A Rediscussion of the Radio Spectrum of the Orion Nebula

1969 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 217-218
Author(s):  
P. A. Shaver ◽  
B. Y. Mills

The Orion Nebula is the best known and most often observed of the bright emission nebulae. However, the radio continuum spectrum of the nebula has been the subject of some misconception, particularly at low frequencies. A rediscussion is worthwhile as the spectrum has been used to derive an electron temperature for the nebula which is at variance with other determinations and carries important implications. Also some of the difficulties of measurement and problems of interpretation are relevant to similar investigations of other emission nebulae.

2015 ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Onic

In this paper, the integrated continuum radio spectrum of supernova remnant (SNR) W44 was analyzed up to 70 GHz, testing the different emission models that can be responsible for its particular shape. The observations by the Planck space telescope made it possible to analyze the high frequency part of radio emission from SNRs. Although the quality of radio continuum spectrum (a high scatter of data points at same frequencies) prevents us to make definite conclusions, the possibility of spinning dust emission detection towards this remnant is emphasized. In addition, a concave-down feature, due to synchrotron losses, can not be definitely dismissed by the present knowledge of the integrated radio continuum spectrum of this SNR.


1956 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 218 ◽  
Author(s):  
BY Mills ◽  
AG Little ◽  
KV Sheridan

Attempts have been made to detect 14 bright emission nebulae at a wavelength of 3?5 m using a pencil-beam radio telescope with a beamwidth of 50 min of arc. Of these nebulae, six were probably observed in emission, seven were undetectable, and one, NGC 6357, was observed in absorption; radio isophotes were obtained for NGC 2237 and NGC 3372. Radio and optical data have been combined to estimate electron densities, masses, and sometimes the electron temperature of many of the nebulae. Values range from an electron density of 3 cm?3 and a mass of 3�10. solar masses for the outer regions of the 30 Doradus complex to an average electron density of 500 cm?3 and a mass of 20 solar masses for the Orion Nebula. Temperatures generally appear to be in the neighbourhood of 10,000 �K, except in the case of NGC 6357, for which 6500 �K is estimated.


2018 ◽  
Vol 615 ◽  
pp. A98 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D. Mulcahy ◽  
A. Horneffer ◽  
R. Beck ◽  
M. Krause ◽  
P. Schmidt ◽  
...  

Context. Cosmic rays and magnetic fields play an important role for the formation and dynamics of gaseous halos of galaxies. Aims. Low-frequency radio continuum observations of edge-on galaxies are ideal to study cosmic-ray electrons (CREs) in halos via radio synchrotron emission and to measure magnetic field strengths. Spectral information can be used to test models of CRE propagation. Free–free absorption by ionized gas at low frequencies allows us to investigate the properties of the warm ionized medium in the disk. Methods. We obtained new observations of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 891 at 129–163 MHz with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and at 13–18 GHz with the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager (AMI) and combine them with recent high-resolution Very Large Array (VLA) observations at 1–2 GHz, enabling us to study the radio continuum emission over two orders of magnitude in frequency. Results. The spectrum of the integrated nonthermal flux density can be fitted by a power law with a spectral steepening towards higher frequencies or by a curved polynomial. Spectral flattening at low frequencies due to free–free absorption is detected in star-forming regions of the disk. The mean magnetic field strength in the halo is 7 ± 2 μG. The scale heights of the nonthermal halo emission at 146 MHz are larger than those at 1.5 GHz everywhere, with a mean ratio of 1.7 ± 0.3, indicating that spectral ageing of CREs is important and that diffusive propagation dominates. The halo scale heights at 146 MHz decrease with increasing magnetic field strengths which is a signature of dominating synchrotron losses of CREs. On the other hand, the spectral index between 146 MHz and 1.5 GHz linearly steepens from the disk to the halo, indicating that advection rather than diffusion is the dominating CRE transport process. This issue calls for refined modelling of CRE propagation. Conclusions. Free–free absorption is probably important at and below about 150 MHz in the disks of edge-on galaxies. To reliably separate the thermal and nonthermal emission components, to investigate spectral steepening due to CRE energy losses, and to measure magnetic field strengths in the disk and halo, wide frequency coverage and high spatial resolution are indispensable.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 381-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. G. Perron ◽  
J.-M. A. Noël ◽  
J.-P. St.-Maurice

