Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “MASS SPECTRA”

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 1,477 records · Page 82
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2010

K{sup -} absorption at rest in nuclei followed by p{Lambda} emission

p{Lambda} emission in coincidence following K{sup -} absorption at rest in nuclei is studied using quantum-mechanical scattering theory and nuclear wave functions. K{sup -} absorption is assumed to occur on two protons in the nucleus. In the formalism, emphasis is put on the study of the final state interaction (FSI) effects of p and {Lambda} with the recoiling nucleus. We include elastic scattering and single-nucleon knock-out (KO) channels in the FSI. Calculations are presented for the {sup 12}C nucleus, using shell-model wave functions, and without any extra mass modification of the K{sup -}pp system in the nucleus. Calculated results are presented for the angular correlation distribution between p and {Lambda}, their invariant mass distribution, and the momentum spectra of p and {Lambda}. These results are compared with the corresponding experimental measurements of M. Agnello et al., [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 212303 (2005)]. With only elastic scattering FSI included, the angular correlation distribution and the momentum spectra are found to be in good accord with the corresponding measurements. With full FSI, the calculated p{Lambda} invariant mass distribution is found to have two peaks, one corresponding to the elastic scattering FSI and another to single-nucleon KO FSI. The KO peak agrees fully, in position and shape, with the peak observed by M. Agnello et al. The peak corresponding to elastic scattering FSI does not seem to exist in the measured distribution. Considering that such a two-peak structure is always seen in the inclusive (p,p{sup '}) and (e,e{sup '}) reactions in nuclei at intermediate energies, absence of the elastic scattering peak in the p{Lambda} reaction is intriguing.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

TYPE Iax SUPERNOVAE: A NEW CLASS OF STELLAR EXPLOSION

We describe observed properties of the Type Iax class of supernovae (SNe Iax), consisting of SNe observationally similar to its prototypical member, SN 2002cx. The class currently has 25 members, and we present optical photometry and/or optical spectroscopy for most of them. SNe Iax are spectroscopically similar to SNe Ia, but have lower maximum-light velocities (2000 {approx}< |v| {approx}< 8000 km s{sup -1}), typically lower peak magnitudes (-14.2 {>=} M{sub V,{sub peak}} {approx}> -18.9 mag), and most have hot photospheres. Relative to SNe Ia, SNe Iax have low luminosities for their light-curve shape. There is a correlation between luminosity and light-curve shape, similar to that of SNe Ia, but offset from that of SNe Ia and with larger scatter. Despite a host-galaxy morphology distribution that is highly skewed to late-type galaxies without any SNe Iax discovered in elliptical galaxies, there are several indications that the progenitor stars are white dwarfs (WDs): evidence of C/O burning in their maximum-light spectra, low (typically {approx}0.5 M{sub Sun }) ejecta masses, strong Fe lines in their late-time spectra, a lack of X-ray detections, and deep limits on massive stars and star formation at the SN sites. However, two SNe Iax show strong He lines in their spectra. The progenitor system and explosion model that best fits all of the data is a binary system of a C/O WD that accretes matter from a He star and has a deflagration. At least some of the time, this explosion will not disrupt the WD. The small number of SNe in this class prohibit a detailed analysis of the homogeneity and heterogeneity of the entire class. We estimate that in a given volume there are 31{sup +17}{sub -13} SNe Iax for every 100 SNe Ia, and for every 1 M{sub Sun} of iron generated by SNe Ia at z = 0, SNe Iax generate {approx}0.036 M{sub Sun }. Being the largest class of peculiar SNe, thousands of SNe Iax will be discovered by LSST. Future detailed observations of SNe Iax should further our understanding of both their progenitor systems and explosions as well as those of SNe Ia.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE GAS INFLOW AND OUTFLOW RATE IN STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT z ∼ 1.4

We try to constrain the gas inflow and outflow rate of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.4 by employing a simple analytic model for the chemical evolution of galaxies. The sample is constructed based on a large near-infrared spectroscopic sample observed with Subaru/FMOS. The gas-phase metallicity is measured from the [N II] λ6584/Hα emission line ratio and the gas mass is derived from the extinction corrected Hα luminosity by assuming the Kennicutt-Schmidt law. We constrain the inflow and outflow rate from the least-χ{sup 2} fittings of the observed gas-mass fraction, stellar mass, and metallicity with the analytic model. The joint χ{sup 2} fitting shows that the best-fit inflow rate is ∼1.8 and the outflow rate is ∼0.6 in units of star-formation rate. By applying the same analysis to the previous studies at z ∼ 0 and z ∼ 2.2, it is shown that both the inflow and outflow rates decrease with decreasing redshift, which implies the higher activity of gas flow process at higher redshift. The decreasing trend of the inflow rate from z ∼ 2.2 to z ∼ 0 agrees with that seen in previous observational works with different methods, though the absolute value is generally larger than in previous works. The outflow rate and its evolution from z ∼ 2.2 to z ∼ 0 obtained in this work agree well with the independent estimations in previous observational works.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE EVOLVING INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES SINCE z = 2 AS PROBED BY THEIR INFRARED SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS

Using data from the mid-infrared to millimeter wavelengths for individual galaxies and for stacked ensembles at 0.5 < z < 2, we derive robust estimates of dust masses (M {sub dust}) for main-sequence (MS) galaxies, which obey a tight correlation between star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (M {sub *}), and for starbursting galaxies that fall outside that relation. Exploiting the correlation of gas-to-dust mass with metallicity (M {sub gas}/M {sub dust}-Z), we use our measurements to constrain the gas content, CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factors ({alpha}{sub CO}), and star formation efficiencies (SFE) of these distant galaxies. Using large statistical samples, we confirm that {alpha}{sub CO} and SFE are an order of magnitude higher and lower, respectively, in MS galaxies at high redshifts compared to the values of local galaxies with equivalently high infrared luminosities (L {sub IR} > 10{sup 12} L {sub Sun }). For galaxies within the MS, we show that the variations of specific star formation rates (sSFRs = SFR/M {sub *}) are driven by varying gas fractions. For relatively massive galaxies like those in our samples, we show that the hardness of the radiation field, (U), which is proportional to the dust-mass-weighted luminosity (L {sub IR}/M {sub dust}) and the primary parameter defining the shape of the IR spectral energy distribution (SED), is equivalent to SFE/Z. For MS galaxies with stellar mass log (M {sub *}/M {sub Sun }) {>=} 9.7 we measure this quantity, (U), showing that it does not depend significantly on either the stellar mass or the sSFR. This is explained as a simple consequence of the existing correlations between SFR-M {sub *}, M {sub *}-Z, and M {sub gas}-SFR. Instead, we show that (U) (or equally L {sub IR}/M {sub dust}) does evolve, with MS galaxies having harder radiation fields and thus warmer temperatures as redshift increases from z = 0 to 2, a trend that can also be understood based on the redshift evolution of the M {sub *}-Z and SFR-M {sub *} relations. These results motivate the construction of a universal set of SED templates for MS galaxies that are independent of their sSFR or M {sub *} but vary as a function of redshift with only one parameter, (U).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Post-maximum near-infrared spectra of SN 2014J: a search for interaction signatures

We present near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic and photometric observations of the nearby Type Ia SN 2014J. The 17 NIR spectra span epochs from +15.3 to +92.5 days after B-band maximum light, while the JHK{sub s} photometry include epochs from −10 to +71 days. These data are used to constrain the progenitor system of SN 2014J utilizing the Paβ line, following recent suggestions that this phase period and the NIR in particular are excellent for constraining the amount of swept-up hydrogen-rich material associated with a non-degenerate companion star. We find no evidence for Paβ emission lines in our post-maximum spectra, with a rough hydrogen mass limit of ≲0.1 M {sub ⊙}, which is consistent with previous limits in SN 2014J from late-time optical spectra of the Hα line. Nonetheless, the growing data set of high-quality NIR spectra holds the promise of very useful hydrogen constraints.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The peculiar balmer decrement of SN 2009ip: Constraints on circumstellar geometry

We present optical and near-IR spectroscopic observations of the luminous blue variable SN 2009ip during its remarkable photometric evolution of 2012. The spectra sample three key points in the SN 2009ip light curve, corresponding to its initial brightening in August (2012-A) and its dramatic rebrightening in early October (2012-B). Based on line fluxes and velocities measured in our spectra, we find a surprisingly low I(Hα)/I(Hβ) ratio (∼1.3-1.4) in the 2012-B spectra. Such a ratio implies either a rare Case B recombination scenario where Hα, but not Hβ, is optically thick, or an extremely high density for the circumstellar material of n{sub e} > 10{sup 13} cm{sup –3}. The Hα line intensity yields a minimum radiating surface area of ≳20,000 AU{sup 2} in Hα at the peak of SN 2009ip's photometric evolution. Combined with the nature of this object's spectral evolution in 2012, a high circumstellar density and large radiating surface area imply the presence of a thin disk geometry around the central star (and, consequently, a possible binary companion), suggesting that the observed 2012-B rebrightening of SN 2009ip can be attributed to the illumination of the disk's inner rim by fast-moving ejecta produced by the underlying events of 2012-A.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Trimers in the resonant (2+1)-fermion problem on a narrow Feshbach resonance: Crossover from Efimovian to hydrogenoid spectrum

