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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 199 records · Page 11

The X-ray-emitting trail of the nearby pulsar PSR1929 + 10

The paper reports the detection by the Rosat satellite of a nebula associated with the nearby pulsar PSR1929 + 10, which is of a type different from the pulsar-wind nebulae produced by direct interaction of the relativistic wind from older pulsars with the interstellar medium (ISM) (Blandorf et al., 1973). The PSR1929 + 10 nebula appears as a linear diffuse X-ray feature in the direction opposite to the pulsar's proper motion, with the pulsar wind confined by the ram-pressure arising from the high velocity of the pulsar through the ISM. This results in a trail of relativistic electrons with enhanced emissions of synchrotron radiation.

Wang, Q. D.↗

Astrophysical masers; Proceedings of the Conference, Arlington, VA, Mar. 9-11, 1992

Various papers on astrophysical masers are presented. The general topics addressed include: theory, maser surveys, extragalactic masers, masers in star-forming regions (general), OH masers in star-forming regions, water masers in star-forming regions, methanol masers in star-forming regions, proper motions, scattering, variability, circumstellar masers (general), circumstellar OH masers, circumstellar water masers, circumstellar SiO masers, and solar system masers.

Clegg, Andrew W.↗

Final Technical Report

This grant supported research into uses of the 'Hubble Space Telescope' Guide Star Selection System data base for important astrophysical problems ancillary to HST observations. The initial focus was to use the data to survey the frequency of wide binary stars at high galactic latitude, as a probe of local dark matter. In the course of this work, it was also discovered that the data base could be used for a purpose never envisaged by its designers, namely, detection of proper motions in faint stars. Some further evaluation of this capability supported by the grant led to the discovery of an entirely new class of stellar object, namely the dwarf carbon star. Publications supported by this grant, including both papers in refereed journals, and also two Ph.D. thesis dissertations, are described briefly.

Margon, Bruce↗

Pulsar astrometry by using VLBI (PSR0329 between Kashima 26mPhi and Usuda 64mPhi)

Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) carried out a VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometer) experiment of the Pulsar 0329 plus 54 on November in 1992 between Kashima 26mPhi and Usuda 64mPhi. We got a correlation for it by using K-3 VLBI correlator which was developed by CRL. Though we observed a slow pulsar this time, we are going to make millisecond pulsar experiments by making good use of this result and by using K-4 correlator which is under developing in CRL. Its result will give us precise positions and proper motions of pulsars which are useful for obtaining precise pulsar timing.

Hama, S.↗

ROSAT observations of the x ray binary HD 154791

We have been surveying the Taurus dark cloud for young stars using a variety of techniques. Two optical proper motion surveys identified 8 new pre-main sequence stars; an IRAS-based program discovered 6 new embedded sources and 4-6 new T Tauri stars. Finally, an optical objective prism survey found 12 new T Tauri stars. Our goal in this project is to examine and compare star formation in the dark clouds: Heiles cloud 2 (HCL2), L1537, L1538, and L1544. HCL2 is a very dense region actively forming young stars and contains 5-6 very young, deeply embedded sources; L1537 and L1538 have no known pre-main sequence stars; L1544 contains 7 optically visible T Tauri stars. These clouds appear roughly similar on optical sky survey plates. We would like to know why some of the clouds are active and why some are not. The first goal of the project is to survey the regions using IR photometry to identify very red pre-main sequence stars and X-ray imaging to identify solar-type young stars missed in the near-IR survey. We will follow up these observations with molecular line surveys to compare the conditions in various clouds with their star formation efficiencies.

Kenyon, Scott J.↗

Rotational effects on convection simulated at different latitudes

We simulate numerically convection inside the solar convection zone under the influence of rotation at different latitudes. The computational domain is a small rectangular box with stress-free upper and lower boundaries, and with periodicity assumed in the lateral directions. We study the transport of angular momentum, which is important for the generation of differential rotation. The sign and the latitudinal dependence of the horizontal Reynolds stress component turn out to be in good agreement with correlation measurements of sunspot proper motions and with predictions from the theory of the Lambda effect. We also investigate the other components of the Reynolds stress as well as the eddy heat flux tensor, both of which are needed in mean field models of differential rotation.

