18,562 research outputs found
Expected characteristics of the subclass of Supernova Gamma-ray Bursts (S-GRBs)
The spatial and temporal coincidence between the gamma-ray burst (GRB) 980425
and supernova (SN) 1998bw has prompted speculation that there exists a class of
GRBs produced by SNe (``S-GRBs''). Robust arguments for the existence of a
relativistic shock have been presented on the basis of radio observations. A
physical model based on the radio observations lead us to propose the following
characteristics of supernovae GRBs (S-GRBs): 1) prompt radio emission and
implied brightness temperature near or below the inverse Compton limit, 2) high
expansion velocity of the optical photosphere as derived from lines widths and
energy release larger than usual, 3) no long-lived X-ray afterglow, and 4) a
single pulse (SP) GRB profile. Radio studies of previous SNe show that only
type Ib and Ic potentially satisfy the first condition. Accordingly we have
investigated proposed associations of GRBs and SNe finding no convincing
evidence (mainly to paucity of data) to confirm any single connection of a SN
with a GRB. If there is a more constraining physical basis for the burst
time-history of S-GRBs beyond that of the SP requirement, we suggest the 1% of
light curves in the BATSE catalogue similar to that of GRB 980425 may
constitute the subclass. Future optical follow-up of bursts with similar
profiles should confirm if such GRBs originate from some fraction of SN type
Ib/Ic.Comment: 11 pages of LaTeX with 1 figure. Submitted to the Astrophysical
Journal Letter
Dust and dark Gamma-Ray Bursts: mutual implications
In a cosmological context dust has been always poorly understood. That is
true also for the statistic of GRBs so that we started a program to understand
its role both in relation to GRBs and in function of z. This paper presents a
composite model in this direction. The model considers a rather generic
distribution of dust in a spiral galaxy and considers the effect of changing
some of the parameters characterizing the dust grains, size in particular. We
first simulated 500 GRBs distributed as the host galaxy mass distribution,
using as model the Milky Way. If we consider dust with the same properties as
that we observe in the Milky Way, we find that due to absorption we miss about
10% of the afterglows assuming we observe the event within about 1 hour or even
within 100s. In our second set of simulations we placed GRBs randomly inside
giants molecular clouds, considering different kinds of dust inside and outside
the host cloud and the effect of dust sublimation caused by the GRB inside the
clouds. In this case absorption is mainly due to the host cloud and the
physical properties of dust play a strong role. Computations from this model
agree with the hypothesis of host galaxies with extinction curve similar to
that of the Small Magellanic Cloud, whereas the host cloud could be also
characterized by dust with larger grains. To confirm our findings we need a set
of homogeneous infrared observations. The use of coming dedicated infrared
telescopes, like REM, will provide a wealth of cases of new afterglow
observations.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, accepted by A&
Hints of the existence of Axion-Like-Particles from the gamma-ray spectra of cosmological sources
Axion Like Particles (ALPs) are predicted to couple with photons in the
presence of magnetic fields. This effect may lead to a significant change in
the observed spectra of gamma-ray sources such as AGNs. Here we carry out a
detailed study that for the first time simultaneously considers in the same
framework both the photon/axion mixing that takes place in the gamma-ray source
and that one expected to occur in the intergalactic magnetic fields. An
efficient photon/axion mixing in the source always means an attenuation in the
photon flux, whereas the mixing in the intergalactic medium may result in a
decrement and/or enhancement of the photon flux, depending on the distance of
the source and the energy considered. Interestingly, we find that decreasing
the value of the intergalactic magnetic field strength, which decreases the
probability for photon/axion mixing, could result in an increase of the
expected photon flux at Earth if the source is far enough. We also find a 30%
attenuation in the intensity spectrum of distant sources, which occurs at an
energy that only depends on the properties of the ALPs and the intensity of the
intergalactic magnetic field, and thus independent of the AGN source being
observed. Moreover, we show that this mechanism can easily explain recent
puzzles in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources... [ABRIDGED] The
consequences that come from this work are testable with the current generation
of gamma-ray instruments, namely Fermi (formerly known as GLAST) and imaging
atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes like CANGAROO, HESS, MAGIC and VERITAS.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures. Replaced to match the published version in Phys.
Rev. D. Minor changes with respect to v
The Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts
Cosmic gamma-ray bursts are one of the great frontiers of astrophysics today.
They are a playground of relativists and observers alike. They may teach us
about the death of stars and the birth of black holes, the physics in extreme
conditions, and help us probe star formation in the distant and obscured
universe. In this review we summarise some of the remarkable progress in this
field over the past few years. While the nature of the GRB progenitors is still
unsettled, it now appears likely that at least some bursts originate in
explosions of very massive stars, or at least occur in or near the regions of
massive star formation. The physics of the burst afterglows is reasonably well
understood, and has been tested and confirmed very well by the observations.
