Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Lambda”

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 NTRS1979

Echelle observations of C III lambda 1909 and Si III lambda 1892

Profiles of C III 1909 and Si III 1892 obtained on and near the limb during the 1976 flight of the University of Hawaii echelle rocket spectrograph were reduced and analyzed to determine electron densities and mass motions. The electron pressure derived agrees well with that determined by Cook and Nicolas (1979) from ATM data. Nonthermal velocities in the region of formation of Si III 1892 on the disk were found to be 10-12 km/s, somewhat lower than the values obtained by Doschek et al. (1976), also from ATM spectra. However, velocities derived at and above the limb were in closer agreement, about 17 km/s.

Allen, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Quiet sun observations of the Al I autoionization lines lambda 1932 and lambda 1936

Quet sun observations obtained during a rocket flight of the Al I autoionization lines 1932 A and 1936 A at solar pointings ranging from mu = 0.73 out to the visible limb. Absolute intensities are estimated to be accurate to about + or - 20%. These lines weaken progressively with decreasing mu but never go into emission before finally disappearing with the continuum just beyond the visible solar limb. The observations are then compared with LTE line profiles computed through the quiet sun atmosphere of Vernazza et al. (1976). Several areas of disagreement between the synthetic and observed profiles are discussed.

Cook, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Second epoch of simultaneous lambda 3.6 and lambda 13 cm observations of the pair of quasars 1038+528 A,B

It is found that the quasar 1038+528 B is a good reference for studying the internal motions in quasar 1038+528 A. The apparent superluminal motion of a feature in quasar A takes place with respect to a neary stationary core; its proper motion is bounded from above by about 40 micro-as/yr. The wavelength dependence of the location of the core brightness peak of A is confirmed.

Marcaide, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurements of $$ {K}_S^0 $$-$$ {K}_L^0 $$ asymmetries in the decays $$ {\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_{L,S}^0 $$, $$ p{K}_{L,S}^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-} $$ and $$ p{K}_{L,S}^0{\pi}^0 $$

Abstract Usinge + e − annihilation data sets corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.5 fb −1 , collected with the BESIII detector at center-of-mass energies between 4.600 and 4.699 GeV, we report the first measurements of the absolute branching fractions$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_L^0\right) $$ B Λ c + → p K L 0 = (1.67±0.06±0.04)%,$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_L^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-}\right) $$ B Λ c + → p K L 0 π + π − = (1.69±0.10±0.05)%, and$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_L^0{\pi}^0\right) $$ B Λ c + → p K L 0 π 0 = (2.02±0.13±0.05)%, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Combining with the known branching fractions of$$ {\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0 $$ Λ c + → p K S 0 ,$$ {\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-} $$ Λ c + → p K S 0 π + π − , and$$ {\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0{\pi}^0 $$ Λ c + → p K S 0 π 0 , we present the first measurements of the$$ {K}_S^0 $$ K S 0 -$$ {K}_L^0 $$ K L 0 asymmetries$$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},{K}_{S,L}^0X\right)=\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_S^0X\right)-\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_L^0X\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_S^0X\right)+\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_L^0X\right)} $$ R Λ c + K S , L 0 X = B Λ c + → K S 0 X − B Λ c + → K L 0 X B Λ c + → K S 0 X + B Λ c + → K L 0 X in charmed baryon decays:$$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},p{K}_{S,L}^0\right)=-0.025\pm 0.031 $$ R Λ c + p K S , L 0 = − 0.025 ± 0.031 ,$$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},p{K}_{S,L}^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-}\right)=-0.027\pm 0.048 $$ R Λ c + p K S , L 0 π + π − = − 0.027 ± 0.048 and$$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},p{K}_{S,L}^0{\pi}^0\right)=-0.015\pm 0.046 $$ R Λ c + p K S , L 0 π 0 = − 0.015 ± 0.046 . No significant asymmetries with statistical significance are observed.

