Study of interstellar molecular clouds using formaldehyde absorption toward extragalactic radio sources

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/784/2/129· OSTI ID:22357250

Araya, E. D.; Andreev, N. ^[1]; Dieter-Conklin, N. ^[2]; Goss, W. M. ^[3]

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1. Physics Department, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455 (United States)
2. Radio Astronomy Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley (United States)
3. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 0, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)

We present new Very Large Array 6 cm H{sub 2}CO observations toward four extragalactic radio continuum sources (B0212+735, 3C 111, NRAO 150, and BL Lac) to explore the structure of foreground Galactic clouds as revealed by absorption variability. This project adds a new epoch in the monitoring observations of the sources reported by Marscher and collaborators in the mid-1990s. Our new observations confirm the monotonic increase in H{sub 2}CO absorption strength toward NRAO 150. We do not detect significant variability of our 2009 spectra with respect to the 1994 spectra of 3C111, B0212+735, and BL Lac; however, we find significant variability of the 3C111 2009 spectrum with respect to archive observations conducted in 1991 and 1992. Our analysis supports that changes in absorption lines could be caused by chemical and/or geometrical gradients in the foreground clouds and not necessarily by small-scale (∼10 AU) high-density molecular clumps within the clouds.

• OSTI ID: 22357250
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 784; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
DENSITY
FORMALDEHYDE
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MOLECULES
SPECTRA