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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.

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At least 1,279 records · Page 71
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

In Situ Soft X-ray Spectromicroscopy of Early Tricalcium Silicate Hydration

The understanding and control of early hydration of tricalcium silicate (C3S) is of great importance to cement science and concrete technology. However, traditional characterization methods are incapable of providing morphological and spectroscopic information about in situ hydration at the nanoscale. Using soft X-ray spectromicroscopy, we report the changes in morphology and molecular structure of C3S at an early stage of hydration. In situ C3S hydration in a wet cell, beginning with induction (~1 h) and acceleration (~4 h) periods of up to ~8 h, was studied and compared with ex situ measurements in the deceleration period after 15 h of curing. Analysis of the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure showed that the Ca binding energy and energy splitting of C3S changed rapidly in the early age of hydration and exhibited values similar to calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H). The formation of C–S–H nanoseeds in the C3S solution and the development of a fibrillar C–S–H morphology on the C3S surface were visualized. Following this, silicate polymerization accompanied by C–S–H precipitation produced chemical shifts in the peaks of the main Si K edge and in multiple scattering. However, the silicate polymerization process did not significantly affect the Ca binding energy of C–S–H.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement and Simulation of Ultra-Low-Energy Ion–Solid Interaction Dynamics

Ion implantation is a key capability for the semiconductor industry. As devices shrink, novel materials enter the manufacturing line, and quantum technologies transition to being more mainstream. Traditional implantation methods fall short in terms of energy, ion species, and positional precision. Here, we demonstrate 1 keV focused ion beam Au implantation into Si and validate the results via atom probe tomography. We show the Au implant depth at 1 keV is 0.8 nm and that identical results for low-energy ion implants can be achieved by either lowering the column voltage or decelerating ions using bias while maintaining a sub-micron beam focus. We compare our experimental results to static calculations using SRIM and dynamic calculations using binary collision approximation codes TRIDYN and IMSIL. A large discrepancy between the static and dynamic simulation is found, which is due to lattice enrichment with high-stopping-power Au and surface sputtering. Additionally, we demonstrate how model details are particularly important to the simulation of these low-energy heavy-ion implantations. Finally, we discuss how our results pave a way towards much lower implantation energies while maintaining high spatial resolution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

CO 2 Hydrogenation: Na Doping Promotes CO and Hydrocarbon Formation over Ru/m-ZrO 2 at Elevated Pressures in Gas Phase Media

Sodium-promoted monoclinic zirconia supported ruthenium catalysts were tested for CO 2 hydrogenation at 20 bar and a H 2 :CO 2 ratio of 3:1. Although increasing sodium promotion, from 2.5% to 5% by weight, slightly decreased CO 2 conversion (14% to 10%), it doubled the selectivity to both CO (~36% to ~71%) and chain growth products (~4% to ~8%) remarkably and reduced the methane selectivity by two-thirds (~60% to ~21%). For CO 2 hydrogenation during in situ DRIFTS under atmospheric pressure, it was revealed that Na increases the catalyst basicity and suppresses the reactivity of Ru sites. Higher basicity facilitates CO 2 adsorption, weakens the C–H bond of the formate intermediate promoting CO formation, and inhibits methanation occurring on ruthenium nanoparticle surfaces. The suppression of excessive hydrogenation increases the chain growth probability. Decelerated reduction during H 2 -TPR/TPR-MS and H 2 -TPR-EXAFS/XANES at the K-edge of ruthenium indicates that sodium is in contact with ruthenium. A comparison of the XANES spectra of unpromoted and Na-promoted catalysts after H 2 reduction showed no evidence of a promoting effect involving electron charge transfer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effect of Zwitterionic Additives on Solvation and Transport of Sodium and Potassium Cations in (Ethylene Oxide)10: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

