37 research outputs found
XMM-Newton view of the N 206 superbubble in the Large Magellanic Cloud
We perform an analysis of the X-ray superbubble in the N 206 HII region in
the Large Magellanic Cloud using current generation facilities to gain a better
understanding of the physical processes at work in the superbubble and to
improve our knowledge of superbubble evolution. We used XMM-Newton observations
of the N 206 region to produce images and extract spectra of the superbubble
diffuse emission. Morphological comparisons with Halpha images from the
Magellanic Cloud Emission Line Survey were performed, and spectral analysis of
the diffuse X-ray emission was carried out. We derived the physical properties
of the hot gas in the superbubble based on the results of the spectral
analysis. We also determined the total energy stored in the superbubble and
compared this to the expected energy input from the stellar population to
assess the superbubble growth rate discrepancy for N 206. We find that the
brightest region of diffuse X-ray emission is confined by a Halpha shell,
consistent with the superbubble model. In addition, faint emission extending
beyond the Halpha shell was found, which we attribute to a blowout region. The
spectral analysis of both emission regions points to a hot shocked gas as the
likely origin of the emission. We determine the total energy stored in the
bubble and the expected energy input by the stellar population. However, due to
limited data on the stellar population, the input energy is poorly constrained
and, consequently, no definitive indication of a growth rate discrepancy is
seen. Using the high-sensitivity X-ray data from XMM-Newton and optical data
from the Magellanic Cloud Emission Line Survey has allowed us to better
understand the physical properties of the N 206 superbubble and address some
key questions of superbubble evolution.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
The Complex Interstellar Na I Absorption toward h and Chi Persei
Recent high spatial and spectral resolution investigations of the diffuse
interstellar medium (ISM) have found significant evidence for small-scale
variations in the interstellar gas on scales less than or equal to 1 pc. To
better understand the nature of small-scale variations in the ISM, we have used
the KPNO WIYN Hydra multi-object spectrograph, which has a mapping advantage
over the single-axis, single-scale limitations of studies using high proper
motion stars and binary stars, to obtain moderate resolution (~12 km/s)
interstellar Na I D absorption spectra of 172 stars toward the double open
cluster h and Chi Persei. All of the sightlines toward the 150 stars with
spectra that reveal absorption from the Perseus spiral arm show different
interstellar Na I D absorption profiles in the Perseus arm gas. Additionally,
we have utilized the KPNO Coude Feed spectrograph to obtain high-resolution (~3
km/s) interstellar Na I D absorption spectra of 24 of the brighter stars toward
h and Chi Per. These spectra reveal an even greater complexity in the
interstellar Na I D absorption in the Perseus arm gas and show individual
components changing in number, velocity, and strength from sightline to
sightline. If each of these individual velocity components represents an
isolated cloud, then it would appear that the ISM of the Perseus arm gas
consists of many small clouds. Although the absorption profiles vary even on
the smallest scales probed by these high-resolution data (~30";~0.35pc), our
analysis reveals that some interstellar Na I D absorption components from
sightline to sightline are related, implying that the ISM toward h and Chi Per
is probably comprised of sheets of gas in which we detect variations due to
differences in the local physical conditions of the gas.Comment: 27 pages text; 8 figure
X-rays from Superbubbles in the Large Magellanic Cloud IV: The Blowout Structure of N44
We have used optical echelle spectra along with ROSAT and ASCA X-ray spectra
to test the hypothesis that the southern portion of the N44 X-ray bright region
is the result of a blowout structure. Three pieces of evidence now support this
conclusion. First, the filamentary optical morphology corresponding with the
location of the X-ray bright South Bar suggests the blowout description (Chu et
al 1993). Second, optical echelle spectra show evidence of high velocity (~90
km/sec) gas in the region of the blowout. Third, X-ray spectral fits show a
