The CORE Project: Chemical complexity of AFGL 2591

Mar 21, 2018, 5:00 PM
1h
Physikzentrum Bad Honnef

Physikzentrum Bad Honnef

Physikzentrum Bad Honnef Hauptstr. 5 53604 Bad Honnef Tel.: (0 22 24) 90 10 114 Fax: (0 22 24) 90 10 130

Speaker

Caroline Gieser (MPIA)

Description

Hot cores are ideal laboratories for the formation of complex organic molecules. Here, we present a detailed observational and modeling study of the chemistry in the prototypical hot core region AFGL 2591. It evolves in unique conditions being isolated from other young OB stars with strong UV radiation. This region is part of the NOEMA (Northern Extended Millimeter Array) large program CORE targeting 20 of such regions. Observations were carried out with NOEMA from 217 GHz to 221 GHz and to include large-scale emission observations with the IRAM 30 m telescope were complemented.

Using the high spatial resolution (0.4", ~1300 AU at 3.3 kpc) we derived the physical structure (temperature and density) of the source using CH$_{3}$CN and H$_{2}$CO. About 30 molecules were identified and column densities were determined using the XCLASS software.

AFGL 2591 has a high molecular abundance (e.g. SO$_{2}$, HNCO, CH$_{3}$OH) and shows a rich diversity in complex molecules (C$_{2}$H$_{5}$CN, C$_{2}$H$_{3}$CN, CH$_{3}$OCHO, CH$_{3}$COCH$_{3}$, CH$_{3}$OCH$_{3}$). Some molecules show an asymmetric distribution around the protostar which indicates a complex structure on small scales due to disk accretion and the outflow.

As hot cores show a rich gas phase chemistry we want to further investigate the chemical abundance of AFGL 2591 with chemical models. For that we will use the derived temperature and density profile and the H$_{2}$ column density obtained from the 1.37 mm continuum emission. The aim is to understand the formation processes of the molecules and to determine the chemical age of the source.

Primary author

Presentation materials