Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “AMES”

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 1,585 records · Page 88
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Exploring the Potential of Using Carbonyl Sulfide to Track the Urban Biosphere Signal

Abstract Cities are implementing additional urban green as a means to capture CO 2 and become more carbon neutral. However, cities are complex systems where anthropogenic and natural components of the CO 2 budget interact with each other, and the ability to measure the efficacy of such measures is still not properly addressed. There is still a high degree of uncertainty in determining the contribution of the vegetation signal, which furthermore confounds the use of CO 2 mole fraction measurements for inferring anthropogenic emissions of CO 2 . Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) is a tracer of photosynthesis which can aid in constraining the biosphere signal. This study explores the potential of using OCS to track the urban biosphere signal. We used the Sulfur Transport and dEposition Model (STEM) to simulate the OCS concentrations and the Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach ecosystem model to simulate global CO 2 fluxes over the Bay Area of San Francisco during March 2015. Two observation towers provided measurements of OCS and CO 2 : The Sutro tower in San Francisco (upwind from the area of study providing background observations), and a tower located at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore (downwind of the highly urbanized San Francisco region). Our results show that the STEM model works better under stable marine influence, and that the boundary layer height and entrainment are driving the diurnal changes in OCS and CO 2 at the downwind Sandia site. However, the STEM model needs to better represent the transport and boundary layer variability, and improved estimates of gross primary productivity for characterizing the urban biosphere signal are needed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Modified Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) for the Eastern USA and Canada, Evaluated With Comparison to Atmospheric Observations and Other Biospheric Models

Atmospheric CO 2 measurements from a dense surface network can help to evaluate terrestrial biosphere model (TBM) simulations of Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) with two key benefits. First, gridded CO 2 flux estimates can be evaluated over regional scales, not possible using flux tower observations at discrete locations for model evaluation. Second, TBM ability to explain atmospheric CO 2 fluctuations due to the biosphere can be directly tested, an important objective for anthropogenic emissions monitoring using atmospheric observations. Here, we customize the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) for an eastern North American domain with strong biological activity upwind of urban areas. Parameters are optimized using flux tower observations from a historical database with sites in (and near) the domain. In addition, the respiration model (originally a linear function of temperature) is modified to account for impacts of changing foliage, non-linear temperature, and water stress. Flux estimates from VPRM, the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) model and the Simple Biosphere Model v4 (SiB4), are convolved with footprints from atmospheric transport models for evaluation with CO 2 observations at 21 towers in the domain, with roughly half of the towers used here for the first time. Results show that the new respiration model in VPRM helps to correct a growing season sink bias in the atmosphere associated with underestimated summertime respiration using the original model with annual parameters. The new VPRM also better explains fine-scale atmospheric CO 2 variability compared to other TBMs, due to higher resolution diagnostic phenology, the new respiration model, domain-specific parameters, and high-quality input data sets.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Temporal Error Correlations in a Terrestrial Carbon Cycle Model Derived by Comparison to Carbon Dioxide Eddy Covariance Flux Tower Measurements

Abstract Atmospheric CO 2 flux inversions require as input an estimate of spatial and temporal correlations of errors in their estimate of the prior mean. Some previous studies have used the differences in CO 2 daily average flux estimates produced by terrestrial carbon cycle models and eddy covariance measurements to constrain the flux error correlations. Since inversions are starting to resolve the daily cycle, we set out to examine the correlations at sub‐daily time scales, as well as the correlations across years. To this end, we examine the autocorrelations in the difference between net ecosystem‐atmosphere exchange measurements from 75 AmeriFlux towers and temporally downscaled high‐spatial‐resolution flux estimates from the Carnegie‐Ames‐Stanford Approach (CASA) terrestrial carbon cycle model. We find that the daily cycle is prominent in these hourly autocorrelations and that these autocorrelations persist across years. We propose a family of functions to model these temporal correlations in atmospheric inversions, and use cross validation to determine which of the correlation functions best fits autocorrelation data from towers not in the training set. Correlation functions with a component that attempts to model the daily cycle in the differences match correlations from other towers better than those without. Those models that reproduce the same correlation structures at 1‐year intervals while modulating the amplitudes of the correlations between those intervals improve the fit still further.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simulating Global Terrestrial Carbon and Nitrogen Biogeochemical Cycles With Implicit and Explicit Representations of Soil Microbial Activity

