Combining optical spectroscopy and interferometry

Modern optical spectrographs and optical interferometers push the limits in the spectral and spatial regime, providing important new tools for the exploration of the Universe. In this contribution I outline the complementary nature of spectroscopic and interferometric observations and discuss different strategies for combining such data. Most remarkable, the latest generation of “spectro‐interferometric” instruments combine the milliarcsecond angular resolution achievable with interferometry with spectral capabilities, enabling direct constraints on the distribution, density, kinematics, and ionization structure of the gas component in protoplanetary disks. I will present some selected studies from the field of star‐ and planet formation and hot star research in order to illustrate these fundamentally new observational opportunities. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Tidal disruption of globular clusters in dwarf galaxies with triaxial dark matter haloes

We use N -body simulations to study the tidal evolution of globular clusters (GCs) in dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. Our models adopt a cosmologically motivated scenario in which the dSph is approximated by a static Navarro, Frenk & White halo with a triaxial shape. We apply our models to five GCs spanning three orders of magnitude in stellar density and two in mass, chosen to represent the properties exhibited by the five GCs of the Fornax dSph. We show that only the object representing Fornax's least dense GC (F1) can be fully disrupted by Fornax's internal tidal field – the four denser clusters survive even if their orbits decay to the centre of Fornax. For a large set of orbits and projection angles, we examine the spatial and velocity distribution of stellar debris deposited during the complete disruption of an F1-like GC. Our simulations show that such debris appears as shells, isolated clumps and elongated overdensities at low surface brightness (≥26 mag arcsec⁻²), reminiscent of substructure observed in several Milky Way dSphs. Such features arise from the triaxiality of the galaxy potential and do not dissolve in time. The kinematics of the debris depends strongly on the progenitor's orbit. Debris associated with box and resonant orbits does not display stream motions and may appear 'colder'/'hotter' than the dSph's field population if the viewing angle is perpendicular/parallel to the progenitor's orbital plane. In contrast, debris associated with loop orbits shows a rotational velocity that may be detectable out to a few kpc from the galaxy centre. Chemical tagging that can distinguish GC debris from field stars may reveal whether the merger of GCs contributed to the formation of multiple stellar components observed in dSphs.     

A complex analytic solution for the attitude motion of a near-symmetric rigid body under body-fixed torques

Although analytic solutions for the attitude motion of a rigid body are available for several special cases, a comprehensive theory does not exist in the literature for the more complicated problems found in spacecraft dynamics. In the present paper, analytic solutions in complex form are derived for the attitude motion of a near-symmetric rigid body under the influence of constant body-fixed torques. The solution is very compact, which enables efficient and rapid machine computation. Numerical simulations reveal that the solution is very accurate when applied to typical spinning spacecraft problems.     

The densest prestellar condensations: H2CO Studies ofρ Oph B1

We present new images of the well-known molecular outflow and Herbig-Haro complex L 1551-IRS 5. Deep, high-resolution images of the central region of the flow in [SII] 6716,6731 and H (6565 Å) are complemented by a mosaic of much of the CO outflow in H₂ v=1-0 S(1). While the optical data trace the intermediate-to-high excitation shocks in the flow (v _shock > 30 – 50 km s^–1), the near-IR data reveal the lower-excitation, molecular shocks (v _shock 10–50 km s^–1). In particular, the H₂ data highlight the regions where the flow impacts and shocks ambient molecular gas.     

Near-infrared imaging in H2 of molecular (CO) outflows from young stars

We have imaged several known molecular (CO) outflows in H₂ v=1-0 S(1) and wide-band K in order to identify the molecular shocks associated with the acceleration of ambient gas by outflows from young stars. We detected H₂ line emission in all the flows we observed: L 1157, VLA 1623, NGC 6334I, NGC 2264G, L 1641N and Haro 4-255. A comparison of the H₂ data with CO outflow maps strongly suggests that prompt entrainment near the head of a collimated jet probably is the dominant mechanism for producing the CO outflows in these sources.     

The mass distribution in the innermost regions of spiral galaxies

We use high-spatial resolution (100 pc) rotation curves of 83 spiral galaxies to investigate the mass distribution of their innermost kpc. We show that, in this region, the luminous matter completely accounts for the gravitational potential and no dark component is required. The derived I-band disk mass-to-light ratios agree well with those obtained from population synthesis models and correlate with color in a similar way. We find strict upper limits of 10⁷ M for the masses of compact bodies at the center of spirals, ruling out that these systems host the remnants of the quasar activity.