Detection of background gravitational radiation by Doppler tracking of spacecraft

Low-frequency gravitational radiation, with wavelengths reaching or exceeding interplanetary distances, and with a mean energy density of the order of the critical cosmological density _c , generates a frequency-shift of order/10^–15 h ₀(1/10⁸km)(/ _c )^1/2 in electromagnetic signals transponded by interplanetary spacecraft at a distancel from the Earth.     

A static theory of the stability of the equilibrium

A static relativistic theory of the stability of the equilibrium of an isentropic spherically-symmetric star is deduced from the properties of a functionu which is solution of a second-order differential equation, and which is related to the model by means of the formulau = m(v, c)/c, wherem is the mass-energy inside the coordinate volumev and c is the central mass-energy density.Work done in the Laboratorio Astrofisico di Frascati, Roma.     

Plane and cylindrical hydromagnetic shock waves

The Chisnell-Chester-Whitham method has been used to investigate the propagation of diverging plane and cylindrical shock waves through an ideal gas in presence of a magnetic field having only constant axial and variable azimuthal components, simultaneously for both weak and strong cases. Assuming an initial density distribution ₀=r ^–w , where is the density at the plane/axis of symmetry andw is a constant, the analytical expressions for shock velocity and shock strength have been obtained. The expressions for the pressure, the density, and the particle velocity immediately behind the shock have also been derived for both cases.     

High accuracy precession measurement with an autometric gyro

A simple reticle with parallel equally spaced lines to transmit light in an autometric gyro is shown to give a signal which can be used for very accurate angular precession measurements. Frequency analysis of the signal is chosen over time domain analysis and/or over a specially designed reticle.Gyro precession will induce a change in the interference structure of the spectrum in addition to dilating the overall frequency distribution. The expected output spectrum has been analytically determined, exhibiting the dependence on spot and reticle line cross sections and line spacing so that they can be precisely determined from the output data.The spectrum structure is extremely sensitive to precession. Computer simulations indicate that accuracy will be limited by reticle line spacing variations to ±4×10^–9 rad. This would allow a Lense-Thirring precession measurement accurate to ±20% in 30 days (accuracy being limited by physical effects common to all such experiments) or a ±1% de Sitter precession measurement in four days.Nomenclature a _n() Fourier coefficients ofI() - a _n ^r () rapidly varying part ofa _n() - a _m ^x ,b _m ^x Fourier coefficients ofI(x) - a (),b () Fourier sine and cosine transforms of _x(x) - angle between star and gyro spin axis - ₀ initial alignment angle - f focal length of optical system - I transmitted light intensity, signal function - l reticle line width - r distance from light spot center - R light-circle radius - = reduced light-circle radius - ₀ reduced reticle center-spin center offset - s reticle line space - T(x) reticle transmission function - angle of gyro rotation - w _g gyro angular velocity This work was supported by the M.I.T. Center for Space Research under NASA Grant NGL-22-009-019.     

Rapidly rotating polytropes in the post-Newtonian approximation to general relativity

The study of uniformly polytropes with axial symmetry is extended to include all rotational terms of order ⁴, where is the angular velocity, consistently within the first post-Newtonian approximation to general relativity. The equilibrium structure is determined by treating the effects of rotation and post-Newtonian gravitation as independent perturbations on the classical polytropic structure. The perturbation effects are characterized by a rotation parameter = ²/2G _c and a relativity parameter, =p _c / _c C ² , wherep _c and _c are the central pressure and density respectively. The solution to the structural problem is obtained by following Chandrasekhar's series expansion technique and is complete to the post-Newtonian rotation terms of order ². The critical rotation parameterv _c , which characterizes the configuration with maximum uniform rotation, is accurately evaluated as a function of . Numerical values for all the structural parameters needed to determine the equilibrium configurations are presented for polytropes with indicesn=1, 1.5, 2, 2 5, 3, and 3.5.     

Spatial density fluctuations in the radiation era of the Universe

It is shown that in the radiation era of the Universe spatial temperature fluctuations (T/T)<10^–5 in the cosmic plasma lead to huge changes of the density up to (/)10⁴. This effect results from the fact that the cosmic plasma in the radiation era can be considered as a general relativistic Boltzmann gas which is found in the very vincinity of equilibrium.     