Sodium- (Na + ) and potassium- (K + ) ion batteries are cost-effective alternatives to lithium-ion (Li + ) batteries due to the abundant sodium and potassium resources. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are essential for safer and more efficient Na + and K + batteries because they often exhibit low ionic conductivity at room temperature. While zwitterionic (ZW) materials enhance Li+ battery conductivity, their potential for Na + and K + transport in batteries remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated the effect of three ZW molecules (ChoPO4, i.e., 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine, ImSO3, i.e., sulfobetaine ethylimidazole, and ImCO2, i.e., carboxybetaine ethylimidazole) on the dissociation of Na + and K + coordination with ethylene oxide (EO) chains in EO-based electrolytes through molecular dynamics simulations. Our results showed that ChoPO4 possessed the highest cation–EO10 dissociation ability, while ImSO3 exhibited the lowest. Such dissociation ability correlated with the cation–ZW molecule coordination strength: ChoPO4 and ImSO3 showed the strongest and the weakest coordination with cations. However, the cation–ZW molecule coordination could slow the cationic diffusion. The competition of these effects resulted in accelerating or decelerating cationic diffusion. Our simulated results showed that ImCO2 enhanced Na + diffusion by 20%, while ChoPO4 and ImSO3 led to a 10% reduction. For K + , ChoPO4 reduced its diffusion by 40%, while ImCO2 and ImSO3 caused a similar decrease of 15%. These findings suggest that the ZW structure and the cationic size play an important role in the ionic dissociation effect of ZW materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Skyfall: Signal Fusion from a Smartphone Falling from the Stratosphere

A smartphone plummeted from a stratospheric height of 36 km, providing a near-real-time record of its rapid descent and ground impact. An app recorded and streamed useful internal multi-sensor data at high sample rates. Signal fusion with external and internal sensor systems permitted a more detailed reconstruction of the Skyfall chronology, including its descent speed, rotation rate, and impact deceleration. Our results reinforce the potential of smartphones as an agile and versatile geophysical data collection system for environmental and disaster monitoring IoT applications. We discuss mobile environmental sensing capabilities and present a flexible data model to record and stream signals of interest. The Skyfall case study can be used as a guide to smartphone signal processing methods that are transportable to other hardware platforms and operating systems.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

RADIAL MOTIONS IN DISK STARS: ELLIPTICITY OR SECULAR FLOWS?

Average stellar orbits of the Galactic disk may have some small intrinsic ellipticity which breaks the exact axisymmetry and there may also be some migration of stars inwards or outwards. Both phenomena can be detected through kinematic analyses. We use the red clump stars selected spectroscopically from the APO Galactic Evolution Experiment, with known distances and radial velocities, to measure the radial component of the Galactocentric velocities within 5 kpc < R < 16 kpc, |b|<5{sup ∘}, and within 20° from the Sun–Galactic center line. The average Galactocentric radial velocity is V{sub R} = (1.48 ± 0.35)[R(kpc) − (8.8 ± 2.7)] km s{sup −1} outwards in the explored range, with a higher contribution from stars below the Galactic plane. Two possible explanations can be given for this result: (i) the mean orbit of the disk stars is intrinsically elliptical with a Galactocentric radial gradient of eccentricity around 0.01 kpc{sup −1}; or (ii) there is a net secular expansion of the disk, in which stars within R ≈ 9–11 kpc are migrating to the region R ≳ 11 kpc at the rate of ∼2 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, and stars with R ≲ 9 kpc are falling toward the center of the Galaxy. This migration ratio would be unattainable for a long time and should decelerate, otherwise the Galaxy would fade away in around 1 Gyr. At present, both hypotheses are speculative and one would need data on the Galactocentric radial velocities for other azimuths different to the center or anticenter in order to confirm one of the scenarios.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE TIME-EVOLUTION OF HH 2 FROM FOUR EPOCHS OF HST IMAGES

