Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “x-ray spectrometer”

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 397 records · Page 22

Experimental study of spectral and spatial distribution of solar X-rays

The study of the physical conditions within the solar corona and the development of instrumentation and technical expertise necessary for advanced studies of solar X-ray emission are reported. Details are given on the Aerobee-borne-X-ray spectrometer/monochromator and also on the observing program. Preliminary discussions of some results are presented and include studies of helium-like line emission, mapping O(VII) and Ne(IX) lines, survey of O(VII) and Ne(IX) lines, study of plage regions and small flares, and analysis of line emission from individual active regions. It is concluded that the use of large-area collimated Bragg spectrometers to scan narrow wavelength intervals and the capability of the SPARCS pointing control to execute a complex observing program are established.

Acton, L. W.↗

Developable images produced by X-rays using the nickel-hypophosphite system. 3: The latent image and trapped hydrogen

The hydrogen trapped in X-irradiated hypophosphites, phosphites, formates, oxalates, a phosphate, and some organic compounds was vacuum extracted and measured quantitatively with a mass spectrometer. After extraction, normally developable salts were found to be still developable. Thus, the latent image is not the trapped hydrogen but a species of the type HPO(-)2. The amplification factor for irradiated hypophosphites is about 100. A narrow range of wavelengths (at about 0.07 nm, 0.7 A) is responsible for the formation of the latent image.

May, C. E.↗

Mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry of the lunar samples

The geochemistry of the bulk moon is considered, taking into account the large-scale chemical view of the lunar surface which has been obtained with the aid of three remote sensing experiments utilizing X-ray fluorescence, a gamma-ray spectrometer, and visible and near infrared reflectance measurements. Attention is also given to the regolith, the mare basins, and the lunar highlands and crust.

Warner, J.↗

Measurements of the frequency spectrum of transition radiation

We report a measurement of the frequency spectrum of X-ray transition radiation. X rays were generated by electrons of 5 and 9 GeV in radiators of multiple polypropylene foils, and detected in the range 4 to 30 keV with a calibrated single-crystal Bragg spectrometer. The experimental results closely reproduce the features of the theoretically predicted spectrum. In particular, the pronounced interference pattern of multifoil radiators and the expected hardening of the radiation with increasing foil thickness are clearly observed. The overall intensity of the radiation is somewhat lower than predicted by calculations.

Cherry, M. L.↗

Optical spectrum of HDE 245770 /A0535 + 26/

Narrow-band spectrophotometric observations of HDE 245770 with the multichannel spectrometer and slit spectra obtained with the SIT digital spectrograph at the Cassegrain focus of the 5-m Hale telescope indicate that this star is of spectral type B0 with emission at H-alpha, H-beta, and probably 5876 A of He I. There is some evidence that it is of luminosity class III. The reddening is estimated in various ways and corresponds to a B-V color excess of 0.80. If the star is really a giant, its distance is approximately 1.8 kpc. No variations larger than 1% at the reported 104-x X-ray pulse period are evident in the data in visual magnitude, color, or H-alpha emission intensity. This is not surprising, since the optical star is much more luminous than the X-ray object, and the heating effect of the X-ray source (which is assumed to be one component of a binary) on the B0 star's atmosphere can produce at most a few percent modulation in visual light.

Wade, R. A.↗

Long-term variations of Cygnus X-1 observed with the HEAO-3 high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer

The HEAO-3 high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer observed Cygnus X-1 for a total of 148 days between Sept. 27, 1979 and June 2, 1980. During this period, an upward and a downward transition of the hard X-ray flux in the 48-300 keV range were observed. The time scales of these transitions were long (20-50 days) compared with previous observation of the same source. The second, downward, transition was anticorrelated with the 1-12 keV flux, a type of behavior observed previously; however, the upward transition was accompanied by an upward transition in the low-energy X-ray flux, a result contrary to previous experience.

Ling, J. C.↗

Evidence for variability of the hard X-ray feature in the Hercules X-1 energy spectrum

The hard X-ray spectrum of HER X-1 was measured for the first time with a high resolution (1.4 keV FWHM) germanium spectrometer. The observation was performed near the peak of the on-state in the 35 day cycle and the 1.24 pulsations were observed between the energies of 20 keV and 70 keV. The feature corresponds to an excess of 7.5 sigma over the low energy continuum. Smooth continuum models are poor fits to the entire energy range (chance probabilities of 2 percent or less). The best fit energies are 35 keV for an absorption line and 39 keV for an emission line. These are significantly lower energies than those derived from previous experiments. A direct comparison of our data with the results of the MPI/AIT group shows statistically significant variations which strongly suggest variability in the source.

Tueller, J.↗

Photon-counting array detectors for space and ground-based studies at ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet /VUV/ wavelengths

The Multi-Anode Microchannel Arrays (MAMAs) are a family of photoelectric photon-counting array detectors, with formats as large as (256 x 1024)-pixels that can be operated in a windowless configuration at vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft X-ray wavelengths or in a sealed configuration at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. This paper describes the construction and modes of operation of (1 x 1024)-pixel and (24 x 1024)-pixel MAMA detector systems that are being built and qualified for use in sounding-rocket spectrometers for solar and stellar observations at wavelengths below 1300 A. The performance characteristics of the MAMA detectors at ultraviolet and VUV wavelengths are also described.

