232 research outputs found
The Herschel HIFI water line survey in the low-mass proto-stellar outflow L1448
As part of the WISH (Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel) key
project, we report on the observations of several ortho- and para-H2O lines
performed with the HIFI instrument towards two bright shock spots (R4 and B2)
along the outflow driven by the L1448 low-mass proto-stellar system, located in
the Perseus cloud. These data are used to identify the physical conditions
giving rise to the H2O emission and infer any dependence with velocity. These
observations provide evidence that the observed water lines probe a warm
(T_kin~400-600 K) and very dense (n 10^6 - 10^7 cm^-3) gas, not traced by other
molecules, such as low-J CO and SiO, but rather traced by mid-IR H2 emission.
In particular, H2O shows strong differences with SiO in the excitation
conditions and in the line profiles in the two observed shocked positions,
pointing to chemical variations across the various velocity regimes and
chemical evolution in the different shock spots. Physical and kinematical
differences can be seen at the two shocked positions. At the R4 position, two
velocity components with different excitation can be distinguished, with the
component at higher velocity (R4-HV) being less extended and less dense than
the low velocity component (R4-LV). H2O column densities of about 2 10^13 and 4
10^14 cm^-2 have been derived for the R4-LV and the R4-HV components,
respectively. The conditions inferred for the B2 position are similar to those
of the R4-HV component, with H2O column density in the range 10^14 - 5 10^14
cm^-2, corresponding to H2O/H2 abundances in the range 0.5 - 1 10^-5. The
observed line ratios and the derived physical conditions seem to be more
consistent with excitation in a low velocity J-type shock with large
compression rather than in a stationary C-shock, although none of these
stationary models seems able to reproduce all the characteristics of the
observed emission.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Shock excitation of H in the James Webb Space Telescope era
(Abridged) H2 is the most abundant molecule in the Universe. Thanks to its
widely spaced energy levels, it predominantly lights up in warm gas, T > 100 K,
such as shocked regions, and it is one of the key targets of JWST observations.
These include shocks from protostellar outflows, all the way up to starburst
galaxies and AGN. Shock models are able to simulate H2 emission. We aim to
explore H2 excitation using such models, and to test over which parameter space
distinct signatures are produced in H2 emission. We present simulated H2
emission using the Paris-Durham shock code over an extensive grid of 14,000
plane-parallel stationary shock models, a large subset of which are exposed to
an external UV radiation field. The grid samples 6 input parameters: preshock
density, shock velocity, transverse magnetic field strength, UV radiation field
strength, cosmic-ray-ionization rate, and PAH abundance. Physical quantities,
such as temperature, density, and width, have been extracted along with H2
integrated line intensities. The strength of the transverse magnetic field, set
by the scaling factor, b, plays a key role in the excitation of H2. At low
values of b (<~ 0.3, J-type shocks), H2 excitation is dominated by
vibrationally excited lines; at higher values (b >~ 1, C-type shocks),
rotational lines dominate the spectrum for shocks with an external radiation
field comparable to (or lower than) the solar neighborhood. Shocks with b >= 1
can be spatially resolved with JWST for nearby objects. When the input kinetic
energy flux increases, the excitation and integrated intensity of H2 increases
similarly. An external UV field mainly serves to increase the excitation,
particularly for shocks where the input radiation energy is comparable to the
input kinetic energy flux. These results provide an overview of the energetic
reprocessing of input kinetic energy flux and the resulting H2 line emission.Comment: Published in A&
Diagnosing shock temperature with NH and HO profiles
In a previous study of the L1157 B1 shocked cavity, a comparison between
NH(1-) and HO(1--1) transitions showed a
striking difference in the profiles, with HO emitting at definitely higher
velocities. This behaviour was explained as a result of the high-temperature
gas-phase chemistry occurring in the postshock gas in the B1 cavity of this
outflow. If the differences in behaviour between ammonia and water are indeed a
consequence of the high gas temperatures reached during the passage of a shock,
then one should find such differences to be ubiquitous among chemically rich
outflows. In order to determine whether the difference in profiles observed
between NH and HO is unique to L1157 or a common characteristic of
chemically rich outflows, we have performed Herschel-HIFI observations of the
NH(1-0) line at 572.5 GHz in a sample of 8 bright low-mass outflow
spots already observed in the HO(1--1) line within
the WISH KP. We detected the ammonia emission at high-velocities at most of the
outflows positions. In all cases, the water emission reaches higher velocities
than NH, proving that this behaviour is not exclusive of the L1157-B1
position. Comparisons with a gas-grain chemical and shock model confirms, for
this larger sample, that the behaviour of ammonia is determined principally by
the temperature of the gas.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Societ
Spitzer spectral line mapping of the HH211 outflow
Aims: We employ archival Spitzer slit-scan observations of the HH211 outflow
in order to investigate its warm gas content, assess the jet mass flux in the
form of H2 and probe for the existence of an embedded atomic jet. Methods:
Detected molecular and atomic lines are interpreted by means of emission line
diagnostics and an existing grid of molecular shock models. The physical
properties of the warm gas are compared against other molecular jet tracers and
