Mookerjea, B., Giesen, T., Stutzki, J., Cernicharo, J., Goicoechea, J. R., De Luca, M., et al. (2010). Excitation and abundance of C3 in star forming cores. Herschel/HIFI observations of the sight-lines to W31C and W49N. Astron. Astrophys., 521, L13.
Abstract: We present spectrally resolved observations of triatomic carbon (C3) in several ro-vibrational transitions between the vibrational ground state and the low-energy ν2 bending mode at frequencies between 1654–1897 GHz along the sight-lines to the submillimeter continuum sources W31C and W49N, using Herschel's HIFI instrument. We detect C3 in absorption arising from the warm envelope surrounding the hot core, as indicated by the velocity peak position and shape of the line profile. The sensitivity does not allow to detect C3 absorption due to diffuse foreground clouds. From the column densities of the rotational levels in the vibrational ground state probed by the absorption we derive a rotation temperature (Trot) of ~50-70 K, which is a good measure of the kinetic temperature of the absorbing gas, as radiative transitions within the vibrational ground state are forbidden. It is also in good agreement with the dust temperatures for W31C and W49N. Applying the partition function correction based on the derived Trot, we get column densities N(C3) ~ 7–9 × 1014 cm-2 and abundance x(C3) ~ 10-8 with respect to H2. For W31C, using a radiative transfer model including far-infrared pumping by the dust continuum and a temperature gradient within the source along the line of sight we find that a model with x(C3) = 10-8, Tkin = 30–50 K, N(C3) = 1.5 × 1015 cm-2 fits the observations reasonably well and provides parameters in very good agreement with the simple excitation analysis.
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Pineda, J. L., Langer, W. D., Velusamy, T., & Goldsmith, P. F. (2013). A Herschel [C ii] Galactic plane survey. I. The global distribution of ISM gas components. Astron. Astrophys., 554, A103.
Abstract: Context. The [C ii] 158 μm line is an important tool for understanding the life cycle of interstellar matter. Ionized carbon is present in a variety of phases of the interstellar medium (ISM), including the diffuse ionized medium, warm and cold atomic clouds, clouds in transition from atomic to molecular, and dense and warm photon dominated regions.
Aims. Velocity-resolved observations of [C ii] are the most powerful technique available to disentangle the emission produced by these components. These observations can also be used to trace CO-dark H2 gas and determine the total mass of the ISM.
Methods. The Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+ (GOT C+) project surveys the [C ii] 158 μm line over the entire Galactic disk with velocity-resolved observations using the Herschel/HIFI instrument. We present the first longitude-velocity maps of the [C ii] emission for Galactic latitudes b = 0°, ±0.5°, and ±1.0°. We combine these maps with those of H i, 12CO, and 13CO to separate the different phases of the ISM and study their properties and distribution in the Galactic plane.
Results. [C ii] emission is mostly associated with spiral arms, mainly emerging from Galactocentric distances between 4 and 10 kpc. It traces the envelopes of evolved clouds as well as clouds that are in the transition between atomic and molecular. We estimate that most of the observed [C ii] emission is produced by dense photon dominated regions (~47%), with smaller contributions from CO-dark H2 gas (~28%), cold atomic gas (~21%), and ionized gas (~4%). Atomic gas inside the Solar radius is mostly in the form of cold neutral medium (CNM), while the warm neutral medium gas dominates the outer galaxy. The average fraction of CNM relative to total atomic gas is ~43%. We find that the warm and diffuse CO-dark H2 is distributed over a larger range of Galactocentric distances (4–11 kpc) than the cold and dense H2 gas traced by 12CO and 13CO (4–8 kpc). The fraction of CO-dark H2 to total H2 increases with Galactocentric distance, ranging from ~20% at 4 kpc to ~80% at 10 kpc. On average, CO-dark H2 accounts for ~30% of the molecular mass of the Milky Way. When the CO-dark H2 component is included, the radial distribution of the CO-to-H2 conversion factor is steeper than that when only molecular gas traced by CO is considered. Most of the observed [C ii] emission emerging from dense photon dominated regions is associated with modest far-ultraviolet fields in the range χ0 â‰<192> 1 – 30.
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Pineda, J. L., Velusamy, T., Langer, W. D., Goldsmith, P. F., Li, D., & Yorke, H. W. (2010). A sample of [C II] clouds tracing dense clouds in weak FUV fields observed by Herschel. Astron. Astrophys., 521, L19.
