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At least 775 records · Page 43
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DOE OSTI2013

THE PECULIAR PHOTOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF 2010 WG9: A SLOWLY ROTATING TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECT FROM THE OORT CLOUD

We present long-term BVRI observations of 2010 WG9, an {approx}100 km diameter trans-Neptunian object (TNO) with an extremely high inclination of 70 Degree-Sign discovered by the La Silla-QUEST southern sky survey. Most of the observations were obtained with ANDICAM on the SMARTS 1.3 m at Cerro Tololo, Chile from 2010 December to 2012 November. Additional observations were made with EFOSC2 on the 3.5 m NTT telescope of the European Southern Observatory at La Silla, Chile in 2011 February. The observations reveal a sinusoidal light curve with amplitude 0.14 mag and period 5.4955 {+-} 0.0025 days, which is likely half the true rotation period. Such long rotation periods have previously been observed only for tidally evolved binary TNOs, suggesting that 2010 WG9 may be such a system. We predict a nominal separation of at least 790 km, resolvable with the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based systems. We measure B - R = 1.318 {+-} 0.029 and V - R = 0.520 {+-} 0.018, consistent with the colors of modestly red Centaurs and Damocloids. At I-band wavelengths, we observe an unusually large variation of color with rotational phase, with R - I ranging from 0.394 {+-} 0.025 to 0.571 {+-} 0.044. We also measure an absolute R-band absolute magnitude of 7.93 {+-} 0.05 and solar phase coefficient of 0.049 {+-} 0.019 mag deg{sup -1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGES. II. 12 KEPLER OBJECTS OF INTEREST AND 15 CONFIRMED TRANSITING PLANETS

All transiting planet observations are at risk of contamination from nearby, unresolved stars. Blends dilute the transit signal, causing the planet to appear smaller than it really is, or producing a false positive detection when the target star is blended with an eclipsing binary. High spatial resolution adaptive optics images are an effective way of resolving most blends. Here we present visual companions and detection limits for 12 Kepler planet candidate host stars, of which 4 have companions within 4''. One system (KOI 1537) consists of two similar-magnitude stars separated by 0.''1, while KOI 174 has a companion at 0.''5. In addition, observations were made of 15 transiting planets that were previously discovered by other surveys. The only companion found within 1'' of a known planet is the previously identified companion to WASP-2b. An additional four systems have companions between 1'' and 4'': HAT-P-30b (3.''7, {Delta}Ks = 2.9), HAT-P-32b (2.''9, {Delta}Ks = 3.4), TrES-1b (2.''3, {Delta}Ks = 7.7), and WASP-P-33b (1.''9, {Delta}Ks = 5.5), some of which have not been reported previously. Depending on the spatial resolution of the transit photometry for these systems, these companion stars may require a reassessment of the planetary parameters derived from transit light curves. For all systems observed, we report the limiting magnitudes beyond which additional fainter objects located 0.''1-4'' from the target may still exist.

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DOE OSTI2013

INITIAL PLANETESIMAL SIZES AND THE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SMALL KUIPER BELT OBJECTS

The Kuiper Belt is a remnant from the early solar system and its size distribution contains many important constraints that can be used to test models of planet formation and collisional evolution. We show, by comparing observations with theoretical models, that the observed Kuiper Belt size distribution is well matched by coagulation models, which start with an initial planetesimal population with radii of about 1 km, and subsequent collisional evolution. We find that the observed size distribution above R {approx} 30 km is primordial, i.e., it has not been modified by collisional evolution over the age of the solar system, and that the size distribution below R {approx} 30 km has been modified by collisions and that its slope is well matched by collisional evolution models that use published strength laws. We investigate in detail the resulting size distribution of bodies ranging from 0.01 km to 30 km and find that its slope changes several times as a function of radius before approaching the expected value for an equilibrium collisional cascade of material strength dominated bodies for R {approx}< 0.1 km. Compared to a single power-law size distribution that would span the whole range from 0.01 km to 30 km, we find in general a strong deficit of bodies around R {approx} 10 km and a strong excess of bodies around 2 km in radius. This deficit and excess of bodies are caused by the planetesimal size distribution left over from the runaway growth phase, which left most of the initial mass in small planetesimals while only a small fraction of the total mass is converted into large protoplanets. This excess mass in small planetesimals leaves a permanent signature in the size distribution of small bodies that is not erased after 4.5 Gyr of collisional evolution. Observations of the small Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) size distribution can therefore test if large KBOs grew as a result of runaway growth and constrained the initial planetesimal sizes. We find that results from recent KBO occultation surveys and the observed KBO size distribution can be best matched by an initial planetesimal population that contained about equal mass per logarithmic mass bin in bodies ranging from 0.4 km to 4 km in radius. We further find that we cannot match the observed KBO size distribution if most of the planetesimal mass was contained in bodies that were 10 km in radius or larger simply because their resulting size distribution cannot be sufficiently depleted over 4.5 Gyr to match observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The small numbers of large Kuiper Belt objects

