Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “interstellar”

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 1,783 records · Page 99
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

High-velocity interstellar gas in the line of sight to the Wolf-Rayet star HD 50896

The large shell of interstellar gas (IG) discovered toward HD 50896 by Heckathorn and Fesen (1984) is characterized on the basis of high-dispersion IUE SWP and LWR spectra of 19 objects located within 4 deg of HD 50896 (but outside the optical ring nebula S308) at distances 0.6-2.9 kpc (compared to 1.5 kpc for HD 50896). The IG is found to have two components (at velocities -80 and -125 km/s), diameter 90 pc or greater, and distance 1.0 + or - 0.2 kpc, demonstrating that it is not related to HD 50896 and suggesting that it is a highly evolved supernova remnant associated with cluster Cr 121.

Nichols-Bohlin, J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Comprehensive models of diffuse interstellar clouds - Physical conditions and molecular abundances

The limitations of steady state models of interstellar clouds are explored by means of comparison with observational data corresponding to clouds in front of Zeta Per, Zeta Oph, Chi Oph, and Omicron Per. The improved cloud models were constructed to reproduce the observed H and H2(J) column densities for several lines of sight. The main difference from previous models is the treatment of self-shielding in the H2 lines. Other improvements over previous models are discussed as well.

Van Dishoeck, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Collisional excitation of interstellar methyl cyanide

Theoretical calculations are used to determine the collisional excitation rates of methyl cyanide under interstellar molecular cloud conditions. The required Q(L,M) as a function of kinetic temperature were determined by averaging fixed energy IOS (infinite order sudden) results over appropriate Boltzmann distributions of collision energies. At a kinetic temperature of 40 K, rates within a K ladder were found to be accurate to generally better than about 30 percent.

Green, Sheldon↗
NASA NTRS1986

Density fluctuations in the interstellar medium: Evidence for anisotropic magnetogasdynamic turbulence. II - Stationary structures

A model of anisotropic, plasma-fluid variations was used to investigate the unknown origin of the power spectra of interstellar electron fluctuations inferred by Armstrong, Cordes, and Rickett (1981). The modeled electron variations are interpreted as density components of an anisotropic stationary mode of nonlinear magnetogasdynamics-tangential pressure balances. It is suggested that the wavenumber spectra of electron variations are identical to the spectra of the convecting velocity fields over a wide range of wavenumbers.

Higdon, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Is N-protonated hydrogen isocyanide, H2NC(+), an observable interstellar species?

Ab initio molecular orbital theory is used to examine the singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces for the CH2N(+) system. The results confirm those of earlier studies which suggested that the singlet H2NC(+) isomer could be formed via the corresponding triplet isomer. Also, it is shown that the reaction HCN(+) + H2 might lead to this metastable isomer without invoking the triplet species. The best test of the hypothesis that this molecule can be formed by gas phase, ion molecule reactions and may be an important precursor in the interstellar synthesis of HCN and HNC is to search for it in space. To this end, theoretical predictions are made of its rotational frequencies and its vibrational frequencies and intensities to serve as a guide to laboratory spectroscopists and radioastronomers.

Defrees, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A survey of bimolecular ion-molecule reactions for use in modeling the chemistry of planetary atmospheres, cometary comae, and interstellar clouds

All bimolecular positive ion-molecule reactions reported from 1965 to 1985 for temperatures below 1000 K are included in the present survey of those ion-molecule reactions pertinent to the chemistries of planetary atmospheres, cometary comae, and interstellar clouds. This survey is intended as an update of the first, by Huntress (1977). The tabular presentation is organized according to reactant ion, with cross-references for both the ionic and the neutral reactants as well as the ionic and neutral products.

Anicich, V. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Interstellar fossil Mg-26 and its possible relationship to excess meteoritic Mg-26

A plausible scenario is advanced for explainig a linear correlation found in some solar system solids between their Mg-26/Mg-24 isotopic ratios and their Al/Mg elemental abundance ratios. This scenario involves three stages: (1) the mechanical aggregation of an average ensemble of Al-bearing dust particles that is postulated to be modestly enriched in the Al/Mg abundance ratio because the aggregated particles themselves are; (2) the extraction, perhaps but not necessarily by hot distillation, of almost all Mg, leaving an aggregate with a large Al/Mg ratio and a large Mg-26 excess; and (3) the uptake of normal ambient Mg by the resulting hot Al-rich solid as it cools in Mg-rich vapor. A linear correlation in solids between their Mg-26/Mg-24 isotopic ratio and their aluminum enrichment may be a fossil correlation inherited from interstellar dust.

