WorldWideScience

Sample records for interstellar cloud cores

  1. HD 62542: Probing the Bare, Dense Core of an Interstellar Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welty, Daniel; Sonnentrucker, Paule G.; Rachford, Brian; Snow, Theodore; York, Donald G.

    2018-01-01

    We discuss the interstellar absorption from many atomic and molecular species seen in high-resolution HST/STIS UV spectra of the moderately reddened B3-5 V star HD 62542 [E(B-V) ~ 0.35; AV ~ 1.2]. This remarkable sight line exhibits both very steep far-UV extinction and a high fraction of hydrogen in molecular form -- with strong absorption from CH, C2, CN, and CO but weak absorption from CH+ and most of the commonly observed diffuse interstellar bands. Most of the material appears to reside in a single narrow velocity component -- thus offering a rare opportunity to probe the relatively dense, primarily molecular core of a single interstellar cloud, with little associated diffuse atomic gas.Detailed analyses of the absorption-line profiles seen in the UV spectra reveal a number of properties of the main diffuse molecular cloud toward HD 62542:1) The depletions of Mg, Si, and Fe are more severe than those seen in any other sight line, but the depletions of Cl and Kr are very mild; the overall pattern of depletions differs somewhat from those derived from larger samples of Galactic sight lines.2) The rotational excitation of H2 and C2 indicates that the gas is fairly cold (Tk = 40-45 K) and moderately dense (nH > 420 cm-3) somewhat higher densities are suggested by the fine-structure excitation of neutral carbon.3) The excitation temperatures characterizing the rotational populations of both 12CO (11.7 K) and 13CO (7.7 K) are higher than those typically found for Galactic diffuse molecular clouds.4) Carbon is primarily singly ionized -- N(C+) > N(CO) > N(C).5) The relative abundances of various trace neutral atomic species reflect the effects of both the steep far-UV extinction and the severe depletions of some elements.6) Differences in line widths for the various atomic and molecular species are suggestive of differences in spatial distribution within the main cloud.Support for this study was provided by NASA, via STScI grant GO-12277.008-A.

  2. Diffuse interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Black, J.H.

    1987-01-01

    The author defines and discusses the nature of diffuse interstellar clouds. He discusses how they contribute to the general extinction of starlight. The atomic and molecular species that have been identified in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared regions of the spectrum of a diffuse cloud are presented. The author illustrates some of the practical considerations that affect absorption line observations of interstellar atoms and molecules. Various aspects of the theoretical description of diffuse clouds required for a full interpretation of the observations are discussed

  3. Carbon chain molecules in interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winnewisser, G.; Walmsley, C.M.

    1979-01-01

    A survey of the distribution of long carbon chain molecules in interstellar clouds shows that their abundance is correlated. The various formation schemes for these molecules are discussed. It is concluded that the ion-molecule type formation mechanisms are more promising than their competitors. They have also the advantage of allowing predictions which can be tested by observations. Acetylene C 2 H 2 and diacetylene HCCCCH, may be very abundant in interstellar clouds. (Auth.)

  4. Newly detected molecules in dense interstellar clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irvine, William M.; Avery, L. W.; Friberg, P.; Matthews, H. E.; Ziurys, L. M.

    Several new interstellar molecules have been identified including C2S, C3S, C5H, C6H and (probably) HC2CHO in the cold, dark cloud TMC-1; and the discovery of the first interstellar phosphorus-containing molecule, PN, in the Orion "plateau" source. Further results include the observations of 13C3H2 and C3HD, and the first detection of HCOOH (formic acid) in a cold cloud.

  5. MEASURING THE FRACTAL STRUCTURE OF INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    VOGELAAR, MGR; WAKKER, BP

    To study the structure of interstellar matter we have applied the concept of fractal curves to the brightness contours of maps of interstellar clouds and from these estimated the fractal dimension for some of them. We used the so-called perimeter-area relation as the basis for these estimates. We

  6. MEASURING THE FRACTAL STRUCTURE OF INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    VOGELAAR, MGR; WAKKER, BP

    1994-01-01

    To study the structure of interstellar matter we have applied the concept of fractal curves to the brightness contours of maps of interstellar clouds and from these estimated the fractal dimension for some of them. We used the so-called perimeter-area relation as the basis for these estimates. We

  7. Magnetic seismology of interstellar gas clouds: Unveiling a hidden dimension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tritsis, Aris; Tassis, Konstantinos

    2018-05-11

    Stars and planets are formed inside dense interstellar molecular clouds by processes imprinted on the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of the clouds. Determining the 3D structure of interstellar clouds remains challenging because of projection effects and difficulties measuring the extent of the clouds along the line of sight. We report the detection of normal vibrational modes in the isolated interstellar cloud Musca, allowing determination of the 3D physical dimensions of the cloud. We found that Musca is vibrating globally, with the characteristic modes of a sheet viewed edge on, not the characteristics of a filament as previously supposed. We reconstructed the physical properties of Musca through 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations, reproducing the observed normal modes and confirming a sheetlike morphology. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  8. The mass spectrum of interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickey, J.M.; Garwood, R.W.

    1989-01-01

    The abundances of diffuse clouds and molecular clouds in the inner Galaxy and at the solar circle are compared. Using results of recent low-latitude 21 cm absorption studies, the number of diffuse clouds per kiloparsec along the line of sight is derived as a function of the cloud column density, under two assumptions relating cloud densities and temperatures. The density of clouds is derived as a function of cloud mass. The results are consistent with a single, continuous mass spectrum for interstellar clouds from less than 1 solar mass to 1,000,000 solar masses, with perhaps a change of slope at masses where the atomic and molecular mass fractions are roughly equal. 36 refs

  9. CN radical in diffuse interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Federman, S.R.; Danks, A.C.; Lambert, D.L.

    1984-01-01

    A survey of 15 lines of sight for the CN B 2 Σ + --X 2 Σ + interstellar absorption lines shows that the CN column density in diffuse interstellar clouds follows the relation log N(CN)proportionalm log N(H 2 ), where mroughly-equal3. This result is reproduced by a reaction network in which CN is produced primarily from C 2 by the neutral-neutral reaction C 2 +N → CN+C, and photodissociation is the main destruction pathway for the neutral molecules CH, C 2 , and CN. The CN radical is the first molecular species observed in diffuse clouds that requires a neutral-neutral reaction for its formation in the gas phase. The network also reproduces the observed ratio N(CN)/N(H 2 )

  10. Kinetic chemistry of dense interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graedel, T.E.; Langer, W.D.; Frerking, M.A.

    1982-01-01

    A detailed model of the time-dependent chemistry of dense interstellar clouds has been developed to study the dominant chemical processes in carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation, formation of nitrogen-containing molecules, evolution of product molecules as a function of cloud density and temperature, and other topics of interest. The full computation involves 328 individual reactions (expanded to 1067 to study carbon and oxygen isotope chemistry); photodegradation processes are unimportant in these dense clouds and are excluded

  11. PAHs in Translucent Interstellar Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salama, Farid; Galazutdinov, G.; Krelowski, J.; Biennier, L.; Beletsky, Y.; Song, I.

    2011-05-01

    We discuss the proposal of relating the origin of some of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) to neutral polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in translucent interstellar clouds. The spectra of several cold, isolated gas-phase PAHs have been measured in the laboratory under experimental conditions that mimic the interstellar conditions and are compared with an extensive set of astronomical spectra of reddened, early type stars. This comparison provides - for the first time - accurate upper limits for the abundances of specific PAH molecules along specific lines-of-sight. Something that is not attainable from IR observations alone. The comparison of these unique laboratory data with high resolution, high S/N ratio astronomical observations leads to two major findings: (1) a finding specific to the individual molecules that were probed in this study and, which leads to the clear and unambiguous conclusion that the abundance of these specific neutral PAHs must be very low in the individual translucent interstellar clouds that were probed in this survey (PAH features remain below the level of detection) and, (2) a general finding that neutral PAHs exhibit intrinsic band profiles that are similar to the profile of the narrow DIBs indicating that the carriers of the narrow DIBs must have close molecular structure and characteristics. This study is the first quantitative survey of neutral PAHs in the optical range and it opens the way for unambiguous quantitative searches of PAHs in a variety of interstellar and circumstellar environments. // Reference: F. Salama et al. (2011) ApJ. 728 (1), 154 // Acknowledgements: F.S. acknowledges the support of the NASA's Space Mission Directorate APRA Program. J.K. acknowledges the financial support of the Polish State (grant N203 012 32/1550). The authors are deeply grateful to the ESO archive as well as to the ESO staff members for their active support.

  12. MEASURING THE FRACTAL STRUCTURE OF INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    VOGELAAR, MGR; WAKKER, BP; SCHWARZ, UJ

    1991-01-01

    To study the structure of interstellar clouds we used the so-called perimeter-area relation to estimate fractal dimensions. We studied the reliability of the method by applying it to artificial fractals and discuss some of the problems and pitfalls. Results for two different cloud types

  13. Physical conditions in CaFe interstellar clouds

    OpenAIRE

    Gnacinski, P.; Krogulec, M.

    2007-01-01

    Interstellar clouds that exhibit strong Ca I and Fe I lines were called CaFe clouds. The ionisation equilibrium equations were used to model the column densities of Ca II, Ca I, K I, Na I, Fe I and Ti II in CaFe clouds. The chemical composition of CaFe clouds is that of the Solar System and no depletion of elements onto dust grains is seen. The CaFe clouds have high electron densities n=1 cm^-3 that leads to high column densities of neutral Ca and Fe.

  14. Interstellar extinction in the dark Taurus clouds. Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Straizys, V.; Meistas, E.

    1980-01-01

    The results of photoelectric photometry of 74 stars in the Vilnius seven-color system in the area of Taurus dark clouds with coordinates (1950) 4sup(h)20sup(m)-4sup(h)48sup(m)+24 0 .5-+27 0 are presented. Photometric spectral types, absolute magnitudes, color excesses, interstellar extinctions and distances of the stars are determined. The dark cloud Khavtassi 286, 278 and the surrounding absorbing nebulae are found to extend from 140 to 175 pc from the sun. The average interstellar extinction Asub(V) on both sides of the dark cloud is of the order of 1sup(m).5. We find no evidence of the existence of several absorbing clouds situated at various distances. (author)

  15. Protostellar formation in rotating interstellar clouds. I. Numerical methods and tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boss, A.P.

    1980-01-01

    The details of how dense interstellar clouds collapse to form protostars are obscured from observation by the very clouds in which the condensation takes place, leaving an observational gap between the clouds and pre--main-sequence (PMS) stars. There is also a gap of roughly four orders of magnitude between the specific spin angular momentum of such clouds and that of PMS stars. Thus in order to fully understand the sequence of events in stellar formation, we must construct theoretical models of the collapse and fragmentation of rotating interstellar clouds into single or multiple protostellar systems

  16. Glaciations and dense interstellar clouds; and reply

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCrea, W H [Sussex Univ., Brighton (UK); Dennison, B; Mansfield, V N

    1976-09-16

    Reference is made to Dennison and Mansfield (Nature 261:32 (1976)) who offered comments on a previous paper by the author (Nature 255:607 (1975)), in which he suggested that a possible cause of an ice age on the Earth was the passage of the solar system through an interstellar matter compression region bordering a spiral arm of the Galaxy. Dennison and Mansfield criticised this suggestion because it led them to expect to find a dense cloud of interstellar matter still very close to the Earth, whereas no such cloud is known. It is stated here that this criticism ignores the structure of the Galaxy, that provided the basis of the suggestion. A reply by Dennison and Mansfield is appended.

  17. Dust clouds in Orion and the interstellar neutral hydrogen distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bystrova, N.V.

    1989-01-01

    According to published examples of the far IR observations in the Orion and its surroundings, several well defined dust clouds of different sizes and structure are present. For comparison of these clouds with the neutral hydrogen distribution on the area of approx. 1000 sq degs, the data from Pulkovo Sky Survey in the interstellar neutral Hydrogen Radio Line as well as special observations with the RATAN-600 telescope in 21 cm line were used. From the materials of Pulkovo HI Survey, the data were taken near the line emission at ten velocities between -21.8 and +25.6 km/s LSR for the structural component of the interstellar hydrogen emission. The results given concern mainly the Orion's Great Dust Cloud and the Lambda Orionis region where the information about the situation with the dust and interstellar hydrogen is very essential for interpretation

  18. Interstellar ammonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ho, P.T.P.; Townes, C.H.

    1983-01-01

    Investigations and results on interstellar NH3 are discussed. The physics of the molecule, its interstellar excitation, and its formation and dissociation mechanisms are reviewed. The observing techniques and instruments, including single-antenna facilities, infrared and submillimeter techniques, and interferometric studies using the Very Large Array are briefly considered. Spectral data analysis is discussed, including the derivation of optical depths, excitation measurements, ortho-para measurements, and cross sections. Progress achieved in understanding the properties and evolution of the interstellar medium through NH3 studies is reviewed, including observations of nearby dark clouds and of clumping effects in molecular clouds, as well as interferometric observations of hot molecular cores in Orion, W51, and Sagittarius A. Research results on extragalactic NH3, far-infrared, submillimeter, and midinfrared NH3 observations are described. 101 references

  19. Protostellar formation in rotation interstellar clouds. III. Nonaxisymmetric collapse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boss, A.P.

    1980-01-01

    A full three spatial-dimension gravitational hydrodynamics code has been used to follow the collapse of isothermal rotating clouds subjected to various nonaxialy symmetric perturbations (NAP). An initially axially symmetric cloud collapsed to form a ring which then fragmented into a binary protostellar system. A low thermal energy cloud with a large bar-shaped NAP collapsed and fragmented directly into a binary; higher thermal energy clouds damp out such NAPs while higher rotational rotational energy clouds produce binaries with wider separations. Fragmentation into single and binary systems has been seen. The tidal effects of other nearby protostellar clouds are shown to have an important effect upon the collapse and should not be neglected. The three-dimensional calculations indicate that isothermal interstellar clouds may fragment (with or without passing through a transitory ring phase) into protostellar objects while still in the isothermal regime. The fragments obtained have masses and specific spin angular momenta roughly a 10th that of the original cloud. Interstellar clouds and their fragments may pass through successive collapse phases with fragmentation and reduction of spin angular momentum (by conversion to orbital angular momentum and preferential accretion of low angular momentum matter) terminating in the formation of pre--main-sequence stars with the observed pre--main-sequence rotation rates

  20. The photoevaporation of interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertoldi, F.

    1989-01-01

    The dynamics of the photoevaporation of interstellar clouds and its consequences for the structure and evolution of H II regions are studied. An approximate analytical solution for the evolution of photoevaporating clouds is derived under the realistic assumption of axisymmetry. The effects of magnetic fields are taken into account in an approximate way. The evolution of a neutral cloud subjected to the ionizing radiation of an OB star has two distinct stages. When a cloud is first exposed to the radiation, the increase in pressure due to the ionization at the surface of the cloud leads to a radiation-driven implosion: an ionization front drives a shock into the cloud, ionizes part of it and compresses the remaining into a dense globule. The initial implosion is followed by an equilibrium cometary stage, in which the cloud maintains a semistationary comet-shaped configuration; it slowly evaporates while accelerating away from the ionizing star until the cloud has been completely ionized, reaches the edge of the H II region, or dies. Expressions are derived for the cloud mass-loss rate and acceleration. To investigate the effect of the cloud photoevaporation on the structure of H II regions, the evolution of an ensemble of clouds of a given mass distribution is studied. It is shown that the compressive effect of the ionizing radiation can induce star formation in clouds that were initially gravitationally stable, both for thermally and magnetically supported clouds

  1. The Effect of an Inert Solid Reservoir on Molecular Abundances in Dense Interstellar Clouds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalvāns Juris

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The question, what is the role of freeze-out of chemical species in determining the molecular abundances in the interstellar gas is a matter of debate. We investigate a theoretical case of a dense interstellar molecular cloud core by time-dependent modeling of chemical kinetics, where grain surface reactions deliberately are not included. That means, the gas-phase and solid-phase abundances are influenced only by gas reactions, accretion on grains and desorption. We compare the results to a reference model where no accretion occurs, and only gas-phase reactions are included. We can trace that the purely physical processes of molecule accretion and desorption have major chemical consequences on the gas-phase chemistry. The main effect of introduction of the gas-grain interaction is long-term molecule abundance changes that come nowhere near an equilibrium during the typical lifetime of a prestellar core.

  2. Structure and characteristics of diffuse interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arshutkin, L.N.; Kolesnik, I.G.

    1978-01-01

    The results of model calculations for spherically symmetrical interstellar clouds being under external pressure are given. Thermal balance of gas clouds is considered. Ultraviolet radiation fields in clouds and equilibrium for chemical elements are calculated for this purpose. Calculations were carried out in the case when cooling is under way mainly by carbon atoms and ions. The clouds with mass up to 700 Msub(sun) under external pressure from 800 to 3000 K cm -3 are considered. In typical for Galactic disk conditions, clouds have dense n > or approximately 200 cm -3 , and cold T approximately 20-30 K state clouds depending on external pressure is given. The critical mass for clouds at the Galactic disk is approximately 500-600 Msub(sun). It is less than the isothermal solution by a factor of approximately 1.5. The massive gas-dust cloud formation problem is discussed

  3. All-Sky Cataloging and Analysis of Interstellar Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hojaev, Alisher S.

    2015-08-01

    Recent quick instrumental progress provides possibilities to careful study the interstellar medium (ISM) in the Galaxy and in the nearest galaxies (M31, LMC, SMC, etc.). Significant enough baryon mass of the galactic and extragalactic ISM is concentrated in the clouds with molecular content in the densest parts. The molecular clouds (MoC) are closely related to cold dust-gas clouds, particularly HI ones and should play a key-role in the star forming processes as well as in the dynamics of the Galaxy. These arguments show the importance of counting and surveying of the MoC populations. In order to attempt to solve at least some problems of the physics and evolution of the MoC system in the Galaxy (as well as in other galaxies), its impact on the dynamics and evolution of the Galaxy itself, and to extend the results to the MoC systems in other galaxies we drafted a consolidated composite catalog of molecular and dust-gas clouds based on the recent data. Online data banks and services such as VizieR, SIMBAD at CDS as well as original publications were used. In our Galaxy there are about 200 large molecular clouds, more than 2500 smaller cold dark clouds (including clumps and cores this value exceeds approximately 5000 objects) observed in 11 kpc Solar neighborhood. The general catalog has been divided into 3 sub-catalogs: 1)large and giant MoC; 2) MoC with moderate masses and sizes; 3) small MoC including the clumps and cores. All main catalogs and subcatalogs contain the coordinates, sizes, distances, masses and other physical parameters (density, temperature, radial velocity, etc.) that are available for the different clouds. Statistical and correlation analyses of the data has been performed, the spatial distribution is drawn and the total number is estimated, the dynamic model of formation and evolution of MoC system is proposed. Our results are compared and discussed with data of other investigations as well as the ways to complete and improve the catalog data

  4. The synthesis of complex molecules in interstellar clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huntress, W. T., Jr.; Mitchell, G. F.

    1979-01-01

    The abundances of polyatomic molecules that may be formed by CH3(+) radiative association reactions in dense interstellar molecular clouds are reevaluated. The formation of a number of complex interstellar molecules via radiative association reactions involving ionic precursors other than CH3(+) is also investigated; these additional precursors include CH3O(+), CH3CO(+), CH5(+), HCO(+), NO(+), H2CN(+), C2H2(+), and NH3(+). The results indicate that the postulated gas-phase ion-molecule radiative association reactions could potentially explain the synthesis of most of the more complex species observed in dense molecular clouds such as Sgr B2. It is concluded, however, that in order to be conclusive, laboratory data are needed to show whether or not these reactions proceed at the required rates at low temperatures.

  5. New look at radiative association in dense interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbst, E.

    1980-01-01

    A corrected statistical theory of radiative association reactions is presented and discussed. Calculations are undertaken to determine the rate coefficients of a variety of radiative association reactions of possible importance in dense interstellar clouds. Our results confirm the suggestion of Smith and Adams that certain radiative association reactions occur quite rapidly at low temperature and are probably important in the synthesis of complex interstellar molecules

  6. Chemical equilibrium models of interstellar gas clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freeman, A.

    1982-10-01

    This thesis contains work which helps towards our understanding of the chemical processes and astrophysical conditions in interstellar clouds, across the whole range of cloud types. The object of the exercise is to construct a mathematical model representing a large system of two-body chemical reactions in order to deduce astrophysical parameters and predict molecular abundances and chemical pathways. Comparison with observations shows that this type of model is valid but also indicates that our knowledge of some chemical reactions is incomplete. (author)

  7. Comprehensive models of diffuse interstellar clouds : physical conditions and molecular abundances

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dishoeck, van E.F.; Black, J.H.

    1986-01-01

    The limitations of steady state models of interstellar clouds are explored by means of comparison with observational data corresponding to clouds in front of Zeta Per, Zeta Oph, Chi Oph, and Omicron Per. The improved cloud models were constructed to reproduce the observed H and H2(J) column

  8. Interstellar depletions and the filling factor of the hot interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dwek, E.; Scalo, J.M.

    1979-01-01

    We have examined theoretically the evolution of refractory interstellar grain abundances and corresponding metal deplections in the solar neighborhood. The calculations include a self-consistent treatment of red-giant winds, planetary nebulae, protostellar nebulae, and suprnovae as sources of grains and star formation, and of encounters with supernova blast waves as sinks. We find that in the standard two-phase model for the interstellar medium (ISM), grain destruction is very efficient, and the abundance of refractory grains should be negligible, contrary to observations. In a cloudy three-phase ISM most grains reside in the warm and cold phases of the medium. Supernova blast waves expand predominantly in the hot and tenuous phase of the medium and are showed down as they propagate through a cloud. In order to obtain significant (approx.3) depletions of metals presubably locked up in refractory grain cores, the destruction of grains that reside in the clouds must be minimal. This requires that (a) the density contrast between the cloud and intercloud medium be sufficiently high, and (b) the filling factor of the hot and tenuous gas of the interstellar medium, which presumably gives rise to the O VI absorption and soft X-ray emission, be nearly unity. Much larger depletions (> or approx. =10) must reflect accretion of mantles within interstellar clouds

  9. OH radiation from the interstellar cloud medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nguyen-Q-Rieu,; Winnberg, A [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Bonn (F.R. Germany); Guibert, J [Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, 92 (France); Lepine, J R.D. [Universidade Mackenzie, Sao Paulo (Brazil). Centro de Radio-Astronomia et Astrofisica; Johansson, L E.B. [Rymdobservatoriet, Onsala (Sweden); Goss, W M [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Epping (Australia). Div. of Radiophysics

    1976-02-01

    We have detected OH in the direction of about 50% of the continuum sources investigated. The OH abundance is one order of magnitude less than usually found in dust clouds. Most of the OH features have HI counterparts. This suggests that the OH radiation arises from the HI interstellar cold clouds. Our observations allowed in some cases the determination of the excitation temperatures in all four lines. A pumping model involving far-infrared radiation and collisions with neutral and charged particles has been proposed. It explains the observed excitation temperatures.

  10. Cosmic ray processing of N2-containing interstellar ice analogues at dark cloud conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fedoseev, G.; Scirè, C.; Baratta, G. A.; Palumbo, M. E.

    2018-04-01

    N2 is believed to lock considerable part of nitrogen elemental budget and, therefore, to be one of the most abundant ice constituent in cold dark clouds. This laboratory-based research utilizes high energetic processing of N2 containing interstellar ice analogues using 200 keV H+ and He+ ions that mimics cosmic ray processing of the interstellar icy grains. It aims to investigate the formation of (iso)cyanates and cyanides in the ice mantles at the conditions typical for cold dark clouds and prestellar cores. Investigation of cosmic ray processing as a chemical trigger mechanism is explained by the high stability of N2 molecules that are chemically inert in most of the atom- and radical-addition reactions and cannot be efficiently dissociated by cosmic ray induced UV-field. Two sets of experiments are performed to closer address solid-state chemistry occurring in two distinct layers of the ice formed at different stages of dark cloud evolution, i.e. `H2O-rich' and `CO-rich' ice layers. Formation of HNCO and OCN- is discussed in all of the performed experiments. Corresponding kinetic curves for HNCO and OCN- are obtained. Furthermore, a feature around 2092 cm-1 assigned to the contributions of 13CO, CN-, and HCN is analysed. The kinetic curves for the combined HCN/CN- abundance are derived. In turn, normalized formation yields are evaluated by interpolation of the obtained results to the low irradiation doses relevant to dark cloud stage. The obtained values can be used to interpret future observations towards cold dark clouds using James Webb Space Telescope.

  11. Large Interstellar Polarisation Survey. II. UV/optical study of cloud-to-cloud variations of dust in the diffuse ISM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siebenmorgen, R.; Voshchinnikov, N. V.; Bagnulo, S.; Cox, N. L. J.; Cami, J.; Peest, C.

    2018-03-01

    It is well known that the dust properties of the diffuse interstellar medium exhibit variations towards different sight-lines on a large scale. We have investigated the variability of the dust characteristics on a small scale, and from cloud-to-cloud. We use low-resolution spectro-polarimetric data obtained in the context of the Large Interstellar Polarisation Survey (LIPS) towards 59 sight-lines in the Southern Hemisphere, and we fit these data using a dust model composed of silicate and carbon particles with sizes from the molecular to the sub-micrometre domain. Large (≥6 nm) silicates of prolate shape account for the observed polarisation. For 32 sight-lines we complement our data set with UVES archive high-resolution spectra, which enable us to establish the presence of single-cloud or multiple-clouds towards individual sight-lines. We find that the majority of these 35 sight-lines intersect two or more clouds, while eight of them are dominated by a single absorbing cloud. We confirm several correlations between extinction and parameters of the Serkowski law with dust parameters, but we also find previously undetected correlations between these parameters that are valid only in single-cloud sight-lines. We find that interstellar polarisation from multiple-clouds is smaller than from single-cloud sight-lines, showing that the presence of a second or more clouds depolarises the incoming radiation. We find large variations of the dust characteristics from cloud-to-cloud. However, when we average a sufficiently large number of clouds in single-cloud or multiple-cloud sight-lines, we always retrieve similar mean dust parameters. The typical dust abundances of the single-cloud cases are [C]/[H] = 92 ppm and [Si]/[H] = 20 ppm.

  12. Numerical study of rotating interstellar clouds: equilibrium and collapse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norman, M.L.

    1980-06-01

    Equilibrium and collapse of rotating, axisymmetric, idealized interstellar gas clouds is calculated with a 2D hydrodynamics code. The hydrodynamics features an improved angular momentum advection algorithm. Angular momentum is advected consistently with mass by deriving angular momentum fluxes from mass fluxes and the local distribution of specific angular momentum. Local conservation is checked by a graph of mass versus specific angular momentum for the cloud as a whole

  13. Deuterium fractionation in dense interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millar, T.J.; Bennett, A.; Herbst, E.

    1989-01-01

    The time-dependent gas-phase chemistry of deuterium fractionation in dense interstellar clouds ranging in temperature between 10 and 70 K was investigated using a pseudo-time-dependent model similar to that of Brown and Rice (1986). The present approach, however, considers much more complex species, uses more deuterium fractionation reactions, and includes the use of new branching ratios for dissociative recombinations reactions. Results indicate that, in cold clouds, the major and most global source of deuterium fractionation is H2D(+) and ions derived from it, such as DCO(+) and H2DO(+). In warmer clouds, reactions of CH2D(+), C2HD(+), and associated species lead to significant fractionation even at 70 K, which is the assumed Orion temperature. The deuterium abundance ratios calculated at 10 K are consistent with those observed in TMC-1 for most species. However, a comparison between theory and observatiom for Orion, indicates that, for species in the ambient molecular cloud, the early-time results obtained with the old dissociative recombination branching ratios are superior if a temperature of 70 K is utilized. 60 refs

  14. Deuterium fractionation in dense interstellar clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millar, T. J.; Bennett, A.; Herbst, Eric

    1989-05-01

    The time-dependent gas-phase chemistry of deuterium fractionation in dense interstellar clouds ranging in temperature between 10 and 70 K was investigated using a pseudo-time-dependent model similar to that of Brown and Rice (1986). The present approach, however, considers much more complex species, uses more deuterium fractionation reactions, and includes the use of new branching ratios for dissociative recombinations reactions. Results indicate that, in cold clouds, the major and most global source of deuterium fractionation is H2D(+) and ions derived from it, such as DCO(+) and H2DO(+). In warmer clouds, reactions of CH2D(+), C2HD(+), and associated species lead to significant fractionation even at 70 K, which is the assumed Orion temperature. The deuterium abundance ratios calculated at 10 K are consistent with those observed in TMC-1 for most species. However, a comparison between theory and observatiom for Orion, indicates that, for species in the ambient molecular cloud, the early-time results obtained with the old dissociative recombination branching ratios are superior if a temperature of 70 K is utilized.

  15. DETAILED INTERSTELLAR POLARIMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE PIPE NEBULA AT CORE SCALES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franco, G. A. P.; Alves, F. O.; Girart, J. M.

    2010-01-01

    We use R-band CCD linear polarimetry collected for about 12,000 background field stars in 46 fields of view toward the Pipe nebula to investigate the properties of the polarization across this dark cloud. Based on archival Two Micron All Sky Survey data, we estimate that the surveyed areas present total visual extinctions in the range 0.6 mag ≤ A V ≤ 4.6 mag. While the observed polarizations show a well-ordered large-scale pattern, with polarization vectors almost perpendicularly aligned to the cloud's long axis, at core scales one sees details that are characteristics of each core. Although many observed stars present degrees of polarization that are unusual for the common interstellar medium (ISM), our analysis suggests that the dust grains constituting the diffuse parts of the Pipe nebula seem to have the same properties as the normal Galactic ISM. Estimates of the second-order structure function of the polarization angles suggest that most of the Pipe nebula is magnetically dominated and that turbulence is sub-Alvenic. The Pipe nebula is certainly an interesting region to investigate the processes that prevailed during the initial phases of low-mass stellar formation.

  16. Detailed investigation of proposed gas-phase syntheses of ammonia in dense interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbst, E.; Defrees, D.J.; Mclean, A.D.; Molecular Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA; IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA)

    1987-01-01

    The initial reactions of the Herbst and Klemperer (1973) and the Dalgarno (1974) schemes (I and II, respectively) for the gas-phase synthesis of ammonia in dense interstellar clouds were investigated. The rate of the slightly endothermic reaction between N(+) and H2 to yield NH(+) and H (scheme I) under interstellar conditions was reinvestigated under thermal and nonthermal conditions based on laboratory data. It was found that the relative importance of this reaction in synthesizing ammonia is determined by how the laboratory data at low temperature are interpreted. On the other hand, the exothermic reaction between N and H3(+) to form NH2(+) + H (scheme II) was calculated to possess significant activation energy and, therefore, to have a negligible rate coefficient under interstellar conditions. Consequently, this reaction cannot take place appreciably in interstellar clouds. 41 references

  17. Interstellar ice grains in the Taurus molecular clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whittet, D.C.B.; Bode, M.F.; Baines, D.W.T.; Evans, A.

    1983-01-01

    Observations made in November 1981 using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) at Mauna Kea of the 3 μm ice absorption feature in the spectra of several obscured stars in the Taurus interstellar clouds are reported. The feature correlated in strength with extinction at visual wavelengths (Asub(v)), and is present in stars with Asub(v) as low as 4-6 mag. Ice may be widespread in the Taurus clouds, vindicating ideas on grain composition and growth first reported nearly 50 yr ago. (author)

  18. A note on the possible origin of comets in an interstellar gas cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yabushita, S.; Hasegawa, I.

    1978-01-01

    A possible origin of comets in an interstellar gas cloud is discussed in relation to the two recent results on cometary research. First, among 200 long-period comets whose original incoming orbits were recently calculated, seven have definitely and 14 have probably negative values of 1/a, where 1/a is twice the binding energy (positive a corresponds to an elliptic orbit) with respect to the solar system barycentre. Second, it has been shown how an aggregate of dust grains embedded in an icy matrix of gaseous compounds could form in an interstellar gas cloud, which could be identified with the icy nucleus of a comet. Again, of about 20 comets whose original 1/a values are negative, seven are transformed into future elliptic orbits by planetary perturbation. Thus, a comet which originated in an interstellar cloud could be captured by the solar system

  19. Boundary Conditions for the Paleoenvironment: Chemical and Physical Processes in Dense Interstellar Clouds: Summary of Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irvine, William M.

    1999-01-01

    The basic theme of this program was the study of molecular complexity and evolution for the biogenic elements and compounds in interstellar clouds and in primitive solar system objects. Research included the detection and study of new interstellar and cometary molecules and investigation of reaction pathways for astrochemistry from a comparison of theory and observed molecular abundances. The latter includes studies of cold, dark clouds in which ion-molecule chemistry should predominate, searches for the effects of interchange of material between the gas and solid phases in interstellar clouds, unbiased spectral surveys of particular sources, and systematic investigation of the interlinked chemistry and physics of dense interstellar clouds. In addition, the study of comets has allowed a comparison between the chemistry of such minimally thermally processed objects and that of interstellar clouds, shedding light on the evolution of the biogenic elements during the process of solar system formation. One PhD dissertation on this research was completed by a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts. An additional 4 graduate students at the University of Massachusetts and 5 graduate students from other institutions participated in research supported by this grant, with 6 of these thus far receiving PhD degrees from the University of Massachusetts or their home institutions. Four postdoctoral research associates at the University of Massachusetts also participated in research supported by this grant, receiving valuable training.

  20. Gas-grain chemistry in cold interstellar cloud cores with a microscopic Monte Carlo approach to surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Q.; Cuppen, H. M.; Herbst, E.

    2007-07-01

    Aims:We have recently developed a microscopic Monte Carlo approach to study surface chemistry on interstellar grains and the morphology of ice mantles. The method is designed to eliminate the problems inherent in the rate-equation formalism to surface chemistry. Here we report the first use of this method in a chemical model of cold interstellar cloud cores that includes both gas-phase and surface chemistry. The surface chemical network consists of a small number of diffusive reactions that can produce molecular oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, methanol and assorted radicals. Methods: The simulation is started by running a gas-phase model including accretion onto grains but no surface chemistry or evaporation. The starting surface consists of either flat or rough olivine. We introduce the surface chemistry of the three species H, O and CO in an iterative manner using our stochastic technique. Under the conditions of the simulation, only atomic hydrogen can evaporate to a significant extent. Although it has little effect on other gas-phase species, the evaporation of atomic hydrogen changes its gas-phase abundance, which in turn changes the flux of atomic hydrogen onto grains. The effect on the surface chemistry is treated until convergence occurs. We neglect all non-thermal desorptive processes. Results: We determine the mantle abundances of assorted molecules as a function of time through 2 × 105 yr. Our method also allows determination of the abundance of each molecule in specific monolayers. The mantle results can be compared with observations of water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methanol ices in the sources W33A and Elias 16. Other than a slight underproduction of mantle CO, our results are in very good agreement with observations.

  1. Theoretical study of AlH+: spin splitting, core polarization, and interstellar chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, D.L.; Black, J.H.; Everard, M.A.L.; Richards, W.G.

    1983-01-01

    The spin splitting constant for the X 2 μ + state of AlH + is calculated to be ν 0 = 0.058 cm - 1 . The favorable comparison of this result with experiment indicates that the uncertainty in the previously calculated spin splitting in MgH is likely to be of the order of a few percent. Calculations are presented of the so-called core polarization contribution to the spin-orbit coupling constant in the A 2 Pi/sub r/ state of AlH + . Results are also given for MgH and SiH. Astronomical applications of such calculations are discussed and the abundances of aluminum-bearing molecules in interstellar clouds are estimated

  2. Interaction of clouds with the hot interstellar medium (HIM) and cosmic rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voelk, H.J.

    1983-01-01

    The modification, by cosmic rays, of the interaction of interstellar clouds with the ambient HIM is considered. Small clouds should still evaporate and thereby exclude cosmic rays if they do so without cosmic rays. The possible mass accretion of massice clouds is reduced by the pressure of the compressed cosmic rays. The consequences for diffuse galactic #betta#-ray emisison are discussed. (orig.)

  3. The formation of molecules in contracting interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hiroko; Miki, Satoshi; Sato, Katsuhiko; Kiguchi, Masayoshi; Nakagawa, Yoshitsugu

    1976-01-01

    The abundances of atoms, molecules and ions in contracting interstellar clouds are investigated in the wide ranges of density (from 10 cm -3 to 10 7 cm -3 ) and optical depth. Abundances of molecules are not in a steady state in optically thick stages because their reaction time scales are very long (10sup(12.5)-10sup(13.5) sec) compared with the contraction time scales. At some stage of contraction the abundances of neutral molecules become frozen, and the frozen abundances are considerably different from the steady-state abundances. The frozen abundances are mainly determined by the contraction time scale of the cloud. Especially, molecules containing carbon except for CO are less abundant for the cloud contracting more slowly. (auth.)

  4. Polarimetric study of the interstellar medium in Taurus Dark Clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, J.

    1985-01-01

    An optical linear polarimetric survey was completed for more than 300 stars in an area of 6.5 0 x 10 0 toward the Taurus Dark Clouds Complex. It was found that the orientation of the magnetic field is roughly perpendicular to the elongation direction of the dust lanes, indicating cloud contraction along the magnetic field lines. The distance to the front edge of the dark clouds in Taurus is determined to be 126 pc. There is only insignificant amount of obscuring material between the cloud complex and the Sun. Besides the polarization data, the reddenings of about 250 stars were also obtained from the UBV photometry. The mean polarization to reddening ratio in the Taurus region is 4.6, which is similar to that of the general interstellar matter. The wavelengths of maximum polarization were determined for 30 stars in Taurus. They show an average value of lambda/sub max/ = 0.57 μm, which is only slightly higher than the mean value of the general interstellar medium, lambda/sub max/ = 0.55 μm. A few stars that show higher values of lambda/sub max/ are found near the small isolated regions of very high extinction. One such highly obscured small region where very complex long chain molecules have been discovered in the ratio spectra, is the Taurus Molecular Cloud 1

  5. Fast Neutral reactions in cold interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graff, M.M.

    1989-01-01

    The dynamics of exothermic neutral reactions between radical species have been examined, with particular attention to reactivity at the very low energies characteristic of cold interstellar clouds. Long-range interactions (electrostatic and spin-orbit) were considered within in the adiabatic capture-infinite order sudden approximation (ACIOSA). Analytic expressions have been developed for cross sections and rate constants of exothermic reactions between atoms and dipolar radicals at low temperatures. A method for approximating the adiabatic potential surface for the reactive state will be presented. The reaction systems O+OH and O+CH are both predicted to be fast at low temperatures. The systems C+CH and C+OH are expected to be nonreactive at low temperatures, and upper limits of rate constants for these reactions have been estimated. General predictions are made for other reaction systems. Implications for interstellar chemistry will be discussed

  6. Stability of interstellar clouds containing magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langer, W.D.; and Bell Laboratories, Crawford Hill Laboratory, Holmdel, NJ)

    1978-01-01

    The stability of interstellar clouds against gravitational collapse and fragmentation in the presence of magnetic fields is investigated. A magnetic field can provide pressure support against collapse if it is strongly coupled to the neutral gas; this coupling is mediated by ion-neutral collisions in the gas. The time scale for the growth of perturbations in the gas is found to be a sensitive function of the fractional ion abundance of the gas. For a relatively large fractional ion abundance, corresponding to strong coupling, the collapse of the gas is retarded. Star formation is inhibited in dense clouds and the collapse time for diffuse clouds cn exceed the limit on their lifetime set by disruptive processes. For a small fractional ion abundance, the magnetic fields do not inhibit collapse and the distribution of the masses of collapsing fragments are likely to be quite different in regions of differing ion abundance. The solutions also predict the existence of large-scale density waves corresponding to two gravitational-magnetoacoustic modes. The conditions which best support these modes correspond to those found in the giant molecular clouds

  7. Consequences of the Solar System passage through dense interstellar clouds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. G. Yeghikyan

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Several consequences of the passage of the solar system through dense interstellar molecular clouds are discussed. These clouds, dense (more than 100 cm-3, cold (10–50 K and extended (larger than 1 pc, are characterized by a gas-to-dust mass ratio of about 100, by a specific power grain size spectrum (grain radii usually cover the range 0.001–3 micron and by an average dust-to-gas number density ratio of about 10-12. Frequently these clouds contain small-scale (10–100 AU condensations with gas concentrations ranging up to 10 5 cm-3. At their casual passage over the solar system they exert pressures very much enhanced with respect to today’s standards. Under these conditions it will occur that the Earth is exposed directly to the interstellar flow. It is shown first that even close to the Sun, at 1 AU, the cloud’s matter is only partly ionized and should mainly interact with the solar wind by charge exchange processes. Dust particles of the cloud serve as a source of neutrals, generated by the solar UV irradiation of dust grains, causing the evaporation of icy materials. The release of neutral atoms from dust grains is then followed by strong influences on the solar wind plasma flow. The behavior of the neutral gas inflow parameters is investigated by a 2-D hydrodynamic approach to model the interaction processes. Because of a reduction of the heliospheric dimension down to 1 AU, direct influence of the cloud’s matter to the terrestrial environment and atmosphere could be envisaged.Key words. Interplanetary physics (heliopause and solar wind termination; interplanetary dust; interstellar gas

  8. Consequences of the Solar System passage through dense interstellar clouds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. G. Yeghikyan

    Full Text Available Several consequences of the passage of the solar system through dense interstellar molecular clouds are discussed. These clouds, dense (more than 100 cm-3, cold (10–50 K and extended (larger than 1 pc, are characterized by a gas-to-dust mass ratio of about 100, by a specific power grain size spectrum (grain radii usually cover the range 0.001–3 micron and by an average dust-to-gas number density ratio of about 10-12. Frequently these clouds contain small-scale (10–100 AU condensations with gas concentrations ranging up to 10 5 cm-3. At their casual passage over the solar system they exert pressures very much enhanced with respect to today’s standards. Under these conditions it will occur that the Earth is exposed directly to the interstellar flow. It is shown first that even close to the Sun, at 1 AU, the cloud’s matter is only partly ionized and should mainly interact with the solar wind by charge exchange processes. Dust particles of the cloud serve as a source of neutrals, generated by the solar UV irradiation of dust grains, causing the evaporation of icy materials. The release of neutral atoms from dust grains is then followed by strong influences on the solar wind plasma flow. The behavior of the neutral gas inflow parameters is investigated by a 2-D hydrodynamic approach to model the interaction processes. Because of a reduction of the heliospheric dimension down to 1 AU, direct influence of the cloud’s matter to the terrestrial environment and atmosphere could be envisaged.

    Key words. Interplanetary physics (heliopause and solar wind termination; interplanetary dust; interstellar gas

  9. Dense interstellar cloud chemistry: Basic issues and possible dynamical solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasad, S.S.; Heere, K.R.; Tarafdar, S.P.

    1989-01-01

    Standing at crossroad of enthusiasm and frustration, dense intertellar cloud chemistry has a squarely posed fundamental problem: Why do the grains appear to play at best a minor role in the chemistry? Grain surface chemistry creates considerable difficulties when the authors treat dense clouds as static objects and ignore the implications of the processes by which the clouds became dense in the first place. A new generation of models which treat chemical and dynamical evolutions concurrently are therefore presented as possible solution to the current frustrations. The proposed modeling philosophy and agenda could make the next decade quite exciting for interstellar chemistry

  10. A cloud/particle model of the interstellar medium - Galactic spiral structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levinson, F. H.; Roberts, W. W., Jr.

    1981-01-01

    A cloud/particle model for gas flow in galaxies is developed that incorporates cloud-cloud collisions and supernovae as dominant local processes. Cloud-cloud collisions are the main means of dissipation. To counter this dissipation and maintain local dispersion, supernova explosions in the medium administer radial snowplow pushes to all nearby clouds. The causal link between these processes is that cloud-cloud collisions will form stars and that these stars will rapidly become supernovae. The cloud/particle model is tested and used to investigate the gas dynamics and spiral structures in galaxies where these assumptions may be reasonable. Particular attention is given to whether large-scale galactic shock waves, which are thought to underlie the regular well-delineated spiral structure in some galaxies, form and persist in a cloud-supernova dominated interstellar medium; this question is answered in the affirmative.

  11. Internal structure and stability of an interstellar cloud heated by an external flux of soft X-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabano, Yutaka; Tosa, Makoto

    1975-01-01

    We study the properties of an interstellar gas cloud which is heated by an external flux of soft X-rays and has a uniform pressure distribution. The heating flux is significantly attenuated inside the cloud even for a rather small cloud, and the central region of the cloud is much cooler and denser than that heated uniformly, hence the cloud can be compressed easier. The stability of such a gas cloud and its implications for the process of star formation are discussed on the basis of the two-phase model of the interstellar medium. The large scale galactic shock seems important as a triggering mechanism for the formation of a dense cloud and for the gravitational collapse leading to star formation. (author)

  12. Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alfen, H.; Carlqvist, P.

    1977-12-01

    The 'pseudo-plasma formalism' which up to now has almost completely dominated theoretical astrophysics must be replaced by an experimentally based approach, involving the introduction of a number of neglected plasma phenomena, such as electric double layers, critical velocity, and pinch effect. The general belief that star light is the main ionizer is shown to be doubtful; hydromagnetic conversion of gravitational and kinetic energy may often be much more important. The revised plasma physics is applied to dark clouds and star formation. Magnetic fields do not necessarily counteract the contraction of a cloud, they may just as well 'pinch' the cloud. Magnetic compression may be the main mechanism for forming interstellar clouds and keeping them together. Star formation is due to an instability, but it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with the Jeans instablility. A reasonable mechanism is that the sedimentation of 'dust' (including solid bodies of different size) is triggering off a gravitationally assisted accretion. The study of the evolution of a dark cloud leads to a scenario of planet formation which is reconcilable with the results obtained from studies based on solar system data. This means that the new approach to cosmical plasma physics discussed logically leads to a consistent picture of the evolution of dark clouds and the formation of solar systems

  13. Diamonds in dense molecular clouds - A challenge to the standard interstellar medium paradigm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allamandola, L. J.; Sandford, S. A.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Herbst, T. M.

    1993-01-01

    Observations of a newly discovered infrared C-H stretching band indicate that interstellar diamond-like material appears to be characteristic of dense clouds. In sharp contrast, the spectral signature of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium is dominated by -CH2- and -CH3 groups. This dichotomy in the aliphatic organic component between the dense and diffuse media challenges standard assumptions about the processes occurring in, and interactions between, these two media. The ubiquity of this interstellar diamond-like material rules out models for meteoritic diamond formation in unusual circumstellar environments and implies that the formation of the diamond-like material is associated with common interstellar processes or stellar types.

  14. Interstellar clouds toward 3C 154 and 3C 353

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Federman, S.R.; Evans, N.J. II; Willson, R.F.; Falgarone, E.; Combes, F.; Texas Univ., Austin; Tufts Univ., Medford, MA; Meudon, Observatoire, France)

    1987-01-01

    Molecular observations of the interstellar clouds toward the radio sources 3C 154 and 3C 353 were obtained in order to elucidate the physical conditions within the clouds. Maps of (C-12)O emission in the J = 1-0 and J = 2-1 lines were compared with observations of the (C-13)O, CH, and OH molecules. The peak emission in the (C-12)O transitions does not occur in the direction of the continuum sources, and thus, an incomplete picture arises when only one line of sight in the two clouds is analyzed. The cloud toward 3C 154 appears to have a low extinction, but a relatively high CO abundance, suggesting that it is similar to high-latitude clouds and CO-rich diffuse clouds. The cloud toward 3C 353 is considerably denser than that toward 3C 154 and may be more like a dark cloud. 32 references

  15. Interstellar C2, CH, and CN in translucent molecular clouds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dishoeck, van E.F.; Black, J.H.

    1989-01-01

    Optical absorption-line techniques have been applied to the study of a number of translucent molecular clouds in which the total column densities are large enough that substantial molecular abundances can be maintained. Results are presented for a survey of absorption lines of interstellar C2, CH,

  16. Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alfven, H; Carlqvist, P [Kungliga Tekniska Hoegskolan, Stockholm (Sweden). Institutionen foer Plasmafysik

    1978-05-01

    Part I gives a survey of the drastic revision of cosmic plasma physics which is precipitated by the exploration of the magnetosphere through in situ measurements. The 'pseudo-plasma formalism', which until now has almost completely dominated theoretical astrophysics, must be replaced by an experimentally based approach involving the introduction of a number of neglected plasma phenomena, such as electric double layers, critical velocity, and pinch effect. The general belief that star light is the main ionizer is shown to be doubtful; hydromagnetic conversion of gravitational and kinetic energy may often be much more important. In Part II the revised plasma physics is applied to dark clouds and star formation. Magnetic fields do not necessarily counteract the contraction of a cloud; they may just as well 'pinch' the cloud. Magnetic compression may be the main mechanism for forming interstellar clouds and keeping them together. Part III treats the formation of stars in a dusty cosmic plasma cloud. Star formation is due to an instability, but it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with the Jeans instability. A reasonable mechanism is that the sedimentation of 'dust' (including solid bodies of different size) is triggering off a gravitationally assisted accretion. A 'stellesimal' accretion analogous to the planetesimal accretion leads to the formation of a star surrounded by a very low density hollow in the cloud. Matter falling in from the cloud towards the star is the raw material for the formation of planets and satellites.

  17. TURBULENCE DECAY AND CLOUD CORE RELAXATION IN MOLECULAR CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Yang; Law, Chung K.; Xu, Haitao

    2015-01-01

    The turbulent motion within molecular clouds is a key factor controlling star formation. Turbulence supports molecular cloud cores from evolving to gravitational collapse and hence sets a lower bound on the size of molecular cloud cores in which star formation can occur. On the other hand, without a continuous external energy source maintaining the turbulence, such as in molecular clouds, the turbulence decays with an energy dissipation time comparable to the dynamic timescale of clouds, which could change the size limits obtained from Jean's criterion by assuming constant turbulence intensities. Here we adopt scaling relations of physical variables in decaying turbulence to analyze its specific effects on the formation of stars. We find that the decay of turbulence provides an additional approach for Jeans' criterion to be achieved, after which gravitational infall governs the motion of the cloud core. This epoch of turbulence decay is defined as cloud core relaxation. The existence of cloud core relaxation provides a more complete understanding of the effect of the competition between turbulence and gravity on the dynamics of molecular cloud cores and star formation

  18. SURVIVAL OF INTERSTELLAR MOLECULES TO PRESTELLAR DENSE CORE COLLAPSE AND EARLY PHASES OF DISK FORMATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hincelin, U.; Wakelam, V.; Hersant, F.; Guilloteau, S.; Commerçon, B.

    2013-01-01

    An outstanding question of astrobiology is the link between the chemical composition of planets, comets, and other solar system bodies and the molecules formed in the interstellar medium. Understanding the chemical and physical evolution of the matter leading to the formation of protoplanetary disks is an important step for this. We provide some new clues to this long-standing problem using three-dimensional chemical simulations of the early phases of disk formation: we interfaced the full gas-grain chemical model Nautilus with the radiation-magnetohydrodynamic model RAMSES, for different configurations and intensities of the magnetic field. Our results show that the chemical content (gas and ices) is globally conserved during the collapsing process, from the parent molecular cloud to the young disk surrounding the first Larson core. A qualitative comparison with cometary composition suggests that comets are constituted of different phases, some molecules being direct tracers of interstellar chemistry, while others, including complex molecules, seem to have been formed in disks, where higher densities and temperatures allow for an active grain surface chemistry. The latter phase, and its connection with the formation of the first Larson core, remains to be modeled

  19. Interstellar extinction in the Large Magellanic Cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nandy, K.; Morgan, D.H.; Willis, A.J.; Wilson, R.; Gondhalekar, P.M.; Houziaux, L.

    1980-01-01

    Recent UV observations together with complementary visible data of several reddened and comparison stars of similar spectral types in the Large Magellanic Cloud have been used to study the interstellar extinction in that galaxy. Most of the reddened stars studied here are located within 2 0 of 30 Doradus and show remarkably high extinction in the far UV, suggesting a large abundance of small particles. From the optical wavelength to 2,600 A the normalised extinction curves of the LMC stars are similar to the mean galactic extinction law. (author)

  20. What fills the space between the partially ionized clouds in the local interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Linsky, Jeffrey; Redfield, Seth

    2015-01-01

    The interstellar matter located between the warm clouds in the LISM and in the Local Cavity is now thought to be photoionized gas with temperatures in the range 10,000-20,000 K. While the hot stars ε CMa and β CMa are the primary photoionizing sources in the LISM, hot white dwarfs also contribute. We consider whether the Stromgren sphere gas produced by very local hot white dwarfs like Sirius B can be important in explaining the local intercloud gas. We find that the Stromgren sphere of Sirius can at least partially explain the intercloud gas in the lines of sight to several nearby stars. We also suggest that the partially ionized warm clouds like the Local Interstellar Cloud in which the Sun is located may be in part Strömgren sphere shells

  1. Are CO Observations of Interstellar Clouds Tracing the H2?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Federrath, Christoph; Glover, S. C. O.; Klessen, R. S.; Mac Low, M.

    2010-01-01

    Interstellar clouds are commonly observed through the emission of rotational transitions from carbon monoxide (CO). However, the abundance ratio of CO to molecular hydrogen (H2), which is the most abundant molecule in molecular clouds is only about 10-4. This raises the important question of whether the observed CO emission is actually tracing the bulk of the gas in these clouds, and whether it can be used to derive quantities like the total mass of the cloud, the gas density distribution function, the fractal dimension, and the velocity dispersion--size relation. To evaluate the usability and accuracy of CO as a tracer for H2 gas, we generate synthetic observations of hydrodynamical models that include a detailed chemical network to follow the formation and photo-dissociation of H2 and CO. These three-dimensional models of turbulent interstellar cloud formation self-consistently follow the coupled thermal, dynamical and chemical evolution of 32 species, with a particular focus on H2 and CO (Glover et al. 2009). We find that CO primarily traces the dense gas in the clouds, however, with a significant scatter due to turbulent mixing and self-shielding of H2 and CO. The H2 probability distribution function (PDF) is well-described by a log-normal distribution. In contrast, the CO column density PDF has a strongly non-Gaussian low-density wing, not at all consistent with a log-normal distribution. Centroid velocity statistics show that CO is more intermittent than H2, leading to an overestimate of the velocity scaling exponent in the velocity dispersion--size relation. With our systematic comparison of H2 and CO data from the numerical models, we hope to provide a statistical formula to correct for the bias of CO observations. CF acknowledges financial support from a Kade Fellowship of the American Museum of Natural History.

  2. Interaction of Supernova Blast Waves with Interstellar Clouds: Experiments on the Omega Laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, R.I.; Robey, H.F.; Perry, T.S.; Kane, J.O.; Greenough, J.A.; Marinak, M.M.

    2001-01-01

    The interaction of strong shock waves, such as those generated by the explosion of supernovae with interstellar clouds, is a problem of fundamental importance in understanding the evolution and the dynamics of the interstellar medium (ISM) as it is disrupted by shock waves. The physics of this essential interaction is critical to understanding the evolution of the ISM, the mixing of interstellar clouds with the ISM and the viability of this mechanism for triggered star formation. Here we present the results of a series of new OMEGA laser experiments investigating the evolution of a high density sphere embedded in a low density medium after the interaction of a strong shock wave, thereby emulating the supernova shock-cloud interaction. The interaction is viewed from two orthogonal directions enabling visualization of the both the initial distortion of the sphere into a vortex ring as well as the onset of an azimuthal instability that ultimately results in the three-dimensional breakup of the ring. These studies augment previous studies [1,2] on the NOVA laser by enabling the full three-dimensional topology of the interaction to be understood. We show that the experimental results for the vortex ring are in remarkable agreement with the incompressible theory of Widnall [3]. Implications for mixing in the ISM are discussed

  3. Formation of massive, dense cores by cloud-cloud collisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahira, Ken; Shima, Kazuhiro; Habe, Asao; Tasker, Elizabeth J.

    2018-05-01

    We performed sub-parsec (˜ 0.014 pc) scale simulations of cloud-cloud collisions of two idealized turbulent molecular clouds (MCs) with different masses in the range of (0.76-2.67) × 104 M_{⊙} and with collision speeds of 5-30 km s-1. Those parameters are larger than in Takahira, Tasker, and Habe (2014, ApJ, 792, 63), in which study the colliding system showed a partial gaseous arc morphology that supports the NANTEN observations of objects indicated to be colliding MCs using numerical simulations. Gas clumps with density greater than 10-20 g cm-3 were identified as pre-stellar cores and tracked through the simulation to investigate the effects of the mass of colliding clouds and the collision speeds on the resulting core population. Our results demonstrate that the smaller cloud property is more important for the results of cloud-cloud collisions. The mass function of formed cores can be approximated by a power-law relation with an index γ = -1.6 in slower cloud-cloud collisions (v ˜ 5 km s-1), and is in good agreement with observation of MCs. A faster relative speed increases the number of cores formed in the early stage of collisions and shortens the gas accretion phase of cores in the shocked region, leading to the suppression of core growth. The bending point appears in the high-mass part of the core mass function and the bending point mass decreases with increase in collision speed for the same combination of colliding clouds. The higher-mass part of the core mass function than the bending point mass can be approximated by a power law with γ = -2-3 that is similar to the power index of the massive part of the observed stellar initial mass function. We discuss implications of our results for the massive-star formation in our Galaxy.

  4. COMET SHOWERS ARE NOT INDUCED BY INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morris, D.E.

    1985-11-01

    Encounters with interstellar clouds (IC) have been proposed by Rampino and Stothers as a cause of quasi-periodic intense comet showers leading to earth impacts, in order to explain the periodicity in marine mass extinctions found by Raup and Sepkoski. The model was described further, criticized and defended. The debate has centered on the question of whether the scale height of the clouds is small enough (in comparison to the amplitude of the oscillation of the solar system about the plane of the Galaxy) to produce a modulation in the rate of encounters. We wish to point out another serious, we believe fatal, defect in this model - the tidal fields of ICs are not strong enough to produce intense comet showers leading to earth impacts by bringing comets of the postulated inner Oort cloud into earth crossing orbits, except possibly during very rare encounters with very dense clouds. We will show that encounters with abundant clouds of low density cannot produce comet showers; cloud density N > 10{sup 3} atoms cm{sup -3} is needed to produce an intense comet shower leading to earth impacts. Furthermore, the tidal field of a dense cloud during a distant encounter is too weak to produce such showers. As a consequence, comet showers induced by ICs will be far less frequent than showers caused by passing stars. This conclusion is independent of assumptions about the radial distribution of comets in the inner Oort cloud.

  5. Role of 'core' and 'halo' solar electrons in ionization of the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Askew, S.D.; Kunc, J.A.; University of Southern California, Los Angeles

    1984-01-01

    The probability of the interstellar wind atoms (H and He) to survive ionization by solar wind electrons is presented. For the first time a dual temperature electron distribution is used to model the effects of ''core'' (10 eV) and ''halo'' (60 eV) solar electrons on the probabilities. Survival probability distributions as a function of heliocentric distance were calculated for variations in the electron temperature, solar radiation force, and the interstellar wind flow velocity. These probabilities are important in determining the radial density distributions of the interstellar atoms. It has been found that the interstellar wind has a distinctively higher probability of surviving ''halo'' rather than ''core'' electron ionization only at heliocentric distances, rho, smaller than about 0.5 a.u. For distances larger than 0.5 a.u., the probabilities of surviving ''halo'' electrons are close to the probabilities of surviving ''core'' electrons. Also, the probabilities for both ''core'' and ''halo'' electrons are relatively insensitive to changes in μsub(proportional to) (interstellar wind velocity at infinity), μ(the solar ratio of radiation to gravitational force) and α (a model parameter for solar electron temperature) for rho > 0.5. For distances smaller than that, the sensitivity increases significantly. (author)

  6. The influence of Oort clouds on the mass and chemical balance of the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stern, S.A.; Shull, J.M.

    1990-01-01

    The contribution of stellar encounters and interstellar erosion to comet cloud mass injection to the ISM is calculated. It is shown that evaporative mass loss from passing stars and SNe results in an average Galactic mass injection rate of up to 10 to the -5th solar mass/yr if such clouds are frequent around solar-type stars. Cometary erosion by interstellar grains produces an injection rate of 10 to the -5th to 10 to the -4th solar mass/yr. An injection rate of 2 x 10 to the -5th solar mass/yr is calculated. Each of these rates could be increased by a factor of about 15 if the comet clouds contain a significant amount of smaller debris. It is concluded that the total mass injection rate of material to the ISM by comet clouds is small compared to other ISM mass injection sources. Comet cloud mass loss to the ISM could be responsible for a sizeable fraction of the metal and dust abundances of the ISM if Oort clouds are common. 50 refs

  7. Goulds Belt, Interstellar Clouds, and the Eocene-Oligocene Helium-3 Spike

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubincam, David Parry

    2015-01-01

    Drag from hydrogen in the interstellar cloud which formed Gould's Belt may have sent small meteoroids with embedded helium to the Earth, perhaps explaining part or all of the (sup 3) He spike seen in the sedimentary record at the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Assuming the Solar System passed through part of the cloud, meteoroids in the asteroid belt up to centimeter size may have been dragged to the resonances, where their orbital eccentricities were pumped up into Earth-crossing orbits.

  8. Interaction of Supernova Remnants with Interstellar Clouds: From the Nova Laser to the Galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, Richard I.; Budil, Kimberly S.; Perry, Theodore S.; Bach, David R.

    2000-01-01

    The interaction of strong shock waves, such as those generated by the explosion of supernovae with interstellar clouds, is a problem of fundamental importance in understanding the evolution and the dynamics of the interstellar medium (ISM) as it is disrupted by shock waves. The physics of this essential interaction sheds light on several key questions: (1) What is the rate and total amount of gas stripped from the cloud, and what are the mechanisms responsible? (2) What is the rate of momentum transfer to the cloud? (3) What is the appearance of the shocked cloud, its morphology and velocity dispersion? (4) What is the role of vortex dynamics on the evolution of the cloud? (5) Can the interaction result in the formation of a new generation of stars? To address these questions, one of us has embarked on a comprehensive multidimensional numerical study of the shock cloud problem using high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) hydrodynamics. Here we present the results of a series of Nova laser experiments investigating the evolution of a high-density sphere embedded in a low-density medium after the passage of a strong shock wave, thereby emulating the supernova shock-cloud interaction. The Nova laser was utilized to generate a strong (∼Mach 10) shock wave which traveled along a miniature beryllium shock tube, 750 μm in diameter, filled with a low-density plastic emulating the ISM. Embedded in the plastic was a copper microsphere (100 μm in diameter) emulating the interstellar cloud. Its morphology and evolution as well as the shock wave trajectory were diagnosed via side-on radiography. We describe here experimental results of this interaction for the first time out to several cloud crushing times and compare them to detailed two- and three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulations using both arbitrary Lagrangian and Eulerian hydrodynamics (ALE) as well as high-resolution AMR hydrodynamics. We briefly discuss the key hydrodynamic instabilities

  9. Characteristics of old neutron stars in dense interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boehringer, H.; Morfill, G.E.; Zimmermann, H.U.

    1987-01-01

    The forms observable radiation will assume as old neutron stars pass through interstellar clouds and accrete material are examined theoretically. The radiation, mainly X-rays and gamma rays, will be partially absorbed by the surrounding dust and gas, which in turn produces far-IR radiation from warm dust and line radiation from the gas. Adiabatic compression of the accretion flow and the accretion shock are expected to produce cosmic rays, while gamma rays will be emitted by interaction of the energetic particles with the cloud material. The calculations indicate that the stars will then be identified as X-ray sources, some of which may be unidentified sources in the COS-B database. 37 references

  10. EVALUATING THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: USING NEW DATA TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN MULTIPLE DISCRETE CLOUDS AND A CONTINUOUS MEDIUM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Redfield, Seth [Astronomy Department and Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459-0123 (United States); Linsky, Jeffrey L., E-mail: sredfield@wesleyan.edu, E-mail: jlinsky@jila.colorado.edu [JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Boulder, CO 80309-0440 (United States)

    2015-10-20

    Ultraviolet and optical spectra of interstellar gas along the lines of sight to nearby stars have been interpreted by Redfield and Linsky and previous studies as a set of discrete warm, partially ionized clouds each with a different flow vector, temperature, and metal depletion. Recently, Gry and Jenkins proposed a fundamentally different model consisting of a single cloud with nonrigid flows filling space out to 9 pc from the Sun that they propose better describes the local ISM. Here we test these fundamentally different morphological models against the spatially unbiased Malamut et al. spectroscopic data set, and find that the multiple cloud morphology model provides a better fit to both the new and old data sets. The detection of three or more velocity components along the lines of sight to many nearby stars, the presence of nearby scattering screens, the observed thin elongated structures of warm interstellar gas, and the likely presence of strong interstellar magnetic fields also support the multiple cloud model. The detection and identification of intercloud gas and the measurement of neutral hydrogen density in clouds beyond the Local Interstellar Cloud could provide future morphological tests.

  11. Molecular cloud formation by gravitational instabilities in a clumpy interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elmegreen, B.G.

    1989-01-01

    A dispersion relation is derived for gravitational instabilities in a medium with cloud collisional cooling, using a time-dependent energy equation instead of the adiabatic equation of state. The instability extends to much smaller length scales than in the conventional Jeans analysis, and, in regions temporarily without cloud stirring, it has a large growth rate down to the cloud collision mean free path. These results suggests that gravitational instabilities in a variety of environments, such as galactic density wave shocks, swept-up shells, and extended, quiescent regions of the interstellar medium, can form molecular clouds with masses much less than the conventional Jeans mass, e.g., from 100 to 10 million solar masses for the ambient medium, and they can do this even when the unperturbed velocity dispersion remains high. Similar processes operating inside existing clouds might promote gravitationally driven fragmentation. 29 refs

  12. Interstellar extinction in the Taurus dark clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meistas, E.; Straizys, V.

    1981-01-01

    The results of photoelectric photometry of 89 stars in the Vilnius seven-color system in the area of the Taurus dark clouds with corrdinates (1950) 4sup(h)16sup(m)-4sup(h)33sup(m), +16 0 -+20 0 are presented. Photometric spectral types, absolute magnitude, color excesses, interstellar extinctions and distances of the stars are determined. The distance of the dark nebula is found to be 140 pc and is in a good agreement with the distance determined for the dark nebula Khavtassi 286, 278. The average extinction Asub(v) in the investigated area is of the order of 1.4. (author)

  13. Manifestations of electric currents in interstellar molecular clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlqvist, P.; Gahm, G.F.

    1991-12-01

    We draw the attention to filamentary structures in molecular clouds and point out the existence of subfilaments of sinusoidal shape and also of helix-like structures. For two dark clouds, the Lynds 204 complex and the Sandqvist 187-188 complex (The Norma 'sword') we make a detailed study of such shapes and in addition we find the possible existence of helices wound around the main filaments. All these features are highly reminiscent of morphologies encountered in solar ascending prominences and in experiments in plasma physics and suggest the existence of electric currents and magnetic fields in these clouds. On the basis of a generalization of the Bennett pinch model, we derive the magnitudes of the currents expected to flow in the filaments. Values of column densities, magnetic field strengths, and direction of the fields are derived from observations. Magnetic fields with both toroidal and axial components are considered. This study shows that axial currents of the order of a few times 10 13 A are necessary for the clouds to be in equilibrium. The corresponding mean current densities are very small and even at the very low values of the fractional abundance of electrons encountered in these clouds, the mean electron velocities are of the order of 10 -2 -10 -5 m s -1 , much lower than the thermal velocities in the clouds. We suggest that helical structures may evolve as a result of various instabilities in the pinched clouds. We also call the attention to the kink intability in connection with the sinusoidal shapes. The existence of electromagnetically controlled features in the interstellar clouds can be tested by further observations. (au)

  14. Formation of Massive Molecular Cloud Cores by Cloud-cloud Collision

    OpenAIRE

    Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Fukui, Yasuo

    2013-01-01

    Recent observations of molecular clouds around rich massive star clusters including NGC3603, Westerlund 2, and M20 revealed that the formation of massive stars could be triggered by a cloud-cloud collision. By using three-dimensional, isothermal, magnetohydrodynamics simulations with the effect of self-gravity, we demonstrate that massive, gravitationally unstable, molecular cloud cores are formed behind the strong shock waves induced by the cloud-cloud collision. We find that the massive mol...

  15. Interstellar Extinction in the Direction of The Barnard 1 Dark Cloud in Perseus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Černis K.

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Spectral and luminosity classes, absolute magnitudes, color excesses, interstellar extinctions and distances are determined for 98 stars down to 18 mag in the Barnard 1 dark cloud belonging to the Per OB2 association. The classification of stars is based on their photoelectric photometry in the Vilnius seven-color photometric system. The extinction vs. distance diagram exhibits the presence of two dust layers at 150 and 230 pc distances. The distance of the first cloud, which gives an extinction Ay of 0.3 mag, coincides with the distance of the Taurus dark cloud complex. The second cloud with much larger extinction is about at the same distance as the clouds in the direction of the nearby objects: reflection nebula NGC 1333 and open cluster IG 348.

  16. Goulds Belt, Interstellar Clouds, and the Eocene Oligocene Helium-3 Enhancement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubincam, David Parry

    2015-01-01

    Drag from hydrogen in the interstellar cloud which formed Gould's Belt may have sent interplanetary dust particle (IDPs) and small meteoroids with embedded helium to the Earth, perhaps explaining part the helium-3 flux increase seen in the sedimentary record near the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Assuming the Solar System passed through part of the cloud, IDPs in the inner Solar System may have been dragged to Earth, while dust and small meteoroids in the asteroid belt up to centimeter size may have been dragged to the resonances, where their orbital eccentricities were pumped up into Earth-crossing orbits; however, this hypotheses does not explain the Popigai and Chesapeake Bay impacts.

  17. Molecular Line Studies of Ballistic Stellar Interlopers Burrowing through Dense Interstellar Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosen, Anna; Sahai, R.; Claussen, M.; Morris, M.

