Axisymmetric circumstellar interaction in supernovae

Multiwavelength observations of Type II supernovae have shown evidence for the interaction of supernovae with the dense slow winds from the red supergiant progenitor stars. Observations of planetary nebulae and the nebula around SN 1987A show that the slow winds from extended stars frequently have an axisymme- tric structure with a high density in the equatorial plane. We have carried out numerical calculations of the interaction of a supernova with such an axisymme- tric density distribution. For small values of the angular density gradient at the pole, the asymmetry in the interaction shell is greater than, but close to, that expected from purely radial motion. If the angular density gradient is above a moderate value, the flow qualitatively changes and a protrusion emerges along the axis. For a power-law supernova density profile, the flow approaches a self-similar state in which the protrusion length is $2-4$ times the radius of the main shell. The critical density gradient is larger for steeper density profiles of the ejecta. Most of our calculations are axisymmetric, but we have carried out a 3-dimensional calculation to show that the protrusion is not a numerical artifact along the symmetry axis. For typical supernova parameters, the protrusions take $\gtrsim$ several years to develop. The appearance of the shell with protrusions is similar to that observed in VLBI radio images of the remnant 41.9 +58 in M82 and, possibly, of SN 1986J. We also considered the possibility of asymmetric ejecta and found that it had a relatively small effect on the asymmetry of the interaction region.Comment: 22 page postscript file (gzipped and uuencoded), 10 gzipped postscript figures may be retrieved from ftp://www.astro.su.se/pub/supernova/blc96_asym/ Submitted to Ap

Search for a Higgs Boson Decaying into Two Photons with the L3 Detector at LEP

A search is performed for a Higgs boson, decaying into two photons, using the L3 data collected at centre of mass energies between $\sqrt s$ = 189 and 202 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 400 pb$^{-1}$. The processes $e^{+}e^{-}\to {Zh} \to {q} \bar{q} \gamma \gamma$, $e^{+}e^{-}\to {Zh} \to \nu \bar{\nu} \gamma \gamma$, $e^{+}e^{-}\to {Zh} \to {l}^{+} {l}^{-} \gamma \gamma$ are considered. The observed data are found to be consistent with the expected background from standard physics processes. Limits on the branching fraction of the Higgs boson decay into two photons as a function of the Higgs mass are shown and a lower mass limit on a fermiophobic Higgs is derived.Comment: 3 pages, 2 postscript figures, Presented at the DPF2000 Conference, August 9-12, 2000, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohi

A Fast Algorithm for Computing the p-Curvature

We design an algorithm for computing the $p$-curvature of a differential system in positive characteristic $p$. For a system of dimension $r$ with coefficients of degree at most $d$, its complexity is \softO (p d r^\omega) operations in the ground field (where $\omega$ denotes the exponent of matrix multiplication), whereas the size of the output is about $p d r^2$. Our algorithm is then quasi-optimal assuming that matrix multiplication is (\emph{i.e.} $\omega = 2$). The main theoretical input we are using is the existence of a well-suited ring of series with divided powers for which an analogue of the Cauchy--Lipschitz Theorem holds.Comment: ISSAC 2015, Jul 2015, Bath, United Kingdo

Afterglow upper limits for four short duration, hard spectrum gamma-ray bursts

We present interplanetary network localization, spectral, and time history information for four short-duration, hard spectrum gamma-ray bursts, GRB000607, 001025B, 001204, and 010119. All of these events were followed up with sensitive radio and optical observations (the first and only such bursts to be followed up in the radio to date), but no detections were made, demonstrating that the short bursts do not have anomalously intense afterglows. We discuss the upper limits, and show that the lack of observable counterparts is consistent both with the hypothesis that the afterglow behavior of the short bursts is like that of the long duration bursts, many of which similarly have no detectable afterglows, as well as with the hypothesis that the short bursts have no detectable afterglows at all. Small number statistics do not allow a clear choice between these alternatives, but given the present detection rates of various missions, we show that progress can be expected in the near future.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures; Revised version, accepted by the Astrophysical Journa

The spectroscopic evolution of the symbiotic-like recurrent nova V407 Cygni during its 2010 outburst. I. The shock and its evolution

