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At least 145 records · Page 8
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NASA NTRS1990

Thermal relics: Do we know their abundances

The relic abundance of a particle species that was once in thermal equilibrium in the expanding Universe depends upon a competition between the annihilation rate of the species and the expansion rate of the Universe. Assuming that the Universe is radiation dominated at early times the relic abundance is easy to compute and well known. At times earlier than about 1 sec after the bang there is little or no evidence that the Universe had to be radiation dominated, although that is the simplest and standard assumption. Because early-Universe relics are of such importance both to particle physics and to cosmology, three nonstandard possibilities are considered in detail for the Universe at the time a species' abundance froze in: energy density dominated by shear (i.e., anisotropic expansion), energy density dominated by some other nonrelativistic species, and energy density dominated by the kinetic energy of the scalar field that sets the gravitational constant in a Brans-Dicke-Jordan cosmological mode. In the second case the relic abundance is less than the standard value, while in the other two cases it can be enhanced by a significant factor. Two other more exotic possibilities for enhancing the relic abundance of a species are also mentioned--a larger value of Newton's constant at early times (e.g., as might occur in superstring or Kaluza-Klein theories) or a component of the energy density at early times with a very stiff equation of state (p greater than rho/3), e.g., a scalar field phi with potential V(phi) = Beta /phi/ (exp n) with n greater than 4. Results have implications for dark matter searches and searches for particle relics in general.

Kamionkowski, Marc↗
NASA NTRS1990

The source charge and isotopic abundances of cosmic rays with Z = 9-16 - A study using new fragmentation cross sections

The cosmic ray source charge and isotopic abundances for charges with Z = 9-16 are reexamined using newly measured fragmentation cross sections in a standard Galactic propagation model. Compared with earlier studies, the cosmic-ray data are now consistent with no excess of Si-29 and Si-30 in the source relative to the solar coronal abundances. The excess of Mg-25 and Mg-26 is now about 1 sigma or less relative to solar coronal isotopic abundances, leaving Ne-22 as the only clearly established neutron-rich isotopic excess in the cosmic ray source. Better estimates of the source abundances of elements obtained using the new cross sections permit the conclusion that high first ionization potential (FIP) elements have a wide spread of compositional differences in the cosmic-ray source relative to solar coronal abundances, whereas elements with a low FIP have a composition similar to the solar corona.

Webber, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The abundances of the heavier elements in the cosmic radiation

Current work on the abundances of the ultraheavy elements in the cosmic radiation, i.e., those with Z greater than 30 is reviewed. Those abundances are compared with predictions based on propagation and fractionation of elemental abundances from various assumed sources of the cosmic rays. Striking similarities are found between the solar system and the cosmic ray source abundances for those elements with Z values between 32 and 60. For elements with Z greater than 60, there appears to be a substantial enhancement in the abundances of elements synthesized in the r-process.

Binns, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Determination of lunar ilmenite abundances from remotely sensed data

The mineral ilmenite (FeTiO3) was found in abundance in lunar mare soils returned during the Apollo project. Lunar ilmenite often contains greater than 50 weight-percent titanium dioxide (TiO2), and is a primary potential resource for oxygen and other raw materials to supply future lunar bases. Chemical and spectroscopic analysis of the returned lunar soils produced an empirical function that relates the spectral reflectance ratio at 400 and 560 nm to the weight percent abundance of TiO2. This allowed mapping of the lunar TiO2 distribution using telescopic vidicon multispectral imaging from the ground; however, the time variant photometric response of the vidicon detectors produced abundance uncertainties of at least 2 to 5 percent. Since that time, solid-state charge-coupled device (CCD) detector technology capable of much improved photometric response has become available. An investigation of the lunar TiO2 distribution was carried out utilizing groundbased telescopic CCD multispectral imagery and spectroscopy. The work was approached in phases to develop optimum technique based upon initial results. The goal is to achieve the best possible TiO2 abundance maps from the ground as a precursor to lunar orbiter and robotic sample return missions, and to produce a better idea of the peak abundances of TiO2 for benefaction studies. These phases and the results are summarized.

