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At least 595 records · Page 33
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DOE OSTI2015

ION-SCALE TURBULENCE IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE: RADIAL DEPENDENCE

The evolution of the ion-scale plasma turbulence in the inner heliosphere is studied by associating the plasma parameters for hybrid-code turbulence simulations to the radial distance from the Sun via a Solar wind model based mapping procedure. Using a mapping based on a one-dimensional solar wind expansion model, the resulting ion-kinetic scale turbulence is related to the solar wind distance from the Sun. For this purpose the mapping is carried out for various values of ion beta that correspond to the heliocentric distance. It is shown that the relevant normal modes such as ion cyclotron and ion Bernstein modes will occur first at radial distances of about 0.2–0.3 AU, i.e., near the Mercury orbit. This finding can be used as a reference, a prediction to guide the in situ measurements to be performed by the upcoming Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions. Furthermore, a radial dependence of the wave-vector anisotropy was obtained. For astrophysical objects this means that the spatial scales of filamentary structures in interstellar media or astrophysical jets can be predicted for photometric observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

MAGNETIC FLUX TUBE INTERCHANGE AT THE HELIOPAUSE

The magnetic field measured by Voyager 1 prior to its heliocliff encounter on 2012.65 showed an unexpectedly complex transition from the primarily azimuthal inner-heliosheath field to the draped interstellar field tilted by some 20° to the nominal azimuthal direction. Most prominent were two regions of enhanced magnetic field strength depleted in energetic charged particles of heliospheric origin. These regions were interpreted as magnetic flux tubes connected to the outer heliosheath that provided a path for the particles to escape. Despite large increases in strength, the field’s direction did not change appreciably at the boundaries of these flux tubes. Rather, the field’s direction changed gradually over several months prior to the heliocliff crossing. It is shown theoretically that the heliopause, as a pressure equilibrium layer, can become unstable to interchange of magnetic fields between the inner and the outer heliosheaths. The curvature of magnetic field lines and the anti-sunward gradient in plasma kinetic pressure provide conditions favorable for an interchange. Magnetic shear between the heliosheath and the interstellar fields reduces the growth rates, but does not fully stabilize the heliopause against perturbations propagating in the latitudinal direction. The instability could create a transition layer permeated by magnetic flux tubes, oriented parallel to each other and alternately connected to the heliosheath or the interstellar regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR BANDS AND ANOMALOUS MICROWAVE EMISSION MAY ORIGINATE FROM THE SAME CARRIERS

We argue that the observed spectroscopic and statistical properties of the diffuse interstellar band (DIB) carriers are those that are needed to produce the anomalous microwave emission (AME). We explore this idea using a carrier-impartial model for AME based on the observed DIB statistical properties. We show that an observed distribution of profile widths for narrow DIBs can be mapped into an AME spectrum. The mapping model is applied to width distributions observed for HD 204827 and HD 183143, selected because their spectroscopic and statistical properties bracket those for most other sight lines. The predicted AME spectra for these sight lines agree well with the range of spectral shapes, and peak frequencies, ∼23–31 GHz, typically observed for AME. We use the AME spectral profiles to derive a strong constraint between the average carrier size and its rotational temperature. The constraint is applied to a variety of postulated molecular carrier classes, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fulleranes, hydrocarbon chains, and amorphous hydrocarbon clusters. The constraint favors small, cold carriers with average sizes of ∼8–15 carbon atoms, and average rotational temperatures of ∼3–10 K, depending on carrier type. We suggest new observations, analyses, and modeling efforts to help resolve the ambiguities with regard to carrier size and class, and to further clarify the DIB–AME relationship.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE PANCHROMATIC HUBBLE ANDROMEDA TREASURY. VIII. A WIDE-AREA, HIGH-RESOLUTION MAP OF DUST EXTINCTION IN M31

