Wide-field infrared survey explorer observations of young stellar objects in the Lynds 1509 dark cloud in Auriga

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Wilson M.; McCollum, Bruce; Fajardo-Acosta, Sergio [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, MC 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Padgett, Deborah L. [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 665, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Terebey, Susan; Angione, John [Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (United States); Rebull, Luisa M. [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, MC 314-6, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Leisawitz, David, E-mail: wliu@ipac.caltech.edu [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 605, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2014-06-01

The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has uncovered a striking cluster of young stellar object (YSO) candidates associated with the L1509 dark cloud in Auriga. The WISE observations, at 3.4 μm, 4.6 μm, 12 μm, and 22 μm, show a number of objects with colors consistent with YSOs, and their spectral energy distributions suggest the presence of circumstellar dust emission, including numerous Class I, flat spectrum, and Class II objects. In general, the YSOs in L1509 are much more tightly clustered than YSOs in other dark clouds in the Taurus-Auriga star forming region, with Class I and flat spectrum objects confined to the densest aggregates, and Class II objects more sparsely distributed. We estimate a most probable distance of 485-700 pc, and possibly as far as the previously estimated distance of 2 kpc.

Organic Species in Infrared Dark Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Vasyunina, T.; Vasyunin, A. I.; Herbst, Eric; Linz, Hendrik; Voronkov, Maxim; Britton, Tui; Zinchenko, Igor; Schuller, Frederic

2014-01-01

It is currently assumed that infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) represent the earliest evolutionary stages of high-mass stars (>8 M ⊙). Submillimeter and millimeter-wave studies performed over the past 15 yr show that IRDCs possess a broad variety of properties, and hence a wide range of problems and questions that can be tackled. In this paper, we report an investigation of the molecular composition and chemical processes in two groups of IRDCs. Using the Mopra, APEX, and IRAM radio telescopes over the last four years, we have collected molecular line data for CO, H2CO, HNCO, CH3CCH, CH3OH, CH3CHO, CH3OCHO, and CH3OCH3. For all of these species we estimated molecular abundances. We then undertook chemical modeling studies, concentrating on the source IRDC028.34+0.06, and compared observed and modeled abundances. This comparison showed that to reproduce observed abundances of complex organic molecules, a zero-dimensional gas-grain model with constant physical conditions is not sufficient. We achieved greater success with the use of a warm-up model, in which warm-up from 10 K to 30 K occurs following a cold phase. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM 30 m Telescope. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). This publication is based on data acquired with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX). APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, the European Southern Observatory, and the Onsala Space Observatory. The 22 m Mopra antenna is part of the Australia Telescope, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia for operations as a National Facility managed by CSIRO. The University of New South Wales Digital Filter Bank used for the observations with the Mopra Telescope was provided with support from the Australian Research Council.

The Sequential Growth of Star Formation Seeds in the Galactic Snake : Infrared Dark Cloud G11.11-0.12

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Ke; Zhang, Qizhou; Testi, Leonardo; Wu, Yuefang; Zhang, Huawei; van der Tak, Floris; Pillai, Thushara; Wyrowski, Friedrich; Carey, Sean; Ragan, Sarah; Henning, Thomas

We present Submillimeter Array (SMA) 1.3 and 0.88 mm broad band observations, and Very Large Array (VLA) observations in NH3 (J,K) = (1,1) up to (5,5), as well as H2O and CH3OH maser lines toward the two most massive molecular clumps in Infrared Dark Cloud (IRDC) G11.11-0.12, also known as the Snake

MAGNETICALLY DOMINATED PARALLEL INTERSTELLAR FILAMENTS IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225-0.506

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Fábio P.; Busquet, Gemma; Girart, Josep Miquel; Franco, Gabriel A. P.; Zhang, Qizhou

2016-01-01

The infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506 (IRDC G14.2) displays a remarkable complex of parallel dense molecular filaments projected on the plane of the sky. Previous studies of dust emission and molecular lines have speculated whether magnetic fields could have played an important role in the formation of such elongated structures, which are hosts to numerous young stellar sources. In this work we have conducted a vast polarimetric survey at optical and near-infrared wavelengths in order to study the morphology of magnetic field lines in IRDC G14.2 through the observation of background stars. The orientation of interstellar polarization, which traces magnetic field lines, is perpendicular to most of the filamentary features within the cloud. Additionally, the larger-scale molecular cloud as a whole exhibits an elongated shape also perpendicular to magnetic fields. Estimates of magnetic field strengths indicate values in the range 320–550 μ G, which allow sub-alfvénic conditions, but do not prevent the gravitational collapse of hub–filament structures, which in general are close to the critical state. These characteristics suggest that magnetic fields played the main role in regulating the collapse from large to small scales, leading to the formation of series of parallel elongated structures. The morphology is also consistent with numerical simulations that show how gravitational instabilities develop when subjected to strong magnetic fields. Finally, the results corroborate the hypothesis that strong support from internal magnetic fields might explain why the cloud seems to be contracting on a timescale 2–3 times longer than what is expected from a free-fall collapse.

MAGNETICALLY DOMINATED PARALLEL INTERSTELLAR FILAMENTS IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225-0.506

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Fábio P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Busquet, Gemma; Girart, Josep Miquel [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, S/N E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalunya (Spain); Franco, Gabriel A. P. [Departamento de Física—ICEx—UFMG, Caixa Postal 702, 30.123-970 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Zhang, Qizhou, E-mail: fabiops@northwestern.edu, E-mail: busquet@ice.cat, E-mail: girart@ice.cat, E-mail: franco@fisica.ufmg.br, E-mail: qzhang@cfa.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60, Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2016-12-01

The infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506 (IRDC G14.2) displays a remarkable complex of parallel dense molecular filaments projected on the plane of the sky. Previous studies of dust emission and molecular lines have speculated whether magnetic fields could have played an important role in the formation of such elongated structures, which are hosts to numerous young stellar sources. In this work we have conducted a vast polarimetric survey at optical and near-infrared wavelengths in order to study the morphology of magnetic field lines in IRDC G14.2 through the observation of background stars. The orientation of interstellar polarization, which traces magnetic field lines, is perpendicular to most of the filamentary features within the cloud. Additionally, the larger-scale molecular cloud as a whole exhibits an elongated shape also perpendicular to magnetic fields. Estimates of magnetic field strengths indicate values in the range 320–550 μ G, which allow sub-alfvénic conditions, but do not prevent the gravitational collapse of hub–filament structures, which in general are close to the critical state. These characteristics suggest that magnetic fields played the main role in regulating the collapse from large to small scales, leading to the formation of series of parallel elongated structures. The morphology is also consistent with numerical simulations that show how gravitational instabilities develop when subjected to strong magnetic fields. Finally, the results corroborate the hypothesis that strong support from internal magnetic fields might explain why the cloud seems to be contracting on a timescale 2–3 times longer than what is expected from a free-fall collapse.

Star formation in the Monoceros OB1 dark cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margulis, M.S.

1987-01-01

A survey of the Monoceros OB1 dark cloud was made for molecular outflows and young stellar objects. In all, nine molecular outflows and thirty far-infrared sources were identified in a portion of the cloud composed of about 3 x 10 4 M of material. Statistical arguments suggest that 90% of the far-infrared sources actually are young stellar objects embedded in the cloud. If the star formation rate in the Mon OB1 cloud is roughly constant with time, then molecular outflows in the cloud should be able to support it against collapse due to gravity. This suggests that the birthrate of outflows in the solar neighborhood is very high. In fact, regardless of considerations of cloud support, the large number of outflows identified in the Mon OB1 cloud and the propensity of the youngest stellar objects in the cloud to be associated with outflows suggest that outflows have a high birthrate in the solar neighborhood and are part of a common stage in early stellar evolution. The young stellar objects identified in the cloud can be fit into a spectral classification system. Also, the outflow phase in early stellar evolution tends to occur at about the time that young stellar objects lose a large fraction of their circumstellar envelopes

Infrared polarimetry of dark clouds: Pt. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Motohide; Yamashita, Takuya; Sato, Shuji; Nagata, Tetsuya

1988-01-01

The K-band polarization of 15 infrared sources toward the NGC 1333 region has been measured. The distribution of the position angles of polarization vectors is bimodal: one component, composed of the majority (80 per cent) of the observed infrared sources, has a centre at a position angle of 125 0 ± 30 0 , while the other component, composed of three sources (HH7-11 IRS, SGS 1 and LkHα 271), shows position angles of 40 0 ± 20 0 , nearly perpendicular to the first. We assign the origin of the former component to the magnetic field threading the NGC 1333 region, and that of the latter to the anisotropic reflection nebulosity associated with those young stellar objects. The perpendicularity of the position angles between field stars and young stellar objects suggests that star formation and cloud evolution in the NGC 1333 region might have occurred under the influence of the magnetic field. (author)

Infrared spectroscopy of dust in the Taurus dark clouds: ice and silicates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittet, D.C.B.; Adamson, A.J.; McFadzean, A.D.; Aitken, D.K.

1988-01-01

Low-resolution spectra are presented of the 3 μm water-ice and 10 μm silicate dust features for stars in the direction of the extensive dark cloud complex in Taurus. A total of 22 stars were observed at 3 μm, and 16 at 10 μm. Our sample includes both dust-embedded objects and background field stars seen through the cloud. New and previously published results are combined to investigate the correlation of the strengths of both features with visual extinction A v , and we demonstrate the existence of a very close linear correlation between the peak optical depth in the 3 μm feature and A v for field stars. Ice is detected in all cases where A v exceeds a threshold value of 3.3 ± 0.1 mag, a result which provides a firm observational basis for models of volatile mantle growth on grains in the dark cloud environment. In contrast, the silicate feature is rather poorly correlated with A v . (author)

Solid CO in the Taurus dark clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittet, D.C.B.; McFadzean, A.D.

1985-01-01

The infrared vibrational feature of solid state CO at 4.67 μm wavelength is detected towards five sources in or behind the dark cloud complex in Taurus. A comparison with millimetre-wave data suggests that a significant fraction (up to 40 per cent) of the CO may be depleted on to grains. The adjacent CN feature at 4.62 μm observed in W33A by previous authors is absent from the present spectra, suggesting that the grain mantles in Taurus are unannealed. (author)

15N fractionation in infrared-dark cloud cores

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, S.; Jiménez-Serra, I.; Cosentino, G.; Viti, S.; Barnes, A. T.; Henshaw, J. D.; Caselli, P.; Fontani, F.; Hily-Blant, P.

2017-07-01

Context. Nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the Universe and its 14N/15N isotopic ratio has the potential to provide information about the initial environment in which our Sun formed. Recent findings suggest that the solar system may have formed in a massive cluster since the presence of short-lived radioisotopes in meteorites can only be explained by the influence of a supernova. Aims: We seek to determine the 14N/15N ratio towards a sample of cold and dense cores at the initial stages in their evolution. Methods: We observed the J = 1 → 0 transitions of HCN, H13CN, HC15N, HN13C, and H15NC towards a sample of 22 cores in four infrared-dark clouds (IRDCs) which are believed to be the precursors of high-mass stars and star clusters. Assuming LTE and a temperature of 15 K, the column densities of HCN, H13CN, HC15N, HN13C, and H15NC are calculated and their 14N/15N ratio is determined for each core. Results: The 14N/15N ratios measured in our sample of IRDC cores range between 70 and ≥763 in HCN and between 161 and 541 in HNC. These ratios are consistent with the terrestrial atmosphere (TA) and protosolar nebula (PSN) values, and with the ratios measured in low-mass prestellar cores. However, the 14N/15N ratios measured in cores C1, C3, F1, F2, and G2 do not agree with the results from similar studies towards the same cores using nitrogen bearing molecules with nitrile functional group (-CN) and nitrogen hydrides (-NH) although the ratio spread covers a similar range. Conclusions: Relatively low 14N/15N ratios amongst the four-IRDCs were measured in IRDC G which are comparable to those measured in small cosmomaterials and protoplanetary disks. The low average gas density of this cloud suggests that the gas density, rather than the gas temperature, may be the dominant parameter influencing the initial nitrogen isotopic composition in young PSN. The reduced spectra (FITS files) are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http

STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY OF CORES WITHIN INFRARED DARK CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, E. T.; Jackson, J. M.; Rathborne, J. M.; Simon, R.

2009-01-01

Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) contain compact cores which probably host the early stages of high-mass star formation. Many of these cores contain regions of extended, enhanced 4.5 μm emission, the so-called 'green fuzzies', which indicate shocked gas. Many cores also contain 24 μm emission, presumably from heated dust which indicates embedded protostars. Because 'green fuzzies' and 24 μm point sources both indicate star formation, we have developed an algorithm to identify star-forming cores within IRDCs by searching for the simultaneous presence of these two distinct indicators. We employ this algorithm on a sample of 190 cores found toward IRDCs, and classify the cores as 'active' if they contain a green fuzzy coincident with an embedded 24 μm source, and as 'quiescent' if they contain neither IR signature. We hypothesize that the 'quiescent' cores represent the earliest 'preprotostellar' (starless) core phase, before the development of a warm protostar, and that the 'active' cores represent a later phase, after the development of a protostar. We test this idea by comparing the sizes, densities, and maser activity of the 'active' and 'quiescent' cores. We find that, on average, 'active' cores have smaller sizes, higher densities, and more pronounced water and methanol maser activity than the 'quiescent' cores. This is expected if the 'quiescent' cores are in an earlier evolutionary state than the 'active' cores. The masses of 'active' cores suggest that they may be forming high-mass stars. The highest mass 'quiescent' cores are excellent candidates for the elusive high-mass starless cores.

Radio continuum interferometry of dark clouds: A search for newly formed HII regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilmore, W.S.

1978-01-01

A search for compact HII regions embedded in dark clouds has been carried out in an effort to study local massive star formation. Approximately 20% of the total area of opaque dark cloud material in the sky with Av greater than or equal to 6 mag was surveyed with the NRAO three-element interferometer at 2695 MHz, and at least 5% more was surveyed with the NRAO 300-foot telescope at 4750 MHz. The regions surveyed include the dark cloud complexes in Perseus, Taurus, Orion, and Ophiuchus, as well as several smaller cloud complexes and individual clouds. No hidden compact HII regions embedded inside dark clouds were detected with certainty in the radio continuum. However, eleven HII regions with associated visible emission and eighteen other possible HII regions were detected. Five infrared sources thought to have the luminosities of early B stars were not detected in the radio continuum. These five sources showed high correlation with the presence of CO self-absorption, CO emission over a wide range of velocities, and type I OH masers, but an absence of coincident visible nebulosity and detectable radio continuum emission. Therefore, it is suggested that they represent an earlier evolutionary stage than those HII region detected in the radio continuum. This first evolutionary state marks the presence of ''pre-emergent'' (with respect to the molecular cloud) cocoon stars. HII regions in the second evolutionary state are marked by the presence of detectable radio continuum emission, i.e., they are stronger than 10 mJy at 2695 MHz. They have associated visible nebulosity, are relatively large, and appear to be located at the edges of molecular clouds. These are designated as ''emergent edge'' HII regions. The fact that many young HII regions are edge HII regions implies that massive stars are born near the edges of clouds, a phenomenon previously suggested by several other investigators

Subsonic islands within a high-mass star-forming infrared dark cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolov, Vlas; Wang, Ke; Pineda, Jaime E.; Caselli, Paola; Henshaw, Jonathan D.; Barnes, Ashley T.; Tan, Jonathan C.; Fontani, Francesco; Jiménez-Serra, Izaskun; Zhang, Qizhou

2018-03-01

High-mass star forming regions are typically thought to be dominated by supersonic motions. We present combined Very Large Array and Green Bank Telescope (VLA+GBT) observations of NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) in the infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G035.39-00.33, tracing cold and dense gas down to scales of 0.07 pc. We find that, in contrast to previous, similar studies of IRDCs, more than a third of the fitted ammonia spectra show subsonic non-thermal motions (mean line width of 0.71 km s-1), and sonic Mach number distribution peaks around ℳ = 1. As possible observational and instrumental biases would only broaden the line profiles, our results provide strong upper limits to the actual value of ℳ, further strengthening our findings of narrow line widths. This finding calls for a re-evaluation of the role of turbulent dissipation and subsonic regions in massive-star and cluster formation. Based on our findings in G035.39, we further speculate that the coarser spectral resolution used in the previous VLA NH3 studies may have inhibited the detection of subsonic turbulence in IRDCs. The reduced turbulent support suggests that dynamically important magnetic fields of the 1 mG order would be required to support against possible gravitational collapse. Our results offer valuable input into the theories and simulations that aim to recreate the initial conditions of high-mass star and cluster formation.

A STATISTICAL STUDY OF THE MASS AND DENSITY STRUCTURE OF INFRARED DARK CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peretto, N.; Fuller, G. A.

2010-01-01

How and when the mass distribution of stars in the Galaxy is set is one of the main issues of modern astronomy. Here, we present a statistical study of mass and density distributions of infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) and fragments within them. These regions are pristine molecular gas structures and progenitors of stars and so provide insights into the initial conditions of star formation. This study makes use of an IRDC catalog, the largest sample of IRDC column density maps to date, containing a total of ∼11,000 IRDCs with column densities exceeding N H 2 = 1x10 22 cm -2 and over 50,000 single-peaked IRDC fragments. The large number of objects constitutes an important strength of this study, allowing a detailed analysis of the completeness of the sample and so statistically robust conclusions. Using a statistical approach to assigning distances to clouds, the mass and density distributions of the clouds and the fragments within them are constructed. The mass distributions show a steepening of the slope when switching from IRDCs to fragments, in agreement with previous results of similar structures. IRDCs and fragments are divided into unbound/bound objects by assuming Larson's relation and calculating their virial parameter. IRDCs are mostly gravitationally bound, while a significant fraction of the fragments are not. The density distribution of gravitationally unbound fragments shows a steep characteristic slope such as ΔN/Δlog(n) ∝ n -4.0±0.5 , rather independent of the range of fragment mass. However, the incompleteness limit at a number density of ∼10 3 cm -3 does not allow us to exclude a potential lognormal density distribution. In contrast, gravitationally bound fragments show a characteristic density peak at n ≅ 10 4 cm -3 but the shape of the density distributions changes with the range of fragment masses. An explanation for this could be the differential dynamical evolution of the fragment density with respect to their mass as more massive

Using far-infrared limb brightening to probe isolated dark globules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, C.M.; O'brien, E.V.; Dubisch, R.

1989-01-01

The problem of radiation transport in dark globules with or without internal heat source, immersed in an isotropic incident interstellar radiation field, is solved. The phenomenon of infrared limb brightening, its dependence on cloud properties, and its observational implications are addressed. Numerical results regarding the dependence of limb brightening on total cloud opacity, luminosity of internal heat source, grain type, dust density distribution, and wavelength of emitted radiation are discussed. Observational implications concerning the use of limb brightening to place an upper limit on the luminosity of an embedded protostar and to determine the grain emissivity law in the far-infrared are examined. For sufficiently large optical depth, the limb-brightening ratio (LBR) is found to be related to the optical depth by a power-law relation in the 140-300 micron wavelength range, where thermal emission from grains peaks. By observing the LBR in this range, this power-law relationship can be exploited to determine the emissivity law of the dust grain in the far-infrared. Both the LBR and the longest wavelength for which limb brightening still occurs are related linearly to the luminosity of the central source. 37 references

On the Efficiency of Grain Alignment in Dark Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Lazarian, A.; Goodman, Alyssa A.; Myers, Philip C.

1997-11-01

A quantitative analysis of grain alignment in the filamentary dark cloud L1755 in Ophiuchus is presented. We show that the observed decrease of the polarization-to-extinction ratio for the inner parts of this quiescent dark cloud can be explained as a result of the decrease of the efficiency of grain alignment. We make quantitative estimates of grain alignment efficiency for six mechanisms involving grains with either thermal or suprathermal rotation, interacting with either magnetic field or gaseous flow. We also make semiquantitative estimates of grain alignment by radiative torques. We show that in conditions typical of dark cloud interiors, all known major mechanisms of grain alignment fail. All the studied mechanisms predict polarization at least an order of magnitude below the currently detectable levels of ~1%. On the contrary, in the dark cloud environments where Av sight, including the interiors of dark quiescent clouds, where no alignment is possible. We dedicate this paper to the memory of Edward M. Purcell and Lyman Spitzer, Jr., two pioneers in the quantitative study of the interstellar medium.

Searching for Dark Matter Annihilation in the Smith High-Velocity Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Gomez-Vargas, German A.; Hewitt, John W.; Linden, Tim; Tibaldo, Luigi

2014-01-01

Recent observations suggest that some high-velocity clouds may be confined by massive dark matter halos. In particular, the proximity and proposed dark matter content of the Smith Cloud make it a tempting target for the indirect detection of dark matter annihilation. We argue that the Smith Cloud may be a better target than some Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies and use gamma-ray observations from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for a dark matter annihilation signal. No significant gamma-ray excess is found coincident with the Smith Cloud, and we set strong limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section assuming a spatially extended dark matter profile consistent with dynamical modeling of the Smith Cloud. Notably, these limits exclude the canonical thermal relic cross section (approximately 3 x 10 (sup -26) cubic centimeters per second) for dark matter masses less than or approximately 30 gigaelectronvolts annihilating via the B/B- bar oscillation or tau/antitau channels for certain assumptions of the dark matter density profile; however, uncertainties in the dark matter content of the Smith Cloud may significantly weaken these constraints.

Searching for dark matter annihilation in the Smith high-velocity cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Gómez-Vargas, Germán A.; Hewitt, John W.; Linden, Tim; Tibaldo, Luigi

2014-01-01

Recent observations suggest that some high-velocity clouds may be confined by massive dark matter halos. In particular, the proximity and proposed dark matter content of the Smith Cloud make it a tempting target for the indirect detection of dark matter annihilation. We argue that the Smith Cloud may be a better target than some Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies and use γ-ray observations from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for a dark matter annihilation signal. No significant γ-ray excess is found coincident with the Smith Cloud, and we set strong limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section assuming a spatially extended dark matter profile consistent with dynamical modeling of the Smith Cloud. Notably, these limits exclude the canonical thermal relic cross section (∼ 3 × 10 –26 cm 3 s –1 ) for dark matter masses ≲ 30 GeV annihilating via the b b-bar or τ + τ – channels for certain assumptions of the dark matter density profile; however, uncertainties in the dark matter content of the Smith Cloud may significantly weaken these constraints.

Searching for dark matter annihilation in the Smith high-velocity cloud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drlica-Wagner, Alex [Center for Particle Astrophysics, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Gómez-Vargas, Germán A. [Departamento de Fisíca, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago (Chile); Hewitt, John W. [CRESST, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States); Linden, Tim [The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Tibaldo, Luigi [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)

2014-07-20

Recent observations suggest that some high-velocity clouds may be confined by massive dark matter halos. In particular, the proximity and proposed dark matter content of the Smith Cloud make it a tempting target for the indirect detection of dark matter annihilation. We argue that the Smith Cloud may be a better target than some Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies and use γ-ray observations from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for a dark matter annihilation signal. No significant γ-ray excess is found coincident with the Smith Cloud, and we set strong limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section assuming a spatially extended dark matter profile consistent with dynamical modeling of the Smith Cloud. Notably, these limits exclude the canonical thermal relic cross section (∼ 3 × 10{sup –26} cm{sup 3} s{sup –1}) for dark matter masses ≲ 30 GeV annihilating via the b b-bar or τ{sup +}τ{sup –} channels for certain assumptions of the dark matter density profile; however, uncertainties in the dark matter content of the Smith Cloud may significantly weaken these constraints.

Interstellar extinction in the dark Taurus clouds. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straizys, V.; Meistas, E.

1980-01-01

The results of photoelectric photometry of 74 stars in the Vilnius seven-color system in the area of Taurus dark clouds with coordinates (1950) 4sup(h)20sup(m)-4sup(h)48sup(m)+24 0 .5-+27 0 are presented. Photometric spectral types, absolute magnitudes, color excesses, interstellar extinctions and distances of the stars are determined. The dark cloud Khavtassi 286, 278 and the surrounding absorbing nebulae are found to extend from 140 to 175 pc from the sun. The average interstellar extinction Asub(V) on both sides of the dark cloud is of the order of 1sup(m).5. We find no evidence of the existence of several absorbing clouds situated at various distances. (author)

CN in dark clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churchwell, E.; Bieging, J.H.

1983-01-01

We have detected CN (N = 1--0) emission toward six locations in the Taurus dark cloud complex, but not toward L183 or B227. The two hyperfine components, F = 3/2--1/2 and F = 5/2--3/2 (of J = 3/2--1/2), have intensity ratios near unity toward four locations in Taurus, consistent with large line optical depths. CN column densities are found to be > or approx. =6 x 10 13 cm -2 in those directions where the hyperfine ratios are near unity. By comparing CN with NH 3 and C 18 O column densities, we find that the relative abundance of CN in the Taurus cloudlets is at least a factor of 10 greater than in L183. In this respect, CN fits the pattern of enhanced abundances of carbon-bearing molecules (in partricular the cyanopolyynes) in the Taurus cloudlets relative to similar dark clouds outside Taurus

The dynamical state of the Serpens South filamentary infrared dark cloud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, Tomohiro; Awazu, Yuya; Onishi, Toshikazu [Department of Physical Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Gakuen 1-1, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531 (Japan); Nakamura, Fumitaka; Kawabe, Ryohei [National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Shimajiri, Yoshito [Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Minamimaki, Minamisaku, Nagano 384-1805 (Japan); Sugitani, Koji [Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Nagoya City University, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8501 (Japan); Yoshida, Hiroshige [Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, 111 Nowelo Street, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Higuchi, Aya E., E-mail: fumitaka.nakamura@nao.ac.jp [Joint ALMA Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107 OFC 129, Vitacura (Chile)

2013-11-20

We present the results of N{sub 2}H{sup +} (J = 1-0) observations toward Serpens South, the nearest cluster-forming, infrared dark cloud. The physical quantities are derived by fitting the hyperfine structure of N{sub 2}H{sup +}. The Herschel and 1.1 mm continuum maps show that a parsec-scale filament fragments into three clumps with radii of 0.1-0.2 pc and masses of 40-230 M {sub ☉}. We find that the clumps contain smaller-scale (∼0.04 pc) structures, i.e., dense cores. We identify 70 cores by applying CLUMPFIND to the N{sub 2}H{sup +} data cube. In the central cluster-forming clump, the excitation temperature and line-width tend to be large, presumably due to protostellar outflow feedback and stellar radiation. However, for all the clumps, the virial ratios are evaluated to be 0.1-0.3, indicating that the internal motions play only a minor role in the clump support. The clumps exhibit no free fall but exhibit low-velocity infall, and thus the clumps should be supported by additional forces. The most promising force is the globally ordered magnetic field observed toward this region. We propose that the Serpens South filament was close to magnetically critical and ambipolar diffusion triggered the cluster formation. We find that the northern clump, which shows no active star formation, has a mass and radius comparable to the central cluster-forming clump and is therefore a likely candidate of a pre-protocluster clump. The initial condition for cluster formation is likely to be a magnetically supported clump of cold, quiescent gas. This appears to contradict the accretion-driven turbulence scenario, for which the turbulence in the clumps is maintained by the accretion flow.

La Freccia Rossa: An IR-dark cloud hosting the Milky Way intermediate-mass black hole candidate

Science.gov (United States)

Ravi, Vikram; Vedantham, Harish; Phinney, E. Sterl

2018-05-01

The dynamics of the high-velocity compact molecular cloud CO-0.40-0.22 have been interpreted as evidence for a ˜105M⊙ black hole within 60 pc of Sgr A*. Recently, Oka et al. have identified a compact millimetre-continuum source, CO-0.40-0.22*, with this candidate black hole. Here we present a collation of radio and infrared data at this location. ATCA constraints on the radio spectrum, and the detection of a mid-infrared counterpart, are in tension with an Sgr A*-like model for CO-0.40-0.22* despite the comparable bolometric to Eddington luminosity ratios under the IMBH interpretation. A protostellar-disk scenario is, however, tenable. CO-0.40-0.22(*) is positionally coincident with an arrowhead-shaped infrared-dark cloud (which we call the Freccia Rossa). If the VLSR ≈ 70 km s-1 systemic velocity of CO-0.40-0.22 is common to the entire Freccia Rossa system, we hypothesise that it is the remnant of a high-velocity cloud that has plunged into the Milky Way from the Galactic halo.

THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AROUND IRAS 17599–2148: INFRARED DARK CLOUD AND BIPOLAR NEBULA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewangan, L. K.; Janardhan, P. [Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380 009 (India); Ojha, D. K. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Zinchenko, I. [Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanov st., Nizhny Novgorod 603950 (Russian Federation); Ghosh, S. K. [National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007 (India); Luna, A., E-mail: lokeshd@prl.res.in [Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro # 1, Tonantzintla, Puebla, C.P. 72840 (Mexico)

2016-12-20

We present a multiscale and multiwavelength study to investigate the star formation process around IRAS 17599–2148, which is part of an elongated filamentary structure (EFS) (extension ∼21 pc) seen in the Herschel maps. Using the Herschel data analysis, at least six massive clumps (M {sub clump} ∼ 777–7024 M {sub ⊙}) are found in the EFS with a range of temperature and column density of ∼16–39 K and ∼(0.6–11) × 10{sup 22} cm{sup −2} (A {sub V}  ∼ 7–117 mag), respectively. The EFS hosts cold gas regions (i.e., infrared dark cloud) without any radio detection and a bipolar nebula (BN) linked with the H ii region IRAS 17599–2148, tracing two distinct environments inferred through the temperature distribution and ionized emission. Based on virial analysis and higher values of self-gravitating pressure, the clumps are found unstable against gravitational collapse. We find 474 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the selected region, and ∼72% of these YSOs are found in the clusters distributed mainly toward the clumps in the EFS. These YSOs might have spontaneously formed due to processes not related to the expanding H ii region. At the edges of BN, four additional clumps are also associated with YSO clusters, which appear to be influenced by the expanding H ii region. The most massive clump in the EFS contains two compact radio sources traced in the Giant Metre-wave Radio Telescope 1.28 GHz map and a massive protostar candidate, IRS 1, prior to an ultracompact H ii phase. Using the Very Large Telescope/NACO near-infrared images, IRS 1 is resolved with a jet-like feature within a 4200 au scale.

UNVEILING A NETWORK OF PARALLEL FILAMENTS IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225-0.506

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Busquet, Gemma [INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Zhang, Qizhou; Ho, Paul T. P. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Palau, Aina; Girart, Josep M. [Institut de Ciencies de l' Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Facultat de Ciencies, Torre C-5 parell, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalunya (Spain); Liu, Hauyu Baobab [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Sanchez-Monge, Alvaro [INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-05125 Firenze (Italy); Estalella, Robert [Departament d' Astronomia i Meteorologia, Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos (ICC), Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB), Marti i Franques 1, E-08028 Barcelona, Catalunya (Spain); De Gregorio-Monsalvo, Itziar [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Pillai, Thushara [Caltech Astronomy Department, MC 249-17, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Wyrowski, Friedrich [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Santos, Fabio P.; Franco, Gabriel A. P., E-mail: gemma.busquet@iaps.inaf.it [Departamento de Fisica-ICEx-UFMG, Caixa Postal 702, 30.123-970 Belo Horizonte-MG (Brazil)

2013-02-20

We present the results of combined NH{sub 3} (1,1) and (2,2) line emission observed with the Very Large Array and the Effelsberg 100 m telescope of the infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506. The NH{sub 3} emission reveals a network of filaments constituting two hub-filament systems. Hubs are associated with gas of rotational temperature T{sub rot} {approx} 15 K, non-thermal velocity dispersion {sigma}{sub NT} {approx} 1 km s{sup -1}, and exhibit signs of star formation, while filaments appear to be more quiescent (T{sub rot} {approx} 11 K and {sigma}{sub NT} {approx} 0.6 km s{sup -1}). Filaments are parallel in projection and distributed mainly along two directions, at P.A. {approx} 10 Degree-Sign and 60 Degree-Sign , and appear to be coherent in velocity. The averaged projected separation between adjacent filaments is between 0.5 pc and 1 pc, and the mean width of filaments is 0.12 pc. Cores within filaments are separated by {approx}0.33 {+-} 0.09 pc, which is consistent with the predicted fragmentation of an isothermal gas cylinder due to the {sup s}ausage{sup -}type instability. The network of parallel filaments observed in G14.225-0.506 is consistent with the gravitational instability of a thin gas layer threaded by magnetic fields. Overall, our data suggest that magnetic fields might play an important role in the alignment of filaments, and polarization measurements in the entire cloud would lend further support to this scenario.

OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED SHOCKS IN THE L988 CLOUD COMPLEX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walawender, J.; Reipurth, B.; Bally, J.

2013-01-01

We have searched the Lynds 988 dark cloud complex for optical (Hα and [S II]) and near-IR (H 2 2.12 μm) shocks from protostellar outflows. We find 20 new Herbig-Haro objects and 6 new H 2 shocks (MHO objects), 3 of which are cross detections. Using the morphology in the optical and near-IR, we connect several of these shocks into at least five distinct outflow systems and identify their source protostars from catalogs of infrared sources. Two outflows in the cloud, from IRAS 21014+5001 and IRAS 21007+4951, are in excess of 1 pc in length. The IRAS 21007+4951 outflow has carved a large cavity in the cloud through which background stars can be seen. Also, we have found an optical shock which is the counterflow to the previously discovered ''northwest outflow'' from LkHα 324SE

VERY LARGE ARRAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G19.30+0.07

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devine, K. E.; Churchwell, E.; Chandler, C. J.; Borg, K. J.; Brogan, C.; Indebetouw, R.; Shirley, Y.

2011-01-01

We present Very Large Array observations of ammonia (NH 3 ) (1,1), (2,2), and dicarbon sulfide (CCS) (2 1 -1 0 ) emission toward the infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G19.30+0.07 at ∼22 GHz. The NH 3 emission closely follows the 8 μm extinction. The NH 3 (1,1) and (2,2) lines provide diagnostics of the temperature and density structure within the IRDC, with typical rotation temperatures of ∼10-20 K and NH 3 column densities of ∼10 15 cm -2 . The estimated total mass of G19.30+0.07 is ∼1130 M sun . The cloud comprises four compact NH 3 clumps of mass ∼30-160 M sun . Two coincide with 24 μm emission, indicating heating by protostars, and show evidence of outflow in the NH 3 emission. We report a water maser associated with a third clump; the fourth clump is apparently starless. A non-detection of 8.4 GHz emission suggests that the IRDC contains no bright H II regions and places a limit on the spectral type of an embedded zero-age main-sequence star to early-B or later. From the NH 3 emission, we find that G19.30+0.07 is composed of three distinct velocity components or 'subclouds'. One velocity component contains the two 24 μm sources and the starless clump, another contains the clump with the water maser, while the third velocity component is diffuse, with no significant high-density peaks. The spatial distribution of NH 3 and CCS emission from G19.30+0.07 is highly anti-correlated, with the NH 3 predominantly in the high-density clumps and the CCS tracing lower-density envelopes around those clumps. This spatial distribution is consistent with theories of evolution for chemically young low-mass cores, in which CCS has not yet been processed to other species and/or depleted in high-density regions.

Core Emergence in a Massive Infrared Dark Cloud: A Comparison between Mid-IR Extinction and 1.3 mm Emission

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Shuo; Tan, Jonathan C.; Arce, Héctor G.; Caselli, Paola; Fontani, Francesco; Butler, Michael J.

2018-03-01

Stars are born from dense cores in molecular clouds. Observationally, it is crucial to capture the formation of cores in order to understand the necessary conditions and rate of the star formation process. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is extremely powerful for identifying dense gas structures, including cores, at millimeter wavelengths via their dust continuum emission. Here, we use ALMA to carry out a survey of dense gas and cores in the central region of the massive (∼105 M ⊙) infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G28.37+0.07. The observation consists of a mosaic of 86 pointings of the 12 m array and produces an unprecedented view of the densest structures of this IRDC. In this first Letter about this data set, we focus on a comparison between the 1.3 mm continuum emission and a mid-infrared (MIR) extinction map of the IRDC. This allows estimation of the “dense gas” detection probability function (DPF), i.e., as a function of the local mass surface density, Σ, for various choices of thresholds of millimeter continuum emission to define “dense gas.” We then estimate the dense gas mass fraction, f dg, in the central region of the IRDC and, via extrapolation with the DPF and the known Σ probability distribution function, to the larger-scale surrounding regions, finding values of about 5% to 15% for the fiducial choice of threshold. We argue that this observed dense gas is a good tracer of the protostellar core population and, in this context, estimate a star formation efficiency per free-fall time in the central IRDC region of ɛ ff ∼ 10%, with approximately a factor of two systematic uncertainties.

UNVEILING A NETWORK OF PARALLEL FILAMENTS IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225–0.506

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busquet, Gemma; Zhang, Qizhou; Ho, Paul T. P.; Palau, Aina; Girart, Josep M.; Liu, Hauyu Baobab; Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro; Estalella, Robert; De Gregorio-Monsalvo, Itziar; Pillai, Thushara; Wyrowski, Friedrich; Santos, Fábio P.; Franco, Gabriel A. P.

2013-01-01

We present the results of combined NH 3 (1,1) and (2,2) line emission observed with the Very Large Array and the Effelsberg 100 m telescope of the infrared dark cloud G14.225–0.506. The NH 3 emission reveals a network of filaments constituting two hub-filament systems. Hubs are associated with gas of rotational temperature T rot ∼ 15 K, non-thermal velocity dispersion σ NT ∼ 1 km s –1 , and exhibit signs of star formation, while filaments appear to be more quiescent (T rot ∼ 11 K and σ NT ∼ 0.6 km s –1 ). Filaments are parallel in projection and distributed mainly along two directions, at P.A. ∼ 10° and 60°, and appear to be coherent in velocity. The averaged projected separation between adjacent filaments is between 0.5 pc and 1 pc, and the mean width of filaments is 0.12 pc. Cores within filaments are separated by ∼0.33 ± 0.09 pc, which is consistent with the predicted fragmentation of an isothermal gas cylinder due to the s ausage - type instability. The network of parallel filaments observed in G14.225–0.506 is consistent with the gravitational instability of a thin gas layer threaded by magnetic fields. Overall, our data suggest that magnetic fields might play an important role in the alignment of filaments, and polarization measurements in the entire cloud would lend further support to this scenario.

Models of bright storm clouds and related dark ovals in Saturn's Storm Alley as constrained by 2008 Cassini/VIMS spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Sromovsky, L. A.; Baines, K. H.; Fry, P. M.

2018-03-01

A 5° latitude band on Saturn centered near planetocentric latitude 36°S is known as "Storm Alley" because it has been for several extended periods a site of frequent lightning activity and associated thunderstorms, first identified by Porco et al. (2005). The thunderstorms appeared as bright clouds at short and long continuum wavelengths, and over a period of a week or so transformed into dark ovals (Dyudina et al., 2007). The ovals were found to be dark over a wide spectral range, which led Baines et al. (2009) to suggest the possibility that a broadband absorber such as soot produced by lightning could play a significant role in darkening the clouds relative to their surroundings. Here we show that an alternative explanation, which is that the clouds are less reflective because of reduced optical depth, provides an excellent fit to near infrared spectra of similar features obtained by the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) in 2008, and leads to a plausible scenario for cloud evolution. We find that the background clouds and the oval clouds are both dominated by the optical properties of a ubiquitous upper cloud layer, which has the same particle size in both regions, but about half the optical depth and physical thickness in the dark oval regions. The dark oval regions are also marked by enhanced emissions in the 5-μm window region, a result of lower optical depth of the deep cloud layer near 3.1-3.8 bar, presumably composed of ammonium hydrosulfide (NH4SH). The bright storm clouds completely block this deep thermal emission with a thick layer of ammonia (NH3) clouds extending from the middle of the main visible cloud layer probably as deep as the 1.7-bar NH3 condensation level. Other condensates might also be present at higher pressures, but are obscured by the NH3 cloud. The strong 3-μm spectral absorption that was displayed by Saturn's Great Storm of 2010-2011 (Sromovsky et al., 2013) is weaker in these storms because the contrast is

Infrared spectroscopy of dust in the Taurus dark clouds: solid carbon monoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittet, D.C.B.; McFadzean, A.D.

1989-01-01

Spectra centred on the spectral feature of solid CO at 4.67 μm wavelength are presented for eight stars in or behind the quiescent dark cloud complex in Taurus. The solid CO profile is dominated by a sharp component centred at 4.673 μm (2140 cm -1 ). As in previous observations of the feature, asymmetry in the profile is consistent with the presence of a weaker, somewhat broader, overlapping component centred at ∼ 4.682 μm (2136 cm -1 ). New and previously published data for Taurus stars are combined to study the correlation of the peak optical depth in the CO feature with visual extinction and with the depth of the water-ice feature at 3.0 μm. (author)

OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED SHOCKS IN THE L988 CLOUD COMPLEX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walawender, J. [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Reipurth, B. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Bally, J., E-mail: joshw@naoj.org [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)

2013-09-15

We have searched the Lynds 988 dark cloud complex for optical (H{alpha} and [S II]) and near-IR (H{sub 2} 2.12 {mu}m) shocks from protostellar outflows. We find 20 new Herbig-Haro objects and 6 new H{sub 2} shocks (MHO objects), 3 of which are cross detections. Using the morphology in the optical and near-IR, we connect several of these shocks into at least five distinct outflow systems and identify their source protostars from catalogs of infrared sources. Two outflows in the cloud, from IRAS 21014+5001 and IRAS 21007+4951, are in excess of 1 pc in length. The IRAS 21007+4951 outflow has carved a large cavity in the cloud through which background stars can be seen. Also, we have found an optical shock which is the counterflow to the previously discovered ''northwest outflow'' from LkH{alpha} 324SE.

New Hsub(α) emission stars in galactic dark clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kun, M.

1982-01-01

The Hsub(α) emission stars have been searched in galactic dark clouds. 110 Hsub(α) emission objects not published previously were detected with the 60/90/180 cm Schmidt telescope of Konkoly Observatory in two fields containing several dark clouds. The centres of these fields have the coordinates of at αsb(1950)=2sup(n)04sup(m, deltasub(1950)=+75 deg, and αsub(1950)=22sup(h)35sup(m), deltasub(1950)=+75 deg. Most of the emission stars appears to be located near the edges of the dark regions. Their appar red magnitudes are between 11sup(m) and 16sup(m)

Searching for dark clouds in the outer galactic plane. I. A statistical approach for identifying extended red(dened) regions in 2MASS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frieswijk, W. W. F.; Shipman, R. F.

Context. Most of what is known about clustered star formation to date comes from well studied star forming regions located relatively nearby, such as Rho-Ophiuchus, Serpens and Perseus. However, the recent discovery of infrared dark clouds may give new insights in our understanding of this dominant

Research on cloud background infrared radiation simulation based on fractal and statistical data

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xingrun; Xu, Qingshan; Li, Xia; Wu, Kaifeng; Dong, Yanbing

2018-02-01

Cloud is an important natural phenomenon, and its radiation causes serious interference to infrared detector. Based on fractal and statistical data, a method is proposed to realize cloud background simulation, and cloud infrared radiation data field is assigned using satellite radiation data of cloud. A cloud infrared radiation simulation model is established using matlab, and it can generate cloud background infrared images for different cloud types (low cloud, middle cloud, and high cloud) in different months, bands and sensor zenith angles.

Dark clouds in the vicinity of the emission nebula Sh2-205: interstellar extinction and distances

Science.gov (United States)

Straižys, V.; Čepas, V.; Boyle, R. P.; Zdanavičius, J.; Maskoliūnas, M.; Kazlauskas, A.; Zdanavičius, K.; Černis, K.

2016-05-01

Results of CCD photometry in the seven-colour Vilnius system for 922 stars down to V = 16-17 mag and for 302 stars down to 19.5 mag are used to investigate the interstellar extinction in an area of 1.5 square degrees in the direction of the P7 and P8 clumps of the dark cloud TGU H942, which lies in the vicinity of the emission nebula Sh2-205. In addition, we used 662 red clump giants that were identified by combining the 2MASS and WISE infrared surveys. The resulting plots of extinction versus distance were compared with previous results of the distribution and radial velocities of CO clouds and with dust maps in different passbands of the IRAS and WISE orbiting observatories. A possible distance of the front edge of the nearest cloud layer at 130 ± 10 pc was found. This dust layer probably covers all the investigated area, which results in extinction of up to 1.8 mag in some directions. A second rise of the extinction seems to be present at 500-600 pc. Within this layer, the clumps P7 and P8 of the dust cloud TGU H942, the Sh2-205 emission nebula, and the infrared cluster FSR 655 are probably located. In the direction of these clouds, we identified 88 young stellar objects and a new infrared cluster. Full Tables 1 and 2 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/590/A21

Dark Matter Reality Check: Chandra Casts Cloud On Alternative Theory

Science.gov (United States)

2002-10-01

New evidence from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory challenges an alternative theory of gravity that eliminates the need for dark matter. The observation also narrows the field for competing forms of dark matter, the elusive material thought to be the dominant form of matter in the universe. An observation of the galaxy NGC 720 shows it is enveloped in a slightly flattened, or ellipsoidal cloud of hot gas that has an orientation different from that of the optical image of the galaxy. The flattening is too large to be explained by theories in which stars and gas are assumed to contain most of the mass in the galaxy. "The shape and orientation of the hot gas cloud require it to be confined by an egg-shaped dark matter halo," said David Buote of the University of California, Irvine, and lead author of a report on this research in the 2002 September 20 issue of The Astrophysical Journal. "This means that dark matter is not just an illusion due to a shortcoming of the standard theory of gravity - it is real." According to the generally accepted standard theory of gravity, the hot X-ray cloud would need an additional source of gravity - a halo of dark matter - to keep the hot gas from expanding away. The mass of dark matter required would be about five to ten times the mass of the stars in the galaxy. If the dark matter tracked the optical light from the stars in the galaxy, the hot X-ray cloud would be more round than it is. The flattened shape of the hot gas cloud requires a flattened dark matter halo. An alternative theory of gravity called MOND, for Modified Newtonian Dynamics, was proposed in 1983 by Mordecai Milgrom of the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and has remained viable over the years. MOND does away with the need for dark matter by modifying the theory where the acceleration produced by gravity is very small, such as the outskirts of galaxies. However, MOND cannot explain the Chandra observation of NGC 720. This is apparently the first dynamical evidence that

Interstellar extinction in the Taurus dark clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meistas, E.; Straizys, V.

1981-01-01

The results of photoelectric photometry of 89 stars in the Vilnius seven-color system in the area of the Taurus dark clouds with corrdinates (1950) 4sup(h)16sup(m)-4sup(h)33sup(m), +16 0 -+20 0 are presented. Photometric spectral types, absolute magnitude, color excesses, interstellar extinctions and distances of the stars are determined. The distance of the dark nebula is found to be 140 pc and is in a good agreement with the distance determined for the dark nebula Khavtassi 286, 278. The average extinction Asub(v) in the investigated area is of the order of 1.4. (author)

Ratio of carbon monoxide to molecular hydrogen in interstellar dark clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickman, R.L.; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and The Ivan A. Getting Laboratories, The Aerospace Corporation)

1978-01-01

Carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen column densities are compared at various locations within 38 interstellar dark clouds. CO column densities were obtained from radio observations of the J=1→0 transitions of the 12 C 16 O and 13 C 16 O isotopic species of the molecule. Corresponding H 2 column densities were inferred by means of visual extinctions derived from star counts, since it is argued that the standard gas-to-extinction ratio can be expected to remain valid in the clouds studied. For locations in the sources possessing line-of-sight visual extinctions in the approximate range 1.5 -2 ) = (5.0 +- 2.5) x 10 5 N 13 between molecular hydrogen and 13 CO LTE column densities. The carbon monoxide molecule can therefore be used as a quantitative ''tracer'' for the (directly unobservable) H 2 content of dark clouds. The above relationship implies that at least approx.12% of the gas-phase carbon in the clouds studied is in the form of CO, provided that the clouds are assumed to be chemically homogeneous. Langer's ion-molecule chemistry for dark clouds appears to agree well with the present work if the fractionation channel of Watson, Anicich, and Huntress is included

Infrared reflection nebulae in Orion Molecular Cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendleton, Y.; Werner, M.W.; Capps, R.; Lester, D.; Hawaii Univ., Honolulu; Texas Univ., Austin)

1986-01-01

New observations of Orion Molecular Cloud 2 have been made from 1 to 100 microns using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. An extensive program of polarimetry, photometry, and spectrophotometry has shown that the extended emission regions associated with two of the previously known near-infrared sources, IRS 1 and IRS 4, are infrared reflection nebulae, and that the compact sources IRS 1 and IRS 4 are the main luminosity sources in the cloud. The constraints from the far-infrared observations and an analysis of the scattered light from the IRS 1 nebula show that OMC-2/IRS 1 can be characterized by L of 500 solar luminosities or less and T of roughly 1000 K. The near-infrared albedo of the grains in the IRS 1 nebula is greater than 0.08. 27 references

A study of the stellar population in the Lynds 1641 dark cloud - deep near-infrared imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strom, K.M.; Margulis, M.; Strom, S.E.

1989-01-01

Deep H and K photometry of a selection of IRAS point sources in the L1641 cloud is presented. Using these data in combination with IRAS data and previously published near-infrared photometry for sources in this region, it is found that the L1641 cloud contains newly born stars embedded within cores of unusually large visual extinction. A comparison of the properties of cores in L1641 with those in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming complex reveals that L1641 contains cores with higher visual extinctions, larger ammonia (J, K) = (1, 1) line widths, greater kinetic temperatures, and probably higher optical depths at 100 microns than any cores in Taurus-Auriga. These results are qualitatively consistent with recent suggestions that the process of protostellar collapse in cores in the L1641 cloud is dominated by gravity while this process is dominated by magnetic fields in Taurus-Auriga. 20 refs

ICE AND DUST IN THE PRESTELLAR DARK CLOUD LYNDS 183: PREPLANETARY MATTER AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittet, D. C. B.; Poteet, C. A.; Bajaj, V. M.; Horne, D.; Chiar, J. E.; Pagani, L.; Shenoy, S. S.; Adamson, A. J.

2013-01-01

Dust grains are nucleation centers and catalysts for the growth of icy mantles in quiescent interstellar clouds, the products of which may accumulate into preplanetary matter when new stars and solar systems form within the clouds. In this paper, we present the first spectroscopic detections of silicate dust and the molecular ices H 2 O, CO, and CO 2 in the vicinity of the prestellar core L183 (L134N). An infrared photometric survey of the cloud was used to identify reddened background stars, and we present spectra covering solid-state absorption features in the wavelength range 2-20 μm for nine of them. The mean composition of the ices in the best-studied line of sight (toward J15542044–0254073) is H 2 O:CO:CO 2 ≈ 100:40:24. The ices are amorphous in structure, indicating that they have been maintained at low temperature (∼ 2 O) correlates with reddening by dust, exhibiting a threshold effect that corresponds to the transition from unmantled grains in the outer layers of the cloud to ice-mantled grains within, analogous to that observed in other dark clouds. A comparison of results for L183 and the Taurus and IC 5146 dark clouds suggests common behavior, with mantles first appearing in each case at a dust column corresponding to a peak optical depth τ 9.7 = 0.15 ± 0.03 in the silicate feature. Our results support a previous conclusion that the color excess E J–K does not obey a simple linear correlation with the total dust column in lines of sight that intercept dense clouds. The most likely explanation is a systematic change in the optical properties of the dust as the density increases

ICE AND DUST IN THE PRESTELLAR DARK CLOUD LYNDS 183: PREPLANETARY MATTER AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whittet, D. C. B.; Poteet, C. A.; Bajaj, V. M.; Horne, D. [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy and New York Center for Astrobiology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Chiar, J. E. [SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Pagani, L. [LERMA, UMR 8112 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, 61 Av. de l' Observatoire, F-75014 Paris (France); Shenoy, S. S. [SOFIA Science Center, NASA Ames Research Center, MS 232-12, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Adamson, A. J. [Gemini Observatory, Southern Operations Center, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile)

2013-09-10

Dust grains are nucleation centers and catalysts for the growth of icy mantles in quiescent interstellar clouds, the products of which may accumulate into preplanetary matter when new stars and solar systems form within the clouds. In this paper, we present the first spectroscopic detections of silicate dust and the molecular ices H{sub 2}O, CO, and CO{sub 2} in the vicinity of the prestellar core L183 (L134N). An infrared photometric survey of the cloud was used to identify reddened background stars, and we present spectra covering solid-state absorption features in the wavelength range 2-20 {mu}m for nine of them. The mean composition of the ices in the best-studied line of sight (toward J15542044-0254073) is H{sub 2}O:CO:CO{sub 2} Almost-Equal-To 100:40:24. The ices are amorphous in structure, indicating that they have been maintained at low temperature ({approx}< 15 K) since formation. The ice column density N(H{sub 2}O) correlates with reddening by dust, exhibiting a threshold effect that corresponds to the transition from unmantled grains in the outer layers of the cloud to ice-mantled grains within, analogous to that observed in other dark clouds. A comparison of results for L183 and the Taurus and IC 5146 dark clouds suggests common behavior, with mantles first appearing in each case at a dust column corresponding to a peak optical depth {tau}{sub 9.7} = 0.15 {+-} 0.03 in the silicate feature. Our results support a previous conclusion that the color excess E{sub J-K} does not obey a simple linear correlation with the total dust column in lines of sight that intercept dense clouds. The most likely explanation is a systematic change in the optical properties of the dust as the density increases.

IRAS associations with dark clouds of opacity class 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, N.D.

1988-01-01

Accurate positions of the opacity class 6 clouds from the Lynds Catalog of Dark Nebulae have been measured on blue and red prints from the Polomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS) plates. These revised positions and the dimensions of ellipses fitted to the clouds are listed. The IRAS point source catalog has been searched for sources lying within the boundaries of the 147 clouds in the sample. The distribution and properties of these IRAS sources are discussed briefly. (author)

Hyperfine anomalies of HCN in cold dark clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walmsley, C.M.; Churchwell, E.; Nash, A.; Fitzpatrick, E.; and Physics Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

1982-01-01

We report observations of the J = 1→0 line of HCN measured toward six positions in nearby low-temperature dark clouds. The measured relative intensities of the hyperfine components of the J = 1→0 line are anomalous in that the F = 0→1 transition is stronger than would be expected if all three components (F = 2→1, F = 1→1, F = 0→1) had equal excitation temperatures. Differences of approximately 20% in the populations per sublevel of J = 1 could account for the observations. The results are in contrast to the situation observed in warmer molecular clouds associated with H II regions where the F = 1→1 line is anomalously weak. The apparent overpopulation of J = 1, F = 0 in dark clouds may be related to the phenomenon observed in the J = 1→0 transitions of HCO + and HNC in the same objects where 13 C substituted version of these species is found to be stronger than the 12 C species

Precombination Cloud Collapse and Baryonic Dark Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Hogan, Craig J.

