2.12 Micron molecular hydrogen emission from circumstellar disks embedded in the orion nebula

Hua Chen; John Bally; C. Robert O'Dell; Mark J. Mccaughrean; Rodger L. Thompson; Marcia Rieke; Glenn Schneider; Erick T. Young

doi:10.1086/311098

2.12 Micron molecular hydrogen emission from circumstellar disks embedded in the orion nebula

Hua Chen, John Bally, C. Robert O'Dell, Mark J. Mccaughrean, Rodger L. Thompson, Marcia Rieke, Glenn Schneider, Erick T. Young

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38 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present narrowband images of two externally illuminated circumstellar disks embedded in the Orion Nebula. The images were taken with camera 2 of the Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) as part of the Hubble Space Telescope Early Release Observations program. Molecular hydrogen emission is confined to the silhouettes embedded in the objects HST 10 (182-413) and HST 17 (183-419). This emission appears to trace the surfaces of nearly edge-on circumstellar disks and is likely to be excited by the intense far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation field produced by nearby O stars. The presence of this emission confirms that FUV radiation penetrates to the disk surface. The absence of H₂ emission in the region between the ionization front and the disk surface provides evidence that this medium is predominantly atomic. Our observations constitute the first demonstration that the dense circumstellar disks embedded in the proplyds are predominately molecular. While the central star is marginally detected at 2.15 μm in HST 10, the central star of HST 17 is clearly detected.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L173-L176
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	492
Issue number	2 PART II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/311098
State	Published - 1998

Keywords

ISM: clouds
ISM: individual (Orion Nebula)
ISM: molecules
Stars: formation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/311098

Cite this

@article{03726c5a68ba46c9a797f898918235d4,

title = "2.12 Micron molecular hydrogen emission from circumstellar disks embedded in the orion nebula",

abstract = "We present narrowband images of two externally illuminated circumstellar disks embedded in the Orion Nebula. The images were taken with camera 2 of the Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) as part of the Hubble Space Telescope Early Release Observations program. Molecular hydrogen emission is confined to the silhouettes embedded in the objects HST 10 (182-413) and HST 17 (183-419). This emission appears to trace the surfaces of nearly edge-on circumstellar disks and is likely to be excited by the intense far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation field produced by nearby O stars. The presence of this emission confirms that FUV radiation penetrates to the disk surface. The absence of H2 emission in the region between the ionization front and the disk surface provides evidence that this medium is predominantly atomic. Our observations constitute the first demonstration that the dense circumstellar disks embedded in the proplyds are predominately molecular. While the central star is marginally detected at 2.15 μm in HST 10, the central star of HST 17 is clearly detected.",

keywords = "ISM: clouds, ISM: individual (Orion Nebula), ISM: molecules, Stars: formation",

author = "Hua Chen and John Bally and O'Dell, {C. Robert} and Mccaughrean, {Mark J.} and Thompson, {Rodger L.} and Marcia Rieke and Glenn Schneider and Young, {Erick T.}",

note = "Funding Information: It is our pleasure to acknowledge the NICMOS instrument definition team for their more than one decade of dedication that makes these observations possible. We are grateful to Abi Saha for coordinating the Early Release Observation programs and to Eddie Bergeron and Howard Bushouse for their help in the data reduction. We also like to thank our referee for insightful suggestions that improved this Letter. This work is supported in part by NASA grant NAG5-3042 to the NICMOS instrument definition team. C. R. O. was supported in part by NAG5-1626 to Rice and by the German Humboldt Foundation while a guest of the Max-Planck-Institut f{\"u}r Astronomie in Heidelberg. J. B. was supported in part by NASA grant NAGW 3192 (Long-Term Space Astrophysics).",

year = "1998",

doi = "10.1086/311098",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "492",

pages = "L173--L176",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2 PART II",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - 2.12 Micron molecular hydrogen emission from circumstellar disks embedded in the orion nebula

AU - Chen, Hua

AU - Bally, John

AU - O'Dell, C. Robert

AU - Mccaughrean, Mark J.

AU - Thompson, Rodger L.

AU - Rieke, Marcia

AU - Schneider, Glenn

AU - Young, Erick T.

N1 - Funding Information: It is our pleasure to acknowledge the NICMOS instrument definition team for their more than one decade of dedication that makes these observations possible. We are grateful to Abi Saha for coordinating the Early Release Observation programs and to Eddie Bergeron and Howard Bushouse for their help in the data reduction. We also like to thank our referee for insightful suggestions that improved this Letter. This work is supported in part by NASA grant NAG5-3042 to the NICMOS instrument definition team. C. R. O. was supported in part by NAG5-1626 to Rice and by the German Humboldt Foundation while a guest of the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie in Heidelberg. J. B. was supported in part by NASA grant NAGW 3192 (Long-Term Space Astrophysics).

PY - 1998

Y1 - 1998

N2 - We present narrowband images of two externally illuminated circumstellar disks embedded in the Orion Nebula. The images were taken with camera 2 of the Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) as part of the Hubble Space Telescope Early Release Observations program. Molecular hydrogen emission is confined to the silhouettes embedded in the objects HST 10 (182-413) and HST 17 (183-419). This emission appears to trace the surfaces of nearly edge-on circumstellar disks and is likely to be excited by the intense far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation field produced by nearby O stars. The presence of this emission confirms that FUV radiation penetrates to the disk surface. The absence of H2 emission in the region between the ionization front and the disk surface provides evidence that this medium is predominantly atomic. Our observations constitute the first demonstration that the dense circumstellar disks embedded in the proplyds are predominately molecular. While the central star is marginally detected at 2.15 μm in HST 10, the central star of HST 17 is clearly detected.

AB - We present narrowband images of two externally illuminated circumstellar disks embedded in the Orion Nebula. The images were taken with camera 2 of the Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) as part of the Hubble Space Telescope Early Release Observations program. Molecular hydrogen emission is confined to the silhouettes embedded in the objects HST 10 (182-413) and HST 17 (183-419). This emission appears to trace the surfaces of nearly edge-on circumstellar disks and is likely to be excited by the intense far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation field produced by nearby O stars. The presence of this emission confirms that FUV radiation penetrates to the disk surface. The absence of H2 emission in the region between the ionization front and the disk surface provides evidence that this medium is predominantly atomic. Our observations constitute the first demonstration that the dense circumstellar disks embedded in the proplyds are predominately molecular. While the central star is marginally detected at 2.15 μm in HST 10, the central star of HST 17 is clearly detected.

KW - ISM: clouds

KW - ISM: individual (Orion Nebula)

KW - ISM: molecules

KW - Stars: formation

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U2 - 10.1086/311098

DO - 10.1086/311098

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:21944456642

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 492

SP - L173-L176

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 PART II

ER -

2.12 Micron molecular hydrogen emission from circumstellar disks embedded in the orion nebula

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Keywords

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