We map the distribution of dust in M31 at 25 pc resolution using stellar photometry from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury survey. The map is derived with a new technique that models the near-infrared color–magnitude diagram (CMD) of red giant branch (RGB) stars. The model CMDs combine an unreddened foreground of RGB stars with a reddened background population viewed through a log-normal column density distribution of dust. Fits to the model constrain the median extinction, the width of the extinction distribution, and the fraction of reddened stars in each 25 pc cell. The resulting extinction map has a factor of ≳4 times better resolution than maps of dust emission, while providing a more direct measurement of the dust column. There is superb morphological agreement between the new map and maps of the extinction inferred from dust emission by Draine et al. However, the widely used Draine and Li dust models overpredict the observed extinction by a factor of ∼2.5, suggesting that M31's true dust mass is lower and that dust grains are significantly more emissive than assumed in Draine et al. The observed factor of ∼2.5 discrepancy is consistent with similar findings in the Milky Way by the Plank Collaboration et al., but we find a more complex dependence on parameters from the Draine and Li dust models. We also show that the the discrepancy with the Draine et al. map is lowest where the current interstellar radiation field has a harder spectrum than average. We discuss possible improvements to the CMD dust mapping technique, and explore further applications in both M31 and other galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

STUDYING THE INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELD FROM ANISOTROPIES IN VELOCITY CHANNELS

Turbulence in the interstellar medium is anisotropic due to the ubiquitous magnetic fields. This anisotropy depends on the strength of the magnetic field and leaves an imprint on observations of spectral line maps. We use a grid of ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations of driven turbulence and produce synthetic position–position–velocity maps to study the turbulence anisotropy in velocity channels of various resolutions. We found that the average structure function of velocity channels is aligned with the projection of the magnetic field on the plane of the sky. We also found that the degree of such anisotropy increases with the magnitude of the magnetic field. For thick velocity channels (low velocity resolution), the anisotropy is dominated by density, and the degree of anisotropy in these maps allows one to distinguish sub-Alfvénic and super-Alfvénic turbulence regimes, but it also depends strongly on the sonic Mach number. For thin channels (high velocity resolution), we find that the anisotropy depends less on the sonic Mach number. An important limitation of this technique is that it only gives a lower limit on the magnetic field strength because the anisotropy is related only to the magnetic field component on the plane of the sky. It can, and should, be used in combination with other techniques to estimate the magnetic field, such as the Fermi-Chandrasekhar method, anisotropies in centroids, Faraday rotation measurements, or direct line-of-sight determinations of the field from Zeeman effect observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

CORRECTING FOR INTERSTELLAR SCATTERING DELAY IN HIGH-PRECISION PULSAR TIMING: SIMULATION RESULTS

Light travel time changes due to gravitational waves (GWs) may be detected within the next decade through precision timing of millisecond pulsars. Removal of frequency-dependent interstellar medium (ISM) delays due to dispersion and scattering is a key issue in the detection process. Current timing algorithms routinely correct pulse times of arrival (TOAs) for time-variable delays due to cold plasma dispersion. However, none of the major pulsar timing groups correct for delays due to scattering from multi-path propagation in the ISM. Scattering introduces a frequency-dependent phase change in the signal that results in pulse broadening and arrival time delays. Any method to correct the TOA for interstellar propagation effects must be based on multi-frequency measurements that can effectively separate dispersion and scattering delay terms from frequency-independent perturbations such as those due to a GW. Cyclic spectroscopy, first described in an astronomical context by Demorest (2011), is a potentially powerful tool to assist in this multi-frequency decomposition. As a step toward a more comprehensive ISM propagation delay correction, we demonstrate through a simulation that we can accurately recover impulse response functions (IRFs), such as those that would be introduced by multi-path scattering, with a realistic signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). We demonstrate that timing precision is improved when scatter-corrected TOAs are used, under the assumptions of a high S/N and highly scattered signal. We also show that the effect of pulse-to-pulse “jitter” is not a serious problem for IRF reconstruction, at least for jitter levels comparable to those observed in several bright pulsars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

INTERSTELLAR GAS FLOW PARAMETERS DERIVED FROM INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER-Lo OBSERVATIONS IN 2009 AND 2010: ANALYTICAL ANALYSIS

