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At least 505 records · Page 28

Weighted slit extraction of low-dispersion IUE spectral data

The weighted slit extraction has been chosen by the IUE project as the standard extraction for low-dispersion spectra in the final IUE archives. In order to properly weight the data within the extraction slit and obtain the optimal evaluation of the true spectrum, a noise model is derived for IUE data. The exclusion of cosmic rays is demonstrated and the improvement in signal-to-noise ratio is quantified for spectra taken with a wide range of flux level. Problematic spectra, such as trailed spectra, multiple spectra, discontinuous spectra, and emission-line spectra, are extracted to demonstrate the robust nature of the method. Comparisons are made between the standard IUE Standard Image Processing System (IUESIPS) extraction, nonstandard narrow slit extraction, trailed IUESIPS extraction, and weighted extraction for these data. Other weighted slit extractions are briefly discussed. The advantages of the weighted slit extraction are: (1) the extraction improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the spectrum while conserving total flux; (2) most of the cosmic rays are automatically removed; (3) the output includes an error estimate for each point in the flux spectrum; and (4) the algorithm can be run in a batch mode that requires no special input parameters.

Kinney, A. L.↗

Palagonitic (Not Andesitic) Mars: Evidence from Thermal Emission and VNIR Spectra of Palgonitic Alteration Rinds on Basaltic Rock

Visible and near-IR (VNIR) spectra of both Martian bright and dark regions are characterized by a ferric absorption edge extending from approx. 400 to 750 nm, with bright regions having about twice the reflectivity at 750 nm as dark regions. Between 750 nm to beyond 2000 nm, bright and dark regions have nearly constant and slightly negative spectral slopes, respectively. Depending on location, bright regions have shallow reflectivity minima in the range 850-910 nm that are attributed to ferric oxides. Similarly, dark regions have shallow reflectivity minima near approx. 950 and 1700-2000 nm that are attributed to ferrous silicate minerals (pyroxene). Among terrestrial geologic materials, the best spectral analogues for Martian bright regions are certain palagonitic tephras from Mauna Kea Volcano (Hawaii). By definition, palagonite is a "yellow or orange isotropic mineraloid formed by hydration and devitrification of basaltic glass". The ferric pigment in palagonite is nanometer-sized ferric oxide particles (np-Ox) dispersed throughout the hydrated basaltic glass matrix. The hydration state of the np-Ox particles is not known, but the best Martian spectral analogues contain allophane-like materials and not crystalline phyllosilicates.

R V Morris↗

Spectrophotometry of Seyfert 2 galaxies and narrow-line radio galaxies

Results are reported for a spectrophotometric survey of several Seyfert 2 galaxies, intermediate Seyferts, and narrow-line radio galaxies. The emission-line spectra of the galaxies are analyzed, emphasizing line intensities, reddening, temperatures, densities, line strength correlations, line widths, and redshift differences. The continuous spectra are examined, and possible ionization sources are considered. It is found that: (1) there are no distinguishing differences between the spectra of Seyfert 2 galaxies and narrow-line radio galaxies; (2) the emission spectra are rich in lines from a wide range of ionization levels; (3) the continuum is starlight diluted by an underlying continuous spectrum; (4) the line widths of both classes of galaxies have the same distribution; (5) there appear to be regions of high and low ionization in the Seyfert 2 and narrow-line radio galaxies; (6) photoionization seems quite likely as the energy input to the gas; and (7) all the galaxies show a UV excess in their spectra.

Koski, A. T.↗

Fluorescent excitation of Fe 2, Mn 2, Ti 2, N 1 lines by V 4, N 5, O 6: Emission lines in the spectra of symbiotic stars and Seyfert galaxies

Analysis of the published IUE and ground based high resolution spectra of symbiotic stars, particularly RR Tel, shows that the dominant excitation mechanism of Fe II, Mn II, Ti II, and N I lines is the selective fluorescent excitation of some levels by the strong C IV, N V, and O VI emission lines. The same mechanism should work for the excitation of Fe II lines in the spectra of Seyfert galaxies and Q60's whose emission spectra are quite similar to those of symbiotic stars. The similarities and differences between the fluroescent excitation mechanism reported herein and the Bowen's mechanism is analyzed.

