Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

C. Kramer

Publications and source records attributed to C. Kramer.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

The Heating of Mid-Infrared Dust in the Nearby Galaxy M33: A Testbed for Tracing Galaxy Evolution

Because the 8 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission has been found to correlate with other well-known star formation tracers, it has widely been used as a star formation rate (SFR) tracer. There are, however, studies that challenge the accuracy and reliability of the 8 μm emission as a SFR tracer. Our study, part of the Herschel M33 Extended Survey (HERM33ES) open time key program, aims at addressing this issue by analyzing the infrared emission from the nearby spiral galaxy M33 at the high spatial scale of 75 pc. Combining data from the Herschel Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope we find that the 8 μm emission is better correlated with the 250 μm emission, which traces cold interstellar gas, than with the 24 μm emission. The L(8)/L(24) ratio is highly depressed in 24 μm luminous regions, which correlate with known HII regions. We also compare our results with the dust emission models by Draine & Li (2007). We confirm that the depression of 8 μm PAH emission near star-forming regions is higher than what is predicted by models; this is possibly an effect of increased stellar radiation from young stars destroying the dust grains responsible for the 8 μm emission as already suggested by other authors. We find that the majority of the 8 μm emission is fully consistent with heating by the diffuse interstellar medium, similar to what recently determined for the dust emission in M31 by Draine at al. (2013). We also find that the fraction of 8 μm emission associated with the diffuse interstellar radiation field ranges between 60% and 80% and is 40% larger than the diffuse fraction at 24 μm.

astro-ph.GA↗

The molecular circumnuclear disk (CND) in Centaurus A: A multi-transition CO and [CI] survey with Herschel, APEX, JCMT, and SEST

We present new CO and C^o line measurements of the compact circumnuclear disk in the center of NGC 128 (Centaurus~A) obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory, as well as SEST, JCMT, and APEX. The Cen A center CO ladder is quite different from those of either star-burst galaxies or AGNs. In addition, the relative intensity of the central Cen A [CI] emission lines is much greate than that in any other galaxy. The CO surface brightness of the compact circumnuclear disk (CND) is significantly higher than that of the much more extended thin disk (ETD) in the same line of sight. Our LVG and PDR/XDR models suggest that much of the CND gas is relatively cool (25 - 80 K) and not very dense (~ 300 cm^{-3}) if the heating is by UV photons, although there is some gas in both the CND and the ETD with a much higher density of ~30 000 cm^{-3}. Finally, there is also high-excitation, high-density phase in the CND (but not in the ETD), either in the form of an extreme PDR but more likely in the form of an XDR. The total gas mass of the Cen A CND is 8.4 x 10^{7} M(sun), uncertain by a factor of two. The CO-H2 conversion factor is 4 x 10^{20} K km/s, also within a factor of two.

astro-ph.GA↗

The NIKA instrument: results and perspectives towards a permanent KID based camera for the Pico Veleta observatory

The New IRAM KIDs Array (NIKA) is a pathfinder instrument devoted to millimetric astronomy. In 2009 it was the first multiplexed KID camera on the sky; currently it is installed at the focal plane of the IRAM 30-meters telescope at Pico Veleta (Spain). We present preliminary data from the last observational run and the ongoing developments devoted to the next NIKA-2 kilopixels camera, to be commissioned in 2015. We also report on the latest laboratory measurements, and recent improvements in detector cosmetics and read-out electronics. Furthermore, we describe a new acquisition strategy allowing us to improve the photometric accuracy, and the related automatic tuning procedure.

