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Voice recognition technology (VRT) is applied to aeronautics, particularly on the pilot workload alleviation. The VRT does not have to prove its maturity any longer. The feasibility of voice tuning of radio and DME are demonstrated since there are immediate advantages to the pilot and can be completed in a reasonable time.
VLA microwave observations of 14 late-type dwarf and subgiant stars and binary systems are examined. In this extensive set of observations, four sources at 6 cm (Chi-1 Ori, UV Cet, YY Gem, and Wolf 630AB) were detected and low upper limits for the remaining stars were found. The microwave luminosities of the nondetected F-K dwarfs are as small as 0.01 those of the dMe stars. The detected emission is slowly variable in all cases and is consistent with gyroresonant emission from thermal electrons spiraling in magnetic fields of about 300 gauss if the source sizes are as large as R/R(asterisk) = 3-4. This would correspond to magnetic fields that are probably in the range 0.001-0.0001 gauss at the photospheric level. An alternative mechanism is gyrosynchrotron emission from a relatively small number of electrons with effective temperature.
The solid state spectrometer (SSS) on the Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2) was sensitive in the energy range 0.5 to 4.5 keV to fluxes as low as 4x10 to the 12th power ergs/cu cm/s. Good spectra were obtained for 19 stars, including Algol, 7 RS CVn systems, 2 dMe stars, 2 W UMa binaries, 1 GV single star, and 3 0B supergiants, 2 BV stars and 1 07 binary. This is a very incomplete survey of stellar coronae, but it does include coverage of several late and early types and usually more than 1 sample of the class. The results for these stars suggest two generalizations despite the small numbers: (1) there is a broad variety of X-ray spectra of stellar coronae; and (2) there probably are X-ray spectral types (X-ray coronae of stars of similar other properties have similar temperatures). Evidence indicating that some emission distributions are bimodal is discussed. Finally, some remarks are made concerning the spectra of the early type stars and constraints on the presence of very high temperatures.
The VLA has been used in the spectral-line mode at 1.4 GHz to obtain the first dynamic spectra of stellar sources other than the sun. Two very intense, highly circularly polarized, microwave outbursts were observed on the dMe flare star UV Cet, in addition to a slowly varying, unpolarized component. One outburst was purely left circularly polarized and showed no variations as a function of frequency across the 41 MHz band, whereas the other was as much as 70 percent right-circularly polarized and showed distinct variations with frequency. Although the slowly varying emission is probably due to incoherent gyrosynchrotron emission, the two flaring events are the result of coherent mechanisms. The coherent emission is interpreted in terms of plasma radiation and the cyclotron maser instability.
The dMe flare star UV Ceti (L726-8B) was observed at four frequencies simultaneously in the 1385-1652 MHz band using the Very Large Array. A flare lasting 10 minutes was observed with 6.67 s time resolution 'Dynamic spectrum'-type images in the Stokes parameters I and V show considerable complexity in the frequency-time domain; some features show a positive frequency drift with time, while others are more complex, involving both positive and negative frequency drifts. The positive drift features would be consistent with disturbances traveling downward in the star's corona.
Time-trailed UV spectra and a soft X-ray lightcurve were obtained during a flare on the binary dMe star EQ Peg AB. On the basis of solar flare Mg II surface fluxes and an about 70-percent enhancement in the disk-integrated flux during the flare on EQ Peg, it is estimated that the chromospheric flare covered about 1.5 percent of the stellar surface. The size scale is estimated to be comparable to that of a solar two-ribbon flare. This unusual flare is noted to exhibit a low-energy soft X-ray rise phase which is longer than that of most flares; it is longer than the decay phase and peaks much later than the medium energy light curve. Evidence of variable Fe II emission and variable continuum emission in select UV bands during the flare is noted.
Observations of seven rapidly rotating BY Dra variables, obtained at 6 cm with the D-to-A hybrid array of the VLA on three consecutive days in February, 1986, are reported. The results are presented in tables and graphs (along with data from simple VLA detection observations in 1985 and published optical and X-ray data) and characterized in detail. No strong correlation is found between the radio and optical emission in the one star (BY Dra) detected at more than one session, and the observable microwave emission of the stars is tentatively attributed to flares alone. A weak correlation between the X-ray luminosity and the maximum 6-cm luminosity of dMe stars is inferred, but the evidence is considered insufficient to establish a relationship between surface signs of magnetic activity and nonthermal radio emission.
This report contains results of flight tests for three path update algorithms designed to provide smooth transition for an aircraft guidance system from DME, VORTAC, and barometric navaids to the more precise MLS by modifying the desired 3-D flight path. The first algorithm, called Zero Cross Track, eliminates the discontinuity in cross-track and altitude error at transition by designating the first valid MLS aircraft position as the desired first waypoint, while retaining all subsequent waypoints. The discontinuity in track angle is left unaltered. The second, called Tangent Path, also eliminates the discontinuity in cross-track and altitude errors and chooses a new desired heading to be tangent to the next oncoming circular arc turn. The third, called Continued Track, eliminates the discontinuity in cross-track, altitude, and track angle errors by accepting the current MLS position and track angle as the desired ones and recomputes the location of the next waypoint. The flight tests were conducted on the Transportation Systems Research Vehicle, a small twin-jet transport aircraft modified for research under the Advanced Transport Operating Systems program at Langley Research Center. The flight tests showed that the algorithms provided a smooth transition to MLS.
The paper reports the quantitative photoabsorption and fluorescence cross sections of dimethyl ether (DME) measured with synchrotron radiation. Determinations were also made of the absolute fluorescence cross sections, the fluorescence quantum yield, and the radiative lifetime.
Coronal X-ray emission from the BY Draconis type dMe flare star G867 A was observed on three successive days in May 1980 with the Imaging Proportional Counter on the Einstein Observatory. A 40-percent decrease in the quiescent state X-ray intensity of the star was detected over a three-day period. It is suggested that this slow quiescent state X-ray intensity variation may be the X-ray analogue of the BY Draconis variability observed in the optical band and may be explained by the star spot model. The energy spectra of the star were obtained for the three days and are best fitted by a two-temperature Raymond-Smith thermal model. There is some indication of spectral variations in the low temperature component. Implications of these results are briefly discussed.
A sensor designed to aid in the docking of spacecraft is under development for NASA. This sensor uses three lasers to track the prospective target and to determine the required parameters necessary to calculate the ideal approach maneuver. The system combines the inputs from several sensors, including polarization, continuous tone DME, and a CID to achieve the desired results.
Spectroscopic observations from three observatories are combined to study the properties of the excess H-alpha emission which characterizes the most chromospherically active subset of the M dwarf stars, known as the dMe stars. It is demonstrated that the excess H-alpha luminosity from these stars is a monotonically decreasing function of their (R-I) color, and evidence is presented which suggests that the product of the mean surface brightness and the mean filling factor of the emissive regions is essentially constant with color. Another significant result of the study is a linear correlation between the excess luminosity in H-alpha and the coronal X-ray luminosity.
Imaging and spectroscopic observations of premain-sequence stars in the B228 molecular cloud have identified three sites of extended, shock-excited nebulosity. A highly collimated, blueshifted jet is associated with the T Tauri star Sz68 (CoD -33:10685 deg). A candidate Herbig-Haro object is found near Sz68 and the T Tauri star Sz69. A third region of shock-excited nebulosity is identified near the embedded newborn star IRAS 15398-3359. IR excesses observed toward these stellar sources may imply a relationship between outflow activity and the presence of a circumstellar disk. Only one of the two outflow sources with well-defined orientations is aligned with the large-scale, magnetic-field geometry of the cloud in contrast to the global alignment of outflows in the Taurus cloud complex. Data for three previously unidentified emission-line stars are presented. A faint 18th magnitude dMe star located 48 arcsecs west of Sz68 is identified.
The UV spectra now available in the IUE archives have been systematically searched for the presence of Lyman-alpha emission in late-type stars. The results provide the first survey of the behavior of the Ly-alpha emission line across most of the cool half of the H-R diagram. The normalized Ly-alpha emission flux is strongest in the chromospherically active RS CVn stars and in the dMe stars. The range of normalized flux values is much smaller among F-type stars than in stars of later spectral type. A dropoff appears in the flux levels of stars at B-V less than 0.30 mag. The measurements are used to search for evidence of possible high column density clouds in the local ISM. The cloud previously identified toward Alpha Oph may be seen in the reduced flux observed toward Beta Oph.
In anticipation of more sensitive EUV and FUV spectroscopic instruments, spectra are simulated including interstellar absorption of solarlike, RS CVn, and flare stars as folded through the instrument parameters of the EUVE, Lyman/FUSE Phase A, and a desirable next-generation spectrometer. Even the relatively insensitive EUVE spectrometer is able to detect sufficient spectral lines from many active binary and dMe stars to determine their coronal-emission-measure distributions. The Lyman/FUSE or next-generation spectrometers are needed to study solar-type stars or flaring stars with high time resolution. The high throughput and effective area of a nex-generation spectrometer is needed for Doppler imaging studies, stellar wind and downflow measurements, and high time and spectral resolution of stellar flares.
A summary of X-ray observations of flares on dMe, active spectroscopic binaries and young stars is presented. Consideration is given to the energy associated with the X-ray emission and its relation to other components of the flare energy budget, the time behavior of the flaring plasma as seen by the X-ray emission, and comparisons of stellar flare parameters with solar compact and two ribbon flares. Flares are easily detected when the contrast in the emission from the flaring plasma relative to the stellar photosphere is large as in the X-ray, microwave, and UV regions of the spectrum.
The dM1e flare star AU Microscopii (AU Mic) was observed by the EUVE Deep Survey Instrument on 1992 July 14-18. A large flare was detected in the Deep Survey Lexan/Boron (DS Lex/B)(65-190 A) band and the SW (70-190 A) and MW (140-380 A) spectrometers. The flare consisted of a sharp impulsive peak lasting approximately 2 hours followed by a decaying tail lasting about a day. We present a simple, single temperature, dynamic model for the flare decay which is consistent with the DS Lex/B light curve and reproduces the strongest, high-temperature spectral lines in the released EUVE spectra. In this model, we assume the long decay time is due to an ejected, magnetically confined, low beta plasmoid expanding self similarly in the ambient medium in a manner reminiscent of solar coronal mass ejections. We demonstrate that the long tail of the DS Lex/B light curve can be explained by rapid expansion, causing the plasma to become tenuous sufficiently quickly that it avoids catastrophic radiative cooling. From this model, we estimate the mass of the plasmoid to be approximately = 10(exp 20) g and the total energy of the event to be approximately = 10(exp 36) ergs. These values are approximately 10(exp 4) times as large as those seen during the largest solar coronal mass ejection (CME) events. We argue that the results of our model are consistent with other measurements of stellar flare parameters. We also estimate a mass-loss rate of a few times 10(exp -13) Solar mass/yr and discuss the role of mass loss from dMe stars in the mass balance of the interstellar medium. We estimate the rotational braking timescale from these events to be less than 500 million years and suggest that CME's may be an important source of angular momentum loss from late-type stars.
We present the results of an observation of the globular cluster omega Cen (NGC 5139) with the Einstein high-resolution imager (HRI). Of the five low-luminosity X-ray sources toward omega Cen which were first identified with the Einstein imaging proportional counter (IPC) (Hertz and Grindlay 1983a, b), two are detected in the Einstein HRI observation: IPC sources A and D. These detections provide source positions accurate to 3 sec-4 sec; the positions are confirmed in a ROSAT HRI observation reported here. Using CCD photometry and spectroscopy, we have identified both sources as foreground dwarf M stars with emission lines (dMe). The chance projection of two Mde stars within approximately 13 min of the center of omega Cen is not extraordinary, given the space density of these stellar coronal X-ray sources. We discuss the possible nature of the three as yet unidentified IPC sources toward omega Cen, and consider the constraints that the Einstein observations place on the total population of X-ray sources in this cluster. The integrated luminosity from faint X-ray sources in omega Cen appears to be low relative to both the old open cluster M67 and the post-core-collapse globular, NGC 6397.