Radiation Field Strength Research Articles

Processing of hydrocarbon dust in star-forming galaxies revealed with AKARI

Abstract Hydrocarbon dust is one of the dominant components of interstellar dust, which mainly consists of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons. While hydrocarbon dust is thought to be processed in interstellar radiation fields or shocks, detailed processing mechanisms are not completely understood yet. We investigate the processing of hydrocarbon dust by analyzing the relation between the luminosities emitted by hydrocarbon dust and the total infrared luminosities $(L_{\mathrm{IR}})$ for 138 star-forming galaxies at redshift $z \lt 0.3$. Using near-infrared 2.5–5$\, \mu {\rm m}$ spectra obtained with AKARI, we derived the luminosities of the aromatic hydrocarbon feature at 3.3$\, \mu {\rm m}$ ($L_\mathrm{aromatic}$) and the aliphatic hydrocarbon feature at 3.4–3.6$\, \mu {\rm m}$ ($L_\mathrm{aliphatic}$). We also derived $L_\mathrm{IR}$ and the radiation field strength by modeling the spectral energy distributions of the 138 galaxies with AKARI, WISE, and IRAS photometry data. We find that galaxies with higher $L_\mathrm{IR}$ tend to exhibit lower $L_\mathrm{aliphatic}/L_\mathrm{aromatic}$ ratios. Furthermore, we find that there is an anti-correlation between $L_\mathrm{aliphatic}/L_\mathrm{aromatic}$ ratios and the radiation field strength, and also that the galaxies with low $L_\mathrm{aliphatic}/L_\mathrm{aromatic}$ ratios are dominated by merger galaxies. These results support the suggestion that hydrocarbon dust is processed through photodissociation in strong radiation fields and/or shocks during merging processes of galaxies; the $L_\mathrm{aliphatic}/L_\mathrm{aromatic}$ ratio is likely to decrease in such harsh interstellar conditions since the aliphatic bonds are known to be chemically weaker than the aromatic bonds.

First Constraints on the Interstellar Medium Conditions of a Low-mass, Highly Obscured z = 4.27 Main-sequence Galaxy

We present the molecular gas content and interstellar medium conditions of MACS J0717_Az9, a strong gravitationally lensed z = 4.273, M * ≃ 2 × 109 M ⊙ star-forming galaxy with an unusually high (∼80%) obscured star formation fraction. We detect CO (4–3) in two independent lensed images, as well as [N ii] 205 μm, with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. We derive a molecular gas mass of log 10[MH2(M⊙)]=9.77 , making it moderately deficient in molecular gas compared to the lower-redshift gas fraction scaling relation. Leveraging photodissociation region (PDR) models, we combine our CO (4–3) measurements with existing measurements of the [C ii] 158 μm line and total infrared luminosity to model the PDR conditions. We find PDR conditions similar to those in local star-forming galaxies, with a mean hydrogen density log10[n H cm−3] = 4.80 ± 0.39 and a mean radiation field strength log10[G 0 Habing] = 2.83 ± 0.26. Based on Band 3 continuum data, we derive an upper limit on the intrinsic dust mass of log10[M dust(M ⊙)] < 7.73, consistent with existing estimates. We use the 3D tilted-ring model fitting code 3D-Barolo to determine the kinematic properties of the CO (4–3) emitting gas. We find that it is rotationally dominated, with a V/σ = 4.6 ± 1.7, consistent with the kinematics of the [C ii]. With PDR conditions remarkably similar to those in normal dusty star-forming galaxies at z < 0.2 and a stable molecular disk, our observations of Az9 suggest that the dust-obscured phase for a low-mass galaxy at z ∼ 4 is relatively long. Thus, Az9 may be representative of a more widespread population that has been missed owing to insufficiently deep existing millimeter surveys.

