The interstellar medium and the highly ionized species observed in the spectrum of the nearby white dwarf G191-B2B

Science.gov (United States)

Bruhweiler, F. C.; Kondo, Y.

1981-01-01

High-resolution spectra of the nearby (48 pc) white dwarf G191-B2B, obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer, reveal sharp resonance lines of N V, C IV, and Si IV. The origin of these features is most likely linked to the white dwarf, possibly being formed in an expanding halo around the star. Interstellar lines of C II, N I, Mg II, Si II, and Fe II are also seen in the spectrum. Analysis of these features indicates an average neutral hydrogen number density of 0.064 for this line of sight. In combination with the recent EUV and soft X-ray results, this is interpreted to mean that the interstellar medium in the most immediate solar vicinity is of the normal density n approximately equal to 0.1/cu cm of lower ionization, while just beyond it, at least in some directions, is a hot lower density plasma. These results are apparently in conflict with the model of the interstellar medium by McKee and Ostriker (1977) in its present form.

MAGNETIZED GAS IN THE SMITH HIGH VELOCITY CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, Alex S.; McClure-Griffiths, Naomi M.; Mao, S. A.; Benjamin, Robert A.; Lockman, Felix J.

2013-01-01

We report the first detection of magnetic fields associated with the Smith High Velocity Cloud. We use a catalog of Faraday rotation measures toward extragalactic radio sources behind the Smith Cloud, new H I observations from the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, and a spectroscopic map of Hα from the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper Northern Sky Survey. There are enhancements in rotation measure (RM) of ≈100 rad m –2 which are generally well correlated with decelerated Hα emission. We estimate a lower limit on the line-of-sight component of the field of ≈8 μG along a decelerated filament; this is a lower limit due to our assumptions about the geometry. No RM excess is evident in sightlines dominated by H I or Hα at the velocity of the Smith Cloud. The smooth Hα morphology of the emission at the Smith Cloud velocity suggests photoionization by the Galactic ionizing radiation field as the dominant ionization mechanism, while the filamentary morphology and high (≈1 Rayleigh) Hα intensity of the lower-velocity magnetized ionized gas suggests an ionization process associated with shocks due to interaction with the Galactic interstellar medium. The presence of the magnetic field may contribute to the survival of high velocity clouds like the Smith Cloud as they move from the Galactic halo to the disk. We expect these data to provide a test for magnetohydrodynamic simulations of infalling gas

LOW-VELOCITY SHOCKS TRACED BY EXTENDED SiO EMISSION ALONG THE W43 RIDGES: WITNESSING THE FORMATION OF YOUNG MASSIVE CLUSTERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen-Luong, Q.; Martin, P. G.; Motte, F.; Louvet, F.; Hill, T.; Hennemann, M.; Didelon, P.; Carlhoff, P.; Schilke, P.; Lesaffre, P.; Gusdorf, A.; Schneider, N.; Bontemps, S.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Menten, K. M.; Wyrowski, F.; Bendo, G.; Roussel, H.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bronfman, L.

2013-01-01

The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. Here, we focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of star formation. Using a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps, we identify two high-density filamentary clouds, called the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges. Both have gas masses of 2.1 × 10 4 M ☉ and 3.5 × 10 4 M ☉ above >10 23 cm -2 and within areas of ∼6 and ∼14 pc 2 , respectively. The W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures that are coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion measured by the N 2 H + (1-0) lines of the W43-HERO IRAM large program. Another intriguing result is that these ridges harbor widespread (∼10 pc 2 ) bright SiO (2-1) emission, which we interpret to be the result of low-velocity shocks (≤10 km s –1 ). We measure a significant relationship between the SiO (2-1) luminosity and velocity extent and show that it distinguishes our observations from the high-velocity shocks associated with outflows. We use state-of-the-art shock models to demonstrate that a small percentage (10%) of Si atoms in low-velocity shocks, observed initially in gas phase or in grain mantles, can explain the observed SiO column density in the W43 ridges. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges of high-density gas and the shocked SiO gas suggest that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters

Cometary and interstellar dust grains - Analysis by ion microprobe mass spectrometry and other techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Zinner, Ernst

1991-01-01

A survey of microanalytical measurements on interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and interstellar dust grains from primitive meteorites is presented. Ion-microprobe mass spectrometry with its capability to determine isotopic compositions of many elements on a micron spatial scale has played a special role. Examples are measurements of H, N, and O isotopes and refractory trace elements in IDPs; C, N, Mg, and Si isotopes in interstellar SiC grains; and C and N isotopes and H, N, Al, and Si concentrations in interstellar graphite grains.

Field dependence of the electron drift velocity along the hexagonal axis of 4H-SiC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivanov, P. A., E-mail: Pavel.Ivanov@mail.ioffe.ru; Potapov, A. S.; Samsonova, T. P.; Grekhov, I. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical–Technical Institute (Russian Federation)

2016-07-15

The forward current–voltage characteristics of mesa-epitaxial 4H-SiC Schottky diodes are measured in high electric fields (up to 4 × 10{sup 5} V/cm) in the n-type base region. A semi-empirical formula for the field dependence of the electron drift velocity in 4H-SiC along the hexagonal axis of the crystal is derived. It is shown that the saturated drift velocity is (1.55 ± 0.05) × 10{sup 7} cm/s in electric fields higher than 2 × 10{sup 5} V/cm.

Thermoluminescence of Simulated Interstellar Matter after Gamma-ray Irradiation

OpenAIRE

Koike, K.; Nakagawa, M.; Koike, C.; Okada, M.; Chihara, H.

2002-01-01

Interstellar matter is known to be strongly irradiated by radiation and several types of cosmic ray particles. Simulated interstellar matter, such as forsterite $\\rm Mg_{2}SiO_{4}$, enstatite $\\rm MgSiO_{3}$ and magnesite $\\rm MgCO_{3}$ has been irradiated with the $\\rm ^{60}Co$ gamma-rays in liquid nitrogen, and also irradiated with fast neutrons at 10 K and 70 K by making use of the low-temperature irradiation facility of Kyoto University Reactor (KUR-LTL. Maximum fast neutron dose is $10^{...

Optical properties of likely constituents of interstellar dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dayawansa, I.J.

1977-07-01

Optical properties of polyoxymethylene (POM) at room temperature have been measured from the near ultra-violet to infrared as an initial stage of a link between interstellar dust and organic matter, and the results, which are particularly relevant to interstellar extinction, are reported. There is a strong possibility of a more complex organic component which could significantly contribute to the interstellar extinction. Measurements have also been made of the effect of fast neutron bombardment on the optical properties of quartz (SiO 2 ). At a high total flux of neutrons the crystalline quartz will change to its amorphous form which has extinction properties that resemble the interstellar extinction. Extinction due to small particles of several forms of SiO 2 has been measured and among them the hydrated mineral, opal, behaved like an amorphous silica. Neutron irradiated olivine showed a stronger and a broader 10μm band in addition to weaker bands towards the longer wavelengths which indicated that atomic damage has been produced. At high fluxes more atomic damage is expected to change the crystalline structure and thereby cause changes in the infrared absorption properties. Extinction measurements were also made for smoke particles of MgO in the infrared. When the measurements were made with the particles deposited on substrates, in addition to a very broad surface mode absorption feature around 20μm an extinction maximum was observed typical of the bulk mode at 25μm. Extinction measurements for MgO smoke particles in air also showed similar results. However when the particles were dispersed in a non-absorbing medium, the bulk absorption mode was not observed. This implies that the appearance of the bulk mode is due to clumping. (author)

Optical observations of nearby interstellar gas

Science.gov (United States)

Frisch, P. C.; York, D. G.

1984-11-01

Observations indicated that a cloud with a heliocentric velocity of approximately -28 km/s and a hydrogen column density that possibly could be on the order of, or greater than, 5 x 10 to the 19 power/square cm is located within the nearest 50 to 80 parsecs in the direction of Ophiuchus. This is a surprisingly large column density of material for this distance range. The patchy nature of the absorption from the cloud indicates that it may not be a feature with uniform properties, but rather one with small scale structure which includes local enhancements in the column density. This cloud is probably associated with the interstellar cloud at about the same velocity in front of the 20 parsec distant star alpha Oph (Frisch 1981, Crutcher 1982), and the weak interstellar polarization found in stars as near as 35 parsecs in this general region (Tinbergen 1982). These data also indicate that some portion of the -14 km/s cloud also must lie within the 100 parsec region. Similar observations of both Na1 and Ca2 interstellar absorption features were performed in other lines of sight. Similar interstellar absorption features were found in a dozen stars between 20 and 100 parsecs of the Sun.

Influence of powder particle injection velocity on the microstructure of Al-12Si/SiCp coatings produced by laser cladding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anandkumar, R.; Almeida, A.; Vilar, R.; Ocelik, V.; De Hosson, J. Th M.

2009-01-01

The influence of powder particle injection velocity on the microstructure of coatings consisting of an Al-Si matrix reinforced with SiC particles prepared by laser cladding from mixtures of powders of Al-12 wt.% Si alloy and SiC was investigated both experimentally and by modeling. At low injection

Low-velocity Shocks Traced by Extended SiO Emission along the W43 Ridges: Witnessing the Formation of Young Massive Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen-Lu'o'ng, Q.; Motte, F.; Carlhoff, P.; Louvet, F.; Lesaffre, P.; Schilke, P.; Hill, T.; Hennemann, M.; Gusdorf, A.; Didelon, P.; Schneider, N.; Bontemps, S.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Menten, K. M.; Martin, P. G.; Wyrowski, F.; Bendo, G.; Roussel, H.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bronfman, L.; Henning, T.; Kramer, C.; Heitsch, F.

2013-10-01

The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. Here, we focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of star formation. Using a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps, we identify two high-density filamentary clouds, called the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges. Both have gas masses of 2.1 × 104 M ⊙ and 3.5 × 104 M ⊙ above >10^{23}\\, {{cm}^{-2}} and within areas of ~6 and ~14 pc2, respectively. The W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures that are coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion measured by the N2H+ (1-0) lines of the W43-HERO IRAM large program. Another intriguing result is that these ridges harbor widespread (~10 pc2) bright SiO (2-1) emission, which we interpret to be the result of low-velocity shocks (models to demonstrate that a small percentage (10%) of Si atoms in low-velocity shocks, observed initially in gas phase or in grain mantles, can explain the observed SiO column density in the W43 ridges. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges of high-density gas and the shocked SiO gas suggest that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters.

On the nature of interstellar turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altunin, V.I.

1981-01-01

Possible reasons of interstellar medium turbulence manifested in pulsar scintillation and radio-frequency emission scattering of extragalactic sources near by the Galaxy plane, are discussed. Sources and conditions of turbulence emergence in HII region shells, supernova, residue and in stellar wind giving observed scattering effects are considered. It is shown that in the formation of the interstellar scintillation pattern of discrete radio-frequency emission sources a certain role can be played by magnetosound turbulence, which arises due to shock-waves propagating in the interstellar medium at a velocity Vsub(sh) approximately 20-100 km/s as well as by stellar-wind inhomogeneity of OB classes stars [ru

Ionization of Local Interstellar Gas Based on STIS and FUSE spectra of Nearby Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Redfield, Seth; Linsky, J. L.

2009-01-01

The ultraviolet contains many resonance line transitions that are sensitive to a range of ionization stages of ions present in the local interstellar medium (LISM). We couple observations of high resolution ultraviolet spectrographs, STIS and GHRS on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) in order to make a comprehensive survey of the ionization structure of the local interstellar medium. In particular, we focus on the sight line toward G191-B2B, a nearby (69 pc) white dwarf. We present interstellar detections of highly ionized elements (e.g., SiIII, CIII, CIV, etc) and compare them directly to neutral or singly ionized LISM detections (e.g., SiII, CII, etc). The extensive observations of G191-B2B provides an opportunity for a broad study of ionization stages of several elements, while a survey of several sight lines provides a comprehensive look at the ionization structure of the LISM. We acknowledge support for this project through NASA FUSE Grant NNX06AD33G.

Uv spectra of nearby white dwarfs and the nature of the local interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruhweiler, F.C.; Kondo, Y.

1982-01-01

We have investigated the local interstellar medium in the directions of four white dwarfs, G191-B2B, W1346, HD 149499B, and Sirius B. All the observational data were obtained at the high-resolution mode (lambda/Δlambdaroughly-equal10 4 ) in the spectral range from about 1150 to 3200 A with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE). Interstellar absorption lines of several elements in various stages of ionization are seen against the continuum of the white dwarfs. Low average hydrogen number densities (n-bar/sub HtsI/) are found. They range from n-bar/sub HtsI/ = 0.08 cm -3 for Sirius B, the nearest white dwarf (2.7 pc), to n-bar/sub HtsI/ = 0.006 cm -3 for G191-B2B, the most distant white dwarf (48 pc) studied. The results show, when combined with other recent ultraviolet, EUV, and diffuse X-ray observations, that: (a) the Sun is located inside a low-density (n-bar/sub HtsI/roughly-equal0.1 cm -3 ) cloud; (b) beyond 2--3 pc from the Sun, this cloud is surrounded, at least in most directions, by an extended region of hot (Troughly-equal10/sup 5en-dash6/ K) thin (nroughly-equal10 -2 to 10 -3 cm -3 ) interstellar plasma with no evidence for additional clouds in the lines of sight studied; (c) the elemental depletions of C, N, O, Si, Mg, and possibly Fe are low in the solar vicinity as previously found toward α Vir, (d) the Sun is moving through this cloud at a relative velocity of about 20 km s -1 ; and (e) the current results, which are quite consistent with previous ultraviolet, EUV, and diffuse X-ray observations, have significant bearings on the theoretical modeling of the interstellar medium. Subject headings: interstellar: abundances: interstellar: matter: stars: white dwarfs: ultraviolet: spectra

Interstellar propagation of low energy cosmic rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cesarsky, C.J.

1975-01-01

Wave particles interactions prevent low energy cosmic rays from propagating at velocities much faster than the Alfven velocity, reducing their range by a factor of order 50. Therefore, supernovae remnants cannot fill the neutral portions of the interstellar medium with 2 MeV cosmic rays [fr

Effect of load and reciprocating velocity on the transition from mild to severe wear behavior of Al-Si-SiCp composites in reciprocating conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajeev, V.R.; Dwivedi, D.K.; Jain, S.C.

2010-01-01

In the present paper, the effect of normal load and reciprocating velocity on transition from mild to severe wear of A319/15%SiC p , A336/15%SiC p , and A390/15%SiC p composites have been reported. Composites were produced through liquid metal metallurgy route. Adhesive wear behavior of composites was studied under dry reciprocating conditions using indigenously developed reciprocating friction wear test rig conforming to ASTM Standard G133-05. It was found that increase in normal load increases wear rate and depending upon the reciprocating velocity and type of composites, mode of wear changes from mild oxidative to severe metallic wear was noticed. The load corresponding to the transition from mild to severe wear usually termed as transition load was found to decrease with increase in reciprocating velocity and reduction in silicon content in the alloys used for the development of Al-Si-SiC p composites. At 1 m/s reciprocating velocity, the transition load for A319/15%SiC p , A336/15%SiC p and A390/15%SiC p composites were found to be in the range of 60-90 N, 60-105 N and 60-120 N respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) study of wear surface and wear debris were conducted to analyze the mode of wear and operating wear mechanism. Severe wear was characterized by massive plastic deformation and gross material removal while the mild wear was found to be associated with delamination and scoring as main wear mechanisms responsible for material loss. Wear mechanism maps for different Al-(6-18)%Si-15%SiC p composites were proposed in reciprocating contacts.

Interstellar hydrogen bonding

Science.gov (United States)

Etim, Emmanuel E.; Gorai, Prasanta; Das, Ankan; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.; Arunan, Elangannan

2018-06-01

This paper reports the first extensive study of the existence and effects of interstellar hydrogen bonding. The reactions that occur on the surface of the interstellar dust grains are the dominant processes by which interstellar molecules are formed. Water molecules constitute about 70% of the interstellar ice. These water molecules serve as the platform for hydrogen bonding. High level quantum chemical simulations for the hydrogen bond interaction between 20 interstellar molecules (known and possible) and water are carried out using different ab-intio methods. It is evident that if the formation of these species is mainly governed by the ice phase reactions, there is a direct correlation between the binding energies of these complexes and the gas phase abundances of these interstellar molecules. Interstellar hydrogen bonding may cause lower gas abundance of the complex organic molecules (COMs) at the low temperature. From these results, ketenes whose less stable isomers that are more strongly bonded to the surface of the interstellar dust grains have been observed are proposed as suitable candidates for astronomical observations.

Interstellar Silicon Depletion and the Ultraviolet Extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Ajay; Li, Aigen

2018-01-01

Spinning small silicate grains were recently invoked to account for the Galactic foreground anomalous microwave emission. These grains, if present, will absorb starlight in the far ultraviolet (UV). There is also renewed interest in attributing the enigmatic 2175 Å interstellar extinction bump to small silicates. To probe the role of silicon in the UV extinction, we explore the relations between the amount of silicon required to be locked up in silicates [Si/H]dust and the 2175 Å bump or the far-UV extinction rise, based on an analysis of the extinction curves along 46 Galactic sightlines for which the gas-phase silicon abundance [Si/H]gas is known. We derive [Si/H]dust either from [Si/H]ISM - [Si/H]gas or from the Kramers- Kronig relation which relates the wavelength-integrated extinction to the total dust volume, where [Si/H]ISM is the interstellar silicon reference abundance and taken to be that of proto-Sun or B stars. We also derive [Si/H]dust from fi�tting the observed extinction curves with a mixture of amorphous silicates and graphitic grains. We fi�nd that in all three cases [Si/H]dust shows no correlation with the 2175 Å bump, while the carbon depletion [C/H]dust tends to correlate with the 2175 Å bump. This supports carbon grains instead of silicates as the possible carrier of the 2175 Å bump. We also �find that neither [Si/H]dust nor [C/H]dust alone correlates with the far-UV extinction, suggesting that the far-UV extinction is a combined effect of small carbon grains and silicates.

Interstellar Matters: Neutral Hydrogen and the Galactic Magnetic Field

Science.gov (United States)

Verschuur, Gerrit; Schmelz, Joan T.; Asgari-Targhi asgari-Targhi, M.

2018-01-01

The physics of the interstellar medium was revolutionized by the observations of the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (GALFA) HI survey done at the Arecibo Observatory. The high-resolution, high-sensitivity, high-dynamic- range images show complex, tangled, extended filaments, and reveal that the fabric of the neutral interstellar medium is deeply tied to the structure of the ambient magnetic field. This discovery prompts an obvious question – how exactly is the interstellar {\\it neutral} hydrogen being affected by the galactic magnetic field? We look into this question by examining a set of GALFA-HI data in great detail. We have chosen a long, straight filament in the southern galactic sky. This structure is both close by and isolated in velocity space. Gaussian analysis of profiles both along and across the filament reveal internal structure – braided strands that can be traced through the simplest part, but become tangled in more complex segments. These braids do not resemble in any way the old spherical HI clouds and rudimentary pressure balance models that were used to explain the pre-GALFA- HI interstellar medium. It is clear that these structures are created, constrained, and dominated by magnetic fields. Like many subfields of astronomy before it, e.g., physics of the solar coronal, extragalactic radio jets, and pulsar environment, scientists are confronted with observations that simply cannot be explained by simple hydrodynamics and are forced to consider magneto-hydrodynamics.

HD 62542: Probing the Bare, Dense Core of an Interstellar Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Welty, Daniel; Sonnentrucker, Paule G.; Rachford, Brian; Snow, Theodore; York, Donald G.

2018-01-01

We discuss the interstellar absorption from many atomic and molecular species seen in high-resolution HST/STIS UV spectra of the moderately reddened B3-5 V star HD 62542 [E(B-V) ~ 0.35; AV ~ 1.2]. This remarkable sight line exhibits both very steep far-UV extinction and a high fraction of hydrogen in molecular form -- with strong absorption from CH, C2, CN, and CO but weak absorption from CH+ and most of the commonly observed diffuse interstellar bands. Most of the material appears to reside in a single narrow velocity component -- thus offering a rare opportunity to probe the relatively dense, primarily molecular core of a single interstellar cloud, with little associated diffuse atomic gas.Detailed analyses of the absorption-line profiles seen in the UV spectra reveal a number of properties of the main diffuse molecular cloud toward HD 62542:1) The depletions of Mg, Si, and Fe are more severe than those seen in any other sight line, but the depletions of Cl and Kr are very mild; the overall pattern of depletions differs somewhat from those derived from larger samples of Galactic sight lines.2) The rotational excitation of H2 and C2 indicates that the gas is fairly cold (Tk = 40-45 K) and moderately dense (nH > 420 cm-3) somewhat higher densities are suggested by the fine-structure excitation of neutral carbon.3) The excitation temperatures characterizing the rotational populations of both 12CO (11.7 K) and 13CO (7.7 K) are higher than those typically found for Galactic diffuse molecular clouds.4) Carbon is primarily singly ionized -- N(C+) > N(CO) > N(C).5) The relative abundances of various trace neutral atomic species reflect the effects of both the steep far-UV extinction and the severe depletions of some elements.6) Differences in line widths for the various atomic and molecular species are suggestive of differences in spatial distribution within the main cloud.Support for this study was provided by NASA, via STScI grant GO-12277.008-A.

Investigating Systematic Errors of the Interstellar Flow Longitude Derived from the Pickup Ion Cutoff

Science.gov (United States)

Taut, A.; Berger, L.; Drews, C.; Bower, J.; Keilbach, D.; Lee, M. A.; Moebius, E.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2017-12-01

Complementary to the direct neutral particle measurements performed by e.g. IBEX, the measurement of PickUp Ions (PUIs) constitutes a diagnostic tool to investigate the local interstellar medium. PUIs are former neutral particles that have been ionized in the inner heliosphere. Subsequently, they are picked up by the solar wind and its frozen-in magnetic field. Due to this process, a characteristic Velocity Distribution Function (VDF) with a sharp cutoff evolves, which carries information about the PUI's injection speed and thus the former neutral particle velocity. The symmetry of the injection speed about the interstellar flow vector is used to derive the interstellar flow longitude from PUI measurements. Using He PUI data obtained by the PLASTIC sensor on STEREO A, we investigate how this concept may be affected by systematic errors. The PUI VDF strongly depends on the orientation of the local interplanetary magnetic field. Recently injected PUIs with speeds just below the cutoff speed typically form a highly anisotropic torus distribution in velocity space, which leads to a longitudinal transport for certain magnetic field orientation. Therefore, we investigate how the selection of magnetic field configurations in the data affects the result for the interstellar flow longitude that we derive from the PUI cutoff. Indeed, we find that the results follow a systematic trend with the filtered magnetic field angles that can lead to a shift of the result up to 5°. In turn, this means that every value for the interstellar flow longitude derived from the PUI cutoff is affected by a systematic error depending on the utilized magnetic field orientations. Here, we present our observations, discuss possible reasons for the systematic trend we discovered, and indicate selections that may minimize the systematic errors.

Analysis of ensembles of moderately saturated interstellar lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, E.B.

1986-01-01

It is shown that the combined equivalent widths for a large population of Gaussian-like interstellar line components, each with different central optical depths tau(0) and velocity dispersions b, exhibit a curve of growth (COG) which closely mimics that of a single, pure Gaussian distribution in velocity. Two parametric distributions functions for the line populations are considered: a bivariate Gaussian for tau(0) and b and a power law distribution for tau(0) combined with a Gaussian dispersion for b. First, COGs for populations having an extremely large number of nonoverlapping components are derived, and the implications are shown by focusing on the doublet-ratio analysis for a pair of lines whose f-values differ by a factor of two. The consequences of having, instead of an almost infinite number of lines, a relatively small collection of components added together for each member of a doublet are examined. The theory of how the equivalent widths grow for populations of overlapping Gaussian profiles is developed. Examples of the composite COG analysis applied to existing collections of high-resolution interstellar line data are presented. 39 references

The diffuse interstellar medium

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Donald P.

1990-01-01

The last 20 years of the efforts to understand the diffuse ISM are reviewed, with recent changes of fundamental aspects being highlighted. Attention is given to the interstellar pressure and its components, the weight of the ISM, the midplane pressure contributions, and pressure contributions at 1 kpc. What velocity dispersions, cosmic ray pressure, and magnetic field pressure that can be expected for a gas in a high magnetic field environment is addressed. The intercloud medium is described, with reference to the work of Cox and Slavin (1989). Various caveats are discussed and a number of areas for future investigation are identified. Steps that could be taken toward a successful phase segregation model are discussed.

Matrix isolation as a tool for studying interstellar chemical reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, David W.; Ortman, Bryan J.; Hauge, Robert H.; Margrave, John L.

1989-01-01

Since the identification of the OH radical as an interstellar species, over 50 molecular species were identified as interstellar denizens. While identification of new species appears straightforward, an explanation for their mechanisms of formation is not. Most astronomers concede that large bodies like interstellar dust grains are necessary for adsorption of molecules and their energies of reactions, but many of the mechanistic steps are unknown and speculative. It is proposed that data from matrix isolation experiments involving the reactions of refractory materials (especially C, Si, and Fe atoms and clusters) with small molecules (mainly H2, H2O, CO, CO2) are particularly applicable to explaining mechanistic details of likely interstellar chemical reactions. In many cases, matrix isolation techniques are the sole method of studying such reactions; also in many cases, complexations and bond rearrangements yield molecules never before observed. The study of these reactions thus provides a logical basis for the mechanisms of interstellar reactions. A list of reactions is presented that would simulate interstellar chemical reactions. These reactions were studied using FTIR-matrix isolation techniques.

Neutral interstellar helium parameters based on Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-LO observations: What are the reasons for the differences?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katushkina, O. A.; Izmodenov, V. V.; Wood, B. E.; McMullin, D. R.

2014-01-01

Recent analysis of the interstellar helium fluxes measured in 2009-2010 at Earth's orbit by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has suggested that the interstellar velocity (both direction and magnitude) is inconsistent with that derived previously from Ulysses/GAS observations made in the period from 1990 to 2002 at 1.5-5.5 AU from the Sun. Both results are model dependent, and models that were used in the analyses are different. In this paper, we perform an analysis of the Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-Lo data using our state-of-the-art three-dimensional time-dependent kinetic model of interstellar atoms in the heliosphere. For the first time, we analyze Ulysses/GAS data from year 2007, the closest available Ulysses/GAS observations in time to the IBEX observations. We show that the interstellar velocity derived from the Ulysses 2007 data is consistent with previous Ulysses results and does not agree with the velocity derived from IBEX. This conclusion is very robust since, as is shown in the paper, it does not depend on the ionization rates adopted in theoretical models. We conclude that Ulysses data are not consistent with the new local interstellar medium (LISM) velocity vector from IBEX. In contrast, IBEX data, in principle, could be explained with the LISM velocity vector derived from the Ulysses data. This is possible for the models where the interstellar temperature increased from 6300 K to 9000 K. There is a need to perform further studies of possible reasons for the broadening of the helium signal core measured by IBEX, which could be an instrumental effect or could be due to unconsidered physical processes.

Neutral interstellar helium parameters based on Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-LO observations: What are the reasons for the differences?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katushkina, O. A.; Izmodenov, V. V. [Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Wood, B. E. [Naval Research Laboratory, Space Science Division, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); McMullin, D. R., E-mail: okat@iki.rssi.ru [Space Systems Research Corporation, Alexandria, VA 22314 (United States)

2014-07-01

Recent analysis of the interstellar helium fluxes measured in 2009-2010 at Earth's orbit by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has suggested that the interstellar velocity (both direction and magnitude) is inconsistent with that derived previously from Ulysses/GAS observations made in the period from 1990 to 2002 at 1.5-5.5 AU from the Sun. Both results are model dependent, and models that were used in the analyses are different. In this paper, we perform an analysis of the Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-Lo data using our state-of-the-art three-dimensional time-dependent kinetic model of interstellar atoms in the heliosphere. For the first time, we analyze Ulysses/GAS data from year 2007, the closest available Ulysses/GAS observations in time to the IBEX observations. We show that the interstellar velocity derived from the Ulysses 2007 data is consistent with previous Ulysses results and does not agree with the velocity derived from IBEX. This conclusion is very robust since, as is shown in the paper, it does not depend on the ionization rates adopted in theoretical models. We conclude that Ulysses data are not consistent with the new local interstellar medium (LISM) velocity vector from IBEX. In contrast, IBEX data, in principle, could be explained with the LISM velocity vector derived from the Ulysses data. This is possible for the models where the interstellar temperature increased from 6300 K to 9000 K. There is a need to perform further studies of possible reasons for the broadening of the helium signal core measured by IBEX, which could be an instrumental effect or could be due to unconsidered physical processes.

Challenges in the determination of the interstellar flow longitude from the pickup ion cutoff

Science.gov (United States)

Taut, A.; Berger, L.; Möbius, E.; Drews, C.; Heidrich-Meisner, V.; Keilbach, D.; Lee, M. A.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2018-03-01

Context. The interstellar flow longitude corresponds to the Sun's direction of movement relative to the local interstellar medium. Thus, it constitutes a fundamental parameter for our understanding of the heliosphere and, in particular, its interaction with its surroundings, which is currently investigated by the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX). One possibility to derive this parameter is based on pickup ions (PUIs) that are former neutral ions that have been ionized in the inner heliosphere. The neutrals enter the heliosphere as an interstellar wind from the direction of the Sun's movement against the partially ionized interstellar medium. PUIs carry information about the spatial variation of their neutral parent population (density and flow vector field) in their velocity distribution function. From the symmetry of the longitudinal flow velocity distribution, the interstellar flow longitude can be derived. Aim. The aim of this paper is to identify and eliminate systematic errors that are connected to this approach of measuring the interstellar flow longitude; we want to minimize any systematic influences on the result of this analysis and give a reasonable estimate for the uncertainty. Methods: We use He+ data measured by the PLAsma and SupraThermal Ion Composition (PLASTIC) sensor on the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory Ahead (STEREO A) spacecraft. We analyze a recent approach, identify sources of systematic errors, and propose solutions to eliminate them. Furthermore, a method is introduced to estimate the error associated with this approach. Additionally, we investigate how the selection of interplanetary magnetic field angles, which is closely connected to the pickup ion velocity distribution function, affects the result for the interstellar flow longitude. Results: We find that the revised analysis used to address part of the expected systematic effects obtains significantly different results than presented in the previous study. In particular

THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM AND FEEDBACK IN THE PROGENITORS OF THE COMPACT PASSIVE GALAXIES AT z ∼ 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Christina C.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Lee, Bomee [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Tundo, Elena [INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Firenze, Largo Enrico Fermi 5, I-50125, Firenze (Italy); Mobasher, Bahram; Nayyeri, Hooshang [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Ferguson, Henry C.; Koekemoer, Anton; Grogin, Norman [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Trump, Jonathan R. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Cassata, Paolo [Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso (Chile); Dekel, Avishai [Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); Guo, Yicheng [UCO/Lick Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Lee, Kyoung-Soo [Department of Physics, Purdue University, 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Pentericci, Laura; Castellano, Marco; Fontana, Adriano; Grazian, Andrea [INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone (Italy); Bell, Eric F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Finkelstein, Steven L., E-mail: ccwilliams@email.arizona.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin (United States); and others

2015-02-10

Quenched galaxies at z > 2 are nearly all very compact relative to z ∼ 0, suggesting a physical connection between high stellar density and efficient, rapid cessation of star-formation. We present rest-frame UV spectra of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ∼ 3 selected to be candidate progenitors of the quenched galaxies at z ∼ 2 based on their compact rest-frame-optical sizes and high Σ{sub SFR}. We compare their UV properties to those of more extended LBGs of similar mass and star-formation rate (non-candidates). We find that candidate progenitors have faster bulk interstellar medium (ISM) gas velocities and higher equivalent widths of interstellar absorption lines, implying larger velocity spread among absorbing clouds. Candidates deviate from the relationship between equivalent widths of Lyα and interstellar absorption lines in that their Lyα emission remains strong despite high interstellar absorption, possibly indicating that the neutral H I fraction is patchy, such that Lyα photons can escape. We detect stronger C IV P-Cygni features (emission and absorption) and He II emission in candidates, indicative of larger populations of metal-rich Wolf-Rayet stars compared to non-candidates. The faster bulk motions, broader spread of gas velocity, and Lyα properties of candidates are consistent with their ISM being subject to more energetic feedback than non-candidates. Together with their larger metallicity (implying more evolved star-formation activity) this leads us to propose, if speculatively, that they are likely to quench sooner than non-candidates, supporting the validity of selection criteria used to identify them as progenitors of z ∼ 2 passive galaxies. We propose that massive, compact galaxies undergo more rapid growth of their stellar mass content, perhaps because the gas accretion mechanisms are different, and quench sooner than normally sized LBGs at these (early) epochs.

THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM AND FEEDBACK IN THE PROGENITORS OF THE COMPACT PASSIVE GALAXIES AT z ∼ 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Christina C.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Lee, Bomee; Tundo, Elena; Mobasher, Bahram; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Ferguson, Henry C.; Koekemoer, Anton; Grogin, Norman; Trump, Jonathan R.; Cassata, Paolo; Dekel, Avishai; Guo, Yicheng; Lee, Kyoung-Soo; Pentericci, Laura; Castellano, Marco; Fontana, Adriano; Grazian, Andrea; Bell, Eric F.; Finkelstein, Steven L.

2015-01-01

Quenched galaxies at z > 2 are nearly all very compact relative to z ∼ 0, suggesting a physical connection between high stellar density and efficient, rapid cessation of star-formation. We present rest-frame UV spectra of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ∼ 3 selected to be candidate progenitors of the quenched galaxies at z ∼ 2 based on their compact rest-frame-optical sizes and high Σ SFR . We compare their UV properties to those of more extended LBGs of similar mass and star-formation rate (non-candidates). We find that candidate progenitors have faster bulk interstellar medium (ISM) gas velocities and higher equivalent widths of interstellar absorption lines, implying larger velocity spread among absorbing clouds. Candidates deviate from the relationship between equivalent widths of Lyα and interstellar absorption lines in that their Lyα emission remains strong despite high interstellar absorption, possibly indicating that the neutral H I fraction is patchy, such that Lyα photons can escape. We detect stronger C IV P-Cygni features (emission and absorption) and He II emission in candidates, indicative of larger populations of metal-rich Wolf-Rayet stars compared to non-candidates. The faster bulk motions, broader spread of gas velocity, and Lyα properties of candidates are consistent with their ISM being subject to more energetic feedback than non-candidates. Together with their larger metallicity (implying more evolved star-formation activity) this leads us to propose, if speculatively, that they are likely to quench sooner than non-candidates, supporting the validity of selection criteria used to identify them as progenitors of z ∼ 2 passive galaxies. We propose that massive, compact galaxies undergo more rapid growth of their stellar mass content, perhaps because the gas accretion mechanisms are different, and quench sooner than normally sized LBGs at these (early) epochs

Detection of organic matter in interstellar grains.

Science.gov (United States)

Pendleton, Y J

1997-06-01

Star formation and the subsequent evolution of planetary systems occurs in dense molecular clouds, which are comprised, in part, of interstellar dust grains gathered from the diffuse interstellar medium (DISM). Radio observations of the interstellar medium reveal the presence of organic molecules in the gas phase and infrared observational studies provide details concerning the solid-state features in dust grains. In particular, a series of absorption bands have been observed near 3.4 microns (approximately 2940 cm-1) towards bright infrared objects which are seen through large column densities of interstellar dust. Comparisons of organic residues, produced under a variety of laboratory conditions, to the diffuse interstellar medium observations have shown that aliphatic hydrocarbon grains are responsible for the spectral absorption features observed near 3.4 microns (approximately 2940 cm-1). These hydrocarbons appear to carry the -CH2- and -CH3 functional groups in the abundance ratio CH2/CH3 approximately 2.5, and the amount of carbon tied up in this component is greater than 4% of the cosmic carbon available. On a galactic scale, the strength of the 3.4 microns band does not scale linearly with visual extinction, but instead increases more rapidly for objects near the Galactic Center. A similar trend is noted in the strength of the Si-O absorption band near 9.7 microns. The similar behavior of the C-H and Si-O stretching bands suggests that these two components may be coupled, perhaps in the form of grains with silicate cores and refractory organic mantles. The ubiquity of the hydrocarbon features seen in the near infrared near 3.4 microns throughout out Galaxy and in other galaxies demonstrates the widespread availability of such material for incorporation into the many newly forming planetary systems. The similarity of the 3.4 microns features in any organic material with aliphatic hydrocarbons underscores the need for complete astronomical observational

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination X: Impact Speeds and Directions of Interstellar Grains on the Stardust Dust Collector

Science.gov (United States)

Sterken, Veerle J.; Westphal, Andrew J.; Altobelli, Nicolas; Grun, Eberhard; Hillier, Jon K.; Postberg, Frank; Allen, Carlton; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Sandford, S. A.; Zolensky, Michael E.

2014-01-01

On the basis of an interstellar dust model compatible with Ulysses and Galileo observations, we calculate and predict the trajectories of interstellar dust (ISD) in the solar system and the distribution of the impact speeds, directions, and flux of ISD particles on the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector during the two collection periods of the mission. We find that the expected impact velocities are generally low (less than 10 km per second) for particles with the ratio of the solar radiation pressure force to the solar gravitational force beta greater than 1, and that some of the particles will impact on the cometary side of the collector. If we assume astronomical silicates for particle material and a density of 2 grams per cubic centimeter, and use the Ulysses measurements and the ISD trajectory simulations, we conclude that the total number of (detectable) captured ISD particles may be on the order of 50. In companion papers in this volume, we report the discovery of three interstellar dust candidates in the Stardust aerogel tiles. The impact directions and speeds of these candidates are consistent with those calculated from our ISD propagation model, within the uncertainties of the model and of the observations.

Small-scale structure in the diffuse interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, D.M.

1990-01-01

The initial results of a study to probe the small-scale structure in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) through IUE and optical observations of interstellar absorption lines toward both components of resolvable binary stars is reported. The binaries (Kappa CrA, 57 Aql, 59 And, HR 1609/10, 19 Lyn, and Theta Ser) observed with IUE have projected linear separations ranging from 5700 to 700 Au. Except for Kappa CrA, the strengths of the interstellar absorption lines toward both components of these binaries agree to within 10 percent. In the case of Kappa CrA, the optically thin interstellar Mg I and Mn II lines are about 50 percent stronger toward Kappa-2 CrA than Kappa-1 CrA. Higher resolution observations of interstellar Ca II show that this difference is concentrated in the main interstellar component at V(LSR) = 9 + or - 2 km/s. Interestingly, this velocity corresponds to an intervening cloud that may be associated with the prominent Loop I shell in the local ISM. Given the separation (23 arcsec) and distance (120 pc) of Kappa CrA, the line strength variations indicate that this cloud has structure on scales of 2800 AU or less. 21 refs

Complex C: A Low-Metallicity, High-Velocity Cloud Plunging into the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Tripp, Todd M.; Wakker, Bart P.; Jenkins, Edward B.; Bowers, C. W.; Danks, A. C.; Green, R. F.; Heap, S. R.; Joseph, C. L.; Kaiser, M. E.; Linsky, J. L.; Woodgate, B. E.

2003-06-01

We present evidence that high-velocity cloud (HVC) complex C is a low-metallicity gas cloud that is plunging toward the disk and beginning to interact with the ambient gas that surrounds the Milky Way. This evidence begins with a new high-resolution (7 km s-1 FWHM) echelle spectrum of 3C 351 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). 3C 351 lies behind the low-latitude edge of complex C, and the new spectrum provides accurate measurements of O I, Si II, Al II, Fe II, and Si III absorption lines at the velocity of complex C; N I, S II, Si IV, and C IV are not detected at 3 σ significance in complex C proper. However, Si IV and C IV as well as O I, Al II, Si II and Si III absorption lines are clearly present at somewhat higher velocities associated with a ``high-velocity ridge'' (HVR) of 21 cm emission. This high-velocity ridge has a similar morphology to and is roughly centered on complex C proper. The similarities of the absorption-line ratios in the HVR and complex C suggest that these structures are intimately related. In complex C proper we find [O/H]=-0.76+0.23-0.21. For other species the measured column densities indicate that ionization corrections are important. We use collisional and photoionization models to derive ionization corrections; in both models we find that the overall metallicity Z=0.1-0.3 Zsolar in complex C proper, but nitrogen must be underabundant. The iron abundance indicates that the complex C contains very little dust. The size and density implied by the ionization models indicate that the absorbing gas is not gravitationally confined. The gas could be pressure confined by an external medium, but alternatively we may be viewing the leading edge of the HVC, which is ablating and dissipating as it plunges into the Milky Way. O VI column densities observed with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) toward nine QSOs/AGNs behind complex C support this conclusion: N(O VI) is highest near 3C 351, and the O VI/H I

SYSTEMATIC THEORETICAL STUDY ON THE INTERSTELLAR CARBON CHAIN MOLECULES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etim, Emmanuel E.; Arunan, Elangannan [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Department, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, 560012 (India); Gorai, Prasanta; Das, Ankan [Indian Centre for Space Physics, 43 Chalantika, Garia Station Road, Kolkata 700 084 (India); Chakrabarti, Sandip K., E-mail: ankan.das@gmail.com [Department of Chemical Sciences, Federal University Wukari,  Katsina-Ala Road, P.M.B. 1020 Wukari, Taraba State (Nigeria)

2016-12-01

In an effort to further our interest in understanding the basic chemistry of interstellar molecules, here we carry out an extensive investigation of the stabilities of interstellar carbon chains; C{sub n}, H{sub 2}C{sub n}, HC{sub n}N and C{sub n}X (X = N, O, Si, S, H, P, H{sup −}, N{sup −}). These sets of molecules account for about 20% of all the known interstellar and circumstellar molecules. Their high abundances, therefore, demand serious attention. High-level ab initio quantum chemical calculations are employed to accurately estimate the enthalpy of formation, chemical reactivity indices, global hardness and softness, and other chemical parameters of these molecules. Chemical modeling of the abundances of these molecular species has also been performed. Of the 89 molecules considered from these groups, 47 have been astronomically observed, and these observed molecules are found to be more stable with respect to other members of the group. Of the 47 observed molecules, 60% are odd-numbered carbon chains. Interstellar chemistry is not actually driven by thermodynamics, but it is primarily dependent on various kinetic parameters. However, we found that the detectability of the odd-numbered carbon chains could be correlated due to the fact that they are more stable than the corresponding even-numbered carbon chains. Based on this aspect, the next possible carbon chain molecule for astronomical observation in each group is proposed. The effect of kinetics in the formation of some of these carbon chain molecules is also discussed.

TYPE Ia SNe ALONG REDSHIFT: THE R(Si II) RATIO AND THE EXPANSION VELOCITIES IN INTERMEDIATE-z SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altavilla, G.; Ruiz-Lapuente, P.; Balastegui, A.; Mendez, J.; Espana-Bonet, C.; Irwin, M.; Ellis, R. S.; McMahon, R. M.; Walton, N. A.; Folatelli, G.; Goobar, A.; Nobili, S.; Stanishev, V.; Hillebrandt, W.

2009-01-01

We present a study of intermediate-z Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using empirical physical diagrams which permit the investigation of those SNe explosions. This information can be very useful to reduce systematic uncertainties of the Hubble diagram of SNe Ia up to high z. The study of the expansion velocities and the measurement of the ratio R(Si II) allow subtyping of SNe Ia as done in nearby samples. The evolution of this ratio as seen in the diagram R(Si II)-(t) together with R(Si II) max versus (B - V) 0 indicates consistency of the properties at intermediate-z compared with the nearby SNe Ia. At intermediate-z, expansion velocities of Ca II and Si II are found similar to those of the nearby sample. This is found in a sample of six SNe Ia in the range 0.033 ≤z≤ 0.329 discovered within the International Time Programme of SNe Ia for Cosmology and Physics in the spring run of 2002. 7 The program run under Omega and Lambda from Supernovae and the Physics of Supernova Explosions within the International Time Programme at the telescopes of the European Northern Observatory (ENO) at La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). Two SNe Ia at intermediate-z were of the cool FAINT type, one being an SN1986G-like object highly reddened. The R(Si II) ratio as well as subclassification of the SNe Ia beyond templates help to place SNe Ia in their sequence of brightness and to distinguish between reddened and intrinsically red supernovae. This test can be done with very high z SNe Ia and it will help to reduce systematic uncertainties due to extinction by dust. It should allow to map the high-z sample into the nearby one.

SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF SN 2012fr: A LUMINOUS, NORMAL TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA WITH EARLY HIGH-VELOCITY FEATURES AND A LATE VELOCITY PLATEAU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childress, M. J.; Scalzo, R. A.; Sim, S. A.; Tucker, B. E.; Yuan, F.; Schmidt, B. P.; Cenko, S. B.; Filippenko, A. V.; Silverman, J. M.; Contreras, C.; Hsiao, E. Y.; Phillips, M.; Morrell, N.; Jha, S. W.; McCully, C.; Anderson, J. P.; De Jaeger, T.; Forster, F.; Benetti, S.; Bufano, F.

2013-01-01

We present 65 optical spectra of the Type Ia SN 2012fr, 33 of which were obtained before maximum light. At early times, SN 2012fr shows clear evidence of a high-velocity feature (HVF) in the Si II λ6355 line that can be cleanly decoupled from the lower velocity ''photospheric'' component. This Si II λ6355 HVF fades by phase –5; subsequently, the photospheric component exhibits a very narrow velocity width and remains at a nearly constant velocity of ∼12,000 km s –1 until at least five weeks after maximum brightness. The Ca II infrared triplet exhibits similar evidence for both a photospheric component at v ≈ 12,000 km s –1 with narrow line width and long velocity plateau, as well as an HVF beginning at v ≈ 31,000 km s –1 two weeks before maximum. SN 2012fr resides on the border between the ''shallow silicon'' and ''core-normal'' subclasses in the Branch et al. classification scheme, and on the border between normal and high-velocity Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the Wang et al. system. Though it is a clear member of the ''low velocity gradient'' group of SNe Ia and exhibits a very slow light-curve decline, it shows key dissimilarities with the overluminous SN 1991T or SN 1999aa subclasses of SNe Ia. SN 2012fr represents a well-observed SN Ia at the luminous end of the normal SN Ia distribution and a key transitional event between nominal spectroscopic subclasses of SNe Ia.

Nuclear abundances and evolution of the interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wannier, P.G.

1980-01-01

Observations of molecular and elemental abundances in the interstellar medium (ISM) are reviewed, with special attention given to isotope ratios. The derivation of molecular isotope abundances for the ISM is discussed, along with H and C fractionation. Millimeter- and centimeter-wave spectra of giant clouds are examined with respect to isotope abundances of C, O, N, Si, S, and D. Evidence for the current enrichment of the ISM by mass loss from evolved stars is considered, together with chemical abundance gradients in H II regions and planetary nebulae. Cosmic-ray observations pertaining to abundances in the ISM are summarized, with emphasis on available results for Ne, Mg, Si, Fe, and Ni. The observations reviewed are shown to support arguments in favor of: (1) the cosmological production of D and He-3 (2) the production of the CNO elements by hydrostatic hydrogen burning (3) the nucleosynthesis of Ne, Mg, Si, S, Fe, and Ni as a result of He burning (4) solar abundances of interstellar S, Fe, and Ni and (5) a direct association between observed inhomogeneities in the ISM and mass loss from evolved stellar objects

On the ionization of interstellar magnesium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurzadyan, G.A.

1977-01-01

It has been shown that two concentric ionization zones of interstellar magnesium must exist around each star: internal, with a radius coinciding with that of the zone of hydrogen ionization Ssub(H); and external, with a radius greater than Ssub(H), by one order. Unlike interstellar hydrogen, interstellar magnesium is ionized throughout the Galaxy. It also transpires that the ionizing radiation of ordinary hot stars cannot provide for the observed high degree of ionization of interstellar magnesium. The discrepance can be eliminated by assuming the existence of circumstellar clouds or additional ionization sources of interstellar magnesium (X-ray background radiation, high-energy particles, etc.). Stars of the B5 and BO class play the main role in the formation of ionization zones of interstellar magnesium; the contribution of O class stars is negligible (<1%). (Auth.)

Interstellar extinction from photometric surveys: application to four high-latitude areas

Science.gov (United States)

Malkov, Oleg; Karpov, Sergey; Kilpio, Elena; Sichevsky, Sergey; Chulkov, Dmitry; Dluzhnevskaya, Olga; Kovaleva, Dana; Kniazev, Alexei; Mickaelian, Areg; Mironov, Alexey; Murthy, Jayant; Sytov, Alexey; Zhao, Gang; Zhukov, Aleksandr

2018-04-01

Information on interstellar extinction and dust properties may be obtained from modern large photometric surveys data. Virtual Observatory facilities allow users to make a fast and correct cross-identification of objects from various surveys. It yields a multicolor photometry data on detected objects and makes it possible to estimate stellar parameters and calculate interstellar extinction. A 3D extinction map then can be constructed. The method was applied to 2MASS, SDSS, GALEX and UKIDSS surveys. Results for several high-latitude areas are obtained, compared with independent sources and discussed here.

Interstellar extinction from photometric surveys: application to four high-latitude areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malkov Oleg

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Information on interstellar extinction and dust properties may be obtained from modern large photometric surveys data. Virtual Observatory facilities allow users to make a fast and correct cross-identification of objects from various surveys. It yields a multicolor photometry data on detected objects and makes it possible to estimate stellar parameters and calculate interstellar extinction. A 3D extinction map then can be constructed. The method was applied to 2MASS, SDSS, GALEX and UKIDSS surveys. Results for several high-latitude areas are obtained, compared with independent sources and discussed here.

Non-LTE Analysis of Interstellar Line Spectra of SiO

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ziwei; Stancil, Phillip C.

2016-01-01

SiO emission lines are important probes of chemical processes in diverse astrophysical environments. In circumstellar outflows of AGB stars, the production of silicate grains is preceded by SiO formation, making SiO a useful measure of Si depletion. SiO is also commonly observed in shocks associated with the outflows of young stellar objects, both low- and high-mass. To model SiO emission for non-LTE conditions requires collisional rate coefficients due to H2 impact which are currently unavailable. Unknown collisional rate coefficients are often estimated from known systems. For the case of SiO-H2, rate coefficients have previously been adapted from a different collider, He (Dayau & Balanca 2006), based on a reduced-mass scaling approach. Recently it has been suggested that scaling via the interaction potential well depth and the reduced masses of the collisional systems may be more reliable (Walker et al. 2014). Using the non-LTE spectral modeling package Radex (van der Tak et al. 2007), we construct diagnostic plots of SiO line ratios using SiO-H2 collisional rate coefficients based on (i) reduced-mass scaling from the LAMDA database, (ii) potential well-depth scaling, and (iii) a more comprehensive input with multiple colliders (H2, He and H). Our goal is to give a more rigorous approach to SiO line emission simulations to better understand Si chemistry, dust formation/destruction, and other astrophysical processes.This work was supported by NASA ATP grant NNX15AI61G.

Role of 'core' and 'halo' solar electrons in ionization of the interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Askew, S.D.; Kunc, J.A.; University of Southern California, Los Angeles

1984-01-01

The probability of the interstellar wind atoms (H and He) to survive ionization by solar wind electrons is presented. For the first time a dual temperature electron distribution is used to model the effects of ''core'' (10 eV) and ''halo'' (60 eV) solar electrons on the probabilities. Survival probability distributions as a function of heliocentric distance were calculated for variations in the electron temperature, solar radiation force, and the interstellar wind flow velocity. These probabilities are important in determining the radial density distributions of the interstellar atoms. It has been found that the interstellar wind has a distinctively higher probability of surviving ''halo'' rather than ''core'' electron ionization only at heliocentric distances, rho, smaller than about 0.5 a.u. For distances larger than 0.5 a.u., the probabilities of surviving ''halo'' electrons are close to the probabilities of surviving ''core'' electrons. Also, the probabilities for both ''core'' and ''halo'' electrons are relatively insensitive to changes in μsub(proportional to) (interstellar wind velocity at infinity), μ(the solar ratio of radiation to gravitational force) and α (a model parameter for solar electron temperature) for rho > 0.5. For distances smaller than that, the sensitivity increases significantly. (author)

INTERSTELLAR PICKUP ION PRODUCTION IN THE GLOBAL HELIOSPHERE AND HELIOSHEATH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Y.; Florinski, V.; Guo, X., E-mail: yw0009@uah.edu [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States)

2016-11-20

Interstellar pickup ions (PUIs) play a significant part in mediating the solar wind (SW) interaction with the interstellar medium. In this paper, we examine the details of spatial variation of the PUI velocity distribution function (VDF) in the SW by solving the PUI transport equation. We assume the PUI distribution is isotropic resulting from strong pitch-angle scattering by wave–particle interaction. A three-dimensional model combining the MHD treatment of the background SW and neutrals with a kinetic treatment of PUIs throughout the heliosphere and the surrounding local interstellar medium has been developed. The model generates PUI power-law tails via second-order Fermi process. We analyze how PUIs transform across the heliospheric termination shock and obtain the PUI phase space distribution in the inner heliosheath including continuing velocity diffusion. Our simulated PUI spectra are compared with observations made by New Horizons , Ulysses , Voyager 1, 2 , and Cassini , and a satisfactory agreement is demonstrated. Some specific features in the observations, for example, a cutoff of PUI VDF at v = V {sub SW} and a f ∝ v {sup -5} tail in the reference frame of the SW, are well represented by the model.

Simulating STARDUST: Reproducing Impacts of Interstellar Dust in the Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Postberg, F.; Srama, R.; Hillier, J. K.; Sestak, S.; Green, S. F.; Trieloff, M.; Grün, E.

2008-09-01

Our experiments are carried out to support the analysis of interstellar dust grains, ISDGs, brought to earth by the STARDUST mission. Since the very first investigations, it has turned out that the major problem of STARDUST particle analysis is the modification (partly even the destruction) during capture when particles impact the spacecraft collectors with a velocity of up to 20 km/s. While it is possible to identify, extract, and analyse cometary grains larger than a few microns in aerogel and on metal collector plates, the STARDUST team is not yet ready for the identification, extraction, and analysis of sub-micron sized ISDGs with impact speeds of up to 20 km/s. Reconstructing the original particle properties requires a simulation of this impact capture process. Moreover, due to the lack of laboratory studies of high speed impacts of micron scale dust into interstellar STARDUST flight spares, the selection of criteria for the identification of track candidates is entirely subjective. Simulation of such impact processes is attempted with funds of the FRONTIER program within the framework of the Heidelberg University initiative of excellence. The dust accelerator at the MPI Kernphysik is a facility unique in the world to perform such experiments. A critical point is the production of cometary and interstellar dust analogue material and its acceleration to very high speeds of 20 km/s, which has never before been performed in laboratory experiments. Up to now only conductive material was successfully accelerated by the 2 MV Van de Graaf generator of the dust accelerator facility. Typical projectile materials are Iron, Aluminium, Carbon, Copper, Silver, and the conducting hydrocarbon Latex. Ongoing research now enables the acceleration of any kind of rocky planetary and interstellar dust analogues (Hillier et al. 2008, in prep.). The first batch of dust samples produced with the new method consists of micron and submicron SiO2 grains. Those were successfully

HIGH IONIZATION SPECIES IN THE NEARBY INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM FROM AN EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IUE INES DATABASE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freire Ferrero, R.; Halbwachs, J.-L. [Observatoire Astronomique, Universite de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l' Universite, 67.000 Strasbourg (France); Morales Duran, C.; Cabo Cubeiro, A. M., E-mail: rubens.freire@astro.unistra.fr, E-mail: jean-louis.halbwachs@astro.unistra.fr, E-mail: morales@cab.inta-csic.es, E-mail: amcabo@cab.inta-csic.es [LAEX, Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB, CSIC-INTA), LAEFF, European Space Astronomy Centre, P.O. Box 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid (Spain)

2012-02-15

Main-sequence (MS) and giant late-B and early-A type stars are the best targets for searching for nearby interstellar (IS) Si IV and C IV resonance lines because they are not able to produce them, either in atmospheric layers or in their circumstellar environment, and because many stars of these spectral types are nearby and located in the local interstellar medium (LISM). In addition, the use of certain stars hotter than B6 can lead to misinterpretations (e.g., alpha Arae). This work analyzes the reliable Short-Wavelength Prime high-resolution UV spectra of 558 B6-A9 type stars observed by the International Ultraviolet Explorer at distances lower than 400 pc from the Sun. For the first time, this work utilizes the entire INES database to extract stellar and IS information in a systematic way from homogeneous data. Stars were classified into seven groups: normal (MS and subgiant), giant, peculiar, emission line, Algols, pre-main sequence or Herbig Ae/Be, and shell stars. Only 10 normal stars, located beyond 90 pc, show weak Si IV and C IV absorptions and are clustered around the direction of Sco-Cen, while 85 located closer than 90 pc, as well as another 89 beyond 90 pc, do not show any absorptions at all. We conclude that these highly ionized species originate most probably in the LISM, at 90 pc from the Sun, corresponding to the warm interaction zone (IZ), where the expanding Loop I super-shell and the Local Bubble collide. We base our results on a robust statistical analysis of both spectral types and spatial distributions of the different stellar groups we defined. Our estimated column densities N of both ions are similar to those obtained by other authors for distant stars, suggesting that these absorptions concentrate fundamentally in the IZ. A logarithmic correlation between N and the distance D confirms these results.

