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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 541 records · Page 30
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DOE OSTI2019

Exploring Reionization-era Quasars. IV. Discovery of Six New z ≳ 6.5 Quasars with DES, VHS, and unWISE Photometry

This is the fourth paper in a series of publications aiming at discovering quasars at the epoch of reionization. In this paper, we expand our search for z - 7 quasars to the footprint of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Data Release One (DR1), covering -5000 deg 2 of a new area. We select z - 7 quasar candidates using deep optical, near-infrared (near-IR) and mid-infrared (mid-IR) photometric data from the DES DR1, the VISTA Hemisphere Survey, the VISTA Kilo-degree Infrared Galaxy survey, the UKIRT InfraRed Deep Sky Surveys—Large Area Survey (ULAS), and the unblurred coadds from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explore (WISE) images (unWISE). The inclusion of DES and unWISE photometry allows the search to reach -1 mag fainter, comparing to our z ≳ 6.5 quasar survey in the northern sky. We report the initial discovery and spectroscopic confirmation of six new luminous quasars at z > 6.4, including an object at z = 7.02, the fourth quasar yet known at z > 7, from a small fraction of candidates observed thus far. Based on the recent measurement of z - 6.7 quasar luminosity function using the quasar sample from our survey in the northern sky, we estimate that there will be ≳55 quasars at z > 6.5 at M 1450 < -24.5 in the full DES footprint.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Comprehensive Analysis of NGC 2158 in the Gaia Era: Photometric Parameters, Apex, and Orbit

We present an investigation of NGC 2158 using Gaia DR2 data. We identified 800 most likely cluster members with membership probability higher than 90%. The mean proper motions of this object are determined as (μ {sub x} = −0.203 ± 0.003, μ {sub y} = −1.99 ± 0.004) mas yr{sup −1}. The limiting radius, log(age), and distance of the cluster are obtained as 23.5 arcmin, 9.38 ± 0.04 Gyr, and 4.69 ± 0.22 kpc, respectively. The overall mass function slope (0.93 ± 0.14) is flatter than the Salpeter value (1.35) within the mass range of 1.17–1.44 M {sub ⊙}. This cluster also shows the mass-segregation effect and our study demonstrates that NGC 2158 is a dynamically relaxed open cluster. Using the apex diagram (AD), the apex coordinates of the cluster are obtained in different ways and are examined using the (μ {sub U},μ {sub T}) diagram. The best value of the apex coordinates is determined as A = 8724 ± 160, D = −3661 ± 530. We also determined the orbit of the cluster and found that NGC 2158 moves almost in the solar antapex direction. The resulting spatial velocity of NGC 2158 is 51 km s{sup −1}. A significant oscillation along the Z-coordinate up to 529 pc is detected. Various scenarios regarding the origin of this cluster are also discussed.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

QUIESCENT PROMINENCES IN THE ERA OF ALMA: SIMULATED OBSERVATIONS USING THE 3D WHOLE-PROMINENCE FINE STRUCTURE MODEL

We use the detailed 3D whole-prominence fine structure model to produce the first simulated high-resolution ALMA observations of a modeled quiescent solar prominence. The maps of synthetic brightness temperature and optical thickness shown in the present paper are produced using a visualization method for synthesis of the submillimeter/millimeter radio continua. We have obtained the simulated observations of both the prominence at the limb and the filament on the disk at wavelengths covering a broad range that encompasses the full potential of ALMA. We demonstrate here extent to which the small-scale and large-scale prominence and filament structures will be visible in the ALMA observations spanning both the optically thin and thick regimes. We analyze the relationship between the brightness and kinetic temperature of the prominence plasma. We also illustrate the opportunities ALMA will provide for studying the thermal structure of the prominence plasma from the cores of the cool prominence fine structure to the prominence–corona transition region. In addition, we show that detailed 3D modeling of entire prominences with their numerous fine structures will be important for the correct interpretation of future ALMA observations of prominences.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

