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Research Highlights 1995-1997 NASNCR._.- _"7--- 207772, ,,....'_ ....__. Research Highlights 1995-1997 -, :.i_¸ !ii_i'i_i_ii!!/!i!i!:;-:II: Institute for Space Physics, Astrophysics & Education A Cooperative Agreement Between The University of Alabama in Huntsville • NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center • Universities Space Research Association 1995-1997 Highlights Table of Contents .........................................................................._;..{ Finding the smoking ,,,,un in gamma-ray. , bursts ....... p. 3 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiii!i!i!i_iiiiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiii_i:iiiii!iii:iiiiiii_i!i_i_i_i_i_iii:i:i!i_iii:iiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiii!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i_i_i_i!i!i!i_i!iii!i!i!ii` ::iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!_` What is a gamma-ray burst? !i!i!i!i!i!iii!i!i!i!i!_ii!i!iii!i!iii!i!i!iii!iii!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!iii!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!__i_i_i Playing peekaboo with gamma-ray bursts ............... p. 4 Red-shift data show bursts travel FAR Spectral pulses muddle burst source study . p. 5 !!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Einstein was right: Black holes do spin .................... p. 6 This is a cosmic ray detector? ........i!ii!i!i!_!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!_i_#_ Astronomers find 'one-man X-ray band' ................. p. 7 _:_:_:i_ii_iiiiii_iii_iii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iiiiiiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...................... .........._i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i_i................................................................ Cosmic rays. from th,e supernova next door? ... ........ p. 8 Solar Physics Bright burst confirms solar storm model ................. p. 9 Model predicts speed of solar wind in, pace p. I0 3-I) rendering of solar X-ray loops Angry sunspots snap under the strain ..................... p. ! I :iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iii_i_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_ Space Physics Plasma winds blow from polar regions ................... p. 14 De-SCIFERing thernml electrons ........................... p. 15 [!Vi lets scientists see daytime aurora .................... p. 16 outside our galaxy, the spin rate of a Astrophysicshe Institute forandSpaceEducationPhysics, black hole, and an optical source that (ISPAE) was established February 15, may be the origin of a gamma-ray burst. 1995 as a cooperative agreement among Using data from Antarctic balloon The University of Alabama in Hunts- flights, ISPAE scientists developed new ville, the Universities Space Research theories about the origins of high energy Association and NASA's Marshall Space cosmic rays. Flight Center. Support for future space science ISPAE's goal is to perform funda- missions was an important contribution Dr. Ken Harwell Dr. Greg Wilson mental research and advance technology during the first term of this cooperative in the areas of space physics and venture. Researchers engaged in analy- astrophysics. An additional goal is to use sis, experimentation and modeling for hen The University of Ala- space science research to improve future magnetospheric, solar and high bama in Huntsville joined science education. energy astronomy missions, including: with NASA's Marshall Space Flight As the first term of the institute • The IMAGE mission, scheduled for Center and the Universities Space agreement nears completion, numerous launch in early 2000, will produce "im- Research Association to create the scientific achievements have been made ages" of particles trapped in geospace; Institute for Space Physics, Astro- and reported in more than 200 scientific • Solar-B, a collaboration building on the physics and Education, this type of publications. This document presents a successful Japan/U. S. Yohkoh mission, cooperative program was both new few highlights of this exciting research. will reveal the mechanisms for solar and familiar. Scientific instruments aboard variability, the origins of space weather, NASA's Polar Mission have advanced Familiar because UAH, NASA and global climate change; our understanding of the complex • During Fall 1998, the Advanced X-Ray and USRA had a longstanding magnetosphere region. The Thermal Ion Astrophysics Facility, one of NASA's history of close association in both Dynamics Experiment has surveyed the "Great Observatories," will carry the research and teaching efforts. New, "polar wind" flowing out of the Earth's highest