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At least 289 records · Page 16

Oxygen Isotope Evidence for the Relationship between CM and CO Chondrites: Could they Both Coexist on a Single Asteroid

Water played a critical role in the early evolution of asteroids and planets, as well as being an essential ingredient for life on Earth. However, despite its importance, the source of water in the inner solar system remains controversial. Delivery of water to Earth via comets is inconsistent with their relatively elevated D/H ratios, whereas carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) have more terrestrial-like D/H ratios [1]. Of the eight groups into which the CCs are divided, only three (CI, CM, CR) show evidence of extensive aqueous alteration. Of these, the CMs form the single most important group, representing 34% of all CC falls and a similar percentage of finds (Met. Bull. Database). CM material also dominates the population of CC clasts in extraterrestrial samples [2, 3]. The Antarctic micrometeorites population is also dominated by CM and CI-like material and similar particles may have transported water and volatiles to the early Earth [4]. CCs, and CMs in particular, offer the best opportunity for investigating the evolution of water reservoirs in the early solar system. An important aspect of this problem involves identifying the anhydrous silicate component which co-accreted with ice in the CM parent body. A genetic relationship between the essentially anhydrous CO group and the CMs was proposed on the basis of oxygen isotope evidence [5]. However, previous CM whole-rock oxygen isotope data scattered about a line of approximately 0.5 that did not intersect the field of CO chondrites [5]. Here we discuss new oxygen isotope data which provides additional constraints on the relationship between CO and CM chondrites.

Greenwood, R. C.↗

A Quantitative, Time-Dependent Model of Oxygen Isotopes in the Solar Nebula: Step one

The remarkable discovery that oxygen isotopes in primitive meteorites were fractionated along a line of slope I rather than along the typical slope 0,52 terrestrial fractionation line occurred almost 40 years ago, However, a satisfactory, quantitative explanation for this observation has yet to be found, though many different explanations have been proposed, The first of these explanations proposed that the observed line represented the final product produced by mixing molecular cloud dust with a nucleosynthetic component, rich in O-16, possibly resulting from a nearby supernova explosion, Donald Clayton suggested that Galactic Chemical Evolution would gradually change the oxygen isotopic composition of the interstellar grain population by steadily producing O-16 in supernovae, then producing the heavier isotopes as secondary products in lower mass stars, Thiemens and collaborators proposed a chemical mechanism that relied on the availability of additional active rotational and vibrational states in otherwise-symmetric molecules, such as CO2, O3 or SiO2, containing two different oxygen isotopes and a second, photochemical process that suggested that differential photochemical dissociation processes could fractionate oxygen , This second line of research has been pursued by several groups, though none of the current models is quantitative,

Nuth, J. A.↗

Line shape of the non-thermal 6300 A O/1D/ emission

The two-population model of Schmitt, Abreu and Hays (1981) is used to calculate the line shape of the atomic oxygen metastable state, nonthermal O(1D) 6300 A emission, in order to simulate observations made from a space platform at different zenith angles and altitudes. The Addition theorem, for spherical harmonics of a Legendre polynomial expansion of the nonthermal population distribution function, is used to obtain nonthermal line shapes observed at zenith angles other than the local vertical one.

Schmitt, G. A.↗

Hubble Space Telescope UV spectral observations of Io passing into eclipse

Time-resolved spectra of Io have been obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope in January 1992 at times centered on the passage of Io into Jupiter's shadow. Two different eclipse observations covered 1100-1600 A and 2250-3300 A. In the far ultraviolet(far-UV) range, emission lines of atomic sulfur and oxygen from Io's atmosphere (similar to those previously detected with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE)) have been observed from Io in sunlight, and the spatial extent of the emitting region has been resolved for the first time: this is 0.5-1 Io radii (R(sub Io)) above the surface. The emission lines are typically 1kR in brightness while Io is in sunlight, and decrease to a few hundred Rayleighs within 20 min or less of Io's passing into shadow. If the emissions are produced in Io's ionosphere, the decrease in shadow appears consistent with the collisional slowing and recombination of photoelectrons in 100-1000 s, with recombination an important quenching process if the dominant ion is molecular (i.e., SO2(+)) condensation, with the residual emission in shadow due either to plasma impact of gas above the hot volcanic calderas or electron impact on S and O. In the near-UV range, we have not detected any airglow emissions from Io's atmosphere in shadow, with the main limitation being a high level of scattered light from Jupiter. We derive a 3 sigma upper limit to the 2560 A SO emission feature of 1 KR, which is close to what is expected from electron impact on SO2 based on the obs erved brightness of the FUV S and O lines in shadow. A high signal-to-noise spectrum of Io's albedo in sunlight reveals a spectral shape similar to laboratory spectra of SO2 frost reflectivity, and the relative albedo spectrum changed as Io passed into eclipse and part of the disk was in shadow. No specific SO2 gas absorption features appear in the albedo spectrum, although there could be substantial gas absorption near 2800 A if the individual lines are narrow and saturated. Finally, we present preliminary models for the near-UV spectrum of Io as functions of SO2 frost areal coverage and SO2 gas density.

