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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Astrophysics and Astronomy

University of Kentucky

Series

2007

Radiative Transfer

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Optically Thick [O I] And [C Ii] Emission Toward Ngc 6334a, N. P. Abel, A. P. Sarma, Thomas H. Troland, Gary J. Ferland Jun 2007

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 …


Deep Mid-Infrared Silicate Absorption As A Diagnostic Of Obscuring Geometry Toward Galactic Nuclei, N. A. Levenson, M. M. Sirocky, L. Hao, H. W. W. Spoon, J. A. Marshall, Moshe Elitzur, J. R. Houck Jan 2007

Deep Mid-Infrared Silicate Absorption As A Diagnostic Of Obscuring Geometry Toward Galactic Nuclei, N. A. Levenson, M. M. Sirocky, L. Hao, H. W. W. Spoon, J. A. Marshall, Moshe Elitzur, J. R. Houck

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The silicate cross section peak near 10 μm produces emission and absorption features in the spectra of dusty galactic nuclei observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Especially in ultraluminous infrared galaxies, the observed absorption feature can be extremely deep, as IRAS 08572+3915 illustrates. A foreground screen of obscuration cannot reproduce this observed feature, even at a large optical depth. Instead, the deep absorption requires a nuclear source to be deeply embedded in a smooth distribution of material that is both geometrically and optically thick. In contrast, a clumpy medium can produce only shallow absorption or emission, which are …