Are braneworlds born isotropic?

It has recently been suggested that an isotropic singularity may be a generic feature of brane cosmologies, even in the inhomogeneous case. Using the covariant and gauge-invariant approach we present a detailed analysis of linear perturbations of the isotropic model ${\cal F}_b$ which is a past attractor in the phase space of homogeneous Bianchi models on the brane. We find that for matter with an equation of state parameter $\gamma > 1$, the dimensionless variables representing generic anisotropic and inhomogeneous perturbations decay as $t\to 0$, showing that the model ${\cal F}_b$ is asymptotically stable in the past. We conclude that brane universes are born with isotropy naturally built-in, contrary to standard cosmology. The observed large-scale homogeneity and isotropy of the universe can therefore be explained as a consequence of the initial conditions if the brane-world paradigm represents a description of the very early universe.Comment: Changed to match published versio

The Inverse Scattering Method, Lie-Backlund Transformations and Solitons for Low-energy Effective Field Equations of 5D String Theory

In the framework of the 5D low-energy effective field theory of the heterotic string with no vector fields excited, we combine two non-linear methods in order to construct a solitonic field configuration. We first apply the inverse scattering method on a trivial vacuum solution and obtain an stationary axisymmetric two-soliton configuration consisting of a massless gravitational field coupled to a non-trivial chargeless dilaton and to an axion field endowed with charge. The implementation of this method was done following a scheme previously proposed by Yurova. We also show that within this scheme, is not possible to get massive gravitational solitons at all. We then apply a non-linear Lie-Backlund matrix transformation of Ehlers type on this massless solution and get a massive rotating axisymmetric gravitational soliton coupled to axion and dilaton fields endowed with charges. We study as well some physical properties of the constructed massless and massive solitons and discuss on the effect of the generalized solution generating technique on the seed solution and its further generalizations.Comment: 17 pages in latex, changed title, improved text, added reference

Colliding Plane Waves in String Theory

We construct colliding plane wave solutions in higher dimensional gravity theory with dilaton and higher form flux, which appears naturally in the low energy theory of string theory. Especially, the role of the junction condition in constructing the solutions is emphasized. Our results not only include the previously known CPW solutions, but also provide a wide class of new solutions that is not known in the literature before. We find that late time curvature singularity is always developed for the solutions we obtained in this paper. This supports the generalized version of Tipler's theorem in higher dimensional supergravity.Comment: latex, 25 pages, 1 figur

Black Rings in Taub-NUT and D0-D6 interactions

We analyze the dynamics of neutral black rings in Taub-NUT spaces and their relation to systems of D0 and D6 branes in the supergravity approximation. We employ several recent techniques, both perturbative and exact, to construct solutions in which thermal excitations of the D0-branes can be turned on or off, and the D6-brane can have $B$-fluxes turned on or off in its worldvolume. By explicit calculation of the interaction energy between the D0 and D6 branes, we can study equilibrium configurations and their stability. We find that although D0 and D6 branes (in the absence of $B$ fields, and at zero temperature) repeal each other at non-zero separation, as they get together they go over continuosly to an unstable bound state of an extremal singular Kaluza-Klein black hole. We also find that, for $B$-fields larger than a critical value, or sufficiently large thermal excitation, the D0 and D6 branes form stable bound states. The bound states with thermally excited D0 branes are black rings in Taub-NUT, and we provide an analysis of their phase diagram.Comment: 50 pages, 8 figures; v3: minor changes and references added; v4: improved figs. 7 and 8, matches with published versio

Anisotropic cosmological models with a perfect fluid and a Λ\Lambda term

We consider a self-consistent system of Bianchi type-I (BI) gravitational field and a binary mixture of perfect fluid and dark energy given by a cosmological constant. The perfect fluid is chosen to be the one obeying either the usual equation of state, i.e., p = \zeta \ve, with $\zeta \in [0, 1]$ or a van der Waals equation of state. Role of the $\Lambda$ term in the evolution of the BI Universe has been studied.Comment: 8 pages, 8 Figure

Black Holes in Higher-Dimensional Gravity

These lectures review some of the recent progress in uncovering the phase structure of black hole solutions in higher-dimensional vacuum Einstein gravity. The two classes on which we focus are Kaluza-Klein black holes, i.e. static solutions with an event horizon in asymptotically flat spaces with compact directions, and stationary solutions with an event horizon in asymptotically flat space. Highlights include the recently constructed multi-black hole configurations on the cylinder and thin rotating black rings in dimensions higher than five. The phase diagram that is emerging for each of the two classes will be discussed, including an intriguing connection that relates the phase structure of Kaluza-Klein black holes with that of asymptotically flat rotating black holes.Comment: latex, 49 pages, 5 figures. Lectures to appear in the proceedings of the Fourth Aegean Summer School, Mytiline, Lesvos, Greece, September 17-22, 200

First tidal disruption events discovered by SRG/eROSITA: X-ray/optical properties and X-ray luminosity function at z < 0.6

High Energy Astrophysic

Multiwavelength monitoring and reverberation mapping of a changing look event in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3516

We present the results of photometric and spectroscopic monitoring campaigns of the changing look AGN NGC 3516 carried out in 2018 to 2020 covering the wavelength range from the X-ray to the optical. The facilities included the telescopes of the CMO SAI MSU, the 2.3-m WIRO telescope, and the XRT and UVOT of Swift. We found that NGC 3516 brightened to a high state and could be classified as Sy1.5 during the late spring of 2020. We have measured time delays in the responses of the Balmer and He ii λ4686 lines to continuum variations. In the case of the best-characterized broad H β line, the delay to continuum variability is about 17 d in the blue wing and is clearly shorter, 9 d, in the red, which is suggestive of inflow. As the broad lines strengthened, the blue side came to dominate the Balmer lines, resulting in very asymmetric profiles with blueshifted peaks during this high state. During the outburst the X-ray flux reached its maximum on 2020 April 1 and it was the highest value ever observed for NGC 3516 by the Swift observatory. The X-ray hard photon index became softer, ∼1.8 in the maximum on 2020 April 21 compared to the mean ∼0.7 during earlier epochs before 2020. We have found that the UV and optical variations correlated well (with a small time delay of 1–2 d) with the X-ray until the beginning of 2020 April, but later, until the end of 2020 June, these variations were not correlated. We suggest that this fact may be a consequence of partial obscuration by Compton-thick clouds crossing the line of sight.</p

TOI-2285b: a 1.7 Earth-radius planet near the habitable zone around a nearby M dwarf

Stars and planetary system

Discovery of orbital eccentricity and evidence for orbital period increase of SS433

The examination of long-term (1979-2020) photometric observations of SS433 enabled us to discover a non-zero orbital eccentricity of e = 0.05 ± 0.01. We have also found evidence for a secular increase in the orbital period at a rate of ˙Pb=(1.0± 0.3)× 10-7 s s-1. The binary orbital period increase rate makes it possible to improve the estimate of the binary mass ratio q = MX/MV > 0.8, where MX and MV are the masses of the relativistic object and the optical star, respectively. For an optical star mass of 10 M⊙, the mass of the relativistic object (a black hole) is MX > 8 M⊙. A neutron star in SS433 is reliably excluded because in that case the orbital period should decrease, in contradiction to observations. The derived value of ˙Pb sets a lower limit on the mass-loss rate in the Jeans mode from the binary system 7 × 10-6 M⊙ yr-1. The discovered orbital ellipticity of SS433 is consistent with the model of the slaved accretion disc tracing the precession of the misaligned optical star's rotational axis