1,225 research outputs found
The time variation in infrared water-vapour bands in Mira variables
The time variation in the water-vapour bands in oxygen-rich Mira variables
has been investigated using multi-epoch ISO/SWS spectra of four Mira variables
in the 2.5-4.0 micron region. All four stars show H2O bands in absorption
around minimum in the visual light curve. At maximum, H2O emission features
appear in the ~3.5-4.0 micronm region, while the features at shorter
wavelengths remain in absorption. These H2O bands in the 2.5-4.0 micron region
originate from the extended atmosphere.
The analysis has been carried out with a disk shape, slab geometry model. The
observed H2O bands are reproduced by two layers; a `hot' layer with an
excitation temperature of 2000 K and a `cool' layer with an excitation
temperature of 1000-1400 K. The radii of the `hot' layer (R_hot) are ~1 R_* at
visual minimum and 2 R_* at maximum, where R_* is a radius of background source
of the model. The time variation of R_hot/R_* from 1 to 2 is attributed to the
actual variation in the radius of the H2O layer. A high H2O density shell
occurs near the surface of the star around minimum, and moves out with the
stellar pulsation. This shell gradually fades away after maximum, and a new
high H2O density shell is formed in the inner region again at the next minimum.
Due to large optical depth of H2O, the near-infrared variability is dominated
by the H2O layer, and the L'-band flux correlates with the area of the H2O
shell. The infrared molecular bands trace the structure of the extended
atmosphere and impose appreciable effects on near-infrared light curve of Mira
variables.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures, accepted by A&
Coronal Line Emitters are Tidal Disruption Events in Gas-Rich Environments
Some galaxies show little to no sign of active galactic nucleus (AGN)
activity, yet exhibit strong coronal emission lines (CLs) relative to common
narrow emission lines. Many of these coronal lines have ionization potentials
of eV, thus requiring strong extreme UV and/or soft X-ray flux. It
has long been thought that such events are powered by tidal disruption events
(TDEs), but owing to a lack of detailed multi-wavelength follow-up, such a
connection has not been firmly made. Here we compare coronal line emitters
(CLEs) and TDEs in terms of their host-galaxy and transient properties. We find
that the mid-infrared (MIR) colors of CLE hosts in quiescence are similar to
TDE hosts. Additionally, many CLEs show evidence of a large dust reprocessing
echo in their mid-infrared colors, a sign of significant dust in the nucleus.
The stellar masses and star formation rates of the CLE hosts are consistent
with TDE hosts, and both populations reside within the green valley. The
blackbody properties of CLEs and TDEs are similar, with some CLEs showing hot
(T K) blackbody temperatures. Finally, the location of CLEs on
the peak-luminosity/decline-rate parameter space is much closer to TDEs than
many other major classes of nuclear transients. Combined, these provide strong
evidence to confirm the previous claims that CLEs are indeed TDEs in gas-rich
environments. We additionally propose a stricter threshold of CL flux [O III] flux to better exclude AGNs from the sample of CLEs.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Will be submitted to MNRAS. Comments welcom
Tracing the development of dust around evolved stars: The case of 47 Tuc
We observed mid-infrared (7.5-22 mum) spectra of AGB stars in the globular
cluster 47 Tuc with the Spitzer telescope and find significant dust features of
various types. Comparison of the characteristics of the dust spectra with the
location of the stars in a logP-K-diagram shows that dust mineralogy and
position on the AGB are related. A 13 mum feature is seen in spectra of low
luminosity AGB stars. More luminous AGB stars show a broad feature at 11.5 mum.
The spectra of the most luminous stars are dominated by the amorphous silicate
bending vibration centered at 9.7 mum. For 47 Tuc AGB stars, we conclude that
early on the AGB dust consisting primarily of Mg-, Al- and Fe oxides is formed.
With further AGB evolution amorphous silicates become the dominant species.Comment: 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Water vapor on supergiants. The 12 micron TEXES spectra of mu Cephei
Several recent papers have argued for warm, semi-detached, molecular layers
surrounding red giant and supergiant stars, a concept known as a MOLsphere.
Spectroscopic and interferometric analyses have often corroborated this general
picture. Here, we present high-resolution spectroscopic data of pure rotational
lines of water vapor at 12 microns for the supergiant mu Cephei. This star has
often been used to test the concept of molecular layers around supergiants.