1993-01-01

A simple spherical model of dense baryon clouds in the hot big bang 'strongly nonlinear primordial isocurvature baryon fluctuations' is reviewed and used to describe the dependence of cloud behavior on the model parameters, baryon mass, and initial over-density. Gravitational collapse of clouds before and during recombination is considered including radiation diffusion and trapping, remnant type and mass, and effects on linear large-scale fluctuation modes. Sufficiently dense clouds collapse early into black holes with a minimum mass of approx. 1 solar mass, which behave dynamically like collisionless cold dark matter. Clouds below a critical over-density, however, delay collapse until recombination, remaining until then dynamically coupled to the radiation like ordinary diffuse baryons, and possibly producing remnants of other kinds and lower mass. The mean density in either type of baryonic remnant is unconstrained by observed element abundances. However, mixed or unmixed spatial variations in abundance may survive in the diffuse baryon and produce observable departures from standard predictions.

The CN/C15N isotopic ratio towards dark clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Hily-Blant, P.; Pineau des Forêts, G.; Faure, A.; Le Gal, R.; Padovani, M.

2013-09-01

Understanding the origin of the composition of solar system cosmomaterials is a central question, not only in the cosmochemistry and astrochemistry fields, and requires various approaches to be combined. Measurements of isotopic ratios in cometary materials provide strong constraints on the content of the protosolar nebula. Their relation with the composition of the parental dark clouds is, however, still very elusive. In this paper, we bring new constraints based on the isotopic composition of nitrogen in dark clouds, with the aim of understanding the chemical processes that are responsible for the observed isotopic ratios. We have observed and detected the fundamental rotational transition of C15N towards two starless dark clouds, L1544 and L1498. We were able to derive the column density ratio of C15N over 13CN towards the same clouds and obtain the CN/C15N isotopic ratios, which were found to be 500 ± 75 for both L1544 and L1498. These values are therefore marginally consistent with the protosolar value of 441. Moreover, this ratio is larger than the isotopic ratio of nitrogen measured in HCN. In addition, we present model calculations of the chemical fractionation of nitrogen in dark clouds, which make it possible to understand how CN can be deprived of 15N and HCN can simultaneously be enriched in heavy nitrogen. The non-fractionation of N2H+, however, remains an open issue, and we propose some chemical way of alleviating the discrepancy between model predictions and the observed ratios. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgThe reduced spectra (in FITS format) are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/557/A65

Size-density relations in dark clouds: Non-LTE effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maloney, P.

1986-01-01

One of the major goals of molecular astronomy has been to understand the physics and dynamics of dense interstellar clouds. Because the interpretation of observations of giant molecular clouds is complicated by their very complex structure and the dynamical effects of star formation, a number of studies have concentrated on dark clouds. Leung, Kutner and Mead (1982) (hereafter LKM) and Myers (1983), in studies of CO and NH 3 emission, concluded that dark clouds exhibit significant correlations between linewidth and cloud radius of the form delta v varies as R(0.5) and between mean density and radius of the form n varies as R(-1), as originally suggested by Larson (1981). This result suggests that these objects are in virial equilibrium. However, the mean densities inferred from the CO data of LKM are based on an local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) analysis of their 13CO data. At the very low mean densities inferred by LKM for the larger clouds in their samples, the assumption of LTE becomes very questionable. As most of the range in R in the density-size correlation comes from the clouds observed in CO, it seems worthwhile to examine how non-LTE effects will influence the derived densities. Microturbulent models of inhomogeneous clouds of varying central concentration with the linewidth-size and mean density-size relations found by Myers show sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO line in the larger clouds, with the result that LTE analysis considerbly underestimates the actual column density. A more general approach which doesn't require detailed modeling of the clouds is to consider whether the observed T/sub R/*(13CO)/T/sub R/*(12CO) ratios in the clouds studied by LKM are in the range where the LTE-derived optical depths be seriously in error due to sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO molecule

The spectral energy distribution of the scattered light from dark clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Mattila, Kalevi; Schnur, G. F. O.

1989-01-01

A dark cloud is exposed to the ambient radiation field of integrated starlight in the Galaxy. Scattering of starlight by the dust particles gives rise to a diffuse surface brightness of the dark nebula. The intensity and the spectrum of this diffuse radiation can be used to investigate, e.g., the scattering parameters of the dust, the optical thickness of the cloud, and as a probe of the ambient radiation field at the location of the cloud. An understanding of the scattering process is also a prerequisite for the isolation of broad spectral features due to fluorescence or to any other non-scattering origin of the diffuse light. Model calculations are presented for multiple scattering in a spherical cloud. These calculations show that the different spectral shapes of the observed diffuse light can be reproduced with standard dust parameters. The possibility to use the observed spectrum as a diagnostic tool for analyzing the thickness of the cloud and the dust particle is discussed.

Size-density relations in dark clouds: Non-LTE effects

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, P.

1986-01-01

One of the major goals of molecular astronomy has been to understand the physics and dynamics of dense interstellar clouds. Because the interpretation of observations of giant molecular clouds is complicated by their very complex structure and the dynamical effects of star formation, a number of studies have concentrated on dark clouds. Leung, Kutner and Mead (1982) (hereafter LKM) and Myers (1983), in studies of CO and NH3 emission, concluded that dark clouds exhibit significant correlations between linewidth and cloud radius of the form delta v varies as R(0.5) and between mean density and radius of the form n varies as R(-1), as originally suggested by Larson (1981). This result suggests that these objects are in virial equilibrium. However, the mean densities inferred from the CO data of LKM are based on an local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) analysis of their 13CO data. At the very low mean densities inferred by LKM for the larger clouds in their samples, the assumption of LTE becomes very questionable. As most of the range in R in the density-size correlation comes from the clouds observed in CO, it seems worthwhile to examine how non-LTE effects will influence the derived densities. One way to assess the validity of LTE-derived densities is to construct cloud models and then to interpret them in the same way as the observed data. Microturbulent models of inhomogeneous clouds of varying central concentration with the linewidth-size and mean density-size relations found by Myers show sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO line in the larger clouds, with the result that LTE analysis considerbly underestimates the actual column density. A more general approach which doesn't require detailed modeling of the clouds is to consider whether the observed T sub R*(13CO)/T sub R*(12CO) ratios in the clouds studied by LKM are in the range where the LTE-derived optical depths (and hence column densities) can be seriously in error due to sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO

Interstellar Extinction in the Direction of The Barnard 1 Dark Cloud in Perseus

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Černis K.

2003-09-01

Full Text Available Spectral and luminosity classes, absolute magnitudes, color excesses, interstellar extinctions and distances are determined for 98 stars down to 18 mag in the Barnard 1 dark cloud belonging to the Per OB2 association. The classification of stars is based on their photoelectric photometry in the Vilnius seven-color photometric system. The extinction vs. distance diagram exhibits the presence of two dust layers at 150 and 230 pc distances. The distance of the first cloud, which gives an extinction Ay of 0.3 mag, coincides with the distance of the Taurus dark cloud complex. The second cloud with much larger extinction is about at the same distance as the clouds in the direction of the nearby objects: reflection nebula NGC 1333 and open cluster IG 348.

Cosmic ray processing of N2-containing interstellar ice analogues at dark cloud conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Fedoseev, G.; Scirè, C.; Baratta, G. A.; Palumbo, M. E.

2018-04-01

N2 is believed to lock considerable part of nitrogen elemental budget and, therefore, to be one of the most abundant ice constituent in cold dark clouds. This laboratory-based research utilizes high energetic processing of N2 containing interstellar ice analogues using 200 keV H+ and He+ ions that mimics cosmic ray processing of the interstellar icy grains. It aims to investigate the formation of (iso)cyanates and cyanides in the ice mantles at the conditions typical for cold dark clouds and prestellar cores. Investigation of cosmic ray processing as a chemical trigger mechanism is explained by the high stability of N2 molecules that are chemically inert in most of the atom- and radical-addition reactions and cannot be efficiently dissociated by cosmic ray induced UV-field. Two sets of experiments are performed to closer address solid-state chemistry occurring in two distinct layers of the ice formed at different stages of dark cloud evolution, i.e. `H2O-rich' and `CO-rich' ice layers. Formation of HNCO and OCN- is discussed in all of the performed experiments. Corresponding kinetic curves for HNCO and OCN- are obtained. Furthermore, a feature around 2092 cm-1 assigned to the contributions of 13CO, CN-, and HCN is analysed. The kinetic curves for the combined HCN/CN- abundance are derived. In turn, normalized formation yields are evaluated by interpolation of the obtained results to the low irradiation doses relevant to dark cloud stage. The obtained values can be used to interpret future observations towards cold dark clouds using James Webb Space Telescope.

Polarimetric study of the interstellar medium in Taurus Dark Clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, J.

1985-01-01

An optical linear polarimetric survey was completed for more than 300 stars in an area of 6.5 0 x 10 0 toward the Taurus Dark Clouds Complex. It was found that the orientation of the magnetic field is roughly perpendicular to the elongation direction of the dust lanes, indicating cloud contraction along the magnetic field lines. The distance to the front edge of the dark clouds in Taurus is determined to be 126 pc. There is only insignificant amount of obscuring material between the cloud complex and the Sun. Besides the polarization data, the reddenings of about 250 stars were also obtained from the UBV photometry. The mean polarization to reddening ratio in the Taurus region is 4.6, which is similar to that of the general interstellar matter. The wavelengths of maximum polarization were determined for 30 stars in Taurus. They show an average value of lambda/sub max/ = 0.57 μm, which is only slightly higher than the mean value of the general interstellar medium, lambda/sub max/ = 0.55 μm. A few stars that show higher values of lambda/sub max/ are found near the small isolated regions of very high extinction. One such highly obscured small region where very complex long chain molecules have been discovered in the ratio spectra, is the Taurus Molecular Cloud 1

Transport of infrared radiation in cuboidal clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Harshvardhan, MR.; Weinman, J. A.; Davies, R.

1981-01-01

The transport of infrared radiation in a single cuboidal cloud is modeled using a variable azimuth two-stream approximation. Computations are made at 10 microns for a Deirmendjian (1969) C-1 water cloud where the single scattering albedo is equal to 0.638 and the asymmetry parameter is 0.865. The results indicate that the emittance of the top face of the model cloud is always less than that for a plane parallel cloud of the same optical depth. The hemispheric flux escaping from the cloud top possesses a gradient from the center to the edges which are warmer when the cloud is over warmer ground. Cooling rate calculations in the 8-13.6 micron region demonstrate that there is cooling out of the sides of the cloud at all levels even when there is heating of the core from the ground below. The radiances exiting from model cuboidal clouds are computed by path integration over the source function obtained with the two-stream approximation. Results indicate that the brightness temperature measured from finite clouds will overestimate the cloud-top temperature.

A Submillimetre Study of Massive Star Formation Within the W51 Complex and Infrared Dark Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, Harriet Alice Louise

Despite its importance the fundamental question of how massive stars form remains unanswered, with improvements to both models and observations having crucial roles to play. To quote Bate et al. (2003) computational models of star formation are limited because "conditions in molecular clouds are not sufficiently well understood to be able to select a representative sample of cloud cores for the initial conditions". It is this notion that motivates the study of the environments within Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) and Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs), known sites of massive star formation, at the clump and core level. By studying large populations of these objects, it is possible to make conclusions based on global properties. With this in mind I study the dense molecular clumps within one of the most massive GMCs in the Galaxy: the W51 GMC. New observations of the W51 GMC in the 12CO, 13CO and C18O (3-2) transitions using the HARP instrument on the JCMT are presented. With the help of the clump finding algorithm CLUMPFIND a total of 1575 dense clumps are identified of which 1130 are associated with the W51 GMC, yielding a dense mass reservoir of 1.5 × 10^5 M contained within these clumps. Of these clumps only 1% by number are found to be super-critical, yielding a super-critical clump formation efficiency of 0.5%, below current SFE estimates of the region. This indicates star formation within the W51 GMC will diminish over time although evidence from the first search for molecular outflows presents the W51 GMC in an active light with a lower limit of 14 outflows. The distribution of the outflows within the region searched found them concentrated towards the W51A region. Having much smaller sizes and masses, obtaining global properties of clumps and cores within IRDCs required studying a large sample of these objects. To do this pre-existing data from the SCUBA Legacy Catalogue was utilised to study IRDCs within a catalogues based on 8 μm data. This data identified

High-latitude molecular clouds and infrared cirrus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vries, H.W. de.

1988-01-01

The high-latitude infrared cirrus detected by IRAS is identified with atomic and molecular clouds. These clouds are small (usually less than 1 sq. deg.) and show weak CO emission. On the basis of a distance of 100 pc they are characterized by a mass of a few solar masses and a radius of about 1 pc. Thermal radiation by dust as a results of heating by the diffuse interstellar radiation field is the most-plausible origin of the cirrus emission at far-infrared wavelengths. On the basis of plausible assumptions regarding the uniformity of both the gas-to-dust ratio and the heating and cooling of the dust, the flux density at 100 μm from regions with low visual extinction should be a good tracer of the gas column density. Indeed, the data show an approximately linear proportionality between N(HI), obtained from 21-cm observations, and I 100 (HI), the flux density from dust associated with HI. If the ratio of column density to flux density in high-latitude molecular clouds is equal to the corresponding relation in atomic ones, a value for the ratio of H 2 column density to CO velocity-integrated radiation temperature may be obtained. Although low-mass clouds may be large in number, the fraction of the Galactic molecular mass in the form of these clouds is probably no more than 1%

HIGH-ENERGY PARTICLES FLUX ORIGIN IN THE CLOUDS, DARK LIGHTNING

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Kuznetsov, V.V.

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Problem of high-energy particles flux origin in clouds is discussed. Conditions in which dark lightning preceding the ordinary one and creating additional ionization, fluxes of fast electrons with MeV energy prior to the earthquake detected among lightning initiating ball-lightning, glow, sprites are considered. All above phenomena appear to be of general nature founded on quantum entanglement of hydrogen bonds protons in water clasters inside clouds.

An X-ray and infrared survey of the Lynds 1228 cloud core

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skinner, Stephen L. [CASA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0389 (United States); Rebull, Luisa [Spitzer Science Center/Caltech, M/S 220-6, 1200 East California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Güdel, Manuel, E-mail: stephen.skinner@colorado.edu, E-mail: rebull@ipac.caltech.edu, E-mail: manuel.guedel@univie.ac.at [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria)

2014-04-01

The nearby Lynds 1228 (L1228) dark cloud at a distance of ∼200 pc is known to harbor several young stars including the driving sources of the giant HH 199 and HH 200 Herbig-Haro (HH) outflows. L1228 has previously been studied at optical, infrared, and radio wavelengths but not in X-rays. We present results of a sensitive 37 ks Chandra ACIS-I X-ray observation of the L1228 core region. Chandra detected 60 X-ray sources, most of which are faint (<40 counts) and non-variable. Infrared counterparts were identified for 53 of the 60 X-ray sources using archival data from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. Object classes were assigned using mid-IR colors for those objects with complete photometry, most of which were found to have colors consistent with extragalactic background sources. Seven young stellar object candidates were identified including the class I protostar HH 200-IRS which was detected as a faint hard X-ray source. No X-ray emission was detected from the luminous protostar HH 199-IRS. We summarize the X-ray and infrared properties of the detected sources and provide IR spectral energy distribution modeling of high-interest objects including the protostars driving the HH outflows.

School Consolidation: A Silver Lining in a Dark Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Waldfogel, Dean

2011-01-01

Everyone--board members, parents, and staff--loves small schools, bur it's no secret that small schools cost more to operate, particularly if administrative and teaching staff cannot be assigned efficiently. If there is a silver lining in this dark contextual cloud, it's that political support for consolidating schools has rarely been better. The…

A fast infrared radiative transfer model for overlapping clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu Jianguo; Yang Ping; Huang Hunglung; Davies, James E.; Li Jun; Baum, Bryan A.; Hu, Yong X.

2007-01-01

A fast infrared radiative transfer model (FIRTM2) appropriate for application to both single-layered and overlapping cloud situations is developed for simulating the outgoing infrared spectral radiance at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). In FIRTM2 a pre-computed library of cloud reflectance and transmittance values is employed to account for one or two cloud layers, whereas the background atmospheric optical thickness due to gaseous absorption can be computed from a clear-sky radiative transfer model. FIRTM2 is applicable to three atmospheric conditions: (1) clear-sky (2) single-layered ice or water cloud, and (3) two simultaneous cloud layers in a column (e.g., ice cloud overlying water cloud). Moreover, FIRTM2 outputs the derivatives (i.e., Jacobians) of the TOA brightness temperature with respect to cloud optical thickness and effective particle size. Sensitivity analyses have been carried out to assess the performance of FIRTM2 for two spectral regions, namely the longwave (LW) band (587.3-1179.5 cm -1 ) and the short-to-medium wave (SMW) band (1180.1-2228.9 cm -1 ). The assessment is carried out in terms of brightness temperature differences (BTD) between FIRTM2 and the well-known discrete ordinates radiative transfer model (DISORT), henceforth referred to as BTD (F-D). The BTD (F-D) values for single-layered clouds are generally less than 0.8 K. For the case of two cloud layers (specifically ice cloud over water cloud), the BTD (F-D) values are also generally less than 0.8 K except for the SMW band for the case of a very high altitude (>15 km) cloud comprised of small ice particles. Note that for clear-sky atmospheres, FIRTM2 reduces to the clear-sky radiative transfer model that is incorporated into FIRTM2, and the errors in this case are essentially those of the clear-sky radiative transfer model

Polarization of far-infrared radiation from molecular clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, G.; Gonatas, D. P.; Hildebrand, R. H.; Platt, S. R.; Dragovan, M.

1989-01-01

The paper reports measurements of the polarization of far-infrared emission from dust in nine molecular clouds. Detections were obtained in Mon R2, in the Kleinmann-Low (KL) nebula in Orion, and in Sgr A. Upper limits were set for six other clouds. A comparison of the 100 micron polarization of KL with that previously measured at 270 microns provides new evidence that the polarization is due to emission from magnetically aligned dust grains. Comparing the results for Orion with measurements at optical wavelengths, it is inferred that the magnetic field direction in the outer parts of the Orion cloud is the same as that in the dense core. This direction is nearly perpendicular to the ridge of molecular emission and is parallel to both the molecular outflow in KL and the axis of rotation of the cloud core. In Mon R2, the field direction which the measurements imply does not agree withthat derived from 0.9-2.2 micron polarimetry. The discrepancy is attributed to scattering in the near-infrared. In Orion and Sgr A, where comparisons are possible, the measurements are in good agreement with 10 micron polarization measurements.

The onset of massive star formation: The evolution of temperature and density structure in an infrared dark cloud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Battersby, Cara [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ginsburg, Adam; Bally, John; Darling, Jeremy [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, UCB 389, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Longmore, Steve [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Twelve Quays House, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD (United Kingdom); Dunham, Miranda [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States)

2014-06-01

We present new NH{sub 3} (1, 1), (2, 2), and (4, 4) observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array compiled with work in the literature to explore the range of conditions observed in young, massive star-forming regions. To sample the effects of evolution independent from those of distance/resolution, abundance, and large-scale environment, we compare clumps in different evolutionary stages within a single infrared dark cloud (IRDC), G32.02+0.06. We find that the early stages of clustered star formation are characterized by dense, parsec-scale filamentary structures interspersed with complexes of dense cores (<0.1 pc cores clustered in complexes separated by ∼1 pc) with masses from about 10 to 100 M {sub ☉}. The most quiescent core is the most extended while the star forming cores are denser and more compact, showing very similar column density structure before and shortly after the onset of massive star formation, with peak surface densities Σ ≳ 1 g cm{sup –2}. Quiescent cores and filaments show smoothly varying temperatures from 10 to 20 K, rising to over 40 K in star-forming cores. We calculate virial parameters for 16 cores and find that the level of support provided by turbulence is generally insufficient to support them against gravitational collapse ((α{sub vir}) ∼ 0.6). The star-forming filaments show smooth velocity fields, punctuated by discontinuities at the sites of active star formation. We discuss the massive molecular filament (M ∼ 10{sup 5} M {sub ☉}, length >60 pc) hosting the IRDC, hypothesizing that it may have been shaped by previous generations of massive stars.

Results from the Two-Year Infrared Cloud Imager Deployment at ARM's NSA Observatory in Barrow, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, J. A.; Nugent, P. W.

2016-12-01

Ground-based longwave-infrared (LWIR) cloud imaging can provide continuous cloud measurements in the Arctic. This is of particular importance during the Arctic winter when visible wavelength cloud imaging systems cannot operate. This method uses a thermal infrared camera to observe clouds and produce measurements of cloud amount and cloud optical depth. The Montana State University Optical Remote Sensor Laboratory deployed an infrared cloud imager (ICI) at the Atmospheric Radiation Monitoring North Slope of Alaska site at Barrow, AK from July 2012 through July 2014. This study was used to both understand the long-term operation of an ICI in the Arctic and to study the consistency of the ICI data products in relation to co-located active and passive sensors. The ICI was found to have a high correlation (> 0.92) with collocated cloud instruments and to produce an unbiased data product. However, the ICI also detects thin clouds that are not detected by most operational cloud sensors. Comparisons with high-sensitivity actively sensed cloud products confirm the existence of these thin clouds. Infrared cloud imaging systems can serve a critical role in developing our understanding of cloud cover in the Arctic by provided a continuous annual measurement of clouds at sites of interest.

Comparison of Cloud Base Height Derived from a Ground-Based Infrared Cloud Measurement and Two Ceilometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The cloud base height (CBH derived from the whole-sky infrared cloud-measuring system (WSIRCMS and two ceilometers (Vaisala CL31 and CL51 from November 1, 2011, to June 12, 2012, at the Chinese Meteorological Administration (CMA Beijing Observatory Station are analysed. Significant differences can be found by comparing the measurements of different instruments. More exactly, the cloud occurrence retrieved from CL31 is 3.8% higher than that from CL51, while WSIRCMS data shows 3.6% higher than ceilometers. More than 75.5% of the two ceilometers’ differences are within ±200 m and about 89.5% within ±500 m, while only 30.7% of the differences between WSIRCMS and ceilometers are within ±500 m and about 55.2% within ±1000 m. These differences may be caused by the measurement principles and CBH retrieval algorithm. A combination of a laser ceilometer and an infrared cloud instrument is recommended to improve the capability for determining cloud occurrence and retrieving CBHs.

Thermodynamic and cloud parameter retrieval using infrared spectral data

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Huang, Hung-Lung A.; Li, Jun; McGill, Matthew J.; Mango, Stephen A.

2005-01-01

High-resolution infrared radiance spectra obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. A fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. The retrieval algorithm is presented along with its application to recent field experiment data from the NPOESS Airborne Sounding Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I). The retrieval accuracy dependence on cloud properties is discussed. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with an accuracy of approximately 1.0 km. Preliminary NAST-I retrieval results from the recent Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign (ATReC) are presented and compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL).

The Seahorse Nebula: New views of the filamentary infrared dark cloud G304.74+01.32 from SABOCA, Herschel, and WISE

Science.gov (United States)

Miettinen, O.

2018-02-01

Context. Filamentary molecular clouds, such as many of the infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), can undergo hierarchical fragmentation into substructures (clumps and cores) that can eventually collapse to form stars. Aims: We aim to determine the occurrence of fragmentation into cores in the clumps of the filamentary IRDC G304.74+01.32 (hereafter, G304.74). We also aim to determine the basic physical characteristics (e.g. mass, density, and young stellar object (YSO) content) of the clumps and cores in G304.74. Methods: We mapped the G304.74 filament at 350 μm using the Submillimetre APEX Bolometer Camera (SABOCA) bolometer. The new SABOCA data have a factor of 2.2 times higher resolution than our previous Large APEX BOlometer CAmera (LABOCA) 870 μm map of the cloud (9″ vs. 19\\farcs86). We also employed the Herschel far-infrared (IR) and submillimetre, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) IR imaging data available for G304.74. The WISE data allowed us to trace the IR emission of the YSOs associated with the cloud. Results: The SABOCA 350 μm data show that G304.74 is composed of a dense filamentary structure with a mean width of only 0.18 ± 0.05 pc. The percentage of LABOCA clumps that are found to be fragmented into SABOCA cores is 36% ± 16%, but the irregular morphology of some of the cores suggests that this multiplicity fraction could be higher. The WISE data suggest that 65% ± 18% of the SABOCA cores host YSOs. The mean dust temperature of the clumps, derived by comparing the Herschel 250, 350, and 500 μm flux densities, was found to be 15.0 ± 0.8 K. The mean mass, beam-averaged H2 column density, and H2 number density of the LABOCA clumps are estimated to be 55 ± 10M⊙, (2.0 ± 0.2) × 1022 cm-2, and (3.1 ± 0.2) × 104 cm-3. The corresponding values for the SABOCA cores are 29 ± 3M⊙, (2.9 ± 0.3) × 1022 cm-2, and (7.9 ± 1.2) × 104 cm-3. The G304.74 filament is estimated to be thermally supercritical by a factor of ≳ 3.5 on the scale

Transitions from order to disorder in multiple dark and multiple dark-bright soliton atomic clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Wenlong; Kevrekidis, P. G.

2015-01-01

We have performed a systematic study quantifying the variation of solitary wave behavior from that of an ordered cloud resembling a 'crystalline' configuration to that of a disordered state that can be characterized as a soliton 'gas'. As our illustrative examples, we use both one-component, as well as two-component, one-dimensional atomic gases very close to zero temperature, where in the presence of repulsive interatomic interactions and of a parabolic trap, a cloud of dark (dark-bright) solitons can form in the one- (two-) component system. We corroborate our findings through three distinct types of approaches, namely a Gross-Pitaevskii type of partial differential equation, particle-based ordinary differential equations describing the soliton dynamical system, and Monte Carlo simulations for the particle system. In addition, we define an 'empirical' order parameter to characterize the order of the soliton lattices and study how this changes as a function of the strength of the 'thermally' (i.e., kinetically) induced perturbations. As may be anticipated by the one-dimensional nature of our system, the transition from order to disorder is gradual without, apparently, a genuine phase transition ensuing in the intermediate regime

Added Value of Far-Infrared Radiometry for Ice Cloud Remote Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Libois, Q.; Blanchet, J. P.; Ivanescu, L.; S Pelletier, L.; Laurence, C.

2017-12-01

Several cloud retrieval algorithms based on satellite observations in the infrared have been developed in the last decades. However, most of these observations only cover the midinfrared (MIR, λ technology, though, now make it possible to consider spaceborne remote sensing in the FIR. Here we show that adding a few FIR channels with realistic radiometric performances to existing spaceborne narrowband radiometers would significantly improve their ability to retrieve ice cloud radiative properties. For clouds encountered in the polar regions and the upper troposphere, where the atmosphere above clouds is sufficiently transparent in the FIR, using FIR channels would reduce by more than 50% the uncertainties on retrieved values of optical thickness, effective particle diameter, and cloud top altitude. This would somehow extend the range of applicability of current infrared retrieval methods to the polar regions and to clouds with large optical thickness, where MIR algorithms perform poorly. The high performance of solar reflection-based algorithms would thus be reached in nighttime conditions. Using FIR observations is a promising venue for studying ice cloud microphysics and precipitation processes, which is highly relevant for cirrus clouds and convective towers, and for investigating the water cycle in the driest regions of the atmosphere.

Ratio of total-to-selective extinction in the Taurus dark cloud complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrba, F.J.; Rydgren, A.E.; Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD)

1985-01-01

UBVRI and JHK photometry, as well as spectral classifications are presented for seven reddened early-type field stars that are observed through the Taurus dark cloud complex. The ratio of total-to-selective extinction is derived for each star by the color-difference method. For six stars with absolute magnitudes in violet of more than 1.7 and less than 3.2 mag, a normal ratio R of total-to-selective extinction of about 3.1 is found. The mildly anomalous R value of about 3.5 for the well-studied star HD 29647 was also confirmed. The results provide further evidence that the interstellar extinction law in the Taurus dark cloud complex is basically normal for lines of sight with absolute magnitudes in violet of less than 3 mag. 24 references

Far-infrared observations of Large Magellanic Cloud H II regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werner, M.W.; Becklin, E.E.; Gatley, I.; Ellis, M.J.; Hyland, A.R.; Robinson, G.; Thomas, J.A.

1978-01-01

Far-infrared emission has been measured from four Large Magellanic Cloud H II regions: the 30 Doradus nebula, MC75, MC76 and MC77. The far-infrared radiation is thermal emission from dust heated by starlight. The results show that the LMC H II regions, like H II regions in the Galaxy, have far-infrared luminosities comparable to the total luminosity of their exciting stars. (author)

The effect of clouds on the earth's solar and infrared radiation budgets

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, G. F.; Wu, M.-L. C.; Johnson, W. T.

1980-01-01

The effect of global cloudiness on the solar and infrared components of the earth's radiation balance is studied in general circulation model experiments. A wintertime simulation is conducted in which the cloud radiative transfer calculations use realistic cloud optical properties and are fully interactive with model-generated cloudiness. This simulation is compared to others in which the clouds are alternatively non-interactive with respect to the solar or thermal radiation calculations. Other cloud processes (formation, latent heat release, precipitation, vertical mixing) were accurately simulated in these experiments. It is concluded that on a global basis clouds increase the global radiation balance by 40 W/sq m by absorbing longwave radiation, but decrease it by 56 W/sq m by reflecting solar radiation to space. The net cloud effect is therefore a reduction of the radiation balance by 16 W/sq m, and is dominated by the cloud albedo effect. Changes in cloud frequency and distribution and in atmospheric and land temperatures are also reported for the control and for the non-interactive simulations. In general, removal of the clouds' infrared absorption cools the atmosphere and causes additional cloudiness to occur, while removal of the clouds' solar radiative properties warms the atmosphere and causes fewer clouds to form. It is suggested that layered clouds and convective clouds over water enter the climate system as positive feedback components, while convective clouds over land enter as negative components.

Reflective all-sky thermal infrared cloud imager.

Science.gov (United States)

Redman, Brian J; Shaw, Joseph A; Nugent, Paul W; Clark, R Trevor; Piazzolla, Sabino

2018-04-30

A reflective all-sky imaging system has been built using a long-wave infrared microbolometer camera and a reflective metal sphere. This compact system was developed for measuring spatial and temporal patterns of clouds and their optical depth in support of applications including Earth-space optical communications. The camera is mounted to the side of the reflective sphere to leave the zenith sky unobstructed. The resulting geometric distortion is removed through an angular map derived from a combination of checkerboard-target imaging, geometric ray tracing, and sun-location-based alignment. A tape of high-emissivity material on the side of the reflector acts as a reference that is used to estimate and remove thermal emission from the metal sphere. Once a bias that is under continuing study was removed, sky radiance measurements from the all-sky imager in the 8-14 μm wavelength range agreed to within 0.91 W/(m 2 sr) of measurements from a previously calibrated, lens-based infrared cloud imager over its 110° field of view.

Statistical retrieval of thin liquid cloud microphysical properties using ground-based infrared and microwave observations

Science.gov (United States)

Marke, Tobias; Ebell, Kerstin; Löhnert, Ulrich; Turner, David D.

2016-12-01

In this article, liquid water cloud microphysical properties are retrieved by a combination of microwave and infrared ground-based observations. Clouds containing liquid water are frequently occurring in most climate regimes and play a significant role in terms of interaction with radiation. Small perturbations in the amount of liquid water contained in the cloud can cause large variations in the radiative fluxes. This effect is enhanced for thin clouds (liquid water path, LWP cloud properties crucial. Due to large relative errors in retrieving low LWP values from observations in the microwave domain and a high sensitivity for infrared methods when the LWP is low, a synergistic retrieval based on a neural network approach is built to estimate both LWP and cloud effective radius (reff). These statistical retrievals can be applied without high computational demand but imply constraints like prior information on cloud phase and cloud layering. The neural network retrievals are able to retrieve LWP and reff for thin clouds with a mean relative error of 9% and 17%, respectively. This is demonstrated using synthetic observations of a microwave radiometer (MWR) and a spectrally highly resolved infrared interferometer. The accuracy and robustness of the synergistic retrievals is confirmed by a low bias in a radiative closure study for the downwelling shortwave flux, even for marginally invalid scenes. Also, broadband infrared radiance observations, in combination with the MWR, have the potential to retrieve LWP with a higher accuracy than a MWR-only retrieval.

Spectral response, dark current, and noise analyses in resonant tunneling quantum dot infrared photodetectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahromi, Hamed Dehdashti; Mahmoodi, Ali; Sheikhi, Mohammad Hossein; Zarifkar, Abbas

2016-10-20

Reduction of dark current at high-temperature operation is a great challenge in conventional quantum dot infrared photodetectors, as the rate of thermal excitations resulting in the dark current increases exponentially with temperature. A resonant tunneling barrier is the best candidate for suppression of dark current, enhancement in signal-to-noise ratio, and selective extraction of different wavelength response. In this paper, we use a physical model developed by the authors recently to design a proper resonant tunneling barrier for quantum infrared photodetectors and to study and analyze the spectral response of these devices. The calculated transmission coefficient of electrons by this model and its dependency on bias voltage are in agreement with experimental results. Furthermore, based on the calculated transmission coefficient, the dark current of a quantum dot infrared photodetector with a resonant tunneling barrier is calculated and compared with the experimental data. The validity of our model is proven through this comparison. Theoretical dark current by our model shows better agreement with the experimental data and is more accurate than the previously developed model. Moreover, noise in the device is calculated. Finally, the effect of different parameters, such as temperature, size of quantum dots, and bias voltage, on the performance of the device is simulated and studied.

Analysis of cirrus cloud spectral signatures in the far infrared

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maestri, T.; Rizzi, R.; Tosi, E.; Veglio, P.; Palchetti, L.; Bianchini, G.; Di Girolamo, P.; Masiello, G.; Serio, C.; Summa, D.

2014-01-01

This paper analyses high spectral resolution downwelling radiance measurements in the far infrared in the presence of cirrus clouds taken by the REFIR-PAD interferometer, deployed at 3500 m above the sea level at the Testa Grigia station (Italy), during the Earth COoling by WAter vapouR emission (ECOWAR) campaign. Atmospheric state and cloud geometry are characterised by the co-located millimeter-wave spectrometer GBMS and by radiosonde profile data, an interferometer (I-BEST) and a Raman lidar system deployed at a nearby location (Cervinia). Cloud optical depth and effective diameter are retrieved from REFIR-PAD data using a limited number of channels in the 820–960 cm −1 interval. The retrieved cloud parameters are the input data for simulations covering the 250–1100 cm −1 band in order to test our ability to reproduce the REFIR-PAD spectra in the presence of ice clouds. Inverse and forward simulations are based on the same radiative transfer code. A priori information concerning cloud ice vertical distribution is used to better constrain the simulation scheme and an analysis of the degree of approximation of the phase function within the radiative transfer codes is performed to define the accuracy of computations. Simulation-data residuals over the REFIR-PAD spectral interval show an excellent agreement in the window region, but values are larger than total measurement uncertainties in the far infrared. Possible causes are investigated. It is shown that the uncertainties related to the water vapour and temperature profiles are of the same order as the sensitivity to the a priori assumption on particle habits for an up-looking configuration. In case of a down-looking configuration, errors due to possible incorrect description of the water vapour profile would be drastically reduced. - Highlights: • We analyze down-welling spectral radiances in the far infrared (FIR) spectrum. • Discuss the scattering in the fir and the ice crystals phase function

Infrared studies of the S235 molecular cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, N.J. II; Beichman, C.; Gatley, I.; Harvey, P.; Nadeau, D.; Sellgren, K.

1981-01-01

Infrared observations from 7.8 to 200 μm have been obtained for the S235 molecular cloud. Far-infrared maps were obtained for a region of active star formation, as marked by the presence of compact H II regions, water masers, and compact near-infrared sources. The primary heating source for the far-infrared emission appears to be the compact H II region, S235A. Detailed examination of the gas energetics in the region supports the plausibility of the picture in which the gas is heated by collisions with warm dust grains. The ratio of far-infrared optical depth to 13 CO column density is somewhat lower in this source than is commonly found. This effect may be caused by the presence of substantial 13 CO in regions where the dust is not warm enough to emit substantial 50--100 μm radiation

Radiation transport in dense interstellar dust clouds. II. Infrared emission from molecular clouds associated with H II regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, C.M.

1976-01-01

Theoretical models are constructed to study the distribution of grain temperature (T/sub d/) and infrared emission from molecular clouds associated with H II regions (with embedded O: B stars). The effects of the following parameters on the temperature structure and the emergent spectrum are studied: grain type (graphite, silicate, and core-mantle grains), optical depth, density inhomogeneity, cloud size, anisotropic scattering, radiation field anisotropy, and characteristics of central heat source. T/sub d/ varies from approximately-greater-than100 K to approximately-less-than20 K throughout the major portion of a cloud, and dielectric grains attain lower temperatures. Due to an inward increase in T/sub d/, the radiation field is strongly forward-peaking, thereby producing a pronounced limb-darkening in the surface brightness. Important features of the computed emission spectra from typical models are compared with available observations, and the importance of beam dilution is emphasized. Theoretical surface brightnesses at selected infrared wavelengths are also presented. The outward radiation pressure on the dust grains is found to exceed the self-gravitational force of the gas over a large portion of a cloud, thus possibly causing the gas in the inner region to expand. Assumptions commonly used in the analysis of infrared observations are examined. Finally, observational methods of deriving the temperature structure (from color and brightness temperatures in the far-infrared), density distribution (from surface brightness at lambdaapproximately-greater-than1 mm), and optical depth (from multiaperture photometry) for the dust component in simple sources are discussed

Automated cloud classification using a ground based infra-red camera and texture analysis techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Rumi, Emal; Kerr, David; Coupland, Jeremy M.; Sandford, Andrew P.; Brettle, Mike J.

2013-10-01

Clouds play an important role in influencing the dynamics of local and global weather and climate conditions. Continuous monitoring of clouds is vital for weather forecasting and for air-traffic control. Convective clouds such as Towering Cumulus (TCU) and Cumulonimbus clouds (CB) are associated with thunderstorms, turbulence and atmospheric instability. Human observers periodically report the presence of CB and TCU clouds during operational hours at airports and observatories; however such observations are expensive and time limited. Robust, automatic classification of cloud type using infrared ground-based instrumentation offers the advantage of continuous, real-time (24/7) data capture and the representation of cloud structure in the form of a thermal map, which can greatly help to characterise certain cloud formations. The work presented here utilised a ground based infrared (8-14 μm) imaging device mounted on a pan/tilt unit for capturing high spatial resolution sky images. These images were processed to extract 45 separate textural features using statistical and spatial frequency based analytical techniques. These features were used to train a weighted k-nearest neighbour (KNN) classifier in order to determine cloud type. Ground truth data were obtained by inspection of images captured simultaneously from a visible wavelength colour camera at the same installation, with approximately the same field of view as the infrared device. These images were classified by a trained cloud observer. Results from the KNN classifier gave an encouraging success rate. A Probability of Detection (POD) of up to 90% with a Probability of False Alarm (POFA) as low as 16% was achieved.

Opto-mechanical design of small infrared cloud measuring device

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiao; Yu, Xun; Tao, Yu; Jiang, Xu

2018-01-01

In order to make small infrared cloud measuring device can be well in a wide temperature range and day-night environment, a design idea using catadioptric infrared panoramic imaging optical system and simple mechanical structure for realizing observation clode under all-weather conditions was proposed. Firstly, the optical system of cloud measuring device was designed. An easy-to-use numerical method was proposed to acquire the profile of a catadioptric mirror, which brought the property of equidistance projection and played the most important role in a catadioptric panoramic lens. Secondly, the mechanical structure was studied in detail. Overcoming the limitations of traditional primary mirror support structure, integrative design was used for refractor and mirror support structure. Lastly, temperature adaptability and modes of the mirror support structure were analyzed. Results show that the observation range of the cloud measuring device is wide and the structure is simple, the fundamental frequency of the structure is greater than 100 Hz, the surface precision of the system reflector reaches PV of λ/10 and RMS of λ/40under the load of temperature range - 40 60°C, it can meet the needs of existing meteorological observation.

Thoughts About Nursing Curricula: Dark Clouds and Bright Lights.

Science.gov (United States)

Turkel, Marian C; Fawcett, Jacqueline; Amankwaa, Linda; Clarke, Pamela N; Dee, Vivien; Eustace, Rosemary; Hansell, Phyllis Shanley; Jones, Dorothy A; Smith, Marlaine C; Zahourek, Rothlyn

2018-04-01

In this essay, several nurse scholars who are particularly concerned about the contemporary state of nursing science present their concerns about the inclusion of nursing conceptual models and theories in the curricula of nursing programs (dark clouds) and ways in which the concerns have been addressed (bright lights). This essay is the second of two essays that were catalyzed by Barrett's paper, "Again, What Is Nursing Science?" The first essay was published in the previous issue of Nursing Science Quarterly.

Identifying clouds over the Pierre Auger Observatory using infrared satellite data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abreu, Pedro; et al.,

2013-12-01

We describe a new method of identifying night-time clouds over the Pierre Auger Observatory using infrared data from the Imager instruments on the GOES-12 and GOES-13 satellites. We compare cloud identifications resulting from our method to those obtained by the Central Laser Facility of the Auger Observatory. Using our new method we can now develop cloud probability maps for the 3000 km^2 of the Pierre Auger Observatory twice per hour with a spatial resolution of ~2.4 km by ~5.5 km. Our method could also be applied to monitor cloud cover for other ground-based observatories and for space-based observatories.

A SEARCH FOR CARBON-CHAIN-RICH CORES IN DARK CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirota, Tomoya; Ohishi, Masatoshi; Yamamoto, Satoshi

2009-01-01

We present results of a survey of CCS, HC 3 N, and HC 5 N toward 40 dark cloud cores to search for 'Carbon-Chain-Producing Regions (CCPRs)', where carbon-chain molecules are extremely abundant relative to NH 3 , as in L1495B, L1521B, L1521E, and the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1. We have mainly observed toward cores where the NH 3 lines are weak, not detected, or not observed in previous surveys, and the CCS, HC 3 N, and HC 5 N lines have been detected toward 17, 17, and 5 sources, respectively. Among them, we have found a CCPR, L492, and its possible candidates, L1517D, L530D, L1147, and L1172B. They all show low abundance ratios of [NH 3 ]/[CCS] (hereafter called the NH 3 /CCS ratio) indicating the chemical youth. Combining our results with those of previous surveys, we have found a significant variation of the NH 3 /CCS ratio among dark cloud cores and among molecular cloud complexes. Such a variation is also suggested by the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules. For instance, the NH 3 /CCS ratios are higher and the detection rates of carbon-chain molecules are lower in the Ophiuchus cores than in the Taurus cores. An origin of these systematic abundance variation is discussed in terms of the difference in the evolutionary stage or the contraction timescale. We have also identified a carbon-chain-rich star-forming core, L483, where intense HC 3 N and HC 5 N lines are detected. This is a possible candidate for a core with 'Warm Carbon-Chain Chemistry'.

IRAS observations of dust heating and energy balance in the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Thomas P.; Young, Erick T.

1989-01-01

The equilibrium process dust emission in the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud is studied. The luminosity of the cloud is found to closely match the luminosity of the clouds's known embedded and external radiation sources. There is no evidence for a large population of undetected low-luminosity sources within the cloud and unknown external heating is also only a minor source of energy. Most of the cloud's luminosity is emitted in the mid-to-far-IR. Dust temperature maps indicate that the dust is not hot enough to heat the gas to observed temperatures. A simple cloud model with a radiation field composed of flux HD 147889, S1, and Sco OB2 associations predicts the observed IRAS 60 to 100 micron in-band flux ratios for a mean cloud density n(H2) = 1400. Flattened 12 and 25 micron observations show much extended emission in these bands, suggesting stochastic heating of very small grains or large molecules.

Estimating the top altitude of optically thick ice clouds from thermal infrared satellite observations using CALIPSO data

Science.gov (United States)

Minnis, Patrick; Yost, Chris R.; Sun-Mack, Sunny; Chen, Yan

2008-06-01

The difference between cloud-top altitude Z top and infrared effective radiating height Z eff for optically thick ice clouds is examined using April 2007 data taken by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) and the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). For even days, the difference ΔZ between CALIPSO Z top and MODIS Z eff is 1.58 +/- 1.26 km. The linear fit between Z top and Z eff , applied to odd-day data, yields a difference of 0.03 +/- 1.21 km and can be used to estimate Z top from any infrared-based Z eff for thick ice clouds. Random errors appear to be due primarily to variations in cloud ice-water content (IWC). Radiative transfer calculations show that ΔZ corresponds to an optical depth of ~1, which based on observed ice-particle sizes yields an average cloud-top IWC of ~0.015 gm-3, a value consistent with in situ measurements. The analysis indicates potential for deriving cloud-top IWC using dual-satellite data.

Water and complex organic chemistry in the cold dark cloud Barnard 5: Observations and Models

Science.gov (United States)

Wirström, Eva; Charnley, Steven B.; Taquet, Vianney; Persson, Carina M.

2015-08-01

Studies of complex organic molecule (COM) formation have traditionally been focused on hot cores in regions of massive star formation, where chemistry is driven by the elevated temperatures - evaporating ices and allowing for endothermic reactions in the gas-phase. As more sensitive instruments have become available, the types of objects known to harbour COMs like acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), methyl formate (CH3OCHO), and ketene (CH2CO) have expanded to include low mass protostars and, recently, even pre-stellar cores. We here report on the first in a new category of objects harbouring COMs: the cold dark cloud Barnard 5 where non-thermal ice desorption induce complex organic chemistry entirely unrelated to local star-formation.Methanol, which only forms efficiently on the surfaces of dust grains, provide evidence of efficient non-thermal desorption of ices in the form of prominent emission peaks offset from protostellar activity and high density tracers in cold molecular clouds. A study with Herschel targeting such methanol emission peaks resulted in the first ever detection of gas-phase water offset from protostellar activity in a dark cloud, at the so called methanol hotspot in Barnard 5.To model the effect a transient injection of ices into the gas-phase has on the chemistry of a cold, dark cloud we have included gas-grain interactions in an existing gas-phase chemical model and connected it to a chemical reaction network updated and expanded to include the formation and destruction paths of the most common COMs. Results from this model will be presented.Ground-based follow-up studies toward the methanol hotspot in B5 have resulted in the detection of a number of COMs, including CH2CO, CH3CHO, CH3OCH3, and CH3OCHO, as well as deuterated methanol (CH2DOH). Observations have also confirmed that COM emission is extended and not localised to a core structure. The implications of these observational and theoretical studies of B5 will be discussed

Far-infrared observations of M17: The interaction of an H II region with a molecular cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gatley, I.; Becklin, E.E.; Sellgren, K.; Werner, M.W.

1979-01-01

The central 15' of the M17 H II region--molecular cloud complex has been mapped with 1' resolution simultaneously at 30, 50, and 100 μm. The data suggest that the bulk of the luminosity radiated in the far-infrared is supplied by the exciting stars of the H II region; the far-infrared radiation is thermal emission from dust grains located chiefly outside the ionized gas. Large-scale systematic gradients in both the temperature and the column density of the dust are seen across the source. The appearance of the source in the far-infrared reflects the markedly nonuniform distribution of matter around the exciting stars; the H II region is bounded by the molecular cloud to the southwest. The core of the molecular cloud is heated primarily by infrared radiation from dust within and adjacent to the H II region; no evidence is seen for substantial luminosity sources embedded within the molecular cloud

RESEARCH OF REGISTRATION APPROACHES OF THERMAL INFRARED IMAGES AND INTENSITY IMAGES OF POINT CLOUD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Liu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In order to realize the analysis of thermal energy of the objects in 3D vision, the registration approach of thermal infrared images and TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanner point cloud was studied. The original data was pre-processed. For the sake of making the scale and brightness contrast of the two kinds of data meet the needs of basic matching, the intensity image of point cloud was produced and projected to spherical coordinate system, histogram equalization processing was done for thermal infrared image.This paper focused on the research of registration approaches of thermal infrared images and intensity images of point cloud based on SIFT，EOH-SIFT and PIIFD operators. The latter of which is usually used for medical image matching with different spectral character. The comparison results of the experiments showed that PIIFD operator got much more accurate feature point correspondences compared to SIFT and EOH-SIFT operators. The thermal infrared image and intensity image also have ideal overlap results by quadratic polynomial transformation. Therefore, PIIFD can be used as the basic operator for the registration of thermal infrared images and intensity images, and the operator can also be further improved by incorporating the iteration method.

ICES IN THE QUIESCENT IC 5146 DENSE CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiar, J. E.; Pendleton, Y. J.; Allamandola, L. J.; Ennico, K.; Greene, T. P.; Roellig, T. L.; Sandford, S. A.; Boogert, A. C. A.; Geballe, T. R.; Mason, R. E.; Keane, J. V.; Lada, C. J.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Werner, M. W.; Whittet, D. C. B.; Decin, L.; Eriksson, K.

2011-01-01

This paper presents spectra in the 2 to 20 μm range of quiescent cloud material located in the IC 5146 cloud complex. The spectra were obtained with NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX instrument and the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Spectrometer. We use these spectra to investigate dust and ice absorption features in pristine regions of the cloud that are unaltered by embedded stars. We find that the H 2 O-ice threshold extinction is 4.03 ± 0.05 mag. Once foreground extinction is taken into account, however, the threshold drops to 3.2 mag, equivalent to that found for the Taurus dark cloud, generally assumed to be the touchstone quiescent cloud against which all other dense cloud and embedded young stellar object observations are compared. Substructure in the trough of the silicate band for two sources is attributed to CH 3 OH and NH 3 in the ices, present at the ∼2% and ∼5% levels, respectively, relative to H 2 O-ice. The correlation of the silicate feature with the E(J - K) color excess is found to follow a much shallower slope relative to lines of sight that probe diffuse clouds, supporting the previous results by Chiar et al.

Observation of near-infrared surface brightness of the large Magellanic cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayakawa, Satio; Koizumi, Yutaka; Matsumoto, Toshio; Murakami, Hiroshi; Uyama, Kiichiro.

1981-01-01

The near-infrared surface brightness of the large Magellanic cloud was observed by an infrared telescope carried by a balloon. The balloon flight was made at Australian Balloon Launching Station. The brightness distribution of 2.4 Mu m radiation was obtained. A part of Bar was bright, and the expansion of the contour at the east end of Bar corresponded to the 30 Dor region. Many near-infrared sources distribute in this region. Discussions on the color and brightness of the center of Bar and the 30 Dor region are presented. (Kato, T.)

Herbig-haro objects and mid-infrared outflows in the VELA C molecular cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Miaomiao; Wang, Hongchi; Henning, Thomas

2014-01-01

We have performed a deep [S II] λλ6717/6731 wide field Herbig-Haro (HH) object survey toward the Vela C molecular cloud with a sky coverage of about 2 deg 2 . In total, 18 new HH objects, HH 1090-1107, are discovered and the two previously known HH objects, HH 73-74, are also detected in our [S II] images. We also present an investigation of mid-infrared outflows in the Vela C molecular cloud using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer images taken from AllWISE data release. Using the method suggested by Zhang and Wang, 11 extended green objects (EGOs) are identified to be the mid-infrared outflows, including 6 new mid-infrared outflows that have not been detected previously at other wavelengths and 5 mid-infrared counterparts of the HH objects detected in this work. Using the AllWISE Source Catalog and the source classification scheme suggested by Koenig et al., we have identified 56 young stellar object (YSO) candidates in the Vela C molecular cloud. The possible driving sources of the HH objects and EGOs are discussed based on the morphology of HH objects and EGOs and the locations of HH objects, EGOs and YSO candidates. Finally we associate 12 HH objects and 5 EGOs with 10 YSOs and YSO candidates. The median length of the outflows in Vela C is 0.35 pc and the outflows seem to be oriented randomly.

Thoughts About Advancement of the Discipline: Dark Clouds and Bright Lights.

Science.gov (United States)

Turkel, Marian; Fawcett, Jacqueline; Chinn, Peggy L; Eustace, Rosemary; Hansell, Phyllis Shanley; Smith, Marlaine C; Watson, Jean; Zahourek, Rothlyn

2018-01-01

In this essay, several nurse scholars who are particularly concerned about the contemporary state of nursing science present their specific concerns (dark clouds) about the advancement of our discipline and the ways in which the concerns have been addressed (bright lights). This essay is the first of two essays that were catalyzed by Barrett's paper, "Again, What Is Nursing Science?" The second essay will be published in the next issue Nursing Science Quarterly.

Clouds across the Arctic: A spatial perspective uniting surface observations of downwelling infrared radiation, reanalyses and education

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Christopher J.

