Dust Column Density Research Articles

A Statistical Method for Detecting Gravitational Recoils of Supermassive Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei

AbstractWe propose an observational test for gravitationally recoiling supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei, based on a positive correlation between the velocities of black holes relative to their host galaxies, |Δv|, and their obscuring dust column densities, Σdust, both measured along the line of sight. Our findings using a set of toy models implemented to a Monte Carlo simulation imply that models of the galactic centre and of recoil dynamics can be tested by future observations of the potential Σdust–|Δv| correlation. We have also found that the fraction of obscured quasars decreases with |Δv|, for which the predicted trend can be compared to the observed fraction of type II quasars, and can further test combinations of models we may implement.

Probing interstellar turbulence in cirrus with deep optical imaging: no sign of energy dissipation at 0.01 pc scale

Diffuse Galactic light has been observed in the optical since the 1930s. We propose that, when observed in the optical with deep imaging surveys, it can be used as a tracer of the turbulent cascade in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM), down to scales of about 1 arcsec. Here we present a power spectrum analysis of the dust column density of a diffuse cirrus at high Galactic latitude (l ~ 198 deg, b ~ 32 deg) as derived from the combination of a MegaCam g-band image, obtained as part of the MATLAS large programme at the CFHT, with Planck radiance and Wise 12 micron data. The combination of these three datasets have allowed us to compute the density power spectrum of the HI over scales of more than three orders of magnitude. We found that the density field is well described by a single power law over scales ranging from 0.01 to 50 pc. The exponent of the power spectrum, gamma=-2.9 +- 0.1, is compatible with what is expected for thermally bi-stable and turbulent HI. We did not find any steepening of the power spectrum at small scales indicating that the typical scale at which turbulent energy is dissipated in this medium is smaller than 0.01pc. The ambipolar diffusion scenario that is usually proposed as the main dissipative agent, is consistent with our data only if the density of the cloud observed is higher than the typical values assumed for the cold neutral medium gas. We discuss the new avenue offered by deep optical imaging surveys for the study of the low density ISM structure and turbulence.

CLOUD STRUCTURE OF GALACTIC OB CLUSTER-FORMING REGIONS FROM COMBINING GROUND- AND SPACE-BASED BOLOMETRIC OBSERVATIONS

ABSTRACT We have developed an iterative procedure to systematically combine the millimeter and submillimeter images of OB cluster-forming molecular clouds, which were taken by ground-based (CSO, JCMT, APEX, and IRAM-30 m) and space telescopes (Herschel and Planck). For the seven luminous ( L ⊙) Galactic OB cluster-forming molecular clouds selected for our analyses, namely W49A, W43-Main, W43-South, W33, G10.6-0.4, G10.2-0.3, and G10.3-0.1, we have performed single-component, modified blackbody fits to each pixel of the combined (sub)millimeter images, and the Herschel PACS and SPIRE images at shorter wavelengths. The ∼10″ resolution dust column density and temperature maps of these sources revealed dramatically different morphologies, indicating very different modes of OB cluster-formation, or parent molecular cloud structures in different evolutionary stages. The molecular clouds W49A, W33, and G10.6-0.4 show centrally concentrated massive molecular clumps that are connected with approximately radially orientated molecular gas filaments. The W43-Main and W43-South molecular cloud complexes, which are located at the intersection of the Galactic near 3 kpc (or Scutum) arm and the Galactic bar, show a widely scattered distribution of dense molecular clumps/cores over the observed ∼10 pc spatial scale. The relatively evolved sources G10.2-0.3 and G10.3-0.1 appear to be affected by stellar feedback, and show a complicated cloud morphology embedded with abundant dense molecular clumps/cores. We find that with the high angular resolution we achieved, our visual classification of cloud morphology can be linked to the systematically derived statistical quantities (i.e., the enclosed mass profile, the column density probability distribution function (N-PDF), the two-point correlation function of column density, and the probability distribution function of clump/core separations). In particular, the massive molecular gas clumps located at the center of G10.6-0.4 and W49A, which contribute to a considerable fraction of their overall cloud masses, may be special OB cluster-forming environments as a direct consequence of global cloud collapse. These centralized massive molecular gas clumps also uniquely occupy much higher column densities than what is determined by the overall fit of power-law N-PDF. We have made efforts to archive the derived statistical quantities of individual target sources, to permit comparisons with theoretical frameworks, numerical simulations, and other observations in the future.

