Here we present high-resolution (15-24 au) observations of CO isotopologue lines from the Molecules with ALMA on Planet-forming Scales (MAPS) ALMA Large Program. Our analysis employs observations of the (J = 2-1) and (1-0) lines of 13 CO and C 18 O and the (J = 1-0) line of C 17 O for five protoplanetary disks. We retrieve CO gas density distributions, using three independent methods: (1) a thermochemical modeling framework based on the CO data, the broadband spectral energy distribution, and the millimeter continuum emission; (2) an empirical temperature distribution based on optically thick CO lines; and (3) a direct fit to the C 17 O hyperfine lines. Results from these methods generally show excellent agreement. The CO gas column density profiles of the five disks show significant variations in the absolute value and the radial shape. Assuming a gas-to-dust mass ratio of 100, all five disks have a global CO-to-H 2 abundance 10-100 times lower than the interstellar medium ratio. The CO gas distributions between 150 and 400 au match well with models of viscous disks, supporting the longstanding theory. CO gas gaps appear to be correlated with continuum gap locations, but some deep continuum gaps do not have corresponding CO gaps. The relative depths of CO and dust gaps are generally consistent with predictions of planet-disk interactions, but some CO gaps are 5-10 times shallower than predictions based on dust gaps. This paper is part of the MAPS special issue of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement.

The Molecules with ALMA at Planet-forming Scales (MAPS) Large Program provides a unique opportunity to study the vertical distribution of gas, chemistry, and temperature in the protoplanetary disks around IMLup, GMAur, AS209, HD163296, and MWC480. By using the asymmetry of molecular line emission relative to the disk major axis, we infer the emission height(z) above the midplane as a function of radius(r). Using this method, we measure emitting surfaces for a suite of CO isotopologues, HCN, and C 2 H. We find that 12 CO emission traces the most elevated regions with > z r 0.3, while emission from the less abundant 13 CO and C 18 O probes deeper into the disk at altitudes of  z r 0.2. C 2 H and HCN have lower opacities and signal-to-noise ratios, making surface fitting more difficult, and could only be reliably constrained in AS209, HD163296, and MWC480, with  z r 0.1, i.e., relatively close to the planet-forming midplanes. We determine peak brightness temperatures of the optically thick CO isotopologues and use these to trace 2D disk temperature structures. Several CO temperature profiles and emission surfaces show dips in temperature or vertical height, some of which are associated with gaps and rings in line and/or continuum emission. These substructures may be due to local changes in CO column density, gas surface density, or gas temperatures, and detailed thermochemical models are necessary to better constrain their origins and relate the chemical compositions of elevated disk layers with those of planet-forming material in disk midplanes. This paper is part of the MAPS special issue of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement.

Activation of the GPCR sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) by sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) regulates key physiological processes. S1P1 activation also has been implicated in pathologic processes, including autoimmunity and inflammation; however, the in vivo sites of S1P1 activation under normal and disease conditions are unclear. Here, we describe the development of a mouse model that allows in vivo evaluation of S1P1 activation. These mice, known as S1P1 GFP signaling mice, produce a S1P1 fusion protein containing a transcription factor linked by a protease cleavage site at the C terminus as well as a β-arrestin/protease fusion protein. Activated S1P1 recruits the β-arrestin/protease, resulting in the release of the transcription factor, which stimulates the expression of a GFP reporter gene. Under normal conditions, S1P1 was activated in endothelial cells of lymphoid tissues and in cells in the marginal zone of the spleen, while administration of an S1P1 agonist promoted S1P1 activation in endothelial cells and hepatocytes. In S1P1 GFP signaling mice, LPS-mediated systemic inflammation activated S1P1 in endothelial cells and hepatocytes via hematopoietically derived S1P. These data demonstrate that S1P1 GFP signaling mice can be used to evaluate S1P1 activation and S1P1-active compounds in vivo. Furthermore, this strategy could be potentially applied to any GPCR to identify sites of receptor activation during normal physiology and disease.

The organic content of protoplanetary disks sets the initial compositions of planets and comets, thereby influencing subsequent chemistry that is possible in nascent planetary systems. We present observations of the complex nitrile-bearing species CH3CN and HC3N toward the disks around the T Tauri stars AS 209, IM Lup, LkCa 15, and V4046 Sgr as well as the Herbig Ae stars MWC 480 and HD 163296. HC3N is detected toward all disks except IM Lup, and CH3CN is detected toward V4046 Sgr, MWC 480, and HD 163296. Rotational temperatures derived for disks with multiple detected lines range from 29 to 73 K, indicating emission from the temperate molecular layer of the disk. V4046 Sgr and MWC 480 radial abundance profiles are constrained using a parametric model; the gas-phase CH3CN and HC3N abundances with respect to HCN are a few to tens of percent in the inner 100 au of the disk, signifying a rich nitrile chemistry at planet- and comet-forming disk radii. We find consistent relative abundances of CH3CN, HC3N, and HCN between our disk sample, protostellar envelopes, and solar system comets; this is suggestive of a robust nitrile chemistry with similar outcomes under a wide range of physical conditions.

Molecular lines observed towards protoplanetary disks carry information about physical and chemical processes associated with planet formation. We present ALMA Band 6 observations of C 2 H, HCN, and C 18 O in a sample of 14 disks spanning a range of ages, stellar luminosities, and stellar masses. Using C 2 H and HCN hyperfine structure fitting and HCN/H 13 CN isotopologue analysis, we extract optical depth, excitation temperature, and column density radial profiles for a subset of disks. C 2 H is marginally optically thick (τ ∼1-5) and HCN is quite optically thick (τ ∼ 5-10) in the inner 200 AU. The extracted temperatures of both molecules are low (10-30K), indicative of either sub-thermal emission from the warm disk atmosphere or substantial beam dilution due to chemical substructure. We explore the origins of C 2 H morphological diversity in our sample using a series of toy disk models, and find that disk-dependent overlap between regions with high UV fluxes and high atomic carbon abundances can explain a wide range of C 2 H emission features (e.g. compact vs. extended and ringed vs. ringless emission). We explore the chemical relationship between C 2 H, HCN, and C 18 O and find a positive correlation between C 2 H and HCN fluxes, but no relationship between C 2 H or HCN with C 18 O fluxes. We also see no evidence that C 2 H and HCN are enhanced with disk age. C 2 H and HCN seem to share a common driver, however more work remains to elucidate the chemical relationship between these molecules and the underlying evolution of C, N, and O chemistries in disks.