Physics↗
NASA NTRS1994

Dynamic processes in Be star atmospheres. 2: He I 2P-nD line formation in lambda Eridani (outburst)

The He I lambda 6678 line of early Be stars generally shows violet (V) and red (R) emission whenever hydrogen alpha emission is present, but its use as a diagnostic has been handicapped by a poor understanding of the processes that drive it into emission. In an attempt to address this problem we obtained three series of eschelle spectra of the first two members of the singlet and triplet 2P-nD series of lambda Eri (B2e) during 1992 November 3-5 at Kitt Peak. During these observations lambda 6678 showed substantial emission variability in both the wings and central profile, providing an opportunity to compare its behavior with that of the lambda 4922, lambda 5876, and lambda 4471 lines. We found that the responses of the lines were different in several respects. Whereas the emissions in the V wings of all four lines scaled together, the R wing of the lambda 4922 line invariably responded with increased absorption whenever the R wing of lambda 6678 line showed increased emission. These same trends occurred within the central photospheric profiles. The R-wing behavior shows that much, but not all of the emission in lambda 6678 is caused by matter projected against the stellar disk. The excitation temperatures of the neighboring 2(sup 1) P transitions, lambda 6678 and lambda 4922 must be greater than and less than the photospheric continuum temperature, respectively. We have investigated departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) for the He I spectrum in a variety of ad hoc, perturbed model atmospheres. We have found only one way to cause the source function of lambda 6678 to increase so strongly, namely, by increasing the atmospheric temperature in the line formation region to 30,000 - 40,000 K. This effect was discovered by Auer and Mihalas for O3-O4 atmospheric models, but it has not been applied to active B stars. Our models suggest that lambda 6678 emission in Be stars can be used as a sensitive monitor of localized hot spots on these stars' surfaces. The energies involved in heating the active portions of the atmosphere are too high to be produced by gravitational infall. This leaves magnetically induced flares among the few known processes on the surfaces of stars capable of sustaining this energy level.

Smith, Myron A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Galaxy formation in Lambda greater than 0 Friedmann models: Consequences for the number counts versus redshift test

We study the effect of the cosmological constant Lambda on galaxy formation using a simple spherical top-hat overdensity model. We consider models with Omega(sub 0) = 0.2, lambda(sub 0) = 0, and Omega(sub 0) = 0.2, lambda(sub 0) = 0.8 (where Omega(sub 0) is the density parameter, and lambda(sub 0) identically equal Lambda/3 H(sub 0 exp 2) where H(sub 0) is the Hubble constant). We adjust the initial power spectrum amplitude so that both models reproduce the same large-scale structures. The galaxy formation era in the lambda(sub 0) = 0 model occurs early (z approximately 6) and is very short, whereas in the lambda(sub 0) = 0.8 model the galaxy formation era starts later (z approximately 4), and last much longer, possibly all the way to the present. Consequently, galaxies at low redshift (z less than 1) are significantly more evolved in the lambda(sub 0) = 0 model than in the lambda(sub 0) = 0.8 model. This result implies that previous attempts to determine Lambda using the number counts versus redshift test are probably unreliable.

Martel, Hugo↗
NASA NTRS1997

X-Ray Flare Characteristics in the B2e Star Lambda Eridani (ROSAT)

We document the results of a simultaneous wavelength monitoring on the B2e star (lambda) Eri. This campaign was carried out from ground stations and with the ROSAT, ASCA, IUE, and Voyager 2 space platforms during a week in February-March 1995; a smaller follow-up was conducted in September 1995. During the first of these intervals (lambda) Eri exhibited extraordinary wind and disk-ejection activity. The ROSAT/HRI X-ray light curves showed no large flares such as the one the ROSAT/PSCA observed in 1991. However, possible low level fluctuations in the February-March ROSAT data occurred at the same time as unusual activity in H(alpha) He I (lambda)6678, He II (lambda)1640, and the C IV doublet. For example, the hydrogen and helium lines exhibited an emission in the blue half of their profiles, probably lasting several hours. The C IV lines showed a strong high-velocity Discrete Absorption Component (DAC) accompanied by unusually strong absorption at lower velocities. The helium line activity suggests that a mass ejection occurred at the base of the wind while the strong C III (Voyager) and C IV (IUE) lines implies that shock interactions occurred in the wind flow. It is not clear that the X-ray elevations are directly related to the strong C IV absorptions because the former changed on a much more rapid timescale than absorptions in the C IV lines. Within hours of the mild X-ray flux variations found by ROSAT on February 28, the Voyager UVS observed a "ringing" that decayed over three 3-hr. cycles. The amplitude of these fluctuations was strong (50%) at (lambda)(lambda)950-1100, decreased rapidly with wavelength, and faded to nondetection longward of (lambda)1300. Various considerations indicate that these continuum variations were not due to an instrumental pathology in the UVS. Rather, they appear to be due to a time-dependent flux deficit in the (lambda)(lambda)950-1250 region. We outline a scenario in which a dense plasma structure over the star's surface is heated and cooled quasi-periodically to produce such flux changes. Observations of new examples of this phenomenon are badly needed. Amateur astronomers can make a significant contribution to its understanding by searching for ringing in light curves of Be stars during their outburst phases. Finally we draw attention to an increase in the emission of the H(alpha) line that occurred at about the time the FUV ringing started. This increased emission hints that approximately 50,000K plasma near the star's surface can influence the circumstellar disc at approximately 12R. by its increased Lyman continuum flux.

