Broad-band emission properties of central engine powered supernova ejecta interacting with a circumstellar medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Akihiro; Maeda, Keiichi

2018-04-01

We investigate broad-band emission from supernova ejecta powered by a relativistic wind from a central compact object. A recent two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation studying the dynamical evolution of supernova ejecta with a central energy source has revealed that outermost layers of the ejecta are accelerated to mildly relativistic velocities because of the breakout of a hot bubble driven by the energy injection. The outermost layers decelerate as they sweep a circumstellar medium surrounding the ejecta, leading to the formation of the forward and reverse shocks propagating in the circumstellar medium and the ejecta. While the ejecta continue to release the internal energy as thermal emission from the photosphere, the energy dissipation at the forward and reverse shock fronts gives rise to non-thermal emission. We calculate light curves and spectral energy distributions of thermal and non-thermal emission from central engine powered supernova ejecta embedded in a steady stellar wind with typical mass loss rates for massive stars. The light curves are compared with currently available radio and X-ray observations of hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae, as well as the two well-studied broad-lined Ic supernovae, 1998bw and 2009bb, which exhibit bright radio emission indicating central engine activities. We point out that upper limits on radio luminosities of nearby superluminous supernovae may indicate the injected energy is mainly converted to thermal radiation rather than creating mildly relativistic flows owing to photon diffusion time scales comparable to the injection time scale.

Origin of Broad Visible Emission from Branched Polysilane and Polygermane Chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Akira; Sato, Takaaki; Matsuda, Minoru

2001-11-01

The emission properties of branched polysilane and polygermane are studied using time-resolved emission spectroscopy. As branched polymers, the organosilicon cluster (OSI) and organogermanium cluster (OGE) are investigated, which are prepared from tetrachlorosilane and tetrachlorogermane, respectively, and have a hyperbranched structure. The broad visible emissions of OSI and OGE are explained by the energy diagram based on a configuration coordinate model, and the excited states are attributed to a localized state around the branching point. The molecular orbital (MO) calculation suggested the formation of a localized state by the distortion around the branching point in the excited state. The potential barrier for the nonradiative relaxation process was determined from the temperature dependence of the emission lifetime.

AGN Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. IV. Velocity-Delay Mapping of Broad Emission Lines in NGC 5548

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horne, Keith D.; Agn Storm Team

2015-01-01

Two-dimensional velocity-delay maps of AGN broad emission line regions can be recovered by modelling observations of reverberating emission-line profiles on the assumption that the line profile variations are driven by changes in ionising radiation from a compact source near the black hole. The observable light travel time delay resolves spatial structure on iso-delay paraboloids, while the doppler shift resolves kinematic structure along the observer's line-of-sight. Velocity-delay maps will be presented and briefly discussed for the Lyman alpha, CIV and Hbeta line profiles based on the HST and ground-based spectrophotometric monitoring of NGC 5548 during the 2014 AGN STORM campaign.

Constraining the geometry and kinematics of the quasar broad emission line region using gravitational microlensing. I. Models and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braibant, L.; Hutsemékers, D.; Sluse, D.; Goosmann, R.

2017-11-01

Recent studies have shown that line profile distortions are commonly observed in gravitationally lensed quasar spectra. Often attributed to microlensing differential magnification, line profile distortions can provide information on the geometry and kinematics of the broad emission line region (BLR) in quasars. We investigate the effect of gravitational microlensing on quasar broad emission line profiles and their underlying continuum, combining the emission from simple representative BLR models with generic microlensing magnification maps. Specifically, we considered Keplerian disk, polar, and equatorial wind BLR models of various sizes. The effect of microlensing has been quantified with four observables: μBLR, the total magnification of the broad emission line; μcont, the magnification of the underlying continuum; as well as red/blue, RBI and wings/core, WCI, indices that characterize the line profile distortions. The simulations showed that distortions of line profiles, such as those recently observed in lensed quasars, can indeed be reproduced and attributed to the differential effect of microlensing on spatially separated regions of the BLR. While the magnification of the emission line μBLR sets an upper limit on the BLR size and, similarly, the magnification of the continuum μcont sets an upper limit on the size of the continuum source, the line profile distortions mainly depend on the BLR geometry and kinematics. We thus built (WCI,RBI) diagrams that can serve as diagnostic diagrams to discriminate between the various BLR models on the basis of quantitative measurements. It appears that a strong microlensing effect puts important constraints on the size of the BLR and on its distance to the high-magnification caustic. In that case, BLR models with different geometries and kinematics are more prone to produce distinctive line profile distortions for a limited number of caustic configurations, which facilitates their discrimination. When the microlensing

Solar flare impulsive phase emission observed with SDO/EVE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kennedy, Michael B.; Milligan, Ryan O.; Mathioudakis, Mihalis

2013-12-10

Differential emission measures (DEMs) during the impulsive phase of solar flares were constructed using observations from the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) and the Markov-Chain Monte Carlo method. Emission lines from ions formed over the temperature range log T{sub e} = 5.8-7.2 allow the evolution of the DEM to be studied over a wide temperature range at 10 s cadence. The technique was applied to several M- and X-class flares, where impulsive phase EUV emission is observable in the disk-integrated EVE spectra from emission lines formed up to 3-4 MK and we use spatially unresolved EVE observations to infer the thermalmore » structure of the emitting region. For the nine events studied, the DEMs exhibited a two-component distribution during the impulsive phase, a low-temperature component with peak temperature of 1-2 MK, and a broad high-temperature component from 7 to 30 MK. A bimodal high-temperature component is also found for several events, with peaks at 8 and 25 MK during the impulsive phase. The origin of the emission was verified using Atmospheric Imaging Assembly images to be the flare ribbons and footpoints, indicating that the constructed DEMs represent the spatially average thermal structure of the chromospheric flare emission during the impulsive phase.« less

Photoionization Modelling of the Giant Broad-Line Region in NGC 3998.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devereux, Nicholas

2018-01-01

Prior high angular resolution spectroscopic observations of the low-ionization nuclear emission-line region in NGC 3998 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope revealed a rich UV-visible spectrum consisting of broad permitted and broad forbidden emission lines. The photoionization code XSTAR is employed together with reddening-insensitive emission line diagnostics to constrain a dynamical model for the broad-line region (BLR) in NGC 3998. The BLR is modelled as a large H+ region ~ 7 pc in radius consisting of dust-free, low density ~ 104 cm-3, low metallicity ~ 0.01 Z/Z⊙ gas. Modelling the shape of the broad Hα emission line significantly discriminates between two independent measures of the black hole mass, favouring the estimate of de Francesco (2006). Interpreting the broad Hα emission line in terms of a steady-state spherically symmetric inflow leads to a mass inflow rate of 1.4 x 10-2 M⊙/yr, well within the present uncertainty of calculations that attempt to explain the observed X-ray emission in terms of an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). Collectively, the model provides an explanation for the shape of the Hα emission line, the relative intensities and luminosities for the H Balmer, [OIII], and potentially several of the broad UV emission lines, as well as refining the initial conditions needed for future modelling of the ADAF.

Broad line emission from iron K- and L-shell transitions in the active galaxy 1H 0707-495.

PubMed

Fabian, A C; Zoghbi, A; Ross, R R; Uttley, P; Gallo, L C; Brandt, W N; Blustin, A J; Boller, T; Caballero-Garcia, M D; Larsson, J; Miller, J M; Miniutti, G; Ponti, G; Reis, R C; Reynolds, C S; Tanaka, Y; Young, A J

2009-05-28

Since the 1995 discovery of the broad iron K-line emission from the Seyfert galaxy MCG-6-30-15 (ref. 1), broad iron K lines have been found in emission from several other Seyfert galaxies, from accreting stellar-mass black holes and even from accreting neutron stars. The iron K line is prominent in the reflection spectrum created by the hard-X-ray continuum irradiating dense accreting matter. Relativistic distortion of the line makes it sensitive to the strong gravity and spin of the black hole. The accompanying iron L-line emission should be detectable when the iron abundance is high. Here we report the presence of both iron K and iron L emission in the spectrum of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0707-495. The bright iron L emission has enabled us to detect a reverberation lag of about 30 s between the direct X-ray continuum and its reflection from matter falling into the black hole. The observed reverberation timescale is comparable to the light-crossing time of the innermost radii around a supermassive black hole. The combination of spectral and timing data on 1H 0707-495 provides strong evidence that we are witnessing emission from matter within a gravitational radius, or a fraction of a light minute, from the event horizon of a rapidly spinning, massive black hole.

Photoionization modelling of the giant broad-line region in NGC 3998

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devereux, Nick

2018-01-01

Prior high angular resolution spectroscopic observations of the Low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (Liner) in NGC 3998 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) revealed a rich UV-visible spectrum consisting of broad permitted and broad forbidden emission lines. The photoionization code XSTAR is employed together with reddening-insensitive emission line diagnostics to constrain a dynamical model for the broad-line region (BLR) in NGC 3998. The BLR is modelled as a large H+ region ∼ 7 pc in radius consisting of dust-free, low-density ∼ 104 cm-3, low-metallicity ∼ 0.01 Z/Z⊙ gas. Modelling the shape of the broad H α emission line significantly discriminates between two independent measures of the black hole (BH) mass, favouring the estimate of de Francesco, Capetti & Marconi (2006). Interpreting the broad H α emission line in terms of a steady-state spherically symmetric inflow leads to a mass inflow rate of 1.4 × 10-2 M⊙ yr-1, well within the present uncertainty of calculations that attempt to explain the observed X-ray emission in terms of an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). Collectively, the model provides an explanation for the shape of the H α emission line, the relative intensities and luminosities for the H Balmer, [O III], and potentially several of the broad UV emission lines, as well as refining the initial conditions needed for future modelling of the ADAF.

First Observation of Lion Roar Emission in Saturn's Magnetosheath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Píša, D.; Sulaiman, A. H.; Santolík, O.; Hospodarsky, G. B.; Kurth, W. S.; Gurnett, D. A.

2018-01-01

We present an observation of intense emissions in Saturn's magnetosheath as detected by the Cassini spacecraft. The emissions are observed in the dawn sector (magnetic local time ˜06:45) of the magnetosheath over a time period of 11 h before the spacecraft crossed the bow shock and entered the unshocked solar wind. They are found to be narrow-banded with a peak frequency of about 0.16 fce, where fce is the local electron gyrofrequency. Using plane wave propagation analysis, we show that the waves are right hand circularly polarized in the spacecraft frame and propagate at small wave normal angles (<10∘) with respect to the ambient magnetic field. Electromagnetic waves with the same properties known as "lion roars" have been reported by numerous missions in the terrestrial magnetosheath. Here we show the first evidence such emission outside the terrestrial environment. Our observations suggest that lion roars are a solar-system-wide phenomenon and capable of existing in a broad range of parameter space. This also includes 1 order of magnitude difference in frequencies. We anticipate our result to provide new insight into such emissions in a new parameter regime characterized by a higher plasma beta (owing to the substantially higher Mach number bow shock) compared to Earth.

Exploring possible relations between optical variability time scales and broad emission line shapes in AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bon, Edi; Jovanović, Predrag; Marziani, Paola; Bon, Nataša; Otašević, Aleksandar

2018-06-01

Here we investigate the connection of broad emission line shapes and continuum light curve variability time scales of type-1 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We developed a new model to describe optical broad emission lines as an accretion disk model of a line profile with additional ring emission. We connect ring radii with orbital time scales derived from optical light curves, and using Kepler's third law, we calculate mass of central supermassive black hole (SMBH). The obtained results for central black hole masses are in a good agreement with other methods. This indicates that the variability time scales of AGN may not be stochastic, but rather connected to the orbital time scales which depend on the central SMBH mass.

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project: Ensemble Spectroscopic Variability of Quasar Broad Emission Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Mouyuan; Trump, Jonathan R.; Shen, Yue; Brandt, W. N.; Dawson, Kyle; Denney, Kelly D.; Hall, Patrick B.; Ho, Luis C.; Horne, Keith; Jiang, Linhua; Richards, Gordon T.; Schneider, Donald P.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Kinemuchi, Karen; Oravetz, Daniel; Pan, Kaike; Simmons, Audrey

2015-09-01

We explore the variability of quasars in the Mg ii and {{H}}β broad emission lines and ultraviolet/optical continuum emission using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping project (SDSS-RM). This is the largest spectroscopic study of quasar variability to date: our study includes 29 spectroscopic epochs from SDSS-RM over 6 months, containing 357 quasars with Mg ii and 41 quasars with {{H}}β . On longer timescales, the study is also supplemented with two-epoch data from SDSS-I/II. The SDSS-I/II data include an additional 2854 quasars with Mg ii and 572 quasars with {{H}}β . The Mg ii emission line is significantly variable ({{Δ }}f/f∼ 10% on ∼100-day timescales), a necessary prerequisite for its use for reverberation mapping studies. The data also confirm that continuum variability increases with timescale and decreases with luminosity, and the continuum light curves are consistent with a damped random-walk model on rest-frame timescales of ≳ 5 days. We compare the emission-line and continuum variability to investigate the structure of the broad-line region. Broad-line variability shows a shallower increase with timescale compared to the continuum emission, demonstrating that the broad-line transfer function is not a δ-function. {{H}}β is more variable than Mg ii (roughly by a factor of ∼1.5), suggesting different excitation mechanisms, optical depths and/or geometrical configuration for each emission line. The ensemble spectroscopic variability measurements enabled by the SDSS-RM project have important consequences for future studies of reverberation mapping and black hole mass estimation of 1\\lt z\\lt 2 quasars.

Microlensing and Intrinsic Variability of the Broad Emission Lines of Lensed Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fian, C.; Guerras, Eduardo; Mediavilla, E.; Jiménez-Vicente, J.; Muñoz, J. A.; Falco, E. E.; Motta, V.; Hanslmeier, A.

2018-05-01

We study the broad emission lines in a sample of 11 gravitationally lensed quasars with at least two epochs of observation to identify intrinsic variability and to disentangle it from microlensing. To improve our statistical significance and emphasize trends, we also include 15 lens systems with single-epoch spectra. Mg II and C III] emission lines are only weakly affected by microlensing, but C IV shows strong microlensing in some cases, even for regions of the line core, presumably associated with small projected velocities. However, excluding the strongly microlensed cases, there is a strikingly good match, on average, between the red wings of the C IV and C III] profiles. Analysis of these results supports the existence of two regions in the broad-line region (BLR), one that is insensitive to microlensing (of size ≳50 lt-day and kinematics not confined to a plane) and another that shows up only when it is magnified by microlensing (of size of a few light-days, comparable to the accretion disk). Both regions can contribute in different proportions to the emission lines of different species and, within each line profile, to different velocity bins, all of which complicates detailed studies of the BLR based on microlensing size estimates. The strength of the microlensing indicates that some spectral features that make up the pseudo-continuum, such as the shelf-like feature at λ1610 or several Fe III blends, may in part arise from an inner region of the accretion disk. In the case of Fe II, microlensing is strong in some blends but not in others. This opens up interesting possibilities to study quasar accretion disk kinematics. Intrinsic variability seems to affect the same features prone to microlensing, with similar frequency and amplitude, but does not induce outstanding profile asymmetries. We measure intrinsic variability (≲20%) of the wings with respect to the cores in the C IV, C III], and Mg II lines consistent with reverberation mapping studies.

Radio Observations of a Sample of Broad-Line Type IC Supernovae Discovered by PTF/IPTF: A Search for Relativistic Explosions

DOE PAGES

Corsi, Alessandra; Gal-Yam, A.; Kulkarni, S. R.; ...

2016-10-10

Long duration γ-ray bursts are a rare subclass of stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae (SNe) that launch collimated relativistic outflows (jets). All γ-ray-burst-associated SNe are spectroscopically Type Ic, with broad-lines, but the fraction of broad-lined SNe Ic harboring low-luminosity γ-ray bursts remains largely unconstrained. Some SNe should be accompanied by off-axis γ-ray burst jets that initially remain invisible, but then emerge as strong radio sources (as the jets decelerate). However, this critical prediction of the jet model for γ-ray bursts has yet to be verified observationally. Here, we present K. G. Jansky Very Large Array observations of 15 broad-lined SNe of Type Ic discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory in an untargeted manner. Most of the SNe in our sample exclude radio emission observationally similar to that of the radio-loud, relativistic SN 1998bw. We constrain the fraction of 1998bw-like broad-lined SNe Ic to bemore » $$\\lesssim 41 \\% $$ (99.865% confidence). Most of the events in our sample also exclude off-axis jets similar to GRB 031203 and GRB 030329, but we cannot rule out off-axis γ-ray bursts expanding in a low-density wind environment. Three SNe in our sample are detected in the radio. PTF11qcj and PTF14dby show late-time radio emission with average ejecta speeds of ≈0.3–0.4 c, on the dividing line between relativistic and "ordinary" SNe. The speed of PTF11cmh radio ejecta is poorly constrained. We estimate that $$\\lesssim 85 \\% $$ (99.865% confidence) of the broad-lined SNe Ic in our sample may harbor off-axis γ-ray bursts expanding in media with densities in the range probed by this study.« less

Broad NE 8 lambda 774 emission from quasars in the HST-FOS snapshot survey (ABSNAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamann, Fred; Zuo, Lin; Tytler, David

1995-01-01

We discuss the strength and frequency of broad Ne VIII lambda 774 emission from quasars measured in the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph (HST-FOS) snapshot survey (Absnap). Five sources in the survey have suitable redshifts (0.86 less than or equal to Z(sub em) less than or equal to 1.31), signal-to-noise ratios and no Lyman limit absorptions. Three of the five sources have a strong broad emission line near 774 A (rest), and the remaining two sources have a less securely measured line near this wavelength. We identify these lines with Ne VIII lambda 774 based on the measured wavelengths and theoretical estimates of various line fluxes (Hamann et al. 1995a). Secure Ne VIII detections occur in both radio-loud and radio-quiet sources. We tentatively conclude that broad Ne VIII lambda 774 emission is common in quasars, with typical strengths between approximately 25% and approximately 200% of O VI lambda 1034. These Ne VIII lambda 774 measurements imply that the broad emission line regions have a much hotter and more highly ionized component than previously recognized. They also suggest that quasar continua have substantial ionizing flux out to energies greater than 207 eV (greater than 15.2 ryd, lambda less than 60 A). Photoionization calculations using standard incident spectra indicate that the Ne VIII emission requires ionization parameters U greater than or = 5, total column densities N(sub H) greater than or = 10(sub 22)/sq cm and covering factors greater than or = 25%. The temperatures could be as high as approximately 10(exp 5) K. If the gas is instead collisionally ionized, strong Ne VIII would imply equilibrium temperatures in the range approximately 400,000 less than or approximately = T(sub e) less than or approximately = 10(exp 6) K. In either case, the highly ionized Ne VIII emission regions would appear as X-ray 'warm absorbers' if they lie along our line of sight to the X-ray continuum source.

Evolution of chorus emissions into plasmaspheric hiss observed by Van Allen Probes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Qinghua; Xiao, Fuliang; Yang, Chang

The two classes of whistler mode waves (chorus and hiss) play different roles in the dynamics of radiation belt energetic electrons. Chorus can efficiently accelerate energetic electrons, and hiss is responsible for the loss of energetic electrons. Previous studies have proposed that chorus is the source of plasmaspheric hiss, but this still requires an observational confirmation because the previously observed chorus and hiss emissions were not in the same frequency range in the same time. In this paper, we report simultaneous observations form Van Allen Probes that chorus and hiss emissions occurred in the same range ~300–1500 Hz with themore » peak wave power density about 10 -5 nT 2/Hz during a weak storm on 3 July 2014. Chorus emissions propagate in a broad region outside the plasmapause. Meanwhile, hiss emissions are confined inside the plasmasphere, with a higher intensity and a broader area at a lower frequency. A sum of bi-Maxwellian distribution is used to model the observed anisotropic electron distributions and to evaluate the instability of waves. A three-dimensional ray tracing simulation shows that a portion of chorus emission outside the plasmasphere can propagate into the plasmasphere and evolve into plasmaspheric hiss. Moreover, hiss waves below 1 kHz are more intense and propagate over a broader area than those above 1 kHz, consistent with the observation. Finally, the current results can explain distributions of the observed hiss emission and provide a further support for the mechanism of evolution of chorus into hiss emissions.« less

Evolution of chorus emissions into plasmaspheric hiss observed by Van Allen Probes

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Qinghua; Xiao, Fuliang; Yang, Chang; ...

2016-05-09

The two classes of whistler mode waves (chorus and hiss) play different roles in the dynamics of radiation belt energetic electrons. Chorus can efficiently accelerate energetic electrons, and hiss is responsible for the loss of energetic electrons. Previous studies have proposed that chorus is the source of plasmaspheric hiss, but this still requires an observational confirmation because the previously observed chorus and hiss emissions were not in the same frequency range in the same time. In this paper, we report simultaneous observations form Van Allen Probes that chorus and hiss emissions occurred in the same range ~300–1500 Hz with themore » peak wave power density about 10 -5 nT 2/Hz during a weak storm on 3 July 2014. Chorus emissions propagate in a broad region outside the plasmapause. Meanwhile, hiss emissions are confined inside the plasmasphere, with a higher intensity and a broader area at a lower frequency. A sum of bi-Maxwellian distribution is used to model the observed anisotropic electron distributions and to evaluate the instability of waves. A three-dimensional ray tracing simulation shows that a portion of chorus emission outside the plasmasphere can propagate into the plasmasphere and evolve into plasmaspheric hiss. Moreover, hiss waves below 1 kHz are more intense and propagate over a broader area than those above 1 kHz, consistent with the observation. Finally, the current results can explain distributions of the observed hiss emission and provide a further support for the mechanism of evolution of chorus into hiss emissions.« less

The Suzaku Observation of NGC 3516: Complex Absorption and the Broad and Narrow Fe K Lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markowitz, Alex; Reeves, James N.; Miniutti, Giovanni; Serlemitsos, Peter; Kunieda, Hideyo; Taqoob, Tahir; Fabian, Andrew C.; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Mushotzky, Richard; Okajima, Takashi;

Gamma-Ray Emission from the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C 111

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartman, Robert C.; Kadler, M.; Tueller, Jack

2008-01-01

The broad-line radio galaxy 3C 111 has been suggested as the counterpart of the y-ray source 3EG J0416+3650. While 3C 111 meets most of the criteria for a high-probability identification, like a bright flat-spectrum radio core and a blazar-like broadband SED, in the Third EGRET Catalog, the large positional offset of about 1.5' put 3C 111 outside the 99% probability region for 3EG J0416+3650, making this association questionable. We present a re-analysis of all available archival data for 3C 111 from the EGRET archives, resulting in detection of variable hard-spectrum high-energy gamma-ray emission above 1000 MeV from a position close to the nominal position of 3C 111, in three separate viewing periods (VPs), at a 3sigma level in each. A second variable hard-spectrum source is present nearby. At >100 MeV, one variable soft-spectrum source seems to account for most of the EGRET-detected emission of 3EG J0416+3650. A follow-up Swift UVOT/XRT observation reveals one moderately bright X-ray source in the error box of 3EG J0416+3650, but because of the large EGRET position uncertainty, it is not certain that the X-ray and gamma-ray sources are associated. Another Swift observation near the second (unidentified) hard gamma-ray source detected no X-ray source nearby.

Observed Barium Emission Rates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. C.; Wescott, E. M.; Hallinan, T. J.

1993-01-01

The barium releases from the CRRES satellite have provided an opportunity for verifying theoretically calculated barium ion and neutral emission rates. Spectra of the five Caribbean releases in the summer of 1991 were taken with a spectrograph on board a U.S. Air Force jet aircraft. Because the line of sight release densities are not known, only relative rates could be obtained. The observed relative rates agree well with the theoretically calculated rates and, together with other observations, confirm the earlier detailed theoretical emission rates. The calculated emission rates can thus with good accuracy be used with photometric observations. It has been postulated that charge exchange between neutral barium and oxygen ions represents a significant source for ionization. If so. it should be associated with emissions at 4957.15 A and 5013.00 A, but these emissions were not detected.

Broad-Band Continuum and Line Emission of the gamma-Ray Blazar PKS 0537-441

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pian, E.; Falomo, R.; Hartman, R. C.; Maraschi, L.; Tavecchio, F.; Tornikoski, M.; Treves, A.; Urry, C. M.; Ballo, L.; Mukherjee, R.;

Informing urban carbon emissions with atmospheric observations: motivation, methods, and reducing uncertainties.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kort, E. A.; Ware, J.; Duren, R. M.; Schimel, D.; Miller, C. E.; Decola, P.

2014-12-01

Urban regions play a dominant role in the anthropogenic perturbation to atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane. With increasing urbanization (notably in developing nations) and increasing emissions, quantitative observational information on emissions of CO2 and CH4 becomes critical for improved understanding of the global carbon cycle and for carbon management/policy decisions. In this presentation, we will discuss the impact uncertainty in anthropogenic emissions has on global carbon-climate understanding, providing broad geophysical motivation for urban studies. We will further discuss observations of urban regions at different scales (satellite vs. in-situ), and investigate the information content of these complementary methods for answering targeted questions on both global carbon fluxes and regional management decisions. Finally, we will present new attempts at reducing uncertainty in high-resolution inversions leveraging remotely sensed aerosol profiles to constrain both mixing depths and vertical distributions of trace gases.

No Compton Reflection In a Chandra/RXTE Observation of Mkn 509: Implications for the Fe-K Line Emission From Accreting X-Ray Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yaqoob, Tahir; Padmanabhan, Urmila; Kraemer, Steven B.; Crenshaw, D. Michael; Mckernan, Barry; George, Ian M.; Turner, T. Jane; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We report the results of simultaneous Chandra and RXTE observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mkn 509. We deconvolve the broad and narrow Fe-K emission-line components for which we measure rest-frame equivalent widths of 119+/-18 eV and 57+/-13 eV respectively. The broad line has a FWHM of 57,600((sup 14,400)(sub -21,000)) km/s and the narrow line is unresolved, with an upper limit on the FWHM of 4,940 km/s. Both components must originate in cool matter since we measure rest-frame center energies of 6.36((sup +0.13)(sub -0.12)) keV and 6.42+/-0.01 keV for the broad and narrow line respectively. This rules out He-like and H-like Fe for the origin of both the broad and narrow lines. If, as is widely accepted, the broad Fe-K line originates in Thomson-thick matter (such as an accretion disk), then one expects to observe spectral curvature above approximately 10 keV, (commensurate with the observed broad line), characteristic of the Compton-reflection continuum. However our data sets very stringent limits on deviations of the observed continuum from a power law. Light travel-time delays cannot be invoked to explain anomalies in the relative strengths of the broad Ferry line and Compton-reflection continuum since they are supposed to originate in the same physical location. We are forced to conclude that both the broad and narrow Fe-K lines had to originate in Thomson-thin matter during our observation. This result, for a single observation of just one source, means that our understanding of Fe K line emission and Compton reflection from accreting X-ray sources in general needs to be re-examined. For example, if an irradiated accretion disk existed in Mkn 509 at the time of the observations, the lack of spectral curvature above approximately 10 keV suggests two possibilities. Either the disk was Thomson-thick and highly ionized, having negligible Fe-K line emission and photoelectric absorption or the disk was Thomson-thin producing some or all of the broad Fe-K line

Revealing the Faraday depth structure of radio galaxy NGC 612 with broad-band radio polarimetric observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaczmarek, J. F.; Purcell, C. R.; Gaensler, B. M.; Sun, X.; O'Sullivan, S. P.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.

2018-05-01

We present full-polarization, broad-band observations of the radio galaxy NGC 612 (PKS B0131-637) from 1.3 to 3.1 GHz using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The relatively large angular scale of the radio galaxy makes it a good candidate with which to investigate the polarization mechanisms responsible for the observed Faraday depth structure. By fitting complex polarization models to the polarized spectrum of each pixel, we find that a single polarization component can adequately describe the observed signal for the majority of the radio galaxy. While we cannot definitively rule out internal Faraday rotation, we argue that the bulk of the Faraday rotation is taking place in a thin skin that girts the polarized emission. Using minimum energy estimates, we find an implied total magnetic field strength of 4.2 μG.

DETECTION OF EXTREMELY BROAD WATER EMISSION FROM THE MOLECULAR CLOUD INTERACTING SUPERNOVA REMNANT G349.7+0.2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rho, J.; Hewitt, J. W.; Boogert, A.

2015-10-10

We performed Herschel HIFI, PACS, and SPIRE observations toward the molecular cloud interacting supernova remnant G349.7+0.2. An extremely broad emission line was detected at 557 GHz from the ground state transition 1{sub 10}-1{sub 01} of ortho-water. This water line can be separated into three velocity components with widths of 144, 27, and 4 km s{sup −1}. The 144 km s{sup −1} component is the broadest water line detected to date in the literature. This extremely broad line width shows the importance of probing shock dynamics. PACS observations revealed three additional ortho-water lines, as well as numerous high-J carbon monoxide (CO)more » lines. No para-water lines were detected. The extremely broad water line is indicative of a high velocity shock, which is supported by the observed CO rotational diagram that was reproduced with a J-shock model with a density of 10{sup 4} cm{sup −3} and a shock velocity of 80 km s{sup −1}. Two far-infrared fine-structure lines, [O i] at 145 μm and [C ii] line at 157 μm, are also consistent with the high velocity J-shock model. The extremely broad water line could be simply from short-lived molecules that have not been destroyed in high velocity J-shocks; however, it may be from more complicated geometry such as high-velocity water bullets or a shell expanding in high velocity. We estimate the CO and H{sub 2}O densities, column densities, and temperatures by comparison with RADEX and detailed shock models.« less

Detection of Broad Hα Emission Lines in the Late-Time Spectra of a Hydrogen-Poor Superluminous Supernova

DOE PAGES

Yan, Lin; Quimby, R.; Ofek, E.; ...

2015-11-23

iPTF13ehe is a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN) at z = 0.3434, with a slow-evolving light curve and spectral features similar to SN2007bi. It rises in 83–148 days to reach a peak bolometric luminosity of ~1.3 × 10 44 erg s -1, then decays slowly at 0.015 mag day -1. The measured ejecta velocity is ~ 13,000 km s -1. The inferred explosion characteristics, such as the ejecta mass (70–220 M ⊙), and the total radiative and kinetic energy (E rad ~ 10 51 erg, E kin ~ 2 × 10 53 erg), are typical of slow-evolving H-poor SLSN events. However,more » the late-time spectrum taken at +251 days (rest, post-peak) reveals a Balmer Hα emission feature with broad and narrow components, which has never been detected before among other H-poor SLSNe. The broad component has a velocity width of ~4500 km s -1 and a ~300 km s -1 blueward shift relative to the narrow component. In this paper, we interpret this broad Hα emission with a luminosity of ~2 × 10 41 erg s -1 as resulting from the interaction between the supernova ejecta and a discrete H-rich shell, located at a distance of ~4 × 10 16 cm from the explosion site. This interaction causes the rest-frame r-band LC to brighten at late times. The fact that the late-time spectra are not completely absorbed by the shock-ionized H-shell implies that its Thomson scattering optical depth is likely ≤1, thus setting upper limits on the shell mass ≤30 M ⊙. Of the existing models, a Pulsational Pair Instability supernova model can naturally explain the observed 30 M ⊙ H-shell, ejected from a progenitor star with an initial mass of (95–150) M ⊙ about 40 years ago. Finally, we estimate that at least ~15% of all SLSNe-I may have late-time Balmer emission lines.« less

Detection of Broad Hα Emission Lines in the Late-time Spectra of a Hydrogen-poor Superluminous Supernova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Lin; Quimby, R.; Ofek, E.; Gal-Yam, A.; Mazzali, P.; Perley, D.; Vreeswijk, P. M.; Leloudas, G.; De Cia, A.; Masci, F.; Cenko, S. B.; Cao, Y.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Nugent, P. E.; Rebbapragada, Umaa D.; Woźniak, P. R.; Yaron, O.

2015-12-01

iPTF13ehe is a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN) at z = 0.3434, with a slow-evolving light curve and spectral features similar to SN2007bi. It rises in 83-148 days to reach a peak bolometric luminosity of ˜1.3 × 1044 erg s-1, then decays slowly at 0.015 mag day-1. The measured ejecta velocity is ˜ 13,000 km s-1. The inferred explosion characteristics, such as the ejecta mass (70-220 M⊙), and the total radiative and kinetic energy (Erad ˜ 1051 erg, Ekin ˜ 2 × 1053 erg), are typical of slow-evolving H-poor SLSN events. However, the late-time spectrum taken at +251 days (rest, post-peak) reveals a Balmer Hα emission feature with broad and narrow components, which has never been detected before among other H-poor SLSNe. The broad component has a velocity width of ˜4500 km s-1 and a ˜300 km s-1 blueward shift relative to the narrow component. We interpret this broad Hα emission with a luminosity of ˜2 × 1041 erg s-1 as resulting from the interaction between the supernova ejecta and a discrete H-rich shell, located at a distance of ˜4 × 1016 cm from the explosion site. This interaction causes the rest-frame r-band LC to brighten at late times. The fact that the late-time spectra are not completely absorbed by the shock-ionized H-shell implies that its Thomson scattering optical depth is likely ≤1, thus setting upper limits on the shell mass ≤30 M⊙. Of the existing models, a Pulsational Pair Instability supernova model can naturally explain the observed 30 M⊙ H-shell, ejected from a progenitor star with an initial mass of (95-150) M⊙ about 40 years ago. We estimate that at least ˜15% of all SLSNe-I may have late-time Balmer emission lines.

Extreme Emission Line Galaxies in CANDELS: Broad-Band Selected, Star-Bursting Dwarf Galaxies at Z greater than 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanDerWel, A.; Straughn, A. N.; Rix, H.-W.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Weiner, B. J.; Wuyts, S.; Bell, E. F.; Faber, S. M.; Trump, J. R.;

Extended and broad Ly α emission around a BAL quasar at z ˜ 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginolfi, M.; Maiolino, R.; Carniani, S.; Arrigoni Battaia, F.; Cantalupo, S.; Schneider, R.

2018-05-01

In this work we report deep MUSE observations of a broad absorption line (BAL) quasar at z ˜ 5, revealing a Ly α nebula with a maximum projected linear size of ˜60 kpc around the quasar (down to our 2σ SB limit per layer of ˜ 9× 10^{-19} erg s^{-1} cm^{-2} arcsec^{-2} for a 1 arcsec2 aperture). After correcting for the cosmological surface brightness dimming, we find that our nebula, at z ˜ 5, has an intrinsically less extended Ly α emission than nebulae at lower redshift. However, such a discrepancy is greatly reduced when referring to comoving distances, which take into account the cosmological growth of dark matter (DM) haloes, suggesting a positive correlation between the size of Ly α nebulae and the sizes of DM haloes/structures around quasars. Differently from the typical nebulae around radio-quiet non-BAL quasars, in the inner regions (˜10 kpc) of the circumgalactic medium of our source, the velocity dispersion of the Ly α emission is very high (FWHM > 1000 km s-1), suggesting that in our case we may be probing outflowing material associated with the quasar.

Spectral modification of the laser emission of a terahertz quantum cascade laser induced by broad-band double pulse injection seeding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Markmann, Sergej, E-mail: sergej.markmann@ruhr-uni-bochum.de; Nong, Hanond, E-mail: nong.hanond@ruhr-uni-bochum.de; Hekmat, Negar

2015-09-14

We demonstrate by injection seeding that the spectral emission of a terahertz (THz) quantum cascade laser (QCL) can be modified with broad-band THz pulses whose bandwidths are greater than the QCL bandwidth. Two broad-band THz pulses delayed in time imprint a modulation on the single THz pulse spectrum. The resulting spectrum is used to injection seed the THz QCL. By varying the time delay between the THz pulses, the amplitude distribution of the QCL longitudinal modes is modified. By applying this approach, the QCL emission is reversibly switched from multi-mode to single mode emission.

Observations and Simulations of Formation of Broad Plasma Depletions Through Merging Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Chao-Song; Retterer, J. M.; Beaujardiere, O. De La; Roddy, P. A.; Hunton, D.E.; Ballenthin, J. O.; Pfaff, Robert F.

2012-01-01

Broad plasma depletions in the equatorial ionosphere near dawn are region in which the plasma density is reduced by 1-3 orders of magnitude over thousands of kilometers in longitude. This phenomenon is observed repeatedly by the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite during deep solar minimum. The plasma flow inside the depletion region can be strongly upward. The possible causal mechanism for the formation of broad plasma depletions is that the broad depletions result from merging of multiple equatorial plasma bubbles. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of the merging mechanism with new observations and simulations. We present C/NOFS observations for two cases. A series of plasma bubbles is first detected by C/NOFS over a longitudinal range of 3300-3800 km around midnight. Each of the individual bubbles has a typical width of approx 100 km in longitude, and the upward ion drift velocity inside the bubbles is 200-400 m/s. The plasma bubbles rotate with the Earth to the dawn sector and become broad plasma depletions. The observations clearly show the evolution from multiple plasma bubbles to broad depletions. Large upward plasma flow occurs inside the depletion region over 3800 km in longitude and exists for approx 5 h. We also present the numerical simulations of bubble merging with the physics-based low-latitude ionospheric model. It is found that two separate plasma bubbles join together and form a single, wider bubble. The simulations show that the merging process of plasma bubbles can indeed occur in incompressible ionospheric plasma. The simulation results support the merging mechanism for the formation of broad plasma depletions.

Extreme Emission Line Galaxies in CANDELS: Broad-Band Selected, Star-Bursting Dwarf Galaxies at Z greater than 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vanderWel, A.; Straughn, A. N.; Rix, H.-W.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Weiner, B. J.; Wuyts, S.; Bell, E. F.; Faber, S. M.; Trump, J. R.;

Weak Hard X-Ray Emission from Two Broad Absorption Line Quasars Observed with NuStar: Compton-Thick Absorption or Intrinsic X-Ray Weakness?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Alexander, D. M.; Harrison, F. A.; Stern, D.; Bauer, F. E.; Boggs, S. E.; Christensen, F. E.; Comastri, A.; Craig, W. W..;

WEAK HARD X-RAY EMISSION FROM TWO BROAD ABSORPTION LINE QUASARS OBSERVED WITH NuSTAR: COMPTON-THICK ABSORPTION OR INTRINSIC X-RAY WEAKNESS?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Alexander, D. M.

We present Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) hard X-ray observations of two X-ray weak broad absorption line (BAL) quasars, PG 1004+130 (radio loud) and PG 1700+518 (radio quiet). Many BAL quasars appear X-ray weak, probably due to absorption by the shielding gas between the nucleus and the accretion-disk wind. The two targets are among the optically brightest BAL quasars, yet they are known to be significantly X-ray weak at rest-frame 2-10 keV (16-120 times fainter than typical quasars). We would expect to obtain Almost-Equal-To 400-600 hard X-ray ({approx}> 10 keV) photons with NuSTAR, provided that these photons are not significantlymore » absorbed (N{sub H} {approx}< 10{sup 24} cm{sup -2}). However, both BAL quasars are only detected in the softer NuSTAR bands (e.g., 4-20 keV) but not in its harder bands (e.g., 20-30 keV), suggesting that either the shielding gas is highly Compton-thick or the two targets are intrinsically X-ray weak. We constrain the column densities for both to be N{sub H} Almost-Equal-To 7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 24} cm{sup -2} if the weak hard X-ray emission is caused by obscuration from the shielding gas. We discuss a few possibilities for how PG 1004+130 could have Compton-thick shielding gas without strong Fe K{alpha} line emission; dilution from jet-linked X-ray emission is one likely explanation. We also discuss the intrinsic X-ray weakness scenario based on a coronal-quenching model relevant to the shielding gas and disk wind of BAL quasars. Motivated by our NuSTAR results, we perform a Chandra stacking analysis with the Large Bright Quasar Survey BAL quasar sample and place statistical constraints upon the fraction of intrinsically X-ray weak BAL quasars; this fraction is likely 17%-40%.« less

HST-COS Observations of Hydrogen, Helium, Carbon, and Nitrogen Emission from the SN 1987A Reverse Shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, Kevin; McCray, Richard; Penton, Steven V.; Kirshner, Robert P.; Challis, Peter; Laming, J. Martin; Bouchet, Patrice; Chevalier, Roger; Garnavich, Peter M.; Fransson, Claes; Heng, Kevin; Larsson, Josefin; Lawrence, Stephen; Lundqvist, Peter; Panagia, Nino; Pun, Chun S. J.; Smith, Nathan; Sollerman, Jesper; Sonneborn, George; Sugerman, Ben; Wheeler, J. Craig

2011-12-01

We present the most sensitive ultraviolet observations of Supernova 1987A to date. Imaging spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph shows many narrow (Δv ~ 300 km s-1) emission lines from the circumstellar ring, broad (Δv ~ 10-20 × 103 km s-1) emission lines from the reverse shock, and ultraviolet continuum emission. The high signal-to-noise ratio (>40 per resolution element) broad Lyα emission is excited by soft X-ray and EUV heating of mostly neutral gas in the circumstellar ring and outer supernova debris. The ultraviolet continuum at λ > 1350 Å can be explained by H I two-photon (2s 2 S 1/2-1s 2 S 1/2) emission from the same region. We confirm our earlier, tentative detection of N V λ1240 emission from the reverse shock and present the first detections of broad He II λ1640, C IV λ1550, and N IV] λ1486 emission lines from the reverse shock. The helium abundance in the high-velocity material is He/H = 0.14 ± 0.06. The N V/Hα line ratio requires partial ion-electron equilibration (Te /Tp ≈ 0.14-0.35). We find that the N/C abundance ratio in the gas crossing the reverse shock is significantly higher than that in the circumstellar ring, a result that may be attributed to chemical stratification in the outer envelope of the supernova progenitor. The N/C abundance may have been stratified prior to the ring expulsion, or this result may indicate continued CNO processing in the progenitor subsequent to the expulsion of the circumstellar ring. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

Unusual broad-line Mg II emitters among luminous galaxies in the baryon oscillation spectroscopic survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roig, Benjamin; Blanton, Michael R.; Ross, Nicholas P.

2014-02-01

Many classes of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been observed and recorded since the discovery of Seyfert galaxies. In this paper, we examine the sample of luminous galaxies in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. We find a potentially new observational class of AGNs, one with strong and broad Mg II λ2799 line emission, but very weak emission in other normal indicators of AGN activity, such as the broad-line Hα, Hβ, and the near-ultraviolet AGN continuum, leading to an extreme ratio of broad Hα/Mg II flux relative to normal quasars. Meanwhile, these objects' narrow-line flux ratios reveal AGN narrow-line regions withmore » levels of activity consistent with the Mg II fluxes and in agreement with that of normal quasars. These AGN may represent an extreme case of the Baldwin effect, with very low continuum and high equivalent width relative to typical quasars, but their ratio of broad Mg II to broad Balmer emission remains very unusual. They may also be representative of a class of AGN where the central engine is observed indirectly with scattered light. These galaxies represent a small fraction of the total population of luminous galaxies (≅ 0.1%), but are more likely (about 3.5 times) to have AGN-like nuclear line emission properties than other luminous galaxies. Because Mg II is usually inaccessible for the population of nearby galaxies, there may exist a related population of broad-line Mg II emitters in the local universe which is currently classified as narrow-line emitters (Seyfert 2 galaxies) or low ionization nuclear emission-line regions.« less

Broad emission band of Yb3+ in the nonlinear Nb:RbTiOPO4 crystal: origin and applications.

PubMed

Carvajal, J J; Ciatto, G; Mateos, X; Schmidt, A; Griebner, U; Petrov, V; Boulon, G; Brenier, A; Peña, A; Pujol, M C; Aguiló, M; Díaz, F

2010-03-29

By means of micro-structural and optical characterization of the Yb:Nb:RbTiOPO(4) crystal, we demonstrated that the broad emission band of Yb(3+) in these crystals is due to the large splitting of the ytterbium ground state only, and not to a complex multisite occupation by the ytterbium ions in the crystals. We used this broad emission band to demonstrate wide laser tuning range and generation of femtosecond laser pulses. Passive mode-locked laser operation has been realized by using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror, generating ultra short laser pulses of 155 fs, which were very stable in time, under Ti:sapphire laser pumping at 1053 nm.

Weak hard X-ray emission from broad absorption line quasars: evidence for intrinsic X-ray weakness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Scott, A. E.

We report NuSTAR observations of a sample of six X-ray weak broad absorption line (BAL) quasars. These targets, at z = 0.148-1.223, are among the optically brightest and most luminous BAL quasars known at z < 1.3. However, their rest-frame ≈2 keV luminosities are 14 to >330 times weaker than expected for typical quasars. Our results from a pilot NuSTAR study of two low-redshift BAL quasars, a Chandra stacking analysis of a sample of high-redshift BAL quasars, and a NuSTAR spectral analysis of the local BAL quasar Mrk 231 have already suggested the existence of intrinsically X-ray weak BAL quasars,more » i.e., quasars not emitting X-rays at the level expected from their optical/UV emission. The aim of the current program is to extend the search for such extraordinary objects. Three of the six new targets are weakly detected by NuSTAR with ≲ 45 counts in the 3-24 keV band, and the other three are not detected. The hard X-ray (8-24 keV) weakness observed by NuSTAR requires Compton-thick absorption if these objects have nominal underlying X-ray emission. However, a soft stacked effective photon index (Γ{sub eff} ≈ 1.8) for this sample disfavors Compton-thick absorption in general. The uniform hard X-ray weakness observed by NuSTAR for this and the pilot samples selected with <10 keV weakness also suggests that the X-ray weakness is intrinsic in at least some of the targets. We conclude that the NuSTAR observations have likely discovered a significant population (≳ 33%) of intrinsically X-ray weak objects among the BAL quasars with significantly weak <10 keV emission. We suggest that intrinsically X-ray weak quasars might be preferentially observed as BAL quasars.« less

DETECTION OF BROAD Hα EMISSION LINES IN THE LATE-TIME SPECTRA OF A HYDROGEN-POOR SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yan, Lin; Masci, F.; Quimby, R.

2015-12-01

iPTF13ehe is a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN) at z = 0.3434, with a slow-evolving light curve and spectral features similar to SN2007bi. It rises in 83–148 days to reach a peak bolometric luminosity of ∼1.3 × 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}, then decays slowly at 0.015 mag day{sup −1}. The measured ejecta velocity is ∼ 13,000 km s{sup −1}. The inferred explosion characteristics, such as the ejecta mass (70–220 M{sub ⊙}), and the total radiative and kinetic energy (E{sub rad} ∼ 10{sup 51} erg, E{sub kin} ∼ 2 × 10{sup 53} erg), are typical of slow-evolving H-poor SLSN events. However,more » the late-time spectrum taken at +251 days (rest, post-peak) reveals a Balmer Hα emission feature with broad and narrow components, which has never been detected before among other H-poor SLSNe. The broad component has a velocity width of ∼4500 km s{sup −1} and a ∼300 km s{sup −1} blueward shift relative to the narrow component. We interpret this broad Hα emission with a luminosity of ∼2 × 10{sup 41} erg s{sup −1} as resulting from the interaction between the supernova ejecta and a discrete H-rich shell, located at a distance of ∼4 × 10{sup 16} cm from the explosion site. This interaction causes the rest-frame r-band LC to brighten at late times. The fact that the late-time spectra are not completely absorbed by the shock-ionized H-shell implies that its Thomson scattering optical depth is likely ≤1, thus setting upper limits on the shell mass ≤30 M{sub ⊙}. Of the existing models, a Pulsational Pair Instability supernova model can naturally explain the observed 30 M{sub ⊙} H-shell, ejected from a progenitor star with an initial mass of (95–150) M{sub ⊙} about 40 years ago. We estimate that at least ∼15% of all SLSNe-I may have late-time Balmer emission lines.« less

DISCOVERY OF BROAD MOLECULAR LINES AND OF SHOCKED MOLECULAR HYDROGEN FROM THE SUPERNOVA REMNANT G357.7+0.3: HHSMT, APEX, SPITZER , AND SOFIA OBSERVATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rho, J.; Hewitt, J. W.; Bieging, J.

We report a discovery of shocked gas from the supernova remnant (SNR) G357.7+0.3. Our millimeter and submillimeter observations reveal broad molecular lines of CO(2-1), CO(3-2), CO(4-3), {sup 13}CO (2-1), and {sup 13}CO (3-2), HCO{sup +}, and HCN using the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, the Arizona 12 m Telescope, APEX, and the MOPRA Telescope. The widths of the broad lines are 15–30 km s{sup −1}, and the detection of such broad lines is unambiguous, dynamic evidence showing that the SNR G357.7+0.3 is interacting with molecular clouds. The broad lines appear in extended regions (>4.′5 × 5′). We also present the detectionmore » of shocked H{sub 2} emission in the mid-infrared but lacking ionic lines using Spitzer /IRS observations to map a few-arcminute area. The H{sub 2} excitation diagram shows a best fit with a two-temperature local thermal equilibrium model with the temperatures of ∼200 and 660 K. We observed [C ii] at 158 μ m and high- J CO(11-10) with the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT) on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. The GREAT spectrum of [C ii], a 3 σ detection, shows a broad line profile with a width of 15.7 km{sup −1} that is similar to those of broad CO molecular lines. The line width of [C ii] implies that ionic lines can come from a low-velocity C-shock. Comparison of H{sub 2} emission with shock models shows that a combination of two C-shock models is favored over a combination of C- and J-shocks or a single shock. We estimate the CO density, column density, and temperature using a RADEX model. The best-fit model with n (H{sub 2}) = 1.7 × 10{sup 4} cm{sup −3}, N(CO) = 5.6 × 10{sup 16} cm{sup −2}, and T  = 75 K can reproduce the observed millimeter CO brightnesses.« less

Copernicus observations of Ly-alpha and Mg II emission from HR 1099 /V711 Tauri/ and UX Ari

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiler, E. J.

1978-01-01

Ultraviolet observations of two RS CVn binaries obtained with Copernicus are described. High-resolution (0.05 A) U1 observations indicate that both HR 1099 and UX Ari display broad Ly-alpha emission. The Ly-alpha emission strength from HR 1099 is variable and seems to be correlated with orbital phase, while the UX Ari results indicate no significant variation. Moderate resolution (0.51 A) V2 scans of both systems show variable Mg II h and k emission-line profiles which usually matched the velocity of the more active star in each binary. Additionally, displaced emission components were seen at velocities of up to + or - 250 km/s, indicative of high-velocity gas motions. The radial velocities of these emission features from HR 1099 are marginally correlated with orbital phase. Highly active and variable chromospheric phenomena are found to be the most consistent explanation of these results.

HST-COS Observations on Hydrogen, Helium, Carbon, and Nitrogen Emission from the SN 1987A Reverse Shock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

France, Kevin; McCray, Richard; Penton, Steven V.; Kirshner, Robert P.; Challis, Peter; Laming, J. Martin; Bouchet, Patrice; Chevalier, Roger; Garnavich, Peter M.; Fransson, Claes;

The near-infrared broad emission line region of active galactic nuclei - II. The 1-μm continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landt, Hermine; Elvis, Martin; Ward, Martin J.; Bentz, Misty C.; Korista, Kirk T.; Karovska, Margarita

2011-06-01

We use quasi-simultaneous near-infrared (near-IR) and optical spectroscopy from four observing runs to study the continuum around 1 μm in 23 well-known broad emission line active galactic nuclei (AGN). We show that, after correcting the optical spectra for host galaxy light, the AGN continuum around this wavelength can be approximated by the sum of mainly two emission components, a hot dust blackbody and an accretion disc. The accretion disc spectrum appears to dominate the flux at ˜ 1 μm, which allows us to derive a relation for estimating AGN black hole masses based on the near-IR virial product. This result also means that a near-IR reverberation programme can determine the AGN state independent of simultaneous optical spectroscopy. On average we derive hot dust blackbody temperatures of ˜1400 K, a value close to the sublimation temperature of silicate dust grains, and relatively low hot dust covering factors of ˜7 per cent. Our preliminary variability studies indicate that in most sources, the hot dust emission responds to changes in the accretion disc flux with the expected time lag; however, a few sources show a behaviour that can be attributed to dust destruction.

Observations of Pulsed Emission from Pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, Michael

2008-02-01

This brief review summarises what we know observationally about the pulsed emission of pulsars across the electromagnetic spectrum. I describe the wide range of timescales observed in the properties of pulsed emission which cover about 18 orders of magnitude. Future advances in observations capabilities, most notably at gamma-ray and radio frequencies, are expected to significantly enhance our understanding of pulsars and their emission, as a large fraction of our discovery phase space is still unexplored. The first glimpse of the plethora of unknown phenomena yet to be found was given recently by the discovery of new classes of neutron stars such as Rotating Radio Transients (RRATs) and Intermittent Pulsars. We discuss these discoveries and demonstrate how they provide useful information for our understanding of pulsed emission in general.

Constraining the Absolute Orientation of eta Carinae's Binary Orbit: A 3-D Dynamical Model for the Broad [Fe III] Emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madura, T. I.; Gull, T. R.; Owocki, S. P.; Groh, J. H.; Okazaki, A. T.; Russell, C. M. P.

2011-01-01

We present a three-dimensional (3-D) dynamical model for the broad [Fe III] emission observed in Eta Carinae using the Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS). This model is based on full 3-D Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of Eta Car's binary colliding winds. Radiative transfer codes are used to generate synthetic spectro-images of [Fe III] emission line structures at various observed orbital phases and STIS slit position angles (PAs). Through a parameter study that varies the orbital inclination i, the PA(theta) that the orbital plane projection of the line-of-sight makes with the apastron side of the semi-major axis, and the PA on the sky of the orbital axis, we are able, for the first time, to tightly constrain the absolute 3-D orientation of the binary orbit. To simultaneously reproduce the blue-shifted emission arcs observed at orbital phase 0.976, STIS slit PA = +38deg, and the temporal variations in emission seen at negative slit PAs, the binary needs to have an i approx. = 130deg to 145deg, Theta approx. = -15deg to +30deg, and an orbital axis projected on the sky at a P A approx. = 302deg to 327deg east of north. This represents a system with an orbital axis that is closely aligned with the inferred polar axis of the Homunculus nebula, in 3-D. The companion star, Eta(sub B), thus orbits clockwise on the sky and is on the observer's side of the system at apastron. This orientation has important implications for theories for the formation of the Homunculus and helps lay the groundwork for orbital modeling to determine the stellar masses.

CORONAS-F observation of gamma-ray emission from the solar flare on 2003 October 29

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, Victoria G.; Yushkov, Boris Yu.; Galkin, Vladimir I.; Kudela, Karel; Kashapova, Larisa K.

