5,421 research outputs found
A deeply embedded young protoplanetary disk around L1489 IRS observed by the submillimeter array
Circumstellar disks are expected to form early in the process that leads to
the formation of a young star, during the collapse of the dense molecular cloud
core. It is currently not well understood at what stage of the collapse the
disk is formed or how it subsequently evolves. We aim to identify whether an
embedded Keplerian protoplanetary disk resides in the L1489 IRS system. Given
the amount of envelope material still present, such a disk would respresent a
very young example of a protoplanetary disk. Using the Submillimeter Array
(SMA) we have observed the HCO 3--2 line with a resolution of about
1. At this resolution a protoplanetary disk with a radius of a few hundred
AUs should be detectable, if present. Radiative transfer tools are used to
model the emission from both continuum and line data. We find that these data
are consistent with theoretical models of a collapsing envelope and Keplerian
circumstellar disk. Models reproducing both the SED and the interferometric
continuum observations reveal that the disk is inclined by 40 which is
significantly different to the surrounding envelope (74). This
misalignment of the angular momentum axes may be caused by a gradient within
the angular momentum in the parental cloud or if L1489 IRS is a binary system
rather than just a single star. In the latter case, future observations looking
for variability at sub-arcsecond scales may be able to constrain these
dynamical variations directly. However, if stars form from turbulent cores, the
accreting material will not have a constant angular momentum axis (although the
average is well defined and conserved) in which case it is more likely to have
a misalignment of the angular momentum axes of the disk and the envelope.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, accepted by A&
Approximate Minimum Diameter
We study the minimum diameter problem for a set of inexact points. By
inexact, we mean that the precise location of the points is not known. Instead,
the location of each point is restricted to a contineus region (\impre model)
or a finite set of points (\indec model). Given a set of inexact points in
one of \impre or \indec models, we wish to provide a lower-bound on the
diameter of the real points.
In the first part of the paper, we focus on \indec model. We present an
time
approximation algorithm of factor for finding minimum diameter
of a set of points in dimensions. This improves the previously proposed
algorithms for this problem substantially.
Next, we consider the problem in \impre model. In -dimensional space, we
propose a polynomial time -approximation algorithm. In addition, for
, we define the notion of -separability and use our algorithm for
\indec model to obtain -approximation algorithm for a set of
-separable regions in time
Deep-diving by narwhals Monodon monoceros: differences in foraging behavior between wintering areas?
The LOFT (Large Observatory for X-ray Timing) background simulations
The Large Observatory For X-ray Timing (LOFT) is an innovative medium-class
mission selected for an assessment phase in the framework of the ESA M3 Cosmic
Vision call. LOFT is intended to answer fundamental questions about the
behaviour of matter in the very strong gravitational and magnetic fields around
compact objects. With an effective area of ~10 m^2 LOFT will be able to measure
very fast variability in the X-ray fluxes and spectra. A good knowledge of the
in-orbit background environment is essential to assess the scientific
performance of the mission and to optimize the instrument design. The two main
contributions to the background are cosmic diffuse X-rays and high energy
cosmic rays; also, albedo emission from the Earth is significant. These
contributions to the background for both the Large Area Detector and the Wide
Field Monitor are discussed, on the basis of extensive Geant-4 simulations of a
simplified instrumental mass model.Comment: Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 8443, Paper No. 8443-209, 201
Characterizing the velocity field in hydrodynamical simulations of low-mass star formation using spectral line profiles
When low-mass stars form, the collapsing cloud of gas and dust goes through
several stages which are usually characterized by the shape of their spectral
energy distributions. Such classification is based on the cloud morphology only
and does not address the dynamical state of the object. In this paper we
investigate the initial cloud collapse and subsequent disk formation through
the dynamical behavior as reflected in the sub-millimeter spectral emission
line profiles. If a young stellar object is to be characterized by its
dynamical structure it is important to know how accurately information about
the velocity field can be extracted and which observables provide the best
description of the kinematics. Of particular interest is the transition from
infalling envelope to rotating disk, because this provides the initial
conditions for the protoplanetary disk, such as mass and size. We use a
hydrodynamical model, describing the collapse of a core and formation of a
disk, to produce synthetic observables which we compare to calculated line
profiles of a simple parameterized model. Because we know the velocity field
from the hydrodynamical simulation we can determine in a quantitative way how
well our best-fit parameterized velocity field reproduces the original. We use
a molecular line excitation and radiation transfer code to produce spectra of
both our hydro dynamical simulation as well as our parameterized model. We find