Analysis of the Electromagnetic Effect Mechanism of EED under Continuous Wave Radiation

The electromagnetic radiation sensitivity of the electric explosive device (EED) and its installed use state is closely related to the size of the equipment and radiation field strength constraints. The use of the traditional all-level electromagnetic radiation method for the effect of the actual installed EED test in the electromagnetic environment simulation encountered a technical bottleneck. The microwave band is difficult to effectively assess through the current standing wave distribution and skin effect. The temperature rise of the EED bridge wire has no relationship with the frequency of the electromagnetic wave. In this paper, through the analysis of the electromagnetic effect mechanism of the EED, the coupled power model of electromagnetic irradiation of the EED is obtained, and the relationship between the temperature rise of the bridge wire of the EED and the electric field strength model is established. Under the action of high-frequency continuous waves, the electromagnetic effect of the device is tested to verify the correctness of the mechanism analysis of the electromagnetic effect of the device under the action of continuous waves. The results provide crucial technical support for the electromagnetic protection of the device under the harsh electromagnetic environment of the battlefield.

Resolved Measurements of the CO-to-H2 Conversion Factor in 37 Nearby Galaxies

We measure the CO-to-H2 conversion factor (α CO) in 37 galaxies at 2 kpc resolution, using the dust surface density inferred from far-infrared emission as a tracer of the gas surface density and assuming a constant dust-to-metal ratio. In total, we have ∼790 and ∼610 independent measurements of α CO for CO (2–1) and (1–0), respectively. The mean values for α CO (2–1) and α CO (1–0) are 9.3−5.4+4.6 and 4.2−2.0+1.9M⊙pc−2(Kkms−1)−1 , respectively. The CO-intensity-weighted mean is 5.69 for α CO (2–1) and 3.33 for α CO (1–0). We examine how α CO scales with several physical quantities, e.g., the star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass, and dust-mass-weighted average interstellar radiation field strength ( U¯ ). Among them, U¯ , ΣSFR, and the integrated CO intensity (W CO) have the strongest anticorrelation with spatially resolved α CO. We provide linear regression results to α CO for all quantities tested. At galaxy-integrated scales, we observe significant correlations between α CO and W CO, metallicity, U¯ , and ΣSFR. We also find that α CO in each galaxy decreases with the stellar mass surface density (Σ⋆) in high-surface-density regions (Σ⋆ ≥ 100 M ⊙ pc−2), following the power-law relations αCO(2–1)∝Σ⋆−0.5 and αCO(1–0)∝Σ⋆−0.2 . The power-law index is insensitive to the assumed dust-to-metal ratio. We interpret the decrease in α CO with increasing Σ⋆ as a result of higher velocity dispersion compared to isolated, self-gravitating clouds due to the additional gravitational force from stellar sources, which leads to the reduction in α CO. The decrease in α CO at high Σ⋆ is important for accurately assessing molecular gas content and star formation efficiency in the centers of galaxies, which bridge “Milky Way–like” to “starburst-like” conversion factors.

α-enhanced astrochemistry: the carbon cycle in extreme galactic conditions

ABSTRACT Astrochemistry has been widely developed as a power tool to probe the physical properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) in various conditions of the Milky Way (MW) Galaxy, and in near and distant galaxies. Most current studies conventionally apply linear scaling to all elemental abundances based on the gas-phase metallicity. However, these elements, including carbon and oxygen, are enriched differentially by stellar nucleosynthesis and the overall galactic chemical evolution, evident from α-enhancement in multiple galactic observations such as starbursts, high-redshift star-forming galaxies, and low-metallicity dwarfs. We perform astrochemical modelling to simulate the impact of an α-enhanced ISM gas cloud on the abundances of the three phases of carbon (C+, C, CO) dubbed as ‘the carbon cycle’. The ISM environmental parameters considered include two cosmic-ray ionization rates (ζCR = 10−17 and $10^{-15}\, {\rm s}^{-1}$), two isotropic FUV radiation field strengths (χ/χ0 = 1 and 102), and (sub-)linear dust-to-gas relations against metallicity, mimicking the ISM conditions of different galaxy types. In galaxies with [C/O] &amp;lt; 0, CO, C, and C+, all decrease in both abundances and emission, though with differential biases. The low-J CO emission is found to be the most stable tracer for the molecular gas, while C and C+ trace H2 gas only under limited conditions, in line with recent discoveries of [C i]-dark galaxies. We call for caution when using [C ii] $158\, \mu$m and [C i](1–0) as alternative H2-gas tracers for both diffuse and dense gas with non-zero [C/O] ratios.

