ALBERT

Description: Fe, Ni, and Cr abundances in Type I cosmic spherules recovered from the deep sea, and also the isotopic fractionation of these elements during passage of the spherules through the terrestrial atmosphere was determined. Isotopic fractionation for all three elements is typically large, approx. 16%o/amu, corresponding to evaporative mass losses of approx. 80-85%, assuming Rayleigh distillation from an open system. The corrected, pre-atmospheric, Cr/Ni and Fe/Ni ratios are shown, where they are compared to these ratios in bulk chondrites and chondritic metal. Although the calculated pre-atmospheric Fe/Ni ratio for the spherules is relatively constant at 19 plus or minus 4 (sigma (sub mean)), the calculated pre-atmospheric Cr/Ni ratios vary by about two orders of magnitude. The Cr/Ni ratios are thus powerful discriminators for possible modes of origin of the spherules. For example, iron meteorites typically have low Cr contents and low Cr/Ni ratios, less than or equal to 3 x 10(exp -4). Thus, Type I spherules do not appear to be ablation products of iron meteorites, in contrast to an earlier suggestion..

Description: The conceptual basis of reference frames defined by extragalactic objects is straightforwaxd: that the universe as a whole does not rotate so very distant objects cannot have an overall rotational motion. Experimentally, the global rotation of the universe is less than 10(exp -12) arcsecond/yr as inferred from the 3K microwave background radiation. At the distance of 10(exp 8) parsecs, even if an object were moving transversely at the speed of light, its angular velocity would be less than 0.6 x 10(exp -3) arcsecond/yr, while an object moving at a physically more reasonable speed comparable to the Sun would show a motion of 10(exp -6) arcsecond/yr, entirely undetectable by current technology. Since neither systematic universal motion nor random motion at such great distance is measurable, it is reasonable to construct a static celestial reference frame on the basis that such objects axe fixed in the sky.

Description: Halide and sulfate efflorescences are common on meteorite finds, especially those from cold deserts. Meanwhile, the late-stage sulfate veins in Orgueil are universally accepted as having originated by the action of late-stage high fO2 aqueous alteration on an asteroid. I suggest here that these phenomena have essentially the same origin.

Description: The ten HED polymict breccias EET82600, EET87503, EET87509, EET87510, EET87512, EET87513, EET87518, EET87528, EET87531, and EET92022 were found over a broad area in the Elephant Moraine collecting region of Antarctica. Locations are scattered among the Main (Elephant Moraine), Meteorite City, and Texas Bowl icefields and the Northern Ice Patch. It was previously suggested that these polymict breccias are paired. However, degree of terrestrial alteration among these meteorites varies from relatively pristine (type A) to extensively altered (type B/C) and there are textural, mineralogical, and compositional differences. This study is a reevaluation of the pairing of these meteorites.

Description: These are exciting times in the study of planetary system formation with a steadily expanding inventory of exo-planet detections, and imaging of dust disks around nearby young and main sequence stars. While these discoveries imply that our Solar System is far from unique, linking the data for the protoplanetary and debris disks to mature planetary systems requires a demonstration that disk evolution proceeds via planetesimal production and growth to the formation of planets. Theoretical studies of planet formation indicate that planetesimals grow, via runaway accretion, to lunar-sized (approx. = 2000 km) embryos in 10(exp 5) years. Recent gas giant planet formation studies have suggested that most of the action in planet formation occurs over 1-16 Myr, with formation of planets similar to Jupiter in t less than 10 Myr, within the time interval that infrared (IR) and optical emission line studies have demonstrated that circumstellar material remains detectable around both solar mass and intermediate mass stars. Direct imaging of exo-planetesimals is not feasible with current and foreseeable technology, since such bodies have substantially less surface area than micron-sized grains distributed in a disk, and thus are inefficient IR emitters. However, such bodies may be indirectly detectable.

Description: Young supernova remnants (SNRs) are often assumed to be the source of cosmic rays up to energies approaching the slight steepening in the cosmic ray spectrum at around 1000 TeV, known as the "knee." We show that the observed X-ray emission of 14 radio-bright shell remnants, including all five historical shells, can be used to put limits on E(sub max), the energy at which the electron energy distribution must steepen from its slope at radio-emitting energies. Most of the remnants show thermal spectra, so any synchrotron component must fall below the observed X-ray fluxes. We obtain upper limits on E(sub max) by considering the most rapid physically plausible cutoff in the relativistic electron distribution, an exponential, which is as sharp or sharper than found in any more elaborate models. This maximally curved model then gives us the highest possible E(sub max) consistent with not exceeding observed X-rays. Our results are thus independent of particular models for the electron spectrum in SNRs. Assuming homogeneous emitting volumes with a constant magnetic field strength of 10 uG, no object could reach 1000 TeV, and only one, Kes 73, has an upper limit on E(sub max), above 100 TeV. All the other remnants have limits at or below 80 TeV. E(sub max) is probably set by the finite remnant lifetime rather than by synchrotron losses for remnants younger than a few thousand years, so that an observed electron steepening should be accompanied by steepening at the same energy for protons. More complicated, inhomogeneous models could allow higher values of E(sub max) in parts of the remnant, but the emission-weighted average value, that characteristic of typical electrons, should obey these limits. The young remnants are not expected to improve much over their remaining lives at producing the highest energy Galactic cosmic rays; if they cannot, this picture of cosmic-ray origin may need major alteration.

Description: By comparing positions on a spectral color-color diagram from 10 black hole candidates (BHCS) observed with Ginga (1354-64, 1826-24, 1630-47, LMC X-1, LMC X-3, GS 2000+25, GS 2023+33, GS 1124-68, Cyg X-1, and GX 339-4) with the observed broadband noise (BBN) (0.001-64 Hz) and quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) variability, we find that the "very high state" is spectrally intermediate to the soft/high state and hard/low state. We find a transition point in spectral hardness where the dependence of the BHC QPO centroid frequency (of GS 1124-68 and GX 339-4) on spectral hardness switches from a correlation to an anticorrelation; where the BBN variability switches from high state to low state; and where the spectral hardness of the QPO relative to that of the BBN variability is a maximum. This coincidence of changing behavior in both the QPO and the broadband variability leads us to hypothesize that the QPO is due to interaction between the physical components which dominate the behaviors of BHCs when they occupy the hard/low and soft/high states. We conclude that these QPOs should be observed from BHCs during transition between these two states. Comparison with QPO and BBN behavior observed during the 1996 transition of Cyg X-1 supports this hypothesis. We also report 1-3 Hz QPOs observed in GS 2000+25 and Cyg X-1 in the hard/low state, and we compare these to the QPOs observed in GS 1124-68 and GX 339-4.

Description: Infrared spectroscopy of pre-main sequence stars with dusty protostellar disks provide information about the evolution of refractory materials in such systems. These systems exhibit varying degrees of strength and structure in the silicate emission band situated at 10 microns wavelength. Band strength is affected by the mean grain size, while band structure is determined by the chemical composition and degree of crystallinity. In some objects, the silicate band is strong and featureless, similar to that seen in the interstellar medium. In others, the band is often weaker, and exhibits structure consistent with the presence of crystalline olivine. In these latter objects, the band is similar to that of some solar system comets. The strength and structure of the silicate band may be related to the processing history of the system.

Description: The debris disks surrounding the pre-main-sequence stars HD 31648 and HD 163296 were observed spectroscopically between 3 and 14 microns. Both stars possess a silicate emission feature at 10 Am that resembles that of the star P Pictoris and those observed in solar system comets. The structure of the band is consistent with a mixture of olivine and pyroxene material, plus an underlying continuum of unspecified origin. The similarity in both size and structure of the silicate band suggests that the material in these systems had a processing history similar to that in our own solar system prior to the time that the grains were incorporated into comets.