RADIO-WEAK BL LAC OBJECTS IN THE FERMI ERA

The existence of “radio-weak BL Lac objects” (RWBLs) has been an open question, and has remained unsolved since the discovery that quasars could be radio-quiet or radio-loud. Recently, several groups identified RWBL candidates, mostly found while searching for low-energy counterparts of the unidentified or unassociated gamma-ray sources listed in the Fermi catalogs. Confirming RWBLs is a challenging task since they could be confused with white dwarfs (WDs) or weak emission line quasars (WELQs) when there are not sufficient data to precisely draw their broadband spectral energy distribution, and their classification is mainly based on a featureless optical spectra. Motivated by the recent discovery that Fermi BL Lacs appear to have very peculiar mid-IR emission, we show that it is possible to distinguish between WDs, WELQs, and BL Lacs using the [3.4]–[4.6]–[12] μ m color–color plot built using the WISE magnitudes when the optical spectrum is available. On the basis of this analysis, we identify WISE J064459.38+603131 and WISE J141046.00+740511.2 as the first two genuine RWBLs, both potentially associated with Fermi sources. Finally, to strengthen our identification of these objects as true RWBLs, we present multifrequency observations for these two candidates to show that their spectral behavior is indeed consistent with that of the BL Lac population.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Revisiting the Redshift Distribution of Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Swift Era

Le and Dermer developed a gamma-ray burst (GRB) model to fit the redshift and the jet opening angle distributions measured with pre-Swift and Swift missions and showed that GRBs do not follow the star formation rate. Their fitted results were obtained without the opening angle distribution from Swift with an incomplete Swift sample, and the calculated jet opening angle distribution was obtained by assuming a flat νF{sub ν} spectrum. In this paper, we revisit the work done by Le and Dermer with an assumed broken power law GRB spectrum. Utilizing more than 100 GRBs in the Swift sample that include both the observed estimated redshifts and jet opening angles, we obtain a GRB burst rate functional form that gives acceptable fits to the pre-Swift and Swift redshift and jet opening angle distributions with an indication that an excess of GRBs exists at low redshift below z≈2. The mean redshifts and jet opening angles for pre-Swift (Swift) are 〈z〉∼1.3 (1.7) and 〈θ{sub j}〉∼7{sup ∘} (11{sup ∘}), respectively. Assuming a GRB rate density (SFR9), similar to the Hopkins and Beacom star formation history and as extended by Li, the fraction of high-redshift GRBs is estimated to be below 10% and 5% at z⩾4 and z⩾5, respectively, and below 10% at z⩽1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The RAVE-on Catalog of Stellar Atmospheric Parameters and Chemical Abundances for Chemo-dynamic Studies in the Gaia Era

The orbits, atmospheric parameters, chemical abundances, and ages of individual stars in the Milky Way provide the most comprehensive illustration of galaxy formation available. The Tycho- Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) will deliver astrometric parameters for the largest ever sample of Milky Way stars, though its full potential cannot be realized without the addition of complementary spectroscopy. Among existing spectroscopic surveys, the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) has the largest overlap with TGAS (≳200,000 stars). We present a data-driven re-analysis of 520,781 RAVE spectra using The Cannon . For red giants, we build our model using high-fidelity APOGEE stellar parameters and abundances for stars that overlap with RAVE. For main sequence and sub-giant stars, our model uses stellar parameters from the K2/EPIC . We derive and validate effective temperature T {sub eff}, surface gravity log g , and chemical abundances of up to seven elements (O, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Fe, and Ni). We report a total of 1,685,851 elemental abundances with a typical precision of 0.07 dex, a substantial improvement over previous RAVE data releases. The synthesis of RAVE-on and TGAS is the most powerful data set for chemo-dynamic analyses of the Milky Way ever produced.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Correlation between Mixing Length and Metallicity on the Giant Branch: Implications for Ages in the Gaia Era

In the updated APOGEE- Kepler catalog, we have asteroseismic and spectroscopic data for over 3000 first ascent red giants. Given the size and accuracy of this sample, these data offer an unprecedented test of the accuracy of stellar models on the post-main-sequence. When we compare these data to theoretical predictions, we find a metallicity dependent temperature offset with a slope of around 100 K per dex in metallicity. We find that this effect is present in all model grids tested, and that theoretical uncertainties in the models, correlated spectroscopic errors, and shifts in the asteroseismic mass scale are insufficient to explain this effect. Stellar models can be brought into agreement with the data if a metallicity-dependent convective mixing length is used, with Δ α {sub ML,YREC} ∼ 0.2 per dex in metallicity, a trend inconsistent with the predictions of three-dimensional stellar convection simulations. If this effect is not taken into account, isochrone ages for red giants from the Gaia data will be off by as much as a factor of two even at modest deviations from solar metallicity ([Fe/H] = −0.5).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

CLASSY IV. Exploring UV Diagnostics of the Interstellar Medium in Local High- z Analogs at the Dawn of the JWST Era

