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The energy distributions of B supergiants in the Large Magellanic Cloud

It is shown that line-blanketed, LTE, plane-parallel model atmosphere calculations provide excellent fits to the ultraviolet-through-visual energy distributions of B supergiants in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The models were computed using Kurucz's (1979) ATLAS atmosphere program, but with lower gravities than were contained in Kurucz's published model grid. The ultraviolet continua of low gravity stars are found to be sensitive to changes in temperature and gravity. Measurements of Teff and log g for ten LMC B supergiants from model atmosphere fits to the energy distributions yield estimates of their radii, luminosities, and masses. Model atmosphere fits suggest that the late B supergiants have significantly lower masses than the earlier B types of the same luminosity, contrary to stellar evolution theory which predicts that B supergiants are in a post-core hydrogen burning phase and should evolve very quickly and at essentially constant mass.

Fitzpatrick, Edward L.↗

Potosi Reservoir Modeling; History and Recommendations

As a part of a larger project co-funded by the United States Department of Energy (US DOE) to evaluate the potential of formations within the Cambro-Ordovician strata above the Mt. Simon as potential targets for carbon sequestration in the Illinois and Michigan Basins, the Illinois Clean Coal Institute (ICCI) requested Schlumberger to evaluate the potential injectivity and carbon dioxide (CO₂) plume size of the Cambrian Potosi Formation. The evaluation of this formation was accomplished using wireline data, core data, pressure data, and seismic data from two projects: the US DOE-funded Illinois Basin–Decatur Project being conducted by the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium in Macon County, Illinois, as well as data from the Illinois – Industrial Carbon Capture and Sequestration (IL-ICCS) project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In 2010, technical performance evaluations on the Cambrian Potosi Formation were performed through reservoir modeling. The data included formation tops from mud logs, well logs from the Verification Well 1 (VW1) and the Injection Well (CCS1), structural and stratigraphic formation from three dimensional (3D) seismic data, and field data from several waste water injection wells for the Potosi Formation. The intention was for two million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of CO₂ to be injected for 20 years into the Potosi Formation. In 2013, updated reservoir models for the Cambrian Potosi Formation were evaluated. The data included formation tops from mud logs, well logs from the CCS1, VW1, and Verification Well 2 (VW2) wells, structural and stratigraphic formation from a larger 3D seismic survey, and field data from several waste water injection wells for Potosi Formation. The objective is to simulate the injection of CO₂ at a rate 3.5 million tons per annum (3.2 million tonnes per annum [MTPA]) for 30 years 106 million tons (96 MT total) into the Potosi Formation. The Potosi geomodeling efforts have evolved from using data from a single well in 2010 to the inclusion of data from three wells in 2013 which largely leverage the porosity and permeability logs plus knowledge of lost circulation zones. The first Potosi model (Potosi Geobody Model 2010) attempted to use the available seismic inversion data to inform the geomodel and predict vugular zones in advance of drilling VW1. Lost circulation zones in VW1 came in as the geologists predicted. The model was not implemented in subsequent simulation work. To date, reservoir models used for flow simulation work have relied predominately on Gaussian distributed properties (porosity and permeability) and have employed a single injection well. Potosi Model 2013b incorporated the new VW2 logs, and exhibited an extra level of sophistication by delineating the vugular intervals. This method added further realism that likely represents the best reservoir approximation to date. Where the 2010 reservoir models were 10 by 10 mi (16 by 16 km) in area, the 2013 models were expanded in size to 30 by 30 mi (48 