Characterizing spatial variations of PAH emission in the reflection nebula NGC 1333

Abstract

ABSTRACT Infrared emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.2 µm, attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), show variations in relative intensity, shape, and peak position. These variations depend on the physical conditions of the photodissociation region (PDR) in which strong PAH emission arises but their relationship has yet to be fully quantified. We aim to better calibrate the response of PAH species to their environment using observations with matching apertures and spatial resolution. We present observations from the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy of the gas cooling lines [O i] 63, 146 µm and [C ii] 158 µm in the reflection nebula NGC 1333 and use archival dust continuum observations from the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) onboard Herschel. We employ PDR modelling to derive the physical conditions and compare these with the characteristics of the PAH emission as observed with the Infrared Spectrometer onboard Spitzer. We find distinct spatial characteristics for the various PAH spectral components. We conclude that the ionic bands (6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.0) and the 7–9 µm emission are due to multiple PAH subpopulations and that the plateaus are distinct from the features perched on top. The 6–9 µm PAH emission exhibits a significant change in behaviour between the irradiated PDR and diffuse outskirts, confirming these bands arise from multiple PAH subpopulations with different underlying molecular properties. We find multiple promising relationships between PAH ratios and the far-ultraviolet radiation field strength but no clear correlations with the PAH ionization parameter.