Predicting the Radiation Field of Molecular Clouds Using Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models

Accurately quantifying the impact of radiation feedback in star formation is challenging. To address this complex problem, we employ deep-learning techniques known as denoising diffusion probabilistic models (DDPMs) to predict the interstellar radiation field (ISRF) strength based on three-band dust emission at 4.5, 24, and 250 μm. We adopt magnetohydrodynamic simulations from the STARFORGE project that model star formation and giant molecular cloud (GMC) evolution. We generate synthetic dust emission maps matching observed spectral energy distributions in the Monoceros R2 (MonR2) GMC. We train DDPMs to estimate the ISRF using synthetic three-band dust emission. The dispersion between the predictions and true values is within a factor of 0.1 for the test set. We extended our assessment of the diffusion model to include new simulations with varying physical parameters. While there is a consistent offset observed in these out-of-distribution simulations, the model effectively constrains the relative intensity to within a factor of 2. Meanwhile, our analysis reveals a weak correlation between the ISRF solely derived from dust temperature and the actual ISRF. We apply our trained model to predict the ISRF in MonR2, revealing a correspondence between intense ISRF, bright sources, and high dust emission, confirming the model’s ability to capture ISRF variations. Our model robustly predicts radiation feedback distribution, even in complex, poorly constrained ISRF environments like those influenced by nearby star clusters. However, precise ISRF predictions require an accurate training data set mirroring the target molecular cloud’s unique physical conditions.

Shock excitation of H2 in the James Webb Space Telescope era

Context. Molecular hydrogen, H2, is the most abundant molecule in the Universe. Thanks to its widely spaced energy levels, it predominantly lights up in warm gas, T ≳ 102 K, such as shocked regions externally irradiated or not by interstellar UV photons, and it is one of the prime targets of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations. These may include shocks from protostellar outflows, supernova remnants impinging on molecular clouds, all the way up to starburst galaxies and active galactic nuclei. Aims. Sophisticated shock models are able to simulate H2 emission from such shocked regions. We aim to explore H2 excitation using shock models, and to test over which parameter space distinct signatures are produced in H2 emission. Methods. We here present simulated H2 emission using the Paris-Durham shock code over an extensive grid of ~14 000 plane-parallel stationary shock models, a large subset of which are exposed to a semi-isotropic external UV radiation field. The grid samples six input parameters: the preshock density, shock velocity, transverse magnetic field strength, UV radiation field strength, the cosmic-ray-ionization rate, and the abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs. Physical quantities resulting from our self-consistent calculations, such as temperature, density, and width, have been extracted along with H2 integrated line intensities. These simulations and results are publicly available on the Interstellar Medium Services platform. Results. The strength of the transverse magnetic field, as quantified by the magnetic scaling factor, b, plays a key role in the excitation of H2. At low values of b (≲0.3, J-type shocks), H2 excitation is dominated by vibrationally excited lines; whereas, at higher values (b ≳ 1, C-type shocks), rotational lines dominate the spectrum for shocks with an external radiation field comparable to (or lower than) the solar neighborhood. Shocks with b ≥ 1 can potentially be spatially resolved with JWST for nearby objects. H2 is typically the dominant coolant at lower densities (≲104 cm−3); at higher densities, other molecules such as CO, OH, and H2O take over at velocities ≲20 km s−1 and atoms, for example, H, O, and S, dominate at higher velocities. Together, the velocity and density set the input kinetic energy flux. When this increases, the excitation and integrated intensity of H2 increases similarly. An external UV field mainly serves to increase the excitation, particularly for shocks where the input radiation energy is comparable to the input kinetic energy flux. These results provide an overview of the energetic reprocessing of input kinetic energy flux and the resulting H2 line emission.