2017-10-01

Appreciable hard X-ray (HXR) and gamma-ray emissions in the 0.04-150 MeV energy range associated with the 2003 October 29 solar flare (X10/3B) were observed at 20:38-20:58 UT by the SONG instrument onboard the CORONAS-F mission. To restore flare gamma-ray spectra we fitted the SONG energy loss spectra with a three-component model of the incident spectrum: (1) a power law in energy, assumed to be due to electron bremsstrahlung; (2) a broad continuum produced by prompt nuclear de-excitation gamma-lines; and (3) a broad gamma-line generated from pion-decay. We also restored spectra from the RHESSI data, compared them with the SONG spectra and found a reasonable agreement between these spectra in the 0.1-10 MeV energy range. The pion-decay emission was observed from 20:44:20 UT and had its maximum at 20:48-20:51 UT. The power-law spectral index of accelerated protons estimated from the ratio between intensities of different components of gamma rays changed with time. The hardest spectrum with a power-law index S = -3.5 - 3.6 was observed at 20:48-20:51 UT. Time histories of the pion-decay emission and proton spectrum were compared with changes of the locations of flare energy release as shown by RHESSI hard X-ray images and remote and remote Hα brightenings. An apparent temporal correlation between processes of particle acceleration and restructuring of flare magnetic field was found. In particular, the protons were accelerated to subrelativistic energies after radical change of the character of footpoint motion from a converging motion to a separation motion.

A RADIAL VELOCITY TEST FOR SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE BINARIES AS AN EXPLANATION FOR BROAD, DOUBLE-PEAKED EMISSION LINES IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Jia; Halpern, Jules P.; Eracleous, Michael

2016-01-20

One of the proposed explanations for the broad, double-peaked Balmer emission lines observed in the spectra of some active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is that they are associated with sub-parsec supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries. Here, we test the binary broad-line region hypothesis through several decades of monitoring of the velocity structure of double-peaked Hα emission lines in 13 low-redshift, mostly radio-loud AGNs. This is a much larger set of objects compared to an earlier test by Eracleous et al. and we use much longer time series for the three objects studied in that paper. Although systematic changes in radial velocitymore » can be traced in many of their lines, they are demonstrably not like those of a spectroscopic binary in a circular orbit. Any spectroscopic binary period must therefore be much longer than the span of the monitoring (assuming a circular orbit), which in turn would require black hole masses that exceed by 1–2 orders of magnitude the values obtained for these objects using techniques such as reverberation mapping and stellar velocity dispersion. Moreover, the response of the double-peaked Balmer line profiles to fluctuations of the ionizing continuum and the shape of the Lyα profiles are incompatible with an SMBH binary. The binary broad-line region hypothesis is therefore disfavored. Other processes evidently shape these line profiles and cause the long-term velocity variations of the double peaks.« less

Fermi Observations of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from GRB 080916C

DOE PAGES

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Arimoto, M.; ...

2009-02-19

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are highly energetic explosions signaling the death of massive stars in distant galaxies. The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi Observatory together record GRBs over a broad energy range spanning about 7 decades of gammaray energy. In September 2008, Fermi observed the exceptionally luminous GRB 080916C, with the largest apparent energy release yet measured. The high-energy gamma rays are observed to start later and persist longer than the lower energy photons. A simple spectral form fits the entire GRB spectrum, providing strong constraints on emission models. Finally, the known distance of the burstmore » enables placing lower limits on the bulk Lorentz factor of the outflow and on the quantum gravity mass.« less

Fermi observations of high-energy gamma-ray emission from GRB 080916C.

PubMed

Abdo, A A; Ackermann, M; Arimoto, M; Asano, K; Atwood, W B; Axelsson, M; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Band, D L; Barbiellini, G; Baring, M G; Bastieri, D; Battelino, M; Baughman, B M; Bechtol, K; Bellardi, F; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Bhat, P N; Bissaldi, E; Blandford, R D; Bloom, E D; Bogaert, G; Bogart, J R; Bonamente, E; Bonnell, J; Borgland, A W; Bouvier, A; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Briggs, M S; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Burnett, T H; Burrows, D; Busetto, G; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Ceccanti, M; Cecchi, C; Celotti, A; Charles, E; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C C; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Cominsky, L R; Connaughton, V; Conrad, J; Costamante, L; Cutini, S; Deklotz, M; Dermer, C D; de Angelis, A; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; Dingus, B L; do Couto E Silva, E; Drell, P S; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Edmonds, Y; Evans, P A; Fabiani, D; Farnier, C; Favuzzi, C; Finke, J; Fishman, G; Focke, W B; Frailis, M; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giebels, B; Giglietto, N; Giommi, P; Giordano, F; Glanzman, T; Godfrey, G; Goldstein, A; Granot, J; Greiner, J; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M-H; Grove, J E; Guillemot, L; Guiriec, S; Haller, G; Hanabata, Y; Harding, A K; Hayashida, M; Hays, E; Hernando Morat, J A; Hoover, A; Hughes, R E; Jóhannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, R P; Johnson, T J; Johnson, W N; Kamae, T; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kavelaars, A; Kawai, N; Kelly, H; Kennea, J; Kerr, M; Kippen, R M; Knödlseder, J; Kocevski, D; Kocian, M L; Komin, N; Kouveliotou, C; Kuehn, F; Kuss, M; Lande, J; Landriu, D; Larsson, S; Latronico, L; Lavalley, C; Lee, B; Lee, S-H; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lichti, G G; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lott, B; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, P; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Marangelli, B; Mazziotta, M N; McBreen, S; McEnery, J E; McGlynn, S; Meegan, C; Mészáros, P; Meurer, C; Michelson, P F; Minuti, M; Mirizzi, N; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Moretti, E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Nakamori, T; Nelson, D; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohno, M; Ohsugi, T; Okumura, A; Omodei, N; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Ozaki, M; Paciesas, W S; Paneque, D; Panetta, J H; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Perri, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Petrosian, V; Pinchera, M; Piron, F; Porter, T A; Preece, R; Rainò, S; Ramirez-Ruiz, E; Rando, R; Rapposelli, E; Razzano, M; Razzaque, S; Rea, N; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, T; Reyes, L C; Ritz, S; Rochester, L S; Rodriguez, A Y; Roth, M; Ryde, F; Sadrozinski, H F-W; Sanchez, D; Sander, A; Saz Parkinson, P M; Scargle, J D; Schalk, T L; Segal, K N; Sgrò, C; Shimokawabe, T; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Stamatikos, M; Starck, J-L; Stecker, F W; Steinle, H; Stephens, T E; Strickman, M S; Suson, D J; Tagliaferri, G; Tajima, H; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, T; Tanaka, T; Tenze, A; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Torres, D F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Turri, M; Tuvi, S; Usher, T L; van der Horst, A J; Vigiani, L; Vilchez, N; Vitale, V; von Kienlin, A; Waite, A P; Williams, D A; Wilson-Hodge, C; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Wu, X F; Yamazaki, R; Ylinen, T; Ziegler, M

2009-03-27

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are highly energetic explosions signaling the death of massive stars in distant galaxies. The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi Observatory together record GRBs over a broad energy range spanning about 7 decades of gammaray energy. In September 2008, Fermi observed the exceptionally luminous GRB 080916C, with the largest apparent energy release yet measured. The high-energy gamma rays are observed to start later and persist longer than the lower energy photons. A simple spectral form fits the entire GRB spectrum, providing strong constraints on emission models. The known distance of the burst enables placing lower limits on the bulk Lorentz factor of the outflow and on the quantum gravity mass.

Gamma-Ray Emission in Dissipative Pulsar Magnetospheres: from Theory to Fermi Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalapotharakos, Konstantinos; Harding, Alice K.; Kazanas, Demosthenes

2014-01-01

We compute the patterns of gamma-ray emission due to curvature radiation in dissipative pulsar magnetospheres. Our ultimate goal is to construct macrophysical models that are able to reproduce the observed gamma-ray light curve phenomenology recently published in the Second Fermi Pulsar Catalog. We apply specific forms of Ohm's law on the open field lines using a broad range for the macroscopic conductivity values that result in solutions ranging, from near-vacuum to near-force-free. Using these solutions, we generate model gamma-ray light curves by calculating realistic trajectories and Lorentz factors of radiating particles under the influence of both the accelerating electric fields and curvature radiation reaction. We further constrain our models using the observed dependence of the phase lags between the radio and gamma-ray emission on the gamma-ray peak separation. We perform a statistical comparison of our model radio-lag versus peak-separation diagram and the one obtained for the Fermi standard pulsars. We find that for models of uniform conductivity over the entire open magnetic field line region, agreement with observations favors higher values of this parameter. We find, however, significant improvement in fitting the data with models that employ a hybrid form of conductivity, specifically, infinite conductivity interior to the light cylinder and high but finite conductivity on the outside. In these models the gamma-ray emission is produced in regions near the equatorial current sheet but modulated by the local physical properties. These models have radio lags near the observed values and statistically best reproduce the observed light curve phenomenology. Additionally, they also produce GeV photon cut-off energies.

Low-frequency tone-pip-evoked otoacoustic emissions originate over a broad cochlear region in chinchillas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charaziak, Karolina K.; Siegel, Jonathan H.

2015-12-01

Otoacoustic emissions evoked with transient sounds (TEOAEs) are believed to originate within the tonotopic region of the stimulus in the cochlea via the same mechanisms as emissions evoked with single tones. However, we found that emissions evoked by low frequency (< 3 kHz) single-tones have an extended region of generation (> 6 mm) in chinchillas (Charaziak and Siegel, 2014, ARO Abst., 119). Here we test whether a broad region of generation for low-frequency stimuli is also a characteristic of TEOAEs evoked with 1-kHz tone pips extracted with compression and suppression methods. The TEOAE could be revealed with moderate level suppressors with frequencies extending beyond the stimulus bandwidth (up to 12.1 kHz), with the largest responses obtained with 3.1 - 4.1 kHz suppressors. There was a consistent decline in group delays of suppressor-revealed TEOAEs with increasing suppressor frequency, as expected if higher-frequency suppressors acted on more basal TEOAE generators. Effects of mid- to high-frequency acoustic trauma on TEOAE levels confirm the notion that the suppressors interact with emission components arising near the tonotopic place of the suppressor.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Broad Hβ emission line in 102 Seyfert galaxies (Runco+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runco, J. N.; Cosens, M.; Bennert, V. N.; Scott, B.; Komossa, S.; Malkan, M. A.; Lazarova, M. S.; Auger, M. W.; Treu, T.; Park, D.

2018-02-01

A sample of 102 local (0.02=observed again between 2009 January and 2010 March with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) at the Keck 10 m telescope using a 1"x2" wide rectangular longslit aligned with the major axis of the host galaxy (given by SDSS). For eight objects with significantly weaker or apparently absent broad Hβ emission in the Keck spectra, follow-up observations were conducted in 2013 January and March with the 3 m Shane telescope of Lick observatory using the Kast spectrograph and 60 minutes total exposure time per object. The slit was aligned either along the major axis or perpendicular to it. 1D spectra were extracted using a 4 pixel (~3") width centered on the peak flux to mimic the 3" diameter circular fiber of SDSS. (2 data files).

Constraining CO emission estimates using atmospheric observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooghiemstra, P. B.

2012-06-01

We apply a four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) data assimilation system to optimize carbon monoxide (CO) emissions and to reduce the uncertainty of emission estimates from individual sources using the chemistry transport model TM5. In the first study only a limited amount of surface network observations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory (NOAA/ESRL) Global Monitoring Division (GMD) is used to test the 4D-Var system. Uncertainty reduction up to 60% in yearly emissions is observed over well-constrained regions and the inferred emissions compare well with recent studies for 2004. However, since the observations only constrain total CO emissions, the 4D-Var system has difficulties separating anthropogenic and biogenic sources in particular. The inferred emissions are validated with NOAA aircraft data over North America and the agreement is significantly improved from the prior to posterior simulation. Validation with the Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument shows a slight improved agreement over the well-constrained Northern Hemisphere and in the tropics (except for the African continent). However, the model simulation with posterior emissions underestimates MOPITT CO total columns on the remote Southern Hemisphere (SH) by about 10%. This is caused by a reduction in SH CO sources mainly due to surface stations on the high southern latitudes. In the second study, we compare two global inversions to estimate carbon monoxide (CO) emissions for 2004. Either surface flask observations from NOAA or CO total columns from the MOPITT instrument are assimilated in a 4D-Var framework. In the Southern Hemisphere (SH) three important findings are reported. First, due to their different vertical sensitivity, the stations-only inversion increases SH biomass burning emissions by 108 Tg CO/yr more than the MOPITT-only inversion. Conversely, the MOPITT-only inversion results in SH natural emissions

Five different types of spontaneous emission simultaneously observed in Tm 2+ doped CsCaBr 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimm, Judith; Güdel, Hans U.

2005-03-01

CsCaBr 3 doped with 1% Tm 2+ exhibits a rich emission spectrum at 10 K. Five emission bands are identified and characterised: a sharp and long-lived 4f-4f emission at 8796 cm -1. Broad 5d-4f emission bands from the lowest energy (5d) 1(4f) 12 configurations to the groundstate at 13 640 cm -1 ('spin-allowed') and 12 240 cm -1 ('spin-forbidden'). Two broad emission bands from a higher-energy f-d state, one centered at 19 115 cm -1 to the 2F 7/2 groundstate and the other one at 10 400 cm -1 to the first excited 2F 5/2 state. The transitions are identified and the competition between radiative and nonradiative processes characterised from lifetime and temperature dependent measurements.

Mg+ and other metallic emissions observed in the thermosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gardner, J.A.; Viereck, R.A.; Murad, E.

1994-11-17

Limb observations of UV dayglow emissions from 80 to 300 km tangent heights were made in December 1992, using the GLO instrument, which flew on STS-53 as a Hitchhiker-G experiment. STS-53 was at 330 km altitude and had an orbit inclination of 57 deg. The orbit placed the shuttle near the terminator for the entire mission, resulting in a unique set of observations. The GLO instrument consisted of 12 imagers and 9 spectrographs on an Az/El gimbal system. The data was obtained over 6 days of the mission. Emissions from Mg+ and Ca+ were observed, as were emissions from themore » neutral metallic species Mg and Na. The ultimate source of the metals is ablation of meteors; however, the spatial distribution of the emissions is controlled by upper mesospheric and thermospheric winds and, in the case of the ions, by the electromagnetic fields of the ionosphere. The observed Mg+ emission was the brightest of the metal emissions, and was observed near the poles and around the geomagnetic equator near sunset. The polar emissions were short-lived and intense, indicative of auroral activity. The equatorial emissions were more continuous, with several luminous patches propagation poleward over the period of several orbits. The instrumentation will be described, as will spatial and temporal variations of the metal emissions with emphasis on the metal ions. These observations will be compared to previous observations of thermospheric metallic species.« less

Suzaku Observations of the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C390.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sambruna, rita

2007-01-01

We present the results of a 100ks Suzaku observation of the BLRG 3C390.3. The observations were performed to attempt to disentangle the contributions to the X-ray emission of this galaxy from an AGN and a jet component, via variability and/or the spectrum. The source was detected at high energies up to 80 keV, with a complex 0.3--80keV spectrum. Preliminary analysis of the data shows significant flux variability, with the largest amplitudes at higher energies. Deconvolution of the spectrum shows that, besides a standard Seyfert-like spectrum dominating the 0.3--8keV emission, an additional, hard power law component is required, dominating the emission above 10 keV. We attribute this component to a variable jet.

Fine particulate matter emissions inventories: comparisons of emissions estimates with observations from recent field programs.

PubMed

Simon, Heather; Allen, David T; Wittig, Ann E

2008-02-01

Emissions inventories of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were compared with estimates of emissions based on data emerging from U.S. Environment Protection Agency Particulate Matter Supersites and other field programs. Six source categories for PM2.5 emissions were reviewed: on-road mobile sources, nonroad mobile sources, cooking, biomass combustion, fugitive dust, and stationary sources. Ammonia emissions from all of the source categories were also examined. Regional emissions inventories of PM in the exhaust from on-road and nonroad sources were generally consistent with ambient observations, though uncertainties in some emission factors were twice as large as the emission factors. In contrast, emissions inventories of road dust were up to an order of magnitude larger than ambient observations, and estimated brake wear and tire dust emissions were half as large as ambient observations in urban areas. Although comprehensive nationwide emissions inventories of PM2.5 from cooking sources and biomass burning are not yet available, observational data in urban areas suggest that cooking sources account for approximately 5-20% of total primary emissions (excluding dust), and biomass burning sources are highly dependent on region. Finally, relatively few observational data were available to assess the accuracy of emission estimates for stationary sources. Overall, the uncertainties in primary emissions for PM2.s are substantial. Similar uncertainties exist for ammonia emissions. Because of these uncertainties, the design of PM2.5 control strategies should be based on inventories that have been refined by a combination of bottom-up and top-down methods.

Target-specific nanoparticles containing a broad band emissive NIR dye for the sensitive detection and characterization of tumor development.

PubMed

Behnke, Thomas; Mathejczyk, Julia E; Brehm, Robert; Würth, Christian; Gomes, Fernanda Ramos; Dullin, Christian; Napp, Joanna; Alves, Frauke; Resch-Genger, Ute

2013-01-01

Current optical probes including engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are constructed from near infrared (NIR)-emissive organic dyes with narrow absorption and emission bands and small Stokes shifts prone to aggregation-induced self-quenching. Here, we present the new asymmetric cyanine Itrybe with broad, almost environment-insensitive absorption and emission bands in the diagnostic window, offering a unique flexibility of the choice of excitation and detection wavelengths compared to common NIR dyes. This strongly emissive dye was spectroscopically studied in different solvents and encapsulated into differently sized (15, 25, 100 nm) amino-modified polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) via a one-step staining procedure. As proof-of-concept for its potential for pre-/clinical imaging applications, Itrybe-loaded NPs were surface-functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the tumor-targeting antibody Herceptin and their binding specificity to the tumor-specific biomarker HER2 was systematically assessed. Itrybe-loaded NPs display strong fluorescence signals in vitro and in vivo and Herceptin-conjugated NPs bind specifically to HER2 as demonstrated in immunoassays as well as on tumor cells and sections from mouse tumor xenografts in vitro. This demonstrates that our design strategy exploiting broad band-absorbing and -emitting dyes yields versatile and bright NIR probes with a high potential for e.g. the sensitive detection and characterization of tumor development and progression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observations of the Non-Thermal X-ray Emission from the Galactic Supernova Remnant G347.3-0.5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pannuti, Thomas G.; Allen, Glenn E.

2002-01-01

G347.3-0.5 (ALEX J1713.7-3946) is a member of the new class of shell-type Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) that feature non-thermal components to their X-ray emission. We have analyzed the X-ray spectrum of this SNR over a broad energy range (0.5 to 30 key) using archived data from observations made with two satellites, the R6ntgensatellit (ROSA I) and the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA), along with data from our own observations made with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Using a combination of the models EQUIL and SRCUT to fit thermal and non-thermal emission, respectively, from this SNR, we find evidence for a modest thermal component to G347.30.5's diffuse emission with a corresponding energy of kT approx. = 1.4 key. We also obtain an estimate of 70 Texas for the maximum energy of the cosmic-ray electrons that, have been accelerated by this SNR.

HST observations of Europa's atmospheric UV emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saur, J. S.; Feldman, P. D.; Strobel, D. F.; Retherford, K. D.; Roth, L.; McGrath, M. A.; Gerard, J. M.; Grodent, D. C.; Schilling, N.

2009-12-01

The Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope observed Europa on June 29, 2008 during five consecutive orbits. Europa was at eastern elongation and crossed the Jovian current sheet during the observing interval. The observations were performed with ACS/SBC with prism PR130L to separate the two prominent FUV oxygen lines OI 1304 A, OI 1356 A and to discriminate reflected solar light from Europa's surface. After addressing the strong red leak contained in the measurements, we find that Europa's atmospheric emission clearly depends on Europa's position in Jupiter's current sheet. We also see that the atmospheric emissions of Europa's leading side do not show pronounced asymmetries with respect to Europa's sub-Jovian and anti-Jovian side. Previous observations of the atmospheric emissions, in contrast, found a strong asymmetry on Europa's trailing side [McGrath et al. 2004].

Constraining UV Continuum Slopes of Active Galactic Nuclei with CLOUDY Models of Broad-line Region Extreme-ultraviolet Emission Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moloney, Joshua; Shull, J. Michael

2014-10-01

Understanding the composition and structure of the broad-line region (BLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is important for answering many outstanding questions in supermassive black hole evolution, galaxy evolution, and ionization of the intergalactic medium. We used single-epoch UV spectra from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope to measure EUV emission-line fluxes from four individual AGNs with 0.49 <= z <= 0.64, two AGNs with 0.32 <= z <= 0.40, and a composite of 159 AGNs. With the CLOUDY photoionization code, we calculated emission-line fluxes from BLR clouds with a range of density, hydrogen ionizing flux, and incident continuum spectral indices. The photoionization grids were fit to the observations using single-component and locally optimally emitting cloud (LOC) models. The LOC models provide good fits to the measured fluxes, while the single-component models do not. The UV spectral indices preferred by our LOC models are consistent with those measured from COS spectra. EUV emission lines such as N IV λ765, O II λ833, and O III λ834 originate primarily from gas with electron temperatures between 37,000 K and 55,000 K. This gas is found in BLR clouds with high hydrogen densities (n H >= 1012 cm-3) and hydrogen ionizing photon fluxes (ΦH >= 1022 cm-2 s-1). Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

Using the Properties of Broad Absorption Line Quasars to Illuminate Quasar Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yong, Suk Yee; King, Anthea L.; Webster, Rachel L.; Bate, Nicholas F.; O'Dowd, Matthew J.; Labrie, Kathleen

2018-06-01

A key to understanding quasar unification paradigms is the emission properties of broad absorption line quasars (BALQs). The fact that only a small fraction of quasar spectra exhibit deep absorption troughs blueward of the broad permitted emission lines provides a crucial clue to the structure of quasar emitting regions. To learn whether it is possible to discriminate between the BALQ and non-BALQ populations given the observed spectral properties of a quasar, we employ two approaches: one based on statistical methods and the other supervised machine learning classification, applied to quasar samples from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The features explored include continuum and emission line properties, in particular the absolute magnitude, redshift, spectral index, line width, asymmetry, strength, and relative velocity offsets of high-ionisation C IV λ1549 and low-ionisation Mg II λ2798 lines. We consider a complete population of quasars, and assume that the statistical distributions of properties represent all angles where the quasar is viewed without obscuration. The distributions of the BALQ and non-BALQ sample properties show few significant differences. None of the observed continuum and emission line features are capable of differentiating between the two samples. Most published narrow disk-wind models are inconsistent with these observations, and an alternative disk-wind model is proposed. The key feature of the proposed model is a disk-wind filling a wide opening angle with multiple radial streams of dense clumps.

Observations of Ellerman bomb emission features in He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Libbrecht, Tine; Joshi, Jayant; Rodríguez, Jaime de la Cruz; Leenaarts, Jorrit; Ramos, Andrés Asensio

2017-02-01

Context. Ellerman bombs (EBs) are short-lived emission features, characterised by extended wing emission in hydrogen Balmer lines. Until now, no distinct signature of EBs has been found in the He I 10 830 Å line, and conclusive observations of EBs in He I D3 have never been reported. Aims: We aim to study the signature of EBs in neutral helium triplet lines. Methods: The observations consisted of ten consecutive SST/TRIPPEL raster scans close to the limb, featuring the Hβ, He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å spectral regions. We also obtained raster scans with IRIS and made use of the SDO/AIA 1700 Å channel. We used Hazel to invert the neutral helium triplet lines. Results: Three EBs in our data show distinct emission signatures in neutral helium triplet lines, most prominently visible in the He I D3 line. The helium lines have two components: a broad and blueshifted emission component associated with the EB, and a narrower absorption component formed in the overlying chromosphere. One of the EBs in our data shows evidence of strong velocity gradients in its emission component. The emission component of the other two EBs could be fitted using a constant slab. Our analysis hints towards thermal Doppler motions having a large contribution to the broadening for helium and IRIS lines. We conclude that the EBs must have high temperatures to exhibit emission signals in neutral helium triplet lines. An order of magnitude estimate places our observed EBs in the range of T 2 × 104-105 K. Movies associated to Figs. 3-5 are available at http://www.aanda.org

The metallicities of the broad emission line regions in the nitrogen-loudest quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batra, Neelam Dhanda; Baldwin, Jack A.

2014-03-01

We measured the metallicity Z in the broad emission-line regions (BELRs) of 43 Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasars with the strongest N IV] and N III] emission lines. These N-loud quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) have unusually low-black-hole masses. We used the intensity ratio of N lines to collisionally excited emission lines of other heavy elements to find metallicities in their BELR regions. We found that seven of the eight line-intensity ratios that we employed give roughly consistent metallicities as measured, but that for each individual QSO their differences from the mean of all metallicity measurements depend on the ionization potential of the ions that form the emission lines. After correcting for this effect, the different line-intensity ratios give metallicities that generally agree to within the 0.24 dex uncertainty in the measurements of the line-intensity ratios. The metallicities are very high, with mean log Z for the whole sample of 5.5 Z⊙ and a maximum of 18 Z⊙. Our results argue against the possibility that the strong N lines represent an overabundance only of N but not of all heavy elements. They are compatible with either that (1) the BELR gas has been chemically enriched by the general stellar population in the central bulge of the host galaxy, but the locally optimally emitting cloud model used in the analysis needs some fine tuning or (2) that instead this gas has been enriched by intense star formation on the very local scale of the active nucleus that has resulted in an abundance gradient within the BELR.

Neutrino-heated stars and broad-line emission from active galactic nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macdonald, James; Stanev, Todor; Biermann, Peter L.

1991-01-01

Nonthermal radiation from active galactic nuclei indicates the presence of highly relativistic particles. The interaction of these high-energy particles with matter and photons gives rise to a flux of high-energy neutrinos. In this paper, the influence of the expected high neutrino fluxes on the structure and evolution of single, main-sequence stars is investigated. Sequences of models of neutrino-heated stars in thermal equilibrium are presented for masses 0.25, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 solar mass. In addition, a set of evolutionary sequences for mass 0.5 solar mass have been computed for different assumed values for the incident neutrino energy flux. It is found that winds driven by the heating due to high-energy particles and hard electromagnetic radiation of the outer layers of neutrino-bloated stars may satisfy the requirements of the model of Kazanas (1989) for the broad-line emission clouds in active galactic nuclei.

A tiered observational system for anthropogenic methane emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duren, R. M.; Miller, C. E.; Hulley, G. C.; Hook, S. J.; Sander, S. P.

2014-12-01

Improved understanding of anthropogenic methane emissions is required for closing the global carbon budget and addressing priority challenges in climate policy. Several decades of top-down and bottom-up studies show that anthropogenic methane emissions are systematically underestimated in key regions and economic sectors. These uncertainties have been compounded by the dramatic rise of disruptive technologies (e.g., the transformation in the US energy system due to unconventional gas and oil production). Methane flux estimates derived from inverse analyses and aircraft-based mass balance approaches underscore the disagreement in nationally and regionally reported methane emissions as well as the possibility of a long-tail distribution in fugitive emissions spanning the US natural gas supply chain; i.e. a small number of super-emitters may be responsible for most of the observed anomalies. Other studies highlight the challenges of sectoral and spatial attribution of fugitive emissions - including the relative contributions of dairies vs oil and gas production or disentangling the contributions of natural gas transmission, distribution, and consumption or landfill emissions in complex urban environments. Limited observational data remains a foundational barrier to resolving these challenges. We present a tiered observing system strategy for persistent, high-frequency monitoring over large areas to provide remote detection, geolocation and quantification of significant anthropogenic methane emissions across cities, states, basins and continents. We describe how this would both improve confidence in methane emission estimates and expedite resolution of fugitive emissions and leaks. We summarize recent prototype field campaigns that employ multiple vantage points and measurement techniques (including NASA's CARVE and HyTES aircraft and PanFTS instrument on Mt Wilson). We share preliminary results of this tiered observational approach including examples of individual

Simultaneous detection and analysis of optical and ultraviolet broad emission lines in quasars at z 2.2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisogni, S.; di Serego Alighieri, S.; Goldoni, P.; Ho, L. C.; Marconi, A.; Ponti, G.; Risaliti, G.

2017-06-01

We studied the spectra of six z 2.2 quasars obtained with the X-shooter spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope. The redshift of these sources and the X-shooter's spectral coverage allow us to cover the rest of the spectral range 1200-7000 Å for the simultaneous detection of optical and ultraviolet lines emitted by the broad-line region. Simultaneous measurements, avoiding issues related to quasars variability, help us understand the connection between the different broad-line region line profiles generally used as virial estimators of black hole masses in quasars. The goal of this work is to compare the different emission lines for each object to check on the reliability of Hα, Mg II and C iv with respect to Hβ. Hα and Mg II linewidths correlate well with Hβ, while C iv shows a poorer correlation, due to the presence of strong blueshifts and asymmetries in the profile. We compared our sample with the only other two whose spectra were taken with the same instrument and for all examined lines our results are in agreement with the ones obtained with X-shooter at z 1.5-1.7. We finally evaluate C III] as a possible substitute of C iv in the same spectral range and find that its behaviour is more coherent with those of the other lines: we believe that, when a high quality spectrum such as the ones we present is available and a proper modelization with the Fe II and Fe III emissions is performed, it is more appropriate to use this line than that of C iv if not corrected for the contamination by non-virialized components. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, under programme 086.B-0320(A).The reduced spectra (FITS files) are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/603/A1

Enhanced photoluminescence property and broad color emission of ZnGa2O4 phosphor due to the synergistic role of Eu3+ and carbon dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huo, Qiuyue; Tu, Weixia; Guo, Lin

2017-10-01

ZnGa2O4 phosphors co-composited with nanoscale carbon dots (CDs) and Eu3+ were presented for the tunable color emission. Novel single phase CDs or/and Eu3+ composited ZnGa2O4 phosphors were synthesized by microwave hydrothermal method and their optical properties were investigated. The ZnGa2O4 phosphors composited with CDs exhibited an intense broad blue light emission at 421 nm and a more enhanced photoluminescence intensity than those without CDs. The Eu3+ composited ZnGa2O4 phosphors gave an ideal red color emission. The CDs/Eu3+ co-composited ZnGa2O4 phosphors exhibited a wide emission band peak at 450 nm and narrow emission peak at 618 nm. Furthermore, the tunable color emissions of CDs/Eu3+ co-composited ZnGa2O4 phosphors from blue to the white light region, and then to red were obtained with the increasing Eu3+ concentration, which can be a promising single phased phosphor candidate in light emitting diodes. Broadly tunable emission single phased phosphor is tuned firstly through the synergistic role of the non-metal element and the rare earth metal ions.

Cluster observations and simulations of He+ EMIC triggered emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grison, B.; Shoji, M.; Santolik, O.; Omura, Y.

2012-12-01

EMIC triggered emissions have been reported in the inner magnetosphere at the edge of the plasmapause nightside [Pickett et al., 2010]. The generation mechanism proposed by Omura et al. [2010] is very similar to the one of the whistler chorus emissions and simulation results agree with observations and theory [Shoji et Omura, 2011]. The main characteristics of these emissions generated in the magnetic equatorial plane region are a frequency with time dispersion and a high level of coherence. The start frequency of previously mentioned observations is above half of the proton gyrofrequency. It means that the emissions are generated on the proton branch. On the He+ branch, generation of triggered emissions, in the same region, requests more energetic protons and the triggering process starts below the He+ gyrofrequency. It makes their identification in Cluster data rather difficult. Recent simulation results confirm the possibility of EMIC triggered emission on the He+ branch. In the present contribution we propose to compare a Cluster event to simulation results in order to investigate the possibility to identify observations to a He+ triggered emission. The impact of the observed waves on particle precipitation is also investigated.

Mg{sup +} and other metallic emissions observed in the thermosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gardner, J.A.; Viereck, R.A.; Murad, E.

1994-12-31

Limb observations of UV dayglow emissions from 80 to 300 km tangent heights were made in December, 1992, using the GLO instrument, which flew on STS-53 as a Hitchhiker-G experiment. STS-53 was at 330 km altitude and had an orbit inclination of 57{degree}. The orbit placed the shuttle near the terminator for the entire mission, resulting in a unique set of observations. The GLO instrument consisted of 12 imagers and 9 spectrographs on an Az/El gimbal system. The data was obtained over 6 days of the mission. Emissions from Mg{sup +} and Ca{sup +} were observed, as were emissions frommore » the neutral metallic species Mg and Na. The ultimate source of the metals is ablation of meteors; however, the spatial distribution of the emissions is controlled by upper mesospheric and thermospheric winds and, in the case of the ions, by the electromagnetic fields of the ionosphere. The observed Mg{sup +} emission was the brightest of the metal emissions, and was observed near the poles and around the geomagnetic equator near sunset. The polar emissions were short-lived and intense, indicative of auroral activity. The equatorial emissions were more continuous, with several luminous patches propagating poleward over the period of several orbits. The instrumentation will be described, as will spatial and temporal variations of the metal emissions with emphasis on the metal ions. These observations will be compared to previous observations of thermospheric metallic species.« less

Consequences of hot gas in the broad line region of active galactic nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kallman, T.; Mushotzky, R.

1985-01-01

Models for hot gas in the broad line region of active galactic nuclei are discussed. The results of the two phase equilibrium models for confinement of broad line clouds by Compton heated gas are used to show that high luminosity quasars are expected to show Fe XXVI L alpha line absorption which will be observed with spectrometers such as those planned for the future X-ray spectroscopy experiments. Two phase equilibrium models also predict that the gas in the broad line clouds and the confining medium may be Compton thick. It is shown that the combined effects of Comptonization and photoabsorption can suppress both the broad emission lines and X-rays in the Einstein and HEAO-1 energy bands. The observed properties of such Compton thick active galaxies are expected to be similar to those of Seyfert 2 nuclei. The implications for polarization and variability are also discussed.

Variability of broad and blueshifted component of [OIII]λ5007 in I ZWI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Wei, J. Y.; He, X. T.

2005-04-01

Although the existence of asymmetrical profile of [OIII]λ5007 has been discovered for ages, its filiation and physics are poorly understood. Two new spectra of I ZWI taken on November 16, 2001 and on December 3, 2002 were compared with the spectra taken by BG92. Following results are obtained. (1) The certain variations of broad [OIII] during about 10 years separating the observations are identified. The inferred length scale of broad [OIII] emitting region ranges from 0.3 to 3 pc. By assuming a Keplerian motion in line emitting region, the material emitting broad [OIII] is likely to be located at the transient emission line region, between BLR and NLR. (2) We find a positive relation between the FeII emission and flux of Hβ (or continuum). On the other hand, the parameter RFe decreases with ionizing continuum marginally. (3) We detect a low ionized NLR in I ZWI, because of the low flux ratios [OIII]n/Hβn (∼1.7).

Spectrophotometry of six broad absorption line QSOs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Junkkarinen, Vesa T.; Burbidge, E. Margaret; Smith, Harding E.

1987-01-01

Spectrophotometric observations of six broad absorption-line QSOs (BALQSOs) are presented. The continua and emission lines are compared with those in the spectra of QSOs without BALs. A statistically significant difference is found in the emission-line intensity ratio for (N V 1240-A)/(C IV 1549-A). The median value of (N V)/(C IV) for the BALQSOs is two to three times the median for QSOs without BALs. The absorption features of the BALQSOs are described, and the column densities and limits on the ionization structure of the BAL region are discussed. If the dominant ionization mechanism is photoionization, then it is likely that either the ionizing spectrum is steep or the abundances are considerably different from solar. Collisional ionization may be a significant factor, but it cannot totally dominate the ionization rate.

IUE observations of symbiotic stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sahade, J.; Brandi, E.

1981-01-01

The IUE observations suggest that the symbiotic stars can be placed in two broad groups. One of the groups is characterized by strong, narrow emissions arising from a wide range of excitation energies, while the other one typically shows a strong continuum with absorption lines and very few or no emissions at all. Both broad groups appear to suggest that these are binary systems and that they probably differ in the characteristics and extent of the chromosphere-corona formation that is present in the system.

X-RAYS FROM A RADIO-LOUD COMPACT BROAD ABSORPTION LINE QUASAR 1045+352 AND THE NATURE OF OUTFLOWS IN RADIO-LOUD BROAD ABSORPTION LINE QUASARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kunert-Bajraszewska, Magdalena; Katarzynski, Krzysztof; Siemiginowska, Aneta

2009-11-10

We present new results on X-ray properties of radio-loud broad absorption line (BAL) quasars and focus on broadband spectral properties of a high-ionization BAL (HiBAL) compact steep spectrum (CSS) radio-loud quasar 1045+352. This HiBAL quasar has a very complex radio morphology indicating either strong interactions between a radio jet and the surrounding interstellar medium or a possible re-start of the jet activity. We detected 1045+352 quasar in a short 5 ksec Chandra ACIS-S observation. We applied theoretical models to explain spectral energy distribution of 1045+352 and argue that non-thermal, inverse-Compton (IC) emission from the innermost parts of the radio jetmore » can account for a large fraction of the observed X-ray emission. In our analysis, we also consider a scenario in which the observed X-ray emission from radio-loud BAL quasars can be a sum of IC jet X-ray emission and optically thin corona X-ray emission. We compiled a sample of radio-loud BAL quasars that were observed in X-rays to date and report no correlation between their X-ray and radio luminosity. However, the radio-loud BAL quasars show a large range of X-ray luminosities and absorption columns. This is consistent with the results obtained earlier for radio-quiet BAL quasars and may indicate an orientation effect in BAL quasars or more complex dependence between X-ray emission, radio emission, and an orientation based on the radio morphology.« less

Jupiter emission observed near 1 MHz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, L. W.

1974-01-01

Emission from Jupiter has been observed by the IMP-6 spacecraft at 19 frequencies between 600 and 9900 kHz covering the period from April 1971 to October 1972. The Jovian bursts were identified in the IMP-6 data through the phase of the observed modulated signal detected from the spinning dipole antenna. Initial data reduction has isolated 177 events over a span of 500 days. These events persisted over a period between 1 and 60 min. Of these events at least 48 occurred during times in which Jupiter emission was being observed at either 16.7 or 22.2 MHz by ground-based instruments of the Goddard Space Flight Center Jupiter monitoring system. Large bursts were detectable from 9900 kHz down to 600 kHz, while smaller bursts ranged down to 1030 kHz.-

Observations of emission lines in M supergiants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, D. L.

1979-01-01

Copernicus observations of Mg 2 h and k emission lines from M giants and supergiants are described. Supergiants with extensive circumstellar gas shells show an asymmetric k line. The asymmetry is ascribed to superimposed lines of Fe 1 and Mn 1. The Mg 2 line width fit the Wilson-Bappu relation derived from observations of G and K Stars. Results of correlated ground-based observations include (1) the discovery of K 1 fluorescent emission from the Betelgeuse shell; (2) extimates of the mass-loss rates; and (3) the proposal that silicate dust grains must account for the major fraction of the Si atoms in the Betelgeuse shell.

Fast Emission Estimates in China Constrained by Satellite Observations (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mijling, B.; van der A, R.

2013-12-01

Emission inventories of air pollutants are crucial information for policy makers and form important input data for air quality models. Unfortunately, bottom-up emission inventories, compiled from large quantities of statistical data, are easily outdated for an emerging economy such as China, where rapid economic growth changes emissions accordingly. Alternatively, top-down emission estimates from satellite observations of air constituents have important advantages of being spatial consistent, having high temporal resolution, and enabling emission updates shortly after the satellite data become available. Constraining emissions from concentration measurements is, however, computationally challenging. Within the GlobEmission project of the European Space Agency (ESA) a new algorithm has been developed, specifically designed for fast daily emission estimates of short-lived atmospheric species on a mesoscopic scale (0.25 × 0.25 degree) from satellite observations of column concentrations. The algorithm needs only one forward model run from a chemical transport model to calculate the sensitivity of concentration to emission, using trajectory analysis to account for transport away from the source. By using a Kalman filter in the inverse step, optimal use of the a priori knowledge and the newly observed data is made. We apply the algorithm for NOx emission estimates in East China, using the CHIMERE model together with tropospheric NO2 column retrievals of the OMI and GOME-2 satellite instruments. The observations are used to construct a monthly emission time series, which reveal important emission trends such as the emission reduction measures during the Beijing Olympic Games, and the impact and recovery from the global economic crisis. The algorithm is also able to detect emerging sources (e.g. new power plants) and improve emission information for areas where proxy data are not or badly known (e.g. shipping emissions). The new emission estimates result in a better

Low-Latitude ELF Emissions Below 100Hz Observed in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, K.; Wang, Y.; Su, H.; Hsu, R.

2005-12-01

ELF antennas have been mounted at the Lulin Observatory (23.47oN, 120.87oE; 2862m) and National Cheng Kung University (23.00oN, 120.22oE, 32m) in Taiwan for study of global lightning activities and ELF events. We have previously reported 10-month ELF-Whistlers observations from Aug. 26, 2003 to July 13, 2004. [Wang et al., 2005]. In addition to these events, other forms of ELF emissions were also detected. In this study, an Atlas of these observed ELF emissions below 100Hz for the same period of observation is presented. Total numbers of more than 100 detected events are categorized into six groups: discrete emissions, periodic emissions, quasi-periodic emissions, hiss, chorus, and triggered emissions, according to the system of classification for VLF emissions in [Helliwell, 1965]. Nevertheless, there are still some emissions hardly to be classified. Diurnal and seasonal variations of occurrences for these ELF emission events are analyzed. Correlation between these events and storm indices will also be discussed. References Helliwell, R. A., VLF Emission, in Whistlers and Related Ionospheric Phenomena, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1965. Wang . Y. C., K. Wang, H. T. Su, R. R. Hsu, Low-Latitude ELF-Whistlers observed in Taiwan, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L08102, doi:10.1029/2005GL022412, 20

Satellite-based observations of tsunami-induced mesosphere airglow perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yu-Ming; Verkhoglyadova, Olga; Mlynczak, Martin G.; Mannucci, Anthony J.; Meng, Xing; Langley, Richard B.; Hunt, Linda A.

2017-01-01

Tsunami-induced airglow emission perturbations were retrieved by using space-based measurements made by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broad-band Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on board the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics spacecraft. At and after the time of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake on 11 March 2011, and the Chile earthquake on 16 September 2015, the spacecraft was performing scans over the Pacific Ocean. Significant ( 10% relative to the ambient emission profiles) and coherent nighttime airglow perturbations were observed in the mesosphere following Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broad-band Emission Radiometry limb scans intercepting tsunami-induced atmospheric gravity waves. Simulations of emission variations are consistent with the physical characteristics of the disturbances at the locations of the corresponding SABER scans. Airglow observations and model simulations suggest that atmospheric neutral density and temperature perturbations can lead to the observed amplitude variations and multipeak structures in the emission profiles. This is the first time that airglow emission rate perturbations associated with tsunamis have been detected with space-based measurements.

Surface slope characteristics from Thermal Emission Spectrometer emission phase function observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, C. S.; Bandfield, J. L.; Christensen, P. R.

2006-12-01

It is possible to obtain surface roughness characteristics, by measuring a single surface from multiple emission angles and azimuths in the thermal infrared. Surfaces will have different temperatures depending on their orientation relative to the sun. A different proportion of sunlit versus shaded surfaces will be in the field of view based on the viewing orientation, resulting in apparent temperature differences. This difference in temperature can be utilized to calculate the slope characteristics for the observed area. This technique can be useful for determining surface slope characteristics not resolvable by orbital imagery. There are two main components to this model, a surface DEM, in this case a synthetic, two dimensional sine wave surface, and a thermal model (provided by H. Kieffer). Using albedo, solar longitude, slope, azimuth, along with several other parameters, the temperature for each cell of the DEM is calculated using the thermal model. A temperature is then predicted using the same observation geometries as the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) observations. A temperature difference is calculated for the two complementary viewing azimuths and emission angles from the DEM. These values are then compared to the observed temperature difference to determine the surface slope. This method has been applied to TES Emission Phase Function (EPF) observations for both the spectrometer and bolometer data, with a footprint size of 10s of kilometers. These specialized types of TES observations measure nearly the same surface from several angles. Accurate surface kinetic temperatures are obtained after the application of an atmospheric correction for the TES bolometer and/or spectrometer. Initial results include an application to the northern circumpolar dunes. An average maximum slope of ~33 degrees has been obtained, which makes physical sense since this is near the angle of repose for sand sized particles. There is some scatter in the data from separate

GOSAT Observations of Anthropogenic Emission of Carbon Dioxide and Methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janardanan Achari, R.; Maksyutov, S. S.; Oda, T.; Saito, M.; W Kaiser, J.; Ganshin, A.; Matsunaga, T.; Yoshida, Y.; Yokota, T.

2016-12-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the most important greenhouse gases in terms of radiative forcing. Anthropogenic activities such as combustion of fossil fuel (for CO2) and gas leakage, animal agriculture, rice cultivation and landfill emissions (CH4), are considered to be major sources of those emissions. Still, emission data usually depend on national emission reports, which are seldom evaluated independently. Here we present a method for delineating anthropogenic contribution to global atmospheric CO2 (2009-2014) and CH4 (2009-2012) fields using GOSAT observations of column-average dry air mole fractions (XCO2 and XCH4) and atmospheric transport model simulations using high-resolution emission inventories. The CO2 and CH4 concentration enhancement due to anthropogenic activities, are estimated with the transport model at all GOSAT observation locations using high-resolution emission inventories (ODIAC for CO2 and EDGAR for CH4). Based on this estimate, using a threshold value, the observations are classified into two categories: data influenced by the anthropogenic sources and those not including them. To extract concentration enhancements due to the anthropogenic emissions, we define a clean background (the averaged values for the data free from contamination) in 10°×10° regions over the globe and are subtracted from the individual observational data including the anthropogenic contamination. Thus the anomalies contain contributions from anthropogenic sources. These anomalies are binned and analyzed for continental scale regions and countries. For CO2, we have found global and regional linear relationships between model and observed anomalies especially for Eurasia and North America. The analysis for East Asian region showed a systematic bias that is comparable in magnitude to the reported uncertainties in emission inventories in that region. In the case of CH4, we also found a good match between inventory-based estimates and GOSAT observations for

Chandra ACIS Observations of Jovian X-Ray Emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garmire, Gordon; Elsner, Ronald; Feigelson, Eric; Ford, Peter; Gladstone, G. Randall; Hurley, Kevin; Metzger, Albert; Waite, J. Hunter, Jr.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

On November 25 and 26, 1999, the Chandra X-ray spacecraft conducted a set of four 19,000 sec observations of Jupiter. The ACIS-S instrument configuration was used for its good low energy efficiency and spatial resolution. An anomalous response was obtained which was subsequently attributed to strong jovian infrared radiation penetrating the detector and piling up spurious events across the entire X-ray range. However, the pre-observation establishment of an offsetting bias field has allowed the recovery of data from that portion of Jupiter's disc which remained within the elevated portion of the bias field during the observation. This ranges from fewer than 3000 sec to the entire observing time for about 10% of the planet. Auroral emission is seen near both poles in each observation. The northern aurora ia overall more intense than the southern, consistent with prior Einstein and ROSAT Observatory results. The southern aurora shows more modulation with Jupiter's rotation than the northern. Spatial resolution has been improved by at least a factor of two over prior measurements but convincing evidence of structure has not been seen. Lower latitude emission, first observed by ROSAT, is confirmed with flux levels averaging more than a factor of five below peak auroral values. Pronounced variation in the observed emission has occurred over the observing period. The spectral response extends from 0.24 keV, below which noise dominates, to about 1.2 keV. For all four observations the spectrum is clearly enhanced between 0.45 and 0.85 keV. This is apparently unequivocal evidence that Jupiter's X-ray emission is the result of oxygen and perhaps sulfur ions precipitating into the planet's atmosphere, where they undergo charge exchange interactions. The identification of specific transitions lines in the spectrum is among the ongoing efforts. A bremsstrahlung component has not yet been identified.

DISCOVERY OF THE TRANSITION OF A MINI-BROAD ABSORPTION LINE INTO A BROAD ABSORPTION LINE IN THE SDSS QUASAR J115122.14+020426.3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hidalgo, Paola Rodriguez; Eracleous, Michael; Charlton, Jane

We present the detection of a rare case of dramatic strengthening in the UV absorption profiles in the spectrum of the quasar J115122.14+020426.3 between observations {approx}2.86 yr apart in the quasar rest frame. A spectrum obtained in 2001 by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey shows a C IV ''mini-broad'' absorption line (FWHM = 1220 km s{sup -1}) with a maximum blueshift velocity of {approx}9520 km s{sup -1}, while a later spectrum from the Very Large Telescope shows a significantly broader and stronger absorption line, with a maximum blueshift velocity of {approx}12, 240 km s{sup -1} that qualifies as a broadmore » absorption line. A similar variability pattern is observed in two additional systems at lower blueshifted velocities and in the Ly{alpha} and N V transitions as well. One of the absorption systems appears to be resolved and shows evidence for partial covering of the quasar continuum source (C{sub f} {approx} 0.65), indicating a transverse absorber size of, at least, {approx}6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} cm. In contrast, a cluster of narrower C IV lines appears to originate in gas that fully covers the continuum and broad emission line sources. There is no evidence for changes in the centroid velocity of the absorption troughs. This case suggests that at least some of the absorbers that produce ''mini-broad'' and broad absorption lines in quasar spectra do not belong to intrinsically separate classes. Here, the ''mini-broad'' absorption line is most likely interpreted as an intermediate phase before the appearance of a broad absorption line due to their similar velocities. While the current observations do not provide enough constraints to discern among the possible causes for this variability, future monitoring of multiple transitions at high resolution will help achieve this goal.« less

GOSAT observations of anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide and methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janardanan, Rajesh; Maksyutov, Shamil; Oda, Tomohiro; Saito, Makoto; Ito, Akihiko; Kaiser, Johannes W.; Ganshin, Alexander; Yoshida, Yukio; Yokota, Tatsuya; Matsunaga, Tsuneo

2017-04-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the most important greenhouse gases in terms of radiative forcing. Human activities such as combustion of fossil fuel (for CO2), and gas leakage, animal agriculture, rice cultivation and landfill emissions (for CH4), are considered to be major sources of their emissions. Global emissions datasets usually depend on emission estimates reported by countries, which are seldom evaluated in an objective way. Here we present a method for delineating anthropogenic contributions to global atmospheric CO2 and CH4 (2009-2014) concentration fields using GOSAT observations of column-average dry air mole fractions (XCO2 and XCH4) and atmospheric transport model simulations using high-resolution emissions datasets (ODIAC for CO2 and EDGAR for CH4). The XCO2 and XCH4 concentration enhancements due to anthropogenic emissions are estimated at all GOSAT observation locations using the transport model simulation. We calculated threshold values to classify GOSAT observations into two categories: (1) data influenced by the anthropogenic sources and (2) those not influenced. We defined a clean background (averaged concentrations of GOSAT data that are free from contamination) in 10˚ ×10˚ regions over the globe and subtracted the background values from individual GOSAT observations. The anomalies (GOSAT observed values minus background values) were binned and compared to model-based anomalies over continental regions and selected countries. For CO2, we have found global and regional linear relationships between model and observed anomalies especially for Eurasia and North America. The analysis for East Asian region showed a systematic bias that is somewhat comparable in magnitude to the uncertainties in emission inventories in that region, which were reported by recent studies. In the case of CH4, we found a good match between inventory-based estimates and GOSAT observations for continental regions and large countries. The inventory

The seed factor: how a combination of four observables can unveil the location of blazar GeV emission.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Adam; Georganopoulos, Markos; Meyer, Eileen

2018-01-01

We present here a method for constraining the emission location of γ-rays in powerful, lined blazars (i.e., flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs)). We develop a diagnostic criteria, which we term the seed factor, to differentiate between γ-ray emission due to external Compton (EC) scattering in the broad line region (BLR) and the molecular torus (MT). The seed factor is determined entirely by four observable quantities; the synchrotron and inverse Compton (IC) peak frequencies, and the respective peak luminosities. It may thus be possible to use the seed factor to constrain the emission location in a model-independent way.We also present preliminary results of our analysis regarding the seed factor in quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength SEDs from the Fermi LAT Bright AGN Sample (LBAS), historical data from the ASDC SED Builder of FSRQs in the the Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei with VLBA Experiments (MOJAVE) sample, and quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength SEDs from the Dynamic SEDs of southern blazars (DSSB) sample.

Sodium D-line emission from Io - Comparison of observed and theoretical line profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, R. W.; Matson, D. L.; Johnson, T. V.; Bergstralh, J. T.

1978-01-01

High-resolution spectra of the D-line profiles have been obtained for Io's sodium emission cloud. These lines, which are produced through resonance scattering of sunlight, are broad and asymmetric and can be used to infer source and dynamical properties of the sodium cloud. In this paper we compare line profile data with theoretical line shapes computed for several assumed initial velocity distributions corresponding to various source mechanisms. We also examine the consequences of source distributions which are nonuniform over the surface of Io. It is found that the experimental data are compatible with escape of sodium atoms from the leading hemisphere of Io and with velocity distributions characteristic of sputtering processes. Thermal escape and simple models of plasma sweeping are found to be incompatible with the observations.

Unique concurrent observations of whistler mode hiss, chorus, and triggered emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseini, Poorya; Gołkowski, Mark; Turner, Drew L.

2017-06-01

We present a unique 2 h ground-based observation of concurrent magnetospheric hiss, chorus, VLF triggered emissions as well as ELF/VLF signals generated locally by the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility. Eccentricity of observed wave polarization is used as a criteria to identify magnetospheric emissions and estimate their ionospheric exit points. The observations of hiss and chorus in the unique background of coherent HAARP ELF/VLF waves and triggered emissions allow for more accurate characterization of hiss and chorus properties than in typical ground-based observations. Eccentricity and azimuth results suggest a moving ionospheric exit point associated with a single ducted path at L 5. The emissions exhibit dynamics in time suggesting an evolution of a magnetospheric source from hiss generation to chorus generation or a moving plasmapause location. We introduce a frequency band-limited autocorrelation method to quantify the relative coherency of the emissions. A range of coherency was observed from high order of coherency in local HAARP transmissions and their echoes to lower coherency in natural chorus and hiss emissions.

