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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
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DOE OSTI2013

NON-RELATIVISTIC RADIATION MEDIATED SHOCK BREAKOUTS. III. SPECTRAL PROPERTIES OF SUPERNOVA SHOCK BREAKOUT

The spectrum of radiation emitted following shock breakout from a star's surface with a power-law density profile {rho}{proportional_to}x{sup n} is investigated. Assuming planar geometry, local Compton equilibrium, and bremsstrahlung emission as the dominant photon production mechanism, numerical solutions are obtained for the photon number density and temperature profiles as a function of time for hydrogen-helium envelopes. The temperature solutions are determined by the breakout shock velocity v{sub 0} and the pre-shock breakout density {rho}{sub 0} and depend weakly on the value of n. Fitting formulae for the peak surface temperature at breakout as a function of v{sub 0} and {rho}{sub 0} are provided, with T{sub peak} approx. 9.44 exp [12.63(v{sub 0}/c){sup 1/2}] eV, and the time dependence of the surface temperature is tabulated. The time integrated emitted spectrum is a robust prediction of the model, determined by T{sub peak} and v{sub 0} alone and insensitive to details of light travel time or slight deviations from spherical symmetry. Adopting commonly assumed progenitor parameters, breakout luminosities of Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 45} erg s{sup -1} and Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 44} erg s{sup -1} in the 0.3-10 keV band are expected for blue supergiant (BSG) and red supergiant (RSG)/He-WR progenitors, respectively (T{sub peak} is well below the band for RSGs, unless their radius is {approx}10{sup 13} cm). >30 detections of SN 1987A-like (BSG) breakouts are expected over the lifetime of ROSAT and XMM-Newton. An absence of such detections would imply either that the typical parameters assumed for BSG progenitors are grossly incorrect or that their envelopes are not hydrostatic. The observed spectrum and duration of XRF 080109/SN 2008D are in tension with a non-relativistic breakout from a stellar surface interpretation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Two superluminous supernovae from the early universe discovered by the supernova legacy survey

We present spectra and light curves of SNLS 06D4eu and SNLS 07D2bv, two hydrogen-free superluminous supernovae (SNe) discovered by the Supernova Legacy Survey. At z = 1.588, SNLS 06D4eu is the highest redshift superluminous SN with a spectrum, at M{sub U} = –22.7 it is one of the most luminous SNe ever observed, and it gives a rare glimpse into the rest-frame ultraviolet where these SNe put out their peak energy. SNLS 07D2bv does not have a host galaxy redshift, but on the basis of the SN spectrum, we estimate it to be at z ∼ 1.5. Both SNe have similar observer-frame griz light curves, which map to rest-frame light curves in the U band and UV, rising in ∼20 rest-frame days or longer and declining over a similar timescale. The light curves peak in the shortest wavelengths first, consistent with an expanding blackbody starting near 15,000 K and steadily declining in temperature. We compare the spectra with theoretical models, and we identify lines of C II, C III, Fe III, and Mg II in the spectra of SNLS 06D4eu and SCP 06F6 and find that they are consistent with an expanding explosion of only a few solar masses of carbon, oxygen, and other trace metals. Thus, the progenitors appear to be related to those suspected for SNe Ic. A high kinetic energy, 10{sup 52} erg, is also favored. Normal mechanisms of powering core-collapse or thermonuclear SNe do not seem to work for these SNe. We consider models powered by {sup 56}Ni decay and interaction with circumstellar material, but we find that the creation and spin-down of a magnetar with a period of 2 ms, a magnetic field of 2 × 10{sup 14} G, and a 3 M {sub ☉} progenitor provides the best fit to the data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Radio variability and random walk noise properties of four blazars

We present the results of a time series analysis of the long-term radio light curves of four blazars: 3C 279, 3C 345, 3C 446, and BL Lacertae. We exploit the database of the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory monitoring program which provides densely sampled light curves spanning 32 years in time in three frequency bands located at 4.8, 8, and 14.5 GHz. Our sources show mostly flat or inverted (spectral indices –0.5 ≲ α ≲ 0) spectra, in agreement with optically thick emission. All light curves show strong variability on all timescales. Analyzing the time lags between the light curves from different frequency bands, we find that we can distinguish high-peaking flares and low-peaking flares in accordance with the classification of Valtaoja et al. The periodograms (temporal power spectra) of the observed light curves are consistent with random-walk power-law noise without any indication of (quasi-)periodic variability. The fact that all four sources studied are in agreement with being random-walk noise emitters at radio wavelengths suggests that such behavior is a general property of blazars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Stochastic modeling of the Fermi/LAT γ-ray blazar variability

