arXiv subjects

F. Boulanger

Publications and source records attributed to F. Boulanger.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Multi-wavelength observations of a nearby multi-phase interstellar cloud

High-resolution spectroscopic observations (UV HST/STIS and optical) are used to characterize the physical state and velocity structure of the multiphase interstellar medium seen towards the nearby (170 pc) star HD102065, located behind the tail of a cometary-shaped, infrared cirrus-cloud, in the area of interaction between the Sco-Cen OB association and the Local Bubble. We analyze interstellar components present along the line of sight by fitting multiple transitions from CO, CH, CH+, C I, S I, Fe I, Mg I, Mg II, Mn II, P II, Ni II, C II, N I, O I, Si III, C IV, and Si IV. The absorption spectra are complemented by H I, CO and C II emission-line spectra, H$_2$ column-densities derived from FUSE spectra, and IRAS images. Gas components of a wide range of temperatures and ionization states are detected along the line of sight. Most of the hydrogen column-density is in cold, diffuse, molecular gas at low LSR velocity. This gas is mixed with traces of warmer molecular gas traced by H2 in the J>2 levels, in which the observed CH+ must be formed. We also identify three distinct components of warm gas at negative velocities down to -20 km/s. The temperature and gas excitation are shown to increase with increasing velocity shift from the bulk of the gas. Hot gas at temperatures of several 10^5 K is detected in the most negative velocity component in the highly-ionized species. This hot gas is also detected in very strong lines of less-ionized species (Mg II, Si II* and C II*) for which the bulk of the gas is cooler. We relate the observational results to evidence for dynamical impact of the Sco-Cen stellar association on the nearby ISM. We propose a scenario where the cirrus cloud has been hit a few 10^5 yr ago by a supernova blast wave originating from the Lower Centaurus Crux group of the Sco-Cen association.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Aromatic emission from the ionised mane of the Horsehead nebula

We study the evolution of the Aromatic Infrared Bands (AIBs) emitters across the illuminated edge of the Horsehead nebula and especially their survival and properties in the HII region. We present spectral mapping observations taken with the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) at wavelengths 5.2-38 microns. A strong AIB at 11.3 microns is detected in the HII region, relative to the other AIBs at 6.2, 7.7 and 8.6 microns. The intensity of this band appears to be correlated with the intensity of the [NeII] at 12.8 microns and of Halpha, which shows that the emitters of the 11.3 microns band are located in the ionised gas. The survival of PAHs in the HII region could be due to the moderate intensity of the radiation field (G0 about 100) and the lack of photons with energy above about 25eV. The enhancement of the intensity of the 11.3 microns band in the HII region, relative to the other AIBs can be explained by the presence of neutral PAHs. Our observations highlight a transition region between ionised and neutral PAHs observed with ideal conditions in our Galaxy. A scenario where PAHs can survive in HII regions and be significantly neutral could explain the detection of a prominent 11.3 microns band in other Spitzer observations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Millimeter dust continuum emission unveiling the true mass of giant molecular clouds in the Small Magellanic Cloud

CO observations have been so far the best way to trace molecular gas in external galaxies, but at low metallicity the gas mass deduced could be largely underestimated. At present, the kinematic information of CO data cubes are used to estimate virial masses and trace the total mass of the molecular clouds. Millimeter dust emission can also be used as a dense gas tracer and could unveil H2 envelopes lacking CO. These different tracers must be compared in different environments. This study compares virial masses to masses deduced from millimeter emission, in two GMC samples: the local molecular clouds in our Galaxy and their equivalents in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), one of the nearest low metallicity dwarf galaxy. In our Galaxy, mass estimates deduced from millimeter emission are consistent with masses deduced from gamma ray analysis and trace the total mass of the clouds. Virial masses are systematically larger (twice on average) than mass estimates from millimeter dust emission. This difference decreases toward high masses and has already been reported in previous studies. In the SMC however, molecular cloud masses deduced from SIMBA millimeter observations are systematically higher (twice on average for conservative values of the dust to gas ratio and dust emissivity) than the virial masses from SEST CO observations. The observed excess can not be accounted for by any plausible change of dust properties. Taking a general form for the virial theorem, we show that a magnetic field strength of ~15 micro Gauss in SMC clouds could provide additional support to the clouds and explain the difference observed. Masses of SMC molecular clouds have therefore been underestimated so far. Magnetic pressure may contribute significantly to their support.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Statistical properties of dust far-infrared emission

