Direct imaging of planetary systems with a ground-based radio telescope array

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory's proposed Millimeter Array (MMA) will bring unprecedented sensitivity, angular resolution, and image dynamic range to the millimeter wavelength region of the spectrum. An obvious question is whether such an instrument could be used to detect planets orbiting nearby stars. The techniques of aperture synthesis imaging developed for centimeter wavelength radio arrays are capable of producing images whose dynamic ranges greatly exceed the brightness ratio of a solar-type star and a Jupiter-like planet at sub-millimeter or millimeter wavelengths. The angular resolution required to separate a star and planet at a few pc distance can be obtained with baselines of several km. The greatest challenge is sensitivity. At the highest possible observing frequencies ( 300 GHz for typical high, dry sites, and 900 GHz from the Antarctic plateau), the proposed MMA will be unable to detect the thermal emission from a Jupiter-like planet a few pc away. An upgraded MMA operating near 300 GHz with twice the currently proposed number of antennas, a 20% fractional bandwidth, and improved receivers could detect Jupiter at 4 pc in a few months. Building such an array on the Antarctic plateau and operating at 900 GHz would allow Jupiter at 4 pc to be detected in approximately one day of observing time.Paper presented at the Conference onPlanetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection held 7–10 December, 1992 at CalTech, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.     

Astronomical imaging with InSb arrays

Ten years ago, Forrest presented the first astronomical images with an SBRC 32×32 InSb array camera at the first NASA-Ames Infrared Detector Technology Workshop. Soon after, SBRC began development of 58×62 InSb arrays, both for ground-based astronomy and for SIRTF. By the time of the 1987 Hilo workshop Ground-based Astronomical Observations with Infrared Array Detectors astronomical results from cameras based on SBRC 32×32 and 58×62 InSb arrays, a CE linear InSb array, and a French 32×32 InSb CID array were presented. And at the Tucson 1990 meeting Astrophysics with Infrared Arrays, it was clear that this new technology was no longer the province of IR pundits, but provided a tool for all astronomers. At this meeting, the first astronomical observations with SBRC's new, gateless passivation 256×256 InSb arrays will be presented: they perform spectacularly!In this review, I can only broadly brush on the interesting science completed with InSb array cameras. Because of the broad wavelength coverage (1–5.5 m) of InSb, and the extremely high performance levels throughout the band, InSb cameras are used not only in the near IR, but also from 3–5.5 m, where unique science is achieved. For example, the point-like central engines of AGNs are delineated at L and M, and Br and 3.29 m dust emission images of galactic and extragalactic objects yield excitation conditions. Examples of imaging spectroscopy, high spatial resolution imaging, as well as deep, broad-band imaging with InSb cameras at this meeting illustrate the power of InSb array cameras.     

Simultaneous multifrequency observations of an eruptive prominence at millimeter wavelengths

Radio images and spectra of an eruptive prominence were obtained from simultaneous multifrequency observations at 36 GHz, 89 GHz, and 110 GHz on May 28, 1991 with the 45-m radio telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory (NRO), the National Astronomical Observatory, Japan (NAOJ). The radio spectra indicated that the optical depth is rather thick at 36 GHz whereas it is thin at 89 and 110 GHz. The H data, taken at Norikura Solar Observatory, NAOJ, suggest that the eruption of an active region filament was triggered by an H flare. The shape and position of the radio prominence generally coincided with those of H images. The radio emission is explained with an isothermal cool thread model. A lower limit for the electron temperature of the cool threads is estimated to be 6100 K. The range of the surface filling factors of the cool threads is 0.3–1.0 after the H flare, and 0.2–0.5 in the descending phase of the eruptive prominence. The column emission measure and the electron number density are estimated to be of the order of 10²⁸ cm^–5 and 10¹⁰ cm^–3, respectively. The physical parameters of a quiescent prominence are also estimated from the observations. The filling factors of the eruptive prominence are smaller than those of the quiescent prominence, whereas the emission measures and the electron densities are similar. These facts imply that each cool thread of the prominence did not expand after the eruption, while the total volume of the prominence increased.     