Description: Trajectory design of the orbit phase of the NEAR mission involves a new process that departs significantly from those procedures used in previous missions. In most cases, a precise spacecraft ephemeris is designed well in advance of arrival at the target body. For NEAR, the uncertainty in the dynamic environment around Eros does not allow the luxury of a precise spacecraft trajectory to be defined in advance. The principal cause of this uncertainty is the limited knowledge oi' the gravity field a,-id rotational state of Eros. As a result, the concept for the NEAR trajectory design is to define a number of rules for satisfying spacecraft, mission, and science constraints, and then apply these rules to various assumptions for the model of Eros. Nominal, high, and low Eros mass models are used for testing the trajectory design strategy and to bracket the ranges of parameter variations that are expected upon arrival at the asteroid. The final design is completed after arrival at Eros and determination of the actual gravity field and rotational state. As a result of the unplanned termination of the deep space rendezvous maneuver on December 20, 1998, the NEAR spacecraft passed within 3830 km of Eros on December 23, 1998. This flyby provided a brief glimpse of Eros, and allowed for a more accurate model of the rotational parameters and gravity field uncertainty. Furthermore, after the termination of the deep space rendezvous burn, contact with the spacecraft was lost and the NEAR spacecraft lost attitude control. During the subsequent gyrations of the spacecraft, hydrazine thruster firings were used to regain attitude control. This unplanned thruster activity used Much of the fuel margin allocated for the orbit phase. Consequently, minimizing fuel consumption is now even more important.

Description: This paper describes The Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite Mission that was lost. It also describes the author's experiences as a youth, his college years, and employment with NASA.

Description: We have developed a new numerical approach to the dynamics of minor bodies and dust particles, which enables us to increase, without using a supercomputer, the number of employed particle positions in each model up to 10(exp 10) - 10(exp 11), a factor of 10(exp 6) - 10(exp 7) higher than existing numerical simulations. We apply this powerful approach to the high-resolution modeling of the structure and emission of circumstellar dust disks, incorporating all relevant physical processes. In this Letter, we examine the resonant structure of a dusty disk induced by the presence of one planet of mass in the range of (5 x 10(exp -5) - 5 x 10(exp -3))M. It is shown that the planet, via resonances and gravitational scattering, produces (i) a central cavity void of dust; (ii) a trailing (sometimes leading) off-center cavity; and (iii) an asymmetric resonant dust belt with one, two, or more clumps. These features can serve as indicators of planet(s) embedded in the circumstellar dust disk and, moreover, can be used to determine the mass of the planet and even some of its orbital parameters. The results of our study reveal a remarkable similarity with various types of highly asymmetric circumstellar disks observed with the JCMT around Epsilon Eridani and Vega.

Description: A recent X-ray observation of the cluster 1E 0657-56 (z = 0.296) with ASC,4 implied an unusually high temperature of approx. 17 keV. Such a high temperature would make it the hottest known cluster and severely constrain cosmological models since, in a Universe with critical density (Omega = 1) the probability of observing such a cluster is only approx. 4 x 10(exp -5). Here we test the robustness of this observational result since it has such important implications. We analysed the data using a variety of different data analysis methods and spectral analysis assumptions and find a temperature of approx. 11 - 12 keV in all cases, except for one class of spectral fits. These are fits in which the absorbing column density is fixed at the Galactic value. Using simulated data for a 12 keV cluster, we show that a high temperature of approx. 17 keV is artificially obtained if the true spectrum has a stronger low-energy cut-off than that for Galactic absorption only. The apparent extra absorption may be astrophysical in origin, (either intrinsic or line-of-sight), or it may be a problem with the low-energy CCD efficiency. Although significantly lower than previous measurements, this temperature of kT approx. 11 - 12 keV is still relatively high since only a few clusters have been found to have temperatures higher than 10 keV and the data therefore still present some difficulty for an Omega = 1 Universe. Our results will also be useful to anyone who wants to estimate the systematic errors involved in different methods of background subtraction of ASCA data for sources with similar signal-to-noise to that of the IE 0657-56 data reported here.

Description: A list of the interplanetary (IP) shocks observed by WIND from its launch (in November 1994) to May 1997 is presented. Forty two shocks were identified. The magnetohydrodynamic nature of the shocks is investigated, and the associated shock parameters and their uncertainties are accurately computed using a practical scheme which combines two techniques. These techniques are a combination of the "pre-averaged" magnetic-coplanarity, velocity-coplanarity, and the Abraham-Schrauner-mixed methods, on the one hand, and the Vinas and Scudder [1986] technique for solving the non-linear least-squares Rankine-Hugoniot shock equations, on the other. Within acceptable limits these two techniques generally gave the same results, with some exceptions. The reasons for the exceptions are discussed. It is found that the mean strength and rate of occurrence of the shocks appears to correlated with the solar cycle. Both showed a decrease in 1996 coincident with the time of the lowest ultraviolet solar radiance, indicative of solar minimum and start of solar cycle 23, which began around June 1996. Eighteen shocks appeared to be associated with corotating interaction regions (CIRs). The distribution of their shock normals showed a mean direction peaking in the ecliptic plane and with a longitude (phi(sub n)) in that plane between perpendicular to the Parker spiral and radial from the Sun. When grouped according to the sense of the direction of propagation of the shocks the mean azimuthal (longitude) angle in GSE coordinates was approximately 194 deg for the fast-forward and approximately 20 deg for the fast-reverse shocks. Another 16 shocks were determined to be driven by solar transients, including magnetic clouds. These shocks had a broader distribution of normal directions than those of the CIR cases with a mean direction close to the Sun-Earth line. Eight shocks of unknown origin had normal orientation well off the ecliptic plane. No shock propagated with longitude phi(sub n) 〉= 220 +/- 10 deg, this would suggest strong hindrance to the propagation of shocks contra a rather tightly winding Parker spiral. Examination of the obliquity angle theta(sub Bn) (that between the shock normal and the upstream interplanetary magnetic field) for the full set of shocks revealed that about 58% was quasi-perpendicular, and some were very nearly perpendicular. About 32% of the shocks were oblique, and the rest (only 10%) were quasi-parallel, with one on Dec. 9, 1996 that showed field pulsations. Small uncertainty in the estimated angle theta(sub Bn) was obtained for about 10 shocks with magnetosonic Mach numbers between 1 and 2, hopefully significantly contributing to studies researching particle acceleration mechanisms at IP shocks, and to investigations where accurate values of theta(sub Bn) are crucial.

Description: Interior layers of stars that have been exposed by surface mass loss reveal aspects of their chemical and convective histories that are otherwise inaccessible to observation. It must be significant that the surface hydrogen abundances of luminous blue variables (LBVs) show a remarkable uniformity, specifically X(sub surf) = 0.3 - 0.4, while those of hydrogen-poor Wolf-Rayet (WN) stars fall, almost without exception, below these values, ranging down to X(sub surf) = 0. According to our stellar model calculations, most LBVs are post-red-supergiant objects in a late blue phase of dynamical instability, and most hydrogen-poor WN stars are their immediate descendants. If this is so, stellar models constructed with the Schwarzschild (temperature-gradient) criterion for convection account well for the observed hydrogen abundances, whereas models built with the Ledoux (density-gradient) criterion fail. At the brightest luminosities, the observed hydrogen abundances of LBVs are too large to be explained by any of our highly evolved stellar models, but these LBVs may occupy transient blue loops that exist during an earlier phase of dynamical instability when the star first becomes a yellow supergiant. Independent evidence concerning the criterion for convection, which is based mostly on traditional color distributions of less massive supergiants on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, tends to favor the Ledoux criterion. It is quite possible that the true criterion for convection changes over from something like the Ledoux criterion to something like the Schwarzschild criterion as the stellar mass increases.

