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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 649 records · Page 36

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DOE OSTI2011

HIGH-RESOLUTION OBSERVATIONS OF SIPHON FLOWS IN A SOLAR MAGNETIC PORE

We investigate signatures of siphon flows in a region around a solar magnetic pore, observed in the photosphere at {mu} = 0.6, during its decay phase. We analyze high-resolution Stokes spectra acquired by Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope along the Fe I pair at 630.2 nm. We determine the vector magnetic field and the line-of-sight velocity by an inversion of the full Stokes vector using the SIR code. We also analyze photospheric G-band filtergrams. We find evidence of a transient siphon (counter)flow at the edge of the pore. An arch-shaped structure is found to have upflow motions of 4 km s{sup -1} in the footpoint with a stronger magnetic field and positive polarity, and downflows of the same order of magnitude in the footpoint with opposite polarity and a weaker magnetic field. The event is different from those reported in previous observations of the Sun's atmosphere and may represent a physical constraint for numerical models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

SOUND-SPEED INVERSION OF THE SUN USING A NONLOCAL STATISTICAL CONVECTION THEORY

Helioseismic inversions reveal a major discrepancy in sound speed between the Sun and the standard solar model just below the base of the solar convection zone. We demonstrate that this discrepancy is caused by the inherent shortcomings of the local mixing-length theory adopted in the standard solar model. Using a self-consistent nonlocal convection theory, we construct an envelope model of the Sun for sound-speed inversion. Our solar model has a very smooth transition from the convective envelope to the radiative interior, and the convective energy flux changes sign crossing the boundaries of the convection zone. It shows evident improvement over the standard solar model, with a significant reduction in the discrepancy in sound speed between the Sun and local convection models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Statistical estimates of the binary properties of rotational variables

ABSTRACT We present a model to estimate the average primary masses, companion mass ranges, the inclination limit for recognizing a rotational variable, and the primary mass spreads for populations of binary stars. The model fits a population’s binary mass function distribution and allows for a probability that some mass functions are incorrectly estimated. Using tests with synthetic data, we assess the model’s sensitivity to each parameter, finding that we are most sensitive to the average primary mass and the minimum companion mass, with less sensitivity to the inclination limit and little to no sensitivity to the primary mass spread. We apply the model to five populations of binary spotted rotational variables identified in ASAS-SN, computing their binary mass functions using RV data from APOGEE. Their average primary mass estimates are consistent with our expectations based on their CMD locations ($\sim 0.75 \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ for lower main sequence primaries and $\sim 0.9$–$1.2 \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ for RS CVn and sub-subgiants). Their companion mass range estimates allow companion masses down to $M_2/M_1\simeq 0.1$, although the main sequence population may have a higher minimum mass fraction ($\sim 0.4$). We see weak evidence of an inclination limit $\gtrsim 50^{\circ }$ for the main sequence and sub-subgiant groups and no evidence of an inclination limit in the other groups. No groups show strong evidence for a preferred primary mass spread. We conclude by demonstrating that the approach will provide significantly better estimates of the primary mass and the minimum mass ratio and reasonable sensitivity to the inclination limit with 10 times as many systems.

Phillips, Anya (ORCID:000900051914974X)↗

DOE OSTI2013

THREE-DIMENSIONAL RADIATION TRANSFER IN YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS

We have updated our publicly available dust radiative transfer code (HOCHUNK3D) to include new emission processes and various three-dimensional (3D) geometries appropriate for forming stars. The 3D geometries include warps and spirals in disks, accretion hotspots on the central star, fractal clumping density enhancements, and misaligned inner disks. Additional axisymmetric (2D) features include gaps in disks and envelopes, ''puffed-up inner rims'' in disks, multiple bipolar cavity walls, and iteration of disk vertical structure assuming hydrostatic equilibrium (HSEQ). We include the option for simple power-law envelope geometry, which, combined with fractal clumping and bipolar cavities, can be used to model evolved stars as well as protostars. We include non-thermal emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and very small grains, and external illumination from the interstellar radiation field. The grid structure was modified to allow multiple dust species in each cell; based on this, a simple prescription is implemented to model dust stratification. We describe these features in detail, and show example calculations of each. Some of the more interesting results include the following: (1) outflow cavities may be more clumpy than infalling envelopes. (2) PAH emission in high-mass stars may be a better indicator of evolutionary stage than the broadband spectral energy distribution slope; and related to this, (3) externally illuminated clumps and high-mass stars in optically thin clouds can masquerade as young stellar objects. (4) Our HSEQ models suggest that dust settling is likely ubiquitous in T Tauri disks, in agreement with previous observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

