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NASA NTRS1992

Ground-truthing AVIRIS mineral mapping at Cuprite, Nevada

Mineral abundance maps of 18 minerals were made of the Cuprite Mining District using 1990 AVIRIS data and the Multiple Spectral Feature Mapping Algorithm (MSFMA) as discussed in Clark et al. This technique uses least-squares fitting between a scaled laboratory reference spectrum and ground calibrated AVIRIS data for each pixel. Multiple spectral features can be fitted for each mineral and an unlimited number of minerals can be mapped simultaneously. Quality of fit and depth from continuum numbers for each mineral are calculated for each pixel and the results displayed as a multicolor image.

Swayze, Gregg↗

NASA NTRS1994

Does training-induced orthostatic hypotension result from reduced carotid baroreflex responsiveness?

As manned space travel has steadily increased in duration and sophistication, the answer to a simple, relevant question remains elusive. Does endurance exercise training - high intensity rhythmic activity, performed regularly for extended periods of time - alter the disposition to, or severity of, postflight orthostatic hypotension? Research results continue to provide different views; however, data are difficult to compare because of the following factors that vary between investigations: the type of orthostatic stress imposed (+Gz, lower body negative pressure (LBNP), head-up tilt); pretest perturbations used (exercise, heat exposure, head-down tilting, bed rest, water immersion, hypohydration, pharmacologically-induced diuresis); the length of the training program used in longitudinal investigations (days versus weeks versus months); the criteria used to define fitness; and the criteria used to define orthostatic tolerance. Generally, research results indicate that individuals engaged in aerobic exercise activities for a period of years have been reported to have reduced orthostatic tolerance compared to untrained control subjects, while the results of shorter term longitudinal studies remain equivocal. Such conclusions suggest that chronic athletic training programs reduce orthostatic tolerance, whereas relatively brief (days to weeks) training programs do not affect orthostatic tolerance to any significant degree (increase or decrease). A primary objective was established to identify the alterations in blood pressure control that contribute to training-induced orthostatic hypotension (TIOH). Although any aspect of blood pressure regulation is suspect, current research has been focused on the baroreceptor system. Reductions in carotid baroreflex responsiveness have been documented in exercise-trained rabbits, reportedly due to an inhibitory influence from cardiac afferent, presumably vagal, nerve fibers that is abolished with intrapericardiac denervation. The purpose of this investigation was to attempt to determine if similar relationships existed in men with varied levels of fitness, using maximal aerobic power, VO2 max, as the marker of fitness.

Pawelczyk, James A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Use of SPOT and ERS-1 SAR data to study the tectonic and climatic history of arid regions

In order to separate the effects of the different tectonic and climatic processes on the shapes of desert piedmonts, a modified conic equation was fitted to digital topographic data for individual alluvial fans in Death Valley (California, U.S.). The topographic data were obtained from a SPOT panchromatic stereo pair and from the airborne interferometric SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) (TOPSAR). The conic fit allows parameters for the epex position, slope, and radial curvature to be compared with unit age, uplift rate, and climatic conditions. Preliminary results indicate that slope flattens with age and radial curvature is concave up, but decreases with age. Work is continuing on correlation of fit residuals and apex position with fan unit age. This information will help in the determination of tectonic uplift rates and the climatic history of the western U.S. ERS-1 SAR images were used to study an area of western China where a large strike slip fault crosses a series of alluvial fans and stream valleys. Previous analysis of SPOT panchromatic images of the area shows that offsets fans and streams can be recognized. Measurement of the rate of motion of this fault will help in the overall model of deformation of the Asian tectonic plate in response to the collision of the Indian plate.

Farr, Tom G.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Uniqueness of a solution of a steady state photochemical problem: Applications to Mars

Based on the conservation of chemical elements in chemical reactions, a rule is proved that the number of boundary conditions given by densities and/or non-zero velocities should not be less than the number of chemical elements in the system, and the components given by densities and velocities should include all elements in the system. Applications of this rule to Mars are considered. It is proved that a problem of CO2-H2O chemistry in the lower and middle atmosphere of Mars, say, in the range of 0-80 km does not have an unique solution, if only CO2 and H2O densities are given at the lower boundary, while all other boundary conditions are fluxes. Two models of this type are discussed. These models fit the same boundary conditions, are balanced with a relative uncertainty of 10(exp -4) for H2, and predict the O2, CO, and H2 mixing ratios which differ by order of magnitude. One more species density, e.g. that of O2, should be specified at the boundary to obtain the unique solution. The situation is better if the upper boundary is extended to the exobase where thermal escape velocities of H and H2 can be specified. However, in this case, either oxygen nonthermal escape rate or the O2 density at the surface should be given as the boundary condition. Two models of Mars' photochemistry, with and without nitrogen chemistry, are considered. The oxygen nonthermal escape rate of 1.2 x 10(exp 8) cm(exp -2) s(exp -1) is given at 240 km and is balanced with the total hydrogen escape rate within uncertainty of 1 percent for both models. Both models fit the measured O2 and CO mixing ratios, the O3 line absorption at 9.6 microns, and the O2 1.27 microns dayglow within the uncertainties of the measured values; although, the model without nitrogen chemistry fits better.

