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Publication Date

Fall 2010

Degree Type

Thesis - Campus Access Only

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Physics and Astronomy

Advisor

Michael Kaufman

Keywords

Infrared Astronomy, Molecular Clouds, Quantum, Shocked Regions, Star Formation

Subject Areas

Astronomy; Physics; Astrophysics

Abstract

Formation of massive stars is an area of active research. Like low mass stars, high mass stars go through a phase of accretion and outflow. High mass outflows are distinct from low mass outflows in that the former are poorly collimated and spread out into a butterfly pattern. The Orion outflow is composed of a large number of "bullet-shaped" shock waves. It is the nearest, best studied example of a massive outflow. High spectral and spatial resolution observations have been made at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) using an integral field unit (IFU) spectrometer. We use these data to study several bullets and derive energetics by comparing the data to detailed shock models. Temperatures and densities of the warm H2 gas are derived, and the masses of individual features are computed.

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