31,242 research outputs found
Bayesian Analysis for Extracting Properties of the Nuclear Equation of State from Observational Data including Tidal Deformability from GW170817
We develop a Bayesian analysis method for selecting the most probable
equation of state under a set of constraints from compact star physics, which
now include the tidal deformability from GW170817. We apply this method for the
first time to a two-parameter family of hybrid equations of state that is based
on realistic models for the hadronic phase (KVORcut02) and the quark matter
phase (SFM) which produce a third family of hybrid stars in the
mass-radius diagram. One parameter () characterizes the screening of
the string tension in the string-flip model of quark matter while the other
() belongs to the mixed phase construction that mimics the
thermodynamics of pasta phases and includes the Maxwell construction as a
limiting case for . We present the corresponding results for
compact star properties like mass, radius and tidal deformabilities and use
empirical data for them in the newly developed Bayesian analysis method to
obtain the probabilities for the model parameters within their considered
range.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, version accepted for publication in univers
Monitoring luminous yellow massive stars in M33: new yellow hypergiant candidates
The evolution of massive stars surviving the red supergiant (RSG) stage
remains unexplored due to the rarity of such objects. The yellow hypergiants
(YHGs) appear to be the warm counterparts of post-RSG classes located near the
Humphreys-Davidson upper luminosity limit, which are characterized by
atmospheric instability and high mass-loss rates. We aim to increase the number
of YHGs in M33 and thus to contribute to a better understanding of the
pre-supernova evolution of massive stars. Optical spectroscopy of five
dust-enshrouded YSGs selected from mid-IR criteria was obtained with the goal
of detecting evidence of extensive atmospheres. We also analyzed BVI photometry
for 21 of the most luminous YSGs in M33 to identify changes in the spectral
type. To explore the properties of circumstellar dust, we performed SED-fitting
of multi-band photometry of the 21 YSGs. We find three luminous YSGs in our
sample to be YHG candidates, as they are surrounded by hot dust and are
enshrouded within extended, cold dusty envelopes. Our spectroscopy of star 2
shows emission of more than one H component, as well as emission of
CaII, implying an extended atmospheric structure. In addition, the long-term
monitoring of the star reveals a dimming in the visual light curve of amplitude
larger than 0.5 mag that caused an apparent drop in the temperature that
exceeded 500 K. We suggest the observed variability to be analogous to that of
the Galactic YHG Cas. Five less luminous YSGs are suggested as post-RSG
candidates showing evidence of hot or/and cool dust emission. We demonstrate
that mid-IR photometry, combined with optical spectroscopy and time-series
photometry, provide a robust method for identifying candidate YHGs. Future
discovery of YHGs in Local Group galaxies is critical for the study of the late
evolution of intermediate-mass massive stars.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures, 7 Tables. A&A in pres
Quantum Wire-on-Well (WoW) Cell With Long Carrier Lifetime for Efficient Carrier Transport
A quantum wire-on-well (WoW) structure, taking advantage of the layer undulation of an In- GaAs/GaAs/GaAsP superlattice grown on a vicinal substrate, was demonstrated to enhance the carrier collection from the confinement levels and extend the carrier lifetime (220 ns) by approximately 4 times as compared with a planar reference superlattice. Strained InGaAs/GaAs/GaAsP superlattices were grown on GaAs substrates under exactly the same condition except for the substrate misorientation (0o- and 6o- off). The growth on a 6o-off substrate induced significant layer undulation as a result of step bunching and non-uniform precursor incorporation between steps and terraces whereas the growth on a substrate without miscut resulted in planar layers. The undulation was the most significant for InGaAs layers, forming periodically aligned InGaAs nanowires on planar wells, a wire-on-well structure. As for the photocurrent corresponding to the sub-bandgap range of GaAs, the light absorption by the WoW was extended to longer wavelengths and weakened as compared with the planar superlattice, and almost the same photocurrent was obtained for both the WoW and the planar superlattice. Open-circuit voltage for the WoW was not affected by the longer-wavelength absorption edge and the same value was obtained for the two structures. Furthermore, the superior carrier collection in the WoW, especially under forward biases, improved fill factor compared with the planer superlattice
The Effect of Large Amplitude Fluctuations in the Ginzburg-Landau Phase Transition
The lattice Ginzburg-Landau model in d=3 and d=2 is simulated, for different
values of the coherence length in units of the lattice spacing , using
