Temperatures of Gaseous Nebulae-a Decade of Depression
Abstract
Prior to 1963, electron temperatures in nebulae of about 10,000 K, deduced from relative intensities of forbidden O III lines, were generally accepted. In 1963, Burbidge, Gould and Pottasch argued that temperatures should be much lower; thus for a nebula excited by a star of temperature 30,000 K, they computed an electron temperature of 3,000 K. Subsequent observational work on radio surface brightnesses, radio recombination lines, Balmer decrements and Balmer line-to-continuum ratios appeared to confirm their results. However, all of the most recent observational and theoretical work shows that these low electron temperatures are not correct.
- Publication:
-
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- December 1974
- Bibcode:
- 1974QJRAS..15..370S
- Keywords:
-
- Balmer Series;
- Electron Energy;
- Interstellar Gas;
- Nebulae;
- Radiative Recombination;
- Radio Spectra;
- Abundance;
- Astronomical Spectroscopy;
- Forbidden Transitions;
- Infrared Astronomy;
- Line Spectra;
- Radio Astronomy;
- Stellar Radiation;
- Thermal Stability;
- Astrophysics