734 research outputs found
On the ubiquity of molecular anions in the dense interstellar medium
Results are presented from a survey for molecular anions in seven nearby
Galactic star-forming cores and molecular clouds. The hydrocarbon anion C6H- is
detected in all seven target sources, including four sources where no anions
have been previously detected: L1172, L1389, L1495B and TMC-1C. The C6H-/C6H
column density ratio is greater than about 1.0% in every source, with a mean
value of 3.0% (and standard deviation 0.92%). Combined with previous
detections, our results show that anions are ubiquitous in dense clouds
wherever C6H is present. The C6H-/C6H ratio is found to show a positive
correlation with molecular hydrogen number density, and with the apparent age
of the cloud. We also report the first detection of C4H- in TMC-1 (at 4.8-sigma
confidence), and derive an anion-to-neutral ratio C4H-/C4H = (1.2 +- 0.4) x
10^-5 (= 0.0012 +- 0.0004%). Such a low value compared with C6H- highlights the
need for a revised radiative electron attachment rate for C4H. Chemical model
calculations show that the observed C4H- could be produced as a result of
reactions of oxygen atoms with C5H- and C6H-
Molecular Tracers of Embedded Star Formation in Ophiuchus
In this paper we analyze nine SCUBA cores in Ophiuchus using the
second-lowest rotational transitions of four molecular species (12CO, 13CO,
C18O, and C17O) to search for clues to the evolutionary state and
star-formation activity within each core. Specifically, we look for evidence of
outflows, infall, and CO depletion. The line wings in the CO spectra are used
to detect outflows, spectral asymmetries in 13CO are used to determine infall
characteristics, and a comparison of the dust emission (from SCUBA
observations) and gas emission (from C18O) is used to determine the fractional
CO freeze-out.
Through comparison with Spitzer observations of protostellar sources in
Ophiuchus, we discuss the usefulness of CO and its isotopologues as the sole
indicators of the evolutionary state of each core. This study is an important
pilot project for the JCMT Legacy Survey of the Gould Belt (GBS) and the
Galactic Plane (JPS), which intend to complement the SCUBA-2 dust continuum
observations with HARP observations of 12CO, 13CO, C18O, and C17O J = 3 - 2 in
order to determine whether or not the cold dust clumps detected by SCUBA-2 are
protostellar or starless objects.
Our classification of the evolutionary state of the cores (based on molecular
line maps and SCUBA observations) is in agreement with the Spitzer designation
for six or seven of the nine SCUBA cores. However, several important caveats
exist in the interpretation of these results, many of which large mapping
surveys like the GBS may be able to overcome to provide a clearer picture of
activity in crowded fields.Comment: 43 pages including 19 postscript figures. Accepted for publication in
the PAS
The JCMT dense gas survey of the Perseus Molecular Cloud
We present the results of a large-scale survey of the very dense gas in the
Perseus molecular cloud using HCO+ and HCN (J = 4 - 3) transitions. We have
used this emission to trace the structure and kinematics of gas found in pre-
and protostellar cores, as well as in outflows. We compare the HCO+/HCN data,
highlighting regions where there is a marked discrepancy in the spectra of the
two emission lines. We use the HCO+ to identify positively protostellar
outflows and their driving sources, and present a statistical analysis of the
outflow properties that we derive from this tracer. We find that the relations
we calculate between the HCO+ outflow driving force and the Menv and Lbol of
the driving source are comparable to those obtained from similar outflow
analyses using 12CO, indicating that the two molecules give reliable estimates
of outflow properties. We also compare the HCO+ and the HCN in the outflows,
and find that the HCN traces only the most energetic outflows, the majority of
which are driven by young Class 0 sources. We analyse the abundances of HCN and
HCO+ in the particular case of the IRAS 2A outflows, and find that the HCN is
much more enhanced than the HCO+ in the outflow lobes. We suggest that this is
indicative of shock-enhancement of HCN along the length of the outflow; this
process is not so evident for HCO+, which is largely confined to the outflow
base.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures, 9 table
Generation of continuous-wave THz radiation by use of quantum interference
We propose a scheme for generation of continuous-wave THz radiation. The
scheme requires a medium where three discrete states in a
configuration can be selected, with the THz-frequency transition between the
two lower metastable states. We consider the propagation of three-frequency
continuous-wave electromagnetic (e.m.) radiation through a medium.