Description: Millimeter CO (1-〉0) interferometry and high resolution, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) 1.1, 1.6, and 2.2 meu imaging of the radio compact galaxy PKS 1345+12 are presented.

Description: We report the discovery of four field methane (T-type) brown dwarfs using 2MASS survey data. One additional methane dwarf, previously discovered by SDSS, was also identified.

Description: We report extensive observations of striation patterns in the dust tail of comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) over a period of more than 10 weeks, from mid-february until early May 1997.

Description: Dust plays a key role in the optical, thermodynamic and gas dynamical behavior of collapsing molecular cores. Because of relative velocities of the individual dust grains, coagulation and shattering can modify the grain size distribution and due to corresponding changes in the medium's opacity significantly influence the evolution during early phase of star formation.

Description: We report the detection of emission from methanol in a compact source coincident with the position of the L1157 infrared source, which we attribute to molecules in the disk surrounding this young, class 0 protostellar object.

Description: WL16 is unique among the members of the young, forming star cluster embedded in the nearby p Oph cloud core in exhibiting an extended, high surface brightness disk in the emission features originating from solid-state aromatic hydrocarbons.

Description: We present thirty VLBI images of the Tev blazar Markarian 421 (1101+384) at fifteen epochs spanning the time range from 1994 to 1997, and at six different frequencies form 2.3 to 43 GHz.

Description: Ground-based, equal-arm-length laser interferometers are being built to measure high-frequency astrophysical graviatational waves. Because of the arm-length equality, laser light experiences the same delay in each arm and thus phase or frequency noise from the laser itself precisely cancels at the photodetector.

Description: Long thought by some researchers to be an oddity, GD 165B has instead proven to be the first example of a class of very cool objects (the L dwarfs) which, due to dust formation in their photosphere, lack the dominant bands of TiO seen in warmer M dwarfs.

Description: In an attempt to use Cepheid variables to determine the distance to the Centaurus cluster, we have obtained images of NGC 4603 with the Hubble Space Telescope for 9 epochs (totalling 24 orbits) over 14 months in the F555W filter and 2 epochs (totalling 6 orbits) in the F814W filter.

Description: We report Hubble Space Telescope observations of variability within the reflection nebulosity of HH 30, a compact bipolar nebula which is a nearly edge-on accretion disk system.

Description: We present the discovery of a widely separated (258.3+/-0.4) T dwarf companion to the G1 570ABC system.

Description: We report on the determination of the visual orbit of the double-lined spectroscopic binary system 64 Piscum with data obtained by the Palomar Testbed Interferometer in 1997 and 1998.

Description: Spatially resolved profiles of the H (alpha), [N II] 6584 A and [O III] 5007 A nebular emission lines, obtained with the Manchester echelle spectrometer combined with the 2.1 m San Pedro Martir telescope have revealed the velocity structure of the nebular core and of one of the three (A,B and C) inner haloes of the high excitation planetary nebula NGC 3242.

Description: Dust plays a key role in the optical, thermodynamic and gas dynamical behavior of collapsing molecular cores. Because of relative velocities of the individual dust grains, coagulation and shattering can modify the grain size distribution and -- due to corresponding changes in the medium's opacity significantly -- influence the evolution during early phases of star formation.

Description: We report the discovery of three proplyd-like structures in the giant HII region NGC 3603.

Description: The structure of AGN accretion disks on sub-parsec scales can be probed through free-free absorption of synchrotron emission from the base of symmetric radio jets.

Description: Evidence of a north-south asymmetry in the global heliosphere, first inferred from Ulysses cosmic ray observations, is investigated using simultaneous Ulysses and WIND magnetic field observations.

Description: Measurements of the abundances of cosmic-ray (sup 59)Ni and (sup 59)Co are reported form the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE).

Description: We present ground-based images of the z=1.824 radio galaxy 3C 256 in the standard BVRIJHK filters and an interference filter centered at 8800 A, a Hubble Space Telescope image in a filter dominated by Ly alpha emission (F336W), and spectra covering rest-frame wavelengths from Ly alpha to [O III} lambda 5007.

Description: New data are presented and analyzed, and are combined with the results from the earlier sample to address the properties of this class of circumstellar disk.

Description: Absolute measurements have been made of single electron charge exchange cross sections of H(sup +), He(sup +) and He(sup 2+) in H(sub 2)O and CO(sub 2) in the energy range 0.3 - 7.5 keV/amu.

Description: We use Python I, II, and III cosmic microwave background anisotropy data to constrain cosmogonies.

Description: We have carried out K-band speckle observations of a sample of 114 X-ray selected weak-line T Tauri stars in the nearby Scorpius-Centaurus OB association.

Description: We present color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions or stars in two halo regions of the irregular galaxy in M82, based on F555W and F814W photometry taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and Wide Field Planetary Camera 2.

Description: A causality connection between molecular outflows and the optical proto-stellar jets is becoming stronger as the number of objects with a consistent set of radio, IR and optical observations has grown.

Description: Nonlinear evolution equation for Alfven waves, propagating in streaming plasmas with nonuniform densities and inhomogeneous magnetic fields, is obtained by using the reductive perturbation technique.

Description: The CO morphology shows two molecular gas components associated with the stellar nuclei of the progenitors, consistent with the idea that the molecular disks are gravitationally bound by the dense bulges of the progenitor galaxies as the interaction proceeds.

Description: Our goal is to test predictions of models attributing the IEFs to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Interstellar models predict PAHs change from singly ionized to neutral as the UV intensity, Go, decreases.

Description: The physical properties of the grains, as evidenced by their infrared emission, correlated with the morphology.

Description: In the experimental approach, use is made of the electron energy-loss method with merged electron and ion beams.

Description: Herein we report the determination of the 12 Boo visual orbit from near-infrared, long-baseline interferometric measurements taken with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI). We further add photometric and spectroscopic measurements in an attempt to understand the fundamental stellar parameters and evolution of the 12 Boo components.

Description: Experimental and theoretical collisional excitation cross sections are reported for the 3s square 3p- 3s3p cube 5S to the zero spin-forbidden transition in S square+.

Description: We show that cosmic rays air showers resulting from primaries with energies above 10(sup 19) eV should be straightforward to detect with radar ranging techniques, where the radar echoes are produced by scattering from the column of ionized air produced by the shower.

Description: In the terrestrial atmosphere clouds are familiar as vast collections of small water drops or ice cyrstals suspended in the air. The study of clouds touches on many facets of armospheric science. The chemistry of clouds is tied to the chemistry of the surrounding atmosphere.

Description: The evolution and appearance of protostellar disks can be significantly altered by their UV environment. We follow the evolution after the external UV radiation source has been turned on.

Description: We present the results of X-ray observations of GX301-2 with instruments aboard the ASCA and RXTE spacecraft, as well as analysis of archival data from BATSE/CGRO and the All-Sky Monitor on RXTE.

Description: We present here new multiwavelength observations with 1.5 and 4x the spatial resolution of previous ground-based observations at optical and near-infrared wavelengths; despite being ground-based, they allow us to isolate interesting features such as the star-forming knots detected in the warm ULIG sample.

Description: We report results from a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) program to study the distribution of hot neutral (molecular hydrogen) and ionized circumstellar material in the young planetary nebulae NGC 7027.

Description: Most planetary nebulae (PN) show significant departures from sperical symmetry, whereas the circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of their progenitor AGB stars appear spherically symmetric.

Description: In order to facilitate further studies of water in the interstellar medium , the envelopes of late type stars, jets, and shocked regions, the frequencies of 17 newly measured H(sub 2) (sup 16)O translations between 0.841 and 1.575 THz are reported.

Description: We have used the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii to search at submillimeter wavelengths for continuum emission from dust, and spectral line emission from carbon monoxide (CO) gas, in the neighborhood of HR 4796A.

