Towards a free–free template for CMB foregrounds

A full-sky template map of the Galactic free–free foreground emission component is increasingly important for high-sensitivity cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. We use the recently published Hα data of both the northern and southern skies as the basis for such a template.
The first step is to correct the Hα maps for dust absorption using the 100-μm dust maps of Schlegel, Finkbeiner & Davis. We show that for a range of longitudes, the Galactic latitude distribution of absorption suggests that it is 33 per cent of the full extragalactic absorption. A reliable absorption-corrected Hα map can be produced for ∼95 per cent of the sky; the area for which a template cannot be recovered is the Galactic plane area  | b | < 5°, l = 260°–0°–160°  and some isolated dense dust clouds at intermediate latitudes.
The second step is to convert the dust-corrected Hα data into a predicted radio surface brightness. The free–free emission formula is revised to give an accurate expression (1 per cent) for the radio emission covering the frequency range 100 MHz–100 GHz and the electron temperature range 3000–20 000 K. The main uncertainty when applying this expression is the variation of electron temperature across the sky. The emission formula is verified in several extended H  ii regions using data in the range 408–2326 MHz.
A full-sky free–free template map is presented at 30 GHz; the scaling to other frequencies is given. The Haslam et al. all-sky 408-MHz map of the sky can be corrected for this free–free component, which amounts to a  ≈6  per cent correction at intermediate and high latitudes, to provide a pure synchrotron all-sky template. The implications for CMB experiments are discussed.     

The gigantic interacting galaxy NGC 6872

The luminous barred galaxy NGC 6872 is one of the largest spiral galaxies known. Star formation is traced all along the arms, which extend over more than 100 kpc. The galaxy is likely to be affected by tidal perturbations from the nearby companion IC 4970 passing by on a low-inclination, prograde orbit. We have mapped the large-scale distribution and kinematics of the atomic gas in the NGC 6872/IC 4970 system and carried out N-body simulations. Our aim is to investigate the evolution of gas and stars in such close encounters, examine the influence of a dark matter halo on the length of the tidal tails, and test models of collisionally induced star formation. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet flux evolution of SS Cygni throughout outburst

We present the most complete multiwavelength coverage of any dwarf nova outburst: simultaneous optical, Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of SS Cygni throughout a narrow asymmetric outburst. Our data show that the high-energy outburst begins in the X-ray waveband 0.9–1.4 d after the beginning of the optical rise and 0.6 d before the extreme-ultraviolet rise. The X-ray flux drops suddenly, immediately before the extreme-ultraviolet flux rise, supporting the view that both components arise in the boundary layer between the accretion disc and white dwarf surface. The early rise of the X-ray flux shows that the propagation time of the outburst heating wave may have been previously overestimated.
The transitions between X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet dominated emission are accompanied by intense variability in the X-ray flux, with time-scales of minutes. As detailed by Mauche & Robinson, dwarf nova oscillations are detected throughout the extreme-ultraviolet outburst, but we find they are absent from the X-ray light curve.
X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet luminosities imply accretion rates of  3 × 10¹⁵ g s⁻¹  in quiescence,  1 × 10¹⁶ g s⁻¹  when the boundary layer becomes optically thick, and  ∼10¹⁸ g s⁻¹  at the peak of the outburst. The quiescent accretion rate is two and a half orders of magnitude higher than predicted by the standard disc instability model, and we suggest this may be because the inner accretion disc in SS Cyg is in a permanent outburst state.     

The correlation of solar flare production with magnetic energy in active regions

An investigation of 531 active regions was made to determine the correlation between energy released by flares and the available energy in magnetic fields of the regions. Regions with magnetic flux greater than 10²¹ maxwell during the years 1967–1969, which included sunspot maximum, were selected for the investigation. A linear regression analysis of flare production on magnetic flux showed that the flare energy is correlated with magnetic energy with a coeificient of correlation of 0.78. Magnetic classification and field configuration also significantly affect the production of flares.This work was supported by the Aerospace Sponsored Research Program.     

Biological and granulometric controls on sedimentary organic matter of an intertidal mudflat

A variety of measures of organic matter concentration and quality were made on samples collected from the top few mm of intertidal mudflat sediment over the course of a year, in order to assess the relative importance of biological and sedimentological influences on sedimentary organic matter. Winter and summer were times of relatively fine-grained sediment accumulation, caused by biological deposition or stabilization processes and resulting in higher organic matter concentrations. Stable carbon isotope and Br:C ratios indicated a planktonic source of bulk organic matter. Ratios of organic carbon to specific surface area of the sediments were consistent with an organic monolayer coverage of sediment grains. Correction for changing grain size during the year showed no change in the organic concentration per unit surface area, in spite of organic matter inputs by in situ primary production, buildup of heterotroph biomass and mucus coatings, and biodeposition of organic-rich seston. There were also no indications of changes in bulk organic quality, measured as hydrolyzable carbohydrates and amino acids, in response to these biological processes. It is concluded that biological processes on a seasonal time scale affect the bulk organic matter of these sediments via a modulation of grain size rather than creation or decay of organic matter.     

The nature of Europa's dark non-ice surface material: Spatially-resolved high spectral resolution spectroscopy from the Keck telescope

We present new 1.45-1.75 μm spectra of Europa's dark non-ice material with a spectral resolution (λ/δλ) of 1200, obtained by using adaptive optics on the Keck telescope to spatially separate the spectrum of the non-ice material from that of the surrounding ice-rich regions. Despite the great increase in spectral resolution over the previous best spectra of the non-ice material, taken with Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer (NIMS) with λ/δλ=66, no new fine-scale spectral structure is revealed. The smoothness of the spectra is inconsistent with available laboratory spectra of crystalline hydrated salts at Europa temperatures, but is more consistent with various combinations of non-crystalline hydrated salts and/or hydrated sulfuric acid, as have been matched to the lower-resolution NIMS spectra.