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At least 181 records · Page 10

Optical properties of thermal control coating contaminated by MMH/N2O4 5-pound thruster in a vacuum environment with solar simulation

Cat-a-lac Black, and S13G thermal control coatings were exposed to the exhaust of a thruster in a simulated space environment. Vacuum was maintained at less than 10 to the minus 5th power torr during thruster firing in the liquid helium cooled facility. The thruster was fired in a 50-millisecond pulse mode and the accumulated firing time was 224 seconds. Solar absorptance (alpha sub s) and thermal emittance (sigma) of the coatings were measured in-situ at intervals of 300 pulses. A calorimetric technique was used to measure alpha sub s and sigma. The tests, technique, and test results are presented. The Cat-a-lac Black coatings showed no change in alpha sub s or sigma. The S13G showed up to 25 percent increase in alpha sub s but no change in sigma.

Sommers, R. D.↗

Optical properties of thermal control coatings contaminated by MMH/N2O4 5-pound thruster in a vacuum environment with solar simulation.

Cat-a-lac Black and S13G thermal control coatings were exposed to the exhaust of a thrustor in a simulated space environment. Vacuum was maintained at less than 10 microtorr during thrustor firing in the liquid helium cooled facility. The thrustor was fired in a 50-millisecond pulse mode, and the accumulated firing time was 224 seconds. Solar absorptance and thermal emittance of the coatings were measured in-situ at intervals of 300 pulses, using a calorimetric technique. The Cat-a-lac Black coatings showed no change in solar absorptance or thermal emittance. The S13G showed up to 25% increase in solar absorptance but no change in thermal emittance.

Sommers, R. D.↗

The nature of BL Lacertae

Spectrophotometric measurements of the nebula around BL Lacertae have been made with the Lick image-tube scanner on the 3-m telescope. No absorption features were seen, and, although the nebular spectrum is curved and steeper than that of BL Lac itself, it is not a good match to the energy distribution of a normal elliptical galaxy. Thus we do not confirm the observations by Oke and Gunn in which absorption features were seen corresponding to those in the redshifted spectrum of an elliptical galaxy. We have found no evidence that the nebula around BL Lac is a normal galaxy of stars.

Baldwin, J. A.↗

Further observations of BL Lacertae

Spectrophotometric observations of BL Lac have been obtained under conditions of fair to excellent seeing with BL Lac near the zenith. The nucleus was faint for all observations. Four absorption features identified as the Mg I and MgH band, the 4410-A band, the G-band, and H and K of Ca II, are observed. The redshift is approximately 0.070, in agreement with results in a previous paper. When the effects of the radiation from the central bright source are removed as well as possible, the residual spectral energy distribution is found to be very similar to that of a standard giant elliptical galaxy redshifted by 0.070 and reddened by a factor corresponding to a color excess of 0.28 to 0.40. The absolute visual magnitude of the underlying galaxy is -22.6 if the Hubble constant is 60 km/s per Mpc and the color excess is 0.28.

Thuan, T. X.↗

An X-ray survey of BL Lacertae objects

Results are reported for X-ray observations and nearly simultaneous photographic photometry of four BL Lacertae objects (BL Lac, W Com, ON 325, and AP Lib). The X-ray data were obtained in the band from 2.5 to 7.5 keV using a collimated proportional counter aboard OAO-C. Although none of the sources was detected above background at a statistically significant level, two-sigma upper limits on the X-ray flux incident at earth are given for each object. The photometric data indicate that all four objects were near the faint end of their visibility ranges during the time of the X-ray observations. The X-ray upper limits and B magnitudes are employed to calculate upper limits on the brightness temperatures and angular sizes of the radio synchrotron sources; upper limits on the distances to the objects are obtained from limits on the physical source sizes deduced from the radio variabilities. The strictest distance limit is 240 Mpc for BL Lac. Substantial evidence is noted for variability of ON 325 on a timescale of hours.

Margon, B.↗

1 millimeter continuum observations of extragalactic objects

Continuum observations of 23 extragalactic objects have been made at a wavelength of 1 mm; nine of the 23 have been definitely detected at this wavelength. The sources detected include seven from which the 1-mm emission appears to be nonthermal, and two from which the emission appears to be thermal radiation from dust. Repeated observations of the brightest nonthermal sources permitted a search for 1-mm variations on time scales of one month to three years. BL Lac was observed to vary by more than a factor of 2 in flux, and 3C 84, 3C 120, and 3C 273 showed possible variations; 3C 279 showed no variations greater than + or - 30%. The 1-mm variations of BL Lac appear to be correlated with variations at radio wavelengths. The other sources with nonthermal spectra detected were 3C 111 and M87; the two thermal sources detected were NGC 253 and M82. Comparison of the latter two 1-mm measurements with 2.6-mm CO measurements suggests that the CO line in these galaxies is not heavily saturated.