Experimental interstellar organic chemistry - Preliminary findings

Science.gov (United States)

Khare, B. N.; Sagan, C.

1973-01-01

Review of the results of some explicit experimental simulation of interstellar organic chemistry consisting in low-temperature high-vacuum UV irradiation of condensed simple gases known or suspected to be present in the interstellar medium. The results include the finding that acetonitrile may be present in the interstellar medium. The implication of this and other findings are discussed.

The Physics of Partially Ionized Gas with Applications to Processes in the Interstellar Medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenfield, E. J.; Jokipii, J. R.; Giacalone, Joe

2011-01-01

The dynamical equations for a partially ionized plasma are a matter of some recent controversy. Understanding this problem is important in understanding the interaction of the interstellar medium with the heliosphere and for understanding the spectrum of interstellar turbulence. If collision scales are much smaller than the internal interaction scales such as the ion gyroradius, the fluid approximation may be used. The analysis then must deal with at least three fluids (protons, electrons, and neutrals) which are coupled to each other by collisions and/or electromagnetic fields. Often, the proton and electron gyro-radii are much smaller than the collision length scales, so the electric and magnetic fields dominate the motions of the electrons and protons. In this case, the only important particle-particle collisions are those of the electrons and protons with the neutral atoms. Since the three species have, in general, different velocities, it is not immediately clear which fluid velocity to use. This ambiguity in the choice of fluid velocity has led to recent confusion regarding the physics of partially ionized plasmas. If the neutrals have a significant fraction of the mass, working in the center-of-mass coordinate frame can result in dynamical equations that differ greatly from those of ideal MHD. This is because the magnetic field is not frozen into the frame moving at the center-of-mass velocity, which leads to additional effects on the magnetic field that can be difficult to understand intuitively. To the extent that the electron mass is negligible, the magnetic field is actually found to be frozen into the frame moving with the electron bulk velocity. If we then take U to be the bulk velocity of the proton fluid the resulting dynamical equations closely resemble those of ideal MHD with the exception of the Hall term in the induction equation. Similarly, the frequently used Cowling conductivity also depends on the choice of coordinate frame. These conclusions

TRIANGULATION OF THE INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwadron, N. A.; Moebius, E. [University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States); Richardson, J. D. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Burlaga, L. F. [Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); McComas, D. J. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78228 (United States)

2015-11-01

Determining the direction of the local interstellar magnetic field (LISMF) is important for understanding the heliosphere’s global structure, the properties of the interstellar medium, and the propagation of cosmic rays in the local galactic medium. Measurements of interstellar neutral atoms by Ulysses for He and by SOHO/SWAN for H provided some of the first observational insights into the LISMF direction. Because secondary neutral H is partially deflected by the interstellar flow in the outer heliosheath and this deflection is influenced by the LISMF, the relative deflection of H versus He provides a plane—the so-called B–V plane in which the LISMF direction should lie. Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) subsequently discovered a ribbon, the center of which is conjectured to be the LISMF direction. The most recent He velocity measurements from IBEX and those from Ulysses yield a B–V plane with uncertainty limits that contain the centers of the IBEX ribbon at 0.7–2.7 keV. The possibility that Voyager 1 has moved into the outer heliosheath now suggests that Voyager 1's direct observations provide another independent determination of the LISMF. We show that LISMF direction measured by Voyager 1 is >40° off from the IBEX ribbon center and the B–V plane. Taking into account the temporal gradient of the field direction measured by Voyager 1, we extrapolate to a field direction that passes directly through the IBEX ribbon center (0.7–2.7 keV) and the B–V plane, allowing us to triangulate the LISMF direction and estimate the gradient scale size of the magnetic field.

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination IV: Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy Analyses of Impact Features in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

Science.gov (United States)

Butterworth, Anna L.; Westphal, Andrew J.; Frank, David R.; Allen, Carlton C.; Bechtel, Hans A.; Sandford, Scott A.; Tsou, Peter; Zolensky, Michael E.

2014-01-01

We report the quantitative characterization by synchrotron soft X-ray spectroscopy of 31 potential impact features in the aerogel capture medium of the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector. Samples were analyzed in aerogel by acquiring high spatial resolution maps and high energy-resolution spectra of major rock-forming elements Mg, Al, Si, Fe, and others. We developed diagnostic screening tests to reject spacecraft secondary ejecta and terrestrial contaminants from further consideration as interstellar dust candidates. The results support an extraterrestrial origin for three interstellar candidates: I1043,1,30 (Orion) is a 3 pg particle with Mg-spinel, forsterite, and an iron-bearing phase. I1047,1,34 (Hylabrook) is a 4 pg particle comprising an olivine core surrounded by low-density, amorphous Mg-silicate and amorphous Fe, Cr, and Mn phases. I1003,1,40 (Sorok) has the track morphology of a high-speed impact, but contains no detectable residue that is convincingly distinguishable from the background aerogel. Twenty-two samples with an anthropogenic origin were rejected, including four secondary ejecta from impacts on the Stardust spacecraft aft solar panels, nine ejecta from secondary impacts on the Stardust Sample Return Capsule, and nine contaminants lacking evidence of an impact. Other samples in the collection included I1029,1,6, which contained surviving solar system impactor material. Four samples remained ambiguous: I1006,2,18, I1044,2,32, and I1092,2,38 were too dense for analysis, and we did not detect an intact projectile in I1044,3,33. We detected no radiation effects from the synchrotron soft X-ray analyses; however, we recorded the effects of synchrotron hard X-ray radiation on I1043,1,30 and I1047,1,34.

HIGH-VELOCITY LINE FORMING REGIONS IN THE TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA 2009ig

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marion, G. H.; Foley, Ryan J.; Challis, Peter; Kirshner, Robert P.; Vinko, Jozsef; Wheeler, J. Craig; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Hsiao, Eric Y.; Brown, Peter J.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Garnavich, Peter; Landsman, Wayne B.; Parrent, Jerod T.; Pritchard, Tyler A.; Roming, Peter W. A.; Wang, Xiaofeng

2013-01-01

We report measurements and analysis of high-velocity (HVF) (>20,000 km s –1 ) and photospheric absorption features in a series of spectra of the Type Ia supernova (SN) 2009ig obtained between –14 days and +13 days with respect to the time of maximum B-band luminosity (B-max). We identify lines of Si II, Si III, S II, Ca II, and Fe II that produce both HVF and photospheric-velocity (PVF) absorption features. SN 2009ig is unusual for the large number of lines with detectable HVF in the spectra, but the light-curve parameters correspond to a slightly overluminous but unexceptional SN Ia (M B = –19.46 mag and Δm 15 (B) = 0.90 mag). Similarly, the Si II λ6355 velocity at the time of B-max is greater than 'normal' for an SN Ia, but it is not extreme (v Si = 13,400 km s –1 ). The –14 days and –13 days spectra clearly resolve HVF from Si II λ6355 as separate absorptions from a detached line forming region. At these very early phases, detached HVF are prevalent in all lines. From –12 days to –6 days, HVF and PVF are detected simultaneously, and the two line forming regions maintain a constant separation of about 8000 km s –1 . After –6 days all absorption features are PVF. The observations of SN 2009ig provide a complete picture of the transition from HVF to PVF. Most SNe Ia show evidence for HVF from multiple lines in spectra obtained before –10 days, and we compare the spectra of SN 2009ig to observations of other SNe. We show that each of the unusual line profiles for Si II λ6355 found in early-time spectra of SNe Ia correlate to a specific phase in a common development sequence from HVF to PVF

Interstellar scintillation of the double pulsar J0737–3039

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rickett, B. J.; Coles, W. A.; Nava, C. F. [ECE Dept., University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0407 (United States); McLaughlin, M. A. [West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505 (United States); Ransom, S. M. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Camilo, F. [National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo, PR 00612-8346 (United States); Ferdman, R. D.; Kramer, M.; Lyne, A. G. [Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics, University of Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Freire, P. C. C. [Dept. of Physics, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Stairs, I. H., E-mail: bjrickett@ucsd.edu [Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Canada)

2014-06-01

We report a series of observations of the interstellar scintillation (ISS) of the double pulsar J0737–3039 over the course of 18 months. As in earlier work, the basic phenomenon is the variation in the ISS caused by the changing transverse velocities of each pulsar, the ionized interstellar medium (IISM), and the Earth. The transverse velocity of the binary system can be determined both by very long baseline interferometry and timing observations. The orbital velocity and inclination is almost completely determined from timing observations, but the direction of the orbital angular momentum is not known. Since the Earth's velocity is known, and can be compared with the orbital velocity by its effect on the timescale of the ISS, we can determine the orientation Ω of the pulsar orbit with respect to equatorial coordinates (Ω = 65 ± 2°). We also resolve the ambiguity (i = 88.°7 or 91.°3) in the inclination of the orbit deduced from the measured Shapiro delay by our estimate i = 88.°1 ± 0.°5. This relies on the analysis of the ISS over both frequency and time, and provides a model for the location, anisotropy, turbulence level, and transverse phase gradient of the IISM. We find that the IISM can be well-modeled during each observation, typically of a few orbital periods, but its turbulence level and mean velocity vary significantly over the 18 months.

Modelling injection rates of PUIs from photoionization using kinetic simulations of interstellar neutrals traversing the heliosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Keilbach, D.; Drews, C.; Taut, A.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2016-12-01

Recent studies of the inflow direction of the local insterstellar medium from PUI density distributions have shown that the extrema of the longitudinal distribution of PUI velocities (with respect to the solar wind speed) can be attributed to the radial velocity of the interstellar neutral seed population and is symmetric around the inflow direction of the local interstellar medium. This work is aimed to model pickup ion injection rates from photoionization (which is the main process of interstellar PUI production) throughout the heliosphere. To that end a seed population of interstellar neutrals is injected into a model heliosphere at 60 AU distance from the sun, whereas each particle's initial speed is given by a maxwellian distribution at a temperature of 1 eV and an inflow speed of 22 km/s. Then the density of the interstellar neutrals is integrated over the model heliosphere, while the movement of the neutrals is simulated using timestep methods. To model the focusing of the interstellar neutral trajectories from the sun's gravitational potential the model heliosphere contains a central gravitational potential.Each neutral test particle can be ionized via photoionization with a per-timestep probability antiproportional to the neutral's distance to the sun squared. By tracking the ionization rate location-dependently, PUI injection rates have been determined. Therefore using these simulations the density distributions of different species of interstellar neutrals have been calculated. In addition location-dependent injection rates of different species of PUIs have been calculated, which show an increased rate of PUI production in the focusing cone region (e.g. for He+ PUIs), but also in the crescent region (e.g. for O+ PUIs).Furthermore the longitudinal distribution of the neutrals' velocity at 1 AU is calculated from the simulation's results in order to estimate the PUI cut-off as a function of ecliptic longitude. Figure: Simulated He neutral density (left

Neutral interstellar gas toward epsilon persei: H I, H2, D I, N I, O I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidal, A.; Ferlet, R.; Laurent, C.; York, D.G.

1982-01-01

The study of the interstellar medium toward epsilon Per, a moderately reddened (E/sub B/-V = 0.1) B0.5 star, through the analysis of H I, D I, H 2 , N I, O I, and Ar I absorption features, revealed the following structure of the line of sight: (1) a main interstellar, cold (Tapprox.100 K; b = 2.9 km s -1 ) component, (2) a weak (approx.1% of the main one) probably cold component, and (3) a weak (also approx.1% of the main one) and hot component (Tapprox.8000 K). All three components have normal abundances. Comparison with ground-based observations or other UV studies reveals the presence on the line of sight of an H II region not detected in the neutral species observed in this study. High-velocity H I gas is also detected, located either in the interstellar medium or very likely in the stellar wind for the blue-shifted components. One of these features is blended with the deuterium lines and therefore obscures our D/H evaluation. All we can say is that the data are compatible with a D/H ratio equal to 1.5 x 10 -5 . This blended feature proved to vary by at least a factor of 3 in column density within few hours, a result which sustains our interpretation of the stellar wind origin of the blueshifted high-velocity H I component. However, the alternative interpretation of a high D/H (approx.10 -4 ) value is also compatible with our data

Energetic Processing of Interstellar Silicate Grains by Cosmic Rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bringa, E M; Kucheyev, S O; Loeffler, M J; Baragiola, R A; Tielens, A G Q M; Dai, Z R; Graham, G; Bajt, S; Bradley, J; Dukes, C A; Felter, T E; Torres, D F; van Breugel, W

2007-03-28

While a significant fraction of silicate dust in stellar winds has a crystalline structure, in the interstellar medium nearly all of it is amorphous. One possible explanation for this observation is the amorphization of crystalline silicates by relatively 'low' energy, heavy ion cosmic rays. Here we present the results of multiple laboratory experiments showing that single-crystal synthetic forsterite (Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}) amorphizes when irradiated by 10 MeV Xe{sup ++} ions at large enough fluences. Using modeling, we extrapolate these results to show that 0.1-5.0 GeV heavy ion cosmic rays can rapidly ({approx}70 Million yrs) amorphize crystalline silicate grains ejected by stars into the interstellar medium.

Dust clouds in Orion and the interstellar neutral hydrogen distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bystrova, N.V.

1989-01-01

According to published examples of the far IR observations in the Orion and its surroundings, several well defined dust clouds of different sizes and structure are present. For comparison of these clouds with the neutral hydrogen distribution on the area of approx. 1000 sq degs, the data from Pulkovo Sky Survey in the interstellar neutral Hydrogen Radio Line as well as special observations with the RATAN-600 telescope in 21 cm line were used. From the materials of Pulkovo HI Survey, the data were taken near the line emission at ten velocities between -21.8 and +25.6 km/s LSR for the structural component of the interstellar hydrogen emission. The results given concern mainly the Orion's Great Dust Cloud and the Lambda Orionis region where the information about the situation with the dust and interstellar hydrogen is very essential for interpretation

Determination of interstellar pickup ion distributions in the solar wind with SOHO and Cluster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Möbius

1996-05-01

Full Text Available Over the last 10 years, the experimental basis for the study of the local interstellar medium has been substantially enhanced by the direct detection of interstellar pickup ions and of interstellar neutral helium within the heliosphere. Pickup ions can be studied for a wide range of interstellar species. However, currently the accuracy of the method to determine the parameters of the interstellar medium, namely neutral density, temperature and relative velocity, is hampered by two problems: (1 In most cases the crucial ionization rates are not available from simultaneous measurements and (2 the transport of the pickup ions in the interplanetary medium substantially modifies the measured spatial distribution of the ions. In this study we will discuss how the enhanced capabilities of the instrumentation on SOHO and Cluster in combination with ongoing efforts to model the pickup ion distributions will lead to a significant improvement over the coming years.

An introduction to the physics of interstellar dust

CERN Document Server

Krugel, Endrik

2007-01-01

Streamlining the extensive information from the original, highly acclaimed monograph, this new An Introduction to the Physics of Interstellar Dust provides a concise reference and overview of interstellar dust and the interstellar medium. Drawn from a graduate course taught by the author, a highly regarded figure in the field, this all-in-one book emphasizes astronomical formulae and astronomical problems to give a solid foundation for the further study of interstellar medium. Covering all phenomena associated with cosmic dust, this inclusive text eliminates the need to consult special physica

Physical studies of strained Si/SiGe heterostructures. From virtual substrates to nanodevices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minamisawa, Renato Amaral

2011-10-21

achieving high quality, strained doped layers. The knowledge acquired was further applied in the fabrication of p-MOSFETs using strained Si/strained Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5}/SSOI substrates and HfO{sub 2}/TiN gate stacks. Moreover, rare earth GdScO{sub 3} was integrated for the first time into MOSFETs with high mobility strained SiGe channels using a gate-first process. Transistors with channel length ranging from 65 nm to 1.5 {mu}m were fabricated and characterized. The hole mobility and effective velocity were extracted from devices with <110> and <100> channel orientations. The mobility for the <100> direction is 18% higher than for <110> direction. However, this enhancement translates in only 8% increase in effective velocity.

High-dose MeV electron irradiation of Si-SiO2 structures implanted with high doses Si+

Science.gov (United States)

Kaschieva, S.; Angelov, Ch; Dmitriev, S. N.

2018-03-01

The influence was studied of 22-MeV electron irradiation on Si-SiO2 structures implanted with high-fluence Si+ ions. Our earlier works demonstrated that Si redistribution is observed in Si+-ion-implanted Si-SiO2 structures (after MeV electron irradiation) only in the case when ion implantation is carried out with a higher fluence (1016 cm-2). We focused our attention on the interaction of high-dose MeV electron irradiation (6.0×1016 cm-2) with n-Si-SiO2 structures implanted with Si+ ions (fluence 5.4×1016 cm-2 of the same order magnitude). The redistribution of both oxygen and silicon atoms in the implanted Si-SiO2 samples after MeV electron irradiation was studied by Rutherford back-scattering (RBS) spectroscopy in combination with a channeling technique (RBS/C). Our results demonstrated that the redistribution of oxygen and silicon atoms in the implanted samples reaches saturation after these high doses of MeV electron irradiation. The transformation of amorphous SiO2 surface into crystalline Si nanostructures (after MeV electron irradiation) was evidenced by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Silicon nanocrystals are formed on the SiO2 surface after MeV electron irradiation. The shape and number of the Si nanocrystals on the SiO2 surface depend on the MeV electron irradiation, while their size increases with the dose. The mean Si nanocrystals height is 16-20 nm after irradiation with MeV electrons at the dose of 6.0×1016 cm-2.

Interstellar scintillation as the origin of the rapid radio variability of the quasar J1819+3845.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennett-Thorpe, J; de Bruyn, A G

2002-01-03

The liberation of gravitational energy as matter falls onto a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy is believed to explain the high luminosity of quasars. The variability of this emission from quasars and other types of active galactic nuclei can provide information on the size of the emitting regions and the physical process of fuelling the black hole. Some active galactic nuclei are variable at optical (and shorter) wavelengths, and display radio outbursts over years and decades. These active galactic nuclei often also show faster intraday variability at radio wavelengths. The origin of this rapid variability has been extensively debated, but a correlation between optical and radio variations in some sources suggests that both are intrinsic. This would, however, require radiation brightness temperatures that seem physically implausible, leading to the suggestion that the rapid variations are caused by scattering of the emission by the interstellar medium inside our Galaxy. Here we show that the rapid variations in the extreme case of quasar J1819+3845 (ref. 10) indeed arise from interstellar scintillation. The transverse velocity of the scattering material reveals the presence of plasma with a surprisingly high velocity close to the Solar System.

The ESO Diffuse Interstellar Band Large Exploration Survey (EDIBLES)

Science.gov (United States)

Cami, J.; Cox, N. L.; Farhang, A.; Smoker, J.; Elyajouri, M.; Lallement, R.; Bacalla, X.; Bhatt, N. H.; Bron, E.; Cordiner, M. A.; de Koter, A..; Ehrenfreund, P.; Evans, C.; Foing, B. H.; Javadi, A.; Joblin, C.; Kaper, L.; Khosroshahi, H. G.; Laverick, M.; Le Petit, F..; Linnartz, H.; Marshall, C. C.; Monreal-Ibero, A.; Mulas, G.; Roueff, E.; Royer, P.; Salama, F.; Sarre, P. J.; Smith, K. T.; Spaans, M.; van Loon, J. T..; Wade, G.

2018-03-01

The ESO Diffuse Interstellar Band Large Exploration Survey (EDIBLES) is a Large Programme that is collecting high-signal-to-noise (S/N) spectra with UVES of a large sample of O and B-type stars covering a large spectral range. The goal of the programme is to extract a unique sample of high-quality interstellar spectra from these data, representing different physical and chemical environments, and to characterise these environments in great detail. An important component of interstellar spectra is the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), a set of hundreds of unidentified interstellar absorption lines. With the detailed line-of-sight information and the high-quality spectra, EDIBLES will derive strong constraints on the potential DIB carrier molecules. EDIBLES will thus guide the laboratory experiments necessary to identify these interstellar “mystery molecules”, and turn DIBs into powerful diagnostics of their environments in our Milky Way Galaxy and beyond. We present some preliminary results showing the unique capabilities of the EDIBLES programme.

Remote Numerical Simulations of the Interaction of High Velocity Clouds with Random Magnetic Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Santillan, Alfredo; Hernandez--Cervantes, Liliana; Gonzalez--Ponce, Alejandro; Kim, Jongsoo

The numerical simulations associated with the interaction of High Velocity Clouds (HVC) with the Magnetized Galactic Interstellar Medium (ISM) are a powerful tool to describe the evolution of the interaction of these objects in our Galaxy. In this work we present a new project referred to as Theoretical Virtual i Observatories. It is oriented toward to perform numerical simulations in real time through a Web page. This is a powerful astrophysical computational tool that consists of an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) and a database produced by numerical calculations. In this Website the user can make use of the existing numerical simulations from the database or run a new simulation introducing initial conditions such as temperatures, densities, velocities, and magnetic field intensities for both the ISM and HVC. The prototype is programmed using Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP (LAMP), based on the open source philosophy. All simulations were performed with the MHD code ZEUS-3D, which solves the ideal MHD equations by finite differences on a fixed Eulerian mesh. Finally, we present typical results that can be obtained with this tool.

The Interstellar Medium

CERN Document Server

Lequeux, James

2005-01-01

Describing interstellar matter in our galaxy in all of its various forms, this book also considers the physical and chemical processes that are occurring within this matter. The first seven chapters present the various components making up the interstellar matter and detail the ways that we are able to study them. The following seven chapters are devoted to the physical, chemical and dynamical processes that control the behaviour of interstellar matter. These include the instabilities and cloud collapse processes that lead to the formation of stars. The last chapter summarizes the transformations that can occur between the different phases of the interstellar medium. Emphasizing methods over results, "The Interstellar Medium" is written for graduate students, for young astronomers, and also for any researchers who have developed an interest in the interstellar medium.

Physical Conditions in Shocked Interstellar Gas Interacting with the Supernova Remnant IC 443

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchey, Adam M.; Federman, Steven Robert; Jenkins, Edward B.; Caprioli, Damiano; Wallerstein, George

2018-06-01

We present the results of a detailed investigation into the physical conditions in interstellar material interacting with the supernova remnant IC 443. Our analysis is based on an examination of high-resolution HST/STIS spectra of two stars probing predominantly neutral gas located both ahead of and behind the supernova shock front. The pre-shock neutral gas is characterized by densities and temperatures typical of diffuse interstellar clouds, while the post-shock material exhibits a range of more extreme physical conditions, including high temperatures (>104 K) in some cases, which may require a sudden heating event to explain. The ionization level is enhanced in the high-temperature post-shock material, which could be the result of enhanced radiation from shocks or from an increase in cosmic-ray ionization. The gas-phase abundances of refractory elements are also enhanced in the high-pressure gas, suggesting efficient destruction of dust grains by shock sputtering. Observations of highly-ionized species at very high velocity indicate a post-shock temperature of 107 K for the hot X-ray emitting plasma of the remnant’s interior, in agreement with studies of thermal X-ray emission from IC 443.

In situ observation of self-propagating high temperature syntheses of Ta5Si3, Ti5Si3 and TiB2 by proton and X-ray radiography

Science.gov (United States)

Bernert, T.; Winkler, B.; Haussühl, E.; Trouw, F.; Vogel, S. C.; Hurd, A. J.; Smilowitz, L.; Henson, B. F.; Merrill, F. E.; Morris, C. L.; Mariam, F. G.; Saunders, A.; Juarez-Arellano, E. A.

2013-08-01

Self-propagating high temperature reactions of tantalum and titanium with silicon and titanium with boron were studied using proton and X-ray radiography, small-angle neutron scattering, neutron time-of-flight, X-ray and neutron diffraction, dilatometry and video recording. We show that radiography allows the observation of the propagation of the flame front in all investigated systems and the determination of the widths of the burning zones. X-ray and neutron diffraction showed that the reaction products consisted of ≈90 wt% of the main phase and one or two secondary phases. For the reaction 5Ti + 3Si → Ti5Si3 flame front velocities of 7.1(3)-34.2(4) mm/s were determined depending on the concentration of a retardant added to the starting material, the geometry and the green density of the samples. The flame front width was determined to be 1.17(4)-1.82(8) mm and depends exponentially on the flame front velocity. Similarly, for the reaction Ti + 2B → TiB2 flame front velocities of 15(2)-26.6(4) mm/s were determined, while for a 5Ta + 3Si → Ta5Si3 reaction the flame front velocity was 7.05(4) mm/s. The micro structure of the product phase Ta5Si3 shows no texture. From SANS measurements the dependence of the specific surface of the product phase on the particle sizes of the starting materials was studied.

Auditory velocity discrimination in the horizontal plane at very high velocities.

Science.gov (United States)

Frissen, Ilja; Féron, François-Xavier; Guastavino, Catherine

2014-10-01

We determined velocity discrimination thresholds and Weber fractions for sounds revolving around the listener at very high velocities. Sounds used were a broadband white noise and two harmonic sounds with fundamental frequencies of 330 Hz and 1760 Hz. Experiment 1 used velocities ranging between 288°/s and 720°/s in an acoustically treated room and Experiment 2 used velocities between 288°/s and 576°/s in a highly reverberant hall. A third experiment addressed potential confounds in the first two experiments. The results show that people can reliably discriminate velocity at very high velocities and that both thresholds and Weber fractions decrease as velocity increases. These results violate Weber's law but are consistent with the empirical trend observed in the literature. While thresholds for the noise and 330 Hz harmonic stimulus were similar, those for the 1760 Hz harmonic stimulus were substantially higher. There were no reliable differences in velocity discrimination between the two acoustical environments, suggesting that auditory motion perception at high velocities is robust against the effects of reverberation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deep, Broadband Spectral Line Surveys of Molecule-rich Interstellar Clouds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widicus Weaver, Susanna L.; Laas, Jacob C.; Zou, Luyao; Kroll, Jay A.; Rad, Mary L.; Hays, Brian M.; Sanders, James L.; Cross, Trevor N.; Wehres, Nadine; McGuire, Brett A. [Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 (United States); Lis, Dariusz C.; Sumner, Matthew C., E-mail: susanna.widicus.weaver@emory.edu [California Institute of Technology, Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics 301-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2017-09-01

Spectral line surveys are an indispensable tool for exploring the physical and chemical evolution of astrophysical environments due to the vast amount of data that can be obtained in a relatively short amount of time. We present deep, broadband spectral line surveys of 30 interstellar clouds using two broadband λ  = 1.3 mm receivers at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. This information can be used to probe the influence of physical environment on molecular complexity. We observed a wide variety of sources to examine the relative abundances of organic molecules as they relate to the physical properties of the source (i.e., temperature, density, dynamics, etc.). The spectra are highly sensitive, with noise levels ≤25 mK at a velocity resolution of ∼0.35 km s{sup −1}. In the initial analysis presented here, column densities and rotational temperatures have been determined for the molecular species that contribute significantly to the spectral line density in this wavelength regime. We present these results and discuss their implications for complex molecule formation in the interstellar medium.

Interstellar molecules and masers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen-Q-Rieu; Guibert, J.

1978-01-01

The study of dense and dark clouds, in which hydrogen is mostly in molecular form, became possible since the discovery of interstellar molecules, emitting in the centimeter and millimeter wavelengths. The molecular lines are generally not in local thermal equilibrium (LTE). Their intensity can often be explained by invoking a population inversion mechanism. Maser emission lines due to OH, H 2 O and SiO molecules are among the most intense molecular lines. The H 2 CO molecule, detected in absorption in front of the cold cosmic background radiation of 2.7 K, illustrates the inverse phenomenon, the antimaser absorption. For a radio transition of frequency v, the inversion rate Δn (relative population difference between the upper and lower level) as well as the maser gain can be determined from the radio observations. In the case of the OH lines in the 2 PIsub(3/2), J=3/2 state, the inversion rates approximately 1 to 2% derived from the observations, are comparable with those obtained in the laboratory. The determination of the excitation mechanisms of the masers, through the statistical equilibrium and radiative transfer equations, implies the knowledge of collisional and radiative transition probabilities. A pumping model, which can satisfactorily explain the radio observations of some interstellar OH clouds, will be discussed [fr

Components in the interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, E.R.

1981-01-01

An analysis is made of the lines of sight toward 32 stars with a procedure that gives velocity components for various interstellar ions. The column densities found for species expected to be relatively undepleted are used to estimate the column density of neutral hydrogen in each component. Whenever possible, the molecular hydrogen excitation temperature, abundances (relative to S II), electron density, and hydrogen volume density are calculated for each component. The results for each star are combined to give total HI column density as a function of (LSR) velocity. The derived velocities correspond well with those found in optical studies. The mean electron density is found to be approximately constant with velocity, but the mean hydrogen volume density is found to vary. The data presented here are consistent with the assumption that some of the velocity components are due to circumstellar material. The total HI column density toward a given star is generally in agreement with Lyman alpha measurements, but ionization and abundance effects are important toward some stars. The total HI column density is found to vary exponentially with velocity (for N(HI)> 10 17 cm -2 ), with an indication that the velocity dispersion at low column densities (N(HI) 17 cm -2 ) is approximately constant. An estimate is made of the kinetic energy density due to cloud motion which depends only on the total HI column density as a function of velocity. The value of 9 x 10 42 erg/pc 3 is in good agreement with a theoretical prediction

PROPERTIES OF DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR BANDS AT DIFFERENT PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kos, J.; Zwitter, T.

2013-01-01

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) can trace different conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM) along the sightline toward the observed stars. A small survey was made in optical wavelengths, producing high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra. We present measurements of 19 DIBs' properties in 50 sightlines toward hot stars, distributed at a variety of galactic coordinates and interstellar reddening. Equivalent widths were obtained by fitting asymmetric Gaussian and variable continua to DIBs. Conditions of the ISM were calculated from eight atomic and molecular interstellar lines. Two distinctly different types of DIBs were identified by carefully comparing correlation coefficients between DIBs and reddening and by different behavior in UV-shielded (ζ) and nonshielded (σ) sightlines. A ratio of DIBs at 5780 Å and 5797 Å proved to be reliable enough to distinguish between two different sightline types. Based on the linear relations between DIB equivalent width and reddening for σ and ζ sightlines, we divide DIBs into type I (where both linear relations are similar) and type II (where they are significantly different). The linear relation for ζ type sightlines always shows a higher slope and larger x-intercept parameter than the relation for σ sightlines. Scatter around the linear relation is reduced after the separation, but it does not vanish completely. This means that UV shielding is the dominant factor of the DIB equivalent width versus reddening relation shape for ζ sightlines, but in σ sightlines other physical parameters play a major role. No similar dependency on gas density, electron density, or turbulence was observed. A catalog of all observed interstellar lines is made public

Interstellar Extinction

OpenAIRE

Gontcharov, George

2017-01-01

This review describes our current understanding of interstellar extinction. This differ substantially from the ideas of the 20th century. With infrared surveys of hundreds of millions of stars over the entire sky, such as 2MASS, SPITZER-IRAC, and WISE, we have looked at the densest and most rarefied regions of the interstellar medium at distances of a few kpc from the sun. Observations at infrared and microwave wavelengths, where the bulk of the interstellar dust absorbs and radiates, have br...

Components in the interstellar medium toward epsilon persei and delta persei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, E.R.; York, D.G.

1982-01-01

We analyze the lines of sight toward epsilon Persei and delta Persei with a procedure that gives velocity components for various interstellar ions. The column densities found for ions expected to be relatively undepleted are used to estimate the column density of neutral hydrogen in each component. The velocities found correspond well with those determined from previous optical studies when the optical components can be resolved. Whenever possible we calculate electron density, calcium and titanium depletion, molecular hydrogen excitation temperature, and hydrogen volume density for each component. Toward each star there is one dominent component with high column density, low LSR velocity, a large depletion in Ca and Ti, and low H 2 excitation temperature. The H 2 results also indicate that the dominant component has a high hydrogen volume density. The components at higher velocities are characterized by lower column densities and less Ca and Ti depletion, relative to the dominant component. There is also evidence that there is one component toward each star which contains mostly ionized gas. While the electron densities found seem consistent with previous results, questions are raised concerning the formation rate of H 2 and the abundance variations of certain species from cloud to cloud

Formation of Amino Acid Precursors by Bombardment of Interstellar Ice Analogs with High Energy Heavy Ions

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Kensei; Mita, Hajime; Yoshida, Satoshi; Shibata, Hiromi; Enomoto, Shingo; Matsuda, Tomoyuki; Fukuda, Hitoshi; Kondo, Kotaro; Oguri, Yoshiyuki; Kebukawa, Yoko

2016-07-01

A wide variety of organic compounds have been detected in extraterrestrial bodies. It has been recognized that carbonaceous chondrites contain pristine amino acids [1]. There are several scenarios of the formation of such extraterrestrial amino acids or their precursors. Greenberg proposed a scenario that complex organic compounds were formed in interstellar ices in dense clouds, which were brought into solar system small bodies when the solar system was formed [2]. The ice mantles of interstellar dust particles (ISDs) in dense clouds are composed of H2O, CO, CH3OH, CH4, CO2, NH3, etc. In order to verify the scenario, a number of laboratory experiments have been conducted where interstellar ice analogs were irradiated with high-energy particles [3,4] or UV [5,6], and formation of complex organic compounds including amino acid precursors were detected in the products. Though ion-molecular reactions in gaseous phase and surface reactions on the ice mantles have been studied intensively, much less works on cosmic rays-induced reaction have been reported. In order to study possible formation of complex molecules in interstellar ices, frozen mixtures of water, methanol and ammonia with various mixing ratios were irradiated with high-energy heavy ions such as carbon ions (290 MeV/u) and neon ions (400 MeV/u) from HIMAC, NIRS, Japan. For comparison, gaseous mixtures of water, ammonia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and/or methane were irradiated with protons (2.5 MeV) from a Tandem accelerator, Tokyo Tech, Japan. Amino acids in the products were determined by cation exchange HPLC after acid hydrolysis. Products, both before and after acid hydrolysis, were also characterized by FT-IR and other techniques. Amino acids were detected in the hydrolyzed products after mixture of CH3OH, NH3 and H2O with various mixing ratios were irradiated with heavy ions, including when their mixing ratio was set close to the reported value of the interstellar ices (10:1:37). In the HIMAC

THERMODYNAMICS AND CHARGING OF INTERSTELLAR IRON NANOPARTICLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hensley, Brandon S. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Draine, B. T., E-mail: brandon.s.hensley@jpl.nasa.gov [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2017-01-10

Interstellar iron in the form of metallic iron nanoparticles may constitute a component of the interstellar dust. We compute the stability of iron nanoparticles to sublimation in the interstellar radiation field, finding that iron clusters can persist down to a radius of ≃4.5 Å, and perhaps smaller. We employ laboratory data on small iron clusters to compute the photoelectric yields as a function of grain size and the resulting grain charge distribution in various interstellar environments, finding that iron nanoparticles can acquire negative charges, particularly in regions with high gas temperatures and ionization fractions. If ≳10% of the interstellar iron is in the form of ultrasmall iron clusters, the photoelectric heating rate from dust may be increased by up to tens of percent relative to dust models with only carbonaceous and silicate grains.

Interstellar depletions and the filling factor of the hot interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwek, E.; Scalo, J.M.

1979-01-01

We have examined theoretically the evolution of refractory interstellar grain abundances and corresponding metal deplections in the solar neighborhood. The calculations include a self-consistent treatment of red-giant winds, planetary nebulae, protostellar nebulae, and suprnovae as sources of grains and star formation, and of encounters with supernova blast waves as sinks. We find that in the standard two-phase model for the interstellar medium (ISM), grain destruction is very efficient, and the abundance of refractory grains should be negligible, contrary to observations. In a cloudy three-phase ISM most grains reside in the warm and cold phases of the medium. Supernova blast waves expand predominantly in the hot and tenuous phase of the medium and are showed down as they propagate through a cloud. In order to obtain significant (approx.3) depletions of metals presubably locked up in refractory grain cores, the destruction of grains that reside in the clouds must be minimal. This requires that (a) the density contrast between the cloud and intercloud medium be sufficiently high, and (b) the filling factor of the hot and tenuous gas of the interstellar medium, which presumably gives rise to the O VI absorption and soft X-ray emission, be nearly unity. Much larger depletions (> or approx. =10) must reflect accretion of mantles within interstellar clouds

Orientation Effects in Ballistic High-Strained P-type Si Nanowire FETs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Yu

2009-04-01

Full Text Available In order to design and optimize high-sensitivity silicon nanowire-field-effect transistor (SiNW FET pressure sensors, this paper investigates the effects of channel orientations and the uniaxial stress on the ballistic hole transport properties of a strongly quantized SiNW FET placed near the high stress regions of the pressure sensors. A discrete stress-dependent six-band k.p method is used for subband structure calculation, coupled to a two-dimensional Poisson solver for electrostatics. A semi-classical ballistic FET model is then used to evaluate the ballistic current-voltage characteristics of SiNW FETs with and without strain. Our results presented here indicate that [110] is the optimum orientation for the p-type SiNW FETs and sensors. For the ultra-scaled 2.2 nm square SiNW, due to the limit of strong quantum confinement, the effect of the uniaxial stress on the magnitude of ballistic drive current is too small to be considered, except for the [100] orientation. However, for larger 5 nm square SiNW transistors with various transport orientations, the uniaxial tensile stress obviously alters the ballistic performance, while the uniaxial compressive stress slightly changes the ballistic hole current. Furthermore, the competition of injection velocity and carrier density related to the effective hole masses is found to play a critical role in determining the performance of the nanotransistors.

Abundances in the diffuse interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, A.W.

1988-04-01

The wealth of interstellar absorption line data obtained with the Copernicus and IUE satellites has opened up a new era in studies of the interstellar gas. It is now well established that certain elements, generally those with high condensation temperatures, are substantially under-abundant in the gas-phase relative to total solar or cosmic abundances. This depletion of elements is due to the existence of solid material in the form of dust grains in the interstellar medium. Surprisingly, however, recent surveys indicate that even volatile elements such as Zn and S are significantly depleted in many sight lines. Developments in this field which have been made possible by the large base of UV interstellar absorption line data built up over recent years are reviewed and the implications of the results for our understanding of the physical processes governing depletion are discussed. (author)

Experimental interstellar organic chemistry: Preliminary findings

Science.gov (United States)

Khare, B. N.; Sagan, C.

1971-01-01

In a simulation of interstellar organic chemistry in dense interstellar clouds or on grain surfaces, formaldehyde, water vapor, ammonia and ethane are deposited on a quartz cold finger and ultraviolet-irradiated in high vacuum at 77K. The HCHO photolytic pathway which produces an aldehyde radical and a superthermal hydrogen atom initiates solid phase chain reactions leading to a range of new compounds, including methanol, ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetonitrile, acetone, methyl formate, and possibly formic acid. Higher nitriles are anticipated. Genetic relations among these interstellar organic molecules (e.g., the Cannizzaro and Tischenko reactions) must exist. Some of them, rather than being synthesized from smaller molecules, may be degradation products of larger organic molecules, such as hexamethylene tetramine, which are candidate consitituents of the interstellar grains. The experiments reported here may also be relevant to cometary chemistry.

Study of the fragmentation of astrophysical interest molecules (CnHm) induced by high velocity collision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuna, Th.

2008-07-01

This work shows the study of atom-molecule collision processes in the high velocity domain (v=4,5 a.u). The molecules concerned by this work are small unsaturated hydrocarbons C 1-4 H and C 3 H 2 . Molecules are accelerated with the Tandem accelerator in Orsay and their fragmentation is analyzed by the 4π, 100% efficient detector, AGAT. Thanks to a shape analysis of the current signal from the silicon detectors in association with the well known grid method, we are able to measure all the fragmentation channels of the incident molecule. These dissociation measurements have been introduced in the modelization of two objects of the interstellar medium in which a lot of hydrocarbon molecules have been observed (TMC1, horse-head nebula). We have extended our branching ratios obtained by high velocity collision to other electronic processes included in the chemical database like photodissociation and dissociative recombination. This procedure is feasible under an assumption of the statistical point of view of the molecular fragmentation. The deviations following our modification are very small in the modelization of TMC1 but significant in the photodissociation region. The first part is dedicated to the description of the experimental setting that has enabled us to study the fragmentation of C n H m molecules: the Orsay's Tandem accelerator and the Agat detector. The second part deals with negative ion sources and particularly with the Sahat source that is based on electronic impact and has shown good features for the production of anions and correct stability for its use with accelerators. The third part is dedicated to the experimental results in terms of cross-sections, number of fragments and branching ratios, associated to the various collisional processes. The last part presents an application of our measurement of fragmentation data to astro-chemistry. In this field, the simulation codes of the inter-stellar medium require databases of chemical reactions that

MEASURING EJECTA VELOCITY IMPROVES TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA DISTANCES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foley, Ryan J.; Kasen, Daniel

2011-01-01

We use a sample of 121 spectroscopically normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) to show that their intrinsic color is correlated with their ejecta velocity, as measured from the blueshift of the Si II λ6355 feature near maximum brightness, v SiII . The SN Ia sample was originally used by Wang et al. to show that the relationship between color excess and peak magnitude, which in the absence of intrinsic color differences describes a reddening law, was different for two subsamples split by v SiII (defined as 'Normal' and 'High Velocity'). We verify this result, but find that the two subsamples have the same reddening law when extremely reddened events (E(B - V)>0.35 mag) are excluded. We also show that (1) the High-Velocity subsample is offset by ∼0.06 mag to the red from the Normal subsample in the (B max - V max )-M V plane, (2) the B max - V max cumulative distribution functions of the two subsamples have nearly identical shapes, but the High-Velocity subsample is offset by ∼0.07 mag to the red in B max - V max , and (3) the bluest High-Velocity SNe Ia are ∼0.10 mag redder than the bluest Normal SNe Ia. Together, this evidence indicates a difference in intrinsic color for the subsamples. Accounting for this intrinsic color difference reduces the scatter in Hubble residuals from 0.190 mag to 0.130 mag for SNe Ia with A V ∼ V found in large SN Ia samples. We explain the correlation between ejecta velocity and color as increased line blanketing in the High-Velocity SNe Ia, causing them to become redder. We discuss some implications of this result, and stress the importance of spectroscopy for future SN Ia cosmology surveys, with particular focus on the design of WFIRST.

INTERSTELLAR ABUNDANCES TOWARD X Per, REVISITED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valencic, Lynne A.; Smith, Randall K.

2013-01-01

The nearby X-ray binary X Per (HD 24534) provides a useful beacon with which to examine dust grain types and measure elemental abundances in the local interstellar medium (ISM). The absorption features of O, Fe, Mg, and Si along this line of sight were measured using spectra from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory's LETG/ACIS-S and XMM-Newton's RGS instruments, and the Spex software package. The spectra were fit with dust analogs measured in the laboratory. The O, Mg, and Si abundances were compared to those from standard references, and the O abundance was compared to that along lines of sight toward other X-ray binaries. The results are as follows. First, it was found that a combination of MgSiO 3 (enstatite) and Mg 1.6 Fe 0.4 SiO 4 (olivine) provided the best fit to the O K edge, with N(MgSiO 3 )/N(Mg 1.6 Fe 0.4 SiO 4 ) = 3.4. Second, the Fe L edge could be fit with models that included metallic iron, but it was not well described by the laboratory spectra currently available. Third, the total abundances of O, Mg, and Si were in very good agreement with that of recently re-analyzed B stars, suggesting that they are good indicators of abundances in the local ISM, and the depletions were also in agreement with expected values for the diffuse ISM. Finally, the O abundances found from X-ray binary absorption spectra show a similar correlation with Galactocentric distances as seen in other objects.

Four Interstellar Dust Candidates from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

Science.gov (United States)

Westphal, A. J.; Allen, C.; Bajt, S.; Bechtel, H. A.; Borg, J.; Brenker, F.; Bridges, J.; Brownlee, D. E.; Burchell, M.; Burghammer, M.;

KINETIC TOMOGRAPHY. I. A METHOD FOR MAPPING THE MILKY WAY’S INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN FOUR DIMENSIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tchernyshyov, Kirill [The Johns Hopkins University (United States); Peek, J. E. G. [Space Telescope Science Institute (United States)

2017-01-01

We have developed a method for deriving the distribution of the Milky Way’s interstellar medium as a function of longitude, latitude, distance, and line-of-sight velocity. This method takes as input maps of reddening as a function of longitude, latitude, distance, and maps of line emission as a function of longitude, latitude, and line-of-sight velocity. We have applied this method to data sets covering much of the Galactic plane. The output of this method correctly reproduces the line-of-sight velocities of high-mass star-forming regions with known distances from Reid et al. and qualitatively agrees with results from the Milky Way kinematics literature. These maps will be useful for measuring flows of gas around the Milky Way’s spiral arms and into and out of giant molecular clouds.

Rapid ionization of the environment of SN 1987A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raga, A.C.

1987-01-01

It has been suggested by some authors that IUE observations of the supernova SN 1987A show the presence of a strong component of the interstellar C IV 1550 and Si IV 1393 absorption lines at a velocity that approximately corresponds to the velocity of the LMC. It is possible that this component might come from originally neutral (or at least not very highly ionized) gas which has been photoionized by the initially very strong ionizing radiation field of the supernova. Theoretical considerations of this scenario lead to the study of fast (with velocities of about c) ionization fronts. It is shown that for reasonable model parameters it is possible to obtain considerably large C IV column densities, in agreement with the IUE observations. On the other hand, the models do not so easily predict the large Si IV column densities that are also obtained from the IUE observations. It is found that only models in which the interstellar medium surrounding SN 1987A is initially composed of already ionized hydrogen and helium predict substantial Si IV column densities. This result provides an interesting prediction of the ionization state of the environment of the presupernova star. 9 references

Rapid ionization of the environment of SN 1987A

Science.gov (United States)

Raga, A. C.

1987-01-01

It has been suggested by some authors that IUE observations of the supernova SN 1987A show the presence of a strong component of the interstellar C IV 1550 and Si IV 1393 absorption lines at a velocity that approximately corresponds to the velocity of the LMC. It is possible that this component might come from originally neutral (or at least not very highly ionized) gas which has been photoionized by the initially very strong ionizing radiation field of the supernova. Theoretical considerations of this scenario lead to the study of fast (with velocities of about c) ionization fronts. It is shown that for reasonable model parameters it is possible to obtain considerably large C IV column densities, in agreement with the IUE observations. On the other hand, the models do not so easily predict the large Si IV column densities that are also obtained from the IUE observations. It is found that only models in which the interstellar medium surrounding SN 1987A is initially composed of already ionized hydrogen and helium predict substantial Si IV column densities. This result provides an interesting prediction of the ionization state of the environment of the presupernova star.

NASA's interstellar probe mission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liewer, P.C.; Ayon, J.A.; Wallace, R.A.; Mewaldt, R.A.

2000-01-01

NASA's Interstellar Probe will be the first spacecraft designed to explore the nearby interstellar medium and its interaction with our solar system. As envisioned by NASA's Interstellar Probe Science and Technology Definition Team, the spacecraft will be propelled by a solar sail to reach >200 AU in 15 years. Interstellar Probe will investigate how the Sun interacts with its environment and will directly measure the properties and composition of the dust, neutrals and plasma of the local interstellar material which surrounds the solar system. In the mission concept developed in the spring of 1999, a 400-m diameter solar sail accelerates the spacecraft to ∼15 AU/year, roughly 5 times the speed of Voyager 1 and 2. The sail is used to first bring the spacecraft to ∼0.25 AU to increase the radiation pressure before heading out in the interstellar upwind direction. After jettisoning the sail at ∼5 AU, the spacecraft coasts to 200-400 AU, exploring the Kuiper Belt, the boundaries of the heliosphere, and the nearby interstellar medium

Infrared diffuse interstellar bands

Science.gov (United States)

Galazutdinov, G. A.; Lee, Jae-Joon; Han, Inwoo; Lee, Byeong-Cheol; Valyavin, G.; Krełowski, J.

2017-05-01

We present high-resolution (R ˜ 45 000) profiles of 14 diffuse interstellar bands in the ˜1.45 to ˜2.45 μm range based on spectra obtained with the Immersion Grating INfrared Spectrograph at the McDonald Observatory. The revised list of diffuse bands with accurately estimated rest wavelengths includes six new features. The diffuse band at 15 268.2 Å demonstrates a very symmetric profile shape and thus can serve as a reference for finding the 'interstellar correction' to the rest wavelength frame in the H range, which suffers from a lack of known atomic/molecular lines.

Reliability implications of defects in high temperature annealed Si/SiO2/Si structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, W.L.; Fleetwood, D.M.; Shaneyfelt, M.R.; Winokur, P.S.; Devine, R.A.B.; Mathiot, D.; Wilson, I.H.; Xu, J.B.

1994-01-01

High-temperature post-oxidation annealing of poly-Si/SiO 2 /Si structures such as metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors is known to result in enhanced radiation sensitivity, increased 1/f noise, and low field breakdown. The authors have studied the origins of these effects from a spectroscopic standpoint using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and atomic force microscopy. One result of high temperature annealing is the generation of three types of paramagnetic defect centers, two of which are associated with the oxide close to the Si/SiO 2 interface (oxygen-vacancy centers) and the third with the bulk Si substrate (oxygen-related donors). In all three cases, the origin of the defects may be attributed to out-diffusion of O from the SiO 2 network into the Si substrate with associated reduction of the oxide. The authors present a straightforward model for the interfacial region which assumes the driving force for O out-diffusion is the chemical potential difference of the O in the two phases (SiO 2 and the Si substrate). Experimental evidence is provided to show that enhanced hole trapping and interface-trap and border-trap generation in irradiated high-temperature annealed Si/SiO 2 /Si systems are all related either directly, or indirectly, to the presence of oxygen vacancies

OBSERVATIONS OF THE INTERPLANETARY HYDROGEN DURING SOLAR CYCLES 23 AND 24. WHAT CAN WE DEDUCE ABOUT THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vincent, Frédéric E.; Quémerais, Eric; Koutroumpa, Dimitra; Katushkina, Olga; Izmodenov, Vladislav; Ben-Jaffel, Lotfi; Harris, Walter M.; Clarke, John

2014-01-01

Observations of interstellar helium atoms by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft in 2009 reported a local interstellar medium (LISM) velocity vector different from the results of the Ulysses spacecraft between 1991 and 2002. The interplanetary hydrogen (IPH), a population of neutrals that fills the space between planets inside the heliosphere, carries the signatures of the LISM and its interaction with the solar wind. More than 40 yr of space-based studies of the backscattered solar Lyα emission from the IPH provided limited access to the velocity distribution, with the first temporal evolution map of the IPH line-shift during solar cycle 23. This work presents the results of the latest IPH observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph during solar cycle 24. These results have been compiled with previous measurements, including data from the Solar Wind Anisotropies instrument on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. The whole set has been compared to physically realistic models to test both sets of LISM physical parameters as measured by Ulysses and IBEX, respectively. This comparison shows that the LISM velocity vector has not changed significantly since Ulysses measurements

OBSERVATIONS OF THE INTERPLANETARY HYDROGEN DURING SOLAR CYCLES 23 AND 24. WHAT CAN WE DEDUCE ABOUT THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vincent, Frédéric E.; Quémerais, Eric; Koutroumpa, Dimitra [Université Versailles St.-Quentin, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CRNS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 boulevard d' Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt (France); Katushkina, Olga; Izmodenov, Vladislav [Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Ben-Jaffel, Lotfi [UPMC Univ. Paris 06, UMR7095, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, F-75014, Paris (France); Harris, Walter M. [University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, 1629 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Clarke, John [Center for Space Physics, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

2014-06-20

Observations of interstellar helium atoms by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft in 2009 reported a local interstellar medium (LISM) velocity vector different from the results of the Ulysses spacecraft between 1991 and 2002. The interplanetary hydrogen (IPH), a population of neutrals that fills the space between planets inside the heliosphere, carries the signatures of the LISM and its interaction with the solar wind. More than 40 yr of space-based studies of the backscattered solar Lyα emission from the IPH provided limited access to the velocity distribution, with the first temporal evolution map of the IPH line-shift during solar cycle 23. This work presents the results of the latest IPH observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph during solar cycle 24. These results have been compiled with previous measurements, including data from the Solar Wind Anisotropies instrument on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. The whole set has been compared to physically realistic models to test both sets of LISM physical parameters as measured by Ulysses and IBEX, respectively. This comparison shows that the LISM velocity vector has not changed significantly since Ulysses measurements.

Carbon redistribution and precipitation in high temperature ion-implanted strained Si/SiGe/Si multi-layered structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaiduk, Peter; Hansen, John Lundsgaard; Nylandsted Larsen, Arne

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract Carbon depth profiles after high temperature implantation in strained Si/SiGe/Si multilayered system and induced structural defects.......Graphical abstract Carbon depth profiles after high temperature implantation in strained Si/SiGe/Si multilayered system and induced structural defects....

Iron and Silicate Dust Growth in the Galactic Interstellar Medium: Clues from Element Depletions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhukovska, Svitlana; Henning, Thomas; Dobbs, Clare

2018-04-01

The interstellar abundances of refractory elements indicate a substantial depletion from the gas phase, which increases with gas density. Our recent model of dust evolution, based on hydrodynamic simulations of the life cycle of giant molecular clouds (GMCs), proves that the observed trend for [Sigas/H] is driven by a combination of dust growth by accretion in the cold diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) and efficient destruction by supernova (SN) shocks. With an analytic model of dust evolution, we demonstrate that even with optimistic assumptions for the dust input from stars and without destruction of grains by SNe it is impossible to match the observed [Sigas/H]–n H relation without growth in the ISM. We extend the framework developed in our previous work for silicates to include the evolution of iron grains and address a long-standing conundrum: “Where is the interstellar iron?” Much higher depletion of Fe in the warm neutral medium compared to Si is reproduced by the models, in which a large fraction of interstellar iron (70%) is locked as inclusions in silicate grains, where it is protected from efficient sputtering by SN shocks. The slope of the observed [Fegas/H]–n H relation is reproduced if the remaining depleted iron resides in a population of metallic iron nanoparticles with sizes in the range of 1–10 nm. Enhanced collision rates due to the Coulomb focusing are important for both silicate and iron dust models to match the slopes of the observed depletion–density relations and the magnitudes of depletion at high gas density.

