2004ApJ...613..986P

Query : 2004ApJ...613..986P

2004ApJ...613..986P - Astrophys. J., 613, 986-1003 (2004/October-1)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as a tracer of star formation?

PEETERS E., SPOON H.W.W. and TIELENS A.G.G.M.

Abstract (from CDS):

Infrared (IR) emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 µm are generally attributed to IR fluorescence from (mainly) far-ultraviolet (FUV) pumped large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. As such, these features trace the FUV stellar flux and are thus a measure of star formation. We examined the IR spectral characteristics of Galactic massive star-forming regions and of normal and starburst galaxies, as well as active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The goal of this study is to analyze whether PAH features are a good qualitative and/or quantitative tracer of star formation, and hence to evaluate the application of PAH emission as a diagnostic tool in order to identify the dominant processes contributing to the infrared emission from Seyfert galaxies and ULIRGs. We develop a new mid-infrared (MIR)/far-infrared (FIR) diagnostic diagram based on our Galactic sample and compare it to the diagnostic tools of Genzel and coworkers and Laurent and coworkers, with these diagnostic tools also applied to our Galactic sample. This MIR/FIR diagnostic is derived from the FIR normalized 6.2 µm PAH flux and the FIR normalized 6.2 µm continuum flux. Within this diagram, the Galactic sources form a sequence spanning a range of 3 orders of magnitude in these ratios, ranging from embedded compact H II regions to exposed photodissociation regions (PDRs) and the (diffuse) interstellar medium (ISM). However, the variation in the 6.2 µm PAH feature-to-continuum ratio is relative small. Comparison of our extragalactic sample with our Galactic sources revealed an excellent resemblance of normal and starburst galaxies to exposed PDRs. While Seyfert 2 galaxies coincide with the starburst trend, Seyfert 1 galaxies are displaced by at least a factor of 10 in 6.2 µm continuum flux, in accordance with general orientation-dependent unification schemes for AGNs. ULIRGs show a diverse spectral appearance. Some show a typical AGN hot dust continuum. More, however, either are starburst-like or show signs of strong dust obscuration in the nucleus. One characteristic of the ULIRGs also seems to be the presence of more prominent FIR emission than either starburst galaxies or AGNs. We discuss the observed variation in the Galactic sample in view of the evolutionary state and the PAH/dust abundance and discuss the use of PAHs as quantitative tracers of star formation activity. Based on these investigations, we find that PAHs may be better suited as a tracer of B stars, which dominate the Galactic stellar energy budget, than as a tracer of massive star formation (O stars).

Abstract Copyright: ∼

Journal keyword(s): Galaxies: ISM - ISM: H II Regions - Infrared: Galaxies - Infrared: ISM - ISM: Lines and Bands - ISM: Molecules

