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Observations suggest that filaments in molecular clouds can grow by mass accretion while forming cores via fragmentation. Here, we present one of the first large-sample studies of filament accretion using velocity gradient measurements of star-forming filaments on the ∼0.05 pc scale with NH _3 observations of the Perseus Molecular Cloud, primarily obtained as a part of the Green Bank Ammonia Survey. In this study, we find significant correlations between the velocity gradient, velocity dispersion, mass per unit length, and number of cores per unit length of the Perseus filaments. Our results suggest a scenario in which filaments not only grow through mass accretion, but also form new cores continuously in the process, well into the thermally supercritical regime. Such behavior is contrary to that expected from isolated filament models but consistent with how filaments form within a more realistic cloud environment, suggesting that the cloud environment plays a crucial role in shaping core formation and evolution in filaments. Furthermore, even though velocity gradients within filaments are not oriented randomly, we find no correlation between velocity gradient orientation and the filament properties we analyzed. This result suggests that gravity is unlikely to be the dominant mechanism imposing order on the ∼0.05 pc scale for dense star-forming gas.

IRAS04368+2557 in L1527 is a Class 0/I protostar with a clear disk-envelope system revealed by previous Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations. In this paper, we discuss the flared structure of this source with observed sulfur-bearing molecules included in the FAUST ALMA large program. The analyses of molecular distributions and kinematics have shown that CS, SO, and OCS trace different regions of the disk-envelope system. To evaluate the temperature across the disk, we derive rotation temperature with the two observed SO lines. The temperature profile shows a clear, flared “butterfly” structure with the higher temperature being ∼50 K and the central lower temperature region (

We present new Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) continuum and NH _2 D, N _2 D ^+ , and H _2 D ^+ line emission at matched, ∼100 au resolution toward the dense star-forming cores SM1N and N6 within the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. We determine the density and temperature structure of SM1N based on radiative transfer modeling and simulated observations of the multiwavelength continuum emission at 0.8, 2, and 3 mm. We show that SM1N is best fit by either a broken power-law or Plummer-like density profile with high central densities ( n ∼ 10 ^8 cm ^−3 ), and an inner transition radius of only ∼80–300 au. The free-fall time of the inner region is only a few ×10 ^3 yr. The continuum modeling rules out the presence of an embedded first hydrostatic core (FHSC) or protostar. SM1N is therefore a dynamically unstable but still starless core. We find that NH _2 D is likely depleted at high densities within SM1N. The nonthermal velocity dispersions increase from NH _2 D to N _2 H ^+ and H _2 D ^+ , possibly tracing increasing (but still subsonic) infall speeds at higher densities as predicted by some models of starless core contraction. Toward N6, we confirm the previous ALMA detection of a faint, embedded point source (N6-mm) in 0.8 mm continuum emission. NH _2 D and N _2 D ^+ avoid N6-mm within ∼100 au, while H _2 D ^+ is not strongly detected toward N6. The distribution of these tracers is consistent with heating by a young, warm object. N6-mm thus remains one of the best candidate FHSCs detected so far, although its observed (sub)millimeter luminosity remains below predictions for FHSCs.

Streamers bring gas from outer regions to protostellar systems and could change the chemical composition around protostars and protoplanetary disks. We have carried out mapping observations of carbon-chain species (HC _3 N, HC _5 N, CCH, and CCS) in the 3 mm and 7 mm bands toward the streamer flowing to the Class 0 young stellar object (YSO) Per-emb-2 with the Nobeyama 45 m radio telescope. A region with a diameter of ∼0.04 pc is located to the north at a distance of ∼20,500 au from the YSO. The streamer connects to this northern region, which is its origin. The reservoir has high density and low temperature ( ${n}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}\approx 1.9\times {10}^{4}$ cm ^−3 , T _kin = 10 K), which are similar to those of early-stage starless cores. By comparison of the observed abundance ratios of CCS/HC _3 N to the chemical simulations, the reservoir and streamer are found to be chemically young. The total mass available for the streamer is derived to be 24–34 M _⊙ . It has been estimated that, if all of the gas in the reservoir were to accrete onto the Per-emb-2 protostellar system, the lifetime of the streamer would be (1.1–3.2) × 10 ^5 yr, suggesting that the mass accretion via the streamer would continue until the end of the Class I stage.

Context. Single-dish observations suggest that the abundances of organic species in star-forming regions of the outer Galaxy, which are characterised by sub-solar metallicities, are comparable to those found in the local Galaxy. Aims. To understand this counter-intuitive result and avoid a misleading interpretation due to beam dilution effects at these large distances, spatially resolved molecular emission maps are needed to correctly link the measured abundances and local physical properties. Methods. We observed several organic molecules with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array towards WB89-671, the source with the largest galactocentric distance (23.4 kpc) of the project CHEMical complexity in star-forming regions of the OUTer Galaxy (CHEMOUT) at a resolution of ~15 000 au. We compared the observed molecular abundances with chemical model predictions. Results. We detected emission of c-C3H2, C4H, CH3OH, H2CO, HCO, H13CO+, HCS+, CS, HN13C, and SO. The emission morphology is complex, extended, and different in each tracer. In particular, the most intense emission in H13CO+, H2CO and c-C3H2 arises from two millimeter-continuum infrared-bright cores. The most intense CH3OH and SO emission predominantly arises from the part of the filament that lacks continuum sources. The narrow line widths across the filament indicate quiescent gas in spite of the two embedded protostars. The derived molecular column densities are comparable with those in local star-forming regions, and they suggest an anti-correlation between hydrocarbons, ions, HCO, and H2CO on the one hand, and CH3OH and SO on the other. Conclusions. The static chemical models that match the observed column densities best favour low-energy conditions that are expected at large galactocentric radii, but they also favour carbon elemental abundances that exceed those derived by extrapolating the [C/H] galactocentric gradient at 23 kpc by three times. This would indicate a flatter [C/H] trend at large galactocentric radii, which is in line with a flat abundance of organics. However, to properly reproduce the chemical composition of each region, models should include dynamical evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of molecular line observations performed toward the NGC 2068 and NGC 2071 regions of the Orion B cloud as the TRAO-FUNS project to study the roles of the filamentary structure in the formation of dense cores and stars in the clouds. Gaussian decomposition for the C ^18 O spectra with multiple velocity components and the application of a friends-of-friends algorithm for the decomposed components allowed us to identify a few tens of velocity-coherent filaments. We also identified 48 dense cores from the observations of N _2 H ^+ using a core finding tool, FellWalker. We performed a virial analysis for these filaments and dense cores, finding that the filaments with N _2 H ^+ dense core are thermally supercritical, and the filaments with a larger ratio between the line mass and the thermal critical line mass tend to have more dense cores. We investigated the contribution of the nonthermal motions in dense cores and filaments, showing the dense cores are mostly in transonic/subsonic motions while their natal filaments are mostly in supersonic motions. This may indicate that gas turbulent motions in the filaments have been dissipated at the core scale to form the dense cores there. The filaments with (dynamically evolved) dense cores in infalling motions or with NH _2 D bright (or chemically evolved) dense cores are all found to be gravitationally critical. Therefore, the criticality of the filament is thought to provide a key condition for its fragmentation, the formation of dense cores, and their kinematical and chemical evolution.

