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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1970

Neutron stars

Neutron stars, discussing equations of state and stellar interiors, models, atmosphere, cooling, vibration, rotation and magnetic fields

Cameron, A. G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Rocket spectroscopy of zeta Orionis.

Analysis of a spectrum of zeta Ori extending from 922 to 1453 A with approximately 0.8 A resolution recorded at rocket altitudes. All lines used in existing models of stellar atmospheres appear in the recorded spectrum with the exception of those masked by telluric N2 or strong P Cygni-type profiles and by an O V line at 1371.29 A. Fifteen multiplets of subordinate lines have been reliably identified, indicating an approximate range of excitation from 0 to 50 eV. Transitions in C III (1176 A), N III (991 A), N V (1239, 1243 A), O VI (1032, 1038 A), Si IV (1394, 1403 A), S IV (1063, 1074 A), and S VI (933, 944 A) have been observed as P Cygni-type profiles presumably arising in a circumstellar envelope. The degree of ionization, transitions present, and mean radial velocities are all consistent with viewing the envelope as a hot (about 100,000 K), rarefied plasma in which collisional ionization is important. Interstellar lines in C I (1277, 1280 A), C II (1036, 1334 A), N I (1134-1135 A), N I (1200-1201 A), N II (1084-1086 A), O I (1302, 1305 A), Si II (1190, 1193 A), Si II (1260 A), and Si II (1304 A) have been definitely identified. Other transitions in Ar II, S I, C I, and Fe II are tentatively identified. The equivalent width of the L alpha line is found to be 10.4 plus or minus 1.6 A, corresponding to a columnar density of 2.0 plus or minus 0.7 x 10 to the 20th per cu cm.

Smith, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A model for the X-ray nova A0620-00

The model involves a white dwarf accreting mass from a late-type subgiant companion. The transient behavior of the X-ray source is explained by the instability to mass loss of the companion (as in Algol-type binaries). The brightening, spectrum, and decay timescale of the optical counterpart are explained in terms of re-emission of X-radiation intercepted by the subgiant. It was concluded that A0620-00 can provide an excellent test case for numerical models of stellar atmospheres irradiated by an external X-ray flux.

Endal, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Low-resolution ultraviolet spectroscopy of several hot stars observed from Apollo 17

Low-resolution ultraviolet spectra were obtained for six early-type stars in 1972 December, using an Ebert spectrometer mounted in the service module of the Apollo 17 spacecraft. The spectrometer scanned from 1180 A to 1680 A, with a speed that varied with wavelength according to a program chosen for lunar studies. Spectral resolution was 11 A. The ultraviolet absolute calibration of the instrument was determined by comparison with National Bureau of Standards calibrated photodiodes, and is believed known to plus or minus 10 percent. The absolute intensities are in good general agreement with the observations of other stars and with the predictions of stellar model-atmosphere calculations.

Henry, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A model for the X-ray nova A0620-00

A model is proposed for the transient X-ray source A0620-00 involving a white dwarf accreting mass from a late-type subgiant companion. The transient behavior of the X-ray source is explained by the instability to mass loss of the companion (as in Algol-type binaries). The brightening, spectrum, and decay timescale of the optical counterpart are explained in terms of re-emission of X-radiation intercepted by the subgiant. A0620-00 should provide an excellent test case for numerical models of stellar atmospheres irradiated by an external X-ray flux.

Endal, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Infrared spectroscopy of stars

This paper reviews applications of IR techniques in stellar classification, studies of stellar photospheres, elemental and isotopic abundances, and the nature of remnant and ejected matter in near-circumstellar regions. Qualitative IR spectral classification of cool and hot stars is discussed, along with IR spectra of peculiar composite star systems and of obscured stars, and IR characteristics of stellar populations. The use of IR spectroscopy in theoretical modeling of stellar atmospheres is examined, IR indicators of stellar atmospheric composition are described, and contributions of IR spectroscopy to the study of stellar recycling of interstellar matter are summarized. The future of IR astronomy is also considered.

Merrill, K. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Angular diameter measurements of stars

Angular diameters determined with the Mark III Optical Interferometer are presented for 12 stars at wavelengths of 450 and 800 nm. The uniform disk diameters resulting from fits to the visibility observations have rms residuals of order 1 percent for the 800 nm measurements and less than 3 percent for the 450 nm measurements. The improvement over previous observations with this instrument is due to improved data analysis and the use of a wider range of baseline lengths. An analysis of the calibration systematics for the Mark III Optical Interferometer is included. There is good agreement between these measurements and previously published data. The changes in uniform disk diameter between wavelengths of 450 and 800 nm agree with models of stellar atmospheres.

