Forbidden lines of Ca II in the photospheric spectrum

On scans obtained with the Oxford photoelectric spectrometer, the [Ca ii] transition 4s ²S_1/2-3d ²D_3/2; is identified with a weak Fraunhofer line. It is argued that the strength of the line is consistent with the abundance of calcium which is derived from the permitted lines of Ca i and Ca ii.     

Equivalent width of molecular lines in stars

We have calculated the expected equivalent widths of the individual rotational lines of the Lyman band of H₂ and (A-X) band of CO and SiO for Main Sequence stars. The results indicate that the lines of H₂ should be observable in absorption up toT _e9000 K. The lines of CO are found to be much weaker than those of H₂ lines. A discussion of these results is presented.     

Emission cores in H and K lines

Enhancement of the violet K₂ emission peak results when the atmospheric layers at heights where K₃ forms are moving downward with velocities of 10–20 km/sec or when the K₂ layers and those immediately below are moving upward with velocities of 3–7 km/sec. Evidence favoring the former alternative is cited.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Forbidden sulphur I lines in the solar spectrum

The [SI] lines are due to transitions within the 3s²3p⁴ ground configuration of neutral sulphur. The results are presented from a search for the [Si] lines in the Fraunhofer spectrum. Two identifications are proposed with faint features in the Fraunhofer spectrum: ¹D₂-¹S₀ at = 7725.02 Å and ³P₂-¹D₂ at = 10821.23 Å. Their measured equivalent widths are shown to confirm the value for the solar abundance of sulphur, logN _S = 7.21 (in the scale logN _H = 12.00), which is derived from the permitted high-excitation lines. These lines give the first convincing identification of [Si] lines in an astrophysical source.     

Satellite lines in the solar X-ray spectrum

Observations of solar X-ray line emission using crystal spectrometers during a large chromospheric flare have provided a list of wavelengths with a precision of 0.003 Å in first order of diffraction and correspondingly better in higher orders. In addition to the resonance, intersystem (1 ¹ S ₀-2 ³ P ₁) and forbidden (1 ¹ S ₀-2 ³ S ₁) transitions of ions of the Hei isoelectronic sequence, we have recorded satellite lines arising from ions in the Lii, Bei and Bi isoelectronic sequences. These satellite features are most prominent in the iron spectrum. Apparent decreases in the ratio of forbidden and intersystem line intensities of Mgxi and Sixiii during the flare are used to derive electron densities possibly as high as 1 × 10¹³ cm^–3 in the Mgxi emitting region and 1 × 10¹⁴ cm^–3 in the Sixiii region during the event. A search for satellite lines on the long-wavelength side of the Lyman-alpha line of Hi-like ions has yielded no positive identifications.     

The excitation of ionic lines and molecular bands in meteor wakes

The appearance of multiplets arising from the 4²P state of CaII (the H and K lines and an infrared triplet), the 1st positive band of N₂ and possibly certain multiplets of FeII in meteor wake spectra is explained semi-quantitatively in terms of the two-step sequence: collisional ionization of major atmospheric species O₂ and N₂ followed by resonant charge exchange with ablated meteoric atoms. Many other features which could arise through this mechanism (multiplets of MgII, SiII and FeII, and bands of O₂ and N₂) are likely to be weak or to have escaped detection owing to observational selection.     

Emission cores in H and K lines

Profiles of the H and K lines of Mgii and the K line of Ca ii are computed using a two-level atom for five model atmospheres distinguished from each other mainly by the location of the temperature minimum. In the five models the temperature minimum and the chromospheric temperature are adjusted to give best agreement between computed and observed profiles. The parameters and r ₀ are prescribed as functions of from a density model of the atmosphere. By comparing computed and observed profiles of the K₃, K₂ and inner K₁ components of the lines we determine both the approximate depth variation of _D and the best of the temperature models. We find that the Doppler width increases rapidly with height in the chromosphere beginning from a value of 1.6 km/sec at ₀ 10^–2. This latter value corresponds closely to the thermal velocity of Mg atoms in the upper photosphere. The preferred temperature model is one for which the temperature minimum occurs near ₀( 2800) 10^–4–10^–5 with a value T _min 4200 ° and which has a temperatu near 7000 ° at ₀ = 10^–6 where K₂ is formed. The intensity in K₃ is determined largely by d _D/d in the K₂ and K₃ regions.     

Equivalent width of interstellar molecular lines

We have made an analysis of the observed equivalent widths of the lines of Lyman and Werner bands by Smith. The H₂ column densities of 3×10¹⁹ to 10²⁰ and the excitation temperature of 80 to 150 K satisfy the observations. This temperature refers to the kinetic temperature. We have also discussed the importance of getting the excitation temperature from lines of H₂ and other heteronuclear diatomic molecules for the same star and from different regions of space.     

