Detection of interstellar hydrogen sulfide in cold, dark clouds

We have detected interstellar hydrogen sulfide (H2S) toward the cold, dark clouds L134N and TMC 1. We derive total column densities of approximately 2.6 x 10(13) cm-2 and approximately 7.0 x 10(12) cm-2 at the SO peak of L134N and at the NH3 peak of TMC 1, respectively. Since the expected gas phase reactions leading to the formation of H2S are thought to be endothermic, grain surface reactions may play a major role in the synthesis of this species in cold, dark clouds. If the carbon abundance is high and grain surface reactions are the dominant formation route, H2CS would be expected to form instead of H2S, and the abundances of H2CS have been observed to be high where those of H2S are low in L134N and TMC 1.     

On interstellar reddening law in the Taurus dark clouds

The interstellar reddening law in the Taurus dark clouds is investigated from visual, infrared, and ground based ultraviolet photometric observations of heavily reddened stars HD 29647, HDE 283701, and HDE 283812. The star HD 29647 located in the center of a very dense dark cloud Khavtassi 278 shows a reddening law which is anomalous in the wavelengths shorter than 400 nm. When combined with observations by Snow and Seab from the IUE it can be represented by a single straight line from 1 m to 250 nm. Other two stars situated in less dense parts of the Taurus dark clouds show normal reddening law.     

Chlorine-bearing molecules in cold and warm interstellar clouds

A new time-dependent model of chlorine chemistry in cold and warm TMC-1 and Orion clouds was constructed using results of recent laboratory and theoretical studies on the reaction of chlorine molecules. The chemistry of chlorine was found to be fairly simple in dense interstellar clouds. Only the species Cl and HCl have a significant fractional abundance. Our results for the HCl molecule are in agreement with those obtained from the observation and from theoretical values of Orion cloud.     

A study of C3HD in cold interstellar clouds

We have detected the 1(10)-1(01) transition of C3HD at 19.418 GHz at twelve positions in cold, dark clouds and resolved the D hyperfine components in two sources (L1498 and TMC-1C) well enough to derive values for the D quadrupole coupling constants. Simultaneous observations of C3H2 in each source yield relative integrated line intensities in the range 0.10-0.18, from which we derive relative [C3HD]/[C3H2] abundances in the range 0.05-0.15. These are among the highest deuteration ratios yet observed. Within the limits of the observational and modeling uncertainties it is possible to explain the derived [C3HD]/[C3H2] ratios by ion-molecule chemistry if [e-] approximately 3 x 10(-7).     

Cyanide and isocyanide abundances in the cold, dark cloud TMC-1

We have observed emission from HCN, H13CN, HC15N, HN13C, H15NC, HC3N, CH3CN, and possibly CH3NC, and determined an upper limit for NH2CN, toward the cold, dark cloud TMC-1. The abundance ratio [HNC]/[HCN] = 1.55 +/- 0.16 is at least a factor approximately 4 and approximately 100 greater than that observed toward the giant molecular clouds DR 21(OH) and Orion KL, respectively. In contrast, for the corresponding methylated isomers we obtain [CH3NC]/CH3CN] < or approximately 0.1. We also find [NH2CN]/[CH3CN] < or approximately 0.1 and [HC3N]/[CH3CN] = 30 +/- 10. We find no evidence for anomalous hyperfine ratios for H13CN, indicating that the ratios for HCN (cf. recent work of Walmsley et al.) are the result of self-absorption by cold foreground gas.     

Masses of interstellar clouds

Equilibrium masses of slowly rotating interstellar gas clouds have been calculated using an equation of state for the interstellar gas developed by Penston and Brown. The rotation is found to increase the equilibrium masses, but still the cloud masses are not as large as indicated by other considerations.     