Abstract. We have studied how the presence of collisions affects the behavior of instabilities triggered by a combination of shears and parallel currents in the ionosphere under a variety of ion to electron temperature ratios. To this goal we have numerically solved a kinetic dispersion relation, using a relaxation model to describe the effects of ion and electron collisions. We have compared our solutions to expressions derived in a fluid limit which applied only to large electron to ion temperature ratios. We have limited our study to threshold conditions for the current density and the shears. We have studied how the threshold varies as a function of the wave-vector angle direction and as a function of frequency. As expected, we have found that for low frequencies and/or elevated ion to electron temperature ratios, the kinetic dispersion relation has to be used to evaluate the threshold conditions. We have also found that ion velocity shears can significantly lower the field-aligned threshold current needed to trigger the instability, especially for wave-vectors close to the perpendicular to the magnetic field. However the current density and shear requirements remain significantly higher than if collisions are neglected. Therefore, for ionospheric F-region applications, the effect of collisions should be included in the calculation of instabilities associated with horizontal shears in the vertical flow. Furthermore, in many situations of interest the kinetic solutions should be used instead of the fluid limit, in spite of the fact that the latter can be shown to produce qualitatively valid solutions.


1994 ◽  
Vol 158 ◽  
pp. 401-403
Author(s):  
C. R. O'Dell ◽  
Xihai Hu

We have compared the images of two compact sources near the center of the Orion Nebula obtained with the VLA and HST. When the Hα image is scaled to the radio continuum we see similar objects. The VLA shows higher concentration of flux, reflecting the better resolution (FWHM=0.13″ versus 0.18″); but, does not show the extended cometary form of the sources due to the greater sensitivity of the HST.


1975 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. N. Stiles

Power, or variance, spectra of acceleration records obtained from normal subjects during extension-flexion oscillations of a hand at frequencies between 0.5–5.0 Hz generally contained two or three frequency bands. Partial separation of these oscillations in the time domain was obtained using the method of digital filtering (smoothing). In general, the peak frequency of the lowest frequency band occurred at, or nearly at, the frequency that the subject attempted to maintain during a 16-s digitization period. Consideration of absolute frequencies and the effect of mass on frequency indicated that one of the higher frequency bands was the result of normal hand tremor. For low frequencies of voluntary oscillation (0.5–1.25 Hz), a second, higher frequency band occurred with a peak frequency (3.0–4.25 Hz) within the range (3–6 Hz) usually reported for abnormal hand tremor. For voluntary oscillation frequencies above about 1.5 Hz, this second, higher frequency oscillation generally occurred at twice the frequency of the voluntary oscillation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A58 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Isequilla ◽  
M. Fernández-López ◽  
P. Benaglia ◽  
C. H. Ishwara-Chandra ◽  
S. del Palacio

We present observations of the Cygnus OB2 region obtained with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at frequencies of 325 and 610 MHz. In this contribution we focus on the study of proplyd-like objects (also known as free-floating evaporating gas globules or frEGGs) that typically show an extended cometary morphology. We identify eight objects previously studied at other wavelengths and derive their physical properties by obtaining their optical depth at radio-wavelengths. Using their geometry and the photoionization rate needed to produce their radio-continuum emission, we find that these sources are possibly ionized by a contribution of the stars Cyg OB2 #9 and Cyg OB2 #22. Spectral index maps of the eight frEGGs were constructed, showing a flat spectrum in radio frequencies in general. We interpret these as produced by optically thin ionized gas, although it is possible that a combination of thermal emission, not necessarily optically thin, produced by a diffuse gas component and the instrument response (which detects more diffuse emission at low frequencies) can artificially generate negative spectral indices. In particular, for the case of the Tadpole we suggest that the observed emission is not of non-thermal origin despite the presence of regions with negative spectral indices in our maps.