Simulation of electron transmittance and tunnel current in n{sup +} Poly-Si/HfSiO{sub x}N/Trap/SiO{sub 2}/Si(100) capacitors using analytical and numerical approaches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noor, Fatimah A., E-mail: fatimah@fi.itb.ac.id; Iskandar, Ferry; Abdullah, Mikrajuddin; Khairurrijal [Physics of Electronic Materials Research Division Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jalan Ganesa 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

2015-04-16

In this paper, we discuss the electron transmittance and tunneling current in high-k-based-MOS capacitors with trapping charge by including the off-diagonal effective-mass tensor elements and the effect of coupling between transverse and longitudinal energies represented by an electron velocity in the gate. The HfSiO{sub x}N/SiO{sub 2} dual ultrathin layer is used as the gate oxide in an n{sup +} poly- Si/oxide/Si capacitor to replace SiO{sub 2}. The main problem of using HfSiO{sub x}N is the charge trapping formed at the HfSiO{sub x}N/SiO{sub 2} interface that can influence the performance of the device. Therefore, it is important to develop a model taking into account the presence of electron traps at the HfSiO{sub x}N/SiO{sub 2} interface in the electron transmittance and tunneling current. The transmittance and tunneling current in n{sup +} poly- Si/HfSiO{sub x}N/trap/SiO2/Si(100) capacitors are calculated by using Airy wavefunctions and a transfer matrix method (TMM) as analytical and numerical approaches, respectively. The transmittance and tunneling current obtained from the Airy wavefunction are compared to those computed by the TMM. The effects of the electron velocity on the transmittance and tunneling current are also discussed.

PAHs in Translucent Interstellar Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Salama, Farid; Galazutdinov, G.; Krelowski, J.; Biennier, L.; Beletsky, Y.; Song, I.

2011-05-01

We discuss the proposal of relating the origin of some of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) to neutral polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in translucent interstellar clouds. The spectra of several cold, isolated gas-phase PAHs have been measured in the laboratory under experimental conditions that mimic the interstellar conditions and are compared with an extensive set of astronomical spectra of reddened, early type stars. This comparison provides - for the first time - accurate upper limits for the abundances of specific PAH molecules along specific lines-of-sight. Something that is not attainable from IR observations alone. The comparison of these unique laboratory data with high resolution, high S/N ratio astronomical observations leads to two major findings: (1) a finding specific to the individual molecules that were probed in this study and, which leads to the clear and unambiguous conclusion that the abundance of these specific neutral PAHs must be very low in the individual translucent interstellar clouds that were probed in this survey (PAH features remain below the level of detection) and, (2) a general finding that neutral PAHs exhibit intrinsic band profiles that are similar to the profile of the narrow DIBs indicating that the carriers of the narrow DIBs must have close molecular structure and characteristics. This study is the first quantitative survey of neutral PAHs in the optical range and it opens the way for unambiguous quantitative searches of PAHs in a variety of interstellar and circumstellar environments. // Reference: F. Salama et al. (2011) ApJ. 728 (1), 154 // Acknowledgements: F.S. acknowledges the support of the NASA's Space Mission Directorate APRA Program. J.K. acknowledges the financial support of the Polish State (grant N203 012 32/1550). The authors are deeply grateful to the ESO archive as well as to the ESO staff members for their active support.

Pastern recognition of clusters formed in 4.1(4.5)A GeV/c 22Ne(28Si) interaction with emulsion using Lobachevsky velocity space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EI-Naghy, A.; AbdeI-Aziz, S.S.; Salah, M.M.

2000-01-01

The experimental data of 4.1(4.5)A GeV/c 22 Ne( 28 Si) emulsion interactions, which has been measured in the laboratory of high energy physics ( LHEP ) at Cairo University , has been utilized in this analysis. In the present paper we propose the use of Bubelev's graphical method to visualize the candidates of cluster formation in nucleus - nucleus interactions. This method is based on the Chernikov geometry formulation of relativistic kinematics in patterns in the Lobachevsky velocity space in which the motion of particles are equivalent to the Lorentz group. The analysis has shown that events which are identified as formation of clusters in 22 Ne( 28 Si) emulsion interactions are well illustrated in the Lobachevsky velocity space using the principle of likeness (closeness). The study will be extended to include other reactions and other types of particles

Evidence for mass loss at moderate to high velocity in Be stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snow, T.P. Jr.; Marlborough, J.M.

1976-01-01

Ultraviolet spectra of intermediate resolution have been obtained with Copernicus of 12 objects classified as Be or shell stars, and 19 additional early B dwarfs. Some of these spectra show marked asymmetries in certain resonance lines, especially the Si iv doublet at 1400 A, indicating the presence in some cases of outflowing material with maximum velocities of nearly 1000 km s -1 . Direct evidence for mass loss at these velocities is seen for the first time in dwarf stars as late as B1.5; the only objects later than B0.5 which show this effect are Be or shell stars. Among the stars considered there is a correlation between the presence of mass-loss effects and projected rotational velocity, suggesting that the ultraviolet flux from B1-B2 dwarfs is sufficient to drive high-velocity stellar winds only if rotation effects reduce the effective gravity near the equator. The mass loss rate for one of the most active Be stars, 59 Cyg, is crudely estimated to be 10 -10 --10 -9 M/sub sun/ yr -1 . The data are suggestive that the extended atmospheres associated with Be star phenomena may be formed by mass ejection

Interstellar Probe: First Step to the Stars

Science.gov (United States)

McNutt, R. L., Jr.

2017-12-01

The idea of an "Interstellar Probe," a robotic spacecraft traveling into the nearby interstellar medium for the purpose of scientific investigation, dates to the mid-1960s. The Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM), an "accidental" 40-year-old by-product of the Grand Tour of the solar system, has provided initial answers to the problem of the global heliospheric configuration and the details of its interface with interstellar space. But the twin Voyager spacecraft have, at most, only another decade of lifetime, and only Voyager 1 has emerged from the heliosheath interaction region. To understand the nature of the interaction, a near-term mission to the "near-by" interstellar medium with modern and focused instrumentation remains a compelling priority. Imaging of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) by the Ion Neutral CAmera (INCA) on Cassini and from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) in Earth orbit have provided significant new insights into the global interaction region but point to discrepancies with our current understanding. Exploring "as far as possible" into "pristine" interstellar space can resolve these. Hence, reaching large heliocentric distances rapidly is a driver for an Interstellar Probe. Such a mission is timely; understanding the interstellar context of exoplanet systems - and perhaps the context for the emergence of life both here and there - hinges upon what we can discover within our own stellar neighborhood. With current spacecraft technology and high-capability launch vehicles, such as the Space Launch System (SLS), a small, but extremely capable spacecraft, could be dispatched to the near-by interstellar medium with at least twice the speed of the Voyagers. Challenges remain with payload mass and power constraints for optimized science measurements. Mission longevity, as experienced by, but not designed into, the Voyagers, communications capability, and radioisotope power system performance and lifetime are solvable engineering challenges. Such

Experimental and Numerical Studies on Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis of Ta5Si3 Intermetallics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Liang Yeh

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Formation of Ta5Si3 by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS from elemental powder compacts of Ta:Si = 5:3 was experimentally and numerically studied. Experimental evidence showed that the increase of either sample density or preheating temperature led to the increase of combustion wave velocity and reaction temperature. The apparent activation energy, Ea ≈ 108 kJ/mol, was determined for the synthesis reaction. Based upon numerical simulation, the Arrhenius factor of the rate function, K0 = 2.5 × 107 s−1, was obtained for the 5Ta + 3Si combustion system. In addition, the influence of sample density on combustion wave kinetics was correlated with the effective thermal conductivity (keff of the powder compact. By adopting 0.005 ≤ keff/kbulk ≤ 0.016 in the computation model, the calculated combustion velocity and temperature were in good agreement with experimental data of the samples with compaction densities between 35% and 45% theoretical maximum density (TMD.

Thermoluminescence of simulated interstellar matter after gamma-ray irradiation. Forsterite, enstatite and carbonates

Science.gov (United States)

Koike, K.; Nakagawa, M.; Koike, C.; Okada, M.; Chihara, H.

2002-08-01

Interstellar matter is known to be strongly irradiated by cosmic radiation and several types of cosmic ray particles. Simulated interstellar matter, such as synthesized forsterite (Mg2SiO4), enstatite (MgSiO3) and magnesite (MgCO3), has been irradiated with 60Co gamma-rays in liquid nitrogen, and also irradiated with fast neutrons at 10 K and 70 K by making use of the low-temperature irradiation facility of the Kyoto University Reactor (KUR-LTL. Maximum fast neutron dose is 1017nf /cm2). After irradiation, samples are stored in liquid nitrogen for several months to allow the decay of induced radioactivity. We measured the luminescence spectra of the gamma ray irradiated samples during warming to 370 K using a spectrophotometer. For the forsterite and magnesite, the spectra exhibit a rather intense peak at about 645-655 nm and 660 nm respectively, whereas luminescence scarcely appeared in the natural olivine sample. The spectra of forsterite is very similar to the ERE of the Red Rectangle.

The interstellar medium in galaxies

CERN Document Server

1997-01-01

It has been more than five decades ago that Henk van de Hulst predicted the observability of the 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen (HI ). Since then use of the 21-cm line has greatly improved our knowledge in many fields and has been used for galactic structure studies, studies of the interstellar medium (ISM) in the Milky Way and other galaxies, studies of the mass distribution of the Milky Way and other galaxies, studies of spiral struc­ ture, studies of high velocity gas in the Milky Way and other galaxies, for measuring distances using the Tully-Fisher relation etc. Regarding studies of the ISM, there have been a number of instrumen­ tal developments over the past decade: large CCD's became available on optical telescopes, radio synthesis offered sensitive imaging capabilities, not only in the classical 21-cm HI line but also in the mm-transitions of CO and other molecules, and X-ray imaging capabilities became available to measure the hot component of the ISM. These developments meant that Milky Way was n...

Drastic reduction in the surface recombination velocity of crystalline silicon passivated with catalytic chemical vapor deposited SiNx films by introducing phosphorous catalytic-doped layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thi, Trinh Cham; Koyama, Koichi; Ohdaira, Keisuke; Matsumura, Hideki

2014-01-01

We improve the passivation property of n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface passivated with a catalytic chemical vapor deposited (Cat-CVD) Si nitride (SiN x ) film by inserting a phosphorous (P)-doped layer formed by exposing c-Si surface to P radicals generated by the catalytic cracking of PH 3 molecules (Cat-doping). An extremely low surface recombination velocity (SRV) of 2 cm/s can be achieved for 2.5 Ω cm n-type (100) floating-zone Si wafers passivated with SiN x /P Cat-doped layers, both prepared in Cat-CVD systems. Compared with the case of only SiN x passivated layers, SRV decreases from 5 cm/s to 2 cm/s. The decrease in SRV is the result of field effect created by activated P atoms (donors) in a shallow P Cat-doped layer. Annealing process plays an important role in improving the passivation quality of SiN x films. The outstanding results obtained imply that SiN x /P Cat-doped layers can be used as promising passivation layers in high-efficiency n-type c-Si solar cells.

Investigating nearby exoplanets via interstellar radar

Science.gov (United States)

Scheffer, Louis K.

2014-01-01

Interstellar radar is a potential intermediate step between passive observation of exoplanets and interstellar exploratory missions. Compared with passive observation, it has the traditional advantages of radar astronomy. It can measure surface characteristics, determine spin rates and axes, provide extremely accurate ranges, construct maps of planets, distinguish liquid from solid surfaces, find rings and moons, and penetrate clouds. It can do this even for planets close to the parent star. Compared with interstellar travel or probes, it also offers significant advantages. The technology required to build such a radar already exists, radar can return results within a human lifetime, and a single facility can investigate thousands of planetary systems. The cost, although too high for current implementation, is within the reach of Earth's economy.

On the effects of rotation on interstellar molecular line profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adelson, L.M.; Chunming Leung

1988-01-01

Theoretical models are constructed to study the effects of systematic gas rotation on the emergent profiles of interstellar molecular lines, in particular the effects of optical depth and different velocity laws. Both rotational and radial motions (expansion or contraction) may produce similar asymmetric profiles, but the behaviour of the velocity centroid of the emergent profile over the whole cloud (iso-centroid maps) can be used to distinguish between these motions. Iso-centroid maps can also be used to determine the location and orientation of the rotation axis and of the equatorial axis. For clouds undergoing both radial and rotational motion, the component of the centroid due to the rotational motion can be separated from that due to the radial motion. Information on the form of the rotational velocity law can also be derived. (author)

Effect of PECVD SiNx/SiOy Nx –Si interface property on surface passivation of silicon wafer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Xiao-Jie; Zhou Chun-Lan; Zhou Su; Wang Wen-Jing; Zhu Jun-Jie

2016-01-01

It is studied in this paper that the electrical characteristics of the interface between SiO y N x /SiN x stack and silicon wafer affect silicon surface passivation. The effects of precursor flow ratio and deposition temperature of the SiO y N x layer on interface parameters, such as interface state density Di t and fixed charge Q f , and the surface passivation quality of silicon are observed. Capacitance–voltage measurements reveal that inserting a thin SiO y N x layer between the SiN x and the silicon wafer can suppress Q f in the film and D it at the interface. The positive Q f and D it and a high surface recombination velocity in stacks are observed to increase with the introduced oxygen and minimal hydrogen in the SiO y N x film increasing. Prepared by deposition at a low temperature and a low ratio of N 2 O/SiH 4 flow rate, the SiO y N x /SiN x stacks result in a low effective surface recombination velocity (S eff ) of 6 cm/s on a p-type 1 Ω·cm–5 Ω·cm FZ silicon wafer. The positive relationship between S eff and D it suggests that the saturation of the interface defect is the main passivation mechanism although the field-effect passivation provided by the fixed charges also make a contribution to it. (paper)

High-velocity frictional properties of gabbro

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Akito; Shimamoto, Toshihiko

High-velocity friction experiments have been performed on a pair of hollow-cylindrical specimens of gabbro initially at room temperature, at slip rates from 7.5 mm/s to 1.8 m/s, with total circumferential displacements of 125 to 174 m, and at normal stresses to 5 MPa, using a rotary-shear high-speed friction testing machine. Steady-state friction increases slightly with increasing slip rate at slip rates to about 100 mm/s (velocity strengthening) and it decreases markedly with increasing slip rate at higher velocities (velocity weakening). Steady-state friction in the velocity weakening regime is lower for the non-melting case than the frictional melting case, due perhaps to severe thermal fracturing. A very large peak friction is always recognized upon the initiation of visible frictional melting, presumably owing to the welding of fault surfaces upon the solidification of melt patches. Frictional properties thus change dramatically with increasing displacement at high velocities, and such a non-linear effect must be incorporated into the analysis of earthquake initiation processes.

Speed Kills: Highly Relativistic Spaceflight Would be Fatal for People and Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Edelstein, William; Edelstein, Arthur

2010-02-01

Stories, books and movies about space travel often describe journeys at near-light velocities. Such high speed is desirable, as the resulting relativistic time dilation reduces the duration of the trip, at least for the travelers, so that they can cover interstellar distances in a reasonable amount of time (by their own clocks) and live long enough to reach their destination. The relativistic rocket equation shows the enormous difficulty of achieving such velocities. As spaceship velocities approach the speed of light, interstellar hydrogen, although only present on average at a density of about 2 atoms per cm^3, impinges on the spacecraft and turns into intense radiation (Purcell, 1963) that would quickly kill passengers and destroy instrumentation. In addition, the energy loss of ionizing radiation passing through the ship's hull represents an increasing heat load which necessitates large expenditures of energy to cool the ship. Preventing this irradiation by the use of material or electromagnetic shields is a daunting and, as far as we know, unsolvable problem. The presence of interstellar hydrogen is yet another formidable obstacle to interstellar travel. )

Southern high-velocity stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augensen, H.J.; Buscombe, W.

1978-01-01

Using the model of the Galaxy presented by Eggen, Lynden-Bell and Sandage (1962), plane galactic orbits have been calculated for 800 southern high-velocity stars which possess parallax, proper motion, and radial velocity data. The stars with trigonometric parallaxes were selected from Buscombe and Morris (1958), supplemented by more recent spectroscopic data. Photometric parallaxes from infrared color indices were used for bright red giants studied by Eggen (1970), and for red dwarfs for which Rodgers and Eggen (1974) determined radial velocities. A color-color diagram based on published values of (U-B) and (B-V) for most of these stars is shown. (Auth.)

Interstellar ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, P.T.P.; Townes, C.H.

1983-01-01

Investigations and results on interstellar NH3 are discussed. The physics of the molecule, its interstellar excitation, and its formation and dissociation mechanisms are reviewed. The observing techniques and instruments, including single-antenna facilities, infrared and submillimeter techniques, and interferometric studies using the Very Large Array are briefly considered. Spectral data analysis is discussed, including the derivation of optical depths, excitation measurements, ortho-para measurements, and cross sections. Progress achieved in understanding the properties and evolution of the interstellar medium through NH3 studies is reviewed, including observations of nearby dark clouds and of clumping effects in molecular clouds, as well as interferometric observations of hot molecular cores in Orion, W51, and Sagittarius A. Research results on extragalactic NH3, far-infrared, submillimeter, and midinfrared NH3 observations are described. 101 references

Anisotropies in TeV Cosmic Rays Related to the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field from the IBEX Ribbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwadron, N A; Moebius, E; Adams, F C; Christian, E; Desiati, P; Frisch, P; Funsten, H O; Jokipii, J R; McComas, D J; Zank, G P

2015-01-01

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) observes enhanced Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) emission in the keV energy range from a narrow (∼20° wide) ''ribbon'' in the sky that appears to be centered on the direction of the local interstellar (LIS) magnetic field. The Milagro collaboration, the Asγ collaboration and the IceCube observatory have recently made global maps of cosmic ray fluxes in the TeV energy range, revealing anisotropic structures ordered in part by the local interstellar magnetic field and the interstellar flow. This paper following from a recent publication in Science makes the link between these disparate observations by developing a simple model of the magnetic structure surrounding the heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) that is consistent with both IBEX ENA fluxes and TeV cosmic ray anisotropies. The model also employs the revised velocity direction of the LIC derived from neutral He observations by IBEX. By modeling the propagation of cosmic rays through this magnetic field structure, we specifically show that (1) the large-scale TeV anisotropy provides a roughly consistent orientation for the local interstellar magnetic field at the center of the IBEX Ribbon and corroborates the ∼ 3 μG magnitude of the local interstellar magnetic field derived from IBEX observations of the global heliosphere; (2) and small-scale structures in cosmic rays (over < 30° angular scales) are influenced by the interstellar field interaction with the heliosphere at energies < 10 TeV. Thus, we provide a link between IBEX ENA observations, IBEX neutral observations of interstellar He, and TeV cosmic ray anisotropies, which are strongly influenced by the interactions between the local interstellar magnetic field, the flow of the local interstellar plasma, and the global heliosphere

An HST/COS legacy survey of high-velocity ultraviolet absorption in the Milky Way's circumgalactic medium and the Local Group

Science.gov (United States)

Richter, P.; Nuza, S. E.; Fox, A. J.; Wakker, B. P.; Lehner, N.; Ben Bekhti, N.; Fechner, C.; Wendt, M.; Howk, J. C.; Muzahid, S.; Ganguly, R.; Charlton, J. C.

2017-11-01

Context. The Milky Way is surrounded by large amounts of diffuse gaseous matter that connects the stellar body of our Galaxy with its large-scale Local Group (LG) environment. Aims: To characterize the absorption properties of this circumgalactic medium (CGM) and its relation to the LG we present the so-far largest survey of metal absorption in Galactic high-velocity clouds (HVCs) using archival ultraviolet (UV) spectra of extragalactic background sources. The UV data are obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and are supplemented by 21 cm radio observations of neutral hydrogen. Methods: Along 270 sightlines we measure metal absorption in the lines of Si II, Si III, C II, and C iv and associated H I 21 cm emission in HVCs in the velocity range | vLSR | = 100-500 km s-1. With this unprecedented large HVC sample we were able to improve the statistics on HVC covering fractions, ionization conditions, small-scale structure, CGM mass, and inflow rate. For the first time, we determine robustly the angular two point correlation function of the high-velocity absorbers, systematically analyze antipodal sightlines on the celestial sphere, and compare the HVC absorption characteristics with that of damped Lyman α absorbers (DLAs) and constrained cosmological simulations of the LG (CLUES project). Results: The overall sky-covering fraction of high-velocity absorption is 77 ± 6 percent for the most sensitive ion in our survey, Si III, and for column densities log N(Si III)≥ 12.1. This value is 4-5 times higher than the covering fraction of 21 cm neutral hydrogen emission at log N(H I)≥ 18.7 along the same lines of sight, demonstrating that the Milky Way's CGM is multi-phase and predominantly ionized. The measured equivalent-width ratios of Si II, Si III, C II, and C iv are inhomogeneously distributed on large and small angular scales, suggesting a complex spatial distribution of multi-phase gas that surrounds the

Planck early results. XXIV. Dust in the diffuse interstellar medium and the Galactic halo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poutanen, T.; Natoli, P.; Polenta, G.

2011-01-01

by this correlation analysis. Its spectral properties are consistent with, compared to the local ISM values, significantly hotter dust (T ~ 20 K), lower submm dust opacity normalized per H-atom, and a relative abundance of very small grains to large grains about four times higher. These results are compatible......This paper presents the first results from a comparison of Planck dust maps at 353, 545 and 857GHz, along with IRAS data at 3000 (100 μm) and 5000GHz (60 μm), with Green Bank Telescope 21-cm observations of Hi in 14 fields covering more than 800deg2 at high Galactic latitude. The main goal...... of this study is to estimate the far-infrared to sub-millimeter (submm) emissivity of dust in the diffuse local interstellar medium (ISM) and in the intermediate-velocity (IVC) and high-velocity clouds (HVC) of the Galactic halo. Galactic dust emission for fields with average Hi column density lower than 2...

Are CO Observations of Interstellar Clouds Tracing the H2?

Science.gov (United States)

Federrath, Christoph; Glover, S. C. O.; Klessen, R. S.; Mac Low, M.

2010-01-01

Interstellar clouds are commonly observed through the emission of rotational transitions from carbon monoxide (CO). However, the abundance ratio of CO to molecular hydrogen (H2), which is the most abundant molecule in molecular clouds is only about 10-4. This raises the important question of whether the observed CO emission is actually tracing the bulk of the gas in these clouds, and whether it can be used to derive quantities like the total mass of the cloud, the gas density distribution function, the fractal dimension, and the velocity dispersion--size relation. To evaluate the usability and accuracy of CO as a tracer for H2 gas, we generate synthetic observations of hydrodynamical models that include a detailed chemical network to follow the formation and photo-dissociation of H2 and CO. These three-dimensional models of turbulent interstellar cloud formation self-consistently follow the coupled thermal, dynamical and chemical evolution of 32 species, with a particular focus on H2 and CO (Glover et al. 2009). We find that CO primarily traces the dense gas in the clouds, however, with a significant scatter due to turbulent mixing and self-shielding of H2 and CO. The H2 probability distribution function (PDF) is well-described by a log-normal distribution. In contrast, the CO column density PDF has a strongly non-Gaussian low-density wing, not at all consistent with a log-normal distribution. Centroid velocity statistics show that CO is more intermittent than H2, leading to an overestimate of the velocity scaling exponent in the velocity dispersion--size relation. With our systematic comparison of H2 and CO data from the numerical models, we hope to provide a statistical formula to correct for the bias of CO observations. CF acknowledges financial support from a Kade Fellowship of the American Museum of Natural History.

SEARCHING FOR NAPHTHALENE CATION ABSORPTION IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Searles, Justin M.; Destree, Joshua D.; Snow, Theodore P.; Salama, Farid; York, Donald G.; Dahlstrom, Julie

2011-01-01

Interstellar naphthalene cations (C 10 H + 8 ) have been proposed by a study to be the carriers of a small number of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). Using an archive of high signal-to-noise spectra obtained at the Apache Point Observatory, we used two methods to test the hypothesis. Both methods failed to detect significant absorption at lab wavelengths of interstellar spectra with laboratory spectra. We thereby conclude that C 10 H + 8 is not a DIB carrier in typical reddened sight lines.

Evidence for mass loss at moderate to high velocity in Be stars

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, T. P., Jr.; Marlborough, J. M.

1976-01-01

Ultraviolet spectra of intermediate resolution have been obtained with Copernicus for 12 objects classified as Be or shell stars and for 19 additional early B dwarfs. Some of these spectra show marked asymmetries in certain resonance lines, especially the Si IV doublet at 1400 A, indicating the presence in some cases of outflowing material with maximum velocities of nearly 1000 km/s. Direct evidence for mass loss at these velocities is seen for the first time in dwarf stars as late as B1.5; the only objects later than B0.5 which show this effect are Be or shell stars. Among the stars considered, there is a correlation between the presence of mass-loss effects and projected rotational velocity, suggesting that the ultraviolet flux from B1-B2 dwarfs is sufficient to drive high-velocity stellar winds only if rotational effects reduce the effective gravity near the equator. The mass-loss rate for one of the most active Be stars, 59 Cyg, is crudely estimated to be one billionth or one ten-billionth of a solar mass per year. The data suggest that the extended atmospheres associated with Be-star phenomena may be formed by mass ejection.

Interstellar rendezvous missions employing fission propulsion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenard, Roger X.; Lipinski, Ronald J.

2000-01-01

There has been a conventionally held nostrum that fission system specific power and energy content is insufficient to provide the requisite high accelerations and velocities to enable interstellar rendezvous missions within a reasonable fraction of a human lifetime. As a consequence, all forms of alternative mechanisms that are not yet, and may never be technologically feasible, have been proposed, including laser light sails, fusion and antimatter propulsion systems. In previous efforts, [Lenard and Lipinski, 1999] the authors developed an architecture that employs fission power to propel two different concepts: one, an unmanned probe, the other a crewed vehicle to Alpha Centauri within mission times of 47 to 60 years. The first portion of this paper discusses employing a variant of the ''Forward Resupply Runway'' utilizing fission systems to enable both high accelerations and high final velocities necessary for this type of travel. The authors argue that such an architecture, while expensive, is considerably less expensive and technologically risky than other technologically advanced concepts, and, further, provides the ability to explore near-Earth stellar systems out to distances of 8 light years or so. This enables the ability to establish independent human societies which can later expand the domain of human exploration in roughly eight light-year increments even presuming that no further physics or technology breakthroughs or advances occur. In the second portion of the paper, a technology requirement assessment is performed. The authors argue that reasonable to extensive extensions to known technology could enable this revolutionary capability

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination VII: Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Six Stardust Interstellar Candidates Measured with the Advanced Photon Source 2-ID-D Microprobe

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Carlton C.; Anderson, David; Bastien, Ron K.; Brenker, Frank E.; Flynn, George J.; Frank, David; Gainsforth, Zack; Sandford, Scott A.; Simionovici, Alexandre S.; Zolensky, Michael E.

2014-01-01

The NASA Stardust spacecraft exposed an aerogel collector to the interstellar dust passing through the solar system. We performed X-ray fluorescence element mapping and abundance measurements, for elements 19 < or = Z < or = 30, on six "interstellar candidates," potential interstellar impacts identified by Stardust@Home and extracted for analyses in picokeystones. One, I1044,3,33, showed no element hot-spots within the designated search area. However, we identified a nearby surface feature, consistent with the impact of a weak, high-speed particle having an approximately chondritic (CI) element abundance pattern, except for factor-of-ten enrichments in K and Zn and an S depletion. This hot-spot, containing approximately 10 fg of Fe, corresponds to an approximately 350 nm chondritic particle, small enough to be missed by Stardust@Home, indicating that other techniques may be necessary to identify all interstellar candidates. Only one interstellar candidate, I1004,1,2, showed a track. The terminal particle has large enrichments in S, Ti, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn relative to Fe-normalized CI values. It has high Al/Fe, but does not match the Ni/Fe range measured for samples of Al-deck material from the Stardust sample return capsule, which was within the field-of-view of the interstellar collector. A third interstellar candidate, I1075,1,25, showed an Al-rich surface feature that has a composition generally consistent with the Al-deck material, suggesting that it is a secondary particle. The other three interstellar candidates, I1001,1,16, I1001,2,17, and I1044,2,32, showed no impact features or tracks, but allowed assessment of submicron contamination in this aerogel, including Fe hot-spots having CI-like Ni/Fe ratios, complicating the search for CI-like interstellar/interplanetary dust.

HERSCHEL/HIFI DISCOVERY OF HCL+ IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Luca, M.; Gerin, M.; Falgarone, E.; Gupta, H.; Drouin, B. J.; Pearson, J. C.; Neufeld, D.; Teyssier, D.; Lis, D. C.; Monje, R.; Phillips, T. G.; Goicoechea, J. R.; Godard, B.; Bell, T. A.; Coutens, A.

2012-01-01

The radical ion HCl + , a key intermediate in the chlorine chemistry of the interstellar gas, has been identified for the first time in the interstellar medium with the Herschel Space Observatory's Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared. The ground-state rotational transition of H 35 Cl + , 2 Π 3/2 J = 5/2-3/2, showing Λ-doubling and hyperfine structure, is detected in absorption toward the Galactic star-forming regions W31C (G10.6-0.4) and W49N. The complex interstellar absorption features are modeled by convolving in velocity space the opacity profiles of other molecular tracers toward the same sources with the fine and hyperfine structure of HCl + . This structure is derived from a combined analysis of optical data from the literature and new laboratory measurements of pure rotational transitions, reported in the accompanying Letter by Gupta et al. The models reproduce well the interstellar absorption, and the frequencies inferred from the astronomical observations are in exact agreement with those calculated using spectroscopic constants derived from the laboratory data. The detection of H 37 Cl + toward W31C, with a column density consistent with the expected 35 Cl/ 37 Cl isotopic ratio, provides additional evidence for the identification. A comparison with the chemically related molecules HCl and H 2 Cl + yields an abundance ratio of unity with both species (HCl + : H 2 Cl + : HCl ∼ 1). These observations also yield the unexpected result that HCl + accounts for 3%-5% of the gas-phase chlorine toward W49N and W31C, values several times larger than the maximum fraction (∼1%) predicted by chemical models.

UV observations of local interstellar medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, V.; Mironova, E.; Fadeev, E.

2008-12-01

The methods of the interstellar matter study are described. The brief information of space missions aimed at observations in the unreachable for ground based telescopes UV spectral range (IUE, As- tron, HST and GALEX.) is presented. The history of discovery of H and He atoms entering the Solar System from the local interstellar medium (LISM) is given in brief. The results of observations performed by the group from Stern- berg Astronomical Institute (SAI MSU) and Space Research Institute (IKI RAS) performed with the help of the missions Prognoz-5, Prognoz-6 and the stations Zond-1, Venera and Mars and aimed at estimation of all basic LISM parameters (the velocity of the Sun in relation to LISM, directions of movement, densities of H and He atoms, LISM temperature) are presented. We also describe the present-day investigations of LISM performed with SOHO and ULYSSES mis- sions including the direct registration of He atoms entering the Solar System. The problem of interaction between the incoming flow of the ISM atoms ("in- terstellar wind") and the area of two shocks at the heliopause border (100-200 AU) is discussed. The LISM parameters obtained using the available data are presented in two tables.

Physical processes in the interstellar medium

CERN Document Server

Spitzer, Lyman

2008-01-01

Physical Processes in the Interstellar Medium discusses the nature of interstellar matter, with a strong emphasis on basic physical principles, and summarizes the present state of knowledge about the interstellar medium by providing the latest observational data. Physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium are treated, with frequent references to observational results. The overall equilibrium and dynamical state of the interstellar gas are described, with discussions of explosions produced by star birth and star death and the initial phases of cloud collapse leading to star formation.

High-performance a -Si/c-Si heterojunction photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical oxygen and hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hsin Ping; Sun, Ke; Noh, Sun Young; Kargar, Alireza; Tsai, Meng Lin; Huang, Ming Yi; Wang, Deli; He, Jr-Hau

2015-01-01

Amorphous Si (a-Si)/crystalline Si (c-Si) heterojunction (SiHJ) can serve as highly efficient and robust photoelectrodes for solar fuel generation. Low carrier recombination in the photoelectrodes leads to high photocurrents and photovoltages

Velocity-resolved [{\\rm{C}}\\,{\\rm{II}}] Emission from Cold Diffuse Clouds in the Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Goldsmith, Paul F.; Pineda, Jorge L.; Neufeld, David A.; Wolfire, Mark G.; Risacher, Christophe; Simon, Robert

2018-04-01

We have combined emission from the 158 μm fine structure transition of C+ observed with the GREAT and upGREAT instruments on SOFIA with 21 cm absorption spectra and visual extinction to characterize the diffuse interstellar clouds found along the lines of sight. The weak [C II] emission is consistent in velocity and line width with the strongest H I component produced by the cold neutral medium. The H I column density and kinetic temperature are known from the 21 cm data and, assuming a fractional abundance of ionized carbon, we calculate the volume density and thermal pressure of each source, which vary considerably, with 27 {cm}}-3≤slant n({{{H}}}0) ≤slant 210 cm‑3 considering only the atomic hydrogen along the lines of sight to be responsible for the C+, while 13 {cm}}-3≤slant n({{{H}}}0+{{{H}}}2)≤slant 190 cm‑3 including the hydrogen in both forms. The thermal pressure varies widely with 1970 cm‑3 K ≤slant {P}th}/k≤slant 10,440 cm‑3 K for H0 alone and 750 cm‑3 K ≤ P th/k ≤ 9360 cm‑3 K including both H0 and H2. The molecular hydrogen fraction varies between 0.10 and 0.67. Photoelectric heating is the dominant heating source, supplemented by a moderately enhanced cosmic ray ionization rate, constrained by the relatively low 45 K to 73 K gas temperatures of the clouds. The resulting thermal balance for the two lower-density clouds is satisfactory, but for the two higher-density clouds, the combined heating rate is insufficient to balance the observed C+ cooling.

Probing the diffuse interstellar medium with diffuse interstellar bands

Science.gov (United States)

Theodorus van Loon, Jacco; Bailey, Mandy; Farhang, Amin; Javadi, Atefeh; Khosroshahi, Habib

2015-08-01

For a century already, a large number of absorption bands have been known at optical wavelengths, called the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). While their carriers remain unidentified, the relative strengths of these bands in various environments make them interesting new probes of the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). We present the results from two large, dedicated campaigns to map the ISM using DIBs measured in the high signal-to-noise spectra of hundreds of early-type stars: [1] in and around the Local Bubble using ESO's New Technology Telescope and the Isaac Newton Telescope, and [2] across both Magellanic Clouds using the Very Large Telescope and the Anglo-Australian Telescope. We discuss the implications for the structure and dynamics of the ISM, as well as the constraints these maps place on the nature of the carriers of the DIBs. Partial results have appeared in the recent literature (van Loon et al. 2013; Farhang et al. 2015a,b; Bailey, PhD thesis 2014) with the remainder being prepared for publication now.

Metallographic assessment of Al-12Si high-pressure die casting escalator steps.

Science.gov (United States)

Vander Voort, George Frederic; Suárez-Peña, Beatriz; Asensio-Lozano, Juan

2014-10-01

A microstructural characterization study was performed on high-pressure die cast specimens extracted from escalator steps manufactured from an Al-12 wt.% Si alloy designed for structural applications. Black and white, color light optical imaging and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to conduct the microstructural analysis. Most regions in the samples studied contained globular-rosette primary α-Al grains surrounded by an Al-Si eutectic aggregate, while primary dendritic α-Al grains were present in the surface layer. This dendritic microstructure was observed in the regions where the melt did not impinge directly on the die surface during cavity filling. Consequently, microstructures in the surface layer were nonuniform. Utilizing physical metallurgy principles, these results were analyzed in terms of the applied pressure and filling velocity during high-pressure die casting. The effects of these parameters on solidification at different locations of the casting are discussed.

Rocket propulsion by nuclear microexplosions and the interstellar paradox

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winterberg, F

1979-11-01

Magnetic insulation is discussed with regard to generating ultra-intense ion beams (IIBs) for thermonuclear microexplosion ignition. With energies up to 10 to the 9th Joule reached by IIB pulses or target staging, the ignition of the hydrogen/boron-11 (HB-11) thermonuclear reaction by the addition of DT and fissionable material is considered. In addition, the possibility of HB-11 as a rocket propulsion system utilizing a magnetic mirror whose magnetic field is generated with high field superconductors is discussed in terms of interstellar travel at up to 1/10 the velocity of light. Attention is also given to the possibility of a relatively unique advanced civilization on earth caused by a rare, near-Roche limit capture of the moon and the subsequent tidal effects resulting in a land/water combination favorable for rapid evolution of life forms.

Methods for Detection of Families of Molecules in the Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Langston, Glen

2014-06-01

We present a high velocity resolution (0.04 km/sec) molecular line survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud in the frequency range 39 to 48 GHz with NSF's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank telescope (GBT). The observing method and data reduction process are outlined. We describe the method of obtaining the calibrated, averaged spectral line data online. The RMS survey sensitivity was slightly different for each 200MHz frequency band, and ranged from 0.02 to 0.15 K (T_B) for the different bands. A large number of molecular lines are detected, most of which have previously been associated with already known interstellar molecules. We present a summary processes to combine a number of lines of molecular species in order to identify new species.

Variations in the Peak Position of the 6.2 micron Interstellar Emission Feature: A Tracer of N in the Interstellar Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Population

Science.gov (United States)

Hudgins, Douglas M.; Bauschlicher, Charles W.; Allamandola, L. J.

2005-01-01

more nitrogen atoms within the interior of the carbon skeleton of a PAH cation induces a significant blueshift in the position of the dominant CC stretching feature of these compounds that is suf6cient to account for the position of the interstellar bands. Subsequent studies of the effects of substitution by other heteroatoms (O and Si), metal ion complexation (Fe(+), Mg(+), and Mg(2+)), and molecular symmetry variation-all of which fail to reproduce the blueshift observed in the PANH cations-indicate that N appears to be unique in its ability to accommodate the position of the interstellar 6.2 micron bands while simultaneously satisfying the other constraints of the astrophysical problem. This result implies that the peak position of the interstellar feature near 6.2 micron traces the degree of nitrogen substitution in the population, that most of the PAHs responsible for the interstellar IR emission features incorporate nitrogen within their aromatic networks, and that a lower limit of 1%-2% of the cosmic nitrogen is sequestered within the interstellar PAH population. Finally, in view of the ubiquity and abundance of interstellar PAHs and the permanent dipoles and distinctive electronic structures of these nitrogen-substituted variants, this work impacts a wide range of observational phenomena outside of the infrared region of the spectrum including the forest of unidentified molecular rotational features and the anomalous Galactic foreground emission in the microwave, and the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) and other structure in the interstellar extinction curve in the ulhviolet/visible. These astrophysical ramifications are discussed, and the dipole moments and rotational constants are tabulated to facilitate further investigations of the astrophysical role of nitrogen-substituted aromatic compounds.

A High-velocity Cloud Impact Forming a Supershell in the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Geumsook; Koo, Bon-Chul; Kang, Ji-hyun; Gibson, Steven J.; Peek, J. E. G.; Douglas, Kevin A.; Korpela, Eric J.; Heiles, Carl E.

2016-08-01

Neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) gas in interstellar space is largely organized into filaments, loops, and shells, the most prominent of which are “supershells.” These gigantic structures, which require ≳ 3× {10}52 erg to form, are generally thought to be produced by either the explosion of multiple supernovae (SNe) in OB associations or, alternatively, by the impact of high-velocity clouds (HVCs) falling into the Galactic disk. Here, we report the detection of a kiloparsec (kpc)-size supershell in the outskirts of the Milky Way with the compact HVC 040 + 01-282 (hereafter, CHVC040) at its geometrical center using the “Inner-Galaxy Arecibo L-band Feed Array” H I 21 cm survey data. The morphological and physical properties of both objects suggest that CHVC040, which is either a fragment of a nearby disrupted galaxy or a cloud that originated from an intergalactic accreting flow, collided with the disk ˜5 Myr ago to form the supershell. Our results show that some compact HVCs can survive their trip through the Galactic halo and inject energy and momentum into the Milky Way disk.

Modern Progress and Modern Problems in High Resolution X-ray Absorption from the Cold Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Corrales, Lia; Li, Haochuan; Heinz, Sebastian

2018-01-01

With accurate cross-sections and higher signal-to-noise, X-ray spectroscopy can directly measure Milky Way gas and dust-phase metal abundances with few underlying assumptions. The X-ray energy band is sensitive to absorption by all abundant interstellar metals — carbon, oxygen, neon, silicon, magnesium, and iron — whether they are in gas or dust form. High resolution X-ray spectra from Galactic X-ray point sources can be used to directly measure metal abundances from all phases of the interstellar medium (ISM) along singular sight lines. We show our progress for measuring the depth of photoelectric absorption edges from neutral ISM metals, using all the observations of bright Galactic X-ray binaries available in the Chandra HETG archive. The cross-sections we use take into account both the absorption and scattering effects by interstellar dust grains on the iron and silicate spectral features. However, there are many open problems for reconciling X-ray absorption spectroscopy with ISM observations in other wavelengths. We will review the state of the field, lab measurements needed, and ways in which the next generation of X-ray telescopes will contribute.

Molecular Line Studies of Ballistic Stellar Interlopers Burrowing through Dense Interstellar Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Anna; Sahai, R.; Claussen, M.; Morris, M.

2010-01-01

When an intermediate-mass star speeds through a dense interstellar cloud at a high velocity, it can produce a cometary or bow shock structure due to the cloud being impacted by the intense stellar wind. This class of objects, recently discovered in an HST imaging survey, has been dubbed "ballistic stellar interlopers" (Sahai et al. 2009). Using the ARO's 12m and SMT 10m millimeter-wave dishes, we have obtained molecular line emission data towards 10 stellar interloper sources, in order to identify and characterize the dense clouds with which the interlopers are interacting. We have made small "on-the-fly" maps in the 12CO (J=2-1) and 13CO (J=2-1) lines for each cloud, and obtained spectra of high-density tracers such as N2H+ (J=3-2), HCO+ (J=3-2), CN(N=2-1), and SO(J=5-4), which probe a range of physical conditions in the interstellar clouds being impacted by the interlopers. The data have been reduced and analyzed, and preliminary estimates of the cloud temperatures (9-22 K) and 13CO optical depths (0.18-0.37) have been made. The maps, which show the emission as a function of radial velocity and spatial offset from the location of the interlopers, have helped us distinguish between the clouds interacting with the interlopers, and those which are unrelated but happen to lie along the line of sight. These data will now enable us to carry out high-resolution mm-wave interferometric observations of the interlopers in the future. This research was performed at JPL under the Minority Education Initiatives program. RS and MM were funded by a Long Term Space Astrophysics award from NASA for this work. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Special thanks goes to John Bieging and Bill Peters of the Arizona Radio Observatory.

Surface acoustic wave devices on AlN/3C–SiC/Si multilayer structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chih-Ming; Lien, Wei-Cheng; Riekkinen, Tommi; Senesky, Debbie G; Pisano, Albert P; Chen, Yung-Yu; Felmetsger, Valery V

2013-01-01

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagation characteristics in a multilayer structure including a piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film and an epitaxial cubic silicon carbide (3C–SiC) layer on a silicon (Si) substrate are investigated by theoretical calculation in this work. Alternating current (ac) reactive magnetron sputtering was used to deposit highly c-axis-oriented AlN thin films, showing the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve of 1.36° on epitaxial 3C–SiC layers on Si substrates. In addition, conventional two-port SAW devices were fabricated on the AlN/3C–SiC/Si multilayer structure and SAW propagation properties in the multilayer structure were experimentally investigated. The surface wave in the AlN/3C–SiC/Si multilayer structure exhibits a phase velocity of 5528 m s −1 and an electromechanical coupling coefficient of 0.42%. The results demonstrate the potential of AlN thin films grown on epitaxial 3C–SiC layers to create layered SAW devices with higher phase velocities and larger electromechanical coupling coefficients than SAW devices on an AlN/Si multilayer structure. Moreover, the FWHM values of rocking curves of the AlN thin film and 3C–SiC layer remained constant after annealing for 500 h at 540 °C in air atmosphere. Accordingly, the layered SAW devices based on AlN thin films and 3C–SiC layers are applicable to timing and sensing applications in harsh environments. (paper)

Interstellar dust within the life cycle of the interstellar medium

OpenAIRE

Demyk K.

2012-01-01

Cosmic dust is omnipresent in the Universe. Its presence influences the evolution of the astronomical objects which in turn modify its physical and chemical properties. The nature of cosmic dust, its intimate coupling with its environment, constitute a rich field of research based on observations, modelling and experimental work. This review presents the observations of the different components of interstellar dust and discusses their evolution during the life cycle of the interstellar medium.

Update on an Interstellar Asteroid

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-01-01

Whats the news coming from the research world on the interstellar asteroid visitor, asteroid 1I/Oumuamua? Read on for an update from a few of the latest studies.What is Oumuamua?In lateOctober2017, the discovery of minor planet 1I/Oumuamua was announced. This body which researchers first labeled asa comet and later revised to an asteroid had just zipped around the Sun and was already in the process of speeding away whenwe trained our telescopes on it. Its trajectory, however, marked it as being a visitor from outside our solar system: the first knownvisitorof its kind.Since Oumuamuasdiscovery, scientists have been gathering as many observations of this bodyas possible before it vanishes into the distance. Simultaneously, theorists have leapt at the opportunity to explain its presence and the implications its passage has on our understanding of our surroundings. Here we present just a few of the latest studies that have been published on this first detected interstellar asteroid including several timelystudies published in our new journal, Research Notes of the AAS.The galactic velocity of Oumuamua does not coincide with any of the nearest stars to us. [Mamajek 2018]Where Did Oumuamua Come From?Are we sure Oumuamua didnt originate in our solar system andget scattered into a weird orbit? Jason Wright (The Pennsylvania State University) demonstrates via a series of calculations that no known solar system body could have scattered Oumuamua onto its current orbit nor could any stillunknown object bound to our solar system.Eric Mamajek (Caltech and University of Rochester) showsthat thekinematics of Oumuamua areconsistent with what we might expect of interstellar field objects, though he argues that its kinematics suggest its unlikely to have originated from many of the neareststellar systems.What AreOumuamuas Properties?Oumuamuas light curve. [Bannister et al. 2017]A team of University of Maryland scientists led by Matthew Knight captured a light curve of Oumuamua using

High-performance a -Si/c-Si heterojunction photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical oxygen and hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hsin Ping

2015-05-13

Amorphous Si (a-Si)/crystalline Si (c-Si) heterojunction (SiHJ) can serve as highly efficient and robust photoelectrodes for solar fuel generation. Low carrier recombination in the photoelectrodes leads to high photocurrents and photovoltages. The SiHJ was designed and fabricated into both photoanode and photocathode with high oxygen and hydrogen evolution efficiency, respectively, by simply coating of a thin layer of catalytic materials. The SiHJ photoanode with sol-gel NiOx as the catalyst shows a current density of 21.48 mA/cm2 at the equilibrium water oxidation potential. The SiHJ photocathode with 2 nm sputter-coated Pt catalyst displays excellent hydrogen evolution performance with an onset potential of 0.640 V and a solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency of 13.26%, which is the highest ever reported for Si-based photocathodes. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Detection of Extraterrestrial Civilizations via the Spectral Signature of Advanced Interstellar Spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Zubrin, Robert

1994-07-01

This paper examines the possibility of detecting extraterrestrial civilizations by means of searching for the spectral signature of their interstellar transportation systems. The advantage of such an approach is that the characteristic power levels associated with interstellar transportation systems are many orders of magnitude greater than those required for communication, and so the signal strength may be much greater. Furthermore, unlike communication which is governed by a fairly arbitrary selection of technology and mutually agreed upon conventions, interstellar transportation systems are governed much more stringently by the laws of physics. For purposes of the present analysis we consider 4 methods of interstellar propulsion, the principles of which are fairly well understood. These are anti-matter rockets, fusion rockets, fission rockets, all of which can be used to either accelerate or decelerate a spacecraft, and magnetic sails, which can be used to decelerate a spacecraft by creating drag against the interstellar medium. The types of radiation emitted by each of these propulsion systems is described, and the signal strength for starships of a characteristic mass of 1 million tonnes traveling at speeds and acceleration levels characteristic of the various propulsion systems is estimated. It is shown that for the power level of ships considered, the high energy gamma radiation emitted by the anti-matter, fusion and fission propulsion systems would be undetectable at interstellar distances. Better opportunities for detection would be the bremsstrahlung radiation from the plasma confinement systems of fusion devices, which might be detectable at distances of about 1 light year, and visible light emitted from the radiators of anti-matter driven photon rocket, which might be detectable by the Hubble Space Telescope at a distance of several hundred light years provided the rocket nozzle is oriented towards the Earth. The most detectable form of starship

Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium. General Colloquium, 19-21 November 2012, Paris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguillon, Francois; Alata, Ivan; Alcaraz, Christian; Alves, Marta; Andre, Philippe; Bachiller, Rafael; Bacmann, Aurore; Baklouti, Donia; Bernard, Jean-Philippe; Berne, Olivier; Beroff, Karine; Bertin, Mathieu; Biennier, Ludovic; Bocchio, Marco; Bonal, Lydie; Bontemps, Sylvain; Bouchez Giret, Aurelia; Boulanger, Francois; Bracco, Andrea; Bron, Emeric; Brunetto, Rosario; Cabrit, Sylvie; Canosa, Andre; Capron, Michael; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Cernicharo, Jose; Chaabouni, Henda; Chabot, Marin; Chen, Hui-Chen; Chiavassa, Thierry; Cobut, Vincent; Commercon, Benoit; Congiu, Emanuele; Coutens, Audrey; Danger, Gregoire; Daniel, Fabien; Dartois, Emmanuel; Demyk, Karine; Denis, Alpizar; Despois, Didier; D'hendecourt, Louis; Dontot, Leo; Doronin, Mikhail; Dubernet, Marie-Lise; Dulieu, Francois; Dumouchel, Fabien; Duvernay, Fabrice; Ellinger, Yves; Falgarone, Edith; Falvo, Cyril; Faure, Alexandre; Fayolle, Edith; Feautrier, Nicole; Feraud, Geraldine; Fillion, Jean-Hugues; Gamboa, Antonio; Gardez, Aline; Gavilan, Lisseth; Gerin, Maryvonne; Ghesquiere, Pierre; Godard, Benjamin; Godard, Marie; Gounelle, Matthieu; Gratier, Pierre; Grenier, Isabelle; Gruet, Sebastien; Gry, Cecile; Guillemin, Jean-Claude; Guilloteau, Stephane; Gusdorf, Antoine; Guzman, Viviana; Habart, Emilie; Hennebelle, Patrick; Herrera, Cinthya; Hily-Blant, Pierre; Hincelin, Ugo; Hochlaf, Majdi; Huet, Therese; Iftner, Christophe; Jallat, Aurelie; Joblin, Christine; Kahane, Claudine; Kalugina, Yulia; Kleiner, Isabelle; Koehler, Melanie; Kokkin, Damian; Koutroumpa, Dimitra; Krim, Lahouari; Lallement, Rosine; Lanza, Mathieu; Lattelais, Marie; Le Bertre, Thibaut; Le Gal, Romane; Le Petit, Franck; Le Picard, Sebastien; Lefloch, Bertrand; Lemaire, Jean Louis; Lesaffre, Pierre; Lique, Francois; Loison, Jean-Christophe; Lopez Sepulcre, Ana; Maillard, Jean-Pierre; Margules, Laurent; Martin, Celine; Mascetti, Joelle; Michaut, Xavier; Minissale, Marco; Miville-Deschenes, Marc-Antoine; Mokrane, Hakima; Momferratos, Georgios; Montillaud, Julien; Montmerle, Thierry; Moret-Bailly, Jacques; Motiyenko, Roman; Moudens, Audrey; Noble, Jennifer; Padovani, Marco; Pagani, Laurent; Pardanaud, Cedric; Parisel, Olivier; Pauzat, Francoise; Pernet, Amelie; Pety, Jerome; Philippe, Laurent; Piergiorgio, Casavecchia; Pilme, Julien; Pinto, Cecilia; Pirali, Olivier; Pirim, Claire; Puspitarini, Lucky; Rist, Claire; Ristorcelli, Isabelle; Romanzin, Claire; Roueff, Evelyne; Rousseau, Patrick; Sabbah, Hassan; Saury, Eleonore; Schneider, Ioan; Schwell, Martin; Sims, Ian; Spielfiedel, Annie; Stoecklin, Thierry; Talbi, Dahbia; Taquet, Vianney; Teillet-Billy, Dominique; Theule, Patrice; Thi, Wing-Fai; Trolez, Yann; Valdivia, Valeska; Van Dishoeck, Ewine; Verstraete, Laurent; Vinogradoff, Vassilissa; Wiesenfeld, Laurent; Ysard, Nathalie; Yvart, Walter; Zicler Eleonore

2012-11-01

This document publishes the oral contributions and the 66 posters presented during a colloquium on physics and chemistry of interstellar medium. The following themes have been addressed: New views on the interstellar medium with Herschel, Planck and Alma, Cycle of interstellar dusts, Physics and Dynamics of the interstellar medium, Molecular complexifying and the link towards pre-biotic chemistry. More precisely, the oral contributions addressed the following topics: Interstellar medium with Herschel and Planck; The anomalous microwave emission: a new window on the physics of small grains; Sub-millimetre spectroscopy of complex molecules and of radicals for ALMA and Herschel missions; Analysing observations of molecules in the ISM: theoretical and experimental studies of energy transfer; Unravelling the labyrinth of star formation with Herschel; Star formation regions with Herschel and Alma: astro-chemistry in the Netherlands; Physical structure of gas and dust in photo-dissociation regions observed with Herschel; Photo-desorption of analogues of interstellar ices; Formation of structures in the interstellar medium: theoretical and numerical aspects; Towards a 3D mapping of the galactic ISM by inversion of absorption individual measurements; Low velocity shocks as signatures of turbulent dissipation in diffuse irradiated gas; Early phases of solar system formation: 3D physical and chemical modelling of the collapse of pre-stellar dense core; Cosmic-ray propagation in molecular clouds; Protostellar shocks in the time of Herschel; A new PDR model of the physics and chemistry of the interstellar gas; Molecular spectroscopy in the ALMA era and laboratory Astrophysics in Spain; Which molecules to be searched for in the interstellar medium; Physics and chemistry of UV illuminated neutral gas: the Horsehead case; Nitrogen fractionation in dark clouds; Molecular spectral surveys from millimetre range to far infrared; Mechanisms and synthesis at the surface of cold grains

Nebulae and interstellar matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) has investigated the IRAS source 1912+172. This source appears to be a young planetary nebula with a binary central star. During 1986 SAAO has also studied the following: hydrogen deficient planetary nebulae; high speed flows in HII regions, and the wavelength dependence of interstellar polarization. 2 figs

Microstructural optimization of high temperature SiC/SiC composites by nite process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimoda, K.; Park, J.S.; Hinoki, T.; Kohyama, A.

