Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling Sio Maser Emission From Late-Type Stars, Philip B. Lockett, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have performed a thorough study of both radiative and collisional pumping of the SiO masers around late-type stars, carefully considering the combined and separate actions of each type of pump in order to gauge its effectiveness. We find that collisional pumping is severely underestimated when the model calculations use a small number (less than about 18) of rotational levels in each vibrational state. We have developed a procedure that corrects this problem and gives results that are nearly independent of the number of levels utilized in the calculations. We recognize, but do not solve, an important problem that afflicts …

Planar H2O Masers In Star-Forming Regions, Moshe Elitzur, David J. Hollenbach, Christopher F. Mckee

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The planar geometry of shocked material is the key property in enabling the high brightness temperatures of H20 masars in star-forming regions. We solve for the brightness temperature, the beaming angle, and the maser spot size for thin, saturated planar masers under the assumption that the velocity change across the maser due to ordered motions is small compared with the thermal or microturbulent line width. For a given set of physical parameters, the brightness temperature is essentially fully determined by the length of the velocity-coherent region in the shocked plane along the line of sight. The geometry in the transverse …

Water Masers In W49n - The Youngest Stellar Jet?, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Observations by Gwinn, Moran, and Reid of the proper motions of water masers in W49N show that they have an elongated distribution expanding from a common center. Features with high space velocity only occur far from the center, while low-velocity features occur at all distances. It is proposed that water masers in star-forming regions occur in expanding shells swept up by high-velocity winds from young, massive stars during the early phases of the expansion. In W49N, confinement of the bubble by a density distribution with an axial cavity can explain both the velocity field and the shape of the maser …

Polarization Of Astronomical Maser Radiation, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The polarization of maser radiation when the source is permeated by an aligned magnetic field is derived for arbitrary angular momenta of the transition states. This generalization is made possible by an analysis of the structure of the propagating waves in a frame aligned with the magnetic axis. The key elements in determining the polarization properties are the assumption of independent and incoherent pump and loss processes for all magnetic sublevels, and the beaming of maser radiation. The radiation propagating in the direction of maximal intensity growth is polarized according to the solutions derived by Goldreich, Keeley, and Kwan for …

Fluctuations In Astronomical Masers, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The radiation of astronomical masers fluctuates on the time scale 1/Gamma, where Gamma is the levels' loss rate. These intensity fluctuations reflect fluctuations of the level poulations around their mean, steady state values over the length scale λ_c = c/Γ. In saturated masers, the intensity fluctuations are dominated by passage through the unsaturated core. The effects of the saturated zones and of the seed radiation that the masers amplify can be neglected.

These fluctuations may have been detected in recent observations by Clegg and Cordes (1991) of Galactic H II/OH masers, providing a possible direct determination of the …

Radiative Transfer In Astronomical Masers. Iii. Filamentary Masers, Moshe Elitzur, Christopher F. Mckee, David J. Hollenbach

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

This paper, the last in a series, presents the complete solution of a filamentary maser. The contribution of rays emanating from the filament sidewall is essential for the solution self-consistency during saturation. We develop an integral equation to calculate this contribution, devise an iteration scheme to solve it, and perform the first two iterations. The solution provides complete expressions for the distributions of intensity and flux across the source as functions of position and direction with regard to the axis. One consequence of radiation beaming, somewhat surprising at first, is that the filament appears smaller when viewed off-axis, at angles …

Radiative Transfer In Astronomical Masers. I. The Linear Maser, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

This is the first in a series of three papers presenting a comprehensive, unified approach for radiative transfer in astronomical maser sources. This paper provides the general formalism and presents the detailed analytic solution of the linear maser, including the case of a source illuminated by background radiation.

Radiation Pressure And Emission Clouds Around Active Galactic Nuclei, Moshe Elitzur, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Detailed calculations of the contribution of the trapped line photons to the overall pressure in line-emitting regions around active galactic nuclei are presented. They lead to the conclusion that radiation pressure is a significant factor in determining the stability of these clouds.

