arXiv subjects

R. L. McNutt, Jr.

Publications and source records attributed to R. L. McNutt, Jr..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

First Resolution of a Main Sequence G-Star Astrosphere Using Chandra

We report resolution of a halo of X-ray line emission surrounding the Zero Age Main Sequence (ZAMS) G8.5V star HD 61005 by Chandra ACIS-S. Located only 36.4 pc distant, HD 61005 is young (approx. 100 Myr), x-ray bright (300 times Solar), observed with nearly edge-on geometry, and surrounded by Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) material denser than in the environ of the Sun. HD 61005 is known to harbor large amounts of circumstellar dust in a dense ecliptic plane full of mm-sized particles plus attached, extended wing like structures full of micron sized particles, which are evidence for a strong LISM-dust disk interaction. These properties aided our ability to resolve the 220 au wide astrosphere of HD61005, the first ever observed for a main sequence G-star. The observed x-ray emission morphology is roughly spherical, as expected for an astrospheric structure dominated by the host star. The Chandra spectrum of HD 61005 is a combination of a hard stellar coronal emission (T=8 MK) at Lx = 6 x10e29 erg per sec, plus an extended halo contribution at Lx = 1x10e29 erg per sec dominated by charge exchange (CXE) lines, such as those of OVIII and NeIX. The Chandra CXE x-ray morphology does not track the planar dust morphology but does extend out roughly to where the base of the dust wings begins. We present a toy model of x-ray emission produced by stellar wind (SW)-LISM CXE interactions, similar to the state of the young Sun when it was approximately 100 Myrs old (Guinan and Engle 2007), and transiting through an approximately 1000 times denser part of the interstellar medium (ISM) such as a Giant Molecular Cloud (Stern 2003, Opher and Loeb 2024).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

The Search for MeV Electrons 2-45 AU from the Sun with the Alice Instrument Microchannel Plate Detector Aboard New Horizons

The Alice UV spectrograph aboard NASA's New Horizons mission is sensitive to MeV electrons that penetrate the instrument's thin aluminum housing and interact with its microchannel plate detector. We have searched for penetrating electrons at heliocentric distance of 2-45 AU, finding no evidence of discrete events outside of the Jovian magnetosphere. However, we do find a gradual long-term increase in the Alice instrument's global dark count rate at a rate of ~1.5% per year, which may be caused by a heightened gamma-ray background from aging of the spacecraft's radioisotope thermoelectric generator fuel. If this hypothesis is correct, then the Alice instrument's global dark count rate should flatten and then decrease over the next 5-10 years.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

Energetic Particle Increases Associated with Stream Interaction Regions

The Parker Solar Probe was launched on 2018 August 12 and completed its second orbit on 2019 June 19 with perihelion of 35.7 solar radii. During this time, the Energetic particle Instrument-Hi (EPI-Hi, one of the two energetic particle instruments comprising the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun, ISOIS) measured seven proton intensity increases associated with stream interaction regions (SIRs), two of which appear to be occurring in the same region corotating with the Sun. The events are relatively weak, with observed proton spectra extending to only a few MeV and lasting for a few days. The proton spectra are best characterized by power laws with indices ranging from -4.3 to -6.5, generally softer than events associated with SIRs observed at 1 au and beyond. Helium spectra were also obtained with similar indices, allowing He/H abundance ratios to be calculated for each event. We find values of 0.016-0.031, which are consistent with ratios obtained previously for corotating interaction region events with fast solar wind < 600 km s-1. Using the observed solar wind data combined with solar wind simulations, we study the solar wind structures associated with these events and identify additional spacecraft near 1 au appropriately positioned to observe the same structures after some corotation. Examination of the energetic particle observations from these spacecraft yields two events that may correspond to the energetic particle increases seen by EPI-Hi earlier.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2016

The Puzzling Detection of X-rays From Pluto by Chandra

Using Chandra ACIS-S, we have obtained imaging Xray spectrophotometry of the Pluto system in support of the New Horizons flyby on 14 July 2015. 174 ksec of observations were obtained on 4 visits in Feb 2014 to Aug 2015. We measured a net signal of 6.8 counts and a noise level of 1.2 counts in a comoving 11 x 11 pixel box (100 x 100 R_Pluto) in the 0.31 to 0.60 keV passband for a detection at > 99.95 C.L. The Pluto photons do not match the background spectrum, are coincident with a 90% flux aperture comoving with Pluto, and are not sky source confused. The mean 0.31 to 0.60 keV Xray power from Pluto is 200 MW, in the midrange of Xray power levels seen for known solar system emission sources: auroral precipitation, solar Xray scattering, and charge exchange (CXE) between solar wind (SW) ions & atmospheric neutrals. We eliminate auroral effects as a source, as Pluto has no known magnetic field & the New Horizons Alice UV spectrometer detected no airglow from Pluto during the flyby. Nano-scale atmospheric haze particles could lead to enhanced resonant scattering of solar X-rays from Pluto, but the energy signature of the detected photons does not match the solar spectrum and estimates of Plutos scattered Xray emission are > 100 times below the 3.9e-5 cps found in our observations. CXE emission from SW carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen ions can produce the energy signature seen, and the 6e25 neutral gas escape rate from Pluto deduced from New Horizons data can support the 3.0e24 Xray photons/sec emission rate required by our observations. Using the SW proton density and speed measured by the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument in the vicinity of Pluto at the time of the photon emissions, we find too few SW minor ions flowing into the 11 x 11 pixel box centered on Pluto than are needed to support the observed emission rate unless the SW is significantly focused and enhanced in this region.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2016

Plutos interaction with its space environment: Solar Wind, Energetic Particles & Dust

The New Horizons spacecraft carried three instruments that measured the space environment near Pluto as it flew by on 14 July 2015. The Solar Wind Around Pluto instrument revealed an interaction region confined sunward of Pluto to within about 6 Pluto radii. The surprisingly small size is consistent with a reduced atmospheric escape rate as well as a particularly high solar wind flux. The Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) observations suggested ions are accelerated and-or deflected around Pluto. In the wake of the interaction region PEPSSI observed suprathermal particle fluxes about one tenth the flux in the interplanetary medium, increasing with distance downstream. The Student Dust Counter, which measures radius greater than 1.4 um grains, detected 1 candidate impact from 5days before to 5 days after closest approach, indicating an upper limit for the dust density in the Pluto system of 4.6 per cubic km.

astro-ph.EP↗