477 research outputs found
Herschel PACS and SPIRE spectroscopy of the Photodissociation Regions associated with S 106 and IRAS 23133+6050
Photodissociation regions (PDRs) contain a large fraction of all of the
interstellar matter in galaxies. Classical examples include the boundaries
between ionized regions and molecular clouds in regions of massive star
formation, marking the point where all of the photons energetic enough to
ionize hydrogen have been absorbed. In this paper we determine the physical
properties of the PDRs associated with the star forming regions IRAS 23133+6050
and S 106 and present them in the context of other Galactic PDRs associated
with massive star forming regions. We employ Herschel PACS and SPIRE
spectroscopic observations to construct a full 55-650 {\mu}m spectrum of each
object from which we measure the PDR cooling lines, other fine- structure
lines, CO lines and the total far-infrared flux. These measurements are then
compared to standard PDR models. Subsequently detailed numerical PDR models are
compared to these predictions, yielding additional insights into the dominant
thermal processes in the PDRs and their structures. We find that the PDRs of
each object are very similar, and can be characterized by a two-phase PDR model
with a very dense, highly UV irradiated phase (n 10^6 cm^(-3), G
10^5) interspersed within a lower density, weaker radiation field phase
(n 10^4 cm^(-3), G 10^4). We employed two different numerical
models to investigate the data, firstly we used RADEX models to fit the peak of
the CO ladder, which in conjunction with the properties derived yielded
a temperature of around 300 K. Subsequent numerical modeling with a full PDR
model revealed that the dense phase has a filling factor of around 0.6 in both
objects. The shape of the CO ladder was consistent with these components
with heating dominated by grain photoelectric heating. An extra excitation
component for the highest J lines (J > 20) is required for S 106.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, A&A Accepte
A Dust Twin of Cas A: Cool Dust and 21-micron Silicate Dust Feature in the Supernova Remnant G54.1+0.3
We present infrared (IR) and submillimeter observations of the Crab-like
supernova remnant (SNR) G54.1+0.3 including 350 micron (SHARC-II), 870 micron
(LABOCA), 70, 100, 160, 250, 350, 500 micron (Herschel) and 3-40 micron
(Spitzer). We detect dust features at 9, 11 and 21 micron and a long wavelength
continuum dust component. The 21 micron dust coincides with [Ar II] ejecta
emission, and the feature is remarkably similar to that in Cas A. The IRAC 8
micron image including Ar ejecta is distributed in a shell-like morphology
which is coincident with dust features, suggesting that dust has formed in the
ejecta. We create a cold dust map that shows excess emission in the
northwestern shell. We fit the spectral energy distribution of the SNR using
the continuous distributions of ellipsoidal (CDE) grain model of pre-solar
grain SiO2 that reproduces the 21 and 9 micron dust features and discuss grains
of SiC and PAH that may be responsible for the 10-13 micron dust features. To
reproduce the long-wavelength continuum, we explore models consisting of
different grains including Mg2SiO4, MgSiO3, Al2O3, FeS, carbon, and Fe3O4. We
tested a model with a temperature-dependent silicate absorption coefficient. We
detect cold dust (27-44 K) in the remnant, making this the fourth such SNR with
freshly-formed dust. The total dust mass in the SNR ranges from 0.08-0.9 Msun
depending on the grain composition, which is comparable to predicted masses
from theoretical models. Our estimated dust masses are consistent with the idea
that SNe are a significant source of dust in the early Universe.Comment: MNRAS: accepted on June 28, 2018 and published on July 4, 201
Adaptive Management in Native Grasslands Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceâImplications for Grassland Birds
Burning and grazing are natural processes in native prairies that also serve as important tools in grassland management to conserve plant diversity, to limit encroachment of woody and invasive plants, and to maintain or improve prairies. Native prairies managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains have been extensively invaded by nonnative, cool-season species of grasses. These invasions were believed to reflect a common management history of long-term rest and little or no defoliation by natural processes (burning and grazing). To address the challenges associated with these invasive species, the FWS embraced a collaborative approach in 2008, in partnership with U.S. Geological Survey, to restore native prairies on lands managed by FWS. This approach is known as the Native Prairie Adaptive Management (NPAM) initiative and was based on the application of an adaptive decision-support framework to assist managers in selecting management actions despite uncertainty and in maximizing learning from management outcomes. The primary objective of this approach was to increase the composition of native grasses and forbs on native, unbroken sod while minimizing costs. The alternative management actions that were used to meet this objective include grazing, burning, burning and grazing, and rest (no action
Large Interstellar Polarisation Survey. LIPS I: FORS2 spectropolarimetry in the Southern Hemisphere
Polarimetric studies of light transmitted through interstellar clouds may
give constraints on the properties of the interstellar dust grains.