Bowen Fluoresence And He Ii Lines In Active Galaxies And Gaseous Nebulae, Hagai Netzer, Moshe Elitzur, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have calculated the intensity of He II and the O III and N III Bowen lines under a variety of astrophysical conditions. Our line-transfer method is based on the escape probability formalism and is especially suitable for combining line fluorescence and photoionization calculations in a simple, straightforward way. It reproduces the results of the more sophisticated line-transfer calculations quite accurately and is much better for producing realistic ionization and thermal structures. An extensive grid of models is presented and discussed, with special emphasis on the case of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Many O III and N III Bowen lines …

The Hydrogen Line Spectra Of Narrow-Line Radio Galaxies, Gary J. Ferland, Donald E. Osterbrock

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report the results of the first detection of Lyα in a narrow-line radio galaxy. Nearly simultaneous optical and UV observations of 3C 192 and 3C 223 allow the measurement of both Balmer and Lyman decrements. These line ratios are approximate functions of the interstellar reddening and of a parameter which is proportional to the amount of H I collisional excitation present. The reddening of 3C 192 is slightly larger than that due to our Galaxy, although 3C 223 may have a larger value. Both galaxies have intrinsic Balmer and Lyman decrements which are significantly steeper than case B, …

Cosmic Rays And The Emission-Line Regions Of Active Galactic Nuclei, Gary J. Ferland, R. F. Mushotzky

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss the effects that the synchrotron emitting relativistic electrons, which are known to exist throughout many distance scales in active nuclei, could have on the emission-line regions that characterize these objects. Detailed models of both the inner, dense, broad-line region and the outer, lower density, narrow-line region are presented, together with the first models of the optically emitting gas often found within extended radio lobes. We show that, in all cases, if the relativistic gas that produces the synchrotron radio emission is mixed with the gas in the emission-line region, then significant changes in the emission-line spectrum will result. …

Radiation Pressure And The Stability Of Broad-Line Region Clouds, Gary J. Ferland, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss two constraints on the existence and stability of quasar emission-line gas. The case of a constant pressure photoionized cloud in pressure equilibrium with a surrounding hot gas is considered. We show that the radiation pressure of the internally generated line emission makes a significant contribution to the total pressure in standard broad-line region models, and that models with either a higher ionization parameter or lower gas density are dominated by radiation pressure and hence unstable. Further, clouds with ionization parameters lower than the standard value cannot be supported by any hot gas which is heated only by the …

Iue Observations Of Dq Herculis And Its Nebula, And The Nature Of The Cold Nova Shells, Gary J. Ferland, R. E. Williams, D. L. Lambert, G. A. Shields, M. Slovak, P. M. Gondhalekar, J. W. Truran

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The nebula ejected in the 1934 outburst of the classical nova DQ Her is remarkable for its unprecedentedly low temperature of T_e 500 K as measured by Williams et al. (1978). In this paper, IUE observations are combined with Steward optical spectra. It is confirmed that the gas is quite cold. It is further shown that the gas is ionized by the radiation field of the central object. X-ray, ultraviolet, optical and infrared observations of the underlying binary are combined with the extreme-ultraviolet continuum deduced from the level of ionization of the nebula to obtain a composite energy …

Stimulated Emission And The Flat Balmer Decrements Of Cataclysmic Variable Stars, Moshe Elitzur, Gary J. Ferland, W. G. Mathews, G. A. Shields

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Balmer emission lines from cataclysmic variables often have nearly equal intensities rather than the rapid decrement predicted by simple nebular theory. Traditionally, this has been interpreted in terms of local thermodynamic equilibrium emission from a dense gas with small volume located just above the accretion disk. In this Letter we show that the intense radiation field within a close binary system can affect excited-state populations and optical emission in ways which allow a relatively low density gas to closely mimic the high-density situation. In at least one case, the old nova V603 Aql, the emitting gas has a low density …