Far-infrared line emission from the outer Galaxy cluster Gy 3–7 with SOFIA/FIFI-LS: Physical conditions and UV fields

Context. Far-infrared (FIR) line emission provides key information about the gas cooling and heating due to shocks and UV radiation associated with the early stages of star formation. Gas cooling via FIR lines might, however, depend on metallicity. Aims. We aim to quantify the FIR line emission and determine the spatial distribution of the CO rotational temperature, ultraviolet (UV) radiation field, and H2 number density toward the embedded cluster Gy 3–7 in the CMa–l224 star-forming region, whose metallicity is expected to be intermediate between that of the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Solar neighborhood. By comparing the total luminosities of CO and [OI] toward Gy 3–7 with values found for low- and high-mass protostars extending over a broad range of metallicities, we also aim to identify the possible effects of metallicity on the FIR line cooling within our Galaxy. Methods. We studied SOFIA/FIFI-LS spectra of Gy 3–7, covering several CO transitions from J = 14–13 to 31-30, the OH doublet at 79 μm, the [OI] 63.2 and 145.5 μm, and the [CII] 158 μm lines. The field of view covers a 2′ × 1′ region with a resolution of ~7″–18″. Results. The spatial extent of CO high-J (Jup ≥14) emission resembles that of the elongated 160 μm continuum emission detected with Herschel, but its peaks are offset from the positions of the dense cores. The [OI] lines at 63.2 μm and 145.5 μm follow a similar pattern, but their peaks are found closer to the positions of the cores. The CO transitions from J = 14–13 to J = 16–15 are detected throughout the cluster and show a median rotational temperature of 170 ± 30 K on Boltzmann diagrams. Comparisons to other protostars observed with Berschel show a good agreement with intermediate-mass sources in the inner Galaxy. Assuming an origin of the [OI] and high-J CO emission in UV-irradiated C–shocks, we obtained pre-shock H2 number densities of 104–105 cm−3 and UV radiation field strengths of 0.1–10 Habing fields (G0). Conclusions. Far-IR line observations reveal ongoing star formation in Gy 3–7, dominated by intermediate-mass Class 0/I young stellar objects. The ratio of molecular-to-atomic far-IR line emission shows a decreasing trend with bolometric luminosities of the protostars. However, it does not indicate that the low-metallicity has an impact on the line cooling in Gy 3–7.

Physics and Chemistry of Radiation Driven Cloud Evolution. [C ii] Kinematics of IC 59, and IC 63

We used high-resolution [C ii] 158 μm mapping of two nebulae IC 59 and IC 63 from SOFIA/upGREAT in conjunction with ancillary data of the gas, dust, and polarization to probe the kinematics, structure, and magnetic properties of their photodissociation regions (PDRs). The nebulae are part of the Sh 2-185 H ii region that is illuminated by the B0 IVe star γ Cas. The velocity structure of each PDR changes with distance from γ Cas, which is consistent with driving by the radiation. Based on previous far-ultraviolet (FUV) flux measurements of, and the known distance to, γ Cas, along with the predictions of 3D distances to the clouds, we estimated the FUV radiation field strength (G 0) at the clouds. Assuming negligible extinction between the star and clouds, we find their 3D distances from γ Cas. For IC 63, our results are consistent with earlier estimates of distance from Andersson et al., locating the cloud at ∼2 pc from γ Cas at an angle of 58° to the plane of the sky behind the star. For IC 59, we derive a distance of 4.5 pc at an angle of 70° in front of the star. We do not detect any significant correlation between the orientation of the magnetic field and the velocity gradients of [C ii] gas, which indicates a moderate magnetic field strength. The kinetic energy in IC 63 is estimated to be an order of 10 higher than the magnetic energies. This suggests that kinetic pressure in this nebula is dominant.

