Time-Dependent MHD Shocks and Line Emission: The Case of the DG Tau Jet

The line emission from a growing number of Herbig-Haro jets can be observed and resolved at angular distances smaller than a few arcseconds from the central source. The interpretation of this emission is problematic, since the simplest model of a cooling jet cannot sustain it. It has been suggested that what one actually observes are shocked regions with a filling factor of $\sim 1$. In this framework, up to now, comparisons with observations have been based on stationary shock models. Here we introduce for the first time the self-consistent dynamics of such shocks and we show that considering their properties at different times, i.e. locations, we can reproduce observational data of the DG Tau microjet. In particular, we can interpret the spatial behavior of the [SII]6716/6731 and [NII]/[OI]6583/6300 line intensity ratios adopting a set of physical parameters that yield values of mass loss rates and magnetic fields consistent with previous estimates. We also obtain the values of the mean ionization fraction and electron density along the jet, compare these values with the ones derived from observations using the sulfur doublet to constrain the electron density (e.g. Bacciotti et al. 1995).Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Numerical simulations of radiative magnetized Herbig-Haro jets: the influence of pre-ionization from X-rays on emission lines

We investigate supersonic, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) jets with a time-dependent injection velocity by numerical simulations with the PLUTO code. Using a comprehensive set of parameters, we explore different jet configurations in the attempt to construct models that can be directly compared to observational data of microjets. In particular, we focus our attention on the emitting properties of traveling knots and construct, at the same time, accurate line intensity ratios and surface brightness maps. Direct comparison of the resulting brightness and line intensity ratios distributions with observational data of microjets shows that a closer match can be obtained only when the jet material is pre-ionized to some degree. A very likely source for a pre-ionized medium is photoionization by X-ray flux coming from the central object.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Tomographic reconstruction of the three-dimensional structure of the HH30 jet

The physical parameters of Herbig-Haro jets are usually determined from emission line ratios, obtained from spectroscopy or narrow band imaging, assuming that the emitting region is homogeneous along the line of sight. Under the more general hypothesis of axisymmetry, we apply tomographic reconstruction techniques to the analysis of Herbig-Haro jets. We use data of the HH30 jet taken by Hartigan & Morse (2007) with the Hubble space telescope using the slitless spectroscopy technique. Using a non-parametric Tikhonov regularization technique, we determine the volumetric emission line intensities of the [SII]6716,6731, [OI]6300 and [NII]6583 forbidden emission lines. From our tomographic analysis of the corresponding line ratios, we produce "three-dimensional" images of the physical parameters. The reconstructed density, temperature and ionization fraction present much steeper profiles than those inferred using the assumption of homogeneity. Our technique reveals that the reconstructed jet is much more collimated than the observed one close to the source (a width ~ 5 AU vs. ~ 20 AU at a distance of 10 AU from the star), while they have similar widths at larger distances. In addition, our results show a much more fragmented and irregular jet structure than the classical analysis, suggesting that the the ejection history of the jet from the star-disk system has a shorter timescale component (~ some months) superimposed on a longer, previously observed timescale (of a few years). Finally, we discuss the possible application of the same technique to other stellar jets and planetary nebulae.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, accepted by Ap

Searching for jet rotation in Class 0/I sources observed with GEMINI/GNIRS.

Original article can be found at: http://www.aanda.org/ Copyright The European Southern ObservatoryContext: In recent years, there has been a number of detections of gradients in the radial velocity profile across jets from young stars. The significance of these results is considerable. They may be interpreted as a signature of jet rotation about its symmetry axis, thereby representing the only existing observational indications supporting the theory that jets extract angular momentum from star-disk systems. However, the possibility that we are indeed observing jet rotation in pre-main sequence systems is undergoing active debate. Aims: To test the validity of a rotation argument, we must extend the survey to a larger sample, including younger sources. Methods: We present the latest results of a radial velocity analysis on jets from Class 0 and I sources, using high resolution data from the infrared spectrograph GNIRS on GEMINI South. We obtained infrared spectra of protostellar jets HH 34, HH 111-H, HH 212 NK1 and SK1. Results: The [Fe II] emission was unresolved in all cases and so Doppler shifts across the jet width could not be accessed. The H2 emission was resolved in all cases except HH 34. Doppler profiles across the molecular emission were obtained, and gradients in radial velocity of typically 3 km s-1 identified. Conclusions: Agreement with previous studies implies they may be interpreted as jet rotation, leading to toroidal velocity and angular momentum flux estimates of 1.5 km s-1 and 1 × 10-5 yr-1 AU km s-1 respectively. However, caution is needed. For example, emission is asymmetric across the jets from HH 212 suggesting a more complex interpretation is warranted. Furthermore, observations for HH 212 and HH 111-H are conducted far from the source implying external influences are more likely to confuse the intrinsic flow kinematics. These observations demonstrate the difficulty of conducting this study from the ground, and highlight the necessity for high angular resolution via adaptive optics or space-based facilities

