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Jenkins, Edward B.

Publications and source records attributed to Jenkins, Edward B..

17 records
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NASA NTRS2002

Interstellar Deuterium, Nitrogen and Oxygen Abundances Toward BD+28(deg) 4211: Results from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer

High resolution far-ultraviolet spectra of the O-type subdwarf BD+28(deg)4211 were obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer to measure the interstellar deuterium, nitrogen, and oxygen abundances in this direction. The interstellar D(I) transitions are analyzed down to Ly(ioat) at 920.7 A. The star was observed several times at different target offsets in the direction of spectral dispersion. The aligned and coedited spectra have high signal-to-noise ratios (S/N=50-100). D(I), N(I), and O(I) transitions were analyzed with curve-of-growth and profile fitting techniques. A model of interstellar molecular hydrogen on the line of sight was derived from H(II) lines in the FUSE spectra and used to help analyze some features where blending with H(II) was significant. The H(I) column density was determined from high resolution HST/STIS spectra of Ly(alpha) to be log N(H(I))= 19.846+/-0.035(2sigma), which is higher than is typical for sight lines in the local ISM studied for D/H. We found that D/H=(1.39+/-0.21)x 10(exp -5)(2sigma) and O/H=(2.37+/-0.55)x10(exp -4)(2sigma). O/H toward BD+28(deg)4211 appears to be significantly below the mean O/H ratio for the ISM and the Local Bubble.

Sonneborn, George↗
NASA NTRS1995

High-velocity, high-excitation neutral carbon in a cloud in the Vela supernova remnant

HD 72089 is situated behind the Vela supernova remnant, and the interstellar absorption lines in the spectrum of this star are remarkable for two reasons. First, there are six distinct velocity components that span the (heliocentric) velocity range -60 to +121 km/s in the lines of Na I and Ca II. Second, two of the components at high velocity, one at +85 km/s and another at +121.5 km/s, have densities that are large enough to produce observable lines from neutral carbon. The gas moving at +121.5 km/s has such a large pressure that the excited fine-structure levels of the ground electronic state of C I are collisionally populated nearly in proportion to their level degeneracies. This high-velocity gas exhibits unusually low column densities of Mg I and Na I, compared to that of C I. We propose that the +121.5 km/s component represents gas that has cooled and recombined in a zone that follows a shock driven into a cloud by the very recent passage of a supernova blast wave. A representative preshock density of n(sub H) approximately = 13/cc and velocity v(sub s) = 100 km/s is indicated by the strength of diffuse (O III) emission lines seen in directions very near HD 72089. The strong collisional population of excited C I and apparent absence of excited levels of O I give a most favorable fit to the conditions 1000 less than n(sub H) less than 2900/cc over a temperature range 300 less than T less than 1000 K. The fact that the compression is not substantially more than this indicates that the preshock gas may have had an embedded, transverse magnetic field with a strength B greater than or approximately = 1 micro-G. The large dynamical pressure of the supernova blast wave that would be needed to create the cloud shock that we describe implies that the energy of the supernova was 8 x 10(exp 51) ergs, if the Vela remnant is 500 pc away. We can bring this value much closer to typical supernova energies E less than or approximately = 10(exp 51) ergs if the distance to the remnant is revised downward by at least a factor of 2.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Al III, Si IV, and C IV absorption toward zeta Ophiuchi: Evidence for photionized and collisionally ionized gas

We present Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph observations at 3.5 km/s resolution and signal-to-noise ratios of 30 to 60 for the Al III, Si IV, and N V absorption lines in the far-ultraviolet spectrum of the O9.5 V star zeat Ophiuchi. The measurement reveal three types of highly ionized gas along the 140 pc line of sight. (1) Narrow components of Al III (b = 4.3 km/s, the mean value of (v(helio)) = -7.8 km/s; b = 3.2 km/s, the mean value of (v(sub helio)) = -14.4 km/s) and Si IV (b = 5.3 km/s, the mean value of (v(sub helio)) = -15.0 km/s) trace photionized gas in the expanding H II region surrounding zeta Oph. The observed magnitude and direction of the velocity offset between the Al III and Si IV profiles can be explained by models of H II regions that incorporate expansion. Narrow C IV absorption associated with the H II region is not detected. Predictions of the expected amounts of Si IV and C IV overestimate the column densities of these ions by factors of 30 and more than 10, respectively. The discrepancy may be due to the effects of elemental depletions in the gas and/or to the interaction of the stellar wind with surrounding matter. (2) Broad (b = 15 to 18 km/s) and weak Si IV and C IV absorption components are detected near the mean value of (v(sub helio)) = -26 km/s. The high-ionization species associated with these absorption components are probably produced by electron collisional ionization in a heated gas. This absorption may be physically related to the zeta Oph bow shock ot to a cloud complex situated within the local interstellar medium at d less than 60 pc. The C IV to Si IV column density ratio in this gas is 8, a factor of 6 less than conductive interface models predict, but this discrepancy may be removed by considering the effects of self-photoionization within the cooling gas in the model calculations. (3) A broad (b = 13 km/s) and weak C IV absorption feature detected at the mean value of (v(sub helio)) = -61 km/s is not seen in other species. We tentatively ascribe this absorption to gas in a postshock ragion of an optically thin shock in the zeta Oph stellar wind.