We explore the brightness distribution of the largest and brightest (m(R) < 22) Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs). We construct a luminosity function of the dynamically excited or hot Kuiper Belt (orbits with inclinations >5°) from the very brightest to m(R) = 23. We find for m(R) ≲ 23, a single slope appears to describe the luminosity function. We estimate that ∼12 KBOs brighter than m(R) ∼ 19.5 are present in the Kuiper Belt today. With nine bodies already discovered this suggests that the inventory of bright KBOs is nearly complete.

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DOE OSTI2014

Fast rotation of a subkilometer-sized near-Earth object 2011 XA{sub 3}

We present light curve observations and their multiband photometry for near-Earth object (NEO) 2011 XA{sub 3}. The light curve has shown a periodicity of 0.0304 ± 0.0003 days (= 43.8 ± 0.4 minutes). The fast rotation shows that 2011 XA{sub 3} is in a state of tension (i.e., a monolithic asteroid) and cannot be held together by self-gravitation. Moreover, the multiband photometric analysis indicates that the taxonomic class of 2011 XA{sub 3} is S-complex, or V-type. Its estimated effective diameter is 225 ± 97 m (S-complex) and 166 ± 63 m (V-type), respectively. Therefore, 2011 XA{sub 3} is a candidate for the second-largest, fast-rotating, monolithic asteroid. Moreover, the orbital parameters of 2011 XA{sub 3} are apparently similar to those of NEO (3200) Phaethon, but F/B-type. We computed the orbital evolutions of 2011 XA{sub 3} and Phaethon. However, the results of the computation and distinct taxonomy indicate that neither of the asteroids is of common origin.

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DOE OSTI2014

Dynamical implantation of objects in the Kuiper Belt

Several models have been suggested in the past to describe the dynamical formation of hot Kuiper Belt objects (hereafter Hot Classicals or HCs for short). Here, we discuss a dynamical mechanism that allows orbits to evolve from the primordial planetesimal disk at ≲ 35 AU to reach the orbital region now occupied by HCs. We performed three different sets of numerical simulations to illustrate this mechanism. Two of these simulations were based on modern theories for the early evolution of the solar system (the Nice and jumping-Jupiter models). The third simulation was performed with the purpose of increasing the resolution at 41-46 AU. The common aspect of these simulations is that Neptune scatters planetesimals from ≲ 35 AU to >40 AU and then undergoes a long phase of slow residual migration. Our results show that to reach an HC orbit, a scattered planetesimal needs to be captured in a mean motion resonance (MMR) with Neptune where the perihelion distance rises due to the Kozai resonance (which occurs in MMRs even for moderate inclinations). Finally, while Neptune is still migrating, the planetesimal is released from the MMR on a stable HC orbit. We show that the orbital distribution of HCs expected from this process provides a reasonable match to observations. The capture efficiency and the mass deposited into the HC region appears to be sensitive to the maximum eccentricity reached by Neptune during the planetary instability phase. Additional work will be needed to resolve this dependency in detail.

