Organohalogens, a class of molecules that contain at least one halogen atom bonded to carbon, are abundant on the Earth where they are mainly produced through industrial and biological processes1.... Show moreOrganohalogens, a class of molecules that contain at least one halogen atom bonded to carbon, are abundant on the Earth where they are mainly produced through industrial and biological processes1. Consequently, they have been proposed as biomarkers in the search for life on exoplanets2. Simple halogen hydrides have been detected in interstellar sources and in comets, but the presence and possible incorporation of more complex halogen-containing molecules such as organohalogens into planet-forming regions is uncertain3,4. Here we report the interstellar detection of two isotopologues of the organohalogen CH3Cl and put some constraints on CH3F in the gas surrounding the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293–2422, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). We also find CH3Cl in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) by using the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) instrument. The detections reveal an efficient pre-planetary formation pathway of organohalogens. Cometary impacts may deliver these species to young planets and should thus be included as a potential abiotical production source when interpreting future organohalogen detections in atmospheres of rocky planets. Show less
Context. Water is a key probe of shocks and outflows from young stars because it is extremely sensitive to both the physical conditions associated with the interaction of supersonic outflows with... Show moreContext. Water is a key probe of shocks and outflows from young stars because it is extremely sensitive to both the physical conditions associated with the interaction of supersonic outflows with the ambient medium and the chemical processes at play. Aims: Our goal is to investigate the spatial and velocity distribution of H$_{2}$O along outflows, its relationship with other tracers, and its abundance variations. In particular, this study focuses on the outflow driven by the low-mass protostar L1448-C, which previous observations have shown to be one of the brightest H$_{2}$O emitters among the class 0 outflows. Methods: To this end, maps of the o-H$_{2}$O 1$_{10}$-1$_{01}$ and 2$_{12}$-1$_{01}$ transitions taken with the Herschel-HIFI and PACS instruments, respectively, are presented. For comparison, complementary maps of the CO(3-2) and SiO(8-7) transitions, obtained at the JCMT, and the H$_{2}$ S(0) and S(1) transitions, taken from the literature, were used as well. Physical conditions and H$_{2}$O column densities were inferred using large velocity gradient radiative transfer calculations. Results: The water distribution appears to be clumpy, with individual peaks corresponding to shock spots along the outflow. The bulk of the 557 GHz line is confined to radial velocities in the range {plusmn}10-50 km s$^{-1}$, but extended emission at extreme velocities (up to v$_r$ ~{} 80 km s$^{-1}$) is detected and is associated with the L1448-C extreme high-velocity (EHV) jet. The H$_{2}$O 1$_{10}$-1$_{01}$/CO(3-2) ratio shows strong variations as a function of velocity that likely reflect different and changing physical conditions in the gas that is responsible for the emissions from the two species. In the EHV jet, a low H$_{2}$O/SiO abundance ratio is inferred, which could indicate molecular formation from dust-free gas directly ejected from the proto-stellar wind. The ratio between the two observed H$_{2}$O lines and the comparison with H$_{2}$ indicate averaged T$_{kin}$ and n(H$_{2}$) values of ~{}300-500 K and 5 { imes} 10$^{6}$ cm$^{-3}$, respectively, while a water abundance with respect to H$_{2}$ of about 0.5-1 { imes} 10$^{-6}$ along the outflow is estimated, in agreement with results found by previous studies. The fairly constant conditions found all along the outflow imply that evolutionary effects on the timescales of outflow propagation do not play a major role in the H$_{2}$O chemistry. Conclusions: The results of our analysis show that the bulk of the observed H$_{2}$O lines comes from post-shocked regions where the gas, after being heated to high temperatures, has already been cooled down to a few hundred K. The relatively low derived abundances, however, call for some mechanism that diminishes the H$_{2}$O gas in the post-shock region. Among the possible scenarios, we favor H$_{2}$O photodissociation, which requires the superposition of a low-velocity nondissociative shock with a fast dissociative shock able to produce a far-ultraviolet field of sufficient strength. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org Show less
Nisini, B.; Santangelo, G.; Antoniucci, S.; Benedettini, M.; Codella, C.; Giannini, T.; ... ; Dishoeck, E.F. van 2013
Context. Water is a key probe of shocks and outflows from young stars because it is extremely sensitive to both the physical conditions associated with the interaction of supersonic outflows with... Show moreContext. Water is a key probe of shocks and outflows from young stars because it is extremely sensitive to both the physical conditions associated with the interaction of supersonic outflows with the ambient medium and the chemical processes at play. Aims: Our goal is to investigate the spatial and velocity distribution of H$_{2}$O along outflows, its relationship with other tracers, and its abundance variations. In particular, this study focuses on the outflow driven by the low-mass protostar L1448-C, which previous observations have shown to be one of the brightest H$_{2}$O emitters among the class 0 outflows. Methods: To this end, maps of the o-H$_{2}$O 1$_{10}$-1$_{01}$ and 2$_{12}$-1$_{01}$ transitions taken with the Herschel-HIFI and PACS instruments, respectively, are presented. For comparison, complementary maps of the CO(3-2) and SiO(8-7) transitions, obtained at the JCMT, and the H$_{2}$ S(0) and S(1) transitions, taken from the literature, were used as well. Physical conditions and H$_{2}$O column densities were inferred using large velocity gradient radiative transfer calculations. Results: The water distribution appears to be clumpy, with individual peaks corresponding to shock spots along the outflow. The bulk of the 557 GHz line is confined to radial velocities in the range {plusmn}10-50 km s$^{-1}$, but extended emission at extreme velocities (up to v$_r$ ~{} 80 km s$^{-1}$) is detected and is associated with the L1448-C extreme high-velocity (EHV) jet. The H$_{2}$O 1$_{10}$-1$_{01}$/CO(3-2) ratio shows strong variations as a function of velocity that likely reflect different and changing physical conditions in the gas that is responsible for the emissions from the two species. In the EHV jet, a low H$_{2}$O/SiO abundance ratio is inferred, which could indicate molecular formation from dust-free gas directly ejected from the proto-stellar wind. The ratio between the two observed H$_{2}$O lines and the comparison with H$_{2}$ indicate averaged T$_{kin}$ and n(H$_{2}$) values of ~{}300-500 K and 5 { imes} 10$^{6}$ cm$^{-3}$, respectively, while a water abundance with respect to H$_{2}$ of about 0.5-1 { imes} 10$^{-6}$ along the outflow is estimated, in agreement with results found by previous studies. The fairly constant conditions found all along the outflow imply that evolutionary effects on the timescales of outflow propagation do not play a major role in the H$_{2}$O chemistry. Conclusions: The results of our analysis show that the bulk of the observed H$_{2}$O lines comes from post-shocked regions where the gas, after being heated to high temperatures, has already been cooled down to a few hundred K. The relatively low derived abundances, however, call for some mechanism that diminishes the H$_{2}$O gas in the post-shock region. Among the possible scenarios, we favor H$_{2}$O photodissociation, which requires the superposition of a low-velocity nondissociative shock with a fast dissociative shock able to produce a far-ultraviolet field of sufficient strength. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgShow less