Sembach, Kenneth R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The near-ultraviolet spectrum of Markarian 205

We report measurements of the absorption and of the emission lines between 1600 and 3200 A in the spectrum of the nearby AGN Markarian 205 (z = 0.071), which lies at a projected distance of 3 kpc (H0 = 100 km/s) from the nucleus of the nearby barred spiral galaxy, NGC 4319 (z = 0.0047). The results were obtained using high-resolution (R = 1300) observations with the Faint Object Spectrograph of the HST. A total of 15 absorption lines, 13 of which are produced by Galactic gas, and four AGN emission lines are detected. Two of the absorption lines, the Mg II resonant doublet, are produced by gas in the intervening galaxy NGC 4319. This is the first detection of absorption due to intervening gas in this famous quasar-galaxy pair.

Bahcall, John N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope observations of the Cygnus Loop

Attention is given to UV images of a 40-arcmin field in the northeast part of the Cygnus Loop made by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) during the Astro-1 mission in December 1990. The longest FUV (B5) exposure is compared with ground-based and X-ray observations and with models. It is inferred from SNR shock models that C IV 1550 A dominates for more typical conditions in SNRs, and IUE spectra exhibit a strong correlation between C IV 1550-A flux and UIT B5 flux. The B5 image resembles images in forbidden O III 5007 A, but to the east of the edge of the forbidden O III filaments there is a faint C IV emission, consistent with nonradiative shocked material behind the SNR blast wave. Conditions in shocked gases that lead to C IV emission are similar to those that produce forbidden O III. Hence the ratio of the B5 and forbidden O III intensities can be used to map the optical depths of the sheetlike regions that emit the C IV resonance line.

Cornett, Robert H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Dense clumps of ionized gas near Pi Scorpii, as revealed by the fine-structure excitation of N II

The column density and the emission of the ionized gas along the line of sight toward the B1 V + B2 V binary star Pi Sco are measured on the basis of the fine-structure absorption lines of the ground state N II. It is found that the bulk of this ionized gas must be clumped on a length scale of 0.025 pc, which is far smaller than the observed size of the diffuse H II region surrounding Pi Sco of about 6 pc. The observed column density of S III toward Pi Sco yields an upper limit on the distance of the absorbing, clumped gas from the star of less than about 0.02 pc, assuming that both the N II and S III absorption arise from the same gas. The possibility that the ionized gas originates from a photoevaporating circumstellar disk directly surrounding Pi Sco is excluded, since such a disk would have an unusual size of order 0.025 pc and would have had to survive for the estimated age of Pi Sco of 5-8 Myr. The derived mean density of the clumped gas is of order 40/cu cm, so that the gas is at a pressure that far exceeds the mean pressure in the H II region. It is concluded that the ionized gas could originate from evaporation flows off a cluster of compact neutral objects that evaporate due to the ionizing radiation of Pi Sco.

Bertoldi, Frank↗
NASA NTRS1991

Ultraviolet interstellar lines in the spectrum of Pi Scorpii recorded at 2 kilometers per second resolution

A spectrum of Pi Scorpii has been recorded from 1003 to 1172 A with a maximum SNR of about 20 and a velocity resolution of 2.4 km/s. Three types of H I as well as two discrete H II regions are distinguished in velocity space, allowing independent analyses of physical conditions and abundances for the individual gas components. A direct evaluation of optical depths and column densities across the absorption features is applied for the first time to the dominant ionization stage of Fe, Si, and P. Based on an analysis of the spectrum, it is concluded that all of the Ti II absorption seen toward Pi Sco arises in the warm, neutral intercloud medium while the other elements have their maximum absorption associated with cold clouds. A conservative value of log delta less than -3.4 is inferred for the Ti depletion in the cold clouds, a value more extreme than any integrated, line-of-sight measurement made to date.

Joseph, Charles L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

M.S.L.A.P. Modular Spectral Line Analysis Program documentation

MSLAP is a software for analyzing spectra, providing the basic structure to identify spectral features, to make quantitative measurements of this features, and to store the measurements for convenient access. MSLAP can be used to measure not only the zeroth moment (equivalent width) of a profile, but also the first and second moments. Optical depths and the corresponding column densities across the profile can be measured as well for sufficiently high resolution data. The software was developed for an interactive, graphical analysis where the computer carries most of the computational and data organizational burden and the investigator is responsible only for all judgement decisions. It employs sophisticated statistical techniques for determining the best polynomial fit to the continuum and for calculating the uncertainties.

