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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 253 records · Page 14
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NASA NTRS1974

Possible influence of comets on the chemical evolution of the galaxy

It has been suggested by Cameron (1973) that a cloud of comets containing a mass of condensable elements, comparable to the mass of such elements in the sun, formed on the outskirts of the solar system. If the formation of such comet clouds is a general feature of star formation, they constitute a significant sink of elements heavier than helium. It is shown here that this process provides a possible explanation for the very slow rate at which the mean metal abundance of disk stars has increased during the lifetime of the Galaxy.

Tinsley, B. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

General constraints on the age and chemical evolution of the Galaxy

The formalism of Schramm and Wasserburg (1970) for determining the mean age of the elements is extended to develop as model-independent a range for the Galaxy's age as possible that takes all nuclear and meteoritic data uncertainties into account. A model-independent upper limit to that age is derived from an expansion of the equation giving the mean age of the elements in moments of the normalized effective nucleosynthesis rate. This limit depends only on the ratio of the mean time of formation of the elements to the total duration of nucleosynthesis, and on model-independent data. It is shown tht the Th-232/U-238. U-235/U-238, and Pu-244/U-238 chronometric pairs can give constraints on the relative rate of nucleosynthesis over the history of the synthesis of the solar system material.

Meyer, Bradley S.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The evolution of clusters of galaxies. I - Very rich clusters

A multiple one-body Monte Carlo code is used to investigate the evolution of galaxies in a steady cluster potential under the influence of dynamical friction, two-body relaxation, tidal stripping, and galaxy mergers. The basic assumptions, estimated time scales, method and computer program, and effects of uncertainties in galaxy encounter physics are addressed. Numerical experiments in which the mass initially carried by galaxies and the mass function are varied are reported. It is shown that the formation of a very massive cluster galaxy depends critically on the number of galaxies, the initial division of cluster material between galaxies and a smooth intracluster medium, the mass spectrum of the galaxies, and chance. By the end of all simulations, less than half of the mass in the central regions of the cluster is bound to galaxies. It appears possible to produce any of the Bautz-Morgan classes from very similar initial conditions.

Richstone, D. O.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The dynamics and evolution of clusters of galaxies

Research was undertaken to produce a coherent picture of the formation and evolution of large-scale structures in the universe. The program is divided into projects which examine four areas: the relationship between individual galaxies and their environment; the structure and evolution of individual rich clusters of galaxies; the nature of superclusters; and the large-scale distribution of individual galaxies. A brief review of results in each area is provided.

Geller, Margaret↗
NASA NTRS1972

Computer experiments on the structure and dynamics of spiral galaxies

The evolution of an initially balanced rotating disk of stars with an initial velocity dispersion given by Toomre's local criterion was investigated by means of a computer model for isolated disks of stars. It was found that the disk is unstable against very large scale modes. A stable axisymmetric disk with a velocity dispersion much larger than that given by Toomre's criterion was generated. The final mass distribution for the disk gives a high density central core and a disk population of stars that is closely approximated by an exponential variation. Various methods and rates of cooling the hot axisymmetric disks were investigated. It was found that the cooling resulted in the development of two-arm spiral structures which persisted as long as cooling continued. An experiment was performed to induce spiral structure in a galaxy by means of the close passage of a companion galaxy. Parameters similar to those expected for M51 and its companion were used. It was found that because of the high velocity dispersion of the disturbed disk galaxy, only a weak two-arm spiral structure appeared. The evolution of a uniformly rotating disk galaxy which is a stationary solution of the collisionless Boltzmann equation was investigated for various values of the initial rms velocity dispersion. It was found that the disk becomes stable at a value of the velocity dispersion predicted by theory.

Hohl, F.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Classical field approximation of ultralight dark matter: Quantum break times, corrections, and decoherence

The classical field approximation is widely used to better understand the predictions of ultralight dark matter. Here, in this work, we use the truncated Wigner approximation method to test the classical field approximation of ultralight dark matter. This method approximates a quantum state as an ensemble of independently evolving realizations drawn from its Wigner function. The method is highly parallelizable and allows the direct simulation of quantum corrections and decoherence times in systems many times larger than have been previously studied in reference to ultralight dark matter. Our study involves simulation of systems in 1, 2, and 3 spatial dimensions. We simulate three systems, the condensation of a Gaussian random field in three spatial dimensions, a stable collapsed object in three spatial dimensions, and the merging of two stable objects in two spatial dimensions. We study the quantum corrections to the classical field theory in each case. We find that quantum corrections grow exponentially during nonlinear growth with the timescale being approximately equal to the system dynamical time. In stable systems the corrections grow quadratically. We also find that the primary effect of quantum corrections is to reduce the amplitude of fluctuations on the de Broglie scale in the spatial density. Finally, we find that the timescale associated with decoherence due to gravitational coupling to baryonic matter is at least as fast as the quantum corrections due to gravitational interactions. These results are consistent with the predictions of the classical field theory being accurate.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark branches of immortal stars at the Galactic Center

We show that stars in the inner parsec of the Milky Way can be significantly affected by dark matter annihilation, producing population-level effects that are visible in a Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram. We establish the dark HR diagram, where stars lie on a new stable dark main sequence with similar luminosities, but lower temperatures, than the standard main sequence. The dark matter density in these stars continuously replenishes, granting these stars immortality and solving multiple stellar anomalies. Upcoming telescopes could detect the dark main sequence, offering a new dark matter discovery avenue.

astrophysical simulations↗
NASA NTRS1993

The evolution of the intergalactic medium and the origin of the galaxy luminosity function

The coupling of the Press and Schechter prescription with the CDM scenario and the Hoyle-Rees-Ostriker cooling criterion leads to a galaxy formation scenario in which galaxies are overproduced by a large factor. Although star formation might be suppressed in the smaller halos, a large amount of energy per galactic mass is needed to account for the present number density of galaxies. The evolution of the intergalactic medium (IGM) provides a simple criterion to prevent galaxy formation without requiring feedback, since halos with small virial temperatures are not able to retain the infalling hot gas of the IGM. If the ionizing background has decreased since z is approximately 1 - 2, then this criterion explains the slope of the luminosity function at the faint end. In addition, this scenario predicts two populations of dwarf galaxies, well differentiated in age, gas content, stellar populations, and clustering properties, which can be identified with dE and dIm galaxies.

Valls-Gabaud, David↗
NASA NTRS1995

The evolution of C/O in dwarf galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope FOS observations

We present UV observations of seven H II regions in low-luminosity dwarf irregular galaxies and the Magellanic Clouds obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in order to measure the C/O abundance ratio in the interstellar medium (ISM) of those galaxies. We measure both O III 1666 A and C III 1909 A in our spectra, enabling us to determine C(+2)/O(+2) with relatively small uncertainties. The results from our HST observations show a continuous increase in C/O with increasing O/H, consistent with a power law having an index of 0.43 +/- 0.09 over the range -4.7 to -3.6 in log (O/H). One possible interpretation of this trend is that the most metal-poor galaxies are the youngest and dominated by the products of early enrichment by massive stars, while more metal-rich galaxies show increasing, delayed contributions of carbon from intermediate-mass stars. Our results also suggest that it may not be appropiate to combine abundances in irregular galaxies with those in spiral galaxies to study the evolution of chemical abundances. Our measured C/O ratios in the most metal-poor galaxies are consistent with predictions of nucleosynthesis from massive stars for Weaver & Woosley's best estimate for the 12C(alpha, gamma) 16O nuclear reaction rate, assuming negligible contanmination from carbon produced in intermediate-mass stars in these galaxies. We detect a weak N III 1750 A multiplet in SMC N88A and obtain interesting upper limits for two other objects. Our 2 sigma uppr limits on the 1750 A feature indicate that the N(+2)/O(+2) ratios in these objects are not significantly larger than the N(+)/O(+) ratios measured from optical spectra. This behavior is consistent with predictions of photionization models, although better detections of N III are needed to confirm the results.

Garnett, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Some effects of dust on photometry of high-z galaxies: Confounding the effects of evolution

Photometric observations of very distant galaxies--e.g., color vs. z or magnitude vs. z, have been used over the past decade or so in investigations into the evolution of the stellar component. Numerous studies have predicted significant color variations as a result of evolution, in addition to the shifting of different rest wavelengths into the band of observation. Although there is significant scatter, the data can be fit with relatively straightforward, plausible models for galaxian evolution. In very few cases are the effects of dust extinction included in the models. This is due in a large part to the uncertainty about the distribution and optical properties of the grains, and even whether or not they are present in significant numbers in some types of galaxies such as ellipticals. It is likely that the effects of dust on broadband observations are the greatest uncertainty in studies of very distant galaxies. We use a detailed Monte Carlo radiative transfer model within a spherical geometry for different star/dust distributions to examine the effects of dust on the broadband colors of galaxies as a function of redshift. The model fully accounts for absorption and angular redistribution in scattering. In this summary, we consider only the effects on color vs. redshift for three simple geometries each with the same total dust optical depth. Elsewhere at this conference, Capuano, Thronson, & Witt consider other effects of altering the relative dust/star distribution.

