On the compositions and characteristics of the mare basalt magmas and their source regions

Based on a synthesis of available mare basalt data, it is shown that the samples which were returned to Earth via the various Apollo and Luna missions were derived from at least 16 separate eruptive events. The currently published data are sufficient to allow reasonably good estimates of the compositions of the parental magmas of 12 of these units to be made. At the present, only first order estimates of the compositions of the magmas of the remaining four units are possible.It is further shown that, when these 16 magmas are plotted on the pseudo-ternary phase diagram for the system anorthite-olivine-quartz and the quaternary phase diagrams for the systems which include augite or ilmenite, the magmas all lie along a common, equilibrium melting path. This path is defined by the high aluminum basalt magmas and the majority of the high TiO₂ basalt magmas which plot near the 5kb olivine-pyroxene cotectic and by the high olivine magmas which plot along or near a single olivine control line. The fact that all the high olivine magmas plot near a single olivine control line is a direct consequence of the equilibrium partial melting of an olivine dominated mantle, but is statistically very unlikely (1 chance in 10⁶) if the mantle is dominated by pyroxene as is widely accepted. Based on the reasonable assumption that the degree of partial melting which produced the magmas was no greater than 50%, and noting that the composition of the mantle is constrained to lie on the olivine control line around which the high olivine magmas plot in the ternary and quaternary phase diagrams, then the normative composition of the lunar upper mantle must be about 64% olivine (Fo₇₀), 23% pyroxene, 9% anorthite, and 4% ilmenite - though olivine richer models are possible. This composition is essentially the same as that for pyrolite, the proposed composition of the Earth's mantle. This observation is taken to add further support for the fission origin of the Moon.     

SWAS observations of water vapor in the Venus mesosphere

We present the first detections of the ground-state H₂¹⁶O (₁₁₀-₁₀₁) rotational transition (at 556.9 GHz) and the ¹³CO (5-4) rotational transition from the atmosphere of Venus, measured with the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS). The observed spectral features of these submillimeter transitions originate primarily from the 70-100 km altitude range, within the Venus mesosphere. Observations were obtained in December 2002, and January, March, and July 2004, coarsely sampling one Venus diurnal period as seen from Earth. The measured water vapor absorption line depth shows large variability among the four observing periods, with strong detections of the line in December 2002 and July 2004, and no detections in January and March 2004. Retrieval of atmospheric parameters was performed using a multi-transition inversion algorithm, combining simultaneous retrievals of temperature, carbon monoxide, and water profiles under imposed constraints. Analysis of the SWAS spectra resulted in measurements or upper limits for the globally averaged mesospheric water vapor abundance for each of the four observation periods, finding variability over at least two orders of magnitude. The results are consistent with both temporal and diurnal variability, but with short-term fluctuations clearly dominating. These results are fully consistent with the long-term study of mesospheric water vapor from millimeter and submillimeter observations of HDO [Sandor, B.J., Clancy, R.T., 2005. Icarus 177, 129-143]. The December 2002 observations detected very rapid change in the mesospheric water abundance. Over five days, a deep water absorption feature consistent with a water vapor abundance of 4.5±1.5 parts per million suddenly gave way to a significantly shallower absorption, implying a decrease in the water vapor abundance by a factor of nearly 50 in less that 48 h. In 2004, similar changes in the water vapor abundance were measured between the March and July SWAS observing periods, but variability on time scales of less than a week was not detected. The mesospheric water vapor is expected to be in equilibrium with aerosol particles, primarily composed of concentrated sulfuric acid, in the upper haze layers of the Venus atmosphere. If true, moderate amplitude (10-15 K) variability in mesospheric temperature, previously noted in millimeter spectroscopy observations of Venus, can explain the rapid water vapor variability detected by SWAS.     

