Shock Modelling (terminated)

A short overview

This project intends to provide the SFB with the necessary tools to model the emission from shock waves observed in the dense gas in star forming regions and thereby to properly interpret data obtained in other projects. In particular, this project aims to provide easy to use shock models for the 1-D modelling of C, J, and mixed C-J type shocks, including their H2, H2O, OH, HD, and atomic fine structure emission. Furthermore, shock models will be developed that account for realistic geometries, mixed conditions, a proper radiative transfer calculation, and the best possible assessment of uncertainties.

A shock wave is due to a sharp increase in the local pressure that leads to the compression and heating of the gas. The passage of a shock wave modifies the rates of physical and chemical processes occurring in the gas, with important consequences for its composition. The modelling of such shocks in project C2 has built on an existing state-of-the-art, one-dimensional model of plane-parallel C-, J-, and non-stationary C-J-type shocks. The C-type model has been refined in order to study the effects of grain-grain processing on molecular line emission in dense molecular clouds. These effects were shown to have a strong influence on the structure and emission of C-type shocks. A large grid of different shock models has been used in the interpretation of supernova remnants interacting with molecular clouds. This method will be applied to further observations obtained in other projects of the SFB.

In this SFB shock modelling is needed to model large-scale emission from starbursts (A1), understand jet-induced star formation (A2), model shock-induced heating processes in the ISM (A3), and the conversion of the warm neutral medium to cold clouds through passing schock waves (A4). Furthermore it is necessary to model observations of the large scale Galactic Center molecular cloud system (A5) and to study the impact of high-mass star formation through outflows and shocks (A6). The interpretation of the observations and refinement of the shock model requires a close collaboration with modelling projects C1 and C3. Shocks are crucial in the feedback that is to be implemented as “subgrid” physics in C4.

Selected Publications

• 2014

• Galametz, M., Albrecht, M., Kennicutt, R., Aniano, G., et al. 2014, MNRAS, 439, 2542: Dissecting the origin of the submillimetre emission in nearby galaxies with Herschel and LABOCA (co-author: Bertoldi)

• 2013

• Anderl, S., Guillet, V., Pineau des Forêts, G., & Flower, D. R. 2013, "Shocks in dense clouds – IV. Effects of grain-grain processing on molecular line emission", A&A, 556, 69

• 2012

• Gusdorf, A., Anderl, S., Güsten, R., Stutzki, J., Hübers, H.-W., Hartogh, P., Heymick, S., & Okada, Y. 2012, "Probing magnetohydrodynamic shocks with high-J CO observations: W28F", A&A, 542, L19
• Galametz, M., Kennicutt, R. C., Albrecht, M., Aniano, G., et al. 2012, MNRAS, 425, 763: Mapping the cold dust temperatures and masses of nearby KINGFISH galaxies with Herschel (co-author: Bertoldi)
• Xilouris, E. M., Tabatabaei, F. S., Boquien, M., Kramer, C., et al. 2012, A&A, 543, A74: Cool and warm dust emission from M 33 (HerM33es) (co-author: Bertoldi, Anderl)
• Padovani, M., Brinch, C., Girart, J. M., Jorgensen, J. K., et al. 2012, A&A, 543, A16: Adaptable radiative transfer innovations for submillimetre telescopes (ARTIST). Dust polarisation module (DustPol) (co-author: Bertoldi)
• Combes, F., Boquien, M., Kramer, C., Xilouris, E. M., et al. 2012, A&A, 539, A67: Dust and gas power spectrum in M 33 (HERM33ES) (co-author: Bertoldi, Albrecht)
• Alves, F. O., Vlemmings, W. H. T., Girart, J. M., et al. 2012, A&A, 542, A14: The magnetic field of IRAS 16293-2422 as traced by shock-induced H₂O masers