84 research outputs found
Herschel observations of the Sgr B2 cores: Hydrides, warm CO, and cold dust
Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) is one of the most massive and luminous star-forming
regions in the Galaxy and shows chemical and physical conditions similar to
those in distant extragalactic starbursts. We present large-scale far-IR/submm
photometric images and spectroscopic maps taken with the PACS and SPIRE
instruments onboard Herschel. The spectra towards the Sgr B2 star-forming
cores, B2(M) and B2(N), are characterized by strong CO line emission, emission
lines from high-density tracers (HCN, HCO+, and H2S), [N II] 205 um emission
from ionized gas, and absorption lines from hydride molecules (OH+, H2O+, H2O,
CH+, CH, SH+, HF, NH, NH2, and NH3). The rotational population diagrams of CO
suggest the presence of two gas temperature components: an extended warm
component, which is associated with the extended envelope, and a hotter
component, which is seen towards the B2(M) and B2(N) cores. As observed in
other Galactic Center clouds, the gas temperatures are significantly higher
than the dust temperatures inferred from photometric images. We determined
far-IR and total dust masses in the cores. Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium
models of the CO excitation were used to constrain the averaged gas density in
the cores. A uniform luminosity ratio is measured along the extended envelope,
suggesting that the same mechanism dominates the heating of the molecular gas
at large scales. The detection of high-density molecular tracers and of strong
[N II] 205 um line emission towards the cores suggests that their morphology
must be clumpy to allow UV radiation to escape from the inner HII regions.
Together with shocks, the strong UV radiation field is likely responsible for
the heating of the hot CO component. At larger scales, photodissociation
regions models can explain both the observed CO line ratios and the uniform
L(CO)/LFIR luminosity ratios
Far-infrared all sky diffuse mapping with AKARI
We discuss the capability of AKARI in recovering diffuse far-infrared
emission, and examine the achieved reliability. Critical issues in making
images of diffuse emission are the transient response and long-term stability
of the far-infrared detectors. Quantitative evaluation of these characteristics
are the key to achieving sensitivity comparable to or better than that for
point sources (< 20 -- 95 MJy sr-1). We describe current activity and progress
toward the production of high quality images of the diffuse far-infrared
emission using the AKARI all-sky survey data.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the Conference
"AKARI, a light to illuminate the misty Universe", Fukutake Hall, The
University of Tokyo, Japan, 16-19 February 200
AKARI Far-Infrared All Sky Survey
We demonstrate the capability of AKARI for mapping diffuse far-infrared
emission and achieved reliability of all-sky diffuse map. We have conducted an
all-sky survey for more than 94 % of the whole sky during cold phase of AKARI
observation in 2006 Feb. -- 2007 Aug. The survey in far-infrared waveband
covers 50 um -- 180 um with four bands centered at 65 um, 90 um, 140 um, and
160 um and spatial resolution of 3000 -- 4000 (FWHM).This survey has allowed us
to make a revolutionary improvement compared to the IRAS survey that was
conducted in 1983 in both spatial resolution and sensitivity after more than a
quarter of a century. Additionally, it will provide us the first all-sky survey
data with high-spatial resolution beyond 100 um. Considering its extreme
importance of the AKARI far-infrared diffuse emission map, we are now
investigating carefully the quality of the data for possible release of the
archival data. Critical subjects in making image of diffuse emission from
detected signal are the transient response and long-term stability of the
far-infrared detectors. Quantitative evaluation of these characteristics is the
key to achieve sensitivity comparable to or better than that for point sources
(< 20 -- 95 [MJy/sr]). We describe current activities and progress that are
focused on making high quality all-sky survey images of the diffuse
far-infrared emission.Comment: To appear in Proc. Workshop "The Space Infrared Telescope for
Cosmology & Astrophysics: Revealing the Origins of Planets and Galaxies".
Eds. A.M. Heras, B. Swinyard, K. Isaak, and J.R. Goicoeche
OH+ in astrophysical media: state-to-state formation rates, Einstein coefficients and inelastic collision rates with He
The rate constants required to model the OH observations in different
regions of the interstellar medium have been determined using state of the art
quantum methods.
First, state-to-state rate constants for the H+ O()
H + OH reaction have been obtained using
a quantum wave packet method. The calculations have been compared with
time-independent results to asses the accuracy of reaction probabilities at
collision energies of about 1 meV. The good agreement between the simulations
and the existing experimental cross sections in the 1 eV energy range
shows the quality of the results.
The calculated state-to-state rate constants have been fitted to an
analytical form. Second, the Einstein coefficients of OH have been obtained
for all astronomically significant ro-vibrational bands involving the
and/or electronic states.
