scholarly journals The Mass Spectrum of Interstellar Clouds

1989 ◽  
Vol 120 ◽  
pp. 511-517
Author(s):  
John M. Dickey ◽  
R. W. Garwood
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Unit Volume ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Interstellar Clouds ◽  
Absorption Studies ◽  
Low Latitudes ◽  
Diffuse Clouds

AbstractThe abundance of 21-cm absorption lines seen in surveys at high latitudes can be translated into a line of sight abundance of clouds vs. column density using an empirical relationship between temperature and optical depth. As VLA surveys of 21-cm absorption at low latitudes are now becoming available, it is possible to study the variation of this function with galactic radius. It is interesting to compare the abundance of these diffuse atomic clouds (with temperatures of 50 to 100 K and masses of 1 to 10 M⊙) to the abundance of molecular clouds. To do the latter we must make assumptions about cloud cross-sections in order to convert the line of sight abundance of diffuse clouds into a number per unit volume, and to convert from cloud column density to mass. The spectrum of diffuse clouds matches fairly well the spectrum of molecular clouds, although observationally there is a gap of several orders of magnitude in cloud mass. Optical absorption studies also agree well with the 21-cm results for clouds of column density a few times 1020 M⊙.

scholarly journals Photoproduction of H3+ from gaseous methanol inside dense molecular clouds

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S251) ◽  
pp. 369-370
Author(s):  
S. Pilling ◽  
D. P. P. Andrade ◽  
A. C. F. Santos ◽  
H. M. Boechat-Roberty
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Mass Spectra ◽  
Column Density ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Flight Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Dense Molecular Cloud ◽  
Synchrotron Light

AbstractWe present experimental results obtained from photoionization and photodissociation processes of abundant interstellar methanol (CH3OH) as an alternative route for the production of H3+ in dense clouds. The measurements were taken at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) employing soft X-ray and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Mass spectra were obtained using the photoelectron-photoion coincidence techniques. Absolute averaged cross sections for the production of H3+ due to molecular dissociation of methanol by soft X-rays (C1s edge) were determined. The H3+'s photoproduction rate and column density were been estimated adopting a typical soft X-ray luminosity inside dense molecular and the observed column density of methanol. Assuming a steady state scenario, the highest column density value for the photoproduced H3+ was about 1011 cm2, which gives the ratio photoproduced/observed of about 0.05%, as in the case of dense molecular cloud AFGL 2591. Despite the small value, this represent a new and alternative source of H3+ into dense molecular clouds and it is not been considered as yet in interstellar chemistry models.

scholarly journals The distribution of cosmic-ray ionization rates in diffuse molecular clouds as probed by H 3 +

2012 ◽  
Vol 370 (1978) ◽  
pp. 5142-5150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Indriolo
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Ionization Rate ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Interstellar Clouds ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Cosmic Ray Flux ◽  
Made In ◽  
Ionization Rates

Owing to its simple chemistry, H is widely regarded as the most reliable tracer of the cosmic-ray ionization rate in diffuse interstellar clouds. At present, H observations have been made in over 50 sight lines that probe the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) throughout the Galaxy. This small survey presents the opportunity to investigate the distribution of cosmic-ray ionization rates in the ISM, as well as any correlations between the ionization rate and line-of-sight properties. Some of the highest inferred ionization rates are about 25 times larger than the lowest upper limits, suggesting variations in the underlying low-energy cosmic-ray flux across the Galaxy. Most likely, such variations are caused predominantly by the distance between an observed cloud and the nearest site of particle acceleration.

scholarly journals Chemistry in Shocks

1989 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 375-382
Author(s):  
T.W. Hartquist
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Interstellar Chemistry ◽  
Interstellar Clouds ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Classic Problem ◽  
Diffuse Cloud ◽  
Diffuse Clouds ◽  
Chemical Influence

ABSTRACTThe column densities of interstellar CH+, first detected about fifty years ago, cannot be explained with models of the chemistry in low temperature gas. The resolution of this classic problem is necessary for us to have confidence in our understanding of interstellar chemistry and its role in determining the physical conditions in interstellar clouds and in the utility of molecular abundance measurements as diagnostics. The possibility that the observed CH+ is formed primarily in shocks in diffuse clouds is addressed. The way in which the chemistry affects the structure of such a diffuse cloud shock is also discussed. The analogous chemical influence on the structures of shocks in dense molecular clouds is also considered as is the possibility that gas in some dense molecular clouds passes repeatedly through dynamical cycles and is shocked frequently enough to influence the global chemical structures in those clouds. Some atomic and molecular data needs are mentioned.

scholarly journals OH Masers and Supernova Remnants

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S287) ◽  
pp. 441-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Wardle ◽  
Korinne McDonnell
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Very Large Array ◽  
Absorption Studies ◽  
Line Absorption ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Green Bank Telescope ◽  
Compact Array

