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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Sensitivity Of Pdr Calculations To Microphysical Details, N. P. Abel, P. A. M. Van Hoof, G. Shaw, Gary J. Ferland, T. Elwert
Sensitivity Of Pdr Calculations To Microphysical Details, N. P. Abel, P. A. M. Van Hoof, G. Shaw, Gary J. Ferland, T. Elwert
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Our understanding of physical processes in photodissociation regions or photon-dominated regions (PDRs) largely depends on the ability of spectral synthesis codes to reproduce the observed infrared emission-line spectrum. In this paper, we explore the sensitivity of a single PDR model to microphysical details. Our calculations use the Cloudy spectral synthesis code, recently modified to include a wealth of PDR physical processes. We show how the chemical/thermal structure of a PDR, along with the calculated spectrum, changes when the treatment of physical processes such as grain physics and atomic/molecular rates are varied. We find a significant variation in the intensities of …
Agn Dusty Tori. I. Handling Of Clumpy Media, Maia Nenkova, Matthew M. Sirocky, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Agn Dusty Tori. I. Handling Of Clumpy Media, Maia Nenkova, Matthew M. Sirocky, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
According to unified schemes of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the central engine is surrounded by dusty, optically thick clouds in a toroidal structure. We have recently developed a formalism that for the first time takes proper account of the clumpy nature of the AGN torus. We now provide a detailed report of our findings in a two-paper series. Here we present our general formalism for radiative transfer in clumpy media and construct its building blocks for the AGN problem-the source functions of individual dusty clouds heated by the AGN radiation field. We show that a fundamental difference from smooth density …
Silicates In Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies, M. M. Sirocky, N. A. Levenson, Moshe Elitzur, H. W. W. Spoon, L. Armus
Silicates In Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies, M. M. Sirocky, N. A. Levenson, Moshe Elitzur, H. W. W. Spoon, L. Armus
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We analyze the mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Spectrograph. Dust emission dominates the MIR spectra of ULIRGs, and the reprocessed radiation that emerges is independent of the underlying heating spectrum. Instead, the resulting emission depends sensitively on the geometric distribution of the dust, which we diagnose with comparisons of numerical simulations of radiative transfer. Quantifying the silicate emission and absorption features that appear near 10 and 18 μm requires a reliable determination of the continuum, and we demonstrate that including …
Spitzer Irs Observations Of Seyfert 1.8 And 1.9 Galaxies: A Comparison With Seyfert 1 And Seyfert 2, R. P. Deo, D. M. Crenshaw, S. B. Kraemer, M. Dietrich, Moshe Elitzur, H. Teplitz, T. J. Turner
Spitzer Irs Observations Of Seyfert 1.8 And 1.9 Galaxies: A Comparison With Seyfert 1 And Seyfert 2, R. P. Deo, D. M. Crenshaw, S. B. Kraemer, M. Dietrich, Moshe Elitzur, H. Teplitz, T. J. Turner
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present Spitzer mid-infrared spectra of 12 Seyfert 1.8 and 1.9 galaxies over the 5-38 μm region. We compare the spectral characteristics of this sample to those of 58 Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies from the Spitzer archives. An analysis of the spectral shapes, the silicate 10 μm feature and the emission-line fluxes have enabled us to characterize the mid-IR properties of Seyfert 1.8/1.9s. We find that the EWs of the 10 μm silicate feature are generally weak in all Seyfert galaxies, as previously reported by several studies. The few Seyfert galaxies in this sample that show …
Optically Thick [O I] And [C Ii] Emission Toward Ngc 6334a, N. P. Abel, A. P. Sarma, Thomas H. Troland, Gary J. Ferland
Optically Thick [O I] And [C Ii] Emission Toward Ngc 6334a, N. P. Abel, A. P. Sarma, Thomas H. Troland, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