    2010-01-01

    When an intermediate-mass star speeds through a dense interstellar cloud at a high velocity, it can produce a cometary or bow shock structure due to the cloud being impacted by the intense stellar wind. This class of objects, recently discovered in an HST imaging survey, has been dubbed "ballistic stellar interlopers" (Sahai et al. 2009). Using the ARO's 12m and SMT 10m millimeter-wave dishes, we have obtained molecular line emission data towards 10 stellar interloper sources, in order to identify and characterize the dense clouds with which the interlopers are interacting. We have made small "on-the-fly" maps in the 12CO (J=2-1) and 13CO (J=2-1) lines for each cloud, and obtained spectra of high-density tracers such as N2H+ (J=3-2), HCO+ (J=3-2), CN(N=2-1), and SO(J=5-4), which probe a range of physical conditions in the interstellar clouds being impacted by the interlopers. The data have been reduced and analyzed, and preliminary estimates of the cloud temperatures (9-22 K) and 13CO optical depths (0.18-0.37) have been made. The maps, which show the emission as a function of radial velocity and spatial offset from the location of the interlopers, have helped us distinguish between the clouds interacting with the interlopers, and those which are unrelated but happen to lie along the line of sight. These data will now enable us to carry out high-resolution mm-wave interferometric observations of the interlopers in the future. This research was performed at JPL under the Minority Education Initiatives program. RS and MM were funded by a Long Term Space Astrophysics award from NASA for this work. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Special thanks goes to John Bieging and Bill Peters of the Arizona Radio Observatory.

  18. Non-equilibrium ionization around clouds evaporating in the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballet, J.; Luciani, J.F.; Mora, P.

    1986-01-01

    It is of prime importance for global models of the interstellar medium to know whether dense clouds do or do not evaporate in the hot coronal gas. The rate of mass exchanges between phases depends very much on that. McKee and Ostriker's model, for instance, assumes that evaporation is important enough to control the expansion of supernova remnants, and that mass loss obeys the law derived by Cowie and McKee. In fact, the geometry of the magnetic field is nearly unknown, and it might totally inhibit evaporation, if the clouds are not regularly connected to the hot gas. Up to now, the only test of the theory is the U.V. observation (by the Copernicus and IUE satellites) of absorption lines of ions such as OVI or NV, that exist at temperatures of a few 100,000 K typical of transition layers around evaporating clouds. Other means of testing the theory are discussed

  19. Production and loss of HC3N in interstellar clouds: some relevant laboratory measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knight, J.S.; Freeman, C.G.; McEwan, M.J.; Smith, S.C.; Adams, N.G.; Smith, D.

    1986-01-01

    The results of recent selected ion flow tube (SIFT) experiments on the ion-molecule chemistry of cyanoacetylene are considered in the context of the chemistry of HC 3 N in the interstellar environment. Important errors revealed by this SIFT investigation, following an earlier flowing afterglow study in the authors' laboratory, have led to a different perception of the ion-molecule chemistry that HC 3 N may undergo in interstellar clouds. It is now evident that insertion and association occur in the reactions of hydrocarbon ions with HC 3 N. (author)

  20. Structure and evolution of the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chieze, J.P.

    1985-10-01

    We give a two dimensional hydrodynamical analysis of HI clouds collisions in order to determine the mass spectrum of diffuse interstellar clouds. We have taken into account evaporation and abrasion by supernovae blast waves. The conditions for cloud merging or fragmentation are precised. Applications to the model of the interstellar medium of Mc Kee and Ostriker are also discussed. On the other hand, we show that molecular clouds belong to a one parameter family which can be identified to the sequence of the gravitationally unstable states of clouds bounded by the uniform pressure of the coronal phase of the interstellar medium. Hierarchical fragmentation of molecular clouds is analysed in this context [fr

  1. Observations of the interstellar ice grain feature in the Taurus molecular clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whittet, D.C.B.; Longmore, A.J.; Baines, D.W.T.; Evans, A.

    1984-01-01

    Although water ice was originally proposed as a major constituent of the interstellar grain population, the advent of infrared astronomy has shown that the expected absorption due to O-H stretching vibrations at 3 μm is illusive. Observations have in fact revealed that the carrier of this feature is apparently restricted to regions deep within dense molecular clouds. However, the exact carrier of this feature is still controversial, and many questions remain as to the conditions required for its appearance. The Taurus molecular clouds were selected for observations, in the form of a preliminary survey in the 2-4 μm window. It is concluded that the carrier of the 3μm absorption feature appears to reside in the general cloud medium and is probably amorphous water ice. (author)

  2. Ratio of carbon monoxide to molecular hydrogen in interstellar dark clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickman, R.L.; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and The Ivan A. Getting Laboratories, The Aerospace Corporation)

    1978-01-01

    Carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen column densities are compared at various locations within 38 interstellar dark clouds. CO column densities were obtained from radio observations of the J=1→0 transitions of the 12 C 16 O and 13 C 16 O isotopic species of the molecule. Corresponding H 2 column densities were inferred by means of visual extinctions derived from star counts, since it is argued that the standard gas-to-extinction ratio can be expected to remain valid in the clouds studied. For locations in the sources possessing line-of-sight visual extinctions in the approximate range 1.5 -2 ) = (5.0 +- 2.5) x 10 5 N 13 between molecular hydrogen and 13 CO LTE column densities. The carbon monoxide molecule can therefore be used as a quantitative ''tracer'' for the (directly unobservable) H 2 content of dark clouds. The above relationship implies that at least approx.12% of the gas-phase carbon in the clouds studied is in the form of CO, provided that the clouds are assumed to be chemically homogeneous. Langer's ion-molecule chemistry for dark clouds appears to agree well with the present work if the fractionation channel of Watson, Anicich, and Huntress is included

  3. Interstellar extinction in the Large Magellanic Cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nandy, K.; Morgan, D.H.; Willis, A.J.; Wilson, R.; Gondhalekar, P.M.

    1981-01-01

    A systematic investigation of interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet as a function of position in the Large Magellanic Cloud has been made from an enlarged sample of reddened and comparison stars distributed throughout the cloud. Except for one star SK-69-108, the most reddened star of our sample, the shape of the extinction curves for the LMC stars do not show significant variations. All curves show an increase in extinction towards 2200 A, but some have maxima near 2200 A, some near 1900 A. It has been shown that the feature of the extinction curve near 1900 A is caused by the mismatch of the stellar F III 1920 A feature. The strength of this 1920 A feature as a function of luminosity and spectral type has been determined. The extinction curves have been corrected for the mismatch of the 1920 feature and a single mean extinction curve for the LMC normalized to Asub(V) = 0 and Esub(B-V) = 1 is presented. For the same value of Esub(B-V) the LMC stars show the 2200 A feature weaker by a factor 2 as compared with the galactic stars. Higher extinction shortward of 2000 A in the LMC extinction curves than that in our Galaxy, as reported in earlier papers, is confirmed. (author)

  4. THE IMPLICATIONS OF A HIGH COSMIC-RAY IONIZATION RATE IN DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Indriolo, Nick; Fields, Brian D.; McCall, Benjamin J.

    2009-01-01

    Diffuse interstellar clouds show large abundances of H + 3 which can only be maintained by a high ionization rate of H 2 . Cosmic rays are the dominant ionization mechanism in this environment, so the large ionization rate implies a high cosmic-ray flux, and a large amount of energy residing in cosmic rays. In this paper, we find that the standard propagated cosmic-ray spectrum predicts an ionization rate much lower than that inferred from H + 3 . Low-energy (∼10 MeV) cosmic rays are the most efficient at ionizing hydrogen, but cannot be directly detected; consequently, an otherwise unobservable enhancement of the low-energy cosmic-ray flux offers a plausible explanation for the H + 3 results. Beyond ionization, cosmic rays also interact with the interstellar medium by spalling atomic nuclei and exciting atomic nuclear states. These processes produce the light elements Li, Be, and B, as well as gamma-ray lines. To test the consequences of an enhanced low-energy cosmic-ray flux, we adopt two physically motivated cosmic-ray spectra which by construction reproduce the ionization rate inferred in diffuse clouds, and investigate the implications of these spectra on dense cloud ionization rates, light-element abundances, gamma-ray fluxes, and energetics. One spectrum proposed here provides an explanation for the high ionization rate seen in diffuse clouds while still appearing to be broadly consistent with other observables, but the shape of this spectrum suggests that supernovae remnants may not be the predominant accelerators of low-energy cosmic rays.

  5. The distribution of interstellar dust

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clocchiatti, A.; Marraco, H.G.

    1986-01-01

    We propose the interstellar matter structural function as a tool to derive the features of the interstellar dust distribution. We study that function resolving some ideal dust distribution models. Later we describe the method used to find a reliable computing algorithm for the observational case. Finally, we describe the steps to build a model for the interstellar matter composed by spherically symmetrical clouds. The density distribution for each of these clouds is D(r) = D 0 .esup(-r/r 0 ) 2 . The preliminary results obtained are summarised. (author)

  6. ICE CHEMISTRY IN STARLESS MOLECULAR CORES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalvans, J., E-mail: juris.kalvans@venta.lv [Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center” of Ventspils University College, Inzenieru 101, Ventspils, LV-3601 (Latvia)

    2015-06-20

    Starless molecular cores are natural laboratories for interstellar molecular chemistry research. The chemistry of ices in such objects was investigated with a three-phase (gas, surface, and mantle) model. We considered the center part of five starless cores, with their physical conditions derived from observations. The ice chemistry of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and complex organic molecules (COMs) was analyzed. We found that an ice-depth dimension, measured, e.g., in monolayers, is essential for modeling of chemistry in interstellar ices. Particularly, the H{sub 2}O:CO:CO{sub 2}:N{sub 2}:NH{sub 3} ice abundance ratio regulates the production and destruction of minor species. It is suggested that photodesorption during the core-collapse period is responsible for the high abundance of interstellar H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and O{sub 2}H and other species synthesized on the surface. The calculated abundances of COMs in ice were compared to observed gas-phase values. Smaller activation barriers for CO and H{sub 2}CO hydrogenation may help explain the production of a number of COMs. The observed abundance of methyl formate HCOOCH{sub 3} could be reproduced with a 1 kyr, 20 K temperature spike. Possible desorption mechanisms, relevant for COMs, are gas turbulence (ice exposure to interstellar photons) or a weak shock within the cloud core (grain collisions). To reproduce the observed COM abundances with the present 0D model, 1%–10% of ice mass needs to be sublimated. We estimate that the lifetime for starless cores likely does not exceed 1 Myr. Taurus cores are likely to be younger than their counterparts in most other clouds.

  7. Observations of Nitrogen Fractionation in Prestellar Cores: Nitriles Tracing Interstellar Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milam, S. N.; Charnley, S. B.

    2012-01-01

    Primitive materials provide important clues on the processes that occurred during the formation and early evolution of the Solar System. Space-based and ground-based observations of cometary comae show that comets appear to contain a mixture of the products of both interstellar and nebular chemistries. Significant 15-nitrogen enrichments have been measured in CN and HCN towards a number of comets and may suggest an origin of interstellar chemical fractionation. Additionally, large N-15 enhancements are found in meteorites and has also led to to the view that the N-15 traces material formed in the interstellar medium (ISM), although multiple sources cannot be excluded. Here, we show the results of observations of the nitrogen and carbon fractionation in prestellar cores for various N-bearing species to decipher the origin of primitive material isotopic enrichments.

  8. The loop I superbubble and the local interstellar magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frisch, Priscilla Chapman

    2014-01-01

    Recent data on the interstellar magnetic field in the low density nearby interstellar medium suggest a new perspective for understanding interstellar clouds within 40 pc. The directions of the local interstellar magnetic field found from measurements of optically polarized starlight and the very local field found from the Ribbon of energetic neutral atoms discovered by IBEX nearly agree. The geometrical relation between the local magnetic field, the positions and kinematics of local interstellar clouds, and the Loop I S1 superbubble, suggest that the Sun is located in the boundary of this evolved superbubble. The quasiperpendicular angle between the bulk kinematics and magnetic field of the local ISM indicates that a complete picture of low density interstellar clouds needs to include information on the interstellar magnetic field.

  9. Deep, Broadband Spectral Line Surveys of Molecule-rich Interstellar Clouds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Widicus Weaver, Susanna L.; Laas, Jacob C.; Zou, Luyao; Kroll, Jay A.; Rad, Mary L.; Hays, Brian M.; Sanders, James L.; Cross, Trevor N.; Wehres, Nadine; McGuire, Brett A. [Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 (United States); Lis, Dariusz C.; Sumner, Matthew C., E-mail: susanna.widicus.weaver@emory.edu [California Institute of Technology, Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics 301-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

    2017-09-01

    Spectral line surveys are an indispensable tool for exploring the physical and chemical evolution of astrophysical environments due to the vast amount of data that can be obtained in a relatively short amount of time. We present deep, broadband spectral line surveys of 30 interstellar clouds using two broadband λ  = 1.3 mm receivers at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. This information can be used to probe the influence of physical environment on molecular complexity. We observed a wide variety of sources to examine the relative abundances of organic molecules as they relate to the physical properties of the source (i.e., temperature, density, dynamics, etc.). The spectra are highly sensitive, with noise levels ≤25 mK at a velocity resolution of ∼0.35 km s{sup −1}. In the initial analysis presented here, column densities and rotational temperatures have been determined for the molecular species that contribute significantly to the spectral line density in this wavelength regime. We present these results and discuss their implications for complex molecule formation in the interstellar medium.

  10. Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of the Formation of Molecular Clouds toward the Stellar Cluster Westerlund 2: Interaction of a Jet with a Clumpy Interstellar Medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asahina, Yuta; Kawashima, Tomohisa; Furukawa, Naoko; Enokiya, Rei; Yamamoto, Hiroaki; Fukui, Yasuo; Matsumoto, Ryoji

    2017-01-01

    The formation mechanism of CO clouds observed with the NANTEN2 and Mopra telescopes toward the stellar cluster Westerlund 2 is studied by 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations, taking into account the interstellar cooling. These molecular clouds show a peculiar shape composed of an arc-shaped cloud on one side of the TeV γ -ray source HESS J1023-575 and a linear distribution of clouds (jet clouds) on the other side. We propose that these clouds are formed by the interaction of a jet with clumps of interstellar neutral hydrogen (H i). By studying the dependence of the shape of dense cold clouds formed by shock compression and cooling on the filling factor of H i clumps, we found that the density distribution of H i clumps determines the shape of molecular clouds formed by the jet–cloud interaction: arc clouds are formed when the filling factor is large. On the other hand, when the filling factor is small, molecular clouds align with the jet. The jet propagates faster in models with small filling factors.

  11. Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of the Formation of Molecular Clouds toward the Stellar Cluster Westerlund 2: Interaction of a Jet with a Clumpy Interstellar Medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asahina, Yuta; Kawashima, Tomohisa [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Furukawa, Naoko; Enokiya, Rei; Yamamoto, Hiroaki; Fukui, Yasuo [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Matsumoto, Ryoji, E-mail: asahina@cfca.jp [Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522 (Japan)

    2017-02-20

    The formation mechanism of CO clouds observed with the NANTEN2 and Mopra telescopes toward the stellar cluster Westerlund 2 is studied by 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations, taking into account the interstellar cooling. These molecular clouds show a peculiar shape composed of an arc-shaped cloud on one side of the TeV γ -ray source HESS J1023-575 and a linear distribution of clouds (jet clouds) on the other side. We propose that these clouds are formed by the interaction of a jet with clumps of interstellar neutral hydrogen (H i). By studying the dependence of the shape of dense cold clouds formed by shock compression and cooling on the filling factor of H i clumps, we found that the density distribution of H i clumps determines the shape of molecular clouds formed by the jet–cloud interaction: arc clouds are formed when the filling factor is large. On the other hand, when the filling factor is small, molecular clouds align with the jet. The jet propagates faster in models with small filling factors.

  12. Absorption of X-rays in the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ride, S.K.; Stanford Univ., Calif.; Walker, A.B.C. Jr.; Stanford Univ., Calif.

    1977-01-01

    In order to interpret soft X-ray spectra of cosmic X-ray sources, it is necessary to know the photoabsorption cross-section of the intervening interstellar material. Current models suggest that the interstellar medium contains two phases which make a substantial contribution to the X-ray opacity: cool, relatively dense clouds that exist in pressure equilibrium with hot, tenuous intercloud regions. We have computed the soft X-ray photoabsorption cross-section (per hydrogen atom) of each of these two phases. The calculation are based on a model of the interstellar medium which includes chemical evolution of the galaxy, the formation of molecules and grains, and the ionization structure of each of each phase. These cross-sections of clouds and of intercloud regions can be combined to yield the total soft X-ray photoabsorption cross-section of the interstellar medium. By choosing the appropriate linear combination of cloud and intercloud cross-sections, we can tailor the total cross-section to a particular line-of-sight. This approach, coupled with our interstellar model, enables us to better describe a wide range of interstellar features such as H II regions, dense (molecular) clouds, or the ionized clouds which may surround binary X-ray sources. (orig.) [de

  13. A flux-limited treatment for the conductive evaporation of spherical interstellar gas clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalton, William W.; Balbus, Steven A.

    1993-01-01

    In this work, we present and analyze a new analytic solution for the saturated (flux-limited) thermal evaporation of a spherical cloud. This work is distinguished from earlier analytic studies by allowing the thermal conductivity to change continuously from a diffusive to a saturated form, in a manner usually employed only in numerical calculations. This closed form solution will be of interest as a computational benchmark. Using our calculated temperature profiles and mass-loss rates, we model the thermal evaporation of such a cloud under typical interstellar medium (ISM) conditions, with some restrictions. We examine the ionization structure of the cloud-ISM interface and evaluate column densities of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, and silicon ions toward the cloud. In accord with other investigations, we find that ionization equilibrium is far from satisfied under the assumed conditions. Since the inclusion of saturation effects in the heat flux narrows the thermal interface relative to its classical structure, we also find that saturation effects tend to lower predicted column densities.

  14. Observing Interstellar and Intergalactic Magnetic Fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, J. L.

    2017-08-01

    Observational results of interstellar and intergalactic magnetic fields are reviewed, including the fields in supernova remnants and loops, interstellar filaments and clouds, Hii regions and bubbles, the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, galaxy clusters, and the cosmic web. A variety of approaches are used to investigate these fields. The orientations of magnetic fields in interstellar filaments and molecular clouds are traced by polarized thermal dust emission and starlight polarization. The field strengths and directions along the line of sight in dense clouds and cores are measured by Zeeman splitting of emission or absorption lines. The large-scale magnetic fields in the Milky Way have been best probed by Faraday rotation measures of a large number of pulsars and extragalactic radio sources. The coherent Galactic magnetic fields are found to follow the spiral arms and have their direction reversals in arms and interarm regions in the disk. The azimuthal fields in the halo reverse their directions below and above the Galactic plane. The orientations of organized magnetic fields in nearby galaxies have been observed through polarized synchrotron emission. Magnetic fields in the intracluster medium have been indicated by diffuse radio halos, polarized radio relics, and Faraday rotations of embedded radio galaxies and background sources. Sparse evidence for very weak magnetic fields in the cosmic web is the detection of the faint radio bridge between the Coma cluster and A1367. Future observations should aim at the 3D tomography of the large-scale coherent magnetic fields in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies, a better description of intracluster field properties, and firm detections of intergalactic magnetic fields in the cosmic web.

  15. Optical observations of nearby interstellar gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisch, P. C.; York, D. G.

    1984-11-01

    Observations indicated that a cloud with a heliocentric velocity of approximately -28 km/s and a hydrogen column density that possibly could be on the order of, or greater than, 5 x 10 to the 19 power/square cm is located within the nearest 50 to 80 parsecs in the direction of Ophiuchus. This is a surprisingly large column density of material for this distance range. The patchy nature of the absorption from the cloud indicates that it may not be a feature with uniform properties, but rather one with small scale structure which includes local enhancements in the column density. This cloud is probably associated with the interstellar cloud at about the same velocity in front of the 20 parsec distant star alpha Oph (Frisch 1981, Crutcher 1982), and the weak interstellar polarization found in stars as near as 35 parsecs in this general region (Tinbergen 1982). These data also indicate that some portion of the -14 km/s cloud also must lie within the 100 parsec region. Similar observations of both Na1 and Ca2 interstellar absorption features were performed in other lines of sight. Similar interstellar absorption features were found in a dozen stars between 20 and 100 parsecs of the Sun.

  16. Ultraviolet interstellar absorption toward stars in the small Magellanic Cloud. III. THe structure and kinematics of Small Magellanic Cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fitzpatrick, A.L.

    1985-01-01

    The structure and kinematical properties of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are investigated by combining ultraviolet data obtained from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite with existing optical and radio data. The SMC structure is complicated, undoubtedly a result of gravitational interaction with the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud, and is poorly understood. It has been known for some time that most of the H I in the SMC is concentrated in two complexes at velocities of approximately 134 and 167 km s -1 (heliocentric). Recent 21 cm emission surveys have revealed two additional, widespread H I components at approx.100 and approx.200 km s -1 . With the radio data alone, however, the relative line-of-sight locations of those complexes cannot be determined, nor can the associations of stars with the complexes be deduced. By using the ultraviolet interstellar absorption-line data in conjunction with radio and optical data, the stellar-interstellar kinematical and morphological relationships can be established. We find that in the southwest region of the SMC, most of the stars observed by IUE, including a group with only low-dispersion IUE spectra, are associated with the 134 km s -1 H I complex

  17. The Interstellar Medium

    CERN Document Server

    Lequeux, James

    2005-01-01

    Describing interstellar matter in our galaxy in all of its various forms, this book also considers the physical and chemical processes that are occurring within this matter. The first seven chapters present the various components making up the interstellar matter and detail the ways that we are able to study them. The following seven chapters are devoted to the physical, chemical and dynamical processes that control the behaviour of interstellar matter. These include the instabilities and cloud collapse processes that lead to the formation of stars. The last chapter summarizes the transformations that can occur between the different phases of the interstellar medium. Emphasizing methods over results, "The Interstellar Medium" is written for graduate students, for young astronomers, and also for any researchers who have developed an interest in the interstellar medium.

  18. Observations of the interstellar ice grain feature in the Taurus molecular clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whittet, D.C.B.; Bode, H.F.; Longmore, A.J.; Baines, D.W.T.; Evans, A.

    1983-01-01

    Although water ice was originally proposed as a major constituent of the interstellar grain population (e.g. Oort and van de Hulst, 1946), the advent of infrared astronomy has shown that the expected absorption due to O-H stretching vibrations at 3 μm is illusive. Observations have in fact revealed that the carrier of this feature is apparently restricted to regions deep within dense molecular clouds (Merrill et al., 1976; Willner et al., 1982). However, the exact carrier of this feature is still controversial, and many questions remain as to the conditions required for its appearance. It is also uncertain whether it is restricted to circumstellar shells, rather than the general cloud medium. Detailed discussion of the 3 μm band properties is given elsewhere in this volume. 15 references, 4 figures

  19. The Lifetimes and Evolution of Molecular Cloud Cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vázquez-Semadeni, Enrique; Kim, Jongsoo; Shadmehri, Mohsen; Ballesteros-Paredes, Javier

    2005-01-01

    We discuss the lifetimes and evolution of clumps and cores formed as turbulent density fluctuations in nearly isothermal molecular clouds. In order to maintain a broad perspective, we consider both the magnetic and nonmagnetic cases. In the latter, we argue that clumps are unlikely to reach a hydrostatic state if molecular clouds can in general be described as single-phase media with an effective polytropic exponent γecriticality of their ``parent clouds'' (the numerical boxes). In subcritical boxes, magnetostatic clumps do not form. A minority of moderately gravitationally bound clumps form, which however are dispersed by the turbulence in ~1.3 Myr, suggesting that these few longer lived cores can marginally be ``captured'' by AD to increase their mass-to-flux ratio and eventually collapse, although on timescales not significantly longer than the dynamical ones. In supercritical boxes, some cores manage to become locally supercritical and collapse in typical timescales of 2 tfc (~1 Myr). In the most supercritical simulation, a few longer lived cores are observed, which last for up to ~3 Myr, but these end up re-expanding rather than collapsing, because they are sub-Jeans in spite of being supercritical. Fewer clumps and cores form in these simulations than in their nonmagnetic counterpart. Our results suggest the following: (1) not all cores observed in molecular clouds will necessarily form stars and that a class of ``failed cores'' should exist, which will eventually redisperse and which may be related to the observed starless cores; (2) cores may be out-of-equilibrium, transient structures, rather than quasi-magnetostatic configurations; (3) the magnetic field may help reduce the star formation efficiency by reducing the probability of core formation, rather than by significantly delaying the collapse of individual cores, even in magnetically supercritical clouds.

  20. Introduction to astrochemistry chemical evolution from interstellar clouds to star and planet formation

    CERN Document Server

    Yamamoto, Satoshi

    2017-01-01

    This important book describes the basic principles of astrochemistry—an interdisciplinary field combining astronomy, physics, and chemistry—with particular emphasis on its physical and chemical background. Chemical processes in diffuse clouds, dense quiescent molecular clouds, star-forming regions, and protoplanetary disks are discussed. A brief introduction to molecular spectroscopy and observational techniques is also presented. These contents provide astronomers with a comprehensive understanding of how interstellar matter is evolved and brought into stars and planets, which is ultimately related to the origin of the solar system. The subject matter will also be understandable and useful for physical chemists who are interested in exotic chemical processes occurring in extreme physical conditions. The book is a valuable resource for all researchers beginning at the graduate level.

  1. Molecular Diagnostics of the Interstellar Medium and Star Forming Regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartquist, T. W.; Dalgarno, A.

    1996-03-01

    Selected examples of the use of observationally inferred molecular level populations and chemical compositions in the diagnosis of interstellar sources and processes important in them (and in other diffuse astrophysical sources) are given. The sources considered include the interclump medium of a giant molecular cloud, dark cores which are the progenitors of star formation, material responding to recent star formation and which may form further stars, and stellar ejecta (including those of supernovae) about to merge with the interstellar medium. The measurement of the microwave background, mixing of material between different nuclear burning zones in evolved stars and turbulent boundary layers (which are present in and influence the structures and evolution of all diffuse astrophysical sources) are treated.

  2. Interstellar depletion anomalies and ionization potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tabak, R.G.

    1979-01-01

    Satellite observations indicate that (1) most elements are depleted from the gas phase when compared to cosmic abundances, (2) some elements are several orders of magnitude more depleted than others, and (3) these depletions vary from cloud to cloud. Since the most likely possibility is that the 'missing' atoms are locked into grains, depletions occur either by accretion onto core particles in interstellar clouds or earlier, during the period of primary grain formation. If the latter mechanism is dominant, then the most important depletion parameter is the condensation temperature of the elements and their various compounds. However, this alone is not sufficient to explain all the observed anomalies. It is shown that electrostatic effects - under a wide variety of conditions- can enormously enhance the capture cross-section of the grain. It is suggested that this mechanism can also account for such anomalies as the apparent 'overabundance' of the alkali metals in the gas phase. (orig.)

  3. Physical processes in the interstellar medium

    CERN Document Server

    Spitzer, Lyman

    2008-01-01

    Physical Processes in the Interstellar Medium discusses the nature of interstellar matter, with a strong emphasis on basic physical principles, and summarizes the present state of knowledge about the interstellar medium by providing the latest observational data. Physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium are treated, with frequent references to observational results. The overall equilibrium and dynamical state of the interstellar gas are described, with discussions of explosions produced by star birth and star death and the initial phases of cloud collapse leading to star formation.

  4. Interstellar organic chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagan, C.

    1972-01-01

    Most of the interstellar organic molecules have been found in the large radio source Sagittarius B2 toward the galactic center, and in such regions as W51 and the IR source in the Orion nebula. Questions of the reliability of molecular identifications are discussed together with aspects of organic synthesis in condensing clouds, degradational origin, synthesis on grains, UV natural selection, interstellar biology, and contributions to planetary biology.

  5. Stochastic evolution of refractory interstellar dust during the chemical evolution of a two-phase interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liffman, K.; Clayton, D.D.

    1989-01-01

    The evolution course of refractory interstellar dust during the chemical evolution of a two-phase interstellar medium (ISM) is studied using a simple model of the chemical evolution of ISM. It is assumed that, in this medium, the stars are born in molecular clouds, but new nucleosynthesis products and stellar return are entered into a complementary diffuse medium; the well-mixed matter of each interstellar phase is repeatedly cycled stochastically through the complementary phase and back. The dust is studied on a particle-by-particle bases as it is sputtered by shock waves in the diffuse medium, accretes an amorphous mantle of gaseous refractory atoms while its local medium joins the molecular cloud medium, and encounters the possibility of astration within molecular clouds. Results are presented relevant to the size spectrum of accreted mantles, its age spectrum and the distinction among its several lifetimes, depletion factors of refractory atoms in the diffuse gas, and isotopic anomalies. 26 refs

  6. PRESSURE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS AND THE LOCAL HOT BUBBLE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snowden, S. L.; Chiao, M.; Collier, M. R.; Porter, F. S.; Thomas, N. E. [NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Cravens, T.; Robertson, I. P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045 (United States); Galeazzi, M.; Uprety, Y.; Ursino, E. [Department of Physics, University of Miami, 1320 Campo Sano Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 (United States); Koutroumpa, D. [Université Versailles St-Quentin, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d' Alembert, F-78280 Guyancourt (France); Kuntz, K. D. [The Henry A. Rowland Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Lallement, R.; Puspitarini, L. [GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS UMR8111, Université Paris Diderot, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92190 Meudon (France); Lepri, S. T. [University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); McCammon, D.; Morgan, K. [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Walsh, B. M., E-mail: steven.l.snowden@nasa.gov [Space Sciences Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2014-08-10

    Three recent results related to the heliosphere and the local interstellar medium (ISM) have provided an improved insight into the distribution and conditions of material in the solar neighborhood. These are the measurement of the magnetic field outside of the heliosphere by Voyager 1, the improved mapping of the three-dimensional structure of neutral material surrounding the Local Cavity using extensive ISM absorption line and reddening data, and a sounding rocket flight which observed the heliospheric helium focusing cone in X-rays and provided a robust estimate of the contribution of solar wind charge exchange emission to the ROSAT All-Sky Survey 1/4 keV band data. Combining these disparate results, we show that the thermal pressure of the plasma in the Local Hot Bubble (LHB) is P/k = 10, 700 cm{sup –3} K. If the LHB is relatively free of a global magnetic field, it can easily be in pressure (thermal plus magnetic field) equilibrium with the local interstellar clouds, eliminating a long-standing discrepancy in models of the local ISM.

  7. Formation of molecules in interstellar clouds from singly and multiply ionized atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langer, W.D.; and NASA, Institute for Space Studies, Goddard Space Flight Center, New York)

    1978-01-01

    Soft X-ray and cosmic rays produce multiply ionized atoms which may initiate molecule production in interstellar clouds. This molecule production can occur via ion-molecule reactions with H 2 , either directly from the multiply ionized atom (e.g.,C ++ + H 2 →CH + + H + ), or indirectly from the singly ionized atoms (e.g., N + + H 2 →NH + + H) that are formed from the recombination or charge transfer of the highly ionized atom (e.g., N ++ + e→N + + hv). We investigate the contribution of these reactions to the abundances of carbon-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-bearing molecules in isobaric models of diffuse clouds. In the presence of the average flux estimated for the diffuse soft X-ray background, multiply ionized atoms contribute only minimally (a few percent) to carbon-bearing molecules such as CH. In the neighborhood of diffuse structures or discrete sources, however, where the X-ray flux is enhanced, multiple ionization is considerably more important for molecule production

  8. From the Laboratory to Space: Neutral and Ionized PAHs in Translucent Interstellar Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salama, Farid; Galazutdinov, G.; Biennier, L.; Krelowski, J.

    2012-05-01

    We describe and discuss the laboratory experiments that were designed to test the proposal of relating the origin of some of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) to neutral and ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in diffuse interstellar clouds. The spectra of several cold, isolated gas-phase PAH ions and neutral molecules have been measured using the COSmIC laboratory facility at NASA-Ames and are compared with an extensive set of astronomical spectra of reddened, early type stars. The COSmIC facility combines a supersonic free jet expansion with discharge plasma and high-sensitivity cavity ringdown spectroscopy to provide experimental conditions that closely mimic the interstellar conditions. This comparison provides - for the first time - accurate upper limits for the abundances of specific PAH molecules and ions along specific lines-of-sight. Something that is not attainable from infrared observations alone. The comparison of these unique laboratory data with high resolution, high S/N ratio astronomical observations leads to major findings regarding the column densities of the individual PAH molecules and ions that are probed in this survey and leads to clear and unambiguous conclusions regarding the expected abundances for PAHs of various sizes and charge states in these environments. This quantitative survey of neutral and ionized PAHs in the optical range opens the way for unambiguous quantitative searches of PAHs and complex organics in a variety of interstellar and circumstellar environments. Acknowledgements: F.S. acknowledges the support of the NASA’s Space Mission Directorate APRA Program. The authors are deeply grateful to the ESO archive as well as to the ESO staff members for their active support.

  9. Interstellar extinction in the Small Magellanic Cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nandy, K.; McLachlan, A.; Thompson, G.I.; Morgan, D.H.; Willis, A.J.; Wilson, R.; Gondhalekar, P.M.; Houziaux, L.

    1982-01-01

    IUE observations of three considerably reddened stars located near the core of the Small Magellanic Cloud and of two comparison stars which are also SMC members are presented. This region contains a considerable amount of dust. The UV spectrum of one of the reddened stars (BBB 338) shows the lambda 2200 feature characteristic of the Galactic extinction curve. This absorption feature is not obvious in the UV spectra of the other two reddened stars. Due to lack of a suitable comparison star it has not been possible to measure the UV extinction of BBB 338. The extinction curves derived for the other two reddened SMC members differ from the mean Galactic law in that they exhibit very weak or absent lambda 2200 and much higher values of far-UV extinction. These differences are greater than have been found for stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, confirming earlier observations by others. (author)

  10. Molecular diagnostics of interstellar shocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hartquist, T.W.; Oppenheimer, M.; Dalgarno, A.

    1980-01-01

    The chemistry of molecules in shocked regions of the interstellar gas is considered and calculations are carried out for a region subjected to a shock at a velocity of 8 km s -1 Substantial enhancements are predicted in the concentrations of the molecules H 2 S, SO, and SiO compared to those anticipated in cold interstellar clouds

  11. Molecular diagnostics of interstellar shocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartquist, T. W.; Dalgarno, A.; Oppenheimer, M.

    1980-02-01

    The chemistry of molecules in shocked regions of the interstellar gas is considered and calculations are carried out for a region subjected to a shock at a velocity of 8 km/sec. Substantial enhancements are predicted in the concentrations of the molecules H2S, SO, and SiO compared to those anticipated in cold interstellar clouds.

  12. Molecular diagnostics of interstellar shocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartquist, T. W.; Dalgarno, A.; Oppenheimer, M.

    1980-01-01

    The chemistry of molecules in shocked regions of the interstellar gas is considered and calculations are carried out for a region subjected to a shock at a velocity of 8 km/sec. Substantial enhancements are predicted in the concentrations of the molecules H2S, SO, and SiO compared to those anticipated in cold interstellar clouds.

  13. Synthesis of molecules in interstellar clouds and star formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, K.K.; Ghosh, S.N.

    1981-01-01

    Study of the formation and destruction processes of interstellar molecules may throw certain light on interstellar medium. Formation and destruction processes of some interstellar molecules are proposed on the basis of laboratory data. The abundances of these molecules are calculated under steady-state condition. The calculated values are then compared with the observed values, obtained by different investigators. It appears that gas phase ion-neutral reactions are capable of synthesizing most interstellar molecules. The role of ion-neutral reactions to star formation has also been discussed. (author)

  14. Observations of Isotope Fractionation in Prestellar Cores: Interstellar Origin of Meteoritic Hot Spot?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milam, S. N.; Charnley, S. B.

    2011-01-01

    Isotopically fractionated material is found in many solar system objects, including meteorites and comets. It is thought, in some cases, to trace interstellar material that was incorporated into the solar system without undergoing significant processing. Here, we show the results of models and observations of the nitrogen and carbon fractionation in proto-stellar cores.

  15. Is life the rule or the exception? The answer may be in the interstellar clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-05-01

    (PACS and SPIRE) and a very high resolution heterodyne spectrometer (HIFI) - will be housed in a superfluid helium cryostat. Herschel will be placed in a transfer trajectory towards its operational orbit around the Earth-Sun L2 point by an Ariane 5 (shared with Planck) in early 2007. Once operational FIRST will offer a minimum of 3 years of routine observations; roughly 2/3 of the available observing time is open to the general astronomical community through a standard competitive proposal procedure. This result is consistent with (although of course does not prove) the theory that the main ingredients for life came from outer space, and therefore that chemical processes leading to life are likely to have occurred elsewhere. This reinforces the interest in an already 'hot' research field, astrochemistry. ESA's forthcoming missions Rosetta and Herschel will provide a wealth of new information for this topic. Amino acids are the 'bricks' of the proteins, and proteins are a type of compound present in all living organisms. Amino acids have been found in meteorites that have landed on Earth, but never in space. In meteorites amino acids are generally thought to have been produced soon after the formation of the Solar System, by the action of aqueous fluids on comets and asteroids - objects whose fragments became today's meteorites. However, new results published recently in Nature by two independent groups show evidence that amino acids can also form in space. Between stars there are huge clouds of gas and dust, the dust consisting of tiny grains typically smaller than a millionth of a millimetre. The teams reporting the new results, led by a United States group and a European group, reproduced the physical steps leading to the formation of these grains in the interstellar clouds in their laboratories, and found that amino acids formed spontaneously in the resulting artificial grains. The researchers started with water and a variety of simple molecules that are known to

  16. Fluorescent excitation of interstellar H2

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Black, J.H.; Dishoeck, van E.F.

    1987-01-01

    The infrared emission spectrum of H2 excited by ultraviolet absorption, followed by fluorescence, was investigated using comprehensive models of interstellar clouds for computing the spectrum and to assess the effects on the intensity to various cloud properties, such as density, size, temperature,

  17. Into the Darkness: Interstellar Extinction Near the Cepheus OB3 Molecular Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzpatrick, Edward L.; Jacklin, S.; Massa, D.

    2014-01-01

    We present the results of a followup investigation to a study performed by Massa and Savage (1984, ApJ, 279, 310) of the properties of UV interstellar extinction in the region of the Cepheus OB3 molecular cloud. That study was performed using UV photometry and spectro-photometry from the ANS and IUE satellites. We have extended this study into the IR, utilizing the uniform database of IR photometry available from the 2MASS project. This is a part of a larger program whose goal is to study the properties of extinction in localized regions, where we hope to find clues to dust grain growth and destruction processes through spatial correlations of extinction with distinct environmental properties. Similarly to Massa and Savage’s UV results, we find that the IR extinction properties on the Cepheus OB3 region vary systematically with the apparent proximity of the target stars to the molecular cloud. We also find that the UV extinction and the IR extinction are crudely correlated. The methodology leading to these results and their implications are discussed.

  18. Detection of organic matter in interstellar grains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendleton, Y J

    1997-06-01

    Star formation and the subsequent evolution of planetary systems occurs in dense molecular clouds, which are comprised, in part, of interstellar dust grains gathered from the diffuse interstellar medium (DISM). Radio observations of the interstellar medium reveal the presence of organic molecules in the gas phase and infrared observational studies provide details concerning the solid-state features in dust grains. In particular, a series of absorption bands have been observed near 3.4 microns (approximately 2940 cm-1) towards bright infrared objects which are seen through large column densities of interstellar dust. Comparisons of organic residues, produced under a variety of laboratory conditions, to the diffuse interstellar medium observations have shown that aliphatic hydrocarbon grains are responsible for the spectral absorption features observed near 3.4 microns (approximately 2940 cm-1). These hydrocarbons appear to carry the -CH2- and -CH3 functional groups in the abundance ratio CH2/CH3 approximately 2.5, and the amount of carbon tied up in this component is greater than 4% of the cosmic carbon available. On a galactic scale, the strength of the 3.4 microns band does not scale linearly with visual extinction, but instead increases more rapidly for objects near the Galactic Center. A similar trend is noted in the strength of the Si-O absorption band near 9.7 microns. The similar behavior of the C-H and Si-O stretching bands suggests that these two components may be coupled, perhaps in the form of grains with silicate cores and refractory organic mantles. The ubiquity of the hydrocarbon features seen in the near infrared near 3.4 microns throughout out Galaxy and in other galaxies demonstrates the widespread availability of such material for incorporation into the many newly forming planetary systems. The similarity of the 3.4 microns features in any organic material with aliphatic hydrocarbons underscores the need for complete astronomical observational

  19. On the ionization of interstellar magnesium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurzadyan, G.A.

    1977-01-01

    It has been shown that two concentric ionization zones of interstellar magnesium must exist around each star: internal, with a radius coinciding with that of the zone of hydrogen ionization Ssub(H); and external, with a radius greater than Ssub(H), by one order. Unlike interstellar hydrogen, interstellar magnesium is ionized throughout the Galaxy. It also transpires that the ionizing radiation of ordinary hot stars cannot provide for the observed high degree of ionization of interstellar magnesium. The discrepance can be eliminated by assuming the existence of circumstellar clouds or additional ionization sources of interstellar magnesium (X-ray background radiation, high-energy particles, etc.). Stars of the B5 and BO class play the main role in the formation of ionization zones of interstellar magnesium; the contribution of O class stars is negligible (<1%). (Auth.)

  20. Thermal emission from interstellar dust in and near the Pleiades

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.E.

    1989-01-01

    IRAS survey coadds for a 8.7 deg x 4.3 deg field near the Pleiades provide evidence for dynamical interaction between the cluster and the surrounding interstellar medium. The far-infrared images show large region of faint emission with bright rims east of the cluster, suggestive of a wake. Images of the far-infrared color temperature and 100 micron optical depth reveal temperature maxima and optical depth minima near the bright cluster stars, as well as a strong optical depth peak at the core of the adjacent CO cloud. Models for thermal dust emission near the stars indicate that most of the apparent optical depth minima near stars are illusory, but also provide indirect evidence for small interaction between the stars and the encroaching dust cloud

  1. Thermal emission from interstellar dust in and near the Pleiades

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Richard E.

    1989-01-01

    IRAS survey coadds for a 8.7 deg x 4.3 deg field near the Pleiades provide evidence for dynamical interaction between the cluster and the surrounding interstellar medium. The far-infrared images show large region of faint emission with bright rims east of the cluster, suggestive of a wake. Images of the far-infrared color temperature and 100 micron optical depth reveal temperature maxima and optical depth minima near the bright cluster stars, as well as a strong optical depth peak at the core of the adjacent CO cloud. Models for thermal dust emission near the stars indicate that most of the apparent optical depth minima near stars are illusory, but also provide indirect evidence for small interaction between the stars and the encroaching dust cloud.

  2. Fantastic Striations and Where to Find Them: The Origin of Magnetically Aligned Striations in Interstellar Clouds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Che-Yu; Li, Zhi-Yun; King, Patrick K. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Fissel, Laura M. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Thin, magnetically aligned striations of relatively moderate contrast with the background are commonly observed in both atomic and molecular clouds. They are also prominent in MHD simulations with turbulent converging shocks. The simulated striations develop within a dense, stagnated sheet in the midplane of the post-shock region where magnetically induced converging flows collide. We show analytically that the secondary flows are an inevitable consequence of the jump conditions of oblique MHD shocks. They produce the stagnated, sheet-like sub-layer through a secondary shock when, roughly speaking, the Alfvénic speed in the primary converging flows is supersonic, a condition that is relatively easy to satisfy in interstellar clouds. The dense sub-layer is naturally threaded by a strong magnetic field that lies close to the plane of the sub-layer. The substantial magnetic field makes the sheet highly anisotropic, which is the key to the striation formation. Specifically, perturbations of the primary inflow that vary spatially perpendicular to the magnetic field can easily roll up the sheet around the field lines without bending them, creating corrugations that appear as magnetically aligned striations in column density maps. On the other hand, perturbations that vary spatially along the field lines curve the sub-layer and alter its orientation relative to the magnetic field locally, seeding special locations that become slanted overdense filaments and prestellar cores through enhanced mass accumulation along field lines. In our scenario, the dense sub-layer, which is unique to magnetized oblique shocks, is the birthplace for both magnetically aligned diffuse striations and massive star-forming structures.

  3. Stochastic histories of dust grains in the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liffman, K.; Clayton, D.D.

    1989-01-01

    The purpose is to study an evolving system of refractory dust grains within the Interstellar Medium (ISM). This is done via a combination of Monte Carlo processes and a system of partial differential equations, where refractory dust grains formed within supernova remnants and ejecta from high mass loss stars are subjected to the processes of sputtering and collisional fragmentation in the diffuse media and accretion within the cold molecular clouds. In order to record chemical detail, the authors take each new particle to consist of a superrefractory core plus a more massive refractory mantle. The particles are allowed to transfer to and fro between the different phases of the interstellar medium (ISM) - on a time scale of 10(exp 8) years - until either the particles are destroyed or the program finishes at a Galaxy time of 6x10(exp 9) years. The resulting chemical and size spectrum(s) are then applied to various astrophysical problems with the following results. For an ISM which has no collisional fragmentation of the dust grains, roughly 10 percent by mass of the most refractory material survives the rigors of the ISM intact, which leaves open the possibility that fossilized isotopically anomalous material may have been present within the primordial solar nebula. Stuctured or layered refractory dust grains within the model cannot explain the observed interstellar depletions of refractory material. Fragmentation due to grain-grain collisions in the diffuse phase plus the accretion of material in the molecular cloud phase can under certain circumstances cause a bimodal distribution in grain size

  4. Interstellar C2 molecules in a Taurus dark cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hobbs, L.M.; Black, J.H.; van Dishoeck, E.F.

    1983-01-01

    Five relatively strong interstellar absorption lines of the 2--0) Phillips band of C 2 near lambda8760 are detected in the spectrum of HD 29647, a late B star which lies behind a substantial part of the Taurus molecular cloud complex about 20triangle-solid from TMC-1. In combination with newly determined oscillator strengths, the observations yield a column density N(C 2 )roughly-equal9 x 10 13 cm -2 , which is comparable to those of widely distributed molecules like CH and H 2 O. Theoreticl models of the observed C 2 rotational level populations indicate a kinetic temperature T = 14 +8 /sub -/ 5 K and a mean density n 3 cm -3 . A narrow, anomalous strong, stellar Mn II line yields for HD 29647 a project rotational velocity v sin i -1 and is explained by previous identifications HD 29647 as a Hg-Mn peculiar star. Similar spectra of ν Cyg and omicron And give an upper limit W/sub lambda/ 2 lines in the 2--0) band, toward both stars

  5. Characterizing interstellar filaments as revealed by the Herschel Gould Belt survey: Insights into the initial conditions for star formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arzoumanian, Doris

    2012-01-01

    This thesis aims to characterize the physical properties of interstellar filaments imaged in nearby molecular clouds with the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the Herschel Gould Belt survey. In order to get insight into the formation and evolution of interstellar filaments I analyzed, during my PhD work, a large sample of filaments detected in various nearby clouds. The observed density profiles of the filaments show a power law behavior at large radii and their dust temperature profiles show a drop towards the center. The filaments are characterized by a narrow distribution of de-convolved inner widths, centered around a typical value of ∼ 0.1 pc, while they span more than three orders of magnitude in central column density. This typical filament width corresponds to the sonic scale below which interstellar turbulence becomes subsonic in diffuse gas, which may suggest that the filaments form as a result of the dissipation of large-scale turbulence. While the turbulent fragmentation picture provides a plausible mechanism for forming interstellar filaments, the fact that pre-stellar cores tend to form in dense, gravitationally unstable filaments suggests that gravity is a major driver in the subsequent evolution of the dense supercritical filaments. The latter hypothesis is supported by molecular line observations with the IRAM 30 m telescope, which show an increase in the non-thermal velocity dispersion of supercritical filaments as a function of their central column density, suggesting that self gravitating filaments grow in mass per unit length by accretion of background material while at the same time fragmenting into star-forming cores. (author) [fr

  6. Observation of interstellar lithium in the low-metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howk, J Christopher; Lehner, Nicolas; Fields, Brian D; Mathews, Grant J

    2012-09-06

    The primordial abundances of light elements produced in the standard theory of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) depend only on the cosmic ratio of baryons to photons, a quantity inferred from observations of the microwave background. The predicted primordial (7)Li abundance is four times that measured in the atmospheres of Galactic halo stars. This discrepancy could be caused by modification of surface lithium abundances during the stars' lifetimes or by physics beyond the Standard Model that affects early nucleosynthesis. The lithium abundance of low-metallicity gas provides an alternative constraint on the primordial abundance and cosmic evolution of lithium that is not susceptible to the in situ modifications that may affect stellar atmospheres. Here we report observations of interstellar (7)Li in the low-metallicity gas of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy with a quarter the Sun's metallicity. The present-day (7)Li abundance of the Small Magellanic Cloud is nearly equal to the BBN predictions, severely constraining the amount of possible subsequent enrichment of the gas by stellar and cosmic-ray nucleosynthesis. Our measurements can be reconciled with standard BBN with an extremely fine-tuned depletion of stellar Li with metallicity. They are also consistent with non-standard BBN.

  7. The galactic interstellar medium

    CERN Document Server

    Burton, WB; Genzel, R

    1992-01-01

    This volume contains the papers of three extended lectures addressing advanced topics in astronomy and astrophysics. The topics discussed include the most recent observational data on interstellar matter outside our galaxy and the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds.

  8. Photodissociation and excitation of interstellar molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dishoeck, E.F. van.

    1984-01-01

    Apart from a rather long introduction containing some elementary astrophysics, quantum chemistry and spectroscopy and an incomplete, historical review of molecular observations, this thesis is divided into three sections. In part A, a rigorous quantum chemical and dynamical study is made of the photodissociation processes in the OH and HCl molecules. In part B, the cross sections obtained in part A are used in various astrophysical problems such as the study of the abundances of the OH and HCl molecules in interstellar clouds, the use of the OH abundance as a measure of the cosmic ray ionization rate, the lifetime of the OH radical in comets and the abundance of OH in the solar photosphere. Part C discusses the excitation of the C 2 molecule under interstellar conditions, its use as a diagnostic probe of the temperature, density and strength of the radiation field in interstellar clouds. Quadrupole moments and oscillator strengths are analyzed. (Auth.)

  9. Small-scale structure in the diffuse interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, D.M.

    1990-01-01

    The initial results of a study to probe the small-scale structure in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) through IUE and optical observations of interstellar absorption lines toward both components of resolvable binary stars is reported. The binaries (Kappa CrA, 57 Aql, 59 And, HR 1609/10, 19 Lyn, and Theta Ser) observed with IUE have projected linear separations ranging from 5700 to 700 Au. Except for Kappa CrA, the strengths of the interstellar absorption lines toward both components of these binaries agree to within 10 percent. In the case of Kappa CrA, the optically thin interstellar Mg I and Mn II lines are about 50 percent stronger toward Kappa-2 CrA than Kappa-1 CrA. Higher resolution observations of interstellar Ca II show that this difference is concentrated in the main interstellar component at V(LSR) = 9 + or - 2 km/s. Interestingly, this velocity corresponds to an intervening cloud that may be associated with the prominent Loop I shell in the local ISM. Given the separation (23 arcsec) and distance (120 pc) of Kappa CrA, the line strength variations indicate that this cloud has structure on scales of 2800 AU or less. 21 refs

  10. Recent interstellar molecular line work

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winnewisser, G.

    1975-01-01

    A summary of recent interstellar molecular line work is presented. Transitions of the following molecules have been detected in Sgr B2: Vinylcyanide, H 2 C 2 HCN, formic acid, HCOOH, dimethyl ether (CH 3 ) 2 O and isotopically labelled cyanoacetylene- 13 C,HC 13 CCN and HCC 13 CN. The data on cyanoacetylene give an upper limit to the abundance ratio 12 C/ 13 C of 36 +- 5. A short discussion of the interstellar chemistry leads to the conclusion that hydrocarbons such as acetylene, HCCH, ethylen, H 2 CCH 2 and ethane H 3 CCH 3 should be present in interstellar clouds. 13 refs

  11. Interstellar extinction correlations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, A.P.; Williams, D.A.; Duley, W.W.

    1987-01-01

    A recently proposed model for interstellar grains in which the extinction arises from small silicate cores with mantles of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (HAC or α-C:H), and large, but thinly coated, silicate grains can successfully explain many of the observed properties of interstellar dust. The small silicate cores give rise to the 2200 A extinction feature. The extinction in the visual is produced by the large silicates and the HAC mantles on the small cores, whilst the far UV extinction arises in the HAC mantles with a small contribution form the silicate grains. The grain model requires that the silicate material is the more resilient component and that variations in the observed extinction from region to region are due to the nature and depletion of the carbon in the HAC mantles. (author)

  12. Why do interstellar grains exist

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seab, C.G.; Hollenbach, D.J.; Mckee, C.F.; Tielens, A.G.G.M.

    1986-01-01

    There exists a discrepancy between calculated destruction rates of grains in the interstellar medium and postulated sources of new grains. This problem was examined by modelling the global life cycle of grains in the galaxy. The model includes: grain destruction due to supernovae shock waves; grain injection from cool stars, planetary nebulae, star formation, novae, and supernovae; grain growth by accretion in dark clouds; and a mixing scheme between phases of the interstellar medium. Grain growth in molecular clouds is considered as a mechanism or increasing the formation rate. To decrease the shock destruction rate, several new physical processes, such as partial vaporization effects in grain-grain collisions, breakdown of the small Larmor radius approximation for betatron acceleration, and relaxation of the steady-state shock assumption are included

  13. Hydro-chemical study of the evolution of interstellar pre-biotic molecules during the collapse of molecular clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majumdar, Liton; Das, Ankan; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.; Chakrabarti, Sonali

    2012-01-01

    One of the stumbling blocks for studying the evolution of interstellar molecules is the lack of adequate knowledge about the rate coefficients of various reactions which take place in the interstellar medium and molecular clouds. Some theoretical models of rate coefficients do exist in the literature for computing abundances of complex pre-biotic molecules. So far these have been used to study the abundances of these molecules in space. However, in order to obtain more accurate final compositions in these media, we have calculated the rate coefficients for the formation of some of the most important interstellar pre-biotic molecules by using quantum chemical theory. We use these rates inside our hydro-chemical model to examine the chemical evolution and final abundances of pre-biotic species during the collapsing phase of a proto-star. We find that a significant amount of various pre-biotic molecules could be produced during the collapse phase of a proto-star. We thoroughly study the formation of these molecules via successive neutral-neutral and radical-radical/radical-molecular reactions. We present the time evolution of the chemical species with an emphasis on how the production of these molecules varies with the depth of a cloud. We compare the formation of adenine in interstellar space using our rate-coefficients and using those obtained from existing theoretical models. Formation routes of the pre-biotic molecules are found to be highly dependent on the abundances of the reactive species and the rate coefficients involved in the reactions. The presence of grains strongly affects the abundances of the gas phase species. We also carry out a comparative study between different pathways available for the synthesis of adenine, alanine, glycine and other molecules considered in our network. Despite the huge abundances of the neutral reactive species, production of adenine is found to be strongly dominated by the radical-radical/radical-molecular reaction pathways

  14. TWO-FLUID MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS SIMULATIONS OF CONVERGING H I FLOWS IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM. II. ARE MOLECULAR CLOUDS GENERATED DIRECTLY FROM A WARM NEUTRAL MEDIUM?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro

    2009-01-01

    Formation of interstellar clouds as a consequence of thermal instability is studied using two-dimensional two-fluid magnetohydrodynamic simulations. We consider the situation of converging, supersonic flows of warm neutral medium in the interstellar medium that generate a shocked slab of thermally unstable gas in which clouds form. We find, as speculated in Paper I, that in the shocked slab magnetic pressure dominates thermal pressure and the thermal instability grows in the isochorically cooling, thermally unstable slab that leads to the formation of H I clouds whose number density is typically n ∼ -3 , even if the angle between magnetic field and converging flows is small. We also find that even if there is a large dispersion of magnetic field, evolution of the shocked slab is essentially determined by the angle between the mean magnetic field and converging flows. Thus, the direct formation of molecular clouds by piling up warm neutral medium does not seem to be a typical molecular cloud formation process, unless the direction of supersonic converging flows is biased to the orientation of mean magnetic field by some mechanism. However, when the angle is small, the H I shell generated as a result of converging flows is massive and possibly evolves into molecular clouds, provided gas in the massive H I shell is piled up again along the magnetic field line. We expect that another subsequent shock wave can again pile up the gas of the massive shell and produce a larger cloud. We thus emphasize the importance of multiple episodes of converging flows, as a typical formation process of molecular clouds.

  15. The collapse of interstellar gas clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNally, D.; Settle, J.J.

    1980-01-01

    The stability of spherically symmetric free-fall collapse to small radial perturbations is examined for non-uniform clouds. It is concluded that fragmentation of the central region of a collapsing gas cloud is possible if: (a) the density distribution is sufficiently smooth; and (b) the collapse is nearly free fall. Generally, perturbations enjoy only finite amplification during the collapse, and the amplification tends to decrease with increasing distance from the centre of the cloud. Unlimited amplification occurs only for uniform density clouds. Fragmentation is therefore unlikely to result from dynamical instability in the outer parts of a non-uniform cloud. Isothermal clouds are also briefly considered and, while it is argued that an earlier suggestion of their instability to fragmentation is unfounded, no general conclusion on the instability of such clouds could be drawn. (author)

  16. Stochastic histories of dust grains in the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liffman, K.

    1988-01-01

    The purpose of this thesis is to study an evolving system of SU-perNOva CONdensateS (SUNOCONS) within the Interstellar Medium (ISM). This is done via a Monte Carlo process where refractory dust grains formed within supernova remnants are subjected to the processes of sputtering and collisional fragmentation in the diffuse phase and accretion within the cold molecular cloud phase. In order to record chemical detail, we take each new particle to consist of a superrefractory core plus a more massive refractory mantle. The particles are allowed to transfer to and from between the different phases of the ISM until either the particles are destroyed or the program finishes. The resulting chemical and size spectrum(s) are then applied to various astrophysical problems with the following results: (1) after six thousand million years roughly 10 to 20% by mass of the most refractory material (Al 2 O 3 ) survives the rigors of the ISM intact, which leaves open the possibility that fossilized isotopically anomalous material may have been present within the primordial solar nebula. (2) structured or layered refractory dust grains within our model cannot explain the observed interstellar depletions of refractory material. (3) fragmentation due to grain-grain collisions in the diffuse phase plus the accretion of material in the molecular cloud phase can under certain circumstances cause a biomodal distribution in grain size

  17. Ice in the Taurus molecular cloud: modelling of the 3-μm profile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bult, C.E.P.M. van de; Greenberg, J.M.; Whittet, D.C.B.

    1985-01-01

    Detailed calculations of the absorption by interstellar core-mantle particles with mantles of different compositions are compared with observations of the 3μm ice band in the Taurus molecular cloud. The strength and shape of the 3-μm band is shown to be a remarkably good diagnostic of the physical state and evolution of the dust in molecular clouds. The strength of the band is consistent with large fractional H 2 O mantle concentrations, in the range 60-70 per cent, as predicted by theoretical studies of cloud chemistry and as expected from the high oxygen abundance in pre-molecular clouds. (author)

  18. Evolution of interstellar grains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenberg, J.M.

    1984-01-01

    The principal aim of this chapter is to derive the properties of interstellar grains as a probe of local physical conditions and as a basis for predicting such properties as related to infrared emissivity and radiative transfer which can affect the evolution of dense clouds. The first sections will develop the criteria for grain models based directly on observations of gas and dust. A summary of the chemical evolution of grains and gas in diffuse and dense clouds follows. (author)

  19. Effects of large rate coefficients for ion-polar neutral reactions on chemical models of dense interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbst, E.; Leung, C.M.; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY)

    1986-01-01

    Pseudo-time-dependent models of the gas phase chemistry of dense interstellar clouds have been run with large rate coefficients for reactions between ions and polar neutral species, as advocated by Adams, Smith, and Clary. The higher rate coefficients normally lead to a reduction in both the peak and steady state abundances of polar neutrals, which can be as large as an order of magnitude but is more often smaller. Other differences between the results of these models and previous results are also discussed. 38 references

  20. Cosmic ray diffusion in a violent interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bykov, A.M.; Toptygin, I.N.

    1985-01-01

    A variety of the avaiable observational data on the cosmic ray (CR) spectrum, anisotropy and composition are in good agreement with a suggestion on the diffusion propagation of CR with energy below 10(15) eV in the interstellar medium. The magnitude of the CR diffusion coefficient and its energy dependence are determined by interstellar medium (ISM) magnetic field spectra. Direct observational data on magnetic field spectra are still absent. A theoretical model to the turbulence generation in the multiphase ISM is resented. The model is based on the multiple generation of secondary shocks and concomitant large-scale rarefactions due to supernova shock interactions with interstellar clouds. The distribution function for ISM shocks are derived to include supernova statistics, diffuse cloud distribution, and various shock wave propagation regimes. This permits calculation of the ISM magnetic field fluctuation spectrum and CR diffusion coefficient for the hot phase of ISM

  1. Interstellar material in front of chi ophiuchi. I. Optical observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frisch, P.C.

    1979-01-01

    Optical observations of the interstellar material in front of chi Oph are discussed. The main interstellar cloud is made up of several regions with velocities between -6 and -12 km s -1 (heliocentric). Both CH and CH + are found within this feature, but with central velocities which differ by 2 km s -1 . Another cloud, with a velocity of -26 km s -1 , contains relatively strong Ca + lines. It has a ratio between Ca + and Na 0 column densities that is appropriate for ''high-velocity'' clouds. Calcium, iron, and sodium column densities are used to estimate an average electron density for the line of sight as well as for each cloud. The abundances of CH and CH + , and the absence of CN, are analyzed in terms of current theories about their origin

  2. Models of gas-grain chemistry in interstellar cloud cores with a stochastic approach to surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stantcheva, T.; Herbst, E.

    2004-08-01

    We present a gas-grain model of homogeneous cold cloud cores with time-independent physical conditions. In the model, the gas-phase chemistry is treated via rate equations while the diffusive granular chemistry is treated stochastically. The two phases are coupled through accretion and evaporation. A small network of surface reactions accounts for the surface production of the stable molecules water, formaldehyde, methanol, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane. The calculations are run for a time of 107 years at three different temperatures: 10 K, 15 K, and 20 K. The results are compared with those produced in a totally deterministic gas-grain model that utilizes the rate equation method for both the gas-phase and surface chemistry. The results of the different models are in agreement for the abundances of the gaseous species except for later times when the surface chemistry begins to affect the gas. The agreement for the surface species, however, is somewhat mixed. The average abundances of highly reactive surface species can be orders of magnitude larger in the stochastic-deterministic model than in the purely deterministic one. For non-reactive species, the results of the models can disagree strongly at early times, but agree to well within an order of magnitude at later times for most molecules. Strong exceptions occur for CO and H2CO at 10 K, and for CO2 at 20 K. The agreement seems to be best at a temperature of 15 K. As opposed to the use of the normal rate equation method of surface chemistry, the modified rate method is in significantly better agreement with the stochastic-deterministic approach. Comparison with observations of molecular ices in dense clouds shows mixed agreement.

  3. Heterogeneous condensation of ice mantle around silicate core grain in molecular cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, H.

    1984-01-01

    Interstellar water ice grains are observed in the cold and dense regions such as molecular clouds, HII regions and protostellar objects. The water ice is formed from gas phase during the cooling stage of cosmic gas with solid grain surfaces of high temperature silicate minerals. It is a question whether the ice is formed through the homogeneous condensation process (as the ice alone) or the heterogeneous one (as the ice around the pre-existing high temperature mineral grains). (author)

  4. A dirty window diffuse and translucent molecular gas in the interstellar medium

    CERN Document Server

    Magnani, Loris

    2017-01-01

    This book provides an introduction to the physics of interstellar gas in the Galaxy. It deals with the diffuse interstellar medium which supplies a complex environment for exploring the neutral gas content of a galaxy like the Milky Way and the techniques necessary for studying this non-stellar component. After an initial exposition of the phases of the interstellar medium and the role of gas in a spiral galaxy, the authors discuss the transition from atomic to molecular gas. They then consider basic radiative transfer and molecular spectroscopy with particular emphasis on the molecules useful for studying low-density molecular gas. Observational techniques for investigating the gas and the dust component of the diffuse interstellar medium throughout the electromagnetic spectrum are explored emphasizing results from the recent Herschel and Planck missions. A brief exposition on dust in the diffuse interstellar medium is followed by a discussion of molecular clouds in general and high-latitude molecular clouds...

  5. Experimental interstellar organic chemistry: Preliminary findings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khare, B. N.; Sagan, C.

    1971-01-01

    In a simulation of interstellar organic chemistry in dense interstellar clouds or on grain surfaces, formaldehyde, water vapor, ammonia and ethane are deposited on a quartz cold finger and ultraviolet-irradiated in high vacuum at 77K. The HCHO photolytic pathway which produces an aldehyde radical and a superthermal hydrogen atom initiates solid phase chain reactions leading to a range of new compounds, including methanol, ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetonitrile, acetone, methyl formate, and possibly formic acid. Higher nitriles are anticipated. Genetic relations among these interstellar organic molecules (e.g., the Cannizzaro and Tischenko reactions) must exist. Some of them, rather than being synthesized from smaller molecules, may be degradation products of larger organic molecules, such as hexamethylene tetramine, which are candidate consitituents of the interstellar grains. The experiments reported here may also be relevant to cometary chemistry.

  6. Structural, chemical and isotopic examinations of interstellar organic matter extracted from meteorites and interstellar dust particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busemann, Henner; Alexander, Conel M. O'D.; Nittler, Larry R.; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Zega, Tom J.; Cody, George D.; Yabuta, Hikaru; Kilcoyne, A. L. David

    2008-10-01

    Meteorites and Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) are supposed to originate from asteroids and comets, sampling the most primitive bodies in the Solar System. They contain abundant carbonaceous material. Some of this, mostly insoluble organic matter (IOM), likely originated in the protosolar molecular cloud, based on spectral properties and H and N isotope characteristics. Together with cometary material returned with the Stardust mission, these samples provide a benchmark for models aiming to understand organic chemistry in the interstellar medium, as well as for mechanisms that secured the survival of these fragile molecules during Solar System formation. The carrier molecules of the isotope anomalies are largely unknown, although amorphous carbonaceous spheres, so-called nanoglobules, have been identified as carriers. We are using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry to identify isotopically anomalous material in meteoritic IOM and IDPs at a ~100-200 nm scale. Organics of most likely interstellar origin are then extracted with the Focused-Ion-Beam technique and prepared for synchrotron X-ray and Transmission Electron Microscopy. These experiments yield information on the character of the H- and N-bearing interstellar molecules: While the association of H and N isotope anomalies with nanoglobules could be confirmed, we have also identified amorphous, micron-sized monolithic grains. D-enrichments in meteoritic IOM appear not to be systematically associated with any specific functional groups, whereas 15N-rich material can be related to imine and nitrile functionality. The large 15N- enrichments observed here (δ15N > 1000 ‰) cannot be reconciled with models using interstellar ammonia ice reactions, and hence, provide new constraints for understanding the chemistry in cold interstellar clouds.

  7. Problems on gravitational collapse of interstellar gas clouds. II. Caustic and critical times for a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferraioli, F; Virgopia, N [Rome Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Matematica; Ruggeri, T [Bologna Univ. (Italy)

    1978-07-01

    The gravitational collapse of a spherically symmetric interstellar gas cloud has been investigated following the non-linear discontinuity waves propagation theory. It has been pointed out that macroscopic phenomena, such as the process of fragmentation, can arise (shock wave formation) - even in the case of spherical symmetry - at times smaller than the free-fall time tsub(ff), provided the initial data of the Cauchy problem be discontinuous within a sphere of radius R(mean) < Rsub(cloud) (caustic cases). It has also been proved that strong discontinuities outside the mentioned sphere may generate critical times tsub(cr) < tsub(ff) (depending on the typical non-linear structure of the differential system). The cooling-heating function plays an important role in contrasting the formation of shock waves.

  8. Spiral arms and a supernova-dominated interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brand, P.W.J.L.; Heathcote, S.R.

    1982-01-01

    Models of the interstellar medium (ISM) utilizing the large energy output of supernovae to determine the average kinematical properties of the gas, are subjected to an imposed (spiral) density wave. The consequent appearance of the ISM is considered. In particular the McKee-Ostriker model with cloud evaporation is used, but it is shown that the overall appearance of the galaxy model does not change significantly if a modification of Cox's mechanism, with no cloud evaporation, is incorporated. It is found that a spiral density wave shock can only be self-sustaining if quite restrictive conditions are imposed on the values of the galactic supernova rate and the mean interstellar gas density. (author)

  9. Organic Chemistry in Interstellar Ices: Connection to the Comet Halley Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schutte, W. A.; Agarwal, V. K.; deGroot, M. S.; Greenberg, J. M.; McCain, P.; Ferris, J. P.; Briggs, R.

    1997-01-01

    Mass spectroscopic measurements on the gas and dust in the coma of Comet Halley revealed the presence of considerable amounts of organic species. Greenberg (1973) proposed that prior to the formation of the comet UV processing of the ice mantles on grains in dense clouds could lead to the formation of complex organic molecules. Theoretical predictions of the internal UV field in dense clouds as well as the discovery in interstellar ices of species like OCS and OCN- which have been formed in simulation experiments by photoprocessing of interstellar ice analogues point to the importance of such processing. We undertook a laboratory simulation study of the formation of organic molecules in interstellar ices and their possible relevance to the Comet Halley results.