astro-ph.IM↗

Detection of the tSZ effect with the NIKA camera

We present the first detection of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect from a cluster of galaxies performed with a KIDs (Kinetic Inductance Detectors) based instrument. The tSZ effect is a distortion of the black body CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background) spectrum produced by the inverse Compton interaction of CMB photons with the hot electrons of the ionized intra-cluster medium. The massive, intermediate redshift cluster RX J1347.5-1145 has been observed using NIKA (New IRAM KIDs arrays), a dual-band (140 and 240 GHz) mm-wave imaging camera, which exploits two arrays of hundreds of KIDs: the resonant frequencies of the superconducting resonators are shifted by mm-wave photons absorption. This tSZ cluster observation demonstrates the potential of the next generation NIKA2 instrument, being developed for the 30m telescope of IRAM, at Pico Veleta (Spain). NIKA2 will have 1000 detectors at 140GHz and 2x2000 detectors at 240GHz, providing in that band also a measurement of the linear polarization. NIKA2 will be commissioned in 2015.

astro-ph.CO↗

Kinematics of the ionized-to-neutral interfaces in Monoceros R2

Context. Monoceros R2 (Mon R2), at a distance of 830 pc, is the only ultra-compact H ii region (UC H ii) where its associated photon-dominated region (PDR) can be resolved with the Herschel Space Observatory. Aims. Our aim is to investigate observationally the kinematical patterns in the interface regions (i.e., the transition from atomic to molecular gas) associated with Mon R2. Methods. We used the HIFI instrument onboard Herschel to observe the line profiles of the reactive ions CH+, OH+ and H2O+ toward different positions in Mon R2. We derive the column density of these molecules and compare them with gas-phase chemistry models. Results. The reactive ion CH+ is detected both in emission (at central and red-shifted velocities) and in absorption (at blue-shifted velocities). OH+ is detected in absorption at both blue- and red-shifted velocities, with similar column densities. H2O+ is not detected at any of the positions, down to a rms of 40 mK toward the molecular peak. At this position, we find that the OH+ absorption originates in a mainly atomic medium, and therefore is associated with the most exposed layers of the PDR. These results are consistent with the predictions from photo-chemical models. The line profiles are consistent with the atomic gas being entrained in the ionized gas flow along the walls of the cavity of the H ii region. Based on this evidence, we are able to propose a new geometrical model for this region. Conclusions. The kinematical patterns of the OH+ and CH+ absorption indicate the existence of a layer of mainly atomic gas for which we have derived, for the first time, some physical parameters and its dynamics.

astro-ph.GA↗

Variation in the dust emissivity index across M33 with Herschel and Spitzer (HerM33es)

We study the wavelength dependence of the dust emission as a function of position and environment across the disk of M33 at a linear resolution of 160 pc using Spitzer and Herschel photometric data. Expressing the emissivity of the dust as a power law, the power-law exponent (beta) is estimated from two independent approaches designed to properly treat the degeneracy between beta and the dust temperature. Both beta and the dust temperature are higher in the inner disk than in the outer disk, contrary to reported beta-T anti-correlations found in other sources. In the cold + warm dust model, the warm component and the ionized gas (Halpha) have a very similar distribution across the galaxy, demonstrating that the model separates the components in an appropriate fashion. The flocculent spiral arms and the dust lanes are evident in the map of the cold component. Both cold and warm dust column densities are high in star forming regions and reach their maxima toward the giant star forming complexes NGC604 and NGC595. beta declines from close to 2 in the center to about 1.3 in the outer disk. beta is positively correlated with star formation and with molecular gas column, as traced by Halpha and CO emission. The lower dust emissivity index in the outer parts of M33 is likely related to the reduced metallicity (different grain composition) and possibly different size distribution. It is not due to the decrease in stellar radiation field or temperature in a simple way because the FIR-bright regions in the outer disk also have a low beta. Like most spirals, M33 has a (decreasing) radial gradient in star formation and molecular-to-atomic gas ratio such that the regions bright in Halpha or CO tend to trace the inner disk, making it difficult to distinguish between their effects on the dust.