We have analyzed four epochs of Hα and [S ii] Hubble Space Telescope images of the HH 1/2 outflow (covering a time interval from 1994 to 2014) to determine proper motions and emission line fluxes of the knots of HH 2. We find that our new proper motions agree surprisingly well with the motions measured by Herbig and Jones, although there is partial evidence for a slight deceleration of the motion of the HH 2 knots from 1945 to 2014. We also measure the time-variability of the Hα intensities and the [S ii]/Hα line ratios and find that knots H and A have the largest intensity variabilities (in 1994→2014). Knot H, which now dominates the HH 2 emission, has strengthened substantially, while keeping an approximately constant [S ii]/Hα ratio. Knot A has dramatically faded and at the same time has had a substantial increase in its [S ii]/Hα ratio. Possible interpretations of these results are discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

IMAGING PROMINENCE ERUPTIONS OUT TO 1 AU

Views of two bright prominence eruptions trackable all the way to 1 AU are here presented, using the heliospheric imagers on the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft. The two events first erupted from the Sun on 2011 June 7 and 2012 August 31, respectively. Only these two examples of clear prominence eruptions observable this far from the Sun could be found in the STEREO image database, emphasizing the rarity of prominence eruptions this persistently bright. For the 2011 June event, a time-dependent 3D reconstruction of the prominence structure is made using point-by-point triangulation. This is not possible for the August event due to a poor viewing geometry. Unlike the coronal mass ejection (CME) that accompanies it, the 2011 June prominence exhibits little deceleration from the Sun to 1 AU, as a consequence moving upwards within the CME. This demonstrates that prominences are not necessarily tied to the CME's magnetic structure far from the Sun. A mathematical framework is developed for describing the degree of self-similarity for the prominence's expansion away from the Sun. This analysis suggests only modest deviations from self-similar expansion, but close to the Sun the prominence expands radially somewhat more rapidly than self-similarity would predict.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

AN HST PROPER-MOTION STUDY OF THE LARGE-SCALE JET OF 3C273

The radio galaxy 3C 273 hosts one of the nearest and best-studied powerful quasar jets. Having been imaged repeatedly by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) over the past twenty years, it was chosen for an HST program to measure proper motions in the kiloparsec-scale resolved jets of nearby radio-loud active galaxies. The jet in 3C 273 is highly relativistic on sub-parsec scales, with apparent proper motions up to 15c observed by very long baseline interferometry. In contrast, we find that the kiloparsec-scale knots are compatible with being stationary, with a mean speed of −0.2 ± 0.5c over the whole jet. Assuming the knots are packets of moving plasma, an upper limit of 1c implies a bulk Lorentz factor Γ < 2.9. This suggests that the jet has either decelerated significantly by the time it reaches the kiloparsec scale, or that the knots in the jet are standing shock features. The second scenario is incompatible with the inverse Compton off the Cosmic Microwave Background (IC/CMB) model for the X-ray emission of these knots, which requires the knots to be in motion, but IC/CMB is also disfavored in the first scenario due to energetic considerations, in agreement with the recent finding of Meyer and Georganopoulos which ruled out the IC/CMB model for the X-ray emission of 3C 273 via gamma-ray upper limits.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Broad Balmer absorption line variability: Evidence of gas transverse motion in the QSO SDSS J125942.80+121312.6

We report on the discovery of broad Balmer absorption lines variability in the QSO SDSS J125942.80+121312.6, based on the optical and near-infrared spectra taken from the SDSS-I, SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS), and TripleSpec observations over a timescale of 5.8 years in the QSO's rest-frame. The blueshifted absorption profile of Hβ shows a variation of more than 5σ at a high velocity portion (>3000 km s{sup −1}) of the trough. We perform a detailed analysis for the physical conditions of the absorber using Balmer lines as well as metastable He i and optical Fe ii absorptions (λ4233 from b{sup 4}P{sub 5/2} level and λ5169 from a{sup 6}S{sub 5/2}) at the same velocity. These Fe ii lines are identified in the QSO spectra for the first time. According to the photoionization simulations, we estimate a gas density of n(H)≈10{sup 9.1} cm{sup −3} and a column density of N{sub col}(H)≈10{sup 23} cm{sup −2} for the BOSS data, but the model fails to predict the variations of ionic column densities between the SDSS and BOSS observations if changes in ionizing flux are assumed. We thus propose transverse motion of the absorbing gas being the cause of the observed broad Balmer absorption line variability. In fact, we find that the changes in covering factors of the absorber can well-reproduce all of the observed variations. The absorber is estimated ∼0.94 pc away from the central engine, which is where the outflow likely experiences deceleration due to the collision with the surrounding medium. This scheme is consistent with the argument that LoBAL QSOs may represent the transition from obscured star-forming galaxies to classic QSOs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A comprehensive investigation on the slowing down of cosmic acceleration

