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Results for “extremely large ground-based telescopes”

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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

The scaling relationship between telescope cost and aperture size for very large telescopes

Cost data for ground-based telescopes of the last century are analyzed for trends in the relationship between aperture size and cost. We find that for apertures built prior to 1980, costs scaled as aperture size to the 2.8 power, which is consistent with the precious finding of Meinel (1978). After 1980, 'traditional' monolithic mirror telescope costs have scaled as aperture to the 2.5 power. The large multiple mirror telescopes built or in construction during this time period (Keck, LBT, GTC) appear to deviate from this relationship with significant cost savings as a result, although it is unclear what power law such structures follow. We discuss the implications of the current cost-aperture size data on the proposed large telescope projects of the next ten to twenty years. Structures that naturally tend towards the 2.0 power in the cost-aperture relationship will be the favorable choice for future extremely large apertures; out expectation is that space-based structures will ultimately gain economic advantage over ground-based ones.

telescope costs↗
NASA NTRS2005

Monitoring the Intrinsic Absorption Complex Toward RXJ123.8+0115

The main focus of this study was changed after it became clear that the object to be observed by the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) could not be observed because of spacecraft attitude control system limitations. Therefore, we replaced the prime object for the program (RXJ1230.8+0115) with a secondary object (H1821+643) and began an analysis of a similar quasar spectrum for comparison with the extant RXJ1230.8+0115 spectrum obtained previously by FUSE. Using high-resolution spectra of the radio-quiet, X-ray bright quasar HE0226-4110 obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and FUSE, we have examined the remarkable associated absorption line system. The redshift of the quasar is roughly 0.5 so the FUSE+HST spectra cover the rest-frame wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet range 610-1 160A. In this range, we detect transitions from a wide range of ionization species, including the H I Lyman series, Ne VIII, and, for the first time at this resolution, four adjacent stages of oxygen O III-VI. The high quality of these spectra allow us to disentangle the structure of the gas using the complex kinematics to guide the assessments of the multi-component and multi-phase nature of the system. The kinematics of the absorber indicate that all the H I, C 111, and 0 III reside in a single component, while higher ionization species largely arise in a separate, more kinematically complex structure. An analysis of a ground-based spectrum of the quasar covering the H-beta and [0 III] 5007 emission lines reveal excellent agreement in redshift between the 0 III absorption and emission. Thus, for the first time, we are able to use absorption line diagnostics to place interesting constraints on the location and structure of the narrow emission line region around a quasar. In addition, we detect a narrow absorption line that is only seen O VI and lies roughly 50 km/s redward of the narrow emission line component. Absorption from 0 V, and Ne VIII is also detected at this velocity, but as part of broader, more redshifted, component. The line width of this narrow component imply a maximum temperature that is too small to produce O VI through collisional process, suggesting instead that photoionization from the quasar is the dominant ionization mechanism. The photoionization constraints imply that O VII should be the dominant ionization stage in the component.

Sembach, Kenneth↗
NASA NTRS2000

An Ultraviolet/Optical Atlas of Bright Galaxies

We present wide-field, imagery and photometry of 43 selected nearby galaxies of all morphology types at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. The ultraviolet images, in two broad bands at 1500 Angstroms and 2500 Angstroms, were obtained by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) during the Astro-1 Spacelab mission. The UV images have approx. 3" resolution, and the comparison sets of ground-based, CCD images (in one or more of B, V, R, and H alpha ) have pixel scales and fields of view closely matching the UV frames. The atlas consists of multiband images together with plots of UV/optical radial surface brightnesses, colors and other associated photometric parameters such as half-light radii. In an appendix, we discuss the sensitivity of different wavebands to a galaxy's star formation history in the form of "history weighting functions" and the importance of UV observations as probes of evolution during the past 10-1000 Myr. We find that UV galaxy morphologies are usually significantly different from visible band morphologies as a consequence of spatially inhomogeneous stellar populations. Differences are quite pronounced for systems in the middle range of Hubble types, Sa through Sc, but less so for ellipticals or late-type disks. Normal ellipticals and large spiral bulges are fainter and more compact in the UV. They typically exhibit smooth and unresolved far-UV profiles with, however, far-UV/optical color gradients which are larger than any at optical/IR wavelengths. The far-UV light in these cases is probably produced by extreme horizontal branch stars and their descendants in the dominant, low-mass, metal-rich population.

