JWST reveals cosmic ray dominated chemistry in the local ULIRG IRAS 07251−0248

Journal article

We analyse the ro-vibrational absorption bands of various molecular cations (HCO, HCNH, and NH) and neutral species (HCN, HNC, and HCN) detected in the James Webb Space Telescope/Mid-Infrared Instrument Medium Resolution Spectrometer spectrum (4.9–27.9 μm) of the local ultraluminous infrared galaxy IRAS 07251-0248. We find that the molecular absorptions are blueshifted by 160 km s relative to the systemic velocity of the target. Using local thermal equilibrium excitation models, we derive rotational temperatures () from 42 to 185 K for these absorption bands. This range of measured can be explained by infrared radiative pumping as a by-product of the strength, effective critical density, and opacity of each molecular band. Thus, these results suggest that these absorptions originate in a warm expanding gas shell (90–330 yr), which might be the base of the larger scale cold molecular outflow detected in this source. Finally, the elevated abundance of molecular cations can be explained by a high cosmic ray ionization rate, with log(/n in the range of -18.2 (from H) to -19.1 (inferred from HCO and NH, which are likely tracing denser gas), consistent with a cosmic ray dominated chemistry as predicted by chemical models.

Authors: Speranza, G; Pereira-Santaella, M; Agúndez, M; González-Alfonso, E; García-Bernete, I

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
• Volume: 542
• Issue: 1
• Pages: L117-L125
• Publication date: 2025-07-21
• Acceptance date: 2025-07-17
• DOI: 10.1093/mnrasl/slaf079
• EISSN: 1745-3933
• ISSN: 1745-3925
• Language: English
• Keywords: ISM: abundances; galaxies: active; galaxies: ISM; ISM: molecules; cosmic rays