to the results of a similar study towards the L1448-C outflow. Results: We have
detected and mapped the v=0-0 S(0) - S(7) H2 lines and fine-structure lines of
S, Fe+, and Si+. H2 is detected down to 5" from the source and is characterized
by a "cool" T~300K and a "warm" T~1000 K component, with an extinction Av ~ 8
mag. The amount of cool H2 towards the jet agrees with that estimated from CO
assuming fully molecular gas. The warm component is well fitted by C-type
shocks with a low beam filling factor ~ 0.01-0.04 and a mass-flux similar to
the cool H2. The fine-structure line emission arises from dense gas with
ionization fraction ~0.5 - 5 x 10e-3, suggestive of dissociative shocks. Line
ratios to sulfur indicate that iron and silicon are depleted compared to solar
abundances by a factor ~10-50. Conclusions: Spitzer spectral mapping
observations reveal for the first time a cool H component towards the CO
jet of HH211 consistent with the CO material being fully molecular and warm at
~ 300 K. The maps also reveal for the first time the existence of an embedded
atomic jet in the HH211 outflow that can be traced down to the central source
position. Its significant iron and silicon depletion excludes an origin from
within the dust sublimation zone around the protostar. The momentum-flux seems
insufficient to entrain the CO jet, although current uncertainties on jet speed
and shock conditions are too large for a definite conclusion.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The CHESS survey of the L1157-B1 bow-shock: high and low excitation water vapor
Molecular outflows powered by young protostars strongly affect the kinematics
and chemistry of the natal molecular cloud through strong shocks resulting in
substantial modifications of the abundance of several species. As part of the
"Chemical Herschel Surveys of Star forming regions" guaranteed time key
program, we aim at investigating the physical and chemical conditions of H20 in
the brightest shock region B1 of the L1157 molecular outflow. We observed
several ortho- and para-H2O transitions using HIFI and PACS instruments on
board Herschel, providing a detailed picture of the kinematics and spatial
distribution of the gas. We performed a LVG analysis to derive the physical
conditions of H2O shocked material, and ultimately obtain its abundance. We
detected 13 H2O lines probing a wide range of excitation conditions. PACS maps
reveal that H2O traces weak and extended emission associated with the outflow
identified also with HIFI in the o-H2O line at 556.9 GHz, and a compact (~10")
bright, higher-excitation region. The LVG analysis of H2O lines in the
bow-shock show the presence of two gas components with different excitation
conditions: a warm (Tkin~200-300 K) and dense (n(H2)~(1-3)x10^6 cm-3) component
with an assumed extent of 10" and a compact (~2"-5") and hot, tenuous
(Tkin~900-1400 K, n(H2)~10^3-10^4 cm-3) gas component, which is needed to
account for the line fluxes of high Eu transitions. The fractional abundance of
the warm and hot H2O gas components is estimated to be (0.7-2)x10^{-6} and
(1-3)x10^{-4}, respectively. Finally, we identified an additional component in
absorption in the HIFI spectra of H2O lines connecting with the ground state
level, probably arising from the photodesorption of icy mantles of a
water-enriched layer at the edges of the cloud.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 12 pages, 9 figures, 4 table
The W43-MM1 mini-starburst ridge, a test for star formation efficiency models
Context: Star formation efficiency (SFE) theories are currently based on
statistical distributions of turbulent cloud structures and a simple model of
star formation from cores. They remain poorly tested, especially at the highest
densities. Aims: We investigate the effects of gas density on the SFE through
measurements of the core formation efficiency (CFE). With a total mass of
M, the W43-MM1 ridge is one of the most convincing
candidate precursor of starburst clusters and thus one of the best place to
investigate star formation. Methods: We used high-angular resolution maps
obtained at 3 mm and 1 mm within W43-MM1 with the IRAM Plateau de Bure
Interferometer to reveal a cluster of 11 massive dense cores (MDCs), and, one
of the most massive protostellar cores known. An Herschel column density image
provided the mass distribution of the cloud gas. We then measured the
'instantaneous' CFE and estimated the SFE and the star formation rate (SFR)
within subregions of the W43-MM1 ridge. Results: The high SFE found in the
ridge (6% enclosed in 8 pc) confirms its ability to form a
starburst cluster. There is however a clear lack of dense cores in the northern
part of the ridge, which may be currently assembling. The CFE and the SFE are
observed to increase with volume gas density while the SFR steeply decreases
with the virial parameter, . Statistical models of the SFR may
well describe the outskirts of the W43-MM1 ridge but struggle to reproduce its
inner part, which corresponds to measurements at low . It may be
that ridges do not follow the log-normal density distribution, Larson
relations, and stationary conditions forced in the statistical SFR models.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by A&
Shockingly low water abundances in Herschel / PACS observations of low-mass protostars in Perseus
Protostars interact with their surroundings through jets and winds impacting
on the envelope and creating shocks, but the nature of these shocks is still
poorly understood. Our aim is to survey far-infrared molecular line emission
from a uniform and significant sample of deeply-embedded low-mass young stellar
objects in order to characterize shocks and the possible role of ultraviolet
radiation in the immediate protostellar environment. Herschel/PACS spectral
maps of 22 objects in the Perseus molecular cloud were obtained as part of the
`William Herschel Line Legacy' survey. Line emission from HO, CO,
and OH is tested against shock models from the literature.
