
doi: 10.1086/166615
handle: 1887/1985
Recent high-resolution observations of interstellar absorption lines of CH and CN toward Zeta Oph obtained by Crane et al. (1986), and Palazzi et al. (1988), exhibit line widths that suggest thermal line broadening at high temperature, T about 1200 K. Observations of CO line emission at 2.6 mm toward Zeta Oph (Langer et al.,1987) indicate that the molecular gas resides in four distinct velocity components that span less than 3 km/s in Doppler velocity. Simulated CH and CN absorption line profiles are compared for high-temperature (T = 1200 K) thermal broadening and for a combination of low-temperature (T = 50 K) thermal plus turbulent broadening. It is shown that the two broadening models reproduce existing observations comparably well and are virtually indistinguishable at a lambda/Delta-lambda ratio of about 100,000. The observed differences in the CH and CN line widths may reflect slightly different distributions of those molecules along the line of sight. The simulations use very recent, improved laboratory spectroscopic data on CH (Bernath). Some related consequences of such unresolved velocity structure on the ultraviolet absorption lines of CO are examined. Indirect diagnostics of temperature in the Zeta Oph cloud favor low-temperature thermal plus turbulent broadening, and the implied rate of dissipation of turbulence is in harmony with estimates of the global input of mechanical energy into to interstellar medium.
abundance, ultraviolet radiation, absorption spectra, carbon compounds, line spectra, molecular clouds, stellar spectra, velocity distribution, high temperature, light curve, interstellar matter
abundance, ultraviolet radiation, absorption spectra, carbon compounds, line spectra, molecular clouds, stellar spectra, velocity distribution, high temperature, light curve, interstellar matter
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 39 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