Elias, J. H.↗

Optical spectroscopy of BL Lacertae objects and their relatives

Absorption lines from intervening gas along the line of sight to BL Lac objects are examined. The absorption line systems observed in several such objects are discussed, and detailed attention is given to the objects PKS 0735+178 and AO 0235+164. Random observations relevant to the nature of BL Lac objects are reviewed, including observations of steep-spectrum 3C QSOs and the peculiar object PKS 0528-250. The nature of the absorbing material is considered.

Smith, H. E.↗

An intense soft high-latitude X-ray source H2156-304 - A new BL Lacertae object

The discovery of an intense high-latitude soft X-ray source (designated H2156-304) detected with the low-energy detectors of the HEAO A-2 experiment is reported. The error box of the source includes a 14th mag starlike object that may be coincident with the radio source PKS 2155-304 and has been suggested as a BL Lac candidate. Intensity variations of H2156-304 on time scales of about 1 sec to 1 day are discussed, along with a probable flare from the source. The derived energy spectrum of the source is shown to be well fitted by either a two-temperature thermal model with temperatures of 16 million and 1.6 million K or a single power-law model with a spectral index of 2.4 + or - 0.3. Hydrogen column densities of approximately 2.5 x 10 to the 20th and 2.0 x 10 to the 20th H atoms/sq cm are obtained for the two-temperature and power-law models, respectively. The emission mechanism of H2156-304 is considered, and the characteristics of this source are compared with those of three known soft X-ray-emitting BL Lac objects.

Agrawal, P. C.↗

Galaxies and gamma-ray astronomy

The nature of the high-energy spectra of several types of active galaxies and their contribution to the measured diffuse gamma-ray emission between 1 and 150 MeV are considered, using X-ray spectra of active galaxies and SAS 2 data regarding the intensity upper limits to the gamma-ray emission above 35 MeV. It is found that a substantial increase in slope of the photon energy spectrum must occur in the low energy gamma-ray region for Seyfert galaxies, BL Lac objects, and emission line galaxies; the power-law spectra observed in the X-ray range must steepen substantially between 50 keV and 50 MeV. In addition, a cosmological integration shows that Seyfert galaxies, BL Lac objects, and quasars may account for most of the 1-150 MeV diffuse background, even without significant evolution.

Bignami, G. F.↗

Simultaneous observations of active galactic nuclei with IUE

The IUE observations of four active nuclei were coordinated with radio, infrared, and X-ray measurements to obtain simultaneous determinations of their continuous spectra. The results for the BL Lac objects 0735+178 and I Zw 187 indicate sufficient UV and X-ray fluxes to ionize any gas. Comparison of the X-ray measurements with the extrapolated optical UV continuum show a definite X-ray excess for I Zw 187 but none for the other BL Lac object.

Bregman, J. N.↗

X-ray spectra of active galactic nuclei

Characteristics of the X-ray spectra of seven Seyfert 1 galaxies, five BL Lac objects, and three quasars are discussed. It is found that all the Seyfert 1 spectra can be fitted to a single power law with an energy index of 0.6 to 0.7, that there is no obvious correlation between spectral index and luminosity, and that variability appears to be inversely correlated with luminosity. It is suggested that the spectra of all the BL Lac sources can be synthesized from two power-law forms, viz., a very hard component with an index of approximately 0.2 and a much softer component with an index of about 2. The extent to which the measured spectrum of the diffuse X-ray background is consistent with the spectra of candidate populations of discrete sources is examined.

Holt, S. S.↗

SC 2059-247 - An unusual radio/X-ray source in a distant cluster of galaxies

The X-ray, optical and radio properties of a high redshift, Bautz-Morgan type I cluster of galaxies, namely SC 2059-247, are examined. This cluster is optically dominated by a cD galaxy with a powerful flat-spectrum radio source coincident with the possibly stellar nucleus. Two possible interpretations are suggested for the apparently soft X-ray spectrum of the extremely luminous cluster. Either the intracluster gas is much cooler in high-redshift clusters because they are less relaxed, or the X-ray and radio emissions from SC 2059-247 are the result of a nonthermal QSO/BL Lac type object in the nucleus of the cD. If the latter, it would be the first time that an X-ray source similar to a quasar or BL Lac object has been discovered in a previously identified galaxy.

