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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1997

X-ray variability of Cygnus X-1 in its soft state

Observations from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) of Cyg X-1 in the soft state and during the soft to hard transition are examined. The results of this analysis confirm previous conclusions that for this source there is a settling period (following the transition from the hard to soft state during which the low energy spectrum varies significantly, while the high energy portion changes little) during which the source reaches nominal soft state brightness. This behavior can be characterized by a soft low energy spectrum and significant low frequency 1/f noise and white noise on the power density spectrum, which becomes softer upon reaching the true soft state. The low frequency 1/f noise is not observed when Cyg X-1 is in the hard state, and therefore appears to be positively correlated with the disk mass accretion rate. The difference in the observed spectral and timing properties between the hard and soft states is qualitatively consistent with a fluctuating corona model.

Cui, W.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Properties of accretion disk coronae

The properties of accretion disk corona in a parameter regime suitable for Galactic black hole candidates are considered and the results of an analysis of these properties using a self-consistent Monte Carlo code are presented. Examples of the coronal temperature structure, the shape and angular dependency of the spectrum and the maximum temperature allowed for each optical depth of the corona are presented. It is shown that the observed spectrum of the Galactic black hole candidate Cygnus X-1 cannot be explained by accreting disk corona models with a slab geometry, where the accretion disk is sandwiched by the comptonizing medium.

Wilms, J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

RXTE Observation of Cygnus X-1: TIming Analysis - Report 2

We present timing analysis for a Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observation of Cygnus X-1 in its hard/low state. This was the first RXTE observation of Cyg X-1 taken after it transited back to this state from its soft/high state. RXTE's large effective area, superior timing capabilities, and ability to obtain long, uninterrupted observations have allowed us to obtain measurements of the power spectral density (PSD), coherence function, and Fourier time lags to a decade lower in frequency and half a decade higher in frequency than typically was achieved with previous instruments. Notable aspects of our observations include a weak 0.005 Hz feature in the PSD coincident with a coherence recovery; a 'hardening' of the high-frequency PSD with increasing energy; a broad frequency range measurement of the coherence function, revealing rollovers from unity coherence at both low and high frequency; and an accurate determination of the Fourier time lags over two and a half decades in frequency. As has been noted in previous similar observations, the time delay is approximately proportional to f(exp -0.7), and at a fixed Fourier frequency the time delay of the hard X-rays compared to the softest energy channel tends to increase logarithmically with energy. Curiously, the 0.01-0.2 Hz coherence between the highest and lowest energy bands is actually slightly greater than the coherence between the second highest and lowest energy bands. We carefully describe all of the analysis techniques used in this paper, and we make comparisons of the data to general theoretical expectations. In a companion paper, we make specific comparisons to a Compton corona model that we have successfully used to describe the energy spectral data from this observation.

Nowak, Michael A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

GEMS

The prime scientific objectives of the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX, GEMS, are to determine the effects of the spin of black holes, the configurations of the magnetic fields of magnetars, and the structure of the supernova shocks which accelerate cosmic rays. In the cases of both stellar black holes and supermassive black holes, sensitivity to 1% polarization is needed to make diagnostic measurements of the net polarizations predicted for probable disk and corona models. GEMS can reach this goal for several Seyferts and quasars and measure the polarizations of representatives of a variety of other classes of X-ray sources, such as rotation-powered and accretion-powered pulsars. GEMS uses foil mirrors to maximize the collecting area achievable within the SMEX constraints. The polarimeters at the mirror foci are Time Projection Chambers which use the photoelectic effect to measure the polarization of the incident photon. We have built laboratory models with good efficiency and modulation in the 2-10 keV range. An attached small student experiment would add 0.5 keV sensitivity for bright soft sources. The instrument has a point spread function which allows measurement of structures in the brighter nearby supernova remnants. GEMS' Orbital Sciences spacecraft will rotate at a rate of 0.1 revolutions per minute during observations, so that systematic errors due to the detector can be detected and corrected. A program of 35 sources can be observed in 9 months. GEMS is designed for a two year lifetime which will allow a General Observer program that would more than double the number of sources measured. For subsets of black holes, neutron stars and supernova remnants, GEMS will measure the polarization of several sources, solving important questions while establishing the sensitivity required for future missions.

