Fine-structure Line Emission Research Articles

MID-INFRARED ATOMIC FINE-STRUCTURE EMISSION-LINE SPECTRA OF LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES:SPITZER/IRS SPECTRA OF THE GOALS SAMPLE

We present the data and our analysis of MIR fine-structure emission lines detected in Spitzer/IRS high-res spectra of 202 local LIRGs observed as part of the GOALS project. We detect emission lines of [SIV], [NeII], [NeV], [NeIII], [SIII]18.7, [OIV], [FeII], [SIII]33.5, and [SiII]. Over 75% of our galaxies are classified as starburst (SB) sources in the MIR. We compare ratios of the emission line fluxes to stellar photo- and shock-ionization models to constrain the gas properties in the SB nuclei. Comparing the [SIV]/[NeII] and [NeIII]/[NeII] ratios to the Starburst99-Mappings III models with an instantaneous burst history, the line ratios suggest that the SB in our LIRGs have ages of 1-4.5Myr, metallicities of 1-2Z_sun, and ionization parameters of 2-8e7cm/s. Based on the [SIII]/[SIII] ratios, the electron density in LIRG nuclei has a median electron density of ~300cm-3 for sources above the low density limit. We also find that strong shocks are likely present in 10 SB sources. A significant fraction of the GOALS sources have resolved neon lines and 5 show velocity differences of >200km/s in [NeIII] or [NeV] relative to [NeII]. Furthermore, 6 SB and 5 AGN LIRGs show a trend of increasing line width with ionization potential, suggesting the possibility of a compact energy source and stratified ISM in their nuclei. We confirm a strong correlation between the [NeII]+[NeIII] emission, as well as [SIII]33.5, with both the IR luminosity and the 24um warm dust emission measured from the spectra. Finally, we find no correlation between the hardness of the radiation field or the line width and the ratio of the total IR to 8um emission (IR8). This may be because the IR luminosity and the MIR fine-structure lines are sensitive to different timescales over the SB, or that IR8 is more sensitive to the geometry of the warm dust region than the radiation field producing the HII region emission.

The ratio of CO to total gas mass in high-redshift galaxies

Walter et al. (20012) have recently identified the J=6-5, 5-4, and 2-1 CO rotational emission lines, and [C_{II}] fine-structure emission line from the star-forming interstellar medium in the high-redshift submillimeter source HDF 850.1, at z = 5.183. We employ large velocity gradient (LVG) modeling to analyze the spectra of this source assuming the [C_{II}] and CO emissions originate from (i) separate unvirialized regions, (ii) separate virialized regions, (iii) uniformly mixed unvirialized region, and (iv) uniformly mixed virialized regions. We present the best fit set of parameters, including for each case the ratio $\alpha$ between the total hydrogen/helium gas mass and the CO(1-0) line luminosity. We also present computations of the ratio of H_{2} mass to [C_{II}] line-luminosity for optically thin conditions, for a range of gas temperatures and densities, for direct conversion of [C_{II}] line-luminosities to "dark-H_{2}" masses. For HDF 850.1 we find that a model in which the CO and C^{+} are uniformly mixed in gas that is shielded from UV radiation, requires a cosmic-ray or X-ray ionization rate of $\zeta \approx$ 10^{-13} s^{-1}, plausibly consistent with the large star-formation rate ($\sim$ 10^{3} M$_{\odot}$ yr^{-1}) observed in this source. Enforcing the cosmological constraint posed by the abundance of dark matter halos in the standard $\Lambda$CDM cosmology and taking into account other possible contributions to the total gas mass, we find that three of these four models are less likely at the 2$\sigma$ level. We conclude that modeling HDF 850.1's ISM as a collection of unvirialized molecular clouds with distinct CO and C^{+} layers, for which $\alpha$ = 0.6 M$_{\odot}$ (K km s^{-1} pc^{2})^{-1} for the CO to H_{2} mass-to-luminosity ratio, (similar to the standard ULIRG value), is most consistent with the $\Lambda$CDM cosmology.

