Backlighting young stellar objects in the Central Molecular Zone: an ensemble-averaged abundance structure of methanol ices

TL;DR

This study uses backlighting of YSOs in the CMZ to derive an ensemble-averaged methanol ice abundance profile, revealing lower methanol levels than in the Galactic disk and potential effects of protostellar heating.

Contribution

First measurement of methanol ice abundance in the CMZ using ensemble-averaged spectra of backlit YSOs, highlighting environmental differences from the Galactic disk.

Findings

Methanol abundance in CMZ ice is 2-5%, lower than in the Galactic disk.

Methanol abundance increases from ~10% in inner regions to ~30% in outer regions.

Heating from protostars may cause sublimation, affecting observed ice ratios.

Abstract

The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) contains a substantial reservoir of dense molecular gas, where numerous young stellar objects (YSOs) and dense cloud cores have been identified. However, the large distance and severe foreground extinction complicate interpretation of infrared ice absorption features tracing chemical and evolutionary properties of these embedded objects. To better characterise YSOs and dense cores in this region, we combined spectra from multiple YSOs, each likely backlit by a giant star, allowing us to probe their outer layers and derive an ensemble-averaged ice abundance profile. We obtained L-band spectra of 15 point-like sources with extremely red colours using Gemini/GNIRS, enabling measurements of the CH3OH absorption feature at 3.535 micron. To better constrain the foreground extinction and H$_2$O ice column densities, we combined these data with K-band and mid-infrared spectra using NASA/IRTF and Spitzer/IRS. We found that the CH$_3$OH abundance in the CH$_3$OH-CO$_2$ ice mixture is 2 to 5 percent, confirming that it is systematically lower than those typically observed in the Galactic disk. Furthermore, by using the local excess of foreground extinction as a proxy for the projected distance between a backlit source and the centre of a YSO, we found that the CH$_3$OH abundance relative to solid CO$_2$ remains near 10 percent in the inner regions of the envelope, but increases sharply to about 30 percent in the outer regions. The relatively low methanol ice abundance may reflect the unique chemical environment of the CMZ. However, our results offer an alternative interpretation: since our sample is biased towards massive and luminous YSOs, intense heating from the central protostar may have caused substantial sublimation of methanol ice in the inner regions of their envelopes, thereby systematically lowering the observed CH$_3$OH/H$_2$O ice ratios.