Bursts are found to be beamed, but with a broad range of jet opening angles;
the mean gamma-ray energies after the beaming corrections are ~ 10^51 erg.
Bursts are associated with faint ~ 25 mag) galaxies at cosmological
redshifts, with ~ 1. The host galaxies span a range of luminosities and
morphologies, but appear to be broadly typical for the normal, actively
star-forming galaxy populations at comparable redshifts and magnitudes. Some of
the challenges for the future include: the nature of the short bursts and
possibly other types of bursts and transients; use of GRBs to probe the
obscured star formation in the universe, and possibly as probes of the very
early universe; and their detection as sources of high-energy particles and
gravitational waves.Comment: An invited review, to appear in: Proc. IX Marcel Grossmann Meeting,
eds. V. Gurzadyan, R. Jantzen, and R. Ruffini, Singapore: World Scientific,
in press (2001); Latex file, 33 pages, 22 eps figures, style files include
Investigation of laser dynamics, modulation and control by means of intra-cavity time varying perturbation
The generation of tunable visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light is examined, along with the control of this light by means of novel mode-locking and modulation techniques. Transient mode-locking of the Nd:YAG laser and generation of short tunable pulses in the visible and the alkali metal inert gas excimer laser systems were investigated. Techniques for frequency conversion of high power and high energy laser radiation are discussed, along with high average power blue and UV laser light sources
Gone with the Wind: Demographic Transitions and Domestic Saving
This study explores the relationship between demographic factors and saving rates using a panel dataset covering 110 countries between 1963 and 2012. In line with predictions from theory, this paper finds that lower dependency rates and greater longevity increase domestic saving rates. However, these effects are statistically robust only in Asia. In particular, Latin America, which is a region that has undergone a remarkably similar demographic transition, did not experience the same boost in saving rates as Asia. The paper highlights that the potential dividends arising from a favorable demographic transition are not automatically accrued. This is a sobering message at a time when the demographic tide is shifting in the world
Flexible Lipid Bilayers in Implicit Solvent
A minimalist simulation model for lipid bilayers is presented. Each lipid is
represented by a flexible chain of beads in implicit solvent. The hydrophobic
effect is mimicked through an intermolecular pair potential localized at the
``water''/hydrocarbon tail interface. This potential guarantees realistic
interfacial tensions for lipids in a bilayer geometry. Lipids self assemble
into bilayer structures that display fluidity and elastic properties consistent
with experimental model membrane systems. Varying molecular flexibility allows
for tuning of elastic moduli and area/molecule over a range of values seen in
experimental systems.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
In the light of directed evolution: Pathways of adaptive protein evolution
Directed evolution is a widely-used engineering strategy for improving the stabilities or biochemical functions of proteins by repeated rounds of mutation and selection. These experiments offer empirical lessons about how proteins evolve in the face of clearly-defined laboratory selection pressures. Directed evolution has revealed that single amino acid mutations can enhance properties such as catalytic activity or stability and that adaptation can often occur through pathways consisting of sequential beneficial mutations. When there are no single mutations that improve a particular protein property experiments always find a wealth of mutations that are neutral with respect to the laboratory-defined measure of fitness. These neutral mutations can open new adaptive pathways by at least 2 different mechanisms. Functionally-neutral mutations can enhance a protein's stability, thereby increasing its tolerance for subsequent functionally beneficial but destabilizing mutations. They can also lead to changes in “promiscuous” functions that are not currently under selective pressure, but can subsequently become the starting points for the adaptive evolution of new functions. These lessons about the coupling between adaptive and neutral protein evolution in the laboratory offer insight into the evolution of proteins in nature
The afterglows of gamma-ray bursts
Gamma-ray burst astronomy has undergone a revolution in the last three years, spurred by the discovery of fading long-wavelength counterparts. We now know that at least the long duration GRBs lie at cosmological distances with estimated electromagnetic energy release of 10^51–10^53 erg, making these the brightest explosions in the Universe. In this article we review the current observational state, beginning with the statistics of X-ray, optical, and radio afterglow detections. We then discuss the insights these observations have given to the progenitor population, the energetics of the GRB events, and the physics of the afterglow emission. We focus particular attention on the evidence linking GRBs to the explosion of massive stars. Throughout, we identify remaining puzzles and uncertainties, and emphasize promising observational tools for addressing them. The imminent launch of HETE-2 and the increasingly sophisticated and coordinated ground-based and space-based observations have primed this field for fantastic growth
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