m Smithsonian Institution NO. 100 SPRING 2000 Research Reports
ASTROPHYSICS Center in Huntsville, Ala., and TRW, an reason. X-ray mirrors have to be specially automotive, space defense and information shaped, then aligned nearly parallel to technology company headquartered in incoming X-rays. These barrel-shaped mir- Chandra X-ray Observatory: On a Cleveland, Ohio. (See the article on Page 2 rors are nested one inside the other to for details on the Chandra X-ray Center.) increase the collection area and thereby the sensitivity of the telescope. mission to explore the hot universe Studying X-rays Chandra's telescope consists of four pairs The high energies of X-rays, which are of such mirrors. These mirrors are the By Wallace Tucker and KarenTucker invisible forms of light, have two impor- smoothest mirrors ever constructed. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory tant consequences for astronomers. First, largest of the mirrors is almost four feet in they are absorbed by the atmosphere, so diameter and three feet long. These Liftoff. We have liftoff of Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. telescopes must be placed on spacecraft unique mirrors enable Chandra to make Columbia. Reaching new "Many talented and dedicated people here that travel above the atmosphere in order images 25 times sharper than any previous heights for women and have played key roles in the transformation to detect them. Second, X-ray telescopes or planned X-ray telescope. X-ray astronomy! of a grand vision into a working telescope must be constructed differently than opti- Two sensitive, electronic X-ray cameras Those w^ords from that promises to revolutionize our under- cal telescopes. are used to collect the X-rays focused by Kennedy Space Center com- standing of the high-energy universe." X-rays will reflect off mirrors, the mirrors. Scientists specify which cam- mentator Lisa Malone on the evening of Tananbaum no"w serves as the director but only if they strike at graz- era "will be at the focus for their observa- July 23, 1999, were music to the ears of of the Chandra X-ray Center, which ~ ing angles, like tion. The High Resolution Camera•con- hundreds of Smithsonian scientists and controls operations of the observa- a stone ceived, designed and constructed at staff. Many of them had been waiting for a tory under contract to NASA. SAO • uses an array of 69 million tiny week•make that 23 years in the case of The center is located at glass tubes and a grid of electrically Harvey Tananbaum•for the space shuttle the Smithsonian charged wires to determine the position to deliver the National Aeronautics and Astrophysical and arrival time of each individual X-ray. Space Administration's Chandra X-ray Observatory in In addition, the camera reconstructs a Observatory into space. Cambridge, high-resolution image of the celestial Eight hours later, under the direction of Mass. source of the X-rays. Col. Eileen Collins, the first female com- The The other camera, a product of the mander of a space shuttle mission, Chan- Chandra Massachusetts Institute of Technology and dra was gently pushed away from the shut- project is Pennsylvania State University, is the tle. Over the next two weeks, two separate managed Advanced Charge-Coupled Device Imag- rocket systems would fire a total of seven byNASAs ing Spectrometer, or ACIS, "which works times and boost Chandra to its operating Marshall much like a camcorder or digital camera. Earth orbit, an ellipse that ranges from Space It contains 10 X-ray-sensitive charged cou- approximately 6,000 miles at its low point Flight pled devices, or CCD chips, each with to about 86,500 miles at its high point. more than a million pixels, or "detection The Chandra X-ray Observatory, named elements," to record the position and in honor of one of the foremost astrophysi- energy, or color, of the X-rays. cists of the 20th century, the late Nobel Even more details about the energy of Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the incoming X-rays can be obtained by joins the Hubble Space Telescope and the inserting two screenlike instruments, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory as the called transmission gratings, into the path third in NASA's fleet of four great observa- of the X-rays. The gratings, built by MIT tories. They are designed to observe the and the Space Research Organization of cosmos from infrared through gamma-ray the Netherlands, disperse the X-rays into a "wavelengths. The fourth observatory, the high-energy rainbow, containing thou- Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or sands of distinct X-ray colors. SIRTE, is slated for launch in 2001. As the follo"wing sample of recent obser- In its first months of operation, Chandra vations shows, Chandra has already begun gave astronomers an unprecedented look to transform astronomy. at the extreme universe of black holes, exploding stars and galaxy clusters. Star birth "Chandra is everything we ever hoped for One of Chandra's early targets was the and more," says Tananbaum, who, along brilliant Orion star cluster, a cosmic "with Riccardo Giacconi, wrote the first birthing ground for stars. Stars in the proposal in 1976 to fund the Chandra Orion cluster were formed during the last project. fe"w million years, so they are infants com- "It is one of the most significant astron- The crew of the space shuttle Columbia pause in front of the launch pad before their historic pared "with our 4.5-billion-year-old sun. omy missions of our time and a great flight into space. From left. Mission Specialist MichelTognini, Pilot Jeffrey Ashby, Flight source of pride to SAO," says Irwin Commander Eileen Collins and mission specialists Steven Hawley and Catherine Coleman. 'Chandra, ' continued on Page 6 Shapiro, director of SAO and the Harvard- (Photo courtesy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Special Issue: The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Work on the Chandra X-ray Observatory Research Vistas, 2 • Research Highlights, Series, Books & Recordings, 7 • Off the Shelf, 8 Research Vistas
A tradition of research • Some readers of this special issue devoted to the Chandra
X-ray Observatory may be surprised to discover the central role of the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass., in the development of this spacecraft and in the history of X-ray astronomy.
Other readers may be just as surprised to discover that the Institution even has an
"observatory," especially one making observations across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, using a variety of Earth- and space-based instruments. In addition to X-ray astronomy, researchers at SAO conduct experiments in laboratory astrophysics, studies in geophysics and earth sciences, and research in science education.