Lord of the Rings – Return of the King:Swift-XRT observations of dust scattering rings around V404 Cygni

On 2015 June 15, the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cygni went into outburst, exhibiting extreme X-ray variability which culminated in a final flare on June 26. Over the following days, the Swift-X-ray Telescope detected a series of bright rings, comprising five main components that expanded and faded with time, caused by X-rays scattered from the otherwise unobservable dust layers in the interstellar medium in the direction of the source. Simple geometrical modelling of the rings’ angular evolution reveals that they have a common temporal origin, coincident with the final, brightest flare seen by INTEGRAL's JEM X-1, which reached a 3–10?keV flux of ?25 Crab. The high quality of the data allows the dust properties and density distribution along the line of sight to the source to be estimated. Using the Rayleigh–Gans approximation for the dust scattering cross-section and a power-law distribution of grain sizes a, ??a?q, the average dust emission is well modelled by q=3.90+0.09?0.08 and maximum grain size of a+=0.147+0.024?0.004 ?m, though significant variations in q are seen between the rings. The recovered dust density distribution shows five peaks associated with the dense sheets responsible for the rings at distances ranging from 1.19 to 2.13?kpc, with thicknesses of ?40–80?pc and a maximum density occurring at the location of the nearest sheet. We find a dust column density of Ndust ? (2.0–2.5) × 1011?cm?2, consistent with the optical extinction to the source. Comparison of the inner rings’ azimuthal X-ray evolution with archival Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mid-IR data suggests that the second most distant ring follows the general IR emission trend, which increases in brightness towards the Galactic north side of the source.

Hidden Star Formation in High-Velocity Gas Clouds in Clump 2 near the Edge of the CMZ

AbstractWe present a snapshot of our ongoing investigation of molecular clouds in Clump 2 located in the Galactic Bar region at a projected distance of ~400pc from the Galactic Center. We show that the analysis of the Clump 2 molecular clouds is complicated because of many fore- and background clouds in the line of sight. Of all clouds, IGGC 22 is the most interesting one, showing very high dust column densities, significant high-J CO emission, and, potentially harbors star formations as eluded to by the detection of [OIII] emission.

THE OPTICAL–INFRARED EXTINCTION CURVE AND ITS VARIATION IN THE MILKY WAY

ABSTRACT The dust extinction curve is a critical component of many observational programs and an important diagnostic of the physics of the interstellar medium. Here we present new measurements of the dust extinction curve and its variation toward tens of thousands of stars, a hundred-fold larger sample than in existing detailed studies. We use data from the APOGEE spectroscopic survey in combination with ten-band photometry from Pan-STARRS1, the Two Micron All-Sky Survey, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. We find that the extinction curve in the optical through infrared is well characterized by a one-parameter family of curves described by R(V). The extinction curve is more uniform than suggested in past works, with σ ( R ( V ) ) = 0.18 , and with less than one percent of sight lines having R ( V ) > 4 . Our data and analysis have revealed two new aspects of Galactic extinction: first, we find significant, wide-area variations in R(V) throughout the Galactic plane. These variations are on scales much larger than individual molecular clouds, indicating that R(V) variations must trace much more than just grain growth in dense molecular environments. Indeed, we find no correlation between R(V) and dust column density up to E ( B − V ) ≈ 2 . Second, we discover a strong relationship between R(V) and the far-infrared dust emissivity.

Large-scale latitude distortions of the inner Milky Way disk from theHerschel/Hi-GAL Survey

