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At least 577 records · Page 32

Sub-Eddington Supermassive Black Hole Activity in Fornax Early-type Galaxies

We characterize the incidence and intensity of low-level supermassive black hole activity within the Fornax cluster, through X-ray observations of the nuclei of 29 quiescent early-type galaxies. Using the Chandra X-ray Telescope, we target 17 galaxies from the Hubble Space Telescope Fornax Cluster Survey, down to a uniform (3σ) limiting X-ray luminosity threshold of 5 x 10^(38) erg/s, which we combine with deeper, archival observations for an additional 12 galaxies. A nuclear X-ray point source is detected in 11 out of 29 targets. After accounting for the low-mass X-ray binary contamination to the nuclear X-ray signal, the X-ray active fraction is measured at 26.6% ± 9.6%. The results from this analysis are compared to similar investigations targeting quiescent early types in the Virgo cluster, as well as the field. After correcting for the different mass distributions, the measured Fornax active fraction is less than the field fraction, at more than 3σ, confirming that the funneling of gas to the nuclear regions of cluster members is inhibited compared to those galaxies in the field. At the same time, we find no statistically significant difference between Fornax and Virgo galaxies, with only marginal evidence for a lower active fraction in Fornax (1σ); if real, owing to Fornaxʼs higher galaxy number density, this could indicate that galaxy–galaxy interactions are more effective at gas removal than galaxy-gas effects.

Nathan Lee↗

MOA-2019-BLG-008Lb: A New Microlensing Detection of an Object at the Planet/Brown Dwarf Boundary

We report on the observations, analysis and interpretation of the microlensing event MOA-2019-BLG-008. The observed anomaly in the photometric light curve is best described through a binary lens model. In this model, the source did not cross caustics and no finite-source effects were observed. Therefore, the angular Einstein ring radius θ E cannot be measured from the light curve alone. However, the large event duration, t E ∼ 80 days, allows a precise measurement of the microlensing parallax π E . In addition to the constraints on the angular radius θ* and the apparent brightness I s of the source, we employ the Besançon and GalMod galactic models to estimate the physical properties of the lens. We find excellent agreement between the predictions of the two galactic models: the companion is likely a resident of the brown dwarf desert with a mass M p ∼ 30 M Jup , and the host is a main-sequence dwarf star. The lens lies along the line of sight to the Galactic bulge, at a distance of ≤4 kpc. We estimate that in about 10 yr the lens and source will be separated by ∼55 mas, and it will be possible to confirm the exact nature of the lensing system by using high-resolution imaging from ground- or space-based observatories.

E. Bachelet↗

River bank erosion and accretion rates, and planform metrics of the East River, downstream of Gothic Colorado over intervals between 1955 and 2015

This dataset provides the tabular summary of analysis of an alluvial floodplain reach of the East River, downstream of Gothic, CO near Crested Butte. The measurements include bank erosion and accretion rates, channel width, bank curvature, and the aspect/orientation of the river banks. The measurements were derived from binary masks of the location of the river channel from aerial and satellite imagery collected on seven dates over a sixty-year timespan: 1955, 1973, 1983, 1990, 2001, 2011, and 2015. The masks were analyzed using the Spatially Continuous Riverbank Erosion and Accretion Measurements (SCREAM) software detailed in Rowland et al. 2016. The masks used in this analysis can be found an accompanying dataset (DOI: ). Rates of change along the East River were measured over a total of 8-time intervals: 1955-1973; 1955-2015; 1973-1983; 1983-1990; 1990-2001; 2001-2011; 2001-2015; and 2011-2015.In files with “summary” in the name, the data is provided at a pixel level, where each mapped bank pixel has an associated erosion or accretion value, a channel width, a curvature value, and an aspect each river and time period will have an individual file. Files with “Segments” in name provide data that is averaged along segments of the rivers. These segments are approximately 10 channel widths in length. In addition to erosion and accretion rates, the segment-based results include area measurements of erosion and accretion, islands, and channels. The number of islands is also included.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

On the optical counterparts, long-term variabilities, radio jets, and accretion sources in 1E 1740.7-2942 and GRS 1758-258

