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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 433 records · Page 24
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DOE OSTI2011

DISCOVERY OF THE ZEEMAN EFFECT IN THE 44 GHz CLASS I METHANOL (CH{sub 3}OH) MASER LINE

We report the discovery of the Zeeman effect in the 44 GHz Class I methanol (CH{sub 3}OH) maser line. The observations were carried out with 22 antennas of the Expanded Very Large Array toward a star-forming region in OMC-2. Based on our adopted Zeeman splitting factor of z = 1.0 Hz mG{sup -1}, we detect a line-of-sight magnetic field of 18.4 {+-} 1.1 mG toward this source. Since such 44 GHz CH{sub 3}OH masers arise from shocks in the outflows of star-forming regions, we can relate our measurement of the post-shock magnetic field to field strengths indicated by species tracing pre-shock regions, and thus characterize the large-scale magnetic field. Moreover, since Class I masers trace regions more remote from the star-forming core than Class II masers, and possibly earlier phases, magnetic fields detected in 6.7 GHz Class II and 36 and 44 GHz Class I methanol maser lines together offer the potential of providing a more complete picture of the magnetic field. This motivates further observations at high angular resolution to find the positional relationships between Class I and Class II masers, and masers at various frequencies within each category. In particular, CH{sub 3}OH masers are widespread in high- as well as intermediate-mass star-forming regions, and our discovery provides a new method of studying the magnetic field in such regions, by observing small physical scales that are not accessible by any other lines.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

DISCOVERY OF AN UNIDENTIFIED FERMI OBJECT AS A BLACK WIDOW-LIKE MILLISECOND PULSAR

The Fermi {gamma}-ray Space Telescope has revolutionized our knowledge of the {gamma}-ray pulsar population, leading to the discovery of almost 100 {gamma}-ray pulsars and dozens of {gamma}-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Although the outer-gap model predicts different sites of emission for the radio and {gamma}-ray pulsars, until now all of the known {gamma}-ray MSPs have been visible in the radio. Here we report the discovery of a 'radio-quiet' {gamma}-ray-emitting MSP candidate by using Fermi, Chandra, Swift, and optical observations. The X-ray and {gamma}-ray properties of the source are consistent with known {gamma}-ray pulsars. We also found a 4.63 hr orbital period in optical and X-ray data. We suggest that the source is a black widow-like MSP with a {approx}0.1 M{sub Sun} late-type companion star. Based on the profile of the optical and X-ray light curves, the companion star is believed to be heated by the pulsar while the X-ray emissions originate from pulsar magnetosphere and/or from intrabinary shock. No radio detection of the source has been reported yet, and although no {gamma}-ray/radio pulsation has been found we estimate that the spin period of the MSP is {approx}3-5 ms based on the inferred {gamma}-ray luminosity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

TWO 'b's IN THE BEEHIVE: THE DISCOVERY OF THE FIRST HOT JUPITERS IN AN OPEN CLUSTER

We report the discovery of two giant planets orbiting stars in Praesepe (also known as the Beehive Cluster). These are the first known hot Jupiters in an open cluster and the only planets known to orbit Sun-like, main-sequence stars in a cluster. The planets are detected from Doppler-shifted radial velocities; line bisector spans and activity indices show no correlation with orbital phase, confirming the variations are caused by planetary companions. Pr0201b orbits a V = 10.52 late F dwarf with a period of 4.4264 {+-} 0.0070 days and has a minimum mass of 0.540 {+-} 0.039 M{sub Jup}, and Pr0211b orbits a V = 12.06 late G dwarf with a period of 2.1451 {+-} 0.0012 days and has a minimum mass of 1.844 {+-} 0.064 M{sub Jup}. The detection of two planets among 53 single members surveyed establishes a lower limit of 3.8{sup +5.0}{sub -2.4}% on the hot Jupiter frequency in this metal-rich open cluster. Given the precisely known age of the cluster, this discovery also demonstrates that, in at least two cases, giant planet migration occurred within 600 Myr after formation. As we endeavor to learn more about the frequency and formation history of planets, environments with well-determined properties-such as open clusters like Praesepe-may provide essential clues to this end.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE EARLY EARLY TYPE: DISCOVERY OF A PASSIVE GALAXY AT z{sub spec} {approx} 3

