Photoevaporating stellar envelopes observed with Rayleigh beacon adaptive optics

Details Photoevaporating stellar envelopes observed with Rayleigh beacon adaptive optics Photoevaporating stellar envelopes observed with Rayleigh beacon adaptive optics

Jan 1995

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995apj...438..394m&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 438, no. 1, p. 394-403

Physics

Optics

49

Adaptive Optics, Evaporation, Rayleigh Scattering, Stellar Envelopes, H Alpha Line, Ionized Gases, Pre-Main Sequence Stars, Radio Emission, Stellar Models

Scientific paper

We present H-alpha and I-band images of a approximately 1 min diameter field centered on theta1 C Ori made with a unique adaptive optics system that uses either starlight or Rayleigh-backscattered laser light to correct for atmospheric wavefront distortion. Approximately one-half of the stars in this region are positionally associated with knots of ionized gas, which are interpreted as photoevaporating envelopes of low-mass stars. The acronyms 'partially ionized globule' (PIGs), external ionized (accretion) disks in the environs of radiation sources (EIDERs), or protoplanetary disks (ProPlyDs) all refer to these same knots. The H-alpha fluxes of the PIGs are proportional to their 2 cm radio continumm flux densities, and for nearly all the ionized knots, the 2 cm brightness temperatures are consistent with theta1 C Ori as the primary source of ionization. The comet-like morphology of the bright nebulosities is modeled as the result of an equilibrium between photoionization, recombination, and shadowing. The radii of the ionized 'head' of the cometary PIGs grow with distance from theta1 C Ori; the radii range from approximately less than or equal to 0.05 sec to approximately 0.25 sec. We interpret the size-distance relationship as evidence that the envelopes all have the same density profile and mass-loss rate within a factor of 2. Faint, arcuate wisps are observed 1 sec to 2 sec distance from some of the cometary nebulosities; these are modeled as bow shocks caused by the wind from theta1 C Ori. The positions of the stars associated with the PIGs in the observational H-R diagram indicate they are pre-main-sequence stars with masses less than approximately 3 solar mass, with approximately 1 solar mass being typical. Their medium I-K color is 2.9.

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