Clarke, John T.↗

Soft X-Ray Emission Lines from a Relativistic Accretion Disk in MCG -6-30-15 and Mrk 766

XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) spectra of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies MCG -6-30-15 and Mrk 766 are physically and spectroscopically inconsistent with standard models comprising a power-law continuum absorbed by either cold or ionized matter. We propose that the remarkably similar features detected in both objects in the 5 - 35 A band are H-like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon emission lines, gravitation- ally redshifted and broadened by relativistic effects in the vicinity of a Kerr black hole. We discuss the implications of our interpretation, and demonstrate that the derived parameters can be physically self-consistent.

Branduardi-Raymont, G.↗

Detection of shocked atomic gas in the Kleinmann-Low nebula

The 63 micrometer (3)p(1)-(3)P(2) fine structure line emission of neutral atomic oxygen at the center of the Orion nebula with a resolution of 30" is presented. There are three main emission peaks. One is associated with the region of strongest thermal radio continuum radiation close to the Trapezium cluster, and probably arises at the interface between the HII region and the dense Orion molecular cloud. The other two line emission peaks, associated with the Kleinmann Low nebula, are similar in both distribution and velocity to those of the 2 micrometer S(1) line of molecular hydrogen and of the high velocity wings of rotational CO emission. The OI emission from the KL nebula can be produced in the shocked gas associated with the mass outflows in this region and is an important coolant of the shocked gas.

Werner, M.↗

Detection of shocked atomic gas in the Kleinmann-Low nebula

The 63 micrometer (3)P(1)-(3)P(2) fine structure line emission of neutral atomic oxygen at the center of the Orion nebula with a resolution of 30'' is presented. There are three main emission peaks. One is associated with the region of strongest thermal radio continuum radiation close to the Trapezium cluster, and probably arises at the interface between the H II region and the dense Orion molecular cloud. The other two line emission peaks, associated with the Kleinmann-Low nebula, are similar in both distribution and velocity to those of the 2 micrometer S(1) line of molecular hydrogen and of the high velocity wings of rotational CO emission. The OI emission from the KL nebula can be produced in the shocked gas associated with the mass outflows in this region and is an important coolant of the shocked gas.

Werner, M. W.↗

Far-infrared spectroscopy of the galactic center - Neutral and ionized gas in the central 10 parsecs of the Galaxy

The present mapping of the 3P1-3P2 fine structure line emission from neutral atomic oxygen near the galactic center shows the emission to be extended over more than 12 pc along the galactic plane, centered on the position of Sgr A West. The rotational velocity of the O I gas at R of about 1 corresponds to a mass within the central parsec of about 3 million solar masses. The forbidden O I line probably arises in a predominantly neutral atomic region immediately outside the ionized central parsec of the Galaxy. Gas temperatures are greater than 100 K, and the total integrated luminosity radiated in the line, which is about 100,000 solar luminosities, substantially contributes to the cooling of the gas. The 3P1-3P0 fine structure line of the O III forbidden line has also been detected at 88 microns toward Sgr A West, coming from high density ionized gas.

