A study of the behaviour of the Na i/K i column density ratio in the interstellar medium using the Na ultraviolet doublet

Here we make a new study of the behaviour of the Na  i /K  i column density ratio in the interstellar medium, using a sample of new observations of 28 stars obtained at the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) in 1996 and 1997, and previously published observations (obtained by some of the authors) of 21 stars. The sightlines cover a range of distances and directions, including into the Galactic halo. We make use of new observations of the Na  i ultraviolet (UV) doublet for some 18 stars. This doublet is much weaker than the Na  i D doublet and so is less susceptible to saturation effects, and it is well known that it can be used to obtain more accurate Na  i column densities with a smaller error range. We find an average N (Na  i )/ N (K  i ) ratio from the Na  i UV data of about 90, which is rather higher than that found previously by Hobbs and Lequeux. The Na  UV–K  i   ratio shows a small increase in value with increasing column density, while we also find a sample of low N (Na  i )/ N (K  i ) ratio clouds generally seen towards distant objects on high-latitude sightlines that reach into the halo, so that the ratio decreases more sharply at lower column densities. As the values of the ratio for these halo clouds  (10–20)  bracket the cosmic Na/K abundance ratio, we suggest that these ratios result from a harder radiation field in the lower halo, such that the ionized fractions of Na  i and K  i become similar. Clearly caution needs to be applied in using any kind of 'standard value' for the Na  i /K  i column density ratio.     

Molecular line mapping of the giant molecular cloud associated with RCW 106 – III. Multimolecular line mapping

We present multimolecular line maps obtained with the Mopra telescope towards the southern giant molecular cloud (GMC) complex G333, associated with the H  ii region RCW 106. We have characterized the GMC by decomposing the 3D data cubes with gaussclumps , and investigated spatial correlations among different molecules with principal component analysis (PCA). We find no correlation between clump size and linewidth, but a strong correlation between emission luminosity and linewidth. PCA classifies molecules into high- and low-density tracers, and reveals that HCO⁺ and N₂H⁺ are anticorrelated.     

The small-scale structure in interstellar H i: a resolvable puzzle

During the past decade or so, measurements of Galactic H  i absorption using VLBI against extragalactic sources, as well as multi-epoch observations in pulsar directions, have detected small-scale transverse variations corresponding to tens of au at the distance of the absorbing matter. Hitherto these measurements have been interpreted as small-scale structure in the H  i distribution with densities n _{H  i} ∼10⁴–10⁵ cm⁻³, orders of magnitude greater than those of the pc-scale structure. Naturally, it is difficult to imagine how such structures could exist in equilibrium with other components of the ISM.
In this paper we show that structure on all scales contributes to the differences on neighbouring lines of sight, and that the observed differences can be accounted for by a natural extension of the distribution of irregularities in the distribution of H  i opacities at larger scales, using a single power law. This, in our opinion, should put an end to the decades-long puzzle of the so-called small-scale structure in H  i and other species in the Galaxy.     

Optical emission at 5800 Å in the Red Rectangle and the 5797-Å diffuse interstellar band

An analysis of the intensity and spatial distribution of the discrete 5800-Å emission band in the spectrum of the Red Rectangle has been used to constrain the abundance and physical properties of the carrier of this emission. An origin in a large (>30 C atom) molecule is indicated. This molecule is formed in situ in the Red Rectangle, but is also a component of the diffuse interstellar medium. The UV photodissociation probability for this molecule is ≲10⁻⁵ per absorbed photon, and the luminescence efficiency is in the range 10⁻²–10⁻³. This molecule may be a product of the dissociation of carbonaceous dust.     

New models of interstellar gas–grain chemistry – I. Surface diffusion rates

In recent years it has become evident that large differences can exist between model results of grain-surface chemistry obtained from a rate equation approach and from a Monte Carlo technique. This dichotomy has led to the development of a modified rate equation method, in which a key element is the artificial slowing down of the diffusion rate of surface hydrogen atoms. Recent laboratory research into the surface diffusion rate of atomic hydrogen suggests that atomic hydrogen moves more slowly on grains than heretofore assumed. This research appears to lessen the need for modifications to the rate equation method. Based on the new laboratory work, we have developed appropriate models of gas-phase and grain-surface chemistry in quiescent dense cloud cores to examine the chemical effects of slowing down the rate at which atomic H can scan over dust surfaces. Furthermore, we have investigated the effect of slowing down the rate at which all species can move over grain surfaces.     

SO and SiO emission around the young cluster in the CB 34 globule

The globule CB 34, which harbours a cluster of class 0 young stellar object (YSO) protostars, has been investigated through a multiline SO and SiO survey at millimetre wavelengths. The SO data reveal that the globule consists of three quiescent high-density (∼10⁵ cm⁻³) clumps, labelled A, B and C, with sizes of ∼  0.2–0.3 pc  . The SiO data provide evidence for high-velocity gas across the globule. Most likely, the high-velocity gas is distributed in three distinct high-velocity outflows associated with the YSOs in each of the three clumps. High-velocity SO features have been detected only towards the two brightest SiO outflows. These broad SO components exhibit spatial and spectral distributions which are consistent with those of the SiO emission, so they can also be used as tracers of the outflows.
The comparison between the spatial and spectral properties of the SO and SiO emissions in the three clumps suggests different evolutionary stages for the embedded YSOs. In particular, the YSO associated with clump C exhibits some peculiarities, namely smaller SiO linewidths, lower SiO column densities, a lack of extended SiO structure and of SO wings, and the presence of a SO spatial distribution which is displaced with respect to the location of the YSO. This behaviour is well explained if the SiO and SO molecules which were produced at high velocities in the shocked region have been destroyed or slowed down because of the interaction with the ambient medium, and the chemistry is dominated again by low-temperature reactions. Thus our observations strongly suggest that the YSO in clump C is in a more evolved phase than the other members of the cluster.     

