Engineering topics

Heiles, Carl

Publications and source records attributed to Heiles, Carl.

At least 19 records

DOE OSTI2022

Whence the Interstellar Magnetic Field Shaping the Heliosphere?

Measurements of starlight polarized by aligned interstellar dust grains are used to probe the relation between the orientation of the ambient interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) and the ISMF traced by the ribbons of energetic neutral atoms discovered by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft. We utilize polarization data, many acquired specifically for this study, to trace the configuration of the ISMF within 40 pc. A statistical analysis yields a best-fit ISMF orientation, B magpol , aligned with Galactic coordinates ℓ = 42°, b = 49°. Further analysis shows the ISMF is more orderly for "downfield" stars located over 90° from Bmagpol. The data subset of downfield stars yields an orientation for the nearby ISMF at ecliptic coordinates λ, β ≈ 219° ± 15°, 43° ± 9° (Galactic coordinates l, b ≈ 40°, 56°, ±17°). This best-fit ISMF orientation from polarization data is close to the field direction obtained from ribbon models. This agreement suggests that the ISMF shaping the heliosphere belongs to an extended ordered magnetic field. Extended filamentary structures are found throughout the sky. A previously discovered filament traversing the heliosphere nose region, "Filament A," extends over 300° of the sky, and crosses the upwind direction of interstellar dust flowing into the heliosphere. Filament A overlaps the locations of the Voyager kilohertz emissions, three quasar intraday variables, cosmic microwave background (CMB) components, and the inflow direction of interstellar grains sampled by Ulysses and Galileo. These features are likely located in the upstream outer heliosheath where ISMF drapes over the heliosphere, suggesting Filament A coincides with a dusty magnetized plasma. A filament 55° long is aligned with a possible shock interface between local interstellar clouds. A dark spot in the CMB is seen within 5° of the filament and within 10° of the downfield ISMF direction. Two large magnetic arcs are centered on the directions of the heliotail. The overlap between CMB components and the aligned dust grains forming Filament A indicates the configuration of dust entrained in the ISMF interacting with the heliosphere provides a measurable foreground to the CMB.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

OH Survey along Sightlines of Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+

We have obtained OH spectra of four transitions in the {sup 2}Π{sub 3/2} ground state, at 1612, 1665, 1667, and 1720 MHz, toward 51 sightlines that were observed in the Herschel project Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+. The observations cover the longitude range of (32°, 64°) and (189°, 207°) in the northern Galactic plane. All of the diffuse OH emissions conform to the so-called “Sum Rule” of the four brightness temperatures, indicating optically thin emission conditions for OH from diffuse clouds in the Galactic plane. The column densities of the H i “halos” N(H i) surrounding molecular clouds increase monotonically with OH column density, N(OH), until saturating when N(H I)=1.0×10{sup 21} cm{sup −2} and N(OH)⩾4.5×10{sup 15} cm{sup −2}, indicating the presence of molecular gas that cannot be traced by H i. Such a linear correlation, albeit weak, is suggestive of H I halos’ contribution to the UV shielding required for molecular formation. About 18% of OH clouds have no associated CO emission (CO-dark) at a sensitivity of 0.07 K, but are associated with C{sup +} emission. A weak correlation exists between C{sup +} intensity and OH column density for CO-dark molecular clouds. These results imply that OH seems to be a better tracer of molecular gas than CO in diffuse molecular regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Recovering Interstellar Gas Properties with Hi Spectral Lines: A Comparison between Synthetic Spectra and 21-SPONGE

