Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “LIMITING VALUES”

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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

CONDITION FOR CAPTURE INTO FIRST-ORDER MEAN MOTION RESONANCES AND APPLICATION TO CONSTRAINTS ON THE ORIGIN OF RESONANT SYSTEMS

We investigate the condition for capture into first-order mean motion resonances using numerical simulations with a wide range of various parameters. In particular, we focus on deriving the critical migration timescale for capture into the 2:1 resonance; additional numerical experiments for closely spaced resonances (e.g., 3:2) are also performed. We find that the critical migration timescale is determined by the planet-to-stellar mass ratio, and its dependence exhibits power-law behavior with index –4/3. This dependence is also supported by simple analytic arguments. We also find that the critical migration timescale for systems with equal-mass bodies is shorter than that in the restricted problem; for instance, for the 2:1 resonance between two equal-mass bodies, the critical timescale decreases by a factor of 10. In addition, using the obtained formula, the origin of observed systems that include first-order commensurabilities is constrained. Assuming that pairs of planets originally form well separated from each other and then undergo convergent migration and are captured in resonances, it is possible that a number of exoplanets experienced rapid orbital migration. For systems in closely spaced resonances, the differential migration timescale between the resonant pair can be constrained well; it is further suggested that several exoplanets underwent migration that can equal or even exceed the type I migration rate predicted by the linear theory. This implies that some of them may have formed in situ. Future observations and the use of our model will allow us to statistically determine the typical migration speed in a protoplanetary disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CONSTRAINING SUB-PARSEC BINARY SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES IN QUASARS WITH MULTI-EPOCH SPECTROSCOPY. I. THE GENERAL QUASAR POPULATION

We perform a systematic search for sub-parsec binary supermassive black holes (BHs) in normal broad-line quasars at z < 0.8, using multi-epoch Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy of the broad Hβ line. Our working model is that (1) one and only one of the two BHs in the binary is active; (2) the active BH dynamically dominates its own broad-line region (BLR) in the binary system, so that the mean velocity of the BLR reflects the mean velocity of its host BH; (3) the inactive companion BH is orbiting at a distance of a few R{sub BLR}, where R{sub BLR} ∼ 0.01-0.1 pc is the BLR size. We search for the expected line-of-sight acceleration of the broad-line velocity from binary orbital motion by cross-correlating SDSS spectra from two epochs separated by up to several years in the quasar rest frame. Out of ∼700 pairs of spectra for which we have good measurements of the velocity shift between two epochs (1σ error ∼40 km s{sup –1}), we detect 28 systems with significant velocity shifts in broad Hβ, among which 7 are the best candidates for the hypothesized binaries, 4 are most likely due to broad-line variability in single BHs, and the rest are ambiguous. Continued spectroscopic observations of these candidates will easily strengthen or disprove these claims. We use the distribution of the observed accelerations (mostly non-detections) to place constraints on the abundance of such binary systems among the general quasar population. Excess variance in the velocity shift is inferred for observations separated by longer than 0.4 yr (quasar rest frame). Attributing all the excess to binary motion would imply that most of the quasars in this sample must be in binaries, that the inactive BH must be on average more massive than the active one, and that the binary separation is at most a few times the size of the BLR. However, if this excess variance is partly or largely due to long-term broad-line variability, the requirement of a large population of close binaries is much weakened or even disfavored for massive companions. Future time-domain spectroscopic surveys of normal quasars can provide vital prior information on the structure function of stochastic velocity shifts induced by broad-line variability in single BHs. Such surveys with improved spectral quality, increased time baseline, and more epochs can greatly improve the statistical constraints of this method on the general binary population in broad-line quasars, further shrink the allowed binary parameter space, and detect true sub-parsec binaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

TURBULENCE IN THE OUTER REGIONS OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. STRONG ACCRETION DRIVEN BY A VERTICAL MAGNETIC FIELD

