Expanding the Ice Inventory of NGC 1333 IRAS 2A with INDRA Using JWST Observations: Tracing Organic Refractories and Beyond

Abstract In the era of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its unprecedented sensitivity and spectral resolution, infrared spectral surveys have revealed a rich inventory of ices, including complex organic molecules (COMs), in young stellar objects. However, robust methods to decompose and quantify these absorption features, particularly across broad spectral ranges, are still under investigation. We present the Ice-fitting with NNLS-based Decomposition and Retrieval Algorithm ( INDRA ), a fully Python-based tool that performs continuum and silicate removal, global ice fitting using weighted nonnegative least-squares (NNLS), and estimates column densities and statistical significance. We apply INDRA to NGC 1333 IRAS 2A, a target from the JWST Observations of Young protoStars (JOYS+) program previously studied using local fitting. We derive optical depths via polynomial continuum subtraction and remove silicate absorption using a synthetic model, isolating ice features for global MIRI fitting. Our results are consistent with previous local fits, confirming simple species and COMs, and expand the inventory by identifying additional absorption features from CO 2 and NH <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> . We also propose the presence of organic refractories contributing up to 9.6% in the spectral region of ∼5–8 μ m among the various ice components, whose inclusion significantly improves the global spectral fitting. These broad absorption features, extending across ∼5.5–11 μ m, are likely produced by large, complex molecules containing carbonyl (C=O), hydroxyl (O–H), amine (N–H), and C–H bending modes. Our expanded inventory, now incorporating these organic residues, offers new insights into the chemical evolution of ices in star-forming regions and highlights the importance of global spectral fitting in constraining ice compositions.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/ae112f
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.31
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article

Expanding the Ice Inventory of NGC 1333 IRAS 2A with INDRA Using JWST Observations: Tracing Organic Refractories and Beyond

Pamela Klaassen, Liton Majumdar, D. C. Lis, Pabitra Ranjan Giri et al.
2 citations
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
2.31
article

Expanding the Ice Inventory of NGC 1333 IRAS 2A with INDRA Using JWST Observations: Tracing Organic Refractories and Beyond

Pamela Klaassen, Liton Majumdar, D. C. Lis, Pabitra Ranjan Giri, Michael E. Ressler, W. R. M. Rocha, Karen Willacy, Prathap Rayalacheruvu, Y. Chen, S. Maitrey
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Abstract In the era of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its unprecedented sensitivity and spectral resolution, infrared spectral surveys have revealed a rich inventory of ices, including complex organic molecules (COMs), in young stellar objects. However, robust methods to decompose and quantify these absorption features, particularly across broad spectral ranges, are still under investigation. We present the Ice-fitting with NNLS-based Decomposition and Retrieval Algorithm ( INDRA ), a fully Python-based tool that performs continuum and silicate removal, global ice fitting using weighted nonnegative least-squares (NNLS), and estimates column densities and statistical significance. We apply INDRA to NGC 1333 IRAS 2A, a target from the JWST Observations of Young protoStars (JOYS+) program previously studied using local fitting. We derive optical depths via polynomial continuum subtraction and remove silicate absorption using a synthetic model, isolating ice features for global MIRI fitting. Our results are consistent with previous local fits, confirming simple species and COMs, and expand the inventory by identifying additional absorption features from CO 2 and NH <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> . We also propose the presence of organic refractories contributing up to 9.6% in the spectral region of ∼5–8 μ m among the various ice components, whose inclusion significantly improves the global spectral fitting. These broad absorption features, extending across ∼5.5–11 μ m, are likely produced by large, complex molecules containing carbonyl (C=O), hydroxyl (O–H), amine (N–H), and C–H bending modes. Our expanded inventory, now incorporating these organic residues, offers new insights into the chemical evolution of ices in star-forming regions and highlights the importance of global spectral fitting in constraining ice compositions.

The Astrophysical Journal Supplement SeriesVol. 281(2)
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
2.31
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