Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “INCLINATION”

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 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

RW Aur A FROM THE X-WIND POINT OF VIEW: GENERAL FEATURES

In this paper, the RW Aur A microjet is studied from the point of view of X-wind models. The archived Hubble Space Telescope/STIS spectra of the optical forbidden lines [O I], [S II], and [N II] from RW Aur A, taken in Cycle 8 with seven parallel slits along the jet axis, spaced at 0.''07 apart, were analyzed. Images, position-velocity diagrams, and line ratios among the species were constructed, and compared with synthetic observations generated by selected solutions of the X-wind. Prominent features arising in a steady-state X-wind could be identified within the convolved images and position-velocity diagrams, including FWHM and high-velocity peaks on both of the redshifted and blueshifted jets. The well-known asymmetric velocity profiles of the opposite jets were built into the selected models. We discuss model selections within the existing uncertainties of the stellar parameters and inclination angle of the system. In this framework, the mass-loss rates that were inferred to be decreasing along the jet axis in the literature are the results of slowly decreasing excitation conditions and electron density profiles. Despite the apparent asymmetry in the terminal velocities, line intensities and mass-loss rates, the average linear momenta from the opposite sides of the jet are actually balanced. These previously hard-to-explain features of the asymmetric RW Aur A jet system can now be interpreted in a different but self-consistent manner within the X-wind framework.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

STELLAR TRANSITS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are typically surrounded by a dense stellar population in galactic nuclei. Stars crossing the line of site in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) produce a characteristic transit light curve, just like extrasolar planets do when they transit their host star. We examine the possibility of finding such AGN transits in deep optical, UV, and X-ray surveys. We calculate transit light curves using the Novikov-Thorne thin accretion disk model, including general relativistic effects. Based on the expected properties of stellar cusps, we find that around 10{sup 6} solar mass SMBHs, transits of red giants are most common for stars on close orbits with transit durations of a few weeks and orbital periods of a few years. We find that detecting AGN transits requires repeated observations of thousands of low-mass AGNs to 1% photometric accuracy in optical, or {approx}10% in UV bands or soft X-ray. It may be possible to identify stellar transits in the Pan-STARRS and LSST optical and the eROSITA X-ray surveys. Such observations could be used to constrain black hole mass, spin, inclination, and accretion rate. Transit rates and durations could give valuable information on the circumnuclear stellar clusters as well. Transit light curves could be used to image accretion disks with unprecedented resolution, allowing us to resolve the SMBH silhouette in distant AGNs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MOST SPACE TELESCOPE PHOTOMETRY OF THE 2010 JANUARY TRANSIT OF EXTRASOLAR PLANET HD80606b

We present observations of the full 2010 January transit of HD80606b from the Canadian microsatellite, Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars. By employing a space-based telescope, we monitor the entire transit, thus limiting systematic errors that result from ground observations. We determine measurements for the planetary radius (R{sub p} = 0.987 {+-} 0.061 R {sub Jup}) and inclination (i = 89. Degree-Sign 283 {+-} 0.024) by constraining our fits with the observed parameters of different groups. Our measured mid-transit time of 2455210.6449 {+-} 0.0034 HJD is consistent with the 2010 Spitzer results and is 20 minutes earlier than predicted by groups who observed the 2009 June transit.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A LONG-PERIOD TOTALLY ECLIPSING BINARY STAR AT THE TURNOFF OF THE OPEN CLUSTER NGC 6819 DISCOVERED WITH KEPLER

We present the discovery of the totally eclipsing long-period (P = 771.8 days) binary system WOCS 23009 in the old open cluster NGC 6819 that contains both an evolved star near central hydrogen exhaustion and a low-mass (0.45 M {sub Sun }) star. This system was previously known to be a single-lined spectroscopic binary, but the discovery of an eclipse near apastron using data from the Kepler space telescope makes it clear that the system has an inclination that is very close to 90 Degree-Sign . Although the secondary star has not been identified in spectra, the mass of the primary star can be constrained using other eclipsing binaries in the cluster. The combination of the total eclipses and a mass constraint for the primary star allows us to determine a reliable mass for the secondary star and radii for both stars, and to constrain the cluster age. Unlike well-measured stars of similar mass in field binaries, the low-mass secondary is not significantly inflated in radius compared to model predictions. The primary star characteristics, in combination with cluster photometry and masses from other cluster binaries, indicate a best age of 2.62 {+-} 0.25 Gyr, although stellar model physics may introduce systematic uncertainties at the {approx}10% level. We find preliminary evidence that the asteroseismic predictions for red giant masses in this cluster are systematically too high by as much as 8%.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

RADIO AND GAMMA-RAY PULSED EMISSION FROM MILLISECOND PULSARS

Pulsed {gamma}-ray emission from millisecond pulsars (MSPs) has been detected by the sensitive Fermi space telescope, which sheds light on studies of the emission region and its mechanism. In particular, the specific patterns of radio and {gamma}-ray emission from PSR J0101-6422 challenge the popular pulsar models, e.g., outer gap and two-pole caustic models. Using the three-dimensional annular gap model, we have jointly simulated radio and {gamma}-ray light curves for three representative MSPs (PSR J0034-0534, PSR J0101-6422, and PSR J0437-4715) with distinct radio phase lags, and present the best simulated results for these MSPs, particularly for PSR J0101-6422 with complex radio and {gamma}-ray pulse profiles, and for PSR J0437-4715 with a radio interpulse. We have found that both the {gamma}-ray and radio emission originate from the annular gap region located in only one magnetic pole, and the radio emission region is not primarily lower than the {gamma}-ray region in most cases. In addition, the annular gap model with a small magnetic inclination angle instead of an 'orthogonal rotator' can account for the MSPs' radio interpulse with a large phase separation from the main pulse. The annular gap model is a self-consistent model not only for young pulsars but also MSPs, and multi-wavelength light curves can be fundamentally explained using this model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE M {sub BH}-L {sub SPHEROID} RELATION AT HIGH AND LOW MASSES, THE QUADRATIC GROWTH OF BLACK HOLES, AND INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLE CANDIDATES

From a sample of 72 galaxies with reliable supermassive black hole masses M {sub bh}, we derive the M {sub bh}-(host spheroid luminosity, L) relation for (1) the subsample of 24 core-Sersic galaxies with partially depleted cores, and (2) the remaining subsample of 48 Sersic galaxies. Using K{sub s} -band Two Micron All Sky Survey data, we find the near-linear relation M {sub bh}{proportional_to}L {sup 1.10{+-}0.20} {sub K{sub s}} for the core-Sersic spheroids thought to be built in additive dry merger events, while we find the relation M {sub bh}{proportional_to}L {sup 2.73{+-}0.55}{sub K{sub s}} for the Sersic spheroids built from gas-rich processes. After converting literature B-band disk galaxy magnitudes into inclination- and dust-corrected bulge magnitudes, via a useful new equation presented herein, we obtain a similar result. Unlike with the M {sub bh}-(velocity dispersion) diagram, which is also updated here using the same galaxy sample, it remains unknown whether barred and non-barred Sersic galaxies are offset from each other in the M {sub bh}-L diagram. While black hole feedback has typically been invoked to explain what was previously thought to be a nearly constant M {sub bh}/M {sub Spheroid} mass ratio of {approx}0.2%, we advocate that the near-linear M {sub bh}-L and M {sub bh}-M {sub Spheroid} relations observed at high masses may have instead arisen largely from the additive dry merging of galaxies. We argue that feedback results in a dramatically different scaling relation, such that black hole mass scales roughly quadratically with the spheroid mass in Sersic galaxies. We therefore introduce a revised cold-gas 'quasar' mode feeding equation for semi-analytical models to reflect what we dub the quadratic growth of black holes in Sersic galaxies built amidst gas-rich processes. Finally, we use our new Sersic M {sub bh}-L equations to predict the masses of candidate intermediate mass black holes in almost 50 low-luminosity spheroids containing active galactic nuclei, finding many masses between that of stellar mass black holes and supermassive black holes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MIGRATION OF SMALL MOONS IN SATURN's RINGS

The motions of small moons through Saturn's rings provide excellent tests of radial migration models. In theory, torque exchange between these moons and ring particles leads to radial drift. We predict that moons with Hill radii r {sub H} {approx} 2-24 km should migrate through the A ring in 1000 yr. In this size range, moons orbiting in an empty gap or in a full ring eventually migrate at the same rate. Smaller moons or moonlets-such as the propellers-are trapped by diffusion of disk material into corotating orbits, creating inertial drag. Larger moons-such as Pan or Atlas-do not migrate because of their own inertia. Fast migration of 2-24 km moons should eliminate intermediate-size bodies from the A ring and may be responsible for the observed large-radius cutoff of r {sub H} {approx} 1-2 km in the size distribution of the A ring's propeller moonlets. Although the presence of Daphnis (r {sub H} Almost-Equal-To 5 km) inside the Keeler gap challenges this scenario, numerical simulations demonstrate that orbital resonances and stirring by distant, larger moons (e.g., Mimas) may be important factors. For Daphnis, stirring by distant moons seems the most promising mechanism to halt fast migration. Alternatively, Daphnis may be a recent addition to the ring that is settling into a low inclination orbit in {approx}10{sup 3} yr prior to a phase of rapid migration. We provide predictions of observational constraints required to discriminate among possible scenarios for Daphnis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

PSR J0357+3205: THE TAIL OF THE TURTLE

Using a new XMM-Newton observation, we have characterized the X-ray properties of the middle-aged radio-quiet {gamma}-ray pulsar J0357+3205 (named Morla) and its tail. The X-ray emission from the pulsar is consistent with a magnetospheric non-thermal origin plus a thermal emission from a hot spot (or hot spots). The lack of a thermal component from the whole surface makes Morla the coldest neutron star in its age range. We found marginal evidence for a double-peaked modulation of the X-ray emission. The study of the 9' long tail confirmed the lack of extended emission near the pulsar itself. The tail shows a very asymmetric brightness profile and its spectrum lacks any spatial variation. We found the nebular emission to be inconsistent with a classical bow shock, ram-pressure-dominated pulsar wind nebula. We propose thermal bremsstrahlung as an alternative mechanism for Morla's tail emission. In this scenario, the tail emission comes from the shocked interstellar medium (ISM) material heated up to X-ray temperatures. This can fully explain the peculiar features of the tail, assuming a hot, moderately dense ISM around the pulsar. For a bremsstrahlung-emitting tail, we can estimate the pulsar distance to be between 300 and 900 pc. A pulsar velocity of {approx}1900 km s{sup -1} is required, which would make Morla the pulsar with the largest velocity, and high inclination angles (>70 Degree-Sign ) are preferred. We propose Morla's nebula as the first example of a new 'turtle's tail' class of thermally emitting nebulae associated with high-velocity pulsars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN H{alpha} EMISSION AND VISUAL MAGNITUDE DURING LONG-TERM VARIATIONS IN CLASSICAL Be STARS

H{alpha} equivalent widths and UBV magnitudes are calculated for Be star disk models that grow in size and/or density with time. We show that these simple models are consistent with the known Be star classes of positive and inverse correlations between long-term variations in H{alpha} and V magnitude as identified by Harmanec. We support the conclusion of Harmanec that the distinction is controlled by the inclination of the disk to the line of sight. We demonstrate that the strength of these correlations, particularly those of an inverse correlation where the system becomes fainter as the H{alpha} emission strength grows, is strongly influenced by the scale height of the inner Be star disk and the extent of the gravitational darkening of the central B star due to rapid rotation. This dependence may allow coordinated spectroscopic and photometric observations to better constrain these poorly known Be star parameters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

NUCLEAR RADIO JET FROM A LOW-LUMINOSITY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS IN NGC 4258

The nearby low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN) NGC 4258 has a weak radio continuum component at the galactic center. We investigate its radio spectral properties on the basis of our new observations using the Nobeyama Millimeter Array at 100 GHz and archival data from the Very Large Array at 1.7-43 GHz and the James Clerk Maxwell telescope at 347 GHz. The NGC 4258 nuclear component exhibits (1) an intra-month variable and complicated spectral feature at 5-22 GHz and (2) a slightly inverted spectrum at 5-100 GHz ({alpha} {approx} 0.3; F {sub {nu}}{proportional_to}{nu}{sup {alpha}}) in time-averaged flux densities, which are also apparent in the closest LLAGN M81. These similarities between NGC 4258 and M81 in radio spectral natures in addition to previously known core shift in their AU-scale jet structures produce evidence that the same mechanism drives their nuclei. We interpret the observed spectral property as the superposition of emission spectra originating at different locations with frequency-dependent opacity along the nuclear jet. Quantitative differences between NGC 4258 and M81 in terms of jet/counter jet ratio, radio loudness, and degree of core shift can be consistently understood by fairly relativistic speeds ({Gamma} {approx}> 3) of jets and their quite different inclinations. The picture established from the two closest LLAGNs is useful for understanding the physical origin of unresolved and flat/inverted spectrum radio cores that are prevalently found in LLAGNs, including Sgr A*, with starved supermassive black holes in the present-day universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MULTIBAND STUDIES OF THE OPTICAL PERIODIC MODULATION IN THE X-RAY BINARY SAX J1808.4-3658 DURING ITS QUIESCENCE AND 2008 OUTBURST

We report on time-resolved optical imaging of the X-ray binary SAX J1808.4-3658 during its quiescent state and 2008 outburst. The binary, containing an accretion-powered millisecond pulsar, has a large sinusoidal-like modulation in its quiescent optical emission. We employ a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to fit our multi-band light curve data in quiescence with an irradiated star model, and derive a tight constraint of 50{sup +6}{sub -5} deg on the inclination angle i of the binary system. The pulsar and its companion are constrained to have masses of 0.97{sub -0.22}{sup +0.31} M{sub Sun} and 0.04{sub -0.01}{sup +0.02} M{sub Sun} (both 1{sigma} ranges), respectively. The dependence of these results on the measurements of the companion's projected radial velocity is discussed. We also find that the accretion disk had nearly constant optical fluxes over a {approx}500 day period in the quiescent state our data covered, but started brightening 1.5 months before the 2008 outburst. Variations in modulation during the outburst were detected in our four observations made 7-12 days after the start of the outburst, and a sinusoidal-like modulation with 0.2 mag amplitude changed to have a smaller amplitude of 0.1 mag. The modulation variations are discussed. We estimate the albedo of the companion during its quiescence and the outburst, which was approximately 0 and 0.8 (for isotropic emission), respectively. This large difference probably provides additional evidence that the neutron star in the binary turns on as a radio pulsar in quiescence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

COMPLETENESS OF IMAGING SURVEYS FOR ECCENTRIC EXOPLANETS

The detection of exoplanets through direct imaging has produced numerous new positive identifications in recent years. The technique is biased toward planets at wide separations due to the difficulty in removing the stellar signature at small angular separations. Planets in eccentric orbits will thus move in and out of the detectable region around a star as a function of time. Here we use the known diversity of orbital eccentricities to determine the range of orbits that may lie beneath the detection threshold of current surveys. We quantify the percentage of the orbit that yields a detectable signature as a function of semimajor axis, eccentricity, and orbital inclination and estimate the fraction of planets which likely remain hidden by the flux of the host star.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

PROBING THE INNER REGIONS OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS WITH CO ABSORPTION LINE SPECTROSCOPY

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the most commonly used tracer of molecular gas in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks. CO can be used to constrain the excitation and structure of the circumstellar environment. Absorption line spectroscopy provides an accurate assessment of a single line of sight through the protoplanetary disk system, giving more straightforward estimates of column densities and temperatures than CO and molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}) emission line studies. We analyze new observations of ultraviolet CO absorption from the Hubble Space Telescope along the sightlines to six classical T Tauri stars. Gas velocities consistent with the stellar velocities, combined with the moderate-to-high disk inclinations, argue against the absorbing CO gas originating in a fast-moving disk wind. We conclude that the far-ultraviolet observations provide a direct measure of the disk atmosphere or possibly a slow disk wind. The CO absorption lines are reproduced by model spectra with column densities in the range N({sup 12}CO) {approx} 10{sup 16}-10{sup 18} cm{sup -2} and N({sup 13}CO) {approx} 10{sup 15}-10{sup 17} cm{sup -2}, rotational temperatures T{sub rot}(CO) {approx} 300-700 K, and Doppler b-values, b {approx} 0.5-1.5 km s{sup -1}. We use these results to constrain the line-of-sight density of the warm molecular gas (n{sub CO} {approx} 70-4000 cm{sup -3}) and put these observations in context with protoplanetary disk models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CONFRONTING COLD DARK MATTER PREDICTIONS WITH OBSERVED GALAXY ROTATIONS

The rich statistics of galaxy rotations as captured by the velocity function (VF) provide invaluable constraints on galactic baryon physics and the nature of dark matter (DM). However, the comparison of observed galaxy rotations against cosmological models is prone to subtle caveats that can easily lead to misinterpretations. Our analysis reveals full statistical consistency between {approx}5000 galaxy rotations, observed in line-of-sight projection, and predictions based on the standard cosmological model ({Lambda}CDM) at the mass-resolution of the Millennium simulation (H I line-based circular velocities above {approx}50 km s{sup -1}). Explicitly, the H I linewidths in the H I Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS) are found to be consistent with those in S{sup 3}-SAX, a post-processed semi-analytic model for the Millennium simulation. Previously found anomalies in the VF can be plausibly attributed to (1) the mass-limit of the Millennium simulation, (2) confused sources in HIPASS, (3) inaccurate inclination measurements for optically faint sources, and (4) the non-detectability of gas-poor early-type galaxies. These issues can be bypassed by comparing observations and models using linewidth source counts rather than VFs. We investigate if and how well such source counts can constrain the temperature of DM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

NARROW ATOMIC FEATURES FROM RAPIDLY SPINNING NEUTRON STARS

Neutron stars spinning at moderate rates ({approx}300-600 Hz) become oblate in shape and acquire a nonzero quadrupole moment. In this paper, we calculate the profiles of atomic features from such neutron stars using a ray-tracing algorithm in the Hartle-Thorne approximation. We show that line profiles acquire cores that are much narrower than the widths expected from pure Doppler effects for a large range of observer inclinations. As a result, the effects of both the oblateness and the quadrupole moments of neutron stars need to be taken into account when aiming to measure neutron-star radii from rotationally broadened lines. Moreover, the presence of these narrow cores substantially increases the likelihood of detecting atomic lines from rapidly spinning neutron stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

LUMINOSITY EVOLUTION OF GAMMA-RAY PULSARS

We investigate the electrodynamic structure of a pulsar outer-magnetospheric particle accelerator and the resulting gamma-ray emission. By considering the condition for the accelerator to be self-sustained, we derive how the trans-magnetic-field thickness of the accelerator evolves with the pulsar age. It is found that the thickness is small but increases steadily if the neutron-star envelope is contaminated by sufficient light elements. For such a light element envelope, the gamma-ray luminosity of the accelerator is kept approximately constant as a function of age in the initial 10,000 yr, forming the lower bound of the observed distribution of the gamma-ray luminosity of rotation-powered pulsars. If the envelope consists of only heavy elements, on the other hand, the thickness is greater, but it increases less rapidly than a light element envelope. For such a heavy element envelope, the gamma-ray luminosity decreases relatively rapidly, forming the upper bound of the observed distribution. The gamma-ray luminosity of a general pulsar resides between these two extreme cases, reflecting the envelope composition and the magnetic inclination angle with respect to the rotation axis. The cutoff energy of the primary curvature emission is regulated below several GeV even for young pulsars because the gap thickness, and hence the acceleration electric field, is suppressed by the polarization of the produced pairs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DETECTION OF MOLECULAR ABSORPTION IN THE DAYSIDE OF EXOPLANET 51 PEGASI b?

In this paper, we present ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy of 51 Pegasi using CRIRES at the Very Large Telescope. The system was observed for 3 Multiplication-Sign 5 hr at 2.3 {mu}m at a spectral resolution of R = 100,000, targeting potential signatures from carbon monoxide, water vapor, and methane in the planet's dayside spectrum. In the first 2 Multiplication-Sign 5 hr of data, we find a combined signal from carbon monoxide and water in absorption at a formal 5.9{sigma} confidence level, indicating a non-inverted atmosphere. We derive a planet mass of M{sub P} = (0.46 {+-} 0.02)M{sub Jup} and an orbital inclination i between 79. Degree-Sign 6 and 82. Degree-Sign 2, with the upper limit set by the non-detection of the planet transit in previous photometric monitoring. However, there is no trace of the signal in the final five hours of data. A statistical analysis indicates that the signal from the first two nights is robust, but we find no compelling explanation for its absence in the final night. The latter suffers from stronger noise residuals and greater instrumental instability than the first two nights, but these cannot fully account for the missing signal. It is possible that the integrated dayside emission from 51 Peg b is instead strongly affected by weather. However, more data are required before we can claim any time variability in the planet's atmosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

EFFECTS OF CIRCUMNUCLEAR DISK GAS EVOLUTION ON THE SPIN OF CENTRAL BLACK HOLES

Mass and spin are the only two parameters needed to completely characterize black holes (BHs) in general relativity. However, the interaction between BHs and their environment is where complexity lies, as the relevant physical processes occur over a large range of scales. That is particularly relevant in the case of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), hosted in galaxy centers, and surrounded by swirling gas and various generations of stars. These compete with the SMBH for gas consumption and affect both dynamics and thermodynamics of the gas itself. How the behavior of such a fiery environment influences the angular momentum of the gas accreted onto SMBHs, and, hence, BH spins, is uncertain. We explore the interaction between SMBHs and their environment via first three-dimensional sub-parsec resolution simulations (ranging from {approx}0.1 pc to {approx}1 kpc scales) that study the evolution of the SMBH spin by including the effects of star formation, stellar feedback, radiative transfer, and metal pollution according to the proper stellar yields and lifetimes. This approach is crucial in investigating the impact of star formation processes and feedback effects on the angular momentum of the material that could accrete on the central hole. We find that star formation and feedback mechanisms can locally inject significant amounts of entropy in the surrounding medium, and impact the inflow inclination angles and Eddington fractions. As a consequence, the resulting trends show upper-intermediate equilibrium values for the spin parameter of a {approx_equal} 0.6-0.9, corresponding to radiative efficiencies {epsilon} {approx_equal} 9%-15%. These results suggest that star formation feedback taking place in the circumnuclear disk during the infall alone cannot induce very strong chaotic trends in the gas flow, quite independently from the different numerical parameters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