astro-ph.CO↗

Large scale IRAM 30m CO-observations in the giant molecular cloud complex W43

We aim to give a full description of the distribution and location of dense molecular clouds in the giant molecular cloud complex W43. It has previously been identified as one of the most massive star-forming regions in our Galaxy. To trace the moderately dense molecular clouds in the W43 region, we initiated an IRAM 30m large program, named W43-HERO, covering a large dynamic range of scales (from 0.3 to 140 pc). We obtained on-the-fly-maps in 13CO (2-1) and C18O (2-1) with a high spectral resolution of 0.1 km/s and a spatial resolution of 12". These maps cover an area of ~1.5 square degrees and include the two main clouds of W43, as well as the lower density gas surrounding them. A comparison with Galactic models and previous distance calculations confirms the location of W43 near the tangential point of the Scutum arm at a distance from the Sun of approximately 6 kpc. The resulting intensity cubes of the observed region are separated into sub-cubes, centered on single clouds which are then analyzed in detail. The optical depth, excitation temperature, and H2 column density maps are derived out of the 13CO and C18O data. These results are then compared with those derived from Herschel dust maps. The mass of a typical cloud is several 10^4 solar masses while the total mass in the dense molecular gas (>100 cm^-3) in W43 is found to be about 1.9e6 solar masses. Probability distribution functions obtained from column density maps derived from molecular line data and Herschel imaging show a log-normal distribution for low column densities and a power-law tail for high densities. A flatter slope for the molecular line data PDF may imply that those selectively show the gravitationally collapsing gas.

astro-ph.GA↗

Low-velocity shocks traced by extended SiO emission along the W43 ridges: witnessing the formation of young massive clusters

The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. We here focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of formation. The cloud structure is studied with a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps obtained at 70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 micron. We identify two high-column density filamentary clouds, quoted as the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges, which both account for 1.5x10^4 Msun gas mass above 10^23 cm-2 and within areas of 5 and 14pc^2, respectively. We used the N_2H^+ 1--0 line to confirm that the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion and ~5 kms line widths. The most intriguing result of the W43 large program is the bright wide-spread SiO 2--1 emission: 1--11 K kms$ stretching an area of ~28 pc^2. Concentrated toward the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges and their immediate surroundings, it leads to a total luminosity of L_SiO 2-1 ~4 10^4 K kms kpc^2pc^2. We measured a steep relation between the luminosity and velocity extent of the SiO~2--1 lines and propose to use it to distinguish the low-velocity shocks observed here from the more classical high-velocity ones associated with outflows of high-mass young stellar objects. We used state-of-the-art shock models to demonstrate that low-velocity (<10 kms^-1) shocks with a small amount (10%) of Si atoms initially in gas phase or in grain mantles can explain the observed SiO column density in W43. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges high-density gas (n_H2>10^4-10^5 cm^-3) and the shocked SiO gas suggests that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters in these ridges.

astro-ph.GA↗

The Plateau de Bure + 30m Arcsecond Whirlpool Survey reveals a thick disk of diffuse molecular gas in the M51 galaxy

We present the data of the Plateau de Bure Arcsecond Whirlpool Survey (PAWS), a high spatial and spectral resolution 12CO(1-0) line survey of the inner 10 x 6 kpc of the M51 system, and the first wide-field imaging of molecular gas in a star-forming spiral galaxy with resolution matched to the typical size of Giant Molecular Clouds (40 pc). We describe the observation, reduction, and combination of the Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) and IRAM-30m "short spacing" data. The final data cube attains 1.1"-resolution over the 270" x 170" field of view, with sensitivity to all spatial scales from the combination of PdBI and IRAM-30m data, and brightness sensitivity of 0.4 K (1 sigma) in each 5 km/s-wide channel map. We find a CO-luminosity of 9.10^8 K km/s pc^2, corresponding to a molecular gas mass of 4.10^9 Msol for a standard CO-to-H2 conversion factor. Unexpectedly, we find that a large fraction, (50 +/- 10)%, of this emission arises mostly from spatial scales larger than 36" or about 1.3 kpc. Through a series of tests, we demonstrate that this extended emission does not result from a processing artifact. We discuss its origin in light of the stellar component, the 12CO/13CO ratio, and the difference between the kinematics and structure of the PdBI-only and hybrid synthesis (PdBI + IRAM-30m) images. The extended emission is consistent with a thick, diffuse disk of molecular gas with a typical scale height of about 200 pc, substructured in unresolved filaments which fills about 0.1% of the volume.