Thermal and density structure of polar plumes

Normal incidence multilayer coated EUV/XUV optical systems provide a powerful technique for the study of the structure of the solar corona. Such systems permit the imaging of the full solar disk and corona with high angular resolution in narrow wavelength bands that are dominated by a single line or a line multiplet excited over a well defined range of temperatures. We have photometrically analysed, and derived temperature and density information from, images of polar plumes obtained with a multilayer Cassegrain telescope operating in the wavelength interval = 171 to 175 , which is dominated by FeIX and FeX emission. This observation was obtained in October 1987, and is the first high resolution observation of an astronomical object obtained with normal incidence multilayer optics techniques. We find that photometric data taken from this observation, applied to a simple, semi-empirical model of supersonic solar wind flow, are consistent with the idea that polar plumes are a source of the solar wind. However, we are not able to uniquely trace high speed streams to polar plumes. The temperatures that we observed are typically 1 500 000 K for both the plumes and the interplume regions, with the plume temperatures slightly higher than those of the surrounding atmosphere. Typical electron densities of the plume and interplume regions, respectively, are 5 × 10⁹ cm^–3 and 1 × 10⁸ cm^–3 at the limb of the Sun.     

Fe K emission in the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220

Prominent Fe Kα line emission is detected in the XMM–Newton spectrum of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220. The centroid of the line is found at an energy of 6.7 keV and the equivalent width of the line is  EW ∼ 1.9 keV  (at 3.5σ significance). A few other spectral features are found at various degrees of significance in the lower energy range on a hard 2.5–10 keV continuum  (Γ∼ 1)  . The large EW of the Fe K line poses a problem with interpreting the hard X-ray emission as integrated X-ray binary emission. A thermal emission spectrum with a temperature of   kT ∼ 7 keV  modified by absorption of   N _H≃ 3 × 10²² cm⁻²  , can describe the 2.5–10 keV continuum shape and the Fe K emission. A hot bubble that is shocked internally in a starburst region would have a similar temperature and gives a good explanation for the observed X-ray properties with a high star formation rate. An ensemble of radio supernovae in a dense environment, as suggested from VLBI imaging, could be another possibility, if such powerful supernovae are produced continuously at a high rate. However, the apparent lack of emission from X-ray binaries is incompatible with the high supernova rate (∼2 SNe yr⁻¹) required by both interpretations. Highly photoionized, low-density gas illuminated by a hidden Compton-thick active galactic nucleus is a possible alternative for the hard X-ray emission, which can be tested by examining whether radiative recombination continua from highly ionized Ca and Fe are present in better quality data from a forthcoming observation.     

Solar Flux and Spectrum Measurements in the EUV Spectral Region on Board Coronas-I Satellite

There are presented data on solar emission variations in the extreme ultraviolet range?inebreak (λ < 130 nm) which were obtained on board the CORONAS-I satellite during the solar activity minimum epoch in 1994. Based on the thermoluminescent technique, the measurements were performed using the SUFR (Solar Ultraviolet Radiometer) equipment for recording the solar emission flux at λ < 130 nm. The technique provides absolute measurements. The intensity of the Heii 30.4 nm line emission was also measured on board the CORONAS by means of the Vacuum Ultraviolet Solar Spectrometer (VUSS), which uses gas-photoelectron energy and intensity analysis to register the spectrum. The characteristics of both devices are given, as well as calibration methods and the main results. The observation period may be characterized by a very low activity level. The solar flux in the region λ < 130 nm was 7.5–8 erg cm^-2 s^-1, the Lα line intensity was～ (3.3 –3.7) × 10¹¹ photon cm^-2 s^-1 and the Heii (30.4 nm) line intensity was (6–7.5) × 10⁹ photon cm^-2 s^-1. Intensive solar flares were not registered during the period of observation. During the flare of B4.5 X-ray class (30 June 1994, 01:08 UT), an increase of flux of ～ 15% was registered in the range λ < 130 nm.     