Hints of correlation between broad-line and radio variations for 3C 120

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, H. T.; Bai, J. M.; Li, S. K.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the correlation between broad-line and radio variations for the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 120. By the z-transformed discrete correlation function method and the model-independent flux randomization/random subset selection (FR/RSS) Monte Carlo method, we find that broad Hβ line variations lead the 15 GHz variations. The FR/RSS method shows that the Hβ line variations lead the radio variations by a factor of τ{sub ob} = 0.34 ± 0.01 yr. This time lag can be used to locate the position of the emitting region of radio outbursts in the jet, on the order of ∼5 lt-yr frommore » the central engine. This distance is much larger than the size of the broad-line region. The large separation of the radio outburst emitting region from the broad-line region will observably influence the gamma-ray emission in 3C 120.« less

SHORT-TIMESCALE MONITORING OF THE X-RAY, UV, AND BROAD DOUBLE-PEAK EMISSION LINE OF THE NUCLEUS OF NGC 1097

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schimoia, Jaderson S.; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Grupe, Dirk

2015-02-10

Recent studies have suggested that the short-timescale (≲ 7 days) variability of the broad (∼10,000 km s{sup –1}) double-peaked Hα profile of the LINER nucleus of NGC 1097 could be driven by a variable X-ray emission from a central radiatively inefficient accretion flow. To test this scenario, we have monitored the NGC 1097 nucleus in X-ray and UV continuum with Swift and the Hα flux and profile in the optical spectrum using SOAR and Gemini-South from 2012 August to 2013 February. During the monitoring campaign, the Hα flux remained at a very low level—three times lower than the maximum flux observed in previousmore » campaigns and showing only limited (∼20%) variability. The X-ray variations were small, only ∼13% throughout the campaign, while the UV did not show significant variations. We concluded that the timescale of the Hα profile variation is close to the sampling interval of the optical observations, which results in only a marginal correlation between the X-ray and Hα fluxes. We have caught the active galaxy nucleus in NGC 1097 in a very low activity state, in which the ionizing source was very weak and capable of ionizing just the innermost part of the gas in the disk. Nonetheless, the data presented here still support the picture in which the gas that emits the broad double-peaked Balmer lines is illuminated/ionized by a source of high-energy photons which is located interior to the inner radius of the line-emitting part of the disk.« less

MMS Observations of Langmuir Collapse and Emission?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boardsen, S. A.; Che, H.; Wilder, F. D.; Ergun, R.; Le Contel, O.; Gershman, D. J.; Giles, B. L.; Moore, T. E.; Paterson, W.

2017-12-01

Through the two stream instability, electron beams accelerated by solar flares and nanoflares are believed to be responsible for several types of solar radio bursts observed in the corona and interplanetary medium, including flare-associated coronal Type J, U, and Type III radio bursts, and nanoflare-associated weak coronal type III bursts. However the duration of these radio bursts is several orders of magnitude longer than the linear saturation time of the electron two-stream instability. This discrepancy has been a long-standing puzzle. Recently Che et al. [2017, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1614055114] proposed a mechanism in which the plasma coherent emission is maintained by the cyclic Langmuir collapse. Wave coupling between Langmuir waves and electrostatic whistler waves is the key process necessary to close the feedback loop. In the magnetosphere, electron beams are commonly produced by acceleration processes such as magnetic reconnection, during which both whistlers and Langmuir waves are observed and thus provide possible in-situ observations to test and study the emission process near the acceleration source region. The high spatial and time resolution MMS fields and particle data are used to test aspects of this mechanism. In this presentation, we will present some preliminary results from MMS observations of electron beams near a reconnection region. We investigate, in the regions where the electron beams are observed, the coupling between high frequency Langmuir waves and low frequency electrostatic whistler waves, and the associated electromagnetic emissions, along with other possible specific features predicted by this model.

Electron emission from chemical vapor deposited diamond and amorphous carbon films observed with a simple field emission device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Z.; Brown, I.G.; Ager, J.W. III

Electron emission from chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond and amorphous carbon (a-C) films was observed with a simple field emission device (FED). Both diamond and a-C films were prepared with microwave plasma-enhanced CVD techniques. Electron emission in the field strength range +10 to {minus}10 MVm{sup {minus}1} was studied, and the field emission source was confirmed by a diode characteristic of the {ital I}-{ital V} curve, a straight line in the Fowler--Nordheim (F-N) plot, and direct observation of light emission from a fluorescent screen. The turn-on field strength was {similar_to}5 MVm{sup {minus}1}, which was similar for both kinds of carbon films.more » The highest current density for diamond films, observed at a field strength of 10 MVm{sup {minus}1}, was {similar_to}15 {mu}A cm{sup {minus}2}. Diamond films yielded a higher emission current than a-C films. The reasons for the observed field emission are discussed.« less

First observations of stimulated electromagnetic emission in the ionosphere modified by the spear heating facility on Spitsbergen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tereshchenko, E. D.; Yurik, R. Yu.; Yeoman, T. K.; Robinson, T. R.

2008-11-01

We present the first results of observations of the stimulated electromagnetic emission (SEE) in the ionosphere modified by the Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar (SPEAR) heating facility. Observation of the SEE is the key method of ground-based diagnostics of the ionospheric plasma disturbances due to high-power HF radiation. The presented results were obtained during the heating campaign performed at the SPEAR facility in February-March 2007. Prominent SEE special features were observed in periods in which the critical frequency of the F 2 layer was higher than the pump-wave frequency (4.45 MHz). As an example, such special features as the downshifted maximum and the broad continuum in the region of negative detunings from the pump-wave frequency are presented. Observations clearly demonstrate that the ionosphere was efficiently excited by the SPEAR heating facility despite the comparatively low pump-wave power.

Polarisation observations of VY Canis Majoris H2O 532-441 620.701 GHz maser emission with HIFI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harwit, M.; Houde, M.; Sonnentrucker, P.; Boogert, A. C. A.; Cernicharo, J.; De Beck, E.; Decin, L.; Henkel, C.; Higgins, R. D.; Jellema, W.; Kraus, A.; McCoey, C.; Melnick, G. J.; Menten, K. M.; Risacher, C.; Teyssier, D.; Vaillancourt, J. E.; Alcolea, J.; Bujarrabal, V.; Dominik, C.; Justtanont, K.; de Koter, A.; Marston, A. P.; Olofsson, H.; Planesas, P.; Schmidt, M.; Schöier, F. L.; Szczerba, R.; Waters, L. B. F. M.

2010-10-01

Context. Water vapour maser emission from evolved oxygen-rich stars remains poorly understood. Additional observations, including polarisation studies and simultaneous observation of different maser transitions may ultimately lead to greater insight. Aims: We have aimed to elucidate the nature and structure of the VY CMa water vapour masers in part by observationally testing a theoretical prediction of the relative strengths of the 620.701 GHz and the 22.235 GHz maser components of ortho H2O. Methods: In its high-resolution mode (HRS) the Herschel Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) offers a frequency resolution of 0.125 MHz, corresponding to a line-of-sight velocity of 0.06 km s-1, which we employed to obtain the strength and linear polarisation of maser spikes in the spectrum of VY CMa at 620.701 GHz. Simultaneous ground based observations of the 22.235 GHz maser with the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie 100-m telescope at Effelsberg, provided a ratio of 620.701 GHz to 22.235 GHz emission. Results: We report the first astronomical detection to date of H2O maser emission at 620.701 GHz. In VY CMa both the 620.701 and the 22.235 GHz polarisation are weak. At 620.701 GHz the maser peaks are superposed on what appears to be a broad emission component, jointly ejected from the star. We observed the 620.701 GHz emission at two epochs 21 days apart, both to measure the potential direction of linearly polarised maser components and to obtain a measure of the longevity of these components. Although we do not detect significant polarisation levels in the core of the line, they rise up to approximately 6% in its wings. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Appendix (page 5) is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Space-based observations of nitrogen dioxide: Trends in anthropogenic emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, Ashley Ray

Space-based instruments provide routine global observations, offering a unique perspective on the spatial and temporal variation of atmospheric constituents. In this dissertation, trends in regional-scale anthropogenic nitrogen oxide emissions (NO + NO2 ≡ NOx) are investigated using high resolution observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). By comparing trends in OMI observations with those from ground-based measurements and an emissions inventory, I show that satellite observations are well-suited for capturing changes in emissions over time. The high spatial and temporal resolutions of the observations provide a uniquely complete view of regional-scale changes in the spatial patterns of NO 2. I show that NOx concentrations have decreased significantly in urban regions of the United States between 2005 and 2011, with an average reduction of 32 ± 7%. By examining day-of-week and interannual trends, I show that these reductions can largely be attributed to improved emission control technology in the mobile source fleet; however, I also show that the economic downturn of the late 2000's has impacted emissions. Additionally, I describe the development of a high-resolution retrieval of NO2 from OMI observations known as the Berkeley High Resolution (BEHR) retrieval. The BEHR product uses higher spatial and temporal resolution terrain and profile parameters than the operational retrievals and is shown to provide a more quantitative measure of tropospheric NO2 column density. These results have important implications for future retrievals of NO2 from space-based observations.

CARMA observations of Galactic cold cores: searching for spinning dust emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tibbs, C. T.; Paladini, R.; Cleary, K.; Muchovej, S. J. C.; Scaife, A. M. M.; Stevenson, M. A.; Laureijs, R. J.; Ysard, N.; Grainge, K. J. B.; Perrott, Y. C.; Rumsey, C.; Villadsen, J.

2015-11-01

We present the first search for spinning dust emission from a sample of 34 Galactic cold cores, performed using the CARMA interferometer. For each of our cores, we use photometric data from the Herschel Space Observatory to constrain bar{N}H, bar{T}d, bar{n}H, and bar{G}0. By computing the mass of the cores and comparing it to the Bonnor-Ebert mass, we determined that 29 of the 34 cores are gravitationally unstable and undergoing collapse. In fact, we found that six cores are associated with at least one young stellar object, suggestive of their protostellar nature. By investigating the physical conditions within each core, we can shed light on the cm emission revealed (or not) by our CARMA observations. Indeed, we find that only three of our cores have any significant detectable cm emission. Using a spinning dust model, we predict the expected level of spinning dust emission in each core and find that for all 34 cores, the predicted level of emission is larger than the observed cm emission constrained by the CARMA observations. Moreover, even in the cores for which we do detect cm emission, we cannot, at this stage, discriminate between free-free emission from young stellar objects and spinning dust emission. We emphasize that although the CARMA observations described in this analysis place important constraints on the presence of spinning dust in cold, dense environments, the source sample targeted by these observations is not statistically representative of the entire population of Galactic cores.

Fast emission estimates in China and South Africa constrained by satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mijling, Bas; van der A, Ronald

2013-04-01

Emission inventories of air pollutants are crucial information for policy makers and form important input data for air quality models. Unfortunately, bottom-up emission inventories, compiled from large quantities of statistical data, are easily outdated for emerging economies such as China and South Africa, where rapid economic growth change emissions accordingly. Alternatively, top-down emission estimates from satellite observations of air constituents have important advantages of being spatial consistent, having high temporal resolution, and enabling emission updates shortly after the satellite data become available. However, constraining emissions from observations of concentrations is computationally challenging. Within the GlobEmission project (part of the Data User Element programme of ESA) a new algorithm has been developed, specifically designed for fast daily emission estimates of short-lived atmospheric species on a mesoscopic scale (0.25 × 0.25 degree) from satellite observations of column concentrations. The algorithm needs only one forward model run from a chemical transport model to calculate the sensitivity of concentration to emission, using trajectory analysis to account for transport away from the source. By using a Kalman filter in the inverse step, optimal use of the a priori knowledge and the newly observed data is made. We apply the algorithm for NOx emission estimates in East China and South Africa, using the CHIMERE chemical transport model together with tropospheric NO2 column retrievals of the OMI and GOME-2 satellite instruments. The observations are used to construct a monthly emission time series, which reveal important emission trends such as the emission reduction measures during the Beijing Olympic Games, and the impact and recovery from the global economic crisis. The algorithm is also able to detect emerging sources (e.g. new power plants) and improve emission information for areas where proxy data are not or badly known (e

Observations of broad-band micro-seisms during reservoir stimulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sleefe, G.E.; Warpinski, N.R.; Engler, B.P.

During hydrocarbon reservoir stimulation such as hydraulic fracturing, the cracking and slippage of the formation results in the emission of seismic energy. The objective of this study was to determine the properties of these induced micro-seisms. A hydraulic fracture experiment was performed in the Piceance Basin of Western Colorado to induce and record micro-seismic events. The formation was subjected to four processes; breakdown/ballout, step-rate test, KCL mini-fracture, and linear-gel mini-fracture. Micro-seisms were acquired with an advanced three-component wall-locked seismic accelerometer package, placed in an observation well 211 ft offset from the well. During the two hours of formation treatment, moremore » than 1200 micro-seisms with signal-to-noise ratios in excess of 20 dB were observed. The observed micro-seisms had a nominally flat frequency from 100 Hz to 1500 Hz and lack the spurious tool-resonance effects evident in previous attempts to measure micro-seisms. Both p-wave and s-wave arrivals are clearly evident in the data set, and hodogram analysis yielded coherent estimates of the event locations. This paper describes the characteristics of the observed micro-seismic events (event occurrence, signal-to-noise ratios, and bandwidth) and illustrates that the new acquisition approach results in enhanced detectability and event location resolution.« less

Very Broad [O III] λλ4959, 5007 Emission from the NGC 4472 Globular Cluster RZ 2109 and Implications for the Mass of Its Black Hole X-Ray Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zepf, Stephen E.; Stern, Daniel; Maccarone, Thomas J.; Kundu, Arunav; Kamionkowski, Marc; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John J.; Ciardullo, Robin; Gronwall, Caryl

2008-08-01

We present Keck LRIS spectroscopy of the black hole-hosting globular cluster RZ 2109 in the Virgo elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. We find that this object has extraordinarily broad [O III] λ5007 and [O III] λ4959 emission lines, with velocity widths of approximately 2000 km s-1. This result has significant implications for the nature of this accreting black hole system and the mass of the globular cluster black hole. We show that the broad [O III] λ5007 emission must arise from material driven at high velocity from the black hole system. This is because the volume available near the black hole is too small by many orders of magnitude to have enough [O III]-emitting atoms to account for the observed L([O III] λ5007) at high velocities, even if this volume is filled with oxygen at the critical density for [O III] λ5007. The Balmer emission is also weak, indicating the observed [O III] is not due to shocks. We therefore conclude that the [O III] λλ4959, 5007 is produced by photoionization of material driven across the cluster. The only known way to drive significant material at high velocity is for a system accreting mass near or above its Eddington limit, which indicates a stellar-mass black hole. Since it is dynamically implausible to form an accreting stellar-mass black hole system in a globular cluster with an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH), it appears this massive globular cluster does not have an IMBH. We discuss further tests of this conclusion, and its implications for the MBH - Mstellar and MBH - σ relations. Based on observations made at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Observations of EMIC Triggered Emissions off the Magnetic Equatorial Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grison, B.; Breuillard, H.; Santolik, O.; Cornilleau-Wehrlin, N.

2016-12-01

On 19/08/2005 Cluster spacecraft had their perigee close to the dayside of the Earth magnetic equatorial plane, at about 14 hours Magnetic Local Time. The spacecraft crossed the equator from the southern hemisphere toward the northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, at about -23° magnetic latitude (MLAT) and at distance of 5.25 Earth Radii from Earth, Cluster 3 observes an EMIC triggered emission between the He+ and the proton local gyrofrequencies. The magnetic waveform (STAFF instrument data) is transformed into the Fourier space for a study based on single value decomposition (SVD) analysis. The emission lasts about 30s. The emission frequency rises from 1Hz up to 1.9Hz. The emission polarization is left-hand, its coherence value is high and the propagation angle is field aligned (lower than 30º). The Poynting flux orientation could not be established. Based on previous study results, these properties are indicative of an observation in vicinity of the source region of the triggered emission. From our knowledge this is the first time that EMIC triggered emission are observed off the magnetic equator. In order to identify the source region we study two possibilities: a source region at higher latitudes than the observations (and particles orbiting in "Shabansky" orbits) and a source region close to the magnetic equatorial plane, as reported in previous studies. We propose to identify the source region from ray tracing analysis and to compare the observed propagation angle in several frequency ranges to the ray tracing results.

XMM-Newton Observations of Solar Wind Charge Exchange Emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snowden, S. L.; Collier, M. R.; Kuntz, K. D.

2004-01-01

We present an XMM-Newton spectrum of diffuse X-ray emission from within the solar system. The spectrum is dominated by O VII and O VIII lines at 0.57 keV and 0.65 keV, O VIII (and possibly Fe XVII) lines at approximately 0.8 keV, Ne IX lines at approximately 0.92 keV, and Mg XI lines at approximately 1.35 keV. This spectrum is consistent with what is expected from charge exchange emission between the highly ionized solar wind and either interstellar neutrals in the heliosphere or material from Earth's exosphere. The emission is clearly seen as a low-energy ( E less than 1.5 keV) spectral enhancement in one of a series of observations of the Hubble Deep Field North. The X-ray enhancement is concurrent with an enhancement in the solar wind measured by the ACE satellite. The solar wind enhancement reaches a flux level an order of magnitude more intense than typical fluxes at 1 AU, and has ion ratios with significantly enhanced higher ionization states. Whereas observations of the solar wind plasma made at a single point reflect only local conditions which may only be representative of solar wind properties with spatial scales ranging from less than half of an Earth radii (approximately 10 s) to 100 Earth radii, X-ray observations of solar wind charge exchange are remote sensing measurements which may provide observations which are significantly more global in character. Besides being of interest in its own right for studies of the solar system, this emission can have significant consequences for observations of more cosmological objects. It can provide emission lines at zero redshift which are of particular interest (e.g., O VII and O VIII) in studies of diffuse thermal emission, and which can therefore act as contamination in objects which cover the entire detector field of view. We propose the use of solar wind monitoring data, such as from the ACE and Wind spacecraft, as a diagnostic to screen for such possibilities.

OCO-2 and GOSAT observations of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maksyutov, S. S.; Yadav, V.; Eldering, A.; Janardanan Achari, R.; Saito, M.; Oda, T.

2017-12-01

We apply high resolution transport modeling with Lagrangian transport model Flexpart to analyze CO2 emission signatures in the total column XCO2 observed by OCO-2 and GOSAT satellites in 2014-2016. To reduce computational load for transport modeling, the OCO-2 observations are aggregated into 1 second averages prepared separately for two groups (left and right) made of simultaneously measured eight OCO-2 observations (footprints). Each group has surface footprint size close to 0.1 degree. The spatial distribution of CO2 concentrations, resulting from anthropogenic emissions, are estimated with the transport model for all GOSAT and OCO-2 observation locations using high-resolution emission inventory (ODIAC) and biospheric exchange simulated with VISIT model at 0.1 degree resolution. Based on this estimate, using a threshold value of 0.1 ppm, the observations are classified into two categories: data contaminated by the anthropogenic sources and those not including this contamination. To extract concentration enhancements due to the anthropogenic emissions, we define a clean background (the averaged values for the data free from contamination by anthropogenic emissions) in 10° by 10° regions over the globe that are subtracted from the observational data including anthropogenic contamination. These anomalies are binned and analyzed to see a match between observed and simulated enhancements. For both OCO-2 and GOSAT, we found linear relations between model and observed anomalies. Similar to the earlier findings made with GOSAT; enhancements observed by OCO-2 match the simulated ones with a regression slope close to unity. Even after aggregation of OCO-2 data into groups of up to 12 individual soundings, the number of enhanced XCO2 observations by OCO-2 is 15 and 25 times larger than that of GOSAT in each 0.1 ppm bin, in the range of simulated enhancements between 0.1 and 2 ppm. The result confirms high potential of using OCO-2 observations for analyzing anthropogenic

Possible Mg II emission in B stars observed from Copernicus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kondo, Y.; Whaley, R. S.; Modisette, J. L.; Dufour, R. J.

1976-01-01

Four B stars, Alpha Vir, Beta Cen, Alpha Gru, and Beta Lib, were observed with the Copernicus spectrometer at a resolution of 0.1 A in order to investigate the presence of chromospheric emission. Emission was observed in Beta Cen and Alpha Gru, while the results for Alpha Vir and Beta Lib were inconclusive.

Einstein Observations of X-ray emission from A stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golub, L.; Harnden, F. R., Jr.; Maxson, C. W.; Rosner, R.; Vaiana, G. S.; Cash, W., Jr.; Snow, T. P., Jr.

1983-08-01

Results are reported from the combined CfA Stellar Survey of selected bright A stars and an Einstein Guest Observer program for Ap and Am stars. In an initial report of results from the CfA Stellar Surveys by Vaiana et al. (1981) it was noted that the spread in observed X-ray luminosities among the few A stars observed was quite large. The reasons for this large spread was studied by Pallavicini et al. (1981). It was found that the X-ray emission from normal stars is related very strongly to bolometric luminosity for early-type stars and to rotation rate for late-type stars. However, an exception to this rule has been the apparently anomalous behavior of A star X-ray emission, for which the large spread in luminosity showed no apparent correlation with either bolometric luminosity or stellar rotation rate. In the present study, it is shown that the level of emission from normal A stars agrees with the correlation observed for O and B stars.

First Observations of 5fce Auroral Roar Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labelle, J. W.

2012-12-01

Auroral radio emissions reveal physics of beam-plasma interactions and provide possibilities to remotely sense ionospheric plasma processes. Sato et al. [2012] recently discovered that auroral roar emissions, long known to occur at two and three times the electron gyrofrequency (fce), also occur at 4fce. Using data from wave receivers in the British Antarctic Survey Automatic Geophysical Observatories (BAS AGOs), we confirm the existence of 4fce-roars and observe for the first time 5fce-roars. A search at higher frequencies did not find higher harmonics, however. Both 4fce- and 5fce-roars only occur in sunlit conditions near the summer soltices. The harmonic emissions scale as expected with the strength of the geomagnetic field, and combining data from four stations with a wide range of magnetic field strengths suggests that the source height of the 4fce may lie around 245 km, significantly lower than the ˜ 275 km estimated for 2fce-roars. These observations show that the auroral roar generation mechanism acts under a broader set of plasma densities than previously considered, highlight how ubiquitous and robust the mechanism must be in different plasma environments, and suggest a broader application for remote sensing methods exploiting auroral roar, such as those described by Weatherwax et al. [2002]. References: Sato, Y., T. Ono, N. Sato, and Y. Ogawa, First observations of 4fce auroral roar emissions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L07101, doi:10.1029/2012GL051205, 2012. Weatherwax, A.T., P.H. Yoon, and J. LaBelle, Model results and interpretation related to topside observations of auroral roar, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 10.1029/2001JA000315, 2002.

Terrestrial FeO Continuum Emission Observed in Sky Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slanger, Tom G.; Melchiorri, R.; Saran, D. V.

2011-01-01

The terrestrial continuum emission in the visible spectral region has often been studied by both astronomers and aeronomers, in order to clarify backgrounds and the nature of the emissions. New observations from the ESI spectrograph on the Keck II telescope, as well as from the OSIRIS/Odin spectrograph and orbiter, have established that a major component of the emission originates with the FeO molecule [Evans et al., 2010]. This quasi-continuum peaks at 5950 A and extends from 5000 A well into the infrared. The identity has been demonstrated by comparison with meteor trains and laboratory measurements [Jenniskens et al., 2000]. Early studies of the continuum show consistency with the FeO emission as presently observed [Gadsden and Marovich, 1973]. Analysis of spectra from Kitt Peak [Neugent and Massey, 2010] demonstrates the great similarity between FeO emission in a clean atmosphere and high pressure sodium lamp emission in a polluted atmosphere. This research was supported by NSF Aeronomy under Grant ATM-0637433 . Evans, W.F.J., et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. [in press, 2010] Gadsden, M. and E. Marovich, J. Atm. Terr. Phys., 35, 1601-1614 [1973] Jenniskens, P., et al., Earth, Moon and Planets, 82-83, 429-434 [2000] Neugent, K.F. and P. Massey, PASP [in press, 2010

X-Ray Absorbed, Broad-Lined, Red AGN and the Cosmic X-Ray Background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mushotzky, Richard (Technical Monitor); Wilkes, Belinda

2005-01-01

We have obtained XMM spectra for five red, 2MASS AGN, selected from a sample observed by Chandra to be X-ray bright and to cover a range of hardness ratios. Our results confirm the presence of substantial absorbing material in three sources which have optical classifications ranging from Type 1 to Type 2, with an intrinsically flat (hard) power law continuum indicated in the other two. The presence of both X-ray absorption and broad optical emission lines with the usual strength suggests either a small (nuclear) absorber or a favored viewing angle so as to cover the X-ray source but not the broad emission line region (BELR). A soft excess is detected in all three Type 1 sources. We speculate that this soft X-ray emission may arise in an extended region of ionized gas, perhaps linked with the polarized (scattered) light which is a feature of these sources. The spectral complexity revealed by XMM emphasizes the limitations of the low S/N Chandra data. Overall, the new XMM results strengthen our conclusions (Wilkes et al. 2002) that the observed X-ray continua of red AGN are unusually hard at energies greater than 2 keV. Whether due to substantial line-of-sight absorption or to an intrinsically hard or reflection-dominated spectrum, these 'red' AGN have an observed spectral form consistent with contributing significantly to the missing had absorbed population of the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXRB). When absorption and or reflection is taken into account, all these AGN have power law slopes typical of broad-line (Type 1) AGN (Gamma approximately 1.9). This appears to resolve the spectral paradox which for so long has existed between the CXRB and the AGN thought to be the dominant contributors. It also suggests two scenarios whereby Type 1 AGN/QSOs may be responsible for a significant fraction of the CXRB at energies above 2 keV: 1) X-ray absorbed AGN/QSOs with visible broad emission lines; 2) AGN/QSOs with complex spectra whose hardness greater than 2 keV is not

Constraining Swiss Methane Emissions from Atmospheric Observations: Sensitivities and Temporal Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henne, Stephan; Leuenberger, Markus; Steinbacher, Martin; Eugster, Werner; Meinhardt, Frank; Bergamaschi, Peter; Emmenegger, Lukas; Brunner, Dominik

2017-04-01

Similar to other Western European countries, agricultural sources dominate the methane (CH4) emission budget in Switzerland. 'Bottom-up' estimates of these emissions are still connected with relatively large uncertainties due to considerable variability and uncertainties in observed emission factors for the underlying processes (e.g., enteric fermentation, manure management). Here, we present a regional-scale (˜300 x 200 km2) atmospheric inversion study of CH4 emissions in Switzerland making use of the recently established CarboCount-CH network of four stations on the Swiss Plateau as well as the neighbouring mountain-top sites Jungfraujoch and Schauinsland (Germany). Continuous observations from all CarboCount-CH sites are available since 2013. We use a high-resolution (7 x 7 km2) Lagrangian particle dispersion model (FLEXPART-COSMO) in connection with two different inversion systems (Bayesian and extended Kalman filter) to estimate spatially and temporally resolved CH4 emissions for the Swiss domain in the period 2013 to 2016. An extensive set of sensitivity inversions is used to assess the overall uncertainty of our inverse approach. In general we find good agreement of the total Swiss CH4 emissions between our 'top-down' estimate and the national 'bottom-up' reporting. In addition, a robust emission seasonality, with reduced winter time values, can be seen in all years. No significant trend or year-to-year variability was observed for the analysed four-year period, again in agreement with a very small downward trend in the national 'bottom-up' reporting. Special attention is given to the influence of boundary conditions as taken from different global scale model simulations (TM5, FLEXPART) and remote observations. We find that uncertainties in the boundary conditions can induce large offsets in the national total emissions. However, spatial emission patterns are less sensitive to the choice of boundary condition. Furthermore and in order to demonstrate the

Broad N2H+ Emission toward the Protostellar Shock L1157-B1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Codella, C.; Viti, S.; Ceccarelli, C.; Lefloch, B.; Benedettini, M.; Busquet, G.; Caselli, P.; Fontani, F.; Gómez-Ruiz, A.; Podio, L.; Vasta, M.

2013-10-01

We present the first detection of N2H+ toward a low-mass protostellar outflow, namely, the L1157-B1 shock, at ~0.1 pc from the protostellar cocoon. The detection was obtained with the IRAM 30 m antenna. We observed emission at 93 GHz due to the J = 1-0 hyperfine lines. Analysis of this emission coupled with HIFI CHESS multiline CO observations leads to the conclusion that the observed N2H+(1-0) line originated from the dense (>=105 cm-3) gas associated with the large (20''-25'') cavities opened by the protostellar wind. We find an N2H+ column density of a few 1012 cm-2 corresponding to an abundance of (2-8) × 10-9. The N2H+ abundance can be matched by a model of quiescent gas evolved for more than 104 yr, i.e., for more than the shock kinematical age (sime2000 yr). Modeling of C-shocks confirms that the abundance of N2H+ is not increased by the passage of the shock. In summary, N2H+ is a fossil record of the pre-shock gas, formed when the density of the gas was around 104 cm-3, and then further compressed and accelerated by the shock.

Generation of VLF saucer emissions observed by the Viking satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonnqvist, H.; Andre, M.; Matson, L.; Bahnsen, A.; Blomberg, L. G.; Erlandson, R. E.

1993-08-01

Simultaneous observations by the Viking satellite of electric and magnetic fields as well as charged particles have been used to investigate V-shaped wave phenomena. The intensity of these VLF and ELF emissions is V-shaped when shown in a frequency versus time plot. Simultaneous observations of V-shaped so-called VLF saucer emissions, particles and field-aligned currents strongly suggest, for the first time, that upgoing electrons with energies less than a few hundred electron volts can generate these waves. Broadband waves observed inside the saucer generation region, from frequencies much less than the ion cyclotron frequency up to the plasma frequency, may also be generated by these electrons. Viking observations of VLF saucers at altitudes between 4000 km and 13,500 km show that these emissions occur at higher altitudes than discussed in previous reports. The generation regions seem to be more extended at these higher altitudes than what has been reported at lower altitudes by other observers.

IUE and Einstein observations of the LINER galaxy NGC 4579

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichert, G. A.; Puchnarewicz, E. M.; Mason, K. O.

1990-01-01

Results of International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and Einstein observations of the LINER galaxy NGC 4579 are reported. Spatial profiles of the long wavelength IUE emission show a two component structure, with an unresolved core superimposed on broader underlying emission. The core spectrum shows strong C II lambda 2326 and broad Mg II lambda 2800 emission, and perhaps emission due to blends of Fe II multiplets (2300 to 23600 angstrom). The short wavelength emission is spatially unresolved, and shows C II lambda 1335, C III lambda 1909 broad C IV lambda 1550 emission, and a broad feature at approximately 1360 angstrom which may be due to 0.1 lambda 1356. Contrary to previous reports no evidence for He II lambda 1640 is found in the spectrum. An unresolved x ray source is detected at the location of the nucleus; its spectrum is well fitted by a power law of energy slope alpha approximately -0.5. These results further support the idea that NGC 4579 may contain a dwarf Seyfert nucleus.

White-Light Emission from Layered Halide Perovskites.

PubMed

Smith, Matthew D; Karunadasa, Hemamala I

2018-03-20

With nearly 20% of global electricity consumed by lighting, more efficient illumination sources can enable massive energy savings. However, effectively creating the high-quality white light required for indoor illumination remains a challenge. To accurately represent color, the illumination source must provide photons with all the energies visible to our eye. Such a broad emission is difficult to achieve from a single material. In commercial white-light sources, one or more light-emitting diodes, coated by one or more phosphors, yield a combined emission that appears white. However, combining emitters leads to changes in the emission color over time due to the unequal degradation rates of the emitters and efficiency losses due to overlapping absorption and emission energies of the different components. A single material that emits broadband white light (a continuous emission spanning 400-700 nm) would obviate these problems. In 2014, we described broadband white-light emission upon near-UV excitation from three new layered perovskites. To date, nine white-light-emitting perovskites have been reported by us and others, making this a burgeoning field of study. This Account outlines our work on understanding how a bulk material, with no obvious emissive sites, can emit every color of the visible spectrum. Although the initial discoveries were fortuitous, our understanding of the emission mechanism and identification of structural parameters that correlate with the broad emission have now positioned us to design white-light emitters. Layered hybrid halide perovskites feature anionic layers of corner-sharing metal-halide octahedra partitioned by organic cations. The narrow, room-temperature photoluminescence of lead-halide perovskites has been studied for several decades, and attributed to the radiative recombination of free excitons (excited electron-hole pairs). We proposed that the broad white emission we observed primarily stems from exciton self-trapping. Here, the

Possible Mg ii emission in B stars observed from Copernicus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kondo, Y.; Modisette, J.L.; Dufour, R.J.

1976-05-15

Four B stars, ..cap alpha.. Vir, ..beta.. Cen, ..cap alpha.. Gru, and ..beta.. Lib, were observed with the Copernicus Princeton Telescope Spectrometer at a resolution of 0.1 A in order to investigate the presence of chromospheric emission. Emission was observed in ..beta.. Cen and ..cap alpha.. Gru, while the results for ..cap alpha.. Vir and ..beta.. Lib were inconclusive. (AIP)

COS Observations of SN1987A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCray, Richard; France, K.; Kirshner, R. P.; SAINTS Collaboration

2012-01-01

We present the most sensitive ultraviolet observations of Supernova 1987A to date. Imaging spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph shows many narrow (v - 300 km/s) emission lines from the circumstellar ring, broad (v - 10 - 20 × 103 km/s) emission lines from the reverse shock, and ultraviolet continuum emission. The high signal-to-noise (> 40 per resolution element) broad Ly α emission is excited by soft X-ray and EUV heating of mostly neutral gas in the circumstellar ring and outer supernova debris. The ultraviolet continuum at - > 1350 A can be explained by H I 2-photon (2s 2S1/2 - 1s 2S1/2) emission from the same region. We confirm our earlier, tentative detection of N V -1240 emission from the reverse shock and we present the first detections of broad He II 1640, C IV -1550, and N IV] 1486 emission lines from the reverse shock. The helium abundance in the high velocity material is He/H = 0.14 +/- 0.06. The N V/H line ratio requires partial ion-electron equilibration (Te/Tp - 0.14 - 0.35). We find that the N/C abundance ratio in the gas crossing the reverse shock is significantly higher than that in the circumstellar ring, a result we attribute to continued CNO processing in the supernova progenitor subsequent to the expulsion of the circumstellar ring.

Observed decrease in atmospheric mercury explained by global decline in anthropogenic emissions.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanxu; Jacob, Daniel J; Horowitz, Hannah M; Chen, Long; Amos, Helen M; Krabbenhoft, David P; Slemr, Franz; St Louis, Vincent L; Sunderland, Elsie M

2016-01-19

Observations of elemental mercury (Hg(0)) at sites in North America and Europe show large decreases (∼ 1-2% y(-1)) from 1990 to present. Observations in background northern hemisphere air, including Mauna Loa Observatory (Hawaii) and CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) aircraft flights, show weaker decreases (<1% y(-1)). These decreases are inconsistent with current global emission inventories indicating flat or increasing emissions over that period. However, the inventories have three major flaws: (i) they do not account for the decline in atmospheric release of Hg from commercial products; (ii) they are biased in their estimate of artisanal and small-scale gold mining emissions; and (iii) they do not properly account for the change in Hg(0)/Hg(II) speciation of emissions from coal-fired utilities after implementation of emission controls targeted at SO2 and NOx. We construct an improved global emission inventory for the period 1990 to 2010 accounting for the above factors and find a 20% decrease in total Hg emissions and a 30% decrease in anthropogenic Hg(0) emissions, with much larger decreases in North America and Europe offsetting the effect of increasing emissions in Asia. Implementation of our inventory in a global 3D atmospheric Hg simulation [GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observing System-Chemistry)] coupled to land and ocean reservoirs reproduces the observed large-scale trends in atmospheric Hg(0) concentrations and in Hg(II) wet deposition. The large trends observed in North America and Europe reflect the phase-out of Hg from commercial products as well as the cobenefit from SO2 and NOx emission controls on coal-fired utilities.

Reported emissions of organic gases are not consistent with observations

PubMed Central

Henry, Ronald C.; Spiegelman, Clifford H.; Collins, John F.; Park, EunSug

1997-01-01

Regulatory agencies and photochemical models of ozone rely on self-reported industrial emission rates of organic gases. Incorrect self-reported emissions can severely impact on air quality models and regulatory decisions. We compared self-reported emissions of organic gases in Houston, Texas, to measurements at a receptor site near the Houston ship channel, a major petrochemical complex. We analyzed hourly observations of total nonmethane organic carbon and 54 hydrocarbon compounds from C-2 to C-9 for the period June through November, 1993. We were able to demonstrate severe inconsistencies between reported emissions and major sources as derived from the data using a multivariate receptor model. The composition and the location of the sources as deduced from the data are not consistent with the reported industrial emissions. On the other hand, our observationally based methods did correctly identify the location and composition of a relatively small nearby chemical plant. This paper provides strong empirical evidence that regulatory agencies and photochemical models are making predictions based on inaccurate industrial emissions. PMID:11038551

Cospatial Longslit UV-Optical Spectra of Ten Galactic Planetary Nebulae with HST STIS: Description of observations, global emission-line measurements, and empirical CNO abundances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dufour, R. J.; Kwitter, K. B.; Shaw, R. A.; Balick, B.; Henry, R. B. C.; Miller, T. R.; Corradi, R. L. M.

2015-01-01

This poster describes details of HST Cycle 19 (program GO 12600), which was awarded 32 orbits of observing time with STIS to obtain the first cospatial UV-optical spectra of 10 Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe). The observational goal was to measure the UV emission lines of carbon and nitrogen with unprecedented S/N and wavelength and spatial resolution along the disk of each object over a wavelength range 1150-10270 Ang . The PNe were chosen such that each possessed a near-solar metallicity but the group together spanned a broad range in N/O. This poster concentrates on describing the observations, emission-line measurements integrated along the entire slit lengths, ionic abundances, and estimated total elemental abundances using empirical ionization correction factors and the ELSA code. Related posters by co-authors in this session concentrate on analyzing CNO abundances, progenitor masses and nebular properties of the best-observed targets using photoionization modeling of the global emission-line measurements [Henry et al.] or detailed analyses of spatial variations in electron temperatures, densities, and abundances along the sub arcsecond resolution slits [Miller et al. & Shaw et al.]. We gratefully acknowledge AURA/STScI for the GO 12600 program support, both observational and financial.

The physical relation between disc and coronal emission in quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lusso, Elisabeta; Risaliti, Guido

2017-12-01

We propose a modified version of the observed non-linear relation between the X-ray (2 keV) and the ultraviolet (2500 Å) emission in quasars (i.e. LX ∝ LUV^γ ) which involves the full width at half-maximum, FWHM, of the broad emission line, i.e. LX ∝ L_UV^γ FWHM^β. By analysing a sample of 550 optically selected non-jetted quasars in the redshift range of 0.36–2.23 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey cross matched with the XMM-Newton catalogue 3XMM-DR6, we found that the additional dependence of the observed LX ‑ LUV correlation on the FWHM of the MgII broad emission line is statistically significant. Our statistical analysis leads to a much tighter relation with respect to the one neglecting FWHM, and it does not evolve with redshift. We interpret this new relation within an accretion disc corona scenario where reconnection and magnetic loops above the accretion disc can account for the production of the primary X-ray radiation. For a broad line region size depending on the disc luminosity as R_blr ∝ L^0.5 , we find that L_X ∝ L_UV^4/7 FWHM^4/7, which is in very good agreement with the observed correlation.

The Structure and Emission Model of the Relativistic Jet in the Quasar 3C 279 Inferred From Radio To High-Energy Gamma-Ray Observations in 2008-2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

We present time-resolved broad-band observations of the quasar 3C 279 obtained from multiwavelength campaigns conducted during the first two years of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. While investigating the previously reported gamma-ray/optical flare accompanied by a change in optical polarization, we found that the optical emission appears delayed with respect to the gamma-ray emission by about 10 days. X-ray observations reveal a pair of 'isolated' flares separated. by approx. 90 days, with only weak gamma-ray/optical counterparts. The spectral structure measured by Spitzer reveals a synchrotron component peaking in the mid-infrared band with a sharp break at the far-infrared band during the gamma-ray flare, while the peak appears in the mm/sub-mm band in the low state. Selected spectral energy distributions are fitted with leptonic models including Comptonization of external radiation produced in a dusty torus or the broad-line region. Adopting the interpretation of the polarization swing involving propagation of the emitting region along a curved trajectory, we can explain the evolution of the broad-band spectra during the gamma-ray flaring event by a shift of its location from approx. 1 pc to approx. 4 pc from the central black hole. On the other hand, if the gamma-ray flare is generated instead at sub-pc distance from the central black hole, the far-infrared break can be explained by synchrotron self-absorption. We also model the low spectral state, dominated by the mm/sub-mm peaking synchrotron component, and suggest that the corresponding inverse-Compton component explains the steady X-ray emission.

Thermal-infrared spectral observations of geologic materials in emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, Philip R.; Luth, Sharon J.

1987-01-01

The thermal-infrared spectra of geologic materials in emission were studied using the prototype Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES). A variety of of processes and surface modifications that may influence or alter the spectra of primary rock materials were studied. It was confirmed that thermal emission spectra contain the same absorption features as those observed in transmission and reflection spectra. It was confirmed that the TES instrument can be used to obtain relevant spectra for analysis of rock and mineral composition.

Observed decrease in atmospheric mercury explained by global decline in anthropogenic emissions

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanxu; Jacob, Daniel J.; Horowitz, Hannah M.; Chen, Long; Amos, Helen M.; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Slemr, Franz; St. Louis, Vincent L.; Sunderland, Elsie M.

2016-01-01

Observations of elemental mercury (Hg0) at sites in North America and Europe show large decreases (∼1–2% y−1) from 1990 to present. Observations in background northern hemisphere air, including Mauna Loa Observatory (Hawaii) and CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) aircraft flights, show weaker decreases (<1% y−1). These decreases are inconsistent with current global emission inventories indicating flat or increasing emissions over that period. However, the inventories have three major flaws: (i) they do not account for the decline in atmospheric release of Hg from commercial products; (ii) they are biased in their estimate of artisanal and small-scale gold mining emissions; and (iii) they do not properly account for the change in Hg0/HgII speciation of emissions from coal-fired utilities after implementation of emission controls targeted at SO2 and NOx. We construct an improved global emission inventory for the period 1990 to 2010 accounting for the above factors and find a 20% decrease in total Hg emissions and a 30% decrease in anthropogenic Hg0 emissions, with much larger decreases in North America and Europe offsetting the effect of increasing emissions in Asia. Implementation of our inventory in a global 3D atmospheric Hg simulation [GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observing System-Chemistry)] coupled to land and ocean reservoirs reproduces the observed large-scale trends in atmospheric Hg0 concentrations and in HgII wet deposition. The large trends observed in North America and Europe reflect the phase-out of Hg from commercial products as well as the cobenefit from SO2 and NOx emission controls on coal-fired utilities. PMID:26729866

Multiwavelength study of VHE emission from Markarian 501 using TACTIC observations during April-May, 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, P.; Singh, K. K.; Rannot, R. C.; Yadav, K. K.; Bhatt, H.; Tickoo, A. K.; Ghosal, B.; Kothari, M.; Gaur, K. K.; Goyal, A.; Goyal, H. C.; Kumar, N.; Marandi, P.; Chouhan, N.; Sahayanathan, S.; Chanchalani, K.; Agarwal, N. K.; Dhar, V. K.; Kaul, S. R.; Koul, M. K.; Koul, R.; Venugopal, K.; Bhat, C. K.; Borwankar, C.; Bhagwan, J.; Gupta, A. C.

2017-07-01

We have observed Markarian 501 in Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray wavelength band for 70.6 h from 15 April to 30 May, 2012 using TACTIC telescope. Detailed analysis of ˜66.3 h of clean data revealed the presence of a TeV γ-ray signal (686± 77 γ-ray events) from the source direction with a statistical significance of 8.89σ above 850 GeV. Further, a total of 375 ± 47 γ-ray like events were detected in 25.2 h of observation from 22 - 27 May, 2012 with a statistical significance of 8.05σ indicating that the source has possibly switched over to a relatively high gamma-ray emission state. We have derived time-averaged differential energy spectrum of the state in the energy range 850 GeV - 17.24 TeV which fits well with a power law function of the form dF / dE =f0E-Γ with f0 =(2.27 ± 0.38) ×10-11 photons cm-2 s-1 TeV-1 and Γ = 2.57 ± 0.15 . In order to investigate the source state, we have also used almost simultaneous multiwavelength observations viz: high energy data collected by Fermi-LAT, X-ray data collected by Swift-XRT and MAXI, optical and UV data collected by Swift-UVOT, and radio data collected by OVRO, and reconstructed broad-band Spectral Energy Distribution (SED). The obtained SED supports leptonic model (homogeneous single zone) for VHE gamma-ray emission involving synchrotron and synchrotron self Compton (SSC) processes.

Observing the Plasma-Physical Processes of Pulsar Radio Emission with Arecibo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rankin, Joanna M.

2017-01-01

With their enormous densities and fields, neutron stars entail some of the most exotic physics in the cosmos. Similarly, the physical mechanisms of pulsar radio emission are no less exotic, and we are only now beginning to understand them. The talk will provide an introduction to the phenomenology of radio pulsar emission and focus on those aspects of the exquisite Arecibo observations that bear on their challenging emission physics.The commonalities of the radio beamforms of most slow pulsars (and some millisecond pulsars) argue strongly that their magnetic fields have a nearly dipolar structure at the height of their radio emission regions. These heights can often be determined by aberration/retardation analyses. Similarly, measurement of the orientation of the polarized radio emission with respect to the emitting magnetic field facilitates identification of the physical(X/O) emission modes and study of the plasma coupling to the electromagnetic radiation.While the physics of primary plasma generation above the pulsar polar cap is only beginning to be understood, it is clear that the radio pulsars we see are able to generate copious amounts of electron-positron plasma in their emission regions. Within the nearly dipolar field structure of these emission regions, the plasma density is near to that of the Goldreich-Julian model, and so the physical conditions in these regions can be accurately estimated.These conditions show that the plasma frequencies in the emission regions are much higher than the frequency of the emitted radiation, such that the plasma couples most easily to the extraordinary mode as observed. Therefore, the only surviving emission mechanism is curvature radiation from charged solitons, produced by the two-stream instability. Such soliton emission has probably been observed directly in the Crab pulsar; however, a physical theory of charged soliton radiation does not yet exist.

Observation of hectometric auroral radio emissions in Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Y.; Ono, T.; Iizima, M.; Sato, N.

2006-12-01

The Earth's auroral region is an active radio source at frequencies from a few hertz to several megahertz. In the hectometric range, it was found that Terrestrial Hectometric Radiation (THR) is related to auroras by observations of the Ohzora satellite [Oya et al.(1985)]. In resent research, Shinbori et al. [2003] showed that occurrence of THR follows SC by several minutes using the Akebono satellite data. On the ground, auroral roar and MF burst were discovered by Kellogg and Monson [1979, 1984] and Weatherwax et al. [1994] in the northern Canada, respectively. Because there is not enough physical and geophysical characterization of these radio emissions, the physical mechanism of these phenomena in the auroral ionosphere has not been fully understood yet. We set up new observation system at Husafell station in Iceland in September, 2005 and have started to observe auroral radio emissions. Radio signals, which are received by the cross loop antennas, are converted into left- and right- handed polarized components within the frequency range from 1 MHz to 5 MHz. Based on the calibration of system, it was found that the possibility of occurence would be smaller than expected due to the low sensitivity because average power spectrum densities of auroral roar and MF burst are 50-100 nV/m/Hz^1/2. So, the system was planed to be upgraded in this September, which makes it possible to detect auroral roar and MF burst. It is expected that the detail physical process will be elucidated by clarifying the spectrum, polarization, dependence on the geomagnetic activity, and so on. In this presentation, we will show the improved points of the new system and preliminary observation results. There is a basic question whether auroral roar and MF burst observed on the ground are generated by the same process as THR observed by satellites. By comparing the results from the ground-based observation and the Akebono satellite observation of THR, it becomes possible to obtain a new

Short-term observations of double-peaked Na emission from Mercury's exosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massetti, S.; Mangano, V.; Milillo, A.; Mura, A.; Orsini, S.; Plainaki, C.

2017-04-01

We report the analysis of short-term ground-based observations of the exospheric Na emission (D1 and D2 lines) from Mercury, which was characterized by two high-latitude peaks confined near the magnetospheric cusp footprints. During a series of scheduled observations from the Télescope Héliographique pour l'Etude du Magnétisme et des Instabilités Solaires (THEMIS) telescope, achieved by scanning the whole planet, we implemented a series of extra measurements by recording the Na emission from a narrow north-south strip only, centered above the two emission peaks. Our aim was to inspect the existence of short-term variations, which were never analyzed before from ground-based observations, and their possible correlation with interplanetary magnetic field variations. Though Mercury possesses a miniature magnetosphere, characterized by fast reconnection events that develop on a timescale of few minutes, ground-based observations show that the exospheric Na emission pattern can be globally stable for a prolonged period (some days) and also exhibits fluctuations in the time range of tens of minutes.

Modeled and observed ozone sensitivity to mobile-source emissions in Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavala, M.; Lei, W.; Molina, M. J.; Molina, L. T.

2009-01-01

The emission characteristics of mobile sources in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) have changed significantly over the past few decades in response to emission control policies, advancements in vehicle technologies and improvements in fuel quality, among others. Along with these changes, concurrent non-linear changes in photochemical levels and criteria pollutants have been observed, providing a unique opportunity to understand the effects of perturbations of mobile emission levels on the photochemistry in the region using observational and modeling approaches. The observed historical trends of ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) suggest that ozone production in the MCMA has changed from a low to a high VOC-sensitive regime over a period of 20 years. Comparison of the historical emission trends of CO, NOx and hydrocarbons derived from mobile-source emission studies in the MCMA from 1991 to 2006 with the trends of the concentrations of CO, NOx, and the CO/NOx ratio during peak traffic hours also indicates that fuel-based fleet average emission factors have significantly decreased for CO and VOCs during this period whereas NOx emission factors do not show any strong trend, effectively reducing the ambient VOC/NOx ratio. This study presents the results of model analyses on the sensitivity of the observed ozone levels to the estimated historical changes in its precursors. The model sensitivity analyses used a well-validated base case simulation of a high pollution episode in the MCMA with the mathematical Decoupled Direct Method (DDM) and the standard Brute Force Method (BFM) in the 3-D CAMx chemical transport model. The model reproduces adequately the observed historical trends and current photochemical levels. Comparison of the BFM and the DDM sensitivity techniques indicates that the model yields ozone values that increase linearly with NOx emission reductions and decrease linearly with VOC emission reductions only up to 30% from the

Modeled and observed ozone sensitivity to mobile-source emissions in Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavala, M.; Lei, W. F.; Molina, M. J.; Molina, L. T.

2008-08-01

The emission characteristics of mobile sources in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) have changed significantly over the past few decades in response to emission control policies, advancements in vehicle technologies and improvements in fuel quality, among others. Along with these changes, concurrent non-linear changes in photochemical levels and criteria pollutants have been observed, providing a unique opportunity to understand the effects of perturbations of mobile emission levels on the photochemistry in the region using observational and modeling approaches. The observed historical trends of ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) suggest that ozone production in the MCMA has changed from a low to a high VOC-sensitive regime over a period of 20 years. Comparison of the historical emission trends of CO, NOx and hydrocarbons derived from mobile-source emission studies in the MCMA from 1991 to 2006 with the trends of the concentrations of CO, NOx, and the CO/NOx ratio during peak traffic hours also indicates that fuel-based fleet average emission factors have significantly decreased for CO and VOCs during this period whereas NOx emission factors do not show any strong trend, effectively reducing the ambient VOC/NOx ratio. This study presents the results of model analyses on the sensitivity of the observed ozone levels to the estimated historical changes in its precursors. The model sensitivity analyses used a well-validated base case simulation of a high pollution episode in the MCMA with the mathematical Decoupled Direct Method (DDM) and the standard Brute Force Method (BFM) in the 3-D CAMx chemical transport model. The model reproduces adequately the observed historical trends and current photochemical levels. Comparison of the BFM and the DDM sensitivity techniques indicates that the model yields ozone values that increase linearly with NOx emission reductions and decrease linearly with VOC emission reductions only up to 30% from the

Galactic water vapor emission: further observations of variability.

PubMed

Knowles, S H; Mayer, C H; Sullivan, W T; Cheung, A C

1969-10-10

Recent observations of the 1.35-centimeter line emission of water vapor from galactic sources show short-term variability in the spectra of several sources. Two additional sources, Cygnus 1 and NGC 6334N, have been observed, and the spectra of W49 and VY Canis Majoris were measured over a wider range of radial velocity.

Electron Emission Observations from As-Grown and Vacuum-Coated Chemical Vapor Deposited Diamond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamouri, A.; Wang, Yaxin; Mearini, G. T.; Krainsky, I. L.; Dayton, J. A., Jr.; Mueller,W.

1996-01-01

Field emission has been observed from chemical vapor deposited diamond grown on Mo and Si substrates. Emission was observed at fields as low as 20 kV/cm. The samples were tested in the as-grown form, and after coating with thin films of Au, CsI, and Ni. The emission current was typically maximum at the onset of the applied field, but was unstable, and decreased rapidly with time from the as-grown films. Thin Au layers, approximately 15 nm thick, vacuum deposited onto the diamond samples significantly improved the stability of the emission current at values approximately equal to those from uncoated samples at the onset of the applied field. Thin layers of CsI, approximately 5 nm thick, were also observed to improve the stability of the emission current but at values less than those from the uncoated samples at the onset of the applied field. While Au and CsI improved the stability of the emission, Ni was observed to have no effect.

First observation of lion roar-like emissions in Saturn's magnetosheath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisa, David; Sulaiman, Ali H.; Santolik, Ondrej; Hospodarsky, George B.; Kurth, William S.; Gurnett, Donald A.

2017-04-01

Electromagnetic whistler mode waves known as "lion roars" have been reported by many missions inside the terrestrial magnetosheath. We show the observation of similar intense emissions in Saturn's magnetosheath as detected by the Cassini spacecraft. The emissions were observed inside the dawn sector (MLT˜0730) of the magnetosheath over a time period of nine hours before the satellite crossed the bow shock and entered the solar wind. The emissions were narrow-banded with a typical frequency of about 15 Hz well below the local electron cyclotron frequency (fce ˜100 Hz). Using the minimum variance analysis method, we show that the waves are right hand circularly polarized and propagate at small wave normal angles with respect to the ambient magnetic field. Here, for the first time, we report the evidence of lion roar-like emissions in Saturn's magnetosheath which represents a new and unique parameter regime.