In fact, the Smithsonian has had an observatory since 1890, when the Institution's third secretary, Samuel Pierpont Langley, founded SAO to study what he called "the new astronomy." He was referring to what we now know as astrophysics, a then-revolutionary Dan Shropshire, left, and Eric IVIartin, both of TRW, monitor the progress of the Chandra notion that one might study the physical nature of astronomical bodies, as well as their X-ray Observatory in the Operations Control Center managed for the National Aeronautics positions and motions. and Space Administration by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. (Jon Chase photo)
The first half of SAO's scientific life was devoted primarily to solar research, until the ASTROPHYSICS dawn of the Space Age, when the observatory moved to Cambridge, Mass. From there, SAO embarked on a multifaceted research program, eventually encompassing almost Chandra X-ray Observatory opens up every major field in modern astronomy and astrophysics•from the study of large-scale structures in the universe to the composition of comets in our solar system. Today, SAO a 'whole new world' of astronomy is part of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. It boasts more than 800 By Wallace Tucker and KarenTucker staff, major field observatories atop mountains in Arizona and Hawaii, and experiments Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory aboard a host of orbiting spacecraft. Together, SAO and its partner, the Harvard College As a precedent-setting example of Operations team and the Flight Opera- Observatory, form the world's largest center for basic research in astrophysics. the National Aeronautics and tions team then work together to "run the But SAO is not alone among Smithsonian research centers in its pursuit of knowledge Space Administration's initiative load" by sending a series of commands up to streamline the operations of from the Operations Control Center to or in its prominence in the international scientific community. The Smithsonian its space science missions, the Chandra Chandra via NASA's Deep Space Network, Tropical Research Institute in Panama is a world leader in tropical biology, geology and X-ray Observatory is operated by the "which has stations in California, Spain and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Australia. anthropology. Field biologists come each year to STRI's natural "laboratory" on Barro Cambridge, Mass. Chandra, the largest When the observation•which may Colorado Island to study the complex and delicate ecosystems of the rain forest, while space observatory ever operated outside of take anywhere from an hour to three days a NASA facility, is now receiving data at marine scientists pursue research at stations on Panama's Atlantic and Pacific coasts. an all-purpose facility in Cambridge called 'Operations, ' continued on Page 6 Similarly, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is in its 35 th year of the Chandra X-ray Center. The center, which is operated under a studying the relationships between land and estuarine environments, the interactions of contract with NASA's Marshall Space fresh and salt water, and the impact of human activity on coastal ecosystems. From its Flight Center, is a collaboration of person- II jbdUb«MdttIoiÜttttlab nel from SAO and the Massachusetts main laboratories and field stations on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay, SERC research Institute of Technology. TRW, an automo- radiates to sites around the world. tive, space defense and information tech- RemrchRsports nology company, is the prime contractor In addition to SAO, STRI and SERC, there are more than a half-dozen other centers for Chandra. The center is directed by No. 100 Spring 2000 of research at the Smithsonian•ranging from the Archives of American Art to the Harvey Tananbaum and managed by Published quarterly by the Smithsonian Office Roger Brissenden, both of SAO. Center for Latino Initiatives, where scholars come to use the Institution's matchless col- of Public Affairs, Smithsonian Institution Build- Chandra was activated during a three- ing, Room 354, Washington, D.C. 20560-0033, w^eek period after launch last July. The lections of artifacts, specimens, books and papers. Moreover, every Smithsonian for Smithsonian Contributing Members, scholars, Chandra X-ray Center's routine is to serve museum has its own research staff and facilities. For example, the Center for Earth and educators, museum personnel, libraries, journal- as the space science equivalent of a one- ists and others. To request this publication in an stop shopping superstore. From the time Planetary Studies is part of the National Air and Space Museum, and the Smithsonian accessible format, call (202) 357-2627, ext. 124 that a scientist types out a proposal and Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Fla., is part of the National Museum of Natural History. (voice) or (202) 357-1729 (TTY). sends it to the center until the happy days Much of the research at these extraordinary centers is never seen or appreciated by w^hen data are received and findings pub- David Umansky, Communications Director lished, the center is involved. Kathryn Lindeman, Associate Director the general public. For most Americans, the Smithsonian is identified with the great Jo Ann Webb, Editor museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Nonetheless, the Institution has Behind-the-scenes support Colleen Hershberger, Production Assistant The User Support group organizes peer conducted visionary basic research since its beginnings. Occasionally, the Smithsonian's Telephone: (202) 357-2627 review of proposals from aspiring E-mail: [email protected] observers. For the first year of observation, long-term, behind-the-scenes basic research bursts into public consciousness with dis- Internet: w"ww.si.edu/researchreports about 800 proposals were submitted from coveries of both scientific significance and stunning beauty. Such is the case with the around the "world, and about 200 "were Contributing Members who seek information Chandra images of the cosmos. We hope you enjoy the fruits of this special synergy accepted. Successful proposals are passed about the Smithsonian or about their member- along to the Mission Planning group, ships may write to The Contributing Member- between "increase and diffusion" of knowledge at the Smithsonian. "which uses input from the Calibration ship, Smithsonian Institution, 900 Jefferson •Dennis O'Connor, Under Secretary for Science, Smithsonian Institution group and the Science Operations team to Drive S.W., Room 1479, Washington, D.C. schedule the observation. The Science 20560-0410, or call 1 (800) 931-32CM.
