scholarly journals Molecular Outflows

1989 ◽  
Vol 120 ◽  
pp. 231-243
Author(s):  
Ronald L. Snell

The development of millimeter and submillimeter spectroscopy has allowed astronomers to probe the cold, dense component of the interstellar medium. This medium, primarily composed of gas in molecular form, is gravitationally bound into relatively distinct clouds that are sites of star formation within our Galaxy. The most ubiquitous tracers of these molecular clouds are the rotational transitions of carbon monoxide. Observations of CO emission have been commonly used to estimate the size, temperature, mass, and density of molecular clouds; in addition, the spectral line profiles can be used to study the internal dynamics of these clouds. Although the sound speed within molecular clouds is only about 0.2 km s−1, observed CO line widths are more typically 1 to 5 km s−1. Thus, the internal dynamics of molecular clouds are characterized by supersonic gas motions whose nature is poorly understood.

1981 ◽  
Vol 245 ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Loren ◽  
R. L. Plambeck ◽  
J. H. Davis ◽  
R. L. Snell

2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. A135
Author(s):  
F. Navarete ◽  
S. Leurini ◽  
A. Giannetti ◽  
F. Wyrowski ◽  
J. S. Urquhart ◽  
...  

Context. High-mass stars are formed within massive molecular clumps, where a large number of stars form close together. The evolution of the clumps with different masses and luminosities is mainly regulated by their high-mass stellar content and the formation of such objects is still not well understood. Aims. In this work, we characterise the mid-J CO emission in a statistical sample of 99 clumps (TOP100) selected from the ATLASGAL survey that are representative of the Galactic proto-cluster population. Methods. High-spatial resolution APEX-CHAMP+ maps of the CO (6–5) and CO (7–6) transitions were obtained and combined with additional single-pointing APEX-FLASH+ spectra of the CO (4–3) line. The data were convolved to a common angular resolution of 13.′′4. We analysed the line profiles by fitting the spectra with up to three Gaussian components, classified as narrow or broad, and computed CO line luminosities for each transition. Additionally, we defined a distance-limited sample of 72 sources within 5 kpc to check the robustness of our analysis against beam dilution effects. We have studied the correlations of the line luminosities and profiles for the three CO transitions with the clump properties and investigate if and how they change as a function of the evolution. Results. All sources were detected above 3-σ in all three CO transitions and most of the sources exhibit broad CO emission likely associated with molecular outflows. We find that the extension of the mid-J CO emission is correlated with the size of the dust emission traced by the Herschel-PACS 70 μm maps. The CO line luminosity (LCO) is correlated with the luminosity and mass of the clumps. However, it does not correlate with the luminosity-to-mass ratio. Conclusions. The dependency of the CO luminosity with the properties of the clumps is steeper for higher-J transitions. Our data seem to exclude that this trend is biased by self-absorption features in the CO emission, but rather suggest that different J transitions arise from different regions of the inner envelope. Moreover, high-mass clumps show similar trends in CO luminosity as lower mass clumps, but are systematically offset towards larger values, suggesting that higher column density and (or) temperature (of unresolved) CO emitters are found inside high-mass clumps.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongjoo Choi ◽  
Yugo Kanaya ◽  
Seung-Myung Park ◽  
Atsushi Matsuki ◽  
Yasuhiro Sadanaga ◽  
...  

Abstract. The black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emission ratios were estimated and compiled from long-term, harmonized observations of the ΔBC∕ΔCO ratios under conditions unaffected by wet deposition at four sites in East Asia, including two sites in South Korea (Baengnyeong and Gosan) and two sites in Japan (Noto and Fukuoka). Extended spatio-temporal coverage enabled estimation of the full seasonality and elucidation of the emission ratio in North Korea for the first time. The estimated ratios were used to validate the Regional Emission inventory in ASia (REAS) version 2.1 based on six study domains (“East China”, “North China”, “Northeast China”, South Korea, North Korea, and Japan). We found that the ΔBC∕ΔCO ratios from four sites converged into a narrow range (6.2–7.9 ng m−3 ppb−1), suggesting consistency in the results from independent observations and similarity in source profiles over the regions. The BC∕CO ratios from the REAS emission inventory (7.7 ng m−3 ppb−1 for East China – 23.2 ng m−3 ppb−1 for South Korea) were overestimated by factors of 1.1 for East China to 3.0 for South Korea, whereas the ratio for North Korea (3.7 ng m−3 ppb−1 from REAS) was underestimated by a factor of 2.0, most likely due to inaccurate emissions from the road transportation sector. Seasonal variation in the BC∕CO ratio from REAS was found to be the highest in winter (China and North Korea) or summer (South Korea and Japan), whereas the measured ΔBC∕ΔCO ratio was the highest in spring in all source regions, indicating the need for further characterization of the seasonality when creating a bottom-up emission inventory. At levels of administrative districts, overestimation in Seoul, the southwestern regions of South Korea, and Northeast China was noticeable, and underestimation was mainly observed in the western regions in North Korea, including Pyongyang. These diagnoses are useful for identifying regions where revisions in the inventory are necessary, providing guidance for the refinement of BC and CO emission rate estimates over East Asia.


2018 ◽  
Vol 615 ◽  
pp. A122 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. König ◽  
S. Aalto ◽  
S. Muller ◽  
J. S. Gallagher III ◽  
R. J. Beswick ◽  
...  