The similarity of broad iron lines in X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, D. J.; Reis, R. C.; Cackett, E. M.; Fabian, A. C.; Miller, J. M.

2012-05-01

We have compared the 2001 XMM-Newton spectra of the stellar mass black hole binary XTE J1650-500 and the active galaxy MCG-6-30-15, focusing on the broad, excess emission features at ˜4-7 keV displayed by both sources. Such features are frequently observed in both low-mass X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei (AGN). For the former case it is generally accepted that the excess arises due to iron emission, but there is some controversy over whether their width is partially enhanced by instrumental processes, and hence also over the intrinsic broadening mechanism. Meanwhile, in the latter case, the origin of this feature is still subject to debate; physically motivated reflection and absorption interpretations are both able to reproduce the observed spectra. In this work we make use of the contemporaneous BeppoSAX data to demonstrate that the breadth of the excess observed in XTE J1650-500 is astrophysical rather than instrumental, and proceed to highlight the similarity of the excesses present in this source and MCG-6-30-15. Both optically thick accretion discs and optically thin coronae, which in combination naturally give rise to relativistically broadened iron lines when the disc extends close to the black hole, are commonly observed in both classes of object. The simplest solution is that the broad emission features present arise from a common process, which we argue must be reflection from the inner regions of an accretion disc around a rapidly rotating black hole; for XTE J1650-500 we find spin constraints of 0.84 ≤a*≤ 0.98 at the 90 per cent confidence level. Other interpretations proposed for AGN add potentially unnecessary complexities to the theoretical framework of accretion in strong gravity.

The outflow structure of GW170817 from late-time broad-band observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troja, E.; Piro, L.; Ryan, G.; van Eerten, H.; Ricci, R.; Wieringa, M. H.; Lotti, S.; Sakamoto, T.; Cenko, S. B.

2018-07-01

We present our broad-band study of GW170817 from radio to hard X-rays, including NuSTAR and Chandra observations up to 165 d after the merger, and a multimessenger analysis including LIGO constraints. The data are compared with predictions from a wide range of models, providing the first detailed comparison between non-trivial cocoon and jet models. Homogeneous and power-law shaped jets, as well as simple cocoon models are ruled out by the data, while both a Gaussian shaped jet and a cocoon with energy injection can describe the current data set for a reasonable range of physical parameters, consistent with the typical values derived from short GRB afterglows. We propose that these models can be unambiguously discriminated by future observations measuring the post-peak behaviour, with Fν ∝ t˜-1.0 for the cocoon and Fν∝ t˜-2.5 for the jet model.

Probing the accretion flow and emission-line regions of M81, the nearest broad-lined low-luminosity AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth, Aaron

2017-08-01

The nucleus of M81 is an object of singular importance as a template for low-luminosity accretion flows onto supermassive black holes. We propose to obtain a complete, small-aperture, high S/N STIS UV/optical spectrum of the M81 nucleus and multi-filter WFC3 imaging covering the UV through near-IR. Such data have never previously been obtained with HST; the only prior archival UV/optical spectra of M81 have low S/N, incomplete wavelength coverage, and are strongly contaminated by starlight. Combined with new Chandra X-ray data, our proposed observations will comprise the definitive reference dataset on the spectral energy distribution of this benchmark low-luminosity AGN. These data will provide unique new constraints on the possible contribution of a truncated thin accretion disk to the AGN emission spectrum, clarifying a fundamental property of low-luminosity accretion flows. The data will additionally provide new insights into broad-line region structure and black hole mass scaling relationships at the lowest AGN luminosities, and spatially resolved diagnostics of narrow-line region excitation conditions at unprecedented spatial resolution to assess the impact of the AGN on the ionization state of the gas in the host galaxy bulge.

REVERBERATION MAPPING WITH INTERMEDIATE-BAND PHOTOMETRY: DETECTION OF BROAD-LINE Hα TIME LAGS FOR QUASARS AT 0.2 < z < 0.4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, Linhua; Shen, Yue; McGreer, Ian D.

2016-02-20

We present a reverberation mapping (RM) experiment that combines broad- and intermediate-band photometry; it is the first such attempt targeting 13 quasars at 0.2 < z < 0.9. The quasars were selected to have strong Hα or Hβ emission lines that are located in one of three intermediate bands (with FWHM around 200 Å) centered at 8045, 8505, and 9171 Å. The imaging observations were carried out in the intermediate bands and the broad i and z bands using the prime-focus imager 90Prime on the 2.3 m Bok telescope. Because of the large (∼1 deg{sup 2}) field of view (FOV) of 90Prime, we includedmore » the 13 quasars within only five telescope pointings or fields. The five fields were repeatedly observed over 20–30 epochs that were unevenly distributed over a duration of 5–6 months. The combination of the broad- and intermediate-band photometry allows us to derive accurate light curves for both optical continuum emission (from the accretion disk) and line emission (from the broad-line region, or BLR). We detect Hα time lags between the continuum and line emission in six quasars. These quasars are at relatively low redshifts 0.2 < z < 0.4. The measured lags are consistent with the current BLR size–luminosity relation for Hβ at z < 0.3. While this experiment appears successful in detecting lags of the bright Hα line, further investigation is required to see if it can also be applied to the fainter Hβ line for quasars at higher redshifts. Finally we demonstrate that, by using a small telescope with a large FOV, intermediate-band photometric RM can be efficiently executed for a large sample of quasars at z > 0.2.« less

Airborne observations reveal elevational gradient in tropical forest isoprene emissions.

PubMed

Gu, Dasa; Guenther, Alex B; Shilling, John E; Yu, Haofei; Huang, Maoyi; Zhao, Chun; Yang, Qing; Martin, Scot T; Artaxo, Paulo; Kim, Saewung; Seco, Roger; Stavrakou, Trissevgeni; Longo, Karla M; Tóta, Julio; de Souza, Rodrigo Augusto Ferreira; Vega, Oscar; Liu, Ying; Shrivastava, Manish; Alves, Eliane G; Santos, Fernando C; Leng, Guoyong; Hu, Zhiyuan

2017-05-23

Isoprene dominates global non-methane volatile organic compound emissions, and impacts tropospheric chemistry by influencing oxidants and aerosols. Isoprene emission rates vary over several orders of magnitude for different plants, and characterizing this immense biological chemodiversity is a challenge for estimating isoprene emission from tropical forests. Here we present the isoprene emission estimates from aircraft eddy covariance measurements over the Amazonian forest. We report isoprene emission rates that are three times higher than satellite top-down estimates and 35% higher than model predictions. The results reveal strong correlations between observed isoprene emission rates and terrain elevations, which are confirmed by similar correlations between satellite-derived isoprene emissions and terrain elevations. We propose that the elevational gradient in the Amazonian forest isoprene emission capacity is determined by plant species distributions and can substantially explain isoprene emission variability in tropical forests, and use a model to demonstrate the resulting impacts on regional air quality.

Maritime NOx Emissions Over Chinese Seas Derived From Satellite Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, J.; van der A, R. J.; Mijling, B.; Jalkanen, J.-P.; Johansson, L.; Levelt, P. F.

2018-02-01

By applying an inversion algorithm to NOx satellite observations from Ozone Monitoring Instrument, monthly NOx emissions for a 10 year period (2007 to 2016) over Chinese seas are presented for the first time. No effective regulations on NOx emissions have been implemented for ships in China, which is reflected in the trend analysis of maritime emissions. The maritime emissions display a continuous increase rate of about 20% per year until 2012 and slow down to 3% after that. The seasonal cycle of shipping emissions has regional variations, but all regions show lower emissions during winter. Simulations by an atmospheric chemistry transport model show a notable influence of maritime emissions on air pollution over coastal areas, especially in summer. The satellite-derived spatial distribution and the magnitude of maritime emissions over Chinese seas are in good agreement with bottom-up studies based on the Automatic Identification System of ships.

Mapping Isoprene Emissions over North America using Formaldehyde Column Observations from Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, Paul I.; Jacob, Daniel J.; Fiore, Arlene M.; Martin, Randall V.; Chance, Kelly; Kurosu, Thomas P.

2004-01-01

I] We present a methodology for deriving emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) using space-based column observations of formaldehyde (HCHO) and apply it to data from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) satellite instrument over North America during July 1996. The HCHO column is related to local VOC emissions, with a spatial smearing that increases with the VOC lifetime. lsoprene is the dominant HCHO precursor over North America in summer, and its lifetime (approx. = 1 hour) is sufficiently short that the smearing can be neglected. We use the Goddard Earth Observing System global 3-D model of tropospheric chemistry (GEOS-CHEM) to derive the relationship between isoprene emissions and HCHO columns over North America and use these relationships to convert the GOME HCHO columns to isoprene emissions. We also use the GEOS-CHEM model as an intermediary to validate the GOME HCHO column measurements by comparison with in situ observations. The GEOS-CHEM model including the Global Emissions Inventory Activity (GEIA) isoprene emission inventory provides a good simulation of both the GOME data (r(sup 2) = 0.69, n = 756, bias = +l1 %) and the in situ summertime HCHO measurements over North America (r(sup 2) = 0.47, n = 10, bias = -3%). The GOME observations show high values over regions of known high isoprene emissions and a day-to-day variability that is consistent with the temperature dependence of isoprene emission. Isoprene emissions inferred from the GOME data are 20% less than GEIA on average over North America and twice those from the U S . EPA Biogenic Emissions Inventory System (BEIS2) inventory. The GOME isoprene inventory when implemented in the GEOS-CHEM model provides a better simulation of the HCHO in situ measurements thaneitherGEIAorBEIS2 (r(sup 2) = 0.71,n= 10, bias = -10 %).

On the observations of unique low latitude whistler-triggered VLF/ELF emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altaf, M.; Singh, K. K.; Singh, A. K.; Lalmani

A detailed analysis of the VLF/ELF wave data obtained during a whistler campaign under All India Coordinated Program of Ionosphere Thermosphere Studies (AICPITS) at our low latitude Indian ground station Jammu (geomag. lat. = 22° 26‧ N, L = 1.17) has yielded two types of unusual and unique whistler-triggered VLF/ELF emissions. These include (1) whistler-triggered hook emissions and (2) whistler-triggered long enduring discrete chorus riser emissions in VLF/ELF frequency range during night time. Such types of whistler-triggered emissions have not been reported earlier from any of the ground observations at low latitudes. In the present study, the observed characteristics of these emissions are described and interpreted. Dispersion analysis of these emissions show that the whistlers as well as emissions have propagated along a higher geomagnetic field line path with L-values lying ∼L = 4, suggesting that these triggered emissions are to be regarded as mid-latitude emissions. These waves could have propagated along the geomagnetic field lines either in a ducted mode or in a pro-longitudinal (PL) mode. The measured intensity of the triggered emissions is almost equal to that of the source waves and does not vary throughout the period of observation on that day. It is speculated that these emissions may have been generated through a process of resonant interaction of the whistler waves with energetic electrons. Parameters related to this interaction are computed for different values of L and wave amplitude. The proposed mechanism explains some aspects of the dynamic spectra.

Broad band simulation of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) prompt emission in presence of an external magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziaeepour, Houri; Gardner, Brian

2011-12-01

The origin of prompt emission in GRBs is not yet well understood. The simplest and most popular model is Synchrotron Self-Compton (SSC) emission produced by internal shocks inside an ultra-relativistic jet. However, recent observations of a delayed high energy component by the Fermi-LAT instrument have encouraged alternative models. Here we use a recently developed formulation of relativistic shocks for GRBs to simulate light curves and spectra of synchrotron and self-Compton emissions in the framework of internal shock model. This model takes into account the evolution of quantities such as densities of colliding shells, and fraction of kinetic energy transferred to electrons and to induced magnetic field. We also extend this formulation by considering the presence of a precessing external magnetic field. These simulations are very realistic and present significant improvement with respect to previous phenomenological GRB simulations. They reproduce light curves of separate peaks of real GRBs and variety of spectral slopes at E > Epeak observed by the Fermi-LAT instrument. The high energy emission can be explained by synchrotron emission and a subdominant contribution from inverse Compton. We also suggest an explanation for extended tail emission and relate it to the screening of the magnetic field and/or trapping of accelerated electrons in the electromagnetic energy structure of the plasma in the shock front. Spectral slopes of simulated bursts at E << Epeak are consistent with theoretical prediction and at E < Epeak can be flatter if the spectrum of electrons is roughly flat or has a shallow slope at low energies. The observed flat spectra at soft gamma-ray and hard x-ray bands is the evidence that there is a significant contribution at E < Epeak from lower Lorentz factor wing of electron distribution which have a roughly random acceleration rather than being thermal. This means that the state of matter in the jet at the time of ejection is most probably

Ultrafast pulsed laser utilizing broad bandwidth laser glass

DOEpatents

Payne, Stephen A.; Hayden, Joseph S.

1997-01-01

An ultrafast laser uses a Nd-doped phosphate laser glass characterized by a particularly broad emission bandwidth to generate the shortest possible output pulses. The laser glass is composed primarily of P.sub.2 O.sub.5, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and MgO, and possesses physical and thermal properties that are compatible with standard melting and manufacturing methods. The broad bandwidth laser glass can be used in modelocked oscillators as well as in amplifier modules.

Updated SO2 emission estimates over China using OMI/Aura observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elissavet Koukouli, Maria; Theys, Nicolas; Ding, Jieying; Zyrichidou, Irene; Mijling, Bas; Balis, Dimitrios; van der A, Ronald Johannes

2018-03-01

The main aim of this paper is to update existing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission inventories over China using modern inversion techniques, state-of-the-art chemistry transport modelling (CTM) and satellite observations of SO2. Within the framework of the EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) MarcoPolo (Monitoring and Assessment of Regional air quality in China using space Observations) project, a new SO2 emission inventory over China was calculated using the CHIMERE v2013b CTM simulations, 10 years of Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)/Aura total SO2 columns and the pre-existing Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC v1.2). It is shown that including satellite observations in the calculations increases the current bottom-up MEIC inventory emissions for the entire domain studied (15-55° N, 102-132° E) from 26.30 to 32.60 Tg annum-1, with positive updates which are stronger in winter ( ˜ 36 % increase). New source areas were identified in the southwest (25-35° N, 100-110° E) as well as in the northeast (40-50° N, 120-130° E) of the domain studied as high SO2 levels were observed by OMI, resulting in increased emissions in the a posteriori inventory that do not appear in the original MEIC v1.2 dataset. Comparisons with the independent Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, EDGAR v4.3.1, show a satisfying agreement since the EDGAR 2010 bottom-up database provides 33.30 Tg annum-1 of SO2 emissions. When studying the entire OMI/Aura time period (2005 to 2015), it was shown that the SO2 emissions remain nearly constant before the year 2010, with a drift of -0.51 ± 0.38 Tg annum-1, and show a statistically significant decline after the year 2010 of -1.64 ± 0.37 Tg annum-1 for the entire domain. Similar findings were obtained when focusing on the greater Beijing area (30-40° N, 110-120° E) with pre-2010 drifts of -0.17 ± 0.14 and post-2010 drifts of -0.47 ± 0.12 Tg annum-1. The new SO2 emission inventory is publicly available and forms

Observations of O VI Emission from the Diffuse Interstellar Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelton, R. L.; Kruk, J. W.; Murphy, E. M.; Andersson, B. G.; Blair, W. P.; Dixon, W. V.; Edelstein, J.; Fullerton, A. W.; Gry, C.; Howk, J. C.;

Land Surface Microwave Emissivity Dynamics: Observations, Analysis and Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Yudong; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Harrison, Kenneth W.; Kumar, Sujay; Ringerud, Sarah

2014-01-01

Land surface microwave emissivity affects remote sensing of both the atmosphere and the land surface. The dynamical behavior of microwave emissivity over a very diverse sample of land surface types is studied. With seven years of satellite measurements from AMSR-E, we identified various dynamical regimes of the land surface emission. In addition, we used two radiative transfer models (RTMs), the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) and the Community Microwave Emission Modeling Platform (CMEM), to simulate land surface emissivity dynamics. With both CRTM and CMEM coupled to NASA's Land Information System, global-scale land surface microwave emissivities were simulated for five years, and evaluated against AMSR-E observations. It is found that both models have successes and failures over various types of land surfaces. Among them, the desert shows the most consistent underestimates (by approx. 70-80%), due to limitations of the physical models used, and requires a revision in both systems. Other snow-free surface types exhibit various degrees of success and it is expected that parameter tuning can improve their performances.

DETECTION OF THE INTERMEDIATE-WIDTH EMISSION LINE REGION IN QUASAR OI 287 WITH THE BROAD EMISSION LINE REGION OBSCURED BY THE DUSTY TORUS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Zhenzhen; Zhou, Hongyan; Wang, Huiyuan

2015-10-20

The existence of intermediate-width emission line regions (IELRs) in active galactic nuclei has been discussed for over two decades. A consensus, however, is yet to be arrived at due to the lack of convincing evidence for their detection. We present a detailed analysis of the broadband spectrophotometry of the partially obscured quasar OI 287. The ultraviolet intermediate-width emission lines (IELs) are very prominent, in high contrast to the corresponding broad emission lines (BELs) which are heavily suppressed by dust reddening. Assuming that the IELR is virialized, we estimated its distance to the central black hole to be ∼2.9 pc, similarmore » to the dust sublimation radius of ∼1.3 pc. Photo-ionization calculations suggest that the IELR has a hydrogen density of ∼10{sup 8.8}–10{sup 9.4} cm{sup −3}, within the range of values quoted for the dusty torus near the sublimation radius. Both its inferred location and physical conditions suggest that the IELR originates from the inner surface of the dusty torus. In the spectrum of this quasar, we identified only one narrow absorption-line system associated with the dusty material. With the aid of photo-ionization model calculations, we found that the obscuring material might originate from an outer region of the dusty torus. We speculate that the dusty torus, which is exposed to the central ionizing source, may produce IELs through photo-ionization processes, as well as obscure BELs as a natural “coronagraph.” Such a “coronagraph” could be found in a large number of partially obscured quasars and may be a useful tool to study IELRs.« less

Broad [C II] Line Wings as Tracer of Molecular and Multi-phase Outflows in Infrared Bright Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janssen, A. W.; Christopher, N.; Sturm, E.; Veilleux, S.; Contursi, A.; González-Alfonso, E.; Fischer, J.; Davies, R.; Verma, A.; Graciá-Carpio, J.; Genzel, R.; Lutz, D.; Sternberg, A.; Tacconi, L.; Burtscher, L.; Poglitsch, A.

2016-05-01

We report a tentative correlation between the outflow characteristics derived from OH absorption at 119 μm and [C II] emission at 158 μm in a sample of 22 local and bright ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). For this sample, we investigate whether [C II] broad wings are a good tracer of molecular outflows, and how the two tracers are connected. Fourteen objects in our sample have a broad wing component as traced by [C II], and all of these also show OH119 absorption indicative of an outflow (in one case an inflow). The other eight cases, where no broad [C II] component was found, are predominantly objects with no OH outflow or a low-velocity (≤100 km s-1) OH outflow. The FWHM of the broad [C II] component shows a trend with the OH119 blueshifted velocity, although with significant scatter. Moreover, and despite large uncertainties, the outflow masses derived from OH and broad [C II] show a 1:1 relation. The main conclusion is therefore that broad [C II] wings can be used to trace molecular outflows. This may be particularly relevant at high redshift, where the usual tracers of molecular gas (like low-J CO lines) become hard to observe. Additionally, observations of blueshifted Na I D λλ 5890, 5896 absorption are available for 10 of our sources. Outflow velocities of Na I D show a trend with OH velocity and broad [C II] FWHM. These observations suggest that the atomic and molecular gas phases of the outflow are connected.

The IR emission features - Emission from PAH molecules and amorphous carbon particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allamandola, L. J.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Barker, J. R.

1987-01-01

Techniques for the assessment of the importance of the various forms of PAHs, and recent infrared observations concerning the PAH problem, are considered. Spectroscopic data suggest that the observed interstellar spectrum is due to both free molecule-sized PAHs producing the narrow features, and amorphous carbon particles contributing to the broad underlying components. Explanations for the multicomponent emission spectrum are discussed. A model of the emission mechanism for the example of chrysene is presented, and an exact treatment of the IR fluorescence from highly vibrationally excited large molecules shows that species containing 20-30 carbon atoms are responsible for the narrow features, although the spectra more closely resemble those of amorphous carbon particles. It is suggested that future emphasis should be placed on the spatial characteristics of the component spectra.

Ultrafast pulsed laser utilizing broad bandwidth laser glass

DOEpatents

Payne, S.A.; Hayden, J.S.

1997-09-02

An ultrafast laser uses a Nd-doped phosphate laser glass characterized by a particularly broad emission bandwidth to generate the shortest possible output pulses. The laser glass is composed primarily of P{sub 2}O{sub 5}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and MgO, and possesses physical and thermal properties that are compatible with standard melting and manufacturing methods. The broad bandwidth laser glass can be used in modelocked oscillators as well as in amplifier modules. 7 figs.

Uncertainties of isoprene emissions in the MEGAN model estimated for a coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Southern China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Situ, S.; Wang, Xuemei; Guenther, Alex B.

2014-12-01

Using local observed emission factor, meteorological data, vegetation 5 information and dynamic MODIS LAI, MEGANv2.1 was constrained to predict the isoprene emission from Dinghushan forest in the Pearl River Delta region during a field campaign in November 2008, and the uncertainties in isoprene emission estimates were quantified by the Monte Carlo approach. The results indicate that MEGAN can predict the isoprene emission reasonably during the campaign, and the mean value of isoprene emission is 2.35 mg m-2 h-1 in daytime. There are high uncertainties associated with the MEGAN inputs and calculated parameters, and the relative error can be as highmore » as -89 to 111% for a 95% confidence interval. The emission factor of broadleaf trees and the activity factor accounting for light and temperature dependence are the most important contributors to the uncertainties in isoprene emission estimated for the Dinghushan forest during the campaign. The results also emphasize the importance of accurate observed PAR and temperature to reduce the uncertainties in isoprene emission estimated by model, because the MEGAN model activity factor accounting for light and temperature dependence is highly sensitive to PAR and temperature.« less

Instantaneous Frequency Analysis on Nonlinear EMIC Emissions: Arase Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoji, M.; Yoshizumi, M.; Omura, Y.; Kasaba, Y.; Ishisaka, K.; Matsuda, S.; Kasahara, Y.; Yagitani, S.; Matsuoka, A.; Teramoto, M.; Takashima, T.; Shinohara, I.

2017-12-01

In the inner magnetosphere, electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves cause nonlinear interactions with energetic protons. The waves drastically modify the proton distribution function, resulting in the particle loss in the radiation belt. Arase spacecraft, launched in late 2016, observed a nonlinear EMIC falling tone emission in the high magnetic latitude (MLAT) region of the inner magnetosphere. The wave growth with sub-packet structures of the falling tone emission is found by waveform data from PWE/EFD instrument. The evolution of the instantaneous frequency of the electric field of the EMIC falling tone emission is analyzed by Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT). We find several sub-packets with rising frequency in the falling tone wave. A self-consistent hybrid simulation suggested the complicate frequency evolution of the EMIC sub-packet emissions in the generation region. The intrinsic mode functions of Arase data derived from HHT are compared with the simulation data. The origin of the falling tone emission in the high MLAT region is also discussed.

Assessing Greenhouse Gas emissions in the Greater Toronto Area using atmospheric observations (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogel, F. R.; Chan, E.; Huang, L.; Levin, I.; Worthy, D.

2013-12-01

Urban areas are said to be responsible for approximately 75% of anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions while comprising only two percent of the land area [1]. This limited spatial expansion should facilitate a monitoring of anthropogenic GHGs from atmospheric observations. As major sources of emissions, cities also have a huge potential to drive emissions reductions. To effectively manage emissions, cities must however, first measure and report these publicly [2]. Modelling studies and measurements of CO2 from fossil fuel burning (FFCO2) in densely populated areas does, however, pose several challenges: Besides continuous in-situ observations, i.e. finding an adequate atmospheric transport model, a sufficiently fine-grained FFCO2 emission model and the proper background reference observations to distinguish the large-scale from the local/urban contributions to the observed FFCO2 concentration offsets ( ΔFFCO2) are required. Pilot studies which include the data from two 'sister sites*' in the vicinity of Toronto, Canada helped to derive flux estimates for Non-CO2 GHGs [3] and improve our understanding of urban FFCO2 emissions. Our 13CO2 observations reveal that the contribution of natural gas burning (mostly due to domestic heating) account for 80%×7% of FFCO2 emissions in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during winter. Our 14CO2 observations in the GTA, furthermore, show that the local offset of CO2 (ΔCO2) between our two sister sites can be largely attributed to urban FFCO2 emissions. The seasonal cycle of the observed ΔFFCO2 in Toronto, combined with high-resolution atmospheric modeling, helps to independently assess the contribution from different emission sectors (transportation, primary energy and industry, domestic heating) as predicted by a dedicated city-scale emission inventory, which deviates from a UNFCCC-based inventory. [1] D. Dodman. 2009. Blaming cities for climate change? An analysis of urban greenhouse gas emissions inventories

Suzaku Observations of Charge Exchange Emission from Solar System Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ezoe, Y.; Fujimoto, R.; Yamasaki, N. Y.; Mitsuda, K.; Ohashi, T.; Ishikawa, K.; Oishi, S.; Miyoshi, Y; Terada, N.; Futaana, Y.;

Direct observation of aqueous secondary organic aerosol from biomass-burning emissions

PubMed Central

Massoli, Paola; Paglione, Marco; Giulianelli, Lara; Carbone, Claudio; Rinaldi, Matteo; Decesari, Stefano; Sandrini, Silvia; Costabile, Francesca; Gobbi, Gian Paolo; Pietrogrande, Maria Chiara; Visentin, Marco; Scotto, Fabiana; Fuzzi, Sandro; Facchini, Maria Cristina

2016-01-01

The mechanisms leading to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are an important subject of ongoing research for both air quality and climate. Recent laboratory experiments suggest that reactions taking place in the atmospheric liquid phase represent a potentially significant source of SOA mass. Here, we report direct ambient observations of SOA mass formation from processing of biomass-burning emissions in the aqueous phase. Aqueous SOA (aqSOA) formation is observed both in fog water and in wet aerosol. The aqSOA from biomass burning contributes to the “brown” carbon (BrC) budget and exhibits light absorption wavelength dependence close to the upper bound of the values observed in laboratory experiments for fresh and processed biomass-burning emissions. We estimate that the aqSOA from residential wood combustion can account for up to 0.1–0.5 Tg of organic aerosol (OA) per y in Europe, equivalent to 4–20% of the total OA emissions. Our findings highlight the importance of aqSOA from anthropogenic emissions on air quality and climate. PMID:27551086

Numerical simulation of whistler-triggered VLF emissions observed in Antartica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nunn, D.; Smith, A.J.

1996-03-01

The authors have extracted from VLF databases from British Antarctica Survey data taken at Halley and Faraday stations, examples of whistler-triggered emissions (WTE). The WTE are relatively narrow band emissions triggered by natural background whistlers undergoing nonlinear wave particle interactions generally in the equatorial regions. They occur with either rising or falling frequency relative to the triggering waves. Using a Vlasov type code the authors are able to simulate the types of emissions which are observed. 24 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

Spectral reflectance and emissivity features of broad leaf plants: Prospects for remote sensing in the thermal infrared (8.0-14.0 μm)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ribeiro da Luz, Beatriz; Crowley, James K.

2007-01-01

In contrast to visible and short-wave infrared data, thermal infrared spectra of broad leaf plants show considerable spectral diversity, suggesting that such data eventually could be utilized to map vegetation composition. However, remotely measuring the subtle emissivity features of leaves still presents major challenges. To be successful, sensors operating in the 8–14 μm atmospheric window must have high signal-to-noise and a small enough instantaneous field of view to allow measurements of only a few leaf surfaces. Methods for atmospheric compensation, temperature–emissivity separation, and spectral feature analysis also will need to be refined to allow the recognition, and perhaps, exploitation of leaf thermal infrared spectral properties.

A Modeling Framework for Inference of Surface Emissions Using Mobile Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fasoli, B.; Mitchell, L.; Crosman, E.; Mendoza, D. L.; Lin, J. C.

2016-12-01

Our ability to quantify surface emissions depends on the precision of observations and the spatial density of measurement networks. Mobile measurement techniques offer a cost effective strategy for quantifying atmospheric conditions over space without requiring a dense network of in-situ sites. However, interpretation of these data and inversion of dispersed measurements to estimate surface emissions can be difficult. We introduce a framework using the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model that assimilates both spatially resolved observations and an emissions inventory to better estimate surface fluxes. Salt Lake City is a unique laboratory for the study of urban carbon emissions. It is the only U.S. city that utilizes light-rail trains to continuously measure high frequency carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4); it is home to one of the longest and most spatially resolved high precision CO2 measurement networks (air.utah.edu); and it is one of four cities in the world for which the Hestia anthropogenic emissions inventory has been produced which characterizes CO2 emissions at the scale of individual buildings and roadways. Using these data and modeling resources, we evaluate spatially resolved CO2 measurements and transported CO2 emissions on hourly timescales at a dense spatial resolution across Salt Lake City.

Airborne observations reveal elevational gradient in tropical forest isoprene emissions

DOE PAGES

Gu, Dasa; Guenther, Alex B.; Shilling, John E.; ...

2017-05-23

Terrestrial vegetation emits vast quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to he atmosphere1-3, which influence oxidants and aerosols leading to complex feedbacks on air quality and climate4-6. Isoprene dominates global non-methane VOC emissions with tropical regions contributing ~80% of global isoprene emissions2. Isoprene emission rates vary over several orders of magnitude for different plant species, and characterizing this immense biological chemodiversity is a challenge for estimating isoprene emission from tropical forests. Here we present the isoprene emission estimates from aircraft direct eddy covariance measurements over the pristine Amazon forest. We report isoprene emission rates that are 3 times higher thanmore » satellite top-down estimates and 35% higher than model predictions based on satellite land cover and vegetation specific emission factors (EFs). The results reveal strong correlations between observed isoprene emission rates and terrain elevations which are confirmed by similar correlations between satellite-derived isoprene emissions and terrain elevations. We propose that the elevational gradient in the Amazonian forest isoprene emission capacity is determined by plant species distributions and can explain a substantial degree of isoprene emission variability in tropical forests. Finally, we apply this approach over the central Amazon and use a model to demonstrate the impacts on regional air quality.« less

Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from forested areas in Turkey: determination of specific emission rates for thirty-one tree species.

PubMed

Aydin, Yagmur Meltem; Yaman, Baris; Koca, Husnu; Dasdemir, Okan; Kara, Melik; Altiok, Hasan; Dumanoglu, Yetkin; Bayram, Abdurrahman; Tolunay, Doganay; Odabasi, Mustafa; Elbir, Tolga

2014-08-15

Normalized biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emission rates for thirty one tree species that cover the 98% of national forested areas in Turkey were determined. Field samplings were performed at fourteen different forested areas in Turkey using a specific dynamic enclosure system. The selected branches of tree species were enclosed in a chamber consisted of a transparent Nalofan bag. The air-flows were sampled from both inlet and outlet of the chamber by Tenax-filled sorbent tubes during photosynthesis of trees under the presence of sunlight. Several environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, photosynthetically active radiation-PAR, and CO2) were continuously monitored inside and outside the enclosure chamber during the samplings. Collected samples were analyzed using a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system equipped with a thermal desorber (TD). Sixty five BVOCs classified in five major groups (isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, oxygenated sesquiterpenes, and other oxygenated compounds) were analyzed. Emission rates were determined by normalization to standard conditions (1000 μmol/m(2)s PAR and 30 °C temperature for isoprene and 30 °C temperature for the remaining compounds). In agreement with the literature, isoprene was mostly emitted by broad-leaved trees while coniferous species mainly emitted monoterpenes. Several tree species such as Sweet Chestnut, Silver Lime, and European Alder had higher monoterpene emissions although they are broad-leaved species. High isoprene emissions were also observed for a few coniferous species such as Nordmann Fir and Oriental Spruce. The highest normalized total BVOC emission rate of 27.1 μg/gh was observed for Oriental Plane while South European Flowering Ash was the weakest BVOC emitter with a total normalized emission rate of 0.031 μg/gh. Monoterpene emissions of broad-leaved species mainly consisted of sabinene, limonene and trans-beta-ocimene, while alpha-pinene, beta-pinene and beta

Primary carbonaceous aerosols and climate modeling: Classifications, global emission inventories, and observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, H.; Bond, T.

2004-12-01

organics in aerosols, we propose a Climate-Relevant Optical & Structural Subgroups of OC (CROSS-OC) which is a classification for organic aerosols based on structural and optical properties. We provide broad classes aiming at global models instead of very detailed classifications, which are not amenable for use in global-scale models due to the calculation cost. Organic matter (OM) which includes the hydrogen and oxygen bound to this carbon is divided into classes with varied absorption and scattering capabilities. Because our inventory tabulates emissions from specific sources, we make use of data available from source characterization. We present a global emission inventory of primary carbonaceous aerosols that has been designed for global climate modeling purpose. The inventory is based on our CROSS-OC classification and considers emissions from fossil fuels, biofuels, and open biomass burning. Fuel type, combustion type, and emission controls, and their prevalence on a regional basis are combined to determine emission factors for all types of carbonaceous aerosols. We also categorize surface concentration observations for BC and OC by region, size (super vs. sub micron), measurement type, time (including season) and date. We parallel the data format suggested by the Global Atmosphere Watch aerosol database. Work underway includes providing information on the CROSS-OC divisions in ambient aerosol when measurements contain sufficient detail.

NOx emission trends over Chinese cities estimated from OMI observations during 2005 to 2015.

PubMed

Liu, Fei; Beirle, Steffen; Zhang, Qiang; van der A, Ronald J; Zheng, Bo; Tong, Dan; He, Kebin

2017-01-01

Satellite NO 2 observations have been widely used to evaluate emission changes. To determine trends in NO x emission over China, we used a method independent of chemical transport models to quantify the NO x emissions from 48 cities and 7 power plants over China, on the basis of Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO 2 observations during 2005 to 2015. We found that NO x emissions over 48 Chinese cities increased by 52% from 2005 to 2011 and decreased by 21% from 2011 to 2015. The decrease since 2011 could be mainly attributed to emission control measures in power sector; while cities with different dominant emission sources (i.e. power, industrial and transportation sectors) showed variable emission decline timelines that corresponded to the schedules for emission control in different sectors. The time series of the derived NO x emissions was consistent with the bottom-up emission inventories for all power plants (r=0.8 on average), but not for some cities (r=0.4 on average). The lack of consistency observed for cities was most probably due to the high uncertainty of bottom-up urban emissions used in this study, which were derived from downscaling the regional-based emission data to cities by using spatial distribution proxies.

NOx emission trends over Chinese cities estimated from OMI observations during 2005 to 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Fei; Beirle, Steffen; Zhang, Qiang; van der A, Ronald J.; Zheng, Bo; Tong, Dan; He, Kebin

2017-08-01

Satellite nitrogen dioxide (NO2) observations have been widely used to evaluate emission changes. To determine trends in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission over China, we used a method independent of chemical transport models to quantify the NOx emissions from 48 cities and seven power plants over China, on the basis of Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 observations from 2005 to 2015. We found that NOx emissions over 48 Chinese cities increased by 52 % from 2005 to 2011 and decreased by 21 % from 2011 to 2015. The decrease since 2011 could be mainly attributed to emission control measures in power sector; while cities with different dominant emission sources (i.e., power, industrial, and transportation sectors) showed variable emission decline timelines that corresponded to the schedules for emission control in different sectors. The time series of the derived NOx emissions was consistent with the bottom-up emission inventories for all power plants (r = 0. 8 on average), but not for some cities (r = 0. 4 on average). The lack of consistency observed for cities was most probably due to the high uncertainty of bottom-up urban emissions used in this study, which were derived from downscaling the regional-based emission data to city level by using spatial distribution proxies.

Groundbased Observations of [C I] 9850A Emission from Comet Hale-Bopp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doane, N. E.; Oliversen, R. J.; Scherb, F.; Morgenthaler, J. P.; Roesler, F. L.; Woodward, R. C.; Harris, W. M.; Hilton, G. M.

1999-05-01

High spectral resolution observations of Comet Hale-Bopp [C I] 9850A emission were obtained at the NSO McMath-Pierce main telescope on 13 nights during 1997 March 9 to 10 and April 7 to 19. Spectra with good signal-to-noise were obtained using a dual- etalon 50mm Fabry-Perot spectrometer (R 40,000) with a 6 arcmin field of view. The comet was observed over a 0.92-1.00 AU range of heliocentric distances. Most observations were centered on the comet nucleus where the surface brightness ranged from about 70 to 170 Rayleighs. Several observations were also centered approximately 5 arcmin sunward and tailward of the comet nucleus. The sunward [C I] emission was fainter than the tailward emission. Assuming that CO photodissociation is the source of cometary C(1D) (and neglecting quenching), for a surface brightness of 120 Rayleighs, we estimate a (lower limit) CO production rate of about 2x10(30) per sec. These [C I] observationsare the first extensive set reported for this cometary emission line.

Chandra High Resolution Spectroscopy of the Circumnuclear Matter in the Broad Line Radio Galaxy, 3C 445

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reeves, J. N.; Gofford, J.; Braito, V.; Sambruna, R.

2010-01-01

We present evidence for X-ray line emitting and absorbing gas in the nucleus of the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy (BLRG), 3C445. A 200 ks Chandra LETG observation of 3C 445 reveals the presence of several highly ionized emission lines in the soft X-ray spectrum, primarily from the He and H-like ions of O, Ne, Mg and Si. Radiative recombination emission is detected from O VII and O VIII, indicating that the emitting gas is photoionized. The He-like emission appears to be resolved into forbidden and intercombination line components, which implies a high density of greater than 10(sup 10) cm(sup -3), while the lines are velocity broadened with a mean width of 2600 km s(sup -1). The density and widths of the ionized lines indicate an origin of the gas on sub-parsec scales in the Broad Line Region (BLR). The X-ray continuum of 3C 445 is heavily obscured by a photoionized absorber of column density N(sub H) = 2 x 10(sup 23) cm(sup -2) and ionization parameter log xi = 1.4 erg cm s(sup -1). However the view of the X-ray line emission is unobscured, which requires the absorber to be located at radii well within any parsec scale molecular torus. Instead we suggest that the X-ray absorber in 3C 445 may be associated with an outflowing, but clumpy accretion disk wind, with an observed outflow velocity of approximately 10000 km s(sup -1).

Evidence for a Circum-Nuclear and Ionised Absorber in the X-ray Obscured Broad Line Radio Galaxy 3C 445

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braito, V.; Reeves, J. N.; Sambruna, R. M.; Gofford, J.

2012-01-01

Here we present the results of a Suzaku observation of the Broad Line Radio Galaxy 3C 445. We confirm the results obtained with the previous X-ray observations which unveiled the presence of several soft X-ray emission lines and an overall X-ray emission which strongly resembles a typical Seyfert 2 despite of the optical classification as an unobscured AGN. The broad band spectrum allowed us to measure for the first time the amount of reflection (R approximately 0.9) which together with the relatively strong neutral Fe Ka emission line (EW approximately 100 eV) strongly supports a scenario where a Compton-thick mirror is present. The primary X ray continuum is strongly obscured by an absorber with a column density of NH = 2 - 3 x 10(exp 23) per square centimeter. Two possible scenarios are proposed for the absorber: a neutral partial covering or a mildly ionised absorber with an ionisation parameter log xi approximately 1.0 erg centimeter per second. A comparison with the past and more recent X-ray observations of 3C 445 performed with XMM-Newton and Chandra is presented, which provided tentative evidence that the ionised and outflowing absorber varied. We argue that the absorber is probably associated with an equatorial diskwind located within the parsec scale molecular torus.

The National Emissions Inventory Significantly Overestimates NOx Emissions: Analysis of CMAQ and in situ observations from DISCOVER-AQ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, D. C.; Dickerson, R. R.; Loughner, C.

2013-12-01

NOx and CO not only adversely impact human health, but they, along with associated VOCs, are also important precursors for O3 formation. While ambient NOx and CO concentrations have decreased dramatically over the past 10-20 years, O3 has remained a more recalcitrant problem, particularly in the Baltimore/Washington region. Reduction of O3 production requires that emissions inventories, such as the National Emissions Inventory (NEI), accurately capture total emissions of CO and NOx while also correctly apportioning them among different sectors. Previous evaluations of the NEI paint different pictures of its accuracy, with assertions that it overestimates either one or both of CO and NOx from anywhere between 25 percent to a factor of 2. These conflicting claims warrant further investigation. In this study, measurements of NOx and CO taken aboard the NOAA P3B airplane during the 2011 DISCOVER-AQ field campaign were used to determine the NOx/CO emissions ratio at 6 locations in the Washington/Baltimore region. An average molar emissions ratio of 12.8 × 1.2 CO/NOx was found by calculating the change in CO over the change in NOx from vertical concentration profiles in the planetary boundary layer. Ratios showed little variation with location. Observed values were approximately a factor of 1.35 - 1.75 times greater than that predicted by the annual, countywide emissions ratio from the 2008 NEI. When compared to a temporalized, gridded version of the inventory processed by SMOKE, ratio observations were greater than that predicted by inventories by up to a factor of 2. Comparison of the in situ measurements and remotely sensed observations from MOPITT of CO to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model agree within 10-35 percent, with the model higher on average. Measurements of NOy by two separate analytical techniques, on the other hand, show that CMAQ consistently and significantly overestimates NOy concentrations. Combined with the CO observations, this

Ground and space observations of medium frequency auroral radio emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broughton, Matthew C.

The auroral zone is a rich source of natural radio emissions that can be observed in space and at ground-level. By studying these waves, scientists can gain insight into the plasma processes that generate them and use the near-Earth space environment as a large-scale plasma physics laboratory. This thesis uses both ground-level and in situ observations to study two kinds of natural radio emissions. First, we report observations of a new kind of auroral radio emission. The waves have frequencies ranging from 1.3-2.2 MHz, bandwidths ranging from 90-272 kHz, and durations ranging from 16-355 s. Spectral analysis of the waveform data has revealed that the emission has a complex combination of at least three kinds of fine structures. For model auroral electron distributions, calculations indicate that Langmuir waves could be excited at frequencies consistent with observations. The remainder of the thesis discusses auroral medium frequency (MF) burst, an impulsive, broadband natural radio emission observed at ground-level within a few minutes of local substorm onset. LaBelle [2011] proposed that MF burst originates as Langmuir/Z-mode waves on the topside of the ionosphere that subsequently mode convert to L-mode waves and propagate to ground-level. Using continuous waveform measurements and combined observations with the Sondrestrom Incoherent Scatter Radar, we have performed two tests of this mechanism. The results of these tests are consistent with the mechanism described in LaBelle [2011]. A survey of 8,624 half-orbits of the DEMETER spacecraft has revealed 68 observations of bursty MF waves. We have compared the wave properties of these waves to those of MF burst and have found that although it is uncertain, the balance of the evidence suggests that the bursty MF waves observed with DEMETER are the same phenomenon as the ground-level MF burst. Finally, we have used numerical simulations to model both the fine structure of MF burst and to estimate the attenuation the

IUE observations of longitudinal and temporal variations in the Jovian auroral emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, T. E.; Durrance, S. T.; Feldman, P. D.; Moos, H. W.

1984-01-01

The IUE's short wavelength spectrograph has been used to monitor the auroral emissions from Jupiter's northern hemisphere, yielding eight observations between January 1981 and January 1982 of H I Lyman-alpha and the H2 Lyman and Werner bands. Attention is given to an apparent periodic emission flux fluctuation, through detailed modeling of the emission geometry. Two possible auroral zones are defined at the north pole by mapping the magnetic field lines from the Io torus and the magnetotail onto the planet's atmosphere. The observed variation in flux with central meridian longitude is not consistent with a uniform brightness as a function of magnetic longitude in either auroral zone. The data can be fitted by confining the emissions to the region of the northern torus auroral zone, in qualitative agreement with the magnetic anomaly model. A similar emission from the magnetotail auroral zone cannot be ruled out.

Broad Halpha Wing Formation in the Planetary Nebula IC 4997.

PubMed

Lee; Hyung

2000-02-10

The young and compact planetary nebula IC 4997 is known to exhibit very broad wings with a width exceeding 5000 km s-1 around Halpha. We propose that the broad wings are formed through Rayleigh-Raman scattering that involves atomic hydrogen, by which Lybeta photons with a velocity width of a few 102 km s-1 are converted to optical photons and fill the Halpha broad wing region. The conversion efficiency reaches 0.6 near the line center, where the scattering optical depth is much larger than 1, and rapidly decreases in the far wings. Assuming that close to the central star there exists an unresolved inner compact core of high density, nH approximately 109-1010 cm-3, we use the photoionization code "CLOUDY" to show that sufficient Lybeta photons for scattering are produced. Using a top-hat-incident profile for the Lybeta flux and a scattering region with a H i column density NHi=2x1020 cm-2 and a substantial covering factor, we perform a profile-fitting analysis in order to obtain a satisfactory fit to the observed flux. We briefly discuss the astrophysical implications of the Rayleigh-Raman processes in planetary nebulae and other emission objects.

Energy-dependent intensity variation of the persistent X-ray emission of magnetars observed with Suzaku

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakagawa, Yujin; Ebisawa, Ken; Enoto, Teruaki

2018-03-01

The emission mechanism of magnetars is still controversial even though various observational and theoretical studies have been made. In order to investigate mechanisms of both the persistent X-ray emission and the burst emission of the magnetars, we propose a model in which the persistent X-ray emission consists of numerous micro-bursts of various sizes. If this model is correct, root mean square (rms) intensity variations of the persistent emission would exceed the values expected from the Poisson distribution. Using Suzaku archive data of 11 magnetars (22 observations), the rms intensity variations were calculated from 0.2 keV to 70 keV. As a result, we found significant excess rms intensity variations from all 11 magnetars. We suppose that numerous micro-bursts constituting the persistent X-ray emission cause the observed variations, suggesting that the persistent X-ray emission and the burst emission have identical emission mechanisms. In addition, we found that the rms intensity variations clearly increase toward higher energy bands for four magnetars (six observations). The energy-dependent rms intensity variations imply that the soft thermal component and the hard X-ray component are emitted from different regions far apart from each other.

Remote optical observations of actively burning biomass fires using potassium line spectral emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magidimisha, Edwin; Griffith, Derek J.

2016-02-01

Wildland fires are a widespread, seasonal and largely man-made hazard which have a broad range of negative effects. These wildfires cause not only the destruction of homes, infrastructure, cultivated forests and natural habitats but also contribute to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and aerosol particle production. Global satellite-based monitoring of biomass burning using thermal infrared sensors is currently a powerful tool to assist in finding ways to establish suppression strategies and to understand the role that fires play in global climate change. Advances in silicon-based camera technology present opportunities to resolve the challenge of ubiquitous wildfire early detection in a cost-effective manner. This study investigated several feasibility aspects of detecting wildland fires using near-infrared (NIR) spectral line emissions from electronically excited potassium (K) atoms at wavelengths of 766.5 and 769.9 nm, during biomass burning.

Quantifying VOC emissions from East Asia using 10 years of satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stavrakou, T.; Muller, J. F.; Bauwens, M.; De Smedt, I.; Van Roozendael, M.; Boersma, F.; van der A, R. J.; Pierre-Francois, C.; Clerbaux, C.

2016-12-01

China's emissions are in the spotlight of efforts to mitigate climate change and improve regional and city-scale air quality. Despite growing efforts to better quantify China's emissions, the current estimates are often poor or inadequate. Complementary to bottom-up inventories, inverse modeling of fluxes has the potential to improve those estimates through the use of atmospheric observations of trace gas compounds. As formaldehyde (HCHO) is a high-yield product in the oxidation of most volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by anthropogenic and natural sources, satellite observations of HCHO hold the potential to inform us on the spatial and temporal variability of the underlying VOC sources. The 10-year record of space-based HCHO column observations from the OMI instrument is used to constrain VOC emission fluxes in East Asia in a source inversion framework built on the IMAGES chemistry-transport model and its adjoint. The interannual and seasonal variability, spatial distribution and potential trends of the top-down VOC fluxes (anthropogenic, pyrogenic and biogenic) are presented and confronted to existing emission inventories, satellite observations of other species (e.g. glyoxal and nitrogen oxides), and past studies.

EVLA Observation of Centimeter Continuum Emission from Protostars in Serpens South

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kern, Nicholas S.; Tobin, John J.; Keown, Jared A.; Gutermuth, Robert A.

2015-01-01

Serpens South is a protocluster with an unusually high abundance of Class 0 and I protostars, suggesting it is in a very early phase of star formation and may eventually form a star cluster. Following its discovery in 2008 with the Spitzer space telescope, infrared and millimeter observations and analysis quickly followed, however, Serpens South has yet to be fully explored in the radio. Radio observations at centimeter wavelengths have long been used as a tool to probe the dynamical processes of young protostars that are still heavily shrouded in their protostellar envelopes and thus cannot be seen at longer wavelengths. Radio observations then become an important tool in understanding Serpens South due to its young age. To this end, we have conducted EVLA C band continuum observations of the central region of the Serpens South protostellar cluster in order to map the centimeter continuum emission in a region of high Class 0 / I protostellar surface density. We report the detection of centimeter emission corresponding to protostars identified by Spitzer, and to protostars identified but blended by Herschel. We characterize their centimeter emission, and put them in context with previous Spitzer and Herschel infrared and far-infrared observations, as well as IRAM millimeter observations. Additionally, we make an assessment of the protostars' bolometric luminosity, and compare them to the known protostellar 3.6 cm to 6.0 cm luminosity vs. bolometric luminosity relation. With the EVLA, we present a mid-resolution map of centimeter emission from the central region of Serpens South with the highest sensitivity to date, with a beam size of ~5 arcseconds and rms on the order of 15 microJansky.

Effect of broad properties fuel on injector performance in a reverse flow combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raddlebaugh, S. M.; Norgren, C. T.

1983-01-01

The effect of fuel type on the performance of various fuel injectors was investigated in a reverse flow combustor. Combustor performance and emissions are documented for simplex pressure atomizing, spill flow, and airblast fuel injectors using a broad properties fuel and compared with performance using Jet A fuel. Test conditions simulated a range of flight conditions including sea level take off, low and high altitude cruise, as well as a parametric evaluation of the effect of increased combustor loading. The baseline simplex injector produced higher emission levels with corresponding lower combustion efficiency with the broad properties fuel. There was little or not loss in performance by the two advanced concept injectors with the broad properties fuel. The airblast injector proved to be especially insensitive to fuel type.

Understanding NOx emission trends in China based on OMI observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Ga, D.; Smeltzer, C. D.; Yi, R.; Liu, Z.

2012-12-01

We analyze OMI observations of NO2 columns over China from 2005 to 2010. Simulations using a regional 3-D chemical transport model (REAM) are used to derive the top-down anthropogenic NOx emissions. The Kendall method is then applied to derive the emission trend. The emission trend is affected by the economic slowdown in 2009. After removing the effect of one year abnormal data, the overall emission trend is 4.35±1.42% per year, which is slower than the linear-regression trend of 5.8-10.8% per year reported for previous years. We find large regional, seasonal, and urban-rural variations in emission trend. The annual emission trends of Northeast China, Central China Plain, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta are 44.98±1.39%, 5.24±1.63%, 3.31±1.02% and -4.02±1.87%, respectively. The annual emission trends of four megacities, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are 0.7±0.27%, -0.75±0.31%, -4.08±1.21% and -6.22±2.85%,, considerably lower than the regional averages. These results appear to suggest that a number of factors, including migration of high-emission industries, vehicle emission regulations, emission control measures of thermal power plants, increased hydro-power usage, have reduced or reversed the increasing trend of NOx emissions in more economically developed megacities and southern coastal regions.

THE COMPLEX CIRCUMNUCLEAR ENVIRONMENT OF THE BROAD-LINE RADIO GALAXY 3C 390.3 REVEALED BY CHANDRA HETG

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tombesi, F.; Kallman, T.; Leutenegger, M. A.

2016-10-20

We present the first high spectral resolution X-ray observation of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3 obtained with the high-energy transmission grating spectrometer on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory . The spectrum shows complex emission and absorption features in both the soft X-rays and Fe K band. We detect emission and absorption lines in the energy range E = 700–1000 eV associated with ionized Fe L transitions (Fe XVII–XX). An emission line at the energy of E ≃ 6.4 keV consistent with the Fe K α is also observed. Our best-fit model requires at least three different components: (i) amore » hot emission component likely associated with the hot interstellar medium in this elliptical galaxy with temperature kT = 0.5 ± 0.1 keV; (ii) a warm absorber with ionization parameter log ξ = 2.3 ± 0.5 erg s{sup −1} cm, column density log N {sub H} = 20.7 ± 0.1 cm{sup −2}, and outflow velocity v {sub out} < 150 km s{sup −1}; and (iii) a lowly ionized reflection component in the Fe K band likely associated with the optical broad-line region or the outer accretion disk. These evidences suggest the possibility that we are looking directly down the ionization cone of this active galaxy and that the central X-ray source only photoionizes along the unobscured cone. This is overall consistent with the angle-dependent unified picture of active galactic nuclei.« less

The Complex Circumnuclear Environment of the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C 390.3 Revealed by Chandra HETG

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tombesi, F.; Reeves, J. N.; Kallman, Timothy R.; Reynolds, C. S.; Mushotzky, R. F.; Braito, V.; Behar, E.; Leutenegger, Maurice A.; Cappi, M.

2016-01-01

We present the first high spectral resolution X-ray observation of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3 obtained with the high-energy transmission grating spectrometer on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The spectrum shows complex emission and absorption features in both the soft X-rays and Fe K band. We detect emission and absorption lines in the energy range E = 700-1000 eV associated with ionized Fe L transitions (Fe XVIIXX). An emission line at the energy of E approximately equal to 6.4 keV consistent with the Fe K alpha is also observed. Our best-fit model requires at least three different components: (i) a hot emission component likely associated with the hot interstellar medium in this elliptical galaxy with temperature kT = 0.5 +/- 0.1 keV; (ii) a warm absorber with ionization parameter log Epislon = 2.3 +/- 0.5 erg s(exp 1) cm, column density logN(sub H) = 20.7 +/- 0.1 cm(exp -2), and outflow velocity v(sub out) less than 150 km s(exp -1); and (iii) a lowly ionized reflection component in the Fe K band likely associated with the optical broad-line region or the outer accretion disk. These evidences suggest the possibility that we are looking directly down the ionization cone of this active galaxy and that the central X-ray source only photoionizes along the unobscured cone. This is overall consistent with the angle-dependent unified picture of active galactic nuclei.