by 48 km). The latest reservoir simulations show that a minimum of four injectors might be required to meet target injection rates. Still, there is data that requires further scrutiny and modeling methodologies that require testing for the Potosi Formation. This work is currently ongoing, and the next phase of the reservoir modeling intends to implement valuable data like porosity derived from seismic inversion, seismically derived geobodies, or a combination of both to further define vugular zones and the porosity distribution within the Potosi Formation. Understanding the dual porosity, dual permeability character of the Potosi remains the greatest challenge in representing this formation. Further analysis of the FMI* fullbore formation microimager data may aid in assessing this uncertainty. The Potosi Formation is indeed an interesting formation, and recommendations to further characterize it are included in the following list: - Data acquisition to identify the vugs permeability, distribution, and interconnectivity could be considered to perform a more rigorous evaluation of the Potosi Formation injectivity and capacity. This could be achieved by performing an injection test on a vugular interval to determine the vugs permeability, and an interference test between wells to evaluate the local vugs extent and interconnectivity. - A thorough study of the available FMI data may reveal specifics on estimating the vug to matrix ratio. This estimate could be used to further condition the porosity distribution. Porosity logs alone might underestimate the formation’s porosity associated with vugs. Porosity mapping derived from the seismic inversion could also be used in the succeeding task to characterize the lateral porosity distribution within the reservoir. This could involve the geobody methodology previously attempted in 2010. With or without seismic inversion porosity mapping, it is worth exploring whether increased lateral heterogeneity plays a significant role in Potosi injectivity. Investigations on vugular, dolomitic outcrops suggest that there may be significantly greater lateral heterogeneity than what has been modeled here. - The FMI data also reveals the presence of and helps describe open fractures. The presence of fractures will further enhance the formation’s permeability. The task of leveraging this data in the geomodeling effort still remains. Under the best of circumstances, this data describing open fractures may be combined with seismic attributes to delineate fracture corridors. Fracture modeling would certainly add another layer of sophistication to the model. Its contribution and applicability remain to be explored. - Facies modeling within the Potosi has yet to be thoroughly addressed. The carbonates during the time of deposition are believed to be regionally extensive. However, it may be worth delineating the reservoir with other regional wells or modern day analogues to understand the extent of the Potosi. More specifically, the model could incorporate lateral changes or trends if deemed necessary to represent facies transition. - Currently there is no fracture gradient data available for the Potosi in the Decatur project area. The acquisition of the fracture pressure data could be considered to determine an appropriate maximum allowable bottomhole injection pressure. This would allow the evaluation of injectivity and the required number of wells in a more precise manner. - Special core analysis (SCAL) to determine the relative permeability and capillary pressure of the vugs and matrix could be considered to have a better estimation of the reservoir injectivity and plume extent. - Formation water sampling and analysis could be considered for the Potosi to estimate the water salinity and properties. A vertical flow performance evaluation could be considered for the succeeding task to determine the appropriate tubing size, the required injection tubing head pressure, and to investigate whether the corresponding well injection rate falls within the tubing erosional velocity limit. - A simulation using several injectors could also be considered to determine the required number of wells to achieve the injection target while taking into account the pressure interference.

