Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “253”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Do the compact radio sources in NGC 253 and M82 fade over time?

The nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 has been observed at a third epoch at 6 cm, and a second epoch at 3.6 cm, using the highest resolution configuration of the Very Large Array (VLA). Over a total time span of 4 yr between 1987 and 1991, no new compact radio sources have appeared. The flux density limit ranges from 3 mJy (3 times the power of Cas A) for most of the main body of the source to approximately 0.3 mJy off the diffuse source surrounding the nucleus. Furthermore, there is no evidence for significant source fading over 4 yr, in contrast to the result reported by Kronberg & Sramek (1985) for M82. More recent data suggest that, except for the strongest source in that galaxy, the compact radio sources in M82 may not be fading after all. If this suggestion proves correct, supernova rates of 0.2-0.3/yr in M82, estimated based on the assumed source fading, are incorrect. More accurate limits on source fading indicate that the current rate of production of radio supernovae in M82 is no greater than 0.1/yr, while that in NGC 253 is no greater than 0.25/yr.

Ulvestad, James S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A study of M31, M87, NGC 253, and M82 in high-energy gamma rays

The data from the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) all-sky survey are examined for emission from the nearby galaxies M31, M87, NGC 253, and M82 in the high-energy (E greater than MeV) gamma-ray range. No significant emission is observed from any of these galaxies. The derived upper limits for all four galaxies are consistent with that expected from cosmic-ray interactions. For M87, the combination of the high-energy gamma-ray and radio data point to a lower limit of 7 microG for the magnetic field in the disk and 4 microG for the magnetic field in the halo, consistent with equipartition arguments. A study of NGC 253 and M82 show that EGRET observations do not sufficiently constrain the mean cosmic-ray energy density to provide more details on the cosmic-ray distribution in starburst galaxies.

Sreekumar, P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Gamma-ray observations of NGC 253 and M82 with OSSE

Gamma-ray observations of the nearby starburst galaxies NGC 253 and M82 over the energy range (0.05-10) MeV have been obtained with the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) spectrometer on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO). The priority of these galaxies as OSSE targets had been established on the grounds that the average supernova rate may be high in starbursts as indicated by infrared and radio observations, and at distances of approximately 3 Mpc a significant chance of supernova gamm-ray line detection exists. NGC 253 was detected in continuum emission up to 165 keV with a total significance of 4.4 sigma and an estimated luminosity of 3 x 10(exp 40) ergs/s. The spectrum is best fit by a power law of photon index approximately 2.5. We consider the possible contribution of different emission mechanisms, including inverse Compton scattering, bremsstrahlung, discrete sources, and Type Ia/Ib supernova continuum to the measured flux. No significant continuum flux was observed from M82. A search for the gamma-ray line from the decay of the most abundant radioactive element produced in supernovae (Ni-56 yields Co-56 yields Fe-56) yielded no significant detection: the 3 sigma upper limits to the line fluxes at 0.158, 0.812, 0.847, and 1.238 MeV for both galaxies are obtained.

Bhattacharya, D.↗
NASA NTRS2000

XMM-Newton Observations of NGC 253: Resolving the Emission Components in the Disk and Nuclear Area

We describe the first XMM-Newton observations of the starburst galaxy NGC 253. As known from previous X-ray observations, NGC 253 shows a mixture of extended (disk and halo) and point-source emission. The high XMM-Newton throughput allows for the first time a detailed investigation of the spatial, spectral and variability properties of these components simultaneously. We detect a bright X-ray transient approx. 70 sec SSW of the nucleus and show the spectrum and light curve of the brightest point source (approx. 30 sec S of the nucleus, most likely a black-hole X-ray binary, BHXRB). The unprecedented combination of RGS and EPIC also sheds new light on the emission of the complex nuclear region, the X-ray plume and the disk diffuse emission. In particular, EPIC images reveal that the limb-brightening of the plume is mostly seen in higher ionization emission lines, while in the lower ionization lines, and below 0.5 keV, the plume is more homo- geneously structured, pointing to new interpretations as to the make up of the starburst-driven outflow. Assuming that type IIa supernova remnants (SNRs) are mostly responsible for the E greater than 4 keV emission, the detection with EPIC of the 6.7 keV line allows us to estimate a supernova rate within the nuclear starburst of 0.2 /yr.

