• Title/Summary/Keyword: ISM: molecular clouds

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THE FRACTAL DIMENSION OF THE 𝜌 OPHIUCUS MOLECULAR CLOUD COMPLEX

  • Lee, Yongung;Li, Di;Kim, Y.S.;Jung, J.H.;Kang, H.W.;Lee, C.H.;Yim, I.S.;Kim, H.G.
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.49 no.6
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    • pp.255-259
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    • 2016
  • We estimate the fractal dimension of the ${\rho}$ Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud Complex, associated with star forming regions. We selected a cube (${\upsilon}$, l, b) database, obtained with J = 1-0 transition lines of $^{12}CO$ and $^{13}CO$ at a resolution of 22" using a multibeam receiver system on the 14-m telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. Using a code developed within IRAF, we identified slice-clouds with two threshold temperatures to estimate the fractal dimension. With threshold temperatures of 2.25 K ($3{\sigma}$) and 3.75 K ($5{\sigma}$), the fractal dimension of the target cloud is estimated to be D = 1.52-1.54, where $P{\propto}A^{D/2}$, which is larger than previous results. We suggest that the sampling rate (spatial resolution) of observed data must be an important parameter when estimating the fractal dimension, and that narrower or wider dispersion around an arbitrary fit line and the intercepts at NP = 100 should be checked whether they relate to firms noise level or characteristic structure of the target cloud. This issue could be investigated by analysing several high resolution databases with different quality (low or moderate sensitivity).

HCN AND HCO+ EMISSION IN M31 : TRACING THE DENSE MOLECULAR GAS IN A GALACTIC DISK

  • MULLER SEBASTIEN;BROUILLET NATHALIE;HERPIN FABRICE;BRAINE JONATHAN;JACQ THIERRY
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.38 no.2
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    • pp.245-248
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    • 2005
  • We present mm observations with the IRAM 30m radiotelescope of the HCN (J=1-0) and HCO+ (J=1-0) emission lines from Giant Moleculat Clouds (GMC) in the disk of the Andromeda Galaxy, The selected GMC targets have various morphology and environments, including locations within spiral arms or in interarm regions and with galactocentric radii ranging from 2.4 to 15.5 kpc over the disk. The radial distributions of the ratios HCN/CO and HCO+ /CO are discussed and their values are compared to other galaxies.

MOLECULAR LINE OBSERVATION TOWARD POLARIS FLARE

  • Chi Seung-Youp;Park Yong-Sun
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.9-17
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    • 2006
  • In an attempt to investigate star formation activity and statistical properties of clumps of high Galactic latitude clouds (HLCs), we mapped the Polaris Flare region, PF121.3+25.5, in $^{12}CO\;and\;^{13}CO$ J = 1 - 0 using SRAO 6-m telescope and also observed its 12 $^{13}CO$ peak positions in CS J = 2 - 1 with TRAO 14-m telescope. $^{13}CO$ integrated intensity map shows clearly its clumpy structure and the locations of clumps well agree with $^{12}CO$morphology. CS line is not detected toward the 12 $^{13}CO$ peak positions, so we can conclude there are no dense $(\sim10^4\;cm^{-3})$ in this region. We decomposed 105 clumps from $^{13}CO$ map using GAUSSCLUMPS algorithm. The mass of clumps ranges from $7.8\;M_{\odot}\;to\;7.4{\times}10^{-2}\;M_{\odot}$ with a total mass of $66.4\;M_{\odot}$ The mass spectrum follows a power law, dN/dM ${\propto}\;M^{-\alpha}$ with a power index of ${\alpha}=1.91{\pm}0.13$. The virial masses of clumps are in the range of $10{\sim}100M_{LTE}$ and so these clumps are considered to be gravitationally unbound.