Abstract Nutrient limitation is widespread in terrestrial ecosystems. Accordingly, representations of nitrogen (N) limitation in land models typically dampen rates of terrestrial carbon (C) accrual, compared with C‐only simulations. These previous findings, however, rely on soil biogeochemical models that implicitly represent microbial activity and physiology. Here we present results from a biogeochemical model testbed that allows us to investigate how an explicit versus implicit representation of soil microbial activity, as represented in the MIcrobial‐MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) and Carnegie‐Ames‐Stanford Approach (CASA) soil biogeochemical models, respectively, influence plant productivity, and terrestrial C and N fluxes at initialization and over the historical period. When forced with common boundary conditions, larger soil C pools simulated by the MIMICS model reflect longer inferred soil organic matter (SOM) turnover times than those simulated by CASA. At steady state, terrestrial ecosystems experience greater N limitation when using the MIMICS‐CN model, which also increases the inferred SOM turnover time. Over the historical period, however, warming‐induced acceleration of SOM decomposition over high latitude ecosystems increases rates of N mineralization in MIMICS‐CN. This reduces N limitation and results in faster rates of vegetation C accrual. Moreover, as SOM stoichiometry is an emergent property of MIMICS‐CN, we highlight opportunities to deepen understanding of sources of persistent SOM and explore its potential sensitivity to environmental change. Our findings underscore the need to improve understanding and representation of plant and microbial resource allocation and competition in land models that represent coupled biogeochemical cycles under global change scenarios.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Metabolic Profiling of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emitted by the Pathogens Francisella tularensis and Bacillus anthracis in Liquid Culture

We conducted comprehensive (untargeted) metabolic profiling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted in culture by bacterial taxa Francisella tularensis (F. tularensis) subspecies novicida and Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) Sterne, surrogates for potential bacterial bioterrorism agents, as well as selective measurements of VOCs from their fully virulent counterparts, F. tularensis subspecies tularensis strain SCHU S4 and B. anthracis Ames. F. tularensis and B. anthracis were grown in liquid broth for time periods that covered logarithmic growth, stationary, and decline phases. VOCs emitted over the course of the growth phases were collected from the headspace above the cultures using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We developed criteria for distinguishing VOCs originating from bacteria versus background VOCs (originating from growth media only controls or sampling devices). Analyses of collected VOCs revealed methyl ketones, alcohols, esters, carboxylic acids, and nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds that were present in the bacterial cultures and absent (or present at only low abundance) in control samples indicating that these compounds originated from the bacteria. Distinct VOC profiles where observed for F. tularensis when compared with B. anthracis while the observed profiles of each of the two F. tularensis and B. anthracis strains exhibited some similarities. Furthermore, the relative abundance of VOCs was influenced by bacterial growth phase. These data illustrate the potential for VOC profiles to distinguish pathogens at the genus and species-level and to discriminate bacterial growth phases. The determination of VOC profiles lays the groundwork for non-invasive probes of bacterial metabolism and offers prospects for detection of microbe-specific VOC biomarkers from two potential biowarfare agents.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in space: an old new light on the 11.2/3.3 μm intensity ratio

