Influence of galactic arm scale dynamics on the molecular composition of
  the cold and dense ISM I. Observed abundance gradients in dense clouds
  Aims. We study the effect of large scale dynamics on the molecular
composition of the dense interstellar medium during the transition between
diffuse to dense clouds. Methods. We followed the formation of dense clouds (on
sub-parsec scales) through the dynamics of the interstellar medium at galac-
tic scales. We used results from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH)
simulations from which we extracted physical parameters that are used as inputs
for our full gas-grain chemical model. In these simulations, the evolution of
the interstellar matter is followed for ~50 Myr. The warm low-density
interstellar medium gas flows into spiral arms where orbit crowding produces
the shock formation of dense clouds, which are held together temporarily by the
external pressure. Results. We show that depending on the physical history of
each SPH particle, the molecular composition of the modeled dense clouds
presents a high dispersion in the computed abundances even if the local
physical properties are similar. We find that carbon chains are the most
affected species and show that these differences are directly connected to
differences in (1) the electronic fraction, (2) the C/O ratio, and (3) the
local physical conditions. We argue that differences in the dynamical evolution
of the gas that formed dense clouds could account for the molecular diversity
observed between and within these clouds. Conclusions. This study shows the
importance of past physical conditions in establishing the chemical composition
of the dense medium.
