Diagnostics of irradiated gas in galaxy nuclei

Abstract

We present a far-ultraviolet (PDR) and an X-ray dominated region (XDR) code. We include and discuss thermal and chemical processes that pertain to irradiated gas. An elaborate chemical network is used and a careful treatment of PAHs and H2 formation, destruction and excitation is included. For both codes we calculate four depth-dependent models for different densities and radiation fields, relevant to conditions in starburst galaxies and active galactic nuclei. A detailed comparison between PDR and XDR physics is made for total gas column densities between ~1020 and ~1025 cm-2. We show cumulative line intensities for a number of fine-structure lines (e.g., [CII], [OI], [CI], [SiII], [FeII]), as well as cumulative column densities and column density ratios for a number of species (e.g., CO/H2, CO/C, HCO+/HCN, HNC/HCN). The comparison between the results for the PDRs and XDRs shows that column density ratios are almost constant up to NH=1022 cm-2 for XDRs, unlike those in PDRs. For example, CO/C in PDRs changes over four orders of magnitude from the edge to NH=1022 cm-2. The CO/C and CO/H2 ratios are lower in XDRs at low column densities and rise at NH>1023 cm-2. At most column densities NH > 1021.5 cm-2, HNC/HCN ratios are lower in XDRs too, but they show a more moderate increase at higher NH.