Thronson, H. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Physical Origin of Galaxy Morphologies and Scaling Laws

We propose a numerical study designed to interpret the origin and evolution of galaxy properties revealed by space- and ground-based imaging and spectroscopical surveys. Our aim is to unravel the physical processes responsible for the development of different galaxy morphologies and for the establishment of scaling laws such as the Tully-Fisher relation for spirals and the Fundamental Plane of ellipticals. In particular, we plan to address the following major topics: (1) The morphology and observability of protogalaxies, and in particular the relationship between primordial galaxies and the z approximately 3 'Ly-break' systems identified in the Hubble Deep Field and in ground-based searches; (2) The origin of the disk and spheroidal components in galaxies, the timing and mode of their assembly, the corresponding evolution in galaxy morphologies and its sensitivity to cosmological parameters; (3) The origin and redshift evolution of the scaling laws that link the mass, luminosity size, stellar content, and metal abundances of galaxies of different morphological types. This investigation will use state-of-the-art N-body/gasdynamical codes to provide a spatially resolved description of the galaxy formation process in hierarchically clustering universes. Coupled with population synthesis techniques. our models can be used to provide synthetic 'observations' that can be compared directly with observations of galaxies both nearby and at cosmologically significant distances. This study will thus provide insight into the nature of protogalaxies and into the formation process of galaxies like our own Milky Way. It will also help us to assess the cosmological significance of these observations within the context of hierarchical theories of galaxy formation and will supply a theoretical context within which current and future observations can be interpreted.

Steinmetz, Matthias↗
DOE OSTI2024

Value-added catalog of physical properties for more than 1.3 million galaxies from the DESI survey

We present an extensive catalog of the physical properties of more than a million galaxies investigated with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), one of the largest spectroscopic surveys to date. Spanning a full range of target types, including emission-line galaxies, luminous red galaxies, and quasars, our survey encompasses an unprecedented range of spectroscopic redshifts, all the way from 0 to 6. The physical properties, such as stellar masses and star formation rates, were derived via the CIGALE spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code accounting for the contribution coming from active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Based on the modeling of the optical-mid-infrared (grz supplemented with WISE photometry) SEDs, we studied the galaxy properties with respect to their location on the main sequence. We have revised the dependence of stellar mass estimates on model choices and on the availability of WISE photometry. Indeed, the WISE data are required to minimize the misclassification of star-forming galaxies as AGNs. The lack of WISE bands in SED fits leads to elevated AGN fractions for 68% of star-forming galaxies identified using emission line diagnostic diagrams, but this does not significantly affect their stellar mass or star formation estimates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Beyond traditional diagnostics: Identifying active galactic nuclei using spectral energy distribution fitting in DESI data

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are typically identified through their distinctive X-ray or radio emissions, mid-infrared (MIR) colors, or emission lines. However, each method captures different subsets of AGN due to signal-to-noise (S/N) limitations, redshift coverage, and extinction effects, underscoring the necessity for a multiwavelength approach for comprehensive AGN samples. This study explores the effectiveness of spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting as a robust method for AGN identification. Using CIGALE optical-MIR SED fits on DESI Early Data Release galaxies, we compare SED-based AGN selection (AGNFRAC ≥ 0.1) with traditional methods including BPT diagrams, WISE colors, X-ray, and radio diagnostics. The SED fitting identifies ∼70% of narrow- and broad-line AGN and 87% of WISE-selected AGN. Incorporating high S/N WISE photometry reduces star-forming galaxy contamination from 62% to 15%. Initially, ∼50% of SED-AGN candidates are undetected by standard methods, but additional diagnostics classify ∼85% of these sources, revealing low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions and retired galaxies potentially representing evolved systems with weak AGN activity. Further spectroscopic and multiwavelength analysis will be essential to determine the true AGN nature of these sources. SED fitting provides complementary AGN identification, unifying multiwavelength AGN selections. This approach enables more complete – albeit somewhat contaminated – AGN samples, which are essential for upcoming large-scale surveys where spectroscopic diagnostics may be limited.

Seyfert↗
DOE OSTI2025

The hierarchical growth of bright central galaxies and intracluster light as traced by the magnitude gap