AN UPDATE ON THE MOPRA SOUTHERN GALACTIC PLANE CO SURVEY

  • BRAIDING, CATHERINE;BURTON, MICHAEL G.
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.103-105
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    • 2015
  • The 22 m diameter Mopra telescope in Australia is being used to undertake an improved survey of the CO J = 1-0 line at 3mm along the 4th quadrant of the Galaxy, achieving an order of magnitude better spatial and spectral resolution (i.e. 0.6 and 0.1 km/s) than the Dame et al. (2001) survey that is publically available for the Southern Galactic plane. Furthermore, the Mopra CO survey includes the four principal isotopologues of the CO molecule (i.e. $^{12}CO$, $^{13}CO$, $C^{18}O$ and $C^{17}O$). The survey makes use of an 8 GHz-wide spectrometer and a fast mode of on-the-fly mapping developed for the Mopra telescope, where the cycle time has been reduced to just 1/4 of a second. 38 square degrees of the Galaxy, from $l=306-344^{\circ}$, $b=0{\pm}5^{\circ}$ have currently been surveyed, together with additional 9 sq. deg. regions around the Carina complex and the Central Molecular Zone. We present new results from the survey (see also Burton et al., 2013, 2014). The Mopra CO data are being made publically available as they are published; for the latest release see the project website at www.phys.unsw.edu.au/mopraco.

ORFEUS OBSERVATIONS OF ULTRAVIOLET EXCITED HIGH-J MOLECULAR HYDROGEN

  • Lee, Dae-Hee;Dixon, W. Van Dyke;Min, Kyoung-Wook;Pak, Soo-Jong
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.42 no.6
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    • pp.145-153
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    • 2009
  • We present measurements of diffuse interstellar $H_2$ absorption lines in the continuum spectra of 10 early-type stars. The data were observed with the Berkeley Extreme and Far-Ultraviolet Spectrometer (BEFS) of the ORFEUS telescope on board the ORFEUS-SPAS I and II space-shuttle missions in 1993 and 1996, respectively. The spectra extend from the interstellar cutoff at 912 $\AA$ to about 1200 $\AA$ with a resolution of ~ 3000 and statistical signal-to-noise ratios between 10 and 65. Adopting Doppler broadening velocities from high-resolution optical observations, we obtain the $H_2$ column densities of rotational levels J" = 0 through 5 for each line of sight. The kinetic temperatures derived from J" = 0 and 1 states show a small variation around the mean value of 80 K, except for the component toward HD 219188, which has a temperature of 211 K. Based on a synthetic interstellar cloud model described in our previous work, we derive the incident UV intensity IUV and the hydrogen density $n_H$ of the observed components to be -0.4 $\leq$ log $I_{UV}\leq2.2$ and $6.3{\leq}n_H2500cm^{-3}$, respectively.

TURBULENCE STATISTICS FROM SPECTRAL LINE OBSERVATIONS

  • LAZARIAN A.
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.37 no.5
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    • pp.563-570
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    • 2004
  • Turbulence is a crucial component of dynamics of astrophysical fluids dynamics, including those of ISM, clusters of galaxies and circumstellar regions. Doppler shifted spectral lines provide a unique source of information on turbulent velocities. We discuss Velocity-Channel Analysis (VCA) and its offspring Velocity Coordinate Spectrum (VCS) that are based on the analytical description of the spectral line statistics. Those techniques are well suited for studies of supersonic turbulence. We stress that a great advantage of VCS is that it does not necessary require good spatial resolution. Addressing the studies of mildly supersonic and subsonic turbulence we discuss the criterion that allows to determine whether Velocity Centroids are dominated by density or velocity. We briefly discuss ways of going beyond power spectra by using of higher order correlations as well as genus analysis. We outline the relation between Spectral Correlation Functions and the statistics available through VCA and VCS.

RECENT PROGRESS IN HIGH-MASS STAR-FORMATION STUDIES WITH ALMA

  • Hirota, Tomoya
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.33 no.2
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    • pp.21-30
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    • 2018
  • Formation processes of high-mass stars have been long-standing issues in astronomy and astrophysics. This is mainly because of major difficulties in observational studies such as a smaller number of high-mass young stellar objects (YSOs), larger distances, and more complex structures in young high-mass clusters compared with nearby low-mass isolated star-forming regions (SFRs), and extremely large opacity of interstellar dust except for centimeter to submillimeter wavelengths. High resolution and high sensitivity observations with Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) at millimeter/submillimeter wavelengths will overcome these observational difficulties even for statistical studies with increasing number of high-mass YSO samples. This review will summarize recent progresses in high-mass star-formation studies with ALMA such as clumps and filaments in giant molecular cloud complexes and infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), protostellar disks and outflows in dense cores, chemistry, masers, and accretion bursts in high-mass SFRs.

