Chemical tracers in proto-brown dwarfs: CN, HCN, and HNC observations

TL;DR

This study investigates nitrogen chemistry in proto-brown dwarfs using IRAM observations, revealing high CN/HCN ratios linked to UV flux and suggesting HNC as a tracer for early-stage sub-stellar objects.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed molecular abundance analysis of proto-brown dwarfs, highlighting the potential of HNC as an early-stage tracer and comparing their chemistry to protostars.

Findings

Proto-brown dwarfs show high CN/HCN ratios (>20) due to UV flux.

HNC/HCN ratios are near or above unity, influenced by temperature and density.

HNC abundance remains relatively constant, unlike in protostars.

Abstract

We present results from a study of nitrogen chemistry in Class 0/I proto-brown dwarfs (proto-BDs). We have used the IRAM 30 m telescope to observe the CN (2-1), HCN (3-2), and HNC (3-2) lines in 7 proto-BDs. All proto-BDs show a large CN/HCN abundance ratio of >20, and a HNC/HCN abundance ratio close to or larger than unity. The enhanced CN/HCN ratios can be explained by high UV flux originating from an active accretion zone in the proto-BDs. The larger than unity HNC/HCN ratio for the proto-BDs is likely caused by a combination of low temperature and high density. Both CN and HNC show a flat distribution with CO, indicating that these species can survive in regions where CO is depleted. We have investigated the correlations in the molecular abundances of these species for the proto-BDs with Class 0/I protostars. We find tentative trends of CN (HCN) abundances being about an order of magnitude higher (lower) in the proto-BDs compared to protostars. HNC for the proto-BDs shows a nearly constant abundance unlike the large spread of ~2 orders of magnitude seen for the protostars. Also notable is a rise in the HNC/HCN abundance ratio for the lowest luminosity objects, suggesting that this ratio is higher under low-temperature environments. None of the relatively evolved Class Flat/Class II brown dwarfs in our sample show emission in HNC. The HNC molecule can be considered as an efficient tracer to search and identify early stage sub-stellar mass objects.