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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

Effects of RAM Exposure on a Low Earth Orbit BroadBand Radiometer (BBR): CERES Experience and Implications for EarthCARE

In order to best detect real changes in the Earth's climate system it is estimated that space based instrumentation measuring the global Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) must remain calibrated with a stability of 0.3% per decade. This level of stability is beyond the specified accuracy of existing ERB programs such as the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES, using three broadband radiometric scanning channels: the shortwave (SW 0.3 - 5?m), total (0.3 - >100 micron), and window (8 - 12 micron)). When in low earth orbit, it has been shown that optical response to blue-UV radiance can be reduced significantly (> 3%) due to UV hardened contaminants deposited on the surface of the optics. Evidence suggests that exposure of telescope optics to the forward looking ram direction is the primary cause of this contamination build up. With typical onboard calibration lamps emitting very low energy in the blue-UV region, this darkening is not directly measurable using standard internal calibration techniques. This paper describes a study using a model of ram exposure induced contaminant deposition and darkening, in conjunction standard established in-flight vicarious and internal calibration techniques to derive the spectral shape of the darkening to which a broadband instrument is subjected. The results of the model when applied to the CERES instruments are shown. These findings are of great importance to the EarthCARE project, whose BBR uses one broadband telescope permanently looking forward at 45 degrees, with continual exposure to the ram direction. Specific attention may therefore be needed in the design of BBR optics and on-board calibration in order to prevent or compensate for the spectral darkening seen in the CERES project.

Matthews, Grant↗
NASA NTRS2002

BeppoSAX Observations of MKN 110

Mkn 110 is a bright, nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy, which underwent a long optical monitoring campaign, during the past 12 years. Optical observations show that Mkn 110 vary, both in flux and spectral shape. The intensity and width of its Broad Emission Lines (BELs) also vary, from typical Seyfert 1, to typical Narrow Line Seyfert 1 (NLSyl) values, so suggesting that this could be the first supermassive black holes where accretion state related transitions, as frequently observed in stellar-size black holes, have finally been observed. To verify these suggestions we asked to monitor Mkn 110 with BeppoSAX with three 50 ksec observations six months apart. The goal of the proposal was to observe spectral variations in X-ray, already suggested by previous, existing ROSAT (Roentgen Satellite) and ASCA (Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics) observations of the same source. The first of these three SAX (Satellite per Astronomia X) observations was taken on May 2000, and lacks the Low-Energy instrument (0.1-2 keV is the band in which NLSy1 and Sy1 X-ray spectra differ most).

Nicastro, Fabrizio↗
NASA NTRS1993

On the origin of the soft X-ray background

The angular autocorrelation function and spectrum of the soft X-ray background is studied below a discrete source detection limit, using two deep images from the Rosat X-ray satellite. The average spectral shape of pointlike sources, which account for 40 to 60 percent of the background intensity, is determined by using the autocorrelation function. The background spectrum, in the 0.5-0.9 keV band (M band), is decomposed into a pointlike source component characterized by a power law and a diffuse component represented by a two-temperature plasma. These pointlike sources cannot contribute more than 60 percent of the X-ray background intensity in the M band without exceeding the total observed flux in the R7 band. Spectral analysis has shown that the local soft diffuse component, although dominating the background intensity at energies not greater than 0.3 keV, contributes only a small fraction of the M band background intensity. The diffuse component may represent an important constituent of the interstellar or intergalactic medium.

Wang, Q. D.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Five Years of Mid-Infrared Evolution of the Remnant of SN 1987A: The Encounter Between the Blast Wave and the Dusty Equatorial Ring

