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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 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

A study of spin canting in Li{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} with Mössbauer spectroscopy under 5 T

Li{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} has been actively studied as a Lithium ion battery cathode material for the next-generation energy storage application. Here, we have investigated the changes of magnetic coupling between two different magnetic sub-lattices in Li{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} with x-ray diffraction (XRD), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), and Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements. The experimental XRD pattern was analyzed using Rietveld refinement, confirming single phase. In order to investigate the magnetic property, the SQUID measurement under applied field of 5 T was performed between 4.2 and 295 K. From the temperature-dependent zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves, we observed the magnetization decreasing with increasing temperature up to T{sub min} = 13 K, at which the magnetization showed a minimum value. With continuing increase in temperature, the magnetization starts increasing with a maximum value at T{sub max} = 28 K and beyond T{sub max}, the magnetization decreases with the further increase in temperature. Based on the experimentally measured Mössbauer spectra, we identified that the ratios of first and sixth to second and fifth absorption lines were identical around T{sub min}, while with increasing temperature the area of second and fifth absorption line rapidly decreased up to T{sub max}. Our study suggests that the spin canting angle between the applied field and hyperfine field of Li{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} is constant up to T{sub min}. However, the spin canting angle starts decreasing with increasing temperature, reaching a minimum value at T{sub max}, and beyond T{sub max} it is increasing. We expect that around T{sub max}, the ferrimagnetically coupled spin arrangement is appeared to be collinear along the applied field direction under applied field of 5 T.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

QSO ABSORPTION SYSTEMS DETECTED IN Ne VIII: HIGH-METALLICITY CLOUDS WITH A LARGE EFFECTIVE CROSS SECTION

Using high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ultraviolet spectra of the z{sub em} = 0.9754 quasar PG1148+549 obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, we study the physical conditions and abundances of Ne VIII+O VI absorption line systems at z{sub abs} = 0.68381, 0.70152, 0.72478. In addition to Ne VIII and O VI, absorption lines from multiple ionization stages of oxygen (O II, O III, O IV) are detected and are well aligned with the more highly ionized species. We show that these absorbers are multiphase systems including hot gas (T Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 5.7} K) that produces Ne VIII and O VI, and the gas metallicity of the cool phase ranges from Z = 0.3 Z{sub Sun} to supersolar. The cool ( Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 4} K) phases have densities n{sub H} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup -4} cm{sup -3} and small sizes (<4 kpc); these cool clouds are likely to expand and dissipate, and the Ne VIII may be within a transition layer between the cool gas and a surrounding, much hotter medium. The Ne VIII redshift density, dN/dz{approx}7{sup +7}{sub -3}, requires a large number of these clouds for every L > 0.1 L* galaxy and a large effective absorption cross section ({approx}> 100 kpc), and indeed, we find a star-forming {approx}L {sup *} galaxy at the redshift of the z{sub abs} = 0.72478 system, at an impact parameter of 217 kpc. Multiphase absorbers like these Ne VIII systems are likely to be an important reservoir of baryons and metals in the circumgalactic media of galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The primordial deuterium abundance of the most metal-poor damped Lyα system

We report the discovery and analysis of the most metal-poor damped Lyα (DLA) system currently known, which also displays the Lyman series absorption lines of neutral deuterium. The average [O/H] abundance of this system is [O/H] = −2.804 ± 0.015, which includes an absorption component with [O/H] = −3.07 ± 0.03. Despite the unfortunate blending of many weak D i absorption lines, we report a precise measurement of the deuterium abundance of this system. Using the six highest-quality and self-consistently analyzed measures of D/H in DLAs, we report tentative evidence for a subtle decrease of D/H with increasing metallicity. This trend must be confirmed with future high-precision D/H measurements spanning a range of metallicity. A weighted mean of these six independent measures provides our best estimate of the primordial abundance of deuterium, 10{sup 5} (D/H){sub P} = 2.547 ± 0.033 (log{sub 10} (D/H){sub P}=−4.5940±0.0056). We perform a series of detailed Monte Carlo calculations of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) that incorporate the latest determinations of several key nuclear reaction cross-sections, and propagate their associated uncertainty. Combining our measurement of (D/H){sub P} with these BBN calculations yields an estimate of the cosmic baryon density, 100 Ω{sub B,0} h {sup 2}(BBN) = 2.156 ± 0.020, if we adopt the most recent theoretical determination of the d(p,γ){sup 3}He reaction rate. This measure of Ω{sub B,0} h {sup 2} differs by ∼2.3σ from the Standard Model value estimated from the Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background. Using instead a d(p,γ){sup 3}He reaction rate that is based on the best available experimental cross-section data, we estimate 100 Ω{sub B,0} h {sup 2}(BBN) = 2.260 ± 0.034, which is in somewhat better agreement with the Planck value. Forthcoming measurements of the crucial d(p,γ){sup 3}He cross-section may shed further light on this discrepancy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Characteristic Dimension of Lyman-Alpha Forest Clouds Toward Q0957+561