We use the Herschel Hi-GAL survey data to study the spatial distribution in Galactic longitude and latitude of the interstellar medium and of dense, star-forming clumps in the inner Galaxy. The peak position and width of the latitude distribution of the dust column density as well as of number density of compact sources from the band-merged Hi-GAL photometric catalogues are analysed as a function of longitude. The width of the diffuse dust column density traced by the Hi-GAL 500 micron emission varies across the inner Galaxy, with a mean value of 1{\deg}.2-1{\deg}.3, similar to that of the 250um Hi-GAL sources. 70um Hi-GAL sources define a much thinner disk, with a mean FWHM of 0{\deg}.75, and an average latitude of b=0{\deg}.06, coincident with the results from ATLASGAL. The GLAT distribution as a function of GLON shows modulations, both for the diffuse emission and for the compact sources, with ~0{\deg}.2 displacements mostly toward negative latitudes at l~ +40{\deg}, +12{\deg}, -25{\deg} and -40{\deg}. No such modulations can be found in the MIPSGAL 24 or WISE 22 um data when the entire source samples are considered. The distortions revealed by Herschel are interpreted as large-scale bending modes of the Plane. The lack of similar distortions in tracers of more evolved YSOs or stars rules out gravitational instabilities or satellite-induced perturbations, as they should act on both the diffuse and stellar disk components. We propose that the observed bends are caused by incoming flows of extra-planar gas interacting with the gaseous disk. Stars decouple from the gaseous ISM and relax into the stellar disk potential. The time required for the disappearance of the distortions from the diffuse ISM to the relatively evolved YSO stages are compatible with star-formation timescales.

FAR-INFRARED DUST TEMPERATURES AND COLUMN DENSITIES OF THE MALT90 MOLECULAR CLUMP SAMPLE

We present dust column densities and dust temperatures for $\sim3000$ young high-mass molecular clumps from the Millimetre Astronomy Legacy Team 90 GHz (MALT90) survey, derived from adjusting single temperature dust emission models to the far-infrared intensity maps measured between 160 and 870 \micron\ from the Herschel/Hi-Gal and APEX/ATLASGAL surveys. We discuss the methodology employed in analyzing the data, calculating physical parameters, and estimating their uncertainties. The population average dust temperature of the clumps are: $16.8\pm0.2$ K for the clumps that do not exhibit mid-infrared signatures of star formation (Quiescent clumps), $18.6\pm0.2$ K for the clumps that display mid-infrared signatures of ongoing star formation but have not yet developed an HII region (Protostellar clumps), and $23.7\pm0.2$ and $28.1\pm0.3$ K for clumps associated with HII and photo-dissociation regions, respectively. These four groups exhibit large overlaps in their temperature distributions, with dispersions ranging between 4 and 6 K. The median of the peak column densities of the Protostellar clump population is $0.20\pm0.02$ gr cm$^{-2}$, which is about 50% higher compared to the median of the peak column densities associated with clumps in the other evolutionary stages. We compare the dust temperatures and column densities measured toward the center of the clumps with the mean values of each clump. We find that in the Quiescent clumps the dust temperature increases toward the outer regions and that they are associated with the shallowest column density profiles. In contrast, molecular clumps in the Protostellar or HII region phase have dust temperature gradients more consistent with internal heating and are associated with steeper column density profiles compared with the Quiescent clumps.

The X-ray dust-scattered rings of the black hole low-mass binary V404 Cyg

We report on the first detection of X-ray dust scattered rings from the Galactic low mass X-ray binary V404 Cyg. The observation of the system with Swift/XRT on June 30 2015 revealed the presence of five concentric ring-like structures centred at the position of V404 Cyg. Follow-up Swift/XRT observations allowed a time-dependent study of the X-ray rings. Assuming that these are the result of small-angle, single X-ray scattering by dust grains along the line of sight, we find that their angular size scales as $\theta \propto\sqrt{t}$ in agreement with theoretical predictions. The dust grains are concentrated in five dust layers located at about 2.12, 2.05, 1.63, 1.50 and 1.18 kpc from the observer. These coincide roughly with locations of enhanced extinction as determined by infrared photometry. Assuming that the grain size distribution is described by a generalized Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsieck model, we find that the power-law index of the most distant cloud is $q\sim 4.4$, while $q \sim 3.5-3.7$ in all other clouds. We constrain at a $3\sigma$ level the maximum grain size of the intermediate dust layers in the range $0.16-0.20\,\mu$m and set a lower limit of $\sim 0.2\,\mu$m in the other clouds. Hints of an exponential cutoff at the angular intensity profile of the outermost X-ray ring suggest that the smallest grains have sizes $0.01 \mu{\rm m}\le \alpha_{\min} \lesssim 0.03\,\mu$m. Based on the relative ratios of dust column densities we find the highest dust concentration at $\sim 1.6$ kpc. Our results indicate a gradient in the dust properties within 1 kpc from V404 Cyg.