astro-ph.GA↗

Gas and dust cooling along the major axis of M33 (HerM33es): ISO/LWS CII observations

We aim to better understand the heating of the gas by observing the prominent gas cooling line [CII] at 158um in the low-metallicity environment of the Local Group spiral galaxy M33 at scales of 280pc. In particular, we aim at describing the variation of the photoelectric heating efficiency with galactic environment. In this unbiased study, we used ISO/LWS [CII] observations along the major axis of M33, in combination with Herschel PACS and SPIRE continuum maps, IRAM 30m CO 2-1 and VLA HI data to study the variation of velocity integrated intensities. The ratio of [CII] emission over the far-infrared continuum is used as a proxy for the heating efficiency, and models of photon-dominated regions are used to study the local physical densities, FUV radiation fields, and average column densities of the molecular clouds. The heating efficiency stays constant at 0.8% in the inner 4.5kpc radius of the galaxy where it starts to increase to reach values of ~3% in the outskirts at about 6kpc radial distance. The rise of efficiency is explained in the framework of PDR models by lowered volume densities and FUV fields, for optical extinctions of only a few magnitudes at constant metallicity. In view of the significant fraction of HI emission stemming from PDRs, and for typical pressures found in the Galactic cold neutral medium (CNM) traced by HI emission, the CNM contributes ~15% to the observed [CII] emission in the inner 2kpc radius of M33. The CNM contribution remains largely undetermined in the south, while positions between 2 and 7.3kpc radial distance in the north of M33 show a contribution of ~40%+-20%.

astro-ph.GA↗

Spatial distribution of small hydrocarbons in the neighborhood of the Ultra Compact HII region Monoceros R2

We study the chemistry of small hydrocarbons in the photon-dominated regions (PDRs) associated with the ultra-compact HII region Mon R2. Our goal is to determine the variations of the abundance of small hydrocarbons in a high-UV irradiated PDR and investigate their chemistry. We present an observational study of CH, CCH and c-C$_3$H$_2$ in Mon R2 combining data obtained with the IRAM 30m telescope and Herschel. We determine the column densities of these species, and compare their spatial distributions with that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). We compare the observational results with different chemical models to explore the relative importance of gas-phase, grain-surface and time-dependent chemistry in these environments. The emission of the small hydrocarbons show different patterns. The CCH emission is extended while CH and c-C$_3$H$_2$ are concentrated towards the more illuminated layers of the PDR. The ratio of the column densities of c-C$_3$H$_2$ and CCH shows spatial variations up to a factor of a few, increasing from $N(c-C$_3$H$_2$)/N(CCH)\approx0.004$ in the envelope to a maximum of $\sim0.015-0.029$ towards the 8$μ$m emission peak. Comparing these results with other galactic PDRs, we find that the abundance of CCH is quite constant over a wide range of G$_0$, whereas the abundance of c-C$_3$H$_2$ is higher in low-UV PDRs. In Mon R2, the gas-phase steady-state chemistry can account relatively well for the abundances of CH and CCH in the most exposed layers of the PDR, but falls short by a factor of 10 to reproduce c-C$_3$H$_2$. In the molecular envelope, time-dependent effects and grain surface chemistry play a dominant role in determining the hydrocarbons abundances. Our study shows that CCH and c-C$_3$H$_2$ present a complex chemistry in which UV photons, grain-surface chemistry and time dependent effects contribute to determine their abundances.

astro-ph.GA↗

Dense Gas in M33 (HerM33es)

