162,147 research outputs found
Testing protoplanetary disc dispersal with radio emission
No full textWe consider continuum free–free radio emission from the upper atmosphere of protoplanetary discs as a probe of the ionized luminosity impinging upon the disc. Making use of previously computed hydrodynamic models of disc photoevaporation within the framework of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray irradiation, we use radiative transfer post-processing techniques to predict the expected free–free emission from protoplanetary discs. In general, the free–free luminosity scales roughly linearly with ionizing luminosity in both EUV- and X-ray-driven scenarios, where the emission dominates over the dust tail of the disc and is partial optically thin at cm wavelengths. We perform a test observation of GM Aur at 14–18?GHz and detect an excess of radio emission above the dust tail to a very high level of confidence. The observed flux density and spectral index are consistent with free–free emission from the ionized disc in either the EUV- or the X-ray-driven scenario. Finally, we suggest a possible route to testing the EUV- and X-ray-driven dispersal model of protoplanetary discs, by combining observed free–free flux densities with measurements of mass-accretion rates. On the point of disc dispersal one would expect to find an M?2? scaling with free–free flux in the case of EUV-driven disc dispersal or an ?* scaling in the case of X-ray-driven disc dispersa
Star formation rates in molecular clouds and the nature of the extragalactic scaling relations
No full textIn this paper, we investigate scaling relations between star formation rates and molecular gas masses for both local Galactic clouds and a sample of external galaxies. We specifically consider relations between the star formation rates and measurements of dense, as well as total, molecular gas masses. We argue that there is a fundamental empirical scaling relation that directly connects the local star formation process with that operating globally within galaxies. Specifically, the total star formation rate in a molecular cloud or galaxy is linearly proportional to the mass of dense gas within the cloud or galaxy. This simple relation, first documented in previous studies, holds over a span of mass covering nearly nine orders ofmagnitude and indicates that the rate of star formation is directly controlled by the amount of dense molecular gas that can be assembled within a star formation complex. We further show that the star formation rates and total molecular masses, characterizing both local clouds and galaxies, are correlated over similarly large scales of mass and can be described by a family of linear star formation scaling laws, parameterized by f DG, the fraction of dense gas contained within the clouds or galaxies. That is, the underlying star formation scaling law is always linear for clouds and galaxies with the same dense gas fraction. These considerations provide a single unified framework for understanding the relation between the standard (nonlinear) extragalactic Schmidt-Kennicutt scaling law, that is typically derived from CO observations of the gas, and the linear star formation scaling law derived from HCN observations of the dense gas
[Report to Chief J. E. Curry, by an unknown author #1]
No full textReport to Chief J. E. Curry, by an unknown author. The report contains a list of officers who gave depositions to the United States Attorney
[Report to Chief J. E. Curry, by an unknown author #2]
No full textReport to Chief J. E. Curry, by an unknown author. The report contains a list of officers who gave depositions to the United States Attorney
Smoke in the Pipe Nebula : Dust emission and grain growth in the starless core FeSt 1-457
No full textContext. The availability of submillimeter dust emission data in an unprecedented number of bands provides us with new opportunities to investigate the properties of interstellar dust in nearby clouds. Aims. The nearby Pipe Nebula is an ideal laboratory to study starless cores. We here aim to characterize the dust properties of the FeSt 1-457 core, as well as the relation between the dust and the dense gas, using Herschel, Planck, 2MASS, ESO Very Large Telescope, APEX-Laboca, and IRAM 30 m data. Methods. We derive maps of submillimeter dust optical depth and effective dust temperature from Herschel data that were calibrated against Planck. After calibration, we then fit a modified blackbody to the long-wavelength Herschel data, using the Planck-derived dust opacity spectral index β, derived on scales of 30′ (or ~1 pc). We use this model to make predictions of the submillimeter flux density at 850 μm, and we compare these in turn with APEX-Laboca observations. Our method takes into account any additive zeropoint offsets between the Herschel/Planck and Laboca datasets. Additionally, we compare the dust emission with near-infrared extinction data, and we study the correlation of high-density-tracing N2H+ emission with the coldest and densest dust in FeSt 1-457. Results. A comparison of the submillimeter dust optical depth and near-infrared extinction data reveals evidence for an increased submillimeter dust opacity at high column densities, interpreted as an indication of grain growth in the inner parts of the core. Additionally, a comparison of the Herschel dust model and the Laboca data reveals that the frequency dependence of the submillimeter opacity, described by the spectral index β, does not change. A single β that is only slightly different from the Planck-derived value is sufficient to describe the data, β = 1.53 ± 0.07. We apply a similar analysis to Barnard 68, a core with significantly lower column densities than FeSt 1-457, and we do not find evidence for grain growth but also a single β. Finally, our previously reported finding of a correlation of N2H+ emission with lower effective dust temperatures is confirmed for FeSt 1-457 in mapping observations. Conclusions. While we find evidence for grain growth from the dust opacity in FeSt 1-457, we find no evidence for significant variations in the dust opacity spectral index β on scales 0.02 <x< 1 pc (or 36′′<x< 30′). The correction to the Planck-derived dust β that we find in both cases is on the order of the measurement error, not including any systematic errors, and it would thus be reasonable to directly apply the dust β from the Planck all-sky dust model. As a corollary, reliable effective temperature maps can be derived which would be otherwise affected by β variations. Finally, we note that the angular resolution of extinction maps for the study of nearby starless cores remains unsurpassed
A spitzer census of star formation activity in the Pipe Nebula
No full textThe Pipe Nebula, a large nearby molecular cloud, lacks obvious signposts of star formation in all but one of more than 130 dust extinction cores that have been identified within it. In order to quantitatively determine the current level of star formation activity in the Pipe Nebula, we analyzed 13 deg2 of sensitive mid-infrared maps of the entire cloud, obtained with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer at wavelengths of 24 μm and 70 μm, to search for candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) in the high-extinction regions. We argue that our search is complete for class I and typical class II YSOs with luminosities of L bol ~ 0.2 L sun and greater. We find only 18 candidate YSOs in the high-extinction regions of the entire Pipe cloud. Twelve of these sources are previously known members of a small cluster associated with Barnard 59, the largest and most massive dense core in the cloud. With only six candidate class I and class II YSOs detected toward extinction cores outside of this cluster, our findings emphatically confirm the notion of an extremely low level of star formation activity in the Pipe Nebula. The resulting star formation efficiency for the entire cloud mass is only ~0.06%
The HP2 Survey: IV. the Pipe nebula: Effective dust temperatures in dense cores
No full textMulti-wavelength observations in the sub-millimeter regime provide information on the distribution of both the dust column density and the effective dust temperature in molecular clouds. In this study, we created high-resolution and high-dynamic-range maps of the Pipe nebula region and explored the value of dust-temperature measurements in particular towards the dense cores embedded in the cloud. The maps are based on data from the Herschel and Planck satellites, and calibrated with a near-infrared extinction map based on 2MASS observations. We have considered a sample of previously defined cores and found that the majority of core regions contain at least one local temperature minimum. Moreover, we observed an anti-correlation between column density and temperature. The slope of this anti-correlation is dependent on the region boundaries and can be used as a metric to distinguish dense from diffuse areas in the cloud if systematic effects are addressed appropriately. Employing dust-temperature data thus allows us to draw conclusions on the thermodynamically dominant processes in this sample of cores: External heating by the interstellar radiation field and shielding by the surrounding medium. In addition, we have taken a first step towards a physically motivated core definition by recognising that the column-densityerature anti-correlation is sensitive to the core boundaries. Dust-temperature maps therefore clearly contain valuable information about the physical state of the observed medium
PERIODIC RADIO EMISSION FROM THE M7 DWARF 2MASS J13142039+1320011: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MAGNETIC FIELD TOPOLOGY
No full textWe present multi-epoch radio and optical observations of the M7 dwarf 2MASS J13142039+1320011. We detect a similar to 1 mJy source at 1.43, 4.86, 8.46, and 22.5 GHz, making it the most luminous radio emission over the widest frequency range detected from an ultracool dwarf to date. A 10 hr Very Large Array observation reveals that the radio emission varies sinusoidally with a period of 3.89 +/- 0.05 hr, and an amplitude of approximate to 30% at 4.86 GHz and approximate to 20% at 8.46 GHz. The periodicity is also seen in circular polarization, where at 4.86 GHz the polarization reverses helicity from left-to right-handed in phase with the total intensity. An archival detection in the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimeters survey indicates that the radio emission has been stable for at least a decade. We also detect periodic photometric variability in several optical filters with a period of 3.79 hr and measure a rotation velocity of v sin i = 45 +/- 5 km s(-1), in good agreement with the radio and optical periods. The subtle difference in radio and optical periods may be due to differential rotation, with Delta Omega approximate to 1 rad day(-1) between the equation and poles. The period and rotation velocity allow us to place a lower limit on the radius of the source of greater than or similar to 0.13 R-circle dot, about 30% larger than theoretical expectations. The properties of the radio emission can be explained with a simple model of a magnetic dipole misaligned relative to the stellar rotation axis, with the sinusoidal variations and helicity reversal due to the rotation of the magnetic poles relative to our line of sight. The long-term stability of the radio emission indicates that the magnetic field (and hence the dynamo) is stable on a much longer timescale than the convective turnover time of similar to 0.2 yr. If the radio emission is due to gyrosynchrotron emission the inferred magnetic field strength is similar to 0.1 kG, while the electron cyclotron maser process requires a field of at least 8 kG
Schmidt's conjecture and star formation in molecular cluds
No full textWe investigate Schmidt's conjecture (i.e., that the star formation rate (SFR) scales in a power-law fashion with the gas density) for four well-studied local molecular clouds (giant molecular clouds, GMCs). Using the Bayesian methodology, we show that a local Schmidt scaling relation of the form (protostars pc–2) exists within (but not between) GMCs. Further, we find that the Schmidt scaling law does not by itself provide an adequate description of star formation activity in GMCs. Because the total number of protostars produced by a cloud is given by the product of Σ*(A K) and S'(> A K), the differential surface area distribution function, integrated over the entire cloud, the cloud's structure plays a fundamental role in setting the level of its star formation activity. For clouds with similar functional forms of Σ*(A K), observed differences in their total SFRs are primarily due to the differences in S'(> A K) between the clouds. The coupling of Σ*(A K) with the measured S'(> A K) in these clouds also produces a steep jump in the SFR and protostellar production above AK ~ 0.8 mag. Finally, we show that there is no global Schmidt law that relates the SFR and gas mass surface densities between GMCs. Consequently, the observed Kennicutt-Schmidt scaling relation for disk galaxies is likely an artifact of unresolved measurements of GMCs and not a result of any underlying physical law of star formation characterizing the molecular gas
Murder on the mountain: author talk with Peter J. Wosh
No full textAuthor talk by Peter J. Wosh on May 5th, 2022, on his book, "Murder on the Mountain: crime, passion, and punishment in gilded age New Jersey.
- …
