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Werner, M. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Werner, M. W..

At least 73 records · Page 4
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NASA NTRS1987

IRAS surface brightness maps of reflection nebulae in the Pleiades

Surface brightness maps at 12, 25, 60, and 100 microns were made of a 2.5 deg x 2.5 deg area of the reflection nebulae in the Pleiades by coadding IRAS scans of this region. Emission is seen surrounding 17 Tau, 20 Tau, 23 Tau, and 25 Tau in all four bands, coextensive with the visible reflection nebulosity, and extending as far as 30 arcminutes from the illuminating stars. The infrared energy distributions of the nebulae peak in the 100 micron band, but up to 40 percent of the total infrared power lies in the 12 and 25 micron bands. The brightness of the 12 and 25 micron emission and the absence of temperature gradients at these wavelengths are inconsistent with the predictions of equilibrium thermal emission models. The emission at these wavelengths appears to be the result of micron nonequilibrium emission from very small grains, or from molecules consisting of 10-100 carbon atoms, which have been excited by ultraviolet radiation from the illuminating stars.

Castelaz, Michael W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Infrared reflection nebulae in Orion Molecular Cloud 2

New observations of Orion Molecular Cloud 2 have been made from 1 to 100 microns using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. An extensive program of polarimetry, photometry, and spectrophotometry has shown that the extended emission regions associated with two of the previously known near-infrared sources, IRS 1 and IRS 4, are infrared reflection nebulae, and that the compact sources IRS 1 and IRS 4 are the main luminosity sources in the cloud. The constraints from the far-infrared observations and an analysis of the scattered light from the IRS 1 nebula show that OMC-2/IRS 1 can be characterized by L of 500 solar luminosities or less and T of roughly 1000 K. The near-infrared albedo of the grains in the IRS 1 nebula is greater than 0.08.

Pendleton, Yvonne↗
NASA NTRS1986

IRAS surface brightness maps of visible reflection nebulae: Evidence for non-equilibrium infrared emission

Surface brightness maps at 12, 25, 60, and 100 microns of 16 visible reflection nebulae were extracted from the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) database. The maps were produced by coadding IRAS survey scans over areas centered on the illuminating stars, and have spatial resolutions of 0.9' x 4' at 12 and 25 microns, 1.8' x 4.5' at 60 microns, and 3.6' x 5' at 100 microns. Extended emission in the four IRAS bandpasses was detected in fourteen of the reflection nebulae. The IRAS data were used to measure the flux of the infrared emission associated with each source. The energy distributions show that the 12 micron flux is greater than the 25 micron flux in 11 of the nebulae, and the peak flux occurs in the 60 or 100 micron bandpass in all 16 nebular. The 60 and 100 micron flux can be approximated by blackbodies with temperatures between 30 and 50 K, consistent with temperatures expected from extrapolation of greybody fits to the 60 and 100 micron data. The excess 12 and 25 micron emission is attributed to a nonequilibrium process such as emission from thermal fluctuations of very small grains excited by single ultraviolet photons, or emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) excited by ultraviolet radiation. The common features of the energy distributions of the 16 reflection nebulae, also seen in the reflection nebulae associated with the Pleiades, suggest that PAHs or very small grains may be found in most reflection nebulae.

Castelaz, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

SIRTF and the Space Station

An evaluation is made of the technical prospects and scientific goals of the Space IR Telescope Facility (SIRTF), whose telescope is of 1-m aperture and cryogenically cooled and will be able to improve on IRAS performance in such areas as wavelength coverage, spectral and spatial resolution, and sensitivity. Attention is given to the findings of an intensive review of the long-life SIRTF mission, with a view to new determinations on its orbit, scientific performance requirements, and baseline design concepts, as well as the ways in which it will employ elements of the NASA Space Station.

Werner, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Extreme limb profiles of the sun at far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths

Thirty, 50, 100, and 200 microns solar limb intensity profiles determined with arcsecond resolution from airborne observations of the occultation of the solar limb during the total eclipse of July 31, 1981, are presented. Two points of particular importance emerge: (1) the longer-wavelength (100 and 200 micron) limbs are significantly brighter than disk center. At 200 microns the extreme limb is about 1.22 times the brightness of disk center. This is consistent with the 6000 K temperature-plateau structure of the model chromospheres of Vernazza, Avrett, and Loeser (1973, Ap. J., 184, 605; 1981; Ap. J. Suppl., 45, 635); and (2) the longer wavelength limbs are extended significantly further above the visible limb than Vernazza, Avrett, and Loeser predict. These results provide a strong basis for modeling of the solar chromosphere free from the assumption of gravitational-hydrostatic equilibrium.

