24,028 research outputs found
Starburst-driven galactic winds: I. Energetics and intrinsic X-ray emission
We have performed an extensive hydrodynamical parameter study of
starburst-driven galactic winds, motivated by the latest observation data on
the best-studied starburst galaxy M82. We study how the wind dynamics,
morphology and X-ray emission depend on the host galaxy's ISM distribution,
starburst star formation history and strength, and presence and distribution of
mass-loading by dense clouds. We find that the soft X-ray emission from
galactic winds comes from low filling factor (ff < 2 per cent) gas, which
contains only a small fraction (f < 10 per cent) of the mass and energy of the
wind, irrespective of whether the wind models are strongly mass-loaded or not.
X-ray observations of galactic winds therefore do not directly probe the gas
that contains the majority of the energy, mass or metal-enriched gas in the
outflow. The soft X-ray emission comes from gas at a wide range different
temperatures and densities. Estimates of the physical properties of the hot gas
in starburst galaxies, based on fitting the standard simple spectral models to
existing X-ray spectra, should therefore be treated with extreme suspicion. The
majority of the thermal and kinetic energy of these winds is in a volume
filling hot, T approx 10^7 K, component which is extremely difficult to probe
observationally due to its low density and hence low emissivity. Most of the
total energy is in the kinetic energy of this hot gas, a factor which must be
taken into account when attempting to constrain wind energetics
observationally. We also find that galactic winds are efficient at transporting
large amounts of energy out of the host galaxy, in contrast to their
inefficiency at transporting mass out of star-forming galaxies. (Abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Letter page size postscript
available from http://adcam.pha.jhu.edu/~dks/dks_published.htm
Predicting X-ray emission from wind-blown bubbles - Limitations of fits to ROSAT spectra
Wind-blown bubbles, from those around massive O and Wolf-Rayet stars, to
superbubbles around OB associations and galactic winds in starburst galaxies,
have a dominant role in determining the structure of the Interstellar Medium.
X-ray observations of these bubbles are particularly important as most of their
volume is taken up with hot gas, 1E5 < T (K) < 1E8. However, it is difficult to
compare X-ray observations, usually analysed in terms of single or two
temperature spectral model fits, with theoretical models, as real bubbles do
not have such simple temperature distributions. In this introduction to a
series of papers detailing the observable X-ray properties of wind-blown
bubbles, we describe our method with which we aim to solve this problem,
analysing a simulation of a wind-blown bubble around a massive star. We model a
wind of constant mass and energy injection rate, blowing into a uniform ISM,
from which we calculate X-ray spectra as would be seen by the ROSAT PSPC. We
compare the properties of the bubble as would be inferred from the ROSAT data
with the true properties of the bubble in the simulation. We find standard
spectral models yield inferred properties that deviate significantly from the
true properties, even though the spectral fits are statistically acceptable,
and give no indication that they do not represent to true spectral
distribution. Our results suggest that in any case where the true source
spectrum does not come from a simple single or two temperature distribution the
"observed" X-ray properties cannot naively be used to infer the true
properties.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX with 13 eps figures, condensed abstract. MNRAS in
pres
Provisional specification for satellite time in a geomagnetic environment
Satellites in geosynchronous orbit were experiencing operational anomalies. These anomalies are believed to be due to the environment charging the spacecraft surfaces to a point where discharges occur. In designing future satellites for long term operation at geosynchronous altitude, it is important that designers have a specification that will give the total time per year, the particle flux density and particle energies that their satellites can be expected to encounter in these substorm environmental conditions. The limited data currently available on the environmental conditions are used to generate the provisional specification given in this report
The Energetics and Mass-loss of Mrk33
We present ROSAT HRI X-ray data and optical imaging of the important dwarf
starburst Markarian 33. We find an extended, complex, shell-like morphology in
the X-ray emission, with an extent of 2.3 x 1.9kpc, coincident with the bright
star-forming regions at the centre of the galaxy. The physical extent of this
X-ray emission from Mrk 33 is very similar to the observed Halpha emission, and
suggests that the bulk of the X-ray emission is coming from an expanding
superbubble.