Swank, Jean↗
NASA NTRS2011

Venusian Applications of 3D Convection Modeling

This study models mantle convection on Venus using the 'cubed sphere' code OEDIPUS, which models one-sixth of the planet in spherical geometry. We are attempting to balance internal heating, bottom mantle viscosity, and temperature difference across Venus' mantle, in order to create a realistic model that matches with current planetary observations. We also have begun to run both lower and upper mantle simulations to determine whether layered (as opposed to whole-mantle) convection might produce more efficient heat transfer, as well as to model coronae formation in the upper mantle. Upper mantle simulations are completed using OEDIPUS' Cartesian counterpart, JOCASTA. This summer's central question has been how to define a mantle plume. Traditionally, we have defined a hot plume the region with temperature at or above 40% of the difference between the maximum and horizontally averaged temperature, and a cold plume as the region with 40% of the difference between the minimum and average temperature. For less viscous cases (1020 Pa?s), the plumes generated by that definition lacked vigor, displaying buoyancies 1/100th of those found in previous, higher viscosity simulations (1021 Pa?s). As the mantle plumes with large buoyancy flux are most likely to produce topographic uplift and volcanism, the low viscosity cases' plumes may not produce observable deformation. In an effort to eliminate the smallest plumes, we experimented with different lower bound parameters and temperature percentages.

Venus↗
NASA NTRS2013

An Outburst Scenario for the X-ray Spectral Variability in 3C 111

We present a combined Suzaku and Swift BAT broad-band E=0.6-200 keV spectral analysis of three 3C 111 observations obtained in 2010. The data are well described with an absorbed power-law continuum and a weak (R approximately equal to 0.2) cold reflection component from distant material. We constrain the continuum cutoff at E(sub C) approximately equal to 150- 200 keV, which is in accordance with X-ray Comptonization corona models and supports claims that the jet emission is only dominant at much higher energies. Fe XXVI Ly alpha emission and absorption lines are also present in the first and second observations, respectively. The modelling and interpretation of the emission line is complex and we explore three possibilities. If originating from ionized disc reflection, this should be emitted at r(sub in) greater than or equal to 50 r(sub g) or, in the lamp-post configuration, the illuminating source should be at a height of h greater than or equal to 30 r(sub g) over the black hole. Alternatively, the line could be modeled with a hot collisionally ionized plasma with temperature kT = 22.0(sup +6.1)(sub −3.2) keV or a photo-ionized plasma with logXi=4.52(sup +0.10)(sub −0.16) erg per second cm, and column density N(sub H) greater than 3×10(sup 23) per square centimeter. However, the first and second scenarios are less favored on statistical and physical grounds, respectively. The blue-shifted absorption line in the second observation can be modelled as an ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with ionization parameter logXi=4.47(sup +0.76) (sub −0.04) erg per second cm, column density NH=(5.3(sup +1.8)(sub −1.3))×10(sup 22) per square centimeter and outflow velocity v(sub out) = 0.104+/-0.006c. Interestingly, the parameters of the photoionized emission model remarkably match those of the absorbing UFO, supporting the possibility that the same material could be responsible for both emission and absorption. We suggest an outburst scenario in which an accretion disc wind, initially lying out of the line of sight and observed in emission, then crosses our view to the source and it is observed in absorption as a mildly-relativistic UFO.

Outburst↗
NASA NTRS2022

Observational Signatures of Coronal Heating in Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations without Radiation or a Lower Atmosphere

It is extremely difficult to simulate the details of coronal heating and also make meaningful predictions of the emitted radiation. Thus, testing realistic models with observations is a major challenge. Observational signatures of coronal heating depend crucially on radiation, thermal conduction, and the exchange of mass and energy with the transition region and chromosphere below. Many magnetohydrodynamic simulation studies do not include these effects, opting instead to devote computational resources to the magnetic aspects of the problem. We have developed a simple method of accounting approximately for the missing effects. It is applied to the simulation output ex post facto and therefore may be a valuable tool for many studies. We have used it to predict the emission from a model corona that is driven by vortical boundary motions meant to represent photospheric convection. We find that individual magnetic strands experience short-term brightenings, both scattered throughout the computational volume and in localized clusters. The former may explain the diffuse component of the observed corona, while the latter may explain bright coronal loops. Several observed properties of loops are reproduced reasonably well: width, lifetime, and quasi-circular cross section (aspect ratio not high). Our results lend support to the idea that loops are multistranded structures heated by "storms" of nanoflares.