The intensity ratio of the 11.2/3.3 μm emission bands is considered to be a reliable tracer of the size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the interstellar medium (ISM). This paper describes the validation of the calculated intrinsic infrared (IR) spectra of PAHs that underlie the interpretation of the observed ratio. The comparison of harmonic calculations from the NASA Ames PAH IR spectroscopic database to gas-phase experimental absorption IR spectra reveals a consistent underestimation of the 11.2/3.3 μm intensity ratio by 34%. IR spectra based on higher level anharmonic calculations, on the other hand, are in very good agreement with the experiments. While there are indications that the 11.2/3.3 μm ratio increases systematically for PAHs in the relevant size range when using a larger basis set, it is unfortunately not yet possible to reliably calculate anharmonic spectra for large PAHs. Based on these considerations, we have adjusted the intrinsic ratio of these modes and incorporated this in an interstellar PAH emission model. This corrected model implies that typical PAH sizes in reflection nebulae such as NGC 7023 – previously inferred to be in the range of 50 to 70 carbon atoms per PAH are actually in the range of 40 to 55 carbon atoms. The higher limit of this range is close to the size of the C 60 fullerene (also detected in reflection nebulae), which would be in line with the hypothesis that, under appropriate conditions, large PAHs are converted into the more stable fullerenes in the ISM.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Planck intermediate results: XVII. Emission of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium from the far-infrared to microwave frequencies

The dust-Hi correlation is used to characterize the emission properties of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) from far infrared wavelengths to microwave frequencies. The field of this encompasses the part of the southern sky best suited to study the cosmic infrared and microwave backgrounds. We cross-correlate sky maps from Planck , the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( WMAP ), and the diffuse infrared background experiment ( DIRBE ), at 17 frequencies from 23 to 3000 GHz, with the Parkes survey of the 21 cm line emission of neutral atomic hydrogen, over a contiguous area of 7500 deg 2 centred on the southern Galactic pole. We present a general methodology to study the dust-Hi correlation over the sky, including simulations to quantify uncertainties. Our analysis yields four specific results. (1) We map the temperature, submillimetre emissivity, and opacity of the dust per H-atom. The dust temperature is observed to be anti-correlated with the dust emissivity and opacity. We interpret this result as evidence of dust evolution within the diffuse ISM. The mean dust opacity is measured to be (7.1 ± 0.6) × 10 -27 cm 2 H -1 × (v/353 GHz) 1.53 ± 0.03 for 100 ≤ v ≤ 353 GHz. This is a reference value to estimate hydrogen column densities from dust emission at submillimetre and millimetre wavelengths. (2) We map the spectral index β mm of dust emission at millimetre wavelengths (defined here as v ≤ 353 GHz), and find it to be remarkably constant at β mm = 1.51 ± 0.13. We compare it with the far infrared spectral index β FIR derived from greybody fits at higher frequencies, and find a systematic difference, β mm -β FIR = -0.15, which suggests that the dust spectral energy distribution (SED) flattens at v ≤ 353 GHz. (3) We present spectral fits of the microwave emission correlated with Hi from 23 to 353 GHz, which separate dust and anomalous microwave emission (AME). We show that the flattening of the dust SED can be accounted for with an additional component with a blackbody spectrum. This additional component, which accounts for (26 ± 6)% of the dust emission at 100GHz, could represent magnetic dipole emission. Alternatively, it could account for an increasing contribution of carbon dust, or a flattening of the emissivity of amorphous silicates, at millimetre wavelengths. These interpretations make different predictions for the dust polarization SED. (4) We analyse the residuals of the dust-Hi correlation. We identify a Galactic contribution to these residuals, which we model with variations of the dust emissivity on angular scales smaller than that of our correlation analysis. This model of the residuals is used to quantify uncertainties of the CIB power spectrum in a companion Planck paper.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ACTIVELY COOLED METAL FOIL THERMAL RADIATION SHIELD

Zero boil-off (ZBO) or reduced boil-off (RBO) systems that involve active cooling of large cryogenic propellant tanks will most likely be required for future space exploration missions. For liquid oxygen or methane, such systems could be implemented using existing high technology readiness level (TRL) cryocoolers. However, for liquid hydrogen temperatures (approx20 K) no such coolers exist. In order to partially circumvent this technology gap, the concept of broad area cooling (BAC) has been developed, whereby a low mass thermal radiation shield could be maintained at temperatures around 100 K by steady circulation of cold pressurized gas through a network of narrow tubes. By this method it is possible to dramatically reduce the radiative heat leak to the 20 K tank. A series of experiments, designed to investigate the heat transfer capabilities of BAC systems, have been conducted at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). Results of the final experiment in this series, investigating heat transfer from a metal foil film to a distributed cooling line, are presented here.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Modeling of stagnation-line nonequilibrium flows by means of quantum based collisional models