2007-01-01

Full text of publication follows: SiC/SiC composites are one of the promising structural materials for future fusion reactor because of the excellent potentiality in thermal and mechanical properties under very severe environment including high temperature and high energy neutron bombardment. For fusion-grade SiC/SiC composites, high-crystallinity and near-stoichiometric characteristic are required to keep excellent stability against neutron irradiation. The realization of the reactor will be strongly depend on optimization of SiC/SiC composites microstructure, particularly in regard to the materials and processes used for the fiber, interphase and matrix constituents. One of the important accomplishments is the new process, called nano-particle infiltration and transient eutectic phase (NITE) process developed in our group. The microstructure of NITE-SiC/SiC composites, such as fiber volume fraction, porosity and type of pores, can be controlled precisely by the selection of sintering temperature/applied stress history. The objective of this study is to investigate thermal stability and mechanical properties of NITE-SiC/SiC composites at high-temperature. Two kinds of highly-densified SiC/SiC composites with the difference of fiber volume fraction were prepared, and were subjected to exposure tests from 1000 deg. C to 1500 deg. C in an argon-oxygen gas mixture with an oxygen partial pressure of 0.1 Pa. The thermal stability of the composites was characterized through mass change and TEM/SEM observation. The in-situ tensile tests at 1300 deg. C and 1500 deg. C were carried out in the same atmosphere. Most of SiC/SiC composites, even for the advanced CVI-SiC/SiC composites with multi-layered SiC/C inter-phases, underwent reduction in the maximum strength by about 20% at 1300 deg. C. In particular, this reduction was attributed to a slight burnout of the carbon interphase due to oxygen impurities in test atmosphere. However, there was no significant degradation for

Microstructural optimization of high temperature SiC/SiC composites by nite process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimoda, K. [Kyoto Univ., Graduate School of Energy Science (Japan); Park, J.S. [Kyoto Univ., Institute of Advanced Energy (Japan); Hinoki, T.; Kohyama, A. [Kyoto Univ., lnstitute of Advanced Energy, Gokasho, Uji (Japan)

2007-07-01

Full text of publication follows: SiC/SiC composites are one of the promising structural materials for future fusion reactor because of the excellent potentiality in thermal and mechanical properties under very severe environment including high temperature and high energy neutron bombardment. For fusion-grade SiC/SiC composites, high-crystallinity and near-stoichiometric characteristic are required to keep excellent stability against neutron irradiation. The realization of the reactor will be strongly depend on optimization of SiC/SiC composites microstructure, particularly in regard to the materials and processes used for the fiber, interphase and matrix constituents. One of the important accomplishments is the new process, called nano-particle infiltration and transient eutectic phase (NITE) process developed in our group. The microstructure of NITE-SiC/SiC composites, such as fiber volume fraction, porosity and type of pores, can be controlled precisely by the selection of sintering temperature/applied stress history. The objective of this study is to investigate thermal stability and mechanical properties of NITE-SiC/SiC composites at high-temperature. Two kinds of highly-densified SiC/SiC composites with the difference of fiber volume fraction were prepared, and were subjected to exposure tests from 1000 deg. C to 1500 deg. C in an argon-oxygen gas mixture with an oxygen partial pressure of 0.1 Pa. The thermal stability of the composites was characterized through mass change and TEM/SEM observation. The in-situ tensile tests at 1300 deg. C and 1500 deg. C were carried out in the same atmosphere. Most of SiC/SiC composites, even for the advanced CVI-SiC/SiC composites with multi-layered SiC/C inter-phases, underwent reduction in the maximum strength by about 20% at 1300 deg. C. In particular, this reduction was attributed to a slight burnout of the carbon interphase due to oxygen impurities in test atmosphere. However, there was no significant degradation for

Phase Stability and Thermal Conductivity of Composite Environmental Barrier Coatings on SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Benkel, Samantha; Zhu, Dongming

2011-01-01

Advanced environmental barrier coatings are being developed to protect SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites in harsh combustion environments. The current coating development emphasis has been placed on the significantly improved cyclic durability and combustion environment stability in high-heat-flux and high velocity gas turbine engine environments. Environmental barrier coating systems based on hafnia (HfO2) and ytterbium silicate, HfO2-Si nano-composite bond coat systems have been processed and their stability and thermal conductivity behavior have been evaluated in simulated turbine environments. The incorporation of Silicon Carbide Nanotubes (SiCNT) into high stability (HfO2) and/or HfO2-silicon composite bond coats, along with ZrO2, HfO2 and rare earth silicate composite top coat systems, showed promise as excellent environmental barriers to protect the SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites.

Interstellar organic chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagan, C.

1972-01-01

Most of the interstellar organic molecules have been found in the large radio source Sagittarius B2 toward the galactic center, and in such regions as W51 and the IR source in the Orion nebula. Questions of the reliability of molecular identifications are discussed together with aspects of organic synthesis in condensing clouds, degradational origin, synthesis on grains, UV natural selection, interstellar biology, and contributions to planetary biology.

THE AGE OF THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR BUBBLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abt, Helmut A.

2011-01-01

The Local Interstellar Bubble is an irregular region from 50 to 150 pc from the Sun in which the interstellar gas density is 10 -2 -10 -3 of that outside the bubble and the interstellar temperature is 10 6 K. Evidently most of the gas was swept out by one or more supernovae. I explored the stellar contents and ages of the region from visual double stars, spectroscopic doubles, single stars, open clusters, emission regions, X-ray stars, planetary nebulae, and pulsars. The bubble has three sub-regions. The region toward the galactic center has stars as early as O9.5 V and with ages of 2-4 M yr. It also has a pulsar (PSRJ1856-3754) with a spin-down age of 3.76 Myr. That pulsar is likely to be the remnant of the supernova that drove away most of the gas. The central lobe has stars as early as B7 V and therefore an age of about 160 Myr or less. The Pleiades lobe has stars as early as B3 and therefore an age of about 50 Myr. There are no obvious pulsars that resulted from the supernovae that cleared out those areas. As found previously by Welsh and Lallement, the bubble has five B stars along its perimeter that show high-temperature ions of O VI and C II along their lines of sight, confirming its high interstellar temperature.

Anomalously high yield of doubly charged Si ions sputtered from cleaned Si surface by keV neutral Ar impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinde, N.; Morita, K. E-mail: k-morita@mail.nucl.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Dhole, S.D.; Ishikawa, D

2001-08-01

The energy spectra of positively charged and neutral species ejected from the Si(1 1 1) surfaces by keV Ar impact have been measured by means of a combined technique of the time-of-flight (TOF) analysis with the multi-photon resonance ionization spectroscopy (MPRIS). It is shown that positively charged species of Si{sup +}, Si{sup 2+} and SiO{sup +} are ejected from the as-cleaned 7x7 surface by 11 keV Ar impact. It is also shown that Ar sputter cleaning of the as-cleaned 7x7 surface for 14 min at the flux of 2x10{sup 13}/cm{sup 2}s removes completely the oxygen impurity and the yields of Si{sup 2+} is comparable to that of Si{sup +}. Moreover, the ionization probability of Si atoms sputtered is shown to be expressed as an exponential function of the inverse of their velocity. The production mechanism for the doubly charged Si ion is discussed based on the L-shell ionization of Si atoms due to quasi-molecule formation in the collisions of the surface atoms with energetic recoils and subsequent Auger decay of the L-shell vacancy to doubly ionized Si ions.

High Velocity Gas Gun

Science.gov (United States)

1988-01-01

A video tape related to orbital debris research is presented. The video tape covers the process of loading a High Velocity Gas Gun and firing it into a mounted metal plate. The process is then repeated in slow motion.

Radioisotope electric propulsion for robotic science missions to near-interstellar space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noble, R.J.

1994-10-01

The use of radioisotope electric propulsion for sending small robotic probes on fast science missions several hundred astronomical units (AU) from the Sun is investigated. Such missions would address a large variety of solar, interstellar, galactic and cosmological science themes from unique vantage points at 100 to 600 AU, including parallax distance measurements for the entire Milky Way Galaxy, sampling of the interstellar medium and imaging of cosmological objects at the gravitational lens foci of the Sun (≥ 550 AU). Radioisotope electric propulsion (REP) systems are low-thrust, ion propulsion units based on multi-hundred watt, radioisotope electric generators and ion thrusters. In a previous work, the flight times for rendezvous missions to the outer planets (< 30 AU) using REP were found to be less than fifteen years. However fast prestellar missions to several hundred AU are not possible unless the probe's energy can be substantially increased in the inner Solar System so as to boost the final hyperbolic excess velocity. In this paper an economical hybrid propulsion scheme combining chemical propulsion and gravity assist in the inner Solar System and radioisotope electric propulsion in the outer Solar System is studied which enables fast prestellar missions. Total hyperbolic excess velocities of 15 AU/year and flight times to 550 AU of about 40 years are possible using REP technology that may be available in the next decade

Attenuation of VHE Gamma Rays by the Milky Way Interstellar Radiation Field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moskalenko, Igor V.; /Stanford U., HEPL; Porter, Troy A.; /Louisiana State U.; Strong, Andrew W.; /Garching, Max Planck Inst., MPE

2006-04-19

The attenuation of very high energy gamma rays by pair production on the Galactic interstellar radiation field has long been thought of as negligible. However, a new calculation of the interstellar radiation field consistent with multi-wavelength observations by DIRBE and FIRAS indicates that the energy density of the Galactic interstellar radiation field is higher, particularly in the Galactic center, than previously thought. We have made a calculation of the attenuation of very high energy gamma rays in the Galaxy using this new interstellar radiation field which takes into account its nonuniform spatial and angular distributions. We find that the maximum attenuation occurs around 100 TeV at the level of about 25% for sources located at the Galactic center, and is important for both Galactic and extragalactic sources.

Mechanical heating of the interstellar medium. I. The source and rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, D.P.

1979-01-01

A simple model is presented for the evolution of a supernova disturbance in the very low density, high temperature, interstellar matrix in order to explore consequences of such disturbances on the interstellar clouds. It is assumed that higher density material is sufficiently common to impede the velocity field. It is further assumed that thermal conduction is magnetically quenched between the matrix and H I regions. The individual disturbances evolve very rapidly (tauapprox.3 x 10 5 years) to very large sizes (Rapprox.140 pc) without appreciable radiative cooling before the interior pressure becomes comparable to the ambient pressure. The net effect of the overlapping of ancient disturbances is then shown to be capable of determining this ambient presure.The work done by such blast waves in compressing interstellar clouds is estimated. An individual disturbance is found to lose at least a modest fraction of its energy in this way. The calculated power input to individual clouds is very large, resulting in large-amplitude vibrations similar to what is observed. The heating is partly impulsive (most clouds should contain at least one shock of modest strength at any time) and partly quasi-steady due to vibrational dissipation. Within large uncertainties and variations, the material temperatures are expected to be less than 100 K for n> or approx. =6 cm -3 and approach 10 4 K for n -3 . Between these densities, the temperature depends sensitively on density, elemental depletions, and fractional ionization. Thus the power input is of the magnitude required to provide a cloud, intercloud segregation of material. Unlike earlier models, however, the heating is not intrinsically accompanied by ionization. Finally, the net acceleration of clouds by these blast waves is found to be small unless the clouds initially have n -3

High-energy Gamma Rays from the Milky Way: Three-dimensional Spatial Models for the Cosmic-Ray and Radiation Field Densities in the Interstellar Medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porter, T. A.; Moskalenko, I. V. [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Jóhannesson, G., E-mail: tporter@stanford.edu [Science Institute, University of Iceland, IS-107 Reykjavik (Iceland)

2017-09-01

High-energy γ -rays of interstellar origin are produced by the interaction of cosmic-ray (CR) particles with the diffuse gas and radiation fields in the Galaxy. The main features of this emission are well understood and are reproduced by existing CR propagation models employing 2D galactocentric cylindrically symmetrical geometry. However, the high-quality data from instruments like the Fermi Large Area Telescope reveal significant deviations from the model predictions on few to tens of degrees scales, indicating the need to include the details of the Galactic spiral structure and thus requiring 3D spatial modeling. In this paper, the high-energy interstellar emissions from the Galaxy are calculated using the new release of the GALPROP code employing 3D spatial models for the CR source and interstellar radiation field (ISRF) densities. Three models for the spatial distribution of CR sources are used that are differentiated by their relative proportion of input luminosity attributed to the smooth disk or spiral arms. Two ISRF models are developed based on stellar and dust spatial density distributions taken from the literature that reproduce local near- to far-infrared observations. The interstellar emission models that include arms and bulges for the CR source and ISRF densities provide plausible physical interpretations for features found in the residual maps from high-energy γ -ray data analysis. The 3D models for CR and ISRF densities provide a more realistic basis that can be used for the interpretation of the nonthermal interstellar emissions from the Galaxy.

Spatial Variability in the Ratio of Interstellar Atomic Deuterium to Hydrogen. II. Observations toward γ2 Velorum and ζ Puppis by the Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph

Science.gov (United States)

Sonneborn, George; Tripp, Todd M.; Ferlet, Roger; Jenkins, Edward B.; Sofia, U. J.; Vidal-Madjar, Alfred; Woźniak, Prezemysław R.

2000-12-01

High-resolution far-ultraviolet spectra of the early-type stars γ2 Vel and ζ Pup were obtained to measure the interstellar deuterium abundances in these directions. The observations were made with the Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS) during the ORFEUS-SPAS II mission in 1996. IMAPS spectra cover the wavelength range 930-1150 Å with λ/Δλ~80,000. The interstellar D I features are resolved and cleanly separated from interstellar H I in the Lyδ and Lyɛ profiles of both sight lines and also in the Lyγ profile of ζ Pup. The D I profiles were modeled using a velocity template derived from several N I lines in the IMAPS spectra recorded at higher signal-to-noise ratio. To find the best D I column density, we minimized χ2 for model D I profiles that included not only the N(D I) as a free parameter, but also the effects of several potential sources of systematic error, which were allowed to vary as free parameters. H I column densities were measured by analyzing Lyα absorption profiles in a large number of IUE high-dispersion spectra for each of these stars and applying this same χ2-minimization technique. Ultimately we found that D/H=2.18+0.36-0.31×10-5 for γ2 Vel and 1.42+0.25-0.23×10-5 for ζ Pup, values that contrast markedly with D/H derived in Paper I for δ Ori A (the stated errors are 90% confidence limits). Evidently, the atomic D/H ratio in the ISM, averaged over path lengths of 250-500 pc, exhibits significant spatial variability. Furthermore, the observed spatial variations in D/H do not appear to be anticorrelated with N/H, one measure of heavy-element abundances. We briefly discuss some hypotheses to explain the D/H spatial variability. Within the framework of standard big bang nucleosynthesis, the large value of D/H found toward γ2 Vel is equivalent to a cosmic baryon density of ΩBh2=0.023+/-0.002, which we regard as an upper limit since there is no correction for the destruction of deuterium in stars. This paper is

Comparison between Si/SiO_2 and InP/Al_2O_3 based MOSFETs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbari Tochaei, A.; Arabshahi, H.; Benam, M. R.; Vatan-Khahan, A.; Abedininia, M.

2016-01-01

Electron transport properties of InP-based MOSFET as a new channel material with Al_2O_3 as a high-k dielectric oxide layer in comparison with Si-based MOSFET are studied by the ensemble Monte Carlo simulation method in which the conduction band valleys in InP are based on three valley models with consideration of quantum effects (effective potential approach). I_d–V_d characteristics for Si-based MOSFET are in good agreement with theoretical and experimental results. Our results show that I_d of InP-based MOSFET is about 2 times that of Si-based MOSFET. We simulated the diagrams of longitudinal and transverse electric fields, conduction band edge, average electron velocity, and average electron energy for Si-based MOSFET and compared the results with those for InP-based MOSFET. Our results, as was expected, show that the transverse electric field, the conduction band edge, the electron velocity, and the electron energy in a channel in the InP-based MOSFET are greater than those for Si-based MOSFET. But the longitudinal electric field behaves differently at different points of the channel.

Sound velocities of the 23 Å phase at high pressure and implications for seismic velocities in subducted slabs

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, N.; Chen, T.; Qi, X.; Inoue, T.; Li, B.

2017-12-01

Dense hydrous phases are believed to play an important role in transporting water back into the deep interior of the Earth. Recently, a new Al-bearing hydrous Mg-silicate, named the 23 Å phase (ideal composition Mg12Al2Si4O16(OH)14), was reported (Cai et al., 2015), which could be a very important hydrous phase in subducting slabs. Here for the first time we report the measurements of the compressional and shear wave velocities of the 23 Å phase under applied pressures up to 14 GPa and room temperature, using a bulk sample with a grain size of less than 20 μm and density of 2.947 g/cm3. The acoustic measurements were conducted in a 1000-ton uniaxial split-cylinder multi-anvil apparatus using ultrasonic interferometry techniques (Li et al., 1996). The pressures were determined in situ by using an alumina buffer rod as the pressure marker (Wang et al., 2015). A dual-mode piezoelectric transducer enabled us to measure P and S wave travel times simultaneously, which in turn allowed a precise determination of the sound velocities and elastic bulk and shear moduli at high pressures. A fit to the acoustic data using finite strain analysis combined with a Hashin-Shtrikman (HS) bounds calculation yields: Ks0 = 113.3 GPa, G0 = 42.8 GPa, and K' = 3.8, G' = 1.9 for the bulk and shear moduli and their pressure derivatives. The velocities (especially for S wave) of this 23 Å phase (ambient Vp = 7.53 km/s, Vs = 3.72 km/s) are lower than those of phase A, olivine, pyrope, etc., while the Vp/Vs ratio (from 2.02 to 1.94, decreasing with increasing pressure) is quite high. These results suggest that a hydrous assemblage containing 23 Å phase should be distinguishable from a dry one at high pressure and temperature conditions relevant to Al-bearing subducted slabs.

HERSCHEL/HIFI DISCOVERY OF HCL{sup +} IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Luca, M.; Gerin, M.; Falgarone, E. [LERMA-LRA, UMR 8112 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Ecole Normale Superieure, UPMC and UCP, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Gupta, H.; Drouin, B. J.; Pearson, J. C. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Neufeld, D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Teyssier, D. [European Space Astronomy Centre, ESA, P.O. Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid (Spain); Lis, D. C.; Monje, R.; Phillips, T. G. [California Institute of Technology, Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics 301-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Goicoechea, J. R.; Godard, B.; Bell, T. A. [Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC/INTA), Ctra. de Torrejon a Ajalvir, km 4, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid (Spain); Coutens, A. [Universite de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP, Toulouse (France)

2012-06-01

The radical ion HCl{sup +}, a key intermediate in the chlorine chemistry of the interstellar gas, has been identified for the first time in the interstellar medium with the Herschel Space Observatory's Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared. The ground-state rotational transition of H{sup 35}Cl{sup +}, {sup 2}{Pi}{sub 3/2} J = 5/2-3/2, showing {Lambda}-doubling and hyperfine structure, is detected in absorption toward the Galactic star-forming regions W31C (G10.6-0.4) and W49N. The complex interstellar absorption features are modeled by convolving in velocity space the opacity profiles of other molecular tracers toward the same sources with the fine and hyperfine structure of HCl{sup +}. This structure is derived from a combined analysis of optical data from the literature and new laboratory measurements of pure rotational transitions, reported in the accompanying Letter by Gupta et al. The models reproduce well the interstellar absorption, and the frequencies inferred from the astronomical observations are in exact agreement with those calculated using spectroscopic constants derived from the laboratory data. The detection of H{sup 37}Cl{sup +} toward W31C, with a column density consistent with the expected {sup 35}Cl/{sup 37}Cl isotopic ratio, provides additional evidence for the identification. A comparison with the chemically related molecules HCl and H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} yields an abundance ratio of unity with both species (HCl{sup +} : H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} : HCl {approx} 1). These observations also yield the unexpected result that HCl{sup +} accounts for 3%-5% of the gas-phase chlorine toward W49N and W31C, values several times larger than the maximum fraction ({approx}1%) predicted by chemical models.

Interstellar and Solar Nebula Materials in Cometary Dust

Science.gov (United States)

Messenger, Scott; Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko; Keller, Lindsay; Nguyen, Ann; Clemett, Simon

2017-01-01

Laboratory studies of cometary dust collected in the stratosphere and returned from comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft have revealed ancient interstellar grains and molecular cloud organic matter that record a range of astrophysical processes and the first steps of planetary formation. Presolar materials are rarer meteorites owing to high temperature processing in the solar nebula and hydrothermal alteration on their asteroidal parent bodies. The greater preservation of presolar materials in comets is attributed to their low accretion temperatures and limited planetary processing. Yet, comets also contain a large complement of high temperature materials from the inner Solar System. Owing to the limited and biased sampling of comets to date, the proportions of interstellar and Solar System materials within them remains highly uncertain. Interstellar materials are identified by coordinated isotopic, mineralogical, and chemical measurements at the scale of individual grains. Chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP IDPs) that likely derive from comets are made up of 0.1 - 10 micron-sized silicates, Fe-Ni-sulfides, oxides, and other phases bound by organic material. As much as 1% of the silicates are interstellar grains that have exotic isotopic compositions imparted by nucleosynthetic processes in their parent stars. Crystalline silicates in CP IDPs dominantly have normal isotopic compositions and probably formed in the Solar System. 81P samples include isotopically normal refractory minerals that resemble Ca-Al rich inclusions and chondrules common in meteorites. The origins of sub-micron amorphous silicates in IDPs are not certain, but at least a few % of them are interstellar grains. The remainder have isotopic compositions consistent with Solar System origins and elemental compositions that are inconsistent with interstellar grain properties, thus favoring formation in the solar nebula [4]. The organic component in comets and primitive

Centrifugally cast Zn-27Al-xMg-ySi alloys and their in situ (Mg2Si + Si)/ZA27 composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qudong; Chen Yongjun; Chen Wenzhou; Wei Yinhong; Zhai Chunquan; Ding Wenjiang

2005-01-01

Effects of composition, mold temperature, rotating rate and modification on microstructure of centrifugally cast Zn-27Al-xMg-ySi alloys have been investigated. In situ composites of Zn-27Al-6.3Mg-3.7Si and Zn-27Al-9.8Mg-5.2Si alloys were fabricated by centrifugal casting using heated permanent mold. These composites consist of three layers: inner layer segregates lots of blocky primary Mg 2 Si and a litter blocky primary Si, middle layer contains without primary Mg 2 Si and primary Si, outer layer contains primary Mg 2 Si and primary Si. The position, quantity and distribution of primary Mg 2 Si and primary Si in the composites are determined jointly by alloy composition, solidification velocity under the effect of centrifugal force and their floating velocity inward. Na salt modifier can refine grain and primary Mg 2 Si and make primary Mg 2 Si distribute more evenly and make primary Si nodular. For centrifugally cast Zn-27Al-3.2Mg-1.8Si alloy, the microstructures of inner layer, middle layer and outer layer are almost similar, single layer materials without primary Mg 2 Si and primary Si are obtained, and their grain sizes increased with the mold temperature increasing

The distribution of interstellar dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clocchiatti, A.; Marraco, H.G.

1986-01-01

We propose the interstellar matter structural function as a tool to derive the features of the interstellar dust distribution. We study that function resolving some ideal dust distribution models. Later we describe the method used to find a reliable computing algorithm for the observational case. Finally, we describe the steps to build a model for the interstellar matter composed by spherically symmetrical clouds. The density distribution for each of these clouds is D(r) = D 0 .esup(-r/r 0 ) 2 . The preliminary results obtained are summarised. (author)

THE IMPLICATIONS OF A HIGH COSMIC-RAY IONIZATION RATE IN DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Indriolo, Nick; Fields, Brian D.; McCall, Benjamin J.

2009-01-01

Diffuse interstellar clouds show large abundances of H + 3 which can only be maintained by a high ionization rate of H 2 . Cosmic rays are the dominant ionization mechanism in this environment, so the large ionization rate implies a high cosmic-ray flux, and a large amount of energy residing in cosmic rays. In this paper, we find that the standard propagated cosmic-ray spectrum predicts an ionization rate much lower than that inferred from H + 3 . Low-energy (∼10 MeV) cosmic rays are the most efficient at ionizing hydrogen, but cannot be directly detected; consequently, an otherwise unobservable enhancement of the low-energy cosmic-ray flux offers a plausible explanation for the H + 3 results. Beyond ionization, cosmic rays also interact with the interstellar medium by spalling atomic nuclei and exciting atomic nuclear states. These processes produce the light elements Li, Be, and B, as well as gamma-ray lines. To test the consequences of an enhanced low-energy cosmic-ray flux, we adopt two physically motivated cosmic-ray spectra which by construction reproduce the ionization rate inferred in diffuse clouds, and investigate the implications of these spectra on dense cloud ionization rates, light-element abundances, gamma-ray fluxes, and energetics. One spectrum proposed here provides an explanation for the high ionization rate seen in diffuse clouds while still appearing to be broadly consistent with other observables, but the shape of this spectrum suggests that supernovae remnants may not be the predominant accelerators of low-energy cosmic rays.

Superconducting spoke cavities for high-velocity applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hopper, Christopher S. [Old Dominion U.; Delayen, Jean R. [Old Dominion U., JLAB

2013-10-01

To date, superconducting spoke cavities have been designed, developed, and tested for particle velocities up to {beta}{sub 0}~0.6, but there is a growing interest in possible applications of multispoke cavities for high-velocity applications. We have explored the design parameter space for low-frequency, high-velocity, double-spoke superconducting cavities in order to determine how each design parameter affects the electromagnetic properties, in particular the surface electromagnetic fields and the shunt impedance. We present detailed design for cavities operating at 325 and 352 MHz and optimized for {beta}{sub 0}~=0.82 and 1.

A self-consistent model of the three-phase interstellar medium in disk galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Z.

1989-01-01

In the present study the author analyzes a number of physical processes concerning velocity and spatial distributions, ionization structure, pressure variation, mass and energy balance, and equation of state of the diffuse interstellar gas in a three phase model. He also considers the effects of this model on the formation of molecular clouds and the evolution of disk galaxies. The primary purpose is to incorporate self-consistently the interstellar conditions in a typical late-type galaxy, and to relate these to various observed large-scale phenomena. He models idealized situations both analytically and numerically, and compares the results with observational data of the Milky Way Galaxy and other nearby disk galaxies. Several main conclusions of this study are: (1) the highly ionized gas found in the lower Galactic halo is shown to be consistent with a model in which the gas is photoionized by the diffuse ultraviolet radiation; (2) in a quasi-static and self-regulatory configuration, the photoelectric effects of interstellar grains are primarily responsible for heating the cold (T ≅ 100K) gas; the warm (T ≅ 8,000K) gas may be heated by supernova remnants and other mechanisms; (3) the large-scale atomic and molecular gas distributions in a sample of 15 disk galaxies can be well explained if molecular cloud formation and star formation follow a modified Schmidt Law; a scaling law for the radial gas profiles is proposed based on this model, and it is shown to be applicable to the nearby late-type galaxies where radio mapping data is available; for disk galaxies of earlier type, the effect of their massive central bulges may have to be taken into account

Stellar and interstellar K lines - Gamma Pegasi and iota Herculis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbs, L. M.

1973-01-01

High-resolution scans show that the relatively strong (about 90 mA) K lines of Ca II in the early B stars gamma-Peg and iota-Her are almost entirely stellar in origin, although the latter case includes a small interstellar contribution. Such stellar lines can be of great importance in augmenting the interstellar absorption, up through the earliest of the B stars.

Molecular cloud formation by gravitational instabilities in a clumpy interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmegreen, B.G.

1989-01-01

A dispersion relation is derived for gravitational instabilities in a medium with cloud collisional cooling, using a time-dependent energy equation instead of the adiabatic equation of state. The instability extends to much smaller length scales than in the conventional Jeans analysis, and, in regions temporarily without cloud stirring, it has a large growth rate down to the cloud collision mean free path. These results suggests that gravitational instabilities in a variety of environments, such as galactic density wave shocks, swept-up shells, and extended, quiescent regions of the interstellar medium, can form molecular clouds with masses much less than the conventional Jeans mass, e.g., from 100 to 10 million solar masses for the ambient medium, and they can do this even when the unperturbed velocity dispersion remains high. Similar processes operating inside existing clouds might promote gravitationally driven fragmentation. 29 refs

SIMULATIONS OF HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUDS. I. HYDRODYNAMICS AND HIGH-VELOCITY HIGH IONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, Kyujin; Henley, David B.; Shelton, Robin L.

2011-01-01

We present hydrodynamic simulations of high-velocity clouds (HVCs) traveling through the hot, tenuous medium in the Galactic halo. A suite of models was created using the FLASH hydrodynamics code, sampling various cloud sizes, densities, and velocities. In all cases, the cloud-halo interaction ablates material from the clouds. The ablated material falls behind the clouds where it mixes with the ambient medium to produce intermediate-temperature gas, some of which radiatively cools to less than 10,000 K. Using a non-equilibrium ionization algorithm, we track the ionization levels of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in the gas throughout the simulation period. We present observation-related predictions, including the expected H I and high ion (C IV, N V, and O VI) column densities on sightlines through the clouds as functions of evolutionary time and off-center distance. The predicted column densities overlap those observed for Complex C. The observations are best matched by clouds that have interacted with the Galactic environment for tens to hundreds of megayears. Given the large distances across which the clouds would travel during such time, our results are consistent with Complex C having an extragalactic origin. The destruction of HVCs is also of interest; the smallest cloud (initial mass ∼ 120 M sun ) lost most of its mass during the simulation period (60 Myr), while the largest cloud (initial mass ∼ 4 x 10 5 M sun ) remained largely intact, although deformed, during its simulation period (240 Myr).

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

Preliminary results from the oribiting solar observatory 8: Velocities in the solar chromosphere observed in the Si II lambda1816 line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chipman, E.G.; Bruner, E.C. Jr.; Shine, R.A.; Lites, B.W.; Rottman, G.J.; Athay, R.G.; White, O.R.

1976-01-01

The University of Colorado instrument on OSO-8 was used to measure repeated line profiles of the Si II lambda1816 line over quiet and active areas of approximately 20'' by 5'' during entire orbits of 60 minutes. Velocity oscillations with periods near 300 s are observed in approximately half of the time series, and periods near 180 s are sometimes observed. Periodic intensity variations are also observed at both of these periods. For both periods, the intensity leads the velocity in phase by approximately 30degree

Organic chemistry and biology of the interstellar medium

Science.gov (United States)

Sagan, C.

1973-01-01

Interstellar organic chemistry is discussed as the field of study emerging from the discovery of microwave lines of formaldehyde and of hydrogen cyanide in the interstellar medium. The reliability of molecular identifications and comparisons of interstellar and cometary compounds are considered, along with the degradational origin of simple organics. It is pointed out that the contribution of interstellar organic chemistry to problems in biology is not substantive but analogical. The interstellar medium reveals the operation of chemical processes which, on earth and perhaps on vast numbers of planets throughout the universe, led to the origin of life, but the actual molecules of the interstellar medium are unlikely to play any significant biological role.

Parameterizing the interstellar dust temperature

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-08-01

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

Si K EDGE STRUCTURE AND VARIABILITY IN GALACTIC X-RAY BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulz, Norbert S.; Corrales, Lia; Canizares, Claude R. [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2016-08-10

We survey the Si K edge structure in various absorbed Galactic low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) to study states of silicon in the inter- and circum-stellar medium. The bulk of these LMXBs lie toward the Galactic bulge region and all have column densities above 10{sup 22} cm{sup −2}. The observations were performed using the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer. The Si K edge in all sources appears at an energy value of 1844 ± 0.001 eV. The edge exhibits significant substructure that can be described by a near edge absorption feature at 1849 ± 0.002 eV and a far edge absorption feature at 1865 ± 0.002 eV. Both of these absorption features appear variable with equivalent widths up to several mÅ. We can describe the edge structure using several components: multiple edge functions, near edge absorption excesses from silicates in dust form, signatures from X-ray scattering optical depths, and a variable warm absorber from ionized atomic silicon. The measured optical depths of the edges indicate much higher values than expected from atomic silicon cross sections and interstellar medium abundances, and they appear consistent with predictions from silicate X-ray absorption and scattering. A comparison with models also indicates a preference for larger dust grain sizes. In many cases, we identify Si xiii resonance absorption and determine ionization parameters between log ξ = 1.8 and 2.8 and turbulent velocities between 300 and 1000 km s{sup −1}. This places the warm absorber in close vicinity of the X-ray binaries. In some data, we observe a weak edge at 1.840 keV, potentially from a lesser contribution of neutral atomic silicon.

Si-FeSi2/C nanocomposite anode materials produced by two-stage high-energy mechanical milling

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yun Mo; Loka, Chadrasekhar; Kim, Dong Phil; Joo, Sin Yong; Moon, Sung Whan; Choi, Yi Sik; Park, Jung Han; Lee, Kee-Sun

2017-05-01

High capacity retention Silicon-based nanocomposite anode materials have been extensively explored for use in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Here we report the preparation of Si-FeSi2/C nanocomposite through scalable a two-stage high-energy mechanical milling process, in which nano-scale Si-FeSi2 powders are besieged by the carbon (graphite/amorphous phase) layer; and investigation of their structure, morphology and electrochemical performance. Raman analysis revealed that the carbon layer structure comprised of graphitic and amorphous phase rather than a single amorphous phase. Anodes fabricated with the Si-FeSi2/C showed excellent electrochemical behavior such as a first discharge capacity of 1082 mAh g-1 and a high capacity retention until the 30th cycle. A remarkable coulombic efficiency of 99.5% was achieved within a few cycles. Differential capacity plots of the Si-FeSi2/C anodes revealed a stable lithium reaction with Si for lithiation/delithiation. The enhanced electrochemical properties of the Si-FeSi2/C nanocomposite are mainly attributed to the nano-size Si and stable solid electrolyte interface formation and highly conductive path driven by the carbon layer.

Film Cooled Recession of SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites: Test Development, CFD Modeling and Experimental Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Dongming; Sakowski, Barbara A.; Fisher, Caleb

2014-01-01

SiCSiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) systems will play a crucial role in next generation turbine engines for hot-section component applications because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures, reduce engine weight and cooling requirements. However, the environmental stability of Si-based ceramics in high pressure, high velocity turbine engine combustion environment is of major concern. The water vapor containing combustion gas leads to accelerated oxidation and corrosion of the SiC based ceramics due to the water vapor reactions with silica (SiO2) scales forming non-protective volatile hydroxide species, resulting in recession of the ceramic components. Although environmental barrier coatings are being developed to help protect the CMC components, there is a need to better understand the fundamental recession behavior of in more realistic cooled engine component environments.In this paper, we describe a comprehensive film cooled high pressure burner rig based testing approach, by using standardized film cooled SiCSiC disc test specimen configurations. The SiCSiC specimens were designed for implementing the burner rig testing in turbine engine relevant combustion environments, obtaining generic film cooled recession rate data under the combustion water vapor conditions, and helping developing the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) film cooled models and performing model validation. Factors affecting the film cooled recession such as temperature, water vapor concentration, combustion gas velocity, and pressure are particularly investigated and modeled, and compared with impingement cooling only recession data in similar combustion flow environments. The experimental and modeling work will help predict the SiCSiC CMC recession behavior, and developing durable CMC systems in complex turbine engine operating conditions.

Observations of interstellar silicon monoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickinson, D.F.; Gottlieb, C.A.; Gottlieb, E.W.; Litvak, M.M.

1976-01-01

We report observations of rotational transitions of SiO in the ground vibrational state at 86.8 GHz (J=2→1) and 130.3 GHz (J=3→2). At 86.8 GHz, SiO emission in Orion A peaks in the direction of the Kleinmann-Low nebula. A possible secondary maximum occurs about 80'' southward. The 130.3 GHz line was also detected in Orion A. Mapping of the 86.8 GHz line in Sgr B2 shows the presence of two velocity components and a north-south extent of about 4'. Comparison of the data with radiative-transport calculations implies that if the hydrogen density is approximately 10 5 cm -3 then the SiO column density is approximately 10 15 cm -2 for Orion A at 60 K.Upper limits to the total HO 2 column density in Orion A and Sgr B2 are reported

Mechanisms of heating the interstellar matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lequeux, J.

1975-01-01

The knowledge of the interstellar medium has been considerably improved in the recent years, thanks in particular to Radioastronomy and Ultraviolet Space Astronomy. This medium is a natural laboratory where the conditions and various and very different to what can be realised in terrestrial laboratories. To illustrate its interest for physicists here one of the most interesting but controversial points of interstellar astronomy is discussed: the mechanisms for heating and cooling the interstellar medium [fr

High-velocity runaway stars from three-body encounters

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Gualandris, A.; Portegies Zwart, S.

2010-01-01

We performed numerical simulations of dynamical encounters between hard, massive binaries and a very massive star (VMS; formed through runaway mergers of ordinary stars in the dense core of a young massive star cluster) to explore the hypothesis that this dynamical process could be responsible for the origin of high-velocity (≥ 200 - 400 km s-1) early or late B-type stars. We estimated the typical velocities produced in encounters between very tight massive binaries and VMSs (of mass of ≥ 200 M⊙) and found that about 3 - 4% of all encounters produce velocities ≥ 400 km s-1, while in about 2% of encounters the escapers attain velocities exceeding the Milky Ways's escape velocity. We therefore argue that the origin of high-velocity (≥ 200 - 400 km s-1) runaway stars and at least some so-called hypervelocity stars could be associated with dynamical encounters between the tightest massive binaries and VMSs formed in the cores of star clusters. We also simulated dynamical encounters between tight massive binaries and single ordinary 50 - 100 M⊙ stars. We found that from 1 to ≃ 4% of these encounters can produce runaway stars with velocities of ≥ 300 - 400 km s-1 (typical of the bound population of high-velocity halo B-type stars) and occasionally (in less than 1% of encounters) produce hypervelocity (≥ 700 km s-1) late B-type escapers.

Metallization of ion beam synthesized Si/3C-SiC/Si layer systems by high-dose implantation of transition metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindner, J.K.N.; Wenzel, S.; Stritzker, B.

2001-01-01

The formation of metal silicide layers contacting an ion beam synthesized buried 3C-SiC layer in silicon by means of high-dose titanium and molybdenum implantations is reported. Two different strategies to form such contact layers are explored. The titanium implantation aims to convert the Si top layer of an epitaxial Si/SiC/Si layer sequence into TiSi 2 , while Mo implantations were performed directly into the SiC layer after selectively etching off all capping layers. Textured and high-temperature stable C54-TiSi 2 layers with small additions of more metal-rich silicides are obtained in the case of the Ti implantations. Mo implantations result in the formation of the high-temperature phase β-MoSi 2 , which also grows textured on the substrate. The formation of cavities in the silicon substrate at the lower SiC/Si interface due to the Si consumption by the growing silicide phase is observed in both cases. It probably constitutes a problem, occurring whenever thin SiC films on silicon have to be contacted by silicide forming metals independent of the deposition technique used. It is shown that this problem can be solved with ion beam synthesized contact layers by proper adjustment of the metal ion dose

Studies of interstellar vibrationally-excited molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziurys, L.M.; Snell, R.L.; Erickson, N.R.

1986-01-01

Several molecules thus far have been detected in the ISM in vibrationally-excited states, including H 2 , SiO, HC 3 N, and CH 3 CN. In order for vibrational-excitation to occur, these species must be present in unusually hot and dense gas and/or where strong infrared radiation is present. In order to do a more thorough investigation of vibrational excitation in the interstellar medium (ISM), studies were done of several mm-wave transitions originating in excited vibrational modes of HCN, an abundant interstellar molecule. Vibrationally-excited HCN was recently detected toward Orion-KL and IRC+10216, using a 12 meter antenna. The J=3-2 rotational transitions were detected in the molecule's lowest vibrational state, the bending mode, which is split into two separate levels, due to l-type doubling. This bending mode lies 1025K above ground state, with an Einstein A coefficient of 3.6/s. The J=3-2 line mode of HCN, which lies 2050K above ground state, was also observed toward IRC+10216, and subsequently in Orion-KL. Further measurements of vibrationally-excited HCN were done using a 14 meter telescope, which include the observations of the (0,1,0) and (0,2,0) modes towards Orion-KL, via their J=3-2 transitions at 265-267 GHz. The spectrum of the J=3-2 line in Orion taken with the 14 meter telescope, is shown, along with a map, which indicates that emission from vibrationally-excited HCN arises from a region probably smaller than the 14 meter telescope's 20 arcsec beam

The Velocity Distribution Of Pickup He+ Measured at 0.3 AU by MESSENGER

Science.gov (United States)

Gershman, Daniel J.; Fisk, Lennard A.; Gloeckler, George; Raines, Jim M.; Slavin, James A.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; Solomon, Sean C.

2014-06-01

During its interplanetary trajectory in 2007-2009, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvrionment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft passed through the gravitational focusing cone for interstellar helium multiple times at a heliocentric distance R ≈ 0.3 AU. Observations of He+ interstellar pickup ions made by the Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer sensor on MESSENGER during these transits provide a glimpse into the structure of newly formed inner heliospheric pickup-ion distributions. This close to the Sun, these ions are picked up in a nearly radial interplanetary magnetic field. Compared with the near-Earth environment, pickup ions observed near 0.3 AU will not have had sufficient time to be energized substantially. Such an environment results in a nearly pristine velocity distribution function that should depend only on pickup-ion injection velocities (related to the interstellar gas), pitch-angle scattering, and cooling processes. From measured energy-per-charge spectra obtained during multiple spacecraft observational geometries, we have deduced the phase-space density of He+ as a function of magnetic pitch angle. Our measurements are most consistent with a distribution that decreases nearly monotonically with increasing pitch angle, rather than the more commonly modeled isotropic or hemispherically symmetric forms. These results imply that pitch-angle scattering of He+ may not be instantaneous, as is often assumed, and instead may reflect the velocity distribution of initially injected particles. In a slow solar wind stream, we find a parallel-scattering mean free path of λ || ~ 0.1 AU and a He+ production rate of ~0.05 m-3 s-1 within 0.3 AU.

Detection of interstellar pick-up hydrogen in the solar system

Science.gov (United States)

Gloeckler, G.; Geiss, J.; Balsiger, H.; Fisk, L. A.; Galvin, A. B.; Ipavich, F. M.; Ogilvie, K. W.; Von Steiger, R.; Wilken, B.

1993-01-01

Interstellar hydrogen ionized primarily by the solar wind has been detected by the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer instrument on the Ulysses spacecraft at a distance of 4.8 AUs from the sun. This 'pick-up' hydrogen is identified by its distinct velocity distribution function, which drops abruptly at twice the local solar wind speed. From the measured fluxes of pick-up protons and singly charged helium, the number densities of neutral hydrogen and helium in the distant regions of the solar system are estimated to be 0.077 +/- 0.015 and 0.013 +/- 0.003 per cu cm, respectively.

On the origin of high-velocity runaway stars

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, Vasilii V.; Gualandris, Alessia; Portegies Zwart, Simon

2009-06-01

We explore the hypothesis that some high-velocity runaway stars attain their peculiar velocities in the course of exchange encounters between hard massive binaries and a very massive star (either an ordinary 50-100Msolar star or a more massive one, formed through runaway mergers of ordinary stars in the core of a young massive star cluster). In this process, one of the binary components becomes gravitationally bound to the very massive star, while the second one is ejected, sometimes with a high speed. We performed three-body scattering experiments and found that early B-type stars (the progenitors of the majority of neutron stars) can be ejected with velocities of >~200-400kms-1 (typical of pulsars), while 3-4Msolar stars can attain velocities of >~300-400kms-1 (typical of the bound population of halo late B-type stars). We also found that the ejected stars can occasionally attain velocities exceeding the Milky Ways's escape velocity.

Cavities at the Si projected range by high dose and energy Si ion implantation in Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canino, M.; Regula, G.; Lancin, M.; Xu, M.; Pichaud, B.; Ntzoenzok, E.; Barthe, M.F.

2009-01-01

Two series of n-type Si samples α and β are implanted with Si ions at high dose (1 x 10 16 ) and high energies, 0.3 and 1.0 MeV, respectively. Both sort of samples are then implanted with 5 x 10 16 He cm -2 (at 10 or 50 keV) and eventually with B atoms. Some of the samples are annealed at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1000 deg. C to allow the thermal growth of He-cavities, located between sample surface and the projected range (R p ) of Si. After the triple ion implantation, which corresponds to defect engineering, samples were characterized by cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). Voids (or bubbles) are observed not only at the R p (He) on all annealed samples, but also at the R p (Si) on β samples implanted with He at 50 keV. The samples are also studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) and the spectra confirm that as-implanted samples contain di-vacancies and that the annealed ones, even at high temperature have bigger open volumes, which are assumed to be the same voids observed by XTEM. It is demonstrated that a sole Si implantation at high energy and dose is efficient to create cavities which are thermally stable up to 1000 deg. C only in the presence of He.

Large-scale structure of the Taurus molecular complex. II. Analysis of velocity fluctuations and turbulence. III. Methods for turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleiner, S.C.; Dickman, R.L.

1985-01-01

The velocity autocorrelation function (ACF) of observed spectral line centroid fluctuations is noted to effectively reproduce the actual ACF of turbulent gas motions within an interstellar cloud, thereby furnishing a framework for the study of the large scale velocity structure of the Taurus dark cloud complex traced by the present C-13O J = 1-0 observations of this region. The results obtained are discussed in the context of recent suggestions that widely observed correlations between molecular cloud widths and cloud sizes indicate the presence of a continuum of turbulent motions within the dense interstellar medium. Attention is then given to a method for the quantitative study of these turbulent motions, involving the mapping of a source in an optically thin spectral line and studying the spatial correlation properties of the resulting velocity centroid map. 61 references

Advanced Environmental Barrier Coating Development for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites: NASA's Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Dongming

2016-01-01

This presentation reviews NASA environmental barrier coating (EBC) system development programs and the coating materials evolutions for protecting the SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites in order to meet the next generation engine performance requirements. The presentation focuses on several generations of NASA EBC systems, EBC-CMC component system technologies for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite combustors and turbine airfoils, highlighting the temperature capability and durability improvements in simulated engine high heat flux, high pressure, high velocity, and with mechanical creep and fatigue loading conditions. The current EBC development emphasis is placed on advanced NASA 2700F candidate environmental barrier coating systems for SiC/SiC CMCs, their performance benefits and design limitations in long-term operation and combustion environments. Major technical barriers in developing environmental barrier coating systems, the coating integrations with next generation CMCs having the improved environmental stability, erosion-impact resistance, and long-term fatigue-environment system durability performance are described. The research and development opportunities for advanced turbine airfoil environmental barrier coating systems by utilizing improved compositions, state-of-the-art processing methods, and simulated environment testing and durability modeling are discussed.

Impact resistance of uncoated SiC/SiC composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.; Choi, Sung R.; Cosgriff, Laura M.; Fox, Dennis S.; Lee, Kang N.

2008-01-01

Two-dimensional woven SiC/SiC composites fabricated by melt infiltration method were impact tested at room temperature and at 1316 deg. C in air using 1.59-mm diameter steel-ball projectiles at velocities ranging from 115 to 400 m/s. The extent of substrate damage with increasing projectile velocity was imaged and analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy, and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods such as pulsed thermography, and computed tomography. The impacted specimens were tensile tested at room temperature to determine their residual mechanical properties. Results indicate that at 115 m/s projectile velocity, the composite showed no noticeable surface or internal damage and retained its as-fabricated mechanical properties. As the projectile velocity increased above this value, the internal damage increased and mechanical properties degraded. At velocities >300 m/s, the projectile penetrated through the composite, but the composite retained ∼50% of the ultimate tensile strength of the as-fabricated composite and exhibited non-brittle failure. Predominant internal damages are delamination of fiber plies, fiber fracture and matrix shearing

Detection of interstellar methylcyanoacetylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broten, N.W.; MacLeod, J.M.; Avery, L.W.; Irvine, W.M.; Hoeglund, B.; Friberg, P.; Hjalmarson

1984-01-01

A new interstellar molecule, methylcyanoacetylene (CH 3 C 3 N), has been detected in the molecular cloud TMC-1. The J = 8 → 7, J = 7 → 6, J = 6 → 5, and J = 5 → 4 transitions have been observed. For the first three of these, both the K = 0 and K = 1 components are present, while for J = 5 → 4, only the K = 0 line has been detected. The observed frequencies were calculated by assuming a value of radial velocity V/sub lSR/ = 5.8 km s -1 for TMC-1, typical of other molecules in the cloud. All Observed frequencies are within 10 kHz of the calculated frequencies, which are based on the 1982 laboratory constants of Moises et al., so the identification is secure. The lines are broadened by hyperfine splitting, and the J = 5 → 4, K = 0 transition shows incipient resolution into three hyperfine components. The rotational temperature determined from these observations is quite low, with 2.7 K 12 cm -2

Surface science studies of ethene containing model interstellar ices

Science.gov (United States)

Puletti, F.; Whelan, M.; Brown, W. A.

2011-05-01

The formation of saturated hydrocarbons in the interstellar medium (ISM) is difficult to explain only by taking into account gas phase reactions. This is mostly due to the fact that carbonium ions only react with H_2 to make unsaturated hydrocarbons, and hence no viable route to saturated hydrocarbons has been postulated to date. It is therefore likely that saturation processes occur via surface reactions that take place on interstellar dust grains. One of the species of interest in this family of reactions is C_2H_4 (ethene) which is an intermediate in several molecular formation routes (e.g. C_2H_2 → C_2H_6). To help to understand some of the surface processes involving ethene, a study of ethene deposited on a dust grain analogue surface (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite) held under ultra-high vacuum at 20 K has been performed. The adsorption and desorption of ethene has been studied both in water-free and water-dominated model interstellar ices. A combination of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) have been used to identify the adsorbed and trapped species and to determine the kinetics of the desorption processes. In all cases, ethene is found to physisorb on the carbonaceous surface. As expected water has a very strong influence on the desorption of ethene, as previously observed for other model interstellar ice systems.

Analysis of "Midnight" Tracks in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector: Possible Discovery of a Contemporary Interstellar Dust Grain

Science.gov (United States)

Westphal, A. J.; Allen, C.; Bajit, S.; Bastien, R.; Bechtel, H.; Bleuet, P.; Borg, J.; Brenker, F.; Bridges, J.; Brownlee, D. E.;

Recent interstellar molecular line work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winnewisser, G.

1975-01-01

A summary of recent interstellar molecular line work is presented. Transitions of the following molecules have been detected in Sgr B2: Vinylcyanide, H 2 C 2 HCN, formic acid, HCOOH, dimethyl ether (CH 3 ) 2 O and isotopically labelled cyanoacetylene- 13 C,HC 13 CCN and HCC 13 CN. The data on cyanoacetylene give an upper limit to the abundance ratio 12 C/ 13 C of 36 +- 5. A short discussion of the interstellar chemistry leads to the conclusion that hydrocarbons such as acetylene, HCCH, ethylen, H 2 CCH 2 and ethane H 3 CCH 3 should be present in interstellar clouds. 13 refs

Technological development for super-high efficiency solar cells. Technological development for super-high efficiency singlecrystalline silicon solar cells (super-high efficiency singlecrystalline Si solar cells); Chokokoritsu taiyo denchi no gijutsu kaihatsu. Chokokoritsu tankessho silicon taiyo denchi no gijutsu kaihatsu (chokokoritsu tankessho silicon taiyo denchi cell no gijutsu kaihatsu)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatsuta, M [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo (Japan)

1994-12-01

This paper reports the study results on technological development of super-high efficiency singlecrystalline silicon solar cells in fiscal 1994. (1) On development of high-performance light receiving layer, the fine electrode for receiving surfaces was designed to reduce serial resistance, and the high-quality oxide passivation film was studied to reduce surface recombination velocity. (2) On development of forming technology of back heterojunction, the high-quality cell with B-doped fine crystalline Si film on its back was studied by heat treatment of the fine crystalline Si film, and the cell structure with high back reflectance of light was also studied. (3) On analysis for high-efficiency cells, the relation between the back recombination velocity at the interface between p-type substrate and back passivation film, and the internal collection efficiency as probe light was injected from the back, was calculated by numerical simulation. As a result, the cell back recombination velocity could be evaluated by measuring the spectral internal collection efficiency to back injection. 15 figs., 6 tabs.

Comparison between Si/SiO{sub 2} and InP/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} based MOSFETs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbari Tochaei, A., E-mail: amirakbari182@gmail.com; Arabshahi, H.; Benam, M. R. [Payame Noor University, Department of Physics (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Vatan-Khahan, A.; Abedininia, M. [Khayyam University, Department of Physics (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-11-15

Electron transport properties of InP-based MOSFET as a new channel material with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} as a high-k dielectric oxide layer in comparison with Si-based MOSFET are studied by the ensemble Monte Carlo simulation method in which the conduction band valleys in InP are based on three valley models with consideration of quantum effects (effective potential approach). I{sub d}–V{sub d} characteristics for Si-based MOSFET are in good agreement with theoretical and experimental results. Our results show that I{sub d} of InP-based MOSFET is about 2 times that of Si-based MOSFET. We simulated the diagrams of longitudinal and transverse electric fields, conduction band edge, average electron velocity, and average electron energy for Si-based MOSFET and compared the results with those for InP-based MOSFET. Our results, as was expected, show that the transverse electric field, the conduction band edge, the electron velocity, and the electron energy in a channel in the InP-based MOSFET are greater than those for Si-based MOSFET. But the longitudinal electric field behaves differently at different points of the channel.

A dirty window diffuse and translucent molecular gas in the interstellar medium

CERN Document Server

Magnani, Loris

2017-01-01

This book provides an introduction to the physics of interstellar gas in the Galaxy. It deals with the diffuse interstellar medium which supplies a complex environment for exploring the neutral gas content of a galaxy like the Milky Way and the techniques necessary for studying this non-stellar component. After an initial exposition of the phases of the interstellar medium and the role of gas in a spiral galaxy, the authors discuss the transition from atomic to molecular gas. They then consider basic radiative transfer and molecular spectroscopy with particular emphasis on the molecules useful for studying low-density molecular gas. Observational techniques for investigating the gas and the dust component of the diffuse interstellar medium throughout the electromagnetic spectrum are explored emphasizing results from the recent Herschel and Planck missions. A brief exposition on dust in the diffuse interstellar medium is followed by a discussion of molecular clouds in general and high-latitude molecular clouds...

Impact of GaAs buffer thickness on electronic quality of GaAs grown on graded Ge/GeSi/Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlin, J. A.; Ringel, S. A.; Fitzgerald, E. A.; Bulsara, M.; Keyes, B. M.

2000-01-01

Minority carrier lifetimes and interface recombination velocities for GaAs grown on a Si wafer using compositionally graded GeSi buffers have been investigated as a function of GaAs buffer thickness using monolayer-scale control of the GaAs/Ge interface nucleation during molecular beam epitaxy. The GaAs layers are free of antiphase domain disorder, with threading dislocation densities measured by etch pit density of 5x10 5 -2x10 6 cm -2 . Analysis indicates no degradation in either minority carrier lifetime or interface recombination velocity down to a GaAs buffer thickness of 0.1 μm. In fact, record high minority carrier lifetimes exceeding 10 ns have been obtained for GaAs on Si with a 0.1 μm GaAs buffer. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy reveals that cross diffusion of Ga, As, and Ge at the GaAs/Ge interface formed on the graded GeSi buffers are below detection limits in the interface region, indicating that polarity control of the GaAs/Ge interface formed on GeSi/Si substrates can be achieved. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Transformation of sludge Si to nano-Si/SiOx structure by oxygen inward diffusion as precursor for high performance anodes in lithium ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Qiqi; Dai, Dongyang; Zhang, Chengzhi; Han, Fei; Lv, Tiezheng; Li, Xiaoshan; Wang, Shijie; Zhu, Rui; Liao, Haojie; Zhang, Shiguo

2018-05-01

Although several Si/C composite structures have been proposed for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), they have still suffered from expensive and complex processes of nano-Si production. Herein, a simple, controllable oxygen inward diffusion was utilized to transform Si sludge obtained from the photovoltaic (PV) industry into the nano-Si/SiOx structure as a result of the high diffusion efficiency of O inside Si and high surface area of the sludge. After further process, a yolk/shell Si/C structure was obtained as an anode material for LIBs. This composite demonstrated an excellent cycling stability, with a high reversible capacity (˜ 1250 mAh/g for 500 cycles), by void space originally left by the SiOx accommodate inner Si expansion. We believe this is a rather simple way to convert the waste Si into a valuable nano-Si for LIB applications.

