Astronomy Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2746
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Item Probing the Multiphase Interstellar Medium and Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies through Far-infrared Spectroscopy(2015) Herrera Camus, Rodrigo; Bolatto, Alberto; Astronomy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)We present a study of different aspects of the multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM) of nearby galaxies, including detailed analysis of the low-excitation ionized gas, the thermal pressure (Pth) of the neutral gas, the dust-to-gas mass ratio (DGR) in low-metallicity environments, and the use of far-infrared transitions as tracers of the star formation rate (SFR). We based our work on the largest sample to date of spatially-resolved, infrared observations of nearby galaxies drawn from the KINGFISH and ``Beyond the Peak'' surveys. We use deep infrared observations to study the DGR of the extremely metal-poor galaxy I Zw 18. We measure a DGR upper-limit of 8.1x10^{-5}. This value is a factor of ~8 lower than the expected DGR if a linear correlation between DGR and metallicity, as observed in spirals, were to hold. Based on the line ratio between the [NII] 122 and 205 um transitions, for 140 regions selected from 21 galaxies we measure electron densities of the singly-ionized gas in the ne~1-230 cm^{-3} range, with a median value of ne=30 cm^{-3}. We find that ne increases as a function of SFR and radiation field strength. We study the reliability of the [CII] and [NII] 122 and 205 um transitions as SFR tracers. In general, we find good correlations between the emission from these fine-structure lines and star formation activity. However, a decrease in the photoelectric heating efficiency in the case of the [CII] line, or collisional quenching of the [NII] lines, can cause calibrations based on these transitions to underestimate the SFR. Finally, for a sample of atomic-dominated regions selected from 31 galaxies, we use the [CII] and HI lines to measure the cooling rate per H atom and Pth of the cold, neutral gas. We find a \pt\ distribution that can be well described by a log-normal distribution with median Pth/k~5,500 K cm^{-3}. We find correlations of increasing Pth with radiation field intensity and SFR, which is consistent with the results from two-phase ISM models in pressure equilibrium.Item Magnetic Field Effects on the Motion of Circumplanetary Dust(2012) Jontof-Hutter, Daniel; Hamilton, Douglas P; Astronomy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Hypervelocity impacts on satellites or ring particles replenish circumplanetary dusty rings with grains of all sizes. Due to interactions with the plasma environment and sunlight, these grains become electrically charged. We study the motion of charged dust grains launched at the Kepler orbital speed, under the combined effects of gravity and the electromagnetic force. We conduct numerical simulations of dust grain trajectories, covering a broad range of launch distances from the planetary surface to beyond synchronous orbit, and the full range of charge-to-mass ratios from ions to rocks, with both positive and negative electric potentials. Initially, we assume that dust grains have a constant electric potential, and, treating the spinning planetary magnetic field as an aligned and centered dipole, we map regions of radial instability (positive grains only), where dust grains are driven to escape or collide with the planet at high speed, and vertical instability (both positive and negative charges) whereby grains launched near the equatorial plane and are forced up magnetic field lines to high latitudes, where they may collide with the planet. We derive analytical criteria for local stability in the equatorial plane, and solve for the boundaries between all unstable and stable outcomes. Comparing our analytical solutions to our numerical simulations, we develop an extensive model for the radial, vertical and azimuthal motions of dust grains of arbitrary size and launch location. We test these solutions at Jupiter and Saturn, both of whose magnetic fields are reasonably well represented by aligned dipoles, as well as at the Earth, whose magnetic field is close to an anti-aligned dipole. We then evaluate the robustness of our stability boundaries to more general conditions. Firstly, we examine the effects of non-zero launch speeds, of up to 0.5 km s$^{-1}$, in the frame of the parent body. Although these only weakly affect stability boundaries, we find that the influence of a launch impulse on stability boundaries strongly depends on its direction. Secondly, we focus on the effects of higher-order magnetic field components on orbital stability. We find that vertical stability boundaries are particularly sensitive to a moderate vertical offset in an aligned dipolar magnetic field. This configuration suffices as a model for Saturn's full magnetic field. The vertical instability also expands to cover a wider range of launch distances in slightly tilted magnetic dipoles, like the magnetic field configurations for Earth and Jupiter. By contrast, our radial stability criteria remain largely unaffected by both dipolar tilts and vertical offsets. Nevertheless, a tilted dipole magnetic field model introduces non-axisymmetric forces on orbiting dust grains, which are exacerbated by the inclusion of other higher-order magnetic field components, including the quadrupolar and octupolar terms. Dust grains whose orbital periods are commensurate with the spatial periodicities of a rotating non-axisymmetric magnetic field experience destabilizing Lorentz resonances. These have been studied by other authors for the largest dust grains moving on perturbed Keplerian ellipses. With Jupiter's full magnetic field as our model, we extend the concept of Lorentz resonances to smaller dust grains and find that these can destabilize trajectories on surprisingly short timescales, and even cause negatively-charged dust grains to escape within weeks. We provide detailed numerically-derived stability maps highlighting the destabilizing effects of specific higher-order terms in Jupiter's magnetic field, and we develop analytical solutions for the radial locations of these resonances for all charge-to-mass ratios. We include stability maps for the full magnetic field configurations of Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth, to compare with our analytics. We further provide numerically-derived stability maps for the tortured magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune. Relaxing the assumption of constant electric charges on dust, we test the effects of time-variable grain charging on dust grain motion in two distinct environments. Firstly, we examine orbital stability in the tenuous plasma of Jupiter's main ring and gossamer ring where sunlight, the dominant source of grain charging, is periodically interrupted by transit through the planetary shadow. This dramatically expands dynamical instabilities to cover a large range of grain sizes. Secondly, we study the motion of dust grain orbits in the dense plasma environment of the Io torus. Here dust grain charges deviate little from equilibrium, and our stability map conforms closely to that of constant, negatively-charged dust grains. Finally, we focus on the poorly understood spokes in Saturn's B ring, highlighting the observational constraints on spokes, and present our hypothesis for spoke formation.Item Dust Structure and Composition Within Molecular Clouds and Cores(2007-10-02) Chapman, Nicholas; Mundy, Lee; Astronomy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)We observed three molecular clouds and four isolated cores at wavelengths from 3.6-24 microns. The clouds we observed were Ophiuchus, Perseus, and Serpens and the cores were L204C-2, L1152, L1155C-2, and L1228. Our goal was to use these deep infrared data to map changes in the extinction law and the dust properties throughout the observed regions. In our clouds, we found the lowest density regions have an IRAC extinction law similar to the one observed in the diffuse ISM. At higher extinctions, there is evidence for grain growth because the extinction law flattens compared to the diffuse ISM law and becomes more consistent with a model utilizing larger dust grains. In the densest regions of Serpens and Perseus, Ak > 2, it appears icy mantles are forming on the dust grains. We detected one low extinction region in Perseus with an anomalous extinction law that is not explained by current ideas about grain growth or the formation of ices onto dust grains. The extinction law in the cores shows only a slight flattening of the extinction law with increased extinction. Even at the lowest extinctions, the extinction law is more consistent with a dust model containing grain growth, rather than with the diffuse ISM. Two of the four cores have evidence for ices forming the densest regions. Molecular outflows appear to have an impact on the dust grains in two of our cores: L1152 and L1228. In both our clouds and cores, the extinction law at 24 microns is almost always higher than the value predicted by current dust models, but is consistent with other observations. We find some evidence for the 24 micron extinction law decreasing as the extinction increases. Overall, there are relatively few stars with detections >3 sigma at 24 microns. More observations are needed to understand the nature of the extinction law at this wavelength.