arXiv subjects

A. G. G. M. Tielens

Publications and source records attributed to A. G. G. M. Tielens.

230 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

The obscured mid-infrared continuum of NGC 4418: a dust- and ice-enshrouded AGN

We report the detection of absorption features in the 6-8 micron region superimposed on a featureless mid-infrared continuum in NGC 4418. For several of these features this is the first detection in an external galaxy. We compare the absorption spectrum of NGC 4418 to that of embedded massive protostars and the Galactic centre, and attribute the absorption features to ice grains and to hydrogenated amorphous carbon grains. From the depth of the ice features, the powerful central source responsible for the mid-infrared emission must be deeply enshrouded. Since this emission is warm and originates in a compact region, an AGN must be hiding in the nucleus of NGC 4418.

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arXiv2000

The location of the dense and ionized gas in the NGC 2023 PDR

The VLA and the BIMA array were used to obtain high resolution (10-20") observations of C+, traced by the C91a recombination line at 8.6 GHz, and the dense molecular gas, traced by HCN and HCO+(1-0), of the photon dominated region (PDR) associated with the reflection nebula NGC 2023. Using the VLA, continuum emission is detected at 8.6 GHz from a faint HII region associated with HD 37903. The C91a emission originates from a 0.4 pc long filament, extending from the east to the south of the exciting star HD 37903. Within the filament three C91a clumps can be distinguished, each associated with filamentary vibrationally excited H2 emission in the direction toward HD 37903. The HCO+ emission has a clumpy appearance superimposed on a more extended component. C91a is, in general, closer to the exciting star than HCO+ emission as expected from PDR models. The morphologies of HCO+ and HCN are quite similar. Based on the C91a linewidth towards one of the clumps a limit of 170 K on the kinetic temperature in the ionized carbon layer can be derived. This value is consistent with PDR models with H2 densities of about 10^5/cm^3. However, this result suggests surprisingly low limits on the turbulence in the PDR. We detected a compact 3 mm continuum source in the PDR, which appears to be a cold "core" of density 10^7/cm^3, 0.03 parsec diameter, and 6 solar masses. We conclude that it may have formed within the PDR. In an appendix, observations of the C91a recombination line toward five additional PDRs using the Effelsberg 100m telescope are described.

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arXiv2000

Infrared Observations of Hot Gas and Cold Ice toward the Low Mass Protostar Elias 29

We have obtained the full 1-200 um spectrum of the low luminosity (36 Lsun) Class I protostar Elias 29 in the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud. It provides a unique opportunity to study the origin and evolution of interstellar ice and the interrelationship of interstellar ice and hot core gases around low mass protostars. We see abundant hot CO and H2O gas, as well as the absorption bands of CO, CO2, H2O and ``6.85 um'' ices. We compare the abundances and physical conditions of the gas and ices toward Elias 29 with the conditions around several well studied luminous, high mass protostars. The high gas temperature and gas/solid ratios resemble those of relatively evolved high mass objects (e.g. GL 2591). However, none of the ice band profiles shows evidence for significant thermal processing, and in this respect Elias 29 resembles the least evolved luminous protostars, such as NGC 7538 : IRS9. Thus we conclude that the heating of the envelope of the low mass object Elias 29 is qualitatively different from that of high mass protostars. This is possibly related to a different density gradient of the envelope or shielding of the ices in a circumstellar disk. This result is important for our understanding of the evolution of interstellar ices, and their relation to cometary ices.

