Context. Large-scale motions in galaxies (supernovae explosions, galaxy collisions, galactic shear etc.) generate turbulence, which allows a fraction of the available kinetic energy to cascade down ...to small scales before it is dissipated. Aims. We establish and quantify the diagnostics of turbulent dissipation in mildly irradiated diffuse gas in the specific context of shock structures. Methods. We incorporated the basic physics of photon-dominated regions into a state-of-the-art steady-state shock code. We examined the chemical and emission properties of mildly irradiated (G0 = 1) magnetised shocks in diffuse media (nH = 102 to 104 cm-3) at low- to moderate velocities (from 3 to 40 km s-1). Results. The formation of some molecules relies on endoergic reactions. Their abundances in J-type shocks are enhanced by several orders of magnitude for shock velocities as low as 7 km s-1. Otherwise most chemical properties of J-type shocks vary over less than an order of magnitude between velocities from about 7 to about 30 km s-1, where H2 dissociation sets in. C-type shocks display a more gradual molecular enhancement with increasing shock velocity. We quantified the energy flux budget (fluxes of kinetic, radiated and magnetic energies) with emphasis on the main cooling lines of the cold interstellar medium. Their sensitivity to shock velocity is such that it allows observations to constrain statistical distributions of shock velocities. We fitted various probability distribution functions (PDFs) of shock velocities to spectroscopic observations of the galaxy-wide shock in Stephan’s Quintet and of a Galactic line of sight which samples diffuse molecular gas in Chamaeleon. In both cases, low velocities bear the greatest statistical weight and the PDF is consistent with a bimodal distribution. In the very low velocity shocks (below 5 km s-1), dissipation is due to ion-neutral friction and it powers H2 low-energy transitions and atomic lines. In moderate velocity shocks (20 km s-1 and above), the dissipation is due to viscous heating and accounts for most of the molecular emission. In our interpretation a significant fraction of the gas in the line of sight is shocked (from 4% to 66%). For example, C+ emission may trace shocks in UV irradiated gas where C+ is the dominant carbon species. Conclusions. Low- and moderate velocity shocks are important in shaping the chemical composition and excitation state of the interstellar gas. This allows one to probe the statistical distribution of shock velocities in interstellar turbulence.
Models of irradiated molecular shocks Godard, B.; Pineau des Forêts, G.; Lesaffre, P. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
02/2019, Letnik:
622
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context. The recent discovery of excited molecules in starburst galaxies observed with ALMA and the Herschel space telescope has highlighted the necessity to understand the relative contributions of ...radiative and mechanical energies in the formation of molecular lines and explore the conundrum of turbulent gas bred in the wake of galactic outflows. Aims. The goal of the paper is to present a detailed study of the propagation of low velocity (5–25 km s−1) stationary molecular shocks in environments illuminated by an external ultraviolet (UV) radiation field. In particular, we intend to show how the structure, dynamics, energetics, and chemical properties of shocks are modified by UV photons and to estimate how efficiently shocks can produce line emission. Methods. We implemented several key physico-chemical processes in the Paris-Durham shock code to improve the treatment of the radiative transfer and its impact on dust and gas particles. We propose a new integration algorithm to find the steady-state solutions of magnetohydrodynamics equations in a range of parameters in which the fluid evolves from a supersonic to a subsonic regime. We explored the resulting code over a wide range of physical conditions, which encompass diffuse interstellar clouds and hot and dense photon-dominated regions. Results. We find that C-type shock conditions cease to exist as soon as G0 > 0.2 (nH/cm−3)1/2 $G_0\,{>}\,0.2\,\, ({n_{\textrm{H}}}/{\textrm{cm}^{-3}})^{1/2}$ G0 > 0.2 (nH/cm−3)1/2 . Such conditions trigger the emergence of another category of stationary solutions, called C*-type and CJ-type shocks, in which the shocked gas is momentarily subsonic along its trajectory. These solutions are shown to be unique for a given set of physical conditions and correspond to dissipative structures in which the gas is heated up to temperatures comprised between those found in C-type and adiabatic J-type shocks. High temperatures combined with the ambient UV field favour the production or excitation of a few molecular species to the detriment of others, hence leading to specific spectroscopic tracers such as rovibrational lines of H2 and rotational lines of CH+. Unexpectedly, the rotational lines of CH+ may carry as much as several percent of the shock kinetic energy. Conclusions. Ultraviolet photons are found to strongly modify the way the mechanical energy of interstellar shocks is processed and radiated away. In spite of what intuition dictates, a strong external UV radiation field boosts the efficiency of low velocity interstellar shocks in the production of several molecular lines which become evident tracers of turbulent dissipation.
