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Ion charge states measured in situ in interplanetary space carry information on the properties of the solar wind plasma in the inner corona. The goal of the proposal is to determine coronal plasma conditions that produce the in situ observed charge states. This study is carried out using solar wind models, coronal observations, ion fraction calculations and in situ observations.
Ion charge states measured in situ in interplanetary space are formed in the inner coronal regions below 5 solar radii, hence they carry information on the properties of the solar wind plasma in that region. The plasma parameters that are important in the ion forming processes are the electron density, the electron temperature and the flow speeds of the individual ion species. In addition, if the electron distribution function deviates from a Maxwellian already in the inner corona, then the enhanced tail of that distribution function, also called halo, greatly effects the ion composition. The goal of the proposal is to make use of ion fractions observed in situ in the solar wind to learn about both, the plasma conditions in the inner corona and the expansion and ion formation itself. This study is carried out using solar wind models, coronal observations, and ion fraction calculations in conjunction with the in situ observations.
Combined X-ray microprobe (XRM), energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and electron microprobe measurements have determined that the average bulk chemical composition of the interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected from the Earth s stratosphere is enriched relative to the CI meteorite composition by a factor of 2 to 4 for carbon and for the moderately volatile elements Na, K, P, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, and Se, and enriched to approximately 30 times CI for Br. However, Jessberger et al., who have reported similar bulk enrichments using Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), attribute the enrichments to contamination by meteor-derived atmospheric aerosols during the several weeks these IDPs reside in the Earth s atmosphere prior to collection. Using scanning Auger spectroscopy, a very sensitive surface analysis technique, Mackinnon and Mogk have observed S contamination on the surface of IDPs, presumably due to the accretion of sulfate aerosols during stratospheric residence. But the S-rich layer they detected was so thin (approximately 100 angstroms thick) that the total amount of S on the surface was too small to significantly perturb the bulk S-content of a chondritic IDP. Stephan et al. provide support for the contamination hypothesis by reporting the enrichment of Br on the edges of the IDPs using Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass-Spectrometry (TOFSIMS), but TOF-SIMS is notorious for producing false edge-effects, particularly on irregularly-shaped samples like IDPs. Sutton et al. mapped the spatial distribution of Fe, Ni, Zn, Br, and Sr, at the approximately 2 m scale, in four IDPs using element-specific x-ray fluorescence (XRF) computed microtomography. They found the moderately volatile elements Zn and Br, although spatially inhomogeneous, were not concentrated on the surface of any of the IDPs they examined, suggesting that the Zn and the Br enrichments in the IDPs are not due to contamination during stratospheric residence.
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We present an emission-line diagnostic analysis of integral-field spectroscopic observations that cover the central kiloparsec of NGC 7742. This Sa galaxy hosts a spectacular nuclear starburst ring and nuclear regions characterized by low-ionization emission. The gas in the ring rotates in the opposite sense to the stars in the galaxy, suggesting a recent merging or acquisition event. The combination of integral-field measurements for the H alpha+[N II] emission lines from DensePak and the H beta and [O 111] emission from SAURON allow the construction of diagnostic diagrams that highlight the transition from star formation in the nuclear ring to excitation by high-velocity shocks or by a central AGN towards the center. DensePak measurements for the [S II] line ratio reveal very low gas densities in the nuclear ring, N(sub e) less than 100 per cubic centimeters, characteristic of massive H II regions. Comparison with MAPPINGS III models for starbursts with low gas densities show that the ring is of roughly solar metallicity. This suggests that the gas in the nuclear ring originated in a stellar system capable of substantially enriching the gas metallicity through sustained star formation. We propose that NGC 7742 cannibalised a smaller galaxy rich in metal-poor gas, and that star formation episodes in the ring have since increased the metallicity to its present value. The techniques explored here can be widely used to study similar systems, including composite (AGN+starburst) galaxies.