Krasnopolsky, V. A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A robust line extraction and matching algorithm

This paper presents an algorithm for extracting straight lines from intensity mages and describes a line matching algorithm for solving the line correspondence problem. The line extraction process begins by detecting edges in the intensity image. Next, line support regions are formed where image points (pixels) have similar gradient orientation. A line fitting algorithm is then used to fit a line to the points in the line support region based on a least means square fitting algorithm. Finally, line segments are linked together to form the final lines by using an adaptive line linking method; this results in much stronger lines and a smaller set of lines to be considered. Once the lines are detected in a sequence of images, a line matching algorithm is used to match lines in one image to the lines in the other image. The images are either from a motion or stereo sequence. The matched lines may then be used with the sensor position and orientation data to estimate range to objects corresponding to the lines. We present results based on applying the line extraction and line matching algorithms to a synthetic image and an outdoor scene captured by a camera on a helicopter.

Hussien, B.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Design and testing of a model CELSS chamber robot

A robot system for use in an enclosed environment was designed and tested. The conceptual design will be used to assist in research performed by the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) project. Design specifications include maximum load capacity, operation at specified environmental conditions, low maintenance, and safety. The robot system must not be hazardous to the sealed environment, and be capable of stowing and deploying within a minimum area of the CELSS chamber facility. This design consists of a telescoping robot arm that slides vertically on a shaft positioned in the center of the CELSS chamber. The telescoping robot arm consists of a series of links which can be fully extended to a length equal to the radius of the working envelope of the CELSS chamber. The vertical motion of the robot arm is achieved through the use of a combination ball screw/ball spline actuator system. The robot arm rotates cylindrically about the vertical axis through use of a turntable bearing attached to a central mounting structure fitted to the actuator shaft. The shaft is installed in an overhead rail system allowing the entire structure to be stowed and deployed within the CELSS chamber. The overhead rail system is located above the chamber's upper lamps and extends to the center of the CELSS chamber. The mounting interface of the actuator shaft and rail system allows the entire actuator shaft to be detached and removed from the CELSS chamber. When the actuator shaft is deployed, it is held fixed at the bottom of the chamber by placing a square knob on the bottom of the shaft into a recessed square fitting in the bottom of the chamber floor. A support boot ensures the rigidity of the shaft. Three student teams combined into one group designed a model of the CELSS chamber robot that they could build. They investigated materials, availability, and strength in their design. After the model arm and stand were built, the class performed pre-tests on the entire system. A stability pre-test was used to determine whether the model robot arm would tip over on the stand when it was fully extended. Results showed the stand tipped when 50 Newtons were applied horizontally to the top of the vertical shaft while the arm was fully extended. This proved that it was stable. Another pre-test was the actuator slip test used to determine if there is an adequate coefficient of friction between the actuator drive wheels and drive cable to enable the actuator to fully extend and retract the arm. This pre-test revealed that the coefficient of friction was not large enough to prevent slippage. Sandpaper was glued to the drive wheel and this eliminated the slippage problem. The class preformed a fit test in the CELSS chamber to ensure that the completed robot arm is capable of reaching the entire working envelope. The robot was centered in the chamber and the arm was fully extended to the sides of the chamber. The arm was also able to retract to clear the drain pipes separating the upper and lower plant trays.

