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At least 775 records · Page 43

Evidence for a hard ionizing spectrum from a z = 6.11 stellar population

We present the Magellan/FIRE detection of highly ionized C iv λ1550 and O iii]λ1666 in a deep infrared spectrum of the z = 6.11 gravitationally lensed low-mass galaxy RXC J2248.7-4431-ID3, which has previously known Lyα. No corresponding emission is detected at the expected location of He ii λ1640. The upper limit on He ii, paired with detection of O iii] and C iv, constrains possible ionization scenarios. Production of C iv and O iii] requires ionizing photons of 2.5–3.5 Ryd, but once in that state their multiplet emission is powered by collisional excitation at lower energies (∼0.5 Ryd). As a pure recombination line, He ii emission is powered by 4 Ryd ionizing photons. The data therefore require a spectrum with significant power at 3.5 Ryd but a rapid drop toward 4.0 Ryd. This hard spectrum with a steep drop is characteristic of low-metallicity stellar populations, and less consistent with soft AGN excitation, which features more 4 Ryd photons and hence higher He ii flux. The conclusions based on ratios of metal line detections to helium non-detection are strengthened if the gas metallicity is low. RXJ2248-ID3 adds to the growing handful of reionization-era galaxies with UV emission line ratios distinct from the general z=2--3 population in a way that suggests hard ionizing spectra that do not necessarily originate in AGNs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Broadband hard X-ray attosecond pulses from extremely chirped electron beams

Attosecond pulses from free-electron lasers have opened the doors to atomic site-specific studies of bound electronic dynamics on their natural, sub-femtosecond timescales. Key to their success has been electron beam shaping techniques enabling the generation of sub-femtosecond current spikes with peak currents on the order of 10 kA. We demonstrate in an RF linac the generation of current spikes with extreme chirps on the order of 350 MeV/micron, directly competitive with the chirps expected from beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerators. Leveraging chirp-taper compensation, we use these highly chirped beams to generate hard X-ray attosecond pulses with bandwidths exceeding 30 eV, a factor of two beyond previous demonstrations. We simultaneously present the first explicit experimental evidence of chirp-taper compensation in an attosecond XFEL, finding that optimal tapering improves the bandwidth and pulse energy by factors of two and five, respectively, for our conditions. In addition to the immediate utility of such broadband hard X-ray pulses, electron beams with such extreme chirps can be utilized for unique new experimental modalities by performing further compression after the undulators. Such post-lasing compression can enable subsequent superradiant light emission at longer wavelengths, or direct excitation of quantum systems with the beam's intense space-charge field for unique attosecond pump-probe possibilities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Long-term temporal variations of the hard X-ray flux from the Centaurus region.

An X-ray telescope aboard OSO 3 observed the Centaurus region daily from October 1967 to February 1968, and also for five days in June 1968. For this period, we derive a stable minimum flux of 0.33 plus or minus 0.33 photons per sq cm per sec between 7.7 and 38 keV from a persistent hard X-ray source around 305 deg longitude. Several single days show enhanced fluxes; and two extensive flaring episodes, one with a soft and the other with a very hard spectrum, last at least 10 days.

Schwartz, D. A.↗

SCO X-1: Origin of the radio and hard X-ray emissions

The consequences of models for the central radio source and the hard X-ray ( 30 keV) emitting region in Sco X-1 are examined. It was found that the radio emission could result from noncoherent synchrotron radiation and that the X-rays may be produced by bremsstrahlung. It is shown that both mechanisms require a mass outflow from Sco X-1. The radio source is located at r approximately 3x10 to the 12th power cm from the center of the star, and its linear dimensions do not exceed 3x10 to the 13th power cm. The magnetic field in the radio source is on the order of 1 gauss. If the hard X-rays are produced by thermal bremsstrahlung, their source is located at 10 to the 9th power approximately r approximately 5x10 to the 9th power cm, the temperature is 2x10 to the 9th power K, and the emission measure is 2x10 to the 56th power/cu cm. This hot plasma loses energy inward by conduction and outward by supersonic expansion. The rates of energy loss for both processes are about 10 to the 36th power erg/s, comparable to the total luminosity of Sco X-1.

Ramaty, R.↗

Hardness of kamacite and shock histories of 119 meteorites.

Use of metallographic and X-ray diffraction techniques to study the shock histories of 119 iron and stony-iron meteorites, and measurement of the hardness of kamacite in these specimens and in artificially shocked-unannealed and annealed meteorite specimens. Shock increases kamacite hardness, but complications introduced by other physical and chemical properties of meteorites limit its utility as a shock indicator. About 50% of the meteorites studied show evidence for preterrestrial shock loading to pressures of greater than or equal to 130 kb, and 40% have not been shocked to such high pressures. The remaining meteorites have been heat-altered in such a way that their shock histories cannot be determined explicitly. These results, together with those obtained previously, indicate that the plurality, if not the majority, of all iron and stony-iron meteorites sampled by the earth were shocked to pressures of greater than or equal to 130 kb during preterrestrial collisions between asteroidal-sized objects.