We carry out a series of local, vertically stratified shearing box simulations of protoplanetary disks that include ambipolar diffusion and a net vertical magnetic field. The ambipolar diffusion profiles we employ correspond to 30 AU and 100 AU in a minimum mass solar nebula (MMSN) disk model, which consists of a far-ultraviolet-ionized surface layer and low-ionization disk interior. These simulations serve as a follow-up to Simon et al., in which we found that without a net vertical field, the turbulent stresses that result from the magnetorotational instability (MRI) are too weak to account for observed accretion rates. The simulations in this work show a very strong dependence of the accretion stresses on the strength of the background vertical field; as the field strength increases, the stress amplitude increases. For a net vertical field strength (quantified by β{sub 0}, the ratio of gas to magnetic pressure at the disk mid-plane) of β{sub 0} = 10{sup 4} and β{sub 0} = 10{sup 5}, we find accretion rates M-dot ∼10{sup -8}-10{sup –7} M{sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. These accretion rates agree with observational constraints, suggesting a vertical magnetic field strength of ∼60-200 μG and 10-30 μG at 30 AU and 100 AU, respectively, in a MMSN disk. Furthermore, the stress has a non-negligible component due to a magnetic wind. For sufficiently strong vertical field strengths, MRI turbulence is quenched, and the flow becomes largely laminar, with accretion proceeding through large-scale correlations in the radial and toroidal field components as well as through the magnetic wind. In all simulations, the presence of a low-ionization region near the disk mid-plane, which we call the ambipolar damping zone, results in reduced stresses there.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CONSTRAINTS ON PLANET OCCURRENCE AROUND NEARBY MID-TO-LATE M DWARFS FROM THE MEARTH PROJECT

The MEarth Project is a ground-based photometric survey intended to find planets transiting the closest and smallest main-sequence stars. In its first four years, MEarth discovered one transiting exoplanet, the 2.7 R{sub ⊕} planet GJ1214b. Here, we answer an outstanding question: in light of the bounty of small planets transiting small stars uncovered by the Kepler mission, should MEarth have found more than just one planet so far? We estimate MEarth's ensemble sensitivity to exoplanets by performing end-to-end simulations of 1.25 × 10{sup 6} observations of 988 nearby mid-to-late M dwarfs, gathered by MEarth between 2008 October and 2012 June. For 2-4 R{sub ⊕} planets, we compare this sensitivity to results from Kepler and find that MEarth should have found planets at a rate of 0.05-0.36 planets yr{sup –1} in its first four years. As part of this analysis, we provide new analytic fits to the Kepler early M dwarf planet occurrence distribution. When extrapolating between Kepler's early M dwarfs and MEarth's mid-to-late M dwarfs, we find that assuming the planet occurrence distribution stays fixed with respect to planetary equilibrium temperature provides a good match to our detection of a planet with GJ1214b's observed properties. For larger planets, we find that the warm (600-700 K), Neptune-sized (4 R{sub ⊕}) exoplanets that transit early M dwarfs like Gl436 and GJ3470 occur at a rate of <0.15 star{sup –1} (at 95% confidence) around MEarth's later M dwarf targets. We describe a strategy with which MEarth can increase its expected planet yield by 2.5 × without new telescopes by shifting its sensitivity toward the smaller and cooler exoplanets that Kepler has demonstrated to be abundant.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DETERMINING NEUTRON STAR MASSES AND RADII USING ENERGY-RESOLVED WAVEFORMS OF X-RAY BURST OSCILLATIONS