We study the quantum three-body free-space problem of two same-spin-state fermions of mass m interacting with a different particle of mass M, on an infinitely narrow Feshbach resonance with infinite s-wave scattering length. This problem is made interesting by the existence of a tunable parameter, the mass ratio {alpha}=m/M. By a combination of analytical and numerical techniques, we obtain a detailed picture of the spectrum of three-body bound states, within each sector of fixed total angular momentum l. For {alpha} increasing from 0, we find that the trimer states first appear at the l-dependent Efimovian threshold {alpha}{sub c}{sup (l)}, where the Efimov exponent s vanishes, and that the entire trimer spectrum (starting from the ground trimer state) is geometric for {alpha} tending to {alpha}{sub c}{sup (l)} from above, with a global energy scale that has a finite and nonzero limit. For further increasing values of {alpha}, the least bound trimer states still form a geometric spectrum, with an energy ratio exp(2{pi}/|s|) that becomes closer and closer to unity, but the most bound trimer states deviate more and more from that geometric spectrum and eventually form a hydrogenoid spectrum.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The NASA-UC-UH Eta-Earth program. IV. A low-mass planet orbiting an M dwarf 3.6 PC from Earth

We report the discovery of a low-mass planet orbiting Gl 15 A based on radial velocities from the Eta-Earth Survey using HIRES at Keck Observatory. Gl 15 Ab is a planet with minimum mass Msin i = 5.35 ± 0.75 M {sub ⊕}, orbital period P = 11.4433 ± 0.0016 days, and an orbit that is consistent with circular. We characterize the host star using a variety of techniques. Photometric observations at Fairborn Observatory show no evidence for rotational modulation of spots at the orbital period to a limit of ∼0.1 mmag, thus supporting the existence of the planet. We detect a second RV signal with a period of 44 days that we attribute to rotational modulation of stellar surface features, as confirmed by optical photometry and the Ca II H and K activity indicator. Using infrared spectroscopy from Palomar-TripleSpec, we measure an M2 V spectral type and a sub-solar metallicity ([M/H] = –0.22, [Fe/H] = –0.32). We measure a stellar radius of 0.3863 ± 0.0021 R {sub ☉} based on interferometry from CHARA.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Young Substellar Companion ROXs 12 B: Near-infrared Spectrum, System Architecture, and Spin–Orbit Misalignment

ROXs 12 (2MASS J16262803–2526477) is a young star hosting a directly imaged companion near the deuterium-burning limit. We present a suite of spectroscopic, imaging, and time-series observations to characterize the physical and environmental properties of this system. Moderate-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of ROXs 12 B from Gemini-North/NIFS and Keck/OSIRIS reveals signatures of low surface gravity including weak alkali absorption lines and a triangular H-band pseudocontinuum shape. No signs of Paβ emission are evident. As a population, however, we find that about half (46% ± 14%) of young (≲15 Myr) companions with masses ≲20 M {sub Jup} possess actively accreting subdisks detected via Paβ line emission, which represents a lower limit on the prevalence of circumplanetary disks in general, as some are expected to be in a quiescent phase of accretion. The bolometric luminosity of the companion and age of the host star (6{sub −2}{sup +4} Myr) imply a mass of 17.5 ± 1.5 M {sub Jup} for ROXs 12 B based on hot-start evolutionary models. We identify a wide (5100 au) tertiary companion to this system, 2MASS J16262774–2527247, that is heavily accreting and exhibits stochastic variability in its K2 light curve. By combining v sin i {sub *} measurements with rotation periods from K2, we constrain the line-of-sight inclinations of ROXs 12 A and 2MASS J16262774–2527247 and find that they are misaligned by 60{sub −11}{sup +7∘}. In addition, the orbital axis of ROXs 12 B is likely misaligned from the spin axis of its host star, ROXs 12 A, suggesting that ROXs 12 B formed akin to fragmenting binary stars or in an equatorial disk that was torqued by the wide stellar tertiary.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