Under resonant excitation, the medium absorption can be strongly reduced due to
quantum interference of transitions, while the nonlinear susceptibility is
enhanced. This leads to very efficient energy transfer between the e.m. waves
providing a possibility for THz generation. We demonstrate that the photon
conversion efficiency is approaching unity in this technique.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure
Tentative Evidence for Relativistic Electrons Generated by the Jet of the Young Sun-like Star DG Tau
Synchrotron emission has recently been detected in the jet of a massive
protostar, providing further evidence that certain jet formation
characteristics for young stars are similar to those found for highly
relativistic jets from AGN. We present data at 325 and 610 MHz taken with the
GMRT of the young, low-mass star DG Tau, an analog of the Sun soon after its
birth. This is the first investigation of a low-mass YSO at at such low
frequencies. We detect emission with a synchrotron spectral index in the
proximity of the DG Tau jet and interpret this emission as a prominent bow
shock associated with this outflow. This result provides tentative evidence for
the acceleration of particles to relativistic energies due to the shock impact
of this otherwise very low-power jet against the ambient medium. We calculate
the equipartition magnetic field strength (0.11 mG) and particle energy
(4x10^40 erg), which are the minimum requirements to account for the
synchrotron emission of the DG Tau bow shock. These results suggest the
possibility of low energy cosmic rays being generated by young Sun-like stars.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Review of eating disorders and oxytocin receptor polymorphisms.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Oxytocin, a nine amino acid peptide synthesised in the hypothalamus, has been widely recognised for its role in anxiolysis, bonding, sociality, and appetite. It binds to the oxytocin receptor (OXTR)-a G-protein coupled receptor-that is stimulated by the actions of oestrogen both peripherally and centrally. Studies have implicated OXTR genotypes in conferring either a risk or protective effect in autism, schizophrenia, and eating disorders (ED). There are numerous DNA variations of this receptor, with the most common DNA variation being in the form of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Two OXTR SNPs have been most studied in relation to ED: rs53576 and rs2254298. Each SNP has the same allelic variant that produces genotypes AA, AG, and GG. In this critical review we will evaluate the putative role of rs53576 and rs2254298 SNPs in ED. Additionally, this narrative review will consider the role of gene-environment interactions in the development of ED pathology. FINDINGS: The OXTR SNPs rs53576 and rs2254298 show independent associations between the A allele and restrictive eating behaviours. Conversely, the G allele of the OXTR rs53576 SNP is associated with binging behaviours, findings that were also evident in neuroanatomy. One study found the A allele of both OXTR SNPs to confer risk for more severe ED symptomatology while the G allele conferred some protective effect. An interaction between poor maternal care and rs2254298 AG/AA genotype conferred increased risk for binge eating and purging in women. CONCLUSIONS: Individual OXTR SNP are unlikely in themselves to explain complex eating disorders but may affect the expression of and/or effectiveness of the OXTR. A growing body of G x E work is indicating that rs53576G homozygosity becomes disadvantageous for later mental health under early adverse conditions but further research to extend these findings to eating pathology is needed. The GWAS approach would benefit this area of knowledge
Molecular line contamination in the SCUBA-2 450 {\mu}m and 850 {\mu}m continuum data
Observations of the dust emission using millimetre/submillimetre bolometer
arrays can be contaminated by molecular line flux, such as flux from 12CO. As
the brightest molecular line in the submillimetre, it is important to quantify
the contribution of CO flux to the dust continuum bands. Conversion factors
were used to convert molecular line integrated intensities to flux detected by
bolometer arrays in mJy per beam. These factors were calculated for 12CO line
