Arp 302: Non-starburst Luminous Infrared Galaxies

Arp 302, a luminous infrared source (L_{IR} = 4.2x10^{11} Lsun), consisting of two spiral galaxies (VV340A and VV340B) with nuclear separation of 40'', has the highest CO luminosity known. Observations with the BIMA array at 5'' X 7'' resolution reveal that the CO emission is extended over 23.0 kpc in the edge-on spiral galaxy, VV340A, corresponding to 6.7x10^{10} Msun of H_2. In the companion face-on galaxy, VV340B, the CO emission is extended over ~10.0 kpc, with 1.1x10^{10} Msun of H_2. The large CO extent is in strong contrast to starburst systems, such as Arp 220, in which the CO extent is typically $\le$ 1 kpc. Furthermore, $L_{IR}/M$(H_2) is found to be $\le$ 6.0 Lsun/Msun throughout both galaxies. Thus the high IR luminosity of Arp 302 is apparently not due to starbursts in the nuclear regions, but is due to its unusually large amount of molecular gas forming stars at a rate similar to giant molecular clouds in the Milky Way disk. Arp 302 consists of a pair of very gas-rich spiral galaxies that may be interacting and in a phase before a likely onset of starbursts.Comment: AAS Latex plus two postscript figures. ApJ Letters (accepted

Single spin asymmetry measurements for π0\pi^0 inclusive productions in p+p↑→π0+Xp+p_{\uparrow} \to \pi^0 + X and \pi^-+\p_{\uparrow}\to \pi^0+X reactions at 70 and 40 GeV respectively

The inclusive $\pi^0$ asymmetries were measured in reactions $p+p\uparrow \to \pi^0+X$ and $\pi^-+p\uparrow \to \pi^0+X$ at 70 and 40 GeV/c respectively. The measurements were made at the central region (for the first reaction) and asymmetry is compatible with zero in the entire measured $p_T$ region. For the second reaction the asymmetry is zero for small $x_F$ region ($-0.4<x_F<-0.1, 0.5<p_T(GeV/c) <1.5$) and increases with growth of $\mid x_F\mid$. Averaged over the interval $-0.8<x_F<-0.4, 1<p_T(GeV/c)<2$ the asymmetry was $-(13.8\pm 3.8)$.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; Presented at SPIN-2004 at Trieste, October 10-16,200

Mapping IR Enhancements in Closely Interacting Spiral-Spiral Pairs. I. ISO~CAM and ISO~SWS Observations

Mid-infrared (MIR) imaging and spectroscopic observations are presented for a well defined sample of eight closely interacting (CLO) pairs of spiral galaxies that have overlapping disks and show enhanced far-infrared (FIR) emission. The goal is to study the star formation distribution in CLO pairs, with special emphasis on the role of 'overlap starbursts'. Observations were made with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) using the CAM and SWS instruments. The ISO~CAM maps, tracing the MIR emission of warm dust heated by young massive stars, are compared to new ground based H$\alpha$ and R-band images. We identify three possible subgroups in the sample, classified according to the star formation morphology: (1) advanced mergers (Arp~157, Arp~244 and Arp~299), (2) severely disturbed systems (Arp~81 and Arp~278), and (3) less disturbed systems (Arp~276, KPG 347 and KPG 426). Localized starbursts are detected in the overlap regions in all five pairs of subgroups (1) and (2), suggesting that they are a common property in colliding systems. Except for Arp~244, the 'overlap starburst' is usually fainter than the major nuclear starburst in CLO pairs. Star formation in 'less disturbed systems' is often distributed throughout the disks of both galaxies with no 'overlap starburst' detected in any of them. These systems also show less enhanced FIR emission, suggesting that they are in an earlier interaction stage than pairs of the other two subgroups where the direct disk collisions have probably not yet occurred.Comment: 27 pages text, 4 JPEG figures, 3 PS figures. To be accepted by ApJ. High quality figures (included in a PS file of the paper) can be found in http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/cxu/papers/ss_iso.ps.g

