Extinction and PAH intensity variations across the HII region IRAS 12063-6259

TL;DR

This study investigates whether extinction causes PAH intensity variations in the HII region IRAS 12063-6259 by comparing multiple extinction maps and PAH feature measurements, finding that extinction is not the primary factor.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive analysis using multiple independent methods to assess extinction and its relation to PAH variations in an HII region, challenging previous assumptions.

Findings

PAH intensity variations largely persist after dereddening.

Different extinction measurement methods yield inconsistent results.

Extinction is not the main driver of PAH intensity variations.

Abstract

The spatial variations in PAH band intensities are normally attributed to the physical conditions of the emitting PAHs, however in recent years it has been suggested that such variations are caused mainly by extinction. To resolve this question, we have obtained near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and radio observations of the compact H ii region IRAS 12063-6259. We use these data to construct multiple independent extinction maps and also to measure the main PAH features (6.2, 7.7, 8.6 and 11.2 {\mu}m) in the MIR. Three extinction maps are derived: the first using the NIR hydrogen lines and case B recombination theory; the second combining the NIR data with radio data; and the third making use of the Spitzer/IRS MIR observations to measure the 9.8 {\mu}m silicate absorption feature using the Spoon method and PAHFIT (as the depth of this feature can be related to overall extinction). The silicate absorption over the bright, southern component of IRAS 12063-6259 is almost absent while the other methods find significant extinction. While such breakdowns of the relationship between the NIR extinction and the 9.8 {\mu}m absorption have been observed in molecular clouds, they have never been observed for HII regions. We then compare the PAH intensity variations in the Spitzer/IRS data after dereddening to those found in the original data. It was found that in most cases, the PAH band intensity variations persist even after dereddening, implying that extinction is not the main cause of the PAH band intensity variations.