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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

A WASHINGTON PHOTOMETRIC SURVEY OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD FIELD STAR POPULATION

We present photometry for an unprecedented database of some 5.5 million stars distributed throughout the Large Magellanic Cloud main body, from 21 fields covering a total area of 7.6 deg{sup 2}, obtained from Washington CT{sub 1} T{sub 2} CTIO 4 m MOSAIC data. Extensive artificial star tests over the whole mosaic image data set and the observed behavior of the photometric errors with magnitude demonstrate the accuracy of the morphology and clearly delineate the position of the main features in the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The representative T{sub 1}(MS TO) mags are on average {approx}0.5 mag brighter than the T{sub 1} mags for the 100% completeness level of the respective field, allowing us to derive an accurate age estimate. We have analyzed the CMD Hess diagrams and used the peaks in star counts at the main sequence turnoff and red clump (RC) locations to age date the most dominant sub-population (or 'representative' population) in the stellar population mix. The metallicity of this representative population is estimated from the locus of the most populous red giant branch track. We use these results to derive age and metallicity estimates for all of our fields. The analyzed fields span age and metallicity ranges covering most of the galaxy's lifetime and chemical enrichment, i.e., ages and metallicities between {approx}1 and 13 Gyr and {approx}-0.2 and -1.2 dex, respectively. We show that the dispersions associated with the mean ages and metallicities represent in general a satisfactory estimate of the age/metallicity spread ({approx}1-3 Gyr/0.2-0.3 dex), although a few subfields have a slightly larger age/metallicity spread. Finally, we revisit the study of the vertical structure (VS) phenomenon, a striking feature composed of stars that extend from the bottom, bluest end of the RC to {approx}0.45 mag fainter. We confirm that the VS phenomenon is not clearly seen in most of the studied fields and suggest that its occurrence is linked to some other condition(s) in addition to the appropriate age, metallicity, and the necessary red giant star density.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Age of Evapotranspiration: Lower‐Bound Constraints From Distributed Water Fluxes Across the Continental United States

Abstract Unlike streamflow, which can be sampled in aggregate at the catchment outlet, evapotranspiration (ET) is spatially dispersed, challenging large‐scale age estimation. Here, we introduce an approach for constraining the age of ET via mass balance and present the minimum flux‐weighted age of ET across the continental United States using distributed, publicly available water flux data sets. The lower‐bound constraint on ET age can be calculated by assuming that ET is preferentially sourced from the most recent precipitation through a last‐in, first‐out algorithm. From 2012 to 2017, ET was at least several months old across large areas of the western continental United States, including in Mediterranean and (semi‐)arid climate zones and shrub and evergreen needleleaf plant communities. The primary limitation of this approach is that it provides only a minimum flux‐weighted average age to satisfy the mass balance of outgoing fluxes; true ET fluxes are composed of distributions of ages and may be composed of much older water. The primary advantage of the approach is that flux time series of precipitation and ET are sufficient to constrain ET age, and model parameterization is unnecessary. ET ages can be used to validate tracer‐aided and modeling approaches and inform studies of biogeochemistry, water‐rock interactions, and plant water sourcing under drought.

Hahm, W. J.↗
DOE OSTI2017

RAVE J203843.2–002333: The First Highly R-process-enhanced Star Identified in the RAVE Survey

We report the discovery of RAVE J203843.2−002333, a bright (V = 12.73), very metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −2.91), r-process-enhanced ([Eu/Fe] = +1.64 and [Ba/Eu] = −0.81) star selected from the RAVE survey. This star was identified as a metal-poor candidate based on its medium-resolution (R ∼ 1600) spectrum obtained with the KPNO/Mayall Telescope, and followed up with high-resolution (R ∼ 66,000) spectroscopy with the Magellan/Clay Telescope, allowing for the determination of elemental abundances for 24 neutron-capture elements, including thorium and uranium. RAVE J2038−0023 is only the fourth metal-poor star with a clearly measured U abundance. The derived chemical abundance pattern exhibits good agreement with those of other known highly r-process-enhanced stars, and evidence suggests that it is not an actinide-boost star. Age estimates were calculated using U/X abundance ratios, yielding a mean age of 13.0 ± 1.1 Gyr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