Far-ultraviolet spectra of the gravitational lens components Q0957+561 A and B were obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph to investigate the characteristic dimension of Lyman-alpha forest clouds in the direction of the quasar. If one makes the usual assumption that the absorbing structures are spherical clouds with a single radius, that radius can be found analytically from the ratio of Lyman-alpha lines in only one line of sight to the number in both. A simple power series approximation to this solution, accurate everywhere to better than 1%, will be presented. Absorption lines in Q0957+561 having equivalent width greater than 0.3 A in the observer's frame not previously identified as interstellar lines, metal lines, or higher order Lyman lines were taken to be Ly-alpha forest lines. The existence of each line in this consistently selected set was then verified by its presence in two archival FOS spectra with approximately 1.5 times higher signal to noise than our spectra. Ly-alpha forest lines appear at 41 distinct wavelengths in the spectra of the two images. One absorption line in the spectrum of image A has no counterpart in the spectrum of image B, and one line in image B has no counterpart in image A. Based on the separation of the lines of sight over the redshift range searched for Ly-alpha forest lines, the density of the absorbing clouds in the direction of Q0957+561 must change significantly over a radius R = 160 (+120, -70) h (sup -1) (sub 50) kpc (H (sub 0) 50 h (sub 50) km s (sup -1) kpc (sup -1), q (sub 0) = 1/2). The 95% confidence interval on R extends from (50 950) h (sup -1) (sub 50) kpc.

Dolan, J. F.↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Carbon and Nitrogen Abundance Ratio in the Broad Line Region of Tidal Disruption Events

The rest-frame UV spectra of three recent tidal disruption events (TDEs), ASASSN-14li, PTF15af, and iPTF16fnl, display strong nitrogen emission lines but weak or undetectable carbon lines. In these three objects, the upper limits of the C iii] λ1908/N iii] λ1750 ratio are about two orders of magnitude lower than those of quasars, suggesting a high abundance ratio of [N/C]. With detailed photoionization simulations, we demonstrate that C{sup 2+} and N{sup 2+} are formed in the same zone, so the Ciii]/N iii] ratio depends only moderately on the physical conditions in the gas and weakly on the shape of the ionizing continuum. There are smaller than 0.5 dex variations in the line ratio over wide ranges of gas densities and ionization parameters at a given metallicity. This allows a robust estimate of the relative abundance ratio of nitrogen to carbon. We derive a relative abundance ratio of [N/C] > 1.5 for ASASSN-14li, and an even higher one for PTF15af and iPTF16fnl. This suggests that the broad line region in those TDE sources is made of nitrogen-enhanced core material that falls back at later times. Based on stellar evolution models, the lower limit of the disrupted star should be larger than 0.6 M{sub ⊙}. The chemical abundance of the line-emitting gas provides convincing evidence that the flares originate from stellar tidal disruptions. The coincidence of the weakness of the X-ray emission with the strong broad absorption lines in PTF15af and iPTF16fnl, and the strong X-ray emission without such lines in ASASSN-li14, are analogous to quasars with and without broad absorption lines.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1982

The interstellar spectrum of the supernova 1980k in NGC 6946

Bright supernovae in external galaxies offer a rare opportunity to probe the intervening interstellar media over very extended path-lengths, including the disk and halo of the Galaxy and the parent galaxy of the supernova. SN 1980k was discovered in NGC 6946 on 1980 October 29. In the first month after discovery, high resolution optical and ultraviolet observations were obtained to exploit the supernova as a probe of the intervening interstellar media. The obtained data are discussed. In the spectra, absorption lines were observed of Mg I, Mg II, Fe II, Mn II, Ca II and Na I. The absorption lines are attributed to the intervening interstellar media distributed over the very extended line of sight sampled, of order 7 Mpc. These lines are wider and stronger than any previously measured in the quiescent interstellar gas in the halo and disk of the Milky Way and of external galaxies

Pettini, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Ultraviolet spectroscopy of the nova-like variable V3885 Sagittarii /= CD -42 deg 14462/

Low-dispersion long and short wavelength IUE spectra of the nova-like system V3885 Sgr were obtained on 1979 August 24 UT. The UV spectrum exhibits strong, high-temperature absorption lines of C III, C IV, He II, N IV, N V, and Si IV which all have relatively large negative velocities of 600-1000 km/s at their line centers. The C IV (1550 A) features shows a P Cygni-type profile with a blueshifted absorption line; the presence of the P Cygni-type feature strongly suggests a significant mass outflow from the system in the form of a hot stellar wind. The observed continuum fluxes are fitted with theoretical accretion disk model fluxes, and a tentative physical interpretation of the observed spectral properties is presented.