Genzel, R.↗

Supernovae, young remnants, and nucleosynthesis

Chemical abundance data from extragalactic supernovae and from supernova remnants (SNR) less than 1000 yrs old are employed to show that nuclear burning beyond helium synthesis actually occurs. Supernova (SN) are classified into types I or II, having no hydrogen lines or featuring hydrogen lines, respectively. The SN I's have been observed as having a preponderance of Fe lines, and emitting from a source at around 12,000 K with a center continuum of approximately 10 AU. Decay chains which could account for detected luminosities and spectra are presented, noting a good fit of Fe II spectrum with observed SN spectra. SNR pass through younger and older stages, going from the outpouring of material to diffusion in the interstellar medium. Expanding flocculi from young SNR show oxygen abundances as well as lines from sulfur, calcium, and argon, with a corresponding necessity of an explosive source of 15 solar masses.

Kirshner, R. P.↗

Suzaku Observation of Diffuse X-ray Emission from the Carina Nebula

We studied extended X-ray emission from the Carina Nebula taken with the Suzaku CCD camera XIS on 2005 Aug. 29. The X-ray morphology, plasma temperature and absorption to the plasma are consistent with the earlier Einstein results. The Suzaku spectra newly revealed emission lines from various spices including oxygen, but not from nitrogen. This result restricts the N/O ratio significantly low, compared with evolved massive stellar winds, suggesting that the diffuse emission is originated in an old supernova remnant or a super shell produced by multiple supernova remnants. The X-ray spectra from the north and south of eta Car showed distinct differences between 0.3-2 keV. The south spectrum shows strong L-shell lines of iron ions and K-shell lines of silicon ions, while the north spectrum shows them weak in intensity. This means that silicon and iron abundances are a factor of 2-4 higher in the south region than in the north region. The abundance variation may be produced by an SNR ejecta, or relate to the dust formation around the star forming core.

Hamaguchi, Kenji↗

O I concentration in Comet Halley

The present 200-mA spectral resolution and 1-inch spatial resolution long-slit spectra centered on Comet Halley's nucleus show an emission feature at the 5577 A wavelength of the green O I line whose spatial variation is very similar to that of the O I 6300-A line, but not the C2 bandhead nearby. On the assumption that the cometary O I 5577 A feature should share the cometary O I 6300-A line's spatial distribution, the 5577-A feature becomes at least partly attributable to oxygen; the ratio of the 6300-A line to the 5577-A line is then of the order of 10:1, which is consistent with the Festou and Feldman (1981) model in which water is the parent for the O I concentration features.

Smith, W. Hayden↗

Detection of molecular oxygen in the Martian atmosphere.

Molecular oxygen has been detected spectroscopically in the atmosphere of Mars, using lines in the 7620 A A-band. Weak lines in the wings of the strong terrestrial atmospheric oxygen transitions show equivalent widths of 2 to 4 mA. Positive identification of the Martian atmosphere as the source of these lines is based on the facts that four separate lines are resolved, each line has been observed repeatedly, in each case falling at the appropriate predicted Doppler-shifted wavelength with an accuracy of plus or minus 0.01 A, all four lines are of similar strength as predicted by theory, and the observed lines are not solar Fraunhofer lines.

Barker, E. S.↗

A Search for O2 in CO-Depleted Molecular Cloud Cores With Herschel

The general lack of molecular oxygen in molecular clouds is an outstanding problem in astrochemistry. Extensive searches with the Submillimeter Astronomical Satellite, Odin, and Herschel have only produced two detections; upper limits to the O2 abundance in the remaining sources observed are about 1000 times lower than predicted by chemical models. Previous atomic oxygen observations and inferences from observations of other molecules indicated that high abundances of O atoms might be present in dense cores exhibiting large amounts of CO depletion. Theoretical arguments concerning the oxygen gas-grain interaction in cold dense cores suggested that, if O atoms could survive in the gas after most of the rest of the heavy molecular material has frozen out onto dust, then O2 could be formed efficiently in the gas. Using Herschel HIFI, we searched a small sample of four depletion cores-L1544, L694-2, L429, and Oph D-for emission in the low excitation O2 N(sub J)=3(sub 3)-1(sub 2) line at 487.249 GHz. Molecular oxygen was not detected and we derive upper limits to its abundance in the range of N(O2)/N (H2) approx. = (0.6-1.6) x10(exp -7). We discuss the absence of O2 in the light of recent laboratory and observational studies.

