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At least 757 records · Page 42

A Long-Term Space Astrophysics Research Program: The Evolution of the Quasar Continuum

Four papers have been written. One reports on the major study funded by this grant: a pan-chromatic study of the quasar continuum at redshift 3. Two others make use of the quasar continuum shapes to find the minimum total accretion luminosity of the Universe, and hence the efficiency and spin of supermassive black holes; the second shows that the reemission of absorbed quasar radiation alleviates a major problem with galaxy formation and the FIR background. The last paper recognizes the role quasars may play in the initial formation of dust in the early Universe.

Elvis, M.↗

Free Molecular Heat Transfer Programs for Setup and Dynamic Updating the Conductors in Thermal Desktop

The programs, arrays and logic structure were developed to enable the dynamic update of conductors in thermal desktop. The MatLab program FMHTPRE.m processes the Thermal Desktop conductors and sets up the arrays. The user needs to manually copy portions of the output to different input regions in Thermal Desktop. Also, Fortran subroutines are provided that perform the actual updates to the conductors. The subroutines are setup for helium gas, but the equations can be modified for other gases. The maximum number of free molecular conductors allowed is 10,000 for a given radiation task. Additional radiation tasks for FMHT can be generated to account for more conductors. Modifications to the Fortran subroutines may be warranted, when the mode of heat transfer is in the mixed or continuum mode. The FMHT Thermal Desktop model should be activated by using the "Case Set Manager" once the model is setup. Careful setup of the model is needed to avoid excessive solve times.

Malroy, Eric T.↗

X-Ray Spectra from MHD Simulations of Accreting Black Holes

We present new global calculations of X-ray spectra from fully relativistic magneto-hydrodynamic (MHO) simulations of black hole (BH) accretion disks. With a self consistent radiative transfer code including Compton scattering and returning radiation, we can reproduce the predominant spectral features seen in decades of X-ray observations of stellar-mass BHs: a broad thermal peak around 1 keV, power-law continuum up to >100 keV, and a relativistically broadened iron fluorescent line. By varying the mass accretion rate, different spectral states naturally emerge: thermal-dominant, steep power-law, and low/hard. In addition to the spectral features, we briefly discuss applications to X-ray timing and polarization.

Schnittman, Jeremy D.↗

Two-neutron halo structure of 31 F

Here, we apply the Gamow shell model to study 25–31 F isotopes. As both internucleon correlations and continuum coupling are properly treated therein, the structure shape of 31 F at large distance can be analyzed precisely. For this, one-nucleon densities, root-mean-square radii, and correlation densities are calculated in neutron-rich fluorine isotopes. It is then suggested that 31 F exhibits a two-neutron halo structure, built from both continuum coupling and nucleon-nucleon correlations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Time variation of the H2O maser and infrared continuum in late-type stars

Observations of the variability of the 1.35-cm H2O and 2.2-micron emission from eight late M stars are described. A comparison of the microwave and infrared variations is of interest because the bulk of the stellar energy is radiated in the near-infrared and because at least one theory (Litvak 1969) hypothesizes near-infrared maser pumping via the 2.7-micron H2O vibration-rotation band. Variations at the two wavelengths appear to be correlated and possible explanations for this correlation are discussed.

Schwartz, P. R.↗

The variability of the sun's ultraviolet radiation

Solar UV intensity variations determined by direct irradiance measurements and by measurements of the plage/quiet sun contrast are reviewed. Typical values for the solar UV variability over a solar cycle are: less than 1% at wavelengths longer than 2100 A, 8% at 2080 A (continuum), 20% at 1900 A (continuum), 70% at H Ly alpha, 200% in certain emission lines in the 1200-1800 A range, and more than a factor of 4 in coronal lines at less than 1000 A.

Brueckner, G. E.↗

High-resolution emission-line imaging of Seyfert galaxies. I - Observations. II - Evidence for anisotropic ionizing radiation

A CCD direct imaging survey of 11 Seyfert galaxies with a mean seeing of 1.3 arcsec FWHM is presented. It is found that the major axes and spatial scales of the circumnuclear emission-line gas are very similar to those of the radio continuum sources. In the second part, this close connection between thermal and relativistic gases is examined. A scenario is proposed in which the radio jets and plasmoids shock, accelerate, and compress ambient and entrained gas, with the dominant source of ionization being the nonstellar nuclear UV continuum.

Haniff, Christopher A.↗

The ionizing radiation of Seyfert 2 galactic nuclei

We report the discovery of a nonrandom trend in the dispersion of emission-line intensity ratios for Seyfert 2 galaxies. The sense of this pattern suggests the influence of a single physical parameter, the hardness of the ionizing continuum, which controls the heating energy per ionizing photon. We compare the observed line ratios with new photoionization calculations and find that the observed distributions can be reproduced if the ionizing continuum is parametrized by a power law. Our results also suggest an inverse correlation between luminosity and continuum hardness for Seyfert 2 nuclei; if true, this trend extends a similar pattern known in quasars and Seyfert 1 galaxies to active galactic nuclei of lower luminosity. Samples of Seyfert 2 nuclei with improved selection uniformity are desirable for elaboration of these findings.