We have used the Spitzer satellite to monitor the laid-IR evolution of SN 1987A over a 5 year period spanning the epochs between days 6000 and 8000 since the explosion. The supernova (SN) has evolved into a supernova remnant (SNR) and its radiative output, is dominated by the interaction of the SN blast wave with the pre-existing equatorial ring (ER). The mid-IR spectrum is dominated by emission from approximately 180 K silicate dust, collisionally-heated by the hot X-ray emitting gas with a temperature and density of 5 x 10(exp 6) K and approximately 3 x 10(exp 4) per cubic centimeter, respectively. The mass of the radiating dust is approximately 1.2 x 10(exp -6) solar mass on day 7554, and scales linearly with IR flux. Comparison of the IR data with the soft X-ray flux derived from Chandra observations shows that the IR-to-X-ray flux ratio, IRX, is roughly constant with a value of 2.5. Gas-grain collisions therefore dominate the cooling of the shocked gas. The constancy of IRX is most consistent with the scenario that very little grain processing or gas cooling have occurred throughout this epoch. The shape of the dust spectrum remained unchanged during the observations while the total flux increased by a factor of approximately 5 with a time dependence of t(sup '0.87 plus or minus 0.20), t' being the time since the first encounter between the blast wave and the ER. These observations are consistent with the transitioning of the blast wave from free expansion to a Sedov phase as it propagates into the main body of the ER, as also suggested by X-ray observations. The constant spectral shape of they IR, emission provides strong constraints on the density and temperature of the shocked gas in which the interaction takes place. The IR spectra also suggest the presence of a secondary population of very small, hot (T greater than or equal to 350 K), featureless dust. If these grains spatially coexists with the silicates, then they must have shorter lifetimes. The data show slightly different rates of increase of their respective fluxes, lending some support to this hypothesis. However, the origin of this emission component and the exact nature of its relation to the silicate emission is still a major unsolved puzzle.

Dwek, Eli↗
NASA NTRS1990

Classification of auroral precipitation fluxes by characteristic parameters and their effects on the coupling of the precipitation to the ambient ionosphere

The spectral shapes of the precipitating auroral electron flux spectra are quantified by an automated fitting procedure which represents each flux spectrum as a superposition of Maxwellian and Gaussian partial fluxes. This makes it possible to represent each spectrum by a set of characteristic parameters which describe the shape of that spectrum. A set of inverted-V events observed by the Low-Energy Plasma Instrument on Dynamics Explorer 2 near the fall 1981 equinox, has been analyzed. The distribution of the peak inverted-V energies in magnetic local time and invariant latitude (IL) has been obtained, and it is shown that by far the highest peak energies occur in the range of IL between 65 and 70 and MLT between 18 and 24 hrs. It is also shown how the difference in spectral characteristics of the precipitation fluxes between the cusp and the nighttime auroral zone determines the thermal coupling of the precipitation to the ambient ionosphere.

Fontheim, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The energy spectra of solar flare hydrogen, helium, oxygen, and iron - Evidence for stochastic acceleration

The time-integrated differential energy spectra of H, He, O, and Fe measured in 10 large flare events observed at 1 AU over the energy range of 0.3-80 MeV/nucleon showed consistent patterns in their spectral shapes: particles with larger mean mass-to-charge ratios were generally less abundant at higher energies. A steady state model of stochastic particle acceleration with rigidity-dependent diffusion coefficients fit the spectra best; spectra representative of diffusive shock acceleration also described the spectra of some events with the same number of free parameters, but often fell off faster in energy above 30 MeV per nucleon than the observations. The two model predictions differed most at energies near 0.1 MeV per nucleon, below the lowest energies observed in this study. The stochastic model quantitatively described the observed spectral ordering with less efficient acceleration of species with larger mean mass-to-charge ratios.

Mazur, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Background Simulation of the MSFC GSPC Balloon Payload

Numerical simulations are used to predict the cosmic-ray induced background in a passively shielded gas scintillation proportional counter to be used as the focal plane instrument of a balloon-borne hard x-ray telescope system. The predicted background in the 20-75 keV operating range of the detector shows a spectral shape characteristic of a power law photoelectrically absorbed by the stainless steel pressure vessel walls. It is found that the dominant background radiation component is simply cosmic diffuse and atmospheric gamma-ray leakage though there is a contribution from nuclear interactions of energetic particles in the walls and nearby payload structures. The correlation between shielding properties and background flux is examined parametrically using one-dimensional slab models, within material and weight constraints, in order to optimize predicted sensitivity. The addition of a few mm thick Sn passive shielding reduces the primary photon contribution by up to 50% at the spectral peak, E 150 keV, and adds only negligibly to the flux due to photon production within the high-Z shields at lower energies.