1964 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 116-122
Author(s):  
M. M. Komesaroff ◽  
G. Westerhout

Radio studies of galactic HII regions are best carried out at the two ends of the radio spectrum. At high frequencies, of hundreds or thousands of megacycles per second, HII regions are seen by virtue of their thermal emission against a weak nonthermal background. Since radio waves are unaffected by the obscuration along the plane, it is possible in principle to see right through the Galaxy, and the high resolution which can be achieved in the thousands of megacycles range enables us to study at least the nearer regions in considerable detail. At low frequencies, below about 20 Mc/s, ionized hydrogen is seen in absorption against a bright nonthermal background. Since quite tenuous regions may be almost opaque at the lower frequencies, the technique provides quite a sensitive method of detecting them. The absorption increases with decreasing frequency so that studies at different frequencies enable us to see to varying depths along the line of sight and could permit the derivation of rough distance estimates.


1989 ◽  
Vol 131 ◽  
pp. 176-176
Author(s):  
C. T. Daub ◽  
J. P. Basart

Radio maps of the free-free radio continuum flux (angular resolution ≅ 1.3 arcseconds) from NGC 7027 were made with the VLA operating at 20-cm, 6-cm, and 2-cm wavelengths which are near and straddle unit optical depth. Mean line-of-sight electron temperature and emission measure distributions were calculated by pairing the 2-cm and 6-cm maps, and the electron temperature distribution on the near side of the nebula was then obtained from the 20-cm map. The results suggest that the energy balance is complex in this planetary. For example, mean line-of-sight temperatures are higher than average in the direction of one of the bright lobes but not in the direction of the other. Especially noteworthy is an apparent “hot spot” on the near side of the nebula which has no apparent relation to either of the bright lobes, but it is approximately coincident with the brightest portion of the optical image.


2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A98 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Supan ◽  
G. Castelletti ◽  
W. M. Peters ◽  
N. E. Kassim

We have identified a new supernova remnant (SNR), G51.04+0.07, using observations at 74 MHz from the Very Large Array Low-Frequency Sky Survey Redux (VLSSr). Earlier, higher frequency radio continuum, recombination line, and infrared data had correctly inferred the presence of nonthermal radio emission within a larger, complex environment including ionised nebulae and active star formation. However, our observations have allowed us to redefine at least one SNR as a relatively small source (7.′5 × 3′in size) located at the southern periphery of the originally defined SNR candidate G51.21+0.11. The integrated flux density of G51.04+0.07 at 74 MHz is 6.1 ± 0.8 Jy, while its radio continuum spectrum has a slope α = −0.52 ± 0.05 (S v ∝ vα), typical of a shell-type remnant. We also measured spatial variations in the spectral index between 74 and 1400 MHz across the source, ranging from a steeper spectrum (α = −0.50 ± 0.04) coincident with the brightest emission to a flatter component (α = −0.30 ± 0.07) in the surrounding fainter region. To probe the interstellar medium into which the redefined SNR is likely evolving, we have analysed the surrounding atomic and molecular gas using the 21 cm neutral hydrogen (HI) and 13CO(J = 1 − 0) emissions. We found that G51.04+0.07 is confined within an elongated HI cavity and that its radio emission is consistent with the remains of a stellar explosion that occurred ~6300 yr ago at a distance of 7.7 ± 2.3 kpc. Kinematic data suggest that the newly discovered SNR lies in front of HII regions in the complex, consistent with the lack of a turnover in the low frequency continuum spectrum. The CO observations revealed molecular material that traces the central and northern parts of G51.04+0.07. The interaction between the cloud and the radio source is not conclusive and motivates further study. The relatively low flux density (~1.5 Jy at 1400 MHz) of G51.04+0.07 is consistent with this and many similar SNRs lying hidden along complex lines of sight towards inner Galactic emission complexes. It would also not be surprising if the larger complex studied here hosted additional SNRs.


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