arXivDaily arXiv每日学术速递 周一至周五更新
arXiv 0912.0302astro-ph.GA
收藏

H II区的温度结构和金属丰度

Temperature Structure and Metallicity in H II Regions

Mónica Rodríguez, Jorge García-Rojas

摘要:

H II区重元素的碰撞激发线(CEL)所暗示的金属丰度系统地低于复合线(RL)所暗示的金属丰度的2倍,从而在任何恒星形成星系的星际介质的金属丰度推断中引入了相同数量级的不确定性。对这种差异的大多数解释是基于CEL和RL对电子温度的不同敏感性,并调用一些额外的加热机制,在电离区域产生温度波动,或者在富含金属的包裹体中加入冷气体,或者被宇宙射线或X射线电离。这些解释将改变电离气体的温度结构,从简单的光电离模型预测的温度结构,并根据哪一个是正确的,将意味着不同的金属发射气体。我们选择了9个H II区域与观察到的光谱的高品质,并表明,简单的模型与金属丰度接近的氧CELs所暗示的容易再现其温度结构,测量与Te([N II])/Te([O III]),和他们的氧CELs发射。我们讨论了强烈的约束,这种协议的地方可能的解释的差异,并建议最简单的解释,即错误的线重组系数的因素~2,可能是正确的。在这种情况下,CEL将提供金属丰度的最佳估计值。

英文摘要:

The metallicities implied by collisionally excited lines (CELs) of heavy elements in H II regions are systematically lower than those implied by recombination lines (RLs) by factors ~2, introducing uncertainties of the same order in the metallicities inferred for the interstellar medium of any star-forming galaxy. Most explanations of this discrepancy are based on the different sensitivities of CELs and RLs to electron temperature, and invoke either some extra heating mechanism producing temperature fluctuations in the ionized region or the addition of cold gas in metal-rich inclusions or ionized by cosmic rays or X rays. These explanations will change the temperature structure of the ionized gas from the one predicted by simple photoionization models and, depending on which one is correct, will imply different metallicities for the emitting gas. We select nine H II regions with observed spectra of high quality and show that simple models with metallicities close to the ones implied by oxygen CELs reproduce easily their temperature structure, measured with Te([N II])/Te([O III]), and their oxygen CELs emission. We discuss the strong constraints that this agreement places on the possible explanations of the discrepancy and suggest that the simplest explanation, namely errors in the line recombination coefficients by factors ~2, might be the correct one. In such case, CELs will provide the best estimates of metallicity.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

↑