PDR MODEL MAPPING OF OBSCURED H 2 EMISSION AND THE LINE-OF-SIGHT STRUCTURE OF M17-SW

We observed H2 line emission with Spitzer-IRS toward M17-SW and modeled the data with our PDR code. Derived gas density values of up to few times 10^7 cm^-3 indicate that H2 emission originates in high-density clumps. We discover that the PDR code can be utilized to map the amount of intervening extinction obscuring the H2 emission layers, and thus we obtain the radial profile of A_V relative to the central ionizing cluster NGC 6618. The extinction has a positive radial gradient, varying between 15--47 mag over the projected distance of 0.9--2.5 pc from the primary ionizer, CEN 1. These high extinction values are in good agreement with previous studies of A_V toward stellar targets in M17-SW. The ratio of data to PDR model values is used to infer the global line-of-sight structure of the PDR surface, which is revealed to resemble a concave surface relative to NGC 6618. Such a configuration confirms that this PDR can be described as a bowl-shaped boundary of the central H II region in M17. The derived structure and physical conditions are important for interpreting the fine-structure and rotational line emission from the PDR.

Cool Gas in High-Redshift Galaxies

Over the past decade, observations of the cool interstellar medium (ISM) in distant galaxies via molecular and atomic fine structure line (FSL) emission have gone from a curious look into a few extreme, rare objects to a mainstream tool for studying galaxy formation out to the highest redshifts. Molecular gas has been observed in close to 200 galaxies at z > 1, including numerous AGN host-galaxies out to z ∼ 7, highly star-forming submillimeter galaxies, and increasing samples of main-sequence color-selected star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 to 2.5. Studies have moved well beyond simple detections to dynamical imaging at kiloparsec-scale resolution and multiline, multispecies studies that determine the physical conditions in the ISM in early galaxies. Observations of the cool gas are the required complement to studies of the stellar density and star-formation history of the Universe as they reveal the phase of the ISM that immediately precedes star formation in galaxies. Current observations suggest that the order of magnitude increase in the cosmic star-formation rate density from z ∼ 0 to 2 is commensurate with a similar increase in the gas-to-stellar mass ratio in star-forming disk galaxies. Progress has been made in determining the CO luminosity to H2 mass conversion factor at high z, and the dichotomy between high versus low values for main-sequence versus starburst galaxies, respectively, appears to persist with increasing redshift, with a likely dependence on metallicity and other local physical conditions. There may also be two sequences in the relationship between star-formation rate and gas mass: one for starbursts, in which the gas consumption timescale is short (a few 107 years), and one for main sequence galaxies, with an order of magnitude longer gas consumption timescale. Studies of atomic FSL emission are rapidly progressing, with some tens of galaxies detected in the exceptionally bright [Cii] 158-μm line to date. The [Cii] line is proving to be a unique tracer of galaxy dynamics in the early Universe and, together with other atomic FSLs, has the potential to be the most direct means of obtaining spectroscopic redshifts for the first galaxies during cosmic reionization.