In this paper we discuss a variety of issues concerning the exciting and mysterious Galactic center gamma-ray sources 1E 1740.7-2942 and GRS 1758-258. We discuss the problem associated with the highly uncertain X-ray absorption column toward 1E 1740.7-2942 and use the recent Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) results to narrow its range to 0.5-1 x 10(exp 23)/sq cm. Then the current upper limits from deep optical and near-IR searches of stellar objects at these source locations are plotted on an H-R diagram, from which we find the mass of a potential companion star of the (supposed) black hole in GRS 1758-258 to be less than 4 solar mass and in 1E 1740.7-2942 to be less than 9 solar mass. The observed well-collimated radio jets in 1E 1740.7-2942 require the existence of a stable accretion disk (presumably from binary accretion). The apparent association of 1E 1740.7-2942 with a high-density molecular cloud, on the other hand, points to possible accretion directly from the interstellar medium (ISM). We present an analysis of the energetics and kinematics of the radio jets in 1E 1740.7-2942. We present the long-term X-ray light curves of the two sources which include both the Granat/SIGMA's 3 yr monitoring data and all the data from previous imaging balloon and satellite observations over the last decade. The possible physical mechanisms responsible for producing both the long-term X-ray variations and the radio jets are postulated. We also consider Roche lobe-overflowing, low-mass X-ray binaries and Bondi-Hoyle accretion directly from a high-density surrounding medium. We propose a plausible scenario in which both sources are binary systems with a black hole primary and a low-mass companion and they are accreting mainly from the ISM at a rate self-regulated by the interaction between the accretion flow and the emerging hard X-ray flux.

Chen, Wan↗

Hydrogeological assessment of CO2 containment assurance and wellbore integrity at a Gulf Coast storage site

Abstract A large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiative on the Texas Gulf Coast serves as a premier demonstration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s CarbonSAFE program. Targeting deep saline formations, specifically Oligo-Miocene deltaic sequences, the project aims to establish technical and commercial viability for geologic CO2 storage within a major industrial corridor. This study provides a rigorous hydrogeological assessment to support Class VI permitting by quantifying the high degree of containment security. Utilizing a compositional reservoir simulator, we developed a suite of 27 distinct simulation cases to evaluate vertical plume dynamics near both planned injection wells and proximal legacy infrastructure. To ensure numerical accuracy near wellbores, we implemented a refined mesh strategy, determining that a 5.6 ft × 5.6 ft grid refinement offered the optimal balance between computational efficiency and descriptive precision. The modeling framework utilized a systematic sensitivity-based approach to evaluate the mechanical redundancy of the subsurface system by performing a bounding analysis of wellbore interfaces against hypothetical high-permeability microannuli. By systematically isolating competing physical drivers, including permeability, porosity, gas hysteresis, thermal gradients, salinity, and solubility trapping (quantified via Henry’s law with dynamically adjusted coefficients), this work moves beyond binary assessments to establish a nuanced hierarchy of containment factors. The results confirm that primary trapping mechanisms (e.g., gas hysteresis and solubility), combined with the site's unique geomechanical stratigraphy, significantly restrict vertical mobility and reinforce the robust containment security of the reservoir. Baseline results demonstrate substantial vertical separation between the CO2 plume and the upper confining system, ensuring robust containment. Sensitivity analysis reveals that even under highly conservative bounding scenarios—assuming theoretical 10-Darcy pathways at specific wellbore locations—the 2,900-ft thick multi-layered confining zone remains a reliable barrier. In these hypothetical upper-bound cases, peak upward fluxes of CO2 and saltwater after 15 years of injection remain localized and dissipate rapidly within the lower sections of the confining interval, leaving the integrity of the seal uncompromised. Furthermore, the study identifies that while localized wellbore pathways define theoretical upper bounds of vertical migration, the Area of Review (AoR) is primarily sensitive to regional thermal gradients and hysteresis, which can influence the AoR by over 3,000 acres in pessimistic configurations. Also, primary trapping mechanisms, specifically gas hysteresis and solubility, work in tandem with the Gulf Coast’s unique geomechanical stratigraphy to significantly restrict vertical mobility. Ductile, smectite-rich mudstones facilitate natural borehole convergence and the self-healing of potential conduits, creating a natural geomechanical bridge that effectively mitigates migration potential at both current injection points and legacy-well locations. This comprehensive modeling effort demonstrates that the integration of high-resolution wellbore simulations and regional geomechanical observations confirms the long-term storage security of the studied site, providing a physics-based foundation for industrial-scale CCS deployments. This modeling framework establishes a baseline for future research into coupled geomechanical effects, such as time-dependent borehole convergence, to further refine long-term containment projections. Acknowledgements We thank the Gulf Coast Carbon Center (GCCC) at the Bureau of Economic Geology for foundational research support. We appreciate Alex Bump for technical guidance and David Hoffman for model mesh generation. This work used TACC’s Frontera cluster for simulations and CMG Ltd. software licenses provided to UT-Austin. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-FE0032338. Disclaimer This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Office under the CarbonSAFE program, award Number DE-FE0032338. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Hydrogeological assessment of CO2 containment assurance and wellbore integrity at a Gulf Coast storage site

