arXiv subjects

A. Vasyunin

Publications and source records attributed to A. Vasyunin.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Identification of solid N2O in interstellar ices using open JWST data

Context. There are only six molecules containing N-O bond that are detected in gaseous phase in interstellar medium. One of those is nitrous oxide (N2O), which was searched for but not found in solid form from as early as Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) mission was launched. The observational capabilities of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) present a possibility to identify solid interstellar N2O. Aims. We aim to identify nitrous oxide in open JWST spectra of interstellar ices towards a sample of Class 0, 0/I and flat protostars using the relevant laboratory mixtures of N2O-bearing interstellar ice analogues. Methods. A set of laboratory infrared transmission spectra was obtained for the following mixtures: N2O:CO2=1:20, N2O:CO=1:20, N2O:N2=1:20, N2O:CO2:CO=1:15:5, N2O:CO2:N2=1:15:13 at 10-23 K. A search for N2O in JWST NIRSpec spectra towards 50 protostars was performed by fitting the 4.44-4.47 um (2250-2235 cm-1) NN-stretch absorption band with new laboratory mixtures of N2O-bearing ices. Results. We claim the first secure identification of N2O in 16 protostars. The fitting results show that N2O is formed predominantly within the apolar layer of the ice mantles, rich in CO, CO2 and N2. The abundance of solid N2O is estimated as 0.2-2.1% relative to solid CO. We present band strengths for N2O in the mixtures corresponding to the apolar layer. Also, an identification of the C-N stretch band at 4.42 um (2260 cm-1) is reported, which we tentatively assign to HNCO, the simplest C-N bond carrier.

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arXiv2025

CHemical Evolution in MassIve star-forming COres (CHEMICO). I. Evolution of the temperature structure

Increasing evidence shows that most stars in the Milky Way, including the Sun, are born in star-forming regions containing also high-mass stars, but due to both observational and theoretical challenges, our comprehension of their chemical evolution is far less clear than that of their low-mass counterparts. We present the project "CHemical Evolution of MassIve star-froming COres" (CHEMICO). The project aims at investigating any aspect of the chemical evolution of high-mass star-forming cores by observing representatives of the three main evolutionary categories: high-mass starless cores, high-mass protostellar objects, and ultra-compact HII regions. We carried out an unbiased spectral line survey of the entire bandwidth at 3, 2, and 1.2 mm with the 30m telescope of the Insitut de Radioastronomie millimetrique towards three targets that represent the three evolutionary stages. The number of lines and species detected increases with evolution. In this first work, we derive the temperature structure of the targets through the analysis of the carbon-bearing species C2H, c-C3H, c-C3H2, C4H, CH3CCH, HC3N, CH3CN, and HC5N. The excitation temperature, Tex, increases with evolution in each species, although not in the same way. Hydrocarbons tend to be associated with the smallest Tex values and enhancements with evolution, while cyanides are associated with the highest Tex values and enhancements. In each target, the higher the number of atoms in the molecule, the higher Tex tends to be. The temperature structure evolves from a cold, uniform envelope traced by simple hydrocarbons in the high-mass starless core stage, to a more stratified envelope in the protostellar stage (made by a hot core, a shell with intermediate Tex, and a larger cold envelope), to finally a hot core surrounded only by a cold envelope in the Ultracompact HII stage.

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arXiv2022

Laboratory spectroscopy of theoretical ices: Predictions for JWST and test for astrochemical models