On 2010 Mar 10, V407 Cyg was discovered in outburst, eventually reaching V< 8 and detected by Fermi. Using medium and high resolution ground-based optical spectra, visual and Swift UV photometry, and Swift X-ray spectrophotometry, we describe the behavior of the high-velocity profile evolution for this nova during its first three months. The peak of the X-ray emission occurred at about day 40 with a broad maximum and decline after day 50. The main changes in the optical spectrum began at around that time. The He II 4686A line first appeared between days 7 and 14 and initially displayed a broad, symmetric profile that is characteristic of all species before day 60. Low-excitation lines remained comparatively narrow, with v(rad,max) of order 200-400 km/s. They were systematically more symmetric than lines such as [Ca V], [Fe VII], [Fe X], and He II, all of which showed a sequence of profile changes going from symmetric to a blue wing similar to that of the low ionization species but with a red wing extended to as high as 600 km/s . The Na I D doublet developed a broad component with similar velocity width to the other low-ionization species. The O VI Raman features were not detected. We interpret these variations as aspherical expansion of the ejecta within the Mira wind. The blue side is from the shock penetrating into the wind while the red wing is from the low-density periphery. The maximum radial velocities obey power laws, v(rad,max) t^{-n} with n ~ 1/3 for red wing and ~0.8 for the blue. (truncated)Comment: Accepted for publication, A&A (submitted: 9 Oct 2010; accepted: 1 Dec 2010) in press; based on data obtained with Swift, Nordic Optical Telescope, Ondrejov Observatory. Corrected typo, Fermi?LAT detection was at energies above 100 MeV (with thanks to C. C. Cheung

Strong enhancement of d-wave superconducting state in the three-band Hubbard model coupled to an apical oxygen phonon

We study the hole binding energy and pairing correlations in the three-band Hubbard model coupled to an apical oxygen phonon, by exact diagonalization and constrained-path Monte Carlo simulations. In the physically relevant charge-transfer regime, we find that the hole binding energy is strongly enhanced by the electron-phonon interaction, which is due to a novel potential-energy-driven pairing mechanism involving reduction of both electronic potential energy and phonon related energy. The enhancement of hole binding energy, in combination with a phonon-induced increase of quasiparticle weight, leads to a dramatic enhancement of the long-range part of d-wave pairing correlations. Our results indicate that the apical oxygen phonon plays a significant role in the superconductivity of high-$T_c$ cuprates.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Black hole boundaries

Classical black holes and event horizons are highly non-local objects, defined in relation to the causal past of future null infinity. Alternative, quasilocal characterizations of black holes are often used in mathematical, quantum, and numerical relativity. These include apparent, killing, trapping, isolated, dynamical, and slowly evolving horizons. All of these are closely associated with two-surfaces of zero outward null expansion. This paper reviews the traditional definition of black holes and provides an overview of some of the more recent work on alternative horizons.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures, invited Einstein Centennial Review Article for CJP, final version to appear in journal - glossary of terms added, typos correcte

Is entanglement entropy proportional to area?

It is known that the entanglement entropy of a scalar field, found by tracing over its degrees of freedom inside a sphere of radius ${\cal R}$, is proportional to the area of the sphere (and not its volume). This suggests that the origin of black hole entropy, also proportional to its horizon area, may lie in the entanglement between the degrees of freedom inside and outside the horizon. We examine this proposal carefully by including excited states, to check probable deviations from the area law.Comment: 6 pages. Based on talk by S. Das at Theory Canada 1, Vancouver, 3 June, 2005. To be published in a special edition of the Canadian Journal of Physics. Minor changes to match published versio

Maxwell-Chern-Simons Q-balls

We examine the energetics of $Q$-balls in Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory in two space dimensions. Whereas gauged $Q$-balls are unallowed in this dimension in the absence of a Chern-Simons term due to a divergent electromagnetic energy, the addition of a Chern-Simons term introduces a gauge field mass and renders finite the otherwise-divergent electromagnetic energy of the $Q$-ball. Similar to the case of gauged $Q$-balls, Maxwell-Chern-Simons $Q$-balls have a maximal charge. The properties of these solitons are studied as a function of the parameters of the model considered, using a numerical technique known as relaxation. The results are compared to expectations based on qualitative arguments.Comment: 6 pages. Talk given at Theory CANADA 2, Perimeter Institut