LOW-MASS STAR FORMATION: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PROGRESS WITH ALMA

  • Tafalla, Mario
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.45-57
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    • 2018
  • Low-mass star-formation studies deal with the birth of individual solar-type stars as it occurs in nearby molecular clouds. While this isolated mode of star formation may not represent the most common form of stellar birth, its study often provides first evidence for the general ingredients of star formation, such as gravitational infall, disk formation, or outflow acceleration. Here I briefly review the current status and the main challenges in our understanding of low-mass star formation, with emphasis in the still mysterious pre-stellar phase. In addition to presenting by-now classical work, I also show how ALMA is starting to play a decisive role driving progress in this field.

VLA AMMONIA LINE OBSERVATIONS OF THE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT IRAS 19550+3248

  • LEE Ho-GYU;KOO BON-CHUL;PARK YONG-SUN;HO PAUL T. P.
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.105-110
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    • 2002
  • We present the results of VLA $NH_3$ (1,1) and (2,2) line observations of the young-stellar object (YSO) IRAS 19550+3248. The integrated intensity map of the $NH_3$ (1,1) line shows that there are two ammonia cores in this region; core A which is associated with the YSO, and core B which is diffuse and located at the northeast of core A. Core A is compact and elongated along the east-west direction (0.07 pc$\times$0.05 pc) roughly perpendicular to the molecular outflow axis. Core B is diffuse and extended (0.18 pc$\times$0.07 pc). $NH_3$ (2,2) line is detected only toward core A, which indicates that it is hotter (~ 15 K), presumably due to the heating by the YSO. The $NH_3$ (1,1) line toward core A is wide (${\Delta}v{\ge} 3 km s^{-l}$) and appears to have an anomalous intensity ratio of the inner satellite hyperfine lines. The large line width may be attributed to the embedded YSO, but the hyperfine anomaly is difficult to explain. We compare the results of $NH_3$ observations with those of previous CS observations and find that the CS emission is detected only toward core A and is much more extended than the $NH_3$ emission.

Near-IR Polarization of the Northeastern Region of the Large Magellanic Cloud

  • Kim, Jaeyeong
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.42 no.2
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    • pp.42.2-42.2
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    • 2017
  • The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a unique target to study the detail structures of molecular clouds and star-forming regions, due to its proximity and face-on orientation from us. Most part of the astrophysical subjects for the LMC have been investigated, but the magnetic field is still veiling despite its role in the evolution of the interstellar medium (ISM) and in the main force to influence the star formation process. Measuring polarization of the background stars behind interstellar medium allows us to describe the existence of magnetic fields through the polarization vector map. In this presentation, I introduce the near-infrared polarimetric results for the $39^{\prime}{\times}69^{\prime}$ field of the northeastern region of the LMC and the N159/N160 star-forming complex therein. The polarimetric observations were conducted at IRSF/SIRPOL 1.4 m telescope. These results allow us to examine both the global geometry of the large-scale magnetic field in the northeastern region and the close structure of the magnetic field in the complex. Prominent patterns of polarization vectors mainly follow dust emission features in the mid-infrared bands, which imply that the large-scale magnetic fields are highly involved in the structure of the dust cloud in the LMC. In addition, local magnetic field structures in the N159/N160 star-forming complex are investigated with the comparison between polarization vectors and molecular cloud emissions, suggesting that the magnetic fields are resulted from the sequential formation history of this complex. I propose that ionizing radiation from massive stellar clusters and the expanding bubble of the ionized gas and dust in this complex probably affect the nascent magnetic field structure.

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