No Arabic abstract
We present 3 um spectroscopy of the carbon-rich proto-planetary nebulae IRAS 04296+3429 and IRAS 05341+0852 conducted with the adaptive optics system at the Subaru Telescope. We utilize the nearly diffraction-limited spectroscopy to probe the spatial extent of the hydrocarbon dust emitting zone. We find a hydrocarbon emission core extending up to 100--160 mas from the center of IRAS 04296+3429, corresponding to a physical diameter of 400--640 AU, assuming a distance of 4 kpc. On the other hand, we find that IRAS 05341+0852 is not spatially resolved with this instrumentation. The physical extent of these proto-planetary nebulae, along with the reanalyzed data of IRAS 22272+5435 published previously, suggests a correlation between the physical extent of the hydrocarbon dust emission and the spectral evolution of the aliphatic to aromatic features in these post-AGB stars. These measurements represent the first direct test of the proposed chemical synthesis route of carbonaceous dust in the circumstellar environment of evolved stars.
We present medium-resolution 3 um spectroscopy of the carbon-rich proto-planetary nebula IRAS 22272+5435. Spectroscopy with the Subaru Telescope adaptive optics system revealed a spatial variation of hydrocarbon molecules and dust surrounding the star. The ro-vibrational bands of acetylene (C2H2) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) at 3.0 um are evident in the central star spectra. The molecules are concentrated in the compact region near the center. The 3.3 and 3.4 um emission of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons is detected at 600--1300 AU from the central star. The separation of spatial distribution between gas and dust suggests that the small hydrocarbon molecules are indeed the source of solid material, and that the gas leftover from the grain formation is being observed near the central star. The intensity of aliphatic hydrocarbon emission relative to the aromatic hydrocarbon emission decreases with distance from the central star. The spectral variation is well matched to that of a laboratory analog thermally annealed with different temperatures. We suggest that either the thermal process after the formation of a grain or the variation in the temperature in the dust-forming region over time determines the chemical composition of the hydrocarbon dust around the proto-planetary nebula.
The optical spectrum of the infrared source IRAS 04296+3429 (optical counterpart-G0 Ia star, V=14.2) was obtained with the echelle spectrometer PFES at the prime focus of the 6 m telescope. We discover emission bands (0,0) and (0,1) of the Swan system of the C2 molecule in the optical spectrum of IRAS 04296+3429. Comparison with the spectrum of the Hale-Bopp comet leads us to propose that in both cases the same mechanism (resonance fluorescence) is responsible for the emission in the C2 molecular bands. Several strong absorption features whose positions coincide with known diffuse interstellar bands are revealed in the spectrum of IRAS 04296+3429. The infrared spectrum of IRAS 04296+3429 shows the famous 21 um feature, but this object has not been observed by KAO. However, like IRAS 05113+1347, IRAS 05341+0852 and IRAS 22223+4327, our detailed modelling of its spectral energy distribution suggested that this source also should show the 30 um band. In fact, ISO discovered a broad, relatively strong feature around 30 um for IRAS 04296+3429. The surface chemical composition of the source IRAS 04296+3429 is metal-deficient (the averaged value of the abundances of the iron group elements Ti, V, Cr and Fe relative to the solar values is [M/H]=-0.9 and has been considerably altered during the evolution: carbon, nitrogen and s-process elements are overabundant relative to the metallicity. The totality of physical and chemical parameters derived for IRAS 04296+3429 confirms a relation between presence of the feature at 21 um in the spectrum of a carbon rich star and an excess of the s-process elements.
