Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “EMISSION”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,027 records · Page 57
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Dramatic enhancement of 1.54 μm emission in Er doped GaN quantum well structures

Erbium (Er) doped III-nitride materials have attracted much attention due to their capability to provide highly thermal stable optical emission in the technologically important as well as eye-safer 1540 nm wavelength window. There is a continued need to exploring effective mechanisms to further improve the quantum efficiency (QE) of the 1.54 μm emission in Er-doped III-nitrides. GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells (MQWs:Er) have been synthesized by metal organic chemical vapor deposition and explored as an effective means to improve the QE of the 1.54 μm emission via carrier confinement and strain engineering. The 1.54 μm emission properties from MQWs:Er were probed by photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy. It was found that the emission intensity from MQWs:Er is 9 times higher than that of GaN:Er epilayers with a comparable Er active layer thickness. The influences of the well and barrier width on the PL emission at 1.54 μm were studied. The results revealed that MQWs:Er consisting of well width between 1 and 1.5 nm and the largest possible barrier width before reaching the critical thickness provide the largest boost in QE of the 1.54 μm emission. These results demonstrate that MQWs:Er provide a basis for efficient photonic devices active at 1.54 μm.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Improving commercial truck fleet composition in emission modeling using 2021 US VIUS data

Commercial trucks are essential elements of the nation's supply chain system. Meanwhile, intensive truck movements contribute significantly to system externalities, such as energy use and air pollution. However, collecting detailed fleet composition and distribution of operational patterns remains a barrier to accurately accounting for these impacts. The recently released 2021 US Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (US VIUS) fills a critical gap in understanding commercial truck fleet distributions, their operations, and business constraints at the national scale. This study aims to understand the latest US commercial vehicle fleet composition and operational characteristics using 2021 US VIUS data and calibrate the fleet inputs in regulatory emission models to assess the potential emission implications of the VIUS-derived fleet composition. The emission rates for commercial trucks and default fleet composition are collected from the U.S. EPA's MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES4). The 2021 US VIUS data is applied to improve fleet characteristics such as the long-haul fraction and the vehicle mileage accumulation rate. The study also investigates potential emission reduction benefits under various forecasted fleet electrification scenarios. The energy consumption and critical air pollutant rates by vehicle types are compared between MOVES4 and US VIUS fleets for both current and future scenarios to provide insights into the latest U.S. commercial vehicle fleet characteristics and their implications on energy and emissions. This study helps policymakers and practitioners advance the commercial fleet generation for emission models. It also deepens the understanding of the emission reduction potential of the commercial fleet under various fleet projections.

2021 US VIUS↗
DOE OSTI2010

HARD X-RAY EMISSION ASSOCIATED WITH WHITE DWARFS. III

Hard X-ray emission associated with white dwarfs (WDs) can be used to diagnose the presence of late-type binary companions, mass accretion from companions, or physical processes with unknown origins. Since our previous systematic searches for hard X-ray emission associated with WDs, the Galactic WD catalog has been augmented by >10,000 new WDs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and new X-ray point-source catalogs from XMM-Newton and ROSAT have become available. Therefore, we have extended the search using the updated catalogs, and found 17 new cases of WDs associated with hard X-ray emission. The 32 WDs associated with hard X-ray emission, from the current and previous searches, can be divided into five categories: (1) binary WD with a coronal companion, (2) binary WD with mass transfer from a companion, (3) single hot WD with a hard X-ray component peaking near 1 keV in addition to a soft photospheric component, (4) two PG 1159 stars with very faint X-ray emission in the 0.9-2.0 keV band, and (5) two DA WDs whose photospheric emission component has a hard shoulder extending to 0.5-0.9 keV. The origin of the hard X-ray emission in the latter three categories is not yet known. Deeper X-ray observations with higher angular and spectral resolutions are needed to help us understand these WDs' hard X-ray emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