CYANIDE PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND NITROGEN FRACTIONATION IN THE MWC 480 DISK

HCN is a commonly observed molecule in Solar System bodies and in interstellar environments. Its abundance with respect to CN is a proposed tracer of UV exposure. HCN is also frequently used to probe the thermal history of objects, by measuring its degree of nitrogen fractionation. To address the utility of HCN as a probe of disks, we present Atacama Large (sub-) Millimeter Array observations of CN, HCN, H13CN, and HC15N toward the protoplanetary disk around Herbig Ae star MWC 480, and of CN and HCN toward the disk around T Tauri star DM Tau. Emission from all molecules is clearly detected and spatially resolved, including the first detection of HC15N in a disk. Toward MWC 480, CN emission extends radially more than 1'' exterior to the observed cut-off of HCN emission. Quantitative modeling further reveals very different radial abundance profiles for CN and HCN, with best-fit outer cut-off radii of >300 AU and 110 ± 10 AU, respectively. This result is in agreement with model predictions of efficient HCN photodissociation into CN in the outer-part of the disk where the vertical gas and dust column densities are low. No such difference in CN and HCN emission profiles are observed toward DM Tau, suggestive of different photochemical structures in Herbig Ae and T Tauri disks. We use the HCN isotopologue data toward the MWC 480 disk to provide the first measurement of the 14N/15N ratio in a disk. We find a low disk averaged 14N/15N ratio of 200 ± 100, comparable to what is observed in cloud cores and comets, demonstrating interstellar inheritance and/or efficient nitrogen fractionation in this disk.

A statistical method to search for recoiling supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei

We propose an observational test for gravitationally recoiling supermassive black holes (BHs) in active galactic nuclei, based on a correlation between the velocities of BHs relative to their host galaxies, |\Delta v|, and their obscuring dust column densities, \Sigma_{dust} (both measured along the line of sight). We use toy models for the distribution of recoil velocities, BH trajectories, and the geometry of obscuring dust tori in galactic centres, to simulate 2.5x10^5 random observations of recoiling quasars. BHs with recoil velocities comparable to the escape velocity from the galactic centre remain bound to the nucleus, and do not fully settle back to the centre of the torus due to dynamical friction in a typical quasar lifetime. We find that |\Delta v| and \Sigma_ {dust} for these BHs are positively correlated. For obscured (\Sigma_{dust}>0) and for partially obscured (0<\Sigma_{dust}<~2.3 g/m^2) quasars with |\Delta v|>=45 km/s, the sample correlation coefficient between log10(|\Delta v|) and \Sigma_{dust} is r_{45} = 0.28+/-0.02 and r_{45} = 0.13+/-0.02, respectively. Allowing for random +/-100 km/s errors in |\Delta v| unrelated to the recoil dilutes the correlation for the partially obscured quasars to r_{45} = 0.026+/-0.004 measured between |\Delta v| and \Sigma_{dust}. A random sample of >~3,500 obscured quasars with |\Delta v|>=45 km/s would allow rejection of the no-correlation hypothesis with 3 sigma significance 95% of the time. Finally, we find that the fraction of obscured quasars, F_{obs}(|\Delta v|), decreases with |\Delta v| from F_{obs}(<10 km/s)>~0.8 to F_{obs}(>10^3 km/s)<~0.4. This predicted trend can be compared to the observed fraction of type II quasars, and can further test combinations of recoil, trajectory, and dust torus models.

Extended H2 emission line sources from UWISH2

We present the extended source catalogue for the UKIRT Widefield Infrared Survey for H2 (UWISH2). The survey is unbiased along the inner Galactic Plane from l \approx 357deg to l \approx 65deg and |b| < 1.5deg and covers 209 square degrees. A further 42.0 and 35.5 square degrees of high dust column density regions have been targeted in Cygnus and Auriga. We have identified 33200 individual extended H2 features. They have been classified to be associated with about 700 groups of jets and outflows, 284 individual (candidate) Planetary Nebulae, 30 Supernova Remnants and about 1300 Photo-Dissociation Regions. We find a clear decline of star formation activity (traced by H2 emission from jets and photo-dissociation regions) with increasing distance from the Galactic Centre. About 60% of the detected candidate Planetary Nebulae have no known counterpart and 25% of all Supernova Remnants have detectable H2 emission associated with them.

