Gerald H. Moriarty-Schieven

Large-Area Mapping at 850 Microns. II. Analysis of the Clump Distribution in the ρ Ophiuchi Molecular Cloud

We present results from a survey of the central 700 arcmin2 region of the ρ Ophiuchi molecular cloud at 850 μm using the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Using the clump-finding procedure developed by Williams et al., we identify 55 independent objects and compute size, flux, and degree of central concentration. Comparison with isothermal, pressure-confined, self-gravitating Bonnor-Ebert spheres implies that the clumps have internal temperatures of 10-30 K and surface pressures P/k = 106-7 K cm-3, consistent with the expected average pressure in the ρ Ophiuchi central region, P/k ~ 2 × 107 K cm-3. The clump masses span 0.02-6.3 M☉ assuming a dust temperature Td ~ 20 K and a dust emissivity κ850 = 0.01 cm2 g-1. The distribution of clump masses is well characterized by a broken power law, N(M) ∝ M-α, with α = 1.0-1.5 for M > 0.6 M☉ and α = 0.5 for M ≤ 0.6 M☉, although significant incompleteness may affect the slope at the lower mass end. This mass function is in general agreement with the ρ Ophiuchi clump mass function derived at 1.3 mm by Motte et al. The two-point correlation function of the clump separations is measured and reveals clustering on size scales r < 3 × 104 AU with a radial power-law exponent γ = 0.75.

A Dust Ring around epsilon Eridani: Analog to the Young Solar System

Dust emission around the nearby star Eridani has been imaged using a new submillimeter camera (the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope). At an 850 μm wavelength, a ring of dust is seen peaking at 60 AU from the star and with much lower emission inside 30 AU. The mass of the ring is at least ~0.01 M⊕ in dust, while an upper limit of 0.4 M⊕ in molecular gas is imposed by CO observations. The total mass is comparable to the estimated amount of material, 0.04-0.3 M⊕, in comets orbiting the solar system. The most probable origin of the ring structure is that it is a young analog to the Kuiper Belt in our solar system and that the central region has been partially cleared by the formation of grains into planetesimals. Dust clearing around Eri is seen within the radius of Neptunes orbit, and the peak emission at 35-75 AU lies within the estimated Kuiper Belt zone of 30-100 AU radius. Eri is a main-sequence star of type K2 V (0.8 M⊙) with an estimated age of 0.5-1.0 Gyr, so this interpretation is consistent with the early history of the solar system where heavy bombardment occurred up to ≈ 0.6 Gyr. An unexpected discovery is the substructure within the ring, and these asymmetries could be due to perturbations by planets.

Large Area Mapping at 850 Microns. III. Analysis of the Clump Distribution in the Orion B Molecular Cloud

We present results from a survey of a 900 arcmin2 region of the Orion B molecular cloud, including NGC 2068, NGC 2071, and HH 24/25/26, at 850 μm using the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Following the techniques developed by Johnstone et al., we identify 75 independent objects and compute size, flux, and degree of central concentration. Comparison with isothermal, pressure-confined, self-gravitating Bonnor-Ebert spheres implies that the clumps have internal temperatures of 20-40 K and surface pressures 5.5 1.0 M☉. Significant incompleteness makes determination of the slope at lower masses difficult. The two-point correlation function of the clump separations is measured revealing clustering on size scales r < 1.5 × 105 AU with a radial power-law exponent γ = 0.75.

STRUCTURE IN THE e ERIDANI DEBRIS DISK

New submillimeter images have been obtained of the dust disk around the nearby K2 V star e Eridani, with the total data set now spanning 5 yr. These images show the distribution of dusty debris generated by comet collisions, reflecting clearing and perturbations by planets, and may give insights to early conditions in the solar system. The structure seen around e Eri at 850 mm and published in 1998 is confirmed in the new observations, and the same structure is also seen in an image obtained for the first time at 450 mm. The disk is inclined by ≈25 to the sky plane, with emission peaking at 65 AU, a 105 AU radius outer edge, and an inner cavity fainter by a factor of ≈2. The structure within the dust ring suggests perturbations by a planet orbiting at tens of AU, and long-term tracking of these features will constrain its mass and location. A preliminary analysis shows that two clumps and one arc appear to follow the stellar motion (i.e., are not background objects) and have tentative evidence of counterclockwise rotation of ∼1 yr 1 . Within the ring, the mass of colliding comets is estimated at 5–9 M, similar to the primordial Kuiper Belt, and so any inner terrestrial planets may be undergoing an epoch of heavy bombardment. Subject headings: circumstellar matter — planetary systems: formation — stars: individual (e Eridani)

