A Search for Carbon-Chain-Rich Cores in Dark Clouds

TL;DR

This study surveys dark cloud cores for carbon-chain molecules, identifying regions with high carbon-chain abundance indicative of early chemical stages, and explores their variation across different cloud complexes and evolutionary stages.

Contribution

It provides new detections of carbon-chain-rich cores and analyzes the variation of chemical abundances across multiple dark cloud regions, highlighting potential evolutionary implications.

Findings

Identified new carbon-chain-rich cores, including L492 and L483.

Found significant variation in NH3/CCS ratios among different cloud complexes.

Detected a core with possible warm carbon-chain chemistry, L483.

Abstract

We present results of a survey of CCS, HC$_{3}$N, and HC$_{5}$N toward 40 dark cloud cores to search for "Carbon-Chain--Producing Regions(CCPRs)", where carbon-chain molecules are extremely abundant relative to NH$_{3}$, as in L1495B, L1521B, L1521E, and the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1. We have mainly observed toward cores where the NH$_{3}$ lines are weak, not detected, or not observed in previous surveys, and the CCS, HC$_{3}$N, and HC$_{5}$N lines have been detected toward 17, 17, and 5 sources, respectively. Among them, we have found a CCPR, L492, and its possible candidates, L1517D, L530D, L1147, and L1172B. They all show low abundance ratios of [NH$_{3}$]/[CCS] (hereafter called the NH$_{3}$/CCS ratio) indicating the chemical youth. Combining our results with those of previous surveys, we have found a significant variation of the NH$_{3}$/CCS ratio among dark cloud cores and among molecular cloud complexes. Such a variation is also suggested by the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules. For instance, the NH$_{3}$/CCS ratios are higher and the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules are lower in the Ophiuchus cores than in the Taurus cores. An origin of these systematic abundance variation is discussed in terms of the difference in the evolutionary stage or the contraction timescale. We have also identified a carbon-chain-rich star-forming core, L483, where intense HC$_{3}$N and HC$_{5}$N lines are detected. This is a possible candidate for a core with "Warm Carbon-Chain Chemistry".