We have observed five sulphur-bearing molecules in foreground diffuse molecular clouds lying along the sight-lines to five bright continuum sources. We have used the GREAT instrument on SOFIA to ...observe the SH 1383 GHz 2Π3/2 J = 5/2 ← 3/2 lambda doublet toward the star-forming regions W31C, G29.96–0.02, G34.3+0.1, W49N and W51, detecting foreground absorption towards all five sources; and the EMIR receivers on the IRAM 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta to detect the H2S 110−101 (169 GHz), CS J = 2−1 (98 GHz) and SO 32−21 (99 GHz) transitions. Upper limits on the H3S+10−00 (293 GHz) transition were also obtained at the IRAM 30 m. In nine foreground absorption components detected towards these sources, the inferred column densities of the four detected molecules showed relatively constant ratios, with N(SH) /N(H2S) in the range 1.1−3.0, N(CS) /N(H2S) in the range 0.32−0.61, and N(SO) /N(H2S) in the range 0.08−0.30. The column densities of the sulphur-bearing molecules are very well correlated amongst themselves, moderately well correlated with CH (a surrogate tracer for H2), and poorly correlated with atomic hydrogen. The observed SH/H2 ratios – in the range 5 to 26 × 10-9 – indicate that SH (and other sulphur-bearing molecules) account for ≪ 1% of the gas-phase sulphur nuclei. The observed abundances of sulphur-bearing molecules, however, greatly exceed those predicted by standard models of cold diffuse molecular clouds, providing further evidence for the enhancement of endothermic reaction rates by elevated temperatures or ion-neutral drift. We have considered the observed abundance ratios in the context of shock and turbulent dissipation region (TDR) models. Using the TDR model, we find that the turbulent energy available at large scale in the diffuse ISM is sufficient to explain the observed column densities of SH and CS. Standard shock and TDR models, however, fail to reproduce the column densities of H2S and SO by a factor of about 10; more elaborate shock models – in which account is taken of the velocity drift, relative to H2, of SH molecules produced by the dissociative recombination of H3S+ – reduce this discrepancy to a factor ~3.
Context.
Supernova remnants (SNRs) represent a major feedback source from stars in the interstellar medium of galaxies. During the latest stage of supernova explosions, shock waves produced by the ...initial blast modify the chemistry of gas and dust, inject kinetic energy into the surroundings, and may alter star formation characteristics. Simultaneously,
γ
-ray emission is generated by the interaction between the ambient medium and cosmic rays (CRs), including those accelerated in the early stages of the explosion.
Aims.
We study the stellar and interstellar contents of IC443, an evolved shell-type SNR at a distance of 1.9 kpc with an estimated age of 30 kyr. We aim to measure the mass of the gas and characterize the nature of infrared point sources within the extended G region, which corresponds to the peak of
γ
-ray emission detected by VERITAS and
Fermi
.
Methods.
We performed 10′ × 10′ mapped observations of
12
CO,
13
CO
J
= 1–0,
J
= 2–1, and
J
= 3–2 pure rotational lines, as well as C
18
O
J
= 1–0 and
J
= 2–1 obtained with the IRAM 30 m and APEX telescopes over the extent of the
γ
-ray peak to reveal the molecular structure of the region. We first compared our data with local thermodynamic equilibrium models. We estimated the optical depth of each line from the emission of the isotopologs
13
CO and C
18
O. We used the population diagram and large velocity gradient assumption to measure the column density, mass, and kinetic temperature of the gas using
12
CO and
13
CO lines. We used complementary data (stars, gas, and dust at multiple wavelengths) and infrared point source catalogs to search for protostar candidates.
Results.
Our observations reveal four molecular structures: a shocked molecular clump associated with emission lines extending between −31 and 16 km s
−1
, a quiescent, dark cloudlet associated with a line width of ~2 km s
−1
, a narrow ring-like structure associated with a line width of ~1.5 km s
−1
, and a shocked knot. We measured a total mass of ~230, ~90, ~210, and ~4
M
⊙
, respectively, for the cloudlet, ring-like structure, shocked clump, and shocked knot. We measured a mass of ~1100
M
⊙
throughout the rest of the field of observations where an ambient cloud is detected. We found 144 protostar candidates in the region.