The stagnation-line flow over re-entry bodies is analyzed by means of a quantum based collisional model which accounts for dissociation and energy transfer in N{sub 2}-N interactions. The physical model is based on a kinetic database developed at NASA Ames Research Center. The reduction of the kinetic mechanism is achieved by lumping the rovibrational energy levels of the N{sub 2} molecule in energy bins. The energy bins are treated as separate species, thus allowing for non-Boltzmann distributions of their populations. The governing equations are discretized in space by means of the Finite Volume method. A fully implicit time-integration is used to obtain steady-state solutions. The results show that the population of the energy bins strongly deviate from a Boltzmann distribution close to the shock wave and across the boundary layer. The sensitivity analysis to the number of energy bins reveals that accurate estimation of flow quantities (such as chemical composition and wall heat flux) can be obtained by using only 10 energy bins. A comparison with the predictions obtained by means of conventional multi-temperature models indicates that the former can lead to an overestimation of the wall heat flux, due to an inaccurate modeling of recombination in the boundary layer.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Energy transfer models in nitrogen plasmas: Analysis of N{sub 2}(X{sup 1}Σ{sup +}{sub g})–N({sup 4}S{sub u})–e{sup −} interaction

The relaxation of N{sub 2}(X{sup 1}Σ{sup +}{sub g}) molecules in a background gas composed of N({sup 4}S{sub u}) atoms and free electrons is studied by using an ideal isochoric and isothermic chemical reactor. A rovibrational state-to-state model is developed to study energy transfer process induced by free electron and atomic collisions. The required cross sections and the corresponding rate coefficients are taken from two well-known kinetic databases: NASA Ames kinetic mechanism for the description of the N{sub 2}(X{sup 1}Σ{sup +}{sub g})–N({sup 4}S{sub u}) processes and the Phys4Entry database for the electron driven processes, N{sub 2}(X{sup 1}Σ{sup +}{sub g})–e{sup −}. The evolution of the population densities of each individual rovibrational level is explicitly determined via the numerical solution of the master equation for temperatures ranging from 10000 to 30 000 K. It was found that the distribution of the rovibrational energy levels of N{sub 2}(X{sup 1}Σ{sup +}{sub g}) is strongly influenced by the electron driven collisional processes, which promote the excitation of the low lying vibrational levels. The macroscopic vibrational energy relaxation is governed by the molecule-atom collisions, when free electrons, initially cold are relaxing to the final heat-bath temperature. Thus, the main role of the free electrons is to ensure the equilibration of vibrational and free electron excitation, thus validating the existence of the local equilibrium T{sup V}–T{sup e}. However, if electrons and heavy particles are assumed to be in equilibrium at the heat bath temperature, electron driven processes dominate the vibrational relaxation. Finally, we have assessed the validity of the Landau-Teller model for the description of the inelastic energy transfer between molecules and free electrons. In the case of free-electron temperatures lower than 10 000 K, Landau-Teller relaxation model gives an accurate description of the vibrational relaxation, while at higher temperatures the error in the predictions can be significant and the model should not be used.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2010

NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF THE EXTRASOLAR PLANET HR 8799 b