Neutral atom imaging of the interstellar gas flow in the inner heliosphere provides the most detailed information on physical conditions of the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM) and its interaction with the heliosphere. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) measured neutral H, He, O, and Ne for three years. We compare the He and combined O+Ne flow distributions for two interstellar flow passages in 2009 and 2010 with an analytical calculation, which is simplified because the IBEX orientation provides observations at almost exactly the perihelion of the gas trajectories. This method allows separate determination of the key ISM parameters: inflow speed, longitude, and latitude, as well as temperature. A combined optimization, as in complementary approaches, is thus not necessary. Based on the observed peak position and width in longitude and latitude, inflow speed, latitude, and temperature are found as a function of inflow longitude. The latter is then constrained by the variation of the observed flow latitude as a function of observer longitude and by the ratio of the widths of the distribution in longitude and latitude. Identical results are found for 2009 and 2010: an He flow vector somewhat outside previous determinations ({lambda}{sub ISM{infinity}} = 79.{sup 0}0+3.{sup 0}0(-3.{sup 0}5), {beta}{sub ISM{infinity}} = -4.{sup 0}9 {+-} 0.{sup 0}2, V{sub ISM{infinity}} 23.5 + 3.0(-2.0) km s{sup -1}, T{sub He} = 5000-8200 K), suggesting a larger inflow longitude and lower speed. The O+Ne temperature range, T{sub O+Ne} = 5300-9000 K, is found to be close to the upper range for He and consistent with an isothermal medium for all species within current uncertainties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

NEUTRAL INTERSTELLAR HELIUM PARAMETERS BASED ON IBEX-Lo OBSERVATIONS AND TEST PARTICLE CALCULATIONS

Because of its high ionization potential and weak interaction with hydrogen, neutral interstellar helium (NISHe) is almost unaffected at the heliospheric interface with the interstellar medium and freely enters the solar system. This second most abundant species provides some of the best information on the characteristics of the interstellar gas in the local interstellar cloud. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is the second mission to directly detect NISHe. We present a comparison between recent IBEX NISHe observations and simulations carried out using a well-tested quantitative simulation code. Simulation and observation results compare well for times when measured fluxes are dominated by NISHe (and contributions from other species are small). Differences between simulations and observations indicate a previously undetected secondary population of neutral helium, likely produced by interaction of interstellar helium with plasma in the outer heliosheath. Interstellar neutral parameters are statistically different from previous in situ results obtained mostly from the GAS/Ulysses experiment, but they do agree with the local interstellar flow vector obtained from studies of interstellar absorption: the newly established flow direction is ecliptic longitude 79.{sup 0}2, latitude -5.{sup 0}1, the velocity is {approx}22.8 km s{sup -1}, and the temperature is 6200 K. These new results imply a markedly lower absolute velocity of the gas and thus significantly lower dynamic pressure on the boundaries of the heliosphere and different orientation of the Hydrogen Deflection Plane compared to prior results from Ulysses. A different orientation of this plane also suggests a new geometry of the interstellar magnetic field, and the lower dynamic pressure calls for a compensation by other components of the pressure balance, most likely a higher density of interstellar plasma and strength of interstellar magnetic field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

ESTIMATION OF THE NEON/OXYGEN ABUNDANCE RATIO AT THE HELIOSPHERIC TERMINATION SHOCK AND IN THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM FROM IBEX OBSERVATIONS

We report the first direct measurement of the Ne/O abundance ratio of the interstellar neutral gas flowing into the inner heliosphere. From the first year of Interstellar Boundary Explorer IBEX data collected in spring 2009, we derive the fluxes of interstellar neutral oxygen and neon. Using the flux ratio at the location of IBEX at 1 AU at the time of the observations, and using the ionization rates of neon and oxygen prevailing in the heliosphere during the period of solar minimum, we estimate the neon/oxygen ratios at the heliospheric termination shock and in the gas phase of the inflowing local interstellar medium. Our estimate is (Ne/O){sub gas,ISM} = 0.27 {+-} 0.10, which is-within the large given uncertainties-consistent with earlier measurements from pickup ions. Our value is larger than the solar abundance ratio, possibly indicating that a significant fraction of oxygen in the local interstellar medium is hidden in grains and/or ices.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

