EVIDENCE FOR H{sub 2} FORMATION DRIVEN DUST GRAIN ALIGNMENT IN IC 63

Andersson, B-G; De Buizer, J.; Charcos-Llorens, M.; Piirola, V.; Clemens, D. P.; Uomoto, A.; Geballe, T. R.; Lazarian, A.; Hoang, T.

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/775/2/84

Title: EVIDENCE FOR H{sub 2} FORMATION DRIVEN DUST GRAIN ALIGNMENT IN IC 63

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Abstract

In the interstellar medium (ISM), molecular hydrogen is expected to form almost exclusively on the surfaces of dust grains. Due to that molecule's large formation energy (–4.5 eV), several dynamical effects are likely associated with the process, including the alignment of asymmetric dust grains with the ambient magnetic field. Such aligned dust grains are, in turn, believed to cause the broadband optical/infrared polarization observed in the ISM. Here, we present the first observational evidence for grain alignment driven by H{sub 2} formation, by showing that the polarization of the light from stars behind the reflection nebula IC 63 appears to correlate with the intensity of H{sub 2} fluorescence. While our results strongly suggest a role for 'Purcell rockets' in grain alignment, additional observations are needed to conclusively confirm their role. By showing a direct connection between H{sub 2} formation and a probe of the dust characteristics, these results also provide one of the first direct confirmations of the grain-surface formation of H{sub 2}. We compare our observations to ab initio modeling based on Radiative Torque Alignment (RAT) theory.

Authors:

Andersson, B-G; De Buizer, J.; Charcos-Llorens, M. ^[1]; Piirola, V. ^[2]; Clemens, D. P. ^[3]; Uomoto, A. ^[4]; Geballe, T. R. ^[5]; Lazarian, A.; Hoang, T. ^[6]

SOFIA Science Center, USRA, NASA Ames Research Center, M.S. N211-3 Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)
Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, FI-21500 Piikkiö (Finland)
Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)
Observatories of the Carnegie Institution, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)
Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, 670 N. A'ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)
Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, 475 North Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)

Publication Date:: Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013

OSTI Identifier:: 22270824

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Astrophysical Journal

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 775; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; ASYMMETRY; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; COSMIC DUST; FLUORESCENCE; FORMATION HEAT; HYDROGEN; INFRARED RADIATION; INTERSTELLAR GRAINS; MOLECULES; NEBULAE; POLARIZATION; STARS; VISIBLE RADIATION

Citation Formats


                    Andersson, B-G, De Buizer, J., Charcos-Llorens, M., Piirola, V., Clemens, D. P., Uomoto, A., Geballe, T. R., Lazarian, A., Hoang, T., and Vornanen, T., E-mail: bg@sofia.usra.edu. EVIDENCE FOR H{sub 2} FORMATION DRIVEN DUST GRAIN ALIGNMENT IN IC 63.  United States: N. p., 2013. 
        Web.  doi:10.1088/0004-637X/775/2/84.

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                    Andersson, B-G, De Buizer, J., Charcos-Llorens, M., Piirola, V., Clemens, D. P., Uomoto, A., Geballe, T. R., Lazarian, A., Hoang, T., & Vornanen, T., E-mail: bg@sofia.usra.edu. EVIDENCE FOR H{sub 2} FORMATION DRIVEN DUST GRAIN ALIGNMENT IN IC 63.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/775/2/84

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                    Andersson, B-G, De Buizer, J., Charcos-Llorens, M., Piirola, V., Clemens, D. P., Uomoto, A., Geballe, T. R., Lazarian, A., Hoang, T., and Vornanen, T., E-mail: bg@sofia.usra.edu. 2013.  
        "EVIDENCE FOR H{sub 2} FORMATION DRIVEN DUST GRAIN ALIGNMENT IN IC 63".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/775/2/84.

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@article{osti_22270824,

  title        = {EVIDENCE FOR H{sub 2} FORMATION DRIVEN DUST GRAIN ALIGNMENT IN IC 63},

  author       = {Andersson, B-G and De Buizer, J. and Charcos-Llorens, M. and Piirola, V. and Clemens, D. P. and Uomoto, A. and Geballe, T. R. and Lazarian, A. and Hoang, T. and Vornanen, T., E-mail: bg@sofia.usra.edu},

  abstractNote = {In the interstellar medium (ISM), molecular hydrogen is expected to form almost exclusively on the surfaces of dust grains. Due to that molecule's large formation energy (–4.5 eV), several dynamical effects are likely associated with the process, including the alignment of asymmetric dust grains with the ambient magnetic field. Such aligned dust grains are, in turn, believed to cause the broadband optical/infrared polarization observed in the ISM. Here, we present the first observational evidence for grain alignment driven by H{sub 2} formation, by showing that the polarization of the light from stars behind the reflection nebula IC 63 appears to correlate with the intensity of H{sub 2} fluorescence. While our results strongly suggest a role for 'Purcell rockets' in grain alignment, additional observations are needed to conclusively confirm their role. By showing a direct connection between H{sub 2} formation and a probe of the dust characteristics, these results also provide one of the first direct confirmations of the grain-surface formation of H{sub 2}. We compare our observations to ab initio modeling based on Radiative Torque Alignment (RAT) theory.},

  doi          = {10.1088/0004-637X/775/2/84},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22270824},
  journal      = {Astrophysical Journal},

  issn         = {0004-637X},

  number       = 2,

  volume       = 775,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013},

  month        = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013}

}

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