Lindsey, C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Extreme limb profiles of the sun at far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths

Thirty, 50, 100, and 200 microns solar limb intensity profiles determined with arcsecond resolution from airborne observations of the occultation of the solar limb during the total eclipse of 1981 July 31 are presented. Two points of particular importance emerge: (1) the longer-wavelength (100 and 200 micron) limbs are significantly brighter than disk center. At 200 microns the extreme limb is about 1.22 times the brightness of disk center. This is consistent with the 6000 K temperature-plateau structure of the model chromospheres of Vernazza, Avrett, and Loeser (1973, Ap. J., 184, 605; 1981; Ap. J. Suppl., 45, 635;) and (2) the longer wavelength limbs are extended significantly further above the visible limb than Vernazza, Avrett, and Loeser predict. These results provide a strong basis for modeling of the solar chromosphere free from the assumption of gravitational-hydrostatic equilibrium.

Lindsey, C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Infrared reflection nebulae in Orion molecular cloud 2

New obervations of Orion Molecular Cloud-2 have been made from 1-100 microns using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. An extensive program of polarimetry, photometry and spectrophotometry has shown that the extended emission regions associated with two of the previously known near infrared sources, IRS1 and IRS4, are infrared reflection nebulae, and that the compact sources IRS1 and IRS4 are the main luminosity sources in the cloud. The constraints from the far infrared observations and an analysis of the scattered light from the IRS1 nebula show that OMC-2/IRS1 can be characterized by L less than or equal to 500 Solar luminosities and T approx. 1000 K. The near infrared (1-5) micron albedo of the grains in the IRS1 nebula is greater than 0.08.

Pendleton, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Simultaneous submillimeter and infrared observations of flat-spectrum radio sources

Observations are presented of 12 extragalactic nonthermal radio emission sources made at eight wavelengths between 1.25 and 1000 microns, including the important submillimeter wavelength of 350 microns. Nine of the objects were detected at 350 microns, roughly double the number of objects of this type that have previously been detected at this wavelength. The majority of the observations were made within a three-week time span. The results, combined with other studies, show that these objects generally have flat energy distributions at wavelengths longer than 1 mm that break in most cases between 350 microns and 1 mm. At wavelengths shorter than 1 mm, the energy distributions fall with a rough power-law behavior with a spectral index of about -1. For many of the objects, there is a definite break or curvature in the energy distributions at wavelengths near 2.2 microns, with the fluxes falling even more steeply into the near infrared. At the time of the observations, both OJ 287 and 3C 273 were undergoing flares. The results are generally consistent with the flares propagating out to longer wavelengths with time.

Roellig, T. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Infrared astronomy after IRAS

The development of infrared astronomy in the wake of IRAS is discussed. Attention is given to an overview of next generation infrared telescope technology, with emphasis on the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) which has been built to replace IRAS in the 1990s. Among the instruments to be included on SIRTF are: a wide-field high-resolution camera covering the infrared range 3-30 microns with large arrays of detectors; an imaging photometer operating in the range 3-700 microns; and a spectrograph covering the range 2.5-200 microns with resolutions of 2 and 0.1 percent. Observational missions for the SIRTF are proposed in connection with: planetary formation; star formation; cosmic energy sources; active galactic nuclei; and quasars.

Rieke, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Space infrared telescope facility (SIRTF) focal plane

The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIP), and the Infrared Spectrometer (IRS) of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) are described. The configuration and capabilities of the SIRTF are discussed. The small silicon array module, the germanium array module, and bolometer module of MIP, which is designed to provide sensitivity limited only by natural background and telescope emissions over the 3-200 micron spectral range, and allow diffraction limited imaging, super resolution techniques, mapping, and surveying, are examined. The objectives and design of the IRAC, which is constructed for two-dimensional photometry and imaging over a wavelength region from 2-30 microns and to perform extragalactic, galactic and solar system astronomy, are studied. The use of the IRS to study the dynamical and physical phenomena of the universe in the 2.5-200 micron range is analyzed.

Ramos, R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Star formation in the inner galaxy: A far-infrared and radio study of two H2 regions

Far-infrared and radio continuum maps have been made of the central 6' of the inner-galaxy H II regions G30.8-0.0 (in the W43 complex) and G25.4-02., along with radio and molecular line measurements at selected positions. An effort is made to understand far infrared wavelingths allow the dust temperature structures and total far infrared fluxes to be determined. Comparison of the radio and infrared maps shows a close relationship between the ionized gas and the infrared-emitting material. There is evidence that parts of G30.8 are substantially affected by extinction, even at far-infrared wavelengths. For G25.4-0.2, the radio recombination line and CO line data permit resolution of the distance ambiguity for this source. The confusion in distance determination is found to result from an extraordinary near-superposition of two bright H II regions. Using revised distances of 4.3 kpc for G26.4SE and 12 kpc for G25.4NW, that the latter, which is apparently the fainter of the two sources, is actually the more luminous. Though it is not seen on the Palomar Sky Survey, G25.4SE is easily visible in the 9532A line of S III and is mapped in this line. The ratio of total luminosity to ionizing luminosity is very similar to that of H II regions in the solar circle. Assuming a coeval population of ionizing stars, a normal initial mass function is indicated.