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 3 data toward five massive young stellar objects (MYSOs), and investigate relationships between unsaturated carbon-chain species and saturated complex organic molecules (COMs). An HC _5 N ( J = 35–34) line has been detected from three MYSOs, where nitrogen (N)-bearing COMs (CH _2 CHCN and CH _3 CH _2 CN) have been detected. The HC _5 N spatial distributions show compact features and match with a methanol (CH _3 OH) line with an upper-state energy around 300 K, which should trace hot cores. The hot regions are more extended around the MYSOs where N-bearing COMs and HC _5 N have been detected compared to two MYSOs without these molecular lines, while there are no clear differences in the bolometric luminosity and temperature. We run chemical simulations of hot-core models with a warm-up stage, and compare with the observational results. The observed abundances of HC _5 N and COMs show good agreements with the model at the hot-core stage with temperatures above 160 K. These results indicate that carbon-chain chemistry around the MYSOs cannot be reproduced by warm carbon-chain chemistry, and a new type of carbon-chain chemistry occurs in hot regions around MYSOs.

We have observed the low-mass protostellar source IRAS 15398−3359 at a resolution of 0.″2–0.″3, as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array Large Program FAUST, to examine the presence of a hot corino in the vicinity of the protostar. We detect nine CH _3 OH lines including the high-excitation lines with upper-state energies up to 500 K. The CH _3 OH rotational temperature and the column density are derived to be ${119}_{-26}^{+20}$ K and ${3.2}_{-1.0}^{+2.5}\times {10}^{18}$ cm ^−2 , respectively. The beam filling factor is derived to be ${0.018}_{-0.003}^{+0.005}$ , indicating that the emitting region of CH _3 OH is much smaller than the synthesized beam size and is not resolved. The emitting region of three high-excitation lines, 18 _3,15 –18 _2,16 , A ( E _u = 447 K), 19 _3,16 –19 _2,17 , A ( E _u = 491 K), and 20 _3,17 –20 _2,18 , A ( E _u = 537 K), is located within the 50 au area around the protostar and seems to have a slight extension toward the northwest. Toward the continuum peak, we also detect one emission line from CH _2 DOH and two features of multiple CH _3 OCHO lines. These results, in combination with previous reports, indicate that IRAS 15398−3359 is a source with hybrid properties showing both hot corino chemistry rich in complex organic molecules on small scales (∼10 au) and warm carbon-chain chemistry rich in carbon-chain species on large scales (∼100–1000 au). A possible implication of the small emitting region is further discussed in relation to the origin of the hot corino activity.

We report a comprehensive study of the cyanopolyyne chemistry in the prototypical prestellar core L1544. Using the 100 m Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, we observe three emission lines of HC _3 N, nine lines of HC _5 N, five lines of HC _7 N, and nine lines of HC _9 N. HC _9 N is detected for the first time toward the source. The high spectral resolution (∼0.05 km s ^−1 ) reveals double-peak spectral line profiles with the redshifted peak a factor 3–5 brighter. Resolved maps of the core in other molecular tracers indicate that the southern region is redshifted. Therefore, the bulk of the cyanopolyyne emission is likely associated with the southern region of the core, where free carbon atoms are available to form long chains, thanks to the more efficient illumination of the interstellar field radiation. We perform a simultaneous modeling of the HC _5 N, HC _7 N, and HC _9 N lines to investigate the origin of the emission. To enable this analysis, we performed new calculation of the collisional coefficients. The simultaneous fitting indicates a gas kinetic temperature of 5–12 K, a source size of 80″, and a gas density larger than 100 cm ^−3 . The HC _5 N:HC _7 N:HC _9 N abundance ratios measured in L1544 are about 1:6:4. We compare our observations with those toward the well-studied starless core TMC-1 and with the available measurements in different star-forming regions. The comparison suggests that a complex carbon chain chemistry is active in other sources and is related to the presence of free gaseous carbon. Finally, we discuss the possible formation and destruction routes in light of the new observations.

The chemistry of H2O, CO, and other small molecular species in an isolated pre-stellar core, L1544, has been assessed in the context of a comprehensive gas-grain chemical model, coupled to an empirically constrained physical/dynamical model. Our main findings are (i) that the chemical network remains in near equilibrium as the core evolves towards star formation and the molecular abundances change in response to the evolving physical conditions. The gas-phase abundances at any time can be calculated accurately with equilibrium chemistry, and the concept of chemical clocks is meaningless in molecular clouds with similar conditions and dynamical time-scales, and (ii) A comparison of the results of complex and simple chemical networks indicates that the abundances of the dominant oxygen and carbon species, H2O, CO, C, and C+ are reasonably approximated by simple networks. In chemical equilibrium, the time-dependent differential terms vanish, and a simple network reduces to a few algebraic equations. This allows rapid calculation of the abundances most responsible for spectral line radiative cooling in molecular clouds with long dynamical time-scales. The dust ice mantles are highly structured and the ice layers retain a memory of the gas-phase abundances at the time of their deposition. A complex (gas-phase and gas-grain) chemical structure therefore exists, with cosmic-ray induced processes dominating in the inner regions. The inferred H2O abundance profiles for L1544 require that the outer parts of the core and also any medium exterior to the core are essentially transparent to the interstellar radiation field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Nitrogen fractionation is a powerful tracer of the chemical evolution during star and planet formation. It requires robust determinations of the nitrogen fractionation across different evolutionary stages. Aims. We aim to determine the 14N/15N and 12C/13C ratios for HCN in six starless and prestellar cores and to compare the results between the direct method using radiative transfer modeling and the indirect double isotope method, assuming a fixed 12C/13C ratio. Methods. We present IRAM observations of the HCN 1–0, HCN 3–2, HC15N 1–0 and H13CN 1–0 transitions toward six embedded cores. The 14N/15N ratio was derived using both the indirect double isotope method and directly through non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) 1D radiative transfer modeling of the HCN emission. The latter also provides the 12C/13C ratio, which we compared to the local interstellar value. Results. The derived 14N/15N ratios using the indirect method are generally in the range of 300-550. This result could suggest an evolutionary trend in the nitrogen fractionation of HCN between starless cores and later stages of the star formation process. However, the direct method reveals lower fractionation ratios of around ~250, mainly resulting from a lower 12C/13C ratio in the range ~20–40, as compared to the local interstellar medium value of 68. Conclusions. This study reveals a significant difference between the nitrogen fractionation ratio in HCN derived using direct and indirect methods. This can influence the interpretation of the chemical evolution and reveal the pitfalls of the indirect double isotope method for fractionation studies. However, the direct method is challenging, as it requires well-constrained source models to produce accurate results. No trend in the nitrogen fractionation of HCN between earlier and later stages of the star formation process is evident when the results of the direct method are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ALMA interferometer has played a key role in revealing a new component of the Sun-like star forming process: the molecular