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| Paper: |
Chemical Probes of Protostellar Evolutionary Status |
| Volume: |
287, Galactic Star Formation Across the Stellar Mass Spectrum |
| Page: |
146 |
| Authors: |
Buckle, J. V.; Fuller, G. A. |
| Abstract: |
Low mass cores possess a rich chemistry driven by the changing conditions that occur during the star formation process. In particular, the evaporation of ice mantles from grains through the increased temperatures and densities due to the impact of molecular outflows on envelope material provide volatile molecules for chemical reaction networks. The evolution of molecular abundances due to the changing chemical conditions provides a method of assessing protostellar ages. Species abundant in grain mantles become abundant in the gas phase as they are released. The abundance of the released molecules then falls as the chemical reactions proceed and daughter products are formed. We have compared the observed abundances of three sulphur-bearing species, H2S, SO and SO2 with those predicted through a chemical model in order to assess the relative chemical evolution of a sample of Class 0 and Class I sources. We demonstrate that the chemical evolution of sulphur bearing species is a valuable probe of chemical timescales in low mass star forming regions. |
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