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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Model chromospheres of RS CVn stars - Balmer line profiles in Gamma Andromedae

Two models have been constructed for the chromosphere of the RS CVn star Gamma And, one with a low-pressure transition zone, and one with a high pressure transition zone. The high pressure model predicts an H alpha line profile which agrees fairly well with high resolution observations of Gamma And, without the need to include nonthermal line broadening. The low pressure model predicts an H alpha profile which agrees very well with the observations, after application of macroturbulent broadening with a gaussian velocity parameter of about 30 km/sec. Methods which could distinguish between the two alternatives are discussed, and it is suggested that if the low-pressure model is valid, the large macroturbulence may be associated with unstable magnetic flux loops in the atmosphere.

Mullan, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The Apsidal-motion test for models of main-sequence stars

Apsidal-motion constants, k2, have been determined for models of homogeneous main-sequence stars constructed with the new 'Thomas-Fermi' opacities of Carson. These models are similar to those constructed with the 'hydrogenic' opacities of Cox and Stewart up to about 7 solar masses, but yield smaller values of k2 at higher masses. Nevertheless, the new theoretical constants are still systematically too large compared with most of the empirical constants known for members of well-observed binary systems. Uniform rotation is found to lower the theoretical constants only slightly. The effect of normal evolution during core hydrogen burning, however, produces good detailed agreement with observations. The primary of alpha Vir is probably evolving normally if Carson's opacities are adopted.

Stothers, R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A grid of model atmospheres for metal-deficient giant stars. I

A grid of flux-constant model atmospheres for stars with effective temperatures between 3750 and 6000 K, log g between 0.75 and 3.0, and (A/H) between -3.0 and 0.0 has been constructed. The line absorption is approximated by opacity distribution functions. Metal lines and molecular lines, including those from the infrared bands of CO and CN, are taken into account. The variation of the structure of the models with metal abundance and microturbulence parameter is found to be quite regular and not very drastic. The surface cooling produced by CO is important for all the models with a maximum temperature of 5000 K, while CN mainly causes a backwarming effect but is not very important for solar CNO abundances. The effects of convection, estimated by using the mixing-length approximation, are important only for the coldest models. The models compare very well with models from overlapping regions of other grids. A solar model consistent with the grid models is found to agree satisfactorily with empirical solar model atmospheres. The careful use of scaled solar models for stars with (A/H) approximately equal to zero is justified.

Gustafsson, B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Rotation of low-mass stars - A new probe of stellar evolution

Models of stars of various masses and rotational parameters were developed and compared with observations of stars in open clusters of various ages in order to analyze the evolution of rotating stars from the early premain sequence to an age of 1.7 x 10 to the 9th yrs. It is shown that, for stars older than 10 to the 8th yrs and less massive than 1.1 solar mass, the surface rotation rates depend most strongly on the properties of the angular momentum loss. The trends of the currently available observations suggest that the rotation periods are a good indicator of the field-star ages.

Pinsonneault, M. H.↗
DOE OSTI2019

GW170817 implications on the frequency and damping time of $f$-mode oscillations of neutron stars

Within a minimum model for neutron stars consisting of nucleons, electrons, and muons at $β$ equilibrium using about a dozen equations of state (EOS) from microscopic nuclear many-body theories and 40000 EOSs randomly generated using an explicitly isospin-dependent parametric EOS model for high-density neutron-rich nucleonic matter within its currently known uncertainty range, we study correlations among the $f$-mode frequency, its damping time and the tidal deformability as well as the compactness of neutron stars. Except for quark stars, both the $f$-mode frequency and damping time of canonical neutron stars are found to scale with the tidal deformability independent of the EOSs used. Applying the constraint on the tidal deformability of canonical neutron stars $Λ_{1.4} = 190^{+390}_{-120}$ extracted by the LIGO+VIRGO Collaborations from their improved analyses of the GW170817 event, the $f$-mode frequency and its damping time of canonical neutron stars are limited to 1.67–2.18 kHz and 0.155–0.255 s, respectively, providing a useful guidance for the ongoing search for gravitational waves from the $f$-mode oscillations of isolated neutron stars. Finally, assuming either or both the $f$-mode frequency and its damping time will be measured precisely in future observations with advanced gravitational wave detectors, we discuss how information about the mass and/or radius as well as the still rather elusive nuclear symmetry energies at suprasaturation densities may be extracted.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Gaia DR2 parallax zero-point: hierarchical modelling of red clump stars

