7,028 research outputs found
The accretion environment of Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients probed with XMM-Newton
Supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs) are characterized by a remarkable
variability in the X-ray domain, widely ascribed to the accretion from a clumpy
stellar wind. In this paper we performed a systematic and homogeneous analysis
of sufficiently bright X-ray flares from the SFXTs observed with XMM-Newton to
probe spectral variations on timescales as short as a few hundred of seconds.
Our ultimate goal is to investigate if SFXT flares and outbursts are triggered
by the presence of clumps and eventually reveal whether strongly or mildly
dense clumps are required. For all sources, we employ a technique developed by
our group, making use of an adaptive rebinned hardness ratio to optimally
select the time intervals for the spectral extraction. A total of twelve
observations performed in the direction of five SFXTs are reported. We show
that both strongly and mildly dense clumps can trigger these events. In the
former case, the local absorption column density may increase by a factor of
>>3, while in the latter case, the increase is only by a factor of 2-3 (or
lower). Overall, there seems to be no obvious correlation between the dynamic
ranges in the X-ray fluxes and absorption column densities in SFXTs, with an
indication that lower densities are recorded at the highest fluxes. This can be
explained by the presence of accretion inhibition mechanism(s). We propose a
classification of the flares/outbursts from these sources to drive future
observational investigations. We suggest that the difference between the
classes of flares/outbursts is related to the fact that the mechanism(s)
inhibiting accretion can be overcome more easily in some sources compared to
others. We also investigate the possibility that different stellar wind
structures, rather than clumps, could provide the means to temporarily overcome
the inhibition of accretion in SFXTs.Comment: Accepted for publication on A&
The Amati relation in the "fireshell" model
(Shortened) CONTEXT: [...] AIMS: Motivated by the relation proposed by Amati
and collaborators, we look within the ``fireshell'' model for a relation
between the peak energy E_p of the \nu F_\nu total time-integrated spectrum of
the afterglow and the total energy of the afterglow E_{aft}, which in our model
encompasses and extends the prompt emission. METODS: [...] Within the fireshell
model [...] We can then build two sets of ``gedanken'' GRBs varying the total
energy of the electron-positron plasma E^{e^\pm}_{tot} and keeping the same
baryon loading B of GRB050315. The first set assumes for the effective CBM
density the one obtained in the fit of GRB050315. The second set assumes
instead a constant CBM density equal to the average value of the GRB050315
prompt phase. RESULTS: For the first set of ``gedanken'' GRBs we find a
relation E_p\propto (E_{aft})^a, with a = 0.45 \pm 0.01, whose slope strictly
agrees with the Amati one. Such a relation, in the limit B \to 10^{-2},
coincides with the Amati one. Instead, in the second set of ``gedanken'' GRBs
no correlation is found. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis excludes the Proper-GRB
(P-GRB) from the prompt emission, extends all the way to the latest afterglow
phases and is independent on the assumed cosmological model, since all
``gedanken'' GRBs are at the same redshift. The Amati relation, on the other
hand, includes also the P-GRB, focuses on the prompt emission only, and is
therefore influenced by the instrumental threshold which fixes the end of the
prompt emission, and depends on the assumed cosmology. This may well explain
the intrinsic scatter observed in the Amati relation.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to appear on A&A Letter
Theoretical correlation between possible evidences of neutrino chiral oscillations and polarization measurements
Reporting about the formalism with the Dirac equation we describe the
dynamics of chiral oscillations for a fermionic particle non-minimally coupling
with an external magnetic field. For massive particles, the chirality and
helicity quantum numbers represent different physical quantities of
representative importance in the study of chiral interactions, in particular,
in the context of neutrino physics. After solving the interacting Hamiltonian
(Dirac) equation for the corresponding {\em fermionic} Dirac-{\em type}
particle (neutrino) and quantifying chiral oscillations in the Dirac wave
packet framework, we avail the possibility of determining realistic neutrino
chirality conversion rates by means of (helicity) polarization measurements. We
notice that it can become feasible for some particular magnetic field
configurations with large values of {\boldmath} orthogonal to the direction
of the propagating particle.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
Damage identification in warren truss bridges by two different time–frequency algorithms
Recently, a number of authors have been focusing on drive-by monitoring methods, exploiting sensors mounted on the vehicle rather than on the bridge to be monitored, with clear advantages in terms of cost and flexibility. This work aims at further exploring the feasibility and effectiveness of novel tools for indirect health monitoring of railway structures, by introducing a higher level of accuracy in damage modelling, achieve more close-to-reality results. A numerical study is carried out by means of a FE 3D model of a short span Warren truss bridge, simulating the dynamic interaction of the bridge/track/train structure. Two kinds of defects are simulated, the first one affecting the connection between the lower chord and the side diagonal member, the second one involving the joint between the cross-girder and the lower chord. Accelerations gathered from the train bogie in different working conditions and for different intensities of the damage level are analyzed through two time-frequency algorithms, namely Continuous Wavelet and Huang-Hilbert transforms, to evaluate their robustness to disturbing factors. Compared to previous studies, a complete 3D model of the rail vehicle, together with a 3D structural scheme of the bridge in place of the 2D equivalent scheme widely adopted in the literature, allow a more detailed and realistic representation of the effects of the bridge damage on the vehicle dynamics. Good numerical results are obtained from both the two algorithms in the case of the time-invariant track profile, whereas the Continuous Wavelet Transform is found to be more robust when a deterioration of track irregularity is simulated
Alveolar recruitment manoeuvre in laterally recumbent anaesthetized sheep.
