Theoretical Position-Velocity Diagrams of Flux and Electron Density in Herbig-Haro Objects

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Session 48 -- Young Stars
Display presentation, Tuesday, 10, 1995, 9:20am - 6:30pm

[48.09] Theoretical Position-Velocity Diagrams of Flux and Electron Density in Herbig-Haro Objects

R. Indebetouw (Maria Mitchell Observatory), A. Noriega-Crespo (MMO and IPAC)

Many features of Herbig-Haro objects can be reproduced using a kinematical bow shock model. We use the model to generate position-velocity diagrams of flux in H$_\alpha$, [O I]$\lambda\lambda$6300+6363, [S II]$\lambda\lambda$6716+6731, [O III]$\lambda\lambda$4959+5007, and [C I]$\lambda\lambda$9823+9850, line ratios of [O I]/H$_\alpha$, [O I]/[S II], [S II]/H$_\alpha$, H$_\alpha$/[S II], and [O III]/H$_\alpha$, and electron density $N_e$. We show how these position-velocity diagrams of $N_e$ and flux vary with shock kinematics. By matching PV diagrams with observation, we can determine a narrow range of parameters for HH~1F, 2A'+H, and 43B+C. We can use line ratios and $N_e$ (determined from a line ratio) to narrow the possible range of shock parameters. We successfully model the $N_e$ features of HH~2A'+H as a superposition of 2 bow shocks. We also show that the effects of slight misalignments of the two diagrams to be divided can produce artifacts in line ratios and $N_e$ which obliterate the physical features. We show that $N_e$ in HH~1 can only be explained using the kinematical model by taking these misalignments in to account.

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