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University of New Orleans

Astrophysics and Astronomy

Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Interstellar Gas And Dust In The Young Cluster Ic 348, Theodore P. Snow, Margaret Murray Hanson, C Gregory Seab, Jon M. Saken Jan 1994

Interstellar Gas And Dust In The Young Cluster Ic 348, Theodore P. Snow, Margaret Murray Hanson, C Gregory Seab, Jon M. Saken

Physics Faculty Publications

We have completed a multiband absorption- and emission-line study of a star embedded in the young cluster IC 348, to determine the environmental effect of star formation on the interstellar medium (ISM) local to the region. The hottest and youngest star in IC 348 is BD+31°643, a B5 V star which samples the inner bright nebular region. The nearby star o Per, which lies only 8 to the north and is thought to lie beyond IC 348, samples the gas and dust which has not been processed by very recent star formation. We speculate that the ISM throughout the region …

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On The System Of Diffuse Interstellar Bands At 5844 And 5850 Å, J Krelowski, Theodore P. Snow, J Papaj, C G. Seab, B Wszolek Jan 1993

On The System Of Diffuse Interstellar Bands At 5844 And 5850 Å, J Krelowski, Theodore P. Snow, J Papaj, C G. Seab, B Wszolek

Physics Faculty Publications

Two neighboring diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) at 5844 and 5850 Å are shown to be of different origin. The presence or absence of the 5844 DIB is related to the ratio of the two prominent DIBs at 5780 and 5797 Å as well as to the nature of the ultraviolet extinction curve. The 5844 Å DIB is very sensitive to the extinction, being completely absent in cases where the far-UV extinction is low. This suggests that the carrier is destroyed by photons having energies above 11 or 12 eV. The 5850 Å DIB correlates very well with the well-studied DIB …

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Spatial Correlation Between Ch, Cn And The Diffuse Interstellar Band Carriers, J Krelowski, T P. Snow, C G. Seab, J Papaj Jan 1992

Spatial Correlation Between Ch, Cn And The Diffuse Interstellar Band Carriers, J Krelowski, T P. Snow, C G. Seab, J Papaj

Physics Faculty Publications

Observations are presented of the diffuse interstellar bands at 5780 and 5797 A and of the ultraviolet lines of CH and CN in the light of six bright stars which lie behind isolated interstellar clouds. It is found that CN and CH are only present when the 5797 band is deeper than the 5780 one. Comparisons with satellite measurements of the UV extinction show that the shape of the extinction curve is linked to the same band ratio in these stars. The results support a previous suggestion that the various components of the absorption spectrum of an isolated cloud (the …

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Diffuse Band Profiles In The Spectrum Of Hd 29647: Evidence For A Molecular Origin?, Theodore P. Snow, C G. Seab Jan 1991

Diffuse Band Profiles In The Spectrum Of Hd 29647: Evidence For A Molecular Origin?, Theodore P. Snow, C G. Seab

Physics Faculty Publications

High signal-to-noise ratio spectra have been obtained of the diffuse interstellar bands at 5780 and 5797 Å in the spectrum of HD 29647, a heavily reddened star within or behind a portion of the Taurus dark cloud complex. The observations were made using the coudé spectrograph on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The Reticon detector combined with the coudé spectrograph and excellent observing conditions allowed S/N ratios as high as 200 for this star, which was V=8.37 and E(B–V)=1.03. In two separate exposures both bands were found to be narrower and weaker than normal values for …

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On The Size Distribution Of Newly Formed Grains In Red Supergiant Atmospheres, C Gregory Seab, Theodore P. Snow Jan 1989

On The Size Distribution Of Newly Formed Grains In Red Supergiant Atmospheres, C Gregory Seab, Theodore P. Snow

Physics Faculty Publications

Theoretical ultraviolet extinction curves have been calculated for comparison with observed curves for circumstellar dust in M supergiants. The theoretical curves assumed a silicate grain composition, because silicate grains are expected in the oxygen-rich environments that are observed. Calculations were performed with and without the inclusion of scattering into the beam, with largely similar results. A comparison of the computed curves with the observed ultraviolet extinction curve for circumstellar dust in Scorpii indicates that the size distribution of the circumstellar grains must cut off near 800 Å that is, there are few or no grains smaller than this. Our conclusion …

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Predicting Peculiar Interstellar Extinction From Gaseous Abundances, Charles L. Joseph, Theodore P. Snow, C Gregory Seab Jan 1989

Predicting Peculiar Interstellar Extinction From Gaseous Abundances, Charles L. Joseph, Theodore P. Snow, C Gregory Seab

Physics Faculty Publications

Molecular and atomic abundances are examined for 19 lines of sight through dense clouds, each with a peculiar selective extinction curve. The interstellar clouds in the present study appear to fall into two distinct categories: CN-rich, with relatively small amounts of neutral iron, or CN-poor, with large amounts of neutral iron. Lines of sight, having a CN/(Fe i) abundance ratio about two (~ 0.3 dex) or greater, are found to have a shallow (2.57 ± 0.55 mag) 2175 Å feature relative to the underlying extinction, while the strength of the bump is 3.60 ± 0.36 for the other dense clouds …

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A Search For Interstellar And Circumstellar C60, T P. Sno, C G. Seab Jan 1989

A Search For Interstellar And Circumstellar C60, T P. Sno, C G. Seab

Physics Faculty Publications

It has recently been suggested that the diffuse interstellar bands may be formed by ionized polyhedral carbon molecules such as C60(+). While specific laboratory measurements of absorption bands of this molecular ion have not been made, a feature due to the neutral molecule C60 has been discovered at 3860A. Examination of spectra of several reddened stars, as well as one star known to have circumstellar carbonaceous dust, shows no sign of the feature, leading to upper limits of the order of 10 to the 14th/sq cm for the column density of C60. These limits are not yet sensitive enough to …

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A New Search For Interstellar C3, Charles L. Joseph, Theodore P. Snow, C Gregory Seab Jan 1988

A New Search For Interstellar C3, Charles L. Joseph, Theodore P. Snow, C Gregory Seab

Physics Faculty Publications

A new, very sensitive search for interstellar triatomic carbon has resulted in upper limits for a few diffuse clouds of order 1010 cm – 2, or about 10 – 11 with respect to hydrogen. These limits are consistent with recent cold diffuse cloud chemistry models, but may be in conflict with shocked cloud models such as those invoked to explain CH + abundances. Our results may also be argue against linear carbon-chain molecules as carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands.

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