Related papers: Deuteration as an evolutionary tracer in massive-s…
The inheritance of material across the star and planet formation process is traced by deuterium fractionation. We report here the first detection of doubly deuterated methanol towards pre-stellar cores. We study the deuterium fractionation…
We present N2D+ 3-2 (IRAM) and H2D+ 1_11 - 1_10 and N2H+ 4-3 (JCMT) maps of the small cluster-forming Ophiuchus B2 core in the nearby Ophiuchus molecular cloud. In conjunction with previously published N2H+ 1-0 observations, the N2D+ data…
We have performed a pointed survey of N2D+ 2-1 and N2D+ 3-2 emission toward 64 N2H+-bright starless and protostellar cores in the Perseus molecular cloud using the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter Telescope and Kitt Peak 12 m…
The deuterium fraction [N$_2$D$^+$]/[N$_2$H$^+$], may provide information about the ages of dense, cold gas structures, important to compare with dynamical models of cloud core formation and evolution. Here we introduce a complete chemical…
At the low temperatures ($\sim$10 K) and high densities ($\sim$100,000 H$_2$ molecules per cc) of molecular cloud cores and protostellar envelopes, a large amount of molecular species (in particular those containing C and O) freeze-out onto…
We present a theoretical study of the deuterated species detectability in various types of extragalactic star-forming regions based on our predictions of chemical abundances. This work is motivated by the past and current attempts at…
(Abridged) We present a large sample of o-H$_2$D$^+$ observations in high-mass star-forming regions and discuss possible empirical correlations with relevant physical quantities to assess its role as a chronometer of star-forming regions…
We report the detection of D2CO in a sample of starless dense cores, in which we previously measured the degree of CO depletion. The deuterium fractionation is found extremely high, [D2CO]/[H2CO] ~ 1-10 %, similar to that reported in…
In the centre of pre-stellar cores, deuterium fractionation is enhanced due to the low temperatures and high densities. Therefore, the chemistry of deuterated molecules can be used to study the earliest stages of star formation. We analyse…
Despite low elemental abundance of atomic deuterium in interstellar medium (ISM), observational evidences suggest that several species in gas-phase and in ices could be heavily fractionated. We explore various aspects of deuterium…
Deuterated molecules are valuable probes for investigating the evolution and the kinematics in the earliest stages of star formation. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive investigation by performing a single point survey of 101…
We present the study of deuteration of cyanoacetylene (HC$_3$N) towards a sample of 28 high-mass star-forming cores divided into different evolutionary stages, from starless to evolved protostellar cores. We report for the first time the…
(Abridged) We aim to determine the degrees of CO depletion, deuterium fractionation, and ionisation in a sample of seven massive clumps associated with IRDCs. The APEX telescope was used to observe the C17O(2-1), H13CO+(3-2), DCO+(3-2),…
Galactic destruction of primordial deuterium is inevitably linked through star formation to the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The relatively high present gas content and low metallicity suggest only modest D-destruction. In concert with…
The chemical structure of high-mass star nurseries is important for a general understanding of star formation. Deuteration is a key chemical process in the earliest stages of star formation because its efficiency is sensitive to the…
We report on a search for Interstellar CH2D+. Four transitions occur in easily accessible portions of the spectrum; we report on emission at the frequencies of these transitions toward high column density star-forming regions. While the…
We present sensitive observations of NH2D at 110.153599 GHz toward 50 Galactic massive star-forming regions with IRAM 30-m telescope. The NH2D transition is detected toward 36 objects, yielding a detection rate of 72%. Column densities of…
Prestellar cores are unique laboratories for studies of the chemical and physical conditions preceding star formation. We observed the prestellar core L1544 in the fundamental transition of ortho-H2D+ (1_1,0-1_1,1) at different positions…
Context: In the centre of pre-stellar cores, the deuterium fractionation is enhanced due to the cold temperatures and high densities. Therefore, the chemistry of deuterated molecules can be used to probe the evolution and the kinematics in…
Deuterium fractionation in molecular ions, in particular HCO+, has been extensively used to estimate the degree of ionization in molecular clouds. This paper reviews recent work on ionization degree in homogeneous clouds. We will show that…