DIRT: Dust InfraRed Toolbox

Science.gov (United States)

Pound, Marc W.; Wolfire, Mark G.; Mundy, Lee G.; Teuben, Peter; Lord, Steve

2011-02-01

DIRT is a Java applet for modelling astrophysical processes in circumstellar dust shells around young and evolved stars. With DIRT, you can: select and display over 500,000 pre-run model spectral energy distributions (SEDs) find the best-fit model to your data set account for beam size in model fitting manipulate data and models with an interactive viewer display gas and dust density and temperature profiles display model intensity profiles at various wavelengths

A SPITZER SURVEY FOR DUST IN TYPE IIn SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fox, Ori D.; Chevalier, Roger A.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Soderberg, Alicia M.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Ganeshalingam, Mohan; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Smith, Nathan; Steele, Thea N.

2011-01-01

Recent observations suggest that Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) may exhibit late-time (>100 days) infrared (IR) emission from warm dust more than other types of core-collapse SNe. Mid-IR observations, which span the peak of the thermal spectral energy distribution, provide useful constraints on the properties of the dust and, ultimately, the circumstellar environment, explosion mechanism, and progenitor system. Due to the low SN IIn rate (<10% of all core-collapse SNe), few IR observations exist for this subclass. The handful of isolated studies, however, show late-time IR emission from warm dust that, in some cases, extends for five or six years post-discovery. While previous Spitzer/IRAC surveys have searched for dust in SNe, none have targeted the Type IIn subclass. This paper presents results from a warm Spitzer/IRAC survey of the positions of all 68 known SNe IIn within a distance of 250 Mpc between 1999 and 2008 that have remained unobserved by Spitzer more than 100 days post-discovery. The detection of late-time emission from 10 targets (∼15%) nearly doubles the database of existing mid-IR observations of SNe IIn. Although optical spectra show evidence for new dust formation in some cases, the data show that in most cases the likely origin of the mid-IR emission is pre-existing dust, which is continuously heated by optical emission generated by ongoing circumstellar interaction between the forward shock and circumstellar medium. Furthermore, an emerging trend suggests that these SNe decline at ∼1000-2000 days post-discovery once the forward shock overruns the dust shell. The mass-loss rates associated with these dust shells are consistent with luminous blue variable progenitors.

THE S{sup 4}G PERSPECTIVE ON CIRCUMSTELLAR DUST EXTINCTION OF ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS IN M100

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meidt, Sharon E.; Schinnerer, Eva [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie/Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Munoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos; Kim, Taehyun [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Holwerda, Benne [European Space Agency, ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG, Noordwijk (Netherlands); Ho, Luis C.; Madore, Barry F.; Sheth, Kartik; Menendez-Delmestre, Karin; Seibert, Mark [The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, Pasadena, CA (United States); Knapen, Johan H. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Tenerife (Spain); Bosma, Albert; Athanassoula, E. [Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), Marseille (France); Hinz, Joannah L. [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Regan, Michael [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (United States); De Paz, Armando Gil [Departamento de Astrofisica, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Madrid (Spain); Mizusawa, Trisha [Spitzer Science Center, Pasadena, CA (United States); Gadotti, Dimitri A. [European Southern Observatory, Santiago (Chile); Laurikainen, Eija; Salo, Heikki [Astronomy Division, Department of Physical Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); and others

2012-04-01

We examine the effect of circumstellar dust extinction on the near-IR (NIR) contribution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in intermediate-age clusters throughout the disk of M100. For our sample of 17 AGB-dominated clusters we extract optical-to-mid-IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and find that NIR brightness is coupled to the mid-IR dust emission in such a way that a significant reduction of AGB light, of up to 1 mag in the K band, follows from extinction by the dust shell formed during this stage. Since the dust optical depth varies with AGB chemistry (C-rich or O-rich), our results suggest that the contribution of AGB stars to the flux from their host clusters will be closely linked to the metallicity and the progenitor mass of the AGB star, to which dust chemistry and mass-loss rate are sensitive. Our sample of clusters-each the analogue of a {approx}1 Gyr old post-starburst galaxy-has implications within the context of mass and age estimation via SED modeling at high-z: we find that the average {approx}0.5 mag extinction estimated here may be sufficient to reduce the AGB contribution in the (rest-frame) K band from {approx}70%, as predicted in the latest generation of synthesis models, to {approx}35%. Our technique for selecting AGB-dominated clusters in nearby galaxies promises to be effective for discriminating the uncertainties associated with AGB stars in intermediate-age populations that plague age and mass estimation in high-z galaxies.

Radiative transfer in gray circumstellar dust envelopes: VY Canis Majoris revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, R.D.

1975-01-01

The circumstellar dust model for VY CMa proposed by Herbig is reinvestigated using a generalized form of Huang's theory of radiative transfer. The resultant envelope parameters and the emergent energy distribution are found to be insensitive to the choice of Eddington factor for a given envelope inner boundary temperature. Observed fluxes from 0.43 to 74 μ are incorporated into the model, and problems relating to grain emissivity for lambda>30 μ and grain survival at the indicated inner boundary temperature of 1855degreeK are discussed

A Spitzer Survey for Dust in Type IIn Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Ori D.; Chevalier, Roger A.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Soderberg, Alicia M.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Ganeshalingam, Mohan; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Smith, Nathan; Steele, Thea N.

2011-01-01

Recent observations suggest that Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) may exhibit late-time (greater than 100 days) infrared (IR) emission from warm dust more than other types of core-collapse SNe. Mid-IR observations, which span the peak of the thermal spectral energy distribution, provide useful constraints on the properties of the dust and, ultimately, the circumstellar environment, explosion mechanism, and progenitor system. Due to the low SN IIn rate (less than 10% of all core-collapse SNe), few IR observations exist for this subclass. The handful of isolated studies, however, show late-time IR emission from warm dust that, in some cases, extends for five or six years post-discovery. While previous Spitzer/IRAC surveys have searched for dust in SNe, none have targeted the Type IIn subclass. This article presents results from a warm Spitzer/IRAC survey of the positions of all 68 known SNe IIn within a distance of 250 Mpc between 1999 and 2008 that have remained unobserved by Spitzer more than 100 days postdiscovery. The detection of late-time emission from ten targets (approximately 15%) nearly doubles the database of existing mid-IR observations of SNe IIn. Although optical spectra show evidence for new dust formation in some cases, the data show that in most cases the likely origin of the mid-IR emission is pre-existing dust, which is continuously heated by optical emission generated by ongoing circumstellar interaction between the forward shock and circumstellar medium. Furthermore, an emerging trend suggests that these SNe decline at approximately 1000-2000 days post-discovery once the forward shock overruns the dust shell. The mass-loss rates associated with these dust shells are consistent with luminous blue variable (LBV) progenitors.

The circumstellar shells and mass loss rates of four M supergiants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernat, A.P.

1977-01-01

A reanalysis of the physical structure of the circumstellar gas shells of four bright M supergiants, Betelgeuse, Antares, α Herculis, and μ Cephei, has been undertaken. The observational data include old Hale Observatories plates, recent McDonald Struve telescope plates, and McDonald 2.7 m photoelectric scans. These data are analyzed in the full expanding spherical geometry formulation of the radiative transfer equation.The results of the present analysis indicate that column densities in the gas shells must be revised downward compared with the previous plane-parallel results. However, the physical extents of the shells are considerably larger than previously assumed. These extents are inferred through ionization modeling, Weymann's Ca II technique, and direct observation. Also inferred are schematic wavelength-dependent chromospheric color temperatures. These results lead to much larger mass loss rates (in the range 6.7 x 10 -7 to 4.2 x 10 -4 M/sub sun/ yr -2 ) than previously inferred. The influence of these large rates of mass loss on the evolution of both stars and the Galaxy is briefly discussed

Dust properties around evolved stars from far-infrared size limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, P.M.; Lester, D.F.; Brock, D.; Joy, M.

1991-01-01

High angular resolution far-infrared scans were obtained of six stars surrounded by circumstellar dust shells believed to result from mass loss by the central star. None of the dust shells was clearly resolved at either 50 or 100 microns; the upper limits are in the range 4 to 10 arcsec. These size limits place constraints on the far-IR dust emissivity and dust density distribution. For one of the objects, AFGL 2343, larger than normal grains are almost certainly required. For several other stars, the size limits are much more consistent with dust having an emissivity law no steeper than 1/lambda in the 1-100-micron spectral region. For IRC + 10216, an earlier suggestion is confirmed that, assuming reasonable grain properties, a smooth radial dust distribution is not consistent with the scans and the energy distribution of the object. 29 refs

The circumstellar environment of evolved stars as traced by molecules and dust. The diagnostic power of Herschel

Science.gov (United States)

Lombaert, Robin

2013-12-01

Low-to-intermediate mass stars end their life on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), an evolutionary phase in which the star sheds most of its mantle into the circumstellar environment through a stellar wind. This stellar wind expands at relatively low velocities and enriches the interstellar medium with elements newly made in the stellar interior. The physical processes controlling the gas and dust chemistry in the outflow, as well as the driving mechanism of the wind itself, are poorly understood and constitute the broader context of this thesis work. In a first chapter, we consider the thermodynamics of the high-density wind of the oxygen-rich star oh, using observations obtained with the PACS instrument onboard the Herschel Space Telescope. Being one of the most abundant molecules, water vapor can be dominant in the energy balance of the inner wind of these types of stars, but to date, its cooling contribution is poorly understood. We aim to improve the constraints on water properties by careful combination of both dust and gas radiative-transfer models. This unified treatment is needed due to the high sensitivity of water excitation to dust properties. A combination of three types of diagnostics reveals a positive radial gradient of the dust-to-gas ratio in oh. The second chapter deals with the dust chemistry of carbon-rich winds. The 30-mic dust emission feature is commonly identified as due to magnesium sulfide (MgS). However, the lack of short-wavelength measurements of the optical properties of this dust species prohibits the determination of the temperature profile of MgS, and hence its feature strength and shape, questioning whether this species is responsible for the 30-mic feature. By considering the very optically thick wind of the extreme carbon star LL Peg, this problem can be circumvented because in this case the short-wavelength optical properties are not important for the radial temperature distribution. We attribute the 30-mic feature to MgS, but

Radiative transfer in dust clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowan-Robinson, M.; Harris, S.

1983-01-01

The infrared emission has been modelled from 85 late-type M stars, essentially all such stars in the AFGL catalogue with substantial circumstellar dust shells and for which adequate observational data are currently available. The dependence of the emergent spectrum on the temperature of the stars, the condensation temperature of the grains, and the density distribution, optical depth and extent of the shell have been investigated. Consistent models for most stars have been found using dirty silicate grains, with an n(r) proportional to r - 2 density distribution and a grain melting temperature of 1000 K. Allowance has been made for the effect of molecular bands. Although these bands have a dramatic effect on the spectrum of late-type stars at visual wavelengths, there is little effect on the infrared emission from the circumstellar shell. All stars in the study except GL 915, VY CMa and NML Cyg are consistent with having spherically symmetric shells. Except for VY CMa and NML Cyg, for which other evidence suggests a disc geometry, the intensity distributions predicted by the models are consistent with interferometric measurements at infrared wavelengths. (author)

THE REINCARNATION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST: THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIC REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN INFRARED SPECTRA OF COMETARY COMAE AND CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimura, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiroshi_kimura@cps-jp.org [Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, c/o CPS (Center for Planetary Science), Chuo-ku Minatojima Minamimachi 7-1-48, Kobe 650-0047 (Japan)

2013-09-20

We consider the reincarnation of interstellar dust to be reborn in protoplanetary disks as aggregates consisting of submicron-sized grains with a crystalline or amorphous silicate core and an organic-rich carbonaceous mantle. We find that infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust reproduce emission peaks at correct wavelengths where the peaks were observed in cometary comae, debris disks, and protoplanetary disks if the volume fraction of organic refractory meets the constraints on elemental abundances. We discuss what we can learn from the infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust in cometary comae and circumstellar disks.

The Reincarnation of Interstellar Dust: The Importance of Organic Refractory Material in Infrared Spectra of Cometary Comae and Circumstellar Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Hiroshi

2013-09-01

We consider the reincarnation of interstellar dust to be reborn in protoplanetary disks as aggregates consisting of submicron-sized grains with a crystalline or amorphous silicate core and an organic-rich carbonaceous mantle. We find that infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust reproduce emission peaks at correct wavelengths where the peaks were observed in cometary comae, debris disks, and protoplanetary disks if the volume fraction of organic refractory meets the constraints on elemental abundances. We discuss what we can learn from the infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust in cometary comae and circumstellar disks.

THE REINCARNATION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST: THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIC REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN INFRARED SPECTRA OF COMETARY COMAE AND CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

We consider the reincarnation of interstellar dust to be reborn in protoplanetary disks as aggregates consisting of submicron-sized grains with a crystalline or amorphous silicate core and an organic-rich carbonaceous mantle. We find that infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust reproduce emission peaks at correct wavelengths where the peaks were observed in cometary comae, debris disks, and protoplanetary disks if the volume fraction of organic refractory meets the constraints on elemental abundances. We discuss what we can learn from the infrared spectra of reincarnated interstellar dust in cometary comae and circumstellar disks

A Mid-Infrared Study of the Circumstellar Dust Composition and Phase Behavior of Oxygen-rich Mira Variables

Science.gov (United States)

Guth, Tina

2017-08-01

The elements essential as building blocks of life, such as carbon and oxygen, have long been considered to come from exploding stars, known as supernovae. However, in the last several years, observations obtained with improved telescopes and instruments have shown that these heavier elements, i.e. elements beyond helium, are readily found in mass-loss products of stars called Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. The sub-category of AGB stars that have regular pulsation periods of 200 - 500 days, called Mira variables, are of particular interest. These regular pulsators are quite bright in both the optical and infrared wavelengths, and exhibit large changes in magnitude that are easily observable. Studying their circumstellar dust environment allows astronomers to determine the presence of compounds, such as silicates and oxides, which are indicative of common elements found on Earth - oxygen, carbon, and silicon. Mira variables are dynamic stars, which implies that the circumstellar dust composition should change as the star goes through its pulsation cycle. In order to study the dust behavior with pulsational phase, repeated infrared observations were obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope. This infrared, space-based telescope was launched in 2003 and carries the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) instrument, which produces brightness versus wavelength, i.e. a spectrum (Houck et al., 2004). Due to the pulsation period of these stars, they were observed approximately monthly during the campaign run in 2008-9. This work focuses on the high-resolution data over a wavelength range of 9.8 - 40 microns because it provides a high signal-to-noise ratio and examines the part of the spectrum where dust features are most apparent. The full dataset obtained with Spitzer consists of 25 stars and covers nearly 100 spectra spanning all three chemical subclasses, however the focus of this dissertation is on investigating the dusty environment of oxygen-rich Mira variables. First, an

THE CIRCUMSTELLAR ENVIRONMENT OF R CORONAE BOREALIS: WHITE DWARF MERGER OR FINAL-HELIUM-SHELL FLASH?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Andrews, J. E.; Sugerman, Ben E. K.; Adam Stanford, S.; Whitney, B. A.; Honor, J.; Babler, B.; Barlow, M. J.; Gordon, K. D.; Bond, Howard E.; Matsuura, M.; Geballe, T. R.; De Marco, O.; Lawson, W. A.; Sibthorpe, B.; Olofsson, G.; Polehampton, E.; Gomez, H. L.; Hargrave, P. C.; Ivison, R. J.

2011-01-01

In 2007, R Coronae Borealis (R CrB) went into a historically deep and long decline. In this state, the dust acts like a natural coronagraph at visible wavelengths, allowing faint nebulosity around the star to be seen. Imaging has been obtained from 0.5 to 500 μm with Gemini/GMOS, Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2, Spitzer/MIPS, and Herschel/SPIRE. Several of the structures around R CrB are cometary globules caused by wind from the star streaming past dense blobs. The estimated dust mass of the knots is consistent with their being responsible for the R CrB declines if they form along the line of sight to the star. In addition, there is a large diffuse shell extending up to 4 pc away from the star containing cool 25 K dust that is detected all the way out to 500 μm. The spectral energy distribution of R CrB can be well fitted by a 150 AU disk surrounded by a very large diffuse envelope which corresponds to the size of the observed nebulosity. The total masses of the disk and envelope are 10 –4 and 2 M ☉ , respectively, assuming a gas-to-dust ratio of 100. The evidence pointing toward a white dwarf merger or a final-helium-shell flash origin for R CrB is contradictory. The shell and the cometary knots are consistent with a fossil planetary nebula. Along with the fact that R CrB shows significant lithium in its atmosphere, this supports the final-helium-shell flash. However, the relatively high inferred mass of R CrB and its high fluorine abundance support a white dwarf merger.

White dwarf atmospheres and circumstellar environments

CERN Document Server

Hoard, Donald W

2012-01-01

Written by selected astronomers at the forefront of their fields, this timely and novel book compiles the latest results from research on white dwarf stars, complementing existing literature by focusing on fascinating new developments in our understanding of the atmospheric and circumstellar environments of these stellar remnants. Complete with a thorough refresher on the observational characteristics and physical basis for white dwarf classification, this is a must-have resource for researchers interested in the late stages of stellar evolution, circumstellar dust and nebulae, and the future

THE CIRCUMSTELLAR ENVIRONMENT OF R CORONAE BOREALIS: WHITE DWARF MERGER OR FINAL-HELIUM-SHELL FLASH?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Andrews, J. E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Sugerman, Ben E. K. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., Baltimore, MD 21204 (United States); Adam Stanford, S. [IGPP, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Whitney, B. A. [Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut St. Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); Honor, J.; Babler, B. [Department of Astronomy, 475 North Charter St., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Barlow, M. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Gordon, K. D.; Bond, Howard E.; Matsuura, M. [STScI, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Geballe, T. R. [Gemini Observatory, 670 N. A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); De Marco, O. [Department of Physics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia); Lawson, W. A. [School of PEMS, University of New South Wales, ADFA, P.O. Box 7916, Canberra, ACT 2610 (Australia); Sibthorpe, B. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Olofsson, G. [Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, Roslagstullsbacken 21, SE-10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Polehampton, E. [Space Science and Technology Department, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Gomez, H. L.; Hargrave, P. C. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, 5 The Parade, Cardiff, Wales CF24 3YB (United Kingdom); Ivison, R. J., E-mail: gclayton@phys.lsu.edu, E-mail: jandrews@phys.lsu.edu, E-mail: ben.sugerman@goucher.edu, E-mail: stanford@physics.ucdavis.edu, E-mail: bwhitney@spacescience.org, E-mail: jhonor@astro.wisc.edu, E-mail: brian@astro.wisc.edu, E-mail: mjb@star.ucl.ac.uk [UK Astronomy Technology Centre, ROE, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); and others

2011-12-10

In 2007, R Coronae Borealis (R CrB) went into a historically deep and long decline. In this state, the dust acts like a natural coronagraph at visible wavelengths, allowing faint nebulosity around the star to be seen. Imaging has been obtained from 0.5 to 500 {mu}m with Gemini/GMOS, Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2, Spitzer/MIPS, and Herschel/SPIRE. Several of the structures around R CrB are cometary globules caused by wind from the star streaming past dense blobs. The estimated dust mass of the knots is consistent with their being responsible for the R CrB declines if they form along the line of sight to the star. In addition, there is a large diffuse shell extending up to 4 pc away from the star containing cool 25 K dust that is detected all the way out to 500 {mu}m. The spectral energy distribution of R CrB can be well fitted by a 150 AU disk surrounded by a very large diffuse envelope which corresponds to the size of the observed nebulosity. The total masses of the disk and envelope are 10{sup -4} and 2 M{sub Sun }, respectively, assuming a gas-to-dust ratio of 100. The evidence pointing toward a white dwarf merger or a final-helium-shell flash origin for R CrB is contradictory. The shell and the cometary knots are consistent with a fossil planetary nebula. Along with the fact that R CrB shows significant lithium in its atmosphere, this supports the final-helium-shell flash. However, the relatively high inferred mass of R CrB and its high fluorine abundance support a white dwarf merger.

Dust in planetary nebulae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, S.

1980-01-01

A two-component dust model is suggested to explain the infrared emission from planetary nebulae. A cold dust component located in the extensive remnant of the red-giant envelope exterior to the visible nebula is responsible for the far-infrared emission. A ward dust component, which is condensed after the formation of the planetary nebula and confined within the ionized gas shell, emits most of the near- and mid-infrared radiation. The observations of NGC 7027 are shown to be consisten with such a model. The correlation of silicate emission in several planetary nebulae with an approximately +1 spectral index at low radio frequencies suggests that both the silicate and radio emissions originate from the remnant of the circumstellar envelope of th precursor star and are observable only while the planetary nebula is young. It is argued that oxygen-rich stars as well as carbon-rich stars can be progenitors of planetary nebulae

Evidence for circumstellar obscuration of OB stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohannan, B.

1975-01-01

Reddish found a strong increase of color excess with increasing stellar luminosity: here referred to as the Reddish Effect: in ten young galactic clusters and associations. New photometric and spectroscopic observations drawn from the literature are combined with data used by Reddish to reconsider the color excess versus intrinsic magnitude diagrams of the same ten stellar groups. The reality of the Effect is questioned in all but one of the systems; this was accomplished by identifying possible foreground stars and by recognizing some of the brightest stars as supergiants, then applying correct intrinsic color indices. After careful reanalysis, the one stellar group to retain an indication of the Reddish Effect is Cygnus OB2. No correlation of reddening with luminosity was found for five additional very young stellar groups in the southern hemisphere; these groups should exhibit the Effect if it is a natural consequence of stellar evolution. Reddish ascribed the correlation to massive circumstellar remnants of material from which the stars formed. However, a peculiar dispersion in color excess could also be attributed to patchy dust within the stellar group. In several stellar systems previously identified as displaying the Reddish Effect, a correlation of observed color excess with dust and gas concentrations is noted on Palomar Sky Survey prints. If present, circumstellar dust clouds should []anifest their existence in modes other than a correlation of color excess with luminosity. The following possibilities are considered and all show negative results: correlation of color excess with spectral type; correlation of reddening slope E/subU//sub -//subB//E/subB//sub -//subV/ with spectral type; observable infrared excess. The preceding astrophysical arguments strongly imply that circumstellar dust remnants from stellar formation do not remain around stars during their main-sequence lifetimes. (auth)

AGAINST THE WIND: RADIO LIGHT CURVES OF TYPE IA SUPERNOVAE INTERACTING WITH LOW-DENSITY CIRCUMSTELLAR SHELLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, Chelsea E.; Nugent, Peter E.; Kasen, Daniel N., E-mail: chelseaharris@berkeley.edu [Astronomy Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-06-01

For decades a wide variety of observations spanning the radio through optical and on to the X-ray have attempted to uncover signs of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) interacting with a circumstellar medium (CSM). The goal of these studies is to constrain the nature of the hypothesized SN Ia mass-donor companion. A continuous CSM is typically assumed when interpreting observations of interaction. However, while such models have been successfully applied to core-collapse SNe, the assumption of continuity may not be accurate for SNe Ia, because shells of CSM could be formed by pre-supernova eruptions (novae). In this work, we model the interaction of SNe with a spherical, low-density, finite-extent CSM and create a suite of synthetic radio synchrotron light curves. We find that CSM shells produce sharply peaked light curves. We also identify a fiducial set of models that obey a common evolution and can be used to generate radio light curves for an interaction with an arbitrary shell. The relations obeyed by the fiducial models can be used to deduce CSM properties from radio observations; we demonstrate this by applying them to the nondetections of SN 2011fe and SN 2014J. Finally, we explore a multiple shell CSM configuration and describe its more complicated dynamics and the resultant radio light curves.

Dust around the Cool Component of D-Type Symbiotic Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Jurkic, Tomislav; Kotnik-Karuza, Dubravka

2018-04-01

D type symbiotic binaries are an excellent astrophysical laboratory for investigation of the dust properties and dust formation under the influence of theMira stellar wind and nova activity and of the mass loss and mass transfer between components in such a widely separated system. We present a study of the properties of circumstellar dust in symbiotic Miras by use of long-term near-IR photometry and colour indices. The published JHKL magnitudes of o Ceti, RX Pup, KM Vel, V366 Car, V835 Cen, RR Tel, HM Sge and R Aqr have been collected, analyzed and corrected for short-term variations caused by Mira pulsations. Assuming spherical temperature distribution of the dust in the close neighbourhood of the Mira, the DUSTY code was used to solve the radiative transfer in order to determine the dust temperature and its properties in each particular case. Common dust properties of the symbiotic Miras have been found, suggesting similar conditions in the condensation region of the studied symbiotic Miras. Silicate dust with the inner dust shell radius determined by the dust condensation and with the dust temperature of 900-1200 K can fully explain the observed colour indices. R Aqr is an exception and showed lower dust temperature of 650 K. Obscuration events visible in light curves can be explained by variable dust optical depth with minimal variations of other dust properties. More active symbioticMiras that underwent recent nova outbursts showed higher dust optical depths and larger maximum grain sizes of the order of μm, which means that the post-nova activity could stimulate the dust formation and the grain growth. Optically thicker dust shells and higher dust condensation temperatures have been found in symbiotic Miras compared to their single counterparts, suggesting different conditions for dust production.

ALMA observations of anisotropic dust mass loss in the inner circumstellar environment of the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

O'Gorman, E.; Vlemmings, W.; Richards, A. M. S.; Baudry, A.; De Beck, E.; Decin, L.; Harper, G. M.; Humphreys, E. M.; Kervella, P.; Khouri, T.; Muller, S.

2015-01-01

The processes leading to dust formation and the subsequent role it plays in driving mass loss in cool evolved stars is an area of intense study. Here we present high resolution ALMA Science Verification data of the continuum emission around the highly evolved oxygen-rich red supergiant VY CMa. These data enable us to study the dust in its inner circumstellar environment at a spatial resolution of 129 mas at 321 GHz and 59 mas at 658 GHz, thus allowing us to trace dust on spatial scales down to 11 R⋆ (71 AU). Two prominent dust components are detected and resolved. The brightest dust component, C, is located 334 mas (61 R⋆) southeast of the star and has a dust mass of at least 2.5 × 10-4 M⊙. It has a dust emissivity spectral index of β = -0.1 at its peak, implying that it is optically thick at these frequencies with a cool core of Td ≲ 100 K. Interestingly, not a single molecule in the ALMA data has emission close to the peak of this massive dust clump. The other main dust component, VY, is located at the position of the star and contains a total dust mass of 4.0 × 10-5 M⊙. It also contains a weaker dust feature extending over 60 R⋆ to the north with the total component having a typical dust emissivity spectral index of β = 0.7. We find that at least 17% of the dust mass around VY CMa is located in clumps ejected within a more quiescent roughly spherical stellar wind, with a quiescent dust mass loss rate of 5 × 10-6 M⊙yr-1. The anisotropic morphology of the dust indicates a continuous, directed mass loss over a few decades, suggesting that this mass loss cannot be driven by large convection cells alone. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Physical processes in circumstellar disks around young stars

CERN Document Server

2011-01-01

Circumstellar disks are vast expanses of dust that form around new stars in the earliest stages of their birth. Predicted by astronomers as early as the eighteenth century, they weren't observed until the late twentieth century, when interstellar imaging technology enabled us to see nascent stars hundreds of light years away. Since then, circumstellar disks have become an area of intense study among astrophysicists, largely because they are thought to be the forerunners of planetary systems like our own-the possible birthplaces of planets.            This volume brings

EVOLUTION OF THE DUST IN V4332 SAGITTARII

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Dipankar P. K.; Ashok, N. M. [Astronomy and Astrophysics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, 380009 (India); Nuth, Joseph A. III [NASA/GSFC, Mail Code: 690, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Misselt, Karl A.; Su, K. Y. L. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065 (United States); Varricatt, Watson P. [United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, 660 N. Aohoku Place, University Park Hilo, Hawaii-96720 (United States); Sand, David [Physics Department, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409 (United States); Marion, G. H. [University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1400, Austin, TX 78712-0259 (United States); Marengo, Massimo [Physics and Astronomy Department, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

2015-12-01

An eruptive nova-like event took place in 1994 in the stellar-merger candidate V4332 Sgr. Following the eruption, dust consisting of refractory silicate-rich dust grains containing a significant component of AlO bonding was formed sometime between 1998 and 2003. Observations using Spitzer between 2005 and 2009 show significant changes in the 10 μm silicate stretch feature. There is a deepening of the 10 μm silicate stretch as well as the development of a feature between about 13 and 20 μm consistent with a blend of the MgO and FeO stretching features and the O–Si–O bending mode of increasingly ordered silicate dust. Near-infrared observations show the presence of AlO and water vapor in the outflow in 2003, 2004, and 2005: the AlO has significantly decreased in spectra obtained in 2014 while the water vapor remains largely unchanged. An attempt is made to correlate these observations and understand the significance of these changes using DUSTY modeling. The observations appear consistent with the kinetically controlled condensation of highly underoxidized SiO/AlO/Fe/Mg dust grains in the outflow followed by the continuous evolution of the initial condensate due to thermal annealing and oxidation of the dust via reaction with ambient O, OH, and H{sub 2}O in the expanding, cooling shell. Periodic monitoring of this dust shell over the mid-infrared spectral range could yield useful information on the evolution of underoxidized silicate condensates exposed to hot water vapor in more conventional circumstellar environments.

Optical spectroscopy of the blue supergiant Sk-69° 279 and its circumstellar shell with SALT

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.; Maryeva, O. V.; Berdnikov, L. N.

2018-02-01

We report the results of optical spectroscopy of the blue supergiant Sk-69° 279 and its circular shell in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). We classify Sk-69° 279 as an O9.2 Iaf star and analyse its spectrum by using the stellar atmosphere code CMFGEN, obtaining a stellar temperature of ≈30 kK, a luminosity of log (L*/ L⊙) = 5.54, a mass-loss rate of log (\\dot{M}/ M_{⊙} yr^{-1}) = -5.26, and a wind velocity of 800km s-1. We found also that Sk-69° 279 possesses an extended atmosphere with an effective temperature of ≈24 kK and that its surface helium and nitrogen abundances are enhanced, respectively, by factors of ≈2 and 20-30. This suggests that either Sk-69° 279 was initially a (single) fast-rotating ( ≳ 400 km s- 1) star, which only recently evolved off the main sequence, or that it is a product of close binary evolution. The long-slit spectroscopy of the shell around Sk-69° 279 revealed that its nitrogen abundance is enhanced by the same factor as the stellar atmosphere, which implies that the shell is composed mostly of the CNO processed material lost by the star. Our findings support previous propositions that some massive stars can produce compact circumstellar shells and, presumably, appear as luminous blue variables while they are still on the main sequence or have only recently left it.

Probing the stability of gravastars by dropping dust shells onto them

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaspar, Merse E; Racz, Istvan, E-mail: merse@rmki.kfki.h, E-mail: iracz@rmki.kfki.h [RMKI, H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly Thege Miklos ut 29-33 (Hungary)

2010-09-21

As a preparation for the dynamical investigations, this paper begins with a short review of the three-layer gravastar model with distinguished attention to the structure of the pertinent parameter space of gravastars in equilibrium. Then the radial stability of these types of gravastars is studied by determining their response for the totally inelastic collision of their surface layer with a dust shell. It is assumed that the dominant energy condition holds and the speed of sound does not exceed that of the light in the matter of the surface layer. While in the analytic setup the equation of state is kept to be generic, in the numerical investigations three functionally distinct classes of equations of states are applied. In the corresponding particular cases the maximal mass of the dust shell that may fall onto a gravastar without converting it into a black hole is determined. For those configurations which remain stable the excursion of their radius is assigned. It is found that even the most compact gravastars cannot get beyond the lower limit of the size of conventional stars, provided that the dominant energy condition holds in both cases. It is also shown-independent of any assumption concerning the matter interbridging the internal de Sitter and the external Schwarzschild regions-that the better a gravastar in mimicking a black hole the easier is to get the system formed by a dust shell and the gravastar beyond the event horizon of the composite system. In addition, a generic description of the totally inelastic collision of spherical shells in spherically symmetric spacetimes is also provided in the appendix.

Circumstellar matter and the nature of the SN1987A progenitor star

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevalier, R.A.; Fransson, C.

1987-01-01

The radio observations of the supernova SN1987A can be interpreted in terms of its interaction with circumstellar matter. The early turn-on of the radio emission implies a relatively low density circumstellar medium. The optical properties of the supernova imply that the progenitor star had a smaller radius than that of a typical type II supernova progenitor. The mass loss properties are consistent with this hypothesis. The authors predict the thermal X-ray luminosity of the supernova, and note that it is below the current upper limit. A bright infrared dust echo is not expected. Weak ultraviolet emission lines from circumstellar gas may be visible. Although the circumstellar density is low, it is possible that the progenitor star did lose a substantial fraction of its mass prior to the supernova explosion. (author)

Rapid formation of large dust grains in the luminous supernova 2010jl.

Science.gov (United States)

Gall, Christa; Hjorth, Jens; Watson, Darach; Dwek, Eli; Maund, Justyn R; Fox, Ori; Leloudas, Giorgos; Malesani, Daniele; Day-Jones, Avril C

2014-07-17

The origin of dust in galaxies is still a mystery. The majority of the refractory elements are produced in supernova explosions, but it is unclear how and where dust grains condense and grow, and how they avoid destruction in the harsh environments of star-forming galaxies. The recent detection of 0.1 to 0.5 solar masses of dust in nearby supernova remnants suggests in situ dust formation, while other observations reveal very little dust in supernovae in the first few years after explosion. Observations of the spectral evolution of the bright SN 2010jl have been interpreted as pre-existing dust, dust formation or no dust at all. Here we report the rapid (40 to 240 days) formation of dust in its dense circumstellar medium. The wavelength-dependent extinction of this dust reveals the presence of very large (exceeding one micrometre) grains, which resist destruction. At later times (500 to 900 days), the near-infrared thermal emission shows an accelerated growth in dust mass, marking the transition of the dust source from the circumstellar medium to the ejecta. This provides the link between the early and late dust mass evolution in supernovae with dense circumstellar media.

WR 120bb and WR 120bc: a pair of WN9h stars with possibly interacting circumstellar shells

Science.gov (United States)

Burgemeister, S.; Gvaramadze, V. V.; Stringfellow, G. S.; Kniazev, A. Y.; Todt, H.; Hamann, W.-R.

2013-03-01

Two optically obscured Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars have been recently discovered by means of their infrared (IR) circumstellar shells, which show signatures of interaction with each other. Following the systematics of the WR star catalogues, these stars obtain the names WR 120bb and WR 120bc. In this paper, we present and analyse new near-IR, J-, H- and K-band spectra using the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model atmosphere code. For that purpose, the atomic data base of the code has been extended in order to include all significant lines in the near-IR bands. The spectra of both stars are classified as WN9h. As their spectra are very similar the parameters that we obtained by the spectral analyses hardly differ. Despite their late spectral subtype, we found relatively high stellar temperatures of 63 kK. The wind composition is dominated by helium, while hydrogen is depleted to 25 per cent by mass. Because of their location in the Scutum-Centaurus Arm, WR 120bb and WR 120bc appear highly reddened, A_{K_s} ≈ 2 mag. We adopt a common distance of 5.8 kpc to both stars, which complies with the typical absolute K-band magnitude for the WN9h subtype of -6.5 mag, is consistent with their observed extinction based on comparison with other massive stars in the region, and allows for the possibility that their shells are interacting with each other. This leads to luminosities of log ({textit {L}/L}_{odot }) = 5.66 and 5.54 for WR 120bb and WR 120bc, with large uncertainties due to the adopted distance. The values of the luminosities of WR 120bb and WR 120bc imply that the immediate precursors of both stars were red supergiants (RSG). This implies in turn that the circumstellar shells associated with WR 120bb and WR 120bc were formed by interaction between the WR wind and the dense material shed during the preceding RSG phase.

IS THE DUST CLOUD AROUND LAMBDA ORIONIS A RING OR A SHELL, OR BOTH?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dukhang; Seon, Kwang-Il; Jo, Young-Soo, E-mail: lee.dukhang@gmail.com [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-20

The dust cloud around λ Orionis is observed to be circularly symmetric with a large angular extent (≈8°). However, whether the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the cloud is shell- or ring-like has not yet been fully resolved. We study the 3D structure using a new approach that combines a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer model for ultraviolet (UV) scattered light and an inverse Abel transform, which gives a detailed 3D radial density profile from a two-dimensional column density map of a spherically symmetric cloud. By comparing the radiative transfer models for a spherical shell cloud and that for a ring cloud, we find that only the shell model can reproduce the radial profile of the scattered UV light, observed using the S2/68 UV observation, suggesting a dust shell structure. However, the inverse Abel transform applied to the column density data from the Pan-STARRS1 dust reddening map results in negative values at a certain radius range of the density profile, indicating the existence of additional, non-spherical clouds near the nebular boundary. The additional cloud component is assumed to be of toroidal ring shape; we subtracted from the column density to obtain a positive, radial density profile using the inverse Abel transform. The resulting density structure, composed of a toroidal ring and a spherical shell, is also found to give a good fit to the UV scattered light profile. We therefore conclude that the cloud around λ Ori is composed of both ring and shell structures.

Gravitational collapse of charged dust shell and maximal slicing condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Keiichi

1980-01-01

The maximal slicing condition is a good time coordinate condition qualitatively when pursuing the gravitational collapse by the numerical calculation. The analytic solution of the gravitational collapse under the maximal slicing condition is given in the case of a spherical charged dust shell and the behavior of time slices with this coordinate condition is investigated. It is concluded that under the maximal slicing condition we can pursue the gravitational collapse until the radius of the shell decreases to about 0.7 x (the radius of the event horizon). (author)

CIRCUMSTELLAR MAGNETITE FROM THE LAP 031117 CO3.0 CHONDRITE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zega, Thomas J. [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, 1629 E. University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092 (United States); Haenecour, Pierre; Floss, Christine [Laboratory for Space Sciences and Physics Department, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1105, St. Louis, MO 63130 (United States); Stroud, Rhonda M., E-mail: tzega@lpl.arizona.edu [Materials Science and Technology Division, Code 6366, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave, SW Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

2015-07-20

We report the first microstructural confirmation of circumstellar magnetite, identified in a petrographic thin section of the LaPaz Icefield 031117 CO3.0 chondrite. The O-isotopic composition of the grain indicates an origin in a low-mass (∼2.2 M{sub ⊙}), approximately solar metallicity red/asymptotic giant branch (RGB/AGB) star undergoing first dredge-up. The magnetite is a single crystal measuring 750 × 670 nm, is free of defects, and is stoichiometric Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}. We hypothesize that the magnetite formed via oxidation of previously condensed Fe dust within the circumstellar envelope of its progenitor star. Using an empirically derived rate constant for this reaction, we calculate that such oxidation could have occurred over timescales ranging from approximately ∼9000–500,000 years. This timescale is within the lifetime of estimates for dust condensation within RGB/AGB stars.

METAMORPHOSIS OF SN 2014C: DELAYED INTERACTION BETWEEN A HYDROGEN POOR CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA AND A NEARBY CIRCUMSTELLAR SHELL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milisavljevic, D.; Margutti, R.; Kamble, A.; Patnaude, D. J.; Raymond, J. C.; Challis, P.; Drout, M. R.; Grindlay, J. E.; Kirshner, R. P.; Lunnan, R.; Miller, G. F.; Parrent, J. T.; Sanders, N. E.; Eldridge, J. J.; Fong, W.; Bietenholz, M.; Chornock, R.; Fransson, C.; Fesen, R. A.; Mackey, J.

2015-01-01

We present optical observations of supernova SN 2014C, which underwent an unprecedented slow metamorphosis from H-poor type Ib to H-rich type IIn over the course of one year. The observed spectroscopic evolution is consistent with the supernova having exploded in a cavity before encountering a massive shell of the progenitor star’s stripped hydrogen envelope. Possible origins for the circumstellar shell include a brief Wolf–Rayet fast wind phase that overtook a slower red supergiant wind, eruptive ejection, or confinement of circumstellar material by external influences of neighboring stars. An extended high velocity Hα absorption feature seen in near-maximum light spectra implies that the progenitor star was not completely stripped of hydrogen at the time of core collapse. Archival pre-explosion Subaru Telescope Suprime-Cam and Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images of the region obtained in 2009 show a coincident source that is most likely a compact massive star cluster in NGC 7331 that hosted the progenitor system. By comparing the emission properties of the source with stellar population models that incorporate interacting binary stars we estimate the age of the host cluster to be 30–300 Myr, and favor ages closer to 30 Myr in light of relatively strong Hα emission. SN 2014C is the best observed member of a class of core-collapse supernovae that fill the gap between events that interact strongly with dense, nearby environments immediately after explosion and those that never show signs of interaction. Better understanding of the frequency and nature of this intermediate population can contribute valuable information about the poorly understood final stages of stellar evolution

METAMORPHOSIS OF SN 2014C: DELAYED INTERACTION BETWEEN A HYDROGEN POOR CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA AND A NEARBY CIRCUMSTELLAR SHELL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milisavljevic, D.; Margutti, R.; Kamble, A.; Patnaude, D. J.; Raymond, J. C.; Challis, P.; Drout, M. R.; Grindlay, J. E.; Kirshner, R. P.; Lunnan, R.; Miller, G. F.; Parrent, J. T.; Sanders, N. E. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138 (United States); Eldridge, J. J. [Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand); Fong, W. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Bietenholz, M. [Hartebeesthoek Radio Observatory, P.O. Box 443, Krugersdorp 1740 (South Africa); Chornock, R. [Astrophysical Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 251B Clippinger Lab, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 (United States); Fransson, C. [Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, SE106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Fesen, R. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, 6127 Wilder Lab, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Mackey, J., E-mail: dmilisav@cfa.harvard.edu [Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hgel 71, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); and others

2015-12-20

We present optical observations of supernova SN 2014C, which underwent an unprecedented slow metamorphosis from H-poor type Ib to H-rich type IIn over the course of one year. The observed spectroscopic evolution is consistent with the supernova having exploded in a cavity before encountering a massive shell of the progenitor star’s stripped hydrogen envelope. Possible origins for the circumstellar shell include a brief Wolf–Rayet fast wind phase that overtook a slower red supergiant wind, eruptive ejection, or confinement of circumstellar material by external influences of neighboring stars. An extended high velocity Hα absorption feature seen in near-maximum light spectra implies that the progenitor star was not completely stripped of hydrogen at the time of core collapse. Archival pre-explosion Subaru Telescope Suprime-Cam and Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images of the region obtained in 2009 show a coincident source that is most likely a compact massive star cluster in NGC 7331 that hosted the progenitor system. By comparing the emission properties of the source with stellar population models that incorporate interacting binary stars we estimate the age of the host cluster to be 30–300 Myr, and favor ages closer to 30 Myr in light of relatively strong Hα emission. SN 2014C is the best observed member of a class of core-collapse supernovae that fill the gap between events that interact strongly with dense, nearby environments immediately after explosion and those that never show signs of interaction. Better understanding of the frequency and nature of this intermediate population can contribute valuable information about the poorly understood final stages of stellar evolution.

Oxygen-rich Mass Loss with a Pinch of Salt: NaCl in the Circumstellar Gas of IK Tauri and VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Milam, S. N.; Apponi, A. J.; Woolf, N. J.; Ziurys, L. M.

2007-10-01

The NaCl molecule has been observed in the circumstellar envelopes of VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) and IK Tauri (IK Tau)-the first identifications of a metal refractory in oxygen-rich shells of evolved stars. Five rotational transitions of NaCl at 1 and 2 mm were detected toward VY CMa and three 1 mm lines were observed toward IK Tau, using the telescopes of the Arizona Radio Observatory. In both objects, the line widths of the NaCl profiles were extremely narrow relative to those of other molecules, indicating that sodium chloride has not reached the terminal outflow velocity in either star, likely a result of early condensation onto grains. Modeling the observed spectra suggests abundances, relative to H2, of f~5×10-9 in VY CMa and f~4×10-9 in IK Tau, with source sizes of 0.5" and 0.3", respectively. The extent of these sources is consistent with the size of the dust acceleration zones in both stars. NaCl therefore appears to be at least as abundant in O-rich shells as compared to C-rich envelopes, where f~(0.2-2)×10-9, although it appears to condense out earlier in the O-rich case. Chemical equilibrium calculations indicate that NaCl is the major carrier of sodium at T~1100 K for oxygen-rich stars, with predicted fractional abundances in good agreement with the observations. These measurements suggest that crystalline salt may be an important condensate for sodium in both C- and O-rich circumstellar shells.

A dust shell around the early-type Wolf-Ryate star WR 19

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, P.M.; Hucht, K.A. van der; Bouchet, P.

1990-01-01

Infrared photometry of the WC4-type Wolf-Rayet star WR 19 (LS 3) in 1988-90 shows evidence for an expanding dust shell in its wind, similar to those observed from late-type WR stars like WR 48a (WC8), WR 140 (WC7+04) and WR 137 (WC7+). This demonstrates that dust formation by Wolf-Rayet stars is not restricted to later WC subtypes and is more common than hitherto supposed. (author)

Dust Spectroscopy and the Nature of Grains

Science.gov (United States)

Tielens, A. G. G. M.

2006-01-01

Ground-based, air-borne and space-based, infrared spectra of a wide variety of objects have revealed prominent absorption and emission features due to large molecules and small dust grains. Analysis of this data reveals a highly diverse interstellar and circumstellar grain inventory, including both amorphous materials and highly crystalline compounds (silicates and carbon). This diversity points towards a wide range of physical and chemical birthsites as well as a complex processing of these grains in the interstellar medium. In this talk, I will review the dust inventory contrasting and comparing both the interstellar and circumstellar reservoirs. The focus will be on the processes that play a role in the lifecycle of dust in the interstellar medium.

Dust-forming molecules in VY Canis Majoris (and Betelgeuse)

Science.gov (United States)

Kamiński, T.; Gottlieb, C. A.; Schmidt, M. R.; Patel, N. A.; Young, K. H.; Menten, K. M.; Brünken, S.; Müller, H. S. P.; Winters, J. M.; McCarthy, M. C.

2013-05-01

The formation of inorganic dust in circumstellar environments of evolved stars is poorly understood. Spectra of molecules thought to be most important for the nucleation, i.e. AlO, TiO, and TiO2, have been recently detected in the red supergiant VY CMa. These molecules are effectively formed in VY CMa and the observations suggest that non-equilibrium chemistry must be involved in their formation and nucleation into dust. In addition to exploring the recent observations of VY CMa, we briefly discuss the possibility of detecting these molecules in the "dust-poor" circumstellar environment of Betelgeuse.

Circumstellar Material on and off the Main Sequence

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Amy; Debes, John H.; Deming, Drake

2017-06-01

There is evidence of circumstellar material around main sequence, giant, and white dwarf stars that originates from the small-body population of planetary systems. These bodies tell us something about the chemistry and evolution of protoplanetary disks and the planetary systems they form. What happens to this material as its host star evolves off the main sequence, and how does that inform our understanding of the typical chemistry of rocky bodies in planetary systems? In this talk, I will discuss the composition(s) of circumstellar material on and off the main sequence to begin to answer the question, “Is Earth normal?” In particular, I look at three types of debris disks to understand the typical chemistry of planetary systems—young debris disks, debris disks around giant stars, and dust around white dwarfs. I will review the current understanding on how to infer dust composition for each class of disk, and present new work on constraining dust composition from infrared excesses around main sequence and giant stars. Finally, dusty and polluted white dwarfs hold a unique key to our understanding of the composition of rocky bodies around other stars. In particular, I will discuss WD1145+017, which has a transiting, disintegrating planetesimal. I will review what we know about this system through high speed photometry and spectroscopy and present new work on understanding the complex interplay of physics that creates white dwarf pollution from the disintegration of rocky bodies.

Guilt by Association: The 13 Micron Dust Emission Feature and Its Correlation to Other Gas and Dust Features

Science.gov (United States)

Sloan, G. C.; Kraemer, Kathleen E.; Goebel, J. H.; Price, Stephan D.

2003-09-01

A study of all full-scan spectra of optically thin oxygen-rich circumstellar dust shells in the database produced by the Short Wavelength Spectrometer on ISO reveals that the strength of several infrared spectral features correlates with the strength of the 13 μm dust feature. These correlated features include dust features at 19.8 and 28.1 μm and the bands produced by warm carbon dioxide molecules (the strongest of which are at 13.9, 15.0, and 16.2 μm). The database does not provide any evidence for a correlation of the 13 μm feature with a dust feature at 32 μm, and it is more likely that a weak emission feature at 16.8 μm arises from carbon dioxide gas rather than dust. The correlated dust features at 13, 20, and 28 μm tend to be stronger with respect to the total dust emission in semiregular and irregular variables associated with the asymptotic giant branch than in Mira variables or supergiants. This family of dust features also tends to be stronger in systems with lower infrared excesses and thus lower mass-loss rates. We hypothesize that the dust features arise from crystalline forms of alumina (13 μm) and silicates (20 and 28 μm). Based on observations with the ISO, a European Space Agency (ESA) project with instruments funded by ESA member states (especially the Principal Investigator countries: France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) and with the participation of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

CIRCUMSTELLAR DEBRIS DISKS: DIAGNOSING THE UNSEEN PERTURBER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nesvold, Erika R. [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Rd., Washington, DC 20015 (United States); Naoz, Smadar; Vican, Laura [Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, 475 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Farr, Will M. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2016-07-20

The first indication of the presence of a circumstellar debris disk is usually the detection of excess infrared emission from the population of small dust grains orbiting the star. This dust is short-lived, requiring continual replenishment, and indicating that the disk must be excited by an unseen perturber. Previous theoretical studies have demonstrated that an eccentric planet orbiting interior to the disk will stir the larger bodies in the belt and produce dust via interparticle collisions. However, motivated by recent observations, we explore another possible mechanism for heating a debris disk: a stellar-mass perturber orbiting exterior to and inclined to the disk and exciting the disk particles’ eccentricities and inclinations via the Kozai–Lidov mechanism. We explore the consequences of an exterior perturber on the evolution of a debris disk using secular analysis and collisional N -body simulations. We demonstrate that a Kozai–Lidov excited disk can generate a dust disk via collisions and we compare the results of the Kozai–Lidov excited disk with a simulated disk perturbed by an interior eccentric planet. Finally, we propose two observational tests of a dust disk that can distinguish whether the dust was produced by an exterior brown dwarf or stellar companion or an interior eccentric planet.

Mid-IR Observations of Mira Circumstellar Environment

OpenAIRE

Marengo, Massimo; Karovska, Margarita; Fazio, Giovanni G.; Hora, Joseph L.; Hoffmann, William F.; Dayal, Aditya; Deutsch, Lynne K.

2001-01-01

This paper presents results from high-angular resolution mid-IR imaging of the Mira AB circumbinary environment using the MIRAC3 camera at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We resolved the dusty circumstellar envelope at 9.8, 11.7 and 18 micron around Mira A (o Ceti), and measured the size of the extended emission. Strong deviations from spherical symmetry are detected in the images of Mira AB system, including possible dust clumps in the direction of the companion (Mira B). These ...

Observations of Circumstellar Thermochemical Equilibrium: The Case of Phosphorus

Science.gov (United States)

Milam, Stefanie N.; Charnley, Steven B.

2011-01-01

We will present observations of phosphorus-bearing species in circumstellar envelopes, including carbon- and oxygen-rich shells 1. New models of thermochemical equilibrium chemistry have been developed to interpret, and constrained by these data. These calculations will also be presented and compared to the numerous P-bearing species already observed in evolved stars. Predictions for other viable species will be made for observations with Herschel and ALMA.

Two extremely luminous WN stars in the Galactic center with circumstellar emission from dust and gas

OpenAIRE

Barniske, A.; Oskinova, L. M.; Hamann, W. -R.

2008-01-01

We study relatively isolated massive WN-type stars in the Galactic center. The K-band spectra of WR102ka and WR102c are exploited to infer the stellar parameters and to compute synthetic stellar spectra using the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. These models are combined with dust-shell models for analyzing the Spitzer IRS spectra of these objects. Archival IR images complement the interpretation. We report that WR102ka and WR102c are among the most luminous stars in the Milky...

DUST DISTRIBUTION IN THE β PICTORIS CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmic, Mirza; Croll, Bryce; Artymowicz, Pawel

2009-01-01

We present three-dimensional models of dust distribution around β Pictoris that produce the best fits to the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys' images obtained by Golimowski and coworkers. We allow for the presence of either one or two separate axisymmetric dust disks. The density models are analytical, radial two power laws joined smoothly at a crossover radius with density exponentially decreasing away from the midplane of the disks. Two-disk models match the data best, yielding a reduced χ 2 of ∼1.2. Our two-disk model reproduces many of the asymmetries reported in the literature and suggests that it is the secondary (tilted) disk which is largely responsible for them. Our model suggests that the secondary disk is not constrained to the inner regions of the system (extending out to at least 250 AU) and that it has a slightly larger total area of dust than the primary, as a result of slower falloff of density with radius and height. This surprising result raises many questions about the origin and dynamics of such a pair of disks. The disks overlap, but can coexist owing to their low optical depths and therefore long mean collision times. We find that the two disks have dust replenishment times on the order of 10 4 yr at ∼100 AU, hinting at the presence of planetesimals that are responsible for the production of second generation dust. A plausible conjecture, which needs to be confirmed by physical modeling of the collisional dynamics of bodies in the disks, is that the two observed disks are derived from underlying planetesimal disks; such disks would be anchored by the gravitational influence of planets located at less than 70 AU from β Pic that are themselves in slightly inclined orbits.

High-Resolution Near-Infrared Polarimetry of a Circumstellar Disk around UX Tau A

Science.gov (United States)

Serabyn, G.; Grady, C. A.; Currie, T.

2012-01-01

We present H-band polarimetric imagery of UX Tau A taken with HiCIAO/AO188 on the Subaru Telescope. UX Tau A has been classified as a pre-transitional disk object, with a gap structure separating its inner and outer disks. Our imagery taken with the 0.15" (21 AU) radius coronagraphic mask has revealed a strongly polarized circumstellar disk surrounding UX Tau A which extends to 120 AU, at a spatial resolution of 0.1" (14 AU). It is inclined by 46 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees as the west side is nearest. Although SED modeling and sub-millimeter imagery suggested the presence of a gap in the disk, with the inner edge of the outer disk estimated to be located at 25 - 30 AU, we detect no evidence of a gap at the limit of our inner working angle (23AU) at the near-infrared wavelength. We attribute the observed strong polarization (up to 66 %) to light scattering by dust grains in the disk. However, neither polarization models of the circumstellar disk based on Rayleigh scattering nor Mie scattering approximations were consistent with the observed azimuthal profile of the polarization degrees of the disk. Instead, a geometric optics model of the disk with nonspherical grains with the radii of 30 micrometers is consistent with the observed profile. We suggest that the dust grains have experienced frequent collisional coagulations and have grown in the circumstellar disk of UX Tau A.

A High-mass Protobinary System with Spatially Resolved Circumstellar Accretion Disks and Circumbinary Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, S.; Kluska, J.; Kreplin, A.; Bate, M.; Harries, T. J.; Hone, E.; Anugu, A. [School of Physics, Astrophysics Group, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Hofmann, K.-H.; Weigelt, G. [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Monnier, J. D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 311 West Hall, 1085 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); De Wit, W. J. [ESO, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago 19 (Chile); Wittkowski, M., E-mail: skraus@astro.ex.ac.uk [ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany)

2017-01-20

High-mass multiples might form via fragmentation of self-gravitational disks or alternative scenarios such as disk-assisted capture. However, only a few observational constraints exist on the architecture and disk structure of high-mass protobinaries and their accretion properties. Here, we report the discovery of a close (57.9 ± 0.2 mas = 170 au) high-mass protobinary, IRAS17216-3801, where our VLTI/GRAVITY+AMBER near-infrared interferometry allows us to image the circumstellar disks around the individual components with ∼3 mas resolution. We estimate the component masses to ∼20 and ∼18 M {sub ⊙} and find that the radial intensity profiles can be reproduced with an irradiated disk model, where the inner regions are excavated of dust, likely tracing the dust sublimation region in these disks. The circumstellar disks are strongly misaligned with respect to the binary separation vector, which indicates that the tidal forces did not have time to realign the disks, pointing toward a young dynamical age of the system. We constrain the distribution of the Br γ and CO-emitting gas using VLTI/GRAVITY spectro-interferometry and VLT/CRIRES spectro-astrometry and find that the secondary is accreting at a higher rate than the primary. VLT/NACO imaging shows L ′-band emission on (3–4)× larger scales than the binary separation, matching the expected dynamical truncation radius for the circumbinary disk. The IRAS17216-3801 system is ∼3× more massive and ∼5× more compact than other high-mass multiplies imaged at infrared wavelength and the first high-mass protobinary system where circumstellar and circumbinary dust disks could be spatially resolved. This opens exciting new opportunities for studying star–disk interactions and the role of multiplicity in high-mass star formation.

Experimental study on the strength parameter of Quarry Dust mixed Coconut Shell Concrete adding Coconut Fibre

Science.gov (United States)

Matangulu Shrestha, Victor; Anandh, S.; Sindhu Nachiar, S.

2017-07-01

Concrete is a heterogeneous mixture constitute of cement as the main ingredient with a different mix of fine and coarse aggregate. The massive use of conventional concrete has a shortfall in its key ingredients, natural sand and coarse aggregate, due to increased industrialisation and globalisation. To overcome the shortage of material, an alternate material with similar mechanical properties and composition has to be studied, as replacement of conventional concrete. Coconut shell concrete is a prime option as replacement of key ingredients of conventional concrete as coconut is produced in massive quantity in south East Asia. Coconut shell concrete is lightweight concrete and different research is still ongoing concerning about its mix design and composition in the construction industry. Concrete is weak in tension as compared to compression, hence the fibre is used to refrain the crack in the concrete. Coconut fibre is one of many fibres which can be used in concrete. The main aim of this project is to analyse the use of natural by-products in the construction industry, make light weight concrete and eco-friendly construction. This project concerns with the comparison of the mechanical properties of coconut shell concrete and conventional concrete, replacing fine aggregate with quarry dust using coconut fibre. M25 grade of concrete was adopted and testing of concrete was done at the age of 3, 7 and 28 days. In this concrete mix, sand was replaced completely in volumetric measurement by quarry dust. The result was analysed and compared with addition of coconut fibre at varying percentage of 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5%. From the test conducted, coconut shell concrete with quarry dust has the maximum value at 4% of coconut fibre while conventional concrete showed the maximum value at 2% of coconut fibre.

Disk Detective: Discovery of New Circumstellar Disk Candidates through Citizen Science

OpenAIRE

Kuchner, Marc J.; Silverberg, Steven M.; Bans, Alissa S.; Bhattacharjee, Shambo; Kenyon, Scott J.; Debes, John H.; Currie, Thayne; Garcia, Luciano; Jung, Dawoon; Lintott, Chris; McElwain, Michael; Padgett, Deborah L.; Rebull, Luisa M.; Wisniewski, John P.; Nesvold, Erika

2016-01-01

The Disk Detective citizen science project aims to find new stars with 22 μm excess emission from circumstellar dust using data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. Initial cuts on the AllWISE catalog provide an input catalog of 277,686 sources. Volunteers then view images of each source online in 10 different bands to identify false positives (galaxies, interstellar matter, image artifacts, etc.). Sources that survive this online vetting are followed up with spectr...

Dust formation and ionization in novae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Tetsuo; Sato, Shuji; Nariai, Kyoji.

1979-01-01

In order to explain the fact that some novae show the increase of infrared radiation indicating the formation of circumstellar dust grains while some others do not, the theory that the formation of dust in the circumstellar envelope of a nova depends on the intensity of ultraviolet radiation from a central star has been presented. It is known that the central star of a nova emits radiation at nearly constant rate, and its effective temperature rises. It was concluded that the novae with higher emission than a certain value are the poor candidates for dust formation because the whole envelope is ionized before dust is formed. But this conclusion is misleading. The evolution of the ultraviolet radiation emanating from a central star is summarized. The condensation of grains is possible when the partial pressure of the vapor, from which the grains are formed, becomes higher than the saturation vapor pressure. The temperature of grains can be estimated by equating the radiations absorbed and emitted. The grains evaporate if the grain temperature is higher than the condensation temperature. The formation of a Stroemgren sphere in the exploding envelope of a nova is discussed. For the formation of grains, it is necessary that temperature drops below the condensation temperature before the whole envelope is ionized. Hence dust grains do not grow if the grain temperature at a phase is higher than the condensation temperature. (Kako, I.)

COMPARATIVE SPECTRA OF OXYGEN-RICH VERSUS CARBON-RICH CIRCUMSTELLAR SHELLS: VY CANIS MAJORIS AND IRC +10216 AT 215-285 GHz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tenenbaum, E. D.; Dodd, J. L.; Woolf, N. J.; Ziurys, L. M.; Milam, S. N.

2010-01-01

A sensitive (1σ rms at 1 MHz resolution ∼3 mK) 1 mm spectral line survey (214.5-285.5 GHz) of VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) and IRC +10216 has been conducted to compare the chemistries of oxygen- and carbon-rich circumstellar envelopes. This study was carried out using the Submillimeter Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory with a new Atacama Large Millimeter Array type receiver. This survey is the first to chemically characterize an O-rich circumstellar shell at millimeter wavelengths. In VY CMa, 128 emission features were detected arising from 18 different molecules; and in IRC +10216, 720 lines were observed, assigned to 32 different species. The 1 mm spectrum of VY CMa is dominated by SO 2 and SiS; in IRC +10216, C 4 H and SiC 2 are the most recurrent species. Ten molecules were common to both sources: CO, SiS, SiO, CS, CN, HCN, HNC, NaCl, PN, and HCO + . Sulfur plays an important role in VY CMa, but saturated/unsaturated carbon dominates the molecular content of IRC +10216, producing CH 2 NH, for example. Although the molecular complexity of IRC +10216 is greater, VY CMa supports a unique 'inorganic' chemistry leading to the oxides PO, AlO, and AlOH. Only diatomic and triatomic compounds were observed in VY CMa, while species with four or more atoms are common in IRC +10216, reflecting carbon's ability to form multiple strong bonds, unlike oxygen. In VY CMa, a new water maser (v 2 = 2) has been found, as well as vibrationally excited NaCl. Toward IRC +10216, vibrationally excited CCH was detected for the first time.

Comparative Spectra of Oxygen-rich Versus Carbon-rich Circumstellar Shells: VY Canis Majoris and IRC +10216 at 215-285 GHz

Science.gov (United States)

Tenenbaum, E. D.; Dodd, J. L.; Milam, S. N.; Woolf, N. J.; Ziurys, L. M.

2010-09-01

A sensitive (1σ rms at 1 MHz resolution ~3 mK) 1 mm spectral line survey (214.5-285.5 GHz) of VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) and IRC +10216 has been conducted to compare the chemistries of oxygen- and carbon-rich circumstellar envelopes. This study was carried out using the Submillimeter Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory with a new Atacama Large Millimeter Array type receiver. This survey is the first to chemically characterize an O-rich circumstellar shell at millimeter wavelengths. In VY CMa, 128 emission features were detected arising from 18 different molecules; and in IRC +10216, 720 lines were observed, assigned to 32 different species. The 1 mm spectrum of VY CMa is dominated by SO2 and SiS; in IRC +10216, C4H and SiC2 are the most recurrent species. Ten molecules were common to both sources: CO, SiS, SiO, CS, CN, HCN, HNC, NaCl, PN, and HCO+. Sulfur plays an important role in VY CMa, but saturated/unsaturated carbon dominates the molecular content of IRC +10216, producing CH2NH, for example. Although the molecular complexity of IRC +10216 is greater, VY CMa supports a unique "inorganic" chemistry leading to the oxides PO, AlO, and AlOH. Only diatomic and triatomic compounds were observed in VY CMa, while species with four or more atoms are common in IRC +10216, reflecting carbon's ability to form multiple strong bonds, unlike oxygen. In VY CMa, a new water maser (v 2 = 2) has been found, as well as vibrationally excited NaCl. Toward IRC +10216, vibrationally excited CCH was detected for the first time.

Stirring up the dust: a dynamical model for halo-like dust clouds in transitional disks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijt, S.; Dominik, C.