Abstract A large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiative on the Texas Gulf Coast serves as a premier demonstration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s CarbonSAFE program. Targeting deep saline formations, specifically Oligo-Miocene deltaic sequences, the project aims to establish technical and commercial viability for geologic CO2 storage within a major industrial corridor. This study provides a rigorous hydrogeological assessment to support Class VI permitting by quantifying the high degree of containment security. Utilizing a compositional reservoir simulator, we developed a suite of 27 distinct simulation cases to evaluate vertical plume dynamics near both planned injection wells and proximal legacy infrastructure. To ensure numerical accuracy near wellbores, we implemented a refined mesh strategy, determining that a 5.6 ft × 5.6 ft grid refinement offered the optimal balance between computational efficiency and descriptive precision. The modeling framework utilized a systematic sensitivity-based approach to evaluate the mechanical redundancy of the subsurface system by performing a bounding analysis of wellbore interfaces against hypothetical high-permeability microannuli. By systematically isolating competing physical drivers, including permeability, porosity, gas hysteresis, thermal gradients, salinity, and solubility trapping (quantified via Henry’s law with dynamically adjusted coefficients), this work moves beyond binary assessments to establish a nuanced hierarchy of containment factors. The results confirm that primary trapping mechanisms (e.g., gas hysteresis and solubility), combined with the site's unique geomechanical stratigraphy, significantly restrict vertical mobility and reinforce the robust containment security of the reservoir. Baseline results demonstrate substantial vertical separation between the CO2 plume and the upper confining system, ensuring robust containment. Sensitivity analysis reveals that even under highly conservative bounding scenarios—assuming theoretical 10-Darcy pathways at specific wellbore locations—the 2,900-ft thick multi-layered confining zone remains a reliable barrier. In these hypothetical upper-bound cases, peak upward fluxes of CO2 and saltwater after 15 years of injection remain localized and dissipate rapidly within the lower sections of the confining interval, leaving the integrity of the seal uncompromised. Furthermore, the study identifies that while localized wellbore pathways define theoretical upper bounds of vertical migration, the Area of Review (AoR) is primarily sensitive to regional thermal gradients and hysteresis, which can influence the AoR by over 3,000 acres in pessimistic configurations. Also, primary trapping mechanisms, specifically gas hysteresis and solubility, work in tandem with the Gulf Coast’s unique geomechanical stratigraphy to significantly restrict vertical mobility. Ductile, smectite-rich mudstones facilitate natural borehole convergence and the self-healing of potential conduits, creating a natural geomechanical bridge that effectively mitigates migration potential at both current injection points and legacy-well locations. This comprehensive modeling effort demonstrates that the integration of high-resolution wellbore simulations and regional geomechanical observations confirms the long-term storage security of the studied site, providing a physics-based foundation for industrial-scale CCS deployments. This modeling framework establishes a baseline for future research into coupled geomechanical effects, such as time-dependent borehole convergence, to further refine long-term containment projections. Acknowledgements We thank the Gulf Coast Carbon Center (GCCC) at the Bureau of Economic Geology for foundational research support. We appreciate Alex Bump for technical guidance and David Hoffman for model mesh generation. This work used TACC’s Frontera cluster for simulations and CMG Ltd. software licenses provided to UT-Austin. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-FE0032338. Disclaimer This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Office under the CarbonSAFE program, award Number DE-FE0032338. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

eDNAjoint: An R package for interpreting paired or semi‐paired environmental DNA and traditional survey data in a Bayesian framework