ISO observations of 3–200 μm emission by three dust populations in an isolated local translucent cloud

We present isophot spectrophotometry of three positions within the isolated high-latitude cirrus cloud G 300.2−16.8, spanning from the near- to far-infrared (NIR to FIR). The positions exhibit contrasting emission spectrum contributions from the unidentified infrared bands (UIBs), very small grains (VSGs) and large classical grains, and both semi-empirical and numerical models are presented. At all three positions, the UIB spectrum shapes are found to be similar and the large grain emission may be fitted by an equilibrium temperature of  ∼17.5 K  . The energy requirements of both the observed emission spectrum and optical scattered light are shown to be satisfied by the incident local interstellar radiation field (ISRF). The FIR emissivity of dust in G 300.2−16.8 is found to be lower than in globules or dense clouds and is even lower than model predictions for dust in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). The results suggest physical differences in the ISM mixtures between positions within the cloud, possibly arising from grain coagulation processes.     

High-resolution spectroscopy of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 595 in the direction of the Cohen H I high-velocity stream

We have obtained a spectrum of the Na D lines of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 595 with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of about 30. The importance of this sightline is that this galaxy lies in a direction close to the highest column densities of the Cohen high-velocity (HV) stream, and hence represents the best opportunity of detecting this stream in interstellar absorption, as previous searches towards stellar targets up to a distance of 600 pc have not been successful. The H  I column density in the direction of this galaxy implies that the HV gas should be detectable in absorption in the Na D lines. No such detections are made (at the 3σ level) and we consider possible explanations. Hence previous non-detections towards stars do not necessarily mean that the HV gas is more distant than the stars, and we emphasize that the distance of this high-velocity cloud (HVC), which is a key parameter to the understanding of the nature and origin of this feature, remains unknown and indeed may be difficult to establish.     

Interstellar CO towards X Persei (HD 24534) – II. Two-component model

The observations made by the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) of molecular CO in absorbing gas towards X Persei are reported. The two-component statistical equilibrium model incorporating radiative excitation of CO by line emission at the same velocity that originates in nearby molecular clouds has been used to reproduce high-resolution GHRS spectra. Earlier analysis indicates that the cloud has a complex structure and at least a two-component model should be used to obtain accurate results. The spectra obtained from the International Ultraviolet Explorer ( IUE ) were used to complement GHRS data and constrain the space of possible solutions. The new oscillator strengths recommended by Eidelsberg et al. for A–X bands have been used. The results show that one of the components may be attributed to the Perseus OB2 molecular cloud, and the other component to an extension of the Taurus dark cloud. The total CO column density N (CO)=(1.0±0.2)×10¹⁶ cm⁻² has been determined. According to the results about 85 per cent of the observed CO belongs to an extension of the Taurus dark cloud. The CO radiation that originates in nearby molecular clouds may be the dominant excitation mechanism of the observed CO. The early results of ¹³CO line analysis indicate a ¹³CO/¹²CO ratio of about 40.     

New models of interstellar gas–grain chemistry – III. Solid CO2

Solid CO₂ is observed to be an abundant interstellar ice component towards both quiescent clouds and active star-forming regions. Our recent models of gas–grain chemistry, appropriate for quiescent regions, severely underproduce solid CO₂ at the single assumed gas density and temperature. In this paper, we investigate the sensitivity of our model results to changes in these parameters. In addition, we examine how the nature of the grain surface affects the results and also consider the role of the key surface reaction between O and CO. We conclude that the observed high abundance of solid CO₂ can be reproduced at reasonable temperatures and densities by models with diffusive surface chemistry, provided that the diffusion of heavy species such as O occurs efficiently.     

On the CH B‐X (1, 0) band in translucent clouds

We present observations of CH B‐X (1, 0) band toward 13 translucent sightlines. The given precise positions (at 3627.403, 3633.289, 3636.222 Å) are derived by means of shifting our spectra to the rest velocity frame using B‐X (0, 0) features (at 3878, 3886 and 3890 Å). The proposed oscillator strengths (equal to 0.00035, 0.00104, 0.00069, respectively) are based on f ‐values of the CH B‐X (0, 0) system, i.e. 0.00110, 0.00320, 0.00210 (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Water in star‐forming regions with Herschel

The Herschel Space Observatory is well suited to address several important questions in star‐ and planet formation, as is evident from its first year of operation. This paper focuses on observations of water, a key molecule in the physics and chemistry of star‐formation. In the WISH Key Program, a comprehensive set of water lines is being obtained with the HIFI and PACS instruments toward a large sample of well‐characterized protostars, covering a wide range of luminosities and evolutionary stages. Lines of H₂O, CO and their isotopologues, as well as chemically related hydrides, [O I] and [C II] are observed. Together, the data determine the abundance of water in cold and warm gas, reveal the entire CO ladder up to 4000 K above ground, elucidate the physical processes responsible for the warm gas (passive heating, UV or X‐ray‐heating, shocks), quantify the main cooling agents, and probe dynamical processes associated with forming stars and planets (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)