Reconstructing the shock history in the CMZ of NGC 253 with ALCHEMI
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2023
Context. HNCO and SiO are well-known shock tracers and have been observed in nearby galaxies, including the nearby (D = 3.5 Mpc) starburst galaxy NGC 253. The simultaneous detection of these two species in regions where the star-formation rate is high may be used to study the shock history of the gas. Aims. We perform a multi-line molecular study of NGC 253 using the shock tracers SiO and HNCO and aim to characterize its gas properties. We also explore the possibility of reconstructing the shock history in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of the galaxy. Methods. Six SiO transitions and eleven HNCO transitions were imaged at high resolution 1.·6 (28 pc) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) as part of the ALCHEMI Large Programme. Both non local thermaldynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative transfer analysis and chemical modeling were performed in order to characterize the gas properties and investigate the chemical origin of the emission. Results. The nonLTE radiative transfer analysis coupled with Bayesian inference shows clear evidence that the gas traced by SiO has different densities and temperatures than that traced by HNCO, with an indication that shocks are needed to produce both species. Chemical modeling further confirms such a scenario and suggests that fast and slow shocks are responsible for SiO and HNCO production, respectively, in most GMCs. We are also able to infer the physical characteristics of the shocks traced by SiO and HNCO for each GMC. Conclusions. Radiative transfer and chemical analysis of the SiO and HNCO in the CMZ of NGC 253 reveal a complex picture whereby most of the GMCs are subjected to shocks. We speculate on the possible shock scenarios responsible for the observed emission and provide potential history and timescales for each shock scenario. Observations of higher spatial resolution for these two species are required in order to quantitatively differentiate between the possible scenarios.
Astrochemistry
Galaxies: starburst
Galaxies: individual: NGC253
ISM: molecules
Galaxies: ISM
Författare
K. Y. Huang
Universiteit Leiden
Serena Viti
University College London (UCL)
Universiteit Leiden
Jonathan Holdship
University College London (UCL)
Universiteit Leiden
J. G. Mangum
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
S. Martin
European Southern Observatory Santiago
Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA)
N. Harada
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Academia Sinica
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Sebastien Muller
Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Onsala rymdobservatorium
K. Sakamoto
Academia Sinica
Kunihiko Tanaka
Keio University
Y. Yoshimura
University of Tokyo
R. Herrero-Illana
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
European Southern Observatory Santiago
D. S. Meier
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
National Radio Astronomy Observatory Socorro
E. Behrens
University of Virginia
P. van der Werf
Universiteit Leiden
C. Henkel
Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory
King Abdulaziz University
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
S. G. Burillo
Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (OAN)
Víctor M. Rivilla
Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB)
K.L. Emig
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
L. Colzi
Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB)
Pedro Humire
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Rebeca Aladro
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
M. Bouvier
Universiteit Leiden
Astronomy and Astrophysics
0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)
Vol. 675 A151Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2011)
Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi
Atom- och molekylfysik och optik
Geologi
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202245659