Engineering topics

Langer, W. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Langer, W. D..

At least 73 records · Page 4

NASA NTRS1985

Shielding of CO from dissociating radiation in interstellar clouds

The paper investigates the photodissociation of CO in interstellar clouds in the light of recent laboratory studies which suggest that line rather than continuum processes dominate its dissociation by ultraviolet radiation. Using a simple radiative transfer model, the shielding of representative dissociating bands is estimated, including self-shielding, mutual shielding between different isotopes, and near coincidences with strong lines of H2. Each of these processes materially affects the photodestruction rates of the various isotopic species in the transition regions of molecular clouds. These results are combined with an appropriate gas phase chemical model to determine how the abundances of the CO isotopes vary with depth into the cloud. It is found that self-shielding and mutual shielding cause significant variations in isotopic ratios. In addition, fractionation enhances species containing C-13. The relationship between the column densities of CO and H2 is found to vary for the different isotopes and to be sensitive to local conditions.

Glassgold, A. E.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Structure and dynamics of the Bok globule B335

CO maps of the Bok globule B335 are presented and used to derive its density profile, mass distribution, and rotational velocity structure. It is found that the cloud is in nearly hydrostatic equilibrium with a density profile that varies roughly as r to the -1 in the core and r to the -3 in the envelope. The observed rotation is unimportant in the force balance at the present stage of evolution.

Frerking, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Measurement of the formaldehyde ortho to para ratio in three molecular clouds

Observations of ortho and para H2CO in two types of clouds, a warm cloud (Orion A) and two cold clouds (L183 and TMC1), are presented. The ortho to para ratio in Orion deduced from the H2(C-13)O data is about three, while that for TMC1 is about one and that for L183 is 1-2. The former value is in agreement with the value calculated from chemical models of ortho and para H2CO production. The values for the cold clouds are consistent with thermal equilibrium at a temperature slightly smaller than 10 K.

Kahane, C.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation in dense interstellar clouds

It is pointed out that isotope fractionation as a result of chemical reactions is due to the small zero-point energy differences between reactants and products of isotopically distinct species. Only at temperatures near absolute zero does this energy difference become significant. Favorable conditions for isotope fractionation on the considered basis exist in space within dense interstellar clouds. Temperatures of approximately 10 K may occur in these clouds. Under such conditions, ion-molecule reactions have the potential to distribute isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen unequally among the interstellar molecules. The present investigation makes use of a detailed model of the time-dependent chemistry of dense interstellar clouds to study cosmological isotope fractionation. Attention is given to fractionation chemistry and the calculation of rate parameters, the isotope fractionation results, and a comparison of theoretical results with observational data.

Langer, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

The relationship between carbon monoxide abundance and visual extinction in interstellar clouds

Carbon monoxide column densities are compared to visual extinctions toward field stars in the rho Oph and Taurus molecular cloud complexes. The relationship of C(0-18) column density to extinction is established, and new determinations for (C-13)O column densities are given for a range of visual extinctions extended to beyond 20 mag. A prescription for determining hydrogen column densities and masses of molecular clouds from observations of CO isotopes is presented and discussed critically. These measurements agree well with the predictions of gas phase chemistry models which include chemical fractionation and selective isotopic photodestruction. The functional dependence of the C(O-18) column density on extinction is characterized by two different regimes separated by a distinct transition observed to occur at 4 mag in both molecular cloud complexes, whereas the functional dependence of (C-13)O is quite different in the two regions. Some saturation is found to occur for C(O-18) emission at high visual extinction and use the rarer isotopic species C(O-17) and (C-13)(O-18) to correct for it.

Frerking, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Detection of pedestal features in dark clouds - Evidence for formation of low mass stars

To assess whether B335 is unique among dark clouds or whether CO-12 pedestal features are quite common, 180 opacity class 5 and 6 Lynds clouds were surveyed. From this set of data, three additional sources were found to have pedestal features. These suggest the presence of embedded low-mass stars, though a hot differentially rotating disk cannot be excluded for B335. Estimates of the mass-loss rate required to produce stellar winds consistent with observations are comparable with mass-loss rates for T Tauri stars. Further, the pedestal feature formation rate is similar to the local low-mass star formation rate.

