Spectral scan of the star-forming region DR21(OH). Observations and LTE analysis

Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2010

Seventy-eight molecules have been detected as a result of a spectral survey of the star-forming region DR21(OH) at 84-115 GHz. The abundances of most molecules are typical of those in the dense cores of molecular clouds. The rotational temperatures derived using the lines of most molecules fall in the range 9-56 K, which is also typical for dense cores. However, emission from high-lying levels of methanol and sulfur dioxide was detected; since the rotational temperatures for methanol and sulfur dioxide are 252 and 186 K, this indicates the presence of hot regions. Another fact indicating the existence of hot regions is the detection of CH3OCHO, CH3CH2OH, and CH3OCH3, which have thus far been observed only in hot cores and shock-heated regions. An interesting result is the tentative detection of the J = 2 - 1, v = 1 SiO line, with the upper level energy of 1775 K. This is probably a maser line, similar to but weaker than the well-known SiO masers in the star-forming regions Orion-KL,W51(N), and Sgr B2(N).