Context. The gas and ice-grain chemistry of the pre-stellar core L1544 has been the subject of several observations and modelling studies conducted in the past years. The chemical composition of the ice mantles reflects the environmental physical changes along the temporal evolution. The investigation outcome hints at a layered structure of interstellar ices with mainly H$_2$O in the inner layers and an increasing amount of CO near the surface. The morphology of interstellar ice analogues can be investigated experimentally. Aims. This research presents a new approach of a three-dimensional fit where observational results are first fitted with a gas-grain chemical model. Then, based on the numerical results the laboratory IR spectra are recorded for interstellar ice analogues in a layered and in a mixed morphology. These results can then be compared with future James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations. Special attention is paid to the inclusion of the IR inactive species N$_2$ and O$_2$. Methods. Ice analogue spectra containing the most abundant predicted molecules were recorded at a temperature of 10 K using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. In the case of layered ice we deposited a H$_2$O-CO-N$_2$-O$_2$ mixture on top of a H2O-CH$_3$OH-N$_2$ ice, while in the case of mixed ice we examined a H$_2$O-CH$_3$OH-N$_2$-CO composition. Results. Following the changing composition and structure of the ice, we find differences in the absorption bands for most of the examined vibrational modes. The extent of observed changes in the IR band profiles will allow us to analyse the structure of ice mantles in L1544 from future observations by the JWST. Conclusions. The comparison of our spectroscopic measurements with upcoming JWST observations is crucial in order to put stringent constraints on the chemical and physical structure of dust icy mantles, and to explain surface chemistry.

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arXiv2021

Gas phase Elemental abundances in Molecular cloudS (GEMS) V. Methanol in Taurus

Methanol, one of the simplest complex organic molecules in the Interstellar Medium (ISM), has been shown to be present and extended in cold environments such as starless cores. We aim at studying methanol emission across several starless cores and investigate the physical conditions at which methanol starts to be efficiently formed, as well as how the physical structure of the cores and their surrounding environment affect its distribution. Methanol and C$^{18}$O emission lines at 3 mm have been observed with the IRAM 30m telescope within the large program "Gas phase Elemental abundances in Molecular CloudS" (GEMS) towards 66 positions across 12 starless cores in the Taurus Molecular Cloud. A non-LTE radiative transfer code was used to compute the column densities in all positions. We then used state-of-the-art chemical models to reproduce our observations. We have computed N(CH$_3$OH)/N(C$^{18}$O) column density ratios for all the observed offsets, and two different behaviours can be recognised: the cores where the ratio peaks at the dust peak, and the cores where the ratio peaks with a slight offset with respect to the dust peak ($\sim $10000 AU). We suggest that the cause of this behaviour is the irradiation on the cores due to protostars nearby which accelerate energetic particles along their outflows. The chemical models, which do not take into account irradiation variations, can reproduce fairly well the overall observed column density of methanol, but cannot reproduce the two different radial profiles observed. We confirm the substantial effect of the environment onto the distribution of methanol in starless cores. We suggest that the clumpy medium generated by protostellar outflows might cause a more efficient penetration of the interstellar radiation field in the molecular cloud and have an impact on the distribution of methanol in starless cores.

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arXiv2019

ALMA and ROSINA detections of phosphorus-bearing molecules: the interstellar thread between star-forming regions and comets

To understand how Phosphorus-bearing molecules are formed in star-forming regions, we have analysed ALMA observations of PN and PO towards the massive star-forming region AFGL 5142, combined with a new analysis of the data of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko taken with the ROSINA instrument onboard Rosetta. The ALMA maps show that the emission of PN and PO arises from several spots associated with low-velocity gas with narrow linewidths in the cavity walls of a bipolar outflow. PO is more abundant than PN in most of the spots, with the PO/PN ratio increasing as a function of the distance to the protostar. Our data favor a formation scenario in which shocks sputter phosphorus from the surface of dust grains, and gas-phase photochemistry induced by UV photons from the protostar allows efficient formation of the two species in the cavity walls. Our analysis of the ROSINA data has revealed that PO is the main carrier of P in the comet, with PO/PN>10. Since comets may have delivered a significant amount of prebiotic material to the early Earth, this finding suggests that PO could contribute significantly to the phosphorus reservoir during the dawn of our planet. There is evidence that PO was already in the cometary ices prior to the birth of the Sun, so the chemical budget of the comet might be inherited from the natal environment of the Solar System, which is thought to be a stellar cluster including also massive stars.

