CO in the C1 globule of the Helix nebula with ALMA

TL;DR

This study uses ALMA observations to analyze the molecular composition and physical properties of the C1 globule in the Helix nebula, revealing its complex structure and challenging existing models of its formation.

Contribution

First detailed ALMA-based analysis of the C1 globule's molecular content, providing new insights into its mass, structure, and formation mechanisms.

Findings

Confirmed the molecular nature of the globule with a multi-peak structure.

Derived isotopic ratios inconsistent with typical AGB star expectations.

Estimated a higher molecular mass (~2x10^-4 Msol) than previously reported.

Abstract

We present and analyse 12CO, 13CO and C18O(2-1) ALMA observations of the C1 globule inside the Helix nebula in order to determine its physical properties. Our findings confirm the molecular nature of the globule with a multi-peak structure. The 12CO line has a high optical depth of about 10. The derived 12C/13C ratio of 10 and 16O/18O ratio of 115 are not in agreement with the expected isotopic ratios of carbon-rich AGB stars. Assuming that the 12CO optical depth has been underestimated, we can find a consistent fit for an initial mass of 2 Msol. We obtain a molecular mass of 2x10-4 Msol for the C1 globule, which is much higher than its mass in the literature. Clumping could play a role in the high molecular mass of the knot. The origin of the tail is discussed. Our findings show that the most probable model appears to be shadowing. The kinematics and molecular morphology of the knot are not consistent with a wind-swept model and the photoevaporation model alone is not enough to explain the nature of the globule. We propose an integrated model where the effects of the photoevaporation, the stream and shadowing models are all considered in the tail shaping process.