Description: Robust system design is the best protection against meteoroid damage. Impacts by small meteoroids are common on satellite surfaces, but impacts by meteoroids large enough to damage well designed systems are very rare. Estimating the threat from the normal meteoroid environment is difficult. Estimates for the occasional "storm" are even more uncertain. Common sense precautions are in order for the 1999 Leonids, but wide-spread catastrophic damage is highly unlikely. Strong Leonid showers are also expected in 2000 and 2001, but these pose much less threat than 1999.

Description: The interstellar medium of galaxies is the reservoir out of which stars are born and into which stars inject newly created elements as they age. The physical properties of the interstellar medium are governed in part by the radiation emitted by these stars. Far-ultraviolet (6 eV less than h(nu) less than 13.6 eV) photons from massive stars dominate the heating and influence the chemistry of the neutral atomic gas and much of the molecular gas in galaxies. Predominantly neutral regions of the interstellar medium in which the heating and chemistry are regulated by far ultraviolet photons are termed Photo-Dissociation Regions (PDRs). These regions are the origin of most of the non-stellar infrared (IR) and the millimeter and submillimeter CO emission from galaxies. The importance of PDRs has become increasingly apparent with advances in IR and submillimeter astronomy. The IR emission from PDRs includes fine structure lines of C, C+, and O; rovibrational lines of H2, rotational lines of CO; broad middle features of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; and a luminous underlying IR continuum from interstellar dust. The transition of H to H2 and C+ to CO occurs within PDRs. Comparison of observations with theoretical models of PDRs enables one to determine the density and temperature structure, the elemental abundances, the level of ionization, and the radiation field. PDR models have been applied to interstellar clouds near massive stars, planetary nebulae, red giant outflows, photoevaporating planetary disks around newly formed stars, diffuse clouds, the neutral intercloud medium, and molecular clouds in the interstellar radiation field-in summary, much of the interstellar medium in galaxies. Theoretical PDR models explain the observed correlations of the [CII] 158 microns with the COJ = 1-0 emission, the COJ = 1-0 luminosity with the interstellar molecular mass, and the [CII] 158 microns plus [OI] 63 microns luminosity with the IR continuum luminosity. On a more global scale, MR models predict the existence of two stable neutral phases of the interstellar medium, elucidate the formation and destruction of star-forming molecular clouds, and suggest radiation-induced feedback mechanisms that may regulate star formation rates and the column density of gas through giant molecular clouds.

Description: An overview of current theories of star and planet formation is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments. They predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. Specific issues to be discussed include: (1) how large a solid core is needed to initiate rapid accumulation of gas? (2) can giant planets form very close to stars? (3) could a giant impact leading to lunar formation have occurred approximately 100 million years after the condensation of the oldest meteorites?

Description: Fine-grained magnetite (Fe3O4) in martian meteorite ALH84001, generally less than 200 nm in size, is located primarily in the rims that surround the carbonate globules. There are two populations of ALH84001 magnetites, which are likely formed at low temperature by inorganic and biogenic processes. Nearly 27% of ALH84001 magnetite particles, also called elongated prisms, have characteristics which make them uniquely identifiable as biological precipitates. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Description: The combination of realistic laboratory simulations and infrared observations have revolutionized our understanding of interstellar dust and ice-the main component of comets. Since comets and carbonaceous micrometeorites may have been important sources of volatiles and carbon compounds on the early Earth, their organic composition may be related to the origin of life. Ices on grains in molecular clouds contain a variety of simple molecules. The D/H ratios of the comets Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake are consistent with a primarily interstellar ice mixture. Within the cloud and especially in the presolar nebula through the early solar system, these icy grains would have been photoprocessed by the ultraviolet producing more complex species such as hexamethylenetetramine, polyoxymethylenes, and simple keones. We reported at the 1999 Bioastronomy meeting laboratory simulations studied to identify the types of molecules which could have been generated in pre-cometary ices. Experiments were conducted by forming a realistic interstellar mixed-molecular ice (H2O, CH3OH, NH3 and CO) at approximately 10 K under high vacuum irradiated with UV light from a hydrogen plasma lamp. The gas mixture was typically 100:50:1:1, however when different ratios were used material with similar characteristics was still produced. The residue that remained after warming to room temperature was analyzed by HPLC, and by several mass spectrometric methods. This material contains a rich mixture of complex compounds with mass spectral profiles resembling those found in IDPs and meteorites. Surface tension measurements show that an amphiphilic component is also present. These species do not appear in various controls or in unphotolyzed samples. Residues from the simulations were also dispersed in aqueous media for microscopy. The organic material forms 10-40 gm diameter droplets that fluoresce at 300-450 nm under UV excitation. These droplets have a morphology and internal structure which appear strikingly similar to those produced by extracts of the Murchison meteorite. Together, these results suggest a link between organic material photochemically synthesized on the cold grains in dense, interstellar molecular clouds and compounds that may have contributed to the organic inventory of the primitive Earth. For example, the amphiphilic properties of such compounds permit self-assembly into the membranous boundary structures that required for the first forms of cellular life.

Description: Criteria are well established within the scientific community for the acceptance of evidence for biogenic activity within samples from the early Earth. The eight criteria are: (1) geologic context, (2) age and stratigraphic location, (3) cellular morphology, (4) colonies, (v) biominerals, (6) isotope patterns, (7) organic biosignatures, and (8) features indigenous to sample. In the case of samples from Mars, we must also apply the same criteria. For the martian meteorite ALH84001, we have presented evidence which indicates possible biogenic activity associated with the 3.94 b.y. old, fracture-bound carbonate deposits. Subsequent major criticism of our hypothesis concerned the fact that many of the biogenic features could have been introduced during the time the meteorite was in Antarctica, prior to its collection. We address the possibility of Antarctic contamination and compare our evidence with accepted criteria for establishing the presence of past life. Although, we are close to matching some of the required criteria (likely biominerals, organic biomarkers, bacterial appendages, microfossils and indigenous features), there are others (well-documented geologic context, and evidence for colonies) which have not yet been met. It is not yet possible to come to a definitive conclusion concerning life on early Mars, but it is hoped that continued research will provide more relevant information.

Description: During the Deep Space One (DS1) primary mission, the spacecraft will fly by asteroid 1992 KD and possibly comet Borrelly. There are two technologies being validated on DS1 that will provide science observations of these targets, the Miniature Integrated Camera Spectrometer (MICAS) and the Plasma Experiment for Planetary Exploration (PEPE). MICAS encompasses a camera, an ultraviolet imaging spectrometer and an infrared imaging spectrometer. PEPE combines an ion and electron analyzer designed to determine the three-dimensional distribution of plasma over its field of view. MICAS includes two visible wavelength imaging channels, an ultraviolet imaging spectrometer, and an infrared imaging spectrometer all of which share a single 10-cm diameter telescope. Two types of visible wavelength detectors, both operating between about 500 and 1000 nm are used: a CCD with 13-microrad pixels and an 18-microrad-per-pixel, metal-on-silicon active pixel sensor (APS). Unlike the CCD the APS includes the timing and control electronics on the chip along with the detector. The UV spectrometer spans 80 to 185 nm with 0.64-nm spectral resolution and 316-microrad pixels. The IR spectrometer covers the range from 1200 to 2400 nm with 6.6-nm resolution and 54-microrad pixels PEPE includes a very low-power, low-mass micro-calorimeter to help understand plasma-surface interactions and a plasma analyzer to identify de individual molecules and atoms in the immediate vicinity of the spacecraft that have been eroded off the surface of asteroid 1992 KD. It employs common apertures with separate electrostatic energy analyzers. It measures electron and ion energies spanning a range of 3 eV to 30 keV, with a resolution of five percent. and measures ion mass from one to 135 atomic mass units with 5 percent resolution. It electrostatically sweeps its field of view both in elevation and azimuth. Both MICAS and PEPE represent a new direction for the evolution of science instruments for interplanetary spacecraft. These two instruments incorporate a large fraction of the capability of five instruments that had typically flown on NASA's deep space missions The Deep Space One science team acknowledges the support of Philip Varghese, David H. Lehman, Leslie Livesay, and Marc Rayman for providing invaluable assistance in making the science observations possible.