Shafieloo et al. first proposed the possibility that the current cosmic acceleration (CA) is slowing down. However, this is rather counterintuitive because a slowing down CA cannot be accommodated in most mainstream cosmological models. In this work, by exploring the evolutionary trajectories of the dark energy equation of state w(z) and deceleration parameter q(z), we present a comprehensive investigation on the slowing down of CA from both the theoretical and the observational sides. For the theoretical side, we study the impact of different w(z) using six parametrization models, and then we discuss the effects of spatial curvature. For the observational side, we investigate the effects of different type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO), and cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. We find that (1) the evolution of CA is insensitive to the specific form of w(z); in contrast, a non-flat universe favors a slowing down CA more than a flat universe. (2) SNLS3 SNe Ia data sets favor a slowing down CA at a 1σ confidence level, while JLA SNe Ia samples prefer an eternal CA; in contrast, the effects of different BAO data are negligible. (3) Compared with CMB distance prior data, full CMB data favor a slowing down CA more. (4) Due to the low significance, the slowing down of CA is still a theoretical possibility that cannot be confirmed by the current observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE ROLE OF SiO AS A TRACER OF PAST STAR FORMATION EVENTS: THE CASE OF THE HIGH-MASS PROTOCLUSTER NGC 2264-C

NGC 2264-C is a high-mass protocluster where several star formation events are known to have occurred. To investigate whether past protostellar activity has left a chemical imprint in this region, we mapped it in SiO(J=2−1), which is a shock tracer, and several other molecular lines with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. Our observations show the presence of a complex network of protostellar outflows. The strongest SiO emission lies beyond a radius of ∼0.1 pc with respect to the center of the clump and is characterized by broad (>10 km s{sup −1}) lines and abundances of ∼1.4×10{sup −8} with respect to H{sub 2}. Interestingly, SiO appears to be relatively depleted (χ{sub SiO}∼4×10{sup −9}) within this radius, despite it being affected by molecular outflow activity. We attribute this to the fast condensation of SiO back onto dust grains and/or rapid gas-phase destruction of SiO, which is favored by the high density present in this area (>10{sup 6} cm{sup −3}). Finally, we identify a peripheral, narrow-line (∼2 km s{sup −1}) component where SiO has an abundance of a few times 10{sup −11}. After considering different options, we conclude that this weak emission may be tracing protostellar shocks from the star formation episode that preceded the current one, which have decelerated over time and eventually resulted in SiO being largely depleted/destroyed. Alternatively, a population of unresolved, low-mass protostars may be responsible for the narrow SiO emission. High-angular resolution observations are necessary to distinguish between these two possibilities, and thus to understand the role of SiO as a chemical tracer of past star formation episodes in massive protoclusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Elevohi: a novel CME prediction tool for heliospheric imaging combining an elliptical front with drag-based model fitting

In this study, we present a new method for forecasting arrival times and speeds of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at any location in the inner heliosphere. This new approach enables the adoption of a highly flexible geometrical shape for the CME front with an adjustable CME angular width and an adjustable radius of curvature of its leading edge, i.e., the assumed geometry is elliptical. Using, as input, Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) heliospheric imager (HI) observations, a new elliptic conversion (ElCon) method is introduced and combined with the use of drag-based model (DBM) fitting to quantify the deceleration or acceleration experienced by CMEs during propagation. The result is then used as input for the Ellipse Evolution Model (ElEvo). Together, ElCon, DBM fitting, and ElEvo form the novel ElEvoHI forecasting utility. To demonstrate the applicability of ElEvoHI, we forecast the arrival times and speeds of 21 CMEs remotely observed from STEREO/HI and compare them to in situ arrival times and speeds at 1 AU. Compared to the commonly used STEREO/HI fitting techniques (Fixed-ϕ, Harmonic Mean, and Self-similar Expansion fitting), ElEvoHI improves the arrival time forecast by about 2 to ±6.5 hr and the arrival speed forecast by ≈250 to ±53 km s{sup −1}, depending on the ellipse aspect ratio assumed. In particular, the remarkable improvement of the arrival speed prediction is potentially beneficial for predicting geomagnetic storm strength at Earth.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VERY LIGHT INTERNALLY SUBSONIC AGN JETS IN RADIO-MODE AGN FEEDBACK

