2026/05/13 by Takashi Shimonishi, Hidetoshi Sano, Kenji Furuya +1 · 2 voices
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Chemical composition #Chemical evolution #Core (optical fiber) #Excitation #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Hot spot (computer programming) #Molecular cloud #Molecule #Supernova #Supernova remnant #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.GA
paper · pdf · doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae6fba
published in The Astrophysical Journal 1005(2), 142 (IOP Publishing)
arxiv published 2026/05/13 · openalex publication_date 2026/07/01 · openalex created_date 2026/07/02 · arxiv updated 2026/07/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Abstract Protostellar cores located near supernova remnants (SNRs) are considered potential analogs of the birth environment of the solar system. However, the extent to which supernovae influence their chemical evolution remains unclear. We report the first detection of hot molecular cores in an SNR using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The detected hot cores (HC1 and HC2) are located inside the X-ray shell of the young SNR RX J1713.7−3946, and both sources are associated with Class I intermediate-mass protostars. This paper focuses on a detailed chemical analysis of HC1, in which a variety of carbon-, oxygen-, nitrogen-, sulfur-, and silicon-bearing species are detected. Excitation analyses indicate that HC1 harbors dense (∼10 7 cm −3 ), compact (<500 au), and high-temperature (≳100 K) molecular gas. Despite being located within a supernova-feedback region, the column density ratios of complex organic molecules (HCOOCH 3 /CH 3 OH, CH 3 OCH 3 /CH 3 OH, and CH 3 CHO/CH 3 OH), a deuterated molecule (CH 2 DOH/CH 3 OH), and sulfur- and nitrogen-bearing species (OCS/CH 3 OH and C 2 H 5 CN/CH 3 CN) in HC1 are indistinguishable from those observed in hot cores/corinos in more typical star-forming environments. HC1 is located near the outer edge of the supernova shell, and the surrounding region has likely begun to be exposed to such a harsh environment only recently. The elapsed time since the onset of exposure to high-energy particles and photons may be too short for the chemical composition of the hot core to be significantly altered, and/or the hot core region may be shielded by magnetic fields amplified by supernova feedback, which could suppress the penetration of enhanced cosmic rays.