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At least 361 records · Page 20

Structure of the solar oscillation with period near 160 minutes

The solar oscillation with period near 160 minutes is found to be unique in a spectrum computed over the range of periods from about 71 to 278 minutes. A best estimate of the period is 160.0095 + or - 0.001 minutes, which is different from 160 minutes (one ninth of a day) by a highly significant amount. The width of the peak is approximately equal to the limiting resolution that can be obtained from an observation lasting 6 years, which suggests that the damping time of the oscillations is considerably longer than 6 years. A suggestion that this peak might be the result of a beating phenomenon between the five minute data averages and a solar oscillation with period near five minutes is shown to be incorrect by recomputing a portion of the spectrum using 15 second data averages.

Scherrer, P. H.↗

Spectral Line Parameters Including Temperature Dependences of Self- and Air-Broadening in the 2 (left arrow) 0 Band of CO at 2.3 micrometers

Temperature dependences of pressure-broadened half-width and pressure-induced shift coefficients along with accurate positions and intensities have been determined for transitions in the 2<--0 band of C-12 O-16 from analyzing high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra recorded with two different Fourier transform spectrometers. A total of 28 spectra, 16 self-broadened and 12 air-broadened, recorded using high- purity (greater than or equal to 99.5% C-12-enriched) CO samples and CO diluted with dry air(research grade) at different temperatures and pressures, were analyzed simultaneously to maximize the accuracy of the retrieved parameters. The sample temperatures ranged from 150 to 298K and the total pressures varied between 5 and 700 Torr. A multispectrum nonlinear least squares spectrum fitting technique was used to adjust the rovibrational constants (G, B, D, etc.) and intensity parameters (including Herman-Wallis coefficients), rather than determining individual line positions and intensities. Self-and air-broadened Lorentz half-width coefficients, their temperature dependence exponents, self- and air-pressure-induced shift coefficients, their temperature dependences, self- and air-line mixing coefficients, their temperature dependences and speed dependence have been retrieved from the analysis. Speed-dependent line shapes with line mixing employing off-diagonal relaxation matrix element formalism were needed to minimize the fit residuals. This study presents a precise and complete set of spectral line parameters that consistently reproduce the spectrum of carbon monoxide over terrestrial atmospheric conditions.

Devi, V. Malathy↗

Annihilation radiation from a hot e/+/-e/-/ plasma

The radiation from electron-positron annihilations in a plasma of temperature above 10 to the 8th K is investigated as a possible source of the emission line at energies between 400 and 460 keV frequently seen in gamma-ray bursts. The annihilation rate and luminosity of an optically thin electron-positron plasma and the energy distribution of the resulting annihilation radiation are calculated by the use of a Monte Carlo technique as functions of temperature. Results indicate the annihilation spectrum to be peaked at an energy of 0.511 MeV plus a temperature-dependent blueshift, and the annihilation line to be significantly temperature-broadened. The widths of the observed burst emission lines set an upper limit of 3 x 10 to the 8th K on the temperature of any pair annihilation region in burst sources, which is considerably lower than the typical kinetic temperatures of the radiating particles. It is thus inferred that either the annihilation region is nonthermal, or spatially distinct from the burst site.

Ramaty, R.↗

Comet Bowell /1980b/ - An active-looking dormant object

The absence of molecular emissions in the spectrum of Comet Bowell, a nearly constant amount of dust in its coma, a slow expansion rate of the coma and implied low particle velocities, a tail width that does not increase with increasing distance from the nucleus, the absence of tail particles less than 0.5 mm in diameter, and the development of an elongated coma, lead to the conclusion that the solid particles in the coma and tail are not recent ejecta, and that the comet has probably been dormant. It is speculated that 10 to the 13th g of observed coma and tail particles is either a leftover pristine material that has never contacted the nucleus surface, or a product of erratic activity associated with chemical instability, at temperatures below 40 K, stimulated by cosmic ray and/or UV irradiation of the surface layer during the comet's Oort cloud stay. It remains possible that the comet may temporarily become active near perihelion.

Sekanina, Z.↗

Detection of O VII Lambda 1522 in IUE Spectra of Planetary Nebula Nuclei and Other Hot Stars

We present the first detection of O VII lambda 1522 emission or absorption from archival IUE spectra in 14 planetary nebula nuclei and three PG 1159-type stars. The n = 5 approaching 6 transition of O VII was determined by Kruk & Werner and observed by them in the spectrum of the very hot PG 1159-type star H1504+65 from data obtained with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT). Emission-line fluxes or absorption equivalent widths as well as radial velocities for the program stars are presented. The precise rest wavelength for the 5 approaching 6 transition requires further investigation.

