star pdf file

The phenomenon of gravitational radiation was one of the first predictions of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
Progress in understanding this radiation theoretically was slow at first, owing to the difficulty of the nonlinear field equations
and the subtleties of their physical effects. The experimental side of this subject also has taken a long time to develop, with
efforts at detection severely challenged by the extreme weakness of the waves impinging on the Earth. However, as the 21st
century begins, observations of the gravitational waves from astrophysical sources such as black holes, neutron stars, and
stellar collapse are expected to open a new window on the universe. Vigorous experimental programs centered on
ground-based detectors are being carried out worldwide, and a space-based detector is in the planning stages. On the
theoretical side, much effort is being expended to produce robust models of the astrophysical sources and accurate calculations
of the waveforms they produce. In this Resource Letter, a set of basic references will be presented first, to provide a general
introduction to and overview of the literature in this field. The focus then will shift to highlighting key resources in more
specialized areas at the forefront of current research.
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Astrophysics; Gravitational Waves; Periodicals; Relativity
20030031330 Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO, USA
XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory Guest Observer program (AO-1) at CASA
Skinner, Stephen L.; Astrophysical Journal; [2003]; Volume 572, Part 1, pp. 477; In English
Contract(s)/Grant(s): NAG5-10362; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A01, Hardcopy
In this research program, we obtained and analyzed X-ray observations of the Wolf-Rayet (WR) star WR 110 (HD
165688) using the XMM-Newton space-based observatory. Radio observations were also obtained using the Very Large Array
(VLA) radio telescope located in New Mexico and operated by the Natl. Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). This star
was targeted for observations primarily because it is believed to be a single WR star without a companion. Single WR stars
are thought to emit X-rays from cool plasma in shocks distributed throughout their powerful stellar winds. However, there has
been little observational work done to test this idea since single WR stars are relatively weak X-ray sources and have been
difficult to detect with previous generation telescopes. The launch of XMM-Newton provides a new telescope that is much
more sensitive than its predecessors, allowing single WR stars to be studied in detail for the first time. X-ray emission was
clearly detected from WR 110. Analysis of its spectrum yields a surprising result. Its X-ray emitting plasma is distributed over
a range of temperatures and is dominated by relatively cool plasma with a characteristic temperature T is approximately 6
million K. Such plasma can be explained by existing theoretical wind shock models. However, the spectrum also shows hotter
plasma whose temperature is uncertain but is thought to be in excess of T approximately 30 million K. The origin of this hotter
plasma is yet unknown, but possible mechanisms are identified
Author
Wolf-Rayet Stars; Plasmas (Physics); Radio Astronomy; Stellar Structure; X Ray Astronomy; X Ray Spectra; Stellar Winds
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LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
Includes planetology; selenology; meteorites; comets; and manned and unmanned planetary and lunar flights. For spacecraft design or
space stations see 18 Spacecraft Design, Testing and Performance.
20030020925 NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
WOBBLE: A Proposed Mission to Characterize Past and Present Water on Mars
Udrea, Bogdan; Delory, Greg; Landis, Geoffrey; Duvet, Ludovic; Choudhuri, Ahsan; Prina, Mauro; Moreels, Pierre; Bedard,
Donald; Furano, Gianluca; [2002]; 9 pp.; In English; 53rd International Astronautical Congress, 10-19 Oct. 2002, Houston,
TX, USA
Report No.(s): IAF-02-Q.3.2.03; E-13687; Copyright; Avail: CASI; A02, Hardcopy
WOBBLE (’Water Observations from a Balloon Borne Light Explorer‘) is a mission concept study for a small robotic
probe to explore Mars and to accomplish a scientific mission compatible with the goals of the NASA Code S enterprise. The
detection of past or present water is a crucial goal for Mars exploration, representing a cross-cutting science theme relevant
to past or extant life, climate history, sample return missions and eventual human exploration. The WOBBLE mission concept
was developed to study evidence of water using in-situ detection methods. The features on Mars most suited to this
investigation are the gullies identified by Malin and Edgett as evidence for recent, near-surface runoff of liquid water. These
features are typically located on the inside face of crater rims, where the local slope angle is at or near the angle of repose.
This makes the terrain difficult or impossible to access with conventional wheeled rover technology. Combined with the small
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