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DOE OSTI2014

Adaptive optics images. III. 87 Kepler objects of interest

The Kepler mission has revolutionized our understanding of exoplanets, but some of the planet candidates identified by Kepler may actually be astrophysical false positives or planets whose transit depths are diluted by the presence of another star. Adaptive optics images made with ARIES at the MMT of 87 Kepler Objects of Interest place limits on the presence of fainter stars in or near the Kepler aperture. We detected visual companions within 1'' for 5 stars, between 1'' and 2'' for 7 stars, and between 2'' and 4'' for 15 stars. For those systems, we estimate the brightness of companion stars in the Kepler bandpass and provide approximate corrections to the radii of associated planet candidates due to the extra light in the aperture. For all stars observed, we report detection limits on the presence of nearby stars. ARIES is typically sensitive to stars approximately 5.3 Ks magnitudes fainter than the target star within 1'' and approximately 5.7 Ks magnitudes fainter within 2'', but can detect stars as faint as ΔKs = 7.5 under ideal conditions.

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DOE OSTI2015

Detection of stars within ∼0.8 in of Kepler objects of interest

We present an algorithm to search for the faint spectrum of a second star mixed with the spectrum of a brighter star in high resolution spectra. We model optical stellar spectra as the sum of two input spectra drawn from a vast library of stars throughout the H-R diagram. From typical spectra having a resolution of R = 60,000, we are able to detect companions as faint as 1% relative to the primary star in approximately the V and R bandpasses of photometry. We are also able to find evidence for triple and quadruple systems, given that any additional companions are sufficiently bright. The precise threshold percentage depends on the signal-to-noise of the spectrum and the properties of the two stars. For cases of non-detection, we place a limit on the brightness of any potential companions. This algorithm is useful for detecting faint orbiting companions and background stars that are angularly close to a foreground target star. The size of the entrance slit to the spectrometer, 0.87 × 3 arcsec (typically), sets the angular domain within which the second star can be detected. We analyzed Keck-HIRES spectra of 1160 California Kepler Survey objects of interest (KOI) searching for the secondary spectra, with the two goals of alerting the community to two possible host stars of the transiting planet and to dilution of the light curve. We report 63 California KOI showing spectroscopic evidence of a secondary star.

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DOE OSTI2015

A Wise census of young stellar objects in the Perseus OB2 association

We have performed a Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer based study to identify and characterize young stellar objects (YSOs) in the 12° × 12° Perseus OB2 association. A spectral energy distribution (SED) slope in the range of 3.4–12 μm and 5σ selection criteria were used to select our initial sample. Further manual inspection reduced our final catalog to 156 known and 119 YSO candidates. The spatial distribution of newly found YSOs all over the field shows an older generation of star formation in which most of its massive members have evolved into main-sequence stars. In contrast, the majority of younger members lie within the Perseus molecular cloud and currently active star-forming clusters such as NGC 1333 and IC 348. We also identified an additional 66 point sources that passed YSO selection criteria but are likely AGB stars. However, their spatial distribution suggests that they may contain a fraction of the YSOs. Comparing our results with the commonly used color–color selections, we found that while the color selection method fails in picking up bright but evolved weak disks, our SED fitting method can identify such sources, including transitional disks. In addition, we have less contamination with background sources such as galaxies, but at a price of losing fainter (J{sub mag}>12) YSOs. Finally, we employed a Bayesian Monte Carlo SED fitting method to determine the characteristics of each YSO candidate. Distribution of SED slopes and model-driven age and mass confirms separated YSO populations with three suggested age groups of younger than 1 Myr old, 1–5 Myr old, and older than 5 Myr, which agrees with the age of the Per OB2 association and currently star-forming sites within the cloud.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Spectroscopic assessment of Wise-based young stellar object selection near λ and σ Orionis

We have conducted a sensitive search down to the hydrogen burning limit for unextincted stars over ~200 square degrees around Lambda Orionis and 20 square degrees around Sigma Orionis using the methodology of Koenig and Leisawitz. From WISE and 2MASS data we identify 544 and 418 candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) in the vicinity of λ and σ respectively. Based on our followup spectroscopy for some candidates and the existing literature for others, we found that ~80% of the K14-selected candidates are probable or likely members of the Orion star-forming region. The yield from the photometric selection criteria shows that WISE sources with K{sub S}-w3>1.5 mag and K{sub S} between 10 and 12 mag are most likely to show spectroscopic signs of youth, while WISE sources with K{sub S}-w3 > 4 mag and K{sub S}>12 were often active galactic nuclei when followed up spectroscopically. The population of candidate YSOs traces known areas of active star formation, with a few new “hot spots” of activity near Lynds 1588 and 1589 and a more dispersed population of YSOs in the northern half of the H ii region bubble around σ and ϵ Ori. A minimal spanning tree analysis of the two regions to identify stellar groupings finds that roughly two-thirds of the YSO candidates in each region belong to groups of 5 or more members. The population of stars selected by WISE outside the MST groupings also contains spectroscopically verified YSOs, with a local stellar density as low as 0.5 stars per square degree.