We aim to better understand the emission of molecular tracers of the diffuse and dense gas in giant molecular clouds and the influence that metallicity, optical extinction, density, far-UV field, and star formation rate have on these tracers. Using the IRAM 30m telescope, we detected HCN, HCO+, 12CO, and 13CO in six GMCs along the major axis of M33 at a resolution of ~ 114pc and out to a radial distance of 3.4kpc. Optical, far-infrared, and submillimeter data from Herschel and other observatories complement these observations. To interpret the observed molecular line emission, we created two grids of models of photon-dominated regions, one for solar and one for M33-type subsolar metallicity. The observed HCO+/HCN line ratios range between 1.1 and 2.5. Similarly high ratios have been observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The HCN/CO ratio varies between 0.4% and 2.9% in the disk of M33. The 12CO/13CO line ratio varies between 9 and 15 similar to variations found in the diffuse gas and the centers of GMCs of the Milky Way. Stacking of all spectra allowed HNC and C2H to be detected. The resulting HCO+/HNC and HCN/HNC ratios of ~ 8 and 6, respectively, lie at the high end of ratios observed in a large set of (ultra-)luminous infrared galaxies. HCN abundances are lower in the subsolar metallicity PDR models, while HCO+ abundances are enhanced. For HCN this effect is more pronounced at low optical extinctions. The observed HCO+/HCN and HCN/CO line ratios are naturally explained by subsolar PDR models of low optical extinctions between 4 and 10 mag and of moderate densities of n = 3x10^3 - 3x10^4 cm^-3, while the FUV field strength only has a small effect on the modeled line ratios. The line ratios are almost equally well reproduced by the solar-metallicity models, indicating that variations in metallicity only play a minor role in influencing these line ratios.

astro-ph.GA↗

Spectral Energy Distributions of HII regions in M33 (HerM33es)

Within the framework of the Herschel M 33 extended survey HerM33es we study the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of a set of HII regions in M 33 as a function of the morphology. We present a catalogue of 119 HII regions morphologically classified: 9 filled, 47 mixed, 36 shell, and 27 clear shell HII regions. For each object we extract the photometry at twelve available wavelength bands (from FUV-1516A to IR-250mi) and obtain the SED. We also obtain emission line profiles across the regions to study the location of the stellar, ionised gas, and dust components. We find trends for the SEDs related to the morphology, showing that the star and gas-dust configuration affects the ratios of the emission in different bands. The mixed and filled regions show higher emission at 24mi than the shells and clear shells, which could be due to the proximity of the dust to the stellar clusters in the case of mixed and filled regions. The FIR peak for shells and clear shells seems to be located towards longer wavelengths, indicating that the dust is colder for this type of objects.The logarithmic 100/70mi ratio for filled and mixed regions remains constant over one order of magnitude in Halpha and FUV surface brightness, while the shells and clear shells exhibit a wider range of values of almost two orders of magnitude. We derive dust masses and temperatures fitting the individual SEDs with dust models proposed in the literature. The derived dust mass range is between 10^2-10^4 Msun and the cold dust temperature spans T(cold)~12-27 K. The spherical geometrical model proposed for the Halpha clear shells is confirmed by the emission profile obtained from the observations and is used to infer the electron density within the envelope: the typical electron density is 0.7+-0.3 cm^-3, while filled regions can reach values two to five times higher.