Guinan, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the quasar PKS 0405-12 and the local density of Lyman-alpha absorption systems

A sample of 32 absorption lines has been identified in the ultraviolet spectrum of the z = 0.57 quasar PKS 0405-12. Data cover the wavelength range 1190-3260 A. There are 10 extragalactic Ly-alpha absorption lines in the complete sample, all with observed equivalent widths greater than or equal to 0.40 A; three of the Ly-alpha lines have Ly-beta counterparts. The number of Ly-alpha lines observed in the spectrum of PKS 0405-12 is within 1 sigma of the number predicted on the basis of previous HST observations of 3C 273 and of H1821 + 643. Combining the HST observations of 3C 273, H1821 + 643, and PKS 0405-12, we estimate the local number density of Ly-alpha systems with rest equivalent widths larger than 0.32 A to be about 15 +/- 4 Ly-alpha lines per unit redshift. Ground-based images reveal a rich field of galaxies in the direction of PKS 0405-12, including many galaxies with the brightnesses and sizes expected if they belong to a cluster associated with the quasar. The quasar spectrum does not show any evidence for absorption at the redshift of the emission lines, indicating a covering factor of less than unity for the halos of galaxies in the cluster around PKS 0405 - 12.

Bahcall, John N.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Differential Radiometers Using Fabry-Perot Interferometric Technique for Remote Sensing of Greenhouse Gases

A new type of remote sensing radiometer based upon the Fabry-Perot interferometric technique has been developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and tested from both ground and aircraft platform. The sensor uses direct or reflected sunlight and has channels for measuring column concentration of carbon dioxide at 1570 nm, oxygen lines sensitive to pressure and temperature at 762 and 768 nm, and water vapor (940 nm). A solid Fabry-Perot etalon is used as a tunable narrow bandpass filter to restrict the measurement to the gas of interest's absorption bands. By adjusting the temperature of the etalon, which changes the index of refraction of its material, the transmission fringes can be brought into nearly exact correspondence with absorption lines of the particular species. With this alignment between absorption lines and fringes, changes in the amount of a species in the atmosphere strongly affect the amount of light transmitted by the etalon and can be related to gas concentration. The technique is applicable to different chemical species. We have performed simulations and instrument design studies for CH4, "Cot isotope, and CO detection. Index Terms- Absorbing media, Atmospheric measurements, Fabry-Perot interferometers, Optical interferometry, Remote sensing.

Georgieva, Elena M.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Recent observations of quasi-stellar objects

Some observational results are discussed which have a bearing on the problem of QSO redshifts. A general description of QSO absorption-line spectra is presented, and the spectra of four objects are reviewed. The hypothesis is advanced that production of absorption lines at many different redshifts is due to line-locking. Two QSOs with redshifts greater than 3 are described, and questions raised by the discovery of a double QSO with two different redshifts are discussed. Efforts to determine associations between QSOs and galaxies are outlined, and some questions are posed concerning physical models, effects of strong gravitational fields, and different types of QSOs.

Burbidge, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Improvement in Suppression of Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser Light With Iodine Absorption Cells for Filtered Rayleigh Scattering Measurements