Simultaneous, precise measurements of the mass M and radius R of neutron stars can yield uniquely valuable information about the still uncertain properties of cold matter at several times the density of nuclear matter. One method that could be used to measure M and R is to analyze the energy-dependent waveforms of the X-ray flux oscillations seen during some thermonuclear bursts from some neutron stars. These oscillations are thought to be produced by X-ray emission from hotter regions on the surface of the star that are rotating at or near the spin frequency of the star. Here we explore how well M and R could be determined by generating and analyzing, using Bayesian techniques, synthetic energy-resolved X-ray data that we produce assuming a future space mission having 2-30 keV energy coverage and an effective area of 10 m{sup 2}, such as the proposed Large Observatory for X-Ray Timing or Advanced X-Ray Timing Array missions. We find that waveforms from hot spots within 10° of the rotation equator usually constrain both M and R with an uncertainty of about 10%, if there are 10{sup 6} total counts from the spot, whereas waveforms from spots within 20° of the rotation pole provide no useful constraints. The constraints we report can usually be achieved even if the burst oscillations vary with time and data from multiple bursts must be used to obtain 10{sup 6} counts from the hot spot. This is therefore a promising method to constrain M and R tightly enough to discriminate strongly between competing models of cold, high-density matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

AN ANALYSIS OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC INVARIANTS OF MAGNETIC FLUCTUATIONS WITHIN INTERPLANETARY FLUX ROPES

A statistical analysis of magnetic flux ropes, identified by large-amplitude, smooth rotations of the magnetic field vector and a low level of both proton density and temperature, has been performed by computing the invariants of the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations, namely the magnetic helicity, the cross-helicity, and the total energy, via magnetic field and plasma fluctuations in the interplanetary medium. A technique based on the wavelet spectrograms of the MHD invariants allows the localization and characterization of those structures in both scales and time: it has been observed that flux ropes show, as expected, high magnetic helicity states (|σ{sub m}| in [0.6: 1]), but extremely variable cross-helicity states (|σ{sub c}| in [0: 0.8]), which, however, are not independent of the magnetic helicity content of the flux rope itself. The two normalized MHD invariants observed within the flux ropes tend indeed to distribute, neither trivially nor automatically, along the √(σ{sub m}{sup 2}+σ{sub c}{sup 2})=1 curve, thus suggesting that some constraint should exist between the magnetic and cross-helicity content of the structures. The analysis carried out has further showed that the flux rope properties are totally independent of their time duration and that they are detected either as a sort of interface between different portions of solar wind or as isolated structures embedded in the same stream.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CIRCULARITY OF THE INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER RIBBON OF ENHANCED ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOM (ENA) FLUX

As a sharp feature in the sky, the ribbon of enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission is a key signature for understanding the interaction of the heliosphere and the interstellar medium through which we are moving. Over five nominal IBEX energy passbands (0.7, 1.1, 1.7, 2.7, and 4.3 keV), the ribbon is extraordinarily circular, with a peak location centered at ecliptic (λ{sub RC}, β{sub RC}) = (219.°2 ± 1.°3, 39.°9 ± 2.°3) and a half cone angle of φ{sub C} = 74.°5 ± 2.°0. A slight elongation of the ribbon, generally perpendicular to the ribbon center-heliospheric nose vector and with eccentricity ∼0.3, is observed over all energies. At 4.3 keV, the ribbon is slightly larger and displaced relative to lower energies. For all ENA energies, a slice of the ribbon flux peak perpendicular to the circular arc is asymmetric and systematically skewed toward the ribbon center. We derive a spatial coherence parameter δ{sub C} ≤ 0.014 that characterizes the spatial uniformity of the ribbon over its extent in the sky and is a key constraint for understanding the underlying processes and structure governing the ribbon ENA emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

IS THERE AN UNACCOUNTED FOR EXCESS IN THE EXTRAGALACTIC COSMIC RADIO BACKGROUND?