The polar regions serve an important role in the Earth's energy balance by acting as a heat sink for the global climate system. In the Arctic, a complex distribution of continental and oceanic features support large spatial variability in environmental parameters important for climate. Additionally, feedbacks that are unique to the cryosphere cause the region to be very sensitive to climate perturbations. Environmental changes are being observed, including increasing temperatures, reductions in sea ice extent and thickness, melting permafrost, changing atmospheric circulation patterns and changing cloud properties, which may be signaling a shift in climate. Despite these changes, the Arctic remains an understudied region, including with respect to the atmosphere and clouds. A better understanding of cloud properties and their geographical variability is needed to better understand observed changes and to forecast the future state of the system, to support adaptation and mitigation strategies, and understand how Arctic change impacts other regions of the globe. Surface-based observations of the atmosphere are critical measurements in this effort because they are high quality and have high temporal resolution, but there are few atmospheric observatories in the Arctic and the period of record is short. Reanalyses combine assimilated observations with models to fill in spatial and temporal data gaps, and also provide additional model-derived parameters. Reanalyses are spatially comprehensive, but are limited by large uncertainties and biases, in particular with respect to derived parameters. Infrared radiation is a large component of the surface energy budget. Infrared emission from clouds is closely tied to cloud properties, so measurements of the infrared spectrum can be used to retrieve information about clouds and can also be used to investigate the influence clouds have on the surface radiation balance. In this dissertation, spectral infrared radiances and other

AKARI INFRARED CAMERA SURVEY OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD. II. THE NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC CATALOG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimonishi, Takashi; Onaka, Takashi; Kato, Daisuke; Sakon, Itsuki; Ita, Yoshifusa; Kawamura, Akiko; Kaneda, Hidehiro

2013-01-01

We performed a near-infrared spectroscopic survey toward an area of ∼10 deg 2 of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with the infrared satellite AKARI. Observations were carried out as part of the AKARI Large-area Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LSLMC). The slitless multi-object spectroscopic capability of the AKARI/IRC enabled us to obtain low-resolution (R ∼ 20) spectra in 2-5 μm for a large number of point sources in the LMC. As a result of the survey, we extracted about 2000 infrared spectra of point sources. The data are organized as a near-infrared spectroscopic catalog. The catalog includes various infrared objects such as young stellar objects (YSOs), asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, supergiants, and so on. It is shown that 97% of the catalog sources have corresponding photometric data in the wavelength range from 1.2 to 11 μm, and 67% of the sources also have photometric data up to 24 μm. The catalog allows us to investigate near-infrared spectral features of sources by comparison with their infrared spectral energy distributions. In addition, it is estimated that about 10% of the catalog sources are observed at more than two different epochs. This enables us to study a spectroscopic variability of sources by using the present catalog. Initial results of source classifications for the LSLMC samples are presented. We classified 659 LSLMC spectra based on their near-infrared spectral features by visual inspection. As a result, it is shown that the present catalog includes 7 YSOs, 160 C-rich AGBs, 8 C-rich AGB candidates, 85 O-rich AGBs, 122 blue and yellow supergiants, 150 red super giants, and 128 unclassified sources. Distributions of the classified sources on the color-color and color-magnitude diagrams are discussed in the text. Continuous wavelength coverage and high spectroscopic sensitivity in 2-5 μm can only be achieved by space observations. This is an unprecedented large-scale spectroscopic survey toward the LMC in the near-infrared

Obscured asymptotic giant branch stars in the Magellanic Clouds .2. Near-infrared and mid-infrared counterparts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijlstra, AA; Loup, C; Waters, LBFM; Whitelock, PA; vanLoon, JT; Guglielmo, F

1996-01-01

We have carried out an infrared search for obscured asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Magellanic Clouds. Fields were observed in the vicinity of IRAS sources with colours and flux densities consistent with such a classification. The survey uncovered a number of obscured AGE stars as well as

WHAT IS CONTROLLING THE FRAGMENTATION IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225–0.506?: DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FRAGMENTATION IN TWIN HUBS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Busquet, Gemma; Girart, Josep Miquel [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, S/N, E-08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalunya (Spain); Estalella, Robert [Departament d’Astronomia i Meteorologia, Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICC), Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB), Martí i Franquès, 1, E-08028 Barcelona, Catalunya (Spain); Palau, Aina [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, P.O. Box 3-72, 58090 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico); Liu, Hauyu Baobab; Ho, Paul T. P. [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Zhang, Qizhou [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); De Gregorio-Monsalvo, Itziar [European Southern Observatory (ESO), Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Pillai, Thushara [Max Planck Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Anglada, Guillem, E-mail: busquet@ice.cat [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía, s/n, E-18008, Granada (Spain)

2016-03-20

We present observations of the 1.3 mm continuum emission toward hub-N and hub-S of the infrared dark cloud G14.225–0.506 carried out with the Submillimeter Array, together with observations of the dust emission at 870 and 350 μm obtained with APEX and CSO telescopes. The large-scale dust emission of both hubs consists of a single peaked clump elongated in the direction of the associated filament. At small scales, the SMA images reveal that both hubs fragment into several dust condensations. The fragmentation level was assessed under the same conditions and we found that hub-N presents 4 fragments while hub-S is more fragmented, with 13 fragments identified. We studied the density structure by means of a simultaneous fit of the radial intensity profile at 870 and 350 μm and the spectral energy distribution adopting a Plummer-like function to describe the density structure. The parameters inferred from the model are remarkably similar in both hubs, suggesting that density structure could not be responsible for determining the fragmentation level. We estimated several physical parameters, such as the level of turbulence and the magnetic field strength, and we found no significant differences between these hubs. The Jeans analysis indicates that the observed fragmentation is more consistent with thermal Jeans fragmentation compared with a scenario in which turbulent support is included. The lower fragmentation level observed in hub-N could be explained in terms of stronger UV radiation effects from a nearby H ii region, evolutionary effects, and/or stronger magnetic fields at small scales, a scenario that should be further investigated.

WHAT IS CONTROLLING THE FRAGMENTATION IN THE INFRARED DARK CLOUD G14.225–0.506?: DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FRAGMENTATION IN TWIN HUBS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busquet, Gemma; Girart, Josep Miquel; Estalella, Robert; Palau, Aina; Liu, Hauyu Baobab; Ho, Paul T. P.; Zhang, Qizhou; De Gregorio-Monsalvo, Itziar; Pillai, Thushara; Anglada, Guillem

2016-01-01

We present observations of the 1.3 mm continuum emission toward hub-N and hub-S of the infrared dark cloud G14.225–0.506 carried out with the Submillimeter Array, together with observations of the dust emission at 870 and 350 μm obtained with APEX and CSO telescopes. The large-scale dust emission of both hubs consists of a single peaked clump elongated in the direction of the associated filament. At small scales, the SMA images reveal that both hubs fragment into several dust condensations. The fragmentation level was assessed under the same conditions and we found that hub-N presents 4 fragments while hub-S is more fragmented, with 13 fragments identified. We studied the density structure by means of a simultaneous fit of the radial intensity profile at 870 and 350 μm and the spectral energy distribution adopting a Plummer-like function to describe the density structure. The parameters inferred from the model are remarkably similar in both hubs, suggesting that density structure could not be responsible for determining the fragmentation level. We estimated several physical parameters, such as the level of turbulence and the magnetic field strength, and we found no significant differences between these hubs. The Jeans analysis indicates that the observed fragmentation is more consistent with thermal Jeans fragmentation compared with a scenario in which turbulent support is included. The lower fragmentation level observed in hub-N could be explained in terms of stronger UV radiation effects from a nearby H ii region, evolutionary effects, and/or stronger magnetic fields at small scales, a scenario that should be further investigated

Storm clouds on Saturn: Lightning-induced chemistry and associated materials consistent with Cassini/VIMS spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Baines, K.H.; Delitsky, M.L.; Momary, T.W.; Brown, R.H.; Buratti, B.J.; Clark, R.N.; Nicholson, P.D.

2009-01-01

Thunderstorm activity on Saturn is associated with optically detectable clouds that are atypically dark throughout the near-infrared. As observed by Cassini/VIMS, these clouds are ~20% less reflective than typical neighboring clouds throughout the spectral range from 0.8 ??m to at least 4.1 ??m. We propose that active thunderstorms originating in the 10-20 bar water-condensation region vertically transport dark materials at depth to the ~1 bar level where they can be observed. These materials in part may be produced by chemical processes associated with lightning, likely within the water clouds near the ~10 bar freezing level of water, as detected by the electrostatic discharge of lightning flashes observed by Cassini/RPWS (e.g., Fischer et al. 2008, Space Sci. Rev., 137, 271-285). We review lightning-induced pyrolytic chemistry involving a variety of Saturnian constituents, including hydrogen, methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, phosphine, and water. We find that the lack of absorption in the 1-2 ??m spectral region by lightning-generated sulfuric and phosphorous condensates renders these constituents as minor players in determining the color of the dark storm clouds. Relatively small particulates of elemental carbon, formed by lightning-induced dissociation of methane and subsequently upwelled from depth - perhaps embedded within and on the surface of spectrally bright condensates such as ammonium hydrosulfide or ammonia - may be a dominant optical material within the dark thunderstorm-related clouds of Saturn. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

H I CLOUDS IN THE M81 FILAMENT AS DARK MATTER MINIHALOS-A PHASE-SPACE MISMATCH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chynoweth, Katie M.; Langston, Glen I.; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly

2011-01-01

Cosmological galaxy formation models predict the existence of dark matter minihalos surrounding galaxies and in filaments connecting groups of galaxies. The more massive of these minihalos are predicted to host H I gas that should be detectable by current radio telescopes such as the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). We observed the region including the M81/M82 and NGC 2403 galaxy groups, searching for observational evidence of an H I component associated with dark matter halos within the 'M81 Filament', using the GBT. The map covers an 8. 0 7 x 21. 0 3 (480 kpc x 1.2 Mpc) region centered between the M81/M82 and NGC 2403 galaxy groups. Our observations cover a wide velocity range, from -890 to 1320 km s -1 , which spans much of the range predicted by cosmological N-body simulations for dark matter minihalo velocities. Our search is not complete in the velocity range -210 to 85 km s -1 , containing Galactic emission and the HVC Complex A. For an H I cloud at the distance of M81, with a size ≤10 kpc, our average 5σ mass detection limit is 3.2 x 10 6 M sun , for a linewidth of 20 km s -1 . We compare our observations to two large cosmological N-body simulations and find that the simulation predicts a significantly greater number of detectable minihalos than are found in our observations, and that the simulated minihalos do not match the phase space of observed H I clouds. These results place strong constraints on the H I gas that can be associated with dark matter halos. Our observations indicate that the majority of extragalactic H I clouds with a mass greater than 10 6 M sun are likely to be generated through tidal stripping caused by galaxy interactions.

SCUBA and HIRES Results for Protostellar Cores in the MON OB1 Dark Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf-Chase, G.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Fich, M.; Barsony, M.

1999-05-01

We have used HIRES-processing of IRAS data and point-source modelling techniques (Hurt & Barsony 1996; O'Linger 1997; Barsony et al. 1998), together with submillimeter continuum imaging using the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) on the 15-meter James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), to search CS cores in the Mon OB1 dark cloud (Wolf-Chase, Walker, & Lada 1995; Wolf-Chase & Walker 1995) for deeply embedded sources. These observations, as well as follow-up millimeter photometry at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 12-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, have lead to the identification of two Class 0 protostellar candidates, which were previously unresolved from two brighter IRAS point sources (IRAS 06382+0939 & IRAS 06381+1039) in this cloud. Until now, only one Class 0 object had been confirmed in Mon OB1; the driving source of the highly-collimated outflow NGC 2264 G (Ward-Thompson, Eiroa, & Casali 1995; Margulis et al. 1990; Lada & Fich 1996), which lies well outside the extended CS cores. One of the new Class 0 candidates may be an intermediate-mass source associated with an H_2O maser, and the other object is a low-mass source which may be associated with a near-infrared jet, and possibly with a molecular outflow. We report accurate positions for the new Class 0 candidates, based on the SCUBA images, and present new SEDs for these sources, as well as for the brighter IRAS point sources. A portion of this work was performed while GWC held a President's Fellowship from the University of California. MB and GWC gratefully acknowledge financial support from MB's NSF CAREER Grant, AST97-9753229.

Clumpy molecular clouds: A dynamic model self-consistently regulated by T Tauri star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, C.; Silk, J.

1980-01-01

A new model is proposed which can account for the longevity, energetics, and dynamical structure of dark molecular clouds. It seems clear that the kinetic and gravitational energy in macroscopic cloud motions cannot account for the energetic of many molecular clouds. A stellar energy source must evidently be tapped, and infrared observations indicate that one cannot utilize massive stars in dark clouds. Recent observations of a high space density of T Tauri stars in some dark clouds provide the basis for our assertion that high-velocity winds from these low-mass pre--main-sequence stars provide a continuous dynamic input into molecular clouds. The T Tauri winds sweep up shells of gas, the intersections or collisions of which form dense clumps embedded in a more rarefied interclump medium. Observations constrain the clumps to be ram-pressure confined, but at the relatively low Mach numbers, continuous leakage occurs. This mass input into the interclump medium leads to the existence of two phases; a dense, cold phase (clumps of density approx.10 4 --10 5 cm -3 and temperature approx.10 K) and a warm, more diffuse, interclump medium (ICM, of density approx.10 3 --10 4 cm -3 and temperature approx.30 K). Clump collisions lead to coalescence, and the evolution of the mass spectrum of clumps is studied

Cosmic-rays, gas, and dust in nearby anticentre clouds. II. Interstellar phase transitions and the dark neutral medium

Science.gov (United States)

Remy, Q.; Grenier, I. A.; Marshall, D. J.; Casandjian, J. M.

2018-03-01

Aim. H I 21-cm and 12CO 2.6-mm line emissions trace the atomic and molecular gas phases, respectively, but they miss most of the opaque H I and diffuse H2 present in the dark neutral medium (DNM) at the transition between the H I-bright and CO-bright regions. Jointly probing H I, CO, and DNM gas, we aim to constrain the threshold of the H I-H2 transition in visual extinction, AV, and in total hydrogen column densities, NHtot. We also aim to measure gas mass fractions in the different phases and to test their relation to cloud properties. Methods: We have used dust optical depth measurements at 353 GHz, γ-ray maps at GeV energies, and H I and CO line data to trace the gas column densities and map the DNM in nearby clouds toward the Galactic anticentre and Chamaeleon regions. We have selected a subset of 15 individual clouds, from diffuse to star-forming structures, in order to study the different phases across each cloud and to probe changes from cloud to cloud. Results: The atomic fraction of the total hydrogen column density is observed to decrease in the (0.6-1) × 1021 cm-2 range in NHtot (AV ≈ 0.4 mag) because of the formation of H2 molecules. The onset of detectable CO intensities varies by only a factor of 4 from cloud to cloud, between 0.6 × 1021 cm-2 and 2.5 × 1021 cm-2 in total gas column density. We observe larger H2 column densities than linearly inferred from the CO intensities at AV > 3 mag because of the large CO optical thickness; the additional H2 mass in this regime represents on average 20% of the CO-inferred molecular mass. In the DNM envelopes, we find that the fraction of diffuse CO-dark H2 in the molecular column densities decreases with increasing AV in a cloud. For a half molecular DNM, the fraction decreases from more than 80% at 0.4 mag to less than 20% beyond 2 mag. In mass, the DNM fraction varies with the cloud properties. Clouds with low peak CO intensities exhibit large CO-dark H2 fractions in molecular mass, in particular the

Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters Retrieved from Satellite Ultraspectral Infrared Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

Atmospheric-thermodynamic parameters and surface properties are basic meteorological parameters for weather forecasting. A physical geophysical parameter retrieval scheme dealing with cloudy and cloud-free radiance observed with satellite ultraspectral infrared sounders has been developed and applied to the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS). The retrieved parameters presented herein are from radiance data gathered during the Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx). JAIVEx provided intensive aircraft observations obtained from airborne Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) systems, in-situ measurements, and dedicated dropsonde and radiosonde measurements for the validation of the IASI products. Here, IASI atmospheric profile retrievals are compared with those obtained from dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and the airborne FTS system. The IASI examples presented here demonstrate the ability to retrieve fine-scale horizontal features with high vertical resolution from satellite ultraspectral sounder radiance spectra.

Search for near-infrared counterparts of IRAS embedded sources in the M17 SW giant molecular cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmegreen, D.M.; Phillips, J.; Beck, K.; Thomas, H.; Howard, J.

1988-01-01

Wide-field near-infrared and blue band plates of the region containing the M17 giant molecular cloud complex have been blinked to locate bright near-infrared stars that may be embedded in the M17 SW giant molecular cloud. Twenty such stars coincided with the positions of IRAS point sources that appeared embedded based on color-color diagrams. Some of these stars may be the sources of the infrared luminosities. Of the 20 stars, seven were too faint to appear on the B band plate. The optical magnitudes and colors determined from the plate image diameters were measured for the other 13 coincident stars; they are most likely upper main-sequence or pre-main-sequence stars with extinctions of 7 mag. The IRAS luminosity-temperature diagram indicates that the embedded sources in M17 are more massive than those in the Orion cloud. 35 references

Added value of far-infrared radiometry for remote sensing of ice clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Libois, Quentin; Blanchet, Jean-Pierre

2017-06-01

Several cloud retrieval algorithms based on satellite observations in the infrared have been developed in the last decades. However, these observations only cover the midinfrared (MIR, λ transparent in the FIR, using FIR channels would reduce by more than 50% the uncertainties on retrieved values of optical thickness, effective particle diameter, and cloud top altitude. Notably, this would extend the range of applicability of current retrieval methods to the polar regions and to clouds with large optical thickness, where MIR algorithms perform poorly. The high performance of solar reflection-based algorithms would thus be reached in nighttime conditions. Since the sensitivity of ice cloud thermal emission to effective particle diameter is approximately 5 times larger in the FIR than in the MIR, using FIR observations is a promising venue for studying ice cloud microphysics and precipitation processes. This is highly relevant for cirrus clouds and convective towers. This is also essential to study precipitation in the driest regions of the atmosphere, where strong feedbacks are at play between clouds and water vapor. The deployment in the near future of a FIR spaceborne radiometer is technologically feasible and should be strongly supported.

Properties of molecular clouds containing Herbig-Haro objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loren, R.B.; Evans, N.J. II; Knapp, G.R.

1979-01-01

We have studied the physical conditions in the molecular clouds associated with a large number of Herbig-Haro and related objects. Formaldehyde emission at 2 mm was detected in the direction of approx.15 out of 30 objects observed. Using the 2 mm H 2 CO emission and observations of 2 cm H 2 CO absorption, along the the 2.6 mm CO line, we calculate core densities of these molecular clouds. Dense cores are found near but not necessarily coincident with the HH objects. Known embedded infrared sources are more likely to be at the position of greatest density than are the HH objects themselves. The densities determined for the cloud cores are intermediate between the densities of cold, dark clouds such as L134 N and the hot clouds associated with H II regions. Thus, a continuous spectrum of densities is observed in molecular clouds. The temperature and density of the clouds in this study are not well correlated. The cores associated with HH 29 IR and T Tau are very dense (6 x 10 4 and 9 x 10 4 cm -3 ), yet have temperatures typical of cold dark clouds.The strong inverse correlation between X (H 2 CO) and density found by Wootten et al. is also found in the clouds associated with HH objects. This correlation also holds within a single cloud, indicating that the correlation is not due to differences in cloud age and evolution toward gas-phase chemical equilibrium. The decrease of X (H 2 CO) with density is more rapid than predicted by steady state ion-molecule chemistry and may be the result of increased depletion of molecules onto grain surfaces at higher density

Early phases in the stellar and substellar formation and evolution. Infrared and submillimeter data in the Barnard 30 dark cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Barrado, D.; de Gregorio Monsalvo, I.; Huélamo, N.; Morales-Calderón, M.; Bayo, A.; Palau, A.; Ruiz, M. T.; Rivière-Marichalar, P.; Bouy, H.; Morata, Ó.; Stauffer, J. R.; Eiroa, C.; Noriega-Crespo, A.

2018-04-01

Aims: The early evolutionary stage of brown dwarfs (BDs) is not very well characterized, especially during the embedded phase. Our goal is to gain insight into the dominant formation mechanism of very low-mass objects and BDs. Methods: We have conducted deep observations at 870 μm obtained with the LABOCA bolometer at the APEX telescope in order to identify young submillimeter (submm) sources in the Barnard 30 dark cloud. We have complemented these data with multi-wavelength observations from the optical to the far-IR and compiled complete spectral energy distributions in order to identify the counterparts, characterize the sources and to assess their membership to the association and stellar or substellar status based on the available photometric information. Results: We have identified 34 submm sources and a substantial number of possible and probable Barnard 30 members within each individual APEX/LABOCA beam. They can be classified into three distinct groups. First, 15 of these 34 have a clear optical or IR counterpart to the submm peak and nine of them are potential proto-BD candidates. Moreover, a substantial number of them could be multiple systems. A second group of 13 sources comprises candidate members with significant infrared excesses located away from the central submm emission. All of them include BD candidates, some displaying IR excess, but their association with submm emission is unclear. In addition, we have found six starless cores and, based on the total dust mass estimate, three might be pre-substellar (or pre-BDs) cores. Finally, the complete characterization of our APEX/LABOCA sources, focusing on those detected at 24 and/or 70 μm, indicates that in our sample of 34 submm sources there are, at least: two WTTs, four CTTs, five young stellar objects, eight proto-BD candidates (with another three dubious cases), and one very low luminosity objects. Conclusions: Our findings provide additional evidence concerning the BD formation mechanism

Relationship between ice water path and downward longwave radiation for clouds optically thin in the infrared: Observations and model calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Uttal, Taneil; Matrosov, Sergey Y.; Snider, Jack B.; Kropfli, Robert A.

1994-01-01

A vertically pointing 3.2-cm radar is used to observe altostratus and cirrus clouds as they pass overhead. Radar reflectivities are used in combination with an empirical Z(sub i)-IWC (ice water content) relationship developed by Sassen (1987) to parameterize IWC, which is then integrated to obtain estimates of ice water path (IWP). The observed dataset is segregated into all-ice and mixed-phase periods using measurements of integrated liquid water paths (LWP) detected by a collocated, dual-channel microwave radiometer. The IWP values for the all ice periods are compared to measurements of infrared (IR) downward fluxes measured by a collocated narrowband (9.95-11.43 microns) IR radiometer, which results in scattergrams representing the observed dependence of IR fluxes on IWP. A two-stream model is used to calculate the infrared fluxes expected from ice clouds with boundary conditions specified by the actual clouds, and similar curves relating IWP and infrared fluxes are obtained. The model and observational results suggest that IWP is one of the primary controls on infrared thermal fluxes for ice clouds.

H I and dust in the high latitude dark cloud L1642

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liljestroem, T.; Mattila, K.

1989-01-01

The high latitude dark cloud L1642 in the 21 cm H I region was mapped using a 100 m radio telescope. A remarkable H I line broadening from 2.5 to 2.9 km/s is observed over a small area on the bright side of L1642, i.e., the side facing the galactic plane. Results are presented concerning the effects of the asymmetrical UV radiation field of OB stars on the H I gas and the very small dust grains associated with L1642

Large Magellanic Cloud Near-infrared Synoptic Survey. V. Period–Luminosity Relations of Miras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Wenlong; Macri, Lucas M.; He, Shiyuan; Huang, Jianhua Z.; Kanbur, Shashi M.; Ngeow, Chow-Choong

2017-01-01

We study the near-infrared properties of 690 Mira candidates in the central region of the Large Magellanic Cloud, based on time-series observations at JHK s . We use densely sampled I -band observations from the OGLE project to generate template light curves in the near-infrared and derive robust mean magnitudes at those wavelengths. We obtain near-infrared Period–Luminosity relations for oxygen-rich Miras with a scatter as low as 0.12 mag at K s . We study the Period–Luminosity–Color relations and the color excesses of carbon-rich Miras, which show evidence for a substantially different reddening law.

Deep convective cloud characterizations from both broadband imager and hyperspectral infrared sounder measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Yufei; Li, Jun; Shi, Wenjing; Schmit, Timothy J.; Cao, Changyong; Li, Wanbiao

2017-02-01

Deep convective storms have contributed to airplane accidents, making them a threat to aviation safety. The most common method to identify deep convective clouds (DCCs) is using the brightness temperature difference (BTD) between the atmospheric infrared (IR) window band and the water vapor (WV) absorption band. The effectiveness of the BTD method for DCC detection is highly related to the spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the WV band. In order to understand the sensitivity of BTD to spectral resolution and SNR for DCC detection, a BTD to noise ratio method using the difference between the WV and IR window radiances is developed to assess the uncertainty of DCC identification for different instruments. We examined the case of AirAsia Flight QZ8501. The brightness temperatures (Tbs) over DCCs from this case are simulated for BTD sensitivity studies by a fast forward radiative transfer model with an opaque cloud assumption for both broadband imager (e.g., Multifunction Transport Satellite imager, MTSAT-2 imager) and hyperspectral IR sounder (e.g., Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) instruments; we also examined the relationship between the simulated Tb and the cloud top height. Results show that despite the coarser spatial resolution, BTDs measured by a hyperspectral IR sounder are much more sensitive to high cloud tops than broadband BTDs. As demonstrated in this study, a hyperspectral IR sounder can identify DCCs with better accuracy.

Single-footprint retrievals for AIRS using a fast TwoSlab cloud-representation model and the SARTA all-sky infrared radiative transfer algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

DeSouza-Machado, Sergio; Larrabee Strow, L.; Tangborn, Andrew; Huang, Xianglei; Chen, Xiuhong; Liu, Xu; Wu, Wan; Yang, Qiguang

2018-01-01

One-dimensional variational retrievals of temperature and moisture fields from hyperspectral infrared (IR) satellite sounders use cloud-cleared radiances (CCRs) as their observation. These derived observations allow the use of clear-sky-only radiative transfer in the inversion for geophysical variables but at reduced spatial resolution compared to the native sounder observations. Cloud clearing can introduce various errors, although scenes with large errors can be identified and ignored. Information content studies show that, when using multilayer cloud liquid and ice profiles in infrared hyperspectral radiative transfer codes, there are typically only 2-4 degrees of freedom (DOFs) of cloud signal. This implies a simplified cloud representation is sufficient for some applications which need accurate radiative transfer. Here we describe a single-footprint retrieval approach for clear and cloudy conditions, which uses the thermodynamic and cloud fields from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models as a first guess, together with a simple cloud-representation model coupled to a fast scattering radiative transfer algorithm (RTA). The NWP model thermodynamic and cloud profiles are first co-located to the observations, after which the N-level cloud profiles are converted to two slab clouds (TwoSlab; typically one for ice and one for water clouds). From these, one run of our fast cloud-representation model allows an improvement of the a priori cloud state by comparing the observed and model-simulated radiances in the thermal window channels. The retrieval yield is over 90 %, while the degrees of freedom correlate with the observed window channel brightness temperature (BT) which itself depends on the cloud optical depth. The cloud-representation and scattering package is benchmarked against radiances computed using a maximum random overlap (RMO) cloud scheme. All-sky infrared radiances measured by NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and NWP thermodynamic and cloud

Single-footprint retrievals for AIRS using a fast TwoSlab cloud-representation model and the SARTA all-sky infrared radiative transfer algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. DeSouza-Machado

2018-01-01

Full Text Available One-dimensional variational retrievals of temperature and moisture fields from hyperspectral infrared (IR satellite sounders use cloud-cleared radiances (CCRs as their observation. These derived observations allow the use of clear-sky-only radiative transfer in the inversion for geophysical variables but at reduced spatial resolution compared to the native sounder observations. Cloud clearing can introduce various errors, although scenes with large errors can be identified and ignored. Information content studies show that, when using multilayer cloud liquid and ice profiles in infrared hyperspectral radiative transfer codes, there are typically only 2–4 degrees of freedom (DOFs of cloud signal. This implies a simplified cloud representation is sufficient for some applications which need accurate radiative transfer. Here we describe a single-footprint retrieval approach for clear and cloudy conditions, which uses the thermodynamic and cloud fields from numerical weather prediction (NWP models as a first guess, together with a simple cloud-representation model coupled to a fast scattering radiative transfer algorithm (RTA. The NWP model thermodynamic and cloud profiles are first co-located to the observations, after which the N-level cloud profiles are converted to two slab clouds (TwoSlab; typically one for ice and one for water clouds. From these, one run of our fast cloud-representation model allows an improvement of the a priori cloud state by comparing the observed and model-simulated radiances in the thermal window channels. The retrieval yield is over 90 %, while the degrees of freedom correlate with the observed window channel brightness temperature (BT which itself depends on the cloud optical depth. The cloud-representation and scattering package is benchmarked against radiances computed using a maximum random overlap (RMO cloud scheme. All-sky infrared radiances measured by NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS and NWP

Large Magellanic Cloud Near-infrared Synoptic Survey. V. Period–Luminosity Relations of Miras

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Wenlong; Macri, Lucas M. [George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); He, Shiyuan; Huang, Jianhua Z. [Department of Statistics, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Kanbur, Shashi M. [Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126 (United States); Ngeow, Chow-Choong, E-mail: lmacri@tamu.edu [Graduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Jhongli 32001, Taiwan (China)

2017-10-01

We study the near-infrared properties of 690 Mira candidates in the central region of the Large Magellanic Cloud, based on time-series observations at JHK{sub s}. We use densely sampled I -band observations from the OGLE project to generate template light curves in the near-infrared and derive robust mean magnitudes at those wavelengths. We obtain near-infrared Period–Luminosity relations for oxygen-rich Miras with a scatter as low as 0.12 mag at K{sub s}. We study the Period–Luminosity–Color relations and the color excesses of carbon-rich Miras, which show evidence for a substantially different reddening law.

Dark clouds in particle physics and cosmology: the issues of dark matter and dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xinmin

2011-01-01

Unveiling the nature of dark matter and dark energy is one of the main tasks of particle physics and cosmology in the 21st century. We first present an overview of the history and current status of research in cosmology, at the same time emphasizing the new challenges in particle physics. Then we focus on the scientific issues of dark energy, dark matter and anti-matter, and review the recent progress made in these fields. Finally, we discuss the prospects for future research on the experimental probing of dark matter and dark energy in China. (authors)

CO observations of southern high-latitude clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keto, E.R.; Myers, P.C.

1986-01-01

Results from a survey of 2.6 mm emission in the J = 1 to 0 transition of CO of clouds are reported for 15 high Galactic latitude clouds and three clouds located on the fringe of a large molecular cloud in the Chameleon dark cloud complex. The line widths, excitation temperatures, sizes, and n(CO)/N(H2) ratio of these clouds are similar to those seen in dark clouds. The densities, extinctions, and masses of the high-latitude clouds are one order of magnitude less than those found in dark clouds. For its size and velocity dispersion, the typical cloud has a mass of at least 10 times less than that needed to bind the cloud by self-gravity alone. External pressures are needed to maintain the typical cloud in equilibrium, and these values are consistent with several estimates of the intercloud pressure. 32 references

A New Dark Vortex on Neptune

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Michael H.; Tollefson, Joshua; Hsu, Andrew I.; de Pater, Imke; Simon, Amy A.; Hueso, Ricardo; Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín; Sromovsky, Lawrence; Fry, Patrick; Luszcz-Cook, Statia; Hammel, Heidi; Delcroix, Marc; de Kleer, Katherine; Orton, Glenn S.; Baranec, Christoph

2018-03-01

An outburst of cloud activity on Neptune in 2015 led to speculation about whether the clouds were convective in nature, a wave phenomenon, or bright companions to an unseen dark vortex (similar to the Great Dark Spot studied in detail by Voyager 2). The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) finally answered this question by discovering a new dark vortex at 45 degrees south planetographic latitude, named SDS-2015 for “southern dark spot discovered in 2015.” SDS-2015 is only the fifth dark vortex ever seen on Neptune. In this paper, we report on imaging of SDS-2015 using HST’s Wide Field Camera 3 across four epochs: 2015 September, 2016 May, 2016 October, and 2017 October. We find that the size of SDS-2015 did not exceed 20 degrees of longitude, more than a factor of two smaller than the Voyager dark spots, but only slightly smaller than previous northern-hemisphere dark spots. A slow (1.7–2.5 deg/year) poleward drift was observed for the vortex. Properties of SDS-2015 and its surroundings suggest that the meridional wind shear may be twice as strong at the deep level of the vortex as it is at the level of cloud-tracked winds. Over the 2015–2017 period, the dark spot’s contrast weakened from about -7 % to about -3 % , while companion clouds shifted from offset to centered, a similar evolution to some historical dark spots. The properties and evolution of SDS-2015 highlight the diversity of Neptune’s dark spots and the need for faster cadence dark spot observations in the future.

Molecule--dust correlations in dark cloud Khavtassi 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, P.C.

1975-01-01

Mapping observations of microwave spectral lines of H 2 CO, OH, and H toward the dark cloud Kh 3 are reported. For each species, comparison is made between column density N, excitation temperature T/sub ex/, and red extinction A, determined from star counts. Stars were counted in resolution elements which coincide with beam size and position for each microwave spectrum taken. It is found that for T/sub ex/ assumed independent of A, N increases with A strongly for H 2 CO, increases moderately for H, and is independent of A for OH. For N assumed independent of A, T/sub ex/ decreases strongly with A for H 2 CO, decreases moderately with A for H, and is independent of A for OH. The observed correlations are discussed in terms of ''coupling parameters'' chi(N) = (par.deltaN/par.deltaA)/N and chi(T/sub ex/) = (par.deltaT/sub ex//par.deltaA)/T/sub ex/). Models of abundance and collisional transition excitation are used to predict values of chi(N) and chi(T/sub ex/)), which are compared for consistency with the present observations. For H 2 CO, abundance prediction based on ion-molecule reactions gives better consistency than abundance predictions based on molecule formation on grain surfaces. For either abundance model, coupling of cloud temperature to extinction, c []i(T), required consistency between model predictions and observations, differs significantly from one species to the next. This may indicate variation in spatial extent from one species to the next, and/or model inaccuracies. Assumption of the same chi(T) for each species gives most plausible results when chi(T) is lambdaess than or equal to 0 either an isothermal or cool-core cloud. In that case, the observations imply strong coupling of H 2 CO to A, moderate to zero coupling of H to A, and zero to negative coupling of OH to A

Cloud type comparisons of AIRS, CloudSat, and CALIPSO cloud height and amount

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. H. Kahn

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The precision of the two-layer cloud height fields derived from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS is explored and quantified for a five-day set of observations. Coincident profiles of vertical cloud structure by CloudSat, a 94 GHz profiling radar, and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO, are compared to AIRS for a wide range of cloud types. Bias and variability in cloud height differences are shown to have dependence on cloud type, height, and amount, as well as whether CloudSat or CALIPSO is used as the comparison standard. The CloudSat-AIRS biases and variability range from −4.3 to 0.5±1.2–3.6 km for all cloud types. Likewise, the CALIPSO-AIRS biases range from 0.6–3.0±1.2–3.6 km (−5.8 to −0.2±0.5–2.7 km for clouds ≥7 km (<7 km. The upper layer of AIRS has the greatest sensitivity to Altocumulus, Altostratus, Cirrus, Cumulonimbus, and Nimbostratus, whereas the lower layer has the greatest sensitivity to Cumulus and Stratocumulus. Although the bias and variability generally decrease with increasing cloud amount, the ability of AIRS to constrain cloud occurrence, height, and amount is demonstrated across all cloud types for many geophysical conditions. In particular, skill is demonstrated for thin Cirrus, as well as some Cumulus and Stratocumulus, cloud types infrared sounders typically struggle to quantify. Furthermore, some improvements in the AIRS Version 5 operational retrieval algorithm are demonstrated. However, limitations in AIRS cloud retrievals are also revealed, including the existence of spurious Cirrus near the tropopause and low cloud layers within Cumulonimbus and Nimbostratus clouds. Likely causes of spurious clouds are identified and the potential for further improvement is discussed.

THE CALIFORNIA MOLECULAR CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lada, Charles J.; Lombardi, Marco; Alves, Joao F.

2009-01-01

We present an analysis of wide-field infrared extinction maps of a region in Perseus just north of the Taurus-Auriga dark cloud complex. From this analysis we have identified a massive, nearby, but previously unrecognized, giant molecular cloud (GMC). Both a uniform foreground star density and measurements of the cloud's velocity field from CO observations indicate that this cloud is likely a coherent structure at a single distance. From comparison of foreground star counts with Galactic models, we derive a distance of 450 ± 23 pc to the cloud. At this distance the cloud extends over roughly 80 pc and has a mass of ∼ 10 5 M sun , rivaling the Orion (A) molecular cloud as the largest and most massive GMC in the solar neighborhood. Although surprisingly similar in mass and size to the more famous Orion molecular cloud (OMC) the newly recognized cloud displays significantly less star formation activity with more than an order of magnitude fewer young stellar objects than found in the OMC, suggesting that both the level of star formation and perhaps the star formation rate in this cloud are an order of magnitude or more lower than in the OMC. Analysis of extinction maps of both clouds shows that the new cloud contains only 10% the amount of high extinction (A K > 1.0 mag) material as is found in the OMC. This, in turn, suggests that the level of star formation activity and perhaps the star formation rate in these two clouds may be directly proportional to the total amount of high extinction material and presumably high density gas within them and that there might be a density threshold for star formation on the order of n(H 2 ) ∼ a few x 10 4 cm -3 .

Dark Kinetic Heating of Neutron Stars and an Infrared Window on WIMPs, SIMPs, and Pure Higgsinos.

Science.gov (United States)

Baryakhtar, Masha; Bramante, Joseph; Li, Shirley Weishi; Linden, Tim; Raj, Nirmal

2017-09-29

We identify a largely model-independent signature of dark matter (DM) interactions with nucleons and electrons. DM in the local galactic halo, gravitationally accelerated to over half the speed of light, scatters against and deposits kinetic energy into neutron stars, heating them to infrared blackbody temperatures. The resulting radiation could potentially be detected by the James Webb Space Telescope, the Thirty Meter Telescope, or the European Extremely Large Telescope. This mechanism also produces optical emission from neutron stars in the galactic bulge, and x-ray emission near the galactic center because dark matter is denser in these regions. For GeV-PeV mass dark matter, dark kinetic heating would initially unmask any spin-independent or spin-dependent dark matter-nucleon cross sections exceeding 2×10^{-45}  cm^{2}, with improved sensitivity after more telescope exposure. For lighter-than-GeV dark matter, cross-section sensitivity scales inversely with dark matter mass because of Pauli blocking; for heavier-than-PeV dark matter, it scales linearly with mass as a result of needing multiple scatters for capture. Future observations of dark sector-warmed neutron stars could determine whether dark matter annihilates in or only kinetically heats neutron stars. Because inelastic interstate transitions of up to a few GeV would occur in relativistic scattering against nucleons, elusive inelastic dark matter like pure Higgsinos can also be discovered.

The benefit of limb cloud imaging for infrared limb sounding of tropospheric trace gases

OpenAIRE

G. Heinemann; P. Preusse; R. Spang; S. Adams

2009-01-01

Advances in detector technology enable a new generation of infrared limb sounders to measure 2-D images of the atmosphere. A proposed limb cloud imager (LCI) mode will detect clouds with a spatial resolution unprecedented for limb sounding. For the inference of temperature and trace gas distributions, detector pixels of the LCI have to be combined into super-pixels which provide the required signal-to-noise and information content for the retrievals. This study examines the extent to which tr...

The infrared stage Linkam FTIR 600 for microthermometric studies in dark and opaque minerals associated to uranium mineralization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, Tatiana Aparecida Fernandes de; Rios, Francisco Javier; Fuzikawa, Kazuo; Oliveira, Lucilia A. Ramos de; Oliveira, Elizabeth Kerpe; Neves, Jose Marques Correia; Prates, Sonia Pinto

2009-01-01

Fluid composition studies, throughout fluid inclusions (FI), contribute to improve the understanding of mineral deposits. FI correspond to small portions of fluids trapped in minerals by many processes that preserve relevant information related to fluid composition which forms ore deposits. Microscopy and microthermometry techniques applied to fluid inclusions studies of opaque and/or dark minerals use infrared light (IR). A specific stage heating/cooling that allows working in the near infrared (NIR). Thus, the infrared stage model FTIR600 Linkam coupled the IR OLYMPUS BX51, with the automatic controllers LNP 94/2 and TMS 94, and software Linksys 32 - Linkam installed in computer was implemented and tested. An infrared QUICAM fast 1394 QIMAGING TM camera with the program QCAPTURE SUITE was acquisition for images capture and adapted the new system. This infrared stage Linkam FTIR600 reach temperatures between -196 deg C to +600 deg C, with the differential of working in the NIR; it is all automated, obtaining computerized data, graphics in real time of analysis and storage the data. It also controls the speed of the experiment (up to 130 deg C/min); it runs consecutively heating and cooling with a small N 2 (l) consuming; besides greater results repeatability, obtaining accurate and precise temperatures. Actually the Linkam stage FTIR600 is operating in the Metallogenesis and Fluid Inclusions Laboratory (LIFM) at CDTN/CNEN. Uranium ore and/or others mineralization studies which shows dark or opaque mineral have been developed. The uranium mineralization in the Lagoa Real Uraniferous Province, Bahia, Brazil, shows several rock-forming minerals together with the dark and opaque minerals (garnet, magnetite, pyroxene) emphasized in the present work. (author)

The cloud monitor by an infrared camera at the Telescope Array experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, F.

2011-01-01

The mesurement of the extensive air shower using the fluorescence detectors (FDs) is affected by the condition of the atmosphere. In particular, FD aperture is limited by cloudiness. If cloud exists on the light path from extensive air shower to FDs, fluorescence photons will be absorbed drastically. Therefore cloudiness of FD's field of view (FOV) is one of important quality cut condition in FD analysis. In the Telescope Array (TA), an infrared (IR) camera with 320x236 pixels and a filed of view of 25.8 deg. x19.5 deg. has been installed at an observation site for cloud monitoring during FD observations. This IR camera measures temperature of the sky every 30 min during FD observation. IR camera is mounted on steering table, which can be changed in elevation and azimuthal direction. Clouds can be seen at a higher temperature than areas of cloudless sky from these temperature maps. In this paper, we discuss the quality of the cloud monitoring data, the analysis method, and current quality cut condition of cloudiness in FD analysis.

Radiative properties of clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Twomey, S.

1993-01-01

The climatic effects of condensation nuclei in the formation of cloud droplets and the subsequent role of the cloud droplets as contributors to the planetary short-wave albedo is emphasized. Microphysical properties of clouds, which can be greatly modified by the degree of mixing with cloud-free air from outside, are discussed. The effect of clouds on visible radiation is assessed through multiple scattering of the radiation. Cloudwater or ice absorbs more with increasing wavelength in the near-infrared region, with water vapor providing the stronger absorption over narrower wavelength bands. Cloud thermal infrared absorption can be solely related to liquid water content at least for shallow clouds and clouds in the early development state. Three-dimensional general circulation models have been used to study the climatic effect of clouds. It was found for such studies (which did not consider variations in cloud albedo) that the cooling effects due to the increase in planetary short-wave albedo from clouds were offset by heating effects due to thermal infrared absorption by the cloud. Two permanent direct effects of increased pollution are discussed in this chapter: (a) an increase of absorption in the visible and near infrared because of increased amounts of elemental carbon, which gives rise to a warming effect climatically, and (b) an increased optical thickness of clouds due to increasing cloud droplet number concentration caused by increasing cloud condensation nuclei number concentration, which gives rise to a cooling effect climatically. An increase in cloud albedo from 0.7 to 0.87 produces an appreciable climatic perturbation of cooling up to 2.5 K at the ground, using a hemispheric general circulation model. Effects of pollution on cloud thermal infrared absorption are negligible

Observations of far-infrared molecular emission lines from the Orion molecular cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viscuso, P.J.

1986-01-01

The Orion Nebula has been the subject of intensive study for over one hundred years. Far-infrared (FIR) molecular line observations of CO in the shock region surrounding the infrared source IRc2 have suggested that the molecular hydrogen density in the shocked and post-shock gas is roughly 3 x 10 6 cm -3 . The temperature of this gas is on the order of 750-2000K. IRc2, like other nearby infrared sources within the Nebula, is thought to be a site of recent star formation. This object is apparently at the center of a massive bipolar molecular outflow of gas, which is producing a shock front where it meets the ambient molecular cloud surrounding IRc2. Study of such regions is important for the understanding of the chemical and physical processes that are involved in the formation of stars from molecular clouds. Recently, several far-infrared transitions among the low-lying levels of OH have been observed toward IRc2. OH is thought to be abundant, and it plays an important role in the chemical evolution of the shock and post-shock regions. The OH emission serves as a sensitive probe of the temperature and density for the shock-processed gas. A rigorous treatment of the radiative transfer of these measured transitions is performed using the escape probability formalism. From this analysis, the author determines the temperature of the OH-emitting region to be on the order of 40K. This suggests that the gas is part of the post-shock gas that has cooled sufficiently, most likely by way of radiative cooling by CO

THE BOLOCAM GALACTIC PLANE SURVEY. VIII. A MID-INFRARED KINEMATIC DISTANCE DISCRIMINATION METHOD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellsworth-Bowers, Timothy P.; Glenn, Jason; Battersby, Cara; Ginsburg, Adam; Bally, John [CASA, University of Colorado, UCB 389, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Rosolowsky, Erik [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia Okanagan, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7 (Canada); Mairs, Steven [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 1A1 (Canada); Evans, Neal J. II [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, 1 University Station C1400, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Shirley, Yancy L., E-mail: timothy.ellsworthbowers@colorado.edu [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2013-06-10

We present a new distance estimation method for dust-continuum-identified molecular cloud clumps. Recent (sub-)millimeter Galactic plane surveys have cataloged tens of thousands of these objects, plausible precursors to stellar clusters, but detailed study of their physical properties requires robust distance determinations. We derive Bayesian distance probability density functions (DPDFs) for 770 objects from the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey in the Galactic longitude range 7. Degree-Sign 5 {<=} l {<=} 65 Degree-Sign . The DPDF formalism is based on kinematic distances, and uses any number of external data sets to place prior distance probabilities to resolve the kinematic distance ambiguity (KDA) for objects in the inner Galaxy. We present here priors related to the mid-infrared absorption of dust in dense molecular regions and the distribution of molecular gas in the Galactic disk. By assuming a numerical model of Galactic mid-infrared emission and simple radiative transfer, we match the morphology of (sub-)millimeter thermal dust emission with mid-infrared absorption to compute a prior DPDF for distance discrimination. Selecting objects first from (sub-)millimeter source catalogs avoids a bias towards the darkest infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) and extends the range of heliocentric distance probed by mid-infrared extinction and includes lower-contrast sources. We derive well-constrained KDA resolutions for 618 molecular cloud clumps, with approximately 15% placed at or beyond the tangent distance. Objects with mid-infrared contrast sufficient to be cataloged as IRDCs are generally placed at the near kinematic distance. Distance comparisons with Galactic Ring Survey KDA resolutions yield a 92% agreement. A face-on view of the Milky Way using resolved distances reveals sections of the Sagittarius and Scutum-Centaurus Arms. This KDA-resolution method for large catalogs of sources through the combination of (sub-)millimeter and mid-infrared observations of molecular

Baryonic Dark Matter

OpenAIRE

De Paolis, F.; Jetzer, Ph.; Ingrosso, G.; Roncadelli, M.

1997-01-01

Reasons supporting the idea that most of the dark matter in galaxies and clusters of galaxies is baryonic are discussed. Moreover, it is argued that most of the dark matter in galactic halos should be in the form of MACHOs and cold molecular clouds.

Tharsis Limb Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Annotated image of Tharsis Limb Cloud 7 September 2005 This composite of red and blue Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired on 6 July 2005 shows an isolated water ice cloud extending more than 30 kilometers (more than 18 miles) above the martian surface. Clouds such as this are common in late spring over the terrain located southwest of the Arsia Mons volcano. Arsia Mons is the dark, oval feature near the limb, just to the left of the 'T' in the 'Tharsis Montes' label. The dark, nearly circular feature above the 'S' in 'Tharsis' is the volcano, Pavonis Mons, and the other dark circular feature, above and to the right of 's' in 'Montes,' is Ascraeus Mons. Illumination is from the left/lower left. Season: Northern Autumn/Southern Spring

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Mask Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains a high quality Environmental Data Record (EDR) of cloud masks from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument onboard...

NEAR-INFRARED POLARIZATION SOURCE CATALOG OF THE NORTHEASTERN REGIONS OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jaeyeong; Pak, Soojong [School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, 1 Seocheon-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Woong-Seob; Park, Won-Kee [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, 776 Daedeok-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Tamura, Motohide, E-mail: jaeyeong@khu.ac.kr, E-mail: jeongws@kasi.re.kr [The University of Tokyo/National Astronomical Observatory of Japan/Astrobiology Center, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

2016-01-15

We present a near-infrared band-merged photometric and polarimetric catalog for the 39′ × 69′ fields in the northeastern part of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which were observed using SIRPOL, an imaging polarimeter of the InfraRed Survey Facility. This catalog lists 1858 sources brighter than 14 mag in the H band with a polarization signal-to-noise ratio greater than three in the J, H, or K{sub s} bands. Based on the relationship between the extinction and the polarization degree, we argue that the polarization mostly arises from dichroic extinctions caused by local interstellar dust in the LMC. This catalog allows us to map polarization structures to examine the global geometry of the local magnetic field, and to show a statistical analysis of the polarization of each field to understand its polarization properties. In the selected fields with coherent polarization position angles, we estimate magnetic field strengths in the range of 3−25 μG using the Chandrasekhar–Fermi method. This implies the presence of large-scale magnetic fields on a scale of around 100 parsecs. When comparing mid- and far-infrared dust emission maps, we confirmed that the polarization patterns are well aligned with molecular clouds around the star-forming regions.

Infrared rotational light curves on Jupiter induced by wave activities and cloud patterns andimplications on brown dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Huazhi; Zhang, Xi; Fletcher, Leigh; Orton, Glenn S.; Sinclair, James Andrew; Fernandes,, Joshua; Momary, Thomas W.; Warren, Ari; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Sato, Takao M.; Fujiyoshi, Takuya

2017-10-01

Many brown dwarfs exhibit infrared rotational light curves with amplitude varying from a fewpercent to twenty percent (Artigau et al. 2009, ApJ, 701, 1534; Radigan et al. 2012, ApJ, 750,105). Recently, it was claimed that weather patterns, especially planetary-scale waves in thebelts and cloud spots, are responsible for the light curves and their evolutions on brown dwarfs(Apai et al. 2017, Science, 357, 683). Here we present a clear relationship between the direct IRemission maps and light curves of Jupiter at multiple wavelengths, which might be similar withthat on cold brown dwarfs. Based on infrared disk maps from Subaru/COMICS and VLT/VISIR,we constructed full maps of Jupiter and rotational light curves at different wavelengths in thethermal infrared. We discovered a strong relationship between the light curves and weatherpatterns on Jupiter. The light curves also exhibit strong multi-bands phase shifts and temporalvariations, similar to that detected on brown dwarfs. Together with the spectra fromTEXES/IRTF, our observations further provide detailed information of the spatial variations oftemperature, ammonia clouds and aerosols in the troposphere of Jupiter (Fletcher et al. 2016,Icarus, 2016 128) and their influences on the shapes of the light curves. We conclude that waveactivities in Jupiter’s belts (Fletcher et al. 2017, GRL, 44, 7140), cloud holes, and long-livedvortices such as the Great Red Spot and ovals control the shapes of IR light curves and multi-wavelength phase shifts on Jupiter. Our finding supports the hypothesis that observed lightcurves on brown dwarfs are induced by planetary-scale waves and cloud spots.

A PHOTOMETRICALLY AND MORPHOLOGICALLY VARIABLE INFRARED NEBULA IN L483

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connelley, Michael S.; Hodapp, Klaus W.; Fuller, Gary A.

2009-01-01

We present narrow and broad K-band observations of the Class 0/I source IRAS 18148-0440 that span 17 years. The infrared nebula associated with this protostar in the L483 dark cloud is both morphologically and photometrically variable on a timescale of only a few months. This nebula appears to be an infrared analog to other well known optically visible variable nebulae associated with young stars, such as Hubble's Variable Nebula. Along with Cepheus A, this is one of the first large variable nebulae to be found that is only visible in the infrared. The variability of this nebula is most likely due to changing illumination of the cloud rather than any motion of the structure in the nebula. Both morphological and photometric changes are observed on a timescale only a few times longer than the light crossing time of the nebula, suggesting very rapid intrinsic changes in the illumination of the nebula. Our narrowband observations also found that H 2 knots are found nearly twice as far to the east of the source as to its west, and that H 2 emission extends farther east of the source than the previously known CO outflow.

Characterization of optical and micro-physical properties of cirrus clouds using a wideband thermal infrared spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Palchetti, Luca; Di Natale, Gianluca; Bianchini, Giovanni

2014-05-01

High-altitude ice clouds such as cirrus clouds play a key role in the Earth's radiation budget since they cover permanently about 20-30% of the surface of the planet, reaching even to 60-70% in the tropics. The modulation of the incoming solar radiation and the outgoing Earth's thermal emission due to cirrus can contribute to heat or to cool the atmosphere, according to their optical properties, which must be characterised with great accuracy and over the whole spectral range involved in the scattering and emission processes. Here we present the infrared measurements over the wide spectral range from 9 to 50 micron performed by the Fourier transform spectrometer REFIR-PAD (Radiation Explorer in Far InfraRed - Prototype for Application and Development) during many field campaigns that have taken place since 2007 from different high-altitude ground-based stations: Testa Grigia Station, Cervinia-Italy, (3480 m asl), Cerro Toco, Atacama-Chile, (5380 m asl), Concordia Base, Dome C-Antarctica (3230 m asl). These measurements show for the first time the spectral effect of cirrus clouds in the long-wave part of the emission spectrum above 15 micron of wavelength. To characterise these measurements over the wide spectral range as a function of the optical properties of ice particles, a model of the radiative transfer, that integrates the well known numerical code LBLRTM, which simulates the radiative transfer in the atmosphere, with a specific code which simulates the propagation of the radiation through the cloud, was developed. The optical properties of clouds have been modelled using the δ-scaled Eddington approximation for a single layer and the Ping Yang's database for the single-scattering properties of ice crystals. The preliminary results of the fit procedure used for the determination of the micro-physical parameters of ice crystals, such as the effective diameter, ice water path, effective temperature and optical thickness will be shown in the presentation. The

Orion infrared nebula/molecular cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuckerman, B.; Palmer, P.

1975-01-01

Observational and theoretical studies of the Orion Nebula and the associated molecular clouds have greatly increased our understanding of this and other regions in which star formation is taking place. Fundamental questions remain unanswered; and in this Letter we address three of them: (1) the chemical composition of the molecular cloud, (2) its internal motions, and (3) the role of magnetic fields in its evolution. We show that the gas phase chemistry and internal motions in one part of the cloud are distinctly different from those in the rest of the cloud, and two recent estimates of the magnetic field strengths are very uncertain. (auth)

Modeling of the quantum dot filling and the dark current of quantum dot infrared photodetectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ameen, Tarek A.; El-Batawy, Yasser M.; Abouelsaood, A. A.