Description: New narrowband spectrophotometric data of J6 Himalia, some of which are spatially resolved, support its C-type classification. The new spectra confirm the presence of a weak absorption feature centered near 0.7 micron attributed to oxidized iron in phyllosilicates, products of aqueous alteration, which varies in depth on opposite sides of the satellite. Evaluation of older UBV photometry of J6 and J7 Elara compared to UBV photometry of C-class (and subclass) asteroids showing spectral evidence of the 0.7-microns absorption feature suggests that J6 Himalia is an F-class asteroid. We propose that the parent body of the prograde Jovian satellites originated as part of the Nysa asteroid family. Evolutionary models of the Jovian system are used to address the capture and dispersal of the irregular satellites.

Description: The proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is designed to observe gravitational radiation from galactic binaries and massive black holes in other galaxies. LISA will observe waves in the frequency range 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz, which can never be observed on Earth due to background noise. The three LISA spacecraft will be located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle with side length 5 million km. The orbits are chosen so that the triangle formation trails the Earth by 20 degrees. Each spacecraft will contain two independent instruments containing a proof mass, laser and 30 cm diameter telescope for the transmission and reception of laser signals. Two independent Michelson interferometers will be formed, allowing both polarizations of gravitational waves to be detected. The observed signals will yield unique information about the formation of massive black holes and the nature of gravity in the high-field limit.

Description: We have carried out systematic modeling of the X-ray spectra of the Galactic superluminal jet sources GRS 1915+105 and GRO J1655-40, using our newly developed spectral fitting methods. Our results reveal, for the first time, a three-layered structure of the atmosphere in the inner region of the accretion disks. Above the conanonly known, cold and optically thick disk of a blackbody temperature 0.2-0.5 keV, there is a layer of warm gas with a temperature of 1.0-1.5 keV and an optical depth of around 10. Compton scattering of the underlying disk blackbody photons produces the soft X-ray component we comonly observe. Under certain conditions, there is also a much hotter, optically thin corona above the warm layer, characterized by a temperature of 100 keV or higher and an optical depth of unity or less. The corona produces the hard X-ray component typically seen in these sources. We emphasize that the existence of the warm layer seem to be independent of the presence of the hot corona and, therefore, it is not due to irradiation of the disk by hard X-rays from the corona. Our results suggest a striking structural similarity between the accretion disks and the solar atmosphere, which may provide a new stimulus to study the common underlying physical processes operating in these vastly different systems. We also report the first unambiguous detection of an emission line around 6.4 keV in GRO J1655-40, which may allow further constraining of the accretion disk structure. We acknowledge NASA GSFC and MFC for partial financial support. (copyright) 1999: American Astronomical Society. All rights reverved.

Description: The Ames infrared spectral database of isolated, neutral and ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) shows that aromatic CH out-of-plane bending frequencies are significantly shifted upon ionization. For non-adjacent and doubly-adjacent CH groups, the shift is pronounced and consistently toward higher frequencies. The non-adjacent modes are blueshifted by an average of 27 per cm and the doubly-adjacent modes by an average of 17 per cm. For triply- and quadruply-adjacent CH out-of-plane modes the ionization shifts are more erratic and typically more modest. As a result of these ionization shifts, both the non-adjacent and doubly-adjacent CH out-of-plane modes move out of the regions classically associated with their respective vibrations in neutral PAHs. The doubly-adjacent modes of ionized PAHs tend to fall into the frequency range traditionally associated with the non-adjacent modes, while the non-adjacent modes are shifted to frequencies above those normally attributed to out-of-plane bending vibrations. Consequently, the origin of the interstellar infrared emission feature near 11.2 microns, traditionally attributed to the out-of-plane bending of non-adjacent CH groups on PAHs is rendered ambiguous. Instead, this feature likely reflects contributions from both non-adjacent CH units in neutral PAHs and doubly-adjacent CH units in PAH cations, the dominant charge state in the most energetic emission regions. This greatly relieves the structural constraints placed on the interstellar PAH population by the dominance of the 11.2 micron band in this region and eliminates the necessity to invoke extensive dehydrogenation of the emitting species. Furthermore, these results indicate that the emission between 926 and 904 per cm (10.8 and 11.1 microns) observed in many sources can be unambiguously attributed to the non-adjacent CH out-of-plane bending modes of moderately-sized (fewer than 50 carbon atom) PAH cations making this emission an unequivocal tracer of ionized interstellar PAHs.

Description: The Giant Impact Hypothesis was introduced in the mid-1970's after consideration of results from the Apollo Moon missions. This hypothesis best explains the similarity in elemental proportions in lunar and terrestrial rocks, the depletion of lunar volatiles, the lack of lunar iron. and the large angular momentum in the Earth-Moon system. Comparison between the radiometric ages of inclusions in the most primitive meteorites and those of inclusions in the oldest lunar rocks and the differentiation age of Earth suggests that the Earth-Moon system formed about 100 Myr after the oldest meteorites. In addition, the age of the famous Martian meteorite ALH84001 and an early solidification time estimated from the Martian crust, suggest that the inner Solar System was fairly clear of large bodies about 10 Myr after the oldest meteorites formed. Thus, the 'standard model' suggests that for a period of several tens of millions of years the terrestrial planet region had few. if any, lunar-sized bodies and there were five terrestrial planets, Mercury, Venus, the two progenitors of the Earth-Moon system, and Mars. To simulate the dynamics of the Solar System before the hypothesized Moon-forming impact, we are integrating the Solar System with the Earth-Moon system replaced by two bodies in heliocentric orbits between Venus and Mars. The total (orbital) angular momentum of the Earth-Moon progenitors is that of the present Earth-Moon system, and their total mass is that of the Earth-Moon system. We are looking at ranges in mass ratio and initial values for eccentricity, inclination. and semi-major axis. We are using the SYMBA integrator to integrate these systems until a collision occurs or a time of 200 Myr elapses. Results are presented in a companion paper.

Description: The collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL 9) with Jupiter created crescent-shaped ejecta patterns around impact sites. Although the observed impact plumes rose through a similar height of approx.3000 km, the radii of the created ejects patterns differ from impact to impact and generally are larger for larger impacts. The azimuthal angle of the symmetry axis of the ejects pattern is larger than that predicted by the models of oblique impacts, due to the action of the Coriolis force that rotates ejecta patterns counterclockwise from the south. We study the formation of ejects patterns using a simple model of ballistic plume above a rotating plane. The ejected particles follow ballistic trajectories and slide horizontally for about an hour after reentry into the jovian atmosphere. The lateral expansion of the plume is stopped by the friction force, which is assumed to be proportional to the square of the horizontal velocity. Two different mass-velocity distributions used in the simulations produce qualitatively similar results. The simulated ejecta patterns fit very well the "crescents" observed at the impact sites. The sizes and azimuthal angles of symmetry axis of ejects patterns depend on a parameter L, which has dimension of length and is related to the mass of the fragment. Thus more massive impacts produce larger ejects patterns that are rotated through a wider angle.