The description of the statistical properties of dust emission gives important constraints on the physics of the interstellar medium but it is also a useful way to estimate the contamination of diffuse interstellar emission in the cases where it is considered a nuisance. The main goals of this analysis of the power spectrum and non-Gaussian properties of 100 micron dust emission are 1) to estimate the power spectrum of interstellar matter density in three dimensions, 2) to review and extend previous estimates of the cirrus noise due to dust emission and 3) to produce simulated dust emission maps that reproduce the observed statistical properties. The main results are the following. 1) The cirrus noise level as a function of brightness has been previously overestimated. It is found to be proportional to instead of ^1.5, where is the local average brightness at 100 micron. This scaling is in accordance with the fact that the brightness fluctuation level observed at a given angular scale on the sky is the sum of fluctuations of increasing amplitude with distance on the line of sight. 2) The spectral index of dust emission at scales between 5 arcmin and 12.5 degrees is =-2.9 on average but shows significant variations over the sky. Bright regions have systematically steeper power spectra than diffuse regions. 3) The skewness and kurtosis of brightness fluctuations is high, indicative of strong non-Gaussianity. 4) Based on our characterization of the 100 micron power spectrum we provide a prescription of the cirrus confusion noise as a function of wavelength and scale. 5) Finally we present a method based on a modification of Gaussian random fields to produce simulations of dust maps which reproduce the power spectrum and non-Gaussian properties of interstellar dust emission.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

ISOCAM Mid-infrared spectroscopy and NIR photometry of the HII complex N4 in LMC

[Abridged] We present the analysis of ISOCAM-CVF and NIR photometry data of the HII region complex N4 in LMC. The aim is twofold: 1) to study the connection between the ISM and the star content of this region; 2)to investigate the effects of the lower than galactic metallicity on dust properties. A dust features -- gas lines -- continuum fitting technique on the data, allows the production of images in each single emission and the detailed analysis of dust, and ionized gas. The NIR photometry provides, for the first time, information on the stellar content of N4. The images in single dust feature bands and gas lines clearly show that the HII region core is completely devoid of the carriers responsible for the Aromatic Features (AFs). On the other hand, the ionized gas arises almost completely in this dust cavity, where also the two main exciting stars of N4 are located. We find evidences that the effect of lower than Galactic metallicity on the carriers responsible for the AFs, is not to prevent their formation or to modify their chemical properties, but to enhance their destruction by the high and hard ISRF. We show that this mechanism is more efficient on smaller dust particles/molecules thus affecting the dust-size distribution. We argue that effects on dust--size distribution, rather than thedifferent dust properties due to a lower metallicity, should be taken into account when analyzing more distant relatively low metallicity galaxies. Finally, the analysis of the stellar content of N4 reveals 7 stars: 4 reddened O MS stars and 3 stars with envelopes. In particular, one of these, seems to be an Ultra Compact HII region containing an embedded YSO.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Dust in High-Velocity Clouds : relevance for Planck