Larson, Stephen M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Relative abundances in the low-metallicity dwarf irregular galaxy UGC 4483

UGC 4483 is a dwarf irregular galaxy in the M 81 group. Narrow-band optical imaging has revealed an H II region in UGC 4483 with an H-alpha flux of about 2 x 10 to the -13th erg/sq cm per A per s. Optical, UV and NIR spectroscopy of this H II region yield He, C, N, O, Ne, and S abundances for the ISM in this galaxy. With an oxygen abundance of 0.000021 12 + log(O/H) = 7.3, this galaxy is among the most metal-poor dwarf irregulars known to date. A comparison of the S/O abundance ratio in this galaxy with that in I Zw 18 supports the claim by Garnett (1990) that the S/O ratio is consistent with the solar ratio for low-metallicity dwarf irregulars. The C/O ratio in UGC 4483 is lower than that derived for I Zw 18 and, therefore, more in line with the trend seen in higher metallicity H II regions. The derived helium abundance is He/H = 0.075, which converts to a He mass fraction of 0.23, consistent with earlier determinations of the primordial He abundance.

Skillman, Evan D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Overview for the reanalysis of Mariner 9 UV spectrometer data for ozone, cloud, and dust abundances, and their interaction over climate timescales

Mariner 9 UV spectrometer data were reinverted for the ozone abundance, cloud abundance, dust abundance, and polar-cap albedo. The original reduction of the spectra ignored the presence of atmospheric dust and clouds, even though their abundance is substantial and can mask appreciable amounts of ozone if not accounted for (Lindner, 1988). The Mariner 9 ozone data has been used as a benchmark in all theoretical models of atmospheric composition, escape, and photochemistry. A second objective is to examine the data for the interrelationship of the ozone cycle, dust cycle, and cloud cycle, on an annual, inter-annual, and climatic basis, testing predictions by Lindner (1988). This also has implications for many terrestrial ozone studies, such as the ozone hole, acid rain, and ozone-smog. A third objective is to evaluate the efficacy of the reflectance spectroscopy technique at retrieving the ozone abundance on Mars. This would be useful for planning ozone observations on future Mars missions or the terrestrial troposphere.

Lindner, Bernhard Lee↗
NASA NTRS1992

Carbon and nitrogen abundances determined from transition layer lines

The possibility of determining relative carbon, nitrogen, and silicon abundances from the emission-line fluxes in the lower transition layers between stellar chromospheres and coronae is explored. Observations for main-sequence and luminosity class IV stars with presumably solar element abundances show that for the lower transition layers Em = BT sup -gamma. For a given carbon abundance the constants gamma and B in this relation can be determined from the C II and C IV emission-line fluxes. From the N V and S IV lines, the abundances of these elements relative to carbon can be determined from their surface emission-line fluxes. Ratios of N/C abundances determined in this way for some giants and supergiants agree within the limits of errors with those determined from molecular bands. For giants, an increase in the ratio of N/C at B-V of about 0.8 is found, as expected theoretically.

Boehm-Vitense, Erika↗
NASA NTRS1993

On the absolute abundance of calcium in solar flares

The abundance of calcium relative to hydrogen in soft X-ray-emitting solar flare plasmas is determined. Results were obtained for 25 flares. An average calcium-to-hydrogen abundance of about 5 x 10 exp -6, which is about a factor of 2 greater than measured for the photosphere, is found. This result is consistent with an enhancement of low first ionization elements in soft X-ray flare plasmas. For one flare, the calcium abundance was higher, at about 1.6 times the average results. It is inferred that the calcium abundance can vary among flares. Significant variations of the calcium abundance during the course of a flare were not detected.

Sterling, Alphonse C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Carbon abundance and silicate mineralogy of anhydrous interplanetary dust particles

We have studied nineteen anhydrous chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) using analytical electron microscopy. We have determined a method for quantitative light element EDX analysis of small particles and have applied these techniques to a group of IDPs. Our results show that some IDPs have significantly higher bulk carbon abundances than do carbonaceous chondrites. We have also identified a relationship between carbon abundance and silicate mineralogy in our set of anhydrous IDPs. In general, these particles are dominated by pyroxene, olivine, or a subequal mixture of olivine and pyroxene. The pyroxene-dominated IDPs have a higher carbon abundance than those dominated by olivines. Members of the mixed mineralogy IDPs can be grouped with either the pyroxene- or olivine-dominated particles based on their carbon abundance. The high carbon, pyroxene-dominated particles have primitive mineralogies and bulk compositions which show strong similarities to cometary dust particles. We believe that the lower carbon, olivine-dominated IDPs are probably derived from asteroids. Based on carbon abundances, the mixed-mineralogy group represents particles derived from either comets or asteroids. We believe that the high carbon, pyroxene-rich anhydrous IDPs are the best candidates for cometary dust.

