277 research outputs found
Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Models of Super Star Clusters with a Positive Star Formation Feedback
Using the hydrodynamic code ZEUS, we perform 2D simulations to determine the
fate of the gas ejected by massive stars within super star clusters. It turns
out that the outcome depends mainly on the mass and radius of the cluster. In
the case of less massive clusters, a hot high velocity ( km
s) stationary wind develops and the metals injected by supernovae are
dispersed to large distances from the cluster. On the other hand, the density
of the thermalized ejecta within massive and compact clusters is sufficiently
large as to immediately provoke the onset of thermal instabilities. These
deplete, particularly in the central densest regions, the pressure and the
pressure gradient required to establish a stationary wind, and instead the
thermally unstable parcels of gas are rapidly compressed, by a plethora of
re-pressurizing shocks, into compact high density condensations. Most of these
are unable to leave the cluster volume and thus accumulate to eventually feed
further generations of star formation.
The simulations cover an important fraction of the parameter-space, which
allows us to estimate the fraction of the reinserted gas which accumulates
within the cluster and the fraction that leaves the cluster as a function of
the cluster mechanical luminosity, the cluster size and heating efficiency.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 27 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl
NICMOS Images of the GG Tau Circumbinary Disk
We present deep, near-infrared images of the circumbinary disk surrounding
the pre-main-sequence binary star, GG Tau A, obtained with NICMOS aboard the
Hubble Space Telescope. The spatially resolved proto-planetary disk scatters
roughly 1.5% of the stellar flux, with a near-to-far side flux ratio of ~1.4,
independent of wavelength, and colors that are comparable to the central
source; all of these properties are significantly different from the earlier
ground-based observations. New Monte Carlo scattering simulations of the disk
emphasize that the general properties of the disk, such as disk flux, near side
to far side flux ratio and integrated colors, can be approximately reproduced
using ISM-like dust grains, without the presence of either circumstellar disks
or large dust grains, as had previously been suggested. A single parameter
phase function is fitted to the observed azimuthal variation in disk flux,
providing a lower limit on the median grain size of 0.23 micron. Our analysis,
in comparison to previous simulations, shows that the major limitation to the
study of grain growth in T Tauri disk systems through scattered light lies in
the uncertain ISM dust grain properties. Finally, we use the 9 year baseline of
astrometric measurements of the binary to solve the complete orbit, assuming
that the binary is coplanar with the circumbinary ring. We find that the
estimated 1 sigma range on disk inner edge to semi-major axis ratio, 3.2 <
Rin/a < 6.7, is larger than that estimated by previous SPH simulations of
binary-disk interactions.Comment: 40 pages, 8 postscript figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Dust Size Growth and Settling in a Protoplanetary Disk
We have studied dust evolution in a quiescent or turbulent protoplanetary
disk by numerically solving coagulation equation for settling dust particles,
using the minimum mass solar nebular model. As a result, if we assume an
ideally quiescent disk, the dust particles settle toward the disk midplane to
form a gravitationally unstable layer within 2x10^3 - 4x10^4 yr at 1 - 30 AU,
which is in good agreement with an analytic calculation by Nakagawa, Sekiya, &
Hayashi (1986) although they did not take into account the particle size
distribution explicitly. In an opposite extreme case of a globally turbulent
disk, on the other hand, the dust particles fluctuate owing to turbulent motion
of the gas and most particles become large enough to move inward very rapidly
within 70 - 3x10^4 yr at 1 - 30 AU, depending on the strength of turbulence.
Our result suggests that global turbulent motion should cease for the
planetesimal formation in protoplanetary disks.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in the Ap
Reducing the risk of iatrogenic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease by improving the cleaning of neurosurgical instruments
Background:
In all, there have been 178 variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD) patients diagnosed in the UK, with an estimated maximum 1:2000 carriage rate based on archived appendix and tonsil tissue, implying that infection may be rare but carriage relatively frequent. Previous workers have identified that maintenance of surgical instruments in a humid atmosphere after use and prior to cleaning assists cleaning efficacy. Recently the Department of Health/Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens UK have recommended a surgical instrument cleanliness threshold post cleaning of <5 μg protein per instrument side.