Feibelman, Walter A.↗

Determining structure in molecular clouds

We descibe an automatic, objective routine for analyzing the clumpy structure in a spectral line position-position-velocity data cube. The algorithm works by first contouring the data at a multiple of the rms noise of the observations, then searches for peaks of emission which locate the clumps, and then follows them down to lower intensities. No a proiri clump profile is assumed. By creating simulated data, we test the performance of the algorithm and show that a contour map most accurately depicts internal structure at a contouring interval equal to twice the rms noise of the map. Blending of clump emission leads to small errors in mass and size determinations and in severe cases can result in a number of clumps being misidentified as a single unit, flattening the measured clump mass spectrum. The algorithm is applied to two real data sets as an example of its use. The Rosette molecular cloud is a 'typical' star-forming cloud, but in the Maddalena molecular cloud high-mass star formation is completely absent. Comparison of the two clump lists generated by the algorithm show that on a one-to-one basis the clumps in the star-forming cloud have higher peak temperatures, higher average densities, and are more gravitationally bound than in the non-star-forming cloud. Collective properties of the clumps, such as temperature-size-line-width-mass relations appear very similar, however. Contrary to the initial results reported in a previous paper (Williams & Blitz 1993), we find that the current, more thoroughly tes ted analysis finds no significant difference in the clump mass spectrum of the two clouds.

Williams, Jonathan P.↗

Neptune - Observations of the H2 quadrupole lines in the /4-0/ band

The first measurement of Neptune's quadrupole H2 lines is reported. The equivalent widths of the S(0) and S(1) lines of the (4-0) band are given along with the corresponding widths measured from comparison spectra of Uranus taken on the same nights. These are interpreted in terms of both an inhomogeneous atmosphere overlying a reflecting layer and a homogeneous, semi-infinite, scattering atmosphere. Only the scattering model proves to be consistent with Neptune's spectrum in this wavelength region. The H2 abundance along the scattering mean free path is found to be less than the value for Rayleigh scattering in pure H2. This result is interpreted in terms of the presence of H2, CH4, and at least one other gas, instead of the more conventional interpretation in terms of the presence of an aerosol mixed with H2. Weak features in the continuum were observed. Their widths and the strength of the H2 features indicate that H2 is more abundant than the sum of the remaining gases in these atmospheres.

Trafton, L.↗

Detecting Atmospheric Molecules of Nontransiting Temperate Terrestrial Exoplanets Using High-resolution Spectroscopy in the Mid-infrared Domain

Motivated by the development of high-dispersion spectrographs in the mid-infrared (MIR) range, we study their application to the atmospheric characterization of nearby nontransiting temperate terrestrial planets around M-type stars. We examine the detectability of CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, N{sub 2}O, and O{sub 3 }features in high-resolution planetary thermal emission spectra at 12–18 μm assuming an Earth-like profile and a simplified thermal structure. The molecular line width of such planets can be comparable to or broader than the Doppler shift due to the planetary orbital motion. Given the likely difficulty in knowing the high-resolution MIR spectrum of the host star with sufficient accuracy, we propose observing the target system at two quadrature phases and extracting the differential spectra as the planetary signal. In this case, the signals can be substantially suppressed compared with the case where the host star spectrum is perfectly known, as some parts of the spectral features do not remain in the differential spectra. Despite this self-subtraction, the CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O features of nearby (≲5 pc) systems with mid-/late-M host stars would be feasible with a 6.5 m class cryogenic space telescope, and orbital inclination could also be constrained for some of them. For CO{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O in a 1 bar Earth-like atmosphere, this method would be sensitive when the mixing ratio is 1–10{sup 3} ppm. The detectability of molecules except O{sub 3} is not significantly improved when the spectral resolution is higher than R≳10,000, although the constraint on the orbital inclination is improved. This study provides some benchmark cases useful for assessing the value of MIR high-resolution spectroscopy in terms of characterization of potentially habitable planets.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Evidence of a New Excited Charmed Baryon Decaying to Σ c ( 2455 ) 0 , + + π ±

