On the Possibility of Observing H2 Emission from Primordial Molecular Cloud Kernels

Details On the Possibility of Observing H2 Emission from Primordial Molecular Cloud Kernels On the Possibility of Observing H2 Emission from Primordial Molecular Cloud Kernels

2001-04-30

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0104480v1

Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 332 (2002) 251

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

15 pages, 1 figure. MNRAS (Submitted)

Scientific paper

10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05301.x

We study the prospects for observing H$_2$ emission during the assembly of primordial molecular cloud kernels. The primordial molecular cloud cores, which resemble those at the present epoch, can emerge around $1+z=20$ according to recent numerical simulations. The kernels form inside the cores, and the first stars will appear inside the kernels. A kernel typically contracts to form one of the first generation stars with an accretion rate that is as large as $\sim 0.01 M_\odot$ year$^{-1}$. This occurs due to the primordial abundances that result in a kernel temperature of order 1000K, and the collapsing kernel emits H$_2$ line radiation at a rate $\sim 10^{35}$ erg sec$^{-1}$. Principally $J=5-3$ (v=0) rotational emission of H$_2$ is expected. At redshift $1+z=20$, the expected flux is $\sim 0.01~\mu$Jy for a single kernel. While an individual object is not observable by any facilities available in the near future, the expected assembly of primordial star clusters on sub-galactic scales can result in fluxes at the sub-mJy level. This is marginally observable with ASTRO-F. We also examine the rotational $J=2-0$ (v=0) and vibrational $\delta v = 1$ emission lines. The former may possibly be detectable with ALMA.

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