23 research outputs found
Neutron star cooling: Theoretical aspects and observational constraints
The cooling theory of isolated neutron stars is reviewed. The main cooling
regulators are discussed, first of all, operation of direct Urca process (or
similar processes in exotic phases of dense matter) and superfluidity in
stellar interiors. The prospects to constrain gross parameters of supranuclear
matter in neutron-star interiors by confronting cooling theory with
observations of isolated neutron stars are outlined. A related problem of
thermal states of transiently accreting neutron stars with deep crustal heating
of accreted matter is discussed in application to soft X-ray transients.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the 34th COSPAR Scientific
Assembly (Adv. Sp. Res., accepted
Does the Hubble Redshift Flip Photons and Gravitons?
Due to the Hubble redshift, photon energy, chiefly in the form of CMBR
photons, is currently disappearing from the universe at the rate of nearly
10^55 erg s^-1. An ongoing problem in cosmology concerns the fate of this
energy. In one interpretation it is irretrievably lost, i.e., energy is not
conserved on the cosmic scale. Here we consider a different possibility which
retains universal energy conservation. If gravitational energy is redshifted in
the same manner as photons, then it can be shown that the cosmic redshift
removes gravitational energy from space at about the same rate as photon
energy. Treating gravitational potential energy conventionally as negative
energy, it is proposed that the Hubble shift 'flips' positive energy (photons)
to negative energy (gravitons) and vice versa. The lost photon energy would
thus be directed towards gravitation, making gravitational energy wells more
negative. Conversely, within astrophysical bodies of sufficient size, the
flipping of gravitons to photons would give rise to a 'Hubble luminosity' of
magnitude -UH, where U is the internal gravitational potential energy of the
object and H the Hubble constant. Evidence of such an energy release is
presented in bodies ranging from planets, white dwarfs and neutron stars to
supermassive black holes and the visible universe.Comment: 18 pages, including 2 tables, one figur
Nucleon superfluidity versus thermal states of isolated and transiently accreting neutron stars
The properties of superdense matter in neutron star (NS) cores control NS thermal states by affecting the efficiency of neutrino emission from NS interiors. To probe these properties we confront the theory of thermal evolution of NSs with observations of their thermal radiation. Our observational basis includes cooling isolated NSs (INSs) and NSs in quiescent states of soft X-ray transients (SXTs). We find that the data on SXTs support the conclusions obtained from the analysis of INSs: strong proton superfluidity with T_{cp,max} >= 10^9 K should be present, while mild neutron superfluidity with T_{cn,max} =(2*10^8 -- 2*10^9) K is ruled out in the outer NS core. Here T_{cn,max} and T_{cp,max} are the maximum values of the density dependent critical temperatures of neutrons and protons. The data on SXTs suggest also that: (i) cooling of massive NSs is enhanced by neutrino emission more powerful than the emission due to Cooper pairing of neutrons; (ii) mild neutron superfluidity, if available, might be present only in inner cores of massive NSs. In the latter case SXTs would exhibit dichotomy, i.e. very similar SXTs may evolve to very different thermal states
Tkachenko waves, glitches and precession in neutron star
Here I discuss possible relations between free precession of neutron stars,
Tkachenko waves inside them and glitches. I note that the proposed precession
period of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125 (Haberl et al. 2006) is
consistent with the period of Tkachenko waves for the spin period 8.4s. Based
on a possible observation of a glitch in RX J0720.4-3125 (van Kerkwijk et al.
2007), I propose a simple model, in which long period precession is powered by
Tkachenko waves generated by a glitch. The period of free precession,
determined by a NS oblateness, should be equal to the standing Tkachenko wave
period for effective energy transfer from the standing wave to the precession
motion. A similar scenario can be applicable also in the case of the PSR
B1828-11.Comment: 6 pages, no figures, accepted to Ap&S
Large-scale periodicity in the distribution of QSO absorption-line systems
The spatial-temporal distribution of absorption-line systems (ALSs) observed
in QSO spectra within the cosmological redshift interval z = 0.0--4.3 is
investigated on the base of our updated catalog of absorption systems. We
consider so called metallic systems including basically lines of heavy
elements. The sample of the data displays regular variations (with amplitudes ~
15 -- 20%) in the z-distribution of ALSs as well as in the eta-distribution,
where eta is a dimensionless line-of-sight comoving distance, relatively to
smoother dependences. The eta-distribution reveals the periodicity with period
Delta eta = 0.036 +/- 0.002, which corresponds to a spatial characteristic
scale (108 +/- 6) h(-1) Mpc or (alternatively) a temporal interval (350 +/- 20)
h(-1) Myr for the LambdaCDM cosmological model. We discuss a possibility of a
spatial interpretation of the results treating the pattern obtained as a trace
of an order imprinted on the galaxy clustering in the early Universe.Comment: AASTeX, 13 pages, with 9 figures, Accepted for publication in
Astrophysics & Space Scienc
Cooling of Neutron Stars with Strong Toroidal Magnetic Fields
We present models of temperature distribution in the crust of a neutron star in the presence of a strong toroidal component superposed to the poloidal component of the magnetic field. The presence of such a toroidal field hinders heat flow toward the surface in a large part of the crust. As a result, the neutron star surface presents two warm regions surrounded by extended cold regions and has a thermal luminosity much lower than in the case the magnetic field is purely poloidal. We apply these models to calculate the thermal evolution of such neutron stars and show that the lowered photon luminosity naturally extends their life-time as detectable thermal X-ray sources
Lower Bound on the Magnetic Field Strength of a Magnetar from Analysis of SGR Giant Flares
Based on the magnetar model, we have studied in detail the processes of
neutrino cooling of an electron--positron plasma generating an SGR giant flare
and the influence of the magnetar magnetic field on these processes.
Electron--positron pair annihilation and synchrotron neutrino emission are
shown to make a dominant contribution to the neutrino emissivity of such a
plasma. We have calculated the neutrino energy losses from a plasma-filled
region at the long tail stage of the SGR 0526--66, SGR 1806--20, and SGR
1900+14 giant flares. This plasma can emit the energy observed in an SGR giant
flare only in the presence of a strong magnetic field suppressing its neutrino
energy losses. We have obtained a lower bound on the magnetic field strength
and showed this value to be higher than the upper limit following from an
estimate of the magnetic dipole losses for the magnetars being analyzed in a
wide range of magnetar model parameters. Thus, it is problematic to explain the
observed energy release at the long tail stage of an SGR giant flare in terms
of the magnetar model.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Neutrino Cooling of Neutron Stars. Medium effects
This review demonstrates that neutrino emission from dense hadronic component
in neutron stars is subject of strong modifications due to collective effects
in the nuclear matter. With the most important in-medium processes incorporated
in the cooling code an overall agreement with available soft X ray data can be
easily achieved. With these findings so called "standard" and "non-standard"
cooling scenarios are replaced by one general "nuclear medium cooling scenario"
which relates slow and rapid neutron star coolings to the star masses (interior
densities). In-medium effects take important part also at early hot stage of
neutron star evolution decreasing the neutrino opacity for less massive and
increasing for more massive neutron stars. A formalism for calculation of
neutrino radiation from nuclear matter is presented that treats on equal
footing one-nucleon and multiple-nucleon processes as well as reactions with
resonance bosons and condensates. Cooling history of neutron stars with quark
cores is also discussed.Comment: To be published in "Physics of Neutron Star Interiors", Eds. D.
Blaschke, N.K. Glendenning, A. Sedrakian, Springer, Heidelberg (2001