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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 217 records · Page 12
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NASA NTRS1995

Workshop on Physics of Accretion Disks Around Compact and Young Stars

The purpose of the two-day Workshop on Physics of Accretion Disks Around Compact and Young Stars was to bring together workers on accretion disks in the western Gulf region (Texas and Louisiana). Part 2 presents the workshop program, a list of poster presentations, and a list of workshop participants. Accretion disks are believed to surround many stars. Some of these disks form around compact stars, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes that are members of binary systems and reveal themselves as a power source, especially in the x-ray and gamma regions of the spectrum. On the other hand, protostellar disks are believed to be accretion disks associated with young, pre-main-sequence stars and manifest themselves mostly in infrared and radio observations. These disks are considered to be a natural outcome of the star formation process. The focus of this workshop included theory and observations relevant to accretion disks around compact objects and newly forming stars, with the primary purpose of bringing the two communities together for intellectual cross-fertilization. The nature of the workshop was exploratory, to see how much interaction is possible between distinct communities and to better realize the local potential in this subject. A critical workshop activity was identification and documentation of key issues that are of mutual interest to both communities.

Liang, E↗
NASA NTRS1993

Laser beam steering device

Agile beam steering is a critical requirement for airborne and space based LIDAR and optical communication systems. Design and test results are presented for a compact beam steering device with low inertia which functions by dithering two complementary (positive and negative) binary optic microlens arrays relative to each other in directions orthogonal to the direction of light propagation. The miniaturized system has been demonstrated at scan frequencies as high as 300 Hz, generating a 13 x 13 spot array with a total field of view of 2.4 degrees. The design is readily extendable to a 9.5 degree field of view and a 52 x 52 scan pattern. The system is compact - less than 2 in. on a side. Further size reductions are anticipated.

Motamedi, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Period variations in pulsating X-ray sources. I - Accretion flow parameters and neutron star structure from timing observations

Torque fluctuations which can lead to variations in the periods of pulsating X-ray sources are examined. A description of torque variations in terms of noise processes is developed, and the resulting noise models are applied to observations of several pulsating X-ray sources. It is shown that fluctuations in accretion torque could account for the observed period variations and spindown episodes in Her X-1 and Cen X-3. The values of the torque noise strengths inferred from either a nonresonant response or, in the case of Her X-1, a Tkachenko-mode interpretation of the data are found to be consistent with those expected from processes at the magnetospheric boundary of an accreting neutron star. Ways to distinguish among the various interpretations of the period variations are considered. It is noted that fluctuating mass-flow rates may be responsible for other phenomena observed in compact X-ray sources, such as wobble with zero initial amplitude and binary period variations in close binary systems experiencing mass transfer.

Lamb, F. K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Infrared emission from X-ray binaries - IRAS observations

Theoretical calculations show that detectable amounts of FIR radiation can be produced by accretion disks around compact sources. Here, the HEAO A-1 Catalog (Wood et al., 1984) and Bradt and McClintock (1983) are used to select a likely set of candidate sources, and the IRAS Point Source Catalog and IRAS Serendipitous Survey Catalog are used to search for characteristic IR emission from sources in fields around them. Eighty-one candidates with 242 IRAS field sources were examined and color corrected. Eight of these have IR flux measurements which are consistent with emisison from an accretion disk S/N, although other mechanisms for their IR emission cannot yet be ruled out. Most have poor positional corespondences and must be considered suspect as identifications.

Smith, Howard A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Radio emission from binary stars

Radio emission from binary star systems; characteristics of the binary systems inferred from the radio observations; and the reasons for the activity are reviewed. Binary stars with two main sequence stars, with one normal star and a white dwarf, and those containing a neutron star or a black hole are described. Energy may be directly available as matter falls into the potential well of a compact object. Electromagnetic induction effects may occur due to relative motions of magnetic fields and matter. By enforcing rapid rotation, binaries can induce strong dynamo action and hence generate free energy in the form of intense, complex, evolving magnetic fields. Whatever the source of energy, the observations at radio and X-ray wavelengths demonstrate that electrons are accelerated to high energies (mildly relativistic and, ultrarelativistic). Observed or inferred radio brightness temperatures range up to 10 to the 15th power K or more, implying coherent emission for sources brighter than 10 billion K.

Dulk, George A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Spectroscopic observations of the symbiotic binary RW Hydrae

Ultraviolet/optical spectrophotometry and infrared photometry show that the symbiotic binary RW Hya is comprised of an M giant (with L of about 1000 solar luminosities) and a compact object (with L of about 200 solar luminosities) which resembles the central star of a planetary nebula. The luminosity of the hot component is produced by a nuclear shell source which is replenished by the wind of the red giant at a rate of about 10 to the -8th solar mass/yr. Results indicate that the binary is surrounded by an H II region (of radius of about 10 AU) which gives rise to the observed emission lines and radio emission. The He(2+) and O(2+) regions are found to be confined to the immediate vicinity of the hot component.