Filtered Rayleigh scattering using iodine absorption cells is an effective technique for obtaining density, temperature, and velocity measurements in high speed confined flows. By tuning a single frequency laser to a strong iodine absorption line, stray scattered laser light can be greatly suppressed. For example, the minimum transmission predicted by an iodine absorption model calculation is less than 10(exp -5) at the 18788.44/cm line using a 200 mm absorption cell containing iodine vapor at 0.46 T. Measurements obtained by other researches using a CW Nd:YAG laser agree with the model calculations. However, measurements made by us and by others using Q-switched, injection-seeded, frequency doubled Nd:YAG lasers only show minimum transmission of about 3 x 10(exp -3). This greatly reduces the applicability of the filtered Rayleigh scattering technique using these lasers in experiments having large amounts of stray scattered laser light. The purposes of the present study are to characterize the spectrum of the excess light transmitted by the iodine cell and to make changes to the laser to reduce the transmitted laser light. Transmission data as a function of laser frequency for the iodine absorption line at 18788.44/cm are presented. A planar mirror Fabry-Perot interferometer was used to characterize the frequency spectrum of the light passed through the cell. Measurements taken with the laser tuned to the center of the iodine absorption line show the light transmitted through the iodine cell to have a component with a bandwidth of about 40 GHz. This is probably caused by other modes in the laser that exist in spite of the single frequency injection beam. A second broadband component was also observed, possibly caused by the laser flash lamps or by fluorescence. An intracavity etalon was installed in the laser oscillator cavity to suppress the 40 GHz component. Measurements taken with the etalon tuned to the injection frequency showed a reduction in the transmitted laser light. This improvement allows the iodine cell to block significantly more of the stray laser light in filtered Rayleigh scattering experiments. Examples are given of filtered Rayleigh scattering measurements showing the effect of the etalon on measurements taken in a Mach 3 flow in the NASA Lewis 4 inch by 10 inch supersonic wind tunnel.

Seasholtz, Richard G.↗
DOE OSTI2014

On local ionization equilibrium and disk winds in QSOs

We present theoretical C IV λλ1548,1550 absorption line profiles for QSOs calculated assuming the accretion disk wind (ADW) scenario. The results suggest that the multiple absorption troughs seen in many QSOs may be due to the discontinuities in the ion balance of the wind (caused by X-rays), rather than discontinuities in the density/velocity structure. The profiles are calculated from a 2.5-dimensional time-dependent hydrodynamic simulation of a line-driven disk wind for a typical QSO black hole mass, a typical QSO luminosity, and for a standard Shakura-Sunyaev disk. We include the effects of ionizing X-rays originating from within the inner disk radius by assuming that the wind is shielded from the X-rays from a certain viewing angle up to 90° ({sup e}dge on{sup )}. In the shielded region, we assume constant ionization equilibrium, and thus constant line-force parameters. In the non-shielded region, we assume that both the line-force and the C IV populations are nonexistent. The model can account for P-Cygni absorption troughs (produced at edge on viewing angles), multiple absorption troughs (produced at viewing angles close to the angle that separates the shielded region and the non-shielded region), and for detached absorption troughs (produced at an angle in between the first two absorption line types); that is, the model can account for the general types of broad absorption lines seen in QSOs as a viewing angle effect. The steady nature of ADWs, in turn, may account for the steady nature of the absorption structure observed in multiple-trough broad absorption line QSOs. The model parameters are M {sub bh} = 10{sup 9} M {sub ☉} and L {sub disk} = 10{sup 47} erg s{sup –1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1974

Fine-scale structure of a cold hydrogen layer

Neutral-hydrogen absorption-line interferometer observations are reported for five continuum radio sources situated behind an extensive layer of cold interstellar H I gas. In contrast to low-spatial-resolution emission-line observations reported earlier which show the large-scale uniformity of the layer, the high-spatial-resolution absorption-line observations reveal variations in the velocity and density within the layer. The new results together with the old indicate the apparent coexistence of a large-scale mechanism for triggering the formation of cold hydrogen and an instability mechanism leading to small-scale irregularities.

Baker, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Absorbing Outflows in AGN

Topics considered include: Strong X-ray absorption in broad absorption line quasar: PHL 5200: GB 1508+5714, the first greater than 4 radio-selected quasar in X rays; Broad absorption line quasars observed by the ROSAT PSPC; and Optical detection of the hidden nuclear engine in NGC 4258.

Mathur, S.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Resolving the Soft X-Ray Ultrafast Outflow in PDS 456

