WATER ABSORPTION FROM GAS VERY NEAR THE MASSIVE PROTOSTAR AFGL 2136 IRS 1
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States)
- Department of Physics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)
We present ground-based observations of the ν{sub 1} and ν{sub 3} fundamental bands of H{sub 2}O toward the massive protostar AFGL 2136 IRS 1, identifying absorption features due to 47 different ro-vibrational transitions between 2.468 μm and 2.561 μm. Analysis of these features indicates the absorption arises in warm (T = 506 ± 25 K), very dense (n(H{sub 2}) > 5 × 10{sup 9} cm{sup –3}) gas, suggesting an origin close to the central protostar. The total column density of warm water is estimated to be N(H{sub 2}O) = (1.02 ± 0.02) × 10{sup 19} cm{sup –2}, giving a relative abundance of N(H{sub 2}O)/N(H{sub 2}) ≈ 10{sup –4}. Our study represents the first extensive use of water vapor absorption lines in the near infrared, and demonstrates the utility of such observations in deriving physical parameters.
- OSTI ID:
- 22270887
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 776, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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