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The distribution of HCN in the circumstellar envelope of IRC + 10216

J. H. Bieging, Bruce Chapman, W. J. Welch

Open publisher page 28 citations

Abstract

It is pointed out that the remarkable star IRC + 10216, which is extremely luminous in the infrared and yet highly obscured in the visible region, is evidently a late-type carbon star shrouded by a massive envelope of dust and gas. The Hat Creek interferometer has been employed to conduct an aperture synthesis mapping of the 88 GHz (J = 1 to 0) HCN line emission from IRC + 10216. The observational results are compared with the data of statistical equilibrium calculations for the HCN rotational level population for a uniform, constant velocity expansion model for the circumstellar envelope. The results of model calculations are discussed. It is found that the HCN J = 1-0 excitation is dominated by radiative pumping through the 14-micron vibrational transition, in agreement with the conclusions of Kwan and Hill (1977).

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What this paper is about

It is pointed out that the remarkable star IRC + 10216, which is extremely luminous in the infrared and yet highly obscured in the visible region, is evidently a late-type carbon star shrouded by a massive envelope of dust and gas. The Hat Creek interferometer has been employed to conduct an aperture synthesis mapping of the 88 GHz (J = 1 to 0) HCN line emission from IRC + 10216. The observational results are compared with the data of statistical equilibrium calculations for the HCN rotational level population for a uniform, constant velocity expansion model for the circumstellar envelope. The results of model calculations are discussed. It is found that the HCN J = 1-0 excitation is dominated by radiative pumping through the 14-micron vibrational transition, in agreement with the conclusions of Kwan and Hill (1977).

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Available abstract

It is pointed out that the remarkable star IRC + 10216, which is extremely luminous in the infrared and yet highly obscured in the visible region, is evidently a late-type carbon star shrouded by a massive envelope of dust and gas. The Hat Creek interferometer has been employed to conduct an aperture synthesis mapping of the 88 GHz (J = 1 to 0) HCN line emission from IRC + 10216. The observational results are compared with the data of statistical equilibrium calculations for the HCN rotational level population for a uniform, constant velocity expansion model for the circumstellar envelope. The results of model calculations are discussed. It is found that the HCN J = 1-0 excitation is dominated by radiative pumping through the 14-micron vibrational transition, in agreement with the conclusions of Kwan and Hill (1977).

Key concepts: Circumstellar envelope, Physics, Carbon star, Astrophysics, Asymptotic giant branch, Radiative transfer, Astronomy, Stars

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