Dust in the Diffuse Neutral Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Sofia, Ulysses J.

2008-05-01

Studies of interstellar dust have always relied heavily upon Laboratory Astrophysics for interpretation. Laboratory values, in the broad sense that includes theory, are needed for the most basic act of measuring interstellar abundances, to the more complex determination of what grains are responsible for particular extinction. The symbiotic relationship between astronomical observations and Laboratory Astrophysics has prompted both fields to move forward, especially in the era of high-resolution ultraviolet spectroscopy when new elemental species could be interpreted and observations were able to show the limits of laboratory determinations. Thanks to this synergy, we currently have a good idea of the quantity of the most abundant elements incorporated into dust in diffuse neutral interstellar clouds: carbon, oxygen, iron, silicon and magnesium. Now the task is to figure out how, chemically and physically, those elements are integrated into interstellar grains. We can do this by comparing extinction curves to grain populations in radiative transfer models. The limitation at the present time is the availability of optical constants in the infrared through ultraviolet for species that are likely to exist in dust, i.e., those that are easy to form in the physical environments around stars and in molecular clouds. Extinction in some lines of sight can be fit within current abundance limits and with the optical constants that are available. However the inability to reproduce other extinction curves suggests that optical constants can be improved, either in quality for compounds that have been measured, or quantity in the sense of providing data for more materials. This talk will address the current state and the future of dust studies in the diffuse neutral interstellar medium. This work is supported by the grant HST-AR-10979.01-A from the Space Telescope Science Institute to Whitman College.

Mechanical Properties and Real-Time Damage Evaluations of Environmental Barrier Coated SiC/SiC CMCs Subjected to Tensile Loading Under Thermal Gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Appleby, Matthew; Zhu, Dongming; Morscher, Gregory

2015-01-01

SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) require new state-of-the art environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) to withstand increased temperature requirements and high velocity combustion corrosive combustion gasses. The present work compares the response of coated and uncoated SiC/SiC CMC substrates subjected to simulated engine environments followed by high temperature mechanical testing to asses retained properties and damage mechanisms. Our focus is to explore the capabilities of electrical resistance (ER) measurements as an NDE technique for testing of retained properties under combined high heat-flux and mechanical loading conditions. Furthermore, Acoustic Emission (AE) measurements and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) were performed to determine material damage onset and accumulation.

JET TRAILS AND MACH CONES: THE INTERACTION OF MICROQUASARS WITH THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, D.; Morsony, B.; Heinz, S.; Wiersema, K.; Fender, R. P.; Russell, D. M.; Sunyaev, R.

2011-01-01

A subset of microquasars exhibits high peculiar velocity with respect to the local standard of rest due to the kicks they receive when being born in supernovae. The interaction between the radio plasma released by microquasar jets from such high-velocity binaries with the interstellar medium must lead to the production of trails and bow shocks similar to what is observed in narrow-angle tailed radio galaxies and pulsar wind nebulae. We present a set of numerical simulations of this interaction that illuminate the long-term dynamical evolution and the observational properties of these microquasar bow-shock nebulae and trails. We find that this interaction always produces a structure that consists of a bow shock, a trailing neck, and an expanding bubble. Using our simulations to model emission, we predict that the shock surrounding the bubble and the neck should be visible in H α emission, the interior of the bubble should be visible in synchrotron radio emission, and only the bow shock is likely to be detectable in X-ray emission. We construct an analytic model for the evolution of the neck and bubble shape and compare this model with observations of the X-ray binary SAX J1712.6-3739.

Electric field dependence of the temperature and drift velocity of hot electrons in n-Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vass, E.

2001-01-01

Full text: The average energy- and momentum loss rates of hot electrons interacting simultaneously with acoustic phonons, ionized and neutral impurities in n-Si are calculated quantum theoretically by means of a drifted hot Fermi-Dirac distribution. The drift velocity vd and electron temperature Te occurring in this distribution are determined self-consistently from the force- and power balance equation with respect to the charge neutrality condition. The functions Te(E) and vd(E) calculated in this way are compared with the corresponding relations obtained with help of the simple electron temperature model in order to determine the range of application of this model often used in previous treatises. (author)

CONSTRAINTS ON THE PRESENCE OF SiO GAS IN THE DEBRIS DISK OF HD 172555

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, T. L. [United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Nilsson, R. [Astrophysics Department, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 (United States); Chen, C. H.; Moerchen, M.; Banzatti, A. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21212 (United States); Lisse, C. M. [Space Exploration Sector, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD, 20723 (United States); Käufl, H.-U., E-mail: thomaswilson1b@gmail.com [European Southern Observatory, K-Schwarzschild-str. 2, Garching, D-85748 (Germany)

2016-08-01

We have carried out two sets of observations to quantify the properties of SiO gas in the unusual HD 172555 debris disk: (1) a search for the J = 8–7 rotational transition from the vibrational ground state, carried out with the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) submillimeter telescope and heterodyne receiver at 863 μ m and (2) a search at 8.3 μ m for the P(17) ro-vibrational transition of gas phase SiO, carried out with the Very Large Telescope (VLT)/VISIR with a resolution, λ /Δ λ , of 30,000. The APEX measurement resulted in a 3.3 σ detection of an interstellar feature, but only an upper limit to emission at the radial velocity and line width expected from HD 172555. The VLT/VISIR result was also an upper limit. These were used to provide limits for the abundance of gas phase SiO for a range of temperatures. The upper limit from our APEX detection, assuming an 8000 K primary star photospheric excitation, falls more than an order of magnitude below the self-shielding stability threshold derived by Johnson et al. (2012). Our results thus favor a solid-state origin for the 8.3 μ m feature seen in the Spitzer IRS spectrum of the circumstellar excess emission and the production of circumstellar O i and Si i by SiO UV photolysis. The implications of these estimates are explored in the framework of models of the HD 172555 circumstellar disk.

V3Si multifilamentary superconductor with high overall Jc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, Takao; Inoue, Kiyoshi; Kosuge, Michio; Iijima, Yasuo; Watanabe, Kazuo

1994-01-01

V 3 Si is one of the A15-type superconducting compounds from which single crystals can be quite easily obtained due to the nature of the equilibrium phase diagram. Thus, the fundamental characteristics of A15 compounds (such as electronic structure and cubic-to-tetragonal structural transformation) have been studied with this compound. V 3 Si is, however, also promising in practical use as an alternative to Nb 3 Sn for high field magnets, since the upper critical field H c2 (4.2 K) is more than 20 T. Although the open-quotes bronze process,close quotes the established commercial process to produce Nb 3 Sn conductors, is also available for V 3 Si, the ternary section of the Cu-V-Si phase diagram indicates two diffusion paths are possible: One from the bronze with low Si content (Si 3 Si, and the other from the bronze with higher Si content to V 3 Si via V 5 Si 3 . The high Si bronze is likely to be advantageous in reducing the bronze volume fraction and hence achieving high overall critical current density J c . This is because the initially formed V 5 Si 3 is eventually converted to V 3 Si as long as the total proportion of V to Si in the composite (overall V/Si molar ratio) is kept around 3. However, long times at high temperatures are necessary for appreciable V 3 Si layer growth, thereby yielding grain growth of V 3 Si and lowering the J c of the V 3 Si compound and the overall J c accordingly. In the present study, in order to improve the overall J c , the authors have realized ∼1μm filament diameter by preparing a double-stacked Cu-8.5at.%Si/V composite. The primary bundle is sheathed with a Ta tube. The Si in the bronze inside the Ta is available only for the diffusion reaction, and the overall V/Si ratios is ∼3

Interstellar scattering and resolution limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dennison, B.

1987-01-01

Density irregularities in both the interplanetary medium and the ionized component of the interstellar medium scatter radio waves, resulting in limitations on the achievable resolution. Interplanetary scattering (IPS) is weak for most observational situations, and in principle the resulting phase corruption can be corrected for when observing with sufficiently many array elements. Interstellar scattering (ISS), on the other hand, is usually strong at frequencies below about 8 GHz, in which case intrinsic structure information over a range of angular scales is irretrievably lost. With the earth-space baselines now planned, it will be possible to search directly for interstellar refraction, which is suspected of modulating the fluxes of background sources. 14 references

SiC Nanoparticles Toughened-SiC/MoSi2-SiC Multilayer Functionally Graded Oxidation Protective Coating for Carbon Materials at High Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Abdollahi, Alireza; Ehsani, Naser; Valefi, Zia; Khalifesoltani, Ali

2017-05-01

A SiC nanoparticle toughened-SiC/MoSi2-SiC functionally graded oxidation protective coating on graphite was prepared by reactive melt infiltration (RMI) at 1773 and 1873 K under argon atmosphere. The phase composition and anti-oxidation behavior of the coatings were investigated. The results show that the coating was composed of MoSi2, α-SiC and β-SiC. By the variations of Gibbs free energy (calculated by HSC Chemistry 6.0 software), it could be suggested that the SiC coating formed at low temperatures by solution-reprecipitation mechanism and at high temperatures by gas-phase reactions and solution-reprecipitation mechanisms simultaneously. SiC nanoparticles could improve the oxidation resistance of SiC/MoSi2-SiC multiphase coating. Addition of SiC nanoparticles increases toughness of the coating and prevents spreading of the oxygen diffusion channels in the coating during the oxidation test. The mass loss and oxidation rate of the SiC nanoparticle toughened-SiC/MoSi2-SiC-coated sample after 10-h oxidation at 1773 K were only 1.76% and 0.32 × 10-2 g/cm3/h, respectively.

High-magnification velocity field measurements on high-frequency, supersonic microactuators

Science.gov (United States)

Kreth, Phil; Fernandez, Erik; Ali, Mohd; Alvi, Farrukh

2014-11-01

The Resonance-Enhanced Microjet (REM) actuator developed at our laboratory produces pulsed, supersonic microjets by utilizing a number of microscale, flow-acoustic resonance phenomena. The microactuator used in this study consists of an underexpanded source jet flowing into a cylindrical cavity with a single orifice through which an unsteady, supersonic jet issues at a resonant frequency of 7 kHz. The flowfields of a 1 mm underexpanded free jet and the microactuator are studied in detail using high-magnification, phase-locked flow visualizations (microschlieren) and 2-component particle image velocimetry. The challenges of these measurements at such small scales and supersonic velocities are discussed. The results clearly show that the microactuator produces supersonic pulsed jets with velocities exceeding 400 m/s. This is the first direct measurement of the velocity field and its temporal evolution produced by such actuators. Comparisons are made between the flow visualizations, velocity field measurements, and simulations using Implicit LES for a similar microactuator. With high, unsteady momentum output, this type of microactuator has potential in a range of flow control applications.

Application of High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel (HVOF Spraying to the Fabrication of Yb-Silicate Environmental Barrier Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emine Bakan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available From the literature, it is known that due to their glass formation tendency, it is not possible to deposit fully-crystalline silicate coatings when the conventional atmospheric plasma spraying (APS process is employed. In APS, rapid quenching of the sprayed material on the substrate facilitates the amorphous deposit formation, which shrinks when exposed to heat and forms pores and/or cracks. This paper explores the feasibility of using a high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF process for the cost-effective fabrication of dense, stoichiometric, and crystalline Yb2Si2O7 environmental barrier coatings. We report our findings on the HVOF process optimization and its resultant influence on the microstructure development and crystallinity of the Yb2Si2O7 coatings. The results reveal that partially crystalline, dense, and vertical crack-free EBCs can be produced by the HVOF technique. However, the furnace thermal cycling results revealed that the bonding of the Yb2Si2O7 layer to the Silicon bond coat needs to be improved.

Density fluctuations in the interstellar medium: Evidence for anisotropic magnetogasdynamic turbulence. II. Stationary structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higdon, J.C.

1986-01-01

A model of anisotropic, plasma-fluid variations was used to investigate the unknown origin of the power spectra of interstellar electron fluctuations inferred by Armstrong, Cordes, and Rickett (1981). The modeled electron variations are interpreted as density components of an anisotropic stationary mode of nonlinear magnetogasdynamics-tangential pressure balances. It is suggested that the wavenumber spectra of electron variations are identical to the spectra of the convecting velocity fields over a wide range of wavenumbers. 55 references

High velocity properties of the dynamic frictional force between ductile metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammerberg, James Edward; Hollan, Brad L.; Germann, Timothy C.; Ravelo, Ramon J.

2010-01-01

The high velocity properties of the tangential frictional force between ductile metal interfaces seen in large-scale NonEquilibrium Molecular Dynamics (NEMD) simulations are characterized by interesting scaling behavior. In many cases a power law decrease in the frictional force with increasing velocity is observed at high velocities. We discuss the velocity dependence of the high velocity branch of the tangential force in terms of structural transformation and ultimate transition, at the highest velocities, to confined fluid behavior characterized by a critical strain rate. The particular case of an Al/Al interface is discussed.

Skating on thin ice: surface chemistry under interstellar conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, H.; van Dishoeck, E.; Tielens, X.

Solid CO2 has been observed towards both active star forming regions and quiescent clouds (Gerakines et. al. (1999)). The high abundance of CO2 in the solid phase, and its low abundance in the gas phase, support the idea that CO2 is almost exclusively formed in the solid state. Several possible formation mechanisms have been postulated (Ruffle &Herbst (2001): Charnley &Kaufman (2000)), and the detection of CO2 towards quiescent sources such as Elias 16 (Whittet et. al. (1998)) clearly suggests that CO2 can be produced in the absence of UV or electron mediated processes. The most likely route is via the surface reactions between O atoms, or OH radicals, and CO. The tools of modern surface- science offer us the potential to determine many of the physical and chemical attributes of icy interstellar grain mantles under highly controlled conditions, that closely mimic interstellar environments. The Leiden Surface Reaction Simulation Device ( urfreside) combines UHV (UltraS High Vacuum) surface science techniques with an atomic beam to study chemical reactions occurring on the SURFACE and in the BULK of interstellar ice grain mimics. By simultaneously combining two or more surface analysis techniques, the chemical kinetics, reaction mechanisms and activation energies can be determined directly. The experiment is aimed at identifying the key barrierless reactions and desorption pathways on and in H2 O and CO ices under interstellar conditions. The results from traditional HV (high vacuum) and UHV studies of the CO + O and CO + OH reactions will be presented in this paper. Charnley, S.B., & Kaufman, M.J., 2000, ApJ, 529, L111 Gerakines, P.A., 1999, ApJ, 522, 357 Ruffle, D.P., & Herbst, E., 2001, MNRAS, 324, 1054 Whittet, D.C.B., et.al., 1998, ApJ, 498, L159

Temperature stability of c-axis oriented LiNbO3/SiO2/Si thin film layered structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomar, Monika; Gupta, Vinay; Mansingh, Abhai; Sreenivas, K.

2001-01-01

Theoretical calculations have been performed for the temperature stability of the c-axis oriented LiNbO 3 thin film layered structures on passivated silicon (SiO 2 /Si) substrate with and without a non-piezoelectric SiO 2 overlayer. The phase velocity, electromechanical coupling coefficient and temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) have been calculated. The thicknesses of various layers have been determined for optimum SAW performance with zero TCD. The presence of a non-piezoelectric SiO 2 overlayer on LiNbO 3 film is found to significantly enhance the coupling coefficient. The optimized results reveal that a high coupling coefficient of K 2 =3.45% and a zero TCD can be obtained in the SiO 2 /LiNbO 3 /SiO 2 /Si structure with a 0.235λ thick LiNbO 3 layer sandwiched between 0.1λ thick SiO 2 layers. (author)

Observational constraints on interstellar chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winnewisser, G.

1984-01-01

The author points out presently existing observational constraints in the detection of interstellar molecular species and the limits they may cast on our knowledge of interstellar chemistry. The constraints which arise from the molecular side are summarised and some technical difficulties encountered in detecting new species are discussed. Some implications for our understanding of molecular formation processes are considered. (Auth.)

VARIABILITY OF THE SiO THERMAL LINE EMISSION TOWARD THE YOUNG L1448-mm OUTFLOW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez-Serra, I.; MartIn-Pintado, J.; RodrIguez-Franco, A.; Winters, J.-M.; Caselli, P.

2011-01-01

The detection of narrow SiO thermal emission toward young outflows has been proposed to be a signature of the magnetic precursor of C-shocks. Recent modeling of the SiO emission across C-shocks predicts variations in the SiO line intensity and line shape at the precursor and intermediate-velocity regimes in only a few years. We present high angular resolution (3.''8 x 3.''3) images of the thermal SiO J = 2→1 emission toward the L1448-mm outflow in two epochs (2004 November-2005 February, 2009 March-April). Several SiO condensations have appeared at intermediate velocities (20-50 km s -1 ) toward the redshifted lobe of the outflow since 2005. Toward one of the condensations (clump D), systematic differences of the dirty beams between 2005 and 2009 could be responsible for the SiO variability. At higher velocities (50-80 km s -1 ), SiO could also have experienced changes in its intensity. We propose that the SiO variability toward L1448-mm is due to a real SiO enhancement by young C-shocks at the internal working surface between the jet and the ambient gas. For the precursor regime (5.2-9.2 km s -1 ), several narrow and faint SiO components are detected. The narrow SiO components tend to be compact, transient and show elongated (bow-shock) morphologies perpendicular to the jet. We speculate that these features are associated with the precursor of C-shocks appearing at the interface of the new SiO components seen at intermediate velocities.

The loop I superbubble and the local interstellar magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frisch, Priscilla Chapman

2014-01-01

Recent data on the interstellar magnetic field in the low density nearby interstellar medium suggest a new perspective for understanding interstellar clouds within 40 pc. The directions of the local interstellar magnetic field found from measurements of optically polarized starlight and the very local field found from the Ribbon of energetic neutral atoms discovered by IBEX nearly agree. The geometrical relation between the local magnetic field, the positions and kinematics of local interstellar clouds, and the Loop I S1 superbubble, suggest that the Sun is located in the boundary of this evolved superbubble. The quasiperpendicular angle between the bulk kinematics and magnetic field of the local ISM indicates that a complete picture of low density interstellar clouds needs to include information on the interstellar magnetic field.

Optimized Trajectories to the Nearest Stars Using Lightweight High-velocity Photon Sails

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, René; Hippke, Michael; Kervella, Pierre

2017-09-01

New means of interstellar travel are now being considered by various research teams, assuming lightweight spaceships to be accelerated via either laser or solar radiation to a significant fraction of the speed of light (c). We recently showed that gravitational assists can be combined with the stellar photon pressure to decelerate an incoming lightsail from Earth and fling it around a star or bring it to rest. Here, we demonstrate that photogravitational assists are more effective when the star is used as a bumper (I.e., the sail passes “in front of” the star) rather than as a catapult (I.e., the sail passes “behind” or “around” the star). This increases the maximum deceleration at α Cen A and B and reduces the travel time of a nominal graphene-class sail (mass-to-surface ratio 8.6× {10}-4 {{g}} {{{m}}}-2) from 95 to 75 years. The maximum possible velocity reduction upon arrival depends on the required deflection angle from α Cen A to B and therefore on the binary’s orbital phase. Here, we calculate the variation of the minimum travel times from Earth into a bound orbit around Proxima for the next 300 years and then extend our calculations to roughly 22,000 stars within about 300 lt-yr. Although α Cen is the most nearby star system, we find that Sirius A offers the shortest possible travel times into a bound orbit: 69 years assuming 12.5% c can be obtained at departure from the solar system. Sirius A thus offers the opportunity of flyby exploration plus deceleration into a bound orbit of the companion white dwarf after relatively short times of interstellar travel.

Elastic modulus of Al-Si/SiC metal matrix composites as a function of volume fraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santhosh Kumar, S; Rajasekharan, T [Powder Metallurgy Group, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Kanchanbagh PO, Hyderabad-500 058 (India); Seshu Bai, V [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Central University PO, Hyderabad-500 046 (India); Rajkumar, K V; Sharma, G K; Jayakumar, T, E-mail: dearsanthosh@gmail.co [Non-Destructive Evaluation Division, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, Chennai-603 102 (India)

2009-09-07

Aluminum alloy matrix composites have emerged as candidate materials for electronic packaging applications in the field of aerospace semiconductor electronics. Composites prepared by the pressureless infiltration technique with high volume fractions in the range 0.41-0.70 were studied using ultrasonic velocity measurements. For different volume fractions of SiC, the longitudinal velocity and shear velocity were found to be in the range of 7600-9300 m s{sup -1} and 4400-5500 m s{sup -1}, respectively. The elastic moduli of the composites were determined from ultrasonic velocities and were analysed as a function of the volume fraction of the reinforcement. The observed variation is discussed in the context of existing theoretical models for the effective elastic moduli of two-phase systems.

Interstellar grains - the 75th anniversary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Aigen

2005-01-01

The year of 2005 marks the 75th anniversary since Trumpler (1930) provided the first definitive proof of interstellar grains by demonstrating the existence of general absorption and reddening of starlight in the galactic plane. This article reviews our progressive understanding of the nature of interstellar dust

Comparison of high group velocity accelerating structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, Z.D.; Wilson, P.B.

1987-02-01

It is well known that waveguides with no perturbations have phase velocities greater than the velocity of light c. If the waveguide dimensions are chosen so that the phase velocity is only moderately greater than c, only small perturbations are required to reduce the phase velocity to be synchronous with a high energy particle bunch. Such a lightly loaded accelerator structure will have smaller longitudinal and transverse wake potentials and hence will lead to lower emittance growth in an accelerated beam. Since these structures are lightly loaded, their group velocities are only slightly less than c and not in the order of 0.01c, as is the case for the standard disk-loaded structures. To ascertain that the peak and average power requirements for these structures are not prohibitive, we examine the elastance and the Q for several traveling wave structures: phase slip structures, bellows-like structures, and lightly loaded disk-loaded structures

The solidification velocity of nickel and titanium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Altgilbers, Alex Sho

2002-09-01

The solidification velocity of several Ni-Ti, Ni-Sn, Ni-Si, Ti-Al and Ti-Ni alloys were measured as a function of undercooling. From these results, a model for alloy solidification was developed that can be used to predict the solidification velocity as a function of undercooling more accurately. During this investigation a phenomenon was observed in the solidification velocity that is a direct result of the addition of the various alloying elements to nickel and titanium. The additions of the alloying elements resulted in an additional solidification velocity plateau at intermediate undercoolings. Past work has shown a solidification velocity plateau at high undercoolings can be attributed to residual oxygen. It is shown that a logistic growth model is a more accurate model for predicting the solidification of alloys. Additionally, a numerical model is developed from simple description of the effect of solute on the solidification velocity, which utilizes a Boltzmann logistic function to predict the plateaus that occur at intermediate undercoolings.

SILICATE COMPOSITION OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fogerty, S.; Forrest, W.; Watson, D. M.; Koch, I.; Sargent, B. A.

2016-01-01

The composition of silicate dust in the diffuse interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks around young stars informs our understanding of the processing and evolution of the dust grains leading up to planet formation. An analysis of the well-known 9.7 μ m feature indicates that small amorphous silicate grains represent a significant fraction of interstellar dust and are also major components of protoplanetary disks. However, this feature is typically modeled assuming amorphous silicate dust of olivine and pyroxene stoichiometries. Here, we analyze interstellar dust with models of silicate dust that include non-stoichiometric amorphous silicate grains. Modeling the optical depth along lines of sight toward the extinguished objects Cyg OB2 No. 12 and ζ Ophiuchi, we find evidence for interstellar amorphous silicate dust with stoichiometry intermediate between olivine and pyroxene, which we simply refer to as “polivene.” Finally, we compare these results to models of silicate emission from the Trapezium and protoplanetary disks in Taurus.

SILICATE COMPOSITION OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fogerty, S.; Forrest, W.; Watson, D. M.; Koch, I. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627 (United States); Sargent, B. A., E-mail: sfogerty@pas.rochester.edu [Center for Imaging Science and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States)

2016-10-20

The composition of silicate dust in the diffuse interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks around young stars informs our understanding of the processing and evolution of the dust grains leading up to planet formation. An analysis of the well-known 9.7 μ m feature indicates that small amorphous silicate grains represent a significant fraction of interstellar dust and are also major components of protoplanetary disks. However, this feature is typically modeled assuming amorphous silicate dust of olivine and pyroxene stoichiometries. Here, we analyze interstellar dust with models of silicate dust that include non-stoichiometric amorphous silicate grains. Modeling the optical depth along lines of sight toward the extinguished objects Cyg OB2 No. 12 and ζ Ophiuchi, we find evidence for interstellar amorphous silicate dust with stoichiometry intermediate between olivine and pyroxene, which we simply refer to as “polivene.” Finally, we compare these results to models of silicate emission from the Trapezium and protoplanetary disks in Taurus.

High density plasma via hole etching in SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, H.; Lee, K.P.; Leerungnawarat, P.; Chu, S.N.G.; Ren, F.; Pearton, S.J.; Zetterling, C.-M.

2001-01-01

Throughwafer vias up to 100 μm deep were formed in 4H-SiC substrates by inductively coupled plasma etching with SF 6 /O 2 at a controlled rate of ∼0.6 μm min-1 and use of Al masks. Selectivities of >50 for SiC over Al were achieved. Electrical (capacitance-voltage: current-voltage) and chemical (Auger electron spectroscopy) analysis techniques showed that the etching produced only minor changes in reverse breakdown voltage, Schottky barrier height, and near surface stoichiometry of the SiC and had high selectivity over common frontside metallization. The SiC etch rate was a strong function of the incident ion energy during plasma exposure. This process is attractive for power SiC transistors intended for high current, high temperature applications and also for SiC micromachining

Effect of germanium concentrations on tunnelling current calculation of Si/Si1-xGex/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Hasanah, L.; Suhendi, E.; Khairrurijal

2018-05-01

Tunelling current calculation on Si/Si1-xGex/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor was carried out by including the coupling between transversal and longitudinal components of electron motion. The calculation results indicated that the coupling between kinetic energy in parallel and perpendicular to S1-xGex barrier surface affected tunneling current significantly when electron velocity was faster than 1x105 m/s. This analytical tunneling current model was then used to study how the germanium concentration in base to Si/Si1-xGex/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor influenced the tunneling current. It is obtained that tunneling current increased as the germanium concentration given in base decreased.

Visible and ultraviolet (800--130 nm) extinction of vapor-condensed silicate, carbon, and silicon carbide smokes and the interstellar extinction curve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephens, J.R.

1980-01-01

The extinction curves from 800 to 130 nm (1.25--7.7 μm -1 ) of amorphous silicate smokes nominally of olivine and pyroxene composition, carbon smokes, and crystalline SiC smokes are presented. The SiC smoke occurred in the low-temperature (β) cubic structural form. The mean grain radius ranged from 5 to 13 nm. The extinction profiles of the amorphous olivine smokes were similar in the ultraviolet to the measured extinction curves of crystalline olivine of nearly the same grain size. The SiC smoke showed an absorption edge which occurred at significantly longer wavelengths than the calculated extinction profile of the hexagonal SiC form previously used to calculate the interstellar extinction profile. Neither SiC nor amorphous silicates show an extinction band similar to the observed 6.6 μm -1 astronomical extinction band

The Velocity Distribution of Isolated Radio Pulsars

Science.gov (United States)

Arzoumanian, Z.; Chernoff, D. F.; Cordes, J. M.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We infer the velocity distribution of radio pulsars based on large-scale 0.4 GHz pulsar surveys. We do so by modelling evolution of the locations, velocities, spins, and radio luminosities of pulsars; calculating pulsed flux according to a beaming model and random orientation angles of spin and beam; applying selection effects of pulsar surveys; and comparing model distributions of measurable pulsar properties with survey data using a likelihood function. The surveys analyzed have well-defined characteristics and cover approx. 95% of the sky. We maximize the likelihood in a 6-dimensional space of observables P, dot-P, DM, absolute value of b, mu, F (period, period derivative, dispersion measure, Galactic latitude, proper motion, and flux density). The models we test are described by 12 parameters that characterize a population's birth rate, luminosity, shutoff of radio emission, birth locations, and birth velocities. We infer that the radio beam luminosity (i) is comparable to the energy flux of relativistic particles in models for spin-driven magnetospheres, signifying that radio emission losses reach nearly 100% for the oldest pulsars; and (ii) scales approximately as E(exp 1/2) which, in magnetosphere models, is proportional to the voltage drop available for acceleration of particles. We find that a two-component velocity distribution with characteristic velocities of 90 km/ s and 500 km/ s is greatly preferred to any one-component distribution; this preference is largely immune to variations in other population parameters, such as the luminosity or distance scale, or the assumed spin-down law. We explore some consequences of the preferred birth velocity distribution: (1) roughly 50% of pulsars in the solar neighborhood will escape the Galaxy, while approx. 15% have velocities greater than 1000 km/ s (2) observational bias against high velocity pulsars is relatively unimportant for surveys that reach high Galactic absolute value of z distances, but is severe for

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2010-05-01

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

EVALUATING THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: USING NEW DATA TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN MULTIPLE DISCRETE CLOUDS AND A CONTINUOUS MEDIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Redfield, Seth [Astronomy Department and Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459-0123 (United States); Linsky, Jeffrey L., E-mail: sredfield@wesleyan.edu, E-mail: jlinsky@jila.colorado.edu [JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Boulder, CO 80309-0440 (United States)

2015-10-20

Ultraviolet and optical spectra of interstellar gas along the lines of sight to nearby stars have been interpreted by Redfield and Linsky and previous studies as a set of discrete warm, partially ionized clouds each with a different flow vector, temperature, and metal depletion. Recently, Gry and Jenkins proposed a fundamentally different model consisting of a single cloud with nonrigid flows filling space out to 9 pc from the Sun that they propose better describes the local ISM. Here we test these fundamentally different morphological models against the spatially unbiased Malamut et al. spectroscopic data set, and find that the multiple cloud morphology model provides a better fit to both the new and old data sets. The detection of three or more velocity components along the lines of sight to many nearby stars, the presence of nearby scattering screens, the observed thin elongated structures of warm interstellar gas, and the likely presence of strong interstellar magnetic fields also support the multiple cloud model. The detection and identification of intercloud gas and the measurement of neutral hydrogen density in clouds beyond the Local Interstellar Cloud could provide future morphological tests.

Effect of impact energy on damage resistance and mechanical property of C/SiC composites under low velocity impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mei, Hui, E-mail: phdhuimei@yahoo.com; Yu, Changkui; Xu, Yawei; Han, Daoyang; Cheng, Laifei

2017-02-27

The present study investigated the damage resistance of two dimensional carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiCs) composites subjected to low velocity impact (LVI). Damage microstructures of specimens under different impact energies (E{sub i}) were characterized by infrared thermography, X-ray computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy. The real damage radii of specimens were found to change slightly with E{sub i}, whereas apparent damage radii where much larger. Overall, the fabricated 2D C/SiC composites exhibited good damage resistance to LVI with nominal post-impact tensile strengths remaining at 89.4%, 83.35%, 76.97%, and 74.84% of their pre-impacted counterpart of 158 MPa, for impact energies of 3, 4, 5, and 6 J, respectively. Compared with the as-received one, after LVI real tensile strengths of the C/SiC composite specimens increased by 5.84% for the E{sub i} of 3 J, 9.27% for 4 J, −1.83% for 5 J, −3.16% for 6 J.

Infrared absorption and emission characteristics of interstellar PAHs [Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allamandola, L.J.; Tielens, A.G.G.M.; Barker, J.R.

1986-01-01

The mid-infrared interstellar emission spectrum with features at 3050, 1610, 1300, 1150, and 885 cm -1 (3.28, 6.2, 7.7, 8.7 and 11.3 microns) is discussed in terms of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) hypothesis. This hypothesis is based on the suggestive, but inconclusive comparison between the interstellar emission spectrum with the infrared absorption and Raman spectra of a few PAHs. The fundamental vibrations of PAHs and PAH-like species which determine the ir and Raman properties are discussed. Interstellar ir band emission is due to relaxation from highly vibrationally excited PAHs which have been excited by ultraviolet photons. The excitation/emission process is described in general and the ir fluorescence from one PAH, chrysene, is traced in detail. Generally, there is sufficient energy to populate several vibrational levels in each mode. Molecular vibrational potentials are anharmonic and emission from these higher levels will fall at lower frequencies and produce weak features to the red of the stronger fundamentals. This process is also described and can account for some spectroscopic details of the interstellar emission spectra previously unexplained. Analysis of the interstellar spectrum shows that PAHs containing between 20 and 30 carbon atoms are responsible for the emission. 43 refs., 11 figs

Infrared absorption and emission characteristics of interstellar PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allamandola, L.J.; Tielens, A.G.G.M.; Barker, J.R.

1986-01-01

The mid-infrared interstellar emission spectrum with features at 3050, 1610, 1300, 1150, and 885 cm/sup -1/ (3.28, 6.2, 7.7, 8.7 and 11.3 microns) is discussed in terms of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) hypothesis. This hypothesis is based on the suggestive, but inconclusive comparison between the interstellar emission spectrum with the infrared absorption and Raman spectra of a few PAHs. The fundamental vibrations of PAHs and PAH-like species which determine the ir and Raman properties are discussed. Interstellar ir band emission is due to relaxation from highly vibrationally excited PAHs which have been excited by ultraviolet photons. The excitation/emission process is described in general and the ir fluorescence from one PAH, chrysene, is traced in detail. Generally, there is sufficient energy to populate several vibrational levels in each mode. Molecular vibrational potentials are anharmonic and emission from these higher levels will fall at lower frequencies and produce weak features to the red of the stronger fundamentals. This process is also described and can account for some spectroscopic details of the interstellar emission spectra previously unexplained. Analysis of the interstellar spectrum shows that PAHs containing between 20 and 30 carbon atoms are responsible for the emission. 43 refs., 11 figs.

Characterization and electrochemical properties of Ni(Si)/Ni5Si2 multiphase coatings prepared by HVOF spraying

Science.gov (United States)

Verdian, M. M.; Raeissi, K.; Salehi, M.

2012-11-01

Ni(Si)/Ni5Si2 powders were produced by mechanical alloying (MA) of Ni-25 at.% Si powder mixture. Then, the as-milled powders were sprayed onto copper substrate using high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) process. The phase composition and microstructure of the coatings were examined by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. Polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were also employed to study corrosion performance of the coatings in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results showed that although single phase Ni3Si was formed during annealing of Ni(Si)/Ni5Si2 powders, but, only Ni(Si) and Ni5Si2 are present in HVOF coatings and no new phase has been formed during spraying. The coatings had microhardness up to 746 HV0.05. Further investigations showed the corrosion performance of multiphase coatings in 3.5% NaCl solution was better than that of copper substrate. The phase transitions during MA, HVOF and annealing processes were discussed in association with Ni-Si phase diagram and nature of each process.

Simple Motor Control Concept Results High Efficiency at High Velocities

Science.gov (United States)

Starin, Scott; Engel, Chris

2013-09-01

The need for high velocity motors in space applications for reaction wheels and detectors has stressed the limits of Brushless Permanent Magnet Motors (BPMM). Due to inherent hysteresis core losses, conventional BPMMs try to balance the need for torque verses hysteresis losses. Cong-less motors have significantly less hysteresis losses but suffer from lower efficiencies. Additionally, the inherent low inductance in cog-less motors result in high ripple currents or high switching frequencies, which lowers overall efficiency and increases performance demands on the control electronics.However, using a somewhat forgotten but fully qualified technology of Isotropic Magnet Motors (IMM), extremely high velocities may be achieved at low power input using conventional drive electronics. This paper will discuss the trade study efforts and empirical test data on a 34,000 RPM IMM.

Comet Halley and interstellar chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snyder, L.E.

1989-01-01

How complex is the chemistry of the interstellar medium? How far does it evolve and how has it interacted with the chemistry of the solar system? Are the galactic chemical processes destroyed, preserved, or even enhanced in comets? Are biogenic molecules formed in space and have the formation mechanisms interacted in any way with prebiotic organic chemical processes on the early earth? Radio molecular studies of comets are important for probing deep into the coma and nuclear region and thus may help answer these questions. Comets are believed to be pristine samples of the debris left from the formation of the solar system and may have been the carrier between interstellar and terrestrial prebiotic chemistries. Recent observations of Comet Halley and subsequent comets have given the author an excellent opportunity to study the relationship between interstellar molecular chemistry and cometary chemistry

Fast Slip Velocity in a High-Entropy Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzardi, Q.; Sparks, G.; Maaß, R.

2018-04-01

Due to fluctuations in nearest-neighbor distances and chemistry within the unit cell, high-entropy alloys are believed to have a much higher resistance to dislocation motion than pure crystals. Here, we investigate the coarse-grained dynamics of a number of dislocations being active during a slip event. We found that the time-resolved dynamics of slip is practically identical in Au and an Al0.3CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy, but much faster than in Nb. Differences between the FCC-crystals are seen in the spatiotemporal velocity profile, with faster acceleration and slower velocity relaxation in the high-entropy alloy. Assessing distributions that characterize the intermittently evolving plastic flow reveals material-dependent scaling exponents for size, duration, and velocity-size distributions. The results are discussed in view of the underlying dislocation mobility.

Interaction of Supernova Remnants with Interstellar Clouds: From the Nova Laser to the Galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, Richard I.; Budil, Kimberly S.; Perry, Theodore S.; Bach, David R.

2000-01-01

The interaction of strong shock waves, such as those generated by the explosion of supernovae with interstellar clouds, is a problem of fundamental importance in understanding the evolution and the dynamics of the interstellar medium (ISM) as it is disrupted by shock waves. The physics of this essential interaction sheds light on several key questions: (1) What is the rate and total amount of gas stripped from the cloud, and what are the mechanisms responsible? (2) What is the rate of momentum transfer to the cloud? (3) What is the appearance of the shocked cloud, its morphology and velocity dispersion? (4) What is the role of vortex dynamics on the evolution of the cloud? (5) Can the interaction result in the formation of a new generation of stars? To address these questions, one of us has embarked on a comprehensive multidimensional numerical study of the shock cloud problem using high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) hydrodynamics. Here we present the results of a series of Nova laser experiments investigating the evolution of a high-density sphere embedded in a low-density medium after the passage of a strong shock wave, thereby emulating the supernova shock-cloud interaction. The Nova laser was utilized to generate a strong (∼Mach 10) shock wave which traveled along a miniature beryllium shock tube, 750 μm in diameter, filled with a low-density plastic emulating the ISM. Embedded in the plastic was a copper microsphere (100 μm in diameter) emulating the interstellar cloud. Its morphology and evolution as well as the shock wave trajectory were diagnosed via side-on radiography. We describe here experimental results of this interaction for the first time out to several cloud crushing times and compare them to detailed two- and three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulations using both arbitrary Lagrangian and Eulerian hydrodynamics (ALE) as well as high-resolution AMR hydrodynamics. We briefly discuss the key hydrodynamic instabilities

Starry messages: Searching for signatures of interstellar archaeology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrigan, Richard A., Jr.; /Fermilab

2009-12-01

Searching for signatures of cosmic-scale archaeological artifacts such as Dyson spheres or Kardashev civilizations is an interesting alternative to conventional SETI. Uncovering such an artifact does not require the intentional transmission of a signal on the part of the original civilization. This type of search is called interstellar archaeology or sometimes cosmic archaeology. The detection of intelligence elsewhere in the Universe with interstellar archaeology or SETI would have broad implications for science. For example, the constraints of the anthropic principle would have to be loosened if a different type of intelligence was discovered elsewhere. A variety of interstellar archaeology signatures are discussed including non-natural planetary atmospheric constituents, stellar doping with isotopes of nuclear wastes, Dyson spheres, as well as signatures of stellar and galactic-scale engineering. The concept of a Fermi bubble due to interstellar migration is introduced in the discussion of galactic signatures. These potential interstellar archaeological signatures are classified using the Kardashev scale. A modified Drake equation is used to evaluate the relative challenges of finding various sources. With few exceptions interstellar archaeological signatures are clouded and beyond current technological capabilities. However SETI for so-called cultural transmissions and planetary atmosphere signatures are within reach.

Ultra-high current density thin-film Si diode

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qi [Littleton, CO

2008-04-22

A combination of a thin-film .mu.c-Si and a-Si:H containing diode structure characterized by an ultra-high current density that exceeds 1000 A/cm.sup.2, comprising: a substrate; a bottom metal layer disposed on the substrate; an n-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited the bottom metal layer; an i-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited on the n-layer; a buffer layer of a-Si:H deposited on the i-layer, a p-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited on the buffer layer; and a top metal layer deposited on the p-layer.

Fabrication of highly oriented D03-Fe3Si nanocrystals by solid-state dewetting of Si ultrathin layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naito, Muneyuki; Nakagawa, Tatsuhiko; Machida, Nobuya; Shigematsu, Toshihiko; Nakao, Motoi; Sudoh, Koichi

2013-01-01

In this paper, highly oriented nanocrystals of Fe 3 Si with a D0 3 structure are fabricated on SiO 2 using ultrathin Si on insulator substrate. First, (001) oriented Si nanocrystals are formed on the SiO 2 layer by solid state dewetting of the top Si layer. Then, Fe addition to the Si nanocrystals is performed by reactive deposition epitaxy and post-deposition annealing at 500 °C. The structures of the Fe–Si nanocrystals are analyzed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and nanobeam electron diffraction. We observe that Fe 3 Si nanocrystals with D0 3 , B2, and A2 structures coexist on the 1-h post-annealed samples. Prolonged annealing at 500 °C is effective in obtaining Fe 3 Si nanocrystals with a D0 3 single phase, thereby promoting structural ordering in the nanocrystals. We discuss the formation process of the highly oriented D0 3 -Fe 3 Si nanocrystals on the basis of the atomistic structural information. - Highlights: • Highly oriented Fe–Si nanocrystals (NCs) are fabricated by reactive deposition. • Si NCs formed by solid state dewetting of Si thin layers are used as seed crystals. • The structures of Fe–Si NCs are analyzed by nanobeam electron diffraction. • Most of Fe–Si NCs possess the D0 3 structure after post-deposition annealing

HIGH VELOCITY THERMAL GUN FOR SURFACE PREPARATION AND TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.A. Gorlach

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Many surface preparation and treatment processes utilise compressed air to propel particles against surfaces in order to clean and treat them. The effectiveness of the processes depends on the velocity of the particles, which in turn depends on the pressure of the compressed air. This paper describes a thermal gun built on the principles of High Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF and High Velocity Oxy Fuel (HVOF processes. The designed apparatus can be used for abrasive blasting, coating of surfaces, cutting of rocks, removing rubber from mining equipment, cleaning of contaminations etc.

Observations of Carbon Isotopic Fractionation in Interstellar Formaldehyde

Science.gov (United States)

Wirstrom, E. S.; Charnley, S. B.; Geppert, W. D.; Persson, C. M.

2012-01-01

Primitive Solar System materials (e.g. chondrites. IDPs, the Stardust sample) show large variations in isotopic composition of the major volatiles (H, C, N, and O ) even within samples, witnessing to various degrees of processing in the protosolar nebula. For ex ample. the very pronounced D enhancements observed in IDPs [I] . are only generated in the cold. dense component of the interstellar medium (ISM), or protoplanetary disks, through ion-molecule reactions in the presence of interstellar dust. If this isotopic anomaly has an interstellar origin, this leaves open the possibility for preservation of other isotopic signatures throughout the form ation of the Solar System. The most common form of carbon in the ISM is CO molecules, and there are two potential sources of C-13 fractionation in this reservoir: low temperature chemistry and selective photodissociation. While gas-phase chemistry in cold interstellar clouds preferentially incorporates C-13 into CO [2], the effect of self-shielding in the presence of UV radiation instead leads to a relative enhancement of the more abundant isotopologue, 12CO. Solar System organic material exhibit rather small fluctuations in delta C-13 as compared to delta N-15 and delta D [3][1], the reason for which is still unclear. However, the fact that both C-13 depleted and enhanced material exists could indicate an interstellar origin where the two fractionation processes have both played a part. Formaldehyde (H2CO) is observed in the gas-phase in a wide range of interstellar environments, as well as in cometary comae. It is proposed as an important reactant in the formation of more complex organic molecules in the heated environments around young stars, and formaldehyde polymers have been suggested as the common origin of chondritic insoluable organic matter (IOM) and cometary refractory organic solids [4]. The relatively high gas-phase abundance of H2CO observed in molecular clouds (10(exp- 9) - 10(exp- 8) relative to H2) makes

Interstellar matrices: the chemical composition and evolution of interstellar ices as observed by ISO.

Science.gov (United States)

d'Hendecourt, L; Dartois, E

2001-03-15

Matrix isolation techniques have been developed in the early sixties as a tool for studying the spectroscopic properties of out of equilibrium species (atoms, radicals, ions, reactive molecules), embedded in rare gas inert matrices at low temperatures. Cold interstellar grains surfaces are able to condense out gas phase molecules, routinely observed by radioastronomy. These grain 'mantles' can be considered as 'interstellar matrices'. However, these matrices are not clean and unreactive. They are made principally of dirty ices whose composition must be determined carefully to assess the importance of the solid state chemistry that takes place in the Interstellar Medium. Infrared spectroscopy, both in astronomy and in the laboratory, is the unique tool to determine the chemical composition of these ices. Astronomical spectra can directly be compared with laboratory ones obtained using classical matrix isolation techniques. Furthermore, dedicated experiments may be undertaken to further improve the understanding of the basic physico-chemical processes that take place in cosmic ices.

On the origin of high-velocity runaway stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gvaramadze, V.V.; Gualandris, A.; Portegies Zwart, S.

2009-01-01

We explore the hypothesis that some high-velocity runaway stars attain their peculiar velocities in the course of exchange encounters between hard massive binaries and a very massive star (either an ordinary 50-100 M-circle dot star or a more massive one, formed through runaway mergers of ordinary

THE INTERACTION OF ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS WITH THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villaver, Eva [Departamento de Fisica Teorica, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco 28049 Madrid (Spain); Manchado, Arturo [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Via Lactea S/N, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Garcia-Segura, Guillermo, E-mail: eva.villaver@uam.es, E-mail: amt@ll.iac.es, E-mail: ggs@astrosen.unam.mx [Instituto de Astronomia-UNAM, Apartado postal 877, Ensenada, 22800 Baja California (Mexico)

2012-04-01

We study the hydrodynamical behavior of the gas expelled by moving asymptotic giant branch stars interacting with the interstellar medium (ISM). Our models follow the wind modulations prescribed by stellar evolution calculations, and we cover a range of expected relative velocities (10-100 km s{sup -1}), ISM densities (between 0.01 and 1 cm{sup -3}), and stellar progenitor masses (1 and 3.5 M{sub Sun }). We show how and when bow shocks and cometary-like structures form, and in which regime the shells are subject to instabilities. Finally, we analyze the results of the simulations in terms of the different kinematical stellar populations expected in the Galaxy.

Treatment Protocol for High Velocity/High Energy Gunshot Injuries to the Face

Science.gov (United States)

Peled, Micha; Leiser, Yoav; Emodi, Omri; Krausz, Amir

2011-01-01

Major causes of facial combat injuries include blasts, high-velocity/high-energy missiles, and low-velocity missiles. High-velocity bullets fired from assault rifles encompass special ballistic properties, creating a transient cavitation space with a small entrance wound and a much larger exit wound. There is no dispute regarding the fact that primary emergency treatment of ballistic injuries to the face commences in accordance with the current advanced trauma life support (ATLS) recommendations; the main areas in which disputes do exist concern the question of the timing, sequence, and modes of surgical treatment. The aim of the present study is to present the treatment outcome of high-velocity/high-energy gunshot injuries to the face, using a protocol based on the experience of a single level I trauma center. A group of 23 injured combat soldiers who sustained bullet and shrapnel injuries to the maxillofacial region during a 3-week regional military conflict were evaluated in this study. Nine patients met the inclusion criteria (high-velocity/high-energy injuries) and were included in the study. According to our protocol, upon arrival patients underwent endotracheal intubation and were hemodynamically stabilized in the shock-trauma unit and underwent total-body computed tomography with 3-D reconstruction of the head and neck and computed tomography angiography. All patients underwent maxillofacial surgery upon the day of arrival according to the protocol we present. In view of our treatment outcomes, results, and low complication rates, we conclude that strict adherence to a well-founded and structured treatment protocol based on clinical experience is mandatory in providing efficient, appropriate, and successful treatment to a relatively large group of patients who sustain various degrees of maxillofacial injuries during a short period of time. PMID:23449809

Interstellar holography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walker, M. A.; Koopmans, L. V. E.; Stinebring, D. R.; van Straten, W.

2008-01-01

The dynamic spectrum of a radio pulsar is an in-line digital hologram of the ionized interstellar medium. It has previously been demonstrated that such holograms permit image reconstruction, in the sense that one can determine an approximation to the complex electric field values as a function of

Synthesis of molecules in interstellar clouds and star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, K.K.; Ghosh, S.N.

1981-01-01

Study of the formation and destruction processes of interstellar molecules may throw certain light on interstellar medium. Formation and destruction processes of some interstellar molecules are proposed on the basis of laboratory data. The abundances of these molecules are calculated under steady-state condition. The calculated values are then compared with the observed values, obtained by different investigators. It appears that gas phase ion-neutral reactions are capable of synthesizing most interstellar molecules. The role of ion-neutral reactions to star formation has also been discussed. (author)

Streaming of interstellar grains in the solar system

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafson, B. A. S.; Misconi, N. Y.

1979-01-01

Results of a theoretical study of the interactions between interstellar grains streaming through the solar system and the solar wind are presented. It is shown that although elongated core-mantle interstellar particles of a characteristic radius of about 0.12 microns are subject to a greater force due to radiation pressure than to gravitational attraction, they are still able to penetrate deep inside the solar system. Calculations of particle trajectories within the solar system indicate substantial effects of the solar activity cycle as reflected in the interplanetary magnetic field on the distribution of 0.12- and 0.0005-micron interstellar grains streaming through the solar system, leading to a 50-fold increase in interstellar grain densities 3 to 4 AU ahead of the sun during years 8 to 17 of the solar cycle. It is noted that during the Solar Polar Mission, concentrations are expected which will offer the opportunity of detecting interstellar grains in the solar system.

On Graphene in the Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, X. H.; Li, Aigen; Zhang, Ke

2017-11-01

The possible detection of C24, a planar graphene that was recently reported to be in several planetary nebulae by García-Hernández et al., inspires us to explore whether and how much graphene could exist in the interstellar medium (ISM) and how it would reveal its presence through its ultraviolet (UV) extinction and infrared (IR) emission. In principle, interstellar graphene could arise from the photochemical processing of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules, which are abundant in the ISM, due to the complete loss of their hydrogen atoms, and/or from graphite, which is thought to be a major dust species in the ISM, via fragmentation caused by grain–grain collisional shattering. Both quantum-chemical computations and laboratory experiments have shown that the exciton-dominated electronic transitions in graphene cause a strong absorption band near 2755 \\mathringA . We calculate the UV absorption of graphene and place an upper limit of ∼5 ppm of C/H (i.e., ∼1.9% of the total interstellar C) on the interstellar graphene abundance. We also model the stochastic heating of graphene C24 in the ISM, excited by single starlight photons of the interstellar radiation field and calculate its IR emission spectra. We also derive the abundance of graphene in the ISM to be <5 ppm of C/H by comparing the model emission spectra with that observed in the ISM.

Observational tests of the properties of turbulence in the Very Local Interstellar Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. R. Spangler

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM contains clouds which consist of partially-ionized plasma. These clouds can be effectively diagnosed via high resolution optical and ultraviolet spectroscopy of the absorption lines they form in the spectra of nearby stars. Information provided by these spectroscopic measurements includes values for ξ, the root-mean-square velocity fluctuation due to turbulence in these clouds, and T, the ion temperature, which may be partially determined by dissipation of turbulence. We consider whether this turbulence resembles the extensively studied and well-diagnosed turbulence in the solar wind and solar corona. Published observations are used to determine if the velocity fluctuations are primarily transverse to a large-scale magnetic field, whether the temperature perpendicular to the large scale field is larger than that parallel to the field, and whether ions with larger Larmor radii have higher temperatures than smaller gyroradius ions. We ask if the spectroscopically-deduced parameters such as ξ and T depend on the direction on the sky. We also consider the degree to which a single temperature T and turbulence parameter ξ account for the spectral line widths of ions with a wide range of masses. A preliminary examination of the published data shows no evidence for anisotropy of the velocity fluctuations or temperature, nor Larmor radius-dependent heating. These results indicate differences between solar wind and Local Cloud turbulence. Possible physical reasons for these differences are discussed.

Metastable structure formation during high velocity grinding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samarin, A.N.; Klyuev, M.M.

1984-01-01

Metastable structures in surface layers of samples are; investigated during force high-velocity abrasive grinding. Samples of martensitic (40Kh13), austenitic (12Kh18N10T), ferritic (05Kh23Yu5) steels and some alloys, in particular KhN77TYuR (EhI437B), were grinded for one pass at treatment depth from 0.17 up to 2.6 mm. It is established that processes of homogenizing, recrystallization and coagulation are; developed during force high-velocity grinding along with polymorphic transformations in the zone of thermomechanical effect, that leads to changes of physical and mechanical properties of the surface

Theoretical study of AlH+: spin splitting, core polarization, and interstellar chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, D.L.; Black, J.H.; Everard, M.A.L.; Richards, W.G.

1983-01-01

The spin splitting constant for the X 2 μ + state of AlH + is calculated to be ν 0 = 0.058 cm - 1 . The favorable comparison of this result with experiment indicates that the uncertainty in the previously calculated spin splitting in MgH is likely to be of the order of a few percent. Calculations are presented of the so-called core polarization contribution to the spin-orbit coupling constant in the A 2 Pi/sub r/ state of AlH + . Results are also given for MgH and SiH. Astronomical applications of such calculations are discussed and the abundances of aluminum-bearing molecules in interstellar clouds are estimated

Consideration of wear rates at high velocity

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Chad S.

The development of the research presented here is one in which high velocity relative sliding motion between two bodies in contact has been considered. Overall, the wear environment is truly three-dimensional. The attempt to characterize three-dimensional wear was not economically feasible because it must be analyzed at the micro-mechanical level to get results. Thus, an engineering approximation was carried out. This approximation was based on a metallographic study identifying the need to include viscoplasticity constitutive material models, coefficient of friction, relationships between the normal load and velocity, and the need to understand wave propagation. A sled test run at the Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) was considered for the determination of high velocity wear rates. In order to adequately characterize high velocity wear, it was necessary to formulate a numerical model that contained all of the physical events present. The experimental results of a VascoMax 300 maraging steel slipper sliding on an AISI 1080 steel rail during a January 2008 sled test mission were analyzed. During this rocket sled test, the slipper traveled 5,816 meters in 8.14 seconds and reached a maximum velocity of 1,530 m/s. This type of environment was never considered previously in terms of wear evaluation. Each of the features of the metallography were obtained through micro-mechanical experimental techniques. The byproduct of this analysis is that it is now possible to formulate a model that contains viscoplasticity, asperity collisions, temperature and frictional features. Based on the observations of the metallographic analysis, these necessary features have been included in the numerical model, which makes use of a time-dynamic program which follows the movement of a slipper during its experimental test run. The resulting velocity and pressure functions of time have been implemented in the explicit finite element code, ABAQUS. Two-dimensional, plane strain models

Absorption of X-rays in the interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ride, S.K.; Stanford Univ., Calif.; Walker, A.B.C. Jr.; Stanford Univ., Calif.

