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NASA NTRS1994

1H 1752 + 081: An eclipsing cataclysmic variable with a small accretion disk

We announce the discovery of an eclipsing nova-like cataclysmic variable (CV) as the optical counterpart to the HEAO 1 X-ray source 1H1752 + 081. This CV has an orbital period of 1.882801 hr, a high equivalent width of H-beta, and an average m(sub v) of 16.4 out of the eclipse. A geometric model is constructed from observations of the eclipse ingress and egress in many optical bandpasses. The broad-band emission originates primarily in two regions; the disk/accretion stream 'hot spot' and a compact central component, which may be a spot on the white dwarf surface, the entire white dwarf surface or the boundary layer between the accretion disk and the white dwarf surface. Based on the durations and offsets of the two eclipses we determined the mass ratio q = 2.5 +/- 0.6 and the angle of inclination i = 77 deg +/- 2 deg. If the central component is the entire white dwarf surface the masses of the stars are M(sub 1) = 0.80 +/- 0.06 solar masses and M(sub 2) = 0.32 +/- 0.06 solar masses. The disk is faint and small (R(sub D) = 0.25 +/- 0.05 r(sub L1), where r(sub L1) is the distance from the primary to the L(sub 1) point), compared to other eclipsing CVs. The small disk may result from the removal of angular momentum from the accretion disk by the magnetic field of the white dwarf; this CV may be a DQ Her type with a slowly rotating white dwarf. The emission-line velocities do not show the 'Z-wave' expected from the eclipse of a Keplerian accretion disk, nor do they have the correct phasing to originate near the white dwarf. The most likely origin of the line emission is the hot spot. The secondary star is visible at wavelengths greater than or equal to 6000 A during eclipse. We estimate a spectral type approximately M6 which, together with the observed m(sub 1) = 16.94 during eclipse, results in a distance estimate of 150 +/- 27 pc.

Silber, Andrew D.↗

NASA NTRS1996

On the Anticorrelation Between High Accretion Luminosity and Radio Jet Ejection in Gro J1655-40 and Other Objects

A model is described in which radio jet formation in accreting objects is suppressed by processes which occur when the accretion rate approaches the Eddington limit. This was motivated by GRO J1655-40 and other objects which show an anticorrelation between high luminosity and the onset of a radio jet. The jet production mechanism employed is the Blandford-Payne MHD acceleration process, seeded by an e'e- pair wind. Observations indicate that all key ingredients of this mechanism are, or should be, present in these sources. Observed jet velocities and total powers are consistent with theoretical and numerical predictions of this model. The primary jet suppression mechanism proposed is the Papaloizou-Pringle compressible shear instability, which should disrupt the jet-producing region of the disk when the accretion rate approaches about one-third Eddington. The turn-on of the jet in GRO J 1 655 - 40 is consistent with this estimate. When super-Eddington, the disk should also drive an optically thick, subrelativistic wind, which may be a secondary jet suppression mechanism. The possible presence of such a wind is seen in the early spectral evolution of GRO J1655-40 and in the broad absorption lines of certain quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). Important tests of the model would be independent measurements of the compact object masses in these sources, a comparison of normal and broad absorption line (BAL) QSO X-ray spectra to see if the latter objects are significantly cooler, and a low-frequency search around BAL QSOs to see if at least some have fossil radio sources.

Meier, D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

X ray timing observations and gravitational physics

Photon-rich x ray observations on bright compact galactic sources will make it possible to detect many fast processes that may occur in these systems on millisecond and submillisecond timescales. Many of these processes are of direct relevance to gravitational physics because they arise in regions of strong gravity near neutron stars and black holes where the dynamical timescales for compact objects of stellar mass are milliseconds. To date, such observations have been limited by the detector area and telemetry rates available. However, instruments such as the proposed X ray Large Array (XLA) would achieve collecting areas of about 100 sq m. This instrument has been described elsewhere (Wood and Michelson 1988) and was the subject of a recent prephase A feasibility study at Marshall Space Flight Center. Observations with an XLA class instrument will directly impact five primary areas of astrophysics research: the attempt to detect gravitational radiation, the study of black holes, the physics of mass accretion onto compact objects, the structure of neutron stars and nuclear matter, and the characterization of dark matter in the universe. Those observations are discussed that are most directly relevant to gravitational physics: the search for millisecond x ray pulsars that are potential sources of continuous gravitational radiation; and the use of x ray timing observations to probe the physical conditions in extreme relativistic regions of space near black holes, both stellar-sized and supermassive.

