Katharina Schreyer

Chemistry in disks - IV. Benchmarking gas-grain chemical models with surface reactions

Abridged: We detail and benchmark two sophisticated chemical models developed by the Heidelberg and Bordeaux astrochemistry groups. The main goal of this study is to elaborate on a few well-described tests for state-of-the-art astrochemical codes covering a range of physical conditions and chemical processes, in particular those aimed at constraining current and future interferometric observations of protoplanetary disks. We consider three physical models: a cold molecular cloud core, a hot core, and an outer region of a T Tauri disk. Our chemical network (for both models) is based on the original gas-phase osu_03_2008 ratefile and includes gas-grain interactions and a set of surface reactions for the H-, O-, C-, S-, and N-bearing molecules. The benchmarking is performed with the increasing complexity of the considered processes: (1) the pure gas-phase chemistry, (2) the gas-phase chemistry with accretion and desorption, and (3) the full gas-grain model with surface reactions. Using atomic initial abundances with heavily depleted metals and hydrogen in its molecular form, the chemical evolution is modeled within 10^9 years. The time-dependent abundances calculated with the two chemical models are essentially the same for all considered physical cases and for all species, including the most complex polyatomic ions and organic molecules. This result however required a lot of efforts to make all necessary details consistent through the model runs, e.g. definition of the gas particle density, density of grain surface sites, the strength and shape of the UV radiation field, etc. The reference models and the benchmark setup, along with the two chemical codes and resulting time-dependent abundances are made publicly available in the Internet: this http URL

Chemistry in disks. I. Deep search for N2H+ in the protoplanetary disks around LkCa 15, MWC 480, and DM Tauri

Aims.To constrain the ionization fraction in protoplanetary disks, we present new high-sensitivity interferometric observations of N2H+ in three disks surrounding DM Tau, LkCa 15, and MWC 480. Methods: We used the IRAM PdBI array to observe the N2H+ J=1-0 line and applied a ?^2-minimization technique to estimate corresponding column densities. These values are compared, together with HCO+ column densities, to results of a steady-state disk model with a vertical temperature gradient coupled to gas-grain chemistry. Results: We report two N2H+ detections for LkCa 15 and DM Tau at the 5 ? level and an upper limit for MWC 480. The column density derived from the data for LkCa 15 is much lower than previously reported. The [ N2H^+/HCO^+] ratio is on the order of 0.02-0.03. So far, HCO+ remains the most abundant observed molecular ion in disks. Conclusions: .All the observed values generally agree with the modelled column densities of disks at an evolutionary stage of a few million years (within the uncertainty limits), but the radial distribution of the molecules is not reproduced well. The low inferred concentration of N2H+ in three disks around low-mass and intermediate-mass young stars implies that this ion is not a sensitive tracer of the overall disk ionization fraction. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). Research partially supported by PCMI, the French national program for the Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium.

Millimeter Observations and Modeling of the AB Aurigae System

We present the results of millimeter observations and a suitable chemical and radiative transfer model of the AB Aurigae (HD 31293) circumstellar disk and surrounding envelope. The integral molecular content of this system is studied by observing CO, C18O, CS, HCO+, DCO+, H2CO, HCN, HNC, and SiO rotational lines with the IRAM 30 m antenna, while the disk is mapped in the HCO+ (1-0) transition with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer. Using a flared disk model with a vertical temperature gradient and an isothermal spherical envelope model with a shadowed midplane and two unshielded cones together with a gas-grain chemical network, time-dependent abundances of observationally important molecules are calculated. Then a two-dimensional non-LTE line radiative transfer code is applied to compute excitation temperatures of several rotational transitions of HCO+, CO, C18O, and CS molecules. We synthesize the HCO+ (1-0) interferometric map along with single-dish CO (2-1), C18O (2-1), HCO+ (1-0), HCO+ (3-2), CS (2-1), and CS (5-4) spectra and compare them with the observations. Our disk model successfully reproduces observed interferometric HCO+ (1-0) data, thereby constraining the following disk properties: (1) the inclination angle i=17+6-3 deg, (2) the position angle φ=80deg+/-30deg, (3) the size Rout=400+/-200 AU, (4) the mass Mdisk=1.3×10-2 Msolar (with a factor of ~7 uncertainty), and (5) that the disk is in Keplerian rotation. Furthermore, indirect evidence for a local inhomogeneity of the envelope at >~600 AU is found. The single-dish spectra are synthesized for three different cases, namely, for the disk model, for the envelope model, and for their combination. An overall reasonable agreement between all modeled and acquired line intensities, widths, and profiles is achieved for the latter model, with the exception of the CS (5-4) data that require the presence of high-density clumpy structures in the model. This allows us to constrain the physical structure of the AB Aur inner envelope: (1) its mass-average temperature is about 35+/-14 K; (2) the density goes inversely down with the radius, ρ~r-1.0+/-0.3, starting from an initial value n0~3.9×105 cm-3 at 400 AU; and (3) the mass of the shielded region within 2200 AU is about 4×10-3 Msolar (the latter two quantities are uncertain by a factor of ~7). In addition, evolutionary nature and lifetime for dispersal of the AB Aur system and Herbig Ae/Be systems in general are discussed.