We estimate the age and mass of Mrk 33's starburst to be 5.8 Myr and 6.9 x
10^{6} Msolar respectively with the energy injection rate in the central
regions of the galaxy being 10^{41} erg/s, while the associated mass-loss rate
from the star-forming regions is estimated to be 0.2 Msolar/yr. We suggest that
the X-ray emission is predominantly powered by starburst type activity and
argue that a blowout in the form of a galactic wind is the most likely fate for
Mrk 33 resulting in the loss of most of the galaxy's metal-enriched material
and a small fraction (<1 per cent) of the ISM.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Provisional specification for satellite time in a geomagnetic substorm environment
Satellites in geosynchronous orbit have been experiencing operational anomalies. These anomalies are believed to be due to the environment charging the spacecraft surfaces to a point where discharges occur. In designing future satellites for long term operation at geosynchronous altitude, it is important that designers have a specification that will give the total time per year, the particle flux density, and particle energies that their satellites can be expected to encounter in these substorm environmental conditions. The limited data currently available on the environmental conditions was used to generate the provisional specification given
Chandra and XMM-Newton Observations of NGC 4214: The Hot Interstellar Medium and the Luminosity Function of Dwarf Starbursts
We present results from Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of NGC
4214, a nearby dwarf starburst galaxy containing several young regions of very
active star-formation. Starburst regions are known to be associated with
diffuse X-ray emission, and in this case the X-ray emission from the galaxy
shows an interesting morphological structure within the galaxy, clearly
associated with the central regions of active star-formation. Of the two main
regions of star-formation in this galaxy, X-ray emission associated with the
older is identified whereas little is detected from the younger, providing an
insight into the evolutionary process of the formation of superbubbles around
young stellar clusters. The spectra of the diffuse emission from the galaxy can
be fitted with a two temperature component thermal model with kT=0.14keV and
0.52keV, and analysis of this emission suggests that NGC 4214 will suffer a
blow-out in the future.
The point source population of the galaxy has an X-ray luminosity function
with a slope of -0.76. This result, together with those for other dwarf
starburst galaxies (NGC 4449 and NGC 5253), was added to a sample of luminosity
functions for spiral and starburst galaxies. The slope of the luminosity
function of dwarf starbursts is seen to be similar to that of their larger
counterparts and clearly flatter than those seen in spirals. Further
comparisons between the luminosity functions of starbursts and spiral galaxies
are also made.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
A flight investigation of performance and loads for a helicopter with 10-64C main rotor blade sections
A flight investigation produced data on performance and rotor loads for a teetering rotor, AH-1G helicopter flown with a main rotor that had the NLR-1T airfoil as the blade section contour. The test envelope included hover, forward flight speeds from 34 to 83 m/sec (65 to 162 knots), and collective fixed maneuvers at about 0.25 tip speed ratio. The data set for each test point describes vehicle flight state, control positions, rotor loads, power requirements, and blade motions. Rotor loads are reviewed primarily in terms of peak to peak and harmonic content. Lower frequency components predominated for most loads and generally increased with increased airspeed, but not necessarily with increased maneuver load factor. Detailed data for an advanced airfoil on an AH-1G are presented
A flight investigation of performance and loads for a helicopter with NLR-1T main-rotor blade sections
Data on performance and rotor loads for a teetering-rotor, AH-1G helicopter flown with a main rotor that had the NLR-1T airfoil as the blade-section contour are presented. The test envelope included hover, forward-flight speed sweeps from 35 to 85 m/sec, and collective-fixed maneuvers at about 0.25 tip-speed ratio. The data set for each test point described vehicle flight state, control positions, rotor loads, power requirements, and blade motions. Rotor loads are reviewed primarily in terms of peak-to-peak and harmonic content. Lower frequency components predominated for most loads and generally increased with increased airspeed, but not necessarily with increased maneuver load factor
A flight investigation of blade section aerodynamics for a helicopter main rotor having NLR-1T airfoil sections
A flight investigation was conducted using a teetering-rotor AH-1G helicopter to obtain data on the aerodynamic behavior of main-rotor blades with the NLR-1T blade section. The data system recorded blade-section aerodynamic pressures at 90 percent rotor radius as well as vehicle flight state, performance, and loads. The test envelope included hover, forward flight, and collective-fixed maneuvers. Data were obtained on apparent blade-vortex interactions, negative lift on the advancing blade in high-speed flight and wake interactions in hover. In many cases, good agreement was achieved between chordwise pressure distributions predicted by airfoil theory and flight data with no apparent indications of blade-vortex interactions
- …