Mozurkewich, D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Stellar occultations by turbulent planetary atmospheres. I - A heuristic scattering model. II - The Beta Scorpii events

Effects of atmospheric turbulence on stellar-occultation inversion procedures are investigated using a heuristic scattering model that is believed to reproduce the essential features of turbulence. A quantitative estimate is made of the size of the error in deducing the mean refractivity profile of a planetary atmosphere, taking into account constant as well as exponential scattering. It is shown that ordinary turbulence has no important effect on the average intensity profile in a stellar occultation but could have an important instantaneous effect. A critical examination of possible manifestations of turbulent scattering during occultations of Beta Sco by Jupiter indicates that all observed phenomena during these events can be understood in terms of scintillations produced by turbulence.

Hubbard, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Hubble Space Telescope Eclipse Observations of the Nova Like Cataclysmic Variable UX Ursae Majoris

We present and analyze Hubble Space Telescope observations of the eclipsing nova-like cataclysmic variable UX UMa obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph. Two eclipses each were observed with the G160L grating (covering the ultraviolet waveband) in 1994 August and with the PRISM (covering the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared) in November of the same year. The system was about 50% brighter in November than in August, which, if due to a change in the accretion rate, indicates a fairly substantial increase in Mass accretion by about 50%. The eclipse light curves are qualitatively consistent with the gradual occultation of an accretion disk with a radially decreasing temperature distribution. The light curves also exhibit asymmetries about mideclipse that are likely due to a bright spot at the disk edge. Bright-spot spectra have been constructed by differencing the mean spectra observed at pre- and posteclipse orbital phases. These difference spectra contain ultraviolet absorption lines and show the Balmer jump in emission. This suggests that part of the bright spot may be optically thin in the continuum and vertically extended enough to veil the inner disk and/or the outflow from UX UMa in some spectral lines. Model disk spectra constructed as ensembles of stellar atmospheres provide poor descriptions of the observed posteclipse spectra, despite the fact that UX UMa's light should be dominated by the disk at this time. Suitably scaled single temperature model stellar atmospheres with T(sub eff) approximately equals 12,500-14,500 K actually provide a better match to both the ultraviolet and optical posteclipse spectra. Evidently, great care must be taken in attempts to derive accretion rates from comparisons of disk models to observations. One way to reconcile disk models with the observed posteclipse spectra is to postulate the presence of a significant amount of optically thin material in the system. Such an optically thin component might be associated with the transition region ("chromosphere") between the disk photosphere and the fast wind from the system whose presence has been suggested by Knigge and Drew. In any event, the wind/ chromosphere is likely to be the region in which many, if not most, of the UV lines are formed. This is clear from the plethora of emission lines that appear in the mideclipse spectra, some of which appear as absorption features in spectra taken at out-of-eclipse orbital phases.

Knigge, Christian↗
NASA NTRS2021

Magma Ocean Evolution of the TRAPPIST-1 Planets

Recent observations of the potentially habitable planets TRAPPIST-1 e, f, and g suggest that they possess large water mass fractions of possibly several tens of wt% of water, even though the host star’s activity should drive rapid atmospheric escape. These processes can photolyze water, generating free oxygen and possibly desiccating the planet. After the planets formed, their mantles were likely completely molten with volatiles dissolving and exsolving from the melt. In order to understand these planets and prepare for future observations, the magma ocean phase of these worlds must be understood. To simulate these planets, we have combined existing models of stellar evolution, atmospheric escape, tidal heating, radiogenic heating, magma ocean cooling, planetary radiation, and water-oxygen-iron geochemistry. We present Magm Oc, a versatile magma ocean evolution model, validated against the rocky Super-Earth GJ 1132b and early Earth. We simulate the coupled magma ocean-atmospheric evolution of TRAPPIST-1 e, f, and g for a range of tidal and radiogenic heating rates, as well as initial water contents between 1 and 100 Earth oceans. We also reanalyze the structures of these planets and find they have water mass fractions of 0–0.23, 0.01–0.21, and 0.11–0.24 for planets e, f, and g, respectively. Our model does not make a strong prediction about the water and oxygen content of the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1 e at the time of mantle solidification. In contrast, the model predicts that TRAPPIST-1 f and g would have a thick steam atmosphere with a small amount of oxygen at that stage. For all planets that we investigated, we find that only 3 ́5% of the initial water will be locked in the mantle after the magma ocean solidified.