Gilra, D. P.↗

IUE observations of the Jovian dayglow emission

IUE spectra of Jupiter are examined in light of recent models put forward to explain the anomalously bright ultraviolet emissions seen from the upper atmospheres of the outer planets. Chi-squared fits of the IUE spectra with model spectra produced by two proposed excitation mechanisms, electron impact and fluorescence of solar radiation, result in consistently higher chi-squared values for the solar fluorescence model. No conclusive evidence is found in the IUE data for the dominance of solar fluorescence over electron excitation in producing the Jovian dayglow emission.

Mcgrath, M. A.↗

Faint Object Spectrograph Spectra of the UV Emission Lines in NGC 5558: Detection of Strong Narrow Components

Ultraviolet spectra of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 were obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) on the Hubble Space Telescope on 1992 July 5, when the UV continuum and broad emission lines were at their lowest ever observed level. The high resolution of the spectra, relative to previous UV observations, and the low state of NGC 5548 allow the detection and accurate measurement of strong narrow components of the emission lines of Ly alpha, C IV 1549, and C III 1909. Isolation of the UV narrow components enables a detailed comparison of narrow-line region (NLR) properties in Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies, and removal of their contribution is important for studies of the broad-line region (BLR). Relative to the other narrow lines, C IV 1549 is much stronger in NGC 5548 than in Seyfert 2 galaxies, and Mg II 2798 is very weak or absent.

Crenshaw, D. Michael↗

The Hubble Space Telescope Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. 10: Galactic H I 21 centimeter emission toward 143 quasars and active Galactic nuclei

Sensitive H I 21 cm emission line spectra have been measured for the directions to 143 quasars and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) chosen from the observing lists for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. Narrow-band and wide-band data were obtained with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 43 m radio telescope for each object. The narrow-band data have a velocity resolution of 1 km/s, extend from -220 to +170 km/s, and are corrected for stray 21 cm radiation. The wide-band data have a resolution of 4 km/s and extend from -1000 to +1000 km/s. The data are important for the interpretation of ultraviolet absorption lines near zero redshift in Key Project spectra. Twenty-two percent of the quasars lie behind Galactic high-velocity H I clouds with absolute value of V(sub LSR) greater than 100 km/s whose presence can increase the equivalent width of interstellar absorption lines significantly. This paper contains the emission spectra and measures of the H I velocities and column densities along the sight line to each quasar. We discuss how the measurements can be used to estimate the visual and ultraviolet extinction toward each quasar and to predict the approximate strength of the strong ultraviolet resonance lines of neutral gas species in the HST Key Project spectra.

Lockman, Felix J.↗

Laboratory simulation of infrared astrophysical features

Laboratory infrared emission and absorption spectra have been taken of terrestrial silicates, meteorites, and lunar soils in the form of micrometer and submicrometer grains. The emission spectra were taken in a way that imitates telescopic observations. The purpose was to see which materials best simulate the 10-micron astrophysical feature. The emission spectra of dunite, fayalite, and Allende give a good fit to the 10-micron broadband emission feature of comets Bennett and Kohoutek. A study of the effect of grain size on the presence of the 10-micron emission feature of dunite shows that for particles larger than 37 microns no feature is seen. The emission spectrum of the Murray meteorite, a Type 2 carbonaceous chrondrite, is quite similar to the intermediate-resolution spectrum of comet Kohoutek in the 10-micron region. Hydrous silicates or amorphous magnesium silicates in combination with high-temperature condensates, such as olivine or anorthite, would yield spectra that match the intermediate-resolution spectrum of comet Kohoutek in the 10-micron region. Glassy olivine and glassy anorthite in approximately equal proportions would also give a spectrum that is a good fit to the cometary 10-micron feature.