Analyses of the distribution of absolute brightness temperature over the radio sky have recently led to suggestions that there exists a substantial unexplained extragalactic radio background. Consequently, there have been numerous attempts to place constraints on plausible origins of this 'excess'. We suggest here that this expectation of a large extragalactic background, over and above that contributed by the sources observed in the surveys, is based on an extremely simple geometry adopted to model the Galactic emission and the procedure adopted in the estimation of the extragalactic contribution. In this paper, we derive the extragalactic radio background from wide-field radio images using a more realistic modeling of the Galactic emission and decompose the sky maps at 150, 408, and 1420 MHz into anisotropic Galactic and isotropic extragalactic components. The anisotropic Galactic component is assumed to arise from a highly flattened spheroid representing the thick disk, embedded in a spherical halo, both centered at the Galactic center, along with Galactic sources, filamentary structures, and Galactic loops and spurs. All components are constrained to be positive and the optimization scheme minimizes the sky area occupied by the complex filaments. We show that in contrast with simple modeling of Galactic emission as a plane parallel slab, the more realistic modeling yields estimates for the uniform extragalactic brightness that are consistent with expectations from known extragalactic radio source populations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

PROPERTIES OF NEWLY FORMED DUST GRAINS IN THE LUMINOUS TYPE IIn SUPERNOVA 2010jl

Supernovae (SNe) have been proposed to be the main production sites of dust grains in the universe. However, our knowledge of their importance to dust production is limited by observationally poor constraints on the nature and amount of dust particles produced by individual SNe. In this paper, we present a spectrum covering optical through near-Infrared (NIR) light of the luminous Type IIn supernova 2010jl around one and a half years after the explosion. This unique data set reveals multiple signatures of newly formed dust particles. The NIR portion of the spectrum provides a rare example where thermal emission from newly formed hot dust grains is clearly detected. We determine the main population of the dust species to be carbon grains at a temperature of ∼1350-1450 K at this epoch. The mass of the dust grains is derived to be ∼(7.5-8.5) × 10{sup –4} M{sub ☉}. Hydrogen emission lines show wavelength-dependent absorption, which provides a good estimate of the typical size of the newly formed dust grains (∼< 0.1 μm, and most likely ∼< 0.01 μm). We believe the dust grains were formed in a dense cooling shell as a result of a strong SN-circumstellar media (CSM) interaction. The dust grains occupy ∼10% of the emitting volume, suggesting an inhomogeneous, clumpy structure. The average CSM density must be ∼> 3 × 10{sup 7} cm{sup –3}, corresponding to a mass loss rate of ∼> 0.02 M{sub ☉} yr{sup –1} (for a mass loss wind velocity of ∼100 km s{sup –1}). This strongly supports a scenario in which SN 2010jl and probably other luminous SNe IIn are powered by strong interactions within very dense CSM, perhaps created by Luminous-Blue-Variable-like eruptions within the last century before the explosion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE CARRIERS OF THE INTERSTELLAR UNIDENTIFIED INFRARED EMISSION FEATURES: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE INTERSTELLAR C-H STRETCHING FEATURES AT 3.2-3.5 μm

The unidentified infrared emission (UIE) features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 μm, commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules, have recently been ascribed to mixed aromatic/aliphatic organic nanoparticles. More recently, an upper limit of <9% was placed on the aliphatic fraction (i.e., the fraction of carbon atoms in aliphatic form) of the UIE carriers based on the observed intensities of the 3.4 μm and 3.3 μm emission features by attributing them to aliphatic and aromatic C-H stretching modes, respectively, and assuming A{sub 3.4}/A{sub 3.3} ≈ 0.68 derived from a small set of aliphatic and aromatic compounds, where A{sub 3.4} and A{sub 3.3} are, respectively, the band strengths of the 3.4 μm aliphatic and 3.3 μm aromatic C-H bonds. To improve the estimate of the aliphatic fraction of the UIE carriers, here we analyze 35 UIE sources exhibiting both the 3.3 μm and 3.4 μm C-H features and determine I{sub 3.4}/I{sub 3.3}, the ratio of the power emitted from the 3.4 μm feature to that from the 3.3 μm feature. We derive the median ratio to be (I{sub 3.4}/I{sub 3.3}) ≈ 0.12. We employ density functional theory to compute A{sub 3.4}/A{sub 3.3} for a range of methyl-substituted PAHs. The resulting A{sub 3.4}/A{sub 3.3} ratio well exceeds ∼1.4, with an average ratio of A{sub 3.4}/A{sub 3.3} ≈ 1.76. By attributing the 3.4 μm feature exclusively to aliphatic C-H stretch (i.e., neglecting anharmonicity and superhydrogenation), we derive the fraction of C atoms in aliphatic form from I{sub 3.4}/I{sub 3.3} ≈ 0.12 and A{sub 3.4}/A{sub 3.3} ≈ 1.76 to be ∼2%. We therefore conclude that the UIE emitters are predominantly aromatic.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

