scholarly journals A radiative transfer model for the spiral galaxy M33★

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (1) ◽  
pp. 835-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan J Thirlwall ◽  
Cristina C Popescu ◽  
Richard J Tuffs ◽  
Giovanni Natale ◽  
Mark Norris ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present the first radiative transfer (RT) model of a non-edge-on disc galaxy in which the large-scale geometry of stars and dust is self-consistently derived through the fitting of multiwavelength imaging observations from the ultraviolet to the submm. To this end, we used the axisymmetric RT model of Popescu et al. and a new methodology for deriving geometrical parameters, and applied this to decode the spectral energy distribution (SED) of M33. We successfully account for both the spatial and spectral energy distribution, with residuals typically within $7{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in the profiles of surface brightness and within $8{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in the spatially integrated SED. We predict well the energy balance between absorption and re-emission by dust, with no need to invoke modified grain properties, and we find no submm emission that is in excess of our model predictions. We calculate that $80\pm 8{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the dust heating is powered by the young stellar populations. We identify several morphological components in M33, a nuclear, an inner, a main and an outer disc, showing a monotonic trend in decreasing star formation surface density (ΣSFR) from the nuclear to the outer disc. In relation to surface density of stellar mass, the ΣSFR of these components defines a steeper relation than the ‘main sequence’ of star-forming galaxies, which we call a ‘structurally resolved main sequence’. Either environmental or stellar feedback mechanisms could explain the slope of the newly defined sequence. We find the star formation rate to be ${\rm SFR}=0.28^{+0.02}_{-0.01}{\rm M}_{\odot }{\rm yr}^{-1}$.

2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. A75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Liu ◽  
Giovanni Dipierro ◽  
Enrico Ragusa ◽  
Giuseppe Lodato ◽  
Gregory J. Herczeg ◽  
...  

Gap-like structures in protoplanetary disks are likely related to planet formation processes. In this paper, we present and analyze high-resolution (0.17′′× 0.11′′) 1.3 mm ALMA continuum observations of the protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae star MWC 480. Our observations show for the first time a gap centered at ~74 au with a width of ~23 au, surrounded by a bright ring centered at ~98 au from the central star. Detailed radiative transfer modeling of the ALMA image and the broadband spectral energy distribution is used to constrain the surface density profile and structural parameters of the disk. If the width of the gap corresponds to 4–8 times the Hill radius of a single forming planet, then the putative planet would have a mass of 0.4–3 MJ. We test this prediction by performing global three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamic gas/dust simulations of disks hosting a migrating and accreting planet. We find that the dust emission across the disk is consistent with the presence of an embedded planet with a mass of ~2.3 MJ at an orbital radius of ~78 au. Given the surface density of the best-fit radiative transfer model, the amount of depleted mass in the gap is higher than the mass of the putative planet, which satisfies the basic condition for the formation of such a planet.


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S283) ◽  
pp. 520-521
Author(s):  
Dejan Vinković ◽  
Bruce Balick

AbstractNew Hubble images of the reflection nebula CRL 2688 from 0.6 to 1.6μm reveal significant variations of color and opacity in the distribution of scattered starlight. We have constructed a detailed radiation-transfer model consisting principally of an optically thick equatorial disk-like structure; bipolar lobes with density enhancements along the polar axis and at the base of lobes; an optically thin extended envelope containing spherical density-enhanced shells to mimic the outer rings of CRL 2688; and a pair of near-stellar caps that collimate and redden the dispersing starlight near its source. Our model nicely reproduces all of the basic features detected in the HST images, including the famous searchlights and arcs, as well as the measured spectral energy distribution (“SED”) of CRL 2688. Assuming a distance of 420 pc we estimate the light originates in a giant star with a temperature T ~ 7000 K and a luminosity L = 5500 ± 1100 L⊙.


