The Complex Interstellar Structure Toward h and χ Persei

Details The Complex Interstellar Structure Toward h and χ Persei The Complex Interstellar Structure Toward h and χ Persei

Dec 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002aas...201.7705p&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, 201st AAS Meeting, #77.05; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 34, p.1229

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Scientific paper

We have obtained high-resolution (15 km s-1) spectra of interstellar Na i absorption toward 183 stars in the double open cluster h and χ Persei using the Hydra multi-object spectrograph on the KPNO WIYN 3.5m telescope. These sightlines sample both high-velocity gas associated with the Perseus spiral arm as well as local gas associated with the Orion arm. Toward stars in h and χ Per, the velocity of the Na i gas in the Perseus arm is blueshifted by about 20 km s-1 relative to the stars. This has been interpreted in terms of a density-wave shock interaction. Our interstellar Na i absorption spectra reveal a chaotic velocity structure in the Perseus arm gas from point-to-point, especially when compared to H i 21-cm emission line profiles which show smoother, continuous variations. Because Na i is not a dominant ion in H i clouds, it is unclear if the variations in the interstellar Na i profiles are due to differences in the total H column or the Na ionization equilibrium. In the case of the former, Na i is tracing physical structures in the gas. In the latter case, Na i is reflecting environmental variations in parameters such as cloud temperature, pressure, electron density, and/or radiation field. The key to understanding this Na i structure lies in the ultraviolet where many diagnostic lines of important species such as H2 can be observed. We have obtained FUSE observations of six closely-spaced stars in the core of χ Per. These FUSE spectra show remarkable variations in the H2 line profiles that are reminiscent of the profile variations seen in the individual interstellar Na i absorption spectra toward these six stars.

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