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At least 163 records · Page 9

A 7 micron dust emission feature in oxygen-rich circumstellar shells

New 4 to 8 micron infrared spectroscopic observations of two oxygen-rich stars are presented and combined with IRAS low resolution spectrometer (LRS) data to span the 4 to 24 micron wavelength range. In the 4 to 8 micron range, we observe a 7.15 micron (1400 cm(exp -1)) emission feature. This new feature is not uniquely correlated with any of the sharply defined 10, 11, 13.1, and 19.7 micron emission features that are known to be present in this class of circumstellar shells, but it does appear to be correlated with the spectrally broad dust emission in the 10 to 20 micron spectral region. The feature has not been reported previously in any other astronomical environment. A reinterpretation of prior 4 to 8 micron spectroscopy of alpha Ori and R Cas reveals the presence of the 7.15 micron emission in alpha Ori and possibly in R Cas. The spectrally narrow 19.7 micron emission, that is distinctly different than the relatively broad silicate 18 micron emission feature in oxygen-rich dust shells, is also observed to be present in the LRS spectrum of SAO 197549. The implication of these observations is that a universal astronomical silicate does not exist in oxygen-rich circumstellar shells.

Goebel, J. H.↗

High-Pressure Equation of State for Partially Ionic Solids

Recently, we showed that the cohesive energy of partially ionic solids may be characterized by a two-term energy relationship consisting of a Coulomb term arising from the valence-charge transfer delta Z between the atoms, and a scaled universal energy function E(sup *)(a(sup *)), which accounts for the partially covalent character of the bond and for the repulsion between the atomic cores for small R; a(sup *) is a scaled length. Normalized cohesive-energy curves of alkali halide crystals and of Ti and Ag halide crystals were obtained, and the cohesive-energy-curve parameters were used to generate theoretical equation-of-state (EOS) curves for the Li, Na, K, Cs, and Ag halides. Good agreement was obtained with the experimental isothermal compression curves over a wide pressure range (0-90 kbar). In this paper we verify that the cohesive-energy relationship is valid for divalent partially ionic solids; physically reasonable charge-transfer values (1.80 less than delta Z less than 2.0) are obtained for MgO, CaO, and CaS. Next, EOS curves for LiF, NaF, Nal, CsCl, Csl, MgO, CaO, and CaS are generated in terms of the cohesive-energy parameters. These EOS's yield excellent fits to experimental isothermal-compression data and to shock-wave data to very high pressures (P(sub max)= 250-1350 kbar).

Schlosser, Herbert↗

Local Interstellar Medium Properties and Deuterium Abundances for the Lines of Sight Toward HR 1099, 31 Comae, beta Ceti, and beta Cassiopeiae

We analyze Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph data to infer the properties of local interstellar gas and the Deuterium/Hydrogen (D/H) ratio for lines of sight toward four nearby late-type stars-HR 1099, 31 Comae, beta Ceti, and beta Cassiopeiae. The data consist of spectra of the hydrogen and deuterium Lyman-(alpha) lines, and echelle spectra of the Mg IIh and k lines toward all stars except beta Cas. Spectra of the RS CVn-type spectroscopic binary system HR 1099 were obtained near opposite quadratures to determine the intrinsic stellar emission line profile and the interstellar absorption separately. Multiple-velocity components were found toward HR 1099 and beta Cet. The spectra of 31 Com and beta Cet are particularly interesting because they sample lines of sight toward the north and south Galactic poles, respectively, for which H I and D I column densities were not previously available. The north Galactic pole appears to be a region of low hydrogen density like the 'interstellar tunnel' toward epsilon CMa. The temperature and turbulent velocities of the Local InterStellar Medium (LISM) that we measure for the lines of sight toward HR 1099, 31 Com, beta Cet, and beta Cas are similar to previously measured values (T approx.7000 K and xi = 1.0-1.6 km/s). The deuterium/hydrogen ratios found for these lines of sight are also consistent with previous measurements of other short lines of sight, which suggest D/H approx. 1.6 x 10(sup -5). In contrast, the Mg abundance measured for the beta Cet line of sight (implying a logarithmic depletion of D(Mg) = +0.30 +/- 0.15) is about 5 times larger than the Mg abundance previously observed toward alpha Cen, and about 20 times larger than all other previous measurements for the LISM. These results demonstrate that metal abundances in the LISM vary greatly over distances of only a few parsecs.

