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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
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DOE OSTI2015

Assessing molecular outflows and turbulence in the protostellar cluster Serpens South

Molecular outflows driven by protostellar cluster members likely impact their surroundings and contribute to turbulence, affecting subsequent star formation. The very young Serpens South cluster consists of a particularly high density and fraction of protostars, yielding a relevant case study for protostellar outflows and their impact on the cluster environment. We combined CO J=1−0 observations of this region using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy and the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique 30 m single-dish telescope. The combined map allows us to probe CO outflows within the central, most active region at size scales of 0.01–0.8 pc. We account for effects of line opacity and excitation temperature variations by incorporating {sup 12}CO and {sup 13}CO data for the J = 1 − 0 and J = 3 − 2 transitions (using Atacama Pathfinder Experiment and Caltech Submillimeter Observatory observations for the higher CO transitions), and we calculate mass, momentum, and energy of the molecular outflows in this region. The outflow mass-loss rate, force, and luminosity, compared with diagnostics of turbulence and gravity, suggest that outflows drive a sufficient amount of energy to sustain turbulence, but not enough energy to substantially counter the gravitational potential energy and disrupt the clump. Further, we compare Serpens South with the slightly more evolved cluster NGC 1333, and we propose an empirical scenario for outflow-cluster interaction at different evolutionary stages.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Rethinking a mysterious molecular cloud

I present high-resolution column density maps of two molecular clouds (MCs) having strikingly different star formation rates. To better understand the unusual, massive G216-2.5, an MC with no massive star formation, the distribution of its molecular gas is compared to that of the Rosette MC. Far-infrared data from Herschel are used to derive N(H{sub 2}) maps of each cloud and are combined with I{sub CO} data to determine the CO-to-H{sub 2} ratio, X{sub CO}. In addition, the probability distribution functions (PDFs) and cumulative mass fractions of the clouds are compared. For G216-2.5, 〈N(H{sub 2})〉=7.8×10{sup 20} cm{sup −2} and 〈X{sub CO}〉=2.2×10{sup 20} cm{sup −2} (K km s{sup −1}){sup −1}; for the Rosette, 〈N(H{sub 2})〉=1.8×10{sup 21} cm{sup −2} and 〈X{sub CO}〉=2.8×10{sup 20} cm{sup −2} (K km s{sup −1}){sup −1}. The PDFs of both clouds are log-normal for extinctions below ∼2 mag and both show departures from log-normality at high extinctions. Although it is the less-massive cloud, the Rosette has a higher fraction of its mass in the form of dense gas and contains 1389 M{sub ⊙} of gas above the so-called extinction threshold for star formation, A{sub V}=7.3 mag. The G216-2.5 cloud has 874 M{sub ⊙} of dense gas above this threshold.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The effect of selective desorption mechanisms during interstellar ice formation

Major components of ices on interstellar grains in molecular clouds—water and carbon oxides—occur at various optical depths. This implies that selective desorption mechanisms are at work. An astrochemical model of a contracting low-mass molecular cloud core is presented. Ice was treated as consisting of the surface and three subsurface layers (i.e., sublayers). Photodesorption, reactive desorption, and indirect reactive desorption were investigated. The latter manifests itself through desorption from H+H reaction on grains. Desorption of shallow subsurface species was also included. Modeling results suggest the existence of a “photon-dominated ice” during the early phases of core contraction. Subsurface ice is chemically processed by interstellar photons, which produces complex organic molecules (COMs). Desorption from the subsurface layer results in high COM gas-phase abundances at A{sub V} = 2.4–10 mag. This may contribute toward an explanation for COM observations in dark cores. It was found that photodesorption mostly governs the onset of ice accumulation onto grains. Reaction-specific reactive desorption is efficient for small molecules that form via highly exothermic atom-addition reactions. Higher reactive desorption efficiency results in lower gas-phase abundances of COMs. Indirect reactive desorption allows for closely reproducing the observed H{sub 2}O:CO:CO{sub 2} ratio toward a number of background stars. Presumably, this can be done by any mechanism whose efficiency fits with the sequence CO⩾CO{sub 2}≫H{sub 2}O. After the freeze-out has ended, the three sublayers represent chemically distinct parts of the mantle. The likely A{sub V} threshold for the appearance of CO ice is 8–10.5 mag. The lower value is supported by observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ALMA observations of the IRDC clump G34.43+00.24 MM3: DNC/HNC ratio

