Discovery of Interstellar Heavy Water
H. M. ButnerSteven B. CharnleyC. CeccarelliScott RodgersJ. R. PardoB. PariseJ. CernicharoG. R. Davis
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Abstract:
We report the discovery of doubly deuterated water (D2O, heavy water) in the interstellar medium. Using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory 10 m telescope, we detected the 110-101 transition of para-D2O at 316.7998 GHz in both absorption and emission toward the protostellar binary system IRAS 16293-2422. Assuming that the D2O exists primarily in the warm regions where water ices have been evaporated (i.e., in a "hot corino" environment), we determine a total column density of N(D2O) of 1.0 × 1013 cm-2 and a fractional abundance of D2O/H2 = 1.7 × 10-10. The derived column density ratios for IRAS 16293-2422 are D2O/HDO = 1.7 × 10-3 and D2O/H2O = 5 × 10-5 for the hot corino gas. Steady state models of water ice formation, either in the gas phase or on grains, predict D2O/HDO ratios that are about 4 times larger than that derived from our observations. For water formation on grain surfaces to be a viable explanation, a larger H2O abundance than that measured in IRAS 16293-2422 is required. Alternatively, the observed D2O/HDO ratio could be indicative of gas-phase water chemistry prior to a chemical steady state being attained, such as would have occurred during the formation of this source. Future observations with the Herschel Space Observatory satellite will be important for settling this issue.Keywords:
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Heavy water
The latest developments in astrochemistry have shown how some molecular species can be used as tools to study the early stages of the solar-type star formation process. Among them, particularly relevant are interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs) and deuterated molecules. Their analysis gives us information on the present and past history of the protostellar objects. Among the protostellar evolutionary stages, Class I protostars represent a perfect laboratory where the initial conditions for the planet formation process can be studied. Indeed, from a physical point of view, the Class I stage is the bridge between the Class 0 phase, dominated by the accretion process, and the protoplanetary disk phase, when planets form. Despite their importance, few observations of Class I protostars exist, and very little is known about their chemical content. In this paper we review the (few) existing observations of iCOMs and deuterated species in Class I protostars. In addition, we present new observations of deuterated cyanoacetylene and thioformaldehyde toward the Class I protostar SVS13-A. These new observations allow us to better understand the physical and chemical structure of SVS13-A and compare the cyanoacetylene and thioformaldehyde deuteration with other sources in different evolutionary phases.
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The investigation of star-forming regions has enormously benefited from the recent advent of the ALMA interferometer working in the millimeter- and submillimeter-wavelength spectral windows. More specifically, the unprecedented combination of high-sensitivity and high-angular resolution provided by ALMA allows one to shed light on the jet/disk systems associated with a Sun-like mass protostar. In this context, astrochemistry also possesses the possibility to analyze complex spectra obtained using large bandwidths: several interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs; C-bearing species with at least six atoms) have been detected and imaged around protostars, often thanks to a large number of rotational–vibrational lines. This in turn boosted the study of the astrochemistry at work during the earliest phases of star formation paving the way to the chemical complexity in planetary systems where Life could emerge. There is mounting evidence that the observations of iCOMs (e.g., CH3CHO or NH2CHO) can be used as unique tools to shed light on Solar System scales (<50 au) on the molecular content of protostellar disk. The increase of iCOMs abundance occur only under very selective physical conditions, such as those associated low-velocity shocks found where the infalling envelope is impacting the rotating accretion disk. The imaging of these regions with simpler molecules such as CO or CS is indeed paradoxically hampered by their high abundances and consequently high line opacities which do not allow the observers to disentangle all the emitting components at these small scales. In this respect, we review the state-of-the art of the ALMA analysis about the standard Sun-like star forming region in Orion named HH 212, associated with a pristine jet-disk protostellar system. We enrich the discussion with unpublished ALMA data sets, showing (i) how all of the physical components involved in the formation of a Sun-like star can be revealed only by observing different molecular tracers, and (ii) how the observation of iCOMs emission, observed to infer the chemical composition of star-forming regions, can be used also as a unique tracer to image protostellar disks on Solar System scales, that is, where planets will eventually form.
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The reactions of the molecular ion H3+ are pivotal to the chemistry of dense interstellar clouds. Produced by the cosmic-ray ionization of molecular hydrogen, H3 + reacts with a variety of atoms and molecules to produce species that are precursors to many of the detected molecules in dense clouds. For example, the reaction of H3+ with atomic O leads, eventually, to the production of water, while the reaction with HD leads to the production of a wide variety of deuterated isotopomers. In this article, the chemistry of H3+ and the products derived from it are discussed in the larger context of interstellar chemistry.
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Context. Millimetric observations have measured high degrees of molecular deuteration in several species seen around low-mass protostars. The Herschel Space Telescope, launched in 2009, is now providing new measures of the deuterium fractionation of water, the main constituent of interstellar ices. Aims. We aim at theoretically studying the formation and the deuteration of water, which is believed to be formed on interstellar grain surfaces in molecular clouds. Methods. We used our gas-grain astrochemical model GRAINOBLE, which considers the multilayer formation of interstellar ices. We varied several input parameters to study their impact on water deuteration. We included the treatment of ortho- and para-states of key species, including H2, which affects the deuterium fractionation of all molecules. The model also includes relevant laboratory and theoretical works on the water formation and deuteration on grain surfaces. In particular, we computed the transmission probabilities of surface reactions using the Eckart model, and we considered ice photodissociation following molecular dynamics simulations. Results. The use of a multilayer approach allowed us to study the influence of various parameters on the abundance and the deuteration of water. Deuteration of water is found to be very sensitive to the ortho-to-para ratio of H2 and to the total density, but it also depends on the gas/grain temperatures and the visual extinction of the cloud. Since the deuteration is very sensitive to the physical conditions, the comparison with sub-millimetric observation towards the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293 allows us to suggest that water ice is formed together with CO2 in molecular clouds with limited density, whilst formaldehyde and methanol are mainly formed in a later phase, where the condensation becomes denser and colder.
