arXiv subjects

S. Ramsay

Publications and source records attributed to S. Ramsay.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

NIR jets from a clustered region of massive star formation: Morphology and composition in the IRAS 18264-1152 region

Massive stars form deeply embedded in their parental clouds, making it challenging to directly observe these stars and their immediate environments. It is known that accretion and ejection processes are intrinsically related, thus observing massive protostellar outflows can provide crucial information about the processes governing massive star formation close to the central engine. We aim to probe the IRAS 18264-1152 (G19.88-0.53) high-mass star-forming complex in the near infrared (NIR) through its molecular hydrogen (H2) jets to analyse the morphology and composition of the line emitting regions and to compare with other outflow tracers. We observed the H2 NIR jets via K-band (1.9-2.5um) observations obtained with the integral field units VLT/SINFONI and VLT/KMOS. SINFONI provides the highest NIR angular resolution achieved so far for the central region (~0.2''). We compared the geometry of the NIR outflows with that of the associated molecular outflow probed by CO (2-1) emission mapped with SMA. We identify nine point sources. Four of these display a rising continuum in the K-band and are BrG emitters, revealing that they are young, potentially jet-driving sources. The spectro-imaging analysis focusses on the H2 jets, for which we derived visual extinction, temperature, column density, area, and mass. The intensity, velocity, and excitation maps based on H2 emission strongly support the existence of a protostellar cluster, with at least two (and up to four) different large-scale outflows. The literature is in agreement with the outflow morphology found here. We derived a stellar density of ~4000 stars pc^-3. Our study reveals the presence of several outflows driven by young sources from a forming cluster of young, massive stars. The derived stellar number density together with the geometry of the outflows suggest that stars can form in a relatively ordered manner in this cluster.

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arXiv2016

CRIRES-POP: a library of high resolution spectra from 1 to 5 microns II. Data reduction and the spectrum of the K giant 10 Leo

Context. High resolution stellar spectral atlases are valuable resources to astronomy. They are rare in the $1 - 5\,μ$m region for historical reasons, but once available, high resolution atlases in this part of the spectrum will aid the study of a wide range of astrophysical phenomena. Aims. The aim of the CRIRES-POP project is to produce a high resolution near-infrared spectral library of stars across the H-R diagram. The aim of this paper is to present the fully reduced spectrum of the K giant 10 Leo that will form the basis of the first atlas within the CRIRES-POP library, to provide a full description of the data reduction processes involved, and to provide an update on the CRIRES-POP project. Methods. All CRIRES-POP targets were observed with almost 200 different observational settings of CRIRES on the ESO Very Large Telescope, resulting in a basically complete coverage of its spectral range as accessible from the ground. We reduced the spectra of 10 Leo with the CRIRES pipeline, corrected the wavelength solution and removed telluric absorption with Molecfit, then resampled the spectra to a common wavelength scale, shifted them to rest wavelengths, flux normalised, and median combined them into one final data product. Results. We present the fully reduced, high resolution, near-infrared spectrum of 10 Leo. This is also the first complete spectrum from the CRIRES instrument. The spectrum is available online. Conclusions. The first CRIRES-POP spectrum has exceeded our quality expectations and will form the centre of a state-of-the-art stellar atlas. This first CRIRES-POP atlas will soon be available, and further atlases will follow. All CRIRES-POP data products will be freely and publicly available online.

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arXiv2016

Connecting the dots: a correlation between ionising radiation and cloud mass-loss rate traced by optical integral field spectroscopy

We present an analysis of the effect of feedback from O- and B-type stars with data from the integral field spectrograph MUSE mounted on the Very Large Telescope of pillar-like structures in the Carina Nebular Complex, one of the most massive star-forming regions in the Galaxy. For the observed pillars, we compute gas electron densities and temperatures maps, produce integrated line and velocity maps of the ionised gas, study the ionisation fronts at the pillar tips, analyse the properties of the single regions, and detect two ionised jets originating from two distinct pillar tips. For each pillar tip we determine the incident ionising photon flux $Q_\mathrm{0,pil}$ originating from the nearby massive O- and B-type stars and compute the mass-loss rate $\dot{M}$ of the pillar tips due to photo-evaporation caused by the incident ionising radiation. We combine the results of the Carina data set with archival MUSE data of a pillar in NGC 3603 and with previously published MUSE data of the Pillars of Creation in M16, and with a total of 10 analysed pillars, find tight correlations between the ionising photon flux and the electron density, the electron density and the distance from the ionising sources, and the ionising photon flux and the mass-loss rate. The combined MUSE data sets of pillars in regions with different physical conditions and stellar content therefore yield an empirical quantification of the feedback effects of ionising radiation. In agreement with models, we find that $\dot{M}\propto Q_\mathrm{0,pil}^{1/2}$.