Timothy, J. G.↗

Microwave and hard X-ray imaging of a solar flare on 1980 November 5

VLA and SMM hard X ray data on the solar flares of November 5, 1980 are analyzed and compared with data from other sources. The VLA provided measurements at 15 GHz at 10 sec intervals, using left and right circular polarizations with a 0.6 arcsec resolution. The hard X ray imaging spectrometer on the SMM obtained data in six bands from 3.5-30 keV, with 8 x 8 arcsec resolution and 1.5 sec separation. The data were examined for a possible nonthermal source for the microwave component of the emissions detected, the origin of 16-30 keV excess fluxes, the relation between the X ray and microwave sources, the magnetic connection between observed loops, and the physical characteristics of the radiating loop. The data were consistent with a model that assumes fast electrons are accelerated to a single power-law energy distribution and freely stream along the magnetic field. The data also agreed with a thick-target model for solar flare X ray emission.

Hoyng, P.↗

Microwave and X-ray observations of delayed brightenings at sites remote from the primary flare locations

Five examples of solar flares observed with the 17-GHz interferometer at Nobeyama in which a secondary microwave burst occurred at a distance of 100,000 km to 1,000,000 km from the primary flare site are presented. The secondary microwave burst in all five cases had a similar time profile to the primary burst with a delay of 2 to 25 s. The velocity of a triggering agent inferred from this delay and spatial separation is 10,000 km to 100,000 km/s. The intensity of the secondary burst was a factor of 3 to 25 smaller than that of the primary burst in all events except for one case in which it was a factor of 2 larger. The polarization degree of the secondary burst at 17 GHz was 35%, significantly higher than the average value for typical impulsive bursts. Two of the events were accompanied by meterwave type III/V bursts located high in the corona between the primary and secondary sites. For two of the other events, X-ray images of he secondary source were obtained with the hard-X-ray imaging spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission. These observations strongly suggest that the distant microwave bursts were produced by electrons with energies of 10 keV to 100 keV which were channeled along a huge loop from the main flare site to the remote location.

Nakajima, H.↗

The states of Cygnus X-1

HEAO 3 High Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectrometer observations of Cygnus X-1 in the 48-300 keV range, along with correlated 3-6 keV Ariel 5 data, have led to the identification of a new state for this object with low flux in both the soft and hard X-ray regions. This is followed by a slow increase in the hard X-ray flux to the normal low state of the source, characterized by a low intensity soft X-ray emission and a high intensity hard X-ray emission. The new 'superlow' state is interpreted in terms of the Compton model, where the X-ray emission arises from the scattering of low energy photons and one-billion K hot electrons. The superlow state may be seen as one extreme of a continuum of low state behavior, given that Compton cooling should begin to quench the hot electrons at higher soft X-ray fluxes, giving rise to the softer X-ray spectrum and to the anticorrelation in changes in the soft and hard X-ray fluxes.

Ling, J. C.↗

Evidence for variability of the hard X-ray feature in the Hercules X-1 energy spectrum

The hard X-ray spectrum of HER X-1 was measured for the first time with a high resolution (1.4 keV FWHM) germanium spectrometer. The observation was performed near the peak of the on-state in the 35 day cycle and the 1.24 pulsations were observed between the energies of 20 keV and 70 keV. The feature corresponds to an excess of 7.5 sigma over the low energy continuum. Smooth continuum models are poor fits to the entire energy range (chance probabilities of 2 percent or less). The best fit energies are 35 keV for an absorption line and 39 keV for an emission line. These are significantly lower energies than those derived from previous experiments. A direct comparison of the data with the results of the MPI/AIT group shows statistically significant variations which strongly suggest variability in the source. Previously announced in STAR as N83-37036

Tueller, J.↗

High-resolution soft X-ray spectra of Scorpius X-1 - The structure of circumsource accreting material

Four observations of Scorpius X-1 with the Objective Grating Spectrometer of the Einstein Observatory have provided high-resolution spectra (lambda/Delta lambda = approximately 20-50) in the wavelength range 7-46 A. The spectra reveal the presence of absorption structure due to oxygen, nitrogen, and iron, and variable emission structure associated with ionized iron and nitrogen. The strengths of these features suggest that the N/O abundance ratio in the absorbing and line emitting gas is anomalously high, which might indicate that these spectral components are associated with processed material, probably accreting matter transferred from the surface of an evolved companion. Constraints on the inclination of the system, however, imply that this cool, dense, accreting material must be well out of the plane of the binary system. Possible models for the origin and nature of this circumsource medium are discussed. An extensive discussion of the calibration of the Objective Grating Spectrometer and of the analysis of spectra acquired by that instrument is also provided.

Kahn, S. M.↗

A high energy resolution experiment in the hard X-ray range

The Low Energy Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (LEGS), a joint project among NASA/GSFC, CEN-SACLAY, and Rice University, is designed to perform fine energy resolution measurements of astrophysical sources. In its low energy configuration (20-800 keV energy range) the instrument uses three planar detectors (effective area of 53 sq cm) surrounded by a combination of passive Fe and active NaI for shielding and collimation (FOW of about 5 x 10 deg FWHM). In a typical one-day balloon flight, LEGS sensitivity limit (3 sigma) for narrow line features is not greater than about 0.0003 ph/sq cm s (at 100 kev).

Paciesas, W.↗