LOCAL INTERSTELLAR NEUTRAL HYDROGEN SAMPLED IN SITU BY IBEX

Hydrogen gas is the dominant component of the local interstellar medium. However, owing to ionization and interaction with the heliosphere, direct sampling of neutral hydrogen in the inner heliosphere is more difficult than sampling the local interstellar neutral helium, which penetrates deep into the heliosphere. In this paper, we report on the first detailed analysis of the direct sampling of neutral hydrogen from the local interstellar medium. We confirm that the arrival direction of hydrogen is offset from that of the local helium component. We further report the discovery of a variation of the penetrating hydrogen over the first two years of Interstellar Boundary Explorer observations. Observations are consistent with hydrogen experiencing an effective ratio of outward solar radiation pressure to inward gravitational force greater than unity ({mu} > 1); the temporal change observed in the local interstellar hydrogen flux can be explained with solar variability.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

PRECISION POINTING OF IBEX-Lo OBSERVATIONS

Post-launch boresight of the IBEX-Lo instrument on board the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is determined based on IBEX-Lo Star Sensor observations. Accurate information on the boresight of the neutral gas camera is essential for precise determination of interstellar gas flow parameters. Utilizing spin-phase information from the spacecraft attitude control system (ACS), positions of stars observed by the Star Sensor during two years of IBEX measurements were analyzed and compared with positions obtained from a star catalog. No statistically significant differences were observed beyond those expected from the pre-launch uncertainty in the Star Sensor mounting. Based on the star observations and their positions in the spacecraft reference system, pointing of the IBEX satellite spin axis was determined and compared with the pointing obtained from the ACS. Again, no statistically significant deviations were observed. We conclude that no systematic correction for boresight geometry is needed in the analysis of IBEX-Lo observations to determine neutral interstellar gas flow properties. A stack-up of uncertainties in attitude knowledge shows that the instantaneous IBEX-Lo pointing is determined to within {approx}0.{sup 0}1 in both spin angle and elevation using either the Star Sensor or the ACS. Further, the Star Sensor can be used to independently determine the spacecraft spin axis. Thus, Star Sensor data can be used reliably to correct the spin phase when the Star Tracker (used by the ACS) is disabled by bright objects in its field of view. The Star Sensor can also determine the spin axis during most orbits and thus provides redundancy for the Star Tracker.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A KINETIC DATABASE FOR ASTROCHEMISTRY (KIDA)

We present a novel chemical database for gas-phase astrochemistry. Named the KInetic Database for Astrochemistry (KIDA), this database consists of gas-phase reactions with rate coefficients and uncertainties that will be vetted to the greatest extent possible. Submissions of measured and calculated rate coefficients are welcome, and will be studied by experts before inclusion into the database. Besides providing kinetic information for the interstellar medium, KIDA is planned to contain such data for planetary atmospheres and for circumstellar envelopes. Each year, a subset of the reactions in the database (kida.uva) will be provided as a network for the simulation of the chemistry of dense interstellar clouds with temperatures between 10 K and 300 K. We also provide a code, named Nahoon, to study the time-dependent gas-phase chemistry of zero-dimensional and one-dimensional interstellar sources.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

A COMPILATION OF INTERSTELLAR COLUMN DENSITIES

We have collated absorption line data toward 3008 stars in order to create a unified database of interstellar column densities. These data have been taken from a number of different published sources and include many different species and ionizations. The preliminary results from our analysis show a tight relation [N(H)/E(B - V) = 6.12 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 21}] between N(H) and E(B - V). Similar plots have been obtained with many different species, and their correlations along with the correlation coefficients are presented.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES AT HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION TOWARD ORION-KL. I. SPATIAL SCALES

Here we present high spatial resolution (<1'') observations of molecular emission in Orion-KL conducted using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy. This work was motivated by recent millimeter continuum imaging studies of this region conducted at a similarly high spatial resolution, which revealed that the bulk of the emission arises from numerous compact sources, rather than the larger-scale extended structures typically associated with the Orion Hot Core and Compact Ridge. Given that the spatial extent of molecular emission greatly affects the determination of molecular abundances, it is important to determine the true spatial scale for complex molecules in this region. Additionally, it has recently been suggested that the relative spatial distributions of complex molecules in a source might give insight into the chemical mechanisms that drive complex chemistry in star-forming regions. In order to begin to address these issues, this study seeks to determine the spatial distributions of ethyl cyanide [C{sub 2}H{sub 5}CN], dimethyl ether [(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}O], methyl formate [HCOOCH{sub 3}], formic acid [HCOOH], acetone [(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}CO], SiO, methanol [CH{sub 3}OH], and methyl cyanide [CH{sub 3}CN] in Orion-KL at {lambda} = 3 mm. We find that for all observed molecules, the molecular emission arises from multiple components of the cloud that include a range of spatial scales and physical conditions. Here, we present the results of these observations and discuss the implications for studies of complex molecules in star-forming regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES AT HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION TOWARD ORION-KL. II. KINEMATICS

