Molecules traced in absorption
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Transcript of Molecules traced in absorption
Molecules traced in absorption
SAAS-FEE Lecture 7
Françoise COMBES
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Advantages of the absorption
Absorption measures are very useful, in particular in the Galaxy, where both emission and absorption can be detected along the same line of sight
Obtention of the physical conditions, T, NSpatial resolution with absorption (QSO size)
However, there is a bias towards cold gas, for absorption
In the Rayleigh-Jeans domainTA* = (Tex -Tbg) (1 - e-τ)
Emission when Tex > Tbg
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For the atomic line HI at 21cm for instancelarge influence of stimulated emission ("negative absorption")since the ΔT between the two levels F=1, 0 is only ~0.7 K
ƒτdv ~ N/T
In emission, N(cm-2) ~ƒTexτdv ~ƒTadv==> independent of temperature
While the optical depth of the absorption signal is in 1/T
Experiences ON-source, and OFF-source Ta(ON), Ta(OFF)gives Tex or Tsp
In the millimeter, CO rotation for instance at 2.6mmthere exists the whole rotational ladder
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Emission: depends on temperature, since Nu/Ntot = gu/Z e-Eu/kT
Nu(cm-2) ~ƒTexτdv ~ƒTadv if τ << 1, and Ntot ~T Nu eEu/kT
Absorption: ƒτdv ~ N/T (1- e-hν/kT)
strongly weighted by the temperature Tex
Since collisional excitation requires 4 104 cm-3 for CO, and 1.6 107 cm-3 for HCN
In hot (kinetic temperature) and diffuse media, the excitation temperature will be very low, --> 2.76 K
Absorption is weighted by the diffuse medium
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Molecular absorption in the Galaxy
More difficult to observe, since continuum sources are weaker(S ~ν-α) and smaller. Requires interferometry to resolve and distinguish from emission
==> explains the work is recent (the last decade)Marscher et al (1991) in front of BlLac
Small filling factor in surface, even of the diffuse CO medium9 3C sources/100 have CO emission (Liszt & Wilson 93)Among them, 60% show absorption
Extinction of only Av~1 mag, but already very abundant chemistry(Lucas & Liszt, 1994)!
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Liszt & Lucas 2001
Survey of 30 l.o.s. (Lucas & Liszt 96)HCO+ 30% as often as HI absmore frequent than CO
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13CO, CN, HCO+, HCN, HNC, C2H, N2H+ (Lucas & Liszt 94-98)
with line ratios quite variable from one l.o.s. to the other
Big surprise, the strength of HCO+ absorption, in these diffuse media
-- higher critical density, so HCO+ is "cold"-- chemistry to be revised in diffuse medium!
Some lines are very optically thick (13CO is detected)others τ << 1 (hyperfine lines of HCN, in the ratio 5:3:1 expected)
ΔV = 0.5 - 1km/s
Abundances of CO versus HCO+ variable by 20!Bistability? Chaos ? (Le Bourlot et al 1993)
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Absorptions sometimes variable over a year time-scalepresence of clumpy material, of sizes 10-100 AU in front on thecontinuum sourceAlso spatial fluctuations in the chemistry (Liszt & Lucas 2000)CO can form rapidly from HCO+ in diffuse clouds
H2 can form at relatively low densitywhenever H2 is there HCO+/H2 = 2 10-9
and then CO forms by recombination of HCO+ (CO turn on)
HCO+ is linearly correlated with OHX(HCO+) = 0.03-0.05 X(OH) even at low column density
CO forms later (when C+ is recombined)
Diffuse clouds have chemical abundances of dark clouds!
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Liszt & Lucas, 96, 2000
OH and HCO+ tightly correlatedat low column density,contrary to CO
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Computed temperatures for gas spheresof N(H) = 5 1020cm-2, according to density
CO and C+ column density for the same models (Liszt & Lucas 2000)
H2 formation can occur at low density,while HCO+ is present, but not COthe C is still largely under C+
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N(CO) increases abruptlywhen N(HCO+) = 1-2 1012 cm-2
slope of the power-law: 1.5
CO and H2 column density from theUV (Federman et al 95)
Slope of the power-law is 2.02
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ΔV(HCO+) = 15% higher ΔV(CO)
Surprisingly large 13CO abundanceFractionation, much more efficientthan selective photodissociation
12CO + 13C+ --> 13CO +12C+
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Extragalactic molecular absorptions When the line of sight of a radio-loud QSO crosses a galaxy, andalso a molecular cloud (quite rare) ==> absorption in the mm, cm
Prolongation to the high column density of the Lyα absorbersin particular DLA ==> N(NH) power law
•Lyα forest N ~ 1013 cm-2 (intergalactic filaments)
•HI-21cm 1020 cm-2 (Damped Lyα systems) Outer parts of galaxies
•CO, HCO+.. 1020-24 cm-2 (the center of galaxies)
The number (N) decreases as a power law
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Comparison with emission
The absorption technique is much more sensitive than emission
At high redshift for instance, the detection limit is 1010MoWhile the absorption limit does not depend on redshiftAs soon as the QSO source behind is detected, the absorptionlimit is in optical depth τThe source is quasi ponctual at mm, up to 1012K
Galactic versus extragalactic:for MW absorption studies, interferometer is required, since absorptionis generally buried among strong emission of local molecular clouds
The nearest absorption is Centaurus A, where both are of the same order
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Centaurus A
Eckart et al 90
In CO line emission and absorption aredetected
Many other lines are detected in absorptiononly (Wiklind & Combes 1997)
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No temporal variation (Wiklind & Combes 1997)
==> Constraints can be put on the source size,of > 500 AU
Low density gas, low excitation and low Tkin
optically thin lines
Wide absorption in HCO+, could correpond to anuclear disk
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Higher redshift absorptions
First high-z absorption towards the BLLac object PKS1413+135(Wiklind & Combes 1994), after many unfruitful searches towards DLAs
Since then, 4-5 systems are known, but remain rare
Half of them are gravitationally lensed objectsPKS1830-211 and B0218+357
The absorbing molecular clouds are in the lensing galaxy==> a way to find molecules in normal galaxies at high z
Redshifts range up to z~1 (the QSO at z~2), difficult to find higherredshifts QSO, that are strong enough in the mm (steep spectrum)
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In absorption, detected masses can be only 1 MoLarge variety of line widths, optical depths, sometimesseveral lines are detected along the same l.o.s.