A REVERSE SHOCK IN GRB 130427A

We present extensive radio and millimeter observations of the unusually bright GRB 130427A at z = 0.340, spanning 0.67-12 days after the burst. We combine these data with detailed multi-band UV, optical, NIR, and Swift X-ray observations and find that the broadband afterglow emission is composed of distinct reverse shock and forward shock contributions. The reverse shock emission dominates in the radio/millimeter and at ∼< 0.1 days in the UV/optical/NIR, while the forward shock emission dominates in the X-rays and at ∼> 0.1 days in the UV/optical/NIR. We further find that the optical and X-ray data require a wind circumburst environment, pointing to a massive star progenitor. Using the combined forward and reverse shock emission, we find that the parameters of the burst include an isotropic kinetic energy of E{sub K,{sub iso}} ≈ 2 × 10{sup 53} erg, a mass loss rate of M-dot ∼3×10{sup -8} M{sub ☉} yr{sup –1} (for a wind velocity of 1000 km s{sup –1}), and a Lorentz factor at the deceleration time of Γ(200 s) ≈ 130. Due to the low density and large isotropic energy, the absence of a jet break to ≈15 days places only a weak constraint on the opening angle, θ{sub j} ∼> 2.°5, and therefore a total energy of E{sub γ} + E{sub K} ∼> 1.2 × 10{sup 51} erg, similar to other gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The reverse shock emission is detectable in this burst due to the low circumburst density, which leads to a slow cooling shock. We speculate that this property is required for the detectability of reverse shocks in radio and millimeter bands. Following on GRB 130427A as a benchmark event, observations of future GRBs with the exquisite sensitivity of the Very Large Array and ALMA, coupled with detailed modeling of the reverse and forward shock contributions, will test this hypothesis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

FAST STAR, SLOW STAR; OLD STAR, YOUNG STAR: SUBGIANT ROTATION AS A POPULATION AND STELLAR PHYSICS DIAGNOSTIC

Stellar rotation is a strong function of both mass and evolutionary state. Missions such as Kepler and CoRoT provide tens of thousands of rotation periods, drawn from stellar populations that contain objects at a range of masses, ages, and evolutionary states. Given a set of reasonable starting conditions and a prescription for angular momentum loss, we address the expected range of rotation periods for cool field stellar populations (∼0.4-2.0 M{sub ☉}). We find that cool stars fall into three distinct regimes in rotation. Rapid rotators with surface periods less than 10 days are either young low-mass main sequence (MS) stars, or higher mass subgiants which leave the MS with high rotation rates. Intermediate rotators (10-40 days) can be either cool MS dwarfs, suitable for gyrochronology, or crossing subgiants at a range of masses. Gyrochronology relations must therefore be applied cautiously, since there is an abundant population of subgiant contaminants. The slowest rotators, at periods greater than 40 days, are lower mass subgiants undergoing envelope expansion. We identify additional diagnostic uses of rotation periods. There exists a period-age relation for subgiants distinct from the MS period-age relations. There is also a period-radius relation that can be used as a constraint on the stellar radius, particularly in the interesting case of planet host stars. The high-mass/low-mass break in the rotation distribution on the MS persists onto the subgiant branch, and has potential as a diagnostic of stellar mass. Finally, this set of theoretical predictions can be compared to extensive datasets to motivate improved modeling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE GALEX ARECIBO SDSS SURVEY. VII. THE BIVARIATE NEUTRAL HYDROGEN-STELLAR MASS FUNCTION FOR MASSIVE GALAXIES

