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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 NTRS1978

Discovering astronomy

An overview of basic astronomical knowledge is presented with attention to the structure and dynamics of the stars and planets. Also dealt with are techniques of astronomical measurement, e.g., stellar spectrometry, radio astronomy, star catalogs, etc. Basic physical principles as they pertain to astronomy are reviewed, including the nature of light, gravitation, and electromagnetism. Finally, stellar evolution and cosmology are discussed with reference to the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.

Chapman, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The Ca II V/R ratio and mass loss

High-dispersion coude spectrograms of 181 MK standards of types early F through late M, including luminosity classes Ia, Ib, II, and III, are analyzed. It is shown that the brightness ratio of the V and R self-reversed emission peaks (denoted V/R) in the center of the Ca II K line is correlated with spectral type as well as with certain other spectral-type and luminosity-sensitive parameters, including indicators of mass loss and the H-K wing emission lines. The observations indicate that V/R varies smoothly from less than unity in late K and M giants to greater than unity for G giants. This trend appears to be true for bright giants as well but not necessarily for supergiants and seems to hold for the average V/R for a given star, although short-term variations in V/R occur. It is suggested that the V/R values, which can be interpreted in terms of atmospheric motions, may indirectly relate to effects of evolutionary changes in stellar structure and that V/R among late-type stars could be useful as an indicator of both chromospheric activity and the state of stellar evolution.

Stencel, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Semiconvection and period changes in RR Lyrae stars

The possibility is considered that convective mixing inherently associated with composition redistribution inward through a semiconvective zone (SCZ) and into the convective core by the end of the horizontal-branch (HB) phase may be primarily responsible for the observed period changes in RR Lyrae stars. Specifically, it is proposed that the period changes in RR Lyrae stars are caused mainly by small random mixing events within the SCZ and at the edge of the convective core. Tests of several HB models that include semiconvection are presented which demonstrate that stellar evolution cannot satisfactorily account for the observed period changes but that mixing events involving only a very small part of the SCZ or a very small extension of the convective core are sufficient to change the pulsation period of an RR Lyrae star by the amount typically observed. The frequency of the period changes is predicted theoretically and found to be in good agreement with the observed value within the substantial uncertainties involved. A procedure is outlined for future period-change testing of HB models.

Sweigart, A. V.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Ultrahigh energy neutrinos from galactic neutron stars

An attempt is made to estimate the production rate of ultrahigh energy (UHE) neutrinos from galactic neutron stars. The statistics of various stellar populations are reviewed as well as an evolutionary scheme linking several neutron star environments. An observational test for predicting stellar evolution is made using two mass ratio intervals of less than 0.3 and greater than or approximately equal to 0.3, which is supported by kinematical evidence. Attention is given to the problem of the target material that is required by UHE protons accelerated from the pulsar's surface to their rotational kinetic energy, and to the detectability of neutron stars in the UHE neutrinos by employing the deep underwater muon and neutrino detector (DUMAND) array.

Helfand, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

On the continuing stellar formation in the central regions of some globular clusters and their relation to the pulsars

The discrepancy between the predicted and observed quantities of gas in the central regions of massive globular clusters is discussed. It is hypothesized that star formation continues in the central regions by means of gas released during stellar evolution or trapped by the central region when the globular clusters pass through the center of the galaxy. Nine globular clusters are indicated at distances less than 1000 ps from which radio pulsars or X-ray sources are observed. It is argued that they could have formed relatively recently in closed pairs in the central regions and then ejected at the stage of supernova bursts with velocities over 100 ks/s.

Komberg, B. V.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A discussion of Cepheid masses

Masses and compositions of Cepheids are essential to map the places in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram where various radial pulsation modes occur. Luminosity observations and stellar evolution theory give masses for Cepheids which range from 10 percent to a factor of four more than those given by pulsation theory. Combining the evolution and pulsation theories, a theoretical mass was determined using only the period and an approximate surface effective temperature. The ratio of the theoretical to evolutionary masses averaged 0.99 + or - 0.07 for 16 Cepheids.