Aim:
To quantify cleanliness of neurosurgical instruments and to investigate cost-effective measures for improved cleaning.
Methods:
Two instrument protein quantification methods were used: one based on the International Standard (15883 series) using sodium dodecyl sulphate elution and ortho-phthalaldehyde reaction, and a second in-situ protein fluorescence detection system (ProReveal) providing results per instrument side. In-vitro investigation of the efficacy of some commercial and in-house pre-clean wetting agents was undertaken using artificial test soil and stainless steel discs under standard conditions. In-vivo evaluation of best-performing in-vitro agents was undertaken on craniotomy sets.
Findings:
ProReveal technology demonstrated that 163 out of 187 (87%) neurosurgical instruments had <5 μg residual protein per instrument side. The use of proprietary National Health Service plastic bags and sterile water-soaked wound pads were equivalent in efficacy to commercial pre-cleaning wetting products and significantly less expensive.
Conclusion:
Although we demonstrate low in-situ protein levels on neurosurgical instruments and the beneficial effects of keeping instruments moist, other cleaning critical-control points such as instrument loading patterns should also be monitored
Optical and Near Infrared Study of the Cepheus E outflow, a very low excitation object
We present images and spectra of the Cepheus E (Cep E) region at both optical
and infrared wavelengths. Only the brightest region of the southern lobe of the
Cep E outflow reveals optical emission, suggesting that the extinction close to
the outflow source plays an important r\^ole in the observed difference between
the optical and IR morphologies. Cep E is a unique object since it provides a
link between the spectroscopic properties of the optical Herbig-Haro (HH)
objects and those of deeply embedded outflows.Comment: Accepted Astron. J., 8 files: paper, tables plus 6 figure
MHD Models of Axisymmetric Protostellar Jets
We present the results of a series of axisymmetric time-dependent
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the propagation of cooling, overdense
jets, motivated by the properties of outflows associated with young stellar
objects. A variety of initial field strengths and configurations are explored
for both steady and time-variable (pulsed) jets. Even apparently weak magnetic
fields with strengths B < 60 micro-G in the pre-shocked jet beam can have a
significant effect on the dynamics, for example by altering the density, width,
and fragmentation of thin shells formed by cooling gas. A linear analysis
predicts that axisymmetric pinch modes of the MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
should grow only slowly for the highly supermagnetosonic jets studied here; we
find no evidence for them in our simulations. Some of our models appear
unstable to current-driven pinch modes, however the resulting pressure and
density variations induced in the jet beam are not large, making this mechanism
an unlikely source of emission knots in the jet beam. In the case of pulsed
jets, radial hoop stresses confine shocked jet material in the pulses to the
axis, resulting in a higher density in the pulses in comparison to purely
hydrodynamic models.Comment: 28 pages, 16 figures, accepted by Ap.
The Stability of Radiatively Cooled Jets in Three Dimensions
The effect of optically thin radiative cooling on the Kelvin-Helmholtz
instability of three dimensional jets is investigated via linear stability
theory and nonlinear hydrodynamical simulation. Two different cooling functions
are considered: radiative cooling is found to have a significant effect on the
stability of the jet in each case. The wavelengths and growth rates of unstable
modes in the numerical simulations are found to be in good agreement with
theoretical predictions. Disruption of the jet is found to be sensitive to the
precessional frequency at the origin with lower frequencies leading to more
rapid disruption. Strong nonlinear effects are observed as the result of the
large number of normal modes in three dimensions which provide rich mode-mode
interactions. These mode-mode interactions provide new mechanisms for the
formation of knots in the flows. Significant structural features found in the
numerical simulations appear similar to structures observed on protostellar
jets.Comment: 32 pages, 13 figures, figures included in page tota
Dust flow in gas disks in the presence of embedded planets
We study the dynamics of gas and dust in a protoplanetary disk in the
presence of embedded planets. We investigate the conditions for dust-gap
formation in terms of particle size and planetary mass. We also monitor the
amount of dust that is accreted by the planet relative to the amount of gas,
which is an important parameter in determining the enrichment of solids in
giant planets compared to the solid content of the central star. We use a new
two-fluid hydrodynamics code to solve the flow equations for both gas and dust.