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arXiv2019

The chemical structure of the very young starless core L1521E

L1521E is a dense starless core in Taurus that was found to have relatively low molecular depletion by earlier studies, thus suggesting a recent formation. We aim to characterize the chemical structure of L1521E and compare it to the more evolved L1544 pre-stellar core. We have obtained $\sim$2.5$\times$2.5 arcminute maps toward L1521E using the IRAM-30m telescope in transitions of various species. We derived abundances for the species and compared them to those obtained toward L1544. We estimated CO depletion factors. Similarly to L1544, $c$-C$_3$H$_2$ and CH$_3$OH peak at different positions. Most species peak toward the $c$-C$_3$H$_2$ peak. The CO depletion factor derived toward the $Herschel$ dust peak is 4.3$\pm$1.6, which is about a factor of three lower than that toward L1544. The abundances of sulfur-bearing molecules are higher toward L1521E than toward L1544 by factors of $\sim$2-20. The abundance of methanol is similar toward the two cores. The higher abundances of sulfur-bearing species toward L1521E than toward L1544 suggest that significant sulfur depletion takes place during the dynamical evolution of dense cores, from the starless to pre-stellar stage. The CO depletion factor measured toward L1521E suggests that CO is more depleted than previously found. Similar CH$_3$OH abundances between L1521E and L1544 hint that methanol is forming at specific physical conditions in Taurus, characterized by densities of a few $\times$10$^4$ cm$^{-3}$ and $N$(H$_2$)$\gtrsim$10$^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$, when CO starts to catastrophically freeze-out, while water can still be significantly photodissociated, so that the surfaces of dust grains become rich in solid CO and CH$_3$OH, as already found toward L1544. Methanol can thus provide selective crucial information about the transition region between dense cores and the surrounding parent cloud.

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arXiv2018

Rotational spectroscopy of the HCCO and DCCO radicals in the millimeter and submillimeter range

The ketenyl radical, HCCO, has recently been detected in the ISM for the first time. Further astronomical detections of HCCO will help us understand its gas-grain chemistry, and subsequently revise the oxygen-bearing chemistry towards dark clouds. Moreover, its deuterated counterpart, DCCO, has never been observed in the ISM. HCCO and DCCO still lack a broad spectroscopic investigation, although they exhibit a significant astrophysical relevance. In this work we aim to measure the pure rotational spectra of the ground state of HCCO and DCCO in the millimeter and submillimeter region, considerably extending the frequency range covered by previous studies. The spectral acquisition was performed using a frequency-modulation absorption spectrometer between 170 and 650 GHz. The radicals were produced in a low-density plasma generated from a select mixture of gaseous precursors. For each isotopologue we were able to detect and assign more than 100 rotational lines. The new lines have significantly enhanced the previous data set allowing the determination of highly precise rotational and centrifugal distortion parameters. In our analysis we have taken into account the interaction between the ground electronic state and a low-lying excited state (Renner-Teller pair) which enables the prediction and assignment of rotational transitions with $K_a$ up to 4. The present set of spectroscopic parameters provides highly accurate, millimeter and submillimeter rest-frequencies of HCCO and DCCO for future astronomical observations. We also show that towards the pre-stellar core L1544, ketenyl peaks in the region where $c$-$\mathrm{C_3H_2}$ peaks, suggesting that HCCO follows a predominant hydrocarbon chemistry, as already proposed by recent gas-grain chemical models.

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arXiv2018

First ALMA maps of HCO, an important precursor of complex organic molecules, towards IRAS 16293-2422

The formyl radical HCO has been proposed as the basic precursor of many complex organic molecules such as methanol (CH$_3$OH) or glycolaldehyde (CH$_2$OHCHO). Using ALMA, we have mapped, for the first time at high angular resolution ($\sim$1$^{\prime\prime}$, $\sim$140 au), HCO towards the Solar-type protostellar binary IRAS 16293$-$2422, where numerous complex organic molecules have been previously detected. We also detected several lines of the chemically related species H$_2$CO, CH$_3$OH and CH$_2$OHCHO. The observations revealed compact HCO emission arising from the two protostars. The line profiles also show redshifted absorption produced by foreground material of the circumbinary envelope that is infalling towards the protostars. Additionally, IRAM 30m single-dish data revealed a more extended HCO component arising from the common circumbinary envelope. The comparison between the observed molecular abundances and our chemical model suggests that whereas the extended HCO from the envelope can be formed via gas-phase reactions during the cold collapse of the natal core, the HCO in the hot corinos surrounding the protostars is predominantly formed by the hydrogenation of CO on the surface of dust grains and subsequent thermal desorption during the protostellar phase. The derived abundance of HCO in the dust grains is high enough to produce efficiently more complex species such as H$_2$CO, CH$_3$OH, and CH$_2$OHCHO by surface chemistry. We found that the main formation route of CH$_2$OHCHO is the reaction between HCO and CH$_2$OH.