Conclusions.
Our results emphasize how the mass associated with the ring-like structure and the cloudlet cannot be overlooked when quantifying the interaction of CRs with the dense local medium. Additionally, the presence of numerous possible protostars in the region might represent a fresh source of CRs, which must also be taken into account in the interpretation of
γ
-ray observationsin this region.
The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. Here, we focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of star ...formation. Using a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps, we identify two high-density filamentary clouds, called the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges. Both have gas masses of 2.1 x 10 super(4) M sub(middot in circle) and 3.5 x 10 super(4) M sub(middot in circle) above > 10 super(23) cm super(-2) and within areas of ~6 and ~14 pc super(2), respectively. The W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures that are coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion measured by the N sub(2)H (1-0) lines of the W43-HERO IRAM large program. Another intriguing result is that these ridges harbor widespread (~10 pc super(2)) bright SiO (2-1) emission, which we interpret to be the result of low-velocity shocks (< or =, slant10 km s super(-1)). We measure a significant relationship between the SiO (2-1) luminosity and velocity extent and show that it distinguishes our observations from the high-velocity shocks associated with outflows. We use state-of-the-art shock models to demonstrate that a small percentage (10%) of Si atoms in low-velocity shocks, observed initially in gas phase or in grain mantles, can explain the observed SiO column density in the W43 ridges. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges of high-density gas and the shocked SiO gas suggest that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters.
Aims. Previous literature suggests that the densest structures in the interstellar medium form through colliding flows, but patent evidence of this process is still missing. Recent literature ...proposes using SiO line emission to trace low-velocity shocks associated with cloud formation through collision. In this paper we investigate the bright and extended SiO(2-1) emission observed along the ~5pc-long W43-MM1 ridge to determine its origin. Methods. We used high angular resolution images of the SiO(2-1) and HCN(1-0) emission lines obtained with the IRAM plateau de Bure (PdBI) interferometer and combined with data from the IRAM 30m radiotelescope. These data were complemented by a Herschel column density map of the region. We performed spectral analysis of SiO and HCN emission line profiles to identify protostellar outflows and spatially disentangle two velocity components associated with low- and high-velocity shocks. Then, we compared the low-velocity shock component to a dedicated grid of one-dimensional (1D) radiative shock models. Results. We find that the SiO emission originates from a mixture of high-velocity shocks caused by bipolar outflows and low-velocity shocks. Using SiO and HCN emission lines, we extract seven bipolar outflows associated with massive dense cores previously identified within the W43-MM1 mini-starburst cluster. Comparing observations with dedicated Paris-Durham shock models constrains the velocity of the low-velocity shock component from 7 to 12kms super(-1). Conclusions. The SiO arising from low-velocity shocks spreads along the complete length of the ridge. Its contribution represents at least 45% and up to 100% of the total SiO emission depending on the area considered. The low-velocity component of SiO is most likely associated with the ridge formation through colliding flows or cloud-cloud collision.
Abstract
When a fast moving star or a protostellar jet hits an interstellar cloud, the surrounding gas gets heated and illuminated: a bow shock is born that delineates the wake of the impact. In such ...a process, the new molecules that are formed and excited in the gas phase become accessible to observations. In this paper, we revisit models of H2 emission in these bow shocks. We approximate the bow shock by a statistical distribution of planar shocks computed with a magnetized shock model. We improve on previous works by considering arbitrary bow shapes, a finite irradiation field and by including the age effect of non-stationary C-type shocks on the excitation diagram and line profiles of H2. We also examine the dependence of the line profiles on the shock velocity and on the viewing angle: we suggest that spectrally resolved observations may greatly help to probe the dynamics inside the bow shock. For reasonable bow shapes, our analysis shows that low-velocity shocks largely contribute to H2 excitation diagram. This can result in an observational bias towards low velocities when planar shocks are used to interpret H2 emission from an unresolved bow. We also report a large magnetization bias when the velocity of the planar model is set independently. Our 3D models reproduce excitation diagrams in BHR 71 and Orion bow shocks better than previous 1D models. Our 3D model is also able to reproduce the shape and width of the broad H2 1–0S(1) line profile in an Orion bow shock (Brand et al. 1989).