Davis, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1995

Energization and transport of ions of ionospheric origin in the terrestrial magnetosphere

The work of this grant has been predominantly focused on ion outflows from two data sets: Prognoz 7 and Dynamics Explorer. The Prognoz analysis studied ion densities, temperatures, and flow velocities in the magnetotail. The work performed under this contract consisted of developing a program to load the raw data, computing the background subtraction of a strong sun pulse, and using the net count to calculate the low order moments of the distribution function. The study confirms the results of ISEE with regard to the supply of plasma from the cusp as a major source of plasmasheet plasma and goes beyond this to discuss the use of ion velocities as a way to examine the motions of the magnetotail. The abstract of the work to be reported is included as an appendix. The work on the DE/Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer is separated into two categories: (1) classification of low-energy ion flows from high-latitudes, and (2) studies of the polar wind. Major publications resulting from this work are also included as an appendix to this report. The polar wind is in a category by itself as a result of the thermal escape of hydrogen and helium because of ambipolar diffusion through the heavier, oxygen-dominated topside ionosphere. The analysis of the polar wind reports the flux variability as a function of season, magnetic activity, etc. Much effort has been expended under this grant to complete a follow on study of the thermal structure of the polar wind. Extensive display tools and analysis software have been developed and used in an attempt to carry out this thermal analysis. The present work uses a constrained fit scheme that combines the ion densities and flow velocities derived from Chandler et al. and a spacecraft potential derived from an empirical relation to the total ion density to determine the remaining fit parameter, the ion temperature, via a least squares fit to the RIMS data.

Waite, J. Hunter JR.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Spectral identification of minerals using imaging spectrometry data: Evaluating the effects of signal to noise and spectral resolution using the tricorder algorithm

The rapid development of sophisticated imaging spectrometers and resulting flood of imaging spectrometry data has prompted a rapid parallel development of spectral-information extraction technology. Even though these extraction techniques have evolved along different lines (band-shape fitting, endmember unmixing, near-infrared analysis, neural-network fitting, and expert systems to name a few), all are limited by the spectrometer's signal to noise (S/N) and spectral resolution in producing useful information. This study grew from a need to quantitatively determine what effects these parameters have on our ability to differentiate between mineral absorption features using a band-shape fitting algorithm. We chose to evaluate the AVIRIS, HYDICE, MIVIS, GERIS, VIMS, NIMS, and ASTER instruments because they collect data over wide S/N and spectral-resolution ranges. The study evaluates the performance of the Tricorder algorithm, in differentiating between mineral spectra in the 0.4-2.5 micrometer spectral region. The strength of the Tricorder algorithm is in its ability to produce an easily understood comparison of band shape that can concentrate on small relevant portions of the spectra, giving it an advantage over most unmixing schemes, and in that it need not spend large amounts of time reoptimizing each time a new mineral component is added to its reference library, as is the case with neural-network schemes. We believe the flexibility of the Tricorder algorithm is unparalleled among spectral-extraction techniques and that the results from this study, although dealing with minerals, will have direct applications to spectral identification in other disciplines.

Swayze, Gregg A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Vega: A rapidly rotating pole-on star

High-dispersion (2.4 A/mm), ultrahigh signal-to-noise ratio (3000:1) Reticon spectra of Vega revealed two distinct types of profiles. The strong lines exhibit classical rotational profiles with enhanced wings, but the weak lines have distinctly different, flat-bottomed profiles. Using ATLAS9 model atmopheres and SYNTHE synthetic spectra, Vega has been modeled as a rapidly rotating, pole-on star with a gradient in temperature and gravity over the photosphere. By fitting to the flat-bottomed line profiles of Fe 1 lambda 4528 and Ti 2 lambda 4529, we find least-squares fit values of V sin i = 21.8 plus or minus 0.2 km/sec polar T(sub eff) = 9695 plus or minus 25 K, polar log(base 10)g = 3.75 plus or minus 0.02 dex, V(sub eq) = 245 plus or minus 15 km/sec, and inclination 5 deg .1 plus or minus 0 deg .3. The variations in T(sub eff) and log(base 10)g over the photosphere total 390 K and 0.08 dex, respectively. Assuming V sin i = 21.8 km/sec, an independent fit to the observed continuous flux from 1200 to 10,500 A produced a similar set of values with polar T(sub eff) = 9595 plus or minus 20 K, polar log(base 10)g = 3.80 plus or minus 0.03 dex, and inclination 6 deg .0 plus or minus 0 deg .7.

