Submillimeter-wave C I spectral lines from the NGC 1333 region

We present large (30′ × 40′) maps in the C^{0 3}P₀-³P₀ ([C I]; 492 GHz) and CO J = 3-2 (346 GHz) spectral lines of the NGC 1333 star-forming complex. We also report detections of the C^{0 3}P₂- ³P₁ (809 GHz) spectral line from 3 × 3 positions centered on HH 12. The overall extents of [C I] and CO J = 3-2 emission are similar to those of ¹³CO and C¹⁸O J = 1-0 emission. The CO J = 3-2 intensity peak is adjacent to the illuminating star SVS 3, while the [C I] intensity peaks at 5′ southwest of the reflection nebula, filling a hollow surrounded by a C-shaped dense molecular shell. We suggest that the observed [C I] distributions might be the result of nonequilibrium chemistry on the basis of the time-dependent chemical simulation. A huge expanding H I shell associated with the NGC 1333 cloud lends further support to this notion.