Filamentary Accretion Flows in the Embedded Serpens South Protocluster

One puzzle in understanding how stars form in clusters is the source of mass -- is all of the mass in place before the first stars are born, or is there an extended period when the cluster accretes material which can continuously fuel the star formation process? We use a multi-line spectral survey of the southern filament associated with the Serpens South embedded cluster-forming region in order to determine if mass is accreting from the filament onto the cluster, and whether the accretion rate is significant. Our analysis suggests that material is flowing along the filament's long axis at a rate of ~30Msol/Myr (inferred from the N2H+ velocity gradient along the filament), and radially contracting onto the filament at ~130Msol/Myr (inferred from HNC self-absorption). These accretion rates are sufficient to supply mass to the central cluster at a similar rate to the current star formation rate in the cluster. Filamentary accretion flows may therefore be very important in the ongoing evolution of this cluster.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in Ap

Star Formation in the Northern Cloud Complex of NGC 2264

We have made continuum and spectral line observations of several outflow sources in the Mon OB1 dark cloud (NGC 2264) using the Heinrich Hertz Telescope (HHT) and ARO 12m millimeter-wave telescope. This study explores the kinematics and outflow energetics of the young stellar systems observed and assesses the impact star formation is having on the surrounding cloud environment. Our data set incorporates 12CO(3-2), 13CO(3-2), and 12CO(1-0) observations of outflows associated with the sources IRAS 06382+1017 and IRAS 06381+1039, known as IRAS 25 and 27, respectively, in the northern cloud complex. Complementary 870 micron continuum maps were made with the HHT 19 channel bolometer array. Our results indicate that there is a weak (approximately less than 0.5%) coupling between outflow kinetic energy and turbulent energy of the cloud. An analysis of the energy balance in the IRAS 25 and 27 cores suggests they are maintaining their dynamical integrity except where outflowing material directly interacts with the core, such as along the outflow axes.Comment: 28 pages including 6 figures, to be published in ApJ 01 July 2006, v645, 1 issu

SuperCam, a 64-pixel heterodyne imaging array for the 870 micron atmospheric window

We report on the development of SuperCam, a 64 pixel, superheterodyne camera designed for operation in the astrophysically important 870 micron atmospheric window. SuperCam will be used to answer fundamental questions about the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds in the Galaxy and their direct relation to star and planet formation. The advent of such a system will provide an order of magnitude increase in mapping speed over what is now available and revolutionize how observational astronomy is performed in this important wavelength regime. Unlike the situation with bolometric detectors, heterodyne receiver systems are coherent, retaining information about both the amplitude and phase of the incident photon stream. From this information a high resolution spectrum of the incident light can be obtained without multiplexing. SuperCam will be constructed by stacking eight, 1x8 rows of fixed tuned, SIS mixers. The IF output of each mixer will be connected to a low-noise, broadband MMIC amplifier integrated into the mixer block. The instantaneous IF bandwidth of each pixel will be ~2 GHz, with a center frequency of 5 GHz. A spectrum of the central 500 MHz of each IF band will be provided by the array spectrometer. Local oscillator power is provided by a frequency multiplier whose output is divided between the pixels by using a matrix of waveguide power dividers. The mixer array will be cooled to 4K by a closed-cycle refrigeration system. SuperCam will reside at the Cassegrain focus of the 10m Heinrich Hertz telescope (HHT). A prototype single row of the array will be tested on the HHT in 2006, with the first engineering run of the full array in late 2007. The array is designed and constructed so that it may be readily scaled to higher frequencies.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 6275, "Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy III

Detection of OH absorption against PSR B1849+00

We have searched for OH absorption against seven pulsars using the Arecibo telescope. In both OH mainlines (at 1665 and 1667 MHz), deep and narrow absorption features were detected toward PSR B1849+00. In addition, we have detected several absorption and emission features against B33.6+0.1, a nearby supernova remnant (SNR). The most interesting result of this study is that a pencil-sharp absorption sample against the PSR differs greatly from the large-angle absorption sample observed against the SNR. If both the PSR and the SNR probe the same molecular cloud then this finding has important implications for absorption studies of the molecular medium, as it shows that the statistics of absorbing OH depends on the size of the background source. We also show that the OH absorption against the PSR most likely originates from a small (<30 arcsec) and dense (>10^5 cm^-3) molecular clump.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Test and integration results from SuperCam: a 64-pixel array receiver for the 350 GHz atmospheric window