MID-IR SPECTRA OF TYPE Ia SN 2014J IN M82 SPANNING THE FIRST 4 MONTHS

We present a time series of 8-13 μm spectra and photometry for SN 2014J obtained 57, 81, 108, and 137 days after the explosion using CanariCam on the Gran Telescopio Canarias. This is the first mid-IR time series ever obtained for a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia). These observations can be understood within the framework of the delayed detonation model and the production of ∼0.6 M {sub ☉} of {sup 56}Ni, consistent with the observed brightness, the brightness decline relation, and the γ-ray fluxes. The [Co III] line at 11.888 μm is particularly useful for evaluating the time evolution of the photosphere and measuring the amount of {sup 56}Ni and thus the mass of the ejecta. Late-time line profiles of SN 2014J are rather symmetric and not shifted in the rest frame. We see argon emission, which provides a unique probe of mixing in the transition layer between incomplete burning and nuclear statistical equilibrium. We may see [Fe III] and [Ni IV] emission, both of which are observed to be substantially stronger than indicated by our models. If the latter identification is correct, then we are likely observing stable Ni, which might imply central mixing. In addition, electron capture, also required for stable Ni, requires densities larger than ∼1 × 10{sup 9} g cm{sup –3}, which are expected to be present only in white dwarfs close to the Chandrasekhar limit. This study demonstrates that mid-IR studies of SNe Ia are feasible from the ground and provide unique information, but it also indicates the need for better atomic data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1988

Enhanced star formation and infrared emission in the centers of galaxies

The IR properties of galaxies with star-formation-dominated central IR luminosity are discussed, summarizing the results of recent observational investigations. Consideration is given to the constituents of star-forming galaxies (dust in emission, photoionized gas, and shock-heated gas), the IR morphology (IR luminosity and young stars and NIR mapping to see beyond dust), the relationship between IR and radio emission, M82 as a typical object, and the implications of the observations for theoretical models of star formation. It is concluded that star formation in these galaxies will exhaust the available gas supply in much less than a Hubble time. Diagrams, graphs, sample images, and tables of numerical data are provided.

Telesco, Charles M.↗

NASA NTRS1991

A nonradial pulsation model for the rapidly rotating Delta Scuti star Kappa(2) Bootis

A sectorial nonradial pulsation model is used to construct theoretical line profiles which mimic the variations for Kappa(2) Boo. Synthetic spectra generated with the appropriate Teff and log g are used as input. It is found that the data can be reproduced by the combination of a high-degree l is approximately equal to 12 mode with P(osc) aproximately equal to 0.071 d, and a low-degree mode, l is approximately equal to 0-2 with P(osc) approximately equal to 0.071-0.079 d. The projected rotational velocity (v sin i - 115 +/-5 km/s) was determined by fitting synthetic line profiles to the observed spectra. The velocity amplitude of the high-degree oscillations is estimated to be about 3.5 km/s. It is found that the ratio of the horizontal and radial pulsation amplitudes is small (about 0.02) and consistent with p-mode oscillations. Comparisons are made with models invoking starspots, and it is impossible to fit the observations of Kappa(2) Boo by a starspot model without assuming unrealistic values of radius or equatorial velocity.

Kennelly, E. J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

On the power spectra of the wind-fed X-ray binary pulsar GX 301 - 2

A phenomenological model of accretion which is applied to the wind-fed X-ray binary pulsar GX 301 - 2 is developed, assuming that the accretion onto the neutron star does not occur from a continuous flux of plasma, but from blobs of matter which are threaded by the magnetic field lines onto the magnetic polar caps of the neutron star. These 'lumps' are produced at the magnetospheric limit by magnetohydrodynamical instability, introducing a 'noise' in the accretion process, due to the discontinuity in the flux of matter onto the neutron star. This model is able to describe the change of slope observed in the continuum component of the power spectra of the X-ray binary pulsar GX 301 - 2, in the frequency range 0.01 - 0.1 Hz. The physical properties of the infalling blobs derived in the model are in agreement with the constraints imposed by observations.

Orlandini, Mauro↗

NASA NTRS1992

Gamma ray bursts from extragalactic sources

The properties of gamma ray bursts of classical type are found to be explicable in terms of high speed collisions between stars. A model is proposed in which the frequency of such collisions can be calculated. The model is then applied to the nuclei of galaxies in general on the basis that galaxies, or at least some fraction of them, originate in the expulsion of stars from creation centers. Evidence that low level activity of this kind is also taking place at the center of our own Galaxy is discussed. The implications for galactic evolution are discussed and a negative view of black holes is taken.

