A dissection of 30 Doradus and a discussion of other Magellanic Cloud OB associations

I Present the results of ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope photometry and spectroscopy of the stars in the central region (roughly 7×7 arcmin) of 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Using photometric data for over 2400 stars (complete toV18 mag), and spectroscopic observations of over 150 stars in the region, the best estimate of the initial mass function (IMF) yields a slope of =–1.5±0.2 for masses > 12M, where the Salpeter slope is =–1.35. I compare these results to other measurements of the IMF for OB associations in the Magellanic Clouds.     

Wind asymmetries in massive stars

We are in the process of surveying the linear polarization in luminous, early-type stars. We here report on new observations of the B [e] stars S 18 and R 50, and of the Luminous Blue Variables HR Car, R 143, and HD 160529. Together with previously published data, these observations provide clear evidence for the presence of intrinsic polarization in 1 B[e] star (HD 34664) and in 5 LBVs ( Car, P Cyg, R 127, AG Car, and HR Car). The data indicate that anisotropic stellar winds are a common occurrence among massive stars in these particular evolutionary stages. For such stars, mass-loss rates estimated using the assumption of a spherical, homogeneous and stationary outflow may be in error.     

Interplanetary scintillation observations of the high-latitude solar wind

Until the ULYSSES spacecraft reached the polar regions of the solar wind, the only high-latitude measurements available were from indirect techniques. The most productive observations in regions of the solar wind between 5R and 200R have been the family of radio scattering techniques loosely referred to as Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) (Coles, 1978). Useful observations can be obtained using a variety of radio sources, for example spacecraft beacons, planetary radar echoes and compact cosmic sources (quasars, active galactic nuclei, pulsars, galactic masers, etc.). However for measurement of the high-latitude solar wind cosmic sources provide the widest coverage and this review will be confined to such observations. IPS observations played a very important role in establishing that polar coronal holes (first observed in soft x-ray emission) were sources of fast solar wind streams which occasionally extend down to the equatorial region and are observed by spacecraft. Here I will review the IPS technique and show the variation of both the velocity and the turbulence level with latitude over the last solar cycle. I will also outline recent work and discuss comparisons that we hope to make between IPS and ULYSSES observations.     

Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP): A New NASA Mission

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is a revolutionary mission that simultaneously investigates two of the most important overarching issues in Heliophysics today: the acceleration of energetic particles and interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium. While seemingly disparate, these are intimately coupled because particles accelerated in the inner heliosphere play critical roles in the outer heliospheric interaction. Selected by NASA in 2018, IMAP is planned to launch in 2024. The IMAP spacecraft is a simple sun-pointed spinner in orbit about the Sun-Earth L1 point. IMAP’s ten instruments provide a complete and synergistic set of observations to simultaneously dissect the particle injection and acceleration processes at 1 AU while remotely probing the global heliospheric interaction and its response to particle populations generated by these processes. In situ at 1 AU, IMAP provides detailed observations of solar wind electrons and ions; suprathermal, pickup, and energetic ions; and the interplanetary magnetic field. For the outer heliosphere interaction, IMAP provides advanced global observations of the remote plasma and energetic ions over a broad energy range via energetic neutral atom imaging, and precise observations of interstellar neutral atoms penetrating the heliosphere. Complementary observations of interstellar dust and the ultraviolet glow of interstellar neutrals further deepen the physical understanding from IMAP. IMAP also continuously broadcasts vital real-time space weather observations. Finally, IMAP engages the broader Heliophysics community through a variety of innovative opportunities. This paper summarizes the IMAP mission at the start of Phase A development.     

Be stars in young clusters in the Magellanic Clouds

A substantial fraction (typically 10%) of Galactic B stars consists of Be stars. While Galactic Be stars have been fairly well investigated, very little is known about the Be star content of the Magellanic Clouds (MCs). We present a refined method of Be star identification by CCD photometry and apply it to four young clusters and associations in the MCs. We find NGC 330 in the SMC to be exceptionally rich in Be stars, while the fraction is clearly lower in the similarly aged LMC clusters NGC 2004 and NGC 1818. NGC 2044, a very young region in the LMC, contains almost no Be stars. Among very early-type B stars in the investigated MC clusters we find the largest number of Be stars, while in the Milky Way this is shifted to somewhat later types. In the LMC, there may be a second frequency peak around B6.Based on observations obtained at the 2.2m MPIA telescope at ESO, La Silla, Chile, partly on time granted by the MPIA, Heidelberg.     

Faraday Loss for L-Band Radar and Communications Systems

The mechanism of Faraday rotation as it affects radar and communication propagation has been extensively treated (1, 7). The purpose of this paper is to point out the magnitude of the effect and its possible consequences which have not been appreciated. Contrary to what many believe, the two-way Faraday rotation angle and loss can be large at L-band for ground-based, linearly polarized radar systems observing targets above the ionosphere. Similarly, the one-way Faraday rotation and loss for linearly polarized, ground-to-space pace communication links at comparable frequencies can be large. The magnitude of the rotation loss depends on the location of the radar or communication station in latitude and longitude, the condition of the ionosphere, and the elevation and azimuth angles of the target. For example, based on the total electron content in 1970 (a peak sunspot activity year) at L-band, a two-way Faraday rotation greater than 50°a loss greater than 3.8 dB is calculated to occur at 60° N, 70° W, 75 percent of the time between the hours of 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. for nine months, and 22 percent of the total time for the entire year, when looking toward the south magnetic pole at low elevation angles. For the same year this rotation and loss at 15°N, 150° is calculated to occur 48 percent of the total time when looking south at low elevation angles.     

Sightseeing [far] beyond the Great Wall

International plans for space tourism are reviewed, with emphasis on plans developed in China and Japan. Economic aspects associated with the satellite launch market are discussed.