We study the γ-ray variability of 13 blazars observed with the Fermi/Large Area Telescope (LAT). These blazars have the most complete light curves collected during the first four years of the Fermi sky survey. We model them with the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process or a mixture of the OU processes. The OU process has power spectral density (PSD) proportional to 1/f {sup α} with α changing at a characteristic timescale, τ{sub 0}, from 0 (τ >> τ{sub 0}) to 2 (τ << τ{sub 0}). The PSD of the mixed OU process has two characteristic timescales and an additional intermediate region with 0 < α < 2. We show that the OU model provides a good description of the Fermi/LAT light curves of three blazars in our sample. For the first time, we constrain a characteristic γ-ray timescale of variability in two BL Lac sources, 3C 66A and PKS 2155-304 (τ{sub 0} ≅ 25 days and τ{sub 0} ≅ 43 days, respectively, in the observer's frame), which are longer than the soft X-ray timescales detected in blazars and Seyfert galaxies. We find that the mixed OU process approximates the light curves of the remaining 10 blazars better than the OU process. We derive limits on their long and short characteristic timescales, and infer that their Fermi/LAT PSD resemble power-law functions. We constrain the PSD slopes for all but one source in the sample. We find hints for sub-hour Fermi/LAT variability in four flat spectrum radio quasars. We discuss the implications of our results for theoretical models of blazar variability.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A new method for measuring metallicities of young super star clusters

We demonstrate how the metallicities of young super star clusters (SSC) can be measured using novel spectroscopic techniques in the J-band. The near-infrared flux of SSCs older than ∼6 Myr is dominated by tens to hundreds of red supergiant stars. Our technique is designed to harness the integrated light of that population and produces accurate metallicities for new observations in galaxies above (M83) and below (NGC 6946) solar metallicity. In M83 we find [Z] = +0.28 ± 0.14 dex using a moderate resolution (R ∼ 3500) J-band spectrum and in NGC 6496 we report [Z] = -0.32 ± 0.20 dex from a low resolution spectrum of R ∼ 1800. Recently commissioned low resolution multiplexed spectrographs on the Very Large Telescope (KMOS) and Keck (MOSFIRE) will allow accurate measurements of SSC metallicities across the disks of star-forming galaxies up to distances of 70 Mpc with single night observation campaigns using the method presented in this paper.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optical observations of the type Ic supernova 2007gr in NGC 1058

We present extensive optical observations of the normal Type Ic supernova (SN) 2007gr, spanning from about one week before maximum light to more than one year thereafter. The optical light and color curves of SN 2007gr are very similar to those of the broad-lined Type Ic SN 2002ap, but the spectra show remarkable differences. The optical spectra of SN 2007gr are characterized by unusually narrow lines, prominent carbon lines, and slow evolution of the line velocity after maximum light. The earliest spectrum (taken at t = –8 days) shows a possible signature of helium (He I λ5876 at a velocity of ∼19,000 km s{sup –1}). Moreover, the larger intensity ratio of the [O I] λ6300 and λ6364 lines inferred from the early nebular spectra implies a lower opacity of the ejecta shortly after the explosion. These results indicate that SN 2007gr perhaps underwent a less energetic explosion of a smaller-mass Wolf-Rayet star (∼8-9 M{sub ☉}) in a binary system, as favored by an analysis of the progenitor environment through pre-explosion and post-explosion Hubble Space Telescope images. In the nebular spectra, asymmetric double-peaked profiles can be seen in the [O I] λ6300 and Mg I] λ4571 lines. We suggest that the two peaks are contributed by the blueshifted and rest-frame components. The similarity in velocity structure and the different evolution of the strength of the two components favor an aspherical explosion with the ejecta distributed in a torus or disk-like geometry, but inside the ejecta the O and Mg have different distributions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The effects of refraction on transit transmission spectroscopy: application to Earth-like exoplanets