Description: Oxygen isotopic analyses in approximately 20 micrometer spots in a chemically diverse suite of carbonates from ALH 84001 show highly variable delta(exp 18)O values from +5.4 to +25.3%. The isotopic data are correlated with the major element composition of the carbonate. The earliest forming (Ca-rich) carbonates have the lowest delta(exp 18)O values and the late-forming Mg-rich carbonates have the highest delta(exp 18)O values. Two models that can explain the isotopic variation were investigated. The carbonates could have formed in a water-rich environment at relatively low, but highly variable temperatures. In this open-system case the lower limit to the temperature variation is approximately 125 C, with fluctuations of over 250 C possible within the constraints of the model, depending on fluid composition. Alternatively the data can be explained by a closed-system model in which carbonates precipitated from a limited amount of a CO2-rich fluid. This scenario can reproduce the range of isotopic values observed, even at relatively high temperatures (greater than 500 C). Thus, the oxygen isotopic compositions do not provide unequivocal evidence for formation of the carbonates at low temperature. Neither of these scenarios is consistent with a biological origin of the carbonates and their associated features. Olivine from ALH 84001 occurs as clusters within orthopyroxene adjacent to fractures containing disrupted carbonate globules and feldspathic shock glass. The inclusions are irregular in shape and range in size from approximately 40 micrometers to submicrometer. The olivine exhibits a limited range of chemical composition from Fo(sub 65) to Fo(sub 66). We measured delta(exp 18)O values of the olivine to be +5.1 +/- 1.4%, indistinguishable within uncertainty from the host orthopyroxene. The data suggest that the olivine formed at high temperature (greater than 800 C), and is probably unrelated to carbonate formation. Instead the olivine probably formed by metamorphic reactions involving either dehydration of hydrous silicates or reduction of opx + spinel. If the reactions took place after carbonate formation, they could have caused devolatilization of siderite, producing the magnetite in the ALH carbonate globules. This scenario is also inconsistent with a biological origin for the features in ALH 84001.

Description: Fine-grained magnetite (Fe3O4) in martian meteorite ALH84001, generally less than 200 microns in size, is located primarily in the rims that surround the carbonate globules. There are two populations of ALH84001 magnets, which are likely formed at low temperature by inorganic and biogenic processes. Nearly 27/o of ALH84001 magnetite particles. also called elongated prisms, have characteristics which make them uniquely identifiable as biological precipitates.

Description: The surprisingly young Rb-Sr age of the Shergotty meteorite contributed to early suggestions that it might be of martian origin. their redox state and oxygen isotopic compositions linked the shergottites to the clino-pyroxenite nakhlites and the dunite Chassigny, causing them to be grouped as SNC meteorites. These characteristics, but especially the similarity of the elemental and isotopic compositions of gases trapped in shergottites to those of the martian atmosphere, have caused the martian origin of the SNC and related meteorites to be widely accepted. Although the young ages were one of the early hints of a martian origin for the SNC meteorites, their interpretation has remained somewhat ambiguous. We will review the radiometric ages of the martian meteorites and attempt to place them into the context of martian surface ages.

Description: The thirteen SNC meteorites are all igneous rocks, either basalts or basaltic cumulates. They are inferred to be from Mars, based on direct comparison with martian materials and on consistency with inferences about Mars. Most telling is that the SNC meteorites contain traces of gas which is very similar in elemental and isotopic compositions to the modem Martian atmosphere as measured by Viking. The martian atmosphere appears to be unique in the solar system, so its presence in the SNCs is accepted as virtually unequivocal proof that they formed on Mars. Independent of this link, the SNC meteorites must be from a planet with a significant atmosphere because they contain several abundant gas components, some of which carry large isotopic fractionations characteristic of atmospheric processing. The chemical compositions of the SNC meteorites are also consistent with data from in situ analyses of martian soils and rocks, and are quite different from compositions of other meteorites, rocks from the Earth, and rocks from the Moon. The range of formation ages for the SNC meteorites, 4.5 Ga to 0. 18 Ga, is consistent with the varied ages of the Martian surface (based on its cratering record) and inconsistent with surface ages on any other solar system body. The extreme chemical fractionations in the SNC meteorites suggest complex internal processes on a large planet, which is inconsistent with an asteroidal origin. Some SNCs were altered by aqueous solutions at greater than 0.7 Ga, consistent with the recent presence of liquid groundwater in Mars inferred independently from the geology of its surface. There seems little likelihood that the SNCs are not from Mars. If they were from another planetary body, it would have to be substantially identical to Mars as it now is understood.

Description: The NASA Discovery STARDUST Mission was launched in February, 1999 to fly through the coma of P/Wild 2 in January, 2004 and return captured cometary and interplanetary dust particles to earth in January, 2006 for detailed analyses by the international science community. The STARDUST spacecraft is carrying a dust collector employing JPL Aerogel for collecting interstellar dust during interplanetary cruise and cometary dust during Wild 2 flyby. Additional instrumentation include the MPI fur Extraterrestrische Physik Cometary and Interplanetary Dust Analyzer, the University of Chicago Dust Flux Monitor and the JPL Imaging Camera. Doppler tracking of the spacecraft and high rate attitude orientation and body-fixed rate data from engineering subsystems will also provide science information. The presentation will describe the mission, scientific objectives and current state of the spacecraft in detail.

Description: Using near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy, we discuss the discovery of six emission-line sources within approx. 20 pc of Sgr A West but outside of the central parsec. The objects are coincident with stars seen in. the J, H, and K' images; all have Br(gamma) (2.166 microns) in emission, several also have He I (2.058 and 2.112/3 micrometers), and some have He II (2.189 micrometers) emission lines. Comparison of the H- and K-band spectra of the newly discovered stars with recently published infrared spectral atlases of optically classified stars suggests that most of these stars are similar to massive stars in transition (e.g., Ofpe/WN9, B[e], and LBV), although one is definitely a WN6 star. Two of the potential stars are associated with the radio emission regions A-D near Sgr A East, three are near or within the radio emission regions Hl-H8, the last is near GO.10+0.02 and is likely to be associated with the GO.12+0.02 (Arches) cluster of stars, discussed in a previous paper. The stars are shown to be significant sources of ionization for their associated radio emission regions, with several capable of completely ionizing the regions. These results provide additional support for the idea that these thermal radio regions, and similar such regions in the Galactic center, are indeed photoionized by hot young stars.

Description: The 1998 return of the Leonid shower was the target of the Leonid multi-instrument aircraft campaign (Leonid MAC), an unusual two-aircraft astronomical research mission executed near Okinawa, Japan. The prospect of a meteor storm brought 28 researchers of 7 nationalities together in a concerted effort to observe the shower by imaging, spectroscopic, and ranging techniques. This paper is a review of the major science issues that are behind the deployment of each of the present array of instruments and describes the interconnection of the various experiments. This was NASA's first astrobiology mission. The mission also aimed to study contemporary issues in planetary astronomy, in atmospheric sciences, and concerning the satellite impact hazard. First results of the participating observers are discussed and put in context, in preparation for the deployment of a planned second mission in November of 1999.

Description: Seventy-five orbits of Leonid meteors obtained during the 1998 outburst are presented. Thirty-eight are precise enough to recognize significant dispersion in orbital elements. Results from the nights of 1998 November 16/17 and 17/18 differ, in agreement with the dominant presence of different dust components. The shower rate profile of 1998 November 16/17 was dominated by a broad component, rich in bright meteors. The radiant distribution is compact. The semimajor axis is confined to values close to that of the parent comet, whereas the distribution of inclination has a central condensation in a narrow range. On the other hand, 1998 November 17/18 was dominated by dust responsible for a more narrow secondary peak in the flux curve. The declination of the radiant and the inclination of the orbit are more widely dispersed. The argument of perihelion, inclination, and the perihelion distance are displaced. These data substantiate the hypothesis that trapping in orbital resonances is important for the dynamical evolution of the broad component.

Description: Material of low albedo covers the surfaces, and in some cases constitutes the surfaces, of many planetary satellites. The low mean densities and water ice absorption bands detected in the spectra of some of these bodies show that they are fundamentally icy, but other bodies contain substantial fractions of rocky material. If we define three arbitrary albedo categories ranging from very low to very high, we find that there are many examples in each group.

