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Cryogenic echelle grating spectrometry of Comet Austin has been obtained for the p(1) through p(14) line frequencies of the nu3 band of OCS. A 3-sigma upper limit for OCS abundance of 0.0055 is derived, relative to H2O, for an assumed coma temperature of 50 K. This value is intermediate between the IRAM observations of Comet Levy and Vega 1 measurements of P/Halley.
The High-Energy Light curve Generator(HILIGT) is a new web-based tool which allows the user to generate long-term light curves of X-ray sources. It provides historical data and calculates upper limits from image data in real-time. HILIGT utilizes data from twelve satellites, both modern missions such as XMM-Newton and Swift, and earlier facilities such as ROSAT, EXOSAT, Einstein or Ariel V. Together, this enables the user to query 50 years of X-ray data and, for instance, study outburst behavior of transient sources. In this paper we focus on the individual back-end servers for each satellite, detailing the software layout, database design, catalog calls, and image footprints. We compile all relevant calibration information of these missions and provide an in-depth summary of the details of X-ray astronomical instrumentation and data.
The reaction of N(4S) atoms with ozone was examined at 298 K using discharge flow and flash photolysis techniques, both coupled with resonance fluorescence detection of N(4S). No reaction was detected in either system, and an upper limit of 5 x 10 to the -16th cu cm/molecule/s was estimated for the rate constant. This is 1000 times lower than the presently accepted value of 5.7 x 10 to the -13th cu cm/molecule/s which is based on a discharge flow-mass spectrometric study of the reaction. Potential complications in the latter experiment are discussed.
The Vela pulsar PSR 0833-45, located in the Vela X nebula, has the second shortest period of any of the known radio pulsars. Soft X-ray observations are described which place an upper limit of 0.3% on the pulsed fraction of the Vela pulsar relative to the flux from the entire Vela X Nebula, in the 0.5- to 1.0-keV energy band. The present results are about a factor of 7 below the value of 2% measured by Harnden and Gorenstein (1973) for the pulsed fraction relative to the flux from the Vela X Nebula.
The region of the binary system V861 Scorpii, whose secondary has been suggested as a black hole candidate, was observed with the HEAO 1 X-ray observatory during an 8-hour pointed observation on September 4, 1978. An upper limit of 1.0 micro Jy (within three standard deviations) is placed on X-ray emission from V861 Sco during this observation. This effectively removes the secondary from the list of black hole candidates. The presence of a 38 sec pulsar in the region is confirmed, precise (0.63 sq arcmin) positions are given, and a search for the optical counterpart is described.
No indication of slowly moving penetrating particles in cosmic radiation underground was found during two years observation. Particle velocity and pulse shape are main criteria for search. Probability of the imitation of slow particles (Beta 0.1) by atmospheric muons is negligible. Our upper limit on superheavy magnetic monopole flux is now 1.86 x 10 to the minus 15th power cm(-2) sr(-1) s(-1) (90% c.l.) for velocity range 2 x 0.0001 beta 0.1.
The Cygnus Loop was observed with a one-dimensional X-ray telescope. Data from two orthogonal scans showed no evidence for a pointlike remnant of the supernova at the center of the Loop. We set an upper limit to the presence of such a source of 2.9% (at 99.9% confidence) of the total emission in the bandwidth from 400 eV to 850 eV. The pulsed component at 62.31 msec suggested by Rappaport et al. (1973) was not observed.
A search for steady emission of the 2.223 MeV gamma-ray line arising from the direct capture reaction 1H(n, gamma)2H is presented on the basis of an analysis of SMM data. The upper limits for continuous 2.223 MeV gamma-ray line emission from the active and inactive sun, as established in the present work, are about two orders of magnitude less than previously published results. These findings for inactive periods also suggest that small flares (or a continuous acceleration mechanism) are unlikely to be the source of the heating of the quiet solar corona. It is concluded that the power in accelerated nuclei during inactive periods falls short of the coronal heating requirement by about four orders of magnitude unless there is a large and as yet unobserved population of nuclei at energies below 1 MeV. The energy release in other forms associated with the acceleration process falls short of the heating requirement by about two orders of magnitude if this energy release is in the same proportion to the power in accelerated nuclei as is estimated from observed flares.
The 34.3-MHz Cocoa Cross radio telescope at Clark Lake Radio Observatory has been used to search for synchrotron radiation from Uranus between November 27, 1974, and May 13, 1975. Inspection of daily chart records for 69 observations during this time period provides a conservative upper limit to the synchrotron flux of 8 Jy. No Uranian bursts were observed. This result is compared with the kilometric burst observations of Brown (1976) as well as with models for burst and possible synchrotron emission from Uranus.
