2010A&A...518L.115C

We report on the detection with the HIFI instrument on board the Herschel satellite of the two hydrogen chloride isotopologues, H³⁵Cl and H³⁷Cl, towards the massive star-forming region W3A. The J=1-0 line of both species was observed with receiver 1b of the HIFI instrument at ∼625.9 and ∼624.9GHz. The different hyperfine components were resolved. The observations were modeled with a non-local, non-LTE radiative transfer model that includes hyperfine line overlap and radiative pumping by dust. Both effects are found to play an important role in the emerging intensity from the different hyperfine components. The inferred H³⁵Cl column density (a few times ∼10¹⁴cm^–2), and fractional abundance relative to H nuclei (∼7.5x10^–10), supports an upper limit to the gas phase chlorine depletion of ≃200. Our best-fit model estimate of the H³⁵Cl/H³⁷Cl abundance ratio is ≃2.1±0.5, slightly lower, but still compatible with the solar isotopic abundance ratio (≃3.1). Since both species were observed simultaneously, this is the first accurate estimation of the [³⁵Cl]/[³⁷Cl] isotopic ratio in molecular clouds. Our models indicate that even for large line opacities and possible hyperfine intensity anomalies, the H³⁵Cl and H³⁷Cl J=1-0 integrated line-intensity ratio provides a good estimate of the ³⁵Cl/³⁷Cl isotopic abundance ratio.