466 research outputs found
WSRT and VLA Observations of the 6 cm and 2 cm lines of H2CO in the direction of W 58 C1(ON3) and W 58 C2
Absorption in the J{K-K+} = 2{11}-2{12} transition of formaldehyde at 2 cm
towards the ultracompact HII regions C1 and C2 of W 58 has been observed with
the VLA with an angular resolution of ~0.2'' and a velocity resolution of ~1
km/s. The high resolution continuum image of C1 (ON 3) shows a partial shell
which opens to the NE. Strong H2CO absorption is observed against W 58 C1. The
highest optical depth (tau > 2) occurs in the SW portion of C1 near the edge of
the shell, close to the continuum peak. The absorption is weaker towards the
nearby, more diffuse compact HII region C2, tau<~0.3. The H2CO velocity (-21.2
km/s) towards C1 is constant and agrees with the velocity of CO emission,
mainline OH masers, and the H76 alpha recombination line, but differs from the
velocity of the 1720 MHz OH maser emission (~-13 km/s). Observations of the
absorption in the J{K-K+} = 1{10}-1{11} transition of formaldehyde at 6 cm
towards W 58 C1 and C2 carried out earlier with the WSRT at lower resolution
(~4''x7'') show comparable optical depths and velocities to those observed at 2
cm. Based on the mean optical depth profiles at 6 cm and 2 cm, the volume
density of molecular hydrogen n(H2) and the formaldehyde column density N(H2CO)
were determined. The n(H2) is ~6E4 /cm**3 towards C1. N(H2CO) for C1 is ~8E14
/cm**2 while that towards C2 is ~8E13 /cm**2.Comment: AJ in press Jan 2001, 14 pages plus 6 figures (but Fig. 1 has 4
separate parts, a through d). Data are available at
http://adil.ncsa.uiuc.edu/document/00.HD.0
W49A North - Global or Local or No Collapse?
We attempt to fit observations with 5" resolution of the J=2-1 transition of
CS in the directions of H II regions A, B, and G of W49A North as well as
observations with 20" resolution of the J=2-1, 3-2, 5-4, and 7-6 transitions in
the directions of H II regions A and G by using radiative transfer
calculations. These calculations predict the intensity profiles resulting from
several spherical clouds along the line of sight. We consider three models:
global collapse of a very large (5 pc radius) cloud, localized collapse from
smaller (1 pc) clouds around individual H II regions, and multiple, static
clouds. For all three models we can find combinations of parameters that
reproduce the CS profiles reasonably well provided that the component clouds
have a core-envelope structure with a temperature gradient. Cores with high
temperature and high molecular hydrogen density are needed to match the higher
transitions (e.g. J=7-6) observed towards A and G. The lower temperature, low
density gas needed to create the inverse P-Cygni profile seen in the CS J=2-1
line (with 5" beam) towards H II region G arises from different components in
the 3 models. The infalling envelope of cloud G plus cloud B creates the
absorption in global collapse, cloud B is responsible in local collapse, and a
separate cloud, G', is needed in the case of many static clouds. The exact
nature of the velocity field in the envelopes for the case of local collapse is
not important as long as it is in the range of 1 to 5 km/s for a turbulent
velocity of about 6 km/s. High resolution observations of the J=1-0 and 5-4
transitions of CS and C34S may distinguish between these three models. Modeling
existing observations of HCO+ and C18O does not allow one to distinguish
between the three models but does indicate the existence of a bipolar outflow.Comment: 42 pages, 27 figures, accepted for publication in the ApJS August
2004, v153 issu
Detection of an X-ray Pulsar Wind Nebula and Tail in SNR N157B
We report Chandra X-ray observations of the supernova remnant N157B in the
Large Magellanic Cloud, which are presented together with an archival HST
optical image and a radio continuum map for comparison. This remnant contains
the recently discovered 16 ms X-ray pulsar PSR J0537-6910, the most rapidly
rotating young pulsar known.