We present the discovery of a massive, quiescent galaxy at z = 2.99. We have obtained an Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 spectrum of this object and measured its redshift from the detection of a deep 4000 A break consistent with an old population and a high metallicity. By stellar population modeling of both its grism spectrum and broadband photometry, we derive an age of {approx}0.7 Gyr, implying a formation redshift of z > 4, and a mass >10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }. Although this passive galaxy is the most distant confirmed so far, we find that it is slightly less compact than other z > 2 early types of similar mass, being overall more analogous to those z {approx} 1.6 field early-type galaxies. The discovery of this object shows that early-type galaxies are detectable to at least z = 3 and suggests that the diversity of structural properties found in z = 1.4-2 ellipticals to earlier epochs could have its origin in a variety of formation histories among their progenitors.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DISCOVERY OF AN ULTRAMASSIVE PULSATING WHITE DWARF

We announce the discovery of the most massive pulsating hydrogen-atmosphere white dwarf (WD) ever discovered, GD 518. Model atmosphere fits to the optical spectrum of this star show it is a 12, 030 {+-} 210 K WD with a log g =9.08 {+-} 0.06, which corresponds to a mass of 1.20 {+-} 0.03 M{sub Sun }. Stellar evolution models indicate that the progenitor of such a high-mass WD endured a stable carbon-burning phase, producing an oxygen-neon-core WD. The discovery of pulsations in GD 518 thus offers the first opportunity to probe the interior of a WD with a possible oxygen-neon core. Such a massive WD should also be significantly crystallized at this temperature. The star exhibits multi-periodic luminosity variations at timescales ranging from roughly 425 to 595 s and amplitudes up to 0.7%, consistent in period and amplitude with the observed variability of typical ZZ Ceti stars, which exhibit non-radial g-mode pulsations driven by a hydrogen partial ionization zone. Successfully unraveling both the total mass and core composition of GD 518 provides a unique opportunity to investigate intermediate-mass stellar evolution, and can possibly place an upper limit to the mass of a carbon-oxygen-core WD, which in turn constrains Type Ia supernovae progenitor systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DISCOVERY OF A PROBABLE 4-5 JUPITER-MASS EXOPLANET TO HD 95086 BY DIRECT IMAGING

Direct imaging has only begun to inventory the population of gas giant planets on wide orbits around young stars in the solar neighborhood. Following this approach, we carried out a deep imaging survey in the near-infrared using VLT/NaCo to search for substellar companions. Here we report the discovery of a probable companion orbiting the young (10-17 Myr), dusty, early-type (A8) star HD 95086 at 56 AU in L' (3.8 {mu}m) images. This discovery is based on observations with more than a year time lapse. Our first epoch clearly revealed the source at {approx_equal} 10{sigma}, while our second epoch lacks good observing conditions, yielding a {approx_equal} 3{sigma} detection. Various tests were thus made to rule out possible artifacts. This recovery is consistent with the signal at the first epoch but requires cleaner confirmation. Nevertheless, our astrometric precision suggests that the companion is comoving with the star with a 3{sigma} confidence level. The planetary nature of the source is reinforced by a non-detection in the Ks-band (2.18 {mu}m) images according to its possible extremely red Ks-L' color. Conversely, background contamination is rejected with good confidence level. The luminosity yields a predicted mass of about 4-5 M{sub Jup} (at 10-17 Myr) using ''hot-start'' evolutionary models, making HD 95086 b the exoplanet with the lowest mass ever imaged around a star.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DISCOVERY AND REDSHIFT OF AN OPTICAL AFTERGLOW IN 71 deg{sup 2}: iPTF13bxl AND GRB 130702A