We present 2.12-2.23 {mu}m high contrast integral field spectroscopy of the extrasolar planet HR 8799 b. Our observations were obtained with OSIRIS on the Keck II telescope and sample the 2.2 {mu}m CH{sub 4} feature, which is useful for spectral classification and as a temperature diagnostic for ultracool objects. The spectrum of HR 8799 b is relatively featureless, with little or no methane absorption, and does not exhibit the strong CH{sub 4} seen in T dwarfs of similar absolute magnitudes. The spectrum is consistent with field objects from early-L to T4 (3{sigma} confidence level), with a best-fitting type of T2. A similar analysis of the published 1-4 {mu}m photometry shows the infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) matches L5-L8 field dwarfs, especially the reddest known objects which are believed to be young and/or very dusty. Overall, we find that HR 8799 b has a spectral type consistent with L5-T2, although its SED is atypical compared to most field objects. We fit the 2.2 {mu}m spectrum and the infrared SED using the Hubeny and Burrows, Burrows et al., and Ames-Dusty model atmosphere grids, which incorporate non-equilibrium chemistry, non-solar metallicities, and clear and cloudy variants. No models agree with all of the data, but those with intermediate clouds produce significantly better fits. The largest discrepancy occurs in the J band, which is highly suppressed in HR 8799 b. Models with high eddy diffusion coefficients and high metallicities are somewhat preferred over those with equilibrium chemistry and solar metallicity. The best-fitting effective temperatures range from 1300 to 1700 K with radii between {approx}0.3 and 0.5 R{sub Jup}. These values are inconsistent with evolutionary model-derived values of 800-900 K and 1.1-1.3 R{sub Jup} based on the luminosity of HR 8799 b and the age of HR 8799, a discrepancy that probably results from imperfect atmospheric models or the limited range of physical parameters covered by the models. The low temperature inferred from evolutionary models indicates that HR 8799 b is {approx}400 K cooler than field L/T transition objects, providing further evidence that the L/T transition is gravity-dependent. With an unusually dusty photosphere, an exceptionally low luminosity for its spectral type, and hints of extreme secondary physical parameters, HR 8799 b appears to be unlike any class of field brown dwarf currently known.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

THE EFFECT OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI ON THE MID-INFRARED AROMATIC FEATURES

We present Spitzer measurements of the aromatic (also known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) features for 35 Seyfert galaxies from the revised Shapley-Ames sample and find that the relative strengths of the features differ significantly from those observed in star-forming galaxies. Specifically, the features at 6.2, 7.7, and 8.6 {mu}m are suppressed relative to the 11.3 {mu}m feature in Seyferts. Furthermore, we find an anti-correlation between the L(7.7 {mu}m)/L(11.3 {mu}m) ratio and the strength of the rotational H{sub 2} emission, which traces shocked gas. This suggests that shocks suppress the short-wavelength features by modifying the structure of the aromatic molecules or destroying the smallest grains. Most Seyfert nuclei fall on the relationship between aromatic emission and [Ne II] emission for star-forming galaxies, indicating that aromatic-based estimates of the star formation rate are generally reasonable in galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei. For the outliers from this relationship, which have small L(7.7 {mu}m)/L(11.3 {mu}m) ratios and strong H{sub 2} emission, the 11.3 {mu}m feature still provides a valid measure of the star formation rate.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

MULTI-WAVELENGTH PROBES OF OBSCURATION TOWARD THE NARROW-LINE REGION IN SEYFERT GALAXIES

We present a study of reddening and absorption toward the narrow line regions (NLRs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected from the Revised Shapley-Ames, 12 {mu}m, and Swift/Burst Alert Telescope samples. For the sources in host galaxies with inclinations of b/a > 0.5, we find that the mean ratio of [O III] {lambda}5007, from ground-based observations, and [O IV] 28.59 {mu}m, from Spitzer/Infrared Spectrograph observations, is a factor of two lower in Seyfert 2s than Seyfert 1s. The combination of low [O III]/[O IV] and [O III] {lambda}4363/{lambda}5007 ratios in Seyfert 2s suggests more extinction of emission from the NLR than in Seyfert 1s. Similar column densities of dusty gas, N{sub H}{approx} several x 10{sup 21} cm{sup -2}, can account for the suppression of both [O III] {lambda}5007 and [O III] {lambda}4363, as compared to those observed in Seyfert 1s. Also, we find that the X-ray line O VII {lambda}22.1 A is weaker in Seyfert 2s, consistent with absorption by the same gas that reddens the optical emission. Using a Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph slitless spectrum of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151, we estimate that only {approx}30% of the [O III] {lambda}5007 comes from within 30 pc of the central source, which is insufficient to account for the low [O III]/[O IV] ratios in Seyfert 2s. If Seyfert 2 galaxies have similar intrinsic [O III] spatial profiles, the external dusty gas must extend further out along the NLR, perhaps in the form of nuclear dust spirals that have been associated with fueling flows toward the AGN.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