High-angular-resolution NIR view of the Orion Bar revealed by Keck/NIRC2

Context. Nearby photo-dissociation regions (PDRs), where the gas and dust are heated by the far-ultraviolet (FUV) irradiation emitted from stars, are ideal templates with which to study the main stellar feedback processes. Aims. With this study, we aim to probe the detailed structures at the interfaces between ionized, atomic, and molecular gas in the Orion Bar. This nearby prototypical strongly irradiated PDR are among the first targets of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) within the framework of the PDRs4All Early Release Science program. Methods. We employed the subarcsecond resolution accessible with Keck-II NIRC2 and its adaptive optics system to obtain images of the vibrationally excited line H2 1−0 S(1) at 2.12 µm that are more detailed and complete than ever before. H2 1−0 S(1) traces the dissociation front (DF), and the [FeII] and Brγ lines, at 1.64 and 2.16 µm, respectively, trace the ionization front (IF). The former is a powerful tracer of the FUV radiation field strength and gas density distribution at the PDR edge, while the last two trace the temperature and density distribution from the ionized gas to the PDR. We obtained narrow-band filter images in these key gas line diagnostics over ~40″ at spatial scales of ~0.1″ (~0.0002 pc or ~40 AU at 414 pc). Results. The Keck/Near Infrared Camera 2 (NIRC2) observations spatially resolve a plethora of irradiated substructures such as ridges, filaments, globules, and proplyds. This portends what JWST should accomplish and how it will complement the highest resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) maps of the molecular cloud. We observe a remarkable spatial coincidence between the H2 1−0 S(1) vibrational and HCO+ J = 4−3 rotational emission previously obtained with ALMA. This likely indicates the intimate link between these two molecular species and highlights that in high-pressure PDRs, the H/H2 and C+/C/CO transitions zones come closer than in a typical layered structure of a constant density PDR. The H/H2 dissociation front appears as a highly structured region containing substructures with a typical thickness of a few ~10−3 pc.

The Detection of Hot Molecular Cores in the Small Magellanic Cloud

We report the first detection of hot molecular cores in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a nearby dwarf galaxy with 0.2 solar metallicity. We observed two high-mass young stellar objects in the SMC with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and detected emission lines of CO, HCO+, H13CO+, SiO, H2CO, CH3OH, SO, and SO2. Compact hot-core regions are traced by SO2, whose spatial extent is about 0.1 pc, and the gas temperature is higher than 100 K based on the rotation diagram analysis. In contrast, CH3OH, a classical hot-core tracer, is dominated by extended (∼0.2–0.3 pc) components in both sources, and the gas temperature is estimated to be K for one source. Protostellar outflows are also detected from both sources as high-velocity components of CO. The metallicity-scaled abundances of SO2 in hot cores are comparable among the SMC, Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and Galactic sources, suggesting that the chemical reactions leading to SO2 formation would be regulated by elemental abundances. On the other hand, CH3OH shows a large abundance variation within SMC and LMC hot cores. The diversity in the initial condition of star formation (e.g., degree of shielding, local radiation field strength) may lead to the large abundance variation of organic molecules in hot cores. This work, in conjunction with previous hot-core studies in the LMC and outer/inner Galaxy, suggests that the formation of a hot core would be a common phenomenon during high-mass star formation across the metallicity range of 0.2–1 Z⊙. High-excitation SO2 lines will be a useful hot-core tracer in the low-metallicity environments of the SMC and LMC.

3D radiative transfer modelling and virial analysis of starless cores in the B10 region of the Taurus molecular cloud

