Copolyamides of nylon-4,6 and nylon-4,T

Copolyamides of nylon-4,6 and nylon-4,T were prepared by a two-step method: (1) a prepolymerization in an autoclave (40 min at 210°C) and (2) a postcondensation in the solid state (4 h, 260°C). On these materials was studied the melting behavior with DSC, the crystalline structure with WAXS, the water absorption, and the mechanical properties with a torsion pendulum. In these copolyamides the order was found to remain high, but the crystalline structures of -4,6 and -4,T were not isomorphous. The torsion moduli increased with -4,T content both at RT and at 140°C

CN and HNC Line Emission in IR Luminous Galaxies

We have observed HNC 1-0, CN 1-0 and 2-1 line emission in a sample of 13 IR luminous (LIRGs, L_IR > 10E11 Lo) starburst and Seyfert galaxies. HNC 1-0 is detected in 9, CN 1-0 is detected in 10 and CN 2-1 in 7 of the galaxies. We also report the first detection of HC3N (10-9) emission in Arp220. The excitation of HNC and CN emission requires densities n > 10E4 cm-3. We compare their intensities to that of the usual high density tracer HCN. The I(HCN)/I(HNC}) and I(HCN)/I(CN) 1-0 line intensity ratios vary significantly, from 0.5 to >6, among the galaxies. This implies that the actual properties of the dense gas is varying among galaxies who otherwise have similar I(CO)/I(HCN) line intensity ratios. We suggest that the HNC emission is not a reliable tracer of cold (10 K) gas at the center of LIRGs, as it often is in the disk of the Milky Way. Instead, the HNC abundance may remain substantial, despite high gas temperatures, because the emission is emerging from regions where the HCN and HNC formation and destruction processes are dominated by ion-neutral reactions which are not strongly dependent on kinetic temperature. We find five galaxies (four AGNs and one starburst) where the I(HCN)/I(HNC) intensity ratio is close to unity. In other AGNs, however, I(HCN)/I(HNC}) is >4. The CN emission is on average a factor of two fainter than HCN, but the variation is large and there seems to be a trend of reduced relative CN luminosity with increasing IR luminosity. One galaxy, NGC3690, has a CN luminosity twice that of HCN and its ISM is thus strongly affected by UV radiation. We discuss the I(HCN)/I(HNC) and I(HCN)/I(CN) line ratios as indicators of starburst evolution.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

An Origin of the Huge Far-Infrared Luminosity of Starburst Mergers

Recently Taniguchi and Ohyama found that the higher $^{12}$CO to $^{13}$CO integrated intensity ratios at a transition $J$=1--0, $R = I(^{12}$CO)$/I(^{13}$CO) $\gtrsim 20$, in a sample of starburst merging galaxies such as Arp 220 are mainly attributed to the depression of $^{13}$CO emission with respect to $^{12}$CO. Investigating the same sample of galaxies analyzed by Taniguchi & Ohyama, we find that there is a tight, almost linear correlation between the dust mass and $^{13}$CO luminosity. This implies that dust grains are also depressed in the high-$R$ starburst mergers, leading to the higher dust temperature ($T_{\rm d}$) in them because of the relative increase in the radiation density. Nevertheless, the average dust mass ($M_{\rm d}$) of the high-$R$ starburst mergers is higher significantly than that of non-high $R$ galaxies. This is naturally understood because the galaxy mergers could accumulate a lot of dust grains from their progenitor galaxies together with supply of dust grains formed newly in the star forming regions. Since $L$(FIR) $\propto M_{\rm d} T_{\rm d}^5$ given the dust emissivity law, $S_\nu \propto \lambda^{-1}$, the increases in both $M_{\rm d}$ and $T_{\rm d}$ explain well why the starburst mergers are so bright in the FIR. We discuss that the superwind activity plays an important role in destroying dust grains as well as dense gas clouds in the central region of mergers.Comment: 10 pages (aaspp4.sty), 3 postscript figures (embedded). Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter

Star-formation in the central kpc of the starburst/LINER galaxy NGC1614

A high angular resolution, multi-wavelength study of the LINER galaxy NGC1614 has been carried out. OVRO CO 1-0 observations are presented together with extensive multi-frequency radio continuum and HI absorption observations with the VLA and MERLIN. Toward the center of NGC1614, we have detected a ring of radio continuum emission with a radius of 300 pc. This ring is coincident with previous radio and Paschen-alpha observations. The dynamical mass of the ring based on HI absorption is 3.1 x 10E9 Msun. The peak of the integrated CO 1-0 emission is shifted by 1" to the north-west of the ring center and a significant fraction of the CO emission is associated with a crossing dust lane. An upper limit to the molecular gas mass in the ring region is 1.7 x 10E9 Msun. Inside the ring, there is a north to south elongated 1.4GHz radio continuum feature with a nuclear peak. This peak is also seen in the 5GHz radio continuum and in the CO. We suggest that the R=300 pc star forming ring represents the radius of a dynamical resonance - as an alternative to the scenario that the starburst is propagating outwards from the center into a molecular ring. The ring-like appearance probably part of a spiral structure. Substantial amounts of molecular gas have passed the radius of the ring and reached the nuclear region. The nuclear peak seen in 5GHz radio continuum and CO is likely related to previous star formation, where all molecular gas was not consumed. The LINER-like optical spectrum observed in NGC1614 may be due to nuclear starburst activity, and not to an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). Although the presence of an AGN cannot be excluded.Comment: Accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics, 12 pages, 10 figure

Luminous HC3N line emission in NGC4418 - buried AGN or nascent starburst?

