NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2002B-0050
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2002B-0050 |
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PI: Patrick Hartigan, Rice University, hartigan@sparky.rice.edu
Address: 6100 S Main, Houston, TX 77005-1892, USA
Title: Dust in Stellar Jets
Abstract:
The presence or absence of dust in stellar jets provides important
clues as to how accretion disks accelerate these flows, and also affects
how rapidly molecules form after gas cools in the dense regions behind
shocks. A simple experiment that follows how the ratio of [Fe II] 8617
/ [S II] 6716+6731 varies along jets will make it possible to determine
whether or not dust is created or destroyed in jet shocks. This ratio
is sensitive primarily to the gas abundance ratio of Fe/S along the
flow, which will increase sharply if dust is destroyed along the jet,
and decrease if dust forms. The experiment does not require accurate
independent estimates of the Fe and S abundances, which are difficult to
measure accurately. Quantifying the role of dust in outflows is very
important observationally, as theories of outflows and shocked emission
from young stars have thus far largely ignored dust.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2002B-0050 |
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