Ho, Luis C.↗

JWST Observations of Starbursts: Dust Processing in the M82 Superwind

We present JWST MIRI and NIRCam imaging of the inner ∼5 kpc of the M82 superwind at ~ $0''_{.}05 - 0''_{.}375$(∼0.9–6.5 pc) resolution. Targeted filters probe emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; F335M, F360M, F770W, F1130W) and continuum (F250M, F360M) The images reveal a network of cool wind filaments traced by PAHs. PAH surface brightness declines with the inverse square of distance to the midplane, suggesting that the incident radiation field from the starburst drives the observed PAH intensity out to ±2.5 kpc. The 3.3/11.3 and 3.3/7.7 μm band ratios show uniformity with distance from the starburst, though comparisons with mid-IR dust emission models indicate a modest shift toward larger PAHs. Outside the disk, 11.3/7.7 μm increases moderately, reflecting that PAHs become more neutral with distance from the starburst as they are exposed to a declining radiation field and ionization parameter. Overall, PAHs in the wind are consistent with standard-to-large sizes and standard-to-high ionization states. Including Spitzer and Herschel data, PAH abundance (q PAH ) is set at ∼1% in the starburst and remains unchanging out to ±5 kpc off the disk. This flat q PAH profile suggests that PAHs are shielded from the hot wind, perhaps residing in the surface layers of cool clouds, with possible replenishment from cloud interiors and enrichment of the halo from previous bursts. In this picture, clouds are not dense enough to promote PAH growth, and they likely undergo radiative cooling and mixing with the hot phase to survive the gauntlet for at least ∼20 Myr.

Cronin, Serena A. [University of Maryland, College↗

High resolution spectroscopy of two gamma-ray bursts in November 1978

The first results from the ISSEE-3 radiatively colled germanium gamma ray burst spectrometer are presented. Spectra and time histories from two events on the 1978 November 4 and 1978 November 19 are given. A significant difference in the continuum spectra for the two events was observed. Evidence is presented for two spectral features in the features in the November 19 events, a broad one at approximately 420 key KeV and a narrower one at 740 KeV with a suggestion of an accompanying high energy tail.

Teegarden, B. J.↗

Is a pyrene-like molecular ion the cause of the 4,430-A diffuse interstellar absorption band?

The diffuse interstellar band (DIB) absorption features of astronomical spectra are suggested by recent results to be separable from the grains that cause visual extinction. Attention is presently given to laboratory measurements of the optical spectrum of the pyrene cation C16H10(+), which is one of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecular candidates proposed as carriers for DIBs. This ion exhibits an intense but strangely broad continuum similar to that of the naphthalene cation, so that this may be a common feature of all PAH cations and the basis of an explanation for PAHs' converting of an interstellar radiation fraction as large as that from the UV and visible range down to the IR.

Salama, F.↗

First-principles study of L -shell iron and chromium opacity at stellar interior temperatures

Recently developed free-energy density functional theory (DFT)-based methodology for optical property calculations of warm dense matter has been applied for studying L-shell opacity of iron and chromium at T = 182 eV. We use Mermin–Kohn–Sham density functional theory with a ground-state and a fully temperature-dependent generalized gradient approximation exchange-correlation (XC) functionals. It is demonstrated that the role of XC at such a high-T is negligible due to the total free-energy of interacting system being dominated by the noninteracting free-energy term in agreement with estimations for the homogeneous electron gas. Furthermore, our DFT predictions are compared to the radiative emissivity and opacity of dense plasmas model, to the real-space Greens function method, and to experimental measurements. Good agreement is found between all three theoretical methods, and in the bound–continuum region for Cr when compared to the experiment, while the discrepancy between direct DFT calculations and the experiment for Fe remains essentially the same as for plasma-physics models.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Chromosphere flare models

Further calculated results based on the F1 and F2 chromospheric models of Machado et al. (1980) are presented in addition to results from a model with enhanced temperatures relative to the weak-flare model F1 in the upper photosphere and low chromosphere, and from a model with enhanced temperatures relative to the strong flare model F2 in the upper chromosphere. The coupled equations of statistical equilibrium and radiative transfer for H, H(-), He I-II, C I-IV, Si I-II, Mg I-II, Fe, Al, O I-II, Na, and Ca II are solved, and the overall absorption and emission of radiation by lines throughout the spectrum are determined by means of a reduced set of opacities taken from a compilation of over 10 million lines. Semiempirical models show that the white light flare continuum may arise by extreme chromospheric overheating, as well as by an enhancement of the minimum temperature region.