General anaesthesia in laterally recumbent sheep under spontaneous ventilating may cause hypoxaemia as previously reported.
The stepwise ARM followed by mechanical ventilation with PEEP at 5 cmH2O, improves the oxygenation indices and decrease the amount of venous admixture evaluated by the F-shunt.
The positive effects of the ARM are still present in most of the animals at recovery
GRB970228 and the class of GRBs with an initial spikelike emission: do they follow the Amati relation?
On the basis of the recent understanding of GRB050315 and GRB060218, we
return to GRB970228, the first Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) with detected afterglow.
We proposed it as the prototype for a new class of GRBs with "an occasional
softer extended emission lasting tenths of seconds after an initial spikelike
emission". Detailed theoretical computation of the GRB970228 light curves in
selected energy bands for the prompt emission are presented and compared with
observational BeppoSAX data. From our analysis we conclude that GRB970228 and
likely the ones of the above mentioned new class of GRBs are "canonical GRBs"
have only one peculiarity: they exploded in a galactic environment, possibly
the halo, with a very low value of CBM density. Here we investigate how
GRB970228 unveils another peculiarity of this class of GRBs: they do not
fulfill the "Amati relation". We provide a theoretical explanation within the
fireshell model for the apparent absence of such correlation for the GRBs
belonging to this new class.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, in the Proceedings of the "4th Italian-Sino
Workshop on Relativistic Astrophysics", held in Pescara, Italy, July 20-28,
2007, C.L. Bianco, S.-S. Xue, Editor
Accretion of non-minimally coupled generalized Chaplygin gas into black holes
The mass evolution of Schwarzschild black holes by the absorption of scalar
fields is investigated in the scenario of the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG).
The GCG works as a unification picture of dark matter plus dark energy that
naturally accelerates the expansion of the Universe. Through elements of the
quasi-stationary approach, we consider the mass evolution of Schwarzschild
black holes accreted by non-minimally coupled cosmological scalar fields
reproducing the dynamics of the GCG. As a scalar field non-minimally coupled to
the metrics, such an exotic content has been interconnected with accreting
black holes. The black hole increasing masses by the absorption of the gas
reflects some consistence of the accretion mechanism with the hypothesis of the
primordial origin of supermassive black holes. Our results effectively show
that the non-minimal coupling with the GCG dark sector accelerates the
increasing of black hole masses. Meanwhile some exotic features can also be
depicted for specific ranges of the non-minimal coupling in which the GCG
dynamics is substantially modified.Comment: 13 pages, 03 figure
On the Optical -- X-ray correlation from outburst to quiescence in Low Mass X-ray Binaries: the representative cases of V404 Cyg and Cen X-4
Low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) show evidence of a global correlation of
debated origin between X-ray and optical luminosity. We study for the first
time this correlation in two transient LMXBs, the black hole V404 Cyg and the
neutron star Cen X-4, over 6 orders of magnitude in X-ray luminosity, from
outburst to quiescence. After subtracting the contribution from the companion
star, the Cen X-4 data can be described by a single power law correlation of
the form , consistent with disk reprocessing. We
find a similar correlation slope for V404 Cyg in quiescence (0.46) and a
steeper one (0.56) in the outburst hard state of 1989. However, V404 Cyg is
about times optically brighter, at a given keV X-ray
luminosity, compared to Cen X-4. This ratio is a factor of 10 smaller in
quiescence, where the normalization of the V404 Cyg correlation also changes.
We show that once the bolometric X-ray emission is considered and the known
main differences between V404 Cyg and Cen X-4 are taken into account (a larger
compact object mass, accretion disk size, and the presence of a strong jet
contribution in the hard state for the black hole system) the two systems lie
on the same correlation. In V404 Cyg, the jet dominates spectrally at
optical-infrared frequencies during the hard state, but makes a negligible
contribution in quiescence, which may account for the change in its correlation
slope and normalization. These results provide a benchmark to compare with data
from the 2015 outburst of V404 Cyg and, potentially, other transient LMXBs as
well.Comment: Accepted on ApJ, 12 pages, 4 figures, 4 table
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