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At least 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Young Stellar Objects, Accretion Disks, and Their Variability with Rubin Observatory LSST

Vera C. Rubin Observatory, through the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), will allow us to derive a panchromatic view of variability in young stellar objects (YSOs) across all relevant timescales. Indeed, both short-term variability (on timescales of hours to days) and long-term variability (months to years), predominantly driven by the dynamics of accretion processes in disk-hosting YSOs, can be explored by taking advantage of the multiband filters option available in Rubin LSST, in particular the u, g, r, i filters that enable us to discriminate between photospheric stellar properties and accretion signatures. The homogeneity and depth of sky coverage that will be achieved with LSST will provide us with a unique opportunity to characterize the time evolution of disk accretion as a function of age and varying environmental conditions (e.g., field crowdedness, massive neighbors, metallicity) by targeting different star-forming regions. In this contribution to the Rubin LSST Survey Strategy Optimization Focus Issue, we discuss how implementing a dense observing cadence to explore short-term variability in YSOs represents a key complementary effort to the Wide–Fast–Deep observing mode that will be used to survey the sky over the full duration of the main survey (≈10 yr). The combination of these two modes will be vital to investigate the connection between the inner-disk dynamics and longer-term eruptive variability behaviors, such as those observed on EX Lupi–type objects.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Machine-learning data and model for autoconversion and accretion rates

This PI product includes two key components of a recently developed machine-learning model for predicting autoconversion and accretion rates. The training data set and the testing data set used to build our machine-learning model, containing sets of four input variables (cloud water content, cloud droplet number concentration, drizzle water content, and drizzle drop number concentration) and two output variables (autoconversion rate and accretion rate). The machine-learning model, containing information on the trained weights and biases, and the coefficients for scaling the inputs and outputs variables. The uncertainty in the new estimates of autoconversion and accretion rates is about 15% and 5%, respectively.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2005

Experimental Investigation of Ice Accretion Effects on a Swept Wing

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the effects of 2-, 5-, 10-, and 22.5-min ice accretions on the aerodynamic performance of a swept finite wing. The ice shapes tested included castings of ice accretions obtained from icing tests at the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) and simulated ice shapes obtained with the LEWICE 2.0 ice accretion code. The conditions used for the icing tests were selected to provide five glaze ice shapes with complete and incomplete scallop features and a small rime ice shape. The LEWICE ice shapes were defined for the same conditions as those used in the icing tests. All aerodynamic performance tests were conducted in the 7- x 10-ft Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Facility at Wichita State University. Six component force and moment measurements, aileron hinge moments, and surface pressures were obtained for a Reynolds number of 1.8 million based on mean aerodynamic chord and aileron deflections in the range of -15o to 20o. Tests were performed with the clean wing, six IRT ice shape castings, seven smooth LEWICE ice shapes, and seven rough LEWICE ice shapes. Roughness for the LEWICE ice shapes was simulated with 36-size grit. The experiments conducted showed that the glaze ice castings reduced the maximum lift coefficient of the clean wing by 11.5% to 93.6%, while the 5-min rime ice casting increased maximum lift by 3.4%. Minimum iced wing drag was 133% to 3533% greater with respect to the clean case. The drag of the iced wing near the clean wing stall angle of attack was 17% to 104% higher than that of the clean case. In general, the aileron remained effective in changing the lift of the clean and iced wings for all angles of attack and aileron deflections tested. Aileron hinge moments for the iced wing cases remained within the maximum and minimum limits defined by the clean wing hinge moments. Tests conducted with the LEWICE ice shapes showed that in general the trends in aerodynamic performance degradation of the wing with the simulated ice shapes were similar to those obtained with the IRT ice shape castings. However, in most cases, the ice castings resulted in greater aerodynamic performance losses than those obtained with the LEWICE ice shapes. For the majority of the LEWICE ice shapes, the addition of 36-size grit roughness to the smooth ice shapes increased aerodynamic performance losses.

Ice shape↗
NASA NTRS2013

Can the 62 Day X-ray Period of ULX M82 X-1 Be Due to a Precessing Accretion Disk?

