scholarly journals The Galactic deuterium gradient

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S268) ◽  
pp. 179-180
Author(s):  
Donald Lubowich ◽  
Jay M. Pasachoff
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Abundance Gradient ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Galactic Sources

AbstractThe Galactic deuterium abundance gradient has been determined from observations of DCN in Galactic molecular clouds. This is the only way to observe D throughout the Galaxy because the molecular clouds are not limited to the 2 kpc region around the Sun observed with FUSE and from DI. We used an astrochemistry model and the DCN/HCN ratios to estimate the underlying D/H ratios in 16 molecular clouds including five in the Galactic Center. The resulting positive Galactic D gradient and reduced Galactic Center D/H ratio imply that there are no significant Galactic sources of D, there is continuous infall of low-metallicity gas into the Galaxy, and that deuterium is cosmological.

scholarly journals Observations of Interstellar CH at 9 cm Wavelength

1976 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 211 ◽  
Author(s):  
FF Gardner ◽  
BJ Robinson ◽  
MW Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Transition Temperature ◽  
Ground State ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Hii Regions ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Galactic Sources

The 9 cm ground-state lines of CH have been observed in southern galactic sources, mainly HII regions. The F = 0-1 transition at 3264 MHz has been detected in emission in 16 sources; the F = 1-1 transition at 3335 MHz has been seen in absorption in 5 sources and in emission in 2 others. Where the F = 1-1 transition is in absorption the transition temperature is positive and below about 100 K. The F = 0-1 transition is generally inverted, with a transition temperature between -10 and 0 K. The column densities of CH are in the vicinity of lO'4 cm-2, slightly below those for OH but many times those for H2CO. There is no correlation between apparent optical depths of CH and those for OH or H2CO absorption. There is also no enhancement of CH in the dense molecular clouds near the centre of the Galaxy.

scholarly journals Measurements of Isotopic Abundances in Interstellar Clouds

1980 ◽  
Vol 87 ◽  
pp. 397-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arno A. Penzias
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
General Framework ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Giant Molecular Clouds ◽  
Interstellar Clouds ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Isotopic Abundances ◽  
Si Isotopes

While an examination of the available data reveals some seemingly contradictory results, a general framework having the following outlines can be put forward:1. With the exception of the two galactic center sources SgrA and SgrB, the relative isotopic abundances exhibited by the giant molecular clouds in our Galaxy exhibit few, if any, significant variations from the values obtained by averaging the data from all these sources.2. The 13C/12C and 14N/15N abundance ratios are ∼130% and ∼150%, respectively, of their terrestrial values throughout the galactic plane and somewhat higher, ∼300%, near the galactic center.3. The 16O/18O and 17O/18O abundance ratios are ∼130% and ∼160%, respectively, of their terrestrial values throughout the Galaxy, although the former may be somewhat lower near the galactic center.4. The S and Si isotopes have generally terrestrial abundances.

scholarly journals Pulsars as a galactic population

1979 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
pp. 119-123
Author(s):  
Joseph H. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Hii Regions ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Disk Thickness ◽  
Galactic Population ◽  
The Galaxy

Recent pulsar surveys have increased the number of known pulsars to well over 300, and many of them lie at distances of several kpc or more from the sun. The distribution of pulsars with respect to distance from the galactic center is similar to other population I material such as HII regions, supernova remnants, and carbon monoxide gas, but the disk thickness of the pulsar distribution is rather greater, with <|z|>≈350 pc. Statistical analysis suggests that the total number of active pulsars in the Galaxy is a half million or more, and because kinematic arguments require the active lifetimes of pulsars to be ≲5×106 years, it follows that the birthrate required to maintain the observed population is one pulsar every ∼10 years (or less) in the Galaxy.

scholarly journals A New Value for the Rotation Speed of the Spiral Structure

1977 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 293-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Palouš
Keyword(s):  
Surface Density ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Local Density ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Density Variation ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Basic Model ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Nearby Stars

The basic model of our Galaxy, like the Schmidt (1965) model, obeys the density law ρ(R) for the Galaxy based on divers evidence, less or better known from observation. The interpretation of the interstellar hydrogen radio profiles yields the rotation curve and the run of the force component in the radial direction. The Oort constants A, B known from radial velocities and proper motions of nearby stars, the distance from the Sun to the galactic center Roestablished from the distances of RR Lyrae stars, the local density and density gradients in the vicinity of the Sun, known from the star counts, are involved in this basic model of the Galaxy. The r.m.s. velocity component in the z direction yields the approximate mass distribution in this direction. The model surface density is computed by integrating the density along the z direction in the model. The local surface density in the Schmidt model is 114 solar masses per pc2; it depends rather strongly on the assumed density variation in the outer part of the Galaxy.