UNIFICATION OF LUMINOUS TYPE 1 QUASARS THROUGH C IV EMISSION

Using a sample of {approx}30,000 quasars from the 7th Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we explore the range of properties exhibited by high-ionization, broad emission lines, such as C IV {lambda}1549. Specifically, we investigate the anti-correlation between continuum luminosity and emission-line equivalent width (the Baldwin Effect (BEff)) and the 'blueshifting' of the high-ionization emission lines with respect to low-ionization emission lines. Employing improved redshift determinations from Hewett and Wild, the blueshift of the C IV emission line is found to be nearly ubiquitous, with a mean shift of {approx}810 km s{sup -1} for radio-quiet (RQ) quasars and {approx}360 km s{sup -1} for radio-loud (RL) quasars. The BEff is present in both RQ and RL samples. We consider these phenomena within the context of an accretion disk-wind model that is modulated by the nonlinear correlation between ultraviolet and X-ray continuum luminosity. Composite spectra are constructed as a function of C IV emission-line properties in an attempt to reveal empirical relationships between different line species and the continuum. Within a two-component disk+wind model of the broad emission-line region (BELR), where the wind filters the continuum seen by the disk component, we find that RL quasars are consistent with being dominated by the disk component, while broad absorption line quasars are consistent with being dominated by the wind component. Some RQ objects have emission-line features similar to RL quasars; they may simply have insufficient black hole (BH) spin to form radio jets. Our results suggest that there could be significant systematic errors in the determination of L{sub bol} and BH mass that make it difficult to place these findings in a more physical context. However, it is possible to classify quasars in a paradigm where the diversity of BELR parameters is due to differences in an accretion disk wind between quasars (and over time); these differences are underlain primarily by the spectral energy distribution, which ultimately must be tied to BH mass and accretion rate.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

SPATIALLY EXTENDED BRACKETT GAMMA EMISSION IN THE ENVIRONMENTS OF YOUNG STARS

The majority of atomic hydrogen Br{gamma} emission detected in the spectra of young stellar objects is believed to arise from the recombination regions associated with the magnetospheric accretion of circumstellar disk material onto the forming star. In this paper, we present the results of a K-band integral field unit spectroscopic study of Br{gamma} emission in eight young protostars: CW Tau, DG Tau, Haro 6-10, HL Tau, HV Tau C, RW Aur, T Tau, and XZ Tau. We spatially resolve Br{gamma} emission structures in half of these young stars and find that most of the extended emission is consistent with the location and velocities of the known Herbig-Haro flows associated with these systems. At some velocities through the Br{gamma} line profile, the spatially extended emission comprises 20% or more of the integrated flux in that spectral channel. However, the total spatially extended Br{gamma} is typically less than {approx}10% of the flux integrated over the full emission profile. For DG Tau and Haro 6-10 S, we estimate the mass outflow rate using simple assumptions about the hydrogen emission region and compare this to the derived mass accretion rate. We detect extended Br{gamma} in the vicinity of the more obscured targets in our sample and conclude that spatially extended Br{gamma} emission may exist toward other stars, but unattenuated photospheric flux probably limits its detectability.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET 'CONTINUUM' IN PROTOPLANETARY DISK SYSTEMS. II. CARBON MONOXIDE FOURTH POSITIVE EMISSION AND ABSORPTION

We exploit the high sensitivity and moderate spectral resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to detect far-ultraviolet (UV) spectral features of carbon monoxide (CO) present in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks for the first time. We present spectra of the classical T Tauri stars HN Tau, RECX-11, and V4046 Sgr, representative of a range of CO radiative processes. HN Tau shows CO bands in absorption against the accretion continuum. The CO absorption most likely arises in warm inner disk gas. We measure a CO column density and rotational excitation temperature of N(CO) = (2 {+-} 1) x 10{sup 17} cm{sup -2} and T{sub rot}(CO) 500 {+-} 200 K for the absorbing gas. We also detect CO A-X band emission in RECX-11 and V4046 Sgr, excited by UV line photons, predominantly H I Ly{alpha}. All three objects show emission from CO bands at {lambda} > 1560 A, which may be excited by a combination of UV photons and collisions with non-thermal electrons. In previous observations these emission processes were not accounted for due to blending with emission from the accretion shock, collisionally excited H{sub 2}, and photo-excited H{sub 2}, all of which appeared as a 'continuum' whose components could not be separated. The CO emission spectrum is strongly dependent upon the shape of the incident stellar Ly{alpha} emission profile. We find CO parameters in the range: N(CO) {approx} 10{sup 18}-10{sup 19} cm{sup -2}, T{sub rot}(CO) {approx}> 300 K for the Ly{alpha}-pumped emission. We combine these results with recent work on photo-excited and collisionally excited H{sub 2} emission, concluding that the observations of UV-emitting CO and H{sub 2} are consistent with a common spatial origin. We suggest that the CO/H{sub 2} ratio ({identical_to} N(CO)/N(H{sub 2})) in the inner disk is {approx}1, a transition between the much lower interstellar value and the higher value observed in solar system comets today, a result that will require future observational and theoretical study to confirm.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

