Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “synchrotrons”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

OSO-8 X-ray polarimeter and Bragg crystal spectrometer observations

Results are discussed for observations of the Crab Nebula, Cyg X-1, and Cyg X-2 with the focusing mosaic graphite crystal X-ray polarimeter aboard OSO-8 as well as for observations of A0620-00 with the Bragg crystal spectrometer aboard the same satellite. The observed X-ray polarization of the Crab Nebula is shown to be in agreement with a previous measurement of the optical polarization and to confirm with very high confidence the earlier conclusion that the X-ray emission occurs by the synchrotron process. No evidence is found for polarization of X-rays from Cyg X-1, but a preliminary result of 4.8% + or 1.0% polarization at an energy of 2.6 keV and a position angle of 141.7 + or - 6.6 deg is reported for Cyg X-2. It is noted that this value is within the range expected for accretion disks. The spectrometry of A0620-00 yielded a continuous spectrum that can be accurately fitted with a thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum at a temperature of 15 million K.

Novick, R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The structure and spectrum of a colliding-cloud system and its possible relationship to QSOs

A collision between two gas clouds with initial densities of approximately 10 million per cu cm, velocities of about 1000 km/s, and radii of approximately 1 pc is investigated quantitatively by coupling a calculation of the radiation spectrum resulting from the anticipated shock fronts with a computation for the conversion of this high-energy radiation into optical emission in adjacent photoionized regions. The detailed structure of the colliding clouds is discussed, and the effects of an ambient magnetic field are considered. The combined emission-line spectrum is presented along with continuum emission estimates for thermal, synchrotron, and very-high-energy bremsstrahlung mechanisms. It is shown that significant continua can be produced over the range from 300 microns to 3 keV, including a blackbody contribution from a high-density neutral region between the shock fronts, free-free and free-bound radiation from the cooling zones directly behind the shocks, and free-free, free-bound, and two-photon radiation from the photoionized regions immediately ahead of and behind the cooling zones. The theoretical spectrum of the structure resulting from the collision is found to be similar in general and in some details to those observed for typical quasars.

Daltabuit, E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Are supernovae radio sources - A search for radio emission from young supernova remnants

A search has been conducted for radio emission at 11 and 3.7 cm from 46 recent supernovae having accurately determined positions and ages of a few months to 79 years. None of these supernovae was detected at a flux density greater than 5-10 mJy. These negative results cannot be explained by internal absorption and are thus due to intrinsically weak synchrotron emission in young supernova remnants. There are two possibilities: either (1) relativistic particles are accelerated not by the supernova outburst but by processes occurring much later (at least about 75 years) in the remnant or (2) the magnetic field in the young remnants evolves very slowly, in proportion to the inverse square root of time, so that its value in the remnants observed was no more than about 0.002 gauss. The constraints the observations place on these possibilities and on the energy in cosmic rays in young remnants are discussed. Gamma-ray observations at times of no more than about 1 year following an outburst will allow one to discriminate between the two alternative explanations of the radio results.

Brown, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Origin and evolution of the radio emission from immediate postoutburst supernovae

Several models for the radio emission from immediate postoutburst supernovae are examined under the assumption that the expanding remnant consists of a homogeneously mixed distribution of relativistic particles, magnetic field, and thermal plasma. The evolutionary models are: (1) an adiabatic expansion model; (2) a model incorporating the existence of a central pulsar; and (3) variations on the first two models in which relativistic electrons are accelerated either instantaneously or over an extended period of time and in which ionization, bremsstrahlung, synchrotron, Compton, and expansion losses are explicitly included. The character of the radio emission expected from these models is quite dissimilar. Whereas in adiabatic expansion models the emission is expected to increase slowly and become most intense at high frequencies, in models involving a central pulsar the emission should increase rapidly with a maximum flux density that is the same at all frequencies. The theoretical evolution of the radio emission for each model is compared with observations of SN 1970g.

Marscher, A. P.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The X-ray emitting galaxy Centaurus A

OSO-8 X-ray observations of Cen A in 1975 and 1976 are reported. The source spectrum can be well fitted in both years by a power law of number index 1.66 and absorption due to 1.3 by 10 to the 23rd power atoms/sq cm. The total flux varied by a factor of 2 between 1975 and 1976. In 1976 there were flux variations of approximately 40% on a time scale of days. Measurements of the 6.4-keV Fe fluorescent line and the 7.1-keV absorption edge imply Fe/H of approximately 0.000016. Simultaneous radio measurements show variation in phase with X-ray variability. Consideration of radio, millimeter, infrared, and X-ray data shows that all the data can be accounted for by a model in which the X-rays are due to a synchrotron self-Compton source embedded in a cold H2 cloud.

