174 research outputs found
Simultaneously imaging of dielectric properties and topography in a PbTiO_3 crystal by near-field scanning microwave microscopy
We use a near-field scanning microwave microscope to simultaneously image the
dielectric constant, loss tangent, and topography in a PbTiO_3 crystal. By this
method, we study the effects of the local dielectric constant and loss tangent
in the geometry of periodic domains on the measured resonant frequency, and
quality factor. We also carry out theoretical calculations and the results
agree well with the experimental data and reveal the anisotropic nature of
dielectric constant
Abundances in the Herbig Ae star HD 101412: Abundance anomalies; Lambda Boo-Vega characteristics?
Context: Recent attention has been directed to abundance variations among
very young stars.
Aims: To perform a detailed abundance study of the Herbig Ae star HD 101412,
taking advantage of its unusually sharp spectral lines.
Methods: High-resolution spectra are measured for accurate wavelengths and
equivalent widths. Balmer-line fits and ionization equlibria give a relation
between Teff, and log(g). Abundance anomalies and uncertain reddening preclude
the use of spectral type or photometry to fix Teff. Excitation temperatures are
used to break the degeneracy between Teff and log(g).
Results: Strong lines are subject to an anomalous saturation that cannot be
removed by assuming a low microturbulence. By restricting the analysis to weak
(<= 20 m[A]) lines, we find consistent results for neutral and ionized species,
based on a model with Teff = 8300K, and log(g)=3.8. The photosphere is depleted
in the most refractory elements, while volatiles are normal or, in the case of
nitrogen, overabundant with respect to the sun. The anomalies are unlike those
of Ap or Am stars.
Conclusions: We suggest the anomalous saturation of strong lines arises from
heating of the upper atmospheric layers by infalling material from a disk. The
overall abundance pattern may be related to those found for the Lambda Boo
stars, though the depletions of the refractory elements are milder, more like
those of Vega. However, the intermediate volatile zinc is depleted, precluding
a straightforward interpretation of the abundance pattern in terms of gas-grain
separation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics; 7 pages, 7
figs., 2 table
FUSE Observations of the HD Molecule toward HD 73882
The Lyman and Werner band systems of deuterated molecular hydrogen (HD) occur
in the far UV range below 1200 A. The high sensitivity of the FUSE mission can
give access, at moderate resolution, to hot stars shining through translucent
clouds, in the hope of observing molecular cores in which deuterium is
essentially in the form of HD. Thus, the measurement of the HD/H2 ratio may
become a new powerful tool to evaluate the deuterium abundance, D/H, in the
interstellar medium. We report here on the detection of HD toward the high
extinction star HD 73882 [E(B-V)=0.72]. A preliminary analysis is presented.Comment: 4 pages + 4 .ps figures. This paper will appear in a special issue of
Astrophysical Journal Letters devoted to the first scientific results from
the FUSE missio
A FUSE Survey of Interstellar Molecular Hydrogen in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds
We describe a moderate-resolution FUSE survey of H2 along 70 sight lines to
the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, using hot stars as background sources.
FUSE spectra of 67% of observed Magellanic Cloud sources (52% of LMC and 92% of
SMC) exhibit absorption lines from the H2 Lyman and Werner bands between 912
and 1120 A. Our survey is sensitive to N(H2) >= 10^14 cm^-2; the highest column
densities are log N(H2) = 19.9 in the LMC and 20.6 in the SMC. We find reduced
H2 abundances in the Magellanic Clouds relative to the Milky Way, with average
molecular fractions = 0.010 (+0.005, -0.002) for the SMC and =
0.012 (+0.006, -0.003) for the LMC, compared with = 0.095 for the
Galactic disk over a similar range of reddening. The dominant uncertainty in
this measurement results from the systematic differences between 21 cm radio
emission and Lya in pencil-beam sight lines as measures of N(HI). These results
imply that the diffuse H2 masses of the LMC and SMC are 8 x 10^6 Msun and 2 x
10^6 Msun, respectively, 2% and 0.5% of the H I masses derived from 21 cm
emission measurements. The LMC and SMC abundance patterns can be reproduced in
ensembles of model clouds with a reduced H2 formation rate coefficient, R ~ 3 x
10^-18 cm^3 s^-1, and incident radiation fields ranging from 10 - 100 times the
Galactic mean value. We find that these high-radiation, low-formation-rate
models can also explain the enhanced N(4)/N(2) and N(5)/N(3) rotational
excitation ratios in the Clouds. We use H2 column densities in low rotational
states (J = 0 and 1) to derive a mean kinetic and/or rotational temperature
= 82 +/- 21 K for clouds with N(H2) >= 10^16 cm^-2, similar to Galactic