Three Galactic novae were observed with the IRAM 30 M telescope at (C-12)O J = 1 - 0 and J = 2 - 1. No evidence for the previously reported emission in NQ Vul is found and strong upper limits are derived for possible CO emission in QU Vul and Nova Vul 1987. There is no evidence for extensive cold molecular material surrounding old novae.
We have considered 53 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed by the Swift X-Ray Telescope. None of the SNe Ia are individually detected at any time or in stacked images. Using these data and assuming that the SNe Ia are a homogeneous class of objects, we have calculated upper limits to the X-ray luminosity (0.2-10 keV) and mass-loss rate of L(sub 0.2-10) < 1.7 X 10(exp 38) erg/s and M(dot) < l.l X 10(exp -6) solar M/ yr x (V(sub w))/(10 km/s), respectively. The results exclude massive or evolved stars as the companion objects in SN Ia progenitor systems, but allow the possibility of main sequence or small stars, along with double degenerate systems consisting of two white dwarfs, consistent with results obtained at other wavelengths (e.g., UV, radio) in other studies.
The statistical treatment of univariate censored data is discussed. A heuristic derivation of the Kaplan-Meier maximum-likelihood estimator from first principles is presented which results in an expression amenable to analytic error analysis. Methods for comparing two or more censored samples are given along with simple computational examples, stressing the fact that most astronomical problems involve upper limits while the standard mathematical methods require lower limits. The application of univariate survival analysis to six data sets in the recent astrophysical literature is described, and various aspects of the use of survival analysis in astronomy, such as the limitations of various two-sample tests and the role of parametric modelling, are discussed.
A search for SH, the prime dissociative product of H2S, has been prompted by the microwave-band detection of H2S in Comets Austin and Levy. Attention is accordingly given here to g-factors for the A-X (0-0) band of SH as a function of heliocentric velocity at a heliocentric distance of 1 AU. An upper-limit production rate for SH relative to water of 0.017 is derived for the case of Comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf. A dissociative lifetime of 105 sec, at 1 AU heliocentric distance, and a heliocentric velocity of -28.5 km/sec, are also obtained.
Since H2S was detected in Comets Austin (1989cl) and Levy (1990c) in the microwave range, there has been increasing interest in searching for SH, which is the prime dissociative product of H2S. We present g-factors for the A-X (0-0) band of SH as a function of heliocentric velocity at r = 1.0 AU. We derive an upper limit production rate, Q(SH)/Q(H2O) less than 0.017, for Comet Brorsen-Metcalf (1989o) and calculate a dissociative lifetime of 105 sec at a heliocentric distance, r = 1.0 AU, and at a heliocentric velocity, v(r) = -28.5 km/sec.
A pulsar and the earth may be thought of as end masses of a free-mass gravitational wave antenna in which the relative motion of the masses is monitored by observing the Doppler shift of the pulse arrival times. Using timing residuals from PSR 1133 + 16, 1237 + 25, 1604-00, and 2045-16, an upper limit to the spectrum of the isotropic gravitational radiation background has been derived in the frequency band 4 x 10 to the -9th to 10 to the -7th Hz. This limit is found to be S(E) = 10 to the 21st f-cubed ergs/cu cm Hz, where S(E) is the energy density spectrum and f is the frequency in Hz. This would limit the energy density at frequencies below 10 to the -8th Hz to be 0.00014 times the critical density.
A region of the sky including the binary system Algol (beta Persei) was observed with a one-dimensional, grazing-incidence X-ray telescope sensitive in the energy range from 0.5 to 4.0 keV. No statistically significant flux was detected above that attributable to the diffuse and cosmic-ray induced backgrounds. This result allows an upper limit of .02 billionths of an erg/sq cm sec keV at 1.6 keV to be set for the X-ray emission from this source at the epoch of observation. The absence of detectable low-energy X-rays is consistent with a thermal radio source, on condition that no flares occurred at the time of observation.
A region of the sky including the binary system Algol (Beta Persei) was observed with a one-dimensional grazing-incidence X-ray telescope sensitive in the energy range from 0.5 to 4.0 keV. No statistically significant flux was detected above that attributable to the diffuse and cosmic-ray induced backgrounds. This result allows an upper limit of 2 by 10 to the -11th power ergs/sq cm/sec/keV at 1.6 keV to be placed on the X-ray emission from this source at the epoch of observations. It is concluded that the absence of detectable low-energy X-rays is consistent with a thermal radio source, provided that no flares occurred at the time of observation.
Summary of a series of interferometric observations of Saturn using large phased dipole arrays at 11.4 m wavelength (26.3 MHz). The observations were made in August 1971 using a VLBI system operated over two baselines. The results obtained are interpreted as negative for both decametric continuum and noise storm emission from source regions much less than the planetary disk size. This leads to an upper limit value of approximately 14 flux units from a source less than 1 arc sec in diameter located in a region plus or minus 40 min in right ascension and 3.5 deg in declination about Saturn's optical position.