GEMINI near-infrared spectroscopic observations of young massive stars embedded in molecular clouds

K -band spectra of young stellar candidates in four Southern hemisphere clusters have been obtained with the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph in Gemini South. The clusters are associated with IRAS sources that have colours characteristic of ultracompact H  ii regions. Spectral types were obtained by comparison of the observed spectra with those of a near-infrared (NIR) library; the results include the spectral classification of nine massive stars and seven objects confirmed as background late-type stars. Two of the studied sources have K -band spectra compatible with those characteristic of very hot stars, as inferred from the presence of C  iv , N  iii and N  v emission lines at 2.078, 2.116 and 2.100 μm, respectively. One of them, I16177_IRS1, has a K -band spectrum similar to that of Cyg OB2 7, an O3If* supergiant star. The nebular K -band spectrum of the associated Ultra-Compact (UC) H  ii region shows the s-process [Kr  iii ] and [Se  iv ] high excitation emission lines, previously identified only in planetary nebula. One young stellar object was found in each cluster, associated with either the main IRAS source or a nearby resolved Midecourse Space eXperiment ( MSX ) component, confirming the results obtained from previous NIR photometric surveys. The distances to the stars were derived from their spectral types and previously determined JHK magnitudes; they agree well with the values obtained from the kinematic method, except in the case of IRAS  15408−5356  , for which the spectroscopic distance is about a factor of 2 smaller than the kinematic value.     

Aperture synthesis observations of Saturn and its rings at 2.7-mm wavelength

We present 2.7-mm interferometric observations of Saturn made near opposition in June 1984 and June 1985, when the ring opening angle was 19° and 23°, respectively. By combining the data sets we produce brightness maps of Saturn and its rings with a resolution of 6″. The maps show flux from the ring ansae, and are the first direct evidence of ring flux in the 3-mm wavelength region. Modelfits to the visibility data yield a disk brightness temperature of 156 ± 5°K, a combined A, B, and C ring brightness temperature of 19 ± 3°K, and a combined a ring cusp (region of the rings which block the planet's disk) brightness temperature of 85 ± 5°K. These results imply a normal-to-the-ring optical depth for the combined ABC ringof 0.31 ± 0.04, which is nearly the same value found for wavelenghts from the UV to 6 cm. About 6°K of the ring flux is attributed to scattered planetary emission, leaving an intrinsic thermal component of ∼13°K. These results, together with the ring particle size distributions found by the Voyager radio occultation experiments, are consistent with the idea that the ring particles are composed chiefly of water ice.     

VLA observations of three M 33 supernova remnants at 20 cm

Three supernova remnants (SNR) have been mapped in the galaxy M33 with the Very Large Array* (VLA) at 20 cm. The angular resolution is ∼1.3 arcsec or ∼4 pc at a distance of 600 kpc and the rms noise is ∼0.04 mJy /beam. One of the radio sources shows evidence for a shell structure with a size of ∼15 pc, confirming the SNR nature of this source. The second object is extended and may well be a thick-shell SNR of size ∼12 pc. The third object is a small, presumably young SNR with a size of ∼4 pc.     

Statistical assessment of shapes and magnetic field orientations in molecular clouds through polarization observations

We present a novel statistical analysis aimed at deriving the intrinsic shapes and magnetic field orientations of molecular clouds using dust emission and polarization observations by the Hertz polarimeter. Our observables are the aspect ratio of the projected plane-of-the-sky cloud image and the angle between the mean direction of the plane-of-the-sky component of the magnetic field and the short axis of the cloud image. To overcome projection effects due to the unknown orientation of the line-of-sight, we combine observations from 24 clouds, assuming that line-of-sight orientations are random and all are equally probable. Through a weighted least-squares analysis, we find that the best-fitting intrinsic cloud shape describing our sample is an oblate disc with only small degrees of triaxiality. The best-fitting intrinsic magnetic field orientation is close to the direction of the shortest cloud axis, with small  (∼24°)  deviations towards the long/middle cloud axes. However, due to the small number of observed clouds, the power of our analysis to reject alternative configurations is limited.     

