255 research outputs found
3D simulations of pillars formation around HII regions: the importance of shock curvature
Radiative feedback from massive stars is a key process to understand how HII
regions may enhance or inhibit star formation in pillars and globules at the
interface with molecular clouds. We aim to contribute to model the interactions
between ionization and gas clouds to better understand the processes at work.
We study in detail the impact of modulations on the cloud-HII region interface
and density modulations inside the cloud. We run three-dimensional
hydrodynamical simulations based on Euler equations coupled with gravity using
the HERACLES code. We implement a method to solve ionization/recombination
equations and we take into account typical heating and cooling processes at
work in the interstellar medium and due to ionization/recombination physics. UV
radiation creates a dense shell compressed between an ionization front and a
shock ahead. Interface modulations produce a curved shock that collapses on
itself leading to stable growing pillar-like structures. The narrower the
initial interface modulation, the longer the resulting pillar. We interpret
pillars resulting from density modulations in terms of the ability of these
density modula- tions to curve the shock ahead the ionization front. The shock
curvature is a key process to understand the formation of structures at the
edge of HII regions. Interface and density modulations at the edge of the cloud
have a direct impact on the morphology of the dense shell during its formation.
Deeper in the cloud, structures have less influence due to the high densities
reached by the shell during its expansion.Comment: Accepted by A&A 03/11/201
Fingering convection and cloudless models for cool brown dwarf atmospheres
This work aims to improve the current understanding of the atmospheres of
brown dwarfs, especially cold ones with spectral type T and Y, whose modeling
is a current challenge. Silicate and iron clouds are believed to disappear at
the photosphere at the L/T transition, but cloudless models fail to reproduce
correctly the spectra of T dwarfs, advocating for the addition of more physics,
e.g. other types of clouds or internal energy transport mechanisms. We use a
one-dimensional (1D) radiative/convective equilibrium code ATMO to investigate
this issue. This code includes both equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium
chemistry and solves consistently the PT structure. Included opacity sources
are H2-H2, H2-He, H2O, CO, CO2, CH4, NH3, K, Na, and TiO, VO if they are
present in the atmosphere. We show that the spectra of Y dwarfs can be
accurately reproduced with a cloudless model if vertical mixing and NH3
quenching are taken into account. T dwarf spectra still have some reddening in
e.g. J - H compared to cloudless models. This reddening can be reproduced by
slightly reducing the temperature gradient in the atmosphere. We propose that
this reduction of the stabilizing temperature gradient in these layers, leading
to cooler structures, is due to the onset of fingering convection, triggered by
the destabilizing impact of condensation of very thin dust.Comment: Accepted in ApJ
Understanding star formation in molecular clouds I. Effects of line-of-sight contamination on the column density structure
Column-density maps of molecular clouds are one of the most important
observables in the context of molecular cloud- and star-formation (SF) studies.
With the Herschel satellite it is now possible to determine the column density
from dust emission. We use observations and simulations to demonstrate how LOS
contamination affects the column density probability distribution function
(PDF). We apply a first-order approximation (removing a constant level) to the
molecular clouds of Auriga, Maddalena, Carina and NGC3603. In perfect agreement
with the simulations, we find that the PDFs become broader, the peak shifts to
lower column densities, and the power-law tail of the PDF flattens after
correction. All PDFs have a lognormal part for low column densities with a peak
at Av~2, a deviation point (DP) from the lognormal at Av(DP)~4-5, and a
power-law tail for higher column densities. Assuming a density distribution
rho~r^-alpha, the slopes of the power-law tails correspond to alpha(PDF)=1.8,
1.75, and 2.5 for Auriga, Carina, and NGC3603 (alpha~1.5-2 is consistent
gravitational collapse). We find that low-mass and high-mass SF clouds display
differences in the overall column density structure. Massive clouds assemble
more gas in smaller cloud volumes than low-mass SF ones. However, for both
cloud types, the transition of the PDF from lognormal shape into power-law tail
is found at the same column density (at Av~4-5 mag). Low-mass and high-mass SF
clouds then have the same low column density distribution, most likely
dominated by supersonic turbulence. At higher column densities, collapse and
external pressure can form the power-law tail. The relative importance of the
two processes can vary between clouds and thus lead to the observed differences
in PDF and column density structure.Comment: A&A accepted, 15.12. 201
From Forced Collapse To H Ii Region Expansion In Mon R2: Envelope Density Structure And Age Determination With Herschel
The surroundings of H II regions can have a profound influence on their development, morphology, and evolution. This paper explores the effect of the environment on H II regions in the MonR2 molecular cloud. Aims. We aim to investigate the density structure of envelopes surrounding H II regions and to determine their collapse and ionisation expansion ages. The Mon R2 molecular cloud is an ideal target since it hosts an H II region association, which has been imaged by the Herschel PACS and SPIRE cameras as part of the HOBYS key programme. Methods. Column density and temperature images derived from Herschel data were used together to model the structure of H IIbubbles and their surrounding envelopes. The resulting observational constraints were used to follow the development of the Mon R2 ionised regions with analytical calculations and numerical simulations. Results. The four hot bubbles associated with H II regions are surrounded by dense, cold, and neutral gas envelopes, which are partly embedded in filaments. The envelope’s radial density profiles are reminiscent of those of low-mass protostellar envelopes. The inner parts of envelopes of all four H II regions could be free-falling