Abstract: The [C ii] fine-structure line at 158 μm is an excellent tracer of the warm diffuse gas in the ISM and the interfaces between molecular clouds and their surrounding atomic and ionized envelopes. Here we present the initial results from Galactic observations of terahertz C+ (GOT C+), a Herschel key project devoted to studying the [C ii] emission in the Galactic plane using the HIFI instrument. We used the [C ii] emission, together with observations of CO, as a probe to understand the effects of newly formed stars on their interstellar environment and characterize the physical and chemical state of the star-forming gas. We collected data along 16 lines-of-sight passing near star-forming regions in the inner Galaxy near longitudes 330° and 20°. We identified fifty-eight [C ii] components that are associated with high-column density molecular clouds as traced by 13CO emission. We combined [C ii], 12CO, and 13CO observations to derive the physical conditions of the [C ii]-emitting regions in our sample of high-column density clouds based on comparing results from a grid of photon dominated region (PDR) models. From this unbiased sample, our results suggest that most of the [C ii] emission originates in clouds with H2 volume densities between 103.5 and 105.5 cm-3 and weak FUV strength (χ0 = 1–10). We find two regions where our analysis suggest high densities >105 cm-3 and strong FUV fields (χ0 = 104–106), likely associated with massive star formation. We suggest that [C ii] emission in conjunction with CO isotopes is a good tool for differentiating regions of massive star formation (high densities/strong FUV fields) and regions that are distant from massive stars (lower densities/weaker FUV fields) along the line-of-sight.
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Velusamy, T., Langer, W. D., Pineda, J. L., Goldsmith, P. F., Li, D., & Yorke, H. W. (2010). [CII] observations of H2 molecular layers in transition clouds. Astron. Astrophys., 521, L18.
Abstract: We present the first results on the diffuse transition clouds observed in [CII] line emission at 158 μm (1.9 THz) towards Galactic longitudes near 340° (5 LOSs) & 20° (11 LOSs) as part of the HIFI tests and GOT C+ survey. Out of the total 146 [CII] velocity components detected by profile fitting we identify 53 as diffuse molecular clouds with associated 12CO emission but without 13CO emission and characterized by AV < 5 mag. We estimate the fraction of the [CII] emission in the diffuse HI layer in each cloud and then determine the [CII] emitted from the molecular layers in the cloud. We show that the excess [CII] intensities detected in a few clouds is indicative of a thick H2 layer around the CO core. The wide range of clouds in our sample with thin to thick H2 layers suggests that these are at various evolutionary states characterized by the formation of H2 and CO layers from HI and C+, respectively. In about 30% of the clouds the H2 column densities (“dark gasâ€) traced by the [CII] is 50% or more than that traced by 12CO emission. On the average ~25% of the total H2 in these clouds is in an H2 layer which is not traced by CO. We use the HI, [CII], and 12CO intensities in each cloud along with simple chemical models to obtain constraints on the FUV fields and cosmic ray ionization rates.
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Wampfler, S. F., Herczeg, G. J., Bruderer, S., Benz, A. O., van Dishoeck, E. F., Kristensen, L. E., et al. (2010). Herschel observations of the hydroxyl radical (OH) in young stellar objects. Astron. Astrophys., 521, L36.
Abstract: Aims. “Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel†(WISH) is a Herschel key program investigating the water chemistry in young stellar objects (YSOs) during protostellar evolution. Hydroxyl (OH) is one of the reactants in the chemical network most closely linked to the formation and destruction of H2O. High-temperature (T 250 K) chemistry connects OH and H2O through the OH + H2 H2O + H reactions. Formation of H2O from OH is efficient in the high-temperature regime found in shocks and the innermost part of protostellar envelopes. Moreover, in the presence of UV photons, OH can be produced from the photo-dissociation of H2O through H2O + γUV OH + H.
Methods. High-resolution spectroscopy of the 163.12 μm triplet of OH towards HH 46 and NGC 1333 IRAS 2A was carried out with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) on board the Herschel Space Observatory. The low- and intermediate-mass protostars HH 46, TMR 1, IRAS 15398-3359, DK Cha, NGC 7129 FIRS 2, and NGC 1333 IRAS 2A were observed with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on Herschel in four transitions of OH and two [O i] lines.
Results. The OH transitions at 79, 84, 119, and 163 μm and [O i] emission at 63 and 145μm were detected with PACS towards the class I low-mass YSOs as well as the intermediate-mass and class I Herbig Ae sources. No OH emission was detected from the class 0 YSO NGC 1333 IRAS 2A, though the 119 μm was detected in absorption. With HIFI, the 163.12 μm was not detected from HH 46 and only tentatively detected from NGC 1333 IRAS 2A. The combination of the PACS and HIFI results for HH 46 constrains the line width (FWHM 11 km s-1) and indicates that the OH emission likely originates from shocked gas. This scenario is supported by trends of the OH flux increasing with the [O i] flux and the bolometric luminosity, as found in our sample. Similar OH line ratios for most sources suggest that OH has comparable excitation temperatures despite the different physical properties of the sources.