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arXiv2018

Mapping deuterated methanol toward L1544: I. Deuterium fraction and comparison with modeling

The study of deuteration in pre-stellar cores is important to understand the physical and chemical initial conditions in the process of star formation. In particular, observations toward pre-stellar cores of methanol and deuterated methanol, solely formed on the surface of dust grains, may provide useful insights on surface processes at low temperatures. Here we analyze maps of CO, methanol, formaldehyde and their deuterated isotopologues toward a well-known pre-stellar core. This study allows us to test current gas-dust chemical models. Single-dish observations of CH$_3$OH, CH$_2$DOH, H$_2$CO, H$_2\,^{13}$CO, HDCO, D$_2$CO and C$^{17}$O toward the prototypical pre-stellar core L1544 were performed at the IRAM 30 m telescope. We analyze their column densities, distributions, and compare these observations with gas-grain chemical models. The maximum deuterium fraction derived for methanol is [CH$_2$DOH]/[CH$_3$OH] $\sim$ 0.08$\pm$0.02, while the measured deuterium fractions of formaldehyde at the dust peak are [HDCO]/[H$_2$CO] $\sim$ 0.03$\pm$0.02, [D$_2$CO]/[H$_2$CO] $\sim$ 0.04$\pm$0.03 and [D$_2$CO]/[HDCO] $\sim$ 1.2$\pm$0.3. Observations differ significantly from the predictions of models, finding discrepancies between a factor of 10 and a factor of 100 in most cases. It is clear though that to efficiently produce methanol on the surface of dust grains, quantum tunneling diffusion of H atoms must be switched on. It also appears that the currently adopted reactive desorption efficiency of methanol is overestimated and/or that abstraction reactions play an important role. More laboratory work is needed to shed light on the chemistry of methanol, an important precursor of complex organic molecules in space.

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arXiv2018

Compact dusty clouds and efficient H$_2$ formation in diffuse ISM

The formation of compact dusty clouds in diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) has been recently proposed and studied by Tsytovich et al. (2014). In the present paper, an effect of the clouds on the rate of H$\to$H$_2$ transition in the ISM is examined. We discuss the mechanisms leading to the formation of the clouds and the creation of gaseous clumps around them, analyze the main processes determining the efficiency of the recombination of atomic hydrogen on dust grains, and estimate the expected enhancement of the global H$_2$ formation due to the presence of the clouds. In conclusion, we argue that the compact dusty clouds provide optimum conditions for the atomic recombination in diffuse ISM, and point out some astrophysical implications of the resulting H$_2$ formation enhancement.

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arXiv2018

On the origin of phosphorus nitride in star-forming regions

We present multi-transition observations of PN towards a sample of nine massive dense cores in different evolutionary stages. Using transitions with different excitation conditions, we have found for the first time that the excitation temperatures of PN are in the range 5-30 K. To investigate the main chemical route for the PN formation (surface-chemistry vs. gas-phase chemistry), and the dominant desorption mechanism (thermal vs. shock), we have compared our results with those obtained from molecules tracing different chemical and physical conditions (SiO, SO, CH3OH, and N2H+). We have found that the PN line profiles are very well correlated with those of SiO and SO in six out of the nine targets, which indicates that PN may be released by sputtering of dust grains due to shocks. This finding is corroborated by a faint but statistically significant positive trend between the PN abundance and those of SiO and SO. However, in three objects the PN lines have no hints of high velocity wings, which indicates an alternative origin of PN. Overall, our results indicate that the origin of PN is not unique, as it can be formed in protostellar shocks, but also in colder and more quiescent gas through alternative pathways.

