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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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NASA NTRS1993

Everything you ever wanted to know about the ultraviolet spectra of star-forming galaxies but were afraid to ask

We present ultraviolet spectra of 143 star-forming galaxies of different morphological types and activity classes including S0, Sa, Sb, Sc, Sd, irregular, starburst, blue compact, blue compact dwarf, Liner, and Seyfert 2 galaxies. These IUE spectra cover the wavelength range from 1200 to 3200 A and are taken in a large aperture (10 x 20 inch). The ultraviolet spectral energy distributions are shown for a subset of the galaxies, ordered by spectral index, and separated by type for normal galaxies, Liners, starburst galaxies, blue compact (BCG) and blue compact dwarf (BCDG) galaxies, and Seyfert 2 galaxies. The ultraviolet spectra of Liners are, for the most part, indistinguishable from the spectra of normal galaxies. Starburst galaxies have a large range of ultraviolet slope, from blue to red. The star-forming galaxies which are the bluest in the optical (BCG and BCDG), also have the 'bluest' average ultraviolet slope of beta = -1.75 +/- 0.63. Seyfert 2 galaxies are the only galaxies in the sample that consistently have detectable UV emission lines.

Kinney, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Ultraviolet, visible, and gravity astrophysics: A plan for the 1990's

NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) receives advice on scientific strategy and priorities from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Guidance to the OSSA Astrophysics Division, in particular, is provided by dedicated academy committees, ad hoc study groups, and, at ten-year intervals, by broadly mandated astronomy and astrophysics survey committees charged with making recommendations for the coming decade. Many of the academy's recommendations have important implications for the conduct of ultraviolet and visible-light astronomy from space. Moreover, these areas are now poised for an era of rapid growth. Through technological progress, ultraviolet astronomy has already risen from a novel observational technique four decades ago to the mainstream of astronomical research today. Recent developments in space technology and instrumentation have the potential to generate comparably dramatic strides in observational astronomy within the next ten years. In 1989, the Ultraviolet and Visible Astrophysics Branch of the OSSA Astrophysics Division recognized the need for a new, long-range plan that would implement the academy's recommendations in a way that yielded the most advantageous use of new technology. NASA's Ultraviolet, Visible, and Gravity Astrophysics Management Operations Working Group was asked to develop such a plan for the 1990's. Since the branch holds programmatic responsibility for space research in gravitational physics and relativity, as well as for ultraviolet and visible-light astrophysics, missions in those areas were also included. The working group met throughout 1989 and 1990 to survey current astrophysical problems, assess the potential of new technologies, examine prior academy recommendations, and develop the implementation plan. The present report is the product of those deliberations. Key astrophysical questions to be addressed cover topics such as the structure and evolution of the early universe, energetics of active galactic nuclei, stellar winds in massive stars, sources powered by accretion, composition and state of the interstellar medium, nature of the galactic halo, chromospheric activity in cool stars, and formation of stars and planetary systems. This document provides a review of these questions, program concerns, and the recommended implementation plan for the 1990's.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1994

The early ultraviolet, optical, and radio evolution of the soft X-ray transient GRO J0422+32

We have monitored the evolution of the transient X-ray source GRO J0422+32 from approximately 2 weeks postdiscovery into its early decline phase at ultraviolet, optical, and radio wavelengths. Optical and ultraviolet spectra exhibit numerous, but relatively weak, high-excitation emission lines such as those arising from He II, N III, N V, and C IV superposed on an intrinsically blue continuum. High-resolution optical spectroscopy reveals line profiles which are double peaked, and in the case of the higher order Balmer lines, superposed on a broad absorption profile. The early outburst optical-ultraviolet continuum energy distribution is well represented by a two power-law fit with a break at approximately equal 4000 A. Radio observations with the Very Large Array (VLA) reveal a flat-spectrum source, slowly increasing in intensity at the earliest epochs observed, followed by an approximate power-law decay light curve with an index of -1. Light curves for each wavelength domain are presented and discussed. Notable are the multiple secondary outbursts seen in the optical more than 1 year postdiscovery, and spectral changes associated with secondary rises seen in the radio and UV. We find that the ultraviolet and optical characteristics of GRO J0422+32 as well as its radio evolution, are similar to other recent well-observed soft X-ray transients (also called X-ray novae) such as Cen X-4, A0620-00 (V616 Mon), and Nova Muscae 1991 (GS 1124-683), suggesting that GRO J0422+32 is also a member of that subclass of low-mass X-ray binaries. We present definitive astrometric determination of the source position, and place an upper limit of R approximately equals 20 from our analysis of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS). Additionally, we derive distinct values for color excess from analysis of the optical (E(B-V) = 0.23) and ultraviolet (E(B-V) = 0.4) data, suggesting an intrinsic magnitude of 19-19.5 for the progenitor if it is mid-K dwarf. This leads to a likely range of 2.4-3.0 kpc for the source distance, which is consistent with our separate estimate of 2.4 +/- 0.4 kpc based on measurement of the NaD interstellar line profile. Adopting 2.4 kpc and E(B-V) = 0.23, the outburst absolute magnitude was M approximately equals 0.0, which is a typical value for this class of objects.

