English

Theoretical Models of Photodissociation Fronts

Astrophysics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

Observations of H2 line emission have revealed higher-than-expected gas temperatures in a number of photodissociation fronts. We discuss the heating and cooling processes in photodissociation regions. Observations of NGC 2023 are compared to a theoretical model in which there is substantial gas at temperatures T = 500-1000K heated by photoelectric emission and collisional deexcitation of H2. In general the model successfully reproduces the observed H2 line emission from a wide range of energy levels. The observed [SiII]34.8um emission appears to indicate substantial depletion of Si in NGC 2023.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0008149,
  title  = {Theoretical Models of Photodissociation Fronts},
  author = {B. T. Draine and Frank Bertoldi},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0008149},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

8 pages, 6 figures, uses cupconf.sty and psfig.sty. To appear in H2 in Space, ed. F. Combes & G. Pineau des Forets (Cambridge Univ. Press)