Smith, Valerie↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-xUN NEON University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDE)

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xUN NEON University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDE). This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xUN NEON University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDE) produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - NEON's Domain 5 core site is located at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC) East. Straddling the border between Northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the UNDERC property comprises approximately 7500 acres and is maintained as an environmental education and research facility. UNDERC also has 30 lakes comprising 1350 acres, including Crampton Lake, a NEON aquatics site. Region-wide logging for pine in the late 1800s and early to mid-1900's led to clear cutting of most forested areas on the property. The main parcel was donated to the University in the 1930s. Timber harvest continued into the 1950s and later, leaving a mixture of successional forest regrowth. Since the 1970s, the site has been minimally managed to maintain access for recreational, educational and research goals.

Network), NEON (National Ecological Observatory↗

Structural and Stratigraphic Controls on Methane Hydrate occurrence and distribution: Gulf of Mexico, Walker Ridge 313 and Green Canyon 955: Final Report

The goal of this project was to determine structural and stratigraphic controls on hydrate occurrence and distribution in Green Canyon (GC) 955 and Walker Ridge (WR) 313 blocks using seismic and well data. Gas hydrate was discovered in these blocks in coarse- and fine-grained sediments during the 2009 Joint Industrial project (JIP) Leg 11 drilling expedition. Although the immediate interest of the exploration community is exclusively hydrate which is present in coarse–grained sediments, factors that control hydrate and free gas distribution in the two blocks and whether coarse and fine-grained hydrate-bearing units are related in any manner, formed the core of this research. The project spanned from 10/01/2012 to 07/31/2016. In the project, in both the leased blocks, the interval spanning the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) was characterized using a joint analysis of sparse Ocean Bottom Seismic (OBS) and dense, surface–towed multichannel seismic (MCS) data. The project team had the luxury of calibrating their results with two well logs. Advance processing methods such as depth migration and full-waveform inversion (FWI) were used for seismic data analysis. Hydrate quantification was achieved through interpretation of the FWI velocity field using appropriate rock physics models at both blocks. The seismic modeling/inversion methodology (common to both GC955 and WR313 blocks) was as follows. First, the MCS data were depth migrated using a P-wave velocity (VP) model constructed using inversion of reflection arrival times of a few (four in both cases) key horizons carefully picked in the OBS data to farthest possible offsets. Then, the resolution of the traveltime VP model was improved to wavelength scale by inverting OBS gathers up to the highest frequency possible (21.75 Hz for GC955 and 17.5 for WR313) using FWI. Finally, the hydrate saturation (or the volume fraction) was estimated at the well location assuming one of the other hydrate morphology (filling the primary or the secondary porosity) was extrapolated out from the wells using the FWI VP as a guide. General outcomes were as follows. First and foremost, an imaging methodology using sparse seismic data, which is easily replicable at other sites with similar datasets, has been demonstrated. The end product of this methodology at both the leased blocks is quantitative estimates of hydrate distribution. Second, at both locations there is strong evidence that the base of the GHSZ, which does not appear as a clear Bottom Simulating Reflection (BSR), manifests in the VP perturbations created by FWI, suggesting that FWI is sensitive to subtle compositional changes in shallow sediments and establishes it as a valuable tool for investigations of hydrate-bearing basins. Third, through joint interpretation of the depth migrated image and the FWI VP model, how structure and stratigraphy jointly determine hydrate and free gas distribution in both blocks could be clearly visualized. The joint interpretation also suggests that the coarse and fine grained hydrate-bearing sediments at both leased are connected. Site specific results, in addition to general results, are as follows. At GC955 the overlying fine-grained hydrate-bearing unit could have been sourced from the underlying hydrate coarse-grained channel-levee complex through a chimney feature. The channel-levee system at GC955 is compartmentalized by faults, of which only a few may be impermeable. Although compartmentalized, the channel-levee system in the GC955 as a whole might be in communication except selected zones. At WR313 the overlying fine-grained fracture-filled hydrate unit appears to be sourced from below the GHSZ. The reason that only a particular fine-grained unit has hydrate, despite having lower porosity that the bounding units, could be the presence of secondary porosity (such as those formed from clay dewatering under compaction). In conclusion, the project was a pioneering effort in in joint analysis of OBS and MCS datasets for advancing the knowledge about a hydrate and free–gas system dynamics using advanced processing methods such as FWI and depth migration. Results obtained in this project can greatly advance the tools and techniques used for delineating specific hydrate prospects. Results obtained in this project can also be seamlessly incorporated into other DOE funded project on modeling the potential productivity and commercial viability of hydrate from sand-dominated reservoirs. The OBS and MCS data in this project were acquired in 2012 (after the JIP II drilling) by the USGS and therefore the results are a posteriori. Nonetheless, the seismic inversion workflow established through this project can be used to generate various what-if quantification scenarios even in absence of logs and serve as a valuable tool for guiding drilling operations. Results from this project can augment other DOE sponsored projects on determining the commercial viability of methane production from the Gulf of Mexico.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

NEW MATRIX COEFFICIENTS FOR THE LOBE POWER CALCULATION AND INDICATION SYSTEM IN THE ADVANCED TEST REACTOR

Theoretical coefficients are tuned for use in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Lobe Power Calculation and Indication System (LPCIS). The LPCIS indicates localized fission powers in the ATR, used primarily by operators to provide irradiation of various experiments at requested power levels. The LPCIS solves an overdetermined matrix, such that the best-fit solution can be obtained from at least five of up to eleven independent indications selected for input. Hourly data logs are reviewed for three and one-half years (from November 2013 through June 2017) of ATR operation to compare localized powers indicated by LPCIS with powers indicated by an independent indication, the Water Power Calculator (WPC). WPC indications are used for the calibration of LPCIS because of assumed high reliability and theoretical simplicity. WPC is also used for automatic core protective functions, which LPCIS is not. As the WPC provides power only for four quadrants and the LPCIS indicates power in five lobes, a calculated metric is required to compare the two indications. The metric chosen for the current work has been in use for decades at ATR as a metric of LPCIS health. The proposed new coefficients better fit theory of physical phenomena involved and also provide a 40% improvement in the calculated fit.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Computing Bottleneck Structures at Scale for High-Precision Network Performance Analysis