We analyze synthetic neutral hydrogen (H i) absorption and emission spectral lines from a high-resolution, three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulation to quantify how well observational methods recover the physical properties of interstellar gas. We present a new method for uniformly decomposing H i spectral lines and estimating the properties of associated gas using the Autonomous Gaussian Decomposition (AGD) algorithm. We find that H i spectral lines recover physical structures in the simulation with excellent completeness at high Galactic latitude, and this completeness declines with decreasing latitude due to strong velocity-blending of spectral lines. The temperature and column density inferred from our decomposition and radiative transfer method agree with the simulated values within a factor of <2 for the majority of gas structures. We next compare synthetic spectra with observations from the 21-SPONGE survey at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array using AGD. We find more components per line of sight in 21-SPONGE than in synthetic spectra, which reflects insufficient simulated gas scale heights and the limitations of local box simulations. In addition, we find a significant population of low-optical depth, broad absorption components in the synthetic data which are not seen in 21-SPONGE. This population is not obvious in integrated or per-channel diagnostics, and reflects the benefit of studying velocity-resolved components. The discrepant components correspond to the highest spin temperatures (1000<T{sub s}<4000 K), which are not seen in 21-SPONGE despite sufficient observational sensitivity. We demonstrate that our analysis method is a powerful tool for diagnosing neutral interstellar medium conditions, and future work is needed to improve observational statistics and implementation of simulated physics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

VARIATIONS BETWEEN DUST AND GAS IN THE DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM. II. SEARCH FOR COLD GAS

The content of interstellar clouds, in particular the inventory of diffuse molecular gas, remains uncertain. We identified a sample of isolated clouds, approximately 100 M {sub ⊙} in size, and used the dust content to estimate the total amount of gas. In Paper I, the total inferred gas content was found significantly larger than that seen in 21 cm emission measurements of H i. In this paper we test the hypothesis that the apparent excess “dark” gas is cold H i, which would be evident in absorption but not in emission due to line saturation. The results show that there is not enough 21 cm absorption toward the clouds to explain the total amount of “dark” gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

First results from COPSS: The CO power spectrum survey

We present constraints on the abundance of carbon monoxide in the early universe from the CO Power Spectrum Survey. We utilize a data set collected between 2005 and 2008 using the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich Array (SZA), which was previously used to measure arcminute-scale fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background. This data set features observations of 44 fields, covering an effective area of 1.7 square degrees, over a frequency range of 27–35 GHz. Using the technique of intensity mapping, we are able to probe the CO(1–0) transition, with sensitivity to spatial modes between k = 0.5–2 h Mpc{sup −1} over a range in redshift of z = 2.3–3.3, spanning a comoving volume of 3.6 × 10{sup 6} h{sup −3} Mpc{sup 3}. We demonstrate our ability to mitigate foregrounds, and present estimates of the impact of continuum sources on our measurement. We constrain the CO power spectrum to P{sub CO} < 2.6 × 10{sup 4} μK{sup 2} (h{sup −1} Mpc){sup 3}, or Δ{sup 2}{sub CO}(k = 1 h Mpc{sup −1}) < 1.3 × 10{sup 3} μK{sup 2}, at 95% confidence. This limit resides near optimistic predictions for the CO power spectrum. Under the assumption that CO emission is proportional to halo mass during bursts of active star formation, this corresponds to a limit on the ratio of CO(1–0) luminosity to host halo mass of A{sub CO} < 1.2 × 10{sup −5} L{sub ⊙} M{sub ⊙}{sup −1}. Further assuming a Milky Way-like conversion factor between CO luminosity and molecular gas mass (α{sub CO} = 4.3 M{sub ⊙} (K km s{sup −1} pc{sup −2}){sup −1}), we constrain the global density of molecular gas to ρ{sub z∼3}(M{sub H{sub 2}})⩽2.8×10{sup 8} M{sub ⊙} Mpc{sup −3}.