Mushotzky, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Cygnus A at 99 GHz - Observations of the three principal components and interpretation of the central source

The three principal emission components of Cygnus A have been observed at 99 GHz, the highest frequency at which radio measurements of this source have been accomplished. The observations show no definite indication of a high-frequency cutoff in the spectrum of the compact central component, which perhaps may be attributed to an optically thin synchrotron source that peaks at a frequency of several hundred GHz.

Hobbs, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy

Cosmic ray propagation in the Galaxy is examined within the framework of the leaky-box model, whereby phenomenological aspects of diffusion and propagation are related to the physical properties of the interstellar medium. The model is parameterized by data on composition, spectra, spectral change as a function of energy, and cosmic ray particle lifetime. It is assumed that electrons and nucleons have a common source within the Galaxy (probably associated with supernova remnants). Lifetime data and leakage length are compared with radio synchrotron and gamma-ray data to establish a place of origin for cosmic rays observed at earth, i.e., at a radius of 0.5-1.0 kpc from earth. It is noted that if the escape length becomes energy independent, all nuclear spectra will flatten, while the electron spectrum remains unchanged.

Ormes, J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

X-ray and radio emission from the compact galaxy III Zw 2

X-rays from the compact galaxy III Zw 2 have been detected with the rotating modulation collimator on board SAS 3. The (2-10-keV) flux is (4.3 + or - 0.5) by 10 to the -11th power erg/sq cm per sec, which corresponds to a luminosity of 1.4 by 10 to the 45th power erg/s at 530 Mpc. Subsequent radio observations between 1.46 and 90 GHz were made at the NRAO Very Large Array and 36-foot (11-m) installations. The radio spectrum rises sharply toward higher frequencies and, below about 100 GHz, is indicative of a self-absorbed synchrotron spectrum from an extremely compact, rapidly evolving object.

Schnopper, H. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Coordinated photometric and spectroscopic observations of strong extragalactic 90 GHz sources

Nearly simultaneous radio and infrared-optical observations were obtained for several extragalactic radio sources which are strong at 90 GHz. The spectral-flux distributions are generally peaked or flat over the radio portion of the spectrum with a steeper, power-law behavior at infrared-optical frequencies. For all sources, the radio and infrared-optical portions of the spectral-flux distributions can be smoothly joined by physically sensible interpolations over the spectral gap, although spectral breaks are required. For many of the sources, this is consistent with a common (synchrotron) origin of the radio, millimeter, and infrared-optical radiation. However, proof, in terms of correlated temporal variations and polarization properties, is still generally lacking.

Odell, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Evidence of an increase in the microwave brightness temperature of Uranus

Measurements are reported which indicate that the microwave brightness temperature of Uranus near 3 cm wavelength has increased by about 35% in the past decade. It is suggested that changes of this magnitude could be caused by seasonal or latitudinal variations of the microwave opacity of the Uranus atmosphere. The data appear to be inconsistent with models of synchrotron emission from a trapped radiation belt.

Klein, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Relativistic blast-wave model for the rapid flux variations of AO 0235+164 and other compact radio sources

A relativistic blast-wave version of a signal-screen model is developed which can adequately explain the details of the flux-density and structural variations of compact extragalactic radio sources. The relativistic motion implied by flux variations is analyzed with respect to the synchrotron spectrum of the BL Lac object AO 0235+164 observed during outbursts, and a signal-screen model for rapidly expanding shells produced by ultrarelativistic blast waves is examined. The approximate observed structure of the blast wave at three stages in its evolution is illustrated, each stage is described, and the model is applied to the flux density outburst in AO 0235+164 observed in late 1975. The results show that a relativistic blast-wave model can in general reproduce the main features of the observed flux variations in compact sources. Some problems with the proposed model are briefly discussed.

Marscher, A. P.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Non-thermal radio emission from Saturn

Direct, strong evidence for non-thermal radio emission from Saturn exists in the hectometric data observed by Imp 6. The planet has been tentatively identified as a decametric source, but the most sensitive and most recent data fail to confirm this. At metric or decimetric wavelengths Saturn has no non-thermal emission like Jupiter's synchrotron sources. Finally, a comparative study of Earth and Jupiter radio emissions suggests lightning discharges.