Smith, Myron A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Lambda-PFLOTRAN 1.0: a workflow for incorporating organic matter chemistry informed by ultra high resolution mass spectrometry into biogeochemical modeling

Abstract. Organic matter (OM) composition plays a central role in microbial respiration of dissolved organic matter and subsequent biogeochemical reactions. Here, a direct connection of organic matter chemistry and thermodynamics to reactive transport simulators has been achieved through the newly developed Lambda-PFLOTRAN workflow tool that succinctly incorporates carbon chemistry data generated from Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) into reaction networks to simulate organic matter degradation and the resulting biogeochemistry. Lambda-PFLOTRAN is a Python-based workflow, executed through a Jupyter notebook interface, that digests raw FTICR-MS data, develops a representative reaction network based on substrate-explicit thermodynamic modeling (also termed lambda modeling due to its key thermodynamic parameter λ used therein), and completes a biogeochemical simulation with the open source, reactive flow and transport code PFLOTRAN. The workflow consists of the following five steps: configuration, thermodynamic (lambda) analysis, sensitivity analysis, parameter estimation, and simulation output and visualization. Two test cases are provided to demonstrate the functionality of the Lambda-PFLOTRAN workflow. The first test case uses laboratory incubation data of temporal oxygen depletion to fit lambda parameters (i.e., maximum utilization rate and microbial carrying capacity). A slightly more complex second test case fits multiple lambda formulation and soil organic matter release parameters to temporal greenhouse gas generation measured during a soil incubation. Overall, the Lambda-PFLOTRAN workflow facilitates upscaling by using molecular-scale characterization to inform biogeochemical processes occurring at larger scales.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1975

Further observations of the lambda 10830 He line in stars and their significance as a measure of stellar activity

Measurements of the lambda 1030 He line in 198 stars are given along with data on other features in that spectral range. Nearly 80% of all G and K stars show some lambda 10830; of these, half are variable and 1/4 show emission. It was confirmed that lambda 10830 is not found in M stars, is weak in F stars, and is particularly strong in close binaries. The line is found in emission in extremely late M and S stars, along with P gamma, but P gamma is not in emission in G and K stars with lambda 10830 emissions. Variable He emission and Ti I emission are found in the RV Tauri variables R Scuti and U Mon. In R Aqr the Fe XIII coronal line lambda 10747 and a line at lambda 11012 which may be singlet He or La II are found, as well as lambda 10830 and P gamma. The nature of coronas or hot chromospheres in the various stars is discussed. It was concluded that the lambda 10830 intensity must be more or less proportional to the energy deposited in the chromosphere corona by non-thermal processes.

Zirin, H.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of the $\Lambda_\text{b}^0\to J/\psi\Xi^-K^+$ decay

Using proton–proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $140\hbox { fb}^{-1}$ collected by the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}= 13\,\text {Te}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V} $, the ${{{\Lambda }} _{\text {b}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{\text {J}/\uppsi }} {{{\Xi }} ^{{-}}} {{\text {K}} ^{{+}}} $ decay is observed for the first time, with a statistical significance exceeding 5 standard deviations. The relative branching fraction, with respect to the ${{{\Lambda }} _{\text {b}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{{\uppsi }} ({2\textrm{S}})} {{\Lambda }} $ decay, is measured to be $\mathcal {B}({{{\Lambda }} _{\text {b}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{\text {J}/\uppsi }} {{{\Xi }} ^{{-}}} {{\text {K}} ^{{+}}} )/\mathcal {B}({{{\Lambda }} _{\text {b}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{{\uppsi }} ({2\textrm{S}})} {{\Lambda }} ) = [3.38\pm 1.02\pm 0.61\pm 0.03]\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is related to the uncertainties in $\mathcal {B}({{{\uppsi }} ({2\textrm{S}})} \rightarrow {{\text {J}/\uppsi }} {{{\uppi }} ^{{+}}} {{{\uppi }} ^{{-}}} )$ and $\mathcal {B}({{{\Xi }} ^{{-}}} \rightarrow {{\Lambda }} {{{\uppi }} ^{{-}}} )$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2007

