High spatial resolution observations of neutral atomic carbon in the molecular clouds M17 and W51

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/166711· OSTI ID:6591612

Genzel, R; Harris, A I; Stutzki, J; Jaffe, D T

The 370-micron 3P2-3P1 fine structure line of neutral atomic carbon in the molecular clouds M17 and W51 has been mapped with 25-arcmin resolution. In the H II region/molecular cloud interface in M17, bright C I forbidden line emission comes from a wide (about 1 pc) ridge at the edge of the molecular cloud. In W51, the C I forbidden line emission peaks on the compact IR source and H II region IRS 2, and at the interface between the extended H II region IRS 1 and the dense molecular condensation W51 Main. Spatial scales of the C I forbidden line emission, relative location of C I and C18O, and mean C I/CO ratio are similar in the two molecular clouds. The data are in good agreement with an origin of the atomic carbon in photodissociation regions created by UV radiation illuminating a clumpy molecular cloud. 43 references.

• Research Organization: Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, Garching (Germany, F.R.); Texas Univ., Austin (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6591612
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 332
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CARBON
COSMOCHEMISTRY
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COSMIC GASES
DISSOCIATION
EMISSION SPECTRA
FINE STRUCTURE
FORBIDDEN TRANSITIONS
H2 REGIONS
INTERFACES
MOLECULES
ORIGIN
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
CHEMISTRY
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FLUIDS
GASES
NONMETALS
RESOLUTION
SPACE
SPECTRA
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies