Cospatial ice mapping of H2O with CO2 and CO across a molecular cloud with JWST/NIRCam

Z. L. Smith; H. J. Dickinson; H. J. Fraser; M. K. McClure; J. A. Noble; A. C.A. Boogert; F. Sun; E. Egami; E. Dartois; J. Erkal; T. Shimonishi; T. L. Beck; J. B. Bergner; P. Caselli; S. B. Charnley; L. Chu; M. N. Drozdovskaya; R. Garrod; D. Harsono; S. Ioppolo; I. Jimenez-Serra; J. K. Jørgensen; G. J. Melnick; K. I. Öberg; M. E. Palumbo; Y. J. Pendleton; G. Perotti; K. M. Pontoppidan; D. Qasim; W. R.M. Rocha; J. A. Sturm; A. Taillard; R. G. Urso; E. F. van Dishoeck

doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z

Cospatial ice mapping of H₂O with CO₂ and CO across a molecular cloud with JWST/NIRCam

Z. L. Smith
, H. J. Dickinson
, H. J. Fraser
, M. K. McClure
, J. A. Noble
, A. C.A. Boogert
, F. Sun
, E. Egami
, E. Dartois
, J. Erkal
, T. Shimonishi
, T. L. Beck
, J. B. Bergner
, P. Caselli
, S. B. Charnley
, L. Chu
, M. N. Drozdovskaya
, R. Garrod
, D. Harsono
, S. Ioppolo

I. Jimenez-Serra, J. K. Jørgensen, G. J. Melnick, K. I. Öberg, M. E. Palumbo, Y. J. Pendleton, G. Perotti, K. M. Pontoppidan, D. Qasim, W. R.M. Rocha, J. A. Sturm, A. Taillard, R. G. Urso, E. F. van Dishoeck

Steward Observatory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the coldest regions of molecular clouds, carbon and oxygen are incorporated into icy dust grains. Despite its outsized role in star and planet formation, sequential formation of ice is poorly constrained. Infrared spectroscopy probes ice chemistry, but previous telescopes observed insufficient lines of sight to map a single cloud. Here we present cospatial maps of H₂O, CO₂ and CO ice over the central region of the Chamaeleon I molecular cloud, using 44 lines of sight observed with the James Webb Space Telescope. Correlations at column densities ten times larger than previous work suggest additional CO₂ ice formation in CO ice for the densest lines of sight. This large statistical sampling within a single cloud represents a step change in ice mapping, eliminating averaging over clouds with different intrinsic chemical environments. Mapping opens the door to probing gas–grain exchanges, snow lines and chemical evolution in the densest regions and drawing conclusions on the impact of ice chemistry on wider astrophysics.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	883-894
Number of pages	12
Journal	Nature Astronomy
Volume	9
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z
State	Published - Jun 2025

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics

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10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z

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Smith, Z. L., Dickinson, H. J., Fraser, H. J., McClure, M. K., Noble, J. A., Boogert, A. C. A., Sun, F., Egami, E., Dartois, E., Erkal, J., Shimonishi, T., Beck, T. L., Bergner, J. B., Caselli, P., Charnley, S. B., Chu, L., Drozdovskaya, M. N., Garrod, R., Harsono, D., ... van Dishoeck, E. F. (2025). Cospatial ice mapping of H₂O with CO₂ and CO across a molecular cloud with JWST/NIRCam. Nature Astronomy, 9(6), 883-894. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z

Smith, ZL, Dickinson, HJ, Fraser, HJ, McClure, MK, Noble, JA, Boogert, ACA, Sun, F, Egami, E, Dartois, E, Erkal, J, Shimonishi, T, Beck, TL, Bergner, JB, Caselli, P, Charnley, SB, Chu, L, Drozdovskaya, MN, Garrod, R, Harsono, D, Ioppolo, S, Jimenez-Serra, I, Jørgensen, JK, Melnick, GJ, Öberg, KI, Palumbo, ME, Pendleton, YJ, Perotti, G, Pontoppidan, KM, Qasim, D, Rocha, WRM, Sturm, JA, Taillard, A, Urso, RG & van Dishoeck, EF 2025, 'Cospatial ice mapping of H₂O with CO₂ and CO across a molecular cloud with JWST/NIRCam', Nature Astronomy, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 883-894. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z

