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At least 433 records · Page 24
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DOE OSTI2013

ANOMALOUS DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR BANDS IN THE SPECTRUM OF HERSCHEL 36. II. ANALYSIS OF RADIATIVELY EXCITED CH{sup +}, CH, AND DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR BANDS

Absorption spectra toward Herschel 36 (Her 36) for the A-bar{sup 1}{Pi} Leftwards-Open-Headed-Arrow X-tilde{sup 1}{Sigma} transitions of CH{sup +} in the J = 1 excited rotational level and for the A-bar{sup 2}{Delta} Leftwards-Open-Headed-Arrow X-tilde{sup 2}{Pi} transitions of CH in the J = 3/2 excited fine structure level have been analyzed. These excited levels are above their ground levels by 40.1 K and {approx}25.7 K and indicate high radiative temperatures of the environment of 14.6 K and 6.7 K, respectively. The effect of the high radiative temperature is more spectacular in some diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) observed toward Her 36; remarkable extended tails toward red (ETRs) were observed. We interpret these ETRs as being due to a small decrease of the rotational constants upon excitation of the excited electronic states. Along with radiative pumping of a great many high-J rotational levels, this causes the ETRs. In order to study this effect quantitatively, we have developed a model calculation in which the effects of collisions and radiation are treated simultaneously. The simplest case of linear molecules is considered. It has been found that the ETR is reproduced if the fraction of the variation of the rotational constant, {beta} {identical_to} (B' - B)/B, is sufficiently high (3%-5%) and the radiative temperature is high (T{sub r} > 50 K). Although modeling for general molecules is beyond the scope of this paper, the results indicate that the prototypical DIBs {lambda}5780.5, {lambda}5797.1, and {lambda}6613.6 which show the pronounced ETRs are due to polar molecules that are sensitive to the radiative excitation. The requirement of high {beta} favors relatively small molecules with three to six heavy atoms. DIBs {lambda}5849.8, {lambda}6196.0, and {lambda}6379.3 that do not show the pronounced ETRs are likely due to non-polar molecules or large polar molecules with small {beta}.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

KETENE FORMATION IN INTERSTELLAR ICES: A LABORATORY STUDY

The formation of ketene (H{sub 2}CCO, ethenone) in polar and apolar ices was studied with in situ 0.8 MeV proton irradiation, far-UV photolysis, and infrared spectroscopic analyses at 10-20 K. Using isotopically enriched reagents, unequivocal evidence was obtained for ketene synthesis in H{sub 2}O-rich and CO{sub 2}-rich ices, and several reaction products were identified. Results from scavenging experiments suggested that ketene was formed by free-radical pathways, as opposed to acid-base processes or redox reactions. Finally, we use our results to draw conclusions about the formation and stability of ketene in the interstellar medium.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2013

PROPERTIES OF DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR BANDS AT DIFFERENT PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) can trace different conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM) along the sightline toward the observed stars. A small survey was made in optical wavelengths, producing high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra. We present measurements of 19 DIBs' properties in 50 sightlines toward hot stars, distributed at a variety of galactic coordinates and interstellar reddening. Equivalent widths were obtained by fitting asymmetric Gaussian and variable continua to DIBs. Conditions of the ISM were calculated from eight atomic and molecular interstellar lines. Two distinctly different types of DIBs were identified by carefully comparing correlation coefficients between DIBs and reddening and by different behavior in UV-shielded ({zeta}) and nonshielded ({sigma}) sightlines. A ratio of DIBs at 5780 A and 5797 A proved to be reliable enough to distinguish between two different sightline types. Based on the linear relations between DIB equivalent width and reddening for {sigma} and {zeta} sightlines, we divide DIBs into type I (where both linear relations are similar) and type II (where they are significantly different). The linear relation for {zeta} type sightlines always shows a higher slope and larger x-intercept parameter than the relation for {sigma} sightlines. Scatter around the linear relation is reduced after the separation, but it does not vanish completely. This means that UV shielding is the dominant factor of the DIB equivalent width versus reddening relation shape for {zeta} sightlines, but in {sigma} sightlines other physical parameters play a major role. No similar dependency on gas density, electron density, or turbulence was observed. A catalog of all observed interstellar lines is made public.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THERMAL INSTABILITY BEHIND A SHOCK WAVE IN H I AND MOLECULAR CLOUDS

