Wang, Y., Bihr, S., Beuther, H., Rugel, M. R., Soler, J. D., Ott, J., Kainulainen, J., Schneider, N., Klessen, R. S., Glover, S. C. O., McClure-Griffiths, N. M., Goldsmith, P. F., Johnston, K. G., Menten, K. M., Ragan, S., Anderson, L. D., Urquhart, J. S., Linz, H., Roy, N., Smith, R. J., Bigiel, F., Henning, T. and Longmore, S. N. (2020). Cloud formation in the atomic and molecular phase: H I self absorption (HISA) towards a giant molecular filament. Astron. Astrophys., 634. LES ULIS CEDEX A: EDP SCIENCES S A. ISSN 1432-0746

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Molecular clouds form from the atomic phase of the interstellar medium. However, characterizing the transition between the atomic and the molecular interstellar medium (ISM) is a complex observational task. Here we address cloud formation processes by combining HI self absorption (HISA) with molecular line data. Column density probability density functions (N-PDFs) are a common tool for examining molecular clouds. One scenario proposed by numerical simulations is that the N-PDF evolves from a log-normal shape at early times to a power-law-like shape at later times. To date, investigations of N-PDFs have been mostly limited to the molecular component of the cloud. In this paper, we study the cold atomic component of the giant molecular filament GMF38.1-32.4a (GMF38a, distance = 3.4 kpc, length similar to 230 pc), calculate its N-PDFs, and study its kinematics. We identify an extended HISA feature, which is partly correlated with the (CO)-C-13 emission. The peak velocities of the HISA and (CO)-C-13 observations agree well on the eastern side of the filament, whereas a velocity offset of approximately 4 km s(-1) is found on the western side. The sonic Mach number we derive from the linewidth measurements shows that a large fraction of the HISA, which is ascribed to the cold neutral medium (CNM), is at subsonic and transonic velocities. The column density of the CNM part is on the order of 10(20) to 10(21) cm(-2). The column density of molecular hydrogen, traced by (CO)-C-13, is an order of magnitude higher. The N-PDFs from HISA (CNM), HI emission (the warm and cold neutral medium), and (CO)-C-13 (molecular component) are well described by log-normal functions, which is in agreement with turbulent motions being the main driver of cloud dynamics. The N-PDF of the molecular component also shows a power law in the high column-density region, indicating self-gravity. We suggest that we are witnessing two different evolutionary stages within the filament. The eastern subregion seems to be forming a molecular cloud out of the atomic gas, whereas the western subregion already shows high column density peaks, active star formation, and evidence of related feedback processes.

Item Type: Journal Article
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCIDORCID Put Code
Wang, Y.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Bihr, S.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Beuther, H.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Rugel, M. R.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Soler, J. D.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Ott, J.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Kainulainen, J.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Schneider, N.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Klessen, R. S.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Glover, S. C. O.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
McClure-Griffiths, N. M.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Goldsmith, P. F.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Johnston, K. G.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Menten, K. M.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Ragan, S.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Anderson, L. D.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Urquhart, J. S.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Linz, H.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Roy, N.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Smith, R. J.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Bigiel, F.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Henning, T.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Longmore, S. N.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-343908
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201935866
Journal or Publication Title: Astron. Astrophys.
Volume: 634
Date: 2020
Publisher: EDP SCIENCES S A
Place of Publication: LES ULIS CEDEX A
ISSN: 1432-0746
Language: English
Faculty: Unspecified
Divisions: Unspecified
Subjects: no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
KeywordsLanguage
COLUMN DENSITY; INTERSTELLAR-MEDIUM; COLD HYDROGEN; DARK CLOUDS; TEMPERATURE; TRANSITION; RIEGEL; LINE; GAS; EXTINCTIONMultiple languages
Astronomy & AstrophysicsMultiple languages
URI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/34390

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Altmetric

Export

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item