1977-01-01

In order to interpret soft X-ray spectra of cosmic X-ray sources, it is necessary to know the photoabsorption cross-section of the intervening interstellar material. Current models suggest that the interstellar medium contains two phases which make a substantial contribution to the X-ray opacity: cool, relatively dense clouds that exist in pressure equilibrium with hot, tenuous intercloud regions. We have computed the soft X-ray photoabsorption cross-section (per hydrogen atom) of each of these two phases. The calculation are based on a model of the interstellar medium which includes chemical evolution of the galaxy, the formation of molecules and grains, and the ionization structure of each of each phase. These cross-sections of clouds and of intercloud regions can be combined to yield the total soft X-ray photoabsorption cross-section of the interstellar medium. By choosing the appropriate linear combination of cloud and intercloud cross-sections, we can tailor the total cross-section to a particular line-of-sight. This approach, coupled with our interstellar model, enables us to better describe a wide range of interstellar features such as H II regions, dense (molecular) clouds, or the ionized clouds which may surround binary X-ray sources. (orig.) [de

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE)

Science.gov (United States)

Westphal, A. J.; Allen, C.; Bajt, S.; Basset, R.; Bastien, R.; Bechtel, H.; Bleuet, P.; Borg, J.; Brenker F.; Bridges, J.

2009-01-01

In January 2006 the Stardust sample return capsule returned to Earth bearing the first solid samples from a primitive solar system body, C omet 81P/Wild2, and a collector dedicated to the capture and return o f contemporary interstellar dust. Both collectors were approximately 0.1m(exp 2) in area and were composed of aerogel tiles (85% of the co llecting area) and aluminum foils. The Stardust Interstellar Dust Col lector (SIDC) was exposed to the interstellar dust stream for a total exposure factor of 20 m(exp 2-) day during two periods before the co metary encounter. The Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination ( ISPE) is a three-year effort to characterize the collection using no ndestructive techniques. The ISPE consists of six interdependent proj ects: (1) Candidate identification through automated digital microsco py and a massively distributed, calibrated search (2) Candidate extr action and photodocumentation (3) Characterization of candidates thro ugh synchrotronbased FourierTranform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), S canning XRay Fluoresence Microscopy (SXRF), and Scanning Transmission Xray Microscopy (STXM) (4) Search for and analysis of craters in f oils through FESEM scanning, Auger Spectroscopy and synchrotronbased Photoemission Electron Microscopy (PEEM) (5) Modeling of interstell ar dust transport in the solar system (6) Laboratory simulations of h ypervelocity dust impacts into the collecting media

Interstellar extinction correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, A.P.; Williams, D.A.; Duley, W.W.

1987-01-01

A recently proposed model for interstellar grains in which the extinction arises from small silicate cores with mantles of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (HAC or α-C:H), and large, but thinly coated, silicate grains can successfully explain many of the observed properties of interstellar dust. The small silicate cores give rise to the 2200 A extinction feature. The extinction in the visual is produced by the large silicates and the HAC mantles on the small cores, whilst the far UV extinction arises in the HAC mantles with a small contribution form the silicate grains. The grain model requires that the silicate material is the more resilient component and that variations in the observed extinction from region to region are due to the nature and depletion of the carbon in the HAC mantles. (author)

Can spores survive in interstellar space

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, P.; Greenberg, J.M.

1985-08-01

Inactivation of spores (Bacillus subtilis) has been investigated in the laboratory by vacuum ultraviolet radiation in simulated interstellar conditions. Damage produced at the normal interstellar particle temperature of 10 K is less than at higher temperatures: the major damage being produced by radiation in the 2,000-3,000 A range. The results place constraints on the panspermia hypothesis. (author).

Temperature stability of c-axis oriented LiNbO{sub 3}/SiO{sub 2}/Si thin film layered structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomar, Monika [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi (India)]. E-mail: mtomar@physics.du.ac.in; monikatomar@rediffmail.com; Gupta, Vinay; Mansingh, Abhai; Sreenivas, K. [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi (India)

2001-08-07

Theoretical calculations have been performed for the temperature stability of the c-axis oriented LiNbO{sub 3} thin film layered structures on passivated silicon (SiO{sub 2}/Si) substrate with and without a non-piezoelectric SiO{sub 2} overlayer. The phase velocity, electromechanical coupling coefficient and temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) have been calculated. The thicknesses of various layers have been determined for optimum SAW performance with zero TCD. The presence of a non-piezoelectric SiO{sub 2} overlayer on LiNbO{sub 3} film is found to significantly enhance the coupling coefficient. The optimized results reveal that a high coupling coefficient of K{sup 2}=3.45% and a zero TCD can be obtained in the SiO{sub 2}/LiNbO{sub 3}/SiO{sub 2}/Si structure with a 0.235{lambda} thick LiNbO{sub 3} layer sandwiched between 0.1{lambda} thick SiO{sub 2} layers. (author)

Radio propagation through the turbulent interstellar plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rickett, B.J.

1990-01-01

The current understanding of interstellar scattering is reviewed, and its impact on radio astronomy is examined. The features of interstellar plasma turbulence are also discussed. It is concluded that methods involving the investigation of the flux variability of pulsars and extragalactic sources and the VLBI visibility curves constitute new techniques for probing the ISM. However, scattering causes a seeing limitation in radio observations. It is now clear that variation due to RISS (refractive interstellar scintillations) is likely to be important for several classes of variable sources, especially low-frequency variables and centimeter-wave flickering. 168 refs

Physics of the galaxy and interstellar matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheffler, H.; Elsasser, H.

1988-01-01

This book is based on the authors' long standing experience in teaching astronomy courses. It presents in a modern and complete way our present picture of the physics of the Milky Way system. The first part of the book deals with topics of more empirical character, such as the positions and motions of stars, the structure and kinetics of the stellar systems and interstellar phenomena. The more advanced second part is devoted to the interpretation of observational results, i.e. to the physics of interstellar gas and dust, to stellar dynamics, to the theory of spiral structures and the dynamics of interstellar gas

Environmental Barrier Coating Development for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites: Recent Advances and Future Directions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Dongming

2016-01-01

This presentation briefly reviews the SiC/SiC major environmental and environment-fatigue degradations encountered in simulated turbine combustion environments, and thus NASA environmental barrier coating system evolution for protecting the SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites for meeting the engine performance requirements. The presentation will review several generations of NASA EBC materials systems, EBC-CMC component system technologies for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite combustors and turbine airfoils, highlighting the temperature capability and durability improvements in simulated engine high heat flux, high pressure, high velocity, and with mechanical creep and fatigue loading conditions. This paper will also focus on the performance requirements and design considerations of environmental barrier coatings for next generation turbine engine applications. The current development emphasis is placed on advanced NASA candidate environmental barrier coating systems for SiC/SiC CMCs, their performance benefits and design limitations in long-term operation and combustion environments. The efforts have been also directed to developing prime-reliant, self-healing 2700F EBC bond coat; and high stability, lower thermal conductivity, and durable EBC top coats. Major technical barriers in developing environmental barrier coating systems, the coating integrations with next generation CMCs having the improved environmental stability, erosion-impact resistance, and long-term fatigue-environment system durability performance will be described. The research and development opportunities for turbine engine environmental barrier coating systems by utilizing improved compositions, state-of-the-art processing methods, and simulated environment testing and durability modeling will be briefly discussed.

Positron annihilation in Si and Si-related materials in thermal equilibrium at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uedono, A.; Muramatsu, M.; Ubukata, T.; Tanino, H.; Shiraishi, T.; Tanigawa, S.; Takasu, S.

2001-01-01

Annihilation characteristics of positrons in the carbon/Si structure in thermal equilibrium at high temperature were studied using a monoenergetic positron beam. Doppler broadening spectra of the annihilation radiation were measured as a function of incident positron energy in the temperature range between 298 K and 1473 K. Above 1173 K, the value of S corresponding to the annihilation of positrons near the carbon/Si interface started to increase, which was attributed to the carbonization of Si and the introduction of open-space defects due to the diffusion of Si atoms toward the carbon layer. The behavior of Ps in a thermally grown SiO 2 film was also studied at 298-1523 K. (orig.)

High quality Ge epilayer on Si (1 0 0) with an ultrathin Si1-x Ge x /Si buffer layer by RPCVD

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Da; Guo, Qinglei; Zhang, Nan; Xu, Anli; Wang, Bei; Li, Ya; Wang, Gang

2017-07-01

The authors report a method to grow high quality strain-relaxed Ge epilayer on a combination of low temperature Ge seed layer and Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer by reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system without any subsequent annealing treatment. Prior to the growth of high quality Ge epilayer, an ultrathin Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer with the thickness of 50 nm and a 460 nm Ge seed layer were deposited successively at low temperature. Then an 840 nm Ge epilayer was grown at high deposition rate with the surface root-mean-square roughness of 0.707 nm and threading dislocation density of 2.5  ×  106 cm-2, respectively. Detailed investigations of the influence of ultrathin low-temperature Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer on the quality of Ge epilayer were performed, which indicates that the crystalline quality of Ge epilayer can be significantly improved by enhancing the Ge concentration of Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer.

Velocity bunching of high-brightness electron beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. G. Anderson

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Velocity bunching has been recently proposed as a tool for compressing electron beam pulses in modern high brightness photoinjector sources. This tool is familiar from earlier schemes implemented for bunching dc electron sources, but presents peculiar challenges when applied to high current, low emittance beams from photoinjectors. The main difficulty foreseen is control of emittance oscillations in the beam in this scheme, which can be naturally considered as an extension of the emittance compensation process at moderate energies. This paper presents two scenarios in which velocity bunching, combined with emittance control, is to play a role in nascent projects. The first is termed ballistic bunching, where the changing of relative particle velocities and positions occur in distinct regions, a short high gradient linac, and a drift length. This scenario is discussed in the context of the proposed ORION photoinjector. Simulations are used to explore the relationship between the degree of bunching, and the emittance compensation process. Experimental measurements performed at the UCLA Neptune Laboratory of the surprisingly robust bunching process, as well as accompanying deleterious transverse effects, are presented. An unanticipated mechanism for emittance growth in bends for highly momentum chirped beam was identified and studied in these experiments. The second scenario may be designated as phase space rotation, and corresponds closely to the recent proposal of Ferrario and Serafini. Its implementation for the compression of the electron beam pulse length in the PLEIADES inverse Compton scattering (ICS experiment at LLNL is discussed. It is shown in simulations that optimum compression may be obtained by manipulation of the phases in low gradient traveling wave accelerator sections. Measurements of the bunching and emittance control achieved in such an implementation at PLEIADES, as well as aspects of the use of velocity-bunched beam directly

The influence of the interstellar medium on climate and life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talbot, R.J. Jr.

1980-01-01

Recent studies of the gas and dust between the stars, the interstellar medium, reveal a complex chemistry which indicates that prebiotic organic chemistry is ubiquitous. The relationship between this interstellar chemistry and the organic chemistry of the early solar system and the Earth is explored. The interstellar medium is also considered as likely to have a continuing influence upon the climate of the Earth and other planets. Life forms as known are not only descendants of the organic evolution begun in the interstellar medium, but their continuing evolution is also molded through occasional interactions between the interstellar medium, the Sun and the climate on Earth. (author)

Manifestations of electric currents in interstellar molecular clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlqvist, P.; Gahm, G.F.

1991-12-01

We draw the attention to filamentary structures in molecular clouds and point out the existence of subfilaments of sinusoidal shape and also of helix-like structures. For two dark clouds, the Lynds 204 complex and the Sandqvist 187-188 complex (The Norma 'sword') we make a detailed study of such shapes and in addition we find the possible existence of helices wound around the main filaments. All these features are highly reminiscent of morphologies encountered in solar ascending prominences and in experiments in plasma physics and suggest the existence of electric currents and magnetic fields in these clouds. On the basis of a generalization of the Bennett pinch model, we derive the magnitudes of the currents expected to flow in the filaments. Values of column densities, magnetic field strengths, and direction of the fields are derived from observations. Magnetic fields with both toroidal and axial components are considered. This study shows that axial currents of the order of a few times 10 13 A are necessary for the clouds to be in equilibrium. The corresponding mean current densities are very small and even at the very low values of the fractional abundance of electrons encountered in these clouds, the mean electron velocities are of the order of 10 -2 -10 -5 m s -1 , much lower than the thermal velocities in the clouds. We suggest that helical structures may evolve as a result of various instabilities in the pinched clouds. We also call the attention to the kink intability in connection with the sinusoidal shapes. The existence of electromagnetically controlled features in the interstellar clouds can be tested by further observations. (au)

SECONDARY POPULATION OF INTERSTELLAR NEUTRALS seems deflected to the side

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagawa, H.; Bzowski, M.; Yamazaki, A.; Fukunishi, H.; Watanabe, S.; Takahashi, Y.; Taguchi, M.

Recently the neutral hydrogen flow in the inner heliosphere was found to be deflected relative to the helium flow by about 4 degrees Lallement et al 2005 The explanation of this delfection offered was a distortion of the heliosphere under the action of an ambient interstellar magnetic field In a separate study a number of data sets pertaining to interstellar neutral atoms obtained with various techniques were compiled and interpreted as due to an inflow of interstellar gas from an ecliptic longitude shifted by 10 - 40 degrees from the canonical upstream interstellar neutral flow direction at 254 degrees Collier et al 2004 The origin and properties of such a flow is still under debate We have performed a cross-experiment analysis of the heliospheric hydrogen and helium photometric observations performed simltaneously by the Nozomi spacecraft between the Earth and Mars orbit and explored possible deflection of hydrogen and helium flows with respect to the canonical upwind direction For the interpretation we used predictions of a state of the art 3D and fully time-dependent model of the neutral gas in the heliosphere with the boundary conditions ionization rates and radiation pressure taken from literature The model includes two populations of the thermal interstellar hydrogen predicted by the highly-reputed Moscow Monte Carlo model of the heliosphere The agreement between the data and simulations is not satifactory when one assumes that the upwind direction is the same for both populations and identical with the direction derived from inerstellar helium

Planetary Surface Power and Interstellar Propulsion Using Fission Fragment Magnetic Collimator Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsvetkov, Pavel V.; Hart, Ron R.; King, Don B.; Rochau, Gary E.

2006-01-01

Fission energy can be used directly if the kinetic energy of fission fragments is converted to electricity and/or thrust before turning into heat. The completed US DOE NERI Direct Energy Conversion (DEC) Power Production project indicates that viable DEC systems are possible. The US DOE NERI DEC Proof of Principle project began in October of 2002 with the goal to demonstrate performance principles of DEC systems. One of the emerging DEC concepts is represented by fission fragment magnetic collimator reactors (FFMCR). Safety, simplicity, and high conversion efficiency are the unique advantages offered by these systems. In the FFMCR, the basic energy source is the kinetic energy of fission fragments. Following escape from thin fuel layers, they are captured on magnetic field lines and are directed out of the core and through magnetic collimators to produce electricity and thrust. The exiting flow of energetic fission fragments has a very high specific impulse that allows efficient planetary surface power and interstellar propulsion without carrying any conventional propellant onboard. The objective of this work was to determine technological feasibility of the concept. This objective was accomplished by producing the FFMCR design and by analysis of its performance characteristics. The paper presents the FFMCR concept, describes its development to a technologically feasible level and discusses obtained results. Performed studies offer efficiencies up to 90% and velocities approaching speed of light as potentially achievable. The unmanned 10-tons probe with 1000 MW FFMCR propulsion unit would attain mission velocity of about 2% of the speed of light. If the unit is designed for 4000 MW, then in 10 years the unmanned 10-tons probe would attain mission velocity of about 10% of the speed of light

Structural, chemical and isotopic examinations of interstellar organic matter extracted from meteorites and interstellar dust particles

Science.gov (United States)

Busemann, Henner; Alexander, Conel M. O'D.; Nittler, Larry R.; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Zega, Tom J.; Cody, George D.; Yabuta, Hikaru; Kilcoyne, A. L. David

2008-10-01

Meteorites and Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) are supposed to originate from asteroids and comets, sampling the most primitive bodies in the Solar System. They contain abundant carbonaceous material. Some of this, mostly insoluble organic matter (IOM), likely originated in the protosolar molecular cloud, based on spectral properties and H and N isotope characteristics. Together with cometary material returned with the Stardust mission, these samples provide a benchmark for models aiming to understand organic chemistry in the interstellar medium, as well as for mechanisms that secured the survival of these fragile molecules during Solar System formation. The carrier molecules of the isotope anomalies are largely unknown, although amorphous carbonaceous spheres, so-called nanoglobules, have been identified as carriers. We are using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry to identify isotopically anomalous material in meteoritic IOM and IDPs at a ~100-200 nm scale. Organics of most likely interstellar origin are then extracted with the Focused-Ion-Beam technique and prepared for synchrotron X-ray and Transmission Electron Microscopy. These experiments yield information on the character of the H- and N-bearing interstellar molecules: While the association of H and N isotope anomalies with nanoglobules could be confirmed, we have also identified amorphous, micron-sized monolithic grains. D-enrichments in meteoritic IOM appear not to be systematically associated with any specific functional groups, whereas 15N-rich material can be related to imine and nitrile functionality. The large 15N- enrichments observed here (δ15N > 1000 ‰) cannot be reconciled with models using interstellar ammonia ice reactions, and hence, provide new constraints for understanding the chemistry in cold interstellar clouds.

Growing interstellar molecules with ion-molecule reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohme, D.K.

1989-01-01

Laboratory measurements of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions continue to provide important insights into the chemistry of molecular growth in interstellar environments. It is also true that the measurements are becoming more demanding as larger molecules capture our interest. While some of these measurements are motivated by current developments in chemical models of interstellar environments or by new molecular observations by astronomers, others explore novel chemistry which can lead to predictions of new interstellar molecules. Here the author views the results of some recent measurements, taken in the Ion Chemistry Laboratory at York University with the SIFT technique, which address some of the current needs of modellers and observers and which also provide some new fundamental insight into molecular growth, particularly when it occurs in the presence of large molecules such as PAH molecules which are now thought to have a major influence on the chemistry of interstellar environments in which they are present

A Molecular-line Study of the Interstellar Bullet Engine IRAS05506+2414

Science.gov (United States)

Sahai, Raghvendra; Lee, Chin-Fei; Sánchez Contreras, Carmen; Patel, Nimesh; Morris, Mark R.; Claussen, Mark

2017-12-01

We present interferometric and single-dish molecular line observations of the interstellar bullet-outflow source IRAS 05506+2414, whose wide-angle bullet spray is similar to the Orion BN/KL explosive outflow and likely arises from an entirely different mechanism than the classical accretion-disk-driven bipolar flows in young stellar objects. The bullet-outflow source is associated with a large pseudo-disk and three molecular outflows—a high-velocity outflow (HVO), a medium-velocity outflow (MVO), and a slow, extended outflow (SEO). The size (mass) of the pseudo-disk is 10,350 au × 6400 au (0.64-0.17 M ⊙) from a model-fit assuming infall and rotation, we derive a central stellar mass of 8-19 M ⊙. The HVO (MVO) has an angular size ˜5180 (˜3330) au and a projected outflow velocity of ˜140 km s-1 (˜30 km s-1). The SEO size (outflow speed) is ˜0.9 pc (˜6 km s-1). The HVO’s axis is aligned with (orthogonal to) that of the SEO (pseudo-disk). The velocity structure of the MVO is unresolved. The scalar momenta in the HVO and SEO are very similar, suggesting that the SEO has resulted from the HVO interacting with ambient-cloud material. The bullet spray shares a common axis with the pseudo-disk and has an age comparable to that of MVO (few hundred years), suggesting that these three structures are intimately linked. We discuss several models for the outflows in IRAS 05506+2414 (including dynamical decay of a stellar cluster, chance encounter of a runaway star with a dense cloud, and close passage of two protostars), and conclude that second-epoch imaging to derive proper motions of the bullets and nearby stars can help to discriminate between them.

High efficiency 4H-SiC betavoltaic power sources using tritium radioisotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, Christopher; Portnoff, Samuel [Widetronix Corp., Ithaca, New York 14850 (United States); Spencer, M. G. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850 (United States)

2016-01-04

Realization of an 18.6% efficient 4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) large area betavoltaic power source using the radioisotope tritium is reported. A 200 nm 4H-SiC P{sup +}N junction is used to collect high-energy electrons. The electron source is a titanium tritide (TiH{sup 3}{sub x}) foil, or an integrated titanium tritide region formed by the diffusion of tritium into titanium. The specific activity of the source is directly measured. Dark current measured under short circuit conditions was less than 6.1 pA/cm{sup 2}. Samples measured with an external tritium foil produced an open circuit voltage of 2.09 V, short circuit current of 75.47 nA/cm{sup 2}, fill factor of 0.86, and power efficiency of 18.6%. Samples measured with an integrated source produced power efficiencies of 12%. Simulations were done to determine the beta spectrum (modified by self absorption) exiting the source and the electron hole pair generation function in the 4H-SiC. The electron-hole pair generation function in 4H-SiC was modeled as a Gaussian distribution, and a closed form solution of the continuity equation was used to analyze the cell performance. The effective surface recombination velocity in our samples was found to be 10{sup 5}–10{sup 6 }cm/s. Our analysis demonstrated that the surface recombination dominates the performance of a tritium betavoltaic device but that using a thin P{sup +}N junction structure can mitigate some of the negative effects.

Surface Defect Passivation and Reaction of c-Si in H2S.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hsiang-Yu; Das, Ujjwal K; Birkmire, Robert W

2017-12-26

A unique passivation process of Si surface dangling bonds through reaction with hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is demonstrated in this paper. A high-level passivation quality with an effective minority carrier lifetime (τ eff ) of >2000 μs corresponding to a surface recombination velocity of passivation by monolayer coverage of S on the Si surface. However, S passivation of the Si surface is highly unstable because of thermodynamically favorable reaction with atmospheric H 2 O and O 2 . This instability can be eliminated by capping the S-passivated Si surface with a protective thin film such as low-temperature-deposited amorphous silicon nitride.

VELOCITY EVOLUTION AND THE INTRINSIC COLOR OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foley, Ryan J.; Sanders, Nathan E.; Kirshner, Robert P.

2011-01-01

To understand how best to use observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) to obtain precise and accurate distances, we investigate the relations between spectra of SNe Ia and their intrinsic colors. Using a sample of 1630 optical spectra of 255 SNe, based primarily on data from the CfA Supernova Program, we examine how the velocity evolution and line strengths of Si II λ6355 and Ca II H and K are related to the B – V color at peak brightness. We find that the maximum-light velocity of Si II λ6355 and Ca II H and K and the maximum-light pseudo-equivalent width of Si II λ6355 are correlated with intrinsic color, with intrinsic color having a linear relation with the Si II λ6355 measurements. Ca II H and K does not have a linear relation with intrinsic color, but lower-velocity SNe tend to be intrinsically bluer. Combining the spectroscopic measurements does not improve intrinsic color inference. The intrinsic color scatter is larger for higher-velocity SNe Ia—even after removing a linear trend with velocity—indicating that lower-velocity SNe Ia are more 'standard crayons'. Employing information derived from SN Ia spectra has the potential to improve the measurements of extragalactic distances and the cosmological properties inferred from them.

Identifying specific interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulas, Giacomo; Malloci, Giuliano; Porceddu, Ignazio

2005-01-01

Interstellar Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been thought to be ubiquitous for more than twenty years, yet no single species in this class has been identified in the Interstellar Medium (ISM) to date. The unprecedented sensitivity and resolution of present Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) and forthcoming Herschel observations in the far infrared spectral range will offer a unique way out of this embarrassing impasse

Tribological Properties of AlSi11-SiCp Composite Castings Produced by Pressure Die Casting Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konopka Z.

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The measurement results concerning the abrasive wear of AlSi11-SiC particles composites are presented in paper. The method of preparing a composite slurry composed of AlSi11 alloy matrix and 10, 20% vol.% of SiC particles, as well as the method of its high-pressure die casting was described. Composite slurry was injected into metal mould of cold chamber pressure die cast machine and castings were produced at various values of the piston velocity in the second stage of injection, diverse intensification pressure values, and various injection gate width values. Very good uniform arrangement of SiC particles in volume composite matrix was observed and these results were publicated early in this journal. The kinetics of abrasive wear and correlation with SiC particles arrangement in composite matrix were presented. Better wear resistance of composite was observed in comparison with aluminium alloy. Very strong linear correlation between abrasive wear and particle arrangement was observed. The conclusion gives the analysis and the interpretation of the obtained results.

Photospheric, circumstellar, and interstellar features of HE, C, N. O, and Si in the HST spectra of four hot white dwarf stars

Science.gov (United States)

Shipman, Harry L.; Provencal, Judi; Roby, Scott W.; Barstow, Martin; Bond, Howard; Bruhweiler, Fred; Finley, David; Fontaine, Gilles; Holberg, Jay; Nousek, John

1995-01-01

This paper reports on the observations of four hot white dwarf stars with the spectrographs on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The higher resolving power and higher signal/noise, in comparison with IUE, reveals a very rich phenomomenology, including photospheric features from heavy elements, circumstellar features, and the first direct detection of accretion onto the white dwarf component of a binary system. Specific results include the following: Our observations of the ultrahot degenerate H1504+65 confirm that it has a photosphere which is depleted in both H and He, and reveals features of C IV and O VI. The spectrum fits previously published models extremely well. The intermediate-temperature DO star PG 1034+001 has an ultraviolet spectrum showing complex profiles of the well-known resonance doublets of C IV, N v, and Si IV. The O V 1371 line shows a clear separation into a photospheric and a circumstellar component, and it is likely that the same two components can explain the other lines as well. The cooler DA star GD 394 has an extensive system of heavy-element features, but their radial velocity is such that it is highly unlikely that they are formed in the stellar photosphere. Time-resolved spectra of the accreting white dwarf in the V 471 Tau binary system are briefly presented here; they do show the presence of C IV, Si IV, and He II. However, the C IV and He II lines are in emission, rather than in aborption as had been expected.

A survey of high-velocity H I in the Cetus region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, R.J.

1982-01-01

The region 02sup(h) 16sup(m) 0 0 surrounding the Cohen and Davies complex of high-velocity clouds has been surveyed in the 21-cm line of H I using the Jodrell Bank MK II radio telescope (beamwidth 31 x 34 arcmin). The high-velocity cloud complex was sampled every 2sup(m) in right ascension and every 0 0 .5 in declination. The observations cover a velocity range of 2100 km s -1 with a resolution of 7.3 km s -1 and an rms noise level of 0.025 K. No HVCs were found outside the velocity range -400 to +100 km s -1 . The data are presented on microfiche as a set of contour maps showing 21-cm line temperature as a function of declination and radial velocity at constant values of right ascension. Discussion is centred on the very-high-velocity clouds at velocities of -360 to -190 km s -1 . It is concluded that they are probably debris from the tidal interaction between our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. (author)

An electrostatic Si e-gun and a high temperature elemental B source for Si heteroepitaxial growth

Science.gov (United States)

Scarinci, F.; Casella, A.; Lagomarsino, S.; Fiordelisi, M.; Strappaveccia, P.; Gambacorti, N.; Grimaldi, M. G.; Xue, LiYing

1996-08-01

In this paper we present two kind of sources used in Si MBE growth: a Si source where an electron beam is electrostatically deflected onto a Si rod and a high temperature B source to be used for p-doping. Both sources have been designed and constructed at IESS. The Si source is constituted of a Si rod mounted on a 3/4″ flange with high-voltage connector. A W filament held at high voltage (up to 2000 V) is heated by direct current. Electrons from the filament are electrostatically focused onto the Si rod which is grounded. This mounting allows a minimum heating dispersion and no contamination, because the only hot objects are the Si rod and the W filament which is mounted in such a way that it cannot see the substrate. Growth rates of 10 Å/min on a substrate at 20 cm from the source have been measured. Auger and LEED have shown no contamination. The B source is constituted of a graphite block heated by direct current. A pyrolitic graphite crucible put in the graphite heater contains the elemental B. The cell is water cooled and contains Ta screens to avoid heat dispersion. It has been tested up to a temperature of 1700°C. P-doped Si 1- xGe x layers have been grown and B concentration has been measured by SIMS. A good control and reproducibility has been attained.

A low knee voltage and high breakdown voltage of 4H-SiC TSBS employing poly-Si/Ni Schottky scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong Young; Seok, Ogyun; Park, Himchan; Bahng, Wook; Kim, Hyoung Woo; Park, Ki Cheol

2018-02-01

We report a low knee voltage and high breakdown voltage 4H-SiC TSBS employing poly-Si/Ni dual Schottky contacts. A knee voltage was significantly improved from 0.75 to 0.48 V by utilizing an alternative low work-function material of poly-Si as an anode electrode. Also, reverse breakdown voltage was successfully improved from 901 to 1154 V due to a shrunk low-work-function Schottky region by a proposed self-align etching process between poly-Si and SiC. SiC TSBS with poly-Si/Ni dual Schottky scheme is a suitable structure for high-efficiency rectification and high-voltage blocking operation.

Interstellar matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mezger, P.G.

1978-01-01

An overview of the formation of our galaxy is presented followed by a summary of recent work in star formation and related topics. Selected discussions are given on interstellar matter including absorption characteristics of dust, the fully ionised component of the ISM and the energy density of lyc-photons in the solar neighbourhood and the diffuse galactic IR radiation

Reliability of force-velocity relationships during deadlift high pull.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Wei; Boyas, Sébastien; Jubeau, Marc; Rahmani, Abderrahmane

2017-11-13

This study aimed to evaluate the within- and between-session reliability of force, velocity and power performances and to assess the force-velocity relationship during the deadlift high pull (DHP). Nine participants performed two identical sessions of DHP with loads ranging from 30 to 70% of body mass. The force was measured by a force plate under the participants' feet. The velocity of the 'body + lifted mass' system was calculated by integrating the acceleration and the power was calculated as the product of force and velocity. The force-velocity relationships were obtained from linear regression of both mean and peak values of force and velocity. The within- and between-session reliability was evaluated by using coefficients of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results showed that DHP force-velocity relationships were significantly linear (R² > 0.90, p  0.94), mean and peak velocities showed a good agreement (CV reliable and can therefore be utilised as a tool to characterise individuals' muscular profiles.

MEASURING THE FRACTAL STRUCTURE OF INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VOGELAAR, MGR; WAKKER, BP

To study the structure of interstellar matter we have applied the concept of fractal curves to the brightness contours of maps of interstellar clouds and from these estimated the fractal dimension for some of them. We used the so-called perimeter-area relation as the basis for these estimates. We

MEASURING THE FRACTAL STRUCTURE OF INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VOGELAAR, MGR; WAKKER, BP

1994-01-01

To study the structure of interstellar matter we have applied the concept of fractal curves to the brightness contours of maps of interstellar clouds and from these estimated the fractal dimension for some of them. We used the so-called perimeter-area relation as the basis for these estimates. We

Interwell coupling effect in Si/SiGe quantum wells grown by ultra high vacuum chemical vapor deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loh Ter-Hoe

2007-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractSi/Si0.66Ge0.34coupled quantum well (CQW structures with different barrier thickness of 40, 4 and 2 nm were grown on Si substrates using an ultra high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV-CVD system. The samples were characterized using high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM and photoluminescence (PL spectroscopy. Blue shift in PL peak energy due to interwell coupling was observed in the CQWs following increase in the Si barrier thickness. The Si/SiGe heterostructure growth process and theoretical band structure model was validated by comparing the energy of the no-phonon peak calculated by the 6 + 2-bandk·pmethod with experimental PL data. Close agreement between theoretical calculations and experimental data was obtained.

SAW propagation characteristics of TeO3/3C-SiC/LiNbO3 layered structure

Science.gov (United States)

Soni, Namrata D.

2018-04-01

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices based on Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3) single crystal are advantageous because of its high SAW phase velocity, electromechanical coupling coefficient and cost effectiveness. In the present work a new multi-layered TeO3/3C-SiC/128° Y-X LiNbO3 SAW device has been proposed. SAW propagation properties such as phase velocity, coupling coefficient and temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) of the TeO3/SiC/128° Y-X LiNbO3 multi layered structure is examined using theoretical calculations. It is found that the integration of 0.09λ thick 3C-SiC over layer on 128° Y-X LiNbO3 increases its electromechanical coupling coefficient from 5.3% to 9.77% and SAW velocity from 3800 ms‑1 to 4394 ms‑1. The SiC/128° Y-X LiNbO3 bilayer SAW structure exhibits a high positive TCD value. A temperature stable layered SAW device could be obtained with introduction of 0.007λ TeO3 over layer on SiC/128° Y-X LiNbO3 bilayer structure without sacrificing the efficiency of the device. The proposed TeO3/3C-SiC/128° Y-X LiNbO3 multi-layered SAW structure is found to be cost effective, efficient, temperature stable and suitable for high frequency application in harsh environment.

THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN THE KEPLER SEARCH VOLUME

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Marshall C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Redfield, Seth [Astronomy Department, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Jensen, Adam G., E-mail: mjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu [Department of Physics and Physical Science, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Bruner Hall of Science, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849 (United States)

2015-07-10

The properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) surrounding a planetary system can impact planetary climate through a number of mechanisms, including changing the size of the astrosphere (one of the major shields for cosmic rays) as well as direct deposition of material into planetary atmospheres. In order to constrain the ambient ISM conditions for exoplanetary systems, we present observations of interstellar Na i and K i absorption toward seventeen early type stars in the Kepler prime mission field of view (FOV). We identify 39 Na i and 8 K i velocity components, and attribute these to 11 ISM clouds. Six of these are detected toward more than one star, and for these clouds we put limits on the cloud properties, including distance and hydrogen number density. We identify one cloud with significant (≳1.5 cm{sup −3}) hydrogen number density located within the nominal ∼100 pc boundary of the Local Bubble. We identify systems with confirmed planets within the Kepler FOV that could lie within these ISM clouds, and estimate upper limits on the astrosphere sizes of these systems under the assumption that they do lie within these clouds. Under this condition, the Kepler-20, 42, and 445 multiplanet systems could have compressed astrospheres much smaller than the present-day heliosphere. Among the known habitable zone planet hosts, Kepler-186 could have an astrosphere somewhat smaller than the heliosphere, while Kepler-437 and KOI-4427 could have astrospheres much larger than the heliosphere. The thick disk star Kepler-444 may have an astrosphere just a few AU in radius.

Interstellar Initiative Web Page Design

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Alkesh

1999-01-01

This summer at NASA/MSFC, I have contributed to two projects: Interstellar Initiative Web Page Design and Lenz's Law Relative Motion Demonstration. In the Web Design Project, I worked on an Outline. The Web Design Outline was developed to provide a foundation for a Hierarchy Tree Structure. The Outline would help design a Website information base for future and near-term missions. The Website would give in-depth information on Propulsion Systems and Interstellar Travel. The Lenz's Law Relative Motion Demonstrator is discussed in this volume by Russell Lee.

Creep, Fatigue and Fracture Behavior of Environmental Barrier Coating and SiC-SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite Systems: The Role of Environment Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Dongming; Ghosn, Louis J.

2015-01-01

Advanced environmental barrier coating (EBC) systems for low emission SiCSiC CMC combustors and turbine airfoils have been developed to meet next generation engine emission and performance goals. This presentation will highlight the developments of NASAs current EBC system technologies for SiC-SiC ceramic matrix composite combustors and turbine airfoils, their performance evaluation and modeling progress towards improving the engine SiCSiC component temperature capability and long-term durability. Our emphasis has also been placed on the fundamental aspects of the EBC-CMC creep and fatigue behaviors, and their interactions with turbine engine oxidizing and moisture environments. The EBC-CMC environmental degradation and failure modes, under various simulated engine testing environments, in particular involving high heat flux, high pressure, high velocity combustion conditions, will be discussed aiming at quantifying the protective coating functions, performance and durability, and in conjunction with damage mechanics and fracture mechanics approaches.

Organic Synthesis in Simulated Interstellar Ice Analogs

Science.gov (United States)

Dworkin, Jason P.; Bernstein, Max P.; Sandford, Scott A.; Allamandola, Louis J.; Deamer, David W.; Elsila, Jamie; Zare, Richard N.

2001-01-01

Comets and carbonaceous micrometeorites may have been significant sources of organic compounds on the early Earth. Ices on grains in interstellar dense molecular clouds contain a variety of simple molecules as well as aromatic molecules of various sizes. While in these clouds the icy grains are processed by ultraviolet light and cosmic radiation which produces more complex organic molecules. We have run laboratory simulations to identify the types of molecules which could have been generated photolytically in pre-cometary ices. Experiments were conducted by forming various realistic interstellar mixed-molecular ices with and without polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at approx. 10 K under high vacuum irradiated with UV light from a hydrogen plasma lamp. The residue that remained after warming to room temperature was analyzed by HPLC, and by laser desorption mass spectrometry. The residue contains several classes of compounds which may be of prebiotic significance.

Comparative Study of Si and SiC MOSFETs for High Voltage Class D Audio Amplifiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Dennis; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2014-01-01

Silicon (Si) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) are traditional utilised in class D audio amplifiers. It has been proposed to replace the traditional inefficient electrodynamic transducer with the electrostatic transducer. This imposes new high voltage requirements...... on the MOSFETs of class D amplifiers, and significantly reduces the selection of suitable MOSFETs. As a consequence it is investigated, if Silicon-Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs could represent a valid alternative. The theory of pulse timing errors are revisited for the application of high voltage and capactive loaded...... class D amplifiers. It is shown, that SiC MOSFETs can compete with Si MSOFETs in terms of THD. Validation is done using simulations and a 500 V amplifier driving a 100 nF load. THD+N below 0.3 % is reported...

Magnetic Fields in the Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Susan

2017-01-01

The Milky Way is magnetized. Invisible magnetic fields thread the Galaxy on all scales and play a vital but still poorly understood role in regulating flows of gas in the interstellar medium and the formation of stars. I will present highlights from my thesis work on magnetic fields in the diffuse interstellar gas and in accretion disks. At high Galactic latitudes, diffuse neutral hydrogen is organized into an intricate network of slender linear features. I will show that these neutral hydrogen “fibers” are extremely well aligned with the ambient magnetic field as traced by both starlight polarization (Clark et al. 2014) and Planck 353 GHz polarized dust emission (Clark et al. 2015). The structure of the neutral interstellar medium is more tightly coupled to the magnetic field than previously known. Because the orientation of neutral hydrogen is an independent predictor of the local dust polarization angle, our work provides a new tool in the search for inflationary gravitational wave B-mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background, which is currently limited by dust foreground contamination. Magnetic fields also drive accretion in astrophysical disks via the magnetorotational instability (MRI). I analytically derive the behavior of this instability in the weakly nonlinear regime and show that the saturated state of the instability depends on the geometry of the background magnetic field. The analytical model describes the behavior of the MRI in a Taylor-Couette flow, a set-up used by experimentalists in the ongoing quest to observe MRI in the laboratory (Clark & Oishi 2016a, 2016b).

Monte Carlo Simulation of Electron Transport in 4H- and 6H-SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, C. C.; You, A. H.; Wong, E. K.

2010-01-01

The Monte Carlo (MC) simulation of electron transport properties at high electric field region in 4H- and 6H-SiC are presented. This MC model includes two non-parabolic conduction bands. Based on the material parameters, the electron scattering rates included polar optical phonon scattering, optical phonon scattering and acoustic phonon scattering are evaluated. The electron drift velocity, energy and free flight time are simulated as a function of applied electric field at an impurity concentration of 1x10 18 cm 3 in room temperature. The simulated drift velocity with electric field dependencies is in a good agreement with experimental results found in literature. The saturation velocities for both polytypes are close, but the scattering rates are much more pronounced for 6H-SiC. Our simulation model clearly shows complete electron transport properties in 4H- and 6H-SiC.

INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELD SURROUNDING THE HELIOPAUSE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whang, Y. C.

2010-01-01

This paper presents a three-dimensional analytical solution, in the limit of very low plasma β-ratio, for the distortion of the interstellar magnetic field surrounding the heliopause. The solution is obtained using a line dipole method that is the integration of point dipole along a semi-infinite line; it represents the magnetic field caused by the presence of the heliopause. The solution allows the variation of the undisturbed magnetic field at any inclination angle. The heliosphere is considered as having blunt-nosed geometry on the upwind side and it asymptotically approaches a cylindrical geometry having an open exit for the continuous outflow of the solar wind on the downwind side. The heliopause is treated as a magnetohydrodynamic tangential discontinuity; the interstellar magnetic field lines at the boundary are tangential to the heliopause. The interstellar magnetic field is substantially distorted due to the presence of the heliopause. The solution shows the draping of the field lines around the heliopause. The magnetic field strength varies substantially near the surface of the heliopause. The effect on the magnetic field due to the presence of the heliopause penetrates very deep into the interstellar space; the depth of penetration is of the same order of magnitude as the scale length of the heliosphere.

The Abundance of Mg in the Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzpatrick, Edward L.

1997-06-01

An empirical determination of the f-values of the far-UV Mg II λλ1239, 1240 lines is reported. The strong near-UV Mg II λλ2796, 2803 lines are generally highly saturated along most interstellar sight lines outside the local interstellar medium (ISM) and usually yield extremely uncertain estimates of Mg+ column densities in interstellar gas. Since Mg+ is the dominant form of Mg in the neutral ISM, and since Mg is expected to be a significant constituent of interstellar dust grains, the far-UV lines are critical for assessing the role of this important element in the ISM. This study consists of complete component analyses of the absorption along the lines of sight toward HD 93521 in the Galactic halo and ξ Persei and ζ Ophiuchi in the Galactic disk, including all four UV Mg+ lines and numerous other transitions. The three analyses yield consistent determinations of the λλ1239, 1240 f-values, with weighted means of (6.4 +/- 0.4) × 10-4 and (3.2 +/- 0.2) × 10-4, respectively. These results are a factor of ~2.4 larger than a commonly used theoretical estimate, and a factor of ~2 smaller than a recently suggested empirical revision. The effects of this result on gas- and dust-phase abundance measurements of Mg are discussed. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, under NASA contract NAS5-2655. This Letter is dedicated to the memory of Professor Lyman Spitzer Jr. He was a great guy.

Evolution of a novel Si-18Mn-16Ti-11P alloy in Al-Si melt and its influence on microstructure and properties of high-Si Al-Si alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Lu Zhou

Full Text Available A novel Si-18Mn-16Ti-11P master alloy has been developed to refine primary Si to 14.7 ± 1.3 μm, distributed uniformly in Al-27Si alloy. Comparing with traditional Cu-14P and Al-3P, Si-18Mn-16Ti-11P provided a much better refining effect, with in-situ highly active AlP. The refined Al-27Si alloy exhibited a CTE of 16.25 × 10−6/K which is slightly higher than that of Sip/Al composites fabricated by spray deposition. The UTS and elongation of refined Al-27Si alloy were increased by 106% and 235% comparing with those of unrefined alloy. It indicates that the novel Si-18Mn-16Ti-11P alloy is more suitable for high-Si Al-Si alloys and may be a candidate for refining hypereutectic Al-Si alloy for electronic packaging applications. Moreover, studies showed that TiP is the only P-containing phase in Si-18Mn-16Ti-11P master alloy. A core-shell reaction model was established to reveal mechanism of the transformation of TiP to AlP in Al-Si melts. The transformation is a liquid-solid diffusion reaction driven by chemical potential difference and the reaction rate is controlled by diffusion. It means sufficient holding time is necessary for Si-18Mn-16Ti-11P master alloy to achieve better refining effect. Keywords: Hypereutectic Al-Si alloy, Primary Si, Refinement, AlP, Thermal expansion behavior, Si-18Mn-16Ti-11P master alloy

Interstellar propulsion using a pellet stream for momentum transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, C.E.

1979-10-01

A pellet-stream concept for interstellar propulsion is described. Small pellets are accelerated in the solar system and accurately guided to an interstellar probe where they are intercepted and transfer momentum. This propulsion system appears to offer orders-of-magnitude improvements in terms of engineering simplicity and power requirements over any other known feasible system for transport over interstellar distance in a time comparable to a human lifespan

Carbon chain molecules in interstellar clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winnewisser, G.; Walmsley, C.M.

1979-01-01

A survey of the distribution of long carbon chain molecules in interstellar clouds shows that their abundance is correlated. The various formation schemes for these molecules are discussed. It is concluded that the ion-molecule type formation mechanisms are more promising than their competitors. They have also the advantage of allowing predictions which can be tested by observations. Acetylene C 2 H 2 and diacetylene HCCCCH, may be very abundant in interstellar clouds. (Auth.)

Structure and evolution of the interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chieze, J.P.

1985-10-01

We give a two dimensional hydrodynamical analysis of HI clouds collisions in order to determine the mass spectrum of diffuse interstellar clouds. We have taken into account evaporation and abrasion by supernovae blast waves. The conditions for cloud merging or fragmentation are precised. Applications to the model of the interstellar medium of Mc Kee and Ostriker are also discussed. On the other hand, we show that molecular clouds belong to a one parameter family which can be identified to the sequence of the gravitationally unstable states of clouds bounded by the uniform pressure of the coronal phase of the interstellar medium. Hierarchical fragmentation of molecular clouds is analysed in this context [fr

AN EXTREME HIGH-VELOCITY BIPOLAR OUTFLOW IN THE PRE-PLANETARY NEBULA IRAS 08005-2356

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahai, R. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, MS 183-900, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Patel, N. A., E-mail: raghvendra.sahai@jpl.nasa.gov [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (United States)

2015-09-01

We report interferometric mapping of the bipolar pre-planetary nebula IRAS 08005-2356 (I 08005) with an angular resolution of ∼1″–5″, using the Submillimeter Array, in the {sup 12}CO J = 2–1, 3–2, {sup 13}CO J = 2–1, and SiO J = 5–4 (v = 0) lines. Single-dish observations, using the SMT 10 m, were made in these lines as well as in the CO J = 4–3 and SiO J = 6–5 (v = 0) lines. The line profiles are very broad, showing the presence of a massive (>0.1 M{sub ⊙}), extreme high velocity outflow (V ∼ 200 km s{sup −1}) directed along the nebular symmetry axis derived from the Hubble Space Telescope imaging of this object. The outflow's scalar momentum far exceeds that available from radiation pressure of the central post-AGB star, and it may be launched from an accretion disk around a main-sequence companion. We provide indirect evidence for such a disk from its previously published, broad Hα emission profile, which we propose results from Lyβ emission generated in the disk followed by Raman-scattering in the innermost regions of a fast, neutral wind.

Optimal determination of the elastic constants of woven 2D SiC/SiC composite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mouchtachi, A; Guerjouma, R El; Baboux, J C; Rouby, D; Bouami, D

2004-01-01

For homogeneous materials, the ultrasonic immersion method, associated with a numerical optimization process mostly based on Newton's algorithm, allows the determination of elastic constants for various synthetic and natural composite materials. Nevertheless, a principal limitation of the existing optimization procedure occurs when the considered material is at the limit of the homogeneous hypothesis. Such is the case of the woven bidirectional SiC matrix and SiC fibre composite material. In this study, we have developed two numerical methods for the determination of the elastic constants of the 2D SiC/SiC composite material (2D SiC/SiC). The first one is based on Newton's algorithm: the elastic constants are obtained by minimizing the square deviation between experimental and calculated velocities. The second method is based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. We show that these algorithms give the same results in the case of homogeneous anisotropic composite materials. For the 2D SiC/SiC composite material, the two methods, using the same measured velocities, give different sets of elastic constants. We then note that the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm enables a better convergence towards a global set of elastic constants in good agreement with the elastic properties, which can be measured using classical quasi-static methods

Stochastic evolution of refractory interstellar dust during the chemical evolution of a two-phase interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liffman, K.; Clayton, D.D.

1989-01-01

The evolution course of refractory interstellar dust during the chemical evolution of a two-phase interstellar medium (ISM) is studied using a simple model of the chemical evolution of ISM. It is assumed that, in this medium, the stars are born in molecular clouds, but new nucleosynthesis products and stellar return are entered into a complementary diffuse medium; the well-mixed matter of each interstellar phase is repeatedly cycled stochastically through the complementary phase and back. The dust is studied on a particle-by-particle bases as it is sputtered by shock waves in the diffuse medium, accretes an amorphous mantle of gaseous refractory atoms while its local medium joins the molecular cloud medium, and encounters the possibility of astration within molecular clouds. Results are presented relevant to the size spectrum of accreted mantles, its age spectrum and the distinction among its several lifetimes, depletion factors of refractory atoms in the diffuse gas, and isotopic anomalies. 26 refs

Interstellar protons in the TeV γ-ray SNR HESS J1731-347: Possible evidence for the coexistence of hadronic and leptonic γ-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, T.; Yoshiike, S.; Sano, H.; Torii, K.; Yamamoto, H.; Fukui, Y.; Acero, F.

2014-01-01

HESS J1731-347 (G353.6-0.7) is one of the TeV γ-ray supernova remnants (SNRs) that shows the shell-like morphology. We have made a new analysis of the interstellar protons toward the SNR by using both the 12 CO(J = 1-0) and H I data sets. The results indicate that the TeV γ-ray shell shows significant spatial correlation with the interstellar protons at a velocity range from –90 km s –1 to –75 km s –1 . The total mass of the interstellar medium (ISM) protons is estimated to be 6.4 × 10 4 M ☉ , 25% of which is atomic gas, and the distance corresponding to the velocity range is ∼5.2 kpc, a factor of 2 larger than the previous figure, 3 kpc. We have identified the cold H I gas observed as self-absorption which shows significant correspondence with the northeastern γ-ray peak. While the good correspondence between the ISM protons and TeV γ-rays in the north of the SNR lends support to the hadronic scenario for the TeV γ-rays, the southern part of the shell shows a break in the correspondence; in particular, the southwestern rim of the SNR shell shows a significant decrease of the interstellar protons by a factor of two. We argue that this discrepancy can be explained due to leptonic γ-rays because this region coincides well with the bright shell that emits non-thermal radio continuum emission and non-thermal X-rays, suggesting that the γ-rays of HESS J1713-347 consist of both the hadronic and leptonic components. The leptonic contribution corresponds to ∼20% of the total γ-rays.

Synthesis of SiC microstructures in Si technology by high dose carbon implantation: Etch-stop properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serre, C.; Perez-Rodriguez, A.; Romano-Rodriguez, A.; Calvo-Barrio, L.; Morante, J.R.; Esteve, J.; Acero, M.C.; Skorupa, W.; Koegler, R.

1997-01-01

The use of high dose carbon ion implantation in Si for the production of membranes and microstructures is investigated. Si wafers were implanted with carbon doses of 10 17 and 5 x 10 17 cm -2 , at an energy of 300 keV and a temperature of 500 C. The structural analysis of these samples revealed the formation of a highly stable buried layer of crystalline β-SiC precipitates aligned with the Si matrix. The etch-stop properties of this layer have been investigated using tetramethyl-ammonium hydroxide as etchant solution. Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements performed on the etched samples have allowed an estimate of the minimum dose needed for obtaining an etch-stop layer to a value in the range 2 to 3 x 10 17 ions/cm 2 . This behavior has been explained assuming the existence of a percolation process in a SiC/Si binary system. Finally, very thin crystalline membranes and self-standing structures with average surface roughness in the range 6 to 7 nm have been obtained

Interstellar matter within elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Jura, Michael

1988-01-01

Multiwavelength observations of elliptical galaxies are reviewed, with an emphasis on their implications for theoretical models proposed to explain the origin and evolution of the interstellar matter. Particular attention is given to interstellar matter at T less than 100 K (atomic and molecular gas and dust), gas at T = about 10,000 K, and gas at T = 10 to the 6th K or greater. The data are shown to confirm the occurrence of mass loss from evolved stars, significant accretion from companion galaxies, and cooling inflows; no evidence is found for large mass outflow from elliptical galaxies.

Behaviors of SiC fibers at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colin, C.; Falanga, V.; Gelebart, L.

2010-01-01

On the one hand, considering the improvements of mechanical and thermal behaviours of the last generation of SiC fibers (Hi-Nicalon S, Tyranno SA3); on the other hand, regarding physical and chemical properties and stability under irradiation, SiC/SiC composites are potential candidates for nuclear applications in advanced fission and fusion reactors. CEA must characterize and optimize these composites before their uses in reactors. In order to study this material, CEA is developing a multi-scale approach by modelling from fibers to bulk composite specimen: fibres behaviours must be well known in first. Thus, CEA developed a specific tensile test device on single fibers at high temperature, named MecaSiC. Using this device, we have already characterized the thermoelastic and thermoelectric behaviours of SiC fibers. Additional results about the plastic properties at high temperatures were also obtained. Indeed, we performed tensile tests between 1200 degrees C up to 1700 degrees C to characterize this plastic behaviour. Some thermal annealing, up to 3 hours at 1700 degrees C, had been also performed. Furthermore, we compare the mechanical behaviours with the thermal evolution of the electric resistivity of these SiC fibers. Soon, MecaSiC will be coupled to a new charged particle accelerator. Thus, in this configuration, we will be able to study in-situ irradiation effects on fibre behaviours, as swelling or creep for example

High-velocity winds from a dwarf nova during outburst

Science.gov (United States)

Cordova, F. A.; Mason, K. O.

1982-01-01

An ultraviolet spectrum of the dwarf nova TW Vir during an optical outburst shows shortward-shifted absorption features with edge velocities as high as 4800 km/s, about the escape velocity of a white dwarf. A comparison of this spectrum with the UV spectra of other cataclysmic variables suggests that mass loss is evident only for systems with relatively high luminosities (more than about 10 solar luminosities) and low inclination angles with respect to the observer's line of sight. The mass loss rate for cataclysmic variables is of order 10 to the -11th solar mass per yr; this is from 0.01 to 0.001 of the mass accretion rate onto the compact star in the binary. The mass loss may occur by a mechanism similar to that invoked for early-type stars, i.e., radiation absorbed in the lines accelerates the accreting gas to the high velocities observed.

Development of High-Temperature, High-Power, High-Efficiency, High-Voltage Converters Using Silicon Carbide (SiC) Delivery Order 0003: SiC High Voltage Converters, N-Type Ohmic Contract Development for SiC Power Devices

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cheng, Lin; Mazzola, Michael S

2006-01-01

... ? SiC interfaces and silicide top surfaces is important for producing uniformly low contact resistances to achieve device operation at high-current levels without hot spot formation and contact degradation...

Study of the diffuse interstellar gas near the Pleiades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Federman, S.R.