We performed one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations with detailed cooling, heating, and chemical processes to examine the thermal stability of shocked gas in cold neutral medium (CNM) and molecular clouds. We find that both CNM and molecular clouds can be thermally unstable in the cooling layer behind the shock wave. The characteristic wavelength of the thermal instability ranges from 10{sup –5} pc to 0.1 pc in the CNM, and from 10{sup –7} pc to 0.1 pc in the molecular clouds. This coincides with the size of observed tiny scale structures in the CNM and molecular clouds, indicating that the thermal instability in the shocked gas could be a formation mechanism of these tiny structures in the interstellar medium. We have also calculated the e-folding number of the thermal instability to estimate the amplification of the density fluctuation in the shocked gas. Density perturbations in the CNM grow by a factor of exp (5) ≅ 150, whereas the perturbations in the molecular clouds grow only by a factor of a few behind a high Mach number shock. The amplification factor is larger at lower densities and higher velocities. Formation of very small scale structures by thermal instability in shocked gas is more effective in lower densities.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

OH MASER SOURCES IN W49N: PROBING MAGNETIC FIELD AND DIFFERENTIAL ANISOTROPIC SCATTERING WITH ZEEMAN PAIRS USING THE VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY

Our analysis of a Very Long Baseline Array 12 hr synthesis observation of the OH masers in the well-known star-forming region W49N has yielded valuable data that enable us to probe distributions of magnetic fields in both the maser columns and the intervening interstellar medium (ISM). The data, consisting of detailed high angular resolution images (with beam width ∼20 mas) of several dozen OH maser sources, or spots, at 1612, 1665, and 1667 MHz, reveal anisotropic scatter broadening with typical sizes of a few tens of milliarcseconds and axial ratios between 1.5 and 3. Such anisotropies have been reported previously by Desai et al. and have been interpreted as being induced by the local magnetic field parallel to the Galactic plane. However, we find (1) apparent angular sizes of, on average, a factor of about 2.5 less than those reported by Desai et al., indicating significantly less scattering than inferred previously, and (2) a significant deviation in the average orientation of the scatter-broadened images (by ∼10°) from that implied by the magnetic field in the Galactic plane. More intriguingly, for a few Zeeman pairs in our set, significant differences (up to 6σ) are apparent in the scatter-broadened images for the two hands of circular polarization, even when the apparent velocity separation is less than 0.1 km s{sup –1}. This may possibly be the first example of a Faraday rotation contribution to the diffractive effects in the ISM. Using the Zeeman pairs, we also study the distribution of the magnetic field in the W49N complex, finding no significant trend in the spatial structure function. In this paper, we present the details of our observations and analysis leading to these findings, discuss implications of our results for the intervening anisotropic magneto-ionic medium, and suggest possible implications for the structure of magnetic fields within this star-forming region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

SURVIVAL OF INTERSTELLAR MOLECULES TO PRESTELLAR DENSE CORE COLLAPSE AND EARLY PHASES OF DISK FORMATION

An outstanding question of astrobiology is the link between the chemical composition of planets, comets, and other solar system bodies and the molecules formed in the interstellar medium. Understanding the chemical and physical evolution of the matter leading to the formation of protoplanetary disks is an important step for this. We provide some new clues to this long-standing problem using three-dimensional chemical simulations of the early phases of disk formation: we interfaced the full gas-grain chemical model Nautilus with the radiation-magnetohydrodynamic model RAMSES, for different configurations and intensities of the magnetic field. Our results show that the chemical content (gas and ices) is globally conserved during the collapsing process, from the parent molecular cloud to the young disk surrounding the first Larson core. A qualitative comparison with cometary composition suggests that comets are constituted of different phases, some molecules being direct tracers of interstellar chemistry, while others, including complex molecules, seem to have been formed in disks, where higher densities and temperatures allow for an active grain surface chemistry. The latter phase, and its connection with the formation of the first Larson core, remains to be modeled.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