Shrader, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Results from the Far Ultraviolet Space Telescope (FAUST)

We present early results from the Far Ultraviolet Space Telescope (FAUST), which flew in March 1992 with the ATLAS space shuttle mission. The telescope provides wide-field images in the far ultraviolet (1400-1800 A). Studies underway using the data obtained on this mission include establishing the brightness and distribution of far ultraviolet stars in the halo of our Galaxy, establishing the far ultraviolet properties of nearby galaxies and nearby clusters of galaxies, analyzing the diffuse galactic light, and searching for the origin of the extragalactic ultraviolet light. We discuss the instrument performance, and early results from these observations.

Sasseen, T. P.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Ultraviolet Surface Properties of the Icy Galilean Satellites from Phase Curve Analysis

In this study, we use ultraviolet observations from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and the Galileo Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) to compose the ultraviolet solar phase curves of the icy Galilean satellites. Broadband rotation phase curves from 0.26 to 0.32 microns are constructed in order to examine the rotational behavior of the icy Galilean satellites in the ultraviolet. After normalizing the rotational variations, modeling of the solar phase variations are compared to comparable studies in the visible.

Hendrix, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Ultraviolet Views of Enceladus, Tethys, and Dione

The Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) has collected ultraviolet observations of many of Saturn's icy moons since Cassini's insertion into orbit around Saturn. We will report on results from Enceladus, Tethys and Dione, orbiting in the Saturn system at distances of 3.95, 4.88 and 6.26 Saturn radii, respectively. Icy satellite science objectives of the UVIS include investigations of surface age and evolution, surface composition and chemistry, and tenuous exospheres. We address these objectives by producing albedo maps, and reflection and emission spectra, and observing stellar occultations. UVIS has four channels: EUV: Extreme Ultraviolet (55 nm to 110 nm), FUV: Far Ultraviolet (110 to 190 nm), HSP: High Speed Photometer, and HDAC: Hydrogen-Deuterium Absorption Cell. The EUV and FUV spectrographs image onto a 2-dimensional detector, with 64 spatial rows by 1024 spectral columns. To-date we have focused primarily on the far ultraviolet data acquired with the low resolution slit width (4.8 angstrom spectral resolution). Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Hansen, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Future Directions in Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

The 'Future Directions in Ultraviolet Spectroscopy' conference was inspired by the accomplishments of the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) Mission. The FUSE mission was launched in June 1999 and spent over eight years exploring the far-ultraviolet universe, gathering over 64 million seconds of high-resolution spectral data on nearly 3000 astronomical targets. The goal of this conference was not only to celebrate the accomplishments of FUSE, but to look toward the future and understand the major scientific drivers for the ultraviolet capabilities of the next generation fo space observatories. Invited speakers presented discussions based on measurements made by FUSE and other ultraviolet instruments, assessed their connection with measurements made with other techniques and, where appropriate, discussed the implications of low-z measurements for high-z phenomena. In addition to the oral presentations, many participants presented poster papers. The breadth of these presentation made it clear that much good science is still in progress with FUSE data and that these result will continue to have relevance in many scientific areas.

Sonneborn, George↗
NASA NTRS2016

ASASSN-15LH: A Superluminous Ultraviolet Rebrightening Observed by Swift and Hubble