Gulliver, Austin F.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Investigation of spreading center ecolution by joint inversion of seafloor magnetic anomaly and tectonic fabric data

Spreading center segments that have experienced a complex tectonic history including rift propagation may have a complicated signature in bathymetric and magnetic anomaly data. To gain insight into the history of such regions, we have developed techniques in which both the magnetic anomaly patterns and seafloor fabric trends are predicted theoretically, and the combined predictions are compared numerically with the data to estimate best fitting parameters for the propagation history. Fitting functions are constructed to help determine which model best matches the digitized fabric and magnetic anomaly data. Such functions offer statistical criteria for choosing the best fit model. We use this approach to resolve the propagation history of the Cobb Offset along the Juan de Fuca ridge. In this example, the magnetic anomaly data prove more useful in defining the geometry of the propagation events, while the fabric, with its greater temporal resolution, is more useful for constraining the rate of propagation. It thus appears that joint inversion of magnetic and seafloor fabric data can be valuable in tectonic analyses.

Shoberg, Tom↗

NASA NTRS1994

Absorption in 3C 212

3C 212 (Q0855+143) is a red quasar with ambiguous evidence for strong low-energy X-ray absorption in its ROSAT spectrum (Elvis et al. 1994). We combine Einstein and ROSAT data with ultraviolet absorption-line strengths to investigate the physical state of the absorber. We find that a highly ionized absorber (U approximately 0.3) provides a consistent fit to both X-ray and UV data as well as providing a significantly improved fit to the X-ray spectrum. The absorber is outflowing with a velocity of approximately 1600 km/sec with respect to the Mg II emission line, situated outside the broad emission-line region (BELR) and has low density. The alternative blackbody fit to the X-ray data is excluded if the source has not varied, and it is also unable to predict the UV absorption lines. This is the second case of an X-ray absorber identified with a UV absorber (the first one being 3C 351; Mathur et al. 1994) and suggests that UV/X-ray absorbers may be common. This is an exciting possibility as the combination of UV and X-ray constraints is very powerful in determining the physical conditions of an absorber.

Mathur, Smita↗

NASA NTRS1994

Observations of ultraviolet-bright stars in globular clusters with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

Two UV-bright stars in globular clusters, UV5 in NGC 1851 and vZ 1128 in M3, were observed with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) during the Astro-1 space shuttle mission in 1990 December. The stars' spectra show weak absorption features and no significant emission features other than well known geocoronal lines. Detailed fitting of Kurucz (1991) stellar atmosphere models using a chi(sup 2) minimization technique indicates T(sub eff) = 16 000 K, log g = 2.5, and abundance (-1.0) (logarithm of abundance of elements heavier than helium relative to solar) for UV5, and T(sub eff) = 35 000 K, log g = 4.0, and abundance (-3.5) for vZ 1128. The Kurucz model which best fits vZ 1128 overpredicts the flux in the region below approximately 1000 A, an effect seen in previous models of O-type stars. Our results are robust (to within approximately 1000 K) with respect to uncertainties in interstellar reddening and atomic and molecular hydrogen column densities. We do not see significant molecular hydrogen absorption, which might have indicated material in a circumstellar shell, in either star's spectrum. We estimate the stellar luminosities to be log L/solar luminosity = 3.33 +/- 0.15 for UV5 and log L/solar luminosity = 3.21 +/- 0.12 for vZ 1128. These atmospheric parameters place both stars on the Schoenberner (post-AGB) tracks, though the stellar masses derived from the best-fitting Kurucz models are somewhat less than those predicted by the Schoenberner models. Examination of individual absorption line strengths reveals no significant abundance anomalies in either star.

Van Dyke Dixon, W.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Galactic 0.511 MeV line emission

Observations over two decades with various balloon-borne instruments and instruments on HEAO 3, SMM, and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) have revealed the existence of strong 0.511 MeV line emission from the direction of the Galactic center. We have attempted to fit the spatial distribution of this emisssion with distributions of various Galactic constituents, but found that none of these distributions alone could fit the data. Of the assumed distributions, those of Galactic novae and hot (10(exp 8) K) plasma are the most strongly peaked at the Galactic center. But we found that the 0.511 MeV line emission is even more strongly peaked. This new result is the direct consequence of the analysis of recent data obtained with the OSSE instrument on CGRO. We have thus considered two-component models consisting of an enhanced central Galactic component superposed on a Galactic plane component given by any one of our previously assumend distributions. For the central Galactic component we take either a single point source at the location of the source of annihilation radiation 1E 1740.7-2942 or an extended spheroidal distribution of several hundred parsecs in size. We find acceptable fits in both cases. We suggest that this additional component of the emission from the Galactic center region is due to positrons produced near one or more black holes. Such a component was also suggested by the variability of the 0.511 MeV line flux observed with balloon-borne high-resolution detectors. To produce the very narrow line observed by these high-resolution detectors at almost precisely 0.511 MeV the positrons must escape from the vicinity of the holes and annihilate in the surrounding interstellar medium. We have reexamined the issure of the time variability of the 0.511 MeV line emission. Although the significance of the variability implied by all of the earlier observations is diminished by a large number of recent OSSE observations which show no variability, the latter measurements merely indicate that the flux remained relatively constant only over a period of about 1 year (1991-1992). Positron producation in the Galactic center region by a small number of variable sources would lead to variable 0.511 MeV line emission. The timescale of the variation depends on the density of the gas in which the positrons annihilate. It could be as short as several months if the annihilation is in dense moleduar clouds, but would be much longer and essentially undetectable if the positrons annihilate in lower density interstellar gas.

