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At least 1,711 records · Page 95

DETECTION OF MOLECULAR ABSORPTION IN THE DAYSIDE OF EXOPLANET 51 PEGASI b?

In this paper, we present ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy of 51 Pegasi using CRIRES at the Very Large Telescope. The system was observed for 3 Multiplication-Sign 5 hr at 2.3 {mu}m at a spectral resolution of R = 100,000, targeting potential signatures from carbon monoxide, water vapor, and methane in the planet's dayside spectrum. In the first 2 Multiplication-Sign 5 hr of data, we find a combined signal from carbon monoxide and water in absorption at a formal 5.9{sigma} confidence level, indicating a non-inverted atmosphere. We derive a planet mass of M{sub P} = (0.46 {+-} 0.02)M{sub Jup} and an orbital inclination i between 79. Degree-Sign 6 and 82. Degree-Sign 2, with the upper limit set by the non-detection of the planet transit in previous photometric monitoring. However, there is no trace of the signal in the final five hours of data. A statistical analysis indicates that the signal from the first two nights is robust, but we find no compelling explanation for its absence in the final night. The latter suffers from stronger noise residuals and greater instrumental instability than the first two nights, but these cannot fully account for the missing signal. It is possible that the integrated dayside emission from 51 Peg b is instead strongly affected by weather. However, more data are required before we can claim any time variability in the planet's atmosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Prospects for detecting C II emission during the epoch of reionization

We produce simulations of the atomic C ii line emission in large sky fields in order to determine the current and future prospects for mapping this line during the high-redshift epoch of reionization. We calculate the C ii line intensity, redshift evolution, and spatial fluctuations using observational relations between C ii emission and the galaxy star formation rate over the frequency range 200–300 GHz. We estimate an averaged intensity of I{sub C II}=(4±2)×10{sup 2} Jy sr{sup −1} in the redshift range z ∼ 5.3−8.5. Observations of the C ii emission in this frequency range will suffer contamination from emission lines at lower redshifts, in particular CO rotational lines. Using simulations, we estimated the CO contamination to be I{sub CO}≈10{sup 3} Jy sr{sup −1} (originating from galaxies at z < 2.5). Using detailed simulations of the C ii and CO emission across a range of redshifts, we generate maps as a function of angle and frequency, fully taking into account this resolution and light-cone effects. In order to reduce the foreground contamination, we find that we should mask galaxies below redshifts ∼2.5 with a CO(J:2–1) to CO(J:6–5) line flux density higher than 5× 10{sup −22} W m{sup −2} or an AB magnitude lower than m{sub K}=22. We estimate that the additional continuum contamination originating in emission from stars and in dust, free–free, free–bound, and two-photon emission in the interstellar medium is of the order of 10{sup 5} Jy sr{sup −1}, which is well above the expected C ii signal. We also consider the possibility of cross-correlating foreground lines with galaxy surveys in order to probe the intensity of the foregrounds. Finally, we discuss the expected constraints from two experiments capable of measuring the expected C ii power spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Allowing for Horizontally Heterogeneous Clouds and Generalized Overlap in an Atmospheric GCM

While fully accounting for 3D effects in Global Climate Models (GCMs) appears not realistic at the present time for a variety of reasons such as computational cost and unavailability of 3D cloud structure in the models, incorporation in radiation schemes of subgrid cloud variability described by one-point statistics is now considered feasible and is being actively pursued. This development has gained momentum once it was demonstrated that CPU-intensive spectrally explicit Independent Column Approximation (lCA) can be substituted by stochastic Monte Carlo ICA (McICA) calculations where spectral integration is accomplished in a manner that produces relatively benign random noise. The McICA approach has been implemented in Goddard's GEOS-5 atmospheric GCM as part of the implementation of the RRTMG radiation package. GEOS-5 with McICA and RRTMG can handle horizontally variable clouds which can be set via a cloud generator to arbitrarily overlap within the full spectrum of maximum and random both in terms of cloud fraction and layer condensate distributions. In our presentation we will show radiative and other impacts of the combined horizontal and vertical cloud variability on multi-year simulations of an otherwise untuned GEOS-5 with fixed SSTs. Introducing cloud horizontal heterogeneity without changing the mean amounts of condensate reduces reflected solar and increases thermal radiation to space, but disproportionate changes may increase the radiative imbalance at TOA. The net radiation at TOA can be modulated by allowing the parameters of the generalized overlap and heterogeneity scheme to vary, a dependence whose behavior we will discuss. The sensitivity of the cloud radiative forcing to the parameters of cloud horizontal heterogeneity and comparisons of CERES-derived forcing will be shown.

