A high resolution atlas of the galactic plane at 12 microns and 25 microns

High resolution images of the 12 micron and 25 micron IRAS survey data from each HCON crossing the Galactic Plane are being created for those regions that the original IRAS processing labeled as confused. This encompasses the area within 100 deg longitude of the Galactic Center and within 3 deg to 10 deg of the Plane. The procedures used to create the images preserve the spatial resolution inherent in the IRAS instrument. The images are separated into diffuse and point source components and candidate sources are extracted from the point source image after non-linear spatial sharpening. Fluxes are estimated by convolving the candidate sources with the point response function and cross-correlating with the original point source image. A source is considered real if it is seen on at least two HCON's with a rather generous flux match but a stringent position criterion. A number of fields spanning a range of source densities from low to high have been examined. Initial analysis indicates that the imaging and extraction works quite well up to a source density of about 100 sources per square degree or down to roughly 0.8 Janskys

Infrared chemiluminescence and vibraluminescence in the NO — O — NO

Infrared emission from the low-pressure gas-phase NO — О reaction system has been studied from 1 to 7,0 microns. An infrared integrating sphere has been used for the reaction cell to provide increased lightgathering efficiency, and because of the relatively weak source, the emission spectra were obtained with an interferometer spectrometer. The « continuum « associated with the NO + O recombination decreases monotonically and extends to at least 3,7 microns. Vibrational-rotational spectra from NO and NO2 have been observed and their relative intensities studied versus concentrations of the reactants. An unidentified band is observed at 3,7 microns whose intensity varies directly with the intensity of both the continuum and the NO2ν3 fundamental at 6,3 microns. The intensity of the vibrational-rotational emission relative to the continuum radiation has been found to be pressure-dependent due to the considerably different radiative lifetimes and collisional deactivation processes involved. The ν3 fundamental band of NO2 at 6,3 microns excited by chemiluminescence in the NO + О → NO2* reaction is broader and, therefore, excited to higher vibrational levels than it is when excited by vibrational exchange with O2 [math] (vibraluminescence). The vibrational excitation of O2 occurs in the fast reaction NO2+ О → NO[math] + O2[math]. Chemiluminescence from NO[math] is also observed in this reaction which demonstrates excitation of both the newly formed bound and the unbroken bond simultaneously

Direct determination of the vibrational matrix elements of carbon monoxide

A technique is developed for empirically obtaining the vibrational matrix elements of simple molecules. The approach is to obtain the infrared spectra of molecules excited to high vibrational states by either chemiluminescence (for example, H + O3 → OHǂ + O2) or vibraluminescence[math].The gas kinetic conditions are controlled to produce a BOLTZMANN distribution of vibrational states with high temperatures, for example, Tv = 5 000 °K but with rotational temperatures of about 400 °K. The spectrum of a sequence (Δυ = 1 for the fundamental, 2 for the first overtone, etc.) is shown to be describable as a series of overlapping bands displaced by 2.Δυ.ωe.xe in some cases. The magnitude of each band is proportional to the vibrational transition probability and the population in the upper state, that is the BOLTZMANN factor, N(υ', Tv). Rotational and vibrational temperatures are determined and the magnitude of each band gives directly the transition probability. Vibrational matrix elements of the Δυ = 2 sequence of CO are determined from low resolution spectra by successively subtracting the contribution of each band. Transitions up to 17-15 are observed. The transition probabilities are found to be much larger than previously predicted with the old approach using integrated absorption measurements

Kinetic behavior of the [math] — CO infrared vibraluminescent system

The vibraluminescent emission of CO excited by active nitrogen has been re-examined and has been found to behave in a very different way than previously reported by other workers

A study of some inelastic collision processes using active nitrogen and carbon monoxide

The role of active nitrogen in exciting high vibrational levels of the ground electronic state of carbon monoxide has been reviewed (1) and carefully re-examined (2) in previous papers. The first spectroscopic examination of the visible luminescence of the discharged N2 — CO mixture and the application of this unusual kinetic system to study some other important reactions are the subject of this paper. In the past, it has been nearly impossible to study experimentally the change in rates of chemical reactions due to vibrationally excited reactants, primarily because of the difficulty in separating the effects of translational and vibrational energies. However, as shown, it is now possible to easily produce CO with vibrational temperatures ranging from 300 °K to 6 000 °K but with rotational and kinetic temperatures of 300 °K to 400 °K. Using this technique the visible (blue) chemiluminescent reaction CO + О → CO2* was studied as a function of vibrational excitation of CO. No significant change in the rate constant was observed with vibrational energy. The violet-white afterglow typically observed on mixing active nitrogen and CO was spectroscopically shown to be partially due to the cyanogen radical, CN, excited to the Β2Σ+ electronic state (Violet System). In addition, under conditions of long residence times (more wall collisions) and pressures in the range of 3 torr, a brilliant pink afterglow was observed in the discharged N2 — CO system which was identified again to be due to the CN radical excited to both the A2π (Red System) and Β2Σ+ (Violet System)

The Cognitive Theories of Maturana and Varela

Maturana and Varela developed the concept of autopoiesis to explain the phenomena of living organisms. They went further and postulated theories concerning the nervous system and the development of cognition. These theories have radical conclusions concerning human thought, language, and social activity. This paper aims to introduce these ideas and to explore the main implications. It also discusses the application of these cognitive theories in three separate domains-computer systems design, family therapy, and the Law