We have observed the clump G34.43+00.24 MM3 associated with an infrared dark cloud in DNC J = 3–2, HN{sup 13}C J = 3–2, and N{sub 2}H{sup +} J = 3–2 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The N{sub 2}H{sup +} emission is found to be relatively weak near the hot core and the outflows, and its distribution is clearly anti-correlated with the CS emission. This result indicates that a young outflow is interacting with cold ambient gas. The HN{sup 13}C emission is compact and mostly emanates from the hot core, whereas the DNC emission is extended around the hot core. Thus, the DNC and HN{sup 13}C emission traces warm regions near the protostar differently. The DNC emission is stronger than the HN{sup 13}C emission toward most parts of this clump. The DNC/HNC abundance ratio averaged within a 15{sup ′′} × 15{sup ′′} area around the phase center is higher than 0.06. This ratio is much higher than the value obtained by the previous single-dish observations of DNC and HN{sup 13}C J = 1–0 (∼0.003). It seems likely that the DNC and HNC emission observed with the single-dish telescope traces lower density envelopes, while that observed with ALMA traces higher density and highly deuterated regions. We have compared the observational results with chemical-model results in order to investigate the behavior of DNC and HNC in the dense cores. Taking these results into account, we suggest that the low DNC/HNC ratio in the high-mass sources obtained by the single-dish observations are at least partly due to the low filling factor of the high density regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Star formation in self-gravitating turbulent fluids

We present a model of star formation in self-gravitating turbulent gas in which the turbulent velocity, v{sub T}, is a dynamical variable and is adiabatically heated by the collapse. The theory predicts the run of density, infall, and turbulent velocity and the rate of star formation in compact massive clouds. The adiabatic heating ensures that the turbulent pressure is dynamically important at all radii. The system evolves toward a coherent spatial structure with a fixed run of density, ρ(r,t)→ρ(r); mass flows through this structure onto the central star or star cluster. We define the sphere of influence of the accreted matter by m{sub ∗}=M{sub g}(r{sub ∗}), where m{sub *} is the stellar plus disk mass in the nascent star cluster and M{sub g}(r) is the gas mass inside radius r. Both v{sub T} and the infall velocity, |u{sub r}|, decrease with decreasing r for r>r{sub ∗}; v{sub T}(r)∼r{sup p}, the size–line-width relation, with p≈0.2−0.3, explaining the observation that Larson’s Law is altered in massive star-forming regions. The infall velocity is generally smaller than the turbulent velocity at r>r{sub ∗}. For r<r{sub ∗}, the infall and turbulent velocities are again similar, and both increase with decreasing r as r{sup −1/2}, with a magnitude about half of the free-fall velocity. The accreted (stellar) mass grows superlinearly with time, M-dot {sub ∗}=ϕM{sub cl}(t/τ{sub ff}){sup 2}, with ϕ a dimensionless number somewhat less than unity, M{sub cl} the clump mass, and τ{sub ff} the free-fall time of the clump. We suggest that small values of p can be used as a tracer of convergent collapsing flows.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modeling the surface temperature of earth-like planets