We present and discuss ultraviolet and optical photometry from the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, X-ray limits from the X-Ray Telescope on Swift, and imaging polarimetry and ultraviolet/optical spectroscopy with the Hubble Space Telescope, all from observations of ASASSN-15lh. It has been classified as a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN I), making it more luminous than any other supernova observed. ASASSN-15lh is not detected in the X-rays in individual or co-added observations. From the polarimetry we determine that the explosion was only mildly asymmetric. We find the flux of ASASSN-15lh to increase strongly into the ultraviolet, with an ultraviolet luminosity 100 times greater than the hydrogen-rich, ultraviolet-bright SLSN II SN2008es. We find that objects as bright as ASASSN-15lh are easily detectable beyond redshifts of ∼4 with the single-visit depths planned for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. Deep near-infrared surveys could detect such objects past a redshift of ∼20, enabling a probe of the earliest star formation. A late rebrightening-most prominent at shorter wavelengths -is seen about two months after the peak brightness, which is itself as bright as an SLSN. The ultraviolet spectra during the rebrightening are dominated by the continuum without the broad absorption or emission lines seen in SLSNe or tidal disruption events (TDEs) and the early optical spectra of ASASSN-15lh. Our spectra show no strong hydrogen emission, showing only Lyα absorption near the redshift previously found by optical absorption lines of the presumed host. The properties of ASASSN-15lh are extreme when compared to either SLSNe or TDEs.

Brown, Peter J.↗
NASA NTRS2023

The IAU Recommended Photometric System for Ultraviolet Astronomy

In the current era when access to space is becoming easier and at a lower cost thanks to the standardised cubesat technology, numerous missions are expected to be launched to observe, particularly, at ultraviolet wavelengths. Given the reduced dimensions of the telescope that a cubesat can carry, most of these missions will be focused on photometric surveys of a reduced sample of targets of interest, and therefore each mission will define their own photometric bands according to their scientific objectives and orbital constraints. However, in order to provide a coherent view of the ultraviolet sky, the data should be post-processed under a common framework. In 2017, the IAU working group on ultraviolet astronomy identified the need to define such a common framework for the upcoming ultraviolet missions, and coordinated the definition of a standard set of photometric bands that could serve for homogenizing the current and future data. This paper presents the procedure adopted by the working group for the definition of the standard photometric system, that was approved by the IAU during the General Assembly Business Sessions held in August, 2021. The photometric system consists of seven bands, denoted as UV1-UV7, all included in the range 115 - 400 nm. Some of these bands are based on existing filters, while others have been defined as theoretical bands with constant throughput. This system is to be regarded as a set of synthetic bands for post-processing the data of any mission, and an example of its application to the SPARCS cubesat is also included. The photometric bands are publicly available and can be downloaded from https://www.nuva.eu/uv-photometry/.

Ultraviolet: ISM↗
NASA NTRS1994

Astronomy and the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite

The extreme ultraviolet wave band (100 to 912 angstroms) was thought until recently to be useless to astronomy, primarily because the opacity of the interstellar medium would prevent observations at these wavelengths. However, the interstellar medium has been found to be markedly inhomogeneous in both density and ionization state and the sun is fortunately located in a region of low extreme ultraviolet opacity. The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer, launched in June 1992, has surveyed the sky in this wave band and has detected a wide variety of astronomical sources at considerable distances, including some extragalactic objects. Studies in the extreme ultraviolet band have already begun to increase our understanding of the contents of the universe.

EUVE Project↗
NASA NTRS2002

Ultraviolet surface properties of the icy galilean satellites from phase curve analysis

In this study, we use ultraviolet observations from the International Utlraviolet Explorer (IUE) and the Galileo Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) to compose the ultraviolet solar phase curves of the icy galilean satellites. Broadband rotation phase curves from 0.26 to 0.32 microns are constructed in order to examine the rotational behavior of the icy Galilean satellites in the ultraviolet. After normalizing the rotational variations, modeling of the solar phase variations are compared to comparable studies in the visible.

International↗
NASA NTRS1971

The difficulty of ultraviolet emssion from supernovae

There are certain conceptual difficulties in the theory of the generation of ultraviolet radiation which is presumed for the creation of the optical fluorescence mechanism of supernova light emission and ionization of a nebula as large as the Gum nebula. Requirements concerning the energy distribution of the ultraviolet photons are: 1) The energy of the greater part of the photons must be sufficient to cause both helium fluorescence and hydrogen ionization. 2) If the photons are emitted in an approximate black body spectrum, the fraction of energy emitted in the optical must be no more than what is already observed. Ultraviolet black body emission depends primarily on the energy source. The probability that the wide mixture of elements present in the interstellar medium and supernova ejecta results in an emission localized in a limited region with less than 0.001 emission in the visible, for either ionization or fluorescence ultraviolet, is remote. Therefore transparent emission must be excluded as unlikely, and black body or at least quasi-black-body emission is more probable.

