1,747 research outputs found
Description and performance of the Langley differential maneuvering simulator
The differential maneuvering simulator for simulating two aircraft or spacecraft operating in a differential mode is described. Tests made to verify that the system could provide the required simulated aircraft motions are given. The mathematical model which converts computed aircraft motions into the required motions of the various projector gimbals is described
Rapid Cooling of the Neutron Star in Cassiopeia A Triggered by Neutron Superfluidity in Dense Matter
We propose that the observed cooling of the neutron star in Cassiopeia A is
due to enhanced neutrino emission from the recent onset of the breaking and
formation of neutron Cooper pairs in the 3P2 channel. We find that the critical
temperature for this superfluid transition is ~0.5x10^9 K. The observed
rapidity of the cooling implies that protons were already in a superconducting
state with a larger critical temperature. Our prediction that this cooling will
continue for several decades at the present rate can be tested by continuous
monitoring of this neutron star.Comment: Revised version, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Chandra Detection of the Forward and Reverse Shocks in Cassiopeia-A
We report the localization of the forward and reversed shock fronts in the
young supernova remnant Cas-A using X-ray data obtained with the Chandra
Observatory. High resolution X-ray maps resolve a previously unseen X-ray
feature encompassing the extremity of the remnant. This feature consists of
thin, tangential wisps of emission bordering the outer edge of the thermal
X-ray and radio remnant, forming a circular rim, approx. 2.7 in radius. Radio
images show a sharp rise in brightness at this X-ray rim, along with a large
jump in the synchrotron polarization angle. These characteristics suggest that
these wisps are the previously unresolved signature of the forward, or outer,
shock. Similarly, we identify the sharp rise in emissivity of the bright shell
for both the radio and X-ray line emission associated with the reverse shock.
The derived ratio of the averaged forward and reverse shock radii of approx.
3:2 constrains the remnant to have swept up roughly the same amount of mass as
was ejected; this suggests that Cas-A is just entering the Sedov phase.
Comparison of the X-ray spectra from the two shock regions shows that the
equivalent widths of prominent emission lines are significantly lower exterior
to the bright shell, as expected if they are respectively identified with the
shocked circumstellar material and shocked ejecta. Furthermore, the spectrum of
the outer rim itself is dominated by power-law emission, likely the counterpart
of the non-thermal component previously seen at energies above 10 keV.Comment: 7 pages with 5 figures, LaTex, emulateapj.sty. To appear in the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
On the Cooling of the Neutron Star in Cassiopeia A
We demonstrate that the high-quality cooling data observed for the young
neutron star in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A over the past 10 years--as
well as all other reliably known temperature data of neutron stars--can be
comfortably explained within the "nuclear medium cooling" scenario. The cooling
rates of this scenario account for medium-modified one-pion exchange in dense
matter and polarization effects in the pair-breaking formations of superfluid
neutrons and protons. Crucial for the successful description of the observed
data is a substantial reduction of the thermal conductivity, resulting from a
suppression of both the electron and nucleon contributions to it by medium
effects. We also find that possibly in as little as about ten years of
continued observation, the data may tell whether or not fast cooling processes
are active in this neutron star.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Space station automation of common module power management and distribution
The purpose is to automate a breadboard level Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) system which possesses many functional characteristics of a specified Space Station power system. The automation system was built upon 20 kHz ac source with redundancy of the power buses. There are two power distribution control units which furnish power to six load centers which in turn enable load circuits based upon a system generated schedule. The progress in building this specified autonomous system is described. Automation of Space Station Module PMAD was accomplished by segmenting the complete task in the following four independent tasks: (1) develop a detailed approach for PMAD automation; (2) define the software and hardware elements of automation; (3) develop the automation system for the PMAD breadboard; and (4) select an appropriate host processing environment
The Compact Central Object in Cas A: A Neutron Star with Hot Polar Caps or a Black Hole?
The central pointlike X-ray source of the Cas A supernova remnant was
discovered in the Chandra First Light Observation and found later in the
archival ROSAT and Einstein images. The analysis of these data does not show
statistically significant variability of the source. The power-law fit yields
the photon index 2.6-4.1, and luminosity (2-60)e34 erg/s, for d=3.4 kpc. The
power-law index is higher, and the luminosity lower, than those observed
fromvery young pulsars. One can fit the spectrum equally well with a blackbody
model with T=6-8 MK, R=0.2-0.5 km, L=(1.4-1.9)e33 erg/s. The inferred radii are
too small, and the temperatures too high, for the radiationcould be interpreted
as emitted from the whole surface of a uniformly heated neutron star. Fits with
the neutron star atmosphere models increase the radius and reduce the
temperature, but these parameters are still substantially different from those
expected for a young neutron star. One cannot exclude, however, that the
observed emission originates from hot spots on a cooler neutron star surface.
