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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/26744
Title: | The Origins of [C II] Emission in Local Star-forming Galaxies | Authors: | Croxall, K. V. Smith, J. D. Pellegrini, E. Groves, B. Bolatto, A. Herrera-Camus, R. Sandstrom, K. M. Draine, B. Wolfire, M. G. Armus, L. Boquien, M. Brandl, B. Dale, D. Galametz, M. HUNT, Leslie Kipp Kennicutt, R., Jr. Kreckel, K. Rigopoulou, D. van der Werf, P. Wilson, C. |
Issue Date: | 2017 | Journal: | THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL | Number: | 845 | Issue: | 2 | First Page: | 96 | Abstract: | The [C II] 158 μm fine-structure line is the brightest emission line observed in local star-forming galaxies. As a major coolant of the gas-phase interstellar medium, [C II] balances the heating, including that due to far-ultraviolet photons, which heat the gas via the photoelectric effect. However, the origin of [C II] emission remains unclear because C<SUP>+</SUP> can be found in multiple phases of the interstellar medium. Here we measure the fractions of [C II] emission originating in the ionized and neutral gas phases of a sample of nearby galaxies. We use the [N II] 205 μm fine-structure line to trace the ionized medium, thereby eliminating the strong density dependence that exists in the ratio of [C II]/[N II] 122 μm. Using the FIR [C II] and [N II] emission detected by the KINGFISH (Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: a Far- Infrared Survey with Herschel) and Beyond the Peak Herschel programs, we show that 60%─80% of [C II] emission originates from neutral gas. We find that the fraction of [C II] originating in the neutral medium has a weak dependence on dust temperature and the surface density of star formation, and has a stronger dependence on the gas-phase metallicity. In metal-rich environments, the relatively cooler ionized gas makes substantially larger contributions to total [C II] emission than at low abundance, contrary to prior expectations. Approximate calibrations of this metallicity trend are provided. | URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/26744 | URL: | https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aa8035 | ISSN: | 0004-637X | DOI: | 10.3847/1538-4357/aa8035 | Bibcode ADS: | 2017ApJ...845...96C | Fulltext: | open |
Appears in Collections: | 1.01 Articoli in rivista |
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2017Croxall_2017_ApJ_845_96.pdf | PDF editoriale | 627.08 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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