56,298 research outputs found
The Radio Continuum, Far-Infrared Emission, And Dense Molecular Gas In Galaxies
A tight linear correlation is established between the HCN line luminosity and
the radio continuum (RC) luminosity for a sample of 65 galaxies (from Gao &
Solomon's HCN survey), including normal spiral galaxies and luminous and
ultraluminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs/ULIRGs). After analyzing the various
correlations among the global far-infrared (FIR), RC, CO, and HCN luminosities
and their various ratios, we conclude that the FIR-RC and FIR-HCN correlations
appear to be linear and are the tightest among all correlations. The
combination of these two correlations could result in the tight RC-HCN
correlation we observed. Meanwhile, the non-linear RC-CO correlation shows
slightly larger scatter as compared with the RC-HCN correlation, and there is
no correlation between ratios of either RC/HCN-CO/HCN or RC/FIR-CO/FIR. In
comparison, a meaningful correlation is still observed between ratios of
RC/CO-HCN/CO. Nevertheless, the correlation between RC/FIR and HCN/FIR also
disappears, reflecting again the two tightest FIR-RC and FIR-HCN correlations
as well as suggesting that FIR seems to be the bridge that connects HCN with
RC. Interestingly, despite obvious HCN-RC and RC-CO correlations,
multi-parameter fits hint that while both RC and HCN contribute significantly
(with no contribution from CO) to FIR, yet RC is primarily determined from FIR
with a very small contribution from CO and essentially no contribution from
HCN. These analyses confirm independently the former conclusions that it is
practical to use RC luminosity instead of FIR luminosity, at least globally, as
an indicator of star formation rate in galaxies including LIRGs/ULIRGs, and HCN
is a much better tracer of star-forming molecular gas and correlates with FIR
much better than that of CO.Comment: 11 ApJ pages, 7 figures; ApJ in pres
The interstellar gas-phase chemistry of HCN and HNC
We review the reactions involving HCN and HNC in dark molecular clouds to
elucidate new chemical sources and sinks of these isomers. We find that the
most important reactions for the HCN-HNC system are Dissociative Recombination
(DR) reactions of HCNH+ (HCNH+ + e-), the ionic CN + H3+, HCN + C+, HCN and HNC
reactions with H+/He+/H3+/H3O+/HCO+, the N + CH2 reaction and two new
reactions: H + CCN and C + HNC. We test the effect of the new rate constants
and branching ratios on the predictions of gas-grain chemical models for dark
cloud conditions. The rapid C + HNC reaction keeps the HCN/HNC ratio
significantly above one as long as the carbon atom abundance remains high.
However, the reaction of HCN with H3+ followed by DR of HCNH+ acts to isomerize
HCN into HNC when carbon atoms and CO are depleted leading to a HCN/HNC ratio
close to or slightly greater than 1. This agrees well with observations in
TMC-1 and L134N taking into consideration the overestimation of HNC abundances
through the use of the same rotational excitation rate constants for HNC as for
HCN in many radiative transfer models.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
A Search for Dense Molecular Gas in High Redshift Infrared-Luminous Galaxies
We present a search for HCN emission from four high redshift far infrared
(IR) luminous galaxies. Current data and models suggest that these high IR
luminous galaxies represent a major starburst phase in the formation of
spheroidal galaxies, although many of the sources also host luminous active
galactic nuclei (AGN), such that a contribution to the dust heating by the AGN
cannot be precluded. HCN emission is a star formation indicator, tracing dense
molecular hydrogen gas within star-forming molecular clouds (n(H) cm). HCN luminosity is linearly correlated with IR luminosity for
low redshift galaxies, unlike CO emission which can also trace gas at much
lower density. We report a marginal detection of HCN (1-0) emission from the
QSO J1409+5628, with a velocity integrated line luminosity of
K km s pc, while we obtain
3 upper limits to the HCN luminosity of the QSO J0751+2716 of
K km s pc, K km s pc for the starburst galaxy
J1401+0252, and K km s pc for the QSO J1148+5251. We compare the HCN data on these sources, plus three
other high- IR luminous galaxies, to observations of lower redshift
star-forming galaxies. The values of the HCN/far-IR luminosity ratios (or
limits) for all the high sources are within the scatter of the relationship
between HCN and far-IR emission for low star-forming galaxies (truncated).Comment: aastex format, 4 figures. to appear in the Astrophysical Journal;
Revised lens magnification estimate for 1401+025
Observations of Dense Molecular Gas in a Quasar Host Galaxy at z=6.42: Further Evidence for a Non-Linear Dense Gas - Star Formation Relation at Early Cosmic Times
We report a sensitive search for the HCN(J=2-1) emission line towards SDSS
J1148+5251 at z=6.42 with the VLA. HCN emission is a star formation indicator,
tracing dense molecular hydrogen gas (n(H2) >= 10^4 cm^-3) within star-forming
molecular clouds. No emission was detected in the deep interferometer maps of
J1148+5251. We derive a limit for the HCN line luminosity of L'(HCN) < 3.3 x
10^9 K km/s pc^2, corresponding to a HCN/CO luminosity ratio of L'(HCN)/L'(CO)
< 0.13. This limit is consistent with a fraction of dense molecular gas in
J1148+5251 within the range of nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs;
median value: L'(HCN)/L'(CO) = 0.17 {+0.05/-0.08}) and HCN-detected z>2
galaxies (0.17 {+0.09/-0.08}). The relationship between L'(HCN) and L(FIR) is
considered to be a measure for the efficiency at which stars form out of dense