Ramaty, R.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Comparison of plate and asthenospheric flow models for the thermal evolution of oceanic lithosphere

Although seafloor depth and heat flow for young oceanic lithosphere can be descibed by modeling the lithosphere as the boundary layer of a cooling halfspace, a long standing question has been why data at older ages deviate from those expected for a halfspace. Two classes of models have been proposed for these deviations. In one, heat added from below 'flattens' depth and heat flow. In the other, asthenospheric flow beneath the lithosphere perturbs the depths. We compare recent versions of the model classes: the GDH1 thin-lithosphere plate model (Stein and Stein, 1992) and an asthenospehric flow model (Phipps Morgan and Smith, 1992). The plate model fits heat flow data better than the flow model for all cases considered, and topographic data in all but one case. The flow model significantly overpredicts depths for the North Atlantic, because the assumed asthenospheric flow in the plate motion direction would yield deepening for old ages rather than the observed flattening. Overall, the GDH1 global average model does better than this flow model, whose parameters were fit to specific plates. Moreover, the plate models fit to specific plates do better than the flow model. Plate models thus appear more useful than this flow model, suggesting that deviations from a cooling halfspace are largely thermal in origin.

Stein, Carol A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Geometrical evidence for dark matter: X-ray constraints on the mass of the elliptical galaxy NGC 720

We describe (1) a new test for dark matter and alternate theories of gravitation based on the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed form for the potential, of the optical light, (2) a technique to measure the shapes of the total gravitating matter and dark matter of an ellipsoidal system which is insensitive to the precise value of the temperature of the gas and to modest temperature gradients, and (3) a new method to determine the ratio of dark mass to stellar mass that is dependent on the functional forms for the visible star, gas and dark matter distributions, but independent of the distance to the galaxy or the gas temperature. We apply these techniques to X-ray data from the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) of the optically flattened elliptical galaxy NGC 720; the optical isophotes have ellipticity epsilon approximately 0.40 extending out to approximately 120 sec. The X-ray isophotes are significantly elongated, epsilon = 0.20-0.30 for semimajor axis a approximately 100 sec. The major axes of the optical and X-ray isophotes are misaligned by approximately 30 deg +/- 15 deg. Spectral analysis of the X-ray data reveals no evidence of temperature gradients or anisotropies and demonstrates that a single-temperature plasma (T approximately 0.6 keV) having subsolar heavy element abundances and a two-temperature model having solar abundances describe the spectrum equally well. Considering only the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed functional form for the potential of the optical light, we conclude that matter distributed like the optical light cannot produce the observed ellipticities of the X-ray isophotes, independent of the gas pressure, the gas temperature, and the value of the stellar mass; this comparison assumes a state of quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium so that the three-dimensional surfaces of the gas emissivity trace the three-dimensional isopotential surfaces -- we discuss the viability of this assumption for NGC 720. Milgrom's Modification of Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) cannot dispel this manifestation of dark matter. Hence, geometrical considerations require, without mention of pressure or temperature, the presence of an extended, massive dark matter halo in NGC 720. Employing essentially the technique of Buote & Canizares (1992; Buote 1992) we use the shape of the X-ray surface brightness to constrain the shape of the total gravitating matter. The total matter is modeled as either an oblate or prolate spheriod of constant shape and orientation having either a Ferrers (rho approximately r(exp -n)) or Hernquist density. Assuming the X-ray gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium, we construct a model X-ray gas distribution for various temperature profiles. We determine the ellipticity of the total gravitating matter to be epsilon approximately 0.50-0.70. Using the single-temperature model we estimate a total mass approximately (0.41-1.4) x 10(exp 12) h(sub 80) solar mass interior to the ellipsoid of semimajor axis 43.6 h(sub 80) kpc. Ferrers densities as steep as r(exp -3) do not fit the data, but the r(exp -2) and Hernquist models yield excellent fits. We estimate the mass distributions of the stars and the gas and fit the dark matter directly. For a given gas equation of state and functional forms for the visible stars, gas, and dark matter, these models yield a distance-independent and temperature-independent measurement of the ratio of dark mass to stellar mass M(sub DM)/M(sub stars). We estimate a minimum M(sub DM)/M(sub stars) greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a total mass slightly greater than that derived from the single-temperature models for distance D = 20h(sub 80) Mpc.