STAR FORMATION AND GAS KINEMATICS OF QUASAR HOST GALAXIES ATz∼ 6: NEW INSIGHTS FROM ALMA

We present ALMA observations of the [C II] 158 micron fine structure line and dust continuum emission from the host galaxies of five redshift 6 quasars. We also report complementary observations of 250 GHz dust continuum and CO (6-5) line emission from the z=6.00 quasar SDSS J231038.88+185519.7. The ALMA observations were carried out in the extended array at 0.7" resolution. We have detected the line and dust continuum in all five objects. The derived [C II] line luminosities are 1.6x10^{9} to 8.8x10^{9} Lsun and the [C II]-to-FIR luminosity ratios are 3.0-5.6x10^{-4}, which is comparable to the values found in other high-redshift quasar-starburst systems and local ultra-luminous infrared galaxies. The sources are marginally resolved and the intrinsic source sizes (major axis FWHM) are constrained to be 0.3" to 0.6" (i.e., 1.7 to 3.5 kpc) for the [C II] line emission and 0.2" to 0.4" (i.e., 1.2 to 2.3 kpc) for the continuum. These measurements indicate that there is vigorous star formation over the central few kpc in the quasar host galaxies. The ALMA observations also constrain the dynamical properties of the atomic gas in the starburst nuclei. The intensity-weighted velocity maps of three sources show clear velocity gradients. Such velocity gradients are consistent with a rotating, gravitationally bound gas component, although they are not uniquely interpreted as such. Under the simplifying assumption of rotation, the implied dynamical masses within the [C II]-emitting regions are of order 10^{10} to 10^{11} Msun. Given these estimates, the mass ratios between the SMBHs and the spheroidal bulge are an order of magnitude higher than the mean value found in local spheroidal galaxies, which is in agreement with results from previous CO observations of high redshift quasars.

THE ANATOMY OF AN EXTREME STARBURST WITHIN 1.3 Gyr OF THE BIG BANG REVEALED BY ALMA

We present further analysis of the [CII] 158$\mu$m fine structure line and thermal dust continuum emission from the archetype extreme starburst/AGN group of galaxies in the early Universe, BRI 1202-0725 at $z=4.7$, using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. The group is long noted for having a closely separated (26kpc in projection) FIR-hyperluminous quasar host galaxy and an optically obscured submm galaxy (SMG). A short ALMA test observation reveals a rich laboratory for the study of the myriad processes involved in clustered massive galaxy formation in the early Universe. Strong [CII] emission from the SMG and the quasar have been reported earlier by Wagg et al. (2012) based on these observations. In this letter, we examine in more detail the imaging results from the ALMA observations, including velocity channel images, position-velocity plots, and line moment images. We present detections of [CII] emission from two Ly$\alpha$-selected galaxies in the group, demonstrating the relative ease with which ALMA can detect the [CII] emission from lower star formation rate galaxies at high redshift. Imaging of the [CII] emission shows a clear velocity gradient across the SMG, possibly indicating rotation or a more complex dynamical system on a scale $\sim 10$kpc. There is evidence in the quasar spectrum and images for a possible outflow toward the southwest, as well as more extended emission (a 'bridge'), between the quasar and the SMG, although the latter could simply be emission from Ly$\alpha$-1 blending with that of the quasar at the limited spatial resolution of the current observations. These results provide an unprecedented view of a major merger of gas rich galaxies driving extreme starbursts and AGN accretion during the formation of massive galaxies and supermassive black holes within 1.3 Gyr of the Big Bang.

Star Formation in Quasar Host Galaxies at Redshift 6: Millimeter Surveys and New Insights from ALMA

AbstractWe have been carrying out a systematic survey of the star formation and ISM properties in the host galaxies of z∼6 quasars. Our 250 GHz observations, together with available data from the literature, yield a sample of 14 z∼6 quasars that are bright in millimeter dust continuum emission with estimated FIR luminosities of a few 1012 to 1013 L⊙. Most of these millimeter-detected z∼6 quasars have also been detected in molecular CO line emission, indicating molecular gas masses on order of 1010 M⊙. We have searched for [C II] 158 micron fine structure line emission toward four of the millimeter bright z∼6 quasars with ALMA and all of them have been detected. All these results suggest massive star formation at rates of about 600 to 2000 M⊙ yr−1 over the central few kpc region of these quasar host galaxies.