ISM: abundances↗

Oxygen boost pump study

An oxygen boost pump is described which can be used to charge the high pressure oxygen tank in the extravehicular activity equipment from spacecraft supply. The only interface with the spacecraft is the +06 6.205 Pa supply line. The breadboard study results and oxygen tank survey are summarized and the results of the flight-type prototype design and analysis are presented.

Source record↗

A new X-ray spectral observation of NGC 1068

A new X-ray observation of NGC 1068, in which improved spectral resolution (R is approximately equal to 40) and broad energy range provide important new constraints on models for this galaxy, is reported. The observed X-ray continuum of NGC 1068 from 0.3 to 10 keV is well fitted as the sum of two power-law spectra with no evidence for absorption intrinsic to the source. Strong Fe K emission lines with a total equivalent width of 2700 eV were detected due to iron less ionized than Fe XX and to iron more ionized than Fe XXIII. No evidence was seen for lines due to the recombination of highly ionized oxygen with an upper limit for the O Ly-alpha emission line of 40 eV. The discovery of multiple Fe K and Fe L emission lines indicates a broad range of ionization states for this gas. The X-ray emission from the two components is modeled for various geometries using a photoionization code that calculates the temperature and ionization state of the gas. Typical model parameters are a total Compton depth of a few percent, an inner boundary of the hot component of about 1 pc, and an inner boundary of the warm component of about 20 pc.

Marshall, F. E.↗

Spectral control of an alexandrite laser for an airborne water-vapor differential absorption lidar system

A narrow-linewidth pulsed alexandrite laser has been greatly modified for improved spectral stability in an aircraft environment, and its operation has been evaluated in the laboratory for making water-vapor differential absorption lidar measurements. An alignment technique is described to achieve the optimum free spectral range ratio for the two etalons inserted in the alexandrite laser cavity, and the sensitivity of this ratio is analyzed. This technique drastically decreases the occurrence of mode hopping, which is commonly observed in a tunable, two-intracavity-etalon laser system. High spectral purity (greater than 99.85%) at 730 nm is demonstrated by the use of a water-vapor absorption line as a notch filter. The effective cross sections of 760-nm oxygen and 730-nm water-vapor absorption lines are measured at different pressures by using this laser, which has a finite linewidth of 0.02 cm(exp -1) (FWHM). It is found that for water-vapor absorption linewidths greater than 0.04 cm(exp -1) (HWHM), or for altitudes below 10 km, the laser line can be considered monochromatic because the measured effective absorption cross section is within 1% of the calculated monochromatic cross section. An analysis of the environmental sensitivity of the two intracavity etalons is presented, and a closed-loop computer control for active stabilization of the two intracavity etalons in the alexandrite laser is described. Using a water-vapor absorption line as a wavelength reference, we measure a long-term frequency drift (approximately 1.5 h) of less than 0.7 pm in the laboratory.

Ponsardin, Patrick↗

Oxygen impurity radiation from Tokamak-like plasmas

We have constructed a nonhydrodynamic coronal model for calculating radiation from impurity atoms in a heated plasma. Some recent developments in the calculation of dielectronic recombination rate coefficients and collisional excitation rate coefficients are included. The model is applied to oxygen impurity radiation during the first few milliseconds of a TFR Tokamak plasma discharge, and good agreement with experimental results is obtained. Estimates of total line and continuum radiation from the oxygen impurity are given. It is shown that impurity radiation represents a considerable energy loss.

Rogerson, J. E.↗

Observations of the 51.8 micron (O III) emission line in Orion

The 51.8 micron fine structure transition P2:3P2 3P1 for doubly ionized oxygen was observed in the Orion nebula. The observed line strength is of 5 plus or minus 3 times 10 to the minus 15th power watt/sq cm is in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Observations are consistent with the newly predicted 51.8 micron line position. The line lies close to an atmospheric water vapor feature at 51.7 micron, but is sufficiently distant so that corrections for this feature are straightforward. Observations of the 51.8 (O III) line are particularly important since the previously discovered 88 micron line from the same ion also is strong. This pair of lines should, therefore, yield new data about densities in observed H II regions; or else, if density data already are available from radio or other observations, the lines can be used to determine the differential dust absorption between 52 and 88 micron in front of heavily obscured regions.

Melnick, G.↗