CALIBRATING EXTINCTION-FREE STAR FORMATION RATE DIAGNOSTICS WITH 33 GHz FREE-FREE EMISSION IN NGC 6946

Using free-free emission measured in the Ka band (26-40 GHz) for 10 star-forming regions in the nearby galaxy NGC 6946, including its starbursting nucleus, we compare a number of star formation rate (SFR) diagnostics that are typically considered to be unaffected by interstellar extinction. These diagnostics include non-thermal radio (i.e., 1.4 GHz), total infrared (IR; 8-1000 {mu}m), and warm dust (i.e., 24 {mu}m) emission, along with hybrid indicators that attempt to account for obscured and unobscured emission from star-forming regions including H{alpha} + 24 {mu}m and UV + IR measurements. The assumption is made that the 33 GHz free-free emission provides the most accurate measure of the current SFR. Among the extranuclear star-forming regions, the 24 {mu}m, H{alpha} + 24 {mu}m, and UV + IR SFR calibrations are in good agreement with the 33 GHz free-free SFRs. However, each of the SFR calibrations relying on some form of dust emission overestimates the nuclear SFR by a factor of {approx}2 relative to the 33 GHz free-free SFR. This is more likely the result of excess dust heating through an accumulation of non-ionizing stars associated with an extended episode of star formation in the nucleus rather than increased competition for ionizing photons by dust. SFR calibrations using the non-thermal radio continuum yield values which only agree with the 33 GHz free-free SFRs for the nucleus and underestimate the SFRs from the extranuclear star-forming regions by an average factor of {approx}2 and {approx}4-5 before and after subtracting local background emission, respectively. This result likely arises from the cosmic-ray (CR) electrons decaying within the starburst region with negligible escape, whereas the transient nature of star formation in the young extranuclear star-forming complexes allows for CR electrons to diffuse significantly further than dust-heating photons, resulting in an underestimate of the true SFR. Finally, we find that the SFRs estimated using the total 33 GHz flux density appear to agree well with those estimated using free-free emission due to the large thermal fractions present at these frequencies even when local diffuse backgrounds are not removed. Thus, rest-frame 33 GHz observations may act as a reliable method to measure the SFRs of galaxies at increasingly high redshift without the need of ancillary radio data to account for the non-thermal emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/ADVANCED CAMERA FOR SURVEYS OBSERVATIONS OF EUROPA'S ATMOSPHERIC ULTRAVIOLET EMISSION AT EASTERN ELONGATION

We report results of a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) campaign with the Advanced Camera for Surveys to observe Europa at eastern elongation, i.e., Europa's leading side, on 2008 June 29. With five consecutive HST orbits, we constrain Europa's atmospheric O I 1304 A and O I 1356 A emissions using the prism PR130L. The total emissions of both oxygen multiplets range between 132 {+-} 14 and 226 {+-} 14 Rayleigh. An additional systematic error with values on the same order as the statistical errors may be due to uncertainties in modeling the reflected light from Europa's surface. The total emission also shows a clear dependence of Europa's position with respect to Jupiter's magnetospheric plasma sheet. We derive a lower limit for the O{sub 2} column density of 6 x 10{sup 18} m{sup -2}. Previous observations of Europa's atmosphere with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph in 1999 of Europa's trailing side show an enigmatic surplus of radiation on the anti-Jovian side within the disk of Europa. With emission from a radially symmetric atmosphere as a reference, we searched for an anti-Jovian versus sub-Jovian asymmetry with respect to the central meridian on the leading side and found none. Likewise, we searched for departures from a radially symmetric atmospheric emission and found an emission surplus centered around 90 deg. west longitude, for which plausible mechanisms exist. Previous work about the possibility of plumes on Europa due to tidally driven shear heating found longitudes with strongest local strain rates which might be consistent with the longitudes of maximum UV emissions. Alternatively, asymmetries in Europa's UV emission can also be caused by inhomogeneous surface properties, an optically thick atmospheric contribution of atomic oxygen, and/or by Europa's complex plasma interaction with Jupiter's magnetosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE SPATIAL EXTENT OF (U)LIRGS IN THE MID-INFRARED. II. FEATURE EMISSION