gas. In the nearby universe, these quantities show a linear correlation, and
thus, a practically constant average ratio. In J1148+5251, we find
L(FIR)/L'(HCN) > 6600. This is significantly higher than the average ratios for
normal nearby spiral galaxies (L(FIR)/L'(HCN) = 580 {+510/-270}) and ULIRGs
(740 {+505/-50}), but consistent with a rising trend as indicated by other z>2
galaxies (predominantly quasars; 1525 {+1300/-475}). It is unlikely that this
rising trend can be accounted for by a contribution of AGN heating to L(FIR)
alone, and may hint at a higher median gas density and/or elevated
star-formation efficiency toward the more luminous high-redshift systems. There
is marginal evidence that the L(FIR)/L'(HCN) ratio in J1148+5251 may even
exceed the rising trend set by other z>2 galaxies; however, only future
facilities with very large collecting areas such as the SKA will offer the
sensitivity required to further investigate this question.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, to appear in ApJL (accepted October 24,
2007
A multi-transition HCN and HCO+ study of 12 nearby active galaxies: AGN versus SB environments
Recent studies have indicated that the HCN-to-CO(J=1-0) and
HCO+-to-HCN(J=1-0) ratios are significantly different between galaxies with AGN
(active galactic nucleus) and SB (starburst) signatures. In order to study the
molecular gas properties in active galaxies and search for differences between
AGN and SB environments, we observed the HCN(J=1-0), (J=2-1), (J=3-2),
HCO+(J=1-0) and HCO+(J=3-2), emission with the IRAM 30m in the centre of 12
nearby active galaxies which either exhibit nuclear SB and/or AGN signatures.
Consistent with previous results, we find a significant difference of the
HCN(J=2-1)-to-HCN(J=1-0), HCN(J=3-2)-to-HCN(J=1-0), HCO+(J=3-2)-to-HCO+(J=3-2),
and HCO+-to-HCN intensity ratios between the sources dominated by an AGN and
those with an additional or pure central SB: the HCN, HCO+ and HCO+-to-HCN
intensity ratios tend to be higher in the galaxies of our sample with a central
SB as opposed to the pure AGN cases which show rather low intensity ratios.
Based on an LVG analysis of these data, i.e., assuming purely collisional
excitation, the (average) molecular gas densities in the SB dominated sources
of our sample seem to be systematically higher than in the AGN sources. The LVG
analysis seems to further support systematically higher HCN and/or lower HCO+
abundances as well as similar or higher gas temperatures in AGN compared to the
SB sources of our sample. Also, we find that the HCN-to-CO ratios decrease with
increasing rotational number J for the AGN while they stay mostly constant for
the SB sources.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ; 20 pages, 7 figures; in emulateApJ
forma
Minimal HCN emission from Molecular Clouds in M33
Since HCN emission has been shown to be a linear tracer of ongoing star
formation activity, we have searched for HCN (J = 1->0) emission from known
GMCs in the nearby galaxy M33. No significant HCN emission has been found along
any of the lines of sight. We find two lines of sight where CO-to-HCN
integrated intensity ratios up to 280, nearly a factor of 6 above what is found
in comparable regions of the Milky Way. Star formation tracers suggest that the
HCN-to-star formation rate ratio (L_HCN/M_SFR) is a factor of six lower than
what is observed in the Milky Way (on average) and local extragalactic systems.
Simple chemical models accounting for the sub-solar N/O ratio suggest that
depletion cannot account for the high CO-to-HCN ratios. Given HCN formation
requires high extinction (A_V > 4), low metallicity may yield reduced dust
shielding and thus a high CO/HCN ratio. The turbulence and structure of GMCs in
M33 are comparable to those found in other systems, so the differences are
unlikely to result from different GMC properties. Since lower CO-to-HCN ratios
are associated with the highest rates of star formation, we attribute the
deficits in part to evolutionary effects within GMCs.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Evidence for a chemically differentiated outflow in Mrk 231
Aims: Our goal is to study the chemical composition of the outflows of active
galactic nuclei and starburst galaxies.
Methods: We obtained high-resolution interferometric observations of HCN and
HCO and of the ultraluminous infrared
galaxy Mrk~231 with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We also use
previously published observations of HCN and HCO and
, and HNC in the same source.
Results: In the line wings of the HCN, HCO, and HNC emission, we find
that these three molecular species exhibit features at distinct velocities
which differ between the species. The features are not consistent with emission
lines of other molecular species. Through radiative transfer modelling of the
HCN and HCO outflow emission we find an average abundance ratio
. Assuming a clumpy outflow,
modelling of the HCN and HCO emission produces strongly inconsistent
outflow masses.
Conclusions: Both the anti-correlated outflow features of HCN and HCO and
the different outflow masses calculated from the radiative transfer models of
the HCN and HCO emission suggest that the outflow is chemically
differentiated. The separation between HCN and HCO could be an indicator of
shock fronts present in the outflow, since the HCN/HCO ratio is expected to
be elevated in shocked regions. Our result shows that studies of the chemistry
in large-scale galactic outflows can be used to better understand the physical
properties of these outflows and their effects on the interstellar medium (ISM)
in the galaxy.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&
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