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At least 1,153 records · Page 64

Dissecting the EUV spectrum of Capella

Extreme ultraviolet spectra of Capella, obtained at various orbital phases over the past two years by the EUVE satellite, show strong emission lines from a continuous distribution of temperatures (approximately 10(exp 5 -10(exp 7.3) K). In addition to the strong He II lambda 303.8, the spectra are dominated by emission lines of highly ionized iron. Strong lines of Fe IX, XV, XVI, and XVIII-XXIV are used to construct emission measure distributions for the individual pointings, which show several striking features, including a minimum near 10(exp 6) K and a local maximum at 10(exp 6.8) K. Furthermore, intensities of the highest temperature lines (Te is greater than 10(exp 7) K) show variations (factors of 2-3) at different orbital phases, while the lower temperature Fe lines show variations of about 30% or less. The low variability of most of the strong low temperature features motivates a detailed analysis of the summed spectrum. With approximately 280 ksec of total exposure time, we have measured over 200 emission features with S/N greater than or equal to 3.0 in the summed spectrum. We report here initial results from the analysis of this spectrum. We can now identify lines of Fe VIII and X-XIV, as well as a number of electron density and abundance diagnostic lines. We also report here the first direct measurement of the continuum flux around approximately 100 A in a cool star atmosphere with EUVE. The continuum flux can be predicted from the emission measure model based on Fe line emission, and demonstrates that the Fe/H abundance ratio is dose to the solar photospheric value.

Brickhouse, Nancy S.↗

Density sensitivity of the solar EUV emission from boron-like ions

The paper investigated the level populations and the line emission arising from ions of the boron isoelectronic sequence from C II to Ca XVI. It is found that, under conditions present in the solar corona, some of these ions have pairs of emission lines having intensity ratios which are density-sensitive. The boron-like lines observed in the solar spectrum between 300 and 1350 A are analyzed, and densities for quiet and active regions, coronal holes, sunspots, and flares are derived. Some aspects of the differences in the behavior of the emission from the lithium and boron sequences are also discussed.

Vernazza, J. E.↗

IUE spectra of the nuclei of M31 and M32

Observed spectra are reproduced in the 1000-3400 wavelength range; line identifications are tabulated, and spectrophotometry of parts of the continua is given. The flux density of a few line emissions can be estimated from their equivalent widths. The strongest line emissions differ in the two nuclei, and they do not fit spectral patterns that are observed in the sun, hot stars, gaseous nebulae, or quasi-stellar objects. However, the absorption-line features are rather similar to those of the sun.

Johnson, H. M.↗

O(1S) from dissociative recombination of O2(+) - Nonthermal line profile measurements from Dynamics Explorer

The measurements reported were made of the O(1S) emission line profile at 5577 A at high spectral resolution with the Fabry-Perot interferometer on the Dynamics Explorer spacecraft. It is found that the line profile has marked nonthermal characteristics in the nightglow. A simple collisional relaxation model is used to analyze the nighttime emission line profiles, measured in the equatorial region. The branching ratio is inferred for the dissociative recombination of O2(+) leading to O(1S). The result reveals that the O(1S) + O(1D) channel is favored over the O(1S). The result reveals that the O(1S) + O(1D) channel is favored over the O(1S) + O(3P) channel by a factor of 4; this does not agree with the ratio reported by Hernandez (1971). It is noted, however, that the result is consistent with the active channel for O(1S) production being via the 1Sigma u + repulsive state of O2, as suggested by the theoretical calculations of Guberman (1983). In addition, a value is obtained for the excitation exchange cross section for O(1S).

Killeen, T. L.↗

Observed and theoretical profiles of the Si II lines at lambda 1814

Emission line spectra observed at the limb of the solar disc are presented for transitions of singly ionized silicon at lambdas 1816.93, 1817.45 and 1808.01. The profiles show self-reversals in the line cores. A non-LTE analysis for a simplified model of the silicon ion is presented, and calculated line profiles are compared with the observations. The study indicates that some modification of the Vernazza et al. (1973) model of the solar chromosphere in the transition region is needed to reconcile the calculated and observed profiles.