CDS comments: p.992, source 05189-2424 not identified

Simbad objects: 122

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Number of rows : 122
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA 		ICRS (J2000)
DEC 		Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026 		#notes
1 Mrk 335 Sy1 00 06 19.5372339024 +20 12 10.617404076   14.19 13.85     ~ 1344 0
2 IRAS 00182-7112 Sy2 00 20 34.72104 -70 55 26.2488     20.6     ~ 143 0
3 2MASX J00212652-0839261 LIN 00 21 26.5135306416 -08 39 25.967117268   18.37       ~ 124 1
4 QSO B0027-289 Sy1 00 30 04.2061981368 -28 42 25.820693820   16.4 16.0     ~ 80 0
5 LEDA 165307 AGN 00 42 15.51192 -12 56 03.3108   19.45       ~ 86 0
6 [RLB93] SMC-B1 1 MoC 00 45 32.7 -73 18 46           ~ 34 0
7 NGC 253 SyG 00 47 33.134 -25 17 19.68   8.03   6.94 8.1 ~ 3588 2
8 Mrk 1502 Sy1 00 53 34.9331107632 +12 41 35.929269132   14.41 14.03     ~ 1242 1
9 6dFGS gJ021333.0-292339 LIN 02 13 32.97888 -29 23 38.6304   19.07       ~ 22 0
10 NGC 891 H2G 02 22 32.907 +42 20 53.95 11.08 10.81 9.93 7.86   ~ 1741 2
11 NAME W 3A 02219+6125 HII 02 25 44.6 +62 06 11           ~ 8 0
12 W 3 MoC 02 27 04.10 +61 52 27.1           ~ 1064 3
13 M 77 Sy2 02 42 40.7091669408 -00 00 47.859690204 9.70 9.61 8.87 10.1 9.9 ~ 4897 2
14 LEDA 11044 AGN 02 55 34.4315511384 +02 23 41.539669548   16.62       ~ 36 0
15 LEDA 759488 AGN 03 02 11.4397144560 -27 07 26.272476480   18.05       ~ 22 0
16 IRAS 03158+4227 AGN 03 19 11.9490689880 +42 38 25.463172912           ~ 67 0
17 2MASX J03191239+4238436 Sy2 03 19 12.3947640576 +42 38 43.501651404           ~ 43 0
18 NGC 1275 Bla 03 19 48.1599902040 +41 30 42.108850836   13.10 12.48 11.09   ~ 4243 3
19 NGC 1365 Sy1 03 33 36.458 -36 08 26.37 10.48 10.08 9.63 8.79 9.7 ~ 1987 2
20 NGC 1377 GiG 03 36 39.077 -20 54 08.14   13.38   12.12   ~ 241 0
21 IC 342 AGN 03 46 48.514 +68 05 45.98   10.5       ~ 1579 1
22 IRAS 03538-6432 AGN 03 54 25.22112 -64 23 44.5704   18.85   17.64   ~ 34 0
23 IRAS 03521+0028 AGN 03 54 42.14640 +00 37 03.3280           ~ 104 0
24 NGC 1569 rG 04 30 49.186 +64 50 52.52 11.72 11.86 11.03     ~ 1297 3
25 IRAS 04384-4848 G 04 39 46.84959 -48 44 13.3802           ~ 24 0
26 IRAS 04385-0828 Sy1 04 40 54.9608896320 -08 22 22.126721232   15.71 14.5     ~ 128 0
27 NGC 1808 Sy2 05 07 42.343 -37 30 46.98 11.05 10.80 9.94 9.36 10.2 ~ 756 3
28 IRAS 05189-2524 Sy2 05 21 01.3994605776 -25 21 45.321827832   15.47 14.75     ~ 545 0
29 M 42 HII 05 35 16.8 -05 23 15           ~ 4411 0
30 NAME OrionBar D8 HII 05 35 18.22 -05 24 39.9           ~ 4 0
31 NAME OrionBar BRGA HII 05 35 19.31 -05 24 59.9           ~ 3 0
32 NAME OrionBar D5 HII 05 35 19.81 -05 25 10.0           ~ 9 0
33 NAME OrionBar H2S1 HII 05 35 20.31 -05 25 20.0           ~ 15 0
34 NAME OrionBar D2 HII 05 35 21.40 -05 25 40.1           O6 7 0
35 NAME Orion Bright Bar reg 05 35 22.30 -05 24 33.0           ~ 1004 0
36 NAME Ori A MoC 05 38 -07.1           ~ 3187 0
37 RMC 136 Cl* 05 38 42.396 -69 06 03.36   5.81 5.40     ~ 2236 2
38 NGC 2023 RNe 05 41 37.9 -02 15 52           ~ 657 1
