Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2009-02-10
MNRAS 395 (2009) 1092-1098
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
v2: additional references, and minor revisions
Scientific paper
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14616.x
We present a new analytical three-parameter formula to fit observed column density profiles of prestellar cores. It represents a line-of-sight integral through a spherically symmetric or disc-like isothermal cloud. The underlying model resembles the Bonnor-Ebert model in that it features a flat central region leading into a power-law decline \propto r^{-2} in density, and a well-defined outer radius. However, we do not assume that the cloud is in equilibrium, and can instead make qualitative statements about its dynamical state (expansion, equilibrium, collapse) using the size of the flat region as a proxy. Instead of having temperature as a fitting parameter, our model includes it as input, and thus avoids possible inconsistencies. It is significantly easier to fit to observational data than the Bonnor-Ebert sphere. We apply this model to L1689B and B68. We show that L1689B cannot be in equilibrium but instead appears to be collapsing, while our model verifies that B68 is not far from being a hydrostatic object.
Basu Shantanu
Dapp Wolf B.
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