  10. Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium. General Colloquium, 19-21 November 2012, Paris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguillon, Francois; Alata, Ivan; Alcaraz, Christian; Alves, Marta; Andre, Philippe; Bachiller, Rafael; Bacmann, Aurore; Baklouti, Donia; Bernard, Jean-Philippe; Berne, Olivier; Beroff, Karine; Bertin, Mathieu; Biennier, Ludovic; Bocchio, Marco; Bonal, Lydie; Bontemps, Sylvain; Bouchez Giret, Aurelia; Boulanger, Francois; Bracco, Andrea; Bron, Emeric; Brunetto, Rosario; Cabrit, Sylvie; Canosa, Andre; Capron, Michael; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Cernicharo, Jose; Chaabouni, Henda; Chabot, Marin; Chen, Hui-Chen; Chiavassa, Thierry; Cobut, Vincent; Commercon, Benoit; Congiu, Emanuele; Coutens, Audrey; Danger, Gregoire; Daniel, Fabien; Dartois, Emmanuel; Demyk, Karine; Denis, Alpizar; Despois, Didier; D'hendecourt, Louis; Dontot, Leo; Doronin, Mikhail; Dubernet, Marie-Lise; Dulieu, Francois; Dumouchel, Fabien; Duvernay, Fabrice; Ellinger, Yves; Falgarone, Edith; Falvo, Cyril; Faure, Alexandre; Fayolle, Edith; Feautrier, Nicole; Feraud, Geraldine; Fillion, Jean-Hugues; Gamboa, Antonio; Gardez, Aline; Gavilan, Lisseth; Gerin, Maryvonne; Ghesquiere, Pierre; Godard, Benjamin; Godard, Marie; Gounelle, Matthieu; Gratier, Pierre; Grenier, Isabelle; Gruet, Sebastien; Gry, Cecile; Guillemin, Jean-Claude; Guilloteau, Stephane; Gusdorf, Antoine; Guzman, Viviana; Habart, Emilie; Hennebelle, Patrick; Herrera, Cinthya; Hily-Blant, Pierre; Hincelin, Ugo; Hochlaf, Majdi; Huet, Therese; Iftner, Christophe; Jallat, Aurelie; Joblin, Christine; Kahane, Claudine; Kalugina, Yulia; Kleiner, Isabelle; Koehler, Melanie; Kokkin, Damian; Koutroumpa, Dimitra; Krim, Lahouari; Lallement, Rosine; Lanza, Mathieu; Lattelais, Marie; Le Bertre, Thibaut; Le Gal, Romane; Le Petit, Franck; Le Picard, Sebastien; Lefloch, Bertrand; Lemaire, Jean Louis; Lesaffre, Pierre; Lique, Francois; Loison, Jean-Christophe; Lopez Sepulcre, Ana; Maillard, Jean-Pierre; Margules, Laurent; Martin, Celine; Mascetti, Joelle; Michaut, Xavier; Minissale, Marco; Miville-Deschenes, Marc-Antoine; Mokrane, Hakima; Momferratos, Georgios; Montillaud, Julien; Montmerle, Thierry; Moret-Bailly, Jacques; Motiyenko, Roman; Moudens, Audrey; Noble, Jennifer; Padovani, Marco; Pagani, Laurent; Pardanaud, Cedric; Parisel, Olivier; Pauzat, Francoise; Pernet, Amelie; Pety, Jerome; Philippe, Laurent; Piergiorgio, Casavecchia; Pilme, Julien; Pinto, Cecilia; Pirali, Olivier; Pirim, Claire; Puspitarini, Lucky; Rist, Claire; Ristorcelli, Isabelle; Romanzin, Claire; Roueff, Evelyne; Rousseau, Patrick; Sabbah, Hassan; Saury, Eleonore; Schneider, Ioan; Schwell, Martin; Sims, Ian; Spielfiedel, Annie; Stoecklin, Thierry; Talbi, Dahbia; Taquet, Vianney; Teillet-Billy, Dominique; Theule, Patrice; Thi, Wing-Fai; Trolez, Yann; Valdivia, Valeska; Van Dishoeck, Ewine; Verstraete, Laurent; Vinogradoff, Vassilissa; Wiesenfeld, Laurent; Ysard, Nathalie; Yvart, Walter; Zicler Eleonore

    2012-11-01

    This document publishes the oral contributions and the 66 posters presented during a colloquium on physics and chemistry of interstellar medium. The following themes have been addressed: New views on the interstellar medium with Herschel, Planck and Alma, Cycle of interstellar dusts, Physics and Dynamics of the interstellar medium, Molecular complexifying and the link towards pre-biotic chemistry. More precisely, the oral contributions addressed the following topics: Interstellar medium with Herschel and Planck; The anomalous microwave emission: a new window on the physics of small grains; Sub-millimetre spectroscopy of complex molecules and of radicals for ALMA and Herschel missions; Analysing observations of molecules in the ISM: theoretical and experimental studies of energy transfer; Unravelling the labyrinth of star formation with Herschel; Star formation regions with Herschel and Alma: astro-chemistry in the Netherlands; Physical structure of gas and dust in photo-dissociation regions observed with Herschel; Photo-desorption of analogues of interstellar ices; Formation of structures in the interstellar medium: theoretical and numerical aspects; Towards a 3D mapping of the galactic ISM by inversion of absorption individual measurements; Low velocity shocks as signatures of turbulent dissipation in diffuse irradiated gas; Early phases of solar system formation: 3D physical and chemical modelling of the collapse of pre-stellar dense core; Cosmic-ray propagation in molecular clouds; Protostellar shocks in the time of Herschel; A new PDR model of the physics and chemistry of the interstellar gas; Molecular spectroscopy in the ALMA era and laboratory Astrophysics in Spain; Which molecules to be searched for in the interstellar medium; Physics and chemistry of UV illuminated neutral gas: the Horsehead case; Nitrogen fractionation in dark clouds; Molecular spectral surveys from millimetre range to far infrared; Mechanisms and synthesis at the surface of cold grains

  11. THE DEPENDENCE OF PRESTELLAR CORE MASS DISTRIBUTIONS ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE PARENTAL CLOUD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parravano, Antonio; Sánchez, Néstor; Alfaro, Emilio J.

    2012-01-01

    The mass distribution of prestellar cores is obtained for clouds with arbitrary internal mass distributions using a selection criterion based on the thermal and turbulent Jeans mass and applied hierarchically from small to large scales. We have checked this methodology by comparing our results for a log-normal density probability distribution function with the theoretical core mass function (CMF) derived by Hennebelle and Chabrier, namely a power law at large scales and a log-normal cutoff at low scales, but our method can be applied to any mass distributions representing a star-forming cloud. This methodology enables us to connect the parental cloud structure with the mass distribution of the cores and their spatial distribution, providing an efficient tool for investigating the physical properties of the molecular clouds that give rise to the prestellar core distributions observed. Simulated fractional Brownian motion (fBm) clouds with the Hurst exponent close to the value H = 1/3 give the best agreement with the theoretical CMF derived by Hennebelle and Chabrier and Chabrier's system initial mass function. Likewise, the spatial distribution of the cores derived from our methodology shows a surface density of companions compatible with those observed in Trapezium and Ophiucus star-forming regions. This method also allows us to analyze the properties of the mass distribution of cores for different realizations. We found that the variations in the number of cores formed in different realizations of fBm clouds (with the same Hurst exponent) are much larger than the expected root N statistical fluctuations, increasing with H.

  12. Investigating nearby exoplanets via interstellar radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheffer, Louis K.

    2014-01-01

    Interstellar radar is a potential intermediate step between passive observation of exoplanets and interstellar exploratory missions. Compared with passive observation, it has the traditional advantages of radar astronomy. It can measure surface characteristics, determine spin rates and axes, provide extremely accurate ranges, construct maps of planets, distinguish liquid from solid surfaces, find rings and moons, and penetrate clouds. It can do this even for planets close to the parent star. Compared with interstellar travel or probes, it also offers significant advantages. The technology required to build such a radar already exists, radar can return results within a human lifetime, and a single facility can investigate thousands of planetary systems. The cost, although too high for current implementation, is within the reach of Earth's economy.

  13. Climatic effects during passage of the solar system through interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talbot, R.J. Jr.; Butler, D.M.; Newman, M.J.

    1976-01-01

    It is thought likely that the solar system passes through regions where there are a large number of dense interstellar clouds. When this occurs several processes may cause significant changes in the climate of the Earth and other planets. Matters here discussed include the influences of compression of the solar wind cavity, accretion of matter by the Sun, and particulate input into the Earth's atmosphere. Gravitational energy released by the accretion of interstellar material by the Sun may enhance the solar luminosity, and considerations of terrestrial heat balance suggest that luminosity enhancements of 1% or more will produce significant variations of climate. Observational evidence suggests that there is some mechanism producing a relationship between solar wind flow and climate. One proposed mechanism is that contemporary solar wind modulation of galactic cosmic rays influences climate, and the fact that the Earth would be outside the solar wind cavity for all or part of the year may have an effect on terrestrial climate. Relatively small variations of solar UV radiation input may have perceptible influences on climate, and if a 1% variation in radiation input to the stratosphere has a significant effect then accretion may have a large impact on terrestrial conditions, even though the change in the total heat balance is negligible.With regard to dust input into the Earth's atmosphere it is estimated that during the lifetime of the solar system the mass of dust grains accreted by the Earth should have been about 10 16 to 10 18 g; the matter of evidence for their presence is discussed. It is concluded that the processes proposed have very complex implications for global weather patterns; and at present it is not possible to evaluate which, if any, will unquestionably affect the Earth's climate. (U.K.)

  14. Gitting of infrared data to the interstellar polarization law

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clarke, D

    1984-02-15

    The ability of Serkowski's law describing the wavelength dependence of interstellar polarization to encompass new infrared measurements in combination with optical data has been examined. Fitting by least-squares procedures reveals departures from the law in various wavelength zones or at specific wavelength points across the optical and infrared spectrum. These structures may be caused by a combination of effects such as normal experimental noise, complex interstellar clouds or systematic errors in the polarimetry but the possibility remains that some, particularly in the infrared, reflect the scattering properties of interstellar grains. 8 references.

  15. Fitting of infrared data to the interstellar polarization law

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clarke, D [Glasgow Univ., Great Britain

    1984-02-15

    The ability of Serkowski's law describing the wavelength dependence of interstellar polarization to encompass new infrared measurements in combination with optical data has been examined. Fitting by least-squares procedures reveals departures from the law in various wavelength zones or at specific wavelength points across the optical and infrared spectrum. These structures may be caused by a combination of effects such as normal experimental noise, complex interstellar clouds or systematic errors in the polarimetry but the possibility remains that some, particularly in the infrared, reflect the scattering properties of interstellar grains.

  16. OBSERVATIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON METHANOL PRODUCTION IN INTERSTELLAR AND PREPLANETARY ICES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whittet, D. C. B.; Cook, A. M.; Herbst, Eric; Chiar, J. E.; Shenoy, S. S.

    2011-01-01

    Methanol (CH 3 OH) is thought to be an important link in the chain of chemical evolution that leads from simple diatomic interstellar molecules to complex organic species in protoplanetary disks that may be delivered to the surfaces of Earthlike planets. Previous research has shown that CH 3 OH forms in the interstellar medium predominantly on the surfaces of dust grains. To enhance our understanding of the conditions that lead to its efficient production, we assemble a homogenized catalog of published detections and limiting values in interstellar and preplanetary ices for both CH 3 OH and the other commonly observed C- and O-bearing species, H 2 O, CO, and CO 2 . We use this catalog to investigate the abundance of ice-phase CH 3 OH in environments ranging from dense molecular clouds to circumstellar envelopes around newly born stars of low and high mass. Results show that CH 3 OH production arises during the CO freezeout phase of ice-mantle growth in the clouds, after an ice layer rich in H 2 O and CO 2 is already in place on the dust, in agreement with current astrochemical models. The abundance of solid-phase CH 3 OH in this environment is sufficient to account for observed gas-phase abundances when the ices are subsequently desorbed in the vicinity of embedded stars. CH 3 OH concentrations in the ices toward embedded stars show order-of-magnitude object-to-object variations, even in a sample restricted to stars of low mass associated with ices lacking evidence of thermal processing. We hypothesize that the efficiency of CH 3 OH production in dense cores and protostellar envelopes is mediated by the degree of prior CO depletion.

  17. THE MASS DISTRIBUTION OF STARLESS AND PROTOSTELLAR CORES IN GOULD BELT CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadavoy, Sarah I.; Di Francesco, James; Bontemps, Sylvain; Megeath, S. Thomas; Allgaier, Erin; Rebull, Luisa M.; Carey, Sean; McCabe, Caer-Eve; Noriega-Crespo, Alberto; Padgett, Deborah; Gutermuth, Robert; Hora, Joe; Huard, Tracy; Muzerolle, James; Terebey, Susan

    2010-01-01

    Using data from the SCUBA Legacy Catalogue (850 μm) and Spitzer Space Telescope (3.6-70 μm), we explore dense cores in the Ophiuchus, Taurus, Perseus, Serpens, and Orion molecular clouds. We develop a new method to discriminate submillimeter cores found by Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) as starless or protostellar, using point source photometry from Spitzer wide field surveys. First, we identify infrared sources with red colors associated with embedded young stellar objects (YSOs). Second, we compare the positions of these YSO candidates to our submillimeter cores. With these identifications, we construct new, self-consistent starless and protostellar core mass functions (CMFs) for the five clouds. We find best-fit slopes to the high-mass end of the CMFs of -1.26 ± 0.20, -1.22 ± 0.06, -0.95 ± 0.20, and -1.67 ± 0.72 for Ophiuchus, Taurus, Perseus, and Orion, respectively. Broadly, these slopes are each consistent with the -1.35 power-law slope of the Salpeter initial mass function at higher masses, but suggest some differences. We examine a variety of trends between these CMF shapes and their parent cloud properties, potentially finding a correlation between the high-mass slope and core temperature. We also find a trend between core mass and effective size, but we are very limited by sensitivity. We make similar comparisons between core mass and size with visual extinction (for A V ≥ 3) and find no obvious trends. We also predict the numbers and mass distributions of cores that future surveys with SCUBA-2 may detect in each of these clouds.

  18. A SEARCH FOR CARBON-CHAIN-RICH CORES IN DARK CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirota, Tomoya; Ohishi, Masatoshi; Yamamoto, Satoshi

    2009-01-01

    We present results of a survey of CCS, HC 3 N, and HC 5 N toward 40 dark cloud cores to search for 'Carbon-Chain-Producing Regions (CCPRs)', where carbon-chain molecules are extremely abundant relative to NH 3 , as in L1495B, L1521B, L1521E, and the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1. We have mainly observed toward cores where the NH 3 lines are weak, not detected, or not observed in previous surveys, and the CCS, HC 3 N, and HC 5 N lines have been detected toward 17, 17, and 5 sources, respectively. Among them, we have found a CCPR, L492, and its possible candidates, L1517D, L530D, L1147, and L1172B. They all show low abundance ratios of [NH 3 ]/[CCS] (hereafter called the NH 3 /CCS ratio) indicating the chemical youth. Combining our results with those of previous surveys, we have found a significant variation of the NH 3 /CCS ratio among dark cloud cores and among molecular cloud complexes. Such a variation is also suggested by the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules. For instance, the NH 3 /CCS ratios are higher and the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules are lower in the Ophiuchus cores than in the Taurus cores. An origin of these systematic abundance variation is discussed in terms of the difference in the evolutionary stage or the contraction timescale. We have also identified a carbon-chain-rich star-forming core, L483, where intense HC 3 N and HC 5 N lines are detected. This is a possible candidate for a core with 'Warm Carbon-Chain Chemistry'.

  19. Magnetite and the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landaberry, S.C.; Magalhaes, A.M.

    1976-01-01

    Recent observations concerning interstellar circular polarization are explained by a simple two-cloud model using magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) grains as polarizing agents. Three stars covering a wide range of linear polarization spectral shapes were selected. Reasonably low column densities are required in order to interpret polarization data [pt

  20. TRIGGERING COLLAPSE OF THE PRESOLAR DENSE CLOUD CORE AND INJECTING SHORT-LIVED RADIOISOTOPES WITH A SHOCK WAVE. II. VARIED SHOCK WAVE AND CLOUD CORE PARAMETERS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boss, Alan P.; Keiser, Sandra A., E-mail: boss@dtm.ciw.edu, E-mail: keiser@dtm.ciw.edu [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305 (United States)

    2013-06-10

    A variety of stellar sources have been proposed for the origin of the short-lived radioisotopes that existed at the time of the formation of the earliest solar system solids, including Type II supernovae (SNe), asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and super-AGB stars, and Wolf-Rayet star winds. Our previous adaptive mesh hydrodynamics models with the FLASH2.5 code have shown which combinations of shock wave parameters are able to simultaneously trigger the gravitational collapse of a target dense cloud core and inject significant amounts of shock wave gas and dust, showing that thin SN shocks may be uniquely suited for the task. However, recent meteoritical studies have weakened the case for a direct SN injection to the presolar cloud, motivating us to re-examine a wider range of shock wave and cloud core parameters, including rotation, in order to better estimate the injection efficiencies for a variety of stellar sources. We find that SN shocks remain as the most promising stellar source, though planetary nebulae resulting from AGB star evolution cannot be conclusively ruled out. Wolf-Rayet (WR) star winds, however, are likely to lead to cloud core shredding, rather than to collapse. Injection efficiencies can be increased when the cloud is rotating about an axis aligned with the direction of the shock wave, by as much as a factor of {approx}10. The amount of gas and dust accreted from the post-shock wind can exceed that injected from the shock wave, with implications for the isotopic abundances expected for a SN source.

  1. Gamma rays from the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bloemen, J.B.G.M.

    1985-01-01

    This thesis describes new gamma-ray views on cosmic rays and the interstellar medium. The author describes the COS-B data base and the pre-launch and in-flight calibration data used for all analyses. Diffuse galactic gamma radiation (> 50 MeV) may be either a result of cosmic-ray-matter interactions, or of the cosmic-ray electrons with the interstellar radiation field (mainly at optical and infrared wavelengths), through the inverse-Compton process. A detailed comparison between the gamma-ray observations of the large complex of interstellar clouds in Orion and Monoceros and the CO and HI surveys of this region is given. It gives insight into the cloud penetration of cosmic rays and in the relation between CO detections and molecular hydrogen column densities. Next, the radial distribution of gamma rays in the Galaxy is studied, as well as the galactic centre (more precisely, the central 400 pc), which contains a large concentration of CO molecules. The H 2 /CO abundance and the cosmic-ray density in the galactic centre are discussed and compared to the findings for the galactic disk. In various analyses in this thesis a likelihood-ratio method is applied for parameter estimation and hypothesis testing. A general description of this method is added as an appendix. (Auth.)

  2. H{sub 2} EXCITATION STRUCTURE ON THE SIGHTLINES TO {delta} SCORPII AND {zeta} OPHIUCI: FIRST RESULTS FROM THE SUB-ORBITAL LOCAL INTERSTELLAR CLOUD EXPERIMENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    France, Kevin; Nell, Nicholas; Kane, Robert; Green, James C. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Burgh, Eric B. [SOFIA/USRA, NASA Ames Research Center, M/S N232-12, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Beasley, Matthew, E-mail: kevin.france@colorado.edu [Planetary Resources, Inc., 93 S Jackson St 50680, Seattle, WA 98104-2818 (United States)

    2013-07-20

    We present the first science results from the Sub-orbital Local Interstellar Cloud Experiment (SLICE): moderate resolution 1020-1070 A spectroscopy of four sightlines through the local interstellar medium. High signal-to-noise (S/N) spectra of {eta} Uma, {alpha} Vir, {delta} Sco, and {zeta} Oph were obtained during a 2013 April 21 rocket flight. The SLICE observations constrain the density, molecular photoexcitation rates, and physical conditions present in the interstellar material toward {delta} Sco and {zeta} Oph. Our spectra indicate a factor of two lower total N(H{sub 2}) than previously reported for {delta} Sco, which we attribute to higher S/N and better scattered light control in the new SLICE observations. We find N(H{sub 2}) = 1.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 19} cm{sup -2} on the {delta} Sco sightline, with kinetic and excitation temperatures of 67 and 529 K, respectively, and a cloud density of n{sub H} = 56 cm{sup -3}. Our observations of the bulk of the molecular sightline toward {zeta} Oph are consistent with previous measurements (N(H{sub 2}) Almost-Equal-To 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 20} cm{sup -2} at T{sub 01}(H{sub 2}) = 66 K and T{sub exc} = 350 K). However, we detect significantly more rotationally excited H{sub 2} toward {zeta} Oph than previously observed. We infer a cloud density in the rotationally excited component of n{sub H} Almost-Equal-To 7600 cm{sup -3} and suggest that the increased column densities of excited H{sub 2} are a result of the ongoing interaction between {zeta} Oph and its environment; also manifest as the prominent mid-IR bowshock observed by WISE and the presence of vibrationally excited H{sub 2} molecules observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.

  3. Cloud-particle galactic gas dynamics and star formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberts, W.W. Jr.

    1983-01-01

    Galactic gas dynamics, spiral structure, and star formation are discussed in the context of N-body computational studies based on a cloud-particle model of the interstellar medium. On the small scale, the interstellar medium appears to be cloud-dominated and supernova-perturbed. The cloud-particle model simulates cloud-cloud collisions, the formation of stellar associations, and supernova explosions as dominant local processes. On the large scale in response to a spiral galactic gravitational field, global density waves and galactic shocks develop with large-scale characteristics similar to those found in continuum gas dynamical studies. Both the system of gas clouds and the system of young stellar associations forming from the clouds share in the global spiral structure. However, with the attributes of neither assuming a continuum of gas (as in continuum gas dynamical studies) nor requiring a prescribed equation of state such as the isothermal condition so often employed, the cloud-particle picture retains much of the detail lost in earlier work: namely, the small-scale features and structures so important in understanding the local, turbulent state of the interstellar medium as well as the degree of raggedness often observed superposed on global spiral structure. (Auth.)

  4. Influence of the interstellar medium on climate and life: the Black Cloud revisited

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Talbot, Jr, R J

    1980-06-01

    Recent studies of the gas and dust between the stars, the interstellar medium, reveal a complex chemistry which indicates that prebiotic organic chemistry is ubiquitous. The relationship between this interstellar chemistry and the organic chemistry of the early solar system and the earth is explored. The interstellar medium is also considered as likely to have a continuing influence upon the climate of the earth and other planets. Life forms as we know them are not only descendants of the organic evolution begun in the interstellar medium, but their continuing evolution is also molded through occasional interactions between the interstellar medium, the sun and the climate on earth.

  5. Influence of the interstellar medium on climate and life. The black cloud revisited

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Talbot, Jr, R J [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (USA). Dept. of Space Physics and Astronomy

    1980-06-01

    Recent studies of the gas and dust between the stars, the interstellar medium, reveal a complex chemistry which indicates that prebiotic organic chemistry is ubiquitous. The relationship between this interstellar chemistry and the organic chemistry of the early solar system and the Earth is explored. The interstellar medium is also considered as likely to have a continuing influence upon the climate of the Earth and other planets. Life forms as known are not only descendants of the organic evolution begun in the interstellar medium, but their continuing evolution is also molded through occasional interactions between the interstellar medium, the Sun and the climate on Earth.

  6. Surfatron accelerator in the local interstellar cloud

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loznikov, V. M., E-mail: vloznikov@yandex.ru; Erokhin, N. S.; Zol’nikova, N. N.; Mikhailovskaya, L. A. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute (Russian Federation)

    2017-01-15

    Taking into account results of numerous experiments, the variability of the energy spectra of cosmic rays (protons and helium nuclei) in the energy range of 10 GeV to ~10{sup 7} GeV is explained on the basis of a hypothesis of the existence of two variable sources close to the Sun. The first (soft) surfatron source (with a size of ~100 AU) is located at the periphery of the heliosphere. The second (hard) surfatron source (with a size of ~1 pc) is situated in the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC) at a distance of <1 pc. The constant background is described by a power-law spectrum with a slope of ~2.75. The variable heliospheric surfatron source is described by a power-law spectrum with a variable amplitude, slope, and cutoff energy, the maximum cutoff energy being in the range of E{sub CH}/Z < 1000 GeV. The variable surfatron source in the LIC is described by a power-law spectrum with a variable amplitude, slope, and cut-off energy, the maximum cut-off energy being E{sub Ð}¡{sub L}/Z ≤ 3 × 10{sup 6} GeV. The proposed model is used to approximate data from several experiments performed at close times. The energy of each cosmic-ray component is calculated. The possibility of surfatron acceleration of Fe nuclei (Z = 26) in the LIC up to an energy of E{sub CL} ~ 10{sup 17} eV and electron and positrons to the “knee” in the energy spectrum is predicted. By numerically solving a system of nonlinear equations describing the interaction between an electromagnetic wave and a charged particle with an energy of up to E/Z ~ 3 × 10{sup 6} GeV, the possibility of trapping, confinement, and acceleration of charged cosmic-ray particles by a quasi-longitudinal plasma wave is demonstrated.

  7. A flattened cloud core in NGC 2024

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Paul T. P.; Peng, Yun-Lou; Torrelles, Jose M.; Gomez, Jose F.; Rodriguez, Luis F.; Canto, Jorge

    1993-01-01

    The (J, K) (1, 1) and (2, 2) NH3 lines were mapped toward a molecular cloud core in NGC 2024 using the VLA in its C/D-configuration. This region is associated with one of the most highly collimated molecular outflows. We find that the molecular condensations associated with the far-infrared sources FIR 5, FIR 6, and FIR 7 have kinetic temperatures of about 40 K. We also find line broadening toward FIR 6 and FIR 7. This suggests that these condensations may not be protostars heated by gravitational energy released during collapse but that they have an internal heating source. A flattened structure of ammonia emission is found extending parallel to the unipolar CO outflow structure, but displaced systematically to the east. If the NH3 emission traces the denser gas environment, there is no evidence that a dense gas structure is confining the molecular outflow. Instead, the location of the high-velocity outflow along the surface of the NH3 structure suggests that a wind is sweeping material from the surface of this elongated cloud core.

  8. Dark clouds in the vicinity of the emission nebula Sh2-205: interstellar extinction and distances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Straižys, V.; Čepas, V.; Boyle, R. P.; Zdanavičius, J.; Maskoliūnas, M.; Kazlauskas, A.; Zdanavičius, K.; Černis, K.

    2016-05-01

    Results of CCD photometry in the seven-colour Vilnius system for 922 stars down to V = 16-17 mag and for 302 stars down to 19.5 mag are used to investigate the interstellar extinction in an area of 1.5 square degrees in the direction of the P7 and P8 clumps of the dark cloud TGU H942, which lies in the vicinity of the emission nebula Sh2-205. In addition, we used 662 red clump giants that were identified by combining the 2MASS and WISE infrared surveys. The resulting plots of extinction versus distance were compared with previous results of the distribution and radial velocities of CO clouds and with dust maps in different passbands of the IRAS and WISE orbiting observatories. A possible distance of the front edge of the nearest cloud layer at 130 ± 10 pc was found. This dust layer probably covers all the investigated area, which results in extinction of up to 1.8 mag in some directions. A second rise of the extinction seems to be present at 500-600 pc. Within this layer, the clumps P7 and P8 of the dust cloud TGU H942, the Sh2-205 emission nebula, and the infrared cluster FSR 655 are probably located. In the direction of these clouds, we identified 88 young stellar objects and a new infrared cluster. Full Tables 1 and 2 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/590/A21

  9. The effect of catastrophic collisional fragmentation and diffuse medium accretion on a computational interstellar dust system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liffman, Kurt

    1990-01-01

    The effects of catastrophic collisional fragmentation and diffuse medium accretion on a the interstellar dust system are computed using a Monte Carlo computer model. The Monte Carlo code has as its basis an analytic solution of the bulk chemical evolution of a two-phase interstellar medium, described by Liffman and Clayton (1989). The model is subjected to numerous different interstellar processes as it transfers from one interstellar phase to another. Collisional fragmentation was found to be the dominant physical process that shapes the size spectrum of interstellar dust. It was found that, in the diffuse cloud phase, 90 percent of the refractory material is locked up in the dust grains, primarily due to accretion in the molecular medium. This result is consistent with the observed depletions of silicon. Depletions were found to be affected only slightly by diffuse cloud accretion.

  10. CYANOMETHANIMINE ISOMERS IN COLD INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS: INSIGHTS FROM ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND KINETIC CALCULATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vazart, Fanny; Latouche, Camille; Skouteris, Dimitrios; Barone, Vincenzo [Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56125 Pisa (Italy); Balucani, Nadia [Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Universitá degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, I-06123 Perugia (Italy)

    2015-09-10

    New insights into the formation of interstellar cyanomethanimine, a species of great relevance in prebiotic chemistry, are provided by electronic structure and kinetic calculations for the reaction CN + CH{sub 2} = NH. This reaction is a facile formation route of Z,E-C-cyanomethanimine, even under the extreme conditions of density and temperature typical of cold interstellar clouds. E-C-cyanomethanimine has been recently identified in Sgr B2(N) in the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) PRIMOS survey by P. Zaleski et al. and no efficient formation routes have been envisaged so far. The rate coefficient expression for the reaction channel leading to the observed isomer E-C-cyanomethanimine is 3.15 × 10-10 × (T/300){sup 0.152} × e{sup (−0.0948/T)}. According to the present study, the more stable Z-C-cyanomethanimine isomer is formed with a slightly larger yield (4.59 × 10{sup −10} × (T/300){sup 0.153} × e{sup (−0.0871/T)}. As the detection of E-isomer is favored due to its larger dipole moment, the missing detection of the Z-isomer can be due to the sensitivity limit of the GBT PRIMOS survey and the detection of the Z-isomer should be attempted with more sensitive instrumentation. The CN + CH{sub 2} = NH reaction can also play a role in the chemistry of the upper atmosphere of Titan where the cyanomethanimine products can contribute to the buildup of the observed nitrogen-rich organic aerosols that cover the moon.

  11. Origins Space Telescope: Nearby Galaxies, the Milky Way, and the Interstellar Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battersby, Cara; Sandstrom, Karin; Origins Space Telescope Science and Technology Definition Team

    2018-01-01

    The Origins Space Telescope (OST) is the mission concept for the Far-Infrared Surveyor, one of the four science and technology definition studies of NASA Headquarters for the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal survey. Origins will enable flagship-quality general observing programs led by the astronomical community in the 2030s. We welcome you to contact the Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) with your science needs and ideas by emailing us at ost_info@lists.ipac.caltech.eduThis presentation will summarize the science case related to Nearby Galaxies, the Milky Way, and the Interstellar Medium (Interstellar Medium). The Origins Space Telescope will enable a wealth of unprecedented scientific advances in this area, both those we know to expect, and the discovery space that lies unexplored. Origins will enable a comprehensive view of magnetic fields, turbulence, and the multiphase ISM; connecting these physics across scales of galaxies to protostellar cores. With unprecedented sensitivity, Origins will measure and characterize the mechanisms of feedback from star formation and Active Galactic Nuclei, and their interplay, over cosmic time. Origins will unveil the abundance and availability of water for habitable planets by allowing us to trace the trail of water from interstellar clouds to protoplanetary disks, to Earth itself.

  12. MAGNETICALLY DOMINATED PARALLEL INTERSTELLAR FILAMENTS IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225-0.506

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Fábio P.; Busquet, Gemma; Girart, Josep Miquel; Franco, Gabriel A. P.; Zhang, Qizhou

    2016-01-01

    The infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506 (IRDC G14.2) displays a remarkable complex of parallel dense molecular filaments projected on the plane of the sky. Previous studies of dust emission and molecular lines have speculated whether magnetic fields could have played an important role in the formation of such elongated structures, which are hosts to numerous young stellar sources. In this work we have conducted a vast polarimetric survey at optical and near-infrared wavelengths in order to study the morphology of magnetic field lines in IRDC G14.2 through the observation of background stars. The orientation of interstellar polarization, which traces magnetic field lines, is perpendicular to most of the filamentary features within the cloud. Additionally, the larger-scale molecular cloud as a whole exhibits an elongated shape also perpendicular to magnetic fields. Estimates of magnetic field strengths indicate values in the range 320–550 μ G, which allow sub-alfvénic conditions, but do not prevent the gravitational collapse of hub–filament structures, which in general are close to the critical state. These characteristics suggest that magnetic fields played the main role in regulating the collapse from large to small scales, leading to the formation of series of parallel elongated structures. The morphology is also consistent with numerical simulations that show how gravitational instabilities develop when subjected to strong magnetic fields. Finally, the results corroborate the hypothesis that strong support from internal magnetic fields might explain why the cloud seems to be contracting on a timescale 2–3 times longer than what is expected from a free-fall collapse.

  13. MAGNETICALLY DOMINATED PARALLEL INTERSTELLAR FILAMENTS IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225-0.506

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Fábio P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Busquet, Gemma; Girart, Josep Miquel [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, S/N E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalunya (Spain); Franco, Gabriel A. P. [Departamento de Física—ICEx—UFMG, Caixa Postal 702, 30.123-970 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Zhang, Qizhou, E-mail: fabiops@northwestern.edu, E-mail: busquet@ice.cat, E-mail: girart@ice.cat, E-mail: franco@fisica.ufmg.br, E-mail: qzhang@cfa.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60, Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

    2016-12-01

    The infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506 (IRDC G14.2) displays a remarkable complex of parallel dense molecular filaments projected on the plane of the sky. Previous studies of dust emission and molecular lines have speculated whether magnetic fields could have played an important role in the formation of such elongated structures, which are hosts to numerous young stellar sources. In this work we have conducted a vast polarimetric survey at optical and near-infrared wavelengths in order to study the morphology of magnetic field lines in IRDC G14.2 through the observation of background stars. The orientation of interstellar polarization, which traces magnetic field lines, is perpendicular to most of the filamentary features within the cloud. Additionally, the larger-scale molecular cloud as a whole exhibits an elongated shape also perpendicular to magnetic fields. Estimates of magnetic field strengths indicate values in the range 320–550 μ G, which allow sub-alfvénic conditions, but do not prevent the gravitational collapse of hub–filament structures, which in general are close to the critical state. These characteristics suggest that magnetic fields played the main role in regulating the collapse from large to small scales, leading to the formation of series of parallel elongated structures. The morphology is also consistent with numerical simulations that show how gravitational instabilities develop when subjected to strong magnetic fields. Finally, the results corroborate the hypothesis that strong support from internal magnetic fields might explain why the cloud seems to be contracting on a timescale 2–3 times longer than what is expected from a free-fall collapse.

  14. Velocity-resolved [{\\rm{C}}\\,{\\rm{II}}] Emission from Cold Diffuse Clouds in the Interstellar Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldsmith, Paul F.; Pineda, Jorge L.; Neufeld, David A.; Wolfire, Mark G.; Risacher, Christophe; Simon, Robert

    2018-04-01

    We have combined emission from the 158 μm fine structure transition of C+ observed with the GREAT and upGREAT instruments on SOFIA with 21 cm absorption spectra and visual extinction to characterize the diffuse interstellar clouds found along the lines of sight. The weak [C II] emission is consistent in velocity and line width with the strongest H I component produced by the cold neutral medium. The H I column density and kinetic temperature are known from the 21 cm data and, assuming a fractional abundance of ionized carbon, we calculate the volume density and thermal pressure of each source, which vary considerably, with 27 {cm}}-3≤slant n({{{H}}}0) ≤slant 210 cm‑3 considering only the atomic hydrogen along the lines of sight to be responsible for the C+, while 13 {cm}}-3≤slant n({{{H}}}0+{{{H}}}2)≤slant 190 cm‑3 including the hydrogen in both forms. The thermal pressure varies widely with 1970 cm‑3 K ≤slant {P}th}/k≤slant 10,440 cm‑3 K for H0 alone and 750 cm‑3 K ≤ P th/k ≤ 9360 cm‑3 K including both H0 and H2. The molecular hydrogen fraction varies between 0.10 and 0.67. Photoelectric heating is the dominant heating source, supplemented by a moderately enhanced cosmic ray ionization rate, constrained by the relatively low 45 K to 73 K gas temperatures of the clouds. The resulting thermal balance for the two lower-density clouds is satisfactory, but for the two higher-density clouds, the combined heating rate is insufficient to balance the observed C+ cooling.

  15. VARIATIONS BETWEEN DUST AND GAS IN THE DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reach, William T.; Heiles, Carl; Bernard, Jean-Philippe

    2015-01-01

    Using the Planck far-infrared and Arecibo GALFA 21 cm line surveys, we identified a set of isolated interstellar clouds (approximately degree-sized on the sky and comprising 100 solar masses) and assessed the ratio of gas mass to dust mass. Significant variations of the gas/dust ratio are found both from cloud to cloud and within regions of individual clouds; within the clouds, the atomic gas per unit dust decreases by more than a factor of 3 compared with the standard gas/dust ratio. Three hypotheses are considered. First, the apparently low gas/dust ratio could be due to molecular gas. Comparing to Planck CO maps, the brightest clouds have a H 2 /CO ratio comparable to Galactic plane clouds, but a strong lower limit is placed on the ratio for other clouds, such that the required amount of molecular gas is far higher than would be expected based on the CO upper limits. Second, we consider self-absorbed 21 cm lines and find that the optical depth must be ∼3, significantly higher than found from surveys of radio sources. Third, grain properties may change within the clouds: they become more emissive when they are colder, while not utilizing heavy elements that already have their cosmic abundance fully locked into grains. It is possible that all three processes are active, and follow-up studies will be required to disentangle them and measure the true total gas and dust content of interstellar clouds

  16. Search for interstellar methane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knacke, R.F.; Kim, Y.H.; Noll, K.S.; Geballe, T.R.

    1990-01-01

    Researchers searched for interstellar methane in the spectra of infrared sources embedded in molecular clouds. New observations of several lines of the P and R branches of the nu 3 band of CH4 near 3.3 microns give column densities in the range N less than 1(-2) times 10 to the minus 16th power cm(-2). Resulting abundance ratios are (CH4)/(CO) less than 3.3 times 10 to the minus 2nd power toward GL961 in NGC 2244 and less than 2.4 times 10 to the minus 3rd power toward GL989 in the NGC 2264 molecular cloud. The limits, and those determined in earlier observations of BN in Orion and GL490, suggest that there is little methane in molecular clouds. The result agrees with predictions of chemical models. Exceptions could occur in clouds where oxygen may be depleted, for example by H2O freezing on grains. The present observations probably did not sample such regions

  17. Dust in the small Magellanic cloud. 1: Interstellar polarization and extinction data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magalhaes, A. M.; Rodrigues, C. V.; Coyne, C. V.; Piirola, V.

    1996-01-01

    The typical extinction curve for the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), in contrast to that for the Galaxy, has no bump at 2175 A and has a steeper rise into the far ultraviolet. For the Galaxy the interpretation of the extinction and, therefore, the dust content of the interstellar medium has been greatly assisted by measurements of the wavelength dependence of the polarization. For the SMC no such measurements existed. Therefore, to further elucidate the dust properties in the SMC we have for the first time measured linear polarization with five colors in the optical region of the spectrum for a sample of reddened stars. For two of these stars, for which there were no existing UV spectrophotometric measurements, but for which we measured a relatively large polarization, we have also obtained data from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) in order to study the extinction. We also attempt to correlate the SMC extinction and polarization data. The main results are: the wavelength of maximum polarization, lambda(sub max), in the SMC is typically smaller than that in the Galaxy; however, AZC 456, which shows the UV extinction bump, has a lambda(sub max) typical of that in the Galaxy, but its polarization curve is narrower and its bump is shifted to shorter wavelengths as compared to the Galaxy; and from an analysis of both the extinction and polarization data it appears that the SMC has typically smaller grains than those in the Galaxy. The absence of the extinction bump in the SMC has generally been thought to imply a lower carbon abundance in the SMC compared to the Galaxy. We interpret our results to mean that te size distribution of the interstellar grains, and not only the carbon abundance, is different in the SMC as compared to the Galaxy. In Paper 2 we present dust model fits to these observations.

  18. Organic Synthesis in Simulated Interstellar Ice Analogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dworkin, Jason P.; Bernstein, Max P.; Sandford, Scott A.; Allamandola, Louis J.; Deamer, David W.; Elsila, Jamie; Zare, Richard N.

    2001-01-01

    Comets and carbonaceous micrometeorites may have been significant sources of organic compounds on the early Earth. Ices on grains in interstellar dense molecular clouds contain a variety of simple molecules as well as aromatic molecules of various sizes. While in these clouds the icy grains are processed by ultraviolet light and cosmic radiation which produces more complex organic molecules. We have run laboratory simulations to identify the types of molecules which could have been generated photolytically in pre-cometary ices. Experiments were conducted by forming various realistic interstellar mixed-molecular ices with and without polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at approx. 10 K under high vacuum irradiated with UV light from a hydrogen plasma lamp. The residue that remained after warming to room temperature was analyzed by HPLC, and by laser desorption mass spectrometry. The residue contains several classes of compounds which may be of prebiotic significance.

  19. TEMPERATURE SPECTRA OF INTERSTELLAR DUST GRAINS HEATED BY COSMIC RAYS. I. TRANSLUCENT CLOUDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalvāns, Juris, E-mail: juris.kalvans@venta.lv [Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center” of Ventspils University College, Inzenieru 101, Ventspils, LV-3601 (Latvia)

    2016-06-01

    Heating of whole interstellar dust grains by cosmic-ray (CR) particles affects the gas–grain chemistry in molecular clouds by promoting molecule desorption, diffusion, and chemical reactions on grain surfaces. The frequency of such heating, f{sub T}, s{sup −1}, determines how often a certain temperature T{sub CR}, K, is reached for grains hit by CR particles. This study aims to provide astrochemists with a comprehensive and updated data set on CR-induced whole-grain heating. We present calculations of f{sub T} and T{sub CR} spectra for bare olivine grains with radius a of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 μ m and such grains covered with ice mantles of thickness 0.1 a and 0.3 a . Grain shape and structure effects are considered, as well as 30 CR elemental constituents with an updated energy spectrum corresponding to a translucent cloud with A{sub V} = 2 mag. Energy deposition by CRs in grain material was calculated with the srim program. We report full T{sub CR} spectra for all nine grain types and consider initial grain temperatures of 10 K and 20 K. We also provide frequencies for a range of minimum T{sub CR} values. The calculated data set can be simply and flexibly implemented in astrochemical models. The results show that, in the case of translucent clouds, the currently adopted rate for heating of whole grains to temperatures in excess of 70 K is underestimated by approximately two orders of magnitude in astrochemical numerical simulations. Additionally, grains are heated by CRs to modest temperatures (20–30 K) with intervals of a few years, which reduces the possibility of ice chemical explosions.

  20. Laboratory Studies of Stabilities of Heterocyclic Aromatic Molecules: Suggested Gas Phase Ion-Molecule Routes to Production in Interstellar Gas Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Nigel G.; Fondren, L. Dalila; McLain, Jason L.; Jackson, Doug M.

    2006-01-01

    Several ring compounds have been detected in interstellar gas clouds, ISC, including the aromatic, benzene. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, have been implicated as carriers of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) and unidentified infrared (UIR) bands. Heterocyclic aromatic rings of intermediate size containing nitrogen, possibly PreLife molecules, were included in early searches but were not detected and a recent search for Pyrimidine was unsuccessful. Our laboratory investigations of routes to such molecules could establish their existence in ISC and suggest conditions under which their concentrations would be maximized thus aiding the searches. The stability of such ring compounds (C5H5N, C4H4N2, C5H11N and C4H8O2) has been tested in the laboratory using charge transfer excitation in ion-molecule reactions. The fragmentation paths, including production of C4H4(+), C3H3N(+) and HCN, suggest reverse routes to the parent molecules, which are presently under laboratory investigation as production sources.

  1. Chemistry in interstellar space. [environment characteristics influencing reaction dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donn, B.

    1973-01-01

    The particular characteristics of chemistry in interstellar space are determined by the unique environmental conditions involved. Interstellar matter is present at extremely low densities. Large deviations from thermodynamic equilibrium are, therefore, to be expected. A relatively intense ultraviolet radiation is present in many regions. The temperatures are in the range from 5 to 200 K. Data concerning the inhibiting effect of small activation energies in interstellar clouds are presented in a table. A summary of measured activation energies or barrier heights for exothermic exchange reactions is also provided. Problems of molecule formation are discussed, taking into account gas phase reactions and surface catalyzed processes.

  2. Dust in the Diffuse Neutral Interstellar Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sofia, Ulysses J.

    2008-05-01

    Studies of interstellar dust have always relied heavily upon Laboratory Astrophysics for interpretation. Laboratory values, in the broad sense that includes theory, are needed for the most basic act of measuring interstellar abundances, to the more complex determination of what grains are responsible for particular extinction. The symbiotic relationship between astronomical observations and Laboratory Astrophysics has prompted both fields to move forward, especially in the era of high-resolution ultraviolet spectroscopy when new elemental species could be interpreted and observations were able to show the limits of laboratory determinations. Thanks to this synergy, we currently have a good idea of the quantity of the most abundant elements incorporated into dust in diffuse neutral interstellar clouds: carbon, oxygen, iron, silicon and magnesium. Now the task is to figure out how, chemically and physically, those elements are integrated into interstellar grains. We can do this by comparing extinction curves to grain populations in radiative transfer models. The limitation at the present time is the availability of optical constants in the infrared through ultraviolet for species that are likely to exist in dust, i.e., those that are easy to form in the physical environments around stars and in molecular clouds. Extinction in some lines of sight can be fit within current abundance limits and with the optical constants that are available. However the inability to reproduce other extinction curves suggests that optical constants can be improved, either in quality for compounds that have been measured, or quantity in the sense of providing data for more materials. This talk will address the current state and the future of dust studies in the diffuse neutral interstellar medium. This work is supported by the grant HST-AR-10979.01-A from the Space Telescope Science Institute to Whitman College.

  3. Mechanical heating of the interstellar medium. I. The source and rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, D.P.

    1979-01-01

    A simple model is presented for the evolution of a supernova disturbance in the very low density, high temperature, interstellar matrix in order to explore consequences of such disturbances on the interstellar clouds. It is assumed that higher density material is sufficiently common to impede the velocity field. It is further assumed that thermal conduction is magnetically quenched between the matrix and H I regions. The individual disturbances evolve very rapidly (tauapprox.3 x 10 5 years) to very large sizes (Rapprox.140 pc) without appreciable radiative cooling before the interior pressure becomes comparable to the ambient pressure. The net effect of the overlapping of ancient disturbances is then shown to be capable of determining this ambient presure.The work done by such blast waves in compressing interstellar clouds is estimated. An individual disturbance is found to lose at least a modest fraction of its energy in this way. The calculated power input to individual clouds is very large, resulting in large-amplitude vibrations similar to what is observed. The heating is partly impulsive (most clouds should contain at least one shock of modest strength at any time) and partly quasi-steady due to vibrational dissipation. Within large uncertainties and variations, the material temperatures are expected to be less than 100 K for n> or approx. =6 cm -3 and approach 10 4 K for n -3 . Between these densities, the temperature depends sensitively on density, elemental depletions, and fractional ionization. Thus the power input is of the magnitude required to provide a cloud, intercloud segregation of material. Unlike earlier models, however, the heating is not intrinsically accompanied by ionization. Finally, the net acceleration of clouds by these blast waves is found to be small unless the clouds initially have n -3

  4. Starry messages: Searching for signatures of interstellar archaeology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carrigan, Richard A., Jr.; /Fermilab

    2009-12-01

    Searching for signatures of cosmic-scale archaeological artifacts such as Dyson spheres or Kardashev civilizations is an interesting alternative to conventional SETI. Uncovering such an artifact does not require the intentional transmission of a signal on the part of the original civilization. This type of search is called interstellar archaeology or sometimes cosmic archaeology. The detection of intelligence elsewhere in the Universe with interstellar archaeology or SETI would have broad implications for science. For example, the constraints of the anthropic principle would have to be loosened if a different type of intelligence was discovered elsewhere. A variety of interstellar archaeology signatures are discussed including non-natural planetary atmospheric constituents, stellar doping with isotopes of nuclear wastes, Dyson spheres, as well as signatures of stellar and galactic-scale engineering. The concept of a Fermi bubble due to interstellar migration is introduced in the discussion of galactic signatures. These potential interstellar archaeological signatures are classified using the Kardashev scale. A modified Drake equation is used to evaluate the relative challenges of finding various sources. With few exceptions interstellar archaeological signatures are clouded and beyond current technological capabilities. However SETI for so-called cultural transmissions and planetary atmosphere signatures are within reach.

  5. Interstellar molecules and masers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen-Q-Rieu; Guibert, J.

    1978-01-01

    The study of dense and dark clouds, in which hydrogen is mostly in molecular form, became possible since the discovery of interstellar molecules, emitting in the centimeter and millimeter wavelengths. The molecular lines are generally not in local thermal equilibrium (LTE). Their intensity can often be explained by invoking a population inversion mechanism. Maser emission lines due to OH, H 2 O and SiO molecules are among the most intense molecular lines. The H 2 CO molecule, detected in absorption in front of the cold cosmic background radiation of 2.7 K, illustrates the inverse phenomenon, the antimaser absorption. For a radio transition of frequency v, the inversion rate Δn (relative population difference between the upper and lower level) as well as the maser gain can be determined from the radio observations. In the case of the OH lines in the 2 PIsub(3/2), J=3/2 state, the inversion rates approximately 1 to 2% derived from the observations, are comparable with those obtained in the laboratory. The determination of the excitation mechanisms of the masers, through the statistical equilibrium and radiative transfer equations, implies the knowledge of collisional and radiative transition probabilities. A pumping model, which can satisfactorily explain the radio observations of some interstellar OH clouds, will be discussed [fr

  6. The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey. IX. The interstellar medium seen through diffuse interstellar bands and neutral sodium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Loon, J.Th.; Bailey, M.; Tatton, B.L.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Crowther, P.A.; de Koter, A.; Evans, C.J.; Hénault-Brunet, V.; Howarth, I.D.; Richter, P.; Sana, H.; Simón-Díaz, S.; Taylor, W.; Walborn, N.R.

    2013-01-01

    Context. The Tarantula Nebula (a.k.a. 30 Dor) is a spectacular star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), seen through gas in the Galactic disc and halo. Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) offer a unique probe of the diffuse, cool-warm gas in these regions. Aims. The aim is to use DIBs

  7. Probing the diffuse interstellar medium with diffuse interstellar bands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theodorus van Loon, Jacco; Bailey, Mandy; Farhang, Amin; Javadi, Atefeh; Khosroshahi, Habib

    2015-08-01

    For a century already, a large number of absorption bands have been known at optical wavelengths, called the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). While their carriers remain unidentified, the relative strengths of these bands in various environments make them interesting new probes of the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). We present the results from two large, dedicated campaigns to map the ISM using DIBs measured in the high signal-to-noise spectra of hundreds of early-type stars: [1] in and around the Local Bubble using ESO's New Technology Telescope and the Isaac Newton Telescope, and [2] across both Magellanic Clouds using the Very Large Telescope and the Anglo-Australian Telescope. We discuss the implications for the structure and dynamics of the ISM, as well as the constraints these maps place on the nature of the carriers of the DIBs. Partial results have appeared in the recent literature (van Loon et al. 2013; Farhang et al. 2015a,b; Bailey, PhD thesis 2014) with the remainder being prepared for publication now.

  8. THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN THE KEPLER SEARCH VOLUME

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Marshall C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Redfield, Seth [Astronomy Department, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Jensen, Adam G., E-mail: mjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu [Department of Physics and Physical Science, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Bruner Hall of Science, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849 (United States)

    2015-07-10

    The properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) surrounding a planetary system can impact planetary climate through a number of mechanisms, including changing the size of the astrosphere (one of the major shields for cosmic rays) as well as direct deposition of material into planetary atmospheres. In order to constrain the ambient ISM conditions for exoplanetary systems, we present observations of interstellar Na i and K i absorption toward seventeen early type stars in the Kepler prime mission field of view (FOV). We identify 39 Na i and 8 K i velocity components, and attribute these to 11 ISM clouds. Six of these are detected toward more than one star, and for these clouds we put limits on the cloud properties, including distance and hydrogen number density. We identify one cloud with significant (≳1.5 cm{sup −3}) hydrogen number density located within the nominal ∼100 pc boundary of the Local Bubble. We identify systems with confirmed planets within the Kepler FOV that could lie within these ISM clouds, and estimate upper limits on the astrosphere sizes of these systems under the assumption that they do lie within these clouds. Under this condition, the Kepler-20, 42, and 445 multiplanet systems could have compressed astrospheres much smaller than the present-day heliosphere. Among the known habitable zone planet hosts, Kepler-186 could have an astrosphere somewhat smaller than the heliosphere, while Kepler-437 and KOI-4427 could have astrospheres much larger than the heliosphere. The thick disk star Kepler-444 may have an astrosphere just a few AU in radius.

  9. Uv spectra of nearby white dwarfs and the nature of the local interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruhweiler, F.C.; Kondo, Y.

    1982-01-01

    We have investigated the local interstellar medium in the directions of four white dwarfs, G191-B2B, W1346, HD 149499B, and Sirius B. All the observational data were obtained at the high-resolution mode (lambda/Δlambdaroughly-equal10 4 ) in the spectral range from about 1150 to 3200 A with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE). Interstellar absorption lines of several elements in various stages of ionization are seen against the continuum of the white dwarfs. Low average hydrogen number densities (n-bar/sub HtsI/) are found. They range from n-bar/sub HtsI/ = 0.08 cm -3 for Sirius B, the nearest white dwarf (2.7 pc), to n-bar/sub HtsI/ = 0.006 cm -3 for G191-B2B, the most distant white dwarf (48 pc) studied. The results show, when combined with other recent ultraviolet, EUV, and diffuse X-ray observations, that: (a) the Sun is located inside a low-density (n-bar/sub HtsI/roughly-equal0.1 cm -3 ) cloud; (b) beyond 2--3 pc from the Sun, this cloud is surrounded, at least in most directions, by an extended region of hot (Troughly-equal10/sup 5en-dash6/ K) thin (nroughly-equal10 -2 to 10 -3 cm -3 ) interstellar plasma with no evidence for additional clouds in the lines of sight studied; (c) the elemental depletions of C, N, O, Si, Mg, and possibly Fe are low in the solar vicinity as previously found toward α Vir, (d) the Sun is moving through this cloud at a relative velocity of about 20 km s -1 ; and (e) the current results, which are quite consistent with previous ultraviolet, EUV, and diffuse X-ray observations, have significant bearings on the theoretical modeling of the interstellar medium. Subject headings: interstellar: abundances: interstellar: matter: stars: white dwarfs: ultraviolet: spectra

  10. Formation of giant molecular clouds in global spiral structures: the role of orbital dynamics and cloud-cloud collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberts, W.W. Jr.; Stewart, G.R.

    1987-01-01

    The different roles played by orbital dynamics and dissipative cloud-cloud collisions in the formation of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in a global spiral structure are investigated. The interstellar medium (ISM) is simulated by a system of particles, representing clouds, which orbit in a spiral-perturbed, galactic gravitational field. The overall magnitude and width of the global cloud density distribution in spiral arms is very similar in the collisional and collisionless simulations. The results suggest that the assumed number density and size distribution of clouds and the details of individual cloud-cloud collisions have relatively little effect on these features. Dissipative cloud-cloud collisions play an important steadying role for the cloud system's global spiral structure. Dissipative cloud-cloud collisions also damp the relative velocity dispersion of clouds in massive associations and thereby aid in the effective assembling of GMC-like complexes

  11. Interstellar dust and extinction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathis, J.S.

    1990-01-01

    It is noted that the term interstellar dust refers to materials with rather different properties, and that the mean extinction law of Seaton (1979) or Savage and Mathis (1979) should be replaced by the expression given by Cardelli et al. (1989), using the appropriate value of total-to-selective extinction. The older laws were appropriate for the diffuse ISM but dust in clouds differs dramatically in its extinction law. Dust is heavily processed while in the ISM by being included within clouds and cycled back into the diffuse ISM many times during its lifetime. Hence, grains probably reflect only a trace of their origin, although meteoritic inclusions with isotopic anomalies demonstrate that some tiny particles survive intact from a supernova origin to the present. 186 refs

  12. On the Formation of Interstellar Water Ice: Constraints from a Search for Hydrogen Peroxide Ice in Molecular Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, R. G.; Charnely, S. B.; Pendleton, Y. J.; Wright, C. M.; Maldoni, M. M.; Robinson, G.

    2011-01-01

    Recent surface chemistry experiments have shown that the hydrogenation of molecular oxygen on interstellar dust grains is a plausible formation mechanism, via hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), for the production of water (H2O) ice mantles in the dense interstellar medium. Theoretical chemistry models also predict the formation of a significant abundance of H2O2 ice in grain mantles by this route. At their upper limits, the predicted and experimental abundances are sufficiently high that H2O2 should be detectable in molecular cloud ice spectra. To investigate this further, laboratory spectra have been obtained for H2O2/H2O ice films between 2.5 and 200 micron, from 10 to 180 K, containing 3%, 30%, and 97% H2O2 ice. Integrated absorbances for all the absorption features in low-temperature H2O2 ice have been derived from these spectra. For identifying H2O2 ice, the key results are the presence of unique features near 3.5, 7.0, and 11.3 micron. Comparing the laboratory spectra with the spectra of a group of 24 protostars and field stars, all of which have strong H2O ice absorption bands, no absorption features are found that can definitely be identified with H2O2 ice. In the absence of definite H2O2 features, the H2O2 abundance is constrained by its possible contribution to the weak absorption feature near 3.47 micron found on the long-wavelength wing of the 3 micron H2O ice band. This gives an average upper limit for H2O2, as a percentage of H2O, of 9% +/- 4%. This is a strong constraint on parameters for surface chemistry experiments and dense cloud chemistry models.

  13. Cloud fluid compression and softening in spiral arms and the formation of giant molecular cloud complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowie, L.L.

    1981-01-01

    In this, the second paper of a series on the galactodynamics of the cloudy interstellar medium, we consider the response of such a gas to a forcing potential in the tight-winding density wave theory. The cloud fluid is treated in the hydrodynamic limit with an equation of state which softens at high densities. It is shown that in the inner regions of the galaxy, cooling of the cloud fluid in the arms can result in gravitational instability and the formation of large bound complexes of clouds which we identify with the giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Masses dimensions, distributions, and scale heights of the GMCs are predicted by the theory. It is suggested that the interstellar gas density in the disk is regulated by the gravitational instability mechanism in the arms which siphons material into star formation. Implications for the evolution of individual GMCs and for galactic morphology are discussed

  14. Effect of Ambipolar Diffusion on Ion Abundances in Contracting Protostellar Cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciolek, Glenn E.; Mouschovias, Telemachos Ch.

    1998-09-01

    Numerical simulations and analytical solutions have established that ambipolar diffusion can reduce the dust-to-gas ratio in magnetically and thermally supercritical cores during the epoch of core formation. We study the effect that this has on the ion chemistry in contracting protostellar cores and present a simplified analytical method that allows one to calculate the ion power-law exponent k (≡d ln ni/d ln nn, where ni and nn are the ion and neutral densities, respectively) as a function of core density. We find that, as in earlier numerical simulations, no single value of k can adequately describe the ion abundance for nn 1/2 during the core formation epoch (densities principle, to determine whether ambipolar diffusion is responsible for core formation in interstellar molecular clouds. For densities >>105 cm-3, k is generally <<1/2.

  15. General physical characteristics of the interstellar molecular gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, B.E.

    1979-01-01

    The interstellar medium may be characterized by several physically rather distinct regimes: coronal gas, intercloud gas, diffuse clouds, isolated dark clouds and globules (of small to modest mass), more massive molecular clouds containing OB (and later) stars, and giant molecular clouds. Values of temperature, density, ionization fraction, mass, size, and velocity field are discussed for each regime. Heating and cooling mechanisms are reviewed. Nearly all molecular clouds exceed the Jeans criteria for gravitational instability, yet detailed models reveal no cases where observations can be interpreted unambiguously in terms of rapid collapse. The possibility that clouds are supported by turbulence, rotation, or magnetic fields is discussed, and it is concluded that none of these agencies suffice. Comments are made about fragmentation and star formation in molecular clouds, with possible explanations for why only low mass stars form in low mass clouds, why early-type stars form only in clouds with masses > approximately 10 3 M solar masses, and why O-stars seem to form near edges of clouds. Finally, large-scale interactions between molecular clouds and the galactic disk stellar population are discussed. (Auth.)

  16. MAGNETIZATION OF CLOUD CORES AND ENVELOPES AND OTHER OBSERVATIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF RECONNECTION DIFFUSION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazarian, A.; Esquivel, A.; Crutcher, R.

    2012-01-01

    Recent observational results for magnetic fields in molecular clouds reviewed by Crutcher seem to be inconsistent with the predictions of the ambipolar diffusion theory of star formation. These include the measured decrease in mass to flux ratio between envelopes and cores, the failure to detect any self-gravitating magnetically subcritical clouds, the determination of the flat probability distribution function (PDF) of the total magnetic field strengths implying that there are many clouds with very weak magnetic fields, and the observed scaling B∝ρ 2/3 that implies gravitational contraction with weak magnetic fields. We consider the problem of magnetic field evolution in turbulent molecular clouds and discuss the process of magnetic field diffusion mediated by magnetic reconnection. For this process that we termed 'reconnection diffusion', we provide a simple physical model and explain that this process is inevitable in view of the present-day understanding of MHD turbulence. We address the issue of the expected magnetization of cores and envelopes in the process of star formation and show that reconnection diffusion provides an efficient removal of magnetic flux that depends only on the properties of MHD turbulence in the core and the envelope. We show that as the amplitude of turbulence as well as the scale of turbulent motions decrease from the envelope to the core of the cloud, the diffusion of the magnetic field is faster in the envelope. As a result, the magnetic flux trapped during the collapse in the envelope is being released faster than the flux trapped in the core, resulting in much weaker fields in envelopes than in cores, as observed. We provide simple semi-analytical model calculations which support this conclusion and qualitatively agree with the observational results. Magnetic reconnection is also consistent with the lack of subcritical self-gravitating clouds, with the observed flat PDF of field strengths, and with the scaling of field strength

  17. MAGNETIZATION OF CLOUD CORES AND ENVELOPES AND OTHER OBSERVATIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF RECONNECTION DIFFUSION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lazarian, A. [Astronomy Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Esquivel, A. [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 70-543, 04510 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Crutcher, R. [Department of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1002 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

    2012-10-01

    Recent observational results for magnetic fields in molecular clouds reviewed by Crutcher seem to be inconsistent with the predictions of the ambipolar diffusion theory of star formation. These include the measured decrease in mass to flux ratio between envelopes and cores, the failure to detect any self-gravitating magnetically subcritical clouds, the determination of the flat probability distribution function (PDF) of the total magnetic field strengths implying that there are many clouds with very weak magnetic fields, and the observed scaling B{proportional_to}{rho}{sup 2/3} that implies gravitational contraction with weak magnetic fields. We consider the problem of magnetic field evolution in turbulent molecular clouds and discuss the process of magnetic field diffusion mediated by magnetic reconnection. For this process that we termed 'reconnection diffusion', we provide a simple physical model and explain that this process is inevitable in view of the present-day understanding of MHD turbulence. We address the issue of the expected magnetization of cores and envelopes in the process of star formation and show that reconnection diffusion provides an efficient removal of magnetic flux that depends only on the properties of MHD turbulence in the core and the envelope. We show that as the amplitude of turbulence as well as the scale of turbulent motions decrease from the envelope to the core of the cloud, the diffusion of the magnetic field is faster in the envelope. As a result, the magnetic flux trapped during the collapse in the envelope is being released faster than the flux trapped in the core, resulting in much weaker fields in envelopes than in cores, as observed. We provide simple semi-analytical model calculations which support this conclusion and qualitatively agree with the observational results. Magnetic reconnection is also consistent with the lack of subcritical self-gravitating clouds, with the observed flat PDF of field strengths, and

  18. STAR FORMATION LAWS AND THRESHOLDS FROM INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM STRUCTURE AND TURBULENCE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renaud, Florent; Kraljic, Katarina; Bournaud, Frédéric

    2012-01-01

    We present an analytical model of the relation between the surface density of gas and star formation rate in galaxies and clouds, as a function of the presence of supersonic turbulence and the associated structure of the interstellar medium (ISM). The model predicts a power-law relation of index 3/2, flattened under the effects of stellar feedback at high densities or in very turbulent media, and a break at low surface densities when ISM turbulence becomes too weak to induce strong compression. This model explains the diversity of star formation laws and thresholds observed in nearby spirals and their resolved regions, the Small Magellanic Cloud, high-redshift disks and starbursting mergers, as well as Galactic molecular clouds. While other models have proposed interstellar dust content and molecule formation to be key ingredients to the observed variations of the star formation efficiency, we demonstrate instead that these variations can be explained by ISM turbulence and structure in various types of galaxies.

  19. On the origin of organic molecules in interstellar space and some of its consequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johansson, K.L.V.

    1981-01-01

    The possible sources of complex organic molecules observed in the interstellar space are discussed. It is found that a leakage from lifebearing planets cannot possibly explain the observed amounts of complex organic molecules. They are probably formed in interstellar clouds, either free in space or on the surface of grains. This opens the possibility that planets (also the earth) moving through such clouds may have collected appreciable amounts of complex organic molecules. It would therefore be feasible to perform experiments like the Urey-Miller's, starting with a considerably more complex mixture than the traditional one. (Auth.)

  20. Ultraviolet interstellar linear polarization. I - Applicability of current dust grain models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolff, Michael J.; Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Meade, Marilyn R.

    1993-01-01

    UV spectropolarimetric observations yielding data on the wavelength-dependence of interstellar polarization along eight lines of sight facilitate the evaluation of dust grain models previously used to fit the extinction and polarization in the visible and IR. These models pertain to bare silicate/graphite grains, silicate cores with organic refractory mantles, silicate cores with amorphous carbon mantles, and composite grains. The eight lines-of-sight show three different interstellar polarization dependences.

  1. The inventory of interstellar materials available for the formation of the solar system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandford, Scott A.

    1996-07-01

    Tremendous progress has been made in the field of interstellar dust in recent years through the use of telescopic observations, theoretical studies, laboratory studies of analogs, and the study of actual interstellar samples found in meteorites. It is increasingly clear that the interstellar medium (ISM) contains an enormous diversity of materials created by a wide range of chemical and physical processes. This understanding is a far cry from the picture of interstellar materials held as recently as two decades ago, a picture which incorporated only a few generic types of grains and few molecules. In this paper, I attempt to review some of our current knowledge of the more abundant materials thought to exist in the ISM. The review concentrates on matter in interstellar dense molecular clouds since it is the materials in these environments from which new stars and planetary systems are formed. However, some discussion is reserved for materials in circumstellar environments and in the diffuse ISM. The paper also focuses largely on solid materials as opposed to gases since solids contain a major fraction of the heavier elements in clouds and because solids are most likely to survive incorporation into new planetary systems in identifiable form. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the implications resulting from the recent growth of our knowledge about interstellar materials and also considers a number of areas in which future work might be expected to yield important results.

  2. Cloud-Based Collaborative Writing and the Common Core Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yim, Soobin; Warschauer, Mark; Zheng, Binbin; Lawrence, Joshua F.

    2014-01-01

    The Common Core State Standards emphasize the integration of technology skills into English Language Arts (ELA) instruction, recognizing the demand for technology-based literacy skills to be college- and career- ready. This study aims to examine how collaborative cloud-based writing is used in in a Colorado school district, where one-to-one…

  3. Spectral Study of A 1Π–X 1Σ+ Transitions of CO Relevant to Interstellar Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Junxia; Zhang, Hong; Cheng, Xinlu

    2018-05-01

    Highly correlated ab initio calculations were performed for an accurate determination of the A 1Π–X 1Σ+ system of the CO molecule. A highly accurate multi-reference configuration interaction approach was used to investigate the potential energy curves (PECs) and the transition dipole moment curve (TDMC). The resultant PECs and TDMC found by using the aug-cc-pV5Z (aV5Z) basis set and 5330 active spaces are in good agreement with the experimental data. Moreover, the Einstein A coefficients, lifetimes, ro-vibrational intensities, absorption oscillator strengths, and integrated cross sections are calculated so that the vibrational bands include v″ = 0–39 \\to v‧ = 0–23. For applications in the atmosphere and interstellar clouds, we studied the transition lineshapes to Gaussian and Lorentzian profiles at different temperatures and pressures. The intensities were calculated at high temperature that was used to satisfy some astrophysical applications, such as in planetary atmospheres. The results are potentially useful for important SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System and databases such as HITRAN, HITEMP, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Because the results from many laboratory techniques and our calculations now agree, analyses of interstellar CO based on absorption from A 1Π–X 1Σ+ are no longer hindered by present spectral parameters.

  4. CO near the Pleiades: encounter of a star cluster with a small molecular cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bally, J.; White, R.E.

    1986-01-01

    Although there is a large amount of interstellar matter near the Pleiades star cluster, the observed dust and gas is not a remnant of the placental molecular cloud from which the star cluster was formed. Carbon monoxide (CO) associated with the visible reflection nebulae was discovered by Cohen (1975). Its radial velocity differs from that of the cluster by many times the cluster escape velocity, which implies that the cloud-cluster association is the result of a chance encounter. This circumstance and the proximity of the Pleiades to the sun creates an unique opportunity for study of interstellar processes at high spatial resolution. To study the molecular component of the gas, a 1.7 square degree field was mapped with the ATandT Bell Laboratories 7-meter antenna (1.7' beam) on a 1' grid in the J=1.0 C(12)O line, obtaining over 6000 spectra with 50 kHz resolution. The cloud core was mapped in the J=1-0 line of C(13)O. Further observations include an unsuccessful search for CS (J=2-1) at ATandT BL, and some C(12)O J=2-1 spectra obtained at the Millimeter Wave Observatory of the University of Texas

  5. CO near the Pleiades: Encounter of a star cluster with a small molecular cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bally, J.; White, R. E.

    1986-01-01

    Although there is a large amount of interstellar matter near the Pleiades star cluster, the observed dust and gas is not a remnant of the placental molecular cloud from which the star cluster was formed. Carbon monoxide (CO) associated with the visible reflection nebulae was discovered by Cohen (1975). Its radial velocity differs from that of the cluster by many times the cluster escape velocity, which implies that the cloud-cluster association is the result of a chance encounter. This circumstance and the proximity of the Pleiades to the sun creates an unique opportunity for study of interstellar processes at high spatial resolution. To study the molecular component of the gas, a 1.7 square degree field was mapped with the AT&T Bell Laboratories 7-meter antenna (1.7' beam) on a 1' grid in the J=1.0 C(12)O line, obtaining over 6,000 spectra with 50 kHz resolution. The cloud core was mapped in the J=1-0 line of C(13)O. Further observations include an unsuccessful search for CS (J=2-1) at AT&T BL, and some C(12)O J=2-1 spectra obtained at the Millimeter Wave Observatory of the University of Texas.

  6. Chemical Evolution in the Interstellar Medium: From Astrochemistry to Astrobiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allamandola, Louis J.