The recent detection of dust emission in Complex C, the largest High-Velocity Cloud (HVC) on the sky, opens a very interesting perspective for Planck. The HVC dust temperature determined using IRAS and Spitzer observations is low (T~10.7 K) in accordance with its great distance from the Galaxy (> 5 kpc). Peak column density in 30 arcmin beam is NH ~10^20 cm-2 which is typical of HVCs and similar to cirrus column density in diffuse regions. On the other hand HVCs appear to be very clumpy at smaller angular scales; several observations at the arcminute scale resolution show significant structure and higher brightness contrasts than in typical cirrus emission. In this contribution we show that, even with their moderate column density, the cold temperature, high emissivity and high column density contrast of HVCs should lead to significant and detectable emission in the Planck-HFI frequency range. In order to separate the HVC emission from the Galactic cirrus emission, the use of 21 cm observations will be mandatory.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Spitzer SAGE survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud II: Evolved Stars and Infrared Color Magnitude Diagrams

Color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) are presented for the Spitzer SAGE (Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution) survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). IRAC and MIPS 24 um epoch one data are presented. These data represent the deepest, widest mid-infrared CMDs of their kind ever produced in the LMC. Combined with the 2MASS survey, the diagrams are used to delineate the evolved stellar populations in the Large Magellanic Cloud as well as Galactic foreground and extragalactic background populations. Some 32000 evolved stars brighter than the tip of the red giant branch are identified. Of these, approximately 17500 are classified as oxygen-rich, 7000 carbon-rich, and another 1200 as ``extreme'' asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Brighter members of the latter group have been called ``obscured'' AGB stars in the literature owing to their dusty circumstellar envelopes. A large number (1200) of luminous oxygen--rich AGB stars/M supergiants are also identified. Finally, there is strong evidence from the 24 um MIPS channel that previously unexplored, lower luminosity oxygen-rich AGB stars contribute significantly to the mass loss budget of the LMC (1200 such sources are identified).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Spitzer/IRAC and ISOCAM/CVF insights on the origin of the Near to Mid-IR Galactic diffuse emission

We measure IRAC colors of extended emission in several fields covering a range of Galactic latitudes and longitudes outside of star forming regions. We determine the nature of the Galactic diffuse emission in Spitzer/IRAC images by combining them with spectroscopic data. We show that PAH features make the emission in the IRAC 5.8 and 8.0 $μ$m channels, whereas the 3.3 $μ$m feature represents only 20 to 50% of the IRAC 3.6 $μ$m channel. A NIR continuum is necessary to account for IRAC 4.5 $μ$m emission and the remaining fraction of the IRAC 3.6 $μ$m emission. This continuum cannot be accounted by scattered light. It represents 9% of the total power absorbed by PAHs and 120% of the interstellar UV photon flux. The 3.3 $μ$m feature is observed to vary from field-to-field with respect to the IRAC 8.0 $μ$m channel. The continuum and 3.3 $μ$m feature intensities are not correlated. We present model calculations which relate our measurements of the PAHs spectral energy distribution to the particles size and ionization state. Cation and neutral PAHs emission properties are inferred empirically from \object{NGC7023} observations. PAHs caracteristics are best constrained in a line of sight towards the inner Galaxy, dominated by the Cold Neutral Medium phase : we find that the PAH cation fraction is about 50% and that their mean size is about 60 carbon atoms. A significant field-to-field dispersion in the PAH mean size, from 40 to 80 carbon atoms, is necessary to account for the observed variations in the 3.3 $μ$m feature intensity relative to the IRAC 8.0 $μ$m flux. However, one cannot be secure about the feature interpretation as long as the continuum origin remains unclear.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

First detection of dust emission in a High-Velocity Cloud

By comparing sensitive Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) infrared and Green Bank Telescope 21 cm observations, we are able to report the first detection of dust emission in Complex C, the largest High Velocity Cloud in the sky. Dust in the region of Complex C studied here has a colder temperature ($T=10.7^{+0.9}_{-0.8}$ K - 1$σ$) than the local interstellar medium ($T=17.5$ K), in accordance with its great distance from the Galactic plane. Based on the metallicity measurements and assuming diffuse Galactic interstellar medium dust properties and dust/metals ratio, this detection could imply gas column densities more than 5 times higher than observed in HI. We suggest that the dust emission detected here comes from small molecular clumps, spatially correlated with the HI but with a low surface filling factor. Our findings imply that the HVCs' mass would be much larger than inferred from HI observations and that most of the gas falling on the Milky Way would be in cold and dense clumps rather than in a diffuse phase.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Structure and Colors of Diffuse Emission in the Spitzer Galactic First Look Survey

