The molecular ISM in luminous infrared galaxies: a 3mm line survey of Arp 157

TL;DR

This study presents a detailed 3mm molecular line survey of the luminous infrared galaxy Arp 157, revealing complex gas conditions, asymmetric line profiles, and chemical signatures indicative of shocks and radiation fields influencing its starburst activity.

Contribution

First comprehensive molecular line survey of Arp 157, analyzing physical conditions and chemical abundances to understand merger-driven starburst chemistry.

Findings

Detected 19 molecular lines from 12 species.

Identified asymmetric line profiles related to critical density.

Compared molecular abundances with other galaxies and regions.

Abstract

In this work we present a search for molecular line emission in the interacting luminous infrared galaxy Arp 157 (NGC 520). We report the detection of 19 different lines, from 12 different molecular species in our 3mm line survey and supporting 2mm and 1mm observations. We investigated the profiles of the detected lines, and find all species show asymmetric emission lines, with profiles that differ systematically as a function of critical density. We derive the physical conditions within the gas reservoir of this system using isotope ratios, an excitation analysis, and rotation diagrams. We suggest that in this source we are observing a warm (Tex > 23K) edge-on, asymmetric starburst ring, plus a less dense central molecular component, which is more optically thin. We compare our molecular abundances with several well studied galaxies, and with Galactic regions, in order to determine the primary driver of the chemistry in Arp 157. We highlight some significant differences between the abundances of molecules in this source and in the more extreme ultra-luminous infrared galaxy Arp 220. This suggests that different physical mechanisms may become important in driving gas chemistry at different points in the evolution of a merger induced starburst. Of the nearby galaxies we considered, NGC 253 (whose nuclear chemistry is dominated by large-scale shocks) and NGC 1068 (whose nuclear chemistry is X-ray dominated) have the most similar molecular abundances to Arp 157. The Galactic region Sgr B2(OH) (where shock desorption of ices is thought to be important) may also have similar abundances to Arp 157. We hence postulate that shocks and/or the generation of hard radiation fields by the ongoing merger (or a starburst wind), are driving the molecular chemistry in Arp 157.