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is increasingly used in surveys of species distribution as a potentially sensitive and efficient monitoring method. Yet access to modelling tools designed specifically for interpreting this new data type lags behind its ubiquity. While occupancy modelling software has dominated the analytical landscape for eDNA data analysis of single species, this type of model may not always be the most appropriate. The rate of eDNA detection often corresponds to species density, rather than just occupancy, and researchers often have access to observations from non‐genetic sampling methods at the same sites. To provide users access to a modelling framework designed to maximize the use of all available data, we developed an R package, eDNAjoint . The package provides an easy‐to‐use interface for fitting a ‘joint’ model that integrates data from paired or semi‐paired eDNA and traditional surveys in a Bayesian framework. The model can be used to estimate parameters like the probability of a false positive eDNA detection and mean catch rate at a site, and the package allows access to multiple model variations and Bayesian prior customization. Additional functionality can be used for model selection, summarising posteriors and comparing the relative sensitivities of the two survey methods. We demonstrate the use of eDNAjoint by fitting a variation of the model with site‐level covariates that scale the sensitivity of eDNA sampling relative to traditional sampling. The example workflow uses binary eDNA and seine count data for the endangered tidewater goby ( Eucyclogobius newberryi ) from a study by Schmelzle and Kinziger (2016). This use case includes a prior sensitivity analysis and an evaluation of the relationship between detection rates and environmental variables. eDNAjoint has the potential to greatly increase the range of users who will be able to rigorously analyse eDNA and traditional survey data in a Bayesian framework, understand if and how eDNA can improve monitoring practices, and gain confidence in the interpretability of eDNA data.

Keller, Abigail G. [Department of Environment Scie↗

Analysis and calculation of macrosegregation in a casting ingot. MPS solidification model. Volume 3: Operating manual

The operation of solidification model 1 is described. Model 1 calculates the macrosegregation in a rectangular ingot of a binary alloy as a result of horizontal axisymmetric bidirectional solidification. The calculation is restricted to steady-state solidification; there is no variation in final local average composition in the direction of isotherm movement. The physics of the model are given.

Maples, A. L.↗

Phase Behavior of the Ternary NaCl-PuCl 3 -Pu Molten Salt

There is a gap in our understanding of the behavior of fused and molten fuel salts containing unavoidable contamination, such as those due to fabrication, handling, or storage. Therefore, this work used calorimetry to investigate the change in liquidus temperature of PuCl 3 , having an unknown purity and that had been in storage for several decades. Further research was performed by additions of NaCl, making several compositions within the binary system, and summarizing the resulting changes, if any, to the phase diagram. The melting temperature of the PuCl 3 was determined to be 746.5°C, approximately 20°C lower than literature reported values, most likely due to an excess of Pu metal in the PuCl 3 either due to the presence of metallic plutonium remaining from incomplete chlorination or due to the solubility of Pu in PuCl 3 . From the melting temperature, it was determined that the PuCl 3 contained between 5.9 to 6.2mol% Pu metal. Analysis of the NaCl-PuCl 3 samples showed that using the Pu rich PuCl 3 resulted in significant changes to the NaCl-PuCl 3 phase diagram. Most notably an unreported phase transition occurring at approximately 406°C and a new eutectic composition of 52.7mol% NaCl–38.7mol% PuCl 3 –2.5mol% Pu which melted at 449.3°C. Additionally, an increase in the liquidus temperatures was seen for NaCl rich compositions while lower liquidus temperatures were seen for PuCl 3 rich compositions. It can therefore be concluded that changes will occur in the NaCl-PuCl 3 binary system when using PuCl 3 with excess Pu metal. However, melting temperature analysis can provide valuable insight into the composition of the PuCl 3 and therefore the NaCl-PuCl 3 system.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Data fusion with artificial neural networks (ANN) for classification of earth surface from microwave satellite measurements

A data fusion system with artificial neural networks (ANN) is used for fast and accurate classification of five earth surface conditions and surface changes, based on seven SSMI multichannel microwave satellite measurements. The measurements include brightness temperatures at 19, 22, 37, and 85 GHz at both H and V polarizations (only V at 22 GHz). The seven channel measurements are processed through a convolution computation such that all measurements are located at same grid. Five surface classes including non-scattering surface, precipitation over land, over ocean, snow, and desert are identified from ground-truth observations. The system processes sensory data in three consecutive phases: (1) pre-processing to extract feature vectors and enhance separability among detected classes; (2) preliminary classification of Earth surface patterns using two separate and parallely acting classifiers: back-propagation neural network and binary decision tree classifiers; and (3) data fusion of results from preliminary classifiers to obtain the optimal performance in overall classification. Both the binary decision tree classifier and the fusion processing centers are implemented by neural network architectures. The fusion system configuration is a hierarchical neural network architecture, in which each functional neural net will handle different processing phases in a pipelined fashion. There is a total of around 13,500 samples for this analysis, of which 4 percent are used as the training set and 96 percent as the testing set. After training, this classification system is able to bring up the detection accuracy to 94 percent compared with 88 percent for back-propagation artificial neural networks and 80 percent for binary decision tree classifiers. The neural network data fusion classification is currently under progress to be integrated in an image processing system at NOAA and to be implemented in a prototype of a massively parallel and dynamically reconfigurable Modular Neural Ring (MNR).

