Molecular Gas toward Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Abstract

We mapped 12 CO  J = 1–0, 12 CO  J = 2–1, 13 CO  J = 1–0, and 13 CO  J = 2–1 lines toward supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A with the IRAM 30 m telescope. The molecular clouds (MCs) along the line of sight of Cas A do not show optically thin, shock-broadened 12 CO lines ( toward Cas A), or high-temperature features from shock heating ( toward Cas A). Therefore, we suggest that there is no physical evidence to support that the SNR is impacting the molecular gas. All the detected MCs are likely in front of Cas A, as implied by the HCO + absorption line detected in the same velocity ranges. These MCs contribute H 2 column densities of , , and in the west, south, and center of the SNR, respectively. The 20 K warm gas at is distributed along a large-scale molecular ridge in the south of Cas A. Part of the gas is projected onto Cas A, providing a foreground H 2 mass of , consistent with the mass of cold dust (15–20 K; 2–4 ) found in front of the SNR. We suggest that the 20 K warm gas is heated by background cosmic rays with an ionization rate of . The cosmic rays and X-ray emission from Cas A are excluded as the heating sources of the clouds.