We introduce a novel Earth-like planet surface temperature model (ESTM) for habitability studies based on the spatial–temporal distribution of planetary surface temperatures. The ESTM adopts a surface energy balance model (EBM) complemented by: radiative–convective atmospheric column calculations, a set of physically based parameterizations of meridional transport, and descriptions of surface and cloud properties more refined than in standard EBMs. The parameterization is valid for rotating terrestrial planets with shallow atmospheres and moderate values of axis obliquity (ϵ≲45{sup ∘}). Comparison with a 3D model of atmospheric dynamics from the literature shows that the equator-to-pole temperature differences predicted by the two models agree within ≈5 K when the rotation rate, insolation, surface pressure and planet radius are varied in the intervals 0.5≲Ω/Ω{sub ⊕}≲2, 0.75≲S/S{sub ∘}≲1.25, 0.3≲p/(1 bar)≲10, and 0.5≲R/R{sub ⊕}≲2, respectively. The ESTM has an extremely low computational cost and can be used when the planetary parameters are scarcely known (as for most exoplanets) and/or whenever many runs for different parameter configurations are needed. Model simulations of a test-case exoplanet (Kepler-62e) indicate that an uncertainty in surface pressure within the range expected for terrestrial planets may impact the mean temperature by ∼60 K. Within the limits of validity of the ESTM, the impact of surface pressure is larger than that predicted by uncertainties in rotation rate, axis obliquity, and ocean fractions. We discuss the possibility of performing a statistical ranking of planetary habitability taking advantage of the flexibility of the ESTM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bootstrapping dielectronic recombination from second-row elements and the orion nebula

Dielectronic recombination (DR) is the dominant recombination process for most heavy elements in photoionized clouds. Accurate DR rates for a species can be predicted when the positions of autoionizing states are known. Unfortunately such data are not available for most third- and higher-row elements. This introduces an uncertainty that is especially acute for photoionized clouds, where the low temperatures mean that DR occurs energetically through very low-lying autoionizing states. This paper discusses S{sup 2+} → S{sup +} DR, the process that is largely responsible for establishing the [S iii]/[S ii] ratio in nebulae. We derive an empirical rate coefficient using a novel method for second-row ions, which do have accurate data. Photoionization models are used to reproduce the [O iii]/[O ii]/[O i]/[Ne iii] intensity ratios in central regions of the Orion Nebula. O and Ne have accurate atomic data and can be used to derive an empirical S{sup 2+} → S{sup +} DR rate coefficient at ∼10{sup 4} K. We present new calculations of the DR rate coefficient for S{sup 2+} → S{sup +} and quantify how uncertainties in the autoionizing level positions affect it. The empirical and theoretical results are combined and we derive a simple fit to the resulting rate coefficient at all temperatures for incorporation into spectral synthesis codes. This method can be used to derive empirical DR rates for other ions, provided that good observations of several stages of ionization of O and Ne are available.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Kiloparsec-scale simulations of star formation in disk galaxies. III. Structure and dynamics of filaments and clumps in giant molecular clouds

We present hydrodynamic simulations of self-gravitating dense gas in a galactic disk, exploring scales ranging from 1 kpc down to ∼0.1 pc. Our primary goal is to understand how dense filaments form in giant molecular clouds (GMCs). These structures, often observed as infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) in the Galactic plane, are thought to be the precursors to massive stars and star clusters, so their formation may be the rate-limiting step controlling global star formation rates in galactic systems as described by the Kennicutt–Schmidt relation. Our study follows on from Van Loo et al., which carried out simulations to 0.5 pc resolution and examined global aspects of the formation of dense gas clumps and the resulting star formation rate. Here, using our higher resolution, we examine the detailed structural, kinematic, and dynamical properties of dense filaments and clumps, including mass surface density (Σ) probability distribution functions, filament mass per unit length and its dispersion, lateral Σ profiles, filament fragmentation, filament velocity gradients and infall, and degree of filament and clump virialization. Where possible, these properties are compared to observations of IRDCs. By many metrics, especially too large mass fractions of high Σ>1 g cm{sup −2} material, too high mass per unit length dispersion due to dense clump formation, too high velocity gradients, and too high velocity dispersion for a given mass per unit length, the simulated filaments differ from observed IRDCs. We thus conclude that IRDCs do not form from global fast collapse of GMCs. Rather, we expect that IRDC formation and collapse are slowed significantly by the influence of dynamically important magnetic fields, which may thus play a crucial role in regulating galactic star formation rates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Supernova remnant KESTEVEN 27: Interaction with a neighbor Hi cloud viewed by Fermi

