Difference in the spatial distribution between $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ ices in M 82 found with AKARI

  • Published : 2013.10.08

Abstract

Interstellar ices (e.g., $H_2O$, $CO_2$, and CO ices) are formed on the surface of dust grains in dense molecular clouds. In a near-infrared spectrum, we can observe deep absorption features particularly due to $H_2O$ ice at $3.05{\mu}m$ and $CO_2$ ice at $4.27{\mu}m$. These interstellar ices have many pieces of information on the interstellar environment. Among various ices, $CO_2$ ice is one of the most important ones as a probe of the interstellar environment. That is because $CO_2$ ice is a secondary product unlike $H_2O$ and CO ices which are primarily formed on dust grains. Past studies for $CO_2$ ice in nearby galaxies were performed only for the galactic center in a few galaxies. In order to utilize the information from $CO_2$ ice effectively, it is valuable to perform mapping observations of ices on a galactic scale. With AKARI, we obtain the spatially-resolved near-infrared ($2.5-5.0{\mu}m$) spectra for the central ~1 kpc region of the nearby starburst galaxy M 82. These spectra clearly show the absorption features due to interstellar $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ ices, and we created their column density maps. As a result, we find that the spatial distribution of $H_2O$ ice is significantly different from that of $CO_2$ ice; $H_2O$ ice is widely distributed, while $CO_2$ ice is concentrated near the galactic center. Our result for the first time reveals spatial variations in $CO_2/H_2O$ ice abundance ratio on a galactic scale, suggesting that the ice-forming interstellar environment changes within a galaxy. In this presentation, we discuss the cause of the variations in the ice abundance ratio.

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