James A. Klimchuk↗
NASA NTRS2003

Three-Dimensional MHD Modeling of The Solar Corona and Solar Wind: Comparison with The Wang-Sheeley Model

We present simulation results from a tilted-dipole steady-state MHD model of the solar corona and solar wind and compare the output from our model with the Wang-Sheeley model which relates the divergence rate of magnetic flux tubes near the Sun (inferred from solar magnetograms) to the solar wind speed observed near Earth and at Ulysses. The boundary conditions in our model specified at the coronal base and our simulation region extends out to 10 AU. We assumed that a flux of Alfven waves with amplitude of 35 km per second emanates from the Sun and provides additional heating and acceleration for the coronal outflow in the open field regions. The waves are treated in the WKB approximation. The incorporation of wave acceleration allows us to reproduce the fast wind measurements obtained by Ulysses, while preserving reasonable agreement with plasma densities typically found at the coronal base. We find that our simulation results agree well with Wang and Sheeley's empirical model.

Usmanov, A. V.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Implications of the Warm Corona and Relativistic Reflection Models for the Soft Excess in Mrk 509

We present the analysis of the first Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array observations (∼220 ks), simultaneous with the last Suzaku observations (∼50 ks), of the active galactic nucleus of the bright Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509. The time-averaged spectrum in the 1–79 keV X-ray band is dominated by a power-law continuum (Γ ∼ 1.8–1.9), a strong soft excess around 1 keV, and signatures of X-ray reflection in the form of Fe K emission (∼6.4 keV), an Fe K absorption edge (∼7.1 keV), and a Compton hump due to electron scattering (∼20–30 keV). We show that these data can be described by two very different prescriptions for the soft excess: a warm (kT ∼ 0.5–1 keV) and optically thick (τ ∼ 10–20) Comptonizing corona or a relativistically blurred ionized reflection spectrum from the inner regions of the accretion disk. While these two scenarios cannot be distinguished based on their fit statistics, we argue that the parameters required by the warm corona model are physically incompatible with the conditions of standard coronae. Detailed photoionization calculations show that even in the most favorable conditions, the warm corona should produce strong absorption in the observed spectrum. On the other hand, while the relativistic reflection model provides a satisfactory description of the data, it also requires extreme parameters, such as maximum black hole spin, a very low and compact hot corona, and a very high density for the inner accretion disk. Deeper observations of this source are thus necessary to confirm the presence of relativistic reflection and further understand the nature of its soft excess.

Javier Garcia↗
NASA NTRS1978

Spectral line profiles in a planetary corona - A collisional model

An attempt is made to report on an extension of the theory of spectral line profiles for a planetary corona to include the effects of H-H(+) resonant charge exchange in which satellite particles are omitted. A computational procedure is outlined, three classes of particle orbits are distinguished (ballistic, satellite, escaping), and several complications are considered. A collisional profile is obtained, and appropriate collisionless and collisional curves are compared. It is concluded that good profiles could disclose the presence of a nonthermal hydrogen component. Effects of omitting satellite particles are briefly discussed.

Prisco, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Three-dimensional time domain model of lightning including corona effects

A new 3-D lightning model that incorporates the effect of corona is described for the first time. The new model is based on a Thin Wire Time Domain Lightning (TWTDL) Code developed previously. The TWTDL Code was verified during the 1985 and 1986 lightning seasons by the measurements conducted at the 553 m CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario. The inclusion of corona in the TWTDL code allowed study of the corona effects on the lightning current parameters and the associated electric field parameters.

Podgorski, Andrew S.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Semiempirical Two-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Model of the Solar Corona and Interplanetary Medium

