5,626 research outputs found
The DSS-14 C-band exciter
The development and implementation of a C-band exciter for use with the Block IV Receiver-Exciter Subsystem at Deep Space Station 14 (DSS-14) has been completed. The exciter supplements the standard capabilities of the Block IV system by providing a drive signal for the C-band transmitter while generating coherent translation frequencies for C-band (5-GHz) to S-band (2.2- to 2.3-GHz) Doppler extraction, C-band to L-band (1.6-GHz) zero delay measurements, and a level calibrated L-band test signal. Exciter functions are described, and a general explanation and description of the C-band uplink controller is presented
Recommended from our members
The impact of resolution on the adjustment and decadal variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a coupled climate model
Variations in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) exert an important influence on climate, particularly on decadal time scales. Simulation of the MOC in coupled climate models is compromised, to a degree that is unknown, by their lack of fidelity in resolving some of the key processes involved. There is an overarching need to increase the resolution and fidelity of climate models, but also to assess how increases in resolution influence the simulation of key phenomena such as the MOC.
In this study we investigate the impact of significantly increasing the (ocean and atmosphere) resolution of a coupled climate model on the simulation of MOC variability by comparing high and low resolution versions of the same model. In both versions, decadal variability of the MOC is closely linked to density anomalies that propagate from the Labrador Sea southward along the deep western boundary. We demonstrate that the MOC adjustment proceeds more rapidly in the higher resolution model due the increased speed of western boundary waves. However, the response of the Atlantic Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) to MOC variations is relatively robust - in pattern if not in magnitude - across the two resolutions. The MOC also excites a coupled ocean-atmosphere response in the tropical Atlantic in both model versions. In the higher resolution model, but not the lower resolution model, there is evidence of a significant response in the extratropical atmosphere over the North Atlantic 6 years after a maximum in the MOC. In both models there is evidence of a weak negative feedback on deep density anomalies in the Labrador Sea, and hence on the MOC (with a time scale of approximately ten years). Our results highlight the need for further work to understand the decadal variability of the MOC and its simulation in climate models
HST imaging of hyperluminous infrared galaxies
We present HST WFPC2 I band imaging for a sample of 9 Hyperluminous Infrared
Galaxies spanning a redshift range 0.45 < z < 1.34. Three of the sample have
morphologies showing evidence for interactions, six are QSOs. Host galaxies in
the QSOs are reliably detected out to z ~ 0.8. The detected QSO host galaxies
have an elliptical morphology with scalelengths spanning 6.5 < r_{e}(Kpc) < 88
and absolute k corrected magnitudes spanning -24.5 < M_{I} < -25.2. There is no
clear correlation between the IR power source and the optical morphology. None
of the sources in the sample, including F15307+3252, show any evidence for
gravitational lensing. We infer that the IR luminosities are thus real. Based
on these results, and previous studies of HLIRGs, we conclude that this class
of object is broadly consistent with being a simple extrapolation of the ULIRG
population to higher luminosities; ULIRGs being mainly violently interacting
systems powered by starbursts and/or AGN. Only a small number of sources whose
infrared luminosities exceed 10^{13}Lsun are intrinsically less luminous
objects which have been boosted by gravitational lensing.Comment: 16 Pages. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Input-output relations for a 3-port grating coupled Fabry-Perot cavity
We analyze an optical 3-port reflection grating by means of a scattering
matrix formalism. Amplitude and phase relations between the 3 ports, i.e. the 3
orders of diffraction are derived. Such a grating can be used as an
all-reflective, low-loss coupler to Fabry-Perot cavities. We derive the input
output relations of a 3-port grating coupled cavity and find distinct
properties not present in 2-port coupled cavities. The cavity relations further
reveal that the 3-port coupler can be designed such that the additional cavity
port interferes destructively. In this case the all-reflective, low-loss,
single-ended Fabry-Perot cavity becomes equivalent to a standard transmissive,
2-port coupled cavity
Thermal Emission from HII Galaxies: Discovering the Youngest Systems
We studied the radio properties of very young massive regions of star
formation in HII galaxies, with the aim of detecting episodes of recent star
formation in an early phase of evolution where the first supernovae start to
appear. Our sample consists of 31 HII galaxies, characterized by strong
Hydrogen emission lines, for which low resolution VLA 3.5cm and 6cm
observations were obtained. The radio spectral energy distribution has a range
of behaviours; 1) there are galaxies where the SED is characterized by a
synchrotron-type slope, 2) galaxies with a thermal slope, and, 3) galaxies with
possible free-free absorption at long wavelengths. The latter SEDs were found
in a few galaxies and represent a signature of heavily embedded massive star
clusters closely related to the early stages of massive star formation. Based
on the comparison of the star formation rates determined from the recombination
lines and those determined from the radio emission we find that SFR(Ha) is on
average five times higher than SFR(1.4GHz). We confirm this tendency by
comparing the ratio between the observed flux at 20 cm and the expected one,
calculated based on the Ha star formation rates, both for the galaxies in our
sample and for normal ones. This analysis shows that this ratio is a factor of
2 smaller in our galaxies than in normal ones, indicating that they fall below
the FIR/radio correlation. These results suggest that the emission of these
galaxies is dominated by a recent and massive star formation event in which the
first supernovae (SN) just started to explode. We conclude that the systematic
lack of synchrotron emission in those systems with the largest equivalent width
of Hb can only be explained if those are young starbursts of less than 3.5Myr
of age.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Faint Radio Sources and Star Formation History
Faint extragalactic radio sources provide important information about the
global history of star formation. Sensitive radio observations of the Hubble
Deep Field and other fields have found that sub-mJy radio sources are
predominantly associated with star formation activity rather than AGN. Radio
observations of star forming galaxies have the advantage of being independent
of extinction by dust. We use the FIR-radio correlation to compare the radio
and FIR backgrounds, and make several conclusions about the star forming
galaxies producing the FIR background. We then use the redshift distribution of
faint radio sources to determine the evolution of the radio luminosity
function, and thus estimate the star formation density as a function of
redshift.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, latex using texas.sty, to appear in the CD-ROM
Proceedings of the 19th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics and
Cosmology, held in Paris, France, Dec. 14-18, 1998. Eds.: J. Paul, T.