C II] LINE EMISSION IN MASSIVE STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT z = 4.7

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the [C ii] 157.7 μm fine structure line and thermal dust continuum emission from a pair of gas-rich galaxies at z = 4.7, BR1202-0725. This system consists of a luminous quasar host galaxy and a bright submillimeter galaxy (SMG), while a fainter star-forming galaxy is also spatially coincident within a 4'' (25 kpc) region. All three galaxies are detected in the submillimeter continuum, indicating FIR luminosities in excess of 1013 L☉ for the two most luminous objects. The SMG and the quasar host galaxy are both detected in [C ii] line emission with luminosities L[C ii] = (10.0 ± 1.5) × 109 L☉ and L[C ii] = (6.5 ± 1.0) × 109 L☉, respectively. We estimate a luminosity ratio L[C ii]/LFIR = (8.3 ± 1.2) × 10−4 for the starburst SMG to the north and L[C ii]/LFIR = (2.5 ± 0.4) × 10−4 for the quasar host galaxy, in agreement with previous high-redshift studies that suggest lower [C ii]-to-FIR luminosity ratios in quasars than in starburst galaxies. The third fainter object with a flux density S340 GHz = 1.9 ± 0.3 mJy is coincident with a Lyα emitter and is detected in HST ACS F775W and F814W images but has no clear counterpart in the H band. Even if this third companion does not lie at a redshift similar to BR1202-0725, the quasar and the SMG represent an overdensity of massive, infrared luminous star-forming galaxies within 1.3 Gyr of the big bang.

ALMA reveals a chemically evolved submillimeter galaxy atz= 4.76

The chemical properties of high-z galaxies provide important information to constrain galaxy evolutionary scenarios. However, widely-used metallicity diagnostics based on rest-frame optical emission lines are not usable for heavily dust-enshrouded galaxies (such as Sub-Millimeter Galaxies; SMGs), especially at z>3. Here we focus on the flux ratio of the far-infrared fine-structure emission lines [NII]205um and [CII]158um to assess the metallicity of high-z SMGs. Through ALMA cycle 0 observations, we have detected the [NII]205um emission in a strongly [CII]-emitting SMG, LESS J033229.4-275619 at z=4.76. The velocity-integrated [NII]/[CII] flux ratio is 0.043 +/- 0.008. This is the first measurement of the [NII]/[CII] flux ratio in high-z galaxies, and the inferred flux ratio is similar to the ratio observed in the nearby universe (~0.02-0.07). The velocity-integrated flux ratio and photoionization models suggest that the metallicity in this SMG is consistent with solar, implying the chemical evolution has progressed very rapidly in this system at z=4.76. We also obtain a tight upper limit on the CO(12-11) transition, which translates into CO(12-11)/CO(2-1) <3.8 (3 sigma). This suggests that the molecular gas clouds in LESS J033229.4-275619 are not affected significantly by the radiation field emitted by the AGN in this system.

Spatial variation of the cooling lines in the Orion Bar fromHerschel/PACS

We present spatially resolved Herschel/PACS observations of the Orion Bar. We have characterise the emission of the far-infrared fine-structure lines of [CII] (158um), [OI] (63 and 145um), and [NII] (122um) that trace the gas local conditions. The observed distribution and variation of the lines are discussed in relation to the underlying geometry and linked to the energetics associated with the Trapezium stars. These observations enable us to map the spatial distribution of these fine-structure lines with a spatial resolution between 4" and 11" and covering a total square area of about 120"x105". The spatial profile of the emission lines are modelled using the radiative transfer code Cloudy. We find that the spatial distribution of the [CII] line coincides with that of the [OI] lines. The [NII] line peaks closer to the ionising star than the other three lines, but with a small region of overlap. We can distinguish several knots of enhanced emission within the Bar indicating the presence of an inhomogenous and structured medium. The emission profiles cannot be reproduced by a single photo-dissociation region, clearly indicating that, besides the Bar, there is a significant contribution from additional photo-dissociation region(s) over the area studied. The combination of both the [NII] and [OI] 145um lines can be used to estimate the [CII] emission and distinguish between its ionised or neutral origin. We have calculated how much [CII] emission comes from the neutral and ionised region, and find that at least 82% originates from the photo-dissocciation region. Together, the [CII] 158um and [OI] 63 and 145um lines account for 90% of the power emitted by the main cooling lines in the Bar (including CO, H2, etc...), with [OI] 63um alone accounting for 72% of the total.