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Gas-phase chemistry in the interstellar medium is driven by fast ion-molecule reactions. This, of course, demands a mechanism for ionization, and cosmic rays are the ideal candidate as they can operate throughout the majority of both diffuse and dense interstellar clouds. Aside from driving interstellar chemistry via ionization, cosmic rays also interact with the interstellar medium in ways that heat the ambient gas, produce gamma rays, and produce light element isotopes. In this paper we review the observables generated by cosmic-ray interactions with the interstellar medium, focusing primarily on the relevance to astrochemistry.
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Interferometric observations of warm deuterated methanol in the inner regions of low-mass protostars
Methanol is a key species in astrochemistry since it is the most abundant organic molecule in the ISM and is thought to be the mother molecule of many complex organic species. Estimating the deuteration of methanol around young protostars is of crucial importance because it highly depends on its formation mechanisms and the physical conditions during its moment of formation. We analyse dozens of transitions from deuterated methanol isotopologues coming from various existing observational datasets from the IRAM-PdBI and ALMA sub-mm interferometers to estimate the methanol deuteration surrounding three low-mass protostars on Solar System scales. A population diagram analysis allows us to derive a [CH$_2$DOH]/[CH$_3$OH] abundance ratio of 3-6 % and a [CH$_3$OD]/[CH$_3$OH] ratio of 0.4-1.6 % in the warm inner protostellar regions. These values are ten times lower than those derived with previous single-dish observations towards these sources but they are 10-100 times higher than the methanol deuteration measured in massive hot cores. Dust temperature maps obtained from Herschel and Planck observations show that massive hot cores are located in warmer molecular clouds than low-mass sources, with temperature differences of $\sim$10 K. Comparison with the predictions of the gas-grain astrochemical model GRAINOBLE shows that such a temperature difference is sufficient to explain the different deuteration observed in low- to high-mass sources, suggesting that the physical conditions of the molecular cloud at the origin of the protostars mostly govern the present observed deuteration of methanol. The methanol deuteration measured in this work is higher by a factor of 5 than the upper limit in methanol deuteration estimated in comet Hale-Bopp, implying that an important reprocessing of the organic material would have occurred in the solar nebula during the formation of the Solar System.
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The latest developments in astrochemistry have shown how some molecular species can be used as a tool to study the early stages of the solar-type star formation process. Among them, the more relevant species are the interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs) and the deuterated molecules. Their analysis give us information on the present and past history of protostellar objects. Among the protostellar evolutionary stages, Class I protostars represent a perfect laboratory in which to study the initial conditions for the planet formation process. Indeed, from a physical point of view, the Class I stage is the bridge between the Class 0 phase, dominated by the accretion process, and the protoplanetary disk phase, when planets form. Despite their importance, few observations of Class I protostars exist and very little is known about their chemical content. In this paper we review the (few) existing observations of iCOMs and deuterated species in Class I protostars. In addition, we present new observations of deuterated cyanoacetylene and thioformaldehyde towards the Class I protostar SVS13-A. These new observations allow us to better understand the physical and chemical structure of SVS13-A and compare the cyanoacetylene and thioformaldehyde deuteration with other sources in different evolutionary phases.
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Cyanoacetylene
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In the last 40 years a wide range of molecules, including neutrals, cations and anions, containing up to 13 atoms—in addition to detections of and —have been found in the harsh environment of the interstellar medium. The exquisite sensitivity and very high spectral and, more recently, spatial resolution, of modern telescopes has enabled the physics of star formation to be probed through rotational line emission. In this article, I review the basic properties of interstellar clouds and the processes that initiate the chemistry and generate chemical complexity, particularly in regions of star and planet formation. Our understanding of astrochemistry has evolved over the years. Before 1990, the general consensus was that molecules were formed in binary, gas-phase, or volume, reactions, most importantly ion-neutral reactions despite the very low ionization in clouds. Since then, observations have indicated unambiguously that there is also a contribution from surface processes, particularly on the icy mantles that form around refractory grain cores in cold, dense gas. The balance between these two processes depends on particular physical conditions and can vary during the life cycle of a particular volume of interstellar cloud.
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Cosmochemistry
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The latest developments in astrochemistry have shown how some molecular species can be used as a tool to study the early stages of the solar-type star formation process. Among them, the more relevant species are the interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs) and the deuterated molecules. Their analysis give us information on the present and past history of protostellar objects. Among the protostellar evolutionary stages, Class I protostars represent a perfect laboratory in which to study the initial conditions for the planet formation process. Indeed, from a physical point of view, the Class I stage is the bridge between the Class 0 phase, dominated by the accretion process, and the protoplanetary disk phase, when planets form. Despite their importance, few observations of Class I protostars exist and very little is known about their chemical content. In this paper we review the (few) existing observations of iCOMs and deuterated species in Class I protostars. In addition, we present new observations of deuterated cyanoacetylene and thioformaldehyde towards the Class I protostar SVS13-A. These new observations allow us to better understand the physical and chemical structure of SVS13-A and compare the cyanoacetylene and thioformaldehyde deuteration with other sources in different evolutionary phases.
Protostar
Cyanoacetylene
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