a Monte Carlo method. The energy, specific heat, vortex density , helicity
modulus and mean square amplitude are measured to map the phase
diagram on the plane . When amplitude fluctuations, controlled by the
parameter , become large () a proliferation of vortex
excitations occurs changing the phase transition from continuous to first
order.Comment: 4 pages, 5 postscript (eps) figure
Automatically Adapted Perfectly Matched Layers for Problems with High Contrast Materials Properties
AbstractFor the simulation of wave propagation problems, it is necessary to truncate the computational domain. Perfectly Matched Layers are often employed for that purpose, especially in high contrast layered materials where absorbing boundary conditions are difficult to design. In here, we define a Perfectly Matched Layer that automatically adjusts its parameters without any user interaction. The user only has to indicate the desired decay in the surrounding layer. With this Perfectly Matched Layer, we show that even in the most complex scenarios where the material contrast properties are as high as sixteen orders of magnitude, we do not introduce numerical reflections when truncating the domain, thus, obtaining accurate solutions
Vacuum polarization around stars: nonlocal approximation
We compute the vacuum polarization associated with quantum massless fields
around stars with spherical symmetry. The nonlocal contribution to the vacuum
polarization is dominant in the weak field limit, and induces quantum
corrections to the exterior metric that depend on the inner structure of the
star. It also violates the null energy conditions. We argue that similar
results also hold in the low energy limit of quantum gravity. Previous
calculations of the vacuum polarization in spherically symmetric spacetimes,
based on local approximations, are not adequate for newtonian stars.Comment: 8 pages, no figure
Observation of the Askaryan Effect: Coherent Microwave Cherenkov Emission from Charge Asymmetry in High Energy Particle Cascades
We present the first direct experimental evidence for the charge excess in
high energy particle showers predicted nearly 40 years ago by Askaryan. We
directed bremsstrahlung photons from picosecond pulses of 28.5 GeV electrons at
the SLAC Final Focus Test Beam facility into a 3.5 ton silica sand target,
producing electromagnetic showers several meters long. A series of antennas
spanning 0.3 to 6 GHz were used to detect strong, sub-nanosecond radio
frequency pulses produced whenever a shower was present. The measured electric
field strengths are consistent with a completely coherent radiation process.
The pulses show 100% linear polarization, consistent with the expectations of
Cherenkov radiation. The field strength versus depth closely follows the
expected particle number density profile of the cascade, consistent with
emission from excess charge distributed along the shower. These measurements
therefore provide strong support for experiments designed to detect high energy
cosmic rays and neutrinos via coherent radio emission from their cascades.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Is the Large Magellanic Cloud a Large Microlensing Cloud?
An expression is provided for the self-lensing optical depth of the thin LMC
disk surrounded by a shroud of stars at larger scale heights. The formula is
written in terms of the vertical velocity dispersion of the thin disk
population. If tidal forcing causes 1-5 % of the disk mass to have a height
larger than 6 kpc and 10-15 % to have a height above 3 kpc, then the
self-lensing optical depth of the LMC is , which is
within the observational uncertainties. The shroud may be composed of bright
stars provided they are not in stellar hydrodynamical equilibrium.
Alternatively, the shroud may be built from low mass stars or compact objects,
though then the self-lensing optical depths are overestimates of the true
optical depth by a factor of roughly 3. The distributions of timescales of the
events and their spatial variation across the face of the LMC disk offer
possibilities of identifying the dominant lens population. In propitious
circumstances, an experiment lifetime of less than 5 years is sufficient to
decide between the competing claims of Milky Way halos and LMC lenses. However,
LMC disks can sometimes mimic the microlensing properties of Galactic halos for
many years and then decades of survey work are needed. In this case
observations of parallax or binary caustic events offer the best hope for
current experiments to deduce the lens population. The difficult models to
distinguish are Milky Way halos in which the lens fraction is low (< 10 %) and
fattened LMC disks composed of lenses with a typical mass of low luminosity
stars or greater. A next-generation wide-area microlensing survey, such as the
proposed ``SuperMACHO'' experiment, will be able to distinguish even these
difficult models with just a year or two of data.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, The Astrophysical Journal (in press
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