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At least 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

WIDE FIELD CO MAPPING IN THE REGION OF IRAS 19312+1950

We report the results of wide field CO mapping in the region of IRAS 19312+1950. This Infrared Astronomical Satellite ( IRAS ) object exhibits SiO/H{sub 2}O/OH maser emission, and is embedded in a chemically rich molecular component, the origin of which is still unknown. In order to reveal the entire structure and gas mass of the surrounding molecular component for the first time, we have mapped a wide region around IRAS 19312+1950 in the {sup 12}CO J = 1–0, {sup 13}CO J = 1–0 and C{sup 18}O J = 1–0 lines using the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. In conjunction with archival CO maps, we investigated a region up to 20′ × 20′ in size around this IRAS object. We calculated the CO gas mass assuming local thermal equilibrium, the stellar velocity through the interstellar medium assuming an analytic model of bow shock, and the absolute luminosity, using the latest archival data and trigonometric parallax distance. The derived gas mass (225 M {sub ⊙}–478 M {sub ⊙}) of the molecular component and the relatively large luminosity (2.63 × 10{sup 4} L {sub ☉}) suggest that the central SiO/H{sub 2}O/OH maser source is a red supergiant rather than an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star or post-AGB star.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

DICKE’S SUPERRADIANCE IN ASTROPHYSICS. I. THE 21 cm LINE

We have applied the concept of superradiance introduced by Dicke in 1954 to astrophysics by extending the corresponding analysis to the magnetic dipole interaction characterizing the atomic hydrogen 21 cm line. Although it is unlikely that superradiance could take place in thermally relaxed regions and that the lack of observational evidence of masers for this transition reduces the probability of detecting superradiance, in situations where the conditions necessary for superradiance are met (close atomic spacing, high velocity coherence, population inversion, and long dephasing timescales compared to those related to coherent behavior), our results suggest that relatively low levels of population inversion over short astronomical length-scales (e.g., as compared to those required for maser amplification) can lead to the cooperative behavior required for superradiance in the interstellar medium. Given the results of our analysis, we expect the observational properties of 21 cm superradiance to be characterized by the emission of high-intensity, spatially compact, burst-like features potentially taking place over short periods ranging from minutes to days.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

DICKE’S SUPERRADIANCE IN ASTROPHYSICS. II. THE OH 1612 MHz LINE

We apply the concept of superradiance that was introduced by Dicke in 1954 to the OH molecule 1612 MHz spectral line, which is often used for the detection of masers in the circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars. Because the detection of 1612 MHz OH masers in the outer shells of envelopes of these stars implies the existence of a population inversion and a high level of velocity coherence, and that these are two necessary requirements for superradiance, we investigate whether superradiance can also happen in these regions. Superradiance is characterized by high-intensity, spatially compact, burst-like features taking place over timescales on the order of seconds to years, depending on the size and physical conditions present in the regions harboring such sources of radiation. Our analysis suggests that superradiance provides a valid explanation for previous observations of intensity flares detected in that spectral line for the U Orionis Mira star and the IRAS 18276-1431 preplanetary nebula.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Molecular Gas Environment in the 20 km s{sup −1} Cloud in the Central Molecular Zone

We recently reported a population of protostellar candidates in the 20 km s{sup −1} cloud in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way, traced by H{sub 2}O masers in gravitationally bound dense cores. In this paper, we report molecular line studies with high angular resolution (∼3″) of the environment of star formation in this cloud. Maps of various molecular line transitions as well as the continuum at 1.3 mm are obtained using the Submillimeter Array. Five NH{sub 3} inversion lines and the 1.3 cm continuum are observed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The interferometric observations are complemented with single-dish data. We find that the CH{sub 3}OH, SO, and HNCO lines, which are usually shock tracers, are better correlated spatially with the compact dust emission from dense cores among the detected lines. These lines also show enhancement in intensities with respect to SiO intensities toward the compact dust emission, suggesting the presence of slow shocks or hot cores in these regions. We find gas temperatures of ≳100 K at 0.1 pc scales based on RADEX modeling of the H{sub 2}CO and NH{sub 3} lines. Although no strong correlations between temperatures and linewidths/H{sub 2}O maser luminosities are found, in high-angular-resolution maps we note several candidate shock-heated regions offset from any dense cores, as well as signatures of localized heating by protostars in several dense cores. Our findings suggest that at 0.1 pc scales in this cloud star formation and strong turbulence may together affect the chemistry and temperature of the molecular gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