39 UGCA 116 AGN 05 55 42.645 +03 23 32.23 10.74 11.68 11.46   11.82 ~ 561 0
40 NAME Mon R2 IRS 2 * 06 07 45.83 -06 22 53.5           B0 122 0
41 Z 329-24 Sy2 06 15 36.2812259376 +71 02 14.837219808 14.21 14.03 12.97     ~ 960 2
42 2MASX J08010650-6609147 H2G 08 01 06.6345994848 -66 09 14.878938132   16.18       ~ 23 0
43 IRAS 09104+4109 Sy2 09 13 45.4951283928 +40 56 28.215343572   19.69 19.21     ~ 260 1
44 Z 289-11 Sy2 09 35 51.6045544584 +61 21 11.589382368   15.20 15.50     ~ 617 2
45 M 82 AGN 09 55 52.430 +69 40 46.93 9.61 9.30 8.41     ~ 6156 6
46 NGC 3256 Sy2 10 27 51.284 -43 54 13.55   11.83 11.33 10.62 11.9 ~ 920 2
47 [BNM96] 289.880-0.799 HII 11 00 59.4892543320 -60 50 22.768640052           ~ 36 0
48 NGC 3583 GiG 11 14 10.979 +48 19 06.16   11.6       ~ 220 1
49 NGC 3620 AG? 11 16 04.680 -76 12 58.74   15.9       ~ 78 1
50 NGC 3783 Sy1 11 39 01.7096819040 -37 44 19.009642992   12.46 13.43 11.33 12.1 ~ 1765 1
51 NGC 4102 Sy2 12 06 23.11513 +52 42 39.4160   11.8       ~ 449 1
52 ESO 95-1 HII 12 09 01.260 -63 15 59.63     16.00     ~ 96 2
53 IRAS 12073-6233 mul 12 10 00.4 -62 49 57           ~ 51 0
54 [GS70] 298.2-00.3 HII 12 10 01.886 -62 50 00.46           ~ 67 1
55 NGC 4151 Sy1 12 10 32.5759813872 +39 24 21.063527532   12.18 11.48     ~ 3938 2
56 NGC 4194 rG 12 14 09.615 +54 31 35.93   13.79 13.30     ~ 467 2
57 NGC 4355 Sy2 12 26 54.6206739120 -00 52 39.421212996   14.21 13.37     ~ 527 2
58 3C 273 BLL 12 29 06.6998257176 +02 03 08.597629980   13.05 14.830 14.11   ~ 6022 1
59 IRAS 12331-6134 HII 12 36 01.9 -61 51 04           ~ 23 0
60 Z 294-4 Sy1 12 56 14.2341182928 +56 52 25.238373852   14.68 13.84     ~ 2096 3
61 NGC 4945 Sy2 13 05 27.279 -49 28 04.44   9.31 14.40 7.55   ~ 1582 2
62 IC 860 LIN 13 15 03.51 +24 37 07.8   14.8       ~ 236 0
63 NAME Centaurus A BLL 13 25 27.61521044 -43 01 08.8050291   8.18 6.84 6.66   ~ 4774 3
64 M 51 Sy2 13 29 52.698 +47 11 42.93   9.26 8.36 8.40   ~ 4565 4
65 Mrk 789 AGN 13 32 24.240 +11 06 22.59   15.41 14.87     ~ 123 0
66 M 83 SBG 13 37 00.91920 -29 51 56.7400 8.85 8.11 7.52 7.21   ~ 2778 2
67 NGC 5253 rG 13 39 55.990 -31 38 24.11 11.48 10.94 10.49 10.33 13.47 ~ 1421 4
68 Z 271-60 Sy2 13 44 42.1883001099 +55 53 13.596220922   15.68 14.91     ~ 958 3
69 Z 103-14 Sy2 13 56 02.89833 +18 22 18.2982   14.8 14.22     ~ 413 2
70 NAME Circinus Galaxy Sy2 14 13 09.906 -65 20 20.47   10.89 9.84 10.6 10.0 ~ 1331 1
71 NGC 5506 Bla 14 13 14.8761010056 -03 12 27.556909272   15.25 14.38     ~ 1173 1
72 NGC 5643 Sy2 14 32 40.778 -44 10 28.60   11.03 13.60 9.92 10.6 ~ 652 1
73 Z 49-57 rG 15 13 13.1083645335 +07 13 32.099256087   15.5       ~ 252 1
74 NGC 5940 Sy1 15 31 18.0815283384 +07 27 27.842445432   15.56 14.90     ~ 214 0
75 2XMM J153244.0+324248 Sy2 15 32 44.0246599800 +32 42 46.679782356     19.8     ~ 109 0
76 NGC 5953 Sy2 15 34 32.40240 +15 11 37.7990   13.23 12.45     ~ 389 1
77 IC 1127 SyG 15 34 57.22396 +23 30 11.6084   14.76 13.88     ~ 3090 4
78 IRAS 15384-5348 HII 15 42 17.787 -53 58 30.88           ~ 41 1
