Letter to the Editor

Possible evidence for shocks in hot cores

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
² Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK

Corresponding author: J. Hatchell, hatchell@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de

Received: 22 October 2001
Accepted: 12 November 2001

Abstract

The NS/CS ratio can be used to test if shocks or thermal evaporation remove grain ices during massive star formation. The two scenarios lead to differences in the subsequent chemistry: in particular, timescales are shorter if shocks are present. We have measured NS/CS ratios in six hot core sources through observation of high excitation NS, N³⁴S, C³⁴S and C³³S with the JCMT. The NS/CS ratios we find are low, , and surprisingly consistent between sources. Comparing with the models of Viti et al. ([CITE]), these values rule out the standard assumption of instantaneous thermal evaporation, and favour a scenario in which hot cores are shocked at an early stage with all grain mantles evaporating instantaneously.