Stecher, Theodore↗
NASA NTRS1994

Hubble Space Telescope imaging of super-star clusters in NGC 1569 and NGC 1705

We examine the structural properties of three super-star clusters in the nearby, H I-rich galaxies NGC 1569 and NGC 1705. The clusters, which have total absolute V magnitudes between -13.3 and -14.1, appear to be point sources on ground-based images but are partially resolved in new images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Planetary Camera. From deconvolved V- and I-band images we find that the three clusters have very compact cores with extended halos that are partially resolved into individual stars. Using new distances to the galaxies derived from color-magnitude diagrams for field stars, we find that the half-light radii are 2.2-3.4 pc. The cluster in NGC 1705 is barely resolved in the HST images. The clusters in NGC 1569, on the other hand, show significant substructure in their cores and ellipticities that are comparable to the flattenings seen in young clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The clusters show internal (V-I) color gradients. The properties of these clusters are similar to R136, the core of the luminous star-forming complex 30 Doradus in the LMC, except that R136 has a lower luminosity and central surface brightness. The half-light surface brightness of the brightest cluster (NGC 1569 A) is 1.3 x 10(exp 6) L(sub v) solar/ sq cm, which is over 65 times higher than R136 and 1200 times higher than the mean rich LMC star cluster other than R136 after allowing for aging effects. The next brightest clusters in each of these galaxies are greater than or = 2 mag fainter. Thus, the super-star clusters represent an extreme but uncommon mode of star formation. In terms of luminosity and size, they appear to be good analogs of young globular clusters.

O'Connell, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Stellar photometry in the inner bulge of M31 using the Hubble Space Telescope wide field camera

We present photometry of two fields in the M31 bulge imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide-Field Camara (WFC). The nuclear field (r less than 40 arcsecs = 150 pc) giant branch extends to I = 19.5, M(sub I) = -5 (Cousins system), a full 0.9 mag brighter than the giant-branch tips of metal-poor Galactic globular clusters and M31 halo fields. This is also approximately = 1.5 mag brighter than the giant branches of metal-rich Galactic globular clusters, but is no brighter than Mould's (1986) M31 bulge field 1 kpc from the nucleus. The data also suggest that the brighter stars may be preferentially concentrated to the center. The 648 luminous stars detected in 2 x 10(exp 9) solar luminosity is approximately = 25% that expected from a hypothetical population of evolved asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with lifetimes approximately = 10(exp 5) yr, with the cautionary note that we are near the detection limit. The number of bright stars is also consistent with the progeny of blue stragglers, if one uses a lifetime for the thermal-pulsing AGB of 2 x 10(exp 6) yr. We strongly caution that incompleteness becomes severe below I = 19.9 mag and that future surveys are likely to find numbers of bright stars too large to accomodate the blue straggler progeny hypothesis. We have imaged an additional field 2 arcmin = 500 pc south of the nucleus. The brightest stars in this field are also I = 19.5, but bright stars appear less numerous than in the nuclear field. If the population resembles that of the Galactic bulge, then M(sub bol) = -4.5 is a lower limit to the giant-branch tip luminosity; infrared studies should reveal stars 0.5 mag or more brighter. Either high-metallicity or (more likely) age approximately = 10 Gyr may be responsible for the presence of these luminous AGB stars. These observations confirm that previous ground-based infrared studies (e.g., Rich & Mould 1991) very likely detect an extended giant branch and not spurious luminous stars caused by crowding or disk contamination. However, published integrated colors for the M31 bulge/nucleus are extremely red, making it difficult to accomodate a young or intermediate-age population.

Rich, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

A New Large-Well 1024x1024 Si:As Detector for the Mid-Infrared

We present a description of a new 1024x1024 Si:As array designed for ground-based use from 5 - 28 microns. With a maximum well depth of 5e6 electrons, this device brings large-format array technology to bear on ground-based mid-infrared programs, allowing entry to the mega-pixel realm previously only accessible to the near-IR. The multiplexer design features switchable gain, a 256x256 windowing mode for extremely bright sources, and it is two-edge buttable. The device is currently in its final design phase at DRS in Cypress, CA. We anticipate completion of the foundry run in October 2005. This new array will enable wide field, high angular resolution ground-based follow up of targets found by space-based missions such as the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).

astronomy↗
NASA NTRS2007

Trigger and Reconstruction Algorithms for the Japanese Experiment Module- Extreme Universe Space Observatory (JEM-EUSO)

The JEM-EUSO collaboration intends to study high energy cosmic ray showers using a large downward looking telescope mounted on the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station. The telescope focal plane is instrumented with approx.300k pixels operating as a digital camera, taking snapshots at approx. 1MHz rate. We report an investigation of the trigger and reconstruction efficiency of various algorithms based on time and spatial analysis of the pixel images. Our goal is to develop trigger and reconstruction algorithms that will allow the instrument to detect energies low enough to connect smoothly to ground-based observations.