ABSTRACT Low-mass stars like our Sun begin their evolution within cold (10 K) and dense (∼105 cm−3) cores of gas and dust. The physical structure of starless cores is best probed by thermal emission of dust grains. We present a high-resolution dust continuum study of the starless cores in the B10 region of the Taurus Molecular Cloud. New observations at 1.2 and 2.0 mm (12 and 18 arcsec resolution) with the NIKA2 instrument on the IRAM 30m have probed the inner regions of 14 low-mass starless cores. We perform sophisticated 3D radiative transfer modelling for each of these cores through the radiative transfer framework pandora, which utilizes RADMC-3D. Model best-fits constrain each cores’ central density, density slope, aspect ratio, opacity, and interstellar radiation field strength. These ‘typical’ cores in B10 span central densities from 5 × 104 to 1 × 106 cm−3, with a mean value of 2.6 × 105 cm−3. We find the dust opacity laws assumed in the 3D modelling, as well as the estimates from Herschel, have dust emissivity indices, β’s, on the lower end of the distribution constrained directly from the NIKA2 maps, which averages to β = 2.01 ± 0.48. From our 3D density structures and archival NH3 data, we perform a self-consistent virial analysis to assess each core’s stability. Ignoring magnetic field contributions, we find nine out of the 14 cores (64 per cent) are either in virial equilibrium or are bound by gravity and external pressure. To push the bounded cores back to equilibrium, an effective magnetic field difference of only ∼15 $\mu$G is needed.

Physical conditions for dust grain alignment in Class 0 protostellar cores

Context. High angular resolution observations of Class 0 protostars have produced detailed maps of the polarized dust emission in the envelopes of these young embedded objects. Interestingly, the improved sensitivity brought by ALMA has revealed wide dynamic ranges of polarization fractions, with specific locations harboring surprisingly large amounts of polarized dust emission. Aims. Our aim is to characterize the grain alignment conditions and dust properties responsible for the observed polarized dust emission in the inner envelopes (≤1000 au) of Class 0 protostars. Methods. We analyzed the polarized dust emission maps obtained with ALMA and compared them to molecular line emission maps of specific molecular tracers, mainly C2H, which allowed us to probe one of the key components in dust grain alignment theories: the irradiation field. Results. We show that C2H peaks toward outflow cavity walls, where the polarized dust emission is also enhanced. Our analysis provides a tentative correlation between the morphology of the polarized intensity and C2H emission, suggesting that the radiation field impinging on the cavity walls favors both the grain alignment and the warm carbon chain chemistry in these regions. We propose that shocks happening along outflow cavity walls could potentially represent an additional source of photons contributing to dust grain alignment. However, some parts of the cores, such as the equatorial planes, exhibit enhanced polarized flux, although no radiation driven chemistry is observed, for example where radiative torques are theoretically not efficient enough. This suggests that additional physical conditions, such as source geometry and dust grain evolution, may play a role in grain alignment. Conclusions. Comparing chemical processes with grain alignment physics opens a promising avenue to develop our understanding of the dust grain evolution (i.e., their origin, growth, and structure) in the interior of Class 0 protostars. The source geometry and evolution can represent important factors that set the environmental conditions of the inner envelope, determining whether the radiation field strength and spectrum can drive efficient dust grain alignment via radiative torques.

O i] 6300 Å emission as a probe of external photoevaporation of protoplanetary discs

ABSTRACT We study the utility of the [O i] 6300 Å forbidden line for identifying and interpreting externally driven photoevaporative winds in different environments and at a range of distances. Thermally excited [O i] 6300 Å is a well-known tracer of inner disc winds, so any external contribution needs to be distinguishable. In external winds, the line is not thermally excited and instead results from the dissociation of OH, and we study how the line luminosity resulting from that process scales with the disc/environmental parameters. We find that the line luminosity increases dramatically with FUV radiation field strength above around 5000 G0. The predicted luminosities from our models are consistent with measurements of the line luminosity of proplyds in the Orion Nebula Cluster. The high luminosity in strong UV environments alone may act as a diagnostic, but a rise in the [O i]-to-accretion luminosity ratio is predicted to better separate the two contributions. This could provide a means of identifying external photoevaporation in distant clusters where the proplyd morphology of evaporating discs cannot be spatially resolved.