Piskunov, Nikolai↗

High Energy Particle Acceleration and Turbulent Magnetic Field Amplification in Shell Type Supernova Remnants

Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Part I discusses the spatial correlation between the x-ray and radio morphologies of Cas A, and in the process address: the effect of inhomogeneous absorption on the apparent x-ray morphology, the interaction between the SNR and a molecular cloud, and the rapid move toward equipartition between the magnetic and gas energy densities. Discussions of the x-ray./radio correlation continues in Chapter 5, where we present a new, deep, ROSAT HRI image of Cas A. Chapter 7 presents ASCA spectra, with non-thermal spectral fits for 13 of the youngest SNRs in the Galaxy.

Keohane, Jonathan Wilmore↗

Accurate Effective Core Potential for Germanium. Application to the Singlet-Triplet Splitting in GeH2

An accurate effective core potential (ECP), including frozen 3s, 3p orbitals and a single-zeta contracted 3d orbital, has been developed for germanium. The ECP with associated valence basis set reproduces the corresponding all-electron results for the atomic excitations and the geometry and excitation energies of GeH2. At the SCF, CAS SCF and CI levels the maximum difference from the all-electron results is 0.5 kcal/mol in the (sup 1)A(sub 1) - (sup 3)B(sub 1) excitation energy. Finally, the ECP description is used with an extended valence basis set and large-scale CAS SCF and multi-reference CI wavefunctions to compute the singlet-triplet separation; the final CI result including the Davidson correction is 22.5 kcal/mol.

Pettersson, Lars G. M.↗

Bulk X-ray Doppler Velocities in the Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

We map the average line-of-sight velocities of the X-ray-emitting mass in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A using measurements of the centroid of the Si-Healpha blend with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer on the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. This 4 inch scale map confirms the broad trends noted in previous studies, namely, that the line-of-sight velocity scale is roughly 2000-3000 kilometers per second with relatively more blueshifted material in the southeastern region of the remnant than in the northwest; new details are that the northwestern region consists of two arcs, with the southernmost one representing the most redshifted X-ray-emitting material in Cas A. These results are consistent with contemporaneous results from XMM-Newton. The X-ray patterns resemble the complex velocity patterns measured at optical wavelengths for much denser ejecta, and they support the growing body of evidence that the explosion and subsequent evolution of Cas A were highly asymmetrical.

Hwang, Una↗

Detection of HCN and C2H2 in ISO Spectra of Oxygen-Rich AGB Stars

Cool oxygen-rich AGB stars were not expected to have organic molecules like HCN in either their photospheres or circumstellar envelopes (CSEs). The discovery of HCN and CS microwave emission from the shallowest CSE layers of these stars was a considerable surprise and much theoretical effort has been expended in explaining the presence of such organics. To further explore this problem, we have undertaken a systematic search of oxygen-rich AGB stellar spectra in the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) data archive. Our purposes are to find evidence regarding critical molecular species that could be of value in choosing among the proposed theoretical models, to locate spectral features which might give clues to conditions deeper in the CSEs, and to lay the groundwork for future SIRTF (Space Infrared Telescope Facility) and SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) observations. Using carefully reduced observations, we have detected weak absorption features arising from HCN and possibly C2H2 in a small number of oxygen-rich AGB stars. The most compelling case is NML Cyg which shows both HCN (14 microns) and CO2 (15 microns). VY CMa, a similar star, shows evidence for HCN, but not CO2. Two S-type stars show evidence for the C-H bending transitions: W Aql at 14 microns (HCN) and both W Aql and S Cas at 13.7 microns (C2H2). Both W Aql and S Cas as well as S Lyr, a SC-type star, show 3 micron absorption which may arise from the C-H stretch of HCN and C2H2. In the case of NML Cyg, we show that the HCN and CO2 spectral features are formed in the CSE at temperatures well above those of the outermost CSE layers and derive approximate column densities. In the case of the S-stars, we discuss the evidence for the organic features and their photospheric origin.