astro-ph.CO↗

Evidence for CO shock excitation in NGC 6240 from Herschel SPIRE spectroscopy

We present Herschel SPIRE FTS spectroscopy of the nearby luminous infrared galaxy NGC 6240. In total 20 lines are detected, including CO J=4-3 through J=13-12, 6 H2O rotational lines, and [CI] and [NII] fine-structure lines. The CO to continuum luminosity ratio is 10 times higher in NGC 6240 than Mrk 231. Although the CO ladders of NGC 6240 and Mrk 231 are very similar, UV and/or X-ray irradiation are unlikely to be responsible for the excitation of the gas in NGC 6240. We applied both C and J shock models to the H2 v=1-0 S(1) and v=2-1 S(1) lines and the CO rotational ladder. The CO ladder is best reproduced by a model with shock velocity v_s=10 km s^-1 and a pre-shock density n_H=5 * 10^4 cm^-3. We find that the solution best fitting the H2 lines is degenerate: The shock velocities and number densities range between v_s = 17 - 47 km s^-1 and n_H=10^7 - 5 * 10^4 cm^-3, respectively. The H2 lines thus need a much more powerful shock than the CO lines. We deduce that most of the gas is currently moderately stirred up by slow (10 km s^-1) shocks while only a small fraction (< 1 percent) of the ISM is exposed to the high velocity shocks. This implies that the gas is rapidly loosing its highly turbulent motions. We argue that a high CO line-to-continuum ratio is a key diagnostic for the presence of shocks.

astro-ph.CO↗

The impact of interactions, bars, bulges, and AGN on star formation efficiency in local massive galaxies

Using observations from the GASS and COLD GASS surveys and complementary data from SDSS and GALEX, we investigate the nature of variations in gas depletion time observed across the local massive galaxy population. The large and unbiased COLD GASS sample allows us to assess the relative importance of galaxy interactions, bar instabilities, morphologies and the presence of AGN in regulating star formation efficiency. Both the H2 mass fraction and depletion time vary as a function of the distance of a galaxy from the main sequence in the SFR-M* plane. The longest gas depletion times are found in below-main sequence bulge-dominated galaxies that are either gas-poor, or else on average less efficient than disk-dominated galaxy at converting into stars any cold gas they may have. We find no link between AGN and these long depletion times. The galaxies undergoing mergers or showing signs of morphological disruptions have the shortest molecular gas depletion times, while those hosting strong stellar bars have only marginally higher global star formation efficiencies as compared to matched control samples. Our interpretation is that depletion time variations are caused by changes in the ratio between the gas mass traced by the CO(1-0) observations, and the gas mass in high density star-forming cores, with interactions, mergers and bar instabilities able to locally increase pressure and raise the ratio of efficiently star-forming gas to CO-detected gas. Building a sample representative of the local massive galaxy population, we derive a global Kennicutt-Schmidt relation of slope 1.18+/-0.24, and observe structure within the scatter around this relation, with galaxies having low (high) stellar mass surface densities lying systematically above (below) the mean relation, suggesting that gas surface density is not the only parameter driving the global star formation ability of a galaxy.

astro-ph.CO↗

Spectrally resolved CII emission in M~33 ({\tt HerM33es}): Physical conditions and kinematics around BCLMP 691

This work presents high spectral resolution observations of the \CII\ line at 158 \micron, one of the major cooling lines of the interstellar medium, taken with the HIFI heterodyne spectrometer on the Herschel satellite. In BCLMP 691, an \HII\ region far north (3.3 kpc) in the disk of M 33, the \CII\ and CO line profiles show similar velocities within $0.5 \kms$, while the \HI\ line velocities are systematically shifted towards lower rotation velocities by $\sim 5\kms$. Observed at the same $12"$ angular resolution, the \CII\ lines are broader than those of CO by about 50% but narrower than the \HI\ lines. The \CII\ line to far-infrared continuum ratio suggests a photoelectric heating efficiency of 1.1%. The data, together with published models indicate a UV field $G_0 \sim 100$ in units of the solar neighborhood value, a gas density $n_H \sim 1000 \cc$, and a gas temperature $T\sim 200$ K. Adopting these values, we estimate the C$^+$ column density to be $N_{C^+} \approx 1.3 \times 10^{17} \cmt$. The \CII\ emission comes predominantly from the warm neutral region between the \HII\ region and the cool molecular cloud behind it. From published abundances, the inferred C$^+$ column corresponds to a hydrogen column density of $N_H \sim 2 \times 10^{21} \cmt$. The CO observations suggest that $N_H = 2 N_{H_2} \sim 3.2 \times 10^{21} \cmt$ and 21cm measurements, also at $12"$ resolution, yield $N_\HI \approx 1.2 \times 10^{21} \cmt$ within the \CII\ velocity range. Thus, some H$_2$ not detected in CO must be present, in agreement with earlier findings based on the SPIRE 250 -- 500 $μ$m emission.