We present the bivariate neutral atomic hydrogen (H I)-stellar mass function (HISMF) φ(M{sub H{sub I}}, M{sub *}) for massive (log M{sub *}/M{sub ☉} \gt 10) galaxies derived from a sample of 480 local (0.025 < z < 0.050) galaxies observed in H I at Arecibo as part of the GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey. We fit six different models to the HISMF and find that a Schechter function that extends down to a 1% H I gas fraction, with an additional fractional contribution below that limit, is the best parameterization of the HISMF. We calculate Ω{sub H{sub I,{sub M{sub *>10{sup 1}{sup 0}}}}} and find that massive galaxies contribute 41% of the H I density in the local universe. In addition to the binned HISMF, we derive a continuous bivariate fit, which reveals that the Schechter parameters only vary weakly with stellar mass: M{sub H{sub I}{sup *}}, the characteristic H I mass, scales as M{sub *}{sup 0.39}; α, the slope of the HISMF at moderate H I masses, scales as M{sub *}{sup 0.07}; and f, the fraction of galaxies with H I gas fraction greater than 1%, scales as M{sub *}{sup -0.24}. The variation of f with stellar mass should be a strong constraint for numerical simulations. To understand the physical mechanisms that produce the shape of the HISMF, we redefine the parameters of the Schechter function as explicit functions of stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) to produce a trivariate fit. This analysis reveals strong trends with SFR. While M{sub H{sub I}{sup *}} varies weakly with stellar mass and SFR (M{sub H{sub I}{sup *}} ∝ M{sub *}{sup 0.22}, M{sub H{sub I}{sup *}} ∝ SFR{sup –0.03}), α is a stronger function of both stellar mass and especially SFR (α ∝ M{sub *}{sup 0.47}, α ∝ SFR{sup 0.95}). The HISMF is a crucial tool that can be used to constrain cosmological galaxy simulations, test observational predictions of the H I content of populations of galaxies, and identify galaxies whose properties deviate from average trends.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

EVIDENCE OF A BINARY-INDUCED SPIRAL FROM AN INCOMPLETE RING PATTERN OF CIT 6

With the advent of high-resolution high-sensitivity observations, spiral patterns have been revealed around several asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Such patterns can provide possible evidence for the existence of central binary stars embedded in outflowing circumstellar envelopes. Here, we suggest the viability of explaining the previously observed incomplete ring-like patterns with the spiral-shell structure as being due to the motion of (unknown) binary components viewed at an inclination with respect to the orbital plane. We describe a method of extracting such spiral shells from an incomplete ring-like pattern to place constraints on the characteristics of the central binary stars. The use of gas kinematics is essential in facilitating detailed modeling for the three-dimensional structure of the circumstellar pattern. We show that a hydrodynamic radiative transfer model can reproduce the structure of the HC{sub 3}N molecular line emission of the extreme carbon star, CIT 6. This method can be applied to other sources in the AGB phase and to the outer ring-like patterns of pre-planetary nebulae for probing the existence of embedded binary stars, which are highly anticipated with future observations using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CONSTRAINTS ON THE SOURCE OF ULTRA-HIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS USING ANISOTROPY VERSUS CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