Pulkkinen, Pentti↗

A CCD-based search for very low mass members of the Pleiades cluster

We have obtained deep charge coupled device (CCD)V and I images of a number of fields near the center of the Pleiades open cluster. We have also obtained imaging data for Praesepe, a very similar cluster in terms of distance and richness but nearly 10 times older than the Pleiades. Because brown dwarfs are predicted to become much fainter and cooler between Pleiades and Praesepe ages, this provides a powerful differential technique for placing constraints on the brown dwarf population in open clusters. Combined with our previously reported observations, we now have data for about 0.4 sq deg in the Pleiades, corresponding roughly to 5% of the area of that cluster. We have searched the new CCD frames for additional Pleiades brown dwarf candidates. Two possible candidates are present, the faintest of which has V approximately equal to 22.5, (V-I)(sub K) approximately equal to 4.6. Because we do not have proper motion data and the colors of these objects are not redder than the reddest known field stars, it is possible that some or all of our candidates are somewhat higher mass field stars rather than Pleiades-age brown dwarfs. Even if all six of the proposed brown dwarf candidates in our 0.4 sq deg field are Pleiades members, the relatively small number found suggests that low mass stars or brown dwarfs do not contribute significantly to the total mass of the cluster.

Stauffer, John R.↗

A radial velocity survey of the open cluster IC 4665

A radial velocity survey of the open cluster IC 4665 is reported for a group of candidate members previously identified on the basis of proper motion and photometry. Of those candidates observed, 20 out of 42 have radial velocities consistent with membership; these cluster members populate the F5-K0 dwarf region and represent the first relatively conclusive membership determinations for such solar-type stars in IC 4665. Three new spectroscopic binary members of the cluster have been identified. Rotational velocities have also been derived; the v sin i distribution among IC 4665 members reveals that most apparent G dwarf members of IC 4665 are seen to exhibit substantial rotation (v sin i greater than 10 km/s). When compared to evolutionary isochrones, the current list of intermediate-mass members appears to support earlier suggestions that IC 4665 has an age comparable to the Pleiades.

Prosser, Charles F.↗

Extraordinary line-emitting knots in the Crab Nebula

Extraordinary, semistellar, line-emitting knots are apparent in images of the Crab Nebula which were obtained with the Goddard Fabry-Perot imager at the Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT Observatory. The knots are most prominent for (O III) lambda 5007 emission through a 5.3 A (Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM)) bandpass centered at 5015.3 A, with representative fluxes of roughly 10(exp -14) ergs/sq cm. They are aligned in arcs, seven to the north and four to the south, from the pulsar. The northern group appears to be in a bounded corridor through the filamentary structure. Measurements over a 2 year baseline yield proper motions of order 0.1 sec/yr, corresponding to transverse velocities of order 900 km/s for a distance of 1830 pc. The knots are characterized by remarkably strong (Ar III) emission, possibly indicating high argon abundances, high gas temperatures, or anomalous physical processes.

Macalpine, Gordon M.↗

A protostellar jet model for the water masers in W49N

Observations by Gwinn, Moran, & Reid of the proper motions of water masers in W49N show that they have elongated distribution expanding from a common center. Features with high space velocity only occur far from the center, while low-velocity features occur at all distances. We propose that these observations can be interpreted in terms of a shell of shocked molecular gas that is driven by the expanding cocoon of a high-velocity protostellar jet. We present three-dimensional numerical simulations in support of this interpretation and argue that this source provides a unique oppurtunity for a detailed study of jet-driven cocoons.

Low, Mordecai-Mark Mac↗

The ensemble variability properties of faint QSOs

A refined sample of 64 variable objects with stellar image structure has been identified in SA 57 to B approximately = 22.5, over a time baseline of 15 yr, sampled at 11 distinct epochs. The photometric data typically have a root-mean-square (rms) error at B = 22 of only 0.05 mag. Thirty-five quasars in this field have already been spectroscopically confirmed, 34 of which are among the sample of variables. Of the other variables, six are known spectroscopically to be stars, 10 additional objects are stars based on reliable detection of proper motion, and one is spectroscopically a narrow emission line galaxy. Of the 13 remaining variables, it is argued that they are a mixture of distant halo subdwarfs and quasars with starlike colors. We compute the ensemble average structure function and autocorrelation function from the light curves in the respective quasar rest frames, which are used to investigate the general dependences on apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude, and redshift.