The Theory of Bottleneck Structures is a recently-developed framework for studying the performance of data networks. It describes how local perturbations in one part of the network propagate and interact with others. This framework is a powerful analytical tool that allows network operators to make accurate predictions about network behavior and thereby optimize performance. Previous work implemented a software package for bottleneck structure analysis, but applied it only to toy examples. In this work, we introduce the first software package capable of scaling bottleneck structure analysis to production-size networks. Here, we benchmark our system using logs from ESnet, the Department of Energy's high-performance data network that connects research institutions in the U.S. Using the previously published tool as a baseline, we demonstrate that our system achieves vastly improved performance, constructing the bottleneck structure graphs in 0.21 s and calculating link derivatives in 0.09 s on average. We also study the asymptotic complexity of our core algorithms, demonstrating good scaling properties and strong agreement with theoretical bounds. These results indicate that our new software package can maintain its fast performance when applied to even larger networks. They also show that our software is efficient enough to analyze rapidly changing networks in real time. Overall, we demonstrate the feasibility of applying bottleneck structure analysis to solve practical problems in large, real-world data networks.

benchmark↗

GBCGE Subsurface Database Explorer and APIs

This submission defines a DOI for the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy's (GBCGE) Subsurface Database Explorer web application and underlying data services, and acknowledges the INGENIOUS project as a major source of funding for data compilation and quality assurance. The GBCGE Subsurface Database Explorer is an interactive web mapping application that provides public access to the GBCGE Subsurface Database, and its collection of datasets pertinent to geothermal exploration, oil and gas exploration, critical mineral exploration, and other subsurface characterization for the Great Basin Region, western US. This is a living database, and will be continuously updated with new data and datasets as funding and motivations allow. The underlying database views that populate the web application are on an automated refresh schedule. Data sources and acknowledgements: We thank our partners with the Nevada Division of Minerals (NDOM), the Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Great Basin State Geological Surveys for their active efforts in data curation, schema design, and quality assurance. We also thank contributors among the USGS, Oregon Institute of Technology, State Divisions of Water Resources, State Divisions of Oil, Gas, and Minerals, and State Geological Surveys for open data availability and direct contributions made under the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS).

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

On the Origin of SN 2016hil—A Type II Supernova in the Remote Outskirts of an Elliptical Host

Type II supernovae (SNe) stem from the core collapse of massive ($>8\ M_{\odot}$) stars. Owing to their short lifespan, we expect a very low rate of such events in elliptical host galaxies, where the star-formation rate is low, and which mostly consist of an old stellar population. SN 2016hil (iPTF16hil) is a Type II supernova located in the extreme outskirts of an elliptical galaxy at redshift $z=0.0608$ (projected distance $27.2$ kpc). It was detected near peak brightness ($M_{r} \approx -17$ mag) 9 days after the last nondetection. SN 2016hil has some potentially peculiar properties: while presenting a characteristic spectrum, the event was unusually short lived and declined by $\sim 1.5$ mag in $< 40$ days, following an apparently double-peaked light curve. Its spectra suggest a low metallicity ($Z<0.4\ Z_{\odot}$). We place a tentative upper limit on the mass of a potential faint host at $\log(M/M_{\odot}) =7.27^{+0.43}_{-0.24}$ using deep Keck optical imaging. In light of this, we discuss the possibility of the progenitor forming locally, and other more exotic formation scenarios such as a merger or common-envelope evolution causing a time-delayed explosion. Further observations of the explosion site in the ultraviolet are needed in order to distinguish between the cases. Regardless of the origin of the transient, observing a population of such seemingly hostless Type II SNe could have many uses, including an estimate the number of faint galaxies in a given volume, and tests of the prediction of a time-delayed population of core-collapse SNe in locations otherwise unfavorable for the detection of such events.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Pruning The ELM Survey: Characterizing Candidate Low-mass White Dwarfs through Photometric Variability