streamers, i.e. structures up to thousands of au long funnelling material non-axisymmetrically to discs. In the context of the FAUST ALMA LP, the archetypical VLA1623-2417 protostellar cluster has been imaged at 1.3 mm in the SO(56–45), SO(66–55), and SiO(5–4) line emission at the spatial resolution of 50 au. We detect extended SO emission, peaking towards the A and B protostars. Emission blue-shifted down to 6.6 km s−1 reveals for the first time a long (∼ 2000 au) accelerating streamer plausibly feeding the VLA1623 B protostar. Using SO, we derive for the first time an estimate of the excitation temperature of an accreting streamer: 33 ± 9 K. The SO column density is ∼ 1014 cm−2, and the SO/H2 abundance ratio is ∼ 10−8. The total mass of the streamer is 3 × 10−3 M ⊙, while its accretion rate is 3–5 × 10−7 M ⊙ yr−1. This is close to the mass accretion rate of VLA1623 B, in the 0.6–3 × 10−7 M ⊙ yr−1 range, showing the importance of the streamer in contributing to the mass of protostellar discs. The highest blue- and red-shifted SO velocities behave as the SiO(5–4) emission, the latter species detected for the first time in VLA1623-2417: the emission is compact (100–200 au), and associated only with the B protostar. The SO excitation temperature is ∼ 100 K, supporting the occurrence of shocks associated with the jet, traced by SiO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study deuterium fractionation in four starless cores in the low-mass star-forming region L1688 in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. We study how the deuterium fraction (RD) changes with environment, compare deuteration of ions and neutrals, core centre and its envelope, and attempt to reproduce the observed results with a gas–grain chemical model. We chose high and low gas density tracers to study both core centre and the envelope. With the IRAM 30 m antenna, we mapped N2H+(1–0), N2D+(1–0), H13CO+ (1–0) and (2–1), DCO+(2–1), and p -NH2D(111–101) towards the chosen cores. The missing p -NH3 and N2H+(1–0) data were taken from the literature. To measure the molecular hydrogen column density, dust and gas temperature within the cores, we used the Herschel/SPIRE dust continuum emission data, the Green Bank Ammonia Survey data (NH3), and the COMPLETE survey data to estimate the upper limit on CO depletion. We present the deuterium fraction maps for three species towards four starless cores. Deuterium fraction of the core envelopes traced by DCO+/H13CO+ is one order of magnitude lower (∼0.08) than that of the core central parts traced by the nitrogen-bearing species (∼0.5). Deuterium fraction increases with the gas density as indicated by high deuterium fraction of high gas density tracers and low deuterium fraction of lower gas density tracers and by the decrease of RD with core radii, consistent with the predictions of the chemical model. Our model results show a good agreement with observations for RD (N2D+/N2H+) and R D (DCO+/HCO+) and underestimate the RD (NH2D/NH3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use 3 mm continuum NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array and NH _3 Very Large Array observations toward the First Hydrostatic Core (FHSC) candidate CB 17 MMS in order to reveal the dust structure and gas properties to 600–1100 au scales and to constrain its evolutionary stage. We do not detect any compact source at the previously identified 1.3 mm point source, despite expecting a minimum signal-to-noise ratio of 9. The gas traced by NH _3 exhibits subsonic motions, with an average temperature of 10.4 K. A fit of the radial column density profile derived from the ammonia emission finds a flat inner region of radius ∼1800 au and a central density of ∼6 × 10 ^5 cm ^−3 . Virial and density structure analysis reveals the core is marginally bound ( α _vir = 0.73). The region is entirely consistent with that of a young starless core, hence ruling out CB 17 MMS as an FHSC candidate. Additionally, the core exhibits a velocity gradient aligned with the major axis, showing an arc-like structure in the position–velocity diagram and an off-center region with high velocity dispersion, caused by two distinct velocity peaks. These features could be due to interactions with the nearby outflow, which appears to deflect due to the dense gas near the NH _3 column density peak. We investigate the specific angular momentum profile of the starless core, finding that it aligns closely with previous studies of similar radial profiles in Class 0 sources. This similarity to more evolved objects suggests that motions at 1000 au scales are determined by large-scale dense cloud motions, and may be preserved throughout the early stages of star formation.

Context. The infall of gas from outside natal cores has proven to feed protostars after the main accretion phase (Class 0). This changes our view of star formation to a picture that includes asymmetric accretion (streamers), and a larger role of the environment. However, the connection between streamers and the filaments that prevail in star-forming regions is unknown. Aims. We investigate the flow of material toward the filaments within Barnard 5 (B5) and the infall from the envelope to the protostellar disk of the embedded protostar B5-IRS1. Our goal is to follow the flow of material from the larger, dense core scale, to the protostellar disk scale. Methods. We present new HC3N line data from the NOEMA and 30 m telescopes covering the coherence zone of B5, together with ALMA H2CO and C18O maps toward the protostellar envelope. We fit multiple Gaussian components to the lines so as to decompose their individual physical components. We investigated the HC3N velocity gradients to determine the direction of chemically fresh gas flow. At envelope scales, we used a clustering algorithm to disentangle the different kinematic components within H2CO emission. Results. At dense core scales, HC3N traces the infall from the B5 region toward the filaments. HC3N velocity gradients are consistent with accretion toward the filament spines plus flow along them. We found a ~2800 au streamer in H2CO emission, which is blueshifted with respect to the protostar and deposits gas at outer disk scales. The strongest velocity gradients at large scales curve toward the position of the streamer at small scales, suggesting a connection between both flows. Conclusions. Our analysis suggests that the gas can flow from the dense core to the protostar. This implies that the mass available for a protostar is not limited to its envelope, and it can receive chemically unprocessed gas after the main accretion phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supernova remnants (SNRs) contribute to regulate the star formation efficiency and evolution of galaxies. As they expand into the interstellar medium (ISM), they transfer vast amounts of energy and momentum that displace, compress, and heat the surrounding material. Despite the extensive work in galaxy evolution models, it remains to be observationally validated to what extent the molecular ISM is affected by the interaction with SNRs. We use the first results of the ESO–ARO Public Spectroscopic Survey SHREC to investigate the shock interaction between the SNR IC443 and the nearby molecular clump G. We use high-sensitivity SiO(2-1) and H13CO+(1-0) maps obtained by SHREC together with SiO(1-0) observations obtained with the 40-m telescope at the Yebes Observatory. We find that the bulk of the SiO emission is arising from the ongoing shock interaction between IC443 and clump G. The shocked gas shows a well-ordered kinematic structure, with velocities blue-shifted with respect to the central velocity of the SNR, similar to what observed towards other SNR–cloud interaction sites. The shock compression enhances the molecular gas density, n(H2), up to >105 cm−3, a factor of >10 higher than the ambient gas density and similar to values required to ignite star formation. Finally, we estimate that up to 50 per cent of the momentum injected by IC443 is transferred to the interacting molecular material. Therefore, the molecular ISM may represent an important momentum carrier in sites of SNR–cloud interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are potential hosts of the elusive early phases of high mass star formation (HMSF). Here, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the fragmentation properties of a sample of 10 IRDCs, which have been highlighted as some of the best candidates to study HMSF within the Milky Way. To do so, we have obtained a set of large mosaics covering these IRDCs with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Band 3 (or 3 mm). These observations have a high angular resolution (∼3 arcsec; ∼0.05 pc), and high continuum and spectral line sensitivity (∼0.15 mJy beam−1 and ∼0.2 K per 0.1 km s−1 channel at the N2H+ (1 − 0) transition). From the dust continuum emission, we identify 96 cores ranging from low to high mass (M  = 3.4−50.9 M⊙) that are gravitationally bound (αvir = 0.3−1.3) and which would require magnetic field strengths of B  = 0.3−1.0 mG to be in virial equilibrium. We combine these results with a homogenized catalogue of literature cores to recover the hierarchical structure within these clouds over four orders of magnitude in spatial scale (0.01–10 pc). Using supplementary observations at an even higher angular resolution, we find that the smallest fragments (<0.02 pc) within this hierarchy do not currently have the mass and/or the density required to form high-mass stars. None the less, the new ALMA observations presented in this paper have facilitated the identification of 19 (6 quiescent and 13 star-forming) cores that retain >16 M⊙ without further fragmentation. These high-mass cores contain trans-sonic non-thermal motions, are kinematically sub-virial, and require moderate magnetic field strengths for support against collapse. The identification of these potential sites of HMSF represents a key step in allowing us to test the predictions from high-mass star and cluster formation theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 14N/15N ratio in molecules exhibits a large variation in star-forming regions, especially when measured from N2H+ isotopologues. However, there are only a few studies performed at high-angular resolution. We present the first interferometric survey of the 14N/15N ratio in N2H+ obtained with Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations towards four infrared-dark clouds harbouring 3 mm continuum cores associated with different physical properties. We detect N15NH+ (1–0) in |$\sim 20\!-\!40{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| of the cores, depending on the host cloud. The 14N/15N values measured towards the millimetre continuum cores range from a minimum of ∼80 up to a maximum of ∼400. The spread of values is narrower than that found in any previous single-dish survey of high-mass star-forming regions and than that obtained using the total power data only. This suggests that the 14N/15N ratio is on average higher in the diffuse gaseous envelope of the cores and stresses the need for high-angular resolution maps to measure correctly the 14N/15N ratio in dense cores embedded in IRDCs. The average 14N/15N ratio of ∼210 is also lower than the interstellar value at the Galactocentric distance of the clouds (∼300–330), although the sensitivity of our observations does not allow us to unveil 14N/15N ratios higher than ∼400. No clear trend is found between the 14N/15N ratio and the core physical properties. We find only a tentative positive trend between 14N/15N and H2 column density. However, firmer conclusions can be drawn only with higher sensitivity measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are very dense and highly extincted regions that host the initial conditions of star and stellar cluster formation. It is crucial to study the kinematics and molecular content of IRDCs to test their formation mechanism and ultimately characterize these initial conditions. We have obtained high-sensitivity Silicon Monoxide, SiO(2–1), emission maps towards the six IRDCs, G018.82–00.28, G019.27+00.07, G028.53–00.25, G028.67+00.13, G038.95–00.47, and G053.11+00.05 (cloud A, B, D, E, I, and J, respectively), using the 30-m antenna at the Instituto de Radioastronomía Millimétrica (IRAM30m). We have investigated the SiO spatial distribution and kinematic structure across the six clouds to look for signatures of cloud–cloud collision events that may have formed the IRDCs and triggered star formation within them. Towards clouds A, B, D, I, and J, we detect spatially compact SiO emission with broad-line profiles that are spatially coincident with massive cores. Towards the IRDCs A and I, we report an additional SiO component that shows narrow-line profiles and that is widespread across quiescent regions. Finally, we do not detect any significant SiO emission towards cloud E. We suggest that the broad and compact SiO emission detected towards the clouds is likely associated with ongoing star formation activity within the IRDCs. However, the additional narrow and widespread SiO emission detected towards cloud A and I may have originated from the collision between the IRDCs and flows of molecular gas pushed towards the clouds by nearby H  ii regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The spatial distribution of molecules around starless cores is a powerful tool for studying the physics and chemistry governing the earliest stages of star formation. Aims. Our aim is to study the chemical differentiation in starless cores to determine the influence of large-scale effects on the spatial distribution of molecules within the cores. Furthermore, we want to put observational constraints on the mechanisms responsible in starless cores for the desorption of methanol from the surface of dust grains where it is efficiently produced. Methods. We mapped methanol, CH3OH, and cyclopropenylidene, c-C3H2, with the IRAM 30 m telescope in the 3 mm band towards six starless cores embedded in different environments, and in different evolutionary stages. Furthermore, we searched for correlations among physical properties of the cores and the methanol distribution. Results. From our maps we can infer that the chemical segregation between CH3OH and c-C3H2 is driven by uneven illumination from the interstellar radiation field (ISRF). The side of the core that is more illuminated has more C atoms in the gas-phase and the formation of carbon-chain molecules like c-C3H2 is enhanced. Instead, on the side that is less exposed to the ISRF the C atoms are mostly locked in carbon monoxide, CO, the precursor of methanol. Conclusions. We conclude that large-scale effects have a direct impact on the chemical segregation that we can observe at core scale. However, the non-thermal mechanisms responsible for the desorption of methanol in starless cores do not show any dependency on the H2 column density at the methanol peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the study of deuteration of cyanoacetylene (HC3N) 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 detection of DC3N towards 15 high-mass cores. The abundance ratios of DC3N with respect HC3N range in the interval 0.003–0.022, lower than those found in low-mas protostars and dark clouds. No significant trend with the evolutionary stage, or with the kinetic temperature of the region, has been found. We compare the level of deuteration of HC3N with those of other molecules towards the same sample, finding weak correlation with species formed only or predominantly in gas phase (N2H+ and HNC, respectively), and no correlation with species formed only or predominantly on dust grains (CH3OH and NH3, respectively). We also present a single-dish map of DC3N towards the protocluster IRAS 05358+3543, which shows that DC3N traces an extended envelope (∼0.37 pc) and peaks towards two cold condensations separated from the positions of the protostars and the dust continuum. The observations presented in this work suggest that deuteration of HC3N is produced in the gas of the cold outer parts of massive star-forming clumps, giving us an estimate of the deuteration factor prior to the formation of denser gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular clouds fragment to form dense cores, which are the first stage of star formation. Such objects are