Non--LTE Excitation of H$_2$ in Magnetised Molecular Shocks

Ivan O'Brien; L O'C Drury

Non--LTE Excitation of H$_2$ in Magnetised Molecular Shocks

Astrophysics 2007-05-23 v1

Authors: Ivan O'Brien , L O'C Drury

Abstract

The observed H $_2$ line ratios in OMC--1 and IC443 are not satisfactorily explained by conventional shock excitation models. We consider the microscopic collisional processes implicit in ambipolar diffusion models of magnetised C-shocks and show that non-LTE level populations and emission line ratios are an inevitable consequence of such models. This has important implications for the use of molecular hydrogen lines as diagnostics of shock models in molecular clouds.

Keywords

H$_2$ excitation non-LTE magnetized shocks ambipolar diffusion molecular clouds

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9601028,
  title  = {Non--LTE Excitation of H$_2$ in Magnetised Molecular Shocks},
  author = {Ivan O'Brien and L O'C Drury},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9601028},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 5 pages, latex, 6 figures, Compressed postscript also available at http://www.cp.dias.ie/astro/preprints/1996/1.html

Non--LTE Excitation of H$_2$ in Magnetised Molecular Shocks

Abstract

Keywords

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