C+emission from the Magellanic Clouds

We study the 158 micron [CII] fine-structure line emission from star-forming regions as a function of metallicity. We have measured and mapped the [CII] emission from the very bright HII region complexes N 11 in the LMC and N 66 in the SMC, as well as the SMC HII regions N 25, N 27, N 83/N 84, and N 88, with the FIFI instrument on the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. In both the LMC and SMC, the ratio of the [CII] line to the CO line and to the far-infrared continuum emission is much higher than seen almost anywhere else, including Milky Way star-forming regions and whole galaxies. In the low metallicity, low dust-abundance environment of the LMC and the SMC, UV mean free path lengths are much greater than those in the higher-metallicity Milky Way. The increased photoelectric heating efficiencies cause significantly greater relative [CII] line emission strengths. At the same time, similar decreases in PAH abundances have the opposite effect, by diminishing photoelectric heating rates. Consequently, in low-metallicity environments the relative [CII] strengths are high but exhibit little further dependence on actual metallicity. Relative [CII] strengths are slightly higher in the LMC than in the SMC, which has both lower dust and lower PAH abundances.

SIMPLE MODELS OF METAL-LINE ABSORPTION AND EMISSION FROM COOL GAS OUTFLOWS

We analyze the absorption and emission-line profiles produced by a set of simple, cool gas wind models motivated by galactic-scale outflow observations. We implement monte carlo radiative transfer techniques that track the propagation of scattered and fluorescent photons to generate 1D spectra and 2D spectral images. We focus on the MgII 2796,28303 doublet and FeII UV1 multiplet at ~2600A, but the results are applicable to other transitions that trace outflows (e.g. NaI, Lya, SiII). By design, the resonance transitions show blue-shifted absorption but one also predicts strong resonance and fine-structure line-emission at roughly the systemic velocity. This line-emission `fills-in' the absorption reducing the equivalent width by up to 50%, shift the absorption-lin centroid by tens of km/s, and reduce the effective opacity near systemic. Analysis of cool gas outflows that ignores this line-emission may incorrectly infer that the gas is partially covered, measure asignificantly lower peak optical depth, and/or conclude that gas at systemic velocity is absent. Because the FeII lines are connected by optically-thin transitions to fine-structure levels, their profiles more closely reproduce the intrinsic opacity of the wind. Together these results naturally explain the absorption and emission-line characteristics observed for star-forming galaxies at z<1. We also study a scenario promoted to describe the outflows of z~3 Lyman break galaxies and find prfiles inconsistent with the observations due to scattered photon emission. Although line-emission complicates the analysis of absorption-line profiles, the surface brightness profiles offer a unique means of assessing the morphology and size of galactic-scale winds. Furthermore, the kinematics and line-ratios offer powerful diagnostics of outflows, motivating deep, spatially-extended spectroscopic observations.

Spitzerspectral line mapping of the HH211 outflow

Aims: We employ archival Spitzer slit-scan observations of the HH211 outflow in order to investigate its warm gas content, assess the jet mass flux in the form of H2 and probe for the existence of an embedded atomic jet. Methods: Detected molecular and atomic lines are interpreted by means of emission line diagnostics and an existing grid of molecular shock models. The physical properties of the warm gas are compared against other molecular jet tracers and to the results of a similar study towards the L1448-C outflow. Results: We have detected and mapped the v=0-0 S(0) - S(7) H2 lines and fine-structure lines of S, Fe+, and Si+. H2 is detected down to 5" from the source and is characterized by a "cool" T~300K and a "warm" T~1000 K component, with an extinction Av ~ 8 mag. The amount of cool H2 towards the jet agrees with that estimated from CO assuming fully molecular gas. The warm component is well fitted by C-type shocks with a low beam filling factor ~ 0.01-0.04 and a mass-flux similar to the cool H2. The fine-structure line emission arises from dense gas with ionization fraction ~0.5 - 5 x 10e-3, suggestive of dissociative shocks. Line ratios to sulfur indicate that iron and silicon are depleted compared to solar abundances by a factor ~10-50. Conclusions: Spitzer spectral mapping observations reveal for the first time a cool H$_2$ component towards the CO jet of HH211 consistent with the CO material being fully molecular and warm at ~ 300 K. The maps also reveal for the first time the existence of an embedded atomic jet in the HH211 outflow that can be traced down to the central source position. Its significant iron and silicon depletion excludes an origin from within the dust sublimation zone around the protostar. The momentum-flux seems insufficient to entrain the CO jet, although current uncertainties on jet speed and shock conditions are too large for a definite conclusion.