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arXiv2016

First detections of the key prebiotic molecule PO in star-forming regions

Phosphorus is a crucial element in biochemistry, especially the P-O bond, which is key for the formation of the backbone of the deoxyribonucleic acid. So far, PO has only been detected towards the envelope of evolved stars, and never towards star-forming regions. We report the first detections of PO towards two massive star-forming regions, W51 e1/e2 and W3(OH), using data from the IRAM 30m telescope. PN has also been detected towards the two regions. The abundance ratio PO/PN is 1.8 and 3 for W51 and W3(OH), respectively. Our chemical model indicates that the two molecules are chemically related and are formed via gas-phase ion-molecule and neutral-neutral reactions during the cold collapse. The molecules freeze out onto grains at the end of the collapse and desorb during the warm-up phase once the temperature reaches 35 K. Similar abundances of the two species are expected during a period of 5x10^{4} yr at the early stages of the warm-up phase, when the temperature is in the range 35-90 K. The observed molecular abundances of 10^{-10} are predicted by the model if a relatively high initial abundance of 5x10^{-9} of depleted phosphorus is assumed.

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arXiv2016

Phosphorus-bearing molecules in massive dense cores

Phosphorus is a crucial element for the development of life, but so far P-bearing molecules have been detected only in a few astrophysical objects, hence its interstellar chemistry is almost totally unknown. Here we show new detections of phosphorus nitride in a sample of dense cores in different evolutionary stages of the intermediate- and high-mass star formation process: starless, with protostellar objects, and with ultracompact HII regions. All detected PN line widths are smaller than ~5 km/s , and they arise from regions associated with kinetic temperatures smaller than 100 K. Because the few previous detections reported in the literature are associated with warmer and more turbulent sources, the results of this work show that PN can arise from relatively quiescent and cold gas. This information is challenging for theoretical models that invoke either high desorption temperatures or grain sputtering from shocks to release phosphorus into the gas phase. Derived column densities are of the order of 10^{11-12} cm^{-2}, marginally lower than the values derived in the few high-mass star forming regions detected so far. New constraints on the column density upper limit of phosphorus monoxide, the fundamental unit of biologically relevant molecules, are also given.

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arXiv2015

Impulsive Spot Heating and Thermal Explosion of Interstellar Grains Revisited

The problem of impulsive heating of dust grains in cold, dense interstellar clouds is revisited theoretically, with the aim to better understand leading mechanisms of the explosive desorption of icy mantles. It is rigorously shown that if the heating of a reactive medium occurs within a sufficiently localized spot (e.g., heating of mantles by cosmic rays), then the subsequent thermal evolution is characterized by a single dimensionless number $λ$. This number identifies a bifurcation between two distinct regimes: When $λ$ exceeds a critical value (threshold), the heat equation exhibits the explosive solution, i.e., the thermal (chemical) explosion is triggered. Otherwise, thermal diffusion causes the deposited heat to spread over the entire grain -- this regime is commonly known as the whole-grain heating. The theory allows us to find a critical combination of the physical parameters that govern the explosion of icy mantles due to impulsive spot heating. In particular, the calculations suggest that heavy cosmic ray species (e.g., iron ions) colliding with dust are able to trigger the explosion. Based on the recently calculated local cosmic-ray spectra, the expected rate of the explosive desorption is estimated. The efficiency of the desorption, which affects all solid species independent of their binding energy, is shown to be comparable with other cosmic-ray desorption mechanisms typically considered in the literature. Also, the theory allows us to estimate maximum abundances of reactive species that may be stored in the mantles, which provides important constraints on available astrochemical models.

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arXiv2014

G11.92-0.61-MM2: A Bonafide Massive Prestellar Core?