79 IRAS 15502-5302 HII 15 54 07.2 -53 11 20           ~ 51 0
80 NGC 6090 PaG 16 11 40.3 +52 27 21   14.0       ~ 446 1
81 MSX6C G332.1544-00.4487 HII 16 16 40.776 -51 17 06.36           ~ 36 1
82 NAME Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud SFR 16 28 06 -24 32.5           ~ 3969 1
83 NGC 6240 Sy2 16 52 58.9 +02 24 03   14.31 13.37     ~ 1734 2
84 GAL 350.10+00.09 HII 17 19 26.1 -37 10 54           ~ 43 0
85 Mrk 1116 PaG 17 19 32.366 +86 44 18.36   14.3       ~ 44 0
86 LEDA 60189 LIN 17 23 21.96264 -00 17 00.8088   15.1       ~ 454 0
87 IRAS 17221-3619 HII 17 25 33 -36 21.7           ~ 36 0
88 IRAS 17279-3350 HII 17 31 18.0 -33 52 50           ~ 24 0
89 NAME Sgr C MoC 17 44 36.3 -29 28 13           ~ 400 0
90 NAME Sgr A* X 17 45 40.03599 -29 00 28.1699           ~ 4970 3
91 IRAS 17463+5806 G 17 47 05.6 +58 05 18           ~ 22 0
92 NAME Sgr D HII HII 17 48 41.79 -28 01 41.3           ~ 69 1
93 F3R 261 HII 18 02 13.112 -22 27 50.56           ~ 49 1
94 IRAS 18030+0705 AGN 18 05 32.5166524248 +07 05 59.457810948           ~ 18 0
95 GAL 009.62+00.19 HII 18 06 13.9 -20 31 44           ~ 226 0
96 GAL 013.875+00.28 HII 18 14 35.2 -16 45 21           ~ 99 0
97 NAME GGD 27-ILL SFR 18 19 12.00 -20 47 31.1           ~ 16 1
98 [WAM82] 023.955+0.152 HII 18 34 24.9 -07 54 50           ~ 70 1
99 CORNISH G029.9559-00.0168 Y*O 18 46 04.18 -02 39 21.3           ~ 385 0
100 GAL 031.40-00.26 HII 18 49 33.04 -01 29 03.7           ~ 53 0
101 RAFGL 5536 HII 18 50 30.8 -00 01 59           ~ 48 0
102 RAFGL 5541 Y*O 18 52 50.26 +00 55 29.6           ~ 122 1
103 GAL 049.20-00.35 Cl* 19 23 02.1 +14 16 40           ~ 66 0
104 SH 2-87 bub 19 46 20.69 +24 35 15.4           ~ 161 2
105 NVSS J194815+095203 rG 19 48 15.69984 +09 52 04.5912           ~ 40 0
106 W 58a HII 20 01 45.8 +33 32 43           ~ 294 4
107 Mrk 509 Sy1 20 44 09.7504483224 -10 43 24.727155528   13.35 13.12 10.7   ~ 1370 0
108 IC 5063 Bla 20 52 02.15 -57 04 06.7   12.92 13.60 11.30   ~ 710 1
109 ESO 286-19 LIN 20 58 26.8183783008 -42 38 59.411838156   14.79 14.79 14.20   ~ 318 0
110 NGC 7023 OpC 21 01 36.9 +68 09 48           ~ 739 0
111 6dFGS gJ222209.3-315624 G 22 22 09.24 -31 56 24.2   19.57       ~ 11 0
112 SH 2-138 HII 22 32 45.7 +58 28 20           ~ 115 2
113 NGC 7469 Sy1 23 03 15.6 +08 52 26 12.60 13.00 12.34     ~ 2253 3
114 IC 1470 HII 23 05 09.9 +60 14 31   11.5       ~ 180 2
115 IRAS 23060+0505 Sy1 23 08 33.9537309816 +05 21 29.751752412           ~ 160 0
116 NAME NGC 7538 IRS 1(OH) Mas 23 13 45.5 +61 28 10           ~ 11 0
117 SH 2-159 Y*O 23 15 31.2384366062 +61 07 10.181362705           ~ 188 1
118 ESO 148-2 Sy2 23 15 46.76280 -59 03 15.6924   14.94 14.73 13.95   ~ 289 1
119 NGC 7552 Sy1 23 16 10.66 -42 35 04.7 11.34 11.22 10.57 10.08 11.1 ~ 574 3
120 NGC 7582 Sy2 23 18 23.60 -42 22 13.3 11.62 10.92 10.62     ~ 978 3
121 2MASS J23540653-2901001 Sy2 23 54 06.53808 -29 01 00.1560   19.3       ~ 24 1
122 2MASS J23553299-2103096 AGN 23 55 32.99376 -21 03 09.6120   19.04       ~ 19 0

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