DIFFUSE FAR-UV LINE EMISSION FROM THE LOW-REDSHIFT LYMAN BREAK GALAXY ANALOG KISSR242

We present new ultraviolet (UV) observations of the luminous compact blue galaxy KISSR242, obtained with the HST-COS. We identify multiple resolved sub-arcsecond near-UV sources within the COS aperture. The far-UV spectroscopic data show strong outflow absorption lines, consistent with feedback processes related to an episode of massive star-formation. OI, CII, and SiII--SiIV are observed with a mean outflow velocity v_{out} = -60 km/s. We also detect faint fine-structure emission lines of singly ionized silicon for the first time in a low-redshift starburst galaxy. These emissions have been seen previously in deep Lyman break galaxy surveys at z ~ 3. The SiII* lines are at the galaxy rest velocity, and they exhibit a quantitatively different line profile from the absorption features. These lines have a width of ~ 75 km/s, too broad for point-like emission sources such as the HII regions surrounding individual star clusters. The size of the SiII* emitting region is estimated to be ~ 250 pc. We discuss the possibility of this emission arising in overlapping super star cluster HII regions, but find this explanation to be unlikely in light of existing far-UV observations of local star-forming galaxies. We suggest that the observed SiII* emission originates in a diffuse warm halo populated by interstellar gas driven out by intense star-formation and/or accreted during a recent interaction that may be fueling the present starburst episode in KISSR242.

THE ENERGETICS OF MOLECULAR GAS IN NGC 891 FROM H2AND FAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

We have studied the molecular hydrogen energetics of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC\,891, using a 34-position map in the lowest three pure rotational H$_2$ lines observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph. The S(0), S(1), and S(2) lines are bright with an extinction corrected total luminosity of $\sim2.8 \times 10^{7}$ L$_{\odot}$, or 0.09\% of the total-infrared luminosity of NGC\,891. The H$_2$ line ratios are nearly constant along the plane of the galaxy -- we do not observe the previously reported strong drop-off in the S(1)/S(0) line intensity ratio in the outer regions of the galaxy, so we find no evidence for the very massive cold CO-free molecular clouds invoked to explain the past observations. The H$_2$ level excitation temperatures increase monotonically indicating more than one component to the emitting gas. More than 99\% of the mass is in the lowest excitation (T$_{ex}$ $\sim$125 K) ``warm'' component. In the inner galaxy, the warm H$_2$ emitting gas is $\sim$15\% of the CO(1-0)-traced cool molecular gas, while in the outer regions the fraction is twice as high. This large mass of warm gas is heated by a combination of the far-UV photons from stars in photo-dissociation regions (PDRs) and the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. Including the observed far-infrared [OI] and [CII] fine-structure line emission and far-infrared continuum emission in a self-consistent manner to constrain the PDR models, we find essentially all of the S(0) and most (70\%) of the S(1) line arises from low excitation PDRs, while most (80\%) of the S(2) and the remainder of the S(1) line emission arises from low velocity microturbulent dissipation.