    2009-01-01

    Great strides have been made in our understanding of interstellar material thanks to advances in infrared astronomy and laboratory astrophysics. Ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), shockingly large molecules by earlier astrochemical standards, are widespread and very abundant throughout much of the Universe. In cold molecular clouds, the birthplace of planets and stars, interstellar molecules freeze onto dust and ice particles forming mixed molecular ices dominated by simple species such as water, methanol, ammonia, and carbon monoxide. Within these clouds, and especially in the vicinity of star and planet forming regions, these ices and PAHs are processed by ultraviolet light and cosmic rays forming hundreds of far more complex species, some of biogenic interest. Eventually, these are delivered to primordial planets by comets and meteorites. Astrochemical evolution, highlights of this field from a chemist's perspective, and the astronomer's infrared toolbox will be reviewed.

  7. Radiation transport in dense interstellar dust clouds. II. Infrared emission from molecular clouds associated with H II regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leung, C.M.

    1976-01-01

    Theoretical models are constructed to study the distribution of grain temperature (T/sub d/) and infrared emission from molecular clouds associated with H II regions (with embedded O: B stars). The effects of the following parameters on the temperature structure and the emergent spectrum are studied: grain type (graphite, silicate, and core-mantle grains), optical depth, density inhomogeneity, cloud size, anisotropic scattering, radiation field anisotropy, and characteristics of central heat source. T/sub d/ varies from approximately-greater-than100 K to approximately-less-than20 K throughout the major portion of a cloud, and dielectric grains attain lower temperatures. Due to an inward increase in T/sub d/, the radiation field is strongly forward-peaking, thereby producing a pronounced limb-darkening in the surface brightness. Important features of the computed emission spectra from typical models are compared with available observations, and the importance of beam dilution is emphasized. Theoretical surface brightnesses at selected infrared wavelengths are also presented. The outward radiation pressure on the dust grains is found to exceed the self-gravitational force of the gas over a large portion of a cloud, thus possibly causing the gas in the inner region to expand. Assumptions commonly used in the analysis of infrared observations are examined. Finally, observational methods of deriving the temperature structure (from color and brightness temperatures in the far-infrared), density distribution (from surface brightness at lambdaapproximately-greater-than1 mm), and optical depth (from multiaperture photometry) for the dust component in simple sources are discussed

  8. THE EFFECTS OF GRAIN SIZE AND TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTIONS ON THE FORMATION OF INTERSTELLAR ICE MANTLES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pauly, Tyler; Garrod, Robin T., E-mail: tap74@cornell.edu [Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801 (United States)

    2016-02-01

    Computational models of interstellar gas-grain chemistry have historically adopted a single dust-grain size of 0.1 micron, assumed to be representative of the size distribution present in the interstellar medium. Here, we investigate the effects of a broad grain-size distribution on the chemistry of dust-grain surfaces and the subsequent build-up of molecular ices on the grains, using a three-phase gas-grain chemical model of a quiescent dark cloud. We include an explicit treatment of the grain temperatures, governed both by the visual extinction of the cloud and the size of each individual grain-size population. We find that the temperature difference plays a significant role in determining the total bulk ice composition across the grain-size distribution, while the effects of geometrical differences between size populations appear marginal. We also consider collapse from a diffuse to a dark cloud, allowing dust temperatures to fall. Under the initial diffuse conditions, small grains are too warm to promote grain-mantle build-up, with most ices forming on the mid-sized grains. As collapse proceeds, the more abundant, smallest grains cool and become the dominant ice carriers; the large population of small grains means that this ice is distributed across many grains, with perhaps no more than 40 monolayers of ice each (versus several hundred assuming a single grain size). This effect may be important for the subsequent processing and desorption of the ice during the hot-core phase of star formation, exposing a significant proportion of the ice to the gas phase, increasing the importance of ice-surface chemistry and surface–gas interactions.

  9. The Effects of Grain Size and Temperature Distributions on the Formation of Interstellar Ice Mantles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauly, Tyler; Garrod, Robin T.

    2016-02-01

    Computational models of interstellar gas-grain chemistry have historically adopted a single dust-grain size of 0.1 micron, assumed to be representative of the size distribution present in the interstellar medium. Here, we investigate the effects of a broad grain-size distribution on the chemistry of dust-grain surfaces and the subsequent build-up of molecular ices on the grains, using a three-phase gas-grain chemical model of a quiescent dark cloud. We include an explicit treatment of the grain temperatures, governed both by the visual extinction of the cloud and the size of each individual grain-size population. We find that the temperature difference plays a significant role in determining the total bulk ice composition across the grain-size distribution, while the effects of geometrical differences between size populations appear marginal. We also consider collapse from a diffuse to a dark cloud, allowing dust temperatures to fall. Under the initial diffuse conditions, small grains are too warm to promote grain-mantle build-up, with most ices forming on the mid-sized grains. As collapse proceeds, the more abundant, smallest grains cool and become the dominant ice carriers; the large population of small grains means that this ice is distributed across many grains, with perhaps no more than 40 monolayers of ice each (versus several hundred assuming a single grain size). This effect may be important for the subsequent processing and desorption of the ice during the hot-core phase of star formation, exposing a significant proportion of the ice to the gas phase, increasing the importance of ice-surface chemistry and surface-gas interactions.

  10. Star Forming Dense Cloud Cores in the TeV -ray SNR RX J1713.7-3946

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sano, H.; Sato, J.; Yamamoto, H.; Hayakawa, T.; Torii, K.; Moribe, N.; Kawamura, A.; Okuda, T.; Mizuno, N.; Onishi, T.; Maezawa, H.; Inoue, T.; Inutsuka, S.; Tanaka, T.; Mizuno, A.; Ogawa, H.; Stutzki, J.; Bertoldi, F.; Anderl, S.; Bronfman, L.; Koo, B.C.

    2010-10-27

    RX J1713.7-3946 is one of the TeV {gamma}-ray supernova remnants (SNRs) emitting synchrotron X rays. The SNR is associated with molecular gas located at {approx}1 kpc. We made new molecular observations toward the dense cloud cores, peaks A, C and D, in the SNR in the {sup 12}CO(J=2-1) and {sup 13}CO(J=2-1) transitions at angular resolution of 90 degrees. The most intense core in {sup 13}CO, peak C, was also mapped in the {sup 12}CO(J=4-3) transition at angular resolution of 38 degrees. Peak C shows strong signs of active star formation including bipolar outflow and a far-infrared protostellar source and has a steep gradient with a r{sup -2.2 {+-} 0.4} variation in the average density within radius r. Peak C and the other dense cloud cores are rim-brightened in synchrotron X rays, suggesting that the dense cloud cores are embedded within or on the outer boundary of the SNR shell. This confirms the earlier suggestion that the X rays are physically associated with the molecular gas (Fukui et al. 2003). We present a scenario where the densest molecular core, peak C, survived against the blast wave and is now embedded within the SNR. Numerical simulations of the shock-cloud interaction indicate that a dense clump can indeed survive shock erosion, since shock propagation speed is stalled in the dense clump. Additionally, the shock-cloud interaction induces turbulence and magnetic field amplification around the dense clump that may facilitate particle acceleration in the lower-density inter-clump space leading to the enhanced synchrotron X rays around dense cores.

  11. Observations of Carbon Isotopic Fractionation in Interstellar Formaldehyde

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirstrom, E. S.; Charnley, S. B.; Geppert, W. D.; Persson, C. M.

    2012-01-01

    Primitive Solar System materials (e.g. chondrites. IDPs, the Stardust sample) show large variations in isotopic composition of the major volatiles (H, C, N, and O ) even within samples, witnessing to various degrees of processing in the protosolar nebula. For ex ample. the very pronounced D enhancements observed in IDPs [I] . are only generated in the cold. dense component of the interstellar medium (ISM), or protoplanetary disks, through ion-molecule reactions in the presence of interstellar dust. If this isotopic anomaly has an interstellar origin, this leaves open the possibility for preservation of other isotopic signatures throughout the form ation of the Solar System. The most common form of carbon in the ISM is CO molecules, and there are two potential sources of C-13 fractionation in this reservoir: low temperature chemistry and selective photodissociation. While gas-phase chemistry in cold interstellar clouds preferentially incorporates C-13 into CO [2], the effect of self-shielding in the presence of UV radiation instead leads to a relative enhancement of the more abundant isotopologue, 12CO. Solar System organic material exhibit rather small fluctuations in delta C-13 as compared to delta N-15 and delta D [3][1], the reason for which is still unclear. However, the fact that both C-13 depleted and enhanced material exists could indicate an interstellar origin where the two fractionation processes have both played a part. Formaldehyde (H2CO) is observed in the gas-phase in a wide range of interstellar environments, as well as in cometary comae. It is proposed as an important reactant in the formation of more complex organic molecules in the heated environments around young stars, and formaldehyde polymers have been suggested as the common origin of chondritic insoluable organic matter (IOM) and cometary refractory organic solids [4]. The relatively high gas-phase abundance of H2CO observed in molecular clouds (10(exp- 9) - 10(exp- 8) relative to H2) makes

  12. Probing the Origin and Evolution of Interstellar and Protoplanetary Biogenic Ices with SPHEREx

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melnick, Gary; SPHEREx Science Team

    2018-01-01

    Many of the most important building blocks of life are locked in interstellar and protoplanetary ices. Examples include H2O, CO, CO2, and CH3OH, among others. There is growing evidence that within the cores of dense molecular clouds and the mid-plane of protoplanetary disks the abundance of these species in ices far exceeds that in the gas phase. As a result, collisions between ice-bearing bodies and newly forming planets are thought to be a major means of delivering these key species to young planets. There currently exist fewer than 250 ice absorption spectra toward Galactic molecular clouds, which is insufficient to reliably trace the ice content of clouds through the various evolutionary stages of collapse to form stars and planets. Likewise, the current number of spectra is inadequate to assess the effects of environment, such as cloud density and temperature, presence or absence of embedded sources, external FUV and X-ray radiation, gas-phase composition, or cosmic-ray ionization rate, on the ice composition of clouds at similar stages of evolution. Ultimately, our goal is to understand how these findings connect to our own Solar System.SPHEREx will be a game changer for the study of interstellar, circumstellar, and protoplanetary disk ices. SPHEREx will obtain spectra over the entire sky in the optical and near-IR, including the 2.5 to 5.0 micron region, which contains the above biogenic ice features. SPHEREx will detect millions of potential background continuum point sources already catalogued by NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) at 3.4 and 4.6 microns for which there is evidence for intervening gas and dust based on the 2MASS+WISE colors with sufficient sensitivity to yield ice absorption spectra with SNR ≥ 100 per spectral resolution element. The resulting > 100-fold increase in the number of high-quality ice absorption spectra toward a wide variety of regions distributed throughout the Galaxy will reveal correlations between ice

  13. 15N fractionation in infrared-dark cloud cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, S.; Jiménez-Serra, I.; Cosentino, G.; Viti, S.; Barnes, A. T.; Henshaw, J. D.; Caselli, P.; Fontani, F.; Hily-Blant, P.

    2017-07-01

    Context. Nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the Universe and its 14N/15N isotopic ratio has the potential to provide information about the initial environment in which our Sun formed. Recent findings suggest that the solar system may have formed in a massive cluster since the presence of short-lived radioisotopes in meteorites can only be explained by the influence of a supernova. Aims: We seek to determine the 14N/15N ratio towards a sample of cold and dense cores at the initial stages in their evolution. Methods: We observed the J = 1 → 0 transitions of HCN, H13CN, HC15N, HN13C, and H15NC towards a sample of 22 cores in four infrared-dark clouds (IRDCs) which are believed to be the precursors of high-mass stars and star clusters. Assuming LTE and a temperature of 15 K, the column densities of HCN, H13CN, HC15N, HN13C, and H15NC are calculated and their 14N/15N ratio is determined for each core. Results: The 14N/15N ratios measured in our sample of IRDC cores range between 70 and ≥763 in HCN and between 161 and 541 in HNC. These ratios are consistent with the terrestrial atmosphere (TA) and protosolar nebula (PSN) values, and with the ratios measured in low-mass prestellar cores. However, the 14N/15N ratios measured in cores C1, C3, F1, F2, and G2 do not agree with the results from similar studies towards the same cores using nitrogen bearing molecules with nitrile functional group (-CN) and nitrogen hydrides (-NH) although the ratio spread covers a similar range. Conclusions: Relatively low 14N/15N ratios amongst the four-IRDCs were measured in IRDC G which are comparable to those measured in small cosmomaterials and protoplanetary disks. The low average gas density of this cloud suggests that the gas density, rather than the gas temperature, may be the dominant parameter influencing the initial nitrogen isotopic composition in young PSN. The reduced spectra (FITS files) are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http

  14. THE MASS-SIZE RELATION FROM CLOUDS TO CORES. I. A NEW PROBE OF STRUCTURE IN MOLECULAR CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kauffmann, J.; Shetty, R.; Goodman, A. A.; Pillai, T.; Myers, P. C.

    2010-01-01

    We use a new contour-based map analysis technique to measure the mass and size of molecular cloud fragments continuously over a wide range of spatial scales (0.05 ≤ r/pc ≤ 10), i.e., from the scale of dense cores to those of entire clouds. The present paper presents the method via a detailed exploration of the Perseus molecular cloud. Dust extinction and emission data are combined to yield reliable scale-dependent measurements of mass. This scale-independent analysis approach is useful for several reasons. First, it provides a more comprehensive characterization of a map (i.e., not biased toward a particular spatial scale). Such a lack of bias is extremely useful for the joint analysis of many data sets taken with different spatial resolution. This includes comparisons between different cloud complexes. Second, the multi-scale mass-size data constitute a unique resource to derive slopes of mass-size laws (via power-law fits). Such slopes provide singular constraints on large-scale density gradients in clouds.

  15. Cosmic-rays, gas, and dust in nearby anticentre clouds. II. Interstellar phase transitions and the dark neutral medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remy, Q.; Grenier, I. A.; Marshall, D. J.; Casandjian, J. M.

    2018-03-01

    diffuse clouds lying at high altitude above the Galactic plane. The mass present in the DNM envelopes appears to scale with the molecular mass seen in CO as MHDNM = 62 ± 7 MH2CO0.51 ± 0.02 across two decades in mass. Conclusions: The phase transitions in these clouds show both common trends and environmental differences. These findings will help support the theoretical modelling of H2 formation and the precise tracing of H2 in the interstellar medium.

  16. Streaming of interstellar grains in the solar system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustafson, B. A. S.; Misconi, N. Y.

    1979-01-01

    Results of a theoretical study of the interactions between interstellar grains streaming through the solar system and the solar wind are presented. It is shown that although elongated core-mantle interstellar particles of a characteristic radius of about 0.12 microns are subject to a greater force due to radiation pressure than to gravitational attraction, they are still able to penetrate deep inside the solar system. Calculations of particle trajectories within the solar system indicate substantial effects of the solar activity cycle as reflected in the interplanetary magnetic field on the distribution of 0.12- and 0.0005-micron interstellar grains streaming through the solar system, leading to a 50-fold increase in interstellar grain densities 3 to 4 AU ahead of the sun during years 8 to 17 of the solar cycle. It is noted that during the Solar Polar Mission, concentrations are expected which will offer the opportunity of detecting interstellar grains in the solar system.

  17. STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY OF CORES WITHIN INFRARED DARK CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chambers, E. T.; Jackson, J. M.; Rathborne, J. M.; Simon, R.

    2009-01-01

    Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) contain compact cores which probably host the early stages of high-mass star formation. Many of these cores contain regions of extended, enhanced 4.5 μm emission, the so-called 'green fuzzies', which indicate shocked gas. Many cores also contain 24 μm emission, presumably from heated dust which indicates embedded protostars. Because 'green fuzzies' and 24 μm point sources both indicate star formation, we have developed an algorithm to identify star-forming cores within IRDCs by searching for the simultaneous presence of these two distinct indicators. We employ this algorithm on a sample of 190 cores found toward IRDCs, and classify the cores as 'active' if they contain a green fuzzy coincident with an embedded 24 μm source, and as 'quiescent' if they contain neither IR signature. We hypothesize that the 'quiescent' cores represent the earliest 'preprotostellar' (starless) core phase, before the development of a warm protostar, and that the 'active' cores represent a later phase, after the development of a protostar. We test this idea by comparing the sizes, densities, and maser activity of the 'active' and 'quiescent' cores. We find that, on average, 'active' cores have smaller sizes, higher densities, and more pronounced water and methanol maser activity than the 'quiescent' cores. This is expected if the 'quiescent' cores are in an earlier evolutionary state than the 'active' cores. The masses of 'active' cores suggest that they may be forming high-mass stars. The highest mass 'quiescent' cores are excellent candidates for the elusive high-mass starless cores.

  18. ON THE FORMATION OF INTERSTELLAR WATER ICE: CONSTRAINTS FROM A SEARCH FOR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE ICE IN MOLECULAR CLOUDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, R. G.; Wright, C. M.; Robinson, G. [School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, ACT 2600 (Australia); Charnley, S. B. [Astrochemistry Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Pendleton, Y. J. [NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Maldoni, M. M., E-mail: r.smith@adfa.edu.au, E-mail: c.wright@adfa.edu.au, E-mail: g.robinson@adfa.edu.au, E-mail: Steven.B.Charnley@nasa.gov, E-mail: yvonne.pendleton@nasa.gov [Geoscience Australia, Canberra, ACT 2601 (Australia)

    2011-12-20

    Recent surface chemistry experiments have shown that the hydrogenation of molecular oxygen on interstellar dust grains is a plausible formation mechanism, via hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}), for the production of water (H{sub 2}O) ice mantles in the dense interstellar medium. Theoretical chemistry models also predict the formation of a significant abundance of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} ice in grain mantles by this route. At their upper limits, the predicted and experimental abundances are sufficiently high that H{sub 2}O{sub 2} should be detectable in molecular cloud ice spectra. To investigate this further, laboratory spectra have been obtained for H{sub 2}O{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O ice films between 2.5 and 200 {mu}m, from 10 to 180 K, containing 3%, 30%, and 97% H{sub 2}O{sub 2} ice. Integrated absorbances for all the absorption features in low-temperature H{sub 2}O{sub 2} ice have been derived from these spectra. For identifying H{sub 2}O{sub 2} ice, the key results are the presence of unique features near 3.5, 7.0, and 11.3 {mu}m. Comparing the laboratory spectra with the spectra of a group of 24 protostars and field stars, all of which have strong H{sub 2}O ice absorption bands, no absorption features are found that can definitely be identified with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} ice. In the absence of definite H{sub 2}O{sub 2} features, the H{sub 2}O{sub 2} abundance is constrained by its possible contribution to the weak absorption feature near 3.47 {mu}m found on the long-wavelength wing of the 3 {mu}m H{sub 2}O ice band. This gives an average upper limit for H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, as a percentage of H{sub 2}O, of 9% {+-} 4%. This is a strong constraint on parameters for surface chemistry experiments and dense cloud chemistry models.

  19. AN ANALYSIS OF THE DEUTERIUM FRACTIONATION OF STAR-FORMING CORES IN THE PERSEUS MOLECULAR CLOUD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friesen, R. K. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Kirk, H. M. [Origins Institute, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1 (Canada); Shirley, Y. L., E-mail: friesen@di.utoronto.ca [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

    2013-03-01

    We have performed a pointed survey of N{sub 2}D{sup +} 2-1 and N{sub 2}D{sup +} 3-2 emission toward 64 N{sub 2}H{sup +}-bright starless and protostellar cores in the Perseus molecular cloud using the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter Telescope and Kitt Peak 12 m telescope. We find a mean deuterium fractionation in N{sub 2}H{sup +}, R{sub D} = N(N{sub 2}D{sup +})/N(N{sub 2}H{sup +}), of 0.08, with a maximum R{sub D} = 0.2. In detected sources, we find no significant difference in the deuterium fractionation between starless and protostellar cores, nor between cores in clustered or isolated environments. We compare the deuterium fraction in N{sub 2}H{sup +} with parameters linked to advanced core evolution. We only find significant correlations between the deuterium fraction and increased H{sub 2} column density, as well as with increased central core density, for all cores. Toward protostellar sources, we additionally find a significant anticorrelation between R{sub D} and bolometric temperature. We show that the Perseus cores are characterized by low CO depletion values relative to previous studies of star-forming cores, similar to recent results in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. We suggest that the low average CO depletion is the dominant mechanism that constrains the average deuterium fractionation in the Perseus cores to small values. While current equilibrium and dynamic chemical models are able to reproduce the range of deuterium fractionation values we find in Perseus, reproducing the scatter across the cores requires variation in parameters such as the ionization fraction or the ortho-to-para-H{sub 2} ratio across the cloud, or a range in core evolution timescales.

  20. Thermal starless ammonia core surrounded by CCS in the Orion a cloud

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tatematsu, Ken' ichi; Hirota, Tomoya; Umemoto, Tomofumi; Kandori, Ryo; Mizuno, Norikazu [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Ohashi, Satoshi [Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Choi, Minho; Kang, Miju [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daedeokdaero 776, Yuseong, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jeong-Eun [School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Seocheon-Dong, Giheung-Gu, Yongin-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Yamamoto, Satoshi, E-mail: k.tatematsu@nao.ac.jp, E-mail: tomoya.hirota@nao.ac.jp, E-mail: umemoto.tomofumi@nao.ac.jp, E-mail: r.kandori@nao.ac.jp, E-mail: norikazu.mizuno@nao.ac.jp, E-mail: satoshi.ohashi@nao.ac.jp, E-mail: minho@kasi.re.kr, E-mail: mjkang@kasi.re.kr, E-mail: jeongeun.lee@khu.ac.kr, E-mail: yamamoto@taurus.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

    2014-07-01

    We imaged two starless molecular cloud cores, TUKH083 and TUKH122, in the Orion A giant molecular cloud in the CCS and NH{sub 3} emission with the Very Large Array. TUKH122 contains one NH{sub 3} core 'TUKH122-n', which is elongated and has a smooth oval boundary. Where observed, the CCS emission surrounds the NH{sub 3} core. This configuration resembles that of the N{sub 2}H{sup +} and CCS distribution in the Taurus starless core L1544, a well-studied example of a dense prestellar core exhibiting infall motions. The linewidth of TUKH122-n is narrow (0.20 km s{sup –1}) in the NH{sub 3} emission line and therefore dominated by thermal motions. The smooth oval shape of the core boundary and narrow linewidth in N{sub 2}H{sup +} seem to imply that TUKH122-n is dynamically relaxed and quiescent. TUKH122-n is similar to L1544 in the kinetic temperature (10 K), linear size (0.03 pc), and virial mass (∼2 M {sub ☉}). Our results strongly suggest that TUKH122-n is on the verge of star formation. TUKH122-n is embedded in the 0.2 pc massive (virial mass ∼30 M {sub ☉}) turbulent parent core, while the L1544 NH{sub 3} core is embedded in the 0.2 pc less-massive (virial mass ∼10 M {sub ☉}) thermal parent core. TUKH083 shows complicated distribution in NH{sub 3}, but was not detected in CCS. The CCS emission toward TUKH083 appears to be extended, and is resolved out in our interferometric observations.

  1. Carbon Chemistry in Transitional Clouds from the GOT C+ Survey of CII 158 micron Emission in the Galactic Plane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langer, W. D.; Velusamy, T.; Pineda, J.; Willacy, K.; Goldsmith, P. F.

    2011-05-01

    In understanding the lifecycle and chemistry of the interstellar gas, the transition from diffuse atomic to molecular gas clouds is a very important stage. The evolution of carbon from C+ to C0 and CO is a fundamental part of this transition, and C+ along with its carbon chemistry is a key diagnostic. Until now our knowledge of interstellar gas has been limited primarily to the diffuse atomic phase traced by HI and the dense molecular H2 phase traced by CO. However, we have generally been missing an important layer in diffuse and transition clouds, which is denoted by the warm "dark gas'', that is mostly H2 and little HI and CO, and is best traced with C+. Here, we discuss the chemistry in the transition from C+ to C0 and CO in these clouds as understood by a survey of the CII 1.9 THz (158 micron) line from a sparse survey of the inner galaxy over about 40 degrees in longitude as part of the Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+ (GOT C+) program, a Herschel Space Observatory Open Time Key Program to study interstellar clouds by sampling ionized carbon. Using the first results from GOT C+ along 11 LOSs, in a sample of 53 transition clouds, Velusamy, Langer et al. (A&A 521, L18, 2010) detected an excess of CII intensities indicative of a thick H2 layer (a significant warm H2, "dark gas'' component) around the 12CO core. Here we present a much larger, statistically significant sample of a few hundred diffuse and transition clouds traced by CII, along with auxiliary HI and CO data in the inner Galaxy between l=-30° and +30°. Our new and more extensive sample of transition clouds is used to elucidate the time dependent physical and carbon chemical evolution of diffuse to transition clouds, and transition layers. We consider the C+ to CO conversion pathways such as H++ O and C+ + H2 chemistry for CO production to constrain the physical parameters such as the FUV intensity and cosmic ray ionization rate that drive the CO chemistry in the diffuse transition clouds.

  2. Formaldehyde in the Diffuse Interstellar Cloud MBM40

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joy, Mackenzie; Magnani, Loris A.

    2018-06-01

    MBM40, a high-latitude molecular cloud, has been extensively studied using different molecular tracers. It appears that MBM40 is composed of a relatively dense, helical filament embedded in a more diffuse substrate of low density molecular gas. In order to study the transition between the two regimes, this project presents the first high-resolution mapping of MBM40 using the 110-111 hyperfine transition of formaldehyde (H2CO) at 4.83 GHz. We used H2CO spectra obtained with the Arecibo telescope more than a decade ago to construct this map. The results can be compared to previous maps made from the CO(1-0) transition to gain further understanding of the structure of the cloud. The intensity of the H2CO emission was compared to the CO emission. Although a correlation exists between the H2CO and CO emissivity, there seems to be a saturation of H2CO line strength for stronger CO emissivity. This is probably a radiative transfer effect of the CO emission. We have also found that the velocity dispersion of H2CO in the lower ridge of the cloud is significantly lower than in the rest of the cloud. This may indicate that this portion of the cloud is a coherent structure (analogous to an eddy) in a turbulent flow.

  3. Isotope Fractionation Studies in Prestellar Cores: The Case of Nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milam, Stefanie N.; Charnley, Steven B.

    2011-01-01

    Isotopically fractionated material is found in many solar system objects, including meteorites and comets. It is considered, in some cases, to trace interstellar material that was incorporated into the solar system without undergoing significant processing, thus preserving the fractionation. In interstellar molecular clouds, ion-molecule chemistry continually cycles nitrogen between the two main reservoirs - N and N2 - leading to only minor N-15 enrichments. Charnley and Rodgers showed that depletion of CO removes oxygen from the gas and weakens this cycle such that significant N-15 fractionation can occur for N2 and other N-bearing species in such cores. Observations are being conducted at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths employing various facilities in order to both spatially and spectrally, resolve emission from these cores. A preliminary study to obtain the N-14/N-15 ratio in nitriles (HCN and HNC) was conducted at the Arizona Radio Observatory's 12m telescope on Kitt Peak, AZ. Spectra were obtained at high resolution (0.08 km/s) in order to resolve dynamic properties of each source as well as to resolve hyperfine structure present in certain isotopologues. This study included four dark cloud cores, observed to have varying levels of molecular depletion: L1521E, L1498, L1544, and L1521F. Previous studies of the N-14/N-15 ratio towards LI544 were obtained with N2H+ and NIH3, yielding ratios of 446 and >700, respectively. The discrepancy observed in these two measurements suggests a strong chemical dependence on the fractionation of nitrogen. Ratios (C,N, and D) obtained from isotopologues for a particular molecule are likely tracing the same chemical heritage and are directly comparable within a given source. Results and comparisons between the protostellar evolutionary state and isomer isotope fractionation as well as between other N-bearing species will be presented.

  4. The Inventory of Interstellar Materials Available for the Formation of the Solar System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandford, Scott A.; Witteborn, Fred C. (Technical Monitor)

    1996-01-01

    Dr. Derek Sears, the editor of the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science, has established a policy of having each issue of the journal contain an invited review of an area that he deems to be of special cur-rent importance. Typically 20 to 25 pages of the beginning of the journal are devoted to each review. He has asked me to prepare such a review summarizing what we know about the composition and structure of interstellar materials. The attached paper is the result. This is a good time for such a review since tremendous progress has been made in the field of interstellar dust in recent years through the use of telescopic observations, theoretical studies, laboratory studies of analogs, and the study of actual interstellar samples found in meteorites. It is increasing clear that the interstellar medium (ISM) contains an enormous diversity of materials created by a wide range of chemical and physical processes. This understanding is a far cry from the picture of interstellar materials held as recently as two decades ago, a picture which incorporated only a few generic types of grains and few molecules. In the paper I review our current knowledge of the more abundant materials thought to exist in the ISM. The review concentrates on matter in interstellar dense molecular clouds since it is the materials in these environments from which new stars and planetary systems are formed, although materials in circumstellar environments and in the diffuse ISM are also discussed. The paper focuses largely on solid materials since they contain a major fraction of the heavier elements in clouds and because solids are most likely to survive incorporation into new planetary systems in identifiable form. The paper concludes with discussion of some of the implications resulting from the identification of these interstellar materials. I also present some new thoughts, the most intriguing being that meteoritic 'microdiamonds' may be the same material that modelers of the

  5. Following the Interstellar History of Carbon: From the Interiors of Stars to the Surfaces of Planets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziurys, L M; Halfen, D T; Geppert, W; Aikawa, Y

    2016-12-01

    The chemical history of carbon is traced from its origin in stellar nucleosynthesis to its delivery to planet surfaces. The molecular carriers of this element are examined at each stage in the cycling of interstellar organic material and their eventual incorporation into solar system bodies. The connection between the various interstellar carbon reservoirs is also examined. Carbon has two stellar sources: supernova explosions and mass loss from evolved stars. In the latter case, the carbon is dredged up from the interior and then ejected into a circumstellar envelope, where a rich and unusual C-based chemistry occurs. This molecular material is eventually released into the general interstellar medium through planetary nebulae. It is first incorporated into diffuse clouds, where carbon is found in polyatomic molecules such as H 2 CO, HCN, HNC, c-C 3 H 2 , and even C 60 + . These objects then collapse into dense clouds, the sites of star and planet formation. Such clouds foster an active organic chemistry, producing compounds with a wide range of functional groups with both gas-phase and surface mechanisms. As stars and planets form, the chemical composition is altered by increasing stellar radiation, as well as possibly by reactions in the presolar nebula. Some molecular, carbon-rich material remains pristine, however, encapsulated in comets, meteorites, and interplanetary dust particles, and is delivered to planet surfaces. Key Words: Carbon isotopes-Prebiotic evolution-Interstellar molecules-Comets-Meteorites. Astrobiology 16, 997-1012.

  6. Hydrocarbons in interstellar ice analogues : UV-vis spectroscopy and VUV photochemistry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cuylle, Steven Hendrik

    2015-01-01

    This thesis treats the chemical behaviour of carbonaceous molecules in water-dominated interstellar ices. VUV photons are considered as the chemical trigger to induce solid state chemistry as it is omnipresent. Lyman- radiation occurs even in dense molecular clouds as a result of cosmic ray

  7. SOFT X-RAY IRRADIATION OF PURE CARBON MONOXIDE INTERSTELLAR ICE ANALOGUES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ciaravella, A.; Candia, R.; Collura, A. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, P.za Parlamento 1, 90134 Palermo (Italy); Jimenez-Escobar, A.; Munoz Caro, G. M. [Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC-INTA), Carretera de Ajalvir, km 4, Torrejon de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid (Spain); Cecchi-Pestellini, C. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Strada n.54, Loc. Poggio dei Pini, I-09012 Capoterra (Italy); Giarrusso, S. [INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Via U. La Malfa 153, I-90146 Palermo (Italy); Barbera, M., E-mail: aciaravella@astropa.unipa.it [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche and Astronomiche, Universita di Palermo, Sezione di Astronomia, Piazza del Parlamento 1, I-90134 Palermo (Italy)

    2012-02-10

    There is an increasing evidence for the existence of large organic molecules in the interstellar and circumstellar medium. Very few among such species are readily formed in conventional gas-phase chemistry under typical conditions of interstellar clouds. Attention has therefore focused on interstellar ices as a potential source of these relatively complex species. Laboratory experiments show that irradiation of interstellar ice analogues by fast particles or ultraviolet radiation can induce significant chemical complexity. However, stars are sources of intense X-rays at almost every stage of their formation and evolution. Such radiation may thus provide chemical changes in regions where ultraviolet radiation is severely inhibited. After H{sub 2}O, CO is often the most abundant component of icy grain mantles in dense interstellar clouds and circumstellar disks. In this work we present irradiation of a pure carbon monoxide ice using a soft X-ray spectrum peaked at 0.3 keV. Analysis of irradiated samples shows formation of CO{sub 2}, C{sub 2}O, C{sub 3}O{sub 2}, C{sub 3}, C{sub 4}O, and CO{sub 3}/C{sub 5}. Comparison of X-rays and ultraviolet irradiation experiments, of the same energy dose, shows that X-rays are more efficient than ultraviolet radiation in producing new species. With the exception of CO{sub 2}, X-ray photolysis induces formation of a larger number of products with higher abundances, e.g., C{sub 3}O{sub 2} column density is about one order of magnitude higher in the X-ray experiment. To our knowledge this is the first report on X-ray photolysis of CO ices. The present results show that X-ray irradiation represents an efficient photo-chemical way to convert simple ices to more complex species.

  8. Chemical evolution of interstellar dust, comets and the origins of life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenberg, J.M.; Zhao, N.; Hage, J.

    1989-01-01

    The chemistry and morphological structure of a comet nucleus as an aggregate of interstellar dust is used to provide comparisons with a variety of comet Halley results: the density of the nucleus and of the dust; the dust cloud model and its consequences on the production of C + and CN in the coma by small organic grains; the surface albedo and the low nucleus heat conductivity and high surface temperature; the appearance of 10 -14 g and 10 -17 g dust particles along with higher masses; the mass spectra of dust and infrared spectroscopy as evidence for complex organic grain mantles and of very small carbonaceous and silicate grains; the appearence of small grains resulting from breakup of larger grains. The cosmic ray dosage of a comet nucleus during its 4.5 billion years in the Oort cloud appears to be many orders of magnitude less than the dosage of the preaggregated interstellar dust by ultraviolet photons except perhaps in the outer few meters of the nucleus of a new comet. The heat conductivity calculated for aggregated dust is certainly less than 10 -4 that of crystalline ice. This, in combination with the interstellar dust microstructure, provide a basis for showing that solar heating of the interior of a nucleus is lower than previously estimated

  9. COLLAPSE AND FRAGMENTATION OF MAGNETIC MOLECULAR CLOUD CORES WITH THE ENZO AMR MHD CODE. I. UNIFORM DENSITY SPHERES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boss, Alan P.; Keiser, Sandra A.

    2013-01-01

    Magnetic fields are important contributors to the dynamics of collapsing molecular cloud cores, and can have a major effect on whether collapse results in a single protostar or fragmentation into a binary or multiple protostar system. New models are presented of the collapse of magnetic cloud cores using the adaptive mesh refinement code Enzo2.0. The code was used to calculate the ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) of initially spherical, uniform density, and rotation clouds with density perturbations, i.e., the Boss and Bodenheimer standard isothermal test case for three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamics codes. After first verifying that Enzo reproduces the binary fragmentation expected for the non-magnetic test case, a large set of models was computed with varied initial magnetic field strengths and directions with respect to the cloud core axis of rotation (parallel or perpendicular), density perturbation amplitudes, and equations of state. Three significantly different outcomes resulted: (1) contraction without sustained collapse, forming a denser cloud core; (2) collapse to form a single protostar with significant spiral arms; and (3) collapse and fragmentation into binary or multiple protostar systems, with multiple spiral arms. Comparisons are also made with previous MHD calculations of similar clouds with a barotropic equations of state. These results for the collapse of initially uniform density spheres illustrate the central importance of both magnetic field direction and field strength for determining the outcome of dynamic protostellar collapse.

  10. THE COMPOSITION OF INTERSTELLAR GRAINS TOWARD ζ OPHIUCHI: CONSTRAINING THE ELEMENTAL BUDGET NEAR THE DIFFUSE-DENSE CLOUD TRANSITION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poteet, Charles A.; Whittet, Douglas C. B. [New York Center for Astrobiology, Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Draine, Bruce T., E-mail: charles.poteet@gmail.com [Princeton University Observatory, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

    2015-03-10

    We investigate the composition of interstellar grains along the line of sight toward ζ Ophiuchi, a well-studied environment near the diffuse-dense cloud transition. A spectral decomposition analysis of the solid-state absorbers is performed using archival spectroscopic observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope and Infrared Space Observatory. We find strong evidence for the presence of sub-micron-sized amorphous silicate grains, principally comprised of olivine-like composition, with no convincing evidence of H{sub 2}O ice mantles. However, tentative evidence for thick H{sub 2}O ice mantles on large (a ≈ 2.8 μm) grains is presented. Solid-state abundances of elemental Mg, Si, Fe, and O are inferred from our analysis and compared to standard reference abundances. We find that nearly all of the Mg and Si atoms along the line of sight reside in amorphous silicate grains, while a substantial fraction of the elemental Fe resides in compounds other than silicates. Moreover, we find that the total abundance of elemental O is largely inconsistent with the adopted reference abundances, indicating that as much as ∼156 ppm of interstellar O is missing along the line of sight. After taking into account additional limits on the abundance of elemental O in other O-bearing solids, we conclude that any missing reservoir of elemental O must reside on large grains that are nearly opaque to infrared radiation.

  11. Stochastic histories of refractory interstellar dust

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liffman, K.; Chayton, D.D.

    1988-01-01

    The authors calculate histories for refractory dust particles in the interstellar medium. The double purposes are to learn something of the properties of interstellar dust as a system and to evaluate with specific assumptions the cosmic chemical memory interpretation of a specific class of isotopic anomalies. They assemble the profile of a particle population from a large number of stochastic, or Monte Carlo, histories of single particles, which are necessarily taken to be independent with this approach. They specify probabilities for each of the events that may befall a given particle and unfold its history by a sequence of random numbers. They assume that refractory particles are created only by thermal condensation within stellar material during its ejection from stars, and that these refractory particles can be destroyed only by being sputtered to a size too small for stability or by being incorporated into the formation of new stars. In order to record chemical detail, the authors take each new refractory particle to consist of a superrefractory core plus a more massive refractory mantle. They demonstrate that these superrefractory cores have effective lifetimes much longer than the turnover time of dust mass against sputtering. As examples of cosmic chemical memory they evaluate the 16 O-richness of interstellar aluminum and mechanisms for the 48 Ca/ 50 Ti correlation. Several related consequences of this approach are discussed

  12. Effects of grain size distribution on the interstellar dust mass growth

    OpenAIRE

    Hirashita, Hiroyuki; Kuo, Tzu-Ming

    2011-01-01

    Grain growth by the accretion of metals in interstellar clouds (called `grain growth') could be one of the dominant processes that determine the dust content in galaxies. The importance of grain size distribution for the grain growth is demonstrated in this paper. First, we derive an analytical formula that gives the grain size distribution after the grain growth in individual clouds for any initial grain size distribution. The time-scale of the grain growth is very sensitive to grain size di...

  13. 3D distribution of interstellar medium in the Galaxy: Preparation for analysis of Gaia observations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puspitarini, Lucky, E-mail: rosine.lallement@obspm.fr [GEPI Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Paris Diderot University, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92190, Meudon (France); Bosscha Observatory and Department of Astronomy, FMIPA, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia); Lallement, Rosine, E-mail: rosine.lallement@obspm.fr [GEPI Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Paris Diderot University, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92190, Meudon (France)

    2015-09-30

    Accurate and detailed three-dimensional (3D) maps of Galactic interstellar medium (ISM) are still lacking. One way to obtain such 3D descriptions is to record a large set of individual absorption or reddening measurements toward target stars located at various known distances and directions. The inversion of these measurements using a tomographic method can produce spatial distribution of the ISM. Until recently absorption data were very limited and distances to the target stars are still uncertain, but the situation will greatly improve thanks to current and future massive stellar surveys from ground, and to Gaia mission. To prepare absorption data for inversion from a huge number of stellar spectra, automated tools are needed. We have developed various spectral analysis tools adapted to different type of spectra, early- or late- type star. We also have used diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) to trace IS structures and kinematics. Although we do not know yet their carriers, they can be a promising tool to trace distant interstellar clouds or Galactic arms. We present some examples of the interstellar fitting and show the potentiality of DIBs in tracing the ISM. We will also briefly show and comment the latest 3D map of the local ISM which reveal nearby cloud complexes and cavities.

  14. 3D distribution of interstellar medium in the Galaxy: Preparation for analysis of Gaia observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puspitarini, Lucky; Lallement, Rosine

    2015-01-01

    Accurate and detailed three-dimensional (3D) maps of Galactic interstellar medium (ISM) are still lacking. One way to obtain such 3D descriptions is to record a large set of individual absorption or reddening measurements toward target stars located at various known distances and directions. The inversion of these measurements using a tomographic method can produce spatial distribution of the ISM. Until recently absorption data were very limited and distances to the target stars are still uncertain, but the situation will greatly improve thanks to current and future massive stellar surveys from ground, and to Gaia mission. To prepare absorption data for inversion from a huge number of stellar spectra, automated tools are needed. We have developed various spectral analysis tools adapted to different type of spectra, early- or late- type star. We also have used diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) to trace IS structures and kinematics. Although we do not know yet their carriers, they can be a promising tool to trace distant interstellar clouds or Galactic arms. We present some examples of the interstellar fitting and show the potentiality of DIBs in tracing the ISM. We will also briefly show and comment the latest 3D map of the local ISM which reveal nearby cloud complexes and cavities

  15. DEEP JHKs AND SPITZER IMAGING OF FOUR ISOLATED MOLECULAR CLOUD CORES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapman, Nicholas L.; Mundy, Lee G.

    2009-01-01

    We present observations in eight wavebands from 1.25 to 24 μm of four dense cores: L204C-2, L1152, L1155C-2, and L1228. Our goals are to study the young stellar object (YSO) population of these cores and to measure the mid-infrared extinction law. With our combined near-infrared and Spitzer photometry, we classify each source in the cores as, among other things, background stars, galaxies, or embedded YSOs. L1152 contains three YSOs and L1228 has seven, but neither L204C-2 nor L1155C-2 appear to contain any YSOs. We estimate an upper limit of 7 x 10 -5 to 5 x 10 -4 L sun for any undiscovered YSOs in our cores. We also compute the line-of-sight extinction law toward each background star. These measurements are averaged spatially, to create χ 2 maps of the changes in the mid-infrared extinction law throughout our cores, and also in different ranges of extinction. From the χ 2 maps, we identify two small regions in L1152 and L1228 where the outflows in those cores appear to be destroying the larger dust grains, thus altering the extinction law in those regions. On average, however, our extinction law is relatively flat from 3.6 to 24 μm for all ranges of extinction and in all four cores. From 3.6 to 8 μm, this law is consistent with a dust model that includes larger dust grains than the diffuse interstellar medium, which suggests grain growth has occurred in our cores. At 24 μm, our extinction law is two to four times higher than predicted by dust models. However, it is similar to other empirical measurements.

  16. Two-dimensional collapse calculations of cylindrical clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bastien, P.; Mitalas, R.

    1979-01-01

    A two-dimensional hydrodynamic computer code has been extensively modified and expanded to study the collapse of non-rotating interstellar clouds. The physics and the numerical methods involved are discussed. The results are presented and discussed in terms of the Jeans number. The critical Jeans number for collapse of non-rotating cylindrical clouds whose length is the same as their diameter is 1.00. No evidence for fragmentation has been found for these clouds, but fragmentation seems quite likely for more elongated cylindrical clouds. (author)

  17. Interstellar and Solar Nebula Materials in Cometary Dust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messenger, Scott; Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko; Keller, Lindsay; Nguyen, Ann; Clemett, Simon

    2017-01-01

    Laboratory studies of cometary dust collected in the stratosphere and returned from comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft have revealed ancient interstellar grains and molecular cloud organic matter that record a range of astrophysical processes and the first steps of planetary formation. Presolar materials are rarer meteorites owing to high temperature processing in the solar nebula and hydrothermal alteration on their asteroidal parent bodies. The greater preservation of presolar materials in comets is attributed to their low accretion temperatures and limited planetary processing. Yet, comets also contain a large complement of high temperature materials from the inner Solar System. Owing to the limited and biased sampling of comets to date, the proportions of interstellar and Solar System materials within them remains highly uncertain. Interstellar materials are identified by coordinated isotopic, mineralogical, and chemical measurements at the scale of individual grains. Chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP IDPs) that likely derive from comets are made up of 0.1 - 10 micron-sized silicates, Fe-Ni-sulfides, oxides, and other phases bound by organic material. As much as 1% of the silicates are interstellar grains that have exotic isotopic compositions imparted by nucleosynthetic processes in their parent stars. Crystalline silicates in CP IDPs dominantly have normal isotopic compositions and probably formed in the Solar System. 81P samples include isotopically normal refractory minerals that resemble Ca-Al rich inclusions and chondrules common in meteorites. The origins of sub-micron amorphous silicates in IDPs are not certain, but at least a few % of them are interstellar grains. The remainder have isotopic compositions consistent with Solar System origins and elemental compositions that are inconsistent with interstellar grain properties, thus favoring formation in the solar nebula [4]. The organic component in comets and primitive

  18. High-energy radiation from collisions of high-velocity clouds and the Galactic disc

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Valle, Maria V.; Müller, A. L.; Romero, G. E.

    2018-04-01

    High-velocity clouds (HVCs) are interstellar clouds of atomic hydrogen that do not follow normal Galactic rotation and have velocities of a several hundred kilometres per second. A considerable number of these clouds are falling down towards the Galactic disc. HVCs form large and massive complexes, so if they collide with the disc a great amount of energy would be released into the interstellar medium. The cloud-disc interaction produces two shocks: one propagates through the cloud and the other through the disc. The properties of these shocks depend mainly on the cloud velocity and the disc-cloud density ratio. In this work, we study the conditions necessary for these shocks to accelerate particles by diffusive shock acceleration and we study the non-thermal radiation that is produced. We analyse particle acceleration in both the cloud and disc shocks. Solving a time-dependent two-dimensional transport equation for both relativistic electrons and protons, we obtain particle distributions and non-thermal spectral energy distributions. In a shocked cloud, significant synchrotron radio emission is produced along with soft gamma rays. In the case of acceleration in the shocked disc, the non-thermal radiation is stronger; the gamma rays, of leptonic origin, might be detectable with current instruments. A large number of protons are injected into the Galactic interstellar medium, and locally exceed the cosmic ray background. We conclude that under adequate conditions the contribution from HVC-disc collisions to the galactic population of relativistic particles and the associated extended non-thermal radiation might be important.

  19. Protostellar formation in rotating interstellar clouds. VI. Nonuniform initial conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boss, A.P.

    1987-01-01

    The collapse and fragmentation of rotating protostellar clouds is explored, starting from nonuniform density and nonuniform rotation initial conditions. Whether binary fragmentation occurs during the first dynamic collapse phase depends strongly on the initial density profile. Exponential clouds are only somewhat more resistant to fragmentation than uniform-density clouds, but power-law clouds do not undergo fragmentation for likely values of a relevant parameter. Because binary fragments start from profiles intermediate between uniform density and exponential clouds, minimum protostellar mass for population I stars should be increased to approximately 0.02 solar mass. The axisymmetric Terey et al. (1984) model should be stable with respect to nonaxisymmetric perturbations. Considering the observed binary frequency, collapse from power-law initial conditions appears to be less common than collapse from more uniform initial conditions. 34 references

  20. THE ANGULAR MOMENTUM OF MAGNETIZED MOLECULAR CLOUD CORES: A TWO-DIMENSIONAL-THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPARISON

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dib, Sami; Csengeri, Timea; Audit, Edouard; Hennebelle, Patrick; Pineda, Jaime E.; Goodman, Alyssa A.; Bontemps, Sylvain

    2010-01-01

    In this work, we present a detailed study of the rotational properties of magnetized and self-gravitating dense molecular cloud (MC) cores formed in a set of two very high resolution three-dimensional (3D) MC simulations with decaying turbulence. The simulations have been performed using the adaptative mesh refinement code RAMSES with an effective resolution of 4096 3 grid cells. One simulation represents a mildly magnetically supercritical cloud and the other a strongly magnetically supercritical cloud. We identify dense cores at a number of selected epochs in the simulations at two density thresholds which roughly mimic the excitation densities of the NH 3 (J - K) = (1,1) transition and the N 2 H + (1-0) emission line. A noticeable global difference between the two simulations is the core formation efficiency (CFE) of the high-density cores. In the strongly supercritical simulations, the CFE is 33% per unit free-fall time of the cloud (t ff,cl ), whereas in the mildly supercritical simulations this value goes down to ∼6 per unit t ff,cl . A comparison of the intrinsic specific angular momentum (j 3D ) distributions of the cores with the specific angular momentum derived using synthetic two-dimensional (2D) velocity maps of the cores (j 2D ) shows that the synthetic observations tend to overestimate the true value of the specific angular momentum by a factor of ∼8-10. We find that the distribution of the ratio j 3D /j 2D of the cores peaks at around ∼0.1. The origin of this discrepancy lies in the fact that contrary to the intrinsic determination of j which sums up the individual gas parcels' contributions to the angular momentum, the determination of the specific angular momentum using the standard observational procedure which is based on a measurement on the global velocity gradient under the hypothesis of uniform rotation smoothes out the complex fluctuations present in the 3D velocity field. Our results may well provide a natural explanation for the

  1. Interstellar space: the astrochemist's laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, M.A.

    1976-01-01

    A mechanism for the formation of molecules on small (radius less than or equal to 0.04 μ) interstellar grains is proposed. A simplified H 2 formation model is then presented that utilizes this surface reaction mechanism. This approach is further developed into an ab initio chemical model for dense interstellar clouds that incorporates 598 grain surface reactions, with small grains again providing the key reaction area. Gas-phase molecules are depleted through collisions with grains. The abundances of 372 chemical species are calculated as a function of time and are found to be of sufficient magnitude to explain most observations. The reaction rates for ion-molecule chemistry are approximately the same, therefore indicating that surface and gas-phase chemistry may be coupled in certain regions. The composition of grain mantles is shown to be a function of grain radius. In certain grain size ranges, large molecules containing two or more heavy atoms are more predominant than lighter ''ices''--H 2 O, NH 3 , and CH 4 . It is possible that absorption due to these large molecules in the mantles may contribute to the observed 3μ band in astronomical spectra. The second part of this thesis is an account of a radio astronomy observational program to detect new transitions of both previously observed and yet undetected interstellar molecules. The negative results yield order ofmagnitude upper limits to the column densities of the lower transition states of the various molecules. One special project was the search for the Λ-doublet transitions of the 2 H/sub 3 / 2 /, J = 3 / 2 state of OD. The resulting upper limit for the OD/OH column density ratio towards the galactic center is 1/400 and is discussed with reference to theories about deuterium enrichment in interstellar molecules

  2. The Kinematics of Molecular Cloud Cores in the Presence of Driven and Decaying Turbulence: Comparisons with Observations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Offner, S R; Krumholz, M R; Klein, R I; McKee, C F

    2008-04-18

    In this study we investigate the formation and properties of prestellar and protostellar cores using hydrodynamic, self-gravitating Adaptive Mesh Refinement simulations, comparing the cases where turbulence is continually driven and where it is allowed to decay. We model observations of these cores in the C{sup 18}O(2 {yields} 1), NH{sub 3}(1,1), and N{sub 2}H{sup +} (1 {yields} 0) lines, and from the simulated observations we measure the linewidths of individual cores, the linewidths of the surrounding gas, and the motions of the cores relative to one another. Some of these distributions are significantly different in the driven and decaying runs, making them potential diagnostics for determining whether the turbulence in observed star-forming clouds is driven or decaying. Comparing our simulations with observed cores in the Perseus and {rho} Ophiuchus clouds shows reasonably good agreement between the observed and simulated core-to-core velocity dispersions for both the driven and decaying cases. However, we find that the linewidths through protostellar cores in both simulations are too large compared to the observations. The disagreement is noticeably worse for the decaying simulation, in which cores show highly supersonic infall signatures in their centers that decrease toward their edges, a pattern not seen in the observed regions. This result gives some support to the use of driven turbulence for modeling regions of star formation, but reaching a firm conclusion on the relative merits of driven or decaying turbulence will require more complete data on a larger sample of clouds as well as simulations that include magnetic fields, outflows, and thermal feedback from the protostars.

  3. Organic Chemistry of Low-Mass Star-Forming Cores. I. 7 mm Spectroscopy of Chamaeleon MMSl

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordiner, Martn A.; Charnley, Steven B.; Wirtstroem, Eva S.; Smith, Robert G.

    2012-01-01

    Observations are presented of emission lines from organic molecules at frequencies 32-50 GHz in the vicinity of Chamaeleon MMS1. This chemically rich dense cloud core harbors an extremely young, very low luminosity protostellar object and is a candidate first hydrostatic core. Column densities are derived and emission maps are presented for species including polyynes, cyanopolyynes, sulphuretted carbon chains, and methanol. The polyyne emission peak lies about 5000 AU from the protostar, whereas methanol peaks about 15,000 AU away. Averaged over the telescope beam, the molecular hydrogen number density is calculated to be 10(exp 6) / cubic cm and the gas kinetic temperature is in the range 5-7 K. The abundances of long carbon chains are very large and are indicative of a nonequilibrium carbon chemistry; C6H and HC7N column densities are 5.9(sup +2.9) (sub -1.3) x 10(exp 11) /cubic cm and 3.3 (sup +8.0)(sub -1.5) x 10(exp 12)/sq cm, respectively, which are similar to the values found in the most carbon-chain-rich protostars and prestellar cores known, and are unusually large for star-forming gas. Column density upper limits were obtained for the carbon chain anions C4H(-) and C6H(-), with anion-to-neutral ratios [C4H(-)]/[C4H] < 0.02% and [C6H(-l)]/[C6H] < 10%, consistent with previous observations in interstellar clouds and low-mass protostars. Deuterated HC,3 and c-C3H2 were detected. The [DC3N]/[HC,N] ratio of approximately 4% is consistent with the value typically found in cold interstellar gas.

  4. Carbon chemistry in dense molecular clouds: Theory and observational constraints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blake, G.A.

    1990-01-01

    For the most part, gas phase models of the chemistry of dense molecular clouds predict the abundances of simple species rather well. However, for larger molecules and even for small systems rich in carbon these models often fail spectacularly. Researchers present a brief review of the basic assumptions and results of large scale modeling of the carbon chemistry in dense molecular clouds. Particular attention is to the influence of the gas phase C/O ratio in molecular clouds, and the likely role grains play in maintaining this ratio as clouds evolve from initially diffuse objects to denser cores with associated stellar and planetary formation. Recent spectral line surveys at centimeter and millimeter wavelengths along with selected observations in the submillimeter have now produced an accurate inventory of the gas phase carbon budget in several different types of molecular clouds, though gaps in our knowledge clearly remain. The constraints these observations place on theoretical models of interstellar chemistry can be used to gain insights into why the models fail, and show also which neglected processes must be included in more complete analyses. Looking toward the future, larger molecules are especially difficult to study both experimentally and theoretically in such dense, cold regions, and some new methods are therefore outlined which may ultimately push the detectability of small carbon chains and rings to much heavier species

  5. Interstellar Gas Flow Vector and Temperature Determination over 5 Years of IBEX Observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Möbius, E; Heirtzler, D; Kucharek, H; Lee, M A; Leonard, T; Schwadron, N; Bzowski, M; Kubiak, M A; Sokół, J M; Fuselier, S A; McComas, D J; Wurz, P

    2015-01-01

    The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) observes the interstellar neutral gas flow trajectories at their perihelion in Earth's orbit every year from December through early April, when the Earth's orbital motion is into the oncoming flow. These observations have defined a narrow region of possible, but very tightly coupled interstellar neutral flow parameters, with inflow speed, latitude, and temperature as well-defined functions of inflow longitude. The best- fit flow vector is different by ≈ 3° and lower by ≈ 3 km/s than obtained previously with Ulysses GAS, but the temperature is comparable. The possible coupled parameter space reaches to the previous flow vector, but only for a substantially higher temperature (by ≈ 2000 K). Along with recent pickup ion observations and including historical observations of the interstellar gas, these findings have led to a discussion, whether the interstellar gas flow into the solar system has been stable or variable over time. These intriguing possibilities call for more detailed analysis and a longer database. IBEX has accumulated observations over six interstellar flow seasons. We review key observations and refinements in the analysis, in particular, towards narrowing the uncertainties in the temperature determination. We also address ongoing attempts to optimize the flow vector determination through varying the IBEX spacecraft pointing and discuss related implications for the local interstellar cloud and its interaction with the heliosphere

  6. Detection of interstellar methylcyanoacetylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broten, N.W.; MacLeod, J.M.; Avery, L.W.; Irvine, W.M.; Hoeglund, B.; Friberg, P.; Hjalmarson

    1984-01-01

    A new interstellar molecule, methylcyanoacetylene (CH 3 C 3 N), has been detected in the molecular cloud TMC-1. The J = 8 → 7, J = 7 → 6, J = 6 → 5, and J = 5 → 4 transitions have been observed. For the first three of these, both the K = 0 and K = 1 components are present, while for J = 5 → 4, only the K = 0 line has been detected. The observed frequencies were calculated by assuming a value of radial velocity V/sub lSR/ = 5.8 km s -1 for TMC-1, typical of other molecules in the cloud. All Observed frequencies are within 10 kHz of the calculated frequencies, which are based on the 1982 laboratory constants of Moises et al., so the identification is secure. The lines are broadened by hyperfine splitting, and the J = 5 → 4, K = 0 transition shows incipient resolution into three hyperfine components. The rotational temperature determined from these observations is quite low, with 2.7 K 12 cm -2

  7. Core/Shell Microstructure Induced Synergistic Effect for Efficient Water-Droplet Formation and Cloud-Seeding Application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Yanlong; Liang, Haoran; Zaki, Abdelali; El Hadri, Nabil; Abshaev, Ali M; Huchunaev, Buzgigit M; Griffiths, Steve; Jouiad, Mustapha; Zou, Linda

    2017-12-26

    Cloud-seeding materials as a promising water-augmentation technology have drawn more attention recently. We designed and synthesized a type of core/shell NaCl/TiO 2 (CSNT) particle with controlled particle size, which successfully adsorbed more water vapor (∼295 times at low relative humidity, 20% RH) than that of pure NaCl, deliquesced at a lower environmental RH of 62-66% than the hygroscopic point (h g.p ., 75% RH) of NaCl, and formed larger water droplets ∼6-10 times its original measured size area, whereas the pure NaCl still remained as a crystal at the same conditions. The enhanced performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of the hydrophilic TiO 2 shell and hygroscopic NaCl core microstructure, which attracted a large amount of water vapor and turned it into a liquid faster. Moreover, the critical particle size of the CSNT particles (0.4-10 μm) as cloud-seeding materials was predicted via the classical Kelvin equation based on their surface hydrophilicity. Finally, the benefits of CSNT particles for cloud-seeding applications were determined visually through in situ observation under an environmental scanning electron microscope on the microscale and cloud chamber experiments on the macroscale, respectively. These excellent and consistent performances positively confirmed that CSNT particles could be promising cloud-seeding materials.

  8. DRIVING OUTFLOWS WITH RELATIVISTIC JETS AND THE DEPENDENCE OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FEEDBACK EFFICIENCY ON INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM INHOMOGENEITY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M.; Bicknell, G. V.

    2012-01-01

    We examine the detailed physics of the feedback mechanism by relativistic active galactic nucleus (AGN) jets interacting with a two-phase fractal interstellar medium (ISM) in the kpc-scale core of galaxies using 29 three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations. The feedback efficiency, as measured by the amount of cloud dispersal generated by the jet-ISM interactions, is sensitive to the maximum size of clouds in the fractal cloud distribution but not to their volume filling factor. Feedback ceases to be efficient for Eddington ratios P jet /L edd ∼ –4 , although systems with large cloud complexes ∼> 50 pc require jets of Eddington ratio in excess of 10 –2 to disperse the clouds appreciably. Based on measurements of the bubble expansion rates in our simulations, we argue that sub-grid AGN prescriptions resulting in negative feedback in cosmological simulations without a multi-phase treatment of the ISM are good approximations if the volume filling factor of warm-phase material is less than 0.1 and the cloud complexes are smaller than ∼25 pc. We find that the acceleration of the dense embedded clouds is provided by the ram pressure of the high-velocity flow through the porous channels of the warm phase, flow that has fully entrained the shocked hot-phase gas it has swept up, and is additionally mass loaded by ablated cloud material. This mechanism transfers 10% to 40% of the jet energy to the cold and warm gas, accelerating it within a few 10 to 100 Myr to velocities that match those observed in a range of high- and low-redshift radio galaxies hosting powerful radio jets.

  9. Quantum dynamics of the Eley-Rideal hydrogen formation reaction on graphite at typical interstellar cloud conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casolo, Simone; Martinazzo, Rocco; Bonfanti, Matteo; Tantardini, Gian Franco

    2009-12-31

    Eley-Rideal formation of hydrogen molecules on graphite, as well as competing collision induced processes, are investigated quantum dynamically at typical interstellar cloud conditions, focusing in particular on gas-phase temperatures below 100 K, where much of the chemistry of the so-called diffuse clouds takes place on the surface of bare carbonaceous dust grains. Collisions of gas-phase hydrogen atoms with both chemisorbed and physisorbed species are considered using available potential energy surfaces (Sha et al., J. Chem. Phys.2002 116, 7158), and state-to-state, energy-resolved cross sections are computed for a number of initial vibrational states of the hydrogen atoms bound to the surface. Results show that (i) product molecules are internally hot in both cases, with vibrational distributions sharply peaked around few (one or two) vibrational levels, and (ii) cross sections for chemisorbed species are 2-3x smaller than those for physisorbed ones. In particular, we find that H(2) formation cross sections out of chemically bound species decrease steadily when the temperature drops below approximately 1000 K, and this is likely due to a quantum reflection phenomenon. This suggests that such Eley-Rideal reaction is all but efficient in the relevant gas-phase temperature range, even when gas-phase H atoms happen to chemisorb barrierless to the surface as observed, e.g., for forming so-called para dimers. Comparison with results from classical trajectory calculations highlights the need of a quantum description of the dynamics in the astrophysically relevant energy range, whereas preliminary results of an extensive first-principles investigation of the reaction energetics reveal the importance of the adopted substrate model.

  10. Polarization of seven MBM clouds at high Galactic latitude

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neha, S.; Maheswar, G.; Soam, A.; Lee, C. W.

    2018-06-01

    We made R-band polarization measurements of 234 stars towards the direction of the MBM 33-39 cloud complex. The distance of the MBM 33-39 complex was determined as 120 ± 10 pc using polarization results and near-infrared photometry from the 2MASS survey. The magnetic field geometry of the individual clouds inferred from our polarimetric results reveals that the field lines are in general consistent with the global magnetic field geometry of the region obtained from previous studies. This implies that the clouds in the complex are permeated by the interstellar magnetic field. Multi-wavelength polarization measurements of a few stars projected on to the complex suggest that the size of the dust grains in these clouds is similar to those found in the normal interstellar medium of the Milky Way. We studied a possible formation scenario of the MBM 33-39 complex by combining the polarization results from our study with those from the literature and by identifying the distribution of ionized, atomic and molecular (dust) components of material in the region.

  11. The Kinematics of Molecular Cloud Cores in the Presence of Driven and Decaying Turbulence: Comparisons with Observations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Offner, S R; Krumholz, M R; Klein, R I; McKee, C F

    2007-12-17

    In this study we investigate the formation and properties of prestellar and protostellar cores using hydrodynamic, self-gravitating Adaptive Mesh Refinement simulations, comparing the cases where turbulence is continually driven and where it is allowed to decay. We model observations of these cores in the C{sup 18}O(2 {yields} 1), NH{sub 3}(1, 1), and N{sub 2}H{sup +}(1 {yields} 0) lines, and from the simulated observations we measure the linewidths of individual cores, the linewidths of the surrounding gas, and the motions of the cores relative to one another. Some of these distributions are significantly different in the driven and decaying runs, making them potential diagnostics for determining whether the turbulence in observed star-forming clouds is driven or decaying. Comparing our simulations with observed cores in the Perseus and {rho} Ophiuchus clouds shows reasonably good agreement between the observed and simulated core-to-core velocity dispersions for both the driven and decaying cases. However, we find that the linewidths through protostellar cores in both simulations are too large compared to the observations. The disagreement is noticeably worse for the decaying simulation, in which cores show highly supersonic in fall signatures in their centers that decrease toward their edges, a pattern not seen in the observed the regions.

  12. The interstellar lithium abundance and the 7Li/6Li ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferlet, R.; Dennefeld, M.

    1985-01-01

    The λ 6708 doublet of interstellar Li I has been observed at high spectral resolution (3.km s -1 ) and very good signal to noise ratio (∼ 4000) towards δ Sco and ζ Oph. Using a profile fitting method, we derive for the first time outside the solar system a 7 Li/ 6 Li ratio of 38 for a diffuse cloud in front of ζ Oph. Even the lower limit of the error bar is incompatible with the ratio measured in meteorites and is not explained by recent models of galactic evolution. The existence of a local inhomogeneity is suggested. Finally, as for other alkalis, lithium is depleted on to dust grains in the diffuse interstellar medium [fr

  13. Core Facility of the Juelich Observatory for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE - CF)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beer, J.; Troemel, S.

    2017-12-01

    A multiple and holistic multi-sensor monitoring of clouds and precipitation processes is a challenging but promising task in the meteorological community. Instrument synergies offer detailed views in microphysical and dynamical developments of clouds. Since 2017 The the Juelich Observatory for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE) is transformed into a Core Facility (JOYCE - CF). JOYCE - CF offers multiple long-term remote sensing observations of the atmosphere, develops an easy access to all observations and invites scientists word wide to exploit the existing data base for their research but also to complement JOYCE-CF with additional long-term or campaign instrumentation. The major instrumentation contains a twin set of two polarimetric X-band radars, a microwave profiler, two cloud radars, an infrared spectrometer, a Doppler lidar and two ceilometers. JOYCE - CF offers easy and open access to database and high quality calibrated observations of all instruments. E.g. the two polarimetric X-band radars which are located in 50 km distance are calibrated using the self-consistency method, frequently repeated vertical pointing measurements as well as instrument synergy with co-located micro-rain radar and distrometer measurements. The presentation gives insights into calibration procedures, the standardized operation procedures and recent synergistic research exploiting our radars operating at three different frequencies.

  14. Photon- and electron-stimulated desorption from laboratory models of interstellar ice grains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thrower, J. D.; Abdulgalil, A. G. M.; Collings, M. P.; McCoustra, M. R. S.; Burke, D. J.; Brown, W. A.; Dawes, A.; Holtom, P. J.; Kendall, P.; Mason, N. J.; Jamme, F.; Fraser, H. J.; Rutten, F. J. M.

    2010-01-01

    The nonthermal desorption of water from ice films induced by photon and low energy electron irradiation has been studied under conditions mimicking those found in dense interstellar clouds. Water desorption following photon irradiation at 250 nm relies on the presence of an absorbing species within the H 2 O ice, in this case benzene. Desorption cross sections are obtained and used to derive first order rate coefficients for the desorption processes. Kinetic modeling has been used to compare the efficiencies of these desorption mechanisms with others known to be in operation in dense clouds.

  15. An infrared measurement of chemical desorption from interstellar ice analogues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oba, Y.; Tomaru, T.; Lamberts, T.; Kouchi, A.; Watanabe, N.

    2018-03-01

    In molecular clouds at temperatures as low as 10 K, all species except hydrogen and helium should be locked in the heterogeneous ice on dust grain surfaces. Nevertheless, astronomical observations have detected over 150 different species in the gas phase in these clouds. The mechanism by which molecules are released from the dust surface below thermal desorption temperatures to be detectable in the gas phase is crucial for understanding the chemical evolution in such cold clouds. Chemical desorption, caused by the excess energy of an exothermic reaction, was first proposed as a key molecular release mechanism almost 50 years ago1. Chemical desorption can, in principle, take place at any temperature, even below the thermal desorption temperature. Therefore, astrochemical network models commonly include this process2,3. Although there have been a few previous experimental efforts4-6, no infrared measurement of the surface (which has a strong advantage to quantify chemical desorption) has been performed. Here, we report the first infrared in situ measurement of chemical desorption during the reactions H + H2S → HS + H2 (reaction 1) and HS + H → H2S (reaction 2), which are key to interstellar sulphur chemistry2,3. The present study clearly demonstrates that chemical desorption is a more efficient process for releasing H2S into the gas phase than was previously believed. The obtained effective cross-section for chemical desorption indicates that the chemical desorption rate exceeds the photodesorption rate in typical interstellar environments.

  16. Interstellar abundances in dense, moderately reddened lines of sight. I. Observational evidence for density-dependent depletion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joseph, C.L.; Snow, T.P. Jr.; Seab, C.G.; Crutcher, R.M.; NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA; Illinois Univ., Urbana)

    1986-01-01

    The nature of dust-gas interactions, which are capable of modifying the size distribution of interstellar grains and thus causing changes in the selective extinction curve, are investigated through depletion studies. The gaseous abundances of 15 elements have been determined for several lines of sight toward moderately reddened stars, each having an anomalous extinction curve and a large abundance of cyanogen (CN). The basic result of this study is that certain elements appear to deplete preferentially in interstellar clouds having a large abundance of CN. Since CN is a sensitive indicator of the interstellar spatial density, the data might suggest that the unique pattern of enhanced depletion observed here represents the best observational evidence of accretion. 107 references

  17. Circumstellar Disks and Outflows in Turbulent Molecular Cloud Cores: Possible Formation Mechanism for Misaligned Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsumoto, Tomoaki [Faculty of Sustainability Studies, Hosei University, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8160 (Japan); Machida, Masahiro N. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581 (Japan); Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro, E-mail: matsu@hosei.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

    2017-04-10

    We investigate the formation of circumstellar disks and outflows subsequent to the collapse of molecular cloud cores with the magnetic field and turbulence. Numerical simulations are performed by using an adaptive mesh refinement to follow the evolution up to ∼1000 years after the formation of a protostar. In the simulations, circumstellar disks are formed around the protostars; those in magnetized models are considerably smaller than those in nonmagnetized models, but their size increases with time. The models with stronger magnetic fields tend to produce smaller disks. During evolution in the magnetized models, the mass ratios of a disk to a protostar is approximately constant at ∼1%–10%. The circumstellar disks are aligned according to their angular momentum, and the outflows accelerate along the magnetic field on the 10–100 au scale; this produces a disk that is misaligned with the outflow. The outflows are classified into two types: a magnetocentrifugal wind and a spiral flow. In the latter, because of the geometry, the axis of rotation is misaligned with the magnetic field. The magnetic field has an internal structure in the cloud cores, which also causes misalignment between the outflows and the magnetic field on the scale of the cloud core. The distribution of the angular momentum vectors in a core also has a non-monotonic internal structure. This should create a time-dependent accretion of angular momenta onto the circumstellar disk. Therefore, the circumstellar disks are expected to change their orientation as well as their sizes in the long-term evolutions.