2011-01-01

Context. A small number of young stellar objects show signs of a halo-like structure of optically thin dust, in addition to a circumstellar disk. This halo or torus is located within a few AU of the star, but its origin has not yet been understood. Aims. A dynamically excited cloud of planetesimals

Detached dust shell around Wolf-Rayet star WR60-6 in the young stellar cluster VVV CL036

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borissova, J.; Amigo, P.; Kurtev, R. [Departamento de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Casilla 5030 (Chile); Kumar, M. S. N. [Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal); Chené, A.-N. [Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, 670 North A' ohoku Place Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Minniti, D., E-mail: jura.borissova@uv.cl [Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Facultad de Física, Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 782-0436 Macul, Santiago (Chile)

2014-01-01

The discovery of a detached dust shell around the Wolf-Rayet (WR) star WR60-6 in the young stellar cluster VVV CL036 is reported. This shell is uncovered through the Spitzer-MIPS 24 μm image, where it appears brightest, and it is invisible at shorter wavelengths. Using new APEX observations and other data available from the literature, we have estimated some of the shell parameters: the inner and outer radii of 0.15 and 0.90 pc, respectively; the overall systemic velocity of the molecular {sup 12}CO(3 → 2) emission of –45.7 ± 2.3 km s{sup –1}; an expansion velocity of the gas of 16.3 ± 1 km s{sup –1}; the dust temperature and opacity of 122 ± 12 K and 1.04, respectively; and an age of 2.8 × 10{sup 4} yr. The WR star displays some cyclic variability. The mass computed for the WR60-6 nebula indicates that the material was probably ejected during its previous stages of evolution. In addition, we have identified a bright spot very close to the shell, which can be associated with the Midcourse Space Experiment source G312.13+00.20.

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Temim, Tea [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Dwek, Eli; Arendt, Richard G. [Observational Cosmology Lab, Code 665, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Borkowski, Kazimierz J.; Reynolds, Stephen P. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Slane, Patrick; Raymond, John C. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Gelfand, Joseph D. [New York University, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

2017-02-10

While theoretical models of dust condensation predict that most refractory elements produced in core-collapse supernovae (SNe) efficiently condense into dust, a large quantity of dust has so far only been observed in SN 1987A. We present an analysis of observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope , Herschel Space Observatory , Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, and AKARI of the infrared shell surrounding the pulsar wind nebula in the supernova remnant G54.1+0.3. We attribute a distinctive spectral feature at 21 μ m to a magnesium silicate grain species that has been invoked in modeling the ejecta-condensed dust in Cas A, which exhibits the same spectral signature. If this species is responsible for producing the observed spectral feature and accounts for a significant fraction of the observed infrared continuum, we find that it would be the dominant constituent of the dust in G54.1+0.3, with possible secondary contributions from other compositions, such as carbon, silicate, or alumina grains. The total mass of SN-formed dust required by this model is at least 0.3 M {sub ⊙}. We discuss 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 SN-formed dust has not yet been processed by the SN reverse shock and is being heated by stars belonging to a cluster in which the SN progenitor exploded. The dust mass and composition suggest a progenitor mass of 16–27 M {sub ⊙} and imply a high dust condensation efficiency, similar to that found for Cas A and SN 1987A. The study provides another example of significant dust formation in a Type IIP SN explosion and sheds light on the properties of pristine SN-condensed dust.

SOFIA OBSERVATIONS OF SN 2010jl: ANOTHER NON-DETECTION OF THE 9.7 μm SILICATE DUST FEATURE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Brian J.; Fox, Ori D.

2015-01-01

We present photometric observations from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) at 11.1 μm of the Type IIn supernova (SN IIn) 2010jl. The SN is undetected by SOFIA, but the upper limits obtained, combined with new and archival detections from Spitzer at 3.6 and 4.5 μm, allow us to characterize the composition of the dust present. Dust in other SN IIn has been shown in previous works to reside in a circumstellar shell of material ejected by the progenitor system in the few millenia prior to explosion. Our model fits show that the dust in the system shows no evidence for the strong, ubiquitous 9.7 μm feature from silicate dust, suggesting the presence of carbonaceous grains. The observations are best fit with 0.01–0.05 M ⊙ of carbonaceous dust radiating at a temperature of ∼550–620 K. The dust composition may reveal clues concerning the nature of the progenitor system, which remains ambiguous for this subclass. Most of the single star progenitor systems proposed for SNe IIn, such as luminous blue variables, red supergiants, yellow hypergiants, and B[e] stars, all clearly show silicate dust in their pre-SN outflows. However, this post-SN result is consistent with the small sample of SNe IIn with mid-IR observations, none of which show signs of emission from silicate dust in their IR spectra

SOFIA OBSERVATIONS OF SN 2010jl: ANOTHER NON-DETECTION OF THE 9.7 μm SILICATE DUST FEATURE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Brian J. [CRESST and X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA/GSFC, Code 662, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Fox, Ori D., E-mail: brian.j.williams@nasa.gov [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2015-07-20

We present photometric observations from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) at 11.1 μm of the Type IIn supernova (SN IIn) 2010jl. The SN is undetected by SOFIA, but the upper limits obtained, combined with new and archival detections from Spitzer at 3.6 and 4.5 μm, allow us to characterize the composition of the dust present. Dust in other SN IIn has been shown in previous works to reside in a circumstellar shell of material ejected by the progenitor system in the few millenia prior to explosion. Our model fits show that the dust in the system shows no evidence for the strong, ubiquitous 9.7 μm feature from silicate dust, suggesting the presence of carbonaceous grains. The observations are best fit with 0.01–0.05 M{sub ⊙} of carbonaceous dust radiating at a temperature of ∼550–620 K. The dust composition may reveal clues concerning the nature of the progenitor system, which remains ambiguous for this subclass. Most of the single star progenitor systems proposed for SNe IIn, such as luminous blue variables, red supergiants, yellow hypergiants, and B[e] stars, all clearly show silicate dust in their pre-SN outflows. However, this post-SN result is consistent with the small sample of SNe IIn with mid-IR observations, none of which show signs of emission from silicate dust in their IR spectra.

Measurement of Circumstellar Disk Sizes in the Upper Scorpius OB Association with ALMA

Science.gov (United States)

Barenfeld, Scott A.; Carpenter, John M.; Sargent, Anneila I.; Isella, Andrea; Ricci, Luca

2017-12-01

We present detailed modeling of the spatial distributions of gas and dust in 57 circumstellar disks in the Upper Scorpius OB Association observed with ALMA at submillimeter wavelengths. We fit power-law models to the dust surface density and CO J = 3–2 surface brightness to measure the radial extent of dust and gas in these disks. We found that these disks are extremely compact: the 25 highest signal-to-noise disks have a median dust outer radius of 21 au, assuming an {R}-1 dust surface density profile. Our lack of CO detections in the majority of our sample is consistent with these small disk sizes assuming the dust and CO share the same spatial distribution. Of seven disks in our sample with well-constrained dust and CO radii, four appear to be more extended in CO, although this may simply be due to the higher optical depth of the CO. Comparison of the Upper Sco results with recent analyses of disks in Taurus, Ophiuchus, and Lupus suggests that the dust disks in Upper Sco may be approximately three times smaller in size than their younger counterparts, although we caution that a more uniform analysis of the data across all regions is needed. We discuss the implications of these results for disk evolution.

A Model of Silicate Grain Nucleation and Growth in Circumstellar Outflows

Science.gov (United States)

Paquette, John A.; Ferguson, Frank T.; Nuth, Joseph A., III

2011-01-01

Based on its abundance, high bond energy, and recent measurements of its vapor pressure SiO is a natural candidate for dust nucleation in circumstellar outflows around asymptotic giant branch stars. In this paper, we describe a model of the nucleation and growth of silicate dust in such outflows. The sensitivity of the model to varying choices of poorly constrained chemical parameters is explored, and the merits of using scaled rather than classical nucleation theory are briefly considered, An elaboration of the model that includes magnesium and iron as growth species is then presented and discussed. The composition of the bulk of the grains derived from the model is consistent with olivines and pyroxenes, but somewhat metal-rich grains and very small, nearly pure SiO grains are also produced,

On the possibility of wormhole formation due to quantum effects in the gravitational collapse of a small dust shell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cruz P, G.; Minzoni, A.; Padilla, P. [Proyecto Universitario en Fenomenos Nolineales y Mecanica Instituto de Investigaciones en Matematicas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 20-726, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Rosenbaum, M.; Ryan, M.P. Jr. [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Proyecto Universitario en Fenomenos Nolineales y Mecanica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 70-543, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Smyth, N.F. [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Edinburgh, The King' s Building, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, EH9 3JZ (United Kingdom); Vukasinac, T. [Facultad de Economia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, A.P. 2-82, 58030 Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico)

2003-07-01

In the present note we outline the main steps towards the analysis of wormhole formation during the quantum collapse of a spherical dust shell. We define the quantum observable {theta}, corresponding to the classical trace of the expansion tensor, and calculate its expected value in order to obtain information about the geometry of space-time around the shell. We show that the local quantum geometry represents a wormhole. (Author)

On the possibility of wormhole formation due to quantum effects in the gravitational collapse of a small dust shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz P, G.; Minzoni, A.; Padilla, P.; Rosenbaum, M.; Ryan, M.P. Jr.; Smyth, N.F.; Vukasinac, T.

2003-01-01

In the present note we outline the main steps towards the analysis of wormhole formation during the quantum collapse of a spherical dust shell. We define the quantum observable Θ, corresponding to the classical trace of the expansion tensor, and calculate its expected value in order to obtain information about the geometry of space-time around the shell. We show that the local quantum geometry represents a wormhole. (Author)

Comparative Spectra of Oxygen-Rich Versus Carbon-Rich Circumstellar Shells: VY Canis Majoris and IRC(plus)10216 at 215-285 GHz

Science.gov (United States)

Tenebaum, E. D.; Dodd, J. L.; Milam, S. N.; Woolf, N. J.; Ziurys, L. M.

2010-01-01

A sensitive (1sigma rms at 1 MHz resolution approx.3 mK) 1 mm spectral line survey (214.5-285.5 GHz) of VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) and IRC +10216 has been conducted to compare the chemistries of oxygen- and carbon-rich circumstellar envelopes. This study was carried out using the Submillimeter Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory with a new Atacama Large Millimeter Array type receiver. This survey is the first to chemically characterize an O-rich circumstellar shell at millimeter wavelengths. In VY CMa, 128 emission features were detected arising from 18 different molecules; and in IRC +10216, 720 lines were observed, assigned to 32 different species. The 1 mm spectrum of VY CMa is dominated by SO, and SiS; in IRC +10216, C4H and SiC2 are the most recurrent species. Ten molecules were common to both sources: CO, SiS, SiO, CS, CN, HCN, HNC, NaCl, PN, and HCO(+). Sulfur plays an important role in VY CMa, but saturated/ unsaturated carbon dominates the molecular content of IRC +102.16, producing CH2NH, for example. Although the molecular complexity of IRC +10216 is greater, VY CMa supports a unique "inorganic" chemistry leading to the oxides PO, AlO, and AlOH. Only diatomic and triatomic compounds were observed in VY CMa, while species with four or more atoms are common in IRC +10216, reflecting carbon's ability to form multiple strong bonds, unlike oxygen. In VY CMa, a new water maser (v2 = 2) has been found, as well as vibrationally excited NaCl. Toward IRC +10216, vibrationally excited CCH was detected for the first time.

WHAT IS THE SHELL AROUND R CORONAE BOREALIS?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montiel, Edward J.; Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Marcello, Dominic C. [Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Lockman, Felix J., E-mail: emonti2@lsu.edu, E-mail: gclayton@fenway.phys.lsu.edu, E-mail: dmarce1@tigers.lsu.edu, E-mail: jlockman@nrao.edu [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, WV 24944 (United States)

2015-07-15

The hydrogen-deficient, carbon-rich R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are known for being prolific producers of dust which causes their large iconic declines in brightness. Several RCB stars, including R Coronae Borealis (R CrB), itself, have large extended dust shells seen in the far-infrared. The origin of these shells is uncertain but they may give us clues to the evolution of the RCB stars. The shells could form in three possible ways. (1) They are fossil Planetary Nebula (PN) shells, which would exist if RCB stars are the result of a final, helium-shell flash, (2) they are material left over from a white-dwarf (WD) merger event which formed the RCB stars, or (3) they are material lost from the star during the RCB phase. Arecibo 21 cm observations establish an upper limit on the column density of H I in the R CrB shell implying a maximum shell mass of ≲0.3 M{sub ☉}. A low-mass fossil PN shell is still a possible source of the shell although it may not contain enough dust. The mass of gas lost during a WD merger event will not condense enough dust to produce the observed shell, assuming a reasonable gas-to-dust ratio. The third scenario where the shell around R CrB has been produced during the star’s RCB phase seems most likely to produce the observed mass of dust and the observed size of the shell. But this means that R CrB has been in its RCB phase for ∼10{sup 4} years.

Palomar/triplespec observations of Spitzer/MIPSGAL 24 μm circumstellar shells: Unveiling the natures of their central sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flagey, N. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Noriega-Crespo, A. [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Petric, A. [California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Geballe, T. R., E-mail: nflagey@jpl.nasa.gov [Gemini North Observatory, 670 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2014-08-01

We present near-IR spectroscopic observations of the central sources in 17 circumstellar shells from a sample of more than 400 'bubbles' discovered in the Spitzer/MIPSGAL 24 μm survey of the Galactic plane and in the Cygnus-X region. To identify the natures of these shells, we have obtained J, H, and K band spectra with a resolution of ∼2600 of the stars at their centers. We observed 14 MIPSGAL bubbles (MBs), WR149, and 2 objects in the Cygnus-X region (WR138a and BD+43 3710), our sample being about 2.5 mag fainter in the K band than previous studies of the central sources of MBs. We use spectroscopic diagnostics and spectral libraries of late- and early-type stars to constrain the natures of our targets. We find five late-type giants. The equivalent widths of their CO 2.29 μm features allow us to determine the spectral types of the stars and hence derive the extinction along the line of sight, distance, and physical size of the shells. We also find 12 early-type stars: in 9 MBs and the 3 comparison objects. We find that the subtype inferred from the near-IR for WR138a (WN9h) and WR149 (WN5h) agrees with that derived from optical observations. A careful analysis of the literature and the environment of BD+43 3710 allows us to rule out the carbon star interpretation previously suggested. Our near-IR spectrum suggests that it is a B5 supergiant. At the centers of the nine MBs, we find a WC5-6 star possibly of low mass, a candidate O5-6 V star, a B0 supergiant, a B/A-type giant, and five luminous blue variable (LBV) candidates. We also report the detections of emission lines arising from at least two shells with typical extents (∼10''), in agreement with those in the mid-IR. We summarize the findings on the natures of the MBs since their discovery, with 30% of them now known. Most MBs with central sources detected in the near- to mid-IR have been identified and are red and blue giants, supergiants, or stars evolving toward these phases

COSMIC DUST AGGREGATION WITH STOCHASTIC CHARGING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, Lorin S.; Hyde, Truell W.; Shotorban, Babak

2013-01-01

The coagulation of cosmic dust grains is a fundamental process which takes place in astrophysical environments, such as presolar nebulae and circumstellar and protoplanetary disks. Cosmic dust grains can become charged through interaction with their plasma environment or other processes, and the resultant electrostatic force between dust grains can strongly affect their coagulation rate. Since ions and electrons are collected on the surface of the dust grain at random time intervals, the electrical charge of a dust grain experiences stochastic fluctuations. In this study, a set of stochastic differential equations is developed to model these fluctuations over the surface of an irregularly shaped aggregate. Then, employing the data produced, the influence of the charge fluctuations on the coagulation process and the physical characteristics of the aggregates formed is examined. It is shown that dust with small charges (due to the small size of the dust grains or a tenuous plasma environment) is affected most strongly

Radio Interferometric Detection of TiO and TiO_2 in VY Canis Majoris: "seeds" of Inorganic Dust Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Brunken, S.; Muller, H. S. P.; Kaminski, T.; Menten, K. M.; Gott-Lieb, C. A.; Patel, N. A.; Young, K. H.; McCarthy, M. C.; Winters, J. M.; Decin, L.

2013-06-01

Circumstellar envelopes around late-type stars harbour a rich variety of molecular gas and copious amounts of dust, originating from the mass-loss of the central star during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) or the red supergiant phase. The formation of dust in these objects, in particular the first nucleation stages out of gas phase molecules, is still poorly understood. Here we report the first detection of pure rotational transitions of the two simplest titanium oxides, TiO and TiO_2, towards the oxygen-rich red supergiant VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa). This actually represents the first secure identification of TiO_2 in space. Observations of several rotational emission lines of both species with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in the 345 GHz-band and with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) around 220 GHz confirm the presence of these refractory species in the cool (<1000 K) circumstellar envelope in a region several times the size of the dust formation zone. The role of Ti oxides as "seeds" of inorganic dust formation in oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes will be discussed in view of the present observations.

Studies of Young, Star-forming Circumstellar Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jaehan

2017-08-01

Disks of gas and dust around forming stars - circumstellar disks - last only a few million years. This is a very small fraction of the entire lifetime of Sun-like stars, several billion years. Nevertheless, by the time circumstellar disks dissipate stars complete building up their masses, giant planets finish accreting gas, and terrestrial bodies are nearly fully grown and ready for their final assembly to become planets. Understanding the evolution of circumstellar disks are thus crucial in many contexts. Using numerical simulations as the primary tool, my thesis has focused on the studies of various physical processes that can occur throughout the lifetime of circumstellar disks, from their formation to dispersal. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 emphasize the importance of early evolution, during which time a forming star-disk system obtains mass from its natal cloud: the infall phase. In Chapter 2 and 3, I have modeled episodic outbursts of accretion in protostellar systems resulting from disk instabilities - gravitational instability and magnetorotational instability. I showed that outbursts occur preferentially during the infall phase, because the mass addition provides more favorable conditions for gravitational instability to initiate the outburst cycle, and that forming stars build up a significant fraction of their masses through repeated short-lived, episodic outbursts. The infall phase can also be important for the formation of planets. Recent ALMA observations revealed sets of bright and dark rings in circumstellar disks of young, forming stars, potentially indicating early formation of planets. In Chapter 4, I showed that infall streams can create radial pressure bumps near the outer edge of the mass landing on the disk, from which vortices can form, collecting solid particles very efficiently to make initial seeds of planets. The next three chapters highlight the role of planets in setting the observational appearance and the evolution of circumstellar disks

Laboratory Studies Of Circumstellar Carbonaceous Grain Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras, Cesar; Sciamma-O'Brien, Ella; Salama, Farid

2014-06-01

The study of the formation processes of dust is essential to understand the budget of extraterrestrial organic molecules. Although dust with all its components plays an important role in the evolution of interstellar (IS) chemistry and in the formation of organic molecules, little is known on the formation processes of carbonaceous dust. We report the progress that was recently achieved in this domain using NASA Ames’ COSmIC facility (Contreras & Salama 2013, ApJS, 208, 6). PAHs are important chemical building blocks of IS dust. They are detected in IDPs and in meteoritic samples. Additionally, observational, laboratory, and theoretical studies have shown that PAHs are an important, ubiquitous component of the ISM. The formation of PAHs from smaller molecules has not been extensively studied. Therefore, we have performed laboratory experiments to study the dynamic processes of carbon grain formation, starting from the smallest hydrocarbon molecules into the formation of larger PAH and further into nanograins. Studies of IS dust analogs formed from a variety of PAH and hydrocarbon precursors as well as species that include the atoms O, N, and S, have recently been performed in our laboratory using the COSmIC facility to provide conditions that simulate IS and circumstellar environments. The species formed in the COSmiC chamber through a pulsed discharge nozzle plasma source are detected and characterized with a cavity ringdown spectrometer coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, thus providing both spectroscopic and ion mass information in-situ. Analysis of solid soot particles was also conducted using scanning electron microscopy at the UCSC/NASA Ames’ MACS facility. The SEM analysis of the deposition of soot from methane and acetylene precursors seeded in argon plasmas provide examples on the types of nanoparticles and micrograins that are produced in these gas mixtures under our experimental conditions. From these measurements, we derive information on

Episodic Dust Emission from Alpha Orionis

Science.gov (United States)

Danchi, W. C.; Greenhill, L. J.; Bester, M.; Degiacomi, C.; Townes, C. H.

1993-05-01

The spatial distribution of dust surrounding alpha Orionis has been observed with the Infrared Spatial Interferometer (ISI) operating at a wavelength of 11.15 microns. Radiative transfer modeling of the visibility curves obtained by the ISI has yielded estimates of the physical parameters of the dust surrounding the star and new details of the dust distribution. The visibility curves taken in 1992 can be fitted best by a model with two dust shells. One shell has an inner radius of 1.0+/- 0.1{ }('') , a thickness between 50-200 milliarcsec, and a temperature of about 380 K. The second shell has an inner radius of 2.0+/-0.1{ }('') , a thickness less than about 200 milliarcsec, and a temperature of 265 K. These results are consistent with the recent spatially resolved spectroscopy of alpha Orionis reported by Sloan et al. (1993, Ap.J., 404, 303). The dust was modelled with the MRN size distribution with radius varying from 0.005--0.25 microns. The star was assumed to be a blackbody with a temperature of 3500 K and angular radius of 21.8 milliarcsec, consistent with recent interferometric determinations of its diameter (cf. Dyck et al., 1992, A.J., 104, 1992). For an adopted distance of 150 pc, the model for the 1992 data was evolved backward in time for a comparison with previous visibility data of Sutton (1979, Ph.D. Thesis, U.C. Berkeley) and Howell et al. (1981, Ap.J., 251, L21). The velocities, 11 km \\ s(-1) and 18 km \\ s(-1) , were used for the first and second shells respectively, which are the CO velocities measured by Bernat et al. (1979, Ap.J.,233, L135). We find excellent agreement if the dust shells were at approximately 0.80{ }('') and 1.67{ }('') at the epoch of the previous measurements. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that inner dust shell was emitted during the unusual variations in radial velocity and visual magnitude in the early 1940's, described by Goldberg (1984, PASP, 96, 366).

The Last Gasps of VY Canis Majoris: Aperture Synthesis and Adaptive Optics Imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Monnier, J. D.; Tuthill, P. G.; Lopez, B.; Cruzalebes, P.; Danchi, W. C.; Haniff, C. A.

1999-02-01

We present new observations of the red supergiant VY CMa at 1.25, 1.65, 2.26, 3.08, and 4.8 μm. Two complementary observational techniques were utilized: nonredundant aperture masking on the 10 m Keck I telescope, yielding images of the innermost regions at unprecedented resolution, and adaptive optics imaging on the ESO 3.6 m telescope at La Silla, attaining an extremely high (~105) peak-to-noise dynamic range over a wide field. For the first time the inner dust shell has been resolved in the near-infrared to reveal a one-sided extension of circumstellar emission within 0.1" (~15 R*) of the star. The line-of-sight optical depths of the circumstellar dust shell at 1.65, 2.26, and 3.08 μm have been estimated to be 1.86+/-0.42, 0.85+/-0.20, and 0.44+/-0.11, respectively. These new results allow the bolometric luminosity of VY CMa to be estimated independent of the dust shell geometry, yielding L*~2×105 Lsolar. A variety of dust condensations, including a large scattering plume and a bow-shaped dust feature, were observed in the faint, extended nebula up to 4" from the central source. While the origin of the nebulous plume remains uncertain, a geometrical model is developed assuming the plume is produced by radially driven dust grains forming at a rotating flow insertion point with a rotational period between 1200 and 4200 yr, which is perhaps the stellar rotational period or the orbital period of an unseen companion.

COMPUTING THE DUST DISTRIBUTION IN THE BOW SHOCK OF A FAST-MOVING, EVOLVED STAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Marle, A. J.; Meliani, Z.; Keppens, R.; Decin, L.

2011-01-01

We study the hydrodynamical behavior occurring in the turbulent interaction zone of a fast-moving red supergiant star, where the circumstellar and interstellar material collide. In this wind-interstellar-medium collision, the familiar bow shock, contact discontinuity, and wind termination shock morphology form, with localized instability development. Our model includes a detailed treatment of dust grains in the stellar wind and takes into account the drag forces between dust and gas. The dust is treated as pressureless gas components binned per grain size, for which we use 10 representative grain size bins. Our simulations allow us to deduce how dust grains of varying sizes become distributed throughout the circumstellar medium. We show that smaller dust grains (radius <0.045 μm) tend to be strongly bound to the gas and therefore follow the gas density distribution closely, with intricate fine structure due to essentially hydrodynamical instabilities at the wind-related contact discontinuity. Larger grains which are more resistant to drag forces are shown to have their own unique dust distribution, with progressive deviations from the gas morphology. Specifically, small dust grains stay entirely within the zone bound by shocked wind material. The large grains are capable of leaving the shocked wind layer and can penetrate into the shocked or even unshocked interstellar medium. Depending on how the number of dust grains varies with grain size, this should leave a clear imprint in infrared observations of bow shocks of red supergiants and other evolved stars.

Dust-forming molecules in VY Canis Majoris (and Betelgeuse)

OpenAIRE

Kaminski, T.; Gottlieb, C. A.; Schmidt, M. R.; Patel, N. A.; Young, K. H.; Menten, K. M.; Brunken, S.; Muller, H. S. P.; Winters, J. M.; McCarthy, M. C.

2013-01-01

The formation of inorganic dust in circumstellar environments of evolved stars is poorly understood. Spectra of molecules thought to be most important for the nucleation, i.e. AlO, TiO, and TiO2, have been recently detected in the red supergiant VY CMa. These molecules are effectively formed in VY CMa and the observations suggest that non-equilibrium chemistry must be involved in their formation and nucleation into dust. In addition to exploring the recent observations of VY CMa, we briefly d...

IS DUST FORMING ON THE RED GIANT BRANCH IN 47 Tuc?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, Martha L.; Gordon, Karl D.; Meixner, Margaret; Sewilo, Marta; Shiao, Bernie; Van Loon, Jacco Th.; McDonald, Iain; Babler, Brian; Bracker, Steve; Meade, Marilyn; Block, Miwa; Engelbracht, Charles; Misselt, Karl; Hora, Joe; Indebetouw, Remy; Whitney, Barbara

2010-01-01

Using Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) observations from the SAGE-SMC Legacy program and archived Spitzer IRAC data, we investigate dust production in 47 Tuc, a nearby massive Galactic globular cluster. A previous study detected infrared excess, indicative of circumstellar dust, in a large population of stars in 47 Tuc, spanning the entire red giant branch (RGB). We show that those results suffered from effects caused by stellar blending and imaging artifacts and that it is likely that no stars below ∼1 mag from the tip of the RGB are producing dust. The only stars that appear to harbor dust are variable stars, which are also the coolest and most luminous stars in the cluster.

The WIRED Survey. IV. New Dust Disks from the McCook & Sion White Dwarf Catalog

Science.gov (United States)

Hoard, D.W.; Debes, John H.; Wachter, Stefanie; Leisawitz, David T.; Cohen, Martin

2013-01-01

We have compiled photometric data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer All Sky Survey and other archival sources for the more than 2200 objects in the original McCook & Sion Catalog of Spectroscopically Identified White Dwarfs. We applied color-selection criteria to identify 28 targets whose infrared spectral energy distributions depart from the expectation for the white dwarf photosphere alone. Seven of these are previously known white dwarfs with circumstellar dust disks, five are known central stars of planetary nebulae, and six were excluded for being known binaries or having possible contamination of their infrared photometry. We fit white dwarf models to the spectral energy distributions of the remaining ten targets, and find seven new candidates with infrared excess suggesting the presence of a circumstellar dust disk. We compare the model dust disk properties for these new candidates with a comprehensive compilation of previously published parameters for known white dwarfs with dust disks. It is possible that the current census of white dwarfs with dust disks that produce an excess detectable at K-band and shorter wavelengths is close to complete for the entire sample of known WDs to the detection limits of existing near-IR all-sky surveys. The white dwarf dust disk candidates now being found using longer wavelength infrared data are drawn from a previously underrepresented region of parameter space, in which the dust disks are overall cooler, narrower in radial extent, and/or contain fewer emitting grains.

Magnetically aligned dust and SiO maser polarisation in the envelope of the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Vlemmings, W. H. T.; Khouri, T.; Martí-Vidal, I.; Tafoya, D.; Baudry, A.; Etoka, S.; Humphreys, E. M. L.; Jones, T. J.; Kemball, A.; O'Gorman, E.; Pérez-Sánchez, A. F.; Richards, A. M. S.

2017-07-01

Aims: Polarisation observations of circumstellar dust and molecular (thermal and maser) lines provide unique information about dust properties and magnetic fields in circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars. Methods: We use Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Band 5 science verification observations of the red supergiant VY CMa to study the polarisation of SiO thermal/maser lines and dust continuum at 1.7 mm wavelength. We analyse both linear and circular polarisation and derive the magnetic field strength and structure, assuming the polarisation of the lines originates from the Zeeman effect, and that of the dust originates from aligned dust grains. We also discuss other effects that could give rise to the observed polarisation. Results: We detect, for the first time, significant polarisation ( 3%) of the circumstellar dust emission at millimeter wavelengths. The polarisation is uniform with an electric vector position angle of 8°. Varying levels of linear polarisation are detected for the J = 4 - 328SiO v = 0, 1, 2, and 29SiO v = 0, 1 lines, with the strongest polarisation fraction of 30% found for the 29SiO v = 1 maser. The linear polarisation vectors rotate with velocity, consistent with earlier observations. We also find significant (up to 1%) circular polarisation in several lines, consistent with previous measurements. We conclude that the detection is robust against calibration and regular instrumental errors, although we cannot yet fully rule out non-standard instrumental effects. Conclusions: Emission from magnetically aligned grains is the most likely origin of the observed continuum polarisation. This implies that the dust is embedded in a magnetic field >13 mG. The maser line polarisation traces the magnetic field structure. The magnetic field in the gas and dust is consistent with an approximately toroidal field configuration, but only higher angular resolution observations will be able to reveal more detailed field structure. If the

Variable extinction in HD 45677 and the evolution of dust grains in pre-main-sequence disks

Science.gov (United States)

Sitko, Michael L.; Halbedel, Elaine M.; Lawrence, Geoffrey F.; Smith, J. Allyn; Yanow, Ken

1994-01-01

Changes in the UV extinction and IR emission were sought in the Herbig Ae/Be star candidate HD 45677 (= FS CMa) by comparing UV, optical, and IR observations made approximately 10 yr apart. HD 45677 varied significantly, becoming more than 50% brighter in the UV and optical than it was a decade ago. A comparison of the observations between epochs indicates that if the variations are due to changes in dust obscuration, the dust acts as a gray absorber into the near-IR and must be depleted in grains smaller than 1 micron. This is similar to the results obtained on the circumstellar disks of stars like Vega and Beta Pic, and suggests that radiation pressure may be responsible for the small-grain depletion. In addition, the total IR flux seems to have declined, indicating a decrease in the total mass of the dust envelope that contributes to the IR emission in this part of the spectrum. Due to the anomalous nature of the extinction, the use of normal extinction curves to deredden the spectral energy distributions of stars with circumstellar dust may lead to significant errors and should be used with great caution.

Dust and molecules in extra-galactic planetary nebulae

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Hernandez, Domingo Aníbal

2015-08-01

Extra-galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) permit the study of dust and molecules in metallicity environments other than the Galaxy. Their known distances lower the number of free parameters in the observations vs. models comparison, providing strong constraints on the gas-phase and solid-state astrochemistry models. Observations of PNe in the Galaxy and other Local Group galaxies such as the Magellanic Clouds (MC) provide evidence that metallicity affects the production of dust as well as the formation of complex organic molecules and inorganic solid-state compounds in their circumstellar envelopes. In particular, the lower metallicity MC environments seem to be less favorable to dust production and the frequency of carbonaceous dust features and complex fullerene molecules is generally higher with decreasing metallicity. Here, I present an observational review of the dust and molecular content in extra-galactic PNe as compared to their higher metallicity Galactic counterparts. A special attention is given to the level of dust processing and the formation of complex organic molecules (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fullerenes, and graphene precursors) depending on metallicity.

Characterizing the Evolution of Circumstellar Systems with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gemini Planet Imager

Science.gov (United States)

Wolff, Schuyler; Schuyler G. Wolff

2018-01-01

The study of circumstellar disks at a variety of evolutionary stages is essential to understand the physical processes leading to planet formation. The recent development of high contrast instruments designed to directly image the structures surrounding nearby stars, such as the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) and coronagraphic data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have made detailed studies of circumstellar systems possible. In my thesis work I detail the observation and characterization of three systems. GPI polarization data for the transition disk, PDS 66 shows a double ring and gap structure with a temporally variable azimuthal asymmetry. This evolved morphology could indicate shadowing from some feature in the innermost regions of the disk, a gap-clearing planet, or a localized change in the dust properties of the disk. Millimeter continuum data of the DH Tau system places limits on the dust mass that is contributing to the strong accretion signature on the wide-separation planetary mass companion, DH Tau b. The lower than expected dust mass constrains the possible formation mechanism, with core accretion followed by dynamical scattering being the most likely. Finally, I present HST scattered light observations of the flared, edge-on protoplanetary disk ESO H$\\alpha$ 569. I combine these data with a spectral energy distribution to model the key structural parameters such as the geometry (disk outer radius, vertical scale height, radial flaring profile), total mass, and dust grain properties in the disk using the radiative transfer code MCFOST. In order to conduct this work, I developed a new tool set to optimize the fitting of disk parameters using the MCMC code \\texttt{emcee} to efficiently explore the high dimensional parameter space. This approach allows us to self-consistently and simultaneously fit a wide variety of observables in order to place constraints on the physical properties of a given disk, while also rigorously assessing the uncertainties in

Estimating dust production rate of carbon-rich stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Nanni, A.; Marigo, P.; Groenewegen, M. A. T.; Aringer, B.; Pastorelli, G.; Rubele, S.; Girardi, L.; Bressan, A.; Bladh, S.

We compute a grid of spectra describing dusty Circumstellar Envelopes of Thermally Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch carbon-rich stars by employing a physically grounded description for dust growth. The optical constants for carbon dust have been selected in order to reproduce simultaneously the most important color-color diagrams in the Near and Mid Infrared bands. We fit the Spectral Energy Distribution of ≈2000 carbon-rich in the Small Magellanic Cloud and we compute their total dust production rate. We compare our results with the ones in the literature. Different choices of the dust-to-gas ratio and outflow expansion velocity adopted in different works, yield, in some cases, a total dust budget about three times lower than the one derived from our scheme, with the same optical data set for carbon dust.

Infrared astronomy and the galactic dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecker, J.C.

1977-01-01

The existence, in the Galaxy, of small absorbing dust grains has been known for a long time, as they redden the light of stars located behind them, and obscure by amounts which can often even be several magnitudes... In the infrared, where absorption is smaller, one can see through the dust, while at the same time, one can observe the emission of cold dust clouds. After a brief review of technical developments, the reasons for studying the infrared, and the principles of diagnostics, are given. The analysis of the spectral features leads to identification of ice, graphite, and various silicates, as main constituents of the dust. In the fifth section, examples are given of the various sources that one meets when travelling in the Galaxy: protostars, cold and dilute, dense envelopes of young stars (cold or hot), dilute envelopes of not so young stars, and ejected clouds surrounding evolved objects... The simultaneous observation of dust, molecules and atoms, in the same regions, shows that the knowledge of the circumstellar dense regions might be of a great interest, in the study of the origin of life, and of the evolution of the Universe. (Auth.)

The RCB variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feast, M.W.; Catchpole, R.M.; Evans, T.L.; Robertson, B.S.C.; Dean, J.F.; Bywater, R.A.

1977-01-01

J, H, K, L (1.2 to 3.5 μ) and B, V, Rsub(c), Isub(c) photometry of the pulsating RCB star RY Sgr in 1975 are reported. A few radial velocities are also included. The infrared excess varies in the pulsation period of the visible star. This indicates that the infrared source derives its energy from this star, (presumably because it is a dust shell around the star). There is no need to postulate the presence of an infrared companion star. The 1100-day periodicity in the infrared excess of R CrB itself may be due to a natural pulsation of the circumstellar dust shell. (author)

A SOFIA FORCAST Grism Study of the Mineralogy of Dust in the Winds of Proto-planetary Nebulae: RV Tauri Stars and SRd Variables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arneson, R. A.; Gehrz, R. D.; Woodward, C. E.; Shenoy, D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 106 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Helton, L. A. [USRA-SOFIA Science Center, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Evans, A. [Astrophysics Group, Lennard Jones Laboratory, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); Keller, L. D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 264 Center for Natural Sciences, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850 (United States); Hinkle, K. H. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726 (United States); Jura, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Lebzelter, T. [Institute for Astrophysics (IfA), University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria); Lisse, C. M. [Solar System Exploration Branch, Space Department, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Rushton, M. T. [Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy, Str. Cutitul de Argint 5, Bucharest, 040557 (Romania); Mizrachi, J., E-mail: arneson@astro.umn.edu [Biomedical Engineering Department, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (United States)

2017-07-01

We present a SOFIA FORCAST grism spectroscopic survey to examine the mineralogy of the circumstellar dust in a sample of post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) yellow supergiants that are believed to be the precursors of planetary nebulae. Our mineralogical model of each star indicates the presence of both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich dust species—contrary to simple dredge-up models—with a majority of the dust in the form of amorphous carbon and graphite. The oxygen-rich dust is primarily in the form of amorphous silicates. The spectra do not exhibit any prominent crystalline silicate emission features. For most of the systems, our analysis suggests that the grains are relatively large and have undergone significant processing, supporting the hypothesis that the dust is confined to a Keplerian disk and that we are viewing the heavily processed, central regions of the disk from a nearly face-on orientation. These results help to determine the physical properties of the post-AGB circumstellar environment and to constrain models of post-AGB mass loss and planetary nebula formation.

SWIFT ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF SUPERNOVA 2014J IN M82: LARGE EXTINCTION FROM INTERSTELLAR DUST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Peter J.; Smitka, Michael T.; Wang, Lifan; Krisciunas, Kevin [George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A. and M. University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Breeveld, Alice; Kuin, N. Paul; Page, Mat [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking Surrey, RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); De Pasquale, Massimiliano [Instituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Palermo Via Ugo la Malfa 153 90146 Palermo (Italy); Hartmann, Dieter H. [Clemson University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Kinard Lab of Physics, Clemson, SC 29634-0978 (United States); Milne, Peter A. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Siegel, Michael [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2015-05-20

We present optical and ultraviolet (UV) photometry and spectra of the very nearby and highly reddened supernova (SN) 2014J in M82 obtained with the Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). Comparison of the UVOT grism spectra of SN 2014J with Hubble Space Telescope observations of SN2011fe or UVOT grism spectra of SN 2012fr are consistent with an extinction law with a low value of R{sub V} ∼1.4. The high reddening causes the detected photon distribution in the broadband UV filters to have a much longer effective wavelength than for an unreddened SN. The light curve evolution is consistent with this shift and does not show a flattening due to photons being scattered back into the line of sight (LOS). The light curve shapes and color evolution are inconsistent with a contribution scattered into the LOS by circumstellar dust. We conclude that most or all of the high reddening must come from interstellar dust. We show that even for a single dust composition, there is not a unique reddening law caused by circumstellar scattering. Rather, when considering scattering from a time-variable source, we confirm earlier studies that the reddening law is a function of the dust geometry, column density, and epoch. We also show how an assumed geometry of dust as a foreground sheet in mixed stellar/dust systems will lead to a higher inferred R{sub V}. Rather than assuming the dust around SNe is peculiar, SNe may be useful probes of the interstellar reddening laws in other galaxies.

THIRTY YEARS OF SN 1980K: EVIDENCE FOR LIGHT ECHOES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sugerman, Ben E. K. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21208 (United States); Andrews, Jennifer E. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Barlow, Michael J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Clayton, Geoffrey C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Lousiana State University, 202 Nicholson Hall, Baton Roughe, LA 70803 (United States); Ercolano, Barbara [Excellence Cluster ' Universe' , Universitaets-Sternwarte Muenchen, Scheinerstr. 1, 81679 Muenchen (Germany); Ghavamian, Parviz [Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences, Towson University, Smith Hall, Towson, MD 21252 (United States); Kennicutt, Robert C. Jr. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CM3 0HA (United Kingdom); Krause, Oliver [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Koenigstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Meixner, Margaret [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Otsuka, Masaaki, E-mail: ben.sugerman@goucher.edu [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2012-04-20

We report optical and mid-infrared photometry of SN 1980K between 2004 and 2010, which shows slow monotonic fading consistent with previous spectroscopic and photometric observations made 8-17 yr after outburst. The slow rate of change over two decades suggests that this evolution may result from scattered and thermal light echoes off of extended circumstellar material. We present a semi-analytic dust radiative-transfer model that uses an empirically corrected effective optical depth to provide a fast and robust alternative to full Monte Carlo radiative-transfer modeling for homogenous dust at low to intermediate optical depths. We find that unresolved echoes from a thin circumstellar shell 14-15 lt-yr from the progenitor, and containing {approx}< 0.02 M{sub Sun} of carbon-rich dust, can explain the broadband spectral and temporal evolution. The size, mass, and dust composition are in good agreement with the contact discontinuity observed in scattered echoes around SN 1987A. The origin of slowly changing high-velocity [O I] and H{alpha} lines is also considered. We propose an origin in shocked high-velocity metal-rich clumps of ejecta, rather than arising in the impact of ejecta on slowly moving circumstellar material, as is the case with hot spots in SN 1987A.

On the source of the dust extinction in type Ia supernovae and the discovery of anomalously strong Na I absorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, M. M.; Morrell, Nidia; Hsiao, E. Y.; Campillay, Abdo; Contreras, Carlos [Carnegie Observatories, Las Campanas Observatory, Casilla 601, La Serena (Chile); Simon, Joshua D.; Burns, Christopher R.; Persson, Sven E.; Thompson, I. B.; Freedman, Wendy L. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Cox, Nick L. J. [Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D bus 2401, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Foley, Ryan J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Karakas, Amanda I. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Patat, F. [European Southern Observatory (ESO), Karl Schwarschild Strasse 2, D-85748, Garching bei München (Germany); Sternberg, A. [Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Karl Schwarzschild Strasse 1, D-85741 Garching bei München (Germany); Williams, R. E. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Gal-Yam, A. [Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Faculty of Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100 (Israel); Leonard, D. C. [Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States); Stritzinger, Maximilian [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Folatelli, Gastón, E-mail: mmp@lco.cl [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, Todai Institutes for Advanced Study, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8583 (Japan); and others

2013-12-10

High-dispersion observations of the Na I D λλ5890, 5896 and K I λλ7665, 7699 interstellar lines, and the diffuse interstellar band at 5780 Å in the spectra of 32 Type Ia supernovae are used as an independent means of probing dust extinction. We show that the dust extinction of the objects where the diffuse interstellar band at 5780 Å is detected is consistent with the visual extinction derived from the supernova colors. This strongly suggests that the dust producing the extinction is predominantly located in the interstellar medium of the host galaxies and not in circumstellar material associated with the progenitor system. One quarter of the supernovae display anomalously large Na I column densities in comparison to the amount of dust extinction derived from their colors. Remarkably, all of the cases of unusually strong Na I D absorption correspond to 'Blueshifted' profiles in the classification scheme of Sternberg et al. This coincidence suggests that outflowing circumstellar gas is responsible for at least some of the cases of anomalously large Na I column densities. Two supernovae with unusually strong Na I D absorption showed essentially normal K I column densities for the dust extinction implied by their colors, but this does not appear to be a universal characteristic. Overall, we find the most accurate predictor of individual supernova extinction to be the equivalent width of the diffuse interstellar band at 5780 Å, and provide an empirical relation for its use. Finally, we identify ways of producing significant enhancements of the Na abundance of circumstellar material in both the single-degenerate and double-degenerate scenarios for the progenitor system.

Spectral Evidence for an Inner Carbon-rich Circumstellar Belt in the Young HD 36546 A-star System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lisse, C. M. [JHU-APL, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Sitko, M. L. [Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0011 and Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); Russell, R. W. [The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009 (United States); Marengo, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 12 Physics Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50010 (United States); Currie, T. [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Melis, C. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0424 (United States); Mittal, T. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McCone Hall, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Song, I., E-mail: carey.lisse@jhuapl.edu, E-mail: ron.vervack@jhuapl.edu, E-mail: sitkoml@ucmail.uc.edu, E-mail: ray.russell@aero.org, E-mail: mmarengo@iastate.edu, E-mail: currie@naoj.org, E-mail: cmelis@ucsd.edu, E-mail: tmittal2@berkeley.edu, E-mail: song@physast.uga.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2451 (United States)

2017-05-10

Using the NASA/IRTF SpeX and BASS spectrometers we have obtained 0.7–13 μ m observations of the newly imaged 3–10 Myr old HD 36546 disk system. The SpeX spectrum is most consistent with the photospheric emission expected from an L {sub *} ∼ 20 L {sub ⊙}, solar abundance A1.5V star with little to no extinction, and excess emission from circumstellar dust detectable beyond 4.5 μ m. Non-detections of CO emission lines and accretion signatures point to the gas-poor circumstellar environment of a very old transition disk. Combining the SpeX + BASS spectra with archival WISE / AKARI / IRAS / Herschel photometry, we find an outer cold dust belt at ∼135 K and 20–40 au from the primary, likely coincident with the disk imaged by Subaru, and a new second inner belt with a temperature ∼570 K and an unusual, broad SED maximum in the 6–9 μ m region, tracing dust at 1.1–2.2 au. An SED maximum at 6–9 μ m has been reported in just two other A-star systems, HD 131488 and HD 121191, both of ∼10 Myr age. From Spitzer , we have also identified the ∼12 Myr old A7V HD 148657 system as having similar 5–35 μ m excess spectral features. The Spitzer data allows us to rule out water emission and rule in carbonaceous materials—organics, carbonates, SiC—as the source of the 6–9 μ m excess. Assuming a common origin for the four young A-star systems’ disks, we suggest they are experiencing an early era of carbon-rich planetesimal processing.

EXTINCTION LAWS TOWARD STELLAR SOURCES WITHIN A DUSTY CIRCUMSTELLAR MEDIUM AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TYPE IA SUPERNOVAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagao, Takashi; Maeda, Keiichi [Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Nozawa, Takaya, E-mail: nagao@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

2016-06-01

Many astronomical objects are surrounded by dusty environments. In such dusty objects, multiple scattering processes of photons by circumstellar (CS) dust grains can effectively alter extinction properties. In this paper, we systematically investigate the effects of multiple scattering on extinction laws for steady-emission sources surrounded by the dusty CS medium using a radiation transfer simulation based on the Monte Carlo technique. In particular, we focus on whether and how the extinction properties are affected by properties of CS dust grains by adopting various dust grain models. We confirm that behaviors of the (effective) extinction laws are highly dependent on the properties of CS grains, especially the total-to-selective extinction ratio R{sub V}, which characterizes the extinction law and can be either increased or decreased and compared with the case without multiple scattering. We find that the criterion for this behavior is given by a ratio of albedos in the B and V bands. We also find that either small silicate grains or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are necessary for realizing a low value of R{sub V} as often measured toward SNe Ia if the multiple scattering by CS dust is responsible for their non-standard extinction laws. Using the derived relations between the properties of dust grains and the resulting effective extinction laws, we propose that the extinction laws toward dusty objects could be used to constrain the properties of dust grains in CS environments.

EXTINCTION LAWS TOWARD STELLAR SOURCES WITHIN A DUSTY CIRCUMSTELLAR MEDIUM AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TYPE IA SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagao, Takashi; Maeda, Keiichi; Nozawa, Takaya

2016-01-01

Many astronomical objects are surrounded by dusty environments. In such dusty objects, multiple scattering processes of photons by circumstellar (CS) dust grains can effectively alter extinction properties. In this paper, we systematically investigate the effects of multiple scattering on extinction laws for steady-emission sources surrounded by the dusty CS medium using a radiation transfer simulation based on the Monte Carlo technique. In particular, we focus on whether and how the extinction properties are affected by properties of CS dust grains by adopting various dust grain models. We confirm that behaviors of the (effective) extinction laws are highly dependent on the properties of CS grains, especially the total-to-selective extinction ratio R V , which characterizes the extinction law and can be either increased or decreased and compared with the case without multiple scattering. We find that the criterion for this behavior is given by a ratio of albedos in the B and V bands. We also find that either small silicate grains or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are necessary for realizing a low value of R V as often measured toward SNe Ia if the multiple scattering by CS dust is responsible for their non-standard extinction laws. Using the derived relations between the properties of dust grains and the resulting effective extinction laws, we propose that the extinction laws toward dusty objects could be used to constrain the properties of dust grains in CS environments.

Dust in Supernovae and Supernova Remnants II: Processing and Survival

Science.gov (United States)

Micelotta, E. R.; Matsuura, M.; Sarangi, A.

2018-03-01

Observations have recently shown that supernovae are efficient dust factories, as predicted for a long time by theoretical models. The rapid evolution of their stellar progenitors combined with their efficiency in precipitating refractory elements from the gas phase into dust grains make supernovae the major potential suppliers of dust in the early Universe, where more conventional sources like Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars did not have time to evolve. However, dust yields inferred from observations of young supernovae or derived from models do not reflect the net amount of supernova-condensed dust able to be expelled from the remnants and reach the interstellar medium. The cavity where the dust is formed and initially resides is crossed by the high velocity reverse shock which is generated by the pressure of the circumstellar material shocked by the expanding supernova blast wave. Depending on grain composition and initial size, processing by the reverse shock may lead to substantial dust erosion and even complete destruction. The goal of this review is to present the state of the art about processing and survival of dust inside supernova remnants, in terms of theoretical modelling and comparison to observations.

Far-IR Observations of Gas and Dust in the Unusual 49 Ceti Disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roberge, Aki; Kamp, I.; Augereau, J.; Montesinos, B.; Meeus, G.; Olofsson, J.; Donaldson, J.; Howard, C. D.; Eiroa, C.; Dent, B.

We present Herschel Space Observatory far-IR imaging and spectroscopy of 49 Cet, an unusual circumstellar disk around a nearby young A1V star. The system is famous for showing the dust properties of a debris disk, but the gas properties of a low-mass protoplanetary disk. Photometry was obtained at

VLT/SINFONI Observations of Spitzer /MIPSGAL 24 μ m Circumstellar Shells: Revealing the Natures of Their Central Sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, K. M. [Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Hawaii Hilo, 200 W Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Flagey, N. [Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope Corporation, 65-1238 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States); Noriega-Crespo, A. [Space Telescope Science Institue, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Carey, S. [Infrared Processing Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Ingallinera, A., E-mail: silvakm@hawaii.edu [INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, I-95123 Catania (Italy)

2017-03-01

We present Very Large Telescope/Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared H - and K -band spectra of potential central stars within the inner 8″-by-8″ regions of 55 MIPSGAL “bubbles” (MBs), sub-arcminute circumstellar shells discovered in the mid-IR survey of the Galactic plane with Spitzer /MIPS. At magnitudes brighter than 15, we detect a total of 230 stars in the K band and 179 stars in the H band. We spectrally identify 145 stars in all but three MBs, with average magnitudes of 13.8 and 12.7 respectively, using spectral libraries and previous studies of near-IR stellar spectra. We also use tabulated intrinsic stellar magnitudes and colors to derive distances and extinction values, and to better constrain the classifications of the stars. We reliably identify the central sources for 21 of the 55 MBs, which we classify as follows: one Wolf–Rayet, three luminous blue variable candidates, four early-type (O to F), and 15 late-type (G to M) stars. The 21 central sources are, on average, one magnitude fainter than these in the most recent study of MBs, and we notice a significant drop in the fraction of massive star candidates. For the 34 remaining MBs in our sample, we are unable to identify the central sources due to confusion, low spectroscopic signal-to-noise ratio, and/or lack of detections in the images near the centers of the bubbles. We discuss how our findings compare with previous studies and support the trend, for the most part, between the shells’ morphologies in the mid-IR and central sources spectral types.

Herschel Observations of Gas and Dust in the Unusual 49 Ceti Debris Disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roberge, A.; Kamp, I.; Montesinos, B.; Dent, W. R. F.; Meeus, G.; Donaldson, J. K.; Olofsson, J.; Moor, A.; Augereau, J. -C.; Howard, C.; Eiroa, C.; Thi, W. -F.; Ardila, D. R.; Sandell, G.; Woitke, P.

2013-01-01

We present far-IR/sub-mm imaging and spectroscopy of 49 Ceti, an unusual circumstellar disk around a nearby young A1V star. The system is famous for showing the dust properties of a debris disk, but the gas properties of a low-mass protoplanetary disk. The data were acquired with the Herschel Space

HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS OF GAS AND DUST IN THE UNUSUAL 49 Ceti DEBRIS DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberge, A. [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Kamp, I. [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands); Montesinos, B. [Departamento de Astrofisica, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA-CSIC), ESAC Campus, PO Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid (Spain); Dent, W. R. F. [ALMA, Avda Apoquindo 3846, Piso 19, Edificio Alsacia, Las Condes, Santiago (Chile); Meeus, G.; Eiroa, C. [Departmento Fisica Teorica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Donaldson, J. K. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Olofsson, J. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany); Moor, A. [Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 67, H-1525 Budapest (Hungary); Augereau, J.-C.; Thi, W.-F. [UJF-Grenoble 1/CNRS-INSU, Institut de Planetologie et d' Astrophysique de Grenoble, UMR 5274, F-38041, Grenoble (France); Howard, C.; Sandell, G. [SOFIA-USRA, NASA Ames Research Center, Building N232, PO Box 1, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Ardila, D. R. [NASA Herschel Science Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Mail Stop 220-6, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Woitke, P., E-mail: Aki.Roberge@nasa.gov [University of Vienna, Department of Astronomy, Tuerkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180, Vienna (Austria)

2013-07-01

We present far-IR/sub-mm imaging and spectroscopy of 49 Ceti, an unusual circumstellar disk around a nearby young A1V star. The system is famous for showing the dust properties of a debris disk, but the gas properties of a low-mass protoplanetary disk. The data were acquired with the Herschel Space Observatory PACS and SPIRE instruments, largely as part of the ''Gas in Protoplanetary Systems'' (GASPS) Open Time Key Programme. Disk dust emission is detected in images at 70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 {mu}m; 49 Cet is significantly extended in the 70 {mu}m image, spatially resolving the outer dust disk for the first time. Spectra covering small wavelength ranges centered on eight atomic and molecular emission lines were obtained, including [O I] 63 {mu}m and [C II] 158 {mu}m. The C II line was detected at the 5{sigma} level-the first detection of atomic emission from the disk. No other emission lines were seen, despite the fact that the O I line is the brightest one observed in Herschel protoplanetary disk spectra. We present an estimate of the amount of circumstellar atomic gas implied by the C II emission. The new far-IR/sub-mm data fills in a large gap in the previous spectral energy distribution (SED) of 49 Cet. A simple model of the new SED confirms the two-component structure of the disk: warm inner dust and cold outer dust that produces most of the observed excess. Finally, we discuss preliminary thermochemical modeling of the 49 Cet gas/dust disk and our attempts to match several observational results simultaneously. Although we are not yet successful in doing so, our investigations shed light on the evolutionary status of the 49 Cet gas, which might not be primordial gas but rather secondary gas coming from comets.

Astronomical and Meteoritic Evidence for the Nature of Interstellar Dust and Its Processing in Protoplanetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, C. M. O'd.; Boss, A. P.; Keller, L. P.; Nuth, J. A.; Weinberger, A.

Here we compare the astronomical and meteoritic evidence for the nature and origin of interstellar dust, and how it is processed in protoplanetary disks. The relative abundances of circumstellar grains in meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are broadly consistent with most astronomical estimates of galactic dust production, although graphite/amorphous C is highly underabundant. The major carbonaceous component in meteorites and IDPs is an insoluble organic material (IOM) that probably formed in the interstellar medium, but a solar origin cannot be ruled out. GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfide) that are isotopically solar within error are the best candidates for interstellar silicates, but it is also possible that they are solar system condensates. No dust from young stellar objects has been identified in IDPs, but it is difficult to differentiate them from solar system material or indeed some circumstellar condensates. The crystalline silicates in IDPs are mostly solar condensates, with lesser amounts of annealed GEMS. The IOM abundances in IDPs are roughly consistent with the degree of processing indicated by their crystallinity if the processed material was ISM dust. The IOM contents of meteorites are much lower, suggesting that there was a gradient in dust processing in the solar system. The microstructure of much of the pyroxene in IDPs suggests that it formed at temperatures >1258 K and cooled relatively rapidly (~1000 K/h). This cooling rate favors shock heating rather than radial transport of material annealed in the hot inner disk as the mechanism for producing crystalline dust in comets and IDPs. Shock heating is also a likely mechanism for producing chondrules in meteorites, but the dust was probably heated at a different time and/or location to chondrules.

Fullerenes and fulleranes in circumstellar envelopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yong; Kwok, Sun; Sadjadi, SeyedAbdolreza

2016-01-01

Three decades of search have recently led to convincing discoveries of cosmic fullerenes. The presence of C_6_0 and C"+ _6_0 in both circumstellar and interstellar environments suggests that these molecules and their derivatives can be efficiently formed in circumstellar envelopes and survive in harsh conditions. Detailed analysis of the infrared bands from fullerenes and their connections with the local properties can provide valuable information on the physical conditions and chemical processes that occurred in the late stages of stellar evolution. The identification of C"+ _6_0 as the carrier of four diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) suggests that fullerene- related compounds are abundant in interstellar space and are essential for resolving the DIB mystery. Experiments have revealed a high hydrogenation rate when C_6_0 is exposed to atomic hydrogen, motivating the attempt to search for cosmic fulleranes. In this paper, we present a short review of current knowledge of cosmic fullerenes and fulleranes and briefly discuss the implications on circumstellar chemistry. (paper)

Mid-Infrared Interferometry on Spectral Lines. II. Continuum (Dust) Emission Around IRC +10216 and VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Monnier, J. D.; Danchi, W. C.; Hale, D. S.; Lipman, E. A.; Tuthill, P. G.; Townes, C. H.

2000-11-01

The University of California Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer has measured the mid-infrared visibilities of the carbon star IRC +10216 and the red supergiant VY CMa. The dust shells around these sources have been previously shown to be time variable, and these new data are used to probe the evolution of the dust shells on a decade timescale, complementing contemporaneous studies at other wavelengths. Self-consistent, spherically symmetric models at maximum and minimum light both show the inner radius of the IRC +10216 dust shell to be much larger (150 mas) than expected from the dust-condensation temperature, implying that dust production has slowed or stopped in recent years. Apparently, dust does not form every pulsational cycle (638 days), and these mid-infrared results are consistent with recent near-infrared imaging, which indicates little or no new dust production in the last 3 yr. Spherically symmetric models failed to fit recent VY CMa data, implying that emission from the inner dust shell is highly asymmetric and/or time variable.

Gamma-Ray Bursts in Circumstellar Shells: A Possible Explanation for Flares

Science.gov (United States)

Mesler, Robert; Whalen, D. J.; Lloyd-Ronning, N. M.; Fryer, C. L.; Pihlstrom, Y. M.

2012-05-01

It is now generally accepted that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are due to the collapse of massive rotating stars. The precise collapse process itself, however, is not yet fully understood. Strong winds, outbursts, and intense ionizing UV radiation from single stars or strongly interacting binaries are expected to destroy the molecular cloud cores that give birth to them and create highly complex circumburst environments for the explosion. Such environments might imprint features on GRB light curves that uniquely identify the nature of the progenitor and its collapse. We have performed numerical simulations of realistic environments for a variety of long-duration GRB progenitors with ZEUS-MP and have developed an analytical method for calculating detailed GRB light curves in these profiles. We find that, in the context of the standard afterglow model, massive shells around GRBs produce strong signatures in their light curves, and that this clearly distinguishes them from those occurring in uniform media or steady winds. These features can constrain the mass of the shell and the properties of the wind before and after the ejection. Moreover, the interaction of the GRB with the circumburst shell is seen to produce features that are consistent with observed X-ray flares that are often attributed to delayed energy injection by the central engine. Our algorithm for computing light curves is also applicable to GRBs in a variety of environments such as those in high-redshift cosmological halos or protogalaxies, both of which will soon be targets of future surveys such as JANUS or Lobster.

CONCURRENT FORMATION OF CARBON AND SILICATE DUST IN NOVA V1280 SCO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakon, Itsuki; Onaka, Takashi; Usui, Fumihiko [Department of Astronomy, Graduate Schools of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Sako, Shigeyuki; Takahashi, Hidenori; Ohsawa, Ryou [Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, 2-21-1 Ohsawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0015 (Japan); Nozawa, Takaya [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Kimura, Yuki [Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0819 (Japan); Fujiyoshi, Takuya [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 650 North A’ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Shimonishi, Takashi [Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Aramaki aza Aoba 6-3, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Arai, Akira [Koyama Astronomical Observatory, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8555 (Japan); Uemura, Makoto [Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1-3-1, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan); Nagayama, Takahiro [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-35 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065 (Japan); Koo, Bon-Chul [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University , 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Kozasa, Takashi, E-mail: isakon@astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Cosmosciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan)

2016-02-01

We present infrared multi-epoch observations of the dust-forming nova V1280 Sco over ∼2000 days from the outburst. The temporal evolution of the infrared spectral energy distributions at 1272, 1616, and 1947 days can be explained by the emissions produced by amorphous carbon dust of mass (6.6–8.7) × 10{sup −8} M{sub ⊙} with a representative grain size of 0.01 μm and astronomical silicate dust of mass (3.4–4.3) × 10{sup −7} M{sub ⊙} with a representative grain size of 0.3–0.5 μm. Both of these dust species travel farther away from the white dwarf without apparent mass evolution throughout those later epochs. The dust formation scenario around V1280 Sco suggested from our analyses is that the amorphous carbon dust is formed in the nova ejecta followed by the formation of silicate dust either in the expanding nova ejecta or as a result of the interaction between the nova wind and the circumstellar medium.

THE ORIGIN OF DUST IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ACCRETION ONTO SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martini, Paul [Department of Astronomy and Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Dicken, Daniel [Institut de Astrophysique Spatiale, Paris (France); Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Goncalves 9500, Caixa Postal 15051, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2013-04-01

We have conducted an archival Spitzer study of 38 early-type galaxies in order to determine the origin of the dust in approximately half of this population. Our sample galaxies generally have good wavelength coverage from 3.6 {mu}m to 160 {mu}m, as well as visible-wavelength Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. We use the Spitzer data to estimate dust masses, or establish upper limits, and find that all of the early-type galaxies with dust lanes in the HST data are detected in all of the Spitzer bands and have dust masses of {approx}10{sup 5}-10{sup 6.5} M{sub Sun }, while galaxies without dust lanes are not detected at 70 {mu}m and 160 {mu}m and typically have <10{sup 5} M{sub Sun} of dust. The apparently dust-free galaxies do have 24 {mu}m emission that scales with the shorter-wavelength flux, yet substantially exceeds the expectations of photospheric emission by approximately a factor of three. We conclude this emission is dominated by hot, circumstellar dust around evolved stars that does not survive to form a substantial interstellar component. The order-of-magnitude variations in dust masses between galaxies with similar stellar populations rule out a substantial contribution from continual, internal production in spite of the clear evidence for circumstellar dust. We demonstrate that the interstellar dust is not due to purely external accretion, unless the product of the merger rate of dusty satellites and the dust lifetime is at least an order of magnitude higher than expected. We propose that dust in early-type galaxies is seeded by external accretion, yet the accreted dust is maintained by continued growth in externally accreted cold gas beyond the nominal lifetime of individual grains. The several Gyr depletion time of the cold gas is long enough to reconcile the fraction of dusty early-type galaxies with the merger rate of gas-rich satellites. As the majority of dusty early-type galaxies are also low-luminosity active galactic nuclei and likely fueled

IONIZATION AND DUST CHARGING IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivlev, A. V.; Caselli, P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstr. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Akimkin, V. V., E-mail: ivlev@mpe.mpg.de [Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyatnitskaya Street 48, 119017 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2016-12-10

Ionization–recombination balance in dense interstellar and circumstellar environments is a key factor for a variety of important physical processes, such as chemical reactions, dust charging and coagulation, coupling of the gas with magnetic field, and development of instabilities in protoplanetary disks. We determine a critical gas density above which the recombination of electrons and ions on the grain surface dominates over the gas-phase recombination. For this regime, we present a self-consistent analytical model, which allows us to calculate exactly the abundances of charged species in dusty gas, without making assumptions on the grain charge distribution. To demonstrate the importance of the proposed approach, we check whether the conventional approximation of low grain charges is valid for typical protoplanetary disks, and discuss the implications for dust coagulation and development of the “dead zone” in the disk. The presented model is applicable for arbitrary grain-size distributions and, for given dust properties and conditions of the disk, has only one free parameter—the effective mass of the ions, shown to have a small effect on the results. The model can be easily included in numerical simulations following the dust evolution in dense molecular clouds and protoplanetary disks.

The Circumstellar Environment of VY CMa

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, N.; Humphreys, R. M.; Krautter, J.; Gehrz, R. D.; Davidson, K.; Jones, T. J.; Hubrig, S.

1999-05-01

VY Canis Majoris is one of the most luminous known M supergiants. It is near the upper liminosity limit for cool stars on the HR Diagram. The optical star is partially obscured by its own circumstellar material. We present preliminary results of recent HST/WFPC2 optical imaging, and ground-based near-IR and mid-IR imaging of VY CMa and its circumstellar environment. We compare these results with previously obtained images of the related, but more evolved object IRC+10420 and discuss implications for their possible evolutionary and mass loss histories.