AbstractOH(1720 MHz) masers are created by the interaction of supernova remnants with molecular clouds. These masers are pumped by collisions in warm, shocked molecular gas with OH column densities in the range 1016–1017, cm−2. Excitation calculations suggest that inversion of the 6049 MHz OH line may occur at the higher column densities that have been inferred from main-line absorption studies of supernova remnants with the Green Bank Telescope. OH(6049 MHz) masers have therefore been proposed as a complementary indicator of remnant-cloud interaction.This motivated searches for 6049 MHz maser emission from supernova remnants using the Parkes 63 m and Effelsberg 100 m telescopes, and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. A total of forty-one remnants have been examined by one or more of these surveys, but without success. To check the accuracy of the OH column densities inferred from the single-dish observations we modelled OH absorption at 1667 MHz observed with the Very Large Array towards three supernova remnants, IC 443, W44 and 3C 391. The results are mixed – the OH column is revised upwards in IC443, downwards in 3C391, and is somewhat reduced in W44. We conclude that OH columns exceeding 1017 cm−2 are indeed present in some supernova remnants and so the lack of any detections is not explained by low OH column density. We discuss the possibility that non-local line overlap is responsible for suppressing the inversion of the 6049 MHz line.

Detection of submillimeter-wave [C I]emission in gaseous debris disks of 49 Ceti and β Pictoris

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S332) ◽  
pp. 81-87
Author(s):  
Aya E. Higuchi ◽  
Aki Sato ◽  
Takashi Tsukagoshi ◽  
Nami Sakai ◽  
Kazunari Iwasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Density Ratio ◽  
Submillimeter Wave ◽  
Debris Disks ◽  
Excitation Temperature ◽  
Dust Grains ◽  
Line Profiles ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Diffuse Clouds

AbstractWe have detected [C I] 3P1–3P0 emissions in the gaseous debris disks of 49 Ceti and β Pictoris with the 10 m telescope of the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment, which is the first detection of such emissions. The line profiles of [C I] are found to resemble those of CO(J=3–2) observed with the same telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. This result suggests that atomic carbon (C) coexists with CO in the debris disks, and is likely formed by the photodissociation of CO. Assuming an optically thin [C I] emission with the excitation temperature ranging from 30 to 100 K, the column density of C is evaluated to be (2.2 ± 0.2) × 1017 and (2.5 ± 0.7) × 1016 cm−2 for 49 Ceti and β Pictoris, respectively. The C/CO column density ratio is thus derived to be 54 ± 19 and 69 ± 42 for 49 Ceti and β Pictoris, respectively. These ratios are higher than those of molecular clouds and diffuse clouds by an order of magnitude. The unusually high ratios of C to CO are likely attributed to a lack of H2 molecules needed to reproduce CO molecules efficiently from C. This result implies a small number of H2 molecules in the gas disk; i.e., there is an appreciable contribution of secondary gas from dust grains.

scholarly journals Water ice deposition and growth in molecular clouds

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (4) ◽  
pp. 5117-5128
Author(s):  
Jonathan M C Rawlings ◽  
D A Williams
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Local Density ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Volume Density ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Interstellar Clouds ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Local Mean

ABSTRACT In interstellar clouds, the deposition of water ice on to grains only occurs at visual extinctions above some threshold value (Ath). At extinctions greater than Ath, there is a (near-linear) correlation between the inferred column density of the water ice and AV. For individual cloud complexes such as Taurus, Serpens, and ρ-Ophiuchi, Ath and the gradients of the correlation are very similar along all lines of sight. We have investigated the origin of this phenomenon, with careful consideration of the various possible mechanisms that may be involved and have applied a full chemical model to analyse the behaviours and sensitivities in quiescent molecular clouds. Our key results are as follows: (i) the ubiquity of the phenomenon points to a common cause, so that the lines-of-sight probe regions with similar, advanced, chemical, and dynamical evolution; (ii) for Taurus and Serpens Ath and the slope of the correlation can be explained as resulting from the balance of freeze-out of oxygen atoms and photodesorption of H2O molecules. No other mechanism can satisfactorily explain the phenomenon; (iii) Ath depends on the local density, suggesting that there is a correlation between local volume density and column density; (iv) the different values of Ath for Taurus and Serpens are probably due to variations in the local mean radiation field strength; (v) most ice is accreted on to grains that are initially very small (<0.01$\,\mu$m); and (vi) the very high value of Ath observed in ρ-Ophiuchi cannot be explained in the same way, unless there is complex microstructure and/or a modification to the extinction characteristics.

scholarly journals Helical magnetic fields in molecular clouds?

