164 research outputs found
High mass star formation in the infrared dark cloud G11.11-0.12
We report detection of moderate to high-mass star formation in an infrared
dark cloud (G11.11-0.12) where we discovered class II methanol and water maser
emissions at 6.7 GHz and 22.2 GHz, respectively. We also observed the object in
ammonia inversion transitions. Strong emission from the (3,3) line indicates a
hot (~60 K) compact component associated with the maser emission. The line
width of the hot component (4 km/s), as well as the methanol maser detection,
are indicative of high mass star formation. To further constrain the physical
parameters of the source, we derived the spectral energy distribution (SED) of
the dust continuum by analysing data from the 2MASS survey, HIRAS, MSX, the
Spitzer Space Telescope, and interferometric 3mm observations. The SED was
modelled in a radiative transfer program: a) the stellar luminosity equals 1200
L_sun corresponding to a ZAMS star of 8 M_sun; b) the bulk of the envelope has
a temperature of 19 K; c) the mass of the remnant protostellar cloud in an area
8x10^17 cm or 15 arcsec across amounts to 500M_sun, if assuming standard dust
of the diffuse medium, and to about 60 M_sun, should the grains be fluffy and
have ice mantles; d) the corresponding visual extinction towards the star is a
few hundred magnitudes. The near IR data can be explained by scattering from
tenuous material above a hypothetical disk. The class II methanol maser lines
are spread out in velocity over 11 km/s. To explain the kinematics of the
masing spots, we propose that they are located in a Kepler disk at a distance
of about 250 AU. The dust temperatures there are around 150 K, high enough to
evaporate methanol--containing ice mantles.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysics Journa
A Radio Perspective on the Wet Merger Remnant NGC 34
We present VLA observations of the neutral hydrogen and radio continuum of
NGC 34 (= NGC 17 = Mrk 938). This object is an ideal candidate to study the
fate of gas in mergers, since, as shown by an optical study done by Schweizer &
Seitzer (2007), it is a gas-rich ("wet") merger remnant of two disk galaxies of
unequal mass hosting a strong central starburst and a weak AGN. We detect HI
emission from both tidal tails and from nearby galaxies, suggesting that NGC 34
is actually part of a gas-rich group and might have recently interacted with
one of its companions. The kinematics of the gas suggests this remnant is
forming an outer disk of neutral hydrogen from the gas of the northern tail. We
also detect broad HI absorption (514 +/- 21 km/s wide) at both negative and
positive velocities with respect to the systemic velocity. This absorption
could be explained by the motions of the tidal tails or by the presence of a
circumnuclear disk. In addition, we present radio-continuum images that show
both nuclear (62.4 +/- 0.3 mJy) and extra-nuclear emission (26.5 +/- 3.0 mJy).
The extra-nuclear component is very diffuse and in the shape of two radio
lobes, spanning 390 kpc overall. This emission could be a signature of an AGN
that has turned off, or it could originate from a starburst-driven superwind.
We discuss the possible scenarios that explain our observations, and what they
tell us about the location of the gas and the future evolution of NGC 34.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the
Astronomical Journal. Figs. 1, 2 & 6 degraded to reduce file size
Dust in starburst nuclei and ULIRGs: SED models for observers
We provide a library of some 7000 SEDs (available at www.eso.org/~rsiebenm)
for the nuclei of starburst and ultra luminous galaxies. Its purpose is to
quickly obtain estimates of the basic parameters, such as luminosity, size and
dust or gas mass and to predict the flux at yet unobserved wavelengths. The
procedure is simple and consists of finding an element in the library that
matches the observations. The objects may be in the local universe or at high
z.
We calculate the radiative transfer in spherical symmetry for a stellar
cluster permeated by an interstellar medium with standard (Milky Way) dust
properties. The cluster contains two stellar populations: old bulge stars and
OB stars. Because the latter are young, a certain fraction of them will be
embedded in compact clouds which constitute hot spots that determine the MIR
fluxes.
We present SEDs for a broad range of luminosities, sizes and obscurations. We
argue that the assumption of spherical symmetry and the neglect of clumpiness
of the medium are not severe shortcomings for computing the dust emission. The
validity of the approach is demonstrated by matching the SED of seven of the
best studied galaxies, including M82 and Arp220, by library elements. In all
cases, one finds an element which fits the observed SED very well, and the
parameters defining the element are in full accord with what is known about the
galaxy from detailed studies. We also compare our method of computing SEDs with
other techniques described in the literature.Comment: 10pages, 6 figures, submitted to A&
LABOCA observations of nearby, active galaxies
We present large scale 870 micron maps of the nearby starburst galaxies
NGC253, NGC4945 and the nearest giant elliptical radio galaxy Centaurus A (NGC
5128) obtained with the newly commissioned Large Apex Bolometer Camera (LABOCA)
operated at the APEX telescope. Our continuum images reveal for the first time
the distribution of cold dust at a angular resolution of 20" across the entire
optical disks of NGC253 and NGC4945 out to a radial distance of 10' (7.5 kpc).