We present results from the second part of our analysis of the extended mid-infrared (MIR) emission of the GOALS sample based on 5-14 {mu}m low-resolution spectra obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph on Spitzer. We calculate the fraction of extended emission (FEE) as a function of wavelength for all galaxies in the sample, FEE{sub {lambda}}, defined as the fraction of the emission that originates outside of the unresolved central component of a source, and spatially separate the MIR spectrum of a galaxy into its nuclear and extended components. We find that the [Ne II]12.81 {mu}m emission line is as compact as the hot dust MIR continuum, while the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission is more extended. In addition, the 6.2 and 7.7 {mu}m PAH emission is more compact than that of the 11.3 {mu}m PAH, which is consistent with the formers being enhanced in a more ionized medium. The presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) or a powerful nuclear starburst increases the compactness and the luminosity surface density of the hot dust MIR continuum, but has a negligible effect on the spatial extent of the PAH emission on kpc-scales. Furthermore, it appears that both processes, AGN and/or nuclear starburst, are indistinguishable in terms of how they modify the integrated PAH-to-continuum ratio of the FEE in (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs). Globally, the 5-14 {mu}m spectra of the extended emission component are homogeneous for all galaxies in the GOALS sample. This suggests that, independently of the spatial distribution of the various MIR features, the physical properties of star formation occurring at distances farther than 1.5 kpc from the nuclei of (U)LIRGs are very similar, resembling local star-forming galaxies with L{sub IR} < 10{sup 11} L{sub sun}, as well as star-formation-dominated ULIRGs at z {approx} 2. In contrast, the MIR spectra of the nuclear component of local ULIRGs and LIRGs are very diverse. These results imply that the observed variety of the integrated MIR properties of local (U)LIRGs arise, on average, only from the processes that are taking place in their cores.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE 15-20 {mu}m EMISSION IN THE REFLECTION NEBULA NGC 2023

We present 15-20 {mu}m spectral maps toward the reflection nebula NGC 2023 obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph in short-wavelength, high-resolution mode on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. These spectra reveal emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), C{sub 60}, and H{sub 2} superposed on a dust continuum. These emission components exhibit distinct spatial distributions: with increasing distance from the illuminating star, we observe the PAH emission followed by the dust continuum emission and the H{sub 2} emission. The C{sub 60} emission is located closest to the illuminating star in the south, while in the north it seems to be associated with the H/H{sub 2} transition. Emission from PAHs and PAH-related species produces features at 15.8, 16.4, 17.4, and 17.8 {mu}m and the 15-18 {mu}m plateau. These different PAH features show distinct spatial distributions. The 15.8 {mu}m band and 15-18 {mu}m plateau correlate with the 11.2 {mu}m PAH band and with each other, and are attributed to large, neutral PAHs. Conversely, the 16.4 {mu}m feature correlates with the 12.7 {mu}m PAH band, suggesting that both arise from species that are favored by the same conditions that favor PAH cations. The PAH contribution to the 17.4 {mu}m band is displaced toward the illuminating star with respect to the 11.2 and 12.7 {mu}m emission and is assigned to doubly ionized PAHs and/or a subset of cationic PAHs. The spatial distribution of the 17.8 {mu}m band suggests that it arises from both neutral and cationic PAHs. In contrast to their intensities, the profiles of the PAH bands and the 15-18 {mu}m plateau do not vary spatially. Consequently, we conclude that the carrier of the 15-18 {mu}m plateau is distinct from that of the PAH bands.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

