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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Stacked Average Far-infrared Spectrum of Dusty Star-forming Galaxies from the Herschel/SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer

We present stacked average far-infrared spectra of a sample of 197 dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at 0.005<z<4 using about 90% of the Herschel Space Observatory SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) extragalactic data archive based on 3.5 years of science operations. These spectra explore an observed-frame 447–1568 GHz frequency range, allowing us to observe the main atomic and molecular lines emitted by gas in the interstellar medium. The sample is subdivided into redshift bins, and a subset of the bins are stacked by infrared luminosity as well. These stacked spectra are used to determine the average gas density and radiation field strength in the photodissociation regions (PDRs) of DSFGs. For the low-redshift sample, we present the average spectral line energy distributions of CO and H{sub 2}O rotational transitions and consider PDR conditions based on observed [C i] 370 and 609 μm, and CO (7-6) lines. For the high-z (0.8<z<4) sample, PDR models suggest a molecular gas distribution in the presence of a radiation field that is at least a factor of 10{sup 3} larger than the Milky Way and with a neutral gas density of roughly 10{sup 4.5}–10{sup 5.5} cm{sup −3}. The corresponding PDR models for the low-z sample suggest a UV radiation field and gas density comparable to those at high-z. Given the challenges in obtaining adequate far-infrared observations, the stacked average spectra we present here will remain the measurements with the highest signal-to-noise ratio for at least a decade and a half until the launch of the next far-infrared facility.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2003

Studies of the Hot Gas in the Galactic halo and Local Bubble

This paper presents a report on the progress made on Studies of the Hot Gas in the Galactic halo and Local Bubble at Johns Hopkins University. The broad goals of this project are to determine the physical conditions and history of the hot phase of the Galaxy's interstellar medium. Such gas resides in the Galactic halo, the Local Bubble surrounding the solar neighborhood, other bubbles, and supernova remnants. A better understanding of the hot gas and the processes occurring within it requires several types of work, including ultraviolet and X-ray data analyses and computer modeling.

Shelton, Robin L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Cloud fluid compression and softening in spiral arms and the formation of giant molecular cloud complexes

With regard to the galactodynamics of the cloudy interstellar medium, the paper considers the response of such a gas to a forcing potential in the tight-winding density wave theory. The cloud fluid is treated in the hydrodynamic limit with an equation of state which softens at high densities. It is shown that in the inner regions of the galaxy, cooling of the cloud fluid in the arms can result in gravitational instability and the formation of large bound complexes of clouds which are identified with the giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Masses, dimensions, distributions, and scale heights of the GMCs are predicted by the theory. It is suggested that the interstellar gas density in the disk is regulated by the gravitational instability mechanism in the arms which siphons material into star formation. Implications for the evolution of individual GMCs and for galactic morphology are discussed.

Cowie, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Optical studies of interstellar material in low density regions of the Galaxy. I - A survey of interstellar Na I and Ca II absorption toward 57 distant stars

We present high-resolution spectra of the Na I D and Ca II K lines toward 57 late-O and early-B stars along extended (d greater than 1 kpc) low-density paths through the Milky Way disk and halo. The sight lines preferentially sample diffuse gas in the interstellar medium (ISM) along interarm, Galactic center, and high latitude directions. We measure equivalent widths, apparent column densities, and absorption component structure. The Ca II to Na I ratios presented as a function of velocity for each sight line exhibit variations due to elemental depletion, ionization, and density enhancements. Absorption along high latitude sight lines is kinematically simpler than it is along interarm and Galactic center sight lines. Galactic rotation noticeably broadens the absorption profiles of distant stars located in these latter directions. Along several sight lines, we see Ca II absorption at velocities corresponding to large distances (/z/ about 1 kpc) from the Galactic plane. The effects of differences in the Ca II and Na I scale heights and nonzero velocity dispersions are readily apparent in the data. Brief notes are given for several sight lines with interesting absorption properties.