lower temperature for the South Bar than the main superbubble region of Shell
1. Such a blowout can affect the evolution of the superbubble and explain some
of the discrepancy discussed by Oey & Massey (1995) between the observed shell
diameter and the diameter predicted on the basis of the stellar content and
Weaver et al.'s (1977) pressure-driven bubble model.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX + psfig, 1 tex file, 2 sty files, 7 PS files, also
available at: http://www.astro.washington.edu/gene/papers/papers.htm
A Morphological Diagnostic for Dynamical Evolution of Wolf-Rayet Bubbles
We have observed H-alpha and [OIII] emission from eight of the most well
defined Wolf-Rayet ring nebulae in the Galaxy. We find that in many cases the
outermost edge of the [OIII] emission leads the H-alpha emission. We suggest
that these offsets, when present, are due to the shock from the Wolf-Rayet
bubble expanding into the circumstellar envelope. Thus, the details of the WR
bubble morphology at H-alpha and [OIII] can then be used to better understand
the physical condition and evolutionary stage of the nebulae around Wolf-Rayet
stars, as well as place constraints on the nature of the stellar progenitor and
its mass loss history.Comment: 11 pages, LaTex, 8 figures, accepted for publication in AJ, November
200
Interstellar Bubbles in Two Young H II Regions
peer reviewedMassive stars are expected to produce wind-blown bubbles in the interstellar medium; however, ring nebulae, suggesting the existence of bubbles, are rarely seen around main-sequence O stars. To search for wind-blown bubbles around main-sequence O stars, we have obtained high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 images and high-dispersion echelle spectra of two pristine H II regions, N11B and N180B, in the Large Magellanic Cloud. These H II regions are ionized by OB associations that still contain O3 stars, suggesting that the H II regions are young and have not hosted any supernova explosions. Our observations show that wind-blown bubbles in these H II regions can be detected kinematically, but not morphologically, because their expansion velocities are comparable to or only slightly higher than the isothermal sound velocity in the H II regions. Bubbles are detected around concentrations of massive stars, individual O stars, and even an evolved red supergiant (a fossil bubble). Comparisons between the observed bubble dynamics and model predictions show a large discrepancy (1-2 orders of magnitude) between the stellar wind luminosity derived from bubble observations and models and that derived from observations of stellar winds. The number and distribution of bubbles in N11B differ from those in N180B, which can be explained by the difference in the richness of stellar content between these two H II regions. Most of the bubbles observed in N11B and N180B show a blister structure, indicating that the stars were formed on the surfaces of dense clouds. Numerous small dust clouds, similar to Bok globules or elephant trunks, are detected in these H II regions, and at least one of them hosts on-going star formation
The Hourglass Nebulae of Sher 25 and SN 1987 A: Two of a Kind?
We have performed a detailed study of the morphology and kinematics of the
hourglass-shaped nebula around the blue supergiant Sher 25 in the galactic
giant HII region NGC 3603. Near-infrared high resolution adaptive optics images
in the Br gamma line and HST/NICMOS images in the HeI 1.08mu line were compared
with iso-velocity maps in the H alpha and [NII] lines. The adaptive optics
observations clearly resolved the width of the ring (0.9", i.e., 0.027 pc),
yielding delta R / R = 1:8. We show that the H alpha and [NII] lines trace the
entire silhouette of the hourglass. The bipolar lobes of the hourglass expand
at 70 km/s, whereas the ring around the waist of the hourglass expands at 30
km/s. Both the ring and the bipolar lobes have about the same dynamical age,
indicating a common origin and a major outburst and mass-loss event 6630 yr
ago. The ionized mass within the hourglass is between 0.3 Mo and 0.6 Mo - quite
comparable to the total mass suggested for the expanding (pre-supernova) shell
around SN 1987 A. The hourglass structure around Sher 25 is similar to that of
SN 1987 A in spatial extent, mass, and velocities. The major differences
between these two nebulae might arise from environmental effects. Both internal
and external ionization sources are available for Sher 25's nebula.
