136 research outputs found
Scientific Objectives for UV/Visible Astrophysics Investigations: A Summary of Responses by the Community (2012)
Following several recommendations presented by the Astrophysics Decadal
Survey 2010 centered around the need to define "a future ultraviolet-optical
space capability," on 2012 May 25, NASA issued a Request for Information (RFI)
seeking persuasive ultraviolet (UV) and visible wavelength astrophysics science
investigations. The goal was to develop a cohesive and compelling set of
science objectives that motivate and support the development of the next
generation of ultraviolet/visible space astrophysics missions. Responses were
due on 10 August 2012 when 34 submissions were received addressing a number of
potential science drivers. A UV/visible Mission RFI Workshop was held on 2012
September 20 where each of these submissions was summarized and discussed in
the context of each other. We present a scientific analysis of these
submissions and presentations and the pursuant measurement capability needs,
which could influence ultraviolet/visible technology development plans for the
rest of this decade. We also describe the process and requirements leading to
the inception of this community RFI, subsequent workshop and the expected
evolution of these ideas and concepts for the remainder of this decade.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figure, 3 table
Age Structure of Refractory Interstellar Dust and Isotopic Consequences
A sputtering and recycling Monte Carlo model, developed by Liffman and Clayton (1988) is used to calculate the distribution of existence times of the matter in interstellar dust composed of refractory metals. The mean age of each dust particle is defined not as the time it has existed but rather as the mass-weighted existence times of its parts at t = 6 Gyr of the modeled solar system formation. It is shown that Galactic evolution generates a mean correlation, applying to large numbers of particles binned according to size rather than according to individual particles, whose mean ages fluctuate statistically. The cosmochemical consequence is that if interstellar particles can be dynamically sorted into separate size populations during the aggregation history of solar system bodies, the collections of larger grains will constitute matter that is chemically older than collections of smaller grains. The macroscopic age difference generates isotopic anomalies by virtue of the time dependence of the secondary/primary nucleosynthesis yields. Results are compared with three different prescriptions for the sputtering of interstellar dust
Mapping the Recent Star Formation History of the Disk of M51
Using data acquired as part of a unique Hubble Heritage imaging program of
broadband colors of the interacting spiral system M51/NGC 5195, we have
conducted a photometric study of the stellar associations across the entire
disk of the galaxy in order to assess trends in size, luminosity, and local
environment associated with recent star formation activity in the system.
Starting with a sample of over 900 potential associations, we have produced
color-magnitude and color-color diagrams for the 120 associations that were
deemed to be single-aged. It has been found that main sequence turnoffs are not
evident for the vast majority of the stellar associations in our set,
potentially due to the overlap of isochronal tracks at the high mass end of the
main sequence, and the limited depth of our images at the distance of M51. In
order to obtain ages for more of our sample, we produced model spectral energy
distributions (SEDs) to fit to the data from the GALEXEV simple stellar
population (SSP) models of Bruzual and Charlot (2003). These SEDs can be used
to determine age, size, mass, metallicity, and dust content of each association
via a simple chi-squared minimization to each association's B, V, and I-band
fluxes. The derived association properties are mapped as a function of
location, and recent trends in star formation history of the galaxy are
explored in light of these results. This work is the first phase in a program
that will compare these stellar systems with their environments using
ultraviolet data from GALEX and infrared data from Spitzer, and ultimately we
plan to apply the same stellar population mapping methodology to other nearby
face-on spiral galaxies.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Accepted to The Astronomical Journa
M32+/-1
WFPC-2 images are used to study the central structure of M31, M32, and M33.
The dimmer peak, P2, of the M31 double nucleus is centered on the bulge to
0.1", implying that it is the dynamical center of M31. P2 contains a compact
source discovered by King et al. (1995) at 1700 A. This source is resolved,
with r_{1/2} approx0.2 pc. It dominates the nucleus at 3000 A, and is
consistent with late B-early A stars. This probable cluster may consist of
young stars and be an older version of the cluster of hot stars at the center
of the Milky Way, or it may consist of heavier stars built up from collisions
in a possible cold disk of stars orbiting P2. In M32, the central cusp rises
into the HST limit with gamma approx0.5, and the central density
rho_0>10^7M_sol pc^-3. The V-I and U-V color profiles are flat, and there is no
sign of an inner disk, dust, or any other structure. This total lack of
features seems at variance with a nominal stellar collision time of 2 X 10^10
yr, which implies that a significant fraction of the light in the central pixel
should come from blue stragglers. InM33, the nucleus has an extremely steep
gamma=1.49 power-law profile for 0.05"<r<0.2" that becomes shallower as the HST
resolution limit is approached. The profile for r<0.04" has either a gamma
approx 0.8 cusp or a small core with r_c ~<0.13 pc. The central density is
rho_0 > 2 10^6M_sol pc^-3, and the implied relaxation time is only ~3 X 10^6
yr, indicating that the nucleus is highly relaxed. The accompanying short
collision time of 7 X 10^9 yr predicts a central blue straggler component
quantitatively consistent with the strong V-I and B-R color gradients seen with
HST and from the ground.Comment: 44 pages, 22 figures (7 as separate JPEG images), submitted to The
Astronomical Journal. Full postscript image available at
http://www.noao.edu/noao/staff/lauer/lauer_paper
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