70 research outputs found
SOFIA: The future of airborne astronomy
For the past 20 years, the 91 cm telescope in NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) has enabled scientists to observe infrared sources which are obscured by the earth's atmosphere at ground-based sites, and to observe transient astronomical events from anywhere in the world. To augment this capability, the United States and German Space Agencies (NASA and DARA) are collaborating in plans to replace the KAO with a 2.5 meter telescope installed in a Boeing 747 aircraft: SOFIA - The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. SOFIA's large aperture, wide wavelength coverage, mobility, accessibility, and sophisticated instruments will permit a broad range of scientific studies, some of which are described here. Its unique features complement the capabilities of other future space missions. In addition, SOFIA has important potential as a stimulus for development of new technology and as a national resource for education of K-12 teachers. If started in 1996, SOFIA will be flying in the year 2000
Airborne Astronomy Symposium on the Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust, volume 73
This symposium was organized to review the science related to NASA's Airborne Astronomy Program on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). The theme selected, 'The Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust,' was considered to capture the underlying commonality of much of the research discussed. The 8 sessions were as follows: The Interstellar Medium; The Life Cycle of the ISM in Other Galaxies; Star and Planetary System Formation; Our Planetary System: The Solar System; The Enrichment of the Interstellar Medium; The Galactic Center: A Unique Region of the Galactic Ecosystem; Instrumentation for Airborne Astronomy; KAO History and Education; and Missions and the Future of Infrared Astronomy
Spitzer IRS Observations of the Galactic Center: Shocked Gas in the Radio Arc Bubble
We present Spitzer IRS spectra (R ~600, 10 - 38 micron) of 38 positions in
the Galactic Center (GC), all at the same Galactic longitude and spanning
plus/minus 0.3 degrees in latitude. Our positions include the Arches Cluster,
the Arched Filaments, regions near the Quintuplet Cluster, the ``Bubble'' lying
along the same line-of-sight as the molecular cloud G0.11-0.11, and the diffuse
interstellar gas along the line-of-sight at higher Galactic latitudes. From
measurements of the [O IV], [Ne II], [Ne III], [Si II], [S III], [S IV], [Fe
II], [Fe III], and H_2 S(0), S(1), and S(2) lines we determine the gas
excitation and ionic abundance ratios. The Ne/H and S/H abundance ratios are ~
1.6 times that of the Orion Nebula. The main source of excitation is
photoionization, with the Arches Cluster ionizing the Arched Filaments and the
Quintuplet Cluster ionizing the gas nearby and at lower Galactic latitudes
including the far side of the Bubble. In addition, strong shocks ionize gas to
O^{+3} and destroy dust grains, releasing iron into the gas phase (Fe/H ~ 1.3
times 10^{-6} in the Arched Filaments and Fe/H ~ 8.8 times 10^{-6} in the
Bubble). The shock effects are particularly noticeable in the center of the
Bubble, but O is present in all positions. We suggest that the shocks
are due to the winds from the Quintuplet Cluster Wolf-Rayet stars. On the other
hand, the H_2 line ratios can be explained with multi-component models of warm
molecular gas in photodissociation regions without the need for H_2 production
in shocks.Comment: 51 pages, 17 figures To be published in the Astrophysical Journa
Far-Infrared Hydrogen Lasers in the Peculiar Star MWC 349A
Far-infrared hydrogen recombination lines H15(alpha)(169.4 micrometers), H12(alpha)(88.8 micrometers), and H10(alpha)(52.5 micrometers) were detected in the peculiar luminous star MWC 349A from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. Here it is shown that at least H15(alpha) is strongly amplified, with the probable amplification factor being greater than or about equal to 10(exp 3) and a brightness temperature that is greater than or about equal to 10(exp 7) kelvin. The other two lines also show signs of amplification, although to a lesser degree. Beyond H10(alpha) the amplification apparently vanishes. The newly detected amplified lines fall into the laser wavelength domain. These lasers, as well as the previously detected hydrogen masers may originate in the photoionized circumstellar disk of MWC 349A and constrain the disk's physics and structure
HST NICMOS Observations of the Polarization of NGC 1068
We have observed the polarized light at 2 micron in the center of NGC 1068
with HST NICMOS Camera 2. The nucleus is dominated by a bright, unresolved
source, polarized at a level of 6.0 pm 1.2% with a position angle of 122degr pm
1.5degr. There are two polarized lobes extending up to 8'' northeast and
southwest of the nucleus. The polarized flux in both lobes is quite clumpy,
with the maximum polarization occurring in the southwest lobe at a level of 17%
when smoothed to 0.23'' resolution. The perpendiculars to the polarization
vectors in these two lobes point back to the intense unresolved nuclear source
to within one 0.076'' Camera 2 pixel, thereby confirming that this is the
illuminating source of the scattered light and therefore the probable AGN
central engine. Whereas the polarization of the nucleus is probably caused by
dichroic absorption, the polarization in the lobes is almost certainly caused
by scattering, with very little contribution from dichroic absorption. Features
in the polarized lobes include a gap at a distance of about 1'' from the
nucleus toward the southwest lobe and a ``knot'' of emission about 5''
northeast of the nucleus. Both features had been discussed by ground-based
observers, but they are much better defined with the high spatial resolution of
NICMOS. The northeast knot may be the side of a molecular cloud that is facing