Joseph, Charles L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Dynamics of the interstellar medium

An extraordinarily rich assortment of electronic transitions of atoms and ions at ultraviolet wavelengths can be exploited to probe the behavior of interstellar gases in different contexts. The Copernicus and IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) satellites are used to investigate dynamical phenomena and important physical interactions which develop in separate phases of the medium. Insights on the establishment and overall properties of the mechanical energy created by stellar winds and supernova explosions at specific locations are outlined. Investigations of how multiple sources of energy move the gas and mold its structure over both small and large scales are outlined.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Interpreting the convergence of Lyman series absorption lines

Spectra of quasars at high z often show absorption at the Lyman limit from intervening gas systems at intermediate z having N(H) approx. greater than 10(exp 7) cm(-2). In some circumstances, N(H) can be determined by measuring the strength of the Lyman limit absorption or the damping wings of Lyman - alpha. With a spectrum taken at low wavelength resolution, say, lambda/delta lambda approx. 10(exp 3), it is usually not possible to distinguish individual Lyman series lines near the limit, yet one can still discern how rapidly the average intensity drops off as the limit is approached from the long wavelength side. The purpose here is to point out the information which is available from measurements of this series convergence.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ultraviolet observations of interstellar absorption lines toward SN 1987A

High-dispersion IUE echelle spectra of SN 1987A were averaged in order to obtain UV absorption-line profiles of the highest possible quality in the direction of SN 1987A. The profiles for Si IV and C IV are quite similar and have much less structure than the Al III profile. On relating column densities, while the C IV and Si IV ratio is relatively constant over the 0-100 km/s velocity range, the C IV to Al III and Si IV to Al III ratios vary by nearly a factor of 10. This suggests that the C IV and Si IV along this sight line in the Galaxy and its halo may have a common origin which differs from that for Al III.

Savage, Blair D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Velocities and rotational excitation of interstellar H2 toward Pi Scorpii

A spectrum of Pi Sco showing numerous atomic lines and 70 absorption features from the Lyman and Werner transitions of interstellar H2 in rotational level J from zero to five is presented. Their shapes of the composite column density profiles are very nearly Gaussian with a one-dimensional rms velocity dispersion of 3 km/s. The behavior of shifts in the inferred N(H2) as a function of velocity are consistent with the overall profiles being composed of nearly symmetrical, tightly paced assemblies of about seven unresolved components. The relative overall column densities in the higher J levels of H2 are consistent with a model where these states are populated by optical pumping through the Lyman and Werner transitions, powered by UV radiation from nearby stars. The slight narrowing of the high-J profiles may be due to small clumps of H2 at radial velocities some 5-8 km/s from the core of the profile are exposed to a pumping flux about 10 times lower than that for the material near the profile's center.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Interstellar lines in the spectrum of supernova 1987a

The primary interest was to analyze the interstellar lines produced by gases along the line of sight which resides in the galactic plane and halo, as well as material in the Large Magellanic Cloud or the immediate environment of the supernovae. The ionization and fine-structure excitation of assorted atoms were intrepreted. The goal was to learn more about conditions in various regions of space and identify the probable origins for some velocity components whose locations were uncertain.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Photon counting image sensor development for astronomical applications

Specially built intensified CCD (ICCD) detector tubes were purchased and the performance of the electron bombardment process was investigated. In addition to studying the signal characteristics of the photoevents, there was interest in demonstrating that back-illuminated chips were not susceptible to radiation damage to their clocking electrodes. How to perform a centroid analysis for a 2-dimensional Gaussian distribution of charge is described. Measurement of the projection (along columns or rows) of the average charge spread profile is discussed. The development and flight of the Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS) is discussed.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Element abundances in the interstellar atomic material

In the interstellar medium, a significant fraction of the free atoms for elements heavier than helium must have condensed into solids, in the form of small, interstellar dust grains. Observations of optical and ultraviolet absorption lines in the spectra of hot stars indicate that the depletions below the cosmic abundances of various elements range from almost none at all to a factor of 0.0001 and seem to be enhanced along lines of sight with higher mean density. Other methods of measuring abundances confirm the absorption line results. The available evidence supports the notion that the grains form in both the atmospheres of cool stars and in dense interstellar clouds, and they are destroyed by shocks which frequently pass through the low density gas.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Observations of absorption lines from highly ionized atoms

In the ultraviolet spectra of hot stars, absorption lines can be seen from highly ionized species in the interstellar medium. Observations of these features which have been very influential in revising the perception of the medium's various physical states, are discussed. The pervasiveness of O 6 absorption lines, coupled with complementary observations of a diffuse background in soft X-rays and EUV radiation, shows that there is an extensive network of low density gas (n approx. few x 0.001/cu cm) existing at coronal temperatures log T = 5.3 or 6.3. Shocks created by supernova explosions or mass loss from early-type stars can propagate freely through space and eventually transfer a large amount of energy to the medium. To create the coronal temperatures, the shocks must have velocities in excess of 150 km/sec; shocks at somewhat lower velocity (v = 100 km/sec) can be directly observed in the lines of Si3. Observations of other lines in the ultraviolet, such as Si 4V and C 5, may highlight the widespread presence of energetic UV radiation from very hot, dwarf stars. More advanced techniques in visible and X-ray astronomical spectroscopy may open up for inspection selected lines from atoms in much higher stages of ionization.

Jenkins, Edward B.↗