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At least 685 records · Page 38
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NASA NTRS1983

Equilibria in Strongly Magnetized Pair Plasmas

Positron-electron pair densities for a thermal plasma in the steady-state equilibrium where pair production balances pair annihilation are found as a function of temperature kT / mc(2) approx. 1, source size R and magnetic field strength B. When the plasma is strongly magnetized, B 10(12) G, the important processes are synchrotron radiation, one-photon (magnetic) pair production and two-photon pair annihilation. An analytic solution for the equilibrium pair density, found under certain simplifying assumptions, shows that optically thin equilibria exist only for sufficiently small source sizes.

Harding, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

An X-ray survey of variable radio bright quasars

A sample consisting primarily of radio bright quasars was observed in X-rays with the Einstein Observatory for times ranging from 1500 to 5000 seconds. Detected sources had luminosities ranging from 0.2 to 41.0 x 10 to the 45th power ergs/sec in the 0.5 to 4.5 keV band. Three of the fourteen objects which were reobserved showed flux increases greater than a factor of two on a time scale greater than six months. No variability was detected during the individual observations. The optical and X-ray luminosities are correlated, which suggests a common origin. However, the relationship (L sub x is approximately L sub op to the (.89 + or - .15)) found for historic radio variables may be significantly different than that reported for other radio bright sources. Some of the observed X-ray fluxes were substantially below the predicted self-Compton flux, assuming incoherent synchrotron emission and using VLBI results to constrain the size of the emission region, which suggests relativistic expansion in these sources. Normal CIV emission in two of the sources with an overpredicted Compton component suggests that although they, like BL Lac objects, have highly relativistic material apparently moving at small angle to the line of sight, they have a smaller fraction of the continuum component in the beam.

Henriksen, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Emission, absorption, and polarization of gyrosynchrotron radiation of mildly relativistic particles

Approximate analytic expressions for the emissivity and absorption coefficient of synchrotron radiation of mildly relativistic particles with an arbitrary energy spectrum and pitch angle distribution are given. From these, an expression for the degree of polarization is derived. To accomplish this, previously developed methods of integration are used. The analytic results are compared with numerical results for both thermal and nonthermal (power law) distributions of particles. Previously announced in STAR as N82-34197

Petrosian, V.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Millimeter and submillimeter observations of 3C 273

The first detection of 3C 273 (1226 + 023) at wavelengths of 107, 240, and 400 microns together with contemporary measurements at 800 microns, 1.1, 1.9, 3.3, and 8.9 mm, is reported. These observations show that the continuum spectrum of 3C 273 can be extrapolated smoothly from the submillimeter to the infrared with a constant spectral index. There is no evidence of thermal emission from dust. It is shown that the spectrum is consistent with optically thin synchrotron emission from a relativistic beam at a small angle to the line of sight.

Glaccum, W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The X-ray spectra of the BL Lacertae objects PKS 0548 - 322 and 3C 66A

Einstein Observatory simultaneous imaging proportional counter and monitor proportional counter data are combined in order to derive the energy spectra of the BL Lac objects PKS 0548-322 and 3C 66A between 0.2 and 10 keV. While the latter is found to be variable in both intensity and spectral shape, the former, although constant in the present data, is found to have experienced a spectrum variation in view of results from other experiments. Attention is given to the implications of flux and spectral variability in BL Lac objects for models of X-ray emission mechanisms. It is suggested that the wide spread of the spectral index distribution is due to the detection of the highly variable synchrotron-produced X-rays that are generally undetected in QSOs.

Maccacaro, T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The inner radio structure of Centaurus A - Clues to the origin of the jet X-ray emission

VLA observations at 1.4 and 4.9 GHz of the jet and inner lobes of the nearby radio galaxy Centaurus A have been used to construct maps of total intensity and polarization at resolutions of 31 x 10 and 3.6 x 1.1 arcsec. Surface brightness and pressure distributions in the jet, combined with the apparent X-ray emission from the ISM of NGC 5128, indicate that it is thermally confined. A comparison of the radio structure and the optical galaxy shows that the jet in Cen A emerges nearly along the major axis of the elliptical stellar component that is parallel to the angular momentum vector of the dust lane. The outer radio structure bends toward the galaxy minor axis. Evidence is found for a common synchrotron radiation origin of the full spectrum jet emission.

