Detection of a dense clump in a filament interacting with W51e2
  In the framework of the Herschel/PRISMAS Guaranteed Time Key Program, the
line of sight to the distant ultracompact HII region W51e2 has been observed
using several selected molecular species. Most of the detected absorption
features are not associated with the background high-mass star-forming region
and probe the diffuse matter along the line of sight. We present here the
detection of an additional narrow absorption feature at ~70 km/s in the
observed spectra of HDO, NH3 and C3. The 70 km/s feature is not uniquely
identifiable with the dynamic components (the main cloud and the large-scale
foreground filament) so-far identified toward this region. The narrow
absorption feature is similar to the one found toward low-mass protostars,
which is characteristic of the presence of a cold external envelope. The
far-infrared spectroscopic data were combined with existing ground-based
observations of 12CO, 13CO, CCH, CN, and C3H2 to characterize the 70 km/s
component. Using a non-LTE analysis of multiple transitions of NH3 and CN, we
estimated the density (n(H2) (1-5)x10^5 cm^-3) and temperature (10-30 K) for
this narrow feature. We used a gas-grain warm-up based chemical model with
physical parameters derived from the NH3 data to explain the observed
abundances of the different chemical species. We propose that the 70 km/s
narrow feature arises in a dense and cold clump that probably is undergoing
collapse to form a low-mass protostar, formed on the trailing side of the
high-velocity filament, which is thought to be interacting with the W51 main
cloud. While the fortuitous coincidence of the dense clump along the line of
sight with the continuum-bright W51e2 compact HII region has contributed to its
non-detection in the continuum images, this same attribute makes it an
appropriate source for absorption studies and in particular for ice studies of
star-forming regions.