  18. Parameterizing the interstellar dust temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hocuk, S.; Szűcs, L.; Caselli, P.; Cazaux, S.; Spaans, M.; Esplugues, G. B.

    2017-08-01

    The temperature of interstellar dust particles is of great importance to astronomers. It plays a crucial role in the thermodynamics of interstellar clouds, because of the gas-dust collisional coupling. It is also a key parameter in astrochemical studies that governs the rate at which molecules form on dust. In 3D (magneto)hydrodynamic simulations often a simple expression for the dust temperature is adopted, because of computational constraints, while astrochemical modelers tend to keep the dust temperature constant over a large range of parameter space. Our aim is to provide an easy-to-use parametric expression for the dust temperature as a function of visual extinction (AV) and to shed light on the critical dependencies of the dust temperature on the grain composition. We obtain an expression for the dust temperature by semi-analytically solving the dust thermal balance for different types of grains and compare to a collection of recent observational measurements. We also explore the effect of ices on the dust temperature. Our results show that a mixed carbonaceous-silicate type dust with a high carbon volume fraction matches the observations best. We find that ice formation allows the dust to be warmer by up to 15% at high optical depths (AV> 20 mag) in the interstellar medium. Our parametric expression for the dust temperature is presented as Td = [ 11 + 5.7 × tanh(0.61 - log 10(AV) ]χuv1/5.9, where χuv is in units of the Draine (1978, ApJS, 36, 595) UV field.

  19. The variation of interstellar element abundances with hydrogen density

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keenan, F.P.; Hibbert, A.; Dufton, P.L.; Murray, M.J.

    1986-01-01

    The variation of the interstellar nitrogen, oxygen and magnesium abundances with mean line-of-sight hydrogen density is analysed in terms of a two-component model, which consists of warm, low-density neutral gas and cold clouds. In all cases the gas-phase abundances have been deduced using reliable oscillator strengths specifically calculated for this purpose. Depletions in the warm and cold gas, are derived from non-linear least-squares fits to the data. (author)

  20. Formation of giant cloud complexes by the Parker-Jeans instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elmegreen, B.G.

    1982-01-01

    The Parker-Jeans instability is considered as a possible mechanism for forming the giant cloud complexes observed near OB associations. We use a previously derived dispersion relation to evaluate the masses and growth times of the dominant modes in this instability. The results show that massive clouds (Mroughly-equal10 6 M/sub sun/) can form quickly (roughly-equal12 million yr) in the high density environments (5 cm -3 ) associated with spiral density wave shocks. For densities larger than about 3 cm -3 , these clouds form primarily as a result of the self-graviational forces in the interstellar medium. Lower mass clouds (Mroughly-equal10 5 M/sub sun/) can form in lower density environments as a result of the pure Parker instability. The masses of the clouds that form when the density exceeds about 3 cm -3 are insensitive to the magnetic field strength, cosmic ray pressure, and ambient density (even in compressed media.). These masses are essentially the Jeans mass in a magnetic interstellar medium. The occurrence of a characteristic mass may explain the similarity of the local OB associations. The role of the Parker-Jeans instability as part of a complete theory of cloud formation is summarized

  1. Interstellar hydrogen bonding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Etim, Emmanuel E.; Gorai, Prasanta; Das, Ankan; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.; Arunan, Elangannan

    2018-06-01

    This paper reports the first extensive study of the existence and effects of interstellar hydrogen bonding. The reactions that occur on the surface of the interstellar dust grains are the dominant processes by which interstellar molecules are formed. Water molecules constitute about 70% of the interstellar ice. These water molecules serve as the platform for hydrogen bonding. High level quantum chemical simulations for the hydrogen bond interaction between 20 interstellar molecules (known and possible) and water are carried out using different ab-intio methods. It is evident that if the formation of these species is mainly governed by the ice phase reactions, there is a direct correlation between the binding energies of these complexes and the gas phase abundances of these interstellar molecules. Interstellar hydrogen bonding may cause lower gas abundance of the complex organic molecules (COMs) at the low temperature. From these results, ketenes whose less stable isomers that are more strongly bonded to the surface of the interstellar dust grains have been observed are proposed as suitable candidates for astronomical observations.

  2. The Rosseland mean opacity of interstellar grain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, A.; El Shalaby, M.A.; El-Nawawy, M.S.

    1990-10-01

    We have calculated the opacity of interstellar grains in the temperature range 10 deg. K - 1500 deg. K. Two composite grain models have been considered. One of them consists of silicate coated with ice mantle and the second has a graphite core coated also with ice mantle. These models are compared with isolated grain models. An exact analytical and computational development of Guettler's formulae for composite grain models has been used to calculate the extinction coefficient. It has been found that the thickness of the mantle affects the opacity of the interstellar grains. The opacity of composite models differs from that of the isolated models. The effect of the different species (ice, silicate and graphite) is also clear. (author). 22 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

  3. Optical Polarization as a Probe of the Local Interstellar Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tinbergen, J.

    1984-01-01

    The use of interstellar polarization as a tool for measuring interstellar dust is discussed. Problems resulting from dust and magnetic field configurations becoming mixed up are discussed, as is the availability of sufficiently bright stars to obtain the photons needed for precision measurements. It is proposed that: (1) on the scale of several hundred parsec, there is a preferential magnetic field direction, as evidenced by observations at the Galactic poles and selected longitudes in the Galactic plane; (2) the local (r 50 pc) region is devoid of dust, as evidenced by the mean square degree of polarization as a function of distance; and, less certainly, that (3) at a distance of less than 5 pc, there is a patch of dust which may be of interest in connection with cloud models.

  4. Ionization of cloud and intercloud hydrogen by O and B stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elmergreen, B.G.

    1975-01-01

    Lyman continuum radiation from OB stars may be the primary source of ionization of interstellar hydrogen. Eighty percent of Lyman continuum photons produced by these stars comes from a very small number of 05 and 06 stars, however, and if this radiation is ionized to interstellar hydrogen with the high degree of uniformity indicated by pulsar dispersion measures or by the diffuse background of Hα emission, then each 05 or 06 star must be able to maintain an H II region over a distance of several hundred parsecs. The cloudy structure of interstellar space prevents such long range ionization, however, and a large fraction of the stellar Lyman continuum photons will be converted to Balmer photons in the high-density ionized surfaces of the exposed clouds. Two questions concerning this cloudy obscuration naturally arise: what will be the consequences of a cloud's exposure to Lyman continuum radiation, and to what extent can low-density, intercloud hydrogen be ionized in the obscured regions. These questions are considered

  5. Study of the interstellar medium towards RCW 103

    OpenAIRE

    Paron, Sergio Ariel; Reynoso, Estela Marta; Dubner, Gloria Mabel; Castelletti, Gabriela Marta

    2017-01-01

    RCW 103 is a shell type supernova remnant (SNR) that, according to near infrared observations, is interacting with a molecular cloud, specially to the south. In this paper we report on the study of the interstellar medium in an extended region towards RCW 103 based on HI 21 cm data acquired with the ATCA radiotelescope. Also, we report on the detection of HCO+ and CO emission in the rotational transition J=1-0 associated with the remnant. These observations were carried out with the millimete...

  6. Interstellar Matters: Neutral Hydrogen and the Galactic Magnetic Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verschuur, Gerrit; Schmelz, Joan T.; Asgari-Targhi asgari-Targhi, M.

    2018-01-01

    The physics of the interstellar medium was revolutionized by the observations of the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (GALFA) HI survey done at the Arecibo Observatory. The high-resolution, high-sensitivity, high-dynamic- range images show complex, tangled, extended filaments, and reveal that the fabric of the neutral interstellar medium is deeply tied to the structure of the ambient magnetic field. This discovery prompts an obvious question – how exactly is the interstellar {\\it neutral} hydrogen being affected by the galactic magnetic field? We look into this question by examining a set of GALFA-HI data in great detail. We have chosen a long, straight filament in the southern galactic sky. This structure is both close by and isolated in velocity space. Gaussian analysis of profiles both along and across the filament reveal internal structure – braided strands that can be traced through the simplest part, but become tangled in more complex segments. These braids do not resemble in any way the old spherical HI clouds and rudimentary pressure balance models that were used to explain the pre-GALFA- HI interstellar medium. It is clear that these structures are created, constrained, and dominated by magnetic fields. Like many subfields of astronomy before it, e.g., physics of the solar coronal, extragalactic radio jets, and pulsar environment, scientists are confronted with observations that simply cannot be explained by simple hydrodynamics and are forced to consider magneto-hydrodynamics.

  7. C+/CO Transitions in the Diffuse ISM: Transitional Cloud Sample from the GOT C+ Survey of [CII] in the inner Galaxy at l = -30deg to 30deg

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velusamy, T.; Pineda, J. L.; Langer, W. D.; Willacy, K.; Goldsmith, P. F.

    2011-05-01

    Our knowledge of interstellar gas has been limited primarily to the diffuse atomic phase traced by HI and the well-shielded molecular phase traced by CO. Recently, using the first results of the Herschel Key Project GOT C+, a HIFI C+ survey of the Galactic plane, Velusamy, Langer, Pineda et al. (A&A 521, L18, 2010) have shown that in the diffuse interstellar transition clouds a significant fraction of the carbon exists primarily as C^+ with little C^0 and CO in a warm 'dark gas' layer in which hydrogen is mostly H_2 with little atomic H, surrounding a modest 12CO-emitting core. The [CII] fine structure transition, at 1.9 THz (158 μm) is the best tracer of this component of the interstellar medium, which is critical to our understanding of the atomic to molecular cloud transitions. The Herschel Key Project GOT C+ is designed to study such clouds by observing with HIFI the [CII] line emission along 500 lines of sight (LOSs) throughout the Galactic disk. Here we present the identification and chemical status of a few hundred diffuse and transition clouds traced by [CII], along with auxiliary HI and CO data covering ~100 LOSs in the inner Galaxy between l= -30° and 30°. We identify transition clouds as [CII] components that are characterized by the presence of both HI and 12CO, but no 13CO emission. The intensities, I(CII) and I(HI), are used as measures of the visual extinction, AV, in the cloud up to the C^+/C^0/CO transition layer and a comparison with I(12CO) yields a more complete H_2 molecular inventory. Our results show that [CII] emission is an excellent tool to study transition clouds and their carbon chemistry in the ISM, in particular as a unique tracer of molecular H_2, which is not easily observed by other means. The large sample presented here will serve as a resource to study the chemical and physical status of diffuse transition clouds in a wide range of Galactic environments and constrain the physical parameters such as the FUV intensity and cosmic

  8. Carbon monoxide in clouds at low metallicity in the dwarf irregular galaxy WLM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmegreen, Bruce G; Rubio, Monica; Hunter, Deidre A; Verdugo, Celia; Brinks, Elias; Schruba, Andreas

    2013-03-28

    Carbon monoxide (CO) is the primary tracer for interstellar clouds where stars form, but it has never been detected in galaxies in which the oxygen abundance relative to hydrogen is less than 20 per cent of that of the Sun, even though such 'low-metallicity' galaxies often form stars. This raises the question of whether stars can form in dense gas without molecules, cooling to the required near-zero temperatures by atomic transitions and dust radiation rather than by molecular line emission; and it highlights uncertainties about star formation in the early Universe, when the metallicity was generally low. Here we report the detection of CO in two regions of a local dwarf irregular galaxy, WLM, where the metallicity is 13 per cent of the solar value. We use new submillimetre observations and archival far-infrared observations to estimate the cloud masses, which are both slightly greater than 100,000 solar masses. The clouds have produced stars at a rate per molecule equal to 10 per cent of that in the local Orion nebula cloud. The CO fraction of the molecular gas is also low, about 3 per cent of the Milky Way value. These results suggest that in small galaxies both star-forming cores and CO molecules become increasingly rare in molecular hydrogen clouds as the metallicity decreases.

  9. CHEMICAL SIMULATIONS OF PREBIOTIC MOLECULES: INTERSTELLAR ETHANIMINE ISOMERS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Quan, Donghui; Durr, Allison [Department of Chemistry, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY 40475 (United States); Herbst, Eric [Departments of Chemistry and Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Corby, Joanna F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Hassel, George [Physics and Astronomy Department, Siena College, Loudonville, NY 12211 (United States)

    2016-06-20

    The E- and Z- isomers of ethanimine (CH{sub 3}CHNH) were recently detected toward the star-forming region Sagittarius (Sgr) B2(N) using the Green Bank Telescope PRIMOS cm-wave spectral data, and imaged by the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Ethanimine is not reported in the hot cores of Sgr B2, but only in gas that absorbs at +64 and +82 km s{sup −1} in the foreground of continuum emission generated by H ii regions. The ethanimine isomers can serve as precursors of the amino acid alanine and may play important roles in forming biological molecules in the interstellar medium. Here we present a study of the chemistry of ethanimine using a gas-grain simulation based on rate equations, with both isothermal and warm-up conditions. In addition, the density, kinetic temperature, and cosmic ray ionization rate have been varied. For a variety of physical conditions in the warm-up models for Sgr B2(N) and environs, the simulations show reasonable agreement with observationally obtained abundances. Isothermal models of translucent clouds along the same line of sight yield much lower abundances, so that ethanimine would be much more difficult to detect in these sources despite the fact that other complex molecules have been detected there.

  10. Chemical Simulations of Prebiotic Molecules: Interstellar Ethanimine Isomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quan, Donghui; Herbst, Eric; Corby, Joanna F.; Durr, Allison; Hassel, George

    2016-06-01

    The E- and Z-isomers of ethanimine (CH3CHNH) were recently detected toward the star-forming region Sagittarius (Sgr) B2(N) using the Green Bank Telescope PRIMOS cm-wave spectral data, and imaged by the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Ethanimine is not reported in the hot cores of Sgr B2, but only in gas that absorbs at +64 and +82 km s-1 in the foreground of continuum emission generated by H II regions. The ethanimine isomers can serve as precursors of the amino acid alanine and may play important roles in forming biological molecules in the interstellar medium. Here we present a study of the chemistry of ethanimine using a gas-grain simulation based on rate equations, with both isothermal and warm-up conditions. In addition, the density, kinetic temperature, and cosmic ray ionization rate have been varied. For a variety of physical conditions in the warm-up models for Sgr B2(N) and environs, the simulations show reasonable agreement with observationally obtained abundances. Isothermal models of translucent clouds along the same line of sight yield much lower abundances, so that ethanimine would be much more difficult to detect in these sources despite the fact that other complex molecules have been detected there.

  11. Hyper-massive cloud, shock and stellar formation efficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Louvet, Fabien

    2014-01-01

    O and B types stars are of paramount importance in the energy budget of galaxies and play a crucial role enriching the interstellar medium. However, their formation, unlike that of solar-type stars, is still subject to debate, if not an enigma. The earliest stages of massive star formation and the formation of their parent cloud are still crucial astrophysical questions that drew a lot of attention in the community, both from the theoretical and observational perspective, during the last decade. It has been proposed that massive stars are born in massive dense cores that form through very dynamic processes, such as converging flows of gas. During my PhD, I conducted a thorough study of the formation of dense cores and massive stars in the W43-MM1 supermassive structure, located at 6 kpc from the sun. At first, I showed a direct correlation between the star formation efficiency and the volume gas density of molecular clouds, in contrast with scenarios suggested by previous studies. Indeed, the spatial distribution and mass function of the massive dense cores currently forming in W43-MM1 suggests that this supermassive filament is undergoing a star formation burst, increasing as one approaches its center. I compared these observational results with the most recent numerical and analytical models of star formation. This comparison not only provides new constraints on the formation of supermassive filaments, but also suggests that understanding star formation in high density, extreme ridges requires a detailed portrait of the structure of these exceptional objects. Second, having shown that the formation of massive stars depends strongly on the properties of the ridges where they form, I studied the formation processes of these filaments, thanks of the characterization of their global dynamics. Specifically, I used a tracer of shocks (SiO molecule) to disentangle the feedback of local star formation processes (bipolar jets and outflows) from shocks tracing the pristine

  12. The interstellar medium and star formation of galactic disks. I. Interstellar medium and giant molecular cloud properties with diffuse far-ultraviolet and cosmic-ray backgrounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qi; Tan, Jonathan C.; Christie, Duncan; Bisbas, Thomas G.; Wu, Benjamin

    2018-01-01

    We present a series of adaptive mesh refinement hydrodynamic simulations of flat rotation curve galactic gas disks, with a detailed treatment of the interstellar medium (ISM) physics of the atomic to molecular phase transition under the influence of diffuse far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation fields and cosmic-ray backgrounds. We explore the effects of different FUV intensities, including a model with a radial gradient designed to mimic the Milky Way. The effects of cosmic rays, including radial gradients in their heating and ionization rates, are also explored. The final simulations in this series achieve 4 pc resolution across the ˜20 kpc global disk diameter, with heating and cooling followed down to temperatures of ˜10 K. The disks are evolved for 300 Myr, which is enough time for the ISM to achieve a quasi-statistical equilibrium. In particular, the mass fraction of molecular gas is stabilized by ˜200 Myr. Additional global ISM properties are analyzed. Giant molecular clouds (GMCs) are also identified and the statistical properties of their populations are examined. GMCs are tracked as the disks evolve. GMC collisions, which may be a means of triggering star cluster formation, are counted and their rates are compared with analytic models. Relatively frequent GMC collision rates are seen in these simulations, and their implications for understanding GMC properties, including the driving of internal turbulence, are discussed.

  13. The interstellar medium and star formation of galactic disks. I. Interstellar medium and giant molecular cloud properties with diffuse far-ultraviolet and cosmic-ray backgrounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qi; Tan, Jonathan C.; Christie, Duncan; Bisbas, Thomas G.; Wu, Benjamin

    2018-05-01

    We present a series of adaptive mesh refinement hydrodynamic simulations of flat rotation curve galactic gas disks, with a detailed treatment of the interstellar medium (ISM) physics of the atomic to molecular phase transition under the influence of diffuse far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation fields and cosmic-ray backgrounds. We explore the effects of different FUV intensities, including a model with a radial gradient designed to mimic the Milky Way. The effects of cosmic rays, including radial gradients in their heating and ionization rates, are also explored. The final simulations in this series achieve 4 pc resolution across the ˜20 kpc global disk diameter, with heating and cooling followed down to temperatures of ˜10 K. The disks are evolved for 300 Myr, which is enough time for the ISM to achieve a quasi-statistical equilibrium. In particular, the mass fraction of molecular gas is stabilized by ˜200 Myr. Additional global ISM properties are analyzed. Giant molecular clouds (GMCs) are also identified and the statistical properties of their populations are examined. GMCs are tracked as the disks evolve. GMC collisions, which may be a means of triggering star cluster formation, are counted and their rates are compared with analytic models. Relatively frequent GMC collision rates are seen in these simulations, and their implications for understanding GMC properties, including the driving of internal turbulence, are discussed.

  14. From clouds to stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elmegreen, B.G.

    1982-01-01

    At the present time, the theory of star formation must be limited to what we know about the lowest density gas, or about the pre-main sequence stars themselves. We would like to understand two basic processes: 1) how star-forming clouds are created from the ambient interstellar gas in the first place, and 2) how small parts of these clouds condense to form individual stars. We are interested also in knowing what pre-main sequence stars are like, and how they can interact with their environment. These topics are reviewed in what follows. In this series of lectures, what we know about the formation of stars is tentatively described. The lectures begin with a description of the interstellar medium, and then they proceed along the same direction that a young star would follow during its creation, namely from clouds through the collapse phase and onto the proto-stellar phase. The evolution of viscous disks and two models for the formation of the solar system are described in the last lectures. The longest lectures, and the topics that are covered in most detail, are not necessarily the ones for which we have the most information. Physically intuitive explanations for the various processes are emphasized, rather then mathematical explanations. In some cases, the mathematical aspects are developed as well, but only when the equations can be used to give important numerical values for comparison with the observations

  15. TIME VARIATION OF AV AND RV FOR TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE BEHIND INTERSTELLAR DUST

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xiaosheng; Biederman, M.; Herger, B.; Aldering, G. S.

    2014-01-01

    TIME VARIATION OF AV AND RV FOR TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE BEHIND NON-UNIFORM INTERSTELLAR DUST ABSTRACT We investigate the time variation of the visual extinction, AV, and the total-to-selective extinction ratio, RV, resulting from interstellar dust in front of an expanding photospheric disk of a type Ia supernova (SN Ia). We simulate interstellar dust clouds according to a power law power spectrum and produce extinction maps that either follow a pseudo-Gaussian distribution or a lognormal distribution. The RV maps are produced through a correlation between AV and RV. With maps of AV and RV generated in each case (pseudo-Gaussian and lognormal), we then compute the effective AV and RV for a SN as its photospheric disk expands behind the dust screen. We find for a small percentage of SNe the AV and RV values can vary by a large factor from day to day in the first 40 days after explosion.

  16. Design and development of a run-time monitor for multi-core architectures in cloud computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Mikyung; Kang, Dong-In; Crago, Stephen P; Park, Gyung-Leen; Lee, Junghoon

    2011-01-01

    Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is a type of parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring system status changes, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design and develop a Run-Time Monitor (RTM) which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize cloud computing resources for multi-core architectures. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through a performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data.

  17. Design and Development of a Run-Time Monitor for Multi-Core Architectures in Cloud Computing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junghoon Lee

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is a type of parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring system status changes, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design and develop a Run-Time Monitor (RTM which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize cloud computing resources for multi-core architectures. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through a performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data.

  18. THE MASS-SIZE RELATION FROM CLOUDS TO CORES. II. SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kauffmann, J.; Shetty, R.; Goodman, A. A.; Pillai, T.; Myers, P. C.

    2010-01-01

    We measure the mass and size of cloud fragments in several molecular clouds continuously over a wide range of spatial scales (0.05 ∼ 2 , is not well suited to describe the derived mass-size data. Solar neighborhood clouds not forming massive stars (∼ sun ; Pipe Nebula, Taurus, Perseus, and Ophiuchus) obey m(r) ≤ 870 M sun (r/pc) 1.33 . In contrast to this, clouds forming massive stars (Orion A, G10.15 - 0.34, G11.11 - 0.12) do exceed the aforementioned relation. Thus, this limiting mass-size relation may approximate a threshold for the formation of massive stars. Across all clouds, cluster-forming cloud fragments are found to be-at given radius-more massive than fragments devoid of clusters. The cluster-bearing fragments are found to roughly obey a mass-size law m ∝ r 1.27 (where the exponent is highly uncertain in any given cloud, but is certainly smaller than 1.5).

  19. THE INFLUENCE OF SUPERNOVA REMNANTS ON THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD SEEN AT 20-600 μm WAVELENGTHS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakićević, Maša; Van Loon, Jacco Th.; Meixner, Margaret; Gordon, Karl; Roman-Duval, Julia; Seale, Jonathan; Bot, Caroline; Babler, Brian; Bolatto, Alberto; Engelbracht, Chad; Misselt, Karl; Montiel, Edward; Filipović, Miroslav; Hony, Sacha; Okumura, K.; Panuzzo, Pasquale; Sauvage, Marc; Indebetouw, Remy; Patat, Ferdinando; Sonneborn, George

    2015-01-01

    We present the analysis of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and their influence on the environment at far-infrared (FIR) and submillimeter wavelengths. We use new observations obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory and archival data obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope, to make the first FIR atlas of these objects. The SNRs are not clearly discernible at FIR wavelengths; however, their influence becomes apparent in maps of dust mass and dust temperature, which we constructed by fitting a modified blackbody to the observed spectral energy distribution in each sightline. Most of the dust that is seen is pre-existing interstellar dust in which SNRs leave imprints. The temperature maps clearly reveal SNRs heating surrounding dust, while the mass maps indicate the removal of 3.7 −2.5 +7.5 M ☉ of dust per SNR. This agrees with the calculations by others that significant amounts of dust are sputtered by SNRs. Under the assumption that dust is sputtered and not merely pushed away, we estimate a dust destruction rate in the LMC of 0.037 −0.025 +0.075 M ☉ yr –1 due to SNRs, yielding an average lifetime for interstellar dust of 2 −1.3 +4.0 ×10 7 yr. We conclude that sputtering of dust by SNRs may be an important ingredient in models of galactic evolution, that supernovae may destroy more dust than they produce, and that they therefore may not be net producers of long lived dust in galaxies

  20. FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE STUDY OF COSMIC RAYS AND THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN NEARBY MOLECULAR CLOUDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ackermann, M. [Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R. D.; Bloom, E. D.; Borgland, A. W.; Bottacini, E.; Buehler, R. [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Ballet, J. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA-IRFU/CNRS/Universite Paris Diderot, Service d' Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette (France); Barbiellini, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, I-34127 Trieste (Italy); Bastieri, D. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Bonamente, E. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia, I-06123 Perugia (Italy); Brandt, T. J. [CNRS, IRAP, F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4 (France); Brigida, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica ' M. Merlin' dell' Universita e del Politecnico di Bari, I-70126 Bari (Italy); Bruel, P., E-mail: hayashi@hep01.hepl.hiroshima-u.ac.jp, E-mail: mizuno@hep01.hepl.hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, Palaiseau (France); and others

    2012-08-10

    We report an analysis of the interstellar {gamma}-ray emission from the Chamaeleon, R Coronae Australis (R CrA), and Cepheus and Polaris flare regions with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. They are among the nearest molecular cloud complexes, within {approx}300 pc from the solar system. The {gamma}-ray emission produced by interactions of cosmic rays (CRs) and interstellar gas in those molecular clouds is useful to study the CR densities and distributions of molecular gas close to the solar system. The obtained {gamma}-ray emissivities above 250 MeV are (5.9 {+-} 0.1{sub stat}{sup +0.9}{sub -1.0sys}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -27} photons s{sup -1} sr{sup -1} H-atom{sup -1}, (10.2 {+-} 0.4{sub stat}{sup +1.2}{sub -1.7sys}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -27} photons s{sup -1} sr{sup -1} H-atom{sup -1}, and (9.1 {+-} 0.3{sub stat}{sup +1.5}{sub -0.6sys}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -27} photons s{sup -1} sr{sup -1} H-atom{sup -1} for the Chamaeleon, R CrA, and Cepheus and Polaris flare regions, respectively. Whereas the energy dependences of the emissivities agree well with that predicted from direct CR observations at the Earth, the measured emissivities from 250 MeV to 10 GeV indicate a variation of the CR density by {approx}20% in the neighborhood of the solar system, even if we consider systematic uncertainties. The molecular mass calibrating ratio, X{sub CO} = N(H{sub 2})/W{sub CO}, is found to be (0.96 {+-} 0.06{sub stat}{sup +0.15}{sub -0.12sys}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 20} H{sub 2}-molecule cm{sup -2} (K km s{sup -1}){sup -1}, (0.99 {+-} 0.08{sub stat}{sup +0.18}{sub -0.10sys}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 20} H{sub 2}-molecule cm{sup -2} (K km s{sup -1}){sup -1}, and (0.63 {+-} 0.02{sub stat}{sup +0.09}{sub -0.07sys}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 20} H{sub 2}-molecule cm{sup -2} (K km s{sup -1}){sup -1} for the Chamaeleon, R CrA, and Cepheus and Polaris flare regions, respectively, suggesting a variation of X{sub CO} in the vicinity of the solar system. From the

  1. Influence of galactic arm scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the cold and dense ISM. I. Observed abundance gradients in dense clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruaud, M.; Wakelam, V.; Gratier, P.; Bonnell, I. A.

    2018-04-01

    Aim. We study the effect of large scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the dense interstellar medium during the transition between diffuse to dense clouds. Methods: We followed the formation of dense clouds (on sub-parsec scales) through the dynamics of the interstellar medium at galactic scales. We used results from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations from which we extracted physical parameters that are used as inputs for our full gas-grain chemical model. In these simulations, the evolution of the interstellar matter is followed for 50 Myr. The warm low-density interstellar medium gas flows into spiral arms where orbit crowding produces the shock formation of dense clouds, which are held together temporarily by the external pressure. Results: We show that depending on the physical history of each SPH particle, the molecular composition of the modeled dense clouds presents a high dispersion in the computed abundances even if the local physical properties are similar. We find that carbon chains are the most affected species and show that these differences are directly connected to differences in (1) the electronic fraction, (2) the C/O ratio, and (3) the local physical conditions. We argue that differences in the dynamical evolution of the gas that formed dense clouds could account for the molecular diversity observed between and within these clouds. Conclusions: This study shows the importance of past physical conditions in establishing the chemical composition of the dense medium.

  2. Comparison of prestellar core elongations and large-scale molecular cloud structures in the Lupus I region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poidevin, Frédérick [UCL, KLB, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Gower Place, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Ade, Peter A. R.; Hargrave, Peter C.; Nutter, David [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Queens Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Angile, Francesco E.; Devlin, Mark J.; Klein, Jeffrey [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, 209 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Benton, Steven J.; Netterfield, Calvin B. [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1A7 (Canada); Chapin, Edward L. [XMM SOC, ESAC, Apartado 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Canãda, Madrid (Spain); Fissel, Laura M.; Gandilo, Natalie N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Fukui, Yasuo [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 (Japan); Gundersen, Joshua O. [Department of Physics, University of Miami, 1320 Campo Sano Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 (United States); Korotkov, Andrei L. [Department of Physics, Brown University, 182 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02912 (United States); Matthews, Tristan G.; Novak, Giles [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Moncelsi, Lorenzo; Mroczkowski, Tony K. [California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Olmi, Luca, E-mail: fpoidevin@iac.es [Physics Department, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, Box 23343, UPR station, San Juan, PR 00931 (United States); and others

    2014-08-10

    Turbulence and magnetic fields are expected to be important for regulating molecular cloud formation and evolution. However, their effects on sub-parsec to 100 parsec scales, leading to the formation of starless cores, are not well understood. We investigate the prestellar core structure morphologies obtained from analysis of the Herschel-SPIRE 350 μm maps of the Lupus I cloud. This distribution is first compared on a statistical basis to the large-scale shape of the main filament. We find the distribution of the elongation position angle of the cores to be consistent with a random distribution, which means no specific orientation of the morphology of the cores is observed with respect to the mean orientation of the large-scale filament in Lupus I, nor relative to a large-scale bent filament model. This distribution is also compared to the mean orientation of the large-scale magnetic fields probed at 350 μm with the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Telescope for Polarimetry during its 2010 campaign. Here again we do not find any correlation between the core morphology distribution and the average orientation of the magnetic fields on parsec scales. Our main conclusion is that the local filament dynamics—including secondary filaments that often run orthogonally to the primary filament—and possibly small-scale variations in the local magnetic field direction, could be the dominant factors for explaining the final orientation of each core.

  3. LONG CARBON-CHAIN MOLECULES AND THEIR ANIONS IN THE STARLESS CORE, LUPUS-1A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakai, Nami; Shiino, Tatsuya; Yamamoto, Satoshi; Hirota, Tomoya; Sakai, Takeshi

    2010-01-01

    We have recently discovered a new starless core with bright radio emissions of long carbon-chain molecules in the Lupus molecular cloud, which we have named as Lupus-1A. Toward this source, the peak intensities of the C 6 H and C 8 H lines are found to be higher than toward TMC-1 by a factor of 2-3. Even the lines of their anions, C 6 H - and C 8 H - , are also brighter than in TMC-1. Moreover, the line of C 4 H - has been detected for the first time in a starless core. The column densities of these long carbon-chain molecules are almost comparable to those in TMC-1, and hence, this source can be regarded as the second 'TMC-1 like cloud'. TMC-1 has long been an outstanding molecular cloud with rich carbon-chain molecules since its discovery in 1976. In spite of extensive efforts, no comparable sources have been found so far. Lupus-1A will be used for hunting of new interstellar molecules as well as understanding of carbon-chain chemistry through critical comparison of physical and chemical properties with TMC-1. This source is important not only for astronomy but also for molecular science as an ideal spectroscopic laboratory because of narrow line shapes and bright intensities.

  4. Wide field CO J = 3 → 2 mapping of the Serpens cloud core

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dionatos, Odyssefs; Nisini, Brunella; Codella, Claudio

    2010-01-01

    Context. Outflows provide indirect means to gain insight into diverse star formation-associated phenomena. At the level of individual protostellar cores, both outflows and the intrinsic core properties can be used to study the mass accretion/ejection process of heavily embedded protostellar sources...... this homogeneous dataset for a single star-forming site. Methods. An area comprising 460″ × 230″ of the Serpens cloud core was mapped in 12CO J = 3 → 2 with the HARP-B heterodyne array at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope; J = 3 → 2 observations are more sensitive tracers of hot outflow gas than lower...

  5. PAHs molecules and heating of the interstellar gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verstraete, Laurent; Leger, Alain; Dhendecourt, Louis B.; Dutuit, O.; Defourneau, D.

    1989-01-01

    Until now it has remained difficult to account for the rather high temperatures seen in many diffuse interstellar clouds. Various heating mechanisms have been considered: photoionization of minor species, ionization of H by cosmic rays, and photoelectric effect on small grains. Yet all these processes are either too weak or efficient under too restricting conditions to balance the observed cooling rates. A major heat source is thus still missing in the thermal balance of the diffuse gas. Using photoionization cross sections measured in the lab, it was shown that in order to balance the observed cooling rates in cold diffuse clouds (T approx. 80 K) the PAHs would have to contain 15 percent of the cosmic abundance of carbon. This value does not contradict the former estimation of 6 percent deduced from the IR emission bands since this latter is to be taken as a lower limit. Further, it was estimated that the contribution to the heating rate due to PAH's in a warm HI cloud, assuming the same PAH abundance as for a cold HI cloud, would represent a significant fraction of the value required to keep the medium in thermal balance. Thus, photoionization of PAHs might well be a major heat source for the cold and warm HI media.

  6. Interstellar Extinction

    OpenAIRE

    Gontcharov, George

    2017-01-01

    This review describes our current understanding of interstellar extinction. This differ substantially from the ideas of the 20th century. With infrared surveys of hundreds of millions of stars over the entire sky, such as 2MASS, SPITZER-IRAC, and WISE, we have looked at the densest and most rarefied regions of the interstellar medium at distances of a few kpc from the sun. Observations at infrared and microwave wavelengths, where the bulk of the interstellar dust absorbs and radiates, have br...

  7. C60+ - looking for the bucky-ball in interstellar space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galazutdinov, G. A.; Shimansky, V. V.; Bondar, A.; Valyavin, G.; Krełowski, J.

    2017-03-01

    The laboratory gas-phase spectrum recently published by Campbell et al. has reinvigorated attempts to confirm the presence of the C_{60}^+ cation in the interstellar medium, through an analysis of the spectra of hot, reddened stars. This search is hindered by at least two issues that need to be addressed: (I) the wavelength range of interest is severely polluted by strong water-vapour lines coming from the Earth's atmosphere; (II) one of the major bands attributed to C_{60}^+, at 9633 Å, is blended with the stellar Mg II line, which is susceptible to non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effects in hot stellar atmospheres. Both these issues are carefully considered here for the first time, based on high-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio echellé spectra for 19 lines of sight. The result is that the presence of C_{60}^+ in interstellar clouds is brought into question.

  8. Molecular clouds near supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wootten, H.A.

    1978-01-01

    The physical properties of molecular clouds near supernova remnants were investigated. Various properties of the structure and kinematics of these clouds are used to establish their physical association with well-known remmnants. An infrared survey of the most massive clouds revealed embedded objects, probably stars whose formation was induced by the supernova blast wave. In order to understand the relationship between these and other molecular clouds, a control group of clouds was also observed. Excitation models for dense regions of all the clouds are constructed to evaluate molecular abundances in these regions. Those clouds that have embedded stars have lower molecular abundances than the clouds that do not. A cloud near the W28 supernova remnant also has low abundances. Molecular abundances are used to measure an important parameter, the electron density, which is not directly observable. In some clouds extensive deuterium fractionation is observed which confirms electron density measurements in those clouds. Where large deuterium fractionation is observed, the ionization rate in the cloud interior can also be measured. The electron density and ionization rate in the cloud near W28 are higher than in most clouds. The molecular abundances and electron densities are functions of the chemical and dynamical state of evolution of the cloud. Those clouds with lowest abundances are probably the youngest clouds. As low-abundance clouds, some clouds near supernova remnants may have been recently swept from the local interstellar material. Supernova remnants provide sites for star formation in ambient clouds by compressing them, and they sweep new clouds from more diffuse local matter

  9. VARIATIONS BETWEEN DUST AND GAS IN THE DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM. II. SEARCH FOR COLD GAS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reach, William T. [Universities Space Research Association, MS 232-11, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Heiles, Carl [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Bernard, Jean-Philippe, E-mail: wreach@sofia.usra.edu [Université de Toulouse, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4 (France)

    2017-01-01

    The content of interstellar clouds, in particular the inventory of diffuse molecular gas, remains uncertain. We identified a sample of isolated clouds, approximately 100 M {sub ⊙} in size, and used the dust content to estimate the total amount of gas. In Paper I, the total inferred gas content was found significantly larger than that seen in 21 cm emission measurements of H i. In this paper we test the hypothesis that the apparent excess “dark” gas is cold H i, which would be evident in absorption but not in emission due to line saturation. The results show that there is not enough 21 cm absorption toward the clouds to explain the total amount of “dark” gas.

  10. Evidence for a rotating helical filament in L1641, part of the Orion cloud complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchida, Y.

    1991-01-01

    Interstellar cloud structures, typically 10-30 pc long and 3-5 pc wide, are often seen extending outwards from dense clouds that show marked enhancement of star formation within them. We have used the Nagoya 4-m radiotelescope to study one such 'streamer', L1641, a part of the giant molecular-cloud complex in Orion, lying south of the Kleinmann-Low (KL) nebula. Using the 110-GHz line of 13 Co (J=1-0), we have obtained intensity and velocity data, and find within the streamer a dense filament with a helical structure, spinning in the same sense as the gas in the Orion KL region. We propose a model for this structure in which the streamer, through the action of the interstellar magnetic field, acts as an angular-momentum drain on the Orion KL region, allowing it to collapse. In this model, the ∼30-pc-long streamer is essential to the formation of the cloud, as well as the formation of stars within the dense cloud. (author)

  11. On the effects of rotation on interstellar molecular line profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adelson, L.M.; Chunming Leung

    1988-01-01

    Theoretical models are constructed to study the effects of systematic gas rotation on the emergent profiles of interstellar molecular lines, in particular the effects of optical depth and different velocity laws. Both rotational and radial motions (expansion or contraction) may produce similar asymmetric profiles, but the behaviour of the velocity centroid of the emergent profile over the whole cloud (iso-centroid maps) can be used to distinguish between these motions. Iso-centroid maps can also be used to determine the location and orientation of the rotation axis and of the equatorial axis. For clouds undergoing both radial and rotational motion, the component of the centroid due to the rotational motion can be separated from that due to the radial motion. Information on the form of the rotational velocity law can also be derived. (author)

  12. THE INFLUENCE OF SUPERNOVA REMNANTS ON THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD SEEN AT 20-600 μm WAVELENGTHS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lakićević, Maša; Van Loon, Jacco Th. [Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); Meixner, Margaret; Gordon, Karl; Roman-Duval, Julia; Seale, Jonathan [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Bot, Caroline [Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l' université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Babler, Brian [Department of Astronomy, 475 north Charter St., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Bolatto, Alberto [Laboratory of Millimeter Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 29742 (United States); Engelbracht, Chad; Misselt, Karl; Montiel, Edward [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Filipović, Miroslav [University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797 (Australia); Hony, Sacha; Okumura, K.; Panuzzo, Pasquale; Sauvage, Marc [CEA, Laboratoire AIM, Irfu/SAp, Orme des Merisiers, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Indebetouw, Remy [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Patat, Ferdinando [European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany); Sonneborn, George, E-mail: m.lakicevic@keele.ac.uk [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 665, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); and others

    2015-01-20

    We present the analysis of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and their influence on the environment at far-infrared (FIR) and submillimeter wavelengths. We use new observations obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory and archival data obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope, to make the first FIR atlas of these objects. The SNRs are not clearly discernible at FIR wavelengths; however, their influence becomes apparent in maps of dust mass and dust temperature, which we constructed by fitting a modified blackbody to the observed spectral energy distribution in each sightline. Most of the dust that is seen is pre-existing interstellar dust in which SNRs leave imprints. The temperature maps clearly reveal SNRs heating surrounding dust, while the mass maps indicate the removal of 3.7{sub −2.5}{sup +7.5} M {sub ☉} of dust per SNR. This agrees with the calculations by others that significant amounts of dust are sputtered by SNRs. Under the assumption that dust is sputtered and not merely pushed away, we estimate a dust destruction rate in the LMC of 0.037{sub −0.025}{sup +0.075} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} due to SNRs, yielding an average lifetime for interstellar dust of 2{sub −1.3}{sup +4.0}×10{sup 7} yr. We conclude that sputtering of dust by SNRs may be an important ingredient in models of galactic evolution, that supernovae may destroy more dust than they produce, and that they therefore may not be net producers of long lived dust in galaxies.

  13. Four Interstellar Dust Candidates from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westphal, A. J.; Allen, C.; Bajt, S.; Bechtel, H. A.; Borg, J.; Brenker, F.; Bridges, J.; Brownlee, D. E.; Burchell, M.; Burghammer, M.; hide

    2011-01-01

    In January 2006, the Stardust sample return capsule returned to Earth bearing the first solid samples from a primitive solar system body, Comet 81P/Wild2, and a collector dedicated to the capture and return of contemporary interstellar dust. Both collectors were approx. 0.1 sq m in area and were composed of aerogel tiles (85% of the collecting area) and aluminum foils. The Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector (SIDC) was exposed to the interstellar dust stream for a total exposure factor of 20 sq m/day. The Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE) is a consortium-based project to characterize the collection using nondestructive techniques. The goals and restrictions of the ISPE are described . A summary of analytical techniques is described.

  14. A High-Mass Cold Core in the Auriga-California Giant Molecular Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnus McGehee, Peregrine; Paladini, Roberta; Pelkonen, Veli-Matti; Toth, Viktor; Sayers, Jack

    2015-08-01

    The Auriga-California Giant Molecular Cloud is noted for its relatively low star formation rate, especially at the high-mass end of the Initial Mass Function. We combine maps acquired by the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory's Multiwavelength Submillimeter Inductance Camera [MUSIC] in the wavelength range 0.86 to 2.00 millimeters with Planck and publicly-available Herschel PACS and SPIRE data in order to characterize the mass, dust properties, and environment of the bright core PGCC G163.32-8.41.

  15. NASA's interstellar probe mission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liewer, P.C.; Ayon, J.A.; Wallace, R.A.; Mewaldt, R.A.

    2000-01-01

    NASA's Interstellar Probe will be the first spacecraft designed to explore the nearby interstellar medium and its interaction with our solar system. As envisioned by NASA's Interstellar Probe Science and Technology Definition Team, the spacecraft will be propelled by a solar sail to reach >200 AU in 15 years. Interstellar Probe will investigate how the Sun interacts with its environment and will directly measure the properties and composition of the dust, neutrals and plasma of the local interstellar material which surrounds the solar system. In the mission concept developed in the spring of 1999, a 400-m diameter solar sail accelerates the spacecraft to ∼15 AU/year, roughly 5 times the speed of Voyager 1 and 2. The sail is used to first bring the spacecraft to ∼0.25 AU to increase the radiation pressure before heading out in the interstellar upwind direction. After jettisoning the sail at ∼5 AU, the spacecraft coasts to 200-400 AU, exploring the Kuiper Belt, the boundaries of the heliosphere, and the nearby interstellar medium

  16. More Than Filaments and Cores: Statistical Study of Structure Formation and Dynamics in Nearby Molecular Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, How-Huan; Goodman, Alyssa

    2018-01-01

    In the past decade, multiple attempts at understanding the connection between filaments and star forming cores have been made using observations across the entire epectrum. However, the filaments and the cores are usually treated as predefined--and well-defined--entities, instead of structures that often come at different sizes, shapes, with substantially different dynamics, and inter-connected at different scales. In my dissertation, I present an array of studies using different statistical methods, including the dendrogram and the probability distribution function (PDF), of structures at different size scales within nearby molecular clouds. These structures are identified using observations of different density tracers, and where possible, in the multi-dimensional parameter space of key dynamic properties--the LSR velocity, the velocity dispersion, and the column density. The goal is to give an overview of structure formation in nearby star-forming clouds, as well as of the dynamics in these structures. I find that the overall statistical properties of a larger structure is often the summation/superposition of sub-structures within, and that there could be significant variations due to local physical processes. I also find that the star formation process within molecular clouds could in fact take place in a non-monolithic manner, connecting potentially merging and/or transient structures, at different scales.

  17. ON THE FORMATION OF CO2 AND OTHER INTERSTELLAR ICES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garrod, R. T.; Pauly, T.

    2011-01-01

    We investigate the formation and evolution of interstellar dust-grain ices under dark-cloud conditions, with a particular emphasis on CO 2 . We use a three-phase model (gas/surface/mantle) to simulate the coupled gas-grain chemistry, allowing the distinction of the chemically active surface from the ice layers preserved in the mantle beneath. The model includes a treatment of the competition between barrier-mediated surface reactions and thermal-hopping processes. The results show excellent agreement with the observed behavior of CO 2 , CO, and water ice in the interstellar medium. The reaction of the OH radical with CO is found to be efficient enough to account for CO 2 ice production in dark clouds. At low visual extinctions, with dust temperatures ∼>12 K, CO 2 is formed by direct diffusion and reaction of CO with OH; we associate the resultant CO 2 -rich ice with the observational polar CO 2 signature. CH 4 ice is well correlated with this component. At higher extinctions, with lower dust temperatures, CO is relatively immobile and thus abundant; however, the reaction of H and O atop a CO molecule allows OH and CO to meet rapidly enough to produce a CO:CO 2 ratio in the range ∼2-4, which we associate with apolar signatures. We suggest that the observational apolar CO 2 /CO ice signatures in dark clouds result from a strongly segregated CO:H 2 O ice, in which CO 2 resides almost exclusively within the CO component. Observed visual-extinction thresholds for CO 2 , CO, and H 2 O are well reproduced by depth-dependent models. Methanol formation is found to be strongly sensitive to dynamical timescales and dust temperatures.

  18. Scientists Toast the Discovery of Vinyl Alcohol in Interstellar Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    2001-10-01

    Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's 12 Meter Telescope at Kitt Peak, AZ, have discovered the complex organic molecule vinyl alcohol in an interstellar cloud of dust and gas near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The discovery of this long-sought compound could reveal tantalizing clues to the mysterious origin of complex organic molecules in space. Vinyl Alcohol and its fellow isomers "The discovery of vinyl alcohol is significant," said Barry Turner, a scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Va., "because it gives us an important tool for understanding the formation of complex organic compounds in interstellar space. It may also help us better understand how life might arise elsewhere in the Cosmos." Vinyl alcohol is an important intermediary in many organic chemistry reactions on Earth, and the last of the three stable members of the C2H4O group of isomers (molecules with the same atoms, but in different arrangements) to be discovered in interstellar space. Turner and his colleague A. J. Apponi of the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory in Tucson detected the vinyl alcohol in Sagittarius B -- a massive molecular cloud located some 26,000 light-years from Earth near the center of our Galaxy. The astronomers were able to detect the specific radio signature of vinyl alcohol during the observational period of May and June of 2001. Their results have been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Of the approximately 125 molecules detected in interstellar space, scientists believe that most are formed by gas-phase chemistry, in which smaller molecules (and occasionally atoms) manage to "lock horns" when they collide in space. This process, though efficient at creating simple molecules, cannot explain how vinyl alcohol and other complex chemicals are formed in detectable amounts. For many years now, scientists have been searching for the right mechanism to explain how the building

  19. Observational constraints on interstellar depletion mechanisms in lines of sight exhibiting peculiar extinction curves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joseph, C.L.

    1985-01-01

    The nature of dust-gas interactions, which are capable of modifying the size distribution of the grains and thus causing changes in the selective extinction curve, are investigated through depletion studies. The gaseous abundances of 16 elements were determined for several lines of sight toward moderately reddened stars, each having a so called anomalous extinction curve. Four lines of sight in the rho Ophiuchi dark cloud complexes as well as several lines of sight through the diffuse interstellar medium were also analyzed for comparison. Two approaches are used to assess the strength of density dependent depletion processes. First, the depletion pattern from element-to-element for each integrated line of sight is studied with particular emphasis being given to those species that are potential discriminators between the two major competing models of grain formation and growth. In the second approach, the relative abundancies of neutral atoms, which are thought to form primarily in the densest portions of interstellar clouds, are studied. Both of these constraints are then compared to a theoretical extinction curve derived from a simple model for the size distribution of the grains based on the degree of mantling

  20. Interstellar Lithium and Rubidium in the Diffuse Gas Near IC 443

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritchey, Adam M.; Taylor, C. J.; Federman, S. R.; Lambert, D. L.

    2011-01-01

    We present an analysis of interstellar lithium and rubidium from observations made with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory of the Li I λ6707 and Rb I λ7800 absorption lines along four lines of sight through the supernova remnant IC 443. The observations probe interstellar material polluted by the ejecta of a core-collapse (Type II) supernova and can thus be used to constrain the contribution from massive stars to the synthesis of lithium and rubidium. Production of 7Li is expected to occur through neutrino spallation in the helium and carbon shells of the progenitor star during the terminal supernova explosion, while both 6Li and 7Li are synthesized via spallation and fusion reactions involving cosmic rays accelerated by the remnant. Gamma-ray emission from IC 443 provides strong evidence for the interaction of accelerated cosmic rays with the ambient atomic and molecular gas. Rubidium is also produced by massive stars through the weak s-process in the He- and C-burning shells and the r-process during core collapse. We examine interstellar 7Li/6Li isotope ratios as well as Li/K and Rb/K ratios along each line of sight, and discuss the implications of our results in the context of nucleosynthesis associated with Type II supernovae.

  1. Rate coefficients for the reactions of ions with polar molecules at interstellar temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, N.G.; Smith, D.; Clary, D.C.

    1985-01-01

    A theory has been developed recently which predicts that the rate coefficients, k, for the reactions of ions with polar molecules at low temperatures will be much greater than the canonical value of 10 -9 cm 3 s -1 . The new theory indicates that k is greatest for low-lying rotational sates and increases rapidly with decreasing temperature. We refer to recent laboratory measurements which validate the theory, present calculated values of k for the reactions of H + 3 ions with several polar molecules, and discuss their significance to interstellar chemistry. For the reactions of ions with molecules having large dipole moments, we recommend that k values as large as 10 -7 cm 3 s -1 should be used in ion-chemical models of low-temperature interstellar clouds

  2. A self-consistent model of the three-phase interstellar medium in disk galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Z.

    1989-01-01

    In the present study the author analyzes a number of physical processes concerning velocity and spatial distributions, ionization structure, pressure variation, mass and energy balance, and equation of state of the diffuse interstellar gas in a three phase model. He also considers the effects of this model on the formation of molecular clouds and the evolution of disk galaxies. The primary purpose is to incorporate self-consistently the interstellar conditions in a typical late-type galaxy, and to relate these to various observed large-scale phenomena. He models idealized situations both analytically and numerically, and compares the results with observational data of the Milky Way Galaxy and other nearby disk galaxies. Several main conclusions of this study are: (1) the highly ionized gas found in the lower Galactic halo is shown to be consistent with a model in which the gas is photoionized by the diffuse ultraviolet radiation; (2) in a quasi-static and self-regulatory configuration, the photoelectric effects of interstellar grains are primarily responsible for heating the cold (T ≅ 100K) gas; the warm (T ≅ 8,000K) gas may be heated by supernova remnants and other mechanisms; (3) the large-scale atomic and molecular gas distributions in a sample of 15 disk galaxies can be well explained if molecular cloud formation and star formation follow a modified Schmidt Law; a scaling law for the radial gas profiles is proposed based on this model, and it is shown to be applicable to the nearby late-type galaxies where radio mapping data is available; for disk galaxies of earlier type, the effect of their massive central bulges may have to be taken into account

  3. Deuterium fractionation mechanisms in interstellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dalgarno, A.; Lepp, S.

    1984-01-01

    The theory of the fractionation of deuterated molecules is extended to include reactions with atomic deuterium. With the recognition that dissociative recombination of H + 3 is not rapid, observational data can be used in conjunction with the theory to derive upper and lower bounds to the cosmic deuterium-hydrogen abundance ratio. We find that [D]/[H] is at least 3.4 x 10 -6 and at most 4.0 x 10 -5 with a probable value of 1 x 10 -5 . Because of the reaction HCO + +D→DCO + +H, upper limits can be derived for the fractional ionization which depend only weakly on the cosmic ray flux, zeta. In four clouds, the upper limits to the fractional ionization lie between 1.1 x 10 -6 and 1.5 x 10 -6 if zeta = 10 -7 s -1 and between 3.1 x 10 -6 and 1.8 x 10 -6 if zeta = 10 -16 s -1

  4. Nuclear abundances and evolution of the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wannier, P.G.

    1980-01-01

    Observations of molecular and elemental abundances in the interstellar medium (ISM) are reviewed, with special attention given to isotope ratios. The derivation of molecular isotope abundances for the ISM is discussed, along with H and C fractionation. Millimeter- and centimeter-wave spectra of giant clouds are examined with respect to isotope abundances of C, O, N, Si, S, and D. Evidence for the current enrichment of the ISM by mass loss from evolved stars is considered, together with chemical abundance gradients in H II regions and planetary nebulae. Cosmic-ray observations pertaining to abundances in the ISM are summarized, with emphasis on available results for Ne, Mg, Si, Fe, and Ni. The observations reviewed are shown to support arguments in favor of: (1) the cosmological production of D and He-3 (2) the production of the CNO elements by hydrostatic hydrogen burning (3) the nucleosynthesis of Ne, Mg, Si, S, Fe, and Ni as a result of He burning (4) solar abundances of interstellar S, Fe, and Ni and (5) a direct association between observed inhomogeneities in the ISM and mass loss from evolved stellar objects

  5. Solar neutrinos and solar accretion of interstellar matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newman, M.J.; Talbot, R.J. Jr.

    1976-01-01

    It is argued that if the Hoyle-Lyttleton mass accretion rate applies (Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc., Math. Phys. Sci. 35: 405 (1939)) the accretion of interstellar matter by the Sun is sufficient to enhance the surface heavy element abundances. This will also apply to other solar-type stars. The enhancement may be sufficient to allow the construction of consistent solar models with an interior heavy element abundance significantly lower than the observed surface abundance. This state of affairs lowers the predicted solar neutrino flux. It has been suggested that a similar enhancement of surface abundances might occur due to accretion of 'planetesimals' left over after formation of the solar system, and both processes may occur, thereby increasing the effect. The simple accretion model of Hoyle and Lyttleton is discussed mathematically. A crucial question to be answered by future research, however, is whether or not accretion on to the solar surface actually occurs. One of the most obvious obstacles is the outward flowing solar wind, and this is discussed. It appears that the outward flow can be reversed to an inward flow for certain interstellar cloud densities. (U.K.)

  6. Skating on thin ice: surface chemistry under interstellar conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraser, H.; van Dishoeck, E.; Tielens, X.

    Solid CO2 has been observed towards both active star forming regions and quiescent clouds (Gerakines et. al. (1999)). The high abundance of CO2 in the solid phase, and its low abundance in the gas phase, support the idea that CO2 is almost exclusively formed in the solid state. Several possible formation mechanisms have been postulated (Ruffle &Herbst (2001): Charnley &Kaufman (2000)), and the detection of CO2 towards quiescent sources such as Elias 16 (Whittet et. al. (1998)) clearly suggests that CO2 can be produced in the absence of UV or electron mediated processes. The most likely route is via the surface reactions between O atoms, or OH radicals, and CO. The tools of modern surface- science offer us the potential to determine many of the physical and chemical attributes of icy interstellar grain mantles under highly controlled conditions, that closely mimic interstellar environments. The Leiden Surface Reaction Simulation Device ( urfreside) combines UHV (UltraS High Vacuum) surface science techniques with an atomic beam to study chemical reactions occurring on the SURFACE and in the BULK of interstellar ice grain mimics. By simultaneously combining two or more surface analysis techniques, the chemical kinetics, reaction mechanisms and activation energies can be determined directly. The experiment is aimed at identifying the key barrierless reactions and desorption pathways on and in H2 O and CO ices under interstellar conditions. The results from traditional HV (high vacuum) and UHV studies of the CO + O and CO + OH reactions will be presented in this paper. Charnley, S.B., & Kaufman, M.J., 2000, ApJ, 529, L111 Gerakines, P.A., 1999, ApJ, 522, 357 Ruffle, D.P., & Herbst, E., 2001, MNRAS, 324, 1054 Whittet, D.C.B., et.al., 1998, ApJ, 498, L159

  7. Abundances of Neutral and Ionized PAH Along The Lines-of-Sight of Diffuse and Translucent Interstellar Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salama, Farid; Galazutdinov, Gazinur; Krewloski, Jacek; Biennier, Ludovic; Beletsky, Yuri; Song, In-Ok

    2013-01-01

    The spectra of neutral and ionized PAHs isolated in the gas phase at low temperature have been measured in the laboratory under conditions that mimic interstellar conditions and are compared with a set of astronomical spectra of reddened, early type stars. The comparisons of astronomical and laboratory data provide upper limits for the abundances of neutral PAH molecules and ions along specific lines-of-sight. Something that is not attainable from infrared observations. We present the characteristics of the laboratory facility (COSmIC) that was developed for this study and discuss the findings resulting from the comparison of the laboratory data with high resolution, high S/N ratio astronomical observations. COSmIC combines a supersonic jet expansion with discharge plasma and cavity ringdown spectroscopy and provides experimental conditions that closely mimic the interstellar conditions. The column densities of the individual PAH molecules and ions probed in these surveys are derived from the comparison of the laboratory data with high resolution, high S/N ratio astronomical observations. The comparisons of astronomical and laboratory data lead to clear conclusions regarding the expected abundances for PAHs in the interstellar environments probed in the surveys. Band profile comparisons between laboratory and astronomical spectra lead to information regarding the molecular structures and characteristics associated with the DIB carriers in the corresponding lines-of-sight. These quantitative surveys of neutral and ionized PAHs in the optical range open the way for quantitative searches of PAHs and complex organics in a variety of interstellar and circumstellar environments.

  8. Three-dimensional simulations of supernovae dominated interstellar media in disk galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cioffi, D.F.

    1985-01-01

    Evolution of the interstellar media of spiral galaxies was studied, assuming that their dynamical and thermal properties are dominated by supernova remnants (SNRs). To do this, a computer simulation was developed that uses standard SNR evolutionary solutions (Sedov-Taylor, pressure-modified snowplow) to redistribute mass and energy throughout a rectangular, three-level grid which models the interstellar medium (ISM). This comprehensive treatment includes bremsstrahlung or metal cooling, the creation and evaporation of clouds, mass injection and return from a galactic halo, multiple SNRs, and internally determined SNR lifetimes. The importance of spatially correlating supernovae sites, which can increase the global evolution rate of the (ISM), is confirmed. The simulations of primeval (zero metal abundance) galaxies revealed that the enhancement ability of bremsstrahlung-cooled SNR to transport mass can continually agitate the ISM, preventing the establishment of long-lived tunnel networks (i.e., hot rarefied volumes). This demonstrated the inadequacy of porosity theory for predicting the topology of the ISM, because it does not account for mass transport

  9. Laboratory and modeling studies of chemistry in dense molecular clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huntress, W. T., Jr.; Prasad, S. S.; Mitchell, G. F.

    1980-01-01

    A chemical evolutionary model with a large number of species and a large chemical library is used to examine the principal chemical processes in interstellar clouds. Simple chemical equilibrium arguments show the potential for synthesis of very complex organic species by ion-molecule radiative association reactions.

  10. On supernovae as a source of interstellar dust. The current observational picture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinerstein, H.L.

    1984-01-01

    Supernovae have been generally thought of as being effective agents for the destruction of ambient interstellar dust. The idea that supernovae may also be a source of dust has been of interest recently, and is attractive for a couple of reasons. The main motivation is to explain meteoritic inclusions with peculiar isotopic abundance ratios as supernova dust condensates predating the solar nebula. In addition, although the nucleation process is not fully understood, the high concentration of condensable elements in the supernova mantle suggests the possibility that grain formation could be very efficient. In this case, supernovae could be a major source of new grain cores to the interstellar medium. (author)

  11. H I cloud in the Pleiades: A cloud-cluster collision

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordon, K.J.; Arny, T.T.

    1984-01-01

    We have mapped the neutral hydrogen 21-cm line from an area 5 0 on a side centered on the Pleiades using the NRAO 140-ft. telescope. A strong feature appears in the spectra at a velocity of V/sub LSR/ = 7 km s -1 , corresponding to the velocity of the optical interstellar lines. This cloud appears to be curved around the west side of the cluster. The feature is much weaker in the direction of the molecular cloud southwest of the cluster and is virtually absent from the central regions. The contours of the 7-km s -1 feature match the visible nebulosity reasonably well. The evidence for gas and dust between the observer and the stars suggests it may be necessary to revise the ''standard'' model of this reflection nebula in which it is assumed the nebulosity lies behind the illuminating stars

  12. Ammonia observations of the molecular clouds near S68, S140, OMC2 and S106

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Little, L.T.; Brown, A.T.; Macdonald, G.H.; Riley, P.W.; Matheson, D.N.

    1980-01-01

    The J=1, K=1 and J=2, K=2 transitions of interstellar ammonia have been observed in the molecular clouds near S68, S140, OMC2 and S106. Maps of the ammonia emission obtained with a 2.2-arcmin beam are presented and compared with observations of other interstellar molecules, in particular carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. The distribution of the ammonia emission in OMC2 and S140 resembles more closely that of 2-mm formaldehyde than 13 CO, which is generally more extended. On the other hand, the densities of hydrogen molecules derived from the ammonia observations on the basis of a simple uniform-density model for the source are much lower than those obtained from 2-mm formaldehyde observations. This discrepancy may be resolved either by assuming a 'core-halo' or a 'clumped' structure for the source. The limits to 'halo' emission are used to suggest that the latter possibility is more probable, in which case the medium is well modelled as many clumps of density approximately 10 6 cm -3 and size -2 pc, immersed in a more tenuous medium of density approximately 10sup(3 to 4)cm -3 . (author)

  13. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS IN MOLECULAR CLOUD CORE DC 000.4-19.5 (SL42) IN CORONA AUSTRALIS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hardegree-Ullman, E.; Whittet, D. C. B. [New York Center for Astrobiology and Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Harju, J. [Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Vaeisaelaentie 20, FI-21500, Piikkioe (Finland); Juvela, M.; Sipilae, O. [Department of Physics, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, University of Helsinki (Finland); Hotzel, S., E-mail: hardee@rpi.edu [Observatory, FI-00014, University of Helsinki (Finland)

    2013-01-20

    Chemical reactions in starless molecular clouds are heavily dependent on interactions between gas phase material and solid phase dust and ices. We have observed the abundance and distribution of molecular gases in the cold, starless core DC 000.4-19.5 (SL42) in Corona Australis using data from the Swedish ESO Submillimeter Telescope. We present column density maps determined from measurements of C{sup 18}O (J = 2-1, 1-0) and N{sub 2}H{sup +} (J = 1-0) emission features. Herschel data of the same region allow a direct comparison to the dust component of the cloud core and provide evidence for gas phase depletion of CO at the highest extinctions. The dust color temperature in the core calculated from Herschel maps ranges from roughly 10.7 to 14.0 K. This range agrees with the previous determinations from Infrared Space Observatory and Planck observations. The column density profile of the core can be fitted with a Plummer-like density distribution approaching n(r) {approx} r {sup -2} at large distances. The core structure deviates clearly from a critical Bonnor-Ebert sphere. Instead, the core appears to be gravitationally bound and to lack thermal and turbulent support against the pressure of the surrounding low-density material: it may therefore be in the process of slow contraction. We test two chemical models and find that a steady-state depletion model agrees with the observed C{sup 18}O column density profile and the observed N(C{sup 18}O) versus A{sub V} relationship.

  14. SUBMILLIMETER POLARIZATION SPECTRUM IN THE VELA C MOLECULAR CLOUD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gandilo, Natalie N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Ade, Peter A. R.; Pascale, Enzo [Cardiff University, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queens Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Angilè, Francesco E.; Devlin, Mark J.; Dober, Bradley; Galitzki, Nicholas; Klein, Jeffrey [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, 209 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 (United States); Ashton, Peter; Fissel, Laura M.; Matthews, Tristan G.; Novak, Giles [Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Benton, Steven J. [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Jadwin Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Fukui, Yasuo [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Korotkov, Andrei L. [Department of Physics, Brown University, 182 Hope Street, Providence, RI, 02912 (United States); Li, Zhi-Yun [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, 530 McCormick Road, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Martin, Peter G. [CITA, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H8 (Canada); Moncelsi, Lorenzo [California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125 (United States); Nakamura, Fumitaka [National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Netterfield, Calvin B., E-mail: ngandil1@jhu.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3701 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); and others

    2016-06-20

    Polarization maps of the Vela C molecular cloud were obtained at 250, 350, and 500 μ m during the 2012 flight of the balloon-borne telescope BLASTPol. These measurements are used in conjunction with 850 μ m data from Planck to study the submillimeter spectrum of the polarization fraction for this cloud. The spectrum is relatively flat and does not exhibit a pronounced minimum at λ ∼ 350 μ m as suggested by previous measurements of other molecular clouds. The shape of the spectrum does not depend strongly on the radiative environment of the dust, as quantified by the column density or the dust temperature obtained from Herschel data. The polarization ratios observed in Vela C are consistent with a model of a porous clumpy molecular cloud being uniformly heated by the interstellar radiation field.

  15. THE REINCARNATION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST: THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIC REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN INFRARED SPECTRA OF COMETARY COMAE AND CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kimura, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiroshi_kimura@cps-jp.org [Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, c/o CPS (Center for Planetary Science), Chuo-ku Minatojima Minamimachi 7-1-48, Kobe 650-0047 (Japan)

    2013-09-20

    We consider the reincarnation of interstellar dust to be reborn in protoplanetary disks as aggregates consisting of submicron-sized grains with a crystalline or amorphous silicate core and an organic-rich carbonaceous mantle. We find that infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust reproduce emission peaks at correct wavelengths where the peaks were observed in cometary comae, debris disks, and protoplanetary disks if the volume fraction of organic refractory meets the constraints on elemental abundances. We discuss what we can learn from the infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust in cometary comae and circumstellar disks.

  16. The Reincarnation of Interstellar Dust: The Importance of Organic Refractory Material in Infrared Spectra of Cometary Comae and Circumstellar Disks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Hiroshi

    2013-09-01

    We consider the reincarnation of interstellar dust to be reborn in protoplanetary disks as aggregates consisting of submicron-sized grains with a crystalline or amorphous silicate core and an organic-rich carbonaceous mantle. We find that infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust reproduce emission peaks at correct wavelengths where the peaks were observed in cometary comae, debris disks, and protoplanetary disks if the volume fraction of organic refractory meets the constraints on elemental abundances. We discuss what we can learn from the infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust in cometary comae and circumstellar disks.

  17. THE REINCARNATION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST: THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIC REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN INFRARED SPECTRA OF COMETARY COMAE AND CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimura, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    We consider the reincarnation of interstellar dust to be reborn in protoplanetary disks as aggregates consisting of submicron-sized grains with a crystalline or amorphous silicate core and an organic-rich carbonaceous mantle. We find that infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust reproduce emission peaks at correct wavelengths where the peaks were observed in cometary comae, debris disks, and protoplanetary disks if the volume fraction of organic refractory meets the constraints on elemental abundances. We discuss what we can learn from the infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust in cometary comae and circumstellar disks

  18. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of water ice porosity: extrapolations of deposition parameters from the laboratory to interstellar space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clements, Aspen R.; Berk, Brandon; Cooke, Ilsa R.; Garrod, Robin T.

    2018-02-01

    Using an off-lattice kinetic Monte Carlo model we reproduce experimental laboratory trends in the density of amorphous solid water (ASW) for varied deposition angle, rate and surface temperature. Extrapolation of the model to conditions appropriate to protoplanetary disks and interstellar dark clouds indicate that these ices may be less porous than laboratory ices.

  19. Cloud Infrastructure Security

    OpenAIRE

    Velev , Dimiter; Zlateva , Plamena

    2010-01-01

    Part 4: Security for Clouds; International audience; Cloud computing can help companies accomplish more by eliminating the physical bonds between an IT infrastructure and its users. Users can purchase services from a cloud environment that could allow them to save money and focus on their core business. At the same time certain concerns have emerged as potential barriers to rapid adoption of cloud services such as security, privacy and reliability. Usually the information security professiona...

  20. Gravitationally Unstable Condensations Revealed by ALMA in the TUKH122 Prestellar Core in the Orion A Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohashi, Satoshi; Sanhueza, Patricio; Sakai, Nami; Kandori, Ryo; Choi, Minho; Hirota, Tomoya; Nguyễn-Lu’o’ng, Quang; Tatematsu, Ken’ichi

    2018-04-01

    We have investigated the TUKH122 prestellar core in the Orion A cloud using ALMA 3 mm dust continuum, N2H+ (J = 1‑0), and CH3OH ({J}K={2}K-{1}K) molecular-line observations. Previous studies showed that TUKH122 is likely on the verge of star formation because the turbulence is almost dissipated and chemically evolved among other starless cores in the Orion A cloud. By combining ALMA 12 m and ACA data, we recover extended emission with a resolution of ∼5″ corresponding to 0.01 pc and identify six condensations with a mass range of 0.1–0.4 M ⊙ and a radius of ≲0.01 pc. These condensations are gravitationally bound following a virial analysis and are embedded in the filament, including the elongated core with a mass of ∼29 M ⊙ and a radial density profile of r ‑1.6 derived by Herschel. The separation of these condensations is ∼0.035 pc, consistent with the thermal Jeans length at a density of 4.4 × 105 cm‑3. This density is similar to the central part of the core. We also find a tendency for the N2H+ molecule to deplete at the dust peak condensation. This condensation may be beginning to collapse because the line width becomes broader. Therefore, the fragmentation still occurs in the prestellar core by thermal Jeans instability, and multiple stars are formed within the TUKH122 prestellar core. The CH3OH emission shows a large shell-like distribution and surrounds these condensations, suggesting that the CH3OH molecule formed on dust grains is released into the gas phase by nonthermal desorption such as photoevaporation caused by cosmic-ray-induced UV radiation.