DETECTION OF THE 158 μm [C II] TRANSITION AT z = 1.3: EVIDENCE FOR A GALAXY-WIDE STARBURST

We report the detection of 158 micron [CII] fine-structure line emission from MIPS J142824.0+352619, a hyperluminous (L_IR ~ 10^13 L_sun) starburst galaxy at z=1.3. The line is bright, and corresponds to a fraction L_[CII]/L_FIR = 2 x 10^-3 of the far-IR (FIR) continuum. The [CII], CO, and FIR continuum emission may be modeled as arising from photodissociation regions (PDRs) that have a characteristic gas density of n ~ 10^4.2 cm^-3, and that are illuminated by a far-UV radiation field ~10^3.2 times more intense than the local interstellar radiation field. The mass in these PDRs accounts for approximately half of the molecular gas mass in this galaxy. The L_[CII]/L_FIR ratio is higher than observed in local ULIRGs or in the few high-redshift QSOs detected in [CII], but the L_[CII]/L_FIR and L_CO/L_FIR ratios are similar to the values seen in nearby starburst galaxies. This suggests that MIPS J142824.0+352619 is a scaled-up version of a starburst nucleus, with the burst extended over several kiloparsecs.

ASPITZER SPACE TELESCOPEFAR-INFRARED SPECTRAL ATLAS OF COMPACT SOURCES IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS. II. THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD

We present 52-93 micron spectra, obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope, of luminous compact far-IR sources in the SMC. These comprise 9 Young Stellar Objects (YSOs), the compact HII region N81 and a similar object within N84, and two red supergiants (RSGs). The spectra of the sources in N81 (of which we also show the ISO-LWS spectrum between 50-170 micron) and N84 both display strong [OI] 63-micron and [OIII] 88-micron fine-structure line emission. We attribute these lines to strong shocks and photo-ionized gas, respectively, in a ``champagne flow'' scenario. The nitrogen content of these two HII regions is very low, definitely N/O<0.04 but possibly as low as N/O<0.01. Overall, the oxygen lines and dust continuum are weaker in star-forming objects in the SMC than in the LMC. We attribute this to the lower metallicity of the SMC compared to that of the LMC. Whilst the dust mass differs in proportion to metallicity, the oxygen mass differs less; both observations can be reconciled with higher densities inside star-forming cloud cores in the SMC than in the LMC. The dust in the YSOs in the SMC is warmer (37-51 K) than in comparable objects in the LMC (32-44 K). We attribute this to the reduced shielding and reduced cooling at the low metallicity of the SMC. On the other hand, the efficiency of the photo-electric effect to heat the gas is found to be indistinguishable to that measured in the same manner in the LMC, 0.1-0.3%. This may result from higher cloud-core densities, or smaller grains, in the SMC. The dust associated with the two RSGs in our SMC sample is cool, and we argue that it is swept-up interstellar dust, or formed (or grew) within the bow-shock, rather than dust produced in these metal-poor RSGs themselves. Strong emission from crystalline water ice is detected in at least one YSO. (abridged)

Testing PDR models againstISOfine structure line data for extragalactic sources

Far-infrared [C ii] 158 micron, [O i] 145 micron and [O i] 63 micron fine structure emission line fluxes were measured from archival Infrared Space Observatory Long Wavelength Spectrometer spectra of 46 extragalactic sources, with 28 sources providing detections in all three lines. For 12 of the sources, the contribution to the [C ii] 158 micron line flux from H ii regions could be estimated from their detected [N ii] 122 micron line fluxes. The measured [C ii]/[O i] and [O i] 63/145 micron line flux ratios were compared with those from a grid of PDR models previously computed using the UCL PDR code. Persistent offsets between the observed and modelled line ratios could be partly attributed to the effects of [O i] 63 micron self-absorption. Using the SMMOL code, we calculated model [O i] line profiles and found that the strength of the [O i] 63 micron line was reduced by 20-80%, depending on the PDR parameters. We conclude that high PDR densities and radiation field strengths, coupled with the effects of [O i] 63 micron self-absorption, are likely to provide the best match to the observed line flux ratios.