Warwick, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

N galaxies - A new class of X-ray sources

It is shown that in addition to many Seyfert galaxies and quasars, N galaxies are also powerful X-ray sources. X-ray emission has been discovered from all six N galaxies in the 3C radio catalogue with redshifts less than 0.06 and from the N galaxy Pic A. Since many of the N galaxies possess compact radio components, it is suggested that the principle cause of X-ray emission may be the synchrotron self-Compton process. An alternate theory suggests that X-rays may be generated by gas clouds colliding with velocities of the order of the Doppler width of the broad lines.

Marshall, F. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

X-ray observations of a flare in NGC 4151 from OSO 8

The 2-60-keV flux from NGC 4151 has been observed to change by a factor of 2 on a time scale of 1.5 days. No fluctuations in excess of a factor of 3 are detected on time scales less than 4 hours. During a total observation of approximately 11 days there were no statistically significant changes in spectral shape. The spectrum can be fitted by a power law with photon index of about 1.42 + or - 0.06 and a hydrogen column density of approximately 7.5 + or - 0.5 x 10 to the 22nd power atoms/sq cm. A 2-sigma residual to this fit implies fluorescent Fe line emission with an equivalent width of about 240 eV. Both synchrotron self-Compton and thermal Compton models are consistent with the X-ray data.

Mushotzky, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Vacuum ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy of atoms and molecules

For a complete study of the photoionization of atoms and molecules it is essential to make use of the technique of Photoelectron Spectroscopy and the continuum characteristics of synchrotron radiation. A brief review is given of the application of the above techniques in measuring partial photoionization cross sections and the angular distribution assymetry parameter beta. Selected results are given, which are compared to theoretical values.

Samson, J. A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Search for X-ray emission from AO0235+164

Limits to the first-order Compton scattering, brightness temperature, and angular size of the compact radio source AO0235+164 were calculated on the basis of a flux density of less than about 1 microJy at 10 to the 18th Hz calculated from observations of the source with the rotating modulation collimator aboard the SAS 3 X-ray observatory. It was found that the maximum brightness temperature at this frequency is less than 2.4 times 10 to the 11th K, corresponding to a minimum angular size of 0.38 msec of arc, assuming the synchrotron self-absorption turnover coefficient is 0.5. On the basis of the distance implied by the largest redshift present, the energy contained in relativistic particles and the magnetic field are calculated, and the ratio of particle to magnetic energy is greater than 10, so the dynamics must be particle dominated. This indicates relativistic expansion if the mean energy per particle is comparable to or greater than the rest of those particles that neutralize the electron plasma.

Dennison, B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Further observational support for the lossy radial diffusion model of the inner Jovian magnetosphere

A mathematical model describing radial diffusion, with violation of the third adiabatic invariant and with local losses, is applied to the Pioneer 10 and 11 observations of omnidirectional integral intensities of electrons with energy exceeding 21 MeV. Local losses outside L = 3 are much stronger than synchrotron losses but weaker than the losses one would expect for strong pitch angle diffusion. If radial diffusion is driven by ionospheric winds, as was suggested by Brice and McDonough (1973), it is found that the theoretical solution which best fits the data requires that the radial diffusion coefficient equals 3 x 10 to the -9th L-cubed/s and the lifetime against local losses is approximately a few million seconds.

Goertz, C. K.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Further comments on the effects of vacuum birefringence on the polarization of X-rays emitted from magnetic neutron stars

The birefringence of the vacuum in the presence of strong (of the order of 1 teragauss) magnetic fields will in general affect the polarization of X-rays propagating through these fields. Two of the four Stokes parameters will vary so rapidly with wavelength as to be 'washed out' and unobservable, but the remaining two parameters will be unaffected. These results show that one conclusion of an earlier work is incorrect: Polarized X-ray emission from the surface of a magnetic neutron star will not in general be completely depolarized by the effects of vacuum birefringence. In particular, this birefringence has no effect on the linear polarization of cyclotron emission from the poles of magnetic neutron stars, and a similar result holds for synchrotron emission. More general cases of the propagation of polarized X-rays in magnetic fields are also discussed.

Chanan, G. A.↗