We quantify the effects of refraction in transit transmission spectroscopy on spectral absorption features and on temporal variations that could be used to obtain altitude-dependent spectra for planets orbiting stars of different stellar types. We validate our model against altitude-dependent transmission spectra of the Earth from ATMOS and against lunar eclipse spectra from Pallé et al. We perform detectability studies to show the potential effects of refraction on hypothetical observations of Earth analogs with the James Webb Space Telescope NIRSPEC. Due to refraction, there will be a maximum tangent pressure level that can be probed during transit for each given planet-star system. We show that because of refraction, for an Earth-analog planet orbiting in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star only the top 0.3 bars of the atmosphere can be probed, leading to a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of absorption features by 60%, while for an Earth-analog planet orbiting in the habitable zone of an M5V star it is possible to probe almost the entire atmosphere with minimal decreases in S/N. We also show that refraction can result in temporal variations in the transit transmission spectrum which may provide a way to obtain altitude-dependent spectra of exoplanet atmospheres. Additionally, the variations prior to ingress and subsequent to egress provide a way to probe pressures greater than the maximum tangent pressure that can be probed during transit. Therefore, probing the maximum range of atmospheric altitudes, and in particular the near-surface environment of an Earth-analog exoplanet, will require looking at out-of-transit refracted light in addition to the in-transit spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cosmological parameter uncertainties from SALT-II type Ia supernova light curve models

We use simulated type Ia supernova (SN Ia) samples, including both photometry and spectra, to perform the first direct validation of cosmology analysis using the SALT-II light curve model. This validation includes residuals from the light curve training process, systematic biases in SN Ia distance measurements, and a bias on the dark energy equation of state parameter w. Using the SN-analysis package SNANA, we simulate and analyze realistic samples corresponding to the data samples used in the SNLS3 analysis: ∼120 low-redshift (z < 0.1) SNe Ia, ∼255 Sloan Digital Sky Survey SNe Ia (z < 0.4), and ∼290 SNLS SNe Ia (z ≤ 1). To probe systematic uncertainties in detail, we vary the input spectral model, the model of intrinsic scatter, and the smoothing (i.e., regularization) parameters used during the SALT-II model training. Using realistic intrinsic scatter models results in a slight bias in the ultraviolet portion of the trained SALT-II model, and w biases (w {sub input} – w {sub recovered}) ranging from –0.005 ± 0.012 to –0.024 ± 0.010. These biases are indistinguishable from each other within the uncertainty; the average bias on w is –0.014 ± 0.007.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

On the binary helium star DY Centauri: chemical composition and evolutionary state

DY Cen has shown a steady fading of its visual light by about one magnitude in the last 40 yr, suggesting a secular increase in its effective temperature. We have conducted non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and LTE abundance analyses to determine the star's effective temperature, surface gravity, and chemical composition using high-resolution spectra obtained over two decades. The derived stellar parameters for three epochs suggest that DY Cen has evolved at a constant luminosity and has become hotter by about 5000 K in 23 yr. We show that the derived abundances remain unchanged for the three epochs. The derived abundances of the key elements, including F and Ne, are as observed for the extreme helium stars resulting from a merger of a He white dwarf with a C-O white dwarf. Thus DY Cen by chemical composition appears to also be a product of a merger of two white dwarfs. This appearance seems to be at odds with the recent suggestion that DY Cen is a single-lined spectroscopic binary.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Thermonuclear supernovae: probing magnetic fields by positrons and late-time IR line profiles

We show the importance of γ and positron transport for the formation of late-time spectra in Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). The goal is to study the imprint of magnetic fields (B) on late-time IR line profiles, particularly the [Fe II] feature at 1.644 μm, which becomes prominent two to three months after the explosion. As a benchmark, we use the explosion of a Chandrasekhar mass (M {sub Ch}) white dwarf (WD) and, specifically, a delayed detonation model that can reproduce the light curves and spectra for a Branch-normal SN Ia. We assume WDs with initial magnetic surface fields between 1 and 10{sup 9} G. We discuss large-scale dipole and small-scale magnetic fields. We show that positron transport effects must be taken into account for the interpretation of emission features starting at about one to two years after maximum light, depending on the size of B. The [Fe II] line profile and its evolution with time can be understood in terms of the overall energy input by radioactive decay and the transition from a γ-ray to a positron-dominated regime. We find that the [Fe II] line at 1.644 μm can be used to analyze the overall chemical and density structure of the exploding WD up to day 200 without considering B. At later times, positron transport and magnetic field effects become important. After about day 300, the line profile allows one to probe the size of the B-field. The profile becomes sensitive to the morphology of B at about day 500. In the presence of a large-scale dipole field, a broad line is produced in M {sub Ch} mass explosions that may appear flat-topped or rounded depending on the inclination at which the SN is observed. Small or no directional dependence of the spectra is found for small-scale B. We note that narrow-line profiles require central {sup 56}Ni as shown in our previous studies. Persistent broad-line, flat-topped profiles require high-density burning, which is the signature of a WD close to M {sub Ch}. Good time coverage is required to separate the effects of optical depth, the size and morphology of B, and the aspect angle of the observer. The spectra require a resolution of about 500 km s{sup –1} and a signal-to-noise ratio of about 20%. Two other strong near-IR spectral features at about 1.5 and 1.8 μm are used to demonstrate the importance of line blending, which may invalidate a kinematic interpretation of emission lines. Flat-topped line profiles between 300 and 400 days have been observed and reported in the literature. They lend support for M {sub Ch} mass explosions in at least some cases and require magnetic fields equal to or in excess of 10{sup 6} G. We briefly discuss the effects of the size and morphology of B on light curves, as well as limitations. We argue that line profiles are a more direct measurement of B than light curves because they measure both the distribution of {sup 56}Ni and the redistribution of the energy input by positrons rather than the total energy input. Finally, we discuss possible mechanisms for the formation of high B-fields and the limitations of our analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Reverberation mapping of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469

