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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 865 records · Page 48
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DOE OSTI2013

The Dark Matter halo of the Milky Way, AD 2013

We derive the mass model of the Milky Way (MW), crucial for Dark Matter (DM) direct and indirect detection, using recent data and a cored dark matter (DM) halo profile, which is favoured by studies of external galaxies. The method used consists in fitting a spherically symmetric model of the Galaxy with a Burkert DM halo profile to available data: MW terminal velocities in the region inside the solar circle, circular velocity as recently estimated from maser star forming regions at intermediate radii, and velocity dispersions of stellar halo tracers for the outermost Galactic region. The latter are reproduced by integrating the Jeans equation for every modeled mass distribution, and by allowing for different velocity anisotropies for different tracer populations. For comparison we also consider a Navarro-Frenk-White profile. We find that the cored profile is the preferred one, with a shallow central density of ρ{sub H} ∼ 4 × 10{sup 7}M{sub ☉}/kpc{sup 3} and a large core radius R{sub H} ∼ 10 kpc, as observed in external spirals and in agreement with the mass model underlying the Universal Rotation Curve of spirals. We describe also the derived model uncertainties, which are crucially driven by the poorly constrained velocity dispersion anisotropies of halo tracers. The emerging cored DM distribution has implications for the DM annihilation angular profile, which is much less boosted in the Galactic center direction with respect to the case of the standard ΛCDM, NFW profile. Using the derived uncertainties we discuss finally the limitations and prospects to discriminate between cored and cusped DM profile with a possible observed diffuse DM annihilation signal. The present mass model aims to characterize the present-day description of the distribution of matter in our Galaxy, which is needed to frame current crucial issues of Cosmology, Astrophysics and Elementary Particles.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Warping and tearing of misaligned circumbinary disks around eccentric supermassive black hole binaries

We study the warping and tearing of a geometrically thin, non-self-gravitating disk surrounding binary supermassive black holes on an eccentric orbit. The circumbinary disk is significantly misaligned with the binary orbital plane, and is subject to the time-dependent tidal torques. In principle, such a disk is warped and precesses, and is torn into mutually misaligned rings in the region, where the tidal precession torques are stronger than the local viscous torques. We derive the tidal-warp and tearing radii of the misaligned circumbinary disks around eccentric SMBH binaries. We find that in disks with the viscosity parameter α larger than a critical value depending on the disk aspect ratio, the disk warping appears outside the tearing radius. This condition is expressed for small amplitude warps as α > √H/(3r) for H/r∼<0.1, where H is the disk scale height. If α < √H/(3r), only the disk tearing occurs because the tidal warp radius is inside the tearing radius, where most of disk material is likely to rapidly accrete onto SMBHs. In warped and torn disks, both the tidal-warp and the tearing radii most strongly depend on the binary semi-major axis, although they also mildly depend on the other orbital and disk parameters. This strong dependence enables us to estimate the semi-major axis, once the tidal warp or tearing radius is determined observationally: for the tidal warp radius of 0.1 pc, the semi-major axis is estimated to be ∼10{sup −2} pc for 10{sup 7} M{sub ⊙} black hole with typical orbital and disk parameters. We also briefly discuss the possibility that central objects of observed warped maser disks in active galactic nuclei are supermassive black hole binaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

DISKS AND OUTFLOWS IN THE MASSIVE PROTOBINARY SYSTEM W3(OH)TW

Sensitive and high angular resolution ({approx}0.''7) (sub)millimeter line and continuum observations of the massive star-forming region W3(OH) made with the Submillimeter Array are presented. We report the first detection of two bipolar outflows emanating from the young and massive 'Turner-Welch' (TW) protobinary system detected through the emission of carbon monoxide. The outflows are massive (10 M{sub sun}), highly collimated (10{sup 0}), and seem to be the extended molecular component of the strong radio jets and a 22 GHz maser water outflow energized also by the stars in the W3(OH)TW system. Observations of the 890 {mu}m continuum emission and the thermal emission of CH{sub 3}OH might suggest the presence of two rotating circumstellar-disk-like structures associated with the binary system. The disk-like structures have sizes of about 1500 AU, masses of a few M{sub sun}, and appear to energize the molecular outflows and radio jets. We estimate that the young stars feeding the outflows and surrounded by the massive disk-like structures may be of B-type.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

INTERMEDIATE-MASS HOT CORES AT {approx}500 AU: DISKS OR OUTFLOWS?

