Clumpy photon-dominated regions in Carina. I. [CI] and mid-J CO lines in two 4'x4' fields

TL;DR

This study uses a clumpy PDR model to analyze atomic carbon and CO line emissions in two regions of the Carina nebula, revealing the physical conditions and FUV radiation fields influencing star formation feedback.

Contribution

It applies a detailed clumpy PDR model to interpret multi-line observations in Carina, providing insights into the gas excitation and structure in massive star-forming regions.

Findings

Clumpy PDR models reproduce observed line emissions.

Average clump density needed is 2x10^5 cm^-3.

FUV field varies between regions, affecting gas heating.

Abstract

The Carina region is an excellent astrophysical laboratory for studying the feedback mechanisms of newly born, very massive stars within their natal giant molecular clouds (GMCs) at only 2.35 kpc distance. We use a clumpy PDR model to analyse the observed intensities of atomic carbon and CO and to derive the excitation conditions of the gas. The NANTEN2-4m submillimeter telescope was used to map the [CI] 3P1-3P0, 3P2-3P1 and CO 4-3, 7-6 lines in two 4'x4' regions of Carina where molecular material interfaces with radiation from the massive star clusters. One region is the northern molecular cloud near the compact OB cluster Tr14, and the second region is in the molecular cloud south of etaCar and Tr16. These data were combined with 13CO SEST spectra, HIRES/IRAS 60um and 100um maps of the FIR continuum, and maps of 8um IRAC/Spitzer and MSX emission. We used the HIRES far-infrared dust data to create a map of the FUV field heating the gas. The northern region shows an FUV field of a few 1000 in Draine units while the field of the southern region is about a factor 10 weaker. We constructed models consisting of an ensemble of small spherically symmetric PDR clumps within the 38" beam (0.43pc), which follow canonical power-law mass and mass-size distributions. We find that an average local clump density of 2x10**5 cm-3 is needed to reproduce the observed line emission at two selected interface positions. Stationary, clumpy PDR models reproduce the observed cooling lines of atomic carbon and CO at two positions in the Carina Nebula.