A large reverberation-mapping study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469 has yielded emission-line lags for Hβ λ4861 and He II λ4686 and a central black hole mass measurement M {sub BH} ≈ 1 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉}, consistent with previous measurements. A very low level of variability during the monitoring campaign precluded meeting our original goal of recovering velocity-delay maps from the data, but with the new Hβ measurement, NGC 7469 is no longer an outlier in the relationship between the size of the Hβ-emitting broad-line region and the luminosity of the active galactic nucleus. It was necessary to detrend the continuum and Hβ and He II λ4686 line light curves and those from archival UV data for different time-series analysis methods to yield consistent results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A GLOBAL MODEL OF THE LIGHT CURVES AND EXPANSION VELOCITIES OF TYPE II-PLATEAU SUPERNOVAE

We present a new self-consistent and versatile method that derives photospheric radius and temperature variations of Type II-Plateau supernovae based on their expansion velocities and photometric measurements. We apply the method to a sample of 26 well-observed, nearby supernovae with published light curves and velocities. We simultaneously fit ∼230 velocity and ∼6800 mag measurements distributed over 21 photometric passbands spanning wavelengths from 0.19 to 2.2 μm. The light-curve differences among the Type II-Plateau supernovae are well modeled by assuming different rates of photospheric radius expansion, which we explain as different density profiles of the ejecta, and we argue that steeper density profiles result in flatter plateaus, if everything else remains unchanged. The steep luminosity decline of Type II-Linear supernovae is due to fast evolution of the photospheric temperature, which we verify with a successful fit of SN 1980K. Eliminating the need for theoretical supernova atmosphere models, we obtain self-consistent relative distances, reddenings, and nickel masses fully accounting for all internal model uncertainties and covariances. We use our global fit to estimate the time evolution of any missing band tailored specifically for each supernova, and we construct spectral energy distributions and bolometric light curves. We produce bolometric corrections for all filter combinations in our sample. We compare our model to the theoretical dilution factors and find good agreement for the B and V filters. Our results differ from the theory when the I, J, H, or K bands are included. We investigate the reddening law toward our supernovae and find reasonable agreement with standard R{sub V}∼3.1 reddening law in UBVRI bands. Results for other bands are inconclusive. We make our fitting code publicly available.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

RADIATION TRANSPORT FOR EXPLOSIVE OUTFLOWS: OPACITY REGROUPING

Implicit Monte Carlo (IMC) and Discrete Diffusion Monte Carlo (DDMC) are methods used to stochastically solve the radiative transport and diffusion equations, respectively. These methods combine into a hybrid transport-diffusion method we refer to as IMC-DDMC. We explore a multigroup IMC-DDMC scheme that in DDMC, combines frequency groups with sufficient optical thickness. We term this procedure ''opacity regrouping''. Opacity regrouping has previously been applied to IMC-DDMC calculations for problems in which the dependence of the opacity on frequency is monotonic. We generalize opacity regrouping to non-contiguous groups and implement this in SuperNu, a code designed to do radiation transport in high-velocity outflows with non-monotonic opacities. We find that regrouping of non-contiguous opacity groups generally improves the speed of IMC-DDMC radiation transport. We present an asymptotic analysis that informs the nature of the Doppler shift in DDMC groups and summarize the derivation of the Gentile-Fleck factor for modified IMC-DDMC. We test SuperNu using numerical experiments including a quasi-manufactured analytic solution, a simple 10 group problem, and the W7 problem for Type Ia supernovae. We find that opacity regrouping is necessary to make our IMC-DDMC implementation feasible for the W7 problem and possibly Type Ia supernova simulations in general. We compare the bolometric light curves and spectra produced by the SuperNu and PHOENIX radiation transport codes for the W7 problem. The overall shape of the bolometric light curves are in good agreement, as are the spectra and their evolution with time. However, for the numerical specifications we considered, we find that the peak luminosity of the light curve calculated using SuperNu is ∼10% less than that calculated using PHOENIX.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Pulsed ion hall accelerator for investigation of reactions between light nuclei in the astrophysical energy range

The factors defining the constraints on the current characteristics of the magnetically insulated ion diode (IDM) are considered. The specific current parameters close to the maximum possible ones are obtained for the particular IDM-40 design assigned for acceleration of light ions and investigation of nuclear reactions with small cross sections in the astrophysical energy range (2–40 keV) in the entrance channel. It is experimentally demonstrated that the chosen optimal operation conditions for IDM-40 units provide high stability of the parameters (energy distribution and composition of accelerated particle beams, degree of neutralization) of the accelerated particle flux, which increases during the working pulse.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structure and optical properties of ZnO with silver nanoparticles

Textured nanocrystalline ZnO thin films are synthesized by ion beam assisted deposition. According to X-ray diffraction data, the crystallite size is ∼25 nm. Thin (∼15 nm) ZnO layers containing Ag nanoparticles are formed in a thin surface region of the films by the implantation of Ag ions with an energy of 30 keV and a dose in the range (0.25–1) × 10{sup 17} ion/cm{sup 2}. The structure and optical properties of the layers are studied. Histograms of the size distribution of Ag nanoparticles are obtained. The average size of the Ag nanoparticles varies from 0.5 to 1.5–2 nm depending on the Ag-ion implantation dose. The optical transmittance of the samples in the visible and ultraviolet regions increases, as the implantation dose is increased. The spectra of the absorption coefficient of the implanted films are calculated in the context of the (absorbing film)/(transparent substrate) model. It is found that the main changes in the optical-density spectra occur in the region of ∼380 nm, in which the major contribution to absorption is made by Ag nanoparticles smaller than 0.75 nm in diameter. In this spectral region, absorption gradually decreases, as the Ag-ion irradiation dose is increased. This is attributed to an increase in the average size of the Ag nanoparticles. It is established that the broad surface-plasmon-resonance absorption bands typical of nanocomposite ZnO films with Ag nanoparticles synthesized by ion implantation are defined by the fact that the size of the nanoparticles formed does not exceed 1.5–2 nm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of coulomb correlations on luminescence and absorption in compensated semiconductors

The spectra of donor–acceptor light absorption and luminescence in lightly doped and lightly compensated semiconductors are calculated. In the photoluminescence calculation, two limiting cases of long and short carrier lifetimes relative to the carrier-energy relaxation time are considered. It is shown that, at long lifetimes, the photoluminescence spectrum is significantly shifted toward longer wavelengths due to the relaxation of minority charge carriers. At intermediate lifetimes, the photoluminescence spectrum consists of two peaks, which is in good agreement with the experimental data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Preparation and Characterization of Sol–Gel Dip Coated Al: ZnO (AZO) Thin Film for Opto-Electronic Application

Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin film was prepared by sol–gel dip coating method from methanol and monoethanolamine respectively, used as solvent and stabilizer agent. From the XRD study, it was confirmed that the aluminum was incorporated into the ZnO lattice. The prepared film have polycrystalline in nature and the film exhibit hexagonal wurtzite structure with (002) direction. SEM and AFM studies showed well defined smooth and uniformed wrinkle shaped grains distributed regularly on to the entire glass substrate without any pinholes and cracks. From the optical study, the observed highest transmittance was about 82% in the visible range and the band gap is 3.15 eV. Room temperature PL spectra exhibited a strong UV emission peak located at 390 nm for the deposited film. The electrical properties of the AZO thin film was studied by Hall-Effect measurement and found that it has n-type conductivity with low resistivity (ρ) of about 9.06 × 10{sup –3} Ω cm.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Optical Anisotropy of Photonic Crystals of Cubic Symmetry Induced by Multiple Diffraction of Light

The optical spectra of Bragg reflection from opal-like photonic crystals under conditions of the resonant enhancement of the multiple diffraction of light have been studied experimentally and theoretically using the photonic crystal structures prepared of monodisperse polystyrene globules. It is shown that the reflection signal registered in mutually orthogonal configurations of the polarizer and analyzer is related to the intrinsic optical anisotropy of the crystals and is a specific manifestation of the multiple Bragg diffraction in three-dimensional photonic crystals.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