way and contains at least fifty young massive stars still enshrouded in their natal molecular cloud. We employ Spitzer/IRS spectral mapping observations of the northern part of W49A to investigate the mid-infrared (MIR) spatial appearance of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bands, PAH plateau features, atomic lines and continuum emission. We examine the spatial variations of the MIR emission components in slices through two of the ultra compact-HII (UC-HII) regions. We find that the PAH bands reproduce known trends, with the caveat that the 6.2 $\mu$m PAH band seems to decouple from the other ionized PAH bands in some of the UC-HII regions -- an effect previously observed only in one other object: the giant star forming region N66 in the LMC. Furthermore, we compare the nature of the emission surrounding W49A to that of `diffuse' sightlines. It is found that the surrounding emission can be explained by line of sight emission, and does not represent true `diffuse' material. Additionally, we examine the MIR appearance of star formation on various scales from UC-HII regions to starburst galaxies, including a discussion of the fraction of PAH emission in the 8 $\mu$m IRAC filter. We find that the MIR appearance of W49A is that of a starburst on large scales yet its individual components are consistent with other galactic HII regions.

Detection of a dense clump in a filament interacting with W51e2

In the framework of the Herschel/PRISMAS Guaranteed Time Key Program, the line of sight to the distant ultracompact HII region W51e2 has been observed using several selected molecular species. Most of the detected absorption features are not associated with the background high-mass star-forming region and probe the diffuse matter along the line of sight. We present here the detection of an additional narrow absorption feature at ~70 km/s in the observed spectra of HDO, NH3 and C3. The 70 km/s feature is not uniquely identifiable with the dynamic components (the main cloud and the large-scale foreground filament) so-far identified toward this region. The narrow absorption feature is similar to the one found toward low-mass protostars, which is characteristic of the presence of a cold external envelope. The far-infrared spectroscopic data were combined with existing ground-based observations of 12CO, 13CO, CCH, CN, and C3H2 to characterize the 70 km/s component. Using a non-LTE analysis of multiple transitions of NH3 and CN, we estimated the density (n(H2) (1-5)x10^5 cm^-3) and temperature (10-30 K) for this narrow feature. We used a gas-grain warm-up based chemical model with physical parameters derived from the NH3 data to explain the observed abundances of the different chemical species. We propose that the 70 km/s narrow feature arises in a dense and cold clump that probably is undergoing collapse to form a low-mass protostar, formed on the trailing side of the high-velocity filament, which is thought to be interacting with the W51 main cloud. While the fortuitous coincidence of the dense clump along the line of sight with the continuum-bright W51e2 compact HII region has contributed to its non-detection in the continuum images, this same attribute makes it an appropriate source for absorption studies and in particular for ice studies of star-forming regions.

A Herschel and BIMA study of the sequential star formation near the W 48A H ii region★

We present the results of Herschel HOBYS photometric mapping combined with BIMA observations and additional archival data, and perform an in-depth study of the evolutionary phases of the star-forming clumps in W 48A and their surroundings. Age estimates for the compact sources were derived from bolometric luminosities and envelope masses, which were obtained from the dust continuum emission, and agree within an order of magnitude with age estimates from molecular line and radio data. The clumps in W 48A are linearly aligned by age (east-old to west-young): we find a ultra compact (UC) HII region, a young stellar object (YSO) with class II methanol maser emission, a YSO with a massive outflow, and finally the NH_2D prestellar cores from Pillai et al. This remarkable positioning reflects the (star) formation history of the region. We find that it is unlikely that the star formation in the W 48A molecular cloud was triggered by the UCHII region and discuss the Aquila supershell expansion as a mayor influence on the evolution of W 48A. We conclude that the combination of Herschel continuum data with interferometric molecular line and radio continuum data is important to derive trustworthy age estimates and interpret the origin of large scale structures through kinematic information.

