J. H. Lacy

Detection of absorption by H2 in molecular clouds: A direct measurement of the H2:CO ratio

Vibrational absorption by H2 and CO has been searched for toward infrared sources embedded in molecular clouds. H2 was detected toward NGC 2024 IRS 2 and possibly toward NGC 2264 (GL 989). CO was detected toward both sources. The results are consistent with the H2 ortho:para ratio being equilibrated at the cloud temperature. Toward NGC 2024, H2:CO = (3700(sub -2600)(sup +3100)) (2 sigma limits), and toward NGC 2264, H2:CO less than 6000. Approximately one-third of all carbon is in gas-phase CO.

TEXES: A Sensitive High-Resolution Grating Spectrograph for the Mid-Infrared

We discuss the design and performance of TEXES, the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph. TEXES is a mid-infrared (5-25 μm) spectrograph with several operating modes: high resolution, cross-dispersed with a resolving power of R =λ/δλ ≈ 100,000, 0.5% spectral coverage, and a ~15 × 8 slit; medium resolution, long-slit with R ≈ 15,000, 0.5% coverage, and a ~15 × 45 slit; low-resolution, long-slit with δλ ≈ 0.004 μm, 0.25 μm coverage, and a ~ 15 × 45 slit; and source acquisition imaging with 033 pixels and a 25 × 25 field of view on a 3 m telescope. TEXES has been used at the McDonald Observatory 2.7 m and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility 3 m telescopes and has proved to be both sensitive and versatile.

The nature of the central parsec of the Galaxy

Observations of infrared fine-structure line emission from compact clouds of ionized gas in the galactic center have been reported by Lacy et al (1979, 1980). These observations suggest the existence of a central black hole of nearly 3,000,000 solar masses and require mechanisms to generate, ionize, and dispose of the gas clouds. It is found that the best model to fulfill these requirements involves cloud generation through disruption of red giants by stellar collisions, ionization by a population of stars which is affected either by enhanced metal abundances or the death of the most massive stars, and gas disposal by star formation. Although the existence of a massive black hole cannot be ruled out, it would play no necessary role in this model and may cause the tidal disruption of stars at a rate such that their accretion into the black hole would produce more radiation than is observed.

Discovery of interstellar methane - Observations of gaseous and solid CH4 absorption toward young stars in molecular clouds

Several molecular clouds have been searched for absorption at 7.6 microns due to gaseous and solid methane. Gaseous CH4 was detected toward NGC 7538 IRS 9 and probably OMC-1 IRc2 and W33 A. The abundance of gaseous CH4 is typically 0.001 that of CO. Solid CH4 was probably detected toward NGC 7538 IRS 9 and possibly detected toward W33 A and NGC 7538 IRS 1. The abundance of solid CH4 is comparable to that of solid CO. The total CH4 abundance (predominantly in the solid phase) is 1-4 percent of the total CO abundance (predominantly gaseous). The high fraction of CH4 in the solid state suggests that it is made in the grain mantles. 22 refs.

Observations of the motion and distribution of the ionized gas in the central parsec of the Galaxy. II

Observations of infrared fine-structure line emission from compact clouds of ionized gas within Sgr A West are presented. These clouds have diameters of 0.1--0.5 pc, internal velocity dispersions approx.100 km s/sup -1/ (FWHM), and line center velocities up to +- 260 km s/sup -1/. Their masses are not accurately determined but are probably between 0.1 and 10 M/sub sun/. They are ionized by radiation like that of stars of T/sub eff/< or approx. =35,000 K. The clouds are shown to have lifetimes approx.10/sup 4/ yr and so must be generated and dissipated at a rate of a few per 10/sup 3/ yr. From analysis of the distribution of the velocities of the clouds, a most probable mass distribution is derived which includes a central pointlike mass of several x 10/sup 6/ M/sub sun/ in addition to several x 10/sup 6/ M/sub sun/ of stars within 1 pc of the center. However, the small number of clouds (14) makes the mass determination quite uncertain. A distributed mass of approx.10/sup 7/ M/sub sun/ within the central parsec, with no central massive object, has a likelihood 1.4sigma below that of the most probable distribution.

Unraveling the 10 micron "silicate" feature of protostars: The detection of frozen interstellar ammonia

We present infrared spectra of four embedded protostars in the 750-1230 cm-1 (13.3-8.1 microns) range. For NGC 7538 IRS 9, a new band is reported at 1110 cm-1 (9.01 microns, and several others may be present near 785, 820, 900, 1030, and 1075 cm-1 (12.7, 12.2, 11.1, 9.71, and 9.30 microns). The band 1110 cm-1 is attributed to frozen NH3. Its position and width imply that the NH3 is frozen in a polar, H2O-rich interstellar ice component. The NH3/H2O ice ratio inferred for NGC 7538 IRS 9 is 0.1, making NH3 as important a component as CH3OH and CO2 in the polar ices along this line of sight. At these concentrations, hydrogen bonding between the NH3 and H2O can account for much of the enigmatic low-frequency wing on the 3240 cm-1 (3.09 microns) H2O interstellar ice band. The strength of the implied NH3 deformation fundamental at 1624 cm-1 (6.158 microns) can also account for the absorption at this position reported by ISO.