2014-01-01

A generalized drift-diffusion model for the calculation of both the quantum dot filling profile and the dark current of quantum dot infrared photodetectors is proposed. The confined electrons inside the quantum dots produce a space-charge potential barrier between the two contacts, which controls the quantum dot filling and limits the dark current in the device. The results of the model reasonably agree with a published experimental work. It is found that increasing either the doping level or the temperature results in an exponential increase of the dark current. The quantum dot filling turns out to be nonuniform, with a dot near the contacts containing more electrons than one in the middle of the device where the dot occupation approximately equals the number of doping atoms per dot, which means that quantum dots away from contacts will be nearly unoccupied if the active region is undoped

First Near-infrared Imaging Polarimetry of Young Stellar Objects in the Circinus Molecular Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jungmi; Nakagawa, Takao; Tamura, Motohide; Hough, James H.; Choi, Minho; Kandori, Ryo; Nagata, Tetsuya; Kang, Miju

2018-02-01

We present the results of near-infrared (NIR) linear imaging polarimetry in the J, H, and K s bands of the low-mass star cluster-forming region in the Circinus Molecular Cloud Complex. Using aperture polarimetry of point-like sources, positive detection of 314, 421, and 164 sources in the J, H, and K s bands, respectively, was determined from among 749 sources whose photometric magnitudes were measured. For the source classification of the 133 point-like sources whose polarization could be measured in all 3 bands, a color–color diagram was used. While most of the NIR polarizations of point-like sources are well-aligned and can be explained by dichroic polarization produced by aligned interstellar dust grains in the cloud, 123 highly polarized sources have also been identified with some criteria. The projected direction on the sky of the magnetic field in the Cir-MMS region is indicated by the mean polarization position angles (70°) of the point-like sources in the observed region, corresponding to approximately 1.6× 1.6 pc2. In addition, the magnetic field direction is compared with the outflow orientations associated with Infrared Astronomy Satellite sources, in which two sources were found to be aligned with each other and one source was not. We also show prominent polarization nebulosities over the Cir-MMS region for the first time. Our polarization data have revealed one clear infrared reflection nebula (IRN) and several candidate IRNe in the Cir-MMS field. In addition, the illuminating sources of the IRNe are identified with near- and mid-infrared sources.

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Daytime Cloud Optical and Microphysical Properties (DCOMP) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains a high quality Environmental Data Record (EDR) of daytime cloud optical and microphysical properties (DCOMP) from the Visible Infrared Imaging...

Creating cloud-free Landsat ETM+ data sets in tropical landscapes: cloud and cloud-shadow removal

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastián Martinuzzi; William A. Gould; Olga M. Ramos Gonzalez

2007-01-01

Clouds and cloud shadows are common features of visible and infrared remotelysensed images collected from many parts of the world, particularly in humid and tropical regions. We have developed a simple and semiautomated method to mask clouds and shadows in Landsat ETM+ imagery, and have developed a recent cloud-free composite of multitemporal images for Puerto Rico and...

SPITZER SAGE-SMC INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF MASSIVE STARS IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonanos, A. Z.; Lennon, D. J.; Massa, D. L.

2010-01-01

We present a catalog of 5324 massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), with accurate spectral types compiled from the literature, and a photometric catalog for a subset of 3654 of these stars, with the goal of exploring their infrared properties. The photometric catalog consists of stars with infrared counterparts in the Spitzer SAGE-SMC survey database, for which we present uniform photometry from 0.3to24 μm in the UBVIJHK s +IRAC+MIPS24 bands. We compare the color-magnitude diagrams and color-color diagrams to those of stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), finding that the brightest infrared sources in the SMC are also the red supergiants, supergiant B[e] (sgB[e]) stars, luminous blue variables, and Wolf-Rayet stars, with the latter exhibiting less infrared excess, the red supergiants being less dusty and the sgB[e] stars being on average less luminous. Among the objects detected at 24 μm in the SMC are a few very luminous hypergiants, four B-type stars with peculiar, flat spectral energy distributions, and all three known luminous blue variables. We detect a distinct Be star sequence, displaced to the red, and suggest a novel method of confirming Be star candidates photometrically. We find a higher fraction of Oe and Be stars among O and early-B stars in our SMC catalog, respectively, when compared to the LMC catalog, and that the SMC Be stars occur at higher luminosities. We estimate mass-loss rates for the red supergiants, confirming the correlation with luminosity even at the metallicity of the SMC. Finally, we confirm the new class of stars displaying composite A and F type spectra, the sgB[e] nature of 2dFS1804 and find the F0 supergiant 2dFS3528 to be a candidate luminous blue variable with cold dust.

Cloud2IR: Infrared thermography and environmental sensors integrated in an autonomoussystem for long term monitoring of structures

Science.gov (United States)

Crinière, Antoine; Dumoulin, Jean; Mevel, Laurent; Andrade-Barroso, Guillermo

2016-04-01

Since late 2014, the project Cloud2SM aims to develop a robust information system able to assess the long term monitoring of civil engineering structures as well as interfacing various sensors and data. Cloud2SM address three main goals, the management of distributed data and sensors network, the asynchronous processing of the data through network and the local management of the sensors themselves [1]. Integrated to this project Cloud2IR is an autonomous sensor system dedicated to the long term monitoring of infrastructures. Past experimentations have shown the need as well as usefulness of such system [2]. Before Cloud2IR an initially laboratory oriented system was used, which implied heavy operating system to be used [3]. Based on such system Cloud2IR has benefited of the experimental knowledge acquired to redefine a lighter architecture based on generics standards, more appropriated to autonomous operations on field and which can be later included in a wide distributed architecture such as Cloud2SM. The sensor system can be divided in two parts. The sensor side, this part is mainly composed by the various sensors drivers themselves as the infrared camera, the weather station or the pyranometers and their different fixed configurations. In our case, as infrared camera are slightly different than other kind of sensors, the system implement in addition an RTSP server which can be used to set up the FOV as well as other measurement parameter considerations. The second part can be seen as the data side, which is common to all sensors. It instantiate through a generic interface all the sensors and control the data access loop (not the requesting). This side of the system is weakly coupled (see data coupling) with the sensor side. It can be seen as a general framework able to aggregate any sensor data, type or size and automatically encapsulate them in various generic data format as HDF5 or cloud data as OGC SWE standard. This whole part is also responsible of the

LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD DISTANCE AND STRUCTURE FROM NEAR-INFRARED RED CLUMP OBSERVATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koerwer, Joel F.

2009-01-01

We have applied the Infrared Survey Facility Magellanic Clouds Point-Source Catalog to the mapping of the red clump (RC) distance modulus across the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Using the J- (1.25 μm) and H- (1.63 μm) band data to derive a reddening free luminosity function and a theoretical RC absolute magnitude from stellar evolution libraries, we estimate a distance modulus to the LMC of μ = 18.54 ± 0.06. The best fitting plane inclination, i, and the position angle of the line of nodes, φ, have little dependence on the assumed RC absolute magnitude; we find i = 23. 0 5 ± 0. 0 4 and φ = 154. 0 6 ± 1. 0 2. It was also noted that many fields included a significant asymptotic giant branch bump population that must be accounted for.

Large Magellanic Cloud Distance and Structure from Near-Infrared Red Clump Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Koerwer, Joel F.

2009-07-01

We have applied the Infrared Survey Facility Magellanic Clouds Point-Source Catalog to the mapping of the red clump (RC) distance modulus across the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Using the J- (1.25 μm) and H- (1.63 μm) band data to derive a reddening free luminosity function and a theoretical RC absolute magnitude from stellar evolution libraries, we estimate a distance modulus to the LMC of μ = 18.54 ± 0.06. The best fitting plane inclination, i, and the position angle of the line of nodes, phi, have little dependence on the assumed RC absolute magnitude; we find i = 23fdg5 ± 0fdg4 and phi = 154fdg6 ± 1fdg2. It was also noted that many fields included a significant asymptotic giant branch bump population that must be accounted for.

The effectiveness of a near-infrared vascular imaging device to support intravenous cannulation in children with dark skin color : a cluster randomized clinical trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Woude, Olga C P; Cuper, Natascha J; Getrouw, Chavalleh; Kalkman, Cor J; de Graaff, Jurgen C

BACKGROUND: Poor vein visibility can make IV cannulation challenging in children with dark skin color. In the operating room, we studied the effectiveness of a near-infrared vascular imaging device (VascuLuminator) to facilitate IV cannulation in children with dark skin color. METHODS: In the

The magnetic field of cloud 3 in L204

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cashman, Lauren R.; Clemens, D. P., E-mail: lcashman@bu.edu, E-mail: clemens@bu.edu [Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

2014-10-01

The L204 dark cloud complex is a nearby filamentary structure in Ophiuchus North that has no signs of active star formation. Past studies show that L204 is interacting with the nearby runaway O star, ζ Oph, and hosts a magnetic field that is coherent across parsec-length scales. Near-infrared H-band (1.6 μm) linear polarization measurements were obtained for 3896 background stars across a 1° × 1.°5 region centered on the dense Cloud 3 in L204, using the Mimir near-infrared instrument on the 1.8 m Perkins Telescope. Analysis of these observations reveals both large-scale properties and small-scale changes in the magnetic field direction in Cloud 3. In the northern and western ζ Oph facing regions of the cloud, the magnetic field appears to be pushed up against the face of the cloud. This may indicate that the UV flux from ζ Oph has compressed the magnetic field on the western edge of L204. The plane-of-sky magnetic field strength is estimated to be ∼11-26 μG using the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. The polarimetry data also reveal that the polarization efficiency (PE ≡ P {sub H}/A {sub V}) steadily decreases with distance from ζ Oph (–0.09% ± 0.03% mag{sup –1} pc{sup –1}). Additionally, power-law fits of PE versus A {sub V} for localized samples of probe stars show steeper negative indices with distance from ζ Oph. Both findings highlight the importance of external illumination, here from ζ Oph, in aligning dust grains to embedded magnetic fields.

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Base Height (CBH) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from IDPS

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of Cloud Base Heights (CBH) from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite...

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Cover Layer (CCL) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from IDPS

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality Environmental Data Record (EDR) of Cloud Cover Layers (CCL) from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)...

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Optical Thickness (COT) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from IDPS

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of Cloud Optical Thickness (COT) from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite...

The benefit of limb cloud imaging for infrared limb sounding of tropospheric trace gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Heinemann

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Advances in detector technology enable a new generation of infrared limb sounders to measure 2-D images of the atmosphere. A proposed limb cloud imager (LCI mode will detect clouds with a spatial resolution unprecedented for limb sounding. For the inference of temperature and trace gas distributions, detector pixels of the LCI have to be combined into super-pixels which provide the required signal-to-noise and information content for the retrievals. This study examines the extent to which tropospheric coverage can be improved in comparison to limb sounding using a fixed field of view with the size of the super-pixels, as in conventional limb sounders. The study is based on cloud topographies derived from (a IR brightness temperatures (BT of geostationary weather satellites in conjunction with ECMWF temperature profiles and (b ice and liquid water content data of the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling-Europe (COSMO-EU of the German Weather Service. Limb cloud images are simulated by matching the cloud topography with the limb sounding line of sight (LOS. The analysis of the BT data shows that the reduction of the spatial sampling along the track has hardly any effect on the gain in information. The comparison between BT and COSMO-EU data identifies the strength of both data sets, which are the representation of the horizontal cloud extent for the BT data and the reproduction of the cloud amount for the COSMO-EU data. The results of the analysis of both data sets show the great advantage of the cloud imager. However, because both cloud data sets do not present the complete fine structure of the real cloud fields in the atmosphere it is assumed that the results tend to underestimate the increase in information. In conclusion, real measurements by such an instrument may result in an even higher benefit for tropospheric limb retrievals.

Evaluating the impact of above-cloud aerosols on cloud optical depth retrievals from MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Alfaro, Ricardo

Using two different operational Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud optical depth (COD) retrievals (visible and shortwave infrared), the impacts of above-cloud absorbing aerosols on the standard COD retrievals are evaluated. For fine-mode aerosol particles, aerosol optical depth (AOD) values diminish sharply from the visible to the shortwave infrared channels. Thus, a suppressed above-cloud particle radiance aliasing effect occurs for COD retrievals using shortwave infrared channels. Aerosol Index (AI) from the spatially and temporally collocated Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) are used to identify above-cloud aerosol particle loading over the southern Atlantic Ocean, including both smoke and dust from the African sub-continent. MODIS and OMI Collocated Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) data are used to constrain cloud phase and provide contextual above-cloud AOD values. The frequency of occurrence of above-cloud aerosols is depicted on a global scale for the spring and summer seasons from OMI and CALIOP, thus indicating the significance of the problem. Seasonal frequencies for smoke-over-cloud off the southwestern Africa coastline reach 20--50% in boreal summer. We find a corresponding low COD bias of 10--20% for standard MODIS COD retrievals when averaged OMI AI are larger than 1.0. No such bias is found over the Saharan dust outflow region off northern Africa, since both MODIS visible and shortwave in channels are vulnerable to dust particle aliasing, and thus a COD impact cannot be isolated with this method. A similar result is found for a smaller domain, in the Gulf of Tonkin region, from smoke advection over marine stratocumulus clouds and outflow into the northern South China Sea in spring. This study shows the necessity of accounting for the above-cloud aerosol events for future studies using standard MODIS cloud products in biomass burning outflow regions, through the use of

AIRS/Aqua L2 Near Real Time (NRT) Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances (AIRS-only) V006 (AIRS2CCF_NRT) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Level 2 Near Real Time (NRT) Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances (AIRS-only) product (AIRS2CCF_NRT_006) differs from the routine...

A Study on the Motif Pattern of Dark-Cloud Cover in the Securities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Long Jing

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Morphological analysis is the analysis and mining of the graphics formed of the securities price changes. Investors need to forecast the trend of future before buying and selling points, which can avoid great loss. Therefore, the analysis of motif pattern of K-line in the form of futures investment technology analysis is very significant. Based on the thoughts of short-term trend clustering, this paper proposes a method of detecting the motif pattern of Dark-Cloud Cover in stock time series by analysing stock historic data and K-line shape, in order to predict the stock market trends. And we prove the effectiveness and practicality of the method by a series of experimental analysis.

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Type and Phase Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of cloud type and phase from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)...

SPITZER SAGE INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF MASSIVE STARS IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonanos, A. Z.; Massa, D. L.; Sewilo, M.

2009-01-01

We present a catalog of 1750 massive stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), with accurate spectral types compiled from the literature, and a photometric catalog for a subset of 1268 of these stars, with the goal of exploring their infrared properties. The photometric catalog consists of stars with infrared counterparts in the Spitzer SAGE survey database, for which we present uniform photometry from 0.3 to 24 μm in the UBVIJHK s +IRAC+MIPS24 bands. The resulting infrared color-magnitude diagrams illustrate that the supergiant B[e], red supergiant, and luminous blue variable (LBV) stars are among the brightest infrared point sources in the LMC, due to their intrinsic brightness, and at longer wavelengths, due to dust. We detect infrared excesses due to free-free emission among ∼900 OB stars, which correlate with luminosity class. We confirm the presence of dust around 10 supergiant B[e] stars, finding the shape of their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to be very similar, in contrast to the variety of SED shapes among the spectrally variable LBVs. The similar luminosities of B[e] supergiants (log L/L sun ≥ 4) and the rare, dusty progenitors of the new class of optical transients (e.g., SN 2008S and NGC 300 OT), plus the fact that dust is present in both types of objects, suggests a common origin for them. We find the infrared colors for Wolf-Rayet stars to be independent of spectral type and their SEDs to be flatter than what models predict. The results of this study provide the first comprehensive roadmap for interpreting luminous, massive, resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies at infrared wavelengths.

Cloud top structure of Venus revealed by Subaru/COMICS mid-infrared images

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, T. M.; Sagawa, H.; Kouyama, T.; Mitsuyama, K.; Satoh, T.; Ohtsuki, S.; Ueno, M.; Kasaba, Y.; Nakamura, M.; Imamura, T.

2014-11-01

We have investigated the cloud top structure of Venus by analyzing ground-based images taken at the mid-infrared wavelengths of 8.66 μm and 11.34 μm. Venus at a solar phase angle of ∼90°, with the morning terminator in view, was observed by the Cooled Mid-Infrared Camera and Spectrometer (COMICS), mounted on the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope, during the period October 25-29, 2007. The disk-averaged brightness temperatures for the observation period are ∼230 K and ∼238 K at 8.66 μm and 11.34 μm, respectively. The obtained images with good signal-to-noise ratio and with high spatial resolution (∼200 km at the sub-observer point) provide several important findings. First, we present observational evidence, for the first time, of the possibility that the westward rotation of the polar features (the hot polar spots and the surrounding cold collars) is synchronized between the northern and southern hemispheres. Second, after high-pass filtering, the images reveal that streaks and mottled and patchy patterns are distributed over the entire disk, with typical amplitudes of ∼0.5 K, and vary from day to day. The detected features, some of which are similar to those seen in past UV images, result from inhomogeneities of both the temperature and the cloud top altitude. Third, the equatorial center-to-limb variations of brightness temperatures have a systematic day-night asymmetry, except those on October 25, that the dayside brightness temperatures are higher than the nightside brightness temperatures by 0-4 K under the same viewing geometry. Such asymmetry would be caused by the propagation of the migrating semidiurnal tide. Finally, by applying the lapse rates deduced from previous studies, we demonstrate that the equatorial center-to-limb curves in the two spectral channels give access to two parameters: the cloud scale height H and the cloud top altitude zc. The acceptable models for data on October 25 are obtained at H = 2.4-4.3 km and zc = 66-69 km; this supports

Infrared, x-ray, and xuv astrophysics. Semiannual status report, 1 Apr.--30 Sep. 1975

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

An observational program convering wavelengths from the near infrared to 1 millimeter is reviewed. The program of millimeter observations consisted largely of analyzing previous observations, since the summer humidity was too high for new observations. Maps of millimeter emission from W3, Sgr B2, W49, and M42 were made. Five extragalactic sources were detected and are discussed. Energy distributions of several of the discrete sources at the Galactic Center were studied. A 5-year visual/infrared program on Markarian galaxies is discussed which showed the presence of both thermal and nonthermal infrared radiation sources, and established correlations between the infrared sources and the emission line regions. The Nova Cygnus 1975, caught during its rise as well as subsequent dimming, is also discussed. Several other continuing programs are described, including studies of dark clouds and CO maser sources

Near-infrared sources in the molecular cloud G35.2-0.74

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tapia, M.; Roth, M.; Persi, P.; Ferrari-Toniolo, M.

1985-01-01

Near-infrared (1-4 μm) observations of the molecular cloud G35.2-0.74 reveal the presence of four infrared sources in the vicinity of two previously reported centres of recent star formation. The northern part of G35.2-0.74 contains three point sources which are interpreted as highly obscured stars. Irs 1 coincides with H 2 O and OH maser sources and seems to be a very young early-type star. The southern part of G35.2-0.74 shows a diffuse 2.2-μm source with a flux distribution in the short-wavelength region compatible with free-free emission and a large excess at lambda > or approx. 3 μm attributed to warm dust mixed with the gas. These data are consistent with a fully developed HII region. (author)

Finite temperature effects in Bose-Einstein condensed dark matter halos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harko, Tiberiu; Madarassy, Enikö J.M.

2012-01-01

Once the critical temperature of a cosmological boson gas is less than the critical temperature, a Bose-Einstein Condensation process can always take place during the cosmic history of the universe. Zero temperature condensed dark matter can be described as a non-relativistic, Newtonian gravitational condensate, whose density and pressure are related by a barotropic equation of state, with barotropic index equal to one. In the present paper we analyze the effects of the finite dark matter temperature on the properties of the dark matter halos. We formulate the basic equations describing the finite temperature condensate, representing a generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation that takes into account the presence of the thermal cloud. The static condensate and thermal cloud in thermodynamic equilibrium is analyzed in detail, by using the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov and Thomas-Fermi approximations. The condensed dark matter and thermal cloud density and mass profiles at finite temperatures are explicitly obtained. Our results show that when the temperature of the condensate and of the thermal cloud are much smaller than the critical Bose-Einstein transition temperature, the zero temperature density and mass profiles give an excellent description of the dark matter halos. However, finite temperature effects may play an important role in the early stages of the cosmological evolution of the dark matter condensates

EXTINCTION MAP OF THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD BASED ON THE SIRIUS AND 6X 2MASS POINT SOURCE CATALOGS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobashi, Kazuhito; Egusa, Fumi; Bernard, Jean-Philippe; Paradis, Deborah; Kawamura, Akiko; Hughes, Annie; Bot, Caroline; Reach, William T.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present the first extinction map of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) constructed using the color excess at near-infrared wavelengths. Using a new technique named X percentile method , which we developed recently to measure the color excess of dark clouds embedded within a star distribution, we have derived an E(J - H) map based on the SIRIUS and 6X Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) star catalogs. Several dark clouds are detected in the map derived from the SIRIUS star catalog, which is deeper than the 6X 2MASS catalog. We have compared the E(J - H) map with a model calculation in order to infer the locations of the clouds along the line of sight, and found that many of them are likely to be located in or elongated toward the far side of the SMC. Most of the dark clouds found in the E(J - H) map have counterparts in the CO clouds detected by Mizuno et al. with the NANTEN telescope. A comparison of the E(J - H) map with the virial mass derived from the CO data indicates that the dust-to-gas ratio in the SMC varies in the range A V /N H = 1-2 x 10 -22 mag H -1 cm 2 with a mean value of ∼1.5 x 10 -22 mag H -1 cm 2 . If the virial mass underestimates the true cloud mass by a factor of ∼2, as recently suggested by Bot et al., the mean value would decrease to ∼8x10 -23 mag H -1 cm 2 , in good agreement with the value reported by Gordon et al., 7.59 x 10 -23 mag H -1 cm 2 .

Simultaneous retrieval of water vapour, temperature and cirrus clouds properties from measurements of far infrared spectral radiance over the Antarctic Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Di Natale, Gianluca; Palchetti, Luca; Bianchini, Giovanni; Del Guasta, Massimo

2017-03-01

The possibility separating the contributions of the atmospheric state and ice clouds by using spectral infrared measurements is a fundamental step to quantifying the cloud effect in climate models. A simultaneous retrieval of cloud and atmospheric parameters from infrared wideband spectra will allow the disentanglement of the spectral interference between these variables. In this paper, we describe the development of a code for the simultaneous retrieval of atmospheric state and ice cloud parameters, and its application to the analysis of the spectral measurements acquired by the Radiation Explorer in the Far Infrared - Prototype for Applications and Development (REFIR-PAD) spectroradiometer, which has been in operation at Concordia Station on the Antarctic Plateau since 2012. The code performs the retrieval with a computational time that is comparable with the instrument acquisition time. Water vapour and temperature profiles and the cloud optical and microphysical properties, such as the generalised effective diameter and the ice water path, are retrieved by exploiting the 230-980 cm-1 spectral band. To simulate atmospheric radiative transfer, the Line-By-Line Radiative Transfer Model (LBLRTM) has been integrated with a specifically developed subroutine based on the δ-Eddington two-stream approximation, whereas the single-scattering properties of cirrus clouds have been derived from a database for hexagonal column habits. In order to detect ice clouds, a backscattering and depolarisation lidar, co-located with REFIR-PAD has been used, allowing us to infer the position and the cloud thickness to be used in the retrieval. A climatology of the vertical profiles of water vapour and temperature has been performed by using the daily radiosounding available at the station at 12:00 UTC. The climatology has been used to build an a priori profile correlation to constrain the fitting procedure. An optimal estimation method with the Levenberg-Marquardt approach has been

Combining Passive Microwave Rain Rate Retrieval with Visible and Infrared Cloud Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Shawn William

The relation between cloud type and rain rate has been investigated here from different approaches. Previous studies and intercomparisons have indicated that no single passive microwave rain rate algorithm is an optimal choice for all types of precipitating systems. Motivated by the upcoming Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), an algorithm which combines visible and infrared cloud classification with passive microwave rain rate estimation was developed and analyzed in a preliminary manner using data from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere-Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA-COARE). Overall correlation with radar rain rate measurements across five case studies showed substantial improvement in the combined algorithm approach when compared to the use of any single microwave algorithm. An automated neural network cloud classifier for use over both land and ocean was independently developed and tested on Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. The global classifier achieved strict accuracy for 82% of the test samples, while a more localized version achieved strict accuracy for 89% of its own test set. These numbers provide hope for the eventual development of a global automated cloud classifier for use throughout the tropics and the temperate zones. The localized classifier was used in conjunction with gridded 15-minute averaged radar rain rates at 8km resolution produced from the current operational network of National Weather Service (NWS) radars, to investigate the relation between cloud type and rain rate over three regions of the continental United States and adjacent waters. The results indicate a substantially lower amount of available moisture in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains than in the Midwest or in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Spitzer sage survey of the large magellanic cloud. II. Evolved stars and infrared color-magnitude diagrams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blum, R. D.; Mould, J. R.; Olsen, K. A.; Frogel, J. A.; Meixner, M.; Markwick-Kemper, F.; Indebetouw, R.; Whitney, B.; Meade, M.; Babler, B.; Churchwell, E. B.; Gordon, K.; Engelbracht, C.; For, B. -Q.; Misselt, K.; Vijh, U.; Leitherer, C.; Volk, K.; Points, S.; Reach, W.; Hora, J. L.; Bernard, J. -P.; Boulanger, F.; Bracker, S.; Cohen, M.; Fukui, Y.; Gallagher, J.; Gorjian, V.; Harris, J.; Kelly, D.; Kawamura, A.; Latter, W. B.; Madden, S.; Mizuno, A.; Mizuno, N.; Oey, M. S.; Onishi, T.; Paladini, R.; Panagia, N.; Perez-Gonzalez, P.; Shibai, H.; Sato, S.; Smith, L.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Tielens, A.G.G.M; Ueta, T.; Van Dyk, S.; Zaritsky, D.; Werner, M.J.

Color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) are presented for the Spitzer SAGE (Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution) survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). IRAC and MIPS 24 mu m epoch 1 data are presented. These data represent the deepest, widest mid-infrared CMDs of their kind ever produced in

Star Formation In Nearby Clouds (SFiNCs): X-Ray and Infrared Source Catalogs and Membership

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Getman, Konstantin V.; Broos, Patrick S.; Feigelson, Eric D.; Richert, Alexander J. W.; Ota, Yosuke [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Kuhn, Michael A. [Instituto de Fisica y Astronomia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Gran Bretana 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaiso (Chile); Millennium Institute of Astrophysics, MAS (Chile); Bate, Matthew R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4SB (United Kingdom); Garmire, Gordon P. [Huntingdon Institute for X-Ray Astronomy, LLC, 10677 Franks Road, Huntingdon, PA 16652 (United States)

2017-04-01

The Star Formation in Nearby Clouds (SFiNCs) project is aimed at providing a detailed study of the young stellar populations and of star cluster formation in the nearby 22 star-forming regions (SFRs) for comparison with our earlier MYStIX survey of richer, more distant clusters. As a foundation for the SFiNCs science studies, here, homogeneous data analyses of the Chandra X-ray and Spitzer mid-infrared archival SFiNCs data are described, and the resulting catalogs of over 15,300 X-ray and over 1,630,000 mid-infrared point sources are presented. On the basis of their X-ray/infrared properties and spatial distributions, nearly 8500 point sources have been identified as probable young stellar members of the SFiNCs regions. Compared to the existing X-ray/mid-infrared publications, the SFiNCs member list increases the census of YSO members by 6%–200% for individual SFRs and by 40% for the merged sample of all 22 SFiNCs SFRs.

Application of an automatic cloud tracking technique to Meteosat water vapor and infrared observations

Science.gov (United States)

Endlich, R. M.; Wolf, D. E.

1980-01-01

The automatic cloud tracking system was applied to METEOSAT 6.7 micrometers water vapor measurements to learn whether the system can track the motions of water vapor patterns. Data for the midlatitudes, subtropics, and tropics were selected from a sequence of METEOSAT pictures for 25 April 1978. Trackable features in the water vapor patterns were identified using a clustering technique and the features were tracked by two different methods. In flat (low contrast) water vapor fields, the automatic motion computations were not reliable, but in areas where the water vapor fields contained small scale structure (such as in the vicinity of active weather phenomena) the computations were successful. Cloud motions were computed using METEOSAT infrared observations (including tropical convective systems and midlatitude jet stream cirrus).

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Effective Particle Size (CEPS) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from IDPS

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of Cloud Effective Particle Size (CEPS) from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer...

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Height (Top and Base) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of cloud height (top and base) from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite...

The Impact of Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) Cloud-Cleared Radiances on Hurricane Joaquin (2015) and Matthew (2016) Forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pei; Li, Jun; Li, Zhenglong; Lim, Agnes H. N.; Li, Jinlong; Schmit, Timothy J.; Goldberg, Mitchell D.

2017-12-01

Hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders provide high vertical resolution atmospheric sounding information that can improve the forecast skill in numerical weather prediction. Commonly, only clear radiances are assimilated, because IR sounder observations are highly affected by clouds. A cloud-clearing (CC) technique, which removes the cloud effects from an IR cloudy field of view (FOV) and derives the cloud-cleared radiances (CCRs) or clear-sky equivalent radiances, can be an alternative yet effective way to take advantage of the thermodynamic information from cloudy skies in data assimilation. This study develops a Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)-based CC method for deriving Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) CCRs under partially cloudy conditions. Due to the lack of absorption bands on VIIRS, two important quality control steps are implemented in the CC process. Validation using VIIRS clear radiances indicates that the CC method can effectively obtain the CrIS CCRs for FOVs with partial cloud cover. To compare the impacts from assimilation of CrIS original radiances and CCRs, three experiments are carried out on two storm cases, Hurricane Joaquin (2015) and Hurricane Matthew (2016), using Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation assimilation system and Weather Research and Forecasting-Advanced Research Version models. At the analysis time, more CrIS observations are assimilated when using CrIS CCRs than with CrIS original radiances. Comparing temperature, specific humidity, and U/V winds with radiosondes indicates that the data impacts are growing larger with longer time forecasts (beyond 72 h forecast). Hurricane track forecasts also show improvements from the assimilation of CrIS CCRs due to better weather system forecasts. The impacts of CCRs on intensity are basically neutral with mixed positive and negative results.

Infrared observations of the dark matter lens candidate Q2345+007

Science.gov (United States)

Mcleod, Brian; Rieke, Marcia; Weedman, Daniel

1994-01-01

Deep K-band observations are presented of the double image quasar Q2345+007. This has the largest separation (7.1 sec) of any quasar image pair considered as gravitationally lensed, so the required lens is massive (10(exp 13) solar masses). No lens has been detected in previous deep images at visible wavelengths, and we find no lens to limiting K magnitude 20.0 in the infrared image. This constrains any lens to being much less luminous than brightest cluster galaxies, while the lens must be much more massive than such galaxies to produce the observed separation. Because spectral data indicate exceptional intrinsic similarity in the quasar image components, this pair remains as the most intriguing example of an observed configuration requiring the presence of massive, concentrated dark matter acting as a gravitational lens.

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Nighttime Cloud Optical Microphysical Properties (NCOMP) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains a high quality Environmental Data Record (EDR) of nighttime cloud optical and microphysical properties (NCOMP) from the Visible Infrared...

Extinctions and Distances to Dark Clouds from 2MASS, MegaCam and IPHAS Surveys: LDN 1525 in the Direction of the Aur OB1 Association

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Straižys V.

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The possibility of applying photometry from the 2MASS J, H, Ks, MegaCam u, g and IPHAS r, i, Hα surveys for determining the distance to the dark cloud LDN1525 (TGU 1192 in the direction of the Aur OB1 association is investigated using the red clump giants. The main dust cloud, probably related to the emission nebulae Sh 2-232, Sh 2-233, Sh 2-235, the molecular cloud and the association Aur OB2, is found to be located at a distance of 1.3 kpc from the Sun. The nebula Sh 2-231 can be an object of the Perseus arm. The maximum extinction AV found in the cloud is close to 6 mag.

Meteorological interpretation of clouds or cloud systems appearing on pictures of the Alpine region received from the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1)

Science.gov (United States)

Piaget, A.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Three examples of cloud-interpretation from ERTS-1 pictures are presented. When the wind speed is large enough, the cumuli are found arranged in lines that are in average two kilometers apart from each other. These lines are grouped in lines made of small cumuli and in lines made up of well developed ones. These last lines are fused on the APT picture and appear as single lines. Fog-mapping for a given region is possible if the topography of the region is known. The stratified clouds lying over mountains or in valleys begin to dissolve above the middle of the valleys and not against the slopes. As water shows a weak albedo in the near infrared, wet surfaces will appear darker than their neighborhoods. This feature seems to be confirmed by the dark spot in the north of Bozen (Southern Tyrol) that can be seen on the ERTS-1 picture taken on 31 August 1972.

Covariant generalized holographic dark energy and accelerating universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nojiri, Shin' ichi [Nagoya University, Department of Physics, Nagoya (Japan); Nagoya University, Kobayashi-Maskawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe, Nagoya (Japan); Odintsov, S.D. [ICREA, Barcelona (Spain); Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CSIC), Barcelona (Spain); National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk (Russian Federation); Tomsk State Pedagogical University, Tomsk (Russian Federation)

2017-08-15

We propose the generalized holographic dark energy model where the infrared cutoff is identified with the combination of the FRW universe parameters: the Hubble rate, particle and future horizons, cosmological constant, the universe lifetime (if finite) and their derivatives. It is demonstrated that with the corresponding choice of the cutoff one can map such holographic dark energy to modified gravity or gravity with a general fluid. Explicitly, F(R) gravity and the general perfect fluid are worked out in detail and the corresponding infrared cutoff is found. Using this correspondence, we get realistic inflation or viable dark energy or a unified inflationary-dark energy universe in terms of covariant holographic dark energy. (orig.)

Covariant generalized holographic dark energy and accelerating universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nojiri, Shin'ichi; Odintsov, S.D.

2017-01-01

We propose the generalized holographic dark energy model where the infrared cutoff is identified with the combination of the FRW universe parameters: the Hubble rate, particle and future horizons, cosmological constant, the universe lifetime (if finite) and their derivatives. It is demonstrated that with the corresponding choice of the cutoff one can map such holographic dark energy to modified gravity or gravity with a general fluid. Explicitly, F(R) gravity and the general perfect fluid are worked out in detail and the corresponding infrared cutoff is found. Using this correspondence, we get realistic inflation or viable dark energy or a unified inflationary-dark energy universe in terms of covariant holographic dark energy. (orig.)

Covariant generalized holographic dark energy and accelerating universe

Science.gov (United States)

Nojiri, Shin'ichi; Odintsov, S. D.

2017-08-01

We propose the generalized holographic dark energy model where the infrared cutoff is identified with the combination of the FRW universe parameters: the Hubble rate, particle and future horizons, cosmological constant, the universe lifetime (if finite) and their derivatives. It is demonstrated that with the corresponding choice of the cutoff one can map such holographic dark energy to modified gravity or gravity with a general fluid. Explicitly, F( R) gravity and the general perfect fluid are worked out in detail and the corresponding infrared cutoff is found. Using this correspondence, we get realistic inflation or viable dark energy or a unified inflationary-dark energy universe in terms of covariant holographic dark energy.

Baryonic dark matter and Machos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griest, K.

2000-01-01

A brief description of the status of baryons in the Universe is given, along with recent results from the MACHO collaboration and their meaning. A dark matter halo consisting of baryons in the form of Machos is ruled out, leaving an elementary particle as the prime candidate for the dark matter. The observed microlensing events may make up around 20% of the dark matter in the Milky Way, or may indicate an otherwise undetected component of the Large Magellanic Cloud

H2 spectroscopy as an agent for extinction determinations The near-infrared curve for the Orion molecular cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, D.S.; Larson, H.P.; Hofmann, R.; Arizona Univ., Tucson; Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, Garching, West Germany)

1986-01-01

A near-infrared (1.8 to 3.5) microns extinction curve for the Orion molecular cloud is presented. The curve is derived from high-resolution spectra of the Orion H2 source recorded from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The data reveal that the Orion extinction law is indistinguishable from a 1/lambda form in the near-infrared, except for strongly enhanced extinction near a wavelength of about 3 microns. The implications of these results, in the context of current interstellar grain models, are discussed. 53 references

Spectropolarimetry of the 3μm ice band in Elias 16 (Taurus Dark Cloud)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hough, J.H.; Sato, Shuji; Tamura, Motohide

1988-01-01

Polarization data between 1.2 and 3.8 μm, including spectro-polarimetry in the 3-μm ice feature, are presented for the highly reddened field star Elias 16 in the Taurus Dark Cloud. The polarization is observed to increase with optical depth in the ice feature in a manner similar to that found for the BN object, that is, consistent with dichroic absorption by aligned grains. The polarization feature can be well modelled assuming grains composed of ammonia-water ices, with the ratio of H 2 O:NH 3 greater than 3:1. The continuum polarization can be well fitted over most of the observed wavelength range assuming a mix of silicate and graphite grains with size ∼ 0.13μm. (author)

Submillimeter and far infrared line observations of M17 SW: A clumpy molecular cloud penetrated by UV radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Stutzki, J.; Stacey, G. J.; Genzel, R.; Harris, A. I.; Jaffe, d. T.; Lugten, J. B.

1987-01-01

Millimeter, submillimeter, and far infrared spectroscopic observations of the M17 SW star formation region are discussed. The results require the molecular cloud near the interface to be clumpy or filamentary. As a consequence, far ultraviolet radiation from the central OB stellar cluster can penetrate into the dense molecular cloud to a depth of several pc, thus creating bright and extended (CII) emission from the photodissociated surfaces of dense atomic and molecular clumps or sheets. The extended (CII) emission throughout the molecular cloud SW of the M17 complex has a level 20 times higher than expected from a single molecular cloud interface exposed to an ultraviolet radiation field typical of the solar neighborhood. This suggests that the molecular cloud as a whole is penetrated by ultraviolet radiation and has a clumpy or filamentary structure. The number of B stars expected to be embedded in the M17 molecular cloud probably can provide the UV radiation necessary for the extended (CII) emission. Alternatively, the UV radiation could be external, if the interstellar radiation in the vicinity of M17 is higher than in the solar neighborhood.

Infrared Spectroscopic Survey of the Quiescent Medium of Nearby Clouds. I. Ice Formation and Grain Growth in Lupus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogert, A.; Chiar, J.; Knez, C.; Öberg, K.; Mundy, L.; Pendleton, Y.; Tielens, A.G.G.M.; Dishoeck, van E.F.

2013-01-01

Infrared photometry and spectroscopy (1-25 {$μ$}m) of background stars reddened by the Lupus molecular cloud complex are used to determine the properties of grains and the composition of ices before they are incorporated into circumstellar envelopes and disks. H$_{2}$O ices form at extinctions of A

Comparison of cloud optical depth and cloud mask applying BRDF model-based background surface reflectance

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, H. W.; Yeom, J. M.; Woo, S. H.

2017-12-01

Over the thin cloud region, satellite can simultaneously detect the reflectance from thin clouds and land surface. Since the mixed reflectance is not the exact cloud information, the background surface reflectance should be eliminated to accurately distinguish thin cloud such as cirrus. In the previous research, Kim et al (2017) was developed the cloud masking algorithm using the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), which is one of significant instruments for Communication, Ocean, and Meteorology Satellite (COMS). Although GOCI has 8 spectral channels including visible and near infra-red spectral ranges, the cloud masking has quantitatively reasonable result when comparing with MODIS cloud mask (Collection 6 MYD35). Especially, we noticed that this cloud masking algorithm is more specialized in thin cloud detections through the validation with Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data. Because this cloud masking method was concentrated on eliminating background surface effects from the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance. Applying the difference between TOA reflectance and the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model-based background surface reflectance, cloud areas both thick cloud and thin cloud can be discriminated without infra-red channels which were mostly used for detecting clouds. Moreover, when the cloud mask result was utilized as the input data when simulating BRDF model and the optimized BRDF model-based surface reflectance was used for the optimized cloud masking, the probability of detection (POD) has higher value than POD of the original cloud mask. In this study, we examine the correlation between cloud optical depth (COD) and its cloud mask result. Cloud optical depths mostly depend on the cloud thickness, the characteristic of contents, and the size of cloud contents. COD ranges from less than 0.1 for thin clouds to over 1000 for the huge cumulus due to scattering by droplets. With

Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfen, H.; Carlqvist, P.

1977-12-01

The 'pseudo-plasma formalism' which up to now has almost completely dominated theoretical astrophysics must be replaced by an experimentally based approach, involving the introduction of a number of neglected plasma phenomena, such as electric double layers, critical velocity, and pinch effect. The general belief that star light is the main ionizer is shown to be doubtful; hydromagnetic conversion of gravitational and kinetic energy may often be much more important. The revised plasma physics is applied to dark clouds and star formation. Magnetic fields do not necessarily counteract the contraction of a cloud, they may just as well 'pinch' the cloud. Magnetic compression may be the main mechanism for forming interstellar clouds and keeping them together. Star formation is due to an instability, but it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with the Jeans instablility. A reasonable mechanism is that the sedimentation of 'dust' (including solid bodies of different size) is triggering off a gravitationally assisted accretion. The study of the evolution of a dark cloud leads to a scenario of planet formation which is reconcilable with the results obtained from studies based on solar system data. This means that the new approach to cosmical plasma physics discussed logically leads to a consistent picture of the evolution of dark clouds and the formation of solar systems

Dark Matter

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The study of gas clouds orbiting in the outer regions of spiral galaxies has revealed that their gravitational at- traction is much larger than the stars alone can provide. Over the last twenty years, astronomers have been forced to postulate the presence of large quantities of 'dark matter' to explain their observations. They are ...

Minority carrier lifetime and dark current measurements in mid-wavelength infrared InAs0.91Sb0.09 alloy nBn photodetectors

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, B. V.; Kim, J. K.; Kadlec, E. A.; Klem, J. F.; Hawkins, S. D.; Leonhardt, D.; Coon, W. T.; Fortune, T. R.; Cavaliere, M. A.; Tauke-Pedretti, A.; Shaner, E. A.

2015-11-01

Carrier lifetime and dark current measurements are reported for a mid-wavelength infrared InAs0.91Sb0.09 alloy nBn photodetector. Minority carrier lifetimes are measured using a non-contact time-resolved microwave technique on unprocessed portions of the nBn wafer and the Auger recombination Bloch function parameter is determined to be |F1F2|=0.292 . The measured lifetimes are also used to calculate the expected diffusion dark current of the nBn devices and are compared with the experimental dark current measured in processed photodetector pixels from the same wafer. Excellent agreement is found between the two, highlighting the important relationship between lifetimes and diffusion currents in nBn photodetectors.

Estimating nocturnal opaque ice cloud optical depth from MODIS multispectral infrared radiances using a neural network method

Science.gov (United States)

Minnis, Patrick; Hong, Gang; Sun-Mack, Szedung; Smith, William L.; Chen, Yan; Miller, Steven D.

2016-05-01

Retrieval of ice cloud properties using IR measurements has a distinct advantage over the visible and near-IR techniques by providing consistent monitoring regardless of solar illumination conditions. Historically, the IR bands at 3.7, 6.7, 11.0, and 12.0 µm have been used to infer ice cloud parameters by various methods, but the reliable retrieval of ice cloud optical depth τ is limited to nonopaque cirrus with τ < 8. The Ice Cloud Optical Depth from Infrared using a Neural network (ICODIN) method is developed in this paper by training Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiances at 3.7, 6.7, 11.0, and 12.0 µm against CloudSat-estimated τ during the nighttime using 2 months of matched global data from 2007. An independent data set comprising observations from the same 2 months of 2008 was used to validate the ICODIN. One 4-channel and three 3-channel versions of the ICODIN were tested. The training and validation results show that IR channels can be used to estimate ice cloud τ up to 150 with correlations above 78% and 69% for all clouds and only opaque ice clouds, respectively. However, τ for the deepest clouds is still underestimated in many instances. The corresponding RMS differences relative to CloudSat are ~100 and ~72%. If the opaque clouds are properly identified with the IR methods, the RMS differences in the retrieved optical depths are ~62%. The 3.7 µm channel appears to be most sensitive to optical depth changes but is constrained by poor precision at low temperatures. A method for estimating total optical depth is explored for estimation of cloud water path in the future. Factors affecting the uncertainties and potential improvements are discussed. With improved techniques for discriminating between opaque and semitransparent ice clouds, the method can ultimately improve cloud property monitoring over the entire diurnal cycle.

Simulating the evolution of optically dark HI clouds in the Virgo cluster : will no-one rid me of this turbulent sphere ?

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, R.; Wünsch, R.; Palouš, J.

2018-05-01

Most detected neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) at low redshift is associated with optically bright galaxies. However, a handful of HI clouds are known which appear to be optically dark and have no nearby potential progenitor galaxies, making tidal debris an unlikely explanation. In particular, 6 clouds identified by the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey are interesting due to the combination of their small size, isolation, and especially their broad line widths atypical of other such clouds. A recent suggestion is that these clouds exist in pressure equilibrium with the intracluster medium, with the line width arising from turbulent internal motions. Here we explore that possibility by using the FLASH code to perform a series of 3D hydro simulations. Our clouds are modelled using spherical Gaussian density profiles, embedded in a hot, low-density gas representing the intracluster medium. The simulations account for heating and cooling of the gas, and we vary the structure and strength of their internal motions. We create synthetic HI spectra, and find that none of our simulations reproduce the observed cloud parameters for longer than ˜100 Myr : the clouds either collapse, disperse, or experience rapid heating which would cause ionisation and render them undetectable to HI surveys. While the turbulent motions required to explain the high line widths generate structures which appear to be inherently unstable, making this an unlikely explanation for the observed clouds, these simulations demonstrate the importance of including the intracluster medium in any model seeking to explain the existence of these objects.

Neptune's New Dark Vortex: Aerosol Properties from Optical Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tollefson, J.; Luszcz-Cook, S.; Wong, M. H.; De Pater, I.

2016-12-01

Over the past year, amateur and professional astronomers alike have monitored the appearance of a new dark vortex on Neptune, dubbed SDS-2015 for "southern dark spot discovered in 2015" (Wong et al. 2016; CBET 4278). The discovery of SDS-2015 is fortuitous, being one of only five dark spots observed on Neptune since Voyager 2 imaged the Great Dark Spot (Smith et al. 1989, Science 246, 1422). A companion abstract (Wong et al., this meeting) will present Hubble Space Telescope images of SDS-2015, showcasing the discovery of the vortex in September 2015 and subsequent observations in May 2016. These observations span the optical regime. Longer wavelengths track bright companion clouds thought to form as air is diverted around SDS-2015. Shorter wavelengths reveal the dark spot itself. Combined, these data probe the vertical extent of the dark spot and Neptune's surrounding upper atmosphere. We present preliminary radiative transfer analyses of SDS-2015 using our multispectral data. Our model is the same as that in Luszcz-Cook et al. (2016, Icarus 276, 52) but extended to optical wavelengths. Prior to this work, little was known about the composition and vertical extent of Neptune's dark spots. Only data at optical wavelengths reveal these vortices, suggesting they consist of clearings in the background of fine, evenly-distributed haze particle. Alternatively, the spots may consist of low-albedo aerosols, causing their apparent darkness. Radiative transfer modeling is also one way to determine the vortex top altitude. Simulations of the Great Dark Spot by Stratman et al. (2001, Icarus 151, 275) found that the vortex top altitude is coupled to the brightness of companion clouds, where cloud opacity weakened as the top of the vortex reached higher into the tropopause region. The modeling presented here will compare these hypotheses and provide the first glimpses into the vertical structure of SDS-2015.

Ricci-Gauss-Bonnet holographic dark energy

Science.gov (United States)

Saridakis, Emmanuel N.

2018-03-01

We present a model of holographic dark energy in which the infrared cutoff is determined by both the Ricci and the Gauss-Bonnet invariants. Such a construction has the significant advantage that the infrared cutoff, and consequently the holographic dark energy density, does not depend on the future or the past evolution of the universe, but only on its current features, and moreover it is determined by invariants, whose role is fundamental in gravitational theories. We extract analytical solutions for the behavior of the dark energy density and equation-of-state parameters as functions of the redshift. These reveal the usual thermal history of the universe, with the sequence of radiation, matter and dark energy epochs, resulting in the future to a complete dark energy domination. The corresponding dark energy equation-of-state parameter can lie in the quintessence or phantom regime, or experience the phantom-divide crossing during the cosmological evolution, and its asymptotic value can be quintessencelike, phantomlike, or be exactly equal to the cosmological-constant value. Finally, we extract the constraints on the model parameters that arise from big bang nucleosynthesis.

NEAR-INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF Y DWARFS: LOW AMMONIA ABUNDANCE AND THE ONSET OF WATER CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leggett, S. K.; Morley, Caroline V.; Marley, M. S.; Saumon, D.

2015-01-01

We present new near-infrared photometry for seven late-type T dwarfs and nine Y-type dwarfs, and lower limit magnitudes for a tenth Y dwarf, obtained at Gemini Observatory. We also present a reanalysis of H-band imaging data from the Keck Observatory Archive, for an 11th Y dwarf. These data are combined with earlier MKO-system photometry, Spitzer and WISE mid-infrared photometry, and available trigonometric parallaxes, to create a sample of late-type brown dwarfs that includes 10 T9-T9.5 dwarfs or dwarf systems, and 16 Y dwarfs. We compare the data to our models, which include updated H 2 and NH 3 opacity, as well as low-temperature condensate clouds. The models qualitatively reproduce the trends seen in the observed colors; however, there are discrepancies of around a factor of two in flux for the Y0-Y1 dwarfs, with T eff ≈ 350-400 K. At T eff ∼ 400 K, the problems could be addressed by significantly reducing the NH 3 absorption, for example by halving the abundance of NH 3 possibly by vertical mixing. At T eff ∼ 350 K, the discrepancy may be resolved by incorporating thick water clouds. The onset of these clouds might occur over a narrow range in T eff , as indicated by the observed small change in 5 μm flux over a large change in J – W2 color. Of the known Y dwarfs, the reddest in J –W2 are WISEP J182831.08+265037.8 and WISE J085510.83–071442.5. We interpret the former as a pair of identical 300-350 K dwarfs, and the latter as a 250 K dwarf. If these objects are ∼3 Gyr old, their masses are ∼10 and ∼5 Jupiter-masses, respectively

Infrared Images of an Infant Solar System

Science.gov (United States)

2002-05-01

understanding of the formation of solar-type stars and planetary systems from the interstellar medium. However, in most cases the large difference of brightness between the young star and its surrounding material makes it impossible to image directly the circumstellar disk. But when the disk is seen nearly edge-on, the light from the central star will be blocked out by the dust grains in the disk. Other grains below and above the disk midplane scatter the stellar light, producing a typical pattern of a dark lane between two reflection nebulae. The first young stellar object (YSO) found to display this typical pattern, HH 30 IRS in the Taurus dark cloud at a distance of about 500 light-years (140 pc), was imaged by the Hubble Space telescope (HST) in 1996. Edge-on disks have since also been observed with ground-based telescopes in the near-infrared region of the spectrum, sometimes by means of adaptive optics techniques or speckle imaging, or under very good sky image quality, cf. ESO PR Photo 03d/01 with a VLT image of such an object in the Orion Nebula. A surprise discovery ESO PR Photo 12a/02 ESO PR Photo 12a/02 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 459 pix - 55k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 918 pix - 352k] Caption : PR Photo 12a/02 shows a three-colour reproduction of the discovery image of strange-looking object (nicknamed the "Flying Saucer" by the astronomers), obtained with the SOFI multi-mode instrument at the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory. Compared to the unresolved stars in the field, the image of this object appears extended. Two characteristic reflection nebulae are barely visible, together with a marginally resolved dark dust lane in front of the star and oriented East-West. Technical information about the photo is available below. Last year, a group of astronomers [1] carried out follow-up observations of new X-ray sources found by the ESA XMM-Newton and NASA Chandra X-ray satellites. They were looking at the periphery of the so-called Rho

High resolution far-infrared observations of the evolved H II region M16

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McBreen, B.; Fazio, G.G.; Jaffe, D.T.

1982-01-01

M16 is an evolved, extremely density bounded H II region, which now consists only of a series of ionization fronts at molecular cloud boundaries. The source of ionization is the OB star cluster (NGC 6611) which is about 5 x 10 6 years old. We used the CFA/UA 102 cm balloon-borne telescope to map this region and detected three far-infrared (far-IR) sources embedded in an extended ridge of emission. Source I is an unresolved far-IR source embedded in a molecular cloud near a sharp ionization front. An H 2 O maser is associated with this source, but no radio continuum emission has been observed. The other two far-IR sources (II and III) are associated with ionized gas-molecular cloud interfaces, with the far-IR radiation arising from dust at the boundary heated by the OB cluster. Source II is located at the southern prominent neutral intrusion with its associated bright rims and dark ''elephant trunk'' globules that delineate the current progress of the ionization front into the neutral material, and Source III arises at the interface of the northern molecular cloud fragment

MID-INFRARED SPECTRA OF TRANSITIONAL DISKS IN THE CHAMAELEON I CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K. H.; Watson, Dan M.; Manoj, P.; Forrest, W. J.; Sargent, B.; McClure, M. K.; Green, J. D.; Harrold, Samuel T.; Furlan, E.; Najita, J.; Espaillat, C.; Calvet, N.; Luhman, K. L.

2009-01-01

We present 5-40 μm Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph spectra of a collection of transitional disks, objects for which the spectral energy distribution (SED) indicates central clearings (holes) or gaps in the dust distribution, in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region. Like their counterparts in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region that we have previously observed, the spectra of these young objects (1-3 Myr old) reveal that the central clearings or gaps are very sharp-edged, and are surrounded by optically thick dusty disks similar to those around other classical T Tauri stars in the Chamaeleon I association. Also like the Taurus transitional disks, the Chamaeleon I transitional disks have extremely large depletion factors for small dust grains in their gaps, compared to the full accretion disks whose SEDs are represented by the median SED of Class II objects in the region. We find that the fraction of transitional disks in the Chamaeleon I cloud is somewhat higher than that in the Taurus-Auriga cloud, possibly indicating that the frequency of transitional disks, on average, increases with cluster age. We also find a significant correlation between the stellar mass and the radius of the outer edge of the gap. We discuss the disk structures implied by the spectra and the constraints they place on gap-formation mechanisms in protoplanetary disks.

