399 research outputs found
Ultraviolet spectrometer and polarimeter (UVSP) software development and hardware tests for the solar maximum mission
The Ultraviolet Spectrometer/Polarimeter Instrument (UVSP) for the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) was based on the re-use of the engineering model of the high resolution ultraviolet spectrometer developed for the OSO-8 mission. Lockheed assumed four distinct responsibilities in the UVSP program: technical evaluation of the OSO-8 engineering model; technical consulting on the electronic, optical, and mechanical modifications to the OSO-8 engineering model hardware; design and development of the UVSP software system; and scientific participation in the operations and analysis phase of the mission. Lockheed also provided technical consulting and assistance with instrument hardware performance anomalies encountered during the post launch operation of the SMM observatory. An index to the quarterly reports delivered under the contract are contained, and serves as a useful capsule history of the program activity
Very high resolution UV and X-ray spectroscopy and imagery of solar active regions
A scientific investigation of the physics of the solar atmosphere, which uses the techniques of high resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy and high resolution UV imagery, is described. The experiments were conducted during a series of three sounding rocket flights. All three flights yielded excellent images in the UV range, showing unprecedented spatial resolution. The second flight recorded the X-ray spectrum of a solar flare, and the third that of an active region. A normal incidence multi-layer mirror was used during the third flight to make the first astronomical X-ray observations using this new technique
Lyman alpha initiated winds in late-type stars
The IUE survey of late-type stars revealed a sharp division in the HR diagram between stars with solar type spectra (chromosphere and transition region lines) and those with non-solar type spectra (only chromosphere lines). Models of both hot coronae and cool wind flows were calculated using stellar model chromospheres as starting points for stellar wind calculations in order to investigate the possibility of having a supersonic transition locus in the HR diagram dividing hot coronae from cool winds. From these models, it is concluded that the Lyman alpha flux may play an important role in determining the location of a stellar wind critical point. The interaction of Lyman alpha radiation pressure with Alfven waves in producing strong, low temperature stellar winds in the star Arcturus is examined
X-Ray Evidence for Flare Density Variations and Continual Chromospheric Evaporation in Proxima Centauri
Using the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory to monitor the nearest star to the
Sun, Proxima Centauri, we recorded the weakest X-ray flares on a magnetically
active star ever observed. Correlated X-ray and optical variability provide
strong support for coronal energy and mass supply by a nearly continuous
sequence of rapid explosive energy releases. Variable emission line fluxes were
observed in the He-like triplets of OVII and NeIX during a giant flare. They
give direct X-ray evidence for density variations, implying densities between
2x10^{10} - 4x10^{11} cm^{-3} and providing estimates of the mass and the
volume of the line-emitting plasma. We discuss the data in the context of the
chromospheric evaporation scenario.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted by The Astrophysical Journal, Letters;
improved calculations of radiative loss of cool plasma (toward end of paper
Multi-wavelength observations of Proxima Centauri
We report simultaneous observations of the nearby flare star Proxima Centauri
with VLT/UVES and XMM-Newton over three nights in March 2009. Our optical and
X-ray observations cover the star's quiescent state, as well as its flaring
activity and allow us to probe the stellar atmospheric conditions from the
photosphere into the chromosphere, and then the corona during its different
activity stages. Using the X-ray data, we investigate variations in coronal
densities and abundances and infer loop properties for an intermediate-sized
flare. The optical data are used to investigate the magnetic field and its
possible variability, to construct an emission line list for the chromosphere,
and use certain emission lines to construct physical models of Proxima
Centauri's chromosphere.
We report the discovery of a weak optical forbidden Fe xiii line at 3388 AA
during the more active states of Proxima Centauri. For the intermediate flare,
we find two secondary flare events that may originate in neighbouring loops,
and discuss the line asymmetries observed during this flare in H i, He i, and
Ca ii lines. The high time-resolution in the H alpha line highlights strong
temporal variations in the observed line asymmetries, which re-appear during a
secondary flare event. We also present theoretical modelling with the stellar
atmosphere code PHOENIX to construct flaring chromospheric models.Comment: 19 pages, 22 figures, accepted by A&
Testing quantised inertia on galactic scales
Galaxies and galaxy clusters have rotational velocities apparently too fast
to allow them to be gravitationally bound by their visible matter. This has
been attributed to the presence of invisible (dark) matter, but so far this has
not been directly detected. Here, it is shown that a new model that modifies
inertial mass by assuming it is caused by Unruh radiation, which is subject to
a Hubble-scale (Theta) Casimir effect predicts the rotational velocity (v) to
be: v^4=2GMc^2/Theta (the Tully-Fisher relation) where G is the gravitational
constant, M is the baryonic mass and c is the speed of light. The model
predicts the outer rotational velocity of dwarf and disk galaxies, and galaxy
clusters, within error bars, without dark matter or adjustable parameters, and
makes a prediction that local accelerations should remain above 2c^2/Theta at a
galaxy's edge.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space
Science on 27/7/201
Recent developments in radiative B decays
We report on recent theoretical progress in radiative B decays. We focus on a
calculation of logarithmically enhanced QED corrections to the branching ratio
and forward-backward asymmetry in the inclusive rare decay anti-B --> X(s) l+
l-, and present the results of a detailed phenomenological analysis. We also
report on the calculation of NNLO QCD corrections to the inclusive decay anti-B
--> X(s) gamma. As far as exclusive modes are concerned we consider
transversity amplitudes and the impact of right-handed currents in the
exclusive anti-B --> K^* l+ l- decay. Finally, we state results for exclusive B
--> V gamma decays, notably the time-dependent CP-asymmetry in the exclusive B
--> K^* gamma decay and its potential to serve as a so-called ``null test'' of
the Standard Model, and the extraction of CKM and unitarity triangle parameters
from B --> (rho,omega) gamma and B --> K^* gamma decays.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in the proceedings of
International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics (EPS-HEP2007),
Manchester, England, 19-25 Jul 200
The Zero-Point Field and Inertia
A brief overview is presented of the basis of the electromagnetic zero-point
field in quantum physics and its representation in stochastic electrodynamics.
