304 research outputs found
Revisiting the Chlorine Abundance in Diffuse Interstellar Clouds from Measurements with the Copernicus Satellite
We reanalyzed interstellar Cl I and Cl II spectra acquired with the
Copernicus satellite. The directions for this study come from those of Crenny &
Federman and sample the transition from atomic to molecular rich clouds where
the unique chemistry leading to molecules containing chlorine is initiated. Our
profile syntheses relied on up-to-date laboratory oscillator strengths and
component structures derived from published high-resolution measurements of K I
absorption that were supplemented with Ca II and Na I D results. We obtain
self-consistent results for the Cl I lines at 1088, 1097, and 1347 A from which
precise column densities are derived. The improved set of results reveals
clearer correspondences with H2 and total hydrogen column densities. These
linear relationships arise from rapid conversion of Cl^+ to Cl^0 in regions
where H2 is present.Comment: 17 pp, 2 tables, and 3 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical
Journa
Herschel/HIFI Observations of Hydrogen Fluoride Toward Sagittarius B2(M)
Herschel/HIFI observations have revealed the presence of widespread
absorption by hydrogen fluoride (HF) J = 1-0 rotational transition, toward a
number of Galactic sources. We present observations of HF J = 1-0 toward the
high-mass star-forming region Sagittarius B2(M). The spectrum obtained shows a
complex pattern of absorption, with numerous features covering a wide range of
local standard of rest velocities (-130 to 100 km -1). An analysis of this
absorption yields HF abundances relative to H2 of ~1.3 {\times}10-8, in most
velocity intervals. This result is in good agreement with estimates from
chemical models, which predict that HF should be the main reservoir of
gas-phase fluorine under a wide variety of interstellar conditions.
Interestingly, we also find velocity intervals in which the HF spectrum shows
strong absorption features that are not present, or are very weak, in spectra
of other molecules, such as 13CO (1-0) and CS (2-1). HF absorption reveals
components of diffuse clouds with small extinction that can be studied for the
first time. Another interesting observation is that water is significantly more
abundant than hydrogen fluoride over a wide range of velocities toward
Sagittarius B2(M), in contrast to the remarkably constant H2O/HF abundance
ratio with average value close to unity measured toward other Galactic sources
Atomic and Molecular Carbon as a Tracer of Translucent Clouds
Using archival, high-resolution far-ultraviolet HST/STIS spectra of 34
Galactic O and B stars, we measure CI column densities and compare them with
measurements from the literature of CO and H_2 with regard to understanding the
presence of translucent clouds along the line-of-sight. We find that the CO/H_2
and CO/CI ratios provide good discriminators for the presence of translucent
material, and both increase as a function of molecular fraction, f =
2N(H_2)/N(H). We suggest that sightlines with values below CO/H_2 ~ 1E-6 and
CO/CI ~ 1 contain mostly diffuse molecular clouds, while those with values
above sample clouds in the transition region between diffuse and dark. These
discriminating values are also consistent with the change in slope of the CO v.
H_2 correlation near the column density at which CO shielding becomes
important, as evidenced by the change in photochemistry regime studied by
Sheffer et al. (2008). Based on the lack of correlation of the presence of
translucent material with traditional measures of extinction we recommend
defining 'translucent clouds' based on the molecular content rather than
line-of-sight extinction properties.Comment: 9 pages, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal; new
version corrects minor typographical error
A Herschel/HIFI Legacy Survey of HF and H2O in the Galaxy: Probing Diffuse Molecular Cloud Chemistry
We combine Herschel observations of a total of 12 sources to construct the
most uniform survey of HF and H2O in our Galactic disk. Both molecules are
detected in absorption along all sight lines. The high spectral resolution of
the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) allows us to compare the
HF and H2O distributions in 47 diffuse cloud components sampling the disk. We
find that the HF and H2O velocity distributions follow each other almost
perfectly and establish that HF and H2O probe the same gas-phase volume. Our
observations corroborate theoretical predictions that HF is a sensitive tracer
of H2 in diffuse clouds, down to molecular fractions of only a few percent.