because they display shallow density profiles: ρ(r) ∝ r− q with . As for their outer parts, the two compact H II regions show a ρ(r) ∝ r-2 profile, which is typical of the equilibrium structure of a singular isothermal sphere. In contrast, the central UCH II region shows a steeper outer profile, ρ(r) ∝ r-2.5, that could be interpreted as material being forced to collapse, where an external agent overwhelms the internal pressure support. Conclusions. The size of the heated bubbles, the spectral type of the irradiating stars, and the mean initial neutral gas density are used to estimate the ionisation expansion time, texp ~ 0.1 Myr, for the dense UCH II and compact H II regions and ~ 0.35 Myr for the extended H II region. Numerical simulations with and without gravity show that the so-called lifetime problem of H II regions is an artefact of theories that do not take their surrounding neutral envelopes with slowly decreasing density profiles into account. The envelope transition radii between the shallow and steeper density profiles are used to estimate the time elapsed since the formation of the first protostellar embryo, tinf~ 1 Myr, for the ultra-compact, 1.5−3 Myr for the compact, and greater than ~6 Myr for the extended H II regions. These results suggest that the time needed to form a OB-star embryo and to start ionising the cloud, plus the quenching time due to the large gravitational potential amplified by further in-falling material, dominates the ionisation expansion time by a large factor. Accurate determination of the quenching time of H II regions would require additional small-scale observationnal constraints and numerical simulations including 3D geometry effects
Mopra CO Observations of the Bubble HII Region RCW120
We use the Mopra radio telescope to test for expansion of the molecular gas
associated with the bubble HII region RCW120. A ring, or bubble, morphology is
common for Galactic HII regions, but the three-dimensional geometry of such
objects is still unclear. Detected near- and far-side expansion of the
associated molecular material would be consistent with a three-dimensional
spherical object. We map the transitions of CO,
CO, CO, and CO, and detect emission from all
isotopologues. We do not detect the masing lines of
CHOH at 108.8939 GHz. The strongest CO emission is from the
photodissociation region (PDR), and there is a deficit of emission toward the
bubble interior. We find no evidence for expansion of the molecular material
associated with RCW120 and therefore can make no claims about its geometry. The
lack of detected expansion is roughly in agreement with models for the
time-evolution of an HII region like RCW120, and is consistent with an
expansion speed of . Single-position CO spectra show
signatures of expansion, which underscores the importance of mapped spectra for
such work. Dust temperature enhancements outside the PDR of RCW120 coincide
with a deficit of emission in CO, confirming that these temperature
enhancements are due to holes in the RCW120 PDR. H emission shows that
RCW120 is leaking of the ionizing photons into the interstellar
medium (ISM) through PDR holes at the locations of the temperature
enhancements. H-alpha emission also shows a diffuse "halo" from leaked photons
not associated with discrete holes in the PDR. Overall of all
ionizing photons are leaking into the nearby ISM.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures. Accepted to Ap
Age, Size, And Position Of H Ii Regions In The Galaxy Expansion Of Ionized Gas In Turbulent Molecular Clouds
Aims. This work aims to improve the current understanding of the interaction between H II regions and turbulent molecular clouds. We propose a new method to determine the age of a large sample of O ..
Ionization Compression Impact On Dense Gas Distribution And Star Formation - Probability Density Functions Around H Ii Regions As Seen By Herschel
Aims. Ionization feedback should impact the probability distribution function (PDF) of the column density of cold dust around the ionized gas. We aim to quantify this effect and discuss its potential link to the core and initial mass function (CMF/IMF)
Pillars And Globules At The Edges Of H Ii Regions: Confronting Herschel Observations And Numerical Simulations
Herschel far-infrared imaging observations have revealed the density structure of the interface between H ii regions and molecular clouds in great detail. In particular, pillars and globules are present in many high-mass star-forming regions, such as the Eagle nebula (M 16) and the Rosette molecular cloud, and understanding their origin will help characterize triggered star formation
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of the Y0 WISEP J173835.52+273258.9 and the Y1 WISE J035000.32-565830.2: the Importance of Non-Equilibrium Chemistry
We present new near-infrared spectra, obtained at Gemini Observatory, for two
Y dwarfs: WISE J035000.32-565830.2 (W0350) and WISEP J173835.52+273258.9
(W1738). A FLAMINGOS-2 R=540 spectrum was obtained for W0350, covering 1.0 <
lambda um < 1.7, and a cross-dispersed GNIRS R=2800 spectrum was obtained for
W1738, covering 0.993-1.087 um, 1.191-1.305 um, 1.589-1.631 um, and 1.985-2.175
um, in four orders. We also present revised YJH photometry for W1738, using new
NIRI Y and J imaging, and a re-analysis of the previously published NIRI H band
images. We compare these data, together with previously published data for
late-T and Y dwarfs, to cloud-free models of solar metallicity, calculated both
in chemical equilibrium and with disequilibrium driven by vertical transport.
We find that for the Y dwarfs the non-equilibrium models reproduce the
near-infrared data better than the equilibrium models. The remaining
discrepancies suggest that fine-tuning the CH_4/CO and NH_3/N_2 balance is
needed. Improved trigonometric parallaxes would improve the analysis. Despite
the uncertainties and discrepancies, the models reproduce the observed
near-infrared spectra well. We find that for the Y0, W1738, T_eff = 425 +/- 25
K and log g = 4.0 +/- 0.25, and for the Y1, W0350, T_eff = 350 +/- 25 K and log
g = 4.0 +/- 0.25. W1738 may be metal-rich. Based on evolutionary models, these
temperatures and gravities correspond to a mass range for both Y dwarfs of 3-9
Jupiter masses, with W0350 being a cooler, slightly older, version of W1738;
the age of W0350 is 0.3-3 Gyr, and the age of W1738 is 0.15-1 Gyr.Comment: Accepted on March 30 2016 for publication in Ap
- …