Dense and diffuse gas in dynamically active clouds

Abstract

We investigate the chemical and observational implications of repetitive transient dense core formation in molecular clouds. We allow a transient density fluctuation to form and disperse over a period of 1 Myr, tracing its chemical evolution. We then allow the same gas immediately to undergo further such formation and dispersion cycles. The chemistry of the dense gas in subsequent cycles is similar to that of the first, and a limit cycle is reached quickly (2-3 cycles). Enhancement of hydrocarbon abundances during a specific period of evolution is the strongest indicator of previous dynamical history. The molecular content of the diffuse background gas in the molecular cloud is expected to be strongly enhanced by the core formation and dispersion process. Such enhancement may remain for as long as 0.5 Myr. The frequency of repetitive core formation should strongly determine the level of background molecular enhancement. We also convolve the emission from a synthesized dark cloud, comprised of ensembles of transient dense cores. We find that the dynamical history of the gas, and therefore the chemical state of the diffuse intercore medium, may be determined if a sufficient sample of cores is present in an ensemble. Molecular ratios of key hydrocarbons with SO and SO2 are crucial to this distinction. Only surveys with great enough angular resolution to resolve individual cores, or very small groupings, are expected to show evidence of repetitive dynamical processing. The existence of non-equilibrium chemistry in the diffuse background may have implications for the initial conditions used in chemical models. Observed variations in the chemistries of diffuse and translucent regions may be explained by lines of sight which intersect a number of molecular cloud cores in various stages of evolution. © 2006 RAS.