Sembach, K. R.↗
DOE OSTI2017

HST Detection of Extended Neutral Hydrogen in a Massive Elliptical at z = 0.4

We report the first detection of extended neutral hydrogen (H i) gas in the interstellar medium (ISM) of a massive elliptical galaxy beyond z∼0. The observations utilize the doubly lensed images of QSO HE 0047−1756 at z{sub QSO}=1.676 as absorption-line probes of the ISM in the massive (M{sub star}≈10{sup 11} M{sub ⊙}) elliptical lens at z = 0.408, detecting gas at projected distances of d = 3.3 and 4.6 kpc on opposite sides of the lens. Using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, we obtain UV absorption spectra of the lensed QSO and identify a prominent flux discontinuity and associated absorption features matching the Lyman series transitions at z = 0.408 in both sightlines. The H i column density is log N(H I)=19.6--19.7 at both locations across the lens, comparable to what is seen in 21 cm images of nearby ellipticals. The H i gas kinematics are well-matched with the kinematics of the Fe ii absorption complex revealed in ground-based echelle data, displaying a large velocity shear of ≈360 km s{sup −1} across the galaxy. We estimate an ISM Fe abundance of 0.3–0.4 solar at both locations. Including likely dust depletions increases the estimated Fe abundances to solar or supersolar, similar to those of the hot ISM and stars of nearby ellipticals. Assuming 100% covering fraction of this Fe-enriched gas, we infer a total Fe mass of M{sub cool}(Fe)∼(5--8)×10{sup 4} M{sub ⊙} in the cool ISM of the massive elliptical lens, which is no more than 5% of the total Fe mass observed in the hot ISM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The evolution of interstellar medium mass probed by dust emission: Alma observations at z = 0.3-2

The use of submillimeter dust continuum emission to probe the mass of interstellar dust and gas in galaxies is empirically calibrated using samples of local star-forming galaxies, Planck observations of the Milky Way, and high-redshift submillimeter galaxies. All of these objects suggest a similar calibration, strongly supporting the view that the Rayleigh-Jeans tail of the dust emission can be used as an accurate and very fast probe of the interstellar medium (ISM) in galaxies. We present ALMA Cycle 0 observations of the Band 7 (350 GHz) dust emission in 107 galaxies from z = 0.2 to 2.5. Three samples of galaxies with a total of 101 galaxies were stellar-mass-selected from COSMOS to have M {sub *} ≅ 10{sup 11} M {sub ☉}: 37 at z ∼ 0.4, 33 at z ∼ 0.9, and 31 at z = 2. A fourth sample with six infrared-luminous galaxies at z = 2 was observed for comparison with the purely mass-selected samples. From the fluxes detected in the stacked images for each sample, we find that the ISM content has decreased by a factor ∼6 from 1 to 2 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ☉} at both z = 2 and 0.9 down to ∼2 × 10{sup 9} M {sub ☉} at z = 0.4. The infrared-luminous sample at z = 2 shows a further ∼4 times increase in M {sub ISM} compared with the equivalent non-infrared-bright sample at the same redshift. The gas mass fractions are ∼2% ± 0.5%, 12% ± 3%, 14% ± 2%, and 53% ± 3% for the four subsamples (z = 0.4, 0.9, and 2 and infrared-bright galaxies).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1982

The interstellar carbon abundance toward Delta Scorpii

Observations are presented of a semiforbidden transition of C II at lambda 2325 toward Delta Scorpii. This line is intrinsically so weak that saturation and blending problems are completely absent, allowing the C II column density to be determined unambiguously. Furthermore, since C II is the dominant ionization state of carbon in H I regions, the total carbon abundance follows directly. While the detection of weak, semiforbidden interstellar lines requires high resolution and high photometric accuracy, observations of these lines promise substantial improvements concerning the knowledge of gas-phase abundances and, consequently, of the composition and structure of grains. The reported results represent the first direct evidence from absorption measurements that carbon is depleted from the interstellar gas by amounts sufficient to provide a substantial fraction of the mass of interstellar grains.

Hobbs, L. M.↗
DOE OSTI2016

FERMI-LAT OBSERVATIONS OF HIGH-ENERGY γ-RAY EMISSION TOWARD THE GALACTIC CENTER

The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has provided the most detailed view to date of the emission toward the Galactic center (GC) in high-energy γ-rays. This paper describes the analysis of data taken during the first 62 months of the mission in the energy range 1–100 GeV from a 15° × 15° region about the direction of the GC. Specialized interstellar emission models (IEMs) are constructed to enable the separation of the γ-ray emissions produced by cosmic ray particles interacting with the interstellar gas and radiation fields in the Milky Way into that from the inner ∼1 kpc surrounding the GC, and that from the rest of the Galaxy. A catalog of point sources for the 15° × 15° region is self-consistently constructed using these IEMs: the First Fermi-LAT Inner Galaxy Point Source Catalog (1FIG). The spatial locations, fluxes, and spectral properties of the 1FIG sources are presented, and compared with γ-ray point sources over the same region taken from existing catalogs. After subtracting the interstellar emission and point-source contributions a residual is found. If templates that peak toward the GC are used to model the positive residual the agreement with the data improves, but none of the additional templates tried account for all of its spatial structure. The spectrum of the positive residual modeled with these templates has a strong dependence on the choice of IEM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MODELING THE POLLUTION OF PRISTINE GAS IN THE EARLY UNIVERSE