VELOCITY-RESOLVED [C ii] EMISSION AND [C ii]/FIR MAPPING ALONG ORION WITH HERSCHEL.

We present the first ~7.5'×11.5' velocity-resolved (~0.2 km s-1) map of the [C ii] 158 μm line toward the Orion molecular cloud 1 (OMC 1) taken with the Herschel/HIFI instrument. In combination with far-infrared (FIR) photometric images and velocity-resolved maps of the H41α hydrogen recombination and CO J=2-1 lines, this data set provides an unprecedented view of the intricate small-scale kinematics of the ionized/PDR/molecular gas interfaces and of the radiative feedback from massive stars. The main contribution to the [C ii] luminosity (~85 %) is from the extended, FUV-illuminated face of the cloud (G0>500, nH>5×103 cm-3) and from dense PDRs (G≳104, nH≳105 cm-3) at the interface between OMC 1 and the H ii region surrounding the Trapezium cluster. Around ~15 % of the [C ii] emission arises from a different gas component without CO counterpart. The [C ii] excitation, PDR gas turbulence, line opacity (from [13C ii]) and role of the geometry of the illuminating stars with respect to the cloud are investigated. We construct maps of the L[C ii]/LFIR and LFIR/MGas ratios and show that L[C ii]/LFIR decreases from the extended cloud component (~10-2-10-3) to the more opaque star-forming cores (~10-3-10-4). The lowest values are reminiscent of the "[C ii] deficit" seen in local ultra-luminous IR galaxies hosting vigorous star formation. Spatial correlation analysis shows that the decreasing L[C ii]/LFIR ratio correlates better with the column density of dust through the molecular cloud than with LFIR/MGas. We conclude that the [C ii] emitting column relative to the total dust column along each line of sight is responsible for the observed L[C ii]/LFIR variations through the cloud.

The growth of planets by pebble accretion in evolving protoplanetary discs

The formation of planets depends on the underlying protoplanetary disc structure, which influences both the accretion and migration rates of embedded planets. The disc itself evolves on time-scales of several Myr during which both temperature and density profiles change as matter accretes onto the central star. Here we use a detailed model of an evolving disc to determine the growth of planets by pebble accretion and their migration through the disc. Cores that reach their pebble isolation mass accrete gas to finally form giant planets with extensive gas envelopes, while planets that do not reach pebble isolation mass are stranded as ice giants and ice planets containing only minor amounts of gas in their envelopes. Unlike earlier population synthesis models, our model works without any artificial reductions in migration speed and for protoplanetary discs with gas and dust column densities similar to those inferred from observations. We find that in our nominal disc model the emergence of planetary embryos preferably occurs after approximately 2 Myr in order to not exclusively form gas giants, but also ice giants and smaller planets. The high pebble accretion rates ensure that critical core masses for gas accretion can be reached at all orbital distances. Gas giant planets nevertheless experience significant reduction in semi-major axes by migration. Considering instead planetesimal accretion for planetary growth, we show that formation time-scales are too long to compete with the migration time-scales and the dissipation time of the protoplanetary disc. Altogether, we find that pebble accretion overcomes many of the challenges in the formation of ice and gas giants in evolving protoplanetary discs.

HERSCHELOBSERVATIONS OF THE W3 GMC (II): CLUES TO THE FORMATION OF CLUSTERS OF HIGH-MASS STARS

The W3 giant molecular cloud is a prime target for investigating the formation of high-mass stars and clusters. This second study of W3 within the HOBYS Key Program provides a comparative analysis of subfields within W3 to further constrain the processes leading to the observed structures and stellar population. Probability density functions (PDFs) and cumulative mass distributions (CMDs) were created from dust column density maps, quantified as extinction . The shape of the PDF, typically represented with a lognormal function at low "breaking" to a power-law tail at high , is influenced by various processes including turbulence and self-gravity. The breaks can also be identified, often more readily, in the CMDs. The PDF break from lognormal ((SF) –10 mag) appears to shift to higher by stellar feedback, so that high-mass star-forming regions tend to have higher PDF breaks. A second break at mag traces structures formed or influenced by a dynamic process. Because such a process has been suggested to drive high-mass star formation in W3, this second break might then identify regions with potential for hosting high-mass stars/clusters. Stellar feedback appears to be a major mechanism driving the local evolution and state of regions within W3. A high initial star formation efficiency in a dense medium could result in a self-enhancing process, leading to more compression and favorable star formation conditions (e.g., colliding flows), a richer stellar content, and massive stars. This scenario would be compatible with the "convergent constructive feedback" model introduced in our previous Herschel study.

