297 research outputs found
Dust-Gas Interaction in SNR 1987A
Multiwavelength observations of SNR 1987A show that its morphology is rapidly
changing at X-ray, radio, and optical wavelengths as the blast wave from the
explosion expands into the circumstellar equatorial ring. Infrared emission
arises from the interaction of dust grains with the hot X-ray emitting gas. We
show that the IR emission provides important complementary information on the
interaction of the SN blast wave with the circumstellar equatorial ring that
cannot be obtained at any other wavelength.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; review talk to appear in the AIP Proceedings of
the Conference " Supernova 1987A: 20 Years after - Supernovae and Gamma-Ray
Bursters" held in Aspen Co USA, Feb 19-23, 200
Cosmic Infrared Background Fluctuations and Zodiacal Light
We have performed a specific observational test to measure the effect that
the zodiacal light can have on measurements of the spatial fluctuations of the
near-IR background. Previous estimates of possible fluctuations caused by
zodiacal light have often been extrapolated from observations of the thermal
emission at longer wavelengths and low angular resolution, or from IRAC
observations of high latitude fields where zodiacal light is faint and not
strongly varying with time. The new observations analyzed here target the
COSMOS field, at low ecliptic latitude where the zodiacal light intensity
varies by factors of over the range of solar elongations at which the
field can be observed. We find that the white noise component of the spatial
power spectrum of the background is correlated with the modeled zodiacal light
intensity. Roughly half of the measured white noise is correlated with the
zodiacal light, but a more detailed interpretation of the white noise is
hampered by systematic uncertainties that are evident in the zodiacal light
model. At large angular scales () where excess power above the
white noise is observed, we find no correlation of the power with the modeled
intensity of the zodiacal light. This test clearly indicates that the large
scale power in the infrared background is not being caused by the zodiacal
light.Comment: 17 pp. Accepted for publication in the Ap
The Near Infrared Background: Interplanetary Dust or Primordial Stars?
The intensity of the diffuse ~ 1 - 4 micron sky emission from which solar
system and Galactic foregrounds have been subtracted is in excess of that
expected from energy released by galaxies and stars that formed during the z <
5 redshift interval (Arendt & Dwek 2003, Matsumoto et al. 2005). The spectral
signature of this excess near-infrared background light (NIRBL) component is
almost identical to that of reflected sunlight from the interplanetary dust
cloud, and could therefore be the result of the incomplete subtraction of this
foreground emission component from the diffuse sky maps. Alternatively, this
emission component could be extragalactic. Its spectral signature is consistent
with that of redshifted continuum and recombination line emission from HII
regions formed by the first generation of very massive stars. In this paper we
analyze the implications of this spectral component for the formation rate of
these Population III stars, the redshift interval during which they formed, the
reionization of the universe and evolution of collapsed halo masses. We find
that to reproduce the intensity and spectral shape of the NIRBL requires a peak
star formation rate that is higher by about a factor of 4 to 10 compared to
those derived from hierarchical models. Furthermore, an extragalactic origin
for the NIRBL leads to physically unrealistic absorption-corrected spectra of
distant TeV blazars. All these results suggest that Pop III stars contribute
only a fraction of the NIRBL intensity with zodiacal light, star forming
galaxies, and/or non-nuclear sources giving rise to the remaining fraction.Comment: 28 pages including 7 embedded figures. Submitted to Ap
Interstellar and Ejecta Dust in the Cas A Supernova Remnant
Infrared continuum observations provide a means of investigating the physical
composition of the dust in the ejecta and swept up medium of the Cas A
supernova remnant. Using low resolution Spitzer IRS spectra (5-35 m), and
broad-band Herschel PACS imaging (70, 100, and 160 m), we identify
characteristic dust spectra, associated with ejecta layers that underwent
distinct nuclear burning histories. The most luminous spectrum exhibits strong
emission features at and 21 m and is closely associated with
ejecta knots with strong Ar emission lines. The dust features can be reproduced
by magnesium silicate grains with relatively low Mg to Si ratios. Another dust
spectrum is associated with ejecta having strong Ne emission lines. It has no
indication of any silicate features, and is best fit by AlO dust. A
third characteristic dust spectrum shows features that are best matched by
magnesium silicates with a relatively high Mg to Si ratio. This dust is
primarily associated with the X-ray emitting shocked ejecta, but it is also
evident in regions where shocked interstellar or circumstellar material is
expected. However, the identification of dust composition is not unique, and
each spectrum includes an additional featureless dust component of unknown
composition. Colder dust of indeterminate composition is associated with
emission from the interior of the SNR, where the reverse shock has not yet
swept up and heated the ejecta. Most of the dust mass in Cas A is associated
with this unidentified cold component, which is . The
mass of warmer dust is only .Comment: 45 pages. 21 Figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Dust formation, evolution, and obscuration effects in the very high-redshift universe
The evolution of dust at redshifts z>9, and consequently the dust properties,
differs greatly from that in the local universe. In contrast to the local
universe, core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are the only source of
thermally-condensed dust. Because of the low initial dust-to-gas mass ratio,
grain destruction rates are low, so that CCSNe are net producers of
interstellar dust. Galaxies with large initial gas mass or high mass infall
rate will therefore have a more rapid net rate of dust production comported to
galaxies with lower gas mass, even at the same star formation rate. The dust
composition is dominated by silicates, which exhibit a strong rise in the UV
opacity near the Lyman break. This "silicate-UV break" may be confused with the
Lyman break, resulting in a misidentification of a galaxies' photometric
redshift. In this paper we demonstrate these effects by analyzing the spectral
energy distribution (SED) of MACS1149-JD, a lensed galaxy at z=9.6. A potential
2mm counterpart of MACS1149-JD has been identified with GISMO. While additional
observations are required to corroborate this identification, we use this
possible association to illustrate the physical processes and the observational
effects of dust in the very high redshift universe.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
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