Radio-mode active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback plays a key role in the evolution of galaxy groups and clusters. Its physical origin lies in the kiloparsec-scale interaction of AGN jets with the intracluster medium. Large-scale jet simulations often initiate light internally supersonic jets with density contrast 0.01 < η < 1. Here we argue for the first time for the importance of very light ( η < 0.01) internally subsonic jets. We investigated the shapes of young X-ray cavities produced in a suite of hydrodynamic simulations, and found that bottom-wide cavities are always produced by internally subsonic jets, while internally supersonic jets inflate cylindrical, center-wide, or top-wide cavities. We found examples of real cavities with shapes analogous to those inflated in our simulations by internally subsonic and internally supersonic jets, suggesting a dichotomy of AGN jets according to their internal Mach numbers. We further studied the long-term cavity evolution, and found that old cavities resulted from light jets spread along the jet direction, while those produced by very light jets are significantly elongated along the perpendicular direction. The northwestern ghost cavity in Perseus is pancake shaped, providing tentative evidence for the existence of very light jets. Our simulations show that very light internally subsonic jets decelerate faster and rise much slower in the intracluster medium than light internally supersonic jets, possibly depositing a larger fraction of jet energy to cluster cores and alleviating the problem of low coupling efficiencies found previously. The internal Mach number points to the jet’s energy content, and internally subsonic jets are energetically dominated by non-kinetic energy, such as thermal energy, cosmic rays, or magnetic fields.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE DIMENSIONLESS AGE OF THE UNIVERSE: A RIDDLE FOR OUR TIME

We present the interesting coincidence of cosmology and astrophysics that points toward a dimensionless age of the Universe H {sub 0} t {sub 0} that is close to one. Despite cosmic deceleration for 9 Gyr and acceleration since then, we find H {sub 0} t {sub 0} = 0.96 ± 0.01 for the ΛCDM model that fits SN Ia data from Pan-STARRS, CMB power spectra, and baryon acoustic oscillations. Similarly, astrophysical measures of stellar ages and the Hubble constant derived from redshifts and distances point to H {sub 0} t ∼ 1.0 ± 0.1. The wide range of possible values for H {sub 0} t {sub 0} realized during cosmic evolution means that we live at what appears to be a special time. This “synchronicity problem” is not precisely the same as the usual coincidence problem , because there are combinations of Ω{sub M} and Ω{sub Λ} for which the usual coincidence problem holds but for which H {sub 0} t {sub 0} is not close to 1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Two Strengths of Ordinary Chondritic Meteoroids as Derived from Their Atmospheric Fragmentation Modeling

The internal structure and strength of small asteroids and large meteoroids is poorly known. Observation of bright fireballs in the Earth’s atmosphere can explore meteoroid structure by studying meteoroid fragmentation during the flight. Earlier evaluations showed that the meteoroid’s strength is significantly lower than that of the recovered meteorites. We present a detailed study of atmospheric fragmentation of seven meteorite falls, all ordinary chondrites, and 14 other fireballs, where meteorite fall was predicted but the meteorites, probably also ordinary chondrites, were not recovered. All observations were made by the autonomous observatories of the European Fireball Network and include detailed radiometric light curves. A model, called the semiempirical fragmentation model, was developed to fit the light curves and decelerations. Videos showing individual fragments were available in some cases. The results demonstrated that meteoroids do not fragment randomly but in two distinct phases. The first phase typically corresponds to low strengths of 0.04–0.12 MPa. In two-thirds of cases, the first phase was catastrophic or nearly catastrophic with at least 40% of mass lost. The second phase corresponds to 0.9–5 MPa for confirmed meteorite falls and somewhat lower strengths, from about 0.5 MPa, for smaller meteoroids. All of these strengths are lower than the tensile strengths of ordinary chondritic meteorites cited in the literature, 20–40 MPa. We interpret the second phase as being due to cracks in meteoroids and the first phase as a separation of weakly cemented fragments, which reaccumulated at the surfaces of asteroids after asteroid collisions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A reverse shock in GRB L60509A