Chemical evolution of the gas in C-type shocks in dark clouds

A magnetohydrodynamic model of a steady, transverse C-type shock in a dense molecular cloud is presented. A complete gas–grain chemical network is taken into account: the gas-phase chemistry, the adsorption of gas species on dust grains, various desorption mechanisms, the grain surface chemistry, the ion neutralization on dust grains, the sputtering of grain mantles. The population densities of energy levels of ions CI, CII and OI and molecules H₂, CO, H₂O are computed in parallel with the dynamical and chemical rate equations. The large velocity gradient approximation is used in the line radiative transfer calculations. The simulations consist of two steps: (i) modelling of the chemical and thermal evolution of a static molecular cloud and (ii) shock simulations. A comparison is made with the results of publicly available models of similar physical systems.The focus of the paper is on the chemical processing of gas material and ice mantles of dust grains by the shock. Sputtering of ice mantles takes place in the shock region close to the temperature peak of the neutral gas. At high shock speeds, molecules ejected from ice mantles are effectively destroyed in hot gas, and their survival time is low—of the order of dozens of years. After a passage of high-speed C-type shock, a zone of high abundance of atomic hydrogen appears in the cooling postshock gas that triggers formation of complex organic species such as methanol. It is shown that abundances of some complex organic molecules (COMs) in the postshock region can be much higher than in the preshock gas. These results are important for interpretation of observations of COMs in protostellar outflows.     

Observations of some oxygen-containing and sulfur-containing organic molecules in cold dark clouds

Observations of nine oxygen- and sulfur-containing organic molecules have been made toward the cold dark clouds TMC-1 and L134N. We have confirmed the presence of para-ketene (H2C2O) in TMC-1, have for the first time observed ortho-ketene, and find a total ketene column density approximately 1 x 10(13) cm-2. Thioformaldehyde (H2CS) is easily detectable in both TMC-1 and L134N, with a column density about 5 times larger in the former source (approximately 3 x 10(13) cm-2). The fractional abundance of ketene is comparable to the predictions of ion-molecule chemistry, while that of thioformaldehyde in TMC-1 is one to two orders of magnitude greater than that expected from such models at steady state. Interstellar sulfur chemistry thus continues to be poorly understood. We set upper limits for the column densities of formic acid (HCOOH), vinyl alcohol (CH2CHOH), methyl formate (HCO2CH3), formamide (NH2CHO), methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), isothiocyanic acid (HNCS), and thioketene (H2C2S) in both sources.     

Carbon chain molecules in interstellar clouds

A survey of the distribution of long carbon chain molecules in interstellar clouds shows that their abundance is correlated. The various formation schemes for these molecules are discussed. We conclude that the ion-molecule type formation mechanisms are more promising than their competitors. They have also the advantage of allowing predictions which can be tested by observations. Acetylene C₂H₂ and diacetylene HCCCCH, may be very abundant in interstellar clouds.Invited contribution to the Proceedings of a Workshop onThermodynamics and Kinetics of Dust Formation in the Space Medium held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, 6–8 September, 1978.     

Time dependent chemical study of contracting interstellar clouds. II. abundances of oxygen- and sulphur-bearing molecules

Abstract. We have constructed a chemical reaction system in a contracting interstellar cloud. In paper (I) we have presented the details of the physical and chemical scheme and the method of solution. The results of our chemical model produce fractional abundances of H₂CO, CO, OH, H₂O, SO and OCS which are in good agreement with the results of observations. On the other hand, the results of chlorine-bearing species are not in agreement with those of the observations. The calculated abundances of H₂CO, CO, OH, H₂O, SO, OCS and Cl⁺ are in agreement with the results of previous theoretical studies.     

Time dependent chemical study of contracting interstellar clouds. III. the charge distribution in interstellar clouds

We have constructed a chemical reaction model in a contracting interstellar cloud including 104 species which are involved in a network of 557 reactions. The chemical kinetic equations were integrated as a function of time by using gear package. The evolution of the system was followed in the density range 10–10⁷ particles cm^-3.The calculated fractional abundances of the charged species are in good agreement with those given by other investigators. The charge density has been followed in diffuse, intermediate and dense regions. The most dominant ionic species are metallic ions, HCO⁺ and H ₃ ⁺ in the shielded regions and atomic ions H⁺, C⁺, Si⁺, He⁺, S⁺ and metal ions in the diffuse and intermediate regions. The abundances of negatively charged ions were found to be negligible. The results of the calculations on the different metallic ions are interpreted.     

The C+, C,CO network in interstellar clouds

A chemical network determining the formation and destruction of C⁺, C, and CO and other species is set up and applied to spherical clouds in the normal interstellar radiation field. The spherical geometry adopted gives results which are different from those for slab models. The sensitivity of chemical species to chemical and astronomical parameters is explored. The relevance of this work to the observations is discussed.     