The possible presence of C2 lines in sunspot spectra

Indirect evidence against the presence of C₂ lines in umbral spectra is discussed. The dominant role of CO in the molecular equilibrium of C at umbral temperatures ensures that CN, CH and C₂ lines are formed in the same atmospheric regions. Observations of CN and CH umbral lines are in good accord with predictions based on accepted umbral model atmospheres. This implies that C₂ must follow the predictions and that it is too weak to contribute to the umbral spectrum. C₂ lines in the photosphere and penumbrae are in excellent quantitative agreement with predictions. Additional tests are proposed.     

A study of weak molecular and atomic lines in the photospheric spectrum

An attempt is made to detect the lines of Mg²⁵H and Mg²⁶H in the photospheric spectrum, using calculated isotope shifts. From comparisons with the Mg²⁴H lines of the ² –² transition in the (0, 0) band the ratios Mg²⁵/Mg²⁴ = 0.12 ± 0.04 and Mg²⁶/Mg²⁴ = 0.12 ± 0.02 are derived. These are essentially the same as the terrestrial ratios. The profile of one line of Mgi confirms these values.The wavelengths of MgH and C₂ lines, when corrected for the gravitational red shift, indicate that macroturbulent (or streaming) velocities die out near log ₀ = – 1.0. From the equivalent widths of the MgH lines a rotational temperature of 5132 ± 200 K is obtained and compared to predictions from various model atmospheres. The band oscillator strength is found to be 0.024 ± 0.002, in serious disagreement with the single laboratory determination.The profiles of MgH, C₂, CN and some weak atomic lines are used to derive the variation of the radial component of microturbulence with optical depth, on the assumption of streaming velocities of 2.5–3.0 km/sec. A slow increase with increasing height in the photosphere is found, over the range –1.5 < log₀< 0.2.The center-limb variation of the equivalent widths of MgH and C₂ lines for a wholly inhomogeneous model is found to be the same as for a model which is homogeneous above log ₀ = - 1.0. With such a model as the latter, the center-limb variation of the profiles of the selected molecular and atomic lines is moderately-well reproduced by an anisotropic microturbulent velocity with a tangential component of 3 km/sec which seems to be constant with height over the range considered.     

X-rays spectroheliograms in lines of Mg xi and Mg xii

Spectroheliograms in the L Mg xii line and in the Mg xi resonance (R) 1s ²¹ S ₀-1s2p ¹ P ₁ line, intercombination (I) 1s ²¹ S ₀-1s2p ³ P _1,2, line, and the forbidden (F) 1s ²¹ S ₀-1s2s ³ S ₁ line, have been obtained.Two Bragg crystal spectrometers were used mounted with mechanical collimators to obtain a spatial resolution of 1 × 3. The apparatus was launched on a sounding rocket on July 2nd, 1971. A particularly thorough study was made of the brightest active region (MC 11402).Variations in the F to I Mg xi line intensity ratio from one point to another in the active region did not reveal the presence of high electron densities.The observed intensities of the Mg xi R line, Mg xii L line and Mg x 1s ²2s ² S _1/2-1s2p ¹ P 2s × × ² P1_{1/2, 3/2} S line are not well explained by an isothermal model. Good agreement between computed and observed intensities is obtained using the non-isothermal model proposed here.     

On the intensity ratio of emission lines of Nai D1 to D2 in prominences

Spectroscopic observations of the Nai D emission lines of prominences were made with the Domeless Solar Telescope in Hida Observatory. When active prominences are bright in the D₂ emission line, the intensity ratio of D₁ to D₂ is found to deviate significantly from the theoretical ratio of the optically-thin case. On the other hand, the intensity ratio is close to the theoretical ratio for the most part of quiescent prominences. Furthermore, the full widths at half maximum intensity of the D₂ emission line for active prominences become wider than those of the D₁ line, as the intensity of the D₂ line gets higher. These observed features clearly show that the emitting region of the Nai D lines is optically thick in some types of prominences. Non-LTE calculations were made by taking the ionization degree of hydrogen atoms and the thickness of the prominences and the electron temperature as free parameters. It is shown that the electron temperature of the emitting region of the Nai D lines should be as low as 4000 K for an explanation of the large optical thickness of the Nai D lines for active prominences. Brief discussions are included about the possible existence of low temperatures in active prominences.     

The infrared emission lines of H2

The photodissociation regions located between ionized regions and molecular clouds are studied by using a one-dimensional model where molecular H₂ are formed on the dust grains, and destructed by photodissociation. The escape probability method is used for the line transfer. The excitation of infrared emission lines of H₂ by UV fluorescence in M17, by shock heating in Orion KL and mainly by UV fluorescence in NGC 2023 are discussed.     

An attempt of identification of barium hydride molecular lines in sunspot umbral spectra

A high-resolution sunspot umbra spectrum recorded in National Solar Observatory, Kitt Peak in the visible and infrared wave number range 13, 600 – 25, 000cm⁻¹ was taken in the present study for identifying the rotational lines of barium hydride (BaH) molecule. Number of chance coincidences was evaluated for the A ²Π_1/2 – X ²Σ ((0,0), (1,1), (2,2), (1,0), (2,1)), A ²Π_3/2 – X ²Σ ((0,0), (1,1), (2,2)), B ²Π_1/2 – X ²Σ (0,0), B ²Π_3/2 – X ²Σ (0,0), C ²Σ – X ²Σ ((1,1), (1,0), (2,2), (2,1), (3,2)) and D ²Σ – X ²Σ ((1,0), (2,0), (3,0), (4,0), (5,0), (8,0), (9,0)) band systems of BaH using line identification procedure. The obtained number of chance of coincidences was compared with I- parameter values. The highly resolved rotational lines were chosen to evaluate equivalent widths using triangle approximation method. The effective rotational temperatures were calculated for the bands (0,0), (1,1), (2,2) and (2,1) of A ²Π_1/2 – X ²Σ, (0,0) (1,1) and (2,2) of A ²Π_3/2 – X ²Σ, B ²Π_1/2 – X ²Σ (0,0) and B ²Π_3/2 – X ²Σ (0,0) of BaH molecule. The rotational temperature values calculated for these bands were found to be in the range 1185 – 3514 K. They were also compared with the already reported sunspot temperatures.     

Non-LTE effects in Al I lines

We present the theoretical analysis of the Al I line formation in the spectra of late-type stars ignoring the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The calculations were based on the 39-level aluminum atom model for one-dimensional hydrostatic stellar atmosphere models with the parameters: T _eff from 4000 to 9000 K, log g = 0.0–4.5, and metallicity [A] = 0.0;–1.0;–2.0;–3.0;–4.0. The aluminum atom model and the method of calculations were tested by the study of line profiles in the solar spectrum. We refined the oscillator strengths and Van-der-Vaals broadening constants C ₆ of the investigated transitions. We conclude that the Al I atom is in the overionization state: the 3p level is underpopulated in the line formation region. This leads to the line weakening, as compared with the LTE results. The overionization effect becomes more pronounced with increasing temperature and decreasing metallicity. We show that the use of various atomic data (ionization cross-sections) for the low levels of Al I does not change the behavior of non-LTE deviations, whereas the value of these deviations varies essentially. For nine selected Al I lines we calculated the grids of theoretical non-LTE corrections (ΔX _NLTE = logɛ _NLTE − log ɛ _LTE) to the Al abundances determinedwith the LTE assumption. The non-LTE corrections are positive and significant for the stars with temperatures T _eff > 6000 K. These corrections weakly depend on log g, and increase with declining stellar metallicity.     

A search for millimeter wave spectral lines from comet Sugano-Saigusa-Fujikawa (1983e)

The search for radio spectral lines from Comet Sugano-Saigusa-Fujikawa (1983e) was conducted using the 45-m telescope of Nobeyama Radio Observatory. The frequency ranges of 44.0–46.0 and 47.5–49.5 GHz were surveyed down to $\text{ΔT}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>A</mtext>}}{}^1\text{(}\text{rms}\text{) = 20–30}\text{mK}$, with a beam size of ～35 arc sec. Upper limits have been established for spectral lines of atomic hydrogen, CS, OCS, SO₂, H₂CO, CH₃OH, HCCCCCN, HCOOCH₃, CH₃OCH₃, and CH₃CH₂CN. The J = 5?4 line from HCCCN in the vibrational ground state possibly has been detected but not confirmed. The suggested total amount of HCCCN in the coma is consistent with the possible picture that HCCCN is the main parent molecule of CN.     

Relationship between intensities of strong emission lines in the spectra of H II regions and their chemical compositions

The method of determination of heavy element abundances in H II regions (the strong-line method) uses the assumption that some combinations of strong emission line intensities in spectra of H II regions can serve as indicators of metallicities and electron temperatures in nebulosities. Three sets of strong lines are considered, namely, A (R ₃, R ₂, N ₂, S ₂ lines), B (R ₃, R ₂, N ₂ lines), and C (R ₃, N ₂, S ₂ lines). Strong line intensities are normalized to the H _?? intensity). We searched for an unambiguous relationship between strong emission line intensities of these line sets in spectra of H II regions and their compositions. The extensive model grid for H II regions is computed. Chemical compositions of nebulosities and intensities of A and C lines are shown to be related unambiguously. For the B line set, 5% of model H II regions do not have any unambiguous relationship, namely, the models with appreciably different oxygen and nitrogen abundances in H II regions can have similar intensities of the B set lines. The versions of strong-line method (calibrations) using the A and C lines are more reliable than those based on the B lines.     

