Engineering topics

Van Dishoeck, E. F.

Publications and source records attributed to Van Dishoeck, E. F..

10 records

NASA NTRS1993

The abundance of CH(+) in translucent molecular clouds - Further tests of shock models

Observations of interstellar absorption lines of CH(+) in the (0, 0) and (1, 0) bands of the A 1Pi - X 1Sigma(+) system are presented for 17 stars with reddenings up to E(B-V) about 1.5 mag. Complementary data on interstellar CH in the (0, 0) bands of the A 2Delta - X 2Pi and B 2Sigma(-) - X 2Pi systems and C2 in the A 1Pi(u) - X 1Sigma(g)(+) red system have been obtained as well. The derived CH(+) column densities continue to increase with total column density, and values up to 10 exp 14/sq cm are reported for highly-reddened lines of sight. In most cases, the CH(+) and CH absorptions are dominated by a single strong component, with weaker features displaced by a few km/s. No significant velocity difference is found between CH(+) and neutral species such as CH and CN for this sample of randomly oriented lines of sight. In contrast with CN, the CH(+) abundance does not increase with the density in the cloud as derived from the observed C2 excitation. For the two clouds with the largest density, HD 62542 and HD 94413, no CH(+) absorption is found with CH(+)/CH less than 0.03 and 0.14, respectively. The CH(+) findings do not support a single-shock origin for the formation of the ion.

Gredel, R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Identification of solar vibration-rotation lines of NH and the solar nitrogen abundance

High resolution solar spectra obtained from the ATMOS Fourier Transform Spectrometer (Spacelab 3 flight on April 29 - May 6, 1985) made it possible to detect for the first time vibration-rotation lines of NH from the X3 Sigma(-) state near 3 microns. Using recent theoretical results for the transition probabilities of 23 selected measured lines of the 1-0 and 2-1 bands, a solar abundance of nitrogen of 8.06 + or - 0.07 is derived. This value is compared with the result derived from N I lines and agrees with the abundance obtained from the 3s-3p, 3p-3d and 3s-prime - 3p-prime transitions, A(N) = 8.00 + or - 0.09. The final recommended solar abundance of nitrogen is A(N) = 8.00 + or - 0.05.

Grevesse, N.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Large molecules in diffuse interstellar clouds

The effects of the presence of a substantial component of large molecules on the chemistry of diffuse molecular clouds are explored, and detailed models of the zeta Persei and zeta Ophiuchi clouds are constructed. The major consequence is a reduction in the abundances of singly charged atomic species. The long-standing discrepancy between cloud densities inferred from rotational and fine-structure level populations and from the ionization balance can be resolved by postulating a fractional abundance of large molecules of 1 x 10 to the -7th for zeta Persei and 6 x 10 to the -7th for zeta Ophiuchi. If the large molecules are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) containing about 50 carbon atoms, they contain 1 percent of the carbon in zeta Persei and 7 percent in zeta Ophiuchi. Other consequences of the possible presence of PAH molecules are discussed.

Lepp, S.↗

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 NTRS1984

The dissociation of OH and OD in comets by solar radiation

Calculations of the radiative lifetimes of cometary OH are presented as a function of the radial velocity of the comet and of the velocity distributions of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms produced by photodissociation of OH. The contribution of the photodissociation of OH to the emission of the red and green lines of atomic oxygen is assessed. An estimate is made of the lifetime of OD and of the velocity distribution of the deuterium atoms.

Van Dishoeck, E. F.↗

NASA NTRS1983

The photodissociation lifetimes of the OH and OD radicals in comets

The photodissociation rates of OH and OD molecules due to absorption of solar radiation in the X(2)Pi-A(2)Sigma(+) electronic transition are calculated to lie between 3.5 and 6.7 x 10 to the -6th/sec for OH for heliocentric velocities between -60 and +60 km/sec and at about 4.7 x 10 to the -7th/sec for OD at 1 AU from the sun. The corresponding lifetimes, which are upper bounds to the actual lifetimes, are generally consistent with the observational cometary data.

Singh, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Interstellar C2 molecules in a Taurus dark cloud

Five relatively strong interstellar absorption lines of C2 in the (2-0) Phillips band near 8670 A have been detected toward the heavily reddened, late B star HD 29647, which lies behind a substantial part of one of the darkest regions of the nearest molecular cloud complex, the dark clouds of Taurus. Stringent upper limits on the C2 absorption toward two lightly reddened stars, Nu Cyg and Omicron And, are also reported. The observations yield a column density of about 9 x 10 to the 13th/sq cm, comparable to those of widely distributed molecules like CH and H2CO. Theoretical treatment of the data yields a kinetic temperature of 14 K and a mean density of less than about 1000/cu cm. A narrow, anomalously strong, stellar Mn II line yields a projected rotational velocity of less than about 7 km/s and is explained by previous identifications of the star as Hg-Mn peculiar.

Hobbs, L. M.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Photodissociation processes in the OH molecule

The potential energy curves of several excited states of OH of 2Sigma(+), 2Sigma(-), 2Pi, and 2Delta symmetries, and the transition moments connecting the excited states with the ground state and with each other, are calculated using two previously published theoretical models. The importance of the excited states in photodissociation is explored. Direct photodissociation by absorption into repulsive electronic states, as well as the contribution of absorption into bound electronic states, are discussed. Because they may participate in the photodissociation processes, several quartet states and one of the sextet spin multiplicity are investigated. The mechanism by which bound states can be dissociated are considered and estimates of the dissociation efficiencies of the mechanisms are made. Absorption into the bound 3 2Pi state may be an important dissociation channel. It is shown that OH is dissociated by the absorption of Lyman alpha radiation, a channel of particular significance in shocked interstellar gas and in cometary atmospheres.

Van Dishoeck, E. F.↗

NASA NTRS1983

The low-lying 2-sigma-minus states of OH

The configuration-interaction method is used to determine the electronic wave functions of the two lowest 2-sigma-minus states of OH using four different atomic orbital basis sets. Potential energy curves, transition moments, oscillator strengths, and photodissociation cross sections are obtained. Electronic transition dipole moments connecting the excited 1 2-sigma-minus and 2(D)2-sigma-minus states with each other and with the ground chi-2-pi state are presented as functions of internuclear distance. The theoretical absorption oscillator strengths for the D-2-sigma-minus(v prime = 0) from chi-2-pi(v double prime = 0) transition are in good agreement with the empirical value derived from astronomical measurement. The photodissociation cross sections for absorption from the v prime = 0, 1, and 2 levels of the ground state into the continuum of the 1 2-sigma-minus state are calculated, and the interstellar and cometary photodissociation rates are derived.

Van Dishoeck, E. F.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Radiative lifetimes and dipole moments of the A 2Sigma/+/, B 2Sigma /+/, and C 2Sigma/+/ states of OH

After describing independent theoretical studies of the eigenfunctions of the X 2Pi and excited A 2Sigma(+), B 2Sigma(+), and C 2Sigma(+) states of OH, results are presented for the transition dipole moments connecting each excited state to the others and to the ground state. The radiative lifetimes derived from calculation of the bound-bound and bound-free vibrational band transition probabilities are compared with measured values, confirming recent measurements of the A 2Sigma(+) and C 2Sigma(+) states but not the lifetimes measured for the B 2Sigma(+) state.

Langhoff, S. R.↗