Tower 1978

1978 yearbook of Westbrook College in Portland, Maine.https://dune.une.edu/wchc_yearbooks/1007/thumbnail.jp

Reversal of infall in SgrB2(M) revealed by Herschel/HIFI observations of HCN lines at THz frequencies

To investigate the accretion and feedback processes in massive star formation, we analyze the shapes of emission lines from hot molecular cores, whose asymmetries trace infall and expansion motions. The high-mass star forming region SgrB2(M) was observed with Herschel/HIFI (HEXOS key project) in various lines of HCN and its isotopologues, complemented by APEX data. The observations are compared to spherically symmetric, centrally heated models with density power-law gradient and different velocity fields (infall or infall+expansion), using the radiative transfer code RATRAN. The HCN line profiles are asymmetric, with the emission peak shifting from blue to red with increasing J and decreasing line opacity (HCN to H$^{13}$CN). This is most evident in the HCN 12--11 line at 1062 GHz. These line shapes are reproduced by a model whose velocity field changes from infall in the outer part to expansion in the inner part. The qualitative reproduction of the HCN lines suggests that infall dominates in the colder, outer regions, but expansion dominates in the warmer, inner regions. We are thus witnessing the onset of feedback in massive star formation, starting to reverse the infall and finally disrupting the whole molecular cloud. To obtain our result, the THz lines uniquely covered by HIFI were critically important.Comment: A&A, HIFI special issue, accepte

Herschel observations of deuterated water towards Sgr B2(M)

Observations of HDO are an important complement for studies of water, because they give strong constraints on the formation processes -- grain surfaces versus energetic process in the gas phase, e.g. in shocks. The HIFI observations of multiple transitions of HDO in Sgr~B2(M) presented here allow the determination of the HDO abundance throughout the envelope, which has not been possible before with ground-based observations only. The abundance structure has been modeled with the spherical Monte Carlo radiative transfer code RATRAN, which also takes radiative pumping by continuum emission from dust into account. The modeling reveals that the abundance of HDO rises steeply with temperature from a low abundance ($2.5\times 10^{-11}$) in the outer envelope at temperatures below 100~K through a medium abundance ($1.5\times 10^{-9}$) in the inner envelope/outer core, at temperatures between 100 and 200~K, and finally a high abundance ($3.5\times 10^{-9}$) at temperatures above 200~K in the hot core.Comment: A&A HIFI special issue, accepte

SBS 0335-052, a probable nearby young dwarf galaxy: evidence pro and con

The results of Multiple Mirror Telescope spectrophotometry of the extremely low-metallicity blue compact galaxy (BCG) SBS 0335-052 are presented. The oxygen abundance in central brightest part of the galaxy is found to be 12 + log(O/H) = 7.33+-0.01. The N/O, Ne/O, S/O and Ar/O abundance ratios are close to those derived in other BCGs, suggesting that heavy element enrichment in the HII region is due to massive star evolution. We detect auroral [OIII] 4363 emission in the inner part of HII region with a diameter of 3.6 kpc and find that the HII region inside this diameter is hot, T_e~20000K. The oxygen abundance in this region is nearly constant (12 + log(O/H) = 7.1 - 7.3), implying effective mixing of ionized gas on short time-scales. We also discuss the origin of blue underlying extended low-intensity emission detected in SBS 0335-052. The (V-I) and (R-I) color distributions suggest that a significant contribution to the extended envelope is due to ionized gas emission. However, the observed equivalent width of Hbeta emission in the extended envelope is 2-3 times lower than the value expected in the case of pure gaseous emission. These findings suggest that, along with the blue young (~10^7yr) stellar clusters, an older stellar population with age ~10^8yr may be present in the extended envelope of SBS 0335-052, having a total mass conclude that SBS 0335-052 is a young nearby dwarf galaxy with age ~10^8 yr.Comment: 27 pages and 8 Postscript figures, uses aaspp4.sty. Submitted to Astrophysical Journa