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At least 91 records · Page 5

Submillimetre observations of atomic carbon

Emission from the ground state fine structure transition of atomic carbon at 610 microns has been observed in Galactic sources. From comparison of the observations with CO emission, it can be deduced that the abundance of neutral carbon relative to CO is high (approximately 0.1-3). The spatial and velocity distribution of CI and CO are often very similar. If molecular clouds are older than 1 x 10 to the 6th power years, the observations necessitate a mechanism which can maintain a high abundance of neutral carbon in cloud material, either by hindering complete conversion of C into CO or by physically and chemically rejuvenating the material.

Phillips, T. G.↗

InSb heterodyne receivers for submillimeter astronomy

InSb hot electron bolometer mixer receivers have been developed for submillimeter line studies of the interstellar medium up to about 500 GHz. The receivers have been used aboard the NASA Kuiper Airborne Observatory which is transported to about 12,000 km by a C141 aircraft. Data have been obtained on new interstellar lines (such as the ground-state fine structure transition of atomic carbon at 492 GHz) and such molecular transitions as carbon monoxide and water. Other data were obtained at ground level using the 5-cm Hale telescope at Mount Palomar and the NASA Infrared Telescope facility at Mauna Kea, HI. The heterodyne bolometers have reached noise temperatures of less than 400 K at all frequencies to 500 GHz.

Phillips, T. G.↗

Detection of [SiLL] (34.8 micron) emission in Orion-KL: A measurement of the silicon abundance in dense interstellar gas

The first detection of the ground state fine structure transition of Si+ at a rest wavelength determined to be 34.815 + or - 0.004 micron are reported. These observations were obtained with the facility spectrometer on NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory. A 6' NW-SE strip scan across the Orion-KL region shows SiII emission from both the extended photodissociation region surrounding theta 1 Ori C and from the shocked gas NW of BN-KL. The inferred gas-phase silicon elemental abundance relative to hydrogen in the dense 10 to the 5/cc primarily neutral photodissociation region is approximately 2.6 x to the -6, a factor of 0.075 times the solar value and 3.4 times greater than the abundance in the moderate density approx. 10 to the 3/cc cloud toward zeta Oph. The silicon abundance in the shocked gas is approximately solar, indicating that any pre-existing grains have been destroyed in the shock wave or that the preshock gas carries a near solar abundance of gas phase silicon. The shock-excited SiII (34.8 micron) emission may arise from shocked wind material in the outflow around IRc2, with wind velocities approx. 100 km/s.

Haas, M. R.↗

Spatial greenstone-gneiss relationships: Evidence from mafic-ultramafic xenolith distribution patterns

The distribution patterns of mafic-ultramafic xenoliths within Archaean orthogneiss terrain furnish an essential key for the elucidation of granite-greenstone relations. Most greenstone belts constitute mega-xenoliths rather than primary basin structures. Transition along strike and across strike between stratigraphically low greenstone sequences and xenolith chains demonstrate their contemporaneity. These terrains represent least deformed cratonic islands within an otherwise penetratively foliated deformed gneiss-greenstone crust. Whereas early greenstone sequences are invariably intruded by tonalitic/trondhjemitic/granodioritic gneisses, stratigraphically higher successions may locally overlap older gneiss terrains and their entrained xenoliths unconformably. The contiguity of xenolith patterns suggests their derivation as relics of regional mafic-ultramafic volcanic crustal units and places limits on horizontal movements between individual crustal blocks.

Glikson, A. Y.↗

Detection of (Si II) (34.8 micron) emission in Orion-KL - A measurement of the silicon abundance in dense interstellar gas

The first detection of the ground state fine structure transition of Si+ at a rest wavelength determined to be 34.815 + or - 0.004 micron are reported. These observations were obtained with the facility spectrometer on NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory. A 6' NW-SE strip scan across the Orion-KL region shows Si II emission from both the extended photodissociation region surrounding theta 1 Ori C and from the shocked gas NW of BN-KL. The inferred gas-phase silicon elemental abundance relative to hydrogen in the dense 10 to the 5/cc primarily neutral photodissociation region is approximately 2.6 x 10 the -6, a factor of 0.075 times the solar value and 3.4 times greater than the abundance in the moderate density aprox. 10 to the 3/cc cloud toward Zeta Oph The silicon abundance in the shocked gas is approximately solar, indicating that any pre-existing grains have been destroyed in the shock wave or that the preshock gas carries a near solar abundance of gas phase silicon. The shock-excited Si II (34.8 micron) emission may arise from shocked wind material in the outflow around IRc2, with wind velocities approx. 100 km/s.

Haas, M. R.↗

Observations of the 157.7 micron (C II) emission from the galactic H II regions W3 and W51

The 157.7 micron ground-state fine-structure transition of singly ionized carbon was detected from three positions, each in galactic H II region W3 and W51. These findings show that this emission goes beyond the H II regions and the carbon recombination region in each source. In addition these observations establish a lower limit to the luminosity in the 157.7 micron (C II) line of 360 solar luminosity from W3 and 41 solar luminosity from W51. Mechanisms for 157.7 micron-line excitation are discussed, and it is noted that a substantial part of the observed emission originates in the thin carbon recombination line-emitting region which borders on the H II regions and the warm atomic and molecular gas at the surface of neighboring molecular clouds. It is proposed that excitation by electrons present in the diffuse gas surrounding W51 contributes to the extended 157.7 micron (C II) line emission from this region. It was found that the (C II)FIR continuum ratios for W3 and W51 are in agreement with those of other galactic H II regions.

Melnick, G.↗

Laboratory measurement of the rotational spectrum of the OH radical with tunable far-infrared research

Rotational and fine-structure transitions between the low rotational levels of the OH radical in its X 2Pi state have been observed in absorption in the laboratory. It has thus been possible to measure the frequencies of these transitions directly. The observations were made with tunable far-infrared radiation generated by mixing two chosen CO2 laser frequencies in a metal-insulator-metal diode; the far-infrared difference frequency was radiated from the diode's whisker antenna. The measurements have an accuracy of a few hundred kHz. They both confirm and improve on the best previous estimates, which were obtained by extrapolation of laser magnetic resonance data.

Brown, J. M.↗

Raman spectroscopic investigations of Hg-Cd-Te melts

Raman scattering measurements are reported for a series of Hg sub1-xCd subxTe (with x less than or =0.2) materials from 295 K (room temperature) to 1126K (up to and above their liquidus temperatures), and for Hg sub1-xCd subxTe (x=0.3) at 285K. The samples were contained in high-temperature optically-flat fused silica cell. Variable temperature measurements were effected in a three-zone, high-temperature furnace equipped with optical windows, and monitored externally by three independently programmable temperature controllers. All studies were made in the backscattering geometry using the 5145 A line of an Ar+ ion laser, with incident power less than 250 mW, as the excitiation source. An intensity enhancement is observed for a mode in each of the compositions studied. The frequency of this mode varies with composition, 142/cm for HgTe, and 128/cm for both the Hg sub1-xCd subxTe (x=0.053 and 0.204) samples. In addition, a shift to lower frequency as a function of temperature is observed in all samples. This shift is most prominent for the x=0.053 sample. The temperature dependence of these modes as the liquidus temperatures are achieved and surpassed for these samples is presented as being associated with a structural transition in the Hg-rich compositions of the Hg sub1-xCd subxTe series. To our knowledge, this is the first reported study of Raman scattering by phonons in the melts of these materials.

Morrobel-Sosa, Anny↗

Electron density-sensitive line ratios for Fe XII in the solar corona

The collision strengths for electron-impact excitation of fine-structure transitions from the ground 3s23p3 configuration to the excited 3s3p4 configuration in Fe XII are presented. These are calculated by transforming the K-matrices obtained in a nonrelativistic R-matrix method to K-matrices in intermediate coupling using term-coupling coefficients which take into account the effect of breakdown of target LS coupling. Extensive configuration-interaction wave functions are used to represent the target states. The effective collision strengths are determined assuming a Maxwellian distribution of electron energies. Rydberg series of resonances converging to the excited state thresholds are explicitly included in the calculation. The relative level populations and emission-line strengths for Fe XII are calculated using the new atomic data presented in this paper and that published by Tayal, Henry, and Pradhan (1987) and Tayal and Henry (1986) over a wide range of electron densities and temperatures (1-2 x 10 to the 6th K). Present results for collision strengths and emission-line strengths are compared with the previous calculation of Flower (1977). Some significant differences are noted.

Tayal, S. S.↗

Heating and cooling of molecular clouds and their surfaces

Some of the basic mechanisms of heating molecular clouds and their surfaces are reviewed, including cosmic rays, ambipolar diffusion, radiation, and shock waves. Cooling by fine structure transitions of atoms and ions as well as by vibrational and rotational transitions of interstellar molecules is discussed. A theoretical application of these processes is made to the observations of warm CO and vibrationally excited H2.

Hollenbach, David↗

Simulation studies for surfaces and materials strength

During this six month period of the Simulation Studies for Surfaces and Materials Strength program investigations were carried out in two general areas: (1) Energy barriers and structural transitions between isomers of small Al clusters were investigated. In this study an empirical potential function which was parametrized based on accurate first principle results was employed; (2) A comparative study was conducted to investigate the applicability of most commonly employed model potential functions in calculating various bulk, surface and small cluster properties.

Halicioglu, Timur↗

Optical coronal emission lines from equilibrium and cooling plasmas

A calculation has been made of the emission from gas at temperature of about 10 to the 6th K due to optical coronal lines that result from fine structure transitions within the ground states of highly ionized atoms. These lines include the Forbidden Fe X 6374-A line, the Forbidden Fe XIV 5303-A line, and many other lines from stages of ionization of S, Ca, Fe, and Ni. The calculations are valid in the limit of very low density, and apply to the diffuse gas found in supernova remnants, the interstellar medium in galaxies, and intergalactic gas. It is found that the amount of optical coronal emission produced by a given amount of cooling gas is largely unaffected by changes in element abundances (provided the proportions of heavy elements remain the same).

Graney, Christopher M.↗

Ionized carbon in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The 158 micron 2P3/2-2P1/2 fine-structure transition of C(+) at selected locations in the LMC. The C II emission is most intense toward far-infrared continuum peaks and generally is not seen in positions exhibiting strong CO J = 2-1 radiation. Where both C II and CO emission are detected, the V(LSR) centroids are similar but the C II line is wider. The differences in spatial distribution and spectral shape suggest a more pronounced physical separation between the predominantly neutral atomic and molecular gas regions than is the case in the Galaxy. In the LMC, the intense and extended C II emission near 30 Dor implies a total amount of C(+) several times greater than that of Galactic molecular cloud complexes. An attempt was made to detect the 289 micron J = 9-8 transition of (C-12)O in a few locations. The observed upper intensity limit for N159 implies that moderate density molecular gas fills less than 5 percent of the beam and that most of the low J CO emission comes from lower density gas.

Boreiko, R. T.↗

The influence of processing parameters on microstructural development of low-weight-percent primary, pro-eutectic, dendritic alloys during directional solidification

Alloy compositions centering about Sn- 5 to 15 wt pct Al and Pb- 4 to 20 wt pct Cu have been directionally solidified as a function of growth rate and orientation with respect to earth's gravity vector. The effect of these processing variables on macrosegregation is presented, and the consequence of a structural transition from primary columnar to equiaxed dendritic growth is examined. Effects detrimental to microstructure and attributed to density variations are shown to be minimized by a novel processing technique. In view of the ground-based results, some considerations follow regarding what might be gained by solidifying these alloys in a microgravity environment.

Grugel, R. N.↗

Mid-infrared transmission spectra of crystalline and nanophase iron oxides/oxyhydroxides and implications for remote sensing of Mars

Ferric-iron-bearing materials play an important role in the interpretation of visible to near-IR Mars spectra, and they may play a similarly important role in the analysis of new mid-IR spacecraft spectral observations to be obtained over the next decade. We review exisiting data on mid-IR transmission spectra of ferric oxides/oxyhydroxides and present new transmission spectra for ferric-bearing materials spanning a wide range of mineralogy and crystallinity. These materials include 11 samples of well-crystallized ferric oxides (hematite, maghemite, and magnetite) and ferric oxyhydroxides (goethite, lepidocrocite). We also report the first transmission spectra for purely nanophase ferric oxide samples that have been shown to exhibit spectral similarities to Mars in the visible to near-IR and we compare these data to previous and new transmission spectra of terrestial palagonites. Most of these samples show numerous, diagnostic absorption features in the mid-IR due to Fe(3+) - 0(2-) vibrational transitions, structural and/or bound OH, and/or silicates. These data indicate that high spatial resolution, moderate spectral resolution mid-IR ground-based and spacecraft observations of Mars may be able to detect and uniquely discriminate among different ferric-iron-bearing phases on the Martian surface or in the airborne dust.

Bell, James F., III↗

Mid-infrared transmission spectra of crystalline and nanophase iron oxides/oxyhydroxides and implications for remote sensing of Mars

Ferric-iron-bearing materials play an important role in the interpretation of visible to near-IR Mars spectra, and they may play a similarly important role in the analysis of new mid-IR spacecraft spectral observations to be obtained over the next decade. We review existing data on mid-IR transmission spectra of ferric oxides/oxyhydroxides and present new transmission spectra for ferric-bearing materials spanning a wide range of mineralogy and crystallinity. These materials include 11 samples of well-crystallized ferric oxides (hematite, maghemite, and magnetite) and ferric oxyhydroxides (goethite, lepidocrocite). We also report the first transmission spectra for purely nanophase ferric oxide samples that have been shown to exhibit spectral similarities to Mars in the visible to near-IR and we compare these data to previous and new transmission spectra of terrestrial palagonites. Most of these samples show numerous, diagnostic absorption features in the mid-IR due to Fe(3+)-O(2-) vibrational transitions, structural and/or bound OH, and/or silicates. These data indicate that high spatial resolution, moderate spectral resolution mid-IR ground-based and spacecraft observations of Mars may be able to detect and uniquely discriminate among different ferric-iron-bearing phases on the Martian surface or in the airborne dust.

Bell, James F., III↗

The Structure of Ice Nanoclusters and Thin-films of Water Ice: Implications for Icy Grains in Cold Molecular Clouds

The cubic to hexagonal phase transformation in water ice (I(sub c) yields I(sub h)) is used to measure the extent to which surface structure and impurities control bulk properties. In pure crystalline (I(sub c)) water ice nanoclusters and in thin-films of impure water ice, I(sub c) yields I(sub h) occurs at lower temperatures than in thin-films of pure water ice. The disordered surface of the 20 nm diameter nanoclusters promotes transformations or reactions which would otherwise be kinetically hindered. Likewise, impurities such as methanol introduce defects into the ice network, thereby allowing sluggish structural transitions to proceed. Such surface-related phenomena play an important role in promoting chemical reactions on interstellar ice grains within cold molecular clouds, where the first organic compounds are formed.

Delzeit, Lance↗