No Arabic abstract
We present high resolution (R = 18,000), high signal-to-noise, 2 micron spectra of 52 infrared-selected Class I and flat-spectrum young stellar objects in the Taurus-Auriga, $rho$ Ophiuchi, Serpens, Perseus, and Corona Australis dark clouds. We detect key absorption lines in 41 objects and fit synthetic spectra generated from pre-main sequence models to deduce the effective temperatures, surface gravities, near-infrared veilings, rotation velocities, and radial velocities of each of these 41 sources. We find these objects to span ranges in effective temperature, surface gravity, and stellar luminosity which appear similar to those of late spectral-type Class II sources and classical T-Tauri stars. We determine that the mean 2 micron veiling of Class I and flat-spectrum objects is significantly higher than that of Class II objects in the same region where both types of objects are extensively observed ($rho$ Oph). We find a significant fraction of our protostellar sample also exhibits emission lines. Twenty-three objects show H$_2$ emission, usually indicative of the presence of energetic outflows. Thirty-four sources show HI Br $gamma$ emission and a number of these exhibit profile asymmetries consistent with in-fall. Eight sources show significant $Delta v = 2$ CO emission suggestive of emission from a circumstellar disk. Overall, these observations indicate that Class I and flat-spectrum objects are self-embedded protostars undergoing significant mass accretion, although the objects appear to span a broad range of mass accretion activity.
(Abridged) We performed a deep infrared imaging survey of 63 embedded young stellar objects (YSOs) located in the Taurus and Ophiuchus clouds to search for companions. The sample includes Class I and flat infrared spectrum protostellar objects. We find 17 companions physically bound to 15 YSOs with angular separations in the range 0.8-10 (110-1400 AU) and derive a companion star fraction of 23+/-9 % and 29+/-7 % for embedded YSOs in Taurus and Ophiuchus, respectively. In spite of different properties of the clouds and especially of the prestellar cores, the fraction of wide companions, 27+/-6 % for the combined sample, is identical in the two star-forming regions. This suggests that the frequency and properties of wide multiple protostellar systems are not very sensitive to specific initial conditions. Comparing the companion star fraction of the youngest YSOs still surrounded by extended envelopes to that of more evolved YSOs, we find evidence for a possible evolution of the fraction of wide multiple systems, which seems to decrease by a factor of about 2 on a timescale of about 10^5 yr. Somewhat contrary to model predictions, we do not find evidence for a sub-clustering of embedded sources at this stage on a scale of a few 100 AU that could be related to the formation of small-N protostellar clusters. Possible interpretations for this discrepancy are discussed.
We report on the angular momentum content of heavily embedded protostars based on our analysis of the projected rotation velocities (v sin i s) of 38 Class I/flat spectrum young stellar objects presented by Doppmann et al (2005). After correcting for projection effects, we find that infrared-selected Class I/flat spectrum objects rotate significantly more quickly (median equatorial rotation velocity ~ 38 km/sec) than Classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs; median equatorial rotation velocity ~ 18 km/sec) in the Rho Ophiuchi and Taurus-Aurigae regions. The detected difference in rotation speeds between Class I/flat spectrum sources and CTTSs proves difficult to explain without some mechanism which transfers angular momentum out of the protostar between the two phases. Assuming Class I/flat spectrum sources possess physical characteristics (M_*,R_*,B_*) typical of pre-main sequence stars, fully disk locked Class I objects should have co-rotation radii within their protostellar disks that match well (within 30%) with the predicted magnetic coupling radii of Shu et al (1994). The factor of two difference in rotation rates between Class I/flat spectrum and CTTS sources, when interpreted in the context of disk locking models, also imply a factor of 5 or greater difference in mass accretion rates between the two phases.
We present new high-resolution infrared echelle spectra of V1647 Ori, the young star that illuminates McNeils nebula. From the start, V1647 Ori has been an enigmatic source that has defied classification, in some ways resembling eruptive stars of the FUor class and in other respects the EXor variables. V1647 Ori underwent an outburst in 2003 before fading back to its pre-outburst brightness in 2006. In 2008, it underwent a new outburst. In this paper we present high-resolution K-band and M-band spectra from the W. M. Keck Observatory that were acquired during the 2008 outburst. We compare the spectra to spectra acquired during the previous outburst and quiescent phases. We find that the luminosity and full width at half maximum power of Br-gamma increased as the star has brightened and decreased when the star faded indicating that these phases are driven by variations in the accretion rate. We also show that the temperature of the CO emission has varied with the stellar accretion rate confirming suggestions from modeling of the heating mechanisms of the inner disk (e.g. Glassgold et al. 2004). Finally we find that the lowest energy blue-shifted CO absorption lines originally reported in 2007 are no longer detected. The absence of these lines confirms the short-lived nature of the outflow launched at the start of the quiescent phase in 2006.
We have carried out high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopic observations toward 16 Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) showing strong H$_{2}$ emission features. A dozen bright H$_{2}$ emission lines are clearly detected for individual SNRs, and we have measured their central velocities, line widths, and fluxes. For all SNRs except one (G9.9$-$0.8), the H$_{2}$ line ratios are well consistent with that of thermal excitation at $Tsim2000$ K, indicating that the H$_{2}$ emission lines are most likely from shock-excited gas and therefore that they are physically associated with the remnants. The kinematic distances to the 15 SNRs are derived from the central velocities of the H$_{2}$ lines using a Galactic rotation model. We derive for the first time the kinematic distances to four SNRs: G13.5$+$0.2, G16.0$-$0.5, G32.1$-$0.9, and G33.2$-$0.6. Among the remaining 11 SNRs, the central velocities of the H$_{2}$ emission lines for six SNRs are well consistent ($pm5$ km s$^{-1}$) with those obtained in previous radio observations, while for the other five SNRs (G18.1$-$0.1, G18.9$-$1.1, Kes 69, 3C 396, W49B) they are significantly different. We discuss the velocity discrepancies in these five SNRs. In G9.9$-$0.8, the H$_{2}$ emission shows nonthermal line ratios and narrow line width ($sim 4$ km s$^{-1}$), and we discuss its origin.
We present a near-infrared (0.9-2.4 microns) spectroscopic study of 73 field ultracool dwarfs having spectroscopic and/or kinematic evidence of youth (~10-300 Myr). Our sample is composed of 48 low-resolution (R~100) spectra and 41 moderate-resolution spectra (R>~750-2000). First, we establish a method for spectral typing M5-L7 dwarfs at near-IR wavelengths that is independent of gravity. We find that both visual and index-based classification in the near-IR provide consistent spectral types with optical spectral types, though with a small systematic offset in the case of visual classification at J and K band. Second, we examine features in the spectra of ~10 Myr ultracool dwarfs to define a set of gravity-sensitive indices based on FeH, VO, K, Na and H-band continuum shape. We then create an index-based method for classifying the gravities of M6-L5 dwarfs that provides consistent results with gravity classifications from optical spectroscopy. Our index-based classification can distinguish between young and dusty objects. Guided by the resulting classifications, we propose a set of low-gravity spectral standards for the near-IR. Finally, we estimate the ages corresponding to our gravity classifications.