DNC/HNC and N2D+/N2H+ ratios in high-mass star-forming cores

Chemical models predict that the deuterated fraction (the column density ratio between a molecule containing D and its counterpart containing H) of N2H+, Dfrac(N2H+), is high in massive pre-protostellar cores and rapidly drops of an order of magnitude after the protostar birth, while that of HNC, Dfrac(HNC), remains constant for much longer. We tested these predictions by deriving Dfrac(HNC) in 22 high-mass star forming cores divided in three different evolutionary stages, from high-mass starless core candidates (HMSCs, 8) to high-mass protostellar objects (HMPOs, 7) to Ultracompact HII regions (UCHIIs, 7). For all of them, Dfrac (N2H+) was already determined through IRAM-30m Telescope observations, which confirmed the theoretical rapid decrease of Dfrac(N2H+) after protostar birth (Fontani et al. 2011). Therefore our comparative study is not affected by biases introduced by the source selection. We have found average Dfrac(HNC) of 0.012, 0.009 and 0.008 in HMSCs, HMPOs and UCHIIs, respectively, with no statistically significant differences among the three evolutionary groups. These findings confirm the predictions of the chemical models, and indicate that large values of Dfrac(N2H+) are more suitable than large values of Dfrac(HNC) to identify cores on the verge of forming high-mass stars, likewise what found in the low-mass regime.

Chemical evolution in the early phases of massive star formation. I

Understanding the chemical evolution of young (high-mass) star-forming regions is a central topic in star formation research. Chemistry is employed as a unique tool 1) to investigate the underlying physical processes and 2) to characterize the evolution of the chemical composition. We observed a sample of 59 high-mass star-forming regions at different evolutionary stages varying from the early starless phase of infrared dark clouds to high-mass protostellar objects to hot molecular cores and, finally, ultra-compact HII regions at 1mm and 3mm with the IRAM 30m telescope. We determined their large-scale chemical abundances and found that the chemical composition evolves along with the evolutionary stages. On average, the molecular abundances increase with time. We modeled the chemical evolution, using a 1D physical model where density and temperature vary from stage to stage coupled with an advanced gas-grain chemical model and derived the best-fit chi^2 values of all relevant parameters. A satisfying overall agreement between observed and modeled column densities for most of the molecules was obtained. With the best-fit model we also derived a chemical age for each stage, which gives the timescales for the transformation between two consecutive stages. The best-fit chemical ages are ~10,000 years for the IRDC stage, ~60,000 years for the HMPO stage, ~40,000 years for the HMC stage, and ~10,000 years for the UCHII stage. The total chemical timescale for the entire evolutionary sequence of the high-mass star formation process is on the order of 10^5 years, which is consistent with theoretical estimates. Furthermore, based on the approach of a multiple-line survey of unresolved data, we were able to constrain an intuitive and reasonable physical and chemical model. The results of this study can be used as chemical templates for the different evolutionary stages in high-mass star formation.

The dynamics of ultracompact H ii regions

Many ultracompact HII regions exhibit a cometary morphology in radio continuum emission. In such regions, a young massive star is probably ablating, through its ultraviolet radiation, the molecular cloud clump that spawned it. On one side of the star, the radiation drives an ionization front that stalls in dense molecular gas. On the other side, ionized gas streams outward into the more rarefied environment. This wind is underpressured with respect to the neutral gas. The difference in pressure draws in more cloud material, feeding the wind until the densest molecular gas is dissipated. Recent, time-dependent simulations of massive stars turning on within molecular gas show the system evolving in a direction similar to that just described. Here, we explore a semi-analytic model in which the wind is axisymmetric and has already achieved a steady state. Adoption of this simplified picture allows us to study the dependence of both the wind and its bounding ionization front on the stellar luminosity, the peak molecular density, and the displacement of the star from the center of the clump. For typical parameter values, the wind accelerates transonically to a speed of about 15 km / s, and transports mass outward at a rate of 10^-4 solar masses per year. Stellar radiation pressure acts to steepen the density gradient of the wind.

Radiatively driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability candidates around a forming massive star system

The formation of the highest mass stars are thought to be dominated by instabilities resulting from gravitation and radiation. Instabilities due to gravitation are commonly demonstrated by observations of fragmentation, but those due to effects of radiation have thus far not been found. Here I report on the NACO adaptive optics and mid-infrared diffraction-limited VISIR imaging data of an extemely luminous ultra-compact HII region G333.6-0.2. Two infrared sources, one bright in the near-infrared(appearing point-like) and another in the mid-infrared (resolved with an elliptical shape) are uncovered through this data, which are located at the heart of this region. These infrared sources appear to be embedded in the waist of a bipolar-shaped nebula and UCHII region, the lobes of which are separated by a dark patch. Dense filamentary features with finger/hook morphology are found; they appear to be connected to the two bright infrared sources and the sizes of these hook features are sharply limited to <5000 AU. The observed properties of this target and a large amount of previous data obtained from the literature are compared together with the results of various numerical simulations of high-mass star formation. This comparison favours the interpretation that the finger/hook-like structures likely represent radiatively driven Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities arising in the outflow cavity of a forming high-mass binary star system.

