Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Effect of the Gribov horizon on the Polyakov loop and vice versa

© 2015, The Author(s). We consider finite-temperature SU(2) gauge theory in the continuum formulation, which necessitates the choice of a gauge fixing. Choosing the Landau gauge, the existing gauge copies are taken into account by means of the Gribov–Zwanziger quantization scheme, which entails the introduction of a dynamical mass scale (Gribov mass) directly influencing the Green functions of the theory. Here, we determine simultaneously the Polyakov loop (vacuum expectation value) and Gribov mass in terms of temperature, by minimizing the vacuum energy w.r.t. the Polyakov-loop parameter and solving the Gribov gap equation. Inspired by the Casimir energy-style of computation, we illustrate the usage of Zeta function regularization in finite-temperature calculations. Our main result is that the Gribov mass directly feels the deconfinement transition, visible from a cusp occurring at the same temperature where the Polyakov loop becomes nonzero. In this exploratory work we mainly restrict ourselves to the original Gribov–Zwanziger quantization procedure in order to illustrate the approach and the potential direct link between the vacuum structure of the theory (dynamical mass scales) and (de)confinement. We also present a first look at the critical temperature obtained from the refined Gribov–Zwanziger approach. Finally, a particular problem for the pressure at low temperatures is reported.19 pages, 8 .pdf figures. v2: extended section 3 + extra references; version accepted for publication in EPJCstatus: publishe

Double nonperturbative gluon exchange: An update on the soft-Pomeron contribution to pp scattering

© 2017 American Physical Society. We employ a set of recent, theoretically motivated fits to nonperturbative unquenched gluon propagators to check on how far double gluon exchange can be used to describe the soft sector of pp scattering data (total and differential cross section). In particular, we use the refined Gribov-Zwanziger gluon propagator (as arising from dealing with the Gribov gauge fixing ambiguity) and the massive Cornwall-type gluon propagator (as motivated from Dyson-Schwinger equations) in conjunction with a perturbative quark-gluon vertex, next to a model based on the nonperturbative quark-gluon Maris-Tandy vertex, popular from Bethe-Salpeter descriptions of hadronic bound states. We compare the cross sections arising from these models with older ISR and more recent TOTEM and ATLAS data. The lower the value of total energy s, the better the results appear to be.14 pages, 8 .pdf figures. To appear in Phys.Rev.Cstatus: publishe

“We are what we eat”: How diet impacts the gut microbiota in adulthood

The important role of the microbes residing in our gut, collectively called the microbiota, in human health is widely acknowledged. There are numerous factors that have an impact on the microbiota in the gut of which diet is considered a crucial one. In this chapter we highlight our current knowledge on the ecology of the microbiota in adults and how it is affected by diet. We summarize observations from different cross-sectional and intervention studies that focused on the impact of diet on microbiota composition and activity. Special attention is paid to which microbial metabolites can be produced in the gut; how these are affected by different dietary components such as carbohydrates, fat, and proteins; and how these are associated to human health. Finally, we provide recommendations for future intervention studies in order to improve our understanding of the complex interplay between microbes, diet, and ourselves

Anti-obesogenic and antidiabetic effects of plants and mushrooms

Obesity is reaching global epidemic proportions as a result of factors such as high-calorie diets and lack of physical exercise. Obesity is now considered to be a medical condition, which not only contributes to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancer, but also negatively affects longevity and quality of life. To combat this epidemic, anti-obesogenic approaches are required that are safe, widely available and inexpensive. Several plants and mushrooms that are consumed in traditional Chinese medicine or as nutraceuticals contain antioxidants, fibre and other phytochemicals, and have anti-obesogenic and antidiabetic effects through the modulation of diverse cellular and physiological pathways. These effects include appetite reduction, modulation of lipid absorption and metabolism, enhancement of insulin sensitivity, thermogenesis and changes in the gut microbiota. In this Review, we describe the molecular mechanisms that underlie the anti-obesogenic and antidiabetic effects of these plants and mushrooms, and propose that combining these food items with existing anti-obesogenic approaches might help to reduce obesity and its complications