Reflections In A Polished Tube, Laurence A. Marschall, Emma Beth Marschall

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

When one of us (E.B.M.) dislodged a metal tube from an electric door chime recently, she inadvertently introduced her father to an attractive and instructive optical phenomenon. Looking down the highly polished inner surface of the cylinder we could see a spot surrounded by a series of bright concentric rings. The pattern looked much like the display of fringes produced by a Fabry-Perot or Michelson interferometer, except that the rings were more evenly spaced instead of crowding together strongly near the edge of the field of view. [excerpt]

Are There Any Shock-Heated Galaxies?, Gary J. Ferland, Hagai Netzer

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We study the spectroscopic characteristics of low ionization nuclear emission-line regions (Liners) in galaxies, and compare them with other active galactic nuclei. We show the results of new, extensive photoionization model calculations and use them to investigate line ratio diagrams, such as [O III] λ5007/Hβ versus [O II] λ3727/[O III] λ5007, and [O I] λ6300/[O III] λ5007 versus [O III] λ3727/[O III] λ5007. On the diagrams broad line objects, Seyfert 2 galaxies, and Liners form a continuous smooth sequence of decreasing ionization parameter. This suggests a common origin for line excitation in …

The Mystery Of The Missing Boundary Layer, Gary J. Ferland, S. S. Langer, J. Macdonald, G. H. Pepper, G. Shaviv, J. W. Truran

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The question of the nature of the ultraviolet and X-ray radiation field of cataclysmic binaries is addressed. The spectrum and luminosity of this radiation are important in determining the mass transfer rate and energy budget of the system and in studies of the ejecta surrounding novae. In many systems, the soft X-ray luminosity is ~ 10²-10⁴ times weaker than predicted by simple accretion models. We discuss several possible solutions to this discrepancy. The most likely are either that the optical luminosity of a typical old nova is produced partly by reprocessed ultraviolet light from the white dwarf, …

Broad Line Region Clouds And The Absorbing Material In Ngc 4151, Gary J. Ferland, R. F. Mushotzky

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The constraints imposed by X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical observations on the absorbing material in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 4151 are discussed. These observations are compared to the predictions of photoionization models of both broad line region clouds, which Holt et al. identify as the source of the extinction, and to models of the narrow line region gas. The weakness of both C III] 1909 and the broad component of Hα relative to C IV 1549, together with the absence of an absorption Balmer jump, indicate that the ionization parameter for the broad line region is a factor …

Physical Conditions In The Accretion Disk Of V603 Aquilae, Gary J. Ferland, D. L. Lambert, M. L. Mccall, G. A. Shields, M. Slovak

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Ultraviolet and optical spectra of the old nova V603 Aql are discussed. The UV-optical continuum is dominated by emission from the accretion disk. Emission lines from ions of H, He, C, N, and 0 are identified. These lines are probably formed in a circumstellar shell with radius comparable to the binary separation, density ~10¹⁰ cm^-3, and a roughly solar chemical composition. This corona is probably heated by radiation emitted by the underlying accretion disk. Photoionization calculations of the structure and emission-line spectrum of the corona are presented, and the effects of this gas on the X-ray continuum …

Driven "Portulum": A Rolling Ball As A Simple Oscillating System, Laurence A. Marschall

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

A classroom demonstration, a variation of the simple swinging pendulum, is described. In our "portulum," a ball, driven by short blasts of air, rolls along a curved tube. The design of this device, its construction, and its usefulness to the teaching of physics are discussed. It is also shown that the oscillations of the rolling ball have the same mathematical form as the oscillations of the ball swinging along the same path, but with a lower frequency.

Design And Use Of A Computerized Test Generating Program, Edward Schaefer, Laurence A. Marschall

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

An easy-to-use set of programs for the computerized generation of multiple-choice and easy examinations in an introductory astronomy course is described. The programs allow the user to establish files of test questions and to rapidly assemble printed copies of examinations suitable for photocopying. Written in ALGOL for a Burroughs B6700 computer, the programs can, in principle, be implemented on large mainframe computers or on microcomputers of a size increasingly available to physics departments. The advantages and costs of computerized test generation are discussed.