ABSTRACT The systematic offset of Gaia parallaxes has been widely reported with Gaia’s second data release, and it is expected to persist in future Gaia data. In order to use Gaia parallaxes to infer distances to high precision, we develop a hierarchical probabilistic model to determine the Gaia parallax zero-point offset along with the calibration of an empirical model for luminosity of red clump stars by combining astrometric and photometric measurements. Using a cross-matched sample of red clump stars from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment and Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2), we report the parallax zero-point offset in DR2 to be $\varpi _0 = -48 \pm 1\,\mu \text{as}$. We infer the red clump absolute magnitude to be −1.622 ± 0.004 in Ks, 0.435 ± 0.004 in G, −1.019 ± 0.004 in J, and −1.516 ± 0.004 in H. The intrinsic scatter of the red clump is ∼0.09 mag in J, H, and Ks, or ∼ 0.12 mag in G. We tailor our models to accommodate more complex analyses such as investigating the variations of the parallax zero-point with each source’s observed magnitude, observed colour, and sky position. In particular, we find fluctuations of the zero-point across the sky to be of order or less than a few 10s of $\mu \text{as}$.

Chan, Victor C.↗
DOE OSTI2017

STAR-CCM+ (CFD) Calculations and Validation L3:VVI.H2L.P15.02

This milestone presents a demonstration of the High-to-Low (Hi2Lo) process in the VVI focus area. Validation and additional calculations with the commercial computational fluid dynamics code, STAR-CCM+, were performed using a 5x5 fuel assembly with non-mixing geometry and spacer grids. This geometry was based on the benchmark experiment provided by Westinghouse. Results from the simulations were compared to existing experimental data and to the subchannel thermal-hydraulics code COBRA-TF (CTF). An uncertainty quantification (UQ) process was developed for the STAR-CCM+ model and results of the STAR UQ were communicated to CTF. Results from STAR-CCM+ simulations were used as experimental design points in CTF to calibrate the mixing parameter β and compared to results obtained using experimental data points. This demonstrated that CTF’s β parameter can be calibrated to match existing experimental data more closely. The Hi2Lo process for the STAR-CCM+/CTF code coupling was documented in this milestone and closely linked L3:VVI.H2LP15.01 milestone report.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2016

EG ANDROMEDAE: A NEW ORBIT AND ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE FOR A PHOTOIONIZED WIND

We analyze a roughly 20 yr set of spectroscopic observations for the symbiotic binary EG And. Radial velocities derived from echelle spectra are best fit with a circular orbit having an orbital period of P = 483.3 ± 1.6 days and semi-amplitude K = 7.34 ± 0.07 km s{sup −1}. Combined with previous data, these observations rule out an elliptical orbit at the 10 σ level. Equivalent widths of H i Balmer emission lines and various absorption features vary in phase with the orbital period. Relative to the radius of the red giant primary, the apparent size of the H ii region is consistent with a model where a hot secondary star with effective temperature T{sub h} ≈ 75,000 K ionizes the wind from the red giant.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

AN APPARENT PRECESSING HELICAL OUTFLOW FROM A MASSIVE EVOLVED STAR: EVIDENCE FOR BINARY INTERACTION

Massive, evolved stars play a crucial role in the metal enrichment, dust budget, and energetics of the interstellar medium; however, the details of their evolution are uncertain because of their rarity and short lifetimes before exploding as supernovae. Discrepancies between theoretical predictions from single-star evolutionary models and observations of massive stars have evoked a shifting paradigm that implicates the importance of binary interaction. We present mid- to far-infrared observations from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy of a conical “helix” of warm dust (∼180 K) that appears to extend from the Wolf–Rayet star WR102c. Our interpretation of the helix is a precessing, collimated outflow that emerged from WR102c during a previous evolutionary phase as a rapidly rotating luminous blue variable. We attribute the precession of WR102c to gravitational interactions with an unseen compact binary companion whose orbital period can be constrained to 800 days < P < 1400 days from the inferred precession period, τ{sub p} ∼ 1.4 × 10{sup 4} yr, and limits imposed on the stellar and orbital parameters of the system. Our results concur with the range of orbital periods (P ≲ 1500 days) where spin-up via mass exchange is expected to occur for massive binary systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1987