We report the discovery of the optical afterglow of the γ-ray burst (GRB) 130702A, identified upon searching 71 deg{sup 2} surrounding the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) localization. Discovered and characterized by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory, iPTF13bxl is the first afterglow discovered solely based on a GBM localization. Real-time image subtraction, machine learning, human vetting, and rapid response multi-wavelength follow-up enabled us to quickly narrow a list of 27,004 optical transient candidates to a single afterglow-like source. Detection of a new, fading X-ray source by Swift and a radio counterpart by CARMA and the Very Large Array confirmed the association between iPTF13bxl and GRB 130702A. Spectroscopy with the Magellan and Palomar 200 inch telescopes showed the afterglow to be at a redshift of z = 0.145, placing GRB 130702A among the lowest redshift GRBs detected to date. The prompt γ-ray energy release and afterglow luminosity are intermediate between typical cosmological GRBs and nearby sub-luminous events such as GRB 980425 and GRB 060218. The bright afterglow and emerging supernova offer an opportunity for extensive panchromatic follow-up. Our discovery of iPTF13bxl demonstrates the first observational proof-of-principle for ∼10 Fermi-iPTF localizations annually. Furthermore, it represents an important step toward overcoming the challenges inherent in uncovering faint optical counterparts to comparably localized gravitational wave events in the Advanced LIGO and Virgo era.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

DISCOVERY OF A NEW FAINT DWARF GALAXY ASSOCIATED WITH NGC 253

We report the discovery of a new faint dwarf galaxy, which we dub Scl-MM-Dw1, at a projected distance of ∼65 kpc from the spiral galaxy NGC 253. The discovery results from the Panoramic Imaging Survey of Centaurus and Sculptor (PISCeS), a program with the Magellan/Megacam imager to study faint substructure in resolved stellar light around massive galaxies outside of the Local Group. We measure a tip of the red giant branch distance to Scl-MM-Dw1 of D = 3.9 ± 0.5 Mpc, consistent with that of NGC 253, making their association likely. The new dwarf's stellar population is complex, with an old, metal-poor red giant branch (≳10 Gyr, [Fe/H] ∼ –2), and an asymptotic giant branch with an age of ∼500 Myr. Scl-MM-Dw1 has a half-light radius of r{sub h} = 340 ± 50 pc and an absolute magnitude of M{sub V} = –10.3 ± 0.6 mag, comparable to the Milky Way's satellites at the same luminosity. Once complete, our imaging survey of NGC 253 and other nearby massive galaxies will provide a census of faint substructure in halos beyond the Local Group, both to put our own environment into context and to confront models of hierarchical structure formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

DISCOVERY OF TIME VARIATION OF THE INTENSITY OF MOLECULAR LINES IN IRC+10216 IN THE SUBMILLIMETER AND FAR-INFRARED DOMAINS

We report on the discovery of strong intensity variations in the high rotational lines of abundant molecular species toward the archetypical circumstellar envelope of IRC+10216. The observations have been carried out with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) instrument on board Herschel and with the IRAM30 m telescope. They cover several observing periods spreading over three years. The line intensity variations for molecules produced in the external layers of the envelope most likely result from time variations in the infrared pumping rates. We analyze the main implications this discovery has on the interpretation of molecular line emission in the envelopes of Mira-type stars. Radiative transfer calculations must take into account both the time variability of infrared pumping and the possible variation of the dust and gas temperatures with stellar phase in order to reproduce the observation of molecular lines at different epochs. The effect of gas temperature variations with stellar phase could be particularly important for lines produced in the innermost regions of the envelope. Each layer of the circumstellar envelope sees the stellar light radiation with a different lag time (phase). Our results show that this effect must be included in the models. The submillimeter and far infrared lines of asymptotic giant branch stars can no longer be considered as safe intensity calibrators.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

iPTF14yb: The First Discovery of a Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Independent of a High-Energy Trigger

