694 research outputs found
The atomic structure of protons and hydrides in Sm1.92Ca0.08Sn2O7-δ pyrochlore from DFT calculations and FTIR spectroscopy
A combined density functional theory and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study of the structure and specific site preference of protons and hydrides in the pyrochlore Sm1.92Ca0.08Sn2O7-delta is presented. Two protonic sites of particular high stability are identified, both located on O(1) oxygen atoms closely associated with a Ca dopant. Further, the unexpected presence of Ho hydride defects in undoped, oxygen deficient Sm2Sn2O7 is reported. Finally, the stretching frequencies and relative intensities for these and other sites are calculated. The main features of the Fourier transform infrared spectra are hereby resolved. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4737786
Spitzer Observations of NGC 1333: A Study of Structure and Evolution in a Nearby Embedded Cluster
We present a comprehensive analysis of structure in the young, embedded
cluster, NGC 1333 using members identified with Spitzer and 2MASS photometry
based on their IR-excess emission. In total, 137 members are identified in this
way, composed of 39 protostars and 98 more evolved pre-main sequence stars with
disks. Of the latter class, four are transition/debris disk candidates. The
fraction of exposed pre-main sequence stars with disks is 83% +/- 11%, showing
that there is a measurable diskless pre-main sequence population. The sources
in each of the Class I and Class II evolutionary states are shown to have very
different spatial distributions relative to the distribution of the dense gas
in their natal cloud. However, the distribution of nearest neighbor spacings
among these two groups of sources are found to be quite similar, with a strong
peak at spacings of 0.045 pc. Radial and azimuthal density profiles and surface
density maps computed from the identified YSOs show that NGC 1333 is elongated
and not strongly centrally concentrated, confirming previous claims in the
literature. We interpret these new results as signs of a low velocity
dispersion, extremely young cluster that is not in virial equilibrium.Comment: 59 pages, 20 figures, accepted to ApJ, verion with full resolution
figures available at
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~rgutermuth/preprints/gutermuth_ngc1333.pdf .
Updated to fix astro-ph figure garblin
Can Protostellar Jets Drive Supersonic Turbulence in Molecular Clouds?
Jets and outflows from young stellar objects are proposed candidates to drive
supersonic turbulence in molecular clouds. Here, we present the results from
multi-dimensional jet simulations where we investigate in detail the energy and
momentum deposition from jets into their surrounding environment and quantify
the character of the excited turbulence with velocity probability density
functions. Our study include jet--clump interaction, transient jets, and
magnetised jets. We find that collimated supersonic jets do not excite
supersonic motions far from the vicinity of the jet. Supersonic fluctuations
are damped quickly and do not spread into the parent cloud. Instead subsonic,
non-compressional modes occupy most of the excited volume. This is a generic
feature which can not be fully circumvented by overdense jets or magnetic
fields. Nevertheless, jets are able to leave strong imprints in their cloud
structure and can disrupt dense clumps. Our results question the ability of
collimated jets to sustain supersonic turbulence in molecular clouds.Comment: 33 pages, 18 figures, accepted by ApJ, version with high resolution
figures at:
http://www.ita.uni-heidelberg.de/~banerjee/publications/jet_paper.pd
Turbulence driven by outflow-blown cavities in the molecular cloud of NGC 1333
Outflows from young stellar objects have been identified as a possible source
of turbulence in molecular clouds. To investigate the relationship between
outflows, cloud dynamics and turbulence, we compare the kinematics of the
molecular gas associated with NGC 1333, traced in 13CO(1-0), with the
distribution of young stellar objects (YSOs) within. We find a velocity
dispersion of ~ 1-1.6 km/s in 13CO that does not significantly vary across the
cloud, and is uncorrelated with the number of nearby young stellar outflows
identified from optical and submillimeter observations. However, from velocity
channel maps we identify about 20 cavities or depressions in the 13CO intensity
of scales > 0.1-0.2 pc and velocity widths 1-3 km/s. The cavities exhibit limb
brightened rims in both individual velocity channel maps and position velocity
diagrams, suggesting that they are slowly expanding. We interpret these
cavities to be remnants of past YSO outflow activity: If these cavities are
presently empty, they would fill in on time scales of a million years. This can
exceed the lifetime of a YSO outflow phase, or the transit time of the central
star through the cavity, explaining the the absence of any clear correlation
between the cavities and YSO outflows. We find that the momentum and energy
deposition associated with the expansion of the cavities is sufficient to power
the turbulence in the cloud. In this way we conclude that the cavities are an
important intermediary step between the conversion of YSO outflow energy and
momentum into cloud turbulent motions.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Check out
http://astro.pas.rochester.edu/~aquillen/coolpics.html for channel map and
PosVel movies of N133
Sequential and Spontaneous Star Formation Around the Mid-Infrared Halo HII Region KR 140
We use 2MASS and MSX infrared observations, along with new molecular line
(CO) observations, to examine the distribution of young stellar objects (YSOs)
in the molecular cloud surrounding the halo HII region KR 140 in order to
determine if the ongoing star-formation activity in this region is dominated by
sequential star formation within the photodissociation region (PDR) surrounding
the HII region. We find that KR 140 has an extensive population of YSOs that
have spontaneously formed due to processes not related to the expansion of the