We present the study of $\overline{B}$ 0 →Σ c ⁢(2455) 0,++ ⁢π ± $\overline{p}$ decays based on 772×10 6 B$\overline{B}$ events collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + ⁢e - collider. The Σ c⁢ (2455) 0,++ candidates are reconstructed via their decay to Λ$^{+}_{c}$π ∓ and Λ$^{+}_{c}$ decays to pK ⁢- π + , pK$^{0}_{S}$, and Λ⁢π + final states. The corresponding branching fractions are measured to be $\mathscr{B}$⁡($\overline{B}$ 0 →Σ c ⁢(2455) 0⁢ π + $\overline{p}$)=(1.09±0.06±0.07)×10 -4 and $\mathscr{B}$⁡($\overline{B}$ 0 →Σ c ⁢(2455) ++ ⁢π - ⁢$\overline{p}$)=(1.84±0.11±0.12)×10 -4 , which are consistent with the world average values with improved precision. A new structure is found in the M Σ c (2455) 0,++⁢π± spectrum with a significance of 4.2⁢σ including systematic uncertainty. The structure is possibly an excited Λ$^{+}_{c}$ and is tentatively named Λ c ⁢(2910) + . Its mass and width are measured to be (2913.8±5.6±3.8) MeV/c 2 and (51.8±20.0±18.8) MeV, respectively. The products of branching fractions for the Λ c ⁢(2910) + are measured to be $\mathscr{B}$⁡($\overline{B}$ 0 →Λ c (2910) + $\overline{p}$) × $\mathscr{B}$⁡(Λ c ⁢(2910) + →Σ c ⁢(2455) 0 π + )=(9.5±3.6±1.6) x 10 -6 and $\mathscr{B}$($\overline{B}$ 0 →Λ c ⁢(2910) + ⁢ $\overline{p}$) × $\mathscr{B}$⁡(Λ c (2910) + →Σ c (2455 )++ π - )=(1.24±0.35±0.10)×10 -5 . Here, the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Practical considerations in using a binary pseudorandom array for instrument transfer function calibration

Binary pseudo-random array (BPRA) artifacts are useful devices for calibrating the instrument transfer function (ITF) of interferometric microscopes and other optical and non-optical surface and wavefront measurement instruments. The intrinsic white noise character of the power spectral density function of the artifact simplifies the deconvolution of the ITF from the measured power spectral density (PSD). However, resampling of the BPRA intrinsic artifact features with the measurement tool's specific sampling pattern modifies the white noise character of the intrinsic spectrum and needs to be accounted for in the ITF-based data deconvolution process. We have developed an analytic solution to the spectrum of a resampled one- and two- dimensional BPRA. The resultant nominal PSD function is a simple twoparameter cosine function with a period equal to the resampled pixel width. A transfer function model for interferometric microscopes that incorporates this function, along with an ITF that includes aliasing effects and variable numerical aperture (NA), wavelength, and obscuration factor, is used to fit to the BPRA PSDs measured by an interference microscope for a range of objective and zoom lens magnification combinations.

Takacs, PZ↗

Systems for measuring response statistics of gigahertz bandwidth photomultipliers

New systems have been developed for measuring the average impulse response, the pulse-height spectrum, the transit-time statistics as a function of signal level, and the dark-count spectrum of gigahertz bandwidth photomultipliers. Measurements showed that the 0.53 microns pulse used as an optical test source had a 30 picoseconds and less than 70 ps pulse width. Calibration data showed the system resolution to be less than 20 ps for root mean square transit-time measurements. Test data for a static crossed-field photomultiplier showed 2-photoelectron resolution and less than 30-ps time jitter over the 1- to 100-photoelectron range.

Abshire, J. B.↗

X-ray observations of H1908+050 (=SS433?)

The X-ray source H1908+50 (=4U1908+05=A1909+4) was observed for three 6 day periods in 1977 and 1978 with the HEAO A-2 experiment. The unusual emission line object and variable radio source SS433 was suggested as the optical counterpart. The X-ray of the source varied by a factor of about 2 on a time scale of 6 months, and the spectrum of the object is consistent with either a power law of photon index of 2.1 or with 14.3 keV thermal bremsstrahlung emission with about 575 eV equivalent width iron line. These X-ray characteristics argue against the source being extragalactic. The measurements are consistent with emission from a white dwarf, but are also similar to the X-ray emission sometimes seen from Cir X-1. A search was made for X-ray emission from similar radio sources.

Marshall, F. E.↗

X-ray line emission from the Tycho supernova remnant

The A-2 experiment onboard HEAO 1 has observed the X-ray spectrum of the Tycho supernova remnant in the energy range 0.5-20 keV. The spectrum reveals four significant line features: the K(alpha) lines of silicon, sulfur, and iron; and the L lines of iron. Comparisons between the silicon and sulfur equivalent widths and K(alpha) iron line energies of Tycho and Cas A suggest that the X-ray emitting plasma in Tycho is further from collisional ionization equilibrium than that in Cas A.

Pravdo, S. H.↗

A feature in the X-ray spectrum of Cygnus X-1 - A possible positron annihilation line

The paper presents a 10 keV to 1 MeV X-ray spectrum of Cyg X-1 in its low state, accumulated over 3 months in 1977 and 1978. The spectrum is smooth up to 300 keV. The excess at higher energy may be interpreted as a broad 511 keV emission line from the annihilation of positrons. The width and centroid of the line indicate that the temperature of the line-emitting region is 20-200 keV. The feature could also be caused by Comptonized emission from a 165 keV region.