Frerking, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

The kinetic chemistry of dense interstellar clouds

A model of the time-dependent chemistry of dense interstellar clouds is formulated to study the dominant chemical processes in carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation, the formation of nitrogen-containing molecules, and the evolution of product molecules as a function of cloud density and temperature. The abundances of the dominant isotopes of the carbon- and oxygen-bearing molecules are calculated. The chemical abundances are found to be quite sensitive to electron concentration since the electron concentration determines the ratio of H3(+) to He(+), and the electron density is strongly influenced by the metals abundance. For typical metal abundances and for H2 cloud density not less than 10,000 molecules/cu cm, nearly all carbon exists as CO at late cloud ages. At high cloud density, many aspects of the chemistry are strongly time dependent. Finally, model calculations agree well with abundances deduced from observations of molecular line emission in cold dense clouds.

Graedel, T. E.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Interstellar chemistry - Polycyanoacetylene formation

It is argued that interstellar polycyanoacetylenes are formed not on dust grains by catalytic buildup or by dissociation of longer molecules, but rather by gas phase ion-molecule reactions. The primary evidence for this view is the detection of deuterated cyanoacetylene in an interstellar cloud. It is also argued that the relative abundance of successive homologs of polycyanoacetylenes rules out the grain catalysis theory.

Langer, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1981

A measurement of the hyperfine structure of CO-17

It is pointed out that the isotope of carbon monoxide, CO-17, has appreciable hyperfine structure caused by the electric quadrupole and the magnetic dipole interactions of the O-17 nucleus which has a spin of 5/3. During a radioastronomical study of the structure and dynamics of cold interstellar clouds, it was found that the Bok globule B335 had an extremely small velocity dispersion such that the hyperfine components are clearly resolved. A graph is provided which shows the antenna temperature (a measure of intensity) of the CO-17 emission as a function of frequency. The hyperfine constants and line frequencies were redetermined for the CO-17 J=1 yields 0 rational transition. The observation of CO-17 was carried out with a 7 meter Cassegrain antenna during 1979 and 1980. The CO-17 molecular line parameters are listed in a table.

Frerking, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1978

The formation of molecules in interstellar clouds from singly and multiply ionized atoms

The suggestion is considered that multiply ionized atoms produced by K- and L-shell X-ray ionization and cosmic-ray ionization can undergo ion-molecule reactions and also initiate molecule production. The role of X-rays in molecule production in general is discussed, and the contribution to molecule production of the C(+) radiative association with hydrogen is examined. Such gas-phase reactions of singly and multiply ionized atoms are used to calculate molecular abundances of carbon-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-bearing species. The column densities of the molecules are evaluated on the basis of a modified version of previously developed isobaric cloud models. It is found that reactions of multiply ionized carbon with H2 can contribute a significant fraction of the observed CH in diffuse interstellar clouds in the presence of diffuse X-ray structures or discrete X-ray sources and that substantial amounts of CH(+) can be produced under certain conditions.

Langer, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Observations of DCO/plus/ - The electron abundance in dark clouds

The J equals 2-1 rotational line of DCO(plus) has been definitely detected in five molecular clouds, including three dark clouds, L63, L134, and L134 N, and marginally detected in four others. The DCO(plus) emission has been mapped in L134 N and extends over a region of 3 arcmin. The DCO(plus)/HCO(plus) abundance ratio found at the centers of dark clouds is large and implies a fractional electron abundance of less than one hundred millionth. This low electron density sets constraints on the metals and possibly CO as well as on the hydrogen density.

Guelin, M.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Isotopic abundance of CO in interstellar clouds

The fractional abundances of the isotopic species of carbon monoxide in interstellar clouds are calculated on a basis of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions. The (C-13)O/(C-12)O ratio varies significantly with extinction of the ultraviolet radiation field, and in the outer regions of dark dense clouds (C-13)O may be enhanced by a factor of 10. The observational interpretation of the CO to H2 or interstellar-reddening relation and the isotopic abundances of carbon are complicated by these effects.

