SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “MAGNETIC STARS”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,729 records · Page 96

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2013

FARADAY ROTATION DISTRIBUTIONS FROM STELLAR MAGNETISM IN WIND-BLOWN BUBBLES

Faraday rotation is a valuable tool for detecting magnetic fields. Here, the technique is considered in relation to wind-blown bubbles. In the context of spherical winds with azimuthal or split monopole stellar magnetic field geometries, we derive maps of the distribution of position angle (P.A.) rotation of linearly polarized radiation across projected bubbles. We show that the morphology of maps for split monopole fields are distinct from those produced by the toroidal field topology; however, the toroidal case is the one most likely to be detectable because of its slower decline in field strength with distance from the star. We also consider the important case of a bubble with a spherical sub-volume that is field-free to approximate crudely a 'swept-up' wind interaction between a fast wind (or possibly a supernova ejecta shell) overtaking a slower magnetized wind from a prior state of stellar evolution. With an azimuthal field, the resultant P.A. map displays two arc-like features of opposite rotation measure, similar to observations of the supernova remnant G296.5+10.0. We illustrate how P.A. maps can be used to disentangle Faraday rotation contributions made by the interstellar medium versus the bubble. Although our models involve simplifying assumptions, their consideration leads to a number of general robust conclusions for use in the analysis of radio mapping data sets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

AMBIPOLAR DIFFUSION HEATING IN TURBULENT SYSTEMS

The temperature of the gas in molecular clouds is a key determinant of the characteristic mass of star formation. Ambipolar diffusion (AD) is considered one of the most important heating mechanisms in weakly ionized molecular clouds. In this work, we study the AD heating rate using two-fluid turbulence simulations and compare it with the overall heating rate due to turbulent dissipation. We find that for observed molecular clouds, which typically have Alfven Mach numbers of {approx}1 and AD Reynolds numbers of {approx}20, about 70% of the total turbulent dissipation is in the form of AD heating. AD has an important effect on the length scale where energy is dissipated: when AD heating is strong, most of the energy in the cascade is removed by ion-neutral drift, with a comparatively small amount of energy making it down to small scales. We derive a relation for the AD heating rate that describes the results of our simulations to within a factor of two. Turbulent dissipation, including AD heating, is generally less important than cosmic-ray heating in molecular clouds, although there is substantial scatter in both.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Topology, Magnetic Field, and Strongly Interacting Matter

Gauge theories with compact symmetry groups possess topologically nontrivial configurations of gauge field. This characteristic has dramatic implications for the vacuum structure of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and for the behavior of QCD plasma, as well as for condensed matter systems with chiral quasi-particles. Here, I review the current status of this problem with an emphasis both on the interplay between chirality and a background magnetic field and on the observable manifestations of topology in heavy-ion collisions, Dirac semimetals, neutron stars, and the early Universe.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Modeling Induction Stirring and Particle Tracking in Molten Uranium

Two independent numerical models have been developed to simulate the behavior of carbon impurities in molten uranium metal. Informed by experimental parameters, one model was created using the commercial software Star-CCM+ and compared with another developed using open-source codes, including OpenFOAM, Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) and a First Passage Kinetic Monte Carlo (FPKMC) approach. The target experimental system features a 404g uranium metal charge containing an average carbon concentration of 139 ppm which was melted in a vacuum induction furnace at 1400° C then resolidified. The microstructures of the uranium and its impurities before and after melting have been characterized and reported separately. Prior to simulating the uranium-carbon system described, the numerical models were validated using a previously published nonradioactive experimental system to ensure agreement with expected output values. Focus has been placed on modeling velocity fields under induction stirring and impurity particle trajectories.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2012

kHz QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS FROM THE 2000 AND 2010 X-RAY TRANSIENTS LOCATED IN THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER TERZAN 5: EXO1745-248 AND IGR J17480-2446