Infrared light-emitting diode radiation causes gravitropic and morphological effects in dark-grown oat seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, C. F.; Brown, C. S.; Wheeler, R. M.; Sager, J. C.; Chapman, D. K.; Deitzer, G. F.

1996-01-01

Oat (Avena sativa cv Seger) seedlings were irradiated with IR light-emitting diode (LED) radiation passed through a visible-light-blocking filter. Infrared LED irradiated seedlings exhibited differences in growth and gravitropic response when compared to seedlings grown in darkness at the same temperature. Thus, the oat seedlings in this study were able to detect IR LED radiation. These findings call into question the use of IR LED as a safe-light for some photosensitive plant response experiments. These findings also expand the defined range of wavelengths involved in radiation-gravity (light-gravity) interactions to include wavelengths in the IR region of the spectrum.

Seven-Color Photometry and Classification of Stars in the Vicinity of the Dark Cloud TGU H994 (LDN 1399, 1400 and 1402

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Čepas V.

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The results of CCD photometry in the seven-color Vilnius system are given for 727 stars down to V ~ 17 mag in a 1.5 square degree field in the region of dark cloud TGU H994 P1 (or LDN 1399, LDN 1400 and LDN 1402 in Camelopardalis. Using the intrinsic color indices and photometric reddening-free Q-parameters, two-dimensional spectral types for 73% of stars are determined.

Dark Targets, Aerosols, Clouds and Toys

Science.gov (United States)

Remer, L. A.

2015-12-01

Today if you use the Thomson-Reuters Science Citations Index to search for "aerosol*", across all scientific disciplines and years, with no constraints, and you sort by number of citations, you will find a 2005 paper published in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences in the top 20. This is the "The MODIS Aerosol Algorithm, Products and Validation". Although I am the first author, there are in total 12 co-authors who each made a significant intellectual contribution to the paper or to the algorithm, products and validation described. This paper, that algorithm, those people lie at the heart of a lineage of scientists whose collaborations and linked individual pursuits have made a significant contribution to our understanding of radiative transfer and climate, of aerosol properties and the global aerosol system, of cloud physics and aerosol-cloud interaction, and how to measure these parameters and maximize the science that can be obtained from those measurements. The 'lineage' had its origins across the globe, from Soviet Russia to France, from the U.S. to Israel, from the Himalayas, the Sahel, the metropolises of Sao Paulo, Taipei, and the cities of east and south Asia. It came together in the 1990s and 2000s at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, using cultural diversity as a strength to form a common culture of scientific creativity that continues to this day. The original algorithm has spawned daughter algorithms that are being applied to new satellite and airborne sensors. The original MODIS products have been fundamental to analyses as diverse as air quality monitoring and aerosol-cloud forcing. AERONET, designed originally for the need of validation, is now its own thriving institution, and the lineage continues to push forward to provide new technology for the coming generations.

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

Cloud occurrences and cloud radiative effects (CREs) from CERES-CALIPSO-CloudSat-MODIS (CCCM) and CloudSat radar-lidar (RL) products

Science.gov (United States)

Ham, Seung-Hee; Kato, Seiji; Rose, Fred G.; Winker, David; L'Ecuyer, Tristan; Mace, Gerald G.; Painemal, David; Sun-Mack, Sunny; Chen, Yan; Miller, Walter F.

2017-08-01

Two kinds of cloud products obtained from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), CloudSat, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are compared and analyzed in this study: Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES)-CALIPSO-CloudSat-MODIS (CCCM) product and CloudSat radar-lidar products such as GEOPROF-LIDAR and FLXHR-LIDAR. Compared to GEOPROF-LIDAR, low-level (40°). The difference occurs when hydrometeors are detected by CALIPSO lidar but are undetected by CloudSat radar. In the comparison of cloud radiative effects (CREs), global mean differences between CCCM and FLXHR-LIDAR are mostly smaller than 5 W m-2, while noticeable regional differences are found. For example, CCCM shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) CREs are larger than FXLHR-LIDAR along the west coasts of Africa and America because the GEOPROF-LIDAR algorithm misses shallow marine boundary layer clouds. In addition, FLXHR-LIDAR SW CREs are larger than the CCCM counterpart over tropical oceans away from the west coasts of America. Over midlatitude storm-track regions, CCCM SW and LW CREs are larger than the FLXHR-LIDAR counterpart.

THE MID-INFRARED EXTINCTION LAW IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Jian; Jiang, B. W.; Xue, M. Y.; Li, Aigen

2013-01-01

Based on photometric data from the Spitzer/SAGE survey, using red giants as extinction tracers, the mid-infrared (MIR) extinction laws in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) are derived for the first time in the form of A λ /A K S . This quantity refers to the extinction in the four Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) bands (i.e., [3.6], [4.5], [5.8], and [8.0] μm) relative to the Two Micron All Sky Survey K S band at 2.16 μm. We obtain the near-infrared extinction coefficient to be E(J – H)/E(H – K S ) ≈ 1.29 ± 0.04 and E(J – K S )/E(H – K S ) ≈ 1.94 ± 0.04. The wavelength dependence of the MIR extinction A λ /A K S in the LMC varies from one sightline to another. The overall mean MIR extinction is A [3.6] /A K S ∼0.72±0.03, A [4.5] /A K S ∼0.94±0.03, A [5.8] /A K S ∼0.58±0.04, and A [8.0] /A K S ∼0.62±0.05. Except for the extinction in the IRAC [4.5] μm band, which may be contaminated by the 4.6 μm CO gas absorption of red giants used to trace LMC extinction, the extinction in the other three IRAC bands show a flat curve, close to the Milky Way R V = 5.5 model extinction curve, where R V is the optical total-to-selective extinction ratio. The possible systematic bias caused by the correlated uncertainties of K S – λ and J – K S is explored in terms of Monte Carlo simulations. We find that this bias could lead to an overestimation of A λ /A K S in the MIR

Longwave indirect effect of mineral dusts on ice clouds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Min

2010-08-01

Full Text Available In addition to microphysical changes in clouds, changes in nucleation processes of ice cloud due to aerosols would result in substantial changes in cloud top temperature as mildly supercooled clouds are glaciated through heterogenous nucleation processes. Measurements from multiple sensors on multiple observing platforms over the Atlantic Ocean show that the cloud effective temperature increases with mineral dust loading with a slope of +3.06 °C per unit aerosol optical depth. The macrophysical changes in ice cloud top distributions as a consequence of mineral dust-cloud interaction exert a strong cooling effect (up to 16 Wm⁻² of thermal infrared radiation on cloud systems. Induced changes of ice particle size by mineral dusts influence cloud emissivity and play a minor role in modulating the outgoing longwave radiation for optically thin ice clouds. Such a strong cooling forcing of thermal infrared radiation would have significant impacts on cloud systems and subsequently on climate.

Diffuse interstellar clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, J.H.

1987-01-01

The author defines and discusses the nature of diffuse interstellar clouds. He discusses how they contribute to the general extinction of starlight. The atomic and molecular species that have been identified in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared regions of the spectrum of a diffuse cloud are presented. The author illustrates some of the practical considerations that affect absorption line observations of interstellar atoms and molecules. Various aspects of the theoretical description of diffuse clouds required for a full interpretation of the observations are discussed

Discovery of a protostar in the Large Magellanic Cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gatley, I.; Becklin, E.E.; Hyland, A.R.; Jones, T.J.

1981-01-01

A near infrared search of the H II region/molecular cloud complex N 159 in the Large Magellanic Cloud has revealed a very red (H-K = 2.1, K-L' = 2.7) compact object. The location, brightness, colour and 2.1 to 2.4 μm spectrum of this source suggest that it is very young, and similar to the galactic infrared 'protostars'. This is the first identification of an infrared protostar in an external galaxy. Its discovery provides direct evidence of current star formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and suggests that regions of star formation in external galaxies will appear similar to those in the Milky Way. (author)

Physically-Retrieving Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters from Ultraspectral IR Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Mango, Stephen A.; Huang, Hung-Lung

2007-01-01

A physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error < 1 km). NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) retrievals from the Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign are compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). This work was motivated by the need to obtain solutions for atmospheric soundings from infrared radiances observed for every individual field of view, regardless of cloud cover, from future ultraspectral geostationary satellite sounding instruments, such as the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES). However, this retrieval approach can also be applied to the ultraspectral sounding instruments to fly on Polar satellites, such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the European MetOp satellite, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the NPOESS Preparatory Project and the following NPOESS series of satellites.

Do the Herschel cold clouds in the Galactic halo embody its dark matter?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieuwenhuizen, Theo M; Heusden, Erik F G van; Liska, Matthew T P

2012-01-01

Recent Herschel/SPIRE (Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver) maps of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC, LMC) exhibit, in each, thousands of clouds. Observed at 250 μm, they must be cold, T ∼ 15 K, hence the name ‘Herschel cold clouds’ (HCCs). From the observed rotational velocity profile of the Galaxy and the assumption of spherical symmetry, its mass density is modeled in a form close to that of an isothermal sphere. If the HCCs constitute a certain fraction of it, their angular size distribution has a specified shape. A fit to the data deduced from the SMC/LMC maps supports this and yields 1.7 pc for their average radius. There are so many HCCs that they will make up all the missing Halo mass density if there is spherical symmetry and their average mass is of the order of 10 000M ⊙ . This compares with the Jeans mass of about 40 000M ⊙ and puts forward that the HCCs are, in fact, Jeans clusters, constituting all the Galactic dark matter and many of its missing baryons, a conclusion deduced before from a different field of the sky (Nieuwenhuizen et al 2011 J. Cosmol. 15 6017-29). A preliminary analysis of the intensities yields that the Jeans clusters themselves may consist of some billion MACHOs of a few dozen Earth masses. With a size of dozens of solar radii, they would mostly not lens, but cause occultation of stars in the LMC, SMC and toward the Galactic center, and may thus have been overlooked in microlensing.

Infrared study of new star cluster candidates associated to dusty globules

Science.gov (United States)

Soto King, P.; Barbá, R.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Jaque, M.; Firpo, V.; Nilo, J. L.; Soto, M.; Minniti, D.

2014-10-01

We present results from a study of a sample of small star clusters associated to dusty globules and bright-rimmed clouds that have been observed under ESO/Chile public infrared survey Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV). In this short communication, we analyse the near-infrared properties of a set of four small clusters candidates associated to dark clouds. This sample of clusters associated to dusty globules are selected from the new VVV stellar cluster candidates developed by members of La Serena VVV Group (Barbá et al. 2014). Firstly, we are producing color-color and color-magnitude diagrams for both, cluster candidates and surrounding areas for comparison through PSF photometry. The cluster positions are determined from the morphology on the images and also from the comparison of the observed luminosity function for the cluster candidates and the surrounding star fields. Now, we are working in the procedures to establish the full sample of clusters to be analyzed and methods for subtraction of the star field contamination. These clusters associated to dusty globules are simple laboratories to study the star formation relatively free of the influence of large star-forming regions and populous clusters, and they will be compared with those clusters associated to bright-rimmed globules, which are influenced by the energetic action of nearby O and B massive stars.

Current Observational Constraints to Holographic Dark Energy Model with New Infrared cut-off via Markov Chain Monte Carlo Method

OpenAIRE

Wang, Yuting; Xu, Lixin

2010-01-01

In this paper, the holographic dark energy model with new infrared (IR) cut-off for both the flat case and the non-flat case are confronted with the combined constraints of current cosmological observations: type Ia Supernovae, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, current Cosmic Microwave Background, and the observational hubble data. By utilizing the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we obtain the best fit values of the parameters with $1\\sigma, 2\\sigma$ errors in the flat model: $\\Omega_{b}h...

NEAR-INFRARED POLARIMETRY OF A NORMAL SPIRAL GALAXY VIEWED THROUGH THE TAURUS MOLECULAR CLOUD COMPLEX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clemens, Dan P.; Cashman, L. R.; Pavel, M. D.

2013-01-01

Few normal galaxies have been probed using near-infrared polarimetry, even though it reveals magnetic fields in the cool interstellar medium better than either optical or radio polarimetry. Deep H-band (1.6 μm) linear imaging polarimetry toward Taurus serendipitously included the galaxy 2MASX J04412715+2433110 with adequate sensitivity and resolution to map polarization across nearly its full extent. The observations revealed the galaxy to be a steeply inclined (∼75°) disk type with a diameter, encompassing 90% of the Petrosian flux, of 4.2 kpc at a distance of 53 Mpc. Because the sight line passes through the Taurus Molecular Cloud complex, the foreground polarization needed to be measured and removed. The foreground extinction A V of 2.00 ± 0.10 mag and reddening E(H – K) of 0.125 ± 0.009 mag were also assessed and removed, based on analysis of Two Micron All Sky Survey, UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey, Spitzer, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer photometry using the Near-Infrared Color Excess, NICE-Revisited, and Rayleigh-Jeans Color Excess methods. Corrected for the polarized foreground, the galaxy polarization values range from 0% to 3%. The polarizations are dominated by a disk-parallel magnetic field geometry, especially to the northeast, while either a vertical field or single scattering of bulge light produces disk-normal polarizations to the southwest. The multi-kiloparsec coherence of the magnetic field revealed by the infrared polarimetry is in close agreement with short-wavelength radio synchrotron observations of edge-on galaxies, indicating that both cool and warm interstellar media of disk galaxies may be threaded by common magnetic fields.

A SEARCH FOR DUST EMISSION IN THE LEO INTERGALACTIC CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bot, Caroline; Helou, George; Puget, Jeremie; Latter, William B.; Schneider, Stephen; Terzian, Yervant

2009-01-01

We present a search for infrared dust emission associated with the Leo cloud, a large intergalactic cloud in the M96 group. Mid-infrared and far-infrared images were obtained with the InfraRed Array Camera and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer on the Spitzer Space Telescope. Our analysis of these maps is done at each wavelength relative to the H I spatial distribution. We observe a probable detection at 8 μm and a marginal detection at 24 μm associated with the highest H I column densities in the cloud. At 70 and 160 μm, upper limits on the dust emission are deduced. The level of the detection is low so that the possibility of a fortuitous cirrus clump or of an overdensity of extragalactic sources along the line of sight cannot be excluded. If this detection is confirmed, the quantities of dust inferred imply a dust-to-gas ratio in the intergalactic cloud up to a few times solar but no less than 1/20 solar. A confirmed detection would therefore exclude the possibility that the intergalactic cloud has a primordial origin. Instead, this large intergalactic cloud could therefore have been formed through interactions between galaxies in the group.

Laying bare Venus' dark secrets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, D.A.

1987-01-01

Ground-based IR observations of the dark side of Venus obtained in 1983 and 1985 with the Anglo-Australian Telescope are studied. An IR spectrum of Venus' dark side is analyzed. It is observed that the Venus atmosphere is composed of CO and radiation escapes only at 1.74 microns and 2.2 to 2.4 microns. The possible origin of the radiation, either due to absorbed sunlight or escaping thermal radiation, was investigated. These two hypotheses were eliminated, and it is proposed that the clouds of Venus are transparent and the radiation originates from the same stratum as the brighter portions but is weakened by the passage through the upper layer. The significance of the observed dark side markings is discussed

Influences of cloud heterogeneity on cirrus optical properties retrieved from the visible and near-infrared channels of MODIS/SEVIRI for flat and optically thick cirrus clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yongbo; Sun, Xuejin; Zhang, Riwei; Zhang, Chuanliang; Li, Haoran; Zhou, Junhao; Li, Shaohui

2017-01-01

The influences of three-dimensional radiative effects and horizontal heterogeneity effects on the retrieval of cloud optical thickness (COT) and effective diameter (De) for cirrus clouds are explored by the SHDOM radiative transfer model. The stochastic cirrus clouds are generated by the Cloudgen model based on the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program data. Incorporating a new ice cloud spectral model, we evaluate the retrieval errors for two solar zenith angles (SZAs) (30° and 60°), four solar azimuth angles (0°, 45°, 90°, and 180°), and two sensor settings (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) onboard Aqua and Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) onboard METEOSAT-8). The domain-averaged relative error of COT (μ) ranges from −24.1 % to -1.0 % (SZA = 30°) and from −11.6 % to 3.3 % (SZA = 60°), with the uncertainty within 7.5 % to –12.5 % (SZA = 30°) and 20.0 % - 27.5 % (SZA = 60°). For the SZA of 60° only, the relative error and uncertainty are parameterized by the retrieved COT by linear functions, providing bases to correct the retrieved COT and estimate their uncertainties. Besides, De is overestimated by 0.7–15.0 μm on the domain average, with the corresponding uncertainty within 6.7–26.5 μm. The retrieval errors show no discernible dependence on solar azimuth angle due to the flat tops and full coverage of the cirrus samples. The results are valid only for the two samples and for the specific spatial resolution of the radiative transfer simulations. - Highlights: • The retrieved cloud optical properties for 3-D cirrus clouds are evaluated. • The cloud optical thickness and uncertainty could be corrected and estimated. • On the domain average, the effective diameter of ice crystal is overestimated. • The optical properties show non-obvious dependence on the solar azimuth angle.

EVALUATION OF METHODS FOR COREGISTRATION AND FUSION OF RPAS-BASED 3D POINT CLOUDS AND THERMAL INFRARED IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Hoegner

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the automatic coregistration and fusion of 3d point clouds generated from aerial image sequences and corresponding thermal infrared (TIR images. Both RGB and TIR images have been taken from a RPAS platform with a predefined flight path where every RGB image has a corresponding TIR image taken from the same position and with the same orientation with respect to the accuracy of the RPAS system and the inertial measurement unit. To remove remaining differences in the exterior orientation, different strategies for coregistering RGB and TIR images are discussed: (i coregistration based on 2D line segments for every single TIR image and the corresponding RGB image. This method implies a mainly planar scene to avoid mismatches; (ii coregistration of both the dense 3D point clouds from RGB images and from TIR images by coregistering 2D image projections of both point clouds; (iii coregistration based on 2D line segments in every single TIR image and 3D line segments extracted from intersections of planes fitted in the segmented dense 3D point cloud; (iv coregistration of both the dense 3D point clouds from RGB images and from TIR images using both ICP and an adapted version based on corresponding segmented planes; (v coregistration of both image sets based on point features. The quality is measured by comparing the differences of the back projection of homologous points in both corrected RGB and TIR images.

Relationships among cloud occurrence frequency, overlap, and effective thickness derived from CALIPSO and CloudSat merged cloud vertical profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Seiji; Sun-Mack, Sunny; Miller, Walter F.; Rose, Fred G.; Chen, Yan; Minnis, Patrick; Wielicki, Bruce A.

2010-01-01

A cloud frequency of occurrence matrix is generated using merged cloud vertical profiles derived from the satellite-borne Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and cloud profiling radar. The matrix contains vertical profiles of cloud occurrence frequency as a function of the uppermost cloud top. It is shown that the cloud fraction and uppermost cloud top vertical profiles can be related by a cloud overlap matrix when the correlation length of cloud occurrence, which is interpreted as an effective cloud thickness, is introduced. The underlying assumption in establishing the above relation is that cloud overlap approaches random overlap with increasing distance separating cloud layers and that the probability of deviating from random overlap decreases exponentially with distance. One month of Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) and CloudSat data (July 2006) support these assumptions, although the correlation length sometimes increases with separation distance when the cloud top height is large. The data also show that the correlation length depends on cloud top hight and the maximum occurs when the cloud top height is 8 to 10 km. The cloud correlation length is equivalent to the decorrelation distance introduced by Hogan and Illingworth (2000) when cloud fractions of both layers in a two-cloud layer system are the same. The simple relationships derived in this study can be used to estimate the top-of-atmosphere irradiance difference caused by cloud fraction, uppermost cloud top, and cloud thickness vertical profile differences.

THE DARKEST SHADOWS: DEEP MID-INFRARED EXTINCTION MAPPING OF A MASSIVE PROTOCLUSTER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butler, Michael J. [Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich (Switzerland); Tan, Jonathan C. [Departments of Astronomy and Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Kainulainen, Jouni [Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany)

2014-02-20

We use deep 8 μm Spitzer-IRAC imaging of massive Infrared Dark Cloud (IRDC) G028.37+00.07 to construct a mid-infrared (MIR) extinction map that probes mass surface densities up to Σ ∼ 1 g cm{sup –2} (A{sub V} ∼ 200 mag), amongst the highest values yet probed by extinction mapping. Merging with an NIR extinction map of the region creates a high dynamic range map that reveals structures down to A{sub V} ∼ 1 mag. We utilize the map to: (1) measure a cloud mass ∼7 × 10{sup 4} M {sub ☉} within a radius of ∼8 pc. {sup 13}CO kinematics indicate that the cloud is gravitationally bound. It thus has the potential to form one of the most massive young star clusters known in the Galaxy. (2) Characterize the structures of 16 massive cores within the IRDC, finding they can be fit by singular polytropic spheres with ρ∝r{sup −k{sub ρ}} and k {sub ρ} = 1.3 ± 0.3. They have Σ-bar ≃0.1--0.4 g cm{sup −2}—relatively low values that, along with their measured cold temperatures, suggest that magnetic fields, rather than accretion-powered radiative heating, are important for controlling fragmentation of these cores. (3) Determine the Σ (equivalently column density or A{sub V} ) probability distribution function (PDF) for a region that is nearly complete for A{sub V} > 3 mag. The PDF is well fit by a single log-normal with mean A-bar {sub V}≃9 mag, high compared to other known clouds. It does not exhibit a separate high-end power law tail, which has been claimed to indicate the importance of self-gravity. However, we suggest that the PDF does result from a self-similar, self-gravitating hierarchy of structures present over a wide range of scales in the cloud.

Retrieval of Ice Cloud Properties Using Variable Phase Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Heck, Patrick W.; Minnis, Patrick; Yang, Ping; Chang, Fu-Lung; Palikonda, Rabindra; Arduini, Robert F.; Sun-Mack, Sunny

2009-03-01

An enhancement to NASA Langley's Visible Infrared Solar-infrared Split-window Technique (VISST) is developed to identify and account for situations when errors are induced by using smooth ice crystals. The retrieval scheme incorporates new ice cloud phase functions that utilize hexagonal crystals with roughened surfaces. In some situations, cloud optical depths are reduced, hence, cloud height is increased. Cloud effective particle size also changes with the roughened ice crystal models which results in varied effects on the calculation of ice water path. Once validated and expanded, the new approach will be integrated in the CERES MODIS algorithm and real-time retrievals at Langley.

Recent advances in infrared astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, E.I.

1980-01-01

A background survey is given of developments in infrared astronomy during the last decade. Advantages obtained in using infrared wavelengths to penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and the detectors used for this work are considered. Infrared studies of, among other subjects, the stars, dust clouds, the centre of our galaxy and the 3k cosmic background radiation, are discussed. (UK)

THE MID-INFRARED EXTINCTION LAW IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Jian; Jiang, B. W.; Xue, M. Y. [Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Li, Aigen, E-mail: jiangao@bnu.edu.cn, E-mail: bjiang@bnu.edu.cn, E-mail: lia@missouri.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States)

2013-10-10

Based on photometric data from the Spitzer/SAGE survey, using red giants as extinction tracers, the mid-infrared (MIR) extinction laws in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) are derived for the first time in the form of A{sub λ}/A{sub K{sub S}}. This quantity refers to the extinction in the four Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) bands (i.e., [3.6], [4.5], [5.8], and [8.0] μm) relative to the Two Micron All Sky Survey K{sub S} band at 2.16 μm. We obtain the near-infrared extinction coefficient to be E(J – H)/E(H – K{sub S} ) ≈ 1.29 ± 0.04 and E(J – K{sub S} )/E(H – K{sub S} ) ≈ 1.94 ± 0.04. The wavelength dependence of the MIR extinction A{sub λ}/A{sub K{sub S}} in the LMC varies from one sightline to another. The overall mean MIR extinction is A{sub [3.6]}/A{sub K{sub S}}∼0.72±0.03, A{sub [4.5]}/A{sub K{sub S}}∼0.94±0.03, A{sub [5.8]}/A{sub K{sub S}}∼0.58±0.04, and A{sub [8.0]}/A{sub K{sub S}}∼0.62±0.05. Except for the extinction in the IRAC [4.5] μm band, which may be contaminated by the 4.6 μm CO gas absorption of red giants used to trace LMC extinction, the extinction in the other three IRAC bands show a flat curve, close to the Milky Way R{sub V} = 5.5 model extinction curve, where R{sub V} is the optical total-to-selective extinction ratio. The possible systematic bias caused by the correlated uncertainties of K{sub S} – λ and J – K{sub S} is explored in terms of Monte Carlo simulations. We find that this bias could lead to an overestimation of A{sub λ}/A{sub K{sub S}} in the MIR.

CHARACTERIZING THE POPULATION OF BRIGHT INFRARED SOURCES IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraemer, K. E. [Institute for Scientific Research, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (United States); Sloan, G. C. [Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801 (United States); Wood, P. R. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Cotter Road, Weston Creek ACT 2611 (Australia); Jones, O. C. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Egan, M. P., E-mail: kathleen.kraemer@bc.edu, E-mail: sloan@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: wood@mso.anu.edu.au, E-mail: michael.p.egan@nga.mil [National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, 7500 GEOINT Drive, Springfield, VA 22150 (United States)

2017-01-10

We have used the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope to observe stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) selected from the Point Source Catalog of the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX). We concentrate on the dust properties of the oxygen-rich evolved stars. The dust composition has smaller contributions from alumina compared to the Galaxy. This difference may arise from the lower metallicity in the SMC, but it could be a selection effect, as the SMC sample includes more stars that are brighter and thus more massive. The distribution of the SMC stars along the silicate sequence looks more like the Galactic sample of red supergiants than asymptotic giant branch stars (AGBs). While many of the SMC stars are definitively on the AGB, several also show evidence of hot bottom burning. Three of the supergiants show PAH emission at 11.3 μ m. Two other sources show mixed chemistry, with both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich spectral features. One, MSX SMC 134, may be the first confirmed silicate/carbon star in the SMC. The other, MSX SMC 049, is a candidate post-AGB star. MSX SMC 145, previously considered a candidate OH/IR star, is actually an AGB star with a background galaxy at z  = 0.16 along the same line of sight. We consider the overall characteristics of all the MSX sources, the most infrared-bright objects in the SMC, in light of the higher sensitivity and resolution of Spitzer , and compare them with the object types expected from the original selection criteria. This population represents what will be seen in more distant galaxies by the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST ). Color–color diagrams generated from the IRS spectra and the mid-infrared filters on JWST show how one can separate evolved stars from young stellar objects (YSOs) and distinguish among different classes of YSOs.

CHARACTERIZING THE POPULATION OF BRIGHT INFRARED SOURCES IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraemer, K. E.; Sloan, G. C.; Wood, P. R.; Jones, O. C.; Egan, M. P.

2017-01-01

We have used the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope to observe stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) selected from the Point Source Catalog of the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX). We concentrate on the dust properties of the oxygen-rich evolved stars. The dust composition has smaller contributions from alumina compared to the Galaxy. This difference may arise from the lower metallicity in the SMC, but it could be a selection effect, as the SMC sample includes more stars that are brighter and thus more massive. The distribution of the SMC stars along the silicate sequence looks more like the Galactic sample of red supergiants than asymptotic giant branch stars (AGBs). While many of the SMC stars are definitively on the AGB, several also show evidence of hot bottom burning. Three of the supergiants show PAH emission at 11.3 μ m. Two other sources show mixed chemistry, with both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich spectral features. One, MSX SMC 134, may be the first confirmed silicate/carbon star in the SMC. The other, MSX SMC 049, is a candidate post-AGB star. MSX SMC 145, previously considered a candidate OH/IR star, is actually an AGB star with a background galaxy at z  = 0.16 along the same line of sight. We consider the overall characteristics of all the MSX sources, the most infrared-bright objects in the SMC, in light of the higher sensitivity and resolution of Spitzer , and compare them with the object types expected from the original selection criteria. This population represents what will be seen in more distant galaxies by the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST ). Color–color diagrams generated from the IRS spectra and the mid-infrared filters on JWST show how one can separate evolved stars from young stellar objects (YSOs) and distinguish among different classes of YSOs.

Twomey effect in subtropical stratocumulus clouds from UV depolarization lidar

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Graaf, M.; Brown, Jessica; Donovan, D.P.; Nicolae, D.; Makoto, A.; Vassilis, A.; Balis, D.; Behrendt, A.; Comeron, A.; Gibert, F.; Landulfo, E.; McCormick, M.P.; Senff, C.; Veselovskii, I.; Wandinger, U.

2018-01-01

Marine stratocumulus clouds are important climate regulators, reflecting sunlight over a dark ocean background. A UV-depolarization lidar on Ascension, a small remote island in the south Atlantic, measured cloud droplet sizes and number concentration using an inversion method based on Monte Carlo

Shedding light on baryonic dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Silk, Joseph

1991-01-01

Halo dark matter, if it is baryonic, may plausibly consist of compact stellar remnants. Jeans mass clouds containing 10 to the 6th to 10 to the 8th solar masses could have efficiently formed stars in the early universe and could plausibly have generated, for a suitably top-heavy stellar initial mass function, a high abundance of neutron stars as well as a small admixture of long-lived low mass stars. Within the resulting clusters of dark remnants, which eventually are tidally disrupted when halos eventually form, captures of neutron stars by nondegenerate stars resulted in formation of close binaries. These evolve to produce, by the present epoch, an observable X-ray signal associated with dark matter aggregations in galaxy cluster cores.

Development of methods for inferring cloud thickness and cloud-base height from satellite radiance data

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, William L., Jr.; Minnis, Patrick; Alvarez, Joseph M.; Uttal, Taneil; Intrieri, Janet M.; Ackerman, Thomas P.; Clothiaux, Eugene

1993-01-01

Cloud-top height is a major factor determining the outgoing longwave flux at the top of the atmosphere. The downwelling radiation from the cloud strongly affects the cooling rate within the atmosphere and the longwave radiation incident at the surface. Thus, determination of cloud-base temperature is important for proper calculation of fluxes below the cloud. Cloud-base altitude is also an important factor in aircraft operations. Cloud-top height or temperature can be derived in a straightforward manner using satellite-based infrared data. Cloud-base temperature, however, is not observable from the satellite, but is related to the height, phase, and optical depth of the cloud in addition to other variables. This study uses surface and satellite data taken during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Phase-2 Intensive Field Observation (IFO) period (13 Nov. - 7 Dec. 1991, to improve techniques for deriving cloud-base height from conventional satellite data.

Jovian cloud structure from 5-mu M images

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, J. L.; Moreno, F.; Molina, A.; Roos-Serote, M.; Orton, G. S.

1999-09-01

Most radiative transfer studies place the cloud clearings responsible for the 5-mu m bright areas at pressure levels greater than 1.5 bar whereas the low-albedo clouds are placed at lower pressure levels, in the so-called ammonia cloud. If this picture is correct, and assuming that the strong vertical shear of the zonal wind detected by the Galileo Entry Probe exists at all latitudes in Jupiter, the bright areas at 5 mu m should drift faster than the dark clouds, which is not observed. At the Galileo Probe Entry latitude this can be explained by a wave, but this is not a likely explanation for all regions where the anticorrelation between 5-mu m brightness and red-nIR reflectivity is observed. Therefore, either the vertical zonal wind shears are not global or cloud clearings and dark clouds are located at the same pressure level. We have developed a multiple scattering radiative transfer code to model the limb-darkening at several jovian features derived from IRTF 4.8-mu m images, in order to retrieve information on the cloud levels. The limb darkening coefficients range from 1.4 at hot spots to 0.58 at the Equatorial Region. We also find that reflected light is dominant over thermal emission in the Equatorial Region, as already pointed out by other investigators. Preliminary results from our code tend to favor the idea that the ammonia cloud is a very high-albedo cloud with little influence on the contrast seen in the red and nIR and that a deeper cloud at P >1.5 bar can be responsible for the cloud clearings and for the low-albedo features simultaneously. This research was supported by the Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia under contract ESP96-0623.

Islands in the Sky: Ecophysiological Cloud-Vegetation Linkages in Southern Appalachian Mountain Cloud Forests

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhardt, K.; Emanuel, R. E.; Johnson, D. M.

2013-12-01

Mountain cloud forest (MCF) ecosystems are characterized by a high frequency of cloud fog, with vegetation enshrouded in fog. The altitudinal boundaries of cloud-fog zones co-occur with conspicuous, sharp vegetation ecotones between MCF- and non-MCF-vegetation. This suggests linkages between cloud-fog and vegetation physiology and ecosystem functioning. However, very few studies have provided a mechanistic explanation for the sharp changes in vegetation communities, or how (if) cloud-fog and vegetation are linked. We investigated ecophysiological linkages between clouds and trees in Southern Appalachian spruce-fir MCF. These refugial forests occur in only six mountain-top, sky-island populations, and are immersed in clouds on up to 80% of all growing season days. Our fundamental research questions was: How are cloud-fog and cloud-forest trees linked? We measured microclimate and physiology of canopy tree species across a range of sky conditions (cloud immersed, partly cloudy, sunny). Measurements included: 1) sunlight intensity and spectral quality; 2) carbon gain and photosynthetic capacity at leaf (gas exchange) and ecosystem (eddy covariance) scales; and 3) relative limitations to carbon gain (biochemical, stomatal, hydraulic). RESULTS: 1) Midday sunlight intensity ranged from very dark (2500 μmol m-2 s-1), and was highly variable on minute-to-minute timescales whenever clouds were present in the sky. Clouds and cloud-fog increased the proportion of blue-light wavelengths 5-15% compared to sunny conditions, and altered blue:red and red:far red ratios, both of which have been shown to strongly affect stomatal functioning. 2) Cloud-fog resulted in ~50% decreased carbon gain at leaf and ecosystem scales, due to sunlight levels below photosynthetic light-saturation-points. However, greenhouse studies and light-response-curve analyses demonstrated that MCF tree species have low light-compensation points (can photosynthesize even at low light levels), and maximum

Single-footprint retrievals of temperature, water vapor and cloud properties from AIRS

Science.gov (United States)

Irion, Fredrick W.; Kahn, Brian H.; Schreier, Mathias M.; Fetzer, Eric J.; Fishbein, Evan; Fu, Dejian; Kalmus, Peter; Wilson, R. Chris; Wong, Sun; Yue, Qing

2018-02-01

Single-footprint Atmospheric Infrared Sounder spectra are used in an optimal estimation-based algorithm (AIRS-OE) for simultaneous retrieval of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, surface temperature, cloud-top temperature, effective cloud optical depth and effective cloud particle radius. In a departure from currently operational AIRS retrievals (AIRS V6), cloud scattering and absorption are in the radiative transfer forward model and AIRS single-footprint thermal infrared data are used directly rather than cloud-cleared spectra (which are calculated using nine adjacent AIRS infrared footprints). Coincident MODIS cloud data are used for cloud a priori data. Using single-footprint spectra improves the horizontal resolution of the AIRS retrieval from ˜ 45 to ˜ 13.5 km at nadir, but as microwave data are not used, the retrieval is not made at altitudes below thick clouds. An outline of the AIRS-OE retrieval procedure and information content analysis is presented. Initial comparisons of AIRS-OE to AIRS V6 results show increased horizontal detail in the water vapor and relative humidity fields in the free troposphere above the clouds. Initial comparisons of temperature, water vapor and relative humidity profiles with coincident radiosondes show good agreement. Future improvements to the retrieval algorithm, and to the forward model in particular, are discussed.

Microscopic dust in the infrared sky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leene, A.; Wesselius, P.

1985-01-01

After ten months of observation IRAS (InfraRed Astronomical Satellite) revealed for the first time an infrared sky map. One of its major discovery has been the display of new constituents in Universe: the infrared cirrus which are interstellar clouds constituted of microparticles abounding in carbon. Results and first hypothesis are presented in this article [fr

Modeling the Infrared Reverberation Response of the Circumnuclear Dusty Torus in AGNs: The Effects of Cloud Orientation and Anisotropic Illumination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeyda, Triana; Robinson, Andrew; Richmond, Michael; Vazquez, Billy; Nikutta, Robert

2017-01-01

The obscuring circumnuclear torus of dusty molecular gas is one of the major components of active galactic nuclei (AGN). The torus can be studied by analyzing the time response of its infrared (IR) dust emission to variations in the AGN continuum luminosity, a technique known as reverberation mapping. The IR response is the convolution of the AGN ultraviolet/optical light curve with a transfer function that contains information about the size, geometry, and structure of the torus. Here, we describe a new computer model that simulates the reverberation response of a clumpy torus. Given an input optical light curve, the code computes the emission of a 3D ensemble of dust clouds as a function of time at selected IR wavelengths, taking into account light travel delays. We present simulated dust emission responses at 3.6, 4.5, and 30 μ m that explore the effects of various geometrical and structural properties, dust cloud orientation, and anisotropy of the illuminating radiation field. We also briefly explore the effects of cloud shadowing (clouds are shielded from the AGN continuum source). Example synthetic light curves have also been generated, using the observed optical light curve of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 6418 as input. The torus response is strongly wavelength-dependent, due to the gradient in cloud surface temperature within the torus, and because the cloud emission is strongly anisotropic at shorter wavelengths. Anisotropic illumination of the torus also significantly modifies the torus response, reducing the lag between the IR and optical variations.

Modeling the Infrared Reverberation Response of the Circumnuclear Dusty Torus in AGNs: The Effects of Cloud Orientation and Anisotropic Illumination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almeyda, Triana; Robinson, Andrew; Richmond, Michael; Vazquez, Billy [School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Nikutta, Robert, E-mail: tra3595@rit.edu [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States)

2017-07-01

The obscuring circumnuclear torus of dusty molecular gas is one of the major components of active galactic nuclei (AGN). The torus can be studied by analyzing the time response of its infrared (IR) dust emission to variations in the AGN continuum luminosity, a technique known as reverberation mapping. The IR response is the convolution of the AGN ultraviolet/optical light curve with a transfer function that contains information about the size, geometry, and structure of the torus. Here, we describe a new computer model that simulates the reverberation response of a clumpy torus. Given an input optical light curve, the code computes the emission of a 3D ensemble of dust clouds as a function of time at selected IR wavelengths, taking into account light travel delays. We present simulated dust emission responses at 3.6, 4.5, and 30 μ m that explore the effects of various geometrical and structural properties, dust cloud orientation, and anisotropy of the illuminating radiation field. We also briefly explore the effects of cloud shadowing (clouds are shielded from the AGN continuum source). Example synthetic light curves have also been generated, using the observed optical light curve of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 6418 as input. The torus response is strongly wavelength-dependent, due to the gradient in cloud surface temperature within the torus, and because the cloud emission is strongly anisotropic at shorter wavelengths. Anisotropic illumination of the torus also significantly modifies the torus response, reducing the lag between the IR and optical variations.

Retrieval of Ice Cloud Properties Using an Optimal Estimation Algorithm and MODIS Infrared Observations. Part I: Forward Model, Error Analysis, and Information Content

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenxi; Platnick, Steven; Zhang, Zhibo; Meyer, Kerry; Yang, Ping

2016-01-01

An optimal estimation (OE) retrieval method is developed to infer three ice cloud properties simultaneously: optical thickness (tau), effective radius (r(sub eff)), and cloud top height (h). This method is based on a fast radiative transfer (RT) model and infrared (IR) observations from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This study conducts thorough error and information content analyses to understand the error propagation and performance of retrievals from various MODIS band combinations under different cloud/atmosphere states. Specifically, the algorithm takes into account four error sources: measurement uncertainty, fast RT model uncertainty, uncertainties in ancillary data sets (e.g., atmospheric state), and assumed ice crystal habit uncertainties. It is found that the ancillary and ice crystal habit error sources dominate the MODIS IR retrieval uncertainty and cannot be ignored. The information content analysis shows that for a given ice cloud, the use of four MODIS IR observations is sufficient to retrieve the three cloud properties. However, the selection of MODIS IR bands that provide the most information and their order of importance varies with both the ice cloud properties and the ambient atmospheric and the surface states. As a result, this study suggests the inclusion of all MODIS IR bands in practice since little a priori information is available.

Retrieval of ice cloud properties using an optimal estimation algorithm and MODIS infrared observations. Part I: Forward model, error analysis, and information content

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenxi; Platnick, Steven; Zhang, Zhibo; Meyer, Kerry; Yang, Ping

2018-01-01

An optimal estimation (OE) retrieval method is developed to infer three ice cloud properties simultaneously: optical thickness (τ), effective radius (reff), and cloud-top height (h). This method is based on a fast radiative transfer (RT) model and infrared (IR) observations from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This study conducts thorough error and information content analyses to understand the error propagation and performance of retrievals from various MODIS band combinations under different cloud/atmosphere states. Specifically, the algorithm takes into account four error sources: measurement uncertainty, fast RT model uncertainty, uncertainties in ancillary datasets (e.g., atmospheric state), and assumed ice crystal habit uncertainties. It is found that the ancillary and ice crystal habit error sources dominate the MODIS IR retrieval uncertainty and cannot be ignored. The information content analysis shows that, for a given ice cloud, the use of four MODIS IR observations is sufficient to retrieve the three cloud properties. However, the selection of MODIS IR bands that provide the most information and their order of importance varies with both the ice cloud properties and the ambient atmospheric and the surface states. As a result, this study suggests the inclusion of all MODIS IR bands in practice since little a priori information is available. PMID:29707470

Multilayer Cloud Detection with the MODIS Near-Infrared Water Vapor Absorption Band

Science.gov (United States)

Wind, Galina; Platnick, Steven; King, Michael D.; Hubanks, Paul A,; Pavolonis, Michael J.; Heidinger, Andrew K.; Yang, Ping; Baum, Bryan A.

2009-01-01

Data Collection 5 processing for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the NASA Earth Observing System EOS Terra and Aqua spacecraft includes an algorithm for detecting multilayered clouds in daytime. The main objective of this algorithm is to detect multilayered cloud scenes, specifically optically thin ice cloud overlying a lower-level water cloud, that presents difficulties for retrieving cloud effective radius using single layer plane-parallel cloud models. The algorithm uses the MODIS 0.94 micron water vapor band along with CO2 bands to obtain two above-cloud precipitable water retrievals, the difference of which, in conjunction with additional tests, provides a map of where multilayered clouds might potentially exist. The presence of a multilayered cloud results in a large difference in retrievals of above-cloud properties between the CO2 and the 0.94 micron methods. In this paper the MODIS multilayered cloud algorithm is described, results of using the algorithm over example scenes are shown, and global statistics for multilayered clouds as observed by MODIS are discussed. A theoretical study of the algorithm behavior for simulated multilayered clouds is also given. Results are compared to two other comparable passive imager methods. A set of standard cloudy atmospheric profiles developed during the course of this investigation is also presented. The results lead to the conclusion that the MODIS multilayer cloud detection algorithm has some skill in identifying multilayered clouds with different thermodynamic phases

The Role of Emissivity in the Detection of Arctic Night Clouds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filomena Romano

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Detection of clouds over polar areas from satellite radiometric measurements in the visible and IR atmospheric window region is rather difficult because of the high albedo of snow, possible ice covered surfaces, very low humidity, and the usual presence of atmospheric temperature inversion. Cold and highly reflective polar surfaces provide little thermal and visible contrast between clouds and the background surface. Moreover, due to the presence of temperature inversion, clouds are not always identifiable as being colder than the background. In addition, low humidity often causes polar clouds to be optically thin. Finally, polar clouds are usually composed of a mixture of ice and water, which leads to an unclear spectral signature. Single and bi-spectral threshold methods are sometimes inappropriate due to a large variability of surface emissivity and cloud conditions. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the crucial role played by surface emissivity in the detection of polar winter clouds and the potential improvement offered by infrared hyperspectral observations, such as from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI. In this paper a new approach for cloud detection is proposed and validated exploiting active measurements from satellite sensors, i.e., the CloudSat cloud profiling radar (CPR and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP on board the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO. For a homogenous IASI field of view (FOVs, the proposed cloud detection scheme tallies with the combined CPR and CALIOP product in classifying 98.11% of the FOVs as cloudy and also classifies 97.54% of the FOVs as clear. The Hansen Kuipers discriminant reaches 0.95.

Integrated cloud-aerosol-radiation product using CERES, MODIS, CALIPSO, and CloudSat data

Science.gov (United States)

Sun-Mack, Sunny; Minnis, Patrick; Chen, Yan; Gibson, Sharon; Yi, Yuhong; Trepte, Qing; Wielicki, Bruce; Kato, Seiji; Winker, Dave; Stephens, Graeme; Partain, Philip

2007-10-01

This paper documents the development of the first integrated data set of global vertical profiles of clouds, aerosols, and radiation using the combined NASA A-Train data from the Aqua Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), and CloudSat. As part of this effort, cloud data from the CALIPSO lidar and the CloudSat radar are merged with the integrated column cloud properties from the CERES-MODIS analyses. The active and passive datasets are compared to determine commonalities and differences in order to facilitate the development of a 3-dimensional cloud and aerosol dataset that will then be integrated into the CERES broadband radiance footprint. Preliminary results from the comparisons for April 2007 reveal that the CERES-MODIS global cloud amounts are, on average, 0.14 less and 0.15 greater than those from CALIPSO and CloudSat, respectively. These new data will provide unprecedented ability to test and improve global cloud and aerosol models, to investigate aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing, and to validate the accuracy of global aerosol, cloud, and radiation data sets especially in polar regions and for multi-layered cloud conditions.

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.

The new Be-type star HD 147196 in the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud region

Science.gov (United States)

The, P. S.; Perez, M. R.; De Winter, D.; Van Den Ancker, M. E.

1993-01-01

The newly discovered hot-emission line star, HD 147196 in the Rho Oph dark cloud region was observed spectroscopically and photometrically and high and low resolution IUE spectra were obtained. The finding of Irvine (1990) that this relatively bright star show its H-alpha-line in emission is confirmed. Previous H-alpha-surveys of the Rho Oph star-forming region did not detect HD 147196 as an H-alpha-emission star, meaning that it must recently be very active and has perhaps transformed itself from a B-type star at shell phase to a Be-phase. The Mg II h + k resonance lines are in absorption and they appear to be interstellar in nature, which means that either the abundance of Mg in the extended atmosphere of the star is low or that the shell is not extended enough to produce emission lines of Mg II. Photometric observations of this B8 V type star do not show any variations during at least the years covered by our monitoring or any excess of NIR radiation in its spectral energy distribution up to the M-passband at 4.8 microns.

Far-infrared spectroscopy of neutral interstellar clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, D.M.

1984-01-01

A summary is presented of airborne observations of the far-infrared fine structure lines of neutral atomic oxygen and singly-ionized carbon, and of the far-infrared rotational lines of CO, OH, NH 3 and HD, together with a brief description of the analysis and interpretation of the spectra. The 'state of the art' in instrument performance and the prospects for improved sensitivity and resolution are also surveyed. (Auth.)

Evaluation of Satellite-Based Upper Troposphere Cloud Top Height Retrievals in Multilayer Cloud Conditions During TC4

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Fu-Lung; Minnis, Patrick; Ayers, J. Kirk; McGill, Matthew J.; Palikonda, Rabindra; Spangenberg, Douglas A.; Smith, William L., Jr.; Yost, Christopher R.

2010-01-01

Upper troposphere cloud top heights (CTHs), restricted to cloud top pressures (CTPs) less than 500 hPa, inferred using four satellite retrieval methods applied to Twelfth Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-12) data are evaluated using measurements during the July August 2007 Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling Experiment (TC4). The four methods are the single-layer CO2-absorption technique (SCO2AT), a modified CO2-absorption technique (MCO2AT) developed for improving both single-layered and multilayered cloud retrievals, a standard version of the Visible Infrared Solar-infrared Split-window Technique (old VISST), and a new version of VISST (new VISST) recently developed to improve cloud property retrievals. They are evaluated by comparing with ER-2 aircraft-based Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) data taken during 9 days having extensive upper troposphere cirrus, anvil, and convective clouds. Compared to the 89% coverage by upper tropospheric clouds detected by the CPL, the SCO2AT, MCO2AT, old VISST, and new VISST retrieved CTPs less than 500 hPa in 76, 76, 69, and 74% of the matched pixels, respectively. Most of the differences are due to subvisible and optically thin cirrus clouds occurring near the tropopause that were detected only by the CPL. The mean upper tropospheric CTHs for the 9 days are 14.2 (+/- 2.1) km from the CPL and 10.7 (+/- 2.1), 12.1 (+/- 1.6), 9.7 (+/- 2.9), and 11.4 (+/- 2.8) km from the SCO2AT, MCO2AT, old VISST, and new VISST, respectively. Compared to the CPL, the MCO2AT CTHs had the smallest mean biases for semitransparent high clouds in both single-layered and multilayered situations whereas the new VISST CTHs had the smallest mean biases when upper clouds were opaque and optically thick. The biases for all techniques increased with increasing numbers of cloud layers. The transparency of the upper layer clouds tends to increase with the numbers of cloud layers.

Newly detected molecules in dense interstellar clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Irvine, William M.; Avery, L. W.; Friberg, P.; Matthews, H. E.; Ziurys, L. M.

Several new interstellar molecules have been identified including C2S, C3S, C5H, C6H and (probably) HC2CHO in the cold, dark cloud TMC-1; and the discovery of the first interstellar phosphorus-containing molecule, PN, in the Orion "plateau" source. Further results include the observations of 13C3H2 and C3HD, and the first detection of HCOOH (formic acid) in a cold cloud.

On the Effective Equation of State of Dark Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sloth, Martin Snoager

2010-01-01

In an effective field theory model with an ultraviolet momentum cutoff, there is a relation between the effective equation of state of dark energy and the ultraviolet cutoff scale. It implies that a measure of the equation of state of dark energy different from minus one, does not rule out vacuum...... energy as dark energy. It also indicates an interesting possibility that precise measurements of the infrared properties of dark energy can be used to probe the ultraviolet cutoff scale of effective quantum field theory coupled to gravity. In a toy model with a vacuum energy dominated universe...... with a Planck scale cutoff, the dark energy effective equation of state is -0.96....

INFRARED PERIOD-LUMINOSITY RELATIONS OF EVOLVED VARIABLE STARS IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riebel, David; Meixner, Margaret; Fraser, Oliver; Srinivasan, Sundar; Cook, Kem; Vijh, Uma

2010-01-01

We combine variability information from the MAssive Compact Halo Objects survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud with infrared photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution survey to create a data set of ∼30,000 variable red sources. We photometrically classify these sources as being on the first ascent of the red giant branch, or as being in one of three stages along the asymptotic giant branch (AGB): oxygen-rich, carbon-rich, or highly reddened with indeterminate chemistry ('extreme' AGB candidates). We present linear period-luminosity (P-L) relationships for these sources using eight separate infrared bands (J, H, K s , 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0, and 24 μm) as proxies for the luminosity. We find that the wavelength dependence of the slope of the P-L relationship is different for different photometrically determined classes of AGB stars. Stars photometrically classified as O-rich show the least variation of slope with wavelength, while dust enshrouded extreme AGB stars show a pronounced trend toward steeper slopes with increasing wavelength. We find that O-rich AGB stars pulsating in the fundamental mode obey a period-magnitude relation with a slope of -3.41 ± 0.04 when magnitude is measured in the 3.6 μm band, in contrast to C-rich AGB stars, which obey a relation of slope -3.77 ± 0.05.

The Near-infrared Tip of the Red Giant Branch. II. An Absolute Calibration in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyt, Taylor J.; Freedman, Wendy L.; Madore, Barry F.; Seibert, Mark; Beaton, Rachael L.; Hatt, Dylan; Jang, In Sung; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Monson, Andrew J.; Rich, Jeffrey A.

2018-05-01

We present a new empirical JHK absolute calibration of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We use published data from the extensive Near-Infrared Synoptic Survey containing 3.5 million stars, 65,000 of which are red giants that fall within one magnitude of the TRGB. Adopting the TRGB slopes from a companion study of the isolated dwarf galaxy IC 1613, as well as an LMC distance modulus of μ 0 = 18.49 mag from (geometric) detached eclipsing binaries, we derive absolute JHK zero points for the near-infrared TRGB. For a comparison with measurements in the bar alone, we apply the calibrated JHK TRGB to a 500 deg2 area of the 2MASS survey. The TRGB reveals the 3D structure of the LMC with a tilt in the direction perpendicular to the major axis of the bar, which is in agreement with previous studies.

Investigation of Cloud Properties and Atmospheric Profiles with MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Menzel, Paul; Ackerman, Steve; Moeller, Chris; Gumley, Liam; Strabala, Kathy; Frey, Richard; Prins, Elaine; LaPorte, Dan; Wolf, Walter

1997-01-01

The WINter Cloud Experiment (WINCE) was directed and supported by personnel from the University of Wisconsin in January and February. Data sets of good quality were collected by the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) and other instruments on the NASA ER2; they will be used to develop and validate cloud detection and cloud property retrievals over winter scenes (especially over snow). Software development focused on utilities needed for all of the UW product executables; preparations for Version 2 software deliveries were almost completed. A significant effort was made, in cooperation with SBRS and MCST, in characterizing and understanding MODIS PFM thermal infrared performance; crosstalk in the longwave infrared channels continues to get considerable attention.

Thermal infrared properties of the Martian atmosphere 4. Predictions of the presence of dust and ice clouds from Viking IRTM spectral measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, G.E.

1979-01-01

In this paper we investigate the response of the Martian atmosphere at the wavelengths measured by the Viking infrared thermal mapper instrument (IRTM) to the presence of varying amounts of dust and water ice clouds. A detailed radiative transfer study is represented to show that these IRTM measurements at channels centered at 7, 9, 11, and 20 μm may be used to differentiate between the presence of dust and water ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere. They show further that these measurements may also be used to provide some information on the structure of the lower atmosphere. The use of the IRTM measurements in the manner we describe can provide information associated with the thermal characteristics of Martian dust storms

DESTINY, The Dark Energy Space Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Pasquale, Bert A.; Woodruff, Robert A.; Benford, Dominic J.; Lauer, Tod

2007-01-01

We have proposed the development of a low-cost space telescope, Destiny, as a concept for the NASA/DOE Joint Dark Energy Mission. Destiny is a 1.65m space telescope, featuring a near-infrared (0.85-1.7m) survey camera/spectrometer with a moderate flat-field field of view (FOV). Destiny will probe the properties of dark energy by obtaining a Hubble diagram based on Type Ia supernovae and a large-scale mass power spectrum derived from weak lensing distortions of field galaxies as a function of redshift.

