Resolving the cooling in the powerful H2 emitting shock in Stephan's Quintet

Details Resolving the cooling in the powerful H2 emitting shock in Stephan's Quintet Resolving the cooling in the powerful H2 emitting shock in Stephan's Quintet

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007sptz.prop40142a&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #40142

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Recent Spitzer observations have discovered a potentially important new class of galaxy system in which a significant fraction of the bolometric luminosity from the system arises in the Mid-IR emission lines of molecular hydrogen. This emission is thought to arise in large-scale shocks. We propose to study the nearest and best-studied example of this effect which arises in a group-wide shock wave in Stephan's Quintet. The shock-wave, which extends for over 1 arcminute throughout the intragroup medium, is believed to be the result of a ~1000 km/s collision between an infalling galaxy and the group. Previous limited Spitzer IRS observations by our team showed extremely strong, unusually broad emission lines of the H2 and almost nothing else. The discovery of such powerful emission from a high-velocity shock was unexpected because of the fragile nature of the H2 molecule, and yet numerous examples are being discovered at higher redshift in other group and cluster environments. We propose to critically test new models of the process which might give rise to powerful H2 emission in the cooling layer behind a shock. By taking advantage of the large angular size of the giant X-ray shock we can map both the H2 excitation temperature and dust SEDs over the shocked region. Our proposed observations will help us isolate the most important model parameters that are needed to explain the extreme luminosities being emitted during the cooling of H2. Such models are necessary if we are to make progress understanding these ultra-powerful H2-emitting galaxies at higher redshift.

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