Finn, G. D.↗

X-ray emission from young supernova remnants - Nonionization equilibrium abundances and emissivities

X-ray line emission from hot, low-density plasma in young supernova remnants is strongly enhanced by departures from ionization equilibrium. The X-ray emission from a Sedov blast wave has been calculated using a nonequilibrium evolutionary treatment of the ionization structure, and the resulting spectrum has been fitted to HEAO 2 SSS data for Tycho's remnant. These models yield dramatically different elemental abundances for heavy elements (Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca, and Fe), compared with two-temperature component equilibrium models of Becker et al. (1979, 1980). Nonequilibrium broad-band X-ray emissivities result in lower mass determinations for the supernova ejecta. Areas of further improvement of remnant X-ray modeling are suggested.

Shull, J. M.↗

The temporal evolution of the 1-5 micron spectrum of V1974 CYGNI (Nova Cygni 1992)

We present 1-5 micrometer moderate- and high-resolution infrared spectra of the ONeMg nova V1974 (Nova Cygni 1992) obtained at multiple epochs during an approximately 500 day period after outburst. During the first 80 days, the spectra exhibited continuum emission from thermal bremsstrahlung (free-free radiation) with prominent recombination line emission from hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, and oxygen. The measurement Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) of these recombination lines suggests that the initial velocity of the ejecta was approximately equals 2400-3400 km/s. We estimate from the hydrogen recombination line ratios that the density of the ionized shell at this epoch was approximately equals 10(exp 9), with an effective electron temperature of approximately equals 5 x 10(exp 3) K. As the temporal evolution of the ejecta progressed, the hydrogen and helium lines diminished in intensity, and coronal lines of aluminum, calcium, magnesium, neon, and sulfur appeared by approximately day 80. The coronal line emission phase persisted for over 400 days. During this epoch, no significant dust formation occurred. We find that the ejecta of V1974 Cyg were overabundant in aluminum with respect to silicon by a factor of approximately equals 5 and in magnesium with respect to silicon by a factor of greater than or equal to 3 relative to the solar photosphere. Comparison of our observed overabundances with recent model predictions of elemental synthesis in ONeMg outbursts suggests that the accreted envelope on V1974 Cyg was close to solar composition and that the precursor ONeMg white dwarf had a mass of approximately equals 1 solar mass.

Woodward, Charles E.↗

Is the Ejecta of ETA Carinae Overabundant or Overexcited

The ejecta of Eta Carinae, revealed by HST/STIS, are in a large range of physical conditions. As Eta Carinae undergoes a 5.52 period, changes occur in nebular emission and nebular absorption. "Warm" neutral regions, partially ionized regions, and fully ionized regions undergo significant changes. Over 2000 emission lines, most of Fe-like elements, have been indentified in the Weigelt blobs B and D. Over 500 emission lines have been indentified in the Strontium Filament. An ionized Little Homunculus is nestled within the neutral-shelled Homunculus. In line of sight, over 500 nebular absorption lines have been identified with up to twenty velocity components. STIS is following changes in many nebular emission and absorption lines as Eta Carinae approaches the minimum, predicted to be in June/July 2003, during the General Assembly. Coordinated observations with HST, CHANDRA, RXTE, FUSE, UVES/VLT, Gemini and other observatories are following this minimum.

Gull, Theodore↗

IUE spectra of F and late A stars

The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) spectra of alpha CMi (F5 IV-V), beta Cas (F2 IV), alpha Car (F0 Ib), and gamma Boo (A7 III) in the context of the question as to whether chromospheres disappear in the early F late A portions of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Both alpha CMi (Procyon) and beta Cas show bright emission line spectra indicative of chromospheres and transition regions, but neither alpha Car (Canopus) nor gamma Boo show any evidence of emission in their SWP spectra or at the Mg II lines, despite very deep exposures. Alpha CMi has emission line fluxes roughly 6 times those of the quiet Sun, but the rapidly rotating delta Scuti type variable beta Cas has surface fluxes 10 to 50 times those of the quiet Sun. Upper limits on emission line fluxes for alpha Car are 4 to 20 and for gamma Boo 15 to 80 times the quiet Sun. It is concluded that the apparent absence of emission lines in the spectra of alpha Car and gamma Boo should not be interpreted as due to the absence of nonradiatively heated outer atmospheres in stars hotter than spectral type F0, but rather to the inability to see emission lines with IUE against a background of scattered light and a bright photospheric absorption line spectrum either in low or high dispersion.