Rose, L. A.↗

Modulation lanes in the dynamic spectra of Jupiter's decametric radio emission

High-resolution dynamic spectra of Jupiter's decametric emission exhibit lane patterns, referred to as modulation lanes. These lanes appear tilted in the orthogonal time-frequency plane, and the sign and magnitude of their drift rate is determined by the central meridian longitude of System III at Jupiter. The lanes are recorded both on L- and S-bursts, giving rise to only a relatively few basic spectral types. Their simultaneous appearance, however, produces rather complicated spectral events. The origin of the modulation lanes is unknown. A few possible mechanisms are suggested.

Riihimaa, J. J.↗

Fe II emission lines. I - Chromospheric spectra of red giants

A 'difference filtering' algorithm developed by Ayers (1979) is used to construct high-quality high-dispersion long-wavelength IUE spectra of three giant stars. Measurements of all the emission lines seen between 2230 and 3100 A are tabulated. The emission spectrum of Fe II is discussed in comparison with other lines whose formation mechanisms are well understood. Systematic changes in the Fe II spectrum are related to the different physical conditions in the three stars, and examples are given of line profiles and ratios which can be used to determine conditions in the outer atomspheres of giants. It is concluded that most of the Fe II emission results from collisional excitation and/or absorption of photospheric photons at optical wavelengths, but some lines are formed by fluorescence, being photoexcited by other strong chromospheric lines. Between 10 and 20 percent of the radiative losses of Fe II arise from 10 eV levels radiatively excited by the strong chromospheric H Ly-alpha line.

Judge, P. G.↗

A new emission feature in IRAS spectra and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon spectrum

IRAS spectra of those sources which show strong 7.7 and 11.3 micron emission features also show a plateau of emission extending from 11.3 to about 13.0 microns. Like the 11.3 micron feature, this new feature is attributed to the CH out-of-plane bending mode in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Its discovery reinforces the identification of the 'unidentified infrared emission features' as emission from PAHs. The wavelength of this new feature suggests that interstellar PAHs are not as partially hydrogenated as hitherto thought. It also constrains their molecular structure.

Cohen, M.↗

Extraction Of Emissivities From Thermal Infrared Spectra

Report presents evaluation of two techniques for processing multispectral data. One technique for extraction of emissivity data called "model emittance calculation." Other technique called "thermal log residuals."

Hook, Simon J.↗

Experimental and Theoretical Needs for the JWST Early Release Science Program on Radiative Feedback from Massive Stars (PDRs4ALL): III. A Quantum Chemistry Perspective

Massive stars disrupt their natal molecular cloud material by dissociating molecules, ionizing atoms and molecules, and heating the gas and dust. These processes drive the evolution of interstellar matter in our Galaxy and throughout the Universe from the era of vigorous star formation at z=1-3 to the present day. Much of this interaction occurs in Photo- Dissociation Regions (PDRs) where far-ultraviolet photons of these stars create a largely neutral, but warm region of gas and dust. PDR emission dominates the IR spectra of starforming galaxies and provides a unique tool to study the physical and chemical processes that are relevant for inter- and circumstellar media including diffuse clouds, molecular cloud and protoplanetary disk surfaces, and starburst galaxies. The ERS program ID1288 is dedicated to provide template data as well as data processing and analysis tools for PDRs. To this end, it will observe the Orion Bar, the proto-typical PDR situated in the nearby Orion Nebula, using NIRSpec IFU, MIRI IFU, and NIRCAM and MIRI imaging. These observations will, for the first time, spatially resolve and perform a tomography of the PDR, revealing the individual IR spectral signatures from the key zones and sub-regions within the ionized gas, the PDR, and the molecular cloud. Quantum chemistry can be used to determine molecular data such as ionization potentials, chemical reaction rates, electronic spectra, dissociation energies, channels, and branching ratios, etc. These are often used in synergy with experiment to take advantage of the strengths of each approach. An area of active research is modeling the infrared (IR) emission spectra produced by PAH molecules, including the effects of anharmonicity. This will be important in the interpretation of JWST data which will yield higher-resolution spectral data compared to Spitzer or ISO. Quantum chemistry methods can compute accurate anharmonic IR absorption spectra of PAH molecules up to about 25 C atoms, and the results have been benchmarked against high-resolution experimental spectra. These feed into a quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) approach to generate temperature-dependent anharmonic IR emission spectra and then used to generate fully anharmonic cascade emission IR spectra of PAH molecules -- the very type of spectra that JWST will observe. Work continues to extend these methods to larger PAH molecules. We will discuss the current state of this work, as well as