We report on laboratory testing and telescope integration of SuperCam, a 64 pixel imaging spectrometer designed for operation in the astrophysically important 870 micron atmospheric window. SuperCam will be used to answer fundamental questions about the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds in the Galaxy and their direct relation to star and planet formation. The Supercam key project is a fully sampled Galactic plane survey covering over 500 square degrees of the Galaxy in ^(12)CO(3-2) and ^(13)CO(3-2) with 0.3 km/s velocity resolution. SuperCam will have several times more pixels than any existing spectroscopic imaging array at submillimeter wavelengths. The exceptional mapping speed that will result, combined with the efficiency and angular resolution provided by the HHT will make SuperCam a powerful instrument for probing the history of star formation in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies. SuperCam will be used to answer fundamental questions about the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds in the Galaxy and their direct relation to star and planet formation. Through Galactic surveys, particularly in CO and its isotopomers, the impact of Galactic environment on these phenomena will be realized. These studies will serve as “finder charts” for future focused research (e.g. with ALMA) and markedly improve the interpretation, and enhance the value of numerous contemporary surveys. In the past, all heterodyne focal plane arrays have been constructed using discrete mixers, arrayed in the focal plane. SuperCam reduces cryogenic and mechanical complexity by integrating multiple mixers and amplifiers into a single array module with a single set of DC and IF connectors. These modules are housed in a closed-cycle cryostat with a 1.5W capacity 4K cooler. The Supercam instrument is currently undergoing laboratory testing with four of the eight mixer array modules installed in the cryostat (32 pixels). Work is now underway to perform the necessary modifications at the 10m Heinrich Hertz Telescope to accept the Supercam system. Supercam will be installed in the cassegrain cabin of the HHT, including the optical system, IF processing, spectrometers and control electronics. Supercam will be integrated with the HHT during the 2009-2010 observing season with 32 pixels installed. The system will be upgraded to 64 pixels during the summer of 2010 after assembly of the four additional mixer modules is completed

SuperCam: a 64 pixel heterodyne imaging spectrometer

We report on the development of SuperCam, a 64 pixel imaging spectrometer designed for operation in the astrophysically important 870 micron atmospheric window. SuperCam will be used to answer fundamental questions about the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds in the Galaxy and their direct relation to star and planet formation. The Supercam key project is a fully sampled Galactic plane survey covering over 500 square degrees of the Galaxy in 12CO(3-2) and 13CO(3-2) with 0.3 km/s velocity resolution

Submillimeter narrow emission lines from the inner envelope of IRC+10216

A spectral-line survey of IRC+10216 in the 345 GHz band has been undertaken with the Submillimeter Array. Although not yet completed, it has already yielded a fairly large sample of narrow molecular emission lines with line-widths indicating expansion velocities of ~4 km/s, less than 3 times the well-known value of the terminal expansion velocity (14.5 km/s) of the outer envelope. Five of these narrow lines have now been identified as rotational transitions in vibrationally excited states of previously detected molecules: the v=1, J=17--16 and J=19--18 lines of Si34S and 29SiS and the v=2, J=7--6 line of CS. Maps of these lines show that the emission is confined to a region within ~60 AU of the star, indicating that the narrow-line emission is probing the region of dust-formation where the stellar wind is still being accelerated.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Evidence for Dynamically Important Magnetic Fields in Molecular Clouds

Recent observational evidence that magnetic fields are dynamically important in molecular clouds, compared to self-gravity and turbulence, is reviewed and illustrated with data from the NGC 2024 region. One piece of evidence, turbulence anisotropy, was found in the diffuse envelope of a cloud (Av~1; Heyer et al. 2008); our data further suggests turbulence anisotropy in the cloud (Av >7) and even near the cloud core (Av~100). The data also shows that magnetic fields can channel gravitational contraction even for a region with super-critical N(H2)/2Blos ratio (the ratio between the observed column density and two times the line-of-sight observed field strength), a parameter which has been widely used by observers to estimate core mass-to-flux ratios. Although the mass-to-flux ratio is constant under the flux-freezing condition, we show that N(H2)/2Blos grows with time if gravitational contraction is anisotropic due to magnetic fields.Comment: accepted by MNRA

SuperCam: a 64 pixel heterodyne imaging spectrometer

We report on the development of SuperCam, a 64 pixel imaging spectrometer designed for operation in the astrophysically important 870 micron atmospheric window. SuperCam will be used to answer fundamental questions about the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds in the Galaxy and their direct relation to star and planet formation. The Supercam key project is a fully sampled Galactic plane survey covering over 500 square degrees of the Galaxy in 12CO(3-2) and 13CO(3-2) with 0.3 km/s velocity resolution