Ionization equilibrium in soft X-ray-emitting solar flares

Studies of the flare-produced line feature at 1.9 Å due to highly ionized iron show that it is emitted in conditions closely approximating steady-state ionization equilibrium. Calculations of the line flux per unit emission measure from time-dependent and steady-state ionization equilibria are compared with observed values during four flares in particular. Only for electron densities N _e 10¹⁰ cm^-3 do the time-dependent equilibrium values give as good an approximation to the observed values as the steady-state equilibrium. This lower limit is compared with values of N _e derived from analyses of the temperature decline in each of these events, and with estimates of N _e given by other workers.NAS/NRC Research Associate.     

Radio spectrum of two active regions

The results of the total solar eclipse of November 12, 1966, observed at 8 different wave-lengths between 3 and 21 cm, are studied and the spectrum of two active regions present on the disk is deduced. It is shown that the observed increase of the flux of the most intense source in the range 3–10 cm is due to geometrical effects. Neglecting the influence of the magnetic field, the following quantities are deduced.

1. the mean and central temperature of the coronal condensation.
2. the ∫ _corona N ²dh (N = electron density).

Both these quantities are in good agreement with optical observations.     

On the spectrum of granular and intergranular regions

A very high quality wiggly-line spectrogram was analyzed by making high-resolution spectral scans of numerous small solar features. An attempt from the line profiles to detect a magnetic field difference between the granular and intergranular regions, resulted in a field increase of 20 ± 15 G in the darker regions of the granular field. Line width increases apparently due to small-scale turbulent velocities are seen in the darker regions. It is postulated that in general darker regions show increased turbulent velocities. Conspicuous asymmetries in line profiles are seen in dark intergranular regions. It is suggested that these are the result of velocity gradients in the downward flow of material. An ionized Cr line showed a conspicuous increase in equivalent width in the darker regions of the granular field, thus indicating a decrease in electron pressure in these areas.     

The spectrum of titan in the far-infrared and microwave regions

The pressure-induced absorptions of gaseous nitrogen (N₂) and methane (CH₄) are computed on the basis of the collisional lineshape theory of G. Birnhaum and E.R. Cohen [Canad. J. Phys.54, 593–602 (1976)]. Laboratory data at 300 and 124°K for N₂ and at 296 and 195°K for CH₄ are used to determine the collisional time constant and their temperature dependence. The spectrum of Titan from the microwave to the far-infrared region (0.1–600 cm^?1) is then modeled using these opacities and a temperature profile of Titan's atmosphere derived from the Voyager 1 radio occultation experiment. The model atmosphere is composed of N₂ and CH₄, their relative proportions being determined by the vapor pressure law of CH₄. A model with gaseous opacity alone is ruled out by the far-infrared observations. An additional opacity, thought to be associated with a methane cloud, is confirmed. The effective temperature of Titan is estimated at T_e = 83.2 ± 1.4°K.     

Methane absorption variations in the spectrum of Pluto

Absolute spectrophotometry of Pluto in the wavelength range of 5600 to 10,500 Å was obtained on 4 nights covering lightcurve phases of 0.18, 0.35, 0.49, and 0.98. The four phases included minimum light (0.98) and one near maximum light (0.49). The spectra reveal significant variations in the absorption depths of the methane bands at 6200, 7200, 7900, 8400, 8600, 8900, and 10,000 Å. The minimum amount of absorption was found to occur at minimum light. This variation would imply a 30° change in the column abundance of methane within 3 days. A model employing an anisotropic surface distribution of methane frost and a clear layer of CH₄ gas was developed to explain the variation in absorption strength with rotational phase. The fit to the overall spectrum requires the presence of a frost with particle sizes on the order of a few millimeters. An upper limit of 5.5 m-am is derived for the one-way column abundance of CH₄ gas. An equally good fit to the variation of the 7200-Å band is obtained if the atmosphere is removed from the model entirely.     