Because of strong interstellar absorption, the possible low-temperature
component gives a small contribution to the observed spectrum; an upper limit
on the (gravitationally redshifted) surface temperature is < 1.9-2.3 MK.
Amongst several possible interpretations, we favor a model of a strongly
magnetized neutron star with magnetically confined hydrogen or helium polar
caps on a cooler iron surface. Alternatively, the observed radiation may be
interpreted as emitted by a compact object (more likely, a black hole)
accreting from a fossil disk or from a late-type dwarf in a close binary.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, submitted to ApJ
High Ratio of 44Ti/56Ni in Cas A and Axisymmetric Collapse-Driven Supernova Explosion
The large abundance ratio of in Cas A is puzzling. In fact,
the ratio seems to be larger than the theoretical constraint derived by Woosley
& Hoffman (1991). However, this constraint is obtained on the assumption that
the explosion is spherically symmetric, whereas Cas A is famous for the
asymmetric form of the remnant. Recently, Nagataki et al. (1997) calculated the
explosive nucleosynthesis of axisymmetrically deformed collapse-driven
supernova. They reported that the ratio of was enhanced by
the stronger alpha-rich freezeout in the polar region. In this paper, we apply
these results to Cas A and examine whether this effect can explain the large
amount of and the large ratio of . We demonstrate
that the conventional spherically symmetric explosion model can not explain the
Ti mass produced in Cas A if its lifetime is shorter than 80
years and the intervening space is transparent to the gamma-ray line from the
decay of Ti. On the other hand, we show the axisymmetric explosion
models can solve the problem. We expect the same effect from a three
dimensionally asymmetric explosion, since the stronger alpha-rich freezeout
will also occur in that case in the region where the larger energy is
deposited.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX text and 3 postscript figure
The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant
We present the first results of an XMM-Newton observation of the central
X-ray source in the Cas A supernova remnant. The spectrum can be fit equally
well with an absorbed steep power law (alpha~3, N_H~1.5x10^22 cm^-2) or with a
bremsstrahlung with temperature kT~2.4 keV and N_H~10^22 cm^-2. A blackbody
model (kT~0.7 keV) gives a slightly worse fit and requires a column density
N_H~5x10^21 cm^-2 and an emitting area with radius ~0.3 km (for d=3.4 kpc). A
search for pulsations for periods longer than 150 ms gave negative results. The
3 sigma upper limits on the pulsed fraction are ~13% for P>0.3 s and ~7% for
P>3 s. The overall properties of the central X-ray source in Cas A are
difficult to explain in terms of a rapidly spinning neutron star with a
canonical magnetic field of ~10^12 G, and are more similar to those of slowly
rotating neutron stars such as the Anomalous X-ray Pulsars.Comment: 15 pages, latex, 3 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journal;
Revised version with more details on spectral analysis, fig. 1 and 2 slightly
changed, revised flux value
Upper Limits On Periodic, Pulsed Radio Emission from the X-Ray Point Source in Cassiopeia A
The Chandra X-ray Observatory recently discovered an X-ray point source near
the center of Cassiopeia A, the youngest known Galactic supernova remnant. We
have conducted a sensitive search for radio pulsations from this source with
the Very Large Array, taking advantage of the high angular resolution of the
array to resolve out the emission from the remnant itself. No convincing
signatures of a dispersed, periodic source or of isolated dispersed pulses were
found, whether for an isolated or a binary source. We derive upper limits of 30
and 1.3 mJy at 327 and 1435 MHz for the phase-averaged pulsed flux density from
this source. The corresponding luminosity limits are lower than those for any
pulsar with age less than 10^4 years. The sensitivities of our search to single
pulses were 25 and 1.0 Jy at 327 and 1435 MHz. For comparison, the Crab pulsar
emits roughly 80 pulses per minute with flux densities greater than 100 Jy at
327 MHz and 8 pulses per minute with flux densities greater than 50 Jy at 1435
MHz. These limits are consistent with the suggestion that the X-ray point
source in Cas A adds to the growing number of neutron stars which are not radio
pulsars.Comment: accepted by ApJ Letter
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