We report on the likely detection of γ-ray emission from the supernova remnant (SNR) Kesteven 27 (Kes 27). We analyze 5.7 yr Fermi Large Area Telescope data of the SNR region and find an unresolved source at a position consistent with the radio brightness peak and the X-ray knot of Kes 27, which is located in the eastern region of the SNR and caused by its interaction with a nearby Hi cloud. The source’s emission is best fit with a power-law spectrum with a photon index of 2.5 ± 0.1 and a >0.2 GeV luminosity of 5.8×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} assuming a distance of 4.3 kpc, as derived from radio observations of the nearby Hi cloud. Comparing the properties of the source with that of other SNRs that are known to be interacting with nearby high-density clouds, we discuss the origin of the source’s emission. The spectral energy distribution of the source can be described by a hadronic model that considers the interaction of energetic protons escaping from the shock front of Kes 27 with a high-density cloud.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The global star formation laws of galaxies from a radio continuum perspective

We study the global star formation law—the relation between gas and star formation (SF) rates—in a sample of 181 local galaxies with infrared (IR) luminosities spanning almost five orders of magnitude (10{sup 7.8}−10{sup 12.3} L{sub ⊙}), which includes 115 normal spiral galaxies and 66 (ultra)luminous IR galaxies ((U)LIRGs, L{sub IR}⩾ 10{sup 11} L{sub ⊙}). We derive their atomic, molecular gas, and dense molecular gas masses using newly available Hi, CO, and HCN data from the literature, and SF rates are determined both from total IR (81000 μm) and 1.4 GHz radio continuum (RC) luminosities. In order to derive the disk-averaged surface densities of gas and SF rates, we have taken a novel approach and used high-resolution RC observations to measure the radio sizes for all 181 galaxies. In our sample, we find that the surface density of dense molecular gas (as traced by HCN) has the tightest correlation with that of SF rates (Σ{sub SFR}), and is linear in log–log space (power-law slope of N = 1.01 ± 0.02) across the full galaxy sample. The correlation between surface densities of molecular gas (Σ{sub H{sub 2}}, traced by CO) and Σ{sub SFR} is sensitive to the adopted value of the CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor (α{sub CO}) used to infer molecular gas masses from CO luminosities. For a fixed Galactic value of α{sub CO}, a power law index of 1.14 ± 0.02 is found. If instead we adopt values for α{sub CO} of 4.6 and 0.8 for disk galaxies and (U)LIRGs, respectively, we find the two galaxy populations separate into two distinct Σ{sub SFR} versus Σ{sub H{sub 2}} relations. Finally, applying a continuously varying α{sub CO} to our sample, we recover a single Σ{sub SFR}–Σ{sub H{sub 2}} relation with slope of 1.60 ± 0.03. The Σ{sub SFR} is a steeper function of total gas Σ{sub gas} (molecular gas with atomic gas) than that of molecular gas Σ{sub H{sub 2}}, and are tighter among low-luminosity galaxies. We find no correlation between global surface densities of SFRs and atomic gas (H i).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dimming and co absorption toward the AA Tau protoplanetary disk: An infalling flow caused by disk instability?

AA Tau, a classical T Tauri star in the Taurus cloud, has been the subject of intensive photometric monitoring for more than two decades due to its quasi-cyclic variation in optical brightness. Beginning in 2011, AA Tau showed another peculiar variation—its median optical though near-IR flux dimmed significantly, a drop consistent with a 4-mag increase in visual extinction. It has stayed in the faint state since. Here we present 4.7 μm CO rovibrational spectra of AA Tau over eight epochs, covering an 11 yr time span, that reveal enhanced {sup 12}CO and {sup 13}CO absorption features in the J{sub low} ≤ 13 transitions after the dimming. These newly appeared absorptions require molecular gas along the line of sight with T ∼ 500 K and a column density of log (N {sub {sup 1}{sup 2}CO}) ∼18.5 cm{sup −2}, with line centers that show a constant 6 km s{sup −1} redshift. The properties of the molecular gas confirm an origin in the circumstellar material. We suggest that the dimming and absorption are caused by gas and dust lifted to large heights by a magnetic buoyancy instability. This material is now propagating inward, and on reaching the star within a few years will be observed as an accretion outburst.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The relationship between the dust and gas-phase co across the California molecular cloud