The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) Legacy Archive Spectroscopic SurveY (CLASSY) provides the first high resolution spectral catalog of 45 local high-z analogs in the ultraviolet (UV; 1200–2000 Å) to investigate their stellar and gas properties. Here we present a toolkit of UV interstellar medium (ISM) diagnostics, analyzing the main emission lines of CLASSY spectra (N IV] λλ1483,87, C IV λλ1548,51, He IIλ1640, O III]λλ1661,6, Si III] λλ1883,92, C III] λ1907,9). Specifically, our aim is to provide accurate diagnostics for the reddening E(B - V), electron density n e , electron temperature T e , metallicity 12+log(O/H), and ionization parameter log(U), taking the different ISM ionization zones into account. We calibrate our UV toolkit using well-known optical diagnostics, analyzing archival optical spectra for all CLASSY targets. We find that UV density diagnostics estimate n e values that are ~1–2 dex higher (e.g., n e (C III] λλ1907,9) ~ 10 4 cm -3 ) than those inferred from their optical counterparts (e.g., n e ([S II]λλ6717,31) ~ 10 2 cm -3 ; n e ([Ar IV]λλ4714,41) ~ 10 3 cm -3 ). T e derived from the hybrid ratio [O III] λ1666/λ5007 proves to be reliable, implying differences in determining 12+log(O/H) compared to the optical counterpart O III] λ4363/[O III] λ5007 within ~ ±0.3 dex. We also investigate the relation between the stellar and gas E(B - V), finding consistent values at high specific star formation rates (sSFRs; log sSFR ≳ -8 yr -1 ), while at low sSFRs we confirmed an excess of dust attenuation in the gas. Finally, we investigate UV line ratios and equivalent widths to provide correlations with 12+log (O/H) and log(U), but note that there are degeneracies between the two. With this suite of UV-based diagnostics, we illustrate the pivotal role CLASSY plays in understanding the chemical and physical properties of high-z systems that JWST can observe in the rest-frame UV.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Modeling Dust Production, Growth, and Destruction in Reionization-era Galaxies with the CROC Simulations: Methods and Parameter Exploration

We introduce a model for the explicit evolution of interstellar dust in a cosmological galaxy formation simulation. We post-process a simulation from the Cosmic Reionization on Computers project, integrating an ordinary differential equation for the evolution of the dust-to-gas ratio along pathlines in the simulation sampled with a tracer particle technique. This model incorporates the effects of dust grain production in asymptotic giant branch star winds and supernovae, grain growth due to the accretion of heavy elements from the gas phase of the interstellar medium, and grain destruction due to thermal sputtering in the high-temperature gas of supernova remnants due to thermal sputtering. A main conclusion of our analysis is the importance of a carefully chosen dust destruction model, for which different reasonable parameterizations can predict very different values at the ∼100 pc resolution of the interstellar medium (ISM) in our simulations. We run this dust model on the single most massive galaxy in a 10 h$^{−1}$ comoving megaparsec box, which attains a stellar mass of ∼2 × 10$^{9}$ M $_{⊙}$ by z = 5. We find that the model is capable of reproducing dust masses and dust-sensitive observable quantities broadly consistent with existing data from high-redshift galaxies. The total dust mass in the simulated galaxy is somewhat sensitive to parameter choices for the dust model, especially the timescale for grain growth due to accretion in the ISM. Consequently, observable quantity observations that can constrain galaxy dust masses at these epochs are potentially useful for placing constraints on dust physics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Using Host Galaxy Photometric Redshifts to Improve Cosmological Constraints with Type Ia Supernovae in the LSST Era

We perform a rigorous cosmology analysis on simulated Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and evaluate the improvement from including photometric host galaxy redshifts compared to using only the "z spec " subset with spectroscopic redshifts from the host or SN. We use the Deep Drilling Fields (~50 deg 2 ) from the Photometric LSST Astronomical Time-Series Classification Challenge (PLAsTiCC) in combination with a low-z sample based on Data Challenge2. The analysis includes light-curve fitting to standardize the SN brightness, a high-statistics simulation to obtain a bias-corrected Hubble diagram, a statistical+systematics covariance matrix including calibration and photo-z uncertainties, and cosmology fitting with a prior from the cosmic microwave background. Compared to using the z spec subset, including events with SN+host photo-z results in (i) more precise distances for z > 0.5, (ii) a Hubble diagram that extends 0.3 further in redshift, and (iii) a 50% increase in the Dark Energy Task Force figure of merit (FoM) based on the w 0 w a CDM model. Analyzing 25 simulated data samples, the average bias on w 0 and w a is consistent with zero. The host photo-z systematic of 0.01 reduces FoM by only 2% because (i) most z < 0.5 events are in the z spec subset, (ii) the combined SN+host photo-z has ×2 smaller bias, and (iii) the anticorrelation between fitted redshift and color self-corrects distance errors. To prepare for analyzing real data, the next SN Ia cosmology analysis with photo-zs should include non–SN Ia contamination and host galaxy misassociations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Robust Period Estimation Using Mutual Information for Multiband Light Curves in the Synoptic Survey Era