  1. A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Formation of Interstellar Propylene Oxide (CH3CHCH2O)—A Chiral Molecule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergantini, Alexandre; Abplanalp, Matthew J.; Pokhilko, Pavel; Krylov, Anna I.; Shingledecker, Christopher N.; Herbst, Eric; Kaiser, Ralf I.

    2018-06-01

    This work reveals via a combined experimental, computational, and astrochemical modeling study that racemic propylene oxide (c-C3H6O)—the first chiral molecule detected outside Earth toward the high-mass star-forming region Sagittarius B2(N)—can be synthesized by non-equilibrium reactions initiated by the effects of secondary electrons generated in the track of cosmic rays interacting with ice-coated interstellar grains through excited-state and spin-forbidden reaction pathways operating within low-temperature interstellar ices at 10 K. Our findings confront traditional hypotheses that thermal chemistries followed by processing of interstellar grains dictate the formation of complex organic molecules (COMs) in molecular clouds. Instead, we reveal a hitherto poorly quantified reaction class involving excited-state and spin-forbidden chemistry leading to racemic mixtures of COMs inside interstellar ices prior to their sublimation in star-forming regions. This fundamental production mechanism is of essential consequence in aiding our understanding of the origin and evolution of chiral molecules in the universe.

  2. OXYGEN DEPLETION IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: IMPLICATIONS FOR GRAIN MODELS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELEMENTAL OXYGEN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whittet, D. C. B.

    2010-01-01

    This paper assesses the implications of a recent discovery that atomic oxygen is being depleted from diffuse interstellar gas at a rate that cannot be accounted for by its presence in silicate and metallic oxide particles. To place this discovery in context, the uptake of elemental O into dust is considered over a wide range of environments, from the tenuous intercloud gas and diffuse clouds sampled by the depletion observations to dense clouds where ice mantles and gaseous CO become important reservoirs of O. The distribution of O in these contrasting regions is quantified in terms of a common parameter, the mean number density of hydrogen (n H ). At the interface between diffuse and dense phases (just before the onset of ice-mantle growth) as much as ∼160 ppm of the O abundance is unaccounted for. If this reservoir of depleted oxygen persists to higher densities it has implications for the oxygen budget in molecular clouds, where a shortfall of the same order is observed. Of various potential carriers, the most plausible appears to be a form of O-bearing carbonaceous matter similar to the organics found in cometary particles returned by the Stardust mission. The 'organic refractory' model for interstellar dust is re-examined in the light of these findings, and it is concluded that further observations and laboratory work are needed to determine whether this class of material is present in quantities sufficient to account for a significant fraction of the unidentified depleted oxygen.

  3. Hot gas in the interstellar medium, from supernova remnants to the diffuse coronal phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballet, Jean

    1988-01-01

    This research thesis addresses the study of the hot interstellar medium and of its main component, supernovae remnants. The author studied the hypothesis according to which ions observed in the interstellar medium are produced during the evaporation of cold clouds in the coronal phase. He shows that effects of ionisation delay are important and modify by a factor 10 the total quantity of ions predicted by the model. The study of the influence on ionisation of hot electrons penetrating cold layers revealed that this effect is rather weak. Then, based on the observation of the Kepler supernovae remnants by means of EXOSAT, and on the use of a hydrodynamics code coupled with a step-by-step calculation of ionisation of elements, the author studied the evolution of young supernovae remnants: propagation of the main shock in the interstellar medium, and of the backlash in the matter ejected by the star. The author also studied the X emission of an older supernovae remnant (the Cygnus Loop) by analysing three EXOSAT observations of this remnant. Results of Fabry-Perot spectrophotometry have been used to study optic lines [fr

  4. SEDIGISM: Structure, excitation, and dynamics of the inner Galactic interstellar medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuller, F.; Csengeri, T.; Urquhart, J. S.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Barnes, P. J.; Giannetti, A.; Hernandez, A. K.; Leurini, S.; Mattern, M.; Medina, S.-N. X.; Agurto, C.; Azagra, F.; Anderson, L. D.; Beltrán, M. T.; Beuther, H.; Bontemps, S.; Bronfman, L.; Dobbs, C. L.; Dumke, M.; Finger, R.; Ginsburg, A.; Gonzalez, E.; Henning, T.; Kauffmann, J.; Mac-Auliffe, F.; Menten, K. M.; Montenegro-Montes, F. M.; Moore, T. J. T.; Muller, E.; Parra, R.; Perez-Beaupuits, J.-P.; Pettitt, A.; Russeil, D.; Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Schilke, P.; Schisano, E.; Suri, S.; Testi, L.; Torstensson, K.; Venegas, P.; Wang, K.; Wienen, M.; Wyrowski, F.; Zavagno, A.

    2017-05-01

    Context. The origin and life-cycle of molecular clouds are still poorly constrained, despite their importance for understanding the evolution of the interstellar medium. Many large-scale surveys of the Galactic plane have been conducted recently, allowing for rapid progress in this field. Nevertheless, a sub-arcminute resolution global view of the large-scale distribution of molecular gas, from the diffuse medium to dense clouds and clumps, and of their relationshipto the spiral structure, is still missing. Aims: We have carried out a systematic, homogeneous, spectroscopic survey of the inner Galactic plane, in order to complement the many continuum Galactic surveys available with crucial distance and gas-kinematic information. Our aim is to combine this data set with recent infrared to sub-millimetre surveys at similar angular resolutions. Methods: The SEDIGISM survey covers 78 deg2 of the inner Galaxy (-60°≤ℓ≤ 18°, |b|≤ 0.5°) in the J = 2-1 rotational transition of 13CO. This isotopologue of CO is less abundant than 12CO by factors up to 100. Therefore, its emission has low to moderate optical depths, and higher critical density, making it an ideal tracer of the cold, dense interstellar medium. The data have been observed with the SHFI single-pixel instrument at APEX. The observational setup covers the 13CO(2-1) and C18O(2-1) lines, plus several transitions from other molecules. Results: The observations have been completed. Data reduction is in progress, and the final data products will be made available in the near future. Here we give a detailed description of the survey and the dedicated data reduction pipeline. To illustrate the scientific potential of this survey, preliminary results based on a science demonstration field covering -20°≤ℓ ≤ -18.5° are presented. Analysis of the 13CO(2-1) data in this field reveals compact clumps, diffuse clouds, and filamentary structures at a range of heliocentric distances. By combining our data with

  5. Surveying the Dense Gas in Barnard 1 and NGC 1333 from Cloud to Core Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storm, Shaye; Mundy, Lee; Teuben, Peter; Lee, Katherine; Fernandez-Lopez, Manuel; Looney, Leslie; Rosolowsky, Erik; Classy Collaboration

    2013-07-01

    The CARMA Large Area Star formation Survey (CLASSy) is mapping molecular emission across large areas of the nearby Perseus and Serpens Molecular Clouds. With an angular resolution of 7 arcsec, CLASSy probes dense gas on scales from a few thousand AU to parsecs with CARMA-23 and single-dish observations. The resulting maps of N2H+, HCN, and HCO+ J=1-0 trace the kinematics and structure of the high-density gas in regions covering a wide range of intrinsic star formation activity. This poster presents an overview of three completed CLASSy fields, NGC 1333, Barnard 1, and Serpens Main, and then focuses on the dendrogram analysis that CLASSy is using to characterize the emission structure. We have chosen a dendrogram analysis over traditional clump finding because dendrograms better encode the hierarchical nature of cloud structure and better facilitate analysis of cloud properties across the range of size scales probed by CLASSy. We present a new dendrogram methodology that allows for non-binary mergers of kernels, which results in a gas hierarchy that is more true to limitations of the S/N in the data. The resulting trees from Barnard 1 and NGC 1333 are used to derive physical parameters of the identified gas structures, and to probe the kinematic relationship between gas structures at different spatial scales and evolutionary stages. We derive a flat relation between mean internal turbulence and structure size for the dense gas in both regions, but find a difference between the magnitude of the internal turbulence in regions with and without protostars; the dense gas in the B1 main core and NGC 1333 are characterized by mostly transonic to supersonic turbulence, while the B1 filaments and clumps southwest of the main core have mostly subsonic turbulence. These initial results, along with upcoming work analyzing the completed CLASSy observations, will be used to test current theories for star formation in turbulent molecular clouds.

  6. Molecular line observations of infrared dark clouds in the galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finn, Susanna C.

    Although massive stars play many important roles in the universe, their formation is poorly understood. Recently, a class of interstellar clouds known as Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) has been identified as likely progenitors of massive stars and clusters. These clouds are dense (nH 2 > 105 cm--3), cold (T Nessie Nebula," an extreme case of a filamentary IRDC, with predictions from the theory of the fluid instability and then expand the sample to other filamentary IRDCs. The observations are consistent with theoretical predictions of clump spacing, clump masses, and linear mass density. Fragmentation of filaments due to the sausage instability might be the dominant mode of star formation in the Universe.

  7. The flow of interstellar dust through the solar system: the role of dust charging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sterken, V. J.; Altobelli, N.; Schwehm, G.; Kempf, S.; Srama, R.; Strub, P.; Gruen, E.

    2011-01-01

    Interstellar dust can enter the solar system through the relative motion of the Sun with respect to the Local Interstellar Cloud. The trajectories of the dust through the solar system are not only influenced by gravitation and solar radiation pressure forces, but also by the Lorentz forces due to the interaction of the interplanetary magnetic field with the charged dust particles. The interplanetary magnetic field changes on two major time scales: 25 days (solar rotation frequency) and 22 years (solar cycle). The short-term variability averages out for regions that are not too close (>∼2 AU) to the Sun. This interplanetary magnetic field variability causes a time-variability in the interstellar dust densities, that is correlated to the solar cycle.In this work we characterize the flow of interstellar dust through the solar system using simulations of the dust trajectories. We start from the simple case without Lorentz forces, and expand to the full simulation. We pay attention to the different ways of modeling the interplanetary magnetic field, and discuss the influence of the dust parameters on the resulting flow patterns. We also discuss the possibilities of using this modeling for prediction of dust fluxes for different space missions or planets, and we pay attention to where simplified models are justified, and where or when a full simulation, including all forces is necessary. One of the aims of this work is to understand measurements of spacecraft like Ulysses, Cassini and Stardust.

  8. Atomic and molecular excitation mechanisms in the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sternberg, A.

    1986-01-01

    The detailed infrared response of dense molecular hydrogen gas to intense ultraviolet radiation fields in photodissociation regions is presented. The thermal and chemical structures of photodissociation regions are analyzed, and the relationship between the emission by molecular hydrogen and trace atomic and molecular species is explored. The ultraviolet spectrum of radiation generated by cosmic rays inside dense molecular clouds is presented, and the resulting rates of photodissociation for a variety of interstellar molecules are calculated. Effects of this radiation on the chemistry of dense molecular clouds are discussed, and it is argued that the cosmic ray induced photons will significantly inhibit the production of complex molecular species. It is argued that the annihilation of electrons and positrons at the galactic center may result in observable infrared line emission by atomic hydrogen. A correlation between the intensity variations of the 511 keV line and the hydrogen infrared lines emitted by the annihilation region is predicted. The observed infrared fluxes from compact infrared sources at the galactic center may be used to constrain theories of pair production there

  9. Depletion of interstellar elements and the interaction between gas and dust in space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snow, T.P. Jr.

    1975-01-01

    Recent data obtained with Copernicus, combined with new results from the literature, indicate that the depletions of interstellar elements may depend on cloud density in a simple way. This is expected if the depletions are due to accretion of gas particles onto grains under presently existing conditions, but is not expected if the depletions take place during the grain formation process, before mixing into the interstellar medium. The suggestion that depletion occurs via accretion may be supported by the existence of a good correlation between depletions and first ionization potentials of the elements, since the latter quantity determines to a great extent the chemical and physical properties, and hence possibly the sticking coefficient, of each species. If the grains do not carry large positive charges, then ion-grain encounters may be important not only in creating the depletions, but also in determining ionization equilibrium, particularly if a large population of very small grains is present

  10. Extreme ultraviolet observations of G191-B2B and the local interstellar medium with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimble, Randy A.; Davidsen, Arthur F.; Blair, William P.; Bowers, Charles W.; Van Dyke Dixon, W.; Durrance, Samuel T.; Feldman, Paul D.; Ferguson, Henry C.; Henry, Richard C.; Kriss, Gerard A.

    1993-01-01

    During the Astro-l mission in 1990 December, the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) was used to observe the extreme ultraviolet spectrum (415-912 A) of the hot DA white dwarf GI91-B2B. Absorption by neutral helium shortward of the 504 A He I absorption edge is clearly detected in the raw spectrum. Model fits to the observed spectrum require interstellar neutral helium and neutral hydrogen column densities of 1.45 +/- 0.065 x 10 exp 17/sq cm and 1.69 +/- 0.12 x 10 exp 18/sq cm, respectively. Comparison of the neutral columns yields a direct assessment of the ionization state of the local interstellar cloud surrounding the Sun. The neutral hydrogen to helium ratio of 11.6 +/- 1.0 observed by HUT strongly contradicts the widespread view that hydrogen is much more ionized than helium in the local interstellar medium, a view which has motivated some exotic theoretical explanations for the supposed high ionization.

  11. INTERSTELLAR METASTABLE HELIUM ABSORPTION AS A PROBE OF THE COSMIC-RAY IONIZATION RATE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Indriolo, Nick; McCall, Benjamin J.; Hobbs, L. M.; Hinkle, K. H.

    2009-01-01

    The ionization rate of interstellar material by cosmic rays has been a major source of controversy, with different estimates varying by three orders of magnitude. Observational constraints of this rate have all depended on analyzing the chemistry of various molecules that are produced following cosmic-ray ionization, and in many cases these analyses contain significant uncertainties. Even in the simplest case (H + 3 ), the derived ionization rate depends on an (uncertain) estimate of the absorption path length. In this paper, we examine the feasibility of inferring the cosmic-ray ionization rate using the 10830 A absorption line of metastable helium. Observations through the diffuse clouds toward HD 183143 are presented, but yield only an upper limit on the metastable helium column density. A thorough investigation of He + chemistry reveals that only a small fraction of He + will recombine into the triplet state and populate the metastable level. In addition, excitation to the triplet manifold of helium by secondary electrons must be accounted for as it is the dominant mechanism which produces He* in some environments. Incorporating these various formation and destruction pathways, we derive new equations for the steady state abundance of metastable helium. Using these equations in concert with our observations, we find ζ He -15 s -1 , an upper limit about 5 times larger than the ionization rate previously inferred for this sight line using H + 3 . While observations of interstellar He* are extremely difficult at present, and the background chemistry is not nearly as simple as previously thought, potential future observations of metastable helium would provide an independent check on the cosmic-ray ionization rate derived from H + 3 in diffuse molecular clouds, and, perhaps more importantly, allow the first direct measurements of the ionization rate in diffuse atomic clouds.

  12. One possible origin of ethanol in interstellar medium: Photochemistry of mixed CO2-C2H6 films at 11 K. A FTIR study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schriver, A.; Schriver-Mazzuoli, L.; Ehrenfreund, P.; D'Hendecourt, L.

    2007-01-01

    It has been predicted by theoretical models that ethane and ethanol are present in icy mantles covering dust particles in dense interstellar clouds. Laboratory spectra of ethanol embedded in astrophysically relevant ice matrices were compared to the Infrared Space Observatory and ground-based astronomical spectra of high mass protostars. From this comparison strict upper-limits of ethanol (compared to solid water) on interstellar grains could be derived that are below 1.2%. In dense star forming regions ethanol is observed in gas phase with an abundance which is many orders of magnitude in excess of predictions based on pure gas-phase chemistry. Ethane has not been observed in the interstellar gas or on grains. In contrast, ethane has been detected in several comets with a percentage of 2 + C 2 H 6 , of CH 3 CH 2 OH and CH 3 CHO in addition to photoproducts of CO 2 or C 2 H 6 and their implications for interstellar/cometary chemistry

  13. Iron: A Key Element for Understanding the Origin and Evolution of Interstellar Dust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwek, Eli

    2016-01-01

    The origin and depletion of iron differ from all other abundant refractory elements that make up the composition of the interstellar dust. Iron is primarily synthesized in Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and in core collapse supernovae (CCSN), and is present in the outflows from AGB (Asymptotic Giant Branch) stars. Only the latter two are observed to be sources of interstellar dust, since searches for dust in SN Ia have provided strong evidence for the absence of any significant mass of dust in their ejecta. Consequently, more than 65 percent of the iron is injected into the ISM (Inter-Stellar Matter) in gaseous form. Yet, ultraviolet and X-ray observations along many lines of sight in the ISM show that iron is severely depleted in the gas phase compared to expected solar abundances. The missing iron, comprising about 90 percent of the total, is believed to be locked up in interstellar dust. This suggests that most of the missing iron must have precipitated from the ISM gas by cold accretion onto preexisting silicate, carbon, or composite grains. Iron is thus the only element that requires most of its growth to occur outside the traditional stellar condensation sources. This is a robust statement that does not depend on our evolving understanding of the dust destruction efficiency in the ISM. Reconciling the physical, optical, and chemical properties of such composite grains with their many observational manifestations is a major challenge for understanding the nature and origin of interstellar dust.

  14. On the Detectability of Interstellar Objects Like 1I/'Oumuamua

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragozzine, Darin

    2018-04-01

    Almost since Oort's 1950 hypothesis of a tenuously bound cloud of comets, planetary formation theorists have realized that the process of planet formation must have ejected very large numbers of planetesimals into interstellar space. Unforunately, these objects are distributed over galactic volumes, while they are only likely to be detectable if they pass within a few AU of Earth, resulting in an incredibly sparse detectable population. Furthermore, hypotheses for the formation and distribution of these bodies allows for uncertainties of orders of magnitude in the expected detection rate: our analysis suggested LSST would discover 0.01-100 objects during its lifetime (Cook et al. 2016). The discovery of 1I/'Oumuamua by a survey less powerful that LSST indicates either a low probability event and/or that properties of this population are on the more favorable end of the spectrum. We revisit the detailed detection analysis of Cook et al. 2016 in light of the detection of 1I/'Oumuamua. We use these results to better understand 1I/'Oumuamua and to update our assessment of future detections of interstellar objects. We highlight some key questions that can be answered only by additional discoveries.

  15. Laboratory Formation of Fullerenes from PAHs: Top-down Interstellar Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhen, Junfeng; Castellanos, Pablo; Paardekooper, Daniel M.; Linnartz, Harold; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

    2014-12-01

    Interstellar molecules are thought to build up in the shielded environment of molecular clouds or in the envelope of evolved stars. This follows many sequential reaction steps of atoms and simple molecules in the gas phase and/or on (icy) grain surfaces. However, these chemical routes are highly inefficient for larger species in the tenuous environment of space as many steps are involved and, indeed, models fail to explain the observed high abundances. This is definitely the case for the C60 fullerene, recently identified as one of the most complex molecules in the interstellar medium. Observations have shown that, in some photodissociation regions, its abundance increases close to strong UV-sources. In this Letter we report laboratory findings in which C60 formation can be explained by characterizing the photochemical evolution of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sequential H losses lead to fully dehydrogenated PAHs and subsequent losses of C2 units convert graphene into cages. Our results present for the first time experimental evidence that PAHs in excess of 60 C-atoms efficiently photo-isomerize to buckminsterfullerene, C60. These laboratory studies also attest to the importance of top-down synthesis routes for chemical complexity in space.

  16. LABORATORY FORMATION OF FULLERENES FROM PAHS: TOP-DOWN INTERSTELLAR CHEMISTRY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhen, Junfeng; Castellanos, Pablo; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.; Paardekooper, Daniel M.; Linnartz, Harold

    2014-01-01

    Interstellar molecules are thought to build up in the shielded environment of molecular clouds or in the envelope of evolved stars. This follows many sequential reaction steps of atoms and simple molecules in the gas phase and/or on (icy) grain surfaces. However, these chemical routes are highly inefficient for larger species in the tenuous environment of space as many steps are involved and, indeed, models fail to explain the observed high abundances. This is definitely the case for the C 60 fullerene, recently identified as one of the most complex molecules in the interstellar medium. Observations have shown that, in some photodissociation regions, its abundance increases close to strong UV-sources. In this Letter we report laboratory findings in which C 60 formation can be explained by characterizing the photochemical evolution of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sequential H losses lead to fully dehydrogenated PAHs and subsequent losses of C 2 units convert graphene into cages. Our results present for the first time experimental evidence that PAHs in excess of 60 C-atoms efficiently photo-isomerize to buckminsterfullerene, C 60 . These laboratory studies also attest to the importance of top-down synthesis routes for chemical complexity in space

  17. Very Deep inside the SN 1987A Core Ejecta: Molecular Structures Seen in 3D

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abellán, F. J.; Marcaide, J. M. [Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad de Valencia, C/Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot (Spain); Indebetouw, R.; Chevalier, R. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Gabler, M.; Janka, H.-Th. [Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Fransson, C.; Lundqvist, P. [Department of Astronomy, The Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University, Alba Nova University Centre, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Spyromilio, J. [ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Burrows, D. N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Cigan, P.; Gomez, H. L.; Matsuura, M. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Queens Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Gaensler, B. M. [Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Kirshner, R. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Larsson, J. [KTH, Department of Physics, and the Oskar Klein Centre, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); McCray, R. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Ng, C.-Y. [Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (China); Park, S. [Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, 108 Science Hall, Box 19059, Arlington, TX 76019 (United States); Roche, P., E-mail: francisco.abellan@uv.es [Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); and others

    2017-06-20

    Most massive stars end their lives in core-collapse supernova explosions and enrich the interstellar medium with explosively nucleosynthesized elements. Following core collapse, the explosion is subject to instabilities as the shock propagates outward through the progenitor star. Observations of the composition and structure of the innermost regions of a core-collapse supernova provide a direct probe of the instabilities and nucleosynthetic products. SN 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud is one of very few supernovae for which the inner ejecta can be spatially resolved but are not yet strongly affected by interaction with the surroundings. Our observations of SN 1987A with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array are of the highest resolution to date and reveal the detailed morphology of cold molecular gas in the innermost regions of the remnant. The 3D distributions of carbon and silicon monoxide (CO and SiO) emission differ, but both have a central deficit, or torus-like distribution, possibly a result of radioactive heating during the first weeks (“nickel heating”). The size scales of the clumpy distribution are compared quantitatively to models, demonstrating how progenitor and explosion physics can be constrained.

  18. Very Deep inside the SN 1987A Core Ejecta: Molecular Structures Seen in 3D

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abellán, F. J.; Marcaide, J. M.; Indebetouw, R.; Chevalier, R.; Gabler, M.; Janka, H.-Th.; Fransson, C.; Lundqvist, P.; Spyromilio, J.; Burrows, D. N.; Cigan, P.; Gomez, H. L.; Matsuura, M.; Gaensler, B. M.; Kirshner, R.; Larsson, J.; McCray, R.; Ng, C.-Y.; Park, S.; Roche, P.

    2017-01-01

    Most massive stars end their lives in core-collapse supernova explosions and enrich the interstellar medium with explosively nucleosynthesized elements. Following core collapse, the explosion is subject to instabilities as the shock propagates outward through the progenitor star. Observations of the composition and structure of the innermost regions of a core-collapse supernova provide a direct probe of the instabilities and nucleosynthetic products. SN 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud is one of very few supernovae for which the inner ejecta can be spatially resolved but are not yet strongly affected by interaction with the surroundings. Our observations of SN 1987A with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array are of the highest resolution to date and reveal the detailed morphology of cold molecular gas in the innermost regions of the remnant. The 3D distributions of carbon and silicon monoxide (CO and SiO) emission differ, but both have a central deficit, or torus-like distribution, possibly a result of radioactive heating during the first weeks (“nickel heating”). The size scales of the clumpy distribution are compared quantitatively to models, demonstrating how progenitor and explosion physics can be constrained.

  19. INFRARED DARK CLOUDS IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Min-Young; Stanimirovic, Snezana; Devine, Kathryn E.; Ott, Juergen; Van Loon, Jacco Th.; Oliveira, Joana M.; Bolatto, Alberto D.; Jones, Paul A.; Cunningham, Maria R.

    2009-01-01

    We have applied the unsharp-masking technique to the 24 μm image of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope, to search for high-extinction regions. This technique has been used to locate very dense and cold interstellar clouds in the Galaxy, particularly infrared dark clouds (IRDCs). Fifty-five candidate regions of high extinction, namely, high-contrast regions (HCRs), have been identified from the generated decremental contrast image of the SMC. Most HCRs are located in the southern bar region and mainly distributed in the outskirts of CO clouds, but most likely contain a significant amount of H 2 . HCRs have a peak contrast at 24 μm of 2%-2.5% and a size of 8-14 pc. This corresponds to the size of typical and large Galactic IRDCs, but Galactic IRDCs are 2-3 times darker at 24 μm than our HCRs. To constrain the physical properties of the HCRs, we have performed NH 3 , N 2 H + , HNC, HCO + , and HCN observations toward one of the HCRs, HCR LIRS36-east, using the Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Mopra single-dish radio telescope. We did not detect any molecular line emission, however, our upper limits to the column densities of molecular species suggest that HCRs are most likely moderately dense with n ∼ 10 3 cm -3 . This volume density is in agreement with predictions for the cool atomic phase in low-metallicity environments. We suggest that HCRs may be tracing clouds at the transition from atomic to molecule-dominated medium, and could be a powerful way to study early stages of gas condensation in low-metallicity galaxies. Alternatively, if made up of dense molecular clumps <0.5 pc in size, HCRs could be counterparts of Galactic IRDCs, and/or regions with highly unusual abundance of very small dust grains.

  20. Interstellar dust within the life cycle of the interstellar medium

    OpenAIRE

    Demyk K.

    2012-01-01

    Cosmic dust is omnipresent in the Universe. Its presence influences the evolution of the astronomical objects which in turn modify its physical and chemical properties. The nature of cosmic dust, its intimate coupling with its environment, constitute a rich field of research based on observations, modelling and experimental work. This review presents the observations of the different components of interstellar dust and discusses their evolution during the life cycle of the interstellar medium.

  1. Disintegration of Dust Aggregates in Interstellar Shocks and the Lifetime of Dust Grains in the ISM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dominik, C.; Jones, A. P.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Cuzzi, Jeff (Technical Monitor)

    1994-01-01

    Interstellar grains are destroyed by shock waves moving through the ISM. In fact, the destruction of grains may be so effective that it is difficult to explain the observed abundance of dust in the ISM as a steady state between input of grains from stellar sources and destruction of grains in shocks. This is especially a problem for the larger grains. Therefore, the dust grains must be protected in some way. Jones et al. have already considered coatings and the increased post-shock drag effects for low density grains. In molecular clouds and dense clouds, coagulation of grains is an important process, and the largest interstellar grains may indeed be aggregates of smaller grains rather than homogeneous particles. This may provide a means to protect the larger grains, in that, in moderate velocity grain-grain collisions in a shock the aggregates may disintegrate rather than be vaporized. The released small particles are more resilient to shock destruction (except in fast shocks) and may reform larger grains later, recovering the observed size distribution. We have developed a model for the binding forces in grain aggregates and apply this model to the collisions between an aggregate and fast small grains. We discuss the results in the light of statistical collision probabilities and grain life times.

  2. ICE AND DUST IN THE PRESTELLAR DARK CLOUD LYNDS 183: PREPLANETARY MATTER AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whittet, D. C. B.; Poteet, C. A.; Bajaj, V. M.; Horne, D.; Chiar, J. E.; Pagani, L.; Shenoy, S. S.; Adamson, A. J.

    2013-01-01

    Dust grains are nucleation centers and catalysts for the growth of icy mantles in quiescent interstellar clouds, the products of which may accumulate into preplanetary matter when new stars and solar systems form within the clouds. In this paper, we present the first spectroscopic detections of silicate dust and the molecular ices H 2 O, CO, and CO 2 in the vicinity of the prestellar core L183 (L134N). An infrared photometric survey of the cloud was used to identify reddened background stars, and we present spectra covering solid-state absorption features in the wavelength range 2-20 μm for nine of them. The mean composition of the ices in the best-studied line of sight (toward J15542044–0254073) is H 2 O:CO:CO 2 ≈ 100:40:24. The ices are amorphous in structure, indicating that they have been maintained at low temperature (∼ 2 O) correlates with reddening by dust, exhibiting a threshold effect that corresponds to the transition from unmantled grains in the outer layers of the cloud to ice-mantled grains within, analogous to that observed in other dark clouds. A comparison of results for L183 and the Taurus and IC 5146 dark clouds suggests common behavior, with mantles first appearing in each case at a dust column corresponding to a peak optical depth τ 9.7 = 0.15 ± 0.03 in the silicate feature. Our results support a previous conclusion that the color excess E J–K does not obey a simple linear correlation with the total dust column in lines of sight that intercept dense clouds. The most likely explanation is a systematic change in the optical properties of the dust as the density increases

  3. ICE AND DUST IN THE PRESTELLAR DARK CLOUD LYNDS 183: PREPLANETARY MATTER AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Whittet, D. C. B.; Poteet, C. A.; Bajaj, V. M.; Horne, D. [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy and New York Center for Astrobiology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Chiar, J. E. [SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Pagani, L. [LERMA, UMR 8112 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, 61 Av. de l' Observatoire, F-75014 Paris (France); Shenoy, S. S. [SOFIA Science Center, NASA Ames Research Center, MS 232-12, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Adamson, A. J. [Gemini Observatory, Southern Operations Center, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile)

    2013-09-10

    Dust grains are nucleation centers and catalysts for the growth of icy mantles in quiescent interstellar clouds, the products of which may accumulate into preplanetary matter when new stars and solar systems form within the clouds. In this paper, we present the first spectroscopic detections of silicate dust and the molecular ices H{sub 2}O, CO, and CO{sub 2} in the vicinity of the prestellar core L183 (L134N). An infrared photometric survey of the cloud was used to identify reddened background stars, and we present spectra covering solid-state absorption features in the wavelength range 2-20 {mu}m for nine of them. The mean composition of the ices in the best-studied line of sight (toward J15542044-0254073) is H{sub 2}O:CO:CO{sub 2} Almost-Equal-To 100:40:24. The ices are amorphous in structure, indicating that they have been maintained at low temperature ({approx}< 15 K) since formation. The ice column density N(H{sub 2}O) correlates with reddening by dust, exhibiting a threshold effect that corresponds to the transition from unmantled grains in the outer layers of the cloud to ice-mantled grains within, analogous to that observed in other dark clouds. A comparison of results for L183 and the Taurus and IC 5146 dark clouds suggests common behavior, with mantles first appearing in each case at a dust column corresponding to a peak optical depth {tau}{sub 9.7} = 0.15 {+-} 0.03 in the silicate feature. Our results support a previous conclusion that the color excess E{sub J-K} does not obey a simple linear correlation with the total dust column in lines of sight that intercept dense clouds. The most likely explanation is a systematic change in the optical properties of the dust as the density increases.

  4. Filament and core formation in nearby molecular clouds: results from the CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storm, Shaye; Mundy, Lee G.; Fernández-López, Manuel; Lee, Katherine I.; Ostriker, Eve C.; Looney, Leslie; Chen, Che-Yu; Classy Collaboration

    2015-01-01

    Stars rarely form in isolation, so it is critical to understand how the parsec-scale molecular cloud environment shapes the formation of individual dense cores at the sub-0.1 pc scale. To address the pathway to core formation in a clustered environment, I co-developed the CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey, which spectrally imaged dense gas tracer lines across 800 square arcminutes of the Perseus and Serpens Molecular clouds with 7'' angular resolution. There are four key results from initial papers. First, I created a new non-binary dendrogram code that shows correlation between the hierarchical complexity of dense, N2H+ (J=1-0) structures and the amount of star formation activity in a cluster. This may imply that feedback from young protostars changes the structure of dense gas within a cluster and increases the amount of high column density material. Second, we discovered strong radial velocity gradients within filaments that are an order of magnitude larger than detected axial gradients. We see similar radial gradients in filaments formed in numerical simulations of converging, turbulent flows; this suggests that the observed filaments are accreting material from an environment that is flattened at larger scales, and that they are more likely to fragment locally into cores than to support the flow of gas along the filament length. Third, we constructed two size-linewidth relations using the dendrogram-identified gas structures and our high resolution maps of the gas centroid velocity and line-of-sight velocity dispersion. The two relations show distinct behavior, and we developed a theoretical framework based on isotropic turbulence to show that they support the clustered regions being flattened (sheet-like) at parsec scales, with depths on the order 0.1-0.2 pc into the sky. Finally, we found that many filaments seen with Herschel show substructure in our high resolution maps, which implies that measuring the widths of filaments may be more complex than

  5. Laboratory simulation of interstellar grain chemistry and the production of complex organic molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allamandola, L. J.; Sandford, S. A.; Valero, G. J.

    1990-01-01

    During the past 15 years considerable progress in observational techniques has been achieved in the middle infrared (5000 to 500 cm(-1), 2 to 20 microns m), the spectral region most diagnostic of molecular vibrations. Spectra of many different astronomical infrared sources, some deeply embedded in dark molecular clouds, are now available. These spectra provide a powerful probe, not only for the identification of interstellar molecules in both the gas solid phases, but also of the physical and chemical conditions which prevail in these two very different domains. By comparing these astronomical spectra with the spectra of laboratory ices one can determine the composition and abundance of the icy materials frozen on the cold (10K) dust grains present in the interior of molecular clouds. These grains and their ice mantles may well be the building blocks from which comets are made. As an illustration of the processes which can take place as an ice is irradiated and subsequently warmed, researchers present the infrared spectra of the mixture H2O:CH3OH:CO:NH3:C6H14 (100:50:10:10:10). Apart from the last species, the ratio of these compounds is representative of the simplest ices found in interstellar clouds. The last component was incorporated into this particular experiment as a tracer of the behavior of a non-aromatic hydrocarbon. The change in the composition that results from ultraviolet photolysis of this ice mixture using a UV lamp to simulate the interstellar radiation field is shown. Photolysis produces CO, CO2, CH4, HCO, H2CO, as well as a family of moderately volatile hydrocarbons. Less volatile carbonaceous materials are also produced. The evolution of the infrared spectrum of the ice as the sample is warmed up to room temperature is illustrated. Researchers believe that the changes are similar to those which occur as ice is ejected from a comet and warmed up by solar radiation. The warm-up sequence shows that the nitrile or iso-nitrile bearing compound

  6. A comparison of shock-cloud and wind-cloud interactions: effect of increased cloud density contrast on cloud evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldsmith, K. J. A.; Pittard, J. M.

    2018-05-01

    The similarities, or otherwise, of a shock or wind interacting with a cloud of density contrast χ = 10 were explored in a previous paper. Here, we investigate such interactions with clouds of higher density contrast. We compare the adiabatic hydrodynamic interaction of a Mach 10 shock with a spherical cloud of χ = 103 with that of a cloud embedded in a wind with identical parameters to the post-shock flow. We find that initially there are only minor morphological differences between the shock-cloud and wind-cloud interactions, compared to when χ = 10. However, once the transmitted shock exits the cloud, the development of a turbulent wake and fragmentation of the cloud differs between the two simulations. On increasing the wind Mach number, we note the development of a thin, smooth tail of cloud material, which is then disrupted by the fragmentation of the cloud core and subsequent `mass-loading' of the flow. We find that the normalized cloud mixing time (tmix) is shorter at higher χ. However, a strong Mach number dependence on tmix and the normalized cloud drag time, t_{drag}^' }, is not observed. Mach-number-dependent values of tmix and t_{drag}^' } from comparable shock-cloud interactions converge towards the Mach-number-independent time-scales of the wind-cloud simulations. We find that high χ clouds can be accelerated up to 80-90 per cent of the wind velocity and travel large distances before being significantly mixed. However, complete mixing is not achieved in our simulations and at late times the flow remains perturbed.

  7. Gas-Grain Models for Interstellar Anion Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordiner, M. A.; Charnely, S. B.

    2012-01-01

    Long-chain hydrocarbon anions C(sub n) H(-) (n = 4, 6, 8) have recently been found to be abundant in a variety of interstellar clouds. In order to explain their large abundances in the denser (prestellar/protostellar) environments, new chemical models are constructed that include gas-grain interactions. Models including accretion of gas-phase species onto dust grains and cosmic-ray-induced desorption of atoms are able to reproduce the observed anion-to-neutral ratios, as well as the absolute abundances of anionic and neutral carbon chains, with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Due to their destructive effects, the depletion of oxygen atoms onto dust results in substantially greater polyyne and anion abundances in high-density gas (with n(sub H2) approx > / cubic cm). The large abundances of carbon-chain-bearing species observed in the envelopes of protostars such as L1527 can thus be explained without the need for warm carbon-chain chemistry. The C6H(-) anion-to-neutral ratio is found to be most sensitive to the atomic O and H abundances and the electron density. Therefore, as a core evolves, falling atomic abundances and rising electron densities are found to result in increasing anion-to-neutral ratios. Inclusion of cosmic-ray desorption of atoms in high-density models delays freeze-out, which results in a more temporally stable anion-to-neutral ratio, in better agreement with observations. Our models include reactions between oxygen atoms and carbon-chain anions to produce carbon-chain-oxide species C6O, C7O, HC6O, and HC7O, the abundances of which depend on the assumed branching ratios for associative electron detachment

  8. Herschel/HIFI line surveys: Discovery of interstellar chloronium (H{sub 2}Cl{sup +})

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lis, Dariusz C., E-mail: dcl@caltech.edu [California Institute of Technology, Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics MC 301-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

    2015-01-22

    Prior to the launch of Herschel, HCl was the only chlorine-containing molecule detected in the interstellar medium (ISM). However, chemical models have identified chloronium, H{sub 2}Cl{sup +}, as a relatively abundant species that is potentially detectable. H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} was predicted to be most abundant in the environments where the ultraviolet radiation is strong: in diffuse clouds, or near the surfaces of dense clouds illuminated by nearby O and B stars. The HIFI instrument on Herschel provided the first detection of H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} in the ISM. The 2{sub 12}-1{sub 01} lines of ortho-H{sub 2}{sup 35}Cl{sup +} and ortho-H{sub 2}{sup 37}Cl{sup +} were detected in absorption toward NGC 6334I, and the 1{sub 11}-0{sub 00} transition of para-H{sub 2}{sup 35}Cl{sup +} was detected in absorption toward NGC 6334I and Sgr B2(S). The derived HCl/H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} column density ratios, ∼1-10, are within the range predicted by models of diffuse and dense Photon Dominated Regions (PDRs). However, the observed H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} column densities, in excess of 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2}, are significantly higher than the model predictions. These observations demonstrate the outstanding spectroscopic capabilities of HIFI for detecting new interstellar molecules and providing key constraints for astrochemical models.

  9. Large scale features of the hot component of the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garmire, G.P.

    1983-01-01

    The interstellar medium contains identifiable hot plasma clouds occupying up to about 35% of the volume of the local galactic disc. The temperature of these clouds is not uniform but ranges from 10 5 up to 4 x 10 6 K. Besides the high temperature which places the emission spectrum in the soft X-ray band, the implied pressure of the hot plasma compared to the cooler gas reveals the importance of this component in determining the motions and evolution of the cooler gas in the disc, as well as providing a source of hot gas which may extend above the galactic disc to form a corona. The author presents data from the A-2 soft X-ray experiment on the HEAO-1 spacecraft concerning the large scale features of this gas. These features are interpreted in terms of the late phases of supernovae expansion, multiple supernovae and the possible creation of a hot halo surrounding the region of the galactic nucleus. (Auth.)

  10. The collapse of a molecular cloud core to stellar densities using radiation non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurster, James; Bate, Matthew R.; Price, Daniel J.

    2018-04-01

    We present results from radiation non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) calculations that follow the collapse of rotating, magnetized, molecular cloud cores to stellar densities. These are the first such calculations to include all three non-ideal effects: ambipolar diffusion, Ohmic resistivity, and the Hall effect. We employ an ionization model in which cosmic ray ionization dominates at low temperatures and thermal ionization takes over at high temperatures. We explore the effects of varying the cosmic ray ionization rate from ζcr = 10-10 to 10-16 s-1. Models with ionization rates ≳10-12 s-1 produce results that are indistinguishable from ideal MHD. Decreasing the cosmic ray ionization rate extends the lifetime of the first hydrostatic core up to a factor of 2, but the lifetimes are still substantially shorter than those obtained without magnetic fields. Outflows from the first hydrostatic core phase are launched in all models, but the outflows become broader and slower as the ionization rate is reduced. The outflow morphology following stellar core formation is complex and strongly dependent on the cosmic ray ionization rate. Calculations with high ionization rates quickly produce a fast (≈14 km s-1) bipolar outflow that is distinct from the first core outflow, but with the lowest ionization rate, a slower (≈3-4 km s-1) conical outflow develops gradually and seamlessly merges into the first core outflow.

  11. DENSE MOLECULAR CORES BEING EXTERNALLY HEATED

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Gwanjeong; Lee, Chang Won; Kim, Mi-Ryang [Radio Astronomy division, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, 776 Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34055 (Korea, Republic of); Gopinathan, Maheswar [Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Manora Peak, Nainital 263129 (India); Jeong, Woong-Seob, E-mail: archer81@kasi.re.kr [Department of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajungro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-06-20

    We present results of our study of eight dense cores, previously classified as starless, using infrared (3–160 μ m) imaging observations with the AKARI telescope and molecular line (HCN and N{sub 2}H{sup +}) mapping observations with the KVN telescope. Combining our results with the archival IR to millimeter continuum data, we examined the starless nature of these eight cores. Two of the eight cores are found to harbor faint protostars having luminosities of ∼0.3–4.4 L {sub ⊙}. The other six cores are found to remain starless and probably are in a dynamically transitional state. The temperature maps produced using multi-wavelength images show an enhancement of about 3–6 K toward the outer boundary of these cores, suggesting that they are most likely being heated externally by nearby stars and/or interstellar radiation fields. Large virial parameters and an overdominance of red asymmetric line profiles over the cores may indicate that the cores are set into either an expansion or an oscillatory motion, probably due to the external heating. Most of the starless cores show a coreshine effect due to the scattering of light by the micron-sized dust grains. This may imply that the age of the cores is of the order of ∼10{sup 5} years, which is consistent with the timescale required for the cores to evolve into an oscillatory stage due to external perturbation. Our observational results support the idea that the external feedback from nearby stars and/or interstellar radiation fields may play an important role in the dynamical evolution of the cores.

  12. First-principles study of the formation of glycine-producing radicals from common interstellar species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Akimasa; Kitazawa, Yuya; Ochi, Toshiro; Shoji, Mitsuo; Komatsu, Yu; Kayanuma, Megumi; Aikawa, Yuri; Umemura, Masayuki; Shigeta, Yasuteru

    2018-03-01

    Glycine, the simplest amino acid, has been intensively searched for in molecular clouds, and the comprehensive clarification of the formation path of interstellar glycine is now imperative. Among all the possible glycine formation pathways, we focused on the radical pathways revealed by Garrod (2013). In the present study, we have precisely investigated all the chemical reaction steps related to the glycine formation processes based on state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We found that two reaction pathways require small activation barriers (ΔE‡ ≤ 7.75 kJ mol-1), which demonstrates the possibility of glycine formation even at low temperatures in interstellar space if the radical species are generated. The origin of carbon and nitrogen in the glycine backbone and their combination patterns are further discussed in relation to the formation mechanisms. According to the clarification of the atomic correspondence between glycine and its potential parental molecules, it is shown that the nitrogen and two carbons in the glycine can originate in three common interstellar molecules, methanol, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia, and that the source molecules of glycine can be described by any of their combinations. The glycine formation processes can be categorized into six patterns. Finally, we discussed two other glycine formation pathways expected from the present DFT calculation results.

  13. Is interstellar detection of higher members of the linear radicals CnCH and CnN feasible?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauzat, F.; Ellinger, Y.; Mclean, A. D.

    1991-01-01

    Rotational constants and dipole moments for linear-chain radicals CnCH and CnN are estimated using a combinatiaon of ab initio molecular orbital calculations and observed data on the starting members of the series. CnCH with n = 0-5 have been observed by radioastronomy in carbon-rich interstellar clouds; higher members of the series have 2Pi ground states with large dipole moments and are strong candidates for observation. CN and C3N have also been observed by radioastronomy; higher members of the series, with the possible exception of C5N, have 2Pi ground states with near-zero dipole moments making their interstellar detection hopeless under present observational conditions. C5N can be a strong candidate only if it has a 2Sigma ground state, and best computations so far indicate that this is not the case.

  14. Interstellar Explorer Observations of the Solar System's Debris Disks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lisse, C. M.; McNutt, R. L., Jr.; Brandt, P. C.

    2017-12-01

    Planetesimal belts and debris disks full of dust are known as the "signposts of planet formation" in exosystems. The overall brightness of a disk provides information on the amount of sourcing planetesimal material, while asymmetries in the shape of the disk can be used to search for perturbing planets. The solar system is known to house two such belts, the Asteroid belt and the Kuiper Belt; and at least one debris cloud, the Zodiacal Cloud, sourced by planetisimal collisions and Kuiper Belt comet evaporative sublimation. However these are poorly understood in toto because we live inside of them. E.g., while we know of the two planetesimal belt systems, it is not clear how much, if any, dust is produced from the Kuiper belt since the near-Sun comet contributions dominate near-Earth space. Understanding how much dust is produced in the Kuiper belt would give us a much better idea of the total number of bodies in the belt, especially the smallest ones, and their dynamical collisional state. Even for the close in Zodiacal cloud, questions remain concerning its overall shape and orientation with respect to the ecliptic and invariable planes of the solar system - they aren't explainable from the perturbations caused by the known planets alone. In this paper we explore the possibilities of using an Interstellar Explorer telescope placed at 200 AU from the sun to observe the brightness, shape, and extent of the solar system's debris disk(s). We should be able to measure the entire extent of the inner, near-earth zodiacal cloud; whether it connects smoothly into an outer cloud, or if there is a second outer cloud sourced by the Kuiper belt and isolated by the outer planets, as predicted by Stark & Kuchner (2009, 2010) and Poppe et al. (2012, 2016; Figure 1). VISNIR imagery will inform about the dust cloud's density, while MIR cameras will provide thermal imaging photometry related to the cloud's dust particle size and composition. Observing at high phase angle by looking

  15. Modelling ultraviolet-line diagnostics of stars, the ionized and the neutral interstellar medium in star-forming galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal-García, A.; Charlot, S.; Bruzual, G.; Hubeny, I.

    2017-09-01

    We combine state-of-the-art models for the production of stellar radiation and its transfer through the interstellar medium (ISM) to investigate ultraviolet-line diagnostics of stars, the ionized and the neutral ISM in star-forming galaxies. We start by assessing the reliability of our stellar population synthesis modelling by fitting absorption-line indices in the ISM-free ultraviolet spectra of 10 Large Magellanic Cloud clusters. In doing so, we find that neglecting stochastic sampling of the stellar initial mass function in these young (∼10-100 Myr), low-mass clusters affects negligibly ultraviolet-based age and metallicity estimates but can lead to significant overestimates of stellar mass. Then, we proceed and develop a simple approach, based on an idealized description of the main features of the ISM, to compute in a physically consistent way the combined influence of nebular emission and interstellar absorption on ultraviolet spectra of star-forming galaxies. Our model accounts for the transfer of radiation through the ionized interiors and outer neutral envelopes of short-lived stellar birth clouds, as well as for radiative transfer through a diffuse intercloud medium. We use this approach to explore the entangled signatures of stars, the ionized and the neutral ISM in ultraviolet spectra of star-forming galaxies. We find that, aside from a few notable exceptions, most standard ultraviolet indices defined in the spectra of ISM-free stellar populations are prone to significant contamination by the ISM, which increases with metallicity. We also identify several nebular-emission and interstellar-absorption features, which stand out as particularly clean tracers of the different phases of the ISM.

  16. THE DETECTION OF A HOT MOLECULAR CORE IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD WITH ALMA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimonishi, Takashi; Onaka, Takashi; Kawamura, Akiko; Aikawa, Yuri

    2016-01-01

    We report the first detection of a hot molecular core outside our Galaxy based on radio observations with ALMA toward a high-mass young stellar object (YSO) in a nearby low metallicity galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Molecular emission lines of CO, C 17 O, HCO + , H 13 CO + , H 2 CO, NO, SiO, H 2 CS, 33 SO, 32 SO 2 , 34 SO 2 , and 33 SO 2 are detected from a compact region (∼0.1 pc) associated with a high-mass YSO, ST11. The temperature of molecular gas is estimated to be higher than 100 K based on rotation diagram analysis of SO 2 and 34 SO 2 lines. The compact source size, warm gas temperature, high density, and rich molecular lines around a high-mass protostar suggest that ST11 is associated with a hot molecular core. We find that the molecular abundances of the LMC hot core are significantly different from those of Galactic hot cores. The abundances of CH 3 OH, H 2 CO, and HNCO are remarkably lower compared to Galactic hot cores by at least 1–3 orders of magnitude. We suggest that these abundances are characterized by the deficiency of molecules whose formation requires the hydrogenation of CO on grain surfaces. In contrast, NO shows a high abundance in ST11 despite the notably low abundance of nitrogen in the LMC. A multitude of SO 2 and its isotopologue line detections in ST11 imply that SO 2 can be a key molecular tracer of hot core chemistry in metal-poor environments. Furthermore, we find molecular outflows around the hot core, which is the second detection of an extragalactic protostellar outflow. In this paper, we discuss the physical and chemical characteristics of a hot molecular core in the low metallicity environment.

  17. Iron and Silicate Dust Growth in the Galactic Interstellar Medium: Clues from Element Depletions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhukovska, Svitlana; Henning, Thomas; Dobbs, Clare

    2018-04-01

    The interstellar abundances of refractory elements indicate a substantial depletion from the gas phase, which increases with gas density. Our recent model of dust evolution, based on hydrodynamic simulations of the life cycle of giant molecular clouds (GMCs), proves that the observed trend for [Sigas/H] is driven by a combination of dust growth by accretion in the cold diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) and efficient destruction by supernova (SN) shocks. With an analytic model of dust evolution, we demonstrate that even with optimistic assumptions for the dust input from stars and without destruction of grains by SNe it is impossible to match the observed [Sigas/H]–n H relation without growth in the ISM. We extend the framework developed in our previous work for silicates to include the evolution of iron grains and address a long-standing conundrum: “Where is the interstellar iron?” Much higher depletion of Fe in the warm neutral medium compared to Si is reproduced by the models, in which a large fraction of interstellar iron (70%) is locked as inclusions in silicate grains, where it is protected from efficient sputtering by SN shocks. The slope of the observed [Fegas/H]–n H relation is reproduced if the remaining depleted iron resides in a population of metallic iron nanoparticles with sizes in the range of 1–10 nm. Enhanced collision rates due to the Coulomb focusing are important for both silicate and iron dust models to match the slopes of the observed depletion–density relations and the magnitudes of depletion at high gas density.

  18. Gamma rays, tracers of the interstellar medium and messengers of pulsars and other energetic objects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grenier, I.

    1988-03-01

    Gamma radiation observed in our Galaxy by the COS-B satellite was studied. The interstellar medium was studied at large scale using the fact that diffuse gamma rays are created by the interaction of cosmic rays with any interstellar matter and comparisons with different tracers and star and galaxy counts. Ground-based maps of molecular clouds were also used. Bright compact gamma sources were also analyzed. Results include the detection in Co of a distant spiral arm of the Galaxy (15kpc) and an important molecular complex nearby (300pc); the first Co survey of the Galaxy; measurement of the NH2/WCo ratio and week galactic gradients of cosmic rays; the high energy behavior of the Vela pulsar; the detection of a gamma source; and the discovery of a large supernova remnant which exploded 300pc from the Sun 40,000 years ago [fr

  19. Static equilibria of the interstellar gas in the presence of magnetic and gravitational fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mouschovias, T.C.

    1975-01-01

    No exact self-consistent equilibrium calculations exist for (any model of) the system of the interstellar gas and the frozen-in magnetic field. On a large scale (approximately 1 kpc) this system is affected by the vertical galactic gravitational field, while on a small scale (approximately 1 pc) the self-gravitation of the gas comes into play and is responsible for the collapse of some clouds to form stars. Accessible equilibrium states are determined for the gas--field system on both of these scales. (U.S.)

  20. Irradiation of FeS: Implications for the Lifecycle of Sulfur in the Interstellar Medium and Presolar FeS Grains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Lindsay P.; Loeffler, M. J.; Christoffersen, R.; Dukes, C.; Rahman, Z.; Baragiola, R.

    2010-01-01

    Fe(Ni) sulfides are ubiquitous in chondritic meteorites and cometary samples where they are the dominant host of sulfur. Despite their abundance in these early solar system materials, their presence in interstellar and circumstellar environments is poorly understood. Fe-sulfides have been reported from astronomical observations of pre- and post-main sequence stars [1, 2] and occur as inclusions in bonafide circumstellar silicate grains [3, 4]. In cold, dense molecular cloud (MC) environments, sulfur is highly depleted from the gas phase [e.g. 5], yet observations of sulfur-bearing molecules in dense cores find a total abundance that is only a small fraction of the sulfur seen in diffuse regions [6], therefore the bulk of the depletion must reside in an abundant unobserved phase. In stark contrast, sulfur is essentially undepleted from the gas phase in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) [7-9], indicating that little sulfur is incorporated into solid grains in this environment. This is a rather puzzling observation unless Fe-sulfides are not produced in significant quantities in stellar outflows, or their lifetime in the ISM is very short due to rapid destruction. The main destruction mechanism is sputtering due to supernova shocks in the warm, diffuse ISM [10]. This process involves the reduction of Fe-sulfide with the production of Fe metal as a by-product and returning S to the gas phase. In order to test this hypothesis, we irradiated FeS and analyzed the resulting material using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

  1. COSMIC ORIGINS SPECTROGRAPH OBSERVATIONS OF TRANSLUCENT CLOUDS: Cyg OB2 8A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snow, Theodore P.; Destree, Joshua D.; Burgh, Eric B.; Ferguson, Ryan M.; Danforth, Charles W.; Cordiner, Martin

    2010-01-01

    Data from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) are presented for the first highly reddened target (Cyg OB2 8A) under the COS Science Team's guaranteed time allocation. Column densities of ionic, atomic, and molecular species are reported and implications are discussed. Data from Cyg OB2 8A demonstrate the ability to analyze highly reddened interstellar sight lines with the COS that were unavailable to previous UV instruments. Measured column densities indicate that the Cyg OB2 8A line of sight contains multiple diffuse clouds rather than a dominant translucent cloud.

  2. On the Efficiency of Grain Alignment in Dark Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarian, A.; Goodman, Alyssa A.; Myers, Philip C.

    1997-11-01

    A quantitative analysis of grain alignment in the filamentary dark cloud L1755 in Ophiuchus is presented. We show that the observed decrease of the polarization-to-extinction ratio for the inner parts of this quiescent dark cloud can be explained as a result of the decrease of the efficiency of grain alignment. We make quantitative estimates of grain alignment efficiency for six mechanisms involving grains with either thermal or suprathermal rotation, interacting with either magnetic field or gaseous flow. We also make semiquantitative estimates of grain alignment by radiative torques. We show that in conditions typical of dark cloud interiors, all known major mechanisms of grain alignment fail. All the studied mechanisms predict polarization at least an order of magnitude below the currently detectable levels of ~1%. On the contrary, in the dark cloud environments where Av sight, including the interiors of dark quiescent clouds, where no alignment is possible. We dedicate this paper to the memory of Edward M. Purcell and Lyman Spitzer, Jr., two pioneers in the quantitative study of the interstellar medium.

  3. The Spitzer survey of interstellar clouds in the gould belt. VI. The Auriga-California molecular cloud observed with IRAC and MIPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broekhoven-Fiene, Hannah; Matthews, Brenda C.; Harvey, Paul M.; Gutermuth, Robert A.; Huard, Tracy L.; Miller, Jennifer F.; Tothill, Nicholas F. H.; Nutter, David; Bourke, Tyler L.; DiFrancesco, James; Jørgensen, Jes K.; Allen, Lori E.; Chapman, Nicholas L.; Dunham, Michael M.; Merín, Bruno; Terebey, Susan; Peterson, Dawn E.

    2014-01-01

    We present observations of the Auriga-California Molecular Cloud (AMC) at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0, 24, 70, and 160 μm observed with the IRAC and MIPS detectors as part of the Spitzer Gould Belt Legacy Survey. The total mapped areas are 2.5 deg 2 with IRAC and 10.47 deg 2 with MIPS. This giant molecular cloud is one of two in the nearby Gould Belt of star-forming regions, the other being the Orion A Molecular Cloud (OMC). We compare source counts, colors, and magnitudes in our observed region to a subset of the SWIRE data that was processed through our pipeline. Using color-magnitude and color-color diagrams, we find evidence for a substantial population of 166 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the cloud, many of which were previously unknown. Most of this population is concentrated around the LkHα 101 cluster and the filament extending from it. We present a quantitative description of the degree of clustering and discuss the relative fraction of YSOs in earlier (Class I and F) and later (Class II) classes compared to other clouds. We perform simple SED modeling of the YSOs with disks to compare the mid-IR properties to disks in other clouds and identify 14 classical transition disk candidates. Although the AMC is similar in mass, size, and distance to the OMC, it is forming about 15-20 times fewer stars.

  4. The Spitzer survey of interstellar clouds in the gould belt. VI. The Auriga-California molecular cloud observed with IRAC and MIPS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Broekhoven-Fiene, Hannah; Matthews, Brenda C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6 (Canada); Harvey, Paul M. [Astronomy Department, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1400, Austin, TX 78712-0259 (United States); Gutermuth, Robert A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Huard, Tracy L.; Miller, Jennifer F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Tothill, Nicholas F. H. [School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751 (Australia); Nutter, David [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Queen' s Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Bourke, Tyler L. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); DiFrancesco, James [National Research Council Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, Victoria, BC, V9E 2E7 (Canada); Jørgensen, Jes K. [Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø. (Denmark); Allen, Lori E. [National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ (United States); Chapman, Nicholas L. [Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Dunham, Michael M. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Merín, Bruno [Herschel Science Centre, ESAC-ESA, P.O. Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain); Terebey, Susan [Department of Physics and Astronomy PS315, 5151 State University Drive, California State University at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (United States); Peterson, Dawn E. [Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); and others

    2014-05-01

    We present observations of the Auriga-California Molecular Cloud (AMC) at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0, 24, 70, and 160 μm observed with the IRAC and MIPS detectors as part of the Spitzer Gould Belt Legacy Survey. The total mapped areas are 2.5 deg{sup 2} with IRAC and 10.47 deg{sup 2} with MIPS. This giant molecular cloud is one of two in the nearby Gould Belt of star-forming regions, the other being the Orion A Molecular Cloud (OMC). We compare source counts, colors, and magnitudes in our observed region to a subset of the SWIRE data that was processed through our pipeline. Using color-magnitude and color-color diagrams, we find evidence for a substantial population of 166 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the cloud, many of which were previously unknown. Most of this population is concentrated around the LkHα 101 cluster and the filament extending from it. We present a quantitative description of the degree of clustering and discuss the relative fraction of YSOs in earlier (Class I and F) and later (Class II) classes compared to other clouds. We perform simple SED modeling of the YSOs with disks to compare the mid-IR properties to disks in other clouds and identify 14 classical transition disk candidates. Although the AMC is similar in mass, size, and distance to the OMC, it is forming about 15-20 times fewer stars.

  5. Experimental interstellar organic chemistry - Preliminary findings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khare, B. N.; Sagan, C.

    1973-01-01

    Review of the results of some explicit experimental simulation of interstellar organic chemistry consisting in low-temperature high-vacuum UV irradiation of condensed simple gases known or suspected to be present in the interstellar medium. The results include the finding that acetonitrile may be present in the interstellar medium. The implication of this and other findings are discussed.

  6. ON THE ORIGIN OF STELLAR MASSES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krumholz, Mark R.

    2011-01-01

    It has been a longstanding problem to determine, as far as possible, the characteristic masses of stars in terms of fundamental constants; the almost complete invariance of this mass as a function of the star-forming environment suggests that this should be possible. Here I provide such a calculation. The typical stellar mass is set by the characteristic fragment mass in a star-forming cloud, which depends on the cloud's density and temperature structure. Except in the very early universe, the latter is determined mainly by the radiation released as matter falls onto seed protostars. The energy yield from this process is ultimately set by the properties of deuterium burning in protostellar cores, which determines the stars' radii. I show that it is possible to combine these considerations to compute a characteristic stellar mass almost entirely in terms of fundamental constants, with an extremely weak residual dependence on the interstellar pressure and metallicity. This result not only explains the invariance of stellar masses, it resolves a second mystery: why fragmentation of a cold, low-density interstellar cloud, a process with no obvious dependence on the properties of nuclear reactions, happens to select a stellar mass scale such that stellar cores can ignite hydrogen. Finally, the weak residual dependence on the interstellar pressure and metallicity may explain recent observational hints of a smaller characteristic mass in the high-pressure, high-metallicity cores of giant elliptical galaxies.

  7. OXYGEN-RICH SUPERNOVA REMNANT IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-01-01

    This is a NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of the tattered debris of a star that exploded 3,000 years ago as a supernova. This supernova remnant, called N132D, lies 169,000 light-years away in the satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. A Hubble Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 image of the inner regions of the supernova remnant shows the complex collisions that take place as fast moving ejecta slam into cool, dense interstellar clouds. This level of detail in the expanding filaments could only be seen previously in much closer supernova remnants. Now, Hubble's capabilities extend the detailed study of supernovae out to the distance of a neighboring galaxy. Material thrown out from the interior of the exploded star at velocities of more than four million miles per hour (2,000 kilometers per second) plows into neighboring clouds to create luminescent shock fronts. The blue-green filaments in the image correspond to oxygen-rich gas ejected from the core of the star. The oxygen-rich filaments glow as they pass through a network of shock fronts reflected off dense interstellar clouds that surrounded the exploded star. These dense clouds, which appear as reddish filaments, also glow as the shock wave from the supernova crushes and heats the clouds. Supernova remnants provide a rare opportunity to observe directly the interiors of stars far more massive than our Sun. The precursor star to this remnant, which was located slightly below and left of center in the image, is estimated to have been 25 times the mass of our Sun. These stars 'cook' heavier elements through nuclear fusion, including oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, iron etc., and the titanic supernova explosions scatter this material back into space where it is used to create new generations of stars. This is the mechanism by which the gas and dust that formed our solar system became enriched with the elements that sustain life on this planet. Hubble spectroscopic observations will be used to determine the exact

  8. Non-thermal desorption from interstellar dust grains via exothermic surface reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrod, R. T.; Wakelam, V.; Herbst, E.

    2007-06-01

    Aims:The gas-phase abundance of methanol in dark quiescent cores in the interstellar medium cannot be explained by gas-phase chemistry. In fact, the only possible synthesis of this species appears to be production on the surfaces of dust grains followed by desorption into the gas. Yet, evaporation is inefficient for heavy molecules such as methanol at the typical temperature of 10 K. It is necessary then to consider non-thermal mechanisms for desorption. But, if such mechanisms are considered for the production of methanol, they must be considered for all surface species. Methods: Our gas-grain network of reactions has been altered by the inclusion of a non-thermal desorption mechanism in which the exothermicity of surface addition reactions is utilized to break the bond between the product species and the surface. Our estimated rate for this process derives from a simple version of classical unimolecular rate theory with a variable parameter only loosely constrained by theoretical work. Results: Our results show that the chemistry of dark clouds is altered slightly at times up to 106 yr, mainly by the enhancement in the gas-phase abundances of hydrogen-rich species such as methanol that are formed on grain surfaces. At later times, however, there is a rather strong change. Instead of the continuing accretion of most gas-phase species onto dust particles, a steady-state is reached for both gas-phase and grain-surface species, with significant abundances for the former. Nevertheless, most of the carbon is contained in an undetermined assortment of heavy surface hydrocarbons. Conclusions: The desorption mechanism discussed here will be better constrained by observational data on pre-stellar cores, where a significant accretion of species such as CO has already occurred.

  9. GAS PHASE SYNTHESIS OF (ISO)QUINOLINE AND ITS ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF NUCLEOBASES IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parker, Dorian S. N.; Kaiser, Ralf I.; Kostko, Oleg; Troy, Tyler P.; Ahmed, Musahid; Mebel, Alexander M.; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

    2015-01-01

    Nitrogen-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) have been proposed to play a key role in the astrochemical evolution of the interstellar medium, yet the formation mechanisms of even their simplest prototypes—quinoline and isoquinoline—remain elusive. Here, we reveal a novel concept that under high temperature conditions representing circumstellar envelopes of carbon stars, (iso)quinoline can be synthesized via the reaction of pyridyl radicals with two acetylene molecules. The facile gas phase formation of (iso)quinoline in circumstellar envelopes defines a hitherto elusive reaction class synthesizing aromatic structures with embedded nitrogen atoms that are essential building blocks in contemporary biological-structural motifs. Once ejected from circumstellar shells and incorporated into icy interstellar grains in cold molecular clouds, these NPAHs can be functionalized by photo processing forming nucleobase-type structures as sampled in the Murchison meteorite

  10. Multicolor optical polarimetry of reddened stars in the small Magellanic cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magalhaes, A.M.; Coyne, G.V.; Piirola, V.; Rodrigues, C.V.

    1989-01-01

    First results of an on-going program to determine the wavelength dependence of the interstellar optical polarization of reddened stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are presented. IUE observations of reddened stars in the SMC (Bouchet et al. 1985) generally show marked differences in the extinction law as compared to both the Galaxy and the Large Megallanic Cloud. The aim here is to determine the wavelength dependence of the optical linear polarization in the direction of several such stars in the SMC in order to further constrain the dust composition and size distribution in that galaxy

  11. Properties of molecular clouds containing Herbig-Haro objects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loren, R.B.; Evans, N.J. II; Knapp, G.R.

    1979-01-01

    We have studied the physical conditions in the molecular clouds associated with a large number of Herbig-Haro and related objects. Formaldehyde emission at 2 mm was detected in the direction of approx.15 out of 30 objects observed. Using the 2 mm H 2 CO emission and observations of 2 cm H 2 CO absorption, along the the 2.6 mm CO line, we calculate core densities of these molecular clouds. Dense cores are found near but not necessarily coincident with the HH objects. Known embedded infrared sources are more likely to be at the position of greatest density than are the HH objects themselves. The densities determined for the cloud cores are intermediate between the densities of cold, dark clouds such as L134 N and the hot clouds associated with H II regions. Thus, a continuous spectrum of densities is observed in molecular clouds. The temperature and density of the clouds in this study are not well correlated. The cores associated with HH 29 IR and T Tau are very dense (6 x 10 4 and 9 x 10 4 cm -3 ), yet have temperatures typical of cold dark clouds.The strong inverse correlation between X (H 2 CO) and density found by Wootten et al. is also found in the clouds associated with HH objects. This correlation also holds within a single cloud, indicating that the correlation is not due to differences in cloud age and evolution toward gas-phase chemical equilibrium. The decrease of X (H 2 CO) with density is more rapid than predicted by steady state ion-molecule chemistry and may be the result of increased depletion of molecules onto grain surfaces at higher density

  12. Detection of interstellar vibrationally excited HCN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ziurys, L.M.; Turner, B.E.

    1986-01-01

    Vibrationally excited HCN has been observed for the first time in the interstellar medium. The J = 3-2 rotational transitions of the l-doubled (0,1/sup 1d/,1c, 0) bending mode of HCN have been detected toward Orion-KL and IRC +10216. In Orion, the overall column density in the (0,1,0) mode, which exclusively samples the ''hot core,'' is 1.7-10 16 cm -2 and can be understood in terms of the ''doughnut'' model for Orion. The ground-state HCN column density implied by the excited-state observations is 2.3 x 10 18 cm -2 in the hot core, at least one order of magnitude greater than the column densities derived for HCN in its spike and plateau/doughnut components. Radiative excitation by 14 μm flux from IRc2 accounts for the (0,1,0) population provided the hot core is approx.6-7 x 10 16 cm distant from IRc2, in agreement with the ''cavity'' model for KL. Toward IRC +10216 we have detected J = 3-2 transitions of both (0,1/sup 1c/,/sup 1d/,0) and (0,2 0 ,0) excited states. The spectral profiles have been modeled to yield abundances and excitation conditions throughout the expanding envelope

  13. Nature of interstellar turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altunin, V.

    1981-01-01

    A significant role in producing the pattern of interstellar scintillation observed in discrete radio sources may be played by the magnetoacoustic turbulence that will be generated as shock waves are propagated at velocity V/sub sh/roughly-equal 20--100 km/sec through the interstellar medium, as well as by irregularities in stellar wind emanating from type OB stars

  14. Triggering Collapse of the Presolar Dense Cloud Core and Injecting Short-lived Radioisotopes with a Shock Wave. V. Nonisothermal Collapse Regime

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boss, Alan P., E-mail: aboss@carnegiescience.edu [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305 (United States)

    2017-08-01

    Recent meteoritical analyses support an initial abundance of the short-lived radioisotope (SLRI) {sup 60}Fe that may be high enough to require nucleosynthesis in a core-collapse supernova, followed by rapid incorporation into primitive meteoritical components, rather than a scenario where such isotopes were inherited from a well-mixed region of a giant molecular cloud polluted by a variety of supernovae remnants and massive star winds. This paper continues to explore the former scenario, by calculating three-dimensional, adaptive mesh refinement, hydrodynamical code (FLASH 2.5) models of the self-gravitational, dynamical collapse of a molecular cloud core that has been struck by a thin shock front with a speed of 40 km s{sup −1}, leading to the injection of shock front matter into the collapsing cloud through the formation of Rayleigh–Taylor fingers at the shock–cloud intersection. These models extend the previous work into the nonisothermal collapse regime using a polytropic approximation to represent compressional heating in the optically thick protostar. The models show that the injection efficiencies of shock front materials are enhanced compared to previous models, which were not carried into the nonisothermal regime, and so did not reach such high densities. The new models, combined with the recent estimates of initial {sup 60}Fe abundances, imply that the supernova triggering and injection scenario remains a plausible explanation for the origin of the SLRIs involved in the formation of our solar system.

