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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 865 records · Page 48

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NASA NTRS1986

NLTE-analysis of three extremely helium-rich O-type subdwarfs

Three extremely helium-rich sdO stars (LSE 153, LSE 259 and LSE 263) were analyzed spectroscopically by means of detailed NLTE model atmospheres. These stars are very hot, with effective temperatures ranging from 70,000 to 75,000 K and gravities between log g = 4.4 and 4.9. Upper limits for the hydrogen abundance were also derived. The evolutionary status of the sdO stars is discussed and it is concluded that they evolve from the asymptotic giant branch towards the white dwarf stage. A possible evolutionary link between these hot stars and the extreme helium stars of spectral type B is discussed.

Husfeld, D.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Energy sources in gamma-ray burst models

The current status of energy sources in models of gamma-ray bursts is examined. Special emphasis is placed on the thermonuclear flash model which has been the most developed model to date. Although there is no generally accepted model, if the site for the gamma-ray burst is on a strongly magnetized neutron star, the thermonuclear model can qualitatively explain the energetics of some, but probably not all burst events. The critical issues that may differentiate between the possible sources of energy for gamma-ray bursts are listed and briefly discussed.

Taam, Ronald E.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Quantitative spectroscopy of hot stars

A review on the quantitative spectroscopy (QS) of hot stars is presented, with particular attention given to the study of photospheres, optically thin winds, unified model atmospheres, and stars with optically thick winds. It is concluded that the results presented here demonstrate the reliability of Qs as a unique source of accurate values of the global parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, and elemental abundances) of hot stars.

Kudritzki, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS2007

The Empirical Low Energy Ion Flux Model for the Terrestrial Magnetosphere

This document includes a viewgraph presentation plus the full paper presented at the conference. The Living With a Star Ion Flux Model (IFM) is a radiation environment risk mitigation tool that provides magnetospheric ion flux values for varying geomagnetic disturbance levels in the geospace environment. IFM incorporates flux observations from the Polar and Geotail spacecraft in a single statistical flux model. IFM is an engineering environment model which predicts the proton flux not only in the magnetosphere, but also in the solar wind and magnetosheath phenomenological regions. This paper describes the ion flux databases that allows for IFM output to be correlated with the geomagnetic activity level, as represented by the Kp index.

Blackwell, William C.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Forward Modeling the Orbits of Companions to Pulsating Stars from Their Light Travel Time Variations

Mutual gravitation between a pulsating star and an orbital companion leads to a time-dependent variation in path length for starlight traveling to Earth. These variations can be used for coherently pulsating stars, such as the δ Scuti variables, to constrain the masses and orbits of their companions. Observing these variations for δ Scuti stars has previously relied on subdividing the light curve and measuring the average pulsation phase in equally sized subdivisions, which leads to undersampling near periapsis. We introduce a new approach that simultaneously forward models each sample in the light curve and show that this method improves upon current sensitivity limits—especially in the case of highly eccentric and short-period binaries. We find that this approach is sensitive enough to observe Jupiter mass planets around δ Scuti stars under ideal conditions, and use gravity-mode pulsations in the subdwarf B star KIC 7668647 to detect its companion without radial velocity data. We further provide robust detection limits as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio of the pulsation mode and determine that the minimum detectable light travel time amplitude for a typical Kepler δ Scuti is around 2 s. This new method significantly enhances the application of light travel time variations to detecting short-period binaries with pulsating components, and pulsating A-type exoplanet host stars, especially as a tool for eliminating false positives.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1990

Stellar and Jovian vortices

The characteristics of 'Jovian' vortices (the large vortices observed in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune) are summarized, and the existence of similar structures in the atmospheres of stars is considered theoretically. The problem of vortex maintenance is addressed, including potential vorticity, numerical simulations of Jovian vortices, and cyclones and anticyclones; the Great Red Spot of Jupiter is described on the basis of Voyager data; the evidence for convective generation of vertical vorticity in the sun is examined; the possibly vortical nature of the large spots of RS CVn stars is discussed; and models of spots on rapidly rotating hot stars are surveyed.

Dowling, T. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Upper limit to the mass of pulsationally stable stars with uniform chemical composition

Nuclear-energized pulsational instability is a well-known feature of models of chemically homogeneous stars above a critical mass. With the Rogers-Iglesias opacities, the instability occurs above 120-150 solar mass for normal Galactic Population I chemical compositions, and above approximately 90 solar mass for stars in metal-poor environments like the outer Galaxy and the Small Magellanic Cloud. Models of homogeneous helium-burning stars are unstable above masses of 19 and 14 solar mass, respectively. These significant increases of the critical masses, in the normal metallicity cases, over the values derived previously with the Los Alamos opacities can explain the stability of the brightest observed O-type stars, but they do not exclude the possibility that the most luminous hydrogen-deficient Wolf-Rayet stars are experiencing this type of instability.