Pietsch, W.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The NEAR Spacecraft's Flyby of Asteroid 253 Mathilde

The Terminal navigation of the NEAR spacecraft during its close flyby of asteroid 253 Mathilde involved coordinated efforts first to determine the heliocentric orbits of the spacecraft and Mathilde and then to determine the relative trajectory of the spacecraft with respect to Mathilde.

Asteroid 253 Mathilde↗
NASA NTRS1996

(abstract) Physical Properties of 253 Mathilde from Groundbased Observations

The only physical observations which predate the identifications of 253 Mathilde as a potential flyby target of NEAR were measurements of its absolute magnitude in reflected light and thermal radiometry by IRAS. Mathilde has been revealed to be an unusual object, of a class not previously visited by a spacecraft.

Mathilde 253 IRAS albedo flyby↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Lop-sided Spiral Galaxy NGC 247: Clues to a Possible Interaction with NGC 253

Observations that span a broad range of wavelengths are used to examine asymmetries in the disk of the nearby late-type spiral galaxy NGC 247. The northern spiral arm is over-luminous at all wavelengths when compared with other parts of the galaxy at similar galactocentric radii, while the density of very luminous red stars in the void that is immediately south of this arm matches that in other parts of the disk at the same galactocentric radius. Two bubbles with spatial extents of many kiloparsecs are identified in the disk, and many of the young stars in the southern disk of NGC 247 are located in the walls of these structures. Dynamical age estimates of these bubbles coincide with the last large-scale star formation event in the nucleus, suggesting that there was large-scale star formation throughout the disk of NGC 247 a few hundred megayears in the past. Morphological similarities are seen with the classical lop-sided galaxy NGC 4027, and it is concluded that NGC 247 is a significantly lop-sided spiral galaxy. The void in the northern disk is then the area between the main body of the disk and the northern arm viewed in projection. The implications of a lop-sided morphology for NGC 247 in the context of interactions with its nearby starburst galaxy companion NGC 253 are discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

ASASSN-14ko is a Periodic Nuclear Transient in ESO 253-G003

We present the discovery that ASASSN-14ko is a periodically flaring active galactic nucleus at the center of the galaxy ESO 253-G003. At the time of its discovery by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), it was classified as a supernova close to the nucleus. The subsequent 6 yr of V - and g -band ASAS-SN observations revealed that ASASSN-14ko has nuclear flares occurring at regular intervals. The 17 observed outbursts show evidence of a decreasing period over time, with a mean period of P 0 = 114.2 ± 0.4 days and a period derivative of . The most recent outburst in 2020 May, which took place as predicted, exhibited spectroscopic changes during the rise and had a UV bright, blackbody spectral energy distribution similar to tidal disruption events (TDEs). The X-ray flux decreased by a factor of 4 at the beginning of the outburst and then returned to its quiescent flux after ~8 days. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite observed an outburst during Sectors 4–6, revealing a rise time of 5.60 ± 0.05 days in the optical and a decline that is best fit with an exponential model. We discuss several possible scenarios to explain ASASSN-14ko’s periodic outbursts, but currently favor a repeated partial TDE. The next outbursts should peak in the optical on UT 2020 September 7.4±1.1 and UT 2020 December 26.5±1.4.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
NASA NTRS1979

Ne II emission and galactic dynamics in NGC 253

The 12.8-micron fine-structure line of Ne II has been mapped in the central 25 arcsec of NGC 253 with a 6-arcsec beam and 0.1-0.15-kayser spectral resolution. As in visible studies, both circular and noncircular motions were observed. However, there are major differences between the Ne II velocities and those measured in the optical and radio regions.