EXO1745-248 is a transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary located in the globular cluster Terzan 5. It was in outburst in 2000 and displayed during one Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observation a highly coherent quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) at frequencies between 670 and 715 Hz. Applying a maximum likelihood method to fit the X-ray power density spectrum, we show that the QPO can be detected on segments as short as T = 48 s. We find that its width is consistent with being constant, while previous analysis based on longer segment duration (200 s) found it variable. If the QPO frequency variations in EXO1745-248 follow a random walk (i.e., the contribution of the drift to the measured width increases like {radical}T), we derive an intrinsic width of {approx}2.3 Hz. This corresponds to an intrinsic quality factor of Q {approx} 297 {+-} 50 at 691 Hz. We also show that Q is consistent with being constant between 2.5 and 25 keV. IGR J17480-2446 is another X-ray transient located in Terzan 5. It is a very interesting object showing accretion-powered pulsations and burst oscillations at 11 Hz. We report on the properties of its kHz QPOs detected between October 18 and October 23, soon after the source had moved from the so-called Atoll state to the Z state. Its QPOs are typical of persistent Z sources; in the sense that they have low Q factors ({approx}30) and low rms amplitudes ({approx}5%). The highest frequency (at 870 Hz), if orbital, sets a lower limit on the inner disk radius of {approx}18.5 km and an upper limit to the dipole moment of the magnetic field {mu} {<=} 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 26} G cm{sup 3}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

OH (1720 MHz) MASERS: A MULTIWAVELENGTH STUDY OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE W51C SUPERNOVA REMNANT AND THE W51B STAR FORMING REGION

We present a comprehensive view of the W51B H II region complex and the W51C supernova remnant (SNR) using new radio observations from the VLA, VLBA, MERLIN, JCMT, and CSO along with archival data from Spitzer, ROSAT, ASCA, and Chandra. Our VLA data include the first {lambda} = 400 cm (74 MHz) continuum image of W51 at high resolution (88''). The 400 cm image shows non-thermal emission surrounding the G49.2-0.3 H II region, and a compact source of non-thermal emission (W51B{sub N}T) coincident with the previously-identified OH (1720 MHz) maser spots, non-thermal 21 and 90 cm emission, and a hard X-ray source. W51B{sub N}T falls within the region of high likelihood for the position of TeV {gamma}-ray emission. Using the VLBA, three OH (1720 MHz) maser spots are detected in the vicinity of W51B{sub N}T with sizes of 60-300 AU and Zeeman effect magnetic field strengths of 1.5-2.2 mG. The multiwavelength data demonstrate that the northern end of the W51B H II region complex has been partly enveloped by the advancing W51C SNR and this interaction explains the presence of W51B{sub N}T and the OH masers. This interaction also appears in the thermal molecular gas which partially encircles W51B{sub N}T and exhibits narrow pre-shock ({Delta}v {approx} 5 km s{sup -1}) and broad post-shock ({Delta}v {approx} 20 km s{sup -1}) velocity components. RADEX radiative transfer modeling of these two components yield physical conditions consistent with the passage of a non-dissociative C-type shock. Confirmation of the W51B/W51C interaction provides additional evidence in favor of this region being one of the best candidates for hadronic particle acceleration known thus far.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

Charge fluctuations from the chiral magnetic effect in nuclear collisions

We derive a nonlocal effective Lagrangian for the chiral magnetic effect. An electric field is generated by winding number fluctuations of the nonabelian gauge field in the presence of a strong magnetic field. We estimate the magnitude of charge asymmetry fluctuations with respect to the reaction plane induced by the chiral magnetic effect in relativistic heavy-ion collisions to be less than 10{sup -6}, several orders of magnitude smaller than the signal observed in the STAR experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2012

DISCOVERY OF NINE GAMMA-RAY PULSARS IN FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE DATA USING A NEW BLIND SEARCH METHOD

We report the discovery of nine previously unknown gamma-ray pulsars in a blind search of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). The pulsars were found with a novel hierarchical search method originally developed for detecting continuous gravitational waves from rapidly rotating neutron stars. Designed to find isolated pulsars spinning at up to kHz frequencies, the new method is computationally efficient and incorporates several advances, including a metric-based gridding of the search parameter space (frequency, frequency derivative, and sky location) and the use of photon probability weights. The nine pulsars have spin frequencies between 3 and 12 Hz, and characteristic ages ranging from 17 kyr to 3 Myr. Two of them, PSRs J1803-2149 and J2111+ 4606, are young and energetic Galactic-plane pulsars (spin-down power above 6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 35} erg s{sup -1} and ages below 100 kyr). The seven remaining pulsars, PSRs J0106+4855, J0622+3749, J1620-4927, J1746-3239, J2028+3332, J2030+4415, and J2139+4716, are older and less energetic; two of them are located at higher Galactic latitudes (|b| > 10 Degree-Sign ). PSR J0106+4855 has the largest characteristic age (3 Myr) and the smallest surface magnetic field (2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11} G) of all LAT blind-search pulsars. PSR J2139+4716 has the lowest spin-down power (3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 33} erg s{sup -1}) among all non-recycled gamma-ray pulsars ever found. Despite extensive multi-frequency observations, only PSR J0106+4855 has detectable pulsations in the radio band. The other eight pulsars belong to the increasing population of radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

