354 research outputs found
Dynamical structure of the inner 100 AU of the deeply embedded protostar IRAS 16293-2422
A fundamental question about the early evolution of low-mass protostars is
when circumstellar disks may form. High angular resolution observations of
molecular transitions in the (sub)millimeter wavelength windows make it
possible to investigate the kinematics of the gas around newly-formed stars,
for example to identify the presence of rotation and infall. IRAS 16293-2422
was observed with the extended Submillimeter Array (eSMA) resulting in
subarcsecond resolution (0.46" x 0.29", i.e. 55 35~AU) images
of compact emission from the CO (3-2) and CS (7-6) transitions at
337~GHz (0.89~mm). To recover the more extended emission we have combined the
eSMA data with SMA observations of the same molecules. The emission of
CO (3-2) and CS (7-6) both show a velocity gradient oriented
along a northeast-southwest direction with respect to the continuum marking the
location of one of the components of the binary, IRAS16293A. Our combined eSMA
and SMA observations show that the velocity field on the 50--400~AU scales is
consistent with a rotating structure. It cannot be explained by simple
Keplerian rotation around a single point mass but rather needs to take into
account the enclosed envelope mass at the radii where the observed lines are
excited. We suggest that IRAS 16293-2422 could be among the best candidates to
observe a pseudo-disk with future high angular resolution observations.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 18 pages, 10 figure
Effect of the 3D distribution on water observations made with the SWI: I. Ganymede
Context. Characterising and understanding the atmospheres of Jovian icy moons is one of the key exploration goals of the Submillimetre Wave Instrument (SWI), which is to be flown on ESA\u27s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission.Aims. The aim of this paper is to investigate how and under which conditions a 3D asymmetric distribution of the atmosphere may affect the SWI observations. In this work we target the role of phase angle for both nadir and limb geometries for unresolved and partially resolved disc observations from large distances.Methods. We adapted the LIME software package, a 3D non-local thermodynamical equilibrium radiative transfer model, to evaluate ortho-H2O populations and synthesise the simulated SWI beam spectra for different study cases of Ganymede\u27s atmosphere. The temperature and density vertical distributions were adopted from a previous work. The study cases presented here were selected according to the distance and operational scenarios of moon monitoring anticipated for SWI during the Jupiter phase of the JUICE mission.Results. We demonstrate that nadir and limb observations at different phase angles will modify the line amplitude and width. Unresolved observations where both absorption against surface continuum and limb emission contributes within the beam will lead to characteristic line wing emission, which may also appear in pure nadir geometry for specific phase angles. We also find that for Ganymede, the 3D non-local thermodynamical equilibrium populations are more highly excited in the upper atmosphere near the sub-solar region than they are in 1D spherically symmetric models. Finally, the 3D radiative transfer is better suited to properly simulate spectral lines for cases where density or population gradients exist along the line of sight
Chemistry of a newly detected circumbinary disk in Ophiuchus
(Abridged) Astronomers recently started discovering exoplanets around binary
systems. Therefore, understanding the formation and evolution of circumbinary
disks is crucial for a complete scenario of planet formation. The aim of this
paper is to present the detection of a circumbinary disk around Oph-IRS67 and
analyse its structure. We present high-angular-resolution (0.4", 60 AU)
observations of C17O, H13CO+ , C34S, SO2, C2H and c-C3H2 molecular transitions
with ALMA at 0.8 mm. The spectrally and spatially resolved maps reveal the
kinematics of the circumbinary disk as well as its chemistry. Molecular
abundances are estimated using RADEX. The continuum emission reveals the
presence of a circumbinary disk around the two sources. This disk has a
diameter of ~620 AU and is well traced by C17O and H13CO+ emission. C2H and
c-C3H2 trace a higher-density region which is spatially offset from the sources
(~430 AU). Finally, SO2 shows compact emission around one of the sources,
Oph-IRS67 B. The molecular transitions which trace the circumbinary disk are
consistent with a Keplerian profile on disk scales (< 200 AU) and an infalling
profile for envelope scales (> 200 AU). The Keplerian fit leads to a mass of
2.2 Msun. Inferred CO abundances w.r.t. H2 are comparable to the canonical ISM
value of 2.7e-4. This study proves the first detection of the circumbinary disk
associated with Oph-IRS67. The disk is chemically differentiated from the
nearby high-density region. The lack of methanol emission suggests the extended
disk dominates the mass budget in the inner- most regions of the protostellar
envelope, generating a flat density profile where less material is exposed to
high temperatures. Thus, complex organic molecules would be associated with
lower column densities. Finally, Oph-IRS67 is a promising candidate for the
detection of both circumstellar disks with higher-angular-resolution
observations.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, 6 table
Resolving the shocked gas in HH54 with Herschel: CO line mapping at high spatial and spectral resolution
The HH54 shock is a Herbig-Haro object, located in the nearby Chamaeleon II
cloud. Observed CO line profiles are due to a complex distribution in density,
temperature, velocity, and geometry. Resolving the HH54 shock wave in the