cold, with temperature of ~10 K and density of cm–3, with predominance of thermal motions and high deuterium fraction. These objects give us information about the initial conditions of star formation and thus they are very important to understand this process. High abundance of deuterated species indicates that a dense core is close to the onset of star formation. In this work, we study deuterium fractionation, which occurs due to chemical reactions that take place under cold core conditions. To measure deuterium fraction, we use nitrogen-bearing species, because they stay longer in the gas phase at low temperatures. We choose the L1688 low-mass star-forming region as one of the closest ones, containing a large number of cold dense cores. We use spectral maps of two lines, N2H+(1–0) and N2D+(1–0), towards one of the dense cores in L1688, Oph-H-MM1, observed with the IRAM 30 m telescope. We measure column densities of N2D+ and N2H+ and deuterium fraction as the ratio of column densities. The map shows an increase in deuterium fraction towards the core center, which is consistent with theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The inner regions of the discs of high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs) are still poorly known due to the small angular scales and the high visual extinction involved. Aims. We deploy near-infrared spectro-interferometry to probe the inner gaseous disc in HMYSOs and investigate the origin and physical characteristics of the CO bandhead emission (2.3-2.4 m). Methods. We present the first GRAVITY/VLTI observations at high spectral (R = 4000) and spatial (mas) resolution of the CO overtone transitions in NGC2024 IRS 2. Results. The continuum emission is resolved in all baselines and is slightly asymmetric, displaying small closure phases (≤8°). Our best ellipsoid model provides a disc inclination of 34° ± 1° a disc major axis position angle (PA) of 166° ± 1° and a disc diameter of 3:99 ± 0:09 mas (or 1.69 ± 0.04 au, at a distance of 423 pc). The small closure phase signals in the continuum are modelled with a skewed rim, originating from a pure inclination effect. For the first time, our observations spatially and spectrally resolve the first four CO bandheads. Changes in visibility, as well as differential and closure phases across the bandheads are detected. Both the size and geometry of the CO-emitting region are determined by fitting a bidimensional Gaussian to the continuum-compensated CO bandhead visibilities. The CO-emitting region has a diameter of 2.74±0:08 0:07 mas (1.16 ± 0.03 au), and is located in the inner gaseous disc, well within the dusty rim, with inclination and PA matching the dusty disc geometry, which indicates that both dusty and gaseous discs are coplanar. Physical and dynamical gas conditions are inferred by modelling the CO spectrum. Finally, we derive a direct measurement of the stellar mass of M• ~ 14:7+2 -3:6 M⊙ by combining our interferometric and spectral modelling results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The Seeds Of Life In Space IRAM/NOEMA large program aims at studying a set of crucial complex organic molecules in a sample of sources with a well-known physical structure that covers the various phases of solar-type star formation. One representative object of the transition from the prestellar core to the protostar phases has been observed toward the very low luminosity object (VeLLO) L1521F. This type of source is important to study to link prestellar cores and Class 0 sources and also to constrain the chemical evolution during the process of star formation. Methods. Two frequency windows (81.6-82.6 GHz and 96.65-97.65 GHz) were used to observe the emission from several complex organics toward the L1521F VeLLO. These setups cover transitions of ketene (H2CCO), propyne (CH3CCH), formamide (NH2CHO), methoxy (CH3O), methanol (CH3OH), dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), and methyl formate (HCOOCH3). Results. Only two transitions of methanol (A+, E2) have been detected in the narrow window centered at 96.7 GHz (with an upper limit on E1) in a very compact emission blob (~700 corresponding to ~1000 au) toward the northeast of the L1521F protostar. The CS 2-1 transition is also detected within theWideX bandwidth. Consistently with what has been found in prestellar cores, the methanol emission appears ~1000 au away from the dust peak. The location of the methanol blob coincides with one of the filaments that have previously been reported in the literature. The excitation temperature of the gas inferred from methanol is (10 ± 2) K, while the H2 gas density (estimated from the detected CS 2-1 emission and previous CS 5-4 ALMA observations) is a factor >25 higher than the density in the surrounding environment (n(H2) 107 cm-3). Conclusions. Based on its compactness, low excitation temperature, and high gas density, we suggest that the methanol emission detected with NOEMA is (i) either a cold and dense shock-induced blob that formed recently (≤ a few hundred years) by infalling gas or (ii) a cold and dense fragment that may just have been formed as a result of the intense gas dynamics within the L1521F VeLLO system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the low temperatures (approx. 10 K) and high densities (approx. 100 000 H2 molecules per cm−3) of molecular cloud cores and protostellar envelopes, a large amount of molecular species (in particular those containing C and O) freeze-out onto dust grain surfaces. It is in these regions that the deuteration of H3+ becomes very efficient, with a sharp abundance increase of H2D+ and D2H+. The multi-deuterated forms of H3+ participate in an active chemistry: (i) their collision with neutral species produces deuterated molecules such as the commonly observed N2D+, DCO+ and multi-deuterated NH3; (ii) their dissociative electronic recombination increases the D/H atomic ratio by several orders of magnitude above the D cosmic abundance, thus allowing deuteration of molecules (e.g. CH3OH and H2O) on the surface of dust grains. Deuterated molecules are the main diagnostic tools of dense and cold interstellar clouds, where the first steps toward star and protoplanetary disc formation take place. Recent observations of deuterated molecules are reviewed and discussed in view of astrochemical models inclusive of spin-state chemistry. We present a new comparison between models based on complete scrambling (to calculate branching ratio tables for reactions between chemical species that include protons and/or deuterons) and models based on non-scrambling (proton hop) methods, showing that the latter best agree with observations of NH3 deuterated isotopologues and their different nuclear spin symmetry states. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Advances in hydrogen molecular ions: H3+, H5+ and beyond'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GEMS is an IRAM 30 m Large Program whose aim is determining the elemental depletions and the ionization fraction in a set of prototypical star-forming regions. This paper presents the first results from the prototypical dark cloud Taurus molecular cloud (TMC) 1. Extensive millimeter observations have been carried out with the IRAM 30 m telescope (3 and 2 mm) and the 40 m Yebes telescope (1.3 cm and 7 mm) to determine the fractional abundances of CO, HCO+, HCN, CS, SO, HCS+, and N2H+ in three cuts which intersect the dense filament at the well-known positions TMC 1-CP, TMC 1-NH3, and TMC 1-C, covering a visual extinction range from AV ~ 3 to ~20 mag. Two phases with differentiated chemistry can be distinguished: (i) the translucent envelope with molecular hydrogen densities of 1−5 × 103 cm−3; and (ii) the dense phase, located at AV > 10 mag, with molecular hydrogen densities >104 cm−3. Observations and modeling show that the gas phase abundances of C and O progressively decrease along the C+/C/CO transition zone (AV ~ 3 mag) where C/H ~ 8 × 10−5 and C/O ~ 0.8−1, until the beginning of the dense phase at AV ~ 10 mag. This is consistent with the grain temperatures being below the CO evaporation temperature in this region. In the case of sulfur, a strong depletion should