scholarly journals Photodissociation region diagnostics across galactic environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (2) ◽  
pp. 2701-2732
Author(s):  
Thomas G Bisbas ◽  
Jonathan C Tan ◽  
Kei E I Tanaka

ABSTRACT We present three-dimensional astrochemical simulations and synthetic observations of magnetized, turbulent, self-gravitating molecular clouds. We explore various galactic interstellar medium environments, including cosmic ray ionization rates in the range of ζCR = 10−17–$10^{-14}\, {\rm s}^{-1}$, far-UV intensities in the range of G0 = 1–103 and metallicities in the range of Z = 0.1–$2\, {\rm Z}_{\odot }$. The simulations also probe a range of densities and levels of turbulence, including cases where the gas has undergone recent compression due to cloud–cloud collisions. We examine: (i) the column densities of carbon species across the cycle of C ii, C i, and CO, along with O i, in relation to the H i-to-H2 transition; (ii) the velocity-integrated emission of [C ii] 158 μm, [13C ii] 158 μm, [C i] 609 μm and 370 μm, [O i] 63 μm and 146 μm, and of the first ten 12CO rotational transitions; (iii) the corresponding Spectral Line Energy Distributions; (iv) the usage of [C ii] and [O i] 63 μm to describe the dynamical state of the clouds; (v) the behaviour of the most commonly used ratios between transitions of CO and [C i]; and (vi) the conversion factors for using CO and C i as H2-gas tracers. We find that enhanced cosmic ray energy densities enhance all aforementioned line intensities. At low metallicities, the emission of [C ii] is well connected with the H2 column, making it a promising new H2 tracer in metal-poor environments. The conversion factors of XCO and XC i depend on metallicity and the cosmic ray ionization rate, but not on FUV intensity. In the era of ALMA, SOFIA, and the forthcoming CCAT-prime telescope, our results can be used to understand better the behaviour of systems in a wide range of galactic and extragalactic environments.

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Евгений Маурчев ◽  
Evgeniy Maurchev ◽  
Юрий Балабин ◽  
Yuriy Balabin ◽  
Алексей Германенко ◽  
...  

This paper explores the applied use of the RUSCOSMICS software package [http://ruscosmics.ru] designed to simulate propagation of primary cosmic ray (CR) particles through Earth’s atmosphere and collect information about characteristics of their secondary component. We report the results obtained for proton fluxes with energy distributions corresponding to the differential spectra of galactic CR (GCR) and solar CR (SCR) during ground level enhancement (GLE) events GLE65 and GLE67. We examine features of the geometry of Earth’s atmosphere, parametrization methods, and describe a primary particle generator. The typical energy spectra of electrons obtained both for GCR and for GLE65 provide information that allows us to quantitatively estimate the SCR contribution to the enhancement of secondary CR fluxes. We also present altitude dependences of ionization rate for GCR and both the GLE events for several geomagnetic cutoff rigidity values. The conclusion summarizes and discusses the prospects for future research.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ararat G. Yeghikyan

The transformation of the energy dependence of the cosmic ray proton flux in the keV to GeV region is investigated theoretically when penetrating inside molecular clouds ( mag). The computations suggest that energy losses of the cosmic ray particles by interaction with the matter of the molecular cloud are principally caused by the inelastic (electronic) interaction potential; the transformed energy distribution of energetic protons is determined mainly by the column density of the absorbing medium. A cutoff of the cosmic ray spectrum inside clouds by their magnetic fields is also phenomenologically taken into account. This procedure allows a determination of environment-dependent ionization rates of molecular clouds. The theoretically predicted ionization rates are in good agreement with those derived from astronomical observations of absorption lines in the spectrum of the cloud connected with the Herbig Be star LkH 101.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilde Nesse Tyssøy ◽  
Miriam Sinnhuber ◽  
Timo Asikainen ◽  
Stefan Bender ◽  
Mark A. Clilverd ◽  
...  

<p>Precipitating auroral and radiation belt electrons are considered an important part of the natural forcing of the climate system.  Recent studies suggest that this forcing is underestimated in current chemistry-climate models. The HEPPA III intercomparison experiment is a collective effort to address this point. Here, eight different estimates of medium energy electron (MEE) (>30 keV) ionization rates are assessed during a geomagnetic active period in April 2010.  The objective is to understand the potential uncertainty related to the MEE energy input. The ionization rates are all based on the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) on board the NOAA/POES and EUMETSAT/MetOp spacecraft series. However, different data handling, ionization rate calculations, and background atmospheres result in a wide range of mesospheric electron ionization rates. Although the eight data sets agree well in terms of the temporal variability, they differ by about an order of magnitude in ionization rate strength both during geomagnetic quiet and disturbed periods. The largest spread is found in the aftermath of the geomagnetic activity.  Furthermore, governed by different energy limits, the atmospheric penetration depth varies, and some differences related to latitudinal coverage are also evident. The mesospheric NO densities simulated with the Whole Atmospheric Community Climate Model driven by highest and lowest ionization rates differ by more than a factor of eight. In a follow-up study, the atmospheric responses are simulated in four chemistry-climate models and compared to satellite observations, considering both the model structure and the ionization forcing.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A67 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Allen ◽  
F. F. S. van der Tak ◽  
C. Walsh