Millimetre molecular lines in Planck cold clumps

AbstractGalactic cold clumps have been identified from the Planck data (Planck Collaboration, 2011a, 2011b, 2015) as 10 342 cold (7 - 19 K) sources that stand out against a warmer environment, with the Early Cold Cores as a subsample of 915 most reliable detections. There is CO emission associated with the Planck Cold Clumps (PCCs), which has been observed with ground-based radio telescopes at higher resolution (Wu et al. 2012, Liu et al. 2014). A subset of PCCs have also been observed with Herschel at higher resolution (Juvela et al. 2012).A southern sub-sample of the PCCs has been observed with the Mopra 22-m telescope to study the molecular gas. The Mopra telescope has 3-mm, 7-mm and 12-mm bands, with broadband correlator configuration 8-GHz wide with 0.27-MHz channels, or multiple zoom bands 137-MHz wide with 33-KHz channels, within the 8 GHz.During the 2013 southern winter season we observed 10 clumps. This included observations in the 3-mm band of 12CO, 13CO and C18O and lines around 89 GHz (e.g. HCN, HCO+ and HNC), in the 7-mm band (e.g. CS) and in the 12-mm band (e.g. NH3). These observations were heterogenous, with sources selected by LST in gaps between observations of other projects, and band chosen by weather (i.e. in conditions unsuitable for higher frequencies, lower frequency bands were observed). During the 2014 season we observed 34 positions in 22 clumps, with zoom mode observations of lines around 89 GHz. This was a more well-defined sample of sources.The mapping of the CO lines shows good spatial correlation of the CO with the dust column density The CO isotoplogues show high optical depth in 12CO and 13CO. The lines of HCN, HCO+ and HNC are weak, but detected in many of the 2014 sample. We are modelling the line results to determine column densities, excitation temperatures and abundances, using tools such as radex (van der Tak et al. 2007).

NGC 346: Looking in the Cradle of a Massive Star Cluster

AbstractHow does a star cluster of more than few 10,000 solar masses form? We present the case of the cluster NGC 346 in the Small Magellanic Cloud, still embedded in its natal star-forming region N66, and we propose a scenario for its formation, based on observations of the rich stellar populations in the region. Young massive clusters host a high fraction of early-type stars, indicating an extremely high star formation efficiency. The Milky Way galaxy hosts several young massive clusters that fill the gap between young low-mass open clusters and old massive globular clusters. Only a handful, though, are young enough to study their formation. Moreover, the investigation of their gaseous natal environments suffers from contamination by the Galactic disk. Young massive clusters are very abundant in distant starburst and interacting galaxies, but the distance of their hosting galaxies do not also allow a detailed analysis of their formation. The Magellanic Clouds, on the other hand, host young massive clusters in a wide range of ages with the youngest being still embedded in their giant HII regions. Hubble Space Telescope imaging of such star-forming complexes provide a stellar sampling with a high dynamic range in stellar masses, allowing the detailed study of star formation at scales typical for molecular clouds. Our cluster analysis on the distribution of newly-born stars in N66 shows that star formation in the region proceeds in a clumpy hierarchical fashion, leading to the formation of both a dominant young massive cluster, hosting about half of the observed pre–main-sequence population, and a self-similar dispersed distribution of the remaining stars. We investigate the correlation between stellar surface density (and star formation rate derived from star-counts) and molecular gas surface density (derived from dust column density) in order to unravel the physical conditions that gave birth to NGC 346. A power law fit to the data yields a steep correlation between these two parameters with a considerable scatter. The fraction of stellar over the total (gas plus young stars) mass is found to be systematically higher within the central 15 pc (where the young massive cluster is located) than outside, which suggests variations in the star formation efficiency within the same star-forming complex. This trend possibly reflects a change of star formation efficiency in N66 between clustered and non-clustered star formation. Our findings suggest that the formation of NGC 346 is the combined result of star formation regulated by turbulence and of early dynamical evolution induced by the gravitational potential of the dense interstellar medium.