Observed line ratios are remarkably similar and do not show variations with
source physical parameters. Observations show good agreement with the shock
models when line ratios of the same species are compared. Ratios of various
HO lines provide a particularly good diagnostic of pre-shock gas
densities, cm, in agreement with typical
densities obtained from observations of the post-shock gas. The corresponding
shock velocities, obtained from comparison with CO line ratios, are above 20
km\,s. However, the observations consistently show one-to-two orders of
magnitude lower HO-to-CO and HO-to-OH line ratios
than predicted by the existing shock models.
The overestimated model HO fluxes are most likely caused by an
overabundance of HO in the models since the excitation is
well-reproduced. Illumination of the shocked material by ultraviolet photons
produced either in the star-disk system or, more locally, in the shock, would
decrease the HO abundances and reconcile the models with
observations. Detections of hot HO and strong OH lines support
this scenario.Comment: 28 pages, 12 figures, accepted to Astronomy & Astrophysic
3 to 12 millimetre studies of dense gas towards the western rim of supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946
The young X-ray and gamma-ray-bright supernova remnant RXJ1713.7-3946 (SNR
G347.3-0.5) is believed to be associated with molecular cores that lie within
regions of the most intense TeV emission. Using the Mopra telescope, four of
the densest cores were observed using high-critical density tracers such as
CS(J=1-0,J=2-1) and its isotopologue counterparts, NH3(1,1) and (2,2) inversion
transitions and N2H+(J=1-0) emission, confirming the presence of dense gas
>10^4cm^-3 in the region. The mass estimates for Core C range from 40M_{\odot}
(from CS(J=1-0)) to 80M_{\odot} (from NH3 and N2H+), an order of magnitude
smaller than published mass estimates from CO(J=1-0) observations. We also
modelled the energy-dependent diffusion of cosmic-ray protons accelerated by
RXJ1713.7-3946 into Core C, approximating the core with average density and
magnetic field values. We find that for considerably suppressed diffusion
coefficients (factors \chi=10^{-3} down to 10^{-5} the galactic average), low
energy cosmic-rays can be prevented from entering the inner core region. Such
an effect could lead to characteristic spectral behaviour in the GeV to TeV
gamma-ray and multi-keV X-ray fluxes across the core. These features may be
measurable with future gamma-ray and multi-keV telescopes offering arcminute or
better angular resolution, and can be a novel way to understand the level of
cosmic-ray acceleration in RXJ1713.7-3946 and the transport properties of
cosmic-rays in the dense molecular cores.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures and 5 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
2012 February 1
Time-dependent simulations of steady C-type shocks
Using a time-dependent multifluid, magnetohydrodynamic code, we calculated
the structure of steady perpendicular and oblique C-type shocks in dusty
plasmas. We included relevant processes to describe mass transfer between the
different fluids, radiative cooling by emission lines and grain charging and
studied the effect of single-sized and multiple sized grains on the shock
structure. Our models are the first of oblique fast-mode molecular shocks in
which such a rigorous treatment of the dust grain dynamics has been combined
with a self-consistent calculation of the thermal and ionisation structures
including appropriate microphysics. At low densities the grains do not play any
significant role in the shock dynamics. At high densities, the ionisation
fraction is sufficiently low that dust grains are important charge and current
carriers and, thus, determine the shock structure. We find that the magnetic
field in the shock front has a significant rotation out of the initial upstream
plane. This is most pronounced for single-sized grains and small angles of the
shock normal with the magnetic field. Our results are similar to previous
studies of steady C-type shocks showing that our method is efficient, rigorous
and robust. Unlike the method employed in the previous most detailed treatment
of dust in steady oblique fast-mode shocks, ours allows a reliable calculation
even when chemical or other conditions deviate from local statistical
equilibrium. We are also able to model transient phenomena.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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