  15. Formation of Amino Acid Precursors by Bombardment of Interstellar Ice Analogs with High Energy Heavy Ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Kensei; Mita, Hajime; Yoshida, Satoshi; Shibata, Hiromi; Enomoto, Shingo; Matsuda, Tomoyuki; Fukuda, Hitoshi; Kondo, Kotaro; Oguri, Yoshiyuki; Kebukawa, Yoko

    2016-07-01

    A wide variety of organic compounds have been detected in extraterrestrial bodies. It has been recognized that carbonaceous chondrites contain pristine amino acids [1]. There are several scenarios of the formation of such extraterrestrial amino acids or their precursors. Greenberg proposed a scenario that complex organic compounds were formed in interstellar ices in dense clouds, which were brought into solar system small bodies when the solar system was formed [2]. The ice mantles of interstellar dust particles (ISDs) in dense clouds are composed of H2O, CO, CH3OH, CH4, CO2, NH3, etc. In order to verify the scenario, a number of laboratory experiments have been conducted where interstellar ice analogs were irradiated with high-energy particles [3,4] or UV [5,6], and formation of complex organic compounds including amino acid precursors were detected in the products. Though ion-molecular reactions in gaseous phase and surface reactions on the ice mantles have been studied intensively, much less works on cosmic rays-induced reaction have been reported. In order to study possible formation of complex molecules in interstellar ices, frozen mixtures of water, methanol and ammonia with various mixing ratios were irradiated with high-energy heavy ions such as carbon ions (290 MeV/u) and neon ions (400 MeV/u) from HIMAC, NIRS, Japan. For comparison, gaseous mixtures of water, ammonia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and/or methane were irradiated with protons (2.5 MeV) from a Tandem accelerator, Tokyo Tech, Japan. Amino acids in the products were determined by cation exchange HPLC after acid hydrolysis. Products, both before and after acid hydrolysis, were also characterized by FT-IR and other techniques. Amino acids were detected in the hydrolyzed products after mixture of CH3OH, NH3 and H2O with various mixing ratios were irradiated with heavy ions, including when their mixing ratio was set close to the reported value of the interstellar ices (10:1:37). In the HIMAC

  16. The effect of extreme ionization rates during the initial collapse of a molecular cloud core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurster, James; Bate, Matthew R.; Price, Daniel J.

    2018-05-01

    What cosmic ray ionization rate is required such that a non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation of a collapsing molecular cloud will follow the same evolutionary path as an ideal MHD simulation or as a purely hydrodynamics simulation? To investigate this question, we perform three-dimensional smoothed particle non-ideal MHD simulations of the gravitational collapse of rotating, one solar mass, magnetized molecular cloud cores, which include Ohmic resistivity, ambipolar diffusion, and the Hall effect. We assume a uniform grain size of ag = 0.1 μm, and our free parameter is the cosmic ray ionization rate, ζcr. We evolve our models, where possible, until they have produced a first hydrostatic core. Models with ζcr ≳ 10-13 s-1 are indistinguishable from ideal MHD models, and the evolution of the model with ζcr = 10-14 s-1 matches the evolution of the ideal MHD model within 1 per cent when considering maximum density, magnetic energy, and maximum magnetic field strength as a function of time; these results are independent of ag. Models with very low ionization rates (ζcr ≲ 10-24 s-1) are required to approach hydrodynamical collapse, and even lower ionization rates may be required for larger ag. Thus, it is possible to reproduce ideal MHD and purely hydrodynamical collapses using non-ideal MHD given an appropriate cosmic ray ionization rate. However, realistic cosmic ray ionization rates approach neither limit; thus, non-ideal MHD cannot be neglected in star formation simulations.

  17. Enhancement of Feedback Efficiency by Active Galactic Nucleus Outflows via the Magnetic Tension Force in the Inhomogeneous Interstellar Medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asahina, Yuta; Ohsuga, Ken [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Nomura, Mariko, E-mail: asahina@cfca.jp [Keio University, Hiyoshi, Kohoku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522 (Japan)

    2017-05-01

    By performing three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations of subrelativistic jets and disk winds propagating into the magnetized inhomogeneous interstellar medium (ISM), we investigate the magnetic effects on the active galactic nucleus feedback. Our simulations reveal that the magnetic tension force promotes the acceleration of the dense gas clouds, since the magnetic field lines, which are initially straight, bend around the gas clouds. In the jet models, the velocity dispersion of the clouds increases with an increase in the initial magnetic fields. The increment of the kinetic energy of the clouds is proportional to the initial magnetic fields, implying that the magnetic tension force increases the energy conversion efficiency from the jet to the gas clouds. Through simulations of the mildly collimated disk wind and the funnel-shaped disk wind, we confirm that such an enhancement of the energy conversion efficiency via the magnetic fields appears even if the energy is injected via the disk winds. The enhancement of the acceleration of the dense part of the magnetized ISM via the magnetic tension force will occur wherever the magnetized inhomogeneous matter is blown away.

  18. Enhancement of Feedback Efficiency by Active Galactic Nucleus Outflows via the Magnetic Tension Force in the Inhomogeneous Interstellar Medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asahina, Yuta; Ohsuga, Ken; Nomura, Mariko

    2017-01-01

    By performing three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations of subrelativistic jets and disk winds propagating into the magnetized inhomogeneous interstellar medium (ISM), we investigate the magnetic effects on the active galactic nucleus feedback. Our simulations reveal that the magnetic tension force promotes the acceleration of the dense gas clouds, since the magnetic field lines, which are initially straight, bend around the gas clouds. In the jet models, the velocity dispersion of the clouds increases with an increase in the initial magnetic fields. The increment of the kinetic energy of the clouds is proportional to the initial magnetic fields, implying that the magnetic tension force increases the energy conversion efficiency from the jet to the gas clouds. Through simulations of the mildly collimated disk wind and the funnel-shaped disk wind, we confirm that such an enhancement of the energy conversion efficiency via the magnetic fields appears even if the energy is injected via the disk winds. The enhancement of the acceleration of the dense part of the magnetized ISM via the magnetic tension force will occur wherever the magnetized inhomogeneous matter is blown away.

  19. ROSAT view of the ISM in the Large Magellanic Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, You-Hua

    1996-01-01

    Rosat observations of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) show a large scale unbounded diffuse X-ray emission, as well as an enhanced emission within large shell structures. These observations allow the distribution of hot ionized medium in the LMC to be examined. Moreover, the hot interior of supernova shells and superbubbles, supernova remnants and the multi-phase structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) can be investigated.

  20. Is interstellar detection of higher members of the linear radicals CnCH and CnN feasible?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pauzat, F.; Ellinger, Y.; Mclean, A.D.

    1991-01-01

    Rotational constants and dipole moments for linear-chain radicals CnCH and CnN are estimated using a combinatiaon of ab initio molecular orbital calculations and observed data on the starting members of the series. CnCH with n = 0-5 have been observed by radioastronomy in carbon-rich interstellar clouds; higher members of the series have 2Pi ground states with large dipole moments and are strong candidates for observation. CN and C3N have also been observed by radioastronomy; higher members of the series, with the possible exception of C5N, have 2Pi ground states with near-zero dipole moments making their interstellar detection hopeless under present observational conditions. C5N can be a strong candidate only if it has a 2Sigma ground state, and best computations so far indicate that this is not the case. 20 refs

  1. Cloud fluid models of gas dynamics and star formation in galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struck-Marcell, Curtis; Scalo, John M.; Appleton, P. N.

    1987-01-01

    The large dynamic range of star formation in galaxies, and the apparently complex environmental influences involved in triggering or suppressing star formation, challenges the understanding. The key to this understanding may be the detailed study of simple physical models for the dominant nonlinear interactions in interstellar cloud systems. One such model is described, a generalized Oort model cloud fluid, and two simple applications of it are explored. The first of these is the relaxation of an isolated volume of cloud fluid following a disturbance. Though very idealized, this closed box study suggests a physical mechanism for starbursts, which is based on the approximate commensurability of massive cloud lifetimes and cloud collisional growth times. The second application is to the modeling of colliding ring galaxies. In this case, the driving processes operating on a dynamical timescale interact with the local cloud processes operating on the above timescale. The results is a variety of interesting nonequilibrium behaviors, including spatial variations of star formation that do not depend monotonically on gas density.

  2. Interstellar Chemistry Gets More Complex With New Charged-Molecule Discovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-07-01

    Astronomers using data from the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have found the largest negatively-charged molecule yet seen in space. The discovery of the third negatively-charged molecule, called an anion, in less than a year and the size of the latest anion will force a drastic revision of theoretical models of interstellar chemistry, the astronomers say. Molecule formation Formation Process of Large, Negatively-Charged Molecule in Interstellar Space CREDIT: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF Click on image for page of graphics and detailed information "This discovery continues to add to the diversity and complexity that is already seen in the chemistry of interstellar space," said Anthony J. Remijan of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). "It also adds to the number of paths available for making the complex organic molecules and other large molecular species that may be precursors to life in the giant clouds from which stars and planets are formed," he added. Two teams of scientists found negatively-charged octatetraynyl, a chain of eight carbon atoms and one hydrogen atom, in the envelope of gas around an old, evolved star and in a cold, dark cloud of molecular gas. In both cases, the molecule had an extra electron, giving it a negative charge. About 130 neutral and about a dozen positively-charged molecules have been discovered in space, but the first negatively-charged molecule was not discovered until late last year. The largest previously-discovered negative ion found in space has six carbon atoms and one hydrogen atom. "Until recently, many theoretical models of how chemical reactions evolve in interstellar space have largely neglected the presence of anions. This can no longer be the case, and this means that there are many more ways to build large organic molecules in cosmic environments than have been explored," said Jan M. Hollis of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Ultraviolet light from stars can

  3. The destruction and growth of dust grains in interstellar space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barlow, M.J.

    1978-01-01

    The processes governing the destruction and growth of dust grains in interstellar space are investigated with a view to establishing the conditions required for the existence of ice mantles. In this paper sputtering by particles with energies in the eV to GeV range is considered. Previous sputtering yield estimates which were based on theoretical considerations are shown to be greatly in error for incident particle energies of less than 1 keV. Empirical formulae for the sputtering threshold energy and the sputtering yield are derived from the extensive experimental data available. The sputtering of grains in H II regions, in the inter-cloud medium, and in shock waves produced by cloud-cloud collisions and by supernova remnants, is investigated. Of these, supernova remnants are shown to be the most important, leading to lifetimes of approximately 2 x 10 8 yr for ice grains and between 5 to 20 x 10 8 yr for refractory grains. Destruction rates are estimated for grains bombarded by MeV and GeV cosmic rays. It is shown that collision cascade sputtering dominates evaporative sputtering produced by thermal spikes. It is also shown that even if all electron excitation energy loss in a grain material could be transferred to the lattice particles, the observed cosmic ray flux spectrum could not cause significant destruction of ice grains. (author)

  4. Dynamical instabilities in magnetohydrodynamic wind-cloud interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banda-Barragan, Wladimir Eduardo; Parkin, Elliot Ross; Crocker, Roland M.; Federrath, Christoph; Bicknell, Geoffrey Vincent

    2015-08-01

    We report the results from a comprehensive numerical study that investigates the role of dynamical instabilities in magnetohydrodynamic interactions between winds and spherical clouds in the interstellar medium. The growth of Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) and Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities at interfaces between wind and cloud material is responsible for the disruption of clouds and the formation of filamentary tails. We show how different strengths and orientations of the initial magnetic field affect the development of unstable modes and the ultimate morphology of these filaments. In the weak field limit, for example, KH instabilities developing at the flanks of clouds are dominant, whilst they are suppressed when stronger fields are considered. On the other hand, perturbations that originate RT instabilities at the leading edge of clouds are enhanced when fields are locally stronger. The orientation of the field lines also plays an important role in the structure of filaments. Magnetic ropes are key features of systems in which fields are aligned with the wind velocity, whilst current sheets are favoured when the initial field is preferentially transverse to the wind velocity. We compare our findings with analytical predictions obtained from the linear theory of hydromagnetic stability and provide a classification of filamentary tails based on their morphology.

  5. THE CHEMISTRY OF INTERSTELLAR OH{sup +}, H{sub 2}O{sup +}, AND H{sub 3}O{sup +}: INFERRING THE COSMIC-RAY IONIZATION RATES FROM OBSERVATIONS OF MOLECULAR IONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hollenbach, David [SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043-5203 (United States); Kaufman, M. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192-0106 (United States); Neufeld, D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Wolfire, M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Goicoechea, J. R. [Departamento de Astrofisica, Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC-INTA), 28850 Madrid (Spain)

    2012-08-01

    We model the production of OH{sup +}, H{sub 2}O{sup +}, and H{sub 3}O{sup +} in interstellar clouds, using a steady-state photodissociation region code that treats the freezeout of gas species, grain surface chemistry, and desorption of ices from grains. The code includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have important effects on the chemistry. All three ions generally have two peaks in abundance as a function of depth into the cloud, one at A{sub V} {approx}< 1 and one at A{sub V} {approx} 3-8, the exact values depending on the ratio of incident ultraviolet flux to gas density. For relatively low values of the incident far-ultraviolet flux on the cloud ({chi} {approx}< 1000; {chi} = 1 = local interstellar value), the columns of OH{sup +} and H{sub 2}O{sup +} scale roughly as the cosmic-ray primary ionization rate {zeta}{sub crp} divided by the hydrogen nucleus density n. The H{sub 3}O{sup +} column is dominated by the second peak, and we show that if PAHs are present, N(H{sub 3}O{sup +}) {approx}4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} cm{sup -2} independent of {zeta}{sub crp} or n. If there are no PAHs or very small grains at the second peak, N(H{sub 3}O{sup +}) can attain such columns only if low-ionization potential metals are heavily depleted. We also model diffuse and translucent clouds in the interstellar medium, and show how observations of N(OH{sup +})/N(H) and N(OH{sup +})/N(H{sub 2}O{sup +}) can be used to estimate {zeta}{sub crp}/n, {chi}/n and A{sub V} in them. We compare our models to Herschel observations of these two ions, and estimate {zeta}{sub crp} {approx}4-6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -16}(n/100 cm{sup -3}) s{sup -1} and {chi}/n = 0.03 cm{sup 3} for diffuse foreground clouds toward W49N.

  6. CLOUD TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander N. Dukkardt

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This article is devoted to the review of main features of cloud computing that can be used in education. Particular attention is paid to those learning and supportive tasks, that can be greatly improved in the case of the using of cloud services. Several ways to implement this approach are proposed, based on widely accepted models of providing cloud services. Nevertheless, the authors have not ignored currently existing problems of cloud technologies , identifying the most dangerous risks and their impact on the core business processes of the university. 

  7. Organic chemistry and biology of the interstellar medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagan, C.

    1973-01-01

    Interstellar organic chemistry is discussed as the field of study emerging from the discovery of microwave lines of formaldehyde and of hydrogen cyanide in the interstellar medium. The reliability of molecular identifications and comparisons of interstellar and cometary compounds are considered, along with the degradational origin of simple organics. It is pointed out that the contribution of interstellar organic chemistry to problems in biology is not substantive but analogical. The interstellar medium reveals the operation of chemical processes which, on earth and perhaps on vast numbers of planets throughout the universe, led to the origin of life, but the actual molecules of the interstellar medium are unlikely to play any significant biological role.

  8. Formation of buckminsterfullerene (C60) in interstellar space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berné, Olivier; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

    2012-01-01

    Buckminsterfullerene (C60) was recently confirmed to be the largest molecule identified in space. However, it remains unclear how, and where this molecule is formed. It is generally believed that C60 is formed from the build up of small carbonaceous compounds, in the hot and dense envelopes of evolved stars. Analyzing infrared observations, obtained by Spitzer and Herschel, we found that C60 is efficiently formed in the tenuous and cold environment of an interstellar cloud illuminated by strong ultraviolet (UV) radiation fields. This implies that another formation pathway, efficient at low densities, must exist. Based on recent laboratory and theoretical studies, we argue that Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are converted into graphene, and subsequently C60, under UV irradiation from massive stars. This shows that alternative - top-down - routes are key to understanding the organic inventory in space.

  9. A Search for O2 in CO-Depleted Molecular Cloud Cores With Herschel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirstroem, Eva S.; Charnley, Steven B.; Cordiner, Martin; Ceccarelli, Cecilia

    2016-01-01

    The general lack of molecular oxygen in molecular clouds is an outstanding problem in astrochemistry. Extensive searches with the Submillimeter Astronomical Satellite, Odin, and Herschel have only produced two detections; upper limits to the O2 abundance in the remaining sources observed are about 1000 times lower than predicted by chemical models. Previous atomic oxygen observations and inferences from observations of other molecules indicated that high abundances of O atoms might be present in dense cores exhibiting large amounts of CO depletion. Theoretical arguments concerning the oxygen gas-grain interaction in cold dense cores suggested that, if O atoms could survive in the gas after most of the rest of the heavy molecular material has frozen out onto dust, then O2 could be formed efficiently in the gas. Using Herschel HIFI, we searched a small sample of four depletion cores-L1544, L694-2, L429, and Oph D-for emission in the low excitation O2 N(sub J)?=?3(sub 3)-1(sub 2) line at 487.249 GHz. Molecular oxygen was not detected and we derive upper limits to its abundance in the range of N(O2)/N (H2) approx. = (0.6-1.6) x10(exp -7). We discuss the absence of O2 in the light of recent laboratory and observational studies.

  10. Ionization of Interstellar Hydrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whang, Y. C.

    1996-09-01

    Interstellar hydrogen can penetrate through the heliopause, enter the heliosphere, and may become ionized by photoionization and by charge exchange with solar wind protons. A fluid model is introduced to study the flow of interstellar hydrogen in the heliosphere. The flow is governed by moment equations obtained from integration of the Boltzmann equation over the velocity space. Under the assumption that the flow is steady axisymmetric and the pressure is isotropic, we develop a method of solution for this fluid model. This model and the method of solution can be used to study the flow of neutral hydrogen with various forms of ionization rate β and boundary conditions for the flow on the upwind side. We study the solution of a special case in which the ionization rate β is inversely proportional to R2 and the interstellar hydrogen flow is uniform at infinity on the upwind side. We solve the moment equations directly for the normalized density NH/NN∞, bulk velocity VH/VN∞, and temperature TH/TN∞ of interstellar hydrogen as functions of r/λ and z/λ, where λ is the ionization scale length. The solution is compared with the kinetic theory solution of Lallement et al. The fluid solution is much less time-consuming than the kinetic theory solutions. Since the ionization rate for production of pickup protons is directly proportional to the local density of neutral hydrogen, the high-resolution solution of interstellar neutral hydrogen obtained here will be used to study the global distribution of pickup protons.

  11. Core Emergence in a Massive Infrared Dark Cloud: A Comparison between Mid-IR Extinction and 1.3 mm Emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Shuo; Tan, Jonathan C.; Arce, Héctor G.; Caselli, Paola; Fontani, Francesco; Butler, Michael J.

    2018-03-01

    Stars are born from dense cores in molecular clouds. Observationally, it is crucial to capture the formation of cores in order to understand the necessary conditions and rate of the star formation process. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is extremely powerful for identifying dense gas structures, including cores, at millimeter wavelengths via their dust continuum emission. Here, we use ALMA to carry out a survey of dense gas and cores in the central region of the massive (∼105 M ⊙) infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G28.37+0.07. The observation consists of a mosaic of 86 pointings of the 12 m array and produces an unprecedented view of the densest structures of this IRDC. In this first Letter about this data set, we focus on a comparison between the 1.3 mm continuum emission and a mid-infrared (MIR) extinction map of the IRDC. This allows estimation of the “dense gas” detection probability function (DPF), i.e., as a function of the local mass surface density, Σ, for various choices of thresholds of millimeter continuum emission to define “dense gas.” We then estimate the dense gas mass fraction, f dg, in the central region of the IRDC and, via extrapolation with the DPF and the known Σ probability distribution function, to the larger-scale surrounding regions, finding values of about 5% to 15% for the fiducial choice of threshold. We argue that this observed dense gas is a good tracer of the protostellar core population and, in this context, estimate a star formation efficiency per free-fall time in the central IRDC region of ɛ ff ∼ 10%, with approximately a factor of two systematic uncertainties.

  12. SCUBA and HIRES Results for Protostellar Cores in the MON OB1 Dark Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf-Chase, G.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Fich, M.; Barsony, M.

    1999-05-01

    We have used HIRES-processing of IRAS data and point-source modelling techniques (Hurt & Barsony 1996; O'Linger 1997; Barsony et al. 1998), together with submillimeter continuum imaging using the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) on the 15-meter James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), to search CS cores in the Mon OB1 dark cloud (Wolf-Chase, Walker, & Lada 1995; Wolf-Chase & Walker 1995) for deeply embedded sources. These observations, as well as follow-up millimeter photometry at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 12-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, have lead to the identification of two Class 0 protostellar candidates, which were previously unresolved from two brighter IRAS point sources (IRAS 06382+0939 & IRAS 06381+1039) in this cloud. Until now, only one Class 0 object had been confirmed in Mon OB1; the driving source of the highly-collimated outflow NGC 2264 G (Ward-Thompson, Eiroa, & Casali 1995; Margulis et al. 1990; Lada & Fich 1996), which lies well outside the extended CS cores. One of the new Class 0 candidates may be an intermediate-mass source associated with an H_2O maser, and the other object is a low-mass source which may be associated with a near-infrared jet, and possibly with a molecular outflow. We report accurate positions for the new Class 0 candidates, based on the SCUBA images, and present new SEDs for these sources, as well as for the brighter IRAS point sources. A portion of this work was performed while GWC held a President's Fellowship from the University of California. MB and GWC gratefully acknowledge financial support from MB's NSF CAREER Grant, AST97-9753229.

  13. Champagne flutes and brandy snifters: modelling protostellar outflow-cloud chemical interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollins, R. P.; Rawlings, J. M. C.; Williams, D. A.; Redman, M. P.

    2014-10-01

    A rich variety of molecular species has now been observed towards hot cores in star-forming regions and in the interstellar medium. An increasing body of evidence from millimetre interferometers suggests that many of these form at the interfaces between protostellar outflows and their natal molecular clouds. However, current models have remained unable to explain the origin of the observational bias towards wide-angled `brandy snifter' shaped outflows over narrower `champagne flute' shapes in carbon monoxide imaging. Furthermore, these wide-angled systems exhibit unusually high abundances of the molecular ion HCO+. We present results from a chemodynamic model of such regions where a rich chemistry arises naturally as a result of turbulent mixing between cold, dense molecular gas and the hot, ionized outflow material. The injecta drives a rich and rapid ion-neutral chemistry in qualitative and quantitative agreement with the observations. The observational bias towards wide-angled outflows is explained naturally by the geometry-dependent ion injection rate causing rapid dissociation of CO in the younger systems.

  14. Mechanisms of heating the interstellar matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lequeux, J.

    1975-01-01

    The knowledge of the interstellar medium has been considerably improved in the recent years, thanks in particular to Radioastronomy and Ultraviolet Space Astronomy. This medium is a natural laboratory where the conditions and various and very different to what can be realised in terrestrial laboratories. To illustrate its interest for physicists here one of the most interesting but controversial points of interstellar astronomy is discussed: the mechanisms for heating and cooling the interstellar medium [fr

  15. Interstellar Probe: First Step to the Stars

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNutt, R. L., Jr.

    2017-12-01

    The idea of an "Interstellar Probe," a robotic spacecraft traveling into the nearby interstellar medium for the purpose of scientific investigation, dates to the mid-1960s. The Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM), an "accidental" 40-year-old by-product of the Grand Tour of the solar system, has provided initial answers to the problem of the global heliospheric configuration and the details of its interface with interstellar space. But the twin Voyager spacecraft have, at most, only another decade of lifetime, and only Voyager 1 has emerged from the heliosheath interaction region. To understand the nature of the interaction, a near-term mission to the "near-by" interstellar medium with modern and focused instrumentation remains a compelling priority. Imaging of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) by the Ion Neutral CAmera (INCA) on Cassini and from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) in Earth orbit have provided significant new insights into the global interaction region but point to discrepancies with our current understanding. Exploring "as far as possible" into "pristine" interstellar space can resolve these. Hence, reaching large heliocentric distances rapidly is a driver for an Interstellar Probe. Such a mission is timely; understanding the interstellar context of exoplanet systems - and perhaps the context for the emergence of life both here and there - hinges upon what we can discover within our own stellar neighborhood. With current spacecraft technology and high-capability launch vehicles, such as the Space Launch System (SLS), a small, but extremely capable spacecraft, could be dispatched to the near-by interstellar medium with at least twice the speed of the Voyagers. Challenges remain with payload mass and power constraints for optimized science measurements. Mission longevity, as experienced by, but not designed into, the Voyagers, communications capability, and radioisotope power system performance and lifetime are solvable engineering challenges. Such

  16. Interstellar Gas-phase Element Depletions in the Small Magellanic Cloud: A Guide to Correcting for Dust in QSO Absorption Line Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jenkins, Edward B. [Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544-1001 (United States); Wallerstein, George, E-mail: ebj@astro.princeton.edu, E-mail: walleg@u.washington.edu [University of Washington, Seattle, Dept. of Astronomy, Seattle, WA 98195-1580 (United States)

    2017-04-01

    We present data on the gas-phase abundances for 9 different elements in the interstellar medium of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), based on the strengths of ultraviolet absorption features over relevant velocities in the spectra of 18 stars within the SMC. From this information and the total abundances defined by the element fractions in young stars in the SMC, we construct a general interpretation on how these elements condense into solid form onto dust grains. As a group, the elements Si, S, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn exhibit depletion sequences similar to those in the local part of our Galaxy defined by Jenkins. The elements Mg and Ti deplete less rapidly in the SMC than in the Milky Way, and Mn depletes more rapidly. We speculate that these differences might be explained by the different chemical affinities to different existing grain substrates. For instance, there is evidence that the mass fractions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the SMC are significantly lower than those in the Milky Way. We propose that the depletion sequences that we observed for the SMC may provide a better model for interpreting the element abundances in low-metallicity Damped Lyman Alpha (DLA) and sub-DLA absorption systems that are recorded in the spectra of distant quasars and gamma-ray burst afterglows.

  17. DUST AND GAS IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS FROM THE HERITAGE HERSCHEL KEY PROJECT. II. GAS-TO-DUST RATIO VARIATIONS ACROSS INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM PHASES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roman-Duval, Julia; Gordon, Karl D.; Meixner, Margaret; Bot, Caroline; Bolatto, Alberto; Jameson, Katherine; Hughes, Annie; Hony, Sacha; Wong, Tony; Babler, Brian; Bernard, Jean-Philippe; Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Fukui, Yasuo; Galametz, Maud; Galliano, Frederic; Lebouteiller, Vianney; Lee, Min-Young; Glover, Simon; Israel, Frank; Li, Aigen

    2014-01-01

    The spatial variations of the gas-to-dust ratio (GDR) provide constraints on the chemical evolution and lifecycle of dust in galaxies. We examine the relation between dust and gas at 10-50 pc resolution in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) based on Herschel far-infrared (FIR), H I 21 cm, CO, and Hα observations. In the diffuse atomic interstellar medium (ISM), we derive the GDR as the slope of the dust-gas relation and find GDRs of 380 −130 +250 ± 3 in the LMC, and 1200 −420 +1600 ± 120 in the SMC, not including helium. The atomic-to-molecular transition is located at dust surface densities of 0.05 M ☉  pc –2 in the LMC and 0.03 M ☉  pc –2 in the SMC, corresponding to A V ∼ 0.4 and 0.2, respectively. We investigate the range of CO-to-H 2 conversion factor to best account for all the molecular gas in the beam of the observations, and find upper limits on X CO to be 6 × 10 20  cm –2  K –1  km –1 s in the LMC (Z = 0.5 Z ☉ ) at 15 pc resolution, and 4 × 10 21  cm –2  K –1  km –1 s in the SMC (Z = 0.2 Z ☉ ) at 45 pc resolution. In the LMC, the slope of the dust-gas relation in the dense ISM is lower than in the diffuse ISM by a factor ∼2, even after accounting for the effects of CO-dark H 2 in the translucent envelopes of molecular clouds. Coagulation of dust grains and the subsequent dust emissivity increase in molecular clouds, and/or accretion of gas-phase metals onto dust grains, and the subsequent dust abundance (dust-to-gas ratio) increase in molecular clouds could explain the observations. In the SMC, variations in the dust-gas slope caused by coagulation or accretion are degenerate with the effects of CO-dark H 2 . Within the expected 5-20 times Galactic X CO range, the dust-gas slope can be either constant or decrease by a factor of several across ISM phases. Further modeling and observations are required to break the degeneracy between dust grain coagulation, accretion, and CO-dark H 2

  18. Interstellar extinction and polarization in the infrared

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, P.G.; Whittet, D.C.B.

    1990-01-01

    The wavelength dependences of interstellar continuum extinction and polarization in the range 0.35-5 microns are examined. The existence of a universal extinction curve with power law index of about 1.8 extending from the near-IR to at least 5 microns appears to be established for both diffuse and dense cloud dust. The polarization yields evidence for some degree of universality in the 1.6-5 micron regime which may be represented by a power law with index 1.5-2.0, encompassing that for extinction. The form of the polarization curve in the IR seems independent of the wavelength at which the degree of polarization peaks in the optical, implying that variations in that wavelength are caused by changes in the optical properties of the particle at blue-visible rather than IR wavelengths. It is argued that the more significant alterations of the grain size distribution from one environment to another occur for the smaller particles. 47 refs

  19. Analysis of "Midnight" Tracks in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector: Possible Discovery of a Contemporary Interstellar Dust Grain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westphal, A. J.; Allen, C.; Bajit, S.; Bastien, R.; Bechtel, H.; Bleuet, P.; Borg, J.; Brenker, F.; Bridges, J.; Brownlee, D. E.; hide

    2010-01-01

    In January 2006, the Stardust sample return capsule returned to Earth bearing the first solid samples from a primitive solar system body, Comet 81P/Wild2, and a collector dedicated to the capture and return of contemporary interstellar dust. Both collectors were approximately 0.1m(exp 2) in area and were composed of aerogel tiles (85% of the collecting area) and aluminum foils. The Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector (SIDC) was exposed to the interstellar dust stream for a total exposure factor of 20 m(exp 2) day. The Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE) is a three-year effort to characterize the collection using nondestructive techniques.

  20. The Jeans Condition and Collapsing Molecular Cloud Cores: Filaments or Binaries?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boss, Alan P.; Fisher, Robert T.; Klein, Richard I.; McKee, Christopher F.

    2000-01-01

    consistent results. However, the B and M barotropic result differs significantly from the B and M Eddington result at the same maximum density, demonstrating the importance of detailed radiative transfer effects. Finally, we confirm that even in the case of isothermal collapse, an initially uniform density sphere can collapse and fragment into a binary system, in agreement with the 1998 results of Truelove et al. Fragmentation of molecular cloud cores thus appears to remain as a likely explanation of the formation of binary stars, but the sensitivity of these calculations to the numerical resolution and to the thermodynamical treatment demonstrates the need for considerable caution in computing and interpreting three-dimensional protostellar collapse calculations. (c) (c) 2000. The American Astronomical Society

  1. Long-period variables in the Magellanic Clouds: Supergiants, AGB stars, supernova precursors, planetary nebula precursors, and enrichment of the interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, P.; Bessell, M.S.; Fox, M.W.

    1983-01-01

    Infrared JHK magnitudes and low-dispersion red spectra have been obtained for 90 long-period variables (LPVs) in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. The LPVs fall into two distinct groups, core helium (or carbon) burning supergiants and stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). The supergiants have small pulsation amplitudes in K ( or approx. =5 M/sub sun/ produce supernovae while less massive stars produce planetary nebulae with nebula masses from approx.0.1--2.1 M/sub sun/. The coreburning red supergiants appear highly overluminous for their pulsation mass, indicating that they have lost up to half their mass since the main-sequence phase

  2. THERMODYNAMICS AND CHARGING OF INTERSTELLAR IRON NANOPARTICLES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hensley, Brandon S. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Draine, B. T., E-mail: brandon.s.hensley@jpl.nasa.gov [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

    2017-01-10

    Interstellar iron in the form of metallic iron nanoparticles may constitute a component of the interstellar dust. We compute the stability of iron nanoparticles to sublimation in the interstellar radiation field, finding that iron clusters can persist down to a radius of ≃4.5 Å, and perhaps smaller. We employ laboratory data on small iron clusters to compute the photoelectric yields as a function of grain size and the resulting grain charge distribution in various interstellar environments, finding that iron nanoparticles can acquire negative charges, particularly in regions with high gas temperatures and ionization fractions. If ≳10% of the interstellar iron is in the form of ultrasmall iron clusters, the photoelectric heating rate from dust may be increased by up to tens of percent relative to dust models with only carbonaceous and silicate grains.

  3. Dust evolution, a global view: III. Core/mantle grains, organic nano-globules, comets and surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Within the framework of The Heterogeneous dust Evolution Model for Interstellar Solids (THEMIS), this work explores the surface processes and chemistry relating to core/mantle interstellar and cometary grain structures and their influence on the nature of these fascinating particles. It appears that a realistic consideration of the nature and chemical reactivity of interstellar grain surfaces could self-consistently and within a coherent framework explain: the anomalous oxygen depletion, the nature of the CO dark gas, the formation of ‘polar ice’ mantles, the red wing on the 3 μm water ice band, the basis for the O-rich chemistry observed in hot cores, the origin of organic nano-globules and the 3.2 μm ‘carbonyl’ absorption band observed in comet reflectance spectra. It is proposed that the reaction of gas phase species with carbonaceous a-C(:H) grain surfaces in the interstellar medium, in particular the incorporation of atomic oxygen into grain surfaces in epoxide functional groups, is the key to explaining these observations. Thus, the chemistry of cosmic dust is much more intimately related with that of the interstellar gas than has previously been considered. The current models for interstellar gas and dust chemistry will therefore most likely need to be fundamentally modified to include these new grain surface processes. PMID:28083090

  4. Cloud Computing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krogh, Simon

    2013-01-01

    with technological changes, the paradigmatic pendulum has swung between increased centralization on one side and a focus on distributed computing that pushes IT power out to end users on the other. With the introduction of outsourcing and cloud computing, centralization in large data centers is again dominating...... the IT scene. In line with the views presented by Nicolas Carr in 2003 (Carr, 2003), it is a popular assumption that cloud computing will be the next utility (like water, electricity and gas) (Buyya, Yeo, Venugopal, Broberg, & Brandic, 2009). However, this assumption disregards the fact that most IT production......), for instance, in establishing and maintaining trust between the involved parties (Sabherwal, 1999). So far, research in cloud computing has neglected this perspective and focused entirely on aspects relating to technology, economy, security and legal questions. While the core technologies of cloud computing (e...

  5. PROPERTIES OF DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR BANDS AT DIFFERENT PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kos, J.; Zwitter, T.

    2013-01-01

    Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) can trace different conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM) along the sightline toward the observed stars. A small survey was made in optical wavelengths, producing high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra. We present measurements of 19 DIBs' properties in 50 sightlines toward hot stars, distributed at a variety of galactic coordinates and interstellar reddening. Equivalent widths were obtained by fitting asymmetric Gaussian and variable continua to DIBs. Conditions of the ISM were calculated from eight atomic and molecular interstellar lines. Two distinctly different types of DIBs were identified by carefully comparing correlation coefficients between DIBs and reddening and by different behavior in UV-shielded (ζ) and nonshielded (σ) sightlines. A ratio of DIBs at 5780 Å and 5797 Å proved to be reliable enough to distinguish between two different sightline types. Based on the linear relations between DIB equivalent width and reddening for σ and ζ sightlines, we divide DIBs into type I (where both linear relations are similar) and type II (where they are significantly different). The linear relation for ζ type sightlines always shows a higher slope and larger x-intercept parameter than the relation for σ sightlines. Scatter around the linear relation is reduced after the separation, but it does not vanish completely. This means that UV shielding is the dominant factor of the DIB equivalent width versus reddening relation shape for ζ sightlines, but in σ sightlines other physical parameters play a major role. No similar dependency on gas density, electron density, or turbulence was observed. A catalog of all observed interstellar lines is made public

  6. Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination IV: Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy Analyses of Impact Features in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butterworth, Anna L.; Westphal, Andrew J.; Frank, David R.; Allen, Carlton C.; Bechtel, Hans A.; Sandford, Scott A.; Tsou, Peter; Zolensky, Michael E.

    2014-01-01

    We report the quantitative characterization by synchrotron soft X-ray spectroscopy of 31 potential impact features in the aerogel capture medium of the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector. Samples were analyzed in aerogel by acquiring high spatial resolution maps and high energy-resolution spectra of major rock-forming elements Mg, Al, Si, Fe, and others. We developed diagnostic screening tests to reject spacecraft secondary ejecta and terrestrial contaminants from further consideration as interstellar dust candidates. The results support an extraterrestrial origin for three interstellar candidates: I1043,1,30 (Orion) is a 3 pg particle with Mg-spinel, forsterite, and an iron-bearing phase. I1047,1,34 (Hylabrook) is a 4 pg particle comprising an olivine core surrounded by low-density, amorphous Mg-silicate and amorphous Fe, Cr, and Mn phases. I1003,1,40 (Sorok) has the track morphology of a high-speed impact, but contains no detectable residue that is convincingly distinguishable from the background aerogel. Twenty-two samples with an anthropogenic origin were rejected, including four secondary ejecta from impacts on the Stardust spacecraft aft solar panels, nine ejecta from secondary impacts on the Stardust Sample Return Capsule, and nine contaminants lacking evidence of an impact. Other samples in the collection included I1029,1,6, which contained surviving solar system impactor material. Four samples remained ambiguous: I1006,2,18, I1044,2,32, and I1092,2,38 were too dense for analysis, and we did not detect an intact projectile in I1044,3,33. We detected no radiation effects from the synchrotron soft X-ray analyses; however, we recorded the effects of synchrotron hard X-ray radiation on I1043,1,30 and I1047,1,34.

  7. THE EVOLUTION OF GAS CLOUDS FALLING IN THE MAGNETIZED GALACTIC HALO: HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUDS (HVCs) ORIGINATED IN THE GALACTIC FOUNTAIN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwak, Kyujin; Shelton, Robin L.; Raley, Elizabeth A.

    2009-01-01

    In the Galactic fountain scenario, supernovae and/or stellar winds propel material into the Galactic halo. As the material cools, it condenses into clouds. By using FLASH three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we model and study the dynamical evolution of these gas clouds after they form and begin to fall toward the Galactic plane. In our simulations, we assume that the gas clouds form at a height of z = 5 kpc above the Galactic midplane, then begin to fall from rest. We investigate how the cloud's evolution, dynamics, and interaction with the interstellar medium (ISM) are affected by the initial mass of the cloud. We find that clouds with sufficiently large initial densities (n ≥ 0.1 H atoms cm -3 ) accelerate sufficiently and maintain sufficiently large column densities as to be observed and identified as high-velocity clouds (HVCs) even if the ISM is weakly magnetized (1.3 μG). However, the ISM can provide noticeable resistance to the motion of a low-density cloud (n ≤ 0.01 H atoms cm -3 ) thus making it more probable that a low-density cloud will attain the speed of an intermediate-velocity cloud rather than the speed of an HVC. We also investigate the effects of various possible magnetic field configurations. As expected, the ISM's resistance is greatest when the magnetic field is strong and perpendicular to the motion of the cloud. The trajectory of the cloud is guided by the magnetic field lines in cases where the magnetic field is oriented diagonal to the Galactic plane. The model cloud simulations show that the interactions between the cloud and the ISM can be understood via analogy to the shock tube problem which involves shock and rarefaction waves. We also discuss accelerated ambient gas, streamers of material ablated from the clouds, and the cloud's evolution from a sphere-shaped to a disk- or cigar-shaped object.

  8. GALACTIC COSMIC RAYS IN THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: VOYAGER 1 OBSERVATIONS AND MODEL RESULTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cummings, A. C.; Stone, E. C. [California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Heikkila, B. C.; Lal, N. [Goddard Space Flight Center. Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Webber, W. R. [New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Jóhannesson, G. [University of Iceland, Reykjavik (Iceland); Moskalenko, I. V.; Orlando, E.; Porter, T. A. [HEPL and KIPAC, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)

    2016-11-01

    Since 2012 August Voyager 1 has been observing the local interstellar energy spectra of Galactic cosmic-ray nuclei down to 3 MeV nuc{sup -1} and electrons down to 2.7 MeV. The H and He spectra have the same energy dependence between 3 and 346 MeV nuc{sup -1}, with a broad maximum in the 10–50 MeV nuc{sup -1} range and a H/He ratio of 12.2 ± 0.9. The peak H intensity is ∼15 times that observed at 1 AU, and the observed local interstellar gradient of 3–346 MeV H is -0.009 ± 0.055% AU{sup -1}, consistent with models having no local interstellar gradient. The energy spectrum of electrons ( e {sup -} + e {sup +}) with 2.7–74 MeV is consistent with E {sup -1.30±0.05} and exceeds the H intensity at energies below ∼50 MeV. Propagation model fits to the observed spectra indicate that the energy density of cosmic-ray nuclei with >3 MeV nuc{sup -1} and electrons with >3 MeV is 0.83–1.02 eV cm{sup -3} and the ionization rate of atomic H is in the range of 1.51–1.64 × 10{sup -17} s{sup -1}. This rate is a factor >10 lower than the ionization rate in diffuse interstellar clouds, suggesting significant spatial inhomogeneity in low-energy cosmic rays or the presence of a suprathermal tail on the energy spectrum at much lower energies. The propagation model fits also provide improved estimates of the elemental abundances in the source of Galactic cosmic rays.

  9. Computing the complex : Dusty plasmas in the presence of magnetic fields and UV radiation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Land, V.

    2007-01-01

    About 90% of the visible universe is plasma. Interstellar clouds, stellar cores and atmospheres, the Solar wind, the Earth's ionosphere, polar lights, and lightning are all plasma; ionized gases, consisting of electrons, ions, and neutrals. Not only many industries, like the microchip and solar cell

  10. Overlapping Open Clusters NGC 1750 and NGC 1758 behind the Taurus Dark Clouds. II. CCD Photometry in the Vilnius System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Straižys V.

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Seven-color photometry in the Vilnius system has been obtained for 420 stars down to V = 16 mag in the area containing the overlapping open clusters NGC 1750 and NGC 1758 in Taurus. Spectral and luminosity classes, color excesses, interstellar extinctions and distances are given for 287 stars. The classification of stars is based on their reddening-free Q-parameters. 18 stars observed photoelectrically were used as standards. The extinction vs. distance diagram exhibits the presence of one dust cloud at a distance of 175 pc which almost coincides with a distance of other dust clouds in the Taurus complex. The clusters NGC 1750 and NGC 1758 are found to be at the same distance of ~760 pc and may penetrate each other. Their interstellar extinction AV is 1.06 mag which corresponds to EB-V = 0.34 mag.

  11. High-latitude molecular clouds and infrared cirrus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vries, H.W. de.

    1988-01-01

    The high-latitude infrared cirrus detected by IRAS is identified with atomic and molecular clouds. These clouds are small (usually less than 1 sq. deg.) and show weak CO emission. On the basis of a distance of 100 pc they are characterized by a mass of a few solar masses and a radius of about 1 pc. Thermal radiation by dust as a results of heating by the diffuse interstellar radiation field is the most-plausible origin of the cirrus emission at far-infrared wavelengths. On the basis of plausible assumptions regarding the uniformity of both the gas-to-dust ratio and the heating and cooling of the dust, the flux density at 100 μm from regions with low visual extinction should be a good tracer of the gas column density. Indeed, the data show an approximately linear proportionality between N(HI), obtained from 21-cm observations, and I 100 (HI), the flux density from dust associated with HI. If the ratio of column density to flux density in high-latitude molecular clouds is equal to the corresponding relation in atomic ones, a value for the ratio of H 2 column density to CO velocity-integrated radiation temperature may be obtained. Although low-mass clouds may be large in number, the fraction of the Galactic molecular mass in the form of these clouds is probably no more than 1%

  12. Interstellar scattering and resolution limitations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dennison, B.

    1987-01-01

    Density irregularities in both the interplanetary medium and the ionized component of the interstellar medium scatter radio waves, resulting in limitations on the achievable resolution. Interplanetary scattering (IPS) is weak for most observational situations, and in principle the resulting phase corruption can be corrected for when observing with sufficiently many array elements. Interstellar scattering (ISS), on the other hand, is usually strong at frequencies below about 8 GHz, in which case intrinsic structure information over a range of angular scales is irretrievably lost. With the earth-space baselines now planned, it will be possible to search directly for interstellar refraction, which is suspected of modulating the fluxes of background sources. 14 references

  13. Interstellar Grains as Amino Acid Factories and the Origin of Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorrell, Wilfred H.

    1997-09-01

    Some two decades ago, Hoyle and Wickramasinghe (1976) proposed that the physical conditions inside dense molecular clouds favour the formation of amino acids and complex organic polymers. There now exists both astronomical and laboratory evidence supporting this idea. Recent millimeter array observations have discovered the amino acid glycine (NH2CH2COOH) in the gas phase of the dense star-forming cloud Sagittarius B2. These observations would pose serious problems for present-day theories of molecule formation in space because it is unlikely that glycline can form by the gas-phase reaction schemes normally considered for dense cloud chemistry. Several laboratory experiments suggest a new paradigm in which amino acids and other large organic molecules are chemically manufactured inside the bulk interior of icy grain mantles photoprocessed by direct and scattered ultraviolet starlight. Frequent chemical explosions of the processed mantles would eject large fragments of organic dust into the ambient cloud. Large dust fragments break up into smaller ones by sputtering and ultimately by photodissociation of individual molecules. Hence, a sizeable column density (N≈ 1010-1015 cm-2) of amino acids would be present in the gaseous medium as a consequence of balancing the rate of supply from exploding mantles with the rate of molecule destruction. Exploding mantles can therefore solve the longstanding molecule desorption problem for interstellar dense cloud chemistry. A sizeable fraction of the organic dust population can survive destruction and seed primitive planetary systems throughout our galaxy with prebiological organic molecules needed for proteins and nucleic acids in living organisms. This possibility provides fresh grounds for a new version of the old panspermia hypothesis first introduced by Anaxagoras. It is shown that panspermia is more important than asteroid and cometary organic depositions onto primitive Earth. Furthermore, no appeal to Miller

  14. Abundances in the diffuse interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harris, A.W.

    1988-04-01

    The wealth of interstellar absorption line data obtained with the Copernicus and IUE satellites has opened up a new era in studies of the interstellar gas. It is now well established that certain elements, generally those with high condensation temperatures, are substantially under-abundant in the gas-phase relative to total solar or cosmic abundances. This depletion of elements is due to the existence of solid material in the form of dust grains in the interstellar medium. Surprisingly, however, recent surveys indicate that even volatile elements such as Zn and S are significantly depleted in many sight lines. Developments in this field which have been made possible by the large base of UV interstellar absorption line data built up over recent years are reviewed and the implications of the results for our understanding of the physical processes governing depletion are discussed. (author)

  15. The Spitzer Survey of Interstellar Clouds in the Gould Belt. VI. The Auriga-California Molecular Cloud Observed with IRAC and MIPS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broekhoven-Fiene, Hannah; Matthews, Brenda C.; Harvey, Paul M.; Gutermuth, Robert A.; Huard, Tracy L.; Tothill, Nicholas F. H.; Nutter, David; Bourke, Tyler L.; DiFrancesco, James; Jorgensen, Jes K.; hide

    2014-01-01

    We present observations of the Auriga-California Molecular Cloud (AMC) at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0, 24, 70 and 160 micrometers observed with the IRAC and MIPS detectors as part of the Spitzer Gould Belt Legacy Survey. The total mapped areas are 2.5 deg(exp 2) with IRAC and 10.47 deg2 with MIPS. This giant molecular cloud is one of two in the nearby Gould Belt of star-forming regions, the other being the Orion A Molecular Cloud (OMC). We compare source counts, colors and magnitudes in our observed region to a subset of the SWIRE data that was processed through our pipeline. Using color-magnitude and color-color diagrams, we find evidence for a substantial population of 166 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the cloud, many of which were previously unknown. Most of this population is concentrated around the LkH(alpha) 101 cluster and the filament extending from it. We present a quantitative description of the degree of clustering and discuss the fraction of YSOs in the region with disks relative to an estimate of the diskless YSO population. Although the AMC is similar in mass, size and distance to the OMC, it is forming about 15 - 20 times fewer stars.

  16. Cloud Computing: An Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Ling; Luo, Zhiguo; Du, Yujian; Guo, Leitao

    In order to support the maximum number of user and elastic service with the minimum resource, the Internet service provider invented the cloud computing. within a few years, emerging cloud computing has became the hottest technology. From the publication of core papers by Google since 2003 to the commercialization of Amazon EC2 in 2006, and to the service offering of AT&T Synaptic Hosting, the cloud computing has been evolved from internal IT system to public service, from cost-saving tools to revenue generator, and from ISP to telecom. This paper introduces the concept, history, pros and cons of cloud computing as well as the value chain and standardization effort.

  17. Physical Conditions in Shocked Interstellar Gas Interacting with the Supernova Remnant IC 443

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritchey, Adam M.; Federman, Steven Robert; Jenkins, Edward B.; Caprioli, Damiano; Wallerstein, George

    2018-06-01

    We present the results of a detailed investigation into the physical conditions in interstellar material interacting with the supernova remnant IC 443. Our analysis is based on an examination of high-resolution HST/STIS spectra of two stars probing predominantly neutral gas located both ahead of and behind the supernova shock front. The pre-shock neutral gas is characterized by densities and temperatures typical of diffuse interstellar clouds, while the post-shock material exhibits a range of more extreme physical conditions, including high temperatures (>104 K) in some cases, which may require a sudden heating event to explain. The ionization level is enhanced in the high-temperature post-shock material, which could be the result of enhanced radiation from shocks or from an increase in cosmic-ray ionization. The gas-phase abundances of refractory elements are also enhanced in the high-pressure gas, suggesting efficient destruction of dust grains by shock sputtering. Observations of highly-ionized species at very high velocity indicate a post-shock temperature of 107 K for the hot X-ray emitting plasma of the remnant’s interior, in agreement with studies of thermal X-ray emission from IC 443.

  18. Cosmic rays, gas and dust in nearby anticentre clouds. I. CO-to-H2 conversion factors and dust opacities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remy, Q.; Grenier, I. A.; Marshall, D. J.; Casandjian, J. M.

    2017-05-01

    Aims: We aim to explore the capabilities of dust emission and γ rays for probing the properties of the interstellar medium in the nearby anti-centre region, using γ-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), and the thermal dust optical depth inferred from Planck and IRAS observations. We also aim to study massive star-forming clouds including the well known Taurus, Auriga, Perseus, and California molecular clouds, as well as a more diffuse structure which we refer to as Cetus. In particular, we aim at quantifying potential variations in cosmic-ray density and dust properties per gas nucleon across the different gas phases and different clouds, and at measuring the CO-to-H2 conversion factor, XCO, in different environments. Methods: We have separated six nearby anti-centre clouds that are coherent in velocities and distances, from the Galactic-disc background in H I 21-cm and 12CO 2.6-mm line emission. We have jointly modelled the γ-ray intensity recorded between 0.4 and 100 GeV, and the dust optical depth τ353 at 353 GHz as a combination of H I-bright, CO-bright, and ionised gas components. The complementary information from dust emission and γ rays was used to reveal the gas not seen, or poorly traced, by H I, free-free, and 12CO emissions, namely (I) the opaque H iand diffuse H2 present in the Dark Neutral Medium at the atomic-molecular transition, and (II) the dense H2 to be added where 12CO lines saturate. Results: The measured interstellar γ-ray spectra support a uniform penetration of the cosmic rays with energies above a few GeV through the clouds, from the atomic envelopes to the 12CO-bright cores, and with a small ± 9% cloud-to-cloud dispersion in particle flux. We detect the ionised gas from the H iiregion NGC 1499 in the dust and γ-ray emissions and measure its mean electron density and temperature. We find a gradual increase in grain opacity as the gas (atomic or molecular) becomes more dense. The increase reaches a factor of

  19. The third flight of CHESS: Preliminary analysis of interstellar H2 on the β1 Sco sightline

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruczek, Nick; France, Kevin

    2018-01-01

    We describe the scientific motivation and technical development of the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), focusing on the preliminary science results for the third launch of the payload (CHESS-3). CHESS is a far ultraviolet rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium. CHESS is an objective echelle spectrograph, which uses a mechanically-ruled echelle and a powered (f/12.4) cross-dispersing grating, and is designed to achieve a resolving power R > 100,000 over the band pass λλ 1000-1600 Å. CHESS-3 launched on 14 June 2017 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket mission 36.323 UG. The target for the flight was β1 Sco, a B1V star with a sightline that is likely sampling translucent material. We present flight results of interstellar molecular hydrogen excitation, including initial measurements of the column density and temperature, on the sightline.

  20. Context-aware distributed cloud computing using CloudScheduler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seuster, R.; Leavett-Brown, CR; Casteels, K.; Driemel, C.; Paterson, M.; Ring, D.; Sobie, RJ; Taylor, RP; Weldon, J.

    2017-10-01

    The distributed cloud using the CloudScheduler VM provisioning service is one of the longest running systems for HEP workloads. It has run millions of jobs for ATLAS and Belle II over the past few years using private and commercial clouds around the world. Our goal is to scale the distributed cloud to the 10,000-core level, with the ability to run any type of application (low I/O, high I/O and high memory) on any cloud. To achieve this goal, we have been implementing changes that utilize context-aware computing designs that are currently employed in the mobile communication industry. Context-awareness makes use of real-time and archived data to respond to user or system requirements. In our distributed cloud, we have many opportunistic clouds with no local HEP services, software or storage repositories. A context-aware design significantly improves the reliability and performance of our system by locating the nearest location of the required services. We describe how we are collecting and managing contextual information from our workload management systems, the clouds, the virtual machines and our services. This information is used not only to monitor the system but also to carry out automated corrective actions. We are incrementally adding new alerting and response services to our distributed cloud. This will enable us to scale the number of clouds and virtual machines. Further, a context-aware design will enable us to run analysis or high I/O application on opportunistic clouds. We envisage an open-source HTTP data federation (for example, the DynaFed system at CERN) as a service that would provide us access to existing storage elements used by the HEP experiments.

  1. ON THE STAR FORMATION RATES IN MOLECULAR CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lada, Charles J.; Lombardi, Marco; Alves, Joao F.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the level of star formation activity within nearby molecular clouds. We employ a uniform set of infrared extinction maps to provide accurate assessments of cloud mass and structure and compare these with inventories of young stellar objects within the clouds. We present evidence indicating that both the yield and rate of star formation can vary considerably in local clouds, independent of their mass and size. We find that the surface density structure of such clouds appears to be important in controlling both these factors. In particular, we find that the star formation rate (SFR) in molecular clouds is linearly proportional to the cloud mass (M 0.8 ) above an extinction threshold of A K ∼ 0.8 mag, corresponding to a gas surface density threshold of Σ gas ∼ 116 M sun pc 2 . We argue that this surface density threshold corresponds to a gas volume density threshold which we estimate to be n(H 2 ) ∼ 10 4 cm -3 . Specifically, we find SFR (M sun yr -1 ) = 4.6 ± 2.6 x 10 -8 M 0.8 (M sun ) for the clouds in our sample. This relation between the rate of star formation and the amount of dense gas in molecular clouds appears to be in excellent agreement with previous observations of both galactic and extragalactic star-forming activity. It is likely the underlying physical relationship or empirical law that most directly connects star formation activity with interstellar gas over many spatial scales within and between individual galaxies. These results suggest that the key to obtaining a predictive understanding of the SFRs in molecular clouds and galaxies is to understand those physical factors which give rise to the dense components of these clouds.

  2. CPL : A Core Language for Cloud Computing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bračevac, Oliver; Erdweg, S.T.; Salvaneschi, Guido; Mezini, Mira

    2016-01-01

    Running distributed applications in the cloud involves deployment. That is, distribution and configuration of application services and middleware infrastructure. The considerable complexity of these tasks resulted in the emergence of declarative JSON-based domain-specific deployment languages to

  3. STAR FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES. II. THE EFFECT OF STAR FORMATION AND PHOTOELECTRIC HEATING ON THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tasker, Elizabeth J.

    2011-01-01

    We investigate the effect of star formation and diffuse photoelectric heating on the properties of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) formed in high-resolution (∼ H,c >100 cm -3 are identified as GMCs. Between 1000 and 1500 clouds are created in the simulations with masses M>10 5 M sun and 180-240 with masses M>10 6 M sun in agreement with estimates of the Milky Way's population. We find that the effect of photoelectric heating is to suppress the fragmentation of the interstellar medium, resulting in a filamentary structure in the warm gas surrounding clouds. This environment suppresses the formation of a retrograde rotating cloud population, with 88% of the clouds rotating prograde with respect to the galaxy after 300 Myr. The diffuse heating also reduces the initial star formation rate (SFR), slowing the conversation of gas into stars. We therefore conclude that the interstellar environment plays an important role in the GMC evolution. Our clouds live between 0 and 20 Myr with a high infant mortality (t' < 3 Myr) due to cloud mergers and star formation. Other properties, including distributions of mass, size, and surface density, agree well with observations. Collisions between our clouds are common, occurring at a rate of ∼ 1/4 of the orbital period. It is not clear whether such collisions trigger or suppress star formation at our current resolution. Our SFR is a factor of 10 higher than observations in local galaxies. This is likely due to the absence of localized feedback in our models.

  4. Methods for Detection of Families of Molecules in the Interstellar Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langston, Glen

    2014-06-01

    We present a high velocity resolution (0.04 km/sec) molecular line survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud in the frequency range 39 to 48 GHz with NSF's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank telescope (GBT). The observing method and data reduction process are outlined. We describe the method of obtaining the calibrated, averaged spectral line data online. The RMS survey sensitivity was slightly different for each 200MHz frequency band, and ranged from 0.02 to 0.15 K (T_B) for the different bands. A large number of molecular lines are detected, most of which have previously been associated with already known interstellar molecules. We present a summary processes to combine a number of lines of molecular species in order to identify new species.

  5. Observational constraints on interstellar chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winnewisser, G.

    1984-01-01

    The author points out presently existing observational constraints in the detection of interstellar molecular species and the limits they may cast on our knowledge of interstellar chemistry. The constraints which arise from the molecular side are summarised and some technical difficulties encountered in detecting new species are discussed. Some implications for our understanding of molecular formation processes are considered. (Auth.)

  6. Cloud Chamber

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gfader, Verina

    Cloud Chamber takes its roots in a performance project, titled The Guests 做东, devised by Verina Gfader for the 11th Shanghai Biennale, ‘Why Not Ask Again: Arguments, Counter-arguments, and Stories’. Departing from the inclusion of the biennale audience to write a future folk tale, Cloud Chamber......: fiction and translation and translation through time; post literacy; world picturing-world typing; and cartographic entanglements and expressions of subjectivity; through the lens a social imaginary of worlding or cosmological quest. Art at its core? Contributions by Nikos Papastergiadis, Rebecca Carson...

  7. Neutral interstellar helium parameters based on Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-LO observations: What are the reasons for the differences?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katushkina, O. A.; Izmodenov, V. V.; Wood, B. E.; McMullin, D. R.

    2014-01-01

    Recent analysis of the interstellar helium fluxes measured in 2009-2010 at Earth's orbit by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has suggested that the interstellar velocity (both direction and magnitude) is inconsistent with that derived previously from Ulysses/GAS observations made in the period from 1990 to 2002 at 1.5-5.5 AU from the Sun. Both results are model dependent, and models that were used in the analyses are different. In this paper, we perform an analysis of the Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-Lo data using our state-of-the-art three-dimensional time-dependent kinetic model of interstellar atoms in the heliosphere. For the first time, we analyze Ulysses/GAS data from year 2007, the closest available Ulysses/GAS observations in time to the IBEX observations. We show that the interstellar velocity derived from the Ulysses 2007 data is consistent with previous Ulysses results and does not agree with the velocity derived from IBEX. This conclusion is very robust since, as is shown in the paper, it does not depend on the ionization rates adopted in theoretical models. We conclude that Ulysses data are not consistent with the new local interstellar medium (LISM) velocity vector from IBEX. In contrast, IBEX data, in principle, could be explained with the LISM velocity vector derived from the Ulysses data. This is possible for the models where the interstellar temperature increased from 6300 K to 9000 K. There is a need to perform further studies of possible reasons for the broadening of the helium signal core measured by IBEX, which could be an instrumental effect or could be due to unconsidered physical processes.

  8. Neutral interstellar helium parameters based on Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-LO observations: What are the reasons for the differences?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katushkina, O. A.; Izmodenov, V. V. [Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Wood, B. E. [Naval Research Laboratory, Space Science Division, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); McMullin, D. R., E-mail: okat@iki.rssi.ru [Space Systems Research Corporation, Alexandria, VA 22314 (United States)

    2014-07-01

    Recent analysis of the interstellar helium fluxes measured in 2009-2010 at Earth's orbit by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has suggested that the interstellar velocity (both direction and magnitude) is inconsistent with that derived previously from Ulysses/GAS observations made in the period from 1990 to 2002 at 1.5-5.5 AU from the Sun. Both results are model dependent, and models that were used in the analyses are different. In this paper, we perform an analysis of the Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-Lo data using our state-of-the-art three-dimensional time-dependent kinetic model of interstellar atoms in the heliosphere. For the first time, we analyze Ulysses/GAS data from year 2007, the closest available Ulysses/GAS observations in time to the IBEX observations. We show that the interstellar velocity derived from the Ulysses 2007 data is consistent with previous Ulysses results and does not agree with the velocity derived from IBEX. This conclusion is very robust since, as is shown in the paper, it does not depend on the ionization rates adopted in theoretical models. We conclude that Ulysses data are not consistent with the new local interstellar medium (LISM) velocity vector from IBEX. In contrast, IBEX data, in principle, could be explained with the LISM velocity vector derived from the Ulysses data. This is possible for the models where the interstellar temperature increased from 6300 K to 9000 K. There is a need to perform further studies of possible reasons for the broadening of the helium signal core measured by IBEX, which could be an instrumental effect or could be due to unconsidered physical processes.

  9. Observational tests of the properties of turbulence in the Very Local Interstellar Medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. R. Spangler

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM contains clouds which consist of partially-ionized plasma. These clouds can be effectively diagnosed via high resolution optical and ultraviolet spectroscopy of the absorption lines they form in the spectra of nearby stars. Information provided by these spectroscopic measurements includes values for ξ, the root-mean-square velocity fluctuation due to turbulence in these clouds, and T, the ion temperature, which may be partially determined by dissipation of turbulence. We consider whether this turbulence resembles the extensively studied and well-diagnosed turbulence in the solar wind and solar corona. Published observations are used to determine if the velocity fluctuations are primarily transverse to a large-scale magnetic field, whether the temperature perpendicular to the large scale field is larger than that parallel to the field, and whether ions with larger Larmor radii have higher temperatures than smaller gyroradius ions. We ask if the spectroscopically-deduced parameters such as ξ and T depend on the direction on the sky. We also consider the degree to which a single temperature T and turbulence parameter ξ account for the spectral line widths of ions with a wide range of masses. A preliminary examination of the published data shows no evidence for anisotropy of the velocity fluctuations or temperature, nor Larmor radius-dependent heating. These results indicate differences between solar wind and Local Cloud turbulence. Possible physical reasons for these differences are discussed.

  10. An introduction to the physics of interstellar dust

    CERN Document Server

    Krugel, Endrik

    2007-01-01

    Streamlining the extensive information from the original, highly acclaimed monograph, this new An Introduction to the Physics of Interstellar Dust provides a concise reference and overview of interstellar dust and the interstellar medium. Drawn from a graduate course taught by the author, a highly regarded figure in the field, this all-in-one book emphasizes astronomical formulae and astronomical problems to give a solid foundation for the further study of interstellar medium. Covering all phenomena associated with cosmic dust, this inclusive text eliminates the need to consult special physica

  11. Interstellar grains - the 75th anniversary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Aigen

    2005-01-01

    The year of 2005 marks the 75th anniversary since Trumpler (1930) provided the first definitive proof of interstellar grains by demonstrating the existence of general absorption and reddening of starlight in the galactic plane. This article reviews our progressive understanding of the nature of interstellar dust

  12. SILICATE COMPOSITION OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fogerty, S.; Forrest, W.; Watson, D. M.; Koch, I.; Sargent, B. A.

    2016-01-01

    The composition of silicate dust in the diffuse interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks around young stars informs our understanding of the processing and evolution of the dust grains leading up to planet formation. An analysis of the well-known 9.7 μ m feature indicates that small amorphous silicate grains represent a significant fraction of interstellar dust and are also major components of protoplanetary disks. However, this feature is typically modeled assuming amorphous silicate dust of olivine and pyroxene stoichiometries. Here, we analyze interstellar dust with models of silicate dust that include non-stoichiometric amorphous silicate grains. Modeling the optical depth along lines of sight toward the extinguished objects Cyg OB2 No. 12 and ζ Ophiuchi, we find evidence for interstellar amorphous silicate dust with stoichiometry intermediate between olivine and pyroxene, which we simply refer to as “polivene.” Finally, we compare these results to models of silicate emission from the Trapezium and protoplanetary disks in Taurus.

  13. SILICATE COMPOSITION OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fogerty, S.; Forrest, W.; Watson, D. M.; Koch, I. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627 (United States); Sargent, B. A., E-mail: sfogerty@pas.rochester.edu [Center for Imaging Science and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States)

    2016-10-20

    The composition of silicate dust in the diffuse interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks around young stars informs our understanding of the processing and evolution of the dust grains leading up to planet formation. An analysis of the well-known 9.7 μ m feature indicates that small amorphous silicate grains represent a significant fraction of interstellar dust and are also major components of protoplanetary disks. However, this feature is typically modeled assuming amorphous silicate dust of olivine and pyroxene stoichiometries. Here, we analyze interstellar dust with models of silicate dust that include non-stoichiometric amorphous silicate grains. Modeling the optical depth along lines of sight toward the extinguished objects Cyg OB2 No. 12 and ζ Ophiuchi, we find evidence for interstellar amorphous silicate dust with stoichiometry intermediate between olivine and pyroxene, which we simply refer to as “polivene.” Finally, we compare these results to models of silicate emission from the Trapezium and protoplanetary disks in Taurus.

  14. DUST AND GAS IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS FROM THE HERITAGE HERSCHEL KEY PROJECT. II. GAS-TO-DUST RATIO VARIATIONS ACROSS INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM PHASES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roman-Duval, Julia; Gordon, Karl D.; Meixner, Margaret [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Bot, Caroline [Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l' université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Bolatto, Alberto; Jameson, Katherine [Department of Astronomy, Lab for Millimeter-wave Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States); Hughes, Annie; Hony, Sacha [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Wong, Tony [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1002 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Babler, Brian [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, 475 North Charter St., Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Bernard, Jean-Philippe [CNRS, IRAP, 9 Av. colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France); Clayton, Geoffrey C. [Louisiana State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 233-A Nicholson Hall, Tower Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001 (United States); Fukui, Yasuo [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Galametz, Maud [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Galliano, Frederic; Lebouteiller, Vianney; Lee, Min-Young [CEA, Laboratoire AIM, Irfu/SAp, Orme des Merisiers, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Glover, Simon [Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Universität Heidelberg, Albert-Ueberle Strasse 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Israel, Frank [Sterrewacht Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Li, Aigen, E-mail: duval@stsci.edu [314 Physics Building, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States); and others

    2014-12-20

    The spatial variations of the gas-to-dust ratio (GDR) provide constraints on the chemical evolution and lifecycle of dust in galaxies. We examine the relation between dust and gas at 10-50 pc resolution in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) based on Herschel far-infrared (FIR), H I 21 cm, CO, and Hα observations. In the diffuse atomic interstellar medium (ISM), we derive the GDR as the slope of the dust-gas relation and find GDRs of 380{sub −130}{sup +250} ± 3 in the LMC, and 1200{sub −420}{sup +1600} ± 120 in the SMC, not including helium. The atomic-to-molecular transition is located at dust surface densities of 0.05 M {sub ☉} pc{sup –2} in the LMC and 0.03 M {sub ☉} pc{sup –2} in the SMC, corresponding to A {sub V} ∼ 0.4 and 0.2, respectively. We investigate the range of CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor to best account for all the molecular gas in the beam of the observations, and find upper limits on X {sub CO} to be 6 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup –2} K{sup –1} km{sup –1} s in the LMC (Z = 0.5 Z {sub ☉}) at 15 pc resolution, and 4 × 10{sup 21} cm{sup –2} K{sup –1} km{sup –1} s in the SMC (Z = 0.2 Z {sub ☉}) at 45 pc resolution. In the LMC, the slope of the dust-gas relation in the dense ISM is lower than in the diffuse ISM by a factor ∼2, even after accounting for the effects of CO-dark H{sub 2} in the translucent envelopes of molecular clouds. Coagulation of dust grains and the subsequent dust emissivity increase in molecular clouds, and/or accretion of gas-phase metals onto dust grains, and the subsequent dust abundance (dust-to-gas ratio) increase in molecular clouds could explain the observations. In the SMC, variations in the dust-gas slope caused by coagulation or accretion are degenerate with the effects of CO-dark H{sub 2}. Within the expected 5-20 times Galactic X {sub CO} range, the dust-gas slope can be either constant or decrease by a factor of several across ISM phases. Further modeling

  15. MAGNETIZED GAS IN THE SMITH HIGH VELOCITY CLOUD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hill, Alex S.; McClure-Griffiths, Naomi M.; Mao, S. A.; Benjamin, Robert A.; Lockman, Felix J.

