ATOMS: ALMA three-millimetre observations of massive star-forming regions – XIV. Properties of resolved ultra-compact HII regions

Abstract

Hydrogen radio recombination lines (RRLs) are one of the major diagnostics of the physical properties of HII regions. We use RRL H40α, He40α, and 3 mm continuum emission to investigate the properties of a large sample of resolved UC HII regions identified in the ATOMS survey. In total, we identify 94 UC HII regions from H40α emission. The basic parameters for these UC HII regions, such as electron density, emission measure, electron temperature, ionic abundance ratio (nHe+/nH+), and line width are derived. The median electron density and the median nHe+/nH+ ratio of these UC HII regions derived from RRLs are ∼9000 cm−3 and 0.11, respectively. Within UC HII regions, the nHe+/nH+ ratios derived from the intensity ratio of the He40α and H40α lines seems to be higher in the boundary region than in the centre. The H40α line width is mainly broadened by thermal motion and microturbulence. The electron temperature of these UC HII regions has a median value of ∼6700 K, and its dependence on galactocentric distance is weak.