We investigate the density structure of the interstellar medium using new high-resolution maps of the 8 micron, 24 micron, and 70 micron surface brightness towards a molecular cloud in the Gum Nebula, made as part of the Spitzer Space Telescope Galactic First Look Survey. The maps are correlated with 100 micron images measured with IRAS. At 24 and 70 micron, the spatial power spectrum of surface brightness follows a power law with spectral index -3.5. At 24 micron, the power law behavior is remarkably consistent from the 0.2 degree size of our maps down to the 5 arcsecond spatial resolution. Thus, the structure of the 24 micron emission is self-similar even at milliparsec scales. The combined power spectrum produced from Spitzer 24 micron and IRAS 25 micron images is consistent with a change in the power law exponent from -2.6 to -3.5. The decrease may be due to the transition from a two-dimensional to three-dimensional structure. Under this hypothesis, we estimate the thickness of the emitting medium to be 0.3 pc.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

ISOCAM observations of the L1551 star formation region

The results of a deep mid-IR ISOCAM survey of the L1551 dark molecular cloud are presented. The aim of this survey is a search for new YSO (Young Stellar Object) candidates, using two broad-band filters centred at 6.7 and 14.3 micron. Although two regions close to the centre of L1551 had to be avoided due to saturation problems, 96 sources were detected in total (76 sources at 6.7 micron and 44 sources at 14.3 micron). Using the 24 sources detected in both filters, 14 were found to have intrinsic mid-IR excess at 14.3 micron and were therefore classified as YSO candidates. Using additional observations in B, V, I, J, H and K obtained from the ground, most candidates detected at these wavelengths were confirmed to have mid-IR excess at 6.7 micron as well, and three additional YSO candidates were found. Prior to this survey only three YSOs were known in the observed region (avoiding L1551 IRS5/NE and HL/XZ Tau). This survey reveals 15 new YSO candidates, although several of these are uncertain due to their extended nature either in the mid-IR or in the optical/near-IR observations. Two of the sources with mid-IR excess are previously known YSOs, one is a brown dwarf MHO 5 and the other is the well known T Tauri star HH30, consisting of an outflow and an optically thick disk seen edge on.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Multi-wavelength analysis of the dust emission in the Small Magellanic Cloud

We present an analysis of dust grain emission in the diffuse interstellar medium of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). This study is motivated by the availability of 170 microns ISOPHOT data covering a large part of the SMC, with a resolution enabling to disentangle the diffuse medium from the star forming regions. After data reduction and subtraction of Galactic foreground emission, we used the ISOPHOT data together with HiRes IRAS data and ATCA/Parkes combined HI column density maps to determine dust properties for the diffuse medium. We found a far infrared emissivity per hydrogen atom 30 times lower than the Solar Neighborhood value. The modeling of the spectral energy distribution of the dust, taking into account the enhanced interstellar radiation field, gives a similar conclusion for the smallest grains (PAHs and very small grains) emitting at shorter wavelength. Assuming Galactic dust composition in the SMC, this result implies a difference in the gas-to-dust ratio (GDR) 3 times larger than the difference in metallicity. This low depletion of heavy elements in dust could be specific of the diffuse ISM and not apply for the whole SMC dust if it results from efficient destruction of dust by supernovae explosions.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