Carbon, Duane F.↗

NASA HPCC Technology for Aerospace Analysis and Design

The Computational Aerosciences (CAS) Project is part of NASA's High Performance Computing and Communications Program. Its primary goal is to accelerate the availability of high-performance computing technology to the US aerospace community-thus providing the US aerospace community with key tools necessary to reduce design cycle times and increase fidelity in order to improve safety, efficiency and capability of future aerospace vehicles. A complementary goal is to hasten the emergence of a viable commercial market within the aerospace community for the advantage of the domestic computer hardware and software industry. The CAS Project selects representative aerospace problems (especially design) and uses them to focus efforts on advancing aerospace algorithms and applications, systems software, and computing machinery to demonstrate vast improvements in system performance and capability over the life of the program. Recent demonstrations have served to assess the benefits of possible performance improvements while reducing the risk of adopting high-performance computing technology. This talk will discuss past accomplishments in providing technology to the aerospace community, present efforts, and future goals. For example, the times to do full combustor and compressor simulations (of aircraft engines) have been reduced by factors of 320:1 and 400:1 respectively. While this has enabled new capabilities in engine simulation, the goal of an overnight, dynamic, multi-disciplinary, 3-dimensional simulation of an aircraft engine is still years away and will require new generations of high-end technology.

Schulbach, Catherine H.↗

Integrin activation and focal complex formation in cardiac hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is characterized by both remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and hypertrophic growth of the cardiocytes. Here we show increased expression and cytoskeletal association of the ECM proteins fibronectin and vitronectin in pressure-overloaded feline myocardium. These changes are accompanied by cytoskeletal binding and phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) at Tyr-397 and Tyr-925, c-Src at Tyr-416, recruitment of the adapter proteins p130(Cas), Shc, and Nck, and activation of the extracellular-regulated kinases ERK1/2. A synthetic peptide containing the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif of fibronectin and vitronectin was used to stimulate adult feline cardiomyocytes cultured on laminin or within a type-I collagen matrix. Whereas cardiocytes under both conditions showed RGD-stimulated ERK1/2 activation, only collagen-embedded cells exhibited cytoskeletal assembly of FAK, c-Src, Nck, and Shc. In RGD-stimulated collagen-embedded cells, FAK was phosphorylated only at Tyr-397 and c-Src association occurred without Tyr-416 phosphorylation and p130(Cas) association. Therefore, c-Src activation is not required for its cytoskeletal binding but may be important for additional phosphorylation of FAK. Overall, our study suggests that multiple signaling pathways originate in pressure-overloaded heart following integrin engagement with ECM proteins, including focal complex formation and ERK1/2 activation, and many of these pathways can be activated in cardiomyocytes via RGD-stimulated integrin activation.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Clean Air Slots Amid Dense Atmospheric Pollution in Southern Africa

During the flights of the University of Washington's Convair-580 in the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) in southern Africa, a phenomenon was observed that has not been reported previously. This was the occurrence of thin layers of remarkably clean air, sandwiched between heavily polluted air, which persisted for many hours during the day. Photographs are shown of these clean air slots (CAS), and particle concentrations and light scattering coefficients in and around such slot are presented. An explanation is proposed for the propensity of CAS to form in southern Africa during the dry season.

Hobbs, Peter V.↗

An Approach for Autonomy: A Collaborative Communication Framework for Multi-Agent Systems

Research done during the last three years has studied the emersion properties of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS). The deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques applied to remote Unmanned Aerial Vehicles has led the author to investigate applications of CAS within the field of Autonomous Multi-Agent Systems. The core objective of current research efforts is focused on the simplicity of Intelligent Agents (IA) and the modeling of these agents within complex systems. This research effort looks at the communication, interaction, and adaptability of multi-agents as applied to complex systems control. The embodiment concept applied to robotics has application possibilities within multi-agent frameworks. A new framework for agent awareness within a virtual 3D world concept is possible where the vehicle is composed of collaborative agents. This approach has many possibilities for applications to complex systems. This paper describes the development of an approach to apply this virtual framework to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) tetrahedron structure developed under the Autonomous Nano Technology Swarm (ANTS) program and the Super Miniaturized Addressable Reconfigurable Technology (SMART) architecture program. These projects represent an innovative set of novel concepts deploying adaptable, self-organizing structures composed of many tetrahedrons. This technology is pushing current applied Agents Concepts to new levels of requirements and adaptability.

