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Register a new userSpitzer mapping of molecular hydrogen pure rotational lines in NGC 1333: A detailed study of feedback in star formation
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We present mid-infrared spectral maps of the NGC 1333 star forming region, obtained with the the Infrared Spectrometer on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. Eight pure H2 rotational lines, from S (0) to S (7), are detected and mapped. The H2 emission appears to be associated with the warm gas shocked by the multiple outflows present in the region. A comparison between the observed intensities and the predictions of detailed shock models indicates that the emission arises in both slow (12 - 24 km/s) and fast (36 - 53 km/s) C-type shocks with an initial ortho-to-para ratio of ~ 1. The present H2 ortho-to-para ratio exhibits a large degree of spatial variations. In the post-shocked gas, it is usually about 2, i.e. close to the equilibrium value (~ 3). However, around at least two outflows, we observe a region with a much lower (~ 0.5) ortho-to-para ratio. This region probably corresponds to gas which has been heated-up recently by the passage of a shock front, but whose ortho-to-para has not reached equilibrium yet. This, together with the low initial ortho-to-para ratio needed to reproduce the observed emission, provide strong evidence that H2 is mostly in para form in cold molecular clouds. The H2 lines are found to contribute to 25 - 50% of the total outflow luminosity, and thus can be used to ascertain the importance of star formation feedback on the natal cloud. From these lines, we determine the outflow mass loss rate and, indirectly, the stellar infall rate, the outflow momentum and the kinetic energy injected into the cloud over the embedded phase. The latter is found to exceed the binding energy of individual cores, suggesting that outflows could be the main mechanism for core disruption.
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Large scale spectral maps of star forming regions enable the comparative study of the gas excitation around an ensemble of sources at a common frame of reference, providing direct insights in the multitude of processes involved. In this paper we employ spectral-line maps to decipher the excitation, the kinematical and dynamical processes in NGC 1333 as revealed by a number of different emission lines, aiming to set a reference for the applicability of tracers in constraining diverse physical processes. We reconstruct line maps for H$_2$ , CO, H$_2$O and C$^+$ using data obtained with the Spitzer-IRS and Herschel HIFI-SPIRE. We compare the morphological features of the maps and derive the gas excitation for regions of interest employing LTE and non-LTE methods. We also calculate the kinematical and dynamical properties for each outflow tracer consistently for all outflows in NGC 1333. We finally measure the water abundance in outflows with respect to carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen. CO and H$_2$ are highly excited around B-stars and at lower levels trace protostellar outflows. H$_2$O emission is dominated by a moderately fast component associated with outflows. Intermediate J CO lines appear brightest at the locations traced by a narrow H$_2$O component, indicating that beyond the dominating collisional processes, a secondary, radiative excitation component can also be active. The morphology, kinematics, excitation and abundance variations of water are consistent with its excitation and partial dissociation in shocks. Water abundance ranges between 5 x 10$^{-7}$ and 10$^{-5}$, with the lower values being more representative. Water is brightest and most abundant around IRAS 4A which is consistent with the latter hosting a hot corino source. Finally, the outflow mass flux is found highest for CO and decreases by one and two orders of magnitude for H$_2$ and H$_2$O, respectively.
Star-formation feedback onto the parent cloud is conventionally examined through the study of molecular outflows. Little is however known on the effect that atomic ejecta, tracing fast shocks, can have on the global cloud properties. In this study we employ Herschel/PACS [OI] and [CII] spectral line maps of the NGC 1333 star-forming region to assess the relative influence of atomic jets onto the star-formation process. Atomic line maps are compared against molecular outflow tracers and atomic ejecta are associated to individual driving sources. We study the detailed morphology and velocity distribution of [OI] line using channel and line-centroid maps and derive the momentum, energy, and mass flux for all the bipolar jets traced by [OI] line emission. We find that the line-centroid maps can trace velocity structures down to 5 km s$^{-1}$ which is a factor of $sim$20 beyond the nominal velocity resolution reached by Herschel/PACS. These maps reveal an unprecedented degree of details that assist significantly in the association and characterization of jets and outflows. Comparisons of the dynamical and kinematical properties shows that [OI] momentum accounts for only $sim$1% of the momentum carried by the large scale CO outflows but the energy released through the jets corresponds to 50 - 100% of the energy released in outflows. The estimated ratios of the jet to the outflow momenta and energies are consistent with the results of two-component, nested jet/outflow simulations, where jets are associated to episodic accretion events. Under this scenario, the energy from atomic jets to the cloud is as important as the energy output from outflows in maintaining turbulence and dissipating the cloud gas.
We present numerical simulations of a 15 solar mass star in a suite of idealised environments in order to quantify the amount of energy transmitted to the interstellar medium (ISM). We include models of stellar winds, UV photoionisation and the subsequent supernova based on theoretical models and observations of stellar evolution. The system is simulated in 3D using RAMSES-RT, an Adaptive Mesh Refinement Radiation Hydrodynamics code. We find that stellar winds have a negligible impact on the system owing to their relatively low luminosity compared to the other processes. The main impact of photoionisation is to reduce the density of the medium into which the supernova explodes, reducing the rate of radiative cooling of the subsequent supernova. Finally, we present a grid of models quantifying the energy and momentum of the system that can be used to motivate simulations of feedback in the ISM unable to fully resolve the processes discussed in this work.
Herschel-HIFI observations of high-J lines (up to J_u=10) of 12CO, 13CO and C18O are presented toward three deeply embedded low-mass protostars, NGC 1333 IRAS 2A, IRAS 4A, and IRAS 4B, obtained as part of the Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel (WISH) key program. The spectrally-resolved HIFI data are complemented by ground-based observations of lower-J CO and isotopologue lines. The 12CO 10-9 profiles are dominated by broad (FWHM 25-30 km s^-1) emission. Radiative transfer models are used to constrain the temperature of this shocked gas to 100-200 K. Several CO and 13CO line profiles also reveal a medium-broad component (FWHM 5-10 km s^-1), seen prominently in H2O lines. Column densities for both components are presented, providing a reference for determining abundances of other molecules in the same gas. The narrow C18O 9-8 lines probe the warmer part of the quiescent envelope. Their intensities require a jump in the CO abundance at an evaporation temperature around 25 K, thus providing new direct evidence for a CO ice evaporation zone around low-mass protostars.
We present a comprehensive analysis of structure in the young, embedded cluster, NGC 1333 using members identified with Spitzer and 2MASS photometry based on their IR-excess emission. In total, 137 members are identified in this way, composed of 39 protostars and 98 more evolved pre-main sequence stars with disks. Of the latter class, four are transition/debris disk candidates. The fraction of exposed pre-main sequence stars with disks is 83% +/- 11%, showing that there is a measurable diskless pre-main sequence population. The sources in each of the Class I and Class II evolutionary states are shown to have very different spatial distributions relative to the distribution of the dense gas in their natal cloud. However, the distribution of nearest neighbor spacings among these two groups of sources are found to be quite similar, with a strong peak at spacings of 0.045 pc. Radial and azimuthal density profiles and surface density maps computed from the identified YSOs show that NGC 1333 is elongated and not strongly centrally concentrated, confirming previous claims in the literature. We interpret these new results as signs of a low velocity dispersion, extremely young cluster that is not in virial equilibrium.
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