Cox, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Recent theoretical work on Cepheids and other types of variables

Some important problems in the theory of Cepheids and of other types of variables are pointed out. Three of these are: (1) large-amplitude mode behavior; (2) convection; and (3) Cepheid masses, which must essentially always be inferred indirectly. Of the several types of indirect mass which can be defined, the inferred masses of the 'beat (or double-mode) Cepheids,' seem to be smaller than one expects for this period range by factors of 2-3. For the nonbeat Cepheids, the indirect masses also appear to be low as compared with conventional stellar evolution theory, but by a smaller amount, say some 20-40 percent. Some conceivable ways of explaining these mass discrepancies are discussed. The question of whether the apparently predominantly radial pulsations of the beat Cepheids could be contaminated with a small admixture of nonradial pulsations, so that the use of purely radial pulsation theory may not be applicable to the beat Cepheids is addressed. Some other conjectures which may bear on ordinary or beat Cepheids are offered.

Cox, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

IUE low-dispersion spectra of four luminous stars in symmetric nebulae

The stars and nebulae are HD 56925 in NGC 2359, + 60 deg 2522 in NGC 7635, AG Car in its nebula, and 209 BAC in M1-67. A discussion of known properties of these systems precedes the IUE data, which are tabulated with types and identifications of significant line features and velocities of ultraviolet-displaced absorption features. Weaver et al.'s theory of the interaction of a stellar wind with the ambient interstellar medium is applied to the combined observational data. This gives a table of self-consistent values for stellar terminal wind velocity, rate of mass loss, and wind power; nebular mass, radius, expansion velocity, and age; also ambient interstellar density and mass swept up from the interstellar medium by the wind. The relatively infrequent occurrence of such symmetric nebulae around young, massive stars is possibly related to the short lifetimes of the nebulae in comparison with stellar evolution lifetimes.

Johnson, H. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Galaxy spectral synthesis. II - M32 and the ages of galaxies

The paper presents a population synthesis performed on absolute spectrophotometry for the central 31 in. of M32. The metallicity of M32 is solar with 0.1 dex, implying that major star formation continued in M32 until 5 Gyr ago, or 10 Gyr after the oldest globular clusters formed. The synthesis models predict that the rate of mass return to the interstellar medium in M32 from evolving stars is about 0.0008 solar mass/yr; however, the upper limit for star formation during the past 1 Gyr is about 0.003/yr, showing that the available optical observations do not exclude complete recycling of gas lost during stellar evolution into new generations of stars.

Oconnell, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

New insights into the physical state of gaseous nebulae

The impact of knowledge of H II regions, planetary nebulae and supernova remnants due to International Ultraviolet Explorer is examined. The more relevant aspects related to the physical conditions of gaseous nebulae are reviewed. The following properties of gaseous nebulae are discussed: (1) density and temperature distribution; (2) ionization structure; (3) chemical composition; (4) internal dust; and (5) shock velocity for supernova remnants. The CNO abundances of planetary nebulae are compared with stellar evolution models.

Peimbert, M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Pulsar statistics and their interpretations

It is shown that a lack of knowledge concerning interstellar electron density, the true spatial distribution of pulsars, the radio luminosity source distribution of pulsars, the real ages and real aging rates of pulsars, the beaming factor (and other unknown factors causing the known sample of about 350 pulsars to be incomplete to an unknown degree) is sufficient to cause a minimum uncertainty of a factor of 20 in any attempt to determine pulsar birth or death rates in the Galaxy. It is suggested that this uncertainty must impact on suggestions that the pulsar rates can be used to constrain possible scenarios for neutron star formation and stellar evolution in general.

Arnett, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The abundance of carbon in HU 2-1

A logarithmic carbon abundance of 8.61 + or - 0.3 is derived for the planetary nebula Hu 2-1 using data taken with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite. This value is close to the logarithmic carbon abundance of 8.67 + or - 0.1, found for the sun by other investigators. The carbon abundance of Hu 2-1 is compared to those of other planetary nebulae and to the predictions of stellar evolution calculations.