Identification of Zirconium Oxide molecular lines in the sunspot umbral spectra

The ZrO molecule has been detected in sunspot umbrae through the identification of following laboratory molecular transitions: ¹Σ⁺ ? X¹Σ⁺ (0, 0), A³Φ₂ ? X²Δ₁ (0, 0), A³Φ₃ ? X²Δ₂ (0, 0), A³Φ₄ ? X²Δ₃ (0, 0), B³Π₂ ? X³Δ₃ (0, 0), B³Π₁ ? X³Δ₂ (0, 0) and B³Π₀ ? X³Δ₁ (0, 0) in red – infrared region using high resolution, visible range Fourier Transform Spectrum of sunspot umbra observed at the National Solar Observatory in Kitt Peak (NSO/KP). Much new identification has been made in the searched spectral wavenumber region from 16650 cm^?1 to 18007 cm^?1 of sunspot spectrum. Equivalent widths of well resolved lines, versus rotational quantum number J have been used to determine the effective rotational temperature for seven bands of the ZrO molecule. This result agrees well with the temperatures derived for other molecules’ presence in sunspot umbrae. It is evident that ZrO molecular lines are formed in higher layers of the atmosphere of relatively “cold” sunspots.     

Non-LTE radiative transfer for sub-millimeter water lines in Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The European Space Agency (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft (Schulz, R., Alexander, C., Boehnhardt, H., Glassmeier, K.H. (Eds.) [2009]. “ROSETTA - ESA”) will encounter Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 and spend the next 18 months in the vicinity of the comet, permitting very high spatial and spectral resolution observations of the coma and nucleus. During this time, the heliocentric distance of the comet will change from ∼3.5 AU to ∼1.3 AU, accompanied by an increasing temperature of the nucleus and the development of the coma. The Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO) will observe the ground-state rotational transition (1₁₀-1₀₁) of H₂¹⁶O at 556.936 GHz, the two isotopologues H₂¹⁷O and H₂¹⁸O and other molecular transitions in the coma during this time (Gulkis, S. et al., [2007]. MIRO: Microwave Instrument for Rosetta Orbiter. Space Sci. Rev. 128, 561-597).The aim of this study is to simulate the water line spectra that could be obtained with the MIRO instrument and to understand how the observed line spectra with various viewing geometries can be used to study the physical conditions of the coma and the water excitation processes throughout the coma. We applied an accelerated Monte Carlo method to compute the excitations of the seven lowest rotational levels (1₀₁, 1₁₀, 2₁₂, 2₂₁, 3₀₃, 3₁₂, and 3₂₁) of ortho-water using a comet model with spherically symmetric water outgassing, density, temperature and expansion velocity at three different heliocentric distances 1.3 AU, 2.5 AU, and 3.5 AU. Mechanisms for the water excitation include water-water collisions, water-electron collisions, and infrared pumping by solar radiation.Synthetic line spectra are calculated at various observational locations and directions using the MIRO instrument parameters. We show that observations at varying viewing distances from the nucleus and directions have the potential to give diagnostic information on the continuum temperature and water outgassing rates at the surface of the nucleus, and the gas density, expansion velocity, and temperature of the coma as a function of distance from the nucleus. The gas expansion velocity and temperature affect the spectral line width and frequency shift of the line from the rest frequency, while the gas density (which is directly related to the outgassing rate) and the line excitation temperature determine the antenna temperature of the absorption and emission signal in the line profile.     

The identification of new forbidden coronal lines in the solar EUV spectrum

Identifications are proposed for twenty of the twenty-eight coronal lines observed in the spectra obtained during a rocket flight into the path of the 7 March, 1970 solar eclipse. The methods by which the lines have been identified are discussed. Most of the lines identified are from forbidden transitions between levels in the ground 2p ⁿ and 3p ⁿ configurations in high ions of magnesium, silicon, sulphur, iron, and nickel. The temperature range represented is from 6.9 × 10⁵ K to 2.5 × 10⁶ K. The classification of three lines of Fexii and two of Nixiv has led to a revised identification for the near ultraviolet ² D _3/2-² P _1/2 transition in Fe xii. This transition can be identified with the line at 3072 Å rather than that at 3021 Å as previously suggested in the literature.