TRACING SLOW WINDS FROM T TAURI STARS VIA LOW-VELOCITY FORBIDDEN LINE EMISSION

Using Keck/HIRES spectra (Δ v ∼ 7 km s{sup -1}) we analyze forbidden lines of [O i] 6300 Å, [O i] 5577 Å and [S ii] 6731 Å from 33 T Tauri stars covering a range of disk evolutionary stages. After removing a high-velocity component (HVC) associated with microjets, we study the properties of the low-velocity component (LVC). The LVC can be attributed to slow disk winds that could be magnetically (magnetohydrodynamic) or thermally (photoevaporative) driven. Both of these winds play an important role in the evolution and dispersal of protoplanetary material. LVC emission is seen in all 30 stars with detected [O i] but only in two out of eight with detected [S ii], so our analysis is largely based on the properties of the [O i] LVC. The LVC itself is resolved into broad (BC) and narrow (NC) kinematic components. Both components are found over a wide range of accretion rates and their luminosity is correlated with the accretion luminosity, but the NC is proportionately stronger than the BC in transition disks. The full width at half maximum of both the BC and NC correlates with disk inclination, consistent with Keplerian broadening from radii of 0.05 to 0.5 au and 0.5 to 5 au, respectively. The velocity centroids of the BC suggest formation in an MHD disk wind, with the largest blueshifts found in sources with closer to face-on orientations. The velocity centroids of the NC, however, show no dependence on disk inclination. The origin of this component is less clear and the evidence for photoevaporation is not conclusive.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

FARADAY ROTATION IN THE TAIL OF THE PLANETARY NEBULA DeHt 5

We present 1420 MHz polarization images of a 5{sup 0} x 5{sup 0} region around the planetary nebula (PN) DeHt 5. The images reveal narrow Faraday-rotation structures on the visible disk of DeHt 5, as well as two wider, tail-like, structures 'behind' DeHt 5. Though DeHt 5 is an old PN known to be interacting with the interstellar medium (ISM), a tail has not previously been identified for this object. The innermost tail is {approx}3 pc long and runs away from the northeast edge of DeHt 5 in a direction roughly opposite that of the sky-projected space velocity of the white dwarf central star, WD 2218+706. We believe this tail to be the signature of ionized material ram-pressure stripped and deposited downstream during a >74,000 yr interaction between DeHt 5 and the ISM. We estimate the rotation measure (RM) through the inner tail to be -15 {+-} 5 rad m{sup -2}, and, using a realistic estimate for the line-of-sight component of the ISM magnetic field around DeHt 5, derive an electron density in the inner tail of n{sub e} = 3.6 {+-} 1.8 cm{sup -3}. Assuming the material is fully ionized, we estimate a total mass in the inner tail of 0.68 {+-} 0.33 M{sub sun} and predict that 0.49 {+-} 0.33 M{sub sun} was added during the PN-ISM interaction. The outermost tail consists of a series of three roughly circular components, which have a collective length of {approx}11.0 pc. This tail is less conspicuous than the inner tail and may be the signature of the earlier interaction between the WD 2218+706 asymptotic giant branch (AGB) progenitor and the ISM. The results for the inner and outer tails are consistent with hydrodynamic simulations and may have implications for the PN missing-mass problem as well as for models which describe the impact of the deaths of intermediate-mass stars on the ISM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Simulating Gamma-Ray Emission in Star-forming Galaxies

Star-forming galaxies emit GeV and TeV gamma-rays that are thought to originate from hadronic interactions of cosmic-ray (CR) nuclei with the interstellar medium. To understand the emission, we have used the moving-mesh code Arepo to perform magnetohydrodynamical galaxy formation simulations with self-consistent CR physics. Our galaxy models exhibit a first burst of star formation that injects CRs at supernovae. Once CRs have sufficiently accumulated in our Milky Way–like galaxy, their buoyancy force overcomes the magnetic tension of the toroidal disk field. As field lines open up, they enable anisotropically diffusing CRs to escape into the halo and to accelerate a bubble-like, CR-dominated outflow. However, these bubbles are invisible in our simulated gamma-ray maps of hadronic pion-decay and secondary inverse-Compton emission because of low gas density in the outflows. By adopting a phenomenological relation between star formation rate (SFR) and far-infrared emission and assuming that gamma-rays mainly originate from decaying pions, our simulated galaxies can reproduce the observed tight relation between far-infrared and gamma-ray emission, independent of whether we account for anisotropic CR diffusion. This demonstrates that uncertainties in modeling active CR transport processes only play a minor role in predicting gamma-ray emission from galaxies. We find that in starbursts, most of the CR energy is “calorimetrically” lost to hadronic interactions. In contrast, the gamma-ray emission deviates from this calorimetric property at low SFRs due to adiabatic losses, which cannot be identified in traditional one-zone models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

