Evolution of Chemistry and Molecular Line Profiles during Protostellar Collapse

Abstract

Understanding the chemical evolution in star-forming cores is a necessary precondition to correctly assessing physical conditions when using molecular emission. We follow the evolution of chemistry and molecular line profiles through the entire star formation process, including a self-consistent treatment of dynamics, dust continuum radiative transfer, gas energetics, chemistry, molecular excitation, and line radiative transfer. In particular, the chemical code follows a gas parcel as it falls toward the center, passing through regimes of density, dust temperature, and gas temperature that are changing because of both the motion of the parcel and the evolving luminosity of the central source. We combine a sequence of Bonnor-Ebert spheres and the inside-out collapse model to describe dynamics from the pre-protostellar stage to later stages. The overall structures of abundance profiles show complex behavior that can be understood as interactions betweenfreezeout and evaporation of molecules. We find that the presence or absence of gas-phase CO has a tremendous effect on the less abundant species. In addition, the ambient radiation field and the grainproperties have important effects on the chemical evolution, and the variations in abundance have strong effects on the predictedemission-line profiles. Multitransition and multiposition observations are necessary to constrain the parameters and interpret observations correctly in terms of physical conditions. Good spatial and spectral resolution is also important in distinguishing evolutionary stages.