Title:
The 3-Dimensional Structure of Outflows from Newborn
Stars from Gemini Integral Field Spectroscopy
Authors:
Tracy L. Beck (Gemini North Observatory), Angels Riera (Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya, Universitat de Barcelona), A. C. Raga (UNAM)
Abstract:
Herbig-Haro (HH) Energy sources are arguably the
most spectacular emission signatures of outflows from young stars.
To better determine their nature, HH objects have been observed at
very high spatial resolution using the Hubble Space Telescope and at
high spectral resolution using conventional longslit spectroscopy or
Fabry-Perot interferometry. The capability of integral field (IFU)
spectroscopy provides the opportunity to obtain a relatively high spatial
and spectral resolution image cube of many interesting emission lines for
the study of HH flows with only one pointing of a telescope. Using the
GMOS optical IFUs available at the Gemini Observatory, our team has studied
the 3 Dimensional structure of several outflows by constructing velocity
channel maps and spatial maps of the electron density. We have found that
the nature of an HH source is often much more complicated than can be
readily discerned from longslit spectroscopy or narrow band imaging.
In this talk we will present the results of our optical integral field
spectroscopic studies and discuss the future of research on Herbig-Haro
sources in the age of AO fed integral field spectroscopy at near-infrared
wavelengths.