Colgate, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Vacuum and ultraviolet radiation effects on binders and pigments for spacecraft thermal control coatings

An evaluation of several silicone resin binders and powdered inorganic pigments for potential use in spacecraft thermal-control paint formulations is presented. The pigments were selected on the basis of a hypothesis relating the heat of formation of a compound to the compound's resistance to ultra-radiation-induced degradation. Reflectance measurements were made in situ to determine degradation rates due to ultraviolet radiation. The tested polydimethylsiloxane resins were not significantly affected by long exposures to ultraviolet radiation. All the pigments, which were dispersed in a polydimethylsiloxane resin, were degraded by ultraviolet radiation as determined by an increase of solar absorptance. For the materials evaluated in this study, no evidence was found to indicate that pigments with high heats of formation were resistant to ultraviolet degradation.

Progar, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The Celescope catalog of ultraviolet observations

Data obtained from approximately 7500 ultraviolet television pictures are used to compile a celescope catalog of ultraviolet observations. This catalog lists the magnitude as observed in each of celescope's four ultraviolet color bands, the standard deviations of the observed ultraviolet magnitudes, positions, identifications, and ground based magnitudes, colors, and spectral types for approximately 5000 stars.

Davis, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Ultraviolet photometry from the orbiting astronomical observatory. 8: The blue Ap stars

The filter photometers in the Wisconsin Experiment Package on OAO-2 were used to obtain data for a carefully selected set of 24 blue Ap stars and 31 comparison standard B and A dwarfs and giants for a program of relative photometry. Observations were made in seven bandpasses over the effective wavelength range 1430A-4250A. The Ap stars observed include members of the Si, Hg-Mn and Sr-Cr-Eu peculiarity classes. Most of them are too blue in B-V for their published MK spectral classes. The blue Ap stars are markedly deficient in emitted ultraviolet flux and are underluminous as compared to normal stars with the same UBV colors. The Hg-Mn stars appear less flux deficient in the ultraviolet for their UBV colors than do Si or Sr-cr-Eu stars. Most of the Ap stars observed possess ultraviolet flux distributions, or ultraviolet color temperatures, consistent with their published MK spectral classes to well within the classification uncertainties.

Leckrone, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Effects of space vacuum and solar ultraviolet irradiation (254 nanometers) on the colony forming ability of Bacillus subtilis spores

Bacillus subtilis spores are highly resistant to harsh environments. Therefore, in the Apollo 16 Microbial Response to Space Environment Experiment (M191), these spores were exposed to space vacuum or solar ultraviolet irradiation, or both, to estimate the change of survival for terrestrial organisms in space. The survival of the spores was determined in terms of colony-forming ability. Comparison of the flight results with results of simulation experiments on earth applying high vacuum or ultraviolet irradiation, or both, revealed no remarkable difference. Simultaneous exposure to both these space factors resulted in a synergistic effect (that is, an ultraviolet supersensitivity). Therefore, the change of survival in space is assumed to depend on the degree of protection against solar ultraviolet irradiation.

Buecker, H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet from celescope observations

Celescope observations of 550 stars made in four broad ultraviolet passbands (1500 to 2600 A) were used to derive intrinsic ultraviolet colors for main sequence stars (Haramundanis and Payne-Gaposchkin, 1973). Color excesses, E(Ui-V) = (Ui-V) - (Ui-V) sub 0, are qualitatively in agreement with those obtained by the Wisconsin Experiment (Bliss and Savage, 1972) for stars common to the two experiments. Excluding emission stars, binaries, and supergiants whose ultraviolet fluxes cannot be compared with the intrinsic colors, it has been verified that extinction in the ultraviolet is wavelength dependent. The results further indicate that the slope of the reddening line differs with galactic latitude in the U2 and U3 passbands.

Haramundanis, K.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Mariner 9 ultraviolet spectrometer experiment - Pressure-altitude measurements on Mars

Ultraviolet spectrometer measurements of the reflectance at 3050 A are modeled to give pressure-altitudes for Mars assuming a quiescent atmosphere. Ultraviolet light that is Rayleigh-scattered by the Mars molecular atmosphere, with allowance for uniform turbidity, is proportional to surface pressure independent of atmospheric temperature structure. All model constants except the over-all scaling factors are found by requiring ultraviolet spectrometer pressures of 47 locations on the planet to be the same when measured at different geometries. The overall scaling factor is found by intercomparison with Mariner 9 occultation pressures. Comparison with other Mars pressure-altitude measurements show deviations from the assumption of uniform turbidity to occur over the Hesperia plateau for ultraviolet measurements obtained during the 13-26 February 1972 time period.

Hord, C. W.↗