English

A Search for Carbon-Chain-Rich Cores in Dark Clouds

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2011-02-11 v1

Abstract

We present results of a survey of CCS, HC3_{3}N, and HC5_{5}N toward 40 dark cloud cores to search for "Carbon-Chain--Producing Regions(CCPRs)", where carbon-chain molecules are extremely abundant relative to NH3_{3}, as in L1495B, L1521B, L1521E, and the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1. We have mainly observed toward cores where the NH3_{3} lines are weak, not detected, or not observed in previous surveys, and the CCS, HC3_{3}N, and HC5_{5}N lines have been detected toward 17, 17, and 5 sources, respectively. Among them, we have found a CCPR, L492, and its possible candidates, L1517D, L530D, L1147, and L1172B. They all show low abundance ratios of [NH3_{3}]/[CCS] (hereafter called the NH3_{3}/CCS ratio) indicating the chemical youth. Combining our results with those of previous surveys, we have found a significant variation of the NH3_{3}/CCS ratio among dark cloud cores and among molecular cloud complexes. Such a variation is also suggested by the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules. For instance, the NH3_{3}/CCS ratios are higher and the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules are lower in the Ophiuchus cores than in the Taurus cores. An origin of these systematic abundance variation is discussed in terms of the difference in the evolutionary stage or the contraction timescale. We have also identified a carbon-chain-rich star-forming core, L483, where intense HC3_{3}N and HC5_{5}N lines are detected. This is a possible candidate for a core with "Warm Carbon-Chain Chemistry".

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0905.3511,
  title  = {A Search for Carbon-Chain-Rich Cores in Dark Clouds},
  author = {Tomoya Hirota and Masatoshi Ohishi and Satoshi Yamamoto},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0905.3511},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

41 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ (July 2009, v700 issue)

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