T. A. Lozinskaya

Supernovae and Stellar Wind in the Interstellar Medium

Modern concepts of the influence of supernovae and stellar winds on the interstellar gas are briefly summarized. Preliminary observational data for two unique objects in the galaxy IC1613 are presented by means of illustration: a nebula associated with a rare W0 star and a supernova remnant.

Ring nebulae associated with of stars: Statistics, classification, origin

The ring nebulae associated with galactic Of stars is considered on the grounds of the list of Of nebulae proposed by lozinskaya and Lomovsky (1982). Taking into account the selection effects, about 80% of Of stars are shown to be associated withHii regions and about 30–50% of these regions have shell structures. Four types of nebulae associated with Of stars are resolved: amorphousHii regions, ring-likeHii regions, wind-blown bubbles, and stellar ejectas. These types appear to be identical to the morphology of nebulae around WR stars proposed by Chu (1981). Observational data are presented and the nature of a number of Of ring nebulae of different types is discussed.

A synchrotron superbubble in the IC 10 galaxy: a hypernova remnant?

The nature of the synchrotron superbubble in the IC 10 galaxy is discussed using the results of our investigation of its ionized gas structure, kinematics and emission spectrum from observations made with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and based on our analysis of the radio emission of the region. The hypernova explosion is shown to be a more plausible mechanism of formation of the synchrotron superbubble compared with the earlier proposed model of multiple supernova explosions. A compact remnant of this hypernova may be identified with the well-known X-ray binary X-1 ‐ an accreting black hole.

Hard X-ray emission clumps in the gamma-Cygni supernova remnant: An INTEGRAL-ISGRI view

Spatially resolved images of the galactic supernova remnant G78.2+2.1 (γ-Cygni) in hard X-ray energy bands from 25 keV to 120 keV are obtained with the IBIS-ISGRI imager aboard the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory INTEGRAL. The images are dominated by localized clumps of about ten arcmin in size. The flux of the most prominent North- Western (NW) clump is (1.7 ± 0.4) × 10 −11 erg cm −2 s −1 in the 25-40 keV band. The observed X-ray fluxes are in agreement with extrapolations of soft X-ray imaging observations of γ-Cyg by ASCA GIS and spatially unresolved RXTE PCA data. The positions of the hard X-ray clumps correlate with bright patches of optical line emission, possibly indicating the presence of radiative shock waves in a shocked cloud. The observed spatial structure and spectra are consistent with model predictions of hard X-ray emission from nonthermal electrons accelerated by a radiative shock in a supernova interacting with an interstellar cloud, but the powerful stellar wind of the O9V star HD 193322 is a plausible candidate for the NW source as well.

The supernova remnant G78.2+2.1: New optical and X-ray observations

New optical and X-ray observations of the supernova remnant (SNR) G78.2+2.1 are presented. CCD Hα observations with a Fabry-Perot interferometer attached to the 125-cm reflector at the Crimean Station of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute are used to obtain the radial-velocity field toward the SNR and in its vicinity. The brightness distribution and X-ray spectrum of the SNR are obtained from archival ROSAT and ASCA X-ray data. The X-ray image of G78.2+2.1 exhibits a shell structure (ΔR/R≃0.3) and is generally similar to its radio image; a comparison with the radio map at ν=1.4 GHz constructed from archival VLA data reveals the coincidence of features on scales of several arcminutes at the eastern boundary of G78.2+2.1. Weak X-ray emission (an outer shell or a halo of size ≃2°) has been identified for the first time far outside G78.2+2.1. The X-ray emission from G78.2+2.1 is shown to characterize a young adiabatic SNR [MX-ray ≃ 100 M⊙, Vs≃103km s−1, t≃(5–6)×103 years], which probably expands inside the cavity swept up by the progenitors stellar wind. Searches for the corresponding radio structure are required to elucidate the nature of the outer X-ray shell or halo.

