CO emission and CO hotspots in diffuse molecular gas

TL;DR

This study investigates CO emission and hotspots in diffuse molecular gas, revealing complex chemical processes, variable ratios, and small regions of enhanced CO, with implications for understanding molecular cloud composition.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the formation and distribution of CO and related molecules in diffuse gas, highlighting the presence of small CO hotspots and their chemical signatures.

Findings

CO hotspots are small regions with enhanced N(CO)

N( ext{C}^{13} ext{O})/N( ext{C}^{18} ext{O}) > 20-40

HCO+ and CO emissions are linked through electron collisions

Abstract

We observed $\lambda$3mm \cotw, \coth, \coei, \hcop, HCN and CS emission from diffuse molecular gas along sightlines with \EBV\ $\approx$ 0.1 - 1 mag. Directions were mostly chosen for their proximity to sightlines toward background mm-wave continuum sources studied in \hcop\ absorption, at positions where maps of \cotw\ at 1\arcmin\ resolution showed surprisingly bright integrated CO J=1-0 emission \WCO\ = 5-12 K-\kms\ but we also observed in L121 near \zoph. Coherence emerges when data are considered over a broad range of \cotw\ and \coth\ brightness. \WCO/\Wth\ and N(\cotw)/N(\coth) are 20-40 for \WCO\ $\la 5$ K-\kms\ and N(CO) $\la 5\times 10^{15}\pcc$, increasing with much scatter for larger \WCO\ or N(CO). N(\coth)/N(\coei) $> 20-40$ ($3\sigma$) vs. an intrinsic ratio $^{13}$C/$^{18}$O = 8.4, from a combination of selective photodissociation and enhancement of \coth. The observations are understandable if \cotw\ forms from the thermal recombination of \hcop\ with electrons, after which the observed \coth\ forms via endothermic carbon isotope exchange with $^{13}$C\p. \WCS/\WCO\ increases abruptly for \WCO\ $\ga 10$ K-\kms\ and \WCS/\Whcop\ is bimodal, showing two branches having N(CS)/N(\hcop) $\approx 5$ and 1.25. Because CO formation and \hcop\ excitation both involve collisions between \hcop\ and ambient electrons, comparison of the CO and \hcop\ emission shows that the CO hotspots are small regions of enhanced N(CO) occupying only a small fraction of the column density of the medium in which they are embedded. \hcop/CO and HCN/CO brightness ratios are 1-2\% with obvious implications for determinations of the true dense gas fraction.