AO Newsletter, Our AO Newsletter Celebrates the New, Asteroids Fundamental, Cutting-Edge Science Done at the Arecibo Observatory
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The Arecibo Observatory The Arecibo Observatory Newsletter May-June 2016 Highlights Galaxy Neutral Hydrogen Structures Trace Dust Polarization Angle: Implications for Cosmic Microwave Background Foregrounds Welcome to our AO Newsletter, our AO Newsletter celebrates the new, Asteroids fundamental, cutting-edge science done at the Arecibo Observatory. A relaunch of the newsletter has been a recommendation of our Users Committee, but it was hard to do Physical Characterization of ~2-meter with a scientific staff that has been described as a “skeleton crew.” As I was struggling Diameter Near-Earth Asteroid 2015 TC25: A possible boulder from E-type Asteroid (44) to find a way to implement this recommendation, I was inspired Nysa by a summary of scientific work written by one of Arecibo’s own users –it put the discovery in context, it described Arecibo’s essential contributions, it used a minimum Atmosphere amount of sub-discipline specific jargon, and it had a First Simultaneous Measurements of Na and cool picture! In short, it would make the perfect K Thermospheric Layers along with TILs newsletter article. I realized that we could indeed from Arecibo produce an AO Newsletter, but only if we asked our users for a bit of help. After all, no one knows your results better than you do! Please enjoy reading about the remarkable science done at the Arecibo Fast Radio Burst Observatory. I hope the discoveries inspire you as In the last decade, radio telescopes have much as they inspire me. started to detect mysterious signals called “Fast Radio Bursts” (FRBs). The FRBs are radio flashes that last for only a few - Joan Schmelz, milliseconds Arecibo Observatory and USRA Neutral Hydrogen Structures Trace Dust Polarization Angle: Implications for Cosmic Microwave Background Foregrounds Authors: Susan E. Clark, J. Colin Hill, Joshua E.G. Peek, Mary E. Putman, Brian L. Babler Abstract: In the first trillionth of a trillionth of a billionth of a second after diffuse material between the stars in the Milky Way. The interstellar the Big Bang, the Universe is thought to have experienced a medium is also full of gas, much of which is neutral hydrogen. Here, growth spurt – a period of rapid expansion known as inflation. we present the discovery that slender linear filaments of neutral Cosmological observations provide strong circumstantial hydrogen gas in the Milky Way, revealed by high-resolution Arecibo evidence for inflation, but no direct detection thus far. The survey data, are extremely well aligned with the dust polarization. predicted "smoking gun" evidence for inflation is primordial This means that structures in the gas are strongly aligned with the B-mode polarization. These “B-modes” are a polarization ambient magnetic field. We use a machine vision algorithm to pattern imprinted in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), measure the orientation of the Arecibo filaments. The shape of Edgard Rivera-Valentín, a native of neutral hydrogen provides an entirely new way to constrain the dust Arecibo Puerto Rico, is a staff planetary the pervasive leftover radiation from the Universe’s formation. scientist at the Arecibo Observatory. In Unfortunately, despite enormous experimental effort, the polarization foreground obscuring the inflationary B-mode signal. 2008, he earned a bachelor's degree in Our work will allow astrophysicists to more precisely measure the Physics and Mathematics at Alfred B-mode signal has yet to be detected because it is obscured by University, where he also minored in polarized dust in our galaxy. Galactic dust grains emit polarized foreground dust signal, improving our ability to uncover the planetary science, a program he pioneered signature of inflation. and helped build at Alfred. In the summer light because they are aligned with the interstellar magnetic of 2007, he had the opportunity to field, creating a signal that must be carefully measured and participate in the Lunar and Planetary subtracted from CMB data in order to uncover the inflationary This work would not have been possible without Arecibo. The Institute’s REU program, where he worked with Drs. Michelle Kirchoff and Paul Schenk B-mode signal. sensitive, high dynamic range Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array on impact cratering of Jupiter’s icy moons. (GALFA) HI Survey revealed the slender, magnetically aligned neutral He went on to the University of Arkansas hydrogen structures. for his graduate studies where in 2012 he This dust is a component of the interstellar medium – all the earned a Ph.D. in Space and Planetary Sciences. His thesis topic concerned surface-atmosphere interactions and volatile transfer. Ed did his postdoctoral work at Brown University in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences under advisement of Dr. Amy Barr studying impact-induced processes on solid bodies. His current research focuses on two major areas, Solar System Formation and Evolution, and Astrobiology. Ed uses observations