We present results of an extinction-CO line survey of the southeastern part of the California molecular cloud (CMC). Deep, wide-field, near-infrared images were used to construct a sensitive, relatively high resolution (∼0.5 arcmin) (NICEST) extinction map of the region. The same region was also surveyed in the {sup 12}CO(2–1), {sup 13}CO(2–1), and C{sup 18}O(2–1) emission lines at the same angular resolution. These data were used to investigate the relation between the molecular gas, traced by CO emission lines, and the dust column density, traced by extinction, on spatial scales of 0.04 pc across the cloud. We found strong spatial variations in the abundances of {sup 13}CO and C{sup 18}O that were correlated with variations in gas temperature, consistent with temperature-dependent CO depletion/desorption on dust grains. The {sup 13}CO-to-C{sup 18}O abundance ratio was found to increase with decreasing extinction, suggesting selective photodissociation of C{sup 18}O by the ambient UV radiation field. The effect is particularly pronounced in the vicinity of an embedded cluster where the UV radiation appears to have penetrated deeply (i.e., A{sub V} ≲ 15 mag) into the cloud. We derived the cloud-averaged X-factor to be 〈X{sub CO} 〉 = 2.53 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −2}(K km s{sup −1}){sup −1}, a value somewhat higher than the Milky Way average. On sub-parsec scales we find there is no single empirical value of the {sup 12}CO X-factor that can characterize the molecular gas in cold (T{sub k} ≲ 15 K) cloud regions, with X{sub CO} ∝ A{sub V}{sup 0.74} for A{sub V} ≳ 3 mag. However, in regions containing relatively hot (T{sub ex} ≳ 25 K) molecular gas we find a clear correlation between W({sup 12}CO) and A{sub V} over a large (3 ≲ A{sub V} ≲ 25 mag) range of extinction. This results in a constant X{sub CO} = 1.5 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −2} (K km s{sup −1}){sup −1} for the hot gas, a lower value than either the average for the CMC or the Milky Way. Overall we find an (inverse) correlation between X{sub CO} and T{sub ex} in the cloud with X{sub CO} ∝ T{sub ex} {sup −0.7}. This correlation suggests that the global X-factor of a giant molecular cloud may depend on the relative amounts of hot gas contained within the cloud.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

An ammonia spectral map of the L1495-B218 filaments in the Taurus molecular cloud. I. Physical properties of filaments and dense cores

We present deep NH{sub 3} observations of the L1495-B218 filaments in the Taurus molecular cloud covering over a 3° angular range using the K-band focal plane array on the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. The L1495-B218 filaments form an interconnected, nearby, large complex extending over 8 pc. We observed NH{sub 3} (1, 1) and (2, 2) with a spectral resolution of 0.038 km s{sup −1} and a spatial resolution of 31″. Most of the ammonia peaks coincide with intensity peaks in dust continuum maps at 350 and 500 μm. We deduced physical properties by fitting a model to the observed spectra. We find gas kinetic temperatures of 8–15 K, velocity dispersions of 0.05–0.25 km s{sup −1}, and NH{sub 3} column densities of 5 × 10{sup 12} to 1 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup −2}. The CSAR algorithm, which is a hybrid of seeded-watershed and binary dendrogram algorithms, identifies a total of 55 NH{sub 3} structures, including 39 leaves and 16 branches. The masses of the NH{sub 3} sources range from 0.05 to 9.5 M{sub ⊙}. The masses of NH{sub 3} leaves are mostly smaller than their corresponding virial mass estimated from their internal and gravitational energies, which suggests that these leaves are gravitationally unbound structures. Nine out of 39 NH{sub 3} leaves are gravitationally bound, and seven out of nine gravitationally bound NH{sub 3} leaves are associated with star formation. We also found that 12 out of 30 gravitationally unbound leaves are pressure confined. Our data suggest that a dense core may form as a pressure-confined structure, evolve to a gravitationally bound core, and undergo collapse to form a protostar.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Stripped elliptical galaxies as probes of ICM physics. II. Stirred, but mixed? Viscous and inviscid gas stripping of the Virgo elliptical M89