We conduct a comprehensive theoretical and numerical investigation of the pollution of pristine gas in turbulent flows, designed to provide useful new tools for modeling the evolution of the first generation of stars. The properties of such Population III (Pop III) stars are thought to be very different than those of later stellar generations, because cooling is dramatically different in gas with a metallicity below a critical value Z{sub c}, which lies between ∼10{sup –6} and ∼10{sup –3} Z{sub ☉}. The critical value is much smaller than the typical overall average metallicity, , and therefore the mixing efficiency of the pristine gas in the interstellar medium plays a crucial role in determining the transition from Pop III to normal star formation. The small critical value, Z{sub c}, corresponds to the far left tail of the probability distribution function (PDF) of the metal abundance. Based on closure models for the PDF formulation of turbulent mixing, we derive evolution equations for the fraction of gas, P, lying below Z{sub c}, in statistically homogeneous compressible turbulence. Our simulation data show that the evolution of the pristine fraction P can be well approximated by a generalized 'self-convolution' model, which predicts that P-dot = - (n/τ{sub con}) P (1-P{sup 1/n}), where n is a measure of the locality of the mixing or PDF convolution events and the convolution timescale τ{sub con} is determined by the rate at which turbulence stretches the pollutants. Carrying out a suite of numerical simulations with turbulent Mach numbers ranging from M = 0.9 to 6.2, we are able to provide accurate fits to n and τ{sub con} as a function of M, Z{sub c}/(Z), and the length scale, L{sub p}, at which pollutants are added to the flow. For pristine fractions above P = 0.9, mixing occurs only in the regions surrounding blobs of pollutants, such that n = 1. For smaller values of P, n is larger as the mixing process becomes more global. We show how these results can be used to construct one-zone models for the evolution of Pop III stars in a single high-redshift galaxy, as well as subgrid models for tracking the evolution of the first stars in large cosmological numerical simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1984

Gamma rays from atomic and molecular gas in the large complex of clouds in Orion and Monoceros

A comparison of COS-B gamma-ray observations of the large complex of interstellar clouds in Orion and Monoceros with the Columbia CO and Berkeley H I surveys of this region reveals a good correlation between gamma-ray emission and total gas distribution. The observed gamma-ray emission is explainable in terms of interactions of cosmic rays that are uniformly distributed in this region with the interstellar gas. The correlation is used as the basis of a calibration of the ratio between H2 column density and the integrated CO line intensity; the value of (2.6 + or - 1.2) X 10 to the 20th mol/sq cm K km s thereby obtained is consistent with the value derived from a similar analysis for the inner galaxy.

Bloemen, J. B. G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Evolution of a superbubble blastwave in a magnetized medium

Researchers investigate the effects of interstellar magnetic fields on the evolution and structure of interstellar superbubbles, using both analytic and numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) calculations. These cavities of hot gas, surrounded by shells of cold dense material preceded by a shock wave result from the combined action of stellar winds and supernova explosions in OB associations. If the medium in which a superbubble goes off is homogeneous and unmagnetized, the blast wave expands isotropically. As the interstellar gas flows through the shock, it cools significantly and gets strongly compressed such that thermal pressure remains approximately equal to ram pressure. Hence, the swept up material is confined to a very thin shell. However, if the ambient medium is permeated by a uniform magnetic field B sub o approx. 3 mu G (typical value for the interstellar matter (ISM)), the configuration loses its spherical symmetry, and, due to magnetic pressure, the shell of swept up material does not remain thin. Researchers found the following qualitative differences: (1) Except in the immediate vicinity of the magnetic poles, the shell is supported by magnetic pressure. (2) The refraction of field lines at the shock and the thermal pressure gradient along the shell both contribute to accelerating the gas toward the equator. The resulting mass flux considerably decreases the column density at the magnetic poles. (3) Away from the poles, magnetic tension in the shell causes the field lines (particularly the inner boundary) to elongate in the direction of B sub o. In contrast, the shock wave radius increases with increasing theta. (4) The reduced inertia of a parcel in the polar neighborhood makes it easier to decelerate, and accounts for the dimple which appears at the poles in numerical simulations. This dimple also results from the necessity to call on intermediate shocks in order to insure a smooth transition between a purely thermal shock at the poles and a magnetic shock in the rest of the shell. (5) The shock wave propagates faster than in the absence of magnetic field, except near the poles where the reduced mass of the shell allows it to be more efficiently decelerated.

