Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Asymmetrical /sup 13/CO lines in dark clouds: Evidence for contraction

Journal Article · · Astrophys. J.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/158532· OSTI ID:6440366
Four /sup 13/CO spectra having similar and asymmetrical shapes (blueshifted peaks) were observed with 30 kHz resolution toward TMC2 and L134N. A radiative transfer model of a symmetric cloud indicates that each cloud is contracting along the two observed lines of sight. Contraction onto a static core fits the observed /sup 13/CO and C/sup 18/O lines slightly better than contraction with vproportionalr. The contraction speed approx.0.7 kms/sup -1/ and velocity dispersion approx.0.3 kms/sup -1/ are consistent with a 15 K cloud having a free-fall envelope and sonic turbulence.
Research Organization:
Department of Physics and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OSTI ID:
6440366
Journal Information:
Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 242:3; ISSN ASJOA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English