Analytical evaluation of the impact of broad specification fuels on high bypass turbofan engine combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohmann, R. P.; Szetela, E. J.; Vranos, A.

1978-01-01

The impact of the use of broad specification fuels on the design, performance durability, emissions and operational characteristics of combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines was assessed. Single stage, vorbix and lean premixed prevaporized combustors, in the JT9D and an advanced energy efficient engine cycle were evaluated when operating on Jet A and ERBS (Experimental Referee Broad Specification) fuels. Design modifications, based on criteria evolved from a literature survey, were introduced and their effectiveness at offsetting projected deficiencies resulting from the use of ERBS was estimated. The results indicate that the use of a broad specification fuel such as ERBS, will necessitate significant technology improvements and redesign if deteriorated performance, durability and emissions are to be avoided. Higher radiant heat loads are projected to seriously compromise liner life while the reduced thermal stability of ERBS will require revisions to the engine-airframe fuel system to reduce the thermal stress on the fuel. Smoke and emissions output are projected to increase with the use of broad specification fuels. While the basic geometry of the single stage and vorbix combustors are compatible with the use of ERBS, extensive redesign of the front end of the lean premixed prevaporized burner will be required to achieve satisfactory operation and optimum emissions.

An Overview of Saturn Narrowband Radio Emissions Observed by Cassini RPWS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, S.-Y.; Fischer, G.; Menietti, J. D.; Wang, Z.; Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S.

Saturn narrowband (NB) radio emissions are detected between 3 and 70 kHz, with occurrence probability and wave intensity peaking around 5 kHz and 20 kHz. The emissions usually occur periodically for several days after intensification of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR). Originally detected by the Voyagers, the extended duration of the Cassini mission and the improved capabilities of the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument have significantly advanced our knowledge about them. For example, RPWS measurements of the magnetic component have validated the electromagnetic nature of Saturn NB emissions. Evidences show that the 20 kHz NB emissions are generated by mode conversion of electrostatic upper hybrid waves on the boundary of the plasma torus, whereas direction-finding results point to a source in the auroral zone for the 5 kHz component. Similar to SKR, the 5 kHz NB emissions have a clock-like modulation and display two distinct modulation periods identical to the northern and southern hemisphere periods of SKR. Polarization measurements confirm that most NB emissions are propagating in the L-O mode, with the exception of second harmonic NB emissions. At high latitudes closer to the planet, RPWS detected right hand polarized Z-mode NB emissions below the local electron cyclotron frequency (f_ce), which are believed to be the source of the L-O mode NB emissions detected above the local f_ce. Although the energy source for the generation of the Z-mode waves is still unclear, linear growth rate calculations indicate that the observed plasma distributions are unstable to the growth of electrostatic cyclotron harmonic emission. Alternatively, electromagnetic Z-mode might be directly generated by the cyclotron maser instability. The source Z-mode waves, upon reflection, propagate to the opposite hemisphere before escaping through mode conversion, which could explain the fact that both rotational modulation periods of NB emissions are observable in each

Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer for the Earth Observing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glavich, Thomas A.; Beer, Reinhard

1991-01-01

A Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) for the Earth Observing System (EOS) series of polar-orbiting platforms is described. TES is aimed at studying tropospheric chemistry, in particular, the exchange of gases between the surface and the atmosphere, urban and regional pollution, acid rain precursors, sources and sinks of greenhouse gases, and the interchange of gases between the troposphere and the stratosphere. TES is a high-resolution (0.025/cm) infrared Fourier transform spectrometer operating in the passive thermal-emission mode in a very wide spectral range (600 to 4350/cm; 2.3 to 16.7 microns). TES has 32 spatial pixels in each of four optically conjugated linear detector arrays, each optimized for a different spectral region.

Observations of the auroral hectometric radio emission onboard the INTERBALL-1 satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuril'Chik, V. N.

2007-06-01

The results of five-year (1995 2000) continuous observations of the auroral radio emission (ARE) in the hectometric wavelength range on the high-apogee INTERBALL-1 satellite are presented. Short intense bursts of the auroral hectometric radio emission (AHR) were observed at frequencies of 1463 and 1501 kHz. The bursts were observed predominantly at times when the terrestrial magnetosphere was undisturbed (in the quiet Sun period), and their number decreased rapidly with increasing solar activity. The bursts demonstrated seasonal dependence in the Northern and Southern hemispheres (dominating in the autumn-winter period). Their appearance probably depends on the observation time (UT). A qualitative explanation of the AHR peculiarities is given.

Relativistic redshifts in quasar broad lines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tremaine, Scott; Shen, Yue; Liu, Xin

2014-10-10

The broad emission lines commonly seen in quasar spectra have velocity widths of a few percent of the speed of light, so special- and general-relativistic effects have a significant influence on the line profile. We have determined the redshift of the broad Hβ line in the quasar rest frame (determined from the core component of the [O III] line) for over 20,000 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 quasar catalog. The mean redshift as a function of line width is approximately consistent with the relativistic redshift that is expected if the line originates in a randomlymore » oriented Keplerian disk that is obscured when the inclination of the disk to the line of sight exceeds ∼30°-45°, consistent with simple active galactic nucleus unification schemes. This result also implies that the net line-of-sight inflow/outflow velocities in the broad-line region are much less than the Keplerian velocity when averaged over a large sample of quasars with a given line width.« less

Observation of Quartz Cathode-Luminescence in a Low Pressure Plasma Discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, John E.

2004-01-01

Intense, steady-state cathode-luminescence has been observed from exposure of quartz powder to a low pressure rf-excited argon plasma discharge. The emission spectra (400 to 850 nm) associated with the powder luminescence were documented as a function of bias voltage using a spectrometer. The emission was broad-band, essentially washing out the line spectra features of the argon plasma discharge.

Multiwavelength Observations of GRB 110731A: GeV Emission from Onset to Afterglow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Asano, K.; Baldini, L.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.; Bellazzini, R.; Blandford, R. D.; Bonamente, E.; Borgland, A. W.; Bottacini, E.; Bregeon, J.; Brigida, M.; Bruel, P.; Buehler, R.; Buson, S.; Caliandro, G. A.; Cameron, R. A.; Caraveo, P. A.; Cecchi, C.; Charles, E.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chekhtman, A.; Chiang, J.; Ciprini, S.; Claus, R.; Cohen-Tanugi, J.; Conrad, J.; Cutini, S.; D'Ammando, F.; de Angelis, A.; de Palma, F.; Dermer, C. D.; Silva, E. do Couto e.; Drell, P. S.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Favuzzi, C.; Fegan, S. J.; Focke, W. B.; Franckowiak, A.; Fukazawa, Y.; Fusco, P.; Gargano, F.; Gasparrini, D.; Gehrels, N.; Giglietto, N.; Giordano, F.; Giroletti, M.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Granot, J.; Greiner, J.; Grenier, I. A.; Grove, J. E.; Guiriec, S.; Hadasch, D.; Hanabata, Y.; Hayashida, M.; Hays, E.; Hughes, R. E.; Jackson, M. S.; Jogler, T.; Jóhannesson, G.; Johnson, A. S.; Knödlseder, J.; Kocevski, D.; Kuss, M.; Lande, J.; Larsson, S.; Latronico, L.; Longo, F.; Loparco, F.; Lovellette, M. N.; Lubrano, P.; Mazziotta, M. N.; McEnery, J. E.; Mehault, J.; Mészáros, P.; Michelson, P. F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Mizuno, T.; Monte, C.; Monzani, M. E.; Moretti, E.; Morselli, A.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Murgia, S.; Naumann-Godo, M.; Norris, J. P.; Nuss, E.; Nymark, T.; Ohno, M.; Ohsugi, T.; Omodei, N.; Orienti, M.; Orlando, E.; Paneque, D.; Perkins, J. S.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Piron, F.; Pivato, G.; Racusin, J. L.; Rainò, S.; Rando, R.; Razzano, M.; Razzaque, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Romoli, C.; Roth, M.; Ryde, F.; Sanchez, D. A.; Sgrò, C.; Siskind, E. J.; Sonbas, E.; Spinelli, P.; Stamatikos, M.; Takahashi, H.; Tanaka, T.; Thayer, J. G.; Thayer, J. B.; Tibaldo, L.; Tinivella, M.; Tosti, G.; Troja, E.; Usher, T. L.; Vandenbroucke, J.; Vasileiou, V.; Vianello, G.; Vitale, V.; Waite, A. P.; Winer, B. L.; Wood, K. S.; Yang, Z.; Gruber, D.; Bhat, P. N.; Bissaldi, E.; Briggs, M. S.; Burgess, J. M.; Connaughton, V.; Foley, S.; Kippen, R. M.; Kouveliotou, C.; McBreen, S.; McGlynn, S.; Paciesas, W. S.; Pelassa, V.; Preece, R.; Rau, A.; van der Horst, A. J.; von Kienlin, A.; Kann, D. A.; Filgas, R.; Klose, S.; Krühler, T.; Fukui, A.; Sako, T.; Tristram, P. J.; Oates, S. R.; Ukwatta, T. N.; Littlejohns, O.

2013-02-01

We report on the multiwavelength observations of the bright, long gamma-ray burst GRB 110731A, by the Fermi and Swift observatories, and by the MOA and GROND optical telescopes. The analysis of the prompt phase reveals that GRB 110731A shares many features with bright Large Area Telescope bursts observed by Fermi during the first three years on-orbit: a light curve with short time variability across the whole energy range during the prompt phase, delayed onset of the emission above 100 MeV, extra power-law component and temporally extended high-energy emission. In addition, this is the first GRB for which simultaneous GeV, X-ray, and optical data are available over multiple epochs beginning just after the trigger time and extending for more than 800 s, allowing temporal and spectral analysis in different epochs that favor emission from the forward shock in a wind-type medium. The observed temporally extended GeV emission is most likely part of the high-energy end of the afterglow emission. Both the single-zone pair transparency constraint for the prompt signal and the spectral and temporal analysis of the forward-shock afterglow emission independently lead to an estimate of the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet Γ ~ 500-550.

Gamma Ray Pulsars: Multiwavelength Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, David J.

2004-01-01

High-energy gamma rays are a valuable tool for studying particle acceleration and radiation in the magnetospheres of energetic pulsars. The seven or more pulsars seen by instruments on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) show that: the light curves usually have double-peak structures (suggesting a broad cone of emission); gamma rays are frequently the dominant component of the radiated power; and all the spectra show evidence of a high-energy turnover. For all the known gamma-ray pulsars, multiwavelength observations and theoretical models based on such observations offer the prospect of gaining a broad understanding of these rotating neutron stars. The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), now in planning for a launch in 2006, will provide a major advance in sensitivity, energy range, and sky coverage.

Biogenic nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions estimated from tethered balloon observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, K. J.; Lenschow, D. H.; Zimmerman, P. R.

1994-01-01

A new technique for estimating surface fluxes of trace gases, the mixed-layer gradient technique, is used to calculate isoprene and terpene emissions from forests. The technique is applied to tethered balloon measurements made over the Amazon forest and a pine-oak forest in Alabama at altitudes up to 300 m. The observations were made during the dry season Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment (ABLE 2A) and the Rural Oxidants in the Southern Environment 1990 experiment (ROSE I). Results from large eddy simulations of scalar transport in the clear convective boundary layer are used to infer fluxes from the balloon profiles. Profiles from the Amazon give a mean daytime emission of 3630 +/- 1400 micrograms isoprene sq m/h, where the uncertainty represents the standard deviation of the mean of eight flux estimates. Twenty profiles from Alabama give emissions of 4470 +/- 3300 micrograms isoprene sq m/h, 1740 +/- 1060 micrograms alpha-pinene sq m/h, and 790 +/- 560 micrograms beta-pinene sq m/h, respectively. These results are in agreement with emissions derived from chemical budgets. The emissions may be overestimated because of uncertainty about how to incorporate the effects of the canopy on the mixed-layer gradients. The large variability in these emission estimates is probably due to the relatively short sampling times of the balloon profiles, though spatially heterogeneous emissions may also play a role. Fluxes derived using this technique are representative of an upwind footprint of several kilometers and are independent of hydrocarbon oxidation rate and mean advection.

A new X-ray spectral observation of NGC 1068

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, F. E.; Netzer, H.; Arnaud, K. A.; Boldt, E. A.; Holt, S. S.; Jahoda, K. M.; Kelley, R.; Mushotzky, R. F.; Petre, R.; Serlemitsos, P. J.

1993-01-01

A new X-ray observation of NGC 1068, in which improved spectral resolution (R is approximately equal to 40) and broad energy range provide important new constraints on models for this galaxy, is reported. The observed X-ray continuum of NGC 1068 from 0.3 to 10 keV is well fitted as the sum of two power-law spectra with no evidence for absorption intrinsic to the source. Strong Fe K emission lines with a total equivalent width of 2700 eV were detected due to iron less ionized than Fe XX and to iron more ionized than Fe XXIII. No evidence was seen for lines due to the recombination of highly ionized oxygen with an upper limit for the O Ly-alpha emission line of 40 eV. The discovery of multiple Fe K and Fe L emission lines indicates a broad range of ionization states for this gas. The X-ray emission from the two components is modeled for various geometries using a photoionization code that calculates the temperature and ionization state of the gas. Typical model parameters are a total Compton depth of a few percent, an inner boundary of the hot component of about 1 pc, and an inner boundary of the warm component of about 20 pc.

Global oceanic emission of ammonia: Constraints from seawater and atmospheric observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulot, F.; Jacob, D. J.; Johnson, M. T.; Bell, T. G.; Baker, A. R.; Keene, W. C.; Lima, I. D.; Doney, S. C.; Stock, C. A.

2015-08-01

Current global inventories of ammonia emissions identify the ocean as the largest natural source. This source depends on seawater pH, temperature, and the concentration of total seawater ammonia (NHx(sw)), which reflects a balance between remineralization of organic matter, uptake by plankton, and nitrification. Here we compare [NHx(sw)] from two global ocean biogeochemical models (BEC and COBALT) against extensive ocean observations. Simulated [NHx(sw)] are generally biased high. Improved simulation can be achieved in COBALT by increasing the plankton affinity for NHx within observed ranges. The resulting global ocean emissions is 2.5 TgN a-1, much lower than current literature values (7-23 TgN a-1), including the widely used Global Emissions InitiAtive (GEIA) inventory (8 TgN a-1). Such a weak ocean source implies that continental sources contribute more than half of atmospheric NHx over most of the ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. Ammonia emitted from oceanic sources is insufficient to neutralize sulfate aerosol acidity, consistent with observations. There is evidence over the Equatorial Pacific for a missing source of atmospheric ammonia that could be due to photolysis of marine organic nitrogen at the ocean surface or in the atmosphere. Accommodating this possible missing source yields a global ocean emission of ammonia in the range 2-5 TgN a-1, comparable in magnitude to other natural sources from open fires and soils.

Unveiling the X-ray/UV properties of AGN winds using Broad and mini-Broad Absorption Line Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giustini, M.

2015-07-01

BAL/mini-BALs are observed in the UV spectra of ˜ 20-30% of optically selected AGN as broad absorption troughs blueshifted by several thousands km/s, indicative of powerful nuclear winds. They could be representative of the average AGN if their winds cover only 20-30% of the continuum source, and/or represent an evolutionary state analogous to the high-soft state of BHB, when the jet emission is quenched and strong X-ray absorbing equatorial disk winds are virtually ubiquitous. High-quality, possibly time-resolved X-ray/UV studies are crucial to assess the global amount and 'character' of absorption in BAL/mini-BAL QSOs and to constrain the physical mechanism responsible for the launch and acceleration of their winds, therefore placing them in the broader context of AGN geometry and evolution. I will review here the known X-ray properties of BAL/mini-BAL QSOs, and present new results from a comprehensive X-ray spectral analysis of all the Palomar-Green BAL/mini-BAL QSOs with available XMM-Newton observations, for a total of 51 pointings of 14 different sources. These will include the most recent results from a high-quality simultaneous XMM/HST observational campaign on the mini-BAL QSO PG 1126-041, that unveiled with stunning details the X-ray/UV connection in action in an AGN disk wind through correlated X-ray/UV absorption variability.

Ultraviolet Broad Absorption Features and the Spectral Energy Distribution of the QSO PG 1351+64. 3.1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zheng, W.; Kriss, G. A.; Wang, J. X.; Brotherton, M.; Oegerle, W. R.; Blair, W. P.; Davidsen, A. F.; Green, R. F.; Hutchings, J. B.; Kaiser, M. E.;

Ultraviolet Broad Absorption Features and the Spectral Energy Distribution of the QSO PG 1351+641. 2.5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zheng, W.; Kriss, G. A.; Wang, J. X.; Brotherton, M.; Oegerle, W. R.; Blair, W. P.; Davidsen, A. F.; Green, R. F.; Hutchings, J. B.; Kaiser, M. E.;

Photoionisation modelling of the broad line region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Anthea

2016-08-01

Two of the most fundamental questions regarding the broad line region (BLR) are "what is its structure?" and "how is it moving?" Baldwin et al. (1995) showed that by summing over an ensemble of clouds at differing densities and distances from the ionising source we can easily and naturally produce a spectrum similar to what is observed for AGN. This approach is called the `locally optimally emitting clouds' (LOC) model. This approach can also explain the well-observed stratification of emission lines in the BLR (e.g. Clavel et al. 1991, Peterson et al. 1991, Kollatschny et al. 2001) and `breathing' of BLR with changes in the continuum luminosity (Netzer & Mor 1990, Peterson et al. 2014) and is therefore a generally accepted model of the BLR. However, LOC predictions require some assumptions to be made about the distribution of the clouds within the BLR. By comparing photoionization predictions, for a distribution of cloud properties, with observed spectra we can infer something about the structure of the BLR and distribution of clouds. I use existing reverberation mapping data to constrain the structure of the BLR by observing how individual line strengths and ratios of different lines change in high and low luminosity states. I will present my initial constraints and discuss the challenges associated with the method.

Observations of the 10-micron natural laser emission from the mesospheres of Mars and Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Espenak, F.; Deming, D.; Jennings, D.; Kostiuk, T.; Mumma, M.; Zipoy, D.

1983-01-01

Observations of the total flux and center to limb dependence of the nonthermal emission occurring in the cores of the 9.4 and 10.4 micrometers CO2 bands on Mars are compared to a theoretical model based on this mechanism. The model successfully reproduces the observed center to limb dependence of this emission, to within the limits imposed by the spatial resolution of the observations of Mars and Venus. The observed flux from Mars agrees closely with the prediction of the model; the flux observed from Venus is 74 percent of the flux predicted by the model. This emission is used to obtain the kinetic temperatures of the Martian and Venusian mesospheres. For Mars near 70 km altitude, a rotational temperature analysis using five lines gives T = 135 + or - 20 K. The frequency width of the emission is also analyzed to derive a temperature of 126 + or - 6 K. In the case of the Venusian mesosphere near 109 km, the frequency width of the emission gives T = 204 + or - 10 K.

Observations of the 10 micrometer natural laser emission from the mesospheres of Mars and Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, D.; Espenak, F.; Jennings, D.; Kostiuk, T.; Mumma, M. J.

1983-01-01

Observations of the total flux and center to limb dependence of the nonthermal emission occurring in the cores of the 9.4 and 10.4 micrometers CO2 bands on Mars are compared to a theoretical model based on this mechanism. The model successfully reproduces the observed center to limb dependence of this emission, to within the limits imposed by the spatial resolution of the observations of Mars and Venus. The observed flux from Mars agrees closely with the prediction of the model; the flux observed from Venus is 74% of the flux predicted by the model. This emission is used to obtain the kinetic temperatures of the Martian and Venusian mesospheres. For Mars near 70 km altitude, a rotational temperature analysis using five lines gives T = 135 + or - 20 K. The frequency width of the emission is also analyzed to derive a temperature of 126 + or - 6 K. In the case of the Venusian mesosphere near 109 km, the frequency width of the emission gives T = 204 + or - 10 K.

Chandra Observations of Extended X-Ray Emission in ARP 220

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDowell, J. C.; Clements, D. L.; Lamb, S. A.; Shaked, S.; Hearn, N. C.; Colina, L.; Mundell, C.; Borne, K.; Baker, A. C.; Arribas, S.

2003-01-01

We resolve the extended X-ray emission from the prototypical ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220. Extended, faint, edge-brightened, soft X-ray lobes outside the optical galaxy are observed to a distance of 1CL 15 kpc on each side of the nuclear region. Bright plumes inside the optical isophotes coincide with the optical line emission and extend 1 1 kpc from end to end across the nucleus. The data for the plumes cannot be fitted by a single-temperature plasma and display a range of temperatures from 0.2 to 1 keV. The plumes emerge from bright, diffuse circumnuclear emission in the inner 3 kpc centered on the Ha peak, which is displaced from the radio nuclei. There is a close morphological correspondence between the Ha and soft X-ray emission on all spatial scales. We interpret the plumes as a starburst-driven superwind and discuss two interpretations of the emission from the lobes in the context of simulations of the merger dynamics of Arp 220.

Continued observations of the H Ly alpha emission from Uranus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, J.; Durrance, S.; Moos, W.; Murthy, J.; Atreya, S.; Barnes, A.; Mihalov, J.; Belcher, J.; Festou, M.; Imhoff, C.

1986-01-01

Observations of Uranus obtained over four years with the IUE Observatory supports the initial identification of a bright H Ly alpha flux which varies independently of the solar H Ly alpha flux, implying a largely self-excited emission. An average brightness of 1400 Rayleighs is derived, and limits for the possible contribution by reflected solar H Ly alpha emission, estimated to be about 200 Rayleighs, suggest that the remaining self-excited emission is produced by an aurora. Based on comparison with solar wind measurements obtained in the vicinity of Uranus by Voyager 2 and Pioneer 11, no evidence for correlation between the solar wind density and the H Ly alpha brightness is found. The upper limit to H2 emission gives a lower limit to the ratio of H Ly alpha/H2 emissions of about 2.4, suggesting that the precipitating particles may be significantly less energetic on Uranus than those responsible for the aurora on Jupiter. The average power in precipitating particles is estimated to be of the order of 10 to the 12th W.

Observed Arctic sea-ice loss directly follows anthropogenic CO2 emission.

PubMed

Notz, Dirk; Stroeve, Julienne

2016-11-11

Arctic sea ice is retreating rapidly, raising prospects of a future ice-free Arctic Ocean during summer. Because climate-model simulations of the sea-ice loss differ substantially, we used a robust linear relationship between monthly-mean September sea-ice area and cumulative carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions to infer the future evolution of Arctic summer sea ice directly from the observational record. The observed linear relationship implies a sustained loss of 3 ± 0.3 square meters of September sea-ice area per metric ton of CO 2 emission. On the basis of this sensitivity, Arctic sea ice will be lost throughout September for an additional 1000 gigatons of CO 2 emissions. Most models show a lower sensitivity, which is possibly linked to an underestimation of the modeled increase in incoming longwave radiation and of the modeled transient climate response. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Observations of two peculiar emission objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kafatos, M.; Michalitsianos, A. G.; Allen, D. A.; Stencel, R. E.

1983-01-01

Ultraviolet and visual wavelength spectra were obtained of two peculiar emission objects, Henize S63 and Sanduleak's star in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Previously not observed in the near- or far-ultraviolet, both objects exhibit strong permitted and semiforbidden line emissions. Estimates based on the absolute continuum flux of the hot companion star in Hen S63 indicate that it rivals the luminosity of the carbon star primary. The emission-line profile structure in both objects does not suggest Wolf-Rayet type emission. Carbon in Sanduleak's star (LMC anonymous) is conspicuously absent, while N V, semiforbidden N IV, and semiforbidden N III dominate the UV emission-line spectrum. Nitrogen is overabundant with respect to carbon and oxygen in both objects. The large overabundance of nitrogen in Sanduleak's star suggests evidence for CNO processes material similar to that seen in Nu Car.

Steps Toward Unveiling the True Population of AGN: Photometric Selection of Broad-Line AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Evan; Impey, C.

2012-01-01

We present an AGN selection technique that enables identification of broad-line AGN using only photometric data. An extension of infrared selection techniques, our method involves fitting a given spectral energy distribution with a model consisting of three physically motivated components: infrared power law emission, optical accretion disk emission, and host galaxy emission. Each component can be varied in intensity, and a reduced chi-square minimization routine is used to determine the optimum parameters for each object. Using this model, both broad- and narrow-line AGN are seen to fall within discrete ranges of parameter space that have plausible bounds, allowing physical trends with luminosity and redshift to be determined. Based on a fiducial sample of AGN from the catalog of Trump et al. (2009), we find the region occupied by broad-line AGN to be distinct from that of quiescent or star-bursting galaxies. Because this technique relies only on photometry, it will allow us to find AGN at fainter magnitudes than are accessible in spectroscopic surveys, and thus probe a population of less luminous and/or higher redshift objects. With the vast availability of photometric data in large surveys, this technique should have broad applicability and result in large samples that will complement X-ray AGN catalogs.

Hard X-Ray Emission and the Ionizing Source in LINERs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terashima, Yuichi; Ho, Luis C.; Ptak, Andrew F.

2000-01-01

We report X-ray fluxes in the 2-10 keV band from LINERs (low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions) and low-luminosity Seyfert galaxies obtained with the ASCA satellite. Observed X-ray luminosities are in the range between 4 x 10(exp 39) and 5 x 10(exp 41) ergs/s, which are significantly smaller than that of the "classical" low-luminosity Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4051. We found that X-ray luminosities in 2-10 keV of LINERs with broad H.alpha emission in their optical spectra (LINER 1s) are proportional to their Ha luminosities. This correlation strongly supports the hypothesis that the dominant ionizing source in LINER 1s is photoionization by hard photons from low-luminosity AGNs. On the other hand, the X-ray luminosities of most LINERs without broad H.alpha emission (LINER 2s) in our sample are lower than LINER 1s at a given H.alpha luminosity. The observed X-ray luminosities in these objects are insufficient to power their H.alpha luminosities, suggesting that their primary ionizing source is other than an AGN, or that an AGN, if present, is obscured even at energies above 2 keV.

Discrepancy between simulated and observed ethane and propane levels explained by underestimated fossil emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalsøren, Stig B.; Myhre, Gunnar; Hodnebrog, Øivind; Myhre, Cathrine Lund; Stohl, Andreas; Pisso, Ignacio; Schwietzke, Stefan; Höglund-Isaksson, Lena; Helmig, Detlev; Reimann, Stefan; Sauvage, Stéphane; Schmidbauer, Norbert; Read, Katie A.; Carpenter, Lucy J.; Lewis, Alastair C.; Punjabi, Shalini; Wallasch, Markus

2018-03-01

Ethane and propane are the most abundant non-methane hydrocarbons in the atmosphere. However, their emissions, atmospheric distribution, and trends in their atmospheric concentrations are insufficiently understood. Atmospheric model simulations using standard community emission inventories do not reproduce available measurements in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we show that observations of pre-industrial and present-day ethane and propane can be reproduced in simulations with a detailed atmospheric chemistry transport model, provided that natural geologic emissions are taken into account and anthropogenic fossil fuel emissions are assumed to be two to three times higher than is indicated in current inventories. Accounting for these enhanced ethane and propane emissions results in simulated surface ozone concentrations that are 5-13% higher than previously assumed in some polluted regions in Asia. The improved correspondence with observed ethane and propane in model simulations with greater emissions suggests that the level of fossil (geologic + fossil fuel) methane emissions in current inventories may need re-evaluation.

Assessing fossil fuel CO2 emissions in California using atmospheric observations and models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graven, H.; Fischer, M. L.; Lueker, T.; Jeong, S.; Guilderson, T. P.; Keeling, R. F.; Bambha, R.; Brophy, K.; Callahan, W.; Cui, X.; Frankenberg, C.; Gurney, K. R.; LaFranchi, B. W.; Lehman, S. J.; Michelsen, H.; Miller, J. B.; Newman, S.; Paplawsky, W.; Parazoo, N. C.; Sloop, C.; Walker, S. J.

2018-06-01

Analysis systems incorporating atmospheric observations could provide a powerful tool for validating fossil fuel CO2 (ffCO2) emissions reported for individual regions, provided that fossil fuel sources can be separated from other CO2 sources or sinks and atmospheric transport can be accurately accounted for. We quantified ffCO2 by measuring radiocarbon (14C) in CO2, an accurate fossil-carbon tracer, at nine observation sites in California for three months in 2014–15. There is strong agreement between the measurements and ffCO2 simulated using a high-resolution atmospheric model and a spatiotemporally-resolved fossil fuel flux estimate. Inverse estimates of total in-state ffCO2 emissions are consistent with the California Air Resources Board’s reported ffCO2 emissions, providing tentative validation of California’s reported ffCO2 emissions in 2014–15. Continuing this prototype analysis system could provide critical independent evaluation of reported ffCO2 emissions and emissions reductions in California, and the system could be expanded to other, more data-poor regions.

Radio Emission from Three-dimensional Relativistic Hydrodynamic Jets: Observational Evidence of Jet Stratification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aloy, Miguel-Angel; Gómez, José-Luis; Ibáñez, José-María; Martí, José-María; Müller, Ewald

2000-01-01

We present the first radio emission simulations from high-resolution three-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic jets; these simulations allow us to study the observational implications of the interaction between the jet and the external medium. This interaction gives rise to a stratification of the jet in which a fast spine is surrounded by a slow high-energy shear layer. The stratification (in particular, the large specific internal energy and slow flow in the shear layer) largely determines the emission from the jet. If the magnetic field in the shear layer becomes helical (e.g., resulting from an initial toroidal field and an aligned field component generated by shear), the emission shows a cross section asymmetry, in which either the top or the bottom of the jet dominates the emission. This, as well as limb or spine brightening, is a function of the viewing angle and flow velocity, and the top/bottom jet emission predominance can be reversed if the jet changes direction with respect to the observer or if it presents a change in velocity. The asymmetry is more prominent in the polarized flux because of field cancellation (or amplification) along the line of sight. Recent observations of jet cross section emission asymmetries in the blazar 1055+018 can be explained by assuming the existence of a shear layer with a helical magnetic field.

Multiwavelength Observations of GRB 110731A: GeV Emission From Onset to Afterglow

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Asano, K.; ...

2013-01-09

In this paper, we report on the multiwavelength observations of the bright, long gamma-ray burst GRB 110731A, by the Fermi and Swift observatories, and by the MOA and GROND optical telescopes. The analysis of the prompt phase reveals that GRB 110731A shares many features with bright Large Area Telescope bursts observed by Fermi during the first three years on-orbit: a light curve with short time variability across the whole energy range during the prompt phase, delayed onset of the emission above 100 MeV, extra power-law component and temporally extended high-energy emission. In addition, this is the first GRB for whichmore » simultaneous GeV, X-ray, and optical data are available over multiple epochs beginning just after the trigger time and extending for more than 800 s, allowing temporal and spectral analysis in different epochs that favor emission from the forward shock in a wind-type medium. Lastly, the observed temporally extended GeV emission is most likely part of the high-energy end of the afterglow emission. Both the single-zone pair transparency constraint for the prompt signal and the spectral and temporal analysis of the forward-shock afterglow emission independently lead to an estimate of the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet Γ ~ 500-550.« less

Transport and radiative impacts of atmospheric pollen using online, observation-based emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wozniak, M. C.; Steiner, A. L.; Solmon, F.; Li, Y.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric pollen emitted from trees and grasses exhibits both a high temporal variability and a highly localized spatial distribution that has been difficult to quantify in the atmosphere. Pollen's radiative impact is also not quantified because it is neglected in climate modeling studies. Here we couple an online, meteorological active pollen emissions model guided by observations of airborne pollen to understand the role of pollen in the atmosphere. We use existing pollen counts from 2003-2008 across the continental U.S. in conjunction with a tree database and historical meteorological data to create an observation-based phenological model that produces accurately scaled and timed emissions. These emissions are emitted and transported within the regional climate model (RegCM4) and the direct radiative effect is calculated. Additionally, we simulate the rupture of coarse pollen grains into finer particles by adding a second size mode for pollen emissions, which contributes to the shortwave radiative forcing and also has an indirect effect on climate.

Quantifying CO2 Emissions from Individual Power Plants using OCO-2 Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nassar, R.; Hill, T. G.; McLinden, C. A.; Wunch, D.; Jones, D. B. A.; Crisp, D.

2017-12-01

In order to better manage anthropogenic CO2 emissions, improved methods of quantifying emissions are needed at all spatial scales from the national level down to the facility level. Although the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) satellite was not designed for monitoring power plant emissions, we show that in select cases, CO2 observations from OCO-2 can be used to quantify daily CO2 emissions from individual mid- to large-sized coal power plants by fitting the data to plume model simulations. Emission estimates for US power plants are within 1-13% of reported daily emission values enabling application of the approach to international sites that lack detailed emission information. These results affirm that a constellation of future CO2 imaging satellites, optimized for point sources, could be used for the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of CO2 emissions from individual power plants to support the implementation of climate policies.

Hard X-ray emission from the solar corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krucker, S.; Battaglia, M.; Cargill, P. J.; Fletcher, L.; Hudson, H. S.; MacKinnon, A. L.; Masuda, S.; Sui, L.; Tomczak, M.; Veronig, A. L.; Vlahos, L.; White, S. M.

2008-10-01

This review surveys hard X-ray emissions of non-thermal electrons in the solar corona. These electrons originate in flares and flare-related processes. Hard X-ray emission is the most direct diagnostic of electron presence in the corona, and such observations provide quantitative determinations of the total energy in the non-thermal electrons. The most intense flare emissions are generally observed from the chromosphere at footpoints of magnetic loops. Over the years, however, many observations of hard X-ray and even γ-ray emission directly from the corona have also been reported. These coronal sources are of particular interest as they occur closest to where the electron acceleration is thought to occur. Prior to the actual direct imaging observations, disk occultation was usually required to study coronal sources, resulting in limited physical information. Now RHESSI has given us a systematic view of coronal sources that combines high spatial and spectral resolution with broad energy coverage and high sensitivity. Despite the low density and hence low bremsstrahlung efficiency of the corona, we now detect coronal hard X-ray emissions from sources in all phases of solar flares. Because the physical conditions in such sources may differ substantially from those of the usual “footpoint” emission regions, we take the opportunity to revisit the physics of hard X-radiation and relevant theories of particle acceleration.

Copernicus observations of Nova Cygni 1975

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, E. B.; Snow, T. P.; Upson, W. L.; Anderson, R.; Starrfield, S. G.; Gallagher, J. S.; Friedjung, M.; Linsky, J. L.; Henry, R. C.; Moos, H. W.

1977-01-01

Near-ultraviolet radiation from Nova Cygni 1975 was detected by the Copernicus satellite on five occasions from 1975 September 1 to 1975 September 9. The nova was not seen in the UV after this date. The principal result was the observation of a broad emission feature from the Mg II doublet at 2800 A. The absence of strong UV radiation at shorter wavelengths suggests that these lines are produced by collisional excitation in the outer layers of an expanding shell with electron temperature of approximately 4000 K. The absence of observed emission lines from highly ionized species indicates that the amount of material with log T between 4.4 and 5.7 is less than 0.001 times that which produces the Mg II emission. The continuum flux in the near-UV decreased as the nova evolved, showing that the total luminosity decreased as the nova faded in the visible.

VLF emissions in the Venus foreshock - Comparison with terrestrial observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawford, G. K.; Strangeway, R. J.; Russell, C. T.

1993-01-01

An examination is conducted of ELF/VLF emissions observed in the solar wind upstream of the Venus shock, for the 100 Hz-30 kHz range, using data from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter's electric field detector and magnetometer instruments. Detailed comparisons are made with terrestrial measurements for both the electron and ion foreshocks. The results obtained support the Crawford et al. (1990) identification of the Venus electron foreshock emissions as electron plasma oscillations, whose waves are generated in situ and act to isotropize the electron distributions.

DISSECTING THE POWER SOURCES OF LOW-LUMINOSITY EMISSION-LINE GALAXY NUCLEI VIA COMPARISON OF HST-STIS AND GROUND-BASED SPECTRA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Constantin, Anca; Castillo, Christopher A.; Shields, Joseph C.

Using a sample of ∼100 nearby line-emitting galaxy nuclei, we have built the currently definitive atlas of spectroscopic measurements of Hα and neighboring emission lines at subarcsecond scales. We employ these data in a quantitative comparison of the nebular emission in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based apertures, which offer an order-of-magnitude difference in contrast, and provide new statistical constraints on the degree to which transition objects and low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs) are powered by an accreting black hole at ≲10 pc. We show that while the small-aperture observations clearly resolve the nebular emission, the aperture dependence in themore » line ratios is generally weak, and this can be explained by gradients in the density of the line-emitting gas: the higher densities in the more nuclear regions potentially flatten the excitation gradients, suppressing the forbidden emission. The transition objects show a threefold increase in the incidence of broad Hα emission in the high-resolution data, as well as the strongest density gradients, supporting the composite model for these systems as accreting sources surrounded by star-forming activity. The narrow-line LINERs appear to be the weaker counterparts of the Type 1 LINERs, where the low accretion rates cause the disappearance of the broad-line component. The enhanced sensitivity of the HST observations reveals a 30% increase in the incidence of accretion-powered systems at z ≈ 0. A comparison of the strength of the broad-line emission detected at different epochs implies potential broad-line variability on a decade-long timescale, with at least a factor of three in amplitude.« less

Probing the gamma-ray variability in 3C 279 using broad-band observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rani, B.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Lee, S. -S.

2016-09-27

In this study, we present the results of a broad-band radio-to-GeV observing campaign organized to get a better understanding of the radiation processes responsible for the γ-ray flares observed in 3C 279. The total intensity and polarization observations of the source were carried out between 2013 December 28 and 2014 January 03 using the Fermi-Large Area Telescope, Swift-XRT, Swift-UVOT, and Korean VLBI Network telescopes. A prominent flare observed in the optical/near-UV passbands was found to be correlated with a concurrent γ-ray flare at a confidence level >95 percent, which suggests a co-spatial origin of the two. Moreover, the flaring activitymore » in the two regimes was accompanied by no significant spectral variations. A peak in the X-ray light curve coincides with the peaks of the fractional polarization curves at 43 and 86 GHz radio bands. No prominent variation was noticed for the total intensity and the electric vector position angle observations at radio bands during this period. We noticed a possible hint of steepening of the radio spectrum with an increase in percentage polarization, which suggests that the radio polarization variations could be simply due to a spectral change. In a simple scenario, the correlated optical/γ-ray flares could be caused by the same population of emitting particles. The coincidence of the increase in radio polarization with the X-ray flux supports the picture that X-rays are produced via inverse-Compton scattering of radio photons. Finally, the observed fractional variability for the γ-ray flare ~0.23 does not exceed that in the optical regime, which is inconsistent with what we usually observe for 3C 279; it could be due to different dependencies of the magnetic field and the external radiation field energy density profiles along the jet.« less

Anomalous optical emission in hot dense oxygen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoro, Mario; Gregoryanz, Eugene; Mao, Ho-kwang; Hemley, Russell J.

2007-11-01

We report the observation of unusually strong, broad-band optical emission peaked between 590 and 650 nm when solid and fluid oxygen are heated by a near infrared laser at pressures from 3 to 46 GPa. In situ Raman spectra of oxygen were collected and corresponding temperatures were measured from the Stokes/anti-Stokes intensity ratios of vibrational transitions. The intense optical emission overwhelmed the Raman spectrum at temperatures exceeding 750 K. The spectrum was found to be much narrower than Planck-type thermal emission, and the intensity increase with input power was much steeper than expected for the thermal emission. The result places an important general caveat on calculating temperatures based on optical emission spectra in high-pressure laser-heating experiments. The intense emission in oxygen is photo-induced rather than being purely thermal, through multiphoton or multi-step single photon absorption processes related to the interaction with infrared radiation. The results suggest that short lived ionic species are induced by this laser-matter interaction.

Time dependent emission line profiles in the radially streaming particle model of Seyfert galaxy nuclei and quasi-stellar objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubbard, R.

1974-01-01

The radially-streaming particle model for broad quasar and Seyfert galaxy emission features is modified to include sources of time dependence. The results are suggestive of reported observations of multiple components, variability, and transient features in the wings of Seyfert and quasi-stellar emission lines.

Observed Personality in Childhood: Psychometric and Behavioral Genetic Evidence of Two Broad Personality Factors

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhe; Chen, Nan; Petrill, Stephen A.; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2014-01-01

We examined broad dimensions of children’s personalities (total n = 1056; age = 3.5 to 12 years) based on observers’ perceptions following a few hours of structured interaction. Siblings’ behaviors during a two-hour cognitive assessment in the home were rated separately by two different observers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses clearly revealed a two-factor solution in three different samples. There was correspondence between parent-rated temperament and the observer-rated factors. Cross-sectional analyses indicated lower Plasticity among older children and higher Stability among older children. Sex differences were negligible. Plasticity and Stability were correlated in the .2 to .3 range. Most of the sibling similarity in the Plasticity was due to additive genetic influences, whereas most sibling similarity in Stability was attributable to shared environmental influences. The findings implicate a biometric factor structure to childhood personality that fits well with emerging bio-social theories of personality development. PMID:24932065

The Multi-component X-ray Emission of 3C 273

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soldi, S.; Türler, M.; Paltani, S.; Courvoisier, T. J.-L.

2009-05-01

3C 273 is the brightest quasar in the sky and among the most extensively observed and studied AGN, therefore one of the most suitable targets for a long-term, multi-frequency study. The superposition of a thermal Comptonisation component, similar to that observed in Seyfert galaxies, and of a non-thermal component, related to the jet emission, seems to explain some of the spectral and timing properties of the X-ray emission of 3C 273. Yet, during some observations this dichotomy has not been observed and the variability properties could also be consistent with a single-component scenario, characterised by two parameters varying independently. In order to understand the nature of the X-ray emission in 3C 273, a series of observations up to 80-100 keV, possibly catching the source in different flux states, are essential. Simbol-X will be able to study the emission of 3C 273 in the broad 0.5-80 keV band with high sensitivity, allowing us to disentangle the emission from different spectral components, with 20-30 ks long observations. In addition, the shape and the origin of the high-energy emission of this quasar will be further constrained thanks to the AGILE and Fermi satellites, monitoring the γ-ray sky in the MeV-GeV energy domain.

Experimental evaluation of combustor concepts for burning broad property fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasper, J. M.; Ekstedt, E. E.; Dodds, W. J.; Shayeson, M. W.

1980-01-01

A baseline CF6-50 combustor and three advanced combustor designs were evaluated to determine the effects of combustor design on operational characteristics using broad property fuels. Three fuels were used in each test: Jet A, a broad property 13% hydrogen fuel, and a 12% hydrogen fuel blend. Testing was performed in a sector rig at true cruise and simulated takeoff conditions for the CF6-50 engine cycle. The advanced combustors (all double annular, lean dome designs) generally exhibited lower metal temperatures, exhaust emissions, and carbon buildup than the baseline CF6-50 combustor. The sensitivities of emissions and metal temperatures to fuel hydrogen content were also generally lower for the advanced designs. The most promising advanced design used premixing tubes in the main stage. This design was chosen for additional testing in which fuel/air ratio, reference velocity, and fuel flow split were varied.

IUE observations of the Jovian HI Lyman alpha emission (1979 - 1982)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, T. E.; Durrance, S. T.; Feldman, P. D.; Moos, H. W.

1982-01-01

Observations of the Jovian H ion Lyman emission made with the IUE observatory beginning in December 1978 just before the time of the Voyager encounters and extending through January 1982 are presented. A constant disk center brightness of about 8 kR is observed for the central meridian longitude range wavelength III approximately equal 200 deg to 360 deg and a variable brightness 9-15 kR is found for the range lambda III approximately 50 deg to 150 deg. These brightness values persisted throughout the three years of observation. The hydrogen bulge near wavelength III approximately equal 100 deg appears to be a permanent feature of the Jovian atmosphere, and no long term change of the planetary Lyman emission is seen. Since the early IUE observations were made near the two Voyager encounters, this indicates that no substantial changes in the atomic hydrogen concentration or the average atmospheric conditions took place between then and now.

Observational diagnostics of accretion on young stars and brown dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stelzer, Beate; Argiroffi, Costanza

I present a summary of recent observational constraints on the accretion properties of young stars and brown dwarfs with focus on the high-energy emission. In their T Tauri phase young stars assemble a few percent of their mass by accretion from a disk. Various observational signatures of disks around pre-main sequence stars and the ensuing accretion process are found in the IR and optical regime: e.g. excess emission above the stellar photosphere, strong and broad emission lines, optical veiling. At high energies evidence for accretion is less obvious, and the X-ray emission from stars has historically been ascribed to magnetically confined coronal plasmas. While being true for the bulk of the emission, new insight obtained from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations has unveiled contributions from accretion and outflow processes to the X-ray emission from young stars. Their smaller siblings, the brown dwarfs, have been shown to undergo a T Tauri phase on the basis of optical/IR observations of disks and measurements of accretion rates. Most re-cently, first evidence was found for X-rays produced by accretion in a young brown dwarf, complementing the suspected analogy between stars and substellar objects.

Observation of Solar Wind Charge Exchange Emission from Exospheric Material in and Outside Earth's Magnetosheath

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snowden, S. L.; Collier, M. R.; Cravens, T.; Kuntz, K. D.; Lepri, S. T.; Robertson, I.; Tomas, L.

2008-01-01

A long XMM-Newton exposure is used to observe solar wind charge exchange (SWCX) emission from exospheric material in and outside Earth s magnetosheath. The light curve of the O VII (0.5-0.62 keV) band is compared with a model for the expected emission, and while the emission is faint and the light curve has considerable scatter, the correlation is significant to better than 99.9%. This result demonstrates the validity of the geocoronal SWCX emission model for predicting a contribution to astrophysical observations to a scale factor of order unity (1.36). The results also demonstrate the potential utility of using X-ray observations to study global phenomena of the magnetosheath which currently are only investigated using in situ measurements.

VARIABLE REDDENING AND BROAD ABSORPTION LINES IN THE NARROW-LINE SEYFERT 1 GALAXY WPVS 007: AN ORIGIN IN THE TORUS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leighly, Karen M.; Cooper, Erin; Grupe, Dirk

2015-08-10

We report the discovery of an occultation event in the low-luminosity narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy WPVS 007 in 2015 February and March. In concert with longer timescale variability, these observations place strong constraints on the nature and location of the absorbing material. Swift monitoring has revealed a secular decrease since ∼2010 accompanied by flattening of the optical and UV photometry that suggests variable reddening. Analysis of four Hubble Space Telescope COS observations since 2010, including a Director’s Discretionary time observation during the occultation, shows that the broad-absorption-line velocity offset and the C iv emission-line width both decrease as the reddeningmore » increases. The occultation dynamical timescale, the BAL variability dynamical timescale, and the density of the BAL gas show that both the reddening material and the broad-absorption-line gas are consistent with an origin in the torus. These observations can be explained by a scenario in which the torus is clumpy with variable scale height, and the BAL gas is blown from the torus material like spray from the crest of a wave. As the obscuring material passes into our line of sight, we alternately see high-velocity broad absorption lines and a clear view to the central engine, or low-velocity broad absorption lines and strong reddening. WPVS 007 has a small black hole mass, and correspondingly short timescales, and so we may be observing behavior that is common in BALQSOs, but is not typically observable.« less

Limb observations of the 12.32 micron solar emission line during the 1991 July total eclipse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, Drake; Jennings, Donald E.; Mccabe, George; Noyes, Robert; Wiedemann, Gunter; Espenak, Fred

1992-01-01

The limb profile of the Mg I 12.32-micron emission line is determined by occultation in the July 11, 1991 total solar eclipse over Mauna Kea. It is shown that the emission peaks are very close to the 12-micron continuum limb, as predicted by recent theory for this line as a non-LTE photospheric emission. The increase in optical depth for this extreme limb-viewing situation indicates that most of the observed emission arises from above the chromospheric temperature minimum, and it is found that this emission is extended to heights well in excess of the model predictions. The line emission can be observed as high as 2000 km above the 12-micron continuum limb, whereas theory predicts it to remain observable no higher than about 500 km above the continuum limb. The substantial limb extension observed in this line is quantitatively consistent with limb extensions seen in the far-IR continuum, and it is concluded that it is indicative of departures from gravitational hydrostatic equilibrium, or spatial inhomogeneities, in the upper solar atmosphere.

Broad Specification Fuels Combustion Technology Program, Phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohmann, R. P.; Jeroszko, R. A.; Kennedy, J. B.

1990-01-01

An experimental evaluation of two advanced technology combustor concepts was conducted to evolve and assess their capability for operation on broadened properties fuels. The concepts were based on the results of Phase 1 of the Broad Specification Fuel Combustor Technology Program which indicated that combustors with variable geometry or staged combustion zones had a flexibility of operation that could facilitate operation on these fuels. Emphasis in defining these concepts included the use of single pipe as opposed to duplex or staged fuels systems to avoid the risk of coking associated with the reduction in thermal stability expected in broadened properties fuels. The first concept was a variable geometry combustor in which the airflow into the primary zone could be altered through valves on the front while the second was an outgrowth of the staged Vorbix combustor, evolved under the NASA/P&W ECCP and EEE programs incorporating simplified fuel and air introduction. The results of the investigation, which involved the use of Experimental Referee Broad Specification (ERBS) fuel, indicated that in the form initially conceived, both of these combustor concepts were deficient in performance relative to many of the program goals for performance emissions. However, variations of both combustors were evaluated that incorporated features to simulate conceptual enhancement to demonstrate the long range potential of the combustor. In both cases, significant improvements relative to the program goals were observed.

FERMI Observations of Gamma -Ray Emission From the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Atwoo, W. B.; Baldini, I.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bechtol, K.; Bellazzini, R.;

Fermi Observations of γ-Ray Emission from the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Atwoo, W. B.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bechtol, K.; Bellazzini, R.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R. D.; Bonamente, E.; Borgland, A. W.; Bottacini, E.; Bouvier, A.; Bregeon, J.; Brigida, M.; Bruel, P.; Buehler, R.; Buson, S.; Caliandro, G. A.; Cameron, R. A.; Caraveo, P. A.; Casandjian, J. M.; Cecchi, C.; Charles, E.; Chekhtman, A.; Chiang, J.; Ciprini, S.; Claus, R.; Cohen-Tanugi, J.; Conrad, J.; Cutini, S.; D'Ammando, F.; de Angelis, A.; de Palma, F.; Dermer, C. D.; Digel, S. W.; Silva, E. do Couto e.; Drell, P. S.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Dubois, R.; Favuzzi, C.; Fegan, S. J.; Focke, W. B.; Fortin, P.; Fukazawa, Y.; Funk, S.; Fusco, P.; Gargano, F.; Gehrels, N.; Germani, S.; Giglietto, N.; Giommi, P.; Giordano, F.; Giroletti, M.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Gomez-Vargas, G. A.; Grenier, I. A.; Grove, J. E.; Guiriec, S.; Hadasch, D.; Hays, E.; Hill, A. B.; Horan, D.; Hou, X.; Hughes, R. E.; Iafrate, G.; Jackson, M. S.; Jóhannesson, G.; Johnson, A. S.; Kamae, T.; Katagiri, H.; Kataoka, J.; Knödlseder, J.; Kuss, M.; Lande, J.; Larsson, S.; Latronico, L.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Longo, F.; Loparco, F.; Lott, B.; Lovellette, M. N.; Lubrano, P.; Mazziotta, M. N.; McEnery, J. E.; Mehault, J.; Michelson, P. F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Mizuno, T.; Moiseev, A. A.; Monte, C.; Monzani, M. E.; Morselli, A.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Murgia, S.; Naumann-Godo, M.; Nolan, P. L.; Norris, J. P.; Nuss, E.; Ohno, M.; Ohsugi, T.; Okumura, A.; Omodei, N.; Orienti, M.; Orlando, E.; Ormes, J. F.; Ozaki, M.; Paneque, D.; Panetta, J. H.; Parent, D.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Pierbattista, M.; Piron, F.; Pivato, G.; Poon, H.; Porter, T. A.; Prokhorov, D.; Rainò, S.; Rando, R.; Razzano, M.; Razzaque, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Reposeur, T.; Rochester, L. S.; Roth, M.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Sanchez, D. A.; Sbarra, C.; Schalk, T. L.; Sgrò, C.; Share, G. H.; Siskind, E. J.; Spandre, G.; Spinelli, P.; Stawarz, Ł.; Takahashi, H.; Tanaka, T.; Thayer, J. G.; Thayer, J. B.; Thompson, D. J.; Tibaldo, L.; Tinivella, M.; Torres, D. F.; Tosti, G.; Troja, E.; Uchiyama, Y.; Usher, T. L.; Vandenbroucke, J.; Vasileiou, V.; Vianello, G.; Vitale, V.; Waite, A. P.; Wang, P.; Winer, B. L.; Wood, D. L.; Wood, K. S.; Yang, Z.; Zimmer, S.

2012-10-01

We report on the detection of high-energy γ-ray emission from the Moon during the first 24 months of observations by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). This emission comes from particle cascades produced by cosmic-ray (CR) nuclei and electrons interacting with the lunar surface. The differential spectrum of the Moon is soft and can be described as a log-parabolic function with an effective cutoff at 2-3 GeV, while the average integral flux measured with the LAT from the beginning of observations in 2008 August to the end of 2010 August is F(>100\\ MeV) =(1.04+/- 0.01\\,{[statistical\\ error]}+/- 0.1\\,{[systematic\\ error]})\\times 10^{-6} cm-2 s-1. This flux is about a factor 2-3 higher than that observed between 1991 and 1994 by the EGRET experiment on board the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, F(>100 MeV) ≈ 5 × 10-7 cm-2 s-1, when solar activity was relatively high. The higher γ-ray flux measured by Fermi is consistent with the deep solar minimum conditions during the first 24 months of the mission, which reduced effects of heliospheric modulation, and thus increased the heliospheric flux of Galactic CRs. A detailed comparison of the light curve with McMurdo Neutron Monitor rates suggests a correlation of the trends. The Moon and the Sun are so far the only known bright emitters of γ-rays with fast celestial motion. Their paths across the sky are projected onto the Galactic center and high Galactic latitudes as well as onto other areas crowded with high-energy γ-ray sources. Analysis of the lunar and solar emission may thus be important for studies of weak and transient sources near the ecliptic.

