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Gershenzon EM, Gol’tsman GN, Gousev YP, Elant’ev AI, Semenov AD. Electromagnetic radiation mixer based on electron heating in resistive state of superconductive Nb and YBaCuO films. IEEE Trans Magn. 1991;27(2):1317–20.
Abstract: A theory of an electron-heating mixer which makes it possible to calculate all the characteristics of the device is developed. It is shown that positive conversion gain is possible for such a mixer in the millimeter to near-infrared wavelength range. The dynamic range and the optimum heterodyne power can be selected from a very wide interval by varying the mixing element volume. Measurements made for Nb within the frequency range of 120-750 GHz confirm the theory. The conversion loss obtained at T=1.6 K and normalized to the element reaches 0.3 dB in the intermediate frequency band of 40 MHz; the possible noise temperature is 50 K. The estimation of noise temperature and output band for YBaCuO at T=77 yields 200 K and more than 10 GHz, respectively.
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Tret’yakov IV, Ryabchun SA, Kaurova NS, Larionov PA, Lobastova AA, Voronov BM, et al. Optimum absorbed heterodyne power for superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer. Tech Phys Lett. 2010;36(12):1103–5.
Abstract: Absorbed heterodyne power has been measured in a low-noise broadband hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer for the terahertz range, operating on the effect of electron heating in the resistive state of an ultrathin superconducting NbN film. It is established that the optimum absorbed heterodyne power for the HEB mixer operating at 2.5 THz is about 100 nW.
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Justtanont K, Decin L, Schöier FL, Maercker M, Olofsson H, Bujarrabal V, et al. A HIFI preview of warm molecular gas around χ Cygni: first detection of H2O emission toward an S-type AGB star. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L6.
Abstract: Aims. A set of new, sensitive, and spectrally resolved, sub-millimeter line observations are used to probe the warm circumstellar gas around the S-type AGB star χ Cyg. The observed lines involve high rotational quantum numbers, which, combined with previously obtained lower-frequency data, make it possible to study in detail the chemical and physical properties of, essentially, the entire circumstellar envelope of χ Cyg.
Methods. The data were obtained using the HIFI instrument aboard Herschel, whose high spectral resolution provides valuable information about the line profiles. Detailed, non-LTE, radiative transfer modelling, including dust radiative transfer coupled with a dynamical model, has been performed to derive the temperature, density, and velocity structure of the circumstellar envelope.
Results. We report the first detection of circumstellar H2O rotational emission lines in an S-star. Using the high-J CO lines to derive the parameters for the circumstellar envelope, we modelled both the ortho- and para-H2O lines. Our modelling results are consistent with the velocity structure expected for a dust-driven wind. The derived total H2O abundance (relative to H2) is (1.1±0.2) × 10-5, much lower than that in O-rich stars. The derived ortho-to-para ratio of 2.1±0.6 is close to the high-temperature equilibrium limit, consistent with H2O being formed in the photosphere.
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Wampfler SF, Herczeg GJ, Bruderer S, Benz AO, van Dishoeck EF, Kristensen LE, et al. Herschel observations of the hydroxyl radical (OH) in young stellar objects. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L36.
Abstract: Aims. “Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel†(WISH) is a Herschel key program investigating the water chemistry in young stellar objects (YSOs) during protostellar evolution. Hydroxyl (OH) is one of the reactants in the chemical network most closely linked to the formation and destruction of H2O. High-temperature (T 250 K) chemistry connects OH and H2O through the OH + H2 H2O + H reactions. Formation of H2O from OH is efficient in the high-temperature regime found in shocks and the innermost part of protostellar envelopes. Moreover, in the presence of UV photons, OH can be produced from the photo-dissociation of H2O through H2O + γUV OH + H.
Methods. High-resolution spectroscopy of the 163.12 μm triplet of OH towards HH 46 and NGC 1333 IRAS 2A was carried out with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) on board the Herschel Space Observatory. The low- and intermediate-mass protostars HH 46, TMR 1, IRAS 15398-3359, DK Cha, NGC 7129 FIRS 2, and NGC 1333 IRAS 2A were observed with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on Herschel in four transitions of OH and two [O i] lines.
Results. The OH transitions at 79, 84, 119, and 163 μm and [O i] emission at 63 and 145μm were detected with PACS towards the class I low-mass YSOs as well as the intermediate-mass and class I Herbig Ae sources. No OH emission was detected from the class 0 YSO NGC 1333 IRAS 2A, though the 119 μm was detected in absorption. With HIFI, the 163.12 μm was not detected from HH 46 and only tentatively detected from NGC 1333 IRAS 2A. The combination of the PACS and HIFI results for HH 46 constrains the line width (FWHM 11 km s-1) and indicates that the OH emission likely originates from shocked gas. This scenario is supported by trends of the OH flux increasing with the [O i] flux and the bolometric luminosity, as found in our sample. Similar OH line ratios for most sources suggest that OH has comparable excitation temperatures despite the different physical properties of the sources.