It has recently been suggested that chemical processing can shape the spatial distributions of complex molecules in the Orion-KL region and leads to the nitrogen-oxygen 'chemical differentiation' seen in previous observations of this source. Orion-KL is a very dynamic region, and it is therefore also possible that physical conditions can shape the molecular distributions in this source. Only high spatial resolution observations can provide the information needed to disentangle these effects. Here, we present millimeter imaging studies of Orion-KL at various beam sizes using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy. We compare molecular images with high spatial resolution images that trace the temperature, density, and kinematics of the source in order to investigate the effects of physical conditions on molecular distributions. These observations were conducted at {lambda} = 3 mm and included transitions of ethyl cyanide [C{sub 2}H{sub 5}CN], methyl formate [HCOOCH{sub 3}], formic acid [HCOOH], acetone [(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}CO], SiO, and methanol [CH{sub 3}OH]. We find differences in the molecular distributions as a function of each of the aforementioned physical factors. These results indicate that acetone may be produced by chemical processing and is robust to large changes in physical conditions, while formic acid is readily destroyed by gas-phase processing in warm and dense regions. We also find that while the spatial distributions of ethyl cyanide and methyl formate are not distinct as is suggested by the concept of 'chemical differentiation', local physical conditions shape the small-scale emission structure for these species.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

COLLISIONAL EXCITATION OF THE [C II] FINE STRUCTURE TRANSITION IN INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

We analyze the collisional excitation of the 158 {mu}m (1900.5 GHz) fine structure transition of ionized carbon in terms of line intensities produced by simple cloud models. The single C{sup +} fine structure transition is a very important coolant of the atomic interstellar medium (ISM) and of photon-dominated regions in which carbon is partially or completely in ionized form. The [C II] line is widely used as a tracer of star formation in the Milky Way and other galaxies. Excitation of the [C II] fine structure transition can be via collisions with hydrogen molecules, atoms, and electrons. Analysis of [C II] observations is complicated by the fact that it is difficult to determine the optical depth of the line. We discuss the excitation of the [C II] line, deriving analytic results for several limiting cases and carry out numerical solutions using a large velocity gradient model for a more inclusive analysis. For antenna temperatures up to 1/3 of the brightness temperature of the gas kinetic temperature, the antenna temperature is linearly proportional to the column density of C{sup +} irrespective of the optical depth of the transition. This is appropriately referred to as the effectively optically thin approximation. We review the critical densities for excitation of the [C II] line by various collision partners, briefly analyze C{sup +} absorption, and conclude with a discussion of C{sup +} cooling and how the considerations for line intensities affect the behavior of this important coolant of the ISM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MODELING GALACTIC EXTINCTION WITH DUST AND 'REAL' POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS

We investigate the remarkable apparent variety of galactic extinction curves by modeling extinction profiles with core-mantle grains and a collection of single polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Our aim is to translate a synthetic description of dust into physically well-grounded building blocks through the analysis of a statistically relevant sample of different extinction curves. All different flavors of observed extinction curves, ranging from the average galactic extinction curve to virtually 'bumpless' profiles, can be described by the present model. We prove that a mixture of a relatively small number (54 species in 4 charge states each) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can reproduce the features of the extinction curve in the ultraviolet, dismissing an old objection to the contribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to the interstellar extinction curve. Despite the large number of free parameters (at most the 54 Multiplication-Sign 4 column densities of each species in each ionization state included in the molecular ensemble plus the 9 parameters defining the physical properties of classical particles), we can strongly constrain some physically relevant properties such as the total number of C atoms in all species and the mean charge of the mixture. Such properties are found to be largely independent of the adopted dust model whose variation provides effects that are orthogonal to those brought about by the molecular component. Finally, the fitting procedure, together with some physical sense, suggests (but does not require) the presence of an additional component of chemically different very small carbonaceous grains.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