311 research outputs found
Really Cool Stars and the Star Formation History at the Galactic Center
We present R=550 to 1200 near infrared H and K spectra for a magnitude
limited sample of 79 asymptotic giant branch and cool supergiant stars in the
central ~ 5 pc (diameter) of the Galaxy. We use a set of similar spectra
obtained for solar neighborhood stars with known Teff and Mbol that is in the
same range as the Galactic center (GC) sample to derive Teff and Mbol for the
GC sample. We then construct the Hertzsprung--Russell (HRD) diagram for the GC
sample. Using an automated maximum likelihood routine, we derive a coarse star
formation history of the GC. We find (1) roughly 75% of the stars formed in the
central few pc are older than 5 Gyr; (2) the star formation rate (SFR) is
variable over time, with a roughly 4 times higher star formation rate in the
last 100 Myr compared to the average SFR; (3) our model can only match
dynamical limits on the total mass of stars formed by limiting the IMF to
masses above 0.7 M. This could be a signature of mass segregation or of
the bias toward massive star formation from the unique star formation
conditions in the GC; (4) blue supergiants account for 12 % of the total sample
observed, and the ratio of red to blue supergiants is roughly 1.5; (5) models
with isochrones with [Fe/H] = 0.0 over all ages fit the stars in our HRD better
than models with lower [Fe/H] in the oldest age bins, consistent with the
finding of Ramirez et al. (2000) that stars with ages between 10 Myr and 1 Gyr
have solar [Fe/H].Comment: ApJ, accepted. Latex, 65 pages including 19 figure
Moderate spectral resolution observations of 3 micron absorption features in highly obscured objects
The 3 micron absorption spectra of sources seen in or behind molecular clouds generally show a variety of absorption features. Three separate absorptions are used to explain these features. The cooled-grating array spectrometer (CGAS) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility was used to obtain spectra of the late-type mass-loss star OH 0739-12 and the protostars MonR2 IRS-2 and IRS-3 (solid circles). The differences between the spectra are discussed
Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Diamonds, and Fullerenes in Interstellar Space: Puzzles to be Solved by Laboratory and Theoretical Astrochemistry
New research is presented, and previous research is reviewed, on the emission
and absorption of interstellar aromatic hydrocarbons. Emission from aromatic
hydrocarbons dominate the mid-infrared emission of many galaxies, including our
own Milky Way galaxy. Only recently have aromatic hydrocarbons been observed in
absorption in the interstellar medium, along lines of sight with high column
densities of interstellar gas and dust. Much work on interstellar aromatics has
been done, with astronomical observations and laboratory and theoretical
astrochemistry. In many cases the predictions of laboratory and theoretical
work are confirmed by astronomical observations, but in other cases clear
discrepancies exist which provide problems to be solved by a combination of
astronomical observations, laboratory studies, and theoretical studies. The
emphasis of this paper will be on current outstanding puzzles concerning
aromatic hydrocarbons which require further laboratory and theoretical
astrochemistry to resolve. This paper will also touch on related topics where
laboratory and theoretical astrochemistry studies are needed to explain
astrophysical observations, such as a possible absorption feature due to
interstellar "diamonds" and the search for fullerenes in space.Comment: Spectrochimica Acta A, Feb. 2001, in press. 33 pages including 11
postscript figures, AASTeX format. Full postscript paper also available at
http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~sellgren/saa.htm
Very small grains in the Milky Way and external galaxies
These studies of the infrared colors of reflection nebulae, HL HI clouds, HII regions and external galaxies have shown the following results. Different classes of objects locate in different regions on the R vs F sub v (60)/F sub v (100) diagram. This is determined both by differences in dust properties and by differences in the illuminating radiation field. For example, HL clouds and reflection nebulae almost have the same behavior since both are in the diffuse Interstellar Medium (ISM) and can be expected to have similar grain populations; the small difference in their infrared colors can be explained by the difference of the illuminating radiation field. On the other hand, the dramatic difference of R=vF sub v (12)/F sub v (far IR) between HII region and diffuse ISM may be due to the destruction of the Very Small Grain (VSG) component in the HII regions, although radiation transfer effects may play a part as well. The ratio R=vF sub v (12)/F sub v (far IR) is approximately constant in normal spiral galaxies. This implies that the mass ratio b=Mass (VSG)/Mass (dust) does not vary greatly from one galaxy to another
The 15 - 20 Micron Spitzer Spectra of Interstellar Emission Features in NGC 7023
We present 15 - 20 micron long-slit spectra, from the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on Spitzer, of NGC 7023. We observe recently-discovered interstellar emission features, at 15.9, 16.4, 17.0, 17.4, 17.8, and 18.9 microns, throughout the reflection nebula. The 16.4 micron emission feature peaks near the photodissociation front northwest of the star, as do the aromatic emission features (AEFs) at 3.3, 6.2 and 11.3 microns. The 16.4 micron emission feature is thus likely related to the AEFs and radiates by non-equilibrium emission. The new 18.9 micron emission feature, by contrast, decreases monotonically with stellar distance. We consider candidate species for the 18.9 micron feature, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fullerenes, and diamonds. We describe future laboratory and observational research needed to identify the 18.9 micron feature carrier
The 15-20 μm Spitzer Spectra of Interstellar Emission Features in NGC 7023
We present 15-20 μm long-slit spectra of NGC 7023 from the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on Spitzer. We observe recently discovered interstellar emission features at 15.9, 16.4, 17.0, 17.4, 17.8, and 18.9 μm, throughout the reflection nebula. The 16.4 μm emission feature peaks near the photodissociation front northwest of the star, as the aromatic emission features (AEFs) at 3.3, 6.2, and 11.3 μm do. The 16.4 μm emission feature is thus likely related to the AEFs and radiates by nonequilibrium emission. The new 18.9 μm emission feature, by contrast, decreases monotonically with stellar distance. We consider candidate species for the 18.9 μm feature, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fullerenes, and diamonds. We describe future laboratory and observational research needed to identify the 18.9 μm feature carrier
H-Band Spectroscopic Classification of OB Stars
We present a new spectroscopic classification for OB stars based on H-band
(1.5 micron to 1.8 micron) observations of a sample of stars with optical
spectral types. Our initial sample of nine stars demonstrates that the
combination of He I 1.7002 micron and H Brackett series absorption can be used
to determine spectral types for stars between about O4 and B7 (to within about
+/- 2 sub-types). We find that the Brackett series exhibits luminosity effects
similar to the Balmer series for the B stars. This classification scheme will
be useful in studies of optically obscured high mass star forming regions. In
addition, we present spectra for the OB stars near 1.1 micron and 1.3 micron
which may be of use in analyzing their atmospheres and winds.Comment: Accepted by AJ, 16 pages Latex (aastex4.0) including 4 figures and 2
tables. A complete PostScript copy is available at
ftp://degobah.colorado.edu/pub/rblum/Hband
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