SOLAR RADIATION PRESSURE AND LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM FLOW PARAMETERS FROM INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER LOW ENERGY HYDROGEN MEASUREMENTS

Neutral hydrogen atoms that travel into the heliosphere from the local interstellar medium (LISM) experience strong effects due to charge exchange and radiation pressure from resonant absorption and re-emission of Lyα. The radiation pressure roughly compensates for the solar gravity. As a result, interstellar hydrogen atoms move along trajectories that are quite different than those of heavier interstellar species such as helium and oxygen, which experience relatively weak radiation pressure. Charge exchange leads to the loss of primary neutrals from the LISM and the addition of new secondary neutrals from the heliosheath. IBEX observations show clear effects of radiation pressure in a large longitudinal shift in the peak of interstellar hydrogen compared with that of interstellar helium. Here, we compare results from the Lee et al. interstellar neutral model with IBEX-Lo hydrogen observations to describe the distribution of hydrogen near 1 AU and provide new estimates of the solar radiation pressure. We find over the period analyzed from 2009 to 2011 that radiation pressure divided by the gravitational force (μ) has increased slightly from μ = 0.94 ± 0.04 in 2009 to μ = 1.01 ± 0.05 in 2011. We have also derived the speed, temperature, source longitude, and latitude of the neutral H atoms and find that these parameters are roughly consistent with those of interstellar He, particularly when considering the filtration effects that act on H in the outer heliosheath. Thus, our analysis shows that over the period from 2009 to 2011, we observe signatures of neutral H consistent with the primary distribution of atoms from the LISM and a radiation pressure that increases in the early rise of solar activity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CIRCULARITY OF THE INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER RIBBON OF ENHANCED ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOM (ENA) FLUX

As a sharp feature in the sky, the ribbon of enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission is a key signature for understanding the interaction of the heliosphere and the interstellar medium through which we are moving. Over five nominal IBEX energy passbands (0.7, 1.1, 1.7, 2.7, and 4.3 keV), the ribbon is extraordinarily circular, with a peak location centered at ecliptic (λ{sub RC}, β{sub RC}) = (219.°2 ± 1.°3, 39.°9 ± 2.°3) and a half cone angle of φ{sub C} = 74.°5 ± 2.°0. A slight elongation of the ribbon, generally perpendicular to the ribbon center-heliospheric nose vector and with eccentricity ∼0.3, is observed over all energies. At 4.3 keV, the ribbon is slightly larger and displaced relative to lower energies. For all ENA energies, a slice of the ribbon flux peak perpendicular to the circular arc is asymmetric and systematically skewed toward the ribbon center. We derive a spatial coherence parameter δ{sub C} ≤ 0.014 that characterizes the spatial uniformity of the ribbon over its extent in the sky and is a key constraint for understanding the underlying processes and structure governing the ribbon ENA emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE SOLAR WIND AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF FAST TEMPORAL VARIATIONS OF THE HELIOSPHERIC RIBBON

We present a possible source of pickup ions (PUIs) the ribbon observed by the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX). We suggest that a gyrating solar wind and PUIs in the ramp and in the near downstream region of the termination shock (TS) could provide a significant source of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the ribbon. A fraction of the solar wind and PUIs are reflected and energized during the first contact with the TS. Some of the solar wind may be reflected propagating toward the Sun but most of the solar wind ions form a gyrating beam-like distribution that persists until it is fully thermalized further downstream. Depending on the strength of the shock, these gyrating distributions can exist for many gyration periods until they are scattered/thermalized due to wave-particle interactions at the TS and downstream in the heliosheath. During this time, ENAs can be produced by charge exchange of interstellar neutral atoms with the gyrating ions. In order to determine the flux of energetic ions, we estimate the solar wind flux at the TS using pressure estimates inferred from in situ measurements. Assuming an average path length in the radial direction of the order of a few AU before the distribution of gyrating ions is thermalized, one can explain a significant fraction of the intensity of ENAs in the ribbon observed by IBEX. With a localized source and such a short integration path, this model would also allow fast time variations of the ENA flux.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

EARLY AFTERGLOWS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS IN A STRATIFIED MEDIUM WITH A POWER-LAW DENSITY DISTRIBUTION

