Paper detail

Deuterium Fractionation in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud

Aims. We measure the deuterium fraction, RD, and the CO-depletion factor, fd, toward a number of starless and protostellar cores in the L1688 region of the Ophiuchus molecular cloud complex and search for variations based upon environmental differences across L1688. The kinematic properties of the dense gas traced by the N2H+ and N2D+ (1-0) lines are also discussed. Methods. RD has been measured via observations of the J=1-0 transition of N2H+ and N2D+ toward 33 dense cores in different regions of L1688. fd estimates have been done using C17O(1-0) and 850 micron dust continuum emission from the SCUBA survey. All line observations were carried out with the IRAM 30 meter antenna. Results. The dense cores show large (2-40%) deuterium fractions, with significant variations between the sub-regions of L1688. The CO-depletion factor also varies from one region to another (1-7). Two different correlations are found between deuterium fraction and CO-depletion factor: cores in regions A, B2 and I show increasing RD with increasing fd, similar to previous studies of deuterium fraction in pre-stellar cores; cores in regions B1, B1B2, C, E, F and H show a steeper RD-fd correlation, with large deuterium fractions occurring in fairly quiescent gas with relatively low CO freeze-out factors. These are probably recently formed, centrally concentrated starless cores which have not yet started the contraction phase toward protostellar formation. We also find that the deuterium fraction is affected by the amount of turbulence, dust temperature and distance from heating sources in all regions of L1688, although no clear trend is found.