occur before the translucent phase where we estimate an S∕H ~ (0.4−2.2) × 10−6, an abundance ~7–40 times lower than the solar value. A second strong depletion must be present during the formation of the thick icy mantles to achieve the values of S/H measured in the dense cold cores (S∕H ~ 8 × 10−8). Based on our chemical modeling, we constrain the value of ζH2 $\zeta_{\textrm{H}_2}$ ζ H 2 to ~(0.5–1.8) × 10−16 s−1 in the translucent cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the CO isotopologues and the high-density tracers H2CO, HCO+, and CS in Class 0/I proto-brown dwarfs (proto-BDs). We have used the IRAM 30m telescope to observe the 12CO (2–1), 13CO (2–1), C18O (2–1), C17O (2–1), H2CO (3–2), HCO+ (3–2), and CS (5–4) lines in seven proto-BDs. The hydrogen column density for the proto-BDs derived from the CO gas emission is ∼2–15 times lower than that derived from the dust continuum emission, indicating CO depletion from the gas-phase. The mean H2CO ortho-to-para ratio is ∼3 for the proto-BDs and indicates gas-phase formation for H2CO. We have investigated the correlations in the molecular abundances between the proto-BDs and protostars. Proto-BDs on average show a factor of ∼2 higher ortho-to-para H2CO ratio than the protostars. Possible explanations include a difference in the H2CO formation mechanism, spin-selective photodissociation, self-shielding effects, or different emitting regions for the ortho and para species. There is a tentative trend of a decline in the HCO+ and H2CO abundances with decreasing bolometric luminosity, while the CS and CO abundances show no particular difference between the proto-BDs and protostars. These trends reflect the scaled-down physical structures for the proto-BDs compared to protostars and differences in the peak emitting regions for these species. The C17O isotopologue is detected in all of the proto-BDs as well as the more evolved Class Flat/Class II BDs in our sample, and can probe the quiescent gas at both early and late evolutionary stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. In cold and dense gas prior to the formation of young stellar objects, heavy molecular species (including CO) are accreted onto dust grains. Under these conditions H3+ H 3 + $ \mathrm{H_3^+} $ and its deuterated isotopologues become more abundant, enhancing the deuterium fraction of molecules such as N2H+ that are formed via ion-neutral reactions. Because this process is extremely temperature sensitive, the abundance of these species is likely linked to the evolutionary stage of the source. Aims. We investigate how the abundances of o-H2D+ and N2D+ vary with evolution in high-mass clumps. Methods. We observed with APEX the ground-state transitions of o-H2D+ near 372 GHz, and N2D+(3–2) near 231 GHz for three massive clumps in different evolutionary stages. The sources were selected within the G351.77–0.51 complex to minimise the variation of initial chemical conditions, and to remove distance effects. We modelled their dust continuum emission to estimate their physical properties, and also modelled their spectra under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium to calculate beam-averaged abundances. Results. We find an anticorrelation between the abundance of o-H2D+ and that of N2D+, with the former decreasing and the latter increasing with evolution. With the new observations we are also able to provide a qualitative upper limit to the age of the youngest clump of about 105 yr, comparable to its current free-fall time. Conclusions. We can explain the evolution of the two tracers with simple considerations on the chemical formation paths, depletion of heavy elements, and evaporation from the grains. We therefore propose that the joint observation and the relative abundance of o-H2D+ and N2D+ can act as an efficient tracer of the evolutionary stages of the star-formation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Nitrogen bearing species, such as NH3, N2H+, and their deuterated isotopologues show enhanced abundances in CO-depleted gas, and thus are perfect tracers of dense and cold gas in star-forming regions. The Taurus molecular cloud contains the long L1495 filament providing an excellent opportunity to study the process of star formation in filamentary environments. Aims. We study the kinematics of the dense gas of starless and protostellar cores traced by the N2D+(2–1), N2H+(1–0), DCO+(2–1), and H13CO+(1–0) transitions along the L1495 filament and the kinematic links between the cores and surrounding molecular cloud. Methods. We measured velocity dispersions, local and total velocity gradients, and estimate the specific angular momenta of 13 dense cores in the four transitions using on-the-fly observations with the IRAM 30-m antenna. To study a possible connection to the filament gas, we used the C18O(1–0) observations. Results. The velocity dispersions of all studied cores are mostly subsonic in all four transitions and are similar and almost constant dispersion across the cores in N2D+(2–1) and N2H+(1–0). A small fraction of the DCO+(2–1) and H13CO+(1–0) lines show transonic dispersion and exhibit a general increase in velocity dispersion with line intensity. All cores have velocity gradients (0.6–6.1 km s−1 pc−1), typical of dense cores in low-mass star-forming regions. All cores show similar velocity patterns in the different transitions, simple in isolated starless cores, and complex in protostellar cores and starless cores close to young stellar objects where gas motions can be affected by outflows. The large-scale velocity field traced by C18O(1–0) does not show any perturbation due to protostellar feedback and does not mimic the local variations seen in the other four tracers. Specific angular momentum J∕M varies in a range (0.6–21.0) × 1020 cm2 s−1, which is similar to the results previously obtained for dense cores. The J∕M measured in N2D+(2–1) is systematically lower than J∕M measured in DCO+(2–1) and H13CO+(1–0). Conclusions. All cores show similar properties along the 10 pc-long filament. N2D+(2–1) shows the most centrally concentrated structure, followed by N2H+(1–0) and DCO+(2–1), which show similar spatial extent, and H13CO+(1–0). The non-thermal contribution to the velocity dispersion increases from higher to lower density tracers. The change of magnitude and direction of the total velocity gradients depending on the tracer used indicates that internal motions change at different depths within the cloud. N2D+ and N2H+ show smaller gradients than the lower density tracers DCO+ and H13CO+, implying a loss of specific angular momentum at small scales. At the level of cloud-core transition, the core's external envelope traced by DCO+ and H13CO+ is spinning up, which is consistent with conservation of angular momentum during core contraction. C18O traces the more extended cloud material whose kinematics is not affected by the presence of dense cores. The decrease in specific angular momentum towards the centres of the cores shows the importance of local magnetic fields to the small-scale dynamics of the cores. The random distributions of angles between the total velocity gradient and large-scale magnetic field suggests that magnetic fields may become important only in high density gas within dense cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The 15N fractionation has been observed to show large variations among astrophysical sources, depending both on the type of target and on the molecular tracer used. These variations cannot be reproduced by the current chemical models. Aims. Until now, the 14N/15N ratio in N2H+ has been accurately measured in only one prestellar source, L1544, where strong levels of fractionation, with depletion in 15N, are found (14N/15N ≈ 1000). In this paper, we extend the sample to three more bona fide prestellar cores, in order to understand if the antifractionation in N2H+ is a common feature of this kind of source. Methods. We observed N2H+, N15NH+, and 15NNH+ in L183, L429, and L694-2 with the IRAM 30 m telescope. We modelled the emission with a non-local radiative transfer code in order to obtain accurate estimates of the molecular column densities, including the one for