M. Grewing

Discovery of molecular hydrogen in a high-velocity cloud of the Galactic halo

The Milky Ways halo contains clouds of neutral hydrogen with high radial velocities which do not follow the general rotational motion of the Galaxy. Few distances to these high-velocity clouds are known, so even gross properties such as total mass are hard to determine. As a consequence, there is no generally accepted theory regarding their origin. One idea is that they result from gas that has cooled after being ejected from the Galaxy through fountain-like flows powered by supernovae; another is that they are composed of gas, poor in heavy elements, which is falling onto the disk of the Milky Way from intergalactic space. The presence of molecular hydrogen, whose formation generally requires the presence of dust (and therefore gas, enriched in heavy elements), could help to distinguish between these possibilities. Here we report the discovery of molecular hydrogen absorption in a high-velocity cloud along the line of sight to the Large Magellanic Cloud. We also derive for the same cloud an iron abundance which is half of the solar value. From these data, we conclude that gas in this cloud originated in the disk of the Milky Way.

The ORFEUS II Echelle spectrum of HD 93521: A reference for interstellar molecular hydrogen

During the second flight of the ORFEUS-SPAS mission in November/December 1996, the Echelle spec- trometer was used extensively by the Principal and Guest Investigator teams as one of the two focal plane in- struments of the ORFEUS telescope. The spectrum of HD 93521 was obtained during this mission with a total integration time of 1740 s. This spectrum shows numer- ous sharp interstellar absorption lines. We identied 198 lines of molecular hydrogen including at least 7 lines with a high velocity component. Also most of the 67 identi- ed interstellar metal lines are visible with a high velocity component. We present plots of the complete ORFEUS II Echelle spectrum together with tables of all identied interstel- lar absorption lines including all 14 detectable H I lines. In addition several identied stellar lines, partially with narrow absorption components, and stellar wind lines are given in a separate table.

Extended X-ray emission from planetary nebulae

We present first results from the ROSAT All Sky Survey on X-ray emission of planetary nebulae (PNe). For the first time extended X-ray emission from PNe was detected. This is the case for NGC 6543, NGC 6853, A 12, NGC 4361 (and LoTr 5). X-ray emission compatible with a point source was detected from BD+30°3639, however, the spectral distribution of the X-ray photons is leading to temperatures beyond 2 106 K. Thus in all cases, with the possible exception of LoTr 5, the central star of the PNe can be excluded as the main source of the observed X-ray emission. X-ray images and ROSAT spectra for all detected PNe are presented. The best observed PN in X-ray emission is NGC 6543. Due to the close vicinity to the north ecliptic pole, this object was regularly observed, every 90 minutes during the whole half year of the ROSAT All Sky Survey, resulting in 41 ksec of integration time. In addition NGC 6543 was observed in a 50 ksec pointed observation to the north ecliptic pole, taken in June 1990 during the calibration phase (Kreysing et al. 1992). A comparison of the semi-ring-like distribution of the X-ray emission of NGC 6543 with optical CCD-images shows, that most of the X-ray emission seems to originate from the boundary region between the nebula and the halo. Neither the central star nor the hot wind from the central star wind is the main source of the X-ray emission, as proposed by the interacting stellar wind model (Kwok 1982). An alternative model employing a possible coronal heating mechanism has been discussed by Kreysing (1992); accoustic waves, travelling outward from the nebula, encounter a sudden density decline at the boundary to the halo. As a consequence the waves degenerate into shock waves, dissipating their energy in a thin region of only some 1015 cm into the ambient medium.

Far and extreme ultraviolet astronomy with ORFEUS

ORFEUS (Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer) is a 1 m normal incidence telescope for spectroscopic investigations of cosmic sources in the far and extreme ultraviolet spectral range. The instrument will be integrated into the freeflyer platform ASTRO-SPAS. ORFEUS-SPAS is scheduled with STS ENDEAVOUR in September 1992. We describe the telescope with its two spectrometers and their capabilities i.e. spectral range, resolution and overall sensitivity. The main classes of objects to be observed with the instrument are discussed and two examples of simulated spectra for the white dwarf HZ43 and an 09-star in the LMC are shown.