787 research outputs found
Keplerian frequency of uniformly rotating neutron stars and quark stars
We calculate Keplerian (mass shedding) configurations of rigidly rotating
neutron stars and quark stars with crusts. We check the validity of empirical
formula for Keplerian frequency, f_K, proposed by Lattimer & Prakash, f_K(M)=C
(M/M_sun)^1/2 (R/10km)^-3/2, where M is the (gravitational) mass of Keplerian
configuration, R is the (circumferential) radius of the non-rotating
configuration of the same gravitational mass, and C = 1.04 kHz. Numerical
calculations are performed using precise 2-D codes based on the multi-domain
spectral methods. We use a representative set of equations of state (EOSs) of
neutron stars and quark stars. We show that the empirical formula for f_K(M)
holds within a few percent for neutron stars with realistic EOSs, provided 0.5
M_sun < M < 0.9 M_max,stat, where M_max,stat is the maximum allowable mass of
non-rotating neutron stars for an EOS, and C=C_NS=1.08 kHz. Similar precision
is obtained for quark stars with 0.5 M_sun < M < 0.9 M_max,stat. For maximal
crust masses we obtain C_QS = 1.15 kHz, and the value of C_QS is not very
sensitive to the crust mass. All our C's are significantly larger than the
analytic value from the relativistic Roche model, C_Roche = 1.00 kHz. For 0.5
M_sun < M < 0.9 M_max,stat, the equatorial radius of Keplerian configuration of
mass M, R_K(M), is, to a very good approximation, proportional to the radius of
the non-rotating star of the same mass, R_K(M) = aR(M), with a_NS \approx a_QS
\approx 1.44. The value of a_QS is very weakly dependent on the mass of the
crust of the quark star. Both a's are smaller than the analytic value a_Roche =
1.5 from the relativistic Roche model.Comment: 6 pages, 6 color figures, submitted to A&
Question design in nurse-led and GP-led telephone triage for same-day appointment requests: a comparative investigation
Objective: To compare doctors’ and nurses’ communication with patients in primary care telephone triage consultations. Design: Qualitative comparative study of content and form of questions in 51 telephone triage encounters between practitioners (general practitioners (GPs)=29; nurses=22) and patients requesting a same-day appointment in primary care. Audio-recordings of nurse-led calls were synchronised with video recordings of nurse's use of computer decision support software (CDSS) during triage. Setting: 2 GP practices in Devon and Warwickshire, UK. Participants: 4 GPs and 29 patients; and 4 nurses and 22 patients requesting a same-day face-to-face appointment with a GP. Main outcome measure: Form and content of practitioner-initiated questions and patient responses during clinical assessment. Results: A total of 484 question–response sequences were coded (160 GP; 324 N). Despite average call lengths being similar (GP=4 min, 37 s, (SD=1 min, 26 s); N=4 min, 39 s, (SD=2 min, 22 s)), GPs and nurses differed in the average number (GP=5.51, (SD=4.66); N=14.72, (SD=6.42)), content and form of questions asked. A higher frequency of questioning in nurse-led triage was found to be due to nurses’ use of CDSS to guide telephone triage. 89% of nurse questions were oriented to asking patients about their reported symptoms or to wider-information gathering, compared to 54% of GP questions. 43% of GP questions involved eliciting patient concerns or expectations, and obtaining details of medical history, compared to 11% of nurse questions. Nurses using CDSS frequently delivered questions designed as declarative statements requesting confirmation and which typically preferred a ‘no problem’ response. In contrast, GPs asked a higher proportion of interrogative questions designed to request information. Conclusions: Nurses and GPs emphasise different aspects of the clinical assessment process during telephone triage. These different styles of triage have implications for the type of information available following nurse-led or doctor-led triage, and for how patients experience triage
Probing the symmetry energy with isospin ratio from nucleons to fragments
Within the framework of ImQMD05, we study several isospin sensitive
observables, such as DR(n/p) ratios, isospin transport ratio (isospin
diffusion), yield ratios for LCPs between the projectile region and
mid-rapidity region for the reaction systems Ni+Ni, Zn+Zn, Sn+Sn at
low-intermediate energies. Our results show that those observables are
sensitive to the density dependence of symmetry energy, and also depend on the
cluster formation mechanism. By comparing these calculations to the data, the
information of the symmetry energy and reaction mechanism is obtained.Comment: Talk given by Yingxun Zhang at the 11th International Conference on
Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (NN2012), San Antonio, Texas, USA, May 27-June 1,
2012. To appear in the NN2012 Proceedings in Journal of Physics: Conference
Series (JPCS
Non-equilibrium beta processes in superfluid neutron star cores
The influence of nucleons superfluidity on the beta relaxation time of
degenerate neutron star cores, composed of neutrons, protons and electrons, is
investigated. We numerically calculate the implied reduction factors for both
direct and modified Urca reactions, with isotropic pairing of protons or
anisotropic pairing of neutrons. We find that due to the non-zero value of the
temperature and/or to the vanishing of anisotropic gaps in some directions of
the phase-space, superfluidity does not always completely inhibit beta
relaxation, allowing for some reactions if the superfluid gap amplitude is not
too large in respect to both the typical thermal energy and the chemical
potential mismatch. We even observe that if the ratio between the critical
temperature and the actual temperature is very small, a suprathermal regime is
reached for which superfluidity is almost irrelevant. On the contrary, if the
gap is large enough, the composition of the nuclear matter can stay frozen for