Ferriere, Katia M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Utilitarian models of the solar nebula

Models of the primitive solar nebula based on a combination of theory, observations of T Tauri stars, and global conservation laws are presented. The models describe the motions of nebular gas, mixing of interstellar material during the formation of the nebula, and evolution of thermal structure in terms of several characteristic parameters. The parameters describe key aspects of the protosolar cloud (its rotation rate and collapse rate) and the nebula (its mass relative to the Sun, decay time, and density distribution). For most applications, the models are heuristic rather than predicted. Their purpose is to provide a realistic context for the interpretation of solar system data, and to distinquish those nebular characteristics that can be specified with confidence, independently of the assumtions of particular models, form those that are poorly constrained. It is demonstrated that nebular gas typically experienced large radial excursions during the evolution of the nebula and that both inward and outward mean radial velocities on the order of meters per second occured in the terrestrial planet region, with inward velocities predominant for most ofthe evolution. However, the time history of disk size, surface density, and radial velocities are sensitive to the total angular momentun of the protosolar cloud, which cannot be constrained by purely theoretical considerations.It is shown that a certain amount of 'formational' mixing of interstellar material was an inevitable consequenc of nebular mass and angular momentum transport during protostellar collapse, regardless of the specific transport mechanisms invloved. Even if the protosolar cloud was initially homogeneous, this mixing was important because it had the effect of mingling presolar material that had experienced different degrees of thermal processing during collapse and passage through the accertion shock. Nebular thermal structure is less sensitive to poorly constrained parameters than is dynamical history. A simple criterion is derived for the condition that silicate grains are evaporated at midplane, and it is argued that this condition was probably fulfilled early in nebular history. Cooling of a hot nebula due tocoagulation of dust and consequent local reduction of optical depth is examined, and it is shown how such a process leads naturally to an enrichment of rock-forming elements in the gas phase.

Cassen, Patrick↗
DOE OSTI2014

A parametric modeling approach to measuring the gas masses of circumstellar disks

The disks that surround young stars are mostly composed of molecular gas, which is harder to detect and interpret than the accompanying dust. Disk mass measurements have therefore relied on large and uncertain extrapolations from the dust to the gas. We have developed a grid of models to study the dependencies of isotopologue CO line strengths on disk structure and temperature parameters and find that a combination of {sup 13}CO and C{sup 18}O observations provides a robust measure of the gas mass. We apply this technique to Submillimeter Array observations of nine circumstellar disks and published measurements of six well studied disks. We find evidence for selective photodissociation of C{sup 18}O and determine masses to within a factor of about three. The inferred masses for the nine disks in our survey range from 0.7 to 6 M {sub Jup}, and all are well below the extrapolation from the interstellar medium gas-to-dust ratio of 100. This is consistent with the low masses of planets found around such stars, and may be due to accretion or photoevaporation of a dust-poor upper atmosphere. However, the masses may be underestimated if there are more efficient CO depletion pathways than those known in molecular clouds and cold cores.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The metal abundances across cosmic time (MACT) Survey. I. Optical spectroscopy in the subaru deep field

Deep rest-frame optical spectroscopy is critical for characterizing and understanding the physical conditions and properties of the ionized gas in galaxies. Here, we present a new spectroscopic survey called “Metal Abundances across Cosmic Time” or MACT, which will obtain rest-frame optical spectra for ∼3000 emission-line galaxies. This paper describes the optical spectroscopy that has been conducted with MMT/Hectospec and Keck/DEIMOS for ≈1900 z = 0.1–1 emission-line galaxies selected from our narrowband and intermediate-band imaging in the Subaru Deep Field. In addition, we present a sample of 164 galaxies for which we have measured the weak [O iii]λ4363 line (66 with at least 3σ detections and 98 with significant upper limits). This nebular emission line determines the gas-phase metallicity by measuring the electron temperature of the ionized gas. This paper presents the optical spectra, emission-line measurements, interstellar properties (e.g., metallicity, gas density), and stellar properties (e.g., star formation rates, stellar mass). Paper II of the MACT survey (Ly et al.) presents the first results on the stellar mass–gas metallicity relation at z ≲ 1 using the sample with [O iii]λ4363 measurements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Carbon in Comet Halley dust particles

