Using spectral line observations of HNCO, N2H+, and HNC, we investigate the kinematics of dense gas in the central ∼250 pc of the Galaxy. We present scouse (Semi-automated multi-COmponent Universal ...Spectral-line fitting Engine), a line-fitting algorithm designed to analyse large volumes of spectral line data efficiently and systematically. Unlike techniques which do not account for complex line profiles, scouse accurately describes the {l, b, v
LSR} distribution of Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) gas, which is asymmetric about Sgr A* in both position and velocity. Velocity dispersions range from 2.6 km s−1 < σ < 53.1 km s−1. A median dispersion of 9.8 km s−1, translates to a Mach number,
$\mathcal {M}_{\rm 3D}\ge 28$
. The gas is distributed throughout several ‘streams’, with projected lengths ∼100–250 pc. We link the streams to individual clouds and sub-regions, including Sgr C, the 20 and 50 km s−1 clouds, the dust ridge, and Sgr B2. Shell-like emission features can be explained by the projection of independent molecular clouds in Sgr C and the newly identified conical profile of Sgr B2 in {l, b, v
LSR} space. These features have previously invoked supernova-driven shells and cloud–cloud collisions as explanations. We instead caution against structure identification in velocity-integrated emission maps. Three geometries describing the 3D structure of the CMZ are investigated: (i) two spiral arms; (ii) a closed elliptical orbit; (iii) an open stream. While two spiral arms and an open stream qualitatively reproduce the gas distribution, the most recent parametrization of the closed elliptical orbit does not. Finally, we discuss how proper motion measurements of masers can distinguish between these geometries, and suggest that this effort should be focused on the 20 km s−1 and 50 km s−1 clouds and Sgr C.
In this article, we analyze the impacts of climate change on Antarctic marine ecosystems. Observations demonstrate large-scale changes in the physical variables and circulation of the Southern Ocean ...driven by warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, and a positive Southern Annular Mode. Alterations in the physical environment are driving change through all levels of Antarctic marine food webs, which differ regionally. The distributions of key species, such as Antarctic krill, are also changing. Differential responses among predators reflect differences in species ecology. The impacts of climate change on Antarctic biodiversity will likely vary for different communities and depend on species range. Coastal communities and those of sub-Antarctic islands, especially range-restricted endemic communities, will likely suffer the greatest negative consequences of climate change. Simultaneously, ecosystem services in the Southern Ocean will likely increase. Such decoupling of ecosystem services and endemic species will require consideration in the management of human activities such as fishing in Antarctic marine ecosystems.
Abstract
Observations indicate that much of the interstellar gas in merging galaxies may settle into extended gaseous discs. Here, I present simulations of disc formation in mergers of gas-rich ...galaxies. Up to half of the total gas settles into embedded discs; the most massive instances result from encounters in which both galaxies are inclined to the orbital plane. These discs are often warped, many have rather complex kinematics, and roughly a quarter have counter-rotating or otherwise decoupled central components. Discs typically grow from the inside out; infall from tidal tails may continue disc formation over long periods of time.
We present 3.7 arcsec (∼0.05 pc) resolution 3.2 mm dust continuum observations from the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique Plateau de Bure Interferometer, with the aim of studying the ...structure and fragmentation of the filamentary infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G035.39–00.33. The continuum emission is segmented into a series of 13 quasi-regularly spaced (λobs ∼ 0.18 pc) cores, following the major axis of the IRDC. We compare the spatial distribution of the cores with that predicted by theoretical work describing the fragmentation of hydrodynamic fluid cylinders, finding a significant (a factor of ≳ 8) discrepancy between the two. Our observations are consistent with the picture emerging from kinematic studies of molecular clouds suggesting that the cores are harboured within a complex network of independent sub-filaments. This result emphasizes the importance of considering the underlying physical structure, and potentially, dynamically important magnetic fields, in any fragmentation analysis. The identified cores exhibit a range in (peak) beam-averaged column density (3.6 × 1023 cm−2 < N
H, c < 8.0 × 1023 cm−2), mass (8.1 M⊙ < M
c < 26.1 M⊙), and number density (6.1 × 105 cm−3 < n
H, c, eq < 14.7 × 105 cm−3). Two of these cores, dark in the mid-infrared, centrally concentrated, monolithic (with no traceable substructure at our PdBI resolution), and with estimated masses of the order ∼20–25 M⊙, are good candidates for the progenitors of intermediate-to-high-mass stars. Virial parameters span a range 0.2 < αvir < 1.3. Without additional support, possibly from dynamically important magnetic fields with strengths of the order of 230 μG < B < 670 μG, the cores are susceptible to gravitational collapse. These results may imply a multilayered fragmentation process, which incorporates the formation of sub-filaments, embedded cores, and the possibility of further fragmentation.
Understanding drop size distribution (DSD) variability has important implications for remote sensing and numerical modeling applications. Twelve disdrometer datasets across three latitude bands are ...analyzed in this study, spanning a broad range of precipitation regimes: light rain, orographic, deep convective, organized midlatitude, and tropical oceanic. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to reveal comprehensive modes of global DSD spatial and temporal variability. Although the locations contain different distributions of individual DSD parameters, all locations are found to have the same modes of variability. Based on PCA, six groups of points with unique DSD characteristics emerge. The physical processes that underpin these groups are revealed through supporting radar observations. Group 1 (group 2) is characterized by high (low) liquid water content (LWC), broad (narrow) distribution widths, and large (small) median drop diameters D
0
. Radar analysis identifies group 1 (group 2) as convective (stratiform) rainfall. Group 3 is characterized by weak, shallow radar echoes and large concentrations of small drops, indicative of warm rain showers. Group 4 identifies heavy stratiform precipitation. The low latitudes exhibit distinct bimodal distributions of the normalized intercept parameter N
w
, LWC, and D
0
and are found to have a clustering of points (group 5) with high rain rates, large N
w
, and moderate D
0
, a signature of robust warm rain processes. A distinct group associated with ice-based convection (group 6) emerges in the midlatitudes. Although all locations exhibit the same covariance of parameters associated with these groups, it is likely that the physical processes responsible for shaping the DSDs vary as a function of location.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
GOALS: The Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey Armus, L.; Mazzarella, J. M.; Evans, A. S. ...