ALMA polarimetric studies of rotating jet/disk systems

We have recently obtained polarimetric data at mm wavelengths with ALMA for the young systems DG Tau and CW Tau, for which the rotation properties of jet and disk have been investigated in previous high angular resolution studies. The motivation was to test the models of magneto-centrifugal launch of jets via the determination of the magnetic configuration at the disk surface. The analysis of these data, however, reveals that self-scattering of dust thermal radiation dominates the polarization pattern. It is shown that even if no information on the magnetic field can be derived in this case, the polarization data are a powerful tool for the diagnostics of the properties and the evolution of dust in protoplanetary disks.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, to appear in "Jet Simulations, Experiments and Theory. Ten years after JETSET, what is next ?", C. Sauty ed., Springer Natur

Jets and Outflows From Star to Cloud: Observations Confront Theory

In this review we focus on the role jets and outflows play in the star and planet formation process. Our essential question can be posed as follows: are jets/outflows merely an epiphenomenon associated with star formation or do they play an important role in mediating the physics of assembling stars both individually and globally? We address this question by reviewing the current state of observations and their key points of contact with theory. Our review of jet/outflow phenomena is organized into three length-scale domains: Source and Disk Scales ($0.1-10^2$ au) where the connection with protostellar and disk evolution theories is paramount; Envelope Scales ($10^2-10^5$ au) where the chemistry and propagation shed further light on the jet launching process, its variability and its impact on the infalling envelope; Parent Cloud Scales ($10^5-10^6$ au) where global momentum injection into cluster/cloud environments become relevant. Issues of feedback are of particular importance on the smallest scales where planet formation regions in a disk may be impacted by the presence of disk winds, irradiation by jet shocks or shielding by the winds. Feedback on envelope scales may determine the final stellar mass (core-to-star efficiency) and envelope dissipation. Feedback also plays an important role on the larger scales with outflows contributing to turbulent support within clusters including alteration of cluster star formation efficiencies (feedback on larger scales currently appears unlikely). A particularly novel dimension of our review is that we consider results on jet dynamics from the emerging field of High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics (HEDLA). HEDLA is now providing direct insights into the 3-D dynamics of fully magnetized, hypersonic, radiative outflows.Comment: Accepted for publication as a chapter in Protostars and Planets VI, University of Arizona Press (2014), eds. H. Beuther, R. Klessen, C. Dullemond, Th. Hennin

An output-sensitive algorithm for the minimization of 2-dimensional String Covers

String covers are a powerful tool for analyzing the quasi-periodicity of 1-dimensional data and find applications in automata theory, computational biology, coding and the analysis of transactional data. A \emph{cover} of a string $T$ is a string $C$ for which every letter of $T$ lies within some occurrence of $C$. String covers have been generalized in many ways, leading to \emph{k-covers}, \emph{$\lambda$-covers}, \emph{approximate covers} and were studied in different contexts such as \emph{indeterminate strings}. In this paper we generalize string covers to the context of 2-dimensional data, such as images. We show how they can be used for the extraction of textures from images and identification of primitive cells in lattice data. This has interesting applications in image compression, procedural terrain generation and crystallography

The kinematic relationship between disk and jet in the DG Tauri system

We present high angular resolution millimeter wavelength continuum and 13CO(2-1) observations of the circumstellar disk surrounding the TTauri star DG Tauri. We show that the velocity pattern in the inner regions of the disk is consistent with Keplerian rotation about a central 0.67 Msun star. The disk rotation is also consistent with the toroidal velocity pattern in the initial channel of the optical jet, as inferred from HST spectra of the first de-projected 100 AU from the source. Our observations support the tight relationship between disk and jet kinematics postulated by the popular magneto-centrifugal models for jet formation and collimation.Comment: 4 pages, A&A Letter accepte

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