Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society (천문학회지)

The Korean Astronomical Society (한국천문학회)
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FRACTAL DIMENSIONS OF INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: I. THE MOLECULAR CLOUDS IN THE ANTIGALACTIC CENTER

  • LEE YOUNGUNG (Korea Astronomy Observatory /Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory)
  • Published : 2004.12.01
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Abstract

We have estimated the fractal dimension of the molecular clouds in the Antigalactic Center based on the $^{12}CO$ (J = 1- 0) and $^{13}CO$ (J = 1- 0) database obtained using the 14m telescope at Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory. Using a developed code within IRAF, we were able to identify slice-clouds, and determined the dispersions of two spatial coordinates as well as perimeters and areas. The fractal dimension of the target region was estimated to be D = 1.34 for low resolution $^{12}CO$ (J = 1 - 0) database, and D = 1.4 for higher resolution $^{12}CO$ (J = 1 - 0) and $^{13}CO$ (J = 1 - 0) database, where $P {\propto} A^{D/2}$. The sampling rate (spatial resolution) of observed data must be an important parameter when estimating fractal dimension. Our database with higher resolution of 1 arcminute, which is corresponding to 0.2 pc at a distance of 1.1 kpc, gives us the same estimate of fractal dimension to that of local dark clouds. Fractal dimension is apparently invariant when varying the threshold temperatures applied to cloud identification. According to the dispersion pattern of longitudes and latitudes of identified slice-clouds, there is no preference of elongation direction.

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