We report here the discovery by the Intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) of iPTF14yb, a luminous (Msub>r ≈ ₋27.8 mag), cosmological (redshift 1.9733), rapidly fading optical transient. We demonstrate, based on probabilistic arguments and a comparison with the broader population, that iPTF14yb is the optical afterglow of the long-duration gamma-ray burst GRB140226A. This marks the rst unambiguous discovery of a GRB afterglow prior to (and thus entirely independent of) an associated high-energy trigger. We estimate the rate of iPTF14yb-like sources (i.e., cosmologically dis- tant relativistic explosions) based on iPTF observations, inferring an all-sky value of $R_{rel}$ = 610yr -1 (68% con dence interval of 110{2000 yr -1 ). Our derived rate is consistent (within the large uncer- tainty) with the all-sky rate of on-axis GRBs derived by the Swift satellite. Finally, we brie y discuss the implications of the nondetection to date of bona de \orphan" afterglows (i.e., those lacking de- tectable high-energy emission) on GRB beaming and the degree of baryon loading in these relativistic jets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DISCOVERY OF GAMMA-RAY ORBITAL MODULATION IN THE BLACK WIDOW PSR J1311–3430

We report our discovery of orbitally modulated γ-ray emission from the black widow system PSR J1311−3430. We analyze the Fermi Large Area Telescope data during the off-pulse phase interval of the pulsar and find the orbital modulation signal at a ∼3σ confidence level. Further spectral analysis shows no significant differences for the spectra obtained during the bright and faint orbital phase ranges. A simple sinusoid-like function can describe the modulation. Given these properties, we suggest that the intrabinary γ-ray emission arises from the region close to the companion and the modulation is caused by the occultation of the emitting region by the companion, similar to that is seen in the transitional millisecond pulsar binary (MSP) PSR J1023+0038. Considering the X-ray detection of intrabinary shock emission from eclipsing MSP binaries recently reported, this discovery further suggests the general existence of intrabinary γ-ray emission from them.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DISCOVERY OF A TWO-ARMED SPIRAL STRUCTURE IN THE GAPPED DISK AROUND HERBIG Ae STAR HD 100453

We present Very Large Telescope (VLT)/SPHERE adaptive optics imaging in the Y-, J-, H-, and K-bands of the HD 100453 system and the discovery of a two-armed spiral structure in a disk extending to 0.″37 (∼42 AU) from the star, with highly symmetric arms to the northeast and southwest. Inside of the spiral arms, we resolve a ring of emission from 0.″18 to 0.″25 (∼21–29 AU). By assuming that the ring is intrinsically circular we estimate an inclination of ∼34° from face on. We detect dark crescents on opposite sides (NW and SE) that begin at 0.″18 and continue to radii smaller than our inner working angle of 0.″15, which we interpret as the signature of a gap at ≲21 AU that has likely been cleared by forming planets. We also detect the ∼120 AU companion HD 100453 B, and by comparing our data to 2003 Hubble Space Telescope and VLT/NACO images we estimate an orbital period of ∼850 year. We discuss what implications the discovery of the spiral arms and finer structures of the disk may have on our understanding of the possible planetary system in HD 100453 and how the morphology of this disk compares to other related objects.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DISCOVERY OF A FAINT QUASAR AT z ∼ 6 AND IMPLICATIONS FOR COSMIC REIONIZATION

