arXiv subjects

Stefan Kimeswenger

Publications and source records attributed to Stefan Kimeswenger.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Study of the atmospheric conditions at Cerro Armazones using astronomical data

Aims: We studied the precipitable water vapour (PWV) content near Cerro Armazones and discuss the potential use of our technique of modelling the telluric absorbtion lines for the investigation of other molecular layers. The site is designated for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and the nearby planned site for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Methods: Spectroscopic data from the Bochum Echelle Spectroscopic Observer (BESO) instrument were investigated by using line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM) radiative transfer models for the Earths atmosphere with the telluric absorption correction tool molecfit. All observations from the archive in the period from December 2008 to the end of 2014 were investigated. The dataset completely covers the El Nino event registered in the period 2009-2010. Models of the 3D Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) were used for further comparison. Moreover, for those days with coincidence of data from a similar study with VLT/X-shooter and microwave radiometer LHATPRO data at Cerro Paranal, a direct comparison is presented. Results: This analysis shows that the site has systematically lower PWV values, even after accounting for the decrease in PWV expected from the higher altitude of the site with respect to Cerro Paranal, using the average atmosphere found with radiosondes. We found that GDAS data are not a suitable method for predicting of local atmospheric conditions - they usually systematically overestimate the PWV values. Due to the large sample, we were furthermore able to characterize the site with respect to symmetry across the sky and variation with the years and within the seasons. This kind of technique of studying the atmospheric conditions is shown to be a promising step into a possible monitoring equipment for CTA.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

Coronene and pyrene (5, 7)-member ring defects: Infrared spectra, energetics and alternative formation pathways

PAHs are known to be one of the carriers of the ubiquitous aromatic IR bands. The IR spectra of many objects show IR emission features derived from PAH molecules of different size. Still some of the characteristics of the emitting population remain unclear. The emission bands show details which cannot be explained so far. These unidentified IR features require further laboratory and observational investigations. We present a theoretical study of the IR spectra of PAHs containing (5,7)-member ring defects, focusing on pyrene and coronene. Using density functional theory, we investigate the effects of such defects on the IR spectra of pyrene and coronene and their cations and anions. In addition, we explore parts of the potential energy surface of the neutral species and discuss alternative formation pathways. The addition of (5,7)-membered ring defects in pyrene and coronene results in a change of the IR spectra, both molecules lose their typical spectroscopic signature. We find shifts in the positions of the band as well as different intensities and a rise in the number of features. The boundaries in terms of the size of the PAHs exhibiting a (5,7)-membered ring defect are studied and shown. Investigation of the minimal energy pathway leads to a result of 8.21 eV for pyrene and 8.41 eV for coronene as minimum activation barriers for the transformation from ground state to defected state. Whereas pyrene retains some of its symmetry due to the symmetry exhibited by the Stone-Wales defect itself, coronene loses much more of its symmetry. The formation of these (5,7)-ring defects in PAHs may be well supported in AGB stars or PNe. Those environments strongly enable the transition from the ground state to the defect state. Therefore the knowledge of the IR spectra of these molecules will support future investigations aiming for a thorough understanding of the unidentified IR emission bands.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Upgrading electron temperature and electron density diagnostic diagrams of forbidden line emission

Diagnostic diagrams of forbidden lines have been a useful tool for observers in astrophysics for many decades now. They are used to obtain information on the basic physical properties of thin gaseous nebulae. Some diagnostic diagrams are in wavelength domains which were difficult to take either due to missing wavelength coverage or low resolution of older spectrographs. Furthermore, most of the diagrams were calculated using just the species involved as a single atom gas, although several are affected by well-known fluorescence mechanisms as well. Additionally the atomic data have improved up to the present time. Aim of this work was a recalculation of well-known, but also of sparsely used, unnoted diagnostics diagrams. The new diagrams provide observers with modern, easy-to-use recipes to determine electron temperature and densities. The new diagnostic diagrams are calculated using large grids of parameter space in the photoionization code CLOUDY. For a given basic parameter (e.g. electron density or temperature) the solutions with cooling-heating-equilibrium are chosen to derive the diagnostic diagrams. Empirical numerical functions are fitted to provide formulas usable in e.g. data reduction pipelines. The resulting diagrams differ significantly from those used up to now and will improve the thermodynamic calculations. To our knowledge, for the first time detailed directly applicable fit formulas are given, leading to electron temperature or density from the line ratios.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