Kenyon, Scott J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

IUE observations of circumstellar emission from the late-type variable R AQR (M6 + pec)

The IUE observations of R Aqr (M7 + pec) obtained in low dispersion are discussed with particular reference to circumstellar emission. Strong permitted, semiforbidden, and forbidden emission lines are seen, superimposed on a bright ultraviolet continuum. It is deduced that the strong emission line spectrum that involves C III, C IV, Si III, (0 II) and (0 III) probably arises from a dense compact nebula the size of which is comparable to the orbital radius of the binary system of which R Aqr is the primary star. The low excitation emission lines of Fe II, Mg II, 0 I, and Si II probably a white dwarf, comparable to or somewhat brighter than the Sun, since such a star can produce enough ionizing photons to excite the continuum and emission line spectrum and yet be sufficiently faint as to escape detection by direct observation. The UV continuum is attributed to Balmer recombination from the dense nebula and not to blackbody emission from the hot companion.

Hobbs, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

High energy neutrino absorption and its effects on stars in close X-ray binaries

The physics and astrophysics of high energy neutrino production and interactions in close X-ray binary systems are studied. These studies were stimulated by recent observations of ultrahigh energy gamma-rays and possibly other ultrahigh energy particles coming from the directions of Cygnus X-3 and other binary systems and possessing the periodicity characteristics of these systems. Systems in which a compact object, such as a neutron star, is a strong source of high energy particles which, in turn, produce photons, neutronos and other secondary particles by interactions in the atmosphere of the companion star were considered. The highest energy neutrinos are absorbed deep in the companion and the associated energy deposition may be large enough to effect its structure or lead to its ultimate disruption. This neutrino heating was evaluated, starting with a detailed numerical calculation of the hadronic cascade induced in the atmosphere of the companion star. For some theoretical models, the resulting energy deposition from neutrino absorption may be so great as to disrupt the companion star over an astronomically small timescale of the order of 10,000 years. Even if the energy deposition is smaller, it may still be high enough to alter the system substantially, perhaps leading to quenching of high energy signals from the source. Given the cosmic ray luminosities required to produce the observed gamma rays from cygnus X-3 and LMX X-4, such a situation may occur in these sources.

Gaisser, T. K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Can a variable alpha induce limit cycle behavior and exponential luminosity decay in transient soft x ray sources?

There has been, recently, a revival of the stability problem of accretion disks. Much of this renewed interest is due to recent observational data on transient soft X-ray novae, which are low-mass X-ray binaries. It is widely believed that nonsteady mass transfer from the secondary onto the compact primary, through an accretion disk, is the reason for the observed spectacular events in the form of often repetitive outbursts, with recurrence times ranging from 1 to 60 yr and duration time on the scale of months. Though not having reached yet a consensus about the nature of the mechanism that regulates the mass transfer, the disk thermal instability model seems to be favored by the fact that the rise in the hard X-ray luminosity is prior to the rise in the soft X-ray luminosity, while the mass transfer instability model seems to be hindered by the fact that the luminosity during quiescence is unable to trigger the thermal instability. However, it should be stressed that, remarkably, the X-ray light curves of these X-ray novae all show overall exponential decays, a feature quite difficult to reproduce in the framework of the viscous disk model, which yields powerlike luminosity decay. Taking into account this observational constraint, we have studied the temporal evolution of perturbations in the accretion rate, under the assumption that alpha is radial and parameter dependent. The chosen dependence is such that the model can reproduce limit cycle behavior (the system is locally unstable but globally stable). However, the kind of dependence we are looking for in alpha does not allow us to use the usual Shakura and Sunyaev procedure in the sense that we no longer can obtain a linearized continuity equation without explicit dependence on the accretion rate. This is so because now we cannot eliminate the accretion rate by using the angular momentum conservation equation.

