@article {2011A\&A...527A..69A, title = {{H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ line emission from starbursts and AGNs}}, journal = {Astronomy and Astrophysics}, volume = {527}, year = {2011}, month = {mar}, pages = {A69}, abstract = {Context. The H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ molecule probes the chemistry and the ionization rate of dense circumnuclear gas in galaxies.
Aims: We use the H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ molecule to investigate the impact of starburst and AGN activity on the chemistry of the molecular interstellar medium.
Methods: Using the JCMT, we have observed the 3$_{2}$$^{+}$ - 2$_{2}$$^{+}$ 364 GHz line of p-H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ towards the centres of seven active galaxies.
Results: We have detected p-H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ towards IC 342, NGC 253, NGC 1068, NGC 4418, and NGC 6240. Upper limits were obtained for IRAS 15250 and Arp 299. We find large H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ abundances (N(H$_{3}$O$^{+}$)/N(H$_{2}$) {\gsim} 10$^{-8}$) in all detected galaxies apart from in IC 342 where it is about one order of magnitude lower. We note, however, that uncertainties in N(H$_{3}$O$^{+}$) may be significant due to lack of definite information on source size and excitation. We furthermore compare the derived N(H$_{3}$O$^{+}$) with N(HCO$^{+}$) and find that the H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ to HCO$^{+}$ column density ratio is large in NGC 1068 (24), moderate in NGC 4418 and NGC 253 (4-5), slightly less than unity in NGC 6240 (0.7) and lowest in IC 342 (0.2-0.6). We compare our results with models of X-ray and photon dominated regions (XDRs and PDRs).
Conclusions: For IC 342 we find that a starburst PDR chemistry can explain the observed H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ abundance. For the other galaxies, the large H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ columns are generally consistent with XDR models. In particular for NGC 1068 the elevated N(H$_{3}$O$^{+}$)/N(HCO$^{+}$) ratio suggests a low column density XDR. For NGC 4418 however, large HC$_{3}$N abundances are inconsistent with the XDR interpretation. An alternative possibility is that H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ forms through H$_{2}$O evaporating off dust grains and reacting with HCO$^{+}$ in warm, dense gas. This scenario could also potentially fit the results for NGC 253. Further studies of the excitation and distribution of H$_{3}$O$^{+}$ - as well as Herschel observations of water abundances - will help to further constrain the models.}, keywords = {galaxies: active, galaxies: evolution, galaxies: starburst, ISM: molecules, radio lines: galaxies}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/201015878}, url = {http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011A\%26A...527A..69A}, author = {Aalto, S. and F. Costagliola and van der Tak, F. and Meijerink, R.} }