Featured Image: A New Dark Vortex on Neptune

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-03-01

This remarkable series of images by the Hubble Space Telescope (click for the full view) track a dark vortex only the fifth ever observed on Neptune as it evolves in Neptunes atmosphere. These Hubble images, presented in a recent study led by Michael Wong (University of California, Berkeley), were taken in 2015 September, 2016 May, 2016 October, and 2017 October; the observations have monitored the evolution of the vortex as it has gradually weakened and drifted polewards. Confirmation of the vortex solved a puzzle that arose in 2015, when astronomers spotted an unexplained outburst of cloud activity on Neptune. This outburst was likely a group of bright companion clouds that form as air flows over high-pressure dark vortices, causing gases to freeze into methane ice crystals. To learn more about what the authors have since learned by studying this vortex, check out the paper below.CitationMichael H. Wong et al 2018 AJ 155 117. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aaa6d6

Radiation-tolerant, red-sensitive CCDs for dark energy investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roe, N.A.; Bebek, C.J.; Dawson, K.S.; Emes, J.H.; Fabricius, M.H.; Fairfield, J.A.; Groom, D.E.; Holland, S.E.; Karcher, A.; Kolbe, W.F.; Palaio, N.P.; Wang, G.

2007-01-01

We describe the development of thick (200-300 μm), fully depleted p-channel, charge-coupled devices (CCDs). The advantages of these CCDs relative to conventional thin, n-channel CCDs include: high quantum efficiency over a wide range of wavelengths, extending into the near-infrared; negligible fringing at long (∼900-1000 nm) wavelengths; improved radiation tolerance; and a small point-spread function controlled through the application of the bias voltage. These visible-to-near-infrared light detectors are good candidates for the next generation of large focal-plane mosaics under development for dark energy measurements. The Dark Energy Survey has selected these CCDs for the focal plane of a new camera being designed for the Blanco 4 m telescope at CTIO in Chile. They also meet all the requirements for the visible-light detectors for the SuperNova/Acceleration Probe, a satellite-based experiment designed to make precision measurements of dark energy

Do the Herschel cold clouds in the Galactic halo embody its dark matter?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieuwenhuizen, T.M.; van Heusden, E.F.G.; Liska, M.T.P.

2012-01-01

Recent Herschel/SPIRE (Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver) maps of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC, LMC) exhibit, in each, thousands of clouds. Observed at 250 μm, they must be cold, T ~ 15 K, hence the name 'Herschel cold clouds' (HCCs). From the observed rotational velocity

Far-infrared observations of Sagittarius B2 - reconsideration of source structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thronson, H.A. Jr.; Harper, D.A.; Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WI)

1986-01-01

New moderate-angular-resolution far-infrared observations of the Sagittarius B2 star-forming region are presented, discussed, and compared with recent radio molecular and continuum observations of this source. In contrast to previous analyses, its far-infrared spectrum is interpreted as the result of a massive frigid cloud overlying a more-or-less normal infrared source, a natural explanation for the object's previously-noted peculiarities. The characteristics derived for the obscuring cloud are similar to those found for the W51 MAIN object. Both sources have high sub-millimeter surface brightness, a high ratio of sub-millimeter to far-infrared flux, and numerous regions of molecular maser emission. 28 references

DARKNESS: A Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector Integral Field Spectrograph for High-contrast Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Meeker, Seth R.; Mazin, Benjamin A.; Walter, Alex B.; Strader, Paschal; Fruitwala, Neelay; Bockstiegel, Clint; Szypryt, Paul; Ulbricht, Gerhard; Coiffard, Grégoire; Bumble, Bruce; Cancelo, Gustavo; Zmuda, Ted; Treptow, Ken; Wilcer, Neal; Collura, Giulia; Dodkins, Rupert; Lipartito, Isabel; Zobrist, Nicholas; Bottom, Michael; Shelton, J. Chris; Mawet, Dimitri; van Eyken, Julian C.; Vasisht, Gautam; Serabyn, Eugene

2018-06-01

We present DARKNESS (the DARK-speckle Near-infrared Energy-resolving Superconducting Spectrophotometer), the first of several planned integral field spectrographs to use optical/near-infrared Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) for high-contrast imaging. The photon counting and simultaneous low-resolution spectroscopy provided by MKIDs will enable real-time speckle control techniques and post-processing speckle suppression at frame rates capable of resolving the atmospheric speckles that currently limit high-contrast imaging from the ground. DARKNESS is now operational behind the PALM-3000 extreme adaptive optics system and the Stellar Double Coronagraph at Palomar Observatory. Here, we describe the motivation, design, and characterization of the instrument, early on-sky results, and future prospects.

FAST MOTIONS OF GALAXIES IN THE COMA I CLOUD: A CASE OF DARK ATTRACTOR?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karachentsev, Igor D.; Nasonova, Olga G.; Courtois, Helene M.

2011-01-01

We note that nearby galaxies having high negative peculiar velocities are distributed over the sky very inhomogeneously. A part of this anisotropy is caused by the 'Local Velocity Anomaly', i.e., by the bulk motion of nearby galaxies away from the Local Void. However, half of the fast-flying objects reside within a small region known as the Coma I cloud. According to Makarov and Karachentsev, this complex contains 8 groups, 5 triplets, 10 pairs, and 83 single galaxies with a total mass of 4.7 × 10 13 M ☉ . We use 122 galaxies in the Coma I region with known distances and radial velocities V LG –1 to draw the Hubble relation for them. The Hubble diagram shows a Z-shaped effect of infall with an amplitude of +200 km s –1 on the nearby side and –700 km s –1 on the back side. This phenomenon can be understood as the galaxy infall toward a dark attractor with a mass of ∼2 × 10 14 M ☉ situated at a distance of 15 Mpc from us. The existence of a large void between the Coma and Virgo clusters also probably affects the Hubble flow around the Coma I.

Molecular clouds near supernova remnants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wootten, H.A.

1978-01-01

The physical properties of molecular clouds near supernova remnants were investigated. Various properties of the structure and kinematics of these clouds are used to establish their physical association with well-known remmnants. An infrared survey of the most massive clouds revealed embedded objects, probably stars whose formation was induced by the supernova blast wave. In order to understand the relationship between these and other molecular clouds, a control group of clouds was also observed. Excitation models for dense regions of all the clouds are constructed to evaluate molecular abundances in these regions. Those clouds that have embedded stars have lower molecular abundances than the clouds that do not. A cloud near the W28 supernova remnant also has low abundances. Molecular abundances are used to measure an important parameter, the electron density, which is not directly observable. In some clouds extensive deuterium fractionation is observed which confirms electron density measurements in those clouds. Where large deuterium fractionation is observed, the ionization rate in the cloud interior can also be measured. The electron density and ionization rate in the cloud near W28 are higher than in most clouds. The molecular abundances and electron densities are functions of the chemical and dynamical state of evolution of the cloud. Those clouds with lowest abundances are probably the youngest clouds. As low-abundance clouds, some clouds near supernova remnants may have been recently swept from the local interstellar material. Supernova remnants provide sites for star formation in ambient clouds by compressing them, and they sweep new clouds from more diffuse local matter

COMETARY ORIGIN OF THE ZODIACAL CLOUD AND CARBONACEOUS MICROMETEORITES. IMPLICATIONS FOR HOT DEBRIS DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesvorny, David; Levison, Harold F.; Bottke, William F.; Jenniskens, Peter; Vokrouhlicky, David; Gounelle, Matthieu

2010-01-01

The zodiacal cloud is a thick circumsolar disk of small debris particles produced by asteroid collisions and comets. Their relative contribution and how particles of different sizes dynamically evolve to produce the observed phenomena of light scattering, thermal emission, and meteoroid impacts are unknown. Until now, zodiacal cloud models have been phenomenological in nature, composed of ad hoc components with properties not understood from basic physical processes. Here, we present a zodiacal cloud model based on the orbital properties and lifetimes of comets and asteroids, and on the dynamical evolution of dust after ejection. The model is quantitatively constrained by Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) observations of thermal emission, but also qualitatively consistent with other zodiacal cloud observations, with meteor observations, with spacecraft impact experiments, and with properties of recovered micrometeorites (MMs). We find that particles produced by Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) are scattered by Jupiter before they are able to orbitally decouple from the planet and drift down to 1 AU. Therefore, the inclination distribution of JFC particles is broader than that of their source comets and leads to good fits to the broad latitudinal distribution of fluxes observed by IRAS. We find that 85%-95% of the observed mid-infrared emission is produced by particles from JFCs and 100 μm undergo a further collisional cascade with smaller fragments being progressively more affected by Poynting-Robertson (PR) drag. Upon reaching D -1 mean for D = 100-200 μm with ∼12 km s -1 being the most common case), many JFC grains should survive frictional heating and land on Earth's surface. This explains why most MMs collected in antarctic ice have primitive carbonaceous composition. The present mass of the inner zodiacal cloud at 19 g, mainly in D = 100-200 μm particles. The inner zodiacal cloud should have been >10 4 times brighter during the Late Heavy Bombardment

Jupiter's Multi-level Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

Clouds and hazes at various altitudes within the dynamic Jovian atmosphere are revealed by multi-color imaging taken by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) onboard the Galileo spacecraft. These images were taken during the second orbit (G2) on September 5, 1996 from an early-morning vantage point 2.1 million kilometers (1.3 million miles) above Jupiter. They show the planet's appearance as viewed at various near-infrared wavelengths, with distinct differences due primarily to variations in the altitudes and opacities of the cloud systems. The top left and right images, taken at 1.61 microns and 2.73 microns respectively, show relatively clear views of the deep atmosphere, with clouds down to a level about three times the atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface.By contrast, the middle image in top row, taken at 2.17 microns, shows only the highest altitude clouds and hazes. This wavelength is severely affected by the absorption of light by hydrogen gas, the main constituent of Jupiter's atmosphere. Therefore, only the Great Red Spot, the highest equatorial clouds, a small feature at mid-northern latitudes, and thin, high photochemical polar hazes can be seen. In the lower left image, at 3.01 microns, deeper clouds can be seen dimly against gaseous ammonia and methane absorption. In the lower middle image, at 4.99 microns, the light observed is the planet's own indigenous heat from the deep, warm atmosphere.The false color image (lower right) succinctly shows various cloud and haze levels seen in the Jovian atmosphere. This image indicates the temperature and altitude at which the light being observed is produced. Thermally-rich red areas denote high temperatures from photons in the deep atmosphere leaking through minimal cloud cover; green denotes cool temperatures of the tropospheric clouds; blue denotes cold of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The polar regions appear purplish, because small-particle hazes allow leakage and reflectivity

Structure of the Large Magellanic Cloud from near infrared magnitudes of red clump stars

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, S.; Subramaniam, A.

2013-04-01

Context. The structural parameters of the disk of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) are estimated. Aims: We used the JH photometric data of red clump (RC) stars from the Magellanic Cloud Point Source Catalog (MCPSC) obtained from the InfraRed Survey Facility (IRSF) to estimate the structural parameters of the LMC disk, such as the inclination, i, and the position angle of the line of nodes (PAlon), φ. Methods: The observed LMC region is divided into several sub-regions, and stars in each region are cross-identified with the optically identified RC stars to obtain the near infrared magnitudes. The peak values of H magnitude and (J - H) colour of the observed RC distribution are obtained by fitting a profile to the distributions and by taking the average value of magnitude and colour of the RC stars in the bin with largest number. Then the dereddened peak H0 magnitude of the RC stars in each sub-region is obtained from the peak values of H magnitude and (J - H) colour of the observed RC distribution. The right ascension (RA), declination (Dec), and relative distance from the centre of each sub-region are converted into x,y, and z Cartesian coordinates. A weighted least square plane fitting method is applied to this x,y,z data to estimate the structural parameters of the LMC disk. Results: An intrinsic (J - H)0 colour of 0.40 ± 0.03 mag in the Simultaneous three-colour InfraRed Imager for Unbiased Survey (SIRIUS) IRSF filter system is estimated for the RC stars in the LMC and a reddening map based on (J - H) colour of the RC stars is presented. When the peaks of the RC distribution were identified by averaging, an inclination of 25°.7 ± 1°.6 and a PAlon = 141°.5 ± 4°.5 were obtained. We estimate a distance modulus, μ = 18.47 ± 0.1 mag to the LMC. Extra-planar features which are both in front and behind the fitted plane are identified. They match with the optically identified extra-planar features. The bar of the LMC is found to be part of the disk within 500

Deep convective clouds at the tropopause

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H. H. Aumann

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS on the EOS Aqua spacecraft each day show tens of thousands of Cold Clouds (CC in the tropical oceans with 10 μm window channel brightness temperatures colder than 225 K. These clouds represent a mix of cold anvil clouds and Deep Convective Clouds (DCC. This mix can be separated by computing the difference between two channels, a window channel and a channel with strong CO₂ absorption: for some cold clouds this difference is negative, i.e. the spectra for some cold clouds are inverted. We refer to cold clouds with spectra which are more than 2 K inverted as DCCi2. Associated with DCCi2 is a very high rain rate and a local upward displacement of the tropopause, a cold "bulge", which can be seen directly in the brightness temperatures of AIRS and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU temperature sounding channels in the lower stratosphere. The very high rain rate and the local distortion of the tropopause indicate that DCCi2 objects are associated with severe storms. Significant long-term trends in the statistical properties of DCCi2 could be interesting indicators of climate change. While the analysis of the nature and physical conditions related to DCCi2 requires hyperspectral infrared and microwave data, the identification of DCCi2 requires only one good window channel and one strong CO₂ sounding channel. This suggests that improved identification of severe storms with future advanced geostationary satellites could be accomplished with the addition of one or two narrow band channels.

An improved algorithm for calculating cloud radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Guibin; Sun Xiaogang; Dai Jingmin

2005-01-01

Clouds radiation characteristic is very important in cloud scene simulation, weather forecasting, pattern recognition, and other fields. In order to detect missiles against cloud backgrounds, to enhance the fidelity of simulation, it is critical to understand a cloud's thermal radiation model. Firstly, the definition of cloud layer infrared emittance is given. Secondly, the discrimination conditions of judging a pixel of focal plane on a satellite in daytime or night time are shown and equations are given. Radiance such as reflected solar radiance, solar scattering, diffuse solar radiance, solar and thermal sky shine, solar and thermal path radiance, cloud blackbody and background radiance are taken into account. Thirdly, the computing methods of background radiance for daytime and night time are given. Through simulations and comparison, this algorithm is proved to be an effective calculating algorithm for cloud radiation

Effects of high altitude clouds on the earth's infrared radiation flux

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, W.-C.; Kaplan, L. D.

1983-01-01

Attention is given to the results of a study of cirrus cloud properties which employed the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences' general circulation model and concentrated on the effects of the nonblackness of high clouds on the IR radiation flux. Although the thermal radiation flux is very sensitive to the treatment of cirrus optical properties in the IR, a more realistic assessment will depend on better parameterizations for cirrus cloud formation, persistence, and dissipation.

Infrared photometry, extinction curves and R values for stars in the southern Milky Way

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittet, D.C.B.; Breda, I.G. Van; Glass, I.S.

1976-01-01

Infrared photometry in the JHKL bands is combined with photoelectric scanner photometry to give interstellar extinction curves in the range lambda 0.34 to 3.4 μ for 22 early-type stars in the Southern Milky Way. The extinction curves show variations in curvature in the infrared which are related to the well-known change in slope in the near ultraviolet. The curves are extrapolated to lambda -1 = 0 with the aid of Mie theory computations for a graphite-iron-silicate grain model, and values of the ratio of total to selective extinction R = Asub(v)/Esub(B-V) are deduced. R is found to vary between 2.7 and 3.5 with a median value of 3.2 for stars with long-path-length reddening, while two stars in the rho Ophiuchi dark cloud have R values of 3.6 and 4.3. The variations found in the extinction curves probably result from regional fluctuations in the mean grain size and/or composition along the line of sight, and any systematic variation in R with galactic longitude is likely to be small. The derived R values are correlated with the wavelength of maximum polarization. R is found to be normal for HD 90706 in the cluster IC 2581, for which a high R value has been suggested. It is noted that R has now been shown to lie in the range 4.1 to 4.4 for stars in the denser regions of the rho Ophiuchi cloud by four independent methods. None of the observed stars show strong infrared excess radiation at 3.4 μ. Small excesses measured for a few high-luminosity stars associated with mass loss may be due to free-free emission in gaseous stellar envelopes. (author)

Temporal co-registration for TROPOMI cloud clearing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Genkova

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI is anticipated to provide high-quality and timely global atmospheric composition information through observations of atmospheric constituents such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, formaldehyde and aerosol properties. The methane and the aerosol retrievals require very precise cloud clearing, which is difficult to achieve at the TROPOMI spatial resolution (7 by 7 km and without thermal IR measurements. The TROPOMI carrier – the Sentinel 5 Precursor (S5P, does not include a cloud imager, thus it is planned to fly the S5P mission in a constellation with an instrument yielding an accurate cloud mask. The cloud imagery data will be provided by the US NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP mission, which will have the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS on board (Scalione, 2004. This paper investigates the temporal co-registration requirements for suitable time differences between the VIIRS measurements of clouds and the TROPOMI methane and aerosol measurements, so that the former could be used for cloud clearing. The temporal co-registration is studied using Meteosat Second Generation (MSG Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI data with 15 min temporal resolution (Veefkind, 2008b, and with data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – 10 (GOES-10 having 1 min temporal resolution. The aim is to understand and assess the relation between the amount of allowed cloud contamination and the required time difference between the two satellites' overflights. Quantitative analysis shows that a time difference of approximately 5 min is sufficient (in most conditions to use the cloud information from the first instrument for cloud clearing in the retrievals using data from the second instrument. In recent years the A-train constellation demonstrated the benefit of flying satellites in formation. Therefore this study's findings will be

The atmospheres of Saturn and Titan in the near-infrared: First results of Cassini/Vims

Science.gov (United States)

Baines, K.H.; Momary, T.W.; Buratti, B.J.; Matson, D.L.; Nelson, R.M.; Drossart, P.; Sicardy, B.; Formisano, V.; Bellucci, G.; Coradini, A.; Griffith, C.; Brown, R.H.; Bibring, J.-P.; Langevin, Y.; Capaccioni, F.; Cerroni, P.; Clark, R.N.; Combes, M.; Cruikshank, D.P.; Jaumann, R.; McCordt, T.B.; Mennella, V.; Nicholson, P.D.; Sotin, Christophe

2006-01-01

The wide spectral coverage and extensive spatial, temporal, and phase-angle mapping capabilities of the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini-Huygens Orbiter are producing fundamental new insights into the nature of the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan. For both bodies, VIMS maps over time and solar phase angles provide information for a multitude of atmospheric constituents and aerosol layers, providing new insights into atmospheric structure and dynamical and chemical processes. For Saturn, salient early results include evidence for phosphine depletion in relatively dark and less cloudy belts at temperate and mid-latitudes compared to the relatively bright and cloudier Equatorial Region, consistent with traditional theories of belts being regions of relative downwelling. Additional Saturn results include (1) the mapping of enhanced trace gas absorptions at the south pole, and (2) the first high phase-angle, high-spatial-resolution imagery of CH4 fluorescence. An additional fundamental new result is the first nighttime near-infrared mapping of Saturn, clearly showing discrete meteorological features relatively deep in the atmosphere beneath the planet's sunlit haze and cloud layers, thus revealing a new dynamical regime at depth where vertical dynamics is relatively more important than zonal dynamics in determining cloud morphology. Zonal wind measurements at deeper levels than previously available are achieved by tracking these features over multiple days, thereby providing measurements of zonal wind shears within Saturn's troposphere when compared to cloudtop movements measured in reflected sunlight. For Titan, initial results include (1) the first detection and mapping of thermal emission spectra of CO, CO2, and CH3D on Titan's nightside limb, (2) the mapping of CH4 fluorescence over the dayside bright limb, extending to ??? 750 km altitude, (3) wind measurements of ???0.5 ms-1, favoring prograde, from the movement of a persistent

On the Nature of Bright Infrared Sources in the Small Magellanic Cloud: Interpreting MSX through the Lens of Spitzer

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, Kathleen E.; Sloan, G. C.

2015-01-01

We compare infrared observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) and the Spitzer Space Telescope to better understand what components of a metal-poor galaxy dominate radiative processes in the infrared. The SMC, at a distance of ~60 kpc and with a metallicity of ~0.1-0.2 solar, can serve as a nearby proxy for metal-poor galaxies at high redshift. The MSX Point Source Catalog contains 243 objects in the SMC that were detected at 8.3 microns, the most sensitive MSX band. Multi-epoch, multi-band mapping with Spitzer, supplemented with observations from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), provides variability information, and, together with spectra from Spitzer for ~15% of the sample, enables us to determine what these luminous sources are. How many remain simple point sources? What fraction break up into multiple stars? Which are star forming regions, with both bright diffuse emission and point sources? How do evolved stars and stellar remnants contribute at these wavelengths? What role do young stellar objects and HII regions play? Answering these questions sets the stage for understanding what we will see with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The infrared spectrum of Jupiter

Science.gov (United States)

Ridgway, S. T.; Larson, H. P.; Fink, U.

1976-01-01

The principal characteristics of Jupiter's infrared spectrum are reviewed with emphasis on their significance for our understanding of the composition and temperature structure of the Jovian upper atmosphere. The spectral region from 1 to 40 microns divides naturally into three regimes: the reflecting region, thermal emission from below the cloud deck (5-micron hot spots), and thermal emission from above the clouds. Opaque parts of the Jovian atmosphere further subdivide these regions into windows, and each is discussed in the context of its past or potential contributions to our knowledge of the planet. Recent results are incorporated into a table of atmospheric composition and abundance which includes positively identified constituents as well as several which require verification. The limited available information about spatial variations of the infrared spectrum is presented

GOT C+ Survey of [CII] 158 μm Emission: Atomic to Molecular Cloud Transitions in the Inner Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Velusamy, T.; Langer, W. D.; Willacy, K.; Pineda, J. L.; Goldsmith, P. F.

2013-03-01

We present the results of the distribution of CO-dark H2 gas in a sample of 2223 interstellar clouds in the inner Galaxy (l=-90° to +57°) detected in the velocity resolved [CII] spectra observed in the GOT C+ survey using the Herschel HIFI. We analyze the [CII] intensities along with the ancillary HI, 12CO and 13CO data for each cloud to determine their evolutionary state and to derive the H2 column densities in the C+ and C+/CO transition layers in the cloud. We discuss the overall Galactic distribution of the [CII] clouds and their properties as a function Galactic radius. GOT C+ results on the global distribution of [CII] clouds and CO-dark H2 gas traces the FUV intensity and star formation rate in the Galactic disk.

The effectiveness of a near-infrared vascular imaging device to support intravenous cannulation in children with dark skin color: a cluster randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Woude, Olga C P; Cuper, Natascha J; Getrouw, Chavalleh; Kalkman, Cor J; de Graaff, Jurgen C

2013-06-01

Poor vein visibility can make IV cannulation challenging in children with dark skin color. In the operating room, we studied the effectiveness of a near-infrared vascular imaging device (VascuLuminator) to facilitate IV cannulation in children with dark skin color. In the operating room of a general hospital in Curacao, all consecutive children (0-15 years of age) requiring IV cannulation were included in a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. The VascuLuminator was made available to anesthesiologists at the operating complex in randomized clusters of 1 week. Success at first attempt was 63% (27/43, 95% confidence interval [CI], 47%-77%) in the VascuLuminator group vs 51% (23 of 45 patients, 95% CI, 36%-66%) in the control group (P = 0.27). Median time to successful cannulation was 53 seconds (interquartile range: 34-154) in the VascuLuminator group and 68 seconds (interquartile range: 40-159) in the control group (P = 0.54), and hazard ratio was 1.12 (95% CI, 0.73-1.71). The VascuLuminator has limited value in improving success at first attempt of facilitating IV cannulation in children with dark skin color.

THE ORIGIN OF NEUTRAL HYDROGEN CLOUDS IN NEARBY GALAXY GROUPS: EXPLORING THE RANGE OF GALAXY INTERACTIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chynoweth, Katie M.; Polisensky, Emil; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly; Langston, Glen I.

2011-01-01

We combine high-resolution N-body simulations with deep observations of neutral hydrogen (H I) in nearby galaxy groups in order to explore two well-known theories of H I cloud formation: H I stripping by galaxy interactions and dark-matter minihalos with embedded H I gas. This paper presents new data from three galaxy groups-Canes Venatici I, NGC 672, and NGC 45-and assembles data from our previous galaxy group campaign to generate a rich H I cloud archive to compare to our simulated data. We find no H I clouds in the Canes Venatici I, NGC 672, or NGC 45 galaxy groups. We conclude that H I clouds in our detection space are most likely to be generated through recent, strong galaxy interactions. We find no evidence of H I clouds associated with dark-matter halos above M HI ∼ 10 6 M sun , within ±700 km s -1 of galaxies, and within 50 kpc projected distance of galaxies.

Young star clusters in nearby molecular clouds

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-06-01

The SFiNCs (Star Formation in Nearby Clouds) project is an X-ray/infrared study of the young stellar populations in 22 star-forming regions with distances ≲ 1 kpc designed to extend our earlier MYStIX (Massive Young Star-Forming Complex Study in Infrared and X-ray) survey of more distant clusters. Our central goal is to give empirical constraints on cluster formation mechanisms. Using parametric mixture models applied homogeneously to the catalogue of SFiNCs young stars, we identify 52 SFiNCs clusters and 19 unclustered stellar structures. The procedure gives cluster properties including location, population, morphology, association with molecular clouds, absorption, age (AgeJX), and infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) slope. Absorption, SED slope, and AgeJX are age indicators. SFiNCs clusters are examined individually, and collectively with MYStIX clusters, to give the following results. (1) SFiNCs is dominated by smaller, younger, and more heavily obscured clusters than MYStIX. (2) SFiNCs cloud-associated clusters have the high ellipticities aligned with their host molecular filaments indicating morphology inherited from their parental clouds. (3) The effect of cluster expansion is evident from the radius-age, radius-absorption, and radius-SED correlations. Core radii increase dramatically from ˜0.08 to ˜0.9 pc over the age range 1-3.5 Myr. Inferred gas removal time-scales are longer than 1 Myr. (4) Rich, spatially distributed stellar populations are present in SFiNCs clouds representing early generations of star formation. An appendix compares the performance of the mixture models and non-parametric minimum spanning tree to identify clusters. This work is a foundation for future SFiNCs/MYStIX studies including disc longevity, age gradients, and dynamical modelling.

Cirrus cloud-temperature interactions in the tropical tropopause layer: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. R. Taylor

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Thin cirrus clouds in the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL have important ramifications for radiative transfer, stratospheric humidity, and vertical transport. A horizontally extensive and vertically thin cirrus cloud in the TTL was detected by the Cloud Aerosol LIDAR and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO on 27–29 January 2009 in the Tropical Eastern Pacific region, distant from any regions of deep convection. These observations indicate that the cloud is close to 3000 km in length along the CALIPSO orbit track. Measurements over this three day period indicate that the cloud event extended over a region from approximately 15° S to 10° N and 90° W to 150° W and may be one of the most extensive cirrus events ever observed. Coincident temperature observations from the Constellation of Observing Satellites for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC suggest that the cloud formed in-situ as a result of a cold anomaly arising from a midlatitude intrusion. The event appears to last for up to 2 days and the temperature observations do not show any indication of the expected infrared heating. It is hypothesized that the cloud could be maintained by either nucleation of numerous small ice crystals that don't sediment or by multiple localized ice nucleation events driven by temperature variability at scales smaller than the overall cloud field, producing small ice-crystal sizes which have sufficiently long residence times (≈53 h to maintain the cloud. It is possible that the residence times are augmented by vertical motion which could also act to offset the expected infrared heating. Further observations of similar events will be required in order to conclusively explain this curious cloud.

Spatiotemporal High-Resolution Cloud Mapping with a Ground-Based IR Scanner

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brede, Benjamin; Thies, Boris; Bendix, Jörg; Feister, Uwe

2017-01-01

The high spatiotemporal variability of clouds requires automated monitoring systems. This study presents a retrieval algorithm that evaluates observations of a hemispherically scanning thermal infrared radiometer, the NubiScope, to produce georeferenced, spatially explicit cloud maps. The algorithm

Nimbus-3/HRIR Level 2 Earth's Cloud Cover and Temperature of Cloud Tops and Terrain Features V001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Nimbus High Resolution Infrared Radiometer (HRIR) was originally designed to perform two major functions: First, to map the Earth's cloud cover at night to...

CALIPSO Imaging Infrared Radiometer L2 Data Track V3-02

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) was launched on April 28, 2006 to study the impact of clouds and aerosols on the Earth’s...

Cloud Detection by Fusing Multi-Scale Convolutional Features

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiwei; Shen, Huanfeng; Wei, Yancong; Cheng, Qing; Yuan, Qiangqiang

2018-04-01

Clouds detection is an important pre-processing step for accurate application of optical satellite imagery. Recent studies indicate that deep learning achieves best performance in image segmentation tasks. Aiming at boosting the accuracy of cloud detection for multispectral imagery, especially for those that contain only visible and near infrared bands, in this paper, we proposed a deep learning based cloud detection method termed MSCN (multi-scale cloud net), which segments cloud by fusing multi-scale convolutional features. MSCN was trained on a global cloud cover validation collection, and was tested in more than ten types of optical images with different resolution. Experiment results show that MSCN has obvious advantages over the traditional multi-feature combined cloud detection method in accuracy, especially when in snow and other areas covered by bright non-cloud objects. Besides, MSCN produced more detailed cloud masks than the compared deep cloud detection convolution network. The effectiveness of MSCN make it promising for practical application in multiple kinds of optical imagery.

Molecular clouds in Orion and Monoceros

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maddalena, R.J.

1986-01-01

About one-eighth of a well-sampled 850 deg 2 region of Orion and Monoceros, extending from the Taurus dark cloud complex to the CMa OB 1 association, shows emission at the frequency of the J = 1 → 0 transition of CO coming from either local clouds (d 8 from the galactic plane or from more distant objects located within a few degrees of the plane and well outside the solar circle. Local giant molecular clouds associated with Orion A and B have enhanced temperatures and densities near their western edges possibly due to compression of molecular gas by a high pressure region created by the cumulative effects of ∼10 supernovae that occurred in the Orion OB association. Another giant molecular cloud found to be associated with Mon R2 may be related to the Orion clouds. Two filamentary clouds (one possible 200 pc long but only 3-10 pc wide) were found that may represent a new class of object; magnetic fields probably play a role in confining these filaments. An expanding ring of clouds concentric with the H II region S 264 and its ionizing 08 star λ Ori was also investigated, and a possible evolutionary sequence for the ring is given in detail: the clouds probably constitute fragments of the original cloud from which λ Ori formed, the gas pressure of the H II region and the rocket effect having disrupted the cloud and accelerated the fragments to their present velocities

Physical properties of CO-dark molecular gas traced by C+

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Ningyu; Li, Di; Heiles, Carl; Wang, Shen; Pan, Zhichen; Wang, Jun-Jie

2016-09-01

Context. Neither Hi nor CO emission can reveal a significant quantity of so-called dark gas in the interstellar medium (ISM). It is considered that CO-dark molecular gas (DMG), the molecular gas with no or weak CO emission, dominates dark gas. Determination of physical properties of DMG is critical for understanding ISM evolution. Previous studies of DMG in the Galactic plane are based on assumptions of excitation temperature and volume density. Independent measurements of temperature and volume density are necessary. Aims: We intend to characterize physical properties of DMG in the Galactic plane based on C+ data from the Herschel open time key program, namely Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+ (GOT C+) and Hi narrow self-absorption (HINSA) data from international Hi 21 cm Galactic plane surveys. Methods: We identified DMG clouds with HINSA features by comparing Hi, C+, and CO spectra. We derived the Hi excitation temperature and Hi column density through spectral analysis of HINSA features. The Hi volume density was determined by utilizing the on-the-sky dimension of the cold foreground Hi cloud under the assumption of axial symmetry. The column and volume density of H2 were derived through excitation analysis of C+ emission. The derived parameters were then compared with a chemical evolutionary model. Results: We identified 36 DMG clouds with HINSA features. Based on uncertainty analysis, optical depth of HiτHi of 1 is a reasonable value for most clouds. With the assumption of τHi = 1, these clouds were characterized by excitation temperatures in a range of 20 K to 92 K with a median value of 55 K and volume densities in the range of 6.2 × 101 cm-3 to 1.2 × 103 cm-3 with a median value of 2.3 × 102 cm-3. The fraction of DMG column density in the cloud (fDMG) decreases with increasing excitation temperature following an empirical relation fDMG =-2.1 × 10-3Tex,(τHi = 1) + 1.0. The relation between fDMG and total hydrogen column density NH is given by f

Infrared observations of planetary atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orton, G.S.; Baines, K.H.; Bergstralh, J.T.

1988-01-01

The goal of this research in to obtain infrared data on planetary atmospheres which provide information on several aspects of structure and composition. Observations include direct mission real-time support as well as baseline monitoring preceding mission encounters. Besides providing a broader information context for spacecraft experiment data analysis, observations will provide the quantitative data base required for designing optimum remote sensing sequences and evaluating competing science priorities. In the past year, thermal images of Jupiter and Saturn were made near their oppositions in order to monitor long-term changes in their atmospheres. Infrared images of the Jovian polar stratospheric hot spots were made with IUE observations of auroral emissions. An exploratory 5-micrometer spectrum of Uranus was reduced and accepted for publication. An analysis of time-variability of temperature and cloud properties of the Jovian atomsphere was made. Development of geometric reduction programs for imaging data was initiated for the sun workstation. Near-infrared imaging observations of Jupiter were reduced and a preliminary analysis of cloud properties made. The first images of the full disk of Jupiter with a near-infrared array camera were acquired. Narrow-band (10/cm) images of Jupiter and Saturn were obtained with acousto-optical filters

Infrared dust emission from globular clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angeletti, L.; Capuzzo-Dolcetta, R.; Giannone, P.; Blanco, A.; Bussoletti, E.

1982-01-01

The implications of the presence of a central cloud in the cores of globular clusters were investigated recently. A possible mechanism of confinement of dust in the central region of our cluster models was also explored. The grain temperature and infrared emission have now been computed for rather realistic grain compositions. The grain components were assumed to be graphite and/or silicates. The central clouds turned out to be roughly isothermal. The wavelengths of maximum emission came out to be larger than 20 μm in all studied cases. An application of the theoretical results to five globular clusters showed that the predictable infrared emission for 47 Tuc, M4 and M22 should be detectable by means of present instrumentation aboard flying platforms. (author)

Infrared dust emission from globular clusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Angeletti, L; Capuzzo-Dolcetta, R; Giannone, P. (Rome Univ. (Italy). Osservatorio Astronomico); Blanco, A; Bussoletti, E [Lecce Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica

1982-05-01

The implications of the presence of a central cloud in the cores of globular clusters were investigated recently. A possible mechanism of confinement of dust in the central region of our cluster models was also explored. The grain temperature and infrared emission have now been computed for rather realistic grain compositions. The grain components were assumed to be graphite and/or silicates. The central clouds turned out to be roughly isothermal. The wavelengths of maximum emission came out to be larger than 20 ..mu..m in all studied cases. An application of the theoretical results to five globular clusters showed that the predictable infrared emission for 47 Tuc, M4 and M22 should be detectable by means of present instrumentation aboard flying platforms.

Interstellar clouds toward 3C 154 and 3C 353

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Federman, S.R.; Evans, N.J. II; Willson, R.F.; Falgarone, E.; Combes, F.; Texas Univ., Austin; Tufts Univ., Medford, MA; Meudon, Observatoire, France)

1987-01-01

Molecular observations of the interstellar clouds toward the radio sources 3C 154 and 3C 353 were obtained in order to elucidate the physical conditions within the clouds. Maps of (C-12)O emission in the J = 1-0 and J = 2-1 lines were compared with observations of the (C-13)O, CH, and OH molecules. The peak emission in the (C-12)O transitions does not occur in the direction of the continuum sources, and thus, an incomplete picture arises when only one line of sight in the two clouds is analyzed. The cloud toward 3C 154 appears to have a low extinction, but a relatively high CO abundance, suggesting that it is similar to high-latitude clouds and CO-rich diffuse clouds. The cloud toward 3C 353 is considerably denser than that toward 3C 154 and may be more like a dark cloud. 32 references

Distribution of CCS and HC3N in L1147, an early phase dark cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Taiki; Ohishi, Masatoshi; Hirota, Tomoya

2014-01-01

We used the Nobeyama 45 m radio telescope to reveal spatial distributions of CCS and HC 3 N in L1147, one of the carbon-chain producing region (CCPR) candidates, where carbon-chain molecules are dominant rather than NH 3 . We found that three cores (two CCS cores and one HC 3 N core), which are away from a very low luminosity object (a source that may turn into a sub-stellar mass brown dwarf), exist along the NE-SW filament traced by the 850 μm dust continuum. The column densities of CCS are 3-7 × 10 12 cm –2 and those of HC 3 N are 2-6 × 10 12 cm –2 , respectively, much lower than those previously reported toward other CCPRs. We also found that two CCS peaks are displaced from the peaks of HC 3 N. In order to interpret such interleaved distributions, we conducted chemical reaction network simulations and found that slightly different gas densities could lead to large variation of the CCS-to-HC 3 N ratio in the early phase of dark cloud evolution. Such a chemical 'variation' may be seen in other CCPRs. Finally, we were able to confirm that the L1147 filament can be regarded as a CCPR.

Cloud retrievals from satellite data using optimal estimation: evaluation and application to ATSR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. A. Poulsen

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Clouds play an important role in balancing the Earth's radiation budget. Hence, it is vital that cloud climatologies are produced that quantify cloud macro and micro physical parameters and the associated uncertainty. In this paper, we present an algorithm ORAC (Oxford-RAL retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud which is based on fitting a physically consistent cloud model to satellite observations simultaneously from the visible to the mid-infrared, thereby ensuring that the resulting cloud properties provide both a good representation of the short-wave and long-wave radiative effects of the observed cloud. The advantages of the optimal estimation method are that it enables rigorous error propagation and the inclusion of all measurements and any a priori information and associated errors in a rigorous mathematical framework. The algorithm provides a measure of the consistency between retrieval representation of cloud and satellite radiances. The cloud parameters retrieved are the cloud top pressure, cloud optical depth, cloud effective radius, cloud fraction and cloud phase.

The algorithm can be applied to most visible/infrared satellite instruments. In this paper, we demonstrate the applicability to the Along-Track Scanning Radiometers ATSR-2 and AATSR. Examples of applying the algorithm to ATSR-2 flight data are presented and the sensitivity of the retrievals assessed, in particular the algorithm is evaluated for a number of simulated single-layer and multi-layer conditions. The algorithm was found to perform well for single-layer cloud except when the cloud was very thin; i.e., less than 1 optical depths. For the multi-layer cloud, the algorithm was robust except when the upper ice cloud layer is less than five optical depths. In these cases the retrieved cloud top pressure and cloud effective radius become a weighted average of the 2 layers. The sum of optical depth of multi-layer cloud is retrieved well until the cloud becomes thick

Detection and retrieval of multi-layered cloud properties using satellite data

Science.gov (United States)

Minnis, Patrick; Sun-Mack, Sunny; Chen, Yan; Yi, Helen; Huang, Jianping; Nguyen, Louis; Khaiyer, Mandana M.

2005-10-01

Four techniques for detecting multilayered clouds and retrieving the cloud properties using satellite data are explored to help address the need for better quantification of cloud vertical structure. A new technique was developed using multispectral imager data with secondary imager products (infrared brightness temperature differences, BTD). The other methods examined here use atmospheric sounding data (CO2-slicing, CO2), BTD, or microwave data. The CO2 and BTD methods are limited to optically thin cirrus over low clouds, while the MWR methods are limited to ocean areas only. This paper explores the use of the BTD and CO2 methods as applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer EOS (AMSR-E) data taken from the Aqua satellite over ocean surfaces. Cloud properties derived from MODIS data for the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Project are used to classify cloud phase and optical properties. The preliminary results focus on a MODIS image taken off the Uruguayan coast. The combined MW visible infrared (MVI) method is assumed to be the reference for detecting multilayered ice-over-water clouds. The BTD and CO2 techniques accurately match the MVI classifications in only 51 and 41% of the cases, respectively. Much additional study is need to determine the uncertainties in the MVI method and to analyze many more overlapped cloud scenes.

Multilayered Clouds Identification and Retrieval for CERES Using MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Sun-Mack, Sunny; Minnis, Patrick; Chen, Yan; Yi, Yuhong; Huang, Jainping; Lin, Bin; Fan, Alice; Gibson, Sharon; Chang, Fu-Lung

2006-01-01

Traditionally, analyses of satellite data have been limited to interpreting the radiances in terms of single layer clouds. Generally, this results in significant errors in the retrieved properties for multilayered cloud systems. Two techniques for detecting overlapped clouds and retrieving the cloud properties using satellite data are explored to help address the need for better quantification of cloud vertical structure. The first technique was developed using multispectral imager data with secondary imager products (infrared brightness temperature differences, BTD). The other method uses microwave (MWR) data. The use of BTD, the 11-12 micrometer brightness temperature difference, in conjunction with tau, the retrieved visible optical depth, was suggested by Kawamoto et al. (2001) and used by Pavlonis et al. (2004) as a means to detect multilayered clouds. Combining visible (VIS; 0.65 micrometer) and infrared (IR) retrievals of cloud properties with microwave (MW) retrievals of cloud water temperature Tw and liquid water path LWP retrieved from satellite microwave imagers appears to be a fruitful approach for detecting and retrieving overlapped clouds (Lin et al., 1998, Ho et al., 2003, Huang et al., 2005). The BTD method is limited to optically thin cirrus over low clouds, while the MWR method is limited to ocean areas only. With the availability of VIS and IR data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and MW data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer EOS (AMSR-E), both on Aqua, it is now possible to examine both approaches simultaneously. This paper explores the use of the BTD method as applied to MODIS and AMSR-E data taken from the Aqua satellite over non-polar ocean surfaces.

THE DUST CLOUD AROUND THE WHITE DWARF G 29-38. II. SPECTRUM FROM 5 TO 40 μm AND MID-INFRARED PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reach, William T.; Lisse, Carey; Von Hippel, Ted; Mullally, Fergal

2009-01-01

We model the mineralogy and distribution of dust around the white dwarf G29-39 using the infrared spectrum from 1 to 35 μm. The spectral model for G29-38 dust combines a wide range of materials based on spectral studies of comets and debris disks. In order of their contribution to the mid-infrared emission, the most abundant minerals around G29-38 are amorphous carbon (λ || = 5, and the radial density profile ∝r -2.7 ; the total mass of this model disk is 2 x 10 19 g. A physically thin (less than the white dwarf radius) and optically thick disk can contribute to the near-infrared continuum only; such a disk cannot explain the longer-wavelength continuum or strong emission features. The combination of a physically thin, optically thick inner disk and an outer, physically thick and moderately optically thin cloud or disk produces a reasonably good fit to the spectrum and requires only silicates in the outer cloud. We discuss the mineralogical results in comparison to planetary materials. The silicate composition contains minerals found from cometary spectra and meteorites, but Fe-rich pyroxene is more abundant than enstatite (Mg-rich pyroxene) or forsterite (Mg-rich olivine) in G29-38 dust, in contrast to what is found in most comet or meteorite mineralogies. Enstatite meteorites may be the most similar solar system materials to G29-38 dust. Finally, we suggest the surviving core of a h ot Jupiteras an alternative (neither cometary nor asteroidal) origin for the debris, though further theoretical work is needed to determine if this hypothesis is viable.

Cloud detection method for Chinese moderate high resolution satellite imagery (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Bo; Chen, Wuhan; Wu, Shanlong; Liu, Qinhuo

2016-10-01

Cloud detection of satellite imagery is very important for quantitative remote sensing research and remote sensing applications. However, many satellite sensors don't have enough bands for a quick, accurate, and simple detection of clouds. Particularly, the newly launched moderate to high spatial resolution satellite sensors of China, such as the charge-coupled device on-board the Chinese Huan Jing 1 (HJ-1/CCD) and the wide field of view (WFV) sensor on-board the Gao Fen 1 (GF-1), only have four available bands including blue, green, red, and near infrared bands, which are far from the requirements of most could detection methods. In order to solve this problem, an improved and automated cloud detection method for Chinese satellite sensors called OCM (Object oriented Cloud and cloud-shadow Matching method) is presented in this paper. It firstly modified the Automatic Cloud Cover Assessment (ACCA) method, which was developed for Landsat-7 data, to get an initial cloud map. The modified ACCA method is mainly based on threshold and different threshold setting produces different cloud map. Subsequently, a strict threshold is used to produce a cloud map with high confidence and large amount of cloud omission and a loose threshold is used to produce a cloud map with low confidence and large amount of commission. Secondly, a corresponding cloud-shadow map is also produced using the threshold of near-infrared band. Thirdly, the cloud maps and cloud-shadow map are transferred to cloud objects and cloud-shadow objects. Cloud and cloud-shadow are usually in pairs; consequently, the final cloud and cloud-shadow maps are made based on the relationship between cloud and cloud-shadow objects. OCM method was tested using almost 200 HJ-1/CCD images across China and the overall accuracy of cloud detection is close to 90%.

Cloud detection for MIPAS using singular vector decomposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Hurley

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Satellite-borne high-spectral-resolution limb sounders, such as the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS onboard ENVISAT, provide information on clouds, especially optically thin clouds, which have been difficult to observe in the past. The aim of this work is to develop, implement and test a reliable cloud detection method for infrared spectra measured by MIPAS.

Current MIPAS cloud detection methods used operationally have been developed to detect cloud effective filling more than 30% of the measurement field-of-view (FOV, under geometric and optical considerations – and hence are limited to detecting fairly thick cloud, or large physical extents of thin cloud. In order to resolve thin clouds, a new detection method using Singular Vector Decomposition (SVD is formulated and tested. This new SVD detection method has been applied to a year's worth of MIPAS data, and qualitatively appears to be more sensitive to thin cloud than the current operational method.

SAGE-VAR: AN INFRARED SURVEY OF VARIABILITY IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riebel, D. [Department of Physics, United States Naval Academy, 572 C Holloway Road, Annapolis, MD 21402 (United States); Boyer, M. L. [Observational Cosmology Laboratory, Code 665, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Srinivasan, S. [Academia Sinica, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Whitelock, P.; Feast, M. [Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre, Astronomy Department, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Meixner, M.; Shiao, B. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Babler, B.; Meade, M.; Whitney, B. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Groenewegen, M. A. T. [Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels (Belgium); Ita, Y., E-mail: riebel.d@gmail.com [Astronomical Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578 (Japan)

2015-07-01

We present the first results from the Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE)-Var program, a follow up to the Spitzer legacy program SAGE (Meixner et al.). We obtained four epochs of photometry at 3.6 and 4.5 μm covering the bar of the LMC and the central region of the SMC in order to probe the variability of extremely red sources missed by variability surveys conducted at shorter wavelengths, and to provide additional epochs of observation for known variables. Our six total epochs of observations allow us to probe infrared (IR) variability on 15 different timescales ranging from ∼20 days to ∼5 yr. Out of a full catalog of 1 717 554 (LMC) and 457 760 (SMC) objects, we find 10 (LMC) and 6 (SMC) large amplitude Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) variables without optically measured variability owing to circumstellar dust obscuration. The catalog also contains multiple observations of known AGB variables, type I and II Cepheids, eclipsing variables, R CrB stars, and young stellar objects, which will be discussed in following papers. Here we present IR Period–Luminosity (PL) relations for classical Cepheids in the Magellanic Clouds, as well as improved PL relationships for AGB stars pulsating in the fundamental mode using mean magnitudes constructed from six epochs of observations.

SAGE-VAR: AN INFRARED SURVEY OF VARIABILITY IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riebel, D.; Boyer, M. L.; Srinivasan, S.; Whitelock, P.; Feast, M.; Meixner, M.; Shiao, B.; Babler, B.; Meade, M.; Whitney, B.; Groenewegen, M. A. T.; Ita, Y.

2015-01-01

We present the first results from the Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE)-Var program, a follow up to the Spitzer legacy program SAGE (Meixner et al.). We obtained four epochs of photometry at 3.6 and 4.5 μm covering the bar of the LMC and the central region of the SMC in order to probe the variability of extremely red sources missed by variability surveys conducted at shorter wavelengths, and to provide additional epochs of observation for known variables. Our six total epochs of observations allow us to probe infrared (IR) variability on 15 different timescales ranging from ∼20 days to ∼5 yr. Out of a full catalog of 1 717 554 (LMC) and 457 760 (SMC) objects, we find 10 (LMC) and 6 (SMC) large amplitude Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) variables without optically measured variability owing to circumstellar dust obscuration. The catalog also contains multiple observations of known AGB variables, type I and II Cepheids, eclipsing variables, R CrB stars, and young stellar objects, which will be discussed in following papers. Here we present IR Period–Luminosity (PL) relations for classical Cepheids in the Magellanic Clouds, as well as improved PL relationships for AGB stars pulsating in the fundamental mode using mean magnitudes constructed from six epochs of observations

Emerging Use of Dual Channel Infrared for Remote Sensing of Sea Ice

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, N. S.; Serreze, M. C.; Gallaher, D. W.; Koenig, L.; Schaefer, K. M.; Campbell, G. G.; Thompson, J. A.; Grant, G.; Fetterer, F. M.

2017-12-01

Using GOES-16 data as a proxy for overhead persistent infrared, we examine the feasibility of using a dual channel shortwave / midwave infrared (SWIR/MWIR) approach to detect and chart sea ice in Hudson Bay through a series of images with a temporal scale of less than fifteen minutes. While not traditionally exploited for sea ice remote sensing, the availability of near continuous shortwave and midwave infrared data streams over the Arctic from overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) satellites could provide an invaluable source of information regarding the changing Arctic climate. Traditionally used for the purpose of missile warning and strategic defense, characteristics of OPIR make it an attractive source for Arctic remote sensing as the temporal resolution can provide insight into ice edge melt and motion processes. Fundamentally, the time series based algorithm will discern water/ice/clouds using a SWIR/MWIR normalized difference index. Cloud filtering is accomplished through removing pixels categorized as clouds while retaining a cache of previous ice/water pixels to replace any cloud obscured (and therefore omitted) pixels. Demonstration of the sensitivity of GOES-16 SWIR/MWIR to detect and discern water/ice/clouds provides a justification for exploring the utility of military OPIR sensors for civil and commercial applications. Potential users include the scientific community as well as emergency responders, the fishing industry, oil and gas industries, and transportation industries that are seeking to exploit changing conditions in the Arctic but require more accurate and timely ice charting products.

Infra-red data of extended sources as a measure of the star formation rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puget, J.-L.

1985-01-01

Molecular cloud complexes are gravitationally bound systems which contain molecular clouds, HII regions and possibly OB associations after they evaporated their parent cloud. A large fraction of the energy (50%) radiated by the O and B stars is converted into infra-red. Less massive stars still embedded in molecular clouds or still in their vicinity will also see most of their radiation absorbed by dust and reemitted in the infra-red. The two quantities the author deduces directly from the data are: the ratio of the far-infra-red luminosity due to recently formed stars to the mass of gas, as a measure of the star formation rate; and the infra-red excess (IRE): the ratio of the far-infra-red luminosity to the luminosity of HII regions in the Lyman α line, which gives information on the initial mass function. Finally he discusses the possible links between star formation and some of the relevant physical conditions in the molecular clouds: amount and temperature distribution of dust. (Auth.)

Versatile element for free-space dividing and redirecting neutral-atom clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arakelyan, I. V.; Chattrapiban, N.; Mitra, S.; Hill, W. T. III

2007-01-01

We introduce a tunnel lock that can be exploited to divide, delay, and alter the direction of traveling clouds of cold atoms. This versatile free-space element is implemented by crossing two atom tunnels formed by low-intensity, blue-detuned dark-hollow (Bessel mode) laser beams. We show that clouds of cold Rb atoms initially moving within one tunnel can be transferred to the other without heating by gating the intensities of the two tunnels--a tunnel lock--with an efficiency limited by the overlap volume. The element also can be used to divide a single cloud into smaller clouds, each having a distinct momentum

Spatiotemporal High-Resolution Cloud Mapping with a Ground-Based IR Scanner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Brede

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The high spatiotemporal variability of clouds requires automated monitoring systems. This study presents a retrieval algorithm that evaluates observations of a hemispherically scanning thermal infrared radiometer, the NubiScope, to produce georeferenced, spatially explicit cloud maps. The algorithm uses atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles and an atmospheric radiative transfer code to differentiate between cloudy and cloudless measurements. In case of a cloud, it estimates its position by using the temperature profile and viewing geometry. The proposed algorithm was tested with 25 cloud maps generated by the Fmask algorithm from Landsat 7 images. The overall cloud detection rate was ranging from 0.607 for zenith angles of 0 to 10° to 0.298 for 50–60° on a pixel basis. The overall detection of cloudless pixels was 0.987 for zenith angles of 30–40° and much more stable over the whole range of zenith angles compared to cloud detection. This proves the algorithm’s capability in detecting clouds, but even better cloudless areas. Cloud-base height was best estimated up to a height of 4000 m compared to ceilometer base heights but showed large deviation above that level. This study shows the potential of the NubiScope system to produce high spatial and temporal resolution cloud maps. Future development is needed for a more accurate determination of cloud height with thermal infrared measurements.

Baryonic dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynden-Bell, D.; Gilmore, G.