INTEGRAL FIELD SPECTROSCOPY OF SUPERNOVA EXPLOSION SITES: CONSTRAINING THE MASS AND METALLICITY OF THE PROGENITORS. I. TYPE Ib AND Ic SUPERNOVAE

Integral field spectroscopy of 11 Type Ib/Ic supernova (SN Ib/Ic) explosion sites in nearby galaxies has been obtained using UH88/SNIFS and Gemini-N/GMOS. The use of integral field spectroscopy enables us to obtain both spatial and spectral information about the explosion site, enabling the identification of the parent stellar population of the SN progenitor star. The spectrum of the parent population provides metallicity determination via strong-line method and age estimation obtained via comparison with simple stellar population models. We adopt this information as the metallicity and age of the SN progenitor, under the assumption that it was coeval with the parent stellar population. The age of the star corresponds to its lifetime, which in turn gives the estimate of its initial mass. With this method we were able to determine both the metallicity and initial (zero-age main sequence) mass of the progenitor stars of SNe Ib and Ic. We found that on average SN Ic explosion sites are more metal-rich and younger than SN Ib sites. The initial mass of the progenitors derived from parent stellar population age suggests that SN Ic has more massive progenitors than SN Ib. In addition, we also found indication that some of our SN progenitors are less massive than {approx}25 M{sub Sun }, indicating that they may have been stars in a close binary system that have lost their outer envelope via binary interactions to produce SNe Ib/Ic, instead of single Wolf-Rayet stars. These findings support the current suggestions that both binary and single progenitor channels are in effect in producing SNe Ib/Ic. This work also demonstrates the power of integral field spectroscopy in investigating SN environments and active star-forming regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Stellar Mergers or Truly Young? Intermediate-age Stars on Highly Radial Orbits in the Milky Way’s Stellar Halo

Reconstructing the mass assembly history of the Milky Way relies on obtaining detailed measurements of the properties of many stars in the galaxy, especially in the stellar halo. One of the most constraining quantities is stellar age, as it can shed light on the accretion time and quenching of star formation in merging satellites. However, obtaining reliable age estimates for large samples of halo stars is difficult. We report published ages of 120 subgiant halo stars with highly radial orbits that likely belong to the debris of the Gaia-Enceladus/Sausage (GES) galaxy. The majority of these halo stars are old, with an age distribution characterized by a median of 11.6 Gyr and a 16th (84th) percentile of 10.5 (12.7) Gyr. However, the distribution is skewed, with a tail of younger stars that span ages down to ~6–9 Gyr. All highly radial halo stars have chemical and kinematic/orbital quantities that associate them with the GES debris. Initial results suggest that these intermediate-age stars are not a product of mass transfer and/or stellar mergers, which can bias their age determination low. If this conclusion is upheld by upcoming spectrophotometric studies, then the presence of these stars will pose an important challenge for constraining the properties of the GES merger and the accretion history of the galaxy.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A genome assembly and the somatic genetic and epigenetic mutation rate in a wild long-lived perennial Populus trichocarpa

Abstract Background Plants can transmit somatic mutations and epimutations to offspring, which in turn can affect fitness. Knowledge of the rate at which these variations arise is necessary to understand how plant development contributes to local adaption in an ecoevolutionary context, particularly in long-lived perennials. Results Here, we generate a new high-quality reference genome from the oldest branch of a wild Populus trichocarpa tree with two dominant stems which have been evolving independently for 330 years. By sampling multiple, age-estimated branches of this tree, we use a multi-omics approach to quantify age-related somatic changes at the genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptional level. We show that the per-year somatic mutation and epimutation rates are lower than in annuals and that transcriptional variation is mainly independent of age divergence and cytosine methylation. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the somatic epimutation spectrum indicates that transgenerationally heritable epimutations originate mainly from DNA methylation maintenance errors during mitotic rather than during meiotic cell divisions. Conclusion Taken together, our study provides unprecedented insights into the origin of nucleotide and functional variation in a long-lived perennial plant.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