CHEMISTRY IN DISKS. III. PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND X-RAY DRIVEN CHEMISTRY PROBED BY THE ETHYNYL RADICAL (CCH) IN DM Tau, LkCa 15, AND MWC 480

We studied several representative circumstellar disks surrounding the Herbig Ae star MWC 480 and the T Tauri stars LkCa 15 and DM Tau at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths in lines of CCH. Our aim is to characterize photochemistry in the heavily UV-irradiated MWC 480 disk and compare the results to the disks around cooler T Tauri stars. We detected and mapped CCH in these disks with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer in the C and D configurations in the (1-0) and (2-1) transitions. Using an iterative minimization technique, the CCH column densities and excitation conditions are constrained. Very low excitation temperatures are derived for the T Tauri stars. These values are compared with the results of advanced chemical modeling, which is based on a steady-state flared disk structure with a vertical temperature gradient, and a gas-grain chemical network with surface reactions. Both model and observations suggest that CCH is a sensitive tracer of the X-ray and UV irradiation. The predicted radial dependency and source-to-source variations of CCH column densities qualitatively agree with the observed values, but the predicted column densities are too low by a factor of several. The chemical model fails to reproduce high concentrations of CCH in very cold disk midplane as derived from the observed low excitation condition for both the (1-0) and (2-1) transitions.

Rotating molecular outflows: the young T Tauri star in CB 26 ⋆

Context: The disk-outflow connection is thought to play a key role in extracting excess angular momentum from a forming proto-star. Although jet rotation has been observed in a few objects, no rotation of molecular outflows has been unambiguously reported so far. Aims: We report new millimeter-interferometric observations of the edge-on T Tauri star - disk system in the isolated Bok globule CB 26. The aim of these observations was to study the disk-outflow relation in this 1 Myr old low-mass young stellar object. Methods: The IRAM PdBI array was used to observe 12CO(2-1) at 1.3 mm in two configurations, resulting in spectral line maps with 1.5´´ resolution. We use an empirical parameterized steady-state outflow model combined with 2-D line radiative transfer calculations and χ^2-minimization in parameter space to derive a best-fit model and constrain parameters of the outflow. Results: The data reveal a previously undiscovered collimated bipolar molecular outflow of total length ≈2000 AU, escaping perpendicular to the plane of the disk. We find peculiar kinematic signatures that suggest that the outflow is rotating with the same orientation as the disk. However, we could not ultimately exclude jet precession or two misaligned flows as possible origins of the observed peculiar velocity field. There is indirect indication that the embedded driving source is a binary system, which, together with the youth of the source, could provide a clue to the observed kinematic features of the outflow. Conclusions: CB 26 is so far the most promising source in which to study the rotation of a molecular outflow. Assuming that the outflow is rotating, we compute and compare masses, mass flux, angular momenta, and angular momentum flux of the disk and outflow and derive disk dispersal timescales of 0.5 ldots 1 Myr, comparable to the age of the system. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). Also based on observations collected at the Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut fur Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC). A complete set of channel maps is available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/494/147.

A millimeter continuum survey for massive protoclusters in the outer galaxy

Our search for the earliest stages of massive star formation turned up 12 massive pre-protocluster candidates plus a few protoclusters. For this search, we selected 47 FIR-bright IRAS sources in the outer Galaxy. We mapped regions of several square arcminutes around the IRAS source in the millimeter continuum in order to find massive cold cloud cores possibly being in a very early stage of massive star formation. Masses and densities are derived for the 128 molecular cloud cores found in the obtained maps. We present these maps together with near-infrared, mid-infrared, and radio data collected from the 2MASS, MSX, and NVSS catalogs. Further data from the literature on detections of high-density tracers, outflows, and masers are added. The multiwavelength data sets are used to characterize each observed region. The massive cloud cores (M > 100 M☉) are placed in a tentative evolutionary sequence depending on their emission at the investigated wavelengths. Candidates for the youngest stages of massive star formation are identified by the lack of detections in the above-mentioned near-infrared, mid-infrared, and radio surveys. Twelve massive cores prominent in the millimeter continuum fulfill this requirement. Since neither FIR nor radio emission have been detected from these cloud cores, massive protostars must be very deeply embedded in these cores. Some of these objects may actually be pre-protocluster cores: an up to now rare object class, where the initial conditions of massive star formation can be studied.