The young stellar population in the Serpens Cloud Core: An ISOCAM survey

We present results from an ISOCAM survey in the two broad band filters LW2 (5-8.5 mu) and LW3 (12-18 mu) of a 0.13 square degree coverage of the Serpens Main Cloud Core. A total of 392 sources were detected in the 6.7 mu band and 139 in the 14.3 mu band to a limiting sensitivity of ~ 2 mJy. Only about 50% of the mid-IR excess sources show excesses in the near-IR J-H/H-K diagram. In the central Cloud Core the Class I/Class II number ratio is 19/18, i.e. about 10 times larger than in other young embedded clusters such as rho Ophiuchi or Chamaeleon. The mid-IR fluxes of the Class I and flat-spectrum sources are found to be on the average larger than those of Class II sources. Stellar luminosities are estimated for the Class II sample, and its luminosity function is compatible with a coeval population of about 2 Myr which follows a three segment power-law IMF. For this age about 20% of the Class IIs are found to be young brown dwarf candidates. The YSOs are in general strongly clustered, the Class I sources more than the Class II sources, and there is an indication of sub-clustering. The sub-clustering of the protostar candidates has a spatial scale of 0.12 pc. These sub-clusters are found along the NW-SE oriented ridge and in very good agreement with the location of dense cores traced by millimeter data. The smallest clustering scale for the Class II sources is about 0.25 pc, similar to what was found for rho Ophiuchi. Our data show evidence that star formation in Serpens has proceeded in several phases, and that a ``microburst'' of star formation has taken place very recently, probably within the last 10^5 yrs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Some empirical estimates of the H2 formation rate in photon-dominated regions

We combine recent ISO observations of the vibrational ground state lines of H2 towards Photon-Dominated Regions (PDRs) with observations of vibrationally excited states made with ground-based telescopes in order to constrain the formation rate of H2 on grain surfaces under the physical conditions in the layers responsible for H2 emission. We use steady state PDR models in order to examine the sensitivity of different H2 line ratios to the H2 formation rate Rf. We show that the ratio of the 0-0 S(3) to the 1-0 S(1) line increases with Rf but that one requires independent estimates of the radiation field incident upon the PDR and the density in order to infer Rf from the H2 line data. We confirm the earlier result of Habart et al. (2003) that the H2 formation rate in regions of moderate excitation such as Oph W, S140 and IC 63 is a factor of 5 times larger than the standard rate inferred from UV observations of diffuse clouds. On the other hand, towards regions of higher radiation field such as the Orion Bar and NGC 2023, we derive H2 formation rates consistent with the standard value. We find also a correlation between the H2 1-0 S(1) line and PAH emission suggesting that Rf scales with the PAH abundance. With the aim of explaining these results, we consider some empirical models of the H2 formation process. Here we consider both formation on big (a~0.1 microns) and small (a~10 Angstroms) grains by either direct recombination from the gas phase or recombination of physisorbed H atoms with atoms in a chemisorbed site. We conclude that indirect chemisorption is most promising in PDRs. Moreover small grains which dominate the total grain surface and spend most of their time at relatively low temperatures may be the most promising surface for forming H2 in PDRs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

High resolution 21 cm mapping of the Ursa Major Galactic cirrus: power spectra of the high-latitude HI gas

We present a power spectrum analysis of interferometric 21 cm observations of the Ursa Major high-latitude cirrus, obtained with the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) of Penticton (Canada). These high-resolution data reveal the intricate structure of the diffuse Galactic HI, at angular scales from 1 arcminute to 3 degrees. A filtering method based on a wavelet decomposition was used to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of the data. The power spectra of the integrated emission and of the centroid velocity fields were used to deduce the three-dimensional (3D) spectral index of the density and velocity fields of the HI cirrus. The spectral index is similar for the 3D density and velocity fields with a value of -3.6\pm0.2. Using the Leiden/Dwingeloo observations, this analysis was extended to the whole North Celestial Loop (which includes the Ursa Major cirrus), showing that the scaling laws prevail from 0.1 to 25 pc. The centroid velocity and integrated emission fields show moderate correlation, with a maximum cross-correlation value of 0.44.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Results of the ESO-SEST Key Programme on CO in the Magellanic Clouds X. CO emission from star formation regions in LMC and SMC