Detailed Kinematic Study of the Ionized and Neutral Gas in the Complex of Star Formation in the Galaxy IC 1613

We carried out detailed kinematic studies of the complex of multiple H I and H II shells that represent the only region of ongoing star formation in the dwarf irregular galaxy IC 1613. We investigated the ionized-gas kinematics by using Fabry—Perot Hα observations with the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope and the neutral-gas kinematics by using VLA 21-cm radio observations. We identified three extended (300–350 pc) neutral shells with which the brightest H II shells in the complex of star formation are associated. The neutral-gas kinematics in the complex has been studied for the first time and the H I shells were found to expand at a velocity of 15–18 km s−1. We constructed velocity ellipses for all H II shells in the complex and refined (increased) the expansion velocities of most of them. The nature of the interacting ionized and neutral shells is discussed.

Structure and kinematics of the interstellar medium in the star-forming region in the BCD galaxy VII Zw 403 (UGC 6456)

The structure and kinematics of ionized supershells in the star-forming region in the BCD galaxy VII Zw 403 (UGC 6456) are analyzed using observations with the SCORPIO focal reducer on the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope in three modes: direct imaging (in the Hα, [O III], and [S II] lines), long-slit spectroscopy, and spectroscopy with a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer. In addition to the previously known bright H II regions and the faint giant ring that surrounds the entire starforming region, many new faint diffuse and arc structures have been detected. A fine structure of the giant ring has been revealed. We do not confirm the previously detected expansion of the bright shells around young stellar associations with a velocity of 50–70 km s−1. We have estimated their expansion velocities to be no higher than 15–20 km s−1; the corresponding kinematic age, no younger than 3–4 Myr, agrees well with the age of the compact OB associations associated with them. We correlate the faint extended filamentary and diffuse regions of ionized gas identified almost in the entire central region of the galaxy and the giant H II ring with the older (10 Myr) stellar population of the most recent starburst. Weak high-velocity [O III] and Hα line wings (up to 300 km s−1 from the line center) have been detected in the brightest H II region. Such velocities have been observed in the galaxy for the first time. The previously published Hα luminosity measurements for the galaxy are refined.

The relationship between gas, stars and star formation: Giant complexes of multiple HI and HII shells in the IRR galaxy IC 1613

We use our H- f and 21-cm observations of the dwarf Irr galaxy IC 1613 to analyze the relationship between stars and the ISM in the area of a recent burst of star formation in the galaxy. We trace several possible loci of favorable conditions for star formation triggered by collisions of shells and supershells.

Interstellar Medium Surrounding the WO Star in the Galaxy IC 1613: New Optical and Radio Observations

Observations of the nebula S3 associated with the WO star in the galaxy IC 1613 and of an extended region surrounding S3 are reported. The star and bright core of the nebula were observed with a multipupil fiber spectrograph mounted on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Images in the principle spectral lines and integrated spectra of the star and three compact clumps were obtained, and the radial-velocity field constructed. An extended region of the galaxy was observed with the Very Large Array at 21 cm. A giant ring or H I shell enclosing a large fraction of the stellar population in IC 1613 was discovered. The WO star and associated bipolar nebula, which we discovered earlier, lie at the inner edge of the H I ring. A local H I deficiency and two arclike H I ridges were also detected for the first time and probably represent the neutral component of the bipolar shell surrounding the WO star. The two arclike ridges may also have been produced by the collective stellar wind (and supernova explosions?) in OB association No. 9 from the list of Hodge. A scenario for the formation of the extended bipolar feature is discussed, based on the new data.

Dust evolution in the dwarf galaxy Holmberg II

A detailed photometric study of star-forming regions (SFRs) in the galaxy Holmberg II has been carried out using the archival observational data from the far infrared to the ultraviolet obtained with the GALEX, Spitzer, and Herschel telescopes. Spectroscopic observations with the 6-m BTA telescope (Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences) are used to estimate the ages and metallicities of SFRs. The ages of SFRs have been correlated for the first time with their emission parameters in a wide spectral range and with the physical parameters determined by fitting the observed spectra. It is shown that the fluxes at 8 and 24 µm characterizing the emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hot dust grains decrease with age, but their ratio increases. This implies that the relative contribution from PAHs to the total infrared flux increases with age. It is hypothesized that the detected increase in the ratio of the fluxes at 8 and 24 µm is related to the increase in the relative PAH fraction due to the destruction of larger grains.