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DOE OSTI2011

MASSIVE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE GALACTIC CENTER. I. SPECTROSCOPIC IDENTIFICATION FROM SPITZER INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH OBSERVATIONS

We present results from our spectroscopic study, using the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on board the Spitzer Space Telescope, designed to identify massive young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Galactic center (GC). Our sample of 107 YSO candidates was selected based on Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) colors from the high spatial resolution, high sensitivity Spitzer/IRAC images in the Central Molecular Zone, which spans the central {approx}300 pc region of the Milky Way. We obtained IRS spectra over 5-35 {mu}m using both high- and low-resolution IRS modules. We spectroscopically identify massive YSOs by the presence of a 15.4 {mu}m shoulder on the absorption profile of 15 {mu}m CO{sub 2} ice, suggestive of CO{sub 2} ice mixed with CH{sub 3}OH ice on grains. This 15.4 {mu}m shoulder is clearly observed in 16 sources and possibly observed in an additional 19 sources. We show that nine massive YSOs also reveal molecular gas-phase absorption from CO{sub 2}, C{sub 2}H{sub 2}, and/or HCN, which traces warm and dense gas in YSOs. Our results provide the first spectroscopic census of the massive YSO population in the GC. We fit YSO models to the observed spectral energy distributions and find YSO masses of 8-23 M{sub sun}, which generally agree with the masses derived from observed radio continuum emission. We find that about 50% of photometrically identified YSOs are confirmed with our spectroscopic study. This implies a preliminary star formation rate of {approx}0.07 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1} at the GC.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING OF QUASI-STELLAR OBJECTS WITH DOUBLE-PEAKED NARROW LINES: ARE THEY DUAL ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI?

Active galaxies hosting two accreting and merging supermassive black holes (SMBHs)-dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs)-are predicted by many current and popular models of black-hole-galaxy co-evolution. We present here the results of a program that has identified a set of probable dual AGN candidates based on near-infrared laser guide star adaptive optics imaging with the Keck II telescope. These candidates are selected from a complete sample of radio-quiet quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), which show double-peaked narrow AGN emission lines. Of the 12 AGNs imaged, we find 6 with double galaxy structure, of which four are in galaxy mergers. We measure the ionization of the two velocity components in the narrow AGN lines to test the hypothesis that both velocity components come from an active nucleus. The combination of a well-defined parent sample and high-quality imaging allows us to place constraints on the fraction of SDSS QSOs that host dual accreting black holes separated on kiloparsec scales: {approx}0.3%-0.65%. We derive from this fraction the time spent in a QSO phase during a typical merger and find a value that is much lower than estimates that arise from QSO space densities and galaxy merger statistics. We discuss possible reasons for this difference. Finally, we compare the SMBH mass distributions of single and dual AGNs and find little difference between the two within the limited statistics of our program, hinting that most SMBH growth happens in the later stages of a merger process.

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DOE OSTI2011

A CORRELATION BETWEEN SURFACE DENSITIES OF YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS AND GAS IN EIGHT NEARBY MOLECULAR CLOUDS

We report the discovery and characterization of a power-law correlation between the local surface densities of Spitzer-identified, dusty young stellar objects (YSOs) and the column density of gas (as traced by near-IR extinction) in eight molecular clouds within 1 kpc and with 100 or more known YSOs. This correlation, which appears in data smoothed over size scales of {approx}1 pc, varies in quality from cloud to cloud; those clouds with tight correlations, MonR2 and Ophiuchus, are fit with power laws of slope 2.67 and 1.87, respectively. The spread in the correlation is attributed primarily to local gas disruption by stars that formed there or to the presence of very young subregions at the onset of star formation. We explore the ratio of the number of Class II to Class I sources, a proxy for the star formation age of a region, as a function of gas column density; this analysis reveals a declining Class II to Class I ratio with increasing column density. We show that the observed star-gas correlation is consistent with a star formation law where the star formation rate per area varies with the gas column density squared. We also propose a simple picture of thermal fragmentation of dense gas in an isothermal, self-gravitating layer as an explanation for the power law. Finally, we briefly compare the star-gas correlation and its implied star formation law with other recent proposed of star formation laws at similar and larger size scales from nearby star-forming regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