1982-01-01

The interstellar gas toward the Pleiades was studied by observing lines of CH, CH + , and K I. New detections of CH and K I, and of CH + and K I in the directions of 20 Tau and eta Tau, respectively, are reported. Evidence for a moderately strong shock of velocity 10--15 km -1 was found for the line of sight toward 20 Tau, where the CH line is blueshifted by 3--4 km s -1 was respect to the CH + line. The relative weakness of the K I features, as well as the weakness of the other previously observed atomic species, requires the gas to be approx.0.3 pc from the stars. A reexamination of the observed distribution of H 2 among its rotational levels indicates that collisions occurring in the shock are largely responsible for populating levels with J>2

Preparation and Anodizing of SiCp/Al Composites with Relatively High Fraction of SiCp.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bin; Qu, Shengguan; Li, Xiaoqiang

2018-01-01

By properly proportioned SiC particles with different sizes and using squeeze infiltration process, SiCp/Al composites with high volume fraction of SiC content (Vp = 60.0%, 61.2%, 63.5%, 67.4%, and 68.0%) were achieved for optical application. The flexural strength of the prepared SiC p /Al composites was higher than 483 MPa and the elastic modulus was increased from 174.2 to 206.2 GPa. With an increase in SiC volume fraction, the flexural strength and Poisson's ratio decreased with the increase in elastic modulus. After the anodic oxidation treatment, an oxidation film with porous structure was prepared on the surface of the composite and the oxidation film was uniformly distributed. The anodic oxide growth rate of composite decreased with SiC content increased and linearly increased with anodizing time.

Preparation and Anodizing of SiCp/Al Composites with Relatively High Fraction of SiCp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available By properly proportioned SiC particles with different sizes and using squeeze infiltration process, SiCp/Al composites with high volume fraction of SiC content (Vp = 60.0%, 61.2%, 63.5%, 67.4%, and 68.0% were achieved for optical application. The flexural strength of the prepared SiCp/Al composites was higher than 483 MPa and the elastic modulus was increased from 174.2 to 206.2 GPa. With an increase in SiC volume fraction, the flexural strength and Poisson’s ratio decreased with the increase in elastic modulus. After the anodic oxidation treatment, an oxidation film with porous structure was prepared on the surface of the composite and the oxidation film was uniformly distributed. The anodic oxide growth rate of composite decreased with SiC content increased and linearly increased with anodizing time.

Preparation and Anodizing of SiCp/Al Composites with Relatively High Fraction of SiCp

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

By properly proportioned SiC particles with different sizes and using squeeze infiltration process, SiCp/Al composites with high volume fraction of SiC content (Vp = 60.0%, 61.2%, 63.5%, 67.4%, and 68.0%) were achieved for optical application. The flexural strength of the prepared SiCp/Al composites was higher than 483 MPa and the elastic modulus was increased from 174.2 to 206.2 GPa. With an increase in SiC volume fraction, the flexural strength and Poisson's ratio decreased with the increase in elastic modulus. After the anodic oxidation treatment, an oxidation film with porous structure was prepared on the surface of the composite and the oxidation film was uniformly distributed. The anodic oxide growth rate of composite decreased with SiC content increased and linearly increased with anodizing time. PMID:29682145

INCLUSIVE SYSTEMATICS FOR SI-28+SI-28 REACTIONS BETWEEN 20 AND 35 MEV PER NUCLEON

NARCIS (Netherlands)

BOX, PF; GRIFFIOEN, KA; DECOWSKI, P; BOOTSMA, T; GIERLIK, E; VANNIEUWENHUIZEN, GJ; TWENHOFEL, C; KAMERMANS, R; WILSCHUT, HW; GIORNI, A; MORAND, C; DEMEYER, A; GUINET, D

Inclusive velocity spectra of heavy ions produced in the Si-28 + Si-28 reaction at 22, 26, 30, and 35 MeV per nucleon were measured and decomposed into peripheral and central components using an analytical moving-source parametrization. The persistence of incomplete fusion followed by evaporation

Coated Porous Si for High Performance On-Chip Supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Grigoras, K.; Keskinen, J.; Grönberg, L.; Ahopelto, J.; Prunnila, M.

2014-11-01

High performance porous Si based supercapacitor electrodes are demonstrated. High power density and stability is provided by ultra-thin TiN coating of the porous Si matrix. The TiN layer is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), which provides sufficient conformality to reach the bottom of the high aspect ratio pores. Our porous Si supercapacitor devices exhibit almost ideal double layer capacitor characteristic with electrode volumetric capacitance of 7.3 F/cm3. Several orders of magnitude increase in power and energy density is obtained comparing to uncoated porous silicon electrodes. Good stability of devices is confirmed performing several thousands of charge/discharge cycles.

Dynamics of interstellar matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahn, F.D.

1975-01-01

A review of the dynamics of interstellar matter is presented, considering the basic equations of fluid flow, plane waves, shock waves, spiral structure, thermal instabilities and early star cocoons. (B.R.H.)

Crustal composition in the Hidaka Metamorphic Belt estimated from seismic velocity by laboratory measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Yamauchi, K.; Ishikawa, M.; Sato, H.; Iwasaki, T.; Toyoshima, T.

2015-12-01

To understand the dynamics of the lithosphere in subduction systems, the knowledge of rock composition is significant. However, rock composition of the overriding plate is still poorly understood. To estimate rock composition of the lithosphere, it is an effective method to compare the elastic wave velocities measured under the high pressure and temperature condition with the seismic velocities obtained by active source experiment and earthquake observation. Due to an arc-arc collision in central Hokkaido, middle to lower crust is exposed along the Hidaka Metamorphic Belt (HMB), providing exceptional opportunities to study crust composition of an island arc. Across the HMB, P-wave velocity model has been constructed by refraction/wide-angle reflection seismic profiling (Iwasaki et al., 2004). Furthermore, because of the interpretation of the crustal structure (Ito, 2000), we can follow a continuous pass from the surface to the middle-lower crust. We corrected representative rock samples from HMB and measured ultrasonic P-wave (Vp) and S-wave velocities (Vs) under the pressure up to 1.0 GPa in a temperature range from 25 to 400 °C. For example, the Vp values measured at 25 °C and 0.5 GPa are 5.88 km/s for the granite (74.29 wt.% SiO2), 6.02-6.34 km/s for the tonalites (66.31-68.92 wt.% SiO2), 6.34 km/s for the gneiss (64.69 wt.% SiO2), 6.41-7.05 km/s for the amphibolites (50.06-51.13 wt.% SiO2), and 7.42 km/s for the mafic granulite (50.94 wt.% SiO2). And, Vp of tonalites showed a correlation with SiO2 (wt.%). Comparing with the velocity profiles across the HMB (Iwasaki et al., 2004), we estimate that the lower to middle crust consists of amphibolite and tonalite, and the estimated acoustic impedance contrast between them suggests an existence of a clear reflective boundary, which accords well to the obtained seismic reflection profile (Iwasaki et al., 2014). And, we can obtain the same tendency from comparing measured Vp/Vs ratio and Vp/Vs ratio structure model

High-definition velocity-space tomography of fast-ion dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salewski, Mirko; Geiger, B.; Jacobsen, A.S.

2016-01-01

Velocity-space tomography of the fast-ion distribution function in a fusion plasma is usually a photon-starved tomography method due to limited optical access and signal-to-noise ratio of fast-ion Dα (FIDA) spectroscopy as well as the strive for high-resolution images. In high-definition tomography...... information to reconstruct where in velocity space the measurements and the simulation disagree. This alternative approach is demonstrated for four-view as well as for two-view FIDA measurements. The high-definition tomography tools allow us to study fast ions in sawtoothing plasmas and the formation of NBI...

Phase selection and microstructure in directional solidification of glass forming Pd-Si-Cu alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Yang

Phase selection and microstructure formation during the rapid solidification of alloy melts has been a topic of substantial interest over the last several decades, attributed mainly to the access to novel structures involving metastable crystalline and non-crystalline phases. In this work, Bridgeman type directional solidification was conducted in Pd-Si-Cu glass forming system to study such cooling rate dependent phase transition and microstructure formation. The equilibrium state for Pd-Si-Cu ternary system was investigated through three different works. First of all, phase stabilities for Pd-Si binary system was accessed with respects of first-principles and experiments, showing Pd5Si, Pd9Si2, Pd3Si and Pd 2Si phase are stable all way to zero Kevin while PdSi phase is a high temperature stable phase, and Pd2Si phase with Fe2P is a non-stoichiometry phase. A thermodynamic database was developed for Pd-Si system. Second, crystal structures for compounds with ternary compositions were studied by XRD, SEM and TEM, showing ordered and disordered B2/bcc phases are stable in Pd-rich part. At last, based on many phase equilibria and phase transitions data, a comprehensive thermodynamic discrption for Pd-Si-Cu ternary system was first time to be developed, from which different phase diagrams and driving force for kinetics can be calculated. Phase selection and microstructure formation in directional solidification of the best glass forming composition, Pd 77.5Si16.5Cu6, in this system with growth velocities from 0.005 to 7.5mm/s was systematically studied and the solidification pathways at different conditions were interpreted from thermodynamic simulation. The results show that for growth velocities are smaller than 0.1mm/s Pd 3Si phase is primary phase and Pd9Si2 phase is secondary phase, the difficulty for Pd9Si2 phase nucleation gives rise to the formation of two different eutectic structure. For growth velocities between 0.4 and 1mm/s, instead of Pd3Si phase, Pd9Si2

TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA COLORS AND EJECTA VELOCITIES: HIERARCHICAL BAYESIAN REGRESSION WITH NON-GAUSSIAN DISTRIBUTIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandel, Kaisey S.; Kirshner, Robert P.; Foley, Ryan J.

2014-01-01

We investigate the statistical dependence of the peak intrinsic colors of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) on their expansion velocities at maximum light, measured from the Si II λ6355 spectral feature. We construct a new hierarchical Bayesian regression model, accounting for the random effects of intrinsic scatter, measurement error, and reddening by host galaxy dust, and implement a Gibbs sampler and deviance information criteria to estimate the correlation. The method is applied to the apparent colors from BVRI light curves and Si II velocity data for 79 nearby SNe Ia. The apparent color distributions of high-velocity (HV) and normal velocity (NV) supernovae exhibit significant discrepancies for B – V and B – R, but not other colors. Hence, they are likely due to intrinsic color differences originating in the B band, rather than dust reddening. The mean intrinsic B – V and B – R color differences between HV and NV groups are 0.06 ± 0.02 and 0.09 ± 0.02 mag, respectively. A linear model finds significant slopes of –0.021 ± 0.006 and –0.030 ± 0.009 mag (10 3 km s –1 ) –1 for intrinsic B – V and B – R colors versus velocity, respectively. Because the ejecta velocity distribution is skewed toward high velocities, these effects imply non-Gaussian intrinsic color distributions with skewness up to +0.3. Accounting for the intrinsic-color-velocity correlation results in corrections to A V extinction estimates as large as –0.12 mag for HV SNe Ia and +0.06 mag for NV events. Velocity measurements from SN Ia spectra have the potential to diminish systematic errors from the confounding of intrinsic colors and dust reddening affecting supernova distances

High performance a-Si solar cells and new fabrication methods for a-Si solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, S.; Kuwano, Y.; Ohnishi, M.

1986-12-01

The super chamber, a separated UHV reaction-chamber system has been developed. A conversion efficiency of 11.7% was obtained for an a-Si solar cell using a high-quality i-layer deposited by the super chamber, and a p-layer fabricated by a photo-CVD method. As a new material, amorphous superlattice-structure films were fabricated by the photo-CVD method for the first time. Superlattice structure p-layer a-Si solar cells were fabricated, and a conversion efficiency of 10.5% was obtained. For the fabrication of integrated type a-Si solar cell modules, a laser pattering method was investigated. A thermal analysis of the multilayer structure was done. It was confirmed that selective scribing for a-Si, TCO and metal film is possible by controlling the laser power density. Recently developed a-Si solar power generation systems and a-Si solar cell roofing tiles are also described.

Photodissociation and excitation of interstellar molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dishoeck, E.F. van.

1984-01-01

Apart from a rather long introduction containing some elementary astrophysics, quantum chemistry and spectroscopy and an incomplete, historical review of molecular observations, this thesis is divided into three sections. In part A, a rigorous quantum chemical and dynamical study is made of the photodissociation processes in the OH and HCl molecules. In part B, the cross sections obtained in part A are used in various astrophysical problems such as the study of the abundances of the OH and HCl molecules in interstellar clouds, the use of the OH abundance as a measure of the cosmic ray ionization rate, the lifetime of the OH radical in comets and the abundance of OH in the solar photosphere. Part C discusses the excitation of the C 2 molecule under interstellar conditions, its use as a diagnostic probe of the temperature, density and strength of the radiation field in interstellar clouds. Quadrupole moments and oscillator strengths are analyzed. (Auth.)

Chemical reactivities of some interstellar molecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chadha, M S

1980-01-01

Work in the area of chemical evolution during the last 25 years has revealed the formation of a large number of biologically important molecules produced from simple starting materials under relatively simple experimental conditions. Much of this work has resulted from studies under atmospheres simulating that of the primitive earth or other planets. During the last decade, progress has also been made in the identification of chemical constituents of interstellar medium. A number of these molecules are the same as those identified in laboratory experiments. Even though the conditions of the laboratory experiments are vastly different from those of the cool, low-density interstellar medium, some of the similarities in composition are too obvious to go unnoticed. The present paper highlights some of the similarities in the composition of prebiotic molecules and those discovered in the interstellar medium. Also the chemical reactions which some of the common molecules e.g., NH3, HCN, H2CO, HC(triple bond)-C-CN etc. can undergo are surveyed.

Unsupervised Learning Through Randomized Algorithms for High-Volume High-Velocity Data (ULTRA-HV).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinar, Ali [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kolda, Tamara G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Carlberg, Kevin Thomas [Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, MA (United States); Ballard, Grey [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mahoney, Michael [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2018-01-01

Through long-term investments in computing, algorithms, facilities, and instrumentation, DOE is an established leader in massive-scale, high-fidelity simulations, as well as science-leading experimentation. In both cases, DOE is generating more data than it can analyze and the problem is intensifying quickly. The need for advanced algorithms that can automatically convert the abundance of data into a wealth of useful information by discovering hidden structures is well recognized. Such efforts however, are hindered by the massive volume of the data and its high velocity. Here, the challenge is developing unsupervised learning methods to discover hidden structure in high-volume, high-velocity data.

Interstellar Neutral Helium in the Heliosphere from IBEX Observations. V. Observations in IBEX-Lo ESA Steps 1, 2, and 3

Science.gov (United States)

Swaczyna, Paweł; Bzowski, Maciej; Kubiak, Marzena A.; Sokół, Justyna M.; Fuselier, Stephen A.; Galli, André; Heirtzler, David; Kucharek, Harald; McComas, David J.; Möbius, Eberhard; Schwadron, Nathan A.; Wurz, P.

2018-02-01

Direct-sampling observations of interstellar neutral (ISN) He by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) provide valuable insight into the physical state of and processes operating in the interstellar medium ahead of the heliosphere. The ISN He atom signals are observed at the four lowest ESA steps of the IBEX-Lo sensor. The observed signal is a mixture of the primary and secondary components of ISN He and H. Previously, only data from one of the ESA steps have been used. Here, we extend the analysis to data collected in the three lowest ESA steps with the strongest ISN He signal, for the observation seasons 2009–2015. The instrument sensitivity is modeled as a linear function of the atom impact speed onto the sensor’s conversion surface separately for each ESA step of the instrument. We find that the sensitivity increases from lower to higher ESA steps, but within each of the ESA steps it is a decreasing function of the atom impact speed. This result may be influenced by the hydrogen contribution, which was not included in the adopted model, but seems to exist in the signal. We conclude that the currently accepted temperature of ISN He and velocity of the Sun through the interstellar medium do not need a revision, and we sketch a plan of further data analysis aiming at investigating ISN H and a better understanding of the population of ISN He originating in the outer heliosheath.

Synthesis of SiC decorated carbonaceous nanorods and its hierarchical composites Si@SiC@C for high-performance lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Chundong [School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China); Li, Yi, E-mail: liyi@suda.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou (China); Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China); Ostrikov, Kostya [School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 (Australia); Plasma Nanoscience, Industrial Innovation Program, CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Lindfield, New South Wales 2070 (Australia); Yang, Yonggang [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou (China); Zhang, Wenjun, E-mail: apwjzh@cityu.edu.hk [Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China)

2015-10-15

SiC- based nanomaterials possess superior electric, thermal and mechanical properties. However, due to the tricky synthesis process, which needs to be carried out under high temperature with multi-step reaction procedures, the further application is dramatically limited. Herein, a simple as well as a controllable approach is proposed for synthesis of SiC- based nanostructures under low temperature. Phenyl-bridged polysilsesquioxane was chosen as the starting material to react with magnesium at 650 °C, following which SiC@C nanocomposites were finally obtained, and it maintains the original bent rod-like architecture of polysilsesquioxanes. The possible formation process for the nanocomposites can proposed as well. The electrochemical behaviour of nanocomposites was accessed, verifying that the synthesized SiC@C nanocomposites deliver good electrochemical performance. Moreover, SiC@C also shows to be a promising scaffold in supporting Si thin film electrode in achieving stable cycling performance in lithium ion batteries. - Highlights: • SiC@C bent nanorods were synthesized with a magnesium reaction approach. • Carbon nanorod spines studded with ultrafine β-SiC nanocrystallines was realized. • The synthesized SiC@C keeps the original rod-like structure of polysilsesquioxanes. • The possible formation process for the nanocomposites was analysed and proposed. • Si@SiC@C nanocomposites reveal good electrochemical performance in LIBs.

Chemisputtering of interstellar graphite grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Draine, B.T.

1979-01-01

The rate of erosion of interstellar graphite grains as a result of chemical reaction with H, N, and O is estimated using the available experiment evidence. It is argued that ''chemical sputtering'' yields for interstellar graphite grains will be much less than unity, contrary to earlier estimates by Barlow and Silk. Chemical sputtering of graphite grains in evolving H II regions is found to be unimportant, except in extremely compact (n/sub H/> or approx. =10 5 cm -3 ) H II regions. Alternative explanations are considered for the apparent weakness of the lambda=2175 A extinction ''bump'' in the direction of several early type stars

Interstellar and ejecta dust in the cas a supernova remnant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2014-05-01

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

Effects of boron addition on the formation of MoSi2 by combustion synthesis mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Peizhong; Wu Jie; Islam, S.H.; Liu Weisheng; Niu Jinan; Wang Xiaohong; Qiang Yinghuai

2010-01-01

The combustion synthesis behavior of Mo-Si-B powder was investigated. Test specimens with nominal compositions including MoSi 2 , Mo(Si 0.975 B 0.025 ) 2 , Mo(Si 0.95 B 0.05 ) 2 , Mo(Si 0.925 B 0.075 ) 2 and Mo(Si 0.9 B 0.1 ) 2 were employed. The combustion mode, propagation velocity of combustion wave, combustion temperature and combustion product structure were studied. The results showed that the combustion wave propagated along a spiral trajectory till reaching the bottom of the compacts. The combustion temperature was increased by the addition of boron, to as high as 1922 K in the case of the Mo(Si 0.95 B 0.05 ) 2 sample. However, the flame-front propagation velocity decreased as a result of the addition of boron. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the combustion products of the Mo(Si 0.975 B 0.025 ) 2 and Mo(Si 0.9 B 0.1 ) 2 samples were composed of MoSi 2 with minor MoB. Those of the Mo(Si 0.95 B 0.05 ) 2 and Mo(Si 0.925 B 0.075 ) 2 samples were composed of MoSi 2 with minor MoB and MoB 2 . And traces of Mo 2 B 5 were identified in the Mo(Si 0.95 B 0.05 ) 2 sample.

High-efficient production of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires for effective microwave absorption

KAUST Repository

Zhong, Bo; Sai, Tianqi; Xia, Long; Yu, Yuanlie; Wen, Guangwu

2017-01-01

In the current report, we have demonstrated that the high-efficient production of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires can be achieved through the introduction of trace of water vapor during the chemical vapor deposition process. The yield of the SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires is dramatically improved due to the introduction of water vapor. The SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires exhibit an excellent microwave absorption property in the frequency range of 2.0–18.0GHz with a very low weight percentage of 0.50wt.% in the absorbers. A minimum reflection loss value of −32.72dB (>99.99% attenuation) at 13.84GHz has been observed with the absorber thickness of 3.0mm. Moreover, the SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires based absorber can reach an effective absorption bandwidth (<−10dB) of 5.32GHz with the absorber thickness of 3.5mm. Furthermore, a possible absorption mechanism is also proposed in detail for such effective attenuation of microwave which can be attributed to the dielectric loss and magnetic loss of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires.

High-efficient production of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires for effective microwave absorption

KAUST Repository

Zhong, Bo

2017-02-21

In the current report, we have demonstrated that the high-efficient production of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires can be achieved through the introduction of trace of water vapor during the chemical vapor deposition process. The yield of the SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires is dramatically improved due to the introduction of water vapor. The SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires exhibit an excellent microwave absorption property in the frequency range of 2.0–18.0GHz with a very low weight percentage of 0.50wt.% in the absorbers. A minimum reflection loss value of −32.72dB (>99.99% attenuation) at 13.84GHz has been observed with the absorber thickness of 3.0mm. Moreover, the SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires based absorber can reach an effective absorption bandwidth (<−10dB) of 5.32GHz with the absorber thickness of 3.5mm. Furthermore, a possible absorption mechanism is also proposed in detail for such effective attenuation of microwave which can be attributed to the dielectric loss and magnetic loss of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires.

Interstellar Ices and Radiation-induced Oxidations of Alcohols

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, R. L.; Moore, M. H.

2018-04-01

Infrared spectra of ices containing alcohols that are known or potential interstellar molecules are examined before and after irradiation with 1 MeV protons at ∼20 K. The low-temperature oxidation (hydrogen loss) of six alcohols is followed, and conclusions are drawn based on the results. The formation of reaction products is discussed in terms of the literature on the radiation chemistry of alcohols and a systematic variation in their structures. The results from these new laboratory measurements are then applied to a recent study of propargyl alcohol. Connections are drawn between known interstellar molecules, and several new reaction products in interstellar ices are predicted.

Velocity field measurements on high-frequency, supersonic microactuators

Science.gov (United States)

Kreth, Phillip A.; Ali, Mohd Y.; Fernandez, Erik J.; Alvi, Farrukh S.

2016-05-01

The resonance-enhanced microjet actuator which was developed at the Advanced Aero-Propulsion Laboratory at Florida State University is a fluidic-based device that produces pulsed, supersonic microjets by utilizing a number of microscale, flow-acoustic resonance phenomena. The microactuator used in this study consists of an underexpanded source jet that flows into a cylindrical cavity with a single, 1-mm-diameter exhaust orifice through which an unsteady, supersonic jet issues at a resonant frequency of 7 kHz. The flowfields of a 1-mm underexpanded free jet and the microactuator are studied in detail using high-magnification, phase-locked flow visualizations (microschlieren) and two-component particle image velocimetry. These are the first direct measurements of the velocity fields produced by such actuators. Comparisons are made between the flow visualizations and the velocity field measurements. The results clearly show that the microactuator produces pulsed, supersonic jets with velocities exceeding 400 m/s for roughly 60 % of their cycles. With high unsteady momentum output, this type of microactuator has potential in a range of ow control applications.

Rapid solidification growth mode transitions in Al-Si alloys by dynamic transmission electron microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roehling, John D.; Coughlin, Daniel R.; Gibbs, John W.; Baldwin, J. Kevin; Mertens, James C.E.; Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Clarke, Amy J.; McKeown, Joseph T.

2017-01-01

In situ dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM) imaging of Al-Si thin-film alloys was performed to investigate rapid solidification behavior. Solidification of alloys with compositions from 1 to 15 atomic percent Si was imaged during pulsed laser melting and subsequent solidification. Solely α-Al solidification was observed in Al-1Si and Al-3Si alloys, and solely kinetically modified eutectic growth was observed in Al-6Si and Al-9Si alloys. A transition in the solidification mode in eutectic and hypereutectic alloys (Al-12Si and Al-15Si) from nucleated α-Al dendrites at lower solidification velocities to planar eutectic growth at higher solidification velocities was observed, departing from trends previously seen in laser-track melting experiments. Comparisons of the growth modes and corresponding velocities are compared with previous solidification models, and implications regarding the models are discussed.

Fabrication of highly oriented D0{sub 3}-Fe{sub 3}Si nanocrystals by solid-state dewetting of Si ultrathin layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naito, Muneyuki, E-mail: naito22@center.konan-u.ac.jp [Department of Chemistry, Konan University, Okamoto, Higashinada, Kobe, Hyogo 658-8501 (Japan); Nakagawa, Tatsuhiko; Machida, Nobuya; Shigematsu, Toshihiko [Department of Chemistry, Konan University, Okamoto, Higashinada, Kobe, Hyogo 658-8501 (Japan); Nakao, Motoi [Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Sensui, Tobata, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 804-8550 (Japan); Sudoh, Koichi [The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047 (Japan)

2013-07-31

In this paper, highly oriented nanocrystals of Fe{sub 3}Si with a D0{sub 3} structure are fabricated on SiO{sub 2} using ultrathin Si on insulator substrate. First, (001) oriented Si nanocrystals are formed on the SiO{sub 2} layer by solid state dewetting of the top Si layer. Then, Fe addition to the Si nanocrystals is performed by reactive deposition epitaxy and post-deposition annealing at 500 °C. The structures of the Fe–Si nanocrystals are analyzed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and nanobeam electron diffraction. We observe that Fe{sub 3}Si nanocrystals with D0{sub 3}, B2, and A2 structures coexist on the 1-h post-annealed samples. Prolonged annealing at 500 °C is effective in obtaining Fe{sub 3}Si nanocrystals with a D0{sub 3} single phase, thereby promoting structural ordering in the nanocrystals. We discuss the formation process of the highly oriented D0{sub 3}-Fe{sub 3}Si nanocrystals on the basis of the atomistic structural information. - Highlights: • Highly oriented Fe–Si nanocrystals (NCs) are fabricated by reactive deposition. • Si NCs formed by solid state dewetting of Si thin layers are used as seed crystals. • The structures of Fe–Si NCs are analyzed by nanobeam electron diffraction. • Most of Fe–Si NCs possess the D0{sub 3} structure after post-deposition annealing.

SiC nanofibers grown by high power microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honda, Shin-ichi; Baek, Yang-Gyu; Ikuno, Takashi; Kohara, Hidekazu; Katayama, Mitsuhiro; Oura, Kenjiro; Hirao, Takashi

2003-01-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) nanofibers have been synthesized on Si substrates covered by Ni thin films using high power microwave chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with electron energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed that the resultant fibrous nanostructures were assigned to β-SiC with high crystallinity. The formation of SiC nanofibers can be explained by the vapor liquid solid (VLS) mechanism in which precipitation of SiC occurs from the supersaturated Ni nanoparticle containing Si and C

REVISITING ULYSSES OBSERVATIONS OF INTERSTELLAR HELIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, Brian E.; Müller, Hans-Reinhard; Witte, Manfred

2015-01-01

We report the results of a comprehensive reanalysis of Ulysses observations of interstellar He atoms flowing through the solar system, the goal being to reassess the interstellar He flow vector and to search for evidence of variability in this vector. We find no evidence that the He beam seen by Ulysses changes at all from 1994-2007. The direction of flow changes by no more than ∼0.°3 and the speed by no more than ∼0.3 km s –1 . A global fit to all acceptable He beam maps from 1994-2007 yields the following He flow parameters: V ISM = 26.08 ± 0.21 km s –1 , λ = 75.54 ± 0.°19, β = –5.44 ± 0.°24, and T = 7260 ± 270 K; where λ and β are the ecliptic longitude and latitude direction in J2000 coordinates. The flow vector is consistent with the original analysis of the Ulysses team, but our temperature is significantly higher. The higher temperature somewhat mitigates a discrepancy that exists in the He flow parameters measured by Ulysses and the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, but does not resolve it entirely. Using a novel technique to infer photoionization loss rates directly from Ulysses data, we estimate a density of n He = 0.0196 ± 0.0033 cm –3 in the interstellar medium

REVISITING ULYSSES OBSERVATIONS OF INTERSTELLAR HELIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wood, Brian E. [Naval Research Laboratory, Space Science Division, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Müller, Hans-Reinhard [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Witte, Manfred, E-mail: brian.wood@nrl.navy.mil [Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau D-37191 (Germany)

2015-03-01

We report the results of a comprehensive reanalysis of Ulysses observations of interstellar He atoms flowing through the solar system, the goal being to reassess the interstellar He flow vector and to search for evidence of variability in this vector. We find no evidence that the He beam seen by Ulysses changes at all from 1994-2007. The direction of flow changes by no more than ∼0.°3 and the speed by no more than ∼0.3 km s{sup –1}. A global fit to all acceptable He beam maps from 1994-2007 yields the following He flow parameters: V {sub ISM} = 26.08 ± 0.21 km s{sup –1}, λ = 75.54 ± 0.°19, β = –5.44 ± 0.°24, and T = 7260 ± 270 K; where λ and β are the ecliptic longitude and latitude direction in J2000 coordinates. The flow vector is consistent with the original analysis of the Ulysses team, but our temperature is significantly higher. The higher temperature somewhat mitigates a discrepancy that exists in the He flow parameters measured by Ulysses and the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, but does not resolve it entirely. Using a novel technique to infer photoionization loss rates directly from Ulysses data, we estimate a density of n {sub He} = 0.0196 ± 0.0033 cm{sup –3} in the interstellar medium.

Carotid near-occlusion frequently has high peak systolic velocity on Doppler ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khangure, Simon R.; Machnowska, Matylda; Fox, Allan J.; Hojjat, Seyed-Parsa; Aviv, Richard I. [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medical Imaging, Neuroradiology Division, Toronto, ON (Canada); University of Toronto, Department of Medical Imaging, Division of Neuroimaging, Toronto (Canada); Benhabib, Hadas [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medical Imaging, Neuroradiology Division, Toronto, ON (Canada); Groenlund, Christer [Umeaa University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Umeaa (Sweden); Herod, Wendy [Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto (Canada); Maggisano, Robert [Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto (Canada); University of Toronto, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto (Canada); Sjoeberg, Anders [Umeaa University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Umeaa (Sweden); Umeaa University, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeaa (Sweden); Wester, Per [Umeaa University, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeaa (Sweden); Karolinska Institutet Danderyds Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences, Stockholm (Sweden); Hopyan, Julia [University of Toronto, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Toronto (Canada); Johansson, Elias [Umeaa University, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeaa (Sweden); Umeaa University, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeaa (Sweden)

2018-01-15

Carotid near-occlusion is a tight atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) resulting in decrease in diameter of the vessel lumen distal to the stenosis. Near-occlusions can be classified as with or without full collapse, and may have high peak systolic velocity (PSV) across the stenosis, mimicking conventional > 50% carotid artery stenosis. We aimed to determine how frequently near-occlusions have high PSV in the stenosis and determine how accurately carotid Doppler ultrasound can distinguish high-velocity near-occlusion from conventional stenosis. Included patients had near-occlusion or conventional stenosis with carotid ultrasound and CT angiogram (CTA) performed within 30 days of each other. CTA examinations were analyzed by two blinded expert readers. Velocities in the internal and common carotid arteries were recorded. Mean velocity, pulsatility index, and ratios were calculated, giving 12 Doppler parameters for analysis. Of 136 patients, 82 had conventional stenosis and 54 had near-occlusion on CTA. Of near-occlusions, 40 (74%) had high PSV (≥ 125 cm/s) across the stenosis. Ten Doppler parameters significantly differed between conventional stenosis and high-velocity near-occlusion groups. However, no parameter was highly sensitive and specific to separate the groups. Near-occlusions frequently have high PSV across the stenosis, particularly those without full collapse. Carotid Doppler ultrasound does not seem able to distinguish conventional stenosis from high-velocity near-occlusion. These findings question the use of ultrasound alone for preoperative imaging evaluation. (orig.)

The hydrogen coverage of interstellar PAHs [Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tielens, A.G.G.M.; Allamandola, L.J.; Barker, J.R.; Cohen, M.

1986-02-01

The rate at which the CH bond in interstellar Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) rupture due to the absorption of a uv photon has been calculated. The results show that small PAHs (less than or equal to 25 carbon atoms) are expected to be partially dehydrogenated in regions with intense uv fields, while large PAHs (greater than or equal to 25 atoms) are expected to be completely hydrogenated in those regions. Because estimate of the carbon content of interstellar PAHs lie in the range of 20 to 25 carbon atoms, dehydrogenation is probably not very important. Because of the absence of other emission features besides the 11.3 micrometer feature in ground-based 8 to 13 micrometer spectra, it has been suggested that interstellar PAHs are partially dehydrogenated. However, IRAS 8 to 22 micrometer spectra of most sources that show strong 7.7 and 11.2 micrometer emission features also show a plateau of emission extending from about 11.3 to 14 micrometer. Like the 11.3 micrometer feature, this new feature is attributed to the CH out of plane bending mode in PAHs. This new feature shows that interstellar PAHs are not as dehydrogenated as estimated from ground-based 8 to 13 micrometer spectra. It also constrains the molecular structure of interstellar PAHs. In particular, it seems that very condensed PAHs, such as coronene and circumcoronene, dominate the interstellar PAH mixture as expected from stability arguments

Large Interstellar Polarisation Survey. II. UV/optical study of cloud-to-cloud variations of dust in the diffuse ISM

Science.gov (United States)

Siebenmorgen, R.; Voshchinnikov, N. V.; Bagnulo, S.; Cox, N. L. J.; Cami, J.; Peest, C.

2018-03-01

It is well known that the dust properties of the diffuse interstellar medium exhibit variations towards different sight-lines on a large scale. We have investigated the variability of the dust characteristics on a small scale, and from cloud-to-cloud. We use low-resolution spectro-polarimetric data obtained in the context of the Large Interstellar Polarisation Survey (LIPS) towards 59 sight-lines in the Southern Hemisphere, and we fit these data using a dust model composed of silicate and carbon particles with sizes from the molecular to the sub-micrometre domain. Large (≥6 nm) silicates of prolate shape account for the observed polarisation. For 32 sight-lines we complement our data set with UVES archive high-resolution spectra, which enable us to establish the presence of single-cloud or multiple-clouds towards individual sight-lines. We find that the majority of these 35 sight-lines intersect two or more clouds, while eight of them are dominated by a single absorbing cloud. We confirm several correlations between extinction and parameters of the Serkowski law with dust parameters, but we also find previously undetected correlations between these parameters that are valid only in single-cloud sight-lines. We find that interstellar polarisation from multiple-clouds is smaller than from single-cloud sight-lines, showing that the presence of a second or more clouds depolarises the incoming radiation. We find large variations of the dust characteristics from cloud-to-cloud. However, when we average a sufficiently large number of clouds in single-cloud or multiple-cloud sight-lines, we always retrieve similar mean dust parameters. The typical dust abundances of the single-cloud cases are [C]/[H] = 92 ppm and [Si]/[H] = 20 ppm.

Ostwald ripening of faceted Si particles in an Al-Si-Cu melt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahani, A. J.; Xiao, X.; Skinner, K.; Peters, M.; Voorhees, P. W.

2016-01-01

The microstructural evolution of an Al-Si-Cu alloy during Ostwald ripening is imaged via synchrotron-based, four-dimensional (i.e., space and time resolved) X-ray tomography. Samples of composition Al-32 wt%Si-15 wt%Cu were annealed isothermally at 650 °C, in the two-phase solid-liquid regime, while tomographic projections were collected in situ over the course of five hours. Advances in experimental methods and computational approaches enable us to characterize the local interfacial curvatures and velocities during ripening. The sequence of three-dimensional reconstructions and interfacial shape distributions shows highly faceted Si particles in a copper-enriched liquid, that become increasingly isotropic or rounded over time. In addition, we find that the coarsening rate constant is approximately the same in the binary and ternary systems. By coupling these experimental measurements with CALPHAD modeling and ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, we assess the influence of Cu on the coarsening process. Lastly, we find the unusual “pinning” of microstructure at the junction between rough and smooth interfaces and suggest a mechanism for this behavior.

Characterizing interstellar filaments as revealed by the Herschel Gould Belt survey: Insights into the initial conditions for star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arzoumanian, Doris

2012-01-01

This thesis aims to characterize the physical properties of interstellar filaments imaged in nearby molecular clouds with the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the Herschel Gould Belt survey. In order to get insight into the formation and evolution of interstellar filaments I analyzed, during my PhD work, a large sample of filaments detected in various nearby clouds. The observed density profiles of the filaments show a power law behavior at large radii and their dust temperature profiles show a drop towards the center. The filaments are characterized by a narrow distribution of de-convolved inner widths, centered around a typical value of ∼ 0.1 pc, while they span more than three orders of magnitude in central column density. This typical filament width corresponds to the sonic scale below which interstellar turbulence becomes subsonic in diffuse gas, which may suggest that the filaments form as a result of the dissipation of large-scale turbulence. While the turbulent fragmentation picture provides a plausible mechanism for forming interstellar filaments, the fact that pre-stellar cores tend to form in dense, gravitationally unstable filaments suggests that gravity is a major driver in the subsequent evolution of the dense supercritical filaments. The latter hypothesis is supported by molecular line observations with the IRAM 30 m telescope, which show an increase in the non-thermal velocity dispersion of supercritical filaments as a function of their central column density, suggesting that self gravitating filaments grow in mass per unit length by accretion of background material while at the same time fragmenting into star-forming cores. (author) [fr

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.

C60+ - looking for the bucky-ball in interstellar space

Science.gov (United States)

Galazutdinov, G. A.; Shimansky, V. V.; Bondar, A.; Valyavin, G.; Krełowski, J.

2017-03-01

The laboratory gas-phase spectrum recently published by Campbell et al. has reinvigorated attempts to confirm the presence of the C_{60}^+ cation in the interstellar medium, through an analysis of the spectra of hot, reddened stars. This search is hindered by at least two issues that need to be addressed: (I) the wavelength range of interest is severely polluted by strong water-vapour lines coming from the Earth's atmosphere; (II) one of the major bands attributed to C_{60}^+, at 9633 Å, is blended with the stellar Mg II line, which is susceptible to non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effects in hot stellar atmospheres. Both these issues are carefully considered here for the first time, based on high-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio echellé spectra for 19 lines of sight. The result is that the presence of C_{60}^+ in interstellar clouds is brought into question.

Representing culture in interstellar messages

Science.gov (United States)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

2008-09-01

As scholars involved with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have contemplated how we might portray humankind in any messages sent to civilizations beyond Earth, one of the challenges they face is adequately representing the diversity of human cultures. For example, in a 2003 workshop in Paris sponsored by the SETI Institute, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI Permanent Study Group, the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (ISAST), and the John Templeton Foundation, a varied group of artists, scientists, and scholars from the humanities considered how to encode notions of altruism in interstellar messages . Though the group represented 10 countries, most were from Europe and North America, leading to the group's recommendation that subsequent discussions on the topic should include more globally representative perspectives. As a result, the IAA Study Group on Interstellar Message Construction and the SETI Institute sponsored a follow-up workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA in February 2005. The Santa Fe workshop brought together scholars from a range of disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, chemistry, communication science, philosophy, and psychology. Participants included scholars familiar with interstellar message design as well as specialists in cross-cultural research who had participated in the Symposium on Altruism in Cross-cultural Perspective, held just prior to the workshop during the annual conference of the Society for Cross-cultural Research . The workshop included discussion of how cultural understandings of altruism can complement and critique the more biologically based models of altruism proposed for interstellar messages at the 2003 Paris workshop. This paper, written by the chair of both the Paris and Santa Fe workshops, will explore the challenges of communicating concepts of altruism that draw on both biological and cultural models.

Interstellar space: the astrochemist's laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, M.A.

1976-01-01

A mechanism for the formation of molecules on small (radius less than or equal to 0.04 μ) interstellar grains is proposed. A simplified H 2 formation model is then presented that utilizes this surface reaction mechanism. This approach is further developed into an ab initio chemical model for dense interstellar clouds that incorporates 598 grain surface reactions, with small grains again providing the key reaction area. Gas-phase molecules are depleted through collisions with grains. The abundances of 372 chemical species are calculated as a function of time and are found to be of sufficient magnitude to explain most observations. The reaction rates for ion-molecule chemistry are approximately the same, therefore indicating that surface and gas-phase chemistry may be coupled in certain regions. The composition of grain mantles is shown to be a function of grain radius. In certain grain size ranges, large molecules containing two or more heavy atoms are more predominant than lighter ''ices''--H 2 O, NH 3 , and CH 4 . It is possible that absorption due to these large molecules in the mantles may contribute to the observed 3μ band in astronomical spectra. The second part of this thesis is an account of a radio astronomy observational program to detect new transitions of both previously observed and yet undetected interstellar molecules. The negative results yield order ofmagnitude upper limits to the column densities of the lower transition states of the various molecules. One special project was the search for the Λ-doublet transitions of the 2 H/sub 3 / 2 /, J = 3 / 2 state of OD. The resulting upper limit for the OD/OH column density ratio towards the galactic center is 1/400 and is discussed with reference to theories about deuterium enrichment in interstellar molecules

Interstellar Propulsion Research: Realistic Possibilities and Idealistic Dreams

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Les

2009-01-01

Though physically possible, interstellar travel will be exceedingly difficult. Both the known laws of physics and the limits of our current understanding of engineering place extreme limits on what may actually be possible. Our remote ancestors looked at the night sky and assumed those tiny points of light were campfires around which other tribes were gathered -- and they dreamed of someday making the trip to visit them. In our modern era, we've grown accustomed to humans regularly traveling into space and our robots voyaging ever-deeper into the outer edges of our solar system. Traveling to those distant campfires (stars) has been made to look easy by the likes of Captains Kirk and Picard as well as Han Solo and Commander Adama. Our understanding of physics and engineering has not kept up with our imaginations and many are becoming frustrated with the current pace at which we are exploring the universe. Fortunately, there are ideas that may one day lead to new physical theories about how the universe works and thus potentially make rapid interstellar travel possible -- but many of these are just ideas and are not even close to being considered a scientific theory or hypothesis. Absent any scientific breakthroughs, we should not give up hope. Nature does allow for interstellar travel, albeit slowly and requiring an engineering capability far beyond what we now possess. Antimatter, fusion and photon sail propulsion are all candidates for relatively near-term interstellar missions. The plenary lecture will discuss the dreams and challenges of interstellar travel, our current understanding of what may be possible and some of the "out of the box" ideas that may allow us to become an interstellar species someday in the future.

THE COMPOSITION OF INTERSTELLAR GRAINS TOWARD ζ OPHIUCHI: CONSTRAINING THE ELEMENTAL BUDGET NEAR THE DIFFUSE-DENSE CLOUD TRANSITION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poteet, Charles A.; Whittet, Douglas C. B. [New York Center for Astrobiology, Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Draine, Bruce T., E-mail: charles.poteet@gmail.com [Princeton University Observatory, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2015-03-10

We investigate the composition of interstellar grains along the line of sight toward ζ Ophiuchi, a well-studied environment near the diffuse-dense cloud transition. A spectral decomposition analysis of the solid-state absorbers is performed using archival spectroscopic observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope and Infrared Space Observatory. We find strong evidence for the presence of sub-micron-sized amorphous silicate grains, principally comprised of olivine-like composition, with no convincing evidence of H{sub 2}O ice mantles. However, tentative evidence for thick H{sub 2}O ice mantles on large (a ≈ 2.8 μm) grains is presented. Solid-state abundances of elemental Mg, Si, Fe, and O are inferred from our analysis and compared to standard reference abundances. We find that nearly all of the Mg and Si atoms along the line of sight reside in amorphous silicate grains, while a substantial fraction of the elemental Fe resides in compounds other than silicates. Moreover, we find that the total abundance of elemental O is largely inconsistent with the adopted reference abundances, indicating that as much as ∼156 ppm of interstellar O is missing along the line of sight. After taking into account additional limits on the abundance of elemental O in other O-bearing solids, we conclude that any missing reservoir of elemental O must reside on large grains that are nearly opaque to infrared radiation.

Thermally induced formation of SiC nanoparticles from Si/C/Si multilayers deposited by ultra-high-vacuum ion beam sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, C-K; Wu, B-H

2006-01-01

A novel approach for the formation of SiC nanoparticles (np-SiC) is reported. Deposition of Si/C/Si multilayers on Si(100) wafers by ultra-high-vacuum ion beam sputtering was followed by thermal annealing in vacuum for conversion into SiC nanoparticles. The annealing temperature significantly affected the size, density, and distribution of np-SiC. No nanoparticles were formed for multilayers annealed at 500 0 C, while a few particles started to appear when the annealing temperature was increased to 700 0 C. At an annealing temperature of 900 0 C, many small SiC nanoparticles, of several tens of nanometres, surrounding larger submicron ones appeared with a particle density approximately 16 times higher than that observed at 700 0 C. The higher the annealing temperature was, the larger the nanoparticle size, and the higher the density. The higher superheating at 900 0 C increased the amount of stable nuclei, and resulted in a higher particle density compared to that at 700 0 C. These particles grew larger at 900 0 C to reduce the total surface energy of smaller particles due to the higher atomic mobility and growth rate. The increased free energy of stacking defects during particle growth will limit the size of large particles, leaving many smaller particles surrounding the large ones. A mechanism for the np-SiC formation is proposed in this paper

The galactic interstellar medium

CERN Document Server

Burton, WB; Genzel, R

1992-01-01

This volume contains the papers of three extended lectures addressing advanced topics in astronomy and astrophysics. The topics discussed include the most recent observational data on interstellar matter outside our galaxy and the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds.

Modelling interstellar extinction: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, A.P.

1988-01-01

Several methods of calculating the extinction of porous silicate grains are discussed, these include effective medium theories and hollow spherical shells. Porous silicate grains are shown to produce enhanced infrared, ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet extinction and this effect can be used to reduce the abundance of carbon required to match the average interstellar extinction, however, matching the visual extinction is rather more problematical. We have shown that the enhanced extinction at long and short wavelengths have different origins, and have explained why the visual extinction is little affected by porosity. The implications of porous grains in the interstellar medium are discussed with particular reference to surface chemistry, the polarization of starlight, and their dynamical evolution. (author)

Interstellar Grains: 50 Years on

Science.gov (United States)

Wickramasinghe, N. C.

Our understanding of the nature of interstellar grains has evolved considerably over the past half century with the present author and Fred Hoyle being intimately involved at several key stages of progress. The currently fashionable graphite-silicate-organic grain model has all its essential aspects unequivocally traceable to original peer-reviewed publications by the author and/or Fred Hoyle. The prevailing reluctance to accept these clear-cut priorities may be linked to our further work that argued for interstellar grains and organics to have a biological provenance -- a position perceived as heretical. The biological model, however, continues to provide a powerful unifying hypothesis for a vast amount of otherwise disconnected and disparate astronomical data.

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe - A Mission to Discover the Origin of Particle Acceleration and its Fundamental Connection to the Global Interstellar Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Schwadron, N.

2017-12-01

Our piece of cosmic real-estate, the heliosphere, is the domain of all human existence - an astrophysical case-history of the successful evolution of life in a habitable system. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) was the first mission to explore the global heliosphere and in concert with Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 is discovering a fundamentally new and uncharted physical domain of the outer heliosphere. In parallel, Cassini/INCA maps the global heliosphere at energies ( 5-55 keV) above those measured by IBEX. The enigmatic IBEX ribbon and the INCA belt were unanticipated discoveries demonstrating that much of what we know or think we understand about the outer heliosphere needs to be revised. The global structure of the heliosphere is highly complex and influenced by competing factors ranging from the local interstellar magnetic field, suprathermal populations both within and beyond the heliopause, and the detailed flow properties of the LISM. Global heliospheric structure and microphysics in turn influences the acceleration of energetic particles and creates feedbacks that modify the interstellar interaction as a whole. The next quantum leap enabled by IMAP will open new windows on the frontier of Heliophysics and probe the acceleration of suprathermal and higher energy particles at a time when the space environment is rapidly evolving. IMAP ultimately connects the acceleration processes observed directly at 1 AU with unprecedented sensitivity and temporal resolution with the global structure of our heliosphere. The remarkable synergy between IMAP, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will remain for at least the next decade as Voyager 1 pushes further into the interstellar domain and Voyager 2 moves through the heliosheath. IMAP, like ACE before it, will be a keystone of the Heliophysics System Observatory by providing comprehensive energetic particle, pickup ion, suprathermal ion, neutral atom, solar wind, solar wind heavy ion, and magnetic field observations to diagnose

SiC detectors to monitor ionizing radiations emitted from nuclear events and plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Torrisi, L.; Cannavò, A.

2016-09-01

Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor detectors are increasingly employed in Nuclear Physics for their advantages with respect to traditional silicon (Si). Such detectors show an energy resolution, charge mobility, response velocity and detection efficiency similar to Si detectors. However, the higher band gap (3.26 eV), the lower leakage current (∼10 pA) maintained also at room temperature, the higher radiation hardness and the higher density with respect to Si represent some indisputable advantages characterizing such detectors. The devices can be employed at high temperatures, at high absorbed doses and in the case of high visible light intensities, for example, in plasma, for limited exposition times without damage. Generally SiC Schottky diodes are employed in reverse polarization with an active region depth of the order of 100 µm, purity below 1014 cm-3 and an active area lower than 1 cm2. Measurements in the regime of proportionality with the radiation energy released in the active region and measurements in time-of-flight configuration are employed for nuclear emission events produced at both low and high fluences. Alpha spectra demonstrated an energy resolution of about 1.3% at 5.8 MeV. Radiation emission from laser-generated plasma can be monitored in terms of detected photons, electrons and ions, using the laser pulse as a start signal and the radiation detection as a stop signal, enabling to measure the ion velocity by knowing the target-detector flight distance. SiC spectra acquired in the Messina University laboratories using radioactive ion sources and at the PALS laboratory facility in Prague (Czech Republic) are presented. A preliminary study of the use of SiC detectors, embedded in a water equivalent polymer, as a dosimeter is presented and discussed.

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.

Physical conditions in CaFe interstellar clouds

OpenAIRE

Gnacinski, P.; Krogulec, M.

2007-01-01

Interstellar clouds that exhibit strong Ca I and Fe I lines were called CaFe clouds. The ionisation equilibrium equations were used to model the column densities of Ca II, Ca I, K I, Na I, Fe I and Ti II in CaFe clouds. The chemical composition of CaFe clouds is that of the Solar System and no depletion of elements onto dust grains is seen. The CaFe clouds have high electron densities n=1 cm^-3 that leads to high column densities of neutral Ca and Fe.

Wafer-scale high-throughput ordered arrays of Si and coaxial Si/Si(1-x)Ge(x) wires: fabrication, characterization, and photovoltaic application.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Caofeng; Luo, Zhixiang; Xu, Chen; Luo, Jun; Liang, Renrong; Zhu, Guang; Wu, Wenzhuo; Guo, Wenxi; Yan, Xingxu; Xu, Jun; Wang, Zhong Lin; Zhu, Jing

2011-08-23

We have developed a method combining lithography and catalytic etching to fabricate large-area (uniform coverage over an entire 5-in. wafer) arrays of vertically aligned single-crystal Si nanowires with high throughput. Coaxial n-Si/p-SiGe wire arrays are also fabricated by further coating single-crystal epitaxial SiGe layers on the Si wires using ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHVCVD). This method allows precise control over the diameter, length, density, spacing, orientation, shape, pattern and location of the Si and Si/SiGe nanowire arrays, making it possible to fabricate an array of devices based on rationally designed nanowire arrays. A proposed fabrication mechanism of the etching process is presented. Inspired by the excellent antireflection properties of the Si/SiGe wire arrays, we built solar cells based on the arrays of these wires containing radial junctions, an example of which exhibits an open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 650 mV, a short-circuit current density (J(sc)) of 8.38 mA/cm(2), a fill factor of 0.60, and an energy conversion efficiency (η) of 3.26%. Such a p-n radial structure will have a great potential application for cost-efficient photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Fabrication of Al-20 wt%Si powder using scrap Si by ultra high-energy milling process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Won-Kyung [Division of Advanced Materials Engineering and Institute for Rare Metals, Kongju National University, 275, Budae-dong, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-717 (Korea, Republic of); Y Latin-Small-Letter-Dotless-I lmaz, Fikret [Department of Physics, Faculty of Art and Science, Gaziosmanpasa University, Tasliciftlik Campus, 60240 Tokat (Turkey); Kim, Hyo-Seob; Koo, Jar-Myung [Division of Advanced Materials Engineering and Institute for Rare Metals, Kongju National University, 275, Budae-dong, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-717 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Soon-Jik, E-mail: hongsj@kongju.ac.kr [Division of Advanced Materials Engineering and Institute for Rare Metals, Kongju National University, 275, Budae-dong, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-717 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-25

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High energy ball milling process has been successfully employed to produce Al-20Si alloy using scrap Si powders. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fully finer and homogenous structure could be achieved after 60 min of milling time. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si particles were not dissolved but uniformly dispersed in the Al matrix in a milled state. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The hardness of as-milled Al-20Si powder increased steadily with the increase of milling time. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Grain size and dispersion strengthening are two mechanisms being responsible for hardness increment. - Abstract: In this study, microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Al-20 wt%Si and pure Al powders fabricated by ultra high-energy ball milling technique were investigated as a function of milling time. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-milled powders were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Vickers hardness tester. SEM observation showed that the particle size increased at an early stage of milling, and then decreased drastically with further milling. XRD and cross-sectional EDS-mapping analyses revealed that Si particles were not dissolved but uniformly dispersed in the Al matrix in a milled state. Vickers hardness of both pure Al and Al-Si powder increases with milling time, which attributes to the grain size strengthening and dispersion strengthening.

High thermal conductivity SiC/SiC composites for fusion applications -- 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kowbel, W.; Tsou, K.T.; Withers, J.C.; Youngblood, G.E.

1998-01-01

This report covers material presented at the IEA/Jupiter Joint International Workshop on SiC/SiC Composites for Fusion Structural Applications held in conjunction with ICFRM-8, Sendai, Japan, Oct. 23--24, 1997. An unirradiated SiC/SiC composite made with MER-developed CVR SiC fiber and a hybrid PIP/CVI SiC matrix exhibited room temperature transverse thermal conductivity of 45 W/mK. An unirradiated SiC/SiC composite made from C/C composite totally CVR-converted to a SiC/SiC composite exhibited transverse thermal conductivity values of 75 and 35 W/mK at 25 and 1000 C, respectively. Both types of SiC/SiC composites exhibited non-brittle failure in flexure testing

Rheology of serpentinite in high-temperature and low-slip-velocity regime

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, M.; Uehara, S.; Mizoguchi, K.; Takeda, N.; Masuda, K.

2009-12-01

This study was designed to clarify the rheology of serpentinite experimentally, related both the sliding velocity and the temperature. The frictional behavior of serpentinite is of particular interest in the study of earthquake generation processes along subducting plates and transform faults. Previous studies [Reinen et al., 1991-93] revealed that the serpentinites indicated two-mechanical behaviors at velocity-step test: ‘state-variable dominated behavior’ at relatively higher velocity (0.1-10 μm/sec) and ‘flow-dominated behavior’ at lower velocity (less than 0.1 μm/sec). Such complexity on the frictional behavior could make it complicated to forecast on the slip acceleration process from the plate motion velocity to the earthquake. Even under the room-temperature condition, those multiple behavior could be observed, thus, serpentinite can be a model substance to present a new constitutive law at the brittle-ductile transition regime. We, therefore, focus to discuss the transient behaviors of serpentinite at the velocity-step test. We used a gas-medium, high-pressure, and high-temperature triaxial testing machine belonging to the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan. Sliding deformation was applied on the thin zone of the serpentinite gouge (1.0 g of almost pure antigorite powder) sandwiched between two alumina blocks with oblique surfaces at 30° to the axis. All experiments were carried out under a set of constant conditions, 100 MPa of the confining pressure (Ar-gas) and 30 MPa of the pore pressure (distilled water). The temperature conditions were varied from the room-temperature to 500° C, and three sliding velocity-regimes were adopted: low (0.0115 - 0.115 μm/sec), middle (0.115 - 1.15 μm/sec) and high (1.15 - 11.5 μm/sec) velocity regimes. In each velocity regime, the sliding velocity was increased or decreased in a stepwise fashion, and then we observed the transient behaviors until it reached the

Experiments on chemical and physical evolution of interstellar grain mantles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenberg, J.M.