Science Archives in the 21st Century: A NASA LAMBDA Report

Lambda is a thematic data center that focuses on serving the cosmic microwave background (CMB) research community. LAMBDA is an active archive for NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) mission data sets. In addition, LAMBDA provides analysis software, on-line tools, relevant ancillary data and important web links. LAMBDA also tries to preserve the most important ground-based and suborbital CMB data sets. CMB data is unlike other astrophysical data, consisting of intrinsically diffuse surface brightness photometry with a signal contrast of the order 1 part in 100,000 relative to the uniform background. Because of the extremely faint signal levels, the signal-to-noise ratio is relatively low and detailed instrument-specific knowledge of the data is essential. While the number of data sets being produced is not especially large, those data sets are becoming large and complex. That tendency will increase when the many polarization experiments currently being deployed begin producing data. The LAMBDA experience supports many aspects of the NASA data archive model developed informally over the last ten years-that small focused data centers are often more effective than larger more ambitious collections, for example; that data centers are usually best run by active scientists; that it can be particularly advantageous if those scientists are leaders in the use of the archived data sets; etc. LAMBDA has done some things so well that they might provide lessons for other archives. A lot of effort has been devoted to developing a simple and consistent interface to data sets, for example; and serving all the documentation required via simple 'more' pages and longer explanatory supplements. Many of the problems faced by LAMBDA will also not surprise anyone trying to manage other space science data. These range from persuading mission scientists to provide their data as quickly as possible, to dealing with a high volume of nuisance (spam) messages. Because so many data center problems and solutions are common across individual data centers and disciplines it would be very valuable to establish some new systems of communication - such as informal email lists for administrators and developers. But resources are very limited, so new timeconsuming and inefficient mechanisms - like too-frequent and too-structured meetingsshould be avoided. Although there are great advantages to being small, agile and independent, there are also some areas where science data centers within and without NASA could be better coordinated - for the assignment of persistent identifiers; to encourage the early adoption of useful standards and technologies; etc. Some super-structure to facilitate such coordination might be beneficial as long as it doesn't begin to control the other work of the archives, and become a "methodology police". In this respect the CCSDS "Reference Model for an Open Archive Information System" is a little worrying. It may be that the closer a data center gets to following such a detailed prescription, the less effective it will become. It is much better to have an informal coordination process than a bureaucratic straight-jacket.

Butterworth, P.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Broad NE 8 lambda 774 emission from quasars in the HST-FOS snapshot survey (ABSNAP)

We discuss the strength and frequency of broad Ne VIII lambda 774 emission from quasars measured in the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph (HST-FOS) snapshot survey (Absnap). Five sources in the survey have suitable redshifts (0.86 less than or equal to Z(sub em) less than or equal to 1.31), signal-to-noise ratios and no Lyman limit absorptions. Three of the five sources have a strong broad emission line near 774 A (rest), and the remaining two sources have a less securely measured line near this wavelength. We identify these lines with Ne VIII lambda 774 based on the measured wavelengths and theoretical estimates of various line fluxes (Hamann et al. 1995a). Secure Ne VIII detections occur in both radio-loud and radio-quiet sources. We tentatively conclude that broad Ne VIII lambda 774 emission is common in quasars, with typical strengths between approximately 25% and approximately 200% of O VI lambda 1034. These Ne VIII lambda 774 measurements imply that the broad emission line regions have a much hotter and more highly ionized component than previously recognized. They also suggest that quasar continua have substantial ionizing flux out to energies greater than 207 eV (greater than 15.2 ryd, lambda less than 60 A). Photoionization calculations using standard incident spectra indicate that the Ne VIII emission requires ionization parameters U greater than or = 5, total column densities N(sub H) greater than or = 10(sub 22)/sq cm and covering factors greater than or = 25%. The temperatures could be as high as approximately 10(exp 5) K. If the gas is instead collisionally ionized, strong Ne VIII would imply equilibrium temperatures in the range approximately 400,000 less than or approximately = T(sub e) less than or approximately = 10(exp 6) K. In either case, the highly ionized Ne VIII emission regions would appear as X-ray 'warm absorbers' if they lie along our line of sight to the X-ray continuum source.