Using phase-resolved Chandra imaging, we pinpoint the location of the pulsar
to within an uncertainty of less than 1 arcsec. PSR J0537-6910 is not detected
in any other wavelength band. The X-ray observations resolve three distinct
features: the pulsar itself, a surrounding compact wind nebula which is
strongly elongated and a feature of large-scale diffuse emission trailing from
the pulsar. This latter comet tail-shaped feature coexists with enhanced radio
emission and is oriented nearly perpendicular to the major axis of the pulsar
wind nebula. We propose the following scenario to explain these features. The
bright, compact nebula is likely powered by a toroidal pulsar wind of
relativistic particles which is partially confined by the ram-pressure from the
supersonic motion of the pulsar. The particles, after being forced out from the
compact nebula (the head of the ``comet''), are eventually dumped into a bubble
(the tail), which is primarily responsible for the extended diffuse X-ray and
radio emission. The ram-pressure confinement also allows a natural explanation
for the observed X-ray luminosity of the compact nebula and for the unusually
small X-ray to spin-down luminosity ratio, compared to similarly energetic
pulsars. We estimate the pulsar wind Lorentz factor of N157B as about 4 times
10^6 (with an uncertainty of a factor about 2, consistent with that inferred
from the modeling of the Crab Nebula.Comment: 15 pages plus 4 figures. The postscript file of the whole paper is
available at http://xray.astro.umass.edu/wqd/papers/n157b/n157b.ps. accepted
for publication in Ap
Supernova Remnants in the Magellanic Clouds. IV. X-Ray Emission from the Largest SNR in the LMC
We present the first X-ray detection of SNR 0450-70.9 the largest known
supernova remnant (SNR) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. To study the physical
conditions of this SNR, we have obtained XMM-Newton X-ray observations, optical
images and high-dispersion spectra, and radio continuum maps. Optical images of
SNR 0450-70.9 show a large, irregular elliptical shell with bright filaments
along the eastern and western rims and within the shell interior. The interior
filaments have higher [S II]/Halpha ratios and form an apparent inner shell
morphology. The X-ray emission region is smaller than the full extent of the
optical shell, with the brightest X-ray emission found within the small
interior shell and on the western rim of the large shell. The expansion
velocity of the small shell is ~220 km/s, while the large shell is ~120 km/s.
The radio image shows central brightening and a fairly flat radio spectral
index over the SNR. However, no point X-ray or radio source corresponding to a
pulsar is detected and the X-ray emission is predominantly thermal. Therefore,
these phenomena can be most reasonably explained in terms of the advanced age
of the large SNR. Using hydrodynamic models combined with a nonequilibrium
ionization model for thermal X-ray emission, we derived a lower limit on the
SNR age of about 45,000 yr, well into the later stages of SNR evolution.
Despite this, the temperature and density derived from spectral fits to the
X-ray emission indicate that the remnant is still overpressured, and thus that
the development is largely driven by hot gas in the SNR interior.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
Discovery of Radio/X-ray/Optical Resolved Supernova Remnants in the Center of the Andromeda Galaxy
We have detected a spatially resolved supernova remnant (SNR) in the center
of the Andromeda Galaxy, in radio, X-ray, and optical wavelengths. These
observations provide the highest spatial resolution imaging of a
radio/X-ray/optical SNR in that galaxy to date. The multi-wavelength
morphology, radio spectral index, X-ray colors, and narrow-band optical imaging
are consistent with a shell-type SNR. A second SNR is also seen resolved in
both radio and X-ray. By comparing the morphological sturcture of the SNRs in
different wavelengths and with that in our own Galaxy, we can study the shock
morphologies of SNRs in the Andromeda Galaxy. The proximity of the SNRs to the
core suggests high interstellar medium density in the vicinity of the SNRs in
the center of the Andromeda Galaxy.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
An X-Ray Study of the Supernova Remnant G290.1-0.8
G290.1-0.8 (MSH 11-61A) is a supernova remnant (SNR) whose X-ray morphology
is centrally bright. However, unlike the class of X-ray composite SNRs whose
centers are dominated by nonthermal emission, presumably driven by a central
pulsar, we show that the X-ray emission from G290.1-0.8 is thermal in nature,
placing the remnant in an emerging class which includes such remnants as W44,
W28, 3C391, and others. The evolutionary sequence which leads to such X-ray
properties is not well understood. Here we investigate two scenarios for such
emission: evolution in a cloudy interstellar medium, and early-stage evolution
of a remnant into the radiative phase, including the effects of thermal
conduction. We construct models for these scenarios in an attempt to reproduce
the observed center-filled X-ray properties of G290.1-0.8, and we derive the
associated age, energy, and ambient density conditions implied by the models.
We find that for reasonable values of the explosion energy, the remnant age is
of order (1 - 2) x 10^{4} yr. This places a fairly strong constraint on any
association between G290.1-0.8 and PSR J1105-610, which would require an
anomalously large velocity for the pulsar.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, ApJ, accepte
Supernova Remnants in the Magellanic Clouds. V. The Complex Interior Structure of the N206 SNR
The N206 supernova remnant (SNR) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has long
been considered a prototypical "mixed morphology" SNR. Recent observations,
however, have added a new twist to this familiar plot: an elongated,
radially-oriented radio feature seen in projection against the SNR face.
Utilizing the high resolution and sensitivity available with the Hubble Space
Telescope, Chandra, and XMM-Newton, we have obtained optical emission-line
images and spatially resolved X-ray spectral maps for this intriguing SNR. Our
findings present the SNR itself as a remnant in the mid to late stages of its
evolution. X-ray emission associated with the radio "linear feature" strongly
suggests it to be a pulsar-wind nebula (PWN). A small X-ray knot is discovered
at the outer tip of this feature. The feature's elongated morphology and the
surrounding wedge-shaped X-ray enhancement strongly suggest a bow-shock PWN
structure.Comment: 41 pages including 7 figures, accepted for publication by the
Astrophysical Journa
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