DISCOVERY OF A BINARY SYSTEM IN IRAM 04191+1522

We present high angular resolution observations of the Class 0 protostar IRAM 04191+1522 using the Submillimeter Array (SMA). The SMA 1.3 mm continuum images reveal within IRAM 04191+1522 two distinct sources with an angular separation of 7.''8 {+-} 0.''2. The two continuum sources are located in the southeast-northwest direction, with total gas masses of {approx}0.011 M{sub Sun} and {approx}0.005 M{sub Sun }, respectively. The southeastern source, associated with an infrared source seen in the Spitzer images, is the well-known Class 0 protostar with a bolometric luminosity of {approx}0.08 L{sub Sun }. The newly discovered northwestern continuum source is not visible in the Spitzer images at wavelengths from 3.6 to 70 {mu}m and has an extremely low bolometric luminosity (<0.03 L{sub Sun }). Complementary IRAM N{sub 2}H{sup +} (1-0) data that probe the dense gas in the common envelope suggest that the two sources were formed through the rotational fragmentation of an elongated dense core. Furthermore, comparisons between IRAM 04191+1522 and other protostars suggest that most cores with binary systems formed therein have ratios of rotational energy to gravitational energy {beta}{sub rot} > 1%. This is consistent with theoretical simulations and indicates that the level of rotational energy in a dense core plays an important role in the fragmentation process.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

EDDINGTON RATIO DISTRIBUTION OF X-RAY-SELECTED BROAD-LINE AGNs AT 1.0 < z < 2.2

We investigate the Eddington ratio distribution of X-ray-selected broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the redshift range 1.0 < z < 2.2, where the number density of AGNs peaks. Combining the optical and Subaru/Fiber Multi Object Spectrograph near-infrared spectroscopy, we estimate black hole masses for broad-line AGNs in the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S), Extended Chandra Deep Field South (E-CDF-S), and the XMM-Newton Lockman Hole (XMM-LH) surveys. AGNs with similar black hole masses show a broad range of AGN bolometric luminosities, which are calculated from X-ray luminosities, indicating that the accretion rate of black holes is widely distributed. We find a substantial fraction of massive black holes accreting significantly below the Eddington limit at z ≲ 2, in contrast to what is generally found for luminous AGNs at high redshift. Our analysis of observational selection biases indicates that the “AGN cosmic downsizing” phenomenon can be simply explained by the strong evolution of the comoving number density at the bright end of the AGN luminosity function, together with the corresponding selection effects. However, one might need to consider a correlation between the AGN luminosity and the accretion rate of black holes, in which luminous AGNs have higher Eddington ratios than low-luminosity AGNs, in order to understand the relatively small fraction of low-luminosity AGNs with high accretion rates in this epoch. Therefore, the observed downsizing trend could be interpreted as massive black holes with low accretion rates, which are relatively fainter than less-massive black holes with efficient accretion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A deep Spitzer survey of circumstellar disks in the young double cluster, h and χ Persei

We analyze very deep Infrared Array Camera and Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) photometry of ∼12, 500 members of the 14 Myr old Double Cluster, h and χ Persei, building upon our earlier, shallower Spitzer Cycle 1 studies. Numerous likely members show infrared (IR) excesses at 8 μm and 24 μm, indicative of circumstellar dust. The frequency of stars with 8 μm excess is at least 2% for our entire sample, slightly lower (higher) for B/A stars (later type, lower mass stars). Optical spectroscopy also identifies gas in about 2% of systems, but with no clear trend between the presence of dust and gas. Spectral energy distribution modeling of 18 sources with detections at optical wavelengths through MIPS 24 μm reveals a diverse set of disk evolutionary states, including a high fraction of transitional disks, though similar data for all disk-bearing members would provide constraints. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we combine our results with those for other young clusters to study the global evolution of dust/gas disks. For nominal cluster ages, the e-folding times (τ{sub 0}) for the frequency of warm dust and gas are 2.75 Myr and 1.75 Myr, respectively. Assuming a revised set of ages for some clusters, these timescales increase to 5.75 and 3.75 Myr, respectively, implying a significantly longer typical protoplanetary disk lifetime than previously thought. In both cases, the transitional disk duration, averaged over multiple evolutionary pathways, is ≈1 Myr. Finally, 24 μm excess frequencies for 4-6 M {sub ☉} stars appear lower than for 1-2.5 M {sub ☉} stars in other 10-30 Myr old clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF UGC 1382 AS A GIANT LOW SURFACE BRIGHTNESS GALAXY