EVIDENCE AGAINST AN EDGE-ON DISK AROUND THE EXTRASOLAR PLANET, 2MASS 1207 b AND A NEW THICK-CLOUD EXPLANATION FOR ITS UNDERLUMINOSITY

Since the discovery of the first directly imaged, planetary-mass object, 2MASS 1207 b, several works have sought to explain a disparity between its observed temperature and luminosity. Given its known age, distance, and spectral type, 2MASS 1207 b is underluminous by a factor of {approx}10 ({approx}2.5 mag) when compared to standard models of brown-dwarf/giant-planet evolution. In this paper, we study three possible sources of 2MASS 1207 b's underluminosity. First, we investigate Mohanty et al.'s hypothesis that a near edge-on disk, comprising large, gray-extincting grains, might be responsible for 2MASS 1207 b's underluminosity. After radiative transfer modeling, we conclude that the hypothesis is unlikely due to the lack of variability seen in multi-epoch photometry and unnecessary due to the increasing sample of underluminous brown dwarfs/giant exoplanets that cannot be explained by an edge-on disk. Next, we test the analogous possibility that a spherical shell of dust could explain 2MASS 1207 b's underluminosity. Models containing enough dust to create {approx}2.5 mag of extinction, placed at reasonable radii, are ruled out by our new Gemini/T-ReCS 8.7 {mu}m photometric upper limit for 2MASS 1207 b. Finally, we investigate the possibility that 2MASS 1207 b is intrinsically cooler than the commonly used AMES-DUSTY fits to its spectrum, and thus it is not, in fact, underluminous. New, thick-cloud model grids by Madhusudhan et al. fit 2MASS 1207 b's 1-10 {mu}m spectral energy distribution well, but they do not quite fit its near-infrared spectrum. However, we suggest that with some 'tuning', they might be capable of simultaneously reproducing 2MASS 1207 b's spectral shape and luminosity. In this case, the whole class of young, underluminous brown dwarfs/giant exoplanets might be explained by atmospheres that are able to suspend thick, dusty clouds in their photospheres at temperatures lower than field brown dwarfs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

LOCAL LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES. III. CO-EVOLUTION OF BLACK HOLE GROWTH AND STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY?

Local luminous infrared (IR) galaxies (LIRGs) have both high star formation rates (SFR) and a high AGN (Seyfert and AGN/starburst composite) incidence. Therefore, they are ideal candidates to explore the co-evolution of black hole (BH) growth and star formation (SF) activity, not necessarily associated with major mergers. Here, we use Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy of a complete volume-limited sample of local LIRGs (distances of <78 Mpc). We estimate typical BH masses of 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7} M{sub Sun} using [Ne III] 15.56 {mu}m and optical [O III] {lambda}5007 gas velocity dispersions and literature stellar velocity dispersions. We find that in a large fraction of local LIRGs, the current SFR is taking place not only in the inner nuclear {approx}1.5 kpc region, as estimated from the nuclear 11.3 {mu}m PAH luminosities, but also in the host galaxy. We next use the ratios between the SFRs and BH accretion rates (BHAR) to study whether the SF activity and BH growth are contemporaneous in local LIRGs. On average, local LIRGs have SFR to BHAR ratios higher than those of optically selected Seyferts of similar active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosities. However, the majority of the IR-bright galaxies in the revised-Shapley-Ames Seyfert sample behave like local LIRGs. Moreover, the AGN incidence tends to be higher in local LIRGs with the lowest SFRs. All of this suggests that in local LIRGs there is a distinct IR-bright star-forming phase taking place prior to the bulk of the current BH growth (i.e., AGN phase). The latter is reflected first as a composite and then as a Seyfert, and later as a non-LIRG optically identified Seyfert nucleus with moderate SF in its host galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the northwest photon dominated region OF NGC 7023. I. PAH size, charge, composition, and structure distribution

