| Issue |
EAS Publications Series
Volume 75-76, 2015
Conditions and Impact of Star Formation
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 67 - 68 | |
| Section | Extreme Star Formation: High Redshifts, Starburst, and Galactic Nuclei | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eas/1575011 | |
| Published online | 20 May 2016 | |
R. Simon, R. Schaaf and J. Stutzki (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 75–76 (2015) 67-68
Exploring the molecular chemistry and excitation in obscured LIRGs: An ALMA mm-wave spectral scan of NGC 4418
1 Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, 439 92 Onsala, Sweden
2 Academia Sinica, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, PO Box 23-141, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
3 Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimétrique, 300 rue de la Piscine, Domaine Universitaire, 38406 Saint Martin d'Hères, France
The compact, obscured nuclei (CON) of luminous infrared galaxies (LIRG) combine large molecular columns with intense infrared (IR), ultra-violet (UV), and X- radiation and represent ideal laboratories for the study of the chemistry of the interstellar medium (ISM) under extreme conditions. Here we present the first ALMA wide-band spectral scan of a dusty LIRG, the CON NGC 4418. We derive molecular abundances and compare them with other Galactic and extragalactic sources. Our spectral scan confirms that the chemical complexity in the nucleus of NGC 4418 is one of the highest ever observed outside our Galaxy. We suggest that the galaxy may be a template for a new kind of chemistry and excitation, typical of CON.
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2016