2 • Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2000 ASTROPHYSICS Forman emphasized the need to carefully revie"w the procedures to maintain space- craft safety. Outreach and Education In pursuit of a target of opportunity, Anil Dosaj, an SAO mission planner in The Education and Outreach program the Science Mission Planning group, vol- at the Chandra X-ray Center covers a unteered to come in and prepare the offi- full range of activities, "which include Chandra rises to the occasion cial Observation Request file to observe producing and distributing electronic the supernova. At 3:42 p.m., Dosaj noti- and print materials to lay and profes- By Wallace Tucker and KarenTucker fied Tananbaum that the "load" could be sional audiences and developing educa- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory replaced by 2 a.m. Monday morning. tional materials to acquaint students For the next five hours, the team worked and teachers with astrophysical The first Chandra rapid-response an e-mail message to key team members, furiously, with Lewin and Derek Fox, an research and discovery. observation of an exploding star asking for their advice and counsel. MIT graduate student, consulting with The Chandra X-ray Center's Web site began one Friday afi:ernoon in Pat Slane, a principal investigator on the Plucinsky and Royce Buehler of MIT's at chandra.harvard.edu has received October 1999. Alex Fillipenko, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's AGIS team to plan the details of the obser- more than 27 million hits and 28 an astronomer at the University of Califor- Chandra Science Mission Planning team, vation. When they were finished, Bris- awards for design and content. It con- nia at Berkeley, notified Robert Kirshner, "was the first to respond, and he passed the senden called the team together for a final tains a wealth of information about the associate director of optical and infrared word along to William Forman, an SAO review at 9 p.m. satellite. Visitors can get information astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer and head of the group. Soon, Team members present were Jeff Shirer on the construction of the satellite, Center for Astrophysics, that his supernova e-mail messages and phone calls were zip- of TRW's Flight Operations team, Buehler, technology involved in making the search project had a good candidate in a ping back and forth across Cambridge • Dosaj, Slane, Forman and Marsh. Addi- mirror and general background infor- relatively nearby spiral galaxy, NGC 1637. and the country•as the pros and cons of tional SAO members with responsibilities mation on the types of astronomical In this case, "nearby" meant about 25 mil- the observation were discussed. for other aspects of the mission included objects and questions that Chandra is lion light-years from Earth! In the meantime, the scientists needed Rob Cameron, Jon Chapell and Gerry designed to investigate. In addition, Wei Dong Li, a visiting astronomer to juggle their professional and personal Austin. there are educational games and puz- from the Beijing Astronomical Observa- responsibilities, including their children's zles for children and a "photo album" tory who was working "with Fillipenko's Halloween parties. (Slane managed to The results of images taken from Chandra. group, called his colleagues in Beijing, attend his child's party and stay in touch "The review is complete and there are no An array of other materials, including w^ho made confirming observations of the "with the center. He went as a vampire with issues," Brissenden reported to Tanan- classroom modules, slide sets for the supernova, which was given the official a cell phone.) baum. "Overall, a good effort from the public, activities for young children nameSN1999em. team...." and ne"w science materials are in devel- Kirshner's group at the Smithsonian's -i-i- _ --jntdown All that remained was the "wait for the opment. A documentary film is in pro- Whipple Observatory in Arizona took a At 9:59 a.m. on Sunday, SAO's Roger Bris- time slot (late Monday afternoon) to duction and expected to be released spectrum of the object on Saturday. The senden, manager of the Chandra X-ray uplink to Chandra and for the spacecraft this year. spectrum showed that the object was a Center, weighed in "\virh practical consid- to slew over to and point on the source. Type II supernova, an explosion produced by the collapse of the core of a star 10 or explosion. The intense heat generated in more times as massive as the sun. Such the collapse of the original star produced a supernovae are of great interest to cosmol- cataclysmic rebound that sent high-speed ogists such as Kirshner, for these super- debris flying outward at speeds in excess of novae can serve as heavenly milestones SolMiiT^rm 20 million miles per hour. The debris helping to mark cosmic distances. crashed into matter shed by the former Interrupting a late dinner, Kirshner sent star before the explosion. This awesome an e-mail message to Harvey Tananbaum, collision generated shock waves that director of the Chandra X-ray Center, heated the expanding debris to millions of around 11 p.m. "There's a bright super- degrees. (MHQ nova in NGC 1637," he wrote. After giv- The X-ray glow from this hot gas ing some of the details, Kirshner signed detected by Chandra provides astrophysi- off, "Explosively yours, Bob." cists "with a better understanding of the dynamics of the explosion, as well as the A brewing dilemmi. behavior of the doomed star in the years The discovery presented a dilemma for the before its explosion. Chandra team. On the one hand, a super- A schematic illustration of the Chandra X-ray telescope shows its complex mirror assembly. "The combination of X-ray detection nova this close to Earth goes off only once and radio nondetection is unusual, but every five or 10 years, and it would be the may have less to do "with the supernova first time ever that an X-ray telescope "with erations, such as pointing problems and "which would take about half an hour. The and more to do with the great sensitivity Chandra's sensitivity had looked at a ne"w how to interrupt the "load"•the semi- observation began at 6:37 p.m. Monday of Chandra," says Roger Chevalier, a pro- supernova. It definitely qualified as a Tar- automated program already in place to and continued for several hours. It would fessor at the University of Virginia, Char- get of Opportunity, or TOO, which is an direct Chandra's operations for a "week. then take a "week or so to analyze the data. lottesville, and a supernova expert. exceptional and fleeting astronomical Ken Gage or Kevin Marsh, TRW mission "I "was impressed by ho"w rapid the Chevalier explained that the combined event for which Chandra's normal•and planners on the Flight Operations team, Chandra response was," Kirshner says. "It observations indicate that SN1999em prescheduled•observing program could "would have to be brought in to write the typically takes a "week for the