SiO maser emission as a density tracer of circumstellar envelopes

Science.gov (United States)

Stroh, Michael; Pihlstrom, Ylva; Sjouwerman, Lorant

2018-06-01

The circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of evolved stars offer a method to construct a sample of point-masses along the full Galactic plane, which can be used to test models of the gravitational potential. In the CSEs of red giants, SiO maser emission is frequently observed at 43 and 86 GHz, providing line-of-sight velocities. The Bulge Asymmetries and Dynamical Evolution (BAaDE) project aims to explore the complex structure of the inner Galaxy and Galactic Bulge, by observing 43 GHz SiO at the Very Large Array and 86 GHz SiO at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, with an expected final sample of about 20,000 line-of-sight velocities and positions. We observed the 43 GHz and 86 GHz transitions near-simultaneously in a subsample of the sources using the Australia Telescope Compact Array and found that on average the 43 GHz v=1 line is 1.3 times stronger than the 86 GHz v=1 line. The presence of a detectable 43 GHz v=3 line alters the statistics, consistent with the SiO masers displaying 43 GHz v=3 emission arising in a denser regime in the circumstellar shell compared to those without. Comparing our results with radiative models implies that the 43 GHz v=3 line is a tracer of density variations caused by stellar pulsations. We will discuss these results in the context of the BAaDE project.

Carrying a Torch for Dust in Binary Star Systems

OpenAIRE

Cotton, Daniel V.; Marshall, Jonathan P.; Bott, Kimberly; Kedziora-Chudczer, Lucyna; Bailey, Jeremy

2016-01-01

Young stars are frequently observed to host circumstellar disks, within which their attendant planetary systems are formed. Scattered light imaging of these proto-planetary disks reveals a rich variety of structures including spirals, gaps and clumps. Self-consistent modelling of both imaging and multi-wavelength photometry enables the best interpretation of the location and size distribution of disks' dust. Epsilon Sagittarii is an unusual star system. It is a binary system with a B9.5III pr...

Physics of comets

CERN Document Server

Krishna Swamy, K S

2010-01-01

This revised edition places a unique emphasis on all the new results from ground-based, satellites and space missions - detection of molecule H2 and prompt emission lines of OH for the first time; discovery of X-rays in comets; observed diversity in chemical composition among comets; the puzzle of the constancy of spin temperature; the well-established mineralogy of cometary dust; extensive theoretical modeling carried out for understanding the observed effects; and, the similarity in the mineralogy of dust in circumstellar shell of stars, comets, meteorites, asteroids and IDPs, thus indicatin

Astronomy in Denver: Spatial distributions of dust properties via far-IR broadband map with HerPlaNS

Science.gov (United States)

Asano, Kentaro; Ueta, Toshiya; Ladjal, Djazia; Exter, Katrina; Otsuka, Masaaki; HerPlaNS Consortium

2018-06-01

We present the results of our analyses on dust properties in all of Galactic planetary nebulae based on 5-band broadband images in the far-IR taken with the Herschel Space Observatory.By fitting surface brightness distributions of dust thermal emission at 70, 160, 250, 350 and 500 microns with a single-temperature modified black body function, we derive spatially resolved maps of the dust emissivity power-law index (beta) and dust temperature (Td), as well as the column density.We find that circumstellar dust grains in PNe occupy a specific region in the beta-Td space, which is distinct from that occupied by dust grains in the Interstellar Matter (ISM) and star forming regions (SFRs). Unlike those in the ISM and SFRs, dust grains in PNe exhibit little variation in beta while a large spread in Td, suggesting rather homogeneous dust properties.This work is part of the Herschel Planetary Nebula Survey Plus (HerPlaNS+) supported by the NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program.

Dense Medium Machine Processing Method for Palm Kernel/ Shell ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

Cracked palm kernel is a mixture of kernels, broken shells, dusts and other impurities. In ... machine processing method using dense medium, a separator, a shell collector and a kernel .... efficiency, ease of maintenance and uniformity of.

Ultraviolet extinction in M-supergiant circumstellar envelopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buss, R.H. Jr.; Snow, T.P. Jr.

1986-01-01

Using International Ultraviolet (IUS) archival low-dispersion spectra, ultraviolet spectral extinctions were derived for the circumstellar envelopes of two M supergiants: HD 60414 and HD 213310. The observed stellar systems belong to a class of widely-separated spectroscopic binaries that are called VV Cephei stars. The total extinction was calculated by dividing the reddened fluxes with unreddened comparison fluxes of similar stars (g B2.5 for HD 213310 and a normalized s+B3 for HD 60414) from the reference atlas. After substracting the interstellar extinctions, which were estimated from the E(B-V) reddening of nearby stars, the resultant circumstellar extinctions were normalized at about 3.5 inverse microns. Not only is the 2175 A extinction bump absent in the circumstellar extinctions, but the far-ultraviolet extinction rise is also absent. The rather flat, ultraviolet extinction curves were interpreted as signatures of a population of noncarbonaceous, oxygen-rich grains with diameters larger than the longest observed wavelength

Gas phase chemical kinetics at high temperature of carbonaceous molecules: application to circumstellar envelopes

Science.gov (United States)

Biennier, L.; Gardez, A.; Saidani, G.; Georges, R.; Rowe, B.; Reddy, K. P. J.

2011-05-01

Circumstellar shells of evolved stars are a theater of extremely rich physical and chemical processes. More than seventy molecules of varied nature have been identified in the envelopes through their spectral fingerprints in the microwave or far infrared regions. Many of them are carbon chain molecules and radicals and a significant number are unique to the circumstellar medium. However, observational data remain scarce and more than half of the detected species have been observed in only one object, the nearby carbon star IRC + 10216. Chemical kinetic models are needed to describe the formation of molecules in evolved circumstellar outflows. Upcoming terrestrial telescopes such as ALMA will increase the spatial resolution by several orders of magnitude and provide a wealth of data. The determination of relevant laboratory kinetics data is critical to keep up with the development of the observations and of the refinement of chemical models. Today, the majority of reactions studied in the laboratory are the ones involved in combustion and concerning light hydrocarbons. Our objective is to provide the scientific community with rate coefficients of reactions between abundant species in these warm environments. Cyanopolyynes from HC_2N to HC_9N have all been detected in carbon rich circumstellar envelopes in up to 10 sources for HC_3N. Neutral-neutral reactions of the CN radical with unsaturated hydrocarbons could be a dominant route in the formation of cyanopolyynes, even at low temperatures. Our approach aims to bridge the temperature gap between resistively heated flow tubes and shock tubes. The present kinetic measurements are obtained using a new reactor combining a high enthalpy source (Moudens et al. 2011) with a flow tube and a pulsed laser photolysis and laser induced fluorescence system to probe the undergoing chemical reactions. The high enthalpy flow tube has been used to measure the rate constant of the reaction of the CN radical with propane, propene

Evolution of silicate dust in interstellar, circumstellar and cometary environments: the role of irradiation and temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davoisne, Carine

2006-01-01

Due to the development of observational and analytical tools, our knowledge of the silicate dust has considerably increased these last years. Dust is formed around evolved stars and injected in the interstellar medium (ISM) in which it travels. Dust is then incorporated in the proto-planetary disks around young stars. During its life cycle, the silicate dust is subjected by numerous processes. The aim of this PhD work is firstly to study the chemical and morphological modifications of silicate dust in supernovae shock waves then to indicate its evolution when it is incorporated around young stars. We have developed low energy ion irradiations in situ in a photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). The chemical and morphological changes have been measured respectively by XPS and atomic force microscopy. We have also carried out thermal annealing under controlled atmosphere of amorphous silicates. The structural and chemical modifications have been observed by analytical transmission electron microscopy. We have shown that ion irradiation induces chemical and morphological changes in silicate. In the ISM, supernovae shock waves are thus a major process which could affect the silicate dust evolution. The microstructure obtained after thermal annealing strongly depends on oxygen fugacity. They often offer a good comparison with those observed in primitive materials present in our solar system. The recrystallization of amorphous interstellar precursors in the inner accretion disk is thus an efficient process to form crystalline silicates which are furthermore incorporated in small parent bodies (asteroids or comets). (author) [fr

POLARIMETRY WITH THE GEMINI PLANET IMAGER: METHODS, PERFORMANCE AT FIRST LIGHT, AND THE CIRCUMSTELLAR RING AROUND HR 4796A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrin, Marshall D.; Duchene, Gaspard; Graham, James R.; Kalas, Paul G.; Millar-Blanchaer, Max; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Chilcote, Jeffrey; Wiktorowicz, Sloane J.; Dillon, Daren; Gavel, Donald; Macintosh, Bruce; Bauman, Brian; Cardwell, Andrew; Goodsell, Stephen; Hartung, Markus; Hibon, Pascale; De Rosa, Robert J.; Doyon, René; Dunn, Jennifer; Erikson, Darren

2015-01-01

We present the first results from the polarimetry mode of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), which uses a new integral field polarimetry architecture to provide high contrast linear polarimetry with minimal systematic biases between the orthogonal polarizations. We describe the design, data reduction methods, and performance of polarimetry with GPI. Point-spread function (PSF) subtraction via differential polarimetry suppresses unpolarized starlight by a factor of over 100, and provides sensitivity to circumstellar dust reaching the photon noise limit for these observations. In the case of the circumstellar disk around HR 4796A, GPI's advanced adaptive optics system reveals the disk clearly even prior to PSF subtraction. In polarized light, the disk is seen all the way in to its semi-minor axis for the first time. The disk exhibits surprisingly strong asymmetry in polarized intensity, with the west side ≳ 9 times brighter than the east side despite the fact that the east side is slightly brighter in total intensity. Based on a synthesis of the total and polarized intensities, we now believe that the west side is closer to us, contrary to most prior interpretations. Forward scattering by relatively large silicate dust particles leads to the strong polarized intensity on the west side, and the ring must be slightly optically thick in order to explain the lower brightness in total intensity there. These findings suggest that the ring is geometrically narrow and dynamically cold, perhaps shepherded by larger bodies in the same manner as Saturn's F ring

Shells around stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olnon, F.M.

1977-01-01

This thesis deals with optically visible stars surrounded by gas and dust and hot enough to ionize the hydrogen atoms in their envelopes. The ionized gas emits radio continuum radiation by the thermal Bremsstrahlung mechanism. Cool giant stars that show radio line emission from molecules in their circumstellar envelopes are discussed. Under favourable conditions the so-called maser effect gives rise to very intense emission lines. Up till now seven different maser transitions have been found in the envelopes of cool giants. Four of these lines from OH, H 2 O and SiO are studied here. Each of them originates in a different layer so that these lines can be used to probe the envelope. The profile of a maser line gives information about the velocity structure of the region where it is formed

Rapid disappearance of a warm, dusty circumstellar disk.

Science.gov (United States)

Melis, Carl; Zuckerman, B; Rhee, Joseph H; Song, Inseok; Murphy, Simon J; Bessell, Michael S

2012-07-04

Stars form with gaseous and dusty circumstellar envelopes, which rapidly settle into disks that eventually give rise to planetary systems. Understanding the process by which these disks evolve is paramount in developing an accurate theory of planet formation that can account for the variety of planetary systems discovered so far. The formation of Earth-like planets through collisional accumulation of rocky objects within a disk has mainly been explored in theoretical and computational work in which post-collision ejecta evolution typically is ignored, although recent work has considered the fate of such material. Here we report observations of a young, Sun-like star (TYC 8241 2652 1) where infrared flux from post-collisional ejecta has decreased drastically, by a factor of about 30, over a period of less than two years. The star seems to have gone from hosting substantial quantities of dusty ejecta, in a region analogous to where the rocky planets orbit in the Solar System, to retaining at most a meagre amount of cooler dust. Such a phase of rapid ejecta evolution has not been previously predicted or observed, and no currently available physical model satisfactorily explains the observations.

Optical properties of cosmic dust analogs: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Henning, Thomas; Mutschke, Harald

2010-04-01

Nanometer- and micrometer-sized solid particles play an important role in the evolutionary cycle of stars and interstellar matter. The optical properties of cosmic grains determine the interaction of the radiation field with the solids, thereby regulating the temperature structure and spectral appearance of dusty regions. Radiation pressure on dust grains and their collisions with the gas atoms and molecules can drive powerful winds. The analysis of observed spectral features, especially in the infrared wavelength range, provides important information on grain size, composition and structure as well as temperature and spatial distribution of the material. The relevant optical data for interstellar, circumstellar, and protoplanetary grains can be obtained by measurements on cosmic dust analogs in the laboratory or can be calculated from grain models based on optical constants. Both approaches have made progress in the last years, triggered by the need to interpret increasingly detailed high-quality astronomical observations. The statistical theoretical approach, spectroscopic experiments at variable temperature and absorption spectroscopy of aerosol particulates play an important role for the successful application of the data in dust astrophysics.

Mass loss of evolved massive stars: the circumstellar environment at high angular resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montarges, Miguel

2014-01-01

Mass loss of evolved stars is still largely mysterious, despite its importance as the main evolution engine for the chemical composition of the interstellar medium. For red supergiants (RSG), the triggering of the outflow and the mechanism of dust condensation remain unknown. Concerning red giant stars, we still do not know how their mass loss is able to form a bipolar planetary nebula. During my PhD thesis, I observed evolved stars with high angular resolution techniques. They allowed us to study the surface and the close environment of these stars, from where mass loss originates. With near-infrared interferometric observations, I characterized the water vapor and carbon monoxide envelope of the nearby RSG Betelgeuse. I also monitored a hot spot on its surface and analyzed the structure of its convection, as well as that of Antares (another very nearby supergiant) thanks to radiative hydrodynamical simulations. Diffraction-limited imaging techniques (near-infrared adaptive optics, ultraviolet space telescope) allowed me to observe the evolution of inhomogeneities in the circumstellar envelope of Betelgeuse and to discover a circumstellar disk around L2 Puppis, an asymptotic giant branch star. These multi-scale and multi-wavelength observations obtained at several epochs allowed us to monitor the evolution of the structures and to derive information on the dynamics of the stellar environment. With a wider stellar sample expected in the next few years, this observing program will allow a better understanding of the mass loss of evolved stars. (author)

Grand-design Spiral Arms in a Young Forming Circumstellar Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomida, Kengo; Lin, Chia Hui [Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043 (Japan); Machida, Masahiro N. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Hosokawa, Takashi [Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Sakurai, Yuya, E-mail: tomida@vega.ess.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

2017-01-20

We study formation and long-term evolution of a circumstellar disk in a collapsing molecular cloud core using a resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulation. While the formed circumstellar disk is initially small, it grows as accretion continues, and its radius becomes as large as 200 au toward the end of the Class-I phase. A pair of grand-design spiral arms form due to gravitational instability in the disk, and they transfer angular momentum in the highly resistive disk. Although the spiral arms disappear in a few rotations as expected in a classical theory, new spiral arms form recurrently as the disk, soon becoming unstable again by gas accretion. Such recurrent spiral arms persist throughout the Class-0 and I phases. We then perform synthetic observations and compare our model with a recent high-resolution observation of a young stellar object Elias 2–27, whose circumstellar disk has grand-design spiral arms. We find good agreement between our theoretical model and the observation. Our model suggests that the grand-design spiral arms around Elias 2–27 are consistent with material arms formed by gravitational instability. If such spiral arms commonly exist in young circumstellar disks, it implies that young circumstellar disks are considerably massive and gravitational instability is the key process of angular momentum transport.

Grand-design Spiral Arms in a Young Forming Circumstellar Disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomida, Kengo; Lin, Chia Hui; Machida, Masahiro N.; Hosokawa, Takashi; Sakurai, Yuya

2017-01-01

We study formation and long-term evolution of a circumstellar disk in a collapsing molecular cloud core using a resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulation. While the formed circumstellar disk is initially small, it grows as accretion continues, and its radius becomes as large as 200 au toward the end of the Class-I phase. A pair of grand-design spiral arms form due to gravitational instability in the disk, and they transfer angular momentum in the highly resistive disk. Although the spiral arms disappear in a few rotations as expected in a classical theory, new spiral arms form recurrently as the disk, soon becoming unstable again by gas accretion. Such recurrent spiral arms persist throughout the Class-0 and I phases. We then perform synthetic observations and compare our model with a recent high-resolution observation of a young stellar object Elias 2–27, whose circumstellar disk has grand-design spiral arms. We find good agreement between our theoretical model and the observation. Our model suggests that the grand-design spiral arms around Elias 2–27 are consistent with material arms formed by gravitational instability. If such spiral arms commonly exist in young circumstellar disks, it implies that young circumstellar disks are considerably massive and gravitational instability is the key process of angular momentum transport.

Modelling of mid-infrared interferometric signature of hot exozodiacal dust emission

Science.gov (United States)

Kirchschlager, Florian; Wolf, Sebastian; Brunngräber, Robert; Matter, Alexis; Krivov, Alexander V.; Labdon, Aaron

2018-01-01

Hot exozodiacal dust emission was detected in recent surveys around two dozen main-sequence stars at distances of less than 1 au using the H- and K-band interferometry. Due to the high contrast as well as the small angular distance between the circumstellar dust and the star, direct observation of this dust component is challenging. An alternative way to explore the hot exozodiacal dust is provided by mid-infrared interferometry. We analyse the L, M and N bands interferometric signature of this emission in order to find stronger constraints for the properties and the origin of the hot exozodiacal dust. Considering the parameters of nine debris disc systems derived previously, we model the discs in each of these bands. We find that the M band possesses the best conditions to detect hot dust emission, closely followed by L and N bands. The hot dust in three systems - HD 22484 (10 Tau), HD 102647 (β Leo) and HD 177724 (ζ Aql) - shows a strong signal in the visibility functions, which may even allow one to constrain the dust location. In particular, observations in the mid-infrared could help to determine whether the dust piles up at the sublimation radius or is located at radii up to 1 au. In addition, we explore observations of the hot exozodiacal dust with the upcoming mid-infrared interferometer Multi AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment (MATISSE) at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer.

Grain Formation Processes in Oxygen-Rich Circumstellar Outflows: Testing the Metastable Eutectic Condensation Hypothesis and Measuring Atom-Grain & Grain-Grain Sticking Coefficients (A Sub-orbital Investigation)

Science.gov (United States)

Nuth, Joseph

An experimentally-based model of grain formation in oxygen-rich circumstellar outflows that includes vapor-solid nucleation, grain growth, thermal annealing and grain aggregation in sufficient detail to predict the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the shells for comparison with observations of a wide range of stellar sources still lacks critical data. In order to gather this data we propose to conduct a series of laboratory experiments using our proven experimental system and microgravity condensation, growth and grain aggregation experiments on sounding rockets with a flight-proven payload provided by Dr. Yuki Kimura of Hokkaido University. We have proposed that solids from a hydrogen-rich, supersaturated, Fe-Mg-SiO vapor condense at metastable eutectic points in this ternary phase diagram. Because the FeOMgO system is totally miscible (has no eutectic or metastable eutectic compositions), this predicts that condensates will be pure Mg-silicate or Fe-silicate grains and that no primary condensate will be a mixed Fe-Mg-silicate. We have shown that this observation leads to a logical explanation as to why pure magnesium olivine and enstatite minerals are detected in circumstellar winds rather than the mixed Mg-Fe-silicate grains that might otherwise be expected (Rietmeijer, Nuth & Karner, 1999). This simplifying hypothesis has been built into our models of circumstellar condensation and growth. However, these experimental results require confirmation and testing since they should apply to other, quite similar condensable systems. We propose to test this hypothesis by condensing solids from the Fe-Mg-AlO ternary vapor system. Since FeO-MgO miscibility also applies to this system, the primary condensates from such a vapor should consist of pure amorphous Fe-aluminates and Mg-aluminates. No mixed Fe-Mg-spinels should be detected as primary condensates if this hypothesis is correct, just as none were detected for the FeO-MgO-SiO system. Confirmation of this

The Lack of Chemical Equilibrium does not Preclude the Use of the Classical Nucleation Theory in Circumstellar Outflows

Science.gov (United States)

Paquette, John A.; Nuth, Joseph A., III

2011-01-01

Classical nucleation theory has been used in models of dust nucleation in circumstellar outflows around oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars. One objection to the application of classical nucleation theory (CNT) to astrophysical systems of this sort is that an equilibrium distribution of clusters (assumed by CNT) is unlikely to exist in such conditions due to a low collision rate of condensable species. A model of silicate grain nucleation and growth was modified to evaluate the effect of a nucleation flux orders of magnitUde below the equilibrium value. The results show that a lack of chemical equilibrium has only a small effect on the ultimate grain distribution.

Interstellar and ejecta dust in the cas a supernova remnant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arendt, Richard G. [CRESST, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States); Dwek, Eli; Kober, Gladys [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 665, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Rho, Jeonghee [SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Hwang, Una, E-mail: Richard.G.Arendt@nasa.gov [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2014-05-01

Infrared continuum observations provide a means of investigating the physical composition of the dust in the ejecta and swept up medium of the Cas A supernova remnant (SNR). Using low-resolution Spitzer IRS spectra (5-35 μm), and broad-band Herschel PACS imaging (70, 100, and 160 μm), we identify characteristic dust spectra, associated with ejecta layers that underwent distinct nuclear burning histories. The most luminous spectrum exhibits strong emission features at ∼9 and 21 μm and is closely associated with ejecta knots with strong Ar emission lines. The dust features can be reproduced by magnesium silicate grains with relatively low Mg to Si ratios. Another dust spectrum is associated with ejecta having strong Ne emission lines. It has no indication of any silicate features and is best fit by Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dust. A third characteristic dust spectrum shows features that are best matched by magnesium silicates with a relatively high Mg to Si ratio. This dust is primarily associated with the X-ray-emitting shocked ejecta, but it is also evident in regions where shocked interstellar or circumstellar material is expected. However, the identification of dust composition is not unique, and each spectrum includes an additional featureless dust component of unknown composition. Colder dust of indeterminate composition is associated with emission from the interior of the SNR, where the reverse shock has not yet swept up and heated the ejecta. Most of the dust mass in Cas A is associated with this unidentified cold component, which is ≲ 0.1 M {sub ☉}. The mass of warmer dust is only ∼0.04 M {sub ☉}.

Pathologies of van Stockum dust/Tipler's time machine

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsay, David S.

2016-09-01

We study the internal solution, and external vacuum solution for radial cutoff, of "van Stockum dust", an infinitely long rotating pressureless dust column; its density increases with radius. This interesting but poorly explored spacetime turns out to have a number of exotic properties, especially in the external vacuum region. These solutions have been known for decades, but it seems that they have never been investigated in detail. In this paper we analyze them and describe their peculiar properties. There are three regimes of radial cutoff that are of interest: (1) If the dust column is thick enough that closed timelike loops (CTLs or "time machines") exist inside the column, then the radius of the entire "universe" is finite, and in fact does not extend much beyond the edge of the matter, even though the metric's radial parameter is unbounded. This interesting finite proper radius seems to have been missed by earlier investigators. Other exotic properties of the external vacuum in this regime: CTLs exist in cylindrical shells, alternating with shells having no circular CTLs; there are infinitely many such shells, getting closer and closer together as one gets farther from the rotation axis. Also, a separate set of infinitely many cylindrical shells exists, having what might be termed "extreme frame-dragging", within which motion is possible only in one direction; they alternate with "normal" shells allowing motion in either direction. Gravitational attraction and tides increase with distance from the matter column, and diverge at the "edge of the universe". In addition, though the radius of the universe is finite, its circumference is infinite; and its boundary is a circle, not a cylinder (the z-axis has shrunk to nothing at the edge). (2) For smaller radial cutoff, but still large enough to produce CTLs, the radius of the universe is infinite; but there are still infinitely many cylindrical shells of CTLs alternating with non-CTL shells. However, the innermost

Stationary spherical shells around Kerr-Newman naked singularities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zdenek Stuchlik; Stanislav Hledik

1998-01-01

It is shown that in the field of some Kerr-Newman naked singularities a stationary spherical shell of charged dust can exist, with the specific charge being the same for all particles of the dusty shell. Gravitational attractions acting on the particles are balanced by electromagnetic repulsion in such a way that the shell is stable against radial perturbations. Particles of the shell move along orbits with constant latitude and radius. Rotation of the shell is differential. The shell is corotating relative to static observers at infinity, but it is counter rotating relative to the family of locally non-rotating observers. No such a shell can exist in the field of Kerr-Newman black holes. (authors)

Hydrodynamic model of a self-gravitating optically thick gas and dust cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Zhukova, E. V.; Zankovich, A. M.; Kovalenko, I. G.; Firsov, K. M.

2015-10-01

We propose an original mechanism of sustained turbulence generation in gas and dust clouds, the essence of which is the consistent provision of conditions for the emergence and maintenance of convective instability in the cloud. We considered a quasi-stationary one-dimensional model of a selfgravitating flat cloud with stellar radiation sources in its center. The material of the cloud is considered a two-component two-speed continuous medium, the first component of which, gas, is transparent for stellar radiation and is supposed to rest being in hydrostatic equilibrium, and the second one, dust, is optically dense and is swept out by the pressure of stellar radiation to the periphery of the cloud. The dust is specified as a set of spherical grains of a similar size (we made calculations for dust particles with radii of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 μm). The processes of scattering and absorption of UV radiation by dust particles followed by IR reradiation, with respect to which the medium is considered to be transparent, are taken into account. Dust-driven stellar wind sweeps gas outwards from the center of the cloud, forming a cocoon-like structure in the gas and dust. For the radiation flux corresponding to a concentration of one star with a luminosity of about 5 ×104 L ⊙ per square parsec on the plane of sources, sizes of the gas cocoon are equal to 0.2-0.4 pc, and for the dust one they vary from tenths of a parsec to six parsecs. Gas and dust in the center of the cavity are heated to temperatures of about 50-60 K in the model with graphite particles and up to 40 K in the model with silicate dust, while the background equilibrium temperature outside the cavity is set equal to 10 K. The characteristic dust expansion velocity is about 1-7 kms-1. Three structural elements define the hierarchy of scales in the dust cocoon. The sizes of the central rarefied cavity, the dense shell surrounding the cavity, and the thin layer inside the shell in which dust is settling provide

Eclipses and dust formation by WC9 type Wolf-Rayet stars

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, P. M.

2014-12-01

Visual photometry of 16 WC8-9 dust-making Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars during 2001-2009 was extracted from the All-Sky Automated Survey All Star Catalogue (ASAS-3) to search for eclipses attributable to extinction by dust formed in clumps in our line of sight. Data for a comparable number of dust-free WC6-9 stars were also examined to help characterize the data set. Frequent eclipses were observed from WR 104, and several from WR 106, extending the 1994-2001 studies by Kato et al., but not supporting their phasing the variations in WR 104 with its `pinwheel' rotation period. Only four other stars showed eclipses, WR 50 (one of the dust-free stars), WR 69, WR 95 and WR 117, and there may have been an eclipse by WR 121, which had shown two eclipses in the past. No dust eclipses were shown by the `historic' eclipsers WR 103 and WR 113. The atmospheric eclipses of the latter were observed but the suggestion by David-Uraz et al. that dust may be partly responsible for these is not supported. Despite its frequent eclipses, there is no evidence in the infrared images of WR 104 for dust made in its eclipses, demonstrating that any dust formed in this process is not a significant contributor to its circumstellar dust cloud and suggesting that the same applies to the other stars showing fewer eclipses.

Spitzer SAGE-Spec: Near infrared spectroscopy, dust shells, and cool envelopes in extreme Large Magellanic Cloud asymptotic giant branch stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blum, R. D. [NOAO, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Srinivasan, S.; Kemper, F.; Ling, B. [Academia Sinica, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 11F of Astronomy-Mathematics Building, NTU/AS, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Volk, K. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2014-11-01

K-band spectra are presented for a sample of 39 Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) SAGE-Spec sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra exhibit characteristics in very good agreement with their positions in the near-infrared—Spitzer color-magnitude diagrams and their properties as deduced from the Spitzer IRS spectra. Specifically, the near-infrared spectra show strong atomic and molecular features representative of oxygen-rich and carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, respectively. A small subset of stars was chosen from the luminous and red extreme ''tip'' of the color-magnitude diagram. These objects have properties consistent with dusty envelopes but also cool, carbon-rich ''stellar'' cores. Modest amounts of dust mass loss combine with the stellar spectral energy distribution to make these objects appear extreme in their near-infrared and mid-infrared colors. One object in our sample, HV 915, a known post-asymptotic giant branch star of the RV Tau type, exhibits CO 2.3 μm band head emission consistent with previous work that demonstrates that the object has a circumstellar disk.

Spitzer SAGE-Spec: Near infrared spectroscopy, dust shells, and cool envelopes in extreme Large Magellanic Cloud asymptotic giant branch stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blum, R. D.; Srinivasan, S.; Kemper, F.; Ling, B.; Volk, K.

2014-01-01

K-band spectra are presented for a sample of 39 Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) SAGE-Spec sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra exhibit characteristics in very good agreement with their positions in the near-infrared—Spitzer color-magnitude diagrams and their properties as deduced from the Spitzer IRS spectra. Specifically, the near-infrared spectra show strong atomic and molecular features representative of oxygen-rich and carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, respectively. A small subset of stars was chosen from the luminous and red extreme ''tip'' of the color-magnitude diagram. These objects have properties consistent with dusty envelopes but also cool, carbon-rich ''stellar'' cores. Modest amounts of dust mass loss combine with the stellar spectral energy distribution to make these objects appear extreme in their near-infrared and mid-infrared colors. One object in our sample, HV 915, a known post-asymptotic giant branch star of the RV Tau type, exhibits CO 2.3 μm band head emission consistent with previous work that demonstrates that the object has a circumstellar disk.

Study at radio wavelengths of circumstellar envelopes around red giants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do Thi Hoai

2015-01-01

The thesis studies mass losing AGB stars and their circumstellar environments, with focus on the development of stellar outflows and their interaction with the surrounding medium. It uses emission from two tracers: carbon monoxide (CO), through its rotational lines in the millimeter range, probes the inner regions of the circumstellar shells out to photodissociation distances, while atomic hydrogen (HI, 21 cm) is better suited to the study of the external regions. The high spectral and spatial resolutions achieved in radio observations allow for a detailed exploration of the kinematics of the relatively slow outflows of red giants. After having introduced the subject, I discuss the case of an S-type star (RS Cnc) that has been observed in CO with the IRAM telescopes, as well as in HI with the VLA, concentrating on the modelling of the spatially resolved CO line profiles and illustrating the complementarity between HI and CO. Results of the CO modelling of other AGB stars observed at IRAM (EP Aqr, XHer and RXBoo) and of a post-AGB star observed with ALMA, the Red Rectangle, are also presented. The formation of the HI line profile in various cases of mass losing AGB stars, in particular YCVn for which a model is presented, is studied next, exploring several effects that might explain the lack of detected emission from stars with high mass loss rates. Similarities between the bipolar outflows of the AGB stars that have been studied, all having mass loss rates in the region of 10"-"7 solar masses per year and displaying nearly spherical morphologies are discussed together with the information on the gas temperature obtained from the simultaneous observation of two CO lines. (author)

Interacting supernovae from photoionization-confined shells around red supergiant stars

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Jonathan; Mohamed, Shazrene; Gvaramadze, Vasilii V.; Kotak, Rubina; Langer, Norbert; Meyer, Dominique M.-A.; Moriya, Takashi J.; Neilson, Hilding R.

2014-08-01

Betelgeuse, a nearby red supergiant, is a fast-moving star with a powerful stellar wind that drives a bow shock into its surroundings. This picture has been challenged by the discovery of a dense and almost static shell that is three times closer to the star than the bow shock and has been decelerated by some external force. The two physically distinct structures cannot both be formed by the hydrodynamic interaction of the wind with the interstellar medium. Here we report that a model in which Betelgeuse's wind is photoionized by radiation from external sources can explain the static shell without requiring a new understanding of the bow shock. Pressure from the photoionized wind generates a standing shock in the neutral part of the wind and forms an almost static, photoionization-confined shell. Other red supergiants should have much more massive shells than Betelgeuse, because the photoionization-confined shell traps up to 35 per cent of all mass lost during the red supergiant phase, confining this gas close to the star until it explodes. After the supernova explosion, massive shells dramatically affect the supernova light curve, providing a natural explanation for the many supernovae that have signatures of circumstellar interaction.

New Circumstellar Sources of PO and PN: The Increasing Role of Phosphorus Chemistry in Oxygen-rich Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Ziurys, L. M.; Schmidt, D. R.; Bernal, J. J.

2018-04-01

PO and PN have been newly identified in several oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes, using the Submillimeter Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory. The J = 5 → 4 and J = 6 → 5 transitions of PN near 235 and 282 GHz, and the lambda doublets originating in the J = 5.5 → 4.5 and J = 6.5 → 5.5 lines of PO at 240 and 284 GHz, have been detected toward the shells of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars TX Cam and R Cas. A similar set of lines has been observed toward the supergiant NML Cyg, and new transitions of these two molecules were also measured toward the AGB star IK Tau. Along with the previous data from VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa), these spectral lines were analyzed using the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) circumstellar modeling code, ESCAPADE. For the AGB stars, peak abundances found for PN and PO were f ∼ (1–2) × 10‑8 and (0.5–1) × 10‑7, respectively, while those for the supergiants were f(PN) ∼ (0.3–0.7) × 10‑8 and f(PO) ∼ (5–7) × 10‑8. PN was well modeled with a spherical radial distribution, suggesting formation near the stellar photosphere, perhaps enhanced by shocks. PO was best reproduced by a shell model, indicating a photochemical origin, except for VY CMa. Overall, the abundance of PO is a factor of 5–20 greater than that of PN. This study suggests that phosphorus-bearing molecules are common in O-rich envelopes, and that a significant amount of phosphorus (>20%) remains in the gas phase.

The chemistry in circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars: following the origin of the elements to the origin of life.

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Ziurys, Lucy M

2006-08-15

Mass loss from evolved stars results in the formation of unusual chemical laboratories: circumstellar envelopes. Such envelopes are found around carbon- and oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars and red supergiants. As the gaseous material of the envelope flows from the star, the resulting temperature and density gradients create a complex chemical environment involving hot, thermodynamically controlled synthesis, molecule "freeze-out," shock-initiated reactions, and photochemistry governed by radical mechanisms. In the circumstellar envelope of the carbon-rich star IRC+10216, >50 different chemical compounds have been identified, including such exotic species as C(8)H, C(3)S, SiC(3), and AlNC. The chemistry here is dominated by molecules containing long carbon chains, silicon, and metals such as magnesium, sodium, and aluminum, which makes it quite distinct from that found in molecular clouds. The molecular composition of the oxygen-rich counterparts is not nearly as well explored, although recent studies of VY Canis Majoris have resulted in the identification of HCO(+), SO(2), and even NaCl in this object, suggesting chemical complexity here as well. As these envelopes evolve into planetary nebulae with a hot, exposed central star, synthesis of molecular ions becomes important, as indicated by studies of NGC 7027. Numerous species such as HCO(+), HCN, and CCH are found in old planetary nebulae such as the Helix. This "survivor" molecular material may be linked to the variety of compounds found recently in diffuse clouds. Organic molecules in dense interstellar clouds may ultimately be traced back to carbon-rich fragments originally formed in circumstellar shells.

The HOSTS Survey—Exozodiacal Dust Measurements for 30 Stars

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Ertel, S.; Defrère, D.; Hinz, P.; Mennesson, B.; Kennedy, G. M.; Danchi, W. C.; Gelino, C.; Hill, J. M.; Hoffmann, W. F.; Rieke, G.; Shannon, A.; Spalding, E.; Stone, J. M.; Vaz, A.; Weinberger, A. J.; Willems, P.; Absil, O.; Arbo, P.; Bailey, V. P.; Beichman, C.; Bryden, G.; Downey, E. C.; Durney, O.; Esposito, S.; Gaspar, A.; Grenz, P.; Haniff, C. A.; Leisenring, J. M.; Marion, L.; McMahon, T. J.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Montoya, M.; Morzinski, K. M.; Pinna, E.; Power, J.; Puglisi, A.; Roberge, A.; Serabyn, E.; Skemer, A. J.; Stapelfeldt, K.; Su, K. Y. L.; Vaitheeswaran, V.; Wyatt, M. C.

2018-05-01

The Hunt for Observable Signatures of Terrestrial Systems survey searches for dust near the habitable zones (HZs) around nearby, bright main-sequence stars. We use nulling interferometry in the N band to suppress the bright stellar light and to probe for low levels of HZ dust around the 30 stars observed so far. Our overall detection rate is 18%, including four new detections, among which are the first three around Sun-like stars and the first two around stars without any previously known circumstellar dust. The inferred occurrence rates are comparable for early-type and Sun-like stars, but decrease from {60}-21+16% for stars with previously detected cold dust to {8}-3+10% for stars without such excess, confirming earlier results at higher sensitivity. For completed observations on individual stars, our sensitivity is five to ten times better than previous results. Assuming a lognormal excess luminosity function, we put upper limits on the median HZ dust level of 13 zodis (95% confidence) for a sample of stars without cold dust and of 26 zodis when focusing on Sun-like stars without cold dust. However, our data suggest that a more complex luminosity function may be more appropriate. For stars without detectable Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) excess, our upper limits are almost reduced by a factor of two, demonstrating the strength of LBTI target vetting for future exo-Earth imaging missions. Our statistics are limited so far, and extending the survey is critical to informing the design of future exo-Earth imaging surveys.

Dust around young stars. Observations of the polarization of UX Ori in deep minima

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voshchinnikov, N.V.; Grinin, V.P.; Kiselev, N.N.; Minikulov, N.K.

1988-01-01

Photometric and polarimetric monitoring observations of UX Ori begun in 1986 in the Crimea and Bolivia have resulted in the observation of two deep minima of the brightness during which a growth of the linear polarization (to ≅7%) was observed, together with a tendency for the circular polarization to increase (up to ≅1%). Analysis of the observational data shows that the main source of the polarized radiation in the deep minima is the emission of the star scattered by grains of circumstellar dust. On the basis of Mie's theory for a polydisperse graphite-silicate mixtures of particles the optical properties of ellipsoidal dust envelopes have been calculated and a model of the Algol-like minimum constructed

Observational constraints for the circumstellar disk of the B[e] star CPD-52 9243

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Cidale, L. S.; Borges Fernandes, M.; Andruchow, I.; Arias, M. L.; Kraus, M.; Chesneau, O.; Kanaan, S.; Curé, M.; de Wit, W. J.; Muratore, M. F.

2012-12-01

Context. The formation and evolution of gas and dust environments around B[e] supergiants are still open issues. Aims: We intend to study the geometry, kinematics and physical structure of the circumstellar environment (CE) of the B[e] supergiant CPD-52 9243 to provide further insights into the underlying mechanism causing the B[e] phenomenon. Methods: The influence of the different physical mechanisms acting on the CE (radiation pressure, rotation, bi-stability or tidal forces) is somehow reflected in the shape and kinematic properties of the gas and dust regions (flaring, Keplerian, accretion or outflowing disks). To investigate these processes we mainly used quasi-simultaneous observations taken with high spatial resolution optical long-baseline interferometry (VLTI/MIDI), near-IR spectroscopy of CO bandhead features (Gemini/Phoenix and VLT/CRIRES) and optical spectra (CASLEO/REOSC). Results: High angular resolution interferometric measurements obtained with VLTI/MIDI provide strong support for the presence of a dusty disk(ring)-like structure around CPD-52 9243, with an upper limit for its inner edge of ~8 mas (~27.5 AU, considering a distance of 3.44 kpc to the star). The disk has an inclination angle with respect to the line of sight of 46 ± 7°. The study of CO first overtone bandhead evidences a disk structure in Keplerian rotation. The optical spectrum indicates a rapid outflow in the polar direction. Conclusions: The IR emission (CO and warm dust) indicates Keplerian rotation in a circumstellar disk while the optical line transitions of various species are consistent with a polar wind. Both structures appear simultaneously and provide further evidence for the proposed paradigms of the mass-loss in supergiant B[e] stars. The presence of a detached cold CO ring around CPD-52 9243 could be due to a truncation of the inner disk caused by a companion, located possibly interior to the disk rim, clearing the center of the system. More spectroscopic and

Detecting Exoplanets with the New Worlds Observer: The Problem of Exozodiacal Dust

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Roberge, A.; Noecker, M. C.; Glassman, T. M.; Oakley, P.; Turnbull, M. C.

2009-01-01

Dust coming from asteroids and comets will strongly affect direct imaging and characterization of terrestrial planets in the Habitable Zones of nearby stars. Such dust in the Solar System is called the zodiacal dust (or 'zodi' for short). Higher levels of similar dust are seen around many nearby stars, confined in disks called debris disks. Future high-contrast images of an Earth-like exoplanet will very likely be background-limited by light scattered of both the local Solar System zodi and the circumstellar dust in the extrasolar system (the exozodiacal dust). Clumps in the exozodiacal dust, which are expected in planet-hosting systems, may also be a source of confusion. Here we discuss the problems associated with imaging an Earth-like planet in the presence of unknown levels of exozodiacal dust. Basic formulae for the exoplanet imaging exposure time as function of star, exoplanet, zodi, exozodi, and telescope parameters will be presented. To examine the behavior of these formulae, we apply them to the New Worlds Observer (NWO) mission. NWO is a proposed 4-meter UV/optical/near-IR telescope, with a free flying starshade to suppress the light from a nearby star and achieve the high contrast needed for detection and characterization of a terrestrial planet in the star's Habitable Zone. We find that NWO can accomplish its science goals even if exozodiacal dust levels are typically much higher than the Solar System zodi level. Finally, we highlight a few additional problems relating to exozodiacal dust that have yet to be solved.

Dust discs around low-mass main-sequence stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolstencroft, R.D.; Walker, H.J.

1988-01-01

Current understanding of the formation of circumstellar discs as a natural accompaniment to the process of low-mass star formation is briefly reviewed. Models of the thermal emission from the dust discs around the prototype stars α Lyr, α PsA, β Pic and ε Eri are discussed, which indicate that the central regions of three of these discs are almost devoid of dust within radii ranging between 17 and 26 AU, with the temperature of the hottest dust lying between about 115 and 210 K. One possible explanation of the dust-free zones is the presence of a planet at the inner boundary of each cloud that sweeps up grains crossing its orbit. The colour, diameter and thickness of the optical image of β Pic, obtained by coronagraphic techniques, have provided further information on the size, radial distribution of number density and orbital inclination of the grains. The difference in surface brightness on the two sides of the disc is puzzling, but might be explained if the grains are elongated and aligned by the combined effects of a stellar wind and a magnetic field of spiral configuration. Finally, we discuss the orbital evolution and lifetimes of particles in these discs, which are governed primarily by radiation pressure, Poynting-Robertson drag and grain-grain collisions. (author)

The Circumstellar Disk and Asymmetric Outflow of the EX Lup Outburst System

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Hales, A. S.; Pérez, S.; Saito, M.; Pinte, C.; Knee, L. B. G.; de Gregorio-Monsalvo, I.; Dent, B.; López, C.; Plunkett, A.; Cortés, P.; Corder, S.; Cieza, L.

2018-06-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations at 0.″3 resolution of EX Lup, the prototype of the EXor class of outbursting pre-main-sequence stars. The circumstellar disk of EX Lup is resolved for the first time in 1.3 mm continuum emission and in the J = 2–1 spectral line of three isotopologues of CO. At the spatial resolution and sensitivity achieved, the compact dust continuum disk shows no indications of clumps, fragments, or asymmetries above the 5σ level. Radiative transfer modeling constrains the characteristic radius of the dust disk to 23 au and the total dust mass to 1.0 × 10‑4 M ⊙ (33 M ⊕), similar to other EXor sources. The 13CO and C18O line emissions trace the disk rotation and are used to constrain the disk geometry, kinematics, and a total gas disk mass of 5.1 × 10‑4 M ⊙. The 12CO emission extends out to a radius of 200 au and is asymmetric, with one side deviating from Keplerian rotation. We detect blueshifted, 12CO arc-like emission located 0.″8 to the northwest and spatially disconnected from the disk emission. We interpret this extended structure as the brightened walls of a cavity excavated by an outflow, which are more commonly seen in FUor sources. Such outflows have also been seen in the borderline FU/EXor object V1647 Ori, but not toward EXor objects. Our detection provides evidence that the outflow phenomenon persists into the EXor phase, suggesting that FUor and EXor objects are a continuous population in which outflow activity declines with age, with transitional objects such as EX Lup and V1647 Ori.

An investigation of the interstellar extinction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, P.F.; Aitken, D.K.; Melbourne Univ., Point Cook

1984-01-01

The 10 μm extinction towards six WC8 or WC9 Wolf-Rayet stars is investigated. All objects show smooth dust emission suffering silicate absorption with depths well correlated with the extinction in the visible. The de-reddened spectra are well represented by emission from featureless grain components, possibly from iron or carbon grains. The extinction to the stars is found to be dominantly interstellar in origin with little extinction from the circumstellar shell. (author)

Size Distribution and Rate of Dust Generated During Grain Elevator Handling

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Dust generated during grain handling is an air pollutant that produces safety and health hazards. This study was conducted to characterize the particle size distribution (PSD) of dust generated during handling of wheat and shelled corn in the research elevator of the USDA Grain Marketing and Product...

A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF MID-INFRARED EMISSION FROM CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE WITH SPIRITS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tinyanont, Samaporn; Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Lau, Ryan; Jencson, Jacob; Prince, Thomas; Fox, Ori D.; Williams, Robert; Smith, Nathan; Perley, Daniel; Dykhoff, Devin; Gehrz, Robert; Johansson, Joel; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Masci, Frank; Cody, Ann Marie

2016-01-01

We present a systematic study of mid-infrared emission from 141 nearby supernovae (SNe) observed with Spitzer /IRAC as part of the ongoing SPIRITS survey. We detect 8 Type Ia and 36 core-collapse SNe. All Type Ia/Ibc SNe become undetectable within three years of explosion, whereas 22 ± 11% of Type II SNe continue to be detected. Five Type II SNe are detected even two decades after discovery (SN 1974E, 1979C, 1980K, 1986J, and 1993J). Warm dust luminosity, temperature, and a lower limit on mass are obtained by fitting the two IRAC bands, assuming an optically thin dust shell. We derive warm dust masses between 10 −6 and 10 −2 M ⊙ and dust color temperatures between 200 and 1280 K. This observed warm dust could be pre-existing or newly created, but in either case represents a lower limit to the dust mass because cooler dust may be present. We present three case studies of extreme SNe. SN 2011ja (II-P) was over-luminous ([4.5] = −15.6 mag) at 900 days post explosion with increasing hot dust mass, suggesting either an episode of dust formation or intensifying circumstellar material (CSM) interactions heating up pre-existing dust. SN 2014bi (II-P) showed a factor of 10 decrease in dust mass over one month, suggesting either dust destruction or reduced dust heating. The IR luminosity of SN 2014C (Ib) stayed constant over 800 days, possibly due to strong CSM interaction with an H-rich shell, which is rare among stripped-envelope SNe. The observations suggest that this CSM shell originated from an LBV-like eruption roughly 100 years pre-explosion. The observed diversity demonstrates the power of mid-IR observations of a large sample of SNe.

Dynamics of dust in astrophysical plasma and implications

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, Thiem

2012-06-01

Dust is a ubiquitous constituent of the interstellar medium, molecular clouds, and circumstellar and protoplanetary disks. Dust emission interferes with observations of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropy and its polarized emission dominates the CMB B-mode polarization that prevents us from getting insight into the inflation epoch of the early universe. In my PhD thesis, I have studied fundamental physical processes of dust dynamics in astrophysical plasma and explored their implications for observations of the CMB, studies of magnetic fields, and formation of planets. I have investigated the spinning dust emission from very small grains (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) of non-spherical shapes (including spheroid and triaxial ellipsoid shapes) that have grain axes fluctuating around grain angular momentum due to internal thermal fluctuations within the grain. I have proposed an approach based on Fourier transform to find power spectrum of spinning dust emission from grains of arbitrary grain shape. In particular, I have devised a method to find exact grain angular momentum distribution using the Langevin equation. I have explored the effects of transient spin-up by single-ion collisions, transient heating by single UV photons, and compressible turbulence on spinning dust emission. This improved model of spinning dust emission well reproduces observation data by Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and allows a reliable separation of Galactic contamination from the CMB. I have identified grain helicity as the major driver for grain alignment via radiative torques (RATs) and suggested an analytical model of RATs based on this concept. Dust polarization predicted by the model has been confirmed by numerous observations, and can be used as a frequency template for the CMB B-mode searches. I have proposed a new type of dust acceleration due to magnetohydrodynamic turbulence through transit time damping for large grains, and quantified a

The Shell Collapsar—A Possible Alternative to Black Holes

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Trevor W. Marshall

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This article argues that a consistent description is possible for gravitationally collapsed bodies, in which collapse stops before the object reaches its gravitational radius, the density reaching a maximum close to the surface and then decreasing towards the centre. The way towards such a description was indicated in the classic Oppenheimer-Snyder (OS 1939 analysis of a dust star. The title of that article implied support for a black-hole solution, but the present article shows that the final OS density distribution accords with gravastar and other shell models. The parallel Oppenheimer-Volkoff (OV study of 1939 used the equation of state for a neutron gas, but could consider only stationary solutions of the field equations. Recently we found that the OV equation of state permits solutions with minimal rather than maximal central density, and here we find a similar topology for the OS dust collapsar; a uniform dust-ball which starts with large radius, and correspondingly small density, and collapses to a shell at the gravitational radius with density decreasing monotonically towards the centre. Though no longer considered central in black-hole theory, the OS dust model gave the first exact, time-dependent solution of the field equations. Regarded as a limiting case of OV, it indicates the possibility of neutron stars of unlimited mass with a similar shell topology. Progress in observational astronomy will distinguish this class of collapsars from black holes.

Circumstellar Disk Lifetimes In Numerous Galactic Young Stellar Clusters

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Richert, A. J. W.; Getman, K. V.; Feigelson, E. D.; Kuhn, M. A.; Broos, P. S.; Povich, M. S.; Bate, M. R.; Garmire, G. P.

2018-04-01

Photometric detections of dust circumstellar disks around pre-main sequence (PMS) stars, coupled with estimates of stellar ages, provide constraints on the time available for planet formation. Most previous studies on disk longevity, starting with Haisch, Lada & Lada (2001), use star samples from PMS clusters but do not consider datasets with homogeneous photometric sensitivities and/or ages placed on a uniform timescale. Here we conduct the largest study to date of the longevity of inner dust disks using X-ray and 1-8 {μ m} infrared photometry from the MYStIX and SFiNCs projects for 69 young clusters in 32 nearby star-forming regions with ages t ≤ 5 Myr. Cluster ages are derived by combining the empirical AgeJX method with PMS evolutionary models, which treat dynamo-generated magnetic fields in different ways. Leveraging X-ray data to identify disk-free objects, we impose similar stellar mass sensitivity limits for disk-bearing and disk-free YSOs while extending the analysis to stellar masses as low as M ˜ 0.1 M⊙. We find that the disk longevity estimates are strongly affected by the choice of PMS evolutionary model. Assuming a disk fraction of 100% at zero age, the inferred disk half-life changes significantly, from t1/2 ˜ 1.3 - 2 Myr to t1/2 ˜ 3.5 Myr when switching from non-magnetic to magnetic PMS models. In addition, we find no statistically significant evidence that disk fraction varies with stellar mass within the first few Myr of life for stars with masses <2 M⊙, but our samples may not be complete for more massive stars. The effects of initial disk fraction and star-forming environment are also explored.

Millimeter wave studies of circumstellar chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Tenenbaum, Emily Dale

2010-06-01

Millimeter wave studies of molecules in circumstellar envelopes and a planetary nebula have been conducted. Using the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO) on Mt. Graham, a comparative spectral survey from 215-285 GHz was carried out of the carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch star IRC +10216 and the oxygen-rich supergiant VY Canis Majoris. A total of 858 emission lines were observed in both objects, arising from 40 different molecules. In VY Canis Majoris, AlO, AlOH, and PO were detected for the first time in interstellar space. In IRC +10216, PH3 was detected for the first time beyond the solar system, and C3O, and CH2NH were found for the first time in a circumstellar envelope. Additionally, in the evolved planetary nebula, the Helix, H2CO, C2H, and cyclic-C3H2 were observed using the SMT and the Kitt Peak 12 m telescopes. The presence of these three molecules in the Helix suggests that relatively complex chemistry occurs in planetary nebulae, despite the harsh ultraviolet field. Overall, the research on molecules in circumstellar and planetary nebulae furthers our understanding of the nature of the material that is fed back into the interstellar medium from evolved stars. Besides telescope work, laboratory research was also conducted -- the rotational spectrum of ZnCl was measured and its bond length and rotational constants were determined. Lastly, in partial fulfillment of a graduate certificate in entrepreneurial chemistry, the commercial applications of terahertz spectroscopy were explored through literature research.

Binary energy source of the HH 250 outflow and its circumstellar environment

Science.gov (United States)

Comerón, Fernando; Reipurth, Bo; Yen, Hsi-Wei; Connelley, Michael S.

2018-04-01

Aims: Herbig-Haro flows are signposts of recent major accretion and outflow episodes. We aim to determine the nature and properties of the little-known outflow source HH 250-IRS, which is embedded in the Aquila clouds. Methods: We have obtained adaptive optics-assisted L-band images with the NACO instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), together with N- and Q-band imaging with VISIR also on the VLT. Using the SINFONI instrument on the VLT we carried out H- and K-band integral field spectroscopy of HH 250-IRS, complemented with spectra obtained with the SpeX instrument at the InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) in the JHKL bands. Finally, the SubMillimeter Array (SMA) interferometer was used to study the circumstellar environment of HH 250-IRS at 225 and 351 GHz with CO (2-1) and CO (3-2) maps and 0.9 mm and 1.3 mm continuum images. Results: The HH 250-IRS source is resolved into a binary with 0.''53 separation, corresponding to 120 AU at the adopted distance of 225 pc. The individual components show heavily veiled spectra with weak CO absorption indicative of late-type stars. Both are Class I sources, but their spectral energy distributions between 1.5 μm and 19 μm differ markedly and suggest the existence of a large cavity around one of the components. The millimeter interferometric observations indicate that the gas mainly traces a circumbinary envelope or disk, while the dust emission is dominated by one of the circumstellar envelopes. Conclusions: HH 250-IRS is a new addition to the handful of multiple systems where the individual stellar components, the circumstellar disks and a circumbinary disk can be studied in detail, and a rare case among those systems in which a Herbig-Haro flow is present. Based on observations obtained with the VLT (Cerro Paranal, Chile) in programs 089.C-0196(A), 095.C-0488(A), and 095.C-0488(B), as well as with IRTF (Mauna Kea, Hawaii), SMA (Mauna Kea, Hawaii), and the Nordic Optical Telescope (La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain

EVIDENCE FOR DUST CLEARING THROUGH RESOLVED SUBMILLIMETER IMAGING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, J. M.; Blake, G. A.; Qi, C.; Wilner, D. J.; Dullemond, C. P.; Williams, J. P.

2009-01-01

Mid-infrared spectrophotometric observations have revealed a small subclass of circumstellar disks with spectral energy distributions (SEDs) suggestive of large inner gaps with low dust content. However, such data provide only an indirect and model-dependent method of finding central holes. Imaging of protoplanetry disks provides an independent check of SED modeling. We present here the direct characterization of three 33-47 AU radii inner gaps, in the disks around LkHα 330, SR 21N, and HD 135344B, via 340 GHz (880 μm) dust continuum aperture synthesis observations obtained with the Submillimeter Array (SMA). The large gaps are fully resolved at ∼0.''3 by the SMA data and mostly empty of dust, with less than (1-7.5) x 10 -6 M sun of fine grained solids inside the holes. Gas (as traced by atomic accretion markers and CO 4.7 μm rovibrational emission) is still present in the inner regions of all three disks. For each, the inner hole exhibits a relatively steep rise in dust emission to the outer disk, a feature more likely to originate from the gravitational influence of a companion body than from a process expected to show a more shallow gradient like grain growth. Importantly, the good agreement between the spatially resolved data and spectrophotometry-based models lends confidence to current interpretations of SEDs, wherein the significant dust emission deficits arise from disks with inner gaps or holes. Further SED-based searches can therefore be expected to yield numerous additional candidates that can be examined at high spatial resolution.

Light echoes - Type II supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, B.E.

1987-01-01

Type II supernovae (SNs) light curves show a remarkable range of shapes. Data have been collected for the 12 Type II SNs that have light curve information for more than four months past maximum. Contrary to previous reports, it is found that (1) the decay rate after 100 days past maximum varies by almost an order of magnitude and (2) the light curve shapes are not bimodally distributed, but actually form a continuum. In addition, it is found that the extinctions to the SNs are related to the light curve shapes. This implies that the absorbing dust is local to the SNs. The dust is likely to be part of a circumstellar shell emitted by the SN progenitor that Dwek (1983) has used to explain infrared echoes. The optical depth of the shell can get quite large. In such cases, it is found that the photons scattered and delayed by reflection off dust grains will dominate the light curve several months after peak brightness. This light echo offers a straightforward explanation of the diversity of Type II SN light curves. 22 references

MOLECULAR LINE OBSERVATIONS OF THE CARBON-RICH CIRCUMSTELLAR ENVELOPE CIT 6 AT 7 mm WAVELENGTHS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chau, Wayne; Zhang Yong; Nakashima, Jun-ichi; Kwok, Sun [Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Deguchi, Shuji [Nobeyama Radio Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory, Minamimaki, Minamisaku, Nagano 384-1305 (Japan)

2012-11-20

We present a {lambda}7 mm spectral line survey of the carbon-rich circumstellar envelope (CSE) CIT 6 using the 45 m telescope at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory. A total of 25 spectral features belonging to five molecular species (HC{sub 3}N, HC{sub 5}N, HC{sub 7}N, SiO, and CS) are detected, enabling us to investigate the chemistry of cyanopolyyne chains. The line strengths are compared with those of the proto-typical carbon-rich CSE IRC+10216. The results show that the cyanopolyyne molecules are enhanced in CIT 6, suggesting that it is more evolved than IRC+10216. In order to investigate the structure of CIT 6, we have constructed a three-dimensional spatiokinematic model. By comparing the observed line profiles with the models, we conclude that this envelope is asymmetric and is composed of several incomplete shells.

On circumstellar molecules in the Pleiades.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbs, L. M.

1972-01-01

Consideration of both old and new observations of the interstellar 4232-A line of CH(+) for the brightest members of the Pleiades. These observations suggest that the molecules are circumstellar in some sense, perhaps resembling in this respect the micron-sized grains inferred to be present in this region.

Estimating dust distances to Type Ia supernovae from colour excess time evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Bulla, M.; Goobar, A.; Amanullah, R.; Feindt, U.; Ferretti, R.

2018-01-01

We present a new technique to infer dust locations towards reddened Type Ia supernovae and to help discriminate between an interstellar and a circumstellar origin for the observed extinction. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the time evolution of the light-curve shape and especially of the colour excess E(B - V) places strong constraints on the distance between dust and the supernova. We apply our approach to two highly reddened Type Ia supernovae for which dust distance estimates are available in the literature: SN 2006X and SN 2014J. For the former, we obtain a time-variable E(B - V) and from this derive a distance of 27.5^{+9.0}_{-4.9} or 22.1^{+6.0}_{-3.8} pc depending on whether dust properties typical of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) or the Milky Way (MW) are used. For the latter, instead, we obtain a constant E(B - V) consistent with dust at distances larger than ∼50 and 38 pc for LMC- and MW-type dust, respectively. Values thus extracted are in excellent agreement with previous estimates for the two supernovae. Our findings suggest that dust responsible for the extinction towards these supernovae is likely to be located within interstellar clouds. We also discuss how other properties of reddened Type Ia supernovae - such as their peculiar extinction and polarization behaviour and the detection of variable, blue-shifted sodium features in some of these events - might be compatible with dust and gas at interstellar-scale distances.

A circumstellar molecular gas structure associated with the massive young star Cepheus A-HW 2

Science.gov (United States)

Torrelles, Jose M.; Rodriguez, Luis F.; Canto, Jorge; Ho, Paul T. P.

1993-01-01

We report the detection via VLA-D observations of ammonia of a circumstellar high-density molecular gas structure toward the massive young star related to the object Cepheus A-HW 2, a firm candidate for the powering source of the high-velocity molecular outflow in the region. We suggest that the circumstellar molecular gas structure could be related to the circumstellar disk previously suggested from infrared, H2O, and OH maser observations. We consider as a plausible scenario that the double radio continuum source of HW 2 could represent the ionized inner part of the circumstellar disk, in the same way as proposed to explain the double radio source in L1551. The observed motions in the circumstellar molecular gas can be produced by bound motions (e.g., infall or rotation) around a central mass of about 10-20 solar masses (B0.5 V star or earlier).

Discovery of a Circumstellar Disk in the Lagoon Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

1997-04-01

Circumstellar disks of gas and dust play a crucial role in the formation of stars and planets. Until now, high-resolution images of such disks around young stars within the Orion Nebula obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) constituted the most direct proof of their existence. Now, another circumstellar disk has been detected around a star in the Lagoon Nebula - also known as Messier 8 (M8) , a giant complex of interstellar gas and dust with many young stars in the southern constellation of Sagittarius and four times more distant than the Orion Nebula. The observations were carried out by an international team of scientists led by Bringfried Stecklum (Thüringer Landessternwarte, Tautenburg, Germany) [1] who used telescopes located at the ESO La Silla observatory and also observations from the HST archive. These new results are paving the road towards exciting research programmes on star formation which will become possible with the ESO Very Large Telescope. The harsh environment of circumstellar disks The existence of circumstellar disks has been inferred from indirect measurements of young stellar objects, such as the spectral energy distribution, the analysis of the profiles of individual spectral lines and measurements of the polarisation of the emitted light [2]. Impressive images of such disks in the Orion Nebula, known as proplyds (PROto-PLanetarY DiskS), have been obtained by the HST during the recent years. They have confirmed the interpretation of previous ground-based emission-line observations and mapping by radio telescopes. Moreover, they demonstrated that those disks which are located close to hot and massive stars are subject to heating caused by the intense radiation from these stars. Subsequently, the disks evaporate releasing neutral gas which streams off. During this process, shock fronts (regions with increased density) with tails of ionised gas result at a certain distance between the disk and the hot star. These objects appear on

HIGH-DENSITY CIRCUMSTELLAR INTERACTION IN THE LUMINOUS TYPE IIn SN 2010jl: THE FIRST 1100 DAYS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fransson, Claes; Ergon, Mattias; Sollerman, Jesper; Challis, Peter J.; Kirshner, Robert P.; Marion, G. H.; Milisavljevic, Dan; Friedman, Andrew S.; Chornock, Ryan; Czekala, Ian; Soderberg, Alicia; Chevalier, Roger A.; France, Kevin; Smith, Nathan; Bufano, Filomena; Kangas, Tuomas; Larsson, Josefin; Mattila, Seppo; Benetti, Stefano

2014-01-01

Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observations of the Type IIn supernova (SN) 2010jl are analyzed, including photometry and spectroscopy in the ultraviolet, optical, and near-IR bands, 26-1128 days after first detection. At maximum, the bolometric luminosity was ∼3 × 10 43 erg s –1 and even at 850 days exceeds 10 42 erg s –1 . A near-IR excess, dominating after 400 days, probably originates in dust in the circumstellar medium (CSM). The total radiated energy is ≳ 6.5 × 10 50 erg, excluding the dust component. The spectral lines can be separated into one broad component that is due to electron scattering and one narrow with expansion velocity ∼100 km s –1 from the CSM. The broad component is initially symmetric around zero velocity but becomes blueshifted after ∼50 days, while remaining symmetric about a shifted centroid velocity. Dust absorption in the ejecta is unlikely to explain the line shifts, and we attribute the shift instead to acceleration by the SN radiation. From the optical lines and the X-ray and dust properties, there is strong evidence for large-scale asymmetries in the CSM. The ultraviolet lines indicate CNO processing in the progenitor, while the optical shows a number of narrow coronal lines excited by the X-rays. The bolometric light curve is consistent with a radiative shock in an r –2 CSM with a mass-loss rate of M-dot ∼0.1  M ⊙ yr −1 . The total mass lost is ≳ 3 M ☉ . These properties are consistent with the SN expanding into a CSM characteristic of a luminous blue variable progenitor with a bipolar geometry. The apparent absence of nuclear processing is attributed to a CSM that is still opaque to electron scattering

A deep Spitzer survey of circumstellar disks in the young double cluster, h and χ Persei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cloutier, Ryan; Currie, Thayne; Jayawardhana, Ray [University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2J7 (Canada); Rieke, George H. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065 (United States); Kenyon, Scott J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02140 (United States); Balog, Zoltan, E-mail: cloutier@cita.utoronto.ca, E-mail: currie@astro.utoronto.ca, E-mail: grieke@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu [Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2014-12-01

We analyze very deep Infrared Array Camera and Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) photometry of ∼12, 500 members of the 14 Myr old Double Cluster, h and χ Persei, building upon our earlier, shallower Spitzer Cycle 1 studies. Numerous likely members show infrared (IR) excesses at 8 μm and 24 μm, indicative of circumstellar dust. The frequency of stars with 8 μm excess is at least 2% for our entire sample, slightly lower (higher) for B/A stars (later type, lower mass stars). Optical spectroscopy also identifies gas in about 2% of systems, but with no clear trend between the presence of dust and gas. Spectral energy distribution modeling of 18 sources with detections at optical wavelengths through MIPS 24 μm reveals a diverse set of disk evolutionary states, including a high fraction of transitional disks, though similar data for all disk-bearing members would provide constraints. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we combine our results with those for other young clusters to study the global evolution of dust/gas disks. For nominal cluster ages, the e-folding times (τ{sub 0}) for the frequency of warm dust and gas are 2.75 Myr and 1.75 Myr, respectively. Assuming a revised set of ages for some clusters, these timescales increase to 5.75 and 3.75 Myr, respectively, implying a significantly longer typical protoplanetary disk lifetime than previously thought. In both cases, the transitional disk duration, averaged over multiple evolutionary pathways, is ≈1 Myr. Finally, 24 μm excess frequencies for 4-6 M {sub ☉} stars appear lower than for 1-2.5 M {sub ☉} stars in other 10-30 Myr old clusters.