The young intermediate-mass stellar object AFGL 490 – A disk surrounded by a cold envelope

AFGL 490 is a key target of the class of deeply embedded intermediate-mass young stellar objects in a transition stage to Herbig Be stars (L = 2.2-4.0 × 10 3 L� ). In this paper, we present a comprehensive set of single-dish line data which characterize the envelope of the source. In addition, observations of CS J = 2→1 and the corresponding continuum at 97.98 GHz have been obtained with the Plateau de Bure (PdB) interferometer, which are sensitive to the small-scale structure around the stellar source. The PdB line data show a bar-like elongated gas structure of 22000 AU × 6000 AU size with a position angle of ≈-45 ◦ . This bar represents the flattened inner envelope surrounding a disk-like structure (radius ≤500 AU) for which we find evidence very close to the young B star. Due to strong (self-)absorption in the velocity range vlsr = -12.5 ... -15 km s −1 , only the outer line wings can be used to study the gas motion. Maps of the integrated red and blue line wing emission show two well-separated gas blobs around AFGL 490, which are interpreted as a disk. The 3 mm continuum interferometer map shows a point source at the position of AFGL 490 with a flux of 240 mJy. This flux translates into a total mass of 3-6 Mof the disk which is comparable to the stellar mass of about 8 M� . This configuration is unstable and will disappear in 10 3 -10 4 years due to gravitational instabilities. Photometric data from ISOPHOT and spectroscopic data from ISO-SWS have been obtained. Together with submillimetre continuum data a very complete spectral energy distribution of the envelope could be compiled. Analysis of the data shows that the central region of AFGL 490 has a steeper density gradient compared with the outer molecular envelope. All data clearly point to a low temperature (25-35 K) of this envelope. To determine the chemical state of the object, we determined the abundances of 13 molecules towards AFGL 490. The molecular line and ISO-SWS data are used to derive the gas-solid abundance ratios for H2O, CO, and CO2. The chemical results, such as the relatively low gas-to-solid ratios and the low CH3OH excitation, emphasize the presence of a cold molecular envelope. We found evidence for other outflow systems in the envelope around AFGL 490. Red-shifted and blue-shifted gas blobs with a separation of about 20000 AU were detected. Their centre is located roughly 3 �� to the south of AFGL 490, and their morphology implies that a deeply embedded low-mass object drives a jet which enters the denser envelope material at such a large distance. Two further outflow systems in the close neighbourhood of AFGL 490 could be identified. All these data point to the formation of a group of low-mass stars around AFGL 490. It is very remarkable that these outflows do not influence the global physical and chemical structure of the envelope.

CHEMISTRY IN DISKS. VII. FIRST DETECTION OF HC3N IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Molecular line emission from protoplanetary disks is a powerful tool to constrain their physical and chemical structure. Nevertheless, only a few molecules have been detected in disks so far. We take advantage of the enhanced capabilities of the IRAM 30?m telescope by using the new broadband correlator (fast Fourier Transform Spectrometer) to search for so far undetected molecules in the protoplanetary disks surrounding the T Tauri stars DM Tau, GO Tau, LkCa 15, and the Herbig Ae star MWC?480. We report the first detection of HC3N at 5? in the GO Tau and MWC 480 disks with the IRAM 30?m, and in the LkCa 15 disk (5?), using the IRAM array, with derived column densities of the order of 1012?cm?2. We also obtain stringent upper limits on CCS (N < 1.5 ? 1012 cm?3). We discuss the observational results by comparing them to column densities derived from existing chemical disk models (computed using the chemical code Nautilus) and based on previous nitrogen- and sulfur-bearing molecule observations. The observed column densities of HC3N are typically two orders of magnitude lower than the existing predictions and appear to be lower in the presence of strong UV flux, suggesting that the molecular chemistry is sensitive to the UV penetration through the disk. The CCS upper limits reinforce our model with low elemental abundance of sulfur derived from other sulfur-bearing molecules (CS, H2S, and SO).

Chemistry in disks - V. Sulfur-bearing molecules in the protoplanetary disks surrounding LkCa15, MWC480, DM Tauri, and GO Tauri

Aims. We study the content in S-bearing molecules of protoplanetary disks around low-mass stars. Methods. We used the new IRAM 30-m receiver EMIR to perform simultaneous observations of the 110−101 line of H2S at 168.8 GHz and 223−112 line of SO at 99.3 GHz. We compared the observational results with predictions coming from the astrochemical code NAUTILUS, which has been adapted to protoplanetary disks. The data were analyzed together with existing CS J = 3−2 observations. Results. We fail to detect the SO and H2S lines, although CS is detected in LkCa15, DM Tau, and GO Tau but not in MWC 480. However, our new upper limits are significantly better than previous ones and allow us to put some interesting constraints on the sulfur chemistry. Conclusions. Our best modeling of disks is obtained for a C/O ratio of 1.2, starting from initial cloud conditions of H density of 2 × 10 5 cm −3 and age of 10 6 yr. The results agree with the CS data and are compatible with the SO upper limits, but fail to reproduce the H2S upper limits. The predicted H2S column densities are too high by at least one order of magnitude. H2S may remain locked onto grain surfaces and react with other species, thereby preventing the desorption of H2S.

A Rotating Disk around the Very Young Massive Star AFGL 490

We observed the embedded, young 8-10 M☉ star AFGL 490 at subarcsecond resolution with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) in the C17O (2-1) transition and found convincing evidence that AFGL 490 is surrounded by a rotating disk. Using two-dimensional modeling of the physical and chemical disk structure coupled to line radiative transfer, we constrain its basic parameters. We obtain a relatively high disk mass of 1 M☉ and a radius of ~1500 AU. A plausible explanation for the apparent asymmetry of the disk morphology is given.