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arXiv2000

ISO Spectroscopy of the Young Bipolar Nebulae S106 IR and Cep A East

We present the results of ISO SWS and LWS grating scans towards the embedded Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) S106 IR and Cep A East. Emission from the pure rotational lines of H2 and the infrared fine structure lines of [C II], [O I], [S I], [Si II] and [Fe II], as well as absorption bands due to H2O, CO and CO2 ice were detected toward Cep A. In S106 we detected emission lines of H2, CO, H I, and a large number of ionized species including Fe, O, N, C, Si, S, Ne and Ar. S106 also shows many of the infrared PAH bands in emission. Excitation temperatures and molecular hydrogen masses were derived from the low-lying pure rotational levels of H2 and are 500 and 730 K and 8 and 3 x 10^{-3} solar masses for S106 and Cep A, respectively. Since both objects are expected to have several solar masses of H2 in their environment, we conclude that in both cases the bulk of the H2 is cooler than a few hundred Kelvins. Excitation temperatures and line ratios were compared with those predicted by theoretical models for PDRs and dissociative and non-dissociative shocks. The [S I] 25.2 micron/[Si II] 34.8 micron ratio is a particularly useful shock versus PDR discriminant and we conclude that S106 IR is dominated by PDR emission while Cep A East has a large shock component. From an analysis of the ionic lines in S106 we conclude that the central star must have a temperature around 37,000 K, corresponding to a spectral type of O8. From its luminosity it is concluded that the driving source of Cep A must also be a massive early-type star. The absence of strong high-ionization ionic lines in its ISO spectrum shows that Cep A has not yet created a significant H II region and must be younger than S106, illustrating the process of the clearing of the surroundings of a massive young star.

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arXiv2000

Mid-infrared ISO spectroscopy of NGC 4945

We have observed the central region of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC4945 with the mid-infrared spectrometers SWS and PHT-S aboard ISO. We do not find any evidence for the existence of the powerful AGN, inferred from hard X-ray observations. The upper limits on our AGN tracers [NeV] 14.32um & 24.32um and [NeVI] 7.65um imply an A(V)>160 towards the NLR, assuming the NLR to be of equal strength as in the Circinus galaxy. Other possibilities are discussed. The starburst excitation indicators [NeIII]15.56um/[NeII]12.81um and L(bol)/L(lyc) suggest that the starburst in the central region is at least 5x10^6 yrs old, and that it accounts for at least half of the nuclear bolometric luminosity. The starburst might well power the entire bolometric luminosity, but the available constraints are also consistent with an up to 50% contribution of the embedded AGN. With PHT-S, at a resolution of approximately 90, we detect strong absorption features of water ice, and, for the first time in an external galaxy, of CO_2 and CO. The same PHT-S spectrum also reveals strong emission from the family of PAH features. Finally, we have observed and detected several pure rotational and ro-vibrational H_2 lines, two of which, the (0-0) S(0) & S(1) lines, allow us to determine the excitation temperature (160K) and warm H_2 mass (2.4x10^7 Msun). The low excitation temperature shows Orion-like shocks not to be representative for the entire emission of the central region of the galaxy and fairly normal PDRs to be perhaps more typical.

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arXiv2000

Revealing the Photodissociation Region: Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS Imaging of NGC 7027

We report results from a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) program to study the distribution of hot neutral (molecular hydrogen) and ionized circumstellar material in the young planetary nebulae NGC 7027. HST/NICMOS provided very high spatial resolution imaging in line and continuum emission, and the stability and large dynamic range needed for investigating detailed structures in the circumstellar material. We present dramatic new images of NGC 7027 that have led to a new understanding of the structure in this important planetary nebula. The central star is clearly revealed, providing near-infrared fluxes that are used to directly determine the stellar temperature very accurately (T = 198,000 K). It is found that the photodissociation layer as revealed by near-infrared molecular hydrogen emission is very thin, and is biconical in shape. The interface region is structured and filamentary, suggesting the existence of hydrodynamic instabilities. We discuss evidence for the presence of one or more highly collimated, off-axis jets that might be present in NGC 7027. The evolutionary future of NGC 7027 is discussed.

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arXiv2000

The Composition and Distribution of Dust Along the Line of Sight Towards the Galactic Center