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Selection of candidates:
-- Strong mm source (0.15 Jy at 3mm) only 100-200
-- already an absorption detected in HI-21cm, or DLAs, or MgII or CaII
-- absence of previous absorption, but known gravitational lens (VLBI)(Webster et al 95, Stickel & Kuhr 93)
-- same as above, without any known redshift: the case of PKS1830-211The redshift was discovered in the mmsweeping of the band (14 GHz = 14 tuning, and already 2 lines)
--sources where the redshift searched is that of the QSO
Mostly negative results!
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PKS1413+135 z=0.247
McHardy et al 94
Very narrow absorption < 1km/s (2 comp)BlLac, very variable, also in radio
optically thin, N(H2) > 1022 cm-2, Av > 30 mag
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Temporal variability, and small-scale structure
The opacity ratio between the two components has varied by 2.3over 2 years
Variations due to thel.o.s. change due to the variability of the continuum source
Superluminic sourceCore unresolved 2.3masor 7pc, might be 10μas = 0.03pc
250km/s = 50AU/yr insufficient (100yrs)> 25 000 km/s required ==> must come from the core
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Compatible with either a multi-component model with similar filling factors or with dense clumps embedded in a diffuse medium
The diffuse component accounts for most of the absorption, whilethe clumps comprise most of the mass
Because of the very narrow velocity widththe cloud along the l.o.s. must be quite small1pc according to size/line-width relationn(H2) ~104 cm-3
variability seen in the CO, not in HCO+(more optically thick)HCO+ more from the diffuse component
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B3 1504+377 z=0.672
7 different molecular linesLarge separation 330km/snuclear ring + spiral armabsorption hosted by the sourceHNC/HCN => Tkin = Tex
HCO+ enhanced by 10-100diffuse + clumps
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B0218+357 z=0.685
Gravitational lens (two images A and B)The largest column density 1024cm-2
Two images separation 335mas (1.8kpc)
All three CO isotopesare optically thick
This was an excellent oppotunity to searchfor O2 without atmospheric absorptionLines at 368 and 424 GHzO2/CO < 2 10-3 (Combes et al 97)most of O in OI??
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H2O detection at 557 GHz, very large τ =40 000
LiH tentative detection
H2O ubiquitous and coldT=10-15 KH2O/H2=10-5
HD and LiH cooling linesLiH 21K above ground
444GHz line of LiH, optically thinvery narrow, LiH/H2 ~3 10-12
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Two images A and B, separated by HST(335mas)
VLBA measurements (Patnaik et al 93, 95)
The two images separated in A1, A2,B1, B2 (lens potential non spherical)
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PKS1830-211 z=0.88582
2 images, + Einstein ring
But 2 absorbing systems,one at z=0.19 seen in HI
Frye et al 97
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Two components, covering each one image of the sourceas confirmed by PdB (Wiklind & Combes 1998)
Slight temporal variability
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Monitoring, measure of H0
The single dish (without resolving the 2 images) can followthe intensity of the two, since they are absorbing at two V
Monitoring during 3 years (1h per week)==> delay of 24+5 days, H0 = 69 +12 km/s/Mpc
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Evolution of chemical conditions?
Various line ratios have been obtained in the many absorptions at all z
There does not seem to be variations versus z=0 (open circles)but large scatter, even at z=0 (Lucas & Liszt 94, 06)
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Measure of Tmb (z)Low excitation (diffuse gas) Tex ~TmbThe case for PKS1830-211
Several transitions give the sameresult (slightly lower, due to a microlens)
From UV H2 linesSrianand et al 2000
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Variation of constants
Kaluza-Klein theories, Strings and M-theory, predictvariations of α = e2/hc fine structure constantHeterodyne resolution R=106
Method of Alkali doubletof many multipletWebb et al (2001)
Appears to have a variation, at high z only
Murphy et al (2001)Δ α / α =(-0.72 +0.18 )10-5
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H2 bands in absorption, at high z
UV lines at high z Foltz et al (1988) N(H2) = 1018cm-2,
Ge Bechtold (97) z=1.97N(H2) = 7 1019cm-2, T=70K n =300cm-3
total N(H) = 1020cm-2, f(H2) = 0.22 dust and strong CISrianand et al (2000), Petitjean et al (2000)
LMC
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PKS1232+082z=2.3377
Petitjean et al 00
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Conclusion
Absorption is a precious tool to observe cold gasdiffuse, with low excitation
Small masses are detected
Chemistry can be investigated
Gas in galaxies that are not ultra-luminous
Bias in the optical/UV towards low column density