The Angular Momenta of Neutron Stars and Black Holes as a Window on Supernovae

It is now clear that a subset of supernovae display evidence for jets and are observed as gamma-ray bursts. The angular momentum distribution of massive stellar endpoints provides a rare means of constraining the nature of the central engine in core-collapse explosions. Unlike supermassive black holes, the spin of stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binary systems is little affected by accretion, and accurately reflects the spin set at birth. A modest number of stellar-mass black hole angular momenta have now been measured using two independent X-ray spectroscopic techniques. In contrast, rotation-powered pulsars spin-down over time, via magnetic braking, but a modest number of natal spin periods have now been estimated. For both canonical and extreme neutron star parameters, statistical tests strongly suggest that the angular momentum distributions of black holes and neutron stars are markedly different. Within the context of prevalent models for core-collapse supernovae, the angular momentum distributions are consistent with black holes typically being produced in GRB-like supernovae with jets, and with neutron stars typically being produced in supernovae with too little angular momentum to produce jets via magnetohydrodynamic processes. It is possible that neutron stars are imbued with high spin initially, and rapidly spun-down shortly after the supernova event, but the available mechanisms may be inconsistent with some observed pulsar properties.Comment: ApJ Letters, accepte

A Bundle Theory of Words

It has been a common assumption that words are substances that instantiate or have properties. In this paper, I question the assumption that our ontology of words requires posting substances by outlining a bundle theory of words, wherein words are bundles of various sorts of properties (such as semantic, phonetic, orthographic, and grammatical properties). I argue that this view can better account for certain phenomena than substance theories, is ontologically more parsimonious, and coheres with claims in linguistics

Estimation of deviation angle for axial-flow compressor blade sections using inviscid-flow solutions

Development of a method of estimating deviation angles by analytical procedures was begun. Solutions for inviscid, irrotational flow in the blade-to-blade plane were obtained with a finite-difference calculation method. Deviation angles for a plane cascade with a rounded trailing edge were estimated by using the inviscid-flow solutions and three trailing-edge hypotheses. The estimated deviation angles were compared with existing experimental data over a range of incidence angles at inlet flow angles of 30 deg and 60 deg. The results indicate that deviation angles can be estimated accurately (within 1 deg) by using one of the three trailing-edge hypotheses, but only when pressure losses are low. A new trailing-edge hypotheses is presented which is suitable (for the cascade considered) for both low- and high-loss operating points

Evidence for Antipodal Hot Spots During X-ray Bursts From 4U 1636-536

The discovery of high-frequency brightness oscillations in thermonuclear X-ray bursts from several neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries has important implications for the beat frequency model of kilohertz quasi-periodic brightness oscillations, the propagation of nuclear burning, the structure of the subsurface magnetic fields in neutron stars, and the equation of state of high-density matter. These implications depend crucially on whether the observed frequency is the stellar spin frequency or its first overtone. Here we report an analysis of five bursts from 4U 1636-536 which exhibit strong oscillations at approximately 580 Hz. We show that combining the data from the first 0.75 seconds of each of the five bursts yields a signal at 290 Hz that is significant at the $4\times 10^{-5}$ level when the number of trials is taken into account. This strongly indicates that 290 Hz is the spin frequency of this neutron star and that 580 Hz is its first overtone, in agreement with other arguments about this source but in contrast to suggestions in the literature that 580 Hz is the true spin frequency. The method used here, which is an algorithm for combining time series data from the five bursts so that the phases of the 580 Hz oscillations are aligned, may be used in any source to search for weak oscillations that have frequencies related in a definite way to the frequency of a strong oscillation.Comment: 9 pages including one figure, uses aaspp4.sty, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters on September 1

Measuring the Spin of GRS 1915+105 with Relativistic Disk Reflection

GRS 1915+105 harbors one of the most massive known stellar black holes in the Galaxy. In May 2007, we observed GRS 1915+105 for 117 ksec in the low/hard state using Suzaku. We collected and analyzed the data with the HXD/PIN and XIS cameras spanning the energy range from 2.3-55 keV. Fits to the spectra with simple models reveal strong disk reflection through an Fe K emission line and a Compton back-scattering hump. We report constraints on the spin parameter of the black hole in GRS 1915+105 using relativistic disk reflection models. The model for the soft X-ray spectrum (i.e. < 10 keV) suggests a/M = 0.56(2) and excludes zero spin at the 4 sigma level of confidence. The model for the full broadband spectrum suggests that the spin may be higher, a/M = 0.98(1) (1 sigma confidence), and again excludes zero spin at the 2 sigma level of confidence. We discuss these results in the context of other spin constraints and inner disk studies in GRS 1915+105.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

A systematic review and meta-analysis of Macroplastique for treating female stress urinary incontinence.

Introduction and hypothesisMacroplastique® (polydimethylsiloxane injection) is a minimally invasive urethral bulking agent with global clinical literature describing its use over 20 years. This study critically assessed the safety and effectiveness outcomes for adult women treated with Macroplastique for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) through a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA systematic review of the scientific literature from 1990 to 2010 was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to quantitatively summarize the safety and effectiveness of Macroplastique for female SUI. A total of 958 patients from 23 cohorts were eligible for inclusion and were analyzed. Random-effects models were used to estimate the improvement and cure rates following treatment at three time periods: short-term (&lt;6 months), mid-term (6-18 months), and long-term (&gt;18 months). Expanded models assessed the effect of reinjection rate on successful treatment outcomes. Adverse event rates were aggregated and reported.ResultsImprovement rates were 75 % [95 % confidence interval (CI), 69-81] in the short-term, 73 % (95 % CI, 62-83) in the mid-term, and 64 % (95 % CI, 57-71) long-term. Cure/dry rates were 43 % (95 % CI, 33-54), 37 % (95 % CI, 28-46), and 36 % (95 % CI, 27-46) over the same respective follow-up periods. Higher study reinjection rates were associated with improved long-term SUI outcomes. No serious adverse events were reported.ConclusionsThis quantitative review supports Macroplastique as an effective, durable, and safe treatment option for female SUI. Meta-analytic evidence suggests that long-term therapeutic benefit is frequently maintained, with some patients requiring reinjection

Band Symmetries and Singularities in Twisted Multilayer Graphene

The electronic spectra of rotationally faulted graphene bilayers are calculated using a continuum formulation for small fault angles that identifies two distinct electronic states of the coupled system. The low energy spectra of one state features a Fermi velocity reduction which ultimately leads to pairwise annihilation and regeneration of its low energy Dirac nodes. The physics in the complementary state is controlled by pseudospin selection rules that prevent a Fermi velocity renormalization and produce second generation symmetry-protected Dirac singularities in the spectrum. These results are compared with previous theoretical analyses and with experimental data.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Second order parameter-uniform convergence for a finite difference method for a singularly perturbed linear reaction-diffusion system

A singularly perturbed linear system of second order ordinary differential equations of reaction-diffusion type with given boundary conditions is considered. The leading term of each equation is multiplied by a small positive parameter. These singular perturbation parameters are assumed to be distinct. The components of the solution exhibit overlapping layers. Shishkin piecewise-uniform meshes are introduced, which are used in conjunction with a classical finite difference discretisation, to construct a numerical method for solving this problem. It is proved that the numerical approximations obtained with this method is essentially second order convergent uniformly with respect to all of the parameters