We assess the photometric variability of nine stars with spectroscopic T {sub eff} and log g values from the ELM Survey that locates them near the empirical extremely low-mass (ELM) white dwarf instability strip. We discover three new pulsating stars: SDSS J135512.34+195645.4, SDSS J173521.69+213440.6, and SDSS J213907.42+222708.9. However, these are among the few ELM Survey objects that do not show radial velocity (RV) variations that confirm the binary nature expected of helium-core white dwarfs. The dominant 4.31 hr pulsation in SDSS J135512.34+195645.4 far exceeds the theoretical cut-off for surface reflection in a white dwarf, and this target is likely a high-amplitude δ Scuti pulsator with an overestimated surface gravity. We estimate the probability to be less than 0.0008 that the lack of measured RV variations in four of eight other pulsating candidate ELM white dwarfs could be due to low orbital inclination. Two other targets exhibit variability as photometric binaries. Partial coverage of the 19.342 hr orbit of WD J030818.19+514011.5 reveals deep eclipses that imply a primary radius >0.4 R {sub ⊙}—too large to be consistent with an ELM white dwarf. The only object for which our time series photometry adds support to ELM white dwarf classification is SDSS J105435.78−212155.9, which has consistent signatures of Doppler beaming and ellipsoidal variations. We conclude that the ELM Survey contains multiple false positives from another stellar population at T {sub eff}≲9000 K, possibly related to the sdA stars recently reported from SDSS spectra.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Formation, early evolution, and gravitational stability of protoplanetary disks

The formation, viscous evolution, and gravitational stability of protoplanetary disks are investigated. The formation process is parameterized by the angular velocity of the molecular cloud core omega, while the viscous evolution is parameterized by the viscosity parameter alpha in the disk; in this study we consider a range of (0.4-6) x 10(exp -14)/s for omega and from 10(exp -5) to 10(exp -1) for alpha. The axisymmetric gravitational stabilities of the disks are checked using Toomre's criterion. The resulting disk surface temperature distribution, (d log T(sub s)/d log R) approximately = -0.6 (R is the cylindrical radius), can be attributed to two heating sources: the viscous heating dominant in the inner disk region, and the accretion shock heating dominant in the outer disk region. This surface temperature distribution matches that observed in many disks around young stellar objects. During the infall stage, disks with alpha less than 10(exp -1.5) become gravitationally unstable independent of omega. The gravitational instabilities occur at radii ranging from 5 to 40 AU. The ratio of the disk mass to the central star mass ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 at the times of instability, about 4 x 10(exp -5) x (omega/10(exp -14)/s)(exp -0.67) yr. Most disks with low alpha and high omega become gravitationally unstable during their formation phase.

Nakamoto, Taishi↗

Supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. II. The correlation with near-infrared luminosity revisited

We present an investigation of the scaling relations between supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses, M {sub •}, and their host galaxies' K-band bulge (L {sub bul}) and total (L {sub tot}) luminosities. The wide-field WIRCam imager at the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope was used to obtain the deepest and highest resolution near-infrared images available for a sample of 35 galaxies with securely measured M {sub •}, selected irrespective of Hubble type. For each galaxy, we derive bulge and total magnitudes using a two-dimensional image decomposition code that allows us to account, if necessary, for large- and small-scale disks, cores, bars, nuclei, rings, envelopes, and spiral arms. We find that the present-day M {sub •}-L {sub bul} and M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relations have consistent intrinsic scatter, suggesting that M {sub •} correlates equally well with bulge and total luminosity of the host. Our analysis provides only mild evidence of a decreased scatter if the fit is restricted to elliptical galaxies. The log-slopes of the M {sub •}-L {sub bul} and M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relations are 0.75 ± 0.10 and 0.92 ± 0.14, respectively. However, while the slope of the M {sub •}-L {sub bul} relation depends on the detail of the image decomposition, the characterization of M {sub •}-L {sub tot} does not. Given the difficulties and ambiguities of decomposing galaxy images into separate components, our results indicate that L {sub tot} is more suitable as a tracer of SMBH mass than L {sub bul}, and that the M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relation should be used when studying the co-evolution of SMBHs and galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

BASS. XXV. DR2 Broad-line-based Black Hole Mass Estimates and Biases from Obscuration