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DOE OSTI2015

VARIATIONS BETWEEN DUST AND GAS IN THE DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Using the Planck far-infrared and Arecibo GALFA 21 cm line surveys, we identified a set of isolated interstellar clouds (approximately degree-sized on the sky and comprising 100 solar masses) and assessed the ratio of gas mass to dust mass. Significant variations of the gas/dust ratio are found both from cloud to cloud and within regions of individual clouds; within the clouds, the atomic gas per unit dust decreases by more than a factor of 3 compared with the standard gas/dust ratio. Three hypotheses are considered. First, the apparently low gas/dust ratio could be due to molecular gas. Comparing to Planck CO maps, the brightest clouds have a H{sub 2}/CO ratio comparable to Galactic plane clouds, but a strong lower limit is placed on the ratio for other clouds, such that the required amount of molecular gas is far higher than would be expected based on the CO upper limits. Second, we consider self-absorbed 21 cm lines and find that the optical depth must be ∼3, significantly higher than found from surveys of radio sources. Third, grain properties may change within the clouds: they become more emissive when they are colder, while not utilizing heavy elements that already have their cosmic abundance fully locked into grains. It is possible that all three processes are active, and follow-up studies will be required to disentangle them and measure the true total gas and dust content of interstellar clouds.

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DOE OSTI2015

Cold and warm atomic gas around the Perseus molecular cloud. II. The impact of high optical depth on the HI column density distribution and its implication for the HI-TO-H{sub 2} transition

We investigate the impact of high optical depth on the HI saturation observed in the Perseus molecular cloud by using Arecibo HI emission and absorption measurements toward 26 radio continuum sources. The spin temperature and optical depth of individual HI components are derived along each line of sight, enabling us to estimate the correction for high optical depth. We examine two different methods for the correction, Gaussian decomposition and isothermal methods, and find that they are consistent (maximum correction factor ∼1.2), likely due to the relatively low optical depth and insignificant contribution from the diffuse radio continuum emission for Perseus. We apply the correction to the optically thin HI column density on a pixel-by-pixel basis and find that the total HI mass increases by ∼10%. Using the corrected HI column density image and far-infrared data from the IRIS Survey, we then derive the H{sub 2} column density on ∼0.4 pc scales. For five dark and star-forming sub-regions, the HI surface density is uniform with Σ{sub HI} ∼ 7–9 M{sub ⊙} pc{sup −2}, in agreement with the minimum HI surface density required for shielding H{sub 2} against photodissociation. As a result, Σ{sub H{sub 2}}/Σ{sub HI} and Σ{sub HI}+Σ{sub H{sub 2}} show a tight relation. Our results are consistent with predictions for H{sub 2} formation in steady state and chemical equilibrium and suggest that H{sub 2} formation is mainly responsible for the Σ{sub HI} saturation in Perseus. We also compare the optically thick HI with the observed “CO-dark” gas and find that the optically thick HI only accounts for ∼20% of the “CO-dark” gas in Perseus.

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DOE OSTI2015

The 21-SPONGE H i absorption survey. I. Techniques and initial results

We present methods and results from “21 cm Spectral Line Observations of Neutral Gas with the EVLA” (21-SPONGE), a large survey for Galactic neutral hydrogen (H i) absorption with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). With the upgraded capabilities of the VLA, we reach median rms noise in optical depth of σ{sub τ}=9×10{sup −4} per 0.42 km s{sup −1} channel for the 31 sources presented here. Upon completion, 21-SPONGE will be the largest H i absorption survey with this high sensitivity. We discuss the observations and data reduction strategies, as well as line fitting techniques. We prove that the VLA bandpass (BP) is stable enough to detect broad, shallow lines associated with warm H i, and we show that BP observations can be combined in time to reduce spectral noise. In combination with matching H i emission profiles from the Arecibo Observatory (∼3.′5 angular resolution), we estimate excitation (or spin) temperatures (T{sub s}) and column densities for Gaussian components fitted to sightlines along which we detect H i absorption (30/31). We measure temperatures up to T{sub s}∼1500 K for individual lines, showing that we can probe the thermally unstable interstellar medium (ISM) directly. However, we detect fewer of these thermally unstable components than expected from previous observational studies. We probe a wide range in column density between ∼10{sup 16} and >10{sup 21} cm{sup −2} for individual H i clouds. In addition, we reproduce the trend between cold gas fraction and average T{sub s} found by the Kim et al. synthetic observations of a hydrodynamic ISM simulation. Finally, we compare methods for estimating T{sub s} using H i observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