Why do we see Broad Lines in X-ray Absorbed, Red AGN?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkes, B. J.; Ghosh, Himel; Cutri, R.; Hines, D.; Nelson, B.; Schmidt, G. D.; Smith, P. S.

2003-05-01

The Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) red AGN catalog has revealed a previously unknown population whose number density rivals that of optically-selected AGN as found in the many, relatively shallow surveys (e.g. PG, Hamburg). The Chandra X-ray spectra of these red, mostly broad-line AGN are hard. This, combined with their unusually high optical polarization, suggests substantial obscuration (log NH = 21-23 cm-2) toward the nuclear energy source, despite a clear view of the broad emission line region. We have expanded our Chandra-observed sub-sample to include 20 more 2MASS AGN yielding a set of 46 which includes all available optical classes. This sample is thus pre-selected for complex absorption and sufficient to study the relative X-ray and optical obscuration for each AGN class. Those observed to date continue the lack of a relation between the X-ray hardness ratio and optical class noted in our earlier sample. Combining this with X-ray spectral fits where we have sufficient counts and with our multi-wavelength data, we compare the spectral energy distributions with those of normal and other red AGN and investigate possible scenarios for the absorbing material. We gratefully ackowledge the financial support of NASA grant: GO1-2112A

CO2 non-LTE limb emissions in Mars' atmosphere as observed by OMEGA/Mars Express

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piccialli, A.; López-Valverde, M. A.; Määttänen, A.; González-Galindo, F.; Audouard, J.; Altieri, F.; Forget, F.; Drossart, P.; Gondet, B.; Bibring, J. P.

2016-06-01

We report on daytime limb observations of Mars upper atmosphere acquired by the OMEGA instrument on board the European spacecraft Mars Express. The strong emission observed at 4.3 μm is interpreted as due to CO2 fluorescence of solar radiation and is detected at a tangent altitude in between 60 and 110 km. The main value of OMEGA observations is that they provide simultaneously spectral information and good spatial sampling of the CO2 emission. In this study we analyzed 98 dayside limb observations spanning over more than 3 Martian years, with a very good latitudinal and longitudinal coverage. Thanks to the precise altitude sounding capabilities of OMEGA, we extracted vertical profiles of the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) emission at each wavelength and we studied their dependence on several geophysical parameters, such as the solar illumination and the tangent altitude. The dependence of the non-LTE emission on solar zenith angle and altitude follows a similar behavior to that predicted by the non-LTE model. According to our non-LTE model, the tangent altitude of the peak of the CO2 emission varies with the thermal structure, but the pressure level where the peak of the emission is found remains constant at ˜0.03 ± 0.01 Pa, . This non-LTE model prediction has been corroborated by comparing SPICAM and OMEGA observations. We have shown that the seasonal variations of the altitude of constant pressure levels in SPICAM stellar occultation retrievals correlate well with the variations of the OMEGA peak emission altitudes, although the exact pressure level cannot be defined with the spectroscopy for the investigation of the characteristics of the atmosphere of Venus (SPICAM) nighttime data. Thus, observed changes in the altitude of the peak emission provide us information on the altitude of the 0.03 Pa pressure level. Since the pressure at a given altitude is dictated by the thermal structure below, the tangent altitude of the peak emission represents

Analytical and experimental evaluations of the effect of broad property fuels on combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. L.

1980-01-01

The impacts of broad property fuels on the design, performance, durability, emissions, and operational characteristics of current and advanced combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines were studied. The effect of fuel thermal stability on engine and airframe fuel system was evaluated. Tradeoffs between fuel properties, exhaust emissions, and combustor life were also investigated. Results indicate major impacts of broad property fuels on allowable metal temperatures in fuel manifolds and injector support, combustor cyclic durability, and somewhat lesser impacts on starting characteristics, lightoff, emissions, and smoke.

ARCADE 2 Observations of Galactic Radio Emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kogut, A.; Fixsen, D. J.; Levin, S. M.; Limon, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Mirel, P.; Seiffert, M.; Singal, J.; Villela, T.; Wollack, E.;

Emissions of mercury in southern Africa derived from long-term observations at Cape Point, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunke, E.-G.; Ebinghaus, R.; Kock, H. H.; Labuschagne, C.; Slemr, F.

2012-08-01

Mercury emissions in South Africa have so far been estimated only by a bottom-up approach from activities and emission factors for different processes. In this paper we derive GEM/CO (GEM being gaseous elemental mercury, Hg0), GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios from plumes observed during long-term monitoring of these species at Cape Point between March 2007 and December 2009. The average observed GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios were 2.40 ± 2.65 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 47), 62.7 ± 80.2 pg m-3 ppm-1 (n = 44), 3.61 ± 4.66 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 46), 35.6 ± 25.4 ppb ppm-1 (n = 52), 20.2 ± 15.5 ppb ppm-1 (n = 48), and 0.876 ± 1.106 ppb ppb-1 (n = 42), respectively. The observed CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios agree within the combined uncertainties of the observations and emissions with the ratios calculated from EDGAR (version 4.2) CO2, CO, and CH4 inventories for South Africa and southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique) in 2007 and 2008 (inventories for 2009 are not available yet). Total elemental mercury emission of 13.1, 15.2, and 16.1 t Hg yr-1 are estimated independently using the GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, and GEM/CH4 emission ratios and the annual mean CO, CO2, and CH4 emissions, respectively, of South Africa in 2007 and 2008. The average of these independent estimates of 14.8 t GEM yr-1 is much less than the total emission of 257 t Hg yr-1 shown by older inventories which are now considered to be wrong. Considering the uncertainties of our emission estimate, of the emission inventories, and the fact that emission of GEM represents 50-78 % of all mercury emissions, our estimate is comparable to the currently cited GEM emissions in 2004 and somewhat smaller than emissions in 2006. A further increase of mercury emissions due to increasing electricity consumption will lead to a more pronounced difference. A quantitative assessment of the difference

Constraining Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Production in Northeastern Pennsylvania Using Aircraft Observations and Mesoscale Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkley, Z.; Davis, K.; Lauvaux, T.; Miles, N.; Richardson, S.; Martins, D. K.; Deng, A.; Cao, Y.; Sweeney, C.; Karion, A.; Smith, M. L.; Kort, E. A.; Schwietzke, S.

2015-12-01

Leaks in natural gas infrastructure release methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. The estimated fugitive emission rate associated with the production phase varies greatly between studies, hindering our understanding of the natural gas energy efficiency. This study presents a new application of inverse methodology for estimating regional fugitive emission rates from natural gas production. Methane observations across the Marcellus region in northeastern Pennsylvania were obtained during a three week flight campaign in May 2015 performed by a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Monitoring Division and the University of Michigan. In addition to these data, CH4 observations were obtained from automobile campaigns during various periods from 2013-2015. An inventory of CH4 emissions was then created for various sources in Pennsylvania, including coalmines, enteric fermentation, industry, waste management, and unconventional and conventional wells. As a first-guess emission rate for natural gas activity, a leakage rate equal to 2% of the natural gas production was emitted at the locations of unconventional wells across PA. These emission rates were coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting model with the chemistry module (WRF-Chem) and atmospheric CH4 concentration fields at 1km resolution were generated. Projected atmospheric enhancements from WRF-Chem were compared to observations, and the emission rate from unconventional wells was adjusted to minimize errors between observations and simulation. We show that the modeled CH4 plume structures match observed plumes downwind of unconventional wells, providing confidence in the methodology. In all cases, the fugitive emission rate was found to be lower than our first guess. In this initial emission configuration, each well has been assigned the same fugitive emission rate, which can potentially impair our ability to match the observed spatial variability

Limits on radio emission from meteors using the MWA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Hancock, P.; Devillepoix, H. A. R.; Wayth, R. B.; Beardsley, A.; Crosse, B.; Emrich, D.; Franzen, T. M. O.; Gaensler, B. M.; Horsley, L.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kaplan, D. L.; Kenney, D.; Morales, M. F.; Pallot, D.; Steele, K.; Tingay, S. J.; Trott, C. M.; Walker, M.; Williams, A.; Wu, C.; Ji, Jianghui; Ma, Yuehua

2018-07-01

Recently, low-frequency, broad-band radio emission has been observed accompanying bright meteors by the Long Wavelength Array (LWA). The broad-band spectra between 20 and 60 MHz were captured for several events, while the spectral index (dependence of flux density on frequency, with Sν ∝ να) was estimated to be -4 ± 1 during the peak of meteor afterglows. Here we present a survey of meteor emission and other transient events using the Murchison Wide Field Array (MWA) at 72-103 MHz. In our 322 h survey, down to a 5σ detection threshold of 3.5 Jy beam-1, no transient candidates were identified as intrinsic emission from meteors. We derived an upper limit of -3.7 (95 per cent confidence limit) on the spectral index in our frequency range. We also report detections of other transient events, such as reflected FM broadcast signals from small satellites, conclusively demonstrating the ability of the MWA to detect and track space debris on scales as small as 0.1 m in low Earth orbits.

Radio Emission from Algol. I. Coronal Geometry and Emission Mechanisms Determined from VLBA and Green Bank Interferometer Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutel, R. L.; Molnar, L. A.; Waltman, E. B.; Ghigo, F. D.

1998-11-01

We report dual circular polarization VLBA observations of Algol made at orbital phases 0.22-0.30 using a differential phase referencing technique. The flux density of Algol varied from 10 to 20 mJy during the observations. The radio maps show a double-lobed source separated by 1.6 mas (1.4 times the K star diameter). Although the total emission is only weakly circularly polarized, the individual lobes are strongly circularly polarized and of opposite helicity. Snapshot VLBI maps made at 3 hour intervals show variations in the flux density of both components, but no significant motions of the centroids. We also analyze Green Bank Interferometer (GBI) synoptic observations of right- and left-circularly polarized (RCP and LCP) flux densities of Algol at 2.3 and 8.3 GHz several times a day from early 1995 to mid-1997. The resulting data set, which consists of more than 2500 observations over 2 years, is by far the most comprehensive available for any stellar system. In addition, we analyzed GBI observations of the very similar (but noneclipsing) binary system HR 1099 over the same time period in order to compare the two systems. We summarize the GBI observations using several statistical descriptions. We find no phase dependence of either the radio luminosity or circular polarization for either system. The luminosity histograms for the two systems are remarkably similar. The distribution functions are not well represented by exponentials as previously suggested, but can be represented by power laws truncated at low luminosity. The cutoff occurs at 20-30 mJy and may represent emission from a slowly varying basal level that is always detected. We confirm several previous results, including the strong dependence of spectral index on luminosity, the decrease of fractional circular polarization with luminosity, and the dependence of fractional circular polarization on orbital inclination angle. We suggest that the radio emission at 8.3 GHz is x-mode gyrosynchrotron emission

Toward observationally constrained high space and time resolution CO2 urban emission inventories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maness, H.; Teige, V. E.; Wooldridge, P. J.; Weichsel, K.; Holstius, D.; Hooker, A.; Fung, I. Y.; Cohen, R. C.

2013-12-01

The spatial patterns of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and sequestration are currently studied primarily by sensor networks and modeling tools that were designed for global and continental scale investigations of sources and sinks. In urban contexts, by design, there has been very limited investment in observing infrastructure, making it difficult to demonstrate that we have an accurate understanding of the mechanism of emissions or the ability to track processes causing changes in those emissions. Over the last few years, our team has built a new high-resolution observing instrument to address urban CO2 emissions, the BErkeley Atmospheric CO2 Observing Network (BEACON). The 20-node network is constructed on a roughly 2 km grid, permitting direct characterization of the internal structure of emissions within the San Francisco East Bay. Here we present a first assessment of BEACON's promise for evaluating the effectiveness of current and upcoming local emissions policy. Within the next several years, a variety of locally important changes are anticipated--including widespread electrification of the motor vehicle fleet and implementation of a new power standard for ships at the port of Oakland. We describe BEACON's expected performance for detecting these changes, based on results from regional forward modeling driven by a suite of projected inventories. We will further describe the network's current change detection capabilities by focusing on known high temporal frequency changes that have already occurred; examples include a week of significant freeway traffic congestion following the temporary shutdown of the local commuter rail (the Bay Area Rapid Transit system).

Mid-latitude Narrowband Stimulated Electromagnetic Emissions (NSEE): New Observations and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nossa, E.; Mahmoudian, A.; Isham, B.; Bernhardt, P. A.; Briczinski, S. J., Jr.

2017-12-01

High power electromagnetic waves (EM) transmitted from the ground interact with the local plasma in the ionosphere and can produce Stimulated Electromagnetic Emissions (SEE) through the parametric decay instability (PDI). The classical SEE features known as wideband SEE (WSEE) with frequency offset of 1 kHz up to 100 kHz have been observed and studied in detail in the 1980s and 1990s. A new era of ionospheric remote sensing techniques was begun after the recent update of the HF transmitter at the HAARP. Sideband emissions of unprecedented strength have been reported during recent campaigns at HAARP, reaching up to 10 dB relative to the reflected pump wave which are by far the strongest spectral features of secondary radiation that have been reported. These emissions known as narrowband SEE (NSEE) are shifted by only up to a few tens of Hertz from radio-waves transmitted at several megahertz. One of these new NSEE features are emission lines within 100 Hz of the pump frequency and are produced through magnetized stimulated Brillouin scatter (MSBS) process. Stimulated Brillouin Scatter (SBS) is a strong SEE mode involving a direct parametric decay of the pump wave into an electrostatic wave (ES) and a secondary EM wave that sometimes could be stronger than the HF pump. SBS has been studied in laboratory plasma experiments by the interaction of high power lasers with plasmas. The SBS instability in magnetized ionospheric plasma was observed for the first time at HAARP in 2010. Our recent work at HAARP has shown that MSBS emission lines can be used to asses electron temperature in the heated region, ion mass spectrometry, determine minor ion species and their densities in the ionosphere, study the physics associated with electron acceleration and artificial airglow. Here, we present new observations of narrowband SEE (NSEE) features at the new mid-latitude heating facility at Arecibo. This includes the direct mode conversion of pump wave through MSBS process. Collected

Application of the spine-layer jet radiation model to outbursts in the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 120

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janiak, M.; Sikora, M.; Moderski, R.

2016-05-01

We present a detailed Fermi/LAT data analysis for the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 120. This source has recently entered into a state of increased γ-ray activity which manifested itself in two major flares detected by Fermi/LAT in 2014 September and 2015 April with no significant flux changes reported in other wavelengths. We analyse available data focusing our attention on aforementioned outbursts. We find very fast variability time-scale during flares (of the order of hours) together with a significant γ-ray flux increase. We show that the ˜6.8 yr averaged γ-ray emission of 3C 120 is likely a sum of the external radiation Compton and the synchrotron self-Compton radiative components. To address the problem of violent γ-ray flares and fast variability we model the jet radiation dividing the jet structure into two components: the wide and relatively slow outer layer and the fast, narrow spine. We show that with the addition of the fast spine occasionally bent towards the observer we are able to explain observed spectral energy distribution of 3C 120 during flares with the Compton upscattered broad-line region and dusty torus photons as main γ-rays emission mechanism.

Hot Science with a "Warm" Telescope: Observations of Extrasolar Planets During the Spitzer Warm Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grillmair, Carl J.; Carey, S.; Helou, G.; Hurt, R.; Rebull, L.; Soifer, T.; Squires, G. K.; Storrie-Lombardi, L.

2007-12-01

The Spitzer Space Telescope will exhaust its cryogen supply sometime around March of 2009. However, the observatory is expected to remain operational until early 2014 with undiminished 3.6 and 4.5 micron imaging capabilities over two 5'x5’ fields-of-view. During this "warm” mission, Spitzer will operate with extremely high efficiency and provide up to 35,000 hours of science observing time. This will enable unprecedented opportunities to address key scientific questions requiring large allocations of observing time, while maintaining opportunities for broad community use with more "traditional” time allocations. Spitzer will remain a particularly valuable resource for studies of extrasolar planets, with applications including: 1) transit timing observations and precise radius measurements of Earth-sized planets transiting nearby M-dwarfs, 2) measuring thermal emission and distinguishing between broad band emission and absorption in the atmospheres of transiting hot Jupiters, 3) measuring orbital phase variations of thermal emission for both transiting and non-transiting, close-in planets, and 4) sensitive imaging searches for young planets at large angular separations from their parent stars.

A multi-scale comparison of modeled and observed seasonal methane emissions in northern wetlands

DOE PAGES

Xu, Xiyan; Riley, William J.; Koven, Charles D.; ...

2016-09-13

Wetlands are the largest global natural methane (CH 4) source, and emissions between 50 and 70° N latitude contribute 10-30 % to this source. Predictive capability of land models for northern wetland CH 4 emissions is still low due to limited site measurements, strong spatial and temporal variability in emissions, and complex hydrological and biogeochemical dynamics. To explore this issue, we compare wetland CH 4 emission predictions from the Community Land Model 4.5 (CLM4.5-BGC) with site- to regional-scale observations. A comparison of the CH 4 fluxes with eddy flux data highlighted needed changes to the model's estimate of aerenchyma area,more » which we implemented and tested. The model modification substantially reduced biases in CH 4 emissions when compared with CarbonTracker CH 4 predictions. CLM4.5 CH 4 emission predictions agree well with growing season (May–September) CarbonTracker Alaskan regional-level CH 4 predictions and site-level observations. However, CLM4.5 underestimated CH 4 emissions in the cold season (October–April). The monthly atmospheric CH 4 mole fraction enhancements due to wetland emissions are also assessed using the Weather Research and Forecasting-Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (WRF-STILT) model coupled with daily emissions from CLM4.5 and compared with aircraft CH 4 mole fraction measurements from the Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) campaign. Both the tower and aircraft analyses confirm the underestimate of cold-season CH 4 emissions by CLM4.5. The greatest uncertainties in predicting the seasonal CH 4 cycle are from the wetland extent, cold-season CH 4 production and CH 4 transport processes. We recommend more cold-season experimental studies in high-latitude systems, which could improve the understanding and parameterization of ecosystem structure and function during this period. Predicted CH 4 emissions remain uncertain, but we show here that benchmarking against observations

A multi-scale comparison of modeled and observed seasonal methane emissions in northern wetlands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Xiyan; Riley, William J.; Koven, Charles D.

Wetlands are the largest global natural methane (CH 4) source, and emissions between 50 and 70° N latitude contribute 10-30 % to this source. Predictive capability of land models for northern wetland CH 4 emissions is still low due to limited site measurements, strong spatial and temporal variability in emissions, and complex hydrological and biogeochemical dynamics. To explore this issue, we compare wetland CH 4 emission predictions from the Community Land Model 4.5 (CLM4.5-BGC) with site- to regional-scale observations. A comparison of the CH 4 fluxes with eddy flux data highlighted needed changes to the model's estimate of aerenchyma area,more » which we implemented and tested. The model modification substantially reduced biases in CH 4 emissions when compared with CarbonTracker CH 4 predictions. CLM4.5 CH 4 emission predictions agree well with growing season (May–September) CarbonTracker Alaskan regional-level CH 4 predictions and site-level observations. However, CLM4.5 underestimated CH 4 emissions in the cold season (October–April). The monthly atmospheric CH 4 mole fraction enhancements due to wetland emissions are also assessed using the Weather Research and Forecasting-Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (WRF-STILT) model coupled with daily emissions from CLM4.5 and compared with aircraft CH 4 mole fraction measurements from the Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) campaign. Both the tower and aircraft analyses confirm the underestimate of cold-season CH 4 emissions by CLM4.5. The greatest uncertainties in predicting the seasonal CH 4 cycle are from the wetland extent, cold-season CH 4 production and CH 4 transport processes. We recommend more cold-season experimental studies in high-latitude systems, which could improve the understanding and parameterization of ecosystem structure and function during this period. Predicted CH 4 emissions remain uncertain, but we show here that benchmarking against observations

A Pilot Study to Evaluate California's Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions Using Atmospheric Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graven, H. D.; Fischer, M. L.; Lueker, T.; Guilderson, T.; Brophy, K. J.; Keeling, R. F.; Arnold, T.; Bambha, R.; Callahan, W.; Campbell, J. E.; Cui, X.; Frankenberg, C.; Hsu, Y.; Iraci, L. T.; Jeong, S.; Kim, J.; LaFranchi, B. W.; Lehman, S.; Manning, A.; Michelsen, H. A.; Miller, J. B.; Newman, S.; Paplawsky, B.; Parazoo, N.; Sloop, C.; Walker, S.; Whelan, M.; Wunch, D.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric CO2 concentration is influenced by human activities and by natural exchanges. Studies of CO2 fluxes using atmospheric CO2 measurements typically focus on natural exchanges and assume that CO2 emissions by fossil fuel combustion and cement production are well-known from inventory estimates. However, atmospheric observation-based or "top-down" studies could potentially provide independent methods for evaluating fossil fuel CO2 emissions, in support of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Observation-based estimates of fossil fuel-derived CO2 may also improve estimates of biospheric CO2 exchange, which could help to characterize carbon storage and climate change mitigation by terrestrial ecosystems. We have been developing a top-down framework for estimating fossil fuel CO2 emissions in California that uses atmospheric observations and modeling. California is implementing the "Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006" to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and it has a diverse array of ecosystems that may serve as CO2 sources or sinks. We performed three month-long field campaigns in different seasons in 2014-15 to collect flask samples from a state-wide network of 10 towers. Using measurements of radiocarbon in CO2, we estimate the fossil fuel-derived CO2 present in the flask samples, relative to marine background air observed at coastal sites. Radiocarbon (14C) is not present in fossil fuel-derived CO2 because of radioactive decay over millions of years, so fossil fuel emissions cause a measurable decrease in the 14C/C ratio in atmospheric CO2. We compare the observations of fossil fuel-derived CO2 to simulations based on atmospheric modeling and published fossil fuel flux estimates, and adjust the fossil fuel flux estimates in a statistical inversion that takes account of several uncertainties. We will present the results of the top-down technique to estimate fossil fuel emissions for our field

Application of High Resolution Air-Borne Remote Sensing Observations for Monitoring NOx Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souri, A.; Choi, Y.; Pan, S.; Curci, G.; Janz, S. J.; Kowalewski, M. G.; Liu, J.; Herman, J. R.; Weinheimer, A. J.

2017-12-01

Nitrogen oxides (NOx=NO+NO2) are one of the air pollutants, responsible for the formation of tropospheric ozone, acid rain and particulate nitrate. The anthropogenic NOx emissions are commonly estimated based on bottom-up inventories which are complicated by many potential sources of error. One way to improve the emission inventories is to use relevant observations to constrain them. Fortunately, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the most successful detected species from remote sensing. Although many studies have shown the capability of using space-borne remote sensing observations for monitoring emissions, the insufficient sample number and footprint of current measurements have introduced a burden to constrain emissions at fine scales. Promisingly, there are several air-borne sensors collected for NASA's campaigns providing high spatial resolution of NO2 columns. Here, we use the well-characterized NO2 columns from the Airborne Compact Atmospheric Mapper (ACAM) onboard NASA's B200 aircraft into a 1×1 km regional model to constrain anthropogenic NOx emissions in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area. Firstly, in order to incorporate the data, we convert the NO2 slant column densities to vertical ones using a joint of a radiative transfer model and the 1x1 km regional model constrained by P3-B aircraft measurements. After conducting an inverse modeling method using the Kalman filter, we find the ACAM observations are resourceful at mitigating the overprediction of model in reproducing NO2 on regular days. Moreover, the ACAM provides a unique opportunity to detect an anomaly in emissions leading to strong air quality degradation that is lacking in previous works. Our study provides convincing evidence that future geostationary satellites with high spatial and temporal resolutions will give us insights into uncertainties associated with the emissions at regional scales.

COCHISE Observations of Argon Rydberg Emission from 2 to 16 Micrometers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-05

8217natu 5 I RNDALL E. M YJOHN S . GARIG Branch Cief Division Director Qualified requestors may obtain additional copies from the Defense Technical... S . TYPE or REPORT a PERIOD COVERED COCHISE OBSERVATIONS OF ARGON Scientific. Interim. RYDBERG EMISSION FROM 2 TO 16 6. PERFORMING 0140. REPORT NUMMER...Comparisons of obd~erved and simulated spectra sliow that s i.ntial ",WIR emission (- 1~gmm Arises from Rydberg states ert~ DO .W-1473 fDITION OF I NOV 65

Characterization of Jupiter's Atmosphere from Observation of Thermal Emission by Juno and Ground-Based Supporting Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orton, G. S.; Momary, T.; Tabataba-Vakili, F.; Janssen, M. A.; Hansen, C. J.; Bolton, S. J.; Li, C.; Adriani, A.; Mura, A.; Grassi, D.; Fletcher, L. N.; Brown, S. T.; Fujiyoshi, T.; Greathouse, T. K.; Kasaba, Y.; Sato, T. M.; Stephens, A.; Donnelly, P.; Eichstädt, G.; Rogers, J.

2017-12-01

Ground-breaking measurements of thermal emission at very long wavelengths have been made by the Juno mission's Microwave Radiometer (MWR). We examine the relationship between these and other thermal emission measurements by the Jupiter Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) at 5 µm and ground-based supporting observations in the thermal infrared that cover the 5-25 µm range. The relevant ground-based observations of thermal emission are constituted from imaging and scanning spectroscopy obtained at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), the Gemini North Telescope, the Subaru Telescope and the Very Large Telescope. A comparison of these results clarifies the physical properties responsible for the observed emissions, i.e. variability of the temperature field, the cloud field or the distribution of gaseous ammonia. Cross-references to the visible cloud field from Juno's JunoCam experiment and Earth-based images are also useful. This work continues an initial comparison by Orton et al. (2017, GRL 44, doi: 10.1002/2017GL073019) between MWR and JIRAM results, together with ancillary 5-µm IRTF imaging and with JunoCam and ground-based visible imaging. These showed a general agreement between MWR and JIRAM results for the 5-bar NH3 abundance in specific regions of low cloud opacity but only a partial correlation between MWR and 5-µm radiances emerging from the 0.5-5 bar levels of the atmosphere in general. Similar to the latter, there appears to be an inconsistent correlation between MWR channels sensitive to 0.5-10 bars and shorter-wavelength radiances in the "tails" of 5-µm hot spots , which may be the result of the greater sensitivity of the latter to particulate opacity that could depend on the evolution history of the particular features sampled. Of great importance is the interpretation of MWR radiances in terms of the variability of temperature vs. NH3 abundances in the 0.5-5 bar pressure range. This is particularly important to understand MWR results in

Application of satellite observations for timely updates to global anthropogenic NOx emission inventories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamsal, L. N.; Martin, R. V.; Padmanabhan, A.; van Donkelaar, A.; Zhang, Q.; Sioris, C. E.; Chance, K.; Kurosu, T. P.; Newchurch, M. J.

2011-03-01

Anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) can change rapidly due to economic growth or control measures. Bottom-up emissions estimated using source-specific emission factors and activity statistics require years to compile and can become quickly outdated. We present a method to use satellite observations of tropospheric NO2 columns to estimate changes in NOx emissions. We use tropospheric NO2 columns retrieved from the SCIAMACHY satellite instrument for 2003-2009, the response of tropospheric NO2 columns to changes in NOx emissions determined from a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem), and the bottom-up anthropogenic NOx emissions for 2006 to hindcast and forecast the inventories. We evaluate our approach by comparing bottom-up and hindcast emissions for 2003. The two inventories agree within 6.0% globally and within 8.9% at the regional scale with consistent trends in western Europe, North America, and East Asia. We go on to forecast emissions for 2009. During 2006-2009, anthropogenic NOx emissions over land increase by 9.2% globally and by 18.8% from East Asia. North American emissions decrease by 5.7%.

Dark matter line emission constraints from NuSTAR observations of the bullet cluster

DOE PAGES

Riemer-Sørensen, S.; Wik, D.; Madejski, G.; ...

2015-08-27

Some dark matter candidates, e.g., sterile neutrinos, provide observable signatures in the form of mono-energetic line emission. Here, we present the first search for dark matter line emission in themore » $$3-80\\;\\mathrm{keV}$$ range in a pointed observation of the Bullet Cluster with NuSTAR. We do not detect any significant line emission and instead we derive upper limits (95% CL) on the flux, and interpret these constraints in the context of sterile neutrinos and more generic dark matter candidates. NuSTAR does not have the sensitivity to constrain the recently claimed line detection at $$3.5\\;\\mathrm{keV}$$, but improves on the constraints for energies of $$10-25\\;\\mathrm{keV}$$.« less

A Variational Inverse Model Study of Amazonian Methane Emissions including Observations from the AMAZONICA campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C. J.; Gloor, M.; Chipperfield, M.; Miller, J. B.; Gatti, L.

2013-12-01

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas which is emitted from a range of anthropogenic and natural sources, and since the industrial revolution its mean atmospheric concentration has climbed dramatically, reaching values unprecedented in at least the past 650,000 years. CH4 produces a relatively high radiative forcing effect upon the Earth's climate, and its atmospheric lifetime of approximately 10 years makes it a more appealing target for the mitigation of climate change over short timescales than long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. However, the spatial and temporal variation of CH4 emissions are still not well understood, though in recent years a number of top-down and bottom-up studies have attempted to construct improved emission budgets. Some top-down studies may suffer from poor observational coverage in tropical regions, however, especially in the planetary boundary layer, where the atmosphere is highly sensitive to emissions. For example, although satellite observations often take a large volume of measurements in tropical regions, these retrievals are not usually sensitive to concentrations at the planet's surface. Methane emissions from Amazon region, in particular, are often poorly constrained. Since emissions form this region, coming mainly from wetland and biomass burning sources, are thought to be relatively high, additional observations in this region would greatly help to constrain the geographical distribution of the global CH4 emission budget. In order to provide such measurements, the AMAZONICA project began to take regular flask measurements of CH4 and other trace gases from aircraft over four Amazonian sites from the year 2010 onwards. We first present a forward modelling study of these observations of Amazonian methane for the year 2010 using the TOMCAT Chemical Transport Model. The model is used to attribute variations at each site to a source type and region, and also to assess the ability of our current CH4 flux estimates to

Coronal O VI emission observed with UVCS/SOHO during solar flares: Comparison with soft X-ray observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancuso, S.; Giordano, S.; Raymond, J. C.

2016-06-01

In this work, we derive the O VI 1032 Å luminosity profiles of 58 flares, during their impulsive phase, based on off-limb measurements by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) aboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The O VI luminosities from the transition region plasma (here defined as the region with temperatures 5.0 ≤ log T (K) ≤ 6.0) were inferred from the analysis of the resonantly scattered radiation of the O VI coronal ions. The temperature of maximum ionization for O VI is log Tmax (K) = 5.47. By comparison with simultaneous soft X-ray measurements, we investigate the likely source (chromospheric evaporation, footpoint emission, or heated prominence ejecta) for the transition region emission observed during the impulsive phase. In our study, we find evidence of the main characteristics predicted by the evaporation scenario. Specifically, most O VI flares precede the X-ray peaks typically by several minutes with a mean of 3.2 ± 0.1 min, and clear correlations are found between the soft X-ray and transition region luminosities following power laws with indices ~ 0.7 ± 0.3. Overall, the results are consistent with transition region emission originating from chromospheric evaporation; the thermal X-ray emission peaks after the emission from the evaporation flow as the loops fill with hot plasma. Finally, we were able to infer flow speeds in the range ~20-100 km s-1 for one-third of the events, 14 of which showed speeds between 60 and 80 km s-1. These values are compatible with those found through direct spectroscopic observations at transition region temperatures by the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board Hinode.

Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph Observations of Procyon and HR1099

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Brian E.; Harper, Graham M.; Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Dempsey, Robert C.

1996-01-01

Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) observations have revealed the presence of broad wings in the transition-region lines of AU Mic and Capella. It has been proposed that these wings are signatures of microflares in the transition regions of these stars and that the solar analog for this phenomenon might be the 'transition region explosive events' discussed by Dere, Bartoe, & Brueckner. We have analyzed GHRS observations of Procyon (F5 IV-V) and HR 1099 (K1 IV + G5 IV) to search for broad wings in the UV emission lines of these stars. We find that the transition-region lines of HR 1099, which are emitted almost entirely by the K1 star, do indeed have broad wings that are even more prominent than those of AU Mic and Capella. This is consistent with the association of the broad wings with microflaring since HR 1099 is a very active binary system. In contrast, the transition-region lines of Procyon, a relatively inactive star, do not show evidence for broad wings, with the possible exception of N v lambda1239. However, Procyon's lines do appear to have excess emission in their blue wings. Linsky et al. found no evidence for broad wings in Capella's chromospheric lines, but we find that the Mg II resonance lines of HR 1099 do have broad wings. The striking resemblance between HR 1099's Mg II and C iv lines suggests that the Mg II line profiles may be regulated by turbulent processes similar to those that control the transition-region line profiles. If this is the case, microflaring may be occurring in the K1 star's chromosphere as well as in its transition region. However, radiative transfer calculations suggest that the broad wings of the Mg II lines can also result from normal chromospheric opacity effects rather than pure turbulence. The prominence of broad wings in the transition region and perhaps even chromospheric lines of active stars suggests that microflaring is very prevalent in the outer atmospheres of active stars.

Simulations of Galactic polarized synchrotron emission for Epoch of Reionization observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spinelli, M.; Bernardi, G.; Santos, M. G.

2018-06-01

The detection of the redshifted cosmological 21 cm line signal requires the removal of the Galactic and extragalactic foreground emission, which is orders of magnitude brighter anywhere in the sky. Foreground cleaning methods currently used are efficient in removing spectrally smooth components. However, they struggle in the presence of not spectrally smooth contamination that is, therefore, potentially the most dangerous one. An example of this is the polarized synchrotron emission, which is Faraday rotated by the interstellar medium and leaks into total intensity due to instrumental imperfections. In this work we present new full-sky simulations of this polarized synchrotron emission in the 50 - 200 MHz range, obtained from the observed properties of diffuse polarized emission at low frequencies. The simulated polarized maps are made publicly available, aiming to provide more realistic templates to simulate the effect of instrumental leakage and the effectiveness of foreground separation techniques.

Spatial and Seasonal Variability of Temperature in CO2 Emission from Mars' Mesosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livengood, Timothy A.; Kostiuk, Theodor; Hewagama, Tilak; Kolasinski, John R.; Henning, Wade; Fast, Kelly Elizabeth; Sonnabend, Guido; Sornig, Manuela

2017-10-01

We have observed non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) emission of carbon dioxide that probes Mars’ mesosphere in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2014, and 2016. These measurements were conducted at 10.6 μm wavelength using the Goddard Space Flight Center Heterodyne Instrument for Planetary Winds and Composition (HIPWAC) from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) at resolving power (1-33)×106. The Maxwellian broadening of the emission line can be measured at this resolution, providing a direct determination of temperature in the mesosphere. The nonLTE line appears as a narrow emission core within a broad absorption formed by tropospheric CO2, which provides temperature information reaching down to the martian surface, while the mesospheric line probes temperature at about 60-80 km altitude. We will report on the spatial distribution of temperature and emission line strength with local solar time on Mars, with latitude, as well as long-term variability including seasonal effects that modify the overall thermal structure of the atmosphere. These remote measurements complement results from orbital spacecraft through access to a broad range of local solar time on each occasion.This work has been supported by the NASA Planetary Astronomy and Solar Systems Observations Programs

A Survey of X-Ray Variability in Seyfert 1 Galaxies with XMM-Newton to study the soft excess and the broad Fe lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponti, Gabriele

The nature of the soft excess and the presence of the broad Fe lines is still nowadays highly debated because the different absorption/emission models are degenerate. Spectral variability studies have the potential to break this degeneracy. I will present the results of a spectral variability RMS survey of the 36 brightest type 1 Seyfert galaxies observed by XMM-Newton for more than 30 ks. More than 80 as already measured, on longer timescales, with RXTE (Markowitz et al. 2004). About half of the sample show lower variability in the soft energy band, indicating that the emission from the soft excess is more stable than the one of the continuum. While the other sources show a soft excess that is as variable as the continuum. About half of the sample do not show an excess of variability where the warm absorber component imprints its stronger features, suggesting that for these sources the soft excess is not produced by a relativistic absorbing wind. In a few bright and well exposed sources it has been possible to measure an excess of variability at the energy of the broad component of the Fe K line, in agreement with the broad emission line interpretation. For the sources where more than one observation was available the stability of the shape of the RMS spectrum has been investigated. Moreover, it will be presented the results of the computation of the excess variance of all the radio quiet type 1 AGN of the XMM-Newton database. The relations between variability, black hole mass, accretion rate and luminosity are investigated and their scatter measured.

Cluster observations of EMIC triggered emissions in association with Pc1 waves near Earth's plasmapause

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickett, J. S.; Grison, B.; Omura, Y.; Engebretson, M. J.; Dandouras, I.; Masson, A.; Adrian, M. L.; Santolík, O.; Décréau, P. M. E.; Cornilleau-Wehrlin, N.; Constantinescu, D.

2010-05-01

The Cluster spacecraft were favorably positioned on the nightside near the equatorial plasmapause of Earth at L ˜ 4.3 on 30 March 2002 to observe electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) rising tone emissions in association with Pc1 waves at 1.5 Hz. The EMIC rising tone emissions were found to be left-hand, circularly polarized, dispersive, and propagating away from the equator. Their burstiness and dispersion of ˜30s/Hz rising out of the 1.5 Hz Pc1 waves are consistent with their identification as EMIC triggered chorus emissions, the first to be reported through in situ observations near the plasmapause. Along with the expected H+ ring current ions seen at higher energies (>300 eV), lower energy ions (300 eV and less) were observed during the most intense EMIC triggered emission events. Nonlinear wave-particle interactions via cyclotron resonance between the ˜2-10 keV H+ ions with temperature anisotropy and the linearly-amplified Pc1 waves are suggested as a possible generation mechanism for the EMIC triggered emissions.

First Hard X-Ray Detection of the Non-Thermal Emission Around the Arches Cluster: Morphology and Spectral Studies With NuSTAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krivonos, Roman A.; Tomsick, John A.; Bauer, Franz E.; Baganoff, Frederick K.; Barriere, Nicolas M.; Bodaghee, Arash; Boggs, Steven E.; Christensen, Finn E.; Craig, William W.; Grefenstette, Brian W.;

IUE observations of circumstellar emission from the late-type variable R AQR (M6 + pec)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, R. W.; Michalitsianos, A. G.; Kafatos, M.

1981-01-01

The IUE observations of R Aqr (M7 + pec) obtained in low dispersion are discussed with particular reference to circumstellar emission. Strong permitted, semiforbidden, and forbidden emission lines are seen, superimposed on a bright ultraviolet continuum. It is deduced that the strong emission line spectrum that involves C III, C IV, Si III, (0 II) and (0 III) probably arises from a dense compact nebula the size of which is comparable to the orbital radius of the binary system of which R Aqr is the primary star. The low excitation emission lines of Fe II, Mg II, 0 I, and Si II probably a white dwarf, comparable to or somewhat brighter than the Sun, since such a star can produce enough ionizing photons to excite the continuum and emission line spectrum and yet be sufficiently faint as to escape detection by direct observation. The UV continuum is attributed to Balmer recombination from the dense nebula and not to blackbody emission from the hot companion.

Dust emission mechanisms in the central Sahara: new insights from remote field observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, C.; Washington, R.; Engelstaedter, S.

2013-12-01

North Africa is the world's largest source of mineral aerosol (dust). The Fennec Project, an international consortium led by the University of Oxford, is the first project to systematically instrument the remote central Sahara Desert. These observations have, among others, provided new insights into the atmospheric mechanisms of dust emission. Bordj Badji Mokhtar, in south-west Algeria, is within kilometres of the centre of the global mean summer dust maximum. The site, operated by Fennec partners ONM Algerie, has been heavily instrumented since summer 2011. During the Intensive Observation Period (IOP) in June 2011, four main emission mechanisms were observed and documented: cold pool outflows, low level jets (LLJs), monsoon surges and dry convective plumes. Establishing the relative importance of dust emission mechanisms has been a long-standing research goal. A detailed partitioning exercise of dust events during the IOP shows that 45% of the dust over BBM was generated by local emission in cold pool outflows, 14% by LLJs and only 2% by dry convective plumes. 27% of the dust was advected to the site rather than locally emitted and 12% of the dust was residual or ';background' dust. The work shows the primacy of cold pool outflows for dust emission in the region and also the important contribution of dust advection. In accordance with long-held ideas, the cube of wind speed is strongly correlated with dust emission. Surprisingly however, particles in long-range advection (>500km) were found to be larger than locally emitted dust. Although a clear LLJ wind structure is evident in the mean diurnal cycle during the IOP (12m/s peak winds at 935hPa between 04-05h), LLJs are only responsible for a relatively small amount of dust emission. There is significant daily variability in LLJ strength; the strongest winds are produced by a relatively small number of events. The position and strength of the Saharan Heat Low is strongly associated with the development (or

Global simulations and observations of O(1S), O2(1Σ) and OH mesospheric nightglow emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Jeng-Hwa; Crowley, G.; Roble, R. G.; Skinner, W. R.; Burrage, M. D.; Hays, P. B.

1997-09-01

Despite a large number of observations of mesospheric nightglow emissions in the past, the quantitative comparison between theoretical and experimental brightnesses is rather poor, owing primarily to the short duration of the observations, the strong variability of the tides, and the influence of short-timescale gravity waves. The high-resolution Doppler imager (HRDI) instrument onboard the upper atmosphere research satellite (UARS) provides nearly simultaneous, near-global observations of O(1S) green line, O2(0-1) atmospheric band, and OH Meinel band nightglow emissions. Three days of these observations near the September equinox of 1993 are presented to show the general characteristics of the three emissions, including the emission brightness, peak emission altitude, and their temporal and spatial variabilities. The global distribution of these emissions is simulated on the basis of atmospheric parameters from the recently developed National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere-electrodynamics general circulation model (TIME-GCM). The most striking features revealed by the global simulation are the structuring of the mesospheric nightglow by the diurnal tides and enhancements of the airglow at high latitudes. The model reproduces the inverse relationship observed by HRDI between the nightglow brightness and peak emission altitude. Analysis of our model results shows that the large-scale latitudinal/tidal nightglow brightness variations are a direct result of a complex interplay between mesospheric and lower thermospheric diffusive and advective processes, acting mainly on the atomic oxygen concentrations. The inclination of the UARS spacecraft precluded observations of high latitude nightglow emissions by HRDI. However, our predicted high-latitude brightness enhancements confirm previous limited groundbased observations in the polar region. This work provides an initial validation of the NCAR-TIMEGCM using airglow data.

EUV emission spectra in collisions of highly charged tantalum ions with nitrogen and oxygen molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanuma, Hajime; Numadate, Naoki; Uchikura, Yoshiyuki; Shimada, Kento; Akutsu, Takuto; Long, Elaine; O'Sullivan, Gerry

2017-10-01

We have performed ion beam collision experiments using multiply charged tantalum ions and observed EUV (extreme ultra-violet) emission spectra in collisions of ions with molecular targets, N2 and O2. Broad UTAs (un-resolved transition arrays) from multiply charged Ta ions were observed, and the mean wavelengths of the UTAs shifted and became shorter at higher charge statea of Ta ions. These UTAs may be attributed to the 4f-5d and 4f-5g transitions. Not only the UTA emission from incident ions, but also the sharp emission lines from multiply charged fragment atomic ions were observed. Production of temporary highly charged molecular ions, their kinetic energy and fragmentation processes have been investigated with coincident detection technique. However, the observation of emission from the fragments might be for the first time. The formation mechanisms of the multiply charged fragment atomic ions from target molecules are discussed.

Ground based Mid-IR Observations of Temporally Varying Ethylene Emission on Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romani, P. N.; Jennings, D. E.; Bjoraker, G. L.; Sada, P. V.; Boyle, R.; McCabe, G.

2003-05-01

Ethylene (C2H4)is an important species in our understanding of hydrocarbon photochemistry in the atmospheres of the giant planets. It also provides a sensitive probe of conditions at the 10-microbar level in Jupiter's atmosphere, a region that is strongly influenced by aurora. We performed high-resolution spectral observations of C2H4 at 10.53 microns (949.5 cm-1) on Jupiter with Celeste, a Goddard-developed cryogenic echelle spectrometer, during October-November 1998 at the McMath-Pierce telescope of the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak and during June 2000 at the IRTF at Mt. Kea in Hawai'i. We observed C2H4 line emission in the equatorial region and enhanced emission in the auroral latitudes. We modeled the emission using photochemical model profiles and either multiplied the model profile by a constant factor, adjusted the temperature in the isothermal region of the atmosphere, or adjusted the pressure level where the large thermal gradient starts. Analysis of the southern and northern auroral region emission yielded similar results with the exception of one day (21 June 2000) in the northern hemisphere "hot spot: (LIII 180 degrees). On this day the C2H4 emission was exceptionally bright. To match the emission required either multiplying the photochemical model profile by 25, or increasing the isothermal region temperature from 168K to 261K, or lowering the start of the temperature gradient region to 0.055 mbar. Of these three possibilities the increase in C2H4 abundance profile provided the poorest fit. Since the C2H4 emission on either side of this day was lower, and similar to each other, whatever mechanism that caused the increase in emission had to "turn on and off" within 48 hours. Similar short term behavior has been seen with Cassini-CIRS (see abstract by Sada et al.) This work is supported by the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program.

Infrared Spectroscopy of Pa-beta and [Fe II] Emission in NGC 4151

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knop, R. A.; Armus, L.; Larkin, J. E.; Matthews, K.; Shupe, D. L.; Soifer, B. T.

1996-01-01

We present spatially resolved 1.24-1.30 micron spectroscopy with a resolution of 240 km/s of the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 4151. Broad Pa-beta, narrow Pa-beta, and narrow [Fe II] (lambda = 1.2567 micron) emission lines are identified in the spectrum. Additionally, a spatially unresolved narrow component probably due to [S ix] (lambda = 1.25235 micron) is observed on the nucleus. The narrow Pa-beta and [Fe II] lines are observed to be extended over a scale of 5 sec. The spatial variation of the velocity centers of the Pa-beta and [Fe II] lines show remarkable similarity, and additionally show similarities to the velocity structure previously observed in ground based spectroscopy of [O III] emission in NGC 4151. This leads to the conclusion that the [Fe II] emission arises in clouds in the Seyfert narrow line region that are physically correlated with those narrow line clouds responsible for the optical emission. The [Fe II] emission line, however, is significantly wider than the Pa-beta emission line along the full spatial extent of the observed emission. This result suggests that despite the correlation between the bulk kinematics of Pa-beta and [Fe II], there is an additional process, perhaps fast shocks from a wind in the Seyfert nucleus, contributing to the [Fe II] emission.

Quantifying urban/industrial emissions of greenhouse and ozone-depleting gases based on atmospheric observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Diana Hart

2000-11-01

Background and pollution trends and cycles of fourteen trace gases over the Northeastern U.S. are inferred from continuous atmospheric observations at the Harvard Forest research station located in Petersham, Massachusetts. This site receives background `clean' air from the northwest (Canada) and `dirty' polluted air from the southwest (New York City-Washington, D.C. corridor). Mixing ratios of gases regulated by the Montreal Protocol or other policies (CO, PCE, CFC11, CFC12, CFC113, CH 3CCl3, CCl4, and Halon-1211) and of those not subject to restrictions (H2, CH4, CHCl3, TCE, N2O, and SF6) were measured over the three-year period, 1996 to 1998, every 24 minutes by a fully automated gas chromatographic instrument with electron capture detectors. Evidence for polar vortex venting is found consistently in the month of June of the background seasonal cycles. The ratio of CO and PCE enhancements borne on southwesterly winds are in excellent agreement with county-level EPA and sales-based inventories for the New York City-Washington, D.C. region. From this firm footing, we use CO and PCE as reference compounds to determine the urban/industrial source strengths for the other species. A broad historical and geographic study of emissions reveals that the international treaty has by and large been a success. Locally, despite the passing of the 1996 Montreal Protocol ban, only emissions of CFC12 and CH3CCl3 are abating. Though source strengths are waning, the sources are not spent and continued releases to the atmosphere may be expected for some years to come. For CH3CCl3, whose rate of decline is central to our understanding of atmospheric processes, we estimate that absolute concentrations may persist until around the year 2010. The long-term high frequency time series of hydrogen provided here represents the first such data set of its kind. The H2 diurnal cycle is established and explained in terms of its sources and sinks. The ratio of H2 to CO in pollution plumes is

Fermi Large Area Telescope observations of two gamma-ray emission components from the quiescent sun

DOE PAGES

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; ...

2011-06-06

Here, we report the detection of high-energy γ-rays from the quiescent Sun with the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope ( Fermi) during the first 18 months of the mission. These observations correspond to the recent period of low solar activity when the emission induced by cosmic rays (CRs) is brightest. For the first time, the high statistical significance of the observations allows clear separation of the two components: the point-like emission from the solar disk due to CR cascades in the solar atmosphere and extended emission from the inverse Compton (IC) scattering of CR electronsmore » on solar photons in the heliosphere. The observed integral flux (≥100 MeV) from the solar disk is (4.6 ± 0.2[statistical error] +1.0 –0.8[systematic error]) × 10 –7 cm –2 s –1, which is ~7 times higher than predicted by the "nominal" model of Seckel et al. In contrast, the observed integral flux (≥100 MeV) of the extended emission from a region of 20° radius centered on the Sun, but excluding the disk itself, (6.8 ± 0.7[stat.] +0.5 – 0.4[syst.]) × 10 –7 cm –2 s –1, along with the observed spectrum and the angular profile, is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions for the IC emission.« less

Chandra X-ray Observations of Jovian Low-latitude Emissions: Morphological, Temporal, and Spectral Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhardwaj, Anil; Elsner, Ronald F.; Gladstone, G. Randall; Cravens, Thomas E.; Waiate J. Hunter, Jr.; Branduardi-Raymont, Graziella; Ford, Peter

2004-01-01

Chandra observed X-rays from Jupiter during 24-26 February 2003 for about 40 hours with the ACIS-S and HRC-I instruments. The analysis of Jovian low-latitude "disk" Xray emissions are presented and compared with the high-latitude "auroral" emissions. We report the first Chandra ACIS-S measured X-ray spectrum (0.3-2 keV) of Jupiter's low-latitude disk The disk X-ray emission is harder and extends to higher energies than the auroral spectrum. The temporal variation in the Jovian disk X-rays is on an average consistent with those in the solar X-rays observed by GOES, and TIMED/SSE. Contrary to the auroral X-rays, the disk emissions are uniformly distributed over Jupiter; no indication of longitudinal dependence or correlation with surface magneh field strength is visible. Also, unlike the approx. 40 +/- 20 min periodic oscillations seen in the auroral X-ray emissions, the disk emissions do not show any periodic oscillations. The disk spectrum seems to be consistent with resonant and fluorescent scattering of solar X-rays by the Jovian upper atmosphere. Jupiter's disk is found to be about 50% dimmer in soft X-rays in February 2003 compared that in December 2000, which is consistent with the decrease in solar activity. No evidence of lightning-induced X-rays is seen in the Chandra X-ray data. The Jovian disk spectra observed with Chandra-ACIS is stronger than that observed with XMM-Newton two months later during April 28-29, 2003. The XMM-Newton Xray image of Jupiter shows evidence of limb darkening on the anti-sunward side as seen from Earth, as well as an asymmetry with respect to the subsolar point: suggesting a solar driven process.

Optical polarimetric observations of GRB prompt emissions by MASTER robots-telescopes net.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorbovskoy, Evgeny; Lipunov, Vladimir; Kornilov, Victor; Shatskij, Nikolaj; Kuvshi-Nov, Dmitry; Tyurina, Nataly; Belinski, Alexander; Krylov, Alexander; Balanutsa, Pavel; Chazov, Vadim; Kuznetsov, Artem; Zimnuhov, Dmitry; Balanutsa, Pavel; Kortunov, Petr; Sankovich, Anatoly; Tlatov, An-Drey; Parkhomenko, A.; Krushinsky, Vadim; Zalozhnyh, Ivan; Popov, A.; Kopytova, Taisia; Ivanov, Kirill; Yazev, Sergey; Yurkov, Vladimir

The main goal of the MASTER-Net project is to produce a unique fast sky survey with all sky observed over a single night down to a limiting magnitude of 19 -20mag. Such a survey will make it possible to address a number of fundamental problems: search for dark energy via the discovery and photometry of supernovas (including SNIa), search for exoplanets, microlensing effects, discovery of minor bodies in the Solar System and space-junk monitoring. All MASTER telescopes can be guided by alerts, and we plan to observe prompt optical emission from gamma-ray bursts synchronously in several filters and in several polarization planes. Observations on telescopes capable to observ polarisation of GRB prompt emission have been begun in the summer of 2009. Since summer of 2009 an observations of several GRB have been made. In particular for GRB0910 and GRB091127 optical polarisation has been measured. So, for GRB091127 which supervision have begun all through 91 sec polarisation at level of several tens percent has been registered. (GCN 10231, GCN 10052, GCN 10203)

FERMI observations of high-energy gamma-ray emission from GRB 090217A

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Baldini, L.; ...

2010-06-22

The Fermi observatory is advancing our knowledge of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) through pioneering observations at high energies, covering more than seven decades in energy with the two on-board detectors, the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Here, we report on the observation of the long GRB 090217A which triggered the GBM and has been detected by the LAT with a significance greater than 9σ. We present the GBM and LAT observations and on-ground analyses, including the time-resolved spectra and the study of the temporal profile from 8 keV up to ~1 GeV. All spectra are wellmore » reproduced by a Band model. We compare these observations to the first two LAT-detected, long bursts GRB 080825C and GRB 080916C. These bursts were found to have time-dependent spectra and exhibited a delayed onset of the high-energy emission, which are not observed in the case of GRB 090217A. We discuss some theoretical implications for the high-energy emission of GRBs.« less

Relative changes in CO emissions over megacities based on observations from space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pommier, Matthieu; McLinden, Chris A.; Deeter, Merritt

2013-07-01

Urban areas are large sources of several air pollutants, with carbon monoxide (CO) among the largest. Yet measurement from space of their CO emissions remains elusive due to its long lifetime. Here we introduce a new method of estimating relative changes in CO emissions over megacities. A new multichannel Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) CO data product, offering improved sensitivity to the boundary layer, is used to estimate this relative change over eight megacities: Moscow, Paris, Mexico, Tehran, Baghdad, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, and Delhi. By combining MOPITT observations with wind information from a meteorological reanalysis, changes in the CO upwind-downwind difference are used as a proxy for changes in emissions. Most locations show a clear reduction in CO emission between 2000-2003 and 2004-2008, reaching -43% over Tehran and -47% over Baghdad. There is a contrasted agreement between these results and the MACCity and Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research v4.2 inventories.