Nolan, P. L.↗

Spectrophotometry of Epsilon Aur, 3295-8880 A

Spectrophotometric scans were obtained at 8 A resolution from 3295 to 8880 A on twenty nights before, during, and after the recent eclipse of epsilon Aurigae, beginning with a pre-eclipse observation on 5 March 1982 U.T. The observations were reduced to absolute flux using the standard stars 109 Vir or xi(2) Ceti. The data confirm that the eclipse is essentially gray over the entire visible spectrum, as others have noted from broadband photometry. High resolution echellograms (450 to 6700 A) made through mid-eclipse and the scans show changes in the equivalent widths of H alpha, Na D, and O I as large as a factor of two.

Lockwood, G. W.↗

The outer atmospheres of the coolest M giants - Ultraviolet spectra of Rho Persei, 2 Centauri, g Herculis, Theta Apodis, and R Lyrae

New IUE observations of five M giants cooler than most studied previously have been obtained in order to study the variation of chromospheric properties with effective temperature. The ultraviolet spectrum lines of one of these stars, Rho Persei, are identified. The properties of the spectra of of the five stars are examined in detail, including the line widths and turbulence, the radial velocities of groups of lines, the structure in the Mg II resonance lines, and the fluorescent lines. The physical properties of the M giants' chromospheres are considered, including the formation of Fe II, the electron density, the degree of ionization of iron, magnesium, silicon, and carbon, the hydrogen ionization and energy balance, and the creation and destruction of photons.

Eaton, Joel A.↗

Acceleration of electrons and ions by strong lower-hybrid turbulence in solar flares

One of the outstanding problems in solar flare theory is how to explain the 10-20 keV and greater hard x-ray emissions by a thick target bremsstrahlung model. The model requires the acceleration mechanism to accelerate approximately 10(exp 35) electrons sec(exp -l) with comparable energies, without producing a large return current which persists for long time scales after the beam ceases to exist due to Lenz's law, thereby, producing a self-magnetic field of order a few mega-Gauss. In this paper, we investigate particle acceleration resulting from the relaxation of unstable ion ring distributions, producing strong wave activity at the lower hybrid frequency. It is shown that strong lower hybrid wave turbulence collapses in configuration space producing density cavities containing intense electrostatic lower hybrid wave activity. The collapse of these intense nonlinear wave packets saturate by particle acceleration producing energetic electron and ion tails. There are several mechanisms whereby unstable ion distributions could be formed in the solar atmosphere, including reflection at perpendicular shocks, tearing modes, and loss cone depletion. Numerical simulations of ion ring relaxation processes, obtained using a 2 1/2-D fully electromagnetic, relativistic particle in cell code are discussed. We apply the results to the problem of explaining energetic particle production in solar flares. The results show the simultaneous acceleration of both electrons and ions to very high energies: electrons are accelerated to energies in the range 10-500 keV, while ions are accelerated to energies of the order of MeVs, giving rise to x-ray emission and gamma-ray emission respectively. Our simulations also show wave generation at the electron cyclotron frequency. We suggest that these waves are the solar millisecond radio spikes. The strong turbulence collapse process leads to a highly filamented plasma producing many localized regions for particle acceleration and resulting in approximately 10(exp 17) electron 'beamlets' of width approximately equal to 10 lambda sub De which eliminates the production of large magnetic fields. In this paper, we demonstrate that the model produces an energetic electron spectrum with the right flux to account for the hard x-ray observations.

Spicer, D. S.↗

Spectral study of GX 339-4 in the low-intensity state observed with Ginga

The energy spectra of the black-hole candidate GX 339-4 in the low-intensity state were observed on four occasions through 1989 to 1991 with the Large Area Counter on board the Ginga satellite. The spectra showed significant deviations from a power-law, with an iron K(sub alpha) emission line at approximetaly 6.4 keV and a broad iron K-edge structure above approximately 7 keV. The enrgy spectra above approximately 4 keV were successfully explained with a reflection model, in which part of the incident X-rays with a power-law spectrum is Compton reflected by optically thick matter, resulting in a harder continuum component with iron K-edge absorption and an iron flourescent line. The line equivalent width with respect to the reflection component decreases as the source flux increases. This is consistent with an increase in the ionization state of the material, so that resonant absorption followed by Auger ionization depletes the line. The photon-index of the power-law component was clearly variable, and it correlated with the relative amount of the reflection component. Such a correlation may be explained in the context of the anisotropic Comptonization models of Haardt et al. (1993), or by a variation of the relative geometry of the source and disk.

Ueda, Yoshihiro↗