arXiv subjects

B. Tercero

Publications and source records attributed to B. Tercero.

98 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Improved determination of the 1(0)-0(0) rotational frequency of NH3D+ from the high resolution spectrum of the v4 infrared band

The high resolution spectrum of the v4 band of NH3D+ has been measured by difference frequency IR laser spectroscopy in a multipass hollow cathode discharge cell. From the set of molecular constants obtained from the analysis of the spectrum, a value of 262817(6) MHz (3sigma) has been derived for the frequency of the 1(0)-0(0) rotational transition. This value supports the assignment to NH3D+ of lines at 262816.7 MHz recorded in radio astronomy observations in Orion-IRc2 and the cold prestellar core B1-bS.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Detection of the Ammonium Ion in Space

We report on the detection of a narrow feature at 262816.73 MHz towards Orion and the cold prestellar core B1-bS, that we attribute to the 1(0)-0(0) line of the deuterated Ammonium ion, NH3D+. The observations were performed with the IRAM 30m radio telescope. The carrier has to be a light molecular species as it is the only feature detected over 3.6 GHz of bandwidth. The hyperfine structure is not resolved indicating a very low value for the electric quadrupolar coupling constant of Nitrogen which is expected for NH3D+ as the electric field over the N nucleus is practically zero. Moreover, the feature is right at the predicted frequency for the 1(0)-0(0) transition of the Ammonium ion, 262817(6) MHz (3sigma), using rotational constants derived from new infrared data obtained in our laboratory in Madrid. The estimated column density is 1.1(0.2)e12 cm-2. Assuming a deuterium enhancement similar to that of NH2D, we derive N(NH4+) sim 2.6e13 cm-2, i.e., an abundance for Ammonium of a few 1e(-11).

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arXiv2013

Discovery of Methyl Acetate and Gauche Ethyl Formate in Orion

We report on the discovery of methyl acetate, CH3COOCH3, through the detection of a large number of rotational lines from each one of the spin states of the molecule: AA species (A1 or A2), EA species (E1), AE species (E2), EE species (E3 or E4). We also report the detection, for the first time in space, of the $gauche$ conformer of ethyl formate, CH3CH2OCOH, in the same source. The trans conformer is also detected for the first time outside the galactic center source SgrB2. From the derived velocity of the emission of methyl acetate we conclude that it arises mainly from the compact ridge region with a total column density of (4.2+-0.5)E15 cm(-2). The derived rotational temperature is 150 K. The column density for each conformer of ethyl formate, trans and gauche, is (4.5+-1.0)E14 cm(-2). Their abundance ratio indicates a kinetic temperature of 135 K for the emitting gas and suggests that gas phase reactions could participate efficiently in the formation of both conformers in addition to cold ice mantle reactions on the surface of dust grains.

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arXiv2010

A line confusion limited millimeter survey of Orion KL. II: Silicon-bearing species

We present a study of the Silicon-bearing species detected in a line confusion limited survey towards Orion KL performed with the IRAM 30-m telescope, which ranges from 80 to 280 GHz. Our aim is to derive physical and chemical conditions for each family taking into account all observed lines from all isotopologues of each species. We have modeled the lines of the detected molecules using a radiative transfer code, which permit us to choose between LVG and LTE approximations depending on the physical conditions of the gas. We have used appropriate collisional rates for the LVG calculations. For the v=1 state of SiO we have detected the J=2-1 line and, for the first time in this source, emission in the J=4-3 transition, both of them showing strong masering effect. For SiO v=0, we have detected 28SiO, 29SiO, and 30SiO; in addition, we have mapped the J = 5-4 SiO line. For SiS, we have detected the main species, 29SiS, and SiS v=1. Unlikely other species detected in Orion KL (IRc2), the emission peak of SiS appears at a velocity of ~15.5 km s-1; a study of the 5-4 SiO line around IRc2 shows this feature as an extended component that probably arises from the interaction of the outflow with the ambient cloud. We derive a SiO/SiS column density ratio of ~13 in the plateau component. Besides, we provide upper limits to the column density of several non-detected Silicon-bearing species. The results of our chemical models show that while it is possible to reproduce SiO in the gas phase (as well as on the grains), SiS is a product of surface reactions, most likely involving direct reactions of S with Si.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2010

Silicon in the dust formation zone of IRC +10216 as observed with PACS and SPIRE on board Herschel