White, R. A.↗

Simultaneous observations of the BL Lacertae object I Zw 187

Two sets of simultaneous spectra consisting of data obtained with radio, IR, optical, UV and X-ray telescopes were obtained 10 months apart for the X-ray bright BL Lac object IZw 187. In addition, nonsimultaneous observations were made in several of the aforementioned observing bands in order to detect flux variations and galactic light contamination was removed from all observations. The BL Lac component is found to have a weak 3000 A bump superposed on an IR-optical-UV spectrum of slope 0.9. Consistent with the arising of the IR-through-X-ray continuum from a single synchrotron source, the X-ray data fall on or near an extrapolation of this power law. No flux variations have been detected in the flat radio spectrum. Optical and X-ray fluxes are observed to vary by a factor not greater than three, and the shortest variability time scales in these bands are comparable at about one week.

Bregman, J. N.↗

Variability of compact radio sources at a wavelength of 1 millimeter

Broad-band 1 mm continuum observations of 3C 273, 3C 279, BL Lac, 3C 84, OJ 287, and 3C 345 made between 1977 March and 1981 January are reported. With the possible exception of 3C 279, all of the objects exhibited evidence for variability in the 1 mm flux density on the time scale of a few months. Flux variations at wavelengths of 1 mm and 2 cm are well correlated for the 'blazars' (BL Lac objects and optically violent variable quasars) observed; emission outbursts occur simultaneously and have similar amplitude at the two wavelengths. In contrast, an outburst in the flux from the Seyfert galaxy 3C 84 was observed at a wavelength of 1 mm in early 1980 but has not appeared at 2 cm as of 1 yr later. The observed relationship between 'blazar' emission variability at 1 mm and 2 cm is inconsistent with the canonical expanding-source model of radio variability or any of its modifications. Instead, models in which the number of synchrotron-radiating electrons is time variable (due to particle injection or acceleration behind a relativistic shock) are required.

Ennis, D. J.↗

Studies of BL Lacertae objects with the Einstein X-ray observatory - The absolute volume density

It is estimated that the local volume density of BL Lac objects which emit greater than 10 to the 44th ergs/s in the 0.5-4.5 keV band is about 10 to the -7th/cu Mpc. This is based on identifications of bright X-ray sources, and the fact that Einstein X-ray observations detect BL Lac objects over a wide, continuous range of flux up to the thresholds of the all-sky X-ray surveys. Since this density is of the same order of magnitude as the local density of Seyfert galaxies, or local density of optically selected quasars, emitting X-rays at the same luminosity, we argue that the difference between these particular astronomical classifications is not solely due to the orientation of a relativistic beam.

Schwartz, D. A.↗

The X-ray spectra of the BL Lacertae objects PKS 0548 - 322 and 3C 66A

Einstein Observatory simultaneous imaging proportional counter and monitor proportional counter data are combined in order to derive the energy spectra of the BL Lac objects PKS 0548-322 and 3C 66A between 0.2 and 10 keV. While the latter is found to be variable in both intensity and spectral shape, the former, although constant in the present data, is found to have experienced a spectrum variation in view of results from other experiments. Attention is given to the implications of flux and spectral variability in BL Lac objects for models of X-ray emission mechanisms. It is suggested that the wide spread of the spectral index distribution is due to the detection of the highly variable synchrotron-produced X-rays that are generally undetected in QSOs.

Maccacaro, T.↗

Infrared observations of RS CVn stars

The paper presents infrared photometry of the RS CVn binary stars AR Lac (1.2-10 microns) and MM Her (1.2-3.5 microns) as they egressed from their primary and secondary eclipses; of the eclipsing systems RS CVn and Z Her at maximum light (1.2-10 microns) and of the non-eclipsing systems UX Ari and HR 1099 (1.2-10 microns). An analysis of these and published V data based on flux ratio diagrams (linear analogues of color-color diagrams) shows that G and K stars supply the infrared light of these systems. In AR Lac, the combined light of a G5-K0 subgiant and either a late F dwarf or an early F subgiant can account for the observed visual and infrared light curves. None of these systems shows infrared emission from circumstellar matter. This result is simply understood: dust grains would not be expected to form in the physical conditions surrounding the subgiant, and the corona and chromosphere (whose properties have been deduced from spectroscopic X-ray observations) should not produce appreciable infrared emission.

Berriman, G.↗

X-ray sources of cosmological relevance

The results of extragalactic observations made with the imaging proportional counter (IPC) on board the Einstein Observatory satellite are reported. Quasars were found to be strong X ray sources with correlations between the X ray and optical luminosities; strong radio emissions also correlated well with X ray luminosities. The data indicate that the ratio of the X ray and optical luminosities is inversely proportional to the optical luminosity. Active galactic nuclei are also strong X ray sources. A continuity exists between the X ray behavior of Seyfert galaxies and quasars, while BL Lac objects exhibit X ray variability exceeding that of quasars, although some BL Lac objects may be quasars. The X ray data revealed evolutionary phases in galactic cluster structures.

Maccacaro, T.↗