Vibrationally Excited Molecular Hydrogen Near Herschel 36
Abstract
We present the first high resolution UV spectra toward Herschel 36, a Trapezium-like system of high-mass stars contained within the Lagoon Nebula (M8, NGC 6523). The spectra reveal extreme ro-vibrational excitation of molecular hydrogen in material at a single velocity or very small range of velocities, most likely the largest ever seen in UV absorption spectra. While the velocities of the highly excited H2 lines are consistent within each observation, it appears that they underwent a ≈60 km s-1 redshift during the 3.6 years between observations. In neither case does the velocity of the highly excited material match the velocity of the bulk of the line-of-sight material which appears to mostly be in the foreground of M8. Recent work shows unusually excited CH and CH+ lines and several unusually broad Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs) towards Herschel 36. Along with the H2 excitation, all of these findings appear to be related to the extreme environment within ∼0.1 pc of the massive young stellar system.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #223
- Pub Date:
- January 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014AAS...22345442R