Suzaku observation of NGC 3516: complex absorption and the broad and narrow Fe K lines

We present preliminary results from a 150 ks Suzaku observation of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3516. Suzaku 's wide bandpass has enabled us to deconvolve the broadband emitting and absorbing components in this object, breaking model degeneracies inherent in previous, smaller‐bandpass spectra. The primary power‐law continuum is absorbed by an ionized absorber as well as a partial‐covering absorber; the column density of the ionized absorber has increased by a factor of ∼3 since XMM‐Newton observations in 2001. We detect a soft power‐law component which may be scattered emission. We confirm the presence of the broad Fe line, finding a eV equivalent width line that indicates emission extending down to a few Schwarzschild radii. Models which exclude either the broad line or the partial‐covering absorber are rejected. Suzaku 's high effective area and low background near 6 keV also allow us to resolve the narrow Fe K emission line; we find a FWHM velocity width near 4000 km s^–1, commensurate with Broad Line Region velocities. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Observations of OH maser lines at an 18-cm wavelength in 9P/Temper1 and Lulin C/2007 N3 comets with RT-22 at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory

Investigations on OH maser lines in comets have been performed with the RT-22 at CrAO. The results of observations of 9P/Temper1 and Lulin C/2007 N3 comets in the OH molecule line at a wavelength of 18 cm are presented. An original technique for observation data analysis has been developed. The gas production rate of OH molecules in these comets is estimated.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Suzaku</Emphasis> observation of the eclipsing high mass X-ray binary pulsar XTE J1855-026

We report results from analysis performed on an eclipsing supergiant high mass X-ray binary pulsar XTE J1855-026 observed with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) on-board Suzaku Observatory in April 2015. Suzaku observed this source for a total effective exposure of \(\sim \)87 ks just before an eclipse. Pulsations are clearly observed and the pulse profiles of XTE J1855-026 did not show significant energy dependence during this observation consistent with previous reports. The time averaged energy spectrum of XTE J1855-026 in the 1.0–10.5 keV energy range can be well fitted with a partial covering power law model modified with interstellar absorption along with a black-body component for soft excess and a gaussian for iron fluorescence line emision. The hardness ratio evolution during this observation indicated significant absorption of soft X-rays in some segments of the observation. For better understanding of the reason behind this, we performed time-resolved spectroscopy in the 2.5–10.5 keV energy band which revealed significant variations in the spectral parameters, especially the hydrogen column density and iron line equivalent width with flux. The correlated variations in the spectral parameters indicate towards the presence of clumps in the stellar wind of the companion star accounting for the absorption of low energy X-rays in some time segments.     

The continuum variability of MCG–6-30-15: a detailed analysis of the long 1999 ASCA observation

We report on an analysis in the  3–10 keV  X-ray band of the long 1999 ASCA observation of MCG–6-30-15. The time-averaged broad iron K line is well described by disc emission near a Schwarzschild black hole, confirming the results of earlier analyses on the ASCA 1994 and 1997 data. The time-resolved iron-line profile is remarkably stable over a factor of 3 change in source flux, and the line and continuum fluxes are uncorrelated. Detailed fits to the variable iron-line profile suggest that the active region (parametrized by the best-fitting inner and outer radii of the accretion disc) responsible for iron-line emission actually narrows with increasing flux to a region around  4–5 r _g  . In contrast with the iron line, the power-law continuum exhibits significant variability during the 1999 observation. Time-resolved spectral analysis reveals a new feature in the well-known photon index (Γ) versus flux correlation: Γ appears to approach a limiting value of  Γ∼2.1  at high flux. Two models are proposed to explain both the new feature in the Γ versus flux correlation and the uncorrelated iron-line flux: a phenomenological two power-law model, and the recently proposed 'thundercloud' model of Merloni & Fabian . Both models are capable of reproducing the data well, but because they are poorly constrained by the observed Γ versus flux relation, they cannot at present be tested meaningfully by the data. The various implications and the physical interpretation of these models are discussed.     