@article{4c81358952c949b2aee5f70d6adf503b,

title = "Cospatial ice mapping of H2O with CO2 and CO across a molecular cloud with JWST/NIRCam",

abstract = "In the coldest regions of molecular clouds, carbon and oxygen are incorporated into icy dust grains. Despite its outsized role in star and planet formation, sequential formation of ice is poorly constrained. Infrared spectroscopy probes ice chemistry, but previous telescopes observed insufficient lines of sight to map a single cloud. Here we present cospatial maps of H2O, CO2 and CO ice over the central region of the Chamaeleon I molecular cloud, using 44 lines of sight observed with the James Webb Space Telescope. Correlations at column densities ten times larger than previous work suggest additional CO2 ice formation in CO ice for the densest lines of sight. This large statistical sampling within a single cloud represents a step change in ice mapping, eliminating averaging over clouds with different intrinsic chemical environments. Mapping opens the door to probing gas–grain exchanges, snow lines and chemical evolution in the densest regions and drawing conclusions on the impact of ice chemistry on wider astrophysics.",

author = "Smith, \{Z. L.\} and Dickinson, \{H. J.\} and Fraser, \{H. J.\} and McClure, \{M. K.\} and Noble, \{J. A.\} and Boogert, \{A. C.A.\} and F. Sun and E. Egami and E. Dartois and J. Erkal and T. Shimonishi and Beck, \{T. L.\} and Bergner, \{J. B.\} and P. Caselli and Charnley, \{S. B.\} and L. Chu and Drozdovskaya, \{M. N.\} and R. Garrod and D. Harsono and S. Ioppolo and I. Jimenez-Serra and J{\o}rgensen, \{J. K.\} and Melnick, \{G. J.\} and {\"O}berg, \{K. I.\} and Palumbo, \{M. E.\} and Pendleton, \{Y. J.\} and G. Perotti and Pontoppidan, \{K. M.\} and D. Qasim and Rocha, \{W. R.M.\} and Sturm, \{J. A.\} and A. Taillard and Urso, \{R. G.\} and \{van Dishoeck\}, \{E. F.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "9",

pages = "883--894",

journal = "Nature Astronomy",

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T1 - Cospatial ice mapping of H2O with CO2 and CO across a molecular cloud with JWST/NIRCam

AU - Smith, Z. L.

AU - Dickinson, H. J.

AU - Fraser, H. J.

AU - McClure, M. K.

AU - Noble, J. A.

AU - Boogert, A. C.A.

AU - Sun, F.

AU - Egami, E.

AU - Dartois, E.

AU - Erkal, J.

AU - Shimonishi, T.

AU - Beck, T. L.

AU - Bergner, J. B.

AU - Caselli, P.

AU - Charnley, S. B.

AU - Chu, L.

AU - Drozdovskaya, M. N.

AU - Garrod, R.

AU - Harsono, D.

AU - Ioppolo, S.

AU - Jimenez-Serra, I.

AU - Jørgensen, J. K.

AU - Melnick, G. J.

AU - Öberg, K. I.

AU - Palumbo, M. E.

AU - Pendleton, Y. J.

AU - Perotti, G.

AU - Pontoppidan, K. M.

AU - Qasim, D.

AU - Rocha, W. R.M.

AU - Sturm, J. A.

AU - Taillard, A.

AU - Urso, R. G.

AU - van Dishoeck, E. F.

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

N2 - In the coldest regions of molecular clouds, carbon and oxygen are incorporated into icy dust grains. Despite its outsized role in star and planet formation, sequential formation of ice is poorly constrained. Infrared spectroscopy probes ice chemistry, but previous telescopes observed insufficient lines of sight to map a single cloud. Here we present cospatial maps of H2O, CO2 and CO ice over the central region of the Chamaeleon I molecular cloud, using 44 lines of sight observed with the James Webb Space Telescope. Correlations at column densities ten times larger than previous work suggest additional CO2 ice formation in CO ice for the densest lines of sight. This large statistical sampling within a single cloud represents a step change in ice mapping, eliminating averaging over clouds with different intrinsic chemical environments. Mapping opens the door to probing gas–grain exchanges, snow lines and chemical evolution in the densest regions and drawing conclusions on the impact of ice chemistry on wider astrophysics.

AB - In the coldest regions of molecular clouds, carbon and oxygen are incorporated into icy dust grains. Despite its outsized role in star and planet formation, sequential formation of ice is poorly constrained. Infrared spectroscopy probes ice chemistry, but previous telescopes observed insufficient lines of sight to map a single cloud. Here we present cospatial maps of H2O, CO2 and CO ice over the central region of the Chamaeleon I molecular cloud, using 44 lines of sight observed with the James Webb Space Telescope. Correlations at column densities ten times larger than previous work suggest additional CO2 ice formation in CO ice for the densest lines of sight. This large statistical sampling within a single cloud represents a step change in ice mapping, eliminating averaging over clouds with different intrinsic chemical environments. Mapping opens the door to probing gas–grain exchanges, snow lines and chemical evolution in the densest regions and drawing conclusions on the impact of ice chemistry on wider astrophysics.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105000673274

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105000673274#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z

DO - 10.1038/s41550-025-02511-z

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105000673274

SN - 2397-3366

VL - 9

SP - 883

EP - 894

JO - Nature Astronomy

JF - Nature Astronomy

IS - 6

ER -

Cospatial ice mapping of H₂O with CO₂ and CO across a molecular cloud with JWST/NIRCam

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