2019 ◽  
Vol 625 ◽  
pp. A44 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Frost ◽  
R. D. Oudmaijer ◽  
W. J. de Wit ◽  
S. L. Lumsden

Context. The rarity of young massive stars combined with the fact that they are often deeply embedded has limited the understanding of the formation of stars larger than 8 M⊙. Ground based mid-infrared (IR) interferometry is one way of securing the spatial resolution required to probe the circumstellar environments of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs). Given that the spatial-frequency coverage of such observations is often incomplete, direct-imaging can be supplementary to such a dataset. By consolidating these observations with modelling, the features of a massive protostellar environment can be constrained. Aims. This paper aims to detail the physical characteristics of the protostellar environment of the MYSO G305.20+0.21 at three size-scales by fitting one 2.5D radiative transfer model to three different types of observations simultaneously, providing an extensive view of the accreting regions of the MYSO. Methods. Interferometry, imaging and a multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) are combined to study G305.20+0.21. The high-resolution observations were obtained using the Very Large Telescope’s MIDI and VISIR instruments, producing visibilities in the N-band and near-diffraction-limited imaging in the Q-band respectively. By fitting simulated observables, derived from the radiative transfer model, to our observations the properties of the MYSO are constrained. Results. The VISIR image shows elongation at 100 mas scales and also displays a degree of asymmetry. From the simulated observables derived from the radiative transfer model output we find that a central protostar with a luminosity of ~5 × 104 L⊙ surrounded by a low-density bipolar cavity, a flared 1 M⊙ disk and an envelope is sufficient to fit all three types of observational data for G305.20+0.21. The weak silicate absorption feature within the SED requires low-density envelope cavities to be successfully fit and is an atypical characteristic in comparison to previously studied MYSOs. Conclusions. The fact that the presence of a dusty disk provides the best fit to the MIDI visibilities implies that this MYSO is following a scaled-up version of the low-mass star formation process. The low density, low extinction environment implies the object is a more evolved MYSO and this combined with large inner radius of the disk suggests that it could be an example of a transitional disk around an MYSO.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (S309) ◽  
pp. 309-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. De Geyter ◽  
M. Baes ◽  
P. Camps ◽  
J. Fritz ◽  
S. Viaene

AbstractWe present a dust radiative transfer analysis of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 5908. In our previous analysis, it was found that the standard assumption of a double-exponential dust distribution resulted in a poor fit. We investigate the possibility of the dust being distributed in one or more rings. The parameters are constrained using FitSKIRT, a code used to automatically determine the best fitting radiative transfer model given a set of observations. We discuss the possible implications of this dust distribution on the predicted spectral energy distribution.


2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A153 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kluska ◽  
M. Hillen ◽  
H. Van Winckel ◽  
R. Manick ◽  
M. Min ◽  
...  

Context. Post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binaries are surrounded by stable dusty and gaseous disks similar to the ones around young stellar objects. Whereas, significant effort has been spent on modeling observations of disks around young stellar objects, the disks around post-AGB binaries have received significantly less attention, even though they pose significant constraints on theories of disk physics and binary evolution. Aims. We want to examine the structure of and phenomena at play in circumbinary disks around post-AGB stars. We continue the analysis of our near-infrared interferometric image of the inner rim of the circumbinary disk around IRAS08544-4431. We want to understand the physics governing this inner disk rim. Methods. We use a radiative transfer model of a dusty disk to reproduce simultaneously the photometry as well as the near-infrared interferometric dataset on IRAS08544-4431. The model assumes hydrostatic equilibrium and takes dust settling self-consistently into account. Results. The best-fit radiative transfer model shows excellent agreement with the spectral energy distribution up to millimeter wavelengths as well as with the PIONIER visibility data. It requires a rounded inner rim structure, starting at a radius of 8.25 au. However, the model does not fully reproduce the detected over-resolved flux nor the azimuthal flux distribution of the inner rim. While the asymmetric inner disk rim structure is likely to be the consequence of disk-binary interactions, the origin of the additional over-resolved flux remains unclear. Conclusions. As in young stellar objects, the disk inner rim of IRAS08544-4431 is ruled by dust sublimation physics. Additional observations are needed to understand the origin of the extended flux and the azimuthal perturbation at the inner rim of the disk.


2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. A155 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Valentino ◽  
E. Daddi ◽  
A. Puglisi ◽  
G. E. Magdis ◽  
D. Liu ◽  
...  

