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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 NTRS1976

The luminosity distribution and total space density of pulsars

The detailed distribution of dispersion measures and spectral fluxes for a sample of 50 pulsars in part of the galactic plane near longitude 50 deg is analyzed, and the intrinsic luminosity distribution of the pulsars is obtained along with some constraints on their spatial distribution. Expressions for the observed distributions of spectral fluxes, distances, and directions are given in terms of the spatial and luminosity distributions of the sources as well as the sensitivity of the detector. A previous analysis of the same sample is reviewed, and the intrinsic luminosity distribution is determined from the distribution of observed distances as well as from the observed distribution of spectral fluxes. The results indicate that the scale height of pulsars cannot be significantly less than 400 pc, the total space density of active pulsars is about 30 per cu kpc, and the birthrate required to maintain this population is about one in the Galaxy every 980 (450-2600) years.

Roberts, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Study of the luminosity function for field galaxies

Nine determinations of the luminosity function (LF) for field galaxies are adjusted, analyzed, and compared. Adjustments are made for differences in definitions as well as in assumptions regarding magnitude systems, the Hubble constant, and galactic absorption. Eight of the nine adjusted determinations are found to be in fairly good agreement, and the discrepancy in the ninth is attributed to incompleteness effects. A large-scale normalization of the LF is performed using the method and some integral counts of Gott and Turner (1976); the large-scale mean LF of (mostly field) galaxies is found to be about 2.3 times less than a previously derived 'local' LF. The large-scale luminosity density in space arising from sources within the B(0) isophotes of galaxies is evaluated, and a value of 86 million (H/50) suns per cu Mpc is obtained for a galactic absorption coefficient of 0.25 magnitude. It is noted that the true large-scale luminosity density is probably within a factor of 1.6 of the reported value.

Felten, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On two new X-ray sources in the SMC and the high luminosities of the Magellanic X-ray sources

The discovery of two new X-ray sources, SMC X-2 and SMC X-3, in the Small Magellanic Cloud is reported. They have hard spectra, and their luminosities in the energy range 2-11 keV are 1.0 and 0.7 by 10 to the 38th power erg/sq cm per sec, respectively. It is shown that the luminosity distribution of the known Magellanic X-ray sources, which are now nine in number, is shifted toward higher luminosities with respect to that of similar sources in the Galaxy, and that the cause of the shift is probably an underabundance of heavy elements in the material accreted by the X-ray sources.

Clark, G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Effects of granular convection in the response of C I 5380 A to solar luminosity variations

The response of the weak solar photospheric neutral carbon line at 5380.3 A to percolations of photospheric granulation and the five-minute solar oscillations is investigated in order to calibrate the sensitivity of the line to temporal variations in solar luminosity. Line strength variations and simultaneous continuum variations in two granular regions were observed at 30 sec intervals using a 25-cm coude spectrograph. The response of line equivalent width to continuum intensity variations is found to be essentially uniform at time scales ranging from 5 min to 2 hr independently of whether the variations arise from granular convection or velocity field oscillations. The extent to which line strength varies with luminosity (sensitivity) is observed to be significantly smaller than estimates based on models of the perturbed Harvard-Smithsonian Reference Atmosphere of Gingerich et al. (1970), and it is proposed that the structure of the solar granulation is a major factor determining local luminosity variations and line sensitivity.

Lindsey, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Apparent luminosity of solar power satellites

The objective of this investigation was a quantitative characterization of solar power satellite luminosity as seen from the earth. The reflective characteristics of the reference photovoltaic satellite configurations are defined. Diffuse reflection from a single satellite will, at maximum, fall between magnitudes -4 and -5. A 60-satellite fleet will have a maximum total luminosity equivalent to a single object of magnitude -9. Specular reflections from the array and antenna will be of magnitude -12 to -15, but visible only occasionally for about 2 minutes at a given location. Methods of preventing specular reflections from striking the earth are presented. Thermal cycle power conversion systems are discussed qualitatively as a means of reducing diffuse luminosity.

Livingston, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

de Sitter's model and luminosity - Distance in cosmology

The behavior of luminosity-distance with redshift is analyzed within the framework of homogeneous zero-pressure relativistic cosmology. de Sitter's model is shown to have the most redshift sensitive luminosity-distance function of all cosmologies which have q sub 0 not less than -1. Quasar data which suggest a cut-off in absolute luminosity are reanalyzed and the cut-off disappears if either de Sitter's model or the assumption L(L-alpha) = 3 L(H-beta) is used.