Observations of solar filaments at 8, 15, 22 and 43 GHz

On April 3, 4, 6, and 8, 1978, solar observations were made using the Haystack 120 ft telescope at 8, 15, 22, and 43 GHz. H filtergrams obtained at the Sacramento Peak Observatory on the same days showed an average of more than 30 filaments or filament fragments (per day) on the disk. Most of these appeared as depressions in brightness temperature at 15 and 22 GHz. Because of the relatively low spatial resolution at 8 GHz, only a few appeared at that frequency, and presumably because of lower opacity in filaments at higher frequencies, few depressions were visible at 43 GHz. At 15 and 22 GHz, more depressions appeared than H filaments, but virtually all the radio depressions overlay magnetic neutral lines. Taking the data sets for each day as independent samples, we found that at 22 GHz, 46 of the 77 radio depressions were associated with H filaments; at 15 GHz the correlation was smaller; only 27 out of 48 being associated with the H filaments. The data imply that the microwave depression features are the result of absorption by filaments and perhaps also the result of other effects of the associated filament channel, but not necessarily coronal depletion. The effects of filament absorption are, statistically, about twice as effective as other phenomena (such as absorption by material invisible in H, for example) in creating the radio depression. A center-to-limb study of a single large filament clearly showed that at 15 and 22 GHz the absorption by cool hydrogen supported above the neutral line was the predominant factor in producing the observed depression at radio frequencies.     

Plans for a new radioheliograph in Belgium

The existence of spikes with very short time scales (1 to 10 ms) in the decimetric radio spectrum emphasizes the necessity of building radio instruments with very high time resolution. Therefore, we are planning to build a multi-frequency decimetric radioheliograph at the radioastronomical station of the Observatoire Royal de Belgique (Humain, Belgium). The existing array primarily devoted to observe at 408 MHz will constitute the starting structure of the project.Paper presented at the 4^th CESRA workshop in Ouranopolis (Greece) 1991     

Repeated activity of the 0.8–1.2 GHz radio source of March 20, 1993

During March 20, 1993, from 12:00 to 16:00 UT, repeated radio burst activity was observed in the 0.8–1.2 GHz frequency range. Periods in intervals 0.1–0.5, 0.7–1.0, 2.8–3.9, 75–170 s, and 15–25 min were recognized. This long-lasting narrowband activity consisted mainly of pulsations and continua. In some intervals it was accompanied not only by spikes, broadband pulsations, and fibers in the 1–2 GHz frequency range, but also by type III and U burst activity at lower frequencies as well as by hard X-ray bursts. From several radio bursts, two characterized by different fine structures were selected and compared. The observed differences are explained by different distribution functions of superthermal electrons. The position of the 0.8–1.2 GHz radio source above the photosphere and the magnetic field in the fiber burst source were estimated to be 66 000–75 000 km and 120–135 G, respectively.Presented at te CESRA-Workshop on Coronal Magnetic Energy Release at Caputh near Potsdam in May 1994.     

Solar microwave bursts as indicators of the occurrence of solar proton emission

A study has been made of the relation of 19 GHz( = 1.58 cm) solar radio bursts to solar proton emission, with particular reference to the usefulness of relatively long duration bursts with intensities exceeding 50% of the quiet Sun flux (or exceeding 350 × 10^–22 W m^–2 Hz^–1) as indicators of the occurrence of proton events during the four years from 1966–69. 76 to 88% of such bursts are directly associated with solar protons and 60 to 85% of the moderate to large proton events in the four year period could have been predicted from these bursts. The complete microwave spectra of the proton events have also been studied, and have been used to extend the results obtained at 19 GHz to other frequencies, particularly in the 5–20 GHz band. The widely used frequency of 2.8 GHz is not the optimum frequency for this purpose since proton events have a minimum of emission in this region. Most of the radio energy of proton events is at frequencies above 10 GHz. The radio spectra of proton events tend to peak at higher frequencies than most non-proton events, the overall range being 5 to 70 GHz, with a median of 10–12 GHz and a mean of 17 GHz.On leave from the Radio and Space Research Station, Slough, England, as 1969–1970 National Research Council-National Academy of Sciences Senior Post-Doctoral Research Associate at AFCRL.     

