Engineering topics

Donahue, Megan

Publications and source records attributed to Donahue, Megan.

26 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1994

Emission lines from condensing intracluster gas

We present computations of the emission-line spectra produced when hot gas cools nonuniformly. During inhomogeneous cooling, soft X-ray/extreme ultraviolet radiation from 10(exp 5) to 10(exp 7) K gas photoionizes coexisting clouds that have already cooled to 10(exp 4) K. Thus, strong emission lines emerge from both the high-ionization cooling gas and embedded low-ionization knots. This mechanism, which ought to operate naturally within the sonic radii of cooling flows, can generate optical emission-line spectra similar to those observed at the centers of many clusters of galaxies thought to contain such flows. We have computed the X-ray, ultraviolet (UV), optical, and infrared (IR) emission-line fluxes expected under a variety of intracluster conditions so that the self-irradiation hypothesis can be compared thoroughly with observations. If this picture is found to be adequate, the models can also be used to measure mass flow rates and inflow velocities in the vicinities of cooling-flow nebulae and to constrain the column densities and covering factors of condensed material at the centers of these clusters.

Voit, G. Mark↗

NASA NTRS1993

Calcium depletion in cooling-flow nebulae and the origin of the line-emitting gas

We present upper limits on the forbidden Ca II 7291 A flux from emission-line nebulae in cluster cooling flows. The observed lack of forbidden Ca II emission indicates that gas-phase calcium is underabundant in cooling-flow nebulae and is most likely depleted onto dust grains. If calcium in the line-emitting filaments is largely bound into dust, then these filaments probably did not condense out of the hot intracluster gas.

Donahue, Megan↗

NASA NTRS1991

New photoionization models of intergalactic clouds

New photoionization models of optically thin low-density intergalactic gas at constant pressure, photoionized by QSOs, are presented. All ion stages of H, He, C, N, O, Si, and Fe, plus H2 are modeled, and the column density ratios of clouds at specified values of the ionization parameter of n sub gamma/n sub H and cloud metallicity are predicted. If Ly-alpha clouds are much cooler than the previously assumed value, 30,000 K, the ionization parameter must be very low, even with the cooling contribution of a trace component of molecules. If the clouds cool below 6000 K, their final equilibrium must be below 3000 K, owing to the lack of a stable phase between 6000 and 3000 K. If it is assumed that the clouds are being irradiated by an EUV power-law continuum typical of WSOs, with J0 = 10 exp -21 ergs/s sq cm Hz, typical cloud thicknesses along the line of sight that are much smaller than would be expected from shocks, thermal instabilities, or gravitational collapse are derived.

Donahue, Megan↗

NASA NTRS1991

A photoionization model for the optical line emission from cooling flows

The detailed predictions of a photoionization model previously outlined in Voit and Donahue (1990) to explain the optical line emission associated with cooling flows in X-ray emitting clusters of galaxies are presented. In this model, EUV/soft X-ray radiation from condensing gas photoionizes clouds that have already cooled. The energetics and specific consequences of such a model, as compared to other models put forth in the literature is discussed. Also discussed are the consequences of magnetic fields and cloud-cloud shielding. The results illustrate how varying the individual column densities of the ionized clouds can reproduce the range of line ratios observed and strongly suggest that the emission-line nebulae are self-irradiated condensing regions at the centers of cooling flows.

Donahue, Megan↗

NASA NTRS1990

Self-irradiated cooling condensations - The source of the optical line emission from cooling flows

The optical filaments seen at the centers of clusters of galaxies, which cannot be explained by standard photoionization or shock models, can be straightforwardly interpreted as self-irradiated cooling condensations. Fully developed (about 10,000 K) condensations embedded in thermally unstable 10 million K gas will be bathed in a powerful EUV/soft X-ray flux emanating from the surrounding condensing regions. The present models of the condensation/irradiation process give line ratios and luminosities similar to those observed. Because it is assumed that the condensations arise from linear perturbations, which grow significantly only when the local cooling time is less than the free-fall time, condensing regions of the type modeled here should arise only in cooling flows of central pressure less than about 1 billion ergs/cu cm and should extend only over the inner regions of the cluster.