This work focuses on [O I] and [C II] emission toward NGC 6334A, an embedded H+ region/PDR only observable at infrared or longer wavelengths. A geometry in which nearly all the emission escapes out the side of the cloud facing the stars, such as Orion, is not applicable to this region. Instead, we find the geometry to be one in which the H+ region and associated PDR is embedded in the molecular cloud. Constant-density PDR calculations are presented which predict line intensities as a function of AV [or N(H)], hydrogen density (nH), and …
Dust And Pah Emission In The Star-Forming Active Nucleus Of Ngc 1097, R. E. Mason, N. A. Levenson, C. Packham, Moshe Elitzur, J. Radomski, A. O. Petric, G. S. Wright
Dust And Pah Emission In The Star-Forming Active Nucleus Of Ngc 1097, R. E. Mason, N. A. Levenson, C. Packham, Moshe Elitzur, J. Radomski, A. O. Petric, G. S. Wright
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The nucleus of the nearby galaxy NGC 1097 is known to host a young, compact (r < 9 pc) nuclear star cluster, as well as a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN). It has been suggested both that the nuclear stellar cluster is associated with a dusty torus and that low-luminosity AGNs like NGC 1097 do not have the torus predicted by the unified model of AGNs. To investigate these contradictory possibilities we have acquired Gemini/T-ReCS 11.7 and 18.3 μm images of the central few hundred parsecs of this galaxy at <45 pc angular resolution, in which the nucleus and spectacular, kiloparsec-scale star-forming ring are detected in both bands. The small-scale mid-IR luminosity implies thermal emission from warm dust close to the central engine. Fitting of torus models shows that the observed mid-IR emission cannot be accounted for by dust heated by the central engine. Rather, the principal source heating the dust in this object is the nuclear star cluster itself, suggesting that the detected dust is not the torus of AGN unified schemes (although it is also possible that the dusty starburst itself could provide the obscuration invoked by the unified model). Comparison of Spitzer IRS and Gemini GNIRS spectra shows that, although PAH bands are strong in the immediate circumnuclear region of the galaxy, PAH emission is weak or absent in the central 19 pc. The lack of PAH emission can probably be explained largely by destruction/ionization of PAH molecules by hard photons from the nuclear star cluster. If NGC 1097 is typical, PAH emission bands may not be a useful tool with which …
The Structure Of The Homunculus. Ii. Modeling The Physical Conditions In Η Carinae's Molecular Shell, Nathan Smith, Gary J. Ferland
The Structure Of The Homunculus. Ii. Modeling The Physical Conditions In Η Carinae's Molecular Shell, Nathan Smith, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present models that reproduce the observed double-shell structure of the Homunculus Nebula around η Carinae, including the stratification of infrared H2 and [Fe II] emission seen in data obtained with the Phoenix spectrograph on Gemini South, as well as the corresponding stratified grain temperature seen in thermal-infrared data. Tuning the model to match the observed shell thickness allows us to determine the threshold density that permits survival of H2. An average density of nH~=(0.5-1)×107 cm-3 in the outer zone is required to allow H2 to exist at all latitudes in the …
Spatially Resolved Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Of Ngc 1068: The Nature And Distribution Of The Nuclear Material, R. E. Mason, T. R. Geballe, C. Packham, N. A. Levenson, Moshe Elitzur, R. S. Fisher, E. Perlman
Spatially Resolved Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Of Ngc 1068: The Nature And Distribution Of The Nuclear Material, R. E. Mason, T. R. Geballe, C. Packham, N. A. Levenson, Moshe Elitzur, R. S. Fisher, E. Perlman
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present spatially resolved, near-diffraction-limited 10 μm spectra of the nucleus of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, obtained with Michelle, the mid-IR imager and spectrometer on the 8.1 m Gemini North Telescope. The spectra cover the nucleus and the central 6.0” × 0.4” of the ionization cones at a spatial resolution of approximately 0.4” (≈30 pc). The spectra extracted in 0.4” steps along the slit reveal striking variations in continuum slope, silicate feature profile and depth, and fine-structure line fluxes on subarcsecond scales, illustrating in unprecedented detail the complexity of the circumnuclear regions of NGC 1068 at mid-IR …