Swartz, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Time scales of pattern evolution from cross-spectrum analysis of advanced very high resolution radiometer and coastal zone color scanner imagery

We have selected square subareas (110 km on a side) from coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) and advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) images for 1981 in the California Current region off northern California for which we could identify sequences of cloud-free data over periods of days to weeks. We applied a two-dimensional fast Fourier transformation to images after median filtering, (x, y) plane removal, and cosine tapering. We formed autospectra and coherence spectra as functions of a scalar wavenumber. Coherence estimates between pairs of images were plotted against time separation between images for several wide wavenumber bands to provide a temporal lagged coherence function. The temporal rate of loss of correlation (decorrelation time scale) in surface patterns provides a measure of the rate of pattern change or evolution as a function of spatial dimension. We found that patterns evolved (or lost correlation) approximately twice as rapidly in upwelling jets as in the 'quieter' regions between jets. The rapid evolution of pigment patterns (lifetime of about 1 week or less for scales of 50-100 km) ought to hinder biomass transfer to zooplankton predators compared with phytoplankton patches that persist for longer times. We found no significant differences between the statistics of CZCS and AVHRR images (spectral shape or rate of decorrelation). In addition, in two of the three areas studied, the peak correlation between AVHRR and CZCS images from the same area occurred at zero lag, indicating that the patterns evolved simutaneously. In the third area, maximum coherence between thermal and pigment patterns occurred when pigment images lagged thermal images by 1-2 days, mirroring the expected lag of high pigment behind low temperatures (and high nutrients) in recently upwelled water. We conclude that in dynamic areas such as coastal upwelling systems, the phytoplankton cells (identified by pigment color patterns) behave largely as passive scalars at the mesoscale and that growth, death, and sinking of phytoplankton collectively play at most a mariginal role in determining the spectral statistics of the pigment patterns.

Denman, Kenneth L.↗
NASA NTRS2004

XMM-Newton Observations of the 2003 X-Ray Minimum of Eta Carinae

The XMM-Newton X-ray observatory took part in the multi-wavelength observing campaign of the massive, evolved star Eta Carinae in 2003 during its recent X-ray minimum in June 2003. This paper reports on the first results of these observations, which were performed (1) before the minimum (five times in January, 2003), (2) near the X-ray maximum just before the minimum (two times in June) and (3) during the minimum (four times in July-August). Hard X-ray emission from the point source of Eta Carinae was detected even during the minimum. The observed flux above 3 keV was approx. 3x10(exp -12) ergs cm(exp -2)/s, which is about one percent of the flux before the minimum. Light curves from the individual observations show no time variability on the scale of a few kilo-seconds. Changes in the spectral shape occurred, but these changes were smaller than expected if the minimum is produced solely by an increase of hydrogen column density. Fits of the hard X-Ray source by an absorbed 1T model show a constant plasma temperature at around 5 keV and an increase of column density from 5x10(exp 22) cm(exp -2) to 2x10(exp 23) cm(exp -2). The spectra below 6 keV significantly deviate from the models that fit the higher energy emission. The X-ray minimum seems to be dominated by an apparent decrease of the emission measure, suggesting that the brightest part of the X-ray emitting region is completely obscured during the minimum in the form of an eclipse. Partial covering plasma emission models might be considered for the spectral variation. The spectra also showed strong iron K line emission from both hot and cold gases, and weak line emission from Ni, Ca, Ar, S and Si.

Hamaguchi, K.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Astrophysics Milestones for Pulsar Timing Array Gravitational-wave Detection

The NANOGrav Collaboration reported strong Bayesian evidence for a common-spectrum stochastic process in its12.5 yr pulsar timing array data set, with median characteristic strain amplitude at periods of a year of A(yr) = 1.92(+0.75,-0.55) x 10^(-15). However, evidence for the quadrupolar Hellings & Downs interpulsar correlations, which are characteristic of gravitational-wave signals, was not yet significant. We emulate and extend the NANOGrav data set, injecting a wide range of stochastic gravitational-wave background(GWB)signals that encompass a variety of amplitudes and spectral shapes, and quantify three key milestones.(I)Given the amplitude measured in the 12.5 yr analysis and assuming this signal is a GWB, we expect to accumulate robust evidence of an interpulsar-correlated GWB signal with 15–17 yr of data, i.e., an additional 2–5 yr from the 12.5 yr data set.(II)At the initial detection, we expect a fractional uncertainty of 40% on the power-law strain spectrum slope, which is sufficient to distinguish a GWB of supermassive black hole binary origin from some models predicting more exotic origins.(III)Similarly, the measured GWB amplitude will have an uncertainty of 44% upon initial detection, allowing us to arbitrate between some population models of supermassive black hole binaries. In addition, power-law models are distinguishable from those having low-frequency spectral turnovers once 20 yr of data are reached. Even though our study is based on the NANOGrav data, we also derive relations that allow for a generalization to other pulsar timing array data sets. Most notably, by combining the data of individual arrays into the International Pulsar Timing Array, all of these milestones can be reached significantly earlier.

