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Occultation Confirms Haze in Pluto’s Atmosphere
By Kassandra Bell, Arielle Moullet, and Joan Schmelz Paper: Haze in Pluto’s atmosphere: Results from SOFIA and Ground-based Observations of the 2015 June 29 Pluto Occultation |
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Cold Quasars and the Evolution of Galaxies
By Kevin Cooke, Allison Kirkpatrick, and Joan Schmelz Paper: Dying of the Light: An X-Ray Fading Cold Quasar at z ~ 0.405 |
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The Optical Depth of [CII]: the Implications for Galaxies both Near and Far
By Cristian Guevara and Joan Schmelz Paper: [C II] 158 µm self-absorption and optical depth effects Photodissociation Regions (PDRs) are zones of the interstellar medium in which Far-UV photons dominate the thermal balance, chemistry, structure, as well as the distribution of the gas and dust. The incident FUV field photodissociates molecules, photoionizes atoms and molecules, and heats the gas and dust. |
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SOFIA Detects Water on the Moon
By Casey Honniball, Paul Lucey, and Joan Schmelz Paper: Molecular water detected on the sunlit Moon by SOFIA Researchers using SOFIA have made the first-ever detection of the water molecule (H2O) on the sunlit surface of the Moon. This discovery refines our understanding of the behavior of water and how volatile elements and compounds interact with airless bodies throughout the Solar System and beyond. |
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Molecular Processing in the Disks of Massive Stars
By Andrew Barr, Alexander Tielens, and Joan Schmelz Paper: High-resolution Infrared Spectroscopy of Hot Molecular Gas in AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136: Accretion in the Inner Regions of Disks around Massive Young Stellar Objects |
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A Magnetic Hourglass Detection for a Low-Mass Protostar
By Elena Redaelli and Joan Schmelz Paper: Magnetic Properties of the Protostellar Core IRAS 15398-3359 |
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Magnetized Filamentary Gas Flows in Serpens South
By Thushara Pillai and Joan Schmelz Paper: Magnetized filamentary gas flows feeding the young embedded cluster in Serpens South |
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The Chemical Enrichment of the Universe
By Kathleen Kraemer, Boston College and Gregory Sloan, Cornell University Paper: Stellar Pulsation and the Production of Dust and Molecules in Galactic Carbon Stars |
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SOFIA Reveals the Complex Nature of a 'Simple' Star Formation Tracer
By Yoko Okada, University of Cologne Paper: First Detection of [13C II] in the Large Magellanic Cloud |
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The Role of the Magnetic Field in the Galactic Center
By Joan Schmelz (USRA) |
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Signatures of Star Formation in the Galactic Center
By Matthew Hankins SOFIA’s first completed legacy program provides researchers with a vastly improved view of warm dust in the center of the Galaxy, revealing signatures of star formation in exquisite detail. |
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Massive Star Formation in the Omega Nebula
By Wanggi Lim and Joan Schmelz |
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