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At least 1,171 records · Page 65

Our planetary system: The solar system

A survey is given of the accomplishments of airborne astronomy in solar-system science. They include identification of sulfuric acid in the clouds of Venus, establishment of Jupiter's internal heat source, discovery of water vapor and almost a dozen other molecules in Jupiter's atmosphere, important measurements of occultations of stars by Mars, Pluto, and Chiron, discovery of the rings of Uranus, and diagnosis of mineral composition on planetary surfaces.

Hunten, Donald M.↗

Mid- and far-infrared emission bands in C-rich proto-planetary nebulae

The 16-48 micron spectra of five carbon-rich post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) objects known to have an unidentified 21 micron feature in their IRAS low resolution spectrometer (LRS) spectra have been obtained using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. A broad emission band extending from 24 to approximately 45 microns is present in the spectra of these objects. The strength of this band is variable from source to source and is not correlated with the strength of the 21 micron band. The possible identifications for the emitting material of both the 21 and 30 micron emission bands is discussed.

Omont, A.↗

The Outbursts and Orbit of the Accreting Pulsar GS 1843-02=2S 1845-024

We present observations of a series of 10 transient outbursts of pulsed hard x-ray flux from the 10.6 mHz accreting pulsar GS 1843-02 using the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on the Compton Observatory. These outbursts occurred regularly every 242 days, coincident with the ephemeris of the periodic transient GRO J1849-03 (Zhang et al. 1996)), which has recently been identified with the the SAS 3 source 2S 1845-024 (Soffitta et al. 1998). Our pulsed detection provides the first clear identification of GS 1843-02 with 2S 1845-024. We present a pulse timing analysis which shows that the 2S 1845-024 outbursts occur near the periastron passage of a highly eccentric (e = 0.88 q 0.01) 242.18 +/- 0.01 day period binary orbit about a high mass (M(sub opt) > 7 solar mass companion. The orbit and transient outburst pattern suggest a Be star/X-ray pulsar system, however the optical companion is unknown. Our observations show a long-term spin-up trend, with most of the spin-up occurring during the outbursts. From the measured spin-up rates and inferred mass accretion rates we conclude that an accretion disk is present during the outbursts.

Finger, Mark H.↗

The Composition and Physical Structure of the Io Torus and Atmosphere

Generally speaking the goal of the research was to provide detailed spectral analysis of a Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope EUV/FUV spectrum of the Io plasma torus. The specific research tasks outlined to achieve this goal were: Line identifications and brightnesses. Verify line identifications with independent data sets. Simple physical modeling to derive ne, ni, Te. Determine neutral source rates. Determine implications of minor species abundances for Io processes. Determine spatial structure from HUT data.

McGrath, Melissa↗

Applicability of Electrical and Electroanalytical Techniques to Detect Water and Characterize the Geochemistry of Undisturbed Planetary Soils

The search for life is a primary goal of NASA s planetary exploration program. The search is, of necessity, tiered in both the detection approach (looking for evidence of microbial fossils or the presence of water in the geological history of a planetary body and/or looking for evidence of water, energy sources, precursors to life, signatures of life and/or life itself in the present day planetary environment) and in the survey method (scale, range, specificity) employed. Terrestrial investigations suggests that life as we know it requires water. Thus, the search for extant microbial life and habitats requires identifying water-bearing soils. Determining Reduction-Oxidation (REDOX) couples present in water, once it is found, provides information on soil geochemistry and identifies potential chemical energy sources for life. Mars offers a near-term target for conducting this search. The identification of gully formation [1], layered deposits [2] and elemental ratios of bromine and chlorine [3] present indirect evidence that water was abundant locally in the Martian past. Additionally, Viking images of polar ice and frost formation on the surface of Mars demonstrate that water can exist in at least some near-surface regions of present-day Mars. Atmospheric pressure data further suggest that liquid water may be stable for short periods of time in the mid-latitudes of the Martian surface. [4] Measurements of the global distribution of hydrogen in the Martian regolith offer tantalizing indirect evidence that water may at least exist in near-surface soils. [5] Evidently, any water to be found is likely to exist as soil mixtures at levels ranging between approx.0.5% and approx.5 %.