Description: Herzog et al. have determined Fe, Ni, and Cr abundances in Type I cosmic spherules recovered from the deep sea, and also the isotopic fractionation of these elements during passage of the spherules through the terrestrial atmosphere. Isotopic fractionation for all three elements is typically large, approx. 16%/amu, corresponding to evaporative mass losses of approx. 80 - 85%, assuming Rayleigh distillation from an open system. The corrected, pre-atmospheric, Cr/Ni and Fe/Ni ratios, are compared to ratios in bulk chondrites and chondritic metal. Although the calculated pre-atmospheric Fe/Ni ratio for the spherules is relatively constant at 19 +/- 4 (sigma(sub mean)) the calculated pre-atmospheric Cr/Ni ratios vary by about two orders of magnitude. The Cr/Ni ratios are thus powerful discriminators for possible modes of origin of the spherules. For example, iron meteorites typically have low Cr contents and low Cr/Ni ratios, less or = 3 x 10(exp -4). Thus, Type I spherules do not appear to be ablation products of iron meteorites, in contrast to an earlier suggestion.

Description: We discuss the ratio of ortho- to para-H2 in photodissociation regions (PDRs). We draw attention to an apparent confusion in the literature between the ortho-to-para ratio of molecules in FUV-pumped vibrationally excited states and the total H2 ortho-to-para abundance ratio. These ratios are not the same because the process of FUV pumping of fluorescent H2 emission in PDRs occurs via optically thick absorption lines. Thus gas with an equilibrium ratio of ortho- to para-H2 equal to 3 will yield FUV-pumped vibrationally excited ortho-to-para ratios smaller than 3, because the ortho-H2 pumping rates are preferentially reduced by optical depth effects. Indeed, if the ortho and para pumping lines are on the "square root" part of the curve of growth, then the expected ratio of ortho and para vibrational line strengths is 3(sup 1/2) approximately 1.7, close to the typically observed value. Thus, contrary to what has sometimes been stated in the literature, most previous measurements of the ratio of ortho- to para-H2 in vibrationally excited states are entirely consistent with a total ortho-to-para ratio of 3, the equilibrium value for temperatures greater than 200 K. We present an analysis and several detailed models that illustrate the relationship between the total ratios of ortho- to para-H2 and the vibrationally excited ortho-to-para ratios in PDRs. Recent Infrared Space Observatory measurements of pure rotational and vibrational H2 emissions from the PDR in the star-forming region S140 provide strong observational support for our conclusions.

Description: We discuss several cosmological production mechanisms for nonthermal supermassive dark matter and argue that dark matter may he elementary particles of mass much greater than the weak scale. Searches for dark matter should ma be limited to weakly interacting particles with mass of the order of the weak scale, but should extend into the supermassive range as well.

Description: Our research focused on two topics. Lisa Prato investigated, as part of her PhD thesis research, the astrophysics of the spatially resolved components of young star binaries. Prato successfully defended her thesis research in August, 1998; Section 2 summarizes the part of her work supported by the Origins of Solar Systems Program. In the second year of the project, graduate student Tracy Beck began a study of structural inhomogeneities in the circumstellar disks of binaries that include an IR-luminous companion. Section 3 summarizes the results to date.

Description: This paper presents a final report and summary of research on Model Atmospheres for Novae in Outburst. Some of the topics include: 1) Detailed NLTE (non-local thermodynamic equilibrium) Model Atmospheres for Novae during Outburst: II. Modeling optical and ultraviolet observations of Nova LMC 1988 #1; 2) A Non-LTE Line-Blanketed Stellar Atmosphere Model of the Early B Giant epsilon CMa; 3) Spectroscopy of Low Metallicity Stellar atmospheres; 4) Infrared Colors at the Stellar/Substellar Boundary; 5) On the abundance of Lithium in T CrB; 6) Numerical Solution of the Expanding Stellar Atmosphere Problem; and 7) The NextGen Model Atmosphere grid for 3000 less than or equal to T (sub eff) less than or equal to 10000K.

Description: A summary of research activities carried out in this eighth and final progress report. The final report includes: this summary document, copies of three published research papers, plus a draft manuscript of a fourth research paper entitled "The Contribution of Ionizing Stars to the FarInfrared and Radio Emission in the Milky Way; Evidence for a Swept-up Shell and Diffuse Ionized Halo around the W4 Chimney/Supershell." The main activity during the final quarterly reporting period was research on W4, including analysis of the radio and far-infrared images, generation of shell models, a literature search, and preparation of a research manuscript. There will be additional consultation with co-authors prior to submission of the paper to the Astrophysical Journal. The results will be presented at the 4th Tetons Summer Conference on "Galactic Structure, Stars, and the ISM" in May 2000. In this fourth and last paper we show W4 has a swept-up partially ionized shell of gas and dust which is powered by the OCl 352 star cluster. Analysis shows there is dense interstellar material directly below the shell, evidence that that the lower W4 shell "ran into a brick wall" and stalled, whereas the upper W4 shell achieved "breakout" to form a Galactic chimney. An ionized halo is evidence of Lyman continuum leakage which ionizes the WIM (warm ionized medium). It has long been postulated that the strong winds and abundant ionizing photons from massive stars are responsible for much of the large scale structure in the interstellar medium (ISM), including the ISM in other galaxies. However standard HII region theory predicts few photons will escape the local HII region. The significance of W4 and this work is it provides a direct example of how stellar winds power a galactic chimney, which in turn leads to a low density cavity from which ionizing photons can escape to large distances to ionize the WIM.

Description: The work reported here is an extension of ongoing efforts in data reduction and modeling of the spectral reflectances of several objects in the outer Solar System. In general terms, this requires an evaluation of the data obtained at the telescope, conversion of those data into geometric albedo units, and the combination of individual spectrum segments into a complete spectrum over the wavelength interval of interest. The modeling effort to produce a synthetic spectrum of a given Solar System object requires the complex refractive indices (the optical constants) of candidate surface materials, including ices, minerals, and organic solids. Those indices are primarily available only through contacts with other researchers, including colleagues at NASA Ames and at other institutions. Once obtained, the indices must be convolved with the telescopic data and then used in a computational model to produce the required synthetic spectrum for comparison with the data obtained at the telescope. In this way, we reach a convergence on the chemical composition and microstructural properties of the surfaces of objects in the outer Solar System.

Description: This paper reports on the activities of the Minor Planet Center for the year of 1998. The main product of this center is the Minor Planet Circulars, augmented by the Minor Planet Circulars Supplement which is a new series introduced in 1997 to include the actual observations, which are now only summarized MPC. The introduction of the Daily Orbit Update (DOU) lists all the orbits computed and identification found since the previous issue. There has been a fivefold increase in the reported Near Earth Objects, which includes the addition of 55 potentially hazardous asteroids.

Description: Spectral line data for several coronally active stars, in addition to EUVE Deep Survey light curves, have been analysed under this program. Much difficulty has been encountered in the study that has resulted in fewer stars being analysed than had been hoped. The difficulties stemmed from the analysis of low X-ray spectra taken with the ASCA satellite that produced results that are strongly discrepant with respect to the EUVE results. There is no obvious explanation for this, though it appears that analysis of ASCA data systematically underestimate metal abundance in hot plasmas. Consequently, the final emphasis in our analyses has been on EUVE data. Observed line profiles have being fitted in order to measure their fluxes using IDL software specially developed under this and parallel efforts.The observed line profiles deviate from pure gaussian forms, but we have found the benefits of using additional functional forms in the fitting process to be of only very small value for the lines with highest S/N. The resulting line fluxes have being processed in terms of the coronal EM using new techniques. Resulting EM distribution models are being used to finalize metallicity and abundance estimates for the stars in the program. Special account of the influence of missing lines in the spectral models has been taken.