1990-01-01

Dark matter, first definitely found in the large clusters of galaxies, is now known to be dominant mass in the outer parts of galaxies. All the mass definitely deduced could be made up of baryons, and this would fit well with the requirements of nucleosynthesis in a big bang of small Ω B . However, if inflation is the explanation of the expansion and large scale homogeneity of the universe and of baryon synthesis, and if the universe did not have an infinite extent at the big bang, then Ω should be minutely greater than unity. It is commonly hypothesized that most mass is composed of some unknown, non-baryonic form. This book first discusses the known forms, comets, planets, brown dwarfs, stars, gas, galaxies and Lyman α clouds in which baryons are known to exist. Limits on the amount of dark matter in baryonic form are discussed in the context of the big bang. Inhomogeneities of the right type alleviate the difficulties associated with Ω B = 1 cosmological nucleosynthesis

Dark group: dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macorra, A. de la

2004-01-01

We study the possibility that a dark group, a gauge group with particles interacting with the standard model particles only via gravity, is responsible for containing the dark energy and dark matter required by present day observations. We show that it is indeed possible and we determine the constrains for the dark group. The non-perturbative effects generated by a strong gauge coupling constant can de determined and a inverse power law scalar potential IPL for the dark meson fields is generated parameterizing the dark energy. On the other hand it is the massive particles, e.g., dark baryons, of the dark gauge group that give the corresponding dark matter. The mass of the dark particles is of the order of the condensation scale Λ c and the temperature is smaller then the photon's temperature. The dark matter is of the warm matter type. The only parameters of the model are the number of particles of the dark group. The allowed values of the different parameters are severely restricted. The dark group energy density at Λ c must be Ω DGc ≤0.17 and the evolution and acceptable values of dark matter and dark energy leads to a constrain of Λ c and the IPL parameter n giving Λ c =O(1-10 3 ) eV and 0.28≤n≤1.04

THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF L1544. I. NEAR-INFRARED POLARIMETRY AND THE NON-UNIFORM ENVELOPE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clemens, Dan P. [Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Tassis, K. [Department of Physics and ITCP, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion (Greece); Goldsmith, Paul F., E-mail: clemens@bu.edu, E-mail: tassis@physics.uoc.gr, E-mail: paul.f.goldsmith@jpl.nasa.gov [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, M/S 169-504, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2016-12-20

The magnetic field ( B -field) of the starless dark cloud L1544 has been studied using near-infrared (NIR) background starlight polarimetry (BSP) and archival data in order to characterize the properties of the plane-of-sky B -field. NIR linear polarization measurements of over 1700 stars were obtained in the H band and 201 of these were also measured in the K band. The NIR BSP properties are correlated with reddening, as traced using the Rayleigh–Jeans color excess ( H – M ) method, and with thermal dust emission from the L1544 cloud and envelope seen in Herschel maps. The NIR polarization position angles change at the location of the cloud and exhibit their lowest dispersion there, offering strong evidence that NIR polarization traces the plane-of-sky B -field of L1544. In this paper, the uniformity of the plane-of-sky B -field in the envelope region of L1544 is quantitatively assessed. This allows evaluation of the approach of assuming uniform field geometry when measuring relative mass-to-flux ratios in the cloud envelope and core based on averaging of the radio Zeeman observations in the envelope, as done by Crutcher et al. In L1544, the NIR BSP shows the envelope B -field to be significantly non-uniform and likely not suitable for averaging Zeeman properties without treating intrinsic variations. Deeper analyses of the NIR BSP and related data sets, including estimates of the B -field strength and testing how it varies with position and gas density, are the subjects of later papers in this series.

Clouds vertical properties over the Northern Hemisphere monsoon regions from CloudSat-CALIPSO measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Subrata Kumar; Golhait, R. B.; Uma, K. N.

2017-01-01

The CloudSat spaceborne radar and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) space-borne lidar measurements, provide opportunities to understand the intriguing behavior of the vertical structure of monsoon clouds. The combined CloudSat-CALIPSO data products have been used for the summer season (June-August) of 2006-2010 to present the statistics of cloud macrophysical (such as cloud occurrence frequency, distribution of cloud top and base heights, geometrical thickness and cloud types base on occurrence height), and microphysical (such as ice water content, ice water path, and ice effective radius) properties of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) monsoon region. The monsoon regions considered in this work are the North American (NAM), North African (NAF), Indian (IND), East Asian (EAS), and Western North Pacific (WNP). The total cloud fraction over the IND (mostly multiple-layered cloud) appeared to be more frequent as compared to the other monsoon regions. Three distinctive modes of cloud top height distribution are observed over all the monsoon regions. The high-level cloud fraction is comparatively high over the WNP and IND. The ice water content and ice water path over the IND are maximum compared to the other monsoon regions. We found that the ice water content has little variations over the NAM, NAF, IND, and WNP as compared to their macrophysical properties and thus give an impression that the regional differences in dynamics and thermodynamics properties primarily cause changes in the cloud frequency or coverage and only secondary in the cloud ice properties. The background atmospheric dynamics using wind and relative humidity from the ERA-Interim reanalysis data have also been investigated which helps in understanding the variability of the cloud properties over the different monsoon regions.

Impact of cloud microphysics on cloud-radiation interactions in the CSU general circulation model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fowler, L.D.; Randall, D.A.

1995-04-01

Our ability to study and quantify the impact of cloud-radiation interactions in studying global scale climate variations strongly relies upon the ability of general circulation models (GCMs) to simulate the coupling between the spatial and temporal variations of the model-generated cloudiness and atmospheric moisture budget components. In particular, the ability of GCMs to reproduce the geographical distribution of the sources and sinks of the planetary radiation balance depends upon their representation of the formation and dissipation of cloudiness in conjunction with cloud microphysics processes, and the fractional amount and optical characteristics of cloudiness in conjunction with the mass of condensate stored in the atmosphere. A cloud microphysics package which encompasses five prognostic variables for the mass of water vapor, cloud water, cloud ice, rain, and snow has been implemented in the Colorado State University General Circulation Model (CSU GCM) to simulate large-scale condensation processes. Convection interacts with the large-scale environment through the detrainment of cloud water and cloud ice at the top of cumulus towers. The cloud infrared emissivity and cloud optical depth of the model-generated cloudiness are interactive and depend upon the mass of cloud water and cloud ice suspended in the atmosphere. The global atmospheric moisture budget and planetary radiation budget of the CSU GCM obtained from a perpetual January simulation are discussed. Geographical distributions of the atmospheric moisture species are presented. Global maps of the top-of-atmosphere outgoing longwave radiation and planetary albedo are compared against Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) satellite data.

Infrared Astronomy and Star Formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, N.J.

1985-01-01

Infrared astronomy is a natural tool to use in studying star formation because infrared light penetrates the surrounding dust and because protostars are expected to emit infrared light. Infrared mapping and photometry have revealed many compact sources, often embedded in more extensive warm dust associated with a molecular cloud core. More detailed study of these objects is now beginning, and traditional interpretations are being questioned. Some compact sources are now thought to be density enhancements which are not self-luminous. Infrared excesses around young stars may not always be caused by circumstellar dust; speckle measurements have shown that at least some of the excess toward T Tauri is caused by an infrared companion. Spectroscopic studies of the dense, star-forming cores and of the compact objects themselves have uncovered a wealth of new phenomena, including the widespread occurence of energetic outflows. New discoveries with IRAS and with other planned infrared telescopes will continue to advance this field. (author)

Low dark current p-on-n technology for space applications

Science.gov (United States)

Péré-Laperne, N.; Baier, N.; Cervera, C.; Santailler, J. L.; Lobre, C.; Cassillo, C.; Berthoz, J.; Destefanis, V.; Sam Giao, D.; Lamoure, A.

2017-08-01

Space applications are requiring low dark current in the long wave infrared at low operating temperature for low flux observation. The applications envisioned with this type of specification are namely scientific and planetary missions. Within the framework of the joint laboratory between Sofradir and the CEA-LETI, a specific development of a TV format focal plane array with a cut-off wavelength of 12.5μm at 40K has been carried out. For this application, the p on n technology has been used. It is based on an In doped HgCdTe absorbing material grown by Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) and an As implanted junction area. This architecture allows decreasing both dark current and series resistance compared to the legacy n on p technology based on Hg vacancies. In this paper, the technological improvements are briefly described. These technological tunings led to a 35% decrease of dark current in the diffusion regime. CEA-LETI and Sofradir demonstrated the ability to use the p on n technology with a long cutoff wavelength in the infrared range.

Cloud vertical structure, precipitation, and cloud radiative effects over Tibetan Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.; Yan, Y.; Lu, J.

2017-12-01

The vertical structure of clouds and its connection with precipitation and cloud radiative effects (CRE) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are analyzed and compared with its neighboring land and tropical oceans based on CloudSat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) products and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation data. Unique characteristics of cloud vertical structure and CRE over the TP are found. The cloud amount shows seasonal variation over the TP, which presents a single peak (located in 7-11 km) during January to April and two peaks (located in 5-8 km and 11-17 km separately) after mid-June, and then resumes to one peak (located in 5-10 km) after mid-August. Topography-induced restriction on moisture supply leads to a compression effect on clouds, i.e., the reduction in both cloud thickness and number of cloud layers, over the TP. The topography-induced compression effect is also shown in the range in the variation of cloud thickness and cloud-top height corresponding to different precipitation intensity, which is much smaller over the TP than its neighboring regions. In summer, cloud ice particles over the TP are mostly located at lower altitude (5-10 km) with richer variety of sizes and aggregation in no rain conditions compared to other regions. Ice water content becomes abundant and the number concentration tends to be dense at higher levels when precipitation is enhanced. The longwave CRE in the atmosphere over the TP is a net cooling effect. The vertical structure of CRE over the TP is unique compared to other regions: there exists a strong cooling layer of net CRE at the altitude of 8 km, from June to the beginning of October; the net radiative heating layer above the surface is shallower but stronger underneath 7 km and with a stronger seasonal variation over the TP.

CO survey of the dark nebulae in Perseus, Taurus, and Auriga

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ungerechts, H.; Thaddeus, P.

1987-01-01

A new SIS receiver with extremely low noise temperature, used on the Columbia 1.2-m telescope has permitted mapping CO rapidly with full sampling. Results are presented of a survey for which the angular resolution of the telescope was reduced to 0.5 deg, allowing the observations for the complete region of 750 square degrees to be finished within four months, while retaining sufficient resolution to see significant substructure. Most positions with emission are in the Taurus-Auriga dark nebulae, a cloud associated with IC 348 and NGC 1333, and a cloud associated with the California nebula (NGC 1499) and NGC 1579, which overlaps the northern Taurus-Auriga nebulae but is separated from them in velocity. Also seen were several small clouds at Galactic latitude -25 deg to -35 deg southwest of the Taurus clouds, and the L1558 and L1551 clouds in the south. 89 references

Incorporation of Three-dimensional Radiative Transfer into a Very High Resolution Simulation of Horizontally Inhomogeneous Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Ishida, H.; Ota, Y.; Sekiguchi, M.; Sato, Y.

2016-12-01

A three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer calculation scheme is developed to estimate horizontal transport of radiation energy in a very high resolution (with the order of 10 m in spatial grid) simulation of cloud evolution, especially for horizontally inhomogeneous clouds such as shallow cumulus and stratocumulus. Horizontal radiative transfer due to inhomogeneous clouds seems to cause local heating/cooling in an atmosphere with a fine spatial scale. It is, however, usually difficult to estimate the 3D effects, because the 3D radiative transfer often needs a large resource for computation compared to a plane-parallel approximation. This study attempts to incorporate a solution scheme that explicitly solves the 3D radiative transfer equation into a numerical simulation, because this scheme has an advantage in calculation for a sequence of time evolution (i.e., the scene at a time is little different from that at the previous time step). This scheme is also appropriate to calculation of radiation with strong absorption, such as the infrared regions. For efficient computation, this scheme utilizes several techniques, e.g., the multigrid method for iteration solution, and a correlated-k distribution method refined for efficient approximation of the wavelength integration. For a case study, the scheme is applied to an infrared broadband radiation calculation in a broken cloud field generated with a large eddy simulation model. The horizontal transport of infrared radiation, which cannot be estimated by the plane-parallel approximation, and its variation in time can be retrieved. The calculation result elucidates that the horizontal divergences and convergences of infrared radiation flux are not negligible, especially at the boundaries of clouds and within optically thin clouds, and the radiative cooling at lateral boundaries of clouds may reduce infrared radiative heating in clouds. In a future work, the 3D effects on radiative heating/cooling will be able to be

A study of the stellar population in the Lynds 1641 dark cloud. I. The IRAS catalog sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strom, K.M.; Newton, G.; Strom, S.E.; Seaman, R.L.; Carrasco, L.

1989-01-01

The character of the sources identified in the IRAS Point Source Catalog and located within the boundaries of the nearest giant molecular cloud, Lynds 1641 is discussed. New optical and near-infrared photometry are combined to provide spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for these objects divided into three classes: class I objects with flat or rising spectra, class II objects with spectra intermediate in slope between a flat and blackbody spectrum, and class III objects with spectra similar to those of blackbodies. It is found that L1641 contains a much larger percentage of class I sources than does the nearby Taurus-Auriga star-forming complex. Spectral energy distributions for the IRAS-selected sample are examined and compared with SEDs for young stellar objects (YSOs) located in Taurus-Auriga. The IRAS-selected sources having optical counterparts in the H-R diagram are identified and discussed along with the distribution of masses and ages for these YSOs. 86 refs

CO survey of the dark nebulae in Taurus and Perseus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baran, G.P.

1986-01-01

The thesis reports a large-scale survey of carbon monoxide ( 12 CO) emission (at λ = 2.6 mm) from dark nebulae in Taurus and Perseus. CO spectra at 4395 points were obtained within an area of about 800 square degrees generally west of the galactic anti-center. The spatial resolution of the instrument was eight arcminutes and velocity resolution was 2.6 km s -1 /. CO emission is strongest wherever extinction by dust is greatest, spilling over the apparent outer boundaries of the dust clouds observed optically. Combining CO velocity for the nebulae with optically determined distances shows that the clouds in the survey area form several layers. The molecular cloud mass closest to the sun is the Taurus and Auriga complex about 150 +/- 50 pc). Nearer to the Per )B2 OB association (at 350 +/- 100 pc) than the Taurus clouds are the Per OB2 molecular cloud (350 +/- 100 pc) and the California Nebula = NGC15979 molecular clouds (at 400 +/- 150 pc). Cloud masses were determined from integrated CO emission intensity alone by assuming that γ-ray emission intensities can be used to relate H 2 column densities to CO emission intensities

Studies of IR-screening smoke clouds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cudzilo, S. [Military Univ. of Technology, Warsaw (Poland)

2001-02-01

This paper contains some results of research on the IR-screening capability of smoke clouds generated during the combustion process of varied pyrotechnic formulations. The smoke compositions were made from some oxygen or oxygen-free mixtures containing metal and chloroorganic compounds or mixtures based on red phosphorus. The camouflage effectiveness of clouds generated by these formulations was investigated under laboratory conditions with an infrared camera. The technique employed enables determination of radiant temperature distributions in a smoke cloud treated as an energy equivalent of a grey body emission. The results of the analysis of thermographs from the camera were the basis on which the mixtures producing screens of the highest countermeasure for thermal imaging systems have been chosen. (orig.)

Cloud tolerance of remote sensing technologies to measure land surface temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Conventional means to estimate land surface temperature (LST) from space relies on the thermal infrared (TIR) spectral window and is limited to cloud-free scenes. To also provide LST estimates during periods with clouds, a new method was developed to estimate LST based on passive microwave (MW) obse...

Dark material in the polar layered deposits and dunes on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Herkenhoff, Ken E.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

1999-07-01

Viking infrared thermal mapping and bistatic radar data suggest that the bulk density of the north polar erg material is much lower than that of the average Martian surface or of dark dunes at lower latitudes. We have derived a thermal inertia of 245-280Jm-2s-1/2K-1(5.9-6.7×10-3calcm-2s-1/2K-1) for the Proctor dune field and 25-150Jm-2s-1/2K-1(0.6-3.6×10-3calcm-2s-1/2K-1) for the north polar erg. The uniqueness of the thermophysical properties of the north polar erg material may be due to a unique polar process that has created them. The visible and near-infrared spectral reflectance of the erg suggests that the dark material may be composed of basalt or ferrous clays. These data are consistent with the dark material being composed of basaltic ash or filamentary sublimate residue (FSR) particles derived from erosion of the layered deposits. Dark dust may be preferentially concentrated at the surface of the layered deposits by the formation of FSR particles upon sublimation of water ice. Further weathering and erosion of these areas of exposed layered deposits may form the dark, saltating material that is found in both polar regions. Dark FSR particles may saltate for great distances before eventually breaking down into dust grains, re-mixing with the global dust reservoir, and being recycled into the polar layered deposits via atmospheric suspension.

Neutron stars at the dark matter direct detection frontier

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Nirmal; Tanedo, Philip; Yu, Hai-Bo

2018-02-01

Neutron stars capture dark matter efficiently. The kinetic energy transferred during capture heats old neutron stars in the local galactic halo to temperatures detectable by upcoming infrared telescopes. We derive the sensitivity of this probe in the framework of effective operators. For dark matter heavier than a GeV, we find that neutron star heating can set limits on the effective operator cutoff that are orders of magnitude stronger than possible from terrestrial direct detection experiments in the case of spin-dependent and velocity-suppressed scattering.

A New Algorithm for Detecting Cloud Height using OMPS/LP Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhong; DeLand, Matthew; Bhartia, Pawan K.

2016-01-01

The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS/LP) ozone product requires the determination of cloud height for each event to establish the lower boundary of the profile for the retrieval algorithm. We have created a revised cloud detection algorithm for LP measurements that uses the spectral dependence of the vertical gradient in radiance between two wavelengths in the visible and near-IR spectral regions. This approach provides better discrimination between clouds and aerosols than results obtained using a single wavelength. Observed LP cloud height values show good agreement with coincident Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) measurements.

Infrared radiative transfer in dense disks around young stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dent, W.R.F.

1988-01-01

A two-dimensional radiative transfer program has been used to determine the temperature distribution within cylindrically symmetric, centrally heated dust clouds. In particular, the disk-shaped structures observed around young luminous stars have been modeled. Changing the dust distribution in these disks primarily affected the observed morphology in the near-infrared and far-infrared, and at millimeter wavelengths. The overall cloud spectrum, however, was mainly determined by the characteristics of the grains themselves. Comparison with published far-infrared and molecular line data has indicated that the dust density can generally be modeled by a power-law distribution in r with index of -2 and an exponential in z with disk thickness proportional to 1/r. When observed nearly edge-on, scattered direct stellar radiation is observed in the polar regions in the form of comet-shaped lobes of emission. 26 references

3D Cloud Radiative Effects on Polarized Reflectances

Science.gov (United States)

Cornet, C.; Matar, C.; C-Labonnote, L.; Szczap, F.; Waquet, F.; Parol, F.; Riedi, J.

2017-12-01

As recognized in the last IPCC report, clouds have a major importance in the climate budget and need to be better characterized. Remote sensing observations are a way to obtain either global observations of cloud from satellites or a very fine description of clouds from airborne measurements. An increasing numbers of radiometers plan to measure polarized reflectances in addition to total reflectances, since this information is very helpful to obtain aerosol or cloud properties. In a near future, for example, the Multi-viewing, Multi-channel, Multi-polarization Imager (3MI) will be part the EPS-SG Eumetsat-ESA mission. It will achieve multi-angular polarimetric measurements from visible to shortwave infrared wavelengths. An airborne prototype, OSIRIS (Observing System Including Polarization in the Solar Infrared Spectrum), is also presently developed at the Laboratoire d'Optique Atmospherique and had already participated to several measurements campaigns. In order to analyze suitably the measured signal, it it necessary to have realistic and accurate models able to simulate polarized reflectances. The 3DCLOUD model (Szczap et al., 2014) was used to generate three-dimensional synthetic cloud and the 3D radiative transfer model, 3DMCPOL (Cornet et al., 2010) to compute realistic polarized reflectances. From these simulations, we investigate the effects of 3D cloud structures and heterogeneity on the polarized angular signature often used to retrieve cloud or aerosol properties. We show that 3D effects are weak for flat clouds but become quite significant for fractional clouds above ocean. The 3D effects are quite different according to the observation scale. For the airborne scale (few tens of meter), solar illumination effects can lead to polarized cloud reflectance values higher than the saturation limit predicted by the homogeneous cloud assumption. In the cloud gaps, corresponding to shadowed areas of the total reflectances, polarized signal can also be enhanced

Examining the infrared variable star population discovered in the Small Magellanic Cloud using the SAGE-SMC survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polsdofer, Elizabeth; Marengo, M.; Seale, J.; Sewiło, M.; Vijh, U. P.; Terrazas, M.; Meixner, M.

2015-01-01

We present our study on the infrared variability of point sources in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We use the data from the Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Program “Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud” (SAGE-SMC) and the “Spitzer Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud” (S 3 MC) survey, over three different epochs, separated by several months to 3 years. Variability in the thermal infrared is identified using a combination of Spitzer’s InfraRed Array Camera 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm bands, and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer 24 μm band. An error-weighted flux difference between each pair of three epochs (“variability index”) is used to assess the variability of each source. A visual source inspection is used to validate the photometry and image quality. Out of ∼2 million sources in the SAGE-SMC catalog, 814 meet our variability criteria. We matched the list of variable star candidates to the catalogs of SMC sources classified with other methods, available in the literature. Carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars make up the majority (61%) of our variable sources, with about a third of all of our sources being classified as extreme AGB stars. We find a small, but significant population of oxygen-rich (O-rich) AGB (8.6%), Red Supergiant (2.8%), and Red Giant Branch (<1%) stars. Other matches to the literature include Cepheid variable stars (8.6%), early type stars (2.8%), Young-stellar objects (5.8%), and background galaxies (1.2%). We found a candidate OH maser star, SSTISAGE1C J005212.88-730852.8, which is a variable O-rich AGB star, and would be the first OH/IR star in the SMC, if confirmed. We measured the infrared variability of a rare RV Tau variable (a post-AGB star) that has recently left the AGB phase. 59 variable stars from our list remain unclassified.

Examining the infrared variable star population discovered in the Small Magellanic Cloud using the SAGE-SMC survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polsdofer, Elizabeth; Marengo, M. [Iowa State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 12 Physics Hall, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Seale, J.; Sewiło, M. [The Johns Hopkins University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 366 Bloomberg Center, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Vijh, U. P.; Terrazas, M. [Ritter Astrophysical Research Center, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Meixner, M., E-mail: empolsdofer@gmail.com [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2015-02-01

We present our study on the infrared variability of point sources in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We use the data from the Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Program “Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud” (SAGE-SMC) and the “Spitzer Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud” (S{sup 3}MC) survey, over three different epochs, separated by several months to 3 years. Variability in the thermal infrared is identified using a combination of Spitzer’s InfraRed Array Camera 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm bands, and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer 24 μm band. An error-weighted flux difference between each pair of three epochs (“variability index”) is used to assess the variability of each source. A visual source inspection is used to validate the photometry and image quality. Out of ∼2 million sources in the SAGE-SMC catalog, 814 meet our variability criteria. We matched the list of variable star candidates to the catalogs of SMC sources classified with other methods, available in the literature. Carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars make up the majority (61%) of our variable sources, with about a third of all of our sources being classified as extreme AGB stars. We find a small, but significant population of oxygen-rich (O-rich) AGB (8.6%), Red Supergiant (2.8%), and Red Giant Branch (<1%) stars. Other matches to the literature include Cepheid variable stars (8.6%), early type stars (2.8%), Young-stellar objects (5.8%), and background galaxies (1.2%). We found a candidate OH maser star, SSTISAGE1C J005212.88-730852.8, which is a variable O-rich AGB star, and would be the first OH/IR star in the SMC, if confirmed. We measured the infrared variability of a rare RV Tau variable (a post-AGB star) that has recently left the AGB phase. 59 variable stars from our list remain unclassified.

Lyman-alpha clouds as a relic of primordial density fluctuations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bond, J.R.; Szalay, A.S.; Silk, J.

1988-01-01

Primordial density fluctuations are studied using a CDM model and primordial clouds some of which are expanding, driven by pressure gradients created when the medium is photionized, and some of which are massive enough to continue collapsing in spite of the pressure. Normalization of CDM models to the clustering properties on large scales are used to predict the parameters of collapsing clouds of subgalactic mass at early epochs. It is shown that the abundance and dimensions of these clouds are comparable to those of the Lyman-alpha systems. The evolutionary history of the clouds is computed, utilizing a spherically symmetric hydrodynamics code with the dark matter treated as a collisionless fluid, and the H I column density distribution is evaluated as a function of N(H I) and redshift. The observed cloud parameters come out naturally in the CDM model and suggest that Lyman-alpha clouds are the missing link between primordial density fluctuations and the formation of galaxies. 31 references

Characterization of injected aluminum oxide nanoparticle clouds in an rf discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Krüger, Harald; Killer, Carsten; Schütt, Stefan; Melzer, André

2018-02-01

An experimental setup to deagglomerate and insert nanoparticles into a radio frequency discharge has been developed to confine defined aluminum oxide nanoparticles in a dusty plasma. For the confined particle clouds we have measured the spatially resolved in situ size and density distributions. Implementing the whole plasma chamber into the sample volume of an FTIR spectrometer the infrared spectrum of the confined aluminum oxide nanoparticles has been obtained. We have investigated the dependency of the absorbance of the nanoparticles in terms of plasma power, pressure and cloud shape. The particles’ infrared phonon resonance has been identified.

The dark universe dark matter and dark energy

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2008-01-01

According to the standard cosmological model, 95% of the present mass density of the universe is dark: roughly 70% of the total in the form of dark energy and 25% in the form of dark matter. In a series of four lectures, I will begin by presenting a brief review of cosmology, and then I will review the observational evidence for dark matter and dark energy. I will discuss some of the proposals for dark matter and dark energy, and connect them to high-energy physics. I will also present an overview of an observational program to quantify the properties of dark energy.

Evaluating the impact of aerosol particles above cloud on cloud optical depth retrievals from MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Alfaro-Contreras, Ricardo; Zhang, Jianglong; Campbell, James R.; Holz, Robert E.; Reid, Jeffrey S.

2014-05-01

Using two different operational Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud optical depth (COD) retrievals (0.86 versus 1.6 µm), we evaluate the impact of above-cloud smoke aerosol particles on near-IR (0.86 µm) COD retrievals. Aerosol Index (AI) from the collocated Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) are used to identify above-cloud aerosol particle loading over the southern Atlantic Ocean, including both smoke and dust from the African subcontinent. Collocated Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation data constrain cloud phase and provide contextual above-cloud aerosol optical depth. The frequency of occurrence of above-cloud aerosol events is depicted on a global scale for the spring and summer seasons from OMI and Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization. Seasonal frequencies for smoke-over-cloud off the southwestern Africa coastline reach 20-50% in boreal summer. We find a corresponding low COD bias of 10-20% for standard MODIS COD retrievals when averaged OMI AI are larger than 1. No such bias is found over the Saharan dust outflow region off northern Africa, since both MODIS 0.86 and 1.6 µm channels are vulnerable to radiance attenuation due to dust particles. A similar result is found for a smaller domain, in the Gulf of Tonkin region, from smoke advection over marine stratocumulus clouds and outflow into the northern South China Sea in spring. This study shows the necessity of accounting for the above-cloud aerosol events for future studies using standard MODIS cloud products in biomass burning outflow regions, through the use of collocated OMI AI and supplementary MODIS 1.6 µm COD products.

Galileo infrared imaging spectroscopy measurements at venus

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, R.W.; Baines, K.H.; Encrenaz, Th.; Taylor, F.W.; Drossart, P.; Kamp, L.W.; Pollack, James B.; Lellouch, E.; Collard, A.D.; Calcutt, S.B.; Grinspoon, D.; Weissman, P.R.; Smythe, W.D.; Ocampo, A.C.; Danielson, G.E.; Fanale, F.P.; Johnson, T.V.; Kieffer, H.H.; Matson, D.L.; McCord, T.B.; Soderblom, L.A.

1991-01-01

During the 1990 Galileo Venus flyby, the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer investigated the night-side atmosphere of Venus in the spectral range 0.7 to 5.2 micrometers. Multispectral images at high spatial resolution indicate substantial cloud opacity variations in the lower cloud levels, centered at 50 kilometers altitude. Zonal and meridional winds were derived for this level and are consistent with motion of the upper branch of a Hadley cell. Northern and southern hemisphere clouds appear to be markedly different. Spectral profiles were used to derive lower atmosphere abundances of water vapor and other species.

Direct and semi-direct radiative forcing of smoke aerosols over clouds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. M. Wilcox

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Observations from Earth observing satellites indicate that dark carbonaceous aerosols that absorb solar radiation are widespread in the tropics and subtropics. When these aerosols mix with clouds, there is generally a reduction of cloudiness owing to absorption of solar energy in the aerosol layer. Over the subtropical South Atlantic Ocean, where smoke from savannah burning in southern Africa resides above a persistent deck of marine stratocumulus clouds, radiative heating of the smoke layer leads to a thickening of the cloud layer. Here, satellite observations of the albedo of overcast scenes of 25 km² size or larger are combined with additional satellite observations of clouds and aerosols to estimate the top-of-atmosphere direct radiative forcing attributable to presence of dark aerosol above bright cloud, and the negative semi-direct forcing attributable to the thickening of the cloud layer. The average positive direct radiative forcing by smoke over an overcast scene is 9.2±6.6 W m⁻² for cases with an unambiguous signal of absorbing aerosol over cloud in passive ultraviolet remote sensing observations. However, cloud liquid water path is enhanced by 16.3±7.7 g m⁻² across the range of values for sea surface temperature for cases of smoke over cloud. The negative radiative forcing associated with this semi-direct effect of smoke over clouds is estimated to be −5.9±3.5 W m⁻². Therefore, the cooling associated with the semi-direct cloud thickening effect compensates for greater than 60 % of the direct radiative effect. Accounting for the frequency of occurrence of significant absorbing aerosol above overcast scenes leads to an estimate of the average direct forcing of 1.0±0.7 W m⁻² contributed by these scenes averaged over the subtropical southeast Atlantic Ocean during austral winter. The regional average of the negative semi-direct forcing is −0.7±0.4 W m⁻²

Remote observations of eruptive clouds and surface thermal activity during the 2009 eruption of Redoubt volcano

Science.gov (United States)

Webley, P. W.; Lopez, T. M.; Ekstrand, A. L.; Dean, K. G.; Rinkleff, P.; Dehn, J.; Cahill, C. F.; Wessels, R. L.; Bailey, J. E.; Izbekov, P.; Worden, A.

2013-06-01

Volcanoes often erupt explosively and generate a variety of hazards including volcanic ash clouds and gaseous plumes. These clouds and plumes are a significant hazard to the aviation industry and the ground features can be a major hazard to local communities. Here, we provide a chronology of the 2009 Redoubt Volcano eruption using frequent, low spatial resolution thermal infrared (TIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and ultraviolet (UV) satellite remote sensing data. The first explosion of the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano occurred on March 15, 2009 (UTC) and was followed by a series of magmatic explosive events starting on March 23 (UTC). From March 23-April 4 2009, satellites imaged at least 19 separate explosive events that sent ash clouds up to 18 km above sea level (ASL) that dispersed ash across the Cook Inlet region. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of the ash clouds and plumes from the 19 explosive events, detailing their cloud-top heights and discussing the variations in infrared absorption signals. We show that the timing of the TIR data relative to the event end time was critical for inferring the TIR derived height and true cloud top height. The ash clouds were high in water content, likely in the form of ice, which masked the negative TIR brightness temperature difference (BTD) signal typically used for volcanic ash detection. The analysis shown here illustrates the utility of remote sensing data during volcanic crises to measure critical real-time parameters, such as cloud-top heights, changes in ground-based thermal activity, and plume/cloud location.

Properties of CIRRUS Overlapping Clouds as Deduced from the GOES-12 Imagery Data

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Fu-Lung; Minnis, Patrick; Lin, Bing; Sun-Mack, Sunny; Khaiyer, Mandana

2006-01-01

Understanding the impact of cirrus clouds on modifying both the solar reflected and terrestrial emitted radiations is crucial for climate studies. Unlike most boundary layer stratus and stratocumulus clouds that have a net cooling effect on the climate, high-level thin cirrus clouds can have a warming effect on our climate. Many research efforts have been devoted to retrieving cirrus cloud properties due to their ubiquitous presence. However, using satellite observations to detect and/or retrieve cirrus cloud properties faces two major challenges. First, they are often semitransparent at visible to infrared wavelengths; and secondly, they often occur over a lower cloud system. The overlapping of high-level cirrus and low-level stratus cloud poses a difficulty in determining the individual cloud top altitudes and optical properties, especially when the signals from cirrus clouds are overwhelmed by the signals of stratus clouds. Moreover, the operational satellite retrieval algorithms, which often assume only single layer cloud in the development of cloud retrieval techniques, cannot resolve the cloud overlapping situation properly. The new geostationary satellites, starting with the Twelfth Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-12), are providing a new suite of imager bands that have replaced the conventional 12-micron channel with a 13.3-micron CO2 absorption channel. The replacement of the 13.3-micron channel allows for the application of a CO2-slicing retrieval technique (Chahine et al. 1974; Smith and Platt 1978), which is one of the important passive satellite methods for remote sensing the altitudes of mid to high-level clouds. Using the CO2- slicing technique is more effective in detecting semitransparent cirrus clouds than using the conventional infrared-window method.

INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF THE QUIESCENT MEDIUM OF NEARBY CLOUDS. I. ICE FORMATION AND GRAIN GROWTH IN LUPUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boogert, A. C. A.; Chiar, J. E.; Knez, C.; Mundy, L. G.; Öberg, K. I.; Pendleton, Y. J.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Van Dishoeck, E. F.

2013-01-01

Infrared photometry and spectroscopy (1-25 μm) of background stars reddened by the Lupus molecular cloud complex are used to determine the properties of grains and the composition of ices before they are incorporated into circumstellar envelopes and disks. H 2 O ices form at extinctions of A K = 0.25 ± 0.07 mag (A V = 2.1 ± 0.6). Such a low ice formation threshold is consistent with the absence of nearby hot stars. Overall, the Lupus clouds are in an early chemical phase. The abundance of H 2 O ice (2.3 ± 0.1 × 10 –5 relative to N H ) is typical for quiescent regions, but lower by a factor of three to four compared to dense envelopes of young stellar objects. The low solid CH 3 OH abundance ( 2 O) indicates a low gas phase H/CO ratio, which is consistent with the observed incomplete CO freeze out. Furthermore it is found that the grains in Lupus experienced growth by coagulation. The mid-infrared (>5 μm) continuum extinction relative to A K increases as a function of A K . Most Lupus lines of sight are well fitted with empirically derived extinction curves corresponding to R V ∼ 3.5 (A K = 0.71) and R V ∼ 5.0 (A K = 1.47). For lines of sight with A K > 1.0 mag, the τ 9.7 /A K ratio is a factor of two lower compared to the diffuse medium. Below 1.0 mag, values scatter between the dense and diffuse medium ratios. The absence of a gradual transition between diffuse and dense medium-type dust indicates that local conditions matter in the process that sets the τ 9.7 /A K ratio. This process is likely related to grain growth by coagulation, as traced by the A 7.4 /A K continuum extinction ratio, but not to ice mantle formation. Conversely, grains acquire ice mantles before the process of coagulation starts

Thermal infrared and optical photometry of Asteroidal Comet C/2002 CE10

Science.gov (United States)

Sekiguchi, Tomohiko; Miyasaka, Seidai; Dermawan, Budi; Mueller, Thomas; Takato, Naruhisa; Watanabe, Junichi; Boehnhardt, Hermann

2018-04-01

C/2002 CE10 is an object in a retrograde elliptical orbit with Tisserand parameter - 0.853 indicating a likely origin in the Oort Cloud. It appears to be a rather inactive comet since no coma and only a very weak tail was detected during the past perihelion passage. We present multi-color optical photometry, lightcurve and thermal mid-IR observations of the asteroidal comet. With the photometric analysis in BVRI, the surface color is found to be redder than asteroids, corresponding to cometary nuclei and TNOs/Centaurs. The time-resolved differential photometry supports a rotation period of 8.19 ± 0.05 h. The effective diameter and the geometric albedo are 17.9 ± 0.9 km and 0.03 ± 0.01, respectively, indicating a very dark reflectance of the surface. The dark and redder surface color of C/2002 CE10 may be attribute to devolatilized material by surface aging suffered from the irradiation by cosmic rays or from impact by dust particles in the Oort Cloud. Alternatively, C/2002 CE10 was formed of very dark refractory material originally like a rocky planetesimal. In both cases, this object lacks ices (on the surface at least). The dynamical and known physical characteristics of C/2002 CE10 are best compatible with those of the Damocloids population in the Solar System, that appear to be exhaust cometary nucleus in Halley-type orbits. The study of physical properties of rocky Oort cloud objects may give us a key for the formation of the Oort cloud and the solar system.

Dark matter and galaxy formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umemura, Masayuki

1987-01-01

We propose a hybrid model of universe for galaxy formation, that is, an Einstein- de Sitter universe dominated by two-component dark matter: massive neutrinos and cold dark matter. In this hybrid model, the first luminous objects are dwarf galaxies. The neutrino density fluctuations produce large-scale high density and low density regions, which consequently evolve to superclusters of galaxies and voids, respectively. Dwarf galaxies are formed preferentially in supercluster regions. In voids, the formation of dwarf galaxies is fairly suppressed by diffuse UV flux from QSOs, and instead a number of expanding clouds are born, which produce Lyα forest as seen in QSO spectra. Ordinary galaxies are expected to form as aggregations of dwarf galaxies. In this model, some galaxies are born also in voids, and they tend to evolve to spiral galaxies. Additionally, if the same number of globular clusters are formed in a dwarf, the specific globular cluster frequencies are expected to be much larger in ellipticals than in spirals. (author)

A Fast Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Simulator for Cloudy Atmopheres

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chao; Yang, Ping; Nasiri, Shaima L.; Platnick, Steven; Meyer, Kerry G.; Wang, Chen Xi; Ding, Shouguo

2015-01-01

A fast instrument simulator is developed to simulate the observations made in cloudy atmospheres by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The correlated k-distribution (CKD) technique is used to compute the transmissivity of absorbing atmospheric gases. The bulk scattering properties of ice clouds used in this study are based on the ice model used for the MODIS Collection 6 ice cloud products. Two fast radiative transfer models based on pre-computed ice cloud look-up-tables are used for the VIIRS solar and infrared channels. The accuracy and efficiency of the fast simulator are quantify in comparison with a combination of the rigorous line-by-line (LBLRTM) and discrete ordinate radiative transfer (DISORT) models. Relative errors are less than 2 for simulated TOA reflectances for the solar channels and the brightness temperature differences for the infrared channels are less than 0.2 K. The simulator is over three orders of magnitude faster than the benchmark LBLRTM+DISORT model. Furthermore, the cloudy atmosphere reflectances and brightness temperatures from the fast VIIRS simulator compare favorably with those from VIIRS observations.

[Application of single-band brightness variance ratio to the interference dissociation of cloud for satellite data].

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Wei-ping; Liu, Wen-qing; Liu, Jian-guo; Lu, Yi-huai; Zhu, Jun; Qin, Min; Liu, Cheng

2006-11-01

In satellite remote-sensing detection, cloud as an interference plays a negative role in data retrieval. How to discern the cloud fields with high fidelity thus comes as a need to the following research. A new method rooting in atmospheric radiation characteristics of cloud layer, in the present paper, presents a sort of solution where single-band brightness variance ratio is used to detect the relative intensity of cloud clutter so as to delineate cloud field rapidly and exactly, and the formulae of brightness variance ratio of satellite image, image reflectance variance ratio, and brightness temperature variance ratio of thermal infrared image are also given to enable cloud elimination to produce data free from cloud interference. According to the variance of the penetrating capability for different spectra bands, an objective evaluation is done on cloud penetration of them with the factors that influence penetration effect. Finally, a multi-band data fusion task is completed using the image data of infrared penetration from cirrus nothus. Image data reconstruction is of good quality and exactitude to show the real data of visible band covered by cloud fields. Statistics indicates the consistency of waveband relativity with image data after the data fusion.

Global Distribution and Vertical Structure of Clouds Revealed by CALIPSO

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Y.; Minnis, P.; Winker, D.; Huang, J.; Sun-Mack, S.; Ayers, K.

2007-12-01

Understanding the effects of clouds on Earth's radiation balance, especially on longwave fluxes within the atmosphere, depends on having accurate knowledge of cloud vertical location within the atmosphere. The Cloud- Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite mission provides the opportunity to measure the vertical distribution of clouds at a greater detail than ever before possible. The CALIPSO cloud layer products from June 2006 to June 2007 are analyzed to determine the occurrence frequency and thickness of clouds as functions of time, latitude, and altitude. In particular, the latitude-longitude and vertical distributions of single- and multi-layer clouds and the latitudinal movement of cloud cover with the changing seasons are examined. The seasonal variablities of cloud frequency and geometric thickness are also analyzed and compared with similar quantities derived from the Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) using the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) cloud retrieval algorithms. The comparisons provide an estimate of the errors in cloud fraction, top height, and thickness incurred by passive algorithms.

Detection of Multi-Layer and Vertically-Extended Clouds Using A-Train Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Joiner, J.; Vasilkov, A. P.; Bhartia, P. K.; Wind, G.; Platnick, S.; Menzel, W. P.

2010-01-01

The detection of mUltiple cloud layers using satellite observations is important for retrieval algorithms as well as climate applications. In this paper, we describe a relatively simple algorithm to detect multiple cloud layers and distinguish them from vertically-extended clouds. The algorithm can be applied to coincident passive sensors that derive both cloud-top pressure from the thermal infrared observations and an estimate of solar photon pathlength from UV, visible, or near-IR measurements. Here, we use data from the A-train afternoon constellation of satellites: cloud-top pressure, cloud optical thickness, the multi-layer flag from the Aqua MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the optical centroid cloud pressure from the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). For the first time, we use data from the CloudSat radar to evaluate the results of a multi-layer cloud detection scheme. The cloud classification algorithms applied with different passive sensor configurations compare well with each other as well as with data from CloudSat. We compute monthly mean fractions of pixels containing multi-layer and vertically-extended clouds for January and July 2007 at the OMI spatial resolution (l2kmx24km at nadir) and at the 5kmx5km MODIS resolution used for infrared cloud retrievals. There are seasonal variations in the spatial distribution of the different cloud types. The fraction of cloudy pixels containing distinct multi-layer cloud is a strong function of the pixel size. Globally averaged, these fractions are approximately 20% and 10% for OMI and MODIS, respectively. These fractions may be significantly higher or lower depending upon location. There is a much smaller resolution dependence for fractions of pixels containing vertically-extended clouds (approx.20% for OMI and slightly less for MODIS globally), suggesting larger spatial scales for these clouds. We also find higher fractions of vertically-extended clouds over land as compared with

Water deuterium fractionation in the high-mass star-forming region G34.26+0.15 based on Herschel/HIFI data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coutens, Audrey; Vastel, C.; Hincelin, U.

2014-01-01

Understanding water deuterium fractionation is important for constraining the mechanisms of water formation in interstellar clouds. Observations of HDO and H_2^{18}O transitions were carried out towards the high-mass star-forming region G34.26+0.15 with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far...... to an age of ˜105 yr after the infrared dark cloud stage....

Dark Galaxies and Lost Baryons (IAU S244)

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Jonathan I.; Disney, Michael J.

2008-05-01

Preface; Conference prelims; The HI that barked in the night M. J. Disney; The detection of dark galaxies in blind HI surveys J. I. Davies; Red haloes of galaxies - reservoirs of baryonic dark matter? E. Zackrisson, N. Bergvall, C. Flynn, G. Ostlin, G. Micheva and B. Baldwell; Constraints on dark and visible mass in galaxies from strong gravitational lensing S. Dye and S. Warren; Lost baryons at low redshift S. Mathur, F. Nicastro and R. Williams; Observed properties of dark matter on small spatial scales R. Wyse and G. Gilmore; The mass distribution in spiral galaxies P. Salucci; Connecting lost baryons and dark galaxies via QSO absorption lines T. Tripp; ALFALFA: HI cosmology in the local universe R. Giovanelli; The ALFALFA search for (almost) dark galaxies across the HI mass function M. Haynes; HI clouds detected towards Virgo with the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA Survey B. Kent; Cosmic variance in the HI mass function S. Schneider; The Arecibo Galaxy Environments Survey - potential for finding dark galaxies and results so far R. Minchin et al.; Free-floating HI clouds in the M81 group E. Brinks, F. Walter and E. Skillman; Where are the stars in dark galaxies J. Rosenberg, J. Salzer and J. Cannon; The halo by halo missing baryon problem S. McGaugh; The local void is really empty R. Tully; Voids in the local volume: a limit on appearance of a galaxy in a dark matter halo A. Tikhonov and A. Klypin; Dim baryons in the cosmic web C. Impey; A census of baryons in galaxy clusters and groups A. Gonzalez, D. Zaritsky and A. Zabludo; Statistical properties of the intercluster light from SDSS image stacking S. Zibetti; QSO strong gravitational lensing and the detection of dark halos A. Maccio; Strong gravitational lensing: bright galaxies and lost dark-matter L. Koopmans; Mapping the distribution of luminous and dark matter in strong lensing galaxies I. Ferreras, P. Saha, L. Williams and S. Burles; Tidal debris posing as dark galaxies P. Duc, F. Bournaud and E. Brinks

Long-term Behaviour Of Venus Winds At Cloud Level From Virtis/vex Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Hueso, Ricardo; Peralta, J.; Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Pérez-Hoyos, S.; Piccioni, G.; Drossart, P.

2009-09-01

The Venus Express (VEX) mission has been in orbit to Venus for more than three years now. The VIRTIS instrument onboard VEX observes Venus in two channels (visible and infrared) obtaining spectra and multi-wavelength images of the planet. Images in the ultraviolet range are used to study the upper cloud at 66 km while images in the infrared (1.74 μm) map the opacity of the lower cloud deck at 48 km. Here we present an analysis of the overall dynamics of Venus’ atmosphere at both levels using observations that cover a large fraction of the VIRTIS dataset. We will present our latest results concerning the zonal winds, the overall stability in the lower cloud deck motions and the variability in the upper cloud. Meridional winds are also observed in the upper and lower cloud in the UV and IR images obtained with VIRTIS. While the upper clouds present a net meridional motion consistent with the upper branch of a Hadley cell the lower cloud present more irregular, variable and less intense motions in the meridional direction. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by Spanish MEC AYA2006-07735 with FEDER support and Grupos Gobierno Vasco IT-464-07. RH acknowledges a "Ramón y Cajal” contract from MEC.

Radiative effect differences between multi-layered and single-layer clouds derived from CERES, CALIPSO, and CloudSat data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jiming; Yi Yuhong; Minnis, Patrick; Huang Jianping; Yan Hongru; Ma Yuejie; Wang Wencai; Kirk Ayers, J.

2011-01-01

Clouds alter general circulation through modification of the radiative heating profile within the atmosphere. Their effects are complex and depend on height, vertical structure, and phase. The instantaneous cloud radiative effect (CRE) induced by multi-layered (ML) and single-layer (SL) clouds is estimated by analyzing data collected by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), CloudSat, and Clouds and Earth's Radiation Energy Budget System (CERES) missions from March 2007 through February 2008. The CRE differences between ML and SL clouds at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and at the surface were also examined. The zonal mean shortwave (SW) CRE differences between the ML and SL clouds at the TOA and surface were positive at most latitudes, peaking at 120 W m -2 in the tropics and dropping to -30 W m -2 at higher latitudes. This indicated that the ML clouds usually reflected less sunlight at the TOA and transmitted more to the surface than the SL clouds, due to their higher cloud top heights. The zonal mean longwave (LW) CRE differences between ML and SL clouds at the TOA and surface were relatively small, ranging from -30 to 30 W m -2 . This showed that the ML clouds only increased the amount of thermal radiation at the TOA relative to the SL clouds in the tropics, decreasing it elsewhere. In other words, ML clouds tended to cool the atmosphere in the tropics and warm it elsewhere when compared to SL clouds. The zonal mean net CRE differences were positive at most latitudes and dominated by the SW CRE differences.

Infrared Sky Imager (IRSI) Instrument Handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morris, Victor R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-04-01

The Infrared Sky Imager (IRSI) deployed at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility is a Solmirus Corp. All Sky Infrared Visible Analyzer. The IRSI is an automatic, continuously operating, digital imaging and software system designed to capture hemispheric sky images and provide time series retrievals of fractional sky cover during both the day and night. The instrument provides diurnal, radiometrically calibrated sky imagery in the mid-infrared atmospheric window and imagery in the visible wavelengths for cloud retrievals during daylight hours. The software automatically identifies cloudy and clear regions at user-defined intervals and calculates fractional sky cover, providing a real-time display of sky conditions.

HST images of dark giants as dark matter: Part.I The black cocoon stars of Carina Nebula region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celis, S.L.

2001-01-01

In an evolutionary scenario, the existence of isolated dark giant objects known as Post M latest spectral type stars (1) (or black cocoon stars) are in the last stage of their life and, as extremely advanced old age objects, they cease to be stars. The photographic images of Carina nebula taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have been used to detect the post M-Iatest stars as dark silhouettes. The luminosity attenuation equation of M late stars (1), A = αS 3 , points out the baryonic dark matter envelopes the oldest red giants that produce earlier dark giants. This equation says that when the red giant star finishes to produce baryonic dark matter, the central star is extinguishing and transforms into dark giants and dusty globules that disperse cool gaseous matter into the interstellar space. These old dark objects have a size from 400 to 600 astronomical units (AU). The advanced dark giants, the dusty dark giants, might not contain a star within the molecular cloud that envelops it. In this case, the dark giants might produce the smaller and less massive dark globules of the Thackeray's globules type (less than 4 solar masses) where, Reupurth et al. (2) found that these globules are now in an advanced stage of disintegration and they found no evidence of star formation in any of these objects. The high-resolution of the Hubble images allows: The observation of isolated dark giants, dusty globules with central dark giants, the observation of partial eclipses or transiting of giant stars and the estimation of linear and angular diameters (ionised cocoons) of giant stellar objects. The dark giants of the image are identified them as objects with observed angular diameter. The large quantity of dark giants in a small sector of the sky suggests that they are densely populated (population stars III) and ubiquitous in the galactic disc. They can be located in isolated form or associated in dense Conglomerations of dark giants. At the same time, conglomerates of

Absorption of solar radiation in broken clouds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zuev, V.E.; Titov, G.A.; Zhuravleva, T.B. [Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Tomsk (Russian Federation)

1996-04-01

It is recognized now that the plane-parallel model unsatisfactorily describes the transfer of radiation through broken clouds and that, consequently, the radiation codes of general circulation models (GCMs) must be refined. However, before any refinement in a GCM code is made, it is necessary to investigate the dependence of radiative characteristics on the effects caused by the random geometry of cloud fields. Such studies for mean fluxes of downwelling and upwelling solar radiation in the visible and near-infrared (IR) spectral range were performed by Zuev et al. In this work, we investigate the mean spectral and integrated absorption of solar radiation by broken clouds (in what follows, the term {open_quotes}mean{close_quotes} will be implied but not used, for convenience). To evaluate the potential effect of stochastic geometry, we will compare the absorption by cumulus (0.5 {le} {gamma} {le} 2) to that by equivalent stratus ({gamma} <<1) clouds; here {gamma} = H/D, H is the cloud layer thickness and D the characteristic horizontal cloud size. The equivalent stratus clouds differ from cumulus only in the aspect ratio {gamma}, all the other parameters coinciding.

The evolution of comets and the detectability of Extra-Solar Oort Clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stern, S.A.

1989-01-01

According the standard theory, comets are natural products of solar system formation, ejected to the Oort Cloud by gravitational scattering events during the epoch of giant planet formation. Stored far from the Sun for billions of years, comets almost certainly contain a record of the events which occurred during (and perhaps even before) the epoch of planetary formation. Two themes are examined of the evolutionary processes that affect comets in the Oort Cloud, and a search for evidence of Extra-Solar Oort Clouds (ESOCs). With regard to cometary evolution in the Oort Cloud, it was found that luminous O stars and supernovae have heated the surface layers of all comets on numerous occasions to 20 to 30 K and perhaps once to 50 K. Interstellar medium (ISM) interactions blow small grains out of the Oort Clouds, and erode the upper few hundred g/cu cm of material from cometary surfaces. The findings presented contradict the standard view that comets do not undergo physical change in the Oort Cloud. A logical consequence of the intimate connection between the Oort Cloud and our planetary system is that the detection of comet clouds around other stars would strongly indicate the sites of extant extra-solar planetary systems. A search was conducted for infrared IR emission from debris in ESOCs. After examining 17 stars using the Infrared Astronomical Satellite data base, only upper limits on ESOC emission could be set

Dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comelli, D.; Pietroni, M.; Riotto, A.

2003-01-01

It is a puzzle why the densities of dark matter and dark energy are nearly equal today when they scale so differently during the expansion of the universe. This conundrum may be solved if there is a coupling between the two dark sectors. In this Letter we assume that dark matter is made of cold relics with masses depending exponentially on the scalar field associated to dark energy. Since the dynamics of the system is dominated by an attractor solution, the dark matter particle mass is forced to change with time as to ensure that the ratio between the energy densities of dark matter and dark energy become a constant at late times and one readily realizes that the present-day dark matter abundance is not very sensitive to its value when dark matter particles decouple from the thermal bath. We show that the dependence of the present abundance of cold dark matter on the parameters of the model differs drastically from the familiar results where no connection between dark energy and dark matter is present. In particular, we analyze the case in which the cold dark matter particle is the lightest supersymmetric particle

Ultra-Low Dark Current HgCdTe Detector in SWIR for Space Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Cervera, C.; Boulade, O.; Gravrand, O.; Lobre, C.; Guellec, F.; Sanson, E.; Ballet, P.; Santailler, J. L.; Moreau, V.; Zanatta, J. P.; Fieque, B.; Castelein, P.

2017-10-01

This paper presents recent developments at Commissariat à l'Energie atomique, Laboratoire d'Electronique et de Technologie de l'Information infrared laboratory on processing and characterization of p-on- n HgCdTe (MCT) planar infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs) in short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral band for the astrophysics applications. These FPAs have been grown using both liquid phase epitaxy and molecular beam epitaxy on a lattice-matched CdZnTe substrate. This technology exhibits lower dark current and lower series resistance in comparison with n-on- p vacancy-doped architecture and is well adapted for low flux detection or high operating temperature. This architecture has been evaluated for space applications in long-wave infrared and very-long-wave infrared spectral bands with cut-off wavelengths from 10 μm up to 17 μm at 78 K and is now evaluated for the SWIR range. The metallurgical nature of the absorbing layer is also examined and both molecular beam epitaxy and liquid phase epitaxy have been investigated. Electro-optical characterizations have been performed on individual photodiodes from test arrays, whereas dark current investigation has been performed with a fully functional readout integrated circuit dedicated to low flux operations.

