Gamma-ray variability from wind clumping in HMXBs with jets

In the subclass of high-mass X-ray binaries known as "microquasars", relativistic hadrons in the jets launched by the compact object can interact with cold protons from the star's radiatively driven wind, producing pions that then quickly decay into gamma rays. Since the resulting gamma-ray emissivity depends on the target density, the detection of rapid variability in microquasars with GLAST and the new generation of Cherenkov imaging arrays could be used to probe the clumped structure of the stellar wind. We show here that the fluctuation in gamma rays can be modeled using a "porosity length" formalism, usually applied to characterize clumping effects. In particular, for a porosity length defined by h=l/f, i.e. as the ratio of the characteristic size l of clumps to their volume filling factor f, we find that the relative fluctuation in gamma-ray emission in a binary with orbital separation a scales as sqrt(h/pi a) in the "thin-jet" limit, and is reduced by a factor 1/sqrt(1 + phi a/(2 l)) for a jet with a finite opening angle phi. For a thin jet and quite moderate porosity length h ~ 0.03 a, this implies a ca. 10 % variation in the gamma-ray emission. Moreover, the illumination of individual large clumps might result in isolated flares, as has been recently observed in some massive gamma-ray binaries.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 5 pages, 1 figur

Exact-exchange density-functional calculations for noble-gas solids

The electronic structure of noble-gas solids is calculated within density functional theory's exact-exchange method (EXX) and compared with the results from the local-density approximation (LDA). It is shown that the EXX method does not reproduce the fundamental energy gaps as well as has been reported for semiconductors. However, the EXX-Kohn-Sham energy gaps for these materials reproduce about 80 % of the experimental optical gaps. The structural properties of noble-gas solids are described by the EXX method as poorly as by the LDA one. This is due to missing Van der Waals interactions in both, LDA and EXX functionals.Comment: 4 Fig

Critical density of a soliton gas

We quantify the notion of a dense soliton gas by establishing an upper bound for the integrated density of states of the quantum-mechanical Schr\"odinger operator associated with the KdV soliton gas dynamics. As a by-product of our derivation we find the speed of sound in the soliton gas with Gaussian spectral distribution function.Comment: 7 page

Strain-Induced Conduction Band Spin Splitting in GaAs from First Principles Calculations

We use a recently developed self-consistent GW approximation to present first principles calculations of the conduction band spin splitting in GaAs under [110] strain. The spin orbit interaction is taken into account as a perturbation to the scalar relativistic hamiltonian. These are the first calculations of conduction band spin splitting under deformation based on a quasiparticle approach; and because the self-consistent GW scheme accurately reproduces the relevant band parameters, it is expected to be a reliable predictor of spin splittings. We also discuss the spin relaxation time under [110] strain and show that it exhibits an in-plane anisotropy, which can be exploited to obtain the magnitude and sign of the conduction band spin splitting experimentally.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Positivity of Lyapunov exponents for a continuous matrix-valued Anderson model

We study a continuous matrix-valued Anderson-type model. Both leading Lyapunov exponents of this model are proved to be positive and distinct for all ernergies in $(2,+\infty)$ except those in a discrete set, which leads to absence of absolutely continuous spectrum in $(2,+\infty)$. This result is an improvement of a previous result with Stolz. The methods, based upon a result by Breuillard and Gelander on dense subgroups in semisimple Lie groups, and a criterion by Goldsheid and Margulis, allow for singular Bernoulli distributions

Hadronic gamma-ray emission from windy microquasars

The jets of microquasars with high-mass stellar companions are exposed to the dense matter field of the stellar wind. We present estimates of the gamma-ray emission expected from the jet-wind hadronic interaction and we discuss the detectability of the phenomenon at high energies. The proposed mechanism could explain some of the unidentified gamma-ray sources detected by EGRET instrument on the galactic plane.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics as a Letter to the Edito