Hubble shed a relatively small amount of matter be interrupted. necessary soft"ware to do the interruption. Space Telescope to be reprogrammed for before it exploded, compared with other On the other hand, implementation of At 10:29 a.m., Walter Lewin, a scientist such an opportunity." supernovae observed in X-rays. The Chan- an accepted, coordinated, "quick-response" at the Massachusetts Institute of Technol- In its first special TOO operation, dra observation is important because it TOO Program was not planned to begin ogy, urged Tananbaum to "go for this one! Chandra observed an X-ray glo"w from may represent a more common type of until the Chandra X-ray Center had more A unique chance that we have been hoping SN1999em with the total power of 50,000 supernova. experience running the space observatory, for!" suns. Ten days later, it observed the super- A little more than two months after out- learning about its quirks and testing the At 10:59 a.m., Paul Plucinsky, an SAO nova for another nine hours and found burst, radio emission was detected, proba- soft"ware used to command it. astrophysicist and member of the Chandra that the X-rays had faded to half their pre- bly signaling the arrival of the shock wave Center's Advanced Charge-Coupled vious intensity. The optical luminosity, at the outer shell. Making a decision Device Imaging Spectrometer, or AGIS, which had the brightness of 200 million Another Chandra observation of Tananbaum decided to go for it, pending a team, passed along information on the suns, had some"what faded. No radio emis- SN1999em is scheduled for the near review by various experts on the risks and instrument, which would be useful for the sion was detected at any time. future and is eagerly awaited by supernova rewards of such an undertaking. Shortly actual observation. With this information, the MIT group specialists around the world. after 9 a.m. on Sunday, Tananbaum sent At 11:30 a.m., Li supplied an updated and their colleagues began piecing position of the supernova. At 11:42 a.m.. together a picture of the catastrophic
Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2000 • 3 PROFILES Getting Chandra into orbit was the work of a team back on Earth
By Wallace Tucker and KarenTucker Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Tike all major space science pro- sible for overseeing operation of the space jects, the success of the Chandra observatory and providing support to its X-ray Observatory is due to the scientific users. The launch and operation contributions of literally hun- of Chandra was the culmination of a life- dreds of individuals•at the Smithsonian long commitment for Tananbaum, who Astrophysical Observatory; the National had been working in X-ray astronomy Aeronautics and Space Administration; the since his graduate days at MIT. Motivated Massachusetts Institute of Technology; by the space program, Tananbaum's thesis Pennsylvania State University; TRW, an was on a mysterious type of cosmic X-ray automotive, space defense and information source. Later, he was involved with the technology company; and dozens of other Uhuru X-ray satellite and, after joining academic, industrial and commercial SAO, with the Einstein Observatory. partners. In 1976, Tananbaum and Riccardo Martin Elvis At the Smithsonian Astrophysical Obser- Giacconi, along with SAO astrophysicists vatory alone, scores of people•adminis- Paul Gorenstein, Rick Harnden, Pat trators, secretaries, contract specialists, Henry, Ed Kellogg, Stephen Murray, Herb Cambridge, the shuttle flight crew pre- With his wife, Giuseppina Fabbiano, computer programmers, purchasing agents Schnopper and Leon Van Speybroeck, sented Brissenden with the coveted "Silver Elvis is a partner in one of the two and even public affairs writers•provided submitted a proposal to NASA for the Snoopy Award," the astronauts' own spe- husband-and-wife astronomer teams work- behind-the-scenes support of the scientific "Study of the 1.2-Meter X-ray Telescope cial tribute recognizing his extraordinary ing on Chandra. The other couple is endeavor that would lead to Chandra's new National Space Observatory." "contributions to the success and safety" of Christine Jones and William Forman. visions of the universe. The next year, preliminary work began the Chandra mission. at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Giuseppina Fabbiano Irwin Shapiro Huntsville, Ala., and at SAO on the Dan Schwart An SAO astrophysicist who has been Irwin Shapiro has been the director of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (later Involved in the Chandra project at SAO involved in X-ray astronomy since 1973, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astro- renamed Chandra). since 1984, Dan Schwartz served as the Giuseppina "Pepi" Fabbiano has made physics and SAO, both in Cambridge, In 1981, Tananbaum became the SAO project scientist for the Mission Support groundbreaking contributions to the study Mass., since 1983. As director of the cen- team leader, overseeing SAO's mission team. The team consisted of a group of of the X-ray properties of galaxies. She also ters, he oversees the research of hundreds study and mirror development efforts. some 40 scientists, engineers and other is working to develop large-area, high-res- of scientists. Under his leadership, the cen- During this period, he also served as asso- technical professionals who developed the olution X-ray telescopes that can further ters have embarked on several major ciate director for high-energy astrophysics technical requirements, evaluated the these studies in the future. research initiatives in addition to Chandra. at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for prime contractors and provided indepen- She has a long-standing interest and Those initiatives include the develop- Astrophysics. In 1991, he was appointed dent technical analysis of the X-ray optics, involvement in issues of scientific data pro- ment of a unique array of telescopes to be director of the Chandra X-ray Center. coatings and alignments of the mirrors. used for submillimeter astronomy; the Since 1991, he also has been the leader conversion of the Multiple Mirror Tele- Roger Brissenden of the Development and Operations Sci- scope in Amado, Ariz., to a single-mirror A graduate of the University of Adelaide in ence Support group in the Chandra X-ray instrument 6.5 meters in diameter; partici- Australia, Roger Brissenden received his Center. The group is responsible for moni- pation in a consortium to build two 6.5- toring the focal plane instruments and the meter-diameter optical telescopes; and the aspect camera, especially in the pre- establishment of a Science Education launch, launch, activation and checkout Department. operation phases of Chandra's life. For the last four years, Schwartz has Harvey Tananbaum served as the Science Operations team Harvey Tananbaum, director of the SAO- coordinator, working with the Flight operated Chandra X-ray Center, is respon- Operations