Dufrene, Warren Russell, Jr.↗

Walking the Walk/Talking the Talk: Mission Planning with Speech-Interactive Agents

The application of simulation technology to mission planning and rehearsal has enabled realistic overhead 2-D and immersive 3-D "fly-through" capabilities that can help better prepare tactical teams for conducting missions in unfamiliar locales. For aircrews, detailed terrain data can offer a preview of the relevant landmarks and hazards, and threat models can provide a comprehensive glimpse of potential hot zones and safety corridors. A further extension of the utility of such planning and rehearsal techniques would allow users to perform the radio communications planned for a mission; that is, the air-ground coordination that is critical to the success of missions such as close air support (CAS). Such practice opportunities, while valuable, are limited by the inescapable scarcity of complete mission teams to gather in space and time during planning and rehearsal cycles. Moreoever, using simulated comms with synthetic entities, despite the substantial training and cost benefits, remains an elusive objective. In this paper we report on a solution to this gap that incorporates "synthetic teammates" - intelligent software agents that can role-play entities in a mission scenario and that can communicate in spoken language with users. We employ a fielded mission planning and rehearsal tool so that our focus remains on the experimental objectives of the research rather than on developing a testbed from scratch. Use of this planning tool also helps to validate the approach in an operational system. The result is a demonstration of a mission rehearsal tool that allows aircrew users to not only fly the mission but also practice the verbal communications with air control agencies and tactical controllers on the ground. This work will be presented in a CAS mission planning example but has broad applicability across weapons systems, missions and tactical force compositions.

Bell, Benjamin↗

Simulations of DSB Yields and Radiation-induced Chromosomal Aberrations in Human Cells Based on the Stochastic Track Structure Induced by HZE Particles

The formation of double‐strand breaks (DSBs) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) is of great importance in radiation research and, specifically, in space applications. We are presenting a new particle track and DNA damage model, in which the particle stochastic track structure is combined with the random walk (RW) structure of chromosomes in a cell nucleus. The motivation for this effort stems from the fact that the model with the RW chromosomes, NASARTI (NASA radiation track image) previously relied on amorphous track structure, while the stochastic track structure model RITRACKS (Relativistic Ion Tracks) was focused on more microscopic targets than the entire genome. We have combined chromosomes simulated by RWs with stochastic track structure, which uses nanoscopic dose calculations performed with the Monte‐Carlo simulation by RITRACKS in a voxelized space. The new simulations produce the number of DSBs as function of dose and particle fluence for high‐energy particles, including iron, carbon and protons, using voxels of 20 nm dimension. The combined model also calculates yields of radiation‐induced CAs and unrejoined chromosome breaks in normal and repair deficient cells. The joined computational model is calibrated using the relative frequencies and distributions of chromosomal aberrations reported in the literature. The model considers fractionated deposition of energy to approximate dose rates of the space flight environment. The joined model also predicts of the yields and sizes of translocations, dicentrics, rings, and more complex‐type aberrations formed in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase during the first cell division after irradiation. We found that the main advantage of the joined model is our ability to simulate small doses: 0.05‐0.5 Gy. At such low doses, the stochastic track structure proved to be indispensable, as the action of individual delta‐rays becomes more important.

Ponomarev, Artem↗

Simulations of DSB Yields and Radiation-induced Chromosomal Aberrations in Human Cells Based on the Stochastic Track Structure iIduced by HZE Particles

The formation of double‐strand breaks (DSBs) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) is of great importance in radiation research and, specifically, in space applications. We are presenting a new particle track and DNA damage model, in which the particle stochastic track structure is combined with the random walk (RW) structure of chromosomes in a cell nucleus. The motivation for this effort stems from the fact that the model with the RW chromosomes, NASARTI (NASA radiation track image) previously relied on amorphous track structure, while the stochastic track structure model RITRACKS (Relativistic Ion Tracks) was focused on more microscopic targets than the entire genome. We have combined chromosomes simulated by RWs with stochastic track structure, which uses nanoscopic dose calculations performed with the Monte‐Carlo simulation by RITRACKS in a voxelized space. The new simulations produce the number of DSBs as function of dose and particle fluence for high‐energy particles, including iron, carbon and protons, using voxels of 20 nm dimension. The combined model also calculates yields of radiation‐induced CAs and unrejoined chromosome breaks in normal and repair deficient cells. The joined computational model is calibrated using the relative frequencies and distributions of chromosomal aberrations reported in the literature. The model considers fractionated deposition of energy to approximate dose rates of the space flight environment. The joined model also predicts of the yields and sizes of translocations, dicentrics, rings, and more complex‐type aberrations formed in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase during the first cell division after irradiation. We found that the main advantage of the joined model is our ability to simulate small doses: 0.05‐0.5 Gy. At such low doses, the stochastic track structure proved to be indispensable, as the action of individual delta‐rays becomes more important.