paired with simulations to unravel the processes that led to the formation of the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn as well as processes that drove the evolution of the interior rocky worlds. Additionally, he studies aqueous processes on Mars in search for habitable abodes beyond Earth. He teaches every summer at the Alfred University Astronomy Institute for High School Students and at AO he is the Project Manager for the Arecibo Observatory Space Academy. The top frame is a visualization of the orientation of linear HI structures across a swath of high-latitude sky. The lower frame shows the orientation of the magnetic field as measured by the Planck satellite's observations of polarized dust emission. The overlaid white pseudo-vectors show the orientation of polarized starlight. Physical Characterization of ~2-meter Diameter Near-Earth Asteroid 2015 TC25: A possible boulder from E-type Asteroid (44) Nysa Authors: Vishnu Reddy, Juan A. Sanchez, William F. Bottke, Audrey Thirouin, Edgard G. Rivera-Valentin, Patrick A. Taylor, Michael S. Kelley, William Ryan, Edward A. Cloutis, Stephen C. Tegler, Eileen V. Ryan, Nicholas Moskovitz Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal. Know Abstract: Small bodies in the solar system are time very fast rotator with a period of 133 seconds. We capsules that have recorded the conditions compared spectral and dynamical properties of our during planet formation. Studying these 2015 TC25 and found the best candidate source objects will not only help us better body in the inner main belt to be the 70-km understand how our planet formed, but also diameter E-type asteroid (44) Nysa. Using the staff how large impacts help shape the course of albedo of E-type asteroids (50-60%), we refine the life on Earth. The Chelyabinsk bolide that diameter of 2015 TC25 to 2-meters making it one Edgard Rivera-Valentín, a native of entered Earth's atmosphere over Russia in of the smallest NEAs ever to be characterized and Arecibo Puerto Rico, is a staff planetary 2013 reminds us of the threats posed by small the smallest NEA ever detected by the Arecibo scientist at the Arecibo Observatory. In 2008, he earned a bachelor's degree in near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) with diameters radar. Physics and Mathematics at Alfred <20 meters. Furthermore, small NEAs are the University, where he also minored in progenitors for meteorites in our terrestrial The Arecibo Observatory planetary radar system, planetary science, a program he pioneered and helped build at Alfred. In the summer collection. The physical characteristics of which is funded through NASA’s Near-Earth of 2007, he had the opportunity to these small NEAs are crucial to our Object Observation Program, provides crucial participate in the Lunar and Planetary Institute’s REU program, where he worked understanding of the effectiveness of our information for the assessment of impact with Drs. Michelle Kirchoff and Paul Schenk atmosphere in filtering these low-strength hazards from near-Earth objects, as well as on impact cratering of Jupiter’s icy moons. He went on to the University of Arkansas impactors, but characterization has been a invaluable information on the object’s size, for his graduate studies where in 2012 he challenge because of the difficulty in shape, mass, spin, and constraints on the earned a Ph.D. in Space and Planetary Sciences. His thesis topic concerned detecting them prior to close Earth flyby. composition. Such characterization further surface-atmosphere interactions and refines the orbit determination, extending volatile transfer. Ed did his postdoctoral NEA 2015 TC25 was first observed on October predictions by 80 to 400 years compared to work at Brown University in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and 11, 2015 and a quick response campaign was single-apparition optical measurements. Indeed, Planetary Sciences under advisement of Dr. launched so it could be observed during a radar campaigns for NEOs that make close Amy Barr studying impact-induced processes on solid bodies. close flyby - about 69,000 miles from Earth. approaches to Earth (within ~0.05 AU) are roughly Spectral observations suggest that its surface equivalent in their science content to spacecraft His current research focuses on two major areas, Solar System Formation and composition is similar to aubrites, a rare class flyby missions, but cost orders of magnitude less Evolution, and Astrobiology. Ed uses of high albedo differentiated meteorites. and more efficiently probe the overall population. observations paired with simulations to unravel the processes that led to the Indeed, the radar polarization ratio of >0.6 This study shows how radar data in tandem with formation of the icy moons of Jupiter and indicates 2016 TC25 is an E-Type asteroid (see other wavelengths can provide a richer Saturn as well as processes that drove the Figure), thus agreeing with the spectrally understanding of the NEO population. evolution of the interior rocky worlds. Additionally, he studies aqueous processes constrained composition. 2015 TC25 is also a on Mars in search for habitable abodes beyond Earth.