Linsky, J. L.↗

The detection of distant cooling flows and the formation of dark matter

Cooling flows involving substantial mass inflow rates appear to be common in many nearby rich and poor clusters and in isolated galaxies. The extensive optical and ultraviolet filaments produced by the thermal instability of large flows are detectable out to redshifts greater than 1. It is proposed that this may explain the extended optical line emission reported in, and around, many distant radio galaxies, narrow-line quasars, and even nearby normal and active galaxies. An important diagnostic to distinguish cooling flows from other possible origins of emission line filaments is the presence of extensive regions at high thermal pressure. Other evidence for distant cooling flows and the resultant star formation is further discussed, together with the implications of cooling flow initial-mass functions for galaxy formation and the nature of 'dark' matter.

Fabian, A. C.↗

Deuterium in the Local Interstellar Medium: Its Cosmological Significance

We report on our ongoing program to measure the deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) ratio and interstellar gas properties along many lines of sight through the local interstellar medium using the HST Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph. For the line of sight towards Capella (12.5 pc) we had previously found D/H = 1.65(+0.07, -0.18) x 10(exp -5), T = 7000 K, and turbulent velocity 1.66 km/s. These quantities were determined by modeling the interstellar hydrogen and deuterium Lyman alpha lines and the resonance lines of Fe II and Mg II against the background stellar emission-line profiles. We now report on our preliminary analysis of these spectral lines for the line of sight toward Procyon (3.5 pc). We find that D/H = 1.40 +/- 0.05 x 10(exp -5) (+/- 3 sigma) photometric random errors only), which is lower than but perhaps consistent with the value of D/H derived for the Capella line of sight when the systematic errors associated with the uncertain intrinsic Procyon emission line are included. Further analysis of this and other lines of sight are planned to determine whether the D/H ratio varies within the local interstellar medium. We infer the primordial value of D/H from Galactic evolution models and comment on the derived baryon density of the Universe.

Linsky, Jeffrey L.↗

Evidence for Black Holes in Green Peas from WISE Colors and Variability

We explore the presence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs)/black holes in Green Pea galaxies (GPs), motivated by the presence of high-ionization emission lines such as He ii and [Ne iii] in their optical spectra. In order to identify AGN candidates, we used mid-infrared (MIR) photometric observations from the all-sky Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission for a sample of 1004 GPs. Considering only >5σ detections with no contamination from neighboring sources in AllWISE, we select 31 GPs out of 134 as candidate AGNs based on a stringent three-band WISE color diagnostic. Using multi-epoch photometry in W1 and W2 bands based on time-resolved unWISE coadd images, we find two sources exhibiting variability in both the WISE bands among 112 GPs with W1 ≤16 mag and no contamination from neighboring sources in unWISE. These two variable sources were selected as AGNs by the WISE three-band color diagnostic as well. Compared to variable AGN fractions observed among low-mass galaxy samples in previous studies, we find a higher fraction (~1.8%) of MIR variable sources among GPs, which demonstrates the uniqueness and importance of studying these extreme objects. Through this work, we demonstrate that MIR diagnostics are promising tools to select AGNs that may be missed by other selection techniques (including optical emission-line ratios and X-ray emission) in star formation-dominated, low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Active galactic nuclei signatures in Red Geyser galaxies from Gemini GMOS-IFU observations

ABSTRACT Red Geysers are quiescent galaxies with galactic scale ionized outflows, likely due to low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN). We used Gemini GMOS-IFU observations of the inner ∼1–3 kpc of nine Red Geysers selected from the MaNGA survey to study the gas ionization and kinematics. The emission-line ratios suggest the presence of Seyfert/LINER (Low Ionization Nuclear Emission Region) nuclei in all sources. Two galaxies show Hα equivalent width ( Hα EW) larger than 3 Å (indicative of AGN ionization) within an aperture 2 ${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$5 of diameter (1.3–3.7 kpc at the distance of galaxies) for MaNGA data, while with the higher resolution GMOS data, four galaxies present Hα EW>3 Å within an aperture equal to the angular resolution (0.3–0.9 kpc). For two objects with GMOS-IFU data, the Hα EW is lower than 3 Å but larger than 1.5 Å, most probably due to a faint AGN. The spatially resolved electron density maps show values between 100 and 3000 cm −3 and are consistent with those determined in other studies. The large (MaNGA) and the nuclear scale (GMOS-IFU) gas velocity fields are misaligned, with a kinematic position angle difference between 12° and 60°. The [N ii] λ6583 emission-line profiles are asymmetrical, with blue wings on the redshifted side of the velocity field and red wings on the blueshifted side. Our results support previous indications that the gas in Red Geysers is ionized by an AGN, at least in their central region, with the presence of outflows, likely originating in a precessing accretion disc.