EVIDENCE FOR ANOMALOUS DUST-CORRELATED EMISSION AT 8 GHz

In 1969 Edward Conklin measured the anisotropy in celestial emission at 8 GHz with a resolution of 16.{sup 0}2 and used the data to report a detection of the cosmic microwave background dipole. Given the paucity of 8 GHz observations over large angular scales and the clear evidence for non-power-law Galactic emission near 8 GHz, a new analysis of Conklin's data is informative. In this paper, we compare Conklin's data to that from Haslam et al. (0.4 GHz), Reich and Reich (1.4 GHz), and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP; 23-94 GHz). We show that the spectral index between Conklin's data and the 23 GHz WMAP data is {beta} = -1.7 {+-} 0.1, where we model the emission temperature as T{proportional_to}{nu}{sup {beta}}. Free-free emission has {beta} Almost-Equal-To - 2.15 and synchrotron emission has {beta} Almost-Equal-To - 2.7 to -3. Thermal dust emission ({beta} Almost-Equal-To 1.7) is negligible at 8 GHz. We conclude that there must be another distinct non-power-law component of diffuse foreground emission that emits near 10 GHz, consistent with other observations in this frequency range. By comparing to the full complement of data sets, we show that a model with an anomalous emission component, assumed to be spinning dust, is preferred over a model without spinning dust at 5{sigma} ({Delta}{chi}{sup 2} = 31). However, the source of the new component cannot be determined uniquely.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A SEARCH FOR INFRARED EMISSION FROM CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE AT THE TRANSITIONAL PHASE

Most of the observational studies of supernova (SN) explosions are limited to early phases ( 100 yr) in our Galaxy or very nearby galaxies. SNe at the epoch between these two, which we call the 'transitional' phase, have not been explored in detail except for several extragalactic SNe including SN 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We present theoretical predictions for the infrared (IR) dust emissions by several mechanisms; emission from dust formed in the SN ejecta, light echo by circumstellar (CS) and interstellar (IS) dust, and emission from shocked CS dust. We search for IR emission from six core-collapse SNe at the transitional phase in the nearby galaxies NGC 1313, NGC 6946, and M101 by using the data taken with the AKARI satellite and Spitzer. Among six targets, we detect the emission from SN 1978K in NGC 1313. SN 1978K is associated with 1.3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} M{sub Sun} of silicate dust. We show that, among several mechanisms, the shocked CS dust is the most probable emission source to explain the IR emission observed for SN 1978K. IR emission from the other five objects is not detected. Our current observations are sensitive to IR luminosity of >10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1}, and the non-detection of SN 1962M excludes the existence of the shocked CS dust for a high gas mass-loss rate of {approx}10{sup -4} M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. Observations of SNe at the transitional phase with future IR satellites will fill the gap of IR observations of SNe with the age of 10-100 yr, and give a new opportunity to study the CS and IS environments of the progenitor, and possibly dust formation in SNe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

AN X-RAY AND MULTIWAVELENGTH SURVEY OF HIGHLY RADIO-LOUD QUASARS AT z > 4: JET-LINKED EMISSION IN THE BRIGHTEST RADIO BEACONS OF THE EARLY UNIVERSE

We present a systematic study of the X-ray and multiwavelength properties of a sample of 17 highly radio-loud quasars (HRLQs) at z > 4 with sensitive X-ray coverage from new Chandra and archival Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Swift observations. Eight of the new and archival observations are reported in this work for the first time. New Chandra observations of two moderately radio-loud and highly optically luminous quasars at z {approx}> 4 are also reported. Our HRLQ sample represents the top {approx}5% of radio-loud quasars (RLQs) in terms of radio loudness. We found that our HRLQs have an X-ray emission enhancement over HRLQs at lower redshifts (by a typical factor of Almost-Equal-To 3), and this effect, after controlling for several factors which may introduce biases, has been solidly estimated to be significant at the 3{sigma}-4{sigma} level. HRLQs at z = 3-4 are also found to have a similar X-ray emission enhancement over z < 3 HRLQs, which further supports the robustness of our results. We discuss models for the X-ray enhancement's origin including a fractional contribution from inverse Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background photons. No strong correlations are found between the relative X-ray brightness and optical/UV emission-line rest-frame equivalent widths (REWs) for RLQs. However, the line REWs are positively correlated with radio loudness, which suggests that relativistic jets make a negligible contribution to the optical/UV continua of these HRLQs (contrary to the case where the emission lines are diluted by the relativistically boosted continuum). Our HRLQs are generally consistent with the known anti-correlation between radio loudness and X-ray power-law photon index. We also found that the two moderately radio-loud quasars appear to have the hardest X-ray spectra among our objects, suggesting that intrinsic X-ray absorption (N {sub H} {approx} 10{sup 23} cm{sup -2}) may be present. Our z > 4 HRLQs generally have higher X-ray luminosities than those for the composite broadband spectral energy distributions of HRLQs at lower redshift, which further illustrates and supports the X-ray emission enhancement of z > 4 HRLQs. Some of our HRLQs also show an excess of mid-infrared emission which may originate from the synchrotron emission of the relativistic jets. None of our z > 4 HRLQs is detected by the Fermi-LAT two-year survey, which provides constraints on jet-emission models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE SPECTRALLY RESOLVED Lyα EMISSION OF THREE Lyα-SELECTED FIELD GALAXIES AT z ∼ 2.4 FROM THE HETDEX PILOT SURVEY