On the nature of the X-ray absorption in the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 4507

We present results of the ASCA observation of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 4507. The 0.5–10 keV spectrum is rather complex and consists of several components: (i) a hard X-ray power law heavily absorbed by a column density of about 3-10²³ cm⁻², (ii) a narrow Fe Kα line at 6.4 keV, (iii) soft continuum emission well above the extrapolation of the absorbed hard power law and (iv) a narrow emission line at ∼0.9 keV. The line energy, consistent with highly ionized neon (Ne IX ), may indicate that the soft X-ray emission is derived from a combination of resonant scattering and fluorescence in a photoionized gas. Some contribution to the soft X-ray spectrum from thermal emission, as a blend of Fe L lines, by a starburst component in the host galaxy cannot be ruled out with the present data.     

The stream impact region in the disc of WZ Sge

We report the observation of new features in the spectrum of the cataclysmic variable WZ Sge. The disc eclipse is seen as a well-defined structure in the Hα line. From phases 0.25 to 0.5 an absorption feature of the same shape as the emission S wave is seen in this line, but redshifted by ∼ 200 km s⁻¹. Two possible interpretations of this feature are given, both of which imply that it originates at the impact point of the stream on the disc edge. In addition, evidence is found for substructure in the velocity map of the spot. Emission from line-emitting post-shock material, extending to about 60° downstream from the continuum hotspot, is seen in the Doppler map in the form of a tail extending from the hotspot. A theoretical estimate shows that such a tail is to be expected as a consequence of the post-impact hydrodynamics of the stream. A new determination of the system parameters is made. They agree with those of Gilliland et al.; in particular, the data support a high primary mass. The variation of Hα surface brightness with distance from the primary is flatter, in the inner regions, than the r ^−1.5 dependence found by Horne for other cataclysmic variables in quiescence.     

First observation of CO at 345 GHz in the atmosphere of Saturn with the JCMT: New constraints on its origin

We have performed the first observation of the CO(3-2) spectral line in the atmosphere of Saturn with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We have used a transport model of the atmosphere of Saturn to constrain the origin of the observed CO. The CO line is best-fit when the CO is located at pressures less than (15±2) mbar with a mixing ratio of (2.5±0.6)×10^-8 implying an external origin. By modeling the transport in Saturn’s atmosphere, we find that a cometary impact origin with an impact 200-350 years ago is more likely than continuous deposition by interplanetary dust particles (IDP) or local sources (rings/satellites). This result would confirm that comet impacts are relatively frequent and efficient providers of CO to the atmospheres of the outer planets. However, a diffuse and/or local source cannot be rejected, because we did not account for photochemistry of oxygen compounds. Finally, we have derived an upper limit of ∼1×10^-9 on the tropospheric CO mixing ratio.     

HD 52721 - A close binary system among the Ae/Be Herbig stars

Photometric and high resolution spectroscopic data for the Herbig star HD 52721 obtained from October 2009 through October 2010 are presented. We confirm the cyclical character of the photometric variability of HD 52721 discovered previously by others. The variability shows up as minima in the light curve of this star which repeat with a period P = 0^d.805 and are typical of eclipsing binary systems. ASAS data covering an observation period from September 2003 through December 2009 show that two neighboring photometric minima differ from one another, and the actual orbital period of the system must be twice as high (P = 1^d.610). This is confirmed by the spectroscopic data. These show that the center of gravity of the emission Hα line and the profile of the HeI 6678 line with a distinct, bright circumstellar component have a clear correlation with a period of 1^d.610. To all appearances, HD 52721 is a close binary system consisting of two class B2 stars with quite similar parameters. We propose that the observed cyclical variations in the circumstellar parameters may be related to the existence of a global azimuthal inhomogeneity within the shell which rotates synchronously with the orbital motion of the system components.     