Nihan S. Pol↗
NASA NTRS2022

Elevated Hot Gas and High-mass X-Ray Binary Emission in Low-metallicity Galaxies: Implications for Nebular Ionization and Intergalactic Medium Heating in the Early Universe

High-energy emission associated with star formation has been proposed as a significant source of interstellar medium (ISM) ionization in low-metallicity starbursts and an important contributor to the heating of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the high-redshift (z ≳ 8) universe. Using Chandra observations of a sample of 30 galaxies at D ≈ 200–450 Mpc that have high specific star formation rates of 3–9 Gyr^(−1) and metallicities near Z ≈ 0.3Z_⊙, we provide new measurements of the average 0.5–8 keV spectral shape and normalization per unit star formation rate (SFR). We model the sample-combined X-ray spectrum as a combination of hot gas and high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) populations and constrain their relative contributions. We derive scaling relations of log L^(HMXB)_(0.5-8keV) / SFR = 40.19 ± 0.06 and log L^(gas)_(0.5-2keV) / SFR = 39.58 ^(+0.17)_(-0.28), significantly elevated compared to local relations. The HMXB scaling is also somewhat higher than L^(HMXB)_(0.5-8keV) -SFR-Z relations presented in the literature, potentially due to our galaxies having relatively low HMXB obscuration and young and X-ray luminous stellar populations. The elevation of the hot gas scaling relation is at the level expected for diminished attenuation due to a reduction of metals; however, we cannot conclude that an L^(gas)_(0.5-2keV) -SFR-Z relation is driven solely by changes in ISM metal content. Finally, we present SFR-scaled spectral models (both emergent and intrinsic) that span the X-ray-to-IR band, providing new benchmarks for studies of the impact of ISM ionization and IGM heating in the early universe.

high-mass x-ray binary stars↗
NASA NTRS1995

The Ultraviolet Spectrum of the Jovian Dayglow

The ultraviolet spectra of molecular hydrogen H2 and HD due to solar fluorescence and photoelectron excitation are calculated and compared with the Jovian equatorial dayglow spectrum measured at 3 A resolution at solar maximum. The dayglow emission is accounted for in both brightness and spectral shape by the solar fluorescence and photoelectron excitation and requires no additional energy source. The emission is characterized by an atmospheric temperature of 530 K and an H2 column density of 10(exp 20) cm(exp -2). The dayglow spectrum contains a cascade contribution to the Lyman band emission from high-lying E and F states. Its relative weakness at short wavelengths is due to both self-absorption by H2 and absorption by CH4. Strong wavelength coincidences of solar emission lines and absorption lines of H2 and HD produce unique line spectra which can be identified in the dayglow spectrum. The strongest fluorescence is due to absorption of the solar Lyman-beta line at 1025.72 A by the P(1) line of the (6, 0) Lyman band of H2 at 1025.93 A. The fluorescence lines due to absorption of the solar O 6 line at 1031.91 A by vibrationally excited H2 via the Q(3) line of the (1, 1) Werner band at 1031.86 A are identified. The fluorescence lines provide a sensitive measure of the atmospheric temperature. There occurs an exact coincidence of the solar O 6 line at 1031.91 A and the R(0) line of the (6, 0) Lyman band of HD at 1031-91 A, but HD on Jupiter is difficult to detect due to the dominance of the H2 emission where the HD emission is particularly strong. Higher spectral resolution and higher sensitivity may make possible such a detection. The high resolution (0.3 A) spectra of H2 and HD are presented to stimulate search for the HD on Jupiter with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Liu, Weihong↗
NASA NTRS2014

X-Ray Spectral Components Observed in the Afterglow of GRB 130925A

We have identified spectral features in the late-time X-ray afterglow of the unusually long, slow-decaying GRB 130925A using NuSTAR, Swift/X-Ray Telescope, and Chandra. A spectral component in addition to an absorbed power law is required at greater than 4 less than 1 significance, and its spectral shape varies between two observation epochs at 2 x 10 (sup 5) and 10 (sup 6) seconds after the burst. Several models can fit this additional component, each with very different physical implications. A broad, resolved Gaussian absorption feature of several kiloelectronvolts width improves the fit, but it is poorly constrained in the second epoch. An additive blackbody or second power-law component provide better fits. Both are challenging to interpret: the blackbody radius is near the scale of a compact remnant (10 (sup 8) centimeters), while the second power-law component requires an unobserved high-energy cutoff in order to be consistent with the non-detection by Fermi/Large Area Telescope.