Thomas, Kathie L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The abundances of the elements in sharp-lined early type stars

An International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) observing strategy that has yielded co-added spectra with enhanced S/N ratios for several A and B stars was established. New observations by Roby and Adelman using the same technique were added two new Hg-Mn stars into this sample. A long-term study of elemental abundances in this uniform, high-quality set of IUE spectra for 13 stars was begun. The first stages of this project are reported: abundances for N, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni. The study of the Fe-peak elements show that our data set can provide accurate abundances and that abundances obtained from UV and optical spectra often are in good agreement. The groundwork for selfconsistent abundance analyses of more exotic elements in our long term project was provided.

Adelman, Saul J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Abundance recovery error analysis using simulated AVIRIS data

Measurement noise and imperfect atmospheric correction translate directly into errors in the determination of the surficial abundance of materials from imaging spectrometer data. The effects of errors on abundance recovery were investigated previously using Monte Carlo simulation methods by Sabol et. al. The drawback of the Monte Carlo approach is that thousands of trials are needed to develop good statistics on the probable error in abundance recovery. This computational burden invariably limits the number of scenarios of interest that can practically be investigated. A more efficient approach is based on covariance analysis. The covariance analysis approach expresses errors in abundance as a function of noise in the spectral measurements and provides a closed form result eliminating the need for multiple trials. Monte Carlo simulation and covariance analysis are used to predict confidence limits for abundance recovery for a scenario which is modeled as being derived from Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS).

Stoner, William W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Beryllium and Boron abundances in population II stars

The scientific focus of this program was to undertake UV spectroscopic abundance analyses of extremely metal poor stars with attention to determining abundances of light elements such as beryllium and boron. The abundances are likely to reflect primordial abundances within the early galaxy and help to constrain models for early galactic nucleosynthesis. The general metal abundances of these stars are also important for understanding stellar evolution.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1994

Probing the galactic disk and halo: Metal abundances in the Magellanic Stream

We derive metal abundance limits for two clouds in the Magellanic Stream using Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) medium resolution spectra of the Seyfert galaxy Fairall 9. We find Si/H is greater than or equal to 0.2 solar and S/H is less than or equal to 0.9 solar for the +170 km/s cloud with a N(H I) = 2 x 10(exp 19)/sq cm and Si/H is greater than or equal to 0.07 solar and S/H is less than or equal to 0.3 solar for the +210 km/s cloud with a N(H I) = 6 x 10(exp 19)/sq cm. These abundance limits rule out the Magellanic Stream as primordial gas. The metal abundance limits are consistent with the Magellanic Cloud abundances. If the two Magellanic Stream clouds have the same metal abundances, then Si/H is greater than or equal to 0.2 solar and S/H is less than or equal to 0.3 solar for the gas. The ratio Si/S is then greater than or equal to 0.6 of the solar ratio, suggesting that dust depletion is probably not very significant in the Magellanic Stream.

Lu, Limin↗
NASA NTRS1993

Silicon abundance in Population I giants

Silion to carbon abundance ratios for Population I giants were determined from emission lines originating in the transition layers between stellar chromospheres and coronae. For effective temperatures larger than 6200 K we find a group of stars for which the silicon to carbon abundance ratio appears to be increased. These stars are presumably descendents from AP stars on Am stars with increased surface silicon to carbon abundance ratios. Around B-V approximately equal to 0.45 this anomaly disappears as is to be expected due to the inceased depth of the convection zone and therefore deeper mixing which dilutes the surface overabundances. Unexplained is the apparent increased silicon to carbon abundance ratio observed for several stars cooler than 5100 K. RS CVn and related stars do not show this increased abundance ratio.

Bomh-Vitense, Erika↗
NASA NTRS1994

The gas-phase iron abundance in Herbig-Haro objects

The gas-phase abundance ratios Fe/S and Fe/O have been determined for the Herbig-Haro objects HH 1, HH 7, HH 11, HH 43A, and 'Burnham's Nebula' (HH 255). It is the purpose of this study to decide whether a sizeable fraction of the Fe in these HH objects is still bound in dust grains or whether the observed matter has gone through sufficiently fast shock waves so that the dust grains have been essentially destroyed and most of the iron has gone back into the gas phase. We have determined the abundance ratios using statistical equilibrium calculations for the ions Fe(+), S(+), and O(+). (These are the most abundant ions of the elements in question.) Abundance determinations have been made using homogeneous models of the HH objects for which electron temperatures and densities have been determined observationally from forbidden line ratios. The results show that the Fe/S ratio in the objects HH 1, HH 7, HH 11, and HH 43A agrees very well with the Population I abundance ratio. Only Burnham's Nebula (HH255) shows an Fe/S ratio which is about three times lower indicating a shock-wave history which is quite different from that of the other HH objects.