Elliptical galaxies moving through the intracluster medium (ICM) are progressively stripped of their gaseous atmospheres. X-ray observations reveal the structure of galactic tails, wakes, and the interface between the galactic gas and the ICM. This fine-structure depends on dynamic conditions (galaxy potential, initial gas contents, orbit in the host cluster), orbital stage (early infall, pre-/post-pericenter passage), as well as on the still ill-constrained ICM plasma properties (thermal conductivity, viscosity, magnetic field structure). Paper I describes flow patterns and stages of inviscid gas stripping. Here we study the effect of a Spitzer-like temperature dependent viscosity corresponding to Reynolds numbers, Re, of 50–5000 with respect to the ICM flow around the remnant atmosphere. Global flow patterns are independent of viscosity in this Reynolds number range. Viscosity influences two aspects. In inviscid stripping, Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs) at the sides of the remnant atmosphere lead to observable horns or wings. Increasing viscosity suppresses KHIs of increasing length scale and thus observable horns and wings. Furthermore, in inviscid stripping, stripped galactic gas can mix with the ambient ICM in the galaxy’s wake. This mixing is suppressed increasingly with increasing viscosity, such that viscously stripped galaxies have long X-ray bright, cool wakes. We provide mock X-ray images for different stripping stages and conditions. While these qualitative results are generic, we tailor our simulations to the Virgo galaxy M89 (NGC 4552), where Re≈50 corresponds to a viscosity of 10% of the Spitzer level. Paper III compares new deep Chandra and archival XMM-Newton data to our simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Insights on the dusty torus and neutral torus from optical and X-ray obscuration in a complete volume limited hard X-ray AGN sample

We describe a complete volume limited sample of nearby active galaxies selected by their 14–195 keV luminosity, and outline its rationale for studying the mechanisms regulating gas inflow and outflow. We also describe a complementary sample of inactive galaxies, selected to match the host galaxy properties. The active sample appears to have no bias in terms of active galactic nucleus (AGN) type, the only difference being the neutral absorbing column, which is two orders of magnitude greater for the Seyfert 2s. In the luminosity range spanned by the sample, logL{sub 14−195 keV}[erg s{sup −1}]=42.4–43.7, the optically obscured and X-ray absorbed fractions are 50%–65%. The similarity of these fractions to more distant spectroscopic AGN samples, although over a limited luminosity range, suggests that the torus does not strongly evolve with redshift. Our sample confirms that X-ray unabsorbed Seyfert 2s are rare, comprising not more than a few percent of the Seyfert 2 population. At higher luminosities, the optically obscured fraction decreases (as expected for the increasing dust sublimation radius), but the X-ray absorbed fraction changes little. We argue that the cold X-ray absorption in these Seyfert 1s can be accounted for by neutral gas in clouds that also contribute to the broad-line region (BLR) emission, and suggest that a geometrically thick neutral gas torus co-exists with the BLR and bridges the gap to the dusty torus.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Prestellar core formation, evolution, and accretion from gravitational fragmentation in turbulent converging flows