Clayton, Donald D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A molecular cloud in the local, hot interstellar medium

Echelle spectra recorded at the D lines of Na I are reported for nine A or F stars. Lying at approximate distances ranging from 25 to 230 pc, the stars are projected on or near the high-latitude molecular cloud MBM 12 at l = 159 deg, b = -34 deg. Among a subgroup of five of these stars separated by no more than 1.2 deg on the sky, four which are located at distances d more than 70 pc show strong interstellar D line absorption near the radial velocity of the CO emission observed in this general direction. The fifth star, at roughly 60 pc, shows no detectable absorption. MBM 12 therefore probably lies at roughly 65 pc, within the local region filled primarily by very hot, low-density gas, a conclusion supported by the large internal velocity dispersion of the molecular cloud complex.

Hobbs, L. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

IUE observations of neutral hydrogen and deuterium in the local interstellar medium

Small-aperture, high-dispersion IUE spectra have been obtained of seven late-type stars that, in general, confirm previous Copernicus results concerning the distribution of hydrogen and deuterium in the local interstellar medium. In addition, the IUE Ly Alpha spectra of Altair, and of the Alpha Cen components, suggest that multiple velocity components exist in these two directions.

Landsman, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Perspective on the local interstellar medium

Theoretical local-interstellar-medium (LISM) models designed to explain the observed soft-X-ray background (SXRB) are reviewed. Consideration is given to the LISM in the immediate solar vicinity (the Local Fluff, extending 3-10 pc), the local bubble (a large irregularly shaped cavity filled with very-low-density gas at 10 to the 6th K and surrounded by denser material), the three-dimensional structure of the SXRB emitting region, the thermal nature of the SXRB, and the implications of process time scales for LISM theories. A number of possible mechanisms are discussed in the context of a model in which the LISM hot gas is a remnant from the creation of the local bubble about 20 Myr ago and/or the product of supernova reheating as recently as 150 kyr ago.

Cox, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer and the local interstellar medium

The EUV Explorer (EUVE) mission is described, with emphasis on the overall capabilities of the instrumentation and the relevance of the mission to determining parameters of the local interstellar medium. The primary purpose of the mission is to search the celestial sphere for astronomical sources of EUV radiation (100-1000 A). The search will be accomplished with the use of three EUV telescopes, sensitive to different segments of the EUV band. A fourth telescope will perform a high-sensitivity search of a limited sample of the sky in the shortest-wavelength bands. The all-sky survey will be carried out in the first six months of the mission. The second six months of the mission, conducted entirely by Guest Investigators selected by NASA, will be devoted to spectroscopic observations of selected EUV sources. The instrumentation is now well developed. The best mirror has full-width/half-energy spread of 8 arcsec and a surface finish of 20 A. Prototype thin-film bandpass filters have been flown on the Space Shuttle and their performance optimized. Prototype detectors have been developed which have 600 by 600-pixel imaging capability and up to 80-percent quantum efficiency in parts of the EUV band.

Bowyer, Stuart↗
NASA NTRS1986

High-resolution optical and ultraviolet absorption-line studies of interstellar gas

Recent progress in the characterization of the interstellar medium (ISM) by means of optical and UV spectral data is summarized. The gas is studied by focusing on background stars whose spectra can be accurately modeled to provide the light source for the absorption-line scans. The capabilities of earth- and space-based instruments which have been and are used for the surveys are delineated. The distributions of diffuse gas densities and characteristics of the cold, warm and hot gas in the Galaxy are described in terms of the elemental abundances, kinetics and distributions of the gas. Particular note is taken of gas in the solar neighborhood and around SNR, and of absorption-line data of cosmological significance.