team to carry out the overall mission. When Schwartz is not working on the Chandra project, he enjoys playing soccer Giuseppina Fabbiano and visiting historical and natural sites throughout the country. cessing and archiving. Thus, as head of the IVIartin Elvis Chandra X-ray Center's Data Systems Martin Elvis has been with the Chandra Division, she leads those scientists and X-ray Center since its beginning in the computer specialists responsible for the 1980s. But even before Chandra, he development of Chandra data-processing Roger Brissenden worked on SAO's Einstein Observatory and analysis software. She also oversees the project in a succession of roles. processing and archiving of Chandra data In addition, he worked with Einstein and the distribution of data and software doctorate in astronomy from the Aus- data to produce the first X-ray spectra of to the scientific community. tralian National University in 1990•the quasars, which, when combined with data same year he joined SAO as a software sci- from other spacecraft, mapped out the Claude Cañizares entist for the Chandra mission. Within powerful quasar light sources across the Claude Cañizares is the Bruno Rossi Pro- three years, he was named manager of the w^hole spectrum. fessor of Experimental Physics at MIT and Chandra X-ray Center. And in 1997, he For Chandra, Elvis is leading the team director of its Center for Space Research. assumed the additional role of flight direc- that has defined new software tools that He is a principal investigator for the Chan- tor for the Chandra mission. enable astronomers to analyze and inter- dra X-ray Center, leading the development On Oct. 26, 1999, during a post-launch pret the observatory's detailed three- and Harvey Tananbaum visit to the Operations Control Center in four-dimensional images and spectra. 'Chandra team, ' continued on Page 5
4 • Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2000 'Chandra team, ' continued from Page 4 for Outstanding Technical Leadership dur- ing the development of the mirror fabrica- of the High-Resolution Transmission Grat- tion program. ing Spectrometer. In addition, he is associate director of Martin Weissl
Stephen Murray Stephen Murray is principal investigator centrated on laboratory measurements of for the High-Resolution Camera, the X-ray reflectivity, work that resulted in the imaging instrument conceived and con- selection of iridium as the coating material structed by SAO. A member of the origi- for the Chandra optics. He also partici- nal group of young X-ray astronomers who pated in testing the Chandra mirrors joined SAO in the mid-1970s, Murray has before flight and now serves on Chandra's been actively involved in what was called Mission Planning team. the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility Slane's own research includes the study program (later renamed Chandra) since of supernova remnants. As principal inves- the initial proposals for an orbiting tele- tigator on three approved research pro- scope were sent to NASA more than two Lester Cohen grams, he will use Chandra to observe decades aeo. supernova remnants and neutron stars.
Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2000 • 5 gravity of a black hole pulls gas and dust No"w, t"wo teams of astronomers, one led particles to"ward it, the particles speed up. by Richard Mushotzky of NASA's God- Collisions between the in-falling particles dard Space Flight Center and another led heat them to temperatures of many mil- by Gordon Garmire of Pennsylvania State lions of degrees. Matter at such tempera- University, appear to have cracked the tures radiates primarily in X-rays, so problem. Using Chandra, they have Chandra is an efficient black hole probe. resolved more than 70 percent of the back- Among Chandra's most surprising early ground glo"w into individual sources, most observations are the giant black hole in the of which are galaxies with a bright central center of our Milky Way galaxy, which is core. The nature of the remaining sources, surprisingly weak in X-rays, and the giant though, is still a mystery. black hole in the center of the Andromeda "There are ne"w mysteries coming to the galaxy, which is surrounded by gas at an forefront in the form of objects that we unexpectedly cool 1 million degrees Cel- can't identify with any known object," sius. Current theories predict that the gas Garmire says. What are these objects? falling into the central black hole in Helping to solve these mysteries is "what Andromeda should be at least 10 times Chandra is designed to do. hotter than is observed. "The Chandra observation is telling us that an entirely different flow pattern is operating around the Andromeda black 'Operations' continued from Page 2 hole," says Eliot Quataert, an expert on black holes at the Institute for Advanced "with an average time of about eight Study in Princeton, N.J. hours•is completed, the data is transmit- ted back to the Operations Control Center during the next pass over one of the Deep One of the most intriguing features of Space Network stations. The data is then giant black holes is that they do not suck processed by the Science Data Systems up all the matter that falls within their group and sent to the scientists who ana- sphere of influence. Some of the matter lyze it. falls inexorably to"ward the black hole, and Finally, when the scientific results are The Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant in the Constellation Taurus, was seen and recorded some explodes away from the black hole in published, the center's Education and Pub- by many cultures when it exploded in 1054 A.D. and was briefly visible to the naked eye, high-energy jets that move at nearly the lic Information group may assist in even in daylight. For modern astronomy, the Crab Nebula has become one of the most speed of light. informing the public about the observa- important •and most extensively studied •objects in the sky. This Chandra image shows the Chandra has imaged a spectacular exam- tion via press releases, the Chandra Web central pulsar (discovered by previous X-ray observations) surrounded by tilted rings that ple of such a jet in Centaurus A, a nearby site at chandra.harvard.edu and educa- were produced by high-energy particles and flung outward more than a light-year from the galaxy noted for its explosive activity. The tional activities. When one year has passed pulsar This unusual bell shape could be due to the interaction of particles, magnetic fields image shows X-ray jets erupting from the after the receipt of the data from the and nearby clouds of gas and dust. (Chandra X-ray Center, NASA and SAO image) center of the galaxy over a distance of observation, it is placed in a public archive 20,000 light-years. Using Chandra, that is maintained by the center. The data astronomers also have detected a group of then becomes available to all astronomers, 'Chandra, ' continued from Page 1 called a supernova. The explosion, which X-ray sources clustered