Burns, J. O.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Multifrequency observations of the flaring quasar 1156+295

A report is presented on the optically violent variable quasar 1156+295, known also as 4C 29.45 and Ton 599. A large outburst of this quasar was discovered in April 1981 in the course of a program to obtain simultaneous multifrequency spectra of variable quasars. Ultraviolet observations taken with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite were coordinated with ground-based observations at radio, infrared, and optical wavelengths. Measurements were made at four epochs starting immediately after the outburst was discovered, when the B-magnitude was 14.0, and at intervals of 4 days, 60 days and 1 year. The luminosity integrated only over observed wavelength bands was approximately 3 x 10 to the 48th ergs/sec on the first epoch of observation. Modeling of the source with a synchrotron self-Compton model suggests that the core of the source has a linear dimension of 0.01 pc, a magnetic field strength in the range 0.1-30 gauss, and a bulk relativistic motion in the quasar rest frame characterized by a Lorentz factor in the range 2-8.

Glassgold, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Multifrequency observations of the BL Lacertae object 0735+178

In each of the present four simultaneous spectra covering the radio-through-X-ray regimes, the IR-UV synchrotron continuum dominates the total observed power and presumably becomes opague between 10 to the 11th and 10 to the 13th Hz. Nonsimultaneous observations were also conducted, over a longer time period, in order to study long- and short-term variability at X-ray, optical, and radio frequencies. These data indicate that the rapid and dramatic variations evident at IR and optical wavelengths are absent at radio and X-ray frequencies, supporting a view of IR-UV flux emanation from a small region, while the X-rays are produced by the inverse Compton process in the radio-emitting region. Particles, photons and magnetic field may not be far from equipartition in this region. Theoretical suggestions are developed regarding the radial behavior of the electron density and magnetic field.

Bregman, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Variability of the ultraviolet spectrum of BL Lacertae objects

Attention is given to repeated observations of the two nearby BL Lac objects, Mrk 421 and PKS 0521-36, comparing the temporal behavior of their continuum in the 1300-3000 A range with that observed in intrinsically bright BL Lac objects and in Seyfert galaxies. Also discussed are the emission lines in the UV and optical spectrum of PKS 0521-36. It is suggested that the difference in variability pattern between BL Lac objects and Seyfert galaxies may be due to differences in the properties of the nonthermal continuum related to differences in accretion regimes, although it is more probably due to the presence of different continuum components in Seyfert galaxies. In BL Lac objects, the UV spectrum is likely to be synchrotron radiation from an optically thin source.

Ulrich, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Study of the sulphur-containing molecules in the EUV region. IV - The dissociation processes of SO2 in the 760 A region

The fluoresence throughout the VUV and violet regions has been observed from photoexcitation of SO2, and the absolute fluorescence cross sections of the VUV emissions have been measured at selected atomic emission lines and in the synchrotron radiation continuum from 550 to 760 A. Emissions from the O I 1304 A and several S I lines account for the fluorescence observed in the VUV region, while the fluorescence observed in the UV and violet regions is due to excited SO and, also, possibly to excited SO2(+) and SO(+). Structure in the VUV fluorescence excitation function is attributed to predissociation of Rydberg states. The VUV fluorescence resulting from an O2 elimination process, SO2 + h times nu yielding metastable S + O2, has been observed in the present work although the threshold for this process has not been determined. The threshold corresponding to the total dissociation process, SO2 + h times nu yielding metastable S + 2O, has been measured and found to agree reasonably with the expected value calculated from thermochemical data. The processes for the formation of S(+) are also discussed.

Wu, C. Y. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Electron capture by U(91+) and U(92+) and ionization of U(90+) and U(91+)

U(92+)/U(91+) and U(91+)/U(90+) electron-capture and ionization cross sections and equilibrium charge-state distributions are measured experimentally in mylar, Cu and Ta of varying thickness. Relativistic U(68+) ions at 437 or 962 MeV/nucleon are produced by a heavy-ion linear accelerator and synchrotron in tandem and passed through the target material into a magnetic specrometer and position-sensitive proportional counter for evaluation of charge states. The results are presented graphically and discussed. At 962 MeV/nucleon, beams containing 85 percent bare U(92+) nuclei are obtained using 150-mg/sq cm Cu or 85-mg/sq cm Ta; at 437 MeV/nucleon, 50 percent bare U(92+) nuclei are obtained with 90-mg/sq cm Cu. The techniques decribed can be applied to produce beams of bare U nuclei for acceleration to ultrarelativistic speeds or beams of few-electron U for atomic-physics experiments on quantum electrodynamics.

Gould, H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

IRAS observations of radio-quiet and radio-loud quasars

Observations from 12 to 100 microns are presented of two radio-quiet and three radio-loud quasars. Over this wavelength range, all five have grossly similar continuum energy distributions. The continua of the radio-loud quasars are consistent with synchrotron radiation. There is an indication, however, of excess 100 micron emission in the two radio-quiet quasars.