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arXiv2016

MICADO: first light imager for the E-ELT

MICADO will equip the E-ELT with a first light capability for diffraction limited imaging at near-infrared wavelengths. The instrument's observing modes focus on various flavours of imaging, including astrometric, high contrast, and time resolved. There is also a single object spectroscopic mode optimised for wavelength coverage at moderately high resolution. This contribution provides an overview of the key functionality of the instrument, outlining the scientific rationale for its observing modes. The interface between MICADO and the adaptive optics system MAORY that feeds it is summarised. The design of the instrument is discussed, focussing on the optics and mechanisms inside the cryostat, together with a brief overview of the other key sub-systems.

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arXiv2015

A nebular analysis of the central Orion Nebula with MUSE

A nebular analysis of the central Orion Nebula and its main structures is presented. We exploit MUSE integral field observations in the wavelength range 4595-9366 Å to produce the first O, S and N ionic and total abundance maps of a region spanning 6' x 5' with a spatial resolution of 0.2". We use the S$_{23}$ ( = ([SII]$λ$6717,31+[SIII]$λ$9068)/H$β$) parameter, together with [OII]/[OIII] as an indicator of the degree of ionisation, to distinguish between the various small-scale structures. The only Orion Bullet covered by MUSE is HH 201, which shows a double component in the [FeII]$λ$8617 line throughout indicating an expansion, and we discuss a scenario in which this object is undergoing a disruptive event. We separate the proplyds located south of the Bright Bar into four categories depending on their S$_{23}$ values, propose the utility of the S$_{23}$ parameter as an indicator of the shock-contribution to the excitation of line-emitting atoms, and show that the MUSE data is able to identify the proplyds associated with disks and microjets. We compute the second order structure function for the H$α$, [OIII]$λ$5007, [SII]$λ$6731 and [OI]$λ$6300 emission lines to analyse the turbulent velocity field of the region covered with MUSE. We find that the spectral and spatial resolution of MUSE is not able to faithfully reproduce the structure functions of previous works.

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arXiv2015

The Pillars of Creation revisited with MUSE: gas kinematics and high-mass stellar feedback traced by optical spectroscopy

Integral field unit (IFU) data of the iconic Pillars of Creation in M16 are presented. The ionisation structure of the pillars was studied in great detail over almost the entire visible wavelength range, and maps of the relevant physical parameters, e.g. extinction, electron density, electron temperature, line-of-sight velocity of the ionised and neutral gas are shown. In agreement with previous authors, we find that the pillar tips are being ionised and photo-evaporated by the massive members of the nearby cluster NGC 6611. They display a stratified ionisation structure where the emission lines peak in a descending order according to their ionisation energies. The IFU data allowed us to analyse the kinematics of the photo-evaporative flow in terms of the stratified ionisation structure, and we find that, in agreement with simulations, the photo-evaporative flow is traced by a blueshift in the position-velocity profile. The gas kinematics and ionisation structure have allowed us to produce a sketch of the 3D geometry of the Pillars, positioning the pillars with respect to the ionising cluster stars. We use a novel method to detect a previously unknown bipolar outflow at the tip of the middle pillar and suggest that it has an embedded protostar as its driving source. Furthermore we identify a candidate outflow in the leftmost pillar. With the derived physical parameters and ionic abundances, we estimate a mass loss rate due to the photo-evaporative flow of 70 M$_{\odot}$ Myr$^{-1}$ which yields an expected lifetime of approximately 3 Myr.

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arXiv2012

CRIRES-POP: A library of high resolution spectra in the near-infrared

New instrumental capabilities and the wealth of astrophysical information extractable from the near-infrared wavelength region have led to a growing interest in the field of high resolution spectroscopy at 1-5 mu. We aim to provide a library of observed high-resolution and high signal-to-noise-ratio near-infrared spectra of stars of various types throughout the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. This is needed for the exploration of spectral features in this wavelength range and for comparison of reference targets with observations and models. High quality spectra were obtained using the CRIRES near-infrared spectrograph at ESO's VLT covering the range from 0.97 to 5.3 mu at high spectral resolution. Accurate wavelength calibration and correction for of telluric lines were performed by fitting synthetic transmission spectra for the Earth's atmosphere to each spectrum individually. We describe the observational strategy and the current status and content of the library which includes 13 objects. The first examples of finally reduced spectra are presented. This publication will serve as a reference paper to introduce the library to the community and explore the extensive amount of material.