AUTONOMOUS GAUSSIAN DECOMPOSITION

We present a new algorithm, named Autonomous Gaussian Decomposition (AGD), for automatically decomposing spectra into Gaussian components. AGD uses derivative spectroscopy and machine learning to provide optimized guesses for the number of Gaussian components in the data, and also their locations, widths, and amplitudes. We test AGD and find that it produces results comparable to human-derived solutions on 21 cm absorption spectra from the 21 cm SPectral line Observations of Neutral Gas with the EVLA (21-SPONGE) survey. We use AGD with Monte Carlo methods to derive the H i line completeness as a function of peak optical depth and velocity width for the 21-SPONGE data, and also show that the results of AGD are stable against varying observational noise intensity. The autonomy and computational efficiency of the method over traditional manual Gaussian fits allow for truly unbiased comparisons between observations and simulations, and for the ability to scale up and interpret the very large data volumes from the upcoming Square Kilometer Array and pathfinder telescopes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Cold and warm atomic gas around the Perseus molecular cloud. I. Basic properties

Using the Arecibo Observatory, we have obtained neutral hydrogen (HI) absorption and emission spectral pairs in the direction of 26 background radio continuum sources in the vicinity of the Perseus molecular cloud. Strong absorption lines were detected in all cases, allowing us to estimate spin temperature (T{sub s} ) and optical depth for 107 individual Gaussian components along these lines of sight. Basic properties of individual H I clouds (spin temperature, optical depth, and the column density of the cold and warm neutral medium (CNM and WNM), respectively) in and around Perseus are very similar to those found for random interstellar lines of sight sampled by the Millennium H I survey. This suggests that the neutral gas found in and around molecular clouds is not atypical. However, lines of sight in the vicinity of Perseus have, on average, a higher total H I column density and the CNM fraction, suggesting an enhanced amount of cold H I relative to an average interstellar field. Our estimated optical depth and spin temperature are in stark contrast with the recent attempt at using Planck data to estimate properties of the optically thick H I. Only ∼15% of lines of sight in our study have a column density weighted average spin temperature lower than 50 K, in comparison with ≳ 85% of Planck's sky coverage. The observed CNM fraction is inversely proportional to the optical depth weighted average spin temperature, in excellent agreement with the recent numerical simulations by Kim et al. While the CNM fraction is, on average, higher around Perseus relative to a random interstellar field, it is generally low, between 10%-50%. This suggests that extended WNM envelopes around molecular clouds and/or significant mixing of CNM and WNM throughout molecular clouds are present and should be considered in the models of molecule and star formation. Our detailed comparison of H I absorption with CO emission spectra shows that only 3 of the 26 directions are clear candidates for probing the CO-dark gas as they have N(H I)>10{sup 21} cm{sup –2} yet no detectable CO emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

TADPOL: A 1.3 mm SURVEY OF DUST POLARIZATION IN STAR-FORMING CORES AND REGIONS

We present λ 1.3 mm Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy observations of dust polarization toward 30 star-forming cores and eight star-forming regions from the TADPOL survey. We show maps of all sources, and compare the ∼2.''5 resolution TADPOL maps with ∼20'' resolution polarization maps from single-dish submillimeter telescopes. Here we do not attempt to interpret the detailed B-field morphology of each object. Rather, we use average B-field orientations to derive conclusions in a statistical sense from the ensemble of sources, bearing in mind that these average orientations can be quite uncertain. We discuss three main findings. (1) A subset of the sources have consistent magnetic field (B-field) orientations between large (∼20'') and small (∼2.''5) scales. Those same sources also tend to have higher fractional polarizations than the sources with inconsistent large-to-small-scale fields. We interpret this to mean that in at least some cases B-fields play a role in regulating the infall of material all the way down to the ∼1000 AU scales of protostellar envelopes. (2) Outflows appear to be randomly aligned with B-fields; although, in sources with low polarization fractions there is a hint that outflows are preferentially perpendicular to small-scale B-fields, which suggests that in these sources the fields have been wrapped up by envelope rotation. (3) Finally, even at ∼2.''5 resolution we see the so-called polarization hole effect, where the fractional polarization drops significantly near the total intensity peak. All data are publicly available in the electronic edition of this article.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