WOCS 40007: A DETACHED ECLIPSING BINARY NEAR THE TURNOFF OF THE OPEN CLUSTER NGC 6819

We analyze extensive BVR{sub c}I{sub c} time-series photometry and radial-velocity measurements for WOCS 40007 (Auner 259; KIC 5113053), a double-lined detached eclipsing binary and a member of the open cluster NGC 6819. Utilizing photometric observations from the 1 m telescope at Mount Laguna Observatory and spectra from the WIYN 3.5 m telescope, we measure precise and accurate masses ({approx}1.6% uncertainty) and radii ({approx}0.5%) for the binary components. In addition, we discover a third star orbiting the binary with a period greater than 3000 days using radial velocities and Kepler eclipse timings. Because the stars in the eclipsing binary are near the cluster turnoff, they are evolving rapidly in size and are sensitive to age. With a metallicity of [Fe/H] = +0.09 {+-} 0.03, we find the age of NGC 6819 to be about 2.4 Gyr from color-magnitude diagram (CMD) isochrone fitting and 3.1 {+-} 0.4 Gyr by analyzing the mass-radius (M-R) data for this binary. The M-R age is above previous determinations for this cluster, but consistent within 1{sigma} uncertainties. When the M-R data for the primary star of the additional cluster binary WOCS 23009 is included, the weighted age estimate drops to 2.5 {+-} 0.2 Gyr, with a systematic uncertainty of at least 0.2 Gyr. The age difference between our CMD and M-R findings may be the result of systematic error in the metallicity or helium abundance used in models, or due to slight radius inflation of one or both stars in the WOCS 40007 binary.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

CO-Dark Star Formation and Black Hole Activity in 3C 368 at z = 1.131: Coeval Growth of Stellar and Supermassive Black Hole Masses

We present the detection of four far-infrared fine-structure oxygen lines, as well as strong upper limits for the CO(2–1) and [N ii] 205 μ m lines, in 3C 368, a well-studied radio-loud galaxy at z = 1.131. These new oxygen lines, taken in conjunction with previously observed neon and carbon fine-structure lines, suggest a powerful active galactic nucleus (AGN), accompanied by vigorous and extended star formation. A starburst dominated by O8 stars, with an age of ∼6.5 Myr, provides a good fit to the fine-structure line data. This estimated age of the starburst makes it nearly concurrent with the latest episode of AGN activity, suggesting a link between the growth of the supermassive black hole and stellar population in this source. We do not detect the CO(2–1) line, down to a level twelve times lower than the expected value for star-forming galaxies. This lack of CO line emission is consistent with recent star formation activity if the star-forming molecular gas has low metallicity, is highly fractionated (such that CO is photodissociated throughout much of the clouds), or is chemically very young (such that CO has not yet had time to form). It is also possible, although we argue it is unlikely, that the ensemble of fine-structure lines is emitted from the region heated by the AGN.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE SCHMIDT-KENNICUTT LAW OF MATCHED-AGE STAR-FORMING REGIONS; Pa{alpha} OBSERVATIONS OF THE EARLY-PHASE INTERACTING GALAXY TAFFY I

In order to test a recent hypothesis that the dispersion in the Schmidt-Kennicutt law arises from variations in the evolutionary stage of star-forming molecular clouds, we compared molecular gas and recent star formation in an early-phase merger galaxy pair, Taffy I (UGC 12915/UGC 12914, VV 254) which went through a direct collision 20 Myr ago and whose star-forming regions are expected to have similar ages. Narrowband Pa{alpha} image is obtained using the ANIR near-infrared camera on the mini-TAO 1 m telescope. The image enables us to derive accurate star formation rates within the galaxy directly. The total star formation rate, 22.2 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, was found to be much higher than previous estimates. Ages of individual star-forming blobs estimated from equivalent widths indicate that most star-forming regions are {approx}7 Myr old, except for a giant H II region at the bridge which is much younger. Comparison between star formation rates and molecular gas masses for the regions with the same age exhibits a surprisingly tight correlation, a slope of unity, and star formation efficiencies comparable to those of starburst galaxies. These results suggest that Taffy I has just evolved into a starburst system after the collision, and the star-forming sites are at a similar stage in their evolution from natal molecular clouds except for the bridge region. The tight Schmidt-Kennicutt law supports the scenario that dispersion in the star formation law is in large part due to differences in evolutionary stage of star-forming regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE SIZES OF THE NEAREST YOUNG STARS