Discovery of Early Optical Emission from GRB 021211

We report our discovery and early-time optical, near-infrared, and radio wavelength follow-up observations of the afterglow of the gamma-ray burst GRB 021211. Our optical observations, beginning 21 minutes after the burst trigger, demonstrate that the early afterglow of this burst is roughly 3 mag fainter than the afterglow of GRB 990123 at similar epochs, and fainter than almost all known afterglows at an epoch of 1 day after the GRB. Our near-infrared and optical observations indicate that this is not due to extinction. Combining our observations with data reported by other groups, we identify the signature of a reverse shock. This reverse shock is not detected to a 3 σ limit of 110 μJy in an 8.46 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) observation at t = 0.10 days, implying either that the Lorentz factor of the burst γ 200 or that synchrotron self-absorption effects dominate the radio emission at this time. Our early optical observations, near the peak of the optical afterglow (forward shock), allow us to characterize the afterglow in detail. Comparing our model to flux upper limits from the VLA at later times, t 1 week, we find that the late-time radio flux is suppressed by a factor of 2 relative to the 80 μJy peak flux at optical wavelengths. This suppression is not likely to be due to synchrotron self-absorption or an early jet break, and we suggest instead that the burst may have suffered substantial radiative corrections.

GRB 010222: A Burst Within a Starburst

We present millimeter- and submillimeter-wavelength observations and near-infrared K-band imaging toward the bright gamma-ray burst GRB 010222. Over seven different epochs, a constant source was detected with an average flux density of 3.74 ± 0.53 mJy at 350 GHz and 1.05 ± 0.22 mJy at 250 GHz, giving a spectral index α = 3.78 ± 0.25 (where F ∝ να). We rule out the possibility that this emission originated from the burst or its afterglow, and we conclude that it is due to a dusty, high-redshift starburst galaxy (SMM J14522+4301). We argue that the host galaxy of GRB 010222 is the most plausible counterpart of SMM J14522+4301, based in part on the centimeter detection of the host at the expected level. The optical/near-IR properties of the host galaxy of GRB 010222 suggest that it is a blue sub-L* galaxy, similar to other GRB host galaxies. This contrasts with the enormous far-infrared luminosity of this galaxy based on our submillimeter detection (LBol ≈ 4 × 1012 L☉). We suggest that this GRB host galaxy has a very high star formation rate, SFR ≈ 600 M☉ yr-1, most of which is unseen at optical wavelengths.

Observational definition of the Venus mesopause: vertical structure, diurnal variation, and temporal instability

Abstract Submillimeter line observations of CO in the Venus middle atmosphere (mesosphere) were observed with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT, Mauna Kea) about the May 2000, February 2002 superior and July 1999, March 2001 inferior conjunctions of Venus. Combined 12 CO and 13 CO isotope spectral line measurements at 345 and 330 gHz frequencies, respectively, provided enhanced sensitivity and vertical coverage for simultaneous retrievals of atmospheric temperatures and CO mixing ratios over the altitude region 75–105 km with vertical resolution 4–5 km. Supporting millimeter 12 CO spectral line observations with the Kitt Peak 12-m telescope (Steward Observatories) provide enhanced temporal coverage and CO mixing sensitivity. Implementation of CO/temperature profile retrievals for the 2000, 2002 dayside (superior conjunction) and 1999, 2001 nightside (inferior conjunction) periods yields a first-time definition of the vertical structure and diurnal variation of a low-to-mid-latitude mesopause within the Venus atmosphere. At the times of these 1999–2002 observations, the Venus mesopause was located at a slightly lower level in the nightside (0.5 mbar, ∼87 km) versus the dayside (0.2 mbar, ∼91 km) atmosphere. Average diurnal variation of Venus mesospheric temperatures appears to be ≤ 5 K at and below the mesopause. Diurnal variation of Venus thermospheric temperatures increases abruptly just above the mesopause, reaching 50 K by the 0.01-mbar pressure level (∼102 km). Atmospheric temperatures above and below the Venus mesopause exhibited global-scale (≥4000 km horizontal) variations of large amplitude (7–15 K) on surprisingly short timescales (daily to monthly) during the 2001 nightside and 2002 dayside observing periods. Venus dayside mesospheric temperatures observed during the 2002 superior conjunction were also 10–15 K warmer than observed during the 2000 superior conjunction. A characteristic timescale for these global temperature variations is not defined, but their magnitude is comparable to previous determinations of secular variability in nightside mesospheric temperatures (Clancy and Muhleman, 1991) .