We present new results on the spectrally resolved Lyα emission of three Lyα-emitting field galaxies at z ∼ 2.4 with high Lyα equivalent width (>100 Å) and Lyα luminosity (∼10{sup 43} erg s{sup –1}). At 120 km s{sup –1} (FWHM) spectral resolution, the prominent double-peaked Lyα profile straddles the systemic velocity, where the velocity zero point is determined from spectroscopy of the galaxies' rest-frame optical nebular emission lines. The average velocity offset from systemic of the stronger redshifted emission component for our sample is 176 km s{sup –1} while the average total separation between the redshifted and main blueshifted emission components is 380 km s{sup –1}. These measurements are a factor of ∼2 smaller than for UV-continuum-selected galaxies that show Lyα in emission with lower Lyα equivalent widths. We compare our Lyα spectra to the predicted line profiles of a spherical 'expanding shell' Lyα radiative transfer grid that models large-scale galaxy outflows. Specifically, blueward of the systemic velocity where two galaxies show a weak, highly blueshifted (by ∼1000 km s{sup –1}) tertiary emission peak, the model line profiles are a relatively poor representation of the observed spectra. Since the neutral gas column density has a dominant influence over the shape of the Lyα line profile, we caution against equating the observed Lyα velocity offset with a physical outflow velocity, especially at lower spectral resolution where the unresolved Lyα velocity offset is a convoluted function of several degenerate parameters. Referring to rest-frame ultraviolet and optical Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we find that galaxy-galaxy interactions may play an important role in inducing a starburst that results in copious Lyα emission as well as perturbing the gas distribution and velocity field, both of which have strong influence over the Lyα emission line profile.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A comparison of X-ray and optical emission in Cassiopeia A

Broadband optical and narrowband Si XIII X-ray images of the young Galactic supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) obtained over several decades are used to investigate spatial and temporal emission correlations on both large and small angular scales. The data examined consist of optical and near-infrared ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope images taken between 1951 and 2011, and of X-ray images from Einstein, ROSAT, and Chandra taken between 1979 and 2013. We find weak spatial correlations between the remnant's X-ray and optical emission features on large scales, but several cases of good optical/X-ray correlations on small scales for features which have brightened due to recent interactions with the reverse shock. We also find instances (1) where a time delay is observed between the appearance of a feature's optical and X-ray emissions, (2) of displacements of several arcseconds between a feature's X-ray and optical emission peaks, and (3) of regions showing no corresponding X-ray or optical emissions. To explain this behavior, we propose a highly inhomogeneous density model for Cas A's ejecta consisting of small, dense optically emitting knots (n ∼10{sup 2-3} cm{sup –3}) and a much lower density (n ∼0.1-1 cm{sup –3}) diffuse X-ray emitting component often spatially associated with optical emission knots. The X-ray emitting component is sometimes linked to optical clumps through shock-induced mass ablation generating trailing material leading to spatially offset X-ray/optical emissions. A range of ejecta densities can also explain the observed X-ray/optical time delays since the remnant's ≈5000 km s{sup –1} reverse shock heats dense ejecta clumps to temperatures around 3 × 10{sup 4} K relatively quickly, which then become optically bright while more diffuse ejecta become X-ray bright on longer timescales. Highly inhomogeneous ejecta as proposed here for Cas A may help explain some of the X-ray/optical emission features seen in other young core-collapse supernova remnants.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Internal energy dissipation of gamma-ray bursts observed with Swift: Precursors, prompt gamma-rays, extended emission, and late X-ray flares