H{sub 2}O Megamasers toward Radio-bright Seyfert 2 Nuclei

Using the Effelsberg-100 m telescope, we perform a successful pilot survey on H{sub 2}O maser emission toward a small sample of radio-bright Seyfert 2 galaxies with a redshift larger than 0.04. The targets were selected from a large Seyfert 2 sample derived from the spectroscopic Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS-DR7). One source, SDSS J102802.9+104630.4 ( z ∼ 0.0448), was detected four times during our observations, with a typical maser flux density of ∼30 mJy and a corresponding (very large) luminosity of ∼1135 L {sub ⊙}. The successful detection of this radio-bright Seyfert 2 and an additional tentative detection support our previous statistical results that H{sub 2}O megamasers tend to arise from Seyfert 2 galaxies with large radio luminosity. The finding provides further motivation for an upcoming larger H{sub 2}O megamaser survey toward Seyfert 2s with particularly radio-bright nuclei with the basic goal to improve our understanding of the nuclear environment of active megamaser host galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Local oscillator distribution using a geostationary satellite

A satellite communication system suitable for distribution of local oscillator reference signals for a widely spaced microwave array has been developed and tested experimentally. The system uses a round-trip correction method of the satellite This experiment was carried out using Telstar-5, a commercial Ku-band geostationary satellite. For this initial experiment, both earth stations were located at the same site to facilitate direct comparison of the received signals. The local oscillator reference frequency was chosen to be 300MHz and was sent as the difference between two Ku-band tones. The residual error after applying the round trip correction has been measured to be better than 3psec for integration times ranging from 1 to 2000 seconds. For integration times greater then 500 seconds, the system outperforms a pair of hydrogen masers with the limitation believed to be ground-based equipment phase stability. The idea of distributing local oscillators using a geostationary satellite is not new; several researchers experimented with this technique in the eighties, but the achieved accuracy was 3 to 100 times worse than the present results. Since substantially and the performance of various components has improved. An important factor is the leasing of small amounts of satellite communication bandwidth. We lease three 100kHz bands at approximately one hundredth the cost of a full 36 MHz transponder. Further tests of the system using terminal separated by large distances and comparison tests with two hydrogen masers and radio interferometry is needed.

hydrogen maser↗
DOE OSTI2015

Signatures of young star formation activity within two parsecs of Sgr A*

We present radio and infrared observations indicating ongoing star formation activity inside the ∼2–5 pc circumnuclear ring at the Galactic center. Collectively these measurements suggest a continued disk-based mode of ongoing star formation has taken place near Sgr A* over the last few million years. First, Very Large Array observations with spatial resolution 2.″17 × 0.″81 reveal 13 water masers, several of which have multiple velocity components. The presence of interstellar water masers suggests gas densities that are sufficient for self-gravity to overcome the tidal shear of the 4×10{sup 6} M{sub ⊙} black hole. Second, spectral energy distribution modeling of stellar sources indicates massive young stellar object (YSO) candidates interior to the molecular ring, supporting in situ star formation near Sgr A* and appear to show a distribution similar to that of the counter-rotating disks of ∼100 OB stars orbiting Sgr A*. Some YSO candidates (e.g., IRS 5) have bow shock structures, suggesting that they have gaseous disks that are phototoevaporated and photoionized by the strong radiation field. Third, we detect clumps of SiO (2-1) and (5-4) line emission in the ring based on Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy and Sub-Millimeter Array observations. The FWHM and luminosity of the SiO emission is consistent with shocked protostellar outflows. Fourth, two linear ionized features with an extent of ∼0.8 pc show blue and redshifted velocities between +50 and −40 km s{sup −1}, suggesting protostellar jet driven outflows with mass-loss rates of ∼5×10{sup −5} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}. Finally, we present the imprint of radio dark clouds at 44 GHz, representing a reservoir of molecular gas that feeds star formation activity close to Sgr A*.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