Recent studies suggest that faint active galactic nuclei may be responsible for the reionization of the universe. Confirmation of this scenario requires spectroscopic identification of faint quasars (M{sub 1450} > −24 mag) at z ≳ 6, but only a very small number of such quasars have been spectroscopically identified so far. Here, we report the discovery of a faint quasar IMS J220417.92+011144.8 at z ∼ 6 in a 12.5 deg{sup 2} region of the SA22 field of the Infrared Medium-deep Survey (IMS). The spectrum of the quasar shows a sharp break at ∼8443 Å, with emission lines redshifted to z = 5.944 ± 0.002 and rest-frame ultraviolet continuum magnitude M{sub 1450} = −23.59 ± 0.10 AB mag. The discovery of IMS J220417.92+011144.8 is consistent with the expected number of quasars at z ∼ 6 estimated from quasar luminosity functions based on previous observations of spectroscopically identified low-luminosity quasars. This suggests that the number of M{sub 1450} ∼ −23 mag quasars at z ∼ 6 may not be high enough to fully account for the reionization of the universe. In addition, our study demonstrates that faint quasars in the early universe can be identified effectively with a moderately wide and deep near-infrared survey such as the IMS.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Finding simplicity: unsupervised discovery of features, patterns, and order parameters via shift-invariant variational autoencoders *

Abstract Recent advances in scanning tunneling and transmission electron microscopies (STM and STEM) have allowed routine generation of large volumes of imaging data containing information on the structure and functionality of materials. The experimental data sets contain signatures of long-range phenomena such as physical order parameter fields, polarization, and strain gradients in STEM, or standing electronic waves and carrier-mediated exchange interactions in STM, all superimposed onto scanning system distortions and gradual changes of contrast due to drift and/or mis-tilt effects. Correspondingly, while the human eye can readily identify certain patterns in the images such as lattice periodicities, repeating structural elements, or microstructures, their automatic extraction and classification are highly non-trivial and universal pathways to accomplish such analyses are absent. We pose that the most distinctive elements of the patterns observed in STM and (S)TEM images are similarity and (almost-) periodicity, behaviors stemming directly from the parsimony of elementary atomic structures, superimposed on the gradual changes reflective of order parameter distributions. However, the discovery of these elements via global Fourier methods is non-trivial due to variability and lack of ideal discrete translation symmetry. To address this problem, we explore the shift-invariant variational autoencoders (shift-VAEs) that allow disentangling characteristic repeating features in the images, their variations, and shifts that inevitably occur when randomly sampling the image space. Shift-VAEs balance the uncertainty in the position of the object of interest with the uncertainty in shape reconstruction. This approach is illustrated for model 1D data, and further extended to synthetic and experimental STM and STEM 2D data. We further introduce an approach for training shift-VAEs that allows finding the latent variables that comport to known physical behavior. In this specific case, the condition is that the latent variable maps should be smooth on the length scale of the atomic lattice (as expected for physical order parameters), but other conditions can be imposed. The opportunities and limitations of the shift VAE analysis for pattern discovery are elucidated.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Model-independent discovery prospects for primordial black holes at LIGO

ABSTRACT Primordial black holes may encode the conditions of the early Universe, and may even constitute a significant fraction of cosmological dark matter. Their existence has yet to be established. However, black holes with masses below ${\sim}{1}{\, \mathrm{M}_\odot }$ cannot form as an endpoint of stellar evolution, so the detection of even one such object would be a smoking gun for new physics, and would constitute evidence that at least a fraction of the dark matter consists of primordial black holes. Gravitational wave detectors are capable of making a definitive discovery of this kind by detecting mergers of light black holes. But since the merger rate depends strongly on the shape of the black hole mass function, it is difficult to determine the potential for discovery or constraint as a function of the overall abundance of black holes. Here, we directly maximize and minimize the merger rate to connect observational results to the actual abundance of observable objects. We show that LIGO can discover mergers of light primordial black holes within the next decade even if such black holes constitute only a very small fraction of dark matter. A single merger event involving such an object would (i) provide conclusive evidence of new physics, (ii) establish the nature of some fraction of dark matter, and (iii) probe cosmological history at scales far beyond those observable today.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Discovery and characterization of five new eclipsing AM CVn systems