Long-life 3-axis satellite attitude sensing, phase 1

The purpose was to investigate the feasibility of new, moderate-cost, high reliability navigation sensors for high-altitude satellites, using stellar sources to obviate the use of gyroscopic devices. The primary investigation focused on the need for developing a star tracker model to replace an old star tracker which is still needed for current probe and satellite programs. One innovative element of the proposed star tracker was the design, development, and testing of technology components related to a phase scrambler plate. The purpose of the phase scrambler plate is to convert the impulse response of the optical system from a point image to a uniformly bright, square, angularly large, in-focus image of the star source. A collimated star source was built and tested. A breadboard star tracker with an 8 x 8 degree field of view was designed and built. It was tested in normal quad-cell mode (without the phase scrambler plate) and with the phase scrambler plate. Although the phase scrambler plate was crudely made, the performance of the star tracker breadboard was greatly improved using the phase scrambler plate, instead of system defocus. If further developed, the phase scrambler plate may be added as a low-cost retroconversion to any objective lens to greatly improve quad-cell or CCD array tracking; applications include star trackers, laser metrology, laser machining optics, and surveying instrumentation.

Arild, Tor↗
NASA NTRS1998

WFPC2 Observations of Star Clusters in the Magellanic Clouds: The Oldest Star Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud - Report 2

We present our analysis of archival Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) observations in F45OW ( approximately B) and F555W (approximately V) of the intermediate-age populous star clusters NGC 121, NGC 339, NGC 361, NGC 416, and Kron 3 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We use published photometry of two other SMC populous star clusters, Lindsay 1 and Lindsay 113, to investigate the age sequence of these seven populous star clusters in order to improve our understanding of the formation chronology of the SMC. We analyzed the V vs B-V and M(sub V) vs (B-V)(sub 0) color-magnitude diagrams of these populous Small Magellanic Cloud star clusters using a variety of techniques and determined their ages, metallicities, and reddenings. These new data enable us to improve the age-metallicity relation of star clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud. In particular, we find that a closed-box continuous star-formation model does not reproduce the age-metallicity relation adequately. However, a theoretical model punctuated by bursts of star formation is in better agreement with the observational data presented herein.

Mighell, Kenneth J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Non-LTE line-blanketed model atmospheres of hot stars. 1: Hybrid complete linearization/accelerated lambda iteration method

A new munerical method for computing non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (non-LTE) model stellar atmospheres is presented. The method, called the hybird complete linearization/accelerated lambda iretation (CL/ALI) method, combines advantages of both its constituents. Its rate of convergence is virtually as high as for the standard CL method, while the computer time per iteration is almost as low as for the standard ALI method. The method is formulated as the standard complete lineariation, the only difference being that the radiation intensity at selected frequency points is not explicity linearized; instead, it is treated by means of the ALI approach. The scheme offers a wide spectrum of options, ranging from the full CL to the full ALI method. We deonstrate that the method works optimally if the majority of frequency points are treated in the ALI mode, while the radiation intensity at a few (typically two to 30) frequency points is explicity linearized. We show how this method can be applied to calculate metal line-blanketed non-LTE model atmospheres, by using the idea of 'superlevels' and 'superlines' introduced originally by Anderson (1989). We calculate several illustrative models taking into accont several tens of thosands of lines of Fe III to Fe IV and show that the hybrid CL/ALI method provides a robust method for calculating non-LTE line-blanketed model atmospheres for a wide range of stellar parameters. The results for individual stellar types will be presented in subsequent papers in this series.