Past X-ray observations of the nearby luminous quasar PDS 456 (at z = 0.184) have revealed a wide-angle accretion disk wind with an outflow velocity of ∼−0.25c, as observed through observations of its blueshifted iron K-shell absorption line profile. Here we present three new XMM-Newton observations of PDS 456: one in 2018 September where the quasar was bright and featureless and two in 2019 September, 22 days apart, occurring when the quasar was five times fainter and where strong blueshifted lines from the wind were present. During the second 2019 September observation, three broad (σ = 3000 km s(exp -1)) absorption lines were resolved in the high-resolution Reflection Grating Spectrometer spectrum that are identified with blueshifted O VIII Lyα, Ne IX Heα, and Ne X Lyα. The outflow velocity of this soft X-ray absorber was found to be v/c = -0.258 ± 0.003, fully consistent with an iron K absorber with v/c = -0.261 ± 0.007. The ionization parameter and column density of the soft X-ray component (log ξ = 3.4, N(sub H) = 2 × 10(exp 21) cm(exp -2)) outflow was lower by about 2 orders of magnitude when compared to the high-ionization wind at iron K (log ξ = 5, N(sub H) = 7 × 10(exp 23) cm(exp -2). Substantial variability was seen in the soft X-ray absorber between the 2019 observations, declining from N(sub H) = 10(exp 23) to 10(exp 21) cm(exp -2) over 20 days, while the iron K component was remarkably stable. We conclude that the soft X-ray wind may originate from an inhomogeneous wind streamline passing across the line of sight that, due to its lower ionization, is located further from the black hole, on parsec scales, than the innermost disk wind

Active galactic nuclei↗
NASA NTRS2021

Continuum, cyclotron line, and absorption variability in the high-mass X-ray binary Vela X-1

Because of its complex clumpy wind, prominent cyclotron resonant scattering features, intrinsic variability, and convenient physical parameters (close distance, high inclination, and small orbital separation), which facilitate the observation and analysis of the system, Vela X-1 is one of the key systems for understanding accretion processes in high-mass X-ray binaries on all scales. We revisit Vela X-1 with two new observations taken with NuSTAR at orbital phases ∼0.68–0.78 and ∼0.36–0.52, which show a plethora of variability and allow us to study the accretion geometry and stellar wind properties of the system. We follow the evolution of spectral parameters down to the pulse period timescale using a partially covered power law continuum with a Fermi-Dirac cutoff to model the continuum and local absorption. We are able to confirm anti-correlations between the photon index and the luminosity and, for low fluxes, between the folding energy and the luminosity, implying a change of properties in the Comptonising plasma. We were not able to confirm a previously seen correlation between the cyclotron line energy and the luminosity of the source in the overall observation, but we observed a drop in the cyclotron line energy following a strong flare. We see strong variability in absorption between the two observations and within one observation (for the ∼0.36–0.52 orbital phases) that can be explained by the presence of a large-scale structure, such as accretion and photoionisation wakes in the system, and our variable line of sight through this structure.

C. M. Diez↗
DOE OSTI2013

A TWO-PHASE LOW-VELOCITY OUTFLOW IN THE SEYFERT 1 GALAXY Ark 564

The Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark 564 was observed with Chandra high-energy transmission gratings for 250 ks. We present the high-resolution X-ray spectrum that shows several associated absorption lines. The photoionization model requires two warm absorbers (WAs) with two different ionization states (log U = 0.39 {+-} 0.03 and log U = -0.99 {+-} 0.13), both with moderate outflow velocities ({approx}100 km s{sup -1}) and relatively low line of sight column densities (log N{sub H} = 20.94 and 20.11 cm{sup -2}). The high-ionization phase produces absorption lines of O VII, O VIII, Ne IX, Ne X, Mg XI, Fe XVII, and Fe XVIII, while the low-ionization phase produces lines at lower energies (O VIand O VII). The pressure-temperature equilibrium curve for the Ark 564 absorber does not have the typical ''S'' shape, even if the metallicity is super-solar; as a result, the two WA phases do not appear to be in pressure balance. This suggests that the continuum incident on the absorbing gas is perhaps different from the observed continuum. We also estimated the mass outflow rate and the associated kinetic energy and find it to be at most 0.009% of the bolometric luminosity of Ark 564. Thus, it is highly unlikely that these outflows provide significant feedback required by the galaxy formation models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1983

NGC 315 - High-velocity H I in an active elliptical galaxy

The detection of high-velocity H I in absorption against the nuclear continuum source in the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 315 is reported. The absorption line is found to be highly blueshifted in the reference frame of the galaxy with a projected velocity toward the galaxy of 490 km/s. The absorption line is very strong (244 + or - 4 mJy), consisting of two components with very narrow velocity widths of 2.5 km/s (FWHM) each and peak optical depths of 0.9 and 0.2. The kinetic temperature must be 150 K if the line widths are due entirely to thermal broadening, while the neutral gas column densities implied are 2-5 x 10 to the 20th hydrogen atoms/sq cm. No OH in absorption was detected in these clouds to a limiting peak optical depth of 0.04, although this result is consistent with either a galactic or extragalactic origin of the clouds. It is suggested that these clouds may have condensed out of a large unobserved galactic halo of gas, or they may reside in or have been captured from the intracluster medium.

Dressel, L. L.↗