We present measurements of broad emission lines and virial estimates of supermassive black hole masses (M BH ) for a large sample of ultrahard X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) as part of the second data release of the BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS/DR2). Our catalog includes M BH estimates for a total of 689 AGNs, determined from the Hα, Hβ, Mg II λ2798, and/or C IV λ1549 broad emission lines. The core sample includes a total of 512 AGNs drawn from the 70 month Swift/BAT all-sky catalog. We also provide measurements for 177 additional AGNs that are drawn from deeper Swift/BAT survey data. We study the links between M BH estimates and line-of-sight obscuration measured from X-ray spectral analysis. We find that broad Hα emission lines in obscured AGNs ($\mathrm{log}({N}_{{\rm{H}}}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{-2})\gt 22.0$) are on average a factor of ${8.0}_{-2.4}^{+4.1}$ weaker relative to ultrahard X-ray emission and about ${35}_{-12}^{\,+7}$% narrower than those in unobscured sources (i.e., $\mathrm{log}({N}_{{\rm{H}}}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{-2})\lt 21.5$). This indicates that the innermost part of the broad-line region is preferentially absorbed. Consequently, current single-epoch M BH prescriptions result in severely underestimated (>1 dex) masses for Type 1.9 sources (AGNs with broad Hα but no broad Hβ) and/or sources with $\mathrm{log}({N}_{{\rm{H}}}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{-2})\gtrsim 22.0$. We provide simple multiplicative corrections for the observed luminosity and width of the broad Hα component (L[bHα] and FWHM[bHα]) in such sources to account for this effect and to (partially) remedy M BH estimates for Type 1.9 objects. As a key ingredient of BASS/DR2, our work provides the community with the data needed to further study powerful AGNs in the low-redshift universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Mesa isochrones and stellar tracks (mist). I. Solar-scaled models

This is the first of a series of papers presenting the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST) project, a new comprehensive set of stellar evolutionary tracks and isochrones computed using MESA, a state-of-the-art open-source 1D stellar evolution package. In this work, we present models with solar-scaled abundance ratios covering a wide range of ages (5⩽log(Age) [year]⩽10.3), masses (0.1⩽M/M{sub ⊙}⩽300), and metallicities (−2.0⩽[Z/H]⩽0.5). The models are self-consistently and continuously evolved from the pre-main sequence (PMS) to the end of hydrogen burning, the white dwarf cooling sequence, or the end of carbon burning, depending on the initial mass. We also provide a grid of models evolved from the PMS to the end of core helium burning for −4.0⩽[Z/H]<−2.0. We showcase extensive comparisons with observational constraints as well as with some of the most widely used existing models in the literature. The evolutionary tracks and isochrones can be downloaded from the project website at http://waps.cfa.harvard.edu/MIST/.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

IUE observations of a hot DAO white dwarf: Implications for diffusion theory and photospheric stratification

Observations of the DAO white dwarf PG1210+533, including the first high dispersion spectrum of a hybrid H-He object of this nature were obtained by IUE. In contrast with hot DAs in the 50,000 K temperature range, PG1210+533 shows no narrow interstellar-like metal lines, in spite of an optically observed He/H abundance of 0.1. This lack of metal makes accretion from the ISM an unlikely source for the He in the PG1210+533 photosphere. A significant discovery in the high dispersion spectrum is the existence of a sharp, non-LTE like, core seen in the He II 1640 line. Such features are detected in DO white dwarfs. A small aperture SWP low dispersion observation reveals the Lyman alpha profile of PG1210+533 to be surprisingly weak and narrow. Fits of this profile using pure H models yielded a T(eff) = 56,000 K. Fits of the Balmer H gamma profile however, yield T(eff) = 42,300 K and log g = 8.5 + or - 0.5 for the same models. It is unlikely that homogeneously mixed H-He atmospheres can resolve the inconsistency between the Lyman alpha and H gamma features in this star. Stratified models involving thin H photospheres may be necessary to explain these results.

Holberg, J. B.↗

A Hubble Space Telescope study of the underlying white dwarf in the dwarf nova VW Hydri during quiescence

We have analyzed a far-ultraviolet spectrum of the dwarf nova VW Hyi obtained during quiescence with the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph (HST FOS). The observation occurred 10 days after the return to optical quiescence from a superoutburst of VW Hyi. The spectrum reveals a very strong Stark-broadened Ly-alpha absorption with narrow geocoronal emission, and a very rich metallic absorption-line spectrum dominated by strong resonance absorption features of singly and doubly ionized silicon and carbon, the first solid identification of metallic absorption features arising in the accreted atmosphere of the white dwarf. We confirm the reported low-resolution IUE detection of the underlying white dwarf photosphere by Mateo & Szkody. A synthetic spectral analysis with hot, high-gravity LTE model atmospheres yields a best-fit model with the following parameters: T(sub eff) = 22,000 +/- 1000 K, log g = 8.0 +/- 0.3, with chemical abundances for oxygen of 0.3 times solar, for nitrogen of 5 times solar, and for all other heavy elements of 0.15 times solar. Based upon our absorption-line measurements of the observations at different orbital phases, we find no conclusive evidence of equivalent width variations with orbital phase. In the absence of any significant reduction of the white dwarf's core mass by past nova explosions, its lower limit cooling age is approximately 50 million years.