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Bujarrabal V, Alcolea J, Soria-Ruiz R, Planesas P, Teyssier D, Marston AP, et al. Herschel/HIFI observations of high-J CO transitions in the protoplanetary nebula CRL 618. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L3 (1 to 5).
Abstract: Aims. We aim to study the physical conditions, particularly the excitation state, of the intermediate-temperature gas components in the protoplanetary nebula CRL 618. These components are particularly important for understanding the evolution of the nebula.
Methods. We performed Herschel/HIFI observations of several CO lines in the far-infrared/sub-mm in the protoplanetary nebula CRL 618. The high spectral resolution provided by HIFI allows measurement of the line profiles. Since the dynamics and structure of the nebula is well known from mm-wave interferometric maps, it is possible to identify the contributions of the different nebular components (fast bipolar outflows, double shells, compact slow shell) to the line profiles. The observation of these relatively high-energy transitions allows an accurate study of the excitation conditions in these components, particularly in the warm ones, which cannot be properly studied from the low-energy lines.
Results. The 12CO J = 16–15, 10–9, and 6–5 lines are easily detected in this source. Both 13CO J = 10–9 and 6–5 are also detected. Wide profiles showing spectacular line wings have been found, particularly in 12CO J = 16–15. Other lines observed simultaneously with CO are also shown. Our analysis of the CO high-J transitions, when compared with the existing models, confirms the very low expansion velocity of the central, dense component, which probably indicates that the shells ejected during the last AGB phases were driven by radiation pressure under a regime of maximum transfer of momentum. No contribution of the diffuse halo found from mm-wave data is identified in our spectra, because of its low temperature. We find that the fast bipolar outflow is quite hot, much hotter than previously estimated; for instance, gas flowing at 100 km s-1 must have a temperature higher than ~200 K. Probably, this very fast outflow, with a kinematic age <100 yr, has been accelerated by a shock and has not yet cooled down. The double empty shell found from mm-wave mapping must also be relatively hot, in agreement with the previous estimate.
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Cherednichenko S, Kroug M, Yagoubov P, Merkel H, Kollberg E, Yngvesson KS, et al. IF bandwidth of phonon cooled HEB mixers made from NbN films on MgO substrates. In: Proc. 11th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 2000. p. 219–27.
Abstract: An investigation of gain and noise bandwidth of phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometric (HEB) mixers is presented. The radiation coupling to the mixers is quasioptical through either a spiral or twin-slot antenna. A maximum gain bandwidth of 4.8 GHz is obtained for mixers based on a 3.5 nm thin NbN film with Tc= 10 K. The noise bandwidth is 5.6 GHz, at the moment limited by parasitic elements in the, device mount fixture. At 0.65 THz the DSB receiver noise temperature is 700-800 К in the IF band 1-2 GHz, and 1150-2700 К in the band 3.5-7 GHz.
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Benz AO, Bruderer S, van Dishoeck EF, Stäuber P, Wampfler SF, Melchior M, et al. Hydrides in young stellar objects: Radiation tracers in a protostar-disk-outflow system. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L35 (1 to 5).
Abstract: Context. Hydrides of the most abundant heavier elements are fundamental molecules in cosmic chemistry. Some of them trace gas irradiated by UV or X-rays.
Aims. We explore the abundances of major hydrides in W3 IRS5, a prototypical region of high-mass star formation.
Methods. W3 IRS5 was observed by HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory with deep integration (2500 s) in 8 spectral regions.
Results. The target lines including CH, NH, H3O+, and the new molecules SH+, H2O+, and OH+ are detected. The H2O+ and OH+ J = 1–0 lines are found mostly in absorption, but also appear to exhibit weak emission (P-Cyg-like). Emission requires high density, thus originates most likely near the protostar. This is corroborated by the absence of line shifts relative to the young stellar object (YSO). In addition, H2O+ and OH+ also contain strong absorption components at a velocity shifted relative to W3 IRS5, which are attributed to foreground clouds.
Conclusions. The molecular column densities derived from observations correlate well with the predictions of a model that assumes the main emission region is in outflow walls, heated and irradiated by protostellar UV radiation.
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Cavalié T, Feuchtgruber H, Lellouch E, de Val-Borro M, Jarchow C, Moreno R, et al. Spatial distribution of water in the stratosphere of Jupiter from Herschel HIFI and PACS observations. Astron. Astrophys.. 2013;553:A21 (1 to 16).
Abstract: Context. In the past 15 years, several studies suggested that water in the stratosphere of Jupiter originated from the Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) comet impacts in July 1994, but a direct proof was missing. Only a very sensitive instrument observing with high spectral/spatial resolution can help to solve this problem. This is the case of the Herschel Space Observatory, which is the first telescope capable of mapping water in Jupiter's stratosphere.
Aims. We observed the spatial distribution of the water emission in Jupiter's stratosphere with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) and the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) onboard Herschel to constrain its origin. In parallel, we monitored Jupiter's stratospheric temperature with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) to separate temperature from water variability.
Methods. We obtained a 25-point map of the 1669.9 GHz water line with HIFI in July 2010 and several maps with PACS in October 2009 and December 2010. The 2010 PACS map is a 400-point raster of the water 66.4 μm emission. Additionally, we mapped the methane ν4 band emission to constrain the stratospheric temperature in Jupiter in the same periods with the IRTF.
