The Molecular Content of the Crab Nebula

Details The Molecular Content of the Crab Nebula The Molecular Content of the Crab Nebula

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21923915k&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #239.15

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We are using a combination of archival NASA ADAP data and new ground-based observations to study molecular cores in the Crab Nebula's filaments. This component of the Crab has largely been ignored since the pioneering discovery, by Graham, Wright & Longmore (1990), of H2 emission at two locations. Many of the absorbing dust blobs long known to exist in the Crab also are likely to be associated with these molecular cores. Some important open questions are: How much mass is in the molecular component? What excites the H2 emission? How were the molecules formed? What is the nature of the dust? Where/when/how was the dust formed? Are these structures similar to cool-core cluster filaments, which also emit strongly in H2?
Our new ground-based NIR images and spectra show many additional H2 knots scattered along the Crab's filaments. We are currently analyzing the large grid of Spitzer GTO long-slit and high-resolution IRS spectra of the Crab, which include many of the molecular cores. We have supplemented them with a grid of long-slit optical spectra at the exact same positions, giving spectral coverage over a wide range of emission lines from ionized, neutral and atomic gas. We are adding CO observations at selected points, to further constrain the properties of the molecular cores. HST [O III] and [S II] images show the structure of individual molecular knots at 1017 cm resolution. We also are carrying out a new survey of dust features using archival HST continuum images, to better determine how dust fits into the picture. Spitzer and Herschel images provide a lower-resolution look covering the dust thermal emission peak. Our aim is to assemble the necessary pan-chromatic data set and then construct accurate plasma simulation models that will allow us to answer the questions posed above.

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