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Bunner, A. N.

Publications and source records attributed to Bunner, A. N..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

International programs - A growing trend

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has collaborated successfully in space science missions with a multiplicity of partners, including the European Space Agency, Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Japan, and the Soviet Union, among others. These collaborations generally arise out of common scientific goals and in the interest of economizing to take advantage of skills and capabilities among the partners. A trend towards increased cooperation in space is expected to continue as the global scientific community works together to plan future space science missions and the missions become more sophisticated.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Optical coating in space

A technological appraisal of the steps required to approach the goal of in-situ optical coating, cleaning and re-coating the optical elements of a remote telescope in space is reported. Emphasis is placed on the high ultraviolet throughput that a telescope using bare aluminum mirrors would offer. A preliminary design is suggested for an Orbital Coating Laboratory to answer basic technical questions.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Test for contamination of MgF2 - coated mirrors

Graphs show preflight and postflight reflectivities in percent for exposed and covered mirrors carried on the OSS-1 payload pallet during STS-3. No changes greater than 1.8 sigma were observed except for a fingerprint. Weak evidence for degradation at 1216 A and 1600 A was found in several samples. There was no difference between flight mirrors and control mirrors. Covered samples suffered more than samples exposed to the Sun, but the differences are barely significant. The exposed side of the flight mirrors were somewhat dusty. No evidence was found for permanent solar-induced or shuttle-induced deterioration. There also was no evidence on oil-pumped vacuum versus oil-free vacuum during coating.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Detection of soft X-ray emission from SMC X-1

The observation of 0.25-keV X-rays from SMC X-1 by a soft X-ray experiment aboard OSO 8 is reported. The variable soft X-ray source observed is identified with the hard X-ray source SMC X-1 on the basis of a rather abrupt ending to the emission (fall time about 2.5 hr) at the time SMC X-1 was expected to enter eclipse. A source luminosity of about 5 x 10 to the 38th erg/s in the 0.18-0.28-keV range is derived by assuming a distance of 68 kpc and correcting for attenuation by 3.4 x 10 to the 20th H atoms per sq cm of intervening galactic gas; this luminosity is shown to be about a factor of 40 greater than the observed coincident luminosity in the 0.8-3-keV band. The soft X-ray intensity upon emergence from eclipse is found to be reduced by a factor of at least 20 from the peak intensity prior to eclipse. It is suggested that this asymmetry may reflect a geometry in which the soft X-ray source trails the compact star as in an accretion-stream model.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1979

On the lack of absorption of 1 keV diffuse X-rays by the Small Magellanic Cloud

The contribution to the diffuse X-ray background near 1 keV cosmic (extragalactic) origin is poorly known. Data from a slow scan across the Small Magellanic Cloud by the Wisconsin soft X-ray experiment on OSO 8 are analyzed to search for absorption of a possible cosmic component to the diffuse flux. No indication of an X-ray shadow near 1 keV is found, setting an upper limit to the intensity of the flux originating beyond the SMC that is inconsistent with a cosmic spectrum of 11 E to the -1.4 photons per (sq cm s sr keV), even allowing for depletion of the absorbing elements in the SMC. Unless emission by the SMC or an upward fluctuation in the galactic or cosmic diffuse flux at the position of the SMC has canceled out the expected absorption, the contribution to the diffuse flux at 1 keV from beyond the SMC must be less than 50% of that expected for an extrapolated E to the -1.4 source spectrum.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Soft X-ray results from the Wisconsin experiment on OSO-8

Design features and capabilities of a soft X-ray instrument aboard OSO 8 are discussed, and results are presented for observations of AM Her, Her X-1, and Eta Car. The observations of AM Her indicate that: (1) the spectrum is composite, with a very steep or very-low-temperature component plus a rather flat or very-high-temperature component; (2) the relative phase of soft X-ray minimum and optical V-band primary minimum has remained stable over the interval between 1975 'high-state' observations and 1976 'low-state' observations; and (3) the times of soft X-ray minima and hard X-ray maxima coincide, to within the accuracy of the observations. For Her X-1, soft X-ray turn-on is found to lag behind hard X-ray turn-on by no more than 3 hr. It is suggested that little or no absorption of the soft X-ray component occurs during the on state by cool gas within the Her X-1 system. A strong source with a spectrum peaked between 0.4 and 1.5 keV has been detected which is consistent with a point source at the position of Eta Car.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A search for stellar soft X-ray sources

A sensitive soft X-ray survey of about one-tenth of the sky, carried out as part of the Skylab program and flown on 1973 July 28, revealed no evidence for soft X-ray emission from stellar sources. We present upper limits to the soft X-ray luminosity of about 50 nearby stars. With nominal assumed values for stellar space densities, we show it unlikely that emission from giants, main sequence stars, white dwarfs, or stars in known binary systems can account for the soft X-ray diffuse background.