A long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) has been widely thought to arise from the collapse of a massive star, and it has been suggested that its ambient medium is a homogenous interstellar medium (ISM) or a stellar wind. There are two shocks when an ultra-relativistic fireball that has been ejected during the prompt gamma-ray emission phase sweeps up the circumburst medium: a reverse shock that propagates into the fireball, and a forward shock that propagates into the ambient medium. In this paper, we investigate the temporal evolution of the dynamics and emission of these two shocks in an environment with a general density distribution of n∝R {sup –k} (where R is the radius) by considering thick-shell and thin-shell cases. A GRB afterglow with one smooth onset peak at early times is understood to result from such external shocks. Thus, we can determine the medium density distribution by fitting the onset peak appearing in the light curve of an early optical afterglow. We apply our model to 19 GRBs and find that their k values are in the range of 0.4-1.4, with a typical value of k ∼ 1, implying that this environment is neither a homogenous ISM with k = 0 nor a typical stellar wind with k = 2. This shows that the progenitors of these GRBs might have undergone a new mass-loss evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE GLOBAL CONFIGURATION OF THE HELIOSHEATH INFERRED FROM RECENT VOYAGER 1 OBSERVATIONS

Recent observations from Voyager 1 in the nose region of the heliosheath, an area created by the motion of the Sun through the local interstellar medium, have revealed that: (1) beyond ∼113 AU from the Sun, the anisotropy of low-energy ions becomes very small in all directions, which has been interpreted as indicating that the solar wind flow speed has decreased to near zero; (2) at ∼120 AU, anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) are accelerated to their highest energies; and (3) at ∼122 AU, there is a precipitous decrease both in ACRs and in termination shock particles (TSPs) that are convected downstream from the termination shock. In this paper, the low-energy anisotropy observations are interpreted as implying, not that the solar wind flow speed has decreased to near zero, but rather that the solar wind flow is closely aligned with the magnetic field direction, which is observed to be in the azimuthal direction. A simple model for the heliosheath is then constructed, based on the anisotropy observations and the observational evidence that the dominant pressure is contained in pickup ions, TSPs, and ACRs. The model predicts that there are jets of supersonic and super-Alfvénic solar wind flowing along the flanks of the heliosheath, stretching and opening the heliosheath magnetic field into the interstellar medium. TSPs and ACRs that are accelerated in the nose region can easily escape along the magnetic field in the open region of the heliosheath, resulting in the precipitous decrease in the intensity of TSPs and ACRs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

ORIGIN OF DUST AROUND V1309 SCO

The origin of dust grains in the interstellar medium is still an unanswered problem. Nicholls et al. found the presence of a significant amount of dust around V1309 Sco, which may originate from the merger of a contact binary. We investigate the origin of dust around V1309 Sco and suggest that these dust grains are produced in the binary-merger ejecta. By means of the AGBDUST code, we estimate that ∼5.2 × 10{sup –4} M{sub ☉} dust grains are produced with a radii of ∼10{sup –5} cm. These dust grains are mainly composed of silicate and iron grains. Because the mass of the binary merger ejecta is very small, the contribution of dust produced by binary merger ejecta to the overall dust production in the interstellar medium is negligible. However, it is important to note that the discovery of a significant amount of dust around V1309 Sco offers a direct support for the idea that common-envelope ejecta provides an ideal environment for dust formation and growth. Therefore, we confirm that common envelope ejecta can be important source of cosmic dust.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

RADIONUCLIDE IONIZATION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS: CALCULATIONS OF DECAY PRODUCT RADIATIVE TRANSFER

