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Updated: Mar 13, 2026
10:52
Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
Published on: February 4, 2017
10.3K
The first CO+ image: I. Probing the HI/H2 layer around the ultracompact HII region Mon R2
S P Treviño-Morales1, A Fuente2, Á Sánchez-Monge3
1Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, (Spain); Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Apdo. 112, E-28803 Alcalá de Henares Madrid, (Spain).
Astronomy and Astrophysics
|October 11, 2016
Summary
Carbonyl (CO+) ions trace the boundary of star-forming regions. This study maps CO+ emission in Mon R2, revealing it aligns with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and [CII], confirming its role at the HII/molecular gas interface.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Astrochemistry
- Star Formation
Background:
- Carbonyl (CO+) ions are key tracers for the interface between ionized (HII) regions and hot molecular gas.
- Understanding this boundary is crucial for comprehending star-forming region dynamics and evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map the spatial distribution of CO+ rotational emission in the Mon R2 star-forming region.
- To investigate the role of CO+ as a tracer of photon-dominated regions (PDRs) and the HII/H2 interface.
Main Methods:
- Observational astronomy utilizing rotational emission spectroscopy.
- Spatial correlation analysis of CO+ emission with other PDR tracers like [CII], H2, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and HCO+.
- Determination of CO+ fractional abundance and linewidth analysis.
Main Results:
- CO+ emission exhibits a clumpy, ring-like morphology in a dense layer surrounding the HII region.
- CO+ emission is spatially coincident with PAHs and [CII] emission, confirming its location at the HII/H2 interface.
- Measured CO+ abundances agree with chemical models for dense PDRs with high UV fields.
Conclusions:
- CO+ emission effectively traces the dense layer at the boundary of HII regions.
- The observed linewidths and blue-shifted velocities of CO+ suggest it probes photo-evaporating clump surfaces.
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