First constraints on iron abundance versus reflection fraction from the Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG–6-30-15

We report on a joint ASCA and RXTE observation spanning an ∼400 ks time interval of the bright Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG–6-30-15. The data clearly confirm the presence of a broad skewed iron line ( W _Kα ∼266 eV) and Compton reflection continuum at higher energies reported in our previous paper. We also investigate whether the gravitational and Doppler effects, which affect the iron line, may also be manifest in the reflected continuum. The uniqueness of this data set is underlined by the extremely good statistics that we obtain from the approximately four million photons that make up the 2–20 keV RXTE PCA spectrum alone. This, coupled with the high energy coverage of HEXTE and the spectral resolution of ASCA in the iron line regime, has allowed us to constrain the relationship between abundance and reflection fraction for the first time at the 99 per cent confidence level. The reflection fraction is entirely consistent with a flat disc, i.e. the cold material subtends 2π sr at the source, to an accuracy of 20 per cent. Monte Carlo simulations show that the observed strong iron line intensity is explained by an overabundance of iron by a factor of ∼2 and an underabundance of the lower- Z elements by a similar factor. By considering non-standard abundances, a clear and consistent picture can be made in which both the iron line and reflection continuum come from the same material such as, e.g., an accretion disc.     

Variation of the broad X-ray iron line in MCG–6-30-15 during a flare

We report results on the broad iron emission line of the Seyfert galaxy MCG–6-30-15, obtained from the second long ASCA observation in 1997. The time-averaged profile of the broad line is very similar to that seen with ASCA in 1994, so confirming the detailed model fit then obtained. A bright flare is seen in the light curve, during which the continuum was soft. At that time the emission line peaks around 5 keV and most of its emission is shifted below 6 keV with no component detected at 6.4 keV  (  This can be interpreted as the result of an extraordinarily large gravitational redshift owing to a dominant flare occurring very close to the black hole at a radius of  ≲5  .     

Indirect imaging of the accretion stream in eclipsing polars – II. HU Aquarii

We apply our technique for indirect imaging of the accretion stream to the polar HU Aquarii, using eclipse profiles observed when the system was in a high accretion state. The accretion stream is relatively luminous, contributing as much as the accretion region on the white dwarf, or more, to the overall system brightness. We model the eclipse profiles using a model stream consisting of a ballistic trajectory from the L1 point followed by a magnetically channelled trajectory that follows a dipole field line out of the orbital plane. We perform model fits using two geometries: a stream that accretes on to both footpoints of the field line, and a stream that accretes only on to the footpoint of the field line above the orbital plane. The stream images indicate that the distribution of emission along the stream is not a simple function of the radial distance from the white dwarf. The stream is redirected by the magnetic field of the white dwarf at a distance 1.0–1.3×10¹⁰ cm from the white dwarf; this implies a mass transfer rate in the range 8–76×10¹⁶ g s⁻¹. The absorption dips in the light curve indicate that the magnetically entrained part of the stream moves from 42° to 48° from the line of centres over the three nights of observation. This is in close agreement with the results of the one-footpoint models, suggesting that this is the more appropriate geometry for these data. The stream images show that, in almost all sections of the stream, the flux peaks in B and is successively fainter in U , V and R .     

Observation of Mercury's sodium exosphere during the transit on November 9, 2006

A rare, but normal, astronomical event occurred on November 9th 2006 (JST) as Mercury passed in front of the Sun from the perspective of the Earth. The abundance of the sodium vapor above the planet limb was observed by detecting an excess absorption in the solar sodium line D₁ during this event. The observation was performed with a 10-m spectrograph of Czerny-Turnar system at Domeless Solar Tower Telescope at the Hida Observatory in Japan. The excess absorption was red-shifted by 10 pm relative to the solar line, and was measured at the dawnside (eastside) and duskside (westside) of Mercury. Between the dawn and dusksides, an asymmetry of total sodium abundance was clearly identified. At the dawnside, the total sodium column density was 6.1×10¹⁰ Na atoms/cm², while it was 4.1×10¹⁰ Na atoms/cm² at the duskside. The investigation of dawn-dusk asymmetry of the sodium exosphere of Mercury is a clue to understand the release mechanism of sodium from the surface rock. Our result suggests that a thermal desorption is a main source process for sodium vapor in the vicinity of Mercury.     