ATLASGAL – properties of compact H ii regions and their natal clumps★

We present a complete sample of molecular clumps containing compact and ultra-compact (UC) HII regions between \ell=10\degr and 60\degr\ and $|b|<1\degr, identified by combining the the ATLASGAL submm and CORNISH radio continuum surveys with visual examination of archival infrared data. Our sample is complete to optically thin, compact and UCHII regions driven by a zero age main sequence star of spectral type B0 or earlier embedded within a 1,000 Msun clump. In total we identify 213 compact and UCHII regions, associated with 170 clumps. Unambiguous kinematic distances are derived for these clumps and used to estimate their masses and physical sizes, as well as the Lyman continuum fluxes and sizes of their embedded HII regions. We find a clear lower envelope for the surface density of molecular clumps hosting massive star formation of 0.05 g cm^{-2}, which is consistent with a similar sample of clumps associated with 6.7 GHz masers. The mass of the most massive embedded stars is closely correlated with the mass of their natal clump. Young B stars appear to be significantly more luminous in the ultraviolet than predicted by current stellar atmosphere models. The properties of clumps associated with compact and UCHII regions are very similar to those associated with 6.7 GHz methanol masers and we speculate that there is little evolution in the structure of the molecular clumps between these two phases. Finally, we identify a significant peak in the surface density of compact and UCHII regions associated with the W49A star-forming complex, noting that this complex is truly one of the most massive and intense regions of star formation in the Galaxy.

Modelling carbon radio recombination line observations towards the ultracompact H ii region W48A

We model Carbon Recombination Line (CRL) emission from the Photo Dissociation Region (PDR) surrounding the Ultra-Compact (UC) HII region W48A. Our modelling shows that the inner regions ($A_V \sim 1$) of the CII layer in the PDR contribute significantly to the CRL emission. The dependence of line ratios of CRL emission with the density of the PDR and the far ultra-violet (FUV) radiation incident on the region is explored over a large range of these parameters that are typical for the environments of UCHII regions. We find that by observing a suitable set of CRLs it is possible to constrain the density of the PDR. If the neutral density in the PDR is high ($\gtrsim 10^7$ \cmthree) CRL emission is bright at high frequencies ($\gtrsim 20$ GHz), and absorption lines from such regions can be detected at low frequencies ($\lesssim 10$ GHz). Modelling CRL observations towards W48A shows that the UCHII region is embedded in a molecular cloud of density of about $4 \times$ 10$^7$ \cmthree.

Properties of the UCHII region G25.4NW and its associated molecular cloud

Ultra compact HII (UCHII) G25.4NW is a bright IR source in the region of the inner Galaxy. New HI images from the Very Large Array Galactic Plane Survey show clear absorption features associated with the UCHII region up to 95 km s−1, and there are no other absorptions up to the tangential velocity. This reveals that G25.4NW has a near-side distance of 5.7 kpc, and it is located in the region of the inner Galactic molecular ring. Using the new distance, the bolometric luminosity of G25.4NW is estimated as 105.6 L⊙, which corresponds to an O6 star. It contains 460 M⊙ of ionized gas. A high-resolution 13CO image from the Galactic Ring Survey reveals that G25.4NW is part of a more extended star-forming complex with about 104 M⊙ of molecular gas.

THE COMPACT, TIME-VARIABLE RADIO SOURCE PROJECTED INSIDE W3(OH): EVIDENCE FOR A PHOTOEVAPORATED DISK?

We present new Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations of the compact (~ 0.05"), time-variable radio source projected near the center of the ultracompact HII region W3(OH). The analysis of our new data as well as of VLA archival observations confirms the variability of the source on timescales of years and for a given epoch indicates a spectral index of \alpha = 1.3 +- 0.3 (S_\nu \propto \nu^\alpha). This spectral index and the brightness temperature of the source (~6,500 K) suggest that we are most probably detecting partially optically thick free-free radiation. The radio source is probably associated with the ionizing star of W3(OH), but an interpretation in terms of an ionized stellar wind fails because the detected flux densities are orders of magnitude larger than expected. We discuss several scenarios and tentatively propose that the radio emission could arise in a static ionized atmosphere around a fossil photoevaporated disk.