Lure, Y. M. Fleming↗

Quantification of complex protective surface oxide layer formed during plasma jet exposure of multicomponent ultra-high temperature carbides

Multicomponent ultra-high temperature ceramics (MC-UHTCs) has garnered attention due to their improved thermo-mechanical and oxidation properties. MC-UHTC was progressively formed by adding a UHTC component at each step, producing binary, ternary and quaternary UHTC systems, processed by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Here, we investigate the role of multi-elements and thermochemical stability of the surface oxide layer formed during plasma arc jet exposure (T > 2500 °C) of MC-UHTCs using core-level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) correlated with the structural investigation. The results indicate that adding a UHTC component improves oxidation resistance due to the assemblage of refractory phases forming complex mixed oxides via preferential oxidation. XPS spectra of Ta4f, Nb3d, Ti1p, and Hf4f showed that the nature of the chemical bonds switched from metal carbides to metal oxides (metal oxy-carbides) in the binary system with retained metal carbides in ternary and quaternary UHTCs. The absence of a metal carbide peak in the high-resolution C1s scan of the binary system also supports this finding. The principal complex mixed oxide phases emanate in the exiguous oxidation of MC-UHTCs are quantified using Rietveld analysis. Overall, this study suggests that MC-UHTC is a promising material for possible application in thermal protection systems (TPS).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ultrasound-Assisted Nonthermal, Nonequilibrium Separation of Organic Molecules from Their Binary Aqueous Solutions: Effect of Solute Properties on Separation

The separation of organic molecules in downstream processes, such as distillation, plays a vital role in biobased chemical production. A comprehensive study was performed here using ultrasonic energy to separate 11 organic molecules from their binary aqueous solutions under nonthermal, nonequilibrium, and phase-change free conditions. A batch sonoseparator with a three-stage mist collection unit allowed direct analysis of ultrasound-generated mist with an HPLC/GC and differentiation and quantification of the vapor and mist. The results showed that the alcohols (1-butanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and methanol) and acetone were enriched in the ultrasound-generated mist with enrichment ratios of 3.2–5. On the other hand, ethylene glycol, glycerol, γ-valerolactone (GVL), glucose, and sucrose were diluted with dilution ratios in the range of 2.04–15.7 in the mist and vapor generated by ultrasound (or concentrated in the bulk solution). No enrichment nor dilution of acetic acid was observed. The role of various physicochemical parameters such as dynamic viscosity, surface tension, Henry’s law of solubility constant, vapor pressure, and octanol–water partition coefficient in the enrichment was examined. Furthermore, the hydrophobicity of the organic molecules represented by the octanol–water partition coefficient was found to play a crucial role in determining the separation characteristics of the molecules in ultrasound-generated mist and vapor.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Building heights and urban canopy parameters for urban modeling

GLObal Building heights for Urban Studies (UT-GLOBUS) is a random forest model based framework that provides a level-of-detail-1 (LoD-1) building height dataset. The primary objective of UT-GLOBUS is not to precisely predict the height and footprint of individual buildings, but rather to offer a functional framework for generating building level information using open-source datasets for modeling applications. Specifically, UT-GLOBUS is tailored to meet the requirements of deriving urban canopy parameters (UCPs) for the multi-layer model within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and building heights for the SOLWEIG and SUEWS model. Building-level data is accessible in vector file format (GeoPackage: .gpkg), which can be converted into raster file format (geoTIFF). The vector files employ the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection. The vector files are compatible with GIS platforms like QGIS and ArcGIS, and can be imported for analysis using programming languages such as Python. We are also providing UCPs required by the multi-layer urban model in the urban WRF in binary file format. Additionally, we provide the urban fractions calculated using ESA world cover dataset (https://esa-worldcover.org/en) for WRF model in binary file format. These binary files can be directly incorporated into the WRF pre-processing system (WPS).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

WIYN Open Cluster Study LXXIX. M48 (NGC 2548) I. Radial Velocities, Rotational Velocities, and Metallicities of Stars in the Open Cluster M48 (NGC 2548)