Composition of grain mantles in interstellar clouds

The question of grain mantle composition in dense clouds is examined in the light of new observational and theoretical results on atomic and molecular concentrations in the gas phase. It is shown that if grain temperatures are less than about 20K these mantles will be primarily solid CO. Methods of identifying CO coated grains are discussed.     

Helicoidal magneto-electron waves in interstellar molecular clouds

We investigate the evolution of the magnetic flux density in a magnetically supported molecular cloud driven by Hall and Ohmic components of the electric field generated by the flows of thermal electrons. Particular attention is given to the wave transport of the magnetic field in a cloud whose gas dynamics is dominated by electron flows; the mobility of neutrals and ions is regarded as heavily suppressed. It is shown that electromagnetic waves penetrating such a cloud can be converted into helicons – weakly damped, circularly polarized waves in which the densities of the magnetic flux and the electron current undergo coherent oscillations. These waves are interesting in their own right, because for electron magnetohydrodynamics the low-frequency helicoidal waves have the same physical significance as the transverse Alfvén waves do for a single-component magnetohydrodynamics. The latter, as is known, are considered to be responsible for the widths of molecular lines detected in dark, magnetically supported clouds. From our numerical estimates for the group velocity and the rate of dissipation of helicons it follows that a possible contribution of these waves to the broadening of molecular lines is consistent with the conditions typical of dark molecular clouds.     

On water ice formation in interstellar clouds

A model is proposed for the formation of water ice mantles on grains in interstellar clouds. This occurs by direct accretion of monomers from the gas, be they formed by gas or surface reactions. The formation of the first monolayer requires a minimum extinction of interstellar radiation, sufficient to lower the grain temperature to the point where thermal evaporation of monomers is just offset by monomer accretion from the gas. This threshold is mainly determined by the adsorption energy of water molecules on the grain material; for hydrocarbon material, chemical simulation places this energy between 0.5 and 2 kcal mol⁻¹, which sets the (true) visible extinction threshold at a few magnitudes. However, realistic distributions of matter in a cloud will usually add to this an unrelated amount of cloud core extinction, which can explain the large dispersion of observed (apparent) thresholds. Once the threshold is crossed, all available water molecules in the gas are quickly adsorbed, because the grain cools down and the adsorption energy on ice is higher than on bare grain. The relative thickness of the mantle, and, hence, the slope of  τ₃( A _v)  depend only on the available water vapour, which is a small fraction of the oxygen abundance. Chemical simulation was also used to determine the adsorption sites and energies of O and OH on hydrocarbons and study the dynamics of formation of water molecules by surface reactions with gaseous H atoms, as well as their chances to stick in situ.     

Diffuse interstellar band formation in dense clouds

Measurements of the strengths of the diffuse interstellar bands at 4430, 5780 and 5797 Å show that the bands tend to be week with respect to extinction in dense interstellar clouds. Data on 10 stars in the ? Ophiuchi cloud complex show further that the diffuse band-producing efficiency of the grains decreases systematically with increasing grain size. It is concluded that the diffuse bands are not formed in the mantles which accrete on the grains in interstellar clouds, but that they could be produced in the cores of grains or in some molecular species.     

The turbulent destruction of interstellar clouds

The interaction of an astrophysical shock with a cloud typically occurs at high Reynolds number, and in such cases will be highly turbulent. However, the formation of fully developed turbulence is usually prevented by the artificial viscosity inherent in hydrodynamical simulations. Upstream structures mean that the flow behind the shock is also likely to be turbulent, as it sweeps over such inhomogeneities. We study the nature of adiabatic shock-cloud interactions using a subgrid compressible k–ε turbulence model.     

Gravitational instability of interstellar magnetic clouds

The gravitational instability of a nonrotating isothermal gaseous disk permeated by a uniform frozen-in magnetic field is investigated using a fourth-order perturbation technique. From the results it is found that the disk is stable whenn/B ₀ < (4/3³ G)^–1/2, wheren andB are the column density of the disk and unperturbed magnetic field, respectively, andG is the gravitational constant. The disk is gravitationally unstable only whenn/B ₀ > (4/3³ G)^–1/2.