Furthermore, Sher 25 and its hourglass-shaped nebula appear to be moving to the
south-west with respect to the ambient interstellar medium, and ram pressure
has apparently deformed the hourglass. We conclude that the circumstellar
nebulae around SN 1987 A and Sher 25 are very similar and define a new class of
nebulae around blue supergiants in their final evolutionary stage.Comment: 9 pages, Latex, also available at
ftp://ftp.astro.uiuc.edu/pub/brandner/sher25_apjl or at
http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~brandner/pub.html , accepted for publication in
ApJ Letter
HST/WFPC2 and VLT/ISAAC observations of PROPLYDS in the giant HII region NGC 3603
We report the discovery of three proplyd-like structures in the giant HII
region NGC 3603. The emission nebulae are clearly resolved in narrow-band and
broad-band HST/WFPC2 observations in the optical and broad-band VLT/ISAAC
observations in the near-infrared. All three nebulae are tadpole shaped, with
the bright ionization front at the head facing the central cluster and a
fainter ionization front around the tail pointing away from the cluster.
Typical sizes are 6,000 A.U. x 20,000 A.U. The nebulae share the overall
morphology of the proplyds (``PROto PLanetarY DiskS'') in Orion, but are 20 to
30 times larger in size. Additional faint filaments located between the nebulae
and the central ionizing cluster can be interpreted as bow shocks resulting
from the interaction of the fast winds from the high-mass stars in the cluster
with the evaporation flow from the proplyds. The striking similarity of the
tadpole shaped emission nebulae in NGC 3603 to the proplyds in Orion suggests
that the physical structure of both types of objects might be the same. We
present 2D radiation hydrodynamical simulations of an externally illuminated
star-disk-envelope system, which was still in its main accretion phase when
first exposed to ionizing radiation from the central cluster. The simulations
reproduce the overall morphology of the proplyds in NGC 3603 very well, but
also indicate that mass-loss rates of up to 10^-5 Mo/yr are required in order
to explain the size of the proplyds. (abbreviated)Comment: 10 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses emulateapj.sty and psfig.tex.
Astronomical Journal, in press (January 2000 issue
Multi-frequency study of DEM L299 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
We have studied the HII region DEM L299 in the Large Magellanic Cloud to
understand its physical characteristics and morphology in different
wavelengths. We performed a spectral analysis of archived XMM-Newton EPIC data
and studied the morphology of DEM L299 in X-ray, optical, and radio
wavelengths. We used H alpha, [SII], and [OIII] data from the Magellanic Cloud
Emission Line Survey and radio 21 cm line data from the Australia Telescope
Compact Array (ATCA) and the Parkes telescope, and radio continuum data from
ATCA and the Molonglo Synthesis Telescope. Our morphological studies imply
that, in addition to the supernova remnant SNR B0543-68.9 reported in previous
studies, a superbubble also overlaps the SNR in projection. The position of the
SNR is clearly defined through the [SII]/H alpha flux ratio image. Moreover,
the optical images show a shell-like structure that is located farther to the
north and is filled with diffuse X-ray emission, which again indicates the
superbubble. Radio 21 cm line data show a shell around both objects. Radio
continuum data show diffuse emission at the position of DEM L299, which appears
clearly distinguished from the HII region N 164 that lies south-west of it. We
determined the spectral index of SNR B0543-68.9 to be alpha=-0.34, which
indicates the dominance of thermal emission and therefore a rather mature SNR.
We determined the basic properties of the diffuse X-ray emission for the SNR,
the superbubble, and a possible blowout region of the bubble, as suggested by
the optical and X-ray data. We obtained an age of 8.9 (3.5-18.1) kyr for the
SNR and a temperature of 0.64 (0.44-1.37) keV for the hot gas inside the SNR,
and a temperature of the hot gas inside the superbubble of 0.74 (0.44-1.1) keV.
We conclude that DEM L299 consists of a superposition of SNR B0543-68.9 and a
superbubble, which we identified based on optical data.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 17 pages, 16
figure