Michelson, Peter F.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Coordinated observations of interacting peculiar red giant binaries, 2

IUE and H alpha observations continued on a two-year program to monitor the UV variability of three interacting peculiar red giant (PRG) binaries, HD 59643 (C6,s), HD 35155 (S3/2), and HR 1105 (S3.5/2.5). All of these systems were suspected to involve accretion of material from the PRG to a white-dwarf secondary, based mainly on previous IUE investigations. They were primary candidates from earlier surveys of PRG's to test the hypothesis that the Tc-poor PRG's are formed as a result of mass transfer from a secondary component rather than from internal thermal pulsing while on the asymptotic red giant branch.

Ake, T.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Cooling of the magma ocean due to accretional disruption of the surface insulating layer

Planetary accretion has been considered as a process to heat planets. Some fraction of the kinetic energy of incoming planetesimals is trapped to heat the planetary interior (Kaula, 1979; Davies, 1984). Moreover, blanketing effect of a primary atmosphere (Hayashi et al., 1979; Sasaki, 1990) or a degassed atmosphere (Abe and Matsui, 1986; Zahnle et al., 1988) would raise the surface temperature of the Earth-size planets to be higher than the melting temperature. The primordial magma ocean was likely to be formed during accretion of terrestrial planets. In the magma ocean, if crystallized fractions were heavier than melt, they would sink. But if solidified materials were lighter than the melt (like anorthosite of the lunar early crust) they would float to form a solid shell surrounding the planet. (In an icy satellite, solidified water ice should easily float on liquid water because of its small density.) The surface solid lid would prevent efficient convective heat transfer and slow the interior cooling. Consider that the accretion of planetesimals still continues in this cooling stage. Shock disruption at planetesimal impact events may destroy the solid insulating layer. Even if the layer survives impacts, the surface layer is finally overturned by Rayleigh-Taylor instability, since accreting materials containing metals are heavier than the surface solidified lid of silicates.

Sasaki, Sho↗

NASA NTRS1982

Hydrodynamic stability of jets produced by mass accreting systems

The existing model for pulsed X-ray emission from the source Hercules X-1 is reviewed. A necessary part of this model is a processing accretion disk which turns the source on and off with 35 day cycle. It is usually assumed that precession of the primary star in this binary system, Hz Hercules, slaves the disk to its precession rate. This model can account for the system behavior in a qualitative manner. Precession of Hz Hercules with 35 day period requires precession of the binary orbit. Pulse arrival times from Herc X-1 have been analyzed for orbital precession. The inclusion of precession does not significantly improve the results obtained assuming a non-precessing orbit. The fluid dynamical stability of extra-galactic jets and the possible consequences of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at the jet surface external medium interface are considered.

Hardee, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS2005

On the Behavior of Phosphorus During the Aqueous Alteration of CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrites

During the earliest period of solar system formation, water played an important role in the evolution of primitive dust, both after accretion of planetesimals and possible before accretion within the protoplanetary disk. Many chondrites show evidence of variable degrees of aqueous alteration, the CM2 chondrites being among the most studied [1]. This group of chondrites is characterized by mineral assemblages of both primary and secondary alteration phases. Hence, these meteorites retain a particularly important record of the reactions that occurred between primary high temperature nebular phases and water. Studies of these chondrites can provide information on the conditions and environments of aqueous alteration and the mobility of elements during alteration. This latter question is at the core of a debate concerning the location of aqueous alteration, i.e. whether alteration occurred predominantly within a closed system after accretion (parent body alteration) or whether some degree of alteration occurred within the solar nebula or on ephemeral protoplanetary bodies prior to accretion. At the core of the parent body alteration model is the hypothesis that elemental exchange between different components, principally chondrules and matrix, must have occurred. chondrules and matrix, must have occurred. In this study, we focus on the behavior of the minor element, phosphorus. This study was stimulated by observations of the behavior of P during the earliest stages of alteration in glassy mesostasis in type II chondrules in CR chondrites and extends the preliminary observations of on Y791198 to other CM chondrites.

Brearley, Adrian J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Cosmological gamma-ray bursts

The distribution in angle and flux of gamma-ray bursts indicates that the majority of gamma-ray bursters are at cosmological distances, i.e., at z of about 1. The rate is then about 10 exp -8/yr in a galaxy like the Milky Way, i.e., orders of magnitude lower than the estimated rate for collisions between neutron stars in close binary systems. The energy per burst is about 10 exp 51 ergs, assuming isotropic emission. The events appear to be less energetic and more frequent if their emission is strongly beamed. Some tests for the distance scale are discussed: a correlation between the burst's strength and its spectrum; the absorption by the Galactic gas below about 2 keV; the X-ray tails caused by forward scattering by the Galactic dust; about 1 month recurrence of some bursts caused by gravitational lensing by foreground galaxies; and a search for gamma-ray bursts in M31. The bursts appear to be a manifestation of something exotic, but conventional compact objects can provide an explanation. The best possibility is offered by a decay of a bindary composed of a spinning-stellar-mass black-hole primary and a neutron or a strange-quark star secondary. In the final phase the secondary is tidally disrupted, forms an accretion disk, and up to 10 exp 54 ergs are released. A very small fraction of this energy powers the gamma-ray burst.