The star-forming galaxy contribution to the cosmic MeV and GeV gamma-ray background

Star-forming galaxies could be major contributors to the cosmic GeV γ-ray background, and they are expected to be MeV-dim because of the 'pion bump' falling off below ∼100 MeV. However, there are very few observations of galaxies in the MeV range and other emission processes could be present. We investigate the MeV background from star-forming galaxies by running one-zone models of cosmic ray populations, including inverse Compton and bremsstrahlung, as well as nuclear lines (including {sup 26}Al), emission from core-collapse supernovae, and positron annihilation emission, in addition to the pionic emission. We use the Milky Way and M82 as templates of normal and starburst galaxies and compare our models to radio and GeV-TeV γ-ray data. We find that (1) higher gas densities in high-z normal galaxies lead to a strong pion bump, (2) starbursts may have significant MeV emission if their magnetic field strengths are low, and (3) cascades can contribute to the MeV emission of starbursts if they emit mainly hadronic γ-rays. Our fiducial model predicts that most of the unresolved GeV background is from star-forming galaxies, but this prediction is uncertain by an order of magnitude. About ∼2% of the claimed 1 MeV background is diffuse emission from star-forming galaxies; we place a firm upper limit of ≲ 10% based on the spectral shape of the background. The star formation contribution is constrained to be small because its spectrum is peaked, while the observed background is steeply falling with energy through the MeV-GeV range.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Inter-relationship between the two emission cones of B1237+25

The origin of two distinct pairs of conal emission components in pulsars, associated with the 'outer' and the 'inner' emission cones, as well as the marked difference in their observed spectral properties, is poorly understood. The sub-pulse modulation in the corresponding conal components, if mapped back to the underlying system of sub-beams rotating around the magnetic axis in the polar cap, as envisioned by Ruderman and Sutherland, provides a potential way to investigate the emission morphologies in the two conal regions, and more importantly, any inter-relationship between them. The bright pulsar B1237+25 with its special viewing geometry where the sightline traverses almost through the magnetic axis, along with a rich variety in pulse-to-pulse fluctuations, provides an excellent but challenging opportunity to map the underlying emission patterns across the full transverse slice of its polar emission region. We present here our analysis on a number of pulse sequences from this star to map and study any relationship between the underlying patterns responsible for emission in the two pairs of presumed conal components and a core component of this pulsar. The results from our correlation analysis of the two conal emission patterns strongly support the view that the two cones of this pulsar (the outer and the inner cone) originate from a common system of sub-beams. We also see evidence for a twist in the emission columns, most likely associated with a corresponding twist in the magnetic field structure. We discuss these results, and their implications, including a possibility that the core component of this pulsar shares its origin partly with the conal counterparts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

BVRI OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSES OF THE SEMIDETACHED BINARY FF VULPECULA

High-precision BVR{sub c}I{sub c} light curves of FF Vul were taken during the fall of 2015 with the Dark Sky Observatory 0.81 m reflector of Appalachian State University, and the SARA north 0.91 m reflector at KPNO. FF Vul is an eclipsing binary with a period of 0.44 day. A Wilson–Devinney solution shows that the binary is a near-contact, semidetached binary, i.e., with a V1010 Oph-type configuration. Five eclipse timings (three primary and two secondary) were calculated. A quadratic ephemeris was determined indicating that the period is decreasing. A near-equatorial hot spot was modeled on the cooler, secondary star, possibly caused by matter impacting from the primary component via the inner Lagrangian point. The component temperature difference is more than 1500 K. The solution confirms a total secondary eclipse of 23 minutes duration. As expected in binaries of this type, there is a magnetic spot region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays from the “en caul” birth of magnetars