Beck-Winchatz, B.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Abundance ratios of oxygen, neon, and magnesium in solar active regions and flares: The FIP effect

Relative abundances of oxygen, neon, and magnesium have been derived for a sample of nine solar active regions, flares, and an erupting prominance by combining plots of the ion differential emission measures. The observations were photographed in the 300-600 A range by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) spectroheliograph on Skylab. Methods for deriving the Mg/Ne abundance ratio-which measures the separation between the low- first ionization potential (FIP) and high-FIP abundnace plateaus-have been described in previous papers. In this paper we describe the spectroscopic methods for deriving the O/Ne abundance ratio, which gives the ratio between two high-FIP elements. The plot of the O/Ne ratio versus the Mg/Ne ratio in the sample of nine Skylab events is shown. The variation in the Mg/Ne ratio by a factor of 6 is associated with a much smaller range in the O/Ne ratio. This is broadly consistent with the presence of the standard FIP pattern of abundances in the outer atmosphere of the Sun. However, a real change in the relative abundances of oxygen and neon by a factor of 1.5 cannot be excluded.

Widing, K. G.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Meteoritic Constraints on Models of the Solar Nebula: The Abundances of Moderately Volatile Elements

The "moderately volatile" elements are those which condense (or evaporate) in the temperature range 650 - 1350 K, as a mix of material with solar abundances is cooled (or heated) tinder equilibrium conditions. Their relative abundances in chondritic meteorites are solar (or "cosmic", as defined by the composition of Cl meteorites) to within a factor of several, but vary within that range in a way that correlates remarkably well with condensation temperature, independent of chemical affinity. It has been argued that this correlation reflects a systematically selective process which favored the accretion of refractory material over volatile material from a cooling nebula. Wasson and Chou (Meteoritics 9, 69-94, 1974, and Wasson and co-authors in subsequent papers) suggested that condensation and settling of solids contemporaneously with the cooling and removal of nebular gas could produce the observed abundance patterns, but a quantitative model has been lacking. We show that the abundance patterns of the moderately volatile elements in chondritic meteorites can be produced, in some degree of quantitative detail, by models of the solar nebula that are designed to conform to observations of T Tauri stars and the global conservation laws. For example, even if the local surface density of the nebula is not decreasing, condensation and accretion of solids from radially inflowing gas in a cooling nebula can result in depletions of volatiles, relative to refractories, like those observed, The details of the calculated abundance patterns depend on (but are not especially sensitive to) model parameters, and can exhibit the variations that distinguish the meteorite classes. Thus it appears that nebula characteristics such as cooling rates, radial flow velocities, and particle accumulation rates can be quantitatively constrained by demanding that they conform to meteoritic data; and the models, in turn, can produce testable hypotheses regarding the time and location of the formation of the chondrite parent bodies and the planets.

Cassen, Patrick↗
NASA NTRS1994

Meteoritic Constraints on Models of the Solar Nebula: The Abundances of Moderately Volatile Elements

The "moderately volatile" elements are those which condense (or evaporate) in the temperature range 650 - 1350 K, as a mix of material with solar abundances is cooled (or heated) under equilibrium conditions. Their relative abundances in chondritic meteorites are solar (or "cosmic", as defined by tile composition of CI meteorites) to within a factor of several, but vary within that range in a way that correlates remarkably well with condensation temperature, independent of chemical affinity. It has been argued that this correlation reflects a systematically selective process which favored the accretion of refractory material over volatile material from a cooling nebula. Wasson and Chou suggested that condensation and settling of solids contemporaneously with the cooling and removal of nebular gas could produce tile observed abundance patterns, but a quantitative model has been lacking. We show that the abundance patterns of the moderately volatile elements in chondritic meteorites can be produced, in some degree of quantitative detail, by models of the solar nebula that are designed to conform to observations of T Tauri stars and the global conservation laws. For example, even if the local surface density of the nebula is not decreasing, condensation and accretion of solids from radially inflowing gas in a cooling nebula can result in depletions of volatiles, relative to refractories, like those observed. The details of the calculated abundance patterns depend on (but are not especially sensitive to) model parameters, and can exhibit the variations that distinguish the meteorite classes. Thus it appears that nebula characteristics Such as cooling rates, radial flow velocities, and particle accumulation rates can be quantitatively constrained by demanding that they conform to meteoritic data; and the models, in turn, can produce testable hypotheses regarding the time and location of the formation of the chondrite parent bodies and the planets.

Cassen, P.↗