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- Haasler, D., et al.
(författare)
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First extragalactic detection of a phosphorus-bearing molecule with ALCHEMI: Phosphorus nitride (PN)
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 659
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Phosphorus (P) is a crucial element for life given its central role in several biomolecules. P-bearing molecules have been discovered in different regions of the Milky Way, but not yet towards an extragalactic environment. Aims. We searched for P-bearing molecules outside the Milky Way towards the nearby starburst Galaxy NGC 253. Methods. Using observations from the ALMA Comprehensive High-resolution Extragalactic Molecular Inventory (ALCHEMI) project, we used the MAdrid Data CUBe Analysis package to model the emission of P-bearing molecules assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions. We also performed a non-LTE analysis using SpectralRadex. Results. We report the detection of a P-bearing molecule, phosphorus nitride (PN), for the first time in an extragalactic environment, towards two giant molecular clouds (GMCs) of NGC 253. The LTE analysis yields total PN beam-averaged column densities N = (1.20 +/- 0.09) x 10(13) cm(-2) and N = (6.5 +/- 1.6) x 10(12) cm(-2), which translate into abundances with respect to H-2 of chi = (8.0 +/- 1.0) x 10(-12) and chi = (4.4 +/- 1.2) x 10(-12). We derived a low excitation temperature of T-ex = (4.4 +/- 1.3) K towards the GMC with the brightest PN emission, which indicates that PN is sub-thermally excited. The non-LTE analysis results in column densities consistent with the LTE values. We also searched for other P-bearing molecules (PO, PH3, CP, and CCP), and upper limits were derived. The derived PO/PN ratios are < 1.3 and < 1.7. The abundance ratio between PN and the shock-tracer SiO derived towards NGC 253 follows the same trend previously found towards Galactic sources. Conclusions. Comparison of the observations with chemical models indicates that the derived molecular abundances of PN in NGC 253 can be explained by shock-driven chemistry followed by cosmic-ray-driven photochemistry.
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| 2. |
- Behrens, E., et al.
(författare)
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Tracing Interstellar Heating: An ALCHEMI Measurement of the HCN Isomers in NGC 253
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 939:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We analyze HCN and HNC emission in the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 to investigate its effectiveness in tracing heating processes associated with star formation. This study uses multiple HCN and HNC rotational transitions observed using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array via the ALCHEMI Large Program. To understand the conditions and associated heating mechanisms within NGC 253's dense gas, we employ Bayesian nested sampling techniques applied to chemical and radiative transfer models, which are constrained using our HCN and HNC measurements. We find that the volume density n H 2 and cosmic-ray ionization rate (CRIR) ζ are enhanced by about an order of magnitude in the galaxy’s central regions as compared to those further from the nucleus. In NGC 253's central giant molecular clouds (GMCs), where observed HCN/HNC abundance ratios are the lowest, n ∼ 105.5 cm−3 and ζ ∼ 10−12 s−1 (greater than 104 times the average Galactic rate). We find a positive correlation in the association of both density and CRIR with the number of star formation-related heating sources (supernova remnants, H ii regions, and super hot cores) located in each GMC, as well as a correlation between CRIRs and supernova rates. Additionally, we see an anticorrelation between the HCN/HNC ratio and CRIR, indicating that this ratio will be lower in regions where ζ is higher. Though previous studies suggested HCN and HNC may reveal strong mechanical heating processes in NGC 253's CMZ, we find cosmic-ray heating dominates the heating budget, and mechanical heating does not play a significant role in the HCN and HNC chemistry.
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