EXCITATION TEMPERATURE OF THE WARM NEUTRAL MEDIUM AS A NEW PROBE OF THE Lyα RADIATION FIELD

We use the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to conduct a high-sensitivity survey of neutral hydrogen (H I) absorption in the Milky Way. In combination with corresponding H I emission spectra obtained mostly with the Arecibo Observatory, we detect a widespread warm neutral medium component with excitation temperature 〈T{sub s}〉=7200{sub −1200}{sup +1800} K (68% confidence). This temperature lies above theoretical predictions based on collisional excitation alone, implying that Lyα scattering, the most probable additional source of excitation, is more important in the interstellar medium (ISM) than previously assumed. Our results demonstrate that H I absorption can be used to constrain the Lyα radiation field, a critical quantity for studying the energy balance in the ISM and intergalactic medium yet notoriously difficult to model because of its complicated radiative transfer, in and around galaxies nearby and at high redshift.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

The role of magnetic fields in starburst galaxies as revealed by OH megamasers

We present estimates of magnetic field strengths in the interstellar media of starburst galaxies derived from measurements of Zeeman splitting associated with OH megamasers. The results for eight galaxies with Zeeman detections suggest that the magnetic energy density in the interstellar medium of starburst galaxies is comparable to their hydrostatic gas pressure, as in the Milky Way. We discuss the significant uncertainties in this conclusion, and possible measurements that could reduce these uncertainties. We also compare the Zeeman splitting derived magnetic field estimates to magnetic field strengths estimated using synchrotron fluxes and assuming that the magnetic field and cosmic rays have comparable energy densities, known as the 'minimum energy' argument. We find that the minimum energy argument systematically underestimates magnetic fields in starburst galaxies, and that the conditions that would be required to produce agreement between the minimum energy estimate and the Zeeman derived estimate of interstellar medium magnetic fields are implausible. The conclusion that magnetic fields in starburst galaxies exceed the minimum energy magnetic fields is consistent with starburst galaxies adhering to the linearity of the far-infrared-radio correlation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

Characterizing the turbulent properties of the starless molecular cloud MBM 16

We investigate turbulent properties of the non-star-forming, translucent molecular cloud MBM 16 by applying the statistical technique of a two-dimensional spatial power spectrum (SPS) on the neutral hydrogen (H I) observations obtained by the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array H I survey. The SPS, calculated over the range of spatial scales from 0.1 to 17 pc, is well represented with a single power-law function, with a slope ranging from –3.3 to –3.7 and being consistent over the velocity range of MBM 16 for a fixed velocity channel thickness. However, the slope varies significantly with the velocity slice thickness, suggesting that both velocity and density contribute to H I intensity fluctuations. By using this variation, we estimate the slope of three-dimensional density fluctuations in MBM 16 to be –3.7 ± 0.2. This is significantly steeper than what has been found for H I in the Milky Way plane, the Small Magellanic Cloud, or the Magellanic Bridge, suggesting that interstellar turbulence in MBM 16 is driven on scales >17 pc and that the lack of stellar feedback could be responsible for the steep power spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

CONSTRAINTS ON OH MEGAMASER EXCITATION FROM A SURVEY OF OH SATELLITE LINES

We report the results of a full-Stokes survey of all four 18 cm OH lines in 77 OH megamasers (OHMs) using the Arecibo Observatory. This is the first survey of OHMs that included observations of the OH satellite lines; only four of the 77 OHMs have existing satellite line observations in the literature. Satellite line emission is detected in five sources, three of which are redetections of previously published sources. The two sources with new detections of satellite line emission are IRAS F10173+0829, which was detected at 1720 MHz, and IRAS F15107+0724, for which both the 1612 MHz and 1720 MHz lines were detected. In IRAS F15107+0724, the satellite lines are partially conjugate, as 1720 MHz absorption and 1612 MHz emission have the same structure at some velocities within the source, along with additional broader 1612 MHz emission. This is the first observed example of conjugate satellite lines in an OHM. In the remaining sources, no satellite line emission is observed. The detections and upper limits are generally consistent with models of OHM emission in which all of the 18 cm OH lines have the same excitation temperature. There is no evidence for a significant population of strong satellite line emitters among OHMs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

