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| Format: | Preprint |
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2024
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.05978 |
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| _version_ | 1866913383740080128 |
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| author | Furuya, Kenji Shimonishi, Takashi |
| author_facet | Furuya, Kenji Shimonishi, Takashi |
| contents | Understanding in which chemical forms phosphorus exists in star- and planet-forming regions and how phosphorus is delivered to planets are of great interest from the viewpoint of the origin of life on Earth. Phosphine (PH3) is thought to be a key species to understanding phosphorus chemistry, but never has been detected in star- and planet-forming regions. We performed sensitive observations of the ortho-PH3 $1_0-0_0$ transition (266.944 GHz) toward the low-mass prestellar core L1544 with the ACA stand-alone mode of ALMA. The line was not detected down to 3$σ$ levels in 0.07 km s$^{-1}$ channels of 18 mK. The non-detection provides the upper limit to the gas-phase PH3 abundance of $5\times10^{-12}$ with respect to H2 in the central part of the core. Based on the gas-ice astrochemical modeling, we find the scaling relationship between the gas-phase PH3 abundance and the volatile (gas and ice with larger volatility than water) P elemental abundance for given physical conditions. This characteristic and well-constrained physical properties of L1544 allow us to constrain the upper limit to the volatile P elemental abundance of $5\times10^{-9}$, which is a factor of 60 lower than the overall P abundance in the ISM. Then the majority of P should exist in refractory forms. The volatile P elemental abundance of L1544 is smaller than that in the coma of comet 67P/C-G, implying that the conversion of refractory phosphorus to volatile phosphorus could have occurred along the trail from the presolar core to the protosolar disk through e.g., sputtering by accretion/outflow shocks. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_05978 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Deep Search for Phosphine in a Prestellar Core Furuya, Kenji Shimonishi, Takashi Astrophysics of Galaxies Understanding in which chemical forms phosphorus exists in star- and planet-forming regions and how phosphorus is delivered to planets are of great interest from the viewpoint of the origin of life on Earth. Phosphine (PH3) is thought to be a key species to understanding phosphorus chemistry, but never has been detected in star- and planet-forming regions. We performed sensitive observations of the ortho-PH3 $1_0-0_0$ transition (266.944 GHz) toward the low-mass prestellar core L1544 with the ACA stand-alone mode of ALMA. The line was not detected down to 3$σ$ levels in 0.07 km s$^{-1}$ channels of 18 mK. The non-detection provides the upper limit to the gas-phase PH3 abundance of $5\times10^{-12}$ with respect to H2 in the central part of the core. Based on the gas-ice astrochemical modeling, we find the scaling relationship between the gas-phase PH3 abundance and the volatile (gas and ice with larger volatility than water) P elemental abundance for given physical conditions. This characteristic and well-constrained physical properties of L1544 allow us to constrain the upper limit to the volatile P elemental abundance of $5\times10^{-9}$, which is a factor of 60 lower than the overall P abundance in the ISM. Then the majority of P should exist in refractory forms. The volatile P elemental abundance of L1544 is smaller than that in the coma of comet 67P/C-G, implying that the conversion of refractory phosphorus to volatile phosphorus could have occurred along the trail from the presolar core to the protosolar disk through e.g., sputtering by accretion/outflow shocks. |
| title | Deep Search for Phosphine in a Prestellar Core |
| topic | Astrophysics of Galaxies |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.05978 |