We have analyzed all the archival RXTE/PCA monitoring observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) M82 X-1 in order to study the properties of its previously discovered 62 day X-ray period (Kaaret & Feng 2007). Based on the high coherence of the modulation it has been argued that the observed period is the orbital period of the binary. Utilizing a much longer data set than in previous studies we find: (1) The phase-resolved X-ray (3-15 keV) energy spectra - modeled with a thermal accretion disk and a power-law corona - suggest that the accretion disk's contribution to the total flux is responsible for the overall periodic modulation while the power-law flux remains approximately constant with phase. (2) Suggestive evidence for a sudden phase shift-of approximately 0.3 in phase (20 days)-between the first and the second halves of the light curve separated by roughly 1000 days. If confirmed, the implied timescale to change the period is approx. = 10 yrs, which is exceptionally fast for an orbital phenomenon. These independent pieces of evidence are consistent with the 62 day period being due to a precessing accretion disk, similar to the so-called super-orbital periods observed in systems like Her X-1, LMC X-4, and SS433. However, the timing evidence for a change in the period needs to be confirmed with additional observations. This should be possible with further monitoring of M82 with instruments such as the X-ray telescope (XRT) on board Swift.

ULX M82↗
NASA NTRS2015

Ice Accretion Measurements on an Airfoil and Wedge in Mixed-Phase Conditions

This paper describes ice accretion measurements from experiments conducted at the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada's Research Altitude Test Facility during 2012. Due to numerous engine power loss events associated with high altitude convective weather, potential ice accretion within an engine due to ice crystal ingestion is being investigated collaboratively by NASA and NRC. These investigations examine the physical mechanisms of ice accretion on surfaces exposed to ice crystal and mixed phase conditions, similar to those believed to exist in core compressor regions of jet engines. A further objective of these tests is to examine scaling effects since altitude appears to play a key role in this icing process.

ice crystals↗
NASA NTRS2018

Evaluation of a Thermodynamic Ice Crystal Icing Model Using Experimental Ice Accretion Data

This paper presents the evaluation of a thermodynamic ice crystal icing model, previously presented to describe the possible mechanisms of icing within the core of a turbofan jet engine. It has been proposed that there are two types of distinct ice accretions based on a surface energy balance: freeze-dominated icing and melt-dominated icing. In the former, ice accretion occurs where a freeze fraction (0 to 1) of melted ice crystals freezes on a surface, along with the existing ice of the impinging water and ice mass. This freeze-dominated icing is characterized by having strong adhesion to the surface. In the latter, icing occurs from accumulated unmelted ice on a surface, where a melt fraction (0 to 1) dictates the amount of unmelted impinged ice. This melt-dominated icing is characterized by weakly bonded surface adhesion. The experimentally observed ice growth rates suggest that only a small fraction of the impinging ice remains on the surface, implying a mass loss mechanism such as splash, runback, bounce, or erosion. This mass loss parameter must be determined in conjunction with the fraction of freezing liquid water or fraction of melting ice on an icing surface. This loss parameter, however, along with the freeze and melt fraction, are the only experimental parameters that are currently not measured directly. Using reported icing growth rates from published ice crystal icing experiments, a methodology is proposed to determine these unknown parameters. This work takes reported ice accretion data from tests conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2016 and tests NASA collaborated on with the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada in 2012 that examined the fundamental physics of ice crystal icing. Those research efforts sought to generate icing conditions representative of those that occur inside a jet engine when ingesting ice crystals. This paper presents the fundamental equations of the thermodynamic model, the methodology used to determine the aforementioned unknown icing parameters, and results from model evaluation using experimental data. In addition, this paper builds on the previously proposed model by adding a transient conduction term to explain ice growth behavior at the onset of experimental tests that was observed to be different from steady-state ice growth that occurred later in the test run.With the addition of this energy term, this becomes a quasi-steady model. A key finding from this work suggests that mass loss fractions can exceed 0.90 for steady ice growth periods. In addition, due to conductive heat fluxes when using a warmer-than-freezing airfoil, lower mass loss fraction values were calculated during the initial transient period.