We present simple analytic solutions for the ionization rate ζ{sub SLR} arising from the decay of short-lived radionuclides (SLRs) within protoplanetary disks. We solve the radiative transfer problem for the decay products within the disk, and thereby allow for the loss of radiation at low disk surface densities; energy loss becomes important outside R ∼> 30 AU for typical disk masses M{sub g} = 0.04 M{sub ☉}. Previous studies of chemistry/physics in these disks have neglected the impact of ionization by SLRs, and often consider only cosmic rays (CRs), because of the high CR-rate present in the interstellar medium. However, recent work suggests that the flux of CRs present in the circumstellar environment could be substantially reduced by relatively modest stellar winds, resulting in severely modulated CR ionization rates, ζ{sub CR}, equal to or substantially below that of SLRs (ζ{sub SLR} ∼< 10{sup –18} s{sup –1}). We compute the net ionizing particle fluxes and corresponding ionization rates as a function of position within the disk for a variety of disk models. The resulting expressions are especially simple for the case of vertically Gaussian disks (frequently assumed in the literature). Finally, we provide a power-law fit to the ionization rate in the midplane as a function of gas disk surface density and time. Depending on location in the disk, the ionization rates by SLRs are typically in the range ζ{sub SLR} ∼ (1-10) × 10{sup –19} s{sup –1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MAGNETIZED GAS IN THE SMITH HIGH VELOCITY CLOUD

We report the first detection of magnetic fields associated with the Smith High Velocity Cloud. We use a catalog of Faraday rotation measures toward extragalactic radio sources behind the Smith Cloud, new H I observations from the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, and a spectroscopic map of Hα from the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper Northern Sky Survey. There are enhancements in rotation measure (RM) of ≈100 rad m{sup –2} which are generally well correlated with decelerated Hα emission. We estimate a lower limit on the line-of-sight component of the field of ≈8 μG along a decelerated filament; this is a lower limit due to our assumptions about the geometry. No RM excess is evident in sightlines dominated by H I or Hα at the velocity of the Smith Cloud. The smooth Hα morphology of the emission at the Smith Cloud velocity suggests photoionization by the Galactic ionizing radiation field as the dominant ionization mechanism, while the filamentary morphology and high (≈1 Rayleigh) Hα intensity of the lower-velocity magnetized ionized gas suggests an ionization process associated with shocks due to interaction with the Galactic interstellar medium. The presence of the magnetic field may contribute to the survival of high velocity clouds like the Smith Cloud as they move from the Galactic halo to the disk. We expect these data to provide a test for magnetohydrodynamic simulations of infalling gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE CM-, MM-, AND SUB-MM-WAVE SPECTRUM OF ALLYL ISOCYANIDE AND RADIOASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS IN ORION KL AND THE SgrB2 LINE SURVEYS

Organic isocyanides have an interesting astrochemistry and some of these molecules have been detected in the interstellar medium (ISM). However, rotational spectral data for this class of compounds are still scarce. We provide laboratory spectra of the four-carbon allyl isocyanide covering the full microwave region, thus allowing a potential astrophysical identification in the ISM. We assigned the rotational spectrum of the two cis (synperiplanar) and gauche (anticlinal) conformations of allyl isocyanide in the centimeter-wave region (4-18 GHz), resolved its {sup 14}N nuclear quadrupole coupling (NQC) hyperfine structure, and extended the measurements into the millimeter and submillimeter-wave (150-900 GHz) ranges for the title compound. Rotational constants for all the monosubstituted {sup 13}C and {sup 15}N isotopologues are additionally provided. Laboratory observations are supplemented with initial radioastronomical observations. Following analysis of an extensive dataset (>11000 rotational transitions), accurate ground-state molecular parameters are reported for the cis and gauche conformations of the molecule, including rotational constants, NQC parameters, and centrifugal distortion terms up to octic contributions. Molecular parameters have also been obtained for the two first excited states of the cis conformation, with a dataset of more than 3300 lines. The isotopic data allowed determining substitution and effective structures for the title compound. We did not detect allyl isocyanide either in the IRAM 30 m line survey of Orion KL or in the PRIMOS survey toward SgrB2. Nevertheless, we provided an upper limit to its column density in Orion KL.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE NARROW X-RAY TAIL AND DOUBLE Hα TAILS OF ESO 137-002 IN A3627