1984-01-01

The Astrophysical Laboratory at the University of Leiden is the first to succeed in simulating the essential conditions in interstellar space as they affect the evolution of interstellar grains. (author)

The Wolf-Rayet nebula NGC 3199 - an interstellar snow plough?

Science.gov (United States)

Dyson, J. E.; Ghanbari, J.

1989-12-01

The Wolf-Rayet nebula NGC 3199 has a highly asymmetric morphology, with a very bright hemisphere near the exciting star HD 89358 and a much fainter and more extended other hemisphere. This nebula is modeled in terms of the distorted bubble produced by a moving star blowing a strong stellar wind into a surrounding uniform interstellar medium; this model is fitted to the morphology and observed kinematic data. The exciting star appears to be moving at about 60 km/s into local interstellar gas of density of about 10/cu cm, and has a mass-loss rate of about 0.000027 solar mass/yr. This latter mass-loss rate is in excellent agreement with observed mass-loss rates from Wolf-Rayet stars.

The Frequency Evolution of Interstellar Pulse Broadening from Radio Pulsars

Science.gov (United States)

Löhmer, O.; Mitra, D.; Gupta, Y.; Kramer, M.; Ahuja, A.

2004-10-01

Using radio pulsars as probes of the interstellar medium (ISM) we study the frequency evolution of interstellar scattering. The frequency dependence of scatter broadening times, τsc, for most of the pulsars with low and intermediate dispersion measures (DM ≲ 400 pc cm-3) is consistent with the Kolmogorov spectrum of electron density fluctuations in a turbulent medium. In contrast, the measured τsc's for highly dispersed pulsars in the central region of the Galaxy are larger than expected and show a spectrum which is flatter than the Kolmogorov law. We analyse the first measurements of spectral indices of scatter broadening over the full known DM range and discuss possible explanations for the anomalous scattering behaviour along peculiar lines of sight (LOS).

The Influence of Pressure Die Casting Parameters on the Castability of AlSi11-SiCp Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konopka Z.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the method of preparing a composite slurry composed of AlSi11 alloy matrix and 10 vol.% of SiC particles, as well as the method of its high-pressure die casting and the measurement results concerning the castability of the obtained composite. Composite castings were produced at various values of the piston velocity in the second stage of injection, diverse intensification pressure values, and various injection gate width values. There were found the regression equations describing the change of castability of the examined composite as a function of pressure die casting process parameters. The conclusion gives the analysis and the interpretation of the obtained results.

Photochirogenesis: Photochemical models on the absolute asymmetric formation of amino acids in interstellar space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meinert, Cornelia; de Marcellus, Pierre; Le Sergeant d'Hendecourt, Louis

2011-01-01

Proteins of all living organisms including plants, animals, and humans are made up of amino acid monomers that show identical stereochemical L-configuration. Hypotheses for the origin of this symmetry breaking in biomolecules include the absolute asymmetric photochemistry model by which...... interstellar ultraviolet (UV) circularly polarized light (CPL) induces an enantiomeric excess in chiral organic molecules in the interstellar/circumstellar media. This scenario is supported by a) the detection of amino acids in the organic residues of UV-photo-processed interstellar ice analogues, b......) the occurrence of L-enantiomer-enriched amino acids in carbonaceous meteorites, and c) the observation of CPL of the same helicity over large distance scales in the massive star-forming region of Orion. These topics are of high importance in topical biophysical research and will be discussed in this review...

Theoretical Research Progress in High-Velocity/Hypervelocity Impact on Semi-Infinite Targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunhou Sun

2015-01-01

Full Text Available With the hypervelocity kinetic weapon and hypersonic cruise missiles research projects being carried out, the damage mechanism for high-velocity/hypervelocity projectile impact on semi-infinite targets has become the research keystone in impact dynamics. Theoretical research progress in high-velocity/hypervelocity impact on semi-infinite targets was reviewed in this paper. The evaluation methods for critical velocity of high-velocity and hypervelocity impact were summarized. The crater shape, crater scaling laws and empirical formulae, and simplified analysis models of crater parameters for spherical projectiles impact on semi-infinite targets were reviewed, so were the long rod penetration state differentiation, penetration depth calculation models for the semifluid, and deformed long rod projectiles. Finally, some research proposals were given for further study.

High temperature oxidation behavior of SiC coating in TRISO coated particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Rongzheng; Liu, Bing; Zhang, Kaihong; Liu, Malin; Shao, Youlin; Tang, Chunhe

2014-01-01

Highlights: • High temperature oxidation tests of SiC coating in TRISO particles were carried out. • The dynamic oxidation process was established. • Oxidation mechanisms were proposed. • The existence of silicon oxycarbides at the SiO 2 /SiC interface was demonstrated. • Carbon was detected at the interface at high temperatures and long oxidation time. - Abstract: High temperature oxidation behavior of SiC coatings in tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) coated particles is crucial to the in-pile safety of fuel particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR). The postulated accident condition of air ingress was taken into account in evaluating the reliability of the SiC layer. Oxidation tests of SiC coatings were carried out in the ranges of temperature between 800 and 1600 °C and time between 1 and 48 h in air atmosphere. Based on the microstructure evolution of the oxide layer, the mechanisms and kinetics of the oxidation process were proposed. The existence of silicon oxycarbides (SiO x C y ) at the SiO 2 /SiC interface was demonstrated by X-ray photospectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Carbon was detected by Raman spectroscopy at the interface under conditions of very high temperatures and long oxidation time. From oxidation kinetics calculation, activation energies were 145 kJ/mol and 352 kJ/mol for the temperature ranges of 1200–1500 °C and 1550–1600 °C, respectively

Physics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium

CERN Document Server

Draine, Bruce T

2010-01-01

This is a comprehensive and richly illustrated textbook on the astrophysics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium--the gas and dust, as well as the electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, and magnetic and gravitational fields, present between the stars in a galaxy and also between galaxies themselves. Topics include radiative processes across the electromagnetic spectrum; radiative transfer; ionization; heating and cooling; astrochemistry; interstellar dust; fluid dynamics, including ionization fronts and shock waves; cosmic rays; distribution and evolution of the interstellar medium; and star formation. While it is assumed that the reader has a background in undergraduate-level physics, including some prior exposure to atomic and molecular physics, statistical mechanics, and electromagnetism, the first six chapters of the book include a review of the basic physics that is used in later chapters. This graduate-level textbook includes references for further reading, and serves as an invaluable resourc...

Management of High-Velocity Injuries of the Head and Neck.

Science.gov (United States)

Majors, Jacob S; Brennan, Joseph; Holt, G Richard

2017-11-01

Trauma centers must prepare to manage high-velocity injuries resulting from a mass casualty incidents as global terrorism becomes a greater concern and an increasing risk. The most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have significantly improved understanding of battlefield trauma and how to appropriately address these injures. This article applies combat surgery experience to civilian situations, outlines the physiology and kinetics of high-velocity injuries, and reviews applicable triage and management strategies. Published by Elsevier Inc.

From the Laboratory to Space: Neutral and Ionized PAHs in Translucent Interstellar Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Salama, Farid; Galazutdinov, G.; Biennier, L.; Krelowski, J.

2012-05-01

We describe and discuss the laboratory experiments that were designed to test the proposal of relating the origin of some of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) to neutral and ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in diffuse interstellar clouds. The spectra of several cold, isolated gas-phase PAH ions and neutral molecules have been measured using the COSmIC laboratory facility at NASA-Ames and are compared with an extensive set of astronomical spectra of reddened, early type stars. The COSmIC facility combines a supersonic free jet expansion with discharge plasma and high-sensitivity cavity ringdown spectroscopy to provide experimental conditions that closely mimic the interstellar conditions. This comparison provides - for the first time - accurate upper limits for the abundances of specific PAH molecules and ions along specific lines-of-sight. Something that is not attainable from infrared observations alone. The comparison of these unique laboratory data with high resolution, high S/N ratio astronomical observations leads to major findings regarding the column densities of the individual PAH molecules and ions that are probed in this survey and leads to clear and unambiguous conclusions regarding the expected abundances for PAHs of various sizes and charge states in these environments. This quantitative survey of neutral and ionized PAHs in the optical range opens the way for unambiguous quantitative searches of PAHs and complex organics in a variety of interstellar and circumstellar environments. Acknowledgements: F.S. acknowledges the support of the NASA’s Space Mission Directorate APRA Program. The authors are deeply grateful to the ESO archive as well as to the ESO staff members for their active support.

Dissolution of Si in Molten Al with Gas Injection

Science.gov (United States)

Seyed Ahmadi, Mehran

Silicon is an essential component of many aluminum alloys, as it imparts a range of desirable characteristics. However, there are considerable practical difficulties in dissolving solid Si in molten Al, because the dissolution process is slow, resulting in material and energy losses. It is thus essential to examine Si dissolution in molten Al, to identify means of accelerating the process. This thesis presents an experimental study of the effect of Si purity, bath temperature, fluid flow conditions, and gas stirring on the dissolution of Si in molten Al, plus the results of physical and numerical modeling of the flow to corroborate the experimental results. The dissolution experiments were conducted in a revolving liquid metal tank to generate a bulk velocity, and gas was introduced into the melt using top lance injection. Cylindrical Si specimens were immersed into molten Al for fixed durations, and upon removal the dissolved Si was measured. The shape and trajectory of injected bubbles were examined by means of auxiliary water experiments and video recordings of the molten Al free surface. The gas-agitated liquid was simulated using the commercial software FLOW-3D. The simulation results provide insights into bubble dynamics and offer estimates of the fluctuating velocities within the Al bath. The experimental results indicate that the dissolution rate of Si increases in tandem with the melt temperature and bulk velocity. A higher bath temperature increases the solubility of Si at the solid/liquid interface, resulting in a greater driving force for mass transfer, and a higher liquid velocity decreases the resistance to mass transfer via a thinner mass boundary layer. Impurities (with lower diffusion coefficients) in the form of inclusions obstruct the dissolution of the Si main matrix. Finally, dissolution rate enhancement was observed by gas agitation. It is postulated that the bubble-induced fluctuating velocities disturb the mass boundary layer, which

Characterizing the Interstellar and Circumgalactic Medium in Star-forming Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Xinnan; Shapley, Alice; Crystal Martin, Alison Coil, Charles Steidel, Tucker Jones, Daniel Stark, Allison Strom

2018-01-01

Rest-frame UV and optical spectroscopy provide valuable information on the physical properties of the neutral and ionized interstellar medium (ISM) in star-forming galaxies, including both the systemic interstellar component originating from HII regions, and the multi-phase outflowing component associated with star-formation feedback. My thesis focuses on both the systemic and outflowing ISM in star-forming galaxies at redshift z ~ 1-4. With an unprecedented sample at z~1 with the rest-frame near-UV coverage, we examined how the kinematics of the warm and cool phrases of gas, probed by the interstellar CIV and low-ionization features, respectively, relate to each other. The spectral properties of CIV strongly correlate with the current star-formation rate, indicating a distinct nature of highly-ionized outflowing gas being driven by massive star formation. Additionally, we used the same set of z~1 galaxies to study the properties of the systemic ISM in HII regions by analyzing the nebular CIII] emission. CIII] emission tends to be stronger in lower-mass, bluer, and fainter galaxies with lower metallicity, suggesting that the strong CIII] emitters at lower redshifts can be ideal analogs of young, bursty galaxies at z > 6, which are possibly responsible for reionizing the universe. We are currently investigating the redshift evolution of the neutral, circumgalactic gas in a sample of ~1100 Lyman Break Galaxies at z ~ 2-4. The negative correlation between Lya emission and low-ionization interstellar absorption line strengths appears to be universal across different redshifts, but the fine-structure line emitting regions are found to be more compact for higher-redshift galaxies. With the detailed observational constraints provided by the rest-UV and rest-optical spectroscopy, our study sheds light on how the interstellar and circumgalactic gas components and different phases of gas connect to each other, and therefore provides a comprehensive picture of the overall

Development of a high velocity rain erosion test method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Dong Teak; Jin, Doo Han [Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Hyung [Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2009-07-01

The nose of a missile, flying through raining region with a supersonic speed, is subjected to the rain erosion because the nose is made of a brittle ceramic material. A simple yet very effective rain erosion test method is developed. The sabot assembly similar to the hypodermic syringe carries specific amount of water is launched by a low pressure air gun. After the stopper stop the sabot assembly by impact, the steel plunger continues moving toward to squeeze the silicon rubber in front. The pressurized silicon rubber then is squeezed through the orifice in front of the sabot at high velocity, thus, accelerates the water droplet to higher velocity. The droplet velocity up to 800m/s is successfully attained using a low pressure air gun. The ceramic specimen assembly is placed in front of the high speed water droplet and the rain erosion damage on the surface of the specimen is observed.

Investigation of the atomic interface structure of mesotaxial Si/CoSi2(100) layers formed by high-dose implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulle-Lieuwma, C.W.T.; Jong, A.F. de; Vandenhoudt, D.E.W.

1991-01-01

Aligned mesotaxial films of CoSi 2 in monocrystalline (100) oriented Si substrates have been formed by high-dose ion implantation of Co, followed by a high temperature treatment. The atomic structures of both the lower and upper Si/CoSi 2 (100) interfaces of the buried CoSi 2 layer have been investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) combined with image simulations. A domain-like structure is observed consisting of areas with different interfaces. In order to derive the atomic configuration, image simulations of different proposed models are presented. By comparing simulated images and HREM images, two different atomic structure models for the Si/CoSi 2 (100) interface have been found. In the first model the interfacial Co atoms are six-fold coordinated and the tetrahedral coordination and bond lengths of silicon atoms are everywhere maintained. In the second model we found evidence for a 2 x 1 interface reconstruction, involving a difference in composition. The interfacial Co atoms are seven-fold coordinated. It is shown that the boundaries between the domains are associated with interfacial dislocations of edge-type with Burgers vectors b a/4 inclined and b = a/2 parallel to the interfacial plane. (author)

Riddling bifurcation and interstellar journeys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapitaniak, Tomasz

2005-01-01

We show that riddling bifurcation which is characteristic for low-dimensional attractors embedded in higher-dimensional phase space can give physical mechanism explaining interstellar journeys described in science-fiction literature

Strong Velocity-Weakening of Nanograins at High Slip-Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Han, R.; Hirose, T.; Ando, J.

2008-12-01

It has been observed that slip localization zones in some experimental and natural faults consist of crystalline or amorphous nanograins of different minerals. Prolonged grinding of silicate rocks (e.g., quartz rock and granite) is known to produce amorphous silica nanograins and mechanical properties of the material (especially under wet condition) have been attributed to a mechanism of fault weakening. Also, recent high- velocity friction tests on carbonate rocks showed that faults can be weakened by thermal decomposition of calcite into nanograins of lime and carbon dioxide and the lubrication effect of the nanograins would be critical for the fault weakening. However, mechanical behavior(s) and friction mechanism(s) of fault slip zones with nanograins, especially at high slip-rates, are still poorly understood, despite their potential importance to the understanding of seismic faulting. In this contribution, we show you our experimental results indicating velocity-weakening of nanograins (probably caused by still unknown mechanical behaviors of nanograins) rather than by temperature-related weakening behavior. In our high-velocity friction tests on Carrara marble at seismic slip-rates, we have tried to "cool" the simulated fault with liquid nitrogen and compressed air during frictional sliding, and found, in the simulated fault coated with nanopowders of lime (CaO) formed by thermal decomposition, no correlation between friction and temperature measured with thermocouples (i.e., no temperature-related weakening behavior), although strong "velocity-weakening" behavior appeared. The observation was confirmed by another experiment: from (1) the calculated "maximum" sliding surface temperature [Carslaw and Jaeger, 1959] using the mechanical data, with an assumption of strong slip localization into a very thin layer, and (2) the measured temperature with thermocouples at a place just below the sliding surface and close to the periphery of the specimen, it was found

The interstellar lithium abundance and the 7Li/6Li ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferlet, R.; Dennefeld, M.

1985-01-01

The λ 6708 doublet of interstellar Li I has been observed at high spectral resolution (3.km s -1 ) and very good signal to noise ratio (∼ 4000) towards δ Sco and ζ Oph. Using a profile fitting method, we derive for the first time outside the solar system a 7 Li/ 6 Li ratio of 38 for a diffuse cloud in front of ζ Oph. Even the lower limit of the error bar is incompatible with the ratio measured in meteorites and is not explained by recent models of galactic evolution. The existence of a local inhomogeneity is suggested. Finally, as for other alkalis, lithium is depleted on to dust grains in the diffuse interstellar medium [fr

Electromagnetic Forces on a Relativistic Spacecraft in the Interstellar Medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoang, Thiem [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 34055 (Korea, Republic of); Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr, E-mail: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA (United States)

2017-10-10

A relativistic spacecraft of the type envisioned by the Breakthrough Starshot initiative will inevitably become charged through collisions with interstellar particles and UV photons. Interstellar magnetic fields would therefore deflect the trajectory of the spacecraft. We calculate the expected deflection for typical interstellar conditions. We also find that the charge distribution of the spacecraft is asymmetric, producing an electric dipole moment. The interaction between the moving electric dipole and the interstellar magnetic field is found to produce a large torque, which can result in fast oscillation of the spacecraft around the axis perpendicular to the direction of motion, with a period of ∼0.5 hr. We then study the spacecraft rotation arising from impulsive torques by dust bombardment. Finally, we discuss the effect of the spacecraft rotation and suggest several methods to mitigate it.

Periodically structured Si pillars for high-performing heterojunction photodetectors

Science.gov (United States)

Melvin David Kumar, M.; Yun, Ju-Hyung; Kim, Joondong

2015-03-01

A periodical array of silicon (Si) micro pillar structures was fabricated on Si substrates using PR etching process. Indium tin oxide (ITO) layer of 80 nm thickness was deposited over patterned Si substrates so as to make ITO/n-Si heterojunction devices. The influences of width and period of pillars on the optical and electrical properties of prepared devices were investigated. The surface morphology of the Si substrates revealed the uniform array of pillar structures. The 5/10 (width/period) Si pillar pattern reduced the optical reflectance to 6.5% from 17% which is of 5/7 pillar pattern. The current rectifying ratio was found higher for the device in which the pillars are situated in optimum periods. At both visible (600 nm) and near infrared (900 nm) range of wavelengths, the 5/7 and 5/10 pillar patterned device exhibited the better photoresponses which are suitable for making advanced photodetectors. This highly transmittance and photoresponsive pillar patterned Si substrates with an ITO layer would be a promising device for various photoelectric applications.

Atomic collision experiments utilizing low-velocity, highly-charged ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, B.M.; Jones, K.W.; Meron, M.

1983-01-01

Intense beams of highly-stripped ions are now routinely produced at low velocities using the Brookhaven dual MP-tandems in a unique four-stage accel/decel mode. This mode of operation combines three stages of acceleration, stripping at high energy, and one stage of deceleration to near-zero velocity. To date, experiments have used 10-100 nA beams of bare and few-electron heavy ions at energies as low as 0.2 MeV/amu, and upgrades of the facility should push the lower limit below 0.1 MeV/amu. Recent experiments, such as measurements of charge transfer and x-ray production for S 6 - 16 + on He and Ar at 6-20 MeV and P(b) measurements for MO x-rays produced in Cl 16 + + Ar collisions at 20, 10 and 5 MeV have demonstrated the usefulness of highly-stripped, low-velocity projectiles. These experiments and a few possibilities for future experiments are discussed

Atomic collision experiments utilizing low-velocity, highly-charged ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, B.M.; Jones, K.W.; Meron, M.

1982-01-01

Intense beams of highly-stripped ions are now routinely produced at low velocities using the Brookhaven dual MP-tandens in a unique four-stage accel/decel mode. This mode of operation combines three stages of acceleration, stripping at high energy, and one stage of deceleration to near-zero velocity. To date, experiments have used 10-100 nA beams of bare and few-electron heavy ions at energies as low as 0.2 MeV/amu, and upgrades of the facility should push the lower limit below 0.1 MeV/amu. Recent experiments, such as measurements of charge transfer and x-ray production for S/sup 6-16+/ on He and Ar at 6 to 20 MeV and P(b) measurements for MO x-rays produced in Cl 16 + + Ar collisions at 20, 10, and 5 MeV have demonstrated the usefulness of highly-stripped, low-velocity projectiles. These experiments and a few possibilities for future experiments are discussed

The Identification of Complex Organic Molecules in the Interstellar Medium: Using Lasers and Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy to Simulate the Interstellar Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Bradley M.

1998-01-01

The Astrochemistry Group at NASA Ames Research Center is interested in the identification of large organic molecules in the interstellar medium Many smaller organic species (e.g. hydrocarbons, alcohols, etc.) have been previously identified by their radiofrequency signature due to molecular rotations. However, this becomes increasingly difficult to observe as the size of the molecule increases. Our group in interested in the identification of the carriers of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands (absorption features observed throughout the visible and near-infrared in the spectra of stars, due to species in the interstellar medium). Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related molecules are thought to be good candidates for these carriers. Laboratory experiments am performed at Ames to simulate the interstellar environment, and to compare spectra obtained from molecules in the laboratory to those derived astronomically. We are also interested in PAHs with respect to their possible connection to the UIR (Unidentified infrared) and ERE (Extended Red Emission) bands - emission features found to emanate from particular regions of our galaxy (e.g. Orion nebula, Red Rectangle, etc.). An old, "tried and proven spectroscopic technique, matrix isolation spectroscopy creates molecular conditions ideal for performing laboratory astrophysics.

Chemistry in interstellar space. [environment characteristics influencing reaction dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Donn, B.

1973-01-01

The particular characteristics of chemistry in interstellar space are determined by the unique environmental conditions involved. Interstellar matter is present at extremely low densities. Large deviations from thermodynamic equilibrium are, therefore, to be expected. A relatively intense ultraviolet radiation is present in many regions. The temperatures are in the range from 5 to 200 K. Data concerning the inhibiting effect of small activation energies in interstellar clouds are presented in a table. A summary of measured activation energies or barrier heights for exothermic exchange reactions is also provided. Problems of molecule formation are discussed, taking into account gas phase reactions and surface catalyzed processes.

Effect of surface passivation by SiN/SiO2 of AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors on Si substrate by deep level transient spectroscopy method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gassoumi, Malek; Mosbahi, Hana; Zaidi, Mohamed Ali; Gaquiere, Christophe; Maaref, Hassen

2013-01-01

Device performance and defects in AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors have been correlated. The effect of SiN/SiO 2 passivation of the surface of AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors on Si substrates is reported on DC characteristics. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements were performed on the device after the passivation by a (50/100 nm) SiN/SiO 2 film. The DLTS spectra from these measurements showed the existence of the same electron trap on the surface of the device

ALMA Reveals Sequential High-mass Star Formation in the G9.62+0.19 Complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Tie; Kim, Kee-Tae [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute 776, Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea 34055 (Korea, Republic of); Lacy, John [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Li, Pak Shing [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Wang, Ke [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str.2, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany); Qin, Sheng-Li [Department of Astronomy, Yunnan University, and Key Laboratory of Astroparticle Physics of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650091 (China); Zhang, Qizhou [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Garay, Guido; Mardones, Diego [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile); Wu, Yuefang [Department of Astronomy, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Zhu, Qingfeng [Astronomy Department, University of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 210008 (China); Tatematsu, Ken’ichi; Hirota, Tomoya [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Ren, Zhiyuan; Li, Di [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, A20 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012 (China); Liu, Sheng-Yuan; Chen, Huei-Ru; Su, Yu-Nung, E-mail: liutiepku@gmail.com [Academia Sinica, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2017-11-01

Stellar feedback from high-mass stars (e.g., H ii regions) can strongly influence the surrounding interstellar medium and regulate star formation. Our new ALMA observations reveal sequential high-mass star formation taking place within one subvirial filamentary clump (the G9.62 clump) in the G9.62+0.19 complex. The 12 dense cores (MM1–MM12) detected by ALMA are at very different evolutionary stages, from the starless core phase to the UC H ii region phase. Three dense cores (MM6, MM7/G, MM8/F) are associated with outflows. The mass–velocity diagrams of the outflows associated with MM7/G and MM8/F can be well-fit by broken power laws. The mass–velocity diagram of the SiO outflow associated with MM8/F breaks much earlier than other outflow tracers (e.g., CO, SO, CS, HCN), suggesting that SiO traces newly shocked gas, while the other molecular lines (e.g., CO, SO, CS, HCN) mainly trace the ambient gas continuously entrained by outflow jets. Five cores (MM1, MM3, MM5, MM9, MM10) are massive starless core candidates whose masses are estimated to be larger than 25 M {sub ☉}, assuming a dust temperature of ≤20 K. The shocks from the expanding H ii regions (“B” and “C”) to the west may have a great impact on the G9.62 clump by compressing it into a filament and inducing core collapse successively, leading to sequential star formation. Our findings suggest that stellar feedback from H ii regions may enhance the star formation efficiency and suppress low-mass star formation in adjacent pre-existing massive clumps.

On supernovae as a source of interstellar dust. The current observational picture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinerstein, H.L.

1984-01-01

Supernovae have been generally thought of as being effective agents for the destruction of ambient interstellar dust. The idea that supernovae may also be a source of dust has been of interest recently, and is attractive for a couple of reasons. The main motivation is to explain meteoritic inclusions with peculiar isotopic abundance ratios as supernova dust condensates predating the solar nebula. In addition, although the nucleation process is not fully understood, the high concentration of condensable elements in the supernova mantle suggests the possibility that grain formation could be very efficient. In this case, supernovae could be a major source of new grain cores to the interstellar medium. (author)

Influence of the interstellar medium on climate and life: the Black Cloud revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Talbot, Jr, R J

1980-06-01

Recent studies of the gas and dust between the stars, the interstellar medium, reveal a complex chemistry which indicates that prebiotic organic chemistry is ubiquitous. The relationship between this interstellar chemistry and the organic chemistry of the early solar system and the earth is explored. The interstellar medium is also considered as likely to have a continuing influence upon the climate of the earth and other planets. Life forms as we know them are not only descendants of the organic evolution begun in the interstellar medium, but their continuing evolution is also molded through occasional interactions between the interstellar medium, the sun and the climate on earth.

Influence of the interstellar medium on climate and life. The black cloud revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Talbot, Jr, R J [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (USA). Dept. of Space Physics and Astronomy

1980-06-01

Recent studies of the gas and dust between the stars, the interstellar medium, reveal a complex chemistry which indicates that prebiotic organic chemistry is ubiquitous. The relationship between this interstellar chemistry and the organic chemistry of the early solar system and the Earth is explored. The interstellar medium is also considered as likely to have a continuing influence upon the climate of the Earth and other planets. Life forms as known are not only descendants of the organic evolution begun in the interstellar medium, but their continuing evolution is also molded through occasional interactions between the interstellar medium, the Sun and the climate on Earth.

Experimental and numerical studies of high-velocity impact fragmentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kipp, M.E.; Grady, D.E.; Swegle, J.W.

1993-08-01

Developments are reported in both experimental and numerical capabilities for characterizing the debris spray produced in penetration events. We have performed a series of high-velocity experiments specifically designed to examine the fragmentation of the projectile during impact. High-strength, well-characterized steel spheres (6.35 mm diameter) were launched with a two-stage light-gas gun to velocities in the range of 3 to 5 km/s. Normal impact with PMMA plates, thicknesses of 0.6 to 11 mm, applied impulsive loads of various amplitudes and durations to the steel sphere. Multiple flash radiography diagnostics and recovery techniques were used to assess size, velocity, trajectory and statistics of the impact-induced fragment debris. Damage modes to the primary target plate (plastic) and to a secondary target plate (aluminum) were also evaluated. Dynamic fragmentation theories, based on energy-balance principles, were used to evaluate local material deformation and fracture state information from CTH, a three-dimensional Eulerian solid dynamics shock wave propagation code. The local fragment characterization of the material defines a weighted fragment size distribution, and the sum of these distributions provides a composite particle size distribution for the steel sphere. The calculated axial and radial velocity changes agree well with experimental data, and the calculated fragment sizes are in qualitative agreement with the radiographic data. A secondary effort involved the experimental and computational analyses of normal and oblique copper ball impacts on steel target plates. High-resolution radiography and witness plate diagnostics provided impact motion and statistical fragment size data. CTH simulations were performed to test computational models and numerical methods.

High-temperature protective coatings for C/SiC composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Yang

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC composites were well-established light weight materials combining high specific strength and damage tolerance. For high-temperature applications, protective coatings had to provide oxidation and corrosion resistance. The literature data introduced various technologies and materials, which were suitable for the application of coatings. Coating procedures and conditions, materials design limitations related to the reactivity of the components of C/SiC composites, new approaches and coating systems to the selection of protective coatings materials were examined. The focus of future work was on optimization by further multilayer coating systems and the anti-oxidation ability of C/SiC composites at temperatures up to 2073 K or higher in water vapor.

The Interstellar Medium in External Galaxies: Summaries of contributed papers

Science.gov (United States)

Hollenbach, David J. (Editor); Thronson, Harley A., Jr. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The Second Wyoming Conference entitled, The Interstellar Medium in External Galaxies, was held on July 3 to 7, 1989, to discuss the current understanding of the interstellar medium in external galaxies and to analyze the basic physical processes underlying interstellar phenomena. The papers covered a broad range of research on the gas and dust in external galaxies and focused on such topics as the distribution and morphology of the atomic, molecular, and dust components; the dynamics of the gas and the role of the magnetic field in the dynamics; elemental abundances and gas depletions in the atomic and ionized components; cooling flows; star formation; the correlation of the nonthermal radio continuum with the cool component of the interstellar medium; the origin and effect of hot galactic halos; the absorption line systems seen in distant quasars; and the effect of galactic collisions.

High-velocity two-phase flow two-dimensional modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathes, R.; Alemany, A.; Thilbault, J.P.

1995-01-01

The two-phase flow in the nozzle of a LMMHD (liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic) converter has been studied numerically and experimentally. A two-dimensional model for two-phase flow has been developed including the viscous terms (dragging and turbulence) and the interfacial mass, momentum and energy transfer between the phases. The numerical results were obtained by a finite volume method based on the SIMPLE algorithm. They have been verified by an experimental facility using air-water as a simulation pair and a phase Doppler particle analyzer for velocity and droplet size measurement. The numerical simulation of a lithium-cesium high-temperature pair showed that a nearly homogeneous and isothermal expansion of the two phases is possible with small pressure losses and high kinetic efficiencies. In the throat region a careful profiling is necessary to reduce the inertial effects on the liquid velocity field

Surface chemistry on interstellar oxide grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denison, P.; Williams, D.A.

1981-01-01

Detailed calculations are made to test the predictions of Duley, Millar and Williams (1978) concerning the chemical reactivity of interstellar oxide grains. A method is established for calculating interaction energies between atoms and the perfect crystal with or without surface vacancy sites. The possibility of reactions between incident atoms and absorbed atoms is investigated. It is concluded that H 2 formation can occur on the perfect crystal surfaces, and that for other diatomic molecules the important formation sites are the Fsub(s)- and V 2- sub(s)-centres. The outline by Duley, Millar and Williams (1979) of interstellar oxide grain growth and destruction is justified by these calculations. (author)

Acoustic and streaming velocity components in a resonant waveguide at high acoustic levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Daru, Virginie; Reyt, Ida; Bailliet, Hélène; Weisman, Catherine; Baltean-Carlès, Diana

2017-01-01

Rayleigh streaming is a steady flow generated by the interaction between an acoustic wave and a solid wall, generally assumed to be second order in a Mach number expansion. Acoustic streaming is well known in the case of a stationary plane wave at low amplitude: it has a half-wavelength spatial periodicity and the maximum axial streaming velocity is a quadratic function of the acoustic velocity amplitude at antinode. For higher acoustic levels, additional streaming cells have been observed. Results of laser Doppler velocimetry measurements are here compared to direct numerical simulations. The evolution of axial and radial velocity components for both acoustic and streaming velocities is studied from low to high acoustic amplitudes. Two streaming flow regimes are pointed out, the axial streaming dependency on acoustics going from quadratic to linear. The evolution of streaming flow is different for outer cells and for inner cells. Also, the hypothesis of radial streaming velocity being of second order in a Mach number expansion, is not valid at high amplitudes. The change of regime occurs when the radial streaming velocity amplitude becomes larger than the radial acoustic velocity amplitude, high levels being therefore characterized by nonlinear interaction of the different velocity components.

New High-Performance SiC Fiber Developed for Ceramic Composites

Science.gov (United States)

DiCarlo, James A.; Yun, Hee Mann

2002-01-01

Sylramic-iBN fiber is a new type of small-diameter (10-mm) SiC fiber that was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center and was recently given an R&D 100 Award for 2001. It is produced by subjecting commercially available Sylramic (Dow Corning, Midland, MI) SiC fibers, fabrics, or preforms to a specially designed high-temperature treatment in a controlled nitrogen environment for a specific time. It can be used in a variety of applications, but it currently has the greatest advantage as a reinforcement for SiC/SiC ceramic composites that are targeted for long-term structural applications at temperatures higher than the capability of metallic superalloys. The commercial Sylramic SiC fiber, which is the precursor for the Sylramic-iBN fiber, is produced by Dow Corning, Midland, Michigan. It is derived from polymers at low temperatures and then pyrolyzed and sintered at high temperatures using boron-containing sintering aids (ref. 1). The sintering process results in very strong fibers (>3 GPa) that are dense, oxygen-free, and nearly stoichiometric. They also display an optimum grain size that is beneficial for high tensile strength, good creep resistance, and good thermal conductivity (ref. 2). The NASA-developed treatment allows the excess boron in the bulk to diffuse to the fiber surface where it reacts with nitrogen to form an in situ boron nitride (BN) coating on the fiber surface (thus the product name of Sylramic-iBN fiber). The removal of boron from the fiber bulk allows the retention of high tensile strength while significantly improving creep resistance and electrical conductivity, and probably thermal conductivity since the grains are slightly larger and the grain boundaries cleaner (ref. 2). Also, as shown in the graph, these improvements allow the fiber to display the best rupture strength at high temperatures in air for any available SiC fiber. In addition, for CMC applications under oxidizing conditions, the formation of an in situ BN surface layer

A novel program to design siRNAs simultaneously effective to highly variable virus genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hui Sun; Ahn, Jeonghyun; Jun, Eun Jung; Yang, Sanghwa; Joo, Chul Hyun; Kim, Yoo Kyum; Lee, Heuiran

2009-07-10

A major concern of antiviral therapy using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting RNA viral genome is high sequence diversity and mutation rate due to genetic instability. To overcome this problem, it is indispensable to design siRNAs targeting highly conserved regions. We thus designed CAPSID (Convenient Application Program for siRNA Design), a novel bioinformatics program to identify siRNAs targeting highly conserved regions within RNA viral genomes. From a set of input RNAs of diverse sequences, CAPSID rapidly searches conserved patterns and suggests highly potent siRNA candidates in a hierarchical manner. To validate the usefulness of this novel program, we investigated the antiviral potency of universal siRNA for various Human enterovirus B (HEB) serotypes. Assessment of antiviral efficacy using Hela cells, clearly demonstrates that HEB-specific siRNAs exhibit protective effects against all HEBs examined. These findings strongly indicate that CAPSID can be applied to select universal antiviral siRNAs against highly divergent viral genomes.

Why do interstellar grains exist

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seab, C.G.; Hollenbach, D.J.; Mckee, C.F.; Tielens, A.G.G.M.

1986-01-01

There exists a discrepancy between calculated destruction rates of grains in the interstellar medium and postulated sources of new grains. This problem was examined by modelling the global life cycle of grains in the galaxy. The model includes: grain destruction due to supernovae shock waves; grain injection from cool stars, planetary nebulae, star formation, novae, and supernovae; grain growth by accretion in dark clouds; and a mixing scheme between phases of the interstellar medium. Grain growth in molecular clouds is considered as a mechanism or increasing the formation rate. To decrease the shock destruction rate, several new physical processes, such as partial vaporization effects in grain-grain collisions, breakdown of the small Larmor radius approximation for betatron acceleration, and relaxation of the steady-state shock assumption are included

INTERSTELLAR GAS FLOW PARAMETERS DERIVED FROM INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER-Lo OBSERVATIONS IN 2009 AND 2010: ANALYTICAL ANALYSIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Möbius, E.; Bochsler, P.; Heirtzler, D.; Kucharek, H.; Lee, M. A.; Leonard, T.; Schwadron, N. A.; Wu, X.; Petersen, L.; Valovcin, D.; Wurz, P.; Bzowski, M.; Kubiak, M. A.; Fuselier, S. A.; Crew, G.; Vanderspek, R.; McComas, D. J.; Saul, L.

2012-01-01

Neutral atom imaging of the interstellar gas flow in the inner heliosphere provides the most detailed information on physical conditions of the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM) and its interaction with the heliosphere. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) measured neutral H, He, O, and Ne for three years. We compare the He and combined O+Ne flow distributions for two interstellar flow passages in 2009 and 2010 with an analytical calculation, which is simplified because the IBEX orientation provides observations at almost exactly the perihelion of the gas trajectories. This method allows separate determination of the key ISM parameters: inflow speed, longitude, and latitude, as well as temperature. A combined optimization, as in complementary approaches, is thus not necessary. Based on the observed peak position and width in longitude and latitude, inflow speed, latitude, and temperature are found as a function of inflow longitude. The latter is then constrained by the variation of the observed flow latitude as a function of observer longitude and by the ratio of the widths of the distribution in longitude and latitude. Identical results are found for 2009 and 2010: an He flow vector somewhat outside previous determinations (λ ISM∞ = 79. 0 0+3. 0 0(–3. 0 5), β ISM∞ = –4. 0 9 ± 0. 0 2, V ISM∞ 23.5 + 3.0(–2.0) km s –1 , T He = 5000-8200 K), suggesting a larger inflow longitude and lower speed. The O+Ne temperature range, T O+Ne = 5300-9000 K, is found to be close to the upper range for He and consistent with an isothermal medium for all species within current uncertainties.

General physical characteristics of the interstellar molecular gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, B.E.

1979-01-01

The interstellar medium may be characterized by several physically rather distinct regimes: coronal gas, intercloud gas, diffuse clouds, isolated dark clouds and globules (of small to modest mass), more massive molecular clouds containing OB (and later) stars, and giant molecular clouds. Values of temperature, density, ionization fraction, mass, size, and velocity field are discussed for each regime. Heating and cooling mechanisms are reviewed. Nearly all molecular clouds exceed the Jeans criteria for gravitational instability, yet detailed models reveal no cases where observations can be interpreted unambiguously in terms of rapid collapse. The possibility that clouds are supported by turbulence, rotation, or magnetic fields is discussed, and it is concluded that none of these agencies suffice. Comments are made about fragmentation and star formation in molecular clouds, with possible explanations for why only low mass stars form in low mass clouds, why early-type stars form only in clouds with masses > approximately 10 3 M solar masses, and why O-stars seem to form near edges of clouds. Finally, large-scale interactions between molecular clouds and the galactic disk stellar population are discussed. (Auth.)

The existence and nature of the interstellar bow shock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben-Jaffel, Lotfi [UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR7095, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, F-75014, Paris (France); Strumik, M.; Ratkiewicz, R.; Grygorczuk, J., E-mail: bjaffel@iap.fr [Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bartycka 18A, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

2013-12-20

We report a new diagnosis of two different states of the local interstellar medium (LISM) near our solar system by using a sensitivity study constrained by several distinct and complementary observations of the LISM, solar wind, and inner heliosphere. Assuming the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) He flow parameters for the LISM, we obtain a strength of ∼2.7 ± 0.2 μG and a direction pointing away from galactic coordinates (28, 52) ± 3° for the interstellar magnetic field as a result of fitting Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in situ plasma measurements and IBEX energetic neutral atoms ribbon. When using Ulysses parameters for the LISM He flow, we recently reported the same direction but with a strength of 2.2 ± 0.1 μG. First, we notice that with Ulysses He flow, our solution is in the expected hydrogen deflection plane (HDP). In contrast, for the IBEX He flow, the solution is ∼20° away from the corresponding HDP plane. Second, the long-term monitoring of the interplanetary H I flow speed shows a value of ∼26 km s{sup –1} measured upwind from the Doppler shift in the strong Lyα sky background emission line. All elements of the diagnosis seem therefore to support Ulysses He flow parameters for the interstellar state. In that frame, we argue that reliable discrimination between superfast, subfast, or superslow states of the interstellar flow should be based on most existing in situ and remote observations used together with global modeling of the heliosphere. For commonly accepted LISM ionization rates, we show that a fast interstellar bow shock should be standing off upstream of the heliopause.

Distribution of Interstellar Reddening Material in the Galactic Plane

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Chulhee Kim

1987-12-01

Full Text Available By using the recently determined color excess and distance data of classical cepheids by Kim(1985, the distribution of interstellar reddening material was studied to see the general picture of the average rate of interstellar absorption out to about 7-8kpc in the Galactic plane in various directions from the sun.

Deformations on Hole and Projectile Surfaces Caused By High Velocity Friction During Ballistic Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Karamış, M. B.

2018-01-01

In this study, the deformations caused by the ballistic impact on the MM composites and on projectile surfaces are examined. The hole section and grain deformation of unreinforced targets are also examined after impact. The relatively high complexity of impact problems is caused by the large number of intervening parameters like relative velocity of projectile and target, shape of colliding objects, relative stiffness and masses, time-dependent surface of contact, geometry and boundary conditions and material characteristics. The material used in this investigation are 2024 and 7075 aluminum alloys as matrix reinforced with SiC and Al2O3 particles. The matrix materials are extensively used in defense applications due to its favorable ballistic properties, moderate strength, high corrosion resistance and super plastic potential. Two different composites were produced; one by casting and the other by lamination. The ballistic tests of the composite targets were carried out according to NIJ Standard-0101.04, Temperature 21 °C, RH=65% with 7.62 mm projectiles. The bullet weight was 9.6 g and their muzzle velocities were in the range of 770-800 m/s. The projectiles consisted of a steel core, copper jacket and lead material. The composite targets were positioned 15 m from the rifle. The interaction between projectiles and the target hole created after impact were examined by light microscopy and photography. Different damage and failure mechanisms such as petalling, cracking, spalling, dishing, etc., were observed on the target body. On the other hand, dramatic wear and damages on the projectile surface were also observed. The targets were supported with Al-5083 backing blocks having 40 mm thickness.

High velocity electromagnetic particle launcher for aerosol production studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benson, D.A.; Rader, D.J.

1986-05-01

This report describes the development of a new device for study of metal combustion, breakup and production of aerosols in a high velocity environment. Metal wires are heated and electromagnetically launched with this device to produce molten metal droplets moving at velocities ranging up to about Mach 1. Such tests are presently intended to simulate the behavior of metal streamers ejected from a high-explosive detonation. A numerical model of the launcher performance in terms of sample properties, sample geometry and pulser electrical parameters is presented which can be used as a tool for design of specific test conditions. Results from several tests showing the range of sample velocities accessible with this device are described and compared with the model. Photographic measurements showing the behavior of tungsten and zirconium metal droplets are presented. Estimates of the Weber breakup and drag on the droplets, as well as calculations of the droplet trajectories, are described. Such studies may ultimately be useful in assessing environmental hazards in the handling and storage of devices containing metallic plutonium

Deciphering the Local Interstellar Spectra of Primary Cosmic-Ray Species with HELMOD

Science.gov (United States)

Boschini, M. J.; Della Torre, S.; Gervasi, M.; Grandi, D.; Jóhannesson, G.; La Vacca, G.; Masi, N.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Pensotti, S.; Porter, T. A.; Quadrani, L.; Rancoita, P. G.; Rozza, D.; Tacconi, M.

2018-05-01

Local interstellar spectra (LIS) of primary cosmic ray (CR) nuclei, such as helium, oxygen, and mostly primary carbon are derived for the rigidity range from 10 MV to ∼200 TV using the most recent experimental results combined with the state-of-the-art models for CR propagation in the Galaxy and in the heliosphere. Two propagation packages, GALPROP and HELMOD, are combined into a single framework that is used to reproduce direct measurements of CR species at different modulation levels, and at both polarities of the solar magnetic field. The developed iterative maximum-likelihood method uses GALPROP-predicted LIS as input to HELMOD, which provides the modulated spectra for specific time periods of the selected experiments for model–data comparison. The interstellar and heliospheric propagation parameters derived in this study are consistent with our prior analyses using the same methodology for propagation of CR protons, helium, antiprotons, and electrons. The resulting LIS accommodate a variety of measurements made in the local interstellar space (Voyager 1) and deep inside the heliosphere at low (ACE/CRIS, HEAO-3) and high energies (PAMELA, AMS-02).

Resonant tunneling with high peak to valley current ratio in SiO2/nc-Si/SiO2 multi-layers at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, D. Y.; Sun, Y.; He, Y. J.; Xu, L.; Xu, J.

2014-01-01

We have investigated carrier transport in SiO 2 /nc-Si/SiO 2 multi-layers by room temperature current-voltage measurements. Resonant tunneling signatures accompanied by current peaks are observed. Carrier transport in the multi-layers were analyzed by plots of ln(I/V 2 ) as a function of 1/V and ln(I) as a function of V 1/2 . Results suggest that besides films quality, nc-Si and barrier sub-layer thicknesses are important parameters that restrict carrier transport. When thicknesses are both small, direct tunneling dominates carrier transport, resonant tunneling occurs only at certain voltages and multi-resonant tunneling related current peaks can be observed but with peak to valley current ratio (PVCR) values smaller than 1.5. When barrier thickness is increased, trap-related and even high field related tunneling is excited, causing that multi-current peaks cannot be observed clearly, only one current peak with higher PVCR value of 7.7 can be observed. While if the thickness of nc-Si is large enough, quantum confinement is not so strong, a broad current peak with PVCR value as high as 60 can be measured, which may be due to small energy difference between the splitting energy levels in the quantum dots of nc-Si. Size distribution in a wide range may cause un-controllability of the peak voltages

Elastic Wave Velocity Measurements on Mantle Peridotite at High Pressure and Temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Mistler, G. W.; Ishikawa, M.; Li, B.

2002-12-01

With the success of conducting ultrasonic measurements at high pressure and high temperature in large volume high pressure apparatus with in-situ measurement of the sample length by X-ray imaging, it is now possible to measure elastic wave velocities on aggregate samples with candidate compositions of the mantle to the conditions of the Earth's transition zone in the laboratory. These data can be directly compared with seismic data to distinguish the compositional models in debate. In this work, we carried out velocity measurements on natural peridotite KLB-1 at the conditions of the Earth's upper mantle. Fine powered sample of natural KLB-1 was used as starting material. Specimens for ultrasonic measurements were hot-pressed and equilibrated at various pressure and temperature conditions along geotherm up to the transition zone. The recovered samples were characterized with density measurement, X-ray diffraction and microprobe analysis. Bench top P and S wave velocities of KLB-1 sample sintered at 3-4 GPa and 1400 degree centigrade showed a very good agreement with the VRH average of pyrolite. High pressure and high temperature measurements was conducted up to 7 GPa and 800 degree centigrade using ultrasonic interferometric method in a DIA-type high pressure apparatus in conjunction with X-ray diffraction and X-ray imaging. The utilization of X-ray imaging technique provides direct measurements of sample lengths at high pressure and high temperature, ensuring a precise determination of velocities. The results of P and S wave velocities at high pressure and high temperature as well as their comparison with calculated pyrolite model will be presented.

A MEASUREMENT OF THE ADIABATIC COOLING INDEX FOR INTERSTELLAR HELIUM PICKUP IONS IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saul, Lukas; Wurz, Peter; Kallenbach, Reinald

2009-01-01

Interstellar neutral gas enters the inner heliosphere where it is ionized and becomes the pickup ion population of the solar wind. It is often assumed that this population will subsequently cool adiabatically, like an expanding ideal gas due, to the divergent flow of the solar wind. Here, we report the first independent measure of the effective adiabatic cooling index in the inner heliosphere from SOHO CELIAS measurements of singly charged helium taken during times of perpendicular interplanetary magnetic field. We use a simple adiabatic transport model of interstellar pickup helium ions, valid for the upwind region of the inner heliosphere. The time averaged velocity spectrum of helium pickup ions measured by CELIAS/CTOF is fit to this model with a single free parameter which indicates an effective cooling rate with a power-law index of γ = 1.35 ± 0.2. While this average is consistent with the 'ideal-gas' assumption of γ = 1.5, the analysis indicates that such an assumption will not apply in general, and that due to observational constraints further measurements are necessary to constrain the cooling process. Implications are discussed for understanding the transport processes in the inner heliosphere and improving this measurement technique.

The Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector and Stardust@home

Science.gov (United States)

Westphal, A. J.; Anderson, D.; Bastien, R.; Butterworth, A.; Frank, D.; Gainsforth, Z.; Kelley, N.; Lettieri, R.; Mendez, B.; Prasad, R.; Tsitrin, S.; von Korff, J.; Warren, J.; Wertheimer, D.; Zhang, A.; Zolensky, M.

2006-12-01

The Stardust sample return mission is effectively two missions in one. Stardust brought back to earth for analytical study the first solid samples from a known solar system body beyond the moon, comet Wild2. The first results of the analyses of these samples are reported elsewhere in this session. In a separate aerogel collector, Stardust also captured and has returned the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust. Landgraf et al. [1] has estimated that ~ 50 interstellar dust particles in the micron size range have been captured in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector. Their state after capture is unknown. Before analysis of these particles can begin, they must be located in the collector. Here we describe the current status of Stardust@home, the massively distributed public search for these tiny interstellar dust particles. So far more than 13,000 volunteers have collectively performed more than 10,000,000 searches in stacks of digital images of ~10% of the collector. We report new estimates of the flux of interplanetary dust at ~2 AU based on the results of this search, and will compare with extant models[2]. References: [1] Landgraf et al., (1999) Planet. Spac. Sci. 47, 1029. [2] Staubach et al. (2001) in Interplanetary Dust, E. Grün, ed., Astron. &Astro. Library, Springer, 2001.

High-throughput screening of effective siRNAs using luciferase-linked chimeric mRNA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shen Pang

Full Text Available The use of siRNAs to knock down gene expression can potentially be an approach to treat various diseases. To avoid siRNA toxicity the less transcriptionally active H1 pol III promoter, rather than the U6 promoter, was proposed for siRNA expression. To identify highly efficacious siRNA sequences, extensive screening is required, since current computer programs may not render ideal results. Here, we used CCR5 gene silencing as a model to investigate a rapid and efficient screening approach. We constructed a chimeric luciferase-CCR5 gene for high-throughput screening of siRNA libraries. After screening approximately 900 shRNA clones, 12 siRNA sequences were identified. Sequence analysis demonstrated that most (11 of the 12 sequences of these siRNAs did not match those identified by available siRNA prediction algorithms. Significant inhibition of CCR5 in a T-lymphocyte cell line and primary T cells by these identified siRNAs was confirmed using the siRNA lentiviral vectors to infect these cells. The inhibition of CCR5 expression significantly protected cells from R5 HIV-1JRCSF infection. These results indicated that the high-throughput screening method allows efficient identification of siRNA sequences to inhibit the target genes at low levels of expression.

Nanocrystalline Si pathway induced unipolar resistive switching behavior from annealed Si-rich SiNx/SiNy multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Xiaofan; Ma, Zhongyuan; Yang, Huafeng; Yu, Jie; Wang, Wen; Zhang, Wenping; Li, Wei; Xu, Jun; Xu, Ling; Chen, Kunji; Huang, Xinfan; Feng, Duan

2014-01-01

Adding a resistive switching functionality to a silicon microelectronic chip is a new challenge in materials research. Here, we demonstrate that unipolar and electrode-independent resistive switching effects can be realized in the annealed Si-rich SiN x /SiN y multilayers with high on/off ratio of 10 9 . High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that for the high resistance state broken pathways composed of discrete nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) exist in the Si nitride multilayers. While for the low resistance state the discrete nc-Si regions is connected, forming continuous nc-Si pathways. Based on the analysis of the temperature dependent I-V characteristics and HRTEM photos, we found that the break-and-bridge evolution of nc-Si pathway is the origin of resistive switching memory behavior. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the resistive switching behavior in nc-Si films, opening a way for it to be utilized as a material in Si-based memories.

Nanocrystalline Si pathway induced unipolar resistive switching behavior from annealed Si-rich SiNx/SiNy multilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiaofan; Ma, Zhongyuan; Yang, Huafeng; Yu, Jie; Wang, Wen; Zhang, Wenping; Li, Wei; Xu, Jun; Xu, Ling; Chen, Kunji; Huang, Xinfan; Feng, Duan

2014-09-01

Adding a resistive switching functionality to a silicon microelectronic chip is a new challenge in materials research. Here, we demonstrate that unipolar and electrode-independent resistive switching effects can be realized in the annealed Si-rich SiNx/SiNy multilayers with high on/off ratio of 109. High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that for the high resistance state broken pathways composed of discrete nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) exist in the Si nitride multilayers. While for the low resistance state the discrete nc-Si regions is connected, forming continuous nc-Si pathways. Based on the analysis of the temperature dependent I-V characteristics and HRTEM photos, we found that the break-and-bridge evolution of nc-Si pathway is the origin of resistive switching memory behavior. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the resistive switching behavior in nc-Si films, opening a way for it to be utilized as a material in Si-based memories.

The local interstellar medium and gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebrun, F.; Paul, J.

1985-08-01

The recent improvement of the calibration of the galaxy counts used as an interstellar-absorption tracer modifies significantly the picture of the local interstellar medium (ISM). Consequently, previous analyses of the γ-ray emission from the local ISM involving galaxy counts have to be revised. In this paper, we consider the implications regarding the cosmic-ray (CR) density in the local ISM, and in particular within Loop I, a nearby supernova remnant (SNR)

Widespread rotationally hot hydronium ion in the galactic interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lis, D. C.; Phillips, T. G.; Schilke, P.; Comito, C.; Higgins, R.

2014-01-01

We present new Herschel observations of the (6,6) and (9,9) inversion transitions of the hydronium ion toward Sagittarius B2(N) and W31C. Sensitive observations toward Sagittarius B2(N) show that the high, ∼500 K, rotational temperatures characterizing the population of the highly excited metastable H 3 O + rotational levels are present over a wide range of velocities corresponding to the Sagittarius B2 envelope, as well as the foreground gas clouds between the Sun and the source. Observations of the same lines toward W31C, a line of sight that does not intersect the Central Molecular Zone but instead traces quiescent gas in the Galactic disk, also imply a high rotational temperature of ∼380 K, well in excess of the kinetic temperature of the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium. While it is plausible that some fraction of the molecular gas may be heated to such high temperatures in the active environment of the Galactic center, characterized by high X-ray and cosmic-ray fluxes, shocks, and high degree of turbulence, this is unlikely in the largely quiescent environment of the Galactic disk clouds. We suggest instead that the highly excited states of the hydronium ion are populated mainly by exoergic chemical formation processes and the temperature describing the rotational level population does not represent the physical temperature of the medium. The same arguments may be applicable to other symmetric top rotors, such as ammonia. This offers a simple explanation of the long-standing puzzle of the presence of a pervasive, hot molecular gas component in the central region of the Milky Way. Moreover, our observations suggest that this is a universal process not limited to the active environments associated with galactic nuclei.