Trevese, Dario↗

The analysis of star catalogs. 2: An intercomparison among the GC, the N30, and the FK5(B1950.0/FK4)

We use the general method of compiled data set analysis developed in our first paper (Bucciarelli et. al. 1994) and extend our analysis of fundamental star catalogs to include the two American ones. The problems found in the FK3/FK4/FK5 sequence are not present in either the GC or the N30. This lends support to the hypothesis advanced in our previous paper that the FK3, and to a lesser extent the FK4 declination system, are distorted by high angular frequency systematics. On the other hand, both the GC and N30 equatorial coordinate and proper motion distributions nicely follow the predictions of mathematical statistics. As with the FK3/FK4/FK5 analysis, the new results are as seen by the FK5 (on the FK4/B1950.0 system).

Taff, L. G.↗

The magnetic evolution of the activity complex AR 7260: A roadmap

The active region NOAA 7260 rotated onto the north solar hemisphere as a mature bipole: a dominant negative-polarity sunspot with trailing plage and scattered small spots in attendance. The dominant p spot itself had strong magnetic fields and covered almost 400 x 10(exp -6) of a solar hemisphere. For a period of seven days beginning 14 August, 1992 this active region displayed rapid and drastic evolution: no fewer than 50 magnetic bipoles emerged in the area trailing the large sunspot, increasing the region's magnetic flux by more than 10(exp 22) Mx. This new group of sunspots formed a complex Beta gamma delta configuration with two delta spots and a high degree of magnetic shear. This region was very well observed by Yohkoh and various ground-based instruments. It presented opportunities to study new emerging flux, flares, and also the decay of a large sunspot. For the benefit of later studies we present a description of the global characteristics of this active region, a detailed 'roadmap' of its evolution during disk passage including the development of the two delta regions. We compare proper motion trends and flaring activity to observations of other delta-spots reported in the literature. We also comment on the observed outflow of magnetic elements from the decaying p spot.

Leka, K. D.↗

A catalog of far-ultraviolet point sources detected with the fast FAUST Telescope on ATLAS-1

We list the photometric measurements of point sources made by the Far Ultraviolet Space Telescope (FAUST) when it flew on the ATLAS-1 space shuttle mission. The list contains 4698 Galactic and extragalactic objects detected in 22 wide-field images of the sky. At the locations surveyed, this catalog reaches a limiting magnitude approximately a factor of 10 fainter than the previous UV all-sky survey, TDl. The catalog limit is approximately 1 x 10(exp -14) ergs A sq cm/s, although it is not complete to this level. We list for each object the position, FUV flux, the error in flux, and where possible an identification from catalogs of nearby stars and galaxies. These catalogs include the Michigan HD (MHD) and HD, SAO, the HIPPARCOS Input Catalog, the Position and Proper Motion Catalog, the TD1 Catalog, the McCook and Sion Catalog of white dwarfs, and the RC3 Catalog of Galaxies. We identify 2239 FAUST sources with objects in the stellar catalogs and 172 with galaxies in the RC3 catalog. We estimate the number of sources with incorrect identifications to be less than 2%.

Bowyer, Stuart↗

Correction to the luni-solar precession from very long baseline interferometry

The redetermination of the luni-solar precession is performed by using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) catalogues of extragalactic radio sources containing positions at observation epochs which cover 9 years. The positions of the sources have been determined by the VLBI network of the Crustal Dynamics Project of NASA from measurements covering consecutive half year and one year intervals between 1981 and 1989. In the course of their reduction the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recommended precession terms were applied. On the assumption of an imperfection of the luni-solar precession it is expected that the positions of each source obtained at different epochs but uniformly reduced to the reference system J2000.0 exhibit an apparent proper motion. We attributed this motion tentatively to precession and solved for a correction of the luni-solar precession by making a least squares fit to the position differences between homonymous sources in the set of catalogues. The 18.6 yr terms of nutation entered the process as parameters the values of which were set by choice from the reservoir of recent determinations. Twenty-five sources contributed to the analysis with the effect that the annual and semi-annual catalogues contain 16 sources on the average. The analysis confirmed the slightly overestimated IAU value of the luni-solar precession yielding a mean correction of -3.59 +/- 1.14 mas/yr from the annual and -3.84 +/- 1.16 mas/yr from the semi-annual catalogues. We discuss these secular terms and their dependence on the adopted nutation terms.