Paczynski, Bohdan↗

NASA NTRS1975

Accretional capture of the moon

The effectiveness of accretional capture is studied with the aid of a simple model involving a small secondary body in a hyperbolic orbit which approaches a large primary body. When the separation is a minimum, the mass of the primary body increases. An investigation is conducted regarding the conditions under which this change in mass will result in an elliptic orbit with capture.

Clark, S. P., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Discovery of an accretion shock cone in 22 Vulpeculae

A previous report that 22 Vul is a zeta Aurigae-type eclipsing binary is supported by the discovery of evidence for an accretion shock cone in 22 Vul similar to those found in zeta Aurigae and 32 Cygni. Such systems consist of a cool supergiant star primary and a hot dwarf secondary (G3 Ib-II and B9 in the case of 22 Vul) and undergo atmospheric eclipses.

Ahmad, I. A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

X-ray-illuminated stellar winds - Optically thick wind models for massive X-ray binaries

The work of Stevens and Kallman (1990) on the effect of accretion-powered X-rays from the neutron star on the dynamics of the line-driven stellar wind of the early-type primary is extended. Radiative force multipliers that now depend on the column of attenuating material, as well as the ionization parameter, are calculated. Optical depth effects are found to suppress the effects of X-ray ionization on the force multipliers. A number of dynamical models for the winds of massive X-ray binary systems (MXRBs) are calculated with these force multipliers. Unlike the optically thin models, self-consistent dynamical solutions are found for reasonable values of the X-ray luminosity. These solutions also reveal the presence of nonlinear mechanisms that affect wind dynamics, whereby relatively small changes in the force multipliers can lead to significant changes in the wind structure. The models find the existence of a self-consistent region of solution at an X-ray luminosity of about 10 to the 36th ergs/s and suggest the possible existence of high-luminosity states.

Stevens, Ian R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The X-ray eclipse of the LMC binary CAL 87

ROSAT-PSPC observations of the LMC eclipsing binary CAL 87 show a short-duration, shallow X-ray eclipse which coincides in phase with the primary optical minimum. Characteristics of the eclipse suggest the X-ray emitting region is only partially occulted. Similarities with the eclipse of the accretion-disk corona in X 1822-37 are discussed. However, no temperature variation through eclipse is found for CAL 87. A revised orbital period, combining published data and recent optical photometry, is given.

Schmidtke, P. C.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Trends in Barrier Island Geomorphology Under Continuous Sea Level Rise: Padre Island from 1940-2020

Barrier islands serve an important role in shielding coastal areas from storm surges and wave erosion. Monitoring changes in a barrier island system helps determine the combined effect of sediment supply, aeolian sand transport, storms and sea level rise (SLR) on long-term island survival. Here we present and discuss changes to the southern end of Padre Island (TX),including a back-barrier active dune field, across 7 decades from 1941 - 2020. We have used aerial photos, satellite imagery, and field monitoring to map the decadal and seasonal geomorphological changes. We produced facies maps for each decade from 1970 to present, complemented with qualitative observations for 1941-1970, when aerial imagery was incomplete. We also used supervised classification to monitor monthly changes in the availability of sand for aeolian transport over a full seasonal cycle, to determine the role of the fluctuating water table on the sand budget of the active dune field. Results indicate that the southern end of Padre Island experienced significant change over the study period, transitioning from unvegetated dune fields and sand flats to expansive vegetated dunes, a tidal flat with microbial mats and a shrinking active dune field. Vegetated dunes, absent in 1970, now cover 14% of the study area. The active dune field shrunk from 12%coverage to 6%, with sand available for transport varying from 3% to 21% as the water table fluctuates throughout the year. The infrequently flooded back-island sand flat covering 40% of the study area has transitioned to a lower-lying tidal flat. Furthermore, extensive microbial mats and crusts have developed within the wind-tidal flat, in washover fans, and in low-lying interdune areas. All these early signs are consistent with a progressive drowning of the barrier island, an event we hypothesize was triggered by the sudden spread of vegetation along the back-beach dunes. Plant colonization then cut off sand supply from the beach to the back-barrier, and thus access to the primary source of sand to the system. Our findings highlight the contradictory role of vegetation in barrier islands, as they stabilize dunes and promote sand accretion at the back-beach, while also isolating the back-barrier from aeolian sediment sources, thus amplifying the effects of sea level rise in the absence of salt marshes and/or mangrove platforms.