RESOLVING THE DYNAMICAL MASS OF A z {approx} 1.3 QUASI-STELLAR OBJECT HOST GALAXY USING SINFONI AND LASER GUIDE STAR ASSISTED ADAPTIVE OPTICS

Recent studies of the tight scaling relations between the masses of supermassive black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies have suggested that in the past BHs constituted a larger fraction of their host galaxies' mass. However, these arguments are limited by selection effects and difficulties in determining robust host galaxy masses at high redshifts. Here we report the first results of a new, complementary diagnostic route: we directly determine a dynamical host galaxy mass for the z = 1.3 luminous quasar J090543.56+043347.3 through high spatial resolution (0.''47, 4 kpc FWHM) observations of the host galaxy gas kinematics over 30 x 40 kpc using the European Southern Observatory/Very Large Telescope/SINFONI with laser guide star adaptive optics. Combining our result of M{sub dyn} = 2.05{sup +1.68}{sub -0.74} x 10{sup 11} M{sub sun} (within a radius 5.25 {+-} 1.05 kpc) with M{sub BH,MgII} = 9.02 {+-} 1.43 x 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}, M{sub BH,H{alpha}} = 2.83{sup +1.93}{sub -1.13} x 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}, we find that the ratio of BH mass to host galaxy dynamical mass for J090543.56+043347.3 matches the present-day relation for M{sub BH} versus M{sub Bulge,Dyn}, well within the IR scatter, and deviating at most by a factor of two from the mean. J090543.56+043347.3 displays clear signs of an ongoing tidal interaction and of spatially extended star formation at a rate of 50-100 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}, above the cosmic average for a galaxy of this mass and redshift. We argue that its subsequent evolution may move J090543.56+043347.3 even closer to the z = 0 relation for M{sub BH} versus M{sub Bulge,Dyn}. Our results support the picture in which any substantive evolution in these relations must occur prior to z {approx} 1.3. Having demonstrated the power of this modeling approach, we are currently analyzing similar data on seven further objects to better constrain such evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

PHOTOELECTRIC CHARGING OF DUST GRAINS IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS

The evolution of disks around young stellar objects (YSOs) is deeply affected by the YSOs' ultraviolet (UV) radiation field especially in the 500-1100 A spectral range. The two dominant processes are: the photodissociation of H{sub 2} molecules in the Werner and Lyman bands, and the emission of photoelectrons from dust grains when high energy photons are absorbed. Photoelectrons are an important source of gas heating. In this paper, dust grain charging when exposed to various possible UV fields in the YSOs' environment is investigated. Numerical simulations of the evolution of photoelectrons in the electric field created by the charged dust grains are carried out to obtain the charging profile of dust grains. From the simulations it appears that the different spectra produce significant quantitative and qualitative differences in the charging processes. Both the UV background and the Ae-Herbig star radiation field produce a relatively slow charging of dust grains due to the low fraction of sufficiently energetic photons. The radiation field of T Tauri stars (TTSs) is harder due to the release of magnetic energy in the dense magnetospheric environment. These numerical results have been used to propose a new simple analytical model for grain charging in the atmosphere of protostellar disks around TTSs susceptible to be used in any disk modeling. It has been found that the yield decreases exponentially with the dust charge and that two populations of photoelectrons are produced: a low energy population with mean kinetic energy E = 2.5 eV and a high energy population with E = 5.5-6 eV; the energy dispersion within the populations is {approx}1.3 eV (T {approx} 1.5 x 10{sup 4} K). The high energy population is susceptible of dissociating the H{sub 2} and ionizing some low ionization potential species, such as the Mg. These results add an additional role to dust on the chemistry of the layers just below the H{sub 2} photoionization front. This photoelectic yield has been applied to a simple evaluation of the dust charge in the atmospheres of accretion disks ({alpha}-disks).