Cowie, Lennox L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Ion-molecule calculation of the abundance ratio of CCD to CCH in dense interstellar clouds

Laboratory measurements and calculations have been performed to determine the abundance ratio of the deuterated ethynyl radical (CCD) to the normal radical (CCH) which can be achieved in dense interstellar clouds via isotopic fractionation in the C2H2(+) (HD)=C2HD(+)(H2) system of reactions. According to this limited treatment, the CCD/CCH abundance ratio which can be attained is in the range 0.02-0.03 for the Orion molecular cloud and 0.0l-0.02 for TMC-1. These ranges of numbers are in reasonable agreement with the observed values in Orion and TMC-1. However, the analysis of the CCD/CCH abundance ratio is complicated via the presence of competing fractionation mechanisms, especially in the low-temperature source TMC-1.

Herbst, Eric↗
NASA NTRS1987

Evolution of interstellar pickup ions in the solar wind

A model is constructed for the evolution of an interstellar pickup ion distribution in the solar wind. The model assumes that the ions are immediately isotropized at ionization and follows the subsequent development of the distribution function as the particles are convected with the solar wind. The effects of energy diffusion in an ambient wave field with a power law spectrum, adiabatic deceleration in the expanding solar wind, and continual addition of newly ionized particles are all included in the model. An analytical expression describing the evolution of the distribution function in phase space velocity and heliocentric radius is obtained. The distribution quickly approaches an asymptotic shape in phase space which depends on the relative efficiency of the energy diffusion process compared to that of adiabatic deceleration. At large distances from the sun the density of pickup ions falls as 1/r in this model. An expression for the distribution function at large distances and for large particle speed is presented. The asymptotic shape should describe the distribution of pickup ions in the outer heliosphere and could be used as an input distribution for a model of the anomalous component of heliosphere and could be used as an input distribution for a model of the anomalous component of cosmic rays. Comparison of this work with the recent observation of He(+) at 1 AU implies that the energy diffusion process is very weak inside 1 AU.

Isenberg, Philip A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Highly ionized interstellar gas located in the Galactic disk and halo

High-resolution IUE absorption line spectra have been obtained for 40 distant stars in order to study the distribution of interstellar H I, Si IV, C IV, and N V in the Galactic disk and lower halo. Respective midplane densities of 2 x 10 to the -9th, 7 x 10 to the -9th, and 3 x 10 to the -9th are found for Si IV, C IV, and Ni V. Both column density and velocity data indicate that the highly ionized gas (HIG) is considerably more extended in directions away from the Galactic plane than is H I or Si II. The absorption-line velocities for the halo HIG are consistent with the notion that halo gas in the inner Galaxy rotates more slowly than gas in the underlying disk. The derived column densities suggest an exponential scale height for the HIG of about 3 kpc; however, a simple exponential distribution is a poor representation of the distribution of the gas. It is concluded that a full explanation of the origin of the halo HIG will probably require a blending of ideas from the Galactic fountain and the photoionized halo models.

Savage, Blair D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Interstellar diamonds in meteorites

Primitive meteorites contain up to 400 ppm of a very fine-grained type of carbon tentatively called C-delta. Evidence is presented here that part of all of the C-delta is primary, not shock-produced, diamond formed by stellar condensation as a metastable phase. It appears that interstellar dust contains diamond.

Lewis, Roy S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Anharmonicity and the interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon infrared emission spectrum

The hypothesis that interstellar infrared emission originates from vibrationally excited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) requires that emission can arise from all vibrational levels that are energetically accessible. Due to anharmonicity, the emission from the upper vibrational levels is shifted to longer wavelengths from that of the v = 1-0 transition. It is shown that structure in the 3-micron region is readily and quantitatively explained by emission from upper vibrational levels of excited PAHs that contain a maximum of 20-30 carbon atoms. The asymmetrical broadening of the 11.3-micron emission band may also be due to anharmonicity.

Barker, John R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The diffuse interstellar features at 5780 and 5797 A in star-formation regions

Substantially reddened stars on the Rho Oph and T Cha clouds, as well as individual hot stars associated with nebulosity in the 5780, 5797 A diffuse interstellar line region, have been observed. 5780 A is found to be generally weak, except in Z CMa and stars SR 3 and SR 5 in the Rho Oph cloud. The line at 5797 A is weak relative to 5780 A in all of the program stars. The suggestion by others that 5780 and 5797 A are due to different sources is confirmed. Finally, the implications of the weakness of these bands in regions of high gas and dust density, as well as an enhanced radiation field due to the presence of recently formed stars, are discussed.

Wallerstein, George↗