Venus winds at cloud level from VIRTIS during the Venus Express mission

Science.gov (United States)

Hueso, Ricardo; Peralta, Javier; Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín.; Pérez-Hoyos, Santiago; Piccioni, Giuseppe; Drossart, Pierre

2010-05-01

The Venus Express (VEX) mission has been in orbit to Venus for almost four years now. The VIRTIS instrument onboard VEX observes Venus in two channels (visible and infrared) obtaining spectra and multi-wavelength images of the planet. Images in the ultraviolet range are used to study the upper cloud at 66 km while images in the infrared (1.74 μm) map the opacity of the lower cloud deck at 48 km. Here we present our latest results on the analysis of the global atmospheric dynamics at these cloud levels using a large selection over the full VIRTIS dataset. We will show the atmospheric zonal superrotation at these levels and the mean meridional motions. The zonal winds are very stable in the lower cloud at mid-latitudes to the tropics while it shows different signatures of variability in the upper cloud where solar tide effects are manifest in the data. While the upper clouds present a net meridional motion consistent with the upper branch of a Hadley cell the lower cloud present almost null global meridional motions at all latitudes but with particular features traveling both northwards and southwards in a turbulent manner depending on the cloud morphology on the observations. A particular important atmospheric feature is the South Polar vortex which might be influencing the structure of the zonal winds in the lower cloud at latitudes from the vortex location up to 55°S. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by the Spanish MICIIN AYA2009-10701 with FEDER support and Grupos Gobierno Vasco IT-464-07.

STAR-FORMATION ACTIVITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF W–R 1503-160L STAR IN THE MID-INFRARED BUBBLE N46

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewangan, L. K.; Janardhan, P.; Baug, T.; Ojha, D. K.; Ninan, J. P.; Luna, A.; Zinchenko, I.

2016-01-01

In order to investigate star-formation (SF) processes in extreme environments, we have carried out a multi-wavelength analysis of the mid-infrared bubble N46, which hosts a WN7 Wolf–Rayet (W–R) star. We have used 13 CO line data to trace an expanding shell surrounding the W–R star containing about five condensations within the molecular cloud associated with the bubble. The W–R star is associated with a powerful stellar wind having a mechanical luminosity of ∼4 × 10 37 erg s 1 . A deviation of the H -band starlight mean polarization angles around the bubble has also been traced, indicating the impact of stellar wind on the surroundings. The Herschel temperature map shows a temperature range of ∼18–24 K toward the five molecular condensations. The photometric analysis reveals that these condensations are associated with the identified clusters of young stellar objects, revealing ongoing SF process. The densest among these five condensations (peak N(H 2 ) ∼9.2 × 10 22 cm 2 and A V ∼ 98 mag) is associated with a 6.7 GHz methanol maser, an infrared dark cloud, and the CO outflow, tracing active massive SF within it. At least five compact radio sources (CRSs) are physically linked with the edges of the bubble, and each of them is consistent with the radio spectral class of a B0V–B0.5V-type star. The ages of the individual infrared counterparts of three CRSs (∼1–2 Myr) and a typical age of WN7 W–R star (∼4 Myr) indicate that the SF activities around the bubble are influenced by the feedback of the W–R star.

STAR-FORMATION ACTIVITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF W–R 1503-160L STAR IN THE MID-INFRARED BUBBLE N46

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewangan, L. K.; Janardhan, P. [Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad—380 009 (India); Baug, T.; Ojha, D. K.; Ninan, J. P. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Luna, A. [Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro #1, Tonantzintla, Puebla, C.P. 72840, México (Mexico); Zinchenko, I., E-mail: lokeshd@prl.res.in [Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanov Street, Nizhny Novgorod 603950 (Russian Federation)

2016-07-20

In order to investigate star-formation (SF) processes in extreme environments, we have carried out a multi-wavelength analysis of the mid-infrared bubble N46, which hosts a WN7 Wolf–Rayet (W–R) star. We have used {sup 13}CO line data to trace an expanding shell surrounding the W–R star containing about five condensations within the molecular cloud associated with the bubble. The W–R star is associated with a powerful stellar wind having a mechanical luminosity of ∼4 × 10{sup 37} erg s{sup 1}. A deviation of the H -band starlight mean polarization angles around the bubble has also been traced, indicating the impact of stellar wind on the surroundings. The Herschel temperature map shows a temperature range of ∼18–24 K toward the five molecular condensations. The photometric analysis reveals that these condensations are associated with the identified clusters of young stellar objects, revealing ongoing SF process. The densest among these five condensations (peak N(H{sub 2}) ∼9.2 × 10{sup 22} cm{sup 2} and A{sub V} ∼ 98 mag) is associated with a 6.7 GHz methanol maser, an infrared dark cloud, and the CO outflow, tracing active massive SF within it. At least five compact radio sources (CRSs) are physically linked with the edges of the bubble, and each of them is consistent with the radio spectral class of a B0V–B0.5V-type star. The ages of the individual infrared counterparts of three CRSs (∼1–2 Myr) and a typical age of WN7 W–R star (∼4 Myr) indicate that the SF activities around the bubble are influenced by the feedback of the W–R star.

OH radiation from the interstellar cloud medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen-Q-Rieu,; Winnberg, A [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Bonn (F.R. Germany); Guibert, J [Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, 92 (France); Lepine, J R.D. [Universidade Mackenzie, Sao Paulo (Brazil). Centro de Radio-Astronomia et Astrofisica; Johansson, L E.B. [Rymdobservatoriet, Onsala (Sweden); Goss, W M [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Epping (Australia). Div. of Radiophysics

1976-02-01

We have detected OH in the direction of about 50% of the continuum sources investigated. The OH abundance is one order of magnitude less than usually found in dust clouds. Most of the OH features have HI counterparts. This suggests that the OH radiation arises from the HI interstellar cold clouds. Our observations allowed in some cases the determination of the excitation temperatures in all four lines. A pumping model involving far-infrared radiation and collisions with neutral and charged particles has been proposed. It explains the observed excitation temperatures.

Properties in the middle and far infrared radiation of spiral and irregular galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contursi, Alessandra

1998-01-01

In the first part of this research thesis, the author reports the study in the middle infrared of H II regions belonging to Magellanic clouds. For this purpose, he presents different aspects of infrared emission by the interstellar medium: origin and evolution of interstellar grains, dust studied by astrophysical observations, dust models, infrared observations made by COBE and IRAS satellites, exploitation of the ISO satellite. He also presents the Small and Large Magellanic clouds, and reports the study of the H II N4 region of the large one, imagery and spectroscopy of the H II N66 region of the small one, and the study of silicate emission in the central region of N66. The second part reports the study of cluster normal spiral galaxies in the middle and far infrared. For this purpose, the author discusses the colours in the middle infrared of Virgo's and Coma's galaxies, discusses the properties in the infrared of spiral galaxies (Coma and A1367), based on observations made by ISO [fr

Metamaterial Model of Tachyonic Dark Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor I. Smolyaninov

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Dark energy with negative pressure and positive energy density is believed to be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe. Quite a few theoretical models of dark energy are based on tachyonic fields interacting with itself and normal (bradyonic matter. Here, we propose an experimental model of tachyonic dark energy based on hyperbolic metamaterials. Wave equation describing propagation of extraordinary light inside hyperbolic metamaterials exhibits 2 + 1 dimensional Lorentz symmetry. The role of time in the corresponding effective 3D Minkowski spacetime is played by the spatial coordinate aligned with the optical axis of the metamaterial. Nonlinear optical Kerr effect bends this spacetime resulting in effective gravitational force between extraordinary photons. We demonstrate that this model has a self-interacting tachyonic sector having negative effective pressure and positive effective energy density. Moreover, a composite multilayer SiC-Si hyperbolic metamaterial exhibits closely separated tachyonic and bradyonic sectors in the long wavelength infrared range. This system may be used as a laboratory model of inflation and late time acceleration of the universe.

Weak lensing: Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Dark Gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heavens, Alan

2009-01-01

In this non-specialist review I look at how weak lensing can provide information on the dark sector of the Universe. The review concentrates on what can be learned about Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Dark Gravity, and why. On Dark Matter, results on the confrontation of theoretical profiles with observation are reviewed, and measurements of neutrino masses discussed. On Dark Energy, the interest is whether this could be Einstein's cosmological constant, and prospects for high-precision studies of the equation of state are considered. On Dark Gravity, we consider the exciting prospects for future weak lensing surveys to distinguish General Relativity from extra-dimensional or other gravity theories.

Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alfven, H; Carlqvist, P [Kungliga Tekniska Hoegskolan, Stockholm (Sweden). Institutionen foer Plasmafysik

1978-05-01

Part I gives a survey of the drastic revision of cosmic plasma physics which is precipitated by the exploration of the magnetosphere through in situ measurements. The 'pseudo-plasma formalism', which until now has almost completely dominated theoretical astrophysics, must be replaced by an experimentally based approach involving the introduction of a number of neglected plasma phenomena, such as electric double layers, critical velocity, and pinch effect. The general belief that star light is the main ionizer is shown to be doubtful; hydromagnetic conversion of gravitational and kinetic energy may often be much more important. In Part II the revised plasma physics is applied to dark clouds and star formation. Magnetic fields do not necessarily counteract the contraction of a cloud; they may just as well 'pinch' the cloud. Magnetic compression may be the main mechanism for forming interstellar clouds and keeping them together. Part III treats the formation of stars in a dusty cosmic plasma cloud. Star formation is due to an instability, but it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with the Jeans instability. A reasonable mechanism is that the sedimentation of 'dust' (including solid bodies of different size) is triggering off a gravitationally assisted accretion. A 'stellesimal' accretion analogous to the planetesimal accretion leads to the formation of a star surrounded by a very low density hollow in the cloud. Matter falling in from the cloud towards the star is the raw material for the formation of planets and satellites.

Dark matter seen as a Bose-Einstein condensate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manzoni, Andre; Pires, Marcelo

2011-01-01

Full text: Astronomical observations of the stellar angular velocity in galaxies shows the general relativity theory, which considers that the usual matter changes the space-time, unable to describe the angular velocity to the peripheral stars. There are two possibilities to solve this problem, or the general relativity theory is not adequate to the phenomena or another type of matter must be considered in the composition of the galaxies. Many astrophysicists are in agreement considering another type of matter. This matter, called dark matter (DM), must interact very weakly with the barionic matter and, therefore, is invisible to direct observation. Some of them consider this dark matter made up of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which were not detected yet due to their very thin cross-section. A cloud of these particles is distributed around the galaxy under a low temperature and density. If we consider the cloud as a quantum gas, with the energies and the densities low enough to have binary interactions between particles, the gas can reach temperature condition to take a phase transition to the Bose-Einstein condensate where there are a constructive interference partner of these WIMPs. We performed an investigation about the dark matter being a Bose-Einstein condensate of WIMPs confined in itself gravitational potential. Taking the Thomas-Fermi approximation where the number of WIMPs is big enough to neglect the kinetic contribution in the total energy, we got the state equation of barotropic gas. Fitting this state equation with the data of rotational curves and density profiles taken from astronomical observations of galaxies, we estimated the mass and the scattering length of these WIMPs. (author)

Analysis of Co-Located MODIS and CALIPSO Observations Near Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Varnai, Tamas; Marshak, Alexander

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to help researchers combine data from different satellites and thus gain new insights into two critical yet poorly understood aspects of anthropogenic climate change, aerosol-cloud interactions and aerosol radiative effects, For this, the paper explores whether cloud information from the Aqua satellite's MODIS instrument can help characterize systematic aerosol changes near clouds by refining earlier perceptions of these changes that were based on the CALIPSO satellite's CALIOP instrument. Similar to a radar but using visible and ncar-infrared light, CALIOP sends out laser pulses and provides aerosol and cloud information along a single line that tracks the satellite orbit by measuring the reflection of its pulses. In contrast, MODIS takes images of reflected sunlight and emitted infrared radiation at several wavelengths, and covers wide areas around the satellite track. This paper analyzes a year-long global dataset covering all ice-free oceans, and finds that MODIS can greatly help the interpretation of CALIOP observations, especially by detecting clouds that lie outside the line observed by CALlPSO. The paper also finds that complications such as differences in view direction or clouds drifting in the 72 seconds that elapse between MODIS and CALIOP observations have only a minor impact. The study also finds that MODIS data helps refine but does not qualitatively alter perceptions of the systematic aerosol changes that were detected in earlier studies using only CALIOP data. It then proposes a statistical approach to account for clouds lying outside the CALIOP track even when MODIS cannot as reliably detect low clouds, for example at night or over ice. Finally, the paper finds that, because of variations in cloud amount and type, the typical distance to clouds in maritime clear areas varies with season and location. The overall median distance to clouds in maritime clear areas around 4-5 km. The fact that half of all clear areas is

A new perspective on the infrared brightness temperature ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

CEAWMT), ... temperatures clearly discriminates the cloud pixels of deep convective and ... utilized in the modelling of the histogram of infrared brightness temperature of deep convective and ..... Henderson-Sellers A 1978 Surface type and its effect.

Fundamental Particle Structure in the Cosmological Dark Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Khlopov, Maxim

2013-11-01

The nonbaryonic dark matter of the universe is assumed to consist of new stable forms of matter. Their stability reflects symmetry of micro-world and mechanisms of its symmetry breaking. Particle candidates for cosmological dark matter are lightest particles that bear new conserved quantum numbers. Dark matter particles may represent ideal gas of noninteracting particles. Self-interacting dark matter weakly or superweakly coupled to ordinary matter is also possible, reflecting nontrivial pattern of particle symmetry in the hidden sector of particle theory. In the early universe the structure of particle symmetry breaking gives rise to cosmological phase transitions, from which macroscopic cosmological defects or primordial nonlinear structures can be originated. Primordial black holes (PBHs) can be not only a candidate for dark matter, but also represent a universal probe for superhigh energy physics in the early universe. Evaporating PBHs turn to be a source of even superweakly interacting particles, while clouds of massive PBHs can serve as nonlinear seeds for galaxy formation. The observed broken symmetry of the three known families may provide a simultaneous solution for the problems of the mass of neutrino and strong CP-violation in the unique framework of models of horizontal unification. Dark matter candidates can also appear in the new families of quarks and leptons and the existence of new stable charged leptons and quarks is possible, hidden in elusive "dark atoms." Such possibility, strongly restricted by the constraints on anomalous isotopes of light elements, is not excluded in scenarios that predict stable double charged particles. The excessive -2 charged particles are bound in these scenarios with primordial helium in O-helium "atoms," maintaining specific nuclear-interacting form of the dark matter, which may provide an interesting solution for the puzzles of the direct dark matter searches. In the context of cosmoparticle physics, studying

Do micro brown dwarf detections explain the galactic dark matter?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieuwenhuizen, T.M.; Schild, R.E; Gibson, C.H.

2011-01-01

The baryonic dark matter dominating the structures of galaxies is widely considered as mysterious, but hints for it have been in fact detected in several astronomical observations at optical, infrared, and radio wavelengths. We call attention to the pattern of star formation in a galaxy merger, the

FAME-C: cloud property retrieval using synergistic AATSR and MERIS observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. K. Carbajal Henken

2014-11-01

Full Text Available A newly developed daytime cloud property retrieval algorithm, FAME-C (Freie Universität Berlin AATSR MERIS Cloud, is presented. Synergistic observations from the Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR and the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS, both mounted on the polar-orbiting Environmental Satellite (Envisat, are used for cloud screening. For cloudy pixels two main steps are carried out in a sequential form. First, a cloud optical and microphysical property retrieval is performed using an AATSR near-infrared and visible channel. Cloud phase, cloud optical thickness, and effective radius are retrieved, and subsequently cloud water path is computed. Second, two cloud top height products are retrieved based on independent techniques. For cloud top temperature, measurements in the AATSR infrared channels are used, while for cloud top pressure, measurements in the MERIS oxygen-A absorption channel are used. Results from the cloud optical and microphysical property retrieval serve as input for the two cloud top height retrievals. Introduced here are the AATSR and MERIS forward models and auxiliary data needed in FAME-C. Also, the optimal estimation method, which provides uncertainty estimates of the retrieved property on a pixel basis, is presented. Within the frame of the European Space Agency (ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI project, the first global cloud property retrievals have been conducted for the years 2007–2009. For this time period, verification efforts are presented, comparing, for four selected regions around the globe, FAME-C cloud optical and microphysical properties to cloud optical and microphysical properties derived from measurements of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS on the Terra satellite. The results show a reasonable agreement between the cloud optical and microphysical property retrievals. Biases are generally smallest for marine stratocumulus clouds: −0.28, 0.41 μm and �

Optical and theoretical studies of giant clouds in spiral galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmegreen, B.G.; Elmegreen, D.M.

1980-01-01

An optical study of four spiral galaxies, combined with radiative transfer models for transmitted and scattered light, has led to a determination of the opacities and masses of numerous dark patches and dust lanes that outline spiral structure. The observed compression factors for the spiral-like dust lanes are in accord with expectations from the theory of gas flow in spiral density waves. Several low density (10 2 cm -3 ) clouds containing 10 6 to 10 7 solar masses were also studied. These results are discussed in terms of recent theoretical models of cloud and star formation in spiral galaxies. The long-term evolution of giant molecular clouds is shown to have important consequences for the positions and ages of star formation sites in spiral arms. (Auth.)

Scalar field dark matter and the Higgs field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Bertolami

2016-08-01

Full Text Available We discuss the possibility that dark matter corresponds to an oscillating scalar field coupled to the Higgs boson. We argue that the initial field amplitude should generically be of the order of the Hubble parameter during inflation, as a result of its quasi-de Sitter fluctuations. This implies that such a field may account for the present dark matter abundance for masses in the range 10−6–10−4eV, if the tensor-to-scalar ratio is within the range of planned CMB experiments. We show that such mass values can naturally be obtained through either Planck-suppressed non-renormalizable interactions with the Higgs boson or, alternatively, through renormalizable interactions within the Randall–Sundrum scenario, where the dark matter scalar resides in the bulk of the warped extra-dimension and the Higgs is confined to the infrared brane.

Aerosol-Forming Reactions of Glyoxal, Methylglyoxal and Amino Acids in Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

de Haan, D. O.; Smith, K. W.; Stroik, D. R.; Corrigan, A. L.; Lee, F. E.; Phan, J. T.; Conley, A. C.

2008-12-01

Glyoxal and methylglyoxal are two common aldehydes present in fog and cloud water. Amino acids are present in clouds at similar concentrations. Here we present bulk and aerosol mass spectroscopic data demonstrating that irreversible reactions between glyoxal and amino acids, triggered by droplet evaporation, produce N-derivatized imidazole compounds along with deeply colored Maillard reaction products. These reactions can occur in the dark and in the absence of oxidants. Reactions between methylglyoxal and amino acids produce analogous methylated products plus oligomers with masses up to m/z = 1000. These reactions, which go to completion on the 10-min-timescale of cloud processing, could be significant sources of secondary organic aerosol and humic-like substances (HULIS or brown carbon).

Neural network cloud top pressure and height for MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Håkansson, Nina; Adok, Claudia; Thoss, Anke; Scheirer, Ronald; Hörnquist, Sara

2018-06-01

Cloud top height retrieval from imager instruments is important for nowcasting and for satellite climate data records. A neural network approach for cloud top height retrieval from the imager instrument MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is presented. The neural networks are trained using cloud top layer pressure data from the CALIOP (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) dataset. Results are compared with two operational reference algorithms for cloud top height: the MODIS Collection 6 Level 2 height product and the cloud top temperature and height algorithm in the 2014 version of the NWC SAF (EUMETSAT (European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) Satellite Application Facility on Support to Nowcasting and Very Short Range Forecasting) PPS (Polar Platform System). All three techniques are evaluated using both CALIOP and CPR (Cloud Profiling Radar for CloudSat (CLOUD SATellite)) height. Instruments like AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) and VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) contain fewer channels useful for cloud top height retrievals than MODIS, therefore several different neural networks are investigated to test how infrared channel selection influences retrieval performance. Also a network with only channels available for the AVHRR1 instrument is trained and evaluated. To examine the contribution of different variables, networks with fewer variables are trained. It is shown that variables containing imager information for neighboring pixels are very important. The error distributions of the involved cloud top height algorithms are found to be non-Gaussian. Different descriptive statistic measures are presented and it is exemplified that bias and SD (standard deviation) can be misleading for non-Gaussian distributions. The median and mode are found to better describe the tendency of the error distributions and IQR (interquartile range) and MAE (mean absolute error) are found

Global distributions of cloud properties for CERES

Science.gov (United States)

Sun-Mack, S.; Minnis, P.; Heck, P.; Young, D.

2003-04-01

The microphysical and macrophysical properties of clouds play a crucial role in the earth's radiation budget. Simultaneous measurement of the radiation and cloud fields on a global basis has long been recognized as a key component in understanding and modeling the interaction between clouds and radiation at the top of the atmosphere, at the surface, and within the atmosphere. With the implementation of the NASA Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) in 1998, this need is being met. Broadband shortwave and longwave radiance measurements taken by the CERES scanners at resolutions between 10 and 20 km on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Terra, and Aqua satellites are matched to simultaneous retrievals of cloud height, phase, particle size, water path, and optical depth from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Terra and Aqua. The combined cloud-radiation product has already been used for developing new, highly accurate anisotropic directional models for converting broadband radiances to flux. They also provide a consistent measure of cloud properties at different times of day over the globe since January 1998. These data will be valuable for determining the indirect effects of aerosols and for linking cloud water to cloud radiation. This paper provides an overview of the CERES cloud products from the three satellites including the retrieval methodology, validation, and global distributions. Availability and access to the datasets will also be discussed.

Comparison of global cloud liquid water path derived from microwave measurements with CERES-MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Y.; Minnis, P.; Huang, J.; Lin, B.; Ayers, K.; Sun-Mack, S.; Fan, A.

Cloud liquid water path LWP is a crucial parameter for climate studies due to the link that it provides between the atmospheric hydrological and radiative budgets Satellite-based visible infrared techniques such as the Visible Infrared Solar Split-Window Technique VISST can retrieve LWP for water clouds assumes single-layer over a variety of surfaces If the water clouds are overlapped by ice clouds the LWP of the underlying clouds can not be retrieved by such techniques However microwave techniques may be used to retrieve the LWP underneath ice clouds due to the microwave s insensitivity to cloud ice particles LWP is typically retrieved from satellite-observed microwave radiances only over ocean due to variations of land surface temperature and emissivity Recently Deeter and Vivekanandan 2006 developed a new technique for retrieving LWP over land In order to overcome the sensitivity to land surface temperature and emissivity their technique is based on a parameterization of microwave polarization-difference signals In this study a similar regression-based technique for retrieving LWP over land and ocean using Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - EOS AMSR-E measurements is developed Furthermore the microwave surface emissivities are also derived using clear-sky fields of view based on the Clouds and Earth s Radiant Energy System Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer CERES-MODIS cloud mask These emissivities are used in an alternate form of the technique The results are evaluated using independent measurements such

Measuring Dark Molecular Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Di; Heiles, Carl E.

2017-01-01

It is now well known that a substantial fraction of Galactic molecular gas cannot be traced by CO emission. The thus dubbed CO dark molecular gas (DMG) occupy a large volume of ISM with intermediate extinction, where CO is either not self-shielded and/or subthermally excited. We explore the utilities of simple hydrides, such OH, CH, etc., in tracing DMG. We mapped and modeled the transition zone cross a cloud boundary and derived emperical OH abundance and DMG distribution formulae. We also obtained absorption measurements of various species using Arecibo, VLA, ATCA, and ALMA. The absorption technique has the potential to provide systematic quantification of DMG in the next few years.

Planck early results. XVII. Origin of the submillimetre excess dust emission in the Magellanic Clouds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lähteenmäki, A.; Poutanen, T.; Natoli, P.

2011-01-01

The integrated spectral energy distributions (SED) of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) appear significantly flatter than expected from dust models based on their far-infrared and radio emission. The still unexplained origin of this millimetre excess is investigate...

Interstellar ice grains in the Taurus molecular clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittet, D.C.B.; Bode, M.F.; Baines, D.W.T.; Evans, A.

1983-01-01

Observations made in November 1981 using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) at Mauna Kea of the 3 μm ice absorption feature in the spectra of several obscured stars in the Taurus interstellar clouds are reported. The feature correlated in strength with extinction at visual wavelengths (Asub(v)), and is present in stars with Asub(v) as low as 4-6 mag. Ice may be widespread in the Taurus clouds, vindicating ideas on grain composition and growth first reported nearly 50 yr ago. (author)

THE YOUNG STELLAR POPULATION OF LYNDS 1340. AN INFRARED VIEW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kun, M.; Moór, A.; Wolf-Chase, G.; Apai, D.; Balog, Z.; O’Linger-Luscusk, J.; Moriarty-Schieven, G. H.

2016-01-01

We present results of an infrared study of the molecular cloud Lynds 1340, forming three groups of low- and intermediate-mass stars. Our goals are to identify and characterize the young stellar population of the cloud, study the relationships between the properties of the cloud and the emergent stellar groups, and integrate L1340 into the picture of the star-forming activity of our Galactic environment. We selected candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) from the Spitzer and WISE databases using various published color criteria and classified them based on the slope of the spectral energy distribution (SED). We identified 170 Class II, 27 flat SED, and 45 Class 0/I sources. High angular resolution near-infrared observations of the RNO 7 cluster, embedded in L1340, revealed eight new young stars of near-infrared excess. The surface density distribution of YSOs shows three groups, associated with the three major molecular clumps of L1340, each consisting of ≲100 members, including both pre-main-sequence stars and embedded protostars. New Herbig–Haro objects were identified in the Spitzer images. Our results demonstrate that L1340 is a prolific star-forming region of our Galactic environment in which several specific properties of the intermediate-mass mode of star formation can be studied in detail.

THE YOUNG STELLAR POPULATION OF LYNDS 1340. AN INFRARED VIEW

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kun, M.; Moór, A. [Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly Thege út 15-17 (Hungary); Wolf-Chase, G. [Astronomy Department, Adler Planetarium, 1300 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605 (United States); Apai, D. [Steward Observatory, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Balog, Z. [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); O’Linger-Luscusk, J. [On leave from California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Moriarty-Schieven, G. H., E-mail: kun@konkoly.hu [National Research Council—Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada)

2016-06-01

We present results of an infrared study of the molecular cloud Lynds 1340, forming three groups of low- and intermediate-mass stars. Our goals are to identify and characterize the young stellar population of the cloud, study the relationships between the properties of the cloud and the emergent stellar groups, and integrate L1340 into the picture of the star-forming activity of our Galactic environment. We selected candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) from the Spitzer and WISE databases using various published color criteria and classified them based on the slope of the spectral energy distribution (SED). We identified 170 Class II, 27 flat SED, and 45 Class 0/I sources. High angular resolution near-infrared observations of the RNO 7 cluster, embedded in L1340, revealed eight new young stars of near-infrared excess. The surface density distribution of YSOs shows three groups, associated with the three major molecular clumps of L1340, each consisting of ≲100 members, including both pre-main-sequence stars and embedded protostars. New Herbig–Haro objects were identified in the Spitzer images. Our results demonstrate that L1340 is a prolific star-forming region of our Galactic environment in which several specific properties of the intermediate-mass mode of star formation can be studied in detail.

Comparison of Cloud and Aerosol Detection between CERES Edition 3 Cloud Mask and CALIPSO Version 2 Data Products

Science.gov (United States)

Trepte, Qing; Minnis, Patrick; Sun-Mack, Sunny; Trepte, Charles

Clouds and aerosol play important roles in the global climate system. Accurately detecting their presence, altitude, and properties using satellite radiance measurements is a crucial first step in determining their influence on surface and top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes. This paper presents a comparison analysis of a new version of the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Edition 3 cloud detection algorithms using Aqua MODIS data with the recently released Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Version 2 Vertical Feature Mask (VFM). Improvements in CERES Edition 3 cloud mask include dust detection, thin cirrus tests, enhanced low cloud detection at night, and a smoother transition from mid-latitude to polar regions. For the CALIPSO Version 2 data set, changes to the lidar calibration can result in significant improvements to its identification of optically thick aerosol layers. The Aqua and CALIPSO satellites, part of the A-train satellite constellation, provide a unique opportunity for validating passive sensor cloud and aerosol detection using an active sensor. In this paper, individual comparison cases will be discussed for different types of clouds and aerosols over various surfaces, for daytime and nighttime conditions, and for regions ranging from the tropics to the poles. Examples will include an assessment of the CERES detection algorithm for optically thin cirrus, marine stratus, and polar night clouds as well as its ability to characterize Saharan dust plumes off the African coast. With the CALIPSO lidar's unique ability to probe the vertical structure of clouds and aerosol layers, it provides an excellent validation data set for cloud detection algorithms, especially for polar nighttime clouds.

INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF THE QUIESCENT MEDIUM OF NEARBY CLOUDS. I. ICE FORMATION AND GRAIN GROWTH IN LUPUS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boogert, A. C. A. [IPAC, NASA Herschel Science Center, Mail Code 100-22, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Chiar, J. E. [SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Knez, C.; Mundy, L. G. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Öberg, K. I. [Departments of Chemistry and Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Pendleton, Y. J. [Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Van Dishoeck, E. F., E-mail: aboogert@ipac.caltech.edu [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)

2013-11-01

Infrared photometry and spectroscopy (1-25 μm) of background stars reddened by the Lupus molecular cloud complex are used to determine the properties of grains and the composition of ices before they are incorporated into circumstellar envelopes and disks. H{sub 2}O ices form at extinctions of A{sub K} = 0.25 ± 0.07 mag (A{sub V} = 2.1 ± 0.6). Such a low ice formation threshold is consistent with the absence of nearby hot stars. Overall, the Lupus clouds are in an early chemical phase. The abundance of H{sub 2}O ice (2.3 ± 0.1 × 10{sup –5} relative to N{sub H}) is typical for quiescent regions, but lower by a factor of three to four compared to dense envelopes of young stellar objects. The low solid CH{sub 3}OH abundance (<3%-8% relative to H{sub 2}O) indicates a low gas phase H/CO ratio, which is consistent with the observed incomplete CO freeze out. Furthermore it is found that the grains in Lupus experienced growth by coagulation. The mid-infrared (>5 μm) continuum extinction relative to A{sub K} increases as a function of A{sub K}. Most Lupus lines of sight are well fitted with empirically derived extinction curves corresponding to R{sub V} ∼ 3.5 (A{sub K} = 0.71) and R{sub V} ∼ 5.0 (A{sub K} = 1.47). For lines of sight with A{sub K} > 1.0 mag, the τ{sub 9.7}/A{sub K} ratio is a factor of two lower compared to the diffuse medium. Below 1.0 mag, values scatter between the dense and diffuse medium ratios. The absence of a gradual transition between diffuse and dense medium-type dust indicates that local conditions matter in the process that sets the τ{sub 9.7}/A{sub K} ratio. This process is likely related to grain growth by coagulation, as traced by the A{sub 7.4}/A{sub K} continuum extinction ratio, but not to ice mantle formation. Conversely, grains acquire ice mantles before the process of coagulation starts.

Theories of cometary origin and the brightness of the infrared sky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, M.E.

1983-01-01

The far-infrared flux produced by a power-law density distribution of comets surrounding the planetary system is calculated. If the comet cloud is as massive and as dense as some recent ideas suggest, the total contribution by comets to the far-infrared background radiation may be significant and could be detected using current observational techniques. In this way observations of the infrared background could constrain theories of Solar System and cometary origins. (author)

Do stochastic inhomogeneities affect dark-energy precision measurements?

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Dayan, I; Gasperini, M; Marozzi, G; Nugier, F; Veneziano, G

2013-01-11

The effect of a stochastic background of cosmological perturbations on the luminosity-redshift relation is computed to second order through a recently proposed covariant and gauge-invariant light-cone averaging procedure. The resulting expressions are free from both ultraviolet and infrared divergences, implying that such perturbations cannot mimic a sizable fraction of dark energy. Different averages are estimated and depend on the particular function of the luminosity distance being averaged. The energy flux being minimally affected by perturbations at large z is proposed as the best choice for precision estimates of dark-energy parameters. Nonetheless, its irreducible (stochastic) variance induces statistical errors on Ω(Λ)(z) typically lying in the few-percent range.

Do stochastic inhomogeneities affect dark-energy precision measurements?

CERN Document Server

Ben-Dayan, Ido; Marozzi, Giovanni; Nugier, Fabien; Veneziano, Gabriele

2013-01-01

The effect of a stochastic background of cosmological perturbations on the luminosity-redshift relation is computed to second order through a recently proposed covariant and gauge-invariant light-cone averaging procedure. The resulting expressions are free from both ultraviolet and infrared divergences, implying that such perturbations cannot mimic a sizable fraction of dark energy. Different averages are estimated and depend on the particular function of the luminosity distance being averaged. The energy flux, being minimally affected by perturbations at large z, is proposed as the best choice for precision estimates of dark-energy parameters. Nonetheless, its irreducible (stochastic) variance induces statistical errors on \\Omega_{\\Lambda}(z) typically lying in the few-percent range.

GALAXY CLUSTERS IN THE IRAC DARK FIELD. II. MID-INFRARED SOURCES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krick, J. E.; Surace, J. A.; Yan, L.; Thompson, D.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Hora, J. L.; Gorjian, V.

2009-01-01

We present infrared (IR) luminosities, star formation rates (SFR), colors, morphologies, locations, and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) properties of 24 μm detected sources in photometrically detected high-redshift clusters in order to understand the impact of environment on star formation (SF) and AGN evolution in cluster galaxies. We use three newly identified z = 1 clusters selected from the IRAC dark field; the deepest ever mid-IR survey with accompanying, 14 band multiwavelength data including deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging and deep wide-area Spitzer MIPS 24 μm imaging. We find 90 cluster members with MIPS detections within two virial radii of the cluster centers, of which 17 appear to have spectral energy distributions dominated by AGNs and the rest dominated by SF. We find that 43% of the star-forming sample have IR luminosities L IR > 10 11 L sun (luminous IR galaxies). The majority of sources (81%) are spirals or irregulars. A large fraction (at least 25%) show obvious signs of interactions. The MIPS-detected member galaxies have varied spatial distributions as compared to the MIPS-undetected members with one of the three clusters showing SF galaxies being preferentially located on the cluster outskirts, while the other two clusters show no such trend. Both the AGN fraction and the summed SFR of cluster galaxies increase from redshift zero to one, at a rate that is a few times faster in clusters than over the same redshift range in the field. Cluster environment does have an effect on the evolution of both AGN fraction and SFR from redshift one to the present, but does not affect the IR luminosities or morphologies of the MIPS sample. SF happens in the same way regardless of environment making MIPS sources look the same in the cluster and field, however the cluster environment does encourage a more rapid evolution with time as compared to the field.

Dark matter and dark radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackerman, Lotty; Buckley, Matthew R.; Carroll, Sean M.; Kamionkowski, Marc

2009-01-01

We explore the feasibility and astrophysical consequences of a new long-range U(1) gauge field ('dark electromagnetism') that couples only to dark matter, not to the standard model. The dark matter consists of an equal number of positive and negative charges under the new force, but annihilations are suppressed if the dark-matter mass is sufficiently high and the dark fine-structure constant α-circumflex is sufficiently small. The correct relic abundance can be obtained if the dark matter also couples to the conventional weak interactions, and we verify that this is consistent with particle-physics constraints. The primary limit on α-circumflex comes from the demand that the dark matter be effectively collisionless in galactic dynamics, which implies α-circumflex -3 for TeV-scale dark matter. These values are easily compatible with constraints from structure formation and primordial nucleosynthesis. We raise the prospect of interesting new plasma effects in dark-matter dynamics, which remain to be explored.

Gitting of infrared data to the interstellar polarization law

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clarke, D

1984-02-15

The ability of Serkowski's law describing the wavelength dependence of interstellar polarization to encompass new infrared measurements in combination with optical data has been examined. Fitting by least-squares procedures reveals departures from the law in various wavelength zones or at specific wavelength points across the optical and infrared spectrum. These structures may be caused by a combination of effects such as normal experimental noise, complex interstellar clouds or systematic errors in the polarimetry but the possibility remains that some, particularly in the infrared, reflect the scattering properties of interstellar grains. 8 references.

Fitting of infrared data to the interstellar polarization law

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clarke, D [Glasgow Univ., Great Britain

1984-02-15

The ability of Serkowski's law describing the wavelength dependence of interstellar polarization to encompass new infrared measurements in combination with optical data has been examined. Fitting by least-squares procedures reveals departures from the law in various wavelength zones or at specific wavelength points across the optical and infrared spectrum. These structures may be caused by a combination of effects such as normal experimental noise, complex interstellar clouds or systematic errors in the polarimetry but the possibility remains that some, particularly in the infrared, reflect the scattering properties of interstellar grains.

A cloud shadow detection method combined with cloud height iteration and spectral analysis for Landsat 8 OLI data

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Lin; Liu, Xinyan; Yang, Yikun; Chen, TingTing; Wang, Quan; Zhou, Xueying

2018-04-01

Although enhanced over prior Landsat instruments, Landsat 8 OLI can obtain very high cloud detection precisions, but for the detection of cloud shadows, it still faces great challenges. Geometry-based cloud shadow detection methods are considered the most effective and are being improved constantly. The Function of Mask (Fmask) cloud shadow detection method is one of the most representative geometry-based methods that has been used for cloud shadow detection with Landsat 8 OLI. However, the Fmask method estimates cloud height employing fixed temperature rates, which are highly uncertain, and errors of large area cloud shadow detection can be caused by errors in estimations of cloud height. This article improves the geometry-based cloud shadow detection method for Landsat OLI from the following two aspects. (1) Cloud height no longer depends on the brightness temperature of the thermal infrared band but uses a possible dynamic range from 200 m to 12,000 m. In this case, cloud shadow is not a specific location but a possible range. Further analysis was carried out in the possible range based on the spectrum to determine cloud shadow location. This effectively avoids the cloud shadow leakage caused by the error in the height determination of a cloud. (2) Object-based and pixel spectral analyses are combined to detect cloud shadows, which can realize cloud shadow detection from two aspects of target scale and pixel scale. Based on the analysis of the spectral differences between the cloud shadow and typical ground objects, the best cloud shadow detection bands of Landsat 8 OLI were determined. The combined use of spectrum and shape can effectively improve the detection precision of cloud shadows produced by thin clouds. Several cloud shadow detection experiments were carried out, and the results were verified by the results of artificial recognition. The results of these experiments indicated that this method can identify cloud shadows in different regions with correct

METHANE GAS STABILIZES SUPERCOOLED ETHANE DROPLETS IN TITAN'S CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chia C.; Lang, E. Kathrin; Signorell, Ruth

2010-01-01

Strong evidence for ethane clouds in various regions of Titan's atmosphere has recently been found. Ethane is usually assumed to exist as ice particles in these clouds, although the possible role of liquid and supercooled liquid ethane droplets has been recognized. Here, we report on infrared spectroscopic measurements of ethane aerosols performed in the laboratory under conditions mimicking Titan's lower atmosphere. The results clearly show that liquid ethane droplets are significantly stabilized by methane gas which is ubiquitous in Titan's nitrogen atmosphere-a phenomenon that does not have a counterpart for water droplets in Earth's atmosphere. Our data imply that supercooled ethane droplets are much more abundant in Titan's clouds than previously anticipated. Possibly, these liquid droplets are even more important for cloud processes and the formation of lakes than ethane ice particles.

Determining Cloud Thermodynamic Phase from Micropulse Lidar Network Data

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Jasper R.; Campbell, James; Lolli, Simone; Tan, Ivy; Welton, Ellsworth J.

2017-01-01

Determining cloud thermodynamic phase is a critical factor in studies of Earth's radiation budget. Here we use observations from the NASA Micro Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET) and thermodynamic profiles from the Goddard Earth Observing System, version 5 (GEOS-5) to distinguish liquid water, mixed-phase, and ice water clouds. The MPLNET provides sparse global, autonomous, and continuous measurements of clouds and aerosols which have been used in a number of scientific investigations to date. The use of a standardized instrument and a common suite of data processing algorithms with thorough uncertainty characterization allows for straightforward comparisons between sites. Lidars with polarization capabilities have recently been incorporated into the MPLNET project which allows, for the first time, the ability to infer a cloud thermodynamic phase. This presentation will look specifically at the occurrence of ice and mixed phase clouds in the temperature region of -10 C to -40 C for different climatological regions and seasons. We compare MPLNET occurrences of mixed-phase clouds to an historical climatology based on observations from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spacecraft.

Remote Determination of Cloud Temperature and Transmittance from Spectral Radiance Measurements: Method and Results

Science.gov (United States)

1996-10-01

atmospherics temperatura and humidity profiles. Validation tests performed on experimental spectra demonstrate the occuracy of the method with typical...indicated as with the title.) Passive Remota Sensing Infrared Spectra Cloud Temperatura Cloud Transmittance FTIR Spectrometer Icing Hazard Detection (DCD03E.IFO - 95.02.22) UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF FORM

High-mass star formation possibly triggered by cloud-cloud collision in the H II region RCW 34

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Katsuhiro; Sano, Hidetoshi; Enokiya, Rei; Torii, Kazufumi; Hattori, Yusuke; Kohno, Mikito; Fujita, Shinji; Nishimura, Atsushi; Ohama, Akio; Yamamoto, Hiroaki; Tachihara, Kengo; Hasegawa, Yutaka; Kimura, Kimihiro; Ogawa, Hideo; Fukui, Yasuo

2018-05-01

We report on the possibility that the high-mass star located in the H II region RCW 34 was formed by a triggering induced by a collision of molecular clouds. Molecular gas distributions of the 12CO and 13CO J = 2-1 and 12CO J = 3-2 lines in the direction of RCW 34 were measured using the NANTEN2 and ASTE telescopes. We found two clouds with velocity ranges of 0-10 km s-1 and 10-14 km s-1. Whereas the former cloud is as massive as ˜1.4 × 104 M⊙ and has a morphology similar to the ring-like structure observed in the infrared wavelengths, the latter cloud, with a mass of ˜600 M⊙, which has not been recognized by previous observations, is distributed to just cover the bubble enclosed by the other cloud. The high-mass star with a spectral type of O8.5V is located near the boundary of the two clouds. The line intensity ratio of 12CO J = 3-2/J = 2-1 yields high values (≳1.0), suggesting that these clouds are associated with the massive star. We also confirm that the obtained position-velocity diagram shows a similar distribution to that derived by a numerical simulation of the supersonic collision of two clouds. Using the relative velocity between the two clouds (˜5 km s-1), the collisional time scale is estimated to be ˜0.2 Myr with the assumption of a distance of 2.5 kpc. These results suggest that the high-mass star in RCW 34 was formed rapidly within a time scale of ˜0.2 Myr via a triggering of a cloud-cloud collision.

Exploring the Effects of Clouds on Hot Jupiter Atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Jenna; Line, Michael

2018-01-01

Secondary eclipse spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets allows us to probe the atmospheric properties on the daysides of tidally locked planets. Specifically, eclipse spectra combined with atmospheric retrieval models permit constraints on the molecular abundances and vertical thermal profiles of the planetary dayside. Eclipse spectra from HST WFC3 are typically interpreted assuming that all of the near infrared light is due solely to the thermal emission of the planet. However, recent evidence suggests that reflected stellar light from clouds on the planetary daysides might contaminate the near-IR spectrum. Here, we aim to explore how reflected light from clouds within in a simplified cloud framework will alter the shape of the near infrared spectra and how they will influence our determinations of dayside temperatures and abundances. Specifically, we will use atmospheric retrieval tools to determine the biases in abundances and temperature profiles if reflected light is not taken into account. We will explore the influence of reflected light on interpretation of WFC3 spectra of the well-observed exoplanets, HD209458b and WASP-43b. We will then investigate how reflected light in the near-IR will influence our interpretation of JWST spectra.

CLOUD–CLOUD COLLISION AS A TRIGGER OF THE HIGH-MASS STAR FORMATION: A MOLECULAR LINE STUDY IN RCW 120

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torii, K.; Hasegawa, K.; Hattori, Y.; Sano, H.; Ohama, A.; Yamamoto, H.; Tachihara, K.; Soga, S.; Shimizu, S.; Fukui, Y. [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 (Japan); Okuda, T.; Mizuno, N. [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Onishi, T. [Department of Astrophysics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Nakaku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531 (Japan); Mizuno, A., E-mail: torii@a.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp [Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)

2015-06-10

RCW 120 is a Galactic H ii region that has a beautiful ring shape that is bright in the infrared. Our new CO J = 1–0 and J = 3–2 observations performed with the NANTEN2, Mopra, and ASTE telescopes have revealed that two molecular clouds with a velocity separation of 20 km s{sup −1} are both physically associated with RCW 120. The cloud at −8 km s{sup −1} apparently traces the infrared ring, while the other cloud at −28 km s{sup −1} is distributed just outside the opening of the infrared ring, interacting with the H ii region as suggested by the high kinetic temperature of the molecular gas and by the complementary distribution with the ionized gas. A spherically expanding shell driven by the H ii region is usually considered to be the origin of the observed ring structure in RCW 120. Our observations, however, indicate no evidence of the expanding motion in the velocity space, which is inconsistent with the expanding shell model. We postulate an alternative that, by applying the model introduced by Habe and Ohta, the exciting O star in RCW 120 was formed by a collision between the present two clouds at a collision velocity of ∼30 km s{sup −1}. In the model, the observed infrared ring can be interpreted as the cavity created in the larger cloud by the collision, whose inner surface is illuminated by the strong ultraviolet radiation after the birth of the O star. We discuss that the present cloud–cloud collision scenario explains the observed signatures of RCW 120, i.e., its ring morphology, coexistence of the two clouds and their large velocity separation, and absence of the expanding motion.

NEAR-INFRARED VARIABILITY IN YOUNG STARS IN CYGNUS OB7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rice, Thomas S. [Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Wolk, Scott J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Aspin, Colin [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 640 N Aohoku Pl, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2012-08-10

We present the first results from a 124 night J, H, K near-infrared monitoring campaign of the dark cloud L 1003 in Cygnus OB7, an active star-forming region. Using three seasons of UKIRT observations spanning 1.5 years, we obtained high-quality photometry on 9200 stars down to J = 17 mag, with photometric uncertainty better than 0.04 mag. On the basis of near-infrared excesses from disks, we identify 30 pre-main-sequence stars, including 24 which are newly discovered. We analyze those stars and find that the NIR excesses are significantly variable. All 9200 stars were monitored for photometric variability; among the field star population, {approx}160 exhibited near-infrared variability (1.7% of the sample). Of the 30 young stellar objects (YSOs), 28 of them (93%) are variable at a significant level. Of the 30 YSOs, twenty-five have near-infrared excess consistent with simple disk-plus-star classical T Tauri models. Nine of these (36%) drift in color space over the course of these observations and/or since Two Micron All Sky Survey observations such that they cross the boundary defining the NIR excess criteria; effectively, they have a transient near-infrared excess. Thus, time-series JHK observations can be used to obtain a more complete sample of disk-bearing stars than single-epoch JHK observations. About half of the YSOs have color-space variations parallel to either the classical T Tauri star locus or a hybrid track which includes the dust reddening trajectory. This indicates that the NIR variability in YSOs that possess accretion disks arises from a combination of variable extinction and changes in the inner accretion disk: either in accretion rate, central hole size, and/or the inclination of the inner disk. While some variability may be due to stellar rotation, the level of variability on the individual stars can exceed a magnitude. This is a strong empirical suggestion that protoplanetary disks are quite dynamic and exhibit more complex activity on short

Aqueous greenhouse species in clouds, fogs, and aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marley, N.A.; Gaffney, J.S.; Cunningham, M.M.

1993-01-01

Greenhouse effects from fossil fuel combustion leading to increased concentrations of primary and secondary greenhouse gases (e.g., CO-2, ozone, etc.) have received considerable attention. More recently, it has been suggested that clouds, aerosols, and fogs can play opposing roles in climate forcing by scattering or absorbing incoming solar radiation as well as by absorbing long-wave radiation as it escapes into space. The total effect on the radiation balance depends on the relative magnitude of these opposing forces, which in turn will depend on the composition of the aqueous phase. This work describes the measurement of water-soluble infrared absorbers which can contribute to the long-wave radiative forcing of clouds, fogs, and aerosols. Aqueous species which have been characterized include sulfate, nitrate, formate, acetate, oxalate, phenol, p-nitrophenol, ammonium, bicarbonate, formaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol. Infrared absorption band positions and band strengths have been determined, and their relative effects on radiative forcing are discussed

Multi-wavelength study of two possible cloud-cloud collision regions: IRAS 02459+6029 and IRAS 22528+5936

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Nan; Wang Junjie

2012-01-01

Based on observations of 12 CO (J=2–1), we select targets from archived Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) data of IRAS 02459+6029 and IRAS 22528+5936 as samples of cloud-cloud collision, according to the criteria given by Vallee. Then we use the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) A band (8.28 μm) images and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) (1.4 GHz) continuum images to investigate the association between molecular clouds traced by the CO contour maps. The distribution of dust and ionized hydrogen shows an obvious association with the CO contour maps toward IRAS 02459+6029. However, in the possible collision region of IRAS 22528+5936, NVSS continuum radiation is not detected and the MSX sources are merely associated with the central star. The velocity fields of the two regions indicate the direction of the pressure and interaction. In addition, we have identified candidates of young stellar objects (YSOs) by using data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) in JHK bands expressed in a color-color diagram. The distribution of YSOs shows that the possible collision region is denser than other regions. All the evidence suggests that IRAS 02459+6029 could be an example of cloud-cloud collision, and that IRAS 22528+5936 could be two separate non-colliding clouds. (research papers)

Numerical simulations of altocumulus with a cloud resolving model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, S.; Krueger, S.K. [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

1996-04-01

Altocumulus and altostratus clouds together cover approximately 22% of the earth`s surface. They play an important role in the earth`s energy budget through their effect on solar and infrared radiation. However, there has been little altocumulus cloud investigation by either modelers or observational programs. Starr and Cox (SC) (1985a,b) simulated an altostratus case as part of the same study in which they modeled a thin layer of cirrus. Although this calculation was originally described as representing altostratus, it probably better represents altocumulus stratiformis. In this paper, we simulate altocumulus cloud with a cloud resolving model (CRM). We simply describe the CRM first. We calculate the same middle-level cloud case as SC to compare our results with theirs. We will look at the role of cloud-scale processes in response to large-scale forcing. We will also discuss radiative effects by simulating diurnal and nocturnal cases. Finally, we discuss the utility of a 1D model by comparing 1D simulations and 2D simulations.

DUST AND GAS IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS FROM THE HERITAGE HERSCHEL KEY PROJECT. II. GAS-TO-DUST RATIO VARIATIONS ACROSS INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM PHASES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roman-Duval, Julia; Gordon, Karl D.; Meixner, Margaret; Bot, Caroline; Bolatto, Alberto; Jameson, Katherine; Hughes, Annie; Hony, Sacha; Wong, Tony; Babler, Brian; Bernard, Jean-Philippe; Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Fukui, Yasuo; Galametz, Maud; Galliano, Frederic; Lebouteiller, Vianney; Lee, Min-Young; Glover, Simon; Israel, Frank; Li, Aigen

2014-01-01

The spatial variations of the gas-to-dust ratio (GDR) provide constraints on the chemical evolution and lifecycle of dust in galaxies. We examine the relation between dust and gas at 10-50 pc resolution in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) based on Herschel far-infrared (FIR), H I 21 cm, CO, and Hα observations. In the diffuse atomic interstellar medium (ISM), we derive the GDR as the slope of the dust-gas relation and find GDRs of 380 −130 +250 ± 3 in the LMC, and 1200 −420 +1600 ± 120 in the SMC, not including helium. The atomic-to-molecular transition is located at dust surface densities of 0.05 M ☉  pc –2 in the LMC and 0.03 M ☉  pc –2 in the SMC, corresponding to A V ∼ 0.4 and 0.2, respectively. We investigate the range of CO-to-H 2 conversion factor to best account for all the molecular gas in the beam of the observations, and find upper limits on X CO to be 6 × 10 20  cm –2  K –1  km –1 s in the LMC (Z = 0.5 Z ☉ ) at 15 pc resolution, and 4 × 10 21  cm –2  K –1  km –1 s in the SMC (Z = 0.2 Z ☉ ) at 45 pc resolution. In the LMC, the slope of the dust-gas relation in the dense ISM is lower than in the diffuse ISM by a factor ∼2, even after accounting for the effects of CO-dark H 2 in the translucent envelopes of molecular clouds. Coagulation of dust grains and the subsequent dust emissivity increase in molecular clouds, and/or accretion of gas-phase metals onto dust grains, and the subsequent dust abundance (dust-to-gas ratio) increase in molecular clouds could explain the observations. In the SMC, variations in the dust-gas slope caused by coagulation or accretion are degenerate with the effects of CO-dark H 2 . Within the expected 5-20 times Galactic X CO range, the dust-gas slope can be either constant or decrease by a factor of several across ISM phases. Further modeling and observations are required to break the degeneracy between dust grain coagulation, accretion, and CO-dark H 2

SPECTROSCOPIC INFRARED EXTINCTION MAPPING AS A PROBE OF GRAIN GROWTH IN IRDCs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Wanggi [Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Carey, Sean J. [Infrared Processing Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Tan, Jonathan C. [Departments of Astronomy and Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

2015-11-20

We present spectroscopic tests of MIR to FIR extinction laws in IRDC G028.36+00.07, a potential site of massive star and star cluster formation. Lim and Tan developed methods of FIR extinction mapping of this source using Spitzer-MIPS 24 μm and Herschel-PACS 70 μm images, and by comparing to MIR Spitzer-IRAC 3–8 μm extinction maps, found tentative evidence for grain growth in the highest mass surface density regions. Here we present results of spectroscopic infrared extinction mapping using Spitzer-IRS (14–38 μm) data of the same Infrared dark cloud (IRDC). These methods allow us to first measure the SED of the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium that is in the foreground of the IRDC. We then carry out our primary investigation of measuring the MIR to FIR opacity law and searching for potential variations as a function of mass surface density within the IRDC. We find relatively flat, featureless MIR–FIR opacity laws that lack the ∼12 and ∼35 μm features associated with the thick water ice mantle models of Ossenkopf and Henning. Their thin ice mantle models and the coagulating aggregate dust models of Ormel et al. are a generally better match to the observed opacity laws. We also find evidence for generally flatter MIR to FIR extinction laws as mass surface density increases, strengthening the evidence for grain and ice mantle growth in higher density regions.