Statistical analysis of temporal and spatial evolution of in-vessel dust particles in KSTAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyung-Rae; Hong, Suk-Ho; Nam, Yong-Un; Jung, Jinil; Kim, Woong-Chae

2013-01-01

Images of wide-angle visible standard CCD cameras contain information on in-vessel dusts such as dust creation events (DCEs) that occur during plasma operations, and their velocity. Analyzing the straight line-like dust traces in the shallow cylindrical shell-structured scrape-off layer along the vacuum vessel, a database on the short/long term temporal evolutions, spatial locations of DCEs caused by plasma–dust interaction, and the dust velocity distribution are built. We have studied DCEs of 2010 and 2011 KSTAR campaign

The Physics and Chemistry of Oxygen-Rich Circumstellar Envelopes as Traced by Simple Molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Ka Tat

2018-04-01

multiple radio inversion lines of NH3. Furthermore, mid-infrared absorption of NH3 has been observed by the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) for IK Tau and VY CMa. Full radiative transfer modelling including mid-infrared pumping to the first vibrationally excited state (v2=1) has been carried out to reproduce the observed emission and absorption spectra and to retrieve the NH3 abundances in the targets. It is found that the NH3 emission in the CSEs of the targets arises from localised spatial-kinematic structures in which the gas density may be higher than in the surrounding gas. Circumstellar shocks may contribute to, but cannot fully account for, the formation of the molecule. Besides circumstellar chemistry, our understanding of the dust formation and wind-driving mechanisms of oxygen-rich evolved stars is still incomplete. One of the obstacles in the past was the difficulty in imaging the dust condensation and wind acceleration zones due to the lack of high-angular resolution instruments. Thanks to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which has the longest baseline of about 15 km, we are now able to produce high-fidelity images at unprecedented angular resolutions of tens of milliarcseconds (mas) in the (sub)millimetre regime. Such angular resolutions, which are comparable to the stellar radii of nearby objects, are necessary to understand the gas dynamics and chemical evolution in the pulsating atmosphere and dust formation zone of nearby AGB stars. The eponymous Mira-type long-period variable, o Cet, was observed as a Science Verification target during the first ALMA Long Baseline Campaign that took place in 2014. The observations produced images of the stellar radio photosphere and the molecular transitions of SiO and H2O at an angular resolution of about 30 mas near 220 GHz (1.3 mm). The millimetre stellar disc of o Cet was resolved and modelled. More importantly, this is the first time that molecular line absorption against the

DISK DETECTIVE: DISCOVERY OF NEW CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK CANDIDATES THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuchner, Marc J.; McElwain, Michael; Padgett, Deborah L. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667 Greenbelt, MD 21230 (United States); Silverberg, Steven M.; Wisniewski, John P. [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy The University of Oklahoma 440 W. Brooks St. Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Bans, Alissa S. [Valparaiso University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Neils Science Center, 1610 Campus Drive East, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (United States); Bhattacharjee, Shambo [International Space University 1 Rue Jean-Dominique Cassini F-67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden (France); Kenyon, Scott J. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory 60 Garden Street Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Debes, John H. [Space Telescope Science Institute 3700 San Martin Dr. Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Currie, Thayne [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan 650 N A’ohokhu Place Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); García, Luciano [Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Laprida 854, X5000BGR, Córdoba (Argentina); Jung, Dawoon [Korea Aerospace Research Institute Lunar Exploration Program Office 169-84 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34133 (Korea, Republic of); Lintott, Chris [Denys Wilkinson Building Keble Road Oxford, OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); Rebull, Luisa M. [Infrared Processing and Analaysis Center Caltech M/S 314-6 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Nesvold, Erika, E-mail: Marc.Kuchner@nasa.gov, E-mail: michael.w.mcelwain@nasa.gov, E-mail: deborah.l.padgett@nasa.gov, E-mail: carol.a.grady@nasa.gov, E-mail: silverberg@ou.edu, E-mail: wisniewski@ou.edu [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305 (United States); Collaboration: Disk Detective Collaboration; and others

2016-10-20

The Disk Detective citizen science project aims to find new stars with 22 μ m excess emission from circumstellar dust using data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) mission. Initial cuts on the AllWISE catalog provide an input catalog of 277,686 sources. Volunteers then view images of each source online in 10 different bands to identify false positives (galaxies, interstellar matter, image artifacts, etc.). Sources that survive this online vetting are followed up with spectroscopy on the FLWO Tillinghast telescope. This approach should allow us to unleash the full potential of WISE for finding new debris disks and protoplanetary disks. We announce a first list of 37 new disk candidates discovered by the project, and we describe our vetting and follow-up process. One of these systems appears to contain the first debris disk discovered around a star with a white dwarf companion: HD 74389. We also report four newly discovered classical Be stars (HD 6612, HD 7406, HD 164137, and HD 218546) and a new detection of 22 μ m excess around the previously known debris disk host star HD 22128.

DISK DETECTIVE: DISCOVERY OF NEW CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK CANDIDATES THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuchner, Marc J.; McElwain, Michael; Padgett, Deborah L.; Silverberg, Steven M.; Wisniewski, John P.; Bans, Alissa S.; Bhattacharjee, Shambo; Kenyon, Scott J.; Debes, John H.; Currie, Thayne; García, Luciano; Jung, Dawoon; Lintott, Chris; Rebull, Luisa M.; Nesvold, Erika

2016-01-01

The Disk Detective citizen science project aims to find new stars with 22 μ m excess emission from circumstellar dust using data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) mission. Initial cuts on the AllWISE catalog provide an input catalog of 277,686 sources. Volunteers then view images of each source online in 10 different bands to identify false positives (galaxies, interstellar matter, image artifacts, etc.). Sources that survive this online vetting are followed up with spectroscopy on the FLWO Tillinghast telescope. This approach should allow us to unleash the full potential of WISE for finding new debris disks and protoplanetary disks. We announce a first list of 37 new disk candidates discovered by the project, and we describe our vetting and follow-up process. One of these systems appears to contain the first debris disk discovered around a star with a white dwarf companion: HD 74389. We also report four newly discovered classical Be stars (HD 6612, HD 7406, HD 164137, and HD 218546) and a new detection of 22 μ m excess around the previously known debris disk host star HD 22128.

Disk Detective: Discovery of New Circumstellar Disk Candidates Through Citizen Science

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchner, Marc J.; Silverberg, Steven M.; Bans, Alissa S.; Bhattacharjee, Shambo; Kenyon, Scott J.; Debes, John H.; Currie, Thayne; Garcia, Luciano; Jung, Dawoon; Lintott, Chris;

Interstellar Chemistry Special Feature: The chemistry in circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars: Following the origin of the elements to the origin of life

Science.gov (United States)

Ziurys, Lucy M.

2006-08-01

Mass loss from evolved stars results in the formation of unusual chemical laboratories: circumstellar envelopes. Such envelopes are found around carbon- and oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars and red supergiants. As the gaseous material of the envelope flows from the star, the resulting temperature and density gradients create a complex chemical environment involving hot, thermodynamically controlled synthesis, molecule "freeze-out," shock-initiated reactions, and photochemistry governed by radical mechanisms. In the circumstellar envelope of the carbon-rich star IRC+10216, >50 different chemical compounds have been identified, including such exotic species as C8H, C3S, SiC3, and AlNC. The chemistry here is dominated by molecules containing long carbon chains, silicon, and metals such as magnesium, sodium, and aluminum, which makes it quite distinct from that found in molecular clouds. The molecular composition of the oxygen-rich counterparts is not nearly as well explored, although recent studies of VY Canis Majoris have resulted in the identification of HCO+, SO2, and even NaCl in this object, suggesting chemical complexity here as well. As these envelopes evolve into planetary nebulae with a hot, exposed central star, synthesis of molecular ions becomes important, as indicated by studies of NGC 7027. Numerous species such as HCO+, HCN, and CCH are found in old planetary nebulae such as the Helix. This "survivor" molecular material may be linked to the variety of compounds found recently in diffuse clouds. Organic molecules in dense interstellar clouds may ultimately be traced back to carbon-rich fragments originally formed in circumstellar shells.

DEEP CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB-LIKE PULSAR WIND NEBULA G54.1+0.3 AND SPITZER SPECTROSCOPY OF THE ASSOCIATED INFRARED SHELL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temim, Tea; Slane, Patrick; Raymond, John C.; Reynolds, Stephen P.; Borkowski, Kazimierz J.

2010-01-01

G54.1+0.3 is a young pulsar wind nebula (PWN), closely resembling the Crab, for which no thermal shell emission has been detected in X-rays. Recent Spitzer observations revealed an infrared (IR) shell containing a dozen point sources arranged in a ring-like structure, previously proposed to be young stellar objects. An extended knot of emission located in the NW part of the shell appears to be aligned with the pulsar's X-ray jet, suggesting a possible interaction with the shell material. Surprisingly, the IR spectrum of the knot resembles the spectrum of freshly formed dust in Cas A, and is dominated by an unidentified dust emission feature at 21 μm. The spectra of the shell also contain various emission lines and show that some are significantly broadened, suggesting that they originate in rapidly expanding supernova (SN) ejecta. We present the first evidence that the PWN is driving shocks into expanding SN ejecta and we propose an alternative explanation for the origin of the IR emission in which the shell is composed entirely of SN ejecta. In this scenario, the freshly formed SN dust is being heated by early-type stars belonging to a cluster in which the SN exploded. Simple dust models show that this interpretation can give rise to the observed shell emission and the IR point sources.

Formation and Evolution of Interstellar Dust - Bridging Astronomy and Laboratory Astrophysics.

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras, Cesar; Ricketts, C. L.; Salama, F.

2010-05-01

The study of the formation and the destruction processes of cosmic dust are essential to understand and to quantify the budget of extraterrestrial organic molecules. PAHs are important chemical building blocks of interstellar (IS) dust. They are detected in Interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and in meteoritic samples. Additionally, observational, laboratory, and theoretical studies have shown that PAHs, in their neutral and ionized forms, are an important, ubiquitous component of the interstellar medium. Carbonaceous materials extracts from mixtures of hydrocarbons (C2H2, C2H4, and benzene) contain a high variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). (From Jager et al. Carbon 45 (2007) 2981-2994). Studies of large molecular and nano-sized interstellar dust analogs formed from PAH precursors have been performed in our laboratory under conditions that simulate interstellar and circumstellar environments. The species (molecules, molecular fragments, ions, nanoparticles, etc...) formed in the pulsed discharge nozzle (PDN) plasma source are detected and characterized with a high-sensitivity cavity ringdown spectrometer (CRDS) coupled to a Reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ReTOF-MS), thus providing both spectroscopic and ion mass information in-situ. We will present new experimental results that indicate that nanoparticles are generated in the plasma. From these unique measurements, we derive information on the nature, the size and the structure of interstellar dust particles, the growth and the destruction processes of IS dust and the resulting budget of extraterrestrial organic molecules. Acknowledgments: This research is supported by NASA APRA (Laboratory Astrophysics Program). C. S. C. & C. L. R. acknowledge the support of the NASA Postdoctoral Program.

DUST PRODUCTION AND MASS LOSS IN THE GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTER NGC 362

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, Martha L.; Gordon, Karl D.; Meixner, Margaret; Sewilo, Marta; Shiao, Bernie; Whitney, Barbara; McDonald, Iain; Van Loon, Jacco Th.; Oliveira, Joana M.; Babler, Brian; Bracker, Steve; Meade, Marilyn; Block, Miwa; Engelbracht, Charles; Misselt, Karl; Hora, Joe; Indebetouw, Remy

2009-01-01

We investigate dust production and stellar mass loss in the Galactic globular cluster NGC 362. Due to its close proximity to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), NGC 362 was imaged with the Infrared Array Camera and Multiband Imaging Photometer cameras onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope as part of the Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE-SMC) Spitzer Legacy program. We detect several cluster members near the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) that exhibit infrared excesses indicative of circumstellar dust and find that dust is not present in measurable quantities in stars below the tip of the RGB. We modeled the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the stars with the strongest IR excess and find a total cluster dust mass-loss rate of 3.0 +2.0 -1.2 x 10 -9 M sun yr -1 , corresponding to a gas mass-loss rate of 8.6 +5.6 -3.4 x 10 -6 M sun yr -1 , assuming [Fe/H] =-1.16. This mass loss is in addition to any dustless mass loss that is certainly occurring within the cluster. The two most extreme stars, variables V2 and V16, contribute up to 45% of the total cluster dust-traced mass loss. The SEDs of the more moderate stars indicate the presence of silicate dust, as expected for low-mass, low-metallicity stars. Surprisingly, the SED shapes of the stars with the strongest mass-loss rates appear to require the presence of amorphous carbon dust, possibly in combination with silicate dust, despite their oxygen-rich nature. These results corroborate our previous findings in ω Centauri.

Dust grains from the heart of supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Bocchio, M.; Marassi, S.; Schneider, R.; Bianchi, S.; Limongi, M.; Chieffi, A.

2016-03-01

Dust grains are classically thought to form in the winds of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. However, there is increasing evidence today for dust formation in supernovae (SNe). To establish the relative importance of these two classes of stellar sources of dust, it is important to know the fraction of freshly formed dust in SN ejecta that is able to survive the passage of the reverse shock and be injected in the interstellar medium. With this aim, we have developed a new code, GRASH_Rev, that allows following the dynamics of dust grains in the shocked SN ejecta and computing the time evolution of the mass, composition, and size distribution of the grains. We considered four well-studied SNe in the Milky Way and Large Magellanic Cloud: SN 1987A, CasA, the Crab nebula, and N49. These sources have been observed with both Spitzer and Herschel, and the multiwavelength data allow a better assessment the mass of warm and cold dust associated with the ejecta. For each SN, we first identified the best explosion model, using the mass and metallicity of the progenitor star, the mass of 56Ni, the explosion energy, and the circumstellar medium density inferred from the data. We then ran a recently developed dust formation model to compute the properties of freshly formed dust. Starting from these input models, GRASH_Rev self-consistently follows the dynamics of the grains, considering the effects of the forward and reverse shock, and allows predicting the time evolution of the dust mass, composition, and size distribution in the shocked and unshocked regions of the ejecta. All the simulated models aagree well with observations. Our study suggests that SN 1987A is too young for the reverse shock to have affected the dust mass. Hence the observed dust mass of 0.7-0.9 M⊙ in this source can be safely considered as indicative of the mass of freshly formed dust in SN ejecta. Conversely, in the other three SNe, the reverse shock has already destroyed between 10-40% of the

A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF MID-INFRARED EMISSION FROM CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE WITH SPIRITS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tinyanont, Samaporn; Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Lau, Ryan; Jencson, Jacob; Prince, Thomas [Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Fox, Ori D.; Williams, Robert [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Smith, Nathan [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Perley, Daniel [Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 København Ø (Denmark); Dykhoff, Devin; Gehrz, Robert [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street, S. E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Johansson, Joel [Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot (Israel); Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Masci, Frank [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, M/S 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Cody, Ann Marie, E-mail: st@astro.caltech.edu [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)

2016-12-20

We present a systematic study of mid-infrared emission from 141 nearby supernovae (SNe) observed with Spitzer /IRAC as part of the ongoing SPIRITS survey. We detect 8 Type Ia and 36 core-collapse SNe. All Type Ia/Ibc SNe become undetectable within three years of explosion, whereas 22 ± 11% of Type II SNe continue to be detected. Five Type II SNe are detected even two decades after discovery (SN 1974E, 1979C, 1980K, 1986J, and 1993J). Warm dust luminosity, temperature, and a lower limit on mass are obtained by fitting the two IRAC bands, assuming an optically thin dust shell. We derive warm dust masses between 10{sup −6} and 10{sup −2} M {sub ⊙} and dust color temperatures between 200 and 1280 K. This observed warm dust could be pre-existing or newly created, but in either case represents a lower limit to the dust mass because cooler dust may be present. We present three case studies of extreme SNe. SN 2011ja (II-P) was over-luminous ([4.5] = −15.6 mag) at 900 days post explosion with increasing hot dust mass, suggesting either an episode of dust formation or intensifying circumstellar material (CSM) interactions heating up pre-existing dust. SN 2014bi (II-P) showed a factor of 10 decrease in dust mass over one month, suggesting either dust destruction or reduced dust heating. The IR luminosity of SN 2014C (Ib) stayed constant over 800 days, possibly due to strong CSM interaction with an H-rich shell, which is rare among stripped-envelope SNe. The observations suggest that this CSM shell originated from an LBV-like eruption roughly 100 years pre-explosion. The observed diversity demonstrates the power of mid-IR observations of a large sample of SNe.

H i and CO in the circumstellar environment of the S-type star RS Cancri

Science.gov (United States)

Libert, Y.; Winters, J. M.; Le Bertre, T.; Gérard, E.; Matthews, L. D.

2010-06-01

Context. The history of mass loss during the AGB phase is key to understanding the stellar evolution and the gas and dust replenishment of the interstellar medium. The mass-loss phenomenon presents fluctuations with a wide variety of timescales and spatial scales and requires combining data from multiple tracers. Aims: We study the respective contributions of the central source and of the external medium to the complex geometry of circumstellar ejecta. Methods: This paper presents Plateau de Bure Interferometer and IRAM 30-m telescope CO rotational line observations, along with H i data obtained with the Nançay Radio Telescope for the oxygen-rich semi-regular variable RS Cnc, in order to probe its circumstellar environment on different scales. Results: We detect both the CO(1-0) and the CO(2-1) rotational lines from RS Cnc. The line profiles are composite, comprising two components of half-width ~2 km s-1 and ~8 km s-1, respectively. Whereas the narrow velocity component seems to originate in an equatorial disk in the central part of the CO envelope, the broad component reveals a bipolar structure, with a north-south velocity gradient. In addition, we obtain new H i data on the source and around it in a field of almost 1 square degree. The H i line is centered on vLSR = 7 km s-1 in agreement with CO observations. A new reduction process reveals a complex extended structure in the northwest direction, of estimated size ~18', with a position angle (~310°) opposite the direction of the stellar proper motion (~140°). We derive an H i mass of ~3 × 10-2 M_⊙ for this structure. Based on a non spherical simulation, we find that this structure is consistent with arising from the interaction of the star undergoing mass loss at an average rate of ~10-7 M⊙ yr-1 over ~2-3 × 105 years with the interstellar medium. Conclusions: Using CO and H i lines, we show that the circumstellar environment around RS Cnc includes two related but well separated regions. With CO, we

Laboratory Studies of the Formation of Carbonaceous Cosmic Dust from PAH Precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Salama, Farid; Contreras, C. S.

2012-05-01

The study of the formation and destruction processes of cosmic dust is essential to understand and to quantify the budget of extraterrestrial organic molecules. Although dust with all its components plays an important role in the evolution of interstellar chemistry and in the formation of organic molecules, little is known on the formation and destruction processes of carbonaceous dust. PAHs are important chemical building blocks of interstellar dust. They are detected in interplanetary dust particles and in meteoritic samples and are an important, ubiquitous component of the interstellar medium. The formation of PAHs from smaller molecules has not been extensively studied. Therefore, it is imperative that laboratory experiments be conducted to study the dynamic processes of carbon grain formation from PAH precursors. Studies of interstellar dust analogs formed from a variety of PAH and hydrocarbon precursors as well as species that include O, N, and S, have recently been performed using the COSmIC facility in our laboratory under conditions that simulate interstellar and circumstellar environments. The species formed in the pulsed discharge nozzle (PDN) plasma source are detected and characterized with high-sensitivity cavity ringdown spectroscopy coupled to a Reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ReTOF-MS), thus providing both spectroscopic and ion mass information in-situ. We report the measurements obtained in these experiments. Studies with hydrocarbon precursors show the feasibility of specific molecules to form PAHs, while studies with carbon ring systems (benzene and derivatives, PAHs) precursors provide information on pathways toward larger carbonaceous molecules. From these unique measurements, we derive information on the size and the structure of interstellar dust grain particles, the growth and the destruction processes of interstellar dust and the resulting budget of extraterrestrial organic molecules. Acknowledgements: This research is

HIGH-DENSITY CIRCUMSTELLAR INTERACTION IN THE LUMINOUS TYPE IIn SN 2010jl: THE FIRST 1100 DAYS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fransson, Claes; Ergon, Mattias; Sollerman, Jesper [Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Challis, Peter J.; Kirshner, Robert P.; Marion, G. H.; Milisavljevic, Dan; Friedman, Andrew S.; Chornock, Ryan; Czekala, Ian; Soderberg, Alicia [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Chevalier, Roger A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); France, Kevin [CASA, University of Colorado, 593UCB Boulder, CO 80309-0593 (United States); Smith, Nathan [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Bufano, Filomena [Departamento de Ciencias Fisicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Avda. Republica 252, Santiago (Chile); Kangas, Tuomas [Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20 FI-21500 Piikkiö (Finland); Larsson, Josefin [KTH, Department of Physics, and the Oskar Klein Centre, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Mattila, Seppo [Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20 FI-21500 Piikkiö (Finland); Benetti, Stefano [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dellOsservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy)

2014-12-20

Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observations of the Type IIn supernova (SN) 2010jl are analyzed, including photometry and spectroscopy in the ultraviolet, optical, and near-IR bands, 26-1128 days after first detection. At maximum, the bolometric luminosity was ∼3 × 10{sup 43} erg s{sup –1} and even at 850 days exceeds 10{sup 42} erg s{sup –1}. A near-IR excess, dominating after 400 days, probably originates in dust in the circumstellar medium (CSM). The total radiated energy is ≳ 6.5 × 10{sup 50} erg, excluding the dust component. The spectral lines can be separated into one broad component that is due to electron scattering and one narrow with expansion velocity ∼100 km s{sup –1} from the CSM. The broad component is initially symmetric around zero velocity but becomes blueshifted after ∼50 days, while remaining symmetric about a shifted centroid velocity. Dust absorption in the ejecta is unlikely to explain the line shifts, and we attribute the shift instead to acceleration by the SN radiation. From the optical lines and the X-ray and dust properties, there is strong evidence for large-scale asymmetries in the CSM. The ultraviolet lines indicate CNO processing in the progenitor, while the optical shows a number of narrow coronal lines excited by the X-rays. The bolometric light curve is consistent with a radiative shock in an r {sup –2} CSM with a mass-loss rate of M-dot ∼0.1  M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}. The total mass lost is ≳ 3 M {sub ☉}. These properties are consistent with the SN expanding into a CSM characteristic of a luminous blue variable progenitor with a bipolar geometry. The apparent absence of nuclear processing is attributed to a CSM that is still opaque to electron scattering.

Mapping the three-dimensional dust extinction towards the supernova remnant S147 - the S147 dust cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, B.-Q.; Liu, X.-W.; Ren, J.-J.; Yuan, H.-B.; Huang, Y.; Yu, B.; Xiang, M.-S.; Wang, C.; Tian, Z.-J.; Zhang, H.-W.

2017-12-01

We present a three-dimensional (3D) extinction analysis in the region towards the supernova remnant (SNR) S147 (G180.0-1.7) using multiband photometric data from the Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anticentre (XSTPS-GAC), 2MASS and WISE. We isolate a previously unrecognized dust structure likely to be associated with SNR S147. The structure, which we term as 'S147 dust cloud', is estimated to have a distance d = 1.22 ± 0.21 kpc, consistent with the conjecture that S147 is associated with pulsar PSR J0538 + 2817. The cloud includes several dense clumps of relatively high extinction that locate on the radio shell of S147 and coincide spatially with the CO and gamma-ray emission features. We conclude that the usage of CO measurements to trace the SNR associated MCs is unavoidably limited by the detection threshold, dust depletion and the difficulty of distance estimates in the outer Galaxy. 3D dust extinction mapping may provide a better way to identify and study SNR-MC interactions.

Hot exozodiacal dust resolved around Vega with IOTA/IONIC

Science.gov (United States)

Defrère, D.; Absil, O.; Augereau, J.-C.; di Folco, E.; Berger, J.-P.; Coudé du Foresto, V.; Kervella, P.; Le Bouquin, J.-B.; Lebreton, J.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Monnier, J. D.; Olofsson, J.; Traub, W.

2011-10-01

Context. Although debris discs have been detected around a significant number of main-sequence stars, only a few of them are known to harbour hot dust in their inner part where terrestrial planets may have formed. Thanks to infrared interferometric observations, it is possible to obtain a direct measurement of these regions, which are of prime importance for preparing future exo-Earth characterisation missions. Aims: We resolve the exozodiacal dust disc around Vega with the help of infrared stellar interferometry and estimate the integrated H-band flux originating from the first few AUs of the debris disc. Methods: Precise H-band interferometric measurements were obtained on Vega with the 3-telescope IOTA/IONIC interferometer (Mount Hopkins, Arizona). Thorough modelling of both interferometric data (squared visibility and closure phase) and spectral energy distribution was performed to constrain the nature of the near-infrared excess emission. Results: Resolved circumstellar emission within ~6 AU from Vega is identified at the 3-σ level. The most straightforward scenario consists in a compact dust disc producing a thermal emission that is largely dominated by small grains located between 0.1 and 0.3 AU from Vega and accounting for 1.23 ± 0.45% of the near-infrared stellar flux for our best-fit model. This flux ratio is shown to vary slightly with the geometry of the model used to fit our interferometric data (variations within ± 0.19%). Conclusions: The presence of hot exozodiacal dust in the vicinity of Vega, initially revealed by K-band CHARA/FLUOR observations, is confirmed by our H-band IOTA/IONIC measurements. Whereas the origin of the dust is still uncertain, its presence and the possible connection with the outer disc suggest that the Vega system is currently undergoing major dynamical perturbations.

Herschel/HIFI deepens the circumstellar NH3 enigma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Menten, K. M.; Wyrowski, F.; Alcolea, J.; De Beck, E.; Decin, L.; Marston, A. P.; Bujarrabal, V.; Cernicharo, J.; Dominik, C.; Justtanont, K.; de Koter, A.; Melnick, G.; Neufeld, D. A.; Olofsson, H.; Planesas, P.; Schmidt, M.; Schoier, F. L.; Szczerba, R.; Teyssier, D.; Waters, L. B. F. M.; Edwards, K.; Olberg, M.; Phillips, T. G.; Morris, P.; Salez, M.; Caux, E.

2010-01-01

Context. Circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of a variety of evolved stars have been found to contain ammonia (NH3) in amounts that exceed predictions from conventional chemical models by many orders of magnitude. Aims. The observations reported here were performed in order to better constrain the NH3

The chemistry of molecular anions in circumstellar sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agúndez, Marcelino [LUTH, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92190 Meudon (France); Cernicharo, José [Departamento de Astrofísica, CAB, CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Torrejón a Ajalvir km 4, 28850 Madrid (Spain); Guélin, Michel [Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique, 300 rue de la Piscine, 38406 Saint Martin d' Héres (France)

2015-01-22

The detection of negatively charged molecules in the interstellar and circumstellar medium in the past four years has been one of the most impacting surprises in the area of molecular astrophysics. It has motivated the interest of astronomers, physicists, and chemists on the study of the spectroscopy, chemical kinetics, and prevalence of molecular anions in the different astronomical regions. Up to six different molecular anions have been discovered in space to date, the last one being the small ion CN{sup −}, which has been observed in the envelope of the carbon star IRC +10216 and which contrary to the other larger anions is not formed by electron attachment to CN, but through reactions of large carbon anions with nitrogen atoms. Here we briefly review the current status of our knowledge of the chemistry of molecular anions in space, with particular emphasis on the circumstellar source IRC +10216, which to date is the astronomical source harboring the largest variety of anions.

Laboratory Studies of the Formation of Interstellar Dust from Molecular Precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras, Cesar S.; Salama, Farid

2009-06-01

The study of the formation and the destruction processes of cosmic dust is essential to understand and to quantify the budget of extraterrestrial organic molecules. Interstellar dust presents a continuous size distribution from large molecules, radicals and ions to nanometer-sized particles to micron-sized grains. The lower end of the carbonaceous dust size distribution is thought to be responsible for the ubiquitous spectral features that are seen in emission in the IR (UIBs) and in absorption in the visible (DIBs). The higher end of the dust-size distribution is thought to be responsible for the continuum emission plateau that is seen in the IR and for the strong absorption seen in the interstellar UV extinction curve. All these spectral signatures are characteristic of cosmic organic materials that are ubiquitous and present in various forms from gas-phase molecules to solid-state grains and all are expected to exhibit FIR spectral signatures. Space observations from the UV (HST) to the IR (ISO, Spitzer) help place size constraints on the molecular component of carbonaceous IS dust and its contribution to the IS features in the UV and in the IR. Studies of large molecular and nano-sized IS dust analogs formed from PAH precursors have been performed in our laboratory under conditions that simulate interstellar and circumstellar environments. The species (molecules, molecular fragments, ions, nanoparticles, etc...) formed in the pulsed discharge nozzle (PDN) plasma source are detected and characterized with a high-sensitivity cavity ringdown spectrometer (CRDS) coupled to a Reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ReTOF-MS). We will present new experimental results that indicate that nanoparticles are generated in the plasma. From these unique measurements, we derive information on the nature, the size and the structure of interstellar dust particles, the growth and the destruction processes of IS dust and the resulting budget of extraterrestrial organic

Variable circumstellar obscuration of the carbon star R Fornacis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feast, M.W.; Whitelock, P.A.; Catchpole, R.M.; Roberts, G.; Overbeek, M.D.

1984-01-01

In 1983 the carbon Mira-type variable R For became unusually faint in the visible and infrared. This is interpreted as a change in circumstellar obscuration. For absorption by graphite spheres the required particle radius is 0.15 μm. (author)

Circumstellar Gas in Young Planetary Debris Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Roberge, A.

Circumstellar (CS) disks orbiting young stars fall into two categories: primordial disks, composed of unprocessed interstellar dust and gas, and debris disks, produced by the destruction of solid planetary bodies. In the first class, the most abundant gas is H_2; in the second, it appears that the H_2 gas has disappeared, possibly through incorporation into gas giant planets. The lifetime of H_2 gas in a CS disk is therefore of great importance, as it dictates the timescale for the formation of giant planets. FUSE observations of H_2 in CS disk systems have shown that FUV absorption spectroscopy may sensitively probe for small amounts of gas along the line of sight to the star. Most importantly, the FUSE non-detection of H_2 gas in the Beta Pictoris disk suggests that the primordial gas lifetime is less than about 12 Myr, and that gas giant planets must form very quickly. However, this suggestion is based on one system, and needs to be tested in additional systems with a range of ages, especially since there are indications that age is not the only factor in the evolution of a CS disk. We propose for FUSE observations of 3 additional debris disk systems, Fomalhaut, HD3003, and HD2884. Fomalhaut is an intermediate age debris disk, one of the Fabulous Four CS disks first discovered in 1984. The other two disks are younger, with ages similar to that of Beta Pic. All three stars are brighter in the FUV than Beta Pic, permitting us to sensitively probe for traces of H_2 gas. We will also measure the amount of secondary atomic gas produced from planetary bodies in these disks, in an effort to understand the entire evolution of CS gas in young planetary systems.

Searching for dust around hyper metal poor stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venn, Kim A.; Divell, Mike; Starkenburg, Else; Puzia, Thomas H.; Côté, Stephanie; Lambert, David L.

2014-01-01

We examine the mid-infrared fluxes and spectral energy distributions for stars with iron abundances [Fe/H] <–5, and other metal-poor stars, to eliminate the possibility that their low metallicities are related to the depletion of elements onto dust grains in the formation of a debris disk. Six out of seven stars examined here show no mid-IR excesses. These non-detections rule out many types of circumstellar disks, e.g., a warm debris disk (T ≤ 290 K), or debris disks with inner radii ≤1 AU, such as those associated with the chemically peculiar post-asymptotic giant branch spectroscopic binaries and RV Tau variables. However, we cannot rule out cooler debris disks, nor those with lower flux ratios to their host stars due to, e.g., a smaller disk mass, a larger inner disk radius, an absence of small grains, or even a multicomponent structure, as often found with the chemically peculiar Lambda Bootis stars. The only exception is HE0107-5240, for which a small mid-IR excess near 10 μm is detected at the 2σ level; if the excess is real and associated with this star, it may indicate the presence of (recent) dust-gas winnowing or a binary system.

Searching for dust around hyper metal poor stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venn, Kim A.; Divell, Mike; Starkenburg, Else [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2 (Canada); Puzia, Thomas H. [Institute of Astrophysics, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Av. Vicuna Mackenna 4860, 7820436 Macul, Santiago (Chile); Côté, Stephanie [NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC, V9E 2E7 (Canada); Lambert, David L., E-mail: kvenn@uvic.ca [McDonald Observatory and the Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, RLM 15.308, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2014-08-20

We examine the mid-infrared fluxes and spectral energy distributions for stars with iron abundances [Fe/H] <–5, and other metal-poor stars, to eliminate the possibility that their low metallicities are related to the depletion of elements onto dust grains in the formation of a debris disk. Six out of seven stars examined here show no mid-IR excesses. These non-detections rule out many types of circumstellar disks, e.g., a warm debris disk (T ≤ 290 K), or debris disks with inner radii ≤1 AU, such as those associated with the chemically peculiar post-asymptotic giant branch spectroscopic binaries and RV Tau variables. However, we cannot rule out cooler debris disks, nor those with lower flux ratios to their host stars due to, e.g., a smaller disk mass, a larger inner disk radius, an absence of small grains, or even a multicomponent structure, as often found with the chemically peculiar Lambda Bootis stars. The only exception is HE0107-5240, for which a small mid-IR excess near 10 μm is detected at the 2σ level; if the excess is real and associated with this star, it may indicate the presence of (recent) dust-gas winnowing or a binary system.

Noncrossing timelike singularities of irrotational dust collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, E.P.T.

1979-01-01

Known naked singularities in spherical dust collapse are either due to shell-crossing or localized to the central world line. They will probably be destroyed by pressure gradients or blue-shift instabilities. To violate the cosmic censorship hypothesis in a more convincing and general context, collapse solutions with naked singularities that are at least nonshell-crossing and nonlocalized need to be constructed. Some results concerning the probable structure of a class of nonshellcrossing and nonlocalized timelike singularities are reviewed. The cylindrical dust model is considered but this model is not asymptotically flat. To make these noncrossing singularities viable counter examples to the cosmic censorship hypothesis, the occurrence of such singularities in asymptotically flat collapse needs to be demonstrated. (UK)

RESOLVING THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK AROUND THE MASSIVE PROTOSTAR DRIVING THE HH 80-81 JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrasco-Gonzalez, Carlos [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Auf dem Huegel 69, 53121 Bonn (Germany); Galvan-Madrid, Roberto [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Anglada, Guillem; Osorio, Mayra [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, CSIC, Camino Bajo de Huetor 50, E-18008 Granada (Spain); D' Alessio, Paola; Rodriguez, Luis F. [Centro de Radioastronomia y Astrofisica UNAM, Apartado Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico); Hofner, Peter [Physics Department, New Mexico Tech, 801 Leroy Pl., Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Linz, Hendrik [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie (MPIA), Koenigstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Araya, Esteban D., E-mail: carrasco@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de [Physics Department, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455 (United States)

2012-06-20

We present new high angular resolution observations toward the driving source of the HH 80-81 jet (IRAS 18162-2048). Continuum emission was observed with the Very Large Array at 7 mm and 1.3 cm, and with the Submillimeter Array at 860 {mu}m, with angular resolutions of {approx}0.''1 and {approx}0.''8, respectively. Submillimeter observations of the sulfur oxide (SO) molecule are reported as well. At 1.3 cm the emission traces the well-known radio jet, while at 7 mm the continuum morphology is quadrupolar and seems to be produced by a combination of free-free and dust emission. An elongated structure perpendicular to the jet remains in the 7 mm image after subtraction of the free-free contribution. This structure is interpreted as a compact accretion disk of {approx}200 AU radius. Our interpretation is favored by the presence of rotation in our SO observations observed at larger scales. The observations presented here add to the small list of cases where the hundred-AU scale emission from a circumstellar disk around a massive protostar has been resolved.

Are young supernova remnants interacting with circumstellar gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevalier, R.A.

1982-01-01

The young remnants of galactic Type I supernovae (SN 1006, SN 1572, and SN 1604) appear to be interacting with moderately dense gas (n/sub O/> or =0.1 cm -3 ). If the gas in the ambient interstellar medium, the observations suggest that gas of this density is fairly pervasive. If the gas is circumstellar, there are important implications for the progenitors of Type I supernovae. A plausible density distribution for circumstellar gas is rhoinfinityr -2 . The expansion of a supernova into such a medium is examined and is compared with expansion into a uniform medium. The two cases can be distinguished on the basis of their density profiles and their rates of expansion. Currently available data factor the hypothesis of expansion in a uniform medium for all three Type I remnants; the evidence is the strongest for SN 1572 and the weakest for SN 1604. Further X-ray and radio observations of the galactic remnants and of extragalactic Type I supernovae should serve to test this hypothesis

Structure and Spectrum of Dust Coulomb Clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, F.M.H.; Ford, C.; Barkby, S.; Samarian, A.A.; Vladimirov, S.V.

2005-01-01

In our study, the dynamics of Coulomb cluster systems were simulated for different number of particles. The spectra of energy states of dust Coulomb clusters corresponding to various packing sequences were obtained. The broadening of the spectrum due to inter-ring twist was discovered. It was found that the inter-ring twist will lead to a change in the energy spectrum of Coulomb cluster. This change was accompanied by a distortion of stable shells such that particles are able to compensate for any additional Coulomb energy (owing to the inter-ring twist) by further reducing their radial distance as much as possible. The overall effect is a change in the shape of the outer-shell from circular to elliptical

A SELF-CONSISTENT MODEL OF THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DEBRIS CREATED BY A GIANT HYPERVELOCITY IMPACT IN THE HD 172555 SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, B. C.; Melosh, H. J.; Lisse, C. M.; Chen, C. H.; Wyatt, M. C.; Thebault, P.; Henning, W. G.; Gaidos, E.; Elkins-Tanton, L. T.; Bridges, J. C.; Morlok, A.

2012-01-01

Spectral modeling of the large infrared excess in the Spitzer IRS spectra of HD 172555 suggests that there is more than 10 19 kg of submicron dust in the system. Using physical arguments and constraints from observations, we rule out the possibility of the infrared excess being created by a magma ocean planet or a circumplanetary disk or torus. We show that the infrared excess is consistent with a circumstellar debris disk or torus, located at ∼6 AU, that was created by a planetary scale hypervelocity impact. We find that radiation pressure should remove submicron dust from the debris disk in less than one year. However, the system's mid-infrared photometric flux, dominated by submicron grains, has been stable within 4% over the last 27 years, from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (1983) to WISE (2010). Our new spectral modeling work and calculations of the radiation pressure on fine dust in HD 172555 provide a self-consistent explanation for this apparent contradiction. We also explore the unconfirmed claim that ∼10 47 molecules of SiO vapor are needed to explain an emission feature at ∼8 μm in the Spitzer IRS spectrum of HD 172555. We find that unless there are ∼10 48 atoms or 0.05 M ⊕ of atomic Si and O vapor in the system, SiO vapor should be destroyed by photo-dissociation in less than 0.2 years. We argue that a second plausible explanation for the ∼8 μm feature can be emission from solid SiO, which naturally occurs in submicron silicate ''smokes'' created by quickly condensing vaporized silicate.

Circumstellar Disks and Outflows in Turbulent Molecular Cloud Cores: Possible Formation Mechanism for Misaligned Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsumoto, Tomoaki [Faculty of Sustainability Studies, Hosei University, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8160 (Japan); Machida, Masahiro N. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581 (Japan); Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro, E-mail: matsu@hosei.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

2017-04-10

We investigate the formation of circumstellar disks and outflows subsequent to the collapse of molecular cloud cores with the magnetic field and turbulence. Numerical simulations are performed by using an adaptive mesh refinement to follow the evolution up to ∼1000 years after the formation of a protostar. In the simulations, circumstellar disks are formed around the protostars; those in magnetized models are considerably smaller than those in nonmagnetized models, but their size increases with time. The models with stronger magnetic fields tend to produce smaller disks. During evolution in the magnetized models, the mass ratios of a disk to a protostar is approximately constant at ∼1%–10%. The circumstellar disks are aligned according to their angular momentum, and the outflows accelerate along the magnetic field on the 10–100 au scale; this produces a disk that is misaligned with the outflow. The outflows are classified into two types: a magnetocentrifugal wind and a spiral flow. In the latter, because of the geometry, the axis of rotation is misaligned with the magnetic field. The magnetic field has an internal structure in the cloud cores, which also causes misalignment between the outflows and the magnetic field on the scale of the cloud core. The distribution of the angular momentum vectors in a core also has a non-monotonic internal structure. This should create a time-dependent accretion of angular momenta onto the circumstellar disk. Therefore, the circumstellar disks are expected to change their orientation as well as their sizes in the long-term evolutions.

SOFIA/FORCAST AND SPITZER/IRAC IMAGING OF THE ULTRACOMPACT H II REGION W3(OH) AND ASSOCIATED PROTOSTARS IN W3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirsch, Lea; Adams, Joseph D.; Herter, Terry L.; Gull, George E.; Henderson, Charles P.; Schoenwald, Justin [Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, 105 Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Hora, Joseph L. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS 65, Cambridge, MA 02138-1516 (United States); De Buizer, James M.; Vacca, William [SOFIA-University Space Research Association, NASA Ames Reseach Center, Mail Stop N211-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Megeath, S. Thomas [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Mailstop 111, 2801 West Bancroft Street, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Keller, Luke D. [Ithaca College, Physics Department, 264 Center for Natural Sciences, Ithaca, NY 14850 (United States)

2012-10-01

We present infrared observations of the ultracompact H II region W3(OH) made by the FORCAST instrument aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and by the Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera. We contribute new wavelength data to the spectral energy distribution (SED), which constrains the optical depth, grain size distribution, and temperature gradient of the dusty shell surrounding the H II region. We model the dust component as a spherical shell containing an inner cavity with radius {approx}600 AU, irradiated by a central star of type O9 and temperature {approx}31, 000 K. The total luminosity of this system is 7.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} L{sub Sun }. An observed excess of 2.2-4.5 {mu}m emission in the SED can be explained by our viewing a cavity opening or clumpiness in the shell structure whereby radiation from the warm interior of the shell can escape. We claim to detect the nearby water maser source W3 (H{sub 2}O) at 31.4 and 37.1 {mu}m using beam deconvolution of the FORCAST images. We constrain the flux densities of this object at 19.7-37.1 {mu}m. Additionally, we present in situ observations of four young stellar and protostellar objects in the SOFIA field, presumably associated with the W3 molecular cloud. Results from the model SED fitting tool of Robitaille et al. suggest that two objects (2MASS J02270352+6152357 and 2MASS J02270824+6152281) are intermediate-luminosity ({approx}236-432 L{sub Sun }) protostars; one object (2MASS J02270887+6152344) is either a high-mass protostar with luminosity 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 3} L{sub Sun} or a less massive young star with a substantial circumstellar disk but depleted envelope; and the other (2MASS J02270743+6152281) is an intermediate-luminosity ({approx}768 L{sub Sun }) protostar nearing the end of its envelope accretion phase or a young star surrounded by a circumstellar disk with no appreciable circumstellar envelope.

Circumstellar X-ray Emission from SN1978K

Science.gov (United States)

Schlegel, Eric M.; Colbert, E.; Petre, R.

1995-02-01

We present the X-ray light curve in the 0.2 2.4 keV band based on fiveROSAT observations of SN1978K in NGC 1313. The X-ray emission is believed to arise from the interaction of the reverse shock and the expanding debris from the supernova. The reverse shock becomes established after the outgoing shock runs into circumstellar matter.

A SELF-CONSISTENT MODEL OF THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DEBRIS CREATED BY A GIANT HYPERVELOCITY IMPACT IN THE HD 172555 SYSTEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, B. C.; Melosh, H. J. [Department of Physics, Purdue University, 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Lisse, C. M. [JHU-APL, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Chen, C. H. [STScI, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Wyatt, M. C. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Thebault, P. [LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, F-92195 Meudon Principal Cedex (France); Henning, W. G. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Gaidos, E. [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Elkins-Tanton, L. T. [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015 (United States); Bridges, J. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Morlok, A., E-mail: johns477@purdue.edu [Department of Physical Sciences, Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA (United Kingdom)

2012-12-10

Spectral modeling of the large infrared excess in the Spitzer IRS spectra of HD 172555 suggests that there is more than 10{sup 19} kg of submicron dust in the system. Using physical arguments and constraints from observations, we rule out the possibility of the infrared excess being created by a magma ocean planet or a circumplanetary disk or torus. We show that the infrared excess is consistent with a circumstellar debris disk or torus, located at {approx}6 AU, that was created by a planetary scale hypervelocity impact. We find that radiation pressure should remove submicron dust from the debris disk in less than one year. However, the system's mid-infrared photometric flux, dominated by submicron grains, has been stable within 4% over the last 27 years, from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (1983) to WISE (2010). Our new spectral modeling work and calculations of the radiation pressure on fine dust in HD 172555 provide a self-consistent explanation for this apparent contradiction. We also explore the unconfirmed claim that {approx}10{sup 47} molecules of SiO vapor are needed to explain an emission feature at {approx}8 {mu}m in the Spitzer IRS spectrum of HD 172555. We find that unless there are {approx}10{sup 48} atoms or 0.05 M{sub Circled-Plus} of atomic Si and O vapor in the system, SiO vapor should be destroyed by photo-dissociation in less than 0.2 years. We argue that a second plausible explanation for the {approx}8 {mu}m feature can be emission from solid SiO, which naturally occurs in submicron silicate ''smokes'' created by quickly condensing vaporized silicate.

INVESTIGATING THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK OF THE Be SHELL STAR 48 LIBRAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silaj, J.; Jones, C. E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7 (Canada); Carciofi, A. C.; Escolano, C.; Bednarski, D. [Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universitária de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP Brazil (Brazil); Okazaki, A. T. [Faculty of Engineering, Hokkai-Gakuen University, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-8605 (Japan); Tycner, C. [Department of Physics, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859 (United States); Rivinius, T.; Klement, R. [European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19 (Chile)

2016-07-20

A global disk oscillation implemented in the viscous decretion disk (VDD) model has been used to reproduce most of the observed properties of the well known Be star ζ Tau. 48 Librae shares several similarities with ζ Tau—they are both early-type Be stars, display shell characteristics in their spectra, and exhibit cyclic V / R variations—but has some marked differences as well, such as a much denser and more extended disk, a much longer V / R cycle, and the absence of the so-called triple-peak features. We aim to reproduce the photometric, polarimetric, and spectroscopic observables of 48 Librae with a self-consistent model, and to test the global oscillation scenario for this target. Our calculations are carried out with the three-dimensional NLTE radiative transfer code HDUST. We employ a rotationally deformed, gravity-darkened central star surrounded by a disk whose unperturbed state is given by the VDD model. A two-dimensional global oscillation code is then used to calculate the disk perturbation and superimpose it on the unperturbed disk. A very good, self-consistent fit to the time-averaged properties of the disk is obtained with the VDD. The calculated perturbation has a period P = 12 years, which agrees with the observed period, and the behavior of the V / R cycle is well reproduced by the perturbed model. The perturbed model improves the fit to the photometric data and reproduces some features of the observed spectroscopic data. Some suggestions to improve the synthesized spectroscopy in a future work are given.

Scanning the parameter space of collapsing rotating thin shells

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Jorge V.; Santarelli, Raphael

2018-06-01

We present results of a comprehensive study of collapsing and bouncing thin shells with rotation, framing it in the context of the weak cosmic censorship conjecture. The analysis is based on a formalism developed specifically for higher odd dimensions that is able to describe the dynamics of collapsing rotating shells exactly. We analyse and classify a plethora of shell trajectories in asymptotically flat spacetimes. The parameters varied include the shell’s mass and angular momentum, its radial velocity at infinity, the (linear) equation-of-state parameter and the spacetime dimensionality. We find that plunges of rotating shells into black holes never produce naked singularities, as long as the matter shell obeys the weak energy condition, and so respects cosmic censorship. This applies to collapses of dust shells starting from rest or with a finite velocity at infinity. Not even shells with a negative isotropic pressure component (i.e. tension) lead to the formation of naked singularities, as long as the weak energy condition is satisfied. Endowing the shells with a positive isotropic pressure component allows for the existence of bouncing trajectories satisfying the dominant energy condition and fully contained outside rotating black holes. Otherwise any turning point occurs always inside the horizon. These results are based on strong numerical evidence from scans of numerous sections in the large parameter space available to these collapsing shells. The generalisation of the radial equation of motion to a polytropic equation-of-state for the matter shell is also included in an appendix.

The interaction of Type Ia supernovae with their circumstellar medium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chiotellis, A.

2013-01-01

This thesis is focused on the study of a specific class of supernovae, named Type Ia (or thermonuclear) supernovae. In particular, we attempt to gain information about their origin through the study of the interaction of these supernovae with circumstellar structures that have been shaped by their

A multi-wavelength investigation of the radio-loud supernova PTF11qcj and its circumstellar environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corsi, A. [Department of Physics, The George Washington University, 725 21st St, NW, Washington, DC 20052 (United States); Ofek, E. O.; Gal-Yam, A.; Xu, D. [Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot (Israel); Frail, D. A. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Kulkarni, S. R.; Horesh, A.; Carpenter, J.; Arcavi, I.; Cao, Y.; Mooley, K.; Sesar, B. [Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Fox, D. B. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Kasliwal, M. M. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Sullivan, M.; Maguire, K.; Pan, Y.-C. [Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); Cenko, S. B. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 685, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Sternberg, A. [Max-Planck-Institut fur Astrophysik, D-85741 Garching (Germany); Bersier, D., E-mail: corsi@gwu.edu [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool (United Kingdom); and others

2014-02-10

We present the discovery, classification, and extensive panchromatic (from radio to X-ray) follow-up observations of PTF11qcj, a supernova (SN) discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). Our observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array show that this event is radio-loud: PTF11qcj reached a radio peak luminosity comparable to that of the famous gamma-ray-burst-associated SN 1998bw (L {sub 5} {sub GHz} ≈ 10{sup 29} erg s{sup –1} Hz{sup –1}). PTF11qcj is also detected in X-rays with the Chandra Observatory, and in the infrared band with Spitzer. Our multi-wavelength analysis probes the SN interaction with circumstellar material. The radio observations suggest a progenitor mass-loss rate of ∼10{sup –4} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} × (v{sub w} /1000 km s{sup –1}), and a velocity of ≈0.3-0.5 c for the fastest moving ejecta (at ≈10 days after explosion). However, these estimates are derived assuming the simplest model of SN ejecta interacting with a smooth circumstellar wind, and do not account for possible inhomogeneities in the medium and asphericity of the explosion. The radio data show deviations from such a simple model, as well as a late-time re-brightening. The X-ray flux from PTF11qcj is compatible with the high-frequency extrapolation of the radio synchrotron emission (within the large uncertainties). A light echo from pre-existing dust is in agreement with our infrared data. Our pre-explosion data from the PTF suggest that a precursor eruption of absolute magnitude M{sub r} ≈ –13 mag may have occurred ≈2.5 yr prior to the SN explosion. Overall, PTF11qcj fits the expectations from the explosion of a Wolf-Rayet star. Precursor eruptions may be a feature characterizing the final pre-explosion evolution of such stars.

Canonical theory of spherically symmetric spacetimes with cross-streaming null dusts

Science.gov (United States)

Bičák, Jiří; Hájíček, Petr

2003-11-01

The Hamiltonian dynamics of two-component spherically symmetric null dust is studied with regard to the quantum theory of gravitational collapse. The components—the ingoing and outgoing dusts—are assumed to interact only through gravitation. Different kinds of singularities, naked or “clothed,” which can form during collapse processes are described. The general canonical formulation of the one-component null-dust dynamics by Bičák and Kuchař is restricted to the spherically symmetric case and used to construct an action for the two components. The transformation from a metric variable to the quasilocal mass is shown to simplify the mathematics. The action is reduced by a choice of gauge and the corresponding true Hamiltonian is written down. Asymptotic coordinates and energy densities of dust shells are shown to form a complete set of Dirac observables. The action of the asymptotic time translation on the observables is defined but it has been calculated explicitly only in the case of one-component dust (Vaidya metric).

MERLIN observations of water maser proper motions in VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, A. M. S.; Yates, J. A.; Cohen, R. J.

1998-09-01

MERLIN observations of the 22-GHz water masers in the circumstellar envelope of the supergiant VY CMa show an ellipsoidal distribution with a maximum extent of 700 mas east-west and 400 mas north-south. Comparison with observations made nine years earlier shows that the majority of maser features have survived and show proper motions throughout the region. The mean change in position is 28 mas and the proper motions are generally directed away from the assumed stellar position, and tend to be larger for features at greater projected distances. If the H_2O maser region is modelled as a partially filled thick spherical shell, and VY CMa is at a distance of 1.5 kpc, then the proper motion velocities in the direction of expansion are between 8kms^-1 at a distance of 75 mas from the assumed stellar position and 32kms^-1 at 360 mas. These velocities are consistent with the H_2O maser spectral line velocities which correspond to a maximum expansion velocity of 36kms^-1 at 400 mas from the assumed stellar position. These observations are consistent with radiation pressure on dust providing the force to accelerate the stellar wind as it passes through the H_2O maser shell. The H_2O maser region is elongated in the same direction as the dusty nebula around VY CMa. The water masers illuminate the small-scale dynamics and clumpiness which show the role of dust in driving the outflow. The overall ellipsoidal shape may be due to properties of the dust, such as its behaviour in the stellar magnetic field, or to interaction between the wind and circumstellar material. Maser monitoring also shows the difference between changes on the time-scale of stellar variability (a few years) and possible stages in the evolution of VY CMa to its likely fate as a supernova.

Gas and dust in the star-forming region ρ Oph A. The dust opacity exponent β and the gas-to-dust mass ratio g2d

Science.gov (United States)

Liseau, R.; Larsson, B.; Lunttila, T.; Olberg, M.; Rydbeck, G.; Bergman, P.; Justtanont, K.; Olofsson, G.; de Vries, B. L.

2015-06-01

Aims: We aim at determining the spatial distribution of the gas and dust in star-forming regions and address their relative abundances in quantitative terms. We also examine the dust opacity exponent β for spatial and/or temporal variations. Methods: Using mapping observations of the very dense ρ Oph A core, we examined standard 1D and non-standard 3D methods to analyse data of far-infrared and submillimetre (submm) continuum radiation. The resulting dust surface density distribution can be compared to that of the gas. The latter was derived from the analysis of accompanying molecular line emission, observed with Herschel from space and with APEX from the ground. As a gas tracer we used N2H+, which is believed to be much less sensitive to freeze-out than CO and its isotopologues. Radiative transfer modelling of the N2H+ (J = 3-2) and (J = 6-5) lines with their hyperfine structure explicitly taken into account provides solutions for the spatial distribution of the column density N(H2), hence the surface density distribution of the gas. Results: The gas-to-dust mass ratio is varying across the map, with very low values in the central regions around the core SM 1. The global average, = 88, is not far from the canonical value of 100, however. In ρ Oph A, the exponent β of the power-law description for the dust opacity exhibits a clear dependence on time, with high values of 2 for the envelope-dominated emission in starless Class -1 sources to low values close to 0 for the disk-dominated emission in Class III objects. β assumes intermediate values for evolutionary classes in between. Conclusions: Since β is primarily controlled by grain size, grain growth mostly occurs in circumstellar disks. The spatial segregation of gas and dust, seen in projection toward the core centre, probably implies that, like C18O, also N2H+ is frozen onto the grains. Based on observations with APEX, which is a 12 m diameter submillimetre telescope at 5100 m altitude on Llano Chajnantor

THE MASS-LOSS RETURN FROM EVOLVED STARS TO THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD. II. DUST PROPERTIES FOR OXYGEN-RICH ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sargent, Benjamin A.; Meixner, M.; Gordon, Karl D.; Srinivasan, S.; Kemper, F.; Woods, Paul M.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Speck, A. K.; Matsuura, M.; Bernard, J.-Ph.; Hony, S.; Indebetouw, R.; Marengo, M.; Sloan, G. C.

2010-01-01

We model multi-wavelength broadband UBVIJHK s and Spitzer IRAC and MIPS photometry and Infrared Spectrograph spectra from the SAGE and SAGE-Spectroscopy observing programs of two oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch (O-rich AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using radiative transfer (RT) models of dust shells around stars. We chose a star from each of the bright and faint O-rich AGB populations found by earlier studies of the SAGE sample in order to derive a baseline set of dust properties to be used in the construction of an extensive grid of RT models of the O-rich AGB stars found in the SAGE surveys. From the bright O-rich AGB population, we chose HV 5715, and from the faint O-rich AGB population we chose SSTISAGE1C J052206.92-715017.6 (SSTSAGE052206). We found the complex indices of refraction of oxygen-deficient silicates from Ossenkopf et al. and a power law with exponential decay grain size distribution like what Kim et al. used but with γ of -3.5, a min of 0.01 μm, and a 0 of 0.1 μm to be reasonable dust properties for these models. There is a slight indication that the dust around the faint O-rich AGB may be more silica-rich than that around the bright O-rich AGB. Simple models of gas emission suggest a relatively extended gas envelope for the faint O-rich AGB star modeled, consistent with the relatively large dust shell inner radius for the same model. Our models of the data require the luminosity of SSTSAGE052206 and HV 5715 to be ∼5100 L sun and ∼36,000 L sun , respectively. This, combined with the stellar effective temperatures of 3700 K and 3500 K, respectively, that we find best fit the optical and near-infrared data, suggests stellar masses of ∼3 M sun and ∼7 M sun . This, in turn, suggests that HV 5715 is undergoing hot-bottom burning and that SSTSAGE052206 is not. Our models of SSTSAGE052206 and HV 5715 require dust shells of inner radius ∼17 and ∼52 times the stellar radius, respectively, with dust temperatures there of

Magnetically regulated collapse in the B335 protostar? I. ALMA observations of the polarized dust emission

Science.gov (United States)

Maury, A. J.; Girart, J. M.; Zhang, Q.; Hennebelle, P.; Keto, E.; Rao, R.; Lai, S.-P.; Ohashi, N.; Galametz, M.

2018-06-01

The role of the magnetic field during protostellar collapse is poorly constrained from an observational point of view, although it could be significant if we believe state-of-the-art models of protostellar formation. We present polarimetric observations of the 233 GHz thermal dust continuum emission obtained with ALMA in the B335 Class 0 protostar. Linearly polarized dust emission arising from the circumstellar material in the envelope of B335 is detected at all scales probed by our observations (50 to 1000 au). The magnetic field structure producing the dust polarization has a very ordered topology in the inner envelope, with a transition from a large-scale poloidal magnetic field, in the outflow direction, to strongly pinched in the equatorial direction. This is probably due to magnetic field lines being dragged along the dominating infall direction since B335 does not exhibit prominent rotation. Our data and their qualitative comparison to a family of magnetized protostellar collapse models show that, during the magnetized collapse in B335, the magnetic field is maintaining a high level of organization from scales 1000 au to 50 au: this suggests the field is dynamically relevant and capable of influencing the typical outcome of protostellar collapse, such as regulating the disc size in B335.

Magnetically regulated collapse in the B335 protostar? I. ALMA observations of the polarized dust emission

Science.gov (United States)

Maury, A. J.; Girart, J. M.; Zhang, Q.; Hennebelle, P.; Keto, E.; Rao, R.; Lai, S.-P.; Ohashi, N.; Galametz, M.

2018-03-01

The role of the magnetic field during protostellar collapse is poorly constrained from an observational point of view, although it could be significant if we believe state-of-the-art models of protostellar formation. We present polarimetric observations of the 233 GHz thermal dust continuum emission obtained with ALMA in the B335 Class 0 protostar. Linearly polarized dust emission arising from the circumstellar material in the envelope of B335 is detected at all scales probed by our observations, from radii of 50 to 1000 au. The magnetic field structure producing the dust polarization has a very ordered topology in the inner envelope, with a transition from a large-scale poloidal magnetic field, in the outflow direction, to strongly pinched in the equatorial direction. This is probably due to magnetic field lines being dragged along the dominating infall direction since B335 does not exhibit prominent rotation. Our data and their qualitative comparison to a family of magnetized protostellar collapse models show that, during the magnetized collapse in B335, the magnetic field is maintaining a high level of organization from scales 1000 au to 50 au: this suggests the field is dynamically relevant and capable of influencing the typical outcome of protostellar collapse, such as regulating the disk size in B335.

On the formation of molecules and solid-state compounds from the AGB to the PN phases

Science.gov (United States)

García-Hernández, D. A.; Manchado, A.

2016-07-01

During the asymptoyic giant branch (AGB) phase, different elements are dredge- up to the stellar surface depending on progenitor mass and metallicity. When the mass loss increases at the end of the AGB, a circumstellar dust shell is formed, where different (C-rich or O-rich) molecules and solid-state compounds are formed. These are further processed in the transition phase between AGB stars and planetary nebulae (PNe) to create more complex organic molecules and inorganic solid-state compounds (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fullerenes, and graphene precursors in C-rich environments and oxides and crystalline silicates in O-rich ones). We present an observational review of the different molecules and solid-state materials that are formed from the AGB to the PN phases. We focus on the formation routes of complex fullerene (and fullerene-based) molecules as well as on the level of dust processing depending on metallicity.

Radial Surface Density Profiles of Gas and Dust in the Debris Disk around 49 Ceti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hughes, A. Meredith; Lieman-Sifry, Jesse; Flaherty, Kevin M.; Daley, Cail M. [Department of Astronomy, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Roberge, Aki [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Kóspál, Ágnes; Moór, Attila; Ábrahám, Peter [Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 67, 1525 Budapest (Hungary); Kamp, Inga [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Postbus 800, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands); Wilner, David J.; Andrews, Sean M. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS-51, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kastner, Joel H., E-mail: amhughes@astro.wesleyan.edu [Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States)

2017-04-20

We present ∼0.″4 resolution images of CO(3–2) and associated continuum emission from the gas-bearing debris disk around the nearby A star 49 Ceti, observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). We analyze the ALMA visibilities in tandem with the broadband spectral energy distribution to measure the radial surface density profiles of dust and gas emission from the system. The dust surface density decreases with radius between ∼100 and 310 au, with a marginally significant enhancement of surface density at a radius of ∼110 au. The SED requires an inner disk of small grains in addition to the outer disk of larger grains resolved by ALMA. The gas disk exhibits a surface density profile that increases with radius, contrary to most previous spatially resolved observations of circumstellar gas disks. While ∼80% of the CO flux is well described by an axisymmetric power-law disk in Keplerian rotation about the central star, residuals at ∼20% of the peak flux exhibit a departure from axisymmetry suggestive of spiral arms or a warp in the gas disk. The radial extent of the gas disk (∼220 au) is smaller than that of the dust disk (∼300 au), consistent with recent observations of other gas-bearing debris disks. While there are so far only three broad debris disks with well characterized radial dust profiles at millimeter wavelengths, 49 Ceti’s disk shows a markedly different structure from two radially resolved gas-poor debris disks, implying that the physical processes generating and sculpting the gas and dust are fundamentally different.

ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF HD 141569’s CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, J. A.; Boley, A. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Canada); Hughes, A. M.; Flaherty, K. M. [Department of Astronomy, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Ford, E. [Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-2111 (United States); Wilner, D.; Payne, M. [Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Corder, S., E-mail: jawhite@astro.ubc.ca [North American ALMA Science Center, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA, 22903 (United States)

2016-09-20

We present ALMA band 7 (345 GHz) continuum and {sup 12}CO( J = 3-2) observations of the circumstellar disk surrounding HD 141569. At an age of about 5 Myr, the disk has a complex morphology that may be best interpreted as a nascent debris system with gas. Our 870 μ m ALMA continuum observations resolve a dust disk out to approximately 56 au from the star (assuming a distance of 116 pc) with 0.″38 resolution and 0.07 mJy beam{sup −1} sensitivity. We measure a continuum flux density for this inner material of 3.8 ± 0.4 mJy (including calibration uncertainties). The {sup 12}CO(3-2) gas is resolved kinematically and spatially from about 30 to 210 au. The integrated {sup 12}CO(3-2) line flux density is 15.7 ± 1.6 Jy km s{sup −1}. We estimate the mass of the millimeter debris and {sup 12}CO(3-2) gas to be ≳0.04 M {sub ⊕} and ∼2 × 10{sup −3} M {sub ⊕}, respectively. If the millimeter grains are part of a collisional cascade, then we infer that the inner disk (<50 au) has ∼160 M {sub ⊕} contained within objects less than 50 km in radius, depending on the planetesimal size distribution and density assumptions. Markov Chain Monte Carlo modeling of the system reveals a disk morphology with an inclination of 53.°4 centered around an M = 2.39 M {sub ⊙} host star ( M sin( i ) = 1.92 M {sub ⊙}). We discuss whether the gas in HD 141569's disk may be second generation. If it is, the system can be used to study the clearing stages of planet formation.

DYNAMICS OF CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS. III. THE CASE OF GG Tau A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, Andrew F.; Marzari, F.

2016-01-01

We present two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic code, VINE, to model a self-gravitating binary system. We model configurations in which a circumbinary torus+disk surrounds a pair of stars in orbit around each other and a circumstellar disk surrounds each star, similar to that observed for the GG Tau A system. We assume that the disks cool as blackbodies, using rates determined independently at each location in the disk by the time dependent temperature of the photosphere there. We assume heating due to hydrodynamical processes and to radiation from the two stars, using rates approximated from a measure of the radiation intercepted by the disk at its photosphere. We simulate a suite of systems configured with semimajor axes of either a = 62 AU (“wide”) or a = 32 AU (“close”), and with assumed orbital eccentricity of either e = 0 or e = 0.3. Each simulation follows the evolution for ∼6500–7500 yr, corresponding to about three orbits of the torus around the center of mass. Our simulations show that strong, sharply defined spiral structures are generated from the stirring action of the binary and that, in some cases, these structures fragment into 1–2 massive clumps. The torus quickly fragments into several dozen such fragments in configurations in which either the binary is replaced by a single star of equal mass, or radiative heating is neglected. The spiral structures extend inwards to the circumstellar environment as large scale material streams for which most material is found on trajectories that return it to the torus on a timescale of 1–200 yr, with only a small fraction accreting into the circumstellar environment. The spiral structures also propagate outwards through the torus, generating net outwards mass flow, and eventually losing coherence at large distances from the stars. The torus becomes significantly eccentric in shape over most of its evolution. In all configurations, accretion onto the

DYNAMICS OF CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS. III. THE CASE OF GG Tau A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, Andrew F. [XCP-2, Mailstop T082, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Marzari, F., E-mail: andy.nelson@lanl.gov, E-mail: francesco.marzari@pd.infn.it [Università di Padova, Dipartimento di Fisica, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy)

2016-08-20

We present two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic code, VINE, to model a self-gravitating binary system. We model configurations in which a circumbinary torus+disk surrounds a pair of stars in orbit around each other and a circumstellar disk surrounds each star, similar to that observed for the GG Tau A system. We assume that the disks cool as blackbodies, using rates determined independently at each location in the disk by the time dependent temperature of the photosphere there. We assume heating due to hydrodynamical processes and to radiation from the two stars, using rates approximated from a measure of the radiation intercepted by the disk at its photosphere. We simulate a suite of systems configured with semimajor axes of either a = 62 AU (“wide”) or a = 32 AU (“close”), and with assumed orbital eccentricity of either e = 0 or e = 0.3. Each simulation follows the evolution for ∼6500–7500 yr, corresponding to about three orbits of the torus around the center of mass. Our simulations show that strong, sharply defined spiral structures are generated from the stirring action of the binary and that, in some cases, these structures fragment into 1–2 massive clumps. The torus quickly fragments into several dozen such fragments in configurations in which either the binary is replaced by a single star of equal mass, or radiative heating is neglected. The spiral structures extend inwards to the circumstellar environment as large scale material streams for which most material is found on trajectories that return it to the torus on a timescale of 1–200 yr, with only a small fraction accreting into the circumstellar environment. The spiral structures also propagate outwards through the torus, generating net outwards mass flow, and eventually losing coherence at large distances from the stars. The torus becomes significantly eccentric in shape over most of its evolution. In all configurations, accretion onto the

ASPHERICITY, INTERACTION, AND DUST IN THE TYPE II-P/II-L SUPERNOVA 2013EJ IN MESSIER 74

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mauerhan, Jon C.; Graham, Melissa L.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Shivvers, Isaac [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Van Dyk, Schuyler D. [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Johansson, Joel [Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl St., Rehovot (Israel); Hu, Maokai; Wang, Lifan [Department of Physics, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Fox, Ori D., E-mail: mauerhan@astro.berkeley.edu [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2017-01-10

SN 2013ej is a well-studied core-collapse supernova (SN) that stemmed from a directly identified red supergiant (RSG) progenitor in galaxy M74. The source exhibits signs of substantial geometric asphericity, X-rays from persistent interaction with circumstellar material (CSM), thermal emission from warm dust, and a light curve that appears intermediate between supernovae of Types II-P and II-L. The proximity of this source motivates a close inspection of these physical characteristics and their potential interconnection. We present multiepoch spectropolarimetry of SN 2013ej during the first 107 days and deep optical spectroscopy and ultraviolet through infrared photometry past ∼800 days. SN 2013ej exhibits the strongest and most persistent continuum and line polarization ever observed for a SN of its class during the recombination phase. Modeling indicates that the data are consistent with an oblate ellipsoidal photosphere, viewed nearly edge-on and probably augmented by optical scattering from circumstellar dust. We suggest that interaction with an equatorial distribution of CSM, perhaps the result of binary evolution, is responsible for generating the photospheric asphericity. Relatedly, our late-time optical imaging and spectroscopy show that asymmetric CSM interaction is ongoing, and the morphology of broad H α emission from shock-excited ejecta provides additional evidence that the geometry of the interaction region is ellipsoidal. Alternatively, a prolate ellipsoidal geometry from an intrinsically bipolar explosion is also a plausible interpretation of the data but would probably require a ballistic jet of radioactive material capable of penetrating the hydrogen envelope early in the recombination phase. Finally, our latest space-based optical imaging confirms that the late interaction-powered light curve dropped below the stellar progenitor level, confirming the RSG star’s association with the explosion.

ALMA observations of anisotropic dust mass loss in the inner circumstellar environment of the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris

NARCIS (Netherlands)

O'Gorman, E.; Vlemmings, W.; Richards, A.M.S.; Baudry, A.; De Beck, E.; Decin, L.; Harper, G.M.; Humphreys, E.M.; Kervella, P.; Khouri, T.; Muller, S.

2015-01-01

The processes leading to dust formation and the subsequent role it plays in driving mass loss in cool evolved stars is an area of intense study. Here we present high resolution ALMA Science Verification data of the continuum emission around the highly evolved oxygen-rich red supergiant VY CMa. These

PETROLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON AMORPHOUS AND CRYSTALLINE MAGNESIUM SILICATES: DUST FORMATION AND EVOLUTION IN SELECTED HERBIG Ae/Be SYSTEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.; Nuth, Joseph A.

2013-01-01

The Infrared Space Observatory, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Herschel Space Observatory surveys provided a wealth of data on the Mg-silicate minerals (forsterite, enstatite), silica, and ''amorphous silicates with olivine and pyroxene stoichiometry'' around Herbig Ae/Be stars. These incredible findings do not resonate with the mainstream Earth Sciences because of (1) disconnecting ''astronomical nomenclature'' and the long existing mineralogical and petrologic terminology of minerals and amorphous materials, and (2) the fact that Earth scientists (formerly geologists) are bound by the ''Principle of Actualism'' that was put forward by James Hutton (1726-1797). This principle takes a process-oriented approach to understanding mineral and rock formation and evolution. This paper will (1) review and summarize the results of laboratory-based vapor phase condensation and thermal annealing experiments, (2) present the pathways of magnesiosilica condensates to Mg-silicate mineral (forsterite, enstatite) formation and processing, and (3) present mineralogical and petrologic implications of the properties and compositions of the infrared-observed crystalline and amorphous dust for the state of circumstellar disk evolution. That is, the IR-observation of smectite layer silicates in HD142527 suggests the break-up of asteroid-like parent bodies that had experienced aqueous alteration. We discuss the persistence of amorphous dust around some young stars and an ultrafast amorphous to crystalline dust transition in HD 163296 that leads to forsterite grains with numerous silica inclusions. These dust evolution processes to form forsterite, enstatite ± tridymite could occur due to amorphous magnesiosilica dust precursors with a serpentine- or smectite-dehydroxylate composition.

PETROLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON AMORPHOUS AND CRYSTALLINE MAGNESIUM SILICATES: DUST FORMATION AND EVOLUTION IN SELECTED HERBIG Ae/Be SYSTEMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MSC 03 2040, 1-University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-001 (United States); Nuth, Joseph A., E-mail: fransjmr@unm.edu [Astrochemistry Laboratory, Solar System Exploration Division, Code 691, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2013-07-01

The Infrared Space Observatory, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Herschel Space Observatory surveys provided a wealth of data on the Mg-silicate minerals (forsterite, enstatite), silica, and ''amorphous silicates with olivine and pyroxene stoichiometry'' around Herbig Ae/Be stars. These incredible findings do not resonate with the mainstream Earth Sciences because of (1) disconnecting ''astronomical nomenclature'' and the long existing mineralogical and petrologic terminology of minerals and amorphous materials, and (2) the fact that Earth scientists (formerly geologists) are bound by the ''Principle of Actualism'' that was put forward by James Hutton (1726-1797). This principle takes a process-oriented approach to understanding mineral and rock formation and evolution. This paper will (1) review and summarize the results of laboratory-based vapor phase condensation and thermal annealing experiments, (2) present the pathways of magnesiosilica condensates to Mg-silicate mineral (forsterite, enstatite) formation and processing, and (3) present mineralogical and petrologic implications of the properties and compositions of the infrared-observed crystalline and amorphous dust for the state of circumstellar disk evolution. That is, the IR-observation of smectite layer silicates in HD142527 suggests the break-up of asteroid-like parent bodies that had experienced aqueous alteration. We discuss the persistence of amorphous dust around some young stars and an ultrafast amorphous to crystalline dust transition in HD 163296 that leads to forsterite grains with numerous silica inclusions. These dust evolution processes to form forsterite, enstatite {+-} tridymite could occur due to amorphous magnesiosilica dust precursors with a serpentine- or smectite-dehydroxylate composition.

2D Dust Clusters in Theory and Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsytovich, V.N.; Gousein-zade, N.G.; Morfill, G.E.

2005-01-01

The theory is applied for more detail analysis of existing experiments of 2D dust clusters with parabolic confinement. It is shown that the equilibrium condition and the frequency of one of the modes of the cluster determines all dimensionless parameters of the cluster allowing to predict the value of other modes and compare them with existing experimental data. This comparison depends on the shielding model, the calculations starting with N = 4 cluster breathing mode predict for Debye shielding model without attraction the frequency of the antisymmetric mode in disagreement with the observed value about 6 standard deviations, while the same calculations for the non-linear screening model gives disagreement about 1 standard deviation. Including the attraction provides an agrement with observations only for non-linear screening model showing the sensitivity of cluster structure to dust attraction. The value of the obtained attractions coefficient is in reasonable agreement with the theoretically expected value. It is shown theoretically that in absence of external parabolic confinement a weak shadow attraction can provide an existence of equilibria for 2D clusters. The equilibrium radius is rapidly decreasing with an increase of the attraction coefficient and with number of grains N in a cluster. The energies of one shell clusters with different N and the energies of N - 1 grain clusters with additional grain in the center of the shell are calculated as functions of attraction coefficient. It is demonstrated that a dissociation of cluster in several smaller clusters needs less energy than a removal of one grain from the cluster. The calculations were performed for Yukawa screening and for non-linear screening and demonstrate the sensitivity of cluster structures to the screening. Frequencies of all modes are calculated up to N = 7 for one shell structure. Stable and unstable modes as well as universal magic numbers are found

Resolving the clumpy circumstellar environment of the B[e] supergiant LHA 120-S 35

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, A. F.; Cidale, L. S.; Kraus, M.; Arias, M. L.; Barbá, R. H.; Maravelias, G.; Borges Fernandes, M.

2018-05-01

Context. B[e] supergiants are massive post-main-sequence stars, surrounded by a complex circumstellar environment where molecules and dust can survive. The shape in which the material is distributed around these objects and its dynamics as well as the mechanisms that give rise to these structures are not well understood. Aims: The aim is to deepen our knowledge of the structure and kinematics of the circumstellar disc of the B[e] supergiant LHA 120-S 35. Methods: High-resolution optical spectra were obtained in three different years. Forbidden emission lines, that contribute to trace the disc at different distances from the star, are modelled in order to determine the kinematical properties of their line-forming regions, assuming Keplerian rotation. In addition, we used low-resolution near-infrared spectra to explore the variability of molecular emission. Results: LHA 120-S 35 displays an evident spectral variability in both optical and infrared regions. The P-Cygni line profiles of H I, as well as those of Fe II and O I, suggest the presence of a strong bipolar clumped wind. We distinguish density enhancements in the P-Cygni absorption component of the first Balmer lines, which show variations in both velocity and strength. The P-Cygni profile emission component is double-peaked, indicating the presence of a rotating circumstellar disc surrounding the star. We also observe line-profile variations in the permitted and forbidden features of Fe II and O I. In the infrared, we detect variations in the intensity of the H I emission lines as well as in the emission of the CO band-heads. Moreover, we find that the profiles of each [Ca II] and [O I] emission lines contain contributions from spatially different (complete or partial) rings. Globally, we find evidence of detached multi-ring structures, revealing density variations along the disc. We identify an inner ring, with sharp edge, where [Ca II] and [O I] lines share their forming region with the CO molecular bands

IDENTIFYING NEARBY, YOUNG, LATE-TYPE STARS BY MEANS OF THEIR CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, Adam; Song, Inseok; Melis, Carl; Zuckerman, B.; Bessell, Mike

2012-01-01

It has recently been shown that a significant fraction of late-type members of nearby, very young associations (age ∼<10 Myr) display excess emission at mid-IR wavelengths indicative of dusty circumstellar disks. We demonstrate that the detection of mid-IR excess emission can be utilized to identify new nearby, young, late-type stars including two definite new members ('TWA 33' and 'TWA 34') of the TW Hydrae Association (TWA). Both new TWA members display mid-IR excess emission in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer catalog and they show proper motion and youthful spectroscopic characteristics—namely, Hα emission, strong lithium absorption, and low surface gravity features consistent with known TWA members. We also detect mid-IR excess—the first unambiguous evidence of a dusty circumstellar disk—around a previously identified UV-bright, young, accreting star (2M1337) that is a likely member of the Lower-Centaurus Crux region of the Scorpius-Centaurus Complex.

Hot Dust! Late-Time Infrared Emission From Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Ori; Skrutskie, M. F.; Chevalier, R. A.

2010-01-01

Supernovae light curves typically peak and fade in the course of several months. Some supernovae , however, exhibit late-time infrared emission that in some cases can last for several years. These supernovae tend to be of the Type IIn subclass, which is defined by narrow hydrogen and helium emission lines arising from a dense, pre-existing circumstellar medium excited by the supernova radiation. Such a late-time ``IR excess'' with respect to the optical blackbody counterpart typically indicates the presence of warm dust. The origin and heating mechanism of the dust is not, however, always well constrained. In this talk, I will explore several scenarios that explain the observed late-time emission. In particular, I will discuss the case of the Type IIn SN 2005ip, which has displayed an ``IR excess'' for over 3 years. The results allow us to interpret the progenitor system and better understand the late stages of stellar evolution. Much of the data used for this analysis were obtained with TripleSpec, a medium-resolution near-infrared spectrograph located at Apache Point Observatory, NM, and FanCam, a JHK imager located at Fan Mountain Observatory, just outside of Charlottesville, VA. These two instruments were designed, fabricated, built, and commissioned by our instrumentation group at the University of Virginia. I will also spend some time discussing these instruments. I would like to thank the following for financial support of this work throughout my graduate career: NASA GSRP, NSF AAG-0607737, Spitzer PID 50256, Achievement Reward for College Scientists (ARCS), and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.

When Bad Masks Turn Good

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Roberto G.

In keeping with the spirit of a meeting on ‘masks,' this talk presents two short stories on the theme of dust. In the first, dust plays the familiar role of the evil obscurer, the enemy to bedefeated by the cunning observer in order to allow a key future technology (adaptive optics) to be exploited fully by heroic astronomers. In the second story, dust itself emerges as the improbable hero, in the form of a circumstellar debris disks. I will present evidence of a puzzling near-infrared excess in the continuum of high-redshift galaxies and will argue that the seemingly improbable origin of this IR excess is a population of young circumstellar disks formed around high-mass stars in distant galaxies. Assuming circumstellar disks extend down to lower masses,as they do in our own Galaxy, the excess emission presents us with an exciting opportunity to measure the formation rate of planetary systems in distant galaxies at cosmic epochs before our own solar system formed.

TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS THAT METHANOL MASER RINGS TRACE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS: HIGH-RESOLUTION NEAR-INFRARED AND MID-INFRARED IMAGING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Buizer, James M.; Bartkiewicz, Anna; Szymczak, Marian

2012-01-01

Milliarcsecond very long baseline interferometry maps of regions containing 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission have lead to the recent discovery of ring-like distributions of maser spots and the plausible hypothesis that they may be tracing circumstellar disks around forming high-mass stars. We aimed to test this hypothesis by imaging these regions in the near- and mid-infrared at high spatial resolution and compare the observed emission to the expected infrared morphologies as inferred from the geometries of the maser rings. In the near-infrared we used the Gemini North adaptive optics system of ALTAIR/NIRI, while in the mid-infrared we used the combination of the Gemini South instrument T-ReCS and super-resolution techniques. Resultant images had a resolution of ∼150 mas in both the near-infrared and mid-infrared. We discuss the expected distribution of circumstellar material around young and massive accreting (proto)stars and what infrared emission geometries would be expected for the different maser ring orientations under the assumption that the masers are coming from within circumstellar disks. Based upon the observed infrared emission geometries for the four targets in our sample and the results of spectral energy distribution modeling of the massive young stellar objects associated with the maser rings, we do not find compelling evidence in support of the hypothesis that methanol masers rings reside in circumstellar disks.

Models for the circumstellar medium of long gamma-ray burst progenitor candidates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marle, A.J. van

2006-01-01

Long gamma-ray bursts are highly energetic events that are thought to occur when certain massive stars, that end their lives as Wolf-Rayet stars, collapse at the end of their evolution. We present models of the circumstellar medium around those massive stars that are thought to be possible

HIGH-RESOLUTION OBSERVATIONS OF DUST CONTINUUM EMISSION AT 340 GHz FROM THE LOW-MASS T TAURI STAR FN TAURI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momose, Munetake; Ohashi, Nagayoshi; Kudo, Tomoyuki; Tamura, Motohide; Kitamura, Yoshimi

2010-01-01

FN Tau is a rare example of a very low-mass T Tauri star that exhibits a spatially resolved nebulosity in near-infrared scattering light. To directly derive the parameters of a circumstellar disk around FN Tau, observations of dust continuum emission at 340 GHz are carried out with the Submillimeter Array (SMA). A point-like dust continuum emission was detected with a synthesized beam of ∼0.''7 in FWHM. From the analysis of the visibility plot, the radius of the emission is estimated to be ≤0.''29, corresponding to 41 AU. This is much smaller than the radius of the nebulosity, 1.''85 for its brighter part at 1.6 μm. The 340 GHz continuum emission observed with the SMA and the photometric data at λ ≤ 70 μm are explained by a power-law disk model whose outer radius and mass are 41 AU and (0.24-5.9) x 10 -3 M sun , respectively, if the exponent of dust mass opacity (β) is assumed to be 0-2. The disk model cannot fully reproduce the flux density at 230 GHz obtained with the IRAM 30 m telescope, suggesting that there is another extended 'halo' component that is missed in the SMA observations. By requiring the halo not to be detected with the SMA, the lower limit to the size of the halo is evaluated to be between 174 AU and 574 AU, depending on the assumed β value. This size is comparable to the near-infrared nebulosity, implying that the halo unseen with the SMA corresponds to the origin of the near-infrared nebulosity. The halo can contain mass comparable to or at most 8 times greater than that of the inner power-law disk, but its surface density should be lower than that at the outer edge of the power-law disk by more than 1 order of magnitude. The physical nature of the halo is unclear, but it may be the periphery of a flared circumstellar disk that is not described well in terms of a power-law disk model, or a remnant of a protostellar envelope having flattened structure.

Properties and Alignment of Interstellar Dust Grains toward Type Ia Supernovae with Anomalous Polarization Curves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoang, Thiem, E-mail: thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute 776, Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34055 (Korea, Republic of); Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H8 (Canada); Institute of Theoretical Physics, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2017-02-10

Recent photometric and polarimetric observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) show unusually low total-to-selective extinction ratios ( R {sub V} < 2) and wavelengths of maximum polarization ( λ{sub max} < 0.4 μ m) for several SNe Ia, which indicates peculiar properties of interstellar (IS) dust in the SN-hosted galaxies and/or the presence of circumstellar (CS) dust. In this paper, we use an inversion technique to infer the best-fit grain size distribution and the alignment function of interstellar grains along the lines of sight toward four SNe Ia with anomalous extinction and polarization data (SN 1986G, SN 2006X, SN 2008fp, and SN 2014J). We find that to reproduce low values of R{sub V}, a significant enhancement in the mass of small grains of radius a < 0.1 μ m is required. For SN 2014J, a simultaneous fit to its observed extinction and polarization is unsuccessful if all the data are attributed to IS dust (model 1), but a good fit is obtained when accounting for the contribution of CS dust (model 2). For SN 2008fp, our best-fit results for model 1 show that in order to reproduce an extreme value of λ{sub max} ∼ 0.15 μ m, small silicate grains must be aligned as efficiently as big grains. For this case, we suggest that strong radiation from the SN can induce efficient alignment of small grains in a nearby intervening molecular cloud via the radiative torque (RAT) mechanism. The resulting time dependence polarization from this RAT alignment model can be tested by observing at ultraviolet wavelengths.

Role of angular momentum and cosmic censorship in (2+1)-dimensional rotating shell collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, Robert B.; Oh, John J.; Park, Mu-In

2009-01-01

We study the gravitational collapse problem of rotating shells in three-dimensional Einstein gravity with and without a cosmological constant. Taking the exterior and interior metrics to be those of stationary metrics with asymptotically constant curvature, we solve the equations of motion for the shells from the Darmois-Israel junction conditions in the corotating frame. We study various collapse scenarios with arbitrary angular momentum for a variety of geometric configurations, including anti-de Sitter, de Sitter, and flat spaces. We find that the collapsing shells can form a BTZ black hole, a three-dimensional Kerr-dS spacetime, and an horizonless geometry of point masses under certain initial conditions. For pressureless dust shells, the curvature singularity is not formed due to the angular momentum barrier near the origin. However when the shell pressure is nonvanishing, we find that for all types of shells with polytropic-type equations of state (including the perfect fluid and the generalized Chaplygin gas), collapse to a naked singularity is possible under generic initial conditions. We conclude that in three dimensions angular momentum does not in general guard against violation of cosmic censorship.

NESTED SHELLS REVEAL THE REJUVENATION OF THE ORION–ERIDANUS SUPERBUBBLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochsendorf, Bram B.; Brown, Anthony G. A.; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.; Bally, John

2015-01-01

The Orion–Eridanus superbubble is the prototypical superbubble owing to its proximity and evolutionary state. Here we provide a synthesis of recent observational data from WISE and Planck with archival data, allowing us to draw a new and more complete picture on the history and evolution of the Orion–Eridanus region. We discuss the general morphological structures and observational characteristics of the superbubble and derive quantitative properties of the gas and dust inside Barnard’s Loop. We reveal that Barnard’s Loop is a complete bubble structure that, together with the λ Ori region and other smaller-scale bubbles, expands within the Orion–Eridanus superbubble. We argue that the Orion–Eridanus superbubble is larger and more complex than previously thought, and that it can be viewed as a series of nested shells, superimposed along the line of sight. During the lifetime of the superbubble, Hii region champagne flows and thermal evaporation of embedded clouds continuously mass-load the superbubble interior, while winds or supernovae from the Orion OB association rejuvenate the superbubble by sweeping up the material from the interior cavities in an episodic fashion, possibly triggering the formation of new stars that form shells of their own. The steady supply of material into the superbubble cavity implies that dust processing from interior supernova remnants is more efficient than previously thought. The cycle of mass loading, interior cleansing, and star formation repeats until the molecular reservoir is depleted or the clouds have been disrupted. While the nested shells come and go, the superbubble remains for tens of millions of years

NESTED SHELLS REVEAL THE REJUVENATION OF THE ORION–ERIDANUS SUPERBUBBLE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ochsendorf, Bram B.; Brown, Anthony G. A.; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, NL-2300 RA (Netherlands); Bally, John, E-mail: ochsendorf@strw.leidenuniv.nl [CASA, APS, UCB389, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80389 (United States)

2015-08-01

The Orion–Eridanus superbubble is the prototypical superbubble owing to its proximity and evolutionary state. Here we provide a synthesis of recent observational data from WISE and Planck with archival data, allowing us to draw a new and more complete picture on the history and evolution of the Orion–Eridanus region. We discuss the general morphological structures and observational characteristics of the superbubble and derive quantitative properties of the gas and dust inside Barnard’s Loop. We reveal that Barnard’s Loop is a complete bubble structure that, together with the λ Ori region and other smaller-scale bubbles, expands within the Orion–Eridanus superbubble. We argue that the Orion–Eridanus superbubble is larger and more complex than previously thought, and that it can be viewed as a series of nested shells, superimposed along the line of sight. During the lifetime of the superbubble, Hii region champagne flows and thermal evaporation of embedded clouds continuously mass-load the superbubble interior, while winds or supernovae from the Orion OB association rejuvenate the superbubble by sweeping up the material from the interior cavities in an episodic fashion, possibly triggering the formation of new stars that form shells of their own. The steady supply of material into the superbubble cavity implies that dust processing from interior supernova remnants is more efficient than previously thought. The cycle of mass loading, interior cleansing, and star formation repeats until the molecular reservoir is depleted or the clouds have been disrupted. While the nested shells come and go, the superbubble remains for tens of millions of years.

Structures, Bonding, and Energetics of Potential Triatomic Circumstellar Molecules Containing Group 15 and 16 Elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Walter E; Agarwal, Jay; Schaefer, Henry F

2015-12-03

The recent discovery of PN in the oxygen-rich shell of the supergiant star VY Canis Majoris points to the formation of several triatomic molecules involving oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus; these are also intriguing targets for main-group synthetic inorganic chemistry. In this research, high-level ab initio electronic structure computations were conducted on the potential circumstellar molecule OPN and several of its heavier group 15 and 16 congeners (SPN, SePN, TePN, OPP, OPAs, and OPSb). For each congener, four isomers were examined. Optimized geometries were obtained with coupled cluster theory [CCSD(T)] using large Dunning basis sets [aug-cc-pVQZ, aug-cc-pV(Q+d)Z, and aug-cc-pVQZ-PP], and relative energies were determined at the complete basis set limit of CCSDT(Q) from focal point analyses. The linear phosphorus-centered molecules were consistently the lowest in energy of the group 15 congeners by at least 6 kcal mol(-1), resulting from double-triple and single-double bond resonances within the molecule. The linear nitrogen-centered molecules were consistently the lowest in energy of the group 16 congeners by at least 5 kcal mol(-1), due to the electronegative central nitrogen atom encouraging electron delocalization throughout the molecule. For OPN, OPP, and SPN, anharmonic vibrational frequencies and vibrationally corrected rotational constants are predicted; good agreement with available experimental data is observed.

HD95881 : a gas rich to gas poor transition disk?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeff, A. P.; Min, M.; Acke, B.; van Boekel, R.; Pantin, E.; Waters, L. B. F. M.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; van den Ancker, M. E.; Mulders, G. D.; de Koter, A.; Bouwman, J.

2010-01-01

Context. Based on the far infrared excess the Herbig class of stars is divided into a group with flaring circumstellar disks (group I) and a group with flat circumstellar disks (group II). Dust sedimentation is generally proposed as an evolution mechanism to transform flaring disks into flat disks.

Paleo-dust insights onto dust-climate interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Albani, S.; Mahowald, N. M.

2017-12-01

Mineral dust emissions are affected by changing climate conditions, and in turn dust impacts the atmospheric radiation budget, clouds and biogeochemical cycles. Climate and public health dust-related issues call for attention on the fate of the dust cycle in the future, and the representation of the dust cycle is now part of the strategy of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project phase 4 and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (PMIP4-CMIP6). Since mineral aerosols are one of the most important natural aerosols, understanding past dust responses to climate in the paleoclimate will allow us to better understand mineral aerosol feedbacks with climate and biogeochemistry in the Anthropocene. Modern observations and paleoclimate records offer the possibility of multiple, complementary views on the global dust cycle, and allow to validate and/or constrain the numerical representation of dust in climate and Earth system models. We present our results from a set of simulations with the Community Earth System Model for different climate states, including present and past climates such as the pre-industrial, the mid-Holocene and the Last Glacial Maximum. A set of simulations including a prognostic dust cycle was thoroughly compared with a wide set of present day observations from different platforms and regions, in order to realistically constrain the magnitude of dust load, surface concentration, deposition, optical properties, and particle size distributions. The magnitude of emissions for past climate regimes was constrained based on compilations of paleodust mass accumulation rates and size distributions, as well as based on information on dust provenance. The comparison with a parallel set of simulations without dust allows estimating the impacts of dust on surface climate. We analyze impacts of dust on the mean and variability of surface temperature and precipitation in each climate state, as well as the impacts that changing dust emissions had

Respirable dust measured downwind during rock dust application.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, M L; Organiscak, J; Klima, S; Perera, I E

2017-05-01

The Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted underground evaluations in an attempt to quantify respirable rock dust generation when using untreated rock dust and rock dust treated with an anticaking additive. Using personal dust monitors, these evaluations measured respirable rock dust levels arising from a flinger-type application of rock dust on rib and roof surfaces. Rock dust with a majority of the respirable component removed was also applied in NIOSH's Bruceton Experimental Mine using a bantam duster. The respirable dust measurements obtained downwind from both of these tests are presented and discussed. This testing did not measure miners' exposure to respirable coal mine dust under acceptable mining practices, but indicates the need for effective continuous administrative controls to be exercised when rock dusting to minimize the measured amount of rock dust in the sampling device.

THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK OF THE Be STAR o AQUARII AS CONSTRAINED BY SIMULTANEOUS SPECTROSCOPY AND OPTICAL INTERFEROMETRY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sigut, T. A. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7 (Canada); Tycner, C.; Jansen, B. [Department of Physics, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 (United States); Zavala, R. T. [US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, 10391 W. Naval Observatory Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States)

2015-12-01

Omicron Aquarii is a late-type, Be shell star with a stable and nearly symmetric Hα emission line. We combine Hα interferometric observations obtained with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer covering 2007 through 2014 with Hα spectroscopic observations over the same period and a 2008 observation of the system's near-infrared spectral energy distribution to constrain the properties of o Aqr's circumstellar disk. All observations are consistent with a circumstellar disk seen at an inclination of 75° ±  3° with a position angle on the sky of 110° ±  8° measured East from North. From the best-fit disk density model, we find that 90% of the Hα emission arises from within 9.5 stellar radii, and the mass associated with this Hα disk is ∼1.8 × 10{sup −10} of the stellar mass, and that the associated angular momentum, assuming Keplerian rotation for the disk, is ∼1.6 × 10{sup −8} of the total stellar angular momentum. The occurrence of a central quasi-emission feature in Mg ii λ4481 is also predicted by this best-fit disk model and the computed profile compares successfully with observations from 1999. To obtain consistency between the Hα line profile modeling and the other constraints, it was necessary in the profile fitting to weight the line core (emission peaks and central depression) more heavily than the line wings, which were not well reproduced by our models. This may reflect the limitation of assuming a single power law for the disk's variation in equatorial density. The best-fit disk density model for o Aqr predicts that Hα is near its maximum strength as a function of disk density, and hence the Hα equivalent width and line profile change only weakly in response to large (factor of ∼5) changes in the disk density. This may in part explain the remarkable observed stability of o Aqr's Hα emission line profile.

Ion-streaming induced order transition in three-dimensional dust clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ludwig, Patrick; Kählert, Hanno; Bonitz, Michael

2012-01-01

Dust dynamics simulations utilizing a dynamical screening approach are performed to study the effect of ion-streaming on the self-organized structures in a three-dimensional spherically confined complex (dusty) plasma. Varying the Mach number M, the ratio of ion drift velocity to the sound velocity, the simulations reproduce the experimentally observed cluster configurations in the two limiting cases: at M = 0 strongly correlated crystalline structures consisting of nested spherical shells (Yukawa balls) and, for M ⩾ 1, flow-aligned dust chains, respectively. In addition, our simulations reveal a discontinuous transition between these two limits. It is found that already a moderate ion drift velocity (M ≈ 0.1 for the plasma conditions considered here) destabilizes the highly ordered Yukawa balls and initiates an abrupt melting transition. The critical value of M is found to be independent of the cluster size. (paper)

Tidal Distortion of the Envelope of an AGB Star IRS 3 near Sgr A{sup *}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Royster, M. J.; Roberts, D. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Wardle, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Research Center for Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109 (Australia); Cotton, W.; Kunneriath, D. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Schödel, R. [Instituto de Astfisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomia S/N, E-18008 Granada (Spain)

2017-03-01

We present radio and millimeter continuum observations of the Galactic center taken with the Very Large Array (VLA) and ALMA at 44 and 226 GHz, respectively. We detect radio and millimeter emission from IRS 3, lying ∼4.″5 NW of Sgr A*, with a spectrum that is consistent with the photospheric emission from an AGB star at the Galactic center. Millimeter images reveal that the envelope of IRS 3, the brightest and most extended 3.8 μ m Galactic center stellar source, consists of two semicircular dust shells facing the direction of Sgr A*. The outer circumstellar shell, at a distance of 1.6 × 10{sup 4} au, appears to break up into “fingers” of dust directed toward Sgr A*. These features coincide with molecular CS (5–4) emission and a near-IR extinction cloud distributed between IRS 3 and Sgr A*. The NE–SW asymmetric shapes of the IRS 3 shells seen at 3.8 μ m and radio are interpreted as structures that are tidally distorted by Sgr A*. Using the kinematics of CS emission and the proper motion of IRS 3, the tidally distorted outflowing material from the envelope after 5000 yr constrains the distance of IRS 3 to ∼0.7 pc in front of or ∼0.5 pc behind Sgr A*. This suggests that the mass loss by stars near Sgr A* can supply a reservoir of molecular material near Sgr A*. We also present dark features in radio continuum images coincident with the envelope of IRS 3. These dusty stars provide examples in which high-resolution radio continuum images can identify dust-enshrouded stellar sources embedded in an ionized medium.

Revealing the structure and dust content of debris disks on solar systems scales with GPI

Science.gov (United States)

Duchene, Gaspard; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Kalas, Paul; Graham, James R.; Arriaga, Pauline; Bruzzone, Sebastian; Chen, Christine; Dawson, Rebekah Ilene; Dong, Ruobing; Draper, Zachary; Esposito, Thomas; Follette, Katherine; Hung, Li-Wei; Lawler, Samantha; Metchev, Stanimir; Millar-Blanchaer, Max; Murray-Clay, Ruth; Perrin, Marshall D.; Rameau, Julien; Wang, Jason; Wolff, Schuyler; Macintosh, Bruce; GPIES Team

2016-01-01

High contrast scattered light images offer the best prospect to assess the detailed geometry and structure of dusty debris disks. In turn, such images can yield profound insight on the architecture of the underlying planetary system as dust grains respond to the gravitational pull of planetary bodies. A new generation of extreme adaptive optics systems now enables an unprecedented exploration of circumstellar disks on solar system scales. Here we review the new science derived from over a dozen debris disks imaged with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) as part of the GPI Exoplanet Survey (GPIES). In addition to its exquisite imaging capability, GPI's polarimetric mode provides invaluable insight on the dust content of each disk, in most cases for the very first time. These early results typically reveal narrow belts of material with evacuated regions roughly 50-100 AU in radius, subtle asymmetries in structure and high degree of linear polarization. We will provide an overview of the disk observations made during the GPIES campaign to date and will discuss in more detail some of the most remarkable systems.This work is supported by grants NSF AST-0909188, -1411868, -1413718; NASA NNX-15AD95G, -14AJ80G, -11AD21G; and the NExSS research network.

Spectroscopic Evolution of Disintegrating Planetesimals: Minute to Month Variability in the Circumstellar Gas Associated with WD 1145+017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Redfield, Seth; Cauley, P. Wilson; Duvvuri, Girish M. [Astronomy Department and Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Farihi, Jay [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Parsons, Steven G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S3 7RH (United Kingdom); Gänsicke, Boris T., E-mail: sredfield@wesleyan.edu [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2017-04-10

With the recent discovery of transiting planetary material around WD 1145+017, a critical target has been identified that links the evolution of planetary systems with debris disks and their accretion onto the star. We present a series of observations, five epochs over a year, taken with Keck and the VLT, which for the first time show variability of circumstellar absorption in the gas disk surrounding WD 1145+017 on timescales of minutes to months. Circumstellar absorption is measured in more than 250 lines of 14 ions among 10 different elements associated with planetary composition, e.g., O, Mg, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni. Broad circumstellar gas absorption with a velocity spread of 225 km s{sup −1} is detected, but over the course of a year blueshifted absorption disappears, while redshifted absorption systematically increases. A correlation of equivalent width and oscillator strength indicates that the gas is not highly optically thick (median τ ≈ 2). We discuss simple models of an eccentric disk coupled with magnetospheric accretion to explain the basic observed characteristics of these high-resolution and high signal-to-noise observations. Variability is detected on timescales of minutes in the two most recent observations, showing a loss of redshifted absorption for tens of minutes, coincident with major transit events and consistent with gas hidden behind opaque transiting material. This system currently presents a unique opportunity to learn how the gas causing the spectroscopic, circumstellar absorption is associated with the ongoing accretion evidenced by photospheric contamination, as well as the transiting planetary material detected in photometric observations.

No Evidence of Circumstellar Gas Surrounding Type Ia Supernova SN 2017cbv

Science.gov (United States)

Ferretti, Raphael; Amanullah, Rahman; Bulla, Mattia; Goobar, Ariel; Johansson, Joel; Lundqvist, Peter

2017-12-01

Nearby type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), such as SN 2017cbv, are useful events to address the question of what the elusive progenitor systems of the explosions are. Hosseinzadeh et al. suggested that the early blue excess of the light curve of SN 2017cbv could be due to the supernova ejecta interacting with a non-degenerate companion star. Some SN Ia progenitor models suggest the existence of circumstellar (CS) environments in which strong outflows create low-density cavities of different radii. Matter deposited at the edges of the cavities should be at distances at which photoionization due to early ultraviolet (UV) radiation of SNe Ia causes detectable changes to the observable Na I D and Ca II H&K absorption lines. To study possible narrow absorption lines from such material, we obtained a time series of high-resolution spectra of SN 2017cbv at phases between ‑14.8 and +83 days with respect to B-band maximum, covering the time at which photoionization is predicted to occur. Both narrow Na I D and Ca II H&K are detected in all spectra, with no measurable changes between the epochs. We use photoionization models to rule out the presence of Na I and Ca II gas clouds along the line of sight of SN 2017cbv between ∼8 × 1016–2 × 1019 cm and ∼1015–1017 cm, respectively. Assuming typical abundances, the mass of a homogeneous spherical CS gas shell with radius R must be limited to {M}{{H} {{I}}}{CSM}R/{10}17[{cm}])}2 {M}ȯ . The bounds point to progenitor models that deposit little gas in their CS environment.

Supernova 1986J Very Long Baseline Interferometry. II. The Evolution of the Shell and the Central Source

Science.gov (United States)

Bietenholz, M. F.; Bartel, N.; Rupen, M. P.

2010-04-01

We present new Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) images of supernova (SN) 1986J, taken at 5, 8.4, and 22 GHz between t = 22 and 25 yr after the explosion. The shell expands vpropt 0.69±0.03. We estimate the progenitor's mass-loss rate at (4-10) × 10-5 M sun yr-1 (for v w = 10 km s-1). Two bright spots are seen in the images. The first, in the northeast, is now fading. The second, very near the center of the projected shell and unique to SN 1986J, is still brightening relative to the shell, and now dominates the VLBI images. It is marginally resolved at 22 GHz (diameter ~0.3 mas; ~5 × 1016 cm at 10 Mpc). The integrated VLA spectrum of SN 1986J shows an inversion point and a high-frequency turnover, both progressing downward in frequency and due to the central bright spot. The optically thin spectral index of the central bright spot is indistinguishable from that of the shell. The small proper motion of 1500 ± 1500 km s-1 of the central bright spot is consistent with our previous interpretation of it as being associated with the expected black-hole or neutron-star remnant. Now, an alternate scenario seems also plausible, where the central bright spot, like the northeast one, results when the shock front impacts on a condensation within the circumstellar medium (CSM). The condensation would have to be so dense as to be opaque at cm wavelengths (~103× denser than the average corresponding CSM) and fortuitously close to the center of the projected shell. We include a movie of the evolution of SN 1986J at 5 GHz from t = 0 to 25 yr.

SUPERNOVA 1986J VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY. II. THE EVOLUTION OF THE SHELL AND THE CENTRAL SOURCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bietenholz, M. F.; Bartel, N.; Rupen, M. P.

2010-01-01

We present new Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) images of supernova (SN) 1986J, taken at 5, 8.4, and 22 GHz between t = 22 and 25 yr after the explosion. The shell expands ∝t 0.69±0.03 . We estimate the progenitor's mass-loss rate at (4-10) x 10 -5 M sun yr -1 (for v w = 10 km s -1 ). Two bright spots are seen in the images. The first, in the northeast, is now fading. The second, very near the center of the projected shell and unique to SN 1986J, is still brightening relative to the shell, and now dominates the VLBI images. It is marginally resolved at 22 GHz (diameter ∼0.3 mas; ∼5 x 10 16 cm at 10 Mpc). The integrated VLA spectrum of SN 1986J shows an inversion point and a high-frequency turnover, both progressing downward in frequency and due to the central bright spot. The optically thin spectral index of the central bright spot is indistinguishable from that of the shell. The small proper motion of 1500 ± 1500 km s -1 of the central bright spot is consistent with our previous interpretation of it as being associated with the expected black-hole or neutron-star remnant. Now, an alternate scenario seems also plausible, where the central bright spot, like the northeast one, results when the shock front impacts on a condensation within the circumstellar medium (CSM). The condensation would have to be so dense as to be opaque at cm wavelengths (∼10 3 x denser than the average corresponding CSM) and fortuitously close to the center of the projected shell. We include a movie of the evolution of SN 1986J at 5 GHz from t = 0 to 25 yr.

Observations of linear polarization in deep minima of WW Vul

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grinin, V.P.; Kiselev, N.N.; Minikulov, N.Kh.; Chernova, G.P.; AN Tadzhikskoj SSR, Dushanbe. Inst. Astrofiziki)

1988-01-01

In the course of patrol photometric and polarimetric observations of WW Vul, initiated in 1986 in the Crimea and Sanglok, a broad photometrical minimum was registered, the deepest part of which being composed of three consecutive weakenings of brightness. The increase of linear polarization up to 5-6% (in V band) was observed in each of them. The analysis of the observational data shows, that the main part of polarized light occurs due to scattering of star radiation by dust particles of the circumstellar envelope. the contribution of this polarized radiation increases when the occultation of the star by the opaque dust cloud weakenes the direct (non-polarized) radiation of the star. Additional source of light polarization is the alignement of non-spherical particles in the dust cloud, which are responsible for occultation. Some arguments are given in favor to the idea, that the asymmetry axis of the circumstellar disc - like envelope of WW Vul is oriented parallel to the local interstellar magnetic field. If and alignment of non-spherical particles is caused by magnetic field of the disc, magnetic lines should follow the plane of the disc. The observations confirm the hypothesis, that the source of blue emission, observed in deep minima of such type stars, is the scattered radiation of circumstellar dust

Tracing Planets in Circumstellar Discs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uribe Ana L.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Planets are assumed to form in circumstellar discs around young stellar objects. The additional gravitational potential of a planet perturbs the disc and leads to characteristic structures, i.e. spiral waves and gaps, in the disc density profile. We perform a large-scale parameter study on the observability of these planet-induced structures in circumstellar discs in the (submm wavelength range for the Atacama Large (SubMillimeter Array (ALMA. On the basis of hydrodynamical and magneto-hydrodynamical simulations of star-disc-planet models we calculate the disc temperature structure and (submm images of these systems. These are used to derive simulated ALMA maps. Because appropriate objects are frequent in the Taurus-Auriga region, we focus on a distance of 140 pc and a declination of ≈ 20°. The explored range of star-disc-planet configurations consists of six hydrodynamical simulations (including magnetic fields and different planet masses, nine disc sizes with outer radii ranging from 9 AU to 225 AU, 15 total disc masses in the range between 2.67·10-7 M⊙ and 4.10·10-2 M⊙, six different central stars and two different grain size distributions, resulting in 10 000 disc models. At almost all scales and in particular down to a scale of a few AU, ALMA is able to trace disc structures induced by planet-disc interaction or the influence of magnetic fields in the wavelength range between 0.4...2.0 mm. In most cases, the optimum angular resolution is limited by the sensitivity of ALMA. However, within the range of typical masses of protoplane tary discs (0.1 M⊙...0.001 M⊙ the disc mass has a minor impact on the observability. At the distance of 140 pc it is possible to resolve discs down to 2.67·10-6 M⊙ and trace gaps in discs with 2.67·10-4 M⊙ with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than three. In general, it is more likely to trace planet-induced gaps in magneto-hydrodynamical disc models, because gaps are wider in the presence of

Thin Static Charged Dust Majumdar–Papapetrou Shells with High Symmetry in D ≥ 4

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Čermák, Martin; Zouhar, M.

2012-01-01

Roč. 51, č. 8 (2012), s. 2455-2469 ISSN 0020-7748 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20410507 Keywords : Majumdar–Papapetrou * Kastor–Traschen * higher dimensional thin charged shell Subject RIV: BE - Theoretical Physics Impact factor: 1.086, year: 2012

POLARIZATION MEASUREMENTS OF HOT DUST STARS AND THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marshall, J. P.; Cotton, D. V.; Bott, K.; Bailey, J.; Kedziora-Chudczer, L. [School of Physics, UNSW Australia, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052 (Australia); Ertel, S. [Steward Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Kennedy, G. M.; Wyatt, M. C. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Burgo, C. del [Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Sta. Ma. Tonantzintla, Puebla (Mexico); Absil, O. [Institut d’Astrophysique et de Géophysique, University of Liège, 19c allée du Six Août, B-4000 Liège (Belgium)

2016-07-10

Debris discs are typically revealed through the presence of excess emission at infrared wavelengths. Most discs exhibit excess at mid- and far-infrared wavelengths, analogous to the solar system’s Asteroid and Edgeworth-Kuiper belts. Recently, stars with strong (∼1%) excess at near-infrared wavelengths were identified through interferometric measurements. Using the HIgh Precision Polarimetric Instrument, we examined a sub-sample of these hot dust stars (and appropriate controls) at parts-per-million sensitivity in SDSS g ′ (green) and r ′ (red) filters for evidence of scattered light. No detection of strongly polarized emission from the hot dust stars is seen. We, therefore, rule out scattered light from a normal debris disk as the origin of this emission. A wavelength-dependent contribution from multiple dust components for hot dust stars is inferred from the dispersion (the difference in polarization angle in red and green) of southern stars. Contributions of 17 ppm (green) and 30 ppm (red) are calculated, with strict 3- σ upper limits of 76 and 68 ppm, respectively. This suggests weak hot dust excesses consistent with thermal emission, although we cannot rule out contrived scenarios, e.g., dust in a spherical shell or face-on discs. We also report on the nature of the local interstellar medium (ISM), obtained as a byproduct of the control measurements. Highlights include the first measurements of the polarimetric color of the local ISM and the discovery of a southern sky region with a polarization per distance thrice the previous maximum. The data suggest that λ {sub max}, the wavelength of maximum polarization, is bluer than typical.

Herschel OBSERVATIONS OF DUST AROUND THE HIGH-MASS X-RAY BINARY GX 301-2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Servillat, M. [Laboratoire Univers et Théories (CNRS/INSU, Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Diderot), 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92190 Meudon (France); Coleiro, A.; Chaty, S. [Laboratoire AIM (CEA/Irfu/SAp, CNRS/INSU, Universit Paris Diderot), CEA Saclay, Bat. 709, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Rahoui, F. [Harvard University, Department of Astronomy, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Zurita Heras, J. A., E-mail: mathieu.servillat@obspm.fr [AstroParticule et Cosmologie (Université Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/DSM, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité), 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, F-75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France)

2014-12-20

We aim at characterizing the structure of the gas and dust around the high-mass X-ray binary GX 301-2, a highly obscured X-ray binary hosting a hypergiant (HG) star and a neutron star, in order to better constrain its evolution. We used Herschel PACS to observe GX 301-2 in the far infrared and completed the spectral energy distribution of the source using published data or catalogs from the optical to the radio range (0.4 to 4 × 10{sup 4} μm). GX 301-2 is detected for the first time at 70 and 100 μm. We fitted different models of circumstellar (CS) environments to the data. All tested models are statistically acceptable, and consistent with an HG star at ∼3 kpc. We found that the addition of a free-free emission component from the strong stellar wind is required and could dominate the far-infrared flux. Through comparisons with similar systems and discussion on the estimated model parameters, we favor a disk-like CS environment of ∼8 AU that would enshroud the binary system. The temperature goes down to ∼200 K at the edge of the disk, allowing for dust formation. This disk is probably a rimmed viscous disk with an inner rim at the temperature of the dust sublimation temperature (∼1500 K). The similarities between the HG GX 301-2, B[e] supergiants, and the highly obscured X-ray binaries (particularly IGR J16318-4848) are strengthened. GX 301-2 might represent a transition stage in the evolution of massive stars in binary systems, connecting supergiant B[e] systems to luminous blue variables.

Tracing dust in old stellar populations : the mid-infrared spectrum of globular cluster AGB stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, H.

2010-01-01

Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are considered to be the main stellar dust producers in the universe. Their dusty circumstellar shells leave fingerprints in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of AGB stars and in unresolved old stellar populations. Bressan et al. (2007) showed that co-added MIR-spectra of AGB stars of known luminosity, metallicity and age (like those found in the Galactic globular cluster NGC104) can be used to model the dust excess in early-type galaxies. This work aims to improve our understanding of the MIR-spectra of old stellar populations with respect to their metallicities by studying a large sample of AGB stars in Galactic globular clusters. A sample of AGB stars (taken from Lebzelter et al. 2006 and Sloan et al. 2010) is used to produce co-added MIR-spectra of globular cluster combinations for three metallicity groups. Each group consists of several globular clusters with similar age and metallicity. Combining the clusters leads to a higher number of AGB stars with available Spitzer spectra in each group. The low metallicity group (Z=0.0038) consists of five globular clusters with 18 AGB star spectra, the intermediate (Z=0.0058) and high (Z=0.01) metallicity groups both include three clusters with eight and seven available MIR-spectra, respectively. Stars within the 90% mass radius of each globular cluster are used to generate 2MASS Color- Magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of each cluster combination. Binning the stars in the CMDs with respect to their MK-values results in Luminosity Functions (LFs) for the cluster combinations. The LFs based on 2MASS data are compared to LFs obtained using theoretical isochrones from the Padova group (Bertelli et al. 2008, Marigo et al. 2008). Using the 2MASS LFs integrated MIR-spectra of the three globular cluster combinations are derived by weighting the existing spectra with the total number of AGB stars within each MK-bin of the LFs along the upper giant branch. This relies on the assumption that stars that

Single isotope fractionation of (16)O(-) implications for early history of solar system

Science.gov (United States)

Arrhenius, G.

1980-01-01

Chemical fractionation processes are investigated with emphasis on selective single isotope fractionation in polyisotopic systems, particularly in oxygen. The related temperature parameters of meteoritic condensates and of their source medium are investigated by a thermometric method that is independent of assumptions regarding temperatures and pressures in the solar nebula. The crucial nonlinear chemical fractionation of O-16 was demonstrated experimentally. The effect was achieved in condensed CO2 formed from CO with C-12 O-16 selectively excited by H Ly alpha. The effect was verified by mass spectrometric measurements. The meteorite paleotemperature estimates were advanced from defining only thermal exposure to evaluating time and temperature independently. Grain temperatures at condensation of refractory inclusion materials are indicated to be less than 900 K in agreement with radiation temperature considerations and observations in circumstellar dust shells.

New observations and models of circumstellar CO line emission of AGB stars in the Herschel SUCCESS programme

Science.gov (United States)

Danilovich, T.; Teyssier, D.; Justtanont, K.; Olofsson, H.; Cerrigone, L.; Bujarrabal, V.; Alcolea, J.; Cernicharo, J.; Castro-Carrizo, A.; García-Lario, P.; Marston, A.

2015-09-01

Context. Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are in one of the latest evolutionary stages of low to intermediate-mass stars. Their vigorous mass loss has a significant effect on the stellar evolution, and is a significant source of heavy elements and dust grains for the interstellar medium. The mass-loss rate can be well traced by carbon monoxide (CO) line emission. Aims: We present new Herschel/HIFI and IRAM 30 m telescope CO line data for a sample of 53 galactic AGB stars. The lines cover a fairly large range of excitation energy from the J = 1 → 0 line to the J = 9 → 8 line, and even the J = 14 → 13 line in a few cases. We perform radiative transfer modelling for 38 of these sources to estimate their mass-loss rates. Methods: We used a radiative transfer code based on the Monte Carlo method to model the CO line emission. We assume spherically symmetric circumstellar envelopes that are formed by a constant mass-loss rate through a smoothly accelerating wind. Results: We find models that are consistent across a broad range of CO lines for most of the stars in our sample, i.e., a large number of the circumstellar envelopes can be described with a constant mass-loss rate. We also find that an accelerating wind is required to fit, in particular, the higher-J lines and that a velocity law will have a significant effect on the model line intensities. The results cover a wide range of mass-loss rates (~10-8 to 2 × 10-5 M⊙ yr-1) and gas expansion velocities (2 to 21.5 km s-1) , and include M-, S-, and C-type AGB stars. Our results generally agree with those of earlier studies, although we tend to find slightly lower mass-loss rates by about 40%, on average. We also present "bonus" lines detected during our CO observations. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Based on observations carried out with the IRAM 30 m Telescope. IRAM is

DustEM: Dust extinction and emission modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Compiègne, M.; Verstraete, L.; Jones, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Boulanger, F.; Flagey, N.; Le Bourlot, J.; Paradis, D.; Ysard, N.

2013-07-01

DustEM computes the extinction and the emission of interstellar dust grains heated by photons. It is written in Fortran 95 and is jointly developed by IAS and CESR. The dust emission is calculated in the optically thin limit (no radiative transfer) and the default spectral range is 40 to 108 nm. The code is designed so dust properties can easily be changed and mixed and to allow for the inclusion of new grain physics.

Infrared observations of circumstellar ammonia in OH/IR supergiants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaren, R.A.; Betz, A.L.

1980-01-01

Ammonia has been detected in the circumstellar envelopes of VY Canis Majoris, VX Sagittarii, and IRC+10420 by means of several absorption lines in the ν 2 vibration-rotation band near 950 cm -1 . The line profiles are well resolved (0.2 km s -1 resolution) and show the gas being accelerated to terminal expansion velocities near 30 km s -1 . The observations reveal a method for determining the position of the central star on VLBI maps of OH maser emission to an accuracy of approx.0''.2. A firm lower limit of 2 x 10 15 cm -2 is obtained for the NH 3 column density in VY Canis Majoris

Circumstellar ammonia in oxygen-rich evolved stars

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, K. T.; Menten, K. M.; Kamiński, T.; Wyrowski, F.; Lacy, J. H.; Greathouse, T. K.

2018-04-01

Context. The circumstellar ammonia (NH3) chemistry in evolved stars is poorly understood. Previous observations and modelling showed that NH3 abundance in oxygen-rich stars is several orders of magnitude above that predicted by equilibrium chemistry. Aims: We would like to characterise the spatial distribution and excitation of NH3 in the oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of four diverse targets: IK Tau, VY CMa, OH 231.8+4.2, and IRC +10420. Methods: We observed NH3 emission from the ground state in the inversion transitions near 1.3 cm with the Very Large Array (VLA) and submillimetre rotational transitions with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) aboard Herschel Space Observatory from all four targets. For IK Tau and VY CMa, we observed NH3 rovibrational absorption lines in the ν2 band near 10.5 μm with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We also attempted to search for the rotational transition within the excited vibrational state (v2 = 1) near 2 mm with the IRAM 30m Telescope. Non-LTE radiative transfer modelling, including radiative pumping to the vibrational state, was carried out to derive the radial distribution of NH3 in the CSEs of these targets. Results: We detected NH3 inversion and rotational emission in all four targets. IK Tau and VY CMa show blueshifted absorption in the rovibrational spectra. We did not detect vibrationally excited rotational transition from IK Tau. Spatially resolved VLA images of IK Tau and IRC +10420 show clumpy emission structures; unresolved images of VY CMa and OH 231.8+4.2 indicate that the spatial-kinematic distribution of NH3 is similar to that of assorted molecules, such as SO and SO2, that exhibit localised and clumpy emission. Our modelling shows that the NH3 abundance relative to molecular hydrogen is generally of the order of 10-7, which is a few times lower than previous estimates that were made without considering radiative

NIF Double Shell outer/inner shell collision experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Merritt, E. C.; Loomis, E. N.; Wilson, D. C.; Cardenas, T.; Montgomery, D. S.; Daughton, W. S.; Dodd, E. S.; Desjardins, T.; Renner, D. B.; Palaniyappan, S.; Batha, S. H.; Khan, S. F.; Smalyuk, V.; Ping, Y.; Amendt, P.; Schoff, M.; Hoppe, M.

2017-10-01

Double shell capsules are a potential low convergence path to substantial alpha-heating and ignition on NIF, since they are predicted to ignite and burn at relatively low temperatures via volume ignition. Current LANL NIF double shell designs consist of a low-Z ablator, low-density foam cushion, and high-Z inner shell with liquid DT fill. Central to the Double Shell concept is kinetic energy transfer from the outer to inner shell via collision. The collision determines maximum energy available for compression and implosion shape of the fuel. We present results of a NIF shape-transfer study: two experiments comparing shape and trajectory of the outer and inner shells at post-collision times. An outer-shell-only target shot measured the no-impact shell conditions, while an `imaging' double shell shot measured shell conditions with impact. The `imaging' target uses a low-Z inner shell and is designed to perform in similar collision physics space to a high-Z double shell but can be radiographed at 16keV, near the viable 2DConA BL energy limit. Work conducted under the auspices of the U.S. DOE by LANL under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396.

Accelerator experiments with soft protons and hyper-velocity dust particles: application to ongoing projects of future X-ray missions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perinati, E.; Diebold, S.; Kendziorra, E.

2012-01-01

and hyper-velocity dust particles off X-ray mirror shells. These activities have been identified as a goal in the context of a number of ongoing space projects in order to assess the risk posed by environmental radiation and dust and qualify the adopted instrumentation with respect to possible damage...... or performance degradation. In this paper we focus on tests for the Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) used aboard the LOFT space mission. We use the Van de Graaff accelerators at the University of T\\"ubingen and at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg, for soft proton and hyper...

The Chemistry of Population III Supernova Ejecta. II. The Nucleation of Molecular Clusters as a Diagnostic for Dust in the Early Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Cherchneff, Isabelle; Dwek, Eli

2010-04-01

We study the formation of molecular precursors to dust in the ejecta of Population III supernovae (Pop. III SNe) using a chemical kinetic approach to follow the evolution of small dust cluster abundances from day 100 to day 1000 after explosion. Our work focuses on zero-metallicity 20 M sun and 170 M sun progenitors, and we consider fully macroscopically mixed and unmixed ejecta. The dust precursors comprise molecular chains, rings, and small clusters of chemical composition relevant to the initial elemental composition of the ejecta under study. The nucleation stage for small silica, metal oxides and sulfides, pure metal, and carbon clusters is described with a new chemical reaction network highly relevant to the kinetic description of dust formation in hot circumstellar environments. We consider the effect of the pressure dependence of critical nucleation rates and test the impact of microscopically mixed He+ on carbon dust formation. Two cases of metal depletion on silica clusters (full and no depletion) are considered to derive upper limits to the amounts of dust produced in SN ejecta at 1000 days, while the chemical composition of clusters gives a prescription for the type of dust formed in Pop. III SNe. We show that the cluster mass produced in the fully mixed ejecta of a 170 M sun progenitor is ~ 25 M sun whereas its 20 M sun counterpart forms ~ 0.16 M sun of clusters. The unmixed ejecta of a 170 M sun progenitor SN synthesize ~5.6 M sun of small clusters, while its 20 M sun counterpart produces ~0.103 M sun. Our results point to smaller amounts of dust formed in the ejecta of Pop. III SNe by a factor of ~ 5 compared to values derived by previous studies, and to different dust chemical compositions. Such deviations result from some erroneous assumptions made, the inappropriate use of classical nucleation theory to model dust formation, and the omission of the synthesis of molecules in SN ejecta. We also find that the unmixed ejecta of massive Pop. III SNe

Very high-luminosity infrared galaxies - are they very young?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burbidge, G.

1986-01-01

It is proposed that most of the very high-luminosity IRAS galaxies, those which emit greater than or equal to 10 to the 12th solar luminosities nearly all in the far infrared out to 100 microns, are very young systems with ages less than or equal to 10 to the 9th years. The luminosity comes largely from stars with masses near 100 solar masses which evolve rapidly, ejecting much of their mass as elements heavier than hydrogen. The gas ejected condenses into dust in circumstellar shells. The prototype star in the Galaxy which shows all of these attributes is Eta Car. It is shown that total masses of order 10 to the 7th-10 to the 8th solar masses condensed into such stars can produce the observed luminosities, and that 10-100 generations of such stars will produce enough dust (about 10 to the 8th solar masses) to explain the observed infrared luminosities. If this hypothesis is correct the composition of gas and dust may well be highly anomalous, and there should be no old stars with ages about 10 to the 10th years present. Initial star formation is probably triggered by interactions with close companion galaxies. 40 references

Circumstellar envelopes seen in radio (OH masers) and in the infrared observations (IRAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, Pedro-Correia-de-Matos

1992-01-01

Intermediate mass stars, namely from one to nine solar masses, eject mass into the surrounding interstellar medium at high rates (up to 1/10000 solar masses per year) in their late stages of evolution on the so called asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Indeed, the presence of a circumstellar envelope (CSE) composed of dust and gas is one of the principal features of the objects on the AGB. Because of the high opacity at visible wavelength of the CSE, most of these objects can only be observed at infrared and radio frequencies. This study was undertaken using infrared and radio data from a large sample of CSE sources. The infrared data was obtained from the infrared astronomical satellite (IRAS) data base. For a selection of IRAS objects, radio observations were made of the OH maser at 1612 and 1667 MHz at the Nancay radio telescope, France. This work consists in two parts, one is theoretical in nature, the other observational. The theoretical part is concerned with the modeling of IRAS low resolution spectra (LRS catalog) and IRAS photometry through the use of a radiative transfer code. Confrontation between models and data has yielded such results as a better definition of the grain optical properties and the behavior of the CSE as it evolves. A model of a shock wave (a possible lifting engine of the CSE) propagating in the atmosphere of Mira stars (AGB) is described. On the observational side, a large number of objects has been surveyed for the presence of OH masers at 1612 and 1667 MHz. A statistical analysis has established more clearly the evolutionary status of CSE and the OH maser characteristics. A compiling of detection rates for the occurrence of masers, average location of these masing CSEs in the Galaxy, and OH maser characteristics is reported for use in future work. (author) [fr

An interferometric study of the post-AGB binary 89 Herculis. I. Spatially resolving the continuum circumstellar environment at optical and near-IR wavelengths with the VLTI, NPOI, IOTA, PTI, and the CHARA Array

Science.gov (United States)

Hillen, M.; Verhoelst, T.; Van Winckel, H.; Chesneau, O.; Hummel, C. A.; Monnier, J. D.; Farrington, C.; Tycner, C.; Mourard, D.; ten Brummelaar, T.; Banerjee, D. P. K.; Zavala, R. T.