Submillimeter/millimeter observations of the molecular clouds associated with Tycho's supernova remnant

We have carried out CO J = 2-1 and CO J = 3-2 observations toward Tycho's supernova remnant(SNR) using the KOSMA 3m-telescope.From these observations,we identified three molecular clouds(MCs) around the SNR.The small cloud in the southwest was discovered for the first time.In the north and east,two MCs(Cloud A and Cloud B) adjacent in space display a bow-shaped morphology,and have broad emission lines,which provide some direct evidences of the SNR-MCs interaction.The MCs are revealed at-69--59 km s-1,coinci...     

Small-scale clumping in molecular clouds

Summary This review consists of five sections. In the introduction, we briefly review the development of the study of molecular clouds. In the second section, we review the theories of molecular cloud structure and compare these predictions with the statistical properties of the clouds. In Sect. 3 we give an overview of current approaches to determinations of mass and local density in clouds. In the fourth part, we discuss the observations of a selected sample of individual sources. The emphasis here is on high resolution studies of regions of star formation. The final section contains a discussion of instrumental limitations and mentions some future developments.     

Comet formation in molecular clouds

The observed properties of the long-period comet system, and its periodic disturbance by galactic forces manifesting as terrestrial impact episodes, may be indicative of a comet capture/escape cycle as the Solar System orbits the Galaxy. A mean number density of comets in molecular clouds of ～10^?1±1 AU^?3 is implied. This is sufficient to deplete metals from the gaseous component of the interstellar medium, as observed, but leads to the problem of how stars are formed nevertheless with solar metal abundances. Formation of comets prior to stars in dense systems of near-zero energy may be indicated, and isotope signatures in cometary particles may be diagnostic of conditions in young spiral arm material.     

Turbulent motions in molecular clouds

We have studied the behavior of the inner motions of OH, H₂CO, and CO molecular clouds. This study shows the existence of two main components of these clouds: the narrow one, associated to dense small clouds and a wide one representing the large diffuse clouds seen in neutral hydrogen, the large clouds are the vortex and intermediate state between turbulent and hydrodynamic motions in the Galaxy.For the dense clouds with sizesd<10 pc we have found a relationship d ^0.38 consistent with the Kolmogorov law of turbulence; the densities and sizes of these clouds behave asnd ^–1. This last relation for these molecular clouds is compared with theHII one. Also, we discuss the effects of the inner magnetic field in these clouds.     

The formation of molecular clouds

In a recent paper, Elmegreen has made a cogent case, from an observational point of view, that the lifetimes of molecular clouds are comparable to their dynamical time-scales. If so, this has important implications for the mechanisms by which molecular clouds form. In particular, we consider the hypothesis that molecular clouds may form not by in situ cooling of atomic gas, but rather by the agglomeration of the dense phase of the interstellar medium, much, if not most, of which is already in molecular form.     

Aperture synthesis observations of HCN J=1-0 emission from Y canum venaticorum

We have made high resolution observations of HCN (1-0) emission from the carbon star Y Canum Venaticorum using the Nobeyama Millimeter Array. We find that the emission region is not well resolved by the synthesized beam of 3.7 × 4.6 over the entire velocity range (V_LSR =10 to 35 km s^–1). We find that the true brightness temperature probably exceeds 200 K at many velocity channels as well as at the 26 km s^–1 maser spike. The broad emission component may be the result of superimposed maser spikes. The high brightness requires an unreasonably high HCN fractional abundance if LTE is assumed. It is likely that the HCN abundance previously reported for the star is considerably affected by the maser action. A new maser spike has been found at V_LSR = 29 km s^–1     

Star formation in the LMC: Comparative CCD observations of young stellar populations in two giant molecular clouds