Effects of X-ray irradiation and disc flaring on the [Ne ii] 12.8 μm emission from young stellar objects

The [Ne II] fine-structure emission line at 12.8 micron has been detected in several young stellar objects (YSO) spectra. This line is thought to be produced by X-ray irradiation of the warm protoplanetary disk atmospheres, however the observational correlation between [Ne II] luminosities and measured X-ray luminosities shows a large scatter. Such spread limits the utility of this line as a probe of the gaseous phase of disks, as several authors have suggested pollution by outflows as a probable cause of the observed scatter. In this work we explore the possibility that the large variations in the observed [Ne II] luminosity may be caused instead by different star-disk parameters. In particular we study the effects that the hardness of the irradiating source and the structure (flaring) of the disk have on the luminosity and spectral profile of the [Ne II] 12.8 micron line. We find that varying these parameter can indeed cause up to an order of magnitude variation in the emission luminosities which may explain the scatter observed, although our models predict somewhat smaller luminosities than those recently reported by other authors who observed the line with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Our models also show that the hardness of the spectrum has only a limited (undetectable) effect on the line profiles, while changes in the flaring power of the disk significantly affect the size of the [Ne II] emission region and, as a consequence, its line profile. In particular we suggest that broad line profiles centred on the stellar radial velocity may be indicative of flat disks seen at large inclination angles.

Testing PDR models against ISO fine structure line data for extragalactic sources

AbstractStudies of our own Galaxy and observations of external galaxies have suggested that stellar ultraviolet radiation can ionize vast volumes of a galaxy and that far-ultraviolet radiation impinging on neutral cloud surfaces is responsible for a large fraction of the observed far-infrared (FIR) spectral line emission that cools the gas (Crawford &amp; al. (1985)). Fine structure (FS) emission lines can be used as tracers of nebular conditions such as density, excitation and ionization. By virtue of their different excitation potentials and critical densities, FS emission lines provide an insight into the energetics and chemical composition of the regions from which they originate. The far infrared [C ii]158 μm, [O i]145 μm and [O i]63 μm fine structure emission lines obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) from 35 extragalactic sources are examined to investigate the chemical abundances and large scales physical properties of these sources. Line fluxes are compared with a grid of PDR models previously computed using the UCL_PDR code. We overplotted our model predictions against flux ratios from the [C ii]158 μm and [O i]63 μm and 145 μm ISO LWS fluxes. In this section we will only discuss the sensitivity of the ratios to changes in the input parameters. We find that the average radiation field G0 is 60–8 × 102 and the average density nH 104−9 × 104 cm−3. While ionised carbon, because of its ionisation potential, can be found in both neutral gas and ionised gas clouds, species such as ionised nitrogen [N ii], with ionisation potential of 14.53 eV, can arise only from H ii regions. The 11 sources that have detections of both [C ii] 158 μm and [N ii] 122 μm have mean and median [C ii]158/[N ii]122 flux ratios of 10.2 and 5.9 respectively. A H ii region [C ii]158/[N ii]122 ratio of 1.6 implies that H ii region contribute only 16% (mean case) and 27% (median case) of the overall [C ii] 158 μm flux that is observed. We used the above predicted H ii region [C ii]158/[N ii]122 ratio of 1.6 along with the observed [N ii] 122 μm fluxes, to correct the observed [C ii] 158 μm flux of these 11 sources for H ii region contributions. We estimate that 10-60% of the [C ii] is excited in ionised regions. When accounting for the contribution to the [C ii] 158 μm by H ii regions we found that our models fitted better the observations. We modeled the oxygen emission line profile emitted from an ensemble of PDRs and found a clear [O i] 63 μm self-absorbed profile. We estimate that approximately 20-70% of the [O i] 63 μm intensity may be suppressed through oxygen self-absorption depending on the physical parameters of the PDR regions. This work has been submitted for publication to MNRAS, Vasta et al. (2009).