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Greene, J E

Publications and source records attributed to Greene, J E.

7 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

THE ABSENCE OF RADIO EMISSION FROM THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER G1

The detections of both X-ray and radio emission from the cluster G1 in M31 have provided strong support for existing dynamical evidence for an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) of mass (1.8 {+-} 0.5) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} M{sub Sun} at the cluster center. However, given the relatively low significance and astrometric accuracy of the radio detection, and the non-simultaneity of the X-ray and radio measurements, this identification required further confirmation. Here we present deep, high angular resolution, strictly simultaneous X-ray and radio observations of G1. While the X-ray emission (L{sub X} = 1.74{sup +0.53}{sub -0.44} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 36} (d/750 kpc){sup 2} erg s{sup -1} in the 0.5-10 keV band) remained fully consistent with previous observations, we detected no radio emission from the cluster center down to a 3{sigma} upper limit of 4.7 {mu}Jy beam{sup -1}. Our favored explanation for the previous radio detection is flaring activity from a black hole low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB). We performed a new regression of the 'Fundamental Plane' of black hole activity, valid for determining black hole mass from radio and X-ray observations of sub-Eddington black holes, finding log M{sub BH} = (1.638 {+-} 0.070)log L{sub R} - (1.136 {+-} 0.077)log L{sub X} - (6.863 {+-} 0.790), with an empirically determined uncertainty of 0.44 dex. This constrains the mass of the X-ray source in G1, if a black hole, to be <9.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 3} M{sub Sun} at 95% confidence, suggesting that it is a persistent LMXB. This annuls what was previously the most convincing evidence from radiation for an IMBH in the Local Group, though the evidence for an IMBH in G1 from velocity dispersion measurements remains unaffected by these results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE CANDIDATE INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLE IN THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER M54

Ibata et al. reported evidence for density and kinematic cusps in the Galactic globular cluster M54, possibly due to the presence of a 9400 M{sub sun} black hole. Radiative signatures of accretion onto M54's candidate intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) could bolster the case for its existence. Analysis of new Chandra and recent Hubble Space Telescope astrometry rules out the X-ray counterpart to the candidate IMBH suggested by Ibata et al. If an IMBH exists in M54, then it has an Eddington ratio of L(0.3-8 keV)/L(Edd) < 1.4 x 10{sup -10}, more similar to that of the candidate IMBH in M15 than that in G1. From new imaging with the NRAO Very Large Array, the luminosity of the candidate IMBH is L(8.5 GHz) < 3.6 x 10{sup 29} erg s{sup -1} (3{sigma}). Two background active galaxies discovered toward M54 could serve as probes of its intracluster medium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Enhanced Ge/Si(001) island areal density and self-organization due to P predeposition

The predeposition of P, with coverages {theta}{sub P} ranging from 0 to 1 ML, on Si(001) significantly increases both the areal density and spatial self-organization of Ge islands grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy from hydride precursors. The Ge island density {rho}{sub Ge} initially increases with {theta}{sub P}, reaching a maximum of 1.4 x 10{sup 10} cm{sup -2} at {theta}{sub P} = 0.7 ML, a factor of four times higher than on bare Si(001) under the same deposition conditions, before decreasing at higher P coverages. The increase in {rho}{sub Ge}({theta}{sub P}) is due to a corresponding decrease in Ge adatom mean free paths resulting from passivation of surface dangling bonds by adsorbed pentavalent P atoms which, in addition, leads to surface roughening and, therefore, higher Ge coverages at constant Ge{sub 2}H{sub 6} dose. As {theta}{sub P} (and hence, {rho}{sub Ge}) increases, so does the degree of Ge island ordering along <100> directions due to the anisotropic strain field surrounding individual islands. Similar results are obtained for Ge island growth on P-doped Si(001) layers where strong P surface segregation provides partial monolayer coverage prior to Ge deposition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Continuum model of surface roughening and epitaxial breakdown during low-temperature Ge(001) molecular beam epitaxy

Numerical simulations based on a discrete model describing step edge motion are used to compute the surface morphological evolution of Ge(001) layers deposited by low-temperature (T{sub s} = 45-230 deg. C) molecular beam epitaxy and to probe the relationship between surface roughening and the onset of epitaxial breakdown - the abrupt growth mode transition from epitaxial to amorphous - at temperature-dependent critical film thicknesses h{sub 1}(T{sub s}). Computed surface widths w and in-plane coherence lengths d as a function of layer thickness h exhibit good agreement with experimental values. Inspired by experimental results indicating that epitaxial breakdown is initiated at facetted interisland trenches as the surface roughness reaches a T{sub s}-independent overall aspect ratio, we show that simulated data for w/d = 0.03 correspond to thicknesses h{sub 1{proportional_to}} exp (-E{sub 1}/kT{sub s}) with E{sub 1} = 0.63 eV, a value equal to the Ge adatom diffusion activation energy on Ge(001). Simulated h{sub 1} values agree well with experimental data. Above a critical growth temperature of 170 deg. C, computed w/d values saturate at large film thicknesses, never reaching the critical aspect ratio w/d = 0.03. Thus, the model also predicts that epitaxial breakdown does not occur for T{sub s} > 170 deg. C as observed experimentally.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE MEGAMASER COSMOLOGY PROJECT. III. ACCURATE MASSES OF SEVEN SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES IN ACTIVE GALAXIES WITH CIRCUMNUCLEAR MEGAMASER DISKS

Observations of H{sub 2}O masers from circumnuclear disks in active galaxies for the Megamaser Cosmology Project (MCP) allow accurate measurement of the mass of supermassive black holes (BH) in these galaxies. We present the Very Long Baseline Interferometry images and kinematics of water maser emission in six active galaxies: NGC 1194, NGC 2273, NGC 2960 (Mrk 1419), NGC 4388, NGC 6264 and NGC 6323. We use the Keplerian rotation curves of these six megamaser galaxies, plus a seventh previously published, to determine accurate enclosed masses within the central {approx}0.3 pc of these galaxies, smaller than the radius of the sphere of influence of the central mass in all cases. We also set lower limits to the central mass densities of between 0.12 x 10{sup 10} and 61 x 10{sup 10} M{sub sun} pc{sup -3}. For six of the seven disks, the high central densities rule out clusters of stars or stellar remnants as the central objects, and this result further supports our assumption that the enclosed mass can be attributed predominantly to a supermassive BH. The seven BHs have masses ranging between 0.75 x 10{sup 7} and 6.5 x 10{sup 7} M{sub sun}, with the mass errors dominated by the uncertainty of the Hubble constant. We compare the megamaser BH mass determination with BH mass measured from the virial estimation method. The virial estimation BH mass in four galaxies is consistent with the megamaser BH mass, but the virial mass uncertainty is much greater. Circumnuclear megamaser disks allow the best mass determination of the central BH mass in external galaxies and significantly improve the observational basis at the low-mass end of the M-{sigma}{sub *} relation. The M-{sigma}{sub *} relation may not be a single, low-scatter power law as originally proposed. MCP observations continue and we expect to obtain more maser BH masses in the future.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