HII region. Much of the YSO population in the molecular cloud is concentrated
along a dense filamentary molecular structure, traced by C18O, that has not
been erased by the formation of the exciting O star. Some of the previously
observed submillimetre clumps surrounding the HII region are shown to be sites
of recent intermediate and low-mass star formation while other massive starless
clumps clearly associated with the PDR may be the next sites of sequential star
formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 8 pages, 10 figure
HST NICMOS Images of the HH 7/11 Outflow in NGC1333
We present near infrared images in H2 at 2.12um of the HH 7/11 outflow and
its driving source SVS 13 taken with HST NICMOS 2 camera, as well as archival
Ha and [SII] optical images obtained with the WFPC2 camera. The NICMOS high
angular resolution observations confirm the nature of a small scale jet arising
from SVS 13, and resolve a structure in the HH 7 working surface that could
correspond to Mach disk H2 emission. The H2 jet has a length of 430 AU (at a
distance of 350 pc), an aspect ratio of 2.2 and morphologically resembles the
well known DG Tau optical micro-jet. The kinematical age of the jet (approx. 10
yr) coincides with the time since the last outburst from SVS 13. If we
interpret the observed H2 flux density with molecular shock models of 20-30
km/s, then the jet has a density as high as 1.e+5 cc. The presence of this
small jet warns that contamination by H2 emission from an outflow in studies
searching for H2 in circumstellar disks is possible. At the working surface,
the smooth H2 morphology of the HH 7 bowshock indicates that the magnetic field
is strong, playing a major role in stabilizing this structure. The H2 flux
density of the Mach disk, when compared with that of the bowshock, suggests
that its emission is produced by molecular shocks of less than 20 km/s. The
WFPC2 optical images display several of the global features already inferred
from groundbased observations, like the filamentary structure in HH 8 and HH
10, which suggests a strong interaction of the outflow with its cavity. The H2
jet is not detected in {SII] or Ha, however, there is a small clump at approx.
5'' NE of SVS 13 that could be depicting the presence either of a different
outburst event or the north edge of the outflow cavity.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures (JPEGs
Infall, Outflow, Rotation, and Turbulent Motions of Dense Gas within NGC 1333 IRAS 4
Millimeter wavelength observations are presented of NGC 1333 IRAS 4, a group
of highly-embedded young stellar objects in Perseus, that reveal motions of
infall, outflow, rotation, and turbulence in the dense gas around its two
brightest continuum objects, 4A and 4B. These data have finest angular
resolution of approximately 2" (0.0034 pc) and finest velocity resolution of
0.13 km/s. Infall motions are seen from inverse P-Cygni profiles observed in
H2CO 3_12-2_11 toward both objects, but also in CS 3-2 and N2H+ 1-0 toward 4A,
providing the least ambiguous evidence for such motions toward low-mass
protostellar objects. Outflow motions are probed by bright line wings of H2CO
3_12-2_11 and CS 3-2 observed at positions offset from 4A and 4B, likely
tracing dense cavity walls. Rotational motions of dense gas are traced by a
systematic variation of the N2H+ line velocities, and such variations are found
around 4A but not around 4B. Turbulent motions appear reduced with scale, given
N2H+ line widths around both 4A and 4B that are narrower by factors of 2 or 3
than those seen from single-dish observations. Minimum observed line widths of
approximately 0.2 km/s provide a new low, upper bound to the velocity
dispersion of the parent core to IRAS 4, and demonstrate that turbulence within
regions of clustered star formation can be reduced significantly. A third
continuum object in the region, 4B', shows no detectable line emission in any
of the observed molecular species.Comment: LateX, 51 pages, 9 figures, accepted by Ap
C-type related order in the defective fluorites La2Ce2O7 and Nd2Ce2O7 studied by neutron scattering and ab initio MD simulations
This work presents a structural investigation of La2-xNdxCe2O7 (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) using X-ray powder diffraction and total scattering neutron powder diffraction, analysed using Rietveld and the reverse Monte Carlo method (RMC). Ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) modelling is also performed for further investigations of the local order. The main intensities in the neutron diffraction data for the La2-xNdxCe2O7 series correspond to the fluorite structure. However, additional C-type superlattice peaks are visible for x > 0 and increase in intensity with increasing x. The Nd-containing compositions (x > 0) are best fitted with Rietveld analysis by using a combination of oxygen deficient fluorite and oxygen excess C-type structures. No indications of cation order are found in the RMC or Rietveld analysis, and the absence of cation order is supported by the MD modelling. We argue that the superlattice peaks originate from oxygen vacancy ordering and associated shift in the cation position away from the ideal fluorite site similar to that in the C-type structure, which is seen from the Rietveld refinements and the observed ordering in the MD modelling. The vacancies favour alignments in the , and especially the direction. Moreover, we find that such ordering might also be found to a small extent in La2Ce2O7, explaining the discernible modulated background between the fluorite peaks. The observed overlap of the main Bragg peaks between the fluorite and C-type phase supports the co-existence of vacancy ordered and more disordered domains. This is further supported by the observed similarity of the radial distribution functions as modelled with MD. The increase in long range oxygen vacancy order with increasing Nd-content in La2-xNdxCe2O7 corresponds well with the lower oxide ion conductivity in Nd2Ce2O7 compared to La2Ce2O7 reported earlier
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