Science Results Archive | SOFIA Science Center

Science results
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Stellar Feedback and Triggered Star Formation in RCW 120 By Matteo Luisi Paper: Stellar feedback and triggered star formation in the prototypical bubble RCW 120 Luisi, Matteo, et al., 2021/04, SciA, 7, 9511.
New Observations of Terahertz Water Masers with SOFIA By David Neufeld & Joan Schmelz Paper: Terahertz Water Masers. II. Further SOFIA/GREAT Detections Toward Circumstellar Outflows, and a Multitransition Analysis Neufeld, David A., et al., 2021/01, ApJ, 907, 42.
The Age of Westerlund 1 Revisited By Emma Beasor Paper: The Age of Westerlund 1 Revisited Beasor, Emma R., et al., 2021/05, ApJ, 912, 16.
Carbon Dioxide in R Leonis By José Pablo Fonfría and Joan Schmelz Paper: Detection of infrared fluorescence of carbon dioxide in R Leonis with SOFIA/EXES Fonfría, J. P., et al., 2020/11, A&A, 643L, 15.
Episodic Accretion in High-Mass Protostars By James De Buizer and Joan Schmelz Paper: The Extraordinary Outburst in the Massive Protostellar System NGC 6334 I-MM1: Strong Increase in Mid-Infrared Continuum Emission Hunter, T. R., et al., 2021/05, ApJL, 912, L17.
Magnetic Highway: Channeling the M82 Superwind By Joan Schmelz Paper: The Strength and Structure of the Magnetic Field in the Galactic Outflow of Messier 82 Lopez-Rodriguez, E., et al., 2021 ApJ 914 24
Galactic Chimneys: An Unseen Component of the Disk-Halo Interaction By William Reach and Joan Schmelz Paper: Extraplanar Gas in Edge-on Galaxies Traced by SOFIA Observations of [C II] Reach, William T., et al., 2020/10, ApJ, 902, 28.
Episodic Accretion in Massive Star Formation By Joan Schmelz and James Jackson Paper: Infrared observations of the flaring maser source G358.93-0.03. SOFIA confirms an accretion burst from a massive young stellar object Stecklum, B., et al., 2021/02, A&A, 646A, A161.
EXES Probes the Heart of Hot-Core Chemistry By Sarah Nickerson, Naseem Rangwala, and Joan Schmelz Paper: The First Mid-infrared Detection of HNC in the Interstellar Medium: Probing the Extreme Environment toward the Orion Hot Core Nickerson, et al., 2021/01, ApJ, 907, 51.
The Warped Magnetic Field of Centaurus A By Enrique Lopez Rodrigues & Joan Schmelz Paper: The Magnetic Field Across the Molecular Warped Disk of Centaurus A Lopez-Rodriguez, E., Nat Astron (2021).
First Signs of Star Birth Triggered by Orion Wind By Cornelia Pabst, Javier Goicoechea, and Joan Schmelz Paper: Expanding bubbles in Orion A: [C II] observations of M 42, M 43, and NGC 1977 Pabst, C. H. M., et al., 2020/07, A&A, 639A, A2.
SOFIA Comet Studies Explore the Carbon Gradient in the Solar System By Charles “Chick” Woodward, Kassandra Bell, and Joan Schmelz Paper: The Coma Dust of Comet C/2013 US ₁₀ (Catalina): A Window into Carbon in the Solar System Woodward, Charles E., et al., 2021/02, PSJ, , 2.
First Detection of 13CH in the Interstellar Medium By Arshia Jacob and Joan Schmelz Paper: First detection of ¹³ CH in the interstellar medium Jacob, Arshia M., et al., 2020/08, A&A, 640A, A125.
Occultation Confirms Haze in Pluto’s Atmosphere By Kassandra Bell, Arielle Moullet, and Joan Schmelz Paper: Haze in Pluto’s atmosphere: Results from SOFIA and Ground-based Observations of the 2015 June 29 Pluto Occultation M. J. Person et al., 2020, Icarus, in press.
Cold Quasars and the Evolution of Galaxies By Kevin Cooke, Allison Kirkpatrick, and Joan Schmelz Paper: Dying of the Light: An X-Ray Fading Cold Quasar at z ~ 0.405 Cooke, K. C. et al., 2020 ApJ 903 106
The Optical Depth of [CII]: the Implications for Galaxies both Near and Far By Cristian Guevara and Joan Schmelz Paper: [C II] 158 µm self-absorption and optical depth effects Guevara, C., et al., 2020/04, A&A, 636A, A16. Photodissociation Regions (PDRs) are zones of the interstellar medium in which Far-UV photons dominate the thermal balance, chemistry, structure, as well as the distribution of the gas and dust. The incident FUV field photodissociates molecules, photoionizes atoms and molecules, and heats the gas and dust.
SOFIA Detects Water on the Moon By Casey Honniball, Paul Lucey, and Joan Schmelz Paper: Molecular water detected on the sunlit Moon by SOFIA C.I. Honniball, et al., Nature Astronomy 2020. Researchers using SOFIA have made the ﬁrst-ever detection of the water molecule (H ₂ O) on the sunlit surface of the Moon. This discovery reﬁnes our understanding of the behavior of water and how volatile elements and compounds interact with airless bodies throughout the Solar System and beyond.
Molecular Processing in the Disks of Massive Stars By Andrew Barr, Alexander Tielens, and Joan Schmelz Paper: High-resolution Infrared Spectroscopy of Hot Molecular Gas in AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136: Accretion in the Inner Regions of Disks around Massive Young Stellar Objects Barr, Andrew G., et al., 2020/09, ApJ, 900, 104.
A Magnetic Hourglass Detection for a Low-Mass Protostar By Elena Redaelli and Joan Schmelz Paper: Magnetic Properties of the Protostellar Core IRAS 15398-3359 E. Redaelli, et al., 2019 A&A, 631, A154.
Magnetized Filamentary Gas Flows in Serpens South By Thushara Pillai and Joan Schmelz Paper: Magnetized filamentary gas flows feeding the young embedded cluster in Serpens South Pillai, T.G., et al., 2020, Nat Astron (2020).