Seshadri, S.↗

GIDEP Batching Tool

This software provides internal, automated search mechanics of GIDEP (Government- Industry Data Exchange Program) Alert data imported from the GIDEP government Web site. The batching tool allows the import of a single parts list in tab-delimited text format into the local JPL GIDEP database. Delimiters from every part number are removed. The original part numbers with delimiters are compared, as well as the newly generated list without the delimiters. The two lists run against the GIDEP imports, and output any matches. This feature only works with Netscape 2.0 or greater, or Internet Explorer 4.0 or greater. The user selects the browser button to choose a text file to import. When the submit button is pressed, this script will import alerts from the text file into the local JPL GIDEP database. This batch tool provides complete in-house control over exported material and data for automated batch match abilities. The batching tool has the ability to match capabilities of the parts list to tables, and yields results that aid further research and analysis. This provides more control over GIDEP information for metrics and reports information not provided by the government site. This software yields results quickly and gives more control over external data from the government site in order to generate other reports not available from the external source. There is enough space to store years of data. The program relates to risk identification and management with regard to projects and GIDEP alert information encompassing flight parts for space exploration.

Fong, Danny↗

Prospects for Barium Tagging in Gaseous Xenon

Tagging events with the coincident detection of a barium ion would greatly reduce the background for a neutrino-less double beta decay search in xenon. This paper describes progress towards realizing this goal. It outlines a source that can produce large quantities of Ba++ in gas, shows that this can be extracted to vacuum, and demonstrates a mechanism by which the Ba++ can be efficiently converted to Ba+ as required for laser identification. It is clear from this study that electrospray is a convenient mechanism for producing Ba++ is gas at atmospheric pressure. It is likely that the source will perform just as effectively at higher pressures. Even though the source region has water vapour and methanol vapour at the 0.3% level, there is no evidence for molecular formation. The use of TEA offers an effective method to achieve the charge state conversion. The overall design of the ion extraction from high pressure to vacuum is very similar to the scheme proposed for the final detector and this appears to work well although the efficiency is not yet determined.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

Distinguishing Between Site Waste, Natural, and Other Sources of Contamination at Uranium and Thorium Contaminated Sites - 12274

Uranium and thorium processing and milling sites generate wastes (source, byproduct, or technically enhanced naturally occurring material), that contain contaminants that are similar to naturally occurring radioactive material deposits and other industry wastes. This can lead to mis-identification of other materials as Site wastes. A review of methods used by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency to distinguish Site wastes from potential other sources, enhanced materials, and natural deposits, at three different thorium mills was conducted. Real case examples demonstrate the importance of understanding the methods of distinguishing wastes. Distinguishing between Site wastes and enhanced Background material can be facilitated by establishing and applying a formal process. Significant project cost avoidance may be realized by distinguishing Site wastes from enhanced NORM. Collection of information on other potential sources of radioactive material and physical information related to the potential for other radioactive material sources should be gathered and reported in the Historical Site Assessment. At a minimum, locations of other such information should be recorded. Site decision makers should approach each Site area with the expectation that non site related radioactive material may be present and have a process in place to distinguish from Site and non Site related materials. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

X-Ray Diffraction under Extreme Conditions at the Advanced Light Source

The more than a century-old technique of X-ray diffraction in either angle or energy dispersive mode has been used to probe materials’ microstructure in a number of ways, including phase identification, stress measurements, structure solutions, and the determination of physical properties such as compressibility and phase transition boundaries. The study of high-pressure and high-temperature materials has strongly benefitted from this technique when combined with the high brilliance source provided by third generation synchrotron facilities, such as the Advanced Light Source (ALS) (Berkeley, CA, USA). Here we present a brief review of recent work at this facility in the field of X-ray diffraction under extreme conditions, including an overview of diamond anvil cells, X-ray diffraction, and a summary of three beamline capabilities conducting X-ray diffraction high-pressure research in the diamond anvil cell.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