We present J=1-0 and J=2-1 12CO maps of several star-forming regions in both the Large and the Small Magellanic Cloud, and briefly discuss their structure. Many of the detected molecular clouds are relatively isolated and quite small with dimensions of typically 20 pc. Some larger complexes have been detected, but in all cases the extent of the molecular clouds sampled by CO emission is significantly less than the extent of the ionized gas of the star-formation region. Very little diffuse extended CO emission was seen; diffuse CO in between or surrounding the detected discrete clouds is either very weak or absent. The majority of all LMC lines of sight detected in 13CO has an isotopic emission ratio I(12CO)/I(13CO) of about 10, i.e. twice higher than found in Galactic star-forming complexes. At the lowest 12CO intensities, the spread of isotopic emission ratios rapidly increases, low ratios representing relatively dense and cold molecular gas and high ratios marking CO photo-dissociation at cloud edges.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Results of the ESO-SEST Key Programme on CO in the Magellanic Clouds. IX. The giant LMC HII region complex N11

We present maps and a catalogue containing the J=1-0 12CO parameters of 29 individual molecular clouds in the second-brightest LMC star formation complex, N11. In the southwestern part of N11, molecular clouds occur in a ring or shell surrounding the major OB star association LH9. In the northeastern part, a chain of molecular clouds delineates the rim of one of the so-called supergiant shells in the LMC. The well-defined clouds have dimensions close to those of the survey beam (diameters of 25 pc or less). Some of the clouds were also observed in J=2-1 12CO, and in the lower two transitions of 13CO. Clouds mapped with a twice higher angular resolution in J=2-1 12CO show substructure with dimensions once again comparable to those of the mapping beam. The few clouds for which we could model physical parameters have fairly warm (T(kin) = 60 - 150 K) and moderately dense (n(H2) = 3000 cm-3) gas. The northeastern chain of CO clouds, although lacking in diffuse intercloud emission, is characteristic of the more quiescent regions of the LMC and appears to have been subject to relatively little photo-processing. The clouds forming part of the southwestern shell or ring, however, are almost devoid of diffuse intercloud emission and also exhibit other characteristics of an extreme photon-dominated region (PDR).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

ISOCAM observations of the Ursa Major cirrus: Evidence for large abundance variations of small dust grains

We present mid-IR imaging observations of a high Galactic latitude cirrus obtained with the ISO camera ISOCAM at 6" angular resolution. The observations were done with two filters LW2 (5-8.5 microns) and LW3 (12-18 microns) that measure respectively the aromatic carbon bands and the underlying continuum emission from small dust particles. Three 0.05 square degree images sample atomic and molecular sections in the Ursa Major cirrus. These images are compared with Hi, CO and IRAS observations. In such a cloud transparent to stellar light (Av < 0.5) the mid-infrared to 100 microns and the mid-IR emissivity per hydrogen are related to the abundance and the optical properties of small dust particles independently of any modelling of the penetration of the radiation. Within the atomic section of the cloud, the comparison between ISOCAM images and 21 cm interferometric data highlights an enhancement of the mid-IR emitters abundance by a factor ~5 in an Hi filament characterized by a large transverse velocity gradient suggestive of rotation. Furthermore, a drop in the abundance of the same mid-IR emitters is observed at the interface between the atomic and molecular cirrus sections. We propose that these abundance variations of the mid-IR emitters are related to the production of small dust particles by grain shattering in energetic grain-grain collisions generated by turbulent motions within the cirrus and inversely by their disappearance due to coagulation on large grains. At the atomic-molecular interface we also observe a decrease of the Lw2/Lw3 ratio by a factor 2 in the molecular region. This could result from a modification of the dust size distribution or of the intrinsic optical properties of the small dust particles.

astro-ph↗