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arXiv 0709.1114astro-ph
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星际弥散云中的H3 +:Cosmic-Ray电离率的示踪剂

H3+ in Diffuse Interstellar Clouds: a Tracer for the Cosmic-Ray Ionization Rate

Nick Indriolo, Thomas R. Geballe, Takeshi Oka, Benjamin J. McCall

摘要:

使用高分辨率红外光谱仪,我们调查了20视线的H3+吸收。在8个散射云的视线范围内检测到H3+,云柱密度从0.6x10^14 cm^-2到3.9x10^14 cm^-2不等。这使得已经检测到H3+的漫射云视线总数达到14个。这些探测主要集中在银河平面的视线上,但在银河经度上分散得很好。结果表明,在弥漫的星际介质中,普遍存在着丰富的H ~(3+)。由于与H3+的产生和破坏有关的化学反应很简单,这些柱密度测量结果可以与其他各种数据一起用来推断初级宇宙射线电离率zeta_p。zeta_p的值范围为0.5 × 10 ^-16 s^-1至3 × 10 ^-16 s^-1,平均值为2 × 10 ^-16 s^-1。在未检测到H3+的情况下,电离速率的上限与该范围一致。zeta_p的平均值比经典速率和其他研究小组先前报道的OH和HD测量值都大一个数量级。这种差异很可能是由于速率常数的测量不准确和遗漏了进行这些研究时未知的影响。我们认为,由于H3+的简单化学性质,它是宇宙线电离率最直接的示踪剂。最新的扩散云化学模型要求宇宙射线电离率达到10^-16 s^-1的量级,才能再现观测到的各种原子和分子种类的丰度,这与我们的观测结果大致一致。

英文摘要:

Using high resolution infrared spectroscopy we have surveyed twenty sightlines for H3+ absorption. H3+ is detected in eight diffuse cloud sightlines with column densities varying from 0.6x10^14 cm^-2 to 3.9x10^14 cm^-2. This brings to fourteen the total number of diffuse cloud sightlines where H3+ has been detected. These detections are mostly along sightlines concentrated in the Galactic plane, but well dispersed in Galactic longitude. The results imply that abundant H3+ is common in the diffuse interstellar medium. Because of the simple chemistry associated with H3+ production and destruction, these column density measurements can be used in concert with various other data to infer the primary cosmic-ray ionization rate, zeta_p. Values range from 0.5x10^-16 s^-1 to 3x10^-16 s^-1 with an average of 2x10^-16 s^-1. Where H3+ is not detected the upper limits on the ionization rate are consistent with this range. The average value of zeta_p is about an order of magnitude larger than both the canonical rate and rates previously reported by other groups using measurements of OH and HD. The discrepancy is most likely due to inaccurate measurements of rate constants and the omission of effects which were unknown when those studies were performed. We believe that the observed column density of H3+ is the most direct tracer for the cosmic-ray ionization rate due to its simple chemistry. Recent models of diffuse cloud chemistry require cosmic-ray ionization rates on the order of 10^-16 s^-1 to reproduce observed abundances of various atomic and molecular species, in rough accord with our observational findings.

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