Warm ISM in the Sgr A Complex. II. The [C/N] abundance ratio traced by [CII] 158 um and [NII] 205 um observations toward the Arched Filaments at the Galactic center

TL;DR

This study analyzes [CII] and [NII] line observations in the Arched Filaments at the Galactic center to determine the contributions of H II regions and PDRs to [CII] emission and estimate elemental abundance ratios in a high-metallicity environment.

Contribution

It introduces a model-based method to quantify the contributions of H II regions and PDRs to [CII] emission and derives specific [C/N] and [N/H] abundance ratios in the Galactic center.

Findings

The [CII] versus [NII] intensity relationship is explained by models with 0.84 < [C/N] < 1.41.

The fraction of [CII] emission from PDRs varies between 20% and 75%.

Derived abundance ratios are [C/N] = 1.13 and [N/H] = 6.21x10^4, differing from Galactic disk values.

Abstract

Aims. We aim to investigate the I([CII]) versus I([NII]) integrated intensity behavior in the AF region in order to assess the [CII] emission contribution from the H II region, which is traced by [NII] line observations, and PDR components in the high-metallicity environment of the GC. Methods. We used [CII] 158 um and [NII] 205 um fine-structure line observations of the AF in the literature to compare their observational integrated intensity distribution to semi-theoretical predictions for the contribution of H II regions and adjacent PDRs to the observed [CII] emission. We explored variations in the [C/N] elemental abundance ratio to explain the overall behavior of the observed relationship. Based on our models, the H II region and PDR contributions to the observed [CII] emission is calculated for a few positions within and near to the AF. Estimates for the [C/N] abundance ratio and [N/H] nitrogen elemental abundance in the AF can then be derived. Results. The behavior of the I([CII]) versus I([NII]) relationship in the AF can be explained by model results satisfying 0.84 < [C/N]_AF < 1.41, with model metallicities ranging from 1 Z to 2 Z, hydrogen volume density log n(H) = 3.5, and ionization parameters log U from -1 to -2. A least-squares fit to the model data points yields log I([CII]) = 1.068log I([NII]) + 0.645 to predict the [CII] emission arising from the H II regions in the AF. The fraction of the total observed [CII] emission arising from within PDRs varies between ~ 0.20 and ~ 0.75. Our results yield average values for the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and nitrogen elemental abundances of [C/N]_AF = 1.13 +/- 0.09 and [N/H]_AF = 6.21x10^4 for the AF, respectively. They are a factor of ~ 0.4 smaller and ~ 7.5 larger than their corresponding Galactic disk values.