the optically thick N2H+. We used the most recent collisional rate coefficients available, and with these we also re-analysed the L1544 spectra previously published. Results. The obtained isotopic ratios are in the range 580–770 and significantly differ with the value, predicted by the most recent chemical models, of ≈440, close to the protosolar value. Our prestellar core sample shows a high level of depletion of 15N in diazenylium, as previously found in L1544. A revision of the N chemical networks is needed in order to explain these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fractionation of nitrogen (N) in star-forming regions is a poorly understood process. To put more stringent observational constraints on the N-fractionation, we have observed with the IRAM-30-m telescope a large sample of 66 cores in massive star-forming regions. We targeted the (1–0) rotational transition of HN13C, HC15N, H13CN and HC15N, and derived the 14N/15N ratio for both HCN and HNC. We have completed this sample with that already observed by Colzi et al., and thus analysed a total sample of 87 sources. The 14N/15N ratios are distributed around the Proto-Solar Nebula value with a lower limit near the TA value (∼272). We have also derived the 14N/15N ratio as a function of the Galactocentric distance and deduced a linear trend based on unprecedented statistics. The Galactocentric dependences that we have found are consistent, in the slope, with past works but we have found a new local 14N/15N value of ∼400, i.e. closer to the Prosolar Nebula value. A second analysis was done, and a parabolic Galactocentric trend was found. Comparison with Galactic chemical evolution models shows that the slope until 8 kpc is consistent with the linear analysis, while the flattening trend above 8 kpc is well reproduced by the parabolic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are thought to be potential hosts of the elusive early phases of high-mass star formation. Here, we conduct an in-depth kinematic analysis of one such IRDC, G034.43+00.24 (Cloud F), using high sensitivity and high spectral resolution IRAM-30m N2H+ (1-0) and C18O(1-0) observations. To disentangle the complex velocity structure within this cloud, we use Gaussian decomposition and hierarchical clustering algorithms. We find that four distinct coherent velocity components are present within Cloud F. The properties of these components are compared to those found in a similar IRDC, G035.39-00.33 (Cloud H). We find that the components in both clouds have high densities (inferred by their identification in N2H+), trans-to-supersonic non-thermal velocity dispersions with Mach numbers of ~1.5-4, a separation in velocity of ~3 kms-1, and a mean red-shift of ~0.3 kms-1 between the N2H+ (dense gas) and C18O emission (envelope gas). The latter of these could suggest that these clouds share a common formation scenario. We investigate the kinematics of the larger-scale Cloud F structures, using lower-density-tracing 13CO (1-0) observations. A good correspondence is found between the components identified in the IRAM-30m observations and the most prominent component in the 13CO data. We find that the IRDC Cloud F is only a small part of a much larger structure, which appears to be an inter-arm filament of the Milky Way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are cold, dense regions of high (optical and infrared) extinction, believed to be the birthplace of high-mass stars and stellar clusters. The physical mechanisms leading to the formation of these IRDCs are not completely understood and it is thus important to study their molecular gas kinematics and chemical content to search for any signature of the IRDCs formation process. Using the 30-m-diameter antenna at the Instituto de Radioastronomía Milimétrica (IRAM), we have obtained emission maps of dense gas tracers (H13CO+ and HN13C) and typical shock tracers (SiO and CH3OH) towards three IRDCs, G028.37+00.07, G034.43+00.24, and G034.77-00.55 (clouds C, F, and G, respectively).We have studied the molecular gas kinematics in these clouds and, consistent with previous works towards other IRDCs, the clouds show complex gas kinematics with several velocity-coherent substructures separated in velocity space by a few km s-1. Correlated with these complex kinematic structures, widespread (parsec-scale) emission of SiO and CH3OH is present in all the three clouds. For clouds C and F, known to be actively forming stars, widespread SiO and CH3OH is likely associated with on-going star formation activity. However, for cloud G, which lacks either 8 or 24 μm sources and 4.5 μm H2 shock-excited emission, the detected widespread SiO and CH3OH emission may have originated in a large-scale shock interaction, although a scenario involving a population of low-mass stars driving molecular outflows cannot be fully ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ratio between the two stable isotopes of nitrogen, 14N and 15N, is well measured in the terrestrial atmosphere (~272), and for the pre-solar nebula (~441, deduced from the solar wind). Interestingly, some pristine solar system materials show enrichments in 15N with respect to the pre-solar nebula value. However, it is not yet clear if and how these enrichments are linked to the past chemical history because we have only a limited number of measurements in dense star-forming regions. In this respect, dense cores, which are believed to be the precursors of clusters and also contain intermediate- and high-mass stars, are important targets because the solar system was probably born within a rich stellar cluster, and such clusters are formed in high-mass star-forming regions. The number of observations in such high-mass dense cores has remained limited so far. In this work, we show the results of IRAM-30 m observations of the J = 1-0 rotational transition of the molecules HCN and HNC and their 15N-bearing counterparts towards 27 intermediate- and high-mass dense cores that are divided almost equally into three evolutionary categories: high-mass starless cores, high-mass protostellar objects, and ultra-compact Hii regions. We have also observed the DNC(2-1) rotational transition in order to search for a relation between the isotopic ratios D/H and 14N/15N. We derive average 14N/15N ratios of 359 ± 16 in HCN and of 438 ± 21 in HNC, with a dispersion of about 150-200. We find no trend of the 14N/15N ratio with evolutionary stage. This result agrees with what has been found for N2H+ and its isotopologues in the same sources, although the 14N/15N ratios from N2H+ show a higher dispersion than in HCN/HNC, and on average, their uncertainties are larger as well. Moreover, we have found no correlation between D/H and 14N/15N in HNC. These findings indicate that (1) the chemical evolution does not seem to play a role in the fractionation of nitrogen, and that (2) the fractionation of hydrogen and nitrogen in these objects is not related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interstellar delivery of carbon atoms locked into molecules might be one of the key ingredients for the emergence of life. Cyanopolyynes are carbon chains delimited at their two extremities by an atom ofhydrogen and a cyano group, meaning that they could be excellent reservoirs of carbon. The simplest member, HC3N, is ubiquitous in the galactic interstellar medium and found also in external galaxies. Thus, understanding the growth of cyanopolyynes in regions forming stars similar to our Sun, and what affects them, is particularly relevant. In the framework of the IRAM/NOEMA Large Program SOLIS (Seeds Of Life In Space), we have obtained a map of two cyanopolyynes, HC3N and HC5N, in the protocluster OMC-2 FIR4. Because our Sun is thought to be born in a rich cluster, OMC-2 FIR4 is one of the closest and best known representatives of the environment in which the Sun may have been born. We find a HC3N/HC5N abundance ratio across the source in the range ~1-30, with the smallest values (≤10) in FIR5 and in the eastern region of FIR4. The ratios ≤10 can be reproduced by chemical models only if: (1) the cosmic-ray ionisation rate ζ is ~ 4 × 10-14 s-1; (2) the gaseous elemental ratio C/O