Spectra of Fast J-Shocks in Dense, Star-Forming Regions

Abstract

Stellar winds, bipolar outflows, and supernovae generate strong shocks in molecular clouds. If the molecular gas is magnetized and weakly ionized, shocks slower than about 40-50 kms−1 (C-shocks) emit primarily in the infrared. Faster shocks, or shocks in a weakly magnetized or more highly ionized medium (J–shocks), emit primarily in the ultraviolet and are thus harder to detect in dusty regions. J–shocks in molecular gas are usually dissociative, so that molecular emission lines from such shocks are produced by molecules formed behind the shock front. Observations of fast shocks in molecular clouds can provide valuable insights into energetic events occurring within them.