ABSTRACT AM CVn systems are ultra-compact, hydrogen-depleted, and helium-rich, accreting binaries with degenerate or semidegenerate donors. We report the discovery of five new eclipsing AM CVn systems with orbital periods of 61.5, 55.5, 53.3, 37.4, and 35.4 min. These systems were discovered by searching for deep eclipses in the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) light curves of white dwarfs selected using Gaia parallaxes. We obtained phase-resolved spectroscopy to confirm that all systems are AM CVn binaries, and we obtained high-speed photometry to confirm the eclipse and characterize the systems. The spectra show double-peaked H e lines but also show metals, including K and Zn, elements that have never been detected in AM CVn systems before. By modelling the high-speed photometry, we measured the mass and radius of the donor star, potentially constraining the evolutionary channel that formed these AM CVn systems. We determined that the average mass of the accreting white dwarf is ≈0.8 M⊙, and that the white dwarfs in long-period systems are hotter than predicted by recently updated theoretical models. The donors have a high entropy and are a factor of ≈2 more massive compared to zero-entropy donors at the same orbital period. The large donor radius is most consistent with H e-star progenitors, although the observed spectral features seem to contradict this. The discovery of five new eclipsing AM CVn systems is consistent with the known observed AM CVn space density and estimated ZTF recovery efficiency.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Swift /UVOT discovery of Swift J221951−484240: a UV luminous ambiguous nuclear transient

We report the discovery of Swift J221951−484240 (hereafter: J221951), a luminous slow-evolving blue transient that was detected by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (Swift/UVOT) during the follow-up of gravitational wave alert S190930t, to which it is unrelated. Swift/UVOT photometry shows the UV spectral energy distribution of the transient to be well modelled by a slowly shrinking blackbody with an approximately constant temperature of T ∼ 2.5 × 10 4 K. At a redshift z = 0.5205, J221951 had a peak absolute magnitude of M u,AB = −23 mag, peak bolometric luminosity Lmax = 1.1 x 10 45 ergs -1 and a total radiated energy of E > 2.6 × 10 52 erg. The archival Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer IR photometry shows a slow rise prior to a peak near the discovery date. Spectroscopic UV observations display broad absorption lines in N V and O VI, pointing towards an outflow at coronal temperatures. The lack of emission in the higher H α lines, N I and other neutral lines is consistent with a viewing angle close to the plane of the accretion or debris disc. The origin of J221951 cannot be determined with certainty but has properties consistent with a tidal disruption event and the turn-on of an active galactic nucleus.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Discovery of a z ∼ 0.8 ultra steep spectrum radio halo in the MeerKAT-South Pole Telescope Survey

Radio haloes are diffuse synchrotron sources that trace the turbulent intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters. However, their origin remains unknown. Two main formation models have been proposed: the hadronic model, in which relativistic electrons are continuously injected by cosmic-ray protons; and the leptonic turbulent re-acceleration model, where cluster mergers re-energize electrons in situ. A key discriminant between the two models would be the existence of ultra-steep spectrum radio haloes (USSRHs), which can only be produced through turbulent re-acceleration. Here, we report the discovery of an USSRH in the galaxy cluster SPT-CLJ2337–5942 at redshift $z = 0.78$ in the MeerKAT-South Pole Telescope 100 deg$^2$ UHF (0.58–1.09 GHz) survey. This discovery is noteworthy for two primary reasons: it is the highest redshift USSRH system to date; and the close correspondence of the radio emission with the thermal ICM as traced by Chandra X-ray observations, further supporting the leptonic re-acceleration model. The halo is underluminous for its mass, consistent with a minor merger origin, which produces steep-spectrum, lower luminosity haloes. This result demonstrates the power of wide-field, high-fidelity, low-frequency ($\lesssim 1$ GHz) surveys like the MeerKAT-SPT 100 deg$^2$ programme to probe the origin and evolution of radio haloes over cosmic time, ahead of the Square Kilometre Array.

X-rays: galaxies↗