First results of the Herschel key program "Dust, Ice and Gas In Time" (DIGIT): Dust and gas spectroscopy of HD 100546

Context. We present far-infrared spectroscopic observations, taken with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on the Herschel Space Observatory, of the protoplanetary disk around the pre-main-sequence star HD100546. These observations are the first within the DIGIT nHerschel key program, which aims to follow the evolution of dust, ice, and gas from young stellar objects still embedded in their parental molecular cloud core, through the final pre-main-sequence phases when the circumstellar disks are dissipated. nAims. Our aim is to improve the constraints on temperature and chemical composition of the crystalline olivines in the disk of HD100546 and to give an inventory of the gas lines present in its far-infrared spectrum. nMethods. The 69 μm feature is analyzed in terms of position and shape to derive the dust temperature and composition. Furthermore, we detected 32 emission lines from five gaseous species and measured their line fluxes. nResults. The 69 μm emission comes either from dust grains with ~70 K at radii larger than 50 AU, as suggested by blackbody fitting, or it arises from ~200K dust at ~13 AU, close to the midplane, as supported by radiative transfer models. We also conclude that the forsterite crystals have nfew defects and contain at most a few percent iron by mass. Forbidden line emission from [C_(II)] at 157 μm and [O_I] at 63 and 145 μm, most likely due to photodissociation by stellar photons, is detected. Furthermore, five H_2O and several OH lines are detected. We also found high-J rotational transition lines of CO, with rotational temperatures of ~300K for the transitions up to J = 22−21 and T ~ 800 K for higher transitions.

H2 pure rotational lines in the orion bar

Photodissociation regions (PDRs), where UV radiation dominates the energetics and chemistry of the neutral gas, contain most of the mass in the dense interstellar medium of our Galaxy. Observations of H2 rotational and rovibrational lines reveal that PDRs contain unexpectedly large amounts of very warm (400-700 K) molecular gas. Theoretical models have difficulty explaining the existence of so much warm gas. Possible problems include errors in the heating and cooling functions or in the formation rate for H2. To date, observations of H2 rotational lines smear out the structure of the PDR. Only by resolving the hottest layers of H2 can one test the predictions and assumptions of current models. Using the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) we mapped emission in the H2 v = 0-0 S(1) and S(2) lines toward the Orion Bar PDR at 2 resolution. We also observed H2 v = 0-0 S(4) at selected points toward the front of the PDR. Our maps cover a 12 by 40 region of the bar where H2 rovibrational lines are bright. The distributions of H2 0-0 S(1), 0-0 S(2), and 1-0 S(1) line emission agree in remarkable detail. The high spatial resolution (0.002 pc) of our observations allows us to probe the distribution of warm gas in the Orion Bar to a distance approaching the scale length for FUV photon absorption. We use these new observational results to set parameters for the PDR models described in a companion paper in preparation by Draine et al. The best-fit model can account for the separation of the H2 emission from the ionization front and the intensities of the ground-state rotational lines, as well as the 1-0 S(1) and 2-1 S(1) lines. This model requires significant adjustments to the commonly used values for the dust UV attenuation cross section and the photoelectric heating rate.

The compression of the M-0.02-0.07 molecular cloud by the Sagittarius A East shell source

The «50 km s −1 » molecular cloud (M-0.02-0.07) near the Galactic center has been mapped in the CS J=7-6 and 5-4 rotational transitions. In addition, mid-infrared fine-structure lines of [Ne II], [Ar III], and [S IV] have been observed toward the compact H II regions located near the clouds core.

SPECTROSCOPY OF THE 3 MICRON EMISSION FEATURES

High-spectral-resolution observations of the 3.3 and 3.4 microns features in the three planetary nebulae NGC 7027, IC 418, and BD +30 deg 3639, in the H II region S106, and in the red rectangle HD 44179 are presented. The profile of the unidentified 3.3 microns emission feature is similar in all five sources. The unidentified feature previously referred to as the 3.4 microns feature actually consists of two components, a low-level emission from 3.35 to 3.60 microns and a narrow emission peak at 3.40 microns. The strength of the latter feature relative to that of the 3.3 microns feature varies by a a factor of three from source to source. The origin and properties of these features may be explained by further development of the small-grain models of Sellgren (1984) and Leger and Puget (1984).