very long durations, unless the departure from beta equilibrium is at least as
important as the gap amplitude. These results are crucial for precise
estimation of the superfluidity effect on the cooling/slowing-down of pulsars
and we provide online subroutines to be implemented in codes for simulating
such evolutions.Comment: 11 pages, 6 Figs., published, minor changes, subroutines can be found
on line at http://luth2.obspm.fr/~etu/villain/Micro/Resolution.htm
Shear-free radiating collapse and conformal flatness
Here we study some general properties of spherical shear-free collapse. Its
general solution when imposing conformal flatness is reobtained [1,2] and
matched to the outgoing Vaidya spacetime. We propose a simple model satisfying
these conditions and study its physical consequences. Special attention
deserve, the role played by relaxational processes and the conspicuous link
betweeen dissipation and density inhomogeneity.Comment: 13 pages Latex. Some misprints in eqs.(17), (30) and (35) have been
correcte
A numerical study of the r-mode instability of rapidly rotating nascent neutron stars
The first results of numerical analysis of classical r-modes of {\it rapidly}
rotating compressible stellar models are reported. The full set of linear
perturbation equations of rotating stars in Newtonian gravity are numerically
solved without the slow rotation approximation. A critical curve of
gravitational wave emission induced instability which restricts the rotational
frequencies of hot young neutron stars is obtained. Taking the standard cooling
mechanisms of neutron stars into account, we also show the `evolutionary
curves' along which neutron stars are supposed to evolve as cooling and
spinning-down proceed. Rotational frequencies of stars suffering
from this instability decrease to around 100Hz when the standard cooling
mechanism of neutron stars is employed. This result confirms the results of
other authors who adopted the slow rotation approximation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; MNRAS,316,L1(2000
Equation of state and phase transitions in asymmetric nuclear matter
The structure of the 3-dimension pressure-temperature-asymmetry surface of
equilibrium of the asymmetric nuclear matter is studied within the thermal
Thomas-Fermi approximation. Special attention is paid to the difference of the
asymmetry parameter between the boiling sheet and that of the condensation
sheet of the surface of equilibrium. We derive the condition of existence of
the regime of retrograde condensation at the boiling of the asymmetric nuclear
matter. We have performed calculations of the caloric curves in the case of
isobaric heating. We have shown the presence of the plateau region in caloric
curves at the isobaric heating of the asymmetric nuclear matter. The shape of
the caloric curve depends on the pressure and is sensitive to the value of the
asymmetry parameter. We point out that the experimental value of the plateau
temperature T \approx 7 MeV corresponds to the pressure P = 0.01 MeV/fm^3 at
the isobaric boiling.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
A uniform treatment of the orbital effects due to a violation of the Strong Equivalence Principle in the gravitational Stark-like limit
We analytically work out several effects which a violation of the Strong
Equivalence Principle (SEP) induces on the orbital motion of a binary system
constituted of self-gravitating bodies immersed in a constant and uniform
external field. We do not restrict to the small eccentricity limit. Moreover,
we do not select any specific spatial orientation of the external polarizing
field. We explicitly calculate the SEP-induced mean rates of change of all the
osculating Keplerian orbital elements of the binary, the perturbation of the
projection of the binary orbit onto the line-of-sight, the shift of the radial
velocity, and the range and range-rate signatures and as well. We find that the
ratio of the SEP precessions of the node and the inclination of the binary
depends only on and the pericenter of the binary itself, being independent on
both the magnitude and the orientation of the polarizing field, and on the
semimajor axis, the eccentricity and the node of the binary. Our results, which
do not depend on any particular SEP-violating theoretical scheme, can be
applied to quite general astronomical and astrophysical scenarios. They can be
used to better interpret present and future SEP experiments, especially when
several theoretical SEP mechanisms may be involved, and to suitably design new
dedicated tests.Comment: LaTex2e, 14 pages, no figures, no tables, 42 references. To appear in
Classical and Quantum Gravity (CQG
Isospin-rich nuclei in neutron star matter
Stability of nuclei beyond the drip lines in the presence of an enveloping
gas of nucleons and electrons, as prevailing in the inner crust of a neutron
star, is studied in the temperature-dependent Thomas-Fermi framework. A
limiting asymmetry in the isospin space beyond which nuclei cannot exist
emerges from the calculations. The ambient conditions like temperature, baryon
density and neutrino concentration under which these exotic nuclear systems can
be formed are studied in some detail.Comment: Submitted to Phy. Rev. C: Revtex version of manuscript 22 pages and
10 PS-files for figure
Isospin-rich nuclei in neutron star matter
Stability of nuclei beyond the drip lines in the presence of an enveloping
gas of nucleons and electrons, as prevailing in the inner crust of a neutron
star, is studied in the temperature-dependent Thomas-Fermi framework. A
limiting asymmetry in the isospin space beyond which nuclei cannot exist
emerges from the calculations. The ambient conditions like temperature, baryon
density and neutrino concentration under which these exotic nuclear systems can
be formed are studied in some detail.Comment: Submitted to Phy. Rev. C: Revtex version of manuscript 22 pages and
10 PS-files for figure
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