Multiwavelength observations of the impulsive flare of November 19, 1990

We present the observation and interpretation of a solar radio burst whose evolution of the source position at 48 GHz has been correlated with microwave spectral observations from 3.1 to 19.6 GHz and H imaging spectrograms. The event of November 19, 1990 showed 4 impulsive peaks in microwaves and 2 H kernels. There exists strong evidence that the impulsive emission has originated from nonthermal electrons including an electron beam during the rising phase of the third microwave peak. The complex evolution of the source position at 48 GHz is attributed to two inhomogeneous and spatially separated sources with changing relative brightness.     

A Study of the Lunar Soil in Regions with Temperature Anomalies

Based on a large body of observational data on radio emission from the Moon, we study the dependence of lunar radio temperature variations on illumination conditions. The data were obtained with the RATAN-600 radio telescope with a high sensitivity and resolution, which has not yet been used to construct radio images of the Moon. The harmonic parameters (amplitudes and phase angles) were determined both for the average Moon and for regions with temperature anomalies revealed by the RATAN-600 observations. These parameters allow the physical properties of the lunar soil to be investigated. The distribution of the loss-angle tangent (tan ), one of the characteristics of the lunar material, over the Moon was determined. The loss-angle tangent is related to the content of ilmenite, a rock containing oxygen, iron, and titanium, in the lunar soil. Studies of the ilmenite distribution on the Moon are particularly important in view of the prospects for building a habitable lunar base that needs oxygen. It is relatively easy and cheap to extract oxygen, iron, and titanium from ilmenite.     

Simultaneous solution for the masses of the principal planets from analysis of optical,radar, and radio tracking data

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a set of computer programs known as the Solar System Data Processing System (SSDPS) which is employed in improving the ephemerides of the major planets and for improving the values of several associated astronomical constants. A group of solutions for the masses of the major planets, together with the AU and radii of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, is presented. These solutions based upon optical, radar, and spacecraft radio tracking data are preliminary. The relative power of radar and radio tracking data vis-à-vis purely optical data in a solution is shown. The problems which could arise by adopting solutions based upon a single data type are demonstrated.Presented at IAU Colloquium No. 9, the IAU System of Astronomical Constants' Heidelberg, Germany, August 12–14, 1970.This paper presents the results of one phase of research carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under Contract No. NAS 7-100, sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.     

1–4 GHz type II-like radio bursts and pinch processes near the transition region

Analyzing 205 radio bursts observed by the Ondejov radiospectrograph in the 1–4 GHz frequency range during 1992 and 1993, we found 6 examples of type II-like radio bursts coinciding with impulsive phases of solar flares. These bursts were interpreted as radio manifestations of MHD (shock) waves generated during impulsive phases of flares in the vicinity of the transition region. Assuming a magnetic-field perturbation origin of these waves, we studied pinch processes in the current sheet near the transition region. In the 2-D MHD numerical model of this current sheet we demonstrated that 2-D pinch processes induced by radiative losses can trigger the impulsive phase of some flares and so generate the observed high-frequency type II-like radio bursts.     

Radio observations of the M8.1 solar flare of 23 June, 1988: Evidence for energy transport by thermal processes

The Very Large Array (VLA) and the frequency agile interferometer at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) were used to observe the M8.1 flare of 23 June, 1988. The VLA obtained images prior to and during the flare at 333 MHz, and at 1.5 and 4.7 GHz. The frequency agile interferometer at Owens Valley obtained interferometer amplitude and total power spectra of the flare at 45 frequencies between 1 and 18 GHz. The observations were supplemented by radiometer measurements made by the USAF RSTN network site at Palehua, HI, by GOES soft X-ray observations, by USAF SOON H filtergrams, and by a KPNO photospheric magnetogram.The radio data reveal a wide variety of phenomena, including: (i) a multiply impulsive microwave burst that is essentially thermal in character; (ii) stationary discrete components at 1.5 GHz, associated temporally and spatially with distant brightenings in Ha; (iii) a dynamical component at 1.5 GHz associated with hot plasma moving subsonically into the corona; (iv) the appearance of intense, short-lived, decimetric burst activity near the lead sunspot in the active region at 1.5 GHz, indicative of a high degree of inhomogeneity in the source.The unusually complete radio coverage allows us to investigate the transport of energy from the initial site to sites of distant H brightenings. The transport of energy appears to be most consistent with slow, thermal processes, rather than rapid transport by nonthermal electron beams.     