scholarly journals On the Mass and Metallicity Distributions of the Parent AGB Stars of O-Rich Presolar Stardust Grains

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry R. Nittler
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Asymptotic Giant Branch ◽  
Agb Stars ◽  
Isotopic Data ◽  
Intermediate Mass ◽  
Presolar Grains ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
The Masses

AbstractPresolar grains in meteorites formed in a sample of Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars that ended their lives within ≈1 Gyr of the origin of the Solar System 4.6 Gyr ago. The O-isotopic compositions of presolar O-rich stardust reflect the masses and metallicities of their parent stars. We present simple Monte Carlo simulations of the parent AGB stars of presolar grains. Comparison of model predictions with the grain data allow some broad conclusions to be drawn: (1) Presolar O-rich grains formed in AGB stars of mass ∼1.15–2.2 M⊙. The upper-mass cutoff reflects dredge-up of C in more massive AGB stars, leading to C-rich dust rather than O-rich, but the lack of grains from intermediate-mass AGB stars (>4 M⊙) is a major puzzle; (2) The grain O-isotopic data are reproduced well if the Galaxy in presolar times was assumed to have a moderate age-metallicity relationship, but with significant metallicity scatter for stars born at the same time; (3) The Sun appears to have a moderately low metallicity for its age and/or unusual 17O/16O and 18O/16O ratios for its metallicity; and (4) The Solar 17O/18O ratio, while unusual relative to present-day molecular clouds and protostars, was not atypical for the presolar disk and does not require self-pollution of the protosolar molecular cloud by supernova ejecta.

scholarly journals Methanol at the Edge of the Galaxy: New Observations to Constrain the Galactic Habitable Zone

2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (2) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
J. J. Bernal ◽  
C. D. Sephus ◽  
L. M. Ziurys
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Solar Neighborhood ◽  
Habitable Zone ◽  
Line Profiles ◽  
Galactocentric Distance ◽  
Radio Observatory ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Co Observations

Abstract The Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) is a region believed hospitable for life. To further constrain the GHZ, observations have been conducted of the J = 2 → 1 transitions of methanol (CH3OH) at 97 GHz, toward 20 molecular clouds located in the outer Galaxy (R GC = 12.9–23.5 kpc), using the 12 m telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory. Methanol was detected in 19 out of 20 observed clouds, including sources as far as R GC = 23.5 kpc. Identification was secured by the measurement of multiple asymmetry and torsional components in the J = 2 → 1 transition, which were resolved in the narrow line profiles observed (ΔV 1/2 ∼ 1–3 km s−1). From a radiative transfer analysis, column densities for these clouds of N tot = 0.1–1.5 × 1013 cm−2 were derived, corresponding to fractional abundances, relative to H2, of f (CH3OH) ∼ 0.2–4.9 × 10−9. The analysis also indicates that these clouds are cold (T K ∼ 10–25 K) and dense (n(H2) ∼ 106 cm−3), as found from previous H2CO observations. The methanol abundances in the outer Galaxy are comparable to those observed in colder molecular clouds in the solar neighborhood. The abundance of CH3OH therefore does not appear to decrease significantly with distances from the Galactic Center, even at R GC ∼ 20–23 kpc. Furthermore, the production of methanol is apparently not affected by the decline in metallicity with galactocentric distance. These observations suggest that organic chemistry is prevalent in the outer Galaxy, and methanol and other organic molecules may serve to assess the GHZ.

The Rotation Curve from A-F Supergiants

1996 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 703-706
Author(s):  
D. M. Peterson ◽  
D. Slowik
Keyword(s):  
Total Mass ◽  
Rotation Curve ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Rotation ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Critical Information ◽  
New Class ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Local Distance

The Galactic rotation law provides critical information for estimating the distribution of mass in the Galaxy, for tying the distance of the Sun from the Galactic center to local distance scales, and, if determined over large enough distances, for estimating the total mass of the system and the amount of nonluminous matter present. Interior to the Sun velocities are well defined by observations of the ISM, particularly HI. These techniques are not available for points exterior to the Sun and we must rely on observations of velocities of objects whose distances can be estimated. Notable among these are the Cepheids (Pont et al 1994) and the combination of CO velocities and OB cluster distances (Brand & Blitz 1993) where the two are found to coexist. Adding a new class of objects, particularly bright, relatively common objects to this effort is of importance.