Lutz, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Outer atmospheres of cool stars. IX - A survey of ultraviolet emission from F-K dwarfs and giants with IUE

Low-dispersion ultraviolet spectra (1150-2000 A) of a representative sample of cool stars, including dwarfs and giants of spectral types F-K, obtained with the IUE, are examined. The observation and the absolute calibration procedures are described. Correlation diagrams are constructed that compare chromospheric and transition-region emission line strengths and broadband coronal soft X-ray fluxes. The transition-region and coronal emission in the G-K dwarfs and G giants is well correlated with the Mg II (wavelength 2800) doublet emission strength, which is symptomatic of chromospheric energy losses. The power-law slopes are steeper than unity, particularly for soft X-rays. The implications of the correlations are discussed with respect to the weakening or disappearance of transition regions and hot coronae in the cool half of the red-giant branch and possible chromospheric and coronal heating mechanisms. It is proposed that the weakness of outer atmospheres in the red giants compared with the yellow giants can be understood as a consequence of stellar evolution, since it is possible that stars of slightly different spectral type in the giant branch have very different main-sequence progenitors.

Ayres, T. R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Solar nutrinos

The topics covered include: an overview of the subject of solar neutrinos, a brief summary of the theory of stellar evolution, a description of the main sources of solar neutrinos, a brief summary of the results of the Brookhaven C1-37 experiment, an anaysis of the principal solar neutrino experiments, and a discussion of how solar neutrino experiments can be used to detect the collapse of stars in the Galaxy. A description of how the Ga-71 experiment can be used to decide whether the origin of the present discrepancy between theory and observation lies in conventional solar models or conventional physics is presented.

Bahcall, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The High Resolution Spectrograph for the Space Telescope

The High Resoltuion Spectrograph (HRS) in conjunction with the Space Telescope (ST), extends ultraviolet astronomical spectroscopy to higher spectra, spatial, and time resolutions than previously achieved, as well as to fainter and more distant celestial objects. Other significant advances inherent in the instrument are high photometric accuracy and efficient operation via exposure meter control and real time rejection of bad data. These capabilities are provided to accomplish the scientific programs of the HRS investigation definition team, which concern the interstellar medium, stellar winds, and evolutionary aspects of stellar atmosphere studies; the determination of chemical abundances relevant to stellar evolution; the investigation of quasars and Seyfert galaxy nuclei; and the analysis of the atmospheres of solar system objects, including comets.

Brandt, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Black holes, quasars, and the universe /2nd edition/

Topics of astronomy are discussed in terms of black holes, galaxies, quasars, and models of the universe. Black holes are approached through consideration of stellar evolution, white dwarfs, supernovae, neutron stars, pulsars, the event horizon, Cygnus X-1, white holes, and worm holes. Attention is also given to radio waves from high speed electrons, the radiation emitted by quasars, active galaxies, galactic energy sources, and interpretations of the redshift. Finally, the life cycle of the universe is deliberated, along with the cosmic time scale, evidence for the Big Bang, and the future of the universe.

Shipman, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The Schweizer-Middleditch star - Not a stellar remnant of SN 1006

The blue star found by Schweizer and Middleditch (1980) near the center of SN1006 cannot be a stellar remnant of that supernova, unless it is considerably more exotic than is justified by existing observational data. Conventional stellar evolution theory shows that the time to cool to the observed effective temperature is approximately one million years, far in excess of the 975 year age of the supernova remnant.

Savedoff, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

X-ray spectroscopy of supernova remnants

The information which can be obtained from X-ray spectroscopy of supernova remnants is considerd. The fitting of X-ray detector counts to models of the incident spectrum is discussed, and the types of thermal emission models generally employed are presented, including the power law, black body, and thermal bremsstrahlung models of the continua and models of the emission of a hot, optically thin plasma in collisional equilibrium. Observations of 12 supernova remnants made with the Solid State Spectrometer on board the Einstein Observatory are reported, and metal abundances inferred from the lines of the eight remnants showing thermal spectra are summarized. Questions raised by the failure to observe the overabundance of Fe predicted by stellar evolution and hydrodynamic modeling are discussed, and the need to develop more detailed models of the conditions in a supernova remnant in order to interpret the X-ray spectra is noted.

Szymkowiak, A. E.↗