MISALIGNMENT OF MAGNETIC FIELDS AND OUTFLOWS IN PROTOSTELLAR CORES

We present results of {lambda}1.3 mm dust-polarization observations toward 16 nearby, low-mass protostars, mapped with {approx}2.''5 resolution at CARMA. The results show that magnetic fields in protostellar cores on scales of {approx}1000 AU are not tightly aligned with outflows from the protostars. Rather, the data are consistent with scenarios where outflows and magnetic fields are preferentially misaligned (perpendicular), or where they are randomly aligned. If one assumes that outflows emerge along the rotation axes of circumstellar disks, and that the outflows have not disrupted the fields in the surrounding material, then our results imply that the disks are not aligned with the fields in the cores from which they formed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

AN ARECIBO SURVEY FOR ZEEMAN SPLITTING IN OH MEGAMASER GALAXIES

We present the results of a comprehensive survey using the Arecibo Observatory for Zeeman splitting of OH lines in OH megamasers (OHMs). A total of 77 sources were observed with the Arecibo telescope. Of these, maser emission could not be detected for eight sources, and two sources were only ambiguously detected. Another 27 sources were detected at low signal-to-noise ratios or with interference that prevented placing any useful limits on the presence of magnetic fields. In 26 sources, it was possible to place upper limits on the magnitude of magnetic fields, typically between 10 and 30 mG. For 14 sources, the Stokes V spectra exhibit features consistent with Zeeman splitting. Eleven of these 14 are new detections, and the remaining three are re-detections of Stokes V detections in Robishaw et al. Among confident new detections, we derive magnetic fields associated with maser regions with magnitudes ranging from 6.1 to 27.6 mG. The distribution of magnetic field strengths suggests the magnetic fields in OH masing clouds in OHMs are larger than those in Galactic OH masers. The results are consistent with magnetic fields playing a dynamically important role in OH masing clouds in OHMs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

THE REMARKABLE HIGH PRESSURE OF THE LOCAL LEO COLD CLOUD

Using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained high-resolution ultraviolet spectra of the C I absorption toward two stars behind the Local Leo Cold Cloud (LLCC). At a distance ( Almost-Equal-To 20 pc) that places it well inside the Local Bubble, the LLCC is the nearest example of the coldest known (T Almost-Equal-To 20 K) diffuse interstellar clouds. The STIS measurements of the C I fine-structure excitation toward HD 85259 and HD 83023 indicate that the thermal gas pressure of the LLCC is much greater than that of the warm clouds in the Local Bubble. The mean LLCC pressure measured toward these two stars (60,000 cm{sup -3} K) implies an H I density of Almost-Equal-To 3000 cm{sup -3} and a cloud thickness of Almost-Equal-To 200 AU at the 20 K cloud temperature. Such a thin, cold, dense structure could arise at the collision interface between converging flows of warm gas. However, the measured LLCC pressure is appreciably higher than that expected in the colliding-cloud interpretation given the velocity and column density constraints on warm clouds in the HD 85259 and HD 83023 sightlines. Additional STIS measurements of the Zn II, Ni II, and Cr II column densities toward HD 85259 indicate that the LLCC has a modest 'warm cloud' dust depletion pattern consistent with its low dust-to-gas ratio determined from H I 21 cm and 100 {mu}m observations. In support of the inferred sheet-like geometry for the LLCC, a multi-epoch comparison of the Na I absorption toward a high-proper-motion background star reveals a 40% column density variation indicative of LLCC Na I structure on a scale of Almost-Equal-To 50 AU.

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