In NGC5128 our LABOCA image also shows, for the first time at submillimeter
wavelengths, the synchrotron emission associated with the radio jet and the
inner radio lobes. From an analysis of the 870 micron emission in conjunction
with ISO-LWS, IRAS and long wavelengths radio data we find temperatures for the
cold dust in the disks of all three galaxies of 17-20 K, comparable to the dust
temperatures in the disk of the Milky Way. The total gas mass in the three
galaxies is determined to be 2.1, 4.2 and 2.8 x 10^9 solar masses for NGC253,
NGC4945 and NGC5128, respectively. A detailed comparison between the gas masses
derived from the dust continuum and the integrated CO(1-0) intensity in NGC253
suggests that changes of the CO luminosity to molecular mass conversion factor
are mainly driven by a metallicity gradient and only to a lesser degree by
variations of the CO excitation. An analysis of the synchrotron spectrum in the
northern radio lobe of NGC5128 shows that the synchrotron emission from radio
to the ultraviolet wavelengths is well described by a broken power law and that
the break frequency is a function of the distance from the radio core as
expected for aging electrons. We derive an outflow speed of ~0.5c at a distance
of 2.6kpc from the center, consistent with the speed derived in the vicinity of
the nucleus.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
The long-period Galactic Cepheid RS Puppis - II. 3D structure and mass of the nebula from VLT/FORS polarimetry
The long-period Cepheid RS Pup is surrounded by a large dusty nebula
reflecting the light from the central star. Due to the changing luminosity of
the central source, light echoes propagate into the nebula. This remarkable
phenomenon was the subject of Paper I.The origin and physical properties of the
nebula are however uncertain: it may have been created through mass loss from
the star itself, or it could be the remnant of a pre-existing interstellar
cloud. Our goal is to determine the 3D structure of the nebula, and estimate
its mass. Knowing the geometrical shape of the nebula will also allow us to
retrieve the distance of RS Pup in an unambiguous manner using a model of its
light echoes (in a forthcoming work). The scattering angle of the Cepheid light
in the circumstellar nebula can be recovered from its degree of linear
polarization. We thus observed the nebula surrounding RS Pup using the
polarimetric imaging mode of the VLT/FORS instrument, and obtained a map of the
degree and position angle of linear polarization. From our FORS observations,
we derive a 3D map of the distribution of the dust, whose overall geometry is
an irregular and thin layer. The nebula does not present a well-defined
symmetry. Using a simple model, we derive a total dust mass of M(dust) = 2.9
+/- 0.9 Msun for the dust within 1.8 arcmin of the Cepheid. This translates
into a total mass of M(gas+dust) = 290 +/- 120 Msun, assuming a dust-to-gas
ratio of 1.0 +/- 0.3 %. The high mass of the dusty nebula excludes that it was
created by mass-loss from the star. However, the thinness nebula is an
indication that the Cepheid participated to its shaping, e.g. through its
radiation pressure or stellar wind. RS Pup therefore appears as a regular
long-period Cepheid located in an exceptionally dense interstellar environment.Comment: 14 pages, 21 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
[12CII] and [13CII] 158 mum emission from NGC 2024: Large column densities of ionized carbon
Context: We analyze the NGC 2024 HII region and molecular cloud interface
using [12CII] and [13CII] observations. Aims: We attempt to gain insight into
the physical structure of the interface layer between the molecular cloud and
the HII region. Methods. Observations of [12CII] and [13CII] emission at 158
{\mu}m with high spatial and spectral resolution allow us to study the detailed
structure of the ionization front and estimate the column densities and
temperatures of the ionized carbon layer in the PDR. Results: The [12CII]
emission closely follows the distribution of the 8 mum continuum. Across most
of the source, the spectral lines have two velocity peaks similar to lines of
rare CO isotopes. The [13CII] emission is detected near the edge-on ionization
front. It has only a single velocity component, which implies that the [12CII]
line shape is caused by self-absorption. An anomalous hyperfine line-intensity
ratio observed in [13CII] cannot yet be explained. Conclusions: Our analysis of
the two isotopes results in a total column density of N(H)~1.6\times10^23 cm^-2
in the gas emitting the [CII] line. A large fraction of this gas has to be at a
temperature of several hundred K. The self-absorption is caused by a cooler
(T<=100 K) foreground component containing a column density of N(H)~10^22
cm^-2
High-resolution radio continuum survey of M33 II. Thermal and nonthermal emission
We determine the variation in the nonthermal radio spectral index in the
nearby spiral galaxy M33 at a linear resolution of 360 pc. We separate the
thermal and nonthermal components of the radio continuum emission without the
assumption of a constant nonthermal spectral index. Using the Spitzer FIR data
at 70 and 160 m and a standard dust model, we deredden the H
emission. The extinction corrected H emission serves as a template for
the thermal free-free radio emission. Subtracting from the observed 3.6 cm and
20 cm emission (Effelsberg and the VLA) this free-free emission, we obtain the
nonthermal maps. A constant electron temperature used to obtain the thermal
radio intensity seems appropriate for M~33 which, unlike the Milky Way, has a
