23 research outputs found
Regional circulation patterns of Mediterranean Outflow Water near the Iberian and African continental slopes
The Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) is a dense water
mass originated in the Strait of Gibraltar. Downstream of the Gulf of Cádiz,
the MOW forms a reservoir region west of the Iberian continental slopes at a
buoyant depth of approximately 1000 m. This region plays a key role as the
main centre where the MOW is mixed and distributed into the North Atlantic.
The seafloor in this area is characterized by the presence of a complex
bathymetry with three abyssal plains separated by mountain chains. Although
the topographic features do not reach the surface, they influence ocean
flows at intermediate and deep ocean layers, conditioning the distribution
and circulation of MOW.
The Copernicus Marine Environmental Monitoring Service (CMEMS) Iberian–Biscay–Ireland (IBI) ocean reanalysis is used to provide a detailed view of the
circulation and mixing processes of MOW near the Iberian and African
continental slopes. This work emphasizes the relevance of the complex
bathymetric features defining the circulation processes of MOW in this
region. The high resolution of the IBI reanalysis allows us to make a
description of the mesoscale features forced by the topography. The
temperature, salinity, velocity, transport, and vorticity fields are
analysed to understand the circulation patterns of MOW. The high-resolution
circulation patterns reveal that Horseshoe Basin and the continental
slope near Cape Ghir (a.k.a. Cap Rhir or Cabo de Aguer) are key areas controlling the mixing processes of MOW
with the surrounding water masses, mainly North Atlantic Central Water (NACW)
and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). The water mass
variability is also analysed by means of composite analysis. Results
indicate the existence of a variability in the MOW tongue which retracts and
expands westwards in opposition to the movement of the underlying North
Atlantic Deep Water.</p
Sio emission as a tracer of x-ray dominated chemistry in the Galactic center
We present emission maps of the Sgr A molecular cloud complex at the Galactic center (GC) in the J = 2 → 1 line of SiO observed with the IRAM 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta. Comparing our SiO(2–1) data cube with that of CS(1–0) emission with similar angular and velocity resolution, we find a correlation between the SiO/CS line intensity ratio and the equivalent width of the Fe Kα fluorescence line at 6.4 keV. We discuss the SiO abundance
enhancement in terms of the two most plausible scenarios for the origin of the 6.4 keV Fe line: X-ray reflection nebula (XRN) and low-energy cosmic rays (LECRs). Both scenarios could explain the enhancement in the SiO/CS intensity ratio with the intensity of the 6.4 keV Fe line, but both present difficulties. The XRN scenario requires a population of very small grains to produce the SiO abundance enhancement, together with a past episode of bright X-ray emission from some source in the GC, possibly the central supermassive black hole, SgrA∗,~300 yr ago. The LECR scenario needs higher gas column densities to produce the observed 6.4 keV Fe line intensities than those derived from our observations. It is possible to explain the SiO abundance enhancement if the LECRs originate in supernovae and their associated shocks produce the SiO abundance enhancement. However, the LECR scenario cannot account for the time variability of the 6.4 keV Fe line, which can be naturally explained by the XRN scenario
Spectral imaging of the central molecular zone in multiple 7-mm molecular lines
We have imaged 24 spectral lines in the central molecular zone (CMZ) around the Galactic Centre, in the range 42–50 GHz. The lines include emission from the CS, CH3OH, HC3N, SiO, HNCO, HOCO+, NH2CHO, OCS, HCS+, CCS, C34S, 13CS, 29SiO, H13CCCN, HCC13CN and HC5N molecules, and three hydrogen recombination lines. The area covered is Galactic longitude −0.7 to 1.8and latitude −0.3 to 0.2, including the bright cores around Sgr A, Sgr B2, Sgr C and G1.6-0.025. This work used the 22-m Mopra radio telescope in Australia, obtaining ~1.8 km s−1 spectral and ~ 65 arcsec spatial resolutions. We present peak images from this study and conduct a principal component analysis on the integrated emission from the brightest 10 lines, to study similarities and differences in the line distribution. We examine the integrated line intensities and line ratios in selected apertures around the bright cores, as well as for the complete mapped region of the CMZ. We compare these 7-mm lines to the corresponding lines in the 3-mm band, for five molecules, to study the excitation. There is a variation in 3 to 7-mm line ratio across the CMZ, with relatively higher ratio in the centre around Sgr B2 and Sgr A. We find that the lines are sub-thermally excited, and from modelling with RADEX find that non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium conditions apply, with densities of the order of 104 cm−3