astro-ph.CO↗

Herschel / HIFI observations of CO, H2O and NH3 in Mon R2

Context. Mon R2 is the only ultracompact HII region (UCHII) where the associated photon-dominated region (PDR) can be resolved with Herschel. Due to its brightness and proximity, it is the best source to investigate the chemistry and physics of highly UV-irradiated PDRs. Aims. Our goal is to estimate the abundance of H2O and NH3 in this region and investigate their origin. Methods. We present new observations obtained with HIFI and the IRAM-30m telescope. Using a large velocity gradient approach, we model the line intensities and derive an average abundance of H2O and NH3 across the region. Finally, we model the line profiles with a non-local radiative transfer model and compare these results with the abundance predicted by the Meudon PDR code. Results. The variations of the line profiles and intensities indicate complex geometrical and kinematical patterns. The H2O lines present a strong absorption at the ambient velocity and emission in high velocity wings towards the HII region. The spatial distribution of the o-H2^18O line shows that the its emission arises in the PDR surrounding the HII region. By modeling the o-H2^18O emission we derive a mean abundance of o-H2O of ~10^-8 relative to H2. The ortho-H2O abundance is however larger, ~1x10^-7, in the high velocity wings. Possible explanations for this larger abundance include an expanding hot PDR and/or an outflow. Ammonia seems to be present only in the envelope with an average abundance of ~2x10^-9 relative to H2. Conclusions. The Meudon PDR code can account for the measured water abundance in the high velocity gas as long as we assume that it originates from a <1 mag hot expanding layer of the PDR, i.e. that the outflow has only a minor contribution to this emission. To explain the abundances in the rest of the cloud the molecular freeze out and grain surface chemistry would need to be included.

astro-ph.GA↗

Cool and warm dust emission from M33 (HerM33es)

We study the far-infrared emission from the nearby spiral galaxy M33 in order to investigate the dust physical properties such as the temperature and the luminosity density across the galaxy. Taking advantage of the unique wavelength coverage (100, 160, 250, 350 and 500 micron) of the Herschel Space Observatory and complementing our dataset with Spitzer-IRAC 5.8 and 8 micron and Spitzer-MIPS 24 and 70 micron data, we construct temperature and luminosity density maps by fitting two modified blackbodies of a fixed emissivity index of 1.5. We find that the 'cool' dust grains are heated at temperatures between 11 and 28 K with the lowest temperatures found in the outskirts of the galaxy and the highest ones in the center and in the bright HII regions. The infrared/submillimeter total luminosity (5 - 1000 micron) is estimated to be 1.9x10^9 Lsun. 59% of the total luminosity of the galaxy is produced by the 'cool' dust grains (~15 K) while the rest 41% is produced by 'warm' dust grains (~55 K). The ratio of the cool-to-warm dust luminosity is close to unity (within the computed uncertainties), throughout the galaxy, with the luminosity of the cool dust being slightly enhanced in the center of the galaxy. Decomposing the emission of the dust into two components (one emitted by the diffuse disk of the galaxy and one emitted by the spiral arms) we find that the fraction of the emission in the disk in the mid-infrared (24 micron) is 21%, while it gradually rises up to 57% in the submillimeter (500 micron). We find that the bulk of the luminosity comes from the spiral arm network that produces 70% of the total luminosity of the galaxy with the rest coming from the diffuse dust disk. The 'cool' dust inside the disk is heated at a narrow range of temperatures between 18 and 15 K (going from the center to the outer parts of the galaxy).

astro-ph.CO↗