Description: The targets for this program, PG1416-129 and LBQS 2212-1759 were known to be Broad Absorption Line Quasars (BALQSOs). BALQSOs are highly absorbed in soft X-rays. Good high energy response of Rossi-XTE made them ideal targets for observation. We observed LBQS 2212-1759 with PCA. We have now analyzed the data and found that the source was not detected. Since our target was expected to be faint, reliable estimate of background was very important. With the release of new FTOOLS (version 4.1) we were able to do so. We also analyzed a well known bright object and verified our results with the published data. This gave us confidence in the non-detection of our target LBQS 2212-1759. We are currently investigating the implications of this non-detection. Due to some scheduling problems, our second target PG1416-129 was not observed in A01. It was observed on 06/26/98. This target was detected with RXTE. We are now working on the spectral analysis with XSPEC.

Description: We obtained multiwavelength coverage of the soft X-ray transient GRO J1655-40 during its 1996 outburst, using HST, RXTE, CGRO, and ground-based facilities. This outburst was qualitatively different from other SXT outbursts and from previous outbursts of this source. The onset of hard X-ray activity occurred very slowly, over several months, and was delayed relative to the soft X-ray rise. During this period, the optical fluxes declined steadily. This apparent anticorrelation is not consistent with with the standard disk instability model of SXT outbursts, nor is it expected if the optical output is dominated by reprocessed X-rays, as in persistent low-mass X-ray binaries. .

Description: This NASA grant supported the development of codes to solve the non-LTE multi-level spherical radiative transfer problem in the presence of velocity fields. Much of this work was done in collaboration with Graham Harper (CASA, University of Colorado). These codes were developed for application to the cool, low-velocity winds of evolved late-type stars. Particular emphasis was placed on modeling the wind of lambda Velorum (K4 lb), the brightest K supergiant in the sky, based on extensive observations of the ultraviolet spectrum with the HST/GHRS from GO program 5307. Several solution techniques were examined, including the Eddington factor Approach described in detail by Bennett & Harper (1997). An Eddington factor variant of Harper's S-MULTI code (Harper 1994) for stationary atmospheres was developed and implemented, although full convergence was not realized. The ratio of wind terminal velocity to turbulent velocity is large (approx. 0.3-0.5) in these cool star winds so this assumption of stationarity provides reasonable starting models. Final models, incorporating specified wind laws, were converged using the comoving CRD S-MULTI code. Details of the solution procedure were published by Bennett & Harper (1997). Our analysis of the wind of lambda Vel, based on wind absorption superimposed on chromospheric emission lines in the ultraviolet, can be found in Carpenter et al. (1999). In this paper, we compare observed wind absorption features to an exact CRD calculation in the comoving frame, and also to a much quicker, but approximate, method using the SEI (Sobolev with Exact Integration) code of Lamers, Cerruti-Sola, & Perinotto (1987). Carpenter et al. (1999) provide detailed comparisons of the exact CRD and approximate SEI results and discuss when SEI is adequate to use for computing wind line profiles. Unfortunately, the observational material is insufficient to unambiguously determine the wind acceleration law for lambda Vel. Relatively few unblended Fe II lines of optical depth sensitive to the wind acceleration region are present in the existing HST/GHRS data set. Most of the Fe II lines are either too optically thick (resulting in a board, black wind absorption profile) or too optically thin (resulting in no wind absorption feature present). Also, most of the ultraviolet spectra obtained from HST GO-5307 was at medium resolution (R approx. 40,000, corresponding to a velocity resolution of 7.5 km/s). This is simply inadequate to resolve the turbulence in the outer wind; a key parameter in theoretical wind models. We can now say that an unambiguous determination of the wind velocity law in lambda Vel will require complete coverage of the ultraviolet spectrum at high dispersion (R approx. 10(exp 5), or 3 km/s). This is now feasible usin, the STIS echelle spectrograph on-board HST.

Description: We carried out an Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) observation of WZ Sagittae, to obtain the first X-ray spec- trum and to search for an X-ray counterpart near the well-known optical signal of 27.87 s. At around the same epoch, we carried out a similar search in ultraviolet radiation with the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). These experiments were done to test the hypothesis that the signal arises from rapid white dwarf rotation. The result generally confirmed that hypothesis, because signals were apparently detected at 27.87 s in both UV and hard X-ray light. But the detailed results were somewhat confusing, not exactly as simple as we dreamed in the proposal. The X-ray signal only emerges with fairly subtle methods of data analysis: either a "period-biased" search, or a sorting of X-ray photons into hard/soft - thus the detections are slightly marred by the taint of a posterz'ori reasoning. The UV data suffer a different but also worrisome problem: although 27.87 s is definitely detected, it's weaker than two other signals, at 28.22 and 29.69 s. That's quite surprising - we expected that the UV power spectrum would be simple, on the grounds that the UV flux distribution is nearly a pure white dwarf. Considered in isolation, such behavior from a white dwarf should be considered evidence for the pulsation hypothesis. The X-ray spectrum was interesting, mostly by virtue of what it did not show. It was essentially a pure thermal bremsstrahlung with kT = 5 keV, with only a very weak Fe K complex. This probably signifies origin near the central white dwarf and heating from accretion (propellor heating farther out would give lower densities and more cooling by emission lines). We published a paper reporting most of these details (Patterson et al. (1998), PASP, 110, 403), Much of the world accepts now that WZ Sge contains a rapidly spinning white dwarf - the fastest spin of any accreting white dwarf.

Description: This proposal was designed to study pulse and orbital modulations in candidate DQ Herculis stars. Data on 5 stars were obtained. The best results were obtained on YY Draconis, which exhibited a strongly pulsed hard X-ray flux, and even suggested a transition between one-pole and two-pole emission during the course of the observation. This result is being readied for inclusion in a comprehensive study of YY Draconis. A strong pulsation appeared to be present also in H0857-242, but with a period of about 50 minutes, confusion with the first harmonic of the satellite's orbital frequency is possible. So that result is uncertain. A negative result was obtained on 4UO608-49 (V347 Pup), suggesting either that the X-ray identification is incorrect, or that the source is very transient. Finally, data was obtained on V1432 Aql and WZ Sge, respectively the slowest and fastest of these stars. Combined with the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) data, the high-energy data demonstrates the latter to contain a white dwarf rotating with P = 27.87 s. Optical photometry contemporaneous with the X-ray data was obtained of V1432 Aql, in order to study the variations in the eclipse waveform. As anticipated, the width and centroid of the eclipse appeared to vary with the 50-day "supercycle". A paper reporting this study is now in preparation.

Description: The basic theme of this program was the study of molecular complexity and evolution for the biogenic elements and compounds in interstellar clouds and in primitive solar system objects. Research included the detection and study of new interstellar and cometary molecules and investigation of reaction pathways for astrochemistry from a comparison of theory and observed molecular abundances. The latter includes studies of cold, dark clouds in which ion-molecule chemistry should predominate, searches for the effects of interchange of material between the gas and solid phases in interstellar clouds, unbiased spectral surveys of particular sources, and systematic investigation of the interlinked chemistry and physics of dense interstellar clouds. In addition, the study of comets has allowed a comparison between the chemistry of such minimally thermally processed objects and that of interstellar clouds, shedding light on the evolution of the biogenic elements during the process of solar system formation. One PhD dissertation on this research was completed by a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts. An additional 4 graduate students at the University of Massachusetts and 5 graduate students from other institutions participated in research supported by this grant, with 6 of these thus far receiving PhD degrees from the University of Massachusetts or their home institutions. Four postdoctoral research associates at the University of Massachusetts also participated in research supported by this grant, receiving valuable training.