around the amateur and professional, world"wide. is one of the most violent events in the nucleus, which is believed to harbor a In addition to the science data from In one observation of the Trapezium universe, blo"ws the star apart and disperses giant black hole. observations flo"wing into the Chandra region of the cluster, Chandra detected a its elements into space, where they may The X-ray jets and the cluster of sources X-ray Center, the Cambridge-based team thousand X-ray stars. Some are "well eventually make up a planet like Earth. may be a byproduct of a titanic collision also is receiving vital information about known, massive, optically bright stars. The matter thro"wn off by the supernova between Centaurus A and a companion the state of the observatory, such as power Some are still embedded in the cloud of creates a bubble of multimillion-degree gas galaxy several hundred million years ago consumption and temperature. This "mon- dust and gas from which they formed and known as a "supernova remnant." This hot that triggered a burst of star formation and itoring" information is sent from the can be seen with an infrared, but not an gas will expand and produce X-radiation supplied the gas to fuel the giant black spacecraft to the center, via the Deep optical, telescope. A few are thought to be for thousands of years. Chandra is ideal for hole's activity. The presence of bright Space Network, about every eight hours. failed stars called brown dwarfs, because studying these remnants. X-ray jets means that electric fields are of their small mass. Claude Cañizares and his team at MIT continually accelerating electrons to Many young stars produce intense flares used Chandra to observe EO102-72, the extremely high energies over enormous that make them a thousand times brighter remains of a star that exploded in a nearby distances. Exactly how this happens is a in X-rays than the sun. The cause of these galaxy. They found a ringlike structure puzzle that Chandra may help to solve. flares is poorly understood, but Chandra's that was 30 light-years across and expand- ability to detect and track the X-ray radia- ing at 5 million miles an hour. Using the X-ray background tion from so many stars simultaneously Advanced Charge-Coupled Device Imag- At the relatively nearby distance of 11 mil- should advance our knowledge of such ing Spectrometer and the grating spec- lion light-years from Earth, Centaurus A phenomena. trometer, they determined that the ring has long been a favorite target of ' X-ray astronomy no"w penetrates as "was exceptionally rich in oxygen, confirm- astronomers because it is the nearest deeply into the clouds as the best infrared ing the theory that massive stars provide example of a class of galaxies called active and optical telescopes, allowing us to study most of the oxygen in the universe. galaxies. Active galaxies are noted for their high-energy processes during the earliest A supernova explosion also can leave intense, bright cores and explosive activity, phases of star formation," says Pennsylva- behind a dense, rapidly rotating core that "which are presumed to be due to a giant nia State University's Eric Feigelson, one of consists of a magnetized ball of neutrons black hole in their center. They may be the Chandra's principal scientific users. called a neutron star. Roughly 10 miles solution to one of the oldest mysteries of across, the rotating neutron star revolves at X-ray astronomy. In this X-ray image taken by Chandra, the Supernovi 30 times a second, sending beams of radia- On the rocket flight that discovered the supernova remnant E0102-72 reveals an If the early stages of a star's development tion and particles into space. The remark- first X-ray source in 1962, a pervasive expanding multimillion-degree ring of are turbulent, the end game can be full of able Chandra image of the Crab Nebula background X-ray glow "was observed. oxygen created deep inside a massive star sound and fury, and full of significance for shows this cosmic powerhouse at work. Many astronomers suspected that it "was and then hurled into space by the explosion our own existence. Carbon, nitrogen, oxy- due to extremely distant active galaxies. of that star Some 30 light-years across, the gen and other heavy elements necessary for Black holes They were unable to prove this, however, ring contains more than a billion times the life are created in the interior of massive Some of the most intense X-ray sources in for no X-ray telescope until Chandra has oxygen found in the Earth's ocean and stars. When a massive star runs out of fuel, the universe are caused by gas that swirls had both the sharp vision and sensitivity atmosphere combined. (Image courtesy of it undergoes a catastrophic explosion to"ward a black hole. As the tremendous to detect the individual sources. the Chandra X-ray Center, NASA and SAO)
6 • Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2000 Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Drawing upon several decades of field"work Research Highlights • 89 Avian Paleontology at the Close of the in Africa, as well as research on a range of 20th Century: Proceedings of the 4th Interna- societies "world"wide. Goody, a noted tional Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleon- anthropologist, demonstrates that writing New lecture series. Smithsonian Secretary tology and Evolution, Washington, D.C, 4-7 not only has empowered formerly subordi- Lawrence M. Small's Distinguished June 1996, by Storrs L. Olson, editor; Peter nate groups but also has allowed ancient Research Lecture Series has recently been Wellnhofer, Cécile Mourer-Chauviré, empires and modern nations to dominate established to promote excellence and to David W. Steadman and Larry D. Martin, their nonliterate counterparts. highlight the breadth and quality of associate editors; 344 pages, frontispiece, Smithsonian research. The lecture will 168 figures, 49 tables. Museums and History in West Africa, take place each year in the spring and "will edited by Claude Daniel Ardouin and feature an individual who has made excep- Smithsonian Contributions to Zoolog" Emmanuel Arinze (Smithsonian Institu- tional contributions to a field of knowl- • 606 Myodocopid Ostracoda from Exuma tion Press, 2000, $29.95). Representing edge and "whose career exemplifies sus- Sound, Bahamas, and from Marine Caves museums throughout "western Africa, tained excellence. Margaret Geller, an and Blue Holes in the Bahamas, Bermuda including those in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astro- and Mexico, by Louis S. Kornicker and and Senegal, 24 contributors argue that physical Observatory in Cambridge, Thomas M. Iliffe, 98 pages, 56 figures, 6 their institutions must become active, Mass., and professor of astronomy at Har- maps, 5 tables. research-related centers capable of devel- vard University, presented the first Distin- oping historical knowledge and communi- guished Research Lecture on April 18. cating it locally.