We present moderate resolution (R {approx} 3575) optical spectra of 19 known or suspected members of the AB Doradus and {beta} Pictoris Moving Groups, obtained with the DeVeny Spectrograph on the 72 inch Perkins telescope at Lowell Observatory. For four of five recently proposed members, signatures of youth such as Li I 6708 A absorption and H{alpha} emission further strengthen the case for youth and membership. The lack of detected lithium in the proposed {beta} Pic member TYC 2211-1309-1 implies that it is older than all other K-type members and weakens the case for membership. Effective temperatures are determined via line ratio analyses for the 11 F, G, and early-K stars observed, and via spectral comparisons for the eight late-K and M stars observed. We assemble updated candidate membership lists for these moving groups that account for known binarity. Currently, the AB Dor Moving Group contains 127 proposed members and the {beta} Pic Moving Group holds 77 proposed members. We then use temperature, luminosity, and distance estimates to predict angular diameters for these stars; the motivation is to identify stars that can be spatially resolved with long-baseline optical/infrared interferometers in order to improve age estimates for these groups and to constrain evolutionary models at young ages. Considering the portion of the sky accessible to northern hemisphere facilities (decl. > - 30), six stars have diameters large enough to be spatially resolved ({theta} > 0.4 mas) with the CHARA Array, which currently has the world's longest baseline of 331 m; this subsample includes the low-mass M2.5 member of AB Dor, GJ 393, which is likely to still be pre-main sequence. For southern hemisphere facilities (decl. < + 30), 18 stars have diameters larger than this limiting size, including the low-mass debris disk star AU Mic (0.72 mas). However, the longest baselines of southern hemisphere interferometers (160 m) are only able to resolve the largest of these, the B6 star {alpha} Gru (1.17 mas); proposed long-baseline stations may alleviate the current limitations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

A >200 ka U-Th Based Chronology From Lacustrine Evaporites, Searles Lake, CA

Well-dated lacustrine records are essential to establish the timing and drivers of regional hydroclimate change. Searles Basin, California, records the depositional history of a fluctuating saline-alkaline lake in the terminal basin of the Owens River system draining the eastern Sierra Nevada. Here, we establish a U-Th chronology for the ~76-m-long SLAPP-SLRS17 core collected in 2017 based on dating of evaporite minerals. Ninety-eight dated samples comprising nine different minerals were evaluated based on stratigraphic, mineralogic, textural, chemical, and reproducibility criteria. After the application of these criteria, a total of 37 dated samples remained as constraints for the age model. A lack of dateable minerals between 145 and 110 ka left the age model unconstrained over the penultimate glacial termination (Termination II). We thus established a tie point between plant wax δD values in the core and a nearby speleothem δ 18 O record at the beginning of the Last Interglacial. We construct a Bayesian age model allowing stratigraphy to inform sedimentation rate inflections. We find that the >210 ka SLAPP-SRLS17 record contains five major units that correspond with prior work. The new dating is broadly consistent with previous efforts but provides more precise age estimates and enables a detailed evaluation of evaporite depositional history. We also offer a substantial revision of the age of the Bottom Mud-Mixed Layer contact, shifting it from ~130 ka to 178 ± 3 ka. The new U-Th chronology documents the timing of mud and salt layers and lays the foundation for climate reconstructions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE SCHULHOF FAMILY: SOLVING THE AGE PUZZLE

The Schulhof family, a tight cluster of small asteroids around the central main belt body (2384) Schulhof, belongs to a so far rare class of very young families (estimated ages less than 1 Myr). Characterization of these asteroid clusters may provide important insights into the physics of the catastrophic disruption of their parent body. The case of the Schulhof family has been up to now complicated by the existence of two proposed epochs of its origin. In this paper, we first use our own photometric observations, as well as archival data, to determine the rotation rate and spin axis orientation of the largest fragment (2384) Schulhof. Our data also allow us to better constrain the absolute magnitude of this asteroid, and thus also improve the determination of its geometric albedo. Next, using the up-to-date catalog of asteroid orbits, we perform a new search of smaller members in the Schulhof family, increasing their number by 50%. Finally, the available data are used to access Schulhof's family age anew. We now find that the younger of the previously proposed two ages of this family is not correct, resulting from a large orbital uncertainty of single-opposition members. Our new runs reveal a single age solution of about 800 kyr with a realistic uncertainty of 200 kyr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Radioisotope dating of nuclear materials using cryogenic decay energy spectrometry