IRAM 30m observations reveal that the deeply obscured IR-luminous galaxy NGC4418 has a rich molecular chemistry - including unusually luminous HC3N line emission. We furthermore detect: ortho-H2CO 2-1, 3-2; CN 1-0, 2-1; HCO+, 1-0. 3-2, HCN 3-2, HNC 1-0, 3-2 (and tentatively OCS 12-11). The HCN, HCO+, H2CO and CN line emission can be fitted to densities of n=5 x 10E4 - 10E5 cm-3 and gas temperatures Tk=80-150 K. Both HNC and HC3N are, however, significantly more excited than the other species which requires higher gas densities - or radiative excitation through e.g. mid-IR pumping. The HCN line intensity is fainter than that of HCO+ and HNC for the 3-2 transition, in contrast to previous findings for the 1-0 lines where the HCN emission is the most luminous. We tentatively suggest that the observed molecular line emission is consistent with a young starburst, where the emission can be understood as emerging from dense, warm gas with an additional PDR component. We find that X-ray chemistry is not required to explain the observed mm line emission, including the HCN/HCO+ 1-0 and 3-2 line ratios. The luminous HC3N line emission is an expected signature of dense, starforming gas. A deeply buried AGN can not be excluded, but its impact on the surrounding molecular medium is then suggested to be limited. However, detailed modelling of HC3N abundances in X-ray dominated regions (XDRs) should be carried out. The possibility of radiative excitation should also be further investigatedComment: 7 pages, one eps figure, uses aa.cls, submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysic

Inflowing gas onto a compact obscured nucleus in Arp 299A: Herschel spectroscopic studies of H2O and OH

Aims. We probe the physical conditions in the core of Arp 299A and try to put constraints to the nature of its nuclear power source. Methods. We used Herschel Space Observatory far-infrared and submillimeter observations of H2O and OH rotational lines in Arp 299A to create a multi-component model of the galaxy. In doing this, we employed a spherically symmetric radiative transfer code. Results. Nine H2O lines in absorption and eight in emission as well as four OH doublets in absorption and one in emission, are detected in Arp 299A. No lines of the 18O isotopologues, which have been seen in compact obscured nuclei of other galaxies, are detected. The absorption in the ground state OH doublet at 119 {\mu}m is found redshifted by ~175 km/s compared to other OH and H2O lines, suggesting a low excitation inflow. We find that at least two components are required in order to account for the excited molecular line spectrum. The inner component has a radius of 20-25 pc, a very high infrared surface brightness (> 3e13 Lsun/kpc^2), warm dust (Td > 90 K), and a large H2 column density (NH2 > 1e24 cm^-2). The outer component is larger (50-100 pc) with slightly cooler dust (70-90 K). In addition, a much more extended inflowing component is required to also account for the OH doublet at 119 {\mu}m. Conclusions. The Compton-thick nature of the core makes it difficult to determine the nature of the buried power source, but the high surface brightness indicates that it is either an active galactic nucleus and/or a dense nuclear starburst. The high OH/H2O ratio in the nucleus indicates that ion-neutral chemistry induced by X-rays or cosmic-rays is important. Finally we find a lower limit to the 16O/18O ratio of 400 in the nuclear region, possibly indicating that the nuclear starburst is in an early evolutionary stage, or that it is fed through a molecular inflow of, at most, solar metallicity.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The molecular gas content of the advanced S+E merger NGC 4441 - Evidence for an extended decoupled nuclear disc?

Mergers between a spiral and an elliptical (S+E mergers) are poorly studied so far despite the importance for galaxy evolution. NGC4441 is a nearby candidate for an advanced remnant of such a merger, showing typical tidal structures like an optical tail and two shells as well as two HI tails. The study of the molecular gas content gives clues on the impact of the recent merger event on the star formation. Simulations of S+E mergers predict contradictory scenarios concerning the strength and the extent of an induced starburst. Thus, observations of the amount and the distribution of the molecular gas, the raw material of star formation, are needed to understand the influence of the merger on the star formation history. 12CO and 13CO (1-0) and (2-1) observations were obtained using the Onsala Space Observatory 20m and IRAM 30m telescope as well as the Plateau de Bure interferometer. These data allow us to carry out a basic analysis of the molecular gas properties such as estimates of the molecular gas mass, its temperature and density and the star formation efficiency. The CO observations reveal an extended molecular gas reservoir out to ~4kpc, with a total molecular gas mass of ~5x10^8 M_sun. Furthermore, high resolution imaging shows a central molecular gas feature, most likely a rotating disc hosting most of the molecular gas ~4x10^8 M_sun. This nuclear disc shows a different sense of rotation than the large-scale HI structure, indicating a kinematically decoupled core. (abbreviated)Comment: 11 pages, accepted by A&