Deuterated methanol in Orion BN/KL

TL;DR

This study presents high-resolution images of deuterated methanol in Orion BN/KL, revealing spatial distribution, abundance ratios, and new molecular detections, which enhance understanding of star formation and molecular chemistry in this complex region.

Contribution

First high angular resolution imaging of deuterated methanol in Orion BN/KL, providing detailed spatial distribution and new molecular detections that inform star formation processes.

Findings

Deuterated methanol emission peaks in the Hot Core southwest region.

CH2DOH/CH3OH abundance ratios are around 10^-3.

Detection of a new CH3OD transition in the interstellar medium.

Abstract

Deuterated molecules have been detected and studied toward Orion BN/KL in the past decades, mostly with single-dish telescopes. However, high angular resolution data are critical not only for interpreting the spatial distribution of the deuteration ratio but also for understanding this complex region in terms of cloud evolution involving star-forming activities and stellar feedbacks. We present here the first high angular resolution (1.8 arcsec \times 0.8 arcsec) images of deuterated methanol CH2DOH in Orion BN/KL observed with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer from 1999 to 2007 in the 1 to 3 mm range. Six CH2DOH lines were detected around 105.8, 223.5, and 225.9 GHz. In addition, three E-type methanol lines around 101-102 GHz were detected and were used to derive the corresponding CH3OH rotational temperatures and column densities toward different regions across Orion BN/KL. The strongest CH2DOH and CH3OH emissions come from the Hot Core southwest region with an LSR velocity of about 8 km/s. We derive [CH2DOH]/[CH3OH] abundance ratios of 0.8-1.3\times10^-3 toward three CH2DOH emission peaks. A new transition of CH3OD was detected at 226.2 GHz for the first time in the interstellar medium. Its distribution is similar to that of CH2DOH. Besides, we find that the [CH2DOH]/[CH3OD] abundance ratios are lower than unity in the central part of BN/KL. Furthermore, the HDO 3(1,2)-2(2,1) line at 225.9 GHz was detected and its emission distribution shows a shift of a few arcseconds with respect to the deuterated methanol emission that likely results from different excitation effects. The deuteration ratios derived along Orion BN/KL are not markedly different from one clump to another. However, various processes such as slow heating due to ongoing star formation, heating by luminous infrared sources, or heating by shocks could be competing to explain some local differences observed for these ratios.