Given the prediction of an isothermal, optically thick water-vapor layer in
Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium around the star (MOLsphere), we expected the 12
micron lines to be in emission or at least in absorption but filled in by
emission from the molecular layer around the star. Our data, however, show the
contrary; we find definite absorption. Thus, our data do not easily fit into
the suggested isothermal MOLsphere scenario. The 12 micron lines, therefore,
put new, strong constraints on the MOLsphere concept and on the nature of water
seen in signatures across the spectra of early M supergiants. We also find that
the absorption is even stronger than that calculated from a standard,
spherically symmetric model photosphere without any surrounding layers. A cool
model photosphere, representing cool outer layers is, however, able to
reproduce the lines, but this model does not account for water vapor emission
at 6 microns. Thus, a unified model for water vapor on mu Cephei appears to be
lacking. It does seem necessary to model the underlying photospheres of these
supergiants in their whole complexity. The strong water vapor lines clearly
reveal inadequacies of classical model atmospheres.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
A summary of porous tube plant nutrient delivery system investigations from 1985 to 1991
The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Program is a research effort to evaluate biological processes at a one person scale to provide air, water, and food for humans in closed environments for space habitation. This program focuses currently on the use of conventional crop plants and the use of hydroponic systems to grow them. Because conventional hydroponic systems are dependent on gravity to conduct solution flow, they cannot be used in the microgravity of space. Thus, there is a need for a system that will deliver water and nutrients to plant roots under microgravity conditions. The Plant Space Biology Program is interested in investigating the effect that the space environment has on the growth and development of plants. Thus, there is also a need to have a standard nutrient delivery method for growing plants in space for research into plant responses to microgravity. The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS) utilizes a hydrophilic, microporous material to control water and nutrient delivery to plant roots. It has been designed and analyzed to support plant growth independent of gravity and plans are progressing to test it in microgravity. It has been used successfully to grow food crops to maturity in an earth-bound laboratory. This document includes a bibliography and summary reports from the growth trials performed utilizing the PTPNDS
Molecular astronomy of cool stars and sub-stellar objects
The optical and infrared spectra of a wide variety of `cool' astronomical
objects including the Sun, sunspots, K-, M- and S-type stars, carbon stars,
brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets are reviewed. The review provides the
necessary astronomical background for chemical physicists to understand and
appreciate the unique molecular environments found in astronomy. The
calculation of molecular opacities needed to simulate the observed spectral
energy distributions is discussed
System development and early biological tests in NASA's biomass production chamber
The Biomass Production Chamber at Kennedy Space Center was constructed to conduct large scale plant growth studies for NASA's CELSS program. Over the past four years, physical systems and computer control software have been continually upgraded and the degree of atmospheric leakage from the chamber has decreased from about 40 to 5 percent of the total volume per day. Early tests conducted with a limited degree of closure showed that total crop (wheat) growth from the best trays was within 80 percent of reported optimal yields for similar light levels. Yields from subsequent tests under more tightly closed conditions have not been as good--up to only 65 percent of optimal yields. Yields appear to have decreased with increasing closure, yet potential problems exist in cultural techniques and further studies are warranted. With the ability to tightly seal the chamber, quantitative data were gathered on CO2 and water exchange rates. Results showed that stand photosynthesis and transpiration reached a peak near 25 days after planting, soon after full vegetative ground cover was established. In the final phase of testing when atmospheric closure was the highest, ethylene gas levels in the chamber rose from about 10 to nearly 120 ppb. Evidence suggests that the ethylene originated from the wheat plants themselves and may have caused an epinastic rolling of the leaves, but no apparent detrimental effects on whole plant function
Atmospheric dynamics in carbon-rich Miras. II. Models meet observations
Originating in different depths of the very extended atmospheres of AGB
stars, various molecular spectral lines observable in the near-infrared show
diverse behaviours and can be used to probe atmospheric dynamics throughout the
outer layers of these pulsating red giants. In Nowotny et al. (2005, Paper I)
time series of synthetic high-resolution spectra were presented, computed from
a dynamic model atmosphere for a typical carbon-rich Mira. In this work, line
profile shapes, their variations during the lightcycle and radial velocities
derived from wavelength shifts are analyzed and compared with results from
observed FTS spectra of the C-rich Mira S Cep and other Miras. It is found that
the global velocity structure of the model is in qualitative agreement with
observations. Radial velocities of molecular lines sampling different layers
behave comparably, although some differences are apparant concerning absolute
values. A correction factor of p=1.36 between measured RVs and actual gas
velocities is derived for CO dv=3 lines. It is shown that dynamic model
atmospheres are capable of reproducing Mira spectra without introducing an
additional ''static layer'' proposed by several authors.Comment: accepted by A&A, 12 pages, 10 figure
Nanoscale temperature measurements using non-equilibrium Brownian dynamics of a levitated nanosphere
Einstein realised that the fluctuations of a Brownian particle can be used to
ascertain properties of its environment. A large number of experiments have
since exploited the Brownian motion of colloidal particles for studies of
dissipative processes, providing insight into soft matter physics, and leading
to applications from energy harvesting to medical imaging. Here we use
optically levitated nanospheres that are heated to investigate the
non-equilibrium properties of the gas surrounding them. Analysing the sphere's
Brownian motion allows us to determine the temperature of the centre-of-mass
motion of the sphere, its surface temperature and the heated gas temperature in
two spatial dimensions. We observe asymmetric heating of the sphere and gas,
with temperatures reaching the melting point of the material. This method
offers new opportunities for accurate temperature measurements with spatial
resolution on the nanoscale, and a new means for testing non-equilibrium
thermodynamicsComment: 5 pages, 4 figures, supplementary material available upon reques
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