Mapping photodissociation and shocks in the vicinity of Sgr A*
We have obtained maps of the molecular emission within the central five
arcminutes (12 pc) of the Galactic center (GC) in selected molecular tracers:
SiO(2-1), HNCO(5_{0,5}-4_{0,4}), and the J=1-->0 transition of H^{13}CO+,
HN^{13}C, and C^{18}O at an angular resolution of 30" (1.2 pc). The mapped
region includes the circumnuclear disk (CND) and the two surrounding giant
molecular clouds (GMCs) of the Sgr A complex, known as the 20 and 50 km s^{-1}
molecular clouds.Additionally, we simultaneously observed the J=2-1 and 3-2
transitions of SiO toward selected positions to estimate the physical
conditions of the molecular gas. The SiO(2-1) and H^{13}CO+(1-0) emission
covers the same velocity range and presents a similar distribution. In
contrast, HNCO(5-4) emission appears in a narrow velocity range mostly
concentrated in the 20 and 50 km s^{-1} GMCs. The HNCO column densities and
fractional abundances present the highest contrast, with difference factors of
60 and 28, respectively. Their highest values are found toward the cores
of the GMCs, whereas the lowest ones are measured at the CND. SiO abundances do
not follow this trend, with high values found toward the CND, as well as the
GMCs. By comparing our abundances with those of prototypical Galactic sources
we conclude that HNCO, similar to SiO, is ejected from grain mantles into
gas-phase by nondissociative C-shocks. This results in the high abundances
measured toward the CND and the GMCs. However, the strong UV radiation from the
Central cluster utterly photodissociates HNCO as we get closer to the center,
whereas SiO seems to be more resistant against UV-photons or it is produced
more efficiently by the strong shocks in the CND. Finally, we discuss the
possible connections between the molecular gas at the CND and the GMCs using
the HNCO/SiO, SiO/CS, and HNCO/CS intensity ratios as probes of distance to the
Central cluster.Comment: 26 pages plus 2 appendixes with additional figures. 17 figures in
total. Accepted for publication in A&
Kinetic temperatures toward X1/X2 orbit interceptions regions and Giant Molecular Loops in the Galactic center region
Context: It is well known that the kinetic temperatures, Tkin, of the
molecular clouds in the Galactic center region are higher than in typical disk
clouds. However, the Tkin of the molecular complexes found at higher latitudes
towards the giant molecular loops in the central region of the Galaxy is so far
unknown. The gas of these high latitude molecular clouds (hereafter referred to
as halo clouds) is located in a region where the gas in the disk may interact
with the gas in the halo in the Galactic center region.
Aims: To derive Tkin in the molecular clouds at high latitude and understand
the physical process responsible for the heating of the molecular gas both in
the Central Molecular Zone (the concentration of molecular gas in the inner 500
pc) and in the giant molecular loops.
Methods: We measured the metastable inversion transitions of NH3 from (1,1)
to (6,6) toward six positions selected throughout the Galactic central disk and
halo. We used rotational diagrams and large velocity gradient modeling to
estimate the kinetic temperatures toward all the sources. We also observed
other molecules like SiO, HNCO, CS, C34S, C18O, and 13CO, to derive the
densities and to trace different physical processes (shocks, photodissociation,
dense gas) expected to dominate the heating of the molecular gas.
Results: We derive for the first time Tkin of the high latitude clouds
interacting with the disk in the Galactic center region. We find high
rotational temperatures in all the observed positions. We derive two kinetic
temperature components (150 K and 40 K) for the positions in the Central
Molecular Zone, and only the warm kinetic temperature component for the clouds
toward the giant molecular loops. The fractional abundances derived from the
different molecules suggest that shocks provide the main heating mechanism
throughout the Galactic center, also at high latitudesComment: accepted for publication in A&A 06/09/201
Molecular gas chemistry in AGN. II. High-resolution imaging of SiO emission in NGC1068: shocks or XDR?