shallow metallicity gradient. For the first time, we derive the distribution of
the nonthermal spectral index across a galaxy, M33. We detect strong nonthermal
emission from the spiral arms and star-forming regions. Wavelet analysis shows
that at 3.6 cm the nonthermal emission is dominated by contributions from
star-forming regions, while it is smoothly distributed at 20 cm. For the whole
galaxy, we obtain thermal fractions of 51% and 18% at 3.6 cm and 20 cm,
respectively. The thermal emission is slightly stronger in the southern than in
the northern half of the galaxy. We find a clear radial gradient of mean
extinction in the galactic plane. The nonthermal spectral index map indicates
that the relativistic electrons suffer energy-loss when diffusing from their
origin in star-forming regions towards interarm regions and the outer parts of
the galaxy. We also conclude that the radio emission is mostly nonthermal at R
5 kpc in M33.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomy and
Astrophysics journa
The P2 Receptor Antagonist PPADS Supports Recovery from Experimental Stroke In Vivo
BACKGROUND: After ischemia of the CNS, extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) can reach high concentrations due to cell damage and subsequent increase of membrane permeability. ATP may cause cellular degeneration and death, mediated by P2X and P2Y receptors. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The effects of inhibition of P2 receptors by pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS) on electrophysiological, functional and morphological alterations in an ischemia model with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were investigated up to day 28. Spontaneously hypertensive rats received PPADS or vehicle intracerebroventricularly 15 minutes prior MCAO for up to 7 days. The functional recovery monitored by qEEG was improved by PPADS indicated by an accelerated recovery of ischemia-induced qEEG changes in the delta and alpha frequency bands along with a faster and sustained recovery of motor impairments. Whereas the functional improvements by PPADS were persistent at day 28, the infarct volume measured by magnetic resonance imaging and the amount of TUNEL-positive cells were significantly reduced by PPADS only until day 7. Further, by immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we identified both neurons and astrocytes as TUNEL-positive after MCAO. CONCLUSION: The persistent beneficial effect of PPADS on the functional parameters without differences in the late (day 28) infarct size and apoptosis suggests that the early inhibition of P2 receptors might be favourable for the maintenance or early reconstruction of neuronal connectivity in the periinfarct area after ischemic incidents
Relating dust, gas and the rate of star formation in M31
We derive distributions of dust temperature and dust opacity across M31 at
45" resolution using the Spitzer data. With the opacity map and a standard dust
model we de-redden the Ha emission yielding the first de-reddened Ha map of
M31. We compare the emissions from dust, Ha, HI and H2 by means of radial
distributions, pixel-to-pixel correlations and wavelet cross-correlations. The
dust temperature steeply decreases from 30K near the center to 15K at large
radii. The mean dust optical depth at the Ha wavelength along the line of sight
is about 0.7. The radial decrease of the dust-to-gas ratio is similar to that
of the oxygen abundance. On scales<2kpc, cold dust emission is best correlated
with that of neutral gas and warm dust emission with that of ionized gas. Ha
emission is slightly better correlated with emission at 70um than at 24um. In
the area 6kpc<R< 17kpc, the total SFR is ~0.3Msun/yr. The Kennicutt-Schmidt law
between SFR and total gas has a power-law index of 1.30+-0.05 in the radial
range of R=7-11kpc increasing by about 0.3 for R=11-13kpc. The lack of H2 in
the central region could be related to the lack of HI and the low opacity/high
temperature of the dust. Since neither SFR nor SFE is well correlated with the
surface density of H2 or total gas, other factors than gas density must play an
important role in the formation of massive stars in M31. The molecular
depletion time scale of 1.1 Gyr indicates that M31 is about three times less
efficient in forming young massive stars than M33.Comment: 22 pages accepted for publication in A&
Spitzer IRS spectroscopy of 3CR radio galaxies and quasars: Testing the unified schemes
With the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) we have observed
seven powerful FR2 radio galaxies and seven quasars. Both samples, the galaxies
and the quasars, are comparable in isotropic 178 MHz luminosity (10^26.5 W/Hz <
P 178MHz < 10^29.5 W/Hz) and in redshift range (0.05 < z < 1.5). We find for
both samples similar distributions in the luminosity ratios of high- to
low-excitation lines ([NeV] 14.3 mu / [NeII] 12.8 mu) and of high-excitation
line to radio power ([NeV] 24.3 \mu / P 178MHz). This solves the long debate
about the apparent difference of quasars and radio galaxies in favor of the
orientation-dependent unified schemes. Furthermore, the luminosity ratio [OIII]
500.7 nm / [OIV] 25.9 mu of most galaxies is by a factor of ten lower than that
of the quasars. This suggests that the optical emission from the central NLR is
essentially absorbed (A_V} > 3) in the powerful FR2 galaxies and that the
[OIII] 500.7 nm luminosity does not serve as isotropic tracer for testing the
unified schemes.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted as Letter for A&
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