Protostars and Planets VI, Heidelberg, July 15-20, 2013

Poster 1S024

The Dust Emissivity Spectral Index in Cores and Filaments

Schnee, Scott (NRAO)
Chitsazzadeh, Shadi (University of Victoria, NRC-Herzberg)
Di Francesco, James (NRC-Herzberg, University of Victoria)
Friesen, Rachel (Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics)
Makiwa, Gibion (University of Lethbridge)
Mason, Brian (NRAO)
Naylor, David (University of Lethbridge)
van der Wiel, Matthijs (University of Lethbridge)
Stanke , Thomas (ESO)

Abstract:
Thermal dust emission is a tracer of mass within star‐forming regions, so continuum maps trace the distribution of dense material involved in the star formation process. Deriving the mass from measurements of dust continuum emission is complicated by also needing to know (or simultaneously determine) the dust temperature and dust opacity. This opacity has a frequency dependence in the form of a power law, with the exponent called the emissivity spectral index. By deriving accurate values of the emissivity spectral index, we will be able to determine more accurate core masses, temperatures, and the dust grain size distribution. Here we present a preliminary analysis of the emissivity spectral index in the OMC-2/3 filament and a sample of nearby starless and protostellar cores.

Click here to view poster PDF