General-relativistic hierarchical cosmology: An exact model

An exact solution of Einstein's equation is stated in which the density (), pressure (p), scale factorS and metric coefficients are functions of only one dimensionless self-similar variable,ct/R, wheret is cosmic time andR is a co-moving radial coordinate. The solution represents a cosmology that begins as a static sphere having R ^–2 and evolves into an expanding model which is pressure-free and has a hierarchical type of density law ( R ^–, approximately, with =a number, 02). It is suggested that this model should supersede the previous models of Wesson and other workers, since it appears to be the simplest cosmology for a hierarchy.     

On the interplanetary cosmic-ray scintillations

The equation for the two-particles cosmic-ray distribution function is derived by means of the Boltzmann kinetic equation averaging. This equation is valid for arbitrary ratio of regular and random parts of the magnetic field. For small energy particles the guiding-center approximation is used. On the basis of the derived equation the dependence between power spectra of cosmic-ray intensity and random magnetic field is obtained. If power spectra are degree functions for high energy particles ( 10 GeV nucleon^–1), then the spectral exponent of magnetic field lies between and –2, where is the spectral exponent of cosmic-ray power spectra. The experimental data concerning moderate energy particles are in accordance with =, which demonstrates that the magnetic fluctuations are isotropic or cosmic-ray space gradient is small near the Earth orbit.     

Comparison between some Hα and X-ray flares

In the present paper, H-evolutive curves of chromospheric events are compared with flux evolutive curves of X-ray events observed at the same time in different spectral regions. A correspondence between the emissions E(I _H/I _chr)'s at higher and higher H-intensity levels, and the X-ray fluxes F()'s in harder and harder -ranges is shown. Further, the present observations seem to indicate the existence of a single triggering mechanism during the flash-phase of a flare. It is also shown that these results may be in agreement with Brown's model for chromospheric flares.     

Inverse compton effect and the colorimetric characteristics of flare stars

It is shown that the observed color diagrams(U-B) _f (B-V) _f for pure flare emission of UV Cet type flare stars may be explained within the framework of a fast electron hypothesis. We point out the essential influence on these color indices of the two following factors: (a) the deviations of the normal radiation capability of the star in the infrared region of spectra (on 3.6 m, 4.4 m, and 5.5 m) from the Planckian distribution; (b) the location of the cloud (source) of fast electrons around the star (flare geometry effect). Under the real conditions of the generation of flares around the star the frequency transformation law at the photon-electron interaction has a view =n²₀, wheren may take the different values-from 0.15 up to 4; it depends on the cloud-star-observer geometry. By the observed colors of the flare emission may be understood, in principle, the location of flare source around the star. A possible role of reflection effect at the generation of stellar flares is outlined.     

Annihilation radiation from thermal electron-positron plasma on the ground Landau level: The case of low magnetic fields

The intensity and polarization of two-photon annihilation in a magnetic fuieldBB _cr =4.4×10¹³ G are studied in detail for a, one-dimensional thermal distribution of annihilating electrons and positrons on the ground Landau level. With the increase of temperatureT the total annihilation rate and energy losses decrease, being higher than for the isotropic thermal distributions at the sameT. The shapes of intensity spectra at sin =0 ( is the angle betweenB and wave-vector) are close to those in the isotropic case. The widths and blue-shifts of the spectra decrease with increasing sin and increase with increasingT. Logarthmic singularities arise in the spectra atE»mc ²/sin . Power-like parts are formed in the wings of the spectra forkTmc ² and not too small sin . The direction-integrated spectra reach their (finite) maxima, atE=mc ² for anyT. The radiation concentrates near the plane, perpendicular to the magnetic field forE close tomc ² and is beamed along the magnetic field forE far frommc ². Energy-integrated angular distributions are stretched alongB, the stronger the higherT. The rediation is linearly polarized in the plane formed by the magnetic field and weve-vector. Typical values of the polarization inside the cores of the annihilation spectra are (kT/mc ²) sin and [ln (kT/mc ²)]^–1 forkTmc ² andkT sin mc ², respectively. Annihilation radiation dominates over Bremsstrahlung in thee plasma atkT7mc ². The results are useful for interpretation of the annihilation radiation in the gamma-ray bursts. They permit to estimate temperature, gravitational potential, and emission measure of radiating regions and the beaming of the radiation.     