2013-11-01

Context. Binary post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars are interesting laboratories to study both the evolution of binaries as well as the structure of circumstellar disks. Aims: A multiwavelength high angular resolution study of the prototypical object 89 Herculis is performed with the aim of identifying and locating the different emission components seen in the spectral energy distribution. Methods: A large interferometric data set, collected over the past decade and covering optical and near-infrared wavelengths, is analyzed in combination with the spectral energy distribution and flux-calibrated optical spectra. In this first paper only simple geometric models are applied to fit the interferometric data. Combining the interferometric constraints with the photometry and the optical spectra, we re-assess the energy budget of the post-AGB star and its circumstellar environment. Results: We report the first (direct) detection of a large (35-40%) optical circumstellar flux contribution and spatially resolve its emission region. Given this large amount of reprocessed and/or redistributed optical light, the fitted size of the emission region is rather compact and fits with(in) the inner rim of the circumbinary dust disk. This rim dominates our K band data through thermal emission and is rather compact, emitting significantly already at a radius of twice the orbital separation. We interpret the circumstellar optical flux as due to a scattering process, with the scatterers located in the extremely puffed-up inner rim of the disk and possibly also in a bipolar outflow seen pole-on. A non-local thermodynamic equilibrium gaseous origin in an inner disk cannot be excluded but is considered highly unlikely. Conclusions: This direct detection of a significant amount of circumbinary light at optical wavelengths poses several significant questions regarding our understanding of both post-AGB binaries and the physics in their circumbinary disks. Although the

Dust acoustic shock wave at high dust density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Samiran; Sarkar, Susmita; Khan, Manoranjan; Avinash, K.; Gupta, M. R.

2003-01-01

Dust acoustic (DA) shock wave at high dust density, i.e., the dust electroacoustic (DEA) or dust Coulomb (DC) shock wave has been investigated incorporating the nonadiabatic dust charge variation. The nonlinear DEA (DC) shock wave is seen to be governed by the Korteweg-de Vries Burger equation, in which the Burger term is proportional to the nonadiabaticity generated dissipation. It is seen that the shock strength decreases but after reaching minimum, it increases as the dust space charge density |q d n d | increases and the shock strength of DA wave is greater than that of DEA (DC) wave. Moreover the DEA (DC) shock width increases appreciably with increase mass m i of the ion component of the dusty plasma but for DA shock wave the effect is weak

CONFIRMATION OF CIRCUMSTELLAR PHOSPHINE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agúndez, M.; Cernicharo, J. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, C/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco (Spain); Decin, L. [Sterrenkundig Instituut Anton Pannekoek, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 Amsterdam (Netherlands); Encrenaz, P. [LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, 61 Av. de l' Observatoire, F-75014 Paris (France); Teyssier, D. [European Space Astronomy Centre, Urb. Villafranca del Castillo, P.O. Box 50727, E-28080 Madrid (Spain)

2014-08-01

Phosphine (PH{sub 3}) was tentatively identified a few years ago in the carbon star envelopes IRC +10216 and CRL 2688 from observations of an emission line at 266.9 GHz attributable to the J = 1-0 rotational transition. We report the detection of the J = 2-1 rotational transition of PH{sub 3} in IRC +10216 using the HIFI instrument on board Herschel, which definitively confirms the identification of PH{sub 3}. Radiative transfer calculations indicate that infrared pumping in excited vibrational states plays an important role in the excitation of PH{sub 3} in the envelope of IRC +10216, and that the observed lines are consistent with phosphine being formed anywhere between the star and 100 R {sub *} from the star, with an abundance of 10{sup –8} relative to H{sub 2}. The detection of PH{sub 3} challenges chemical models, none of which offer a satisfactory formation scenario. Although PH{sub 3} holds just 2% of the total available phosphorus in IRC +10216, it is, together with HCP, one of the major gas phase carriers of phosphorus in the inner circumstellar layers, suggesting that it could also be an important phosphorus species in other astronomical environments. This is the first unambiguous detection of PH{sub 3} outside the solar system, and is a further step toward a better understanding of the chemistry of phosphorus in space.

Infrared observations of circumstellar ammonia in OH/IR supergiants

Science.gov (United States)

Mclaren, R. A.; Betz, A. L.

1980-01-01

Ammonia has been detected in the circumstellar envelopes of VY Canis Majoris, VX Sagittarii, and IRC +10420 by means of several absorption lines in the nu-2 vibration-rotation band near 950 kaysers. The line profiles are well resolved (0.2 km/sec resolution) and show the gas being accelerated to terminal expansion velocities near 30 km/sec. The observations reveal a method for determining the position of the central star on VLBI maps of OH maser emission to an accuracy of approximately 0.2 arcsec. A firm lower limit of 2 x 10 to the 15th/sq cm is obtained for the NH3 column density in VY Canis Majoris.

Cometary Dust

Science.gov (United States)

Levasseur-Regourd, Anny-Chantal; Agarwal, Jessica; Cottin, Hervé; Engrand, Cécile; Flynn, George; Fulle, Marco; Gombosi, Tamas; Langevin, Yves; Lasue, Jérémie; Mannel, Thurid; Merouane, Sihane; Poch, Olivier; Thomas, Nicolas; Westphal, Andrew

2018-04-01

This review presents our understanding of cometary dust at the end of 2017. For decades, insight about the dust ejected by nuclei of comets had stemmed from remote observations from Earth or Earth's orbit, and from flybys, including the samples of dust returned to Earth for laboratory studies by the Stardust return capsule. The long-duration Rosetta mission has recently provided a huge and unique amount of data, obtained using numerous instruments, including innovative dust instruments, over a wide range of distances from the Sun and from the nucleus. The diverse approaches available to study dust in comets, together with the related theoretical and experimental studies, provide evidence of the composition and physical properties of dust particles, e.g., the presence of a large fraction of carbon in macromolecules, and of aggregates on a wide range of scales. The results have opened vivid discussions on the variety of dust-release processes and on the diversity of dust properties in comets, as well as on the formation of cometary dust, and on its presence in the near-Earth interplanetary medium. These discussions stress the significance of future explorations as a way to decipher the formation and evolution of our Solar System.

DETECTION OF WEAK CIRCUMSTELLAR GAS AROUND THE DAZ WHITE DWARF WD 1124-293: EVIDENCE FOR THE ACCRETION OF MULTIPLE ASTEROIDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Debes, J. H. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Kilic, M. [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Oklahoma, 440 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Faedi, F. [Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Shkolnik, E. L. [Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Lopez-Morales, M. [Institut de Ciencies de l' Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Facultat de Ciencies, Torre C5, parell, 2a pl, E-08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain); Weinberger, A. J.; Slesnick, C. [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5249 Broad Branch RD, N.W., Washington, DC 20015 (United States); West, R. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)

2012-07-20

Single metal-polluted white dwarfs with no dusty disks are believed to be actively accreting metals from a circumstellar disk of gas caused by the destruction of asteroids perturbed by planetary systems. We report, for the first time, the detection of circumstellar Ca II gas in absorption around the DAZ WD 1124-293, which lacks an infrared excess. We constrain the gas to >7 R{sub WD} and <32000 AU, and estimate it to be at {approx}54 R{sub WD}, well within WD 1124-293's tidal disruption radius. This detection is based on several epochs of spectroscopy around the Ca II H and K lines ({lambda} = 3968 A, 3933 A) with the MIKE spectrograph on the Magellan/Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We confirm the circumstellar nature of the gas by observing nearby sightlines and finding no evidence for gas from the local interstellar medium. Through archival data we have measured the equivalent width of the two photospheric Ca lines over a period of 11 years. We see <5%-7% epoch-to-epoch variation in equivalent widths over this time period, and no evidence for long term trends. The presence of a circumstellar gas implies a near edge-on inclination to the system, thus we place limits to short period transiting planetary companions with R > R{sub Circled-Plus} using the Wide Angle Search for Planets survey. The presence of gas in orbit around WD 1124-293 implies that most DAZs could harbor planetary systems. Since 25%-30% of white dwarfs show metal line absorption, the dynamical process for perturbing small bodies must be robust.

MIDCOURSE SPACE EXPERIMENT VERSUS IRAS TWO-COLOR DIAGRAMS AND THE CIRCUMSTELLAR ENVELOPE-SEQUENCE OF OXYGEN-RICH LATE-TYPE STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sjouwerman, Lorant O.; Capen, Stephanie M.; Claussen, Mark J.

2009-01-01

We present Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) two-color diagrams that can be used to characterize circumstellar environments of sources with good quality MSX colors in terms of IRAS color regions for oxygen-rich stars. With these diagrams, we aim to provide a new tool that can be used to study circumstellar environments and to improve detection rates for targeted surveys for circumstellar maser emission similar to the IRAS two-color diagram. This new tool is especially useful for regions in the sky where IRAS was confused, in particular in the Galactic plane and bulge region. Unfortunately, using MSX colors alone does not allow one to distinguish between carbon-rich and oxygen-rich objects. An application of this tool on 86 GHz SiO masers shows that for this type of masers an instantaneous detection rate of 60% to 80% can be achieved if target sources are selected according to MSX color (region). Our investigations may have revealed an error in the MSX point source catalog version 2.3. That is, the photometry of the 21.3 μm (MSX E filter) band for most weak 8.28 μm (or MSX A filter) band sources seems off by about a factor 2 (0.5-1 mag too bright).

A Rigidly Rotating Magnetosphere Model for the Circumstellar Environments of Magnetic OB Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, R.; Owocki, S.; Groote, D.

2005-11-01

We report on a new model for the circumstellar environments of rotating, magnetic hot stars. This model predicts the channeling of wind plasma into a corotating magnetosphere, where -- supported against gravity by centrifugal forces -- it can steadily accumulate over time. We apply the model to the B2p star σ Ori E, demonstrating that it can simultaneously reproduce the spectroscopic, photometric and magnetic variations exhibited by the star.

Dust reddening and extinction curves toward gamma-ray bursts at z > 4

Science.gov (United States)

Bolmer, J.; Greiner, J.; Krühler, T.; Schady, P.; Ledoux, C.; Tanvir, N. R.; Levan, A. J.

2018-01-01

Context. Dust is known to be produced in the envelopes of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, the expanded shells of supernova (SN) remnants, and in situ grain growth within the interstellar medium (ISM), although the corresponding efficiency of each of these dust formation mechanisms at different redshifts remains a topic of debate. During the first Gyr after the Big Bang, it is widely believed that there was not enough time to form AGB stars in high numbers, hence the dust at this epoch is expected to be purely from SNe or subsequent grain growth in the ISM. The time period corresponding to z 5-6 is thus expected to display the transition from SN-only dust to a mixture of both formation channels as is generally recognized at present. Aims: Here we aim to use afterglow observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at redshifts larger than z > 4 to derive host galaxy dust column densities along their line of sight and to test if a SN-type dust extinction curve is required for some of the bursts. Methods: We performed GRB afterglow observations with the seven-channel Gamma-Ray Optical and Near-infrared Detector (GROND) at the 2.2 m MPI telescope in La Silla, Chile (ESO), and we combined these observations with quasi-simultaneous data gathered with the XRT telescope on board the Swift satellite. Results: We increase the number of measured AV values for GRBs at z > 4 by a factor of 2-3 and find that, in contrast to samples at mostly lower redshift, all of the GRB afterglows have a visual extinction of AV different scenarios. For the first time we also report a photometric redshift of zphot = 7.88-0.94+0.75 for GRB 100905A, making it one of the most distant GRBs known to date.

The peculiar balmer decrement of SN 2009ip: Constraints on circumstellar geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levesque, Emily M.; Stringfellow, Guy S.; Bally, John; Keeney, Brian A. [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Ginsburg, Adam G., E-mail: Emily.Levesque@colorado.edu [European Southern Observatory, ESO Headquarters, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-95748 Garching bei München (Germany)

2014-01-01

We present optical and near-IR spectroscopic observations of the luminous blue variable SN 2009ip during its remarkable photometric evolution of 2012. The spectra sample three key points in the SN 2009ip light curve, corresponding to its initial brightening in August (2012-A) and its dramatic rebrightening in early October (2012-B). Based on line fluxes and velocities measured in our spectra, we find a surprisingly low I(Hα)/I(Hβ) ratio (∼1.3-1.4) in the 2012-B spectra. Such a ratio implies either a rare Case B recombination scenario where Hα, but not Hβ, is optically thick, or an extremely high density for the circumstellar material of n{sub e} > 10{sup 13} cm{sup –3}. The Hα line intensity yields a minimum radiating surface area of ≳20,000 AU{sup 2} in Hα at the peak of SN 2009ip's photometric evolution. Combined with the nature of this object's spectral evolution in 2012, a high circumstellar density and large radiating surface area imply the presence of a thin disk geometry around the central star (and, consequently, a possible binary companion), suggesting that the observed 2012-B rebrightening of SN 2009ip can be attributed to the illumination of the disk's inner rim by fast-moving ejecta produced by the underlying events of 2012-A.

Mixing states of aerosols over four environmentally distinct atmospheric regimes in Asia: coastal, urban, and industrial locations influenced by dust.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, S; Srivastava, Rohit

2016-06-01

Mixing can influence the optical, physical, and chemical characteristics of aerosols, which in turn can modify their life cycle and radiative effects. Assumptions on the mixing state can lead to uncertain estimates of aerosol radiative effects. To examine the effect of mixing on the aerosol characteristics, and their influence on radiative effects, aerosol mixing states are determined over four environmentally distinct locations (Karachi, Gwangju, Osaka, and Singapore) in Asia, an aerosol hot spot region, using measured spectral aerosol optical properties and optical properties model. Aerosol optical depth (AOD), single scattering albedo (SSA), and asymmetry parameter (g) exhibit spectral, spatial, and temporal variations. Aerosol mixing states exhibit large spatial and temporal variations consistent with aerosol characteristics and aerosol type over each location. External mixing of aerosol species is unable to reproduce measured SSA over Asia, thus providing a strong evidence that aerosols exist in mixed state. Mineral dust (MD) (core)-Black carbon (BC) (shell) is one of the most preferred aerosol mixing states. Over locations influenced by biomass burning aerosols, BC (core)-water soluble (WS, shell) is a preferred mixing state, while dust gets coated by anthropogenic aerosols (BC, WS) over urban regions influenced by dust. MD (core)-sea salt (shell) mixing is found over Gwangju corroborating the observations. Aerosol radiative forcing exhibits large seasonal and spatial variations consistent with features seen in aerosol optical properties and mixing states. TOA forcing is less negative/positive for external mixing scenario because of lower SSA. Aerosol radiative forcing in Karachi is a factor of 2 higher when compared to Gwangju, Osaka, and Singapore. The influence of g on aerosol radiative forcing is insignificant. Results emphasize that rather than prescribing one single aerosol mixing state in global climate models regionally and temporally varying aerosol

Circumstellar grain extinction properties of recently discovered post AGB stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buss, R.H. Jr.; Lamers, H.J.G.L.M.; Snow, T.P. Jr.

1989-01-01

The circumstellar grains of two hot evolved post asymptotic giant branch (post AGB) stars, HD 89353 and HD 213985 were examined. From ultraviolet spectra, energy balance of the flux, and Kurucz models, the extinction around 2175 A was derived. With visual spectra, an attempt was made to detect 6614 A diffuse band absorption arising from the circumstellar grains so that we could examine the relationship of these features to the infrared features. For both stars, we did not detect any diffuse band absorption at 6614 A, implying the carrier of this diffuse band is not the carrier of the unidentified infrared features not of the 2175 A bump. The linear ultraviolet extinction of the carbon-rich star HD 89353 was determined to continue across the 2175 A region with no sign of the bump; for HD 213985 it was found to be the reverse: a strong, wide bump in the mid-ultraviolet. The 213985 bump was found to be positioned at 2340 A, longward of its usual position in the interstellar medium. Since HD 213985 was determined to have excess carbon, the bump probably arises from a carbonaceous grain. Thus, in view of the ultraviolet and infrared properties of the two post AGB stars, ubiquitous interstellar infrared emission features do not seem to be associated with the 2175 A bump. Instead, the infrared features seem related to the linear ultraviolet extinction component: hydrocarbon grains of radius less than 300 A are present with the linear HD 89353 extinction; amorphous anhydrous carbonaceous grains of radius less than 50 A might cause the shifted ultraviolet extinction bump of HD 213985

Interpretation of the line profiles of the 8 micron band of silicon monoxide from VY canis majoris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Blerkom, D.; Xinjie, M.

1982-01-01

Observations of the vibration-rotation transitions of silicon monoxide from the expanding circumstellar envelope of VY Canis Majoris have previously been interpreted in terms of line formation in a thin shell of gas surrounding an opaque core of dust which emits a continuous spectrum. We show that the use of this model is the cause of the apparent displacement of the stellar velocity derived from the 8 μm lines by 14 km s -1 from the value based on the v = 0, J = 2→1 SiO line and on the midpoint of the OH maser emission. No such displacement occurs if a model of line formation is employed in which emission from the entire envelope contributes to the emergent profile. This eliminates the need to postulate asymmetries in the envelope and agrees with infrared continuum studies

THE PDS 66 CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK AS SEEN IN POLARIZED LIGHT WITH THE GEMINI PLANET IMAGER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolff, Schuyler G.; Greenbaum, Alexandra Z.; Perrin, Marshall; Hines, Dean C.; Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A.; Nielsen, Eric L.; Wang, Jason; Dong, Ruobing; Duchêne, Gaspard; Graham, James R.; Kalas, Paul; Cardwell, Andrew; Chilcote, Jeffrey; Draper, Zachary H.; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Hung, Li-Wei; Goodsell, Stephen J.; Grady, Carol A.; Hartung, Markus; Hibon, Pascale

2016-01-01

We present H- and K-band imaging polarimetry for the PDS 66 circumstellar disk obtained during the commissioning of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI). Polarization images reveal a clear detection of the disk in to the 0.″12 inner working angle (IWA) in the H band, almost three times closer to the star than the previous Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations with NICMOS and STIS (0.″35 effective IWA). The centro-symmetric polarization vectors confirm that the bright inner disk detection is due to circumstellar scattered light. A more diffuse disk extends to a bright outer ring centered at 80 AU. We discuss several physical mechanisms capable of producing the observed ring + gap structure. GPI data confirm enhanced scattering on the east side of the disk that is inferred to be nearer to us. We also detect a lateral asymmetry in the south possibly due to shadowing from material within the IWA. This likely corresponds to a temporally variable azimuthal asymmetry observed in HST/STIS coronagraphic imaging

THE PDS 66 CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK AS SEEN IN POLARIZED LIGHT WITH THE GEMINI PLANET IMAGER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolff, Schuyler G.; Greenbaum, Alexandra Z. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Perrin, Marshall; Hines, Dean C. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Nielsen, Eric L. [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Wang, Jason; Dong, Ruobing; Duchêne, Gaspard; Graham, James R.; Kalas, Paul [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Cardwell, Andrew [LBT Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Room 552, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Chilcote, Jeffrey [Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Draper, Zachary H. [University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2 (Canada); Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Hung, Li-Wei [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, 430 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Goodsell, Stephen J. [Gemini Observatory, 670 N. A’ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Grady, Carol A. [Eureka Scientific, 2452 Delmer, Suite 100, Oakland, CA 96002 (United States); Hartung, Markus; Hibon, Pascale, E-mail: swolff9@jh.edu [Gemini Observatory, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); and others

2016-02-10

We present H- and K-band imaging polarimetry for the PDS 66 circumstellar disk obtained during the commissioning of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI). Polarization images reveal a clear detection of the disk in to the 0.″12 inner working angle (IWA) in the H band, almost three times closer to the star than the previous Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations with NICMOS and STIS (0.″35 effective IWA). The centro-symmetric polarization vectors confirm that the bright inner disk detection is due to circumstellar scattered light. A more diffuse disk extends to a bright outer ring centered at 80 AU. We discuss several physical mechanisms capable of producing the observed ring + gap structure. GPI data confirm enhanced scattering on the east side of the disk that is inferred to be nearer to us. We also detect a lateral asymmetry in the south possibly due to shadowing from material within the IWA. This likely corresponds to a temporally variable azimuthal asymmetry observed in HST/STIS coronagraphic imaging.

Shell Venster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Wit, P.; Looijesteijn, B.; Regeer, B.; Stip, B.

1995-03-01

In the bi-monthly issues of 'Shell Venster' (window on Shell) attention is paid to the activities of the multinational petroleum company Shell Nederland and the Koninklijke/Shell Groep by means of non-specialist articles

Enantiomeric separation of complex organic molecules produced from irradiation of interstellar/circumstellar ice analogs

Science.gov (United States)

Nuevo, M.; Meierhenrich, U. J.; D'Hendecourt, L.; Muñoz Caro, G. M.; Dartois, E.; Deboffle, D.; Thiemann, W. H.-P.; Bredehöft, J.-H.; Nahon, L.

Irradiation of interstellar/circumstellar ice analogs by ultraviolet (UV) light followed by warm up in the laboratory leads to the formation of complex organic molecules, stable at room temperature. Hydrolysis of the room temperature residue releases amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. These amino acids exist in two different forms (L and D), but proteins encountered in living beings consist exclusively of L enantiomers. The origin of this property, called homochirality, is still unknown. Amino acids can be detected and quantified by chemical techniques such as chiral gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Enantiomers of chiral organics are also known to interact selectively with circularly polarized light (CPL), leading to a selective production or destruction of the final compounds. This paper describes how we settled an experiment where amino acids are formed by irradiation of interstellar/circumstellar ice analogs with ultraviolet (UV) CPL, produced by a synchrotron radiation beamline, which allowed us to quantify the effect of such polarized light on the production of amino acids. These results can be compared to the enantiomeric excesses measured in primitive meteorites such as Murchison.

THE CHEMISTRY OF POPULATION III SUPERNOVA EJECTA. II. THE NUCLEATION OF MOLECULAR CLUSTERS AS A DIAGNOSTIC FOR DUST IN THE EARLY UNIVERSE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherchneff, Isabelle; Dwek, Eli

2010-01-01

We study the formation of molecular precursors to dust in the ejecta of Population III supernovae (Pop. III SNe) using a chemical kinetic approach to follow the evolution of small dust cluster abundances from day 100 to day 1000 after explosion. Our work focuses on zero-metallicity 20 M sun and 170 M sun progenitors, and we consider fully macroscopically mixed and unmixed ejecta. The dust precursors comprise molecular chains, rings, and small clusters of chemical composition relevant to the initial elemental composition of the ejecta under study. The nucleation stage for small silica, metal oxides and sulfides, pure metal, and carbon clusters is described with a new chemical reaction network highly relevant to the kinetic description of dust formation in hot circumstellar environments. We consider the effect of the pressure dependence of critical nucleation rates and test the impact of microscopically mixed He + on carbon dust formation. Two cases of metal depletion on silica clusters (full and no depletion) are considered to derive upper limits to the amounts of dust produced in SN ejecta at 1000 days, while the chemical composition of clusters gives a prescription for the type of dust formed in Pop. III SNe. We show that the cluster mass produced in the fully mixed ejecta of a 170 M sun progenitor is ∼ 25 M sun whereas its 20 M sun counterpart forms ∼ 0.16 M sun of clusters. The unmixed ejecta of a 170 M sun progenitor SN synthesize ∼5.6 M sun of small clusters, while its 20 M sun counterpart produces ∼0.103 M sun . Our results point to smaller amounts of dust formed in the ejecta of Pop. III SNe by a factor of ∼ 5 compared to values derived by previous studies, and to different dust chemical compositions. Such deviations result from some erroneous assumptions made, the inappropriate use of classical nucleation theory to model dust formation, and the omission of the synthesis of molecules in SN ejecta. We also find that the unmixed ejecta of massive Pop

Shifting of the resonance location for planets embedded in circumstellar disks

Science.gov (United States)

Marzari, F.

2018-03-01

Context. In the early evolution of a planetary system, a pair of planets may be captured in a mean motion resonance while still embedded in their nesting circumstellar disk. Aims: The goal is to estimate the direction and amount of shift in the semimajor axis of the resonance location due to the disk gravity as a function of the gas density and mass of the planets. The stability of the resonance lock when the disk dissipates is also tested. Methods: The orbital evolution of a large number of systems is numerically integrated within a three-body problem in which the disk potential is computed as a series of expansion. This is a good approximation, at least over a limited amount of time. Results: Two different resonances are studied: the 2:1 and the 3:2. In both cases the shift is inwards, even if by a different amount, when the planets are massive and carve a gap in the disk. For super-Earths, the shift is instead outwards. Different disk densities, Σ, are considered and the resonance shift depends almost linearly on Σ. The gas dissipation leads to destabilization of a significant number of resonant systems, in particular if it is fast. Conclusions: The presence of a massive circumstellar disk may significantly affect the resonant behavior of a pair of planets by shifting the resonant location and by decreasing the size of the stability region. The disk dissipation may explain some systems found close to a resonance but not locked in it.

ABSENCE OF SIGNIFICANT COOL DISKS IN YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS EXHIBITING REPETITIVE OPTICAL OUTBURSTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hauyu Baobab; Hirano, Naomi; Takami, Michihiro; Dong, Ruobing [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Galván-Madrid, Roberto; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Carrasco-González, Carlos [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM, A.P. 3-72, Xangari, Morelia, 58089 (Mexico); Vorobyov, Eduard I. [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Tuerkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1180, Vienna (Austria); Kóspál, Ágnes [Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 67, 1525 Budapest (Hungary); Dunham, Michael M. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS 78, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Henning, Thomas [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie Königstuhl, 17 D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Hashimoto, Jun [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 Japan (Japan); Hasegawa, Yasuhiro, E-mail: baobabyoo@gmail.com [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2016-01-10

We report Submillimeter Array 1.3 mm high angular resolution observations toward the four EXor-type outbursting young stellar objects VY Tau, V1118 Ori, V1143 Ori, and NY Ori. The data mostly show low dust masses M{sub dust} in the associated circumstellar disks. Among the sources, NY Ori possesses a relatively massive disk with M{sub dust} ∼ 9 × 10{sup −4}M{sub ⊙}. V1118 Ori has a marginal detection equivalent to M{sub dust} ∼ 6 × 10{sup −5}M{sub ⊙}. V1143 Ori has a non-detection also equivalent to M{sub dust} < 6 × 10{sup −5}M{sub ⊙}. For the nearest source, VY Tau, we get a surprising non-detection that provides a stringent upper limit M{sub dust} < 6 × 10{sup −6}M{sub ⊙}. We interpret our findings as suggesting that the gas and dust reservoirs that feed the short-duration, repetitive optical outbursts seen in some EXors may be limited to the small-scale, innermost region of their circumstellar disks. This hot dust may have escaped our detection limits. Follow-up, more sensitive millimeter observations are needed to improve our understanding of the triggering mechanisms of EXor-type outbursts.

Importance-truncated shell model for multi-shell valence spaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stumpf, Christina; Vobig, Klaus; Roth, Robert [Institut fuer Kernphysik, TU Darmstadt (Germany)

2016-07-01

The valence-space shell model is one of the work horses in nuclear structure theory. In traditional applications, shell-model calculations are carried out using effective interactions constructed in a phenomenological framework for rather small valence spaces, typically spanned by one major shell. We improve on this traditional approach addressing two main aspects. First, we use new effective interactions derived in an ab initio approach and, thus, establish a connection to the underlying nuclear interaction providing access to single- and multi-shell valence spaces. Second, we extend the shell model to larger valence spaces by applying an importance-truncation scheme based on a perturbative importance measure. In this way, we reduce the model space to the relevant basis states for the description of a few target eigenstates and solve the eigenvalue problem in this physics-driven truncated model space. In particular multi-shell valence spaces are not tractable otherwise. We combine the importance-truncated shell model with refined extrapolation schemes to approximately recover the exact result. We present first results obtained in the importance-truncated shell model with the newly derived ab initio effective interactions for multi-shell valence spaces, e.g., the sdpf shell.

Dust Measurements in Tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudakov, D; Yu, J; Boedo, J; Hollmann, E; Krasheninnikov, S; Moyer, R; Muller, S; Yu, A; Rosenberg, M; Smirnov, R; West, W; Boivin, R; Bray, B; Brooks, N; Hyatt, A; Wong, C; Fenstermacher, M; Groth, M; Lasnier, C; McLean, A; Stangeby, P; Ratynskaia, S; Roquemore, A; Skinner, C; Solomon, W M

2008-01-01

Dust production and accumulation impose safety and operational concerns for ITER. Diagnostics to monitor dust levels in the plasma as well as in-vessel dust inventory are currently being tested in a few tokamaks. Dust accumulation in ITER is likely to occur in hidden areas, e.g. between tiles and under divertor baffles. A novel electrostatic dust detector for monitoring dust in these regions has been developed and tested at PPPL. In DIII-D tokamak dust diagnostics include Mie scattering from Nd:YAG lasers, visible imaging, and spectroscopy. Laser scattering resolves size of particles between 0.16-1.6 (micro)m in diameter; the total dust content in the edge plasmas and trends in the dust production rates within this size range have been established. Individual dust particles are observed by visible imaging using fast-framing cameras, detecting dust particles of a few microns in diameter and larger. Dust velocities and trajectories can be determined in 2D with a single camera or 3D using multiple cameras, but determination of particle size is problematic. In order to calibrate diagnostics and benchmark dust dynamics modeling, pre-characterized carbon dust has been injected into the lower divertor of DIII-D. Injected dust is seen by cameras, and spectroscopic diagnostics observe an increase of carbon atomic, C2 dimer, and thermal continuum emissions from the injected dust. The latter observation can be used in the design of novel dust survey diagnostics

A Search for Phosphine in Circumstellar Envelopes: PH3 in IRC +10216 and CRL 2688?

Science.gov (United States)

Tenenbaum, E. D.; Ziurys, L. M.

2008-06-01

We present the results of a search for the JK = 10→ 00 transition of PH3 (phosphine) at 267 GHz toward several circumstellar envelopes using the Arizona Radio Observatory 10 m Submillimeter Telescope (SMT). In the carbon-rich shells of IRC +10216 and CRL 2688, we have detected emission lines exactly at the PH3 frequency. Toward the oxygen-rich supergiant VY Canis Majoris, only an upper limit was obtained, while in the evolved carbon-rich proto-planetary nebula CRL 618, the transition is contaminated by vibrationally excited HC3N (ν7 = 4). The line shape in IRC +10216 appears to consist of two distinct components: a flat-topped profile with a width of ~28 km s-1, as is typical for this source, and a narrower feature approximately 4 km s-1 wide. The narrow component likely arises from the inner envelope (r < 8R*) where the gas has not reached the terminal expansion velocity, or it is nonthermal emission. Based on the broader component, the abundance of PH3 with respect to H2 is estimated to be 5 × 10-8 in a region with a radius of r < 150R*. If the narrower component is thermal, it implies a phosphine abundance of ~5 × 10-7 close to the stellar photosphere (r < 8R*). In CRL 2688, the PH3 abundance is less constrained, with plausible values ranging from 3 × 10-8 to 4 × 10-7, assuming a spherical distribution. Phosphine appears to be present in large concentrations in the inner envelope of C-rich AGB stars, and thus may function as a parent molecule for other phosphorus species.

MicroShell Minimalist Shell for Xilinx Microprocessors

Science.gov (United States)

Werne, Thomas A.

2011-01-01

MicroShell is a lightweight shell environment for engineers and software developers working with embedded microprocessors in Xilinx FPGAs. (MicroShell has also been successfully ported to run on ARM Cortex-M1 microprocessors in Actel ProASIC3 FPGAs, but without project-integration support.) Micro Shell decreases the time spent performing initial tests of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, simplifies running customizable one-time-only experiments, and provides a familiar-feeling command-line interface. The program comes with a collection of useful functions and enables the designer to add an unlimited number of custom commands, which are callable from the command-line. The commands are parameterizable (using the C-based command-line parameter idiom), so the designer can use one function to exercise hardware with different values. Also, since many hardware peripherals instantiated in FPGAs have reasonably simple register-mapped I/O interfaces, the engineer can edit and view hardware parameter settings at any time without stopping the processor. MicroShell comes with a set of support scripts that interface seamlessly with Xilinx's EDK tool. Adding an instance of MicroShell to a project is as simple as marking a check box in a library configuration dialog box and specifying a software project directory. The support scripts then examine the hardware design, build design-specific functions, conditionally include processor-specific functions, and complete the compilation process. For code-size constrained designs, most of the stock functionality can be excluded from the compiled library. When all of the configurable options are removed from the binary, MicroShell has an unoptimized memory footprint of about 4.8 kB and a size-optimized footprint of about 2.3 kB. Since MicroShell allows unfettered access to all processor-accessible memory locations, it is possible to perform live patching on a running system. This can be useful, for instance, if a bug is

Energy distributions of symbiotic novae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, G.L.; Kwok, S.

1991-01-01

The IRAS low-resolution spectra of three recent symbiotic novae are fitted with a dust continuum radiative transfer model. It is found that the dust shells are detached from the photosphere and that the sizes of the inner radii are correlated with times since outburst. An analysis of the IUE spectra of HM Sge at different epochs suggests that the strength of the 2200 A feature is decreasing with times and the grains responsible for the feature are probably formed in the white dwarf ejecta. A complete accounting of the entire energy budget from radio to X-ray shows that most of the energy is emitted by the cool component in the infrared, and a significant fraction of the flux of the hot component is escaping in the far-ultraviolet. The density-bounded nature of the circumstellar gas nebulae could be the result of a bipolar geometry of the nebulae. Unlike classical novae, the optical outburst of symbiotic novae is due to the ionization of the preexisting envelope of the cool component and is not the result of a sudden ejection by the hot component. 55 refs

Dust confinement and dust acoustic waves in a magnetized plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Piel, A.

2005-10-01

Systematic laboratory experiments on dust acoustic waves require the confinement of dust particles. Here we report on new experiments in a magnetized plasma region in front of an additional positively biased disk electrode in a background plasma which is generated in argon at 27MHz between a disk and grid electrode. The plasma diffuses through the grid along the magnetic field. The three-dimensional dust distribution is measured with a horizontal sheet of laser light and a CCD camera, which are mounted on a vertical translation stage. Depending on magnetic field and discharge current, cigar or donut-shaped dust clouds are generated, which tend to rotate about the magnetic field direction. Measurements with emissive probes show that the axial confinement of dust particles with diameters between 0.7-2 μm is achieved by a balance of ion-drag force and electric field force. Dust levitation and radial confinement is due to a strong radial electric field. Dust acoustic waves are destabilized by the ion flow or can be stimulated by a periodic bias on the disk electrode. The observed wave dispersion is compared with fluid and kinetic models of the dust acoustic wave.

Exploring the circumstellar disk-like structure of the B[e] supergiant LHA 120-S 73

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Torres, A.F.; Cidale, L.S.; Kraus, Michaela; Arias, M.L.; Maravelias, Grigorios; Borges Fernandes, M.; Vallverdú, R.

2016-01-01

Roč. 58, č. 1 (2016), s. 120-122 E-ISSN 1669-9521 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7AMB14AR017; GA MŠk LG14013 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : stars * early-type * circumstellar matter Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics http://www.astronomiaargentina.org.ar/b58/2016baaa...58...120T.pdf

Allergies, asthma, and dust

Science.gov (United States)

Reactive airway disease - dust; Bronchial asthma - dust; Triggers - dust ... Things that make allergies or asthma worse are called triggers. Dust is a common trigger. When your asthma or allergies become worse due to dust, you are ...

Charged shells in Lovelock gravity: Hamiltonian treatment and physical implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, Goncalo A. S.; Gao, Sijie; Lemos, Jose P. S.

2007-01-01

Using a Hamiltonian treatment, charged thin shells, static and dynamic, in spherically symmetric spacetimes, containing black holes or other specific types of solutions, in d dimensional Lovelock-Maxwell theory are studied. The free coefficients that appear in the Lovelock theory are chosen to obtain a sensible theory, with a negative cosmological constant appearing naturally. Using an Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) description, one then finds the Hamiltonian for the charged shell system. Variation of the Hamiltonian with respect to the canonical coordinates and conjugate momenta, and the relevant Lagrange multipliers, yields the dynamic and constraint equations. The vacuum solutions of these equations yield a division of the theory into two branches, namely d-2k-1>0 (which includes general relativity, Born-Infeld type theories, and other generic gravities) and d-2k-1=0 (which includes Chern-Simons type theories), where k is the parameter giving the highest power of the curvature in the Lagrangian. There appears an additional parameter χ=(-1) k+1 , which gives the character of the vacuum solutions. For χ=1 the solutions, being of the type found in general relativity, have a black hole character. For χ=-1 the solutions, being of a new type not found in general relativity, have a totally naked singularity character. Since there is a negative cosmological constant, the spacetimes are asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS), and AdS when empty (for zero cosmological constant the spacetimes are asymptotically flat). The integration from the interior to the exterior vacuum regions through the thin shell takes care of a smooth junction, showing the power of the method. The subsequent analysis is divided into two cases: static charged thin shell configurations, and gravitationally collapsing charged dust shells (expanding shells are the time reversal of the collapsing shells). In the collapsing case, into an initially nonsingular spacetime with generic character or an empty

Circumstellar disks around binary stars in Taurus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akeson, R. L.; Jensen, E. L. N.

2014-01-01

We have conducted a survey of 17 wide (>100 AU) young binary systems in Taurus with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) at two wavelengths. The observations were designed to measure the masses of circumstellar disks in these systems as an aid to understanding the role of multiplicity in star and planet formation. The ALMA observations had sufficient resolution to localize emission within the binary system. Disk emission was detected around all primaries and 10 secondaries, with disk masses as low as 10 –4 M ☉ . We compare the properties of our sample to the population of known disks in Taurus and find that the disks from this binary sample match the scaling between stellar mass and millimeter flux of F mm ∝M ∗ 1.5--2.0 to within the scatter found in previous studies. We also compare the properties of the primaries to those of the secondaries and find that the secondary/primary stellar and disk mass ratios are not correlated; in three systems, the circumsecondary disk is more massive than the circumprimary disk, counter to some theoretical predictions.

Exact solutions for shells collapsing towards a pre-existing black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yuan; Zhang Shuangnan

2009-01-01

The gravitational collapse of a star is an important issue both for general relativity and astrophysics, which is related to the well-known 'frozen star' paradox. This paradox has been discussed intensively and seems to have been solved in the comoving-like coordinates. However, to a real astrophysical observer within a finite time, this problem should be discussed in the point of view of the distant rest-observer, which is the main purpose of this Letter. Following the seminal work of Oppenheimer and Snyder (1939), we present the exact solution for one or two dust shells collapsing towards a pre-existing black hole. We find that the metric of the inner region of the shell is time-dependent and the clock inside the shell becomes slower as the shell collapses towards the pre-existing black hole. This means the inner region of the shell is influenced by the property of the shell, which is contrary to the result in Newtonian theory. It does not contradict the Birkhoff's theorem, since in our case we cannot arbitrarily select the clock inside the shell in order to ensure the continuity of the metric. This result in principle may be tested experimentally if a beam of light travels across the shell, which will take a longer time than without the shell. It can be considered as the generalized Shapiro effect, because this effect is due to the mass outside, but not inside as the case of the standard Shapiro effect. We also found that in real astrophysical settings matter can indeed cross a black hole's horizon according to the clock of an external observer and will not accumulate around the event horizon of a black hole, i.e., no 'frozen star' is formed for an external observer as matter falls towards a black hole. Therefore, we predict that only gravitational wave radiation can be produced in the final stage of the merging process of two coalescing black holes. Our results also indicate that for the clock of an external observer, matter, after crossing the event horizon

Optical properties of core-shell and multi-shell nanorods

Science.gov (United States)

Mokkath, Junais Habeeb; Shehata, Nader

2018-05-01

We report a first-principles time dependent density functional theory study of the optical response modulations in bimetallic core-shell (Na@Al and Al@Na) and multi-shell (Al@Na@Al@Na and Na@Al@Na@Al: concentric shells of Al and Na alternate) nanorods. All of the core-shell and multi-shell configurations display highly enhanced absorption intensity with respect to the pure Al and Na nanorods, showing sensitivity to both composition and chemical ordering. Remarkably large spectral intensity enhancements were found in a couple of core-shell configurations, indicative that optical response averaging based on the individual components can not be considered as true as always in the case of bimetallic core-shell nanorods. We believe that our theoretical results would be useful in promising applications depending on Aluminum-based plasmonic materials such as solar cells and sensors.

Carbohydrate and protein contents of grain dusts in relation to dust morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dashek, W V; Olenchock, S A; Mayfield, J E; Wirtz, G H; Wolz, D E; Young, C A

1986-01-01

Grain dusts contain a variety of materials which are potentially hazardous to the health of workers in the grain industry. Because the characterization of grain dusts is incomplete, we are defining the botanical, chemical, and microbial contents of several grain dusts collected from grain elevators in the Duluth-Superior regions of the U.S. Here, we report certain of the carbohydrate and protein contents of dusts in relation to dust morphology. Examination of the gross morphologies of the dusts revealed that, except for corn, each dust contained either husk or pericarp (seed coat in the case of flax) fragments in addition to respirable particles. When viewed with the light microscope, the fragments appeared as elongated, pointed structures. The possibility that certain of the fragments within corn, settled, and spring wheat were derived from cell walls was suggested by the detection of pentoses following colorimetric assay of neutralized 2 N trifluoroacetic acid hydrolyzates of these dusts. The presence of pentoses together with the occurrence of proteins within water washings of grain dusts suggests that glycoproteins may be present within the dusts. With scanning electron microscopy, each dust was found to consist of a distinct assortment of particles in addition to respirable particles. Small husk fragments and "trichome-like" objects were common to all but corn dust. Images FIGURE 4. FIGURE 5. PMID:3709476

An ALMA continuum survey of circumstellar disks in the upper Scorpius OB association

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carpenter, John M.; Ricci, Luca; Isella, Andrea [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2014-05-20

We present ALMA 880 μm continuum observations of 20 K- and M-type stars in the Upper Scorpius OB association (Upper Sco) that are surrounded by protoplanetary disks. These data are used to measure the dust content in disks around low-mass stars (0.1-1.6 M {sub ☉}) at a stellar age of 5-11 Myr. Thirteen sources were detected in the 880 μm dust continuum at ≥3σ with inferred dust masses between 0.3 and 52 M {sub ⊕}. The dust masses tend to be higher around the more massive stars, but the significance is marginal in that the probability of no correlation is p ≈ 0.03. The evolution in the dust content in disks was assessed by comparing the Upper Sco observations with published continuum measurements of disks around ∼1-2 Myr stars in the Class II stage in the Taurus molecular cloud. While the dust masses in the Upper Sco disks are on average lower than in Taurus, any difference in the dust mass distributions is significant at less than 3σ. For stellar masses between 0.49 M {sub ☉} and 1.6 M {sub ☉}, the mean dust mass in disks is lower in Upper Sco relative to Taurus by Δlog M {sub dust} = 0.44 ± 0.26.

UNUSUAL CARBONACEOUS DUST DISTRIBUTION IN PN G095.2+00.7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohsawa, Ryou; Onaka, Takashi; Sakon, Itsuki; Mori, Tamami I.; Miyata, Takashi; Asano, Kentaro; Matsuura, Mikako; Kaneda, Hidehiro

2012-01-01

We investigate the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features in the young Galactic planetary nebula PN G095.2+00.7 based on mid-infrared observations. The near- to mid-infrared spectra obtained with the AKARI/IRC and the Spitzer/IRS show the PAH features as well as the broad emission feature at 12 μm usually seen in proto-planetary nebulae (pPNe). The spatially resolved spectra obtained with Subaru/COMICS suggest that the broad emission around 12 μm is distributed in a shell-like structure, but the unidentified infrared band at 11.3 μm is selectively enhanced at the southern part of the nebula. The variation can be explained by a difference in the amount of the UV radiation to excite PAHs, and does not necessarily require the chemical processing of dust grains and PAHs. It suggests that the UV self-extinction is important to understand the mid-infrared spectral features. We propose a mechanism which accounts for the evolutionary sequence of the mid-infrared dust features seen in a transition from pPNe to PNe.

The Search for New Luminous Blue Variable Stars: Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Stars With 24 micron Shells

Science.gov (United States)

Stringfellow, Guy; Gvaramadze, Vasilii

2010-02-01

Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) stars represent an extremely rare class of very luminous and massive stars. Only about a dozen confirmed Galactic LBV stars are known to date, which precludes us from determining a solid evolutionary connection between LBV and other intermediate (e.g. Ofpe/WN9, WNL) phases in the life of very massive stars. The known LBV stars each have their own unique properties, so new discoveries add insight into the properties and evolutionary status of LBVs and massive stars; even one new discovery of objects of this type could provide break-through results in the understanding of the intermediate stages of massive star evolution. We have culled a prime sample of possible LBV candidates from the Spitzer 24 (micron) archival data. All have circumstellar nebulae, rings, and shells (typical of LBVs and related stars) surrounding reddened central stars. Spectroscopic followup of about two dozen optically visible central stars associated with the shells from this sample showed that they are either candidate LBVs, late WN-type Wolf-Rayet stars or blue supergiants. We propose infrared spectroscopic observations of the central stars for a large fraction (23 stars) of our northern sample to determine their nature and discover additional LBV candidates. These stars have no plausible optical counterparts, so infrared spectra are needed. This program requires two nights of Hale time using TripleSpec.

Dust Devil Tracks

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

(Released 8 May 2002) The Science This image, centered near 50.0 S and 17.7 W displays dust devil tracks on the surface. Most of the lighter portions of the image likely have a thin veneer of dust settled on the surface. As a dust devil passes over the surface, it acts as a vacuum and picks up the dust, leaving the darker substrate exposed. In this image there is a general trend of many of the tracks running from east to west or west to east, indicating the general wind direction. There is often no general trend present in dust devil tracks seen in other images. The track patterns are quite ephemeral and can completely change or even disappear over the course of a few months. Dust devils are one of the mechanisms that Mars uses to constantly pump dust into the ubiquitously dusty atmosphere. This atmospheric dust is one of the main driving forces of the present Martian climate. The Story Vrrrrooooooooom. Think of a tornado, the cartoon Tasmanian devil, or any number of vacuum commercials that powerfully suck up swirls of dust and dirt. That's pretty much what it's like on the surface of Mars a lot of the time. Whirlpools of wind called

Archival Legacy Investigations of Circumstellar Environments (ALICE): Statistical assessment of point source detections

Science.gov (United States)

Choquet, Élodie; Pueyo, Laurent; Soummer, Rémi; Perrin, Marshall D.; Hagan, J. Brendan; Gofas-Salas, Elena; Rajan, Abhijith; Aguilar, Jonathan

2015-09-01

The ALICE program, for Archival Legacy Investigation of Circumstellar Environment, is currently conducting a virtual survey of about 400 stars, by re-analyzing the HST-NICMOS coronagraphic archive with advanced post-processing techniques. We present here the strategy that we adopted to identify detections and potential candidates for follow-up observations, and we give a preliminary overview of our detections. We present a statistical analysis conducted to evaluate the confidence level on these detection and the completeness of our candidate search.

MULTIPLE SHELLS AROUND G79.29+0.46 REVEALED FROM NEAR-IR TO MILLIMETER DATA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez-Esteban, F. M.; Rizzo, J. R.; Palau, Aina

2010-01-01

Aiming to perform a study of the warm dust and gas in the luminous blue variable star G79.29+0.46 and its associated nebula, we present infrared Spitzer imaging and spectroscopy, and new CO J = 2 → 1 and 4 → 3 maps obtained with the IRAM 30 m radio telescope and the Submillimeter Telescope, respectively. We have analyzed the nebula detecting multiple shells of dust and gas connected to the star. Using Infrared Spectrograph-Spitzer spectra, we have compared the properties of the central object, the nebula, and their surroundings. These spectra show a rich variety of solid-state features (amorphous silicates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and CO 2 ices) and narrow emission lines, superimposed on a thermal continuum. We have also analyzed the physical conditions of the nebula, which point to the existence of a photo-dissociation region.

Symbolic computation on cylindrical-modified dust-ion-acoustic nebulons in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Bo; Gao Yitian

2007-01-01

In this Letter, for the dust-ion-acoustic waves with azimuthal perturbation in a dusty plasma, a cylindrical modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (CMKP) model is constructed by virtue of symbolic computation, with three families of exact analytic solutions obtained as well. Dark and bright CMKP nebulons are investigated with pictures and related to such dusty-plasma environments as the supernova shells and Saturn's F-ring. Difference of the CMKP nebulons from other known nebulons is also analyzed, and possibly-observable CMKP-nebulonic effects for the future plasma experiments are proposed, especially those on the possible notch/slot and dark-bright bi-existence

Kuiper Belt Dust Grains as a Source of Interplanetary Dust Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Liou, Jer-Chyi; Zook, Herbert A.; Dermott, Stanley F.

1996-01-01

The recent discovery of the so-called Kuiper belt objects has prompted the idea that these objects produce dust grains that may contribute significantly to the interplanetary dust population. In this paper, the orbital evolution of dust grains, of diameters 1 to 9 microns, that originate in the region of the Kuiper belt is studied by means of direct numerical integration. Gravitational forces of the Sun and planets, solar radiation pressure, as well as Poynting-Robertson drag and solar wind drag are included. The interactions between charged dust grains and solar magnetic field are not considered in the model. Because of the effects of drag forces, small dust grains will spiral toward the Sun once they are released from their large parent bodies. This motion leads dust grains to pass by planets as well as encounter numerous mean motion resonances associated with planets. Our results show that about 80% of the Kuiper belt grains are ejected from the Solar System by the giant planets, while the remaining 20% of the grains evolve all the way to the Sun. Surprisingly, the latter dust grains have small orbital eccentricities and inclinations when they cross the orbit of the Earth. This makes them behave more like asteroidal than cometary-type dust particles. This also enhances their chances of being captured by the Earth and makes them a possible source of the collected interplanetary dust particles; in particular, they represent a possible source that brings primitive/organic materials from the outer Solar System to the Earth. When collisions with interstellar dust grains are considered, however, Kuiper belt dust grains around 9 microns appear likely to be collisionally shattered before they can evolve toward the inner part of the Solar System. The collision destruction can be applied to Kuiper belt grains up to about 50 microns. Therefore, Kuiper belt dust grains within this range may not be a significant part of the interplanetary dust complex in the inner Solar

Inactivation of dust mites, dust mite allergen, and mold from carpet.

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Kee-Hean; Lewis, Roger D; Dixit, Anupma; MacDonald, Maureen; Yang, Mingan; Qian, Zhengmin

2014-01-01

Carpet is known to be a reservoir for biological contaminants, such as dust mites, dust mite allergen, and mold, if it is not kept clean. The accumulation of these contaminants in carpet might trigger allergies or asthma symptoms in both children and adults. The purpose of this study is to compare methods for removal of dust mites, dust mite allergens, and mold from carpet. Carpets were artificially worn to simulate 1 to 2 years of wear in a four-person household. The worn carpets were inoculated together with a common indoor mold (Cladosporium species) and house dust mites and incubated for 6 weeks to allow time for dust mite growth on the carpet. The carpets were randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups. Available treatment regimens for controlling carpet contaminants were evaluated through a literature review and experimentation. Four moderately low-hazard, nondestructive methods were selected as treatments: vacuuming, steam-vapor, Neem oil (a natural tree extract), and benzalkonium chloride (a quaternary ammonium compound). Steam vapor treatment demonstrated the greatest dust mite population reduction (p 0.05) for both physical and chemical methods. The steam-vapor treatment effectively killed dust mites and denatured dust mite allergen in the laboratory environment.

A WISE survey of circumstellar disks in Taurus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esplin, T. L.; Luhman, K. L.; Mamajek, E. E.

2014-01-01

We have compiled photometry at 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 μm from the all-sky survey performed by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) for all known members of the Taurus complex of dark clouds. Using these data and photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have identified members with infrared excess emission from circumstellar disks and have estimated the evolutionary stages of the detected disks, which include 31 new full disks and 16 new candidate transitional, evolved, evolved transitional, and debris disks. We have also used the WISE All-Sky Source Catalog to search for new disk-bearing members of Taurus based on their red infrared colors. Through optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, we have confirmed 26 new members with spectral types of M1-M7. The census of disk-bearing stars in Taurus should now be largely complete for spectral types earlier than ∼M8 (M ≳ 0.03 M ☉ ).

A WISE survey of circumstellar disks in Taurus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esplin, T. L.; Luhman, K. L. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Mamajek, E. E., E-mail: taran.esplin@psu.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627 (United States)

2014-04-01

We have compiled photometry at 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 μm from the all-sky survey performed by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) for all known members of the Taurus complex of dark clouds. Using these data and photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have identified members with infrared excess emission from circumstellar disks and have estimated the evolutionary stages of the detected disks, which include 31 new full disks and 16 new candidate transitional, evolved, evolved transitional, and debris disks. We have also used the WISE All-Sky Source Catalog to search for new disk-bearing members of Taurus based on their red infrared colors. Through optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, we have confirmed 26 new members with spectral types of M1-M7. The census of disk-bearing stars in Taurus should now be largely complete for spectral types earlier than ∼M8 (M ≳ 0.03 M {sub ☉}).

Astrobiological Effects of Stellar Radiation in Circumstellar Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Cuntz, Manfred; Gurdemir, Levent; Guinan, Edward F.; Kurucz, Robert L.

2006-10-01

The centerpiece of all life on Earth is carbon-based biochemistry. Previous scientific research has suggested that biochemistry based on carbon may also play a decisive role in extraterrestrial life forms, i.e., alien life outside of Earth, if existent. In the following, we explore if carbon-based macromolecules (such as DNA) in the environments of stars other than the Sun are able to survive the effects of energetic stellar radiation, such as UV-C in the wavelength band between 200 and 290 nm. We focus on main-sequence stars akin to the Sun, but of hotter (F-type stars) and cooler (K- and M-type stars) surface temperature. Emphasis is placed on investigating the radiative environment in stellar habitable zones (HZs). Stellar habitable zones have an important relevance in astrobiology because they constitute circumstellar regions in which a planet of suitable size can have surface temperatures for water to exist in liquid form.

Whither Cometary Dust?

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, Carey M.

2010-10-01

In this paper I will discuss recent findings that have important implications for our understanding of the formation and evolution of primitive solar system dust, including: - Nesvorny et al. (2010), following up on their dynamical analyses of the zodiacal dust bands as sourced by the breakup of the Karin (5Mya) and Veritas (8Mya) asteroid families, argue that over 90% of the interplanetary dust cloud at 1 AU comes from JFC comets with near-circularized, low inclination orbits. This implies that the noted IPD collections of anhydrous and hydrous dust particles are likely to be from Oort cloud and JFC comets, respectively, not from asteroids and comets as thought in the past. Hydrous dust particles from comets like 85P/Wild2 and 9P/Tempel 1 would be consistent with results from the STARDUST and Deep Impact experiments. - Estimates of the dust particle size distributions (PSDs) in the comae of 85P/Wild2 (Green et al. 2004, 2007) and 73P/SW-3 (Sitko et al. 2010, Vaubaillon & Reach 2010) and in the trails of comets (Reach et al. 2007) have broken power law structure, with a plateau enhancement of particles of 1 mm - 1 cm in size. This size is also the size of most chondritic inclusions, and the predicted size range of the "aggregational barrier", where collisions between dust particles become destructive. - Studies of the albedo and polarization properties of cometary dust (Kolokolova et al. 2007) suggest there are 2 major groupings, one with low scattering capability and one with high. While these families could possibly have been explained by systematics in the PSDs of the emitted dust, independent work by Lisse et al. (2008) on the mineralogy of a number of highly dusty comets has shown evidence for one family of comets with highly crystalline dust and another with highly amorphous dust.

SDP_golofs01_3: Stellar Disk Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, G.

2010-03-01

n a collaboration between the HSC, P. Harvey (Mission Scientist) and the three instrument consortia we propose to apply the full power of Herschel to investigate the properties of circum-stellar disks. The versatility of Herschel allows us to address several key questions: How do the disks evolve with time? Planets clearly form out of circum-stellar disks and there is growing evidence that the time scale is short, 1 - 10 Myr, for the main accretion phase. During this time period, the stellar radiation and stellar winds clean the disks from most of their dust and gas, eventually making them transparent. However, collisions and evaporation from comet- like bodies will continue to produce dust and gas. This activity declines with time, and we will pursue this scenario by observing a sample of IR excess stars of known age, ranging from a few million years to the age of the sun. Are there analogues to our Kuiper belt around nearby stars? The Kuiper belt is a dust belt surrounding the Sun, located outside the orbit of Neptune, which has a key role in stabilizing orbits of the KE-objects and this dynamical aspect makes it particularly interesting to search for stars that may host KE-belt analogues. Herschel offers a unique sensitivity beyond 100 m and we propose an extensive survey of nearby stars seeking cold dust emission. What will a closer IR look at the "Fabulous Four" (and some other resolved disks) reveal? Several nearby MS stars with IR excesses have circumstellar dust structures that can be resolved by Herschel. Imaging these structures in the six PACS+SPIRE bands will enable us to explore the dust properties, notably the size distribution and albedo.. What is the composition of young disks? We propose a detailed spectroscopic investigation of four bright disks, including a full spectral scan with PACS, an FTS scan at full resolution and HIFI observations of selected frequencies. The aim is to constrain the properties of both the dust and gas components.

Integrative Analysis of Desert Dust Size and Abundance Suggests Less Dust Climate Cooling

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Jasper F.; Ridley, David A.; Zhou, Qing; Miller, Ron L.; Zhao, Chun; Heald, Colette L.; Ward, Daniel S.; Albani, Samuel; Haustein, Karsten

2017-01-01

Desert dust aerosols affect Earths global energy balance through interactions with radiation, clouds, and ecosystems. But the magnitudes of these effects are so uncertain that it remains unclear whether atmospheric dust has a net warming or cooling effect on global climate. Consequently, it is still uncertain whether large changes in atmospheric dust loading over the past century have slowed or accelerated anthropogenic climate change, and the climate impact of possible future alterations in dust loading is similarly disputed. Here we use an integrative analysis of dust aerosol sizes and abundance to constrain the climatic impact of dust through direct interactions with radiation. Using a combination of observational, experimental, and model data, we find that atmospheric dust is substantially coarser than represented in current climate models. Since coarse dust warms global climate, the dust direct radiative effect (DRE) is likely less cooling than the 0.4 W m superscript 2 estimated by models in a current ensemble. We constrain the dust DRE to -0.20 (-0.48 to +0.20) W m superscript 2, which suggests that the dust DRE produces only about half the cooling that current models estimate, and raises the possibility that dust DRE is actually net warming the planet.

DUST PROPERTIES OF LOCAL DUST-OBSCURED GALAXIES WITH THE SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Ho Seong; Andrews, Sean M.; Geller, Margaret J.

2013-01-01

We report Submillimeter Array observations of the 880 μm dust continuum emission for four dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) in the local universe. Two DOGs are clearly detected with S ν (880 μm) =10-13 mJy and S/N > 5, but the other two are not detected with 3σ upper limits of S ν (880 μm) =5-9 mJy. Including an additional two local DOGs with submillimeter data from the literature, we determine the dust masses and temperatures for six local DOGs. The infrared luminosities and dust masses for these DOGs are in the ranges of 1.2-4.9 × 10 11 (L ☉ ) and 4-14 × 10 7 (M ☉ ), respectively. The dust temperatures derived from a two-component modified blackbody function are 23-26 K and 60-124 K for the cold and warm dust components, respectively. Comparison of local DOGs with other infrared luminous galaxies with submillimeter detections shows that the dust temperatures and masses do not differ significantly among these objects. Thus, as argued previously, local DOGs are not a distinctive population among dusty galaxies, but simply represent the high-end tail of the dust obscuration distribution

Dust Destruction in the ISM: A Re-Evaluation of Dust Lifetimes

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, A. P.; Nuth, J. A., III

2011-01-01

There is a long-standing conundrum in interstellar dust studies relating to the discrepancy between the time-scales for dust formation from evolved stars and the apparently more rapid destruction in supernova-generated shock waves. Aims. We re-examine some of the key issues relating to dust evolution and processing in the interstellar medium. Methods. We use recent and new constraints from observations, experiments, modelling and theory to re-evaluate dust formation in the interstellar medium (ISM). Results. We find that the discrepancy between the dust formation and destruction time-scales may not be as significant as has previously been assumed because of the very large uncertainties involved. Conclusions. The derived silicate dust lifetime could be compatible with its injection time-scale, given the inherent uncertainties in the dust lifetime calculation. The apparent need to re-form significant quantities of silicate dust in the tenuous interstellar medium may therefore not be a strong requirement. Carbonaceous matter, on the other hand, appears to be rapidly recycled in the ISM and, in contrast to silicates, there are viable mechanisms for its re-formation in the ISM.

DUST PROPERTIES OF LOCAL DUST-OBSCURED GALAXIES WITH THE SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Ho Seong; Andrews, Sean M.; Geller, Margaret J., E-mail: hhwang@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: sandrews@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: mgeller@cfa.harvard.edu [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2013-11-01

We report Submillimeter Array observations of the 880 μm dust continuum emission for four dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) in the local universe. Two DOGs are clearly detected with S{sub ν}(880 μm) =10-13 mJy and S/N > 5, but the other two are not detected with 3σ upper limits of S{sub ν}(880 μm) =5-9 mJy. Including an additional two local DOGs with submillimeter data from the literature, we determine the dust masses and temperatures for six local DOGs. The infrared luminosities and dust masses for these DOGs are in the ranges of 1.2-4.9 × 10{sup 11}(L{sub ☉}) and 4-14 × 10{sup 7}(M{sub ☉}), respectively. The dust temperatures derived from a two-component modified blackbody function are 23-26 K and 60-124 K for the cold and warm dust components, respectively. Comparison of local DOGs with other infrared luminous galaxies with submillimeter detections shows that the dust temperatures and masses do not differ significantly among these objects. Thus, as argued previously, local DOGs are not a distinctive population among dusty galaxies, but simply represent the high-end tail of the dust obscuration distribution.

Constraints on gamma-ray burst and supernova progenitors through circumstellar absorption lines : II. Post-LBV Wolf-Rayet stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marle, A.J.; Langer, N.; Garcia-Segura, G.

2007-01-01

Van Marle et al. (2005) showed that circumstellar absorption lines in early Type Ib/c supernova and gamma-ray burst afterglow spectra may reveal the progenitor evolution of the exploding Wolf-Rayet star. While the quoted paper deals with Wolf-Rayet stars which evolved through a red supergiant stage,

Core-shell microspheres with porous nanostructured shells for liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Adham; Skinley, Kevin; Herodotou, Stephanie; Zhang, Haifei

2018-01-01

The development of new stationary phases has been the key aspect for fast and efficient high-performance liquid chromatography separation with relatively low backpressure. Core-shell particles, with a solid core and porous shell, have been extensively investigated and commercially manufactured in the last decade. The excellent performance of core-shell particles columns has been recorded for a wide range of analytes, covering small and large molecules, neutral and ionic (acidic and basic), biomolecules and metabolites. In this review, we first introduce the advance and advantages of core-shell particles (or more widely known as superficially porous particles) against non-porous particles and fully porous particles. This is followed by the detailed description of various methods used to fabricate core-shell particles. We then discuss the applications of common silica core-shell particles (mostly commercially manufactured), spheres-on-sphere particles and core-shell particles with a non-silica shell. This review concludes with a summary and perspective on the development of stationary phase materials for high-performance liquid chromatography applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hi shells, supershells, shell-like objects, and ''worms''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiles, C.

1984-01-01

We present photographic representations of the combination of two Hi surveys, so as to eliminate the survey boundaries at Vertical BarbVertical Bar = 10 0 . We also present high-contrast photographs for particular velocities to exhibit weak Hi features. All of these photographs were used to prepare a new list of Hi shells, supershells, and shell-like objects. We discuss the structure of three shell-like objects that are associated with high-velocity gas, and with gas at all velocities that is associated with radio continuum loops I, II, and III. We use spatial filtering to find wiggly gas filaments: ''worms'': crawling away from the galactic plane in the inner Galaxy. The ''worms'' are probably parts of shells that are open at the top; such shells should be good sources of hot gas for the galactic halo

Collisionless damping of nonlinear dust ion acoustic wave due to dust charge fluctuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Samiran; Chaudhuri, Tushar K.; Sarkar, Susmita; Khan, Manoranjan; Gupta, M.R.