For this purpose the potential energy curves and electric dipole transition
moments for seven electronic states of OH are calculated with {\it ab
initio} methods at the highest level and including spin-orbit terms, and the
rovibrational levels have been calculated including the empirical spin-rotation
and spin-spin terms. Third, the state-to-state rate constants for inelastic
collisions between He and OH have been calculated using a
time-independent close coupling method on a new potential energy surface. All
these rates have been implemented in detailed chemical and radiative transfer
models. Applications of these models to various astronomical sources show that
inelastic collisions dominate the excitation of the rotational levels of
OH. In the models considered the excitation resulting from the chemical
formation of OH increases the line fluxes by about 10 % or less depending
on the density of the gas
Herschel spectral-mapping of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293): Extended CO photodissociation and OH+ emission
The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) is the closest planetary nebulae. Therefore, it
is an ideal template for photochemical studies at small spatial scales in
planetary nebulae. We aim to study the spatial distribution of the atomic and
the molecular gas, and the structure of the photodissociation region along the
western rims of the Helix Nebula as seen in the submillimeter range with
Herschel. We use 5 SPIRE FTS pointing observations to make atomic and molecular
spectral maps. We analyze the molecular gas by modeling the CO rotational lines
using a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative transfer model.
For the first time, we have detected extended OH+ emission in a planetary
nebula. The spectra towards the Helix Nebula also show CO emission lines (from
J= 4 to 8), [NII] at 1461 GHz from ionized gas, and [CI] (2-1), which together
with the OH+ lines, trace extended CO photodissociation regions along the rims.
The estimated OH+ column density is (1-10)x1e12 cm-2. The CH+ (1-0) line was
not detected at the sensitivity of our observations. Non-LTE models of the CO
excitation were used to constrain the average gas density (n(H2)=(1-5)x1e5
cm-3) and the gas temperature (Tk= 20-40 K). The SPIRE spectral-maps suggest
that CO arises from dense and shielded clumps in the western rims of the Helix
Nebula whereas OH+ and [CI] lines trace the diffuse gas and the UV and X-ray
illuminated clumps surface where molecules reform after CO photodissociation.
[NII] traces a more diffuse ionized gas component in the interclump medium.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Herschel imaging of the dust in the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293)
In our series of papers presenting the Herschel imaging of evolved planetary
nebulae, we present images of the dust distribution in the Helix nebula (NGC
7293). Images at 70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 micron were obtained with the PACS
and SPIRE instruments on board the Herschel satellite. The broadband maps show
the dust distribution over the main Helix nebula to be clumpy and predominantly
present in the barrel wall. We determined the spectral energy distribution of
the main nebula in a consistent way using Herschel, IRAS, and Planck flux
values. The emissivity index of 0.99 +/- 0.09, in combination with the carbon
rich molecular chemistry of the nebula, indicates that the dust consists mainly
of amorphous carbon. The dust excess emission from the central star disk is
detected at 70 micron and the flux measurement agree with previous measurement.
We present the temperature and dust column density maps. The total dust mass
across the Helix nebula (without its halo) is determined to be 0.0035 solar
mass at a distance of 216 pc. The temperature map shows dust temperatures
between 22 and 42 K, which is similar to the kinetic temperature of the
molecular gas, strengthening the fact that the dust and gas co-exist in high
density clumps. Archived images are used to compare the location of the dust
emission in the far infrared (Herschel) with the ionized (GALEX, Hbeta) and
molecular hydrogen component. The different emission components are consistent
with the Helix consisting of a thick walled barrel-like structure inclined to
the line of sight. The radiation field decreases rapidly through the barrel
wall.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, revised version A&A in pres
The AKARI diffuse maps
We descibe the calibration of maps of diffuse Galactic Plane emission, and present detailed observations of several complexes. We put especial atention on Cygnus X region showing its temperature and density maps
Velocity-resolved [CII] emission and [CII]/FIR Mapping along Orion with Herschel
We present the first 7.5'x11.5' velocity-resolved map of the [CII]158um line
toward the Orion molecular cloud-1 (OMC-1) taken with the Herschel/HIFI
instrument. In combination with far-infrared (FIR) photometric images and
velocity-resolved maps of the H41alpha hydrogen recombination and CO J=2-1
lines, this data set provides an unprecedented view of the intricate
small-scale kinematics of the ionized/PDR/molecular gas interfaces and of the
radiative feedback from massive stars. The main contribution to the [CII]
luminosity (~85%) is from the extended, FUV-illuminated face of the cloud
