Herschel/HIFI observations of high-J CO lines in the NGC 1333 low-mass star-forming region

Abstract

Herschel/HIFI observations of high-J lines (up to Ju = 10) of 12CO, 13CO and C18O are presented toward three deeply embedded low-mass protostars, NGC 1333 IRAS 2A, IRAS 4A, and IRAS 4B, obtained as part of the Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel (WISH) key program. The spectrally-resolved HIFI data are complemented by ground-based observations of lower-J CO and isotopologue lines. The 12CO10 -9 profiles are dominated by broad (FWHM 25-30 km s-1) emission. Radiative transfer models are used to constrain the temperature of this shocked gas to 100-200 K. Several CO and 13CO line profiles also reveal a medium-broad component (FWHM5-10 km s-1), seen prominently in H2O lines. Column densities for both components are presented, providing a reference for determining abundances of other molecules in the same gas. The narrow C18O 9-8 lines probe the warmer part of the quiescent envelope. Their intensities require a jump in the CO abundance at an evaporation temperature around 25 K, thus providing new direct evidence for a CO ice evaporation zone around low-mass protostars. © 2010 ESO.