We provide evidence that UGC 1382, long believed to be a passive elliptical galaxy, is actually a giant low surface brightness (GLSB) galaxy that rivals the archetypical GLSB Malin 1 in size. Like other GLSB galaxies, it has two components: a high surface brightness disk galaxy surrounded by an extended low surface brightness (LSB) disk. For UGC 1382, the central component is a lenticular system with an effective radius of 6 kpc. Beyond this, the LSB disk has an effective radius of ∼38 kpc and an extrapolated central surface brightness of ∼26 mag arcsec{sup 2}. Both components have a combined stellar mass of ∼8 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙}, and are embedded in a massive (10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙}) low-density (<3 M {sub ⊙} pc{sup 2}) HI disk with a radius of 110 kpc, making this one of the largest isolated disk galaxies known. The system resides in a massive dark matter halo of at least 2 × 10{sup 12} M {sub ⊙}. Although possibly part of a small group, its low-density environment likely plays a role in the formation and retention of the giant LSB and HI disks. We model the spectral energy distributions and find that the LSB disk is likely older than the lenticular component. UGC 1382 has UV–optical colors typical of galaxies transitioning through the green valley. Within the LSB disk are spiral arms forming stars at extremely low efficiencies. The gas depletion timescale of ∼10{sup 11} years suggests that UGC 1382 may be a very-long-term resident of the green valley. We find that the formation and evolution of the LSB disk in UGC 1382 is best explained by the accretion of gas-rich LSB dwarf galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Effects and detectability of quasi-single field inflation in the large-scale structure and cosmic microwave background

Quasi-single field inflation predicts a peculiar momentum dependence in the squeezed limit of the primordial bispectrum which smoothly interpolates between the local and equilateral models. This dependence is directly related to the mass of the isocurvatons in the theory which is determined by the supersymmetry. Therefore, in the event of detection of a non-zero primordial bispectrum, additional constraints on the parameter controlling the momentum-dependence in the squeezed limit becomes an important question. We explore the effects of these non-Gaussian initial conditions on large-scale structure and the cosmic microwave background, with particular attention to the galaxy power spectrum at large scales and scale-dependence corrections to galaxy bias. We determine the simultaneous constraints on the two parameters describing the QSF bispectrum that we can expect from upcoming large-scale structure and cosmic microwave background observations. We find that for relatively large values of the non-Gaussian amplitude parameters, but still well within current uncertainties, galaxy power spectrum measurements will be able to distinguish the QSF scenario from the predictions of the local model. A CMB likelihood analysis, as well as Fisher matrix analysis, shows that there is also a range of parameter values for which Planck data may be able distinguish between QSF models and the related local and equilateral shapes. Given the different observational weightings of the CMB and LSS results, degeneracies can be significantly reduced in a joint analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Keck-I MOSFIRE spectroscopy of compact star-forming galaxies at z ≳ 2: high velocity dispersions in progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies

We present Keck-I MOSFIRE near-infrared spectroscopy for a sample of 13 compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at redshift 2 ≤ z ≤ 2.5 with star formation rates of SFR ∼ 100 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} and masses of log(M/M {sub ☉}) ∼10.8. Their high integrated gas velocity dispersions of σ{sub int} =230{sub −30}{sup +40} km s{sup –1}, as measured from emission lines of Hα and [O III], and the resultant M {sub *}-σ{sub int} relation and M {sub *}-M {sub dyn} all match well to those of compact quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2, as measured from stellar absorption lines. Since log(M {sub *}/M {sub dyn}) =–0.06 ± 0.2 dex, these compact SFGs appear to be dynamically relaxed and evolved, i.e., depleted in gas and dark matter (<13{sub −13}{sup +17}%), and present larger σ{sub int} than their non-compact SFG counterparts at the same epoch. Without infusion of external gas, depletion timescales are short, less than ∼300 Myr. This discovery adds another link to our new dynamical chain of evidence that compact SFGs at z ≳ 2 are already losing gas to become the immediate progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies by z ∼ 2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Star formation in ultraluminous infrared galaxies probed with AKARI near-infrared spectroscopy