Lee, D.↗

Electron Acceleration and Heating during Magnetic Reconnection in the Earth's Quasi-parallel Bow Shock

We perform a 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of a quasi-parallel shock, using parameters for the Earth's bow shock, to examine electron acceleration and heating due to magnetic reconnection. The shock transition region evolves from the ion-coupled reconnection dominant stage to the electron-only reconnection dominant stage, as time elapses. The electron temperature enhances locally in each reconnection site, and ion-scale magnetic islands generated by ion-coupled reconnection show the most significant enhancement of the electron temperature. The electron energy spectrum shows a power law, with a power-law index around 6. We perform electron trajectory tracing to understand how they are energized. Some electrons interact with multiple electron-only reconnection sties, and Fermi acceleration occurs during multiple reflections. Electrons trapped in ion-scale magnetic islands can be accelerated in another mechanism. Islands move in the shock transition region, and electrons can obtain larger energy from the in-plane electric field than the electric potential in those islands. These newly found energization mechanisms in magnetic islands in the shock can accelerate electrons to energies larger than the achievable energies by the conventional energization due to the parallel electric field and shock drift acceleration. This study based on the selected particle analysis indicates that the maximum energy in the nonthermal electrons is achieved through acceleration in ion-scale islands, and electron-only reconnection accounts for no more than half of the maximum energy, as the lifetime of sub-ion-scale islands produced by electron-only reconnection is several times shorter than that of ion-scale islands.

Solar magnetic reconnection↗

The 2006-2007 Active Phase of Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61: Radiative and Timing Changes, Bursts,and Burst Spectral Features

After at least 6 years of quiescence, Anomalous X-ray Pulsar (AXP) 4U 0142+61 entered an active phase in 2006 March that lasted several months and included six X-ray bursts as well as many changes in the persistent X-ray emission. The bursts, the first seen from this AXP in > 11 years of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer monitoring, all occurred in the interval between 2006 April 6 and 2007 February 7. The burst durations ranged from 0.4 - 1.8 x 10(exp 3) s. The first five burst spectra are well modeled by blackbodies, with temperatures kT approx 2 - 9 keV. However, the sixth burst had a complicated spectrum that is well characterized by a blackbody plus two emission features whose amplitude varied throughout the burst. The most prominent feature was at 14.0 keV. Upon entry into the active phase the pulsar showed a significant change in pulse morphology and a likely timing glitch. The glitch had a total frequency jump of (1.9+/-0.4) x 10(exp -7) Hz, which recovered with a decay time of 17+/-2 days by more than the initial jump, implying a net spin-down of the pulsar. Within the framework of the magnetar model, the net spin-down of the star could be explained by regions of the superfluid that rotate. slower than the rest. The bursts, flux enhancements, and pulse morphology changes can be explained as arising from crustal deformations due to stresses imposed by the highly twisted internal magnetic field. However, unlike other AXP outbursts, we cannot account for a major twist being implanted in the magnetosphere.

Gavriil, Fotis P.↗

The effect of hydrogen-bonding on flavin’s infrared absorption spectrum

Cluster and continuum solvation computational models are employed to model the effect of hydrogen bonding interactions on the vibrational modes of lumiflavin. Calculated spectra were compared to experimental Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra in the diagnostic 1450–1800 cm –1 range, where intense V C=C , V C=N , V C 2 =O , and V C 4 =O stretching modes of flavin’s isoalloxazine ring are found. Local mode analysis is used to describe the strength of hydrogen-bonding in cluster models. The computations indicate that V C=C and V C=N mode frequencies are relatively insensitive to intermolecular interactions while the V C 2 =O and V C 4 =O modes are sensitive to direct (and also indirect for V C 2 =O ) hydrogen-bonding interactions. Although flavin is neutral, basis sets without the diffuse functions provide incorrect relative frequencies and intensities. The 6-31+G* basis set is found to be adequate for this system, and there is limited benefit to considering larger basis sets. Calculated vibrational mode frequencies agree with experimentally determined frequencies in solution when cluster models with multiple water molecules are used. Accurate simulation of relative FTIR band intensities, on the other hand, requires a continuum (or possibly quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical) model that accounts for long-range electrostatic effects. Lastly, an experimental peak at ca. 1624 cm –1 that is typically assigned to the V C 2 =O vibrational stretching mode has a complicated shape that suggests multiple underlying contributions. Our calculations show that this band has contributions from both the C 6 –C 7 and C 2 = O stretching vibrations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Using a coupled dispersion model to estimate depletion of a tritium oxide plume by a forest