Stothers, Richard B.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Modeling the Far-infrared Polarization Spectrum of a High-mass Star-forming Cloud

The polarization spectrum, or wavelength dependence of the polarization fraction, of interstellar dust emission provides important insights into the grain alignment mechanism of interstellar dust grains. We investigate the far-infrared polarization spectrum of a realistic simulated high-mass star-forming cloud under various models of grain alignment and emission. We find that neither a homogeneous grain alignment model nor a grain alignment model that includes collisional dealignment is able to produce the falling spectrum seen in observations. On the other hand, we find that a grain alignment model with grain alignment efficiency dependent on local temperature is capable of producing a falling spectrum that is in qualitative agreement with observations of OMC-1. For the model most in agreement with OMC-1, we find no correlation between the temperature and the slope of the polarization spectrum. However, we do find a positive correlation between the column density and the slope of the polarization spectrum. We suggest this latter correlation to be the result of wavelength-dependent polarization by absorption.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1991

The chromospheres of late-type stars. I - Eridani as a test case of multiline modelling

A new model of the lower chromosphere of the dwarf K2 star Epsilon Eridani is derived by matching flux profiles of the Ca IR triplet lines 8498 and 8542 A H-alpha and H-beta lines and the Na D lines (all observed simultaneously at the AAT), and the Ca II K line. The coupled non-LTE equations of statistical equilibrium and radiative transfer are solved under the constraint of hydrostatic equilibrium using the Carlsson (1986) code. Within the framework of the model, the Na D lines are an important photospheric diagnostic, and the Ca IR triplet lines can be used to locate the temperature minimum. The computed H-alpha and H-beta depths are highly sensitive constraints on the transition zone gradients and base pressures allowing us to derive a pressure at the base of the transition zone of 0.9 dyn/cm.

Thatcher, John D.↗

DOE OSTI2015

UNSUPERVISED TRANSIENT LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS VIA HIERARCHICAL BAYESIAN INFERENCE

Historically, light curve studies of supernovae (SNe) and other transient classes have focused on individual objects with copious and high signal-to-noise observations. In the nascent era of wide field transient searches, objects with detailed observations are decreasing as a fraction of the overall known SN population, and this strategy sacrifices the majority of the information contained in the data about the underlying population of transients. A population level modeling approach, simultaneously fitting all available observations of objects in a transient sub-class of interest, fully mines the data to infer the properties of the population and avoids certain systematic biases. We present a novel hierarchical Bayesian statistical model for population level modeling of transient light curves, and discuss its implementation using an efficient Hamiltonian Monte Carlo technique. As a test case, we apply this model to the Type IIP SN sample from the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey, consisting of 18,837 photometric observations of 76 SNe, corresponding to a joint posterior distribution with 9176 parameters under our model. Our hierarchical model fits provide improved constraints on light curve parameters relevant to the physical properties of their progenitor stars relative to modeling individual light curves alone. Moreover, we directly evaluate the probability for occurrence rates of unseen light curve characteristics from the model hyperparameters, addressing observational biases in survey methodology. We view this modeling framework as an unsupervised machine learning technique with the ability to maximize scientific returns from data to be collected by future wide field transient searches like LSST.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Supermassive black holes in galactic nuclei with tidal disruption of stars. II. Axisymmetric nuclei

The tidal disruption (TD) of stars by supermassive central black holes from dense rotating star clusters is modeled by high-accuracy direct N-body simulations. As in a previous paper on spherical star clusters, we study the time evolution of the stellar tidal disruption rate and the origin of tidally disrupted stars, which are now accorded to several classes of orbits that only occur in axisymmetric systems (short-axis tube and saucer orbits). Compared with that in spherical systems, we found a higher TD rate in axisymmetric systems. The enhancement can be explained by an enlarged loss cone in phase space that stems from the fact that the total angular momentum J is not conserved. As in the case of spherical systems, the distribution of the last apocenter distance of tidally accreted stars peaks at the classical critical radius. However, the angular distribution of the origin of the accreted stars reveals interesting features. Inside the influence radius of the supermassive black hole the angular distribution of disrupted stars has a conspicuous bimodal structure with a local minimum near the equatorial plane. Outside of the influence radius this dependence is weak. We show that the bimodal structure of orbital parameters can be explained by the presence of two families of regular orbits, namely short-axis tube and saucer orbits. Also, we present the consequences of our results for the loss cone in axisymmetric galactic nuclei.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS2000