We have developed a two-dimensional semiempirical MHD model of the solar corona and solar wind. The model uses empirically derived electron density profiles from white-light coronagraph data measured during the Skylub period and an empirically derived model of the magnetic field which is fitted to observed streamer topologies, which also come from the white-light coronagraph data The electron density model comes from that developed by Guhathakurta and coworkers. The electron density model is extended into interplanetary space by using electron densities derived from the Ulysses plasma instrument. The model also requires an estimate of the solar wind velocity as a function of heliographic latitude and radial component of the magnetic field at 1 AU, both of which can be provided by the Ulysses spacecraft. The model makes estimates as a function of radial distance and latitude of various fluid parameters of the plasma such as flow velocity V, effective temperature T(sub eff), and effective heat flux q(sub eff), which are derived from the equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, respectively. The term effective indicates that wave contributions could be present. The model naturally provides the spiral pattern of the magnetic field far from the Sun and an estimate of the large-scale surface magnetic field at the Sun, which we estimate to be approx. 12 - 15 G. The magnetic field model shows that the large-scale surface magnetic field is dominated by an octupole term. The model is a steady state calculation which makes the assumption of azimuthal symmetry and solves the various conservation equations in the rotating frame of the Sun. The conservation equations are integrated along the magnetic field direction in the rotating frame of the Sun, thus providing a nearly self-consistent calculation of the fluid parameters. The model makes a minimum number of assumptions about the physics of the solar corona and solar wind and should provide a very accurate empirical description of the solar corona and solar wind Once estimates of mass density rho, flow velocity V, effective temperature T(sub eff), effective heat flux q(sub eff), and magnetic field B are computed from the model and waves are assumed unimportant, all other plasma parameters such as Mach number, Alfven speed, gyrofrequency, etc. can be derived as a function of radial distance and latitude from the Sun. The model can be used as a planning tool for such missions as Slar Probe and provide an empirical framework for theoretical models of the solar corona and solar wind The model will be used to construct a semiempirical MHD description of the steady state solar corona and solar wind using the SOHO Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) polarized brightness white-light coronagraph data, SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope data, and Ulysses plasma data.

Sittler, Edward C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Global Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of the Solar Corona

The coronal magnetic field defines the structure of the solar corona, the position of the heliospheric current sheet, the regions of fast and slow solar wind, and the most likely sites of coronal mass ejections. There are few measurements of the magnetic fields in the corona, but the line-of-sight component of the global magnetic fields in the photosphere have been routinely measured for many years (for example, at Stanford's Wilcox Solar Observatory, and at the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak). The SOI/MDI instrument is now providing high-resolution full-disk magnetograms several times a day. Understanding the large-scale structure of the solar corona and inner heliosphere requires accurately mapping the measured photospheric magnetic field into the corona and outward. Ideally, a model should not only extrapolate the magnetic field, but should self-consistently reconstruct both the plasma and magnetic fields in the corona and solar wind. Support from our NASA SR&T contract has allowed us to develop three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) computations of the solar corona that incorporate observed photospheric magnetic fields into the boundary conditions. These calculations not only describe the magnetic field in the corona and interplanetary spice, but also predict the plasma properties as well. Our computations thus far have been successful in reproducing many aspects of both coronal and interplanetary data, including the structure of the streamer belt, the location of coronal hole boundaries, and the position and shape of the heliospheric current sheet. The most widely used technique for extrapolating the photospheric magnetic field into the corona and heliosphere are potential field models, such as the potential field source-surface model (PFSS),and the potential field current-sheet (PFCS) model

Linker, Jon A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Magnetohydrodynamic modeling of the solar corona

The ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model is used to examine the dynamics and structure of the solar corona. When the coronal magnetic field is deformed by photospheric flow it can evolve to states that become unstable to ideal MHD modes. The nonlinear evolution of these instabilities can lead to the generation of current sheets, field line reconnection, and energy release. The disruption of an arcade field and the kinking of coronal loops is described. The braiding of the large-scale coronal field by convective photospheric motions develops fine-scale structure in the magnetic field and leads to the development of intense current filaments. The resistive dissipation of these currents can provide an efficient coronal heating mechanism.

Mikic, Zoran↗
NASA NTRS1984

Recombination stellar wind model for the coronae of early-type stars

The wind structures of early-type stars which have base coronal zones are discussed. The calculations give rise to what is called a recombination stellar wind structure because of the transition from a coronally driven wind to a radiatively driven wind. The coronal X-rays are a dominant factor in determining the wind structure because of their effect on the ionization structure, which in turn determines the heating, cooling, and the attenuating properties of the stellar wind. The decreased continuum opacity allows for an increase in the emergent X-ray flux at energies less than 1 keV. The X-ray spectra are compared with those observed with the IPC instrument on the Einstein Observatory and are found to be in excellent agreement. This shows that contrary to earlier analyses, base coronae are not ruled out by the existing IPC X-ray data. The predicted emergent X-ray luminosities are in agreement with the observed values. However, the incident X-ray luminosities from the base coronal zones can be three to four orders of magnitude larger. This suggests that the X-ray IPC spectra reflect the absorption properties of the wind and not the nature of the X-ray source.

Waldron, W. L.↗