We jointly analyze the gamma-ray burst (GRB) data observed with Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and X-ray Telescope on board the Swift mission to present a global view on the internal energy dissipation processes in GRBs, including precursors, prompt gamma-ray emission, extended soft gamma-ray emission, and late X-ray flares. The Bayesian block method is utilized to analyze the BAT light curves to identify various emission episodes. Our results suggest that these emission components likely share the same physical origin, which is the repeated activation of the GRB central engine. What we observe in the gamma-ray band may be a small part of more extended underlying activities. The precursor emission, which is detected in about 10% of Swift GRBs, is preferably detected in those GRBs that have a massive star core-collapse origin. The soft extended emission tail, on the other hand, is preferably detected in those GRBs that have a compact star merger origin. Bright X-ray emission is detected during the BAT quiescent phases prior to subsequent gamma-ray peaks, implying that X-ray emission may be detectable prior the BAT trigger time. Future GRB alert instruments with soft X-ray capability are essential for revealing the early stages of GRB central engine activities, and shedding light on jet composition and the jet launching mechanism in GRBs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

High-energy emissions from the gamma-ray binary LS 5039

We study mechanisms of multi-wavelength emissions (X-ray, GeV, and TeV gamma-rays) from the gamma-ray binary LS 5039. This paper is composed of two parts. In the first part, we report on results of observational analysis using 4 yr data of the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Due to the improvement of instrumental response function and increase of the statistics, the observational uncertainties of the spectrum in the ∼100-300 MeV bands and >10 GeV bands are significantly improved. The present data analysis suggests that the 0.1-100 GeV emissions from LS 5039 contain three different components: (1) the first component contributes to <1 GeV emissions around superior conjunction, (2) the second component dominates in the 1-10 GeV energy bands, and (3) the third component is compatible with the lower-energy tail of the TeV emissions. In the second part, we develop an emission model to explain the properties of the phase-resolved emissions in multi-wavelength observations. Assuming that LS 5039 includes a pulsar, we argue that emissions from both the magnetospheric outer gap and the inverse-Compton scattering process of cold-relativistic pulsar wind contribute to the observed GeV emissions. We assume that the pulsar is wrapped by two kinds of termination shock: Shock-I due to the interaction between the pulsar wind and the stellar wind and Shock-II due to the effect of the orbital motion. We propose that the X-rays are produced by the synchrotron radiation at the Shock-I region and the TeV gamma-rays are produced by the inverse-Compton scattering process at the Shock-II region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Inter-relationship between the two emission cones of B1237+25

The origin of two distinct pairs of conal emission components in pulsars, associated with the 'outer' and the 'inner' emission cones, as well as the marked difference in their observed spectral properties, is poorly understood. The sub-pulse modulation in the corresponding conal components, if mapped back to the underlying system of sub-beams rotating around the magnetic axis in the polar cap, as envisioned by Ruderman and Sutherland, provides a potential way to investigate the emission morphologies in the two conal regions, and more importantly, any inter-relationship between them. The bright pulsar B1237+25 with its special viewing geometry where the sightline traverses almost through the magnetic axis, along with a rich variety in pulse-to-pulse fluctuations, provides an excellent but challenging opportunity to map the underlying emission patterns across the full transverse slice of its polar emission region. We present here our analysis on a number of pulse sequences from this star to map and study any relationship between the underlying patterns responsible for emission in the two pairs of presumed conal components and a core component of this pulsar. The results from our correlation analysis of the two conal emission patterns strongly support the view that the two cones of this pulsar (the outer and the inner cone) originate from a common system of sub-beams. We also see evidence for a twist in the emission columns, most likely associated with a corresponding twist in the magnetic field structure. We discuss these results, and their implications, including a possibility that the core component of this pulsar shares its origin partly with the conal counterparts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