Beck, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Star formation in the nucleus of NGC 253

The B-alpha and B-gamma lines of atomic hydrogen have been observed at eight positions near the nucleus of NGC 253 with 6 arcsec spatial resolution. Most if not all of the bolometric luminosity of the central 200 pc of this galaxy is probably produced by O and B stars which have recently formed. The spatial distribution of the line fluxes is similar to that of the 10 microns flux, supporting the hypothesis that the 10 microns radiation is powered by the newly formed stars. The extinction to the ionized gas varies over small distances in this region, explaining the discrepancies between extinction and Lyman continuum luminosity derived separately from visual and infrared line observations.

Beck, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Second-epoch VLA observations of compact radio sources in NGC 253

Results are presented of second-epoch 6-cm VLA observations of the starburst galaxy NGC 253 in early 1989, approximately 18 months after the first observations identified more than 30 compact radio sources in the galaxy. The galaxy was also mapped at 3.6 cm. No new radio sources were found at 6 cm after the 18-month interval. Assuming that at least two-thirds of new type II supernovae would have been detectable radio emitters stronger than 3 mJy, the 95-percent confidence upper limit to the SN rate is 3.0/yr. None of the 13 sources with flux densities above 1 mJy showed significant decreases in strength over 18 months; the strongest source showed an apparent increase of 6.5 percent in flux density, which differs from that of Kronberg and Sramek (1985) for M82. The 3.6 map identified a number of new sources because of the reduction of confusion. The available spectral data show that a few of the resolved sources may be H II regions.

Ulvestad, James S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Chandra Observations of the Evening Core of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253

Chandra observations of the core of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 reveal a heavily absorbed source of hard X-rays embedded within the nuclear starburst region. The source has an unabsorbed, 2 to 10 keV luminosity of greater than or equal to 10(exp 39) erg per s and photoionizes the surrounding gas. We observe this source through a dusty torus with a neutral absorbing column density of N(sub eta) approximately 2 x 10(exp 23)cm (exp -2). The torus is hundreds of pc across and collimates the starburst-driven nuclear outflow. We suggest that the ionizing source is an intermediate-mass black hole or a weakly accreting supermassive black hole, which may signal the beginnings or endings of AGN (active galactic nuclei) activity.

Weaver, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Nustar and Chandra Insight into the Nature of the 3-40 Kev Nuclear Emission in Ngc 253

We present results from three nearly simultaneous Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Chandra monitoring observations between 2012 September 2 and 2012 November 16 of the local star-forming galaxy NGC 253. The 3-40 kiloelectron volt intensity of the inner approximately 20 arcsec (approximately 400 parsec) nuclear region, as measured by NuSTAR, varied by a factor of approximately 2 across the three monitoring observations. The Chandra data reveal that the nuclear region contains three bright X-ray sources, including a luminous (L (sub 2-10 kiloelectron volt) approximately few × 10 (exp 39) erg per s) point source located approximately 1 arcsec from the dynamical center of the galaxy (within the sigma 3 positional uncertainty of the dynamical center); this source drives the overall variability of the nuclear region at energies greater than or approximately equal to 3 kiloelectron volts. We make use of the variability to measure the spectra of this single hard X-ray source when it was in bright states. The spectra are well described by an absorbed (power-law model spectral fit value, N(sub H), approximately equal to 1.6 x 10 (exp 23) per square centimeter) broken power-law model with spectral slopes and break energies that are typical of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), but not active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A previous Chandra observation in 2003 showed a hard X-ray point source of similar luminosity to the 2012 source that was also near the dynamical center (Phi is approximately equal to 0.4 arcsec); however, this source was offset from the 2012 source position by approximately 1 arcsec. We show that the probability of the 2003 and 2012 hard X-ray sources being unrelated is much greater than 99.99% based on the Chandra spatial localizations. Interestingly, the Chandra spectrum of the 2003 source (3-8 kiloelectron volts) is shallower in slope than that of the 2012 hard X-ray source. Its proximity to the dynamical center and harder Chandra spectrum indicate that the 2003 source is a better AGN candidate than any of the sources detected in our 2012 campaign; however, we were unable to rule out a ULX nature for this source. Future NuSTAR and Chandra monitoring would be well equipped to break the degeneracy between the AGN and ULX nature of the 2003 source, if again caught in a high state.

Chandra↗