A photoionization model of the compact HII region G29.96-0.02 ^*

¹ Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS, BP 8, 13376 Marseille Cedex 12, France
² Laboratoire d'Astrophysique, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 14 Av. E. Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
³ Kapten Astronomical Institute, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
⁴ SRON, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
⁵ Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Bat. 121, Université de Paris XI, 91405 Orsay, France

Corresponding author: C. Morisset, Christophe.Morisset@astrsp-mrs.fr

Received: 7 September 2001
Accepted: 14 February 2002

Abstract

We present a detailed photoionization model of G29.96-0.02 (hereafter G29.96), one of the brightest Galactic Ultra Compact HII (UCHII) regions in the Galaxy. This source has been observed extensively at radio and infrared wavelengths. The most recent data include a complete ISO (SWS and LWS) spectrum, which displays a remarkable richness in atomic fine-structure lines. The number of observables is twice as great as the number available in previous studies. In addition, most atomic species are now observed in two ionization stages. The radio and infrared data on G29.96 are best reproduced using a nebular model with two density components: a diffuse ( cm^-3) extended (~1 pc) component surrounding a compact (~0.1 pc) dense ( cm^-3) core. The properties of the ionizing star were derived using state-of-the-art stellar atmosphere models. CoStar models yield an effective temperature of ~ kK whereas more recent non-LTE line blanketed atmospheres with stellar winds indicate somewhat higher values,  ~32–38 kK. This range in  is compatible with all observational constraints, including near-infrared photometry and bolometric luminosity. The range 33–36 kK is also compatible with the spectral type O5–O8 determined by [CITE] when recent downward revisions of the effective temperature scale of O stars are taken into account. The age of the ionizing star of G29.96 is found to be a few 10⁶ yr, much older than the expected lifetime of UCHII regions. Accurate gas phase abundances are derived with the most robust results being Ne/S = 7.5 and N/O = 0.43 (1.3 and 3.5 times the solar values, respectively).