This work deals with a CCD imaging study at optical and near‐infrared wavelength oftwo giant molecular clouds (plus a control field) in the southern region of the Large Magellanic Cloud, one ofwhich shows multiple signs of star formation, whereas the other does not. The observational data from VLT FORS2 (R band) and NTT SOFI (Ks band) have been analyzed to derive luminosity functions and color‐magnitude diagrams. The young stellar content of these two giant molecular clouds is compared and confirmed to be different, in the sense that the apparently “starless” cloud has so far formed only low‐luminosity, low‐mass stars (fainter than m_Ks ∽ 16.5 mag, not seen by 2MASS), while the other cloud has formed both faint low‐mass and luminous high‐mass stars. The surface density excess oflow‐luminosity stars (∽2 per square arcmin) in the “starless” cloud with respect to the control field is about 20% whereas the excess is about a factor of 3 in the known star‐forming cloud. The difference may be explained theoretically by the gravo‐turbulent evolution of giant molecular clouds, one being younger and less centrally concentrated than the other (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The interpretation of flows in molecular clouds

Stellar winds interacting with gas in dense molecular clouds produce flows which may be initially energy or momentum driven. A criterion for this is derived which depends sensitively on the wind velocity. Flows may change from one regime to another depending on the gas distribution about the wind source and these changes are discussed for power law density distributions. In general, the flows observed in CO associated with infrared point sources seem to be in the energy driven regime. By combining CO observations with radio continuum flux measurements, wind parameters are derived for several of these sources. There is some evidence from the derived parameters that high (L _*2×10³ L ) luminosity sources have radiatively-driven winds. Lower luminosity source winds are driven by some agency as yet unknow. We suggest that the widths of infrared lines from wind sources seriously underestimate the wind terminal velocities.     

CO observations of Southern molecular clouds. Outflows from young stellar objects GRV 8 and GRV 16

¹²CO (1-0) observations of two Southern dark clouds (globules) associated with cometary nebulae GRV 8 (a biconical nebula) and GRV 16 (a conelike nebula) are presented. GRV 8 shows an outflow from the central part of the nebula (where in 2MASS images a star is located, which is perhaps responsible for this outflow); however, both lobes of the outflow are redshifted with a velocity of +1.95 km/s with respect to the molecular cloud. The two opposite redshifted lobes are a rather rare phenomenon that could be explained by the presence of a double star instead of a single one as the engine responsible for the outflow. The two lobes are almost parallel to the axis of symmetry of the biconical nebula. In the case of the conelike nebula GRV 16 we observe a bipolar outflow, where the eastern blueshifted lobe has a velocity of –4 km/s with respect to the molecular cloud, and the western redshifted one has a velocity +2.5 km/s. The outflow has a direction almost coinciding with the axis of symmetry of the conelike nebula. The star associated with the conelike nebula is responsible for this outflow.Published in Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 101–112 (February 2005).     

Helicoidal magneto-electron waves in interstellar molecular clouds

We investigate the evolution of the magnetic flux density in a magnetically supported molecular cloud driven by Hall and Ohmic components of the electric field generated by the flows of thermal electrons. Particular attention is given to the wave transport of the magnetic field in a cloud whose gas dynamics is dominated by electron flows; the mobility of neutrals and ions is regarded as heavily suppressed. It is shown that electromagnetic waves penetrating such a cloud can be converted into helicons – weakly damped, circularly polarized waves in which the densities of the magnetic flux and the electron current undergo coherent oscillations. These waves are interesting in their own right, because for electron magnetohydrodynamics the low-frequency helicoidal waves have the same physical significance as the transverse Alfvén waves do for a single-component magnetohydrodynamics. The latter, as is known, are considered to be responsible for the widths of molecular lines detected in dark, magnetically supported clouds. From our numerical estimates for the group velocity and the rate of dissipation of helicons it follows that a possible contribution of these waves to the broadening of molecular lines is consistent with the conditions typical of dark molecular clouds.     

Hydrated sulphuric acid in dense molecular clouds

We consider sulphur depletion in dense molecular clouds, and suggest hydrated sulphuric acid, H₂SO₄ ·  n H₂O, as a component of interstellar dust in icy mantles. We discuss the formation of hydrated sulphuric acid in collapsing clouds and its instability in heated regions in terms of the existing hot core models and observations. We also show that some features of the infrared spectrum of hydrated sulphuric acid have correspondence in the observed spectra of young stellar objects.