The interstellar medium is enriched primarily by matter ejected from evolved low and intermediate mass stars. The outflows from these stars create a circumstellar envelope in which a rich gas-phase and dust-nucleation chemistry takes place. We observed the nearest carbon-rich evolved star, IRC+10216, using the PACS (55-210 μm) and SPIRE (194-672 μm) spectrometers on board Herschel. We find several tens of lines from SiS and SiO, including lines from the v=1 vibrational level. For SiS these transitions range up to J=124-123, corresponding to energies around 6700K, while the highest detectable transition is J=90-89 for SiO, which corresponds to an energy around 8400K. Both species trace the dust formation zone of IRC+10216, and the broad energy ranges involved in their detected transitions permit us to derive the physical properties of the gas and the particular zone in which each species has been formed. This allows us to check the accuracy of chemical thermodynamical equilibrium models and the suggested depletion of SiS and SiO due to accretion onto dust grains.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

A line confusion limited millimeter survey of Orion KL (I): sulfur carbon chains

We perform a sensitive (line confusion limited), single-side band spectral survey towards Orion KL with the IRAM 30m telescope, covering the following frequency ranges: 80-115.5 GHz, 130-178 GHz, and 197-281 GHz. We detect more than 14 400 spectral features of which 10 040 have been identified up to date and attributed to 43 different molecules, including 148 isotopologues and lines from vibrationally excited states. In this paper, we focus on the study of OCS, HCS+, H2CS, CS, CCS, C3S, and their isotopologues. In addition, we map the OCS J=18-17 line and complete complementary observations of several OCS lines at selected positions around Orion IRc2 (the position selected for the survey). We report the first detection of OCS v2 = 1 and v3 = 1 vibrationally excited states in space and the first detection of C3S in warm clouds. Most of CCS, and almost all C3S, line emission arises from the hot core indicating an enhancement of their abundances in warm and dense gas. Column densities and isotopic ratios have been calculated using a large velocity gradient (LVG) excitation and radiative transfer code (for the low density gas components) and a local thermal equilibrium (LTE) code (appropriate for the warm and dense hot core component), which takes into account the different cloud components known to exist towards Orion KL, the extended ridge, compact ridge, plateau, and hot core. The vibrational temperature derived from OCS v2 = 1 and v3 = 1 levels is about 210 K, similar to the gas kinetic temperature in the hot core. These OCS high energy levels are probably pumped by absorption of IR dust photons. We derive an upper limit to the OC3S, H2CCS, HNCS, HOCS+, and NCS column densities. Finally, we discuss the D/H abundance ratio and infer the following isotopic abundances: 12C/13C=45+-20, 32S/34S=20+-6, 32S/33S=75+-29, and 16O/18O=250+-135.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2008

Discovery of Fulminic Acid, HCNO, in Dark Clouds

We report on the first detection in space of fulminic acid, HCNO. This isomer of HNCO has been observed in three starless cores, B1, L1544 and L183, and in the low mass star forming region L1527 with a measured abundance ratio of HNCO/HCNO between 40-70. However, HCNO was not detected towards the direction of the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1 or towards the Orion Hot Core region. The derived HNCO/HCNO abundance ratio in these cases is greater than 350 and 1000 in TMC-1 and Orion, respectively. We find that CH_2 + NO \to HCNO + H is a key reaction for the formation of fulminic acid. A value of 5.5 10^{-12} cm^3 s^{-1} of the corresponding reaction rate coefficient, as given by Miller et al. (2003), allows to reproduce the observed abundances of fulminic acid in both the observed dark clouds and low mass star forming core, where the determined abundance of HNCO in these regions with respect to molecular hydrogen is 1-5 10^{-10}.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

High-J v=0 SiS Maser Emission in IRC+10216: A New Case of Infrared Overlaps

We report on the first detection of maser emission in the J=11-10, J=14-13 and J=15-14 transitions of the v=0 vibrational state of SiS toward the C-rich star IRC+10216. These masers seem to be produced in the very inhomogeneous region between the star and the inner dust formation zone, placed at 5-7 R*, with expansion velocities below 10 km/s. We interpret the pumping mechanism as due to overlaps between v=1-0 ro-vibrational lines of SiS and mid-IR lines of C2H2, HCN and their 13C isotopologues. The large number of overlaps found suggests the existence of strong masers for high-J v=0 and v=1 SiS transitions, located in the submillimeter range. In addition, it could be possible to find several rotational lines of the SiS isotopologues displaying maser emission.

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