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arXiv2010

Gas in Protoplanetary Discs (GASPS) 1. First results

Context - Circumstellar discs are ubiquitous around young stars, but rapidly dissipate their gas and dust on timescales of a few Myr. The Herschel space observatory allows for the study of the warm disc atmosphere, using far-infrared spectroscopy to measure gas content and excitation conditions, and far-IR photometry to constrain the dust distribution. Aims - We aim to detect and characterize the gas content of circumstellar discs in four targets as part of the Herschel science demonstration phase. Methods - We carried out sensitive medium resolution spectroscopy and high sensitivity photometry at lambda ~60-190 micron using the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer instrument on the Herschel space observatory. Results - We detect [OI] 63 micron emission from the young stars HD 169142, TW Hydrae, and RECX 15, but not HD 181327. No other lines, including [CII] 158 and [OI] 145, are significantly detected. All four stars are detected in photometry at 70 and 160 micron. Extensive models are presented in associated papers.

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arXiv2010

Gas in the protoplanetary disc of HD 169142: Herschel's view

In an effort to simultaneously study the gas and dust components of the disc surrounding the young Herbig Ae star HD 169142, we present far-IR observations obtained with the PACS instrument onboard the Herschel Space Observatory. This work is part of the Open Time Key Project GASPS, which is aimed at studying the evolution of protoplanetary discs. To constrain the gas properties in the outer disc, we observed the star at several key gas-lines, including [OI] 63.2 and 145.5 micron, [CII] 157.7 micron, CO 72.8 and 90.2 micron, and o-H2O 78.7 and 179.5 micron. We only detect the [OI] 63.2 micron line in our spectra, and derive upper limits for the other lines. We complement our data set with PACS photometry and 12/13CO data obtained with the Submillimeter Array. Furthermore, we derive accurate stellar parameters from optical spectra and UV to mm photometry. We model the dust continuum with the 3D radiative transfer code MCFOST and use this model as an input to analyse the gas lines with the thermo-chemical code ProDiMo. Our dataset is consistent with a simple model in which the gas and dust are well-mixed in a disc with a continuous structure between 20 and 200 AU, but this is not a unique solution. Our modelling effort allows us to constrain the gas-to-dust mass ratio as well as the relative abundance of the PAHs in the disc by simultaneously fitting the lines of several species that originate in different regions. Our results are inconsistent with a gas-poor disc with a large UV excess; a gas mass of 5.0 +/- 2.0 times 10^(-3) Msun is still present in this disc, in agreement with earlier CO observations.

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arXiv2010

Herschel-PACS observation of the 10 Myr old T Tauri disk TW Hya: Constraining the disk gas mass

Planets are formed in disks around young stars. With an age of ~10 Myr, TW Hya is one of the nearest T Tauri stars that is still surrounded by a relatively massive disk. In addition a large number of molecules has been found in the TW Hya disk, making TW Hya the perfect test case in a large survey of disks with Herschel-PACS to directly study their gaseous component. We aim to constrain the gas and dust mass of the circumstellar disk around TW Hya. We observed the fine-structure lines of [OI] and [CII] as part of the Open-time large program GASPS. We complement this with continuum data and ground-based 12CO 3-2 and 13CO 3-2 observations. We simultaneously model the continuum and the line fluxes with the 3D Monte-Carlo code MCFOST and the thermo-chemical code ProDiMo to derive the gas and dust masses. We detect the [OI] line at 63 micron. The other lines that were observed, [OI] at 145 micron and [CII] at 157 micron, are not detected. No extended emission has been found. Preliminary modeling of the photometric and line data assuming [12CO]/[13CO]=69 suggests a dust mass for grains with radius < 1 mm of ~1.9 times 10^-4 Msun (total solid mass of 3 times 10^-3 Msun) and a gas mass of (0.5--5) times 10^-3 Msun. The gas-to-dust mass may be lower than the standard interstellar value of 100.

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arXiv2010

The Herschel view of Gas in Protoplanetary Systems (GASPS). First comparisons with a large grid of models

The Herschel GASPS Key Program is a survey of the gas phase of protoplanetary discs, targeting 240 objects which cover a large range of ages, spectral types, and disc properties. To interpret this large quantity of data and initiate self-consistent analyses of the gas and dust properties of protoplanetary discs, we have combined the capabilities of the radiative transfer code MCFOST with the gas thermal balance and chemistry code ProDiMo to compute a grid of 300 000 disc models (DENT). We present a comparison of the first Herschel/GASPS line and continuum data with the predictions from the DENT grid of models. Our objective is to test some of the main trends already identified in the DENT grid, as well as to define better empirical diagnostics to estimate the total gas mass of protoplanetary discs. Photospheric UV radiation appears to be the dominant gas-heating mechanism for Herbig stars, whereas UV excess and/or X-rays emission dominates for T Tauri stars. The DENT grid reveals the complexity in the analysis of far-IR lines and the difficulty to invert these observations into physical quantities. The combination of Herschel line observations with continuum data and/or with rotational lines in the (sub-)millimetre regime, in particular CO lines, is required for a detailed characterisation of the physical and chemical properties of circumstellar discs.

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