Hamann, Fred↗
NASA NTRS1995

Coronal structures deduced from photospheric magnetic field and He I lambda 10830 observations

The National Solar Observatory synoptic program provides an extensive and unique data base of high-resolution full-disk observations of the line-of-sight photospheric magnetic fields and of the He I lambda 10830 equivalent width. These data have been taken nearly daily for more than 21 years since 1974 and provide the opportunity to investigate the behavior of the magnetic fields in the photosphere and those inferred for the corona spanning on the time scales of a day to that of a solar cycle. The intensity of structures observed in He I lambda 10830 are strongly modulated by overlying coronal radiation; areas with low coronal emission are generally brighter in He I lambda 10830, while areas with high coronal emission are darker. For this reason, He I lambda 10830 was selected in the mid-1970's as way to identify and monitor coronal holes, magnetic fields with an open configuration, and the sources of high-speed solar wind streams. The He I lambda 10830 spectroheliograms also show a wide variety of other structures from small-scale, short-lived dark points (less than 30 arc-sec, hours) to the large-scale, long-lived two 'ribbon' flare events that follow the filament eruptions (1000 arc-sec, days). Such structures provide clues about the connections and changes in the large-scale coronal magnetic fields that are rooted in concentrations of magnetic network and active regions in the photosphere. In this paper, what observations of the photospheric magnetic field and He I lambda 10830 can tell us about the short- and long-term evolution of the coronal magnetic fields will be discussed, focussing on the quiet Sun and coronal holes. These data and what we infer from them will be compared with direct observations of the coronal structure from the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope.

Harvey, Karen L.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of the antimatter hypernucleus $^4_{\bar{\Lambda}}\overline{\hbox{H}}$

Matter-antimatter asymmetry is a research topic of fundamental interest, as it is the basis for the existence of the matter world, which survived annihilation with antimatter in the early Universe. High energy nuclear collisions create conditions similar to the Universe microseconds after the Big Bang, with comparable amounts of matter and antimatter. Much of the antimatter created escapes the rapidly expanding fireball without annihilation, making such collisions an effective experimental tool to create heavy antimatter nuclear objects and study their properties. In this paper, we report the first observation of the antimatter hypernucleus $^4_{\bar{\Lambda}}\overline{\hbox{H}}$, composed of an $\bar{\Lambda}$, an antiproton and two antineutrons. The discovery was made through its two-body decay after production in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In total, 15.6 candidate $^4_{\bar{\Lambda}}\overline{\hbox{H}}$ antimatter hypernuclei are obtained with an estimated background count of 6.4. Lifetimes of the antihypernuclei $^3_{\bar{\Lambda}}\overline{\hbox{H}}$ and $^4_{\bar{\Lambda}}\overline{\hbox{H}}$ are measured and compared with lifetimes of their corresponding hypernuclei, testing the symmetry between matter and antimatter. Various production yield ratios among (anti)hypernuclei and (anti)nuclei are also measured and compared with theoretical model predictions, shedding light on their production mechanism.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1985

A 2-lambda laser-induced flurorescence field instrument for ground-based and airborne measurements of atmospheric OH

A number of techniques have been proposed for detecting atmospheric OH radicals. Of these, the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique has been used by the largest number of investigators. One of the problems arising in connection with the implementation of this technique is related to the perturbing effect of the UV (lambda approximately 282 nm) laser beam used for OH monitoring, while another problem relates to signal extraction. Several new LIF approaches have been or are currently under development with the objective to bring both problems under control. The present paper deals with the experimental features of one of these new approaches. The considered approach is referred to as 2-lambda laser-induced fluorescence (2-lambda LIF). It is shown that the 2-lambda LIF system provides significant advantages over earlier 1-lambda LIF OH measurement instruments operating at ambient pressure.

Rodgers, M. O.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Simple model for lambda-doublet propensities in bimolecular reactions

A simple geometric model is presented to account for lambda-doublet propensities in bimolecular reactions A + BC - AB + C. It applies to reactions in which AB is formed in a pi state, and in which the unpaired molecular orbital responsible for lambda-doubling arises from breaking the B-C bond. The lambda-doublet population ratio is predicted to be 2:1 provided that: (1) the motion of A in the transition state determines the plane of rotation of AB; (2) the unpaired pi orbital lying initially along the B-C bond may be resolved into a projection onto the AB plane of rotation and a projection perpendicular to this plane; (3) there is no preferred geometry for dissociation of ABC. The 2:1 lambda-doublet ratio is the 'unconstrained dynamics prior' lambda-doublet distribution for such reactions.