Walter, H. G.↗

Radial velocities of very low mass stars and candidate brown dwarf members of the Hyades and Pleiades, 2

We have determined H alpha equivalent widths and radial velocities with 1 sigma accuracies of approximately 5 km/s for approximately 20 candidate very low mass members of the Pleiades cluster and for a few proposed very low mass members of the Hyades. Most of the Pleiades targets were selected from the recent Hambly, Hawkins, and Jameson proper motion survey, where they were identified as probable Pleiades brown dwarfs with an age spread from 3 to 70 Myr. Our spectroscopic data and a reinterpretation of the photometric data confirm that these objects are indeed likely Pleiades members; however, we believe that they more likely have masses slightly above the hydrogen burning mass limit and that there is no firm evidence for an age spread amongst these stars. All of the very low mass Pleiades and Hyades members show H alpha in emission. However, the ratio of H alpha flux to biometric flux in the Pleiades shows a maximum near M(sub Bol) approximately equal to 9.5 (M approximately equal to 0.3 solar mass) and a sharp decrease to lower masses. This break occurs at the approximate mass where low mass stars are expected to become fully convective, and it is tempting to assume that the decrease in H alpha flux is caused by some change in the behavior of stellar dynamos at this mass. We do not see a similar break in activity at this mass in the Hyades. We discuss possible evolutionary explanations for this difference in the H alpha activity between the two clusters.

Stauffer, John R.↗

Radial velocities of stars in the globular cluster M4 and the cluster distance

The internal stellar velocity distribution of the globular cluster M4 is evaluated from nearly 200 new radial velocity measurements good to 1 km/s and a rederivation of existing proper motions. The mean radial velocity of the cluster is 70.9 +/- 0.6 km/s. The velocity dispersion is 3.5 +/- 0.3 km/s at the core, dropping marginally towards the outskirts. Such a low internal dispersion is somewhat at odds with the cluster's orbit, for which the perigalacticon is sufficiently close to the galactic center that the probability of cluster disruption is high; a tidal radius two-thirds the currently accepted value would eliminate the discrepancy. The cluster mass-to-light ratio is also small, M/L(sub V) = 1.0 +/- 0.4 in solar units. M4 thus joins M22 as a cluster of moderate and concentration with a mass-to-light ratio among the lowest known. The astrometric distance to the cluster is also smaller than expected, 1.72 +/- 0.14 kpc. This is only consistent with conventional estimates of the luminosity of horizontal branch stars provided an extinction law R = A(sub V)/E(B-V) approximately 4 is adopted, as has been suggested recently by several authors.

Peterson, R. C.↗

Detection of a very low mass companion to the astrometric binary Gliese 105A

Optical coronagraph images of the high proper motion astrometric binary Gl 105A reveal a very red companion, Gl 105C, located 3.27 arcsecs from Gl 105A at P.A. 287 deg. At this location, it is not clear whether Gl 105C can fully account for the astrometric perturbation of Gl 105A. Aperture photometry gives I(sub C) = 12.6 and R(sub C) - I(sub C) = 3.7 for Gl 105C, indicating that it is a very low mass M dwarf. Using the observed I(sub C), an empirical M(sub I) versus I-K relation, and an assumed distance of 8.2 pc to Gl 105A, M(sub K) = 9.7 is derived for Gl 105C. An empirical mass-M(sub K) relation for low-mass stars suggest a mass of 0.084 solar mass for Gl 105C, which is just above the minimum mass for stable hydrogen burning. Gl 105C was not detected in previous K-band searches; its detection demonstrates the usefulness of optical coronagraphy for identifying very low mass objects.

Golimowski, D. A.↗