Stellar feedback in M 83 as observed with MUSE

Context. Energy and momentum injected by young, massive stars into the surrounding gas play an important role in regulating further star formation and in determining the galaxy’s global properties. Before supernovae begin to explode, stellar feedback consists of two main processes: radiation pressure and photoionisation. Aims. We study pre-supernova feedback and constrain the leakage of Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation in a sample of ∼4700 H II regions in the nearby spiral galaxy M 83. We explore the impact that the galactic environment and intrinsic physical properties (metallicity, extinction, and stellar content) have on the early phases of H II region evolution. Methods. We combined VLT/MUSE observations of the ionised gas with young star cluster physical properties derived from HST multiwavelength data. We identified H II regions based on their Hα emission, and cross-matched the sample with planetary nebulae and supernova remnants to assess contaminant sources and identify evolved H II regions. We also spectroscopically identified Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars populating the star-forming regions. We estimated the physical properties of the H II regions (luminosity, size, oxygen abundance, and electron density). For each H II region, we computed the pressure of ionised gas (Pion) and the direct radiation pressure (Pdir) acting in the region, and investigated how they vary with galactocentric distance, with the physical properties of the region, and with the pressure of the galactic environment (PDE). For a subset of ∼500 regions, we also investigated the link between the pressure terms and the properties of the cluster population (age, mass, and LyC flux). By comparing the LyC flux derived from Hα emission with the one modelled from their clusters and WRs, we furthermore constrained any escape of LyC radiation (fesc). Results. We find that Pion dominates over Pdir by at least a factor of 10 on average over the disk. Both pressure terms are strongly enhanced and become almost comparable in the central starburst region. In the disk (R ≥ 0.15 Re), we observe that Pdir stays approximately constant with galactocentric distance. We note that Pdir is positively correlated with an increase in radiation field strength (linked to the negative metallicity gradient in the galaxy), while it decreases in low extinction regions, as is expected if the amount of dust to which the momentum can be imparted decreases. In addition, Pion decreases constantly for increasing galactocentric distances; this trend correlates with the decrease in extinction – indicative of more evolved and thus less compact regions – and with changes in the galactic environment (traced by a decrease in PDE). In general, we observe that H II regions near the centre are underpressured with respect to their surroundings, whereas regions in the rest of the disk are overpressured and hence expanding. We find that regions hosting younger clusters or those that have more mass in young star clusters have a higher internal pressure, indicating that clustered star formation likely plays a dominant role in setting the pressure. Finally, we estimate that only 13% of H II regions hosting young clusters and WR stars have fesc ≥ 0, which suggests that star formation taking place outside young clusters makes a non-negligible contribution to ionising H II regions.

Electromagnetic Radiation Mechanism Analysis and Field Strength Prediction of an Elementary Digital Inverter with Cables

In this paper, common mode (CM) and differential mode (DM) far-field radiation models of a typical digital inverter with cables are built up to predict electromagnetic field strength and analyze field characteristics. The CM current model and its analyses are based on the imbalance difference method. It is found out that the voltage between the drain and the source electrodes of upper transistor is the key equivalent source of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Far-field radiation strength of the digital inverter in free space is predicted by using the asymmetrical antenna radiation method and current loop radiation method. The accuracy of these methods is verified by the CST electromagnetic simulation results in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 400 MHz. Furthermore, the radiation models are improved by using the mirror method, which enables to include the reflection effect of the metal ground plane at the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test site. Both the results of measurements in a semi-anechoic chamber and the simulation results confirm the proposed electromagnetic radiation prediction method.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon emission model in photodissociation regions – I. Application to the 3.3, 6.2, and 11.2 μm bands