Ice-Crystal Ice Accretion↗
DOE OSTI2025

The variety and origin of materials accreted by Bennu’s parent asteroid

The first bodies to form in the Solar System acquired their materials from stars, the presolar molecular cloud and the protoplanetary disk. Asteroids that have not undergone planetary differentiation retain evidence of these primary accreted materials. However, geologic processes such as hydrothermal alteration can dramatically change their bulk mineralogy, isotopic compositions and chemistry. Here we analyse the elemental and isotopic compositions of samples from asteroid Bennu to uncover the sources and types of material accreted by its parent body. We show that some primary accreted materials escaped the extensive aqueous alteration that occurred on the parent asteroid, including presolar grains from ancient stars, organic matter from the outer Solar System or molecular cloud, refractory solids that formed close to the Sun, and dust enriched in neutron-rich Ti isotopes. We find Bennu to be richer in isotopically anomalous organic matter, anhydrous silicates, and light isotopes of K and Zn than its closest compositional counterparts, asteroid Ryugu and Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. We propose that the parent bodies of Bennu, Ryugu and CI chondrites formed from a common but spatially and/or temporally heterogeneous reservoir of materials in the outer protoplanetary disk.

Kuiper belt↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cataloging accreted stars within Gaia DR2 using deep learning

The goal of this study is to present the development of a machine learning based approach that utilizes phase space alone to separate the Gaia DR2 stars into two categories: those accreted onto the Milky Way from those that are in situ. Traditional selection methods that have been used to identify accreted stars typically rely on full 3D velocity, metallicity information, or both, which significantly reduces the number of classifiable stars. The approach advocated here is applicable to a much larger portion of Gaia DR2. Methods. A method known as “transfer learning” is shown to be effective through extensive testing on a set of mock Gaia catalogs that are based on the F IRE cosmological zoom-in hydrodynamic simulations of Milky Way-mass galaxies. The machine is first trained on simulated data using only 5D kinematics as inputs and is then further trained on a cross-matched Gaia /RAVE data set, which improves sensitivity to properties of the real Milky Way. Results. The result is a catalog that identifies ~767 000 accreted stars within Gaia DR2. This catalog can yield empirical insights into the merger history of the Milky Way and could be used to infer properties of the dark matter distribution.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2012

Quantum effects in electron emission from and accretion on negatively charged spherical particles in a complex plasma

The authors have investigated the electron emissions (thermionic, electric field, photoelectric, and light induced field) from and electron accretion on a charged particle in a complex plasma, on the basis of a three region electrical potential model in and around a charged spherical particle in a complex plasma, characterized by Debye shielding. A continuous variation of the transmission coefficient across the surface of a particle (corresponding to emission and accretion) with the radial electron energy {epsilon}{sub r} has been obtained. It is seen that the numerical values of the emission and accretion transmission coefficients [D({epsilon}{sub r})] are almost the same. This is the necessary and sufficient condition for the validity of Saha's equation for thermal equilibrium of a system of dust and electrons. This is in contrast to the earlier condition, which limited the range of validity of Saha's equation to the range of the applicability of Born approximation. It is seen that D({epsilon}{sub r}) increases with increasing {epsilon}{sub r}, increasing negative electric potential on the surface, decreasing radius, and deceasing Debye length. The electron currents, corresponding to thermionic, electric field, photoelectric and light induced field emission increase with increasing surface potential; this fact may have significant repercussions in complex plasma kinetics. Since numerically D({epsilon}{sub r}) is significantly different from unity in the range of {epsilon}{sub r} of interest, it is necessary to take into account the D({epsilon}{sub r})-{epsilon}{sub r} dependence in complex plasma theory.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

ENIGMATIC RECURRENT PULSATIONAL VARIABILITY OF THE ACCRETING WHITE DWARF EQ LYN (SDSS J074531.92+453829.6)

Photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable EQ Lyn (SDSS J074531.92+453829.6), acquired from 2005 October to 2006 January, revealed high-amplitude variability in the range 1166-1290 s. This accreting white dwarf underwent an outburst in 2006 October, during which its brightness increased by at least five magnitudes, and it started exhibiting superhumps in its light curve. Upon cooling to quiescence, the superhumps disappeared and it displayed the same periods in 2010 February as prior to the outburst within the uncertainties of a couple of seconds. This behavior suggests that the observed variability is likely due to nonradial pulsations in the white dwarf star, whose core structure has not been significantly affected by the outburst. The enigmatic observations begin with an absence of pulsational variability during a multi-site campaign conducted in 2011 January-February without any evidence of a new outburst; the light curve is instead dominated by superhumps with periods in the range of 83-87 minutes. Ultraviolet Hubble Space Telescope time-series spectroscopy acquired in 2011 March reveals an effective temperature of 15,400 K, placing EQ Lyn within the broad instability strip of 10,500-16,000 K for accreting pulsators. The ultraviolet light curve with 90% flux from the white dwarf shows no evidence of any pulsations. Optical photometry acquired during 2011 and Spring 2012 continues to reflect the presence of superhumps and an absence of pulsations. Subsequent observations acquired in 2012 December and 2013 January finally indicate the disappearance of superhumps and the return of pulsational variability with similar periods as previous data. However, our most recent data from 2013 March to May reveal superhumps yet again with no sign of pulsations. We speculate that this enigmatic post-outburst behavior of the frequent disappearance of pulsational variability in EQ Lyn is caused either by heating the white dwarf beyond the instability strip due to an elevated accretion rate, disrupting pulsations associated with the He II instability strip by lowering the He abundance of the convection zone, free geometric precession of the entire system, or appearing and disappearing disk pulsations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE SPACE DENSITY OF EXTENDED ULTRAVIOLET (XUV) DISKS IN THE LOCAL UNIVERSE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GAS ACCRETION ONTO GALAXIES

We present results of the first unbiased search for extended ultraviolet (XUV)-disk galaxies undertaken to determine the space density of such galaxies. Our sample contains 561 local (0.001 < z < 0.05) galaxies that lie in the intersection of available Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) deep imaging (exposure time >1.5 x 10{sup 4} s) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7 footprints. We explore modifications to the standard classification scheme for our sample that includes both disk- and bulge-dominated galaxies. Visual classification of each galaxy in the sample reveals an XUV-disk frequency of up to 20% for the most nearby portion of our sample. On average over the entire sample (out to z = 0.05) the frequency ranges from a hard limit of 4%-14%. The GALEX imaging allows us to detect XUV disks beyond 100 Mpc. The XUV regions around XUV-disk galaxies are consistently bluer than the main bodies. We find a surprisingly high frequency of XUV emission around luminous red (NUV-r > 5) and green valley (3 < NUV-r < 5) galaxies. The XUV-disk space density in the local universe is >(1.5-4.2) x 10{sup -3} Mpc{sup -3}. Using the XUV emission as an indicator of recent gas accretion, we estimate that the cold gas accretion rate onto these galaxies is >(1.7-4.6) x 10{sup -3} M{sub sun} Mpc{sup -3} yr{sup -1}. The number of XUV disks in the green valley and the estimated accretion rate onto such galaxies points to the intriguing possibility that 7%-18% of galaxies in this population are transitioning away from the red sequence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

OBSERVABLE SIGNATURES OF PLANET ACCRETION IN RED GIANT STARS. I. RAPID ROTATION AND LIGHT ELEMENT REPLENISHMENT

The orbital angular momentum of a close-orbiting giant planet can be sufficiently large that, if transferred to the envelope of the host star during the red giant branch (RGB) evolution, it can spin-up the star's rotation to unusually large speeds. This spin-up mechanism is one possible explanation for the rapid rotators detected among the population of generally slow-rotating red giant stars. These rapid rotators thus comprise a unique stellar sample suitable for searching for signatures of planet accretion in the form of unusual stellar abundances due to the dissemination of the accreted planet in the stellar envelope. In this study, we look for signatures of replenishment in the Li abundances and (to a lesser extent) {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C, which are both normally lowered during RGB evolution. Accurate abundances were measured from high signal-to-noise echelle spectra for samples of both slow and rapid rotator red giant stars. We find that the rapid rotators are on average enriched in lithium compared to the slow rotators, but both groups of stars have identical distributions of {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C within our measurement precision. Both of these abundance results are consistent with the accretion of planets of only a few Jupiter masses. We also explore alternative scenarios for understanding the most Li-rich stars in our sample-particularly Li regeneration during various stages of stellar evolution. Finally, we find that our stellar samples show non-standard abundances even at early RGB stages, suggesting that initial protostellar Li abundances and {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C may be more variable than originally thought.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