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DOE OSTI2011

ACCELERATING COMPACT OBJECT MERGERS IN TRIPLE SYSTEMS WITH THE KOZAI RESONANCE: A MECHANISM FOR 'PROMPT' TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE, GAMMA-RAY BURSTS, AND OTHER EXOTICA

White dwarf-white dwarf (WD-WD) and neutron star-neutron star (NS-NS) mergers may produce Type Ia supernovae and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), respectively. A general problem is how to produce binaries with semi-major axes small enough to merge in significantly less than the Hubble time (t{sub H}), and thus accommodate the observation that these events closely follow episodes of star formation. I explore the possibility that such systems are not binaries at all, but actually coeval, or dynamical formed, triple systems. The tertiary induces Kozai oscillations in the inner binary, driving it to high eccentricity, and reducing its gravitational wave (GW) merger timescale. This effect significantly increases the allowed range of binary period P such that the merger time is t{sub merge} < t{sub H}. In principle, Chandrasekhar-mass binaries with P {approx} 300 days can merge in {approx}< t{sub H} if they contain a prograde solar-mass tertiary at high enough inclination. For retrograde tertiaries, the maximum P such that t{sub merge} {approx}< t{sub H} is yet larger. In contrast, P {approx}< 0.3 days is required in the absence of a tertiary. I discuss implications of these findings for the production of transients formed via compact object binary mergers. Based on the statistics of solar-type binaries, I argue that many such binaries should be in triple systems affected by the Kozai resonance. If true, expectations for the mHz GW signal from individual sources, the diffuse background, and the foreground for GW experiments like LISA are modified. This work motivates future studies of triples systems of A, B, and O stars, and new types of searches for WD-WD binaries in triple systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED ACCRETION FLOWS ONTO YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS

Accretion from disks onto young stars is thought to follow magnetic field lines from the inner disk edge to the stellar surface. The accretion flow thus depends on the geometry of the magnetic field. This paper extends previous work by constructing a collection of orthogonal coordinate systems, including the corresponding differential operators, where one coordinate traces the magnetic field lines. This formalism allows for an (essentially) analytic description of the geometry and the conditions required for the flow to pass through sonic points. Using this approach, we revisit the problem of magnetically controlled accretion flow in a dipole geometry, and then generalize the treatment to consider magnetic fields with multiple components, including dipole, octupole, and split monopole contributions. This approach can be generalized further to consider more complex magnetic field configurations. Observations indicate that accreting young stars have substantial dipole and octupole components, and that accretion flow is transonic. If the effective equation of state for the fluid is too stiff, however, the flow cannot pass smoothly through the sonic points in steady state. For a multipole field of order l, we derive a general constraint on the polytropic index, n > l + 3/2, required for steady transonic flow to reach free-fall velocities. For octupole fields, inferred on surfaces of T Tauri stars, the index n > 9/2, so that the flow must be close to isothermal. The inclusion of octupole field components produces higher densities at the stellar surface and smaller areas for the hot spots, which occur at higher latitudes; the magnetic truncation radius is smaller (larger) for octupole components that are aligned (anti-aligned) with the stellar dipole. This contribution thus increases our understanding of magnetically controlled accretion for young stellar objects and can be applied to a variety of additional astrophysical problems.

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DOE OSTI2012

A RAY-TRACING ALGORITHM FOR SPINNING COMPACT OBJECT SPACETIMES WITH ARBITRARY QUADRUPOLE MOMENTS. I. QUASI-KERR BLACK HOLES

We describe a new numerical algorithm for ray tracing in the external spacetimes of spinning compact objects characterized by arbitrary quadrupole moments. Such spacetimes describe non-Kerr vacuum solutions that can be used to test the no-hair theorem in conjunction with observations of accreting black holes. They are also appropriate for neutron stars with spin frequencies in the {approx_equal} 300-600 Hz range, which are typical of the bursting sources in low-mass X-ray binaries. We use our algorithm to show that allowing for the quadrupole moment of the spacetime to take arbitrary values leads to observable effects in the profiles of relativistic broadened fluorescent iron lines from geometrically thin accretion disks.

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