Gas-phase Molecules in Protoplanetary Nebulae with the 21 {\mu}m Emission Feature II. Carbon monosulfide

TL;DR

This study investigates gas-phase molecules in protoplanetary nebulae with the 21 μm feature, finding CS molecules are scarce and their abundance varies with object properties, providing clues to the feature's carrier.

Contribution

First observational analysis of CS and CO lines in PPNe with the 21 μm feature, highlighting the scarcity of CS and its variable abundance in these objects.

Findings

CS is detected in only one of seven PPNe observed.

CS abundance varies depending on evolutionary stage and object properties.

Provides constraints on CS presence in PPNe with the 21 μm feature.

Abstract

The carrier of the 21 ${\mu}$m emission feature discovered in a handful of protoplanetary nebulae (PPNe) is one of the most intriguing enigmas in circumstellar chemistry. Investigating the gas-phase molecules in PPNe could yield important hints for understanding the 21 ${\mu}$m feature. In this paper, we report observations of the CS $J = 5 \to 4$ line at 245 GHz and the CO $J = 1 \to 0$ line at 115 GHz toward seven PPNe exhibiting the 21 ${\mu}$m feature. We find that CS is extremely scarce in these PPNe and the CS line is only detected in one source, IRAS Z02229+6208. Based on the assumption of local thermal equilibrium and negligible optical depth, we derive that the CS column densities and fractional abundances relative to H$_{2}$ are $N$(CS) < 9.1 ${\times}$ 10$^{13}$cm$^{-2}$ and $f$(CS) < 8.1 ${\times}$ 10$^{-7}$. A comparison of the CS abundances across different circumstellar envelopes reveals that the variations in CS abundance are complex, depending not only on the evolutionary stages but also on the properties of individual objects.