Cryogenic decay energy spectrometry provides high energy resolution and enables absolute decay counting, offering an alternative measurement technique for radiochronometry. A cryogenic decay energy spectrometry experiment was conducted using a magnetic microcalorimeter to determine the age of a plutonium sample. The energy resolution was measured at 0.05% from 5 to 6 MeV. The time since sample purification was determined using the measured concentration ratio of the 241 Am/ 241 Pu radiochronometer. Sample age estimates based on 241 Pu alpha-decay and beta-decay counts, along with 241 Am decay counts, align with the expected sample age within expanded uncertainty (k = 2), supporting the accuracy of cryogenic decay energy spectrometry as a radiochronometric method.

and nuclear chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2015

FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS AND SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF YOUNG AND FIELD AGE OBJECTS WITH MASSES SPANNING THE STELLAR TO PLANETARY REGIME

We combine optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared spectra and photometry to construct expanded spectral energy distributions for 145 field age (>500 Myr) and 53 young (lower age estimate <500 Myr) ultracool dwarfs (M6-T9). This range of spectral types includes very low mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass objects, providing fundamental parameters across both the hydrogen and deuterium burning minimum masses for the largest sample assembled to date. A subsample of 29 objects have well constrained ages as probable members of a nearby young moving group. We use 182 parallaxes and 16 kinematic distances to determine precise bolometric luminosities (L{sub bol}) and radius estimates from evolutionary models give semi-empirical effective temperatures (T{sub eff}) for the full range of young and field age late-M, L, and T dwarfs. We construct age-sensitive relationships of luminosity, temperature, and absolute magnitude as functions of spectral type and absolute magnitude to disentangle the effects of degenerate physical parameters such as T{sub eff}, surface gravity, and clouds on spectral morphology. We report bolometric corrections in J for both field age and young objects and find differences of up to a magnitude for late-L dwarfs. Our correction in Ks shows a larger dispersion but not necessarily a different relationship for young and field age sequences. We also characterize the NIR–MIR reddening of low gravity L dwarfs and identify a systematically cooler T{sub eff} of up to 300 K from field age objects of the same spectral type and 400 K cooler from field age objects of the same M{sub H} magnitude.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Age Dating of Mixed SNM--Preliminary Investigations

Recently we investigated the nuclear forensics problem of age determination for mixed special nuclear material (SNM). Through limited computational mixing experiments and interactive age analysis, it was observed that age dating results are generally affected by the mixing of samples with different assays or even by small radioactive material contamination. The mixing and contamination can be detected through interactive age analysis, a function provided by the Decay Interaction, Visualization and Analysis (DIVA) software developed by NSTec. It is observed that for mixed SNM with two components, the age estimators typically fall into two distinct clusters on the time axis. This suggests that averaging or other simple statistical methods may not always be suitable for age dating SNM mixtures. Instead, an interactive age analysis would be more suitable for age determination of material components of such SNM mixtures. This work was supported by the National Center for Nuclear Security (NCNS).

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2022

Blanco DECam Bulge Survey (BDBS)

The Blanco DECam Bulge Survey (BDBS) has imaged more than 200 square degrees of the southern Galactic bulge, providing photometry in the ugrizy filters for ~250 million unique stars. The presence of a strong foreground disk population, along with complex reddening and extreme image crowding, has made it difficult to constrain the presence of young and intermediate age stars in the bulge population. We employed an accurate cross-match of BDBS with the latest data release (EDR3) from the Gaia mission, matching more than 140 million sources with BDBS photometry and Gaia EDR3 photometry and astrometry. We relied on Gaia EDR3 astrometry, without any photometric selection, to produce clean BDBS bulge colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). Gaia parallaxes were used to filter out bright foreground sources, and a Gaussian mixture model fit to Galactic proper motions could identify stars kinematically consistent with bulge membership. We applied this method to 127 different bulge fields of 1 deg 2 each, with |$\ell$| ≤ 9.5 ° and –9.5 ° ≤ b ≤ –2.5 °. The astrometric cleaning procedure removes the majority of blue stars in each field, especially near the Galactic plane, where the ratio of blue to red stars is .10%, increasing to values ~20% at higher Galactic latitudes. We rule out the presence of a widespread population of stars younger than 2 Gyr. The vast majority of blue stars brighter than the turnoff belong to the foreground population, according to their measured astrometry. We introduce the distance between the observed red giant branch bump and the red clump as a simple age proxy for the dominant population in the field, and we confirm the picture of a predominantly old bulge. Further work is needed to apply the method to estimate ages to fields at higher latitudes, and to model the complex morphology of the Galactic bulge. We also produce transverse kinematic maps, recovering expected patterns related to the presence of the bar and of the X-shaped nature of the bulge.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Tracing fetal and childhood exposure to lead using isotope analysis of deciduous teeth