K R Fisher↗

NASA NTRS2004

Aqueous Alteration of Carbonaceous Chondrites: New Insights from Comparative Studies of Two Unbrecciated CM2 Chondrites, Y 791198 and ALH 81002

Carbonaceous chondrites are an important resource for understanding the physical and chemical conditions in the early solar system. In particular, a long-standing question concerns the role of water in the cosmochemical evolution of carbonaceous chondrites. It is well established that extensive hydration of primary nebular phases occurred in the CM and CI chondrites, but the location where this alteration occurred remains controversial. In the CM2 chondrites, hydration formed secondary phases such as serpentine, tochilinite, pentlandite, carbonate and PCP. There are several textural observations which suggest that alteration occurred before the accretion of the final CM parent asteroid, i.e. preaccretionary alteration. Conversely, there is a significant body of evidence that supports parent-body alteration. In order to test these two competing hypotheses further, we studied two CM chondrites, Y-791198 and ALH81002, two meteorites that exhibit widely differing degrees of aqueous alteration. In addition, both meteorites have primary accretionary textures, i.e. experienced minimal asteroidal brecciation. Brecciation significantly complicates the task of unraveling alteration histories, mixing components that have been altered to different degrees from different locations on the same asteroidal parent body. Alteration in Y-791198 is mostly confined to chondrule mesostases, FeNi metal and fine-grained matrix and rims. In comparison, the primary chondrule silicates in ALH81002 have undergone extensive replacement by secondary hydrous phases. This study focuses on compositional and textural relationships between chondrule mesostasis and the associated rim materials. Our hypothesis is: both these components are highly susceptible to aqueous alteration and should be sensitive recorders of the alteration process. For parent body alteration, we expect systematic coupled mineralogical and compositional changes in rims and altered mesostasis, as elemental exchange between these components occurs. Conversely, for preaccretionary alteration, there should be no clear relationships between the rims and mesostases.

Chizmadia, L. J.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Formation of Planetary Systems

Stars are observed to be forming within cold regions of the galaxy called molecular clouds. A clump of gas and dust within a molecular cloud can collapse into a rotationally- supported disk orbiting the pre s sure -supported star. Such a disk has the same initial elemental composition as the growing star. At sufficient distances from the central star, it is cool enough for approx. 1 - 2% of this material to be in solid form, either remnant interstellar grains or condensates formed within the disk. During the infall stage, the disk is very active and probably highly turbulent. When the infall slows substantially or stops, the disk becomes more quiescent. The dust grows from micron-sized dust to kilometer-sized planetesimals by physical collisions, possibly aided by collective gravity. The dynamics of larger solid bodies within protoplanetary disks are better characterized. The primary perturbations on the orbits of kilometer-sized and larger planetesimals in protoplanetary disks are mutual gravitational interactions and physical collisions. These interactions lead to accretion (and in some cases erosion and fragmentation) of planetesimals. The most massive planets have the largest gravitationally-enhanced collision cross-sections, and accrete almost everything with which they collide. The size distribution of solid bodies becomes quite skewed, with a few large bodies growing much faster than the rest of the swarm, until they have accumulated most of the small bodies within their gravitational reach. Slower growth continues (at least for solid, earth-like planets) as the eccentricities of planetary embryos are pumped up by long-range mutual gravitational perturbations. As planetary masses increase, they become more efficient at stirring random velocities of neighboring bodies. If sufficiently massive and dense planets exist far enough from the star, they can eject material into interstellar space. In most models, giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but if they become massive enough before the protoplanetary disk dissipates, then they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas. Giant planet growth times predicted by current models are similar to estimates of the lifetime of the gaseous protoplanetary disk, so we don't know whether or not giant planets form in most protoplanetary disks. However, planets that become massive while a substantial amount of gas remains in the disk may migrate into the star as a consequence of their gravitational interactions with the disk.

Lissauer, Jack J.↗

NASA NTRS1985

High-speed photometry of the eclipsing dwarf nova OY Carinae

High-speed photometry of the eclipsing dwarf nova OY Car in the quiescent state is presented. OY Car becomes highly reddened during eclipse, with minimum flux colours inconsistent with optically thick emission in the U and B bandpasses. Mass ratios in the range 6.5 to 12 are required to reconcile the eclipse structure with theoretical gas stream trajectories. Primary eclipse timings reveal a significant decrease in the orbital period and the duration of primary eclipse indicates the presence of a luminous ring about the white dwarf. The hotspot eclipse reveals a hotspot which is elongated along the rim of the accretion disc, with optical emission being non-uniformly distributed along the rim. The location of the hotspot in the accretion disc implies a disc radius larger than that of an inviscid disc, with variation in the position of the hotspot being consistent with a fixed stream trajectory.