An advanced scattered moonlight model for Cerro Paranal

The largest natural source of light at night is the Moon, and it is the major contributor to the astronomical sky background. Being able to accurately predict the sky background, including scattered moonlight is important for scheduling astronomical observations. We have developed an improved scattered moonlight model, in which the components are computed with a better physical understanding as opposed to the simple empirical fit in the frequently used photometric model of Krisciunas & Schaefer (1991). Our spectroscopic model can better trace the spectral trends of scattered moonlight for any position of the Moon and target observation. This is the first scattered moonlight model that we know of which is this physical and versatile. We have incorporated an observed solar spectrum, accurate lunar albedo fit, and elaborate scattering and absorption calculations that include scattering off of molecules and aerosols. It was designed for Cerro Paranal, but can be modified for any location with known atmospheric properties. Throughout the optical range, the uncertainty is less than 20%. This advanced scattered moonlight model can predict the amount of scattered moonlight for any given geometry of the Moon and target, and lunar phase for the entire optical spectrum.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Carbonic Acid Revisited: Vibrational Spectra, Energetics and the Possibility of Detecting an Elusive Molecule

We calculate harmonic frequencies of the three most abundant carbonic acid conformers. For this, different model chemistries are investigated with respect to their benefits and shortcomings. Based on these results we use perturbation theory to calculate anharmonic corrections at the ωB97XD/aug-cc-pVXZ, X=D,T,Q, level of theory and compare them with recent experimental data and theoretical predictions. A discrete variable representation method is used to predict the large anharmonic contributions to the frequencies of the stretching vibrations in the hydrogen bonds in the carbonic acid dimer. Moreover, we re-investigate the energetics of the formation of the carbonic acid dimer from its constituents water and carbon dioxide using a high-level extrapolation method. We find that the ωB97XD functional performs well in estimating the fundamental frequencies of the carbonic acid conformers. Concerning the reaction energetics, the accuracy of ωB97XD is even comparable to the high-level extrapolation method. We discuss possibilities to detect carbonic acid in various natural environments such as Earth's and Martian atmospheres.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2011

Investigation of the recombination of the retarded shell of "born-again" CSPNe by time-dependent radiative transfer models

A standard planetary nebula stays more than 10 000 years in the state of a photoionized nebula. As long as the timescales of the most important ionizing processes are much smaller, the ionization state can be characterized by a static photoionization model and simulated with codes like CLOUDY (Ferland et al. 1998). When the star exhibits a late Helium flash, however, its ionizing flux stops within a very short period. The star then re-appears from itsopaque shell after a few years (or centuries) as a cold giant star without any hard ionizing photons. Describing the physics of such behavior requires a fully time-dependent radiative transfer model. Pollacco (1999), Kerber et al. (1999) and Lechner & Kimeswenger (2004) used data of the old nebulae around V605 Aql and V4334 Sgr to derive a model of the pre-outburst state of the CSPN in a static model. Their argument was the long recombination time scale for such thin media. With regard to these models Schoenberner (2008) critically raised the question whether a significant change in the ionization state (and thus the spectrum) has to be expected after a time of up to 80 years, and whether static models are applicable at all.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2007

A new Generation of Spectrometer Calibration Techniques based on Optical Frequency Combs

Typical astronomical spectrographs have a resolution ranging between a few hundred to 200.000. Deconvolution and correlation techniques are being employed with a significance down to 1/1000 th of a pixel. HeAr and ThAr lamps are usually used for calibration in low and high resolution spectroscopy, respectively. Unfortunately, the emitted lines typically cover only a small fraction of the spectrometer's spectral range. Furthermore, their exact position depends strongly on environmental conditions. A problem is the strong intensity variation between different (intensity ratios {>300). In addition, the brightness of the lamps is insufficient to illuminate a spectrograph via an integrating sphere, which in turn is important to calibrate a long-slit spectrograph, as this is the only way to assure a uniform illumination of the spectrograph pupil. Laboratory precision laser spectroscopy has experienced a major advance with the development of optical frequency combs generated by pulsed femto-second lasers. These lasers emit a broad spectrum (several hundred nanometers in the visible and near infra-red) of equally-spaced "comb" lines with almost uniform intensity (intensity ratios typically <10). Self-referencing of the laser establishes a precise ruler in frequency space that can be stabilized to the 10e-18 uncertainty level, reaching absolute frequency inaccuracies at the 10e-12 level per day when using the Global Positioning System's (GPS) time signal as the reference. The exploration of the merits of this new technology holds the promise for broad-band, highly accurate and reproducible calibration required for reliable operation of current and next generation astronomic spectrometers.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

The Anomalous Infrared Emission of Abell 58

We present a new model to explain the excess in mid and near infrared emission of the central, hydrogen poor dust knot in the planetary nebula (PN) Abell 58. Current models disagree with ISO measurement because they apply an average grain size and equilibrium conditions only. We investigate grain size distributions and temperature fluctuations affecting infrared emission using a new radiative transfer code and discuss in detail the conditions requiring an extension of the classical description. The peculiar infrared emission of V605 Aql, the central dust knot in Abell 58, has been modeled with our code. V605 Aql is of special interest as it is one of only three stars ever observed to move from the evolutionary track of a central PN star back to the post-AGB state.

astro-ph↗