Two approaches have led to the proposal that the inertia of matter may be
explained as an electromagnetic reaction force. The first is based on the
modeling of quarks and electrons as Planck oscillators and the method of
Einstein and Hopf to treat the interaction of the zero-point field with such
oscillators. The second approach is based on analysis of the Poynting vector of
the zero-point field in accelerated reference frames. It is possible to derive
both Newton's equation of motion, F=ma, and its relativistic co-variant form
from Maxwell's equations as applied to the zero-point field of the quantum
vacuum. This appears to account, at least in part, for the inertia of matter.Comment: 8 pages, no fig
A Search for Mid-Infrared Molecular Hydrogen Emission from Protoplanetary Disks
We observed the Herbig Ae/Be stars UX Ori, HD 34282, HD 100453, HD 101412, HD
104237 and HD 142666, and the T Tauri star HD 319139 and searched for H2 0-0
S(2) emission at 12.278 micron and H2 0-0 S(1) emission at 17.035 micron with
VISIR, ESO-VLT's high-resolution MIR spectrograph. None of the sources present
evidence for H2 emission. Stringent 3sigma upper limits to the integrated line
fluxes and the mass of optically thin warm gas in the disks are derived. The
disks contain less than a few tenths of Jupiter mass of optically thin H2 gas
at 150 K at most, and less than a few Earth masses of optically thin H2 gas at
300 K and higher temperatures. We compare our results to a Chiang and Goldreich
(1997, CG97) two-layer disk model. The upper limits to the disk's optically
thin warm gas mass are smaller than the amount of warm gas in the interior
layer of the disk, but they are much larger than the amount of molecular gas in
the surface layer. We present a calculation of the expected thermal H2 emission
from optically thick disks, assuming a CG97 disk structure, a gas-to-dust ratio
of 100 and Tgas = Tdust. The expected H2 thermal emission fluxes from typical
disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars (10^-16 to 10^-17 erg/s/cm2 at 140 pc) are much
lower than the detection limits of our observations (5*10^-15 erg/s/cm2). H2
emission levels are very sensitive to departures from the thermal coupling
between the molecular gas and dust. Additional sources of heating of gas in the
disk's surface layer could have a major impact on the expected H2 disk
emission. In the observed sources the molecular gas and dust in the surface
layer have not significantly departed from thermal coupling (Tgas/Tdust< 2) and
that the gas-to-dust ratio in the surface layer is very likely lower than 1000.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, accepted by A&A. v2: typo in footnote **
corrected, v3: corrections of the A&A language editor included, typo in title
of Fig. 1. correcte
The Active Corona of HD 35850 (F8 V)
We present Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer spectroscopy and photometry of the
nearby F8 V star HD 35850 (HR 1817). The EUVE spectra reveal 28 emission lines
from Fe IX and Fe XV to Fe XXIV. The Fe XXI 102, 129 A ratio yields an upper
limit for the coronal electron density, log n < 11.6 per cc. The EUVE SW
spectrum shows a small but clearly detectable continuum. The line-to-continuum
ratio indicates approximately solar Fe abundances, 0.8 < Z < 1.6. The resulting
emission-measure distribution is characterized by two temperature components at
log T of 6.8 and 7.4. The EUVE spectra have been compared with non-simultaneous
ASCA SIS spectra of HD 35850. The SIS spectrum shows the same temperature
distribution as the EUVE DEM analysis. However, the SIS spectral firs suggest
sub-solar abundances, 0.34 < Z < 0.81. Although some of the discrepancy may be
the result of incomplete X-ray line lists, we cannot explain the disagreement
between the EUVE line-to-continuum ratio and the ASCA-derived Fe abundance.
Given its youth (t ~ 100 Myr), its rapid rotation (v sin i ~ 50 km/s), and its
high X-ray activity (Lx ~ 1.5E+30 ergs/s), HD 35850 may represent an activity
extremum for single, main-sequence F-type stars. The variability and EM
distribution can be reconstructed using the continuous flaring model of Guedel
provided that the flare distribution has a power-law index of 1.8. Similar
results obtained for other young solar analogs suggest that continuous flaring
is a viable coronal heating mechanism on rapidly rotating, late-type,
main-sequence stars.Comment: 32 pages incl. 14 figures and 3 tables. To appear in the 1999 April
10 issue of The Astrophysical Journa
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