THE FOGGY DISKS SURROUNDING AeBe STARS: A THEORETICAL STUDY OF THE HDO LINES

Water is an important species that has a large influence on the chemical and physical structure of protoplanetary disks. Unfortunately, its main isotope is difficult to observe from the ground because of Earth's atmosphere, with the exception of a few maser lines. A viable alternative is offered by its isotopologue HDO, for which several lines are observable (and observed) with ground telescopes. In addition, observations of the HDO lines permit us to estimate the HDO/H{sub 2}O ratio, which can be a powerful diagnostic of the past history of the disk. In this Letter, we present a theoretical study of the HDO lines. We show that a few HDO lines are bright enough to be observable with ground-based telescopes. Among them, the 225 GHz line is the brightest because of a maser effect taking place in the inner dense and warm regions of the disk. The high-frequency lines are all in absorption, with absorption that can reach almost the totality of the continuum. We discuss how the line spectra arise from a delicate equilibrium between emission and absorption and are, therefore, highly dependent on the assumed physical and chemical structure. We also show that the HDO/H{sub 2}O ratio can not be derived with a simple prescription but it requires multi-frequency observations coupled with careful modeling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Megamaser disks reveal a broad distribution of black hole mass in spiral galaxies

We use new precision measurements of black hole (BH) masses from water megamaser disks to investigate scaling relations between macroscopic galaxy properties and supermassive BH mass. The megamaser-derived BH masses span 10{sup 6}–10{sup 8} M{sub ⊙}, while all the galaxy properties that we examine (including total stellar mass, central mass density, and central velocity dispersion) lie within a narrower range. Thus, no galaxy property correlates tightly with M{sub BH} in ∼L* spiral galaxies as traced by megamaser disks. Of them all, stellar velocity dispersion provides the tightest relation, but at fixed σ{sub ∗} the mean megamaser M{sub BH} are offset by −0.6 ± 0.1 dex relative to early-type galaxies. Spiral galaxies with non-maser dynamical BH masses do not appear to show this offset. At low mass, we do not yet know the full distribution of BH mass at fixed galaxy property; the non-maser dynamical measurements may miss the low-mass end of the BH distribution due to an inability to resolve their spheres of influence and/or megamasers may preferentially occur in lower-mass BHs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Classical laser.

In this paper a completely classical model for laser action is discussed. An active medium consisting of classical anharmonic oscillators interacts with a classical electromagnetic field in a resonant cavity. Comparison with the case of a medium consisting of harmonic oscillators shows the significance of nonlinearities for producing self-sustained oscillations in the radiation field. The results for the classical model are found to be similar to those for a semiclassical model of the ammonia-beam maser. The conclusion is that laser action is not intrinsically a quantum-mechanical effect. The classical-laser theory as given in this paper can also be applied to the case of the electron-cyclotron maser.

Borenstein, M.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Expected far infrared polarization of H2 regions and the nuclei of galaxies

The expected polarization of far infrared sources is discussed, and it is shown that the observed degree of polarization generally depends on two factors: (1) the availability of a mechanism that can produce polarization, and (2) the gain in polarization which absorption or stimulated emission can produce within a source. It is pointed out that stimulated emission could produce sizeable gain changes in compact dust clouds such as those associated with H2 regions and possibly also in dense regions exhibiting OH and H2O masers. Whether such a gain can actually become positive (maser-like behavior) is not clear, but this would in any case depend on the chemical structure of the grain material and the spectral range of interest.