Theory and observation of electromagnetic ion cyclotron triggered emissions in the magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omura, Yoshiharu; Pickett, Jolene; Grison, Benjamin; Santolik, Ondrej; Dandouras, Iannis; Engebretson, Mark; Décréau, Pierrette M. E.; Masson, Arnaud

2010-07-01

We develop a nonlinear wave growth theory of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) triggered emissions observed in the inner magnetosphere. We first derive the basic wave equations from Maxwell's equations and the momentum equations for the electrons and ions. We then obtain equations that describe the nonlinear dynamics of resonant protons interacting with an EMIC wave. The frequency sweep rate of the wave plays an important role in forming the resonant current that controls the wave growth. Assuming an optimum condition for the maximum growth rate as an absolute instability at the magnetic equator and a self-sustaining growth condition for the wave propagating from the magnetic equator, we obtain a set of ordinary differential equations that describe the nonlinear evolution of a rising tone emission generated at the magnetic equator. Using the physical parameters inferred from the wave, particle, and magnetic field data measured by the Cluster spacecraft, we determine the dispersion relation for the EMIC waves. Integrating the differential equations numerically, we obtain a solution for the time variation of the amplitude and frequency of a rising tone emission at the equator. Assuming saturation of the wave amplitude, as is found in the observations, we find good agreement between the numerical solutions and the wave spectrum of the EMIC triggered emissions.

Emissions of mercury in Southern Africa derived from long-term observations at Cape Point, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunke, E.-G.; Ebinghaus, R.; Kock, H. H.; Labuschagne, C.; Slemr, F.

2012-05-01

Mercury emissions in South Africa have so far been estimated only by a bottom-up approach from activities and emission factors for different processes. In this paper we derive GEM/CO (GEM being gaseous elemental mercury, Hg0), GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios from plumes observed during long-term monitoring of these species at Cape Point between March 2007 and December 2009. The average observed GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, GEM/CH4, CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios were 2.40 ± 2.65 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 47), 62.7 ± 80.2 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 44), 3.61 ± 4.66 pg m-3 ppb-1 (n = 46), 35.6 ± 25.4 ppb ppm-1 (n = 52), 20.2 ± 15.5 ppb ppm-1 (n=48), and 0.876 ± 1.106 ppb ppm-1 (n=42), respectively. The observed CO/CO2, CH4/CO2, and CH4/CO emission ratios agree within the combined uncertainties of the observations and emissions with the ratios calculated from EDGAR (version 4.2) CO2, CO, and CH4 inventories for South Africa and Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique) in 2007 and 2008 (inventories for 2009 are not available yet). Total elemental mercury emission of 13.1, 15.2, and 16.1 t Hg yr-1 are estimated independently using the GEM/CO, GEM/CO2, and GEM/CH4 emission ratios and the annual mean CO, CO2, and CH4 emissions, respectively, of South Africa in 2007 and 2008. The average of these independent estimates of 14.8 ± 1.5 t GEM yr-1 is much less than the total emission of 257 t Hg yr-1 from older inventories. Considering that emission of GEM represents only 50-78% of all mercury emissions, our estimates come close to the total mercury emission estimates ranging between 40-50 t Hg yr-1 from more recent inventories.

[Effects of conversion of natural broad-leaved forest to Chinese fir plantation on soil respiration in subtropical China].

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Bai, Yang; Liu, Juan; Jiang, Pei-kun; Zhou, Guo-mo; Wu, Jia-sen; Tong, Zhi-peng; Li, Yong-fu

2015-10-01

Soil CO2 effluxes in natural broad-leaved forest and the conversed Chinese fir plantation in Linglong Mountains Scenic of Zhejiang Province were evaluated by using static closed chamber and gas chromatography method. The results showed that soil CO2 efflux showed consistent seasonal dynamics in natural broad-leaved forest and Chinese fir plantation, with the maximums observed in summer and autumn, the minimums in winter and spring. Soil CO2 effluxes were 20.0-111.3 and 4.1-118.6 mg C . m-2 . h-1 in natural broad-leaved forest and Chinese fir plantation, respectively. The cumulative soil CO2 emission of natural broad-leaved forest (16.46 t CO2 . hm-2 . a-1) was significantly higher than that of Chinese fir plantation (11.99 t CO2 . hm-2 . a-1). Soil moisture did not affect soil CO2 efflux. There was a significant relationship between soil CO2 efflux and soil temperature at 5 cm depth. There was no significant relationship between soil CO2 efflux of natural broad-leaved forest and water soluble organic carbon content, while water soluble organic carbon content affected significantly soil CO2 efflux in Chinese fir plantation. Converting the natural broad-leaved forest to Chinese fir plantation reduced soil CO2 efflux significantly but improved the sensitivity of soil respiration to environmental factors.

WPVS 007: Dramatic Broad Absorption Line Variability in a Narrow-line Seyfert 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Erin M.; Leighly, K.; Hamann, F. W.; Grupe, D.; Dietrich, M.

2014-01-01

Blue-shifted broad absorption lines are the manifestation of gaseous outflows in astrophysical phenomena. In active galaxies, these outflowing winds may play a key role in the central engine physics by removing angular momentum and in influencing host galaxy evolution by imparting energy and chemically enriched gas to the surrounding medium. AGN wind variability affords us a valuable tool to study this still poorly understood phenomenon. The existence of a high velocity broad line outflow in WPVS007 is especially extraordinary, as Seyfert-luminosity active galaxies are unexpected to produce them. With its lower luminosity and compact size, the NLS1 galaxy WPVS007 (M_V=-19.7, z=0.02882) provides us the ability to study even colossal variability on merely human timescales. Since its 1996 FOS observation, displaying miniBALs but no true broad absorption lines, WPVS007 has experienced a short but rich history of UV BAL variability. By the 2003 FUSE observation, WPVS007 had developed a BAL with v_max ~ 6000km/s, indicating an optically thick, high velocity outflow. We present the 2010 and 2013 June and December HST COS spectra. Between 2003 and 2010, both the maximum and minimum outflow velocity had increased substantially. As of 2013 June, the continuum emission has since dimmed by a factor of ~2 and the BALs have appeared to weaken, with both decreased maximum and minimum velocities. Such dramatic shifts in BAL velocity are unprecedented, as BAL variability is typically confined to changes in optical depth. What is the nature of the variability in this BAL wind? The upcoming (as of the writing of this abstract) December observation should give us more insight into tackling that question, whether it be the transient response of a continuous flow to a fluctuating continuum or perhaps the continued decline of a discrete outflow event.

Constraining atmospheric ammonia emissions through new observations with an open-path, laser-based sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Kang

As the third most abundant nitrogen species in the atmosphere, ammonia (NH3) is a key component of the global nitrogen cycle. Since the industrial revolution, humans have more than doubled the emissions of NH3 to the atmosphere by industrial nitrogen fixation, revolutionizing agricultural practices, and burning fossil fuels. NH3 is a major precursor to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which has adverse impacts on air quality and human health. The direct and indirect aerosol radiative forcings currently constitute the largest uncertainties for future climate change predictions. Gas and particle phase NH3 eventually deposits back to the Earth's surface as reactive nitrogen, leading to the exceedance of ecosystem critical loads and perturbation of ecosystem productivity. Large uncertainties still remain in estimating the magnitude and spatiotemporal patterns of NH3 emissions from all sources and over a range of scales. These uncertainties in emissions also propagate to the deposition of reactive nitrogen. To improve our understanding of NH3 emissions, observational constraints are needed from local to global scales. The first part of this thesis is to provide quality-controlled, reliable NH3 measurements in the field using an open-path, quantum cascade laser-based NH3 sensor. As the second and third part of my research, NH3 emissions were quantified from a cattle feedlot using eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements, and the similarities between NH3 turbulent fluxes and those of other scalars (temperature, water vapor, and CO2) were investigated. The fourth part involves applying a mobile laboratory equipped with the open-path NH3 sensor and other important chemical/meteorological measurements to quantify fleet-integrated NH3 emissions from on-road vehicles. In the fifth part, the on-road measurements were extended to multiple major urban areas in both the US and China in the context of five observation campaigns. The results significantly improved current urban NH3

PAH emission from Nova Cen 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyland, A. R. Harry; Mcgregor, P. J.

1989-01-01

The discovery of broad emission features between 3.2 and 3.6 microns were reported in the spectrum of Nova Cen 1986 (V842 Cen) some 300 days following outburst and remaining prominent for several months. The general characteristics of these features are similar to those attributed to polycyclic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules in other dusty sources, although the relative strengths are different, and these observations provide the first clear evidence for molecular constituents other than graphite particles in the ejecta of novae.

Observation of increases in emission from modern vehicles over time in Hong Kong using remote sensing.

PubMed

Lau, Jason; Hung, W T; Cheung, C S

2012-04-01

In this study on-road gaseous emissions of vehicles are investigated using remote sensing measurements collected over three different periods. The results show that a high percentage of gaseous pollutants were emitted from a small percentage of vehicles. Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) vehicles generally have higher gaseous emissions compared to other vehicles, particularly among higher-emitting vehicles. Vehicles with high vehicle specific power (VSP) tend to have lower CO and HC emissions while petrol and LPG vehicles tend to have higher NO emissions when engine load is high. It can be observed that gaseous emission factors of petrol and LPG vehicles increase greatly within 2 years of being introduced to the vehicle fleet, suggesting that engine and catalyst performance deteriorate rapidly. It can be observed that LPG vehicles have higher levels of gaseous emissions than petrol vehicles, suggesting that proper maintenance of LPG vehicles is essential in reducing gaseous emissions from vehicles. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Signatures of solar wind latitudinal structure in interplanetary Lyman-alpha emissions - Mariner 10 observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, S.; Broadfoot, A. L.

1979-01-01

A detailed analysis is conducted which shows that signatures in the interplanetary Lyman-alpha emissions observed in three different data sets from Mariner 10 (corresponding to different locations of the spacecraft) provide firm evidence that the intensity departures are correlated with a decrease in solar wind flux with increasing latitude. It is suggested that observations of the interplanetary emission can be used to monitor average solar wind activity at high latitudes. The asymmetry in the solar radiation field as a source of observed departures in L-alpha data is considered and attention is given to the interstellar hydrogen and helium density.

Inverse Modeling of Texas NOx Emissions Using Space-Based and Ground-Based NO2 Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tang, Wei; Cohan, D.; Lamsal, L. N.; Xiao, X.; Zhou, W.

2013-01-01

Inverse modeling of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions using satellite-based NO2 observations has become more prevalent in recent years, but has rarely been applied to regulatory modeling at regional scales. In this study, OMI satellite observations of NO2 column densities are used to conduct inverse modeling of NOx emission inventories for two Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) modeling episodes. Addition of lightning, aircraft, and soil NOx emissions to the regulatory inventory narrowed but did not close the gap between modeled and satellite observed NO2 over rural regions. Satellitebased top-down emission inventories are created with the regional Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx) using two techniques: the direct scaling method and discrete Kalman filter (DKF) with Decoupled Direct Method (DDM) sensitivity analysis. The simulations with satellite-inverted inventories are compared to the modeling results using the a priori inventory as well as an inventory created by a ground-level NO2 based DKF inversion. The DKF inversions yield conflicting results: the satellite based inversion scales up the a priori NOx emissions in most regions by factors of 1.02 to 1.84, leading to 3-55% increase in modeled NO2 column densities and 1-7 ppb increase in ground 8 h ozone concentrations, while the ground-based inversion indicates the a priori NOx emissions should be scaled by factors of 0.34 to 0.57 in each region. However, none of the inversions improve the model performance in simulating aircraft-observed NO2 or ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations.

Inverse modeling of Texas NOx emissions using space-based and ground-based NO2 observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, W.; Cohan, D. S.; Lamsal, L. N.; Xiao, X.; Zhou, W.

2013-11-01

Inverse modeling of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions using satellite-based NO2 observations has become more prevalent in recent years, but has rarely been applied to regulatory modeling at regional scales. In this study, OMI satellite observations of NO2 column densities are used to conduct inverse modeling of NOx emission inventories for two Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) modeling episodes. Addition of lightning, aircraft, and soil NOx emissions to the regulatory inventory narrowed but did not close the gap between modeled and satellite-observed NO2 over rural regions. Satellite-based top-down emission inventories are created with the regional Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx) using two techniques: the direct scaling method and discrete Kalman filter (DKF) with decoupled direct method (DDM) sensitivity analysis. The simulations with satellite-inverted inventories are compared to the modeling results using the a priori inventory as well as an inventory created by a ground-level NO2-based DKF inversion. The DKF inversions yield conflicting results: the satellite-based inversion scales up the a priori NOx emissions in most regions by factors of 1.02 to 1.84, leading to 3-55% increase in modeled NO2 column densities and 1-7 ppb increase in ground 8 h ozone concentrations, while the ground-based inversion indicates the a priori NOx emissions should be scaled by factors of 0.34 to 0.57 in each region. However, none of the inversions improve the model performance in simulating aircraft-observed NO2 or ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations.

Inverse modeling of Texas NOx emissions using space-based and ground-based NO2 observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, W.; Cohan, D.; Lamsal, L. N.; Xiao, X.; Zhou, W.

2013-07-01

Inverse modeling of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions using satellite-based NO2 observations has become more prevalent in recent years, but has rarely been applied to regulatory modeling at regional scales. In this study, OMI satellite observations of NO2 column densities are used to conduct inverse modeling of NOx emission inventories for two Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) modeling episodes. Addition of lightning, aircraft, and soil NOx emissions to the regulatory inventory narrowed but did not close the gap between modeled and satellite observed NO2 over rural regions. Satellite-based top-down emission inventories are created with the regional Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx) using two techniques: the direct scaling method and discrete Kalman filter (DKF) with Decoupled Direct Method (DDM) sensitivity analysis. The simulations with satellite-inverted inventories are compared to the modeling results using the a priori inventory as well as an inventory created by a ground-level NO2 based DKF inversion. The DKF inversions yield conflicting results: the satellite-based inversion scales up the a priori NOx emissions in most regions by factors of 1.02 to 1.84, leading to 3-55% increase in modeled NO2 column densities and 1-7 ppb increase in ground 8 h ozone concentrations, while the ground-based inversion indicates the a priori NOx emissions should be scaled by factors of 0.34 to 0.57 in each region. However, none of the inversions improve the model performance in simulating aircraft-observed NO2 or ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations.

Evolution of the High Velocity X-Ray Emission in SN 1987A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewey, Daniel; Haberl, F.; Dwarkadas, V. V.; Burrows, D. N.; Park, S.

2011-01-01

Chandra HETG observations of SN 1987A in late 1999 showed very broad lines with observed FWHM of order 7000 km/s (Michael et al. 2002). At this time (SN day 4600) the blastwave was already interacting with the HII region around the progenitor and optical spots had recently appeared. High-resolution spectra taken from May 2003 ( day 5900) to the present by XMM-Newton and Chandra have been well fit by models with FWHM less than 2000 km/s (Zhekov et al. 2005; Dewey et al. 2008; Sturm et al 2010). The emission is increasingly dominated by these narrower components as the blastwave encounters more of the dense equatorial ring. However emission from the HII region out of the ring plane is still expected at late times and would contribute a high-velocity component to the spectra. We analyze 6 epochs of SN 1987A grating data and include an additional very broad component in the spectral model. We find that deep HETG 2007 data are better fit when one quarter of the flux comes from a component with FWHM 8500 km/s, and that RGS 2003 data show an improved fit with a very-broad fraction that is between the 1999 and 2007 values. Later data continue a progression to lower, but still significant, very-broad fractions. The measurements are discussed in terms of the density and extent of the out-of-plane HII region, hydrodynamical simulations, and 3D models of SN 1987A's emission. Support for this work was provided by NASA/USA through contract NAS8-03060 to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and further SAO sub-contracts TM9-0004X to VVD (U Chicago) and SV3-73016 to MIT for support of the CXC.

IUE observations of circumstellar emission from the late type variable R Aquarii /M7 + pec/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalitsianos, A. G.; Hobbs, R. W.; Kafatos, M.

1980-01-01

IUE observations of R Aquarii (M7 + pec) have been obtained in low dispersion in order to study its circumstellar emission. Strong permitted, semiforbidden, and forbidden emission lines are identified that are superposed on a bright ultraviolet continuum. From the analysis it is deduced that the strong emission-line spectrum that involves semiforbidden C III, C IV, semiforbidden Si III, forbidden O II, and forbidden O III probably arises from a dense compact nebula the size of which is comparable to the binary system of which R Aqr is the primary star. Low-excitation emission lines of Fe II, Mg II, O I, and Si II suggest the presence of a warm chromosphere (T less than about 10,000 K) in the primary M7 late type giant. The secondary is identified as a white dwarf, comparable to or somewhat brighter than the sun, since such a star can produce enough ionizing photons to excite the continuum and emission-line spectrum and yet be sufficiently faint to escape detection by direct observation. The UV continuum observed is attributed to Balmer recombination and not to blackbody emission from the hot companion. The general spectral properties of R Aqr between 1200 A and 3200 A are discussed in the context of the model for the circumstellar nebula, the companion, and the mass-loss rate of the primary star.

VLF emissions and whistlers observed during geomagnetic storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ondoh, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Nishizaki, R.; Nagayama, M.

1974-01-01

Whistler-triggered emissions and a narrowband hiss are described which were observed over Japan by ISIS 2 during the main phase of the geomagnetic storm of August 9, 1972. The characteristics of the narrowband hiss and increases in the whistler rate during the storm are discussed, and the ISIS-2 data are compared with data on whistler cutoffs and VLF noise breakups obtained by OGO 4 and Alouette I. Since the whistlers and narrowband hiss are usually observed inside and outside the plasmapause, it is thought that the plasmapause may have been located near the low-latitude end of the narrowband hiss during the main phase of the storm. It is suggested that the increases in the whistler rate may have been caused by the formation of whistler ducts in the disturbed plasmapause.

OBSERVATIONS OF THERMAL FLARE PLASMA WITH THE EUV VARIABILITY EXPERIMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warren, Harry P.; Doschek, George A.; Mariska, John T.

2013-06-20

One of the defining characteristics of a solar flare is the impulsive formation of very high temperature plasma. The properties of the thermal emission are not well understood, however, and the analysis of solar flare observations is often predicated on the assumption that the flare plasma is isothermal. The EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory provides spectrally resolved observations of emission lines that span a wide range of temperatures (e.g., Fe XV-Fe XXIV) and allow for thermal flare plasma to be studied in detail. In this paper we describe a method for computing the differential emission measuremore » distribution in a flare using EVE observations and apply it to several representative events. We find that in all phases of the flare the differential emission measure distribution is broad. Comparisons of EVE spectra with calculations based on parameters derived from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites soft X-ray fluxes indicate that the isothermal approximation is generally a poor representation of the thermal structure of a flare.« less

Nitrous oxide emission inventory of German forest soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte-Bisping, Hubert; Brumme, Rainer; Priesack, Eckart

2003-02-01

Annual fluxes of N2O trace gas emissions were assessed after stratifying German forest soils into Seasonal Emission Pattern (SEP) and Background Emission Pattern (BEP). Broad-leaved forests with soil pH(KCl) ≤ 3.3 were assigned to have SEP, broad-leaved forests with soil pH(KCl) > 3.3 and all needle-leaved forests to have BEP. BEPs were estimated by a relationship between annual N2O emissions and carbon content of the O-horizon. SEPs were primarily controlled by temperature and moisture and simulated by the model Expert-N after calibration to a 9-year record of N2O measurements. Analysis with different climate and soil properties indicated that the model reacts highly sensitive to changes in soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil texture. A geographic information system (ARC/INFO) was used for a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km grid where land cover, dominant soil units, and hygro climate classes were combined. The mean annual N2O emission flux from German forest soils was estimated as 0.32 kg ha-1 yr-1. Broad-leaved forests with SEP had the highest emissions (2.05 kg ha-1 yr-1) followed by mixed forests (0.38 kg ha-1 yr-1), broad-leaved forests (0.37 kg ha-1 yr-1), and needle-leaved forests with BEP (0.17 kg ha-1 yr-1). The annual N2O emission from German forest soils was calculated as 3.26 Gg N2O-N yr-1. Although needle-leaved trees cover about 57% of the entire forest area in Germany, their contribution is low (0.96 Gg N2O-N yr-1). Broad-leaved forests cover about 22% of the forest area but have 55% higher emissions (1.49 Gg N2O-N yr-1) than needle-leaved. Mixed forests cover 21% of the area and contribute 0.81 Gg N2O-N yr-1. Compared to the total N2O emissions in Germany of 170 Gg N yr-1, forest soils contribute only 1.9%. However, there are some uncertainties in this emission inventory, which are intensely discussed.

Anthropogenic emissions and space-borne observations of carbon monoxide over South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ul-Haq, Zia; Tariq, Salman; Ali, Muhammad

2016-11-01

The focus of this study is to understand anthropogenic emissions, spatiotemporal variability and trends of carbon monoxide (CO) over South Asia by using datasets from MACCity (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate, MACC and megaCITY - Zoom for the Environment, CityZEN), REAS (Regional Emission inventory in Asia), AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) and SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY). MACCity anthropogenic emissions show an overall increase of 16.5% during 2000-2010. Elevated levels of MACCity CO are found in Indo-Gangetic Basin (IGB), eastern mining region of India, Bangladesh and large urban areas. Some of the major contributors of these emissions have been identified as agricultural waste burning, land transport, industrial production, and energy generation and distribution. An area averaged mean value of AIRS CO at 600 hPa is found to be 114 ± 2 ppbv (slope -0.48 ± 0.2 ppbv yr-1, y-intercept 117 ± 1 ppbv and r = 0.68) with a minor declining trend at -0.41 ± 0.18% yr-1 over the region during 2003-2015. A strong seasonality in AIRS CO concentration is observed with spring season peak in March 129 ± 1.9 ppbv, whereas low values have been observed in summer monsoon with sturdy dip in July 99.6 ± 1.94 ppbv. AIRS CO and SCIAMACHY CO Total Column (CO TC) over the study region show spatial patterns similar to MACCity and REAS emissions. An analysis of SCIAMACHY CO TC tendencies has been performed which indicates minor rising trends over some parts of the region. Background CO, Recent Emissions (RE), and spatial anomalies in RE over high anthropogenic activity zones of Indus Basin, Ganges Basin and Eastern Region were analyzed using AIRS and SCIAMACHY CO data.

The high-energy view of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 111

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballo, L.; Braito, V.; Reeves, J. N.; Sambruna, R. M.; Tombesi, F.

2011-12-01

We present the analysis of Suzaku and XMM-Newton observations of the broad-line radio galaxy (BLRG) 3C 111. Its high-energy emission shows variability, a harder continuum with respect to the radio-quiet active galactic nucleus population, and weak reflection features. Suzaku found the source in a minimum flux level; a comparison with the XMM-Newton data implies an increase of a factor of 2.5 in the 0.5-10 keV flux, in the 6 months separating the two observations. The iron K complex is detected in both data sets, with rather low equivalent width(s). The intensity of the iron K complex does not respond to the change in continuum flux. An ultrafast, high-ionization outflowing gas is clearly detected in the Suzaku/X-ray Imaging Spectrometer data; the absorber is most likely unstable. Indeed, during the XMM-Newton observation, which was 6 months after, the absorber was not detected. No clear rollover in the hard X-ray emission is detected, probably due to the emergence of the jet as a dominant component in the hard X-ray band, as suggested by the detection above ˜100 keV with the GSO onboard Suzaku, although the present data do not allow us to firmly constrain the relative contribution of the different components. The fluxes observed by the γ-ray satellites CGRO and Fermi would be compatible with the putative jet component if peaking at energies E˜ 100 MeV. In the X-ray band, the jet contribution to the continuum starts to be significant only above 10 keV. If the detection of the jet component in 3C 111 is confirmed, then its relative importance in the X-ray energy band could explain the different observed properties in the high-energy emission of BLRGs, which are otherwise similar in their other multiwavelength properties. Comparison between X-ray and γ-ray data taken at different epochs suggests that the strong variability observed for 3C 111 is probably driven by a change in the primary continuum.

DISENTANGLING THE CIRCUMNUCLEAR ENVIRONS OF CENTAURUS A. II. ON THE NATURE OF THE BROAD ABSORPTION LINE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Espada, D.; Matsushita, S.; Sakamoto, K.

2010-09-01

We report on atomic gas (H I) and molecular gas (as traced by CO(2-1)) redshifted absorption features toward the nuclear regions of the closest powerful radio galaxy, Centaurus A (NGC 5128). Our H I observations using the Very Long Baseline Array allow us to discern with unprecedented sub-parsec resolution H I absorption profiles toward different positions along the 21 cm continuum jet in the inner 0.''3 (or 5.4 pc). In addition, our CO(2-1) data obtained with the Submillimeter Array probe the bulk of the absorbing molecular gas with little contamination by emission, which was not possible with previous CO single-dishmore » observations. We shed light on the physical properties of the gas in the line of sight with these data, emphasizing the still open debate about the nature of the gas that produces the broad absorption line ({approx}55 km s{sup -1}). First, the broad H I line is more prominent toward the central and brightest 21 cm continuum component than toward a region along the jet at a distance {approx}20 mas (or 0.4 pc) further from the nucleus. This indicates that the broad absorption line arises from gas located close to the nucleus, rather than from diffuse and more distant gas. Second, the different velocity components detected in the CO(2-1) absorption spectrum match well with other molecular lines, such as those of HCO{sup +}(1-0), except the broad absorption line that is detected in HCO{sup +}(1-0) (and most likely related to that of the H I). Dissociation of molecular hydrogen due to the active galactic nucleus seems to be efficient at distances r {approx}< 10 pc, which might contribute to the depth of the broad H I and molecular lines.« less

Glycerol-bonded 3C-SiC nanocrystal solid films exhibiting broad and stable violet to blue-green emission.

PubMed

Wang, J; Xiong, S J; Wu, X L; Li, T H; Chu, Paul K

2010-04-14

We have produced glycerol-bonded 3C-SiC nanocrystal (NC) films, which when excited by photons of different wavelengths, produce strong and tunable violet to blue-green (360-540 nm) emission as a result of the quantum confinement effects rendered by the 3C-SiC NCs. The emission is so intense that the emission spots are visible to the naked eyes. The light emission is very stable and even after storing in air for more than six months, no intensity degradation can be observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and absorption fine structure measurements indicate that the Si-terminated NC surfaces are completely bonded to glycerol molecules. Calculations of geometry optimization and electron structures based on the density functional theory for 3C-SiC NCs with attached glycerol molecules show that these molecules are bonded on the NCs causing strong surface structural change, while the isolated levels in the conduction band of the bare 3C-SiC NCs are replaced with quasi-continuous bands that provide continuous tunability of the emitted light by changing the frequencies of exciting laser. As an application, we demonstrate the potential of using 3C-SiC NCs to fabricate full-color emitting solid films by incorporating porous silicon.

Panchromatic Observations of the Textbook GRB 110205A: Constraining Physical Mechanisms of Prompt Emission and Afterglow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zheng, W.; Shen, R. F.; Sakamoto, T.; Beardmore, A. P.; De Pasquale, M.; Wu, X. F.; Gorosabel, J.; Urata, Y.; Sugita, S.; Zhang, B.;

Baseline map of carbon emissions from deforestation in tropical regions.

PubMed

Harris, Nancy L; Brown, Sandra; Hagen, Stephen C; Saatchi, Sassan S; Petrova, Silvia; Salas, William; Hansen, Matthew C; Potapov, Peter V; Lotsch, Alexander

2012-06-22

Policies to reduce emissions from deforestation would benefit from clearly derived, spatially explicit, statistically bounded estimates of carbon emissions. Existing efforts derive carbon impacts of land-use change using broad assumptions, unreliable data, or both. We improve on this approach using satellite observations of gross forest cover loss and a map of forest carbon stocks to estimate gross carbon emissions across tropical regions between 2000 and 2005 as 0.81 petagram of carbon per year, with a 90% prediction interval of 0.57 to 1.22 petagrams of carbon per year. This estimate is 25 to 50% of recently published estimates. By systematically matching areas of forest loss with their carbon stocks before clearing, these results serve as a more accurate benchmark for monitoring global progress on reducing emissions from deforestation.

Baseline Map of Carbon Emissions from Deforestation in Tropical Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Nancy L.; Brown, Sandra; Hagen, Stephen C.; Saatchi, Sassan S.; Petrova, Silvia; Salas, William; Hansen, Matthew C.; Potapov, Peter V.; Lotsch, Alexander

2012-06-01

Policies to reduce emissions from deforestation would benefit from clearly derived, spatially explicit, statistically bounded estimates of carbon emissions. Existing efforts derive carbon impacts of land-use change using broad assumptions, unreliable data, or both. We improve on this approach using satellite observations of gross forest cover loss and a map of forest carbon stocks to estimate gross carbon emissions across tropical regions between 2000 and 2005 as 0.81 petagram of carbon per year, with a 90% prediction interval of 0.57 to 1.22 petagrams of carbon per year. This estimate is 25 to 50% of recently published estimates. By systematically matching areas of forest loss with their carbon stocks before clearing, these results serve as a more accurate benchmark for monitoring global progress on reducing emissions from deforestation.

Unusually high frequency natural VLF radio emissions observed during daytime in Northern Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manninen, Jyrki; Turunen, Tauno; Kleimenova, Natalia; Rycroft, Michael; Gromova, Liudmila; Sirviö, Iina

2016-12-01

Geomagnetic field variations and electromagnetic waves of different frequencies are ever present in the Earth’s environment in which the Earth’s fauna and flora have evolved and live. These waves are a very useful tool for studying and exploring the physics of plasma processes occurring in the magnetosphere and ionosphere. Here we present ground-based observations of natural electromagnetic emissions of magnetospheric origin at very low frequency (VLF, 3-30 kHz), which are neither heard nor seen in their spectrograms because they are hidden by strong impulsive signals (sferics) originating in lightning discharges. After filtering out the sferics, peculiar emissions are revealed in these digital recordings, made in Northern Finland, at unusually high frequencies in the VLF band. These recently revealed emissions, which are observed for several hours almost every day in winter, contain short (˜1-3 min) burst-like structures at frequencies above 4-6 kHz, even up to 15 kHz; fine structure on the 1 s time scale is also prevalent. It seems that these whistler mode emissions are generated deep inside the magnetosphere, but the detailed nature, generation region and propagation behaviour of these newly discovered high latitude VLF emissions remain unknown; however, further research on them may shed new light on wave-particle interactions occurring in the Earth’s radiation belts.

Observation of Solar Wind Charge Exchange Emission From Exospheric Material in and Outside Earth's Magnetosheath 2008 September 25

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snowden, S. L.; Collier, M. R.; Cravens, T.; Kuntz, K. D.; Lepri, S. T.; Robertson, I.; Tomas, L.

2009-01-01

A long XMM-Newton exposure is used to observe solar wind charge exchange (SWCX) emission from exospheric material in and outside Earth's magnetosheath. The light curve of the O vii (0.5-0.62 keV) band is compared with a model for the expected emission, and while the emission is faint and the light curve has considerable scatter, the correlation is significant to better than 99.9%. This result demonstrates the validity of the geocoronal SWCX emission model for predicting a contribution to astrophysical observations to a scale factor of order unity (1.5). In addition, an average value of the SWCX O vii emission from the magnetosheath over the observation of 2.6 +/- 0.5 LU is derived. The results also demonstrate the potential utility of using X-ray observations to study global phenomena of the magnetosheath which currently are only investigated using in situ measurements.

Observations of southern emission-line stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henize, K. G.

1976-01-01

A catalog of 1929 stars showing H-alpha emission on photographic plates is presented which covers the entire southern sky south of declination -25 deg to a red limiting magnitude of about 11.0. The catalog provides previous designations of known emission-line stars equatorial (1900) and galactic coordinates, visual and photographic magnitudes, H-alpha emission parameters, spectral types, and notes on unusual spectral features. The objects listed include 16 M stars, 25 S stars, 37 carbon stars, 20 symbiotic stars, 40 confirmed or suspected T Tauri stars, 16 novae, 14 planetary nebulae, 11 P Cygni stars, 9 Bep stars, 87 confirmed or suspected Wolf-Rayet stars, and 26 'peculiar' stars. Two new T associations are discovered, one in Lupus and one in Chamaeleon. Objects with variations in continuum or H-alpha intensity are noted, and the distribution by spectral type is analyzed. It is found that the sky distribution of these emission-line stars shows significant concentrations in the region of the small Sagittarius cloud and in the Carina region.

Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) for the Earth Observing System (EOS) CHEM Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beer, R.; Glavich, T.; Rider, D.

2000-01-01

The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) is an imaging infrared Fourier transform spectrometer scheduled to be launched into polar sun-synchronous orbit on the Earth Observing System (EOS) CHEM satellite in December 2002.

From quantum cascade to super cascade laser a new laser design paradigm for broad spectral emission & a re-examination of current spreading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Loan T.

Over the span of more than 20 years of development, the Quantum Cascade (QC) laser has positioned itself as the most viable mid-infrared (mid-IR) light source. Today's QC lasers emit watts of continuous wave power at room temperature. Despite significant progress, the mid-IR region remains vastly under-utilized. State-of-the-art QC lasers are found in high power defense applications and detection of trace gases with narrow absorption lines. A large number of applications, however, do not require so much power, but rather, a broadly tunable laser source to detect molecules with broad absorption features. As such, a QC laser that is broadly tunable over the entire biochemical fingerprinting region remains the missing link to markets such as non- invasive biomedical diagnostics, food safety, and stand-off detection in turbid media. In this thesis, we detail how we utilized the inherent flexibility of the QC design space to conceive a new type of laser with the potential to bridge that missing link of the QC laser to large commercial markets. Our design concept, the Super Cascade (SC) laser, works contrary to conventional laser design principle by supporting multiple independent optical transitions, each contributing to broadening the gain spectrum. We have demonstrated a room temperature laser gain medium with electroluminescence spanning 3.3-12.5 ?m and laser emission from 6.2-12.5 ?m, the record spectral width for any solid state laser gain medium. This gain bandwidth covers the entire biochemical fingerprinting region. The achievement of such a spectrally broad gain medium presents engineering challenges of how to optimally utilize the bandwidth. As of this work, a monolithi- cally integrated array of Distributed Feedback QC (DFB-QC) lasers is one of the most promising ways to fully utilize the SC gain bandwidth. Therefore, in this thesis, we explore ways of improving the yield and ease of fabrication of DFB-QC lasers, including a re-examination of the role of

Observed effects of soil organic matter content on the microwave emissivity of soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Neill, P. E.; Jackson, T. J.

1990-01-01

In order to determine the significance of organic matter content on the microwave emissivity of soils when estimating soil moisture, field experiments were conducted in which 1.4 GHz microwave emissivity data were collected over test plots of sandy loam soil with different organic matter levels (1.8, 4.0, and 6.1 percent) for a range of soil moisture values. Analyses of the observed data show only minor variation in microwave emissivity due to a change in organic matter content at a given moisture level for soils with similar texture and structure. Predictions of microwave emissivity made using a dielectric model for aggregated soils exhibit the same trends and type of response as the measured data when appropriate values for the input parameters were utilized.

Estimating methane emissions in California's urban and rural regions using multitower observations

DOE PAGES

Jeong, Seongeun; Newman, Sally; Zhang, Jingsong; ...

2016-11-05

Here, we present an analysis of methane (CH 4) emissions using atmospheric observations from 36 thirteen sites in California during June 2013 – May 2014. A hierarchical Bayesian inversion 37 method is used to estimate CH 4 emissions for spatial regions (0.3° pixels for major regions) by 38 comparing measured CH 4 mixing ratios with transport model (WRF-STILT) predictions based 39 on seasonally varying California-specific CH 4 prior emission models. The transport model is 40 assessed using a combination of meteorological and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements 41 coupled with the gridded California Air Resources Board (CARB) carbon monoxide (CO) 42more » emission inventory. Hierarchical Bayesian inversion suggests that state annual anthropogenic 43 CH 4 emissions are 2.42 ± 0.49 Tg CH 4/yr (at 95% confidence, including transport bias 44 uncertainty), higher (1.2 - 1.8 times) than the CARB current inventory (1.64 Tg CH 4/yr in 2013). 45 We note that the estimated CH 4 emissions drop to 1.0 - 1.6 times the CARB inventory if we 46 correct for the 10% median CH 4 emissions assuming the bias in CO analysis is applicable to 47 CH 4. The CH 4 emissions from the Central Valley and urban regions (San Francisco Bay and 48 South Coast Air Basins) account for ~58% and 26% of the total posterior emissions, 49 respectively. This study suggests that the livestock sector is likely the major contributor to the 50 state total CH 4 emissions, in agreement with CARB’s inventory. Attribution to source sectors for 51 sub-regions of California using additional trace gas species would further improve the 52 quantification of California’s CH 4 emissions and mitigation efforts towards the California Global 53 Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB-32).« less

Estimating methane emissions in California's urban and rural regions using multitower observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeong, Seongeun; Newman, Sally; Zhang, Jingsong

Here, we present an analysis of methane (CH 4) emissions using atmospheric observations from 36 thirteen sites in California during June 2013 – May 2014. A hierarchical Bayesian inversion 37 method is used to estimate CH 4 emissions for spatial regions (0.3° pixels for major regions) by 38 comparing measured CH 4 mixing ratios with transport model (WRF-STILT) predictions based 39 on seasonally varying California-specific CH 4 prior emission models. The transport model is 40 assessed using a combination of meteorological and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements 41 coupled with the gridded California Air Resources Board (CARB) carbon monoxide (CO) 42more » emission inventory. Hierarchical Bayesian inversion suggests that state annual anthropogenic 43 CH 4 emissions are 2.42 ± 0.49 Tg CH 4/yr (at 95% confidence, including transport bias 44 uncertainty), higher (1.2 - 1.8 times) than the CARB current inventory (1.64 Tg CH 4/yr in 2013). 45 We note that the estimated CH 4 emissions drop to 1.0 - 1.6 times the CARB inventory if we 46 correct for the 10% median CH 4 emissions assuming the bias in CO analysis is applicable to 47 CH 4. The CH 4 emissions from the Central Valley and urban regions (San Francisco Bay and 48 South Coast Air Basins) account for ~58% and 26% of the total posterior emissions, 49 respectively. This study suggests that the livestock sector is likely the major contributor to the 50 state total CH 4 emissions, in agreement with CARB’s inventory. Attribution to source sectors for 51 sub-regions of California using additional trace gas species would further improve the 52 quantification of California’s CH 4 emissions and mitigation efforts towards the California Global 53 Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB-32).« less

Climate variability and trends in biogenic emissions imprinted on satellite observations of formaldehyde from SCIAMACHY and OMI sounders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stavrakou, Trissevgeni; Müller, Jean-François; Bauwens, Maite; De Smedt, Isabelle; Van Roozendael, Michel

2017-04-01

Biogenic hydrocarbon emissions (BVOC) respond to temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, leaf area index, as well as to factors like leaf age, soil moisture, and ambient CO2 concentrations. Isoprene is the principal contributor to BVOC emissions and accounts for about half of the estimated total emissions on the global scale, whereas monoterpenes are also significant over boreal ecosystems. Due to their large emissions, their major role in the tropospheric ozone formation and contribution to secondary organic aerosols, BVOCs are highly relevant to both air quality and climate. Their oxidation in the atmosphere leads to the formation of formaldehyde (HCHO) at high yields. Satellite observations of HCHO abundances can therefore inform us on the spatial and temporal variability of the underlying sources and on their emission trends. The main objective of this study is to investigate the interannual variability and trends of observed HCHO columns during the growing season, when BVOC emissions are dominant, and interpret them in terms of BVOC emission flux variability. To this aim, we use the MEGAN-MOHYCAN model driven by the ECMWF ERA-interim meteorology to calculate bottom-up BVOC fluxes on the global scale (Müller et al. 2008, Stavrakou et al. 2014) over 2003-2015, and satellite HCHO observations from SCIAMACHY (2003-2011) and OMI (2005-2015) instruments (De Smedt et al. 2008, 2015). We focus on mid- and high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere in summertime, as well as tropical regions taking care to exclude biomass burning events which also lead to HCHO column enhancements. We find generally a very strong temporal correlation (>0.7) between the simulated BVOC emissions and the observed HCHO columns over temperate and boreal ecosystems. Positive BVOC emission trends associated to warming climate are found in almost all regions and are well corroborated by the observations. Furthermore, using OMI HCHO observations over 2005-2015 as constraints in

THE LICK AGN MONITORING PROJECT 2011: SPECTROSCOPIC CAMPAIGN AND EMISSION-LINE LIGHT CURVES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barth, Aaron J.; Bennert, Vardha N.; Canalizo, Gabriela

2015-04-15

In the Spring of 2011 we carried out a 2.5 month reverberation mapping campaign using the 3 m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory, monitoring 15 low-redshift Seyfert 1 galaxies. This paper describes the observations, reductions and measurements, and data products from the spectroscopic campaign. The reduced spectra were fitted with a multicomponent model in order to isolate the contributions of various continuum and emission-line components. We present light curves of broad emission lines and the active galactic nucleus (AGN) continuum, and measurements of the broad Hβ line widths in mean and rms spectra. For the most highly variable AGNs wemore » also measured broad Hβ line widths and velocity centroids from the nightly spectra. In four AGNs exhibiting the highest variability amplitudes, we detect anticorrelations between broad Hβ width and luminosity, demonstrating that the broad-line region “breathes” on short timescales of days to weeks in response to continuum variations. We also find that broad Hβ velocity centroids can undergo substantial changes in response to continuum variations; in NGC 4593, the broad Hβ velocity shifted by ∼250 km s{sup −1} over a 1 month period. This reverberation-induced velocity shift effect is likely to contribute a significant source of confusion noise to binary black hole searches that use multi-epoch quasar spectroscopy to detect binary orbital motion. We also present results from simulations that examine biases that can occur in measurement of broad-line widths from rms spectra due to the contributions of continuum variations and photon-counting noise.« less

The Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2011: Spectroscopic Campaign and Emission-line Light Curves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barth, Aaron J.; Bennert, Vardha N.; Canalizo, Gabriela; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Gates, Elinor L.; Greene, Jenny E..; Li, Weidong; Malkan, Matthew A.; Pancoast, Anna; Sand, David J.;

Emission control of InGaN nanocolumns grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on Si(111) substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Albert, S.; Bengoechea-Encabo, A.; Sanchez-Garcia, M. A.

This work studies the effect of the growth temperature on the morphology and emission characteristics of self-assembled InGaN nanocolumns grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Morphology changes are assessed by scanning electron microscopy, while emission is measured by photoluminescence. Within the growth temperature range of 750 to 650 deg. C, an increase in In incorporation for decreasing temperature is observed. This effect allows tailoring the InGaN nanocolumns emission line shape by using temperature gradients during growth. Depending on the gradient rate, span, and sign, broad emission line shapes are obtained, covering the yellow to green range, even yielding whitemore » emission.« less

Worldwide biogenic soil NOx emission estimates from OMI NO2 observations and the GEOS-Chem model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinken, Geert; Boersma, Folkert; Maasakkers, Bram; Martin, Randall

2014-05-01

Bacteria in soils are an important source of biogenic nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2), which are important precursors for ozone (O3) formation. Furthermore NOx emissions contribute to increased nitrogen deposition and particulate matter formation. Bottom-up estimates of global soil NOx emissions range from 4 to 27 Tg N / yr, reflecting our incomplete knowledge of emission factors and processes driving these emissions. In this study we used, for the first time, OMI NO2 columns on all continents to reduce the uncertainty in soil NOx emissions. Regions and months dominated by soil NOx emissions were identified using a filtering scheme in the GEOS-Chem chemistry transport model. Consequently, we compared OMI observed NO2 observed columns to GEOS-Chem simulated columns and provide constraints for these months in 11 regions. This allows us to provide a top-down emission inventory for 2005 for soil NOx emissions from all continents. Our total global soil NOx emission inventory amounts to 10 Tg N / yr. Our estimate is 4% higher than the GEOS-Chem a priori (Hudman et al., 2012), but substantial regional differences exist (e.g. +20% for Sahel and India; and -40% for mid-USA). We furthermore observed a stronger seasonal cycle in the Sahel region, indicating directions for possible future improvements to the parameterization currently used in GEOS-Chem. We validated NO2 concentrations simulated with this new top-down inventory against surface NO2 measurements from monitoring stations in Africa, the USA and Europe. On the whole, we conclude that simulations with our new top-down inventory better agree with measurements. Our work shows that satellite retrieved NO2 columns can improve estimates of soil NOx emissions over sparsely monitored remote rural areas. We show that the range in previous estimates of soil NOx emissions is too large, and global emissions are most likely around 10 Tg N/yr, in agreement with the most recent parameterizations.

The search for radio emission from exoplanets using LOFAR low-frequency beam-formed observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Jake D.; Griessmeier, Jean-Mathias; Zarka, Philippe

2018-01-01

Detection of radio emission from exoplanets can provide information on the star-planet system that is very difficult or impossible to study otherwise, such as the planet’s magnetic field, magnetosphere, rotation period, orbit inclination, and star-planet interactions. Such a detection in the radio domain would open up a whole new field in the study of exoplanets, however, currently there are no confirmed detections of an exoplanet at radio frequencies. In this study, we discuss our ongoing observational campaign searching for exoplanetary radio emissions using beam-formed observations within the Low Band of the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR). To date we have observed three exoplanets: 55 Cnc, Upsilon Andromedae, and Tau Boötis. These planets were selected according to theoretical predictions, which indicated them as among the best candidates for an observation. During the observations we usually recorded three beams simultaneously, one on the exoplanet and two on patches of nearby “empty” sky. An automatic pipeline was created to automatically find RFI, calibrate the data due to instrumental effects, and to search for emission in the exoplanet beam. Additionally, we observed Jupiter with LOFAR with the same exact observational setup as the exoplanet observations. The main goals of the Jupiter observations are to train the detection algorithm and to calculate upper limits in the case of a non-detection. Data analysis is currently ongoing. Conclusions reached at the time of the meeting, about detection of or upper limit to the planetary signal, will be presented.

Blue light emission from the heterostructured ZnO/InGaN/GaN

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

ZnO/InGaN/GaN heterostructured light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy and atomic layer deposition. InGaN films consisted of an Mg-doped InGaN layer, an undoped InGaN layer, and a Si-doped InGaN layer. Current-voltage characteristic of the heterojunction indicated a diode-like rectification behavior. The electroluminescence spectra under forward biases presented a blue emission accompanied by a broad peak centered at 600 nm. With appropriate emission intensity ratio, the heterostructured LEDs had potential application in white LEDs. Moreover, a UV emission and an emission peak centered at 560 nm were observed under reverse bias. PMID:23433236

Low-Computation Strategies for Extracting CO2 Emission Trends from Surface-Level Mixing Ratio Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shusterman, A.; Kim, J.; Lieschke, K.; Newman, C.; Cohen, R. C.

2017-12-01

Global momentum is building for drastic, regulated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decade. With this increasing regulation comes a clear need for increasingly sophisticated monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) strategies capable of enforcing and optimizing emissions-related policy, particularly as it applies to urban areas. Remote sensing and/or activity-based emission inventories can offer MRV insights for entire sectors or regions, but are not yet sophisticated enough to resolve unexpected trends in specific emitters. Urban surface monitors can offer the desired proximity to individual greenhouse gas sources, but due to the densely-packed nature of typical urban landscapes, surface observations are rarely representative of a single source. Most previous efforts to decompose these complex signals into their contributing emission processes have involved inverse atmospheric modeling techniques, which are computationally intensive and believed to depend heavily on poorly understood a priori estimates of error covariance. Here we present a number of transparent, low-computation approaches for extracting source-specific emissions estimates from signals with a variety of nearfield influences. Using observations from the first several years of the BErkeley Atmospheric CO2 Observation Network (BEACO2N), we demonstrate how to exploit strategic pairings of monitoring "nodes," anomalous wind conditions, and well-understood temporal variations to hone in on specific CO2 sources of interest. When evaluated against conventional, activity-based bottom-up emission inventories, these strategies are seen to generate quantitatively rigorous emission estimates. With continued application as the BEACO2N data set grows in time and space, these approaches offer a promising avenue for optimizing greenhouse gas mitigation strategies into the future.

Vanishing absorption and blueshifted emission in FeLoBAL quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafiee, Alireza; Pirkola, Patrik; Hall, Patrick B.; Galati, Natalee; Rogerson, Jesse; Ameri, Abtin

2016-07-01

We study the dramatic decrease in iron absorption strength in the iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar SDSS J084133.15+200525.8. We report on the continued weakening of absorption in the prototype of this class of variable broad absorption line quasar, FBQS J140806.2+305448. We also report a third example of this class, SDSS J123103.70+392903.6; unlike the other two examples, it has undergone an increase in observed continuum brightness (at 3000 Å rest frame) as well as a decrease in iron absorption strength. These changes could be caused by absorber transverse motion or by ionization variability. We note that the Mg II and UV Fe II lines in several FeLoBAL quasars are blueshifted by thousands of km s-1 relative to the H β emission line peak. We suggest that such emission arises in the outflowing winds normally seen only in absorption.

X-ray emission from the Wolf-Rayet bubble NGC 6888. I. Chandra ACIS-S observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toalá, J. A.; Guerrero, M. A.; Gruendl, R. A.

We analyze Chandra observations of the Wolf-Rayet (W-R) bubble NGC 6888. This W-R bubble presents similar spectral and morphological X-ray characteristics to those of S 308, the only other W-R bubble also showing X-ray emission. The observed spectrum is soft, peaking at the N VII line emission at 0.5 keV, with additional line emission at 0.7-0.9 keV and a weak tail of harder emission up to ∼1.5 keV. This spectrum can be described by a two-temperature optically thin plasma emission model (T {sub 1} ∼ 1.4 × 10{sup 6} K, T {sub 2} ∼ 7.4 × 10{sup 6} K). Wemore » confirm the results of previous X-ray observations that no noticeable temperature variations are detected in the nebula. The X-ray-emitting plasma is distributed in three apparent morphological components: two caps along the tips of the major axis and an extra contribution toward the northwest blowout not reported in previous analyses of the X-ray emission toward this W-R nebula. Using the plasma model fits of the Chandra ACIS spectra for the physical properties of the hot gas and the ROSAT PSPC image to account for the incomplete coverage of Chandra observations, we estimate a luminosity of L {sub X} = (7.7 ± 0.1) ×10{sup 33} erg s{sup –1} for NGC 6888 at a distance of 1.26 kpc. The average rms electron density of the X-ray-emitting gas is ≳ 0.4 cm{sup –3} for a total mass ≳ 1.2 M {sub ☉}.« less

OT2_pgolds01_6: Herschel [NII] Observations to Define the Source of [CII] Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsmith, P.

2011-09-01

The 158 micron line of ionized carbon is the strongest single long-wavelength emission feature from the interstellar medium and is the most important coolant of gas in which hydrogen is in atomic form. It is a key determinant of the evolution of these largely atomic regions into denser, cooler molecular clouds in which new stars are formed, and is widely used as a tracer of star formation in the Milky Way and other galaxies. There is, however, an ongoing, serious controversy about the origin of the [CII] emission, which has been asserted to come from the extended low-density warm interstellar medium, but has more generally been associated with the primarily molecular photon dominated regions (PDRs) intimately associated with massive, young stars. We propose a combined HIFI and PACS study of the two far-infrared [NII] fine structure lines in order to resolve the important question of the fraction of CII emission that arises in ionized gas. Specifically, we will (1) utilize the fact that due to its ionization potential NII is found only in HII regions, and with PACS 122 and 205 micron observations, determine electron densities in a sample of such regions in the Galactic plane; (2) utilize available data on radio free-free and H-alpha emission to determine the NII column densities and from this the CII column densities in the HII regions; (3) use the electron densities to determine the fraction of CII emission arising in the ionized interstellar medium. These observations will be carried out at 150 of the positions in the Galactic plane observed in [CII] by the GOT-C+ project. We will also carry out HIFI observations of 10 selected positions in the 205 micron line to determine spectral characteristics of the NII emission line, which with CII, CI, and CO profiles already in hand will serve as a further discriminant among the proposed sources of CII emission.

Using OCO-2 Observations and Lagrangian Modeling to Constrain Urban Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the Middle East

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, E. G.; Kort, E. A.; Ware, J.; Ye, X.; Lauvaux, T.; Wu, D.; Lin, J. C.; Oda, T.

2017-12-01

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are greatly perturbing the Earth's carbon cycle. Rising emissions from the developing world are increasing uncertainties in global CO2 emissions. With the rapid urbanization of developing regions, methods of constraining urban CO2 emissions in these areas can address critical uncertainties in the global carbon budget. In this study, we work toward constraining urban CO2 emissions in the Middle East by comparing top-down observations and bottom-up simulations of total column CO2 (XCO2) in four cities (Riyadh, Cairo, Baghdad, and Doha), both separately and in aggregate. This comparison involves quantifying the relationship for all available data in the period of September 2014 until March 2016 between observations of XCO2 from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite and simulations of XCO2 using the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model coupled with Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) reanalysis products and multiple CO2 emissions inventories. We discuss the extent to which our observation/model framework can distinguish between the different emissions representations and determine optimized emissions estimates for this domain. We also highlight the implications of our comparisons on the fidelity of the bottom-up inventories used, and how these implications may inform the use of OCO-2 data for urban regions around the world.

Estimating Amazonian methane emissions through 4D-Var inverse modelling with satellite observations from GOSAT and IASI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C. J.; Chipperfield, M.; Gloor, M.; McNorton, J.; Miller, J. B.; Gatti, L. V.; Siddans, R.; Bloom, A. A.; Basso, L. S.; Boesch, H.; Parker, R.; Monks, S. A.