Barnes, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The extension of OB star winds to lower luminosities

Mass loss rates for a number of early-to-mid-B main-sequence stars are compared with extrapolations of recently derived empirical correlations between M and stellar parameters for luminous OB stars. The order of magnitude of the rates for the B stars is consistent with a simple dependence on luminosity over the range from Of to mid-B, and is not consistent with previously derived correlations involving a dependence on mass or radius, which implies that luminosity is the dominant factor in driving the mass loss throughout the range of spectral types from mid-B main-sequence to Of. The winds in Be stars may represent a straightforward extension of the OB wind phenomenon to lower luminosities, and there appears to be no significant difference between B and Be stars in terms of their wind characteristics.

Snow, T. P., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A complete X-ray sample of the high-latitude /absolute value of b greater than 20 deg/ sky from HEAO 1 A-2 - Log N-log S and luminosity functions

An all-sky survey of X-ray sources was performed, complete to a limiting sensitivity of 3.1 x 10 to the -11 ergs/sq cm/s in the 2-10 keV band. The complete sample has allowed construction of luminosity functions based on a flux-limited sample for clusters of galaxies and active galactic nuclei. Integration of the best-fit luminosity functions indicates that clusters of galaxies contribute about 4% of the 2-10 keV DXRB, and active galactic nuclei about 20%. It is predicted that many of the objects seen in the deep survey should be local, relatively low luminosity active galactic nuclei and clusters of galaxies.

Piccinotti, G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The line continuum luminosity ratio in AGN: Or on the Baldwin Effect

The luminosity dependence of the equivalent width of CIV in active galaxies, the "Baldwin" effect, is shown to be a consequence of a luminosity dependent ionization parameter. This law also agrees with the lack of a "Baldwin" effect in Ly alpha or other hydrogen lines. A fit to the available data gives a weak indication that the mean covering factor decreases with increasing luminosity, consistent with the inference from X-ray observations. The effects of continuum shape and density on various line ratios of interest are discussed.

Mushotzky, R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Luminosities and masses for three central stars of planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds from ultraviolet spectroscopy with the IUE

Physical parameters of the central stars of the planetary nebulae (PN) P40, N2, and N5 are determined from UV observations by the IUE spacecraft and emission line-data. The observations took place on May 23 and 26, 1981. Derived properties, such as the H-beta, color excess, nebular hydrogen emission, helium emission, and stellar continuum emission, the stellar radius, surface gravity, Zanstra temperature, luminosity, absolute bolometric magnitude, apparent visual magnitude, mass, and Zanstra parameter for the three PN central stars are presented. All the masses were over one solar mass, suggesting a specific PN nuclei mass. The finding was corroborated by all luminosities exceeding the Eddington luminosity for a 0.6 solar mass star, which has previously been calculated for the white dwarf core of a PN.

Stecher, T. P.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Redshift modifications to HEAO A-1 cluster X-ray luminosities

New redshift measurements for the 24 Abell galactic clusters are presented. The optical observations are described and applied to the cluster X-ray luminosity function, and the results are used to delimit the cluster contribution to the diffuse X-ray background (DXRB). The evolution of the X-ray luminosity function is then investigated. It is found that while simple two-parameter analytic forms do not fit this function very well, three-parameter forms such as the exponential times power law do fit it very well. Future redshift observations will probably not change the volume emissivity significantly, but they may in a statistically significant way affect the parameters of analytic fits which define the shape of the luminosity function. The contribution of rich clusters to the DXRB in the 2-6 keV range is 5.2 percent. Future redshift observations will modify this result by no more than a factor of about 1.1.

Cruddace, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Analysis of complete quasar samples to obtain parameters of luminosity and evolution functions

A parametric likelihood analysis of the joint redshift-luminosity distribution is presented for a composite, complete sample of 32 quasars with B between 17.0 and 19.2 selected on the basis of ultraviolet excess. Best estimates and joint confidence regions are determined for the parameters of several models of the quasar optical luminosity and evolution function. These models are also tested explicitly for their acceptability. A steeper luminosity function is found than was found for previous samples. A model invoking pure density evolution is rejected on the basis of its extrapolation to fainter magnitudes through comparisons with the optical number counts and independently with the observed 2 keV X-ray background. Assuming an average value for L(x)/L(opt), the contribution of quasars to the X-ray background at 2 keV is discussed.