Meirellesfilho, C.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Regimes of Pulsar Pair Formation and Particle Energetics

We investigate the conditions required for the production of electron-positron pairs above a pulsar polar cap (PC) and the influence of pair production on the energetics of the primary particle acceleration. Assuming space-charge limited flow acceleration including the inertial frame-dragging effect, we allow both one-photon and two-photon pair production by either curvature radiation (CR) photons or photons resulting from inverse-Compton scattering of thermal photons from the PC by primary electrons. We find that,, while only the younger pulsars can produce pairs through CR, nearly all known radio pulsars are capable of producing pairs through non-resonant inverse-Compton scatterings. The effect of the neutron star equations of state on the pair death lines is explored. We show that pair production is facilitated in more compact stars and more a massive stars. Therefore accretion of mass by pulsars in binary systems may allow pair production in most of the millisecond purser population. We also find that two-photon pair production may be important in millisecond pursers if their surface temperatures are above approx. or equal to three million degrees K. Pursers that produce pairs through CRT wilt have their primary acceleration limited by the effect of screening of the electric field. In this regime, the high-energy luminosity should follow a L(sub HE) proportional to dot-E(sup 1/2, sub rot) dependence. The acceleration voltage drop in pursers that produce pairs only through inverse-Compton emission will not be limited by electric field screening. In this regime, the high-energy luminosity should follow a L(sub HE) proportional to dot-E(sub rot) dependence. Thus, older pursers will have significantly lower gamma-ray luminosity.

Harding, Alice K.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Broadband X-ray Spectroscopy of the ADC Source 4U 1822-37 with Suzaku

We will present the broadband spectra of the low mass x-ray binary 4U 1822-37, recently observed with Suzaku. 4U 1822-37 is the canonical accretion disk corona (ADC) source where the compact object is obscured by an extended corona that intercepts and scatters the central continuum emission, some of which is then reprocessed in the outer regions of the accretion disk. 4U 1822-37 therefore serves as an important link between x-ray binaries and AGN. The broadband x-ray spectra from the Suzaku XIS and HXD provide a unique opportunity to probe the physical conditions in the corona and the accretion disk for this important accretion geometry.

Cottam, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

On the Holmberg asymmetry of the satellites of disk galaxies

A tidal explanation for the observation by Holmberg that the satellites of edge-on disk galaxies tend to avoid the sector within + or - 30 deg of the major axes of the disk galaxies is considered. It is shown that satellites with small orbit-to-disk inclinations are likely to become compact and consequently be left out in Holmberg's survey due to the resemblance to stars. The explanation is supported by the observation of an excess of compact galaxies near the major-axis direction of edge-on disk galaxies. The disk tidal explanation also predicts that the asymmetry should be weaker with larger satellites. It is found that the Karachentsev (1972, 1980) binary galaxy sample, where the typical companion is comparable to the primary galaxy, shows no Holmberg effect. The case of M32 as a compact satellite of the Andromeda galaxy is discussed as a nearby observationally supported example of the above processes.

Byrd, Gene G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Measuring interstellar grains from the haloes of binary X-ray sources

Coherent forward scattering of X-rays by interstellar grains creates a halo around the X-ray image of a compact source. The fractional halo brightness at 2 keV is typically of order 10% moderately reddened galactic sources. The angular brightness distribution of the halo, which extends over several arcminutes, indicates the size distribution of the grains, and the spectrum of the halo indicates the composition of the grains. The halo will persist for several hours after the point source vanishes during an eclipse of a binary source; this provides a way to avoid systematic errors in measuring halo brightness due to an extended point response function of the X-ray telescope. Indeed, it is possilbe to infer the size distribution and composition of the grains without an imaging X-ray telescope by observing the time-dependence of the halo spectrum during eclipse.

Xu, Y.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Neutron Stars and Black Holes Seen with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)

Astrophysical X-rays bring information about location, energy, time, and polarization. X-rays from compact objects were seen in the first explorations to vary in time. Eclipses and pulsations have simple explanations that identified the importance of X-ray binaries and magnetic neutron stars in the first decade of X-ray astronomy. The dynamics of accretion onto stellar and supermassive black holes and onto neutron stars with relatively low magnetic fields shows up as more complex variations, quasi-periodic oscillations, noise with characteristic frequency spectra, broad-band changes in the energy spectra. To study these variations, RXTE instruments needed to have large area and operational flexibility to find transient activity and observe when it was present. Proportional counters and Phoswich scintillators provided it in a modest mission that has made textbook level contributions to understanding of compact objects. The first seen, and the brightest known, X-ray binary, Sco X-1 is one of a class of neutron stars with low mass companions. Before RXTE, none of these had been seen to show pulsations, though they were hypothesized to be the precursors of radio pulsars with millisecond periods and low magnetic fields. RXTE's large area led to identifying coherent millisecond pulsars in a subset which are relatively faint transients. It also led to identifying short episodes of pulsation during thermonuclear bursts, in sources where a steady signal is not seen. The X-ray stage verifies the evolution that produces millisecond radio pulsars.Masses and radii of neutron stars are being determined by various techniques, constraining the equation of state of matter at nuclear densities. Accretion should lead to a range of neutron star masses. An early stage of superstrong magnetic field neutron stars is now known to produce X-ray and gamma-ray bursts in crust quakes and magnetic field reconnection releases of energy. Soft Gamma Repeaters, Anomolous X-ray Pulsars, and high magnetic field rotation-powered pulsars are all now called magnetars, because they have pulse periods indicating they are slowing down as they would with magnetic dipole radiation for a surface field above 5x1013 gauss. The accretion disk has been connected to the launching of radio jets from black holes, and even from neutron stars. Estimates of the angular momenta of black holes are being made from different approaches, modelling a high frequency oscillation that may be related to how close the inner part of the accretion disk is to the black hole, modelling the continua spectra of the X-ray emission, and modeling the emission of red-shifted iron that may be emitted from the accretion disk. These investigations require early discovery of the black hole transient with the All Sky Monitor on RXTE or other monitoring information, frequent extended observations, and coordinated observations with missions that give higher energy resolution, or radio and infrared information.