2002-01-01

A dissipation mechanism for the damping of the nonlinear dust ion acoustic wave in a collisionless dusty plasma consisting of nonthermal electrons, ions, and variable charge dust grains has been investigated. It is shown that the collisionless damping due to dust charge fluctuation causes the nonlinear dust ion acoustic wave propagation to be described by the damped Korteweg-de Vries equation. Due to the presence of nonthermal electrons, the dust ion acoustic wave admits both positive and negative potential and it suffers less damping than the dust acoustic wave, which admits only negative potential

Circumstellar disks around binary stars in Taurus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akeson, R. L. [NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, IPAC/Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Jensen, E. L. N. [Swarthmore College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Swarthmore, PA 19081 (United States)

2014-03-20

We have conducted a survey of 17 wide (>100 AU) young binary systems in Taurus with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) at two wavelengths. The observations were designed to measure the masses of circumstellar disks in these systems as an aid to understanding the role of multiplicity in star and planet formation. The ALMA observations had sufficient resolution to localize emission within the binary system. Disk emission was detected around all primaries and 10 secondaries, with disk masses as low as 10{sup –4} M {sub ☉}. We compare the properties of our sample to the population of known disks in Taurus and find that the disks from this binary sample match the scaling between stellar mass and millimeter flux of F{sub mm}∝M{sub ∗}{sup 1.5--2.0} to within the scatter found in previous studies. We also compare the properties of the primaries to those of the secondaries and find that the secondary/primary stellar and disk mass ratios are not correlated; in three systems, the circumsecondary disk is more massive than the circumprimary disk, counter to some theoretical predictions.

Bounded dust-acoustic waves in a cylindrically bounded collisional dusty plasma with dust charge variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Nanxia; Xue Jukui

2006-01-01

Taking into account the boundary, particle collisions, and dust charging effects, dust-acoustic waves in a uniform cylindrically bounded dusty plasma is investigated analytically, and the dispersion relation for the dust-acoustic wave is obtained. The effects of boundary, dust charge variation, particle collision, and dust size on the dust-acoustic wave are discussed in detail. Due to the bounded cylindrical boundary effects, the radial wave number is discrete, i.e., the spectrum is discrete. It is shown that the discrete spectrum, the adiabatic dust charge variation, dust grain size, and the particle collision have significant effects on the dust-acoustic wave

The Lunar Dust Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Szalay, Jamey Robert

Planetary bodies throughout the solar system are continually bombarded by dust particles, largely originating from cometary activities and asteroidal collisions. Surfaces of bodies with thick atmospheres, such as Venus, Earth, Mars and Titan are mostly protected from incoming dust impacts as these particles ablate in their atmospheres as 'shooting stars'. However, the majority of bodies in the solar system have no appreciable atmosphere and their surfaces are directly exposed to the flux of high speed dust grains. Impacts onto solid surfaces in space generate charged and neutral gas clouds, as well as solid secondary ejecta dust particles. Gravitationally bound ejecta clouds forming dust exospheres were recognized by in situ dust instruments around the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and had not yet been observed near bodies with refractory regolith surfaces before NASA's Lunar Dust and Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission. In this thesis, we first present the measurements taken by the Lunar Dust Explorer (LDEX), aboard LADEE, which discovered a permanently present, asymmetric dust cloud surrounding the Moon. The global characteristics of the lunar dust cloud are discussed as a function of a variety of variables such as altitude, solar longitude, local time, and lunar phase. These results are compared with models for lunar dust cloud generation. Second, we present an analysis of the groupings of impacts measured by LDEX, which represent detections of dense ejecta plumes above the lunar surface. These measurements are put in the context of understanding the response of the lunar surface to meteoroid bombardment and how to use other airless bodies in the solar system as detectors for their local meteoroid environment. Third, we present the first in-situ dust measurements taken over the lunar sunrise terminator. Having found no excess of small grains in this region, we discuss its implications for the putative population of electrostatically lofted dust.

SN 2013fs and SN 2013fr: exploring the circumstellar-material diversity in Type II supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Bullivant, Christopher; Smith, Nathan; Williams, G. Grant; Mauerhan, Jon C.; Andrews, Jennifer E.; Fong, Wen-Fai; Bilinski, Christopher; Kilpatrick, Charles D.; Milne, Peter A.; Fox, Ori D.; Cenko, S. Bradley; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Zheng, WeiKang; Kelly, Patrick L.; Clubb, Kelsey I.

2018-05-01

We present photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2013fs and SN 2013fr in the first ˜100 d post-explosion. Both objects showed transient, relatively narrow H α emission lines characteristic of SNe IIn, but later resembled normal SNe II-P or SNe II-L, indicative of fleeting interaction with circumstellar material (CSM). SN 2013fs was discovered within 8 h of explosion; one of the earliest SNe discovered thus far. Its light curve exhibits a plateau, with spectra revealing strong CSM interaction at early times. It is a less luminous version of the transitional SN IIn PTF11iqb, further demonstrating a continuum of CSM interaction intensity between SNe II-P and SNe IIn. It requires dense CSM within 6.5 × 1014 cm of the progenitor, from a phase of advanced pre-SN mass loss beginning shortly before explosion. Spectropolarimetry of SN 2013fs shows little continuum polarization (˜0.5 per cent, consistent with zero), but noticeable line polarization during the plateau phase. SN 2013fr morphed from an SN IIn at early times to an SN II-L. After the first epoch, its narrow lines probably arose from host-galaxy emission, but the bright, narrow H α emission at early times may be intrinsic to the SN. As for SN 2013fs, this would point to a short-lived phase of strong CSM interaction if proven to be intrinsic, suggesting a continuum between SNe IIn and SNe II-L. It is a low-velocity SN II-L like SN 2009kr, but more luminous. SN 2013fr also developed an infrared excess at later times, due to warm CSM dust that requires a more sustained phase of strong pre-SN mass loss.

Organic compounds in circumstellar and interstellar environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwok, Sun

2015-06-01

Recent research has discovered that complex organic matter is prevalent throughout the Universe. In the Solar System, it is found in meteorites, comets, interplanetary dust particles, and planetary satellites. Spectroscopic signatures of organics with aromatic/aliphatic structures are also found in stellar ejecta, diffuse interstellar medium, and external galaxies. From space infrared spectroscopic observations, we have found that complex organics can be synthesized in the late stages of stellar evolution. Shortly after the nuclear synthesis of the element carbon, organic gas-phase molecules are formed in the stellar winds, which later condense into solid organic particles. This organic synthesis occurs over very short time scales of about a thousand years. In order to determine the chemical structures of these stellar organics, comparisons are made with particles produced in the laboratory. Using the technique of chemical vapor deposition, artificial organic particles have been created by injecting energy into gas-phase hydrocarbon molecules. These comparisons led us to believe that the stellar organics are best described as amorphous carbonaceous nanoparticles with mixed aromatic and aliphatic components. The chemical structures of the stellar organics show strong similarity to the insoluble organic matter found in meteorites. Isotopic analysis of meteorites and interplanetary dust collected in the upper atmospheres have revealed the presence of pre-solar grains similar to those formed in old stars. This provides a direct link between star dust and the Solar System and raises the possibility that the early Solar System was chemically enriched by stellar ejecta with the potential of influencing the origin of life on Earth.

Discovery of a New Wolf-Rayet Star Using SAGE-LMC

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Chené, A.-N.; Kniazev, A. Y.; Schnurr, O.

2012-12-01

We report the first-ever discovery of an extragalactic Wolf-Rayet (WR) star with Spitzer. A new WR star in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was revealed via detection of its circumstellar shell using 24 μm images obtained in the framework of the Spitzer Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (SAGE-LMC). Subsequent spectroscopic observations with the Gemini South resolved the central star in two components, one of which is a WN3b+abs star, while the second one is a B0 V star. We consider the lopsided brightness distribution over the circumstellar shell as an indication that the WR star is a runaway and use this interpretation to identify a possible parent cluster of the star.

Coupling Mars' Dust and Water Cycles: Effects on Dust Lifting Vigor, Spatial Extent and Seasonality

Science.gov (United States)

Kahre, M. A.; Hollingsworth, J. L.; Haberle, R. M.; Montmessin, F.

2012-01-01

The dust cycle is an important component of Mars' current climate system. Airborne dust affects the radiative balance of the atmosphere, thus greatly influencing the thermal and dynamical state of the atmosphere. Dust raising events on Mars occur at spatial scales ranging from meters to planet-wide. Although the occurrence and season of large regional and global dust storms are highly variable from one year to the next, there are many features of the dust cycle that occur year after year. Generally, a low-level dust haze is maintained during northern spring and summer, while elevated levels of atmospheric dust occur during northern autumn and winter. During years without global-scale dust storms, two peaks in total dust loading were observed by MGS/TES: one peak occurred before northern winter solstice at Ls 200-240, and one peak occurred after northern winter solstice at L(sub s) 305-340. These maxima in dust loading are thought to be associated with transient eddy activity in the northern hemisphere, which has been observed to maximize pre- and post-solstice. Interactive dust cycle studies with Mars General Circulation Models (MGCMs) have included the lifting, transport, and sedimentation of radiatively active dust. Although the predicted global dust loadings from these simulations capture some aspects of the observed dust cycle, there are marked differences between the simulated and observed dust cycles. Most notably, the maximum dust loading is robustly predicted by models to occur near northern winter solstice and is due to dust lifting associated with down slope flows on the flanks of the Hellas basin. Thus far, models have had difficulty simulating the observed pre- and post- solstice peaks in dust loading. Interactive dust cycle studies typically have not included the formation of water ice clouds or their radiative effects. Water ice clouds can influence the dust cycle by scavenging dust from atmosphere and by interacting with solar and infrared radiation

Fractal dust grains in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, F.; Peng, R. D.; Liu, Y. H.; Chen, Z. Y.; Ye, M. F.; Wang, L.

2012-01-01

Fractal dust grains of different shapes are observed in a radially confined magnetized radio frequency plasma. The fractal dimensions of the dust structures in two-dimensional (2D) horizontal dust layers are calculated, and their evolution in the dust growth process is investigated. It is found that as the dust grains grow the fractal dimension of the dust structure decreases. In addition, the fractal dimension of the center region is larger than that of the entire region in the 2D dust layer. In the initial growth stage, the small dust particulates at a high number density in a 2D layer tend to fill space as a normal surface with fractal dimension D = 2. The mechanism of the formation of fractal dust grains is discussed.

Design and development of a dust dispersion chamber to quantify the dispersibility of rock dust.

Science.gov (United States)

Perera, Inoka E; Sapko, Michael J; Harris, Marcia L; Zlochower, Isaac A; Weiss, Eric S

2016-01-01

Dispersible rock dust must be applied to the surfaces of entries in underground coal mines in order to inert the coal dust entrained or made airborne during an explosion and prevent propagating explosions. 30 CFR. 75.2 states that "… [rock dust particles] when wetted and dried will not cohere to form a cake which will not be dispersed into separate particles by a light blast of air …" However, a proper definition or quantification of "light blast of air" is not provided. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has, consequently, designed a dust dispersion chamber to conduct quantitative laboratory-scale dispersibility experiments as a screening tool for candidate rock dusts. A reproducible pulse of air is injected into the chamber and across a shallow tray of rock dust. The dust dispersed and carried downwind is monitored. The mass loss of the dust tray and the airborne dust measurements determine the relative dispersibility of the dust with respect to a Reference rock dust. This report describes the design and the methodology to evaluate the relative dispersibility of rock dusts with and without anti-caking agents. Further, the results of this study indicate that the dispersibility of rock dusts varies with particle size, type of anti-caking agent used, and with the untapped bulk density. Untreated rock dusts, when wetted and dried forming a cake that was much less dispersible than the reference rock dust used in supporting the 80% total incombustible content rule.

Wood Dust

Science.gov (United States)

Learn about wood dust, which can raise the risk of cancers of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity. High amounts of wood dust are produced in sawmills, and in the furniture-making, cabinet-making, and carpentry industries.

THE MORPHOLOGY OF IRC+10420's CIRCUMSTELLAR EJECTA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiffany, Chelsea; Humphreys, Roberta M.; Jones, Terry J.; Davidson, Kris

2010-01-01

Images of the circumstellar ejecta associated with the post-red supergiant IRC+10420 show a complex ejecta with visual evidence for episodic mass loss. In this paper, we describe the transverse motions of numerous knots, arcs, and condensations in the inner ejecta measured from second epoch Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2 images. When combined with the radial motions for several of the features, the total space motion and direction of the outflows show that they were ejected at different times, in different directions, and presumably from separate regions on the surface of the star. These discrete structures in the ejecta are kinematically distinct from the general expansion of the nebula and their motions are dominated by their transverse velocities. They are apparently all moving within a few degrees of the plane of the sky. We are thus viewing IRC+10420 nearly pole-on and looking nearly directly down onto its equatorial plane. We also discuss the role of surface activity and magnetic fields on IRC+10420's recent mass-loss history.

Thirteen years of Aeolian dust dynamics in a desert region (Negev desert, Israel): analysis of horizontal and vertical dust flux, vertical dust distribution and dust grain size

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Offer, Z.Y.; Goossens, D.

2004-01-01

At Sede Boqer (northern Negev desert, Israel), aeolian dust dynamics have been measured during the period 1988–2000. This study focuses on temporal records of the vertical and horizontal dust flux, the vertical distribution of the dust particles in the atmosphere, and the grain size of the

Free vibration analysis of delaminated composite shells using different shell theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanda, Namita; Sahu, S.K.

2012-01-01

Free vibration response of laminated composite shells with delamination is presented using the finite element method based on first order shear deformation theory. The shell theory used is the extension of dynamic, shear deformable theory according to the Sanders' first approximation for doubly curved shells, which can be reduced to Love's and Donnell's theories by means of tracers. An eight-noded C 0 continuity, isoparametric quadrilateral element with five degrees of freedom per node is used in the formulation. For modeling the delamination, multipoint constraint algorithm is incorporated in the finite element code. The natural frequencies of the delaminated cylindrical (CYL), spherical (SPH) and hyperbolic paraboloid (HYP) shells are determined by using the above mentioned shell theories, namely Sanders', Love's, and Donnell's. The validity of the present approach is established by comparing the authors' results with those available in the literature. Additional studies on free vibration response of CYL, SPH and HYP shells are conducted to assess the effects of delamination size and number of layers considering all three shell theories. It is shown that shell theories according to Sanders and Love always predict practically identical frequencies. Donnell's theory gives reliable results only for shallow shells. Moreover, the natural frequency is found to be very sensitive to delamination size and number of layers in the shell.

Nonsymmetric dynamical thin-shell wormhole in Robinson-Trautman class

Science.gov (United States)

Svítek, O.; Tahamtan, T.

2018-02-01

The thin-shell wormhole created using the Darmois-Israel formalism applied to Robinson-Trautman family of spacetimes is presented. The stress energy tensor created on the throat is interpreted in terms of two dust streams and it is shown that asymptotically this wormhole settles to the Schwarzschild wormhole with a throat located at the position of the horizon. This behavior shows a nonlinear stability (within the Robinson-Trautman class) of this spherically symmetric wormhole. The gravitational radiation emitted by the Robinson-Trautman wormhole during the transition to spherical symmetry is indistinguishable from that of the corresponding black hole Robinson-Trautman spacetime. Subsequently, we show that the higher-dimensional generalization of Robinson-Trautman geometry offers a possibility of constructing wormholes without the need to violate the energy conditions for matter induced on the throat.

Nonsymmetric dynamical thin-shell wormhole in Robinson-Trautman class

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svitek, O. [Charles University, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Prague (Czech Republic); Tahamtan, T. [Charles University, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Prague (Czech Republic); Czech Academy of Sciences, Astronomical Institute, Prague (Czech Republic)

2018-02-15

The thin-shell wormhole created using the Darmois-Israel formalism applied to Robinson-Trautman family of spacetimes is presented. The stress energy tensor created on the throat is interpreted in terms of two dust streams and it is shown that asymptotically this wormhole settles to the Schwarzschild wormhole with a throat located at the position of the horizon. This behavior shows a nonlinear stability (within the Robinson-Trautman class) of this spherically symmetric wormhole. The gravitational radiation emitted by the Robinson-Trautman wormhole during the transition to spherical symmetry is indistinguishable from that of the corresponding black hole Robinson-Trautman spacetime. Subsequently, we show that the higher-dimensional generalization of Robinson-Trautman geometry offers a possibility of constructing wormholes without the need to violate the energy conditions for matter induced on the throat. (orig.)

THE ROLE OF THE ACCRETION DISK, DUST, AND JETS IN THE IR EMISSION OF LOW-LUMINOSITY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mason, R. E. [Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, 670 N. A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Ramos Almeida, C. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, C/Vía Láctea, s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Levenson, N. A. [Gemini Observatory, Southern Operations Center, c/o AURA, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Nemmen, R. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Alonso-Herrero, A., E-mail: rmason@gemini.edu [Instituto de Física de Cantabria, CSIC-UC, Avenida de los Castros s/n, E-39005 Santander (Spain)

2013-11-10

We use recent high-resolution infrared (IR; 1-20 μm) photometry to examine the origin of the IR emission in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). The data are compared with published model fits that describe the spectral energy distribution (SED) of LLAGN in terms of an advection-dominated accretion flow, truncated thin accretion disk, and jet. The truncated disk in these models is usually not luminous enough to explain the observed IR emission, and in all cases its spectral shape is much narrower than the broad IR peaks in the data. Synchrotron radiation from the jet appears to be important in very radio-loud nuclei, but the detection of strong silicate emission features in many objects indicates that dust must also contribute. We investigate this point by fitting the IR SED of NGC 3998 using dusty torus and optically thin (τ{sub mid-IR} ∼ 1) dust shell models. While more detailed modeling is necessary, these initial results suggest that dust may account for the nuclear mid-IR emission of many LLAGN.

ALMA sub-mm maser and dust distribution of VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, A. M. S.; Impellizzeri, C. M. V.; Humphreys, E. M.; Vlahakis, C.; Vlemmings, W.; Baudry, A.; De Beck, E.; Decin, L.; Etoka, S.; Gray, M. D.; Harper, G. M.; Hunter, T. R.; Kervella, P.; Kerschbaum, F.; McDonald, I.; Melnick, G.; Muller, S.; Neufeld, D.; O'Gorman, E.; Parfenov, S. Yu.; Peck, A. B.; Shinnaga, H.; Sobolev, A. M.; Testi, L.; Uscanga, L.; Wootten, A.; Yates, J. A.; Zijlstra, A.

2014-12-01

Aims: Cool, evolved stars have copious, enriched winds. Observations have so far not fully constrained models for the shaping and acceleration of these winds. We need to understand the dynamics better, from the pulsating stellar surface to ~10 stellar radii, where radiation pressure on dust is fully effective. Asymmetric nebulae around some red supergiants imply the action of additional forces. Methods: We retrieved ALMA Science Verification data providing images of sub-mm line and continuum emission from VY CMa. This enables us to locate water masers with milli-arcsec accuracy and to resolve the dusty continuum. Results: The 658, 321, and 325 GHz masers lie in irregular, thick shells at increasing distances from the centre of expansion. For the first time this is confirmed as the stellar position, coinciding with a compact peak offset to the NW of the brightest continuum emission. The maser shells overlap but avoid each other on scales of up to 10 au. Their distribution is broadly consistent with excitation models but the conditions and kinematics are complicated by wind collisions, clumping, and asymmetries. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Composted oyster shell as lime fertilizer is more effective than fresh oyster shell.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Young Han; Islam, Shah Md Asraful; Hong, Sun Joo; Cho, Kye Man; Math, Renukaradhya K; Heo, Jae Young; Kim, Hoon; Yun, Han Dae

2010-01-01

Physio-chemical changes in oyster shell were examined, and fresh and composted oyster shell meals were compared as lime fertilizers in soybean cultivation. Structural changes in oyster shell were observed by AFM and FE-SEM. We found that grains of the oyster shell surface became smoother and smaller over time. FT-IR analysis indicated the degradation of a chitin-like compound of oyster shell. In chemical analysis, pH (12.3+/-0.24), electrical conductivity (4.1+/-0.24 dS m(-1)), and alkaline powder (53.3+/-1.12%) were highest in commercial lime. Besides, pH was higher in composted oyster shell meal (9.9+/-0.53) than in fresh oyster shell meal (8.4+/-0.32). The highest organic matter (1.1+/-0.08%), NaCl (0.54+/-0.03%), and moisture (15.1+/-1.95%) contents were found in fresh oyster shell meal. A significant higher yield of soybean (1.33 t ha(-1)) was obtained by applying composted oyster shell meal (a 21% higher yield than with fresh oyster shell meal). Thus composting of oyster shell increases the utility of oyster shell as a liming material for crop cultivation.

On the core-mass-shell-luminosity relation for shell-burning stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffery, C.S.; Saint Andrews Univ.

1988-01-01

Core-mass-shell-luminosity relations for several types of shell-burning star have been calculated using simultaneous differential equations derived from simple homology approximations. The principal objective of obtaining a mass-luminosity relation for helium giants was achieved. This relation gives substantially higher luminosities than the equivalent relation for H-shell stars with core masses greater than 1 solar mass. The algorithm for calculating mass-luminosity relations in this fashion was investigated in detail. Most of the assumptions regarding the physics in the shell do not play a critical role in determining the core-mass-shell-luminosity relation. The behaviour of the core-mass-core-radius relation for a growing degenerate core as a single unique function of mass and growth rate needs to be defined before a single core-mass-shell-luminosity relation for all H-shell stars can be obtained directly from the homology approximations. (author)

Quantifying Anthropogenic Dust Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Nicholas P.; Pierre, Caroline

2018-02-01

Anthropogenic land use and land cover change, including local environmental disturbances, moderate rates of wind-driven soil erosion and dust emission. These human-dust cycle interactions impact ecosystems and agricultural production, air quality, human health, biogeochemical cycles, and climate. While the impacts of land use activities and land management on aeolian processes can be profound, the interactions are often complex and assessments of anthropogenic dust loads at all scales remain highly uncertain. Here, we critically review the drivers of anthropogenic dust emission and current evaluation approaches. We then identify and describe opportunities to: (1) develop new conceptual frameworks and interdisciplinary approaches that draw on ecological state-and-transition models to improve the accuracy and relevance of assessments of anthropogenic dust emissions; (2) improve model fidelity and capacity for change detection to quantify anthropogenic impacts on aeolian processes; and (3) enhance field research and monitoring networks to support dust model applications to evaluate the impacts of disturbance processes on local to global-scale wind erosion and dust emissions.

Direct imaging of extra-solar planetary systems with the Circumstellar Imaging Telescope (CIT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrile, R.J.

1988-01-01

In a joint study conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Perkin-Elmer Corporation it was found that an earth orbital, 1.5 meter diameter low scattered light coronagraphic telescope can achieve a broad range of scientific objectives including the direct detection of Jupiter-sized planets around the nearby stars. Recent major advances in the understanding of coronagraphic performance and in the field of super smooth mirror fabrication allow such an instrument to be designed and built within current technology. Such a project, called the Circumstellar Imaging Telescope (CIT), is currently being proposed. 10 references

Polarimetry of the T Tau and Ae/Be Herbig stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergner, Yu K; Miroshnichenko, A S; Yudin, R V; Yutanov, N Yu; Dzhakuseva, K G; Mukanov, D B

1987-03-01

The results of polarimetric observations of stars suspected to be at the Pre-Main-Sequence stage are given. Simple phenomenological models of circumstellar shells are proposed for interpretation of the observed polarization variations.

Variation in Orthologous Shell-Forming Proteins Contribute to Molluscan Shell Diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Daniel J; Reim, Laurin; Randow, Clemens; Cerveau, Nicolas; Degnan, Bernard M; Fleck, Claudia

2017-11-01

Despite the evolutionary success and ancient heritage of the molluscan shell, little is known about the molecular details of its formation, evolutionary origins, or the interactions between the material properties of the shell and its organic constituents. In contrast to this dearth of information, a growing collection of molluscan shell-forming proteomes and transcriptomes suggest they are comprised of both deeply conserved, and lineage specific elements. Analyses of these sequence data sets have suggested that mechanisms such as exon shuffling, gene co-option, and gene family expansion facilitated the rapid evolution of shell-forming proteomes and supported the diversification of this phylum specific structure. In order to further investigate and test these ideas we have examined the molecular features and spatial expression patterns of two shell-forming genes (Lustrin and ML1A2) and coupled these observations with materials properties measurements of shells from a group of closely related gastropods (abalone). We find that the prominent "GS" domain of Lustrin, a domain believed to confer elastomeric properties to the shell, varies significantly in length between the species we investigated. Furthermore, the spatial expression patterns of Lustrin and ML1A2 also vary significantly between species, suggesting that both protein architecture, and the regulation of spatial gene expression patterns, are important drivers of molluscan shell evolution. Variation in these molecular features might relate to certain materials properties of the shells of these species. These insights reveal an important and underappreciated source of variation within shell-forming proteomes that must contribute to the diversity of molluscan shell phenotypes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Circumstellar Interaction in Supernovae in Dense Environments—An Observational Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Poonam

2018-02-01

In a supernova explosion, the ejecta interacting with the surrounding circumstellar medium (CSM) give rise to variety of radiation. Since CSM is created from the mass loss from the progenitor, it carries footprints of the late time evolution of the star. This is one of the unique ways to get a handle on the nature of the progenitor system. Here, I will focus mainly on the supernovae (SNe) exploding in dense environments, a.k.a. Type IIn SNe. Radio and X-ray emission from this class of SNe have revealed important modifications in their radiation properties, due to the presence of high density CSM. Forward shock dominance in the X-ray emission, internal free-free absorption of the radio emission, episodic or non-steady mass loss rate, and asymmetry in the explosion seem to be common properties of this class of SNe.

How dead are dead galaxies? Mid-infrared fluxes of quiescent galaxies at redshift 0.3 < z < 2.5: implications for star formation rates and dust heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fumagalli, Mattia; Labbé, Ivo; Patel, Shannon G.; Franx, Marijn; Van Dokkum, Pieter; Momcheva, Ivelina; Nelson, Erica; Brammer, Gabriel; Da Cunha, Elisabete; Rix, Hans-Walter; Maseda, Michael; Schreiber, Natascha M. Förster; Kriek, Mariska; Quadri, Ryan; Wake, David; Lundgren, Britt; Whitaker, Katherine E.; Marchesini, Danilo; Pacifici, Camilla; Skelton, Rosalind E.

2014-01-01

We investigate star formation rates (SFRs) of quiescent galaxies at high redshift (0.3 < z < 2.5) using 3D-HST WFC3 grism spectroscopy and Spitzer mid-infrared data. We select quiescent galaxies on the basis of the widely used UVJ color-color criteria. Spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting (rest-frame optical and near-IR) indicates very low SFRs for quiescent galaxies (sSFR ∼ 10 –12 yr –1 ). However, SED fitting can miss star formation if it is hidden behind high dust obscuration and ionizing radiation is re-emitted in the mid-infrared. It is therefore fundamental to measure the dust-obscured SFRs with a mid-IR indicator. We stack the MIPS 24 μm images of quiescent objects in five redshift bins centered on z = 0.5, 0.9, 1.2, 1.7, 2.2 and perform aperture photometry. Including direct 24 μm detections, we find sSFR ∼ 10 –11.9 × (1 + z) 4 yr –1 . These values are higher than those indicated by SED fitting, but at each redshift they are 20-40 times lower than those of typical star-forming galaxies. The true SFRs of quiescent galaxies might be even lower, as we show that the mid-IR fluxes can be due to processes unrelated to ongoing star formation, such as cirrus dust heated by old stellar populations and circumstellar dust. Our measurements show that star formation quenching is very efficient at every redshift. The measured SFR values are at z > 1.5 marginally consistent with the ones expected from gas recycling (assuming that mass loss from evolved stars refuels star formation) and well below that at lower redshifts.

How dead are dead galaxies? Mid-infrared fluxes of quiescent galaxies at redshift 0.3 < z < 2.5: implications for star formation rates and dust heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fumagalli, Mattia; Labbé, Ivo; Patel, Shannon G.; Franx, Marijn [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Van Dokkum, Pieter; Momcheva, Ivelina; Nelson, Erica [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Brammer, Gabriel [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19001, Vitacura, Santiago (Chile); Da Cunha, Elisabete; Rix, Hans-Walter; Maseda, Michael [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), Konigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Schreiber, Natascha M. Förster [Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Kriek, Mariska [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Quadri, Ryan [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Wake, David; Lundgren, Britt [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Whitaker, Katherine E. [Astrophysics Science Division, Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 665, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Marchesini, Danilo [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 (United States); Pacifici, Camilla [Yonsei University Observatory, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Skelton, Rosalind E. [South African Astronomical Observatory, Observatory Road, Cape Town (South Africa)

2014-11-20

We investigate star formation rates (SFRs) of quiescent galaxies at high redshift (0.3 < z < 2.5) using 3D-HST WFC3 grism spectroscopy and Spitzer mid-infrared data. We select quiescent galaxies on the basis of the widely used UVJ color-color criteria. Spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting (rest-frame optical and near-IR) indicates very low SFRs for quiescent galaxies (sSFR ∼ 10{sup –12} yr{sup –1}). However, SED fitting can miss star formation if it is hidden behind high dust obscuration and ionizing radiation is re-emitted in the mid-infrared. It is therefore fundamental to measure the dust-obscured SFRs with a mid-IR indicator. We stack the MIPS 24 μm images of quiescent objects in five redshift bins centered on z = 0.5, 0.9, 1.2, 1.7, 2.2 and perform aperture photometry. Including direct 24 μm detections, we find sSFR ∼ 10{sup –11.9} × (1 + z){sup 4} yr{sup –1}. These values are higher than those indicated by SED fitting, but at each redshift they are 20-40 times lower than those of typical star-forming galaxies. The true SFRs of quiescent galaxies might be even lower, as we show that the mid-IR fluxes can be due to processes unrelated to ongoing star formation, such as cirrus dust heated by old stellar populations and circumstellar dust. Our measurements show that star formation quenching is very efficient at every redshift. The measured SFR values are at z > 1.5 marginally consistent with the ones expected from gas recycling (assuming that mass loss from evolved stars refuels star formation) and well below that at lower redshifts.

Off-shell CHY amplitudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lam, C.S., E-mail: Lam@physics.mcgill.ca [Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Q.C., H3A 2T8 (Canada); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1 (Canada); Yao, York-Peng, E-mail: yyao@umich.edu [Department of Physics, The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

2016-06-15

The Cachazo–He–Yuan (CHY) formula for on-shell scattering amplitudes is extended off-shell. The off-shell amplitudes (amputated Green's functions) are Möbius invariant, and have the same momentum poles as the on-shell amplitudes. The working principles which drive the modifications to the scattering equations are mainly Möbius covariance and energy momentum conservation in off-shell kinematics. The same technique is also used to obtain off-shell massive scalars. A simple off-shell extension of the CHY gauge formula which is Möbius invariant is proposed, but its true nature awaits further study.

Dust storm events over Delhi: verification of dust AOD forecasts with satellite and surface observations

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Aditi; Iyengar, Gopal R.; George, John P.

2016-05-01

Thar desert located in northwest part of India is considered as one of the major dust source. Dust storms originate in Thar desert during pre-monsoon season, affects large part of Indo-Gangetic plains. High dust loading causes the deterioration of the ambient air quality and degradation in visibility. Present study focuses on the identification of dust events and verification of the forecast of dust events over Delhi and western part of IG Plains, during the pre-monsoon season of 2015. Three dust events have been identified over Delhi during the study period. For all the selected days, Terra-MODIS AOD at 550 nm are found close to 1.0, while AURA-OMI AI shows high values. Dust AOD forecasts from NCMRWF Unified Model (NCUM) for the three selected dust events are verified against satellite (MODIS) and ground based observations (AERONET). Comparison of observed AODs at 550 nm from MODIS with NCUM predicted AODs reveals that NCUM is able to predict the spatial and temporal distribution of dust AOD, in these cases. Good correlation (~0.67) is obtained between the NCUM predicted dust AODs and location specific observations available from AERONET. Model under-predicted the AODs as compared to the AERONET observations. This may be mainly because the model account for only dust and no anthropogenic activities are considered. The results of the present study emphasize the requirement of more realistic representation of local dust emission in the model both of natural and anthropogenic origin, to improve the forecast of dust from NCUM during the dust events.

Circumstellar and circumplanetary disks

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Eugene

2000-11-01

This thesis studies disks in three astrophysical contexts: (1)protoplanetary disks; (2)the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt; and (3)planetary rings. We derive hydrostatic, radiative equilibrium models of passive protoplanetary disks surrounding T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars. Each disk is encased by an optically thin layer of superheated dust grains. This layer is responsible for up to ~70% of the disk luminosity at wavelengths between ~5 and 60 μm. The heated disk flares and absorbs more stellar radiation at a given stellocentric distance than a flat disk would. Spectral energy distributions are computed and found to compare favorably with the observed flattish infrared excesses of several young stellar objects. Spectral features from dust grains in the superheated layer appear in emission if the disk is viewed nearly face-on. We present the results of a pencil-beam survey of the Kuiper Belt using the Keck 10-m telescope. Two new objects are discovered. Data from all surveys are pooled to construct the luminosity function from mR = 20 to 27. The cumulative number of objects per square degree, Σ(surface area but the largest bodies contain most of the mass. To order-of-magnitude, 0.2 M⊕ and 1 × 1010 comet progenitors lie between 30 and 50 AU. The classical Kuiper Belt appears truncated at a distance of 50 AU. We propose that rigid precession of narrow eccentric planetary rings surrounding Uranus and Saturn is maintained by a balance of forces due to ring self- gravity, planetary oblateness, and interparticle collisions. Collisional impulses play an especially dramatic role near ring edges. Pressure-induced accelerations are maximal near edges because there (1)velocity dispersions are enhanced by resonant satellite perturbations, and (2)the surface density declines steeply. Remarkably, collisional forces felt by material in the last ~100 m of a ~10 km wide ring can increase equilibrium masses up to a factor of ~100. New ring surface densities are derived which accord with

Arcsecond Resolution Mapping of Sulfur Dioxide Emission in the Circumstellar Envelope of VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Roger R.; Moullet, Arielle; Patel, Nimesh A.; Biersteker, John; Derose, Kimberly L.; Young, Kenneth H.

2012-02-01

We report Submillimeter Array observations of SO2 emission in the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris, with an angular resolution of ≈1''. SO2 emission appears in three distinct outflow regions surrounding the central continuum peak emission that is spatially unresolved. No bipolar structure is noted in the sources. A fourth source of SO2 is identified as a spherical wind centered at the systemic velocity. We estimate the SO2 column density and rotational temperature assuming local thermal equilibrium (LTE) as well as perform non-LTE radiative transfer analysis using RADEX. Column densities of SO2 are found to be ~1016 cm-2 in the outflows and in the spherical wind. Comparison with existing maps of the two parent species OH and SO shows the SO2 distribution to be consistent with that of OH. The abundance ratio f_{SO_{2}}/f_{SO} is greater than unity for all radii larger than 3 × 1016 cm. SO2 is distributed in fragmented clumps compared to SO, PN, and SiS molecules. These observations lend support to specific models of circumstellar chemistry that predict f_{SO_{2}}/f_{SO}>1 and may suggest the role of localized effects such as shocks in the production of SO2 in the CSE.

ARCSECOND RESOLUTION MAPPING OF SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSION IN THE CIRCUMSTELLAR ENVELOPE OF VY CANIS MAJORIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Roger R.; Moullet, Arielle; Patel, Nimesh A.; Biersteker, John; Derose, Kimberly L.; Young, Kenneth H.

2012-01-01

We report Submillimeter Array observations of SO 2 emission in the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris, with an angular resolution of ≈1''. SO 2 emission appears in three distinct outflow regions surrounding the central continuum peak emission that is spatially unresolved. No bipolar structure is noted in the sources. A fourth source of SO 2 is identified as a spherical wind centered at the systemic velocity. We estimate the SO 2 column density and rotational temperature assuming local thermal equilibrium (LTE) as well as perform non-LTE radiative transfer analysis using RADEX. Column densities of SO 2 are found to be ∼10 16 cm –2 in the outflows and in the spherical wind. Comparison with existing maps of the two parent species OH and SO shows the SO 2 distribution to be consistent with that of OH. The abundance ratio f SO 2 /f SO is greater than unity for all radii larger than 3 × 10 16 cm. SO 2 is distributed in fragmented clumps compared to SO, PN, and SiS molecules. These observations lend support to specific models of circumstellar chemistry that predict f SO 2 /f SO >1 and may suggest the role of localized effects such as shocks in the production of SO 2 in the CSE.

Modeling collisions in circumstellar debris disks

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvold, Erika

2015-10-01

resonances near the chaotic zone. I investigate the effects of the initial eccentricity distribution of the disk particles and find a negligible effect on the gap size at Jovian planet masses, since collisions tend to erase memory of the initial particle eccentricity distributions. I also find that the presence of Trojan analogs is a potentially powerful diagnostic of planets in the mass range ˜1--10MJup. I apply my model to place new upper limits on planets around Fomalhaut, HR 4796 A, HD 202628, HD 181327, and beta Pictoris. Finally, to show how SMACK can be used to analyze a single debris disk in detail, I present a new model of the beta Pictoris disk and planet system that, for the first time, combines simulations of the colliding planetesimals and the dynamics of the dust grains, allowing me to model features and asymmetries in both submillimeter and scattered light images of the disk. I combine a 100,000 superparticle SMACK simulation with N-body integrations of the dust produced by the simulated collisions. I find that secular perturbations of the planet's measured inclination and eccentricity can explain the observed warp and planetesimal ring, while collisions between planetesimals shape the disk by eroding close-in material. The complex 3D structure of the disk due to the perturbations from the planet creates an azimuthally asymmetric spatial distribution of collisions, which could contribute to the observed azimuthal clump of CO gas seen with ALMA. My simulations of the small dust grains produced by collisions demonstrate that the "birth ring" approximation for beta Pictoris fails to account for the ˜54% of dust mass produced outside of the planetesimal ring. I also reproduce the gross morphology of high-resolution scattered light images of the disk, including the two-disk "x"-pattern seen in scattered light, which has not been replicated by previous dust dynamics models.

Parameterizing the interstellar dust temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Hocuk, S.; Szűcs, L.; Caselli, P.; Cazaux, S.; Spaans, M.; Esplugues, G. B.

2017-08-01

The temperature of interstellar dust particles is of great importance to astronomers. It plays a crucial role in the thermodynamics of interstellar clouds, because of the gas-dust collisional coupling. It is also a key parameter in astrochemical studies that governs the rate at which molecules form on dust. In 3D (magneto)hydrodynamic simulations often a simple expression for the dust temperature is adopted, because of computational constraints, while astrochemical modelers tend to keep the dust temperature constant over a large range of parameter space. Our aim is to provide an easy-to-use parametric expression for the dust temperature as a function of visual extinction (AV) and to shed light on the critical dependencies of the dust temperature on the grain composition. We obtain an expression for the dust temperature by semi-analytically solving the dust thermal balance for different types of grains and compare to a collection of recent observational measurements. We also explore the effect of ices on the dust temperature. Our results show that a mixed carbonaceous-silicate type dust with a high carbon volume fraction matches the observations best. We find that ice formation allows the dust to be warmer by up to 15% at high optical depths (AV> 20 mag) in the interstellar medium. Our parametric expression for the dust temperature is presented as Td = [ 11 + 5.7 × tanh(0.61 - log 10(AV) ]χuv1/5.9, where χuv is in units of the Draine (1978, ApJS, 36, 595) UV field.

Physics of interstellar dust

CERN Document Server

Krugel, Endrik

2002-01-01

The dielectric permeability; How to evaluate grain cross sections; Very small and very big particles; Case studies of Mie calculus; Particle statistics; The radiative transition probability; Structure and composition of dust; Dust radiation; Dust and its environment; Polarization; Grain alignment; PAHs and spectral features of dust; Radiative transport; Diffuse matter in the Milky Way; Stars and their formation; Emission from young stars. Appendices Mathematical formulae; List of symbols.

Spitzer/infrared spectrograph investigation of mipsgal 24 μm compact bubbles: low-resolution observations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nowak, M. [Département de Physique, École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 61 Avenue du Président Wilson, F-94235 Cachan (France); Flagey, N. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Noriega-Crespo, A.; Carey, S. J.; Van Dyk, S. D. [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 314-6, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Billot, N. [Instituto de Radio Astronomía Milimétrica, Avenida Divina Pastora, 7, Local 20, E-18012 Granada (Spain); Paladini, R., E-mail: mathias.nowak@ens-cachan.fr [NASA Herschel Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2014-12-01

We present Spitzer/InfraRed Spectrograph (IRS) low-resolution observations of 11 compact circumstellar bubbles from the MIPSGAL 24 μm Galactic plane survey. We find that this set of MIPSGAL bubbles (MBs) is divided into two categories and that this distinction correlates with the morphologies of the MBs in the mid-infrared (IR). The four MBs with central sources in the mid-IR exhibit dust-rich, low-excitation spectra, and their 24 μm emission is accounted for by the dust continuum. The seven MBs without central sources in the mid-IR have spectra dominated by high-excitation gas lines (e.g., [O IV] 26.0 μm, [Ne V] 14.3 and 24.3 μm, and [Ne III] 15.5 μm), and the [O IV] line accounts for 50% to almost 100% of the 24 μm emission in five of them. In the dust-poor MBs, the [Ne V] and [Ne III] line ratios correspond to high-excitation conditions. Based on comparisons with published IRS spectra, we suggest that the dust-poor MBs are highly excited planetary nebulae (PNs) with peculiar white dwarfs (e.g., Wolf-Rayet [WR] and novae) at their centers. The central stars of the four dust-rich MBs are all massive star candidates. Dust temperatures range from 40 to 100 K in the outer shells. We constrain the extinction along the lines of sight from the IRS spectra. We then derive distance, dust masses, and dust production rate estimates for these objects. These estimates are all consistent with the nature of the central stars. We summarize the identifications of MBs made to date and discuss the correlation between their mid-IR morphologies and natures. Candidate Be/B[e]/luminous blue variable and WR stars are mainly 'rings' with mid-IR central sources, whereas PNs are mostly 'disks' without mid-IR central sources. Therefore we expect that most of the 300 remaining unidentified MBs will be classified as PNs.

SIRTF Tools for DIRT

Science.gov (United States)

Pound, M. W.; Wolfire, M. G.; Amarnath, N. S.

2004-07-01

The Dust InfraRed ToolBox (DIRT - a part of the Web Infrared ToolShed, or WITS {http://dustem.astro.umd.edu}) is a Java applet for modeling astrophysical processes in circumstellar shells around young and evolved stars. DIRT has been used by the astrophysics community for about 5 years. Users can automatically and efficiently search grids of pre-calculated models to fit their data. A large set of physical parameters and dust types are included in the model database, which contains over 500,000 models. We are adding new functionality to DIRT to support new missions like SIRTF and SOFIA. A new Instrument module allows for plotting of the model points convolved with the spatial and spectral responses of the selected instrument. This lets users better fit data from specific instruments. Currently, we have implemented modules for the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS) on SIRTF. The models are based on the dust radiation transfer code of Wolfire & Cassinelli (1986) which accounts for multiple grain sizes and compositions. The model outputs are averaged over the instrument bands using the same weighting (νFν = constant) as the SIRTF data pipeline which allows the SIRTF data products to be compared directly with the model database. This work was supported in part by a NASA AISRP grant NAG 5-10751 and the SIRTF Legacy Science Program provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL under NASA contract 1407.

The Continuous Monitoring of Desert Dust using an Infrared-based Dust Detection and Retrieval Method

Science.gov (United States)

Duda, David P.; Minnis, Patrick; Trepte, Qing; Sun-Mack, Sunny

2006-01-01

Airborne dust and sand are significant aerosol sources that can impact the atmospheric and surface radiation budgets. Because airborne dust affects visibility and air quality, it is desirable to monitor the location and concentrations of this aerosol for transportation and public health. Although aerosol retrievals have been derived for many years using visible and near-infrared reflectance measurements from satellites, the detection and quantification of dust from these channels is problematic over bright surfaces, or when dust concentrations are large. In addition, aerosol retrievals from polar orbiting satellites lack the ability to monitor the progression and sources of dust storms. As a complement to current aerosol dust retrieval algorithms, multi-spectral thermal infrared (8-12 micron) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Meteosat-8 Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) are used in the development of a prototype dust detection method and dust property retrieval that can monitor the progress of Saharan dust fields continuously, both night and day. The dust detection method is incorporated into the processing of CERES (Clouds and the Earth s Radiant Energy System) aerosol retrievals to produce dust property retrievals. Both MODIS (from Terra and Aqua) and SEVERI data are used to develop the method.

Dust as a surfactant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ignatov, A M; Schram, P P J M; Trigger, S A

2003-01-01

We argue that dust immersed in a plasma sheath acts as a surfactant. By considering the momentum balance in a plasma sheath, we evaluate the dependence of the plasma surface pressure on the dust density. It is shown that the dust may reduce the surface pressure, giving rise to a sufficiently strong tangential force. The latter is capable of confining the dust layer inside the sheath in the direction perpendicular to the ion flow

INFRARED LUMINOSITIES AND DUST PROPERTIES OF z ∼ 2 DUST-OBSCURED GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bussmann, R. S.; Dey, Arjun; Jannuzi, B. T.; Borys, C.; Desai, V.; Sheth, K.; Soifer, B. T.; Le Floc'h, E.; Melbourne, J.

2009-01-01

We present SHARC-II 350 μm imaging of twelve 24 μm bright (F 24μm > 0.8 mJy) Dust-Obscured Galaxies (DOGs) and Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) 1 mm imaging of a subset of two DOGs. These objects are selected from the Booetes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. Detections of four DOGs at 350 μm imply infrared (IR) luminosities which are consistent to within a factor of 2 of expectations based on a warm-dust spectral energy distribution (SED) scaled to the observed 24 μm flux density. The 350 μm upper limits for the 8 non-detected DOGs are consistent with both Mrk 231 and M82 (warm-dust SEDs), but exclude cold dust (Arp 220) SEDs. The two DOGs targeted at 1 mm were not detected in our CARMA observations, placing strong constraints on the dust temperature: T dust > 35-60 K. Assuming these dust properties apply to the entire sample, we find dust masses of ∼3 x 10 8 M sun . In comparison to other dusty z ∼ 2 galaxy populations such as submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) and other Spitzer-selected high-redshift sources, this sample of DOGs has higher IR luminosities (2 x 10 13 L sun versus 6 x 10 12 L sun for the other galaxy populations) that are driven by warmer dust temperatures (>35-60 K versus ∼30 K) and lower inferred dust masses (3 x 10 8 M sun versus 3 x 10 9 M sun ). Wide-field Herschel and Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array-2 surveys should be able to detect hundreds of these power-law-dominated DOGs. We use the existing Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer/InfraRed Array Camera data to estimate stellar masses of these sources and find that the stellar to gas mass ratio may be higher in our 24 μm bright sample of DOGs than in SMGs and other Spitzer-selected sources. Although much larger sample sizes are needed to provide a definitive conclusion, the data are consistent with an evolutionary trend in which the formation of massive galaxies at z ∼ 2 involves a submillimeter bright, cold-dust, and star

Lunar Dust Mitigation Screens

Science.gov (United States)

Knutson, Shawn; Holloway, Nancy

With plans for the United States to return to the moon, and establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface many issues must be successfully overcome. Lunar dust is one of a number of issues with the potential to create a myriad of problems if not adequately addressed. Samples of dust brought back from Apollo missions show it to be soft, yet sharp and abrasive. The dust consists of a variety of morphologies including spherical, angular blocks, shards, and a number of irregular shapes. One of the main issues with lunar dust is its attraction to stick to anything it comes in contact with (i.e. astronauts, equipment, habitats, etc.). Ionized radiation from the sun strikes the moon's surface and creates an electrostatic charge on the dust. Further, the dust harbors van der Waals forces making it especially difficult to separate once it sticks to a surface. During the Apollo missions, it was discovered that trying to brush the lunar dust from spacesuits was not effective, and rubbing it caused degradation of the suit material. Further, when entering the lunar module after moonwalks, the astronauts noted that the dust was so prolific inside the cabin that they inhaled and ingested it, causing at least one of them, Harrison "Jack" Schmidt, to report irritation of the throat and lungs. It is speculated that the dust could also harm an astronaut's nervous and cardiovascular systems, especially during an extended stay. In addition to health issues, the dust can also cause problems by scouring reflective coatings off of thermal blankets, and roughening surfaces of windows and optics. Further, panels on solar cells and photovoltaics can also be compromised due to dust sticking on the surfaces. Lunar dust has the capacity to penetrate seals, interfere with connectors, as well as mechanisms on digging machines, all of which can lead to problems and failure. To address lunar dust issues, development of electrostatic screens to mitigate dust on sur-faces is currently

Extracting lunar dust parameters from image charge signals produced by the Lunar Dust Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, J.; Kempf, S.; Horanyi, M.; Szalay, J.

2015-12-01

The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) onboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is an impact ionization dust detector used to characterize the lunar dust exosphere generated by the impacts of large interplanetary particles and meteor streams (Horanyi et al., 2015). In addition to the mass and speed of these lofted particles, LDEX is sensitive to their charge. The resulting signatures of impact events therefore provide valuable information about not only the ambient plasma environment, but also the speed vectors of these dust grains. Here, impact events produced from LDEX's calibration at the Dust Accelerator Laboratory are analyzed using an image charge model derived from the electrostatic simulation program, Coulomb. We show that parameters such as dust grain speed, size, charge, and position of entry into LDEX can be recovered and applied to data collected during LADEE's seven-month mission.

Numerical Prediction of Dust. Chapter 10

Science.gov (United States)

Benedetti, Angela; Baldasano, J. M.; Basart, S.; Benincasa, F.; Boucher, O.; Brooks, M.; Chen, J. P.; Colarco, P. R.; Gong, S.; Huneeus, N.;

Sahara Dust Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Dust Particles Click on the image for Quicktime movie from 7/15-7/24 A continent-sized cloud of hot air and dust originating from the Sahara Desert crossed the Atlantic Ocean and headed towards Florida and the Caribbean. A Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, forms when dry air and dust rise from Africa's west coast and ride the trade winds above the Atlantic Ocean. These dust clouds are not uncommon, especially during the months of July and August. They start when weather patterns called tropical waves pick up dust from the desert in North Africa, carry it a couple of miles into the atmosphere and drift westward. In a sequence of images created by data acquired by the Earth-orbiting Atmospheric Infrared Sounder ranging from July 15 through July 24, we see the distribution of the cloud in the atmosphere as it swirls off of Africa and heads across the ocean to the west. Using the unique silicate spectral signatures of dust in the thermal infrared, AIRS can detect the presence of dust in the atmosphere day or night. This detection works best if there are no clouds present on top of the dust; when clouds are present, they can interfere with the signal, making it much harder to detect dust as in the case of July 24, 2005. In the Quicktime movie, the scale at the bottom of the images shows +1 for dust definitely detected, and ranges down to -1 for no dust detected. The plots are averaged over a number of AIRS observations falling within grid boxes, and so it is possible to obtain fractional numbers. [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Total Water Vapor in the Atmosphere Around the Dust Cloud Click on the image for Quicktime movie The dust cloud is contained within a dry adiabatic layer which originates over the Sahara Desert. This Saharan Air Layer (SAL) advances Westward over the Atlantic Ocean, overriding the cool, moist air nearer the surface. This burst of very dry air is visible in the AIRS retrieved total water

Structure and trapping of three-dimensional dust clouds in a capacitively coupled rf-discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arp, O.; Block, D.; Piel, A.

2005-01-01

In this survey the recently found 'Coulomb balls' are discussed, which show an unusual kind of crystalline order. These three-dimensional dust clouds consisting of hundreds or thousands of micrometer-sized dust particles have a spherical shape and exist in a wide range of plasma conditions. Coulomb balls are optically highly transparent and have macroscopic dimensions of several millimeters in diameter. The clouds allow for the observation of each single particle and thus the complete reconstruction of the crystal structure by means of video microscopy techniques. The particles are arranged in distinct nested shells in which they form patterns with mostly five and six neighbors. The confinement of Coulomb balls by dielectric walls involves electric forces, surface charges, ion drag forces, and thermophoretic levitation. The thermophoretic force field is measured with tracer particles and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The electric forces are derived from simulations with the two-dimensional SIGLO-2D code. It is shown the the sum of all confining forces results in a stable potential well that describes levitation and spherical confinement of the Coulomb ball

Dossier Shell Eco-Marathon; Dossier Shell Eco-Marathon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matla, P.

2012-05-15

Three articles address subjects concerning the annual race with highly energy efficient cars: the Shell Eco-Marathon. [Dutch] In 3 artikelen wordt aandacht besteed aan de ontwerpen voor de jaarlijkse race met superzuinige auto's, de Shell Eco-Marathon.

Dominant thermogravimetric signatures of lignin in cashew shell as compared to cashew shell cake.

Science.gov (United States)

Gangil, Sandip

2014-03-01

Dominant thermogravimetric signatures related to lignin were observed in cashew shell as compared to these signatures in cashew shell cake. The phenomenon of weakening of lignin from cashew shell to cashew shell cake was explained on the basis of changes in the activation energies. The pertinent temperature regimes responsible for the release of different constituents of both the bio-materials were identified and compared. The activation energies of cashew shell and cashew shell cake were compared using Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose method. Thermogravimetric profiling of cashew shell and cashew shell cake indicated that these were different kinds of bio-materials. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INTERPRETATION OF INFRARED VIBRATION-ROTATION SPECTRA OF INTERSTELLAR AND CIRCUMSTELLAR MOLECULES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacy, John H.

2013-01-01

Infrared vibration-rotation lines can be valuable probes of interstellar and circumstellar molecules, especially symmetric molecules, which have no pure rotational transitions. But most such observations have been interpreted with an isothermal absorbing slab model, which leaves out important radiative transfer and molecular excitation effects. A more realistic non-LTE and non-isothermal radiative transfer model has been constructed. The results of this model are in much better agreement with the observations, including cases where lines in one branch of a vibration-rotation band are in absorption and another in emission. In general, conclusions based on the isothermal absorbing slab model can be very misleading, but the assumption of LTE may not lead to such large errors, particularly if the radiation field temperature is close to the gas temperature.

Universal instability of dust ion-sound waves and dust-acoustic waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsytovich, V.N.; Watanabe, K.

2002-01-01

It is shown that the dust ion-sound waves (DISW) and the dust-acoustic waves (DAW) are universally unstable for wave numbers less than some critical wave number. The basic dusty plasma state is assumed to be quasi-neutral with balance of the plasma particle absorption on the dust particles and the ionization with the rate proportional to the electron density. An analytical expression for the critical wave numbers, for the frequencies and for the growth rates of DISW and DAW are found using the hydrodynamic description of dusty plasma components with self-consistent treatment of the dust charge variations and by taking into account the change of the ion and electron distributions in the dust charging process. Most of the previous treatment do not take into account the latter process and do not treat the basic state self-consistently. The critical lengths corresponding to these critical wave numbers can be easily achieved in the existing experiments. It is shown that at the wave numbers larger than the critical ones DISW and DAW have a large damping which was not treated previously and which can be also measured. The instabilities found in the present work on their non linear stage can lead to formation of different types of dust self-organized structures. (author)

CRYSTALLIZATION EXPERIMENTS ON AMORPHOUS MAGNESIUM SILICATE. II. EFFECT OF STACKING FAULTS ON INFRARED SPECTRA OF ENSTATITE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murata, K.; Chihara, H.; Koike, C.; Takakura, T.; Imai, Y.; Tsuchiyama, A.; Noguchi, T.

2009-01-01

We carried out experiments of low-temperature infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy of enstatite (MgSiO 3 ) synthesized by heating of amorphous magnesium silicate. There is a discrepancy between the infrared feature of enstatite obtained in this experiment and that of fine powdered single crystals. This reflects stacking disorder of enstatite. We show that circumstellar dust emission of enstatite is similar to the infrared feature measured in this experiment. This result strongly suggests that circumstellar enstatite has abundant stacking faults and is different from the single crystal.

Shell-like structures

CERN Document Server

Altenbach, Holm

2011-01-01

In this volume, scientists and researchers from industry discuss the new trends in simulation and computing shell-like structures. The focus is put on the following problems: new theories (based on two-dimensional field equations but describing non-classical effects), new constitutive equations (for materials like sandwiches, foams, etc. and which can be combined with the two-dimensional shell equations), complex structures (folded, branching and/or self intersecting shell structures, etc.) and shell-like structures on different scales (for example: nano-tubes) or very thin structures (similar

Dust, Climate, and Human Health

Science.gov (United States)

Maynard, Nancy G.

2003-01-01

Air pollution from both natural and anthropogenic causes is considered to be one of the most serious world-wide environment-related health problems, and is expected to become worse with changes in the global climate. Dust storms from the atmospheric transport of desert soil dust that has been lifted and carried by the winds - often over significant distances - have become an increasingly important emerging air quality issue for many populations. Recent studies have shown that the dust storms can cause significant health impacts from the dust itself as well as the accompanying pollutants, pesticides, metals, salt, plant debris, and other inorganic and organic materials, including viable microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi). For example, thousands of tons of Asian desert sediments, some containing pesticides and herbicides from farming regions, are commonly transported into the Arctic during dust storm events. These chemicals have been identified in animal and human tissues among Arctic indigenous populations. Millions of tons of airborne desert dust are being tracked by satellite imagery, which clearly shows the magnitude as well as the temporal and spatial variability of dust storms across the "dust belt" regions of North Africa, the Middle East, and China. This paper summarizes the most recent findings on the effects of airborne desert dust on human health as well as potential climate influences on dust and health.

Extensions to a nonlinear finite-element axisymmetric shell model based on Reissner's shell theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, W.A.

1981-01-01

Extensions to shell analysis not usually associated with shell theory are described in this paper. These extensions involve thick shells, nonlinear materials, a linear normal stress approximation, and a changing shell thickness. A finite element shell-of-revolution model has been developed to analyze nuclear material shipping containers under severe impact conditions. To establish the limits for this shell model, the basic assumptions used in its development were studied; these are listed in this paper. Several extensions were evident from the study of these limits: a thick shell, a plastic hinge, and a linear normal stress

Engineering-scale dust control experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winberg, M.R.; Pawelko, R.J.; Jacobs, N.C.; Thompson, D.N.

1990-12-01

This report presents the results of engineering scale dust-control experiments relating to contamination control during handling of transuranic waste. These experiments focused on controlling dust during retrieval operations of buried waste where waste and soil are intimately mixed. Sources of dust generation during retrieval operations include digging, dumping, and vehicle traffic. Because contaminants are expected to attach to soil particles and move with the generated dust, control of the dust spread may be the key to contamination control. Dust control techniques examined in these experiments include the use of misting systems, soil fixatives, and dust suppression agents. The Dryfog Ultrasonic Misting Head, manufactured by Sonics, Incorporated, and ENTAC, an organic resin derived from tree sap manufactured by ENTAC Corporation, were tested. The results of the experiments include product performance and recommended application methods. 19 figs., 7 refs., 6 tabs

EXOTIC METAL MOLECULES IN OXYGEN-RICH ENVELOPES: DETECTION OF AlOH (X1Σ+) IN VY CANIS MAJORIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tenenbaum, E. D.; Ziurys, L. M.

2010-01-01

A new interstellar molecule, AlOH, has been detected toward the envelope of VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa), an oxygen-rich red supergiant. Three rotational transitions of AlOH were observed using the facilities of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO). The J = 9 → 8 and J = 7 → 6 lines at 1 mm were measured with the ARO Submillimeter Telescope, while the J = 5 → 4 transition at 2 mm was observed with the ARO 12 m antenna on Kitt Peak. The AlOH spectra exhibit quite narrow line widths of 16-23 km s -1 , as found for NaCl in this source, indicating that the emission arises from within the dust acceleration zone of the central circumstellar outflow. From a radiative transfer analysis, the abundance of AlOH relative to H 2 was found to be ∼1 x 10 -7 for a source size of 0.26'' or 22 R * . In contrast, AlCl was not detected with f ≤ 5 x 10 -8 . AlOH is likely formed just beyond the photosphere via thermodynamic equilibrium chemistry and then disappears due to dust condensation. The AlOH/AlO abundance ratio found in VY CMa is ∼17. Therefore, AlOH appears to be the dominant gas-phase molecular carrier of aluminum in this oxygen-rich shell. Local thermodynamic equilibrium calculations predict that the monohydroxides should be the major carriers of Al, Ca, and Mg in O-rich envelopes, as opposed to the oxides or halides. The apparent predominance of aluminum-bearing molecules in VY CMa may reflect proton addition processes in H-shell burning.

Gravimetric dust sampling for control purposes and occupational dust sampling.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Unsted, AD

1997-02-01

Full Text Available Prior to the introduction of gravimetric dust sampling, konimeters had been used for dust sampling, which was largely for control purposes. Whether or not absolute results were achievable was not an issue since relative results were used to evaluate...

DUST AND GAS IN THE DISK OF HL TAURI: SURFACE DENSITY, DUST SETTLING, AND DUST-TO-GAS RATIO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinte, C.; Ménard, F. [UMI-FCA, CNRS/INSU, France (UMI 3386), and Dept. de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Santiago (Chile); Dent, W. R. F.; Hales, A.; Hill, T.; Cortes, P.; Gregorio-Monsalvo, I. de, E-mail: christophe.pinte@obs.ujf-grenoble.fr [Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, Joint ALMA Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura 763-0355, Santiago (Chile)

2016-01-01

The recent ALMA observations of the disk surrounding HL Tau reveal a very complex dust spatial distribution. We present a radiative transfer model accounting for the observed gaps and bright rings as well as radial changes of the emissivity index. We find that the dust density is depleted by at least a factor of 10 in the main gaps compared to the surrounding rings. Ring masses range from 10–100 M{sub ⊕} in dust, and we find that each of the deepest gaps is consistent with the removal of up to 40 M{sub ⊕} of dust. If this material has accumulated into rocky bodies, these would be close to the point of runaway gas accretion. Our model indicates that the outermost ring is depleted in millimeter grains compared to the central rings. This suggests faster grain growth in the central regions and/or radial migration of the larger grains. The morphology of the gaps observed by ALMA—well separated and showing a high degree of contrast with the bright rings over all azimuths—indicates that the millimeter dust disk is geometrically thin (scale height ≈1 AU at 100 AU) and that a large amount of settling of large grains has already occurred. Assuming a standard dust settling model, we find that the observations are consistent with a turbulent viscosity coefficient of a few 10{sup −4}. We estimate the gas/dust ratio in this thin layer to be of the order of 5 if the initial ratio is 100. The HCO{sup +} and CO emission is consistent with gas in Keplerian motion around a 1.7 M{sub ⊙} star at radii from ≤10–120 AU.

Respiratory Toxicity of Lunar Highland Dust

Science.gov (United States)

James, John T.; Lam, Chiu-wing; Wallace, William T.

2009-01-01

Lunar dust exposures occurred during the Apollo missions while the crew was on the lunar surface and especially when microgravity conditions were attained during rendezvous in lunar orbit. Crews reported that the dust was irritating to the eyes and in some cases respiratory symptoms were elicited. NASA s vision for lunar exploration includes stays of 6 months on the lunar surface hence the health effects of periodic exposure to lunar dust need to be assessed. NASA has performed this assessment with a series of in vitro and in vivo tests on authentic lunar dust. Our approach is to "calibrate" the intrinsic toxicity of lunar dust by comparison to a nontoxic dust (TiO2) and a highly toxic dust (quartz) using intratrachael instillation of the dusts in mice. A battery of indices of toxicity is assessed at various time points after the instillations. Cultures of selected cells are exposed to test dusts to assess the adverse effects on the cells. Finally, chemical systems are used to assess the nature of the reactivity of various dusts and to determine the persistence of reactivity under various environmental conditions that are relevant to a space habitat. Similar systems are used to assess the dissolution of the dust. From these studies we will be able to set a defensible inhalation exposure standard for aged dust and predict whether we need a separate standard for reactive dust. Presently-available data suggest that aged lunar highland dust is slightly toxic, that it can adversely affect cultured cells, and that the surface reactivity induced by grinding the dust persists for a few hours after activation.

Dust-cyclotron and dust-lower-hybrid modes in self-gravitating ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

cantly modifies the dispersion properties of these two electrostatic modes. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma systems, especially to planetary ring-systems and cometary tails, are briefly mentioned. Keywords. Dusty plasmas; dust-cyclotron waves; dust-lower-hybrid waves.

Modelling dust transport in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.D.; Martin, J.D.; Bacharis, M.; Coppins, M.; Counsell, G.F.; Allen, J.E.; Counsell, G.F.

2008-01-01

The DTOKS code, which models dust transport through tokamak plasmas, is described. The floating potential and charge of a dust grain in a plasma and the fluxes of energy to and from it are calculated. From this model, the temperature of the dust grain can be estimated. A plasma background is supplied by a standard tokamak edge modelling code (B2SOLPS5.0), and dust transport through MAST (the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak) and ITER plasmas is presented. We conclude that micron-radius tungsten dust can reach the separatrix in ITER. (authors)

Control of harmful dust in coal mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goddard, B; Bower, K; Mitchell, D

1973-01-01

This handbook consists of a series of short chapters devoted to: sources of airborne dust; dust standards and methods of sampling; dust prevention on mechanized faces; ventilation and dust extraction; distribution and use of water; dust control on mechanized faces; dust control in drivages and headings; drilling and shotfiring; dust control in transport; some outbye dust control techniques (hygroscopic salts, impingement curtains); water infusion; personal protective equipment. (CIS Abstr.)

