186 research outputs found
High Rydberg State Carbon Recombination Lines from Interstellar Clouds
We report observations of carbon recombination lines near 34.5 MHz (qunatum
number n=578) and 325 MHz (n=272) made towards Cas A, the Galactic centre and
about ten other directions in the galactic plane. Constraints on the physical
conditions in the line forming regions are derived from these and other
existing observations. The CII regions that produce the low-frequency lines are
most likely associated with the neutral HI component of the ISM.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; Presented at the workshop on "New Perspects on
the Interstellare Medium", Penticton, Canada, Aug 199
VLA observations of hydrogen and carbon recombination lines toward W3A at 1.4 GHz
We present high-sensitivity, high-resolution VLA observations of the W3 complex of H II regions in the 168α recombination lines of hydrogen, carbon, and sulphur. The H 168α line from W3A consists of two components: a broad line (width ~27 km s-1) and a narrow line (width ~7 km s-1). The narrow hydrogen and carbon line emissions over W3A, although overlapping, are not entirely coextensive. The carbon line is possibly correlated with the molecular gas near W3A. Stimulated emission is the main mechanism for the narrow hydrogen line emission. The width of the H0 line gives an upper limit of ~1000 K for the electron temperature of the partially ionized gas. The electron density ranges from 10 to 80 cm-3 in the narrow hydrogen line region and from 10 to 60 cm-3 in the carbon-line region. We determined the electron temperature of the classical H II region W3A from the continuum brightness to be ~9000 K. The rms ne of this H II region is ~2200 cm-3, and the true ne, determined from a pressure-broadened profile of the H 171η (8.6 GHz) line, is ~2 × 104 cm-3. Using these two values of electron densities, we determine a lower limit to the filling factor (0.01). Such a low value can be interpreted as an effect of density inhomogeneities in the medium
Carbon recombination lines between 34.5 and 770 MHz toward Cassiopeia A
We present observations of low-frequency recombination lines of carbon toward Cas A near 34.5 MHz (n ~ 575) using the Gauribidanur radio telescope and near 560 MHz (n ~ 225) and 770 MHz (n ~ 205) using the NRAO 140 foot (43 m) telescope in Greenbank. We also present high angular resolution (1') observations of the C270α line near 332 MHz using the Very Large Array in B-configuration. A high signal-to-noise ratio spectrum is obtained at 34.5 MHz, which clearly shows a Voigt profile with distinct Lorentzian wings, resulting from significant pressure and radiation broadening at such high quantum numbers. The emission lines detected near 332, 550, and 770 MHz, on the other hand, are narrow and essentially Doppler-broadened. The measured Lorentzian width at 34.5 MHz constrains the allowed combinations of radiation temperature, electron density, and electron temperature in the line-forming region. Radiation broadening at 34.5 MHz places a lower limit of 115 pc on the separation between Cas A and the line-forming clouds. Modeling the variation in the integrated line-to-continuum ratio with frequency indicates that the region is likely to be associated with the cold atomic hydrogen component of the interstellar medium, and the physical properties of this region are likely to be Te = 75 K, ne = 0.02 cm-3, TR100 = 3200 K, and nHTe = 10,000 cm-3 K. Comparison of the distribution of the C270α recombination line emission across Cas A with that of 12CO and H I also supports the above conclusion
Synthetic amphipathic peptides resembling apolipoproteins stimulate the release of human placental lactogen
Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated native high density lipoproteins and apolipoproteins AI, AII, and CI, stimulate the release of human placental lactogen (hPL) from trophoblast cells in culture. To examine the mechanisms by which these apolipoproteins stimulate hPL release, we have studied hPL secretion in response to several synthetic peptide analogs of the amphipathic helical structure of the apolipoproteins. The magnitude of the stimulation of hPL release in response to the analog peptides correlated with the ability to displace apolipoproteins from high density lipoprotein and with other measures of phospholipid binding affinity such as the increase in alpha-helicity and the size of complexes formed between the peptide and phospholipid. The correlation of stimulatory ability and lipid affinity suggests that the action of the apolipoproteins on hPL release may be mediated through an interaction with plasma membrane phospholipids
Carbon Recombination Lines from the Galactic Plane at 34.5 & 328 MHz
We present results of a search for carbon recombination lines in the Galaxy
at 34.5 MHz (C) made using the dipole array at Gauribidanur near
Bangalore. Observations made towards 32 directions, led to detections of lines
in absorption at nine positions. Followup observations at 328 MHz
(C) using the Ooty Radio Telescope detected these lines in emission.