Results. Water is found to be restricted to pressures lower than 2 mbar. Its column density decreases by a factor of 2–3 between southern and northern latitudes, consistently between the HIFI and the PACS 66.4 μm maps. We infer that an emission maximum seen around 15 °S is caused by a warm stratospheric belt detected in the IRTF data.
Conclusions. Latitudinal temperature variability cannot explain the global north-south asymmetry in the water maps. From the latitudinal and vertical distributions of water in Jupiter's stratosphere, we rule out interplanetary dust particles as its main source. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Jupiter's stratospheric water was delivered by the SL9 comet and that more than 95% of the observed water comes from the comet according to our models.
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Pütz P, Honingh CE, Jacobs K, Justen M, Schultz M, Stutzki J. Terahertz hot electron bolometer waveguide mixers for GREAT. A&A. 2012;542:L2.
Abstract: Context. Supplementing the publications based on the first-light observations with the German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz frequencies (GREAT) on SOFIA, we present background information on the underlying heterodyne detector technology. This Letter complements the GREAT instrument Letter and focuses on the mixers itself.
Aims. We describe the superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) detectors that are used as frequency mixers in the L1 (1400 GHz), L2 (1900 GHz), and M (2500 GHz) channels of GREAT. Measured performance of the detectors is presented and background information on their operation in GREAT is given.
Methods. Our mixer units are waveguide-based and couple to free-space radiation via a feedhorn antenna. The HEB mixers are designed, fabricated, characterized, and flight-qualified in-house. We are able to use the full intermediate frequency bandwidth of the mixers using silicon-germanium multi-octave cryogenic low-noise amplifiers with very low input return loss.
Results. Superconducting HEB mixers have proven to be practical and sensitive detectors for high-resolution THz frequency spectroscopy on SOFIA. We show that our niobium-titanium-nitride (NbTiN) material HEBs on silicon nitride (SiN) membrane substrates have an intermediate frequency (IF) noise roll-off frequency above 2.8 GHz, which does not limit the current receiver IF bandwidth. Our mixer technology development efforts culminate in the first successful operation of a waveguide-based HEB mixer at 2.5 THz and deployment for radioastronomy. A significant contribution to the success of GREAT is made by technological development, thorough characterization and performance optimization of the mixer and its IF interface for receiver operation on SOFIA. In particular, the development of an optimized mixer IF interface contributes to the low passband ripple and excellent stability, which GREAT demonstrated during its initial successful astronomical observation runs.
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Pineda JL, Langer WD, Velusamy T, Goldsmith PF. A Herschel [C ii] Galactic plane survey. I. The global distribution of ISM gas components. Astron. Astrophys.. 2013;554:A103.
Abstract: Context. The [C ii] 158 μm line is an important tool for understanding the life cycle of interstellar matter. Ionized carbon is present in a variety of phases of the interstellar medium (ISM), including the diffuse ionized medium, warm and cold atomic clouds, clouds in transition from atomic to molecular, and dense and warm photon dominated regions.
Aims. Velocity-resolved observations of [C ii] are the most powerful technique available to disentangle the emission produced by these components. These observations can also be used to trace CO-dark H2 gas and determine the total mass of the ISM.
Methods. The Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+ (GOT C+) project surveys the [C ii] 158 μm line over the entire Galactic disk with velocity-resolved observations using the Herschel/HIFI instrument. We present the first longitude-velocity maps of the [C ii] emission for Galactic latitudes b = 0°, ±0.5°, and ±1.0°. We combine these maps with those of H i, 12CO, and 13CO to separate the different phases of the ISM and study their properties and distribution in the Galactic plane.
Results. [C ii] emission is mostly associated with spiral arms, mainly emerging from Galactocentric distances between 4 and 10 kpc. It traces the envelopes of evolved clouds as well as clouds that are in the transition between atomic and molecular. We estimate that most of the observed [C ii] emission is produced by dense photon dominated regions (~47%), with smaller contributions from CO-dark H2 gas (~28%), cold atomic gas (~21%), and ionized gas (~4%). Atomic gas inside the Solar radius is mostly in the form of cold neutral medium (CNM), while the warm neutral medium gas dominates the outer galaxy. The average fraction of CNM relative to total atomic gas is ~43%. We find that the warm and diffuse CO-dark H2 is distributed over a larger range of Galactocentric distances (4–11 kpc) than the cold and dense H2 gas traced by 12CO and 13CO (4–8 kpc). The fraction of CO-dark H2 to total H2 increases with Galactocentric distance, ranging from ~20% at 4 kpc to ~80% at 10 kpc. On average, CO-dark H2 accounts for ~30% of the molecular mass of the Milky Way. When the CO-dark H2 component is included, the radial distribution of the CO-to-H2 conversion factor is steeper than that when only molecular gas traced by CO is considered. Most of the observed [C ii] emission emerging from dense photon dominated regions is associated with modest far-ultraviolet fields in the range χ0 â‰<192> 1 – 30.
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