Millimeter Detection of AlO (X^2 Σ ^+): Metal Oxide Chemistry in the Envelope of VY Canis Majoris

Details Millimeter Detection of AlO (X^2 Σ ^+): Metal Oxide Chemistry in the Envelope of VY Canis Majoris Millimeter Detection of AlO (X^2 Σ ^+): Metal Oxide Chemistry in the Envelope of VY Canis Majoris

Jun 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009mss..confewi03t&link_type=abstract

"International Symposium On Molecular Spectroscopy, 64th Meeting, Held 22-26 June, 2009 at Ohio State University. http://molspec

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Astronomical Species And Processes

Scientific paper

A new circumstellar molecule, the radical AlO (X^2 Σ ^+), has been detected toward the envelope of the oxygen-rich supergiant star VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) using the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO). The N = 7 → 6 and 6 → 5 rotational transitions of AlO at 268 and 230 GHz were observed at 1 mm using the ARO Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) and the N = 4 → 3 line was detected at 2 mm using the ARO 12 m. Based on the shape of the line profiles, AlO most likely arises from the dust-forming region in the spherical outflow of VY CMa, as opposed to the blue- or red-shifted winds, with a source size of θ_s ˜ 0.5^''. Given this source size, the column density of AlO was found to be N_{tot} ˜ 2 × 10^{15} cm^{-2} for T_{rot} ˜ 230 K, with a fractional abundance, relative to H_2, of ˜ 10^{-8}. Gas-phase thermodynamic equilibrium chemistry is the likely formation mechanism for AlO in VY CMa, but shocks may disrupt the condensation process into Al_2O_3, allowing AlO to survive to a radius of ˜ 20 R_*. The detection of AlO in VY CMa is additional evidence of an active gas-phase refractory chemistry in oxygen-rich envelopes, and suggests such objects may be fruitful sources for other new oxide identifications.

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