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission in the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph spectral map of the northwest photon dominated region (PDR) in NGC 7023 was analyzed exclusively using PAH spectra from the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database (www.astrochem.org/pahdb). The 5-15 μm spectrum at each pixel is fitted using a non-negative-least-squares fitting approach. The fits are of good quality, allowing decomposition of the PAH emission into four subclasses: size, charge, composition, and hydrogen adjacency (structure). Maps tracing PAH subclass distributions across the region paint a coherent astrophysical picture. Once past some 20 seconds of arc from HD 200775, the emission is dominated by the more stable, large, symmetric, compact PAH cations with smaller, neutral PAHs taking over along the lines-of-sight toward the more distant molecular cloud. The boundary between the PDR and the denser cloud material shows up as a distinct discontinuity in the breakdown maps. Noteworthy is the requirement for PANH cations to fit the bulk of the 6.2 and 11.0 μm features and the indication of PAH photo-dehydrogenation and fragmentation close to HD 200775. Decomposition of the spectral maps into 'principal' subclass template spectra provides additional insight into the behavior of each subclass. However, the general applicability of this computationally more efficient approach is presently undetermined. This is the first time the spectra of individual PAHs are exclusively used to fit the 5-15 μm region and analyze the spatial behavior of the aromatic infrared bands, providing fundamental, new information about astronomical PAH subpopulations including their dependence on, and response to, changes in local conditions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

LARGE ABUNDANCES OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN TITAN'S UPPER ATMOSPHERE

In this paper, we analyze the strong unidentified emission near 3.28 {mu}m in Titan's upper daytime atmosphere recently discovered by Dinelli et al. We have studied it by using the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), after absorbing UV solar radiation, are able to emit strongly near 3.3 {mu}m. By using current models for the redistribution of the absorbed UV energy, we have explained the observed spectral feature and have derived the vertical distribution of PAH abundances in Titan's upper atmosphere. PAHs have been found to be present in large concentrations, about (2-3) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} particles cm{sup -3}. The identified PAHs have 9-96 carbons, with a concentration-weighted average of 34 carbons. The mean mass is {approx}430 u; the mean area is about 0.53 nm{sup 2}; they are formed by 10-11 rings on average, and about one-third of them contain nitrogen atoms. Recently, benzene together with light aromatic species as well as small concentrations of heavy positive and negative ions have been detected in Titan's upper atmosphere. We suggest that the large concentrations of PAHs found here are the neutral counterpart of those positive and negative ions, which hence supports the theory that the origin of Titan main haze layer is located in the upper atmosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nuclear star formation activity and black hole accretion in nearby Seyfert galaxies

Recent theoretical and observational works indicate the presence of a correlation between the star-formation rate (SFR) and active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity (and, therefore, the black hole accretion rate, M-dot {sub BH}) of Seyfert galaxies. This suggests a physical connection between the gas-forming stars on kpc scales and the gas on sub-pc scales that is feeding the black hole. We compiled the largest sample of Seyfert galaxies to date with high angular resolution (∼0.''4-0.''8) mid-infrared (8-13 μm) spectroscopy. The sample includes 29 Seyfert galaxies drawn from the AGN Revised Shapley-Ames catalog. At a median distance of 33 Mpc, our data allow us to probe nuclear regions on scales of ∼65 pc (median value). We found no general evidence of suppression of the 11.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission in the vicinity of these AGN, and we used this feature as a proxy for the SFR. We detected the 11.3 μm PAH feature in the nuclear spectra of 45% of our sample. The derived nuclear SFRs are, on average, five times lower than those measured in circumnuclear regions of 600 pc in size (median value). However, the projected nuclear SFR densities (median value of 22 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} kpc{sup –2}) are a factor of 20 higher than those measured on circumnuclear scales. This indicates that the SF activity per unit area in the central ∼65 pc region of Seyfert galaxies is much higher than at larger distances from their nuclei. We studied the connection between the nuclear SFR and M-dot {sub BH} and showed that numerical simulations reproduce our observed relation fairly well.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