Temperatures of dust and gas in S 140

In dense parts of interstellar clouds (> 10^5 cm^-3), dust & gas are expected to be in thermal equilibrium, being coupled via collisions. However, previous studies have shown that the temperatures of the dust & gas may remain decoupled even at higher densities. We study in detail the temperatures of dust & gas in the photon-dominated region S 140, especially around the deeply embedded infrared sources IRS 1-3 and at the ionization front. We derive the dust temperature and column density by combining Herschel PACS continuum observations with SOFIA observations at 37 $\mu$m and SCUBA at 450 $\mu$m. We model these observations using greybody fits and the DUSTY radiative transfer code. For the gas part we use RADEX to model the CO 1-0, CO 2-1, 13CO 1-0 and C18O 1-0 emission lines mapped with the IRAM-30m over a 4' field. Around IRS 1-3, we use HIFI observations of single-points and cuts in CO 9-8, 13CO 10-9 and C18O 9-8 to constrain the amount of warm gas, using the best fitting dust model derived with DUSTY as input to the non-local radiative transfer model RATRAN. We find that the gas temperature around the infrared sources varies between 35 and 55K and that the gas is systematically warmer than the dust by ~5-15K despite the high gas density. In addition we observe an increase of the gas temperature from 30-35K in the surrounding up to 40-45K towards the ionization front, most likely due to the UV radiation from the external star. Furthermore, detailed models of the temperature structure close to IRS 1 show that the gas is warmer and/or denser than what we model. Finally, modelling of the dust emission from the sub-mm peak SMM 1 constrains its luminosity to a few ~10^2 Lo. We conclude that the gas heating in the S 140 region is very efficient even at high densities, most likely due to the deep UV penetration from the embedded sources in a clumpy medium and/or oblique shocks.

Warm dust and gas of massive young stellar objects revealed by Herschel PACS spectroscopy

AbstractWe present results of Herschel PACS imaging spectroscopy data toward ten massive young stellar objects taken as part of the WISH project. Our sample consists of four high mass protostellar objects (HMPOs), two hot molecular cores (HMCs), and four ultracompact HII regions (UCHIIs), and the spectra cover a broad range of wavelengths (55 to 210 μm) imaged over an ~50” field with 5×5 spaxels. By fitting the continua utilizing a modified black-body formula we estimate mass-weighted dust temperature and column density distributions of warm dust and find that UCHII regions are hottest and HMCs are most deeply embedded. We also estimate rotational temperature and column density distributions of warm CO gas using the rotational diagram analysis, which are comparable over targets in contrast to continuum results. By comparing high J CO line fluxes to the RATRAN estimates of centrally heated envelope models, we find that majority of warm CO originates from bipolar outflow shocks.

LORD OF THE RINGS: A KINEMATIC DISTANCE TO CIRCINUS X-1 FROM A GIANT X-RAY LIGHT ECHO

Circinus X-1 exhibited a bright X-ray flare in late 2013. Follow-up observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton from 40 to 80 days after the flare reveal a bright X-ray light echo in the form of four well-defined rings with radii from 5 to 13 arcmin, growing in radius with time. The large fluence of the flare and the large column density of interstellar dust toward Circinus X-1 make this the largest and brightest set of rings from an X-ray light echo observed to date. By deconvolving the radial intensity profile of the echo with the MAXI X-ray light curve of the flare we reconstruct the dust distribution toward Circinus X-1 into four distinct dust concentrations. By comparing the peak in scattering intensity with the peak intensity in CO maps of molecular clouds from the Mopra Southern Galactic Plane CO Survey we identify the two innermost rings with clouds at radial velocity and , respectively. We identify a prominent band of foreground photoelectric absorption with a lane of CO gas at . From the association of the rings with individual CO clouds we determine the kinematic distance to Circinus X-1 to be . This distance rules out earlier claims of a distance around , implies that Circinus X-1 is a frequent super-Eddington source, and places a lower limit of on the Lorentz factor and an upper limit of on the jet viewing angle.