Context. In the high-mass star-forming region G35.20−0.74N, small scale (~800 AU) chemical segregation has been observed in which complex organic molecules containing the CN group are located in a small location (toward continuum peak B3) within an apparently coherently rotating structure. Aims. We aim to determine the physical origin of the large abundance difference (~4 orders of magnitude) in complex cyanides within G35.20−0.74 B, and we explore variations in age, gas/dust temperature, and gas density. Methods. We performed gas-grain astrochemical modeling experiments with exponentially increasing (coupled) gas and dust temperature rising from 10 to 500 K at constant H2 densities of 107 cm−3, 108 cm−3, and 109 cm−3. We tested the effect of varying the initial ice composition, cosmic-ray ionization rate (1.3 × 10−17 s−1, 1 × 10−16 s−1, and 6 × 10−16 s−1), warm-up time (over 50, 200, and 1000 kyr), and initial (10, 15, and 25 K) and final temperatures (300 and 500 K). Results. Varying the initial ice compositions within the observed and expected ranges does not noticeably affect the modeled abundances indicating that the chemical make-up of hot cores is determined in the warm-up stage. Complex cyanides vinyl and ethyl cyanide (CH2CHCN and C2H5CN, respectively) cannot be produced in abundances (vs. H2) greater than 5 ×10−10 for CH2CHCN and 2 ×10−10 for C2H5CN with a fast warm-up time (52 kyr), while the lower limit for the observed abundance of C2H5CN toward source B3 is 3.4 ×10−10. Complex cyanide abundances are reduced at higher initial temperatures and increased at higher cosmic-ray ionization rates. Reaction-diffusion competition is necessary to reproduce observed abundances of oxygen-bearing species in our model. Conclusions. Within the context of this model, reproducing the observed abundances toward G35.20−0.74 Core B3 requires a fast warm-up at a high cosmic-ray ionization rate (~1 × 10−16 s−1) at a high gas density (>109 cm−3). The abundances observed at the other positions in G35.20-0.74N also require a fast warm-up but allow lower gas densities (~108 cm−3) and cosmic-ray ionization rates (~1 × 10−17 s−1). In general, we find that the abundance of ethyl cyanide in particular is maximized in models with a low initial temperature, a high cosmic-ray ionization rate, a long warm-up time (>200 kyr), and a lower gas density (tested down to 107 cm−3). G35.20−0.74 source B3 only needs to be ~2000 years older than B1/B2 for the observed chemical difference to be present, which maintains the possibility that G35.20−0.74 B contains a Keplerian disk.


Author(s):  
Nick Indriolo

Owing to its simple chemistry, H is widely regarded as the most reliable tracer of the cosmic-ray ionization rate in diffuse interstellar clouds. At present, H observations have been made in over 50 sight lines that probe the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) throughout the Galaxy. This small survey presents the opportunity to investigate the distribution of cosmic-ray ionization rates in the ISM, as well as any correlations between the ionization rate and line-of-sight properties. Some of the highest inferred ionization rates are about 25 times larger than the lowest upper limits, suggesting variations in the underlying low-energy cosmic-ray flux across the Galaxy. Most likely, such variations are caused predominantly by the distance between an observed cloud and the nearest site of particle acceleration.


Author(s):  
T. R. Geballe

The central 400 parsecs of the Milky Way, a region known as the central molecular zone (CMZ), contains interstellar gas in a wide range of physical environments, from ultra-hot, rarified and highly ionized to warm, dense and molecular. The combination of infrared spectroscopy of and CO is a powerful way to determine the basic properties of molecular interstellar gas, because the abundance ratio of to CO in ‘dense’ clouds is quite different from that in ‘diffuse’ clouds. Moreover, the energy-level structure and the radiative properties of combined with the unusually warm temperatures of molecular gas in the CMZ make a unique probe of the physical conditions there. This paper describes how, using infrared absorption spectroscopy of and CO, it has been discovered that a large fraction of the volume of the CMZ is filled with warm, diffuse and partially molecular gas moving at speeds of up to approximately 200 km s −1 and that the mean cosmic ray ionization rate in the CMZ exceeds by roughly an order of magnitude values found in diffuse molecular clouds elsewhere in the Galaxy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. A31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier L. Bacalla ◽  
Harold Linnartz ◽  
Nick L. J. Cox ◽  
Jan Cami ◽  
Evelyne Roueff ◽  
...  