Effect of non-Maxwellian particle trapping and dust grain charging on dust acoustic solitary waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubab, N.; Murtaza, G.; Mushtaq, A.

2006-01-01

The role of adiabatic trapped ions on a small but finite amplitude dust acoustic wave, including the effect of adiabatic dust charge variation, is investigated in an unmagnetized three-component dusty plasma consisting of electrons, ions and massive micron sized negatively charged dust particulates. We have assumed that electrons and ions obey (r,q) velocity distribution while the dust species is treated fluid dynamically. It is found that the dynamics of dust acoustic waves is governed by a modified r dependent Korteweg-de Vries equation. Further, the spectral indices (r,q) affect the charge fluctuation as well as the trapping of electrons and ions and consequently modify the dust acoustic solitary wave

The global distribution of mineral dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tegen, I; Schepanski, K

2009-01-01

Dust aerosol particles produced by wind erosion in arid and semi arid regions affect climate and air quality, but the magnitude of these effects is largely unquantified. The major dust source regions include the Sahara, the Arabian and Asian deserts; global annual dust emissions are currently estimated to range between 1000 and 3000 Mt/yr. Dust aerosol can be transported over long distances of thousands of kilometers, e.g. from source regions in the Saharan desert over the North Atlantic, or from the Asian deserts towards the Pacific Ocean. The atmospheric dust load varies considerably on different timescales. While dust aerosol distribution and dust effects are important on global scales, they strongly depend on dust emissions that are controlled on small spatial and temporal scales.

Effects of back warming in cocoon stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donnison, J.R.; Williams, I.P.

1976-01-01

It is stated that dust shells frequently surround young stars, and attempts have been made to determine some of the properties of these shells. It is probable that the dust absorbs the outgoing radiation from the star and re-emits it in the infrared. If the dust shell does absorb radiation both its inner and outer surfaces will re-emit a certain proportion and some radiation will return to the central star, causing what amounts to 'warming of its own back'. It is interesting to consider how such a star evolves, compared with evolution of a normal pre-main-sequence star. A model for a contracting star that is receiving radiation from an external source has been developed by the authors in connection with the evolution of Jupiter within the radiation field of the Sun (Astrophys. Space Sci., 29:387 (1974)), and this model is here applied to the situation just described. It is emphasised that the discussion is concerned only with the evolution of the central star, the dust being regarded merely as a means of redirecting radiation back on to the surface of this star. Amongst conclusions reached is that a thin shell will cause no significant change in the structure and evolution of the central star, whilst the presence of a thick shell has a substantial effect on the star, slowing down is evolution. Whilst a dust shell is present the star cannot be seen, but only the dust shell emitting in the infrared, but once the dust shell clears the star is seen in a position and with an age that differs considerably from what it would have had if it had evolved without 'back warming' from the dust shell. (U.K.)

Isogeometric shell formulation based on a classical shell model

KAUST Repository

Niemi, Antti

2012-09-04

This paper constitutes the first steps in our work concerning isogeometric shell analysis. An isogeometric shell model of the Reissner-Mindlin type is introduced and a study of its accuracy in the classical pinched cylinder benchmark problem presented. In contrast to earlier works [1,2,3,4], the formulation is based on a shell model where the displacement, strain and stress fields are defined in terms of a curvilinear coordinate system arising from the NURBS description of the shell middle surface. The isogeometric shell formulation is implemented using the PetIGA and igakit software packages developed by the authors. The igakit package is a Python package used to generate NURBS representations of geometries that can be utilised by the PetIGA finite element framework. The latter utilises data structures and routines of the portable, extensible toolkit for scientific computation (PETSc), [5,6]. The current shell implementation is valid for static, linear problems only, but the software package is well suited for future extensions to geometrically and materially nonlinear regime as well as to dynamic problems. The accuracy of the approach in the pinched cylinder benchmark problem and present comparisons against the h-version of the finite element method with bilinear elements. Quadratic, cubic and quartic NURBS discretizations are compared against the isoparametric bilinear discretization introduced in [7]. The results show that the quadratic and cubic NURBS approximations exhibit notably slower convergence under uniform mesh refinement as the thickness decreases but the quartic approximation converges relatively quickly within the standard variational framework. The authors future work is concerned with building an isogeometric finite element method for modelling nonlinear structural response of thin-walled shells undergoing large rigid-body motions. The aim is to use the model in a aeroelastic framework for the simulation of flapping wings.

Large Aperture Electrostatic Dust Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skinner, C.H.; Hensley, R.; Roquemore, A.L.

2007-01-01

Diagnosis and management of dust inventories generated in next-step magnetic fusion devices is necessary for their safe operation. A novel electrostatic dust detector, based on a fine grid of interlocking circuit traces biased to 30 or 50 v has been developed for the detection of dust particles on remote surfaces in air and vacuum environments. Impinging dust particles create a temporary short circuit and the resulting current pulse is recorded by counting electronics. Up to 90% of the particles are ejected from the grid or vaporized suggesting the device may be useful for controlling dust inventories. We report measurements of the sensitivity of a large area (5x5 cm) detector to microgram quantities of dust particles and review its applications to contemporary tokamaks and ITER.

Dust in H II regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isobe, S.

1977-01-01

Several pieces of evidence indicate that H II regions may contain dust: 1) the continuum light scattered by dust grains (O'Dell and Hubbard, 1965), 2) thermal radiation from dust grains at infrared wavelengths (Ney and Allen, 1969), 3) the abnormal helium abundance in some H II regions (Peimbert and Costero, 1969), etc. Although observations of the scattered continuum suggest that the H II region cores may be dust-free, dust grains and gas must be well mixed in view of the infrared observations. This difficulty may be solved by introducing globules with sizes approximately 0.001 pc. These globules and the molecular clouds adjacent to H II regions are the main sources supplying dust to H II regions. (Auth.)

The Spatial Variation of Dust Particulate Matter Concentrations during Two Icelandic Dust Storms in 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserova

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Particulate matter mass concentrations and size fractions of PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, and PM15 measured in transversal horizontal profile of two dust storms in southwestern Iceland are presented. Images from a camera network were used to estimate the visibility and spatial extent of measured dust events. Numerical simulations were used to calculate the total dust flux from the sources as 180,000 and 280,000 tons for each storm. The mean PM15 concentrations inside of the dust plumes varied from 10 to 1600 µg·m−3 (PM10 = 7 to 583 µg·m−3. The mean PM1 concentrations were 97–241 µg·m−3 with a maximum of 261 µg·m−3 for the first storm. The PM1/PM2.5 ratios of >0.9 and PM1/PM10 ratios of 0.34–0.63 show that suspension of volcanic materials in Iceland causes air pollution with extremely high PM1 concentrations, similar to polluted urban areas in Europe or Asia. Icelandic volcanic dust consists of a higher proportion of submicron particles compared to crustal dust. Both dust storms occurred in relatively densely inhabited areas of Iceland. First results on size partitioning of Icelandic dust presented here should challenge health authorities to enhance research in relation to dust and shows the need for public dust warning systems.

Dust in Snow in the Colorado River Basin: Spatial Variability in Dust Concentrations, Radiative Forcing, and Snowmelt Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Skiles, M.; Painter, T.; Deems, J. S.; Landry, C.; Bryant, A.

2012-12-01

Since the disturbance of the western US that began with the Anglo settlement in the mid 19th century, the mountain snow cover of the Colorado River Basin (CRB) has been subject to five-fold greater dust loading. This dust deposition accelerates snowmelt through its direct reduction of albedo and its further reduction of albedo by accelerating the growth of snow effective grain size. We have previously quantified the impacts of dust in snow using a 6-year record of dust concentration and energy balance fluxes at the alpine and subalpine towers in the Senator Beck Basin Study Area (SBBSA), San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, USA. Dust loading exhibited interannual variability, and end of year dust concentrations were not necessarily related to the number of dust deposition events. Radiative forcing enhanced springtime melt by 21 to 51 days with the magnitude of advanced loss being linearly related to total dust concentration at the end of snow cover. To expand our understanding of dust on snow deposition patterns we utilize collections of dust concentration at the Colorado Dust on Snow (CODOS) study sites, established in 2009 along the western side of the CRB, to assess spatial variability in dust loading. In situ sampling of dust stratigraphy and concentration occurs twice each season, once over peak snow water equivalent (15 April), and again during melt (15 May). Dust loading occurs at all sites; dust concentrations are always higher in May, vary between sites, and the highest and lowest dust years were 2009 and 2012, respectively. In the absence of regular sampling and energy balance instrumentation these sites do not allow us to quantify the advanced melt due to dust. To facilitate this a new energy balance site, Grand Mesa Study plot (GMSP), was established for water year 2010 in west central Colorado, 150 km north of SBBSA. Back trajectories indicate similar Colorado Plateau dust sources at both SBBSA and GMSP, yet GMSP exhibits slightly lower dust

Dust control at Yucca Mountain project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kissell, F.; Jurani, R.; Dresel, R.; Reaux, C.

1999-01-01

This report describes actions taken to control silica dust at the Yucca Mountain Exploratory Studies Facility, a tunnel located in Southern Nevada that is part of a scientific program to determine site suitability for a potential nuclear waste repository. The rock is a volcanic tuff containing significant percentages of both quartz and cristobalite. Water use for dust control was limited because of scientific test requirements, and this limitation made dust control a difficult task. Results are reported for two drifts, called the Main Loop Drift and the Cross Drift. In the Main Loop Drift, dust surveys and tracer gas tests indicated that air leakage from the TBM head, the primary ventilation duct, and movement of the conveyor belt were all significant sources of dust. Conventional dust control approaches yielded no significant reductions in dust levels. A novel alternative was to install an air cleaning station on a rear deck of the TBM trailing gear. It filtered dust from the contaminated intake air and discharged clean air towards the front of the TBM. The practical effect was to produce dust levels below the exposure limit for all TBM locations except close to the head. In the Cross Drift, better ventilation and an extra set of dust seals on the TBM served to cut down the leakage of dust from the TBM cutter head. However, the conveyor belt was much dustier than the belt in the main loop drift. The problem originated with dirt on the bottom of the belt return side and much spillage from the belt top side. Achieving lower dust levels in hard rock tunneling operations will require new approaches as well as a more meticulous application of existing technology. Planning for dust control will require specific means to deal with dust that leaks from the TBM head, dust that originates with leaky ventilation systems, and dust that comes from conveyor belts. Also, the application of water could be more efficient if automatic controls were used to adjust the water flow

Electrostatic Dust Detector with Improved Sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, D.P.; Skinner, C.H.; Roquemore, A.L.

2008-01-01

Methods to measure the inventory of dust particles and to remove dust if it approaches safety limits will be required in next-step tokamaks such as ITER. An electrostatic dust detector, based on a fine grid of interlocking circuit traces, biased to 30 or 50 V, has been developed for the detection of dust on remote surfaces in air and vacuum environments. Gaining operational experience of dust detection on surfaces in tokamaks is important, however the level of dust generated in contemporary short-pulse tokamaks is comparatively low and high sensitivity is necessary to measure dust on a shot-by-shot basis. We report on modifications in the detection electronics that have increased the sensitivity of the electrostatic dust detector by a factor of up to 120, - a level suitable for measurements on contemporary tokamaks.

H12CN and H13CN excitation analysis in the circumstellar outflow of R Sculptoris

Science.gov (United States)

Saberi, M.; Maercker, M.; De Beck, E.; Vlemmings, W. H. T.; Olofsson, H.; Danilovich, T.

2017-03-01

Context. The 12CO/13CO isotopologue ratio in the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars has been extensively used as the tracer of the photospheric 12C/13C ratio. However, spatially-resolved ALMA observations of R Scl, a carbon rich AGB star, have shown that the 12CO/13CO ratio is not consistent over the entire CSE. Hence, it can not necessarily be used as a tracer of the 12C/13C ratio. The most likely hypothesis to explain the observed discrepancy between the 12CO/13CO and 12C/13C ratios is CO isotopologue selective photodissociation by UV radiation. Unlike the CO isotopologue ratio, the HCN isotopologue ratio is not affected by UV radiation. Therefore, HCN isotopologue ratios can be used as the tracer of the atomic C ratio in UV irradiated regions. Aims: We aim to present ALMA observations of H13CN(4-3) and APEX observations of H12CN(2-1), H13CN(2-1, 3-2) towards R Scl. These new data, combined with previously published observations, are used to determine abundances, ratio, and the sizes of line-emitting regions of the aforementioned HCN isotopologues. Methods: We have performed a detailed non-LTE excitation analysis of circumstellar H12CN(J = 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3) and H13CN(J = 2-1, 3-2, 4-3) line emission around R Scl using a radiative transfer code based on the accelerated lambda iteration (ALI) method. The spatial extent of the molecular distribution for both isotopologues is constrained based on the spatially resolved H13CN(4-3) ALMA observations. Results: We find fractional abundances of H12CN/H2 = (5.0 ± 2.0) × 10-5 and H13CN/H2 = (1.9 ± 0.4) × 10-6 in the inner wind (r ≤ (2.0 ± 0.25) ×1015 cm) of R Scl. The derived circumstellar isotopologue ratio of H12CN/H13CN = 26.3 ± 11.9 is consistent with the photospheric ratio of 12C/13C 19 ± 6. Conclusions: We show that the circumstellar H12CN/H13CN ratio traces the photospheric 12C/13C ratio. Hence, contrary to the 12CO/13CO ratio, the H12CN/H13CN ratio is not affected by UV

Characterization of atmospheric bioaerosols along the transport pathway of Asian dust during the Dust-Bioaerosol 2016 Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Kai; Huang, Zhongwei; Huang, Jianping; Maki, Teruya; Zhang, Shuang; Shimizu, Atsushi; Ma, Xiaojun; Shi, Jinsen; Bi, Jianrong; Zhou, Tian; Wang, Guoyin; Zhang, Lei

2018-05-01

Previous studies have shown that bioaerosols are injected into the atmosphere during dust events. These bioaerosols may affect leeward ecosystems, human health, and agricultural productivity and may even induce climate change. However, bioaerosol dynamics have rarely been investigated along the transport pathway of Asian dust, especially in China where dust events affect huge areas and massive numbers of people. Given this situation, the Dust-Bioaerosol (DuBi) Campaign was carried out over northern China, and the effects of dust events on the amount and diversity of bioaerosols were investigated. The results indicate that the number of bacteria showed remarkable increases during the dust events, and the diversity of the bacterial communities also increased significantly, as determined by means of microscopic observations with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and MiSeq sequencing analysis. These results indicate that dust clouds can carry many bacteria of various types into downwind regions and may have potentially important impacts on ecological environments and climate change. The abundances of DAPI-stained bacteria in the dust samples were 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater than those in the non-dust samples and reached 105-106 particles m-3. Moreover, the concentration ratios of DAPI-stained bacteria to yellow fluorescent particles increased from 5.1 % ± 6.3 % (non-dust samples) to 9.8 % ± 6.3 % (dust samples). A beta diversity analysis of the bacterial communities demonstrated the distinct clustering of separate prokaryotic communities in the dust and non-dust samples. Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria remained the dominant phyla in all samples. As for Erenhot, the relative abundances of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi had a remarkable rise in dust events. In contrast, the relative abundances of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi in non-dust samples of R-DzToUb were greater than those in dust samples. Alphaproteobacteria made the major

Mineralogy of Interplanetary Dust Particles from the Comet Giacobini-Zinner Dust Stream Collections

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Messenger, S.; Westphal, A. J.; Palma, R. L.

2015-01-01

The Draconoid meteor shower, originating from comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, is a low-velocity Earth-crossing dust stream that had a peak anticipated flux on Oct. 8, 2012. In response to this prediction, NASA performed dedicated stratospheric dust collections to target interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) from this comet stream on Oct 15-17, 2012 [3]. Twelve dust particles from this targeted collection were allocated to our coordinated analysis team for studies of noble gas (Univ. Minnesota, Minnesota State Univ.), SXRF and Fe-XANES (SSL Berkeley) and mineralogy/isotopes (JSC). Here we report a mineralogical study of 3 IDPs from the Draconoid collection..

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DUST GENERATED IN THE RECYCLING PROCESS OF THE ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE DUST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Gonçalves Rizz

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Electric Arc Furnace Dust (EAFD is a solid waste generated by the production of steel through the Electric Arc Furnace. This waste is labeled dangerous, which motivates studies aiming its recycling. Experiments were made to study a pyrometallurgical process for the recycling of the dust, using the insertion of dust briquettes in molten pig iron in three temperatures. In the briquettes, there were made additions of calcium fluoride in four different concentrations. This paper has the objective to characterize the dust that results from this process, verifying the influence of the temperature and the concentration of calcium fluoride in the briquette in the morphology and chemical composition of the new dust, determining the optimal conditions for the recovery of the zinc content of the dust. This newly generated dust was analyzed in an Scanning Electronic Microscope, used to capture micrographs and chemical composition by EDS. The micrographs show that the temperature and the calcium fluoride concentration interfere in the way the dust particles agglomerate. Chemical analysis points that the higher zinc recuperation occurrs in the experiments at 1500°C with 7% addition of calcium fluoride.

Effects of dust grain charge fluctuation on obliquely propagating dust-acoustic potential in magnetized dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Hassan, M.H.A.

1999-05-01

Effects of dust grain charge fluctuation, obliqueness and external magnetic field on finite amplitude dust-acoustic solitary potential in a magnetized dusty plasma, consisting of electrons, ions and charge fluctuating dust grains, have been investigated by the reductive perturbation method. It has been shown that such a magnetized dusty plasma system may support dust-acoustic solitary potential on a very slow time scale involving the motion of dust grains, whose charge is self-consistently determined by local electron and ion currents. The effects of dust grain charge fluctuation, external magnetic field and obliqueness are found to modify the properties of this dust-acoustic solitary potential significantly. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma systems, especially to planetary ring-systems and cometary tails, are briefly mentioned. (author)

Eight to 14 μm spectral monitoring of long period variable stars with GLADYS.

Science.gov (United States)

Levan, P. D.; Sloan, G.; Grasdalen, G.

The authors describe an ongoing program of spectral monitoring of long period variable stars using GLADYS, a long slit prism spectrometer that employs a 58x62 pixel Si:Ga detector array. The goal is to compare the equivalent widths of the SiC emission features in carbon-rich circumstellar shells, and the silicate emission features in oxygen-rich circumstellar stars, obtained over different phases of the continuum variability cycle. Spectra of long period variables and low amplitude variables recently obtained on the Wyoming Infrared Observatory 2.3 m telescope are presented.

Short-term variability of mineral dust, metals and carbon emission from road dust resuspension

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Fulvio; Schaap, Martijn; Denier van der Gon, Hugo A. C.; Pandolfi, Marco; Alastuey, Andrés; Keuken, Menno; Querol, Xavier

2013-08-01

Particulate matter (PM) pollution in cities has severe impact on morbidity and mortality of their population. In these cities, road dust resuspension contributes largely to PM and airborne heavy metals concentrations. However, the short-term variation of emission through resuspension is not well described in the air quality models, hampering a reliable description of air pollution and related health effects. In this study we experimentally show that the emission strength of resuspension varies widely among road dust components/sources. Our results offer the first experimental evidence of different emission rates for mineral dust, heavy metals and carbon fractions due to traffic-induced resuspension. Also, the same component (or source) recovers differently in a road in Barcelona (Spain) and a road in Utrecht (The Netherlands). This finding has important implications on atmospheric pollution modelling, mostly for mineral dust, heavy metals and carbon species. After rain events, recoveries were generally faster in Barcelona rather than in Utrecht. The largest difference was found for the mineral dust (Al, Si, Ca). Tyre wear particles (organic carbon and zinc) recovered faster than other road dust particles in both cities. The source apportionment of road dust mass provides useful information for air quality management.

Study on the alternative mitigation of cement dust spread by capturing the dust with fogging method

Science.gov (United States)

Purwanta, Jaka; Marnoto, Tjukup; Setyono, Prabang; Handono Ramelan, Ari

2017-12-01

The existence of a cement plant impact the lives of people around the factory site. For example the air quality, which is polluted by dust. Cement plant has made various efforts to mitigate the generated dust, but there are still alot of dust fly inground either from the cement factory chimneys or transportation. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of alternative mitigation of the spread of dust around the cement plant. This study uses research methods such as collecting secondary data which includes data of rain density, the average rains duration, wind speed and direction as well as data of dust intensity quality around PT. Semen Gresik (Persero) Tbk.Tuban plant. A soft Wind rose file is used To determine the wind direction propensity models. The impact on the spread of dust into the environment is determined using secondary data monitoring air quality. Results of the study is that the mitigation of dust around the cement plant is influenced by natural factors, such as the tendency of wind direction, rain fall and rainy days, and the rate of dust emission from the chimney. The alternative means proposed is an environmental friendly fogging dust catcher.

Molluscan shell colour.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Suzanne T

2017-05-01

The phylum Mollusca is highly speciose, and is the largest phylum in the marine realm. The great majority of molluscs are shelled, including nearly all bivalves, most gastropods and some cephalopods. The fabulous and diverse colours and patterns of molluscan shells are widely recognised and have been appreciated for hundreds of years by collectors and scientists alike. They serve taxonomists as characters that can be used to recognise and distinguish species, however their function for the animal is sometimes less clear and has been the focus of many ecological and evolutionary studies. Despite these studies, almost nothing is known about the evolution of colour in molluscan shells. This review summarises for the first time major findings of disparate studies relevant to the evolution of shell colour in Mollusca and discusses the importance of colour, including the effects of visual and non-visual selection, diet and abiotic factors. I also summarise the evidence for the heritability of shell colour in some taxa and recent efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning synthesis of shell colours. I describe some of the main shell pigments found in Mollusca (carotenoids, melanin and tetrapyrroles, including porphyrins and bile pigments), and their durability in the fossil record. Finally I suggest that pigments appear to be distributed in a phylogenetically relevant manner and that the synthesis of colour is likely to be energetically costly. © 2016 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Health hazards of cement dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meo, Sultan A.

2004-01-01

ven in the 21st century, millions of people are working daily in a dusty environment. They are exposed to different types of health hazards such as fume, gases and dust, which are risk factors in developing occupational disease. Cement industry is involved in the development of structure of this advanced and modern world but generates dust during its production. Cement dust causes lung function impairment, chronic obstructive lung disease, restrictive lung disease, pneumoconiosis and carcinoma of the lungs, stomach and colon. Other studies have shown that cement dust may enter into the systemic circulation and thereby reach the essentially all the organs of body and affects the different tissues including heart, liver, spleen, bone, muscles and hairs and ultimately affecting their micro-structure and physiological performance. Most of the studies have been previously attempted to evaluate the effects of cement dust exposure on the basis of spirometry or radiology, or both. However, collective effort describing the general effects of cement dust on different organ and systems in humans or animals, or both has not been published. Therefore, the aim of this review is to gather the potential toxic effects of cement dust and to minimize the health risks in cement mill workers by providing them with information regarding the hazards of cement dust. (author)

Sexual selection on land snail shell ornamentation: a hypothesis that may explain shell diversity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schilthuizen Menno

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many groups of land snails show great interspecific diversity in shell ornamentation, which may include spines on the shell and flanges on the aperture. Such structures have been explained as camouflage or defence, but the possibility that they might be under sexual selection has not previously been explored. Presentation of the hypothesis The hypothesis that is presented consists of two parts. First, that shell ornamentation is the result of sexual selection. Second, that such sexual selection has caused the divergence in shell shape in different species. Testing the hypothesis The first part of the hypothesis may be tested by searching for sexual dimorphism in shell ornamentation in gonochoristic snails, by searching for increased variance in shell ornamentation relative to other shell traits, and by mate choice experiments using individuals with experimentally enhanced ornamentation. The second part of the hypothesis may be tested by comparing sister groups and correlating shell diversity with degree of polygamy. Implications of the hypothesis If the hypothesis were true, it would provide an explanation for the many cases of allopatric evolutionary radiation in snails, where shell diversity cannot be related to any niche differentiation or environmental differences.

Respirable versus inhalable dust sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hondros, J.

1987-01-01

The ICRP uses a total inhalable dust figure as the basis of calculations on employee lung dose. This paper was written to look at one aspect of the Olympic Dam dust situation, namely, the inhalable versus respirable fraction of the dust cloud. The results of this study will determine whether it is possible to use respirable dust figures, as obtained during routine monitoring to help in the calculations of employee exposure to internal radioactive contaminants

Formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in circumstellar envelopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frenklach, M.; Feigelson, E.D.

1989-01-01

Production of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in carbon-rich circumstellar envelopes was investigated using a kinetic approach. A detailed chemical reaction mechanism of gas-phase PAH formation and growth, containing approximately 100 reactions of 40 species, was numerically solved under the physical conditions expected in cool stellar winds. The chemistry is based on studies of soot production in hydrocarbon pyrolysis and combustion. Several first-ring and second-ring cyclization processes were considered. A linear lumping algorithm was used to describe PAH growth beyond the second aromatic ring. PAH production using this mechanism was examined with respect to a grid of idealized constant velocity stellar winds as well as several published astrophysical models. The basic result is that the onset of PAH production in the interstellar envelopes is predicted to occur within the temperature interval of 1100 to 900 K. The absolute amounts of the PAHs formed, however, are very sensitive to a number of parameters, both chemical and astrophysical, whose values are not accurately known. Astrophysically meaningful quantities of PAHs require particularly dense and slow stellar winds and high initial acetylene abundance. It is suggested that most of the PAHs may be produced in a relatively small fraction of carbon-rich red giants. 87 refs

Communication plan for windblown dust.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-01

Windblown dust events occur in Arizona, and blowing dust has been considered a contributing factor to serious crashes on the : segment of Interstate 10 (I10) between Phoenix and Tucson, as well as on other Arizona roadways. Arizonas dust events...

House dust in seven Danish offices

Science.gov (United States)

Mølhave, L.; Schneider, T.; Kjærgaard, S. K.; Larsen, L.; Norn, S.; Jørgensen, O.

Floor dust from Danish offices was collected and analyzed. The dust was to be used in an exposure experiment. The dust was analyzed to show the composition of the dust which can be a source of airborne dust indoors. About 11 kg of dust from vacuum cleaner bags from seven Danish office buildings with about 1047 occupants (12 751 m 2) was processed according to a standardized procedure yielding 5.5 kg of processed bulk dust. The bulk dust contained 130.000-160.000 CFU g -1 microorganisms and 71.000-90.000 CFU g -1 microfungi. The content of culturable microfungi was 65-123 CFU 30 g -1 dust. The content of endotoxins ranged from 5.06-7.24 EU g -1 (1.45 ng g -1 to 1.01 ng g -1). Allergens (ng g -1) were from 147-159 (Mite), 395-746 (dog) and 103-330 (cat). The macro molecular organic compounds (the MOD-content) varied from 7.8-9.8 mg g -1. The threshold of release of histamine from basophil leukocytes provoked by the bulk dust was between 0.3 and 1.0 mg ml -1. The water content was 2% (WGT) and the organic fraction 33%. 6.5-5.9% (dry) was water soluble. The fiber content was less than 0.2-1.5% (WGT) and the desorbable VOCs was 176-319 μg g -1. Most of the VOC were aldehydes. However, softeners for plastic (DBP and DEHP) were present. The chemical composition includes human and animal skin fragments, paper fibers, glass wool, wood and textilefibers and inorganic and metal particles. The sizes ranged from 0.001-1 mm and the average specific density was 1.0 g m -3. The bulk dust was resuspended and injected into an exposure chamber. The airborne dust was sampled and analyzed to illustrate the exposures that can result from sedimented dirt and dust. The airborne dust resulting from the bulk dust reached concentrations ranging from 0.26-0.75 mg m -3 in average contained 300-170 CFU m -3. The organic fraction was from 55-70% and the water content about 2.5% (WGT). The content of the dust was compared to the similar results reported in the literature and its toxic potency is

Windows PowerShell 20 Bible

CERN Document Server

Lee, Thomas; Schill, Mark E; Tanasovski, Tome

2011-01-01

Here's the complete guide to Windows PowerShell 2.0 for administrators and developers Windows PowerShell is Microsoft's next-generation scripting and automation language. This comprehensive volume provides the background that IT administrators and developers need in order to start using PowerShell automation in exciting new ways. It explains what PowerShell is, how to use the language, and specific ways to apply PowerShell in various technologies. Windows PowerShell is Microsoft's standard automation tool and something that every Windows administrator will eventually have to understand; this b

Effects of dust size distribution on dust acoustic waves in magnetized two-ion-temperature dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Zongming; Duan Wenshan; He Guangjun

2008-01-01

A Zakharov-Kuznetsov (ZK) equation, a modified ZK (mZK) equation, and a coupled ZK (cZK) equation for small but finite amplitude dust acoustic waves in a magnetized two-ion-temperature dusty plasma with dust size distribution have been investigated in this paper. The variations of the linear dispersion relation and group velocity, nonlinear solitary wave amplitude, and width with an arbitrary dust size distribution function are studied numerically. We conclude that they all increase as the total number density of dust grains increases, and they are greater for unusual dusty plasma (the number density of larger dust grains is greater than that of smaller dust grains) than that of usual dusty plasma (the number density of smaller dust grains is greater than that of larger dust grains). It is noted that the frequency of the linear wave increases as the wave number along the magnetic direction increases. Furthermore, the width of the nonlinear waves increases but its amplitude decreases as the wave number along the magnetic direction increases

High-contrast direct imaging of exo-planets and circumstellar disks: from the self-coherent camera to NICI data analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazoyer, Johan

2014-01-01

Out of the 1800 exo-planets detected to date, only 50 were by direct imaging. However, by allowing the observation of circumstellar disks and planets (sometimes simultaneously around the same star, as in the case of β-pictoris), this method is a fundamental tool for the understanding of planetary formation. In addition, direct access to the light of the detected objects allows spectroscopy, paving the way for the first time to the chemical and thermal analysis of their atmosphere and surface. However, direct imaging raises specific challenges: accessing objects fainter than their star (with a ration up to 10"-"8 to 10"-"1"1), and separated only by a fraction of arc-second. To obtain these values, several techniques must be implemented. A corona-graph, used in complement with a deformable mirror and active optical aberration correction methods, produces high-contrast images, which can be further processed by differential imaging techniques. My PhD thesis work took place at the intersection of these techniques. At first, I analyzed, in simulation and experimentally on the THD 'French acronym for very high contrast' bench of the Paris Observatory, the performance of the self-coherent camera, a wavefront sensing technique used to correct the optical aberrations in the focal plane. I managed to obtained high-contrast zones (called dark holes) with performance up to 3.10"-"8 between 5 and 12?/D, in monochromatic light. I also started an analysis of the performance in narrow spectral bands. In the second part of my thesis, I applied the latest differential imaging techniques to high contrast images from another corona-graphic instrument, NICI. The processing of these data revealed unprecedented views of the dust disk orbiting HD 15115. (author)

The flow of interstellar dust through the solar system: the role of dust charging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sterken, V. J.; Altobelli, N.; Schwehm, G.; Kempf, S.; Srama, R.; Strub, P.; Gruen, E.

2011-01-01

Interstellar dust can enter the solar system through the relative motion of the Sun with respect to the Local Interstellar Cloud. The trajectories of the dust through the solar system are not only influenced by gravitation and solar radiation pressure forces, but also by the Lorentz forces due to the interaction of the interplanetary magnetic field with the charged dust particles. The interplanetary magnetic field changes on two major time scales: 25 days (solar rotation frequency) and 22 years (solar cycle). The short-term variability averages out for regions that are not too close (>∼2 AU) to the Sun. This interplanetary magnetic field variability causes a time-variability in the interstellar dust densities, that is correlated to the solar cycle.In this work we characterize the flow of interstellar dust through the solar system using simulations of the dust trajectories. We start from the simple case without Lorentz forces, and expand to the full simulation. We pay attention to the different ways of modeling the interplanetary magnetic field, and discuss the influence of the dust parameters on the resulting flow patterns. We also discuss the possibilities of using this modeling for prediction of dust fluxes for different space missions or planets, and we pay attention to where simplified models are justified, and where or when a full simulation, including all forces is necessary. One of the aims of this work is to understand measurements of spacecraft like Ulysses, Cassini and Stardust.

Heating the Primordial Soup: X-raying the Circumstellar Disk of RY Lupi

Science.gov (United States)

Principe, David

2015-09-01

X-ray irradiation of circumstellar disks plays a vital role in their chemical evolution yet few high resolution X-ray observations exist characterizing both the disk-illuminating radiation field and the soft energy spectrum absorbed by the disk. We propose HETG spectroscopic observations of RY Lupi, a rare example of a nearly edge-on, actively accreting star-disk system within 150 pc. We aim to take advantage of its unique viewing geometry with the goals of (a) determining the intrinsic X-ray spectrum of the central pre-MS star so as to establish whether its X-ray emission can be attributed to accretion shocks or coronal emission, and (b) model the spectrum of X-rays absorbed by its gaseous disk. These results will serve as essential input to models of irradiated, planet-forming disks.

Variations between Dust and Gas in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium. III. Changes in Dust Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Reach, William T.; Bernard, Jean-Philippe; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Heiles, Carl

2017-12-01

We study infrared emission of 17 isolated, diffuse clouds with masses of order {10}2 {M}ȯ to test the hypothesis that grain property variations cause the apparently low gas-to-dust ratios that have been measured in those clouds. Maps of the clouds were constructed from Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data and directly compared with the maps of dust optical depth from Planck. The mid-infrared emission per unit dust optical depth has a significant trend toward lower values at higher optical depths. The trend can be quantitatively explained by the extinction of starlight within the clouds. The relative amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and very small grains traced by WISE, compared with large grains tracked by Planck, are consistent with being constant. The temperature of the large grains significantly decreases for clouds with larger dust optical depth; this trend is partially due to dust property variations, but is primarily due to extinction of starlight. We updated the prediction for molecular hydrogen column density, taking into account variations in dust properties, and find it can explain the observed dust optical depth per unit gas column density. Thus, the low gas-to-dust ratios in the clouds are most likely due to “dark gas” that is molecular hydrogen.

Excitation of collective plasma modes during collisions between dust grains and the formation of dust plasma crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goree, J.A.; Morfill, G.; Tsytovich, V.N.

1998-01-01

Dust plasma crystals have recently been produced in experiments in a number of laboratories. For dust crystallization to occur, there should exist an efficient mechanism for the cooling of the dust plasma component. It is shown that the excitation of collective plasma modes during collisions between the grains may serve as the required cooling mechanism. The excitation of dust sound waves is found to be most efficient. It is shown that the cooling of dust grains via the excitation of collective plasma modes can be even more efficient than that due to collisions with neutral particles, which was previously considered to be the only mechanism for cooling of the dust plasma component. At present, the first experiments are being carried out to study collisions between individual dust grains. High efficiency of the excitation of plasma modes caused by collisions between dust grains is attributed to the coherent displacement of the plasma particles that shield the grains. it is shown that the excitation efficiency is proportional to the fourth power of the charge of the dust grains and to a large power of their relative velocity, and is independent of their mass. The results obtained can be checked in experiments studying how the binary collisions between dust grains and the pressure of the neutral component influence the dust crystallization

Dust characterisation for hot gas filters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dockter, B.; Erickson, T.; Henderson, A.; Hurley, J.; Kuehnel, V.; Katrinak, K.; Nowok, J.; O`Keefe, C.; O`Leary, E.; Swanson, M.; Watne, T. [University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy and Environmental Research Center (UNDEERC)

1998-03-01

Hot gas filtration to remove particulates from the gas flow upstream of the gas turbine is critical to the development of many of the advanced coal-fired power generation technologies such as the Air Blown Gasification Cycle (ABGC), a hybrid gasification combined cycle being developed in the UK. Ceramic candle filters are considered the most promising technology for this purpose. Problems of mechanical failure and of `difficult-to-clean` dusts causing high pressure losses across the filter elements need to be solved. The project investigated the behaviour of high-temperature filter dusts, and the factors determining the ease with which they can be removed from filters. The high-temperature behaviour of dusts from both combustion and gasification systems was investigated. Dust samples were obtained from full-scale demonstration and pilot-scale plant operating around the world. Dust samples were also produced from a variety of coals, and under several different operating conditions, on UNDEERC`s pilot-scale reactor. Key factors affecting dust behaviour were examined, including: the rates of tensile strength developing in dust cakes; the thermochemical equilibria pertaining under filtration conditions; dust adhesivity on representative filter materials; and the build-up and cleaning behaviour of dusts on representative filter candles. The results obtained confirmed the importance of dust temperature, dust cake porosity, cake liquid content, and particle size distribution in determining the strength of a dust cake. An algorithm was developed to indicate the likely sticking propensity of dusts as a function of coal and sorbent composition and combustion conditions. This algorithm was incorporated into a computer package which can be used to judge the degree of difficulty in filter cleaning that can be expected to arise in a real plant based on operating parameters and coal analyzes. 6 figs.

Dust in protoplanetary disks: observations*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waters L.B.F.M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Solid particles, usually referred to as dust, are a crucial component of interstellar matter and of planet forming disks surrounding young stars. Despite the relatively small mass fraction of ≈1% (in the solar neighborhood of our galaxy; this number may differ substantially in other galaxies that interstellar grains represent of the total mass budget of interstellar matter, dust grains play an important role in the physics and chemistry of interstellar matter. This is because of the opacity dust grains at short (optical, UV wavelengths, and the surface they provide for chemical reactions. In addition, dust grains play a pivotal role in the planet formation process: in the core accretion model of planet formation, the growth of dust grains from the microscopic size range to large, cm-sized or larger grains is the first step in planet formation. Not only the grain size distribution is affected by planet formation. Chemical and physical processes alter the structure and chemical composition of dust grains as they enter the protoplanetary disk and move closer to the forming star. Therefore, a lot can be learned about the way stars and planets are formed by observations of dust in protoplanetary disks. Ideally, one would like to measure the dust mass, the grain size distribution, grain structure (porosity, fluffiness, the chemical composition, and all of these as a function of position in the disk. Fortunately, several observational diagnostics are available to derive constrains on these quantities. In combination with rapidly increasing quality of the data (spatial and spectral resolution, a lot of progress has been made in our understanding of dust evolution in protoplanetary disks. An excellent review of dust evolution in protoplanetary disks can be found in Testi et al. (2014.

Creation of Wood Dust during Wood Processing: Size Analysis, Dust Separation, and Occupational Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Mračková

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Mechanical separators and fabric filters are being used to remove airborne fine particles generated during the processing and handling of wood. Such particles might have a harmful effect on employee health, not only in small- but also in large-scale wood processing facilities. The amount of wood dust and its dispersion conditions vary according to geometric boundary conditions. Thus, the dispersion conditions could be changed by changing the linear size of the particles. Moreover, the smaller the particles are, the more harmful they can be. It is necessary to become familiar with properties, from a health point of view, of wood dust generated from processing. Wood dust has to be sucked away from the processing area. The fractional separation efficiency of wood dust can be improved using exhaust and filtering devices. Filtration efficiency depends on moisture content, particle size, and device performance. Because of the carcinogenicity of wood dust, the concentration of wood dust in air has to be monitored regularly. Based on the results hereof, a conclusion can be made that both mechanical separators of types SEA and SEB as well as the fabric filters with FINET PES 1 textile are suitable for the separation of wet saw dust from all types of wooden waste produced within the process.

Galactic dust and extinction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyngaa, G.

1979-01-01

The ratio R between visual extinction and colour excess, is slightly larger than 3 and does not vary much throughout our part of the Galaxy. The distribution of dust in the galactic plane shows, on the large scale, a gradient with higher colour excesses towards l=50 0 than towards l=230 0 . On the smaller scale, much of the dust responsible for extinction is situated in clouds which tend to group together. The correlation between positions of interstellar dust clouds and positions of spiral tracers seems rather poor in our Galaxy. However, concentrated dark clouds as well as extended regions of dust show an inclined distribution similar to the Gould belt of bright stars. (Auth.)

Circumstellar envelopes of Cepheids: a possible bias affecting the distance scale?

Science.gov (United States)

Kervella, Pierre; Gallenne, Alexandre; Mérand, Antoine

2013-02-01

Circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) have been detected around many Cepheids, first based on long-baseline interferometry, and now also using other observing techniques. These envelopes are particularly interesting for two reasons: their presence could impact the Cepheid distance scale, and they may be valuable tracers of stellar mass loss. Here we focus on their potential impact on the calibration of the Cepheid distance scale. We consider the photometric contribution of the envelopes in the visible, near-, and thermal-infrared domains. We conclude that the impact of CSEs on the apparent luminosities of Cepheids is negligible at visible wavelengths and generally weak (case. Overall, the contribution of CSEs to the usual period-luminosity relations (from the visible to the K band) is mostly negligible. They could affect calibrations at longer wavelengths, although the presence of envelopes may have been partially taken into account in the existing empirical calibrations.

Observations of 40-70 micron bands of ice in IRAS 09371 + 1212 and other stars

Science.gov (United States)

Omont, A.; Forveille, T.; Moseley, S. H.; Glaccum, W. J.; Harvey, P. M.; Likkel, L.; Loewenstein, R. F.; Lisse, C. M.

1990-01-01

IRAS 09371 + 1212 is still an absolutely unique object. This M giant star, with circumstellar CO and a spectacular bipolar nebula, displays unique IRAS FIR colors which had been attributed to strong emission in the 40-70-micron bands of ice, as subsequently supported by the observation of a strong 3.1-micron absorption band. The results of the KAO observations have confirmed its unusual nature: the far-infrared bands of ice are by far the strongest known. Its dust temperature, 50 K or less, is by far the lowest known for a late-type circumstellar envelope.

Effects of grain dust on lungs prior to and following dust remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pahwa, Punam; Dosman, James A; McDuffie, Helen H

2008-12-01

To determine longitudinal estimates of pulmonary function decline in Canadian grain elevator workers before and after dust control by analyzing data collected from five regions of Canada over 15 years. Declines in forced expired volume in one second and forced vital capacity before and after dust control were estimated by using a generalized estimating equations approach. For grain workers who were in the grain industry for 20 or more years both before and after dust control: the mean annual loss of forced expired volume in one second was greatest among current smoking grain workers followed by ex-smokers and nonsmokers, respectively. Similar results were obtained for forced vital capacity. Grain dust control was effective in reducing decline in the lung function measurements among grain workers in all smoking and exposure categories.

Simulation study of spheroidal dust gains charging: Applicable to dust grain alignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahed, H.; Sobhanian, S.; Mahmoodi, J.; Khorram, S.

2006-01-01

The charging process of nonspherical dust grains in an unmagnetized plasma as well as in the presence of a magnetic field is studied. It is shown that unlike the spherical dust grain, due to nonhomogeneity of charge distribution on the spheroidal dust surface, the resultant electric forces on electrons and ions are different. This process produces some surface charge density gradient on the nonspherical grain surface. Effects of a magnetic field and other plasma parameters on the properties of the dust particulate are studied. It has been shown that the alignment direction could be changed or even reversed with the magnetic field and plasma parameters. Finally, the charge distribution on the spheroidal grain surface is studied for different ambient parameters including plasma temperature, neutral collision frequency, and the magnitude of the magnetic field

Dust Studies in DIII-D and TEXTOR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudakov, D.; Litnovsky, A.; West, W.; Yu, J.; Boedo, J.; Bray, B.; Brezinsek, S.; Brooks, N.; Fenstermacher, M.; Groth, M.; Hollmann, E.; Huber, A.; Hyatt, A.; Krasheninnikov, S.; Lasnier, C.; Moyer, R.; Pigarov, A.; Philipps, V.; Pospieszezyk, A.; Smirnov, R.; Sharpe, J.; Solomon, W.; Watkins, J.; Wong, C.

2008-01-01

Studies of naturally occurring and artificially introduced carbon dust are conducted in DIII-D and TEXTOR. In DIII-D, dust does not present operational concerns except immediately after entry vents. Energetic plasma disruptions produce significant amounts of dust. However, dust production by disruptions alone is insufficient to account for the estimated in-vessel dust inventory in DIII-D. Submicron sized dust is routinely observed using Mie scattering from a Nd:Yag laser. The source is strongly correlated with the presence of Type I edge localized modes (ELMs). Larger size (0.005-1 mm diameter) dust is observed by optical imaging, showing elevated dust levels after entry vents. Inverse dependence of the dust velocity on the inferred dust size is found from the imaging data. Migration of pre-characterized carbon dust is studied in DIII-D and TEXTOR by injecting micron-size dust in plasma discharges. In DIII-D, a sample holder filled with ∼30 mg of dust is introduced in the lower divertor and exposed to high-power ELMing H-mode discharges with strike points swept across the divertor floor. After a brief exposure (∼0.1 s) at the outer strike point, part of the dust is injected into the plasma, raising the core carbon density by a factor of 2-3 and resulting in a twofold increase of the radiated power. Individual dust particles are observed moving at velocities of 10-100 m/s, predominantly in the toroidal direction, consistent with the drag force from the deuteron flow and in agreement with modeling by the 3D DustT code. In TEXTOR, instrumented dust holders with 1-45 mg of dust are exposed in the scrape-off layer 0-2 cm radially outside of the last closed flux surface in discharges heated with neutral beam injection (NBI) power of 1.4 MW. Dust is launched either in the beginning of a discharge or at the initiation of NBI, preferentially in a direction perpendicular to the toroidal magnetic field. At the given configuration of the launch, the dust did not penetrate

Dust: Small-scale processes with global consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Okin, G.S.; Bullard, J.E.; Reynolds, R.L.; Ballantine, J.-A.C.; Schepanski, K.; Todd, M.C.; Belnap, J.; Baddock, M.C.; Gill, T.E.; Miller, M.E.

2011-01-01

Desert dust, both modern and ancient, is a critical component of the Earth system. Atmospheric dust has important effects on climate by changing the atmospheric radiation budget, while deposited dust influences biogeochemical cycles in the oceans and on land. Dust deposited on snow and ice decreases its albedo, allowing more light to be trapped at the surface, thus increasing the rate of melt and influencing energy budgets and river discharge. In the human realm, dust contributes to the transport of allergens and pathogens and when inhaled can cause or aggravate respiratory diseases. Dust storms also represent a significant hazard to road and air travel. Because it affects so many Earth processes, dust is studied from a variety of perspectives and at multiple scales, with various disciplines examining emissions for different purposes using disparate strategies. Thus, the range of objectives in studying dust, as well as experimental approaches and results, has not yet been systematically integrated. Key research questions surrounding the production and sources of dust could benefit from improved collaboration among different research communities. These questions involve the origins of dust, factors that influence dust production and emission, and methods through which dust can be monitored. ?? Author(s) 2011.

CONSTRAINTS ON THE RADIAL VARIATION OF GRAIN GROWTH IN THE AS 209 CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez, Laura M.; Carpenter, John M.; Isella, Andrea; Ricci, Luca; Sargent, Anneila I.; Chandler, Claire J.; Andrews, Sean M.; Harris, Robert J.; Calvet, Nuria; Corder, Stuartt A.; Deller, Adam T.; Dullemond, Cornelis P.; Linz, Hendrik; Greaves, Jane S.; Henning, Thomas; Kwon, Woojin; Lazio, Joseph; Mundy, Lee G.; Storm, Shaye; Testi, Leonardo

2012-01-01

We present dust continuum observations of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the pre-main-sequence star AS 209, spanning more than an order of magnitude in wavelength from 0.88 to 9.8 mm. The disk was observed with subarcsecond angular resolution (0.''2-0.''5) to investigate radial variations in its dust properties. At longer wavelengths, the disk emission structure is notably more compact, providing model-independent evidence for changes in the grain properties across the disk. We find that physical models which reproduce the disk emission require a radial dependence of the dust opacity κ ν . Assuming that the observed wavelength-dependent structure can be attributed to radial variations in the dust opacity spectral index (β), we find that β(R) increases from β 1.5 for R ∼> 80 AU, inconsistent with a constant value of β across the disk (at the 10σ level). Furthermore, if radial variations of κ ν are caused by particle growth, we find that the maximum size of the particle-size distribution (a max ) increases from submillimeter-sized grains in the outer disk (R ∼> 70 AU) to millimeter- and centimeter-sized grains in the inner disk regions (R ∼ max (R) with predictions from physical models of dust evolution in protoplanetary disks. For the dust composition and particle-size distribution investigated here, our observational constraints on a max (R) are consistent with models where the maximum grain size is limited by radial drift.

TWO-DIMENSIONAL APPROXIMATION OF EIGENVALUE PROBLEMS IN SHELL THEORY: FLEXURAL SHELLS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2000-01-01

The eigenvalue problem for a thin linearly elastic shell, of thickness 2e, clamped along its lateral surface is considered. Under the geometric assumption on the middle surface of the shell that the space of inextensional displacements is non-trivial, the authors obtain, as ε→0,the eigenvalue problem for the two-dimensional"flexural shell"model if the dimension of the space is infinite. If the space is finite dimensional, the limits of the eigenvalues could belong to the spectra of both flexural and membrane shells. The method consists of rescaling the variables and studying the problem over a fixed domain. The principal difficulty lies in obtaining suitable a priori estimates for the scaled eigenvalues.

GAS PHASE SYNTHESIS OF (ISO)QUINOLINE AND ITS ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF NUCLEOBASES IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, Dorian S. N.; Kaiser, Ralf I.; Kostko, Oleg; Troy, Tyler P.; Ahmed, Musahid; Mebel, Alexander M.; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

2015-01-01

Nitrogen-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) have been proposed to play a key role in the astrochemical evolution of the interstellar medium, yet the formation mechanisms of even their simplest prototypes—quinoline and isoquinoline—remain elusive. Here, we reveal a novel concept that under high temperature conditions representing circumstellar envelopes of carbon stars, (iso)quinoline can be synthesized via the reaction of pyridyl radicals with two acetylene molecules. The facile gas phase formation of (iso)quinoline in circumstellar envelopes defines a hitherto elusive reaction class synthesizing aromatic structures with embedded nitrogen atoms that are essential building blocks in contemporary biological-structural motifs. Once ejected from circumstellar shells and incorporated into icy interstellar grains in cold molecular clouds, these NPAHs can be functionalized by photo processing forming nucleobase-type structures as sampled in the Murchison meteorite

Cosmological simulation with dust formation and destruction

Science.gov (United States)

Aoyama, Shohei; Hou, Kuan-Chou; Hirashita, Hiroyuki; Nagamine, Kentaro; Shimizu, Ikkoh

2018-06-01

To investigate the evolution of dust in a cosmological volume, we perform hydrodynamic simulations, in which the enrichment of metals and dust is treated self-consistently with star formation and stellar feedback. We consider dust evolution driven by dust production in stellar ejecta, dust destruction by sputtering, grain growth by accretion and coagulation, and grain disruption by shattering, and treat small and large grains separately to trace the grain size distribution. After confirming that our model nicely reproduces the observed relation between dust-to-gas ratio and metallicity for nearby galaxies, we concentrate on the dust abundance over the cosmological volume in this paper. The comoving dust mass density has a peak at redshift z ˜ 1-2, coincident with the observationally suggested dustiest epoch in the Universe. In the local Universe, roughly 10 per cent of the dust is contained in the intergalactic medium (IGM), where only 1/3-1/4 of the dust survives against dust destruction by sputtering. We also show that the dust mass function is roughly reproduced at ≲ 108 M⊙, while the massive end still has a discrepancy, which indicates the necessity of stronger feedback in massive galaxies. In addition, our model broadly reproduces the observed radial profile of dust surface density in the circum-galactic medium (CGM). While our model satisfies the observational constraints for the dust extinction on cosmological scales, it predicts that the dust in the CGM and IGM is dominated by large (>0.03 μm) grains, which is in tension with the steep reddening curves observed in the CGM.

Experiments on Dust Grain Charging

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, M. N.; Craven, P. D.; Spann, J. F.; Tankosic, D.; LeClair, A.; West, E. A.

2004-01-01

Dust particles in various astrophysical environments are charged by a variety of mechanisms generally involving collisional processes with other charged particles and photoelectric emission with UV radiation from nearby sources. The sign and the magnitude of the particle charge are determined by the competition between the charging processes by UV radiation and collisions with charged particles. Knowledge of the particle charges and equilibrium potentials is important for understanding of a number of physical processes. The charge of a dust grain is thus a fundamental parameter that influences the physics of dusty plasmas, processes in the interplanetary medium and interstellar medium, interstellar dust clouds, planetary rings, cometary and outer atmospheres of planets etc. In this paper we present some results of experiments on charging of dust grains carried out on a laboratory facility capable levitating micron size dust grains in an electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. The charging/discharging experiments were carried out by exposing the dust grains to energetic electron beams and UV radiation. Photoelectric efficiencies and yields of micron size dust grains of SiO2, and lunar simulates obtained from NASA-JSC will be presented.

Ulysses dust measurements near Jupiter.

Science.gov (United States)

Grün, E; Zook, H A; Baguhl, M; Fechtig, H; Hanner, M S; Kissel, J; Lindblad, B A; Linkert, D; Linkert, G; Mann, I B

1992-09-11

Submicrometer- to micrometer-sized particles were recorded by the Ulysses dust detector within 40 days of the Jupiter flyby. Nine impacts were recorded within 50 Jupiter radii with most of them recorded after closest approach. Three of these impacts are consistent with particles on prograde orbits around Jupiter and the rest are believed to have resulted from gravitationally focused interplanetary dust. From the ratio of the impact rate before the Jupiter flyby to the impact rate after the Jupiter flyby it is concluded that interplanetary dust particles at the distance of Jupiter move on mostly retrograde orbits. On 10 March 1992, Ulysses passed through an intense dust stream. The dust detector recorded 126 impacts within 26 hours. The stream particles were moving on highly inclined and apparently hyperbolic orbits with perihelion distances of >5 astronomical units. Interplanetary dust is lost rather quickly from the solar system through collisions and other mechanisms and must be almost continuously replenished to maintain observed abundances. Dust flux measurements, therefore, give evidence of the recent rates of production from sources such as comets, asteroids, and moons, as well as the possible presence of interstellar grains.

Dust evolution in protoplanetary disks

OpenAIRE

Gonzalez , Jean-François; Fouchet , Laure; T. Maddison , Sarah; Laibe , Guillaume

2007-01-01

6 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of IAU Symp. 249: Exoplanets: Detection, Formation and Dynamics (Suzhou, China); International audience; We investigate the behaviour of dust in protoplanetary disks under the action of gas drag using our 3D, two-fluid (gas+dust) SPH code. We present the evolution of the dust spatial distribution in global simulations of planetless disks as well as of disks containing an already formed planet. The resulting dust structures vary strongly with pa...

Control of dust production in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez-Rodrigo, L.; Ciattaglia, S.; Elbez-Uzan, J.

2006-01-01

In the last years dust has been observed in a number of fusion devices and is being studied more in detail for understanding in particular the physical phenomena related to its formation, its composition, physical and chemical characteristics, and the amount of produced dust. The extrapolation of dust formation to ITER predicts (with large error bars), a large mass of dust production with a scattered size distribution. To evaluate the impact of dust on safety, assumptions have also been made on radionuclide inventory, and mobility in off-normal events, as well as any postulated contributions the dust may make to effluents or accidental releases. Solid activation products in structures are generally not readily mobilisable in incidental and accidental situations, so that activated dust, tritium and activated corrosions products are the important in-vessel source terms in postulated scenarios that assume a mobilisation and release of some fraction of this inventory. Such a release would require the simultaneous leak or bypass of several robust confinement barriers. Further concerns for dust may be the potential for chemical reactions between dust and coolant in the event of an in-vessel leak, and the theoretical possibility of a dust explosion, either of which could in principle cause a pressure rise that challenges one or more of the confinement barriers. Although these hazards can - and will - be controlled by other measures in the ITER design, application of the principle of Defence in Depth dictates that the dust inventory should also be minimised and controlled to prevent the potential hazard. A well-coordinated R-and-D programme is required to support this dust production control. This document provides from the safety point of view, an overview of existing data given in '' Dossier d'Options de Surete '', the first safety report presented in 2001 to the French Safety Authorities, and ITER documents; it also gathers information on status of studies on activated

Investigating the size, shape and surface roughness dependence of polarization lidars with light-scattering computations on real mineral dust particles: Application to dust particles' external mixtures and dust mass concentration retrievals

Science.gov (United States)

Mehri, Tahar; Kemppinen, Osku; David, Grégory; Lindqvist, Hannakaisa; Tyynelä, Jani; Nousiainen, Timo; Rairoux, Patrick; Miffre, Alain

2018-05-01

Our understanding of the contribution of mineral dust to the Earth's radiative budget is limited by the complexity of these particles, which present a wide range of sizes, are highly-irregularly shaped, and are present in the atmosphere in the form of particle mixtures. To address the spatial distribution of mineral dust and atmospheric dust mass concentrations, polarization lidars are nowadays frequently used, with partitioning algorithms allowing to discern the contribution of mineral dust in two or three-component particle external mixtures. In this paper, we investigate the dependence of the retrieved dust backscattering (βd) vertical profiles with the dust particle size and shape. For that, new light-scattering numerical simulations are performed on real atmospheric mineral dust particles, having determined mineralogy (CAL, DOL, AGG, SIL), derived from stereogrammetry (stereo-particles), with potential surface roughness, which are compared to the widely-used spheroidal mathematical shape model. For each dust shape model (smooth stereo-particles, rough stereo-particles, spheroids), the dust depolarization, backscattering Ångström exponent, lidar ratio are computed for two size distributions representative of mineral dust after long-range transport. As an output, two Saharan dust outbreaks involving mineral dust in two, then three-component particle mixtures are studied with Lyon (France) UV-VIS polarization lidar. If the dust size matters most, under certain circumstances, βd can vary by approximately 67% when real dust stereo-particles are used instead of spheroids, corresponding to variations in the dust backscattering coefficient as large as 2 Mm- 1·sr- 1. Moreover, the influence of surface roughness in polarization lidar retrievals is for the first time discussed. Finally, dust mass-extinction conversion factors (ηd) are evaluated for each assigned shape model and dust mass concentrations are retrieved from polarization lidar measurements. From

Dust Dynamics Near Planetary Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Colwell, Joshua; Hughes, Anna; Grund, Chris

Observations of a lunar "horizon glow" by several Surveyor spacecraft in the 1960s opened the study of the dynamics of charged dust particles near planetary surfaces. The surfaces of the Moon and other airless planetary bodies in the solar system (asteroids, and other moons) are directly exposed to the solar wind and ionizing solar ultraviolet radiation, resulting in a time-dependent electric surface potential. Because these same objects are also exposed to bombardment by micrometeoroids, the surfaces are usually characterized by a power-law size distribution of dust that extends to sub-micron-sized particles. Individual particles can acquire a charge different from their surroundings leading to electrostatic levitation. Once levitated, particles may simply return to the surface on nearly ballistic trajectories, escape entirely from the moon or asteroid if the initial velocity is large, or in some cases be stably levitated for extended periods of time. All three outcomes have observable consequences. Furthermore, the behavior of charged dust near the surface has practical implications for planned future manned and unmanned activities on the lunar surface. Charged dust particles also act as sensitive probes of the near-surface plasma environment. Recent numerical modeling of dust levitation and transport show that charged micron-sized dust is likely to accumulate in topographic lows such as craters, providing a mechanism for the creation of dust "ponds" observed on the asteroid 433 Eros. Such deposition can occur when particles are supported by the photoelectron sheath above the dayside and drift over shadowed regions of craters where the surface potential is much smaller. Earlier studies of the lunar horizon glow are consistent with those particles being on simple ballistic trajectories following electrostatic launching from the surface. Smaller particles may be accelerated from the lunar surface to high altitudes consistent with observations of high altitude

Grain dust and the lungs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan-Yeung, M.; Ashley, M. J.; Grzybowski, S.

1978-01-01

Grain dust is composed of a large number of materials, including various types of grain and their disintegration products, silica, fungi, insects and mites. The clinical syndromes described in relation to exposure to grain dust are chronic bronchitis, grain dust asthma, extrinsic allergic alveolitis, grain fever and silo-filler's lung. Rhinitis and conjunctivitis are also common in grain workers. While the concentration and the quality of dust influence the frequency and the type of clinical syndrome in grain workers, host factors are also important. Of the latter, smoking is the most important factor influencing the frequency of chronic bronchitis. The role of atopy and of bronchial hyperreactivity in grain dust asthma has yet to be assessed. Several well designed studies are currently being carried out in North America not only to delineate the frequency of the respiratory abnormalities, the pathogenetic mechanisms and the host factors, but also to establish a meaningful threshold limit concentration for grain dust. Images p1272-a PMID:348288

LADEE LUNAR DUST EXPERIMENT

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This archive bundle includes data taken by the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) instrument aboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft....

Combustible dust tests

Science.gov (United States)

The sugar dust explosion in Georgia on February 7, 2008 killed 14 workers and injured many others (OSHA, 2009). As a consequence of this explosion, OSHA revised its Combustible Dust National Emphasis (NEP) program. The NEP targets 64 industries with more than 1,000 inspections and has found more tha...

Dust particle formation in silane plasmas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sorokin, M.

2005-01-01

Dust can be found anywhere: in the kitchen, in the car, in space… Not surprisingly we also see dust in commercial and laboratory plasmas. Dust can be introduced in the plasma, but it can also grow there by itself. In the microelectronics industry, contamination of the processing plasma by dust is an

Optical and microphysical properties of natural mineral dust and anthropogenic soil dust near dust source regions over northwestern China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Wen, Hui; Shi, Jinsen; Bi, Jianrong; Huang, Zhongwei; Zhang, Beidou; Zhou, Tian; Fu, Kaiqi; Chen, Quanliang; Xin, Jinyuan

2018-02-01

Mineral dust aerosols (MDs) not only influence the climate by scattering and absorbing solar radiation but also modify cloud properties and change the ecosystem. From 3 April to 16 May 2014, a ground-based mobile laboratory was deployed to measure the optical and microphysical properties of MDs near dust source regions in Wuwei, Zhangye, and Dunhuang (in chronological order) along the Hexi Corridor over northwestern China. Throughout this dust campaign, the hourly averaged (±standard deviation) aerosol scattering coefficients (σsp, 550 nm) of the particulates with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) at these three sites were sequentially 101.5 ± 36.8, 182.2 ± 433.1, and 54.0 ± 32.0 Mm-1. Correspondingly, the absorption coefficients (σap, 637 nm) were 9.7 ± 6.1, 6.0 ± 4.6, and 2.3 ± 0.9 Mm-1; single-scattering albedos (ω, 637 nm) were 0.902 ± 0.025, 0.931 ± 0.037, and 0.949 ± 0.020; and scattering Ångström exponents (Åsp, 450-700 nm) of PM2.5 were 1.28 ± 0.27, 0.77 ± 0.51, and 0.52 ± 0.31. During a severe dust storm in Zhangye (i.e., from 23 to 25 April), the highest values of σsp2.5 ( ˜ 5074 Mm-1), backscattering coefficient (σbsp2.5, ˜ 522 Mm-1), and ω637 ( ˜ 0.993) and the lowest values of backscattering fraction (b2.5, ˜ 0.101) at 550 nm and Åsp2.5 ( ˜ -0.046) at 450-700 nm, with peak values of aerosol number size distribution (appearing at the particle diameter range of 1-3 µm), exhibited that the atmospheric aerosols were dominated by coarse-mode dust aerosols. It is hypothesized that the relatively higher values of mass scattering efficiency during floating dust episodes in Wuwei and Zhangye are attributed to the anthropogenic soil dust produced by agricultural cultivations.

Revisiting chameleon gravity: Thin-shell and no-shell fields with appropriate boundary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamaki, Takashi; Tsujikawa, Shinji

2008-01-01

We derive analytic solutions of a chameleon scalar field φ that couples to a nonrelativistic matter in the weak gravitational background of a spherically symmetric body, paying particular attention to a field mass m A inside of the body. The standard thin-shell field profile is recovered by taking the limit m A r c →∞, where r c is a radius of the body. We show the existence of ''no-shell'' solutions where the field is nearly frozen in the whole interior of the body, which does not necessarily correspond to the 'zero-shell' limit of thin-shell solutions. In the no-shell case, under the condition m A r c >>1, the effective coupling of φ with matter takes the same asymptotic form as that in the thin-shell case. We study experimental bounds coming from the violation of equivalence principle as well as solar-system tests for a number of models including f(R) gravity and find that the field is in either the thin-shell or the no-shell regime under such constraints, depending on the shape of scalar-field potentials. We also show that, for the consistency with local gravity constraints, the field at the center of the body needs to be extremely close to the value φ A at the extremum of an effective potential induced by the matter coupling.

Four Interstellar Dust Candidates from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

Science.gov (United States)

Westphal, A. J.; Allen, C.; Bajt, S.; Bechtel, H. A.; Borg, J.; Brenker, F.; Bridges, J.; Brownlee, D. E.; Burchell, M.; Burghammer, M.;