A broadband spectrometer for decimeter and microwave radio bursts

Observations of solar microwave bursts with high temporal and spectral resolution have shown interesting fine structures (FSs) of short duration and small bandwidth which are usually superimposed on the smooth continuum. These FSs are very intense (up to 10¹⁵ K) and show sometimes a high degree of circular polarization (up to 100%). They are believed to be generated by electron cyclotron maser emission (ECME) in magnetic loops. Another type are the microwave type III bursts, which are drifting microwave FSs, and are probably the signatures of travelling electron beams in the solar atmosphere. The exact emission mechanisms for these phenomena, in particular the source configuration, the plasma parameters and the distribution of radiating electrons are not clear. For a detailed study of these problems new observations of intensity and polarization with high resolution in time and in frequency in decimeter and microwave wavebands are essential. In order to investigate these features in greater detail, spectrometers with high temporal and spectral resolution are being developed by the solar radio astronomy community of China (Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO), Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO), Yunnan Astronomical Observatory (YAO), and Nanjing University (NJU)). The frequency range from 0.7 to about 12 GHz is covered by about five spectrometers in frequency ranges of 0.7–1.4 GHz, 1–2 GHz, 2.4–3.6 GHz, 4.9–7.3 GHz, and 8–12 GHz, respectively. The radiospectrometers will form a combined type of swept-frequency and multi-channel receivers. The main characteristics of the solar radio spectrometers are: frequency resolution: 1–10 MHz; temporal resolution: 1–10 ms; sensitivity: better than 2% of the quiet-Sun level. We pay special attention to the sensitivity and the accuracy of polarization. Now, the 1–2 GHz radiospectrometer is being set up. The full system will be set up in 3–4 years.Presented at the CESRA-Workshop on Coronal Magnetic Release at Caputh near Potsdam in May 1994.     

VLA observations of interacting flaring loops

We present 4.9 GHz observations of an impulsive radio burst observed at the Very Large Array on 1981 May 16. The flare occurred in a complex active region containing several spots. The radio burst lay at the edge of an active-region microwave source, close to a neutral line. The compact burst showed morphological evidence for the presence of two loops in the rise phase, with the subsequent burst peak lying between these loops. This suggests that interaction between the loops played some role in the initiation of the flare. The flare spectrum is consistent with thermal gyrosynchrotron emission. The main microwave peak was displaced from the nearest H kernels by about 10, but there is strong evidence for post-flare loops coincident with the H kernels during the later stages of the event.     

Low noise beam-lead diode mixer for the 3 mm radio astronomical receiver at the metsähovi radio research station

A 3 mm low noise beam-lead Schottky diode mixer has been developed. At cryogenic temperatures the conversion loss is 6.3 dB, and the DSB mixer noise temperature is 75 K, respectively. The mixer was installed into the cooled receiver for radioastronomical observations at the Metsähovi 13.7-m radio telescope. Total DSB noise temperature of the cooled receiver with an ultra low noise HEMT IF amplifier was 110 K at 103 GHz. The tuning range of the mixer mount was from 70 GHz to 115 GHz.     

A Low-Sidelobe, High Frequency Corrugated Feed Horn for CMB Observations

We have produced a prototype broadband, low-sidelobe conical corrugated feed horn suitable for measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Blackground (CMB) radiation in the frequency band 120–150 GHz. The antenna is a first prototype for the Low Frequency Instrument array in ESA's PLANCK mission, a space project dedicated to CMB anisotropy mesurements in the 30–900 GHz range. We describe the fabrication method, based on silver electro-formation, and present the two-dimensional antenna beam pattern measured at 140 GHz with a milimeter-wave automated scalar test range. The beam has good symmetry in the E and H planes with a far sidelobe level approaching –60 dB at angles 80°. An upper limit to the return loss was measured to be –21 dB.     