Jain, A. V.↗

He, Ne and Ar in chondritic Ni-Fe as irradiation hardness sensors.

Noble gas analyses of the Ni-Fe of 9 L, 5 H, and 2 LL chondrites quantitatively support previous suggestions of radiogenic He-4 recoil and He-3 deficits. Furthermore, noble gases in the Ni-Fe show evidence for in situ produced radiogenic He-4 and in some cases for recoil loss of Ar-38 and gain of Ne-21. The ratio of spallogenic Ar-38 and Ne-21 in the metal phase is found to correlate strongly with He-3/Ne-21 and Ne-22/Ne-21 in bulk samples of these chondrites. This is proof of the dependence of these ratios on the irradiation hardness experienced by the meteoroid in space. 'Hardness indices' n equals 1.9-2.2 are found, indicating that on the average the stone meteoroids from which the samples came were smaller in mass than iron meteoroids. The spallogenic Ne-21/Ar-38 ratio in metallic Ni-Fe can be used with the semi-empirical production model deduced from the Grant iron meteorite to calibrate spallogenic He-3/Ne-21 and Ne-21/Ar-38 in bulk samples of L, LL and H chondrites for meteoroid size and sample location allowing the estimation of minimal meteoroid masses.

Nyquist, L.↗

Optical, hard X-ray, and microwave emission during the impulsive phase of flares

A study was made of the variation in hard (E greater than or equal to 10 keV) X-radiation, H-alpha, and microwave emission during the impulsive phase of solar flares. Most important, the observations showed that there is an optical impulsive component in addition to the well-known hard X-ray and microwave spikes. Properties of these H-alpha kernels are given. Further analysis shows that the rise time in the 20- to 32-keV X-ray spike depends on the slope in the electron spectrum. A picture of the impulsive phase is given that is consistent with observations of the three above emissions.

Vorpahl, J. A.↗

Friction behavior of 304 stainless steel of varying hardness lubricated with benzene and some benzyl structures

The lubricating properties of some benzyl and benzene structures were determined by using 304 stainless steel surfaces strained to various hardness. Friction coefficients and wear track widths were measured with a Bowden-Leben type friction apparatus by using a pin-on-disk specimen configuration. Results obtained indicate that benzyl monosulfide, dibenzyl disulfide, and benzyl alcohol resulted in the lowest friction coefficients for 304 stainless steel, while benzyl ether provided the least surface protection and gave the highest friction. Strainhardening of the 304 stainless steel prior to sliding resulted in reduced friction in dry sliding. With benzyl monosulfide, dibenzyl disulfide, and benzyl alcohol changes in 304 stainless steel hardness had no effect upon friction behavior.

Buckley, D. H.↗

New approaches to hard bubble suppression

Description of a new double-layer method for the suppression of hard bubbles that is more versatile than previously reported suppression techniques. It is shown that it may be possible to prevent hard bubble generation without recourse to exchange coupling of multilayer films.

Henry, R. D.↗

Scorpius X-1 - Origin of the radio and hard X-ray emissions

The consequences of models for the central radio source and the hard X-ray emitting region in Sco X-1 are examined. The radio emission could result from noncoherent synchrotron radiation, and the X-rays may be produced by bremsstrahlung. It is shown that both these mechanisms require a mass outflow from Sci X-1. The radio source is located at about 30 million km from the center of the star, and its linear dimensions do not exceed 300 million km. The magnetic field in the radio source is on the order of 1 gauss. If the hard X-rays are produced by thermal bremsstrahlung, their source is located between 10,000 and 50,000 km from the center of the star, the temperature is 2 billion K, and the emission measure is 2 times 10 to the 56th power per cu cm. This hot plasma loses energy inward by conduction and outward by supersonic expansion. The rates of energy loss for both of these processes are about 10 to the 36th ergs per sec, comparable to the total luminosity of Sco X-1.

Ramaty, R.↗

Hard X-ray bursts from flare behind the solar limb

The determination of the location of the region of origin of hard X-rays is important in evaluating the importance of 10-100 keV electrons in solar flares and in understanding flare particle acceleration. At present only limb-occulted events are available to give some information on the height of X-ray emission. In fifteen months of OSO-7 operation, nine major soft X-ray events had no reported correlated H alpha flare. We examine the hard X-ray spectra of eight of these events with good candidate X-ray flare producing active regions making limb transit at the time of the soft X-ray bursts. All eight bursts had significant X-ray emission in the 30-44 keV range, but only one had flux at the 3 sigma level above 44 keV. The data are consistent with most X-ray emission occurring in the lower chromosphere, but some electron trapping at high altitudes is necessary to explain the small nonthermal fluxes observed.

Mckenzie, D. L.↗

Production of hard X rays in a plasma focus

A model of a plasma focus is examined wherein large axial electric fields are produced by an imploding current sheet during the final nanoseconds of the collapse phase and where the fields provide a mechanism for creating a beam of electrons of highly suprathermal energies. The expected bremsstrahlung radiation above 100 keV is calculated for such a beam, which has a power-law spectrum, both from electron-deuteron collisions in the focused plasma and when the beam reaches the wall of the device. It is concluded that, since the experimental results indicate little or no radiation above 100 keV originating in the walls, that the electrons in the beam must be decelerated after leaving the plasma and before reaching the wall. Comparisons with the results and the total energy of the device yield qualitative agreement with the expected angular distribution of hard X-rays and reasonable agreement with the total energy in accelerated electrons required to produce the observed total energy in hard X-rays by this mechanism.

Newman, C. E.↗

Hard X-ray observations of NGC 4151

The X-ray source 3U 1207 + 39, associated with the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151, has been scanned repeatedly by the UCSD X-ray telescope on board the OSO-7 satellite. A weak source with a hard spectrum has been unambiguously detected in this region in October 1972, and with lesser statistical significance at other times between November 1971 and May 1973. The photon spectrum in the 7-110 keV range is best fitted by a power law of the form dN/dE = 0.012 E to the exponent negative 1.1 photons per sq cm per second per keV, consistent with the Uhuru measurement in the 2-6 keV range. The hard spectrum observed and very short electron lifetimes implied severely constrained nonthermal models for the emission. An extremely hot gas is also consistent with the observations.

Baity, W. A.↗

Simulation of the Effects of Hard Limiting on Image Quality of Synthetic Aperture Radar

Starting with a magnetic tape of a scene viewed by the Landsat satellite, the radar return of reflectors whose average intensity matched that of the picture elements in the scene has been simulated. The returns were processed in three ways: normally or with no quantization, with a procedure simulation IF hard limiting, and with a procedure simulating video (baseband) hard limiting. For each type of processing an image for a one, two, and four-look system has been developed. It was found that IF limiting is slightly better than video limiting, while both can be reasonable trade-offs of image quality for reduced data rates when the number of looks is four or less. These conclusions are supported by photographs representing the different processing techniques.

Lipes, R. G.↗

The false lock performance of Costas loops with hard-limited in-phase channel

The ability of a Costas loop to false lock on a data sideband is a problem which must be dealt with in the design of suppressed-carrier receivers which employ such loops for carrier reconstruction. For conventional Costas loops wherein the error signal is formed from the product of two analog signals, the false lock problem has recently been investigated by the author and others and is now well understood. For implementation reasons associated with the reduction of dc offsets, it is often desirable to hard-limit the output of the in-phase channel and replace the analog multiplier which forms the above product with a chopper-type device. The false lock behavior of such a Costas loop with hard-limited in-phase channel is quite different from that of the conventional Costas loop and is the subject of investigation in this paper. Results are also presented for a modified version of the Costas loop wherein the quadrature arm filter is removed.

Simon, M. K.↗

Backscatter, anisotropy, and polarization of solar hard X-rays

The problems of anisotropy, polarization, center-to-limb variation of the X-ray spectrum, and Compton backscatter are investigated in a study of solar hard X-rays. Effect of backscatter are found particularly important for anisotropic sources which emit hard X-rays predominantly toward the photosphere; for such anisotropic primary X-ray sources, the observed X-ray flux near 30 keV does not depend significantly on the position of the flare. In addition, the degree of polarization of the sum of the primary and reflected X-rays with energies in the 15 to 30 keV range may be as high as 30%. Determination of the height and anisotropy of the primary X-ray sources from study of the albedo patch is also discussed.

Bai, T.↗

A hard X-ray imaging instrument for solar and cosmic sources

A hard X-ray imaging instrument is described which is capable of high-resolution imaging of solar and cosmic hard X-ray sources between 2 and 80 keV during Shuttle sortie flights. The properties of solar burst sources and the resulting instrument requirements are discussed. The instrument envelope of 1.2 x 1.2 x 3.0 meters includes a tungsten multigrid collimator which has 4-arcsec resolution, a 40-arcmin response envelope and a point-source effective area of 26 sq cm. A combination of periodic fan beams and nonperiodic pencil beams enables a unique deconvolution to be achieved within a 128 x 128 arcsec field without mechanical scanning. The detector system is a set of direct-readout 40 atm-cm xenon-filled proportional counters designed to minimize background. The instrument is capable of refurbishment to optimize the collimator configuration for specific solar or cosmic scientific objectives, to upgrade the angular resolution, or to extend the high-energy response.

Hurford, G. J.↗