gas. We discuss the implications of this work for theories of star formation in
low-metallicity environments. [Abstract abridged]Comment: 30 pages emulateapj, 14 figures (7 color), 7 tables, accepted for
publication in the Astrophysical Journal, figures 11 and 12 compressed at
slight loss of quality, see http://casa.colorado.edu/~tumlinso/h2/ for full
version
HD/H2 Molecular Clouds in the Early Universe: The Problem of Primordial Deuterium
We have detected new HD absorption systems at high redshifts, z_abs=2.626 and
z_abs=1.777, identified in the spectra of the quasars J0812+3208 and Q1331+170,
respectively. Each of these systems consists of two subsystems. The HD column
densities have been determined: log(N(HD),A)=15.70+/-0.07 for z_A=2.626443(2)
and log(N(HD),B)=12.98+/-0.22 for z_B=2.626276(2) in the spectrum of J0812+3208
and log(N(HD),C)=14.83+/-0.15 for z_C=1.77637(2) and log(N(HD),D)=14.61+/-0.20
for z_D=1.77670(3) in the spectrum of Q1331+170. The measured HD/H2 ratio for
three of these subsystems has been found to be considerably higher than its
values typical of clouds in our Galaxy. We discuss the problem of determining
the primordial deuterium abundance, which is most sensitive to the baryon
density of the Universe \Omega_{b}. Using a well-known model for the chemistry
of a molecular cloud, we have estimated the isotopic ratio
D/H=HD/2H_2=(2.97+/-0.55)x10^{-5} and the corresponding baryon density
\Omega_{b}h^2=0.0205^{+0.0025}_{-0.0020}. This value is in good agreement with
\Omega_{b}h^2=0.0226^{+0.0006}_{-0.0006} obtained by analyzing the cosmic
microwave background radiation anisotropy. However, in high-redshift clouds,
under conditions of low metallicity and low dust content, hydrogen may be
incompletely molecularized even in the case of self-shielding. In this
situation, the HD/2H_2 ratio may not correspond to the actual D/H isotopic
ratio. We have estimated the cloud molecularization dynamics and the influence
of cosmological evolutionary effects on it
Directional Radiation and Photodissociation Regions in Molecular Hydrogen Clouds
Some astrophysical observations of molecular hydrogen point to a broadening
of the velocity distribution for molecules at excited rotational levels. This
effect is observed in both Galactic and high redshift clouds. Analysis of H_2,
HD, and CI absorption lines has revealed the broadening effect in the
absorption system of QSO 1232+082 (z_{abs}=2.33771). We analyze line broadening
mechanisms by considering in detail the transfer of ultraviolet radiation (in
the resonance lines of the Lyman and Werner H_2 molecular bands) for various
velocity distributions at excited rotational levels. The mechanism we suggest
includes the saturation of the lines that populate excited rotational levels
(radiative pumping) and manifests itself most clearly in the case of
directional radiation in the medium. Based on the calculated structure of a
molecular hydrogen cloud in rotational level populations, we have considered an
additional mechanism that takes into account the presence of a
photodissociation region. Note that disregarding the broadening effects we
investigated can lead to a significant systematic error when the data are
processed.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure
A Chandra ACIS Study of the Young Star Cluster Trumpler 15 in Carina and Correlation with Near-infrared Sources
Using the highest-resolution X-ray observation of the Trumpler 15 star
cluster taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we estimate the total size of
its stellar population by comparing the X-ray luminosity function of the
detected sources to a calibrator cluster, and identify for the first time a
significant fraction (~14%) of its individual members. The highest-resolution
near-IR observation of Trumpler 15 (taken by the HAWK-I instrument on the VLT)
was found to detect most of our X-ray selected sample of cluster members, with
a K-excess disk frequency of 3.8+-0.7%. The near-IR data, X-ray luminosity
function, and published spectral types of the brightest members support a
cluster age estimate (5-10 Myr) that is older than those for the nearby
Trumpler 14 and Trumpler 16 clusters, and suggest that high-mass members may
have already exploded as supernovae. The morphology of the inner ~0.7 pc core
of the cluster is found to be spherical. However, the outer regions (beyond 2
pc) are elongated, forming an `envelope' of stars that, in projection, appears
to connect Trumpler 15 to Trumpler 14; this morphology supports the view that
these clusters are physically associated. Clear evidence of mass segregation is
seen. This study appears in a Special Issue of the ApJS devoted to the Chandra
Carina Complex Project (CCCP), a 1.42 square degree Chandra X-ray survey of the
Great Nebula in Carina.Comment: Accepted for the ApJS Special Issue on the Chandra Carina Complex
Project (CCCP), scheduled for publication in May 2011. All 16 CCCP Special