Swank, Jean↗
NASA NTRS1980

Models for galactic X-ray sources

Attention is given to those compact galactic X-ray sources whose X-ray luminosities are considerably in excess of the solar luminosity. It is pointed out that the key breakthrough in the development of an understanding of compact galactic X-ray sources was the discovery of X-ray pulsars with the UHURU satellite. There is now overwhelming evidence that these objects are neutron stars in close binary stellar systems. The X-ray pulsations are thought to be thermal emission from the magnetic polar caps of a neutron star that is accreting matter from a companion star and whose magnetic field is misaligned with its rotation axis. Among the compact galactic X-ray sources that are not X-ray pulsars, some still show direct evidence of binary membership, such as X-ray eclipses. There is evidence that the galactic-bulge sources are, in fact, close binary stellar systems. It is concluded, that the great majority of bright galactic X-ray sources, with only a tiny handful of exceptions (such as the Crab and Vela pulsars), are likely to be binaries.

Joss, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Advances in Understanding High-Mass X-ray Binaries with INTEGRAL and Future Directions

High mass X-ray binaries are among the brightest X-ray sources in the Milky Way, as well as in nearby Galaxies. Thanks to their highly variable emissions and complex phenomenology, they have attracted the interest of the high energy astrophysical community since the dawn of X-ray Astronomy. In more recent years, they have challenged our comprehension of physical processes in many more energy bands, ranging from the infrared to very high energies. In this review, we provide a broad but concise summary of the physical processes dominating the emission from high mass X-ray binaries across virtually the whole electromagnetic spectrum. These comprise the interaction of stellar winds with the high gravitational and magnetic fields of compact objects, the behaviour of matter under extreme magnetic and gravity conditions, and the perturbation of the massive star evolutionary processes. We highlight the role of the INTEGRAL mission in the discovery of many of the most interesting objects in the high mass X-ray binary class and its contribution in reviving the interest for these sources over the past two decades. We show how the INTEGRAL discoveries have not only contributed to significantly increase the number of high mass X-ray binaries known, thus advancing our understanding of the population as a whole, but also have opened new windows of investigation that stimulated the multi-wavelength approach nowadays common in most astrophysical research fields. We conclude the review by providing an overview of future facilities being planned from the X-ray to the very high energy domain that will hopefully help us in finding an answer to the many questions left open after more than 18 years of INTEGRAL scientific observations.

Peter Kretschmar↗
NASA NTRS1998

Echo Tomography of Reprocessing Sites in X-Ray Binaries

We discovered correlated rapid variability between the optical/UV and X-ray emission for the first time in a soft X-ray transient, GRO J1655-40. Hubble Space Telescope light curves show features similar to those seen by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, but with a mean delay of up to 10 - 20 s. We interpret the correlation as the result of reprocessing of X-rays into optical and UV emission, with a delay owing to finite light travel time; this assumption enables us to perform echo mapping of the system. The time-delay distribution has a mean of 14.6 +/-1.4 s and a dispersion of 10.5+/-1.9 s at binary phase 0.4. This establishes that the reprocessing region is the accretion disk around the compact star, rather than the mass-donating secondary. These results have been published.

Patterson, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS2002

Tracking the moving optical photocenters of active galaxies: binary black holes, accretion disks and relativistic jets

We will use the astrometric capabilities of the Space Interferometry Mission to answer three key questions about active galactic nuclei: 1) Does the separation of the radio core and optical photocenter of quasars change on the same timescale as their photometric variability? 2) Does the most compact optical emission from an active galactic nucleus come from an accretion disk or from a relativistic jet? and 3) Do the cores of galaxies harbor binary supermassive black holes remaining from galaxy mergers?

astrometry↗