Observations with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in the most extended configuration toward two intermediate-mass star-forming regions, IRAS 22198+6336 and AFGL 5142, reveal the presence of several complex organic molecules at {approx}500 AU scales, confirming the presence of hot cores in both regions. The hot cores are not rich in CN-bearing molecules, as often seen in massive hot cores, and are mainly traced by CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}OH, (CH{sub 2}OH){sub 2}, CH{sub 3}COCH{sub 3}, and CH{sub 3}OH, with, additionally, CH{sub 3}CHO, CH{sub 3}OD, and HCOOD for IRAS 22198+6336, and C{sub 6}H and O{sup 13}CS for AFGL 5142. The emission of complex molecules is resolved down to sizes of {approx}300 and {approx}600 AU, for IRAS 22198+6336 and AFGL 5142, respectively, and most likely is tracing protostellar disks rather than flattened envelopes or toroids as is usually found. This is especially clear for the case of IRAS 22198+6336, where we detect a velocity gradient for all the mapped molecules perpendicular to the most chemically rich outflow of the region, yielding a dynamic mass {approx}> 4 M{sub Sun }. As for AFGL 5142, the hot core emission is resolved into two elongated cores separated {approx}1800 AU. A detailed comparison of the complex molecule peaks to the new CO (2-1) data and H{sub 2}O maser data from the literature suggests also that for AFGL 5142 the complex molecules are mainly associated with disks, except for a faint and extended molecular emission found to the west, which is possibly produced in the interface between one of the outflows and the dense surrounding gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE MAGNETIZED ENVIRONMENT OF THE W3(H{sub 2}O) PROTOSTARS

We present the first interferometric polarization map of the W3(OH) massive star-forming region observed with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) at 878 {mu}m with an angular resolution of 1.''5 (about 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 3} AU). Polarization is detected in the W3(H{sub 2}O) hot core, an extended emission structure in the northwest of W3(H{sub 2}O), and part of the W3(OH) ultracompact H II region. The W3(H{sub 2}O) hot core is known to be associated with a synchrotron jet along the east-west direction. In this core, the inferred magnetic field orientation is well aligned with the synchrotron jet and close to the plane of sky. Using the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method with the observed dispersion in polarization angle, we estimate a plane-of-sky magnetic field strength of 17.0 mG. Combined with water maser Zeeman measurements, the total magnetic field strength is estimated to be 17.1 mG, comparable to the field strength estimated from the synchrotron model. The magnetic field energy dominates over turbulence in this core. In addition, the depolarization effect is discerned in both SMA and James Clerk Maxwell Telescope measurements. Despite the great difference in angular resolutions and map extents, the polarization percentage shows a similar power-law dependence with the beam averaged column density. We suggest that the column density may be an important factor to consider when interpreting the depolarization effect.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF THE OUTFLOW FROM SOURCE I IN THE ORION-KL REGION

In this Letter, we present sensitive millimeter SiO (J = 5-4; {nu} = 0) line observations of the outflow arising from the enigmatic object Orion Source I made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). The observations reveal that at scales of a few thousand AU, the outflow has a marked 'butterfly' morphology along a northeast-southwest axis. However, contrary to what is found in the SiO and H{sub 2}O maser observations at scales of tens of AU, the blueshifted radial velocities of the moving gas are found to the northwest, while the redshifted velocities are in the southeast. The ALMA observations are complemented with SiO (J = 8-7; {nu} = 0) maps (with a similar spatial resolution) obtained with the Submillimeter Array. These observations also show a similar morphology and velocity structure in this outflow. We discuss some possibilities to explain these differences at small and large scales across the flow.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

WIDESPREAD METHANOL EMISSION FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER: THE ROLE OF COSMIC RAYS

We report the discovery of a widespread population of collisionally excited methanol J = 4{sub -1} to 3{sub 0} E sources at 36.2 GHz from the inner 66' Multiplication-Sign 18' (160 Multiplication-Sign 43 pc) of the Galactic center. This spectral feature was imaged with a spectral resolution of 16.6 km s{sup -1} taken from 41 channels of a Very Large Array continuum survey of the Galactic center region. The revelation of 356 methanol sources, most of which are maser candidates, suggests a large abundance of methanol in the gas phase in the Galactic center region. There is also spatial and kinematic correlation between SiO (2-1) and CH{sub 3}OH emission from four Galactic center clouds: the +50 and +20 km s{sup -1} clouds and G0.13-0.13 and G0.25 + 0.01. The enhanced abundance of methanol is accounted for in terms of induced photodesorption by cosmic rays as they travel through a molecular core, collide, dissociate, ionize, and excite Lyman Werner transitions of H{sub 2}. A time-dependent chemical model in which cosmic rays drive the chemistry of the gas predicts CH{sub 3}OH abundance of 10{sup -8} to 10{sup -7} on a chemical timescale of 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} to 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5} years. The average methanol abundance produced by the release of methanol from grain surfaces is consistent with the available data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

THE DISCOVERY OF RADIO STARS WITHIN 10'' OF Sgr A* AT 7 mm

Very Large Array observations of the Galactic center at 7 mm have produced an image of the 30'' surrounding Sgr A* with a resolution of ∼82 × 42 milliarcseconds (mas). A comparison with IR images taken simultaneously with the Very Large Telescope identifies 41 radio sources with L-band (3.8 μm) stellar counterparts. The well-known young, massive stars in the central Sgr A* cluster (e.g., IRS 16C, IRS 16NE, IRS 16SE2, IRS 16NW, IRS 16SW, AF, AFNW, IRS 34W, and IRS 33E) are detected with peak flux densities between ∼0.2 and 1.3 mJy. The origin of the stellar radio emission in the central cluster is discussed in terms of ionized stellar winds with mass-loss rates in the range ∼0.8-5 × 10{sup –5} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. Radio emission from eight massive stars is used as a tool for registration between the radio and infrared frames with mas precision within a few arcseconds of Sgr A* . This is similar to the established technique of aligning SiO masers and evolved stars except that radio stars lie within a few arcseconds of Sgr A*. Our data show a scatter of ∼6.5 mas in the positions of the eight radio sources that appear in both the L-band and 7 mm images. Last, we use the radio and IR data to argue that members of IRS 13N are young stellar objects rather than dust clumps, supporting the hypothesis that recent star formation has occurred near Sgr A*.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

G11.92–0.61-MM2: A BONAFIDE MASSIVE PRESTELLAR CORE?

Core accretion models of massive star formation require the existence of stable massive starless cores, but robust observational examples of such objects have proven elusive. We report subarcsecond-resolution Submillimeter Array (SMA) 1.3 mm, 1.1 mm, and 0.88 mm and Very Large Array 1.3 cm observations of an excellent massive starless core candidate, G11.92–0.61-MM2, initially identified in the course of studies of GLIMPSE Extended Green Objects (EGOs). Separated by ∼7.''2 from the nearby MM1 protostellar hot core, MM2 is a strong, compact dust continuum source (submillimeter spectral index α = 2.6 ± 0.1), but is devoid of star formation indicators. In contrast to MM1, MM2 has no masers, no centimeter continuum, and no (sub)millimeter wavelength line emission in ∼24 GHz of bandwidth observed with the SMA, including N{sub 2}H{sup +}(3-2), HCO{sup +}(3-2), and HCN(3-2). Additionally, there is no evidence for an outflow driven by MM2. The (sub)millimeter spectral energy distribution of MM2 is best fit with a dust temperature of ∼17-19 K and luminosity of ∼5-7 L {sub ☉}. The combined physical properties of MM2, as inferred from its dust continuum emission, are extreme: M ≳ 30 M {sub ☉} within a radius <1000 AU, N{sub H{sub 2}}>10{sup 25} cm{sup –2} and n{sub H{sub 2}} >10{sup 9} cm{sup –3}. Comparison of the molecular abundance limits derived from our SMA observations with gas-grain chemical models indicates that extremely dense (n(H) >> 10{sup 8} cm{sup –3}), cold (<20 K) conditions are required to explain the lack of observed (sub)millimeter line emission, consistent with the dust continuum results. Our data suggest that G11.92–0.61-MM2 is the best candidate for a bonafide massive prestellar core found to date, and a promising target for future higher-sensitivity observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Methanol as a Sensitive Probe for Spatial and Temporal Variations of the Proton-to-Electron Mass Ratio

The 6.7 and 12.2 GHz masers, corresponding to the 5{sub 1}{yields}6{sub 0}A{sup +} and 2{sub 0}{yields}3{sub -1}E transitions in methanol (CH{sub 3}OH), respectively, are among the brightest radio objects in the sky. We present calculations for the sensitivity of these and other transitions in the ground state of methanol to a variation of the proton-to-electron mass ratio. We show that the sensitivity is greatly enhanced due to a cancellation of energies associated with the hindered internal rotation and the overall rotation of the molecule. We find sensitivities of K{sub {mu}=}-42 and K{sub {mu}=}-33, for the 5{sub 1}{yields}6{sub 0}A{sup +} and 2{sub 0}{yields}3{sub -1}E transitions, respectively. The sensitivities of other transitions in the different isotopologues of methanol range from -88 to 330. This makes methanol a sensitive probe for spatial and temporal variations of the proton-to-electron mass ratio.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Perturbations of ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling by powerful VLF emissions from ground-based transmitters

The characteristics of the plasma-wave disturbances stimulated in the near-Earth plasma by powerful VLF radiation from ground-based transmitters are investigated. Radio communication VLF transmitters of about 1 MW in power are shown to produce artificial plasma-wave channels (density ducts) in the near-Earth space that originate in the lower ionosphere above the disturbing emission source and extend through the entire ionosphere and magnetosphere of the Earth along the magnetic field lines. Measurements with the onboard equipment of the DEMETER satellite have revealed that under the action of emission from the NWC transmitter, which is one of the most powerful VLF radio transmitters, the generation of quasi-electrostatic (plasma) waves is observed on most of the satellite trajectory along the disturbed magnetic flux tube. This may probably be indicative of stimulated emission of a magnetospheric maser.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2012

Excitation of guided ELF-VLF waves through modification of the F{sub 2} ionospheric layer by high-power radio waves

The possibility of controlled excitation of ELF-VLF electromagnetic waves through modification of the F{sub 2} ionospheric layer by high-power high-frequency emission is demonstrated in a natural experiment by using the Sura midlatitude heating facility. The excited low-frequency waves can be used to explore the near-Earth space and stimulate the excitation of a magnetospheric maser.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

STAR-FORMING ACTIVITY IN THE H ii REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IRAS 17160–3707 COMPLEX

We present a multiwavelength investigation of star formation activity toward the southern H ii regions associated with IRAS 17160–3707, located at a distance of 6.2 kpc with a bolometric luminosity of 8.3 × 10{sup 5} L {sub ⊙}. The ionized gas distribution and dust clumps in the parental molecular cloud are examined in detail using measurements at infrared, submillimeter and radio wavelengths. The radio continuum images at 1280 and 610 MHz obtained using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope reveal the presence of multiple compact sources as well as nebulous emission. At submillimeter wavelengths, we identify seven dust clumps and estimate their physical properties such as temperature: 24–30 K, mass: 300–4800 M {sub ⊙} and luminosity: 9–317 × 10{sup 2} L {sub ⊙} using modified blackbody fits to the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) between 70 and 870 μ m. We find 24 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the mid-infrared, with a few of them coincident with the compact radio sources. The SEDs of the YSOs have been fitted by the Robitaille models and the results indicate that those having radio compact sources as counterparts host massive objects in early evolutionary stages with best fit age ≤0.2 Myr. We compare the relative evolutionary stages of clumps using various signposts such as masers, ionized gas, presence of YSOs and infrared nebulosity, and find six massive star-forming clumps and one quiescent clump. Of the former, five are in a relatively advanced stage and one in an earlier stage.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

FERMI-LAT OBSERVATIONS OF SUPERNOVA REMNANT G5.7–0.1, BELIEVED TO BE INTERACTING WITH MOLECULAR CLOUDS

This work reports on the detection of γ-ray emission coincident with the supernova remnant (SNR) G5.7–0.1 using data collected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The SNR is believed to be interacting with molecular clouds, based on 1720 MHz hydroxyl (OH) maser emission observations in its direction. This interaction is expected to provide targets for the production of γ-ray emission from π{sup 0}-decay. A γ-ray source was observed in the direction of SNR G5.7–0.1, positioned near the bright γ-ray source SNR W28. We model the emission from radio to γ-ray energies using a one-zone model. Following consideration of both π{sup 0}-decay and leptonically dominated emission scenarios for the MeV–TeV source, we conclude that a considerable component of the γ-ray emission must originate from the π{sup 0}-decay channel. Finally, constraints were placed on the reported ambiguity of the SNR distance through X-ray column density measurements made using XMM-Newton observations. We conclude G5.7–0.1 is a significant γ-ray source positioned at a distance of ∼3 kpc with luminosity in the 0.1–100 GeV range of L{sub γ} ≈ 7.4 × 10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A SUBSTRUCTURE INSIDE SPIRAL ARMS, AND A MIRROR IMAGE ACROSS THE GALACTIC MERIDIAN

Though the galactic density wave theory is over 50 years old and is well known in science, it has been difficult to say whether it fits our own Milky Way disk. Here we show a substructure inside the spiral arms. This substructure is reversing with respect to the Galactic Meridian (longitude zero), and crosscuts of the arms at negative longitudes appear as mirror images of crosscuts of the arms at positive longitudes. Four lanes are delineated: a mid-arm (extended {sup 12}CO gas at the mid-arm, H i atoms), an in-between offset by about 100 pc (synchrotron, radio recombination lines), an in-between offset by about 200 pc (masers, colder dust), and an inner edge (hotter dust seen in mid-IR and near-IR)

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE SUBARCSECOND MID-INFRARED VIEW OF LOCAL ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. III. POLAR DUST EMISSION

Recent mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations have shown that in a few active galactic nuclei (AGNs) the bulk of the infrared emission originates from the polar region above the putative torus, where only a little dust should be present. Here, we investigate whether such strong polar dust emission is common in AGNs. Out of 149 Seyferts in the MIR atlas of local AGNs, 21 show extended MIR emission on single-dish images. In 18 objects, the extended MIR emission aligns with the position angle (PA) of the system axis, established by [O iii], radio, polarization, and maser-based PA measurements. The relative amount of resolved MIR emission is at least 40% and scales with the [O iv] fluxes, implying a strong connection between the extended continuum and [O iv] emitters. These results together with the radio-quiet nature of the Seyferts support the scenario that the bulk of MIR emission is emitted by dust in the polar region and not by the torus, which would demand a new paradigm for the infrared emission structure in AGNs. The current low detection rate of polar dust in the AGNs of the MIR atlas is explained by the lack of sufficient high-quality MIR data and the requirements on the orientation, strength of narrow-line region, and distance of the AGNs. The James Webb Space Telescope will enable much deeper nuclear MIR studies with comparable angular resolution, allowing us to resolve the polar emission and surroundings in most of the nearby AGNs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

STAR-FORMATION ACTIVITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF W–R 1503-160L STAR IN THE MID-INFRARED BUBBLE N46

In order to investigate star-formation (SF) processes in extreme environments, we have carried out a multi-wavelength analysis of the mid-infrared bubble N46, which hosts a WN7 Wolf–Rayet (W–R) star. We have used {sup 13}CO line data to trace an expanding shell surrounding the W–R star containing about five condensations within the molecular cloud associated with the bubble. The W–R star is associated with a powerful stellar wind having a mechanical luminosity of ∼4 × 10{sup 37} erg s{sup 1}. A deviation of the H -band starlight mean polarization angles around the bubble has also been traced, indicating the impact of stellar wind on the surroundings. The Herschel temperature map shows a temperature range of ∼18–24 K toward the five molecular condensations. The photometric analysis reveals that these condensations are associated with the identified clusters of young stellar objects, revealing ongoing SF process. The densest among these five condensations (peak N(H{sub 2}) ∼9.2 × 10{sup 22} cm{sup 2} and A{sub V} ∼ 98 mag) is associated with a 6.7 GHz methanol maser, an infrared dark cloud, and the CO outflow, tracing active massive SF within it. At least five compact radio sources (CRSs) are physically linked with the edges of the bubble, and each of them is consistent with the radio spectral class of a B0V–B0.5V-type star. The ages of the individual infrared counterparts of three CRSs (∼1–2 Myr) and a typical age of WN7 W–R star (∼4 Myr) indicate that the SF activities around the bubble are influenced by the feedback of the W–R star.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A 2.4% DETERMINATION OF THE LOCAL VALUE OF THE HUBBLE CONSTANT

We use the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to reduce the uncertainty in the local value of the Hubble constant from 3.3% to 2.4%. The bulk of this improvement comes from new near-infrared (NIR) observations of Cepheid variables in 11 host galaxies of recent type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), more than doubling the sample of reliable SNe Ia having a Cepheid-calibrated distance to a total of 19; these in turn leverage the magnitude-redshift relation based on ∼300 SNe Ia at z < 0.15. All 19 hosts as well as the megamaser system NGC 4258 have been observed with WFC3 in the optical and NIR, thus nullifying cross-instrument zeropoint errors in the relative distance estimates from Cepheids. Other noteworthy improvements include a 33% reduction in the systematic uncertainty in the maser distance to NGC 4258, a larger sample of Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a more robust distance to the LMC based on late-type detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs), HST observations of Cepheids in M31, and new HST -based trigonometric parallaxes for Milky Way (MW) Cepheids. We consider four geometric distance calibrations of Cepheids: (i) megamasers in NGC 4258, (ii) 8 DEBs in the LMC, (iii) 15 MW Cepheids with parallaxes measured with HST /FGS, HST /WFC3 spatial scanning and/or Hipparcos , and (iv) 2 DEBs in M31. The Hubble constant from each is 72.25 ± 2.51, 72.04 ± 2.67, 76.18 ± 2.37, and 74.50 ± 3.27 km s{sup 1} Mpc{sup 1}, respectively. Our best estimate of H {sub 0} = 73.24 ± 1.74 km s{sup 1} Mpc{sup 1} combines the anchors NGC 4258, MW, and LMC, yielding a 2.4% determination (all quoted uncertainties include fully propagated statistical and systematic components). This value is 3.4 σ higher than 66.93 ± 0.62 km s{sup 1} Mpc{sup 1} predicted by ΛCDM with 3 neutrino flavors having a mass of 0.06 eV and the new Planck data, but the discrepancy reduces to 2.1 σ relative to the prediction of 69.3 ± 0.7 km s{sup 1} Mpc{sup 1} based on the comparably precise combination of WMAP +ACT+SPT+BAO observations, suggesting that systematic uncertainties in CMB radiation measurements may play a role in the tension. If we take the conflict between Planck high-redshift measurements and our local determination of H {sub 0} at face value, one plausible explanation could involve an additional source of dark radiation in the early universe in the range of Δ N {sub eff} ≈ 0.4–1. We anticipate further significant improvements in H {sub 0} from upcoming parallax measurements of long-period MW Cepheids.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