Marshall, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The relationship between the X-ray and optical luminosities for QSOs

A study of simple models for the optical and X-ray luminosities of QSOs shows that a thick accretion disk around a black hole is consistent with the observed dependence of the X-ray luminosity L(x) on the optical luminosity L(opt) to the bth power, with b roughly in the range 0.5-0.8. The disk is expected to be thick since the sources are accreting at rates near the Edington limit. Using the model of McMillan, Lightman, and Cohn (1981) for the gas supply rate, the evolution of L(opt) is predicted to be proportional to t/t(0) to the -8/3 and that of L(x) is predicted to be proportional to t/t(0) to the -2.

Tucker, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Interaction of Convection and Small-scale Magnetic Fields: Influence on the Solar Luminosity

Changes in the local solar luminosity due to the presence of a small scale structured (facular) magnetic field in the photosphere are discussed. The discussion is based on three dimensional numerical simulations of the magnetohydrodynamics of the top of the convection zone, and the adjacent stable photosphere. The simulations demonstrate that practically all of the magnetic flux present is concentrated into intense magnetic flux structures, such that the magnetic field pressure is balanced by the gas pressure of the surrounding plasma. The flux concentration is caused by the convectively unstable stratification. The average luminosity of the area is influenced by three effects: (1) the brightness of the flux concentrations, (2) their filling factor, and (3) the average luminosity of the surrounding plasma.

Nordlund, A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The line continuum luminosity ratio in active galactic nuclei - or, on the 'Baldwin effect'

The luminosity dependence of the equivalent width of CIV in active galaxies, the 'Baldwin' effect, is shown to be a consequence of a luminosity dependent ionization parameter. This law also agrees with the lack of a 'Baldwin' effect in Ly alpha or other hydrogen lines. A fit to the available data gives a weak indication that the mean covering factor decreases with increasing luminosity, consistent with the inference from X-ray observations. The effects of continuum shape and density on various line ratios of interest are discussed. Previously announced in STAR as N83-35975

Mushotzky, R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The X-ray luminosity function of Abell clusters at a redshift of 0.25

The X-ray luminosity function of Abell clusters was determined from a sample with mean redshift 0.25. This luminosity function is the same within the errors to that at low redshift. The time scale for changes in the X-ray luminosity of clusters of galaxies is thus greater than 4.0 billion years.

Henry, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The graviton luminosity of the sun and other stars

Graviton production in electron-electron (e-e) and electron-ion (e-z) scattering is evaluated in the Born approximation. The calculation is compared with that for photon production, that is, Coulomb quadrupole bremsstrahlung, and a number of results are taken over from that problem. Application is made to the sun, and it is found that for the solar plasma the main contribution to the graviton luminosity comes from the central core at r/R approximately 0.1. The total luminosity (Lg) in gravitons is about 7.9 x 10 to the 14th ergs/s, close to an earlier estimate by Weinberg (1965, 1972); about 33 percent of the total results from e-e collisions with the rest from e-z collisions (mainly e-p and e-alpha). Approximate corrections to Born formulas are evaluated, and this Lg includes the associated (approximately + or - 10 percent, respectively) modification. The quantum-mechanical aspects of the solar Lg problem are discussed, and it is shown why a previous classical calculation overestimated Lg by about an order of magnitude. Production of gravitons in binary collisions in other types of stars is discussed briefly. It is found that Lg varies very little along the main sequence. White dwarfs have a typical graviton luminosity LWD approximately 10 to the 19th ergs/s, while neutron stars have LNS approximately 10 to the 25th ergs/s; these estimates are very rough.

Gould, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Radio emission from RS CVn binaries. I - VLA survey and period-radio luminosity relationship

A VLA survey of radio emission from 36 close binary stellar systems with RS CVn properties is reported. Eight new sources were detected. A summary of all published reports of radio emission from RS CVn systems is presented. There appears to be a correlation between maximum radio luminosity and rotational period, with a tentative functional form L(R) varies as P to the (-0.7) power. Rapid rotators (periods approximately 2 days) may be underluminous compared with the extrapolated trend from longer-period systems. The luminosity-period correlation probably results from a dynamo mechanism which produces strong magnetic fields and, in turn, enhances the nonthermal radio emission. The decrease in radio luminosity at short periods may be caused by a saturation of energy deposition in the chromosphere, possibly because the surface of the active star has become covered with spotted regions.

Mutel, R. L.↗