ALBERT

Description: Utilizing the electron and magnetic field data from the ICE tail traversal of comet Giacobini-Zinner along with the MHD equations, a steady state, stress balance model of the cometary magnetotail was developed, and used to infer important but unmeasured ion properties within the magnetotail at ICE and upstream at the average point along each streamline where cometary ions are picked-up. The derived tailward ion flow speed at ICE is quite constant at approx. -20 to -30 km/sec across the entire tail. The flow velocity, ion temperature, density, and ion source rates upstream from the lobes (current sheet) at the average pick-up locations are approx. -75 km/sec (approx. -12), approx. 4 million K (approx. 100,000), approx. 20 cc (approx. 400), and approx. 15 cu cm/sec. Gradients in the plasma properties between the two regions are quite strong. Implications of inferred plasma properties for the near-nucleus region and for cometary magnetotail formation are examined.

Description: X-ray, UV and optical data are presented of the longest period AM Her object, E2003+225, from October 12, 1983, together with a new linear polarization ephemeris. The optical and X-ray data were obtained simultaneously and the UV observations were carried out on the same day. A 6-hr observation with the Exosat 500 line/mm objective grating restricts soft X-ray blackbody temperatures to the range 18-29 eV. The blackbody luminosity exceeds the hard X-ray luminosity by at least a factor of 4.5, but is of the same order as the optical/UV component. Soft (0.1-0.25 keV) and hard X-ray (1-6 keV) light curves covering almost two orbital periods are presented and discussed.

Description: Observations have been made of the southwest outflow lobe of L1551 in several millimeter and submillimeter molecular lines. Maps have been made in the J=3-2 and J=2-1 transitions of CO over areas of 7.5 by 2.5 arc minutes and 5 by 5 arc minutes respectively at UKIRT. More detailed maps have also been made in the J=2-1 CO transition over an area of about 6 by 3.5 arc minutes at the NRAO 12m telescope. Additional observations of the J=4-3 transitions of HCN, HCO(+) abd H(13)CO(+) were made at selected positions. The HC(+) J=4-3 transition was detected at several positions along the outflow axis and at the position of IRS 5. Similarly the HCN J=4-3 transition was detected at the position of IRS 5 and also at a position close to HH29. However, the J=4-3 transition of H(13)CO(+) was bit detected at the position of IRS 5 even through it was observed at the position close to HH29 with a peak corrected antenna temperature of 0.23K at a V(LSR) of 1 km s(-1). The detection of the J=4-3 transitions of both HCO(+) and H(13)CO(+) close to the position of HH29 suggest the presence of very dense gas in this region. LVG analysis of the various molecular lines observed give a kinetic temperature between 10 and 15K and a density from 10(5) to 10(6) cm(-3) at the position of IRS 5 at the ambient cloud velocity. At the position close to HH29 LVG analysis of the CO observations gives a density between 10(3) and 10(4) cm(-3) at a kinetic temperature of 25k for a V(LSR) of 0 km s(-1). To the southwest of HH29 there is a large decrease in both the linewidth and intensity of CO emission. This may be due to the interaction between the outflow and a dense clump of gas which gives rise to HH29. The maps of the CO J=3-2 and CO J=2-1 emission integrated in 3.25 km s intervals show the shell structure postulated by Snell and Schloerb (1985).

Description: The mid-infrared spectrum of a continuously increasing number of stellar objects, planetary and reflection nebulae, H-II regions and extragalactic sources show a distinctive set of broad emission features at 3.3, 3.4, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 micron known collectively as the unidentified infrared emission bands. A model is summarized in which the bands arise from positively charged polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAH's) on the basis of their low ionization potential and the excellent agreement between the emission bands and laboratory spectra of auto exhaust which contains these types of molecules. The proposed presence of PAHs in such a variety of objects points to their presence in the interstellar medium. Out of a previously published collection of solid state PAH radical cation spectra five were selected on the basis of the unique thermodynamic stability of their carrier and compared directly to the wavelengths of the DIB's. Although the match seems quite favorable, strongly suggesting that PAH radicals are the long sought after carrier of the diffuse interstellar absorption bands, much laboratory work must be done to test this hypothesis.

Description: Ram ion measurements made by the Giotto neutral mass spectrometer show the spatial evolution of the composition and energy spectrum of coma ions. Near the nucleus the plasma is cold and has many constituents, but at distances of the order of 200,000 km the main ions are the terminal products of water dissociation, H(+) and O(+). The ion velocity distribution at the time of the Giotto encounter is highly anisotropic. Ion flow is generally away from the comet with energies increasing with distance to the order of 100 eV in the comet frame of reference. Similarities in the proton and oxygen ion energy spectra in the comet frame suggest an acceleration mechanism other than v x B pickup.

Description: During the early phase of the Giotto encounter with comet Halley, at distances from the nucleus greater than 350,000 km, the neutral mass spectrometer was operated in a mode allowing the measurement of low energy ions. Data reveal two important features of the outer coma: the presence of a sharp discontinuity in the plasma flow at 550,000 km from the nucleus which results in a significant decrease of the plasma flow accompanied by an increase in temperature; and the detection of newly born ions identified as O(+) and CO(+), at distances from the comet greater than 800,000 km.

Description: VLBI spectral line observations made at the frequency of the z = 0.437 H I absorption line toward the extended radio QSO 3C 196 demonstrate that the absorption does not occur against the more compact continuum structure in this object. Apparently the H I absorption line results from absorption of the lower brightness continuum emission by an intervening cloud with an angular diameter which must be greater than 0.63 arcsec. For a standard cosmology, this corresponds to a linear extent greater than 2.25 kpc. For a spherical cloud, the mass of absorbing gas is near 7 x 10 to the 7th solar masses. Thus this particular QSO absorbing cloud is surprisingly large and massive.

Description: The configuration and properties of the draped Giacobini-Zinner magnetotail and its field-reversing current sheet are studied using the combined magnetic field and plasma electron data sets obtained from the International Cometary Explorer spacecraft when it traversed (in October 1985) the comet 7800 km downstream of the nucleus. The MHD equations are used to derive pressure balance and plasma acceleration conditions. The implications of the various properties derived are examined, particularly with regard to the upstream near-nucleus region where the tail formation process occurs.

Description: The high-redshift blazar A0 0235 + 164 exhibits flux-density variations which are primarily of the less common variety in which low-frequency flux-density variations track the high-frequency variations but are delayed and of smaller amplitude. Observational results based on five years of monitoring are presented which are correlated over at least a factor of 50 frequency range in the sense expected for an expanding synchrotron component: outbursts propagating toward lower frequencies with diminishing amplitudes. A simple, semiempirical jet model is developed which accounts reasonably well for the radio properties of the object. The predictions of the model are compared with observations, examining the radio flux-density histories, the radio spectral evolution, the radio structure, and evidence for relativistic bulk motion.

Description: Pioneer 11 and 10 observations of the wave structure seen in a corotating interaction region at 2.5 AU on day 284 of 1973 and 8 days later at 5 AU reveal large-amplitude Alfvenic structures with many detailed correlations seen between their features at the two radial distances. Hodogram analysis suggests the dominance of near plane polarized, transverse Alfvenic mode fluctuations with periods between 2 min and one hour or more. Some wave evolution close to the Corotating Interaction Region (CIR) shock is noticed, but waves towards the center of the compression seem to propagate with little damping between the spacecraft observation positions.