ABSTRACT We present a charge distribution based model that computes the infrared spectrum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules using recent measurements or quantum chemical calculations of specific PAHs. The model is applied to a sample of well-studied photodissociation regions (PDRs) with well-determined physical conditions (the radiation field strength, G0, electron density ne, and the gas temperature, Tgas). Specifically, we modelled the emission of five PAHs ranging in size from 18 to 96 carbon atoms, over a range of physical conditions characterized by the ionization parameter $\gamma = G_{0}\times T_{\rm gas}^{1/2}/n_{e}$. The anions emerge as the dominant charge carriers in low γ (&amp;lt;2 × 102) environments, neutrals in the intermediate γ (103 – 104) environments, and cations in the high γ (&amp;gt;105) environments. Furthermore, the PAH anions and cations exhibit similar spectral characteristics. The similarity in the cationic and anionic spectra translates into the interpretation of the 6.2/(11.0+11.2) band ratio, with high values of this ratio associated with large contributions from either cations or anions. The model’s predicted values of 6.2/(11.0+11.2) and 3.3/6.2 compared well to the observations in the PDRs NGC 7023, NGC 2023, the horsehead nebula, the Orion bar, and the diffuse interstellar medium, demonstrating that changes in the charge state can account for the variations in the observed PAH emission. We also reassess the diagnostic potential of the 6.2/(11.0+11.2) versus 3.3/(11.0+11.2) ratios and show that without any prior knowledge about γ, the 3.3/(11.0+11.2) can predict the PAH size, but the 6.2/(11.0 + 11.2) cannot predict the γ of the astrophysical environment.

An Automatic Identification Method for the Photoelectron Boundary at Mars

Abstract The photoelectron boundary (PEB) at Mars is defined to be the boundary separating the photoelectron-dominated ionosphere from the external plasma environment. Extensive studies have been presented to analyze the PEB variation in the Martian dayside ionosphere. However, the PEB was identified manually in previous studies because of the difficulty in detecting the faint photoelectron features at high altitudes. In this study, we develop an algorithm to detect these faint features and identify the location of PEB from energetic electron measurements automatically. We apply the algorithm to the measurements by the Solar Wind Electron Analyzer instrument on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission and identify a total number of 15,681 PEB crossing events accumulated from 2015 January to 2019 October, of which 9169 PEB are on the dayside and 6912 are on the nightside. Our analysis indicates that the altitude of the identified PEB tends to increase with solar extreme ultraviolet radiation and crustal magnetic field strength, in agreement with previous findings. By contrast, the PEB altitude on the nightside tends to increase dramatically with solar zenith angle but is found to be weakly influenced by the crustal magnetic field strength.

Characterizing spatial variations of PAH emission in the reflection nebula NGC 1333

ABSTRACT Infrared emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.2 µm, attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), show variations in relative intensity, shape, and peak position. These variations depend on the physical conditions of the photodissociation region (PDR) in which strong PAH emission arises but their relationship has yet to be fully quantified. We aim to better calibrate the response of PAH species to their environment using observations with matching apertures and spatial resolution. We present observations from the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy of the gas cooling lines [O i] 63, 146 µm and [C ii] 158 µm in the reflection nebula NGC 1333 and use archival dust continuum observations from the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) onboard Herschel. We employ PDR modelling to derive the physical conditions and compare these with the characteristics of the PAH emission as observed with the Infrared Spectrometer onboard Spitzer. We find distinct spatial characteristics for the various PAH spectral components. We conclude that the ionic bands (6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.0) and the 7–9 µm emission are due to multiple PAH subpopulations and that the plateaus are distinct from the features perched on top. The 6–9 µm PAH emission exhibits a significant change in behaviour between the irradiated PDR and diffuse outskirts, confirming these bands arise from multiple PAH subpopulations with different underlying molecular properties. We find multiple promising relationships between PAH ratios and the far-ultraviolet radiation field strength but no clear correlations with the PAH ionization parameter.

Magnetic-induced conversion between electric quadrupole radiation and quasi dipole radiation at THz band

Based on particle-in-cell simulation and theoretical analysis, we demonstrate the possibility of the realization of the electric quadrupole radiation (EQR) and the quasi dipole radiation (QDR) modes at the THz band from the electrostatic oscillation of the electrons driven by the two-color lasers inside the plasma. Interestingly, an implantation of the external magnetic field will induce the flexible conversion between the EQR mode and the QDR mode. The emission angle, radiation frequency, and radiation field strength of the two radiation modes can be highly modulated by adjusting the intensity of the magnetic field, the frequency of the laser pulses, and the density of the plasma. This provides a new and practical way toward the generation and conversion of the multiple radiation modes, greatly extending the potential for optical manipulation in magnetized plasma.