far-infrared cooling lines of CO constrain the kinematics, morphology, and
physical conditions of the shocked region. We used the PACS and SPIRE
instruments on board the Herschel space observatory to map the full FIR
spectrum in a region covering the HH54 shock wave. Complementary Herschel-HIFI,
APEX, and Spitzer data are used in the analysis as well. The observed features
in the line profiles are reproduced using a 3D radiative transfer model of a
bow-shock, constructed with the Line Modeling Engine code (LIME). The FIR
emission is confined to the HH54 region and a coherent displacement of the
location of the emission maximum of CO with increasing J is observed. The peak
positions of the high-J CO lines are shifted upstream from the lower J CO lines
and coincide with the position of the spectral feature identified previously in
CO(10-9) profiles with HIFI. This indicates a hotter molecular component in the
upstream gas with distinct dynamics. The coherent displacement with increasing
J for CO is consistent with a scenario where IRAS12500-7658 is the exciting
source of the flow, and the 180 K bow-shock is accompanied by a hot (800 K)
molecular component located upstream from the apex of the shock and blueshifted
by -7 km s. The spatial proximity of this knot to the peaks of the
atomic fine-structure emission lines observed with Spitzer and PACS ([OI]63,
145 m) suggests that it may be associated with the dissociative shock as
the jet impacts slower moving gas in the HH54 bow-shock.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Modelling Herschel observations of hot molecular gas emission from embedded low-mass protostars
Aims. Young stars interact vigorously with their surroundings, as evident
from the highly rotationally excited CO (up to Eup=4000 K) and H2O emission (up
to 600 K) detected by the Herschel Space Observatory in embedded low-mass
protostars. Our aim is to construct a model that reproduces the observations
quantitatively, to investigate the origin of the emission, and to use the lines
as probes of the various heating mechanisms.
Methods. The model consists of a spherical envelope with a bipolar outflow
cavity. Three heating mechanisms are considered: passive heating by the
protostellar luminosity, UV irradiation of the outflow cavity walls, and C-type
shocks along the cavity walls. Line fluxes are calculated for CO and H2O and
compared to Herschel data and complementary ground-based data for the
protostars NGC1333 IRAS2A, HH 46 and DK Cha. The three sources are selected to
span a range of evolutionary phases and physical characteristics.
Results. The passively heated gas in the envelope accounts for 3-10% of the
CO luminosity summed over all rotational lines up to J=40-39; it is best probed
by low-J CO isotopologue lines such as C18O 2-1 and 3-2. The UV-heated gas and
the C-type shocks, probed by 12CO 10-9 and higher-J lines, contribute 20-80%
each. The model fits show a tentative evolutionary trend: the CO emission is
dominated by shocks in the youngest source and by UV-heated gas in the oldest
one. This trend is mainly driven by the lower envelope density in more evolved
sources. The total H2O line luminosity in all cases is dominated by shocks
(>99%). The exact percentages for both species are uncertain by at least a
factor of 2 due to uncertainties in the gas temperature as function of the
incident UV flux. However, on a qualitative level, both UV-heated gas and
C-type shocks are needed to reproduce the emission in far-infrared rotational
lines of CO and H2O.Comment: 15 pages (+4 pages appendix), 20 figures, accepted by A&
Women We Loved: Paradoxes of public and private in the biographical television drama
Broadcast to critical acclaim and relatively large audiences for its niche channel, the Women We Loved season consisted of biographical dramatisations of three prominent female figures of 20th-century British culture. These dramas shared in common narratives that centre on the two aspects of ‘the public’ and ‘the private’: the tension between public career and personal life and the discrepancy between celebrity persona and private individual. Combining theoretical insights from feminist studies of biography with close textual analysis, this article analyses how performance, aesthetics and narrative express the ambivalent placement of their protagonists between public and private
spheres
Molecular line survey of the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334I with Herschel/HIFI and the SMA
We aim at deriving the molecular abundances and temperatures of the hot
molecular cores in the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334I and consequently
deriving their physical and astrochemical conditions. In the framework of the
Herschel guaranteed time key program CHESS, NGC 6334I is investigated by using
HIFI aboard the Herschel Space Observatory. A spectral line survey is carried
out in the frequency range 480-1907 GHz, and auxiliary interferometric data
from the SMA in the 230 GHz band provide spatial information for disentangling
the different physical components contributing to the HIFI spectrum. The
spectral lines are identified with the aid of former surveys and spectral line
catalogs. The observed spectrum is then compared to a simulated synthetic
spectrum with XCLASS, assuming local thermal equilibrium, and best fit
parameters are derived using the model optimization package MAGIX. A total of
46 molecules are identified, with 31 isotopologues, resulting in about 4300
emission and absorption lines. High- energy levels of the dominant emitter
methanol and vibrationally excited HCN are detected. The number of unidentified
lines remains low with 75, or less than 2 percent of the lines detected. The
modeling suggests that several spectral features need two or more components to
be fitted properly. Other components could be assigned to cold foreground
