Isolated starless cores in IRDCs in the Hi-GAL survey

TL;DR

This study models isolated starless cores in IRDCs using radiative transfer to understand their physical properties and the influence of the interstellar radiation field, revealing complex relationships between core parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed 3D radiative transfer model of isolated starless cores in IRDCs, analyzing their physical parameters and environmental interactions.

Findings

Core mass does not correlate with size or density.

Surface temperature depends on surrounding ISRF.

Central temperature depends on core density and mass.

Abstract

In a previous paper we identified cores within infrared dark clouds (IRDCs). We regarded those without embedded sources as the least evolved, and labelled them starless. Here we identify the most isolated starless cores and model them using a three-dimensional, multi-wavelength, Monte Carlo, radiative transfer code. We derive the cores' physical parameters and discuss the relation between the mass, temperature, density, size and the surrounding interstellar radiation field (ISRF) for the cores. The masses of the cores were found not to correlate with their radial size or central density. The temperature at the surface of a core was seen to depend almost entirely on the level of the ISRF surrounding the core. No correlation was found between the temperature at the centre of a core and its local ISRF. This was seen to depend, instead, on the density and mass of the core.