Tritium processing facilities may release tritium oxide (HTO) to the atmosphere which poses potential health risks to exposed co-located workers and to offsite individuals. Most radiological consequence analyses determine HTO dose by applying Gaussian plume models to simulate the transport of HTO. Within these models, deposition velocity is used to assess the sum of all deposition processes acting on the plume. While this may account for vegetative and soil uptake or respiration processes, it may currently lack inclusion of the complex interactions within heterogeneous forested environments. In this complex morphology, dispersion patterns are significantly altered by changing flow regimes above and below the forest canopy and by the transfer of plume material across the canopy boundary. To determine the effects of a heterogeneous forest canopy on an airborne HTO plume, a Gaussian plume model coupled with an advection-diffusion plume model was applied to estimate transport in the free atmosphere above the forest and within the forest canopy and understory. During 2012, wind speed and wind direction measurements taken at 5 heights, ranging from 2-m to 28-m, on an instrumented meteorological tower located in a loblolly pine forest at the Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS), near Aiken, SC. From these measurements, model predictions were made over a full spectrum of meteorological conditions. Deposition and resuspension velocities were calculated based on the model-predicted flux of plume material across the top of the forest canopy. Additionally, net deposition velocity of the plume material was calculated as the difference between the deposition and resuspension velocities. The 1st and 5th percentile net deposition velocities were estimated to be 0.7 cm s-1 and 1.2 cm s-1, respectively.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

The Effect of Inhomogeneities on High-Frequency, Low-1 p-Modes: DIFOS Experiment on CORONAS-I

The investigation of the effects of inhomogeneities of the acoustic modes of the global solar oscillation spectrum has two parts, the first dealing with the prediction of wave fluxes in magnetic flux tubes due to the excitation of longitudinal (i.e. pressure) modes, and the second part, concerning the effects of radiation damping on the p-modes themselves. Part 1 of this work, in collaboration with S.S. Hasan (Indian Institute of Astro- physics, Bangalore), is complete and has resulted in a publication titled Excitation of Longitudinal Modes in Solar Magnetic Flux Tubes, By S.S. Hasan & WK. It is in press in the ASP conference series, containing the proceedings of the Cool Stars conference of 1997, R.A. Donahue and J.A. Bookbinder, editors; publication is expected in 1998. Part 2, in collaboration with Y. Zhugzhda (Izmiran, Moscow) and J. Staude (Sonnenobservatorium Einsteinturm, Potsdam) is in progress and is expected to result in a paper in the forthcoming Boston conference on Helio- and Asteroseismology in June, 1998. A fuller accounting of the work done under the grant will be given when the work started with funding from the grant is complete.

Kalkofen, Wolfgang↗

Land-use planning scenarios for contaminated land: comparing EPA, state, and tribal scenarios - 15642

Land-use planning focusing on future disposition of public lands, forests and, former agricultural or industrial land, must take into account demographic and economic factors as well as future needs and availability of recreational open space, arable land, and water for growing populations. Planning requires the balancing of competing interests for 'growth', open space, and preservation of cultural, ecological and natural resources Landscapes with soil, surface water, and groundwater contaminated by former military, industrial, mining or agricultural uses, pose special challenges, many of which have been addressed under the rubric of 'brown-fields'. Land-use decisions or recommendations can be based mainly on economic/social interests taking into account projected demographic changes, or they can be based mainly on environmental issues taking into account contamination levels, remediation costs and technologies, and health risk issues. Future land-use is interwoven with cleanup goals. Where unrestricted future land-use is anticipated or desired, cleanup levels for soil and groundwater must be low enough to allow such uses without unacceptable health risks. Where such cleanup levels are unattainable for fiscal or technological reasons, residual contamination will remain, and future uses, particularly for groundwater, must be restricted, requiring engineered barriers and institutional controls to interdict future exposure pathways from contaminated environmental media to receptors (residents, recreationists, employees). Although contamination and hazard may persist for centuries, planning beyond a generation or two incurs great uncertainties in demographics, policies, economic, and climate-related changes. The Environmental Protection Agency and various states have established categories of clean-up levels corresponding to future industrial, recreational and residential use, with variations on these themes. This paper examines the spectrum of land-uses, and emphasizes a distinctions between -residential- and -unrestricted- as applied to future land-uses, particularly involving groundwater. Land-use determinations can be proposed and evaluated by a myriad of regulatory policies, guidance documents, and processes, including comprehensive land-use planning documents, Baseline Risk Assessments, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility documents and Records of Decision - which are not the focus of this study. This study instead focuses on gradations in different residential, recreational and industrial land-use scenarios and their relation to contamination of soil and groundwater. The Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) instituted this study to help understand the varying land-use versus clean-up decisions at the Department of Energy's environmental management sites, particularly Hanford (Washington State). (authors)