Harwit, M. O.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A comparison of the cesium and hydrogen hyperfine frequencies by means of Loran-C and portable clocks

A comparison of the hydrogen and cesium hyperfine frequencies is made using a hydrogen maser calibrated directly against the Flexible Bulb Large Storage Box Hydrogen Maser and a Hewlett-Packard portable high performance cesium clock calibrated indirectly against the USNO Master Clock via a Loran-C link. The portable cesium clock is transported from the USNO to Harvard University in operating condition. This allows the evaluation of the portable clock's performance under transport. Data are presented on the epoch and frequency stability of the portable clock under transport as well as the usefulness of a closure measurement in determining clock drift.

Reinhardt, V. S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Very long baseline interferometric observations of OH/IR stars

Results are reported for spectral-line very long baseline interferometric observations of the following II OH/IR objects, which emit strong 1612-MHz OH maser radiation concentrated at two velocities: NML Cyg, R Aql, IRC+10011, IRC-10529, and OH 1837-05. The apparent angular sizes were obtained for NML Cyg and R Aql, and lower limits upon the apparent sizes were obtained for the other objects. The data for NML Cyg agree with previous size determinations and indicate that the low- and high-velocity components are separated by about 20 times their apparent size. The maser component of R Aql is calculated within a factor of two to be about 5 by 10 to the 14th power cm, although the emitting region can be significantly larger. A qualitative description is given for II OH/IR objects with late M-type Mira variable center stars and circumstellar dust shells of similar dimensions.

Reid, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

On the relationship between the infrared source CRL 2591 /UOA-27/ and its radio and H2O counterparts

Recent radio, infrared, and H2O maser observations show that there is a 7-arcsec angular separation between the protostarlike infrared source CRL 2591 and the compact H II region which has until now been identified with it, while the H2O maser coincides with the infrared source. This result, together with an extension of photometric measurements to 20 microns and a much improved upper limit to its angular size, reinforces the apparent similarity of CRL 2591 to the BN object in Orion and to W3/IRS 5.

Wynn-Williams, C. G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A new, compact far-infrared source in the W31 region

In a survey of the W31 region, a compact far-infrared source was detected at the position of the radio continuum source G 10.6-0.4. Associated with this infrared source and in close coincidence with its position is an H II region with a compact core and extended halo as well as OH and H2O masers. An extended molecular cloud, centered on these sources, has also been detected. The compact source and associated masers may be located at the H II region-molecular-cloud interface in a thin shocked layer of neutral gas driven into the molecular cloud by the expansion of the H II region. The compact H II region is depleted of dust and must be surrounded by a very dense shell of dust and gas (hydrogen number density in excess of 200,000 per cu cm). The source probably represents an early stage of stellar evolution.

Fazio, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

FTS maintenance and calibration at DSS 42/43

An FTS maintenance and calibration task was conducted at DSS 42/43 during August 1978. The objectives of this effort were (1) the routine maintenance and calibration of hydrogen masers, (2) installation and calibration of cesium standards, (3) installation of test equipment for frequency measurement, (4) CRG testing, (5) cabling inspection and repair, (6) check thermal and magnetic environment of H-maser/cesium room, and (7) calibration of frequency and timing subsystem.

Dachel, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

An infrared study of the NGC 7538 region

Infrared observations of the NGC 7538 region at wavelengths from 1 micron to 1 mm are presented and analyzed with the aim of understanding both the large-scale structure of this region of current star formation and the properties of the individual compact objects within it. At far-infrared wavelengths (25-130 microns), emission is seen from the visible H II region, from the vicinity of the previously known maser sources and dust-embedded compact HII regions, and from a new region called NGC 7538(E). Coincident with NGC 7538(E) are a point-like 1-25 micron infrared source, NGC 7538-IRS9, which probably provides the power for the far-infrared emission, and an extended source of 2.2 micron emission which appears to be an infrared reflection nebula. The compact H II regions, the maser sources and IRS9 are located within a dense molecular cloud at the edge of the optical H II region. This cloud, which has a mass of approximately 9000 solar masses, is detected in emission at 1 mm. The NGC 7538 region appears to contain examples of different stages in the formation of massive stars; it is suggested that the center of star formation is moving systematically to the southeast in this region.

Werner, M. W.↗