On the Origin and Evolution of Stellar Chromospheres, Coronae and Winds

This grant was awarded by NASA to The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) to construct state-of-the-art, theoretical, two-component, chromospheric models for single stars of different spectral types and different evolutionary status. In our proposal, we suggested to use these models to predict the level of the "basal flux", the observed range of variation of chromospheric activity for a given spectral type, and the decrease of this activity with stellar age. In addition, for red giants and supergiants, we also proposed to construct self-consistent, purely theoretical wind models, and used these models to investigate the origin of "dividing lines" in the H-R diagram. In the following, we describe our completed work. We have accomplished the first main goal of our proposal by constructing first purely theoretical, time-dependent and two-component models of stellar chromospheres.1 The models require specifying only three basic stellar parameters, namely, the effective temperature, gravity and rotation rate, and they take into account non-magnetic and magnetic regions in stellar chromospheres. The non-magnetic regions are heated by acoustic waves generated by the turbulent convection in the stellar subphotospheric layers. The magnetic regions are identified with magnetic flux tubes uniformly distributed over the entire stellar surface and they are heated by longitudinal tube waves generated by turbulent motions in the subphotospheric and photospheric layers. The coverage of stellar surface by magnetic regions (the so-called filling factor) is estimated for a given rotation rate from an observational relationship. The constructed models are time-dependent and are based on the energy balance between the amount of mechanical energy supplied by waves and radiative losses in strong Ca II and Mg II emission lines. To calculate the amount of wave energy in the non-magnetic regions, we have used the Lighthill-Stein theory for sound generation.

Musielak, Z. E.↗

NASA NTRS2011

The Unresolved Star-Forming Galaxy Component of the Extragalactic Gamma Ray Background

We present new theoretical estimates of the contribution of unresolved star-forming galaxies to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) as measured by EGRET and the Fermi-LAT. We employ several methods for determining the star-forming galaxy contribution the the EGB, including a method positing a correlation between the gamma-ray luminosity of a galaxy and its rate of star formation as calculated from the total infrared luminosity, and a method that makes use of a model of the evolution of the galaxy gas mass with cosmic time. We find that depending on the model, unresolved star-forming galaxies could contribute significantly to the EGB as measured by the Fermi-LAT at energies between approx. 300 MeV and approx. few GeV. However, the overall spectrum of unresolved star-forming galaxies can explain neither the EGRET EGB spectrum at energies between 50 and 200 MeV nor the Fermi-LAT EGB spectrum at energies above approx. few GeV.

Venters, Tonia M.↗

NASA NTRS2011

New Theoretical Estimates of the Contribution of Unresolved Star-Forming Galaxies to the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background (EGB) as Measured by EGRET and the Fermi-LAT

Venters, Tonia M.↗

NASA NTRS2010

First Detection of the [O(sub III)] 88 Micrometers Line at High Redshifts: Characterizing the Starburst and Narrow-Line Regions in Extreme Luminosity Systems

We have made the first detections of the 88 micrometers [O(sub III)] line from galaxies in the early universe, detecting the line from the lensed active galactic nucleus (AGN)/starburst composite systems APM 08279+5255 at z 3.911 and SMM J02399-0136 at z = 2.8076. The line is exceptionally bright from both systems, with apparent (lensed) luminosities approx.10(exp 11) Solar Luminosity, For APM 08279, the [O(sub III)] line flux can be modeled in a star formation paradigm, with the stellar radiation field dominated by stars with effective temperatures, T(sub eff) > 36,000 K, similar to the starburst found in M82. The model implies approx.35% of the total far-IR luminosity of the system is generated by the starburst, with the remainder arising from dust heated by the AGN. The 881,tm line can also be generated in the narrow-line region of the AGN if gas densities are around a few 1000 cu cm. For SMM J02399, the [O(sub III)] line likely arises from HII regions formed by hot (T(sub eff) > 40,000 K) young stars in a massive starburst that dominates the far-IR luminosity of the system. The present work demonstrates the utility of the [O(sub III)] line for characterizing starbursts and AGN within galaxies in the early universe. These are the first detections of this astrophysically important line from galaxies beyond a redshift of 0.05.s

