Investigation of the structure of molecular cloud filaments

The project involves a combination of data reduction and data analysis and modelling/interpretation using spatially resolved multi-band observations of nearby star-forming molecular clouds using data from the PACS and SPIRE FIR-submillimetre cameras on board the Herschel Space Observatory and the SCUBA-2 submillimetre camera on the James Clerk Maxwell telescope. Data will be analysed using the new PPMAP routine, initially developed at Cardiff, to decompose multi-band dust intensity observations into components emitted by material at different temperatures and dust emissivity indices, and the results will be used to resolve and study the internal structure of star-forming filaments. The nearby, and thus well-resolved, Taurus and Ophiuchus molecular clouds will be studied in detail, and filament properties such as characteristic radius, temperature and dust emissivity profiles, and mass per unit length will be derived and linked to the star-formation activity in the filaments as evidenced by prestellar and protostellar cores detected in the maps.

The project also involves developing and documenting the appropriate methds for implementing the PPMAP programme and dealing with the data-sets that it produces. This will enable the more general utility and operation of the PPMAP technique and programme to be optimised, clarifying the optimum parameters and sequences for its use, and identifying constraints and pitfalls that may apply for different kinds of observations and source types.

The work is part of a collaborative programme involving colleagues at Cardiff and internationally.