154 research outputs found
Hydrogenation of CO on a silica surface: an embedded cluster approach
The sequential addition of H atoms to CO adsorbed on a siliceous edingtonite surface is studied with an embedded cluster approach, using density functional theory for the quantum mechanical (QM) cluster and a molecular force field for the molecular mechanical (MM) cluster. With this setup, calculated QM/MM adsorption energies are in agreement with previous calculations employing periodic boundary conditions. The catalytic effect of the siliceous edingtonite (100) surface on CO hydrogenation is assessed because of its relevance to astrochemistry. While adsorption of CO on a silanol group on the hydroxylated surface did not reduce the activation energy for the reaction with a H atom, a negatively charged defect on the surface is found to reduce the gas phase barriers for the hydrogenation of both CO and H2C = O. The embedded cluster approach is shown to be a useful and flexible tool for studying reactions on (semi-)ionic surfaces and specific defects thereon. The methodology presented here could easily be applied to study reactions on silica surfaces that are of relevance to other scientific areas, such as biotoxicity of silica dust and geochemistry
Probing Interstellar Dust with Infrared Echoes from the Cas A Supernova
We present the analysis of an IRS 5-38 {\mu}m spectrum and MIPS photometric
measurements of an infrared echo near the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant
observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We have modeled the recorded echo
accounting for PAHs, quantum-heated carbon and silicate grains, as well as
thermal carbon and silicate particles. Using the fact that optical light echo
spectroscopy has established that Cas A originated from a type IIb supernova
explosion showing an optical spectrum remarkably similar to the prototypical
type IIb SN 1993J, we use the latter to construct template data input for our
simulations. We are then able to reproduce the recorded infrared echo spectrum
by combining the emission of dust heated by the UV burst produced at the shock
breakout after the core-collapse and dust heated by optical light emitted near
the visual maximum of the supernova light curve, where the UV burst and optical
light curve characteristics are based on SN 1993J. We find a mean density of
\sim680 H cm^{-3} for the echo region, with a size of a few light years across.
We also find evidence of dust processing in the form of a lack of small PAHs
with less than \sim300 carbon atoms, consistent with a scenario of PAHs
destruction by the UV burst via photodissociation at the estimated distance of
the echo region from Cas A. Furthermore, our simulations suggest that the weak
11 {\mu}m features of our recorded infrared echo spectrum are consistent with a
strong dehydrogenated state of the PAHs. This exploratory study highlights the
potential of investigating dust processing in the interstellar medium through
infrared echoes.Comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
On the Excitation and Formation of Circumstellar Fullerenes
We compare and analyze the Spitzer mid-infrared spectrum of three
fullerene-rich planetary nebulae in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds;
Tc1, SMP SMC16, and SMP LMC56. The three planetary nebulae share many
spectroscopic similarities. The strongest circumstellar emission bands
correspond to the infrared active vibrational modes of the fullerene species
C60 and little or no emission is present from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs). The strength of the fullerene bands in the three planetary nebulae is
very similar, while the ratio of the [NeIII]15.5um/[NeII]12.8um fine structure
lines, an indicator of the strength of the radiation field, is markedly
different. This raises questions about their excitation mechanism and we
compare the fullerene emission to fluorescent and thermal models. In addition,
the spectra show other interesting and common features, most notably in the
6-9um region, where a broad plateau with substructure dominates the emission.
These features have previously been associated with mixtures of
aromatic/aliphatic hydrocarbon solids. We hypothesize on the origin of this
band, which is likely related to the fullerene formation mechanism, and compare
it with modeled Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon that present emission in this
region.Comment: 13 pages, 2 tables, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
The 5.25 & 5.7 m Astronomical Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission Features
Astronomical mid-IR spectra show two minor PAH features at 5.25 and 5.7
m (1905 and 1754 cm) that hitherto have been little studied,
but contain information about the astronomical PAH population that complements
that of the major emission bands. Here we report a study involving both
laboratory and theoretical analysis of the fundamentals of PAH spectroscopy
that produce features in this region and use these to analyze the astronomical
spectra. The ISO SWS spectra of fifteen objects showing these PAH features were
considered for this study, of which four have sufficient S/N between 5 and 6
m to allow for an in-depth analysis. All four astronomical spectra show
similar peak positions and profiles. The 5.25 m feature is peaked and
asymmetric, while the 5.7 m feature is broader and flatter. Detailed
analysis of the laboratory spectra and quantum chemical calculations show that
the astronomical 5.25 and 5.7 m bands are a blend of combination,
difference and overtone bands primarily involving CH stretching and CH in-plane
and CH out-of-plane bending fundamental vibrations. The experimental and
computational spectra show that, of all the hydrogen adjacency classes possible
on PAHs, solo and duo hydrogens consistently produce prominent bands at the
observed positions whereas quartet hydrogens do not. In all, this a study
supports the picture that astronomical PAHs are large with compact, regular
structures. From the coupling with primarily strong CH out-of-plane bending
modes one might surmise that the 5.25 and 5.7 m bands track the neutral
PAH population. However, theory suggests the role of charge in these
astronomical bands might also be important.Comment: Accepted ApJ, 40 pages in pre-print, 14 figures, two onlin
Star Formation in Extreme Environments: The Effects of Cosmic Rays and Mechanical Heating
Context: Molecular data of extreme environments, such as Arp 220, but also
NGC 253, show evidence for extremely high cosmic ray (CR) rates (10^3-10^4 *
Milky Way) and mechanical heating from supernova driven turbulence.