Vanderhill, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Possible sources of the diffuse soft X-ray flux

A review is presented of recent arguments concerning the origin of the cosmic X-ray background in the energy region below 1 keV. Observational limitations on a possible hot intergalactic medium are discussed. Reanalysis of the Small Magellatic Cloud shadowing experiment of McCammon et al. (1971) using refined neutral hydrogen maps have confirmed the conclusion that at least 75% of the 1/4 keV flux detected from that direction must originate from regions closer than the SMC. Recent rocket observations have located three galactic soft X-ray emitting regions of large angular extent. Arguments are reviewed that the emission mechanism for this diffuse galactic flux must be thermal. It is suggested that a component of the interstellar medium is very hot and is responsible for both the soft X-ray background and the oxygen VI ions seen as interstellar absorption lines in the ultraviolet spectra of some early-type stars observed by the Copernicus satellite.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Observation of features in the soft X-ray background flux

Two rocket observations of very soft X-ray diffuse intensity show three emission regions of large angular extent. A large portion of the sky as seen with wide angular resolution is mapped. These three regions coincide with broad regions of small column densities of neutral hydrogen. It is suggested that a component of the interstellar medium is very hot and is responsible for the soft X-ray emission and the O VI.

Williamson, F. O.↗
NASA NTRS1973

X-ray spectrum of the Tycho supernova

Uhuru satellite data combined with Wisconsin rocket data suggest that the X-ray spectrum of the Tycho supernova remnant is composite and includes a thermal as well as a nonthermal component, the latter being an extension of the radio spectrum. Attempts have been made to fit the low-energy observations (thermal component) with the Tucker and Koren calculations for the solar corona.

Coleman, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Coaxial anode for background suppression in X-ray proportional counters.

We have devised, constructed, and tested in flight a scheme which permits the ends (near the anode seals) as well as the bottom and sides of an X-ray astronomy proportional counter to be protected by anticoincidence guard counters. A rocket-borne test has shown that the non-X-ray background is reduced by an additional factor of about 30 when the end guard counter feature is added.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Observations of spatial structure in the soft X-ray diffuse flux.

Repeated observations of a diffuse source in the region of about 200 deg and +10 deg galactic longitude and latitude, respectively, illustrate the complexity of the low-energy X-ray background. The source is not well correlated with known objects or features, and cannot be explained by geometrically simple models of diffuse emission. The measurements indicate that this emission feature, and by implication a large fraction of the 1/4-keV flux observed in the galactic plane, probably originates outside the solar system.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Soft X-rays from the vicinity of the North Polar Spur.

Soft X rays in the energy regions below 284 eV and between 500 and 1000 eV have been detected on the vicinity of the North Polar Spur. The region of enhanced X-ray emission reported was observed from an Aerobee 150 rocket launched on May 29, 1970, from Woomera, Australia.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Coaxial anode for background suppression in X-ray proportional counters

A scheme which permits the ends (near the anode seals) as well as the bottom and sides of an X-ray astronomy proportional counter to be protected by anticoincidence guard counters is described. A rocket-borne test showed that the non-X-ray background is reduced by an additional factor of about 30 when the end guard counter feature is added.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1971

X-ray observation of a new soft source in Cygnus.

The location of the new X-ray source, designated Cygnus X-6, is discussed. The polycarbonate window counter detected Cyg X-6 only in the pulse-height interval from 0.5 to 1.3 keV. A total of 44 counts was acquired from the source above a diffuse X-ray and non-X-ray background of 18 plus or minus 3 counts. The polycarbonate pulse-height spectrum for Cyg X-6 is presented together with the calculated counter response to three different model source spectra.

Coleman, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

X-Rays form the Vela-Puppis Complex

A review of X-ray observations in the vicinity of the Gum nebula is presented. There is little doubt that the filamentary nebula Stromlo 16, the radio source Vela X, and the extended X-ray object Vel XR-2 are indications of the same, relatively nearby, supernova remnant. X-ray absorption measurements are consistent with a distance of 500 + or - 100 pc. The observed X-ray spectra have not yet distinguished between thermal bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation as the source mechanism. A search for low energy X-ray emission lines, both within the 5 deg diameter remnant and in the larger Gum nebula, may provide an important test for models of supernova remnant evolution.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Low-energy diffuse X-rays

Diffuse low energy cosmic X rays rocket measurements, noting excess over extrapolated power law valid for higher energies

Bunner, A. N.↗