For the gas, we use a Godunov-type scheme with an approximate Riemann solver
(the Roe solver). The dust is treated as a pressureless fluid by essentially
the same numerical method as is used for the gas. We find that it only takes a
planet of 0.05 Jupiter masses to open up a gap in a disk with a significant
population of mm-sized particles. Dust particles larger than 150 micron
participate in gap formation. We also find that the formation of the gap
severely slows down dust accretion compared to that in the gas. Therefore, it
is not possible to enrich a newly formed giant planet in solids, if these
solids are contained in particles with sizes from 150 micron to approximately
10 cm.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&
HST NICMOS Images of the HH 7/11 Outflow in NGC1333
We present near infrared images in H2 at 2.12um of the HH 7/11 outflow and
its driving source SVS 13 taken with HST NICMOS 2 camera, as well as archival
Ha and [SII] optical images obtained with the WFPC2 camera. The NICMOS high
angular resolution observations confirm the nature of a small scale jet arising
from SVS 13, and resolve a structure in the HH 7 working surface that could
correspond to Mach disk H2 emission. The H2 jet has a length of 430 AU (at a
distance of 350 pc), an aspect ratio of 2.2 and morphologically resembles the
well known DG Tau optical micro-jet. The kinematical age of the jet (approx. 10
yr) coincides with the time since the last outburst from SVS 13. If we
interpret the observed H2 flux density with molecular shock models of 20-30
km/s, then the jet has a density as high as 1.e+5 cc. The presence of this
small jet warns that contamination by H2 emission from an outflow in studies
searching for H2 in circumstellar disks is possible. At the working surface,
the smooth H2 morphology of the HH 7 bowshock indicates that the magnetic field
is strong, playing a major role in stabilizing this structure. The H2 flux
density of the Mach disk, when compared with that of the bowshock, suggests
that its emission is produced by molecular shocks of less than 20 km/s. The
WFPC2 optical images display several of the global features already inferred
from groundbased observations, like the filamentary structure in HH 8 and HH
10, which suggests a strong interaction of the outflow with its cavity. The H2
jet is not detected in {SII] or Ha, however, there is a small clump at approx.
5'' NE of SVS 13 that could be depicting the presence either of a different
outburst event or the north edge of the outflow cavity.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures (JPEGs
Clustered Star Formation in W75 N
We present 2" to 7" resolution 3 mm continuum and CO(J=1-0) line emission and
near infrared Ks, H2, and [FeII] images toward the massive star forming region
W75 N. The CO emission uncovers a complex morphology of multiple, overlapping
outflows. A total flow mass of greater than 255 Msun extends 3 pc from
end-to-end and is being driven by at least four late to early-B protostars.
More than 10% of the molecular cloud has been accelerated to high velocities by
the molecular flows (> 5.2 km/s relative to v{LSR}) and the mechanical energy
in the outflowing gas is roughly half the gravitational binding energy of the
cloud. The W75 N cluster members represent a range of evolutionary stages, from
stars with no apparent circumstellar material to deeply embedded protostars
that are actively powering massive outflows. Nine cores of
millimeter-wavelength emission highlight the locations of embedded protostars
in W75 N. The total mass of gas & dust associated with the millimeter cores
ranges from 340 Msun to 11 Msun. The infrared reflection nebula and shocked H2
emission have multiple peaks and extensions which, again, suggests the presence
of several outflows. Diffuse H2 emission extends about 0.6 parsecs beyond the
outer boundaries of the CO emission while the [FeII] emission is only detected
close to the protostars. The infrared line emission morphology suggests that
only slow, non-dissociative J-type shocks exist throughout the pc-scale
outflows. Fast, dissociative shocks, common in jet-driven low-mass outflows,
are absent in W75 N. Thus, the energetics of the outflows from the late to
early B protostars in W75 N differ from their low-mass counterparts -- they do
not appear to be simply scaled-up versions of low-mass outflows.Comment: Astrophysical Journal, in press. 23 pages plus 10 figures (jpg
format). See http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~dshepher/science.shtml for reprint with
full resolution figure
- …