Bronikowski, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Starspot evolution, differential rotation, and magnetic cycles in the chromospherically active binaries lambda andromedae, sigma Geminorum, II Pegasi, and V711 Tauri

We have analyzed 15-19 yr of photoelectric photometry, obtained manually and with automated telescopes, of the chromospherically active binaries lambda And, sigma Gem, II Peg, and V711 Tau. These observations let us identify individual dark starspots on the stellar surfaces from periodic dimming of the starlight, follow the evolution of these spots, and search for long-term cyclic changes in the properties of these starspots that might reveal magnetic cycles analogous to the Sun's 11 yr sunspot cycle. We developed a computer code to fit a simple two-spot model to our observed light curves that allows us to extract the most easily determinable and most reliable spot parameters from the light curves, i.e., spot longitudes and radii. We then used these measured properties to identify individual spots and to chart their life histories by constructing migration and amplitude curves. We identified and followed 11 spots in lambda And, 16 in sigma Gem, 12 in II Peg, and 15 in V711 Tau. Lifetimes of individual spots ranged from a few months to longer than 6 yr. Differential rotation coefficients, estimated from the observed range of spot rotation periods for each star and defined by equation (2), were 0.04 for lambda And, 0.038 for sigma Gem, 0.005 for II Peg, and 0.006 for V711 Tau, versus 0.19 for the Sun. We searched for cyclic changes in mean brightness, B-V color index, and spot rotation period as evidence for long-term cycles. Of these, long-term variability in mean brightness appears to offer the best evidence for such cycles in these four stars. Cycles of 11.1 yr for lambda And, 8.5 yr for sigma Gem, 11 yr for II Peg, and 16 yr V711 Tau are implied by these mean brightness changes. Cyclic changes in spot rotation period were found in lambda And and possibly II Peg. Errors in B-V were too large for any long-term changes to be detectable.

Henry, Gregory W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

NE VIII lambda 774 and time variable associated absorption in the QSO UM 675

We discuss measurements of Ne VIII lambda 774 absorption and the time variability of other lines in the z(sub a) approximately equal z(sub e) absorption system of the z(sub e) = 2.15 QSO UM 675 (0150-203). The C IV lambda 1549 and N V 1240 doublets at z(sub a) = 2.1340 (shifted approximately 1500 km/s from z(sub e) strengthened by a factor of approximately 3 between observations by Sargent, Boksenberg and Steidel (1981 November) and our earliest measurements (1990 November and December). We have no information on changes in other z(sub a) approximately equal z(sub e) absorption lines. Continued monitoring since 1990 November shows no clear changes in any of the absorptions between approximately 1100 and 1640 A rest. The short timescale of the variability (less than or approximately equal to 2.9 yr rest) strongly suggests that the clouds are dense, compact, close to the QSO, and photoionized by the QSO continuum. If the line variability is caused by changes in the ionization, the timescale requires densities greater than approximately 4000/cu cm. Photoionization calculations place the absorbing clouds within approximately 200 pc of the continuum source. The full range of line ionizations (from Ne VIII lambda 774 to C III lambda 977) in optically thin gas (no Lyman limit) implies that the absorbing regions span a factor of more than approximately 10 in distance or approximately 100 in density. Across these regions, the total hydrogen (H I + H II) column ranges from a few times 10(exp 18)/sq cm in the low-ionization gas to approximately 10(exp 20)/sq cm where the Ne VIII doublet forms. The metallicity is roughly solar or higher, with nitrogen possibly more enhanced by factors of a few. The clouds might contribute significant line emission if they nearly envelop the QSO. The presence of highly ionized Ne VIII lambda 774 absorption near the QSO supports recent studies that link z(sub a) approximately equal to z(sub e) systems with X-ray 'wamr absorbers. We show that the Ne VIII absorbing gas would itself produce measurable warm absorption -- characterized by bound-free O VII or O VIII edegs near 0.8 keV -- if the column densities were N(sub H) greater than or approximately equal to 10(exp 21)/sq cm (for solar abundances).

Hamann, Fred↗