IDENTIFICATION OF THE INFRARED NON-THERMAL EMISSION IN BLAZARS

Blazars constitute the most interesting and enigmatic class of extragalactic {gamma}-ray sources dominated by non-thermal emission. In this Letter, we show how the Wide Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared data make it possible to identify a distinct region of the [3.4]-[4.6]-[12] {mu}m color-color diagram where the sources dominated by the thermal radiation are separated from those dominated by non-thermal emission, in particular the blazar population. This infrared non-thermal region, which we indicate as the WISE blazar strip (WBS), will constitute a new powerful diagnostic tool when the full WISE survey data are released. The WBS can be used to extract new blazar candidates, to identify those of uncertain type and also to search for the counterparts of unidentified {gamma}-ray sources. We show one example of the value of the use of the WBS identifying the TeV source VER J0648+152, recently discovered by VERITAS.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Moment tensor event identification for collapses

SUMMARY We introduce a seismic identification method for collapse events using moment tensors (MTs). We start by computing full (six-element) MT solutions for 43 identified collapse events from around the world, and statistically characterizing the population on the MT hypersphere. We then test a large data set of over 1000 full MTs for the western U.S. against the distribution of collapses using a MT-based identification method similarly as used for testing explosions. Known collapses and explosions are readily identified, along with other anomalous events in the Geysers and central California coast. Misidentification rates are determined for various screening angles with optimal misidentification rates between earthquakes and collapses on the order of 3 per cent. The method is demonstrated to be very effective at identifying non-earthquake sources with a 97–98 per cent accuracy. It is likely to be transportable to other regions, and can be used for event identification anywhere full MT solutions are routinely calculated.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Observations of A0620-00 by SAS-3

The transient X-ray source A0620-00 was observed by the SAS-3 group with the SAS-3 X-ray observatory. At maximum X-ray luminosity limits of 2% were placed on periodic variations from 0.2 ms - 2,000 sec. A precise position was obtained with the rotating modulation collimator. This led directly to radio and optical identification by groups at the NRAO, Arecibo, and McGraw Hill Observatories. The low energy (0.15-0.9 keV) system was pointed at the source, and a spectrum was derived. Hardness ratios are presented, as well as detailed light curves.

Bradt, H.↗

Numerical modelling of impact seismic sources using the stress glut theory

SUMMARY Meteorite impacts have proved to be a significant source of seismic signal on the Moon, and have now been recorded on Mars by InSight seismometers. Understanding how impacts produce seismic signal is key to the interpretation of this unique data, and to improve their identification in continuous seismic records. Here, we use the seismic Representation Theorem, and particularly the stress glut theory, to model the seismic motion resulting from impact cratering. The source is described by equivalent forces, some resulting from the impactor momentum transfer, and others from the stress glut, which represents the mechanical effect of plasticity and non linear processes in the source region. We condense these equivalent forces into a point-source with a time-varying single force and nine-component moment tensor. This analytical representation bridges the gap between the complex dynamics of crater formation, and the linear point-source representation classically used in seismology. Using the multiphysics modelling software HOSS, we develop a method to compute the stress glut of an impact, and the associated point-source from hypervelocity impact simulations. For a vertical and an oblique impact at 1000 m s−1, we show that the moment tensor presents a significant deviatoric component. Hence, the source is not an ideal isotropic explosion contrary to previous assumptions, and draws closer to a double couple for the oblique impact. The contribution of the point force to the seismic signal appears negligible. We verify this model by comparing two signals: (1) HOSS is coupled to SPECFEM3D to propagate the near-source signal elastically to remote seismic stations; (2) the point-source model derived from the stress-glut theory is used to generate displacements at the same distance. The comparison shows that the point-source model is accurately simulating the low-frequency impact seismic waveform, and its seismic moment is in trend with Lunar and Martian impact data. High-frequencies discrepancies exist, which are partly related to finite-source effects, but might be further explained by the difference in mathematical framework between classical seismology and HOSS’ numerical modelling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Various Roentgen satellite (ROSAT) related studies