The Broadband Afterglow of GRB 980329

We present radio observations of the afterglow of the bright γ-ray burst GRB 980329 made between 1 month and several years after the burst, a reanalysis of previously published submillimeter data, and late-time optical and near-infrared (NIR) observations of the host galaxy. From the absence of a spectral break in the optical/NIR colors of the host galaxy, we exclude the earlier suggestion that GRB 980329 lies at a redshift of z 5. We combine our data with the numerous multiwavelength observations of the early afterglow, fit a comprehensive afterglow model to the entire broadband data set, and derive fundamental physical parameters of the blast wave and its host environment. Models for which the ejecta expand isotropically require both a high circumburst density and extreme radiative losses from the shock. No low-density model (n 10 cm-3) fits the data. A burst with a total energy of ~1051 ergs, with the ejecta narrowly collimated to an opening angle of a few degrees, driven into a surrounding medium with density of ~20 cm-3, provides a satisfactory fit to the light curves over a range of redshifts.

MAGNETIC FIELDS IN STAR-FORMING MOLECULAR CLOUDS. III. SUBMILLIMETER POLARIMETRY OF INTERMEDIATE-MASS CORES AND FILAMENTS IN ORION B

Using the imaging polarimeter for the Submillimeter Common User Bolometric Array at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, we have detected polarized thermal emission at 850 μm from dust toward three star-forming core systems in the Orion B molecular cloud: NGC 2071, NGC 2024, and LBS 23N (HH 24). The polarization patterns are not indicative of those expected for magnetic fields dominated by a single field direction, and all exhibit diminished polarization percentages toward the highest intensity peaks. NGC 2024 has the most organized polarization pattern, which is centered consistently along the length of a chain of seven far-infrared sources. We have modeled NGC 2024 using a helical-field geometry threading a curved filament and also as a magnetic field swept up by the ionization front of the expanding H II region. In the latter case, the field is bent by the dense ridge, which accounts for both the polarization pattern and existing measurements of the line-of-sight field strength toward the northern cores FIR 1-4. The direction of the net magnetic field within NGC 2071 is perpendicular to the dominant outflow in that region. Despite evidence that line contamination exists in the 850 μm continuum, the levels of polarization measured indicate that the polarized emission is dominated by dust.

Star formation in massive protoclusters in the Monoceros OB1 dark cloud

We present far-infrared, submillimetre, and millimetre observations of bright IRAS sources and outflows that are associated with massive CS clumps in the Monoceros OB1 Dark Cloud. Individual star-forming cores are identified within each clump. We show that combining submillimetre maps, obtained with SCUBA on the JCMT, with HIRES-processed and modelled IRAS data is a powerful technique that can be used to place better limits on individual source contributions to the far-infrared flux in clustered regions. Three previously categorized “Class I objects” are shown to consist of multiple sources in different evolutionary stages. In each case, the IRAS point source dominates the flux at 12 & 25 µm. In two cases, the IRAS point source is not evident at submillimetre wavelengths. The submillimetre sources contribute significantly to the 60 & 100 µm fluxes, dominating the flux in the 100 µm waveband. Using fluxes derived from our technique, we present the spectral energy distribution and physical parameters for an intermediate-mass Class 0 object in one of the regions. Our new CO J=2!1 outflow maps of the three regions studied indicate complex morphology suggestive of multiple driving sources. We discuss the possible implications of our results for published correlations between outflow momentum deposition rates and “source” luminosities, and for using these derived properties to estimate the ratio of mass ejection rates to mass accretion rates onto protostars.