WIYN/Hydra spectra (R ∼ 13,500, signal-to-noise pixel{sup −1} = 50–1000) of a 400 Å region around Li 6708 Å are used to determine radial and rotational velocities for 287 photometrically selected candidate members of the open cluster M48. The sample ranges from turnoff A stars to late-K dwarfs and eight giants. We combine our V {sub RAD} measurements and power spectrum analysis with parallax and proper motion data from Gaia DR2 to evaluate membership and multiplicity. We classify 152 stars as single cluster members, 11 as binary members, 16 as members of uncertain multiplicity, 56 as single nonmembers, 28 as single “likely” nonmembers, two as single “likely” members, one as a binary “likely” member, five as binary nonmembers, 10 as “likely” members of uncertain multiplicity, three as nonmembers of uncertain multiplicity, and three as “likely” nonmembers of uncertain multiplicity. From a subsample of 95 single members, we derive V {sub RAD} = 8.512 ± 0.087 km s{sup −1} (σ {sub μ}, and σ = 0.848 km s{sup −1}). Using 16 isolated Fe I lines for a subsample of 99 single members (that have σ{sub T{sub e{sub f{sub f}}}}<75 K (from 10 colors from UBVRI), v sin i < 25 km s{sup −1}, and well-behaved Fe I lines), [Fe/H]{sub M48} = −0.063 ± 0.007 dex (σ {sub μ}). [Fe/H] is independent of T {sub eff} over an unprecedentedly large range of 2500 K. The minimum cluster binary fraction is 11%–21%. M48 exhibits a clear but modest broadening of the main-sequence turnoff, and there is no correlation between color and v sin i.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Gravity research at Cottrell observatory

The Cottrell gravity research observatory and work in progress are described. Equipment in place and equipment to be installed, the cryogenic gravity meter (CGM), concrete pads to support the vertical seismometer, CGM, and guest experiments, techniques of data analysis, and improvements needed in the CGM are discussed. Harmonic earth eigenvibrations with multipole moments are examined and their compatibility with a fictitious black hole binary system (of which the primary central mass is assigned a value one million solar masses) located 400 light-years away is shown by calculations.

Tuman, V. S.↗

Ultraviolet spectroscopy of F and G supergiants with IUE. II - The hot companions of HR 2786 and HR 2859

Hot companion stars in two binary systems are analyzed by means of IUE low-dispersion spectra. HR 2859B is found to be a B2 IV or V star, and analysis of ultraviolet to near-infrared photometry indicates the primary to be an early G star only one magnitude brighter in V with a magnitude of -4.0. A third star probably associated with this system was classified B9p Hg a probable visual absolute magnitude of about -1.6 is obtained for it. HR 2786 is now confirmed to have a hot secondary, for which a spectral class of B9-9.5 is obtained. With an assumed luminosity for this component, the G2 Ib primary then has a magnitude of -3.8.

Parsons, S. B.↗

Delays of optical bursts in simultaneous optical and X-ray observations of MXB 1636-53

Observations of simultaneous optical and X-ray bursts from 4U/MXB 1636-53 were made using the Hakucho burst monitor system and optical telescopes at the European Southern Observatory during 1979 and 1980. The six best cases among the 10 coinciding observations are analyzed in terms of a model in which the optical emission is the result of reprocessing of X-rays (through blackbody heating). From this analysis, the temperature (spatially averaged) and size of a reprocessor, and the smearing and delay of the optical bursts are obtained. For the maximum temperatures of the optical reprocessor, the values differ from burst to burst, ranging from about 3 x 10 to the 4th to about 10 to the 5th K. The present analysis suggests that the size of the reprocessor varies by a factor of a few. For the smearing of the optical bursts an upper limit of a few seconds is derived. The most important result of this analysis is that the delay times are not the same for all bursts. The possible constraints which these results put on a low-mass binary model of this burst source are discussed.

Matsuoka, M.↗

X-ray emission from O-type stars - Parameters which affect it

As a result of previous analyses of the X-ray fluxes of O-type stars, it has been established that, surprisingly, there is no correlation between X-ray flux and such basic parameters as M, R, v(rot), T(eff), mass accretion rate v(infinity), L(w) = mass accretion rate v(infinity), and wind energy. In this paper, other factors influencing the X-ray flux of the hottest stars are sought. As a result of the present analysis, it is found that stars embedded in dense clouds are often X-ray brighter, runaway stars are fainter in X-rays, massive binaries emit more X-rays than single stars, and radio-bright stars are also more active in X-rays. All these correlations lead to the conclusion that the stellar environment and the interaction of the stellar wind with circumstellar matter (possible remnants of protostellar clouds) play a dominant role in the production of the X-ray flux.

Chlebowski, T.↗