Netherlands Institute for Space Research

About: Netherlands Institute for Space Research is a facility organization based out in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Galaxy & Neutron star. The organization has 737 authors who have published 3026 publications receiving 106632 citations. The organization is also known as: SRON & Space Research Organisation Netherlands.

100 μm and 160 μm emission as resolved star-formation rate estimators in M 33 (HERM33ES)

Abstract: Context. Over the past few years several studies have provided estimates of the SFR (star-formation rate) or the total infrared luminosity from just one infrared band. However these relations are generally derived for entire galaxies, which are known to contain a large scale diffuse emission that is not necessarily related to the latest star-formation episode. Aims. We provide new relations to estimate the SFR from resolved star-forming regions at 100 μm and 160 μm. Methods. We select individual star-forming regions in the nearby (840 kpc) galaxy M33. We estimate the SFR combining the emission in Hα and at 24 μm to calibrate the emission at 100 μm and 160 μm as SFR estimators, as mapped with PACS/Herschel. The data are obtained in the framework of the HERM33ES open time key program. Results. There is less emission in the HII regions at 160 μm than at 100 μm. Over a dynamic range of almost 2 dex in Σ_(SFR) we find that the 100 μm emission is a nearly linear estimator of the SFR, whereas that at 160 μm is slightly superlinear. Conclusions. The behaviour of individual star-forming regions is surprisingly similar to that of entire galaxies. At high Σ_(SFR), star formation drives the dust temperature, whereas uncertainties and variations in radiation-transfer and dust-heated processes dominate at low Σ_(SFR). Detailed modelling of both galaxies and individual star forming regions will be needed to interpret similarities and differences between the two and assess the fraction of diffuse emission in galaxies.

The low-luminosity accretion disc wind of the black hole transient V4641 Sagittarii

Abstract: We present an optical spectroscopic study of the black hole X-ray transient V4641 Sgr (=SAX J1819.3-2525) covering the 1999, 2002 and 2004 outbursts. The spectra were taken over 22 different epochs during the low luminosity phases that follow the sharp and bright outburst peaks displayed by the system. The data reveal the frequent presence of wind-related features in H (Balmer) and He I emission lines in the form of P-Cygni profiles and strong emission lines with broad wings. The terminal velocity of the wind, as measured in the blue-shifted absorption (P-Cygni) components, is in the range of ~ 900-1600 km/s, while the broad emission line wings (so-called nebular phases) imply outflow velocities of up to ~3000 km/s. We show that, at least for several of the wind detections, the radio jet was active and the system was likely in the hard state. This, together with previous detections reported in the literature, shows that V4641 Sgr is the second source of this class, after V404 Cyg, where the presence of these cold wind outflows has been clearly established. We discuss the similar phenomenology observed in both systems as well as the possible nature of the outflow and its impact on the accretion process.

The widespread occurence of water vapor in the circumstellar envelopes of carbon-rich AGB stars: first results from a survey with Herschel/HIFI

Abstract: We report the preliminary results of a survey for water vapor in a sample of eight C stars with large mid-IR continuum fluxes: V384 Per, CIT 6, V Hya, Y CVn, IRAS 15194-5115, V Cyg, S Cep, and IRC+40540. This survey, performed using the HIFI instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory, entailed observations of the lowest transitions of both ortho- and para-water: the 556.936 GHz 1(10)-1(01) and 1113.343 GHz 1(11)-0(00) transitions, respectively. Water vapor was unequivocally detected in all eight of the target stars. Prior to this survey, IRC+10216 was the only carbon-rich AGB star from which thermal water emissions had been discovered, in that case with the use of the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS). Our results indicate that IRC+10216 is not unusual, except insofar as its proximity to Earth leads to a large line flux that was detectable with SWAS. The water spectral line widths are typically similar to those of CO rotational lines, arguing against the vaporization of a Kuiper belt analog (Ford & Neufeld 2001) being the general explanation for water vapor in carbon-rich AGB stars. There is no apparent correlation between the ratio of the integrated water line fluxes to the 6.3 micron continuum flux - a ratio which measures the water outflow rate - and the total mass-loss rate for the stars in our sample.

Noise in NbTiN, Al, and Ta Superconducting Resonators on Silicon and Sapphire Substrates

Abstract: We present measurements of the frequency noise and resonance frequency temperature dependence in planar superconducting resonators on both silicon and sapphire substrates. We show, by covering the resonators with sputtered SiOx layers of different thicknesses, that the temperature dependence of the resonance frequency scales linearly with thickness, whereas the observed increase in noise is independent of thickness. The frequency noise decreases when increasing the width of the coplanar waveguide in NbTiN on hydrogen passivated silicon devices, most effectively by widening the gap. We find up to an order of magnitude more noise when using sapphire instead of silicon as substrate. The complete set of data points towards the noise being strongly affected by superconductor-dielectric interfaces.