Issue papers are available at
http://cochise.astro.psu.edu/Carina_public/special_issue.html through 2011 at
least. 30 pages; 8 figures; 3 table
Influence of UV radiation from a massive YSO on the chemistry of its envelope
We have studied the influence of far ultraviolet (UV) radiation from a
massive young stellar object (YSO) on the chemistry of its own envelope by
extending the models of Doty et al. (2002) to include a central source of UV
radiation. The models are applied to the massive star-forming region AFGL 2591
for different inner UV field strengths. Depth-dependent abundance profiles for
several molecules are presented and discussed. We predict enhanced column
densities for more than 30 species, especially radicals and ions. Comparison
between observations and models is improved with a moderate UV field incident
on the inner envelope, corresponding to an enhancement factor G0~10-100 at 200
AU from the star with an optical depth tau~15-17. Subtle differences are found
compared with traditional models of Photon Dominated Regions (PDRs) because of
the higher temperatures and higher gas-phase H2O abundance caused by
evaporation of ices in the inner region. In particular, the CN/HCN ratio is not
a sensitive tracer of the inner UV field, in contrast with the situation for
normal PDRs: for low UV fields, the extra CN reacts with H2 in the inner dense
and warm region and produces more HCN. It is found that the CH+ abundance is
strongly enhanced and grows steadily with increasing UV field. High-J lines of
molecules like CN and HCN are most sensitive to the inner dense region where UV
radiation plays a role. Thus, even though the total column density affected by
UV photons is small, comparison of high-J and low-J lines can selectively trace
and distinguish the inner UV field from the outer one. In addition, future
Herschel-HIFI observations of hydrides can sensitively probe the inner UV
field.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 13 pages, 10 figure
Evidence for dust evolution within the Taurus Complex from Spitzer images
We present Spitzer images of the Taurus Complex (TC) and take advantage of
the sensitivity and spatial resolution of the observations to characterize the
diffuse IR emission across the cloud. This work highlights evidence of dust
evolution within the translucent sections of the archetype reference for
studies of quiescent molecular clouds. We combine Spitzer 160 um and IRAS 100
um observations to produce a dust temperature map and a far-IR dust opacity map
at 5' resolution. The average dust temperature is about 14.5K with a dispersion
of +/-1K across the cloud. The far-IR dust opacity is a factor 2 larger than
the average value for the diffuse ISM. This opacity increase and the
attenuation of the radiation field (RF) both contribute to account for the
lower emission temperature of the large grains. The structure of the TC
significantly changes in the mid-IR images that trace emission from PAHs and
VSGs. We focus our analysis of the mid-IR emission to a range of ecliptic
latitudes where the zodiacal light residuals are small. Within this cloud area,
there are no 8 and 24 um counterparts to the brightest 160 um emission
features. Conversely, the 8 and 24 um images reveal filamentary structure that
is strikingly inconspicuous in the 160 um and extinction maps. The IR colors
vary over sub-parsec distances across this filamentary structure. We compare
the observed colors with model calculations quantifying the impact of the RF
intensity and the abundance of stochastically heated particles on the dust SED.
To match the range of observed colors, we have to invoke variations by a factor
of a few of both the interstellar RF and the abundance of PAHs and VSGs. We
conclude that within this filamentary structure a significant fraction of the
dust mass cycles in and out the small size end of the dust size distribution.Comment: 43 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Tiny-Scale Molecular Structures in the Magellanic Clouds (Part 1)
We report on the {\small FUSE} detections of the HD and CO molecules {\bf on
the lines of sight towards three Large Magellanic stars}: Sk 67D05, Sk
68D135, and Sk 69D246. HD is also detected for the first time {\bf on the
lines of sight towards two Small Magellanic Cloud stars}: AV 95 and Sk 159.
While the HD and CO abundances are expected to be lower in the Large Magellanic
Cloud where molecular fractions are a third of the Galactic value and where the
photodissociation flux is up to thousands times larger, we report an average
HD/H ratio of 1.40.5 ppm and CO/H ratio ranging from 0.8 to 2.7
ppm similar to the Galactic ones. We tentatively identify a deuterium reservoir
(hereafter D--reservoir) towards the Small Magellanic Cloud, along the light
path to AV 95. We derive a D/H ratio ranging from 1. 10 to 1.1
10.Comment: 34 pages, 10 tables, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&
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