Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Vanden Bout, P. A..
High-speed photometric observations of the HZ Her/Her X-1 system show that nonperiodic optical flickering is present during both the ON and OFF portions of the 35-day cycle. The optical flickering is broad band and not confined to emission lines. There is a weak correlation between the amplitude of the flickering and orbital phase but efforts to identify the source of the flickering were unsuccessful.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Techniques of analysis which allow estimates of kinetic temperature, gas density, gas cooling rate, and dust cooling rate are applied to the S140 molecular cloud. Maps of this cloud in various molecular lines are examined which reveal the existence of a strong temperature and density peak near the H-alpha rim and the presence of a strong near-IR source very near that peak. This source is found to have an energy distribution which is very similar to that of the Becklin-Neugebauer object, including the silicate feature at 9.5 microns. The heating and cooling rates for the gas and dust in S140 are estimated, and the predicted cooling rate for dust is shown to be much greater than that for gas. The molecular-line observations are compared with a spherical large-velocity-gradient trapping calculation. An optimum cloud model is developed which indicates that: (1) (C-13)O, HCO(+), and H2CO are about 10 times less abundant in S140 than in dark clouds; (2) the HCN abundance is approximately 4 times the H2CO abundance in S140, compared with roughly equal values in dark clouds; and (3) the (C-13)O/C(O-18) ratio is consistent with terrestrial isotope ratios.
High-speed simultaneous dual-channel photometry of HZ Her and a nearby comparison star reveal nonperiodic optical flickering in the HZ Her system on a time scale of 15 to 300 sec. The amplitude of the flickering appears to be correlated with orbital phase. Optical emission from a hot spot in a disk of material around the X-ray source cannot account for the flickering.
Preliminary results from an extensive series of spectroscopic observations of the HZ Her optical counterpart of the eclipsing, pulsating X-ray binary Her X-1. Spectrograms with a dispersion of 30 A/mm reveal a spectral type as late as F5 near minimum in the light curve with the G-band and metallic lines present. Narrow Fe lines show that HZ Her is not a rapid rotator. Low-dispersion (115 A/mm) spectra, obtained with 10-minute time resolution, reveal rapid (10-min) variations in the 4640 N III emission and in the 4471 He I absorbtion features. The H-beta absorption is variable in equivalent width, and shows evidence of being partially filled with emission.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The flux from the edges of the Cygnus Loop in the forbidden Fe XIV coronal line at 5303 A is measured to be less than 5 nanoergs per sq cm per sterad per sec (0.017 R) in a 3 A band centered on the line. This upper limit is an order of magnitude lower than the predicted total flux in the line and implies that there must be substantial broadening of the line profile by mass motion or that the temperature is somewhat higher than the present best estimate from X-ray data.
Attempt to obtain additional evidence linking three companion radio sources to Sco X-1 by the detection of optical emission from possible nebulosity in the region of the X-ray source. Further studies are required to prove that the three sources comprise a single system, since adverse weather conditions prevented needed observations during this attempt.