SPECTRAL↗
NASA NTRS1994

Spectral evolution of microwaves and hard X-rays in the 1989 March 18 flare and its interpretation

We analyze the time variation of microwave spectra and hard X-ray spectra of 1989 March 18, which are obtained from the Solar Array at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) and the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), respectively. From this observation, it is noted that the hard X-ray spectra gradually soften over 50 - 200 keV on-and-after the maximum phase while the microwaves at 1 - 15 GHz show neither a change in spectral shape nor as rapid a decay as hard X-rays. This leads to decoupling of hard X-rays from the microwaves in the decay phase away from their good correlation seen in the initial rise phase. To interpret this observation, we adopt a view that microwave-emitting particles and hard X-ray particles are physically separated in an inhomogeneous magnetic loop, but linked via interactions with the Whistler waves generated during flares. From this viewpoint, it is argued that the observed decoupling of microwaves from hard X-rays may be due to the different ability of each source region to maintain high energy electrons in response to the Whistler waves passing through the entire loop. To demonstrate this possibility, we solve a Fokker-Planck equation that describes evolution of electrons interacting with the Whistler waves, taking into account the variation of Fokker-Planck coefficients with physical quantities of the background medium. The numerical Fokker-Planck solutions are then used to calculate microwave spectra and hard X-ray spectra for agreement with observations. Our model results are as follows: in a sronger field region, the energy loss by electron escape due to scattering by the waves is greatly enhanced resulting in steep particle distributions that reproduce the observed hard X-ray spectra. In a region with weaker fields and lower density, this loss term is reduced allowing high energy electrons to survive longer so that microwaves can be emitted there in excess of hard X-rays during the decay phase of the flare. Our results based on spectral fitting of a flare event are discussed in comparison with previous studies of microwaves and hard X-rays based on either temporal or spatial information.

Lee, Jeongwoo W.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Constraining Cometary Crystal Shapes from IR Spectral Features

A major challenge in deriving the silicate mineralogy of comets is ascertaining how the anisotropic nature of forsterite crystals affects the spectral features' wavelength, relative intensity, and asymmetry. Forsterite features are identified in cometary comae near 10, 11.05-11.2, 16, 19, 23.5, 27.5 and 33 microns [1-10], so accurate models for forsterite's absorption efficiency (Qabs) are a primary requirement to compute IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs, lambdaF lambda vs. lambda) and constrain the silicate mineralogy of comets. Forsterite is an anisotropic crystal, with three crystallographic axes with distinct indices of refraction for the a-, b-, and c-axis. The shape of a forsterite crystal significantly affects its spectral features [13-16]. We need models that account for crystal shape. The IR absorption efficiencies of forsterite are computed using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) code DDSCAT [11,12]. Starting from a fiducial crystal shape of a cube, we systematically elongate/reduce one of the crystallographic axes. Also, we elongate/reduce one axis while the lengths of the other two axes are slightly asymmetric (0.8:1.2). The most significant grain shape characteristic that affects the crystalline spectral features is the relative lengths of the crystallographic axes. The second significant grain shape characteristic is breaking the symmetry of all three axes [17]. Synthetic spectral energy distributions using seven crystal shape classes [17] are fit to the observed SED of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp). The Hale-Bopp crystalline residual better matches equant, b-platelets, c-platelets, and b-columns spectral shape classes, while a-platelets, a-columns and c-columns worsen the spectral fits. Forsterite condensation and partial evaporation experiments demonstrate that environmental temperature and grain shape are connected [18-20]. Thus, grain shape is a potential probe for protoplanetary disk temperatures where the cometary crystalline forsterite formed. The forsterite crystal shapes (equant, b-platelets, c-platelets, b-columns - excluding a- and c-columns) derived from our modeling [17] of comet Hale- Bopp, compared to laboratory synthesis experiments [18], suggests that these crystals are high temperature condensates. By observing and modeling the crystalline features in comet ISON, we may constrain forsterite crystal shape(s) and link to their formation temperature(s) and environment(s).

anisotropic crystal↗