Core accretion models of massive star formation require the existence of stable massive starless cores, but robust observational examples of such objects have proven elusive. We report subarcsecond-resolution SMA 1.3 mm, 1.1 mm, and 0.88 mm and VLA 1.3 cm observations of an excellent massive starless core candidate, G11.92-0.61-MM2, initially identified in the course of studies of GLIMPSE Extended Green Objects (EGOs). Separated by ~7.2" from the nearby MM1 protostellar hot core, MM2 is a strong, compact dust continuum source (submillimeter spectral index alpha=2.6+/-0.1), but is devoid of star formation indicators. In contrast to MM1, MM2 has no masers, no centimeter continuum, and no (sub)millimeter wavelength line emission in ~24 GHz of bandwidth observed with the SMA, including N2H+(3-2), HCO+(3-2), and HCN(3-2). Additionally, there is no evidence for an outflow driven by MM2. The (sub)millimeter spectral energy distribution (SED) of MM2 is best fit with a dust temperature of ~17-19 K and luminosity of ~5-7 L_sun. The combined physical properties of MM2, as inferred from its dust continuum emission, are extreme: M>30 M_sun within a radius<1000 AU, N(H2)>10^25 cm^-2 and n(H2)>10^9 cm^-3. Comparison of the molecular abundance limits derived from our SMA observations with gas-grain chemical models indicates that extremely dense (n(H)>>10^8 cm^-3), cold (<20 K) conditions are required to explain the lack of observed (sub)millimeter line emission, consistent with the dust continuum results. Our data suggest that G11.92-0.61-MM2 is the best candidate for a bonafide massive prestellar core found to date, and a promising target for future, higher-sensitivity observations.

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arXiv2014

Ethylene oxide and Acetaldehyde in hot cores

[Abridged] Ethylene oxide and its isomer acetaldehyde are important complex organic molecules because of their potential role in the formation of amino acids. Despite the fact that acetaldehyde is ubiquitous in the interstellar medium, ethylene oxide has not yet been detected in cold sources. We aim to understand the chemistry of the formation and loss of ethylene oxide in hot and cold interstellar objects (i) by including in a revised gas-grain network some recent experimental results on grain surfaces and (ii) by comparison with the chemical behaviour of its isomer, acetaldehyde. We test the code for the case of a hot core. The model allows us to predict the gaseous and solid ethylene oxide abundances during a cooling-down phase prior to star formation and during the subsequent warm-up phase. We can therefore predict at what temperatures ethylene oxide forms on grain surfaces and at what temperature it starts to desorb into the gas phase. The model reproduces the observed gaseous abundances of ethylene oxide and acetaldehyde towards high-mass star-forming regions. In addition, our results show that ethylene oxide may be present in outer and cooler regions of hot cores where its isomer has already been detected. Despite their different chemical structures, the chemistry of ethylene oxide is coupled to that of acetaldehyde, suggesting that acetaldehyde may be used as a tracer for ethylene oxide towards cold cores.

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arXiv2013

Protoplanetary Disk Structure With Grain Evolution: the ANDES Model

We present a self-consistent model of a protoplanetary disk: 'ANDES' ('AccretioN disk with Dust Evolution and Sedimentation'). ANDES is based on a flexible and extendable modular structure that includes 1) a 1+1D frequency-dependent continuum radiative transfer module, 2) a module to calculate the chemical evolution using an extended gas-grain network with UV/X-ray-driven processes surface reactions, 3) a module to calculate the gas thermal energy balance, and 4) a 1+1D module that simulates dust grain evolution. For the first time, grain evolution and time-dependent molecular chemistry are included in a protoplanetary disk model. We find that grain growth and sedimentation of large grains to the disk midplane lead to a dust-depleted atmosphere. Consequently, dust and gas temperatures become higher in the inner disk (R < 50 AU) and lower in the outer disk (R > 50 AU), in comparison with the disk model with pristine dust. The response of disk chemical structure to the dust growth and sedimentation is twofold. First, due to higher transparency a partly UV-shielded molecular layer is shifted closer to the dense midplane. Second, the presence of big grains in the disk midplane delays the freeze-out of volatile gas-phase species such as CO there, while in adjacent upper layers the depletion is still effective. Molecular concentrations and thus column densities of many species are enhanced in the disk model with dust evolution, e.g., CO2, NH2CN, HNO, H2O, HCOOH, HCN, CO. We also show that time-dependent chemistry is important for a proper description of gas thermal balance.

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arXiv2011

UV-controlled physical and chemical structure of protoplanetary disks

We study details of the UV radiation transfer in a protoplanetary disk, paying attention to the influence of dust growth and sedimentation on the disk density and temperature. Also, we show how the dust evolution affects photoreaction rates of key molecules, like CN and CS.

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