Near-Infrared And The Inner Regions Of Protoplanetary Disks, Dejan Vinković, Željko Ivezić, Tomislav Jurkić, Moshe Elitzur
Near-Infrared And The Inner Regions Of Protoplanetary Disks, Dejan Vinković, Željko Ivezić, Tomislav Jurkić, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We examine the “puffed-up inner disk” model proposed by Dullemond, Dominik, & Natta for explaining the near-IR excess radiation from Herbig Ae/Be stars. Detailed model computations show that the observed near-IR excess requires more hot dust than is contained in the puffed-up disk rim. The rim can produce the observed near-IR excess only if its dust has perfectly gray opacity, but such dust is in conflict with the observed 10 μm spectral feature. We find that a compact (~10 AU), tenuous (τV ≲ 0.4), dusty halo around the disk inner regions contains enough dust to readily explain …
Dust Emission From Active Galactic Nuclei, Maia Nenkova, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Dust Emission From Active Galactic Nuclei, Maia Nenkova, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Unified schemes of active galactic nuclei require an obscuring dusty torus around the central source, giving rise to a Seyfert 1 line spectrum for pole-on viewing and Seyfert 2 characteristics in edge-on sources. Although the observed IR is in broad agreement with this scheme, the behavior of the 10 μm silicate feature and the width of the far-IR emission peak remained serious problems in all previous modeling efforts. We show that these problems find a natural explanation if the dust is contained in approximately five to 10 clouds along radial rays through the torus. The spectral energy distributions of …
Dust Emission From Herbig Ae/Be Stars: Evidence For Disks And Envelopes, Anatoly Miroshnichenko, Željko Ivezić, Dejan Vinković, Moshe Elitzur
Dust Emission From Herbig Ae/Be Stars: Evidence For Disks And Envelopes, Anatoly Miroshnichenko, Željko Ivezić, Dejan Vinković, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Infrared and millimeter-wave emission from Herbig Ae/Be stars has produced conflicting conclusions regarding the dust geometry in these objects. We show that the compact dimensions of the millimeter-wave-emitting regions are a decisive indication for disks. But a disk cannot explain the spectral energy distribution unless it is embedded in an extended envelope that (1) dominates the IR emission and (2) provides additional disk heating on top of the direct stellar radiation. Detailed radiative transfer calculations based on the simplest model for envelope-embedded disks successfully fit the data from UV to millimeter wavelengths and show that the disks have central holes. …
Grains In Ionized Nebulae. Ii. Heavy-Element Depletion, J. B. Kingdon, Gary J. Ferland
Grains In Ionized Nebulae. Ii. Heavy-Element Depletion, J. B. Kingdon, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The presence of grains in gaseous nebulae can have significant effects on the thermal balance and radiative line transfer in these objects. The depletion of condensable elements onto grains provides evidence that dust exists in the ionized regions of nebulae. In this paper, we consider the elements Sc, Ti, V, and Cr, all of which are strongly depleted in the general interstellar medium. We construct simple three-level atoms for several ions of these elements, and incorporate them into our photoionization code CLOUDY. For both a model planetary nebula and a model H II region, we find that several lines of …
On Protostellar Disks In Herbig Ae/Be Stars, Anatoly Miroshnichenko, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
On Protostellar Disks In Herbig Ae/Be Stars, Anatoly Miroshnichenko, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The spectral shape of IR emission from Herbig Ae/Be stars has been invoked as evidence for accretion disks around high-mass protostars. Instead, we present here models based on spherical envelopes with an r-1.5 dust density profile that successfully explain the observed spectral shapes. The spectral energy distributions of eight primary candidates for protostellar disks are fitted in detail for all wavelengths available, from visual to far-IR. The only envelope property adjusted in individual sources is the overall visual optical depth, and it ranges from 0.3 to 3. In each case, our models properly reproduce the data for IR excess, …