Traditionally, broadband linear polarisation (BBLP) measurements have been
considered an important diagnostic tool for the study of the interstellar dust,
while comparatively less attention has been paid to spectropolarimetric
measurements. However, spectropolarimetry may offer stronger constraints than
BBLP, for example by revealing narrowband features, and by allowing us to
distinguish the contribution of dust from the contribution of interstellar gas.
Therefore, we have decided to carry out a Large Interstellar Polarisation
Survey (LIPS) using spectropolarimetric facilities in both hemispheres. Here we
present the results obtained in the Southern Hemisphere with the FORS2
instrument of the ESO Very Large Telescope. Our spectra cover the wavelength
range 380--950\,nm at a spectral resolving power of about 880. We have produced
a publicly available catalogue of 127 linear polarisation spectra of 101
targets. We also provide the Serkowski-curve parameters, as well as the
wavelength gradient of the polarisation position angle for the interstellar
polarisation along 76 different lines of sight. In agreement with previous
literature, we found that the best-fit parameters of the Serkowski-curve are
not independent of each other. However, the relationships that we obtained are
not always consistent with what was found in previous studies.Comment: Accepted by A&A (replaced on 12 October 2017 simply to correct a
Metadata error
The Rotational Excitation Temperature of the 6614 Diffuse Interstellar Band Carrier
Analysis of high spectral resolution observations of the 6614
diffuse interstellar band (DIB) line profile show systematic variations in the
positions of the peaks in the substructure of the profile. These variations --
shown here for the first time -- can be understood most naturally in the
framework of rotational contours of large molecules, where the variations are
caused by changes in the rotational excitation temperature. We show that the
rotational excitation temperature for the DIB carrier is likely significantly
lower than the gas kinetic temperature -- indicating that for this particular
DIB carrier angular momentum buildup is not very efficient.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters; 16 pages, 2 figure
Discovery of a TiO emission band in the infrared spectrum of the S star NP Aurigae
We report on the discovery of an infrared emission band in the Spitzer
spectrum of the S-type AGB star NP Aurigae that is caused by TiO molecules in
the circumstellar environment. We modelled the observed emission to derive the
temperature of the TiO molecules (\approx 600 K), an upper limit on the column
density (\approx 10^17.25 cm^{-2}) and a lower limit on the spatial extent of
the layer that contains these molecules. (\approx 4.6 stellar radii). This is
the first time that this TiO emission band is observed. A search for similar
emission features in the sample of S-type stars yielded two additional
candidates. However, owing to the additional dust emission, the identification
is less stringent. By comparing the stellar characteristics of NP Aur to those
of the other stars in our sample, we find that all stars with TiO emission show
large-amplitude pulsations, s-process enrichment, and a low C/O ratio. These
characteristics might be necessary requirements for a star to show TiO in
emission, but they are not sufficient.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, letter to the edito
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon emission model in photodissociation regions - I.: Application to the 3.3, 6.2, and 11.2 ÎŒm bands
Laboratory astrophysics and astrochemistryInterstellar matter and star formatio
Source separation algorithms for the analysis of hyperspectral observations of very small interstellar dust particles
International audienceThe mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectrum of our galaxy is dominated by continuum and band emission due to carbonaceous very small dust particles amongst which are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. Because they absorb the UV photons ofmassive stars and re-emit this energy in the infrared, IR spectro-imaging of extended interstellar (or circumstellar) regions is a powerful tool to diagnose the nature of these particles together with the local physical conditions. In this paper, we review how the applications of blind / bayesian source separation (BSS) methods applied to mid-IR hyperspectral data can help analyzing these data. We then discuss, in the light of simulations in progress, how BSS methods could be used to identify specific PAH molecules in the interstellar medium when applied to the hyper-spectral data of forthcoming IR telescopes (Herschel, SOFIA, SPICA)
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