21,937 research outputs found
Detection of an X-ray Pulsar Wind Nebula and Tail in SNR N157B
We report Chandra X-ray observations of the supernova remnant N157B in the
Large Magellanic Cloud, which are presented together with an archival HST
optical image and a radio continuum map for comparison. This remnant contains
the recently discovered 16 ms X-ray pulsar PSR J0537-6910, the most rapidly
rotating young pulsar known.
Using phase-resolved Chandra imaging, we pinpoint the location of the pulsar
to within an uncertainty of less than 1 arcsec. PSR J0537-6910 is not detected
in any other wavelength band. The X-ray observations resolve three distinct
features: the pulsar itself, a surrounding compact wind nebula which is
strongly elongated and a feature of large-scale diffuse emission trailing from
the pulsar. This latter comet tail-shaped feature coexists with enhanced radio
emission and is oriented nearly perpendicular to the major axis of the pulsar
wind nebula. We propose the following scenario to explain these features. The
bright, compact nebula is likely powered by a toroidal pulsar wind of
relativistic particles which is partially confined by the ram-pressure from the
supersonic motion of the pulsar. The particles, after being forced out from the
compact nebula (the head of the ``comet''), are eventually dumped into a bubble
(the tail), which is primarily responsible for the extended diffuse X-ray and
radio emission. The ram-pressure confinement also allows a natural explanation
for the observed X-ray luminosity of the compact nebula and for the unusually
small X-ray to spin-down luminosity ratio, compared to similarly energetic
pulsars. We estimate the pulsar wind Lorentz factor of N157B as about 4 times
10^6 (with an uncertainty of a factor about 2, consistent with that inferred
from the modeling of the Crab Nebula.Comment: 15 pages plus 4 figures. The postscript file of the whole paper is
available at http://xray.astro.umass.edu/wqd/papers/n157b/n157b.ps. accepted
for publication in Ap
Lagrangian block hydrodynamics of macro resistance in a river-flow model
River hydrodynamicsBed roughness and flow resistanc
Measurement of an Exceptionally Weak Electron-Phonon Coupling on the Surface of the Topological Insulator BiSe Using Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy
Gapless surface states on topological insulators are protected from elastic
scattering on non-magnetic impurities which makes them promising candidates for
low-power electronic applications. However, for wide-spread applications, these
states should have to remain coherent at ambient temperatures. Here, we studied
temperature dependence of the electronic structure and the scattering rates on
the surface of a model topological insulator, BiSe, by high resolution
angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We found an extremely weak
broadening of the topological surface state with temperature and no anomalies
in the state's dispersion, indicating exceptionally weak electron-phonon
coupling. Our results demonstrate that the topological surface state is
protected not only from elastic scattering on impurities, but also from
scattering on low-energy phonons, suggesting that topological insulators could
serve as a basis for room temperature electronic devices.Comment: published version, 5 pages, 4 figure
Retention of dye tracer in side basins exchanging with subcritical and supercritical flows
River engineeringTransport and fate of pollutants in river
Probing the role of single defects on the thermodynamics of electric-field induced phase transitions
The kinetics and thermodynamics of first order transitions is universally
controlled by defects that act as nucleation sites and pinning centers. Here we
demonstrate that defect-domain interactions during polarization reversal
processes in ferroelectric materials result in a pronounced fine structure in
electromechanical hysteresis loops. Spatially-resolved imaging of a single
defect center in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin film is achieved, and the defect size
and built-in field are determined self-consistently from the single-point
spectroscopic measurements and spatially-resolved images. This methodology is
universal and can be applied to other reversible bias-induced transitions
including electrochemical reactions.Comment: 34 pages,4 figures, high quality figures are available upon request,
submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Resolution-dependent quark masses from meson correlators
We explore the impact of a resolution-dependent constituent quark mass, as
recently applied to diffractive meson production, in QCD correlation functions
of several spin-0 and spin-1 meson channels. We compare the resulting
correlators with experimental and lattice data, analyze the virtues and
limitations of the approach, and discuss the channel dependence of the obtained
effective quark masses.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. C, reference adde
BMN operators with vector impurities, Z_2 symmetry and pp-waves
We calculate the coefficients of three-point functions of BMN operators with
two vector impurities. We find that these coefficients can be obtained from
those of the three-point functions of scalar BMN operators by interchanging the
coefficient for the symmetric-traceless representation with the coefficient for
the singlet. We conclude that the Z_2 symmetry of the pp-wave string theory is
not manifest at the level of field theory three-point correlators.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures. v1: A reference and a footnote added; v2: New
contributions found, Z_2 symmetry lost in 3-point function
A rare early-type star revealed in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud
Sk 183 is the visually-brightest star in the N90 nebula, a young star-forming
region in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We present new optical
spectroscopy from the Very Large Telescope which reveals Sk 183 to be one of
the most massive O-type stars in the SMC. Classified as an O3-type dwarf on the
basis of its nitrogen spectrum, the star also displays broadened He I
absorption which suggests a later type. We propose that Sk 183 has a composite
spectrum and that it is similar to another star in the SMC, MPG 324. This
brings the number of rare O2- and O3-type stars known in the whole of the SMC
to a mere four. We estimate physical parameters for Sk 183 from analysis of its
spectrum. For a single-star model, we estimate an effective temperature of
46+/-2 kK, a low mass-loss rate of ~10^-7 Msun yr^-1, and a spectroscopic mass
of 46^+9_-8 Msun (for an adopted distance modulus of 18.7 mag to the young
population in the SMC Wing). An illustrative binary model requires a slightly
hotter temperature (~47.5 kK) for the primary component. In either scenario, Sk
183 is the earliest-type star known in N90 and will therefore be the dominant
source of hydrogen-ionising photons. This suggests Sk 183 is the primary
influence on the star formation along the inner edge of the nebula.Comment: Accepted by ApJ, 10 pages, 7 figures, v2 after proof
Vertical pairing of identical particles suspended in the plasma sheath
It is shown experimentally that vertical pairing of two identical
microspheres suspended in the sheath of a radio-frequency (rf) discharge at low
gas pressures (a few Pa), appears at a well defined instability threshold of
the rf power. The transition is reversible, but with significant hysteresis on
the second stage. A simple model, which uses measured microsphere resonance
frequencies and takes into account besides Coulomb interaction between
negatively charged microspheres also their interaction with positive ion wake
charges, seems to explain the instability threshold quite well.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures. to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, May 14th (2001
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