A model for solar radio pulsations at short centimetric band

In this paper, the observed solar radio pulsations during the bursts at 9.375 GHz are considered to be excited by some plasma instability. Under the condition of the conservation of energy in the wave-particle interaction, the saturation time of plasma instabilities is inversely proportional to the initial radiation intensity, which may explain why the repetition rate of the pulsations is directly proportional to the radio burst flux at 9.375 GHz as well as 15 GHz and 22 GHz. It is also predicted that the energy released in an individual pulse increases with increasing the flux of radio bursts, the modularity of the pulsations decreases with increasing the flux of radio bursts, these predictions are consistent with the statistical results at 9.375 GHz in different events. The energy density of the non-thermal particles in these events is estimated from the properties of pulsation. For the typical values of the ambient plasma density (10⁹ cm^–3) and the ratio between the nonthermal and ambient electrons (10^–4), the order of magnitude of the energy density and the average energy of the nonthermal electrons is 10^–4 erg/cm³ and 10 kev, respectively. It is interesting that there are two branches in a statistical relation between the repetition rate and the radio burst flux in a special event on March 11–17, 1989, which just corresponds to two different orders of magnitude for the quasi-quantized energy released in these five bursts. This result may be explained by the different ratios between the thermal and the nonthermal radiations.     

Millisecond radio spikes on long centimetre and short decimetre wavelengths and occurrence frequency

High time-resolution data observed in two periods, respectively, by three frequencies (1.42, 2.84, and 3.67 GHz) or four frequencies (1.42, 2.00, 2.84, and 4.00 GHz) of fast sampling radiotelescopes were processed. Obtained were some significant results showing that during the obviously rising or maximum phases of solar cycle 22, the occurrence frequency of millisecond radio spikes at three or four frequencies decreased with the frequency increase and the highest occurrence frequency was at 1.42 GHz. If we assume the secondx-mode is pre-dominant in the growth rate of ECM instability, we calculate the magnetic intensity of source regions with spike bursts at the four frequencies and interpret the occurrence frequency of millisecond radio spikes on long centimetre and short decimetre wavelengths. Finally, this paper suggests that, owing to the Razing effect, whenf126 MHz the occurrence frequency of millisecond radio spikes starts to decrease.     

First Images of Impulsive Millimeter Emission and Spectral Analysis of the 1994 August 18 Solar Flare

We present here the first images of impulsive millimeter emission of a flare. The flare on 1994 August 18 was simultaneously observed at millimeter (86 GHz), microwave (1-18 GHz), and soft and hard X-ray wavelengths. Images of millimeter, soft and hard X-ray emission show the same compact ( 8) source. Both the impulsive and the gradual phases are studied in order to determine the emission mechanisms. During the impulsive phase, the radio spectrum was obtained by combining the millimeter with simultaneous microwave emission. Fitting the nonthermal radio spectra as gyrosynchrotron radiation from a homogeneous source model with constant magnetic field yields the physical properties of the flaring source, that is, total number of electrons, power-law index of the electron energy distribution, and the nonthermal source size. These results are compared to those obtained from the hard X-ray spectra. The energy distribution of the energetic electrons inferred from the hard X-ray and radio spectra is found to follow a double power-law with slope 6–8 below 50 keV and 3–4 above those energies. The temporal evolution of the electron energy spectrum and its implication for the acceleration mechanism are discussed. Comparison of millimeter and soft X-ray emissions during the gradual phase implies that the millimeter emission is free-free radiation from the same hot soft X-ray emitting plasma, and further suggests that the flare source contains multiple temperatures.     

A faint object spectrometer for the infrared

A cryogenic astronomical spectrometer for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility is described. This spectrometer will employ an array of at least 20 detectors and provide a resolving power of 100 to 1500 at 1–5 m. The resolving power will be adjustable by changing gratings.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.