2018 ◽  
Vol 614 ◽  
pp. A100 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Tahani ◽  
R. Plume ◽  
J. C. Brown ◽  
J. Kainulainen
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Measure Data ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Rotation Measure ◽  
Data Points

Context. Magnetic fields pervade in the interstellar medium (ISM) and are believed to be important in the process of star formation, yet probing magnetic fields in star formation regions is challenging. Aims. We propose a new method to use Faraday rotation measurements in small-scale star forming regions to find the direction and magnitude of the component of magnetic field along the line of sight. We test the proposed method in four relatively nearby regions of Orion A, Orion B, Perseus, and California. Methods. We use rotation measure data from the literature. We adopt a simple approach based on relative measurements to estimate the rotation measure due to the molecular clouds over the Galactic contribution. We then use a chemical evolution code along with extinction maps of each cloud to find the electron column density of the molecular cloud at the position of each rotation measure data point. Combining the rotation measures produced by the molecular clouds and the electron column density, we calculate the line-of-sight magnetic field strength and direction. Results. In California and Orion A, we find clear evidence that the magnetic fields at one side of these filamentary structures are pointing towards us and are pointing away from us at the other side. Even though the magnetic fields in Perseus might seem to suggest the same behavior, not enough data points are available to draw such conclusions. In Orion B, as well, there are not enough data points available to detect such behavior. This magnetic field reversal is consistent with a helical magnetic field morphology. In the vicinity of available Zeeman measurements in OMC-1, OMC-B, and the dark cloud Barnard 1, we find magnetic field values of − 23 ± 38 μG, − 129 ± 28 μG, and 32 ± 101 μG, respectively, which are in agreement with the Zeeman measurements.

scholarly journals Galactic cold cores

2018 ◽  
Vol 614 ◽  
pp. A83 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Juvela ◽  
J. Malinen ◽  
J. Montillaud ◽  
V.-M. Pelkonen ◽  
I. Ristorcelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Field ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Interstellar Clouds ◽  
Photometric Observations ◽  
Radial Profiles ◽  
Typical Aspect

Context. The Galactic Cold Cores (GCC) project has made Herschel photometric observations of interstellar clouds where Planck detected compact sources of cold dust emission. The fields are in different environments and stages of star formation. Aims. Our aim is to characterise the structure of the clumps and their parent clouds, and to study the connections between the environment and the formation of gravitationally bound objects. We also examine the accuracy to which the structure of dense clumps can be determined from sub-millimetre data. Methods. We use standard statistical methods to characterise the GCC fields. Individual clumps are extracted using column density thresholding. Based on sub-millimetre measurements, we construct a three-dimensional radiative transfer (RT) model for each field. These are used to estimate the relative radiation field intensities, to probe the clump stability, and to examine the uncertainty of column density estimates. We examine the structural parameters of the clumps, including their radial column density profiles. Results. In the GCC fields, the structure noise follows the relations previously established at larger scales and in lower-density clouds. The fractal dimension has no significant dependence on column density and the values DP = 1.25 ± 0.07 are only slightly lower than in typical molecular clouds. The column density probability density functions (PDFs) exhibit large variations, for example, in the case of externally compressed clouds. At scales r > 0.1 pc, the radial column density distributions of the clouds follow an average relation of N ~ r−1. In spite of a great variety of clump morphologies (and a typical aspect ratio of 1.5), clumps tend to follow a similar N ~ r−1 relation below r ~ 0.1 pc. RT calculations indicate only factor 2.5 variation in the local radiation field intensity. The fraction of gravitationally bound clumps increases significantly in regions with AV > 5 mag but most bound objects appear to be pressure-confined. Conclusions. The host clouds of the cold clumps in the GCC sample have statistical properties similar to general molecular clouds. The gravitational stability, peak column density, and clump orientation are connected to the cloud background while most other statistical clump properties (e.g. DP and radial profiles) are insensitive to the environment. The study of clump morphology should be continued with a comparison with numerical simulations.

The Accepting of Pipe Bends With Ovality and Thinning Using Finite Element Method

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
AR. Veerappan ◽  
S. Shanmugam ◽  
S. Soundrapandian
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Method ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Element Method

Thinning and ovality are commonly observed irregularities in pipe bends, which induce higher stress than perfectly circular cross sections. In this work, the stresses introduced in pipe bends with different ovalities and thinning for a particular internal pressure are calculated using the finite element method. The constant allowable pressure ratio for different ovalities and thinning is presented at different bend radii. The allowable pressure ratio increases, attains a maximum, and then decreases as the values of ovality and thinning are increased. An empirical relationship to determine the allowable pressure in terms of bend ratio, pipe ratio, percent thinning, and percent ovality is presented. The pipe ratio has a strong effect on the allowable pressure.

Dust-reddened Quasars

1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Drinkwater ◽  
R. L. Webster ◽  
P. J. Francis ◽  
T. Wiklind ◽  
F. Combes
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Physical State ◽  
Absorption Lines ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Molecular Absorption

We have recently discovered evidence for a population of radio-loud quasars that is reddened by dust. The dust is either along the line of sight to the quasars or is associated with the quasars. In the latter case the dust may be in molecular clouds in the quasar’s host galaxy, or in a molecular torus around the nucleus. We are planning to use 3 mm observations to search for molecular absorption lines (CO and HCO+) associated with dust at the redshift of these quasars. If any absorption systems are detected we will be able to deduce detailed information about the physical state of the molecular gas, hopefully showing which of the proposed locations of the dust is most likely.

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