Comets are small bodies of the solar system containing primarily a mixture of frozen gases and carbonaceous and mineral grains. They are likely to preserve volatile mineral from cold regions of the protosolar nebula and remnants of interstellar dust and gas. More than 2500 mass spectra of cometary grains with masses in the range 5 x 10 exp -17 to 5 x 10 exp -12 g were measured in situ by PUMA1 and PUMA2 mass spectrometers on board the VEGA spacecraft during flyby missions to Comet Halley. In this paper, we discuss different organic and inorganic C-containing components discovered so far in Comet Halley dust particles, the nature and abundance of which provide information about possible astrophysical sources of C and constrain models of interstellar grains.

Fomenkova, M. N.↗
DOE OSTI2013

PROBING HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXY FORMATION AT THE HIGHEST LUMINOSITIES: NEW INSIGHTS FROM DEIMOS SPECTROSCOPY

We present Keck DEIMOS spectroscopic observations of the most UV-luminous star-forming galaxies at redshifts 3.2 < z < 4.6. Our sample, selected in the Booetes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey, contains galaxies with luminosities of L* {approx}< L{sub UV} {approx}< 7 L* and is one of the largest samples to date of the most UV-luminous galaxies at these redshifts. Our spectroscopic data confirm 41 candidates as star-forming galaxies at 3.2 < z < 4.6 and validate the relatively clean selection of the photometric candidates with a contamination rate of 11%-28%. We find that the fraction of Ly{alpha} emitting galaxies increases with decreasing UV luminosity. None of the 12 galaxies with M{sub UV} < -22 (i.e., L{sub UV} > 3 L*) exhibit strong Ly{alpha} emission. We find strong evidence of large-scale outflows, transporting the neutral/ionized gas in the interstellar medium away from the galaxy. Galaxies exhibiting both interstellar absorption and Ly{alpha} emission lines show a significant offset between the two features, with a relative velocity of 200-1150 km s{sup -1}. We find tentative evidence that this measure of the outflow velocity increases with UV luminosity and/or stellar mass. The luminosity- and mass-dependent outflow strengths suggest that the efficiency of feedback and enrichment of the surrounding medium depend on these galaxy parameters. We also stack the individual spectra to construct composite spectra of the absorption-line-only and Ly{alpha}-emitting subsets of the UV luminous galaxies at z {approx_equal} 3.7. The composite spectra are very similar to those of lower-redshift and lower-luminosity Lyman break galaxy (LBG) samples, but with some subtle differences. Analyses of the composite spectra suggest that the UV luminous LBGs at z {approx_equal} 3.7 may have a higher covering fraction of absorbing gas, and may be older (or have had more prolonged star formation histories) than their lower-redshift and lower-luminosity counterparts. In addition, we have discovered that five galaxies in the sample belong to a massive overdensity at z = 3.78. Finally, two galaxies each show two distinct sets of interstellar absorption features. The latter may be a sign of a final stage of major merger, or clumpy disk formation. These systems are not expected in our sample: their presence implies that the frequency of such sources among our luminous z {approx_equal} 3.7 LBGs may be an order of magnitude higher than in lower-redshift and lower-luminosity samples.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nucleation and stabilization of carbon-rich structures in interstellar media

We study the conditions under which carbon clusters of different sizes form and stabilize. We describe the approach to equilibrium by simulating tenuous carbon gas dynamics to long times. First, we use reactive molecular dynamics simulations to describe the nucleation of long chains, large clusters, and complex cage structures in carbon- and hydrogen-rich interstellar gas phases. We study how temperature, particle density, the presence of hydrogen, and carbon inflow affect the nucleation of molecular moieties with different characteristics, in accordance with astrophysical conditions. We extend the simulations to densities that are orders of magnitude lower than current laboratory densities, to temperatures that are relevant to circumstellar environments of planetary nebulae, and microsecond formation times. We correlate cluster size distributions from the simulations with thermodynamic equilibrium at low temperatures and gas densities, where entropy plays a significant role.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