Chemical complexity in feedback from supernova remnants: first detection of PO+ in IC443 and W44
Abstract
Supernova remnant (SNR) may shape the physical and chemical properties of star formation. By releasing refractory elements into the gas phase, they inject material of pre-biotic relevance into molecular clouds. Such elements may be inherited by planetary systems and become relevant for the emergence of life. We investigate the presence of P-bearing species in molecular clouds impacted by SNR-shocks. P is a crucial biological element, but its presence and reservoir in molecular clouds remain elusive. We present high-sensitivity 3 mm observations obtained with the IRAM 30m, toward the interaction sites between the SNRs W44 and IC443 and their associated molecular clouds. Focusing on PO+(2-1) and PN(2-1), we derive molecular column densities and abundances in local thermodynamic equilibrium. We investigate the correlation between P-bearing species and the shock tracer Silicon Monoxide (SiO). We detect, for the first time, PO+ toward SNRs, with abundances X(PO+)~8e-12-5e-11, but no significant PN emission. PO+ toward both SNRs is associated with strong SiO emission, showing similar linewidths but velocity offsets, suggesting that PO+ preferentially traces the most compressed and more strongly ionised layers of the shock. By comparing the derived abundances with those reported in literature, we suggest that the PO+ abundance mainly depends on a combination of shock strength and shocked medium density. Our results indicate that P-chemistry in SNR shocks is shifted toward an ion-dominated regime, likely driven by enhanced cosmic-ray ionisation rates. In this scenario, neutral species such as PN are efficiently destroyed, while ion-molecule reactions favour the production of PO+. This suggests that SNR shocks may play a role in processing P-bearing material and shaping gas-phase P chemistry in molecular clouds, with potential implications for the chemical inventory of star-forming environments.
Related
- Measuring Small-scale Turbulence in Supernova Remnants with Jitter Radiation
- Estimation of Dust Mass from Infrared Emission and Extinction of Supernova Remnants: G93.7-0.2, G109.1-1.0, G156.2+5.7, and G166.0+4.3
- Estimation of Dust Mass from Infrared Emission and Extinction of Supernova Remnants: G93.7−0.2, G109.1−1.0, G156.2+5.7, and G166.0+4.3
- The jet-shaped pipe morphology in planetary nebulae and core-collapse supernova remnants
- Optical Discovery of New and Candidate Galactic Supernova Remnants Plus Optical Imaging of the Monogem Supernova Remnant
BibTeX
@misc{cosentino2026chemical,
title = {{Chemical complexity in feedback from supernova remnants: first detection of PO+ in IC443 and W44}},
author = {G Cosentino and F Priestley and S Scibelli and F Fontani},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.01211},
eprint = {2610.01211},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05842238v1},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Chemical complexity in feedback from supernova remnants: first detection of PO+ in IC443 and W44
AU - G Cosentino
AU - F Priestley
AU - S Scibelli
AU - F Fontani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
PB - HAL
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.01211
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05842238v1
AB - Supernova remnant (SNR) may shape the physical and chemical properties of star formation. By releasing refractory elements into the gas phase, they inject material of pre-biotic relevance into molecular clouds. Such elements may be inherited by planetary systems and become relevant for the emergence of life. We investigate the presence of P-bearing species in molecular clouds impacted by SNR-shocks. P is a crucial biological element, but its presence and reservoir in molecular clouds remain elusive. We present high-sensitivity 3 mm observations obtained with the IRAM 30m, toward the interaction sites between the SNRs W44 and IC443 and their associated molecular clouds. Focusing on PO+(2-1) and PN(2-1), we derive molecular column densities and abundances in local thermodynamic equilibrium. We investigate the correlation between P-bearing species and the shock tracer Silicon Monoxide (SiO). We detect, for the first time, PO+ toward SNRs, with abundances X(PO+)~8e-12-5e-11, but no significant PN emission. PO+ toward both SNRs is associated with strong SiO emission, showing similar linewidths but velocity offsets, suggesting that PO+ preferentially traces the most compressed and more strongly ionised layers of the shock. By comparing the derived abundances with those reported in literature, we suggest that the PO+ abundance mainly depends on a combination of shock strength and shocked medium density. Our results indicate that P-chemistry in SNR shocks is shifted toward an ion-dominated regime, likely driven by enhanced cosmic-ray ionisation rates. In this scenario, neutral species such as PN are efficiently destroyed, while ion-molecule reactions favour the production of PO+. This suggests that SNR shocks may play a role in processing P-bearing material and shaping gas-phase P chemistry in molecular clouds, with potential implications for the chemical inventory of star-forming environments.
ER -