Using a sample of 2800 galaxy clusters identified in the Dark Energy Survey across the redshift range 0.20 < z < 0.60, we characterize the hierarchical assembly of bright central galaxies (BCGs) and the surrounding intracluster light (ICL). To quantify hierarchical formation we use the stellar mass–halo mass (SMHM) relation, comparing the halo mass, estimated via the mass–richness relation, to the stellar mass within the BCG + ICL system. Moreover, we incorporate the magnitude gap (M14), the difference in brightness between the BCG (measured within 30 kpc) and fourth brightest cluster member galaxy within 0.5 $R_{200,c}$, as a third parameter in this linear relation. The inclusion of M14, which traces BCG hierarchical growth, increases the slope and decreases the intrinsic scatter, highlighting that it is a latent variable within the BCG + ICL SMHM relation. Moreover, the correlation with M14 decreases at large radii. However, the stellar light within the BCG + ICL transition region (30 –80 kpc) most strongly correlates with halo mass and has a statistically significant correlation with M14. Since the transition region and M14 are independent measurements, the transition region may grow due to the BCG’s hierarchical formation. Additionally, as M14 and ICL result from hierarchical growth, we use a stacked sample and find that clusters with large M14 values are characterized by larger ICL and BCG + ICL fractions, which illustrates that the merger processes that build the BCG stellar mass also grow the ICL. Furthermore, this may suggest that M14 combined with the ICL fraction can identify dynamically relaxed clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2013

Wise Detections of Known QSOS at Redshifts Greater Than Six

We present WISE All-Sky mid-infrared (IR) survey detections of 55 % (17/31) of the known QSOs at z greater than 6 from a range of surveys: the SDSS, the CFHT-LS, FIRST, Spitzer and UK1DSS. The WISE catalog thus provides a substantial increase in tiie quantity of IR data available for these sources: 17 are detected in the WISE Wl (3.4 micrometer) band, 16 in W2 (4.6 micrometers), 3 in W3 (12 micrometers) and 0 in W4 (22micrometers). This is particularly important with Spitzer in its warm-mission phase and no faint follow-up capability at wavelengths longwards of 5 micrometers until the launch of JWST. WISE thus provides a useful tool for understanding QSOs found in forthcoming large-area optical/IR sky surveys, using PanSTARRS, SkyMapper, VISTA, DES and LSST. The rest-UV properties of the WISE-detected and the WISE-non-detected samples differ: the detections have brighter i/z-band magnitudes and redder rest-UV colors. This suggests thai a more aggressive hunt for very-high-redshift QSOs, by combining WISE Wl and W2 data with red observed optical colors could be effective at least, for a subset of dusty candidate QSOs. Stacking the WISE images of the WISE-non-detected QSOs indicates that they are on average significantly fainter than the WISE-detccted examples, and are thus not narrowly missing detection in the WISE catalog. The WISE-catalog detection of three of our sample in the W3 band indicates that their mid-ID flux can be detected individually, although there is no stacked W3 detection of sources detected in Wl but not. W3. Stacking analyses of WISE data for large AGN samples will be a useful tool, and high-redshifl. QSOs of all types will be easy targets for JWST.

Galaxies: Evolution↗
NASA NTRS2016

Exploring the Overabundance of ULXs in Metal- and Dust-Poor Local Lyman Break Analogs

We have studied high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) populations within two low-metallicity, starburst galaxies, Haro 11 and VV 114. These galaxies serve as analogs to high-redshift (z greater than 2) Lyman break galaxies and, within the larger sample of Lyman break analogs (LBAs), they are sufficiently nearby (less than 87 Mpc) to be spatially resolved by Chandra. Previous studies of the X-ray emission in LBAs have found that the 2-10 keV luminosity per star formation rate (SFR) in these galaxies is elevated, potentially because of their low metallicities (12 + log[O/H] = 8.3-8.4). Theoretically, the progenitors of XRBs forming in lower metallicity environments lose less mass from stellar winds over their lifetimes, producing more massive compact objects (i.e., neutron stars and black holes), and thus resulting in more numerous and luminous HMXBs per SFR. In this paper, we have performed an in-depth study of the only two LBAs that have spatially resolved 2-10 keV emission with Chandra to present the bright end of the X-ray luminosity distribution of HMXBs (L(sub X) approximately greater than 10(exp 39) erg s(exp −1); ultraluminous X-ray sources, ULXs) in these low-metallicity galaxies, based on eight detected ULXs. Compared with the star-forming galaxy X-ray luminosity function (XLF) presented by Mineo et al., Haro 11 and VV 114 host approximately equal to 4 times more L(sub X) greater than 10(exp 40) erg s(exp −1) sources than expected given their SFRs. We simulate the effects of source blending from crowded lower-luminosity HMXBs using the star-forming galaxy XLF and then vary the XLF normalizations and bright-end slopes until we reproduce the observed point source luminosity distributions. We find that these LBAs have a shallower bright-end slope (gamma(sub 2) = 1.90) than the standard XLF (gamma(sub 2) 2.73). If we conservatively assume that the brightest X-ray source from each galaxy is powered by an accreting supermassive black hole rather than an HMXB and eliminate these sources from consideration, the luminosity distribution becomes poorly constrained but does appear to be consistent with a standard XLF.

galaxies: evolution aEuro" galaxies: individual↗