the nucleus, which cloud may be preventing the expansion of the northeast radio
lobe at the head of the radio synchrotron-radiation-emitting jet. We also
report the presence of two ghosts in the Camera 2 polarizers. These had not
been detected previously (Hines et al. 2000) because they are relatively faint
and require observations of a source with a large dynamic range.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS Polarization Observations of Three Edge-on Massive YSOs
Massive young stellar objects (YSOs), like low-mass YSOs, appear to be
surrounded by optically thick envelopes and/or disks and have regions, often
bipolar, that are seen in polarized scattered light at near-infrared
wavelengths. We are using the 0.2'' spatial resolution of NICMOS on Hubble
Space Telescope to examine the structure of the disks and outflow regions of
massive YSOs in star-forming regions within a few kpc of the Sun. Here we
report on 2 micron polarimetry of NGC 6334 V and S255 IRS1. NGC 6334 V consists
of a double-lobed bright reflection nebula seen against a dark region, probably
an optically thick molecular cloud. Our polarization measurements show that the
illuminating star lies ~ 2'' south of the line connecting the two lobes; we do
not detect this star at 2 micron, but there are a small radio source and a
mid-infrared source at this location. S255 IRS1 consists of two YSOs (NIRS1 and
NIRS3) with overlapping scattered light lobes and luminosities corresponding to
early B stars. Included in IRS1 is a cluster of stars from whose polarization
we determine the local magnetic field direction. Neither YSO has its scattered
light lobes aligned with this magnetic field. The line connecting the scattered
light lobes of NIRS1 is twisted symmetrically around the star; the best
explanation is that the star is part of a close binary and the outflow axis of
NIRS1 is precessing as a result of non-coplanar disk and orbit. The star NIRS3
is also offset from the line connecting its two scattered light lobes. We
suggest that all three YSOs show evidence of episodic ejection of material as
they accrete from dense, optically thick envelopes.Comment: 39 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables To be published in The Astrophysical
Journa
Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS Polarization Measurements of OMC-1
We present 2micron polarization measurements of positions in the BN region of
the Orion Molecular Cloud (OMC-1) made with NICMOS Camera 2 (0.2'' resolution)
on HST. Our results are as follows: BN is sim 29% polarized by dichroic
absorption and appears to be the illuminating source for most of the nebulosity
to its north and up to sim 5'' to its south. Although the stars are probably
all polarized by dichroic absorption, there are a number of compact, but
non-point-source, objects that could be polarized by a combination of both
dichroic absorption and local scattering of star light. We identify several
candidate YSOs, including an approximately edge-on bipolar YSO 8.7'' east of
BN, and a deeply-embedded variable star. Additional strongly polarized sources
are IRc2-B, IRc2-D, and IRc7, all of which are obviously self-luminous at
mid-infrared wavelengths and may be YSOs. None of these is a reflection nebula
illuminated by a star located near radio source I, as was previously suggested.
Other IRc sources are clearly reflection nebulae: IRc3 appears to be
illuminated by IRc2-B or a combination of the IRc2 sources, and IRc4 and IRc5
appear to be illuminated by an unseen star in the vicinity of radio source I,
or by Star n or IRc2-A. Trends in the magnetic field direction are inferred
from the polarization of the 26 stars that are bright enough to be seen as
NICMOS point sources. The most polarized star has a polarization position angle
different from its neighbors by sim 40^o, but in agreement with the grain
alignment inferred from millimeter polarization measurements of the cold dust
cloud in the southern part of OMC-1.Comment: 41 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, to appear in The Astrophysical Journa
Training of Instrumentalists and Development of New Technologies on SOFIA
This white paper is submitted to the Astronomy and Astrophysics 2010 Decadal
Survey (Astro2010)1 Committee on the State of the Profession to emphasize the
potential of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) to
contribute to the training of instrumentalists and observers, and to related
technology developments. This potential goes beyond the primary mission of
SOFIA, which is to carry out unique, high priority astronomical research.
SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP aircraft with a 2.5 meter telescope. It will enable
astronomical observations anywhere, any time, and at most wavelengths between
0.3 microns and 1.6 mm not accessible from ground-based observatories. These
attributes, accruing from the mobility and flight altitude of SOFIA, guarantee
a wealth of scientific return. Its instrument teams (nine in the first
generation) and guest investigators will do suborbital astronomy in a
shirt-sleeve environment. The project will invest $10M per year in science
instrument development over a lifetime of 20 years. This, frequent flight
opportunities, and operation that enables rapid changes of science instruments
and hands-on in-flight access to the instruments, assure a unique and extensive
potential - both for training young instrumentalists and for encouraging and
deploying nascent technologies. Novel instruments covering optical, infrared,
and submillimeter bands can be developed for and tested on SOFIA by their
developers (including apprentices) for their own observations and for those of
guest observers, to validate technologies and maximize observational
effectiveness.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, White Paper for Astro 2010 Survey Committee on
State of the Professio
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