We present the analysis of a deep Chandra observation of a ∼2 L{sub *} late-type galaxy, ESO 137-002, in the closest rich cluster A3627. The Chandra data reveal a long (∼>40 kpc) and narrow tail with a nearly constant width (∼3 kpc) to the southeast of the galaxy, and a leading edge ∼1.5 kpc from the galaxy center on the upstream side of the tail. The tail is most likely caused by the nearly edge-on stripping of ESO 137-002's interstellar medium (ISM) by ram pressure, compared to the nearly face-on stripping of ESO 137-001 discussed in our previous work. Spectral analysis of individual regions along the tail shows that the gas throughout it has a rather constant temperature, ∼1 keV, very close to the temperature of the tails of ESO 137-001, if the same atomic database is used. The derived gas abundance is low (∼0.2 solar with the single-kT model), an indication of the multiphase nature of the gas in the tail. The mass of the X-ray tail is only a small fraction (<5%) of the initial ISM mass of the galaxy, suggesting that the stripping is most likely at an early stage. However, with any of the single-kT, double-kT, and multi-kT models we tried, the tail is always 'over-pressured' relative to the surrounding intracluster medium (ICM), which could be due to the uncertainties in the abundance, thermal versus non-thermal X-ray emission, or magnetic support in the ICM. The Hα data from the Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research show a ∼21 kpc tail spatially coincident with the X-ray tail, as well as a secondary tail (∼12 kpc long) to the east of the main tail diverging at an angle of ∼23° and starting at a distance of ∼7.5 kpc from the nucleus. At the position of the secondary Hα tail, the X-ray emission is also enhanced at the ∼2σ level. We compare the tails of ESO 137-001 and ESO 137-002, and also compare the tails to simulations. Both the similarities and differences of the tails pose challenges to the simulations. Several implications are briefly discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

NUCLEAR MIXING METERS FOR CLASSICAL NOVAE

Classical novae are caused by mass transfer episodes from a main-sequence star onto a white dwarf via Roche lobe overflow. This material possesses angular momentum and forms an accretion disk around the white dwarf. Ultimately, a fraction of this material spirals in and piles up on the white dwarf surface under electron-degenerate conditions. The subsequently occurring thermonuclear runaway reaches hundreds of megakelvin and explosively ejects matter into the interstellar medium. The exact peak temperature strongly depends on the underlying white dwarf mass, the accreted mass and metallicity, and the initial white dwarf luminosity. Observations of elemental abundance enrichments in these classical nova events imply that the ejected matter consists not only of processed solar material from the main-sequence partner but also of material from the outer layers of the underlying white dwarf. This indicates that white dwarf and accreted matter mix prior to the thermonuclear runaway. The processes by which this mixing occurs require further investigation to be understood. In this work, we analyze elemental abundances ejected from hydrodynamic nova models in search of elemental abundance ratios that are useful indicators of the total amount of mixing. We identify the abundance ratios ΣCNO/H, Ne/H, Mg/H, Al/H, and Si/H as useful mixing meters in ONe novae. The impact of thermonuclear reaction rate uncertainties on the mixing meters is investigated using Monte Carlo post-processing network calculations with temperature-density evolutions of all mass zones computed by the hydrodynamic models. We find that the current uncertainties in the {sup 30}P(p, γ){sup 31}S rate influence the Si/H abundance ratio, but overall the mixing meters found here are robust against nuclear physics uncertainties. A comparison of our results with observations of ONe novae provides strong constraints for classical nova models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

TOWARD A REMOVAL OF TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCIES FROM ABUNDANCE DETERMINATIONS: NGC 628

The metal content of a galaxy, a key property for distinguishing between viable galaxy evolutionary scenarios, strongly influences many of the physical processes in the interstellar medium. An absolute and robust determination of extragalactic metallicities is essential in constraining models of chemical enrichment and chemical evolution. Current gas-phase abundance determinations, however, from optical fine-structure lines are uncertain to 0.8 dex as conversion of these optical line fluxes to abundances is strongly dependent on the electron temperature of the ionized gas. In contrast, the far-infrared (far-IR) emission lines can be used to derive an O{sup ++} abundance that is relatively insensitive to temperature, while the ratio of the optical to far-IR lines provides a consistent temperature to be used in the derivation of an O{sup +} abundance. We present observations of the [O III] 88 μm fine-structure line in NGC 628 that were obtained as part of the Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: a Far Infared Survey with Herschel program. These data are combined with optical integrated field unit data to derive oxygen abundances for seven H II regions. We find the abundance of these regions to all lie between the high and low values of strong-line calibrations and to be in agreement with estimates that assume temperature fluctuations are present in the H II regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