43 research outputs found
H_2 emission arises outside photodissociation regions in ultra-luminous infrared galaxies
Ultra-luminous infrared galaxies are among the most luminous objects in the
local universe and are thought to be powered by intense star formation. It has
been shown that in these objects the rotational spectral lines of molecular
hydrogen observed at mid-infrared wavelengths are not affected by dust
obscuration, leaving unresolved the source of excitation of this emission. Here
I report an analysis of archival Spitzer Space Telescope data on ultra-luminous
infrared galaxies and demonstrate that star formation regions are buried inside
optically thick clouds of gas and dust, so that dust obscuration affects
star-formation indicators but not molecular hydrogen. I thereby establish that
the emission of H_2 is not co-spatial with the buried starburst activity and
originates outside the obscured regions. This is rather surprising in light of
the standard view that H_2 emission is directly associated with star-formation
activity. Instead, I propose that H_2 emission in these objects traces shocks
in the surrounding material, which are in turn excited by interactions with
nearby galaxies, and that powerful large-scale shocks cooling by means of H_2
emission may be much more common than previously thought. In the early
universe, a boost in H_2 emission by this process may speed up the cooling of
matter as it collapsed to form the first stars and galaxies and would make
these first structures more readily observable.Comment: Main text and supplemental information, 21 pages including 6 figures,
2 table
Evolution of Interstellar Ices
Abstract. Infrared observations, combined with realistic laboratory simulations, have revolutionized our understanding of interstellar ice and dust, the building blocks of comets. Ices in molecular clouds are dominated by the very simple molecules H2O, CH3OH, NH3, CO, CO2, and proba-bly H2CO and H2. More complex species including nitriles, ketones, and esters are also present, but at lower concentrations. The evidence for these, as well as the abundant, carbon-rich, inter-stellar, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is reviewed. Other possible contributors to the interstellar/pre-cometary ice composition include accretion of gas-phase molecules and in situ pho-tochemical processing. By virtue of their low abundance, accretion of simple gas-phase species is shown to be the least important of the processes considered in determining ice composition. On the other hand, photochemical processing does play an important role in driving dust evolution and the composition of minor species. Ultraviolet photolysis of realistic laboratory analogs read-ily produces H2, H2CO, CO2, CO, CH4, HCO, and the moderately complex organic molecules: CH3CH2OH (ethanol), HC(=O)NH2 (formamide), CH3C(=O)NH2 (acetamide), R-CN (nitriles), and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT, C6H12N4), as well as more complex species including amides, ke-tones, and polyoxymethylenes (POMs). Inclusion of PAHs in the ices produces many species simila
Circumstellar carbonaceous material associated with late-type dusty WC Wolf-Rayet stars
We have studied the 5-8.5 mum infrared spectra of the late-type Wolf-Rayet stars WR 118, WR 112, and WR 104, the WN star WR 147, the B5 hypergiant Cygnus OB2 No. 12, and the Galactic center luminous blue variable Pistol Star using the Short Wavelength Spectrometer on the Infrared Space Observatory. We attribute an absorption feature at 6.2 mum in the spectra of WC stars to amorphous carbon dust. This absorption feature is not detected in the diffuse interstellar medium toward the WR 147, Cyg OB2 No. 12, or the Pistol Star, and therefore we suggest that it is circumstellar in nature. In addition, we detect a broad absorption feature extending from approximately 6.5 to 8 mum. We tentatively attribute this absorption to the C-C stretching modes that accompany the 6.2 mum band in aromatic materials. Our analysis of the 6.2 mum absorption profile suggests that the dust grains have to be rather large (similar to1 mum) and point toward dense clumps as the sites of dust formation