Why are spicules absent over plages and long under coronal holes?

One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations are performed in order to examine the influence of initial atmospheric structures on the dynamics of spicules. This is an extended version of our previous spicule theory: spicules are produced by the shock wave (MHD slow mode shock) which originates from a bright point appearance (sudden pressure increase) at the network in the photosphere or in the low chromosphere. Simulation results well reproduce the observational facts that spicules are absent over plages and long under coronal holes. The physical reason is that the growth of a shock wave during its propagation through the chromosphere is small in plage regions and large in coronal hole regions, since the growth of a shock is determined by the density ratio ( _{h 0}/ _c ) between the bright point and the corona. An empirical formula H _max ( _{h 0}/ _c )^0.46 is obtained, where H _max is the maximum height of spicules above the transition region. The cross-section of the vertical magnetic flux tube is assumed to be constant in the numerical simulations.     

The interaction of matter and radiation in the hot model of the Universe,II

Heating of the primaeval plasma prior to the epoch of recombination results in distortions in the Rayleigh-Jeans region of the microwave relic radiation spectrum (1–60 cm, or more exactly =2.5_–7/8 cm). The present observational data allow limits to be set to such energy injection from which follow upper limits to (a) the amount of antimatter in the universe; (b) the parameters of primaeval turbulence; and (c) the adiabatic fluctuation spectrum for small masses (M<10¹¹ M ).If the heating takes place prior to the epocht=10_1012/5 sec (and in particular at the annihilation of electron-positron pairs atT10⁸–10¹⁰ K,t<300 sec), no observable distortions are expected in the relic radiation spectrum. Here =/_crit is the dimensionless average density of matter in the universe.Translated from the Russian by D. F. Smith.     

The interrelationship between cosmic dust and the microwave background

Attention is given to the radiation of microwaves by charged dust in space. Presently-used particle distributions do not restrict the presence in space of large numbers of small (r<10^–6 cm) silicate grains, but it is shown that such densities (10^–25–10^–26 g cm^–3) of small grains would produce a microwave background with an energy density of the same order of magnitude as the energy density of the (presumed) cosmological 3 K background. Limits set by the isotropy of the latter are: (HI clouds)10^–26, (Galactic plane)10^–30, (Halo)10^–32, (Local Group)10^–34 g cm^–3. These limits imply that either there is a cutoff in particle distributions atr10^–6 cm, or that the density of silicate grains in space has been generally overestimated, or that cosmic rays have broken up a lot of grains so that they now form a population of grains of very small size (10^–7 cm) which are difficult to detect by conventional methods. One way to look for the latter population is by studying expected distortions of the 3 K spectrum to the short wavelength side of the portion hitherto observed (grains may have a size distribution able to give an approximate black-body curve for radiation from larger grains of 10^–6 cm size), and by testing the effective energy density of the 3 K field in other galaxies.     

Lyman continuum observations of solar flares

A study is made of Lyman continuum observations of solar flares, using data obtained by the Harvard College Observatory EUV spectroheliometer on the Apollo Telescope Mount. We find that there are two main types of flare regions: an overall mean flare coincident with the H flare region, and transient Lyman continuum kernels which can be identified with the H and X-ray kernels observed by other authors. It is found that the ground level hydrogen population in flares is closer to LTE than in the quiet Sun and active regions, and that the level of Lyman continuum formation is lowered in the atmosphere from a mass column density m 5/sx 10^–6 g cm^–2 in the quiet Sun to m 3/sx 10^–4 g cm^–2 in the mean flare, and to m 10^–3g cm^–2 in kernels. From these results we derive the amount of chromospheric material evaporated into the high temperature region, which is found to be - 10¹⁵g, in agreement with observations of X-ray emission measures. A comparison is made between kernel observations and the theoretical predictions made by model heating calculations, available in the literature; significant discrepancies are found between observation and current particle-heating models.     