Neugebauer, G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Two multifrequency observations of 3C 371

Observations of 3C371 made at frequencies from the radio to the ultraviolet and coordinated during two short time intervals separated by 3 months are presented. Also presented are 1 keV X-ray flux densities measured at a different time. The multifrequency measurements indicate spectral steepening at visual wavelengths, and that an extrapolation of the ultraviolet continuum falls below the X-ray data. The infrared through X-ray data is explained as relativistically beamed synchrotron self-Compton emission, and source parameters are derived for two possible models. The present ultraviolet spectra both show strong Lyman-alpha emission at the same redshift as weak optical emission lines reported previously. Production of these lines by recombination of gas, after its ionization by the ultraviolet to X-ray continuum radiation, is favored as an explanation. C IV and N V absorption lines are tentatively identified in one ultraviolet spectrum, which, if real, suggest the presence of a hot (about 300,000 K) gaseous halo in 3C 371.

Puschell, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Observations of NGC 4151 at 2 keV to 2 MeV from HEAO 1

Broad-range X-ray and gamma-ray spectra of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 obtained by the UCSD/MIT and GSFC/CIT detectors of HEAO 1 are presented. For two out of the three observational epochs the best-fit model is a power law with photon index 1.6 + or - 0.1 in the 2 keV-2 MeV spectral range. The third observation, in June, 1978, when the intensity was a factor of 2 higher, requires a change above 50 keV from a similar power law to a steeper power law or an exponential. Through comparisons with previous observations, a weak correlation is found between the high-energy spectral index and the flux level. Comparison of these data and other X-ray and gamma-ray observations with the spectra expected from several possible emission mechanisms supports a synchrotron-self-Compton model using infrared target photons or a Compton-scattering process involving X-rays of less than 10 keV energies.

Baity, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Infrared observations of the 3C 273 jet

The first infrared (1.25 micron and 2.2 micron) observations of the jet in the quasar 3C 273 are reported. The present data, when combined with previous observations, show that the optical-infrared spectrum is a power law with index approximately equal to that in the radio, but lies a factor of 5 below the extrapolation from the radio. Various emission mechanisms for the optical-infrared jet are discussed, and it is concluded that synchrotron radiation is the most likely. However, the spectra of different parts of the jet are not the same; the radio-infrared index of the inner half is significantly larger (i.e., softer spectrum) than that of the outer half of the jet.

Becklin, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Fluorescence from photofragments as an aid in identifying new molecular states - The N2 case

Synchrotron radiation has been used to measure the excitation function for producing fluorescence in the 1050-1800 A region through photodissociative excitation of N2 in the 400-620 A region and the photoabsorption cross section of N2 in the 600-670 A region. From the fluorescence excitation function there is found (1) a molecular state(s) in the 21-22.5 eV region which has not been observed in absorption and photoionization spectra, (2) structures which correlate with known two-electron excited Rydberg states, and (3) a decrease in fluorescence cross section at photon energies greater than 23.8 eV, which indicates the existence of new competing processes. The observed molecular state(s) as well as the weak absorption structure in the 19-21 eV region are tentatively assigned as a Rydberg series leading to the D2Pi(g) of N2(+). The newly observed Rydberg states in the 21-22.5 eV region may account for the unusual behavior recently reported in photoelectron spectroscopy results.

Wu, C. Y. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Quantitative photoexcitation and fluorescence studies of C2H2 in vacuum ultraviolet

Synchrotron radiation light source measurements were conducted in the 105-155 nm region to obtain the photoabsorption and fluorescence cross sections of C2H2, and the quantum yield for producing the C2H-asterisk fluorescence from C2H2's photodissociation was measured in the 106-136.5 nm region. The products of the radiative lifetime quenching rate constant increase with excitation wavelengths. The data obtained on lifetimes, quenchings, and fluorescence spectra point to an upper state of the C2H-asterisk fluorescence that is well bound, while the lower state is a repulsive or weak-bound state.

Suto, M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Electron escape depth variation in thin SiO2 films measured with variable photon energy

A double crystal monochromator at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory is used to study the Si/SiO2 interface, using photon energies of hv = 1950-3700 eV. This photon energy range allows interfaces to be observed through oxide layers 50 A thick or more. Variations in electron escape depth and/or oxide density as a function of distance from the interface are observed over the entire kinetic energy range (100-3600 eV). These differences are attributed to a strained oxide layer near the interface.

Hecht, M. H.↗