Far-ultraviolet Observations of the Taurus-Perseus-Auriga Complex

Abstract

We have constructed a far-ultraviolet (FUV) continuum map of the Taurus-Auriga-Perseus complex, one of the largest local associations of dark clouds, by merging the two data sets of GALEX and FIMS, which made observations at similar wavelengths. The FUV intensity varies significantly across the whole region, but the diffuse FUV continuum is dominated by dust scattering of stellar photons. A diffuse FUV background of $\sim$1000 CU is observed, part of which may be attributable to the scattered photons of foreground FUV light, located in front of the thick clouds. The fluorescent emission of molecular hydrogen constitutes $\sim$10% of the total FUV intensity throughout the region, generally proportional to the local continuum level. We have developed a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code and applied it to the present clouds complex to obtain the optical properties of dust grains and the geometrical structures of the clouds. The albedo and the phase function asymmetry factor were estimated to be $0.42_{-0.05}^{+0.05}$, and $0.47_{-0.27}^{+0.11}$, respectively, in accordance with theoretical estimations as well as recent observations. The distance and thickness of the four prominent clouds in this complex were estimated using a single slab model applied individually to each cloud. The results obtained were in good agreement with those from other observations in the case of the Taurus cloud, as its geometrical structure is rather simple. For other clouds, which were observed to have multiple components, the results gave distances and thicknesses encompassing all components of each cloud. The distance and thickness estimations were not crucially sensitive to the exact values of the albedo and the phase function asymmetry factor, while the locations of the bright field stars relative to the clouds as initial photon sources seem to be the most important factor in the process of fitting.

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