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The power spectrum of the Lyman-α Forest at z < 0.5

ABSTRACT We present new measurements of the flux power-spectrum P(k) of the z < 0.5 H i Lyman-α Forest spanning scales $k \sim 0.001\!-\!0.1\, \mathrm{s \, km}^{-1}$. These results were derived from 65 far-ultraviolet quasar spectra (resolution $R \sim 18\, 000$) observed with the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph (COS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope. The analysis required careful masking of all contaminating, coincident absorption from H i and metal–line transitions of the Galactic interstellar medium and intervening absorbers as well as proper treatment of the complex COS line-spread function. From the P(k) measurements, we estimate the H i photoionization rate ($\Gamma _{\rm H\,{\small I}}$) in the z < 0.5 intergalactic medium. Our results confirm most of the previous $\Gamma _{\rm H\,{\small I}}$ estimates. We conclude that previous concerns of a photon underproduction crisis are now resolved by demonstrating that the measured $\Gamma _{\rm H\,{\small I}}$ can be accounted for by ultraviolet emission from quasars alone. In a companion paper, we will present constraints on the thermal state of the z < 0.5 intergalactic medium from the P(k) measurements presented here.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Interstellar Communication Channel Based on a Biological Universal

Cellular biosynthesis starts with sugar substrates and continues energetically downhill to yield amino acid, rapid, and nucleotide products. To understand the energetics of these processes, we calculated the energy for biosynthesis from sugars of E. cali's amino acids, nucleotides, and lipids. We found that the biosynthesis of amino acids and lipids from sugar substrates proceeds by redox disproportionation. of sugar carbon with a favorable energy of about -11 kcal/mole of carbon. Overall, redox disproportion of sugar carbon accounted for 84% and 96% (ATP only 6% and 1%) of the total biosynthetic energy of amino acids and lipids (the major cellular constituents). Next, we calculated for all 48 possible 3-carbon substrates the energy of maximal disproportionation to carbon dioxide and methane. We found no other carbon substrates than matched sugars in biosynthetic energy, efficiency, and simplicity. From this, we concluded that sugars are the optimal biosynthetic substrate. Since this conclusion is based on universal properties of carbon chemistry, other carbon-based life throughout the Universe would also use optimal sugar substrates. Furthermore, this rather obvious universal role of sugars as the optimal biosubstrate would probably be common knowledge of technological civilizations throughout the Universe. Since the elemental building block of all sugars is formaldehyde, the common knowledge that sugars are the universal optimal biosubstrate could reasonably lead to the selection of a line(s) in the microwave spectrum of formaldehyde as a frequency for interstellar communication.

Weber, Arthur L.↗

CMB weak-lensing beyond the Born approximation: a numerical approach

We perform a complete study of the gravitational lensing effect beyond the Born approximation on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies using a multiple-lens raytracing technique through cosmological N-body simulations of the DEMNUni suite. The impact of second-order effects accounting for the non-linear evolution of large-scale structures is evaluated propagating for the first time the full CMB lensing jacobian together with the light rays trajectories. We carefully investigate the robustness of our approach against several numerical effects in the raytracing procedure and in the N-body simulation itself, and find no evidence of large contaminations. We discuss the impact of beyond-Born corrections on lensed CMB observables, and compare our results with recent analytical predictions that appeared in the literature, finding a good agreement, and extend these results to smaller angular scales. We measure the gravitationally-induced CMB polarization rotation that appears in the geodesic equation at second order, and compare this result with the latest analytical predictions. We then present the detection prospect of beyond-Born effects with the future CMB-S4 experiment. We show that corrections to the temperature power spectrum can be measured only if a good control of the extragalactic foregrounds is achieved. Conversely, the beyond-Born corrections on E and B-modes power spectra will be much more difficult to detect.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Line identifications, line strengths, and continuum flux measurements in the ultraviolet spectrum of Arcturus

