the bow shocks of runaway o stars represent a potentially powerful laboratory for the study of dust processing via shocks. the pre and postshock gas properties are measurable, as is the shock velocity. what remains is to observe how the dust emissivity changes across the shock and relate it to the grain physics. iras observations revealed the presence of dozens of stellar wind bow shocks, but interpretation of their their surface photometry is complicated by the guaranteed presence of strong line emission as well as the very broad detector bandpasses. deducing the continuum emissivity from the dust alone is thus not possible with existing data. we propose here to conduct full lws scans to determine both the dust continuum and line emission from pre- and postshock locations in several bow shocks with different shock velocities. these data will provide the first well constrained test of current theories for dust modification in astrophysical shocks. certainly they will yield important empirical data characterizing the effects of shocks on interstellar dust. this study requires data at wavelengths not observable from the ground. the kao does not provide sufficient sensitivity.
Instrument
LWS01
Temporal Coverage
1996-08-05T21:26:21Z/1996-08-05T22:46:13Z
Version
1.0
Mission Description
The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was the world's first true orbiting infrared observatory. Equipped with four highly-sophisticated and versatile scientific instruments, it was launched by Ariane in November 1995 and provided astronomers world-wide with a facility of unprecedented sensitivity and capabilities for a detailed exploration of the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
European Space Agency, 1999, Stellar Wind Bow Shocks - Laboratories For Dust Shock Processing, 1.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-mjpffhn