In this work we study the spectral properties (3600 - 6800 A) of the nuclear region of early-type galaxies at low (|b|<25, intermediate (including surroundings of the Magellanic Clouds) and high (South Polar Cap) Galactic latitudes. We determine the E(B-V) reddening values of the galaxies by matching their continuum distribution with respect to those of reddening-free spectral galaxy templates with similar stellar populations. We also compare the spectroscopic reddening value of each galaxy with that derived from 100 micron dust emission (E(B-V)_{FIR}) in its line of sight, and we find that there is agreement up to E(B-V)=0.25. Beyond this limit E(B-V)_{FIR} values are higher. Taking into account the data up to E(B-V) approx 0.7, we derive a calibration factor of 0.016 between the spectroscopic E(B-V) values and Schlegel et al.s (1998) opacities. By combining this result with an A_K extinction map built within ten degrees of the Galactic centre using Bulge giants as probes (Dutra et al. 2003), we extended the calibration of dust emission reddening maps to low Galactic latitudes down to |b|=4 and E(B-V)= 1.6 (A_V approx 5). According to this new calibration, a multiplicative factor of approximately 0.75 must be applied to the COBE/IRAS dust emission reddening maps.
We present a study of the circumstellar environment of IRAS 04158+2805 based on multi-wavelength observations and models. Images in the optical and near-infrared, a polarisation map in the optical, and mid-infrared spectra were obtained with VLT-FORS1, CFHT-IR, and Spitzer-IRS. Additionally we used an X-ray spectrum observed with Chandra. We interpret the observations in terms of a central star surrounded by an axisymmetric circumstellar disc, but without an envelope, to test the validity of this simple geometry. We estimate the structural properties of the disc and its gas and dust content. We modelled the dust disc with a 3D continuum radiative transfer code, MCFOST, based on a Monte-Carlo method that provides synthetic scattered light images and polarisation maps, as well as spectral energy distributions. We find that the disc images and spectral energy distribution narrowly constrain many of the disc model parameters, such as a total dust mass of 1.0-1.75x10^-4 sollar masses and an inclination of 62-63 degrees. The maximum grain size required to fit all available data is of the order of 1.6-2.8 microns although the upper end of this range is loosely constrained. The observed optical polarisation map is reproduced well by the same disc model, suggesting that the geometry we find is adequate and the optical properties are representative of the visible dust content. We compare the inferred dust column density to the gas column density derived from the X-ray spectrum and find a gas-to-dust ratio along the line of sight that is consistent with the ISM value. To our knowledge, this measurement is the first to directly compare dust and gas column densities in a protoplanetary disc.
IRAS 18511+0146 is a young embedded (proto)cluster located at 3.5 kpc surrounding what appears to be an intermediate mass protostar. In this paper, we investigate the nature of cluster members (two of which are believed to be the most massive and luminous) using imaging and spectroscopy in the near and mid-infrared. The brightest point-like object associated with IRAS 18511+0146 is referred to as S7 in the present work (designated UGPS J185337.88+015030.5 in the UKIRT Galactic Plane survey). Seven of the nine objects show rising spectral energy distributions (SED) in the near-infrared, with four objects showing Br-gamma emission. Three members: S7, S10 (also UGPS J185338.37+015015.3) and S11 (also UGPS J185338.72+015013.5) are bright in mid-infrared with diffuse emission being detected in the vicinity of S11 in PAH bands. Silicate absorption is detected towards these three objects, with an absorption maximum between 9.6 and 9.7 um, large optical depths (1.8-3.2), and profile widths of 1.6-2.1 um. The silicate profiles of S7 and S10 are similar, in contrast to S11 (which has the largest width and optical depth). The cold dust emission investigated using Herschel HiGal peaks at S7, with temperature at 26 K and column density N(H2) ~ 7 x 10^(22) cm^(-2). The bolometric luminosity of IRAS 18511 region is L ~ 1.8 x 10^4 L_sun. S7 is the main contributor to the bolometric luminosity, with L (S7) > 10^4 L_sun. S7 is a high mass protostellar object with ionised stellar winds, evident from the correlation between radio and bolometric luminosity as well as the asymmetric Br-gamma profile. The differences in silicate profiles of S7 and S11 could be due to different radiation environment as we believe the former to be more massive and in an earlier phase than the latter.