Avrett, E. H.↗

A nonisothermal emissivity and absorptivity formulation for water vapor

An emissivity approach is taken to modeling fluxes and cooling rates in the atmosphere. The nonisothermal water vapor long wave radiation emissivity and absorptivity model that is developed satisfies the requirements of defining a monochromatic transfer equation for predicting water vapor emissions. Predictions made with the model compare favorably with fluxes predicted by a radiation model for narrow-band emissions in 5 kayser intervals. The spectral resolution assumed in narrow-band models is shown to be an arbitrary parameter and, if a far wing continuum-type opacity is included in the emissivity scheme presented, results can be obtained which are as accurate as predictions made with state of the art line-by-line (LBL) calculations.

Ramanathan, V.↗

Gas Modelling in the Disc of HD 163296

We present detailed model fits to observations of the disc around the Herbig Ae star HD 163296. This well-studied object has an age of approx. 4Myr, with evidence of a circumstellar disc extending out to approx. 540AU. We use the radiation thermo-chemical disc code ProDiMo to model the gas and dust in the circumstellar disc of HD 163296, and attempt to determine the disc properties by fitting to observational line and continuum data. These include new Herschel/PACS observations obtained as part of the open-time key program GASPS (Gas in Protoplanetary Systems), consisting of a detection of the [Oi] 63 m line and upper limits for several other far infrared lines. We complement this with continuum data and ground-based observations of the CO-12 3-2, 2-1 and CO-13 J=1-0 line transitions, as well as the H2 S(1) transition. We explore the effects of stellar ultraviolet variability and dust settling on the line emission, and on the derived disc properties. Our fitting efforts lead to derived gas/dust ratios in the range 9-100, depending on the assumptions made. We note that the line fluxes are sensitive in general to the degree of dust settling in the disc, with an increase in line flux for settled models. This is most pronounced in lines which are formed in the warm gas in the inner disc, but the low excitation molecular lines are also affected. This has serious implications for attempts to derive the disc gas mass from line observations. We derive fractional PAH abundances between 0.007 and 0.04 relative to ISM levels. Using a stellar and UV excess input spectrum based on a detailed analysis of observations, we find that the all observations are consistent with the previously assumed disc geometry

Tilling, I.↗

On the variability of extragalactic sources in the decimeter range and their correlation with galactic structures

It is shown that all of the extragalactic radio sources presently known are variable in the decimeter range (lambda or = 30 cm) and are projected on the large continuum radio structure of the galaxy: loops, spurs, ridges. Probability that coordinates could coincide is or = 10 to the minus 7 power. The variations in the intensity are explained by scintillations (regime of focusing radiation) on the large-scale irregularities of electron density in the medium of loops, spurs and ridges with the dimension a magnitude of approximately 10 to the 13th power cm. A correlation of the characteristics of radiation of the sources with their position relative to the galactic loop is considered. Based on the known experimental data, it is shown that the angle of scattering of extragalactic radiation and the dispersion measures of pulsars projecting on the loops is considerably larger than those of the sources lying outside the loops.

Shapirovskaya, N. Y.↗

Computation of atmospheric cooling rates by exact and approximate methods

Infrared fluxes and cooling rates for several standard model atmospheres, with and without water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone, have been calculated using a line-by-line method at 0.01/cm resolution. The sensitivity of the results to the vertical integration scheme and to the model for water vapor continuum absorption is shown. Comparison with similar calculations performed at NOAA/GFDL shows agreement to within 0.5 W/sq m in fluxes at various levels and 0.05 K/d in cooling rates. Comparison with a fast, parameterized radiation code used in climate models reveals a worst case difference, when all gases are included, of 3.7 W/sq m in flux; cooling rate differences are 0.1 K/d or less when integrated over a substantial layer with point differences as large as 0.3 K/d.

Ridgway, William L.↗

Ulysses radio and plasma wave observations in the Jupiter environment

The Unified Radio and Plasma Wave (URAP) experiment has produced new observations of the Jupiter environment, owing to the unique capabilities of the instrument and the traversal of high Jovian latitudes. Broad-band continuum radio emission from Jupiter and in situ plasma waves have proved valuable in delineating the magnetospheric boundaries. Simultaneous measurements of electric and magnetic wave fields have yielded new evidence of whistler-mode radiation within the magnetosphere. Observations of auroral-like hiss provided evidence of a Jovian cusp. The source direction and polarization capabilities of URAP have demonstrated that the outer region of the Io plasma torus supported at least five separate radio sources that reoccurred during successive rotations with a measurable corotation lag. Thermal noise measurements of the Io torus densities yielded values in the densest portion that are similar to models suggested on the basis of Voyager observations of 13 years ago. The URAP measurements also suggest complex beaming and polarization characteristics of Jovian radio components. In addition, a new class of kilometer-wavelength striated Jovian bursts has been observed.

Stone, R. G.↗