G_0>500, n_H>5x10^3 cm^-3) and from dense PDRs (G_0~10^4, n_H~10^5 cm^-3) at
the interface between OMC-1 and the HII region surrounding the Trapezium
cluster. Around 15% of the [CII] emission arises from a different gas component
without CO counterpart. The [CII] excitation, PDR gas turbulence, line opacity
(from [13CII]) and role of the geometry of the illuminating stars with respect
to the cloud are investigated. We construct maps of the [CII]/FIR and FIR/M_Gas
ratios and show that [CII]/FIR decreases from the extended cloud component
(10^-2-10^-3) to the more opaque star-forming cores (10^-3-10^-4). The lowest
values are reminiscent of the "[CII] deficit" seen in local ultra-luminous IR
galaxies hosting vigorous star formation. Spatial correlation analysis shows
that the decreasing [CII]/FIR ratio correlates better with the column density
of dust through the molecular cloud than with FIR/M_Gas. We conclude that the
[CII] emitting column relative to the total dust column along each line of
sight is responsible for the observed [CII]/FIR variations through the cloud.Comment: 21 pages, 17 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal (2015 August 12). Figures 2, 6 and 7 are bitmapped to lower
resolution. This is version 2 after minor editorial changes. Notes added
after proofs include
Observing Extended Sources with the \Herschel SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer
The Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) on the European Space
Agency's Herschel Space Observatory utilizes a pioneering design for its
imaging spectrometer in the form of a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). The
standard FTS data reduction and calibration schemes are aimed at objects with
either a spatial extent much larger than the beam size or a source that can be
approximated as a point source within the beam. However, when sources are of
intermediate spatial extent, neither of these calibrations schemes is
appropriate and both the spatial response of the instrument and the source's
light profile must be taken into account and the coupling between them
explicitly derived. To that end, we derive the necessary corrections using an
observed spectrum of a fully extended source with the beam profile and the
source's light profile taken into account. We apply the derived correction to
several observations of planets and compare the corrected spectra with their
spectral models to study the beam coupling efficiency of the instrument in the
case of partially extended sources. We find that we can apply these correction
factors for sources with angular sizes up to \theta_{D} ~ 17". We demonstrate
how the angular size of an extended source can be estimated using the
difference between the sub-spectra observed at the overlap bandwidth of the two
frequency channels in the spectrometer, at 959<\nu<989 GHz. Using this
technique on an observation of Saturn, we estimate a size of 17.2", which is 3%
larger than its true size on the day of observation. Finally, we show the
results of the correction applied on observations of a nearby galaxy, M82, and
the compact core of a Galactic molecular cloud, Sgr B2.Comment: Accepted for publication by A&
The JCMT Legacy Survey of the Gould Belt: Mapping 13CO and C 18O in Orion A
The Gould Belt Legacy Survey will map star-forming regions within 500 pc, using Heterodyne Array Receiver Programme (HARP), Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array 2 (SCUBA-2) and Polarimeter 2 (POL-2) on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). This paper describes HARP observations of the J= 3 → 2 transitions of 13CO and C18O towards Orion A. The 15 arcsec resolution observations cover 5 pc of the Orion filament, including OMC 1 (including BN–KL and Orion bar), OMC 2/3 and OMC 4, and allow a comparative study of the molecular gas properties throughout the star-forming cloud. The filament shows a velocity gradient of ∼1 km s−1 pc−1 between OMC 1, 2 and 3, and high-velocity emission is detected in both isotopologues. The Orion Nebula and Bar have the largest masses and linewidths, and dominate the mass and energetics of the high-velocity material. Compact, spatially resolved emission from CH3CN, 13CH3OH, SO, HCOOCH3, CH3CHO and CH3OCHO is detected towards the Orion Hot Core. The cloud is warm, with a median excitation temperature of ∼24 K; the Orion Bar has the highest excitation temperature gas, at >80 K. The C18O excitation temperature correlates well with the dust temperature (to within 40 per cent). The C18O emission is optically thin, and the 13CO emission is marginally optically thick; despite its high mass, OMC 1 shows the lowest opacities. A virial analysis indicates that Orion A is too massive for thermal or turbulent support, but is consistent with a model of a filamentary cloud that is threaded by helical magnetic fields. The variation of physical conditions across the cloud is reflected in the physical characteristics of the dust cores. We find similar core properties between starless and protostellar cores, but variations in core properties with position in the filament. The OMC 1 cores have the highest velocity dispersions and masses, followed by OMC 2/3 and OMC 4. The differing fragmentation of these cores may explain why OMC 1 has formed clusters of high-mass stars, whereas OMC 4 produces fewer, predominantly low-mass stars
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