Spatial distribution of small hydrocarbons in the neighborhood of the ultra compact HII region Monoceros R2

We study the chemistry of small hydrocarbons in the photon-dominated regions (PDRs) associated with the ultra-compact HII region Mon R2. Our goal is to determine the variations of the abundance of small hydrocarbons in a high-UV irradiated PDR and investigate their chemistry. We present an observational study of CH, CCH and c-C$_3$H$_2$ in Mon R2 combining data obtained with the IRAM 30m telescope and Herschel. We determine the column densities of these species, and compare their spatial distributions with that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). 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. The emission of the small hydrocarbons show different patterns. The CCH emission is extended while CH and c-C$_3$H$_2$ are concentrated towards the more illuminated layers of the PDR. The ratio of the column densities of c-C$_3$H$_2$ and CCH shows spatial variations up to a factor of a few, increasing from $N(c-C$_3$H$_2$)/N(CCH)\approx0.004$ in the envelope to a maximum of $\sim0.015-0.029$ towards the 8$\mu$m emission peak. Comparing these results with other galactic PDRs, we find that the abundance of CCH is quite constant over a wide range of G$_0$, whereas the abundance of c-C$_3$H$_2$ is higher in 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 to reproduce c-C$_3$H$_2$. In the molecular envelope, time-dependent effects and grain surface chemistry play a dominant role in determining the hydrocarbons abundances. Our study shows that CCH and c-C$_3$H$_2$ present a complex chemistry in which UV photons, grain-surface chemistry and time dependent effects contribute to determine their abundances.

SiO collimated outflows driven by high-mass YSOs in G24.78+0.08

We imaged the molecular outflows towards the cluster of high-mass young stellar objects G24.78+0.08 at high-angular resolution using SiO emission, which is considered the classical tracer of protostellar jets. We performed SiO observations with the VLA interferometer in the J = 1-0 v=0 transition and with the SMA array in the 5-4 transition. A complementary IRAM 30-m single-dish survey in the (2-1), (3-2), (5-4), and (6-5) SiO lines was also carried out. Two collimated SiO high-velocity outflows driven by the A2 and C millimeter continuum massive cores have been imaged. On the other hand, we detected no SiO outflow driven by the young stellar objects in more evolved evolutionary phases that are associated with ultracompact (B) or hypercompact (A1) HII regions. The LVG analysis reveals high-density gas (10^3-10^4 cm-3), with well constrained SiO column densities (0.5-1 10^15 cm-2). The driving source of the A2 outflow is associated with typical hot core tracers such as methyl formate, vinyl cyanide, cyanoacetilene, and acetone. The driving source of the main SiO outflow in G24 has an estimated luminosity of a few 10^4 Lsun (typical of a late O-type star) and is embedded in the 1.3 mm continuum core A2, which in turn is located at the centre of a hot core that rotates on a plane perpendicular to the outflow main axis. The present SiO images support a scenario similar to the low-mass case for massive star formation, where jets that are clearly traced by SiO emission, create outflows of swept-up ambient gas usually traced by CO.

Herschel/HIFI observations of [C II] and [13C II] in photon-dominated regions

Recently, we introduced detailed isotopic chemistry into the KOSMA-tau model for photon-dominated regions (PDRs) to give theoretical predictions for the abundance of the carbon isotopologues as a function of PDR parameters. Combined with radiative transfer computations for specific geometries, we estimated the possible intensity ratio of the [CII]/[13CII] lines. Here, we compare these predictions with new observations. We performed Herschel/HIFI observations of the [CII] 158micron line in a number of PDRs. In all sources we observed at least two hyperfine components of the [13CII] transition allowing to determine the [CII]/[13CII] intensity ratio, after some revision of the intrinsic hyperfine ratios. Comparing the intensity ratios with the results from the updated KOSMA-tau model, we identify cases dominated by chemical fractionation and cases dominated by the optical depth of the main isotopic line. An observable enhancement of the [CII]/[13CII] intensity ratio due to chemical fractionation depends mostly on geometry and velocity structure, and less on the gas density and radiation field. In our observations the [CII]/[13CII] ratio for the integrated line intensity was always dominated by the optical depth of the main isotopic line. However, an enhanced intensity ratio is found for particular velocity components in a few sources: the red-shifted material in the ultracompact HII region Mon R2, the wings of the turbulent profile in the Orion Bar, and possibly a blue wing in NGC7023. The mapping of the [13CII] lines in the Orion Bar allows to derive a C+ column density map confirming the temperature stratification of the C+ layer, in agreement with the chemical stratification of the Bar. The C+ column densities for all sources show that at the position of the [CII] peak emission, a dominant fraction of the gas-phase carbon is in the form of C+.