Spectroscopy of WC9 Wolf–Rayet stars: a search for companions

A spectroscopic search for luminous companions to WC9-type Wolf–Rayet stars making circumstellar dust reveals the presence of absorption lines attributable to companions in the blue spectra of WR 69 (HD 136488) and WR 104 (Ve2–45). Comparison of spectra of WR 104 observed in 1995 and 1997 showed the absorption lines to be more conspicuous in the latter observation and the emission lines weaker, suggesting a selective eclipse of the WC9 star similar to that observed by Crowther in 1996. The WC9 emission-line spectra are shown to be less uniform than previously thought, showing a significant range of O  ii line strengths. The only two WC9 stars in the observed sample that do not make circumstellar dust, WR 81 (He3–1316) and WR 92 (HD 157451), are found to have anomalously weak O  ii and strong He  ii lines. We suggest that these spectroscopic differences may reflect a compositional difference that plays a role in determining which of the WC9 stars make dust.     

Suzaku observations of Markarian 335: evidence for a distributed reflector

We report on a 151-ks net exposure Suzaku observation of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 335. The 0.5–40 keV spectrum contains a broad Fe line, a strong soft excess below about 2 keV and a Compton hump around 20–30 keV. We find that a model consisting of a power law and two reflectors provides the best fit to the time-averaged spectrum. In this model, an ionized, heavily blurred, inner reflector produces most of the soft excess, while an almost neutral outer reflector (outside ∼ 40 r _g) produces most of the Fe line emission. The spectral variability of the observation is characterized by spectral hardening at very low count rates. In terms of our power-law + two-reflector model it seems like this hardening is mainly caused by pivoting of the power law. The rms spectrum of the entire observation has the curved shape commonly observed in active galactic nuclei, although the shape is significantly flatter when an interval which does not contain any deep dip in the light curve is considered. We also examine a previous 133-ks XMM–Newton observation of Mrk 335. We find that the XMM–Newton spectrum can be fitted with a similar two-reflector model as the Suzaku data and we confirm that the rms spectrum of the observation is flat. The flat rms spectra, as well as the high-energy data from the Suzaku PIN detector, disfavour an absorption origin for the soft excess in Mrk 335.     

A ground-based observation of the LCROSS impact events using the Subaru Telescope

The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission was an impact exploration searching for a volatile deposit in a permanently shadowed region (PSR) by excavating near-surface material. We conducted infrared spectral and imaging observations of the LCROSS impacts from 15 min before the first collision through 2 min after the second collision using the Subaru Telescope in order to measure ejecta dust and water. Such a ground-based observation is important because the viewing geometry and wavelength coverage are very different from the LCROSS spacecraft. We used the Echelle spectrograph with spectral resolution λ/Δλ ∼ 10,000 to observe the non-resonant H₂O rotational emission lines near 2.9 μm and the slit viewer with a K′ filter for imaging observation of ejecta plumes. Pre-impact calculations using a homogeneous projectile predicted that 2000 kg of ejecta and 10 kg of H₂O were excavated and thrown into the analyzed area immediately above the slit within the field of view (FOV) of the K′ imager and the FOV of spectrometer slit, respectively. However, no unambiguous emission line of H₂O or dust was detected. The estimated upper limits of the amount of dust and H₂O from the main Centaur impact were 800 kg and 40 kg for the 3σ of noise in the analyzed area within the imager FOV and in the slit FOV, respectively. If we take 1σ as detection limit, the upper limits are 300 kg and 14 kg, respectively. Although the upper limit for water mass is comparable to a prediction by a standard theoretical prediction, that for dust mass is significantly smaller than that predicted by a standard impact theory. This discrepancy in ejecta dust mass between a theoretical prediction and our observation result suggests that the cratering process induced by the LCROSS impacts may have been substantially different from the standard cratering theory, possibly because of its hollow projectile structure.