that information about the velocity field can reasonably well be derived by
fitting a simple model to either single-dish lines or interferometric data, but
preferentially by using a combination of the two. Our result shows that it is
possible to establish relative ages of a sample of young stellar objects using
this method, independently of the details of the hydrodynamical model.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&A on June 1
Methanol maps of low-mass protostellar systems: the Serpens Molecular Core
Observations of Serpens have been performed at the JCMT using Harp-B. Maps
over a 4.5'x5.4' region were made in a frequency window around 338 GHz,
covering the 7-6 transitions of methanol. Emission is extended over each
source, following the column density of H2 but showing up also particularly
strongly around outflows. The rotational temperature is low, 15-20 K, and does
not vary with position within each source. The abundance is typically 10^-9 -
10^-8 with respect to H2 in the outer envelope, whereas "jumps" by factors of
up to 10^2 -10^3 inside the region where the dust temperature exceeds 100 K are
not excluded. A factor of up to ~ 10^3 enhancement is seen in outflow gas. In
one object, SMM4, the ice abundance has been measured to be ~ 3x10^-5 with
respect to H2 in the outer envelope, i.e., a factor of 10^3 larger than the
gas-phase abundance. Comparison with C18O J=3-2 emission shows that strong CO
depletion leads to a high gas-phase abundance of CH3OH not just for the Serpens
sources, but for a larger sample of protostars. The observations illustrate the
large-scale, low-level desorption of CH3OH from dust grains, extending out to
and beyond 7500 AU from each source, a scenario which is consistent with
non-thermal (photo-)desorption from the ice. The observations also illustrate
the usefulness of CH3OH as a tracer of energetic input in the form of outflows,
where methanol is sputtered from the grain surfaces. Finally, the observations
provide further evidence of CH3OH formation through CO hydrogenation proceeding
on grain surfaces in low-mass envelopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A
Herschel-HIFI observations of high-J CO lines in the NGC 1333 low-mass star-forming region
Herschel-HIFI observations of high-J lines (up to J_u=10) of 12CO, 13CO and
C18O are presented toward three deeply embedded low-mass protostars, NGC 1333
IRAS 2A, IRAS 4A, and IRAS 4B, obtained as part of the Water In Star-forming
regions with Herschel (WISH) key program. The spectrally-resolved HIFI data are
complemented by ground-based observations of lower-J CO and isotopologue lines.
The 12CO 10-9 profiles are dominated by broad (FWHM 25-30 km s^-1) emission.
Radiative transfer models are used to constrain the temperature of this shocked
gas to 100-200 K. Several CO and 13CO line profiles also reveal a medium-broad
component (FWHM 5-10 km s^-1), seen prominently in H2O lines. Column densities
for both components are presented, providing a reference for determining
abundances of other molecules in the same gas. The narrow C18O 9-8 lines probe
the warmer part of the quiescent envelope. Their intensities require a jump in
the CO abundance at an evaporation temperature around 25 K, thus providing new
direct evidence for a CO ice evaporation zone around low-mass protostars.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure
Star and Planet Formation with ALMA: an Overview
Submillimeter observations with ALMA will be the essential next step in our
understanding of how stars and planets form. Key projects range from detailed
imaging of the collapse of pre-stellar cores and measuring the accretion rate
of matter onto deeply embedded protostars, to unravelling the chemistry and
dynamics of high-mass star-forming clusters and high-spatial resolution studies
of protoplanetary disks down to the 1 AU scale.Comment: Invited review, 8 pages, 5 figures; to appear in the proceedings of
"Science with ALMA: a New Era for Astrophysics". Astrophysics & Space
Science, in pres
Water in low-mass star-forming regions with Herschel: HIFI spectroscopy of NGC1333
'Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel' (WISH) is a key programme
dedicated to studying the role of water and related species during the
star-formation process and constraining the physical and chemical properties of
young stellar objects. The Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) on
the Herschel Space Observatory observed three deeply embedded protostars in the
low-mass star-forming region NGC1333 in several H2-16O, H2-18O, and CO
transitions. Line profiles are resolved for five H16O transitions in each
source, revealing them to be surprisingly complex. The line profiles are
decomposed into broad (>20 km/s), medium-broad (~5-10 km/s), and narrow (<5
km/s) components. The H2-18O emission is only detected in broad 1_10-1_01 lines
(>20 km/s), indicating that its physical origin is the same as for the broad
H2-16O component. In one of the sources, IRAS4A, an inverse P Cygni profile is
observed, a clear sign of infall in the envelope. From the line profiles alone,
it is clear that the bulk of emission arises from shocks, both on small (<1000
AU) and large scales along the outflow cavity walls (~10 000 AU). The H2O line
profiles are compared to CO line profiles to constrain the H2O abundance as a
function of velocity within these shocked regions. The H2O/CO abundance ratios
are measured to be in the range of ~0.1-1, corresponding to H2O abundances of
~10-5-10-4 with respect to H2. Approximately 5-10% of the gas is hot enough for
all oxygen to be driven into water in warm post-shock gas, mostly at high
velocities.Comment: Accepted for publication in the A&A HIFI special issu
- …