We present the second multi-frequency radio detection of a reverse shock in a γ-ray burst. By combining our extensive radio observations of the Fermi-Large Area Telescope γ-ray burst 160509A at z = 1.17 up to 20 days after the burst with Swift X-ray observations and ground-based optical and near-infrared data, we show that the afterglow emission comprises distinct reverse shock and forward shock contributions: the reverse shock emission dominates in the radio band at ≲10 days, while the forward shock emission dominates in the X-ray, optical, and near-infrared bands. Through multi-wavelength modeling, we determine a circumburst density of n{sub 0}≈10{sup −3} cm{sup −3}, supporting our previous suggestion that a low-density circumburst environment is conducive to the production of long-lasting reverse shock radiation in the radio band. We infer the presence of a large excess X-ray absorption column, N {sub H} ≈ 1.5 × 10{sup 22} cm{sup −2}, and a high rest-frame optical extinction, A {sub V} ≈ 3.4 mag. We identify a jet break in the X-ray light curve at t{sub jet}≈6 days, and thus derive a jet opening angle of θ{sub jet}≈4{sup ∘}, yielding a beaming-corrected kinetic energy and radiated γ-ray energy of E{sub K}≈4×10{sup 50} erg and E{sub γ}≈1.3×10{sup 51} erg (1–10{sup 4} keV, rest frame), respectively. Consistency arguments connecting the forward shocks and reverse shocks suggest a deceleration time of t{sub dec} ≈460 s ≈ T {sub 90}, a Lorentz factor of Γ(t{sub dec})≈330, and a reverse-shock-to-forward-shock fractional magnetic energy density ratio of R{sub B}≡ϵ{sub B,RS}/ϵ{sub B,FS}≈8. Our study highlights the power of rapid-response radio observations in the study of the properties and dynamics of γ-ray burst ejecta.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Exploding satellites—the tidal debris of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy hercules

The ultra-faint satellite galaxy Hercules has a strongly elongated and irregular morphology with detections of tidal features up to 1.3 deg (3 kpc) from its center. This suggests that Hercules may be dissolving under the Milky Way’s gravitational influence, and hence could be a tidal stream in formation rather than a bound, dark-matter-dominated satellite. Using Bayesian inference in combination with N-body simulations, we show that Hercules has to be on a very eccentric orbit (ϵ≈0.95) within the Milky Way in this scenario. On such an orbit, Hercules “explodes” as a consequence of the last tidal shock at pericenter 0.5 Gyr ago. It is currently decelerating toward the apocenter of its orbit with a velocity of V = 157 km s{sup −1}—of which 99% is directed radially outwards. Due to differential orbital plane precession caused by the non-spherical nature of the Galactic potential, its debris fans out nearly perpendicular to its orbit. This explains why Hercules has an elongated shape without showing a distance gradient along its main body: it is in fact a stream that is significantly broader than it is long. In other words, it is moving perpendicular to its apparent major axis. In this scenario, there is a spike in the radial velocity profile created by the dominant debris component that formed through the last pericenter passage. This is similar to kinematic substructure that is observed in the real Hercules. Modeling a satellite on such a highly eccentric orbit is strongly dependent on the form of the Galactic potential. We therefore propose that detailed kinematic investigation of Hercules and other exploding satellite candidates can yield strong constraints on the potential of the Milky Way.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