Modelling OH in regions of star formation

There is a large, diverse and rapidly growing body of OH observations from regions associated with star formation, the physical conditions of which are of great interest. To interpret these observations we need to calculate the populations of the OH energy levels using as accurate a model as is feasible. We have developed a large velocity gradient (LVG) model using the lowest 48 hyperfine states of OH and including the phenomenon of far-infrared line overlap using a new theory which treats all thermal and velocity overlaps. If we use a theory of maser propagation (Field and Gray, 1988) we are then able to see how competing maser lines develop.The generic behaviour which we find is in good agreement with the extensive maser observations of Gaume and Mutel 1987 and our calculations allow us to associate general physical conditions with the four ground state maser frequencies. In addition we are able to present preliminary results of the interpretation of the OH absorption observations of Guilloteauet al. (1984) and Walmsleyet al. (1986) for the compactHII region DR21.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain     

Photodissociation regions and star formation in the Carina nebula

We have obtained wide-field thermal infrared (IR) images of the Carina nebula, using the SPIREX/Abu telescope at the South Pole. Emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at 3.29 μm, a tracer of photodissociation regions (PDRs), reveals many interesting well-defined clumps and diffuse regions throughout the complex. Near-IR images  (1–2 μm)  , along with images from the Midcourse Space Experiment ( MSX ) satellite  (8–21 μm)  have been incorporated to study the interactions between the young stars and the surrounding molecular cloud in more detail. Two new PAH emission clumps have been identified in the Keyhole nebula, and have been mapped in  ¹²CO(2–1)  and  (1–0)  using the Swedish–ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST). Analysis of their physical properties reveals that they are dense molecular clumps, externally heated with PDRs on their surfaces and supported by external pressure in a similar manner to the other clumps in the region. A previously identified externally heated globule containing IRAS 10430−5931 in the southern molecular cloud shows strong 3.29-, 8- and 21-μm emission, the spectral energy distribution (SED) revealing the location of an ultracompact (UC) H  ii region. The northern part of the nebula is complicated, with PAH emission intermixed with mid-IR dust continuum emission. Several point sources are located here, and through a two-component blackbody fit to their SEDs we have identified three possible UC H  ii regions as well as a young star surrounded by a circumstellar disc. This implies that star formation in this region is ongoing and not halted by the intense radiation from the surrounding young massive stars.     

Three-dimensional regions of stability about the triangular equilibrium points

Within the context of the restricted problem of three bodies, an analytic upper bound on the three-dimensional regions of stability about the triangular equilibrium points is derived for general initial velocity limits and a wide class of bounding regions. This upper bound is illustrated and compared to numerical investigations for two bounding regions using the Earth-Moon mass ratio.     

Hydrogen absorption lines in the cosmic microwave background spectrum

We have calculated the intensities of the subordinate hydrogen lines formed during the recombination epoch at redshifts 800?z?1600. We show that an allowance for the angular momentum splitting of hydrogen atomic energy levels and the dipole transition selection rules can reveal absorption features in the cosmic microwave background recombination spectrum in the submillimeter wavelength range.     

Collision-induced absorption in the far infrared spectrum of Titan

The effects of collision-induced absorption on the far infrared spectrum of Titan have been investigated. After a review of the procedure for the theoretical calculation of the N₂ translation-rotational spectrum, new results for the temperature range of 70 to 120°K are reported. These are used as input data for a simple atmospheric model in order to compute the far infrared radiance, brightness temperature, and spectral limb function. This source of opacity alone is not capable of explaining the Voyager results. When the collision-induced methane is included, the results are in closer agreement in the range between 200 and 300 cm^?1, suggesting that a more complete treatment of collision-induced absorption including particularly CH₄N₂, N₂H₂, and H₂H₂ results, may provide sufficient opacity to reduce or obviate the need for opacities due to clouds or aerosols in order to explain the observed spectra.     

The forbidden line spectrum in the edges of Hii regions

The influence of a relative motion between a hot star and the surrounding medium on the forbidden lines emission spectrum of the latter is described in an example.     

Morphology of star formation regions in irregular galaxies

The location of H  II regions, which indicates the locus of present star formation in galaxies, is analysed for a large collection of 110 irregular galaxies (Irr) imaged in Hα and nearby continuum. The analysis is primarily by visual inspection, although a two-dimensional quantitative measure is also employed. The two different analyses yield essentially identical results. H  II regions appear preferentially at the edges of the light distribution, predominantly on one side of the galaxy, contrary to what is expected from stochastic self-propagating star formation scenarios. This peculiar distribution of star-forming regions cannot be explained by a scenario of star formation triggered by an interaction with extragalactic gas, or by a strong one-armed spiral pattern.     

