Bibcode
DOI
Allen, R. J.; Knapen, J. H.; Bohlin, R.; Stecher, T. P.
Referencia bibliográfica
Astrophysical Journal v.487, p.171
Fecha de publicación:
9
1997
Número de citas
50
Número de citas referidas
36
Descripción
We compare the detailed distributions of H I, H alpha , and 150 nm
far-UV (FUV) continuum emission in the spiral arms of M81 at a
resolution of 9" (linear resolution 150 pc at 3.7 Mpc distance). The
bright H alpha emission peaks are always associated with peaks in the
FUV emission. The converse is not always true; there are many regions of
FUV emission with little corresponding H alpha . The H I and the FUV are
always closely associated, in the sense that the H I is often brightest
around the edges of the FUV emission. The effects of extinction on the
morphology are small, even in the FUV. Extensive FUV emission, often
with little corresponding H alpha , indicates the presence of many "B
stars," which produce mostly nonionizing UV photons. These FUV photons
dissociate a small fraction of an extensive layer of H2 into H I. The
observed morphology can be understood if "chimneys" are common in the
spiral arms of M81, where holes are blown out of the galactic disk,
exposing the bright H II regions and the corresponding FUV associated
with vigorous star formation. These "naked" star-forming regions show
little obscuration. H2 is turned into H I by UV photons impinging on the
interior surfaces of these chimneys. The intensity of the FUV radiation
measured by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope can dissociate the
underlying H2 with a typical density of ~10 H nuclei cm-3 to produce the
observed amount of H I in the spiral arms of M81. Except for thin
surface layers locally heated in these photodissociation regions that
are close to the FUV sources, the bulk of the molecular gas in the inner
disk of M81 is apparently too cold to produce much 12CO(1--0) emission.