We present the detection of multiple carbon monoxide CO line transitions with ALMA in a few tens of infrared-selected galaxies on and above the main sequence at z = 1.1−1.7. We reliably detected the emission of CO (5 − 4), CO (2 − 1), and CO (7 − 6)+[C I](3P2  −  3P1) in 50, 33, and 13 galaxies, respectively, and we complemented this information with available CO (4 − 3) and [C I](3P1  −  3P0) fluxes for part of the sample, and by modeling of the optical-to-millimeter spectral energy distribution. We retrieve a quasi-linear relation between LIR and CO (5 − 4) or CO (7 − 6) for main-sequence galaxies and starbursts, corroborating the hypothesis that these transitions can be used as star formation rate (SFR) tracers. We find the CO excitation to steadily increase as a function of the star formation efficiency, the mean intensity of the radiation field warming the dust (⟨U⟩), the surface density of SFR (ΣSFR), and, less distinctly, with the distance from the main sequence (ΔMS). This adds to the tentative evidence for higher excitation of the CO+[C I] spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of starburst galaxies relative to that for main-sequence objects, where the dust opacities play a minor role in shaping the high-J CO transitions in our sample. However, the distinction between the average SLED of upper main-sequence and starburst galaxies is blurred, driven by a wide variety of intrinsic shapes. Large velocity gradient radiative transfer modeling demonstrates the existence of a highly excited component that elevates the CO SLED of high-redshift main-sequence and starbursting galaxies above the typical values observed in the disk of the Milky Way. This excited component is dense and it encloses ∼50% of the total molecular gas mass in main-sequence objects. We interpret the observed trends involving the CO excitation as to be mainly determined by a combination of large SFRs and compact sizes, as a large ΣSFR is naturally connected with enhanced dense molecular gas fractions and higher dust and gas temperatures, due to increasing ultraviolet radiation fields, cosmic ray rates, as well as dust and gas coupling. We release the full data compilation and the ancillary information to the community.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S352) ◽  
pp. 194-198
Author(s):  
Christina C. Williams

AbstractWe discuss the serendipitous discovery of a dusty high-redshift galaxy in a small (8 arcmin2) ALMA 3-mm survey Williams et al. (2019). The galaxy was previously unknown and is absent from existing multi-wavelength catalogs (“ALMA-only”). Using the ALMA position as prior, we perform forced deblended photometry to constrain its spectral energy distribution. The spectral energy distribution is well described by a massive (M* = 1010.8 M⊙) and highly obscured (AV ∼ 4) galaxy at redshift z = 5.5 ± 1.1 with star formation rate ∼ 300 M⊙yr−1. Our small survey area implies an uncertain but large contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density, similar to the contribution from all ultraviolet-selected galaxies combined at this redshift. This galaxy likely traces an abundant population of massive galaxies absent from current samples of infrared-selected or sub-millimeter galaxies, but with larger space densities, higher duty cycles, and significant contribution to the cosmic star-formation rate and stellar mass densities.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (S322) ◽  
pp. 231-232
Author(s):  
M. Zajaček ◽  
M. Valencia-S. ◽  
B. Shahzamanian ◽  
F. Peissker ◽  
A. Eckart ◽  
...  

AbstractNear-infrared observations reveal several infrared-excess sources near the Galactic Centre with emission lines present in their spectra. One of these objects, DSO/G2, which moves around the supermassive black hole (Sgr A*) on a highly eccentric orbit, passed the pericentre at approximately 160 AU in 2014. It remained compact, which implies that at least in this case it is a star embedded in a dusty envelope. The spectral energy distribution and the detection of polarized continuum emission indicate that it is probably a pre-main-sequence star surrounded by a dense envelope with bipolar cavities. In addition, the star associated with DSO/G2 plausibly develops a bow shock due to its supersonic motion. The model of the star surrounded by the non-spherical dusty envelope can reproduce the main characteristics of the DSO/G2 source: 1. spectral energy distribution in near-infrared bands; 2. linear polarization in Ks band; and 3. the overall compact behaviour.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (S316) ◽  
pp. 151-152
Author(s):  
Randolf Klein ◽  
Jennifer Cooper ◽  
Leslie Looney ◽  
Thomas Henning ◽  
Sukanya Chakrabarti ◽  
...  

AbstractWe have selected cold and massive (M > 100M⊙) cores as candidates for early phases of star formation from millimeter continuum surveys without associations at short wavelengths. We compared the millimeter continuum peak positions with IR and radio catalogs and excluded cores that had sources associated with the cores’ peaks. We compiled a list of 173 cores in over 117 regions that are candidates for very early phases of Massive Star Formation (MSF). Now with the Spitzer and Herschel archives, these cores can be characterized further. We are compiling this data set to construct the complete spectral energy distribution (SED) in the mid- and far-infrared with good spatial resolution and broad spectral coverage. This allow us to disentangle the complex regions and model the SED of the deeply embedded protostars/clusters. We present a status report of our efforts: a preview of the IR properties of all cores and their embedded source inferred from a grey body fit to the compiled SEDs.


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