Viscothermal instability in Keplerian disc and formation of overdense regions

Viscosity have a significant effect in evolution of accretion disc. In this paper, we investigate the thermal effect of viscosity in the accretion disc that may cause instability to produce overdense regions through it. For this purpose, the linear perturbation method is used to investigate instability on this so-called viscothermal effect. The results show that instability can occur in accretion disc so that larger overdense regions are formed at far greater distance of protostar. This mechanism may explain formation of larger protoplanets farther from protostars.     

Stability regions of equilibrium points in restricted four-body problem with oblateness effects

In this paper, we extend the basic model of the restricted four-body problem introducing two bigger dominant primaries m ₁ and m ₂ as oblate spheroids when masses of the two primary bodies (m ₂ and m ₃) are equal. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of zero velocity surfaces and the Poincaré surfaces of section to determine the possible allowed boundary regions and the stability orbit of the equilibrium points. According to different values of Jacobi constant C, we can determine boundary region where the particle can move in possible permitted zones. The stability regions of the equilibrium points expanded due to presence of oblateness coefficient and various values of C, whereas for certain range of t (100≤t≤200), orbits form a shape of cote’s spiral. For different values of oblateness parameters A ₁ (0<A ₁<1) and A ₂ (0<A ₂<1), we obtain two collinear and six non-collinear equilibrium points. The non-collinear equilibrium points are stable when the mass parameter μ lies in the interval (0.0190637,0.647603). However, basins of attraction are constructed with the help of Newton Raphson method to demonstrate the convergence as well as divergence region of the equilibrium points. The nature of basins of attraction of the equilibrium points are less effected in presence and absence of oblateness coefficients A ₁ and A ₂ respectively in the proposed model.     

Star formation efficiency in low-density regions in galactic disks

The radial dependences of the star formation efficiency??_SFE = ??_SFR/??_gas (per unit disk surface area) in normal surface brightness spiral galaxies and low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies are compared with the radial variations of the gas and stellar disk surface and volume densities. The volume density of the components in the disk midplane is found through a self-consistent solution of the disk equilibrium equations by taking into account the dark halo. The disk thickness variation with radius R is calculated within the model of a galaxy with a marginally stable disk by taking into account the increase of the stability parameter Q _T,c along the radius. We show that the star formation efficiency depends weakly (for LSB galaxies, does not depend at all) on the gas density but correlates well with the disk surface and volume density, with the normal and LSB galaxies forming a single sequence. The dependence vanishes only at extremely low disk densities (?? _disk ? (1?3) M _?? pc^?2, ?? _stars ?? (1?3) × 10^?24 g cm^?3), where star formation probably ceases to be related to disk properties. Estimations of the gas volume density allow us to check the expected form of the ??_SFR-?? _disk relationship that follows from the model by Ostriker et al., which relates the star formation rate to the pressure of the diffuse gas medium. For most of the galaxies considered, there is satisfactory agreement with the model, except for the densest (of the order of several hundred M _?? pc^?2) and least dense (several M?? pc^?2 or less) disk regions.     

New C13N14 search regions in the solar spectrum

Ten new rotational line positions, due to the (0,0) red C¹³N¹⁴ band, are calculated to fall squarely within continuum regions 1–2 Å wide in the near infrared solar spectrum, , 10 990–11 630. Precision observations of the isotopic line strengths in this spectral region, albeit difficult, should resolve the present ambiguity in the blue-violet observations of whether or not the solar C¹²/C¹³ ratio is equal to or larger than the terrestrial ratio.     

Star formation regions as galactic dissipative structures

The theory of dissipative structures, applied to star formation systems, provides a conceptual framework for the study of the behaviour and evolution of these systems. As shown by an analysis of a model star formation process system, prolonged stationary star formation in localized areas and repetitive bursting star formation events can be understood as different behavioural modes of galactic dissipative structures. Young stellar associations with theirHII regions and molecular clouds are manifestations of the ordered distribution of matter participating in the star formation processes. A self-organization with the appearance of ordered structures is, in general, to be expected in nonequilibrium systems in which nonlinear processes occur. However, lacking a thermodynamic theory that can be applied to self-gravitating systems, the behaviour of star-forming regions can only be studied by model calculations simulating the process system within the region.