Carbon distribution in the Sharpless 106 nebula
Carbon distribution in the Sharpless 106 nebula
One of the first large-scale mapping operations using the upGREAT spectrometer involved recording the distribution of singly ionised carbon of the Sharpless 106 nebula. The carbon emission line is excited by the intense ultraviolet radiation emanating from a recently formed star – still hot and massive. This star is shrouded in the cloud of dust and gas from which it emerged, and which it will alter and ultimately destroy. The high spectral resolution of the GREAT spectrometer enables the measurement of gas dynamics with hitherto unseen precision. The maps show carbon emission as the gas flows at slightly different speeds. The red sections indicate particularly high concentration, while the green and blue areas signal lower carbon concentrations.