The joint analysis of anisotropy signals and chemical composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays offers strong potential for shedding light on the sources of these particles. Following up on an earlier idea, this paper studies the anisotropies produced by protons of energy >E/Z, assuming that anisotropies at energy >E have been produced by nuclei of charge Z, which share the same magnetic rigidity. We calculate the number of secondary protons produced through photodisintegration of the primary heavy nuclei. Making the extreme assumption that the source does not inject any proton, we find that the source(s) responsible for anisotropies such as reported by the Pierre Auger Observatory should lie closer than ∼20-30, 80-100, and 180-200 Mpc if the anisotropy signal is mainly composed of oxygen, silicon, and iron nuclei, respectively. A violation of this constraint would otherwise result in the secondary protons forming a more significant anisotropy signal at lower energies. Even if the source were located closer than this distance, it would require an extraordinary metallicity ∼> 120, 1600, and 1100 times solar metallicity in the acceleration zone of the source, for oxygen, silicon, and iron, respectively, to ensure that the concomitantly injected protons do not produce a more significant low-energy anisotropy. This offers interesting prospects for constraining the nature and the source of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with the increase in statistics expected from next-generation detectors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE SPECTRAL EVOLUTION OF THE FIRST GALAXIES. II. SPECTRAL SIGNATURES OF LYMAN CONTINUUM LEAKAGE FROM GALAXIES IN THE REIONIZATION EPOCH

The fraction of ionizing photons that escape (f{sub esc}) from z ∼> 6 galaxies is an important parameter for assessing the role of these objects in the reionization of the universe, but the opacity of the intergalactic medium precludes a direct measurement of f{sub esc} for individual galaxies at these epochs. We argue that since f{sub esc} regulates the impact of nebular emission on the spectra of galaxies, it should nonetheless be possible to indirectly probe f{sub esc} well into the reionization epoch. As a first step, we demonstrate that by combining measurements of the rest-frame UV slope β with the equivalent width of the Hβ emission line, galaxies with very high Lyman continuum escape fractions (f{sub esc} ≥ 0.5) should be identifiable up to z ≈ 9 through spectroscopy with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). By targeting strongly lensed galaxies behind low-redshift galaxy clusters, JWST spectra of sufficiently good quality can be obtained for M{sub 1500} ∼< –16.0 galaxies at z ≈ 7 and for M{sub 1500} ∼< –17.5 galaxies at z ≈ 9. Dust-obscured star formation may complicate the analysis, but supporting observations with ALMA or the planned SPICA mission may provide useful constraints on this effect.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A NEW EQUATION OF STATE FOR NEUTRON STAR MATTER WITH NUCLEI IN THE CRUST AND HYPERONS IN THE CORE

The equation of state for neutron stars in a wide-density range at zero temperature is constructed. The chiral quark-meson coupling model within relativistic Hartree-Fock approximation is adopted for uniform nuclear matter. The coupling constants are determined so as to reproduce the experimental data of atomic nuclei and hypernuclei. In the crust region, nuclei are taken into account within the Thomas-Fermi calculation. All octet baryons are considered in the core region, while only Ξ{sup –} appears in neutron stars. The resultant maximum mass of neutron stars is 1.95 M{sub ☉}, which is consistent with the constraint from the recently observed massive pulsar, PSR J1614-2230.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

INTERPRETING THE GLOBAL 21 cm SIGNAL FROM HIGH REDSHIFTS. I. MODEL-INDEPENDENT CONSTRAINTS

The sky-averaged (global) 21 cm signal is a powerful probe of the intergalactic medium (IGM) prior to the completion of reionization. However, so far it has been unclear whether it will provide more than crude estimates of when the universe's first stars and black holes formed, even in the best case scenario in which the signal is accurately extracted from the foregrounds. In contrast to previous work, which has focused on predicting the 21 cm signatures of the first luminous objects, we investigate an arbitrary realization of the signal and attempt to translate its features to the physical properties of the IGM. Within a simplified global framework, the 21 cm signal yields quantitative constraints on the Lyα background intensity, net heat deposition, ionized fraction, and their time derivatives without invoking models for the astrophysical sources themselves. The 21 cm absorption signal is most easily interpreted, setting strong limits on the heating rate density of the universe with a measurement of its redshift alone, independent of the ionization history or details of the Lyα background evolution. In a companion paper, we extend these results, focusing on the confidence with which one can infer source emissivities from IGM properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