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
06/2009, Letnik:
121, Številka:
880
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey (GOALS20) combines data from NASA’sSpitzer Space Telescope,
Chandra X-Ray Observatory,
Hubble Space Telescope(HST), andGalaxy Evolution Explorer(GALEX) ...observatories, together with ground-based data, into a comprehensive imaging and spectroscopic survey of over 200 low-redshift (
z < 0.088
z
<
0.088
), Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs). The LIRGs are a complete subset of theIRASRevised Bright Galaxy Sample (RBGS), which comprises 629 extragalactic objects with 60 μm flux densities above 5.24 Jy, and Galactic latitudes above five degrees. The LIRGs targeted in GOALS span the full range of nuclear spectral types defined via traditional optical line-ratio diagrams (type-1 and type-2 AGN, LINERs, and starbursts) as well as interaction stages (major mergers, minor mergers, and isolated galaxies). They provide an unbiased picture of the processes responsible for enhanced infrared emission in galaxies in the local Universe. As an example of the analytic power of the multiwavelength GOALS data set, we presentSpitzer, Chandra, HST,andGALEXimages and spectra for the interacting system VV 340 (IRAS
F14547 + 2449
F
14547
+
2449
). TheSpitzerMIPS imaging data indicates that between 80–95% of the total far-infrared emission (or about5 × 1011 L
⊙
5
×
10
11
L
⊙
) originates in VV 340 north. While theSpitzerIRAC colors of VV 340 north and south are consistent with star-forming galaxies, both theSpitzerIRS andChandraACIS data indicate the presence of an AGN in VV 340 north. The observed line fluxes, without correction for extinction, imply that the AGN accounts for less than 10%–20% of the observed infrared emission. The X-ray data are consistent with a heavily absorbed (
N
H
≥1024 cm-2
N
H
≥
10
24
cm
-
2
) AGN. The GALEX far and near-UV fluxes imply a extremely large infrared “excess” (IRX) for the system (FIR/Ffuv ∼ 81
F
IR
/
F
fuv
∼
81
) which is well above the correlation seen in starburst galaxies. Most of this excess is driven by VV 340 N, which has an IR excess of nearly 400. The VV 340 system seems to be comprised of two very different galaxies: an infrared luminous edge-on galaxy (VV 340 north) that dominates the long-wavelength emission from the system, which hosts a buried AGN; and a face-on starburst (VV 340 south) that dominates the short-wavelength emission.
Although there is evidence that liquids have flowed on the surface at Titan's equator in the past, to date, liquids have only been confirmed on the surface at polar latitudes, and the vast expanses ...of dunes that dominate Titan's equatorial regions require a predominantly arid climate. We report the detection by Cassini's Imaging Science Subsystem of a large low-latitude cloud system early in Titan's northern spring and extensive surface changes (spanning more than 500,000 square kilometers) in the wake of this storm. The changes are most consistent with widespread methane rainfall reaching the surface, which suggests that the dry channels observed at Titan's low latitudes are carved by seasonal precipitation.
ABSTRACT We present a new, detailed analysis of the morphologies and molecular gas fractions (MGFs) for a complete sample of 65 local luminous infrared galaxies from Great Observatories All-Sky ...Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRG) Survey using high resolution I-band images from The Hubble Space Telescope, the University of Hawaii 2.2 m Telescope and the Pan-STARRS1 Survey. Our classification scheme includes single undisturbed galaxies, minor mergers, and major mergers, with the latter divided into five distinct stages from pre-first pericenter passage to final nuclear coalescence. We find that major mergers of molecular gas-rich spirals clearly play a major role for all sources with however, below this luminosity threshold, minor mergers and secular processes dominate. Additionally, galaxies do not reach until late in the merger process when both disks are near final coalescence. The mean MGF ( ) for non-interacting and early-stage major merger LIRGs is 18 2%, which increases to 33 3%, for intermediate stage major merger LIRGs, consistent with the hypothesis that, during the early-mid stages of major mergers, most of the initial large reservoir of atomic gas (HI) at large galactocentric radii is swept inward where it is converted into molecular gas (H2).
Understanding the cooling effect of recent volcanoes is of particular interest in the context of the post-2000 slowing of the rate of global warming. Satellite observations of aerosol optical depth ...above 15 km have demonstrated that small-magnitude volcanic eruptions substantially perturb incoming solar radiation. Here we use lidar, Aerosol Robotic Network, and balloon-borne observations to provide evidence that currently available satellite databases neglect substantial amounts of volcanic aerosol between the tropopause and 15 km at middle to high latitudes and therefore underestimate total radiative forcing resulting from the recent eruptions. Incorporating these estimates into a simple climate model, we determine the global volcanic aerosol forcing since 2000 to be 0.19 +/- 0.09W/sq m. This translates into an estimated global cooling of 0.05 to 0.12 C. We conclude that recent volcanic events are responsible for more post-2000 cooling than is implied by satellite databases that neglect volcanic aerosol effects below 15 km.
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