Sion, Edward M.↗

Geocellular model of St. Peter Sandstone for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign DDU Feasibility Study

The geocellular model of the St. Peter Sandstone was constructed for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign DDU feasibility study. Starting with the initial area of review (18.0 km by 18.1 km [11.2 miles by 11.3 miles]) the boundaries of the model were trimmed down to 9.7 km by 9.7 km (6 miles by 6 miles) to ensure that the model enclosed a large enough volume so that the cones of depression of both the production and injection wells would not interact with each other, while at the same time minimizing the number of cells to model to reduce computational time. The grid-cell size was set to 61.0 m by 61.0 m (200 feet by 200 feet) for 160 nodes in the X and Y directions. The top surface of the St. Peter Sandstone was provided by geologists working on the project, and the average thickness of the formation was taken from the geologic prospectus they provided. An average thickness of 68.6 m (225 feet) was used for the St. Peter Sandstone, resulting in 45 layers for the model. Petrophysical data was taken from available rotary sidewall core data (Morrow et al., 2017). As geothermal properties (thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity) are closely related to mineralogy, specifically the percentage of quartz, available mineralogical data was assembled and used with published data of geothermal values to determine these properties (Waples and Waples, 2004; Robertson, 1988). The St. Peter Sandstone was divided into facies according to similar geothermal and petrophysical properties, and distributed according to available geophysical log data and prevailing interpretations of the depositional/diagenetic history (Will et al. 2014). Petrophysical and geothermal properties were distributed through geostatistical means according to the associated distributions for each lithofacies. The formation temperature was calculated, based on data from continuous temperature geophysical log from a deep well drilled into the Precambrian basement at the nearby Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP) where CO2 is currently being sequestered (Schlumberger, 2012). Salinity values used in the model were taken from regional studies of brine chemistry in the St. Peter Sandstone, including for the IBDP (e.g., Panno et al. 2018). After being reviewed by the project's geologists, the model was then passed onto the geological engineers to begin simulations of the geothermal reservoir and wellbores.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Periodic modulation of the atmosphere of Alpha Orionis

Alpha Orionis (Betelgeuse; M2 Iab) was monitored with IUE since 1984. Discovery of a 420-day periodic modulation of the flux in the optical and ultraviolet continua, and in the Mg II h and k line emission cores suggests that periodic photospheric pulsations were present from 1984 to 1986. This behavior continues through 1987. However, the general flux level of the ultraviolet continuum and the Mg II lines is decreasing, and the amplitude of the variation may be reduced. These decreases may be the emerging signature of an additional longer period. The density sensitive C II diagnostic, 2325.4/2328.1, indicates the chromospheric densities range between log N(sub e) (cm-3) = 8.7 and 9.5, but periodicities are not evident.

Dupree, A. K.↗

REQUIEM-2D Methodology: Spatially Resolved Stellar Populations of Massive Lensed Quiescent Galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope 2D Grism Spectroscopy

We present a novel Bayesian methodology to jointly model photometry and deep Hubble Space Telescope 2D grism spectroscopy of high-redshift galaxies. Our requiem2d code measures both unresolved and resolved stellar populations, ages, and star formation histories (SFHs) for the ongoing REsolving QUIEscent Magnified (REQUIEM) Galaxies Survey, which targets strong gravitationally lensed quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2. We test the accuracy of requiem2d using a simulated sample of massive galaxies at z ∼ 2 from the Illustris cosmological simulation and find that we recover the general trends in SFH and median stellar ages. We further present a pilot study for the REQUIEM Galaxies Survey: MRG-S0851, a quintuply imaged, massive (log M ⁎ / M ʘ = 11.02 ± 0.04) red galaxy at z = 1.883 ± 0.001. With an estimated gravitational magnification of µ = 5.7 - 0.2 + 0.4, we sample the stellar populations on 0.6 kpc physical size bins. The global mass-weighted median age is constrained to be 1.8 - 0.2 + 0.3 Gyr, and our spatially resolved analysis reveals that MRG-S0851 has a flat age gradient in the inner 3 kpc core after taking into account the subtle effects of dust and metallicity on age measurements, favoring an early formation scenario. The analysis for the full REQUIEM-2D sample will be presented in a forthcoming paper with a beta release of the requiem2d code.

Strong gravitational lensing↗