Context. Protostellar jets and outflows are key features of the star-formation process, and primary processes of the feedback of young stars on the interstellar medium. Understanding the underlying ...shocks is necessary to explain how jet and outflow systems are launched, and to quantify their chemical and energetic impacts on the surrounding medium. Aims. We performed a high-spectral resolution study of the OI63μm emission in the outflow of the intermediate-mass Class 0 protostar Cep E-mm. The goal is to determine the structure of the outflow, to constrain the chemical conditions in the various components, and to understand the nature of the underlying shocks, thus probing the origin of the mass-loss phenomenon. Methods. We present observations of the O i 3P1 → 3P2, OH between 2Π1/2J = 3/2 and J = 1/2 at 1837.8 GHz, and CO (16–15) lines with the GREAT receiver onboard SOFIA towards three positions in the Cep E protostellar outflow: Cep E-mm (the driving protostar), Cep E-BI (in the southern lobe), and Cep E-BII (the terminal position in the southern lobe). Results. The CO (16–15) line is detected at all three positions. The OI63μm line is detected in Cep E-BI and BII, whereas the OH line is not detected. In Cep E-BII, we identify three kinematical components in O i and CO. These were already detected in CO transitions and relate to spatial components: the jet, the HH377 terminal bow-shock, and the outflow cavity. We measure line temperature and line integrated intensity ratios for all components. The O i column density is higher in the outflow cavity than in the jet, which itself is higher than in the terminal shock. The terminal shock is the region where the abundance ratio of O i to CO is the lowest (about 0.2), whereas the jet component is atomic (N(O i)/N(CO) ~ 2.7). In the jet, we compare the OI63μm observations with shock models that successfully fit the integrated intensity of 10 CO lines. We find that these models most likely do not fit the OI63μm data. Conclusions. The high intensity of O i emission points towards the propagation of additional dissociative or alternative FUV-irradiated shocks, where the illumination comes from the shock itself. A picture emerges from the sample of low-to-high mass protostellar outflows, where similar observations have been performed, with the effects of illumination increasing with the mass of the protostar. These findings need confirmation with more observational constraints and a larger sample.
ABSTRACT
The interstellar medium (ISM) is typically a hostile environment: cold, dilute and irradiated. Nevertheless, it appears very fertile for molecules. The localized heating resulting from ...turbulence dissipation is a possible channel to produce and excite molecules. However, large-scale simulations cannot resolve the dissipative scales of the ISM. Here, we present two-dimensional small-scale simulations of decaying hydrodynamic turbulence using the chemses code, with fully resolved viscous dissipation, time-dependent heating, cooling, chemistry and excitation of a few rotational levels of H2. We show that molecules are produced and excited in the wake of strong dissipation ridges. We carefully identify shocks and we assess their statistics and contribution to the molecular yields and excitation. We find that the formation of molecules is strongly linked to increased density as a result of shock compression and to the opening of endothermic chemical routes because of higher temperatures. We identify a new channel for molecule production via H2 excitation, illustrated by CH+ yields in our simulations. Despite low temperatures and the absence of magnetic fields (favouring CH+ production through ion-neutral velocity drifts), the excitation of the first few rotational levels of H2 shrinks the energy gap to form CH+. The present study demonstrates how dissipative chemistry can be modelled by statistical collections of one-dimensional steady-state shocks. Thus, the excitation of higher J levels of H2 is likely to be a direct signature of turbulence dissipation, and an indirect probe for molecule formation. We hope these results will help to bring new tools and ideas for the interpretation of current observations of H2 rotational lines carried out using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), and pave the way for a better understanding of the high-resolution mapping of H2 emission by future instruments, such as theJames Webb Space Telescope and the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics.
The dissipation of kinetic and magnetic energy in the interstellar medium (ISM) can proceed through viscous, Ohmic or ambipolar diffusion (AD). It occurs at very small scales compared to the scales ...at which energy is presumed to be injected. This localized heating may impact the ISM evolution but also its chemistry, thus providing observable features. Here, we perform 3D spectral simulations of decaying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence including the effects of AD. We find that the AD heating power spectrum peaks at scales in the inertial range, due to a strong alignment of the magnetic and current vectors in the dissipative range. AD affects much greater scales than the AD scale predicted by dimensional analysis. We find that energy dissipation is highly concentrated on thin sheets. Its probability density function follows a lognormal law with a power-law tail which hints at intermittency, a property which we quantify by use of structure function exponents. Finally, we extract structures of high dissipation, defined as connected sets of points where the total dissipation is most intense and we measure the scaling exponents of their geometric and dynamical characteristics: the inclusion of AD favours small sizes in the dissipative range.