Montmerle, and E. Aubourg (CEA Saclay). No changes to paper, just updated
publication info in this commen
ISO observations and models of galaxies with Hidden Broad Line Regions
We present ISO mid-infrared spectrophotometry and far-infrared photometry of
galaxies with Hidden Broad Line Regions (HBLR). We also present radiative
transfer models of their spectral energy distributions which enable us to
separate the contributions from the dusty disc of the AGN and the dusty
starbursts. We find that the combination of tapered discs (discs whose
thickness increases with distance from the central source in the inner part but
stays constant in the outer part) and starbursts provide good fits to the data.
The tapered discs dominate in the mid-infrared part of the spectrum and the
starbursts in the far-infrared. After correcting the AGN luminosity for
anisotropic emission we find that the ratio of the AGN luminosity to the
starburst luminosity, L(AGN)/L(SB), ranges from about unity for IRAS14454-4343
to about 13 for IRAS01475-0740. Our results suggest that the warm IRAS colours
of HBLR are due to the relatively high L(AGN)/L(SB). Our fits are consistent
with the unified model and the idea that the infrared emission of AGN is
dominated by a dusty disc in the mid-infrared and starbursts in the
far-infrared.Comment: A&A accepeted, 8pages 2 Figures, final versio
Low-metallicity star formation: Relative impact of metals and magnetic fields
Low-metallicity star formation poses a central problem of cosmology, as it
determines the characteristic mass scale and distribution for the first and
second generations of stars forming in our Universe. Here, we present a
comprehensive investigation assessing the relative impact of metals and
magnetic fields, which may both be present during low-metallicity star
formation. We show that the presence of magnetic fields generated via the
small-scale dynamo stabilises the protostellar disc and provides some degree of
support against fragmentation. In the absence of magnetic fields, the
fragmentation timescale in our model decreases by a factor of ~10 at the
transition from Z=0 to Z>0, with subsequently only a weak dependence on
metallicity. Similarly, the accretion timescale of the cluster is set by the
large-scale dynamics rather than the local thermodynamics. In the presence of
magnetic fields, the primordial disc can become completely stable, therefore
forming only one central fragment. At Z>0, the number of fragments is somewhat
reduced in the presence of magnetic fields, though the shape of the mass
spectrum is not strongly affected in the limits of the statistical
uncertainties. The fragmentation timescale, however, increases by roughly a
factor of 3 in the presence of magnetic fields. Indeed, our results indicate
comparable fragmentation timescales in primordial runs without magnetic fields
and Z>0 runs with magnetic fields.Comment: MNRAS in pres
Massive Star Formation in Galaxies: Radiative transfer models of the UV to mm emission of starburst galaxies
We present illustrative models for the UV to millimeter emission of starburst
galaxies which are treated as an ensemble of optically thick giant molecular
clouds (GMCs) centrally illuminated by recently formed stars. The models follow
the evolution of the GMCs due to the ionization-induced expansion of the HII
regions and the evolution of the stellar population within the GMC according to
the Bruzual & Charlot stellar population synthesis models. The effect of
transiently heated dust grains/PAHs to the radiative transfer, as well as
multiple scattering, is taken into account.
The expansion of the HII regions and the formation of a narrow neutral shell
naturally explains why the emission from PAHs dominates over that from hot dust
in the near to mid-IR, an emerging characteristic of the infrared spectra of
starburst galaxies.
The models allow us to relate the observed properties of a galaxy to its age
and star formation history. We find that exponentially decaying 10^7-10^8 yrs
old bursts can explain the IRAS colours of starburst galaxies. The models are
also shown to account satisfactorily for the multiwavelength data on the
prototypical starburst galaxy M82 and NGC6090, a starburst galaxy recently
observed by ISO. In M82 we find evidence for two bursts separated by 10^7yrs.
In NGC6090 we find that at least part of the far-IR excess may be due to the
age of the burst (6.4 x 10^7yrs). We also make predictions about the evolution
of the luminosity of starbursts at different wavelengths which indicate that
far-IR surveys may preferentially detect older starbursts than mid-IR surveys.Comment: 11 pages; accepted by MNRAS (submitted 9/9/98
- …