STOCHASTIC ACCRETION AND THE VARIABILITY OF SUPERGIANT FAST X-RAY TRANSIENTS

In this paper, we consider the variability of the luminosity of a compact object (CO) powered by the accretion of an extremely inhomogeneous (clumpy) stream of matter. The accretion of a single clump results in an X-ray flare; we adopt a simple model for the response of the CO to its arrival, and derive a stochastic differential equation (SDE) for the accretion-powered luminosity L(t). We set the SDE in the equivalent form of an equation for the flare luminosity distribution (FLD) and discuss its solution in the stationary case. We apply our formalism to the analysis of the FLDs of supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs), a peculiar sub-class of high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) systems. We compare our theoretical FLDs to the distributions observed in the SFXTs IGR J16479-4514, IGR J17544-2619, and XTE J1739-302. Despite its simplicity, our model agrees well with the observed distributions and allows us to predict some properties of the stellar wind. Finally, we discuss how our model may explain the difference between the broad FLDs of SFXTs and the much narrower FLDs of persistent HMXBs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

PULSE-PHASE-DEPENDENT VARIATIONS OF THE CYCLOTRON ABSORPTION FEATURES OF THE ACCRETING PULSARS A0535+26, XTE J1946+274, AND 4U 1907+09 WITH SUZAKU

We have performed a detailed pulse-phase-resolved spectral analysis of cyclotron resonant scattering features (CRSFs) of the two Be/X-ray pulsars A0535+26 and XTE J1946+274 and the wind accreting HMXB pulsar 4U 1907+09 using Suzaku observations. The CRSF parameters vary strongly over the pulse phase and can be used to map the magnetic field, and a possible deviation forms the dipole geometry in these sources. It also reflects the conditions at the accretion column and the local environment over the changing viewing angles. The pattern of variation with pulse phase is obtained with more than one continuum spectral model for each source, all of which give consistent results. Care is also taken in performing the analysis over a stretch of data having constant spectral characteristics and luminosity in order to ensure that the results reflect the variations due to the changing viewing angle alone. For A0535+26 and XTE J1946+274, which show energy-dependent dips in their pulse profiles, a partial covering absorber is added in the continuum spectral models to take into account an additional absorption at those phases by the accretion stream/column blocking our line of sight.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The accretion rate independence of horizontal branch oscillation in XTE J1701-462

We study the temporal and energy spectral properties of the unique neutron star low-mass X-ray binary XTE J1701-462. Assuming the horizontal branch/normal branch (HB/NB) vertex as a reference position of the accretion rate, the horizontal branch oscillation (HBO) of the HB/NB vertex is roughly 50 Hz. It indicates that the HBO is independent of the accretion rate or the source intensity. The spectral analysis shows R{sub in}∝ M-dot {sub Disk}{sup 2.9±0.09} in the HB/NB vertex and R{sub in}∝ M-dot {sub Disk}{sup 1.7±0.06} in the NB/flaring branch (FB) vertex, which implies that different accretion rates may be produced in the HB/NB and NB/FB vertex. The Comptonization component could be fitted by a constrained broken power law or nthComp. Unlike GX 17+2, the frequencies of HBO positively correlate with the inner disk radius, which contradict with the prediction of the Lense-Thirring precession model. XTE J1701-462, both in the Cyg-like phase and in the Sco-like phase, follows a positive correlation between the break frequency of broadband noise and the characteristic frequency of HBO, which is called the W-K relation. An anticorrelation between the frequency of HBO and photon energy is observed. Moreover, the rms of HBO increases with photon energy until ∼10 keV. We discuss the possible origin of HBO from the corona in XTE J1701-462.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Self-sustained asymmetry of lepton-number emission: a new phenomenon during the supernova shock-accretion phase in three dimensions

