Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays: Strangelets? -- Extra dimensions, TeV-scale black holes and strange matter

The conjecture that ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are actually strangelets is discussed. Besides the reason that strangelets can do as cosmic rays beyond the GZK-cutoff, another argument to support the conjecture is addressed in this letter via the study of formation of TeV-scale microscopic black holes when UHECRs bombarding bare strange stars. It is proposed that the exotic quark surface of a bare strange star could be an effective astro-laboratory in the investigations of the extra dimensions and of the detection of ultra-high energy neutrino fluxes. The flux of neutrinos (and other point-like particles) with energy >2.3 x 10^{20} eV could be expected to be smaller than 10^{-26} cm^{-2}$ s^{-1} if there are two extra spatial dimensions.Comment: accepted by Chin. Phys. Lett., or at http://vega.bac.pku.edu.cn/~rxxu/publications/index_P.ht

GRB 060206: hints of precession of the central engine?

Aims. The high-redshift (z=4.048) gamma-ray burst GRB 060206 showed unusual behavior, with a significant rebrightening by a factor of ~4 at about 3000 s after the burst. We argue that this rebrightening implies that the central engine became active again after the main burst produced by the first ejecta, then drove another more collimated jet-like ejecta with a larger viewing angle. The two ejecta both interacted with the ambient medium, giving rise to forward shocks that propagated into the ambient medium and reverse shocks that penetrated into the ejecta. The total emission was a combination of the emissions from the reverse- and forward- shocked regions. We discuss how this combined emission accounts for the observed rebrightening. Methods. We apply numerical models to calculate the light curves from the shocked regions, which include a forward shock originating in the first ejecta and a forward-reverse shock for the second ejecta. Results. We find evidence that the central engine became active again 2000 s after the main burst. The combined emission produced by interactions of these two ejecta with the ambient medium can describe the properties of the afterglow of this burst. We argue that the rapid rise in brightness at ~3000 s in the afterglow is due to the off-axis emission from the second ejecta. The precession of the torus or accretion disk of the central engine is a natural explanation for the departure of the second ejecta from the line of sight

GRB 030226 in a Density-Jump Medium

We present an explanation for the unusual temporal feature of the GRB 030226 afterglow. The R-band afterglow of this burst faded as ~ t^{-1.2} in ~ 0.2 days after the burst, rebrightened during the period of ~ 0.2 - 0.5 days, and then declined with ~ t^{-2.0}. To fit such a light curve, we consider an ultrarelativistic jetted blast wave expanding in a density-jump medium. The interaction of the blast wave with a large density jump produces relativistic reverse and forward shocks. In this model, the observed rebrightening is due to emissions from these newly forming shocks, and the late-time afterglow is caused by sideways expansion of the jet. Our fitting implies that the progenitor star of GRB 030226 could have produced a stellar wind with a large density jump prior to the GRB onset.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

GRB 060206: Evidence of Precession of Central Engine

The high-redshift (z = 4.048) gamma-ray burst GRB 060206 showed unusual behavior, with a significant re-brightening about 3000 s after the burst. We assume that the central engine became active again 2000 s after the main burst and drove another more collimated off-axis jet. The two jets both interacted with the ambient medium and contributed to the whole emission. We numerically fit this optical afterglow from the two jets using the forward-shock model and the forward-reverse shock model. Combining with the zero time effect, we suggest that the fast rise at ~3000 s in the afterglow was due to the off-axis emission from the second jet. The precession of the torus or accretion disk of the gamma ray burst engine is the natural explanation for the symmetry axes of these two jets not to lie on the same line

X-Ray Flares from Postmerger Millisecond Pulsars

Recent observations support the suggestion that short-duration gamma-ray bursts are produced by compact star mergers. The X-ray flares discovered in two short gamma-ray bursts last much longer than the previously proposed postmerger energy release time scales. Here we show that they can be produced by differentially rotating, millisecond pulsars after the mergers of binary neutron stars. The differential rotation leads to windup of interior poloidal magnetic fields and the resulting toroidal fields are strong enough to float up and break through the stellar surface. Magnetic reconnection--driven explosive events then occur, leading to multiple X-ray flares minutes after the original gamma-ray burst.Comment: 10 pages, published in Scienc

Acoustical analysis of gear housing vibration

The modal and acoustical analysis of the NASA gear-noise rig is described. Experimental modal analysis techniques were used to determine the modes of vibration of the transmission housing. The resulting modal data were then used in a boundary element method (BEM) analysis to calculate the sound pressure and sound intensity on the surface of the housing as well as the radiation efficiency of each mode. The radiation efficiencies of the transmission housing modes are compared with theoretical results for finite, baffled plates. A method that uses the measured mode shapes and the BEM to predict the effect of simple structural changes on the sound radiation efficiency of the modes of vibration is also described

Half-metallicity in aluminum-doped zigzag silicene nanoribbons

The spin-dependent electronic structures of aluminum-(Al) doped zigzag silicene nanoribbons (ZSiNRs) are investigated by first-principles calculations. When ZSiNRs are substitutionally doped by a single Al atom on different sites in every three primitive cells, they become half-metallic in some cases, a property that can be used in spintronic devices. More interestingly, spin-down electrons can be transported at the Fermi energy when the Al atom is placed on the sub-edge site. In contrast, spin-up electrons can be transported at the Fermi energy when the ZSiNRs are doped on sites near their center. The magnetic moment on edge is considerably suppressed if the Al atom is doped on edge or near-edge sites. Similar results are obtained for a phosphorus-(P) and boron-(B) doped ZSiNR. When two or more Si atoms are replaced by Al atoms, in general the half-metallic behavior is replaced by a metallic, spin gapless semiconducting or semiconducting one. When a line of six Si atoms, along the ribbon's width, are replaced by Al atoms, the spin resolution of the band structure is suppressed and the system becomes nonmagnetic