We conducted systematic observations of the H i Brα line (4.05 μm) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature (3.3 μm) in 50 nearby (z<0.3) ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) with AKARI. The Brα line is predicted to be the brightest among the H i lines under conditions of high dust extinction (A{sub V}>15 mag). The Brα line traces ionizing photons from OB stars and so is used as an indicator of star formation on the assumption of the initial mass function. We detected the Brα line in 33 ULIRGs. The luminosity of the line (L{sub Brα}) correlates well with that of the 3.3 μm PAH emission (L{sub 3.3}). Thus we utilize L{sub 3.3} as an indicator of star formation in fainter objects where the Brα line is undetected. The mean L{sub Brα}/L{sub IR} ratio in LINERs/Seyferts is significantly lower than that in H ii galaxies. This difference is reconfirmed with the L{sub 3.3}/L{sub IR} ratio in the larger sample (46 galaxies). Using the ratios, we estimate that the contribution of starburst in LINERs/Seyferts is ∼67%, and active galactic nuclei contribute the remaining ∼33%. However, comparing the number of ionizing photons, Q{sub Brα}, derived from L{sub Brα} with that, Q {sub IR}, expected from the star formation rate required to explain L{sub IR}, we find that the mean Q{sub Brα}/Q{sub IR} ratio is only (55.5 ± 7.5)% even in H ii galaxies, which are thought to be energized by pure starburst. This deficit of ionizing photons traced by the Brα line is significant even taking heavy dust extinction into consideration. We propose that dust within H ii regions absorbs a significant fraction of ionizing photons.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

FIRST VISUAL ORBIT FOR THE PROTOTYPICAL COLLIDING-WIND BINARY WR 140

Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars represent one of the final stages of massive stellar evolution. Relatively little is known about this short-lived phase and we currently lack reliable mass, distance, and binarity determinations for a representative sample. Here we report the first visual orbit for WR 140 (= HD193793), a WC7+O5 binary system known for its periodic dust production episodes triggered by intense colliding winds near periastron passage. The Infrared-Optical Telescope Array and Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy interferometers resolved the pair of stars in each year from 2003 to 2009, covering most of the highly eccentric, 7.9 year orbit. Combining our results with the recently improved double-line spectroscopic orbit of Fahed et al., we find the WR 140 system is located at a distance of 1.67 {+-} 0.03 kpc, composed of a WR star with M{sub WR} = 14.9 {+-} 0.5 M{sub Sun} and an O star with M{sub O} = 35.9 {+-} 1.3 M{sub Sun }. Our precision orbit yields key parameters with uncertainties {approx}6 Multiplication-Sign smaller than previous work and paves the way for detailed modeling of the system. Our newly measured flux ratios at the near-infrared H and Ks bands allow a spectral energy distribution decomposition and analysis of the component evolutionary states.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Radiation transfer of models of massive star formation. III. The evolutionary sequence

We present radiation transfer simulations of evolutionary sequences of massive protostars forming from massive dense cores in environments of high mass surface densities, based on the Turbulent Core Model. The protostellar evolution is calculated with a multi-zone numerical model, with the accretion rate regulated by feedback from an evolving disk wind outflow cavity. The disk evolution is calculated assuming a fixed ratio of disk to protostellar mass, while the core envelope evolution assumes an inside-out collapse of the core with a fixed outer radius. In this framework, an evolutionary track is determined by three environmental initial conditions: the core mass M{sub c} , the mass surface density of the ambient clump Σ{sub cl}, and the ratio of the core's initial rotational to gravitational energy β {sub c}. Evolutionary sequences with various M{sub c} , Σ{sub cl}, and β {sub c} are constructed. We find that in a fiducial model with M{sub c} = 60 M {sub ☉}, Σ{sub cl} = 1 g cm{sup –2}, and β {sub c} = 0.02, the final mass of the protostar reaches at least ∼26 M {sub ☉}, making the final star formation efficiency ≳ 0.43. For each of the evolutionary tracks, radiation transfer simulations are performed at selected stages, with temperature profiles, spectral energy distributions (SEDs), and multiwavelength images produced. At a given stage, the envelope temperature depends strongly on Σ{sub cl}, with higher temperatures in a higher Σ{sub cl} core, but only weakly on M{sub c} . The SED and MIR images depend sensitively on the evolving outflow cavity, which gradually widens as the protostar grows. The fluxes at ≲ 100 μm increase dramatically, and the far-IR peaks move to shorter wavelengths. The influence of Σ{sub cl} and β {sub c} (which determines disk size) are discussed. We find that, despite scatter caused by different M{sub c} , Σ{sub cl}, β {sub c}, and inclinations, sources at a given evolutionary stage appear in similar regions of color-color diagrams, especially when using colors with fluxes at ≳ 70 μm, where scatter due to inclination is minimized, implying that such diagrams can be useful diagnostic tools for identifying the evolutionary stages of massive protostars. We discuss how intensity profiles along or perpendicular to the outflow axis are affected by environmental conditions and source evolution and can thus act as additional diagnostics of the massive star formation process.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