The ultraviolet spectrum of Arcturus has been observed at high resolution with the IUE satellite. Line identifications, mean absolute 'continuum' flux measurements, integrated absolute emission-line fluxes, and measurements of selected absorption line strengths are presented for the 2250-2930 A region. In the 1150-2000 A region, identifications are given primarily on the basis of low-resolution spectra. Chromospheric emission lines have been identified with low-excitation species including H I, C I, C II, O I, Mg I, Mg II, Al II, Si I, Si II, S I, and Fe II; there is no evidence for lines of C IV, N V, or other species requiring high temperatures. A search for molecular absorption features in the 2500-2930 A interval has led to several tentative identifications, but only OH could be established as definitely present. Iron lines strongly dominate the identifications in the 2250-2930 A region, Fe II accounting for about 86 percent of the emission features and Fe I for 43 percent of the identified absorption features.

Carpenter, K. G.↗

UV photodissociation dynamics of the acetone oxide Criegee intermediate: experiment and theory

Here, the photodissociation dynamics of the dimethyl-substituted acetone oxide Criegee intermediate [(CH 3 ) 2 COO] is characterized following electronic excitation to the bright 1 ππ* state, which leads to O ( 1 D) + acetone [(CH 3 ) 2 CO, S 0 ] products. The UV action spectrum of (CH 3 ) 2 COO recorded with O ( 1 D) detection under jet-cooled conditions is broad, unstructured, and essentially unchanged from the corresponding electronic absorption spectrum obtained using a UV-induced depletion method. This indicates that UV excitation of (CH 3 ) 2 COO leads predominantly to the O ( 1 D) product channel. A higher energy O ( 3 P) + (CH 3 ) 2 CO (T 1 ) product channel is not observed, although it is energetically accessible. In addition, complementary MS-CASPT2 trajectory surface-hopping (TSH) simulations indicate minimal population leading to the O ( 3 P) channel and non-unity overall probability for dissociation (within 100 fs). Velocity map imaging of the O ( 1 D) products is utilized to reveal the total kinetic energy release (TKER) distribution upon photodissociation of (CH 3 ) 2 COO at various UV excitation energies. Simulation of the TKER distributions is performed using a hybrid model that combines an impulsive model with a statistical component, the latter reflecting the longer-lived (>100 fs) trajectories identified in the TSH calculations. The impulsive model accounts for vibrational activation of (CH 3 ) 2 CO arising from geometrical changes between the Criegee intermediate and the carbonyl product, indicating the importance of CO stretch, CCO bend, and CC stretch along with activation of hindered rotation and rock of the methyl groups in the (CH 3 ) 2 CO product. Detailed comparison is also made with the TKER distribution arising from photodissociation dynamics of CH 2 OO upon UV excitation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Conformational explosion: Understanding the complexity of short chain para -dialkylbenzene potential energy surfaces

The single-conformation ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy of three short-chain para-dialkylbenzenes (para-diethylbenzene, para-dipropylbenzene, and para-dibutylbenzene) is reported for the jet-cooled, isolated molecules. The present study builds off previous work on single-chain n-alkylbenzenes, where an anharmonic local mode Hamiltonian method was developed to account for stretch-bend Fermi resonance in the alkyl CH stretch region [D. P. Tabor et al., J. Chem. Phys. 144, 224310 (2016)]. The jet-cooled molecules are interrogated using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation, fluorescence dip infrared spectroscopy, and dispersed fluorescence. The LIF spectra in the S1 ← S0 origin region show a dramatic increase in the number of resolved transitions with increasing length of the alkyl chains, reflecting an explosion in the number of unique low-energy conformations formed when two independent alkyl chains are present. Since the barriers to isomerization of the alkyl chain are similar in size, this results in an “egg carton” shaped potential energy surface. A combination of electronic frequency shift and alkyl CH stretch infrared spectra is used to generate a consistent set of conformational assignments. Using these experimental techniques in conjunction with computational methods, subsets of origin transitions in the LIF excitation spectrum can be classified into different conformational families. Two conformations are resolved in para-diethylbenzene, seven in para-dipropylbenzene, and about nineteen in para-dibutylbenzene. These chains are largely independent of each other as there are no new single-chain conformations induced by the presence of a second chain. A cursory LIF excitation scan of para-dioctylbenzene shows a broad congested spectrum at frequencies consistent with interactions of alkyl chains with the phenyl π cloud