integrated intensities to the SCUBA-2 850 {\mu}m and 450 {\mu}m bands. The
conversion factors were then applied to HARP 12CO 3-2 maps of NGC 1333 in the
Perseus complex and NGC 2071 and NGC 2024 in the Orion B molecular cloud
complex to quantify the respective 12CO flux contribution to the 850 {\mu}m
dust continuum emission. Sources with high molecular line contamination were
analysed in further detail for molecular outflows and heating by nearby stars
to determine the cause of the 12CO contribution. The majority of sources had a
12CO 3-2 flux contribution under 20 per cent. However, in regions of molecular
outflows, the 12CO can dominate the source dust continuum (up to 79 per cent
contamination) with 12CO fluxes reaching \sim 68 mJy per beam.Comment: Accepted 2012 April 19 for publication in MNRAS. 21 pages, 13
figures, 3 table
The structure of molecular gas associated with NGC2264: wide-field 12CO and H2 imaging
We present wide-field, high-resolution imaging observations in 12CO 3-2 and
H2 1-0 S(1) towards a ~1 square degree region of NGC2264. We identify 46 H2
emission objects, of which 35 are new discoveries. We characterize several
cores as protostellar, reducing the previously observed ratio of
prestellar/protostellar cores in the NGC2264 clusters. The length of H2 jets
increases the previously reported spatial extent of the clusters. In each
cluster, <0.5% of cloud material has been perturbed by outflow activity. A
principal component analysis of the 12CO data suggests that turbulence is
driven on scales >2.6 pc, which is larger than the extent of the outflows. We
obtain an exponent alpha=0.74 for the size-linewidth relation, possibly due to
the high surface density of NGC2264. In this very active, mixed-mass star
forming region, our observations suggest that protostellar outflow activity is
not injecting energy and momentum on a large enough scale to be the dominant
source of turbulence.Comment: MNRAS accepte
Cold Water Vapor in the Barnard 5 Molecular Cloud
After more than 30 yr of investigations, the nature of gas-grain interactions at low temperatures remains an unresolved issue in astrochemistry. Water ice is the dominant ice found in cold molecular clouds; however, there is only one region where cold ((is) approximately 10 K) water vapor has been detected-L1544. This study aims to shed light on ice desorption mechanisms under cold cloud conditions by expanding the sample. The clumpy distribution of methanol in dark clouds testifies to transient desorption processes at work-likely to also disrupt water ice mantles. Therefore, the Herschel HIFI instrument was used to search for cold water in a small sample of prominent methanol emission peaks. We report detections of the ground-state transition of o-H2O (J = 110-101) at 556.9360 GHz toward two positions in the cold molecular cloud, Barnard 5. The relative abundances of methanol and water gas support a desorption mechanism which disrupts the outer ice mantle layers, rather than causing complete mantle removal
The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: properties of star-forming filaments in Orion A North
We develop and apply a Hessian-based filament detection algorithm to submillimetre continuum observations of Orion A North. The resultant filament radial density profiles are fitted with beam-convolved line-of-sight Plummer-profiles using Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. The posterior distribution of the radial decay parameter demonstrates that the majority of filaments exhibit p = 1.5–3, with a mode at p = 2.2, suggesting deviation from the Ostriker p = 4 isothermal, equilibrium, self-gravitating cylinder. The spatial distribution of young stellar objects relative to the high column density filaments is investigated, yielding a lower limit on the star-forming age of the integral-shaped filament ∼1.4 Myr. Additionally, inferred lifetimes of filaments are examined which suggest long-term filament accretion, varying rates of star formation, or both. Theoretical filament stability measures are determined with the aid of HARP C18O J = 3–2 observations and indicate that the majority of filaments are gravitationally subcritical, despite the presence of young protostars. The results from this investigation are consistent with the one-dimensional accretion flow filament model recently observed in numerical simulations
- …