Ponomarev, Artem↗

Simulation of DNA Damage in Human Cells from Space Radiation Using a Physical Model of Stochastic Particle Tracks and Chromosomes

The formation of double-strand breaks (DSBs) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) is of great importance in radiation research and, specifically, in space applications. We are presenting a recently developed model, in which chromosomes simulated by NASARTI (NASA Radiation Tracks Image) is combined with nanoscopic dose calculations performed with the Monte-Carlo simulation by RITRACKS (Relativistic Ion Tracks) in a voxelized space. The model produces the number of DSBs, as a function of dose for high-energy iron, oxygen, and carbon ions, and He ions. The combined model calculates yields of radiation-induced CAs and unrejoined chromosome breaks in normal and repair deficient cells. The merged computational model is calibrated using the relative frequencies and distributions of chromosomal aberrations reported in the literature. The model considers fractionated deposition of energy to approximate dose rates of the space flight environment. The merged model also predicts of the yields and sizes of translocations, dicentrics, rings, and more complex-type aberrations formed in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase during the first cell division after irradiation.

Ponomarev, Artem↗

Discovery of Rapidly Moving Partial X-Ray Absorbers Within Cassiopeiae

Gamma Cassiopeiae is an enigmatic Be star with unusually strong hard X-ray emission. The Suzaku observatory detected six rapid X-ray spectral hardening events called "softness dips" in a approx.100 ks observation in 2011. All the softness dip events show symmetric softness-ratio variations, and some of them have flat bottoms apparently due to saturation. The softness dip spectra are best described by either approx.40% or approx.70% partial covering absorption to kT approx.12 keV plasma emission by matter with a neutral hydrogen column density of approx.(2−8) ×10(exp 21)/sq cm, while the spectrum outside these dips is almost free of absorption. This result suggests the presence of two distinct X-ray-emitting spots in the gamma Cas system, perhaps on a white dwarf (WD) companion with dipole mass accretion. The partial covering absorbers may be blobs in the Be stellar wind, the Be disk, or rotating around the WD companion. Weak correlations of the softness ratios to the hard X-ray flux suggest the presence of stable plasmas at kT approx 0.9 and 5 keV, which may originate from the Be or WD winds. The formation of a Be star and WD binary system requires mass transfer between two stars; gamma Cas may have experienced such activity in the past.

tars: emission-line↗

A Massive Shell of Supernova-Formed Dust in SNR G54.1+0.3

While theoretical models of dust condensation predict that most refractory elements produced in core-collapsesupernovae (SNe) efficiently condense into dust, a large quantity of dust has so far only been observed inSN1987A. We present an analysis of observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope, Herschel SpaceObservatory, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, and AKARI of the infrared shell surrounding thepulsar wind nebula in the supernova remnant G54.1+0.3. We attribute a distinctive spectral feature at 21 m to amagnesium silicate grain species that has been invoked in modeling the ejecta-condensed dust in Cas A, whichexhibits the same spectral signature. If this species is responsible for producing the observed spectral feature andaccounts for a significant fraction of the observed infrared continuum, we find that it would be the dominantconstituent of the dust in G54.1+0.3, with possible secondary contributions from other compositions, such ascarbon, silicate, or alumina grains. The total mass of SN-formed dust required by this model is at least 0.3Me. Wediscuss how these results may be affected by varying dust grain properties and self-consistent grain heating models.The spatial distribution of the dust mass and temperature in G54.1+0.3 confirms the scenario in which the SNformeddust has not yet been processed by the SN reverse shock and is being heated by stars belonging to a clusterin which the SN progenitor exploded. The dust mass and composition suggest a progenitor mass of 1627Me andimply a high dust condensation efficiency, similar to that found for Cas A and SN1987A. The study providesanother example of significant dust formation in a Type IIP SN explosion and sheds light on the properties ofpristine SN-condensed dust.

Temim, Tea↗

MIDAS-FAST: Design and Validation of a Model-Based Tool to Predict Operator Performance with Robotic Arm Automation

The Coalition for Aerospace and Science (CAS) is hosting an exhibition on Capitol Hill on June 14, 2017, to highlight the contributions of CAS members to NASAs portfolio of activities. This exhibition represents an opportunity for an HFES members ground breaking work to be displayed and to build on support within Congress for NASAs human research program including in those areas that are of specific interest to the HFE community. The intent of this poster presentation is to demonstrate the positive outcome that comes from funding HFE related research on a project like the one exemplified by MIDAS-FAST.

MIDAS↗