2005/07/18 by V. Lebouteiller, Kuassivi, R. Ferlet
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Analytical Chemistry (journal) #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Atomic physics #Chemistry #Environmental chemistry #Galaxy #Interstellar medium #Ion #Ionization #Observable #Oxygen #Phosphorus #Physics #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053448
Accepted to A&A
arxiv created 2005/07/18 · openalex publication_date 2005/11/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present FUSE and HST/ STIS measurements of the P ii column density toward Galactic stars. We analyzed P ii through the profile fitting of the unsaturated λ 1125 and λ 1533 lines and derived column densities integrated along the sightlines as well as in individual resolved components. We find that phosphorus is not depleted along those sightlines sampling the diffuse neutral gas. We also investigate the correlation existing between P ii and O i column densities and find that there is no differential depletion between these two specie. Furthermore, the ratio N (P ii)/ N (O i) is consistent with the solar P/O value, implying that P ii and O i coexist in the same gaseous phase and are likely to evolve in parallel. We argue that phosphorus, as traced by P ii, is an excellent neutral oxygen tracer in various physical environments, except when ionization corrections are a significant issue. Thus, P ii lines (observable with FUSE , HST/ STIS , or with VLT/ UVES for the QSO sightlines) are particularly useful as a proxy for O i lines when these are saturated or blended.