Linearly expanding universes in JBD-theory

The assumption of a linearly expanding universe for the JBD-cosmological equations generates a set of solutions for the barotropic equations of statep= (=const.). These solutions turn out to be valid for closed space-except in the casep= which is for open space. The gravitational constant which is inversely proportional to the scalar field increases with time if >–1/3 and decreases for <–1/3. No solution exists for =1/3. The Brans-Dicke parameter is negative if <–1/3.     

Internal temperature of isothermal neutron star core matter

Two new equations of state obtained for matter constituting isothermal neutron star core by using isentropic nature of matter for the equalities =₂ and =₃ (where 's are usual adiabatic exponents) have been utilised to discuss the internal temperature of core. The temperature of matter has been obtained asT=T _a(P+E)/. Variation ofT/T _a(t) with energy density has been discussed for these new equations of state and some standard equations of state for nuclear matter.     

Free-convection flow of water at 4°C past an infinite vertical porous plate with constant heat flux

An analysis of the two-dimensional flow of water at 4°C past an infinite porous plate is presented, when the plate is subjected to a normal suction velocity and the heat flux at the plate is constant. Approximate solutions are derived for the velocity and temperature fields and the skin-friction. The effects ofG (Grashof number) andE (Eckert number) on the velocity and temperature fields are discussed.Nomenclature u, v velocity components of the fluid inx, y direction - g acceleration due to gravity - coefficient of thermal expansion of water at 4°C - v kinematic viscosity - density - T temperature inside thermal boundary layer - T free-stream temperature - k thermal conductivity - C _p specific heat at constant pressure     

A differential equation for the classical collapse problem

The classical gravitational collapse problem is analysed on the basis of an integral equation connecting the evolutionary time (defined as dt/d log ) with the density and the collapse function , or by an equivalent first-order non-linear differential equation. The general behaviour of solutions is discussed, and some particular cases are studied.     

On a transformation of the differential equations of the lunar theory

This work contains a transformation of Hill-Brown differential equations for the coordinates of the satellite to a type which can be integrated in a literal form using an analytical programming language. The differential equation for the parallax of the satellite is also established. Its use facilitates the computation of Hill's periodic intermediary orbit of the satellite and provides a good check for the expansion of the coordinates and frequencies. The knowledge of the expansion of the parallax facilitates the formation of differential equations for terms with a given characteristic. These differential equations are put into a form which favors the solution by means of iteration on the computer. As in the classical theory we obtain the expansions of the coordinates and of the parallax in the form of trigonometric series in four arguments and in powers of the constants of integration. We expand the differential operators into series in squares of the constants of integration. Only the terms of order zero in these expansions are employed in the integration of the differential equations. The remaining terms are responsible for producing the cross-effects between the perturbations of different order. By applying the averaging operator to the right sides of the differential equations we deduce the expansion of the frequencies in powers of squares of the constants of integration.Basic Notations f the gravitational constant - E the mass of the planet - M the mass of the satellite - t dynamical time - x, y, z planetocentric coordinates of the satellite - u x+y–1 - s x–y–1 - the planetocentric distance of the satellite - w 1/ - ₀ the variational part of - w ₀ the variational part ofw, - n the mean daily sidereal motion of the satellite - a the mean semi-major axis of the satellite defined by means of the Kepler relation:a ³ n ²=f(E+M) - a the mean semi-major axis defined as the constant factor attached to the variational solution - e the constant of the eccentricity of the satellite - the sine of one half the orbital inclination of the satellite relative to the orbit of the sun - c(n–n) the anomalistic frequency of the satellite - c ₀ the part ofc independent frome,e, and - g(n–n) the draconitic frequency of the satellite, - g ₀ the part ofg independent frome,e, and - exp (n–n)t–1 - D d/d - e the eccentricity of the solar planetocentric orbit - a the semi-major axis of the solar orbit - n the mean daily motion of the sun in its orbit around the planet - m n/(n–n) - a/a-the parallactic factor - the disturbing function