Hoyle, Fred↗

DOE OSTI2019

Ground-based Spectroscopy of the Exoplanet XO-2b Using a Systematic Wavelength Calibration

Exoplanets orbiting close to their host star are expected to support a large ionosphere, which extends to larger pressures than witnessed in our solar system. These ionospheres can be investigated with ground-based transit observations of the optical signatures of alkali metals, which are the source of the ions. However, most ground-based transit spectra do not systematically resolve the wings of the features and continuum, as needed to constrain the alkali abundances. Here we present new observations and analyses of optical transit spectra that cover the Na doublet in the atmosphere of the exoplanet XO-2b. To assess the consistency of our results, observations were obtained from two separate platforms: Gemini/GMOS and Mayall/KOSMOS. To mitigate the systematic errors, we chose XO-2, because it has a binary companion of the same brightness and stellar type, which provides an ideal reference star to model Earth’s atmospheric effects. We find that interpretation of the data is highly sensitive to time-varying translations along the detector, which change according to wavelength and differ between the target and reference star. It was necessary to employ a time-dependent cross-correlation to align our wavelength bins and correct for atmospheric differential refraction. This approach allows us to resolve the wings of the Na line across five wavelength bins at a resolution of ∼1.6 nm and limit the abundance of Na. We obtain consistent results from each telescope with an Na amplitude of 521 ± 161 and 403 ± 186 ppm for GMOS and KOSMOS, respectively. The results are analyzed with a radiative transfer model that includes the effects of ionization. The data are consistent with a clear atmosphere between ∼1 and 100 mbar that establishes a lower limit on Na at 0.4{sub −0.3}{sup +2} ppm ([Na/H] = −0.64{sub −0.6}{sup +0.78}), consistent with solar. However, we cannot rule out the presence of clouds at ∼10 mbar that allow for higher Na abundances, which would be consistent with the stellar metallicity measured for the host star ([Na/H] = 0.485 ± 0.043).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

ANALYZING STAR CLUSTER POPULATIONS WITH STOCHASTIC MODELS: THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 SAMPLE OF CLUSTERS IN M83

The majority of clusters in the universe have masses well below 10{sup 5} M{sub Sun }. Hence, their integrated fluxes and colors can be affected by the presence or absence of a few bright stars introduced by stochastic sampling of the stellar mass function. Specific methods are being developed to extend the analysis of cluster energy distributions into the low-mass regime. In this paper, we apply such a method to real observations of star clusters, in the nearby spiral galaxy M83. We reassess the ages and masses of a sample of 1242 clusters for which UBVIH{alpha} fluxes were obtained from observations with the Wide Field Camera 3 instrument on board the Hubble Space Telescope. Synthetic clusters with known properties are used to characterize the limitations of the method (valid range and resolution in age and mass, method artifacts). The ensemble of color predictions of the discrete cluster models are in good agreement with the distribution of observed colors. We emphasize the important role of the H{alpha} data in the assessment of the fraction of young objects, particularly in breaking the age-extinction degeneracy that hampers an analysis based on UBVI data only. We find the mass distribution of the cluster sample to follow a power law of index -2.1 {+-} 0.2, and the distribution of ages a power law of index -1.0 {+-} 0.2 for log (M/ M{sub Sun }) > 3.5, and ages between 10{sup 7} and 10{sup 9} yr. An extension of our main method, which makes full use of the probability distributions of age and mass obtained for the individual clusters of the sample, is explored. It produces similar power-law slopes and will deserve further investigation. Although the properties derived for individual clusters significantly differ from those obtained with traditional, non-stochastic models in about 30% of the objects, the first-order aspect of the age and mass distributions is similar to those obtained previously for this M83 sample in the range of overlap of the studies. We extend the power-law description to lower masses with better mass and age resolution and without most of the artifacts produced by the classical method.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1979

Starspots as the cause of the intrinsic light variations in RS Canum Venaticorum type stars

A starspot model is proposed to interpret the light curves of three RS CVn type binary systems. Two of the systems are RS CVn and SZ Psc, which are detached, while the third system, RT Lac, is semidetached. Solar activity and the surface activity of the RS CVn type stars are compared. It is found that the spot model permits the detailed fitting of both the out-of-eclipse complications and the distorted shapes of the secondary eclipses in the light curves of these stars.

Eaton, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Constraining circumstellar environments: Far-infrared observations of Herbig Ae/Be stars

We have observed six Herbig Ae/Be stars at 50 and 100 microns with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). All were classified as group I sources by Hillenbrand et al., signifying that their spectral energy distributions could be modeled with stars surrounded only by accretion disks. If the far-infrared emission is assumed to arise in a disk, it should be unresolved at 100 microns, regardless of the size of the disk. In contrast, we find that five out of six sources are clearly resolved at 100 microns. Three sources were also observed at 50 microns and at least two were resolved. Consequently the far-infrared emission must arise in another component, most plausibly a circumstellar envelope. This suggests that the group I sources may be less distinct from the group II sources than previously suggested. Since the presence of an envelope can affect both the actual temperature distribution in a disk and the temperature distribution derived from modeling the emission, more consistent models, including both disks and envelopes, are needed for these sources.