Using HF to trace H2 in our sample, we find that the N(H2O)-to-N(HF) ratio
shows a narrow distribution with a median value of 1.51. Our results further
suggest that H2O might be used as a tracer of H2 -within a factor 2.5- in the
diffuse interstellar medium. We show that the measured factor of ~2.5 variation
around the median is driven by true local variations in the H2O abundance
relative to H2 throughout the disk. The latter variability allows us to test
our theoretical understanding of the chemistry of oxygen-bearing molecules in
the diffuse gas. We show that both gas-phase and grain-surface chemistry are
required to reproduce our H2O observations. This survey thus confirms that
grain surface reactions can play a significant role in the chemistry occurring
in the diffuse interstellar medium n_H < 1000 cm^-3.Comment: 53 pages; 12 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ main journa
Studies of Diffuse Interstellar Bands. V. Pairwise Correlations of Eight Strong DIBs and Neutral Hydrogen, Molecular Hydrogen, and Color Excess
We establish correlations between equivalent widths of eight diffuse
interstellar bands (DIBs), and examine their correlations with atomic hydrogen,
molecular hydrogen, and EB-V . The DIBs are centered at \lambda\lambda 5780.5,
6204.5, 6283.8, 6196.0, 6613.6, 5705.1, 5797.1, and 5487.7, in decreasing order
of Pearson\^as correlation coefficient with N(H) (here defined as the column
density of neutral hydrogen), ranging from 0.96 to 0.82. We find the equivalent
width of \lambda 5780.5 is better correlated with column densities of H than
with E(B-V) or H2, confirming earlier results based on smaller datasets. We
show the same is true for six of the seven other DIBs presented here. Despite
this similarity, the eight strong DIBs chosen are not well enough correlated
with each other to suggest they come from the same carrier. We further conclude
that these eight DIBs are more likely to be associated with H than with H2, and
hence are not preferentially located in the densest, most UV shielded parts of
interstellar clouds. We suggest they arise from different molecules found in
diffuse H regions with very little H (molecular fraction f<0.01). Of the 133
stars with available data in our study, there are three with significantly
weaker \lambda 5780.5 than our mean H-5780.5 relationship, all of which are in
regions of high radiation fields, as previously noted by Herbig. The
correlations will be useful in deriving interstellar parameters when direct
methods are not available. For instance, with care, the value of N(H) can be
derived from W{\lambda}(5780.5).Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; 37 pages, 11
figures, 6 table
A complete census of AGN and their hosts from optical surveys?
Large optical surveys provide an unprecedented census of galaxies in the
local Universe, forming an invaluable framework into which more detailed
studies of objects can be placed. But how useful are optical surveys for
understanding the co-evolution of black holes and galaxies, given their limited
wavelength coverage, selection criteria, and depth? In this conference paper I
present work-in-progress comparing optical and mid-IR diagnostics of three
"unusual" low redshift populations (luminous Seyferts, dusty Balmer-strong AGN,
ULIRGs) with a set of ordinary star-forming galaxies from the SDSS. I address
the questions: How well do the mid-infrared and optical diagnostics of star
formation and AGN strength agree? To what extent do optical surveys allow us to
include extreme, dusty, morphologically disturbed galaxies in our "complete"
census of black hole-galaxy co-evolution?Comment: Proceedings of contributed talk at "Co-Evolution of Central Black
Holes and Galaxies" (eds. B.M. Peterson, R.S. Somerville, and T.