Exoplanets↗
NASA NTRS2005

Physics-Based Spectra of Accretion Disks around Black Holes

The purpose of this grant was to begin the process of deriving the light output of accretion disks around black holes directly from the actual processes that inject heat into the accreting matter, rather than from guessed dependences of heating rate on physical parameters. At JHU, the effort has focussed so far on models of accretion onto "intermediate mass black holes", a possible class of black holes, examples of which may have recently been discovered in nearby galaxies. There, Krolik and his student (Yawei Hui) have computed stellar atmospheres for uniformly-heated disks around this class of black holes. Their models serve two purposes: they are the very first serious attempts to compute the spectrum from accreting black holes in this mass range; and a library of such models can be used later in this program as contrasts for those computed on the basis of real disk dynamics. The output from these local disk calculations has also been successfully coupled to a program that applies the appropriate relativistic transformations and computes photon trajectories in order to predict the spectrum received by observers located at different polar angles. The principal new result of these calculations is the discovery of potentially observable ionization edges of H-like C and O at frequencies near the peak in flux from these objects. Most of the grant money at UCSB was spent on supporting graduate student Shane Davis. In addition. some money was spent on supporting two other students: Ari Socrates (now a Hubble Fellow at Princeton), and Laura Melling. Davis spent the year constructing stellar atmosphere models of accretion disks appropriate for the high/soft (thermal) state of black hole X-ray binaries. As with AGN models published previously by our collaboration with NASA support. our models include a complete general relativistic treatment of both the disk structure and the propagation of photons from the disk to a distant observer. They also include all important continuum opacity sources, including Compton scattering and bound-free opacity from abundant metal species. The principal new result is that bound-free opacity is very significant in altering the continuum spectral shape, resulting for example in quite different "color correction factors" compared to those predicted previously. In addition, the models predict a relationship between luminosity and inner disk temperature that is, for the first time, in accord with that observed. The primary purpose of the grant was to incorporate more realistic accretion disk physics, learned largely from simulations, into such spectral models. The Davis et al. paper includes consideration of a vertical dissipation profile computed from radiation magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of MRI turbulence by N. J. Turner (2004). So long as the disk is effectively thick, such dissipation profiles do not affect the predicted spectrum significantly. (More work needs to be done on these simulations, however.) A potentially more serious issue is that MRI turbulence produces substantial inhomogeneities, as do photon bubble instabilities. These inhomogeneities can affect the spectra by enhancing the effects of absorption opacity over scattering opacity. We have done some preliminary Monte Carlo calculations to explore these effects.

Krolik, Julian H.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Molecular Line and Continuum Opacities for Modeling of Extrasolar Giant Planet and Cool Stellar Atmospheres

The molecular line and continuum opacities are investigated in the atmospheres of cool stars and Extrasolar Giant Planets (EGPs). Using a combination of ab inito and experimentally derived potential curves and dipole transition moments, accurate data have been calculated for rovibrationally-resolved oscillator strengths and photodissociation cross sections in the B' (sup 2)Sigma+ (left arrow) X (sup 2)Sigma+ and A (sup 2)Pi (left arrow) X (sup 2)Sigma+ band systems in MgH. We also report our progress on the study of the electronic structure of LiCl and FeH.

Weck, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The origin of stellar winds - Subatmospheric nonthermal storage modes versus radiation pressure

Most current models of matter-flux in hot stars place its origin in radiation pressure, and then model the flow explicitly to produce no chromosphere-corona. Our model of the stellar atmosphere as a transition zone between stellar interior and interstellar medium places the origin of matter-flux, chromosphere-corona, and spectral 'emission classes' in subatmospheric nonthermal kinetic energy storage, equally for all stars, hot or cold. Current observations of both hot and cold stars suggest chromospheres to be a universal phenomenon, correlated with matter-fluxes, and enhanced in 'emission-class' stars. To clarify the difference between the two kinds of models above, we reformulate the wind-tunnel analogy to stellar winds, suggesting that stars satisfy an 'imperfect,' rather than 'perfect,' such model; i.e., transonic shocks occur before the throat, corresponding to an imposed outward velocity in the storage section, or subatmosphere. We then investigate the stability of an arbitrary stellar atmosphere, hot or cold, to suggest a cause for such an outward subatmospheric velocity.

Cannon, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

On the determination of the number of O stars in H II regions and starburst galaxies

The hot star population in H II regions, H II galaxies, and starburst galaxies is often described in terms of the number of 'equivalent' O stars of a single representative subtype and luminosity class needed to produce the ionizing luminosity deduced from the nebular recombination lines in the optical spectra. In this paper we define conversion factors eta(sub 0), eta(sub 1), and zeta(sub 5000) with which the total number of O V stars and their flux contribution at 5000 A can be derived from the number of these 'equivalent' stars. These quantities depend primarily on three parameters: the slope and upper mass limit of the stellar mass function and the metallicity of the region. Using the latest stellar atmosphere and evolution models, we calculate eta(sub 0), eta(sub 1), and zeta(sub 5000) for a large number of values of these parameters. The results are presented in tabular as well as graphical form. We apply our results to two H II regions for which the hot star population are known and find that the predicted numbers of O stars agree well the observed counts. In addition, we describe a method by which the values of eta(sub 0) and eta(sub 1) and the observed emission-line fluxes can be used to place constraints on the allowed values of the slope and upper mass limit of the stellar mass function in a region.

Vacca, William D.↗