clouds or to outflows, most visible in the SiO emission. A chemical variation
between the two embedded hot cores is found, with more N-bearing molecules
identified in SMA1 and O-bearing molecules in SMA2. Spectral line surveys give
powerful insights into the study of the interstellar medium. Different
molecules trace different physical conditions like the inner hot core, the
envelope, the outflows or the cold foreground clouds. The derived molecular
abundances provide further constraints for astrochemical models.Comment: 30 pages including appendix, 49 figures, accepted for publication in
Astronomy and Astrophysic
Combinations of β-lactam or aminoglycoside antibiotics with plectasin are synergistic against methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Bacterial infections remain the leading killer worldwide which is worsened by the continuous emergence of antibiotic resistance. In particular, methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are prevalent and the latter can be difficult to treat. The traditional strategy of novel therapeutic drug development inevitably leads to emergence of resistant strains, rendering the new drugs ineffective. Therefore, rejuvenating the therapeutic potentials of existing antibiotics offers an attractive novel strategy. Plectasin, a defensin antimicrobial peptide, potentiates the activities of other antibiotics such as β-lactams, aminoglycosides and glycopeptides against MSSA and MRSA. We performed in vitro and in vivo investigations to test against genetically diverse clinical isolates of MSSA (n = 101) and MRSA (n = 115). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined by the broth microdilution method. The effects of combining plectasin with β-lactams, aminoglycosides and glycopeptides were examined using the chequerboard method and time kill curves. A murine neutropenic thigh model and a murine peritoneal infection model were used to test the effect of combination in vivo. Determined by factional inhibitory concentration index (FICI), plectasin in combination with aminoglycosides (gentamicin, neomycin or amikacin) displayed synergistic effects in 76-78% of MSSA and MRSA. A similar synergistic response was observed when plectasin was combined with β-lactams (penicillin, amoxicillin or flucloxacillin) in 87-89% of MSSA and MRSA. Interestingly, no such interaction was observed when plectasin was paired with vancomycin. Time kill analysis also demonstrated significant synergistic activities when plectasin was combined with amoxicillin, gentamicin or neomycin. In the murine models, plectasin at doses as low as 8 mg/kg augmented the activities of amoxicillin and gentamicin in successful treatment of MSSA and MRSA infections. We demonstrated that plectasin strongly rejuvenates the therapeutic potencies of existing antibiotics in vitro and in vivo. This is a novel strategy that can have major clinical implications in our fight against bacterial infections
First detection of gas-phase ammonia in a planet-forming disk NH_3, N_2H^+, and H_2O in the disk around TW Hydrae
Context. Nitrogen chemistry in protoplanetary disks and the freeze-out on dust particles is key for understanding the formation of nitrogen-bearing species in early solar system analogs. In dense cores, 10% to 20% of the nitrogen reservoir is locked up in ices such as NH_3, NH_4^+ and OCN^−. So far, ammonia has not been detected beyond the snowline in protoplanetary disks.
Aims. We aim to find gas-phase ammonia in a protoplanetary disk and characterize its abundance with respect to water vapor.
Methods. Using HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory, we detected for the first time the ground-state rotational emission of ortho-NH_3 in a protoplanetary disk around TW Hya. We used detailed models of the disk’s physical structure and the chemistry of ammonia and water to infer the amounts of gas-phase molecules of these species. We explored two radial distributions (extended across the disk and confined to <60 au like the millimeter-sized grains) and two vertical distributions (near the midplane and at intermediate heights above the midplane, where water is expected to photodesorb off icy grains) to describe the (unknown) location of the molecules. These distributions capture the effects of radial drift and vertical settling of ice-covered grains.
Results. The NH_31_0–0_0 line is detected simultaneously with H_2O 1_(10)–1_(01) at an antenna temperature of 15.3 mK in the Herschel beam; the same spectrum also contains the N_2H^+ 6–5 line with a strength of 18.1 mK. We use physical-chemical models to reproduce the fluxes and assume that water and ammonia are cospatial. We infer ammonia gas-phase masses of 0.7−11.0 × 10^(21) g, depending on the adopted spatial distribution, in line with previous literature estimates. For water, we infer gas-phase masses of 0.2−16.0 × 10^(22) g, improving upon earlier literature estimates This corresponds to NH_3/H_2O abundance ratios of 7%−84%, assuming that water and ammonia are co-located. The inferred N_2H^+ gas mass of 4.9 × 10^(21) g agrees well with earlier literature estimates that were based on lower excitation transitions. These masses correspond to a disk-averaged abundances of 0.2−17.0 × 10^(-11), 0.1−9.0 × 10^(-10) and 7.6 × 10^(-11) for NH_3, H_2O and N_2H^+ respectively.
Conclusions. Only in the most compact and settled adopted configuration is the inferred NH_3/H_2O consistent with interstellar ices and solar system bodies of ~5%–10%; all other spatial distributions require additional gas-phase NH_3 production mechanisms. Volatile release in the midplane may occur through collisions between icy bodies if the available surface for subsequent freeze-out is significantly reduced, for instance, through growth of small grains into pebbles or larger bodies
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