Molecular Excitation and Differential Gas-Phase Depletions in the IC 5146 Dark Cloud

We present a combined near-infrared and molecular-line study of 25 x 8 area in the Northern streamer of the IC 5146 cloud. Using the technique pioneered by Lada et al 1994, we construct a Gaussian smoothed map of the infrared extinction with the same resolution as the molecular line observations in order to examine correlations of integrated intensities and molecular abundances with extinction for C17O, C34S, and N2H+. We find that over a visual extinction range of 0 to 40 magnitudes, there is good evidence for the presence of differential gas-phase depletions in the densest portions of IC 5146. Both CO and CS exhibit a statistically significant (factor of ~3) abundance reduction near Av ~ 12 magnitudes while, in direct contrast, at the highest extinctions, Av > 10 magnitudes, N2H+ appears relatively undepleted. Moreover, for Av < 4 magnitudes there exists little or no N2H+. This pattern of depletions is consistent with the predictions of chemical theory.