Storchi-Bergmann), IAU symposium 267, August 2009. 6 pages, 5 figure
Spitzer spectral line mapping of supernova remnants: I. Basic data and principal component analysis
We report the results of spectroscopic mapping observations carried out
toward small (1 x 1 arcmin) regions within the supernova remnants W44, W28,
IC443, and 3C391 using the Infrared Spectrograph of the Spitzer Space
Telescope. These observations, covering the 5.2 - 37 micron spectral region,
have led to the detection of a total of 15 fine structure transitions of Ne+,
Ne++, Si+, P+, S, S++, Cl+, Fe+, and Fe++; the S(0) - S(7) pure rotational
lines of molecular hydrogen; and the R(3) and R(4) transitions of hydrogen
deuteride. In addition to these 25 spectral lines, the 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3 and
12.6 micron PAH emission bands were also observed. Most of the detected line
transitions have proven strong enough to map in several sources, providing a
comprehensive picture of the relative distribution of the various line
emissions observable in the Spitzer/IRS bandpass. A principal component
analysis of the spectral line maps reveals that the observed emission lines
fall into five distinct groups, each of which may exhibit a distinct spatial
distribution: (1) lines of S and H2 (J > 2); (2) the H2 S(0) line; (3) lines of
ions with appearance potentials less than 13.6 eV; (4) lines of ions with
appearance potentials greater than 13.6 eV, not including S++; (5) lines of
S++. Lines of group (1) likely originate in molecular material subject to a
slow, nondissociative shock that is driven by the overpressure within the
supernova remnant, and lines in groups (3) - (5) are associated primarily with
dissociative shock fronts with a range of (larger) shock velocities. The H2
S(0) line shows a low-density diffuse emission component, and - in some sources
- a shock-excited component.Comment: 43 pages, including 21 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Detection of Acetylene toward Cepheus A East with Spitzer
The first map of interstellar acetylene (C2H2) has been obtained with the
infrared spectrograph onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. A spectral line map
of the vibration-rotation band at 13.7 microns carried out toward the
star-forming region Cepheus A East, shows that the C2H2 emission peaks in a few
localized clumps where gas-phase CO2 emission was previously detected with
Spitzer. The distribution of excitation temperatures derived from fits to the
C2H2 line profiles ranges from 50 to 200 K, a range consistent with that
derived for gaseous CO2 suggesting that both molecules probe the same warm gas
component. The C2H2 molecules are excited via radiative pumping by 13.7 microns
continuum photons emanating from the HW2 protostellar region. We derive column
densities ranging from a few x 10^13 to ~ 7 x 10^14 cm^-2, corresponding to
C2H2 abundances of 1 x 10^-9 to 4 x 10^-8 with respect to H2. The spatial
distribution of the C2H2 emission along with a roughly constant N(C2H2)/N(CO2)
strongly suggest an association with shock activity, most likely the result of
the sputtering of acetylene in icy grain mantles.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Unusually Weak Diffuse Interstellar Bands toward HD 62542
As part of an extensive survey of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), we have
obtained optical spectra of the moderately reddened B5V star HD 62542, which is
known to have an unusual UV extinction curve of the type usually identified
with dark clouds. The typically strongest of the commonly catalogued DIBs
covered by the spectra -- those at 5780, 5797, 6270, 6284, and 6614 A -- are
essentially absent in this line of sight, in marked contrast with other lines
of sight of similar reddening. We compare the HD 62542 line of sight with
others exhibiting a range of extinction properties and molecular abundances and
interpret the weakness of the DIBs as an extreme case of deficient DIB
formation in a dense cloud whose more diffuse outer layers have been stripped
away. We comment on the challenges these observations pose for identifying the
carriers of the diffuse bands.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures; aastex; accepted by Ap
Constraining the Environment of CH+ Formation with CH3+ Observations
The formation of CH+ in the interstellar medium has long been an outstanding
problem in chemical models. In order to probe the physical conditions of the
ISM in which CH+ forms, we propose the use of CH3+ observations. The pathway to
forming CH3+ begins with CH+, and a steady state analysis of CH3+ and the
reaction intermediary CH2+ results in a relationship between the CH+ and CH3+
abundances. This relationship depends on the molecular hydrogen fraction, f_H2,
and gas temperature, T, so observations of CH+ and CH3+ can be used to infer
the properties of the gas in which both species reside. We present observations
of both molecules along the diffuse cloud sight line toward Cyg OB2 No. 12.
Using our computed column densities and upper limits, we put constraints on the
f_H2 vs. T parameter space in which CH+ and CH3+ form. We find that average,
static, diffuse molecular cloud conditions (i.e. f_H2>0.2, T~60 K) are excluded
by our analysis. However, current theory suggests that non-equilibrium effects
drive the reaction C+ + H_2 --> CH+ + H, endothermic by 4640 K. If we consider
a higher effective temperature due to collisions between neutrals and
accelerated ions, the CH3+ partition function predicts that the overall
population will be spread out into several excited rotational levels. As a
result, observations of more CH3+ transitions with higher signal-to-noise
ratios are necessary to place any constraints on models where magnetic
acceleration of ions drives the formation of CH+.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Ap
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