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Plasma universe

Traditionally the views on the cosmic environent have been based on observations in the visual octave of the electromagnetic spectrum, during the last half-century supplemented by infrared and radio observations. Space research has opened the full spectrum. Of special importance are the X-ray-gamma-ray regions, in which a number of unexpected phenomena have been discovered. Radiations in these regions are likely to originate mainly from magnetised cosmic plasmas. Such a medium may also emit synchrotron radiation which is observable in the radio region. If a model of the universe is based on the plasma phenomena mentioned it is found that the plasma universe is drastically different from the traditional visual universe. Information about the plasma universe can also be obtained by extrapolation of laboratory experiments and magnetospheric in situ measurements of plasmas. This approach is possible because it is likely that the basic properties of plasmas are the same everywhere. In order to test the usefulness of the plasma universe model it is applied to cosmogony. Such an approach seems to be rather successful. For example, the complicated structure of the Saturnian C ring can be accounted for. It is possible to reconstruct certain phenomena 4 to 5 billions of years ago with an accuracy of better than 1%.

Alfven, H.↗

Interstellar and Ejecta Dust in the Cas A Supernova Remnant

The ejecta of the Cas A supernova remnant has a complex morphology, consisting of dense fast-moving line emitting knots and diffuse X-ray emitting regions that have encountered the reverse shock, as well as more slowly expanding, unshocked regions of the ejecta. Using the Spitzer 5-35 micron IRS data cube, and Herschel 70, 100, and 160 micron PACS data, we decompose the infrared emission from the remnant into distinct spectral components associated with the different regions of the ejecta. Such decomposition allows the association of different dust species with ejecta layers that underwent distinct nuclear burning histories, and determination of the dust heating mechanisms. Our decomposition identified three characteristic dust spectra. The first, most luminous one, exhibits strong emission features at approx. 9 and 21 micron, and a weaker 12 micron feature, and is closely associated with the ejecta knots that have strong [Ar II] 6.99 micron and [Ar III] 8.99 micron emission lines. The dust features can be reproduced by magnesium silicate grains with relatively low MgO-to-SiO2 ratios. A second, very different dust spectrum that has no indication of any silicate features, is best fit by Al2O3 dust and is found in association with ejecta having strong [Ne II] 12.8 micron and [Ne III] 15.6 micron emission lines. A third characteristic dust spectrum shows features that best matched by magnesium silicates with relatively high MgO-to-SiO2 ratio. This dust is primarily associated with the X-ray emitting shocked ejecta and the shocked interstellar/circumstellar material. All three spectral components include an additional featureless cold dust component of unknown composition. Colder dust of indeterminate composition is associated with [Si II] 34.8 micron emission from the interior of the SNR, where the reverse shock has not yet swept up and heated the ejecta. The dust mass giving rise to the warm dust component is about approx. 0.1solar M. However, most of the dust mass is associated with the unidentified cold dust component. Its mass could be anywhere between 0.1 and 1 solar M, and is primarily limited by the mass of refractory elements in the ejecta. Given the large uncertainty in the dust mass, the question of whether supernovae can produce enough dust to account for ISM dust masses in the local and high-z universe remains largely unresolved.

Interstellar↗

Cold dark matter plus not-so-clumpy dark relics

Various particle physics models suggest that, besides the (nearly) cold dark matter that accounts for current observations, additional but sub-dominant dark relics might exist. These could be warm, hot, or even contribute as dark radiation. We present here a comprehensive study of two-component dark matter scenarios, where the first component is assumed to be cold, and the second is a non-cold thermal relic. Considering the cases where the non-cold dark matter species could be either a fermion or a boson, we derive consistent upper limits on the non-cold dark relic energy density for a very large range of velocity dispersions, covering the entire range from dark radiation to cold dark matter. To this end, we employ the latest Planck Cosmic Microwave Background data, the recent BOSS DR11 and other Baryon Acoustic Oscillation measurements, and also constraints on the number of Milky Way satellites, the latter of which provides a measure of the suppression of the matter power spectrum at the smallest scales due to the free-streaming of the non-cold dark matter component. We present the results on the fraction f {sub ncdm} of non-cold dark matter with respect to the total dark matter for different ranges of the non-cold dark matter masses. We find that the 2σ limits for non-cold dark matter particles with masses in the range 1–10 keV are f {sub ncdm}≤0.29 (0.23) for fermions (bosons), and for masses in the 10–100 keV range they are f {sub ncdm}≤0.43 (0.45), respectively.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