We report cosmic ray ionization rates toward ten reddened stars studied within the framework of the EDIBLES (ESO Diffuse Interstellar Bands Large Exploration Survey) program, using the VLT-UVES. For each sightline, between two and ten individual rotational lines of OH+ have been detected in its (0,0) and (1,0) A3Π − X3Σ− electronic band system. This allows constraining of OH+ column densities toward different objects. Results are also presented for 28 additional sightlines for which only one or rather weak signals are found. An analysis of these data makes it possible to derive the primary cosmic ray ionization rate ζp in the targeted diffuse interstellar clouds. For the ten selected targets, we obtain a range of values for ζp equal to (3.9–16.4) × 10−16 s−1. These values are higher than the numbers derived in previous detections of interstellar OH+ in the far-infrared/submillimeter-wave regions and in other near-ultraviolet studies. This difference is a result of using new OH+ oscillator strength values and a more complete picture of all relevant OH+ formation and destruction routes (including the effect of proton recombinations on PAHs), and the relatively high N(OH+) seen toward those ten targets.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 81-88
Author(s):  
Евгений Маурчев ◽  
Evgeniy Maurchev ◽  
Юрий Балабин ◽  
Yuriy Balabin ◽  
Алексей Германенко ◽  
...  

This paper explores the applied use of the RUSCOSMICS software package [http://ruscosmics.ru] designed to simulate propagation of primary cosmic ray (CR) particles through Earth’s atmosphere and collect information about characteristics of their secondary component. We report the results obtained for proton fluxes with energy distributions corresponding to the differential spectra of galactic CR (GCR) and solar CR (SCR) during ground level enhancement (GLE) events GLE65 and GLE67. We examine features of the geometry of Earth’s atmosphere, parametrization methods, and describe a primary particle generator. The typical energy spectra of electrons obtained both for GCR and for GLE65 provide information that allows us to quantitatively estimate the SCR contribution to the enhancement of secondary CR fluxes. We also present altitude dependences of ionization rate for GCR and both the GLE events for several geomagnetic cutoff rigidity values. The conclusion summarizes and discusses the prospects for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 639 ◽  
pp. A86
Author(s):  
M. Kuffmeier ◽  
B. Zhao ◽  
P. Caselli

Context. Surveys of protoplanetary disks in star-forming regions of similar age revealed significant variations in average disk mass in some regions. For instance, disks in the Orion Nebular Cluster (ONC) and Corona Australis (CrA) are on average smaller than disks observed in Lupus, Taurus, Chamaeleon I, or Ophiuchus. Aims. In contrast to previous models that studied the truncation of disks at a late stage of their evolution, we investigate whether disks may already be born with systematically smaller disk sizes in more massive star-forming regions as a consequence of higher ionization rates. Methods. Assuming various cosmic-ray ionization rates, we computed the resistivities for ambipolar diffusion and Ohmic dissipation with a chemical network, and performed 2D nonideal magnetohydrodynamical protostellar collapse simulations. Results. A higher ionization rate leads to stronger magnetic braking, and hence to the formation of smaller disks. Accounting for recent findings that protostars act as forges of cosmic rays and considering only mild attenuation during the collapse phase, we show that a high average cosmic-ray ionization rate in star-forming regions such as the ONC or CrA can explain the detection of smaller disks in these regions. Conclusions. Our results show that on average, a higher ionization rate leads to the formation of smaller disks. Smaller disks in regions of similar age can therefore be the consequence of different levels of ionization, and may not exclusively be caused by disk truncation through external photoevaporation. We strongly encourage observations that allow measuring the cosmic-ray ionization degrees in different star-forming regions to test our hypothesis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Rebecca Diesing ◽  
Damiano Caprioli

Abstract Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) are accelerated at the forward shocks of supernova remnants (SNRs) via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA), an efficient acceleration mechanism that predicts power-law energy distributions of CRs. However, observations of nonthermal SNR emission imply CR energy distributions that are generally steeper than E −2, the standard DSA prediction. Recent results from kinetic hybrid simulations suggest that such steep spectra may arise from the drift of magnetic structures with respect to the thermal plasma downstream of the shock. Using a semi-analytic model of nonlinear DSA, we investigate the implications that these results have on the phenomenology of a wide range of SNRs. By accounting for the motion of magnetic structures in the downstream, we produce CR energy distributions that are substantially steeper than E −2 and consistent with observations. Our formalism reproduces both modestly steep spectra of Galactic SNRs (∝E −2.2) and the very steep spectra of young radio supernovae (∝E −3).


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