Jet-Induced Nucleosynthesis in Misaligned Microquasars

The jet axes and the orbital planes of microquasar systems are usually assumed to be approximately perpendicular, eventhough this is not currently an observational requirement. On the contrary, in one of the few systems where the relative orientations are well-constrained, V4641Sgr, the jet axis is known to lie not more than ~36 degrees from the binary plane. Such a jet, lying close to the binary plane, and traveling at a significant fraction of the speed of light may periodically impact the secondary star initiating nuclear reactions on its surface. The integrated yield of such nuclear reactions over the age of the binary system (less the radiative mass loss) will detectably alter the elemental abundances of the companion star. This scenario may explain the anomalously high Li enhancements (roughly ~20-200 times the sun's photospheric value; or, equivalently, 0.1-1 times the average solar system value) seen in the companions of some black-hole X-ray binary systems. (Such enhancements are puzzling since Li nuclei are exceedingly fragile - being easily destroyed in the interiors of stars - and Li would be expected to be depleted rather than enhanced there.) Gamma-ray line signatures of the proposed process could include the 2.22 MeV neutron capture line as well as the 0.478 MeV 7Li* de-excitation line, both of which may be discernable with the INTEGRAL satellite if produced in an optically thin region during a large outburst. For very energetic jets, a relatively narrow neutral pion gamma-decay signature at 67.5 MeV could also be measurable with the GLAST satellite. We argue that about 10-20% of all microquasar systems ought to be sufficiently misaligned as to be undergoing the proposed jet-secondary impacts.Comment: ApJ, accepted. Includes referee's suggestions and some minor clarifications over previous versio

Generalized Lyapunov Exponent and Transmission Statistics in One-dimensional Gaussian Correlated Potentials

Distribution of the transmission coefficient T of a long system with a correlated Gaussian disorder is studied analytically and numerically in terms of the generalized Lyapunov exponent (LE) and the cumulants of lnT. The effect of the disorder correlations on these quantities is considered in weak, moderate and strong disorder for different models of correlation. Scaling relations between the cumulants of lnT are obtained. The cumulants are treated analytically within the semiclassical approximation in strong disorder, and numerically for an arbitrary strength of the disorder. A small correlation scale approximation is developed for calculation of the generalized LE in a general correlated disorder. An essential effect of the disorder correlations on the transmission statistics is found. In particular, obtained relations between the cumulants and between them and the generalized LE show that, beyond weak disorder, transmission fluctuations and deviation of their distribution from the log-normal form (in a long but finite system) are greatly enhanced due to the disorder correlations. Parametric dependence of these effects upon the correlation scale is presented.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure

Mott Transition of MnO under Pressure: Comparison of Correlated Band Theories

The electronic structure, magnetic moment, and volume collapse of MnO under pressure are obtained from four different correlated band theory methods; local density approximation + Hubbard U (LDA+U), pseudopotential self-interaction correction (pseudo-SIC), the hybrid functional (combined local exchange plus Hartree-Fock exchange), and the local spin density SIC (SIC-LSD) method. Each method treats correlation among the five Mn 3d orbitals (per spin), including their hybridization with three O $2p$ orbitals in the valence bands and their changes with pressure. The focus is on comparison of the methods for rocksalt MnO (neglecting the observed transition to the NiAs structure in the 90-100 GPa range). Each method predicts a first-order volume collapse, but with variation in the predicted volume and critical pressure. Accompanying the volume collapse is a moment collapse, which for all methods is from high-spin to low-spin (5/2 to 1/2), not to nonmagnetic as the simplest scenario would have. The specific manner in which the transition occurs varies considerably among the methods: pseudo-SIC and SIC-LSD give insulator-to-metal, while LDA+U gives insulator-to-insulator and the hybrid method gives an insulator-to-semimetal transition. Projected densities of states above and below the transition are presented for each of the methods and used to analyze the character of each transition. In some cases the rhombohedral symmetry of the antiferromagnetically ordered phase clearly influences the character of the transition.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. A 7 institute collaboration, Updated versio

INTEGRAL observations of SS433, a supercritically accreting microquasar with hard spectrum

Observations of SS433 by INTEGRAL carried out in March -- May 2003 are presented. SS433 is evidently detected on the INTEGRAL images of the corresponding sky region in the energy bands 25-50 and 50-100 keV. The precessional variability of the hard X-ray flux is clearly seen. The X-ray eclipse caused by the binary orbital motion is also detected. A possible origin of the hard continuum is briefly discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures. Accepted to A&A INTEGRAL special volum