Rapidly spinning magnetars can potentially form through the accretion induced collapse of a white dwarf or by neutron star (NS) mergers if the equation of state of the nuclear density matter is such that two low-mass NSs can form a massive NS rather than a black hole. In either case, the newborn magnetar is an attractive site for the production of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (particles with individual energies exceeding 10{sup 18} eV; UHECRs). The short-period spin and strong magnetic field are able to accelerate particles up to appropriate energies, and the composition of material on and around the magnetar may naturally explain recent inferences of heavy elements in UHECRs. We explore whether the small amount of natal debris surrounding these magnetars allows UHECRs to escape easily. We also investigate the impact on the UHECRs of the unique environment around the magnetar, which consists of a bubble of relativistic particles and magnetic field within the debris. The rates and energetics of UHECRs are consistent with such an origin, even though the rates of events that produce rapidly spinning magnetars remain very uncertain. The low ejecta mass also helps the high-energy neutrino background associated with this scenario to be below current IceCube constraints over most of the magnetar parameter space. A unique prediction is that UHECRs may be generated in old stellar environments without strong star formation, in contrast to what would be expected for other UHECR scenarios, such as active galactic nuclei or long gamma-ray bursts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

The evolution of high-temperature plasma in magnetar magnetospheres and its implications for giant flares

In this paper we propose a new mechanism describing the initial spike of giant flares in the framework of the starquake model. We investigate the evolution of a plasma on a closed magnetic flux tube in the magnetosphere of a magnetar in the case of a sudden energy release, and discuss the relationship with observations of giant flares. We perform one-dimensional, numerical simulations of the relativistic magnetohydrodynamics in Schwarzschild geometry. We assume energy is injected at the footpoints of the loop by a hot star surface containing random perturbations of the transverse velocity. Alfvén waves are generated and propagate upward, accompanying very hot plasma which is also continuously heated by nonlinearly generated compressive waves. We find that the front edges of the fireball regions collide at the top of the tube with their symmetrically launched counterparts. This collision results in an energy release that can describe the light curve of the initial spikes of giant flares.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Chiral magnetic and vortical effects in high-energy nuclear collisions—A status report

Here, the interplay of quantum anomalies with magnetic field and vorticity results in a variety of novel non-dissipative transport phenomena in systems with chiral fermions, including the quark–gluon plasma. Among them is the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME)—the generation of electric current along an external magnetic field induced by chirality imbalance. Because the chirality imbalance is related to the global topology of gauge fields, the CME current is topologically protected and hence non-dissipative even in the presence of strong interactions. As a result, the CME and related quantum phenomena affect the hydrodynamical and transport behavior of strongly coupled quark–gluon plasma, and can be studied in relativistic heavy ion collisions where strong magnetic fields are created by the colliding ions. Evidence for the CME and related phenomena has been reported by the STAR Collaboration at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at BNL, and by the ALICE Collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The goal of the present review is to provide an elementary introduction into the physics of anomalous chiral effects, to describe the current status of experimental studies in heavy ion physics, and to outline the future work, both in experiment and theory, needed to eliminate the existing uncertainties in the interpretation of the data.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2013

HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE IN POSITION-POSITION-VELOCITY SPACE

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is able to create hierarchical structures in the interstellar medium (ISM) that are correlated on a wide range of scales via the energy cascade. We use hierarchical tree diagrams known as dendrograms to characterize structures in synthetic position-position-velocity (PPV) emission cubes of isothermal magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. We show that the structures and degree of hierarchy observed in PPV space are related to the presence of self-gravity and the global sonic and Alfvenic Mach numbers. Simulations with higher Alfvenic Mach number, self-gravity and supersonic flows display enhanced hierarchical structure. We observe a strong dependency on the sonic and Alfvenic Mach numbers and self-gravity when we apply the statistical moments (i.e., mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis) to the leaf and node distribution of the dendrogram. Simulations with self-gravity, larger magnetic field and higher sonic Mach number have dendrogram distributions with higher statistical moments. Application of the dendrogram to three-dimensional density cubes, also known as position-position-position (PPP) cubes, reveals that the dominant emission contours in PPP and PPV are related for supersonic gas but not for subsonic. We also explore the effects of smoothing, thermal broadening, and velocity resolution on the dendrograms in order to make our study more applicable to observational data. These results all point to hierarchical tree diagrams as being a promising additional tool for studying ISM turbulence and star forming regions for obtaining information on the degree of self-gravity, the Mach numbers and the complicated relationship between PPV and PPP data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