This paper is part of a multi-species survey of line emission from the
molecular gas in the circum-nuclear disk (CND) of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC1068.
Single-dish observations have provided evidence that the abundance of silicon
monoxide(SiO) in the CND of NGC1068 is enhanced by 3-4 orders of magnitude with
respect to the values typically measured in quiescent molecular gas in the
Galaxy. We aim at unveiling the mechanism(s) underlying the SiO enhancement. We
have imaged with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer the emission of the
SiO(2-1) and CN(2--1) lines in NGC1068 at 150pc and 60pc spatial resolution,
respectively. We have also obtained complementary IRAM 30m observations of HNCO
and methanol (CH3OH) lines. SiO is detected in a disk of 400pc size around the
AGN. SiO abundances in the CND of (1-5)xE-09 are about 1-2 orders of magnitude
above those measured in the starburst ring. The overall abundance of CN in the
CND is high: (0.2-1)xE-07. The abundances of SiO and CN are enhanced at the
extreme velocities of gas associated with non-circular motions close to the AGN
(r<70pc). Abundances measured for CN and SiO, and the correlation of CN/CO and
SiO/CO ratios with hard X-ray irradiation, suggest that the CND of NGC1068 has
become a giant X-ray dominated region (XDR). The extreme properties of
molecular gas in the circum-nuclear molecular disk of NGC1068 result from the
interplay between different processes directly linked to nuclear activity.
Whereas XDR chemistry offers a simple explanation for CN and SiO in NGC1068,
the relevance of shocks deserves further scrutiny. The inclusion of dust grain
chemistry would help solve the controversy regarding the abundances of other
molecular species, like HCN, which are under-predicted by XDR models.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in A&
Traces of past activity in the Galactic Centre
The Milky Way centre hosts a supermassive Black Hole (BH) with a mass of
~4*10^6 M_Sun. Sgr A*, its electromagnetic counterpart, currently appears as an
extremely weak source with a luminosity L~10^-9 L_Edd. The lowest known
Eddington ratio BH. However, it was not always so; traces of "glorious" active
periods can be found in the surrounding medium. We review here our current view
of the X-ray emission from the Galactic Center (GC) and its environment, and
the expected signatures (e.g. X-ray reflection) of a past flare. We discuss the
history of Sgr A*'s past activity and its impact on the surrounding medium. The
structure of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) has not changed significantly
since the last active phase of Sgr A*. This relic torus provides us with the
opportunity to image the structure of an AGN torus in exquisite detail.Comment: Invited refereed review. Chapter of the book: "Cosmic ray induced
phenomenology in star forming environments" (eds. Olaf Reimer and Diego F.
Torres
Star Formation and Dynamics in the Galactic Centre
The centre of our Galaxy is one of the most studied and yet enigmatic places
in the Universe. At a distance of about 8 kpc from our Sun, the Galactic centre
(GC) is the ideal environment to study the extreme processes that take place in
the vicinity of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). Despite the hostile
environment, several tens of early-type stars populate the central parsec of
our Galaxy. A fraction of them lie in a thin ring with mild eccentricity and
inner radius ~0.04 pc, while the S-stars, i.e. the ~30 stars closest to the
SMBH (<0.04 pc), have randomly oriented and highly eccentric orbits. The
formation of such early-type stars has been a puzzle for a long time: molecular
clouds should be tidally disrupted by the SMBH before they can fragment into
stars. We review the main scenarios proposed to explain the formation and the
dynamical evolution of the early-type stars in the GC. In particular, we
discuss the most popular in situ scenarios (accretion disc fragmentation and
molecular cloud disruption) and migration scenarios (star cluster inspiral and
Hills mechanism). We focus on the most pressing challenges that must be faced
to shed light on the process of star formation in the vicinity of a SMBH.Comment: 68 pages, 35 figures; invited review chapter, to be published in
expanded form in Haardt, F., Gorini, V., Moschella, U. and Treves, A.,
'Astrophysical Black Holes'. Lecture Notes in Physics. Springer 201