Investigating the effects of chemistry on molecular line profiles of infalling low‐mass cores

We have coupled a chemical model with two dynamical models of collapsing low-mass star-forming cores to predict abundances across the core of the commonly used infall tracers, CS and HCO+, at various stages of the collapse. The models investigated are a new ambipolar diffusion model and the ‘inside-out’ collapse model. We then used these results as an input to a radiative transfer model to predict the line profiles of several transitions of these molecules. For the inside-out collapse model, we predict significant molecular depletion due to freeze-out in the core centre, which prevents the formation of the blue asymmetry (believed to be the ‘signature’ of infall) in the line profiles. Molecular depletion also occurs in the ambipolar diffusion model during the late stages of collapse, but the line profiles still exhibit a strong blue asymmetry due to extended infall. For the inside-out collapse model to exhibit the blue asymmetry, it is necessary to impose a negative kinetic temperature gradient on the core and suppress freeze-out. Since freeze-out is observed in several class 0 protostars which are thought to be collapsing, this presents a major inconsistency in the inside-out collapse model of star formation.