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Shcherbatenko, M., Tretyakov, I., Lobanov, Y., Maslennikov, S. N., Kaurova, N., Finkel, M., et al. (2016). Nonequilibrium interpretation of DC properties of NbN superconducting hot electron bolometers. Appl. Phys. Lett., 109(13), 132602.
Abstract: We present a physically consistent interpretation of the dc electrical properties of niobiumnitride (NbN)-based superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers, using concepts of nonequilibrium superconductivity. Through this, we clarify what physical information can be extracted from the resistive transition and the dc current-voltage characteristics, measured at suitably chosen temperatures, and relevant for device characterization and optimization. We point out that the intrinsic spatial variation of the electronic properties of disordered superconductors, such as NbN, leads to a variation from device to device.
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Cherednichenko, S., Drakinskiy, V., Lecomte, B., Dauplay, F., Krieg, J. - M., Delorme, Y., et al. (2008). Terahertz heterodyne array based on NbN HEB mixers. In Proc. 19th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (43).
Abstract: A 16 pixel heterodyne receiver for 2.5 THz is been developed based on NbN superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. The receiver uses a quasioptical RF coupling approach where HEB mixers are integrated into double dipole antennas on 1.5μm thick Si3N4 / SiO2 membranes. Miniature mirrors (one per pixel) and back short for the antenna were used to design the output mixer beam profile. The camera design allows all 16 pixel IF readout in parallel. The gain bandwidth of the HEB mixers on Si3N4 / SiO 2 membranes was found to be about 3 GHz, when an MgO buffer layers is applied on the membrane. We will also present the progress in the camera heterodyne tests.
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Вахтомин, Ю. Б., Антипов, С. В., Масленников, С. Н., Смирнов, К. В., Поляков, С. Л., Чжан, В., et al. (2006). Квазиоптические смесители терагерцового диапазона на основе эффекта разогрева электронов в тонких пленках NbN. In Proc. 16th Int. Crimean Microwave and Telecommunication Technology (Vol. 2, pp. 688–689).
Abstract: Представлены результаты измерения рактеристик смесителей на эффекте разогрева электронов в тонких сверхпроводниковых пленках NbN. Смесители были изготовлены на основе пленок NbN толщиной 2-3.5 нм осажденных на кремниевую подложку с буферным подсло- ем MgO. Смесительный элемент согласовывался с планар- ной логопериодической спиральной антенной. Лучшее зна- чение шумовой температуры приемника на основе NbN смесителя составило 1300 К и 3100 К на частотах гетеро- дина 2.5 TГц и 3.8 ТГц, соответственно. Максимальное зна- чение полосы преобразования, измеренной на частоте 900 |Ц, достигло значения 5.2 ГГц для смесителя изготовлен- ного из NbN пленки толщиной 2 нм. Оптимальная мощность Представлены результаты измерения ха- гетеродинного источника составила 1-3 мкВт для смесите- лей с различным объемом смесительного элемента.
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Lobanov, Y. V., Tong, C. - Y. E., Hedden, A. S., Blundell, R., & Gol'tsman, G. N. (2010). Microwave-assisted슠measurement슠of the슠frequency슠response슠of슠terahertz슠HEB슠mixers슠with a슠fourier슠transform슠spectrometer. In 21st International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (pp. 420–423).
Abstract: We describe a novel method of operation of the HEB direct detector for use with a Fourier Transform Spectrometer. Instead of elevating the bath temperature, we have measured the RF response of waveguide HEB mixers by applying microwave radiation to select appropriate bias conditions. In our experiment, a microwave signal is injected into the HEB mixer via its IF port. By choosing an appropriate injection level, the device can be operated close to the desired operating point. Furthermore, we have shown that both thermal biasing and microwave injection can reproduce the same spectral response of the HEB mixer. However, with the use of microwave injection, there is no need to wait for the mixer to reach thermal equilibrium, so characterisation can be done in less time. Also, the liquid helium consumption for our wet cryostat is also reduced. We have demonstrated that the signalto-noise ratio of the FTS measurements can be improved with microwave injection.
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Ekstrom, H., Karasik, B., Weikle, R., Yngvesson, K. S., Gol’tsman, G., Kollberg, E., et al. (1993). Mixers using superconducting Nb films in the resistive state. In 23rd European Microwave Conf. (pp. 787–789).
Abstract: The mixing of 20 GHz radiation in a Nb superconducting film in the resistive state was studied. The experiment gave evidence of electron-heating to be the origin of the non-linear phenomenon. The requirements on the operation mode and on the film parameters in order to obtain small conversion losses or even gain are determined. Our measurements indicate a conversion loss of about 6-8 dB. The hot-electron bolometer is considered to be very promising for use in heterodyne receivers in a wide frequency range from microwaves to terahertz frequencies.
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