The first six months was spent obtaining ROSAT Survey data for as many Slew Survey sources as possible. ROSAT Survey (RASS) counterparts for 605 of the 819 Slew sources (or 75 percent). were found at MPE, providing RASS positions, fluxes, and hardness ratios. The positions were used immediately to confirm or reject proposed catalog identifications from SIMBAD and NED, and to begin a program of identifying new BL Lac objects with high efficiency. In the final six months of the award, extensive analysis were preformed on the RASS counterpart data at Cambridge screening Slew sources with multiple RASS counterparts (up to 23); extended sources and sources with large discrepancies between the RASS and Slew positions. The possibly highly absorbed sources were also studied. Finally, the RASS data has helped to identify optical counterparts to Slew Survey sources - BL Lacs stars, and 'blank fields'.

Stauffer, John R.↗

X-ray emission possibly coincident with the radio tail of PKS 0301 - 123

X-ray, radio, and optical observations are reported for a very poor cluster of galaxies containing the radio source PKS 0301 - 123. A long, 100,000 second X-ray observation using the Einstein Observatory's IPC resulted in the serendipitous discovery of a peculiar extended X-ray morphology associated with the poor cluster. The X-ray emission is extended in the same direction and is approximately the same length as the radio-tailed source, PKS 0301 - 123, which was mapped at 6 and 20 cm with the VLA. Optical redshift observations with the KPNO IIDS on the 2.1 m telescope confirm the identification of the X-ray and radio emission with the poor cluster at z = 0.1. It is argued that the X-ray extension is unlikely to be a chance coincidence of a background source projected onto the foreground cluster. Therefore, four possible mechanisms which might physically link the X-ray and radio emission are considered: thermal bremsstrahlung from a cluster with a flattened potential well; inverse Compton scattering of the relativistic electrons in the radio source, X-ray synchrotron radiation; and heating the cluster gas by the turbulent wake of the radio galaxy. The prospects for future observations of such X-ray/radio coincidences are briefly discussed.

Burns, J. O.↗

Modeling and observations of an elevated, moving infrasonic source: Eigenray methods

In this paper, the acoustic ray tracing relations are extended by the inclusion of auxiliary parameters describing variations in the spatial ray coordinates and eikonal vector due to changes in the initial conditions. Computation of these parameters allows one to define the geometric spreading factor along individual ray paths and assists in identification of caustic surfaces so that phase shifts can be easily identified. A method is developed leveraging the auxiliary parameters to identify propagation paths connecting specific source-receiver geometries, termed eigenrays. The newly introduced method is found to be highly efficient in cases where propagation is non-planar due to horizontal variations in the propagation medium or the presence of cross winds. Finally, the eigenray method is utilized in analysis of infrasonic signals produced by a multi-stage sounding rocket launch with promising results for applications of tracking aeroacoustic sources in the atmosphere and specifically to analysis of motor performance during dynamic tests.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Detection of extended galactic sources with an underwater neutrino telescope

In this study we investigate the discovery capability of a Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope to Galactic extended sources. We focus on the brightest HESS gamma rays sources which are considered also as very high energy neutrino emitters. We use the unbinned method taking into account both the spatial and the energy distribution of high energy neutrinos and we investigate parts of the Galactic plane where nearby potential neutrino emitters form neutrino source clusters. Neutrino source clusters as well as isolated neutrino sources are combined to estimate the observation period for 5 sigma discovery of neutrino signals from these objects.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