    2013-01-01

    We report the first detection of magnetic fields associated with the Smith High Velocity Cloud. We use a catalog of Faraday rotation measures toward extragalactic radio sources behind the Smith Cloud, new H I observations from the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, and a spectroscopic map of Hα from the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper Northern Sky Survey. There are enhancements in rotation measure (RM) of ≈100 rad m –2 which are generally well correlated with decelerated Hα emission. We estimate a lower limit on the line-of-sight component of the field of ≈8 μG along a decelerated filament; this is a lower limit due to our assumptions about the geometry. No RM excess is evident in sightlines dominated by H I or Hα at the velocity of the Smith Cloud. The smooth Hα morphology of the emission at the Smith Cloud velocity suggests photoionization by the Galactic ionizing radiation field as the dominant ionization mechanism, while the filamentary morphology and high (≈1 Rayleigh) Hα intensity of the lower-velocity magnetized ionized gas suggests an ionization process associated with shocks due to interaction with the Galactic interstellar medium. The presence of the magnetic field may contribute to the survival of high velocity clouds like the Smith Cloud as they move from the Galactic halo to the disk. We expect these data to provide a test for magnetohydrodynamic simulations of infalling gas

  16. Simulation models for the evolution of cloud systems. I. Introduction and preliminary simulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pumphrey, W.A.; Scalo, J.M.

    1983-01-01

    The evolution of systems of interactings gas clouds is investigated, with application to protogalaxies in galaxy clusters, proto--globular clusters in galacies, and protostellar fragments in interstellar clouds. The evolution of these systems can be parameterized in terms of three dimensionless quantities: the number of clouds, the volume filling factor of clouds, and the fraction of the mass of the system in clouds. We discuss the range of parameter space in which direct cloud collisions, tidal encounters, interactions of clouds with ambient gas, cloud collapse, cloud orbital motion due to the gravitational acceleration of the rest of the system, and cumulative long-range gravitational scatterings are important. All of these processes except for long-range gravitational scattering and probably tidal encounters are competitive for the systems of interest. The evolution of the mass spectrum and velocity distribution of clouds in self-gravitating clouds should be dominated by direct collisions for high-mass clouds and by drag, accretion, or ablation for small-mass clouds. We tentatively identify the critical mass at which the collision time scale equals the collapse time scale with the low-mass turnovers observed in the mass spectrum of stars in open clusters, and predict that rich galaxy clusters should exhibit variations in the faint end of the luminosity function if these clusters form by fragmentation. If collisions perturb the attempted collapse of clouds, the low-mass ''stars'' should form before high-mass stars

  17. Calibrating the HISA temperature: Measuring the temperature of the Riegel-Crutcher cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dénes, H.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.; Dickey, J. M.; Dawson, J. R.; Murray, C. E.

    2018-06-01

    H I self absorption (HISA) clouds are clumps of cold neutral hydrogen (H I) visible in front of warm background gas, which makes them ideal places to study the properties of the cold atomic component of the interstellar medium (ISM). The Riegel-Crutcher (R-C) cloud is the most striking HISA feature in the Galaxy. It is one of the closest HISA clouds to us and is located in the direction of the Galactic Centre, which provides a bright background. High-resolution interferometric measurements have revealed the filamentary structure of this cloud, however it is difficult to accurately determine the temperature and the density of the gas without optical depth measurements. In this paper we present new H I absorption observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) against 46 continuum sources behind the Riegel-Crutcher cloud to directly measure the optical depth of the cloud. We decompose the complex H I absorption spectra into Gaussian components using an automated machine learning algorithm. We find 300 Gaussian components, from which 67 are associated with the R-C cloud (0 temperature and find it to be between 20 and 80 K. Our measurements uncover a temperature gradient across the cloud with spin temperatures decreasing towards positive Galactic latitudes. We also find three new OH absorption lines associated with the cloud, which support the presence of molecular gas.

  18. The Detection of Hot Cores and Complex Organic Molecules in the Large Magellanic Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sewiło, Marta; Indebetouw, Remy; Charnley, Steven B.; Zahorecz, Sarolta; Oliveira, Joana M.; van Loon, Jacco Th.; Ward, Jacob L.; Chen, C.-H. Rosie; Wiseman, Jennifer; Fukui, Yasuo; Kawamura, Akiko; Meixner, Margaret; Onishi, Toshikazu; Schilke, Peter

    2018-02-01

    We report the first extragalactic detection of the complex organic molecules (COMs) dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) and methyl formate (CH3OCHO) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). These COMs, together with their parent species methanol (CH3OH), were detected toward two 1.3 mm continuum sources in the N 113 star-forming region in the low-metallicity Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Rotational temperatures ({T}{rot}∼ 130 K) and total column densities ({N}{rot}∼ {10}16 cm‑2) have been calculated for each source based on multiple transitions of CH3OH. We present the ALMA molecular emission maps for COMs and measured abundances for all detected species. The physical and chemical properties of two sources with COMs detection, and the association with H2O and OH maser emission, indicate that they are hot cores. The fractional abundances of COMs scaled by a factor of 2.5 to account for the lower metallicity in the LMC are comparable to those found at the lower end of the range in Galactic hot cores. Our results have important implications for studies of organic chemistry at higher redshift.

  19. On the nature of interstellar turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altunin, V.I.

    1981-01-01

    Possible reasons of interstellar medium turbulence manifested in pulsar scintillation and radio-frequency emission scattering of extragalactic sources near by the Galaxy plane, are discussed. Sources and conditions of turbulence emergence in HII region shells, supernova, residue and in stellar wind giving observed scattering effects are considered. It is shown that in the formation of the interstellar scintillation pattern of discrete radio-frequency emission sources a certain role can be played by magnetosound turbulence, which arises due to shock-waves propagating in the interstellar medium at a velocity Vsub(sh) approximately 20-100 km/s as well as by stellar-wind inhomogeneity of OB classes stars [ru

  20. ATLAS computing operations within the GridKa Cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kennedy, J; Walker, R; Olszewski, A; Nderitu, S; Serfon, C; Duckeck, G

    2010-01-01

    The organisation and operations model of the ATLAS T1-T2 federation/Cloud associated to the GridKa T1 in Karlsruhe is described. Attention is paid to Cloud level services and the experience gained during the last years of operation. The ATLAS GridKa Cloud is large and divers spanning 5 countries, 2 ROC's and is currently comprised of 13 core sites. A well defined and tested operations model in such a Cloud is of the utmost importance. We have defined the core Cloud services required by the ATLAS experiment and ensured that they are performed in a managed and sustainable manner. Services such as Distributed Data Management involving data replication,deletion and consistency checks, Monte Carlo Production, software installation and data reprocessing are described in greater detail. In addition to providing these central services we have undertaken several Cloud level stress tests and developed monitoring tools to aid with Cloud diagnostics. Furthermore we have defined good channels of communication between ATLAS, the T1 and the T2's and have pro-active contributions from the T2 manpower. A brief introduction to the GridKa Cloud is provided followed by a more detailed discussion of the operations model and ATLAS services within the Cloud.

  1. BlueSky Cloud Framework: An E-Learning Framework Embracing Cloud Computing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Bo; Zheng, Qinghua; Qiao, Mu; Shu, Jian; Yang, Jie

    Currently, E-Learning has grown into a widely accepted way of learning. With the huge growth of users, services, education contents and resources, E-Learning systems are facing challenges of optimizing resource allocations, dealing with dynamic concurrency demands, handling rapid storage growth requirements and cost controlling. In this paper, an E-Learning framework based on cloud computing is presented, namely BlueSky cloud framework. Particularly, the architecture and core components of BlueSky cloud framework are introduced. In BlueSky cloud framework, physical machines are virtualized, and allocated on demand for E-Learning systems. Moreover, BlueSky cloud framework combines with traditional middleware functions (such as load balancing and data caching) to serve for E-Learning systems as a general architecture. It delivers reliable, scalable and cost-efficient services to E-Learning systems, and E-Learning organizations can establish systems through these services in a simple way. BlueSky cloud framework solves the challenges faced by E-Learning, and improves the performance, availability and scalability of E-Learning systems.

  2. Ultraviolet spectroscopy of planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maran, S.P.; Aller, L.H.; Gull, T.R.; Stecher, T.P.

    1982-01-01

    Ultraviolet spectra of three high excitation planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds (LMC P40, SMC N2, SMC N5) were obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer. The results are analyzed together with new visual wavelength spectrophotometry of LMC P40 and published data on SMC N2 and SMC N5 to investigate chemical composition and in particular to make the first reliable estimates of the carbon abundance in extragalactic planetary nebulae. Although carbon is at most only slightly less abundant in the LMC and SMC planetary nebulae than in galactic planetaries, it is almost 40 times more abundant in the SMC planetaries than in the SMC interstellar medium, and is about 6 times more abundant in the LMC planetary than in the LMC interstellar medium. According to our limited sample, the net result of carbon synthesis and convective dredgeup in the progenitors of planetary nebulae, as reflected in the nebular carbon abundance, is roughly the same in the Galaxy, the LMC, and the SMC

  3. Turbulence and star formation in molecular clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larson, R.B.

    1981-01-01

    Data for many molecular clouds and condensations show that the internal velocity dispersion of each region is well correlated with its size and mass, and these correlations are approximately of power-law form. The dependence of velocity dispersion on region size is similar to the Kolmogoroff law for subsonic turbulence, suggesting that the observed motions are all part of a common hierarchy of interstellar turbulent motions. The regions studied are mostly gravitationally bound and in approximate virial equilibrium. However, they cannot have formed by simple gravitational collapse, and it appears likely that molecular clouds and their substructures have been created at least partly by processes of supersonic hydrodynamics. The hierarchy of subcondensations may terminate with objects so small that their internal motions are no longer supersonic; this predicts a minimum protostellar mass of the order of a few tenths of a solar mass. Massive 'protostellar' clumps always have supersonic internal motions and will therefore develop complex internal structures, probably leading to the formation of many pre-stellar condensation nuclei that grow by accretion to produce the final stellar mass spectrum. Molecular clouds must be transient structures, and are probably dispersed after not much more than 10 7 yr. (author)

  4. Diffuse γ-ray emission observed by the Fermi large area telescope: massive stars, cosmic rays and the census of the interstellar medium in the galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tibaldo, L.

    2011-01-01

    Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission is produced by interactions of cosmic rays (CRs) with interstellar gas and low-energy radiation fields. This is the brightest component of the high-energy γ-ray sky, surveyed since 2008 with unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Galactic diffuse emission constitutes not only a bright and structured background which needs to be modeled in order to study individual sources and fainter diffuse components, but it can be used also as a probe of the interstellar environment of the Milky Way. We present in-depth studies of LAT γ-ray observations of selected regions in the local and outer Galaxy. LAT data are compared with multiwavelength tracers of the interstellar medium (ISM), including radio/mm-wave lines of gas and infrared emission/extinction from dust. The impact of the HI optical depth, often overlooked in the past, is carefully examined and recognized currently as the dominant source of uncertainty in the interpretation of observations. On one hand, we discuss the constraints provided by the γ-ray data on the census of the interstellar gas. We determine the X C O = N(H 2 )/W C O ratio for several clouds, finding no significant gradients in the Galactic disc over a range of ∼ 3.5 kpc in Galactocentric radius, and variations of a factor ≤ 2 in nearby local clouds. We also find evidence for an ubiquitous dark phase of interstellar gas which does not shine at radio/mm wavelengths and which provides a mass ∼ 50% of that traced by CO. For the first time we determine its γ-ray spectrum which is found to be well correlated with that of HI, thus further confirming that the emission originates from interstellar gas. On the other hand, we use the emissivity per hydrogen atom to infer the distribution of CRs in distant locations not accessible by direct measurements. While the local HI emissivity is consistent with the CR spectra measured near

  5. Size-density relations in dark clouds: Non-LTE effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maloney, P.

    1986-01-01

    One of the major goals of molecular astronomy has been to understand the physics and dynamics of dense interstellar clouds. Because the interpretation of observations of giant molecular clouds is complicated by their very complex structure and the dynamical effects of star formation, a number of studies have concentrated on dark clouds. Leung, Kutner and Mead (1982) (hereafter LKM) and Myers (1983), in studies of CO and NH 3 emission, concluded that dark clouds exhibit significant correlations between linewidth and cloud radius of the form delta v varies as R(0.5) and between mean density and radius of the form n varies as R(-1), as originally suggested by Larson (1981). This result suggests that these objects are in virial equilibrium. However, the mean densities inferred from the CO data of LKM are based on an local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) analysis of their 13CO data. At the very low mean densities inferred by LKM for the larger clouds in their samples, the assumption of LTE becomes very questionable. As most of the range in R in the density-size correlation comes from the clouds observed in CO, it seems worthwhile to examine how non-LTE effects will influence the derived densities. Microturbulent models of inhomogeneous clouds of varying central concentration with the linewidth-size and mean density-size relations found by Myers show sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO line in the larger clouds, with the result that LTE analysis considerbly underestimates the actual column density. A more general approach which doesn't require detailed modeling of the clouds is to consider whether the observed T/sub R/*(13CO)/T/sub R/*(12CO) ratios in the clouds studied by LKM are in the range where the LTE-derived optical depths be seriously in error due to sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO molecule

  6. THE STRUCTURE, ORIGIN, AND EVOLUTION OF INTERSTELLAR HYDROCARBON GRAINS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiar, J. E.; Ricca, A. [SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Tielens, A. G. G. M. [Leiden Observatory, P.O. Box 9513, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Adamson, A. J., E-mail: jchiar@seti.org, E-mail: Alessandra.Ricca@1.nasa.gov, E-mail: tielens@strw.leidenuniv.nl, E-mail: aadamson@gemini.edu [Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, 670 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96729 (United States)

    2013-06-10

    Many materials have been considered for the carrier of the hydrocarbon absorption bands observed in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). In order to refine the model for ISM hydrocarbon grains, we analyze the observed aromatic (3.28, 6.2 {mu}m) and aliphatic (3.4 {mu}m) hydrocarbon absorption features in the diffuse ISM along the line of sight toward the Galactic center Quintuplet Cluster. Observationally, sp {sup 2} bonds can be measured in astronomical spectra using the 6.2 {mu}m CC aromatic stretch feature, whereas the 3.4 {mu}m aliphatic feature can be used to quantify the fraction of sp {sup 3} bonds. The fractional abundance of these components allows us to place the Galactic diffuse ISM hydrocarbons on a ternary phase diagram. We conclude that the Galactic hydrocarbon dust has, on average, a low H/C ratio and sp {sup 3} content and is highly aromatic. We have placed the results of our analysis within the context of the evolution of carbon dust in the ISM. We argue that interstellar carbon dust consists of a large core of aromatic carbon surrounded by a thin mantle of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H), a structure that is a natural consequence of the processing of stardust grains in the ISM.

  7. THE STRUCTURE, ORIGIN, AND EVOLUTION OF INTERSTELLAR HYDROCARBON GRAINS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiar, J. E.; Ricca, A.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Adamson, A. J.

    2013-01-01

    Many materials have been considered for the carrier of the hydrocarbon absorption bands observed in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). In order to refine the model for ISM hydrocarbon grains, we analyze the observed aromatic (3.28, 6.2 μm) and aliphatic (3.4 μm) hydrocarbon absorption features in the diffuse ISM along the line of sight toward the Galactic center Quintuplet Cluster. Observationally, sp 2 bonds can be measured in astronomical spectra using the 6.2 μm CC aromatic stretch feature, whereas the 3.4 μm aliphatic feature can be used to quantify the fraction of sp 3 bonds. The fractional abundance of these components allows us to place the Galactic diffuse ISM hydrocarbons on a ternary phase diagram. We conclude that the Galactic hydrocarbon dust has, on average, a low H/C ratio and sp 3 content and is highly aromatic. We have placed the results of our analysis within the context of the evolution of carbon dust in the ISM. We argue that interstellar carbon dust consists of a large core of aromatic carbon surrounded by a thin mantle of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H), a structure that is a natural consequence of the processing of stardust grains in the ISM.

  8. Comet Halley and interstellar chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snyder, L.E.

    1989-01-01

    How complex is the chemistry of the interstellar medium? How far does it evolve and how has it interacted with the chemistry of the solar system? Are the galactic chemical processes destroyed, preserved, or even enhanced in comets? Are biogenic molecules formed in space and have the formation mechanisms interacted in any way with prebiotic organic chemical processes on the early earth? Radio molecular studies of comets are important for probing deep into the coma and nuclear region and thus may help answer these questions. Comets are believed to be pristine samples of the debris left from the formation of the solar system and may have been the carrier between interstellar and terrestrial prebiotic chemistries. Recent observations of Comet Halley and subsequent comets have given the author an excellent opportunity to study the relationship between interstellar molecular chemistry and cometary chemistry

  9. GOT C+ Survey of [CII] 158 μm Emission: Atomic to Molecular Cloud Transitions in the Inner Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velusamy, T.; Langer, W. D.; Willacy, K.; Pineda, J. L.; Goldsmith, P. F.

    2013-03-01

    We present the results of the distribution of CO-dark H2 gas in a sample of 2223 interstellar clouds in the inner Galaxy (l=-90° to +57°) detected in the velocity resolved [CII] spectra observed in the GOT C+ survey using the Herschel HIFI. We analyze the [CII] intensities along with the ancillary HI, 12CO and 13CO data for each cloud to determine their evolutionary state and to derive the H2 column densities in the C+ and C+/CO transition layers in the cloud. We discuss the overall Galactic distribution of the [CII] clouds and their properties as a function Galactic radius. GOT C+ results on the global distribution of [CII] clouds and CO-dark H2 gas traces the FUV intensity and star formation rate in the Galactic disk.

  10. Exploiting GPUs in Virtual Machine for BioCloud

    OpenAIRE

    Jo, Heeseung; Jeong, Jinkyu; Lee, Myoungho; Choi, Dong Hoon

    2013-01-01

    Recently, biological applications start to be reimplemented into the applications which exploit many cores of GPUs for better computation performance. Therefore, by providing virtualized GPUs to VMs in cloud computing environment, many biological applications will willingly move into cloud environment to enhance their computation performance and utilize infinite cloud computing resource while reducing expenses for computations. In this paper, we propose a BioCloud system architecture that ena...

  11. The ESO Diffuse Interstellar Band Large Exploration Survey (EDIBLES)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cami, J.; Cox, N. L.; Farhang, A.; Smoker, J.; Elyajouri, M.; Lallement, R.; Bacalla, X.; Bhatt, N. H.; Bron, E.; Cordiner, M. A.; de Koter, A..; Ehrenfreund, P.; Evans, C.; Foing, B. H.; Javadi, A.; Joblin, C.; Kaper, L.; Khosroshahi, H. G.; Laverick, M.; Le Petit, F..; Linnartz, H.; Marshall, C. C.; Monreal-Ibero, A.; Mulas, G.; Roueff, E.; Royer, P.; Salama, F.; Sarre, P. J.; Smith, K. T.; Spaans, M.; van Loon, J. T..; Wade, G.

    2018-03-01

    The ESO Diffuse Interstellar Band Large Exploration Survey (EDIBLES) is a Large Programme that is collecting high-signal-to-noise (S/N) spectra with UVES of a large sample of O and B-type stars covering a large spectral range. The goal of the programme is to extract a unique sample of high-quality interstellar spectra from these data, representing different physical and chemical environments, and to characterise these environments in great detail. An important component of interstellar spectra is the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), a set of hundreds of unidentified interstellar absorption lines. With the detailed line-of-sight information and the high-quality spectra, EDIBLES will derive strong constraints on the potential DIB carrier molecules. EDIBLES will thus guide the laboratory experiments necessary to identify these interstellar “mystery molecules”, and turn DIBs into powerful diagnostics of their environments in our Milky Way Galaxy and beyond. We present some preliminary results showing the unique capabilities of the EDIBLES programme.

  12. Infrared diffuse interstellar bands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galazutdinov, G. A.; Lee, Jae-Joon; Han, Inwoo; Lee, Byeong-Cheol; Valyavin, G.; Krełowski, J.

    2017-05-01

    We present high-resolution (R ˜ 45 000) profiles of 14 diffuse interstellar bands in the ˜1.45 to ˜2.45 μm range based on spectra obtained with the Immersion Grating INfrared Spectrograph at the McDonald Observatory. The revised list of diffuse bands with accurately estimated rest wavelengths includes six new features. The diffuse band at 15 268.2 Å demonstrates a very symmetric profile shape and thus can serve as a reference for finding the 'interstellar correction' to the rest wavelength frame in the H range, which suffers from a lack of known atomic/molecular lines.

  13. Interstellar matrices: the chemical composition and evolution of interstellar ices as observed by ISO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    d'Hendecourt, L; Dartois, E

    2001-03-15

    Matrix isolation techniques have been developed in the early sixties as a tool for studying the spectroscopic properties of out of equilibrium species (atoms, radicals, ions, reactive molecules), embedded in rare gas inert matrices at low temperatures. Cold interstellar grains surfaces are able to condense out gas phase molecules, routinely observed by radioastronomy. These grain 'mantles' can be considered as 'interstellar matrices'. However, these matrices are not clean and unreactive. They are made principally of dirty ices whose composition must be determined carefully to assess the importance of the solid state chemistry that takes place in the Interstellar Medium. Infrared spectroscopy, both in astronomy and in the laboratory, is the unique tool to determine the chemical composition of these ices. Astronomical spectra can directly be compared with laboratory ones obtained using classical matrix isolation techniques. Furthermore, dedicated experiments may be undertaken to further improve the understanding of the basic physico-chemical processes that take place in cosmic ices.

  14. Interstellar holography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Walker, M. A.; Koopmans, L. V. E.; Stinebring, D. R.; van Straten, W.

    2008-01-01

    The dynamic spectrum of a radio pulsar is an in-line digital hologram of the ionized interstellar medium. It has previously been demonstrated that such holograms permit image reconstruction, in the sense that one can determine an approximation to the complex electric field values as a function of

  15. Infrared emission from isolated dust clouds in the presence of very small dust grains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lis, Dariusz C.; Leung, Chun M.

    1991-01-01

    Models of the effects of small grain-generated temperature fluctuations on the IR spectrum and surface brightness of externally heated interstellar dust clouds are presently constructed on the basis of a continuum radiation transport computer code which encompasses the transient heating of small dust grains. The models assume a constant fractional abundance of large and small grains throughout the given cloud. A comparison of model results with IRAS observations indicates that the observed 12-25 micron band emissions are associated with about 10-A radius grains, while the 60-100 micron emission is primarily due to large grains which are heated under the equilibrium conditions.

  16. Cloud Computing Security Issues and Challenges

    OpenAIRE

    Kuyoro S. O.; Ibikunle F; Awodele O

    2011-01-01

    Cloud computing is a set of IT services that are provided to a customer over a network on a leased basis and with the ability to scale up or down their service requirements. Usually cloud computing services are delivered by a third party provider who owns the infrastructure. It advantages to mention but a few include scalability, resilience, flexibility, efficiency and outsourcing non-core activities. Cloud computing offers an innovative business model for organizations to adopt IT services w...

  17. On Graphene in the Interstellar Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, X. H.; Li, Aigen; Zhang, Ke

    2017-11-01

    The possible detection of C24, a planar graphene that was recently reported to be in several planetary nebulae by García-Hernández et al., inspires us to explore whether and how much graphene could exist in the interstellar medium (ISM) and how it would reveal its presence through its ultraviolet (UV) extinction and infrared (IR) emission. In principle, interstellar graphene could arise from the photochemical processing of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules, which are abundant in the ISM, due to the complete loss of their hydrogen atoms, and/or from graphite, which is thought to be a major dust species in the ISM, via fragmentation caused by grain–grain collisional shattering. Both quantum-chemical computations and laboratory experiments have shown that the exciton-dominated electronic transitions in graphene cause a strong absorption band near 2755 \\mathringA . We calculate the UV absorption of graphene and place an upper limit of ∼5 ppm of C/H (i.e., ∼1.9% of the total interstellar C) on the interstellar graphene abundance. We also model the stochastic heating of graphene C24 in the ISM, excited by single starlight photons of the interstellar radiation field and calculate its IR emission spectra. We also derive the abundance of graphene in the ISM to be <5 ppm of C/H by comparing the model emission spectra with that observed in the ISM.

  18. Correlation analysis of the Taurus molecular cloud complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kleiner, S.C.

    1985-01-01

    Autocorrelation and power spectrum methods were applied to the analysis of the density and velocity structure of the Taurus Complex and Heiles Cloud 2 as traced out by 13 CO J = 1 → 0 molecular line observations obtained with the 14m antenna of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. Statistically significant correlations in the spacing of density fluctuations within the Taurus Complex and Heiles 2 were uncovered. The length scales of the observed correlations correspond in magnitude to the Jeans wavelengths characterizing gravitational instabilities with (i) interstellar atomic hydrogen gas for the case of the Taurus complex, and (ii) molecular hydrogen for Heiles 2. The observed correlations may be the signatures of past and current gravitational instabilities frozen into the structure of the molecular gas. The appendices provide a comprehensive description of the analytical and numerical methods developed for the correlation analysis of molecular clouds

  19. Evidence for nucleosynthetic enrichment of the protosolar molecular cloud core by multiple supernova events

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schiller, Martin; Paton, Chad; Bizzarro, Martin

    2015-01-01

    The presence of isotope heterogeneity of nucleosynthetic origin amongst meteorites and their components provides a record of the diverse stars that contributed matter to the protosolar molecular cloud core. Understanding how and when the solar system's nucleosynthetic heterogeneity was established...... and preserved within the solar protoplanetary disk is critical for unraveling the earliest formative stages of the solar system. Here, we report calcium and magnesium isotope measurements of primitive and differentiated meteorites as well as various types of refractory inclusions, including refractory...... and differentiated meteorites along with canonical and FUN-CAIs define correlated, mass-independent variations in 43Ca, 46Ca and 48Ca. Moreover, sequential dissolution experiments of the Ivuna carbonaceous chondrite aimed at identifying the nature and number of presolar carriers of isotope anomalies within primitive...

  20. ALMA Reveals Molecular Cloud N55 in the Large Magellanic Cloud as a Site of Massive Star Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naslim, N.; Tokuda, K.; Onishi, T.; Kemper, F.; Wong, T.; Morata, O.; Takada, S.; Harada, R.; Kawamura, A.; Saigo, K.; Indebetouw, R.; Madden, S. C.; Hony, S.; Meixner, M.

    2018-02-01

    We present the molecular cloud properties of N55 in the Large Magellanic Cloud using 12CO(1–0) and 13CO(1–0) observations obtained with Atacama Large Millimeter Array. We have done a detailed study of molecular gas properties, to understand how the cloud properties of N55 differ from Galactic clouds. Most CO emission appears clumpy in N55, and molecular cores that have young stellar objects (YSOs) show larger linewidths and masses. The massive clumps are associated with high and intermediate mass YSOs. The clump masses are determined by local thermodynamic equilibrium and virial analysis of the 12CO and 13CO emissions. These mass estimates lead to the conclusion that (a) the clumps are in self-gravitational virial equilibrium, and (b) the 12CO(1–0)-to-H2 conversion factor, {X}{CO}, is 6.5 × 1020 cm‑2 (K km s‑1)‑1. This CO-to-H2 conversion factor for N55 clumps is measured at a spatial scale of ∼0.67 pc, which is about two times higher than the {X}{CO} value of the Orion cloud at a similar spatial scale. The core mass function of N55 clearly show a turnover below 200 {M}ȯ , separating the low-mass end from the high-mass end. The low-mass end of the 12CO mass spectrum is fitted with a power law of index 0.5 ± 0.1, while for 13CO it is fitted with a power law index 0.6 ± 0.2. In the high-mass end, the core mass spectrum is fitted with a power index of 2.0 ± 0.3 for 12CO, and with 2.5 ± 0.4 for 13CO. This power law behavior of the core mass function in N55 is consistent with many Galactic clouds.

  1. A sustainability model based on cloud infrastructures for core and downstream Copernicus services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manunta, Michele; Calò, Fabiana; De Luca, Claudio; Elefante, Stefano; Farres, Jordi; Guzzetti, Fausto; Imperatore, Pasquale; Lanari, Riccardo; Lengert, Wolfgang; Zinno, Ivana; Casu, Francesco

    2014-05-01

    SAR products generation and exploitation. In particular, CNR is porting the multi-temporal DInSAR technique referred to as Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) into the ESA G-POD (Grid Processing On Demand) and CIOP (Cloud Computing Operational Pilot) platforms (Elefante et al., 2013) within the SuperSites Exploitation Platform (SSEP) project, which aim is contributing to the development of an ecosystem for big geo-data processing and dissemination. This work focuses on presenting the main results that have been achieved by the DORIS project concerning the use of advanced DInSAR products for supporting CPA during the risk management cycle. Furthermore, based on the DORIS experience, a sustainability model for Core and Downstream Copernicus services based on the effective exploitation of cloud platforms is proposed. In this framework, remote sensing community, both service providers and users, can significantly benefit from the Helix Nebula-The Science Cloud initiative, created by European scientific institutions, agencies, SMEs and enterprises to pave the way for the development and exploitation of a cloud computing infrastructure for science. REFERENCES Elefante, S., Imperatore, P. , Zinno, I., M. Manunta, E. Mathot, F. Brito, J. Farres, W. Lengert, R. Lanari, F. Casu, 2013, "SBAS-DINSAR Time series generation on cloud computing platforms". IEEE IGARSS Conference, Melbourne (AU), July 2013.

  2. The Study of Spherical Cores with a Toroidal Magnetic Field Configuration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gholipour, Mahmoud [Research Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics of Maragha (RIAAM)—Maragha, P.O. Box 55134-441 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-04-01

    Observational studies of the magnetic fields in molecular clouds have significantly improved the theoretical models developed for the structure and evolution of dense clouds and for the star formation process as well. The recent observational analyses on some cores indicate that there is a power-law relationship between magnetic field and density in the molecular clouds. In this study, we consider the stability of spherical cores with a toroidal magnetic field configuration in the molecular clouds. For this purpose, we model a spherical core that is in magnetostatic equilibrium. Herein, we propose an equation of density structure, which is a modified form of the isothermal Lane–Emden equation in the presence of the toroidal magnetic field. The proposed equation describes the effect of the toroidal magnetic field on the cloud structure and the mass cloud. Furthermore, we found an upper limit for this configuration of magnetic field in the molecular clouds. Then, the virial theorem is used to consider the cloud evolution leading to an equation in order to obtain the lower limit of the field strength in the molecular cloud. However, the results show that the field strength of the toroidal configuration has an important effect on the cloud structure, whose upper limit is related to the central density and field gradient. The obtained results address some regions of clouds where the cloud decomposition or star formation can be seen.

  3. TWO MASS DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE L 1641 MOLECULAR CLOUDS: THE HERSCHEL CONNECTION OF DENSE CORES AND FILAMENTS IN ORION A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polychroni, D.; Schisano, E.; Elia, D.; Molinari, S.; Turrini, D.; Rygl, K. L. J.; Benedettini, M.; Busquet, G.; Di Giorgio, A. M.; Pestalozzi, M.; Pezzuto, S.; Roy, A.; André, Ph.; Hennemann, M.; Hill, T.; Könyves, V.; Martin, P.; Di Francesco, J.; Arzoumanian, D.; Bontemps, S.

    2013-01-01

    We present Herschel survey maps of the L 1641 molecular clouds in Orion A. We extracted both the filaments and dense cores in the region. We identified which of the dense sources are proto- or pre-stellar, and studied their association with the identified filaments. We find that although most (71%) of the pre-stellar sources are located on filaments there, is still a significant fraction of sources not associated with such structures. We find that these two populations (on and off the identified filaments) have distinctly different mass distributions. The mass distribution of the sources on the filaments is found to peak at 4 M ☉ and drives the shape of the core mass function (CMF) at higher masses, which we fit with a power law of the form dN/dlogM∝M –1.4±0.4 . The mass distribution of the sources off the filaments, on the other hand, peaks at 0.8 M ☉ and leads to a flattening of the CMF at masses lower than ∼4 M ☉ . We postulate that this difference between the mass distributions is due to the higher proportion of gas that is available in the filaments, rather than in the diffuse cloud

  4. TWO MASS DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE L 1641 MOLECULAR CLOUDS: THE HERSCHEL CONNECTION OF DENSE CORES AND FILAMENTS IN ORION A

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polychroni, D. [Department of Astrophysics, University of Athens, Astronomy and Mechanics, Faculty of Physics, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Zografos, Athens (Greece); Schisano, E.; Elia, D.; Molinari, S.; Turrini, D.; Rygl, K. L. J.; Benedettini, M.; Busquet, G.; Di Giorgio, A. M.; Pestalozzi, M.; Pezzuto, S. [Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (INAF-IAPS), via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Roy, A.; André, Ph.; Hennemann, M.; Hill, T.; Könyves, V. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/IRFU CNRS/INSU Université Paris Diderot, Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Martin, P. [Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H8 (Canada); Di Francesco, J. [National Research Council Canada, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada); Arzoumanian, D. [IAS, CNRS (UMR 8617), Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 121, F-91400 Orsay (France); Bontemps, S., E-mail: dpolychroni@phys.uoa.gr [Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Bordeaux, CNRS/INSU, UMR 5804, BP 89, F-33271, Floirac Cedex (France); and others

    2013-11-10

    We present Herschel survey maps of the L 1641 molecular clouds in Orion A. We extracted both the filaments and dense cores in the region. We identified which of the dense sources are proto- or pre-stellar, and studied their association with the identified filaments. We find that although most (71%) of the pre-stellar sources are located on filaments there, is still a significant fraction of sources not associated with such structures. We find that these two populations (on and off the identified filaments) have distinctly different mass distributions. The mass distribution of the sources on the filaments is found to peak at 4 M {sub ☉} and drives the shape of the core mass function (CMF) at higher masses, which we fit with a power law of the form dN/dlogM∝M {sup –1.4±0.4}. The mass distribution of the sources off the filaments, on the other hand, peaks at 0.8 M {sub ☉} and leads to a flattening of the CMF at masses lower than ∼4 M {sub ☉}. We postulate that this difference between the mass distributions is due to the higher proportion of gas that is available in the filaments, rather than in the diffuse cloud.

  5. Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westphal, A. J.; Allen, C.; Bajt, S.; Basset, R.; Bastien, R.; Bechtel, H.; Bleuet, P.; Borg, J.; Brenker F.; Bridges, J.

    2009-01-01

    In January 2006 the Stardust sample return capsule returned to Earth bearing the first solid samples from a primitive solar system body, C omet 81P/Wild2, and a collector dedicated to the capture and return o f contemporary interstellar dust. Both collectors were approximately 0.1m(exp 2) in area and were composed of aerogel tiles (85% of the co llecting area) and aluminum foils. The Stardust Interstellar Dust Col lector (SIDC) was exposed to the interstellar dust stream for a total exposure factor of 20 m(exp 2-) day during two periods before the co metary encounter. The Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination ( ISPE) is a three-year effort to characterize the collection using no ndestructive techniques. The ISPE consists of six interdependent proj ects: (1) Candidate identification through automated digital microsco py and a massively distributed, calibrated search (2) Candidate extr action and photodocumentation (3) Characterization of candidates thro ugh synchrotronbased FourierTranform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), S canning XRay Fluoresence Microscopy (SXRF), and Scanning Transmission Xray Microscopy (STXM) (4) Search for and analysis of craters in f oils through FESEM scanning, Auger Spectroscopy and synchrotronbased Photoemission Electron Microscopy (PEEM) (5) Modeling of interstell ar dust transport in the solar system (6) Laboratory simulations of h ypervelocity dust impacts into the collecting media

  6. A theoretical study on the interstellar synthesis of H{sub 2}NCS{sup +} and HNCSH{sup +} cations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gronowski, Marcin; Kołos, Robert, E-mail: marcingronowski@gmail.com, E-mail: rkolos@ichf.edu.pl [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 44/52 Kasprzaka, 01-224 Warsaw (Poland)

    2014-09-10

    HNCS and NCSH molecules, recently discovered in the interstellar medium, are likely formed via the dissociative recombination of H{sub 2}NCS{sup +} or HNCSH{sup +} isomeric ions. Interstellar synthesis of the latter is discussed on theoretical grounds. The analysis of relevant potential energy surfaces suggests a key role for chemical processes in which CSH{sup +} or HCS{sup +} cations (most likely formed in CS+H{sub 3}{sup +} collisions) react with NH{sub 2} or NH{sub 3}. The astrochemical kinetic database (kida.uva.2011), appended with 7 sulfur-bearing molecules and 48 corresponding reactions, has been applied to model the evolution of HNCS, NCSH, and their cationic precursors in a quiescent molecular cloud. Based on the model and on spectroscopic predictions, for an object like TMC-1, we expect the total intensity of H{sub 2}NCS{sup +} microwave lines to be comparable to that observed for HSCN. Theoretically derived molecular parameters, of interest for radio spectroscopy, are given for the most stable cations sharing the H{sub 2}NCS{sup +} stoichiometry.

  7. Can spores survive in interstellar space

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, P.; Greenberg, J.M.

    1985-08-01

    Inactivation of spores (Bacillus subtilis) has been investigated in the laboratory by vacuum ultraviolet radiation in simulated interstellar conditions. Damage produced at the normal interstellar particle temperature of 10 K is less than at higher temperatures: the major damage being produced by radiation in the 2,000-3,000 A range. The results place constraints on the panspermia hypothesis. (author).

  8. Detection of interstellar (C-13)N toward Zeta Ophiuchi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crane, P.; Hegyi, D.J.

    1988-01-01

    Observations of a diffuse interstellar cloud toward Zeta Oph, obtained with resolution 100,000-150,000 near the 3874.608-A R(0) line of (C-12)N using a coude echelle spectrograph on the 1.4-m telescope at ESO during 1984 and 1985, are reported. Data from 54 20-min runs were fitted to Gaussian line shapes using the line center, depth, and width of the R(0) and R(1) lines of (C-12)N and the line center and depth of the R(0) line of (C-13)N as fitting parameters. The (C-13)N R(0) line, with equivalent width 0.190 + or - 0.020 mA, was detected 173.7 + or - 0.8 mA to the red of (C-12)N R(0); the corresponding isotope abundance ratio, (C-12)N/(C-13)N = 47.3 + 5.5 or -4.4, is shown to be in good agreement with previous measurements for CH(+) (Hawkins et al., 1985). 13 references

  9. Radio propagation through the turbulent interstellar plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rickett, B.J.

    1990-01-01

    The current understanding of interstellar scattering is reviewed, and its impact on radio astronomy is examined. The features of interstellar plasma turbulence are also discussed. It is concluded that methods involving the investigation of the flux variability of pulsars and extragalactic sources and the VLBI visibility curves constitute new techniques for probing the ISM. However, scattering causes a seeing limitation in radio observations. It is now clear that variation due to RISS (refractive interstellar scintillations) is likely to be important for several classes of variable sources, especially low-frequency variables and centimeter-wave flickering. 168 refs

  10. Physics of the galaxy and interstellar matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scheffler, H.; Elsasser, H.

    1988-01-01

    This book is based on the authors' long standing experience in teaching astronomy courses. It presents in a modern and complete way our present picture of the physics of the Milky Way system. The first part of the book deals with topics of more empirical character, such as the positions and motions of stars, the structure and kinetics of the stellar systems and interstellar phenomena. The more advanced second part is devoted to the interpretation of observational results, i.e. to the physics of interstellar gas and dust, to stellar dynamics, to the theory of spiral structures and the dynamics of interstellar gas

  11. A general theory for the lifetimes of giant molecular clouds under the influence of galactic dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffreson, Sarah M. R.; Kruijssen, J. M. Diederik

    2018-05-01

    We propose a simple analytic theory for environmentally dependent molecular cloud lifetimes, based on the large-scale (galactic) dynamics of the interstellar medium. Within this theory, the cloud lifetime is set by the time-scales for gravitational collapse, galactic shear, spiral arm interactions, epicyclic perturbations, and cloud-cloud collisions. It is dependent on five observable quantities, accessible through measurements of the galactic rotation curve, the gas and stellar surface densities, and the gas and stellar velocity dispersions of the host galaxy. We determine how the relative importance of each dynamical mechanism varies throughout the space of observable galactic properties, and conclude that gravitational collapse and galactic shear play the greatest role in setting the cloud lifetime for the considered range of galaxy properties, while cloud-cloud collisions exert a much lesser influence. All five environmental mechanisms are nevertheless required to obtain a complete picture of cloud evolution. We apply our theory to the galaxies M31, M51, M83, and the Milky Way, and find a strong dependence of the cloud lifetime upon galactocentric radius in each case, with a typical cloud lifetime between 10 and 50 Myr. Our theory is ideally suited for systematic observational tests with the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre array.

  12. Cloud resource orchestration programming : Overview, issues and directions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ranjan, Rajiv; Benatallah, Boualem; Dustdar, Schahram; Papazoglou, M.

    Cloud computing provides on-demand access to affordable hardware (e.g., multi-core CPUs, GPUs, disks, and networking equipment) and software (e.g., databases, application servers, load-balancers, data processing frameworks, etc.) resources. The pervasiveness and power of cloud computing alleviates

  13. THE MAGELLANIC QUASARS SURVEY. III. SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION OF 758 ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI BEHIND THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozłowski, Szymon; Udalski, Andrzej; Szymański, M. K.; Kubiak, M.; Pietrzyński, G.; Soszyński, I.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Ulaczyk, K.; Poleski, R.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Skowron, J.; Onken, Christopher A.; Kochanek, Christopher S.; Meixner, M.; Bonanos, A. Z.

    2013-01-01

    The Magellanic Quasars Survey (MQS) has now increased the number of quasars known behind the Magellanic Clouds by almost an order of magnitude. All survey fields in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and 70% of those in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) have been observed. The targets were selected from the third phase of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE-III) based on their optical variability, mid-IR, and/or X-ray properties. We spectroscopically confirmed 758 quasars (565 in the LMC and 193 in the SMC) behind the clouds, of which 94% (527 in the LMC and 186 in the SMC) are newly identified. The MQS quasars have long-term (12 yr and growing for OGLE), high-cadence light curves, enabling unprecedented variability studies of quasars. The MQS quasars also provide a dense reference grid for measuring both the internal and bulk proper motions of the clouds, and 50 quasars are bright enough (I ∼< 18 mag) for absorption studies of the interstellar/intergalactic medium of the clouds

  14. The influence of the interstellar medium on climate and life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talbot, R.J. Jr.

    1980-01-01

    Recent studies of the gas and dust between the stars, the interstellar medium, reveal a complex chemistry which indicates that prebiotic organic chemistry is ubiquitous. The relationship between this interstellar chemistry and the organic chemistry of the early solar system and the Earth is explored. The interstellar medium is also considered as likely to have a continuing influence upon the climate of the Earth and other planets. Life forms as known are not only descendants of the organic evolution begun in the interstellar medium, but their continuing evolution is also molded through occasional interactions between the interstellar medium, the Sun and the climate on Earth. (author)

  15. Interstellar cyanogen and the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, Katherine C.; Meyer, David M.; Hawkins, Isabel

    1993-01-01

    We present the results of a recently completed effort to determine the amount of CN rotational excitation in five diffuse interstellar clouds for the purpose of accurately measuring the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR). In addition, we report a new detection of emission from the strongest hyperfine component of the 2.64 mm CN rotational transition (N = 1-0) in the direction toward HD 21483. We have used this result in combination with existing emission measurements toward our other stars to correct for local excitation effects within diffuse clouds which raise the measured CN rotational temperature above that of the CMBR. After making this correction, we find a weighted mean value of T(CMBR) = 2.729 (+0.023, -0.031) K. This temperature is in excellent agreement with the new COBE measurement of 2.726 +/- 0.010 K (Mather et al., 1993). Our result, which samples the CMBR far from the near-Earth environment, attests to the accuracy of the COBE measurement and reaffirms the cosmic nature of this background radiation. From the observed agreement between our CMBR temperature and the COBE result, we conclude that corrections for local CN excitation based on millimeter emission measurements provide an accurate adjustment to the measured rotational excitation.

  16. Components in the interstellar medium toward epsilon persei and delta persei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, E.R.; York, D.G.

    1982-01-01

    We analyze the lines of sight toward epsilon Persei and delta Persei with a procedure that gives velocity components for various interstellar ions. The column densities found for ions expected to be relatively undepleted are used to estimate the column density of neutral hydrogen in each component. The velocities found correspond well with those determined from previous optical studies when the optical components can be resolved. Whenever possible we calculate electron density, calcium and titanium depletion, molecular hydrogen excitation temperature, and hydrogen volume density for each component. Toward each star there is one dominent component with high column density, low LSR velocity, a large depletion in Ca and Ti, and low H 2 excitation temperature. The H 2 results also indicate that the dominant component has a high hydrogen volume density. The components at higher velocities are characterized by lower column densities and less Ca and Ti depletion, relative to the dominant component. There is also evidence that there is one component toward each star which contains mostly ionized gas. While the electron densities found seem consistent with previous results, questions are raised concerning the formation rate of H 2 and the abundance variations of certain species from cloud to cloud

  17. THE CHEMISTRY OF VIBRATIONALLY EXCITED H2 IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agundez, M.; Roueff, E.; Goicoechea, J. R.; Cernicharo, J.; Faure, A.

    2010-01-01

    The internal energy available in vibrationally excited H 2 molecules can be used to overcome or diminish the activation barrier of various chemical reactions of interest for molecular astrophysics. In this paper, we investigate in detail the impact on the chemical composition of interstellar clouds of the reactions of vibrationally excited H 2 with C + , He + , O, OH, and CN, based on the available chemical kinetics data. It is found that the reaction of H 2 (v>0) and C + has a profound impact on the abundances of some molecules, especially CH + , which is a direct product and is readily formed in astronomical regions with fractional abundances of vibrationally excited H 2 , relative to the ground state H 2 , in excess of ∼10 -6 , independently of whether the gas is hot or not. The effects of these reactions on the chemical composition of the diffuse clouds ζOph and HD 34078, the dense photon-dominated region (PDR) Orion Bar, the planetary nebula NGC 7027, and the circumstellar disk around the B9 star HD 176386 are investigated through PDR models. We find that formation of CH + is especially favored in dense and highly FUV illuminated regions such as the Orion Bar and the planetary nebula NGC 7027, where column densities in excess of 10 13 cm -2 are predicted. In diffuse clouds, however, this mechanism is found to be not efficient enough to form CH + with a column density close to the values derived from astronomical observations.

  18. A YOUNG PLANETARY-MASS OBJECT IN THE ρ OPH CLOUD CORE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marsh, Kenneth A.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Plavchan, Peter

    2010-01-01

    We report the discovery of a young planetary-mass brown dwarf in the ρ Oph cloud core. The object was identified as such with the aid of a 1.5-2.4 μm low-resolution spectrum obtained using the NIRC instrument on the Keck I telescope. Based on the COND model, the observed spectrum is consistent with a reddened (A V ∼ 15-16) brown dwarf whose effective temperature is in the range 1200-1800 K. For an assumed age of 1 Myr, comparison with isochrones further constrains the temperature to ∼1400 K and suggests a mass of ∼2-3 Jupiter masses. The inferred temperature is suggestive of an early T spectral type, which is supported by spectral morphology consistent with weak methane absorption. Based on its inferred distance (∼100 pc) and the presence of overlying visual absorption, it is very likely to be a ρ Oph cluster member. In addition, given the estimated spectral type, it may be the youngest and least massive T dwarf found so far. Its existence suggests that the initial mass function for the ρ Oph star-forming region extends well into the planetary-mass regime.

  19. Growing interstellar molecules with ion-molecule reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohme, D.K.

    1989-01-01

    Laboratory measurements of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions continue to provide important insights into the chemistry of molecular growth in interstellar environments. It is also true that the measurements are becoming more demanding as larger molecules capture our interest. While some of these measurements are motivated by current developments in chemical models of interstellar environments or by new molecular observations by astronomers, others explore novel chemistry which can lead to predictions of new interstellar molecules. Here the author views the results of some recent measurements, taken in the Ion Chemistry Laboratory at York University with the SIFT technique, which address some of the current needs of modellers and observers and which also provide some new fundamental insight into molecular growth, particularly when it occurs in the presence of large molecules such as PAH molecules which are now thought to have a major influence on the chemistry of interstellar environments in which they are present

  20. Identifying specific interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulas, Giacomo; Malloci, Giuliano; Porceddu, Ignazio

    2005-01-01

    Interstellar Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been thought to be ubiquitous for more than twenty years, yet no single species in this class has been identified in the Interstellar Medium (ISM) to date. The unprecedented sensitivity and resolution of present Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) and forthcoming Herschel observations in the far infrared spectral range will offer a unique way out of this embarrassing impasse

  1. Indirect ultraviolet photodesorption from CO:N2 binary ices — an efficient grain-gas process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertin, Mathieu; Poderoso, Hugo A. M.; Michaut, Xavier; Philippe, Laurent; Jeseck, Pascal; Fillion, Jean-Hugues; Fayolle, Edith C.; Linnartz, Harold; Romanzin, Claire; Öberg, Karin I.

    2013-01-01

    Ultraviolet (UV) ice photodesorption is an important non-thermal desorption pathway in many interstellar environments that has been invoked to explain observations of cold molecules in disks, clouds, and cloud cores. Systematic laboratory studies of the photodesorption rates, between 7 and 14 eV, from CO:N 2 binary ices, have been performed at the DESIRS vacuum UV beamline of the synchrotron facility SOLEIL. The photodesorption spectral analysis demonstrates that the photodesorption process is indirect, i.e., the desorption is induced by a photon absorption in sub-surface molecular layers, while only surface molecules are actually desorbing. The photodesorption spectra of CO and N 2 in binary ices therefore depend on the absorption spectra of the dominant species in the sub-surface ice layer, which implies that the photodesorption efficiency and energy dependence are dramatically different for mixed and layered ices compared with pure ices. In particular, a thin (1-2 ML) N 2 ice layer on top of CO will effectively quench CO photodesorption, while enhancing N 2 photodesorption by a factor of a few (compared with the pure ices) when the ice is exposed to a typical dark cloud UV field, which may help to explain the different distributions of CO and N 2 H + in molecular cloud cores. This indirect photodesorption mechanism may also explain observations of small amounts of complex organics in cold interstellar environments.

  2. THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM AND FEEDBACK IN THE PROGENITORS OF THE COMPACT PASSIVE GALAXIES AT z ∼ 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Christina C.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Lee, Bomee [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Tundo, Elena [INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Firenze, Largo Enrico Fermi 5, I-50125, Firenze (Italy); Mobasher, Bahram; Nayyeri, Hooshang [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Ferguson, Henry C.; Koekemoer, Anton; Grogin, Norman [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Trump, Jonathan R. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Cassata, Paolo [Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso (Chile); Dekel, Avishai [Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); Guo, Yicheng [UCO/Lick Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Lee, Kyoung-Soo [Department of Physics, Purdue University, 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Pentericci, Laura; Castellano, Marco; Fontana, Adriano; Grazian, Andrea [INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone (Italy); Bell, Eric F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Finkelstein, Steven L., E-mail: ccwilliams@email.arizona.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin (United States); and others

    2015-02-10

    Quenched galaxies at z > 2 are nearly all very compact relative to z ∼ 0, suggesting a physical connection between high stellar density and efficient, rapid cessation of star-formation. We present rest-frame UV spectra of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ∼ 3 selected to be candidate progenitors of the quenched galaxies at z ∼ 2 based on their compact rest-frame-optical sizes and high Σ{sub SFR}. We compare their UV properties to those of more extended LBGs of similar mass and star-formation rate (non-candidates). We find that candidate progenitors have faster bulk interstellar medium (ISM) gas velocities and higher equivalent widths of interstellar absorption lines, implying larger velocity spread among absorbing clouds. Candidates deviate from the relationship between equivalent widths of Lyα and interstellar absorption lines in that their Lyα emission remains strong despite high interstellar absorption, possibly indicating that the neutral H I fraction is patchy, such that Lyα photons can escape. We detect stronger C IV P-Cygni features (emission and absorption) and He II emission in candidates, indicative of larger populations of metal-rich Wolf-Rayet stars compared to non-candidates. The faster bulk motions, broader spread of gas velocity, and Lyα properties of candidates are consistent with their ISM being subject to more energetic feedback than non-candidates. Together with their larger metallicity (implying more evolved star-formation activity) this leads us to propose, if speculatively, that they are likely to quench sooner than non-candidates, supporting the validity of selection criteria used to identify them as progenitors of z ∼ 2 passive galaxies. We propose that massive, compact galaxies undergo more rapid growth of their stellar mass content, perhaps because the gas accretion mechanisms are different, and quench sooner than normally sized LBGs at these (early) epochs.

  3. THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM AND FEEDBACK IN THE PROGENITORS OF THE COMPACT PASSIVE GALAXIES AT z ∼ 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Christina C.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Lee, Bomee; Tundo, Elena; Mobasher, Bahram; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Ferguson, Henry C.; Koekemoer, Anton; Grogin, Norman; Trump, Jonathan R.; Cassata, Paolo; Dekel, Avishai; Guo, Yicheng; Lee, Kyoung-Soo; Pentericci, Laura; Castellano, Marco; Fontana, Adriano; Grazian, Andrea; Bell, Eric F.; Finkelstein, Steven L.

    2015-01-01

    Quenched galaxies at z > 2 are nearly all very compact relative to z ∼ 0, suggesting a physical connection between high stellar density and efficient, rapid cessation of star-formation. We present rest-frame UV spectra of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ∼ 3 selected to be candidate progenitors of the quenched galaxies at z ∼ 2 based on their compact rest-frame-optical sizes and high Σ SFR . We compare their UV properties to those of more extended LBGs of similar mass and star-formation rate (non-candidates). We find that candidate progenitors have faster bulk interstellar medium (ISM) gas velocities and higher equivalent widths of interstellar absorption lines, implying larger velocity spread among absorbing clouds. Candidates deviate from the relationship between equivalent widths of Lyα and interstellar absorption lines in that their Lyα emission remains strong despite high interstellar absorption, possibly indicating that the neutral H I fraction is patchy, such that Lyα photons can escape. We detect stronger C IV P-Cygni features (emission and absorption) and He II emission in candidates, indicative of larger populations of metal-rich Wolf-Rayet stars compared to non-candidates. The faster bulk motions, broader spread of gas velocity, and Lyα properties of candidates are consistent with their ISM being subject to more energetic feedback than non-candidates. Together with their larger metallicity (implying more evolved star-formation activity) this leads us to propose, if speculatively, that they are likely to quench sooner than non-candidates, supporting the validity of selection criteria used to identify them as progenitors of z ∼ 2 passive galaxies. We propose that massive, compact galaxies undergo more rapid growth of their stellar mass content, perhaps because the gas accretion mechanisms are different, and quench sooner than normally sized LBGs at these (early) epochs

  4. Local clouds ionization, temperatures, electron densities and interfaces, from GHRS and IMAPS spectra of epsilon Canis Majoris

    CERN Document Server

    Gry, C; Gry, Cecile; Jenkins, Edward B.

    2001-01-01

    The composition and physical properties of several local clouds, including the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC) in which the Sun is embedded, are derived from absorption features in the UV spectrum of the star epsilon CMa. We derive temperatures and densities for three components by combining our interpretations of the ionization balance of magnesium and the relative population of C II in an excited fine-structure level. We find that for the LIC n(e) = 0.12 +/-0.05 cm-3 and T = 7000 +/-1200 K. We derive the ionization fractions of hydrogen and discuss the ionizing processes. In particular the hydrogen and helium ionizations in the LIC are compatible with photoionization by the local EUV radiation fields from the hot stars and the cloud interface with the hot gas. We confirm the detection of high ionization species : Si III is detected in all clouds and C IV in two of them, including the LIC, suggesting the presence of ionized interfaces around the local clouds.

  5. Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination X: Impact Speeds and Directions of Interstellar Grains on the Stardust Dust Collector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sterken, Veerle J.; Westphal, Andrew J.; Altobelli, Nicolas; Grun, Eberhard; Hillier, Jon K.; Postberg, Frank; Allen, Carlton; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Sandford, S. A.; Zolensky, Michael E.

    2014-01-01

    On the basis of an interstellar dust model compatible with Ulysses and Galileo observations, we calculate and predict the trajectories of interstellar dust (ISD) in the solar system and the distribution of the impact speeds, directions, and flux of ISD particles on the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector during the two collection periods of the mission. We find that the expected impact velocities are generally low (less than 10 km per second) for particles with the ratio of the solar radiation pressure force to the solar gravitational force beta greater than 1, and that some of the particles will impact on the cometary side of the collector. If we assume astronomical silicates for particle material and a density of 2 grams per cubic centimeter, and use the Ulysses measurements and the ISD trajectory simulations, we conclude that the total number of (detectable) captured ISD particles may be on the order of 50. In companion papers in this volume, we report the discovery of three interstellar dust candidates in the Stardust aerogel tiles. The impact directions and speeds of these candidates are consistent with those calculated from our ISD propagation model, within the uncertainties of the model and of the observations.

  6. Gravity, turbulence and the scaling ``laws'' in molecular clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballesteros-Paredes, Javier

    The so-called Larson (1981) scaling laws found empirically in molecular clouds have been generally interpreted as evidence that the clouds are turbulent and fractal. In the present contribution we discussed how recent observations and models of cloud formation suggest that: (a) these relations are the result of strong observational biases due to the cloud definition itself: since the filling factor of the dense structures is small, by thresholding the column density the computed mean density between clouds is nearly constant, and nearly the same as the threshold (Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2012). (b) When accounting for column density variations, the velocity dispersion-size relation does not appears anymore. Instead, dense cores populate the upper-left corner of the δ v-R diagram (Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2011a). (c) Instead of a δ v-R relation, a more appropriate relation seems to be δ v 2 / R = 2 GMΣ, which suggest that clouds are in collapse, rather than supported by turbulence (Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2011a). (d) These results, along with the shapes of the star formation histories (Hartmann, Ballesteros-Paredes & Heitsch 2012), line profiles of collapsing clouds in numerical simulations (Heitsch, Ballesteros-Paredes & Hartmann 2009), core-to-core velocity dispersions (Heitsch, Ballesteros-Paredes & Hartmann 2009), time-evolution of the column density PDFs (Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2011b), etc., strongly suggest that the actual source of the non-thermal motions is gravitational collapse of the clouds, so that the turbulent, chaotic component of the motions is only a by-product of the collapse, with no significant ``support" role for the clouds. This result calls into question if the scale-free nature of the motions has a turbulent, origin (Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2011a; Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2011b, Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2012).

  7. A Framework for Security Transparency in Cloud Computing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umar Mukhtar Ismail

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Individuals and corporate users are persistently considering cloud adoption due to its significant benefits compared to traditional computing environments. The data and applications in the cloud are stored in an environment that is separated, managed and maintained externally to the organisation. Therefore, it is essential for cloud providers to demonstrate and implement adequate security practices to protect the data and processes put under their stewardship. Security transparency in the cloud is likely to become the core theme that underpins the systematic disclosure of security designs and practices that enhance customer confidence in using cloud service and deployment models. In this paper, we present a framework that enables a detailed analysis of security transparency for cloud based systems. In particular, we consider security transparency from three different levels of abstraction, i.e., conceptual, organisation and technical levels, and identify the relevant concepts within these levels. This allows us to provide an elaboration of the essential concepts at the core of transparency and analyse the means for implementing them from a technical perspective. Finally, an example from a real world migration context is given to provide a solid discussion on the applicability of the proposed framework.

  8. Limits on the interstellar magnetic field imposed by observational constraints indicate that Voyager 1 remains in the inner heliosheath

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gloeckler, G.; Fisk, L. A.

    2016-01-01

    The unmeasured interstellar magnetic field strength is an essential parameter for models of the heliosphere moving relative to the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC) that surrounds it. Here we use recent measurements of the differential energy spectra of energetic neutral hydrogen (ENH) combined with Voyager 1 (V1) measurements of energetic particles to calculate the total pressure and its 1-0 limit in the inner heliosheath, the region between the termination shock at ∼90 AU and the heliopause that V1 presumably crossed at 122 AU. Balancing pressure across the heliopause, we find the magnetic pressure in the outer heliosheath at ∼ 135 AU where V1 is currently located. From this magnetic pressure we find an extraordinarily large magnetic field strength of 0.84 ± 0.08 nT compared to the 0.464 ± 0.009 nT field strength currently measured by V1. We conclude that V1 is currently not measuring the interstellar field, but rather the solar magnetic field. Voyager 1 is thus not in interstellar space but still inside a new, unanticipated, and most unusual region of heliosphere that it entered in late August 2012. We recalculate total pressures in the ordinary heliosheath (∼90 - 122 AU), in the new, co-called cold inner heliosheath (122 - 145 AU), in the outer heliosheath and in the unperturbed LIC. Pressure balance again requires that all these pressures must be equal. Constrained by the requirement of pressure equality between all regions and minimum reduced χ 2 fits to the ENH spectrum and the differential intensities of particles measured by V1 in the ordinary, co-called hot heliosheath, we find the common pressure to be (3.45 ± 0.39)x10 -12 dyne-cm -2 . The magnetic field strength in the outer heliosheath is calculated to be 0.90 ± 0.089 nT, and in the unperturbed LIC it is 0.86 ± 0.11 nT. To achieve common pressure for all regions imposes firm limits on the LIC neutral hydrogen density, n(HI) = 0.10 ± 0.02 cm -3 . Pressure balance between the LIC and the hot

  9. Cloud Computing for Technical and Online Organizations

    OpenAIRE

    Hagos Tesfahun Gebremichael; Dr.Vuda Sreenivasa Rao

    2016-01-01

    Cloud computing is a new computing model which is based on the grid computing, distributed computing, parallel computing and virtualization technologies define the shape of a new technology.It is the core technology of the next generation of network computing platform, especially in the field of education and online.Cloud computing as an exciting development in an educational Institute and online perspective.Cloud computing services are growing necessity for business organizations as well ...

  10. Size-density relations in dark clouds: Non-LTE effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maloney, P.

    1986-01-01

    One of the major goals of molecular astronomy has been to understand the physics and dynamics of dense interstellar clouds. Because the interpretation of observations of giant molecular clouds is complicated by their very complex structure and the dynamical effects of star formation, a number of studies have concentrated on dark clouds. Leung, Kutner and Mead (1982) (hereafter LKM) and Myers (1983), in studies of CO and NH3 emission, concluded that dark clouds exhibit significant correlations between linewidth and cloud radius of the form delta v varies as R(0.5) and between mean density and radius of the form n varies as R(-1), as originally suggested by Larson (1981). This result suggests that these objects are in virial equilibrium. However, the mean densities inferred from the CO data of LKM are based on an local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) analysis of their 13CO data. At the very low mean densities inferred by LKM for the larger clouds in their samples, the assumption of LTE becomes very questionable. As most of the range in R in the density-size correlation comes from the clouds observed in CO, it seems worthwhile to examine how non-LTE effects will influence the derived densities. One way to assess the validity of LTE-derived densities is to construct cloud models and then to interpret them in the same way as the observed data. Microturbulent models of inhomogeneous clouds of varying central concentration with the linewidth-size and mean density-size relations found by Myers show sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO line in the larger clouds, with the result that LTE analysis considerbly underestimates the actual column density. A more general approach which doesn't require detailed modeling of the clouds is to consider whether the observed T sub R*(13CO)/T sub R*(12CO) ratios in the clouds studied by LKM are in the range where the LTE-derived optical depths (and hence column densities) can be seriously in error due to sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO

  11. Interstellar Magnetic Fields and Polarimetry of Dust Emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dowell, Darren

    2010-01-01

    Magnetic fields are an important ingredient in the stormy cosmos. Magnetic fields: (1) are intimately involved with winds from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and stars (2) create at least some of the structures observed in the ISM (3) modulate the formation of clouds, cores, and stars within a turbulent medium (4) may be dynamically important in protostellar accretion disks (5) smooth weak shocks (C-shocks).

  12. Interstellar matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mezger, P.G.

    1978-01-01

    An overview of the formation of our galaxy is presented followed by a summary of recent work in star formation and related topics. Selected discussions are given on interstellar matter including absorption characteristics of dust, the fully ionised component of the ISM and the energy density of lyc-photons in the solar neighbourhood and the diffuse galactic IR radiation

  13. CPL: A Core Language for Cloud Computing

    OpenAIRE

    Bračevac, Oliver; Erdweg, S.T.; Salvaneschi, Guido; Mezini, Mira

    2016-01-01

    Running distributed applications in the cloud involves deployment. That is, distribution and configuration of application services and middleware infrastructure. The considerable complexity of these tasks resulted in the emergence of declarative JSON-based domain-specific deployment languages to develop deployment programs. However, existing deployment programs unsafely compose artifacts written in different languages, leading to bugs that are hard to detect before run time. Furthermore, depl...

  14. The Role of Standards in Cloud-Computing Interoperability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-01

    services are not shared outside the organization. CloudStack, Eucalyptus, HP, Microsoft, OpenStack , Ubuntu, and VMWare provide tools for building...center requirements • Developing usage models for cloud ven- dors • Independent IT consortium OpenStack http://www.openstack.org • Open-source...software for running private clouds • Currently consists of three core software projects: OpenStack Compute (Nova), OpenStack Object Storage (Swift

  15. Cloud security - An approach with modern cryptographic solutions

    OpenAIRE

    Kostadinovska, Ivana

    2016-01-01

    The term “cloud computing” has been in the spotlights of IT specialists due to its potential of transforming computer industry. Unfortunately, there are still some challenges to be resolved and the security aspects in the cloud based computing environment remain at the core of interest. The goal of our work is to identify the main security issues of cloud computing and to present approaches to secure clouds. Our research also focuses on data and storage security layers. As a result, we f...

  16. The evolution of comets and the detectability of Extra-Solar Oort Clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stern, S.A.

    1989-01-01

    According the standard theory, comets are natural products of solar system formation, ejected to the Oort Cloud by gravitational scattering events during the epoch of giant planet formation. Stored far from the Sun for billions of years, comets almost certainly contain a record of the events which occurred during (and perhaps even before) the epoch of planetary formation. Two themes are examined of the evolutionary processes that affect comets in the Oort Cloud, and a search for evidence of Extra-Solar Oort Clouds (ESOCs). With regard to cometary evolution in the Oort Cloud, it was found that luminous O stars and supernovae have heated the surface layers of all comets on numerous occasions to 20 to 30 K and perhaps once to 50 K. Interstellar medium (ISM) interactions blow small grains out of the Oort Clouds, and erode the upper few hundred g/cu cm of material from cometary surfaces. The findings presented contradict the standard view that comets do not undergo physical change in the Oort Cloud. A logical consequence of the intimate connection between the Oort Cloud and our planetary system is that the detection of comet clouds around other stars would strongly indicate the sites of extant extra-solar planetary systems. A search was conducted for infrared IR emission from debris in ESOCs. After examining 17 stars using the Infrared Astronomical Satellite data base, only upper limits on ESOC emission could be set

  17. Interstellar Initiative Web Page Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, Alkesh

    1999-01-01

    This summer at NASA/MSFC, I have contributed to two projects: Interstellar Initiative Web Page Design and Lenz's Law Relative Motion Demonstration. In the Web Design Project, I worked on an Outline. The Web Design Outline was developed to provide a foundation for a Hierarchy Tree Structure. The Outline would help design a Website information base for future and near-term missions. The Website would give in-depth information on Propulsion Systems and Interstellar Travel. The Lenz's Law Relative Motion Demonstrator is discussed in this volume by Russell Lee.

  18. The pillars of creation giant molecular clouds, star formation, and cosmic recycling

    CERN Document Server

    Beech, Martin

    2017-01-01

    This book explores the mechanics of star formation, the process by which matter pulls together and creates new structures. Written for science enthusiasts, the author presents an accessible explanation of how stars are born from the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds. Stars produce the chemicals that lead to life, and it is they that have enabled the conditions for planets to form and life to emerge. Although the Big Bang provided the spark of initiation, the primordial universe that it sired was born hopelessly sterile. It is only through the continued recycling of the interstellar medium, star formation, and stellar evolution that the universe has been animated beyond a chaotic mess of elementary atomic particles, radiation, dark matter, dark energy, and expanding spacetime. Using the Milky Way and the Eagle Nebula in particular as case studies, Beech follows every step of this amazing process. .

  19. Characterization of Interstellar Organic Molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gencaga, Deniz; Knuth, Kevin H.; Carbon, Duane F.

    2008-01-01

    Understanding the origins of life has been one of the greatest dreams throughout history. It is now known that star-forming regions contain complex organic molecules, known as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), each of which has particular infrared spectral characteristics. By understanding which PAH species are found in specific star-forming regions, we can better understand the biochemistry that takes place in interstellar clouds. Identifying and classifying PAHs is not an easy task: we can only observe a single superposition of PAH spectra at any given astrophysical site, with the PAH species perhaps numbering in the hundreds or even thousands. This is a challenging source separation problem since we have only one observation composed of numerous mixed sources. However, it is made easier with the help of a library of hundreds of PAH spectra. In order to separate PAH molecules from their mixture, we need to identify the specific species and their unique concentrations that would provide the given mixture. We develop a Bayesian approach for this problem where sources are separated from their mixture by Metropolis Hastings algorithm. Separated PAH concentrations are provided with their error bars, illustrating the uncertainties involved in the estimation process. The approach is demonstrated on synthetic spectral mixtures using spectral resolutions from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). Performance of the method is tested for different noise levels.

  20. CO line ratios in molecular clouds: the impact of environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peñaloza, Camilo H.; Clark, Paul C.; Glover, Simon C. O.; Klessen, Ralf S.

    2018-04-01

    Line emission is strongly dependent on the local environmental conditions in which the emitting tracers reside. In this work, we focus on modelling the CO emission from simulated giant molecular clouds (GMCs), and study the variations in the resulting line ratios arising from the emission from the J = 1-0, J = 2-1, and J = 3-2 transitions. We perform a set of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations with time-dependent chemistry, in which environmental conditions - including total cloud mass, density, size, velocity dispersion, metallicity, interstellar radiation field (ISRF), and the cosmic ray ionization rate (CRIR) - were systematically varied. The simulations were then post-processed using radiative transfer to produce synthetic emission maps in the three transitions quoted above. We find that the cloud-averaged values of the line ratios can vary by up to ±0.3 dex, triggered by changes in the environmental conditions. Changes in the ISRF and/or in the CRIR have the largest impact on line ratios since they directly affect the abundance, temperature, and distribution of CO-rich gas within the clouds. We show that the standard methods used to convert CO emission to H2 column density can underestimate the total H2 molecular gas in GMCs by factors of 2 or 3, depending on the environmental conditions in the clouds.