Ferkinhoff, C.↗

DOE OSTI2017

Eight new luminous z ≥ 6 quasars discovered via SED model fitting of VISTA, WISE and Dark Energy Survey Year 1 observations

We present the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation with the ESO NTT and Gemini South telescopes of eight new 6.0 < z < 6.5 quasars with z$_{AB}$ < 21.0. These quasars were photometrically selected without any star-galaxy morphological criteria from 1533 deg$^{2}$ using SED model fitting to photometric data from the Dark Energy Survey (g, r, i, z, Y), the VISTA Hemisphere Survey (J, H, K) and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (W1, W2). The photometric data was fitted with a grid of quasar model SEDs with redshift dependent Lyman-{\alpha} forest absorption and a range of intrinsic reddening as well as a series of low mass cool star models. Candidates were ranked using on a SED-model based $\chi^{2}$-statistic, which is extendable to other future imaging surveys (e.g. LSST, Euclid). Our spectral confirmation success rate is 100% without the need for follow-up photometric observations as used in other studies of this type. Combined with automatic removal of the main types of non-astrophysical contaminants the method allows large data sets to be processed without human intervention and without being over run by spurious false candidates. We also present a robust parametric redshift estimating technique that gives comparable accuracy to MgII and CO based redshift estimators. We find two z $\sim$ 6.2 quasars with HII near zone sizes < 3 proper Mpc which could indicate that these quasars may be young with ages < 10$^6$ - 10$^7$ years or lie in over dense regions of the IGM. The z = 6.5 quasar VDESJ0224-4711 has J$_{AB}$ = 19.75 is the second most luminous quasar known with z > 6.5.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

PHOTOIONIZATION MODELS OF THE INNER GASEOUS DISK OF THE HERBIG BE STAR BD+65 1637

We attempt to constrain the physical properties of the inner, gaseous disk of the Herbig Be star BD+65 1637 using non-LTE, circumstellar disk codes and observed spectra (3700–10500 Å) from the ESPaDOnS instrument on the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. The photoionizing radiation of the central star is assumed to be the sole source of input energy for the disk. We model optical and near-infrared emission lines that are thought to form in this region using standard techniques that have been successful in modeling the spectra of classical Be stars. By comparing synthetic line profiles of hydrogen, helium, iron, and calcium with the observed line profiles, we try to constrain the geometry, density structure, and kinematics of the gaseous disk. Reasonable matches have been found for all line profiles individually; however, no disk density model based on a single power law for the equatorial density was able to simultaneously fit all of the observed emission lines. Among the emission lines, the metal lines, especially the Ca ii IR triplet, seem to require higher disk densities than the other lines. Excluding the Ca ii lines, a model in which the equatorial disk density falls as 10{sup −10} (R{sub *}/R){sup 3} g cm{sup −3} seen at an inclination of 45° for a 50 R{sub *} disk provides reasonable matches to the overall line shapes and strengths. The Ca ii lines seem to require a shallower drop-off as 10{sup −10} (R{sub *}/R){sup 2} g cm{sup −3} to match their strength. More complex disk density models are likely required to refine the match to the BD+65 1637 spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

TORSIONAL OSCILLATIONS OF NONBARE STRANGE STARS

Strange stars are one of the possible compact stellar objects that can form after a supernova collapse. We consider a model of a strange star having an inner core in the color-flavor locked phase surmounted by a crystalline color superconducting (CCSC) layer. These two phases constitute the quarksphere, which we assume to be the largest and heaviest part of the strange star. The next layer consists of standard nuclear matter forming an ionic crust, hovering on the top of the quarksphere and prevented from falling by a strong dipolar electric field. The dipolar electric field arises because quark matter is confined in the quarksphere by the strong interaction, but electrons can leak outside forming an electron layer a few hundred fermi thick separating the ionic crust from the underlying quark matter. The ionic matter and the CCSC matter constitute two electromagnetically coupled crust layers. We study the torsional oscillations of these two layers. Remarkably, we find that if a fraction larger than 10{sup −4} of the energy of a Vela-like glitch is conveyed to a torsional oscillation, the ionic crust will likely break. The reason is that the very rigid and heavy CCSC crust layer will absorb only a small fraction of the glitch energy, leading to a large-amplitude torsional oscillation of the ionic crust. The maximum stress generated by the torsional oscillation is located inside the ionic crust and is very close to the star’s surface. This peculiar behavior leads to a much easier crust cracking than in standard neutron stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