7,195 research outputs found
Neutron Stars in Globular Clusters
Dynamical interactions that occur between objects in dense stellar systems
are particularly important for the question of formation of X-ray binaries. We
present results of numerical simulations of 70 globular clusters with different
dynamical properties and a total stellar mass of 2*10^7 Msun. We find that in
order to retain enough neutron stars to match observations we must assume that
NSs can be formed via electron-capture supernovae. Our simulations explain the
observed dependence of the number of LMXBs on ``collision number'' as well as
the large scatter observed between different globular clusters. For millisecond
pulsars, we obtain good agreement between our models and the numbers and
characteristics of observed pulsars in the clusters Terzan 5 and 47 TucComment: 5 pages, 3 figures, to appear in "Dynamical Evolution of Dense
Stellar Systems", IAUS 246, ed. E. Vesperin
Ultracold, radiative charge transfer in hybrid Yb ion - Rb atom traps
Ultracold hybrid ion-atom traps offer the possibility of microscopic
manipulation of quantum coherences in the gas using the ion as a probe.
However, inelastic processes, particularly charge transfer can be a significant
process of ion loss and has been measured experimentally for the Yb ion
immersed in a Rb vapour. We use first-principles quantum chemistry codes to
obtain the potential energy curves and dipole moments for the lowest-lying
energy states of this complex. Calculations for the radiative decay processes
cross sections and rate coefficients are presented for the total decay
processes. Comparing the semi-classical Langevin approximation with the quantum
approach, we find it provides a very good estimate of the background at higher
energies. The results demonstrate that radiative decay mechanisms are important
over the energy and temperature region considered. In fact, the Langevin
process of ion-atom collisions dominates cold ion-atom collisions. For spin
dependent processes \cite{kohl13} the anisotropic magnetic dipole-dipole
interaction and the second-order spin-orbit coupling can play important roles,
inducing couplingbetween the spin and the orbital motion. They measured the
spin-relaxing collision rate to be approximately 5 orders of magnitude higher
than the charge-exchange collision rate \cite{kohl13}. Regarding the measured
radiative charge transfer collision rate, we find that our calculation is in
very good agreement with experiment and with previous calculations.
Nonetheless, we find no broad resonances features that might underly a strong
isotope effect. In conclusion, we find, in agreement with previous theory that
the isotope anomaly observed in experiment remains an open question.Comment: 7 figures, 1 table accepted for publication in J. Phys. B: At. Mol.
Opt. Phys. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1107.114
Three New Long Period X-ray Pulsars Discovered in the Small Magellanic Cloud
The Small Magellanic Cloud is increasingly an invaluable laboratory for
studying accreting and isolated X-ray pulsars. We add to the class of compact
SMC objects by reporting the discovery of three new long period X-ray pulsars
detected with the {\it Chandra X-ray Observatory}. The pulsars, with periods of
152, 304 and 565 seconds, all show hard X-ray spectra over the range from 0.6 -
7.5 keV. The source positions of the three pulsