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At least 937 records · Page 52
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NASA NTRS1986

Random scattering approach to gravitational microlensing

Small random deflections of a narrow beam of radiation due to gravitational scattering by stars randomly distributed within the deflector plane are considered. Using a Fouriere transform method, the probability of scattering is obtained as a function of scattering angle for an arbitrary number of stars with an arbitrary distribution of masses. The probability density, expressed in proper units, depends on one parameter only: the effective number of stars. At small scattering angles the density is a Gaussian, and at large angles it falls off as the scattering angle to the minus fourth power. The probability distribution for scatterings is simply related to the angular distribution of the surface brightness of a macroimage, averaged over many microimages. The isophotes are ellipses, with the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis, determined by the dimensionless surface mass density and the shear of the lensing system. The number of stars that has to be included in the modeling of microlensing is proportional to the amplification due to the macrolens, and to the square of the dimensionless surface mass density.

Katz, N.↗
NASA NTRS1987

An improved model of the Earth's gravitational field: GEM-T1

Goddard Earth Model T1 (GEM-T1), which was developed from an analysis of direct satellite tracking observations, is the first in a new series of such models. GEM-T1 is complete to degree and order 36. It was developed using consistent reference parameters and extensive earth and ocean tidal models. It was simultaneously solved for gravitational and tidal terms, earth orientation parameters, and the orbital parameters of 580 individual satellite arcs. The solution used only satellite tracking data acquired on 17 different satellites and is predominantly based upon the precise laser data taken by third generation systems. In all, 800,000 observations were used. A major improvement in field accuracy was obtained. For marine geodetic applications, long wavelength geoidal modeling is twice as good as in earlier satellite-only GEM models. Orbit determination accuracy has also been substantially advanced over a wide range of satellites that have been tested.

Marsh, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

40 Eridani and the gravitational lens effect

Observations covering a period of 20 years show that the large proper motion (4.08 arcsec/yr) of the nearly triple system 40 Eridani-ABC will cause its brightest member, A, to pass within 3 arcsec of a faint background star. The originally hoped-for primary gravitational lens effect will therefore not take place although a minor secondary effect may occur near the time of closest approach on June 1, 1987.

Feibelman, Walter A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Gravitational lenses and dark matter - Theory

Theoretical models are presented for guiding the application of gravitational lenses to probe the characteristics of dark matter in the universe. Analytical techniques are defined for quantifying the mass associated with lensing galaxies (in terms of the image separation), determining the quantity of dark mass of the lensing bodies, and estimating the mass density of the lenses. The possibility that heavy halos are made of low mass stars is considered, along with the swallowing of central images of black holes or cusps in galactic nuclei and the effects produced on a lensed quasar image by nonbaryonic halos. The observable effects of dense groups and clusters and the characteristics of dark matter strings are discussed, and various types of images which are possible due to lensing phenomena and position are described.

Gott, J. Richard, III↗
NASA NTRS1987

Amplification and polarization of supernovae by gravitational lensing

The gravitational lensing of supernovae by individual masses which could comprise the dark matter is analyzed. Detailed predictions of the amplification and polarization are presented, including effects of a galactic environment. Their time dependence is produced by the expansion of the supernovae beam within the lens. The fraction of supernovae which might thus be identified as being lensed in surveys at proposed limiting magnitudes is estimated. These two effects could provide the only known unique signature of microlensing.

Schneider, P.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A linear MHD instability analysis of solar mass ejections with gravitation

The linear MHD instability of a cylindrical plasma is used to investigate the origin of solar mass ejections, and the dispersion relation is solved numerically. The initial plasma-flow velocity is found to have a significant effect on the instability criteria and growth rate, and the instability growth-rate is shown to be larger in cases where plasma flow exists, relative to the static case. Results suggest that the plasma column may break into small pieces. Assuming a thin-tube approximation, gravity is found to have little effect on the instability of quasi-horizontal ejection, but to have considerable effect on the vertical ejection. In considering the gravitational force, an exact analytical solution is found for the vertical case, while asymptotic solutions are given for the horizontal and oblique cases.

Song, M. T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Snow load effect on earth's rotation and gravitational field, 1979-1985

A global, monthly snow depth data set has been generated from the Nimbus 7 satellite observations using passive microwave remote-sensing techniques. Seven years of data, 1979-1985, are analyzed to compute the snow load effects on the earth's rotation and low-degree zonal gravitational field. The resultant time series show dominant seasonal cycles. The annual peak-to-peak variation in J2 is found to be 2.3 x 10 to the -10th, that in J3 to be 1.1 x 10 to the -10th, and believed to decrease rapidly for higher degrees. The corresponding change in the length of day is 41 micro-s. The annual wobble excitation is (4.9 marc sec, -109 deg) for the prograde motion component and (4.8 marc sec, -28 deg) for the retrograde motion component. The excitation power of the Chandler wobble due to the snow load is estimated to be about 25 dB less than the power needed to maintain the observed Chandler wobble.

Chao, B. Fong↗
NASA NTRS1988

General equations for the motions of ice crystals and water drops in gravitational and electric fields

General equations for the Reynolds number of a variety of types of ice crystals and water drops are given in terms of the Davies, Bond, and Knudsen numbers. The equations are in terms of the basic physical parameters of the system and are valid for calculating velocities in gravitational and electric fields over a very wide range of sizes and atmospheric conditions. The equations are asymptotically matched at the bottom and top of the size spectrum, useful when checking large computer codes. A numerical system for specifying the dimensional properties of ice crystals is introduced. Within the limits imposed by such variables as particle density, which have large deviations, the accuracy of velocities appears to be within 10 percent over the entire range of sizes of interest.

Nisbet, John S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

4U 1820-30 as a potential test of the nonsymmetric gravitational theory of Moffat

Recent observations of the X-ray burst source 4U 1820-30 have revealed a 685 s modulation of the luminosity. How this system could provide a stringent test of the nonsymmetric gravitational theory (NGT) of Moffat (1979), provided the observed periodicity is due to orbital motion of a binary system, is discussed. The possible orbital period change predicted by general relativity may be detectable in this system.

Krisher, Timothy P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Gravitational lensing statistics of amplified supernovae

Amplification statistics of gravitationally lensed supernovae can provide a valuable probe of the lensing matter in the universe. A general probability distribution for amplification by compact objects is derived which allows calculation of the lensed fraction of supernovae at or greater than an amplification A and at or less than an apparent magnitude. Comparison of the computed fractions with future results from ongoing supernova searches can lead to determination of the mass density of compact dark matter components with masses greater than about 0.001 solar mass, while the time-dependent amplification (and polarization) of the expanding supernovae constrain the individual masses. Type II supernovae are found to give the largest fraction for deep surveys, and the optimum flux-limited search is found to be at approximately 23d magnitude, if evolution of the supernova rate is neglected.

Linder, Eric V.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Arcs from gravitational lensing

The proposal made by Paczynski (1987) that the arcs of blue light found recently in two cluster cores are gravitationally lensed elongated images of background galaxies is investigated. It is shown that lenses that are circularly symmetric in projection produce pairs of arcs, in conflict with the observations. However, more realistic asymmetric lenses produce single arcs, which can become as elongated as the observed ones whenever the background galaxy is located on or close to a cusp caustic. Detailed computer simulations of lensing by clusters using a reasonable model of the mass distribution are presented. Elongated and curved lensed images longer than 10 arcsec occur in 12 percent of the simulated clusters. It is concluded that the lensing hypothesis must be taken seriously.

Grossman, Scott A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Changes in the earth's rotation and low-degree gravitational field induced by earthquakes

Analytical formulas based on the normal-mode theory are used together with a spherically symmetric earth model and the centroid-moment tensor solutions for earthquake sources to compute the earthquake-induced changes in the earth's rotation and low-degree harmonics of the gravitational field for the period 1977-1985. Spectral and statistical analyses are conducted on these changes. It is found that the earthquake-induced changes are two orders of magnitude smaller than those observed; most of these changes show strong evidence of nonrandomness either in their polarity or in their directions.

Chao, B. Fong↗
NASA NTRS1988

Gravitational independence of single-breath washout tests in recumbent dogs

The effect of gravitational orientation in the mechanism of lung filling and emptying in dogs was examined by conducting simultaneously Ar-bolus and N2 single-breath washout tests (SBWTs) in 10 anesthetized dogs (prone and supine), with three of the dogs subjected to body rotation. Transpulmonary pressure was measured simultaneously, allowing identification of the lung volume above residual volume at which there was an inflection point in the pressure-volume curve. Combined resident gas and bolus SBWTs in recumbent dogs were found to be different from such tests in humans; in dogs, the regional distribution of ventilation was not primarily determined by gravity. The measurements did not make it possible to discern exact mechanisms of filling and emptying, but both processes appear to be related to lung, thorax, and mediastinum interactions and/or differences in regional mechanical properties of the lungs.

Tomioka, Shinichi↗
NASA NTRS1987

A VLA gravitational lens survey

A VLA survey designed to detect gravitational lensing on sub-arc second and arc second scales is described, and preliminary results of radio data are presented. In particular, it is found that the density of matter in the form of a uniform comoving number density of 10 to the 11th - 10 to the 12th solar mass compact objects, luminous or dark, must be substantially less than the critical density. Data obtained for the radio source 1042+178 are briefly examined.

Hewitt, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Gravitational lensing in a cold dark matter universe

Gravitational lensing due to mass condensations in a biased cold dark matter (CDM) universe is investigated using the Press-Schechter (1974) theory with density fluctuation amplitudes taken from previous N-body work. Under the critical assumption that CDM haloes have small core radii, a distribution of image angular separations for high-z lensed quasars with a peak at about 1 arcsec and a half-width of a factor of about 10. Allowing for selection effects at small angular separations, this is in good agreement with the observed separations. The estimated frequency of lensing is somewhat lower than that observed, but the discrepancy can be removed by invoking amplification bias and by making a small upward adjustment to the density fluctuation amplitudes assumed in the CDM model.

Narayan, Ramesh↗
NASA NTRS1988

High-resolution CCD imaging and derived gravitational lens models of 2237+0305

Images of the gravitational lens 2237+0305 acquired in good seeing have resolved the system into at least five components within the central few arsec of the object: the galaxy nucleus and four point sources in a ringlike formation approximately centered on the galaxy. It is found that the four point sources are distinctly bluer than the galaxy, but that they do not have identical colors. The observed configuration is well reproduced by a simple model that assumes that the four objects are images of the quasar and that the lens is a constant mass-to-light ratio, elliptical, de Vaucouleurs bulge.

Schneider, D. P.↗