Lester, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Emission features in the 4-13 micron spectra of the reflection nebulae NGC 7023 and NGC 2023

Spectroscopy from 4 to 13 microns of the visual reflection nebulae NGC 7023 and NGC 2023 has been obtained. These data, together with previous work from 1 to 4 microns, show that the spectra of these sources consist of a relatively flat continuum from 1 to 13 microns and six emission features at 3.3, 3.4, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 microns. The observations rule out equilibrium thermal emission for the features and continuum in reflection nebulae, and point toward a nonequilibrium emission mechanism such as thermal emission from thermally fluctuating small grains or fluorescence from large molecules. The similarity of the emission feature spectra in reflection nebulae to those in other sources suggests a universal emission mechanism, thus implying nonequilibrium emission mechanisms in other sources.

Sellgren, K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Star formation in the inner Galaxy - A far-infrared and radio study of two H II regions

Far-infrared and radio continuum maps have been made of two inner-Galaxy H II region complexes, G30.8-0.0 and G25.4-0.2, along with radio and molecular line measurements at selected positions. The far-IR emission from each region is dominated by two sources. For both G25.4 and G30.8, the distribution of the emission is similar to that of the radio emission, indicating that OB stars provide most of the heating. There is evidence that extinction plays an important role in G30.8, even in the far-IR. A near-IR point source has been detected in G30.8 at the position of peak far-IR color temperature. This source may be the ionizing star for the core of G30.8. Measurement of forbidden S III 9532 A from G25.4SE indicates that the extinction toward this source is very low, which is difficult to reconcile with previously determined distance measurements to this source.

Lester, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Star formation in the inner galaxy: A far-infrared and radio study of two H2 regions

Far-infrared and radio continuum maps have been made of the central 6' of the inner-galaxy HII regions G30.8-0.0 (in the W43 complex) and G25.4-0.2, along with radio and molecular line measurements at selected positions. The purpose of this study is an effort to understand star formation in the molecular ring at 5 kpc in galactic radius. Measurements at several far infrared wavelengths allow the dust temperature structures and total far infrared fluxes to be determined. Comparison of the radio and infrared maps shows a close relationship between the ionized gas and the infrared-emitting material. There is evidence that parts of G30.8 are substantially affected by extinction, even at far-infrared wavelengths. Using radio recombination line and CO line data for G25.4-0.2, the distance ambiguity for this source is resolved. The large distance previously ascribed to the entire complex is found to apply to only one of the two main components. The confusion in distance determination is found to result from an extraordinary near-superposition of two bright HII regions. Using the revised distances of 4.3 kpc for G25.4SE and 12 kpc for G25.4NW, it is found that the latter, which is apparently the fainter of the two sources, is actually the more luminous. The ratio of total luminosity to ionizing luminosity is very similar to that of HII regions in the solar circle. Assuming a coeval population of ionizing stars, a normal initial mass function is indicated.

Lester, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Radio and infrared observations of OH/IR stars at the tangential point and near the galactic center

Unambiguous infrared identifications of a sample of OH/IR stars in the galactic disk and in the vicinity of the galactic center are presented. Simultaneous OH and broadband infrared photometric measurements are used to derive quantitative relations between the infrared and OH fluxes and the properties of the circumstellar shells, providing observational evidence that these stars represent an evolutionary sequence of increasing mass loss rate. These relations are used to explain the observed time variations of the silicate absorption feature with changing bolometric luminosity in OH/IR stars. It appears that the ratio of the OH flux to the number of pump photons is not constant, but is also a function of the mass loss rate.

Baud, B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Far-infrared line observations of planetary nebulae. I - The forbidden O III spectrum

Observations of the far-infrared fine structure lines of O III have been obtained for six planetary nebulae. The infrared measurements are combined with optical O III line fluxes to probe physical conditions in the gas. From the observed line intensity ratios, a simultaneous solution was obtained for electron temperature and density, as well as means of evaluating the importance of inhomogeneities. Densities determined from the far-infrared O III lines agree well with density diagnostics from other ions, indicating a fairly homogeneous density in the emitting gas. Temperatures are determined separately from the O III 4363/5007 A and 5007 A/52 micron intensity ratios and compared. Systematically higher values are derived from the former ratio, which is expected from a nebula which is not isothermal. Allowance for the presence of temperature variations within these nebulae raises their derived oxygen abundances, determinations to be reconciled with the solar value.

Dinerstein, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Far-infrared line observations of planetary nebulae. 1: The O 3 spectrum

Observations of the far-infrared fine structure lines of O III have been obtained for six planetary nebulae. The infrared measurements are combined with optical O III line fluxes to probe physical conditions in the gas. From the observed line intensity ratios, a simultaneous solution was obtained for electron temperature and density, as well as means of evaluating the importance of inhomogeneities. Densities determined from the far-infrared O III lines agree well density diagnostics from other ions, indicating a fairly homogeneous density in the emitting gas. Temperatures are determined separately from the O III 4363/5007 A and 5007 A/52 micron intensity ratios and compared. Systematically higher values are derived from the former ratio, which is expected from a nebula which is not isothermal. Allowance for the presence of temperature variations within these nebulae raises their derived oxygen abundances, determinations to be reconciled with the solar value.

Dinerstein, H. L.↗