We investigate prestellar core formation and accretion based on three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Our simulations represent local ∼1 pc regions within giant molecular clouds where a supersonic turbulent flow converges, triggering star formation in the post-shock layer. We include turbulence and self-gravity, applying sink particle techniques, and explore a range of inflow Mach numbers M=2−16. Two sets of cores are identified and compared: t{sub 1} cores are identified from a time snapshot in each simulation and represent dense structures in a single cloud map; t{sub coll} cores are identified at their individual time of collapse and represent the initial mass reservoir for accretion. We find that cores and filaments form and evolve at the same time. At the stage of core collapse, there is a well-defined, converged characteristic mass for isothermal fragmentation that is comparable to the critical Bonnor–Ebert mass at the post-shock pressure. The core mass functions (CMFs) of t{sub coll} cores show a deficit of high-mass cores (≳7 M{sub ⊙}) compared to the observed stellar initial mass function (IMF). However, the CMFs of t{sub 1} cores are similar to the observed CMFs and include many low-mass cores that are gravitationally stable. The difference between t{sub 1} cores and t{sub coll} cores suggests that the full sample from observed CMFs may not evolve into protostars. Individual sink particles accrete at a roughly constant rate throughout the simulations, gaining one core mass per freefall time even after the initial mass reservoir is accreted. High-mass sinks gain proportionally more mass at later times than low-mass sinks. There are outbursts in accretion rates, resulting from clumpy density structures falling into the sinks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The NH{sub 3} hyperfine intensity anomaly in high-mass star-forming regions

Anomalous ammonia (NH{sub 3}) spectra, exhibiting asymmetric hyperfine satellite intensity profiles in the (J,K) = (1, 1) inversion transition, have been observed in star-forming regions for over 35 years. We present a systematic study of this “hyperfine intensity anomaly” (HIA) toward a sample of 334 high-mass star forming regions: 310 high-mass (≳100 M{sub ⊙}) clumps and 24 infrared dark clouds. The HIA is ubiquitous in high-mass star forming regions. Although LTE excitation predicts that the intensity ratios of the outer satellites and inner satellites are exactly unity, for this sample the ensemble average ratios are 0.812 ± 0.004 and 1.125 ± 0.005, respectively. We have quantified the HIA and find no significant relationships between the HIA and temperature, line width, optical depth, and the stage of stellar evolution. The fact that HIAs are common in high-mass star-forming regions suggests that the conditions that lead to HIAs are ubiquitous in these regions. A possible link between HIAs and the predictions of the competitive accretion model of high-mass star formation is suggested; however, the expected trends of HIA strength with clump evolutionary stage, rotational temperature, and line width for evolving cores in competitive accretion models are not found. Thus, the exact gas structures that produce HIAs remain unknown. Turbulent gas structures are a possible explanation, but the details need to be explored.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A SCUBA-2 850 micron survey of circumstellar disks in the λ Orionis cluster

We present results from an 850 μm survey of the ∼5 Myr old λ Orionis star-forming region. We used the SCUBA-2 camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to survey a ∼0.°5-diameter circular region containing 36 (out of 59) cluster members with infrared excesses indicative of circumstellar disks. We detected only one object at >3σ significance, the Herbig Ae star HD 245185, with a flux density of ∼74 mJy beam{sup −1} corresponding to a dust mass of ∼150 M{sub ⊕}. Stacking the individually undetected sources did not produce a significant mean signal but gives an upper limit on the average dust mass for λ Orionis disks of ∼3 M{sub ⊕}. Our follow-up observations of HD 245185 with the Submillimeter Array found weak CO 2–1 line emission with an integrated flux of ∼170 mJy km s{sup −1} but no {sup 13}CO or C{sup 18}O isotopologue emission at 30 mJy km s{sup −1} sensitivity, suggesting a gas mass of ≲1 M{sub Jup}. The implied gas-to-dust ratio is thus ≳50 times lower than the canonical interstellar medium value, setting HD 245185 apart from other Herbig Ae disks of similar age, which have been found to be gas rich; as HD 245185 also shows signs of accretion, we may be catching it in the final phases of disk clearing. Our study of the λ Orionis cluster places quantitative constraints on planet formation timescales, indicating that at ∼5 Myr the average disk no longer has sufficient dust and gas to form giant planets and perhaps even super-Earths; the bulk material has been mostly dispersed or is locked in pebbles/planetesimals larger than a few mm in size.

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