A VLA D-array observation of one of the positions at 330 MHz yielded no
detection implying a lower limit of 10' for the angular size of the line
forming region.
The longitude-velocity distribution of the observed carbon lines indicate
that the line forming region are located mainly between 4 kpc and 7 kpc from
the Galactic centre. Combining our results with published carbon recombination
line data near 76 MHz (\nocite{erickson:95} Erickson \et 1995) we obtain
constraints on the physical parameters of the line forming regions. We find
that if the angular size of the line forming regions is , then
the range of parameters that fit the data are: \Te K, \ne \cm3 and pathlengths pc which may correspond to thin
photo-dissociated regions around molecular clouds. On the other hand, if the
line forming regions are in extent, then warmer gas (\Te K) with lower electron densities (\ne \cm3) extending
over several tens of parsecs along the line of sight and possibly associated
with atomic \HI gas can fit the data. Based on the range of derived parameters,
we suggest that the carbon line regions are most likely associated with
photo-dissociation regions.Comment: To appear in Journal of Astrophysics & Astronomy, March 200
VLA observations of carbon 91α recombination line emission in W49 north
We have detected C91α (8.5891 GHz) emission toward four ultracompact H II regions (UCHs; W49G, J, L, and C) in the W49 North massive star-forming region with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 3" resolution. No carbon line emission was detected toward UCHs W49F, A, O, S, and Q at this frequency to a 3 σ level of 2 mJy. We also observed the same region in the C75α line (15.3 GHz) with no detection at a 3 σ level of 6 mJy with a 1".7 beam. Detection of line emission toward these sources add supporting data to the 2005 result of Roshi et al. that many UCHs have an associated photodissociation region (PDR). The similarity of the LSR velocities of carbon recombination lines and H2CO absorption toward UCHs in W49 North suggests that the PDRs reside in the dense interface zone surrounding these H II regions. Combining the observed carbon line parameters at 8.6 GHz with the upper limits on line emission at 15.3 GHz, we obtain constraints on the physical properties of the PDRs associated with W49G and J. The upper limit on the number density of hydrogen molecule obtained from carbon line models is ~5 × 106 cm-3
Measuring the Primordial Deuterium Abundance During the Cosmic Dark Ages
We discuss how measurements of fluctuations in the absorption of cosmic
microwave background (CMB) photons by neutral gas during the cosmic dark ages,
at redshifts z ~ 7--200, could reveal the primordial deuterium abundance of the
Universe. The strength of the cross-correlation of brightness-temperature
fluctuations due to resonant absorption of CMB photons in the 21-cm line of
neutral hydrogen with those due to resonant absorption of CMB photons in the
92-cm line of neutral deuterium is proportional to the fossil deuterium to
hydrogen ratio [D/H] fixed during big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Although
technically challenging, this measurement could provide the cleanest possible
determination of [D/H], free from contamination by structure formation
processes at lower redshifts, and has the potential to improve BBN constraints
to the baryon density of the Universe \Omega_{b} h^2. We also present our
results for the thermal spin-change cross-section for deuterium-hydrogen
scattering, which may be useful in a more general context than we describe
here.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Turbulent Origin of the Galactic-Center Magnetic Field: Nonthermal Radio Filaments
A great deal of study has been carried out over the last twenty years on the
origin of the magnetic activity in the Galactic center. One of the most popular
hypotheses assumes milli-Gauss magnetic field with poloidal geometry, pervading
the inner few hundred parsecs of the Galactic-center region. However, there is
a growing observational evidence for the large-scale distribution of a much
weaker field of B \lesssim 10 micro G in this region. Here, we propose that the
Galactic-center magnetic field originates from turbulent activity that is known
to be extreme in the central hundred parsecs. In this picture the spatial
distribution of the magnetic field energy is highly intermittent, and the
regions of strong field have filamentary structures. We propose that the
observed nonthermal radio filaments appear in (or, possibly, may be identified
with) such strongly magnetized regions. At the same time, the large-scale
diffuse magnetic field is weak. Both results of our model can explain the
magnetic field measurements of the the Galactic-center region. In addition, we
discuss the role of ionized outflow from stellar clusters in producing the long
magnetized filaments perpendicular to the Galactic plane.Comment: 11 pages, accepted to ApJ Letter
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