During the stalled-shock phase of our three-dimensional, hydrodynamical core-collapse simulations with energy-dependent, three-flavor neutrino transport, the lepton-number flux (ν {sub e} minus ν-bar {sub e}) emerges predominantly in one hemisphere. This novel, spherical-symmetry breaking neutrino-hydrodynamical instability is termed LESA for 'Lepton-number Emission Self-sustained Asymmetry'. While the individual ν {sub e} and ν-bar {sub e} fluxes show a pronounced dipole pattern, the heavy-flavor neutrino fluxes and the overall luminosity are almost spherically symmetric. Initially, LESA seems to develop stochastically from convective fluctuations. It exists for hundreds of milliseconds or more and persists during violent shock sloshing associated with the standing accretion shock instability. The ν {sub e} minus ν-bar {sub e} flux asymmetry originates predominantly below the neutrinosphere in a region of pronounced proto-neutron star (PNS) convection, which is stronger in the hemisphere of enhanced lepton-number flux. On this side of the PNS, the mass accretion rate of lepton-rich matter is larger, amplifying the lepton-emission asymmetry, because the spherical stellar infall deflects on a dipolar deformation of the stalled shock. The increased shock radius in the hemisphere of less mass accretion and minimal lepton-number flux ( ν-bar {sub e} flux maximum) is sustained by stronger convection on this side, which is boosted by stronger neutrino heating due to 〈ϵ{sub ν-bar{sub e}}〉>〈ϵ{sub ν{sub e}}〉. Asymmetric heating thus supports the global deformation despite extremely nonstationary convective overturn behind the shock. While these different elements of the LESA phenomenon form a consistent picture, a full understanding remains elusive at present. There may be important implications for neutrino-flavor oscillations, the neutron-to-proton ratio in the neutrino-heated supernova ejecta, and neutron-star kicks, which remain to be explored.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Linear analysis on the growth of non-spherical perturbations in supersonic accretion flows

We analyzed the growth of non-spherical perturbations in supersonic accretion flows. We have in mind an application to the post-bounce phase of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). Such non-spherical perturbations have been suggested by a series of papers by Arnett, who has numerically investigated violent convections in the outer layers of pre-collapse stars. Moreover, Couch and Ott demonstrated in their numerical simulations that such perturbations may lead to a successful supernova even for a progenitor that fails to explode without fluctuations. This study investigated the linear growth of perturbations during the infall onto a stalled shock wave. The linearized equations are solved as an initial and boundary value problem with the use of a Laplace transform. The background is a Bondi accretion flow whose parameters are chosen to mimic the 15 M {sub ☉} progenitor model by Woosley and Heger, which is supposed to be a typical progenitor of CCSNe. We found that the perturbations that are given at a large radius grow as they flow down to the shock radius; the density perturbations can be amplified by a factor of 30, for example. We analytically show that the growth rate is proportional to l, the index of the spherical harmonics. We also found that the perturbations oscillate in time with frequencies that are similar to those of the standing accretion shock instability. This may have an implication for shock revival in CCSNe, which will be investigated in our forthcoming paper in more detail.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Shrinking galaxy disks with fountain-driven accretion from the halo

Star formation in most galaxies requires cosmic gas accretion because the gas consumption time is short compared to the Hubble time. This accretion presumably comes from a combination of infalling satellite debris, cold flows, and condensation of hot halo gas at the cool disk interface, perhaps aided by a galactic fountain. In general, the accretion will have a different specific angular momentum than the part of the disk that receives it, even if the gas comes from the nearby halo. The gas disk then expands or shrinks over time. Here we show that condensation of halo gas at a rate proportional to the star formation rate in the fountain model will preserve an initial shape, such as an exponential, with a shrinking scale length, leaving behind a stellar disk with a slightly steeper profile of younger stars near the center. This process is slow for most galaxies, producing imperceptible radial speeds, and it may be dominated by other torques, but it could be important for blue compact dwarfs, which tend to have large, irregular gas reservoirs and steep blue profiles in their inner stellar disks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