Hubeny, I.↗
NASA NTRS1993

On the synthesis of resonance lines in dynamical models of structured hot-star winds

We examine basic issues involved in synthesizing resonance-line profiles from 1-D, dynamical models of highly structured hot-star winds. Although these models exhibit extensive variations in density as well as velocity, the density scale length is still typically much greater than the Sobolev length. The line transfer is thus treated using a Sobolev approach, as generalized by Rybicki & Hummer (1978) to take proper account of the multiple Sobolev resonances arising from the nonmonotonic velocity field. The resulting reduced-lambda-matrix equation describing nonlocal coupling of the source function is solved by iteration, and line profiles are then derived from formal solution integration using this source function. Two more approximate methods that instead use either a stationary or a structured, local source function yield qualitatively similar line-profiles, but are found to violate photon conservation by 10% or more. The full results suggest that such models may indeed be able to reproduce naturally some of the qualitative properties long noted in observed UV line profiles, such as discrete absorption components in unsaturated lines, or the blue-edge variability in saturated lines. However, these particular models do not yet produce the black absorption troughs commonly observed in saturated lines, and it seems that this and other important discrepancies (e.g., in acceleration time scale of absorption components) may require development of more complete models that include rotation and other 2-D and/or 3-D effects.

Puls, J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Role of Theory and Modeling in the International Living with a Star Program

Today, theory and modeling play a critical role in our quest to understand the connection between solar eruptive phenomena, and their impacts in interplanetary space and in the near-Earth space environment. This new role is based on two developments, one related to the goal of basic physical understanding, and the other to space weather-related applications. When targeting physical our focus is shifting away from investigations aiming at basic discoveries, to missions and studies that address our basic understanding of processes we know to be important. For these studies, theory and models provide physical explanations that need to be verified or falsified by empirical evidence. Within this paradigm, a much more tight integration between theory modeling, and space flight mission design and execution is not only beneficial, but essential. One of the prime objectives of space weather research, on the other hand, is the prediction of space environmental conditions for the benefit of humans and their assets in near-Earth space and on the ground, as well as on solar system bodies like Mars that are of interest to exploration by humans. By its very nature, prediction requires modeling, which, in turn, requires understanding. We will present an overview of the role of theory and modeling within the International Living With a Star program. Specifically, we will focus on an assessment of present-day and future capabilities, as well as on strategies for tight integration of theory and modeling in space science investigations.

Hesse, M.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Convection and Overshoot in Models of Doradus and Scuti Stars

We investigate the pulsation properties of stellar models that are representative of δ Scuti and γ Doradus variables. Here we have calculated a grid of stellar models from 1.2 to 2.2 M ⊙, including the effects of both rotation and convective overshoot using MESA, and we investigate the pulsation properties of these models using GYRE. We discuss the observable patterns in the frequency spacing for p modes and the period spacings for g modes. Using the observable patterns in the g mode period spacings, it may be possible to observationally constrain the convective overshoot and rotation of a model. We also calculate the pulsation constant (Q) for all models in our grid and investigate the variation with convective overshoot and rotation. The variation in the Q values of the radial modes can be used to place constraints on the convective overshoot and rotation of stars in this region. Finally, as a test case, we apply this method to a sample of 22 High-Amplitude δ Scuti stars (HADS) and provide estimates for the convective overshoot of the sample.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

What Sets the Massive Star Formation Rates and Efficiencies of Giant Molecular Clouds?

Galactic star formation scaling relations show increased scatter from kpc to sub-kpc scales. Investigating this scatter may hold important clues to how the star formation process evolves in time and space. Here, we combine different molecular gas tracers, different star formation indicators probing distinct populations of massive stars, and knowledge of the evolutionary state of each star-forming region to derive the star formation properties of ∼150 star-forming complexes over the face of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We find that the rate of massive star formation ramps up when stellar clusters emerge and boost the formation of subsequent generations of massive stars. In addition, we reveal that the star formation efficiency of individual giant molecular clouds (GMCs) declines with increasing cloud gas mass (M{sub cloud}). This trend persists in Galactic star-forming regions and implies higher molecular gas depletion times for larger GMCs. We compare the star formation efficiency per freefall time (ϵ{sub ff}) with predictions from various widely used analytical star formation models. While these models can produce large dispersions in ϵ{sub ff} similar to those in observations, the origin of the model-predicted scatter is inconsistent with observations. Moreover, all models fail to reproduce the observed decline of ϵ{sub ff} with increasing M{sub cloud} in the LMC and the Milky Way. We conclude that analytical star formation models idealizing global turbulence levels and cloud densities and assuming a stationary star formation rate (SFR) are inconsistent with observations from modern data sets tracing massive star formation on individual cloud scales. Instead, we reiterate the importance of local stellar feedback in shaping the properties of GMCs and setting their massive SFR.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