Cook, M. C.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Coordinated observations of interacting peculiar red giant binaries, 1

IUE Observations were begun for a two-year program to monitor the UV variability of three interacting peculiar red giant (PRG) binaries, HD 59643 (C6,s) HD 35155 (S3/2), and HR 1105 (S3.5/2.5). All of these systems were suspected to involve accretion of material from the PRG to a white-dwarf secondary, based mainly on previous IUE investigations. From our earlier surveys of PRG's, they were primary candidates to test the hypothesis that Tc-poor PRG's are formed as a result of mass transfer from a secondary component rather than from internal thermal pulsing while on the asymptotic red giant branch.

Ake, T.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Characterizing Uranus with an Ice giant Planetary Origins Probe (Ice-POP)

We now know from studies of planetary transits and microlensing that Neptune-mass planets are ubitquitous and may be the most common class of planets in the Galaxy. As such it is crucial that we understand the formation and evolution of the ice giant planets in our own solar system so that we can better understand planet formation throughout the galaxy. An entry probe mission to Uranus would help accomplish this goal. In fact the Planetary Decadal Survey recommended a Uranus orbiter with entry probe but did not explore in detail the specifications for the entry probe. NASA Ames is currently studying thermal protection system requirements for such a mission and this has led to questions regarding the minimum interesting science payload of such an entry probe. The single most important in-situ measurement for an ice giant entry probe is a measurement of atmospheric composition. For Uranus this would specifically include the methane and noble gas abundances. An in situ measurement of the methane abundance, from below the methane cloud, would constrain the atmospheric carbon abundance, which is believed to be roughly 30 to 50 times solar. There are hints from the transiting planets that extrasolar ice giants show comparable or even greater enhancements of heavy elements compared to their primary stars. However the origin of this carbon enhancement is controversial. Is Uranus a "failed core" of a larger gas giant or was the atmosphere enhanced by accretion of icy planetesimals' Constraining atmospheric abundances of C and perhaps S or even N from below 5 bars would provide badly needed data to address such issues. A measurement of the N abundance would provide clues on the origin of the planetesimals that formed Uranus. Low N-abundance indicates planetesimals from 'warmer' regions where N was mainly in form of NH3, whereas a strong enrichment could indicate planetesimals / cometary material from the colder outer regions of the nebula. Furthermore CO and HCN have been detected in Neptune but not in Uranus. A measurement of the abundance of either would constrain the source mechanisms for these molecules (exogenic or internal). A major surprise from the Galileo Entry Probe was that the heavier noble gases Ar, Kr, and Xe are enhanced in Jupiter's atmosphere at a level comparable to what was seen for the chemically active volatiles N, C, and S. It had been generally expected that Ar, Kr, and Xe would be present in solar abundances, as all were expected to accrete with hydrogen during the gravitational capture of nebular gases. Enhanced abundances of Ar, Kr, and Xe is equivalent to saying that these noble gases have been separated from hydrogen. There are several mechanisms that could accomplish this but these hypotheses require further testing. Measurement of noble gas abundances in an ice giant would constrain the planetary formation and nebular mechanisms responsible for this enhancement. Standard three-layer models of Uranus find that the outer, predominantly H/He layer of Uranus does not reach pressures high enough (approximately 1 Mbar) for H2 to transition to liquid metallic hydrogen. However, valid models can also be constructed with a smaller intermediate water-rich layer, with hydrogen then reaching the metallic hydrogen phase. If this occurs, He should phase separate from the hydrogen and ``rain out," taking along a substantial abundance of Ne, as suggested for Jupiter (and likely also for Saturn). Hence He and Ne depletions could be probes of the planet's structure in the much deeper interior. A determination of Uranus' atmospheric abundances, particularly of the noble gasses, is thus critical to understanding the formation of Uranus, and giant planets in general. These measurements can only be performed with an entry probe. The second key measurement would be a temperature-pressure sounding to provide ground truth for remote measurements of atmospheric temperature and composition and to constrain the internal heat flow. This would also establish that the methane abundance measurements have indeed been made below any possible methane cloud. Finally an ultra stable oscillator would measure wind speeds and constrain atmospheric dynamics. In our presentation we will discuss the importance of all of these measurements and argue that an entry probe is a crucial component of any ice giant mission.

Marley, Mark S.↗