Langer, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Isotope ratios and chemical fractionation of CO in Lynds 134

A radio observation of (C-12)(O-17) in the dust cloud Lynds 134 is reported, and the question of the (C-13)(O-16)/(C-12)(O-18) ratio across this cloud is considered. A value of approximately 0.28 is obtained for the (C-12)(O-17) column-density ratio, and it is shown that the (C-13)(O-16)/(C-12)(O-18) ratio is very different at two positions in the cloud separated by about 3.75 arcmin. (C-13)(O-16)/(C-12)(O-18) column-density ratios are calculated on the assumption of LTE and found to have a mean value of 4.8 at six positions in the most obscured part of the cloud; the same ratio is determined to be much larger and variable outside the cloud core. It is suggested that chemical fractionation of CO is occurring in this cloud, that (C-13)(O-16) is considerably enriched in its outer regions, and that the cloud's C-12/C-13 ratio is approximately 104.

Dickman, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Interstellar cloud evolution and the abundance of formaldehyde

The time scale for essentially complete conversion of C(+) to CO in interstellar clouds can be comparable to, or greater than, dynamical time scales for evolution, therefore suggesting steady state time independent abundances to be inappropriate. The solutions for the time-dependent carbon chemistry in dense clouds, with density not less than 500/cu cm, indicate that significant amounts of neutral carbon will be present throughout a cloud's lifetime. These nonequilibrium values of C I can explain the relatively large abundances observed for formaldehyde, isotopes of carbon monoxide, and other trace molecules

Langer, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Abundances of simple oxygen-bearing molecules and ions in interstellar clouds

The abundances of simple oxygen-bearing interstellar molecules in warm (T at least 40 K), diffuse, and moderately thick clouds are calculated on the basis of binary gas-phase reactions. The most important reactions are ion-molecule, charge-exchange, and dissociative-recombination reactions, as suggested mainly by earlier workers. The progenitor of these molecules in diffuse clouds is the cosmic-ray-produced H(+) ion, working through the charge-exchange reaction with O. The ionization of H(+) and He(+) is also discussed. Dissociative charge exchange of He(+) with H2 is an important source of H(+) in regions of large fractional abundance of H2, as well as an important destruction mechanism for He(+) even for small f (at least 0.1). The calculated molecular abundances are consistent with some of the available observational information.

Glassgold, A. E.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Time scales for molecule formation by ion-molecule reactions

Analytical solutions are obtained for nonlinear differential equations governing the time-dependence of molecular abundances in interstellar clouds. Three gas-phase reaction schemes are considered separately for the regions where each dominates. The particular case of CO, and closely related members of the Oh and CH families of molecules, is studied for given values of temperature, density, and the radiation field. Nonlinear effects and couplings with particular ions are found to be important. The time scales for CO formation range from 100,000 to a few million years, depending on the chemistry and regime. The time required for essentially complete conversion of C(+) to CO in the region where the H3(+) chemistry dominates is several million years. Because this time is longer than or comparable to dynamical time scales for dense interstellar clouds, steady-state abundances may not be observed in such clouds.

Langer, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Thermal-chemical instabilities in CO clouds

The stability of interstellar clouds containing CO is analyzed taking account of formation processes for CO. Two such processes are examined: O(+) charge exchange and C(+) radiative association. It is found that the C(+) radiative-association chemistry leads to low-temperature instabilities which influence the evolution of clouds. It is also found that instability may set in if CO production increases sufficiently with density, that the O(+) charge-exchange chemistry leads to instability associated with attenuation of the interstellar radiation field by grains, and that thermal instabilities will also result if grain formation, rather than ion-molecule chemistry, dominates CO production. It is suggested that such instabilities play a role in the fragmentation of interstellar clouds and in the formation of protostellar objects.

Glassgold, A. E.↗

NASA NTRS1975

The C/+/-CO transition in interstellar clouds

Ionized carbon recombines as the ultraviolet radiation field is attenuated inside interstellar clouds. It is proposed that C(+) is transformed into CO, the CO being formed by ion-molecule reactions of C(+) with OH and H2O. The characteristic column density of hydrogen required for the transition is approximately 3 sextillion per sq cm. The C(+)-CO transition has important implications for observations of CO and the thermal properties of sufficiently thick clouds.

Glassgold, A. E.↗