Aims: The consequences of high CR rates and mechanical heating on the
chemistry in clouds are explored.
Methods: PDR model predictions are made for low, n=10^3, and high, n=10^5.5
cm^-3, density clouds using well-tested chemistry and radiation transfer codes.
Column densities of relevant species are discussed, and special attention is
given to water related species. Fluxes are shown for fine-structure lines of O,
C+, C, and N+, and molecular lines of CO, HCN, HNC, and HCO+. A comparison is
made to an X-ray dominated region model.
Results: Fine-structure lines of [CII], [CI], and [OI] are remarkably similar
for different mechanical heating and CR rates, when already exposed to large
amounts of UV. HCN and H2O abundances are boosted for very high mechanical
heating rates, while ionized species are relatively unaffected. OH+ and H2O+
are enhanced for very high CR rates zeta > 5 * 10^-14 s^-1. A combination of
OH+, OH, H2O+, H2O, and H3O+ trace the CR rates, and are able to distinguish
between enhanced cosmic rays and X-rays.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, A&A accepte
Gas cooling within the diffuse ISM of late-type galaxies
We combine observations of spiral galaxies in the [CII] line at 158 micron,
made with the Long Wavelength Spectrometer aboard ISO, with previous data from
the Kuiper Airborne Observatory to study the origin of this line, which is the
main coolant of the interstellar medium at relatively low temperatures. We also
use HI and CO(1-0) observations of these galaxies and estimate the respective
line fluxes in the same beam as the [CII] observations. We confirm the
existence of a linear relation between the [CII] line intensity and the CO(1-0)
line intensity, that we extend to intrinsically fainter galaxies. The
dispersion around this relation is significant and due to variations in the
far-UV flux, thus in the star formation rate. We find that for the least active
galaxies of our sample, in terms of star formation, the rate of [CII] line
emission per interstellar hydrogen atom is similar to that in the Solar
neighbourhood. For those galaxies, most of the [CII] line emission comes
probably from the diffuse cold atomic medium. In more active galaxies,
considered globally, the average [CII] line emission is dominated by dense
photodissociation regions and to some extent by the warm ionized diffuse
medium. This is true in the central region of many spiral galaxies, and
probably even in the interarm regions of the most actively star-forming ones.Comment: 8 pages, 6 Postscript figures, 2 Postscript tables, accepted to A&
ISOCAM observations of the Ursa Major cirrus: Evidence for large abundance variations of small dust grains
We present mid-IR imaging observations of a high Galactic latitude cirrus
obtained with the ISO camera ISOCAM at 6" angular resolution. The observations
were done with two filters LW2 (5-8.5 microns) and LW3 (12-18 microns) that
measure respectively the aromatic carbon bands and the underlying continuum
emission from small dust particles. Three 0.05 square degree images sample
atomic and molecular sections in the Ursa Major cirrus. These images are
compared with Hi, CO and IRAS observations. In such a cloud transparent to
stellar light (Av < 0.5) the mid-infrared to 100 microns and the mid-IR
emissivity per hydrogen are related to the abundance and the optical properties
of small dust particles independently of any modelling of the penetration of
the radiation. Within the atomic section of the cloud, the comparison between
ISOCAM images and 21 cm interferometric data highlights an enhancement of the
mid-IR emitters abundance by a factor ~5 in an Hi filament characterized by a
large transverse velocity gradient suggestive of rotation. Furthermore, a drop
in the abundance of the same mid-IR emitters is observed at the interface
between the atomic and molecular cirrus sections. We propose that these
abundance variations of the mid-IR emitters are related to the production of
small dust particles by grain shattering in energetic grain-grain collisions
generated by turbulent motions within the cirrus and inversely by their
disappearance due to coagulation on large grains. At the atomic-molecular
interface we also observe a decrease of the Lw2/Lw3 ratio by a factor 2 in the
molecular region. This could result from a modification of the dust size
distribution or of the intrinsic optical properties of the small dust
particles.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, better resolution figures to be found in
published versio
Dissociation of the benzene molecule by UV and soft X-rays in circumstellar environment
Benzene molecules, present in the proto-planetary nebula CRL 618, are ionized
and dissociated by UV and X-ray photons originated from the hot central star
and by its fast wind. Ionic species and free radicals produced by these
processes can lead to the formation of new organic molecules. The aim of this
work is to study the photoionization and photodissociation processes of the
benzene molecule, using synchrotron radiation and time of flight mass
spectrometry. Mass spectra were recorded at different energies corresponding to
the vacuum ultraviolet (21.21 eV) and soft X-ray (282-310 eV) spectral regions.
The production of ions from the benzene dissociative photoionization is here
quantified, indicating that C6H6 is more efficiently fragmented by soft X-ray
than UV radiation, where 50% of the ionized benzene molecules survive to UV
dissociation while only about 4% resist to X-rays. Partial ion yields of H+ and
small hydrocarbons such as C2H2+, C3H3+ and C4H2+ are determined as a function
of photon energy. Absolute photoionization and dissociative photoionization
cross sections have also been determined. From these values, half-life of
benzene molecule due to UV and X-ray photon fluxes in CRL 618 were obtained.Comment: The paper contains 8 pages, 9 figures and 4 tables. Accepted to be
published on MNRAS on 2008 November 2
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