We report progress in using the isotopic composition and concentration of Pb in the dentine and enamel of deciduous teeth to provide a high resolution time frame of exposure to Pb during fetal development and early childhood. Isotope measurements (total Pb and {sup 208}Pb/{sup 206}Pb, {sup 207}Pb/{sup 206}Pb ratios) were acquired by laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry at contiguous 100 micron intervals across thin sections of the teeth; from the outer enamel surface to the pulp cavity. Teeth samples (n=10) were selected from two cohorts of children, aged 5–8 years, living in NE England. By integrating the isotope data with histological analysis of the teeth, using the daily incremental lines in dentine, we were able to assign true estimated ages to each ablation point (first 2–3 years for molars, first 1–2 years for incisors+pre-natal growth). Significant differences were observed in the isotope composition and concentration of Pb between children, reflecting differences in the timing and sources of exposure during early childhood. Those born in 2000, after the withdrawal of leaded petrol in 1999, have the lowest dentine Pb levels (<0.2 µg Pb/g) with {sup 208}Pb/{sup 206}Pb (mean ±2σ: 2.126–2.079) {sup 208}Pb/{sup 206}Pb (mean ±2σ: 0.879–0.856) ratios that correlate very closely with modern day Western European industrial aerosols (PM{sub 10}, PM{sub 2.5}) suggesting that diffuse airborne pollution was probably the primary source and exposure pathway. Legacy lead, if present, is insignificant. For those born in 1997, dentine lead levels are typically higher (>0.4 µgPb/g) with {sup 208}Pb/{sup 206}Pb (mean ±2σ: 2.145–2.117) {sup 208}Pb/{sup 206}Pb (mean ±2σ: 0.898–0.882) ratios that can be modelled as a binary mix between industrial aerosols and leaded petrol emissions. Short duration, high intensity exposure events (1–2 months) were readily identified, together with evidence that dentine provides a good proxy for childhood changes in the isotope composition of blood Pb. Our pilot study confirms that laser ablation Pb isotope analysis of deciduous teeth, when carried out in conjunction with histological analysis, permits a reconstruction of the timing, duration and source of exposure to Pb during early childhood. With further development, this approach has the potential to study larger cohorts and appraise environments where the levels of exposure to Pb are much higher. - Highlights: • Reconstructing a high resolution chronology of early childhood exposure to lead. • Combined laser ablation lead isotope – histological analysis of children's teeth. • Using dentine to recover information on the intensity, duration and source of lead. • Importance of industrial airborne lead pollution in a post-leaded petrol era.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

GEMINI SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF YOUNG STAR CLUSTERS IN MERGING/INTERACTING GALAXIES. IV. STEPHAN's QUINTET

We present a spectroscopic survey of 21 young massive clusters and complexes and one tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidate in Stephan's Quintet, an interacting compact group of galaxies. All of the selected targets lie outside the main galaxies of the system and are associated with tidal debris. We find clusters with ages between a few and 125 Myr and confirm the ages estimated through Hubble Space Telescope photometry by Fedotov et al., as well as their modeled interaction history of the Quintet. Many of the clusters are found to be relatively long-lived, given their spectrosopically derived ages, while their high masses suggest that they will likely evolve to eventually become intergalactic clusters. One cluster, T118, is particularly interesting, given its age ({approx}125 Myr), high mass ({approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun }), and position in the extreme outer end of the young tidal tail. This cluster appears to be quite extended (R{sub eff} {approx} 12-15 pc) compared to clusters observed in galaxy disks (R{sub eff} {approx} 3-4 pc), which confirms an effect we previously found in the tidal tails of NGC 3256, where clusters are similarly extended. We find that star and cluster formation can proceed at a continuous pace for at least {approx}150 Myr within the tidal debris of interacting galaxies. The spectrum of the TDG candidate is dominated by a young population ({approx}7 Myr), and, assuming a single age for the entire region, has a mass of at least 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun }.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