CO line emission from shock waves in molecular clouds

Journal Article · Sun Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/162227· OSTI ID:6301890

Draine, B T; Roberge, W G

Calculations are presented of the emission spectrum of rotationally and vibrationally excited carbon monoxide in shocked interstellar molecular clouds. The calculations are based upon hydrodynamical shock models that include the effects of magnetically driven ion-neutral streaming. They incorporate a variety of collision processes that produce excited CO molecules, including H/sub 2/--CO collisions. The effects of photon trapping on the emission and excitation are included by means of a Sobolev-like approximation. Intensities are given for lines emitted from levels with J< or =60, for C-type shocks with speeds v/sub s/ from 5 to 50 km s/sup -1/, in clouds with densities n/sub H/ between 10/sup 2/ and 10/sup 6/ H nuclei per cm/sup 3/. Population inversions are found amongst the lowest levels of CO for a range of shock speeds and preshock conditions. Maser emission may be observable in favorable cases. Emission from vibrationally excited levels of CO may be detectable from v/sub s/> or approx. =35 km s/sup -1/ shocks in n/sub d/H = 10/sup 6/ cm/sup -3/ clouds.

• Research Organization: Princeton University Observatory
• OSTI ID: 6301890
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 282:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CARBON MONOXIDE
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
INTERSTELLAR GRAINS
SHOCK WAVES
EMISSION SPECTRA
ENERGY-LEVEL DENSITY
EXCITED STATES
IONIZATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MASERS
MOLECULE-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
ROTATIONAL STATES
VIBRATIONAL STATES
AMPLIFIERS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLISIONS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY LEVELS
EQUIPMENT
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
SPECTRA
640105* - Astrophysics &amp; Cosmology- Galaxies