Contents
Images
Upload your image
DSS Images Other Images
Related articles
Interstellar Extinction and Polarization in the Taurus Dark Clouds: The Optical Properties of Dust near the Diffuse/Dense Cloud Interface
Observations of interstellar linear polarization in the spectral range0.35-2.2 μm are presented for several stars reddened by dust in theTaurus region. Combined with a previously published study by Whittet etal., these results represent the most comprehensive data set availableon the spectral dependence of interstellar polarization in this nearbydark cloud (a total of 27 sight lines). Extinction data for these andother reddened stars in Taurus are assembled for the same spectralrange, combining published photometry and spectral classifications withphotometry from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. The polarization andextinction curves are characterized in terms of the parametersλmax (the wavelength of maximum polarization) andRV (the ratio of total to selective extinction),respectively. The data are used to investigate in detail the question ofwhether the optical properties of the dust change systematically as afunction of environment, considering stars observed throughprogressively more opaque (and thus progressively denser) regions of thecloud. At low visual extinctions (03, real changes in grainproperties occur, characterized by observed RVvalues in the range 3.5-4.0. A simple model for the development ofRV with AV suggests thatRV may approach values of 4.5 or more in thedensest regions of the cloud. The transition between ``normal''extinction and ``dense cloud'' extinction occurs at AV~3.2, avalue coincident with the threshold extinction above whichH2O-ice is detected on grains within the cloud. Changes inRV are thus either a direct consequence ofmantle growth or occur under closely similar physical conditions. Dustin Taurus appears to be in a different evolutionary state compared withother nearby dark clouds, such as ρ Oph, in which coagulation is thedominant physical process.
| Radial velocities. Measurements of 2800 B2-F5 stars for HIPPARCOS
Radial velocities have been determined for a sample of 2930 B2-F5 stars,95% observed by the Hipparcos satellite in the north hemisphere and 80%without reliable radial velocity up to now. Observations were obtainedat the Observatoire de Haute Provence with a dispersion of 80Ä,mm(-1) with the aim of studying stellar and galactic dynamics.Radial velocities have been measured by correlation with templates ofthe same spectral class. The mean obtained precision is 3.0 km s(-1)with three observations. A new MK spectral classification is estimatedfor all stars. Based on observations made at the Haute ProvenceObservatory, France and on data from The Hipparcos Catalogue, ESA.Tables 4, 5 and 6 are only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.htm
| Grain Alignment in the Taurus Dark Cloud
Variations in the polarization efficiency (p/A) of interstellar grainsas a function of environment place vital constraints on models for themechanism of alignment. In this Letter, polarimetric observations ofbackground field stars are used to investigate alignment in the TaurusDark Cloud for extinctions in the magnitude range 0 < AK < 2.5 (0< AV < 25). Results show a strong systematic trend in polarizationefficiency with extinction, well represented by a power law p/A ~A-0.56. A number of possible interpretations of this result arediscussed. Assuming magnetic alignment of the grains, the observed trendmay be influenced by such factors as small-scale magnetic fieldstructure, variation of magnetic field strength and coupling of gas anddust temperatures as functions of density, and systematic changes in theefficiency of suprathermal spin as a function of grain surfaceproperties and H/H2 fraction within the dark cloud.
| A new optical extinction law and distance estimate for the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud
This paper presents optical spectrophotometry of field stars projectedon the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud. We derive extinction laws forheavily reddened stars in this sample and show that the reddening lawthrough the dark cloud is nearly identical to the standard law forlambda-lambda(3600-6100) and AV approximately less than 3mag. Our spectroscopic parallaxes suggest a distance of 140 +/- 10 pcfor the northern portion of the cloud and show no compelling evidencefor a substantial variation in distance across the leading edge of thecloud.
| Magnetic field structure in the Taurus dark cloud
Optical and infrared polarimetry of sources in the direction of theTaurus cloud are obtained in order to study the magnetic field in thiscloud and its possible role in the cloud's evolution. Most of the starsare background giant stars whose light shines through the cloud and ispolarized by the cloud material. The transverse component of themagnetic field, as delineated by the polarization vectors, is generallyperpendicular to the galactic plane, and the stratified structure of thecloud could be due to the effect of the magnetic field during the earlystages of collapse. Three of the 13 embedded stars are stronglypolarized with position angles nearly perpendicular to those of nearbyfield stars. The polarization of these stars is most likely intrinsic,and the direction of polarization indicates that the materialsurrounding these stars may be magnetic i.e., that the magnetic field isfrozen in this material.
| Interstellar extinction in the dark Taurus clouds. I
The results of photoelectric photometry of 74 stars in the Vilniusseven-color system in the area of Taurus dark clouds with coordinates(1950) 4h20m-4h48m +24.5 deg to +27 deg are presented. Photometricspectral types, absolute magnitudes, color excesses, interstellarextinctions and distances of the stars are determined. The dark cloudKhavtassi 286, 278 and the surrounding absorbing nebulae are found toextend from 140 to 175 pc from the sun. The average interstellarextinction on both sides of the dark cloud is of the order of 1.5m. Noevidence of the existence of several absorbing clouds situated atvarious distances is found.
| Photoelectric UBV sequences in Tau.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1967AJ.....72.1012L&db_key=AST
|
Submit a new article
Related links
Submit a new link
Member of following groups:
|
Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Taureau |
| Right ascension: | 04h28m17.90s |
| Declination: | +27°46'50.5" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.798 |
| Distance: | 122.85 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -11.3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | 3.2 |
| B-T magnitude: | 8.411 |
| V-T magnitude: | 7.849 |
Catalogs and designations:
|
INHABITED SKY
