IRC+10216's Innermost Envelope — The eSMA'S View
Abstract
We used the Extended Submillimeter Array (eSMA) in its most extended configuration to investigate the innermost circumstellar envelope (CSE) of IRC+10216 where acceleration of gas and dust due to strong stellar radiation is taking place. We imaged the CSE using HCN and other molecular lines with a beam size of 0".22×0".46 arcsec, deeply into the very inner edge (~15 R_*) of the envelope where the expansion velocity is only ~3 km s^(−1). HCN maser components are spatially resolved for the first time on an astronomical object. We identified two discrete regions in the envelope: a region with a radius of ≤ 15R_*, where molecular species have just formed and the gas has begun to be accelerated, and a shell region with a radius of ~23 R_*. These two regions may have emerged because the size distribution of the dust particles are significantly different in these regions. The position angle of the most copious mass loss direction was found to be ~120 ± 10 degrees. In this paper, we summarize some of the highlights of this observational study.
Additional Information
© 2009 Astronomical Society of the Pacific. The CSO is supported by grant AST 05-40882 from the National Science Foundation. The eSMA developments at the JCMT are financially supported by a Netherlands NWO-M grant, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, and NWO. The development of the eSMA has been facilitated by grant 614.061.416 from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, NWO. The JCMT is supported by the United Kingdom's STFC, the NRC, and the NWO. The SMA is a joint project between the SAO and the ASIAA and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica.Attached Files
Published - Shinnaga2009p11363Submillimeter_Astrophysics_And_Technology_A_Symposium_Honoring_Thomas_G._Phillips.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 19935
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20100914-094132781
- AST 05-40882
- NSF
- 614.061.416
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
- National Research Council
- Smithsonian Institution
- Academia Sinica
- Created
-
2010-09-16Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2020-03-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Series Name
- ASP Conference Series
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 417