scholarly journals Molecular Line Observations of the Galactic Center Region

1989 ◽  
Vol 136 ◽  
pp. 129-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Stark ◽  
J. Bally ◽  
R. W. Wilson ◽  
M. W. Pound
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Virial Theorem ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Disk ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Molecular Line ◽  
Center Region ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Cloud Medium

A decade of galactic center observations at the Crawford Hill 7 m antenna is summarized. The galactic center region contains several hundred high-mass, high-density molecular clouds with physical properties very different from clouds in the outer galactic disk. There is also a considerable amount of molecular gas not bound into clouds, but sheared by differential rotation into a molecular inter-cloud medium not seen elsewhere in the Galaxy. These observations can be explained by a combination of the tidal density limit and the virial theorem. The distribution of emission on the sky and in velocity suggests that most of the dense gas is confined to a 500 pc long ridge of emission which may be a dust lane along the central bar.

scholarly journals The spiral potential of the Milky Way

2018 ◽  
Vol 619 ◽  
pp. A50 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Grosbøl ◽  
G. Carraro
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Small Mass ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Armed Spiral

Context. The location of young sources in the Galaxy suggests a four-armed spiral structure, whereas tangential points of spiral arms observed in the integrated light at infrared and radio wavelengths indicate that only two arms are massive. Aims. Variable extinction in the Galactic plane and high light-to-mass ratios of young sources make it difficult to judge the total mass associated with the arms outlined by such tracers. The current objective is to estimate the mass associated with the Sagittarius arm by means of the kinematics of the stars across it. Methods. Spectra of 1726 candidate B- and A-type stars within 3◦ of the Galactic center (GC) were obtained with the FLAMES instrument at the VLT with a resolution of ≈6000 in the spectral range of 396–457 nm. Radial velocities were derived by least-squares fits of the spectra to synthetic ones. The final sample was limited to 1507 stars with either Gaia DR2 parallaxes or main-sequence B-type stars having reliable spectroscopic distances. Results. The solar peculiar motion in the direction of the GC relative to the local standard of rest (LSR) was estimated to U⊙ = 10.7 ± 1.3kms−1. The variation in the median radial velocity relative to the LSR as a function of distance from the sun shows a gradual increase from slightly negative values near the sun to almost 5 km s−1 at a distance of around 4 kpc. A sinusoidal function with an amplitude of 3.4 ± 1.3kms−1 and a maximum at 4.0 ± 0.6 kpc inside the sun is the best fit to the data. A positive median radial velocity relative to the LSR around 1.8 kpc, the expected distance to the Sagittarius arm, can be excluded at a 99% level of confidence. A marginal peak detected at this distance may be associated with stellar streams in the star-forming regions, but it is too narrow to be associated with a major arm feature. Conclusions. A comparison with test-particle simulations in a fixed galactic potential with an imposed spiral pattern shows the best agreement with a two-armed spiral potential having the Scutum–Crux arm as the next major inner arm. A relative radial forcing dFr ≈ 1.5% and a pattern speed in the range of 20–30 km s−1 kpc−1 yield the best fit. The lack of a positive velocity perturbation in the region around the Sagittarius arm excludes it from being a major arm. Thus, the main spiral potential of the Galaxy is two-armed, while the Sagittarius arm is an inter-arm feature with only a small mass perturbation associated with it.

scholarly journals 32. Theoretical problems of discrete radio sources

1957 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 179-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Greenstein
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Unit Volume ◽  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Radio Sources ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Total Luminosity ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Discrete Radio Sources ◽  
Galactic Sources

The range of theoretical problems connected with the discrete sources is very large. It is convenient to distinguish between the normal and abnormal radio-frequency emitters that have quite different energy outputs per unit volume. Since the estimates by Minkowski and Greenstein [1] there has been considerable progress in the identification of these objects and in the provision of quantitative data about them. Table 1 includes revised estimates of the total luminosity, L, the emitting volume, V, and the luminosity per cubic parsec, J. Here L has been obtained by multiplying the observed power at 100 Mc./s. by an effective band-width of 500 Mc./s. and using the newly estimated distances. J is expressed in units of the total energy output of the sun (= 3·82 × 1026 watt) per cubic parsec. The figure for the Galaxy and M31 is considerably higher than that given by Baldwin in this symposium, since I have not revised the estimate of the emitting volume from the original paper by Minkowski and Greenstein. If most of the emission comes from a larger galactic halo the specific luminosity, J, for the Galaxy and M31 should be considerably reduced. For certain of the extra-galactic sources it is not certain whether the volume of the whole nebula, or only of the parts now in collision (or peculiar in nature, like the jet in M87) should be used in computing the specific emissivity, J. In Table 1, two values are then given.

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