Adams, J. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2019

POEMMA's Target of Opportunity Sensitivity to Cosmic Neutrino Transient Sources

We calculate the sensitivity of space-based cosmic neutrino detection from transient sources in the context of the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) mission using Target- of-Opportunity (ToO) observations. POEMMA uses two spacecraft each with a large Schmidt telescope to simultaneously view the optical signals generated by extensive air showers (EASs). POEMMA is designed for both ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray and very-high-energy neutrino measurements. POEMMA has significant neutrino sensitivity starting in the 10 PeV decade via measurements of Cherenkov signals from upward-moving EASs initiated by tau neutrinos interacting in the Earth. For ToO observations, POEMMA uses the ability to quickly repoint (90° in 500 seconds) each of the two spacecraft to the direction of the transient source. POEMMA EAS measurements are performed during astronomical night, leading to different observational constraints for short- and long-duration bursts. For short-bursts of order 10(exp 3) s, POEMMA will increase the sensitivity of existing experiments (e.g., IceCube and the Pierre Auger Observatory) by up to two orders of magnitude. For long-duration bursts on the scale of 10(exp 5−6) s, the full celestial sky is available and the average neutrino sensitivity will be increased by up to a factor of 50, reaching the desired level to probe model predictions of transient neutrino sources (e.g., of blazer flares as well as both black hole-black hole and neutron star-neutron star mergers). POEMMA’s neutrino sensitivity to various models of transient neutrino sources are detailed. Altogether, our results demonstrate better sensitivity to ToO neutrino sources from the space-based POEMMA experiment compared to current ground-based experiments, and more importantly, demonstrate unique full-sky coverage for ToO neutrino sources.

Venters, Tonia M.↗
NASA NTRS2020

POEMMA’s Target-of-Opportunity Sensitivity to Cosmic Neutrino Transient Sources

We investigate the capability of the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA)in performing Target-of-Opportunity (ToO) neutrino observations. POEMMA is a proposed space-based probe-class mission for ultra high-energy cosmic ray and very-high-energy neutrino detection using two spacecraft, each equipped with a large Schmidt telescope to detect optical and near-ultraviolet signals generated by extensive air showers (EASs). POEMMA will be sensitive to Cherenkov radiation from upward-moving EASs initiated by tau neutrinos interacting in the Earth. POEMMA will be able to quickly re-point (90◦in 500 s) each of the two spacecraft to the direction of an astrophysical source, which in combination with its orbital speed will provide it with unparalleled capability to follow up transient alerts. We calculate POEMMA’s transient sensitivity for two observational configurations for the satellites (ToO-stereo and ToO-dual for smaller and larger satellite separations, respectively) and investigate the impact of variations arising due to POEMMA’s orbital characteristics on its sensitivity to tau neutrinos in various regions of the sky. We explore separate scenarios for long (∼105−6s) and short (∼103s) duration events, accounting for intrusion from the Sun and the Moon in the long-duration scenario. We compare the sensitivity and sky coverage of POEMMA for ToO observations with those for existing experiments (e.g., IceCube, ANTARES, and the Pierre Auger Observatory) and other proposed future experiments (e.g., GRAND200k).For long bursts, we find that POEMMA will provide a factor of&7 improvement in average neutrino sensitivity above 300 PeV with respect to existing experiments, reaching the level of model predictions for neutrino fluences at these energies and above from several types of long-duration astrophysical transients (e.g., binary neutron star mergers and tidal disruption events). For short bursts, POEMMA will improve the sensitivity over existing experiments by at least an order of magnitude forEν∼>100 PeV in the “best-case” scenario. POEMMA’s orbital characteristics and rapid re-pointing capability will provide it access to the full celestial sky, including regions that will not be accessible to ground-based neutrino experiments. Finally, we discuss the prospects for POEMMA to detect neutrinos from candidate astrophysical neutrino sources in the nearby universe. Our results demonstrate that with its improved neutrino sensitivity at ultra-high energies and unique full-sky coverage, POEMMA will be an essential, complementary component in a rapidly expanding multi-messenger network.

Tonia M Venters↗