Grant makes tracking easier. A grant from Books & Recordings Alerta Sings and Songs for the Play- the Tamkin Foundation of Los Angeles has ground/Canciones Para el Recreo permitted the creation of a high-speed (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2000, computer network for the Minor Planet Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga, edited $14 CD). This compact disc of children's Center, the international clearinghouse for This 19th-century Puerto Rican santo, titled by William W. Fitzhugh and Elisabeth I. songs from Latin America and the Carib- astronomical information, based at the "La Mano Poderosa" (the all-powerful hand Ward (Smithsonian Institution Press, bean joins two of Suni Paz's acclaimed Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in of God), was made by the Caban group. 2000, $60 cloth; $34.95 paper). Replete Smithsonian Folkways recordings. Cambridge, Mass. The network will allow "with color photographs, drawings and more rapid determination of the paths of maps of Viking sites, artifacts and land- Richard Dyer-Bennet: #6, With Young Peo- new^ly discovered asteroids and comets, tural identities in Puerto Rico and the scapes, the book explores and celebrates ple in Mind (Smithsonian Folkways including those on possible crash courses United States is the focus of a research the Vikings' expansion from their Scandi- Recordings, 2000, $14 CD). From fairy with Earth. The center, operated by SAO project by Smithsonian fellow Jorge Duany navian homelands across the Atlantic to tales to ancient adventures, this compact for the International Astronomical Union, of the University of Puerto Rico. The goal North America 1,000 years ago. disc, originally released in 1958, offers serves the scientific community by collect- of the project is to produce a richly illus- soothing bedtime stories, exciting epics ing, checking and disseminating positional trated, well-rounded and finely hued por- Home on the Road:The Motor Home in and real-life experiences. observations and orbital data for asteroids trait of cultural identities in Puerto Rico America, by Roger B. White (Smithsonian and comets. The Minor Planet Center cur- and in its large migrant communities Institution Press, 2000, $24.95). Chroni- 'Recordings, ' continued on Page 8 rently keeps tabs on the orbits of some throughout the United States. Additional cling more than 50 years of individual and 57,000 asteroids and 1,050 comets. In visiting scholars are working on other industrial tinkering, the author describes 1999 alone, 25,000 asteroids and 60 aspects of the vast collection of Puerto how the technological innovations and comets were discovered. This new technol- Rican artifacts donated in 1997 by cultural ideals of each ogy will revolutionize the way astronomers Teodoro Vidal. The collection, "with era influenced make their observations, according to an objects dating from the 17th to the 20th motor home SAO official. century, is being used as a foundation for design and pop- their research. ular use. IVIuseum endowmen The Smithsonian's National Postal Museum received a Forest dynamics. The Smithsonian Tropi- Fair America: $10 million endowment from former post- cal Research Institute's Center for Tropical World's Fairs in the master general and Alabama businessman Forest Science started its fifth census of United States, by Winton Blount to create and support a the 125-acre Forest Dynamics Plot on Robert W. Rydell, Center for Postal Studies at the museum. Barro Colorado Island in the Republic of John E. Findling and The new center will serve as an educa- Panama, which has become STRI's pri- Kimberly D. Pelle tional resource and will sponsor research mary site for the study of lowland moist (Smithsonian Institution Press exploring the role of the U.S. postal sys- tropical forest. During the re-census, all 2000, $29.95 cloth; $15.95 paper). The tem in the new millennium. The contribu- trees greater than four-tenths of an inch in authors sho"w ho"w world's fairs reflected tion was the largest single gift received by diameter will be measured. Saplings that and influenced not only the ideals but also the museum since its creation in 1990. are new to the plot since the last census the cultural tensions of the times. "will be tagged, mapped and identified IVIoving online. The Smithsonian Center according to species, and trees that have Prides:The Lions of Moremi, by Chris for Education and Museum Studies died since the last census will be recorded. Harvey and Pieter Kat (Smithsonian Insti- recently initiated a new program designed This census of about 250,000 trees should tution Press, 2000, $34.95). This striking to prepare staff working in community- take about 10 months to complete. volume of 200 color photographs reveals based museums and arts and cultural cen- the "worlds of four neighboring prides that ters to translate their research and history roam the diverse habitats of Botswana's skills into ne"w-media skills and to use the Okavango Delta. Internet to supplement their education and Series Publications public service missions. The program. Inventing Jerry Lewis, Frank Krutnik Moving On-Line, combines theoretical (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000, approaches to interpretation on the World The following publications on research in $44.95). Drawing on films, rare TV shows, Wide Web with practical instruction in various fields "were issued during the recordings, trade reviews, magazine arti- Web site development. To find out more period Nov. 1, 1999, through Jan. 31, cles, biographies and documentaries, the about the program, check out the Web site 2000, by Smithsonian Institution Press in author looks at Lewis' physical comedy and Four ornate beastlike animal head carvings, at mignon2.si.edu/moveon. Moving On- the regular Smithsonian series. Diane Tyler multifaceted star persona as mediated such as this one, were found on posts in Line is made possible by a generous grant is managing editor. Requests for series responses to wider cultural anxieties. the elaborate eighth-century ship burial of from the Nathan Cummings Foundation. publications should be addressed to a pagan high-status female. The "gripping Smithsonian Institution Press, Series Divi- The Power of the Written Tradition, by beast" carving is typical of early pagan Puerto Rican culture The construction sion, 470 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 7100, Jack Goody (Smithsonian Institution Viking art. (Photo courtesy of Universitets and representation of Puerto Rican cul- Washington, D.C. 20560-0950. Press, 2000, $45 cloth; $18.95 paper). Oldsaksamlings, Oslo)
Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2000 • 7 Smithsonian's National Museum of the and Complexity," "Adapting to Change" pany shut do"wn. Even though they have Off the Shelf American Indian, approach the Earth as a and "Changing Views." long been gone, he continues, it is only a dynamic system, where interrelated forces In Part 3, "Adapting to Change," Horse matter of time before they return again. affect people and environments on a global Capture presents a chapter titled "Leave it When the price of gold escalates, the spir- Forces of Change: A scale. They explore different facets of to the School Children." In his moving its of the sacred grounds will once again Earth's interdependent systems and what personal account of ho"w a mining com- be "awakened" to the sounds of bulldozers New View of Nature the unpredictable future may hold. pany forever changed the Fort Belknap and dynamite. Beautifully illustrated with some 200 Reservation in Montana where he grew up. "Should we cut down the forest tonight (Published by the National Museum of color photographs, the book is divided into Horse Capture focuses on the economic so that we can build a big fire and cook Natural History in association with Nationa four parts•"Forces of Nature," "Time factors, mainly gold, that brought the min- supper?" Horse Capture asks. "What about Geographic, 2000, ers to the reservation. In addition, he tomorrow? What about the children? "writes about the impact of these "intrud- "As "we enter the ne"w millineum," he F, orces of Change offers a sweeping ers" on the land and its native people. adds, "it would be an ideal time to recon- vision of our Earth and illuminates "No laws existed to protect our sacred sider some of the values and standards of the forces that define and continue ground from desecration," Horse Capture the past, because what was good for one to profoundly transform our planet says. "Economics eventually sent the min- time may not be good for another. We and all of its inhabitants. It provides a ers away again, but not before they must think of tomorrow." forum for exploring a broad range of scien- reduced once proud mountains to rubble." Other segments of the book focus on tific and social questions relating to Mining in the mountains had been forces of change such as climate, biodiver- change, both natural and human-induced. going on since the late 1800s, Horse Cap- sity, mass extinctions, migration, technol- "The growing public a"wareness of ture says, but it was taking place primarily ogy and the Information Age. potential climate shifts, diminishing biodi- in tunnels and shafts with little irreparable •Jo Ann Webb versity, and other environmental and social damage to the surface. "In other words," issues is enough to make change a timely he explains, "the damage was out of view Editor's Note: This spring. Contributing and provocative theme," Alan Cutler of the people." Members will receive Forces of Change as a "writes in the book's introduction. He adds, But when open-pit mining began, he benefit of membership. "But the complexity of the issues that con- continues, the mountains were destroyed. front us and of the underlying forces of oANitL mm yf. "Massive destruction in our American change leads inevitably to more basic ques- Indian world is inconceivable. These tions•questions regarding our relation- mountains, "which were sacred to us, were Special Issue ship "with nature and our complicated, iV». t destroyed for gold, and we never directly This issue of Research Reports, devoted often ambivalent attitudes toward change." benefited from any of it." In addition. to the Chandra X-ray Observatory, "was In the book, almost t"wo dozen of the Horse Capture says, mining left the rivers, "written by Wallace Tucker and Karen "world's most innovative and visionary sci- Forces of Change is a new 200-page, full- from which water was used for drinking Tucker. It was edited by James Cornell, entists, scholars and writers, including color book produced by the Smithsonian's and swimming, full of pollutants. "with the production assistance of Mary George Horse Capture, deputy assistant National Museum of Natural History in "We were helpless," he adds. When the Juliano and Megan Watzke and special director for cultural resources at the association with National Geographic. price of gold dropped, the mining com- photography by Jon Chase, in coopera- tion with the Smithsonian's Office of Public Affairs, which publishes 'Recordings, ' continued from Page 7 Big Bill Broozy:Trouble in Mind (Smith- 960, Herndon, Va. 20172-0960. To order Research Reports quarterly. sonian Folkways Recordings, 2000, $14 by phone or for more information, call Staff at the Smithsonian Astrophysi- Ella Jenkins: Seasons for Singing CD). The releases on this compact disc 1 (800) 782-4612. There is a $3.50 cal Observatory, the Chandra X-ray (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2000, feature intricate guitar playing, soaring postage and handling fee for the first book Center, the National Aeronautics and $14 CD). This compact disc of children's vocals and commentary and demonstrate ordered and $ 1 for each additional book. Space Administration, the Massachu- songs, recorded live at a music "workshop, Broozy's amazing skill as a solo performer. Smithsonian Folk"ways Recordings can setts Institute of Technology and Penn- features original and traditional songs from be ordered by writing to Smithsonian sylvania State University made signifi- around the "world. Pete Seeger: American Folk, Game and Folkways Mail Order, 955 L'Enfant Plaza, cant contributions to the gathering of Activity Songs for Children (Smithsonian Suite 7300, Washington, D.C. 20560- text and images. Memphis Slim:The Folkways Years, 1959- Folkways Recordings, 2000, $14 CD). 0953. To order by phone or for more infor- We want to hear your comments 1973 (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, This collection presents many classic songs mation, call (202) 287-7297 or 1 (800) about this single-theme issue. Con- 2000, $14 CD). This compact disc features for children of all ages. 410-9815. There is a $4 fee for shipping tributing Members may call 1 (800) a compilation of Memphis Slim's historic and handling of the first three recordings 931-3226, and information will be for- Folkways recordings, including three previ- Books published by Smithsonian Institu- ordered; call for other shipping prices. "warded to us. Other readers, see Page 2 ously unreleased tracks. tion Press can be ordered from P.O. Box for ways to contact us.
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