Losing track of the time: the chemical clock of prestellar core evolution in hydrodynamic simulation

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
² Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Str. 2, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract

The ortho:para ratio of H₂D⁺ is a proposed observational indicator of prestellar core ages, and thus a possible tool to determine the typical star formation time scale. The conversion of the measured ratio to an age estimate requires modelling of the chemical evolution. Such models usually consider static, one zone models of physical conditions. The relevant chemical time scales, however, are comparable to the dynamic time scale, therefore the history of gas might affect the ratio. To investigate the significance of gas dynamics and history on the spin-state ratio, we analyse prestellar cores formed in various environment in a hydrodynamic simulation. The fully time dependent, spatially resolved chemical evolution of the cores are computed using a state-of-art ortho:para and deuteration chemical network. The true ages are compared to the once indicated by the ortho:para ratio.