2015-12-01

Methane (CH4) is emitted from a range of anthropogenic and natural sources, and since the industrial revolution its mean atmospheric concentration has climbed dramatically. CH4 produces a relatively high radiative forcing effect upon the Earth's climate, and its atmospheric lifetime of approximately 10 years makes it an appealing target for the mitigation of climate change. However, the spatial and temporal variation of CH4 emissions are not well understood, though in recent years a number of top-down and bottom-up studies have attempted to construct improved emission budgets. However, some top-down studies suffer from poor observational coverage near the Amazon basin, particularly in the planetary boundary layer. Since emissions from this region, coming mainly from wetland and burning sources, are thought to be relatively high, additional observations in this region would greatly help to constrain the geographical distribution of the global CH4 emission budget. To this end, regular flask measurements of CH4 and other trace gases have been taken during flights over four Amazonian sites since 2010, as part of the AMAZONICA project. The GOSAT has been used to retrieve global column-average CH4 concentrations since mid-2009, whilst IASI, on-board Metop-A, has also been measuring atmospheric CH4 concentrations since its launch in 2006. We present an assessment of Amazonian methane emissions for 2010 and 2011 using the TOMCAT Chemical Transport Model and the new variational inverse model, INVICAT. These models are used to attribute methane variations at each Amazon site to a source type and region, to assess the ability of our current CH4 flux estimates to reproduce these observations and to produce improved posterior emission estimates through assimilation of atmospheric observations. This study represents the first use of the INVICAT scheme to constrain emissions of any atmospheric trace gas. Whilst there is generally good agreement between the model and the

Forecasting Juno Microwave Radiometer Observations of Jupiter's Synchrotron Emission from Data Reconstruction Methods and Theoretical Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos-Costa, D.; Bolton, S. J.; Adumitroaie, V.; Janssen, M.; Levin, S.; Sault, R. J.; De Pater, I.; Tao, C.

2015-12-01

The Juno spacecraft will go into polar orbit after it arrives at Jupiter in mid-2016. Between November 2016 and March 2017, six MicroWave Radiometers will collect information on Jupiter's atmosphere and electron belt. Here we present simulations of MWR observations of the electron belt synchrotron emission, and discuss the features and dynamical behavior of this emission when observations are carried out from inside the radiation zone. We first present our computation method. We combine a three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction method of Earth-based observations and a theoretical model of Jupiter's electron belt to constrain the calculations of the volume emissivity of the synchrotron radiation for any frequency, location in the Jovian inner magnetosphere (radial distance < 4 Rj), and observational direction. Values of the computed emissivity are incorporated into a synchrotron simulator to predict Juno MWR measurements (full sky maps and temperatures) at any time of the mission. Samples of simulated MWR observations are presented and examined for different segments of Juno trajectory. We also present results of our ongoing investigation of the radiation zone distribution around the planet and the sources of variation on different time-scales. We show that a better understanding of the spatial distribution and variability of the electron belt is key to realistically forecast Juno MWR measurements.

Can the envisaged reductions of fossil fuel CO2 emissions be detected by atmospheric observations?

PubMed

Levin, Ingeborg; Rödenbeck, Christian

2008-03-01

The lower troposphere is an excellent receptacle, which integrates anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions over large areas. Therefore, atmospheric concentration observations over populated regions would provide the ultimate proof if sustained emissions changes have occurred. The most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO(2)), also shows large natural concentration variations, which need to be disentangled from anthropogenic signals to assess changes in associated emissions. This is in principle possible for the fossil fuel CO(2) component (FFCO(2)) by high-precision radiocarbon ((14)C) analyses because FFCO(2) is free of radiocarbon. Long-term observations of (14)CO(2) conducted at two sites in south-western Germany do not yet reveal any significant trends in the regional fossil fuel CO(2) component. We rather observe strong inter-annual variations, which are largely imprinted by changes of atmospheric transport as supported by dedicated transport model simulations of fossil fuel CO(2). In this paper, we show that, depending on the remoteness of the site, changes of about 7-26% in fossil fuel emissions in respective catchment areas could be detected with confidence by high-precision atmospheric (14)CO(2) measurements when comparing 5-year averages if these inter-annual variations were taken into account. This perspective constitutes the urgently needed tool for validation of fossil fuel CO(2) emissions changes in the framework of the Kyoto protocol and successive climate initiatives.

Combined SDO/AIA, Hinode/XRT and FOXSI-2 microflare observations - DEM analysis and energetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panchapakesan, S. A.; Glesener, L.; Vievering, J. T.; Ryan, D.; Christe, S.; Inglis, A. R.; Buitrago-Casas, J. C.; Musset, S.; Krucker, S.

2017-12-01

The Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) sounding rocket makes directimaging and spectral observation of the Sun in hard X-rays (HXRs) using highlysensitive focusing HXR optics. The second flight of FOXSI was launchedsuccessfully on 11 December 2014 and observed significant HXR emissions duringmicroflares. Some of these flares showed heating up to severalmillion Kelvin and were visible in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) with the AtmosphericImaging Assembly (SDO/AIA). Spectral observations from FOXSI suggest emission upto 10-12 MK. We utilize SDO/AIA EUV, Hinode/XRT soft X-ray, and FOXSI-2 highenergy X-ray observations to derive the differential emission measure (DEM) ofthe microflares. The AIA and XRT observations provide broad temperaturecoverage but are poorly constrained at the hotter end. We therefore use FOXSI-2to better determine the high temperature component, thus producing a moreconstrained DEM than is possible with typically available observations. We usethis more highly constrained DEM to investigate the energetics of the observedmicroflares.

Imprints of cosmic rays in multifrequency observations of the interstellar emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlando, E.

2018-04-01

Ever since the discovery of cosmic rays (CRs), significant advancements have been made in modelling their propagation in the Galaxy and in the Heliosphere. However, propagation models suffer from degeneracy of many parameters. To complicate the picture, the precision of recent data have started challenging existing models. To tackle these issues, we use available multifrequency observations of the interstellar emission from radio to gamma rays, together with direct CR measurements, to study local interstellar spectra (LIS) and propagation models. As a result, the electron LIS is characterized without any assumption on solar modulation, and favourite propagation models are put forwards. More precisely, our analysis leads to the following main conclusions: (1) the electron injection spectrum needs at least a break below a few GeV; (2) even though consistent with direct CR measurements, propagation models producing a LIS with large all-electron density from a few hundreds of MeV to a few GeV are disfavoured by both radio and gamma-ray observations; (3) the usual assumption that direct CR measurements, after accounting for solar modulation, are representative of the proton LIS in our ˜1 kpc region is challenged by the observed local gamma-ray H I emissivity. We provide the resulting proton LIS, all-electron LIS, and propagation parameters based on synchrotron, gamma-ray, and direct CR data. A plain diffusion model and a tentative diffusive-reacceleration model are put forwards. The various models are investigated in the inner-Galaxy region in X-rays and gamma rays. Predictions of the interstellar emission for future gamma-ray instruments (e-ASTROGAM and AMEGO) are derived.

NuSTAR Hard X-ray Observations of the Energetic Millisecond Pulsars PSR B1821-24, PSR B1937+21, and PSR J0218+4232

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gotthelf, Eric V.; Bogdanov, Slavko

2017-08-01

We present NuSTAR hard X-ray timing and spectroscopy of the three exceptionally energetic rotation-powered millisecond pulsars PSRs B1821-24, B1937+21, and J0218+4232. By correcting for frequency and phase drifts of the NuSTAR on-board clock we are able to recover the intrinsic hard X-ray pulse profiles of all three pulsars with a resolution down to <15 ms. The substantial reduction of background emission relative to previous broad-band X-ray observations allows us to detect for the first time pulsed emission up to ~50 keV, ~20 keV, and ~25 keV, for the three pulsars, respectively. We conduct phase-resolved spectroscopy in the 0.5 - 79 keV range for all three objects, obtaining the best yet measurements of the broad-band spectral shape and high-energy pulsed emission to date. We find extensions of the same power-law continua seen at lower energies, with no conclusive evidence for a spectral turnover or break. Extrapolation of the X-ray power-law spectrum to higher energies reveals that a turnover in the 100 keV to 100 MeV range is required to accommodate the high energy gamma-ray emission observed with Fermi LAT, similar to the broad-band spectral energy distribution observed for the Crab pulsar.

Near band edge emission characteristics of sputtered nano-crystalline ZnO films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunj, Saurabh; Sreenivas, K.

2016-05-01

Sputtered zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited on unheated glass substrate under different sputtering gas mixtures (Ar+O2) have been investigated using X-ray diffraction and photo luminescence spectroscopy. Earlier reported studies on ZnO films prepared by different techniques exhibit either a sharp/broad near band edge (NBE) emission peak depending on the crystalline quality of the film. In the present study zinc oxide films, grown on unheated substrates, are seen to possess a preferred (002) orientation with a microstructure consisting of clustered nano-sized crystallites. The splitting in the near band edge emission (NBE) into three characteristic peaks is attributed to quantum confinement effect, and is observed specifically under an excitation of 270 nm. Deep level emission (DLE) in the range 400 to 700 nm is not observed indicating absence of deep level radiative defects.

Enhanced 630nm equatorial airglow emission observed by Limb Viewing Hyper Spectral Imager (LiVHySI) onboard YOUTHSAT-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisht, R. S.; Thapa, N.; Babu, P. N.

2016-04-01

The Earth's airglow layer, when observed in the limb view mode, appears to be a double layer. LiVHySI onboard YOUTHSAT (inclination 98.730, apogee 817 km, launched by Indian Space Research Organization in April, 2011) is an Earth's limb viewing camera measuring airglow emissions in the spectral window of 550-900 nm. Total altitude coverage is about 500 km with command selectable lowest altitude. During few of the orbits we have observed the double layer structure and obtained absolute spectral intensity and altitude profile for 630 nm airglow emission. Our night time observations of upper atmosphere above dip equator carried out on 3rd May, 2011 show a prominent 630 nm double layer structure. The upper airglow layer consists of the 630 nm atomic oxygen O(1D) emission line and lower layer consists of OH(9-3) meinel band emission at 630 nm. The volume emission rate as a function of altitude is simulated for our observational epoch and the modeled limb intensity distribution is compared with the observations. The observations are in good agreement with the simulated intensity distribution.

Photonic Crystals-Inhibited Spontaneous Emission: Optical Antennas-Enhanced Spontaneous Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yablonovitch, Eli

Photonic crystals are also part of everyday technological life in opto-electronic telecommunication devices that provide us with internet, cloud storage, and email. But photonic crystals have also been identified in nature, in the coloration of peacocks, parrots, chameleons, butterflies and many other species.In spite of its broad applicability, the original motivation of photonic crystals was to create a ``bandgap'' in which the spontaneous emission of light would be inhibited. Conversely, the opposite is now possible. The ``optical antenna'' can accelerate spontaneous emission. Over 100 years after the radio antenna, we finally have tiny ``optical antennas'' which can act on molecules and quantum dots. Employing optical antennas, spontaneous light emission can become faster than stimulated emission.

Warming caused by cumulative carbon emissions towards the trillionth tonne.

PubMed

Allen, Myles R; Frame, David J; Huntingford, Chris; Jones, Chris D; Lowe, Jason A; Meinshausen, Malte; Meinshausen, Nicolai

2009-04-30

Global efforts to mitigate climate change are guided by projections of future temperatures. But the eventual equilibrium global mean temperature associated with a given stabilization level of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations remains uncertain, complicating the setting of stabilization targets to avoid potentially dangerous levels of global warming. Similar problems apply to the carbon cycle: observations currently provide only a weak constraint on the response to future emissions. Here we use ensemble simulations of simple climate-carbon-cycle models constrained by observations and projections from more comprehensive models to simulate the temperature response to a broad range of carbon dioxide emission pathways. We find that the peak warming caused by a given cumulative carbon dioxide emission is better constrained than the warming response to a stabilization scenario. Furthermore, the relationship between cumulative emissions and peak warming is remarkably insensitive to the emission pathway (timing of emissions or peak emission rate). Hence policy targets based on limiting cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide are likely to be more robust to scientific uncertainty than emission-rate or concentration targets. Total anthropogenic emissions of one trillion tonnes of carbon (3.67 trillion tonnes of CO(2)), about half of which has already been emitted since industrialization began, results in a most likely peak carbon-dioxide-induced warming of 2 degrees C above pre-industrial temperatures, with a 5-95% confidence interval of 1.3-3.9 degrees C.

Characterizing the Dust-Correlated Anomalous Emission in LDN 1622

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleary, Kieran; Casassus, Simon; Dickinson, Clive; Lawrence, Charles; Sakon, Itsuki

2008-03-01

The search for 'dust-correlated microwave emission' was started by the surprising excess correlation of COBE-DMR maps, at 31.5, 53 and 91GHz, with DIRBE dust emission at 140 microns. It was first thought to be Galactic free-free emission from the Warm Ionized Medium (WIM). However, Leitch et al. (1997) ruled out a link with free-free by comparing with Halpha templates and first confirmed the anomalous nature of this emission. Since then, this emission has been detected by a number of experiments in the frequency range 5-60 GHz. The most popular explanation is emission from ultra-small spinning dust grains (first postulated by Erickson, 1957), which is expected to have a spectrum that is highly peaked at about 20 GHz. Spinning dust models appear to be broadly consistent with microwave data at high latitudes, but the data have not been conclusive, mainly due to the difficulty of foreground separation in CMB data. LDN 1622 is a dark cloud that lies within the Orion East molecular cloud at a distance of 120 pc. Recent cm-wave observations, in combination with WMAP data, have verified the detection of anomalous dust-correlated emission in LDN 1622. This mid-IR-cm correlation in LDN 1622 is currently the only observational evidence that very small grains VSG emit at GHz frequencies. We propose a programme of spectroscopic observations of LDN 1622 with Spitzer IRS to address the following questions: (i) Are the IRAS 12 and 25 microns bands tracing VSG emission in LDN 1622? (ii) What Mid-IR features and continuum bands best correlate with the cm-wave emission? and (iii) How do the dust properties vary with the cm-wave emission? These questions have important implications for high-sensitivity CMB experiments.

Quantifying global fossil-fuel CO2 emissions: from OCO-2 to optimal observing designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, X.; Lauvaux, T.; Kort, E. A.; Oda, T.; Feng, S.; Lin, J. C.; Yang, E. G.; Wu, D.; Kuze, A.; Suto, H.; Eldering, A.

2017-12-01

Cities house more than half of the world's population and are responsible for more than 70% of the world anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Therefore, quantifications of emissions from major cities, which are only less than a hundred intense emitting spots across the globe, should allow us to monitor changes in global fossil-fuel CO2 emissions, in an independent, objective way. Satellite platforms provide favorable temporal and spatial coverage to collect urban CO2 data to quantify the anthropogenic contributions to the global carbon budget. We present here the optimal observation design for future NASA's OCO-2 and Japanese GOSAT missions, based on real-data (i.e. OCO-2) experiments and Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSE's) to address different error components in the urban CO2 budget calculation. We identify the major sources of emission uncertainties for various types of cities with different ecosystems and geographical features, such as urban plumes over flat terrains, accumulated enhancements within basins, and complex weather regimes in coastal areas. Atmospheric transport errors were characterized under various meteorological conditions using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at 1-km spatial resolution, coupled to the Open-source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2 (ODIAC) emissions. We propose and discuss the optimized urban sampling strategies to address some difficulties from the seasonality in cloud cover and emissions, vegetation density in and around cities, and address the daytime sampling bias using prescribed diurnal cycles. These factors are combined in pseudo data experiments in which we evaluate the relative impact of uncertainties on inverse estimates of CO2 emissions for cities across latitudinal and climatological zones. We propose here several sampling strategies to minimize the uncertainties in target mode for tracking urban fossil-fuel CO2 emissions over the globe for future satellite missions, such as OCO-3 and future

Do some AGN lack X-ray emission?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmonds, C.; Bauer, F. E.; Thuan, T. X.; Izotov, Y. I.; Stern, D.; Harrison, F. A.

2016-12-01

Context. Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) are thought to be the seeds of early supermassive black holes (SMBHs). While ≳100 IMBH and small SMBH candidates have been identified in recent years, few have been robustly confirmed to date, leaving their number density in considerable doubt. Placing firmer constraints both on the methods used to identify and confirm IMBHs/SMBHs, as well as characterizing the range of host environments that IMBHs/SMBHs likely inhabit is therefore of considerable interest and importance. Additionally, finding significant numbers of IMBHs in metal-poor systems would be particularly intriguing, since such systems may represent local analogs of primordial galaxies, and therefore could provide clues of early accretion processes. Aims: Here we study in detail several candidate active galactic nuclei (AGN) found in metal-poor hosts. Methods: We utilize new X-ray and optical observations to characterize these metal-poor AGN candidates and compare them against known AGN luminosity relations and well-characterized IMBH/SMBH samples. Results: Despite having clear broad optical emission lines that are long-lived (≳10-13 yr), these candidate AGN appear to lack associated strong X-ray and hard UV emission, lying at least 1-2 dex off the known AGN correlations. If they are IMBHs/SMBHs, our constraints imply that they either are not actively accreting, their accretion disks are fully obscured along our line-of-sight, or their accretion disks are not producing characteristic high energy emission. Alternatively, if they are not AGN, then their luminous broad emission lines imply production by extreme stellar processes. The latter would have profound implications on the applicability of broad lines for mass estimates of massive black holes. The reduced spectra (FITS files) are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/596/A64

Land-use and land-cover change carbon emissions between 1901 and 2012 constrained by biomass observations

Treesearch

Wei Li; Philippe Ciais; Shushi Peng; Chao Yue; Yilong Wang; Martin Thurner; Sassan S. Saatchi; Almut Arneth; Valerio Avitabile; Nuno Carvalhais; Anna B. Harper; Etsushi Kato; Charles Koven; Yi Y. Liu; Julia E. M. S. Nabel; Yude Pan; Julia Pongratz; Benjamin Poulter; Thomas A. M. Pugh; Maurizio Santoro; Stephen Sitch; Benjamin D. Stocker; Nicolas Viovy; Andy Wiltshire; Rasoul Yousefpour; Sönke Zaehle

2017-01-01

The use of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) to estimate CO2 emissions from land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) offers a new window to account for spatial and temporal details of emissions and for ecosystem processes affected by LULCC. One drawback of LULCC emissions from DGVMs, however, is lack of observation constraint. Here, we...

Stability and broad-sense heritaibility of mineral content in potato: copper and sulfur

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Potato breeding lines and varieties in two separate trials were evaluated for copper and sulfur content by wet ashing and Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma Emission Spectrophotometer analysis. Stability and broad-sense heritability were determined. Copper contents ranged among genotypes between 2.0...

The Soft-X-Ray Emission of Ark 120. XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and the Importance of Taking the Broad View

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matt, G.; Marinucci, A.; Guainazzi, M.; Brenneman, L. W.; Elvis, M.; Lohfink, A.; Arevalo, P.; Boggs, S. E.; Cappi, M.; Stern, D.;

Broad specification fuels technology program, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohmann, R. P.; Jeroszko, R. A.

1982-01-01

An experimental evaluation was conducted to assess the impact of the use of broadened properties fuels on combustor design concepts. Emphasis was placed on establishing the viability of design modifications to current combustor concepts and the use of advanced technology concepts to facilitate operation on Experimental Referee Broad Specification (ERBS) fuel while meeting exhaust emissions and performance specifications and maintaining acceptable durability. Three different combustor concepts, representative of progressively more aggressive technology levels, were evaluated. When operated on ERBS rather than Jet A fuel, a single stage combustor typical of that in the most recent versions of the JT9D-7 engine was found to produce excess carbon monoxide emissions at idle and elevated liner temperatures at high power levels that were projected to reduced liner life by 13 percent. The introduction of improved component technology, such as refined fuel injectors and advanced liner cooling concepts were shown to have the potential of enhancing the fuel flexibility of the single stage combustor.

Probing 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's Electron Environment Through Ultraviolet Emission by Rosetta Alice Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schindhelm, Eric; Noonan, John; Keeney, Brian A.; Broiles, Thomas; Bieler, Andre; A'Hearn, Michael F.; Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Feaga, Lori M.; Feldman, Paul D.; Parker, Joel Wm.; Steffl, Andrew Joseph; Stern, S. Alan; Weaver, Harold A.

2016-10-01

The Alice Far-Ultraviolet (FUV) Spectrograph onboard ESA's Rosetta spacecraft has observed the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from far approach in summer 2014 until the end of mission in September 2016. We present an overall perspective of the bright FUV emission lines (HI 1026 Å, OI 1302/1305/1306 Å multiplet, OI] 1356 Å, CO 1510 (1-0) Å, and CI 1657 Å) above the sunward hemisphere, detailing their spatial extent and brightness as a function of time and the heliocentric distance of the comet. We compare our observed gas column densities derived using electron temperatures and densities from the Ion Electron Sensor (IES) with those derived using the Inner Coma Environment Simulator (ICES) models in periods when electron-impact excited emission dominates over solar fluorescence emission. The electron population is characterized with 2 three-dimensional kappa functions, one dense and warm, one rarefied and hot.

Analysis of particulate emissions from tropical biomass burning using a global aerosol model and long-term surface observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddington, Carly L.; Spracklen, Dominick V.; Artaxo, Paulo; Ridley, David A.; Rizzo, Luciana V.; Arana, Andrea

2016-09-01

We use the GLOMAP global aerosol model evaluated against observations of surface particulate matter (PM2.5) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) to better understand the impacts of biomass burning on tropical aerosol over the period 2003 to 2011. Previous studies report a large underestimation of AOD over regions impacted by tropical biomass burning, scaling particulate emissions from fire by up to a factor of 6 to enable the models to simulate observed AOD. To explore the uncertainty in emissions we use three satellite-derived fire emission datasets (GFED3, GFAS1 and FINN1). In these datasets the tropics account for 66-84 % of global particulate emissions from fire. With all emission datasets GLOMAP underestimates dry season PM2.5 concentrations in regions of high fire activity in South America and underestimates AOD over South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. When we assume an upper estimate of aerosol hygroscopicity, underestimation of AOD over tropical regions impacted by biomass burning is reduced relative to previous studies. Where coincident observations of surface PM2.5 and AOD are available we find a greater model underestimation of AOD than PM2.5, even when we assume an upper estimate of aerosol hygroscopicity. Increasing particulate emissions to improve simulation of AOD can therefore lead to overestimation of surface PM2.5 concentrations. We find that scaling FINN1 emissions by a factor of 1.5 prevents underestimation of AOD and surface PM2.5 in most tropical locations except Africa. GFAS1 requires emission scaling factor of 3.4 in most locations with the exception of equatorial Asia where a scaling factor of 1.5 is adequate. Scaling GFED3 emissions by a factor of 1.5 is sufficient in active deforestation regions of South America and equatorial Asia, but a larger scaling factor is required elsewhere. The model with GFED3 emissions poorly simulates observed seasonal variability in surface PM2.5 and AOD in regions where small fires dominate, providing

Source attribution using FLEXPART and carbon monoxide emission inventories for the IAGOS In-situ Observation database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontaine, Alain; Sauvage, Bastien; Pétetin, Hervé; Auby, Antoine; Boulanger, Damien; Thouret, Valerie

2016-04-01

Since 1994, the IAGOS program (In-Service Aircraft for a Global Observing System http://www.iagos.org) and its predecessor MOZAIC has produced in-situ measurements of the atmospheric composition during more than 46000 commercial aircraft flights. In order to help analyzing these observations and further understanding the processes driving their evolution, we developed a modelling tool SOFT-IO quantifying their source/receptor link. We improved the methodology used by Stohl et al. (2003), based on the FLEXPART plume dispersion model, to simulate the contributions of anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions from the ECCAD database (http://eccad.aeris-data.fr) to the measured carbon monoxide mixing ratio along each IAGOS flight. Thanks to automated processes, contributions are simulated for the last 20 days before observation, separating individual contributions from the different source regions. The main goal is to supply add-value products to the IAGOS database showing pollutants geographical origin and emission type. Using this information, it may be possible to link trends in the atmospheric composition to changes in the transport pathways and to the evolution of emissions. This tool could be used for statistical validation as well as for inter-comparisons of emission inventories using large amounts of data, as Lagrangian models are able to bring the global scale emissions down to a smaller scale, where they can be directly compared to the in-situ observations from the IAGOS database.

Estimation of Methane Emissions in the Los Angeles Basin using CLARS-FTS Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sander, S.; Zeng, Z. C.; Pongetti, T.; Duren, R. M.; Shia, R. L.; Yung, Y. L.; He, L.; Gurney, K. R.

2017-12-01

The Los Angeles Basin (LA Basin), covering almost 10,743 square miles, is home to over 16.8 million people - about half the population of the state of California. It is also the second most populated urban area in the United States and one of the major source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Using FTIR observations from the California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (CLARS) located on Mount Wilson at an altitude of 1673m, we measure the reflected near infrared sunlight from 33 surface targets in the Los Angeles megacity including the direct solar beam which gives the free tropospheric background. We then retrieve the excess slant column abundances of important trace gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in the LA basin. Using atmospheric tracer - tracer correlations for CH4 and CO2 to eliminate the effect of aerosol scattering in the retrieval, we infer methane emissions based on the ratio of XCH4 excess to XCO2 excess. Significant variability is observed in the spatial distributions of excess CH4. Methane emissions in the LA basin show consistent peaks in late summer and winter during the period from Sep 2011 to the present. The strong correlation between natural gas usage data and derived CLARS methane emissions (r2 = 0.5) implies that natural gas leakage during transmission and/or consumption accounts for a significant fraction of the inferred seasonal variability of methane emissions in the LA basin. We will report updated annual trends in CH4 emissions from 2011 to the present. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Recent Large Reduction in Sulfur Dioxide Emissions from Chinese Power Plants Observed by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Can; Zhang, Qiang; Krotkov, Nickolay A.; Streets, David G.; He, Kebin; Tsay, Si-Chee; Gleason, James F.

2010-01-01

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA's Aura satellite observed substantial increases in total column SO2 and tropospheric column NO2 from 2005 to 2007, over several areas in northern China where large coal-fired power plants were built during this period. The OMI-observed SO2/NO2 ratio is consistent with the SO2/ NO2, emissions estimated from a bottom-up approach. In 2008 over the same areas, OMI detected little change in NO2, suggesting steady electricity output from the power plants. However, dramatic reductions of S0 2 emissions were observed by OMI at the same time. These reductions confirm the effectiveness of the flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) devices in reducing S02 emissions, which likely became operational between 2007 and 2008. This study further demonstrates that the satellite sensors can monitor and characterize anthropogenic emissions from large point sources.

New Observations of UV Emissions from Europa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGrath, Melissa; Sparks, William

2009-01-01

The recent top prioritization of the Europa Jupiter System Mission for the next outer solar system flagship mission is refocusing attention on Europa and the other Galilean satellites and their contextual environments in the Jupiter system. Surface sputtering by magnetospheric plasma generates a tenuous atmosphere for Europa, dominated by 02 gas. This tenuous gas is in turn excited by plasma electrons, producing ultraviolet and visible emissions. Two sets of imaging observations have been published to date, UV images from the Hubble Space Telescope, and visible eclipse images from Cassini. Three additional sets of HST UV observations were acquired in February 2007, April 2007 and June 2009. The signal to noise ratio in these data are not high, however, given the paucity of data and its increasing importance in terms of planning for EJSM, we have attempted to extract as much new information as possible from these data. This talk will summarize our analysis to date, and discuss them in terms of existing models, which attempt to explain the image morphology either in terms of the underlying source production and loss processes, or in terms of the plasma interaction with the exosphere.

Multiscale observations of CO2, 13CO2, and pollutants at Four Corners for emission verification and attribution

PubMed Central

Lindenmaier, Rodica; Dubey, Manvendra K.; Henderson, Bradley G.; Butterfield, Zachary T.; Herman, Jay R.; Rahn, Thom; Lee, Sang-Hyun

2014-01-01

There is a pressing need to verify air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic fossil energy sources to enforce current and future regulations. We demonstrate the feasibility of using simultaneous remote sensing observations of column abundances of CO2, CO, and NO2 to inform and verify emission inventories. We report, to our knowledge, the first ever simultaneous column enhancements in CO2 (3–10 ppm) and NO2 (1–3 Dobson Units), and evidence of δ13CO2 depletion in an urban region with two large coal-fired power plants with distinct scrubbing technologies that have resulted in ∆NOx/∆CO2 emission ratios that differ by a factor of two. Ground-based total atmospheric column trace gas abundances change synchronously and correlate well with simultaneous in situ point measurements during plume interceptions. Emission ratios of ∆NOx/∆CO2 and ∆SO2/∆CO2 derived from in situ atmospheric observations agree with those reported by in-stack monitors. Forward simulations using in-stack emissions agree with remote column CO2 and NO2 plume observations after fine scale adjustments. Both observed and simulated column ∆NO2/∆CO2 ratios indicate that a large fraction (70–75%) of the region is polluted. We demonstrate that the column emission ratios of ∆NO2/∆CO2 can resolve changes from day-to-day variation in sources with distinct emission factors (clean and dirty power plants, urban, and fires). We apportion these sources by using NO2, SO2, and CO as signatures. Our high-frequency remote sensing observations of CO2 and coemitted pollutants offer promise for the verification of power plant emission factors and abatement technologies from ground and space. PMID:24843169

Recent observations of the OI 8446 A emission over Millstone Hill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancaster, R. S.; Kerr, R. B.; Ng, K.; Noto, J.; Franco, M.; Solomon, Stanley C.

1994-01-01

Evening twilight spectra of the OI 8446 A emission were obtained during May and June of 1993 using a single-etalon, pressure scanning, Fabry-Perot interferometer located in the Millstone Hill Optical Facility. The goals of this work are to positively identify the 8446 A emission in the twilight airglow and to determine the intensity decay as a function of solar depression angle. Also, a study of the relative triplet line strengths is performed in hopes of establishing the importance of the primary excitation mechanisms (photoelectron impact or Bowen fluorescence) during the twilight period. Although absent in most of the data, a distinct auroral influence is also found to contribute considerably, on occasion, to the emission over Millstone Hill. The ratio of the combined 8446.26 A and 8446.38 A intensities to the 8446.76 A intensity varies as 0.13 +/- 0.03 per degree of solar depression angle, indicating that secondary excitation mechanisms are becoming increasingly important as evening twilight progresses. Bowen fluorescence is not found to be the primary excitation mechanism at any time during twilight, contributing just a few Rayleighs at most. These observations are an important first step toward a better characterization of highly variable thermospheric oxygen concentrations through ground-based measurements of the OI 8446 A emission.

On radiation emission from a microbunched beam with wavefront tilt and its experimental observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geloni, Gianluca; Kocharyan, Vitali; Saldin, Evgeni

2018-03-01

In this paper we compare experimental observations and theory of radiation emission from a microbunched beam with microbunching wavefront tilt with respect to the direction of motion. The theory refers to the work Tanaka et al. (2004) , which predicts, in this case, exponential suppression of coherent radiation along the kicked direction. The observations refer to a recent experiment performed at the LCLS (Nuhn et al., 2015; Lutman etal., 2016), where a microbunched beam was kicked by a bend and sent to a radiator undulator. The experiment resulted in the emission of strong coherent radiation that had its maximum along the kicked direction of motion, when the undulator parameter was detuned to a value larger than the nominal one. We first analyze the theory in detail, and we confirm the correctness of its derivation according to the conventional theory of radiation emission from charged particles. Subsequently, we look for possible peculiarities in the experiment, which may not be modeled by the theory. We show that only spurious effects are not accounted for. We conclude that the experiment defies explanation in terms of the conventional theory of radiation emission.

Blue light emission from trivalent cerium doped in sol-gel silica glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokumitsu, Seika; Murakami, Yukon; Oda, Hisaya; Kawabe, Yutaka

2017-02-01

Rare earths in glass matrices are promising for active optical devices as amplifiers and lasers. Emission originating from d-f transitions in sol-gel glass has not been studied very often, while those based on f-f transitions were widely utilized. However, d-f emission in rare earths is very important because of their strong oscillator strength and broad emission widths suitable for the application to scintillators and solid-state lasers. Co-doping of aluminum in sol-gel synthesis was known to be effective for the emission enhancement of trivalent terbium and europium. Recently, we applied aluminum co-doping to cerium and europium systems in sol-gel glass to succeed in the observation of strong blue light emission originating from d-f transitions. Glass samples were prepared with conventional sol-gel process where tetramethylorthosilicate was hydrolyzed in the mixture of water, ethanol and dimethylformamide with nitric acid catalyst. After adding cerium nitrate and aluminum nitrate, the solution experienced drying followed by calcination at 1,050°C under air environment. When molar ratio of cerium to silicon was adjusted at 0.1% and Al concentration was varied in 0.1 2.0%, transparent glass products showed bright and broad blue photoluminescence under UV illumination. The fluorescence lifetimes were found to be about 50 90 ns, indicating that the emission was due to d-f transitions. Considering the simplicity of the process, blue phosphors based on sol-gel glass will be very promising for future applications.

A Suzaku Observation of the Neutral Fe-line Emission from RCW 86

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ueno, Masaru; Sato, Rie; Kataoka, Jun; Bamba, Aya; Harrus, Ilana; Hiraga, Junko; Hughes, John P.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Koyama, Katsuji; Kokubun, Motohide;

Implications of the pion-decay gamma emission and neutron observations with CORONAS-F/SONG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, V.; Yushkov, B.; Kudela, K.

2013-05-01

We analyzed the high-energy gamma and neutron emissions observed by the SONG instrument onboard the CORONAS-F satellite during August 25, 2001, October 28, 2003, November 4, 2003, and January 20, 2005 solar flares. These flares produced neutrons and/or protons recorded near Earth. The SONG response was consistent with detection of the pion-decay gamma emission and neutrons in these events. We compared time profiles of various electromagnetic emissions and showed that the maximum of the pion-decay-emission coincided in time best of all with the soft X-ray derivative, dISXR/dt, maximum. We evaluated the energy of accelerated ions and compared it with the energy deposited by accelerated electrons. The ion energy becomes comparable or even higher than the electron energy from a certain step of flare development. So the time profile of dISXR/dt is a superposition of energy deposited by both fractions of accelerated particles. This result allowed us to use a time profile of dISXR/dt as a real proxy of time behavior of the energy release at least during major flare analysis. In particular the time interval when the dISXR/dt value exceeds 0.9 of its maximum can be used as a unified reference point for the calculations of time delay between the high-energy proton acceleration and GLE onset. Analysis of the total set of pion-decay emission observations shows that such temporal closeness of pion-decay emission maximum and the soft X-ray derivative maximum is typical but not obligatory.

XMM-Newton Observations of MBM 12: More Constraints on the Solar Wind Charge Exchange and Local Bubble Emissions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koutroumpa, Dimitra; Smith, Randall K.; Edgar, Richard J.; Kuntz, Kip D.; Plucinsky, Paul P.; Snowden, Steven L.

2010-01-01

We present the first analysis of an XMM-Newton observation of the nearby molecular cloud MBM 12. We find that in the direction of MBM 12 the total O VII (0.57 keV) triplet emission is 1.8(+0.5/-0.6) photons/sq cm/s/sr (or Line Units - LU) while for the O VIII (0.65 keV) line emission we find a 3(sigma) upper limit of <1 LU. We also use a heliospheric model to calculate the O VII and O VIII emission generated by Solar Wind Charge-eXchange (SWCX) which we compare to the XMM-Newton observations. This comparison provides new constraints on the relative heliospheric and Local Bubble contributions to the local diffuse X-ray background. The heliospheric SWCX model predicts 0.82 LU for O VII, which accounts for approx. 46+/-15% of the observed value, and 0.33 LU for the O VIII line emission consistent with the XMM-Newton observed value. We discuss our results in combination with previous observations of the MBM 12 with CHANDRA and Suzaku.

Composite Supraparticles with Tunable Light Emission

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Robust luminophores emitting light with broadly tunable colors are desirable in many applications such as light-emitting diode (LED)-based lighting, displays, integrated optoelectronics and biology. Nanocrystalline quantum dots with multicolor emission, from core- and shell-localized excitons, as well as solid layers of mixed quantum dots that emit different colors have been proposed. Here, we report on colloidal supraparticles that are composed of three types of Cd(Se,ZnS) core/(Cd,Zn)S shell nanocrystals with emission in the red, green, and blue. The emission of the supraparticles can be varied from pure to composite colors over the entire visible region and fine-tuned into variable shades of white light by mixing the nanocrystals in controlled proportions. Our approach results in supraparticles with sizes spanning the colloidal domain and beyond that combine versatility and processability with a broad, stable, and tunable emission, promising applications in lighting devices and biological research. PMID:28787121

Study of key factors influencing dust emission: An assessment of GEOS-Chem and DEAD simulations with observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartlett, Kevin S.

Mineral dust aerosols can impact air quality, climate change, biological cycles, tropical cyclone development and flight operations due to reduced visibility. Dust emissions are primarily limited to the extensive arid regions of the world, yet can negatively impact local to global scales, and are extremely complex to model accurately. Within this dissertation, the Dust Entrainment And Deposition (DEAD) model was adapted to run, for the first known time, using high temporal (hourly) and spatial (0.3°x0.3°) resolution data to methodically interrogate the key parameters and factors influencing global dust emissions. The dependence of dust emissions on key parameters under various conditions has been quantified and it has been shown that dust emissions within DEAD are largely determined by wind speeds, vegetation extent, soil moisture and topographic depressions. Important findings were that grid degradation from 0.3ºx0.3º to 1ºx1º, 2ºx2.5º, and 4°x5° of key meteorological, soil, and surface input parameters greatly reduced emissions approximately 13% and 29% and 64% respectively, as a result of the loss of sub grid detail within these key parameters at coarse grids. After running high resolution DEAD emissions globally for 2 years, two severe dust emission cases were chosen for an in-depth investigation of the root causes of the events and evaluation of the 2°x2.5° Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)-Chem and 0.3°x0.3° DEAD model capabilities to simulate the events: one over South West Asia (SWA) in June 2008 and the other over the Middle East in July 2009. The 2 year lack of rain over SWA preceding June 2008 with a 43% decrease in mean rainfall, yielded less than normal plant growth, a 28% increase in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), and a 24% decrease in Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) observed visibility (VSBY) compared to average years. GEOS-Chem captured the observed higher AOD over SWA in June 2008. More detailed comparisons of GEOS

ALMA and VLA observations of emission from the environment of Sgr A*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Schödel, R.; Wardle, M.; Bushouse, H.; Cotton, W.; Royster, M. J.; Kunneriath, D.; Roberts, D. A.; Gallego-Cano, E.

2017-10-01

We present 44 and 226 GHz observations of the Galactic Centre within 20 arcsec of Sgr A*. Millimetre continuum emission at 226 GHz is detected from eight stars that have previously been identified at near-IR and radio wavelengths. We also detect a 5.8 mJy source at 226 GHz coincident with the magnetar SGR J1745-29 located 2.39 arcsec SE of Sgr A* and identify a new 2.5 arcsec × 1.5 arcsec halo of mm emission centred on Sgr A*. The X-ray emission from this halo has been detected previously and is interpreted in terms of a radiatively inefficient accretion flow. The mm halo surrounds an EW linear feature that appears to arise from Sgr A* and coincides with the diffuse X-ray emission and a minimum in the near-IR extinction. We argue that the millimetre emission is produced by synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in equipartition with an ˜1.5 mG magnetic field. The origin of this is unclear but its coexistence with hot gas supports scenarios in which the gas is produced by the interaction of winds either from the fast moving S-stars, the photoevaporation of low-mass YSO discs or by a jet-driven outflow from Sgr A*. The spatial anti-correlation of the X-ray, radio and mm emission from the halo and the low near-IR extinction provides a compelling evidence of an outflow sweeping up the interstellar material, creating a dust cavity within 2 arcsec of Sgr A*. Finally, the radio and mm counterparts to eight near-IR identified stars within ˜10 arcsec of Sgr A* provide accurate astrometry to determine the positional shift between the peak emission at 44 and 226 GHz.

The complex relationships between methane emissions and water table at an ombrotrophic bog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humphreys, Elyn; Roulet, Nigel; Moore, Tim

2017-04-01

Broad spatial and temporal variations in methane emissions from peatlands have been related to many variables including water table position, temperature and vegetation characteristics and functioning. In general, wetter peatlands tend to have greater methane emissions. However, over shorter periods of time and space, the relationship between water table and methane emissions can reverse, show hysteresis or be absent entirely. These relationships are investigated at the Mer Bleue Bog, a temperate ombrotrophic bog near Ottawa, Canada. Six years of concurrent growing season eddy covariance and automated chamber fluxes reveal the expected broad patterns. During the wettest growing season, the water table remained within 40 cm of the bog's hummock surfaces. Methane emissions were upwards of 20 to 45 mg C m-2 d-1 and exceeded the emission rates from two drier growing seasons which saw periods where the water table dropped to nearly 80 cm below the hummock surface. In those periods, methane emission rates declined to about 5 mg C m-2 d-1 or less. Lawn plots with aerenchymatous Eriophorum vegetation and high water tables had greatest emissions (exceeding 200 mg C m-2 d-1) compared to hummock plots vegetated by ericaceous shrubs, which had emissions rates similar to those measured by eddy covariance. However, within a growing season, hysteresis and inverse relationships between water table and methane emissions were observed at both ecosystem and chamber plot scales. These included periods between rainfall events where methane emissions increased while the water table deepened. The potential roles of methane production, consumption, storage and transport processes on these patterns will be discussed.

Evaluation and Optimization of China's Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions using Observations from Northern China (2005-2009).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dayalu, A.; Munger, J. W.; Wang, Y.; Wofsy, S.; Zhao, Y.; Nielsen, C. P.; Nehrkorn, T.; McElroy, M. B.; Chang, R.

2017-12-01

China has pledged to peak carbon emissions by 2030, but there continues to be significant uncertainty in estimates of its anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In this study, we evaluate the performance of three anthropogenic CO2 inventories, two global and one regional, using five years of continuous hourly observations from a site in Northern China. We model five years of continuous hourly observations (2005 to 2009) using the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport Model (STILT) run in backward time mode driven by high resolution meteorology from the Weather Research and Forecasting Model version 3.6.1 (WRF) with vegetation fluxes prescribed by a simple biosphere model. We calculate regional enhancements to advected background CO2 derived from NOAA CarbonTracker on seasonal and annual bases and use observations to optimize emissions inventories within the site's influence region at these timescales. Finally, we use annual enhancements to examine carbon intensity of provinces in and adjacent to Northern China as CO2 per unit of the region's GDP to evaluate the effects of local and global economic events on CO2 emissions. With the exception of peak growing season where discrepancies are confounded by errors in the vegetation model, we find the regional inventory agrees significantly better with observations than the global inventories at all timescales. Here we use a single measurement site; significant improvements in inventory optimizations can be achieved with a network of measurements stations. This study highlights the importance of China-specific data over global averages in emissions evaluation and demonstrates the value of top-down studies in independently evaluating inventory performance. We demonstrate the framework's ability to resolve differences of at least 20% among inventories, establishing a benchmark for ongoing efforts to decrease uncertainty in China's reported CO2 emissions estimates.

Observations of a mode transition in a hydrogen hollow cathode discharge using phase resolved optical emission spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixon, Sam; Charles, Christine; Dedrick, James; Gans, Timo; O'Connell, Deborah; Boswell, Rod

2014-07-01

Two distinct operational modes are observed in a radio frequency (rf) low pressure hydrogen hollow cathode discharge. The mode transition is characterised by a change in total light emission and differing expansion structures. An intensified CCD camera is used to make phase resolved images of Balmer α emission from the discharge. The low emission mode is consistent with a typical γ discharge, and appears to be driven by secondary electrons ejected from the cathode surface. The bright mode displays characteristics common to an inductive discharge, including increased optical emission, power factor, and temperature of the H2 gas. The bright mode precipitates the formation of a stationary shock in the expansion, observed as a dark region adjacent to the source-chamber interface.

Simulations and observations of plasma depletion, ion composition, and airglow emissions in two auroral ionospheric depletion experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yau, A. W.; Whalen, B. A.; Harris, F. R.; Gattinger, R. L.; Pongratz, M. B.

1985-01-01

Observations of plasma depletion, ion composition modification, and airglow emissions in the Waterhole experiments are presented. The detailed ion chemistry and airglow emission processes related to the ionospheric hole formation in the experiment are examined, and observations are compared with computer simulation results. The latter indicate that the overall depletion rates in different parts of the depletion region are governed by different parameters.

Broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 laser.

PubMed

Feng, T; Yang, K; Zhao, S; Zhao, J; Qiao, W; Li, T; Zheng, L; Xu, J

2014-09-20

A broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 (Tm:LSO) laser is presented for the first time, to our best knowledge. The emission wavelength was tuned in a broad spectral region over 111 nm ranging from 1959 to 2070 nm. A shortest pulse duration of 345 ns with beam quality of M(2)≤1.65 was obtained at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 1 kHz, corresponding to a maximum single pulse energy of 0.26 mJ and peak power of 0.75 kW. The experimental results indicated that Tm:LSO crystal has outstanding potential for obtaining broadly wavelength tunable and low-PRF laser pulses at 2 μm.

Energetic Neutral Atom Emissions From Venus: VEX Observations and Theoretical Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fok, M.-C.; Galli, A.; Tanaka, T.; Moore, T. E.; Wurz, P.; Holmstrom, M.

2007-01-01

Venus has almost no intrinsic magnetic field to shield itself from its surrounding environment. The solar wind thus directly interacts with the planetary ionosphere and atmosphere. One of the by-products of this close encounter is the production of energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions. Theoretical studies have shown that significant amount of ENAs are emanated from the planet. The launch of the Venus Express (VEX) in 2005 provided the first light ever of the Venus ENA emissions. The observed ENA flux level and structure are in pretty good agreement with the theoretical studies. In this paper, we present VEX ENA data and the comparison with numerical simulations. We seek to understand the solar wind interaction with the planet and the impacts on its atmospheres.

First Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Foreground Emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, C. L.; Hill, R. S.; Hinshaw, G.; Nolta, M. R.; Odegard, N.; Page, L.; Spergel, D. N.; Weiland, J. L.; Wright, E. L.; Halpern, M.

2003-01-01

The WMAP mission has mapped the full sky to determine the geometry, content, and evolution of the universe. Full sky maps are made in five microwave frequency bands to separate the temperature anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from foreground emission, including diffuse Galactic emission and Galactic and extragalactic point sources. We define masks that excise regions of high foreground emission, so CMB analyses can became out with minimal foreground contamination. We also present maps and spectra of the individual emission components, leading to an improved understanding of Galactic astrophysical processes. The effectiveness of template fits to remove foreground emission from the WMAP data is also examined. These efforts result in a CMB map with minimal contamination and a demonstration that the WMAP CMB power spectrum is insensitive to residual foreground emission. We use a Maximum Entropy Method to construct a model of the Galactic emission components. The observed total Galactic emission matches the model to less than 1% and the individual model components are accurate to a few percent. We find that the Milky Way resembles other normal spiral galaxies between 408 MHz and 23 GHz, with a synchrotron spectral index that is flattest (beta(sub s) approx. -2.5) near star-forming regions, especially in the plane, and steepest (beta(sub s) approx. -3) in the halo. This is consistent with a picture of relativistic cosmic ray electron generation in star-forming regions and diffusion and convection within the plane. The significant synchrotron index steepening out of the plane suggests a diffusion process in which the halo electrons are trapped in the Galactic potential long enough to suffer synchrotron and inverse Compton energy losses and hence a spectral steepening. The synchrotron index is steeper in the WMAP bands than in lower frequency radio surveys, with a spectral break near 20 GHz to beta(sub s) less than -3. The modeled thermal dust spectral

On the origin of the broad, relativistic iron line of MCG-6-30-15 observed by XMM-Newton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martocchia, A.; Matt, G.; Karas, V.

2002-03-01

The relativistic iron line profile recently observed by XMM-Newton in the spectrum of the Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG-6-30-15 (Wilms et al. \\cite{Wilms01}) is discussed in the framework of the lamp-post model. It is shown that the steep disc emissivity, the large line equivalent width and the amount of Compton reflection can be self-consistently reproduced in this scenario.

Broad-Band Spectroscopy of Hercules X-1 with Suzaku

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asami, Fumi; Enoto, Teruaki; Iwakiri, Wataru; Yamada, Shin'ya; Tamagawa, Toru; Mihara, Tatehiro; Nagase, Fumiaki

2014-01-01

Hercules X-1 was observed with Suzaku in the main-on state from 2005 to 2010. The 0.4- 100 keV wide-band spectra obtained in four observations showed a broad hump around 4-9 keV in addition to narrow Fe lines at 6.4 and 6.7 keV. The hump was seen in all the four observations regardless of the selection of the continuum models. Thus it is considered a stable and intrinsic spectral feature in Her X-1. The broad hump lacked a sharp structure like an absorption edge. Thus it was represented by two different spectral models: an ionized partial covering or an additional broad line at 6.5 keV. The former required a persistently existing ionized absorber, whose origin was unclear. In the latter case, the Gaussian fitting of the 6.5-keV line needs a large width of sigma = 1.0-1.5 keV and a large equivalent width of 400-900 eV. If the broad line originates from Fe fluorescence of accreting matter, its large width may be explained by the Doppler broadening in the accretion flow. However, the large equivalent width may be inconsistent with a simple accretion geometry.

Rocket-borne observation of singly ionized carbon 158 micron emission from the diffuse interstellar medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bock, James Joseph

1994-01-01

We report an observation of 158 micron line emission from singly ionized carbon from the diffuse interstellar medium at high galactic latitude. The integrated line intensity is measured in a 36 arcmin field-of-view along a triangular scan path in a 5 deg x 20 deg region in Ursa Major using a rocket-borne, liquid helium cooled spectrophotometer. The scan includes high latitude infrared cirrus, molecular clouds, a bright external galaxy, M82, and the HI Hole, which is a region of uniquely low neutral hydrogen column density. Emission from (CII) is observed in all regions and, in the absence of appreciable CO emission, is well correlated with neutral hydrogen column density. We observe a (CII) gas cooling rate which varies from (3.25 +/- 0.8 to 1.18 +/- 0.4) x 10-26 ergs-1 H-atom-1, in good agreement with recent observations of UV absorption lines at high galactic latitude. Regions with CO emission have enhanced (CII) line emission over that expected from the correlation with neutral hydrogen column density. The line-to-continuum ratio varies from I(CII)/lambda Ilambda = 0.002 to 0.008 in comparison with the all sky average of 0.0082 reported by FIRAS, which is heavily weighted towards the Galactic plane. The far-infrared continuum intensity, measured at 134 microns, 154 microns, and 186 microns, correlates with the 100 micron brightness measured by IRAS, and in regions excluding molecular clouds, with HI column density. The far-infrared brightness correlated with HI column density is fit by a thermal spectrum with a temperature T = 16.4 (+2.3/-1.8) K assuming an index of emissivity n = 2. The residual brightness after subtracting the emission correlated with neutral hydrogen column density yields an upper limit to the far-infrared extra-galactic background radiation of lambda Ilambda (154 microns) less than 2.6 x 10-12 W cm-2 sr-1. The observation of M82 confirms the laboratory calibration of the instrument. Unique instrumentation was developed to realize the

Magnitude and Seasonality of Wetland Methane Emissions from the Hudson Bay Lowlands (Canada)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pickett-Heaps, C. A.; Jacob, D. J.; Wecht, K. J.; Kort, E. A.; Wofsy, S. C.; Diskin, G. S.; Worthy, D. E. J.; Kaplan, J. O.; Bey, I.; Drevet, J.

2011-01-01

The Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) is the second largest boreal wetland ecosystem in the world and an important natural source of global atmospheric methane. We quantify the HBL methane emissions by using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to simulate aircraft measurements over the HBL from the ARCTAS and pre-HIPPO campaigns in May-July 2008, together with continuous 2004-2008 surface observations at Fraserdale (southern edge of HBL) and Alert (Arctic background). The difference in methane concentrations between Fraserdale and Alert is shown to be a good indicator of HBL emissions, and implies a sharp seasonal onset of emissions in late May (consistent with the aircraft data), a peak in July-August, and a seasonal shut-off in September. The model, in which seasonal variation of emission is mainly driven by surface temperature, reproduces well the observations in summer but its seasonal shoulders are too broad. We suggest that this reflects the suppression of emissions by snow cover and greatly improve the model simulation by accounting for this effect. Our resulting best estimate for HBL methane emissions is 2.3 Tg/a, several-fold higher than previous estimates (Roulet et al., 1994; Worthy et al., 2000).

Imaging observations of lower thermospheric O(1S) and O2 airglow emissions from STS 9 - Implications of height variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swenson, G. R.; Mende, S. B.; Llewellyn, E. J.

1989-01-01

The lower thermospheric nightglow in the Southern Hemisphere was observed with the Atmospheric Emissions Photometric Imager during the Spacelab 1 mission in December, 1983. Observations of emission from O(1S) at 2972 and 5577A, O2 at 7620 A, OH near 6300 A, and the combined emission from the three upper states of O2 which lead to the Herzberg I and II and Chamberlain band emissions in B and near UV are discussed. The altitudes of peak emission heights are determined, showing that the peak heights are not constant with latitude. It is found that airglow heights varied with latitude by as much as 8 km. The observed airglow height pattern near the equator is similar to that of Wasser and Donahue (1979).

Broad Balmer-Line Absorption in SDSS J172341.10+555340.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Kentaro

2010-10-01

We present the discovery of Balmer-line absorption from Hα to H9 in an iron low-ionizaton broad absorption line (FeLoBAL) quasar, SDSS J172341.10+555340.5, by near-infrared spectroscopy with the Cooled Infrared Spectrograph and Camera for OHS (CISCO) attached to the Subaru Telescope. The redshift of the Balmer-line absorption troughs is 2.0530±0.0003, and it is blueshifted by 5370 km s-1 from the Balmer emission lines. It is more than 4000 km s-1 blueshifted from the previously known UV absorption lines. We detected relatively strong (EWrest = 20 Å) [OIII] emission lines that are similar to those found in other broad absorption line quasars with Balmer-line absorption. We also derived the column density of neutral hydrogen of 5.2 × 1017 cm-2 by using the curve of growth and taking account of Lyα trapping. We searched for UV absorption lines that had the same redshift with Balmer-line absorption, and found Ali III and Fe III absorption lines at z = 2.053 that correspond to previously unidentified absorption lines, and the presence of other blended troughs that were difficult to identify.

Assessing the capability of different satellite observing configurations to resolve the distribution of methane emissions at kilometer scales