Timothy Lee↗

Time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry of the eclipsing AM Herculis binary EXO 033319 - 2554.2

Time-resolved optical observations of the eclipsing AM Herculis binary EXO 033319 - 2554.2 are presented. High-speed photometry of an eclipse is presented and used to derive a new ephemeris for the system and to estimate the size of the region responsible for the cyclotron emission. Optical spectra that span the orbital cycle are presented, the cyclotron emission in these spectra is discussed, and the flux and radial velocity variations of H-beta, H-gamma, and He II 4686 A are examined. Models of the flux and radial velocity variations of the emission lines indicate that about half the line emission comes from low-velocity material that is about 1.4 x 10 to the 10th cm from the white dwarf. The rest comes from high-velocity material that is about 10 to the 10th cm from the white dwarf and is moving toward it at about 600 km/s.

Allen, Richard G.↗

FT-IR spectroscopic studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Proper assessment of the hypothesis which correlates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the unidentified infrared emission bands requires additional experimental laboratory data. In order to address this need, thermal infrared emission studies were performed on a subset of PAHs suggested to be of astrophysical importance. It was proposed that infrared emission from interstellar PAHs occurs following absorption of an ultraviolet photon. Since energy transfer to the ground electronic state can be rapid for a species in which intersystem crossing is negligible, the emission spectrum may be viewed as resulting from an equilibrium vibrational temperature (Leger and d'Hendecourt, 1987). This has been the basis for using infrared absorption spectra to calculate the corresponding emission spectra at various temperatures. These calculations were made using room temperature infrared absorption coefficients instead of those at the temperature of interest because of the latter's unavailability. The present studies are designed to address the differences between the calculated and experimental thermal emission spectra and to provide information which will be useful in future ultraviolet induced infrared fluorescence studies. The emission spectra have been obtained for temperatures up to 825K using an emission cell designed to mount against an external port of an FT-IR spectrometer. These spectra provide information concerning relative band intensities and peak positions which is unavailable from previous calculations.

Salisbury, D. W.↗

Infrared spectroscopy of lunar mare regolith

Spectra of reflection, emission, and transmission of regolith returned by the Luna 16 automatic station were investigated in the 1.8-13 micrometers region. A reflection maximum was shown to be present in the region 3 to 5 micrometer, along with a corresponding minimum in the emission coefficient. The spectra were interpreted based on a comparison of the optical properties with the chemical and structural properties of the regolith. The regolith in the entire array of properties in the infrared region differs appreciably from terrestrial objects. Spectra of diffuse reflection and the spectra at angles of incidence 0 deg and angles of reflection 15 and 30 deg with samples of the regolith returned by the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions revealed a similarity of the infrared reflection characteristics of the regolith from different lunar mare regions.

M. V. Akhmanova↗

Fe II emission line profiles in spectra of high luminosity non-coronal stars

The results of a program to study the winds of noncoronal late-type giant and supergiant stars with IUE are presented. The primary data for this study are profiles, fluxes, and velocities of the Fe II emission lines which occur throughout the 2200 to 3230 A region of the IUE long wavelength spectrographs. The apparent dependence of the Fe II profiles on stellar luminosity (surface gravity) and intrinsic line strength is discussed. The discovery of significant changes in the Fe II profiles in spectra of Gamma Crucis (M3 III), during the period 1978 to 1985, that suggest a substantial change in its outer atmosphere is noted.

Carpenter, Kenneth G.↗