Buote, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

On the rms anisotropy at 7 deg and 10 deg observed in the COBE-DMR two year sky maps

The frequency-independent rms temperature fluctuations determined from the Cosmic Background Explorer-Differential Microwave Radiometer (COBE-DMR) two-year sky maps are used to infer the parameter Q(sub rms-PS), which characterizes the normalization of power-law models of primordial cosmological temperature anisotropy, for a forced fit to a scale-invariant Harrison-Zel'dovich (n = 1) spectral model. Using a joint analysis of the 7 deg and 10 deg 'cross'-rms derived from both the 53 and 90 GHz sky maps, we find Q(sub rms-PS) = 17.0(sub -2.1 sup +2.5) micro Kelvin when the low quadrupole is included, and Q(sub rms-PS) = 19.4(sub -2.1 sup +2.3) micro Kelvin excluding the quadrupole. These results are consistent with the n = 1 fits from more sensitive methods. The effect of the low quadrupole derived from the COBE-DMR data on the inferred Q(sub rms-PS) normalization is investigated. A bias to lower Q(sub rms-PS) is found when the quadrupole is included. The higher normalization for a forced n = 1 fit is then favored by the cross-rms technique.

Banday, A. J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

IUE Spectra and photoionization models of the Seyfert 2 glaxies NGC 7674 and I Zw 92

The physical conditions in the narrow-line regions of two Seyfert 2 galaxies, NGC 7674 and I Zw 92, are examined using IUE spectra, published optical spectra and multifrequency observations, and photoionization models. For each Seyfert galaxy, the emission-line fluxes were dereddened using the He II lambda(1640)/lambda(4686) ratio. Photoionization models were calculated using a power-law index determined from the He II lambda(4686)/H-beta ratio; the index is very similar to that obtained from a fit to the observed multifrequency continuum from the infrared to the X-rays. The models were calculated in a way that minimized the number of assumptions, and given the uncertainties in the reddening corrections, the calculated ratios match nearly all of the dereddened ratios successfully. a multicomponent model (three components with different densities and ionization parameters) was required to fit the spectrum of I Zw 92, whereas a single component was sufficient for NGC 7674. The CNO abundances are close to solar, although a reduced abundance of up to one-third solar for one or more of the heavy elements is possible. In contrast to a previous study of Mrk 3, dust inside the narrow-line region (NLR) louds was not required to fit the spectra of these two Seyfert galaxies, although the emission lines experience considerable reddening from external dust. Higher signal-to-noise spectra in the UV are essential for placing further restrictions on the reddening and physical conditions in the narrow-line regions of Seyfert galaxies.

Kraemer, Steven B.↗

NASA NTRS1995

The luminosity function of quasars

We propose a new evolutionary model for the optical luminosity function of quasars. Our analytical model is derived from fits to the empirical luminosity function estimated by Hartwick and Schade and Warren, Hewett, and Osmer on the basis of more than 1200 quasars over the range of redshifts 0 approximately less than z approximately less than 4.5. We find that the evolution of quasars over this entire redshift range can be well fitted by a Gaussian distribution, while the shape of the luminosity function can be well fitted by either a double power law or an exponential L(exp 1/4) law. The predicted number counts of quasars, as a function of either apparent magnitude or redshift, are fully consistent with the observed ones. Our model indicates that the evolution of quasars reaches its maximum at z approximately = 2.8 and declines at higher redshifts. An extrapolation of the evolution to z approximately greater than 4.5 implies that quasars may have started their cosmic fireworks at z(sub f) approximately = 5.2-5.5. Forthcoming surveys of quasars at these redshifts will be critical to constrain the epoch of quasar formation. All the results we derived are based on observed quasars and are therefore subject to the bias of obscuration by dust in damped Ly alpha systems. Future surveys of these absorption systems at z approximately greater than 3 will also be important if the formation epoch of quasars is to be known unambiguously.

Pei, Yichuan C.↗