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Main Authors: Gong, Yan, Zhong, Jiaqiang, Ren, Yuan, Zhang, Yilong, Liu, Daizhong, Ao, Yiping, Yao, Qijun, Zhang, Wen, Miao, Wei, Lin, Zhenhui, Duan, Wenying, Liu, Dong, Zhou, Kangmin, Liu, Jie, Wang, Zheng, Jin, Junda, Zhang, Kun, Wu, Feng, Li, Jinpeng, Liu, Boliang, Zhang, Xuan, Luo, Zhengheng, Wang, Jiameng, Hao, Huiqian, Lu, Xingming, Xie, Shaoming, Quan, Jia, Liu, Yanjie, Liang, Jingtao, Deng, Xianjin, Jiang, Jun, Li, Li, Guo, Liang, Ji, Tuo, Jiang, Peng, Zhang, Yi, Shu, Chenggang, Neupane, Sudeep, Mao, Ruiqing, Shi, Shengcai, Li, Jing
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.07162
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Table of Contents:
  • The cycling of carbon between its ionized, atomic, and molecular phases shapes the chemical compositions and physical conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM). However, ground-based studies of the full carbon cycle have been limited by atmospheric absorption. Dome~A, the most promising site for submillimeter astronomy, has long resisted successful submillimeter astronomical observations. Using the 60~cm Antarctic Terahertz Explorer, we present the first successful CO ($4-3$) and [CI] ($^3P_1 - ^3P_0$) mapping observations of two archetypal triggered massive star-formation regions at Dome~A. These data, together with archival [CII], provide the first complete characterization of all three carbon phases in these environments. We find elevated C$^{0}$/CO abundance ratios in high-extinction regions, plausibly driven by deep penetration of intense radiation fields from massive stars into a clumpy ISM. These findings mark a major milestone for submillimeter astronomy at Dome~A and offer valuable insights into the impact of massive star feedback on the surrounding ISM.

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