Di Francesco, James↗

DOE OSTI2012

GAMMA-RAY BURST HOST GALAXY SURVEYS AT REDSHIFT z {approx}> 4: PROBES OF STAR FORMATION RATE AND COSMIC REIONIZATION

Measuring the star formation rate (SFR) at high redshift is crucial for understanding cosmic reionization and galaxy formation. Two common complementary approaches are Lyman break galaxy (LBG) surveys for large samples and gamma-ray burst (GRB) observations for sensitivity to SFR in small galaxies. The z {approx}> 4 GRB-inferred SFR is higher than the LBG rate, but this difference is difficult to understand, as both methods rely on several modeling assumptions. Using a physically motivated galaxy luminosity function model, with star formation in dark matter halos with virial temperature T{sub vir} {approx}> 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} K (M{sub DM} {approx}> 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun }), we show that GRB- and LBG-derived SFRs are consistent if GRBs extend to faint galaxies (M{sub AB} {approx}< -11). To test star formation below the detection limit L{sub lim} {approx} 0.05L*{sub z=3} of LBG surveys, we propose to measure the fraction f{sub det}(L > L{sub lim}, z) of GRB hosts with L > L{sub lim}. This fraction quantifies the missing star formation fraction in LBG surveys, constraining the mass-suppression scale for galaxy formation, with weak dependence on modeling assumptions. Because f{sub det}(L > L{sub lim}, z) corresponds to the ratio of SFRs derived from LBG and GRB surveys, if these estimators are unbiased, measuring f{sub det}(L > L{sub lim}, z) also constrains the redshift evolution of the GRB production rate per unit mass of star formation. Our analysis predicts significant success for GRB host detections at z {approx} 5 with f{sub det}(L > L{sub lim}, z) {approx} 0.4, but rarer detections at z > 6. By analyzing the upper limits on host galaxy luminosities of six z > 5 GRBs from literature data, we infer that galaxies with M{sub AB} > -15 were present at z > 5 at 95% confidence, demonstrating the key role played by very faint galaxies during reionization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Magic ultramagnetized nuclei in explosive nucleosynthesis

Direct evidence of the presence of {sup 44}Ti and content of the isotope in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A are obtained from the analysis of gamma-ray spectrum of the remnant. A significant excess of observational {sup 44}Ti volume on predictions of supernova models can be explained as the magnetization effect in the process of explosive nucleosynthesis. The formation of chemical elements is considered accounting for superstrong magnetic fields predicted for supernovae and neutron stars. Using the arguments of nuclear statistical equilibrium, a significant effect of magnetic field on the nuclear shell energy is demonstrated. The magnetic shift of the most tightly 'bound' nuclei from the transition metals of iron series to titanium leads to an exponential increase in the portion of {sup 44}Ti and, accordingly to a significant excess of the yield of these products of nucleosynthesis.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1982

Accretion instability models for Dwarf Novae and X-ray transients

Steady state and time dependent calculations of a model for accretion instability are presented, in which matter accumulates in a cold torus and then undergoes a thermal instability causing the matter to heat and flow down onto the central star. The model is compared to the observations of dwarf novae and certain examples of both hard and soft X-ray transients.

Cannizzo, J. K.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Accretion instability models for dwarf novae and X-ray transients

Cannizzo, J. K.↗

DOE OSTI2014

Multi-epoch very long baseline interferometric observations of the nuclear starburst region of NGC 253: Improved modeling of the supernova and star formation rates

The results of multi-epoch observations of the southern starburst galaxy, NGC 253, with the Australian Long Baseline Array at 2.3 GHz are presented. As with previous radio interferometric observations of this galaxy, no new sources were discovered. By combining the results of this survey with Very Large Array observations at higher frequencies from the literature, spectra were derived and a free-free absorption model was fitted of 20 known sources in NGC 253. The results were found to be consistent with previous studies. The supernova remnant, 5.48-43.3, was imaged with the highest sensitivity and resolution to date, revealing a two-lobed morphology. Comparisons with previous observations of similar resolution give an upper limit of 10{sup 4} km s{sup –1} for the expansion speed of this remnant. We derive a supernova rate of <0.2 yr{sup –1} for the inner 300 pc using a model that improves on previous methods by incorporating an improved radio supernova peak luminosity distribution and by making use of multi-wavelength radio data spanning 21 yr. A star formation rate of SFR(M ≥ 5 M {sub ☉}) < 4.9 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} was also estimated using the standard relation between supernova and star formation rates. Our improved estimates of supernova and star formation rates are consistent with studies at other wavelengths. The results of our study point to the possible existence of a small population of undetected supernova remnants, suggesting a low rate of radio supernova production in NGC 253.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