Context. Minor mergers are important processes contributing significantly to how galaxies evolve across the age of the Universe. Their impact on the growth of supermassive black holes and star formation is profound – about half of the star formation activity in the local Universe is the result of minor mergers. Aims. The detailed study of dense molecular gas in galaxies provides an important test of the validity of the relation between star formation rate and HCN luminosity on different galactic scales – from whole galaxies to giant molecular clouds in their molecular gas-rich centers. Methods. We use observations of HCN and HCO+ 1−0 with NOEMA and of CO3−2 with the SMA to study the properties of the dense molecular gas in the Medusa merger (NGC 4194) at 1′′ resolution. In particular, we compare the distribution of these dense gas tracers with CO2−1 high-resolution maps in the Medusa merger. To characterize gas properties, we calculate the brightness temperature ratios between the three tracers and use them in conjunction with a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative line transfer model. Results. The gas represented by HCN and HCO+ 1−0, and CO3−2 does not occupy the same structures as the less dense gas associated with the lower-J CO emission. Interestingly, the only emission from dense gas is detected in a 200 pc region within the “Eye of the Medusa”, an asymmetric 500 pc off-nuclear concentration of molecular gas. Surprisingly, no HCN or HCO+ is detected for the extended starburst of the Medusa merger. Additionally, there are only small amounts of HCN or HCO+ associated with the active galactic nucleus. The CO3−2/2−1 brightness temperature ratio inside “the Eye” is ~2.5 – the highest ratio found so far – implying optically thin CO emission. The CO2−1/HCN 1−0 (~9.8) and CO2−1/HCO+ 1−0 (~7.9) ratios show that the dense gas filling factor must be relatively high in the central region, consistent with the elevated CO3−1/2−1 ratio. Conclusions. The line ratios reveal an extreme, fragmented molecular cloud population inside the Eye with large bulk temperatures (T > 300 K) and high gas densities (n(H2) > 104 cm-3). This is very different from the cool, self-gravitating structures of giant molecular clouds normally found in the disks of galaxies. The Eye of the Medusa is found at an interface between a large-scale minor axis inflow and the central region of the Medusa. Hence, the extreme conditions inside the Eye may be the result of the radiative and mechanical feedback from a deeply embedded, young and massive super star cluster formed due to the gas pile-up at the intersection. Alternatively, shocks from the inflowing gas entering the central region of the Medusa may be strong enough to shock and fragment the gas. For both scenarios, however, it appears that the HCN and HCO+ dense gas tracers are not probing star formation, but instead a post-starburst and/or shocked ISM that is too hot and fragmented to form newstars. Thus, caution is advised in taking the detection of emission from dense gas tracers as evidence of ongoing or imminent star formation.


Methods for determining the true widths of lines in simple vibration-rotation bands have been considered, and a procedure has been devised for studying the effect of added gases upon the line widths in the fundamental vibration bands of deuterium chloride and carbon monoxide


1987 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
pp. 145-146
Author(s):  
T. L. Wilson ◽  
E. Serabyn ◽  
C. Henkel ◽  
C. M. Walmsley

A fully sampled map of size ∼1′×3′ (R.A. Dec), centered on BN-KL has been made in the J = 1-0 line of 12C18O with 21″ angular resolution. The 12C18O emission is concentrated in a ← 40″ wide continuous strip running S to NE. Several maxima are superposed on the ridge, but none exceeds the average emission level by more than 40%. There is no intense peak of 12C18O J = 1-0 line emission centered on BN-KL, in contrast to maps of the dust emission. The dust and 12C18O results can be reconciled with a constant (CO/H2) ratio if there are variations in the kinetic temperature and column density of ∼50%. Peaks in both temperature and column density are then located near BN-KL, and 90″ to the south. From the estimated CO column density, about 10% of the carbon is in the form of CO. Near the BN-KL region, the 12C18O line profiles tend to become wider. These wider lines appear to be superposed on a weak, 18 km s−1 (FWHP) wide pedestal. In regions 40″ NE and 30″ S of BN-KL, the 12C18O lines have widths of less than 2 km s−1. Presumably, these are the locations of high density, quiescent molecular gas. The radial velocity of the CO emission increases from 6.5 km s−1 (at 90″ S) to 10.5 km s−1 (at 60″ NE) of BN-KL. Close to BN-KL, however, there is evidence that this trend is reversed.


1985 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 207-208
Author(s):  
T. M. Bania

The latitude distribution of the emission from the 12CO J=1→0 rotational transition has been surveyed for the region 350° ≤ 1 ≤ 25° at b = 0′, ±10′ and ±20′. Most of the 12CO emission in the inner Galaxy, the region extending from the galactic center to 4 kpc radius, is produced by three large and massive objects: the nuclear disk/bar, the 3-kpc arm and the “+135 km s-1 feature”. These structures all have observed HI counterparts and each shows extremely large deviations (50–180 km s-1) from circular motion. Observations of 13CO in selected directions show that the two structures outside the nuclear disk each span at least 2 kpc in length and that together they imply ≥ 1055 ergs in kinetic energy of expansion away from the galactic nucleus.


1989 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 359-364
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Heckman

We present data for Seyfert and normal galaxies in the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog. The type 2 Seyferts are stronger CO and Far-IR emitters (by factors of 2–4) than either normal galaxies or type 1 Seyferts. The Seyfert CO line-widths correlate with both the 21cm HI and [OIII]5007 line-widths. Interferometer maps show that in many Seyferts the CO emission is strongly concentrated within radii of 100–1000pc of the nucleus. The implications of these results are briefly discussed.


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