Voit, G. Mark↗

NASA NTRS1990

Optical emission from cooling flows in distant x ray clusters of galaxies

Although the Einstein satellite detected cooling flows in the x ray emission from clusters of galaxies 10 years ago, the understanding of these flows remains incomplete. The x ray emitting gas in the centers of these clusters is so dense that its cooling time is shorter than a Hubble time. Thus gas may cool and flow into the center of the cluster. This cooling gas is thermally unstable and should quickly become inhomogeneous. Optical filamentation (1-100 kpc scales) often appears near the centers of nearby clusters containing cooling flows, usually within the central galaxies accreting the gas. Indeed, only clusters with well-developed cooling flows seem to possess highly luminous, emission-line nebulae. Researchers present here some results of preliminary observational and theoretical studies of this class of emission-line objects. Researchers observed a complete, x ray selected sample of 25 distant clusters of galaxies extracted from the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey. They discovered luminous extended H alpha emission in 10 of these clusters. Thus at least 40 percent of the clusters in the sample contain cool gas. If we crudely compare the sample to that of Arnaud (1988), in which approx. 40 percent of his 104 x ray clusters have cooling flows, the result implies that cooling flows may actually be a more common phenomenon in the past than in the present. The connection between the cooling flow and the H alpha emission is a mystery. The straightforward calculation of 1 (photoionization) to 3 (shocks) recombinations per H atom in the cooling flow gives mass infall rates 3 to 100 times greater than M derived from x ray observations. Researchers have made some preliminary theoretical calculations in an attempt to resolve this problem.

Donahue, Megan↗

NASA NTRS1990

Probing the Interstellar Medium of External Galaxies Using Quasar Absorption Lines: the 3C 232/NGC 3067 System

Quasar absorption lines offer unique opportunities to probe the interstellar medium of external galaxies. Researchers present new optical and UV absorption line spectroscopy of the quasar 3C232 (z=0.55) revealing new detail in the foreground absorption system due to the bright, spiral galaxy NGC 3067 (cz=1420 km/s). Specifically, the spectra show evidence for two and possibly three separate absorption components in CaII and Na I spanning approx. 150 km/s. The original HI detection of Haschick and Burke (1975) corresponds to the strongest of these metal systems which exhibits doublet ratios consistent with saturation in both CaII and Na I. Due to the recent detection in HI emission of a tidal tail or finger of HI extending from the western edge of NGC 3067 through the position of 3C 232 (Carilli, van Gorkom and Stocke, 1989), the morphology of the HI absorber is now known and is not either a warped disk nor a spherical halo as had been proposed. New deep continuum and H alpha imaging provides a sensitive upper limit on the the ionizing continuum impinging upon this cloud (and thus a limit on the intensity of the extragalactic ionizing radiation field). Together with the observed UV spectrum of 3C 232, the optical emission line ratios and the deep H alpha imaging set a minimum distance between the quasar and the HI cloud disregarding redshift information. This limit strains the non-cosmological redshift interpretation for 3C 232 -- and this quasar is one of the original 5 3C quasars found to be too close to NGC galaxies as if by chance (Burbidge, Burbidge, Solomon and Strittmatter, 1972).

Stocke, John T.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Can quasars ionize the intergalactic medium?

The intergalactic environmental impact of quasars is studied in the light of recent QSO observations, addressing in particular whether QSOs can ionize the IGM at z greater than 3.0. After deriving the expansion law for cosmological ionization fronts in a Friedmann universe, it is investigated whether the QSO population is sufficient for these ionized regions to overlap by z of roughly 3.5. The effects of cosmological I-fronts on Lyman-alpha clouds in QSO absorption spectra are discussed.

Donahue, Megan↗