We report the first detections of Al and Fe, and strict upper limits for Ca(+) in the exosphere of Mercury, using the HIRES spectrometer at the Keck I telescope. We report observed 4-sigma tangent columns of 1.5x10(exp 7) Al atoms per square centimeter at an altitude of 1220 km (1.5 Mercury radii (R(sub M)) from planet center), and that for Fe of 1.6 x 10 per square centimeter at an altitude of 950 km (1.4 R(sub M)). The observed 3-sigma Ca(+) column was 3.9x10(exp 6) ions per square centimeter at an altitude of 1630 km (1.67 R(sub M). A simple model for zenith column abundances of the neutral species were 9.5 x 10(exp 7) Al per square centimeter, and 3.0 x 10(exp 8) Fe per square centimeter. The observations appear to be consistent with production of these species by impact vaporization with a large fraction of the ejecta in molecular form. The scale height of the Al gas is consistent with a kinetic temperature of 3000 - 9000 K while that of Fe is 10500 K. The apparent high temperature of the Fe gas would suggest that it may be produced by dissociation of molecules. A large traction of both Al and Fe appear to condense in a vapor cloud at low altitudes.
We report preliminary results for H+, Ar+1, Ar+6 and Ar+9 ion sputtering of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant at solar wind velocities, obtain ed at the ORNL Multicharged Ion Research Facility using quadrupole ma ss spectrometry. The multi-charged Ar ions were used as proxies for i ntermediate mass solar wind multicharged ions. Prior to the Ar beam e xposures, the sample was exposed to high fluence H+ irradiation to si mulate H-loading due to the dominant solar wind constituent. A x80 en hancement of oxygen sputtering by Ar+ over same velocity H+ was measu red and an additional x2 increase for Ar+9 over same velocity Ar+ was demonstrated, giving clear evidence of the importance of potential s puttering by multicharged ions. This enhancement was observed to pers ist to the maximum fluences investigated (approx 10(exp 16)/sq cm). As discussed in a companion abstract by N. Barghouty, such persistent s puttering enhancement has significant implications on weathering and aging of lunar regolith. In addition, XPS measurements showed strong evidence of Fe reduction for those target areas that had been exposed to high fluence Ar+ and Ar+8 beams. Preferential oxidation of the Fe -reduced beam-exposed regions during transfer to the XPS system led t o enhanced O concentrations in those regions as well. On the basis of these very promising preliminary results, a NASA-LASER project on mo re extensive measurements was recently selected for funding. The prop osal expands the collaboration with NASA-MSFC for the simulation effort, and adds a new collaboration with NASA-GSFC for lunar mission-rele vant measurements.
Solar wind sputtering of the lunar surface helps determine the composition of the lunar exosphere and contributes to surface weathering. To date, only the effects of the two dominant solar wind constituents, H+ and He+, have been considered. The heavier, less abundant solar wind constituents have much larger sputtering yields because they have greater mass (kinetic sputtering) and they are highly charged (potential sputtering) Their contribution to total sputtering can therefore be orders of magnitude larger than their relative abundances would suggest
We report here on the first observational evidence of Al and Fe in the exosphere of Mercury, based on measurements of resolved emission lines of these metals with Keck-1/HIRES. Al emission was observed on two separate runs, in 2008 and 2013, with tangent column densities of 3.1 +/- 1.0 and 4.0 +/-1.5 x 10(exp 7) Al atoms cm(exp - 2) at altitudes of 1185 and 1870 km (1.5 and 1.75 R(sub M). The Al radiative intensity was seen to increase where the slit crossed the planetary penumbral shadow, and then decrease monotonically with altitude. Fe emission has been observed once, in 2009, indicating an extended source. We also present observed 3- Sigma Ca(+) upper limits near Mercury's equatorial anti-solar limb, from which an abundance limit of 4.0 x 10(exp 6) cm(exp -2) at 1650 km altitude is derived for the Ca ion. A simple model for zenith column abundances of the neutral species yields 1.9 -5.2 x 10(exp 7) Al cm(exp -2) , and 8.2 x 10(exp 8) Fe cm(exp -2) . The observations appear to be consistent with production of these species by impact vaporization, with a large fraction of the Al ejecta in molecular form, and that for Fe in mixed atomic and molecular forms. The scale height of the Al gas is consistent with a kinetic temperature of 6100-8000 K. The apparent high temperature and low density of the Al gas would suggest that it may be produced by dissociation of molecules.
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