Ilha, Gabriele S. (ORCID:0000000191006106)↗

Spectrophotometry of beta Lyrae

Two hundred and fourteen scans over the wavelength region 1100 A to 1800 A with 10 A resolution were obtained by OAO spacecraft for the eclipsing binary Beta Lyrae between JD 2440889.5 and JD 2440904.5. Preliminary results indicate that: (1) The intensity at primary minimum is almost exactly one-half that at maximum and that the primary eclipse is less deep than that in the visual or longer ultraviolet wavelengths; (2) except for the 1100 to 1200 A region, the depth of the primary eclipse appears independent of wavelength; (3) the energy distribution at secondary minimum is similar to that at primary; (4) the two most prominent emission lines match well both with Si IV and C IV emission observed in gamma Vel and imply an exciting source of high temperature; (5) the emission lines do not show variation with phase.

Houck, T. E.↗

Dissociation-excitation reactions of argon metastables with carbon dioxide.

Results of a study showing that a metastable argon-carbon dioxide reaction results in dissociation of carbon dioxide and electronic excitation of one of the products, carbon monoxide or oxygen. A flow system using a 2450-MHz discharge was used to produce metastable argon atoms. Metastable argon in the afterglow was confirmed by adding nitrogen to the afterglow. Without addition of carbon dioxide no argon line emission, or any other emission, is observed from the reaction zone. Absence of argon line emission produced by recombination indicates the absence of charged species.

Starr, W. L.↗

Two-dimensional spectrophotometry of the cores of X-ray luminous clusters

The results of a two-dimensional spectrophotometric survey of the core regions of 11 rich clusters of galaxies are presented. A number of these clusters have spectacular optical emission line systems in their cores. Both morphologically and kinematically, the emission line regions divide into extended, 20-100 kpc systems of long linear filaments associated with the cluster core and more compact, homogeneous elongated regions associated with the dominant central cluster galaxy. It is suggested that the present results can be expected, as hot X-ray emitting gas cools in the cluster center. Luminosities almost entirely agree with expected values. The morphology of the systems can be understood if the filaments form initially in the cooling flow and, in some cases, are subsequently accreted by the central galaxy.

Hu, E. M.↗

The response of the chromosphere during a stellar flare

A set of chromospheric models was developed, having a coronal loop geometry, energy balance through the entire loop from photosphere to corona, and a rigorous treatment of the radiative transfer in the important, optically thick, chromospheric emission lines. The models show that the soft X-ray emission and thermal conduction from a long lived hot corona are effective heating agents in the lower atmosphere during the gradual phase of stellar flares. The model predictions show the correct order of magnitude for the emission lines produced during the gradual phase of the flare with a reasonable coronal temperature evolution.

Hawley, Suzanne L.↗

Aging jets from low-mass stars

An extended faint optical jet is associated with the compact emission region plus faint star known as HH 55. HH 55 is located in the Lupus 2 cloud 2 min SW of the well studied T Tauri star RU Lupi. The HH 55 jet extends 55 sec N and 35 sec S in PA 160 deg. The HH 55 star is an emission line star of spectral type M3.5. Its image in the emission lines of H-alpha and (S II) is slightly elongated by 2 sec - 3 sec to the S but in continuum light is symmetrical and pointlike ((full width at half maximum) (FWHM) = 1.7 sec). The star and jet have several features in common with the star and jet known as Sz 102 = Th 28 in the nearby Lupus 3 cloud. We suggest that these objects are representative of the late evolutionary stage of the HH jet-outflow phenomenon and point out that such objects may be quite common although difficult to detect. With L(sub bol) approximately = 0.005 solar luminosity, and log T(sub e) approximately = 3.5, the HH 55 star is close to the main sequence and evolutionary tracks suggest an age of 3 x 10(exp 7) yr.

Graham, J. A.↗