is close to unity; and (3) oxygen and carbon are largely depleted. The large ζ is comparable to that measured in FIR4 by previous works and was interpreted as due to a flux of energetic (≥10 MeV) particles from embedded sources. We suggest that these sources could lie east of FIR4 and FIR5. A temperature gradient across FIR4, with T decreasing from east to west by about 10 K, could also explain the observed change in the HC3N/HC5N line ratio, without the need of a cosmic ray ionisation rate gradient. However, even in this case, a high constant cosmic-ray ionisation rate (of the order of 10-14 s-1) is necessary to reproduce the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the long-standing problems of star formation is the excess of angular momentum of the parent molecular cloud. In the classical picture, a fraction of angular momentum of the circumstellar material is removed by the magneto-centrifugally driven disk wind that is launched from a wide region throughout the disk. In this work, we investigate the kinematics in the envelope-disk transition zone of the Class I object BHB07-11, in the B59 core. For this purpose, we used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in extended configuration to observe the thermal dust continuum emission (λ0 ∼ 1.3 mm) and molecular lines (CO, C18O and H2CO), which are suitable tracers of disk, envelope, and outflow dynamics at a spatial resolution of ∼30 AU. We report a bipolar outflow that was launched at symmetric positions with respect to the disk (∼80 AU in radius), but was concentrated at a distance of 90-130 AU from the disk center. The two outflow lobes had a conical shape and the gas inside was accelerating. The large o set of the launching position coincided with the landing site of the infall materials from the extended spiral structure (seen in dust) onto the disk. This indicates that bipolar outflows are efficiently launched within a narrow region outside the disk edge.We also identify a sharp transition in the gas kinematics across the tip of the spiral structure, which pinpoints the location of the so-called centrifugal barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the earliest phases of star-forming clouds, stable molecular species, such as CO, are important coolants in the gas phase. Depletion of these molecules on dust surfaces affects the thermal balance of molecular clouds and with that their whole evolution. For the first time, we study the effect of grain surface chemistry (GSC) on star formation and its impact on the initial mass function (IMF). We follow a contracting translucent cloud in which we treat the gas-grain chemical interplay in detail, including the process of freeze-out. We perform 3D hydrodynamical simulations under three different conditions, a pure gas-phase model, a freeze-out model, and a complete chemistry model. The models display different thermal evolution during cloud collapse as also indicated in Hocuk, Cazaux & Spaans, but to a lesser degree because of a different dust temperature treatment, which is more accurate for cloud cores. The equation of state (EOS) of the gas becomes softer with CO freeze-out and the results show that at the onset of star formation, the cloud retains its evolution history such that the number of formed stars differ (by 7 per cent) between the three models. While the stellar mass distribution results in a different IMF when we consider pure freeze-out, with the complete treatment of the GSC, the divergence from a pure gas-phase model is minimal. We find that the impact of freeze-out is balanced by the non-thermal processes; chemical and photodesorption. We also find an average filament width of 0.12 pc (±0.03 pc), and speculate that this may be a result from the changes in the EOS caused by the gas-dust thermal coupling. We conclude that GSC plays a big role in the chemical composition of molecular clouds and that surface processes are needed to accurately interpret observations, however, that GSC does not have a significant impact as far as star formation and the IMF is concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stars form in dense interstellar clouds, where molecules are the only tracers of cloud dynamics. Unveiling the process of star formation thus requires observing appropriate molecules and knowing their formation/destruction mechanisms. In other words, astrochemistry is crucial to understand how stars and stellar systems like our own originate. Thanks to great observatories, to the dedicated effort of laboratory experiments and theoretical work, important progress has been made in the past decade and it is briefly reviewed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initial steps of star formation are now believed to be tightly linked to the dynamical evolution of interstellar filaments. Mass accretion from large scales in the form of sub-filaments seems to play a key role for the formation of massive filaments with AV > 100 mag, a criterion satisfied by ridges. In this contribution, we discuss the very close-by ridge G351.77-0.51, identified as the closest dense filament in the ATLASGAL survey of the inner Galactic plane. G351.77-0.51 is actively forming massive stars in at least two positions and other dust clumps have the potential to form intermediate to high-mass young stellar objects. It also exhibits a remarkable large-scale network of filamentary structures seen in extinction at 8 µm which extend over the whole length of the ridge. The sub-filaments have the same velocity as the ridge. Their mass shows that mass-replenishment is probably still on-going in the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand massive star formation requires study of its initial conditions. Two massive starless core candidates, C1-N & C1-S, have been detected in IRDC G028.37+00.07 in N2D+(3-2) with ALMA. From their line widths, either the cores are subvirial and are thus young structures on the verge of near free-fall collapse, or they are threaded by ~1 mGB-fields that help support them in near virial equilibrium and potentially have older ages. We modeled the deuteration rate of N2H+ to constrain collapse rates of the cores. First, to measure their current deuterium fraction, DN2H+frac = [N2D+]/[N2H+], we observed multiple transitions of N2H+ and N2D+ with CARMA, SMA, JCMT, NRO 45m and IRAM 30m, to complement the ALMA data. For both cores we derived DN2H+ frac ~ 0.3, several orders of magnitude above the cosmic [D]/[H] ratio. We then carried out chemodynamical modeling, exploring how collapse rate relative to free-fall, αff, affects the level of DN2H+ frac that is achieved from a given initial condition. To reach the observed DN2H+ frac, most models require slow collapse with αff~0.1, i.e., ~1/10th of free-fall. This makes it more likely that the cores have been able to reach a near virial equilibrium state and we predict that strong B-fields will eventually be detected. The methods developed here will be useful for measurement of the pre-stellar core mass function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are dense, molecular structures in the interstellar medium that can harbour sites of high-mass star formation. IRDCs contain supersonic turbulence, which is expected to generate shocks that locally heat pockets of gas within the clouds. We present observations of the CO J = 8-7, 9-8, and 10-9 transitions, taken with the Herschel Space Observatory, towards four dense, starless clumps within IRDCs (C1 in G028.37+00.07, F1 and F2 in G034.43+0007, and G2 in G034.77-0.55). We detect the CO J = 8-7 and 9-8 transitions towards three of the clumps (C1, F1, and F2) at intensity levels greater than expected from photodissociation region (PDR) models. The average ratio of the 8-7 to 9-8 lines is also found to be between 1.6 and 2.6 in the three clumps with detections, significantly smaller than expected from PDR models. These low line ratios and large line intensities strongly suggest that the C1, F1, and F2 clumps contain a hot gas component not accounted for by standard PDR models. Such a hot gas component could be generated by turbulence dissipating in low velocity shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]