resolution X-ray mirror ever because ISPAE took that cooperation upper atmosphere into space, while the flown in space; and to a new level. Ultraviolet Imager (UVI), has examined • Gravity Probe-B, a mission to test As ISPAE partners, UAH, USRA auroral emissions from space and Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, and NASA are pleased to participate demonstrated that UVI can monitor the fundamental theory of gravitation, is in this report on highlights of re- energy flow into the Earth's atmosphere. on track for launch in 2000. search and educational activities Nearer Earth, ISPAE scientists In each of these upcoming missions, supported through ISPAE programs. measured extremely low-energy elec- ISPAE scientists perform research to trons over dayside auroras using instru- assure success and advance scientific We are proud of the contributions ments aboard a sub-orbital rocket. knowledge. that have been made toward improv- Solar scientists are striving to Improving science education is a ing our understanding of the sun, understand the sun-Earth connection. national and NASA priority. ISPAE is geospace and the universe. And we Studies include solar magnetic fields and engaged in an outreach program to are excited about the future develop- their effects in the photosphere, corona support this goal. In addition to training ment of this collaboration. and interplanetary medium. Using undergraduate and graduate students in MSFC's solar vector magnetograph and space physics and astrophysics, a observed X-ray images of the sun, program is being prepared to help space analyses and modeling, ISPAE research- scientists throughout the Southeast Kenneth E. Harwell, Ph.D., RE. ers made significant progress toward become involved in space science Sr. Vice President for Research understanding the solar atmosphere's education and outreach kindergarten fundamental physics and processes. through the early years of college. UAH The Tethered Satellite System mission showed that a tether flown in space can collect large currents from the ionosphere. One application under S.T. Wu, Ph.D. Greg Wilson, Ph.D. investigation by an ISPAE scientist is ISPAE Director Director, Space Science Lab using a tether for electrodynamic satellite UAH NASA/MSFC propulsion. The Burst and Transient Source Experiment aboard the Compton Gamma '_ ! eliotou, Ph.D. Ray Observatory has been involved in many discoveries, including a bursting ISPAE Deputy Director pulsar, evidence of bursting sources from USRA 2 _ii_':!i_iii_i!!!iil!i!!_i_ii!!i_!iiiii!i!!_i!ii!i!!!ili!i!ii_i_i!_!!il_i_i_i!iJ!iii_iiiiii___!!iil_i_!!_i!_iii_iii!_!iiiiii_iiiii!iiiiiii_ii!'_iiil!_i_!ii_iii_i!i!iii!_!iiiiiii!iiiii!iii_!!i!!ii;_iiiii_iii_iiiiii_iii_ili!iiiiliiilJi!iiii_ii_i!iiiii_i!i!iiii__iiii!iiiii!;ii!!ii_iillii_iiili_iil!ii!iiii!if!iiii_iiiiiiii!!i_ii!!iiiii_!i!ii!i_iiii!!i_iliiii!iiii_i!iii_i_i_i_!_i'!_i_i_i_!_!_i_!_i__i_!_i_!_i__i_!_i_i_!_i__!_i_i_i_i_i_i_!__i_i_i_i_iii_i__i_i__i_!iiii_i__''i_i_!iiiil_i_!__!_i_i_i_i_!_i_!__i_i_i_i_!__i_!_i_!'_!_!!iii!!!;i_i_!'!!i_!'i_!i!_i!ii!!!!iil!!filliliii_i!iii!ili!ii!!i!ii!!iiii!iiiiiii!iil!i!ii_!!i!iiiii!i!iiiiiiiliiiliiiiiiiliiii!iiii!!i!i!iii_!!ii!iiiii!!!!_!!iii!iliiiiii_i!!ii!i!iii!ii!iiiliiiiliii!!!i!iiii!!!!iii!!iiiliii!iilii!iiiil;!iiilliiiiiiiiii!iii!i!iiiiiiii!_iiiiill!ili!ii!i!!!iill!iiiiiili!iiiiiiiiii!!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiii!ii!!!iliiiiii!!iiliiiiiliiiliiiiiiiliiiii!iiiiiiiiiliiil!iiliiililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiili!iiiliiililiJi!!iiTiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiilili_iii_ii_ii_T_iiii_Ji_i_iii!iiiTi_i_iiiiTii_i_i_i!i!iiiii_iiiiii_ii_iii_ii__ Finding the smoking gun in gamma-ray bursts a galaxy provides new Aflash of light from distant evidence that cosmic bursts of gamma radiation which sweep past the Earth come from the distant reaches of the universe. And that would mean the gamma-ray bursts come from cosmic events which release in seconds as much energy as our sun will emit in its ten-billion-year-life. An ISPAE-supported team led by Dr. Jan van Paradijs, the Pei-Ling Chan eminent scholar in physics at The University of Alabama in Huntsville and a professor of astronomy at the University of Amsterdam, has identified a dim, distant galaxy as the possible source of a gamma-ray burst that swept through the sky on Feb. 28, 1997. The team used data from three satellites, two optical observatories and a radio observatory in its attempt to pinpoint the burst's origin. Detailed results of the research were published in the scientific journal "Nature." These findings are forcing many astrophysicists to rethink their theories about the origins of these violent explosions
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