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will produce an unprecedented amount of light curves using six optical bands. Robust and efficient methods that can aggregate data from multidimensional sparsely sampled time-series are needed. Here, we present a new method for light curve period estimation based on quadratic mutual information (QMI). The presented method does not assume a particular model for the light curve nor its underlying probability density and it is robust to non-Gaussian noise and outliers. By combining the QMI from several bands the true period can be estimated even when no single-band QMI yields the period. Period recovery performance as a function of average magnitude and sample size is measured using 30,000 synthetic multiband light curves of RR Lyrae and Cepheid variables generated by the LSST Operations and Catalog simulators. The results show that aggregating information from several bands is highly beneficial in LSST sparsely sampled time-series, obtaining an absolute increase in period recovery rate up to 50%. We also show that the QMI is more robust to noise and light curve length (sample size) than the multiband generalizations of the Lomb–Scargle and AoV periodograms, recovering the true period in 10%–30% more cases than its competitors. A python package with efficient Cython implementations of the QMI and other methods is provided.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A hard ionizing spectrum in z = 3–4 Lyα emitters with intense [O III] emission: analogs of galaxies in the reionization era?

We present Keck/MOSFIRE spectra of the diagnostic nebular emission lines [O iii]λλ5007,4959, [O ii]λ3727, and Hβ for a sample of 15 redshift z≃3.1--3.7 Lyα emitters (LAEs) and Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). In conjunction with spectra from other surveys, we confirm earlier indications that LAEs have a much higher [O iii]/[O ii] line ratio than is seen in similar redshift LBGs. By comparing their distributions on a [O iii]/[O ii] versus R23 diagram, we demonstrate that this difference cannot arise solely because of their lower metallicities but most likely is due to a harder ionizing spectrum. Using measures of Hβ and recombination theory, we demonstrate, for a subset of our LAEs, that ξ{sub ion}—the number of Lyman continuum photons per UV luminosity—is indeed 0.2–0.5 dex larger than for typical LBGs at similar redshifts. Using photoionization models, we estimate the effect this would have on both [O iii]/[O ii] and R23 and conclude such a hard spectrum can only partially explain such intense line emission. The additional possibility is that such a large [O iii]/[O ii] ratio is in part due to density rather than ionization bound nebular regions, which would imply a high escape fraction of ionizing photons. We discuss how further observations could confirm this possibility. Clearly LAEs with intense [O iii] emission represent a promising analog of those z>7 sources with similarly strong lines that are thought to be an important contributor to cosmic reionization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Dust in the reionization era: ALMA observations of a z = 8.38 gravitationally lensed galaxy

We report on the detailed analysis of a gravitationally lensed Y-band dropout, A2744-YD4, selected from deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging in the Frontier Field cluster Abell 2744. Band 7 observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) indicate the proximate detection of a significant 1 mm continuum flux suggesting the presence of dust for a star-forming galaxy with a photometric redshift of z≃8. Deep X-SHOOTER spectra confirms the high-redshift identity of A2744-YD4 via the detection of Lyα emission at a redshift z = 8.38. The association with the ALMA detection is confirmed by the presence of [O iii] 88 μm emission at the same redshift. Although both emission features are only significant at the 4σ level, we argue their joint detection and the positional coincidence with a high-redshift dropout in the Hubble Space Telescope images confirms the physical association. Analysis of the available photometric data and the modest gravitational magnification (μ≃2) indicates A2744-YD4 has a stellar mass of ∼2 × 10{sup 9} M{sub ⊙}, a star formation rate of ∼20 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} and a dust mass of ∼6 × 10{sup 6} M{sub ⊙}. We discuss the implications of the formation of such a dust mass only ≃200 Myr after the onset of cosmic reionization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

RTN-008: Rubin Observatory Processing of Gravitational Wave TOO Data in the Early Operations Era

Since the watershed discovery of an electromagnetic counterpart to the LIGO/VIRGO gravitational wave source GW170817, multi-messenger astrophysics has emerged as a major area of strategic focus for the NSF. Rubin Observatory’s depth, survey speed, and data management systems will make it a key asset in the search for EM counterparts. Exploiting this capability during the phases of Rubin commissioning and early operations that coincide with GW observing run O4 may require special actions, however. We discuss potential approaches to data access, template building, and special data processing.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