Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Melnick, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Melnick, G..

28 records · Page 2

Observations of the 63 micron forbidden OI emission line in the Orion and Omega Nebulae

Observations of 63-micron neutral oxygen emission from the Orion and Omega Nebulae are reported which were carried out from the NASA Lear Jet flying at an altitude of approximately 13.7 km. The best estimate for the 3 P 1 - 3 P 2 transition wavelength is shown to be 63.2 microns, and the detected fluxes are found to be extraordinarily high (amounting to approximately 600 suns in M42 at 0.5 kpc and to about 2900 suns in the line in M17 at 2 kpc). Attempts are made to estimate the minimum temperature and other parameters of the emitting region in Orion. It is concluded that conditions not too different from those permitted by some current models appear to provide fluxes that agree in order of magnitude with those observed.

Melnick, G.↗

51.8 micron forbidden O III line emission observed in four galatic H II regions

The 51.8-micron forbidden O III line has been detected in four H II regions: M42, M17, W51, and NGC 6357A. The respective line strengths are 7 x 10 to the -15th, 1.0 x 10 to the -14th, 2.1 x 10 to the -15th, and 2.6 x 10 to the -15th W/sq cm. The observations are consistent with a previously reported line position and place the line at 51.80 + or - 0.05-micron. When combined with the 88.35-micron forbidden O III observations reported earlier, clumpiness is found to be an important factor in NGC 6357A and M42 and nonnegligible in W51 and M17. The combined data also suggest an O III abundance of about 0.0003 times the electron density, which is a factor of 2 greater than a number of investigators have reported.

Melnick, G.↗

The 51.8 micron (0 3) line emission observed in four galactic H 2 regions

The (0 III) 51.8 microns line from four H II regions, M42, M17, W51 and NGC 6375A was detected. Respective line strengths are 7 x 10 to the minus 15 power, 1.0 x 10 to the minus 14 power, 2.1 x 10 to the minus 15 power and 2.6 x 10 to the minus 15 power watt cm/2. Observations are consistent with previously reported line position and place the line at 51.80 + or 0.05 micron. When combined with the 88.35 microns (0 III) reported earlier, clumping seems to be an important factor in NGC 6375A and M42 and to a lesser extent in W51 and M17. The combined data also suggest an (0 III) abundance of approximately 3 x 0.0001 sub n e' a factor of 2 greater than previously assumed.

Melnick, G.↗

Observation of the 63 micron (0 1) emission line in the Orion and Omega Nebulae

The 63 micron fine structure transition P4 : 3Pl yields 3P2 for neutral atomic oxygen was obtained during a series of flights at an altitude of approximately 13.7 km. In the Orion Nebula (M42), the observed line strength was 8 x 10 to the minus 15 power watt cm/2 which is estimated to be approximately 0.3 o/o of the energy radiated at all wavelengths. For the Omega Nebulae (M17), the line strength was 2.4 x 10 to the minus 15 power watt cm/2, and the fraction of the total radiated power was slightly higher. These figures refer to a 4' x 6' field of view centered on the peak for infrared emission from each source. The uncertainty in the line strength is approximately 50% and is caused by variable water vapor absorption along the flight path of the airplane. The line position estimate is 63.2 micron (+0.1, -0.2) micron. The prime uncertainty is due to the uncertain position of the (0 I) emitting regions in the field of view.

Melnick, G.↗

Observations of the 51.8 micron forbidden O III emission line in Orion

This letter reports observations of the 51.8-micron fine-structure transition p2: 3P(2) - 3P(1) for doubly ionized oxygen. The observed line strength in the Orion Nebula is (5 + or - 3) by 10 to the -15th power W/sq cm, in good agreement with the theoretical predictions of Simpson (1975). The observations are also consistent with the predicted line position, 51.8 microns. The line lies close to an atmospheric water-vapor feature at 51.7 microns but is sufficiently distant so that corrections for this feature are straightforward. Observations of the 51.8-micron forbidden O III line are particularly important, since the previously discovered 88-micron line from the same ion also is strong. This pair of lines should therefore yield new data about densities in observed H II regions; or else, if density data already are available from radio or other observations, the lines can be used to determine the differential dust absorption between 52 and 88 microns in front of heavily obscured regions.

Melnick, G.↗

Deflection of polarised radiation - Relative phase delay technique

The article discusses the geodesic motion of photons, considering particularly whether oppositely polarized photons fall at the same rate. It is assumed that orthogonally polarized photons would be equally deflected by the gravitational field of a nonrotating mass. Upon the introduction of rotation, the angular momentum of the deflecting source couples to the photon spin through gravitational field action. Thus there arise separate trajectories for orthogonal polarizations. Searching for changes in polarization in a deflected beam is accomplished by a relative phase delay technique. If the beam is split into orthogonal linear polarization, final polarization is elliptical. Experiments have been performed on searching for ellipticity developments in the linearly polarized carrier waves from Helios 1 and 2, and the results are presented.

Dennison, B.↗

A Multi-Band Far-Infrared Survey with a Balloon-Borne Telescope

Nine additional radiation sources, above a 3-sigma confidence level of 1300 Jy, were identified at 100 microns by far infrared photometry of the galactic plane using a 0.4 meter aperture, liquid helium cooled, multichannel far infrared balloon-borne telescope. The instrument is described, including its electronics, pointing and suspension systems, and ground support equipment. Testing procedures and flight staging are discussed along with the reduction and analysis of the data acquired. The history of infrared astronomy is reviewed. General infrared techniques and the concerns of balloon astronomers are explored.

Jacobson, M. R.↗

Observations of the 51.8 micron (O III) emission line in Orion

The 51.8 micron fine structure transition P2:3P2 3P1 for doubly ionized oxygen was observed in the Orion nebula. The observed line strength is of 5 plus or minus 3 times 10 to the minus 15th power watt/sq cm is in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Observations are consistent with the newly predicted 51.8 micron line position. The line lies close to an atmospheric water vapor feature at 51.7 micron, but is sufficiently distant so that corrections for this feature are straightforward. Observations of the 51.8 (O III) line are particularly important since the previously discovered 88 micron line from the same ion also is strong. This pair of lines should, therefore, yield new data about densities in observed H II regions; or else, if density data already are available from radio or other observations, the lines can be used to determine the differential dust absorption between 52 and 88 micron in front of heavily obscured regions.

Melnick, G.↗

High resolution 10 mu spectrometry at different planetary latitudes. A practical Hadamard transform spectrometer for astronomical application

Infrared observations at different latitudes were studied in order to obtain spectra in the 10 micrometers region to understand differences in chemical composition or physical structure of the optical features. In order to receive such spectra of a rotating planet, simultaneous observations at different latitudes were made. A Hadamard transform spectrometer with 15 entrance slits was used to obtain 15 simultaneous spectra, at a resolution of 0.01 micrometers. The spectral band covered contained 255 spectral elements.

Tai, M. H.↗