We discuss the composition of dust and ice along the line of sight to the Galactic Center (GC) based on analysis of mid-infrared spectra (2.4-13 micron) from the Short Wavelength Spectrometer on the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). We have analyzed dust absorption features arising in the molecular cloud material and the diffuse interstellar medium along the lines of sight toward Sagittarius A* and the Quintuplet sources, GCS3 and GCS4. It is evident from the depth of the 3.0 micron H2O and the 4.27 micron CO2 ice features that there is more molecular cloud material along the line of sight toward Sgr A* than GCS3 and 4. In fact, Sgr A* has a rich infrared ice spectrum with evidence for the presence of solid CH4, NH3, and possibly HCOOH. Hydrocarbon dust in the diffuse interstellar medium along the line of sight to the GC is characterized by absorption features centered at 3.4, 6.85, and 7.25 micron. Ground-based studies have identified the 3.4 micron feature with aliphatic hydrocarbons, and ISO has given us the first meaningful observations of the corresponding modes at longer wavelengths. The integrated strengths of these three features suggest that hydrogenated amorphous carbon is their carrier. We attribute an absorption feature centered at 3.28 micron in the GCS3 spectrum to the C-H stretch in aromatic hydrocarbons. This feature is not detected, and its C-C stretch counterpart appears to be weaker, in the SgrA* spectrum. One of the key questions which now arises is whether aromatics are a widespread component of the diffuse interstellar medium, analogous to aliphatic hydrocarbons.

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arXiv2000

HST/NICMOS Imaging of the Planetary Nebula Hubble 12

Images of Hubble 12 were obtained with the HST/NICMOS instrument in the F110W, F164N, and F166N filters of NIC1, and the F160W, F187N, F190N, F212N, F215N filters of NIC2. The images show the structure of the inner ``torus'' and lobes much clearer than previous ground-based images. In particular, the [Fe II] lobes are clearly resolved and shown to be distinct from the molecular hydrogen emission structures. Apparent changes in the inner ionized and neutral bipolar shell implies periodic mass loss or changes in stellar wind shape or direction. The molecular hydrogen in the ``eye'' is radiatively excited and shows a complex morphology that suggests that several mass ejection events are responsible for producing this structure. The position angle of the molecular hydrogen and [Fe II] lobes differ, indicating a possible precession of the ejection axis.

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arXiv2000

ISO-SWS observations of interstellar solid 13CO2: heated ice and the Galactic 12C/13C abundance ratio

We present observations of the stretching mode of 13CO2 ice along 13 lines of sight in the Galaxy, using the Short Wavelength Spectrometer on board of the Infrared Space Observatory. Remarkable variations are seen in the absorption band profile in the different lines of sight. The main feature is attributed to 13CO2 mixed with polar molecules such as H2O, and CH3OH. Several high-mass protostars show an additional narrow substructure at 4.382 um, which we attribute to a polar CO2 ice, that experienced heating. This heating effect is sustained by a good correlation of the strength of the substructure with dust and CO gas temperatures along the line of sight, and anti-correlation with ice abundances. Thus, our main conclusion is that interstellar CO2 ices around luminous protostars are subjected to, and altered by, thermal processing and that it may reflect the evolutionary stage of the nearby protostar. In contrast, the ices around low mass protostars and in a quiescent cloud in our sample do not show signs of thermal processing. Furthermore, we determine for the first time the Galactic 12C/13C ratio from the solid state. The 12CO2/13CO2 ratio for the local ISM (69+/-15), as well as the dependence on Galacto-centric radius, are in good agreement with gas phase (C18O, H2CO) studies. For the few individual objects for which gas phase values are available, the 12C/13C ratios derived from CO2 tend to be higher compared to CO studies (albeit with 2.5 sigma significance only). We discuss the implications of this possible difference for the chemical origin of interstellar CO2.

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arXiv2000

ISO Spectroscopy of H2 in Star Forming Regions

We have studied molecular hydrogen emission in a sample of 21 YSOs using spectra obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). H2 emission was detected in 12 sources and can be explained as arising in either a shock, caused by the interaction of an outflow from an embedded YSO with the surrounding molecular cloud, or in a PDR surrounding an exposed young early-type star. The distinction between these two mechanisms can not always be made from the pure rotational H2 lines alone. Other tracers, such as PAH emission or [S I] 25.25 micron emission, are needed to identify the H2 heating mechanism. No deviations from a 3:1 ortho/para ratio of H2 were found. Both shocks and PDRs show a warm and a hot component in H2, which we explain as thermal emission from warm molecular gas (warm component), or UV-pumped infrared fluorescence in the case of PDRs and the re-formation of H2 for shocks (hot component).

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arXiv2000

ISO Spectroscopy of Young Intermediate-Mass Stars in the BD+40 4124 Group

We present the results of ISO SWS and LWS grating scans towards the three brightest members of the BD+40 4124 group in the infrared: BD+40 4124 (B2Ve), LkHalpha 224 (A7e) and the embedded source LkHalpha 225. Emission from the pure rotational lines of H_2, from ro-vibrational transitions of CO, from PAHs, from H I recombination lines and from the infrared fine structure lines of [Fe II], [Si II], [S I], [O I], [O III] and [C II] was detected. These emission lines arise in the combination of a low-density (approx 10^2 cm^-3) H II region with a clumpy PDR in the case of BD+40 4124. The lower transitions of the infrared H I lines observed in BD+40 4124 are optically thick; most likely they arise in either a dense wind or a circumstellar disk. This same region is also responsible for the optical H I lines and the radio continuum emission. In the lines of sight towards LkHalpha 224 and LkHalpha 225, the observed emission lines arise in a non-dissociative shock produced by a slow (approx 20 km/s) outflow arising from LkHalpha 225. Toward LkHalpha 225 we also observe a dissociative shock, presumably located closer to the outflow source than the non-dissociative shock. In the line of sight towards LkHalpha 225 we observed absorption features due to solid water ice and amorphous silicates, and due to gas-phase H_2O, CO and CO_2. No solid CO_2 was detected towards LkHalpha 225, making this the first line of sight where the bulk of the CO_2 is in the gas-phase.

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arXiv1999

2.4 - 197 micron spectroscopy of OH/IR stars: The IR characteristics of circumstellar dust in O-rich environments

Infrared spectra of a number of evolved O-rich stars have been obtained with the Short- and Long- Wavelength spectrometers on board the Infrared Space Observatory. The very broad wavelength coverage (2.4-197 micron) obtained by combining observations made with the two spectrometers includes practically all of the flux emitted by the sources, and allows us to determine the emission and absorption features of the dense circumstellar dust shells. Agreement between the fluxes obtained by the two instruments is generally very good; the largest discrepancies are probably due to source variability. Our sample of oxygen-rich AGB stars exhibits a wealth of spectral features due to crystalline silicates and crystalline water ice in emission and absorption. In this study a qualitative overview of all features due to crystalline silicates and water ice in these high mass loss rate objects is presented. It seems that there is a certain onset value for the mass loss rate above which these features appear in the spectrum. Moreover, crystalline silicate emission features have been detected for the first time at wavelengths where the amorphous silicates are still in absorption, implying different spatial distributions for the two materials. A spherically symmetric and an axi-symmetric geometry are proposed.

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arXiv1997

The Propagation and Survival of Interstellar Grains

In this paper we discuss the propagation of dust through the interstellar medium (ISM), and describe the destructive effects of stellar winds, jets, and supernova shock waves on interstellar dust. We review the probability that grains formed in stellar outflows or supernovae survive processing in and propagation through the ISM, and incorporate themselves relatively unprocessed into meteoritic bodies in the solar system. We show that very large (radii >= 5 micron) and very small grains (radii <= 100 Angstrom) with sizes similar to the pre-solar SiC and diamond grains extracted from meteorites, can survive the passage through 100\kms shock waves relatively unscathed. High velocity (>= 250 km/s) shocks destroy dust efficiently. However, a small (~10%) fraction of the stardust never encountered such fast shocks before incorporation into the solar system. All grains should therefore retain traces of their passage through interstellar shocks during their propagation through the ISM. The grain surfaces should show evidence of processing due to sputtering and pitting due to small grain cratering collisions on the micron-sized grains. This conclusion seems to be in conflict with the evidence from the large grains recovered from meteorites which seem to show little interstellar processing.

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arXiv1996

Physical Conditions in Low Ionization Regions of the Orion Nebula

We reexamine the spectroscopic underpinnings of recent suggestions that [O I] and [Fe II] lines from the Orion H II region are produced in gas where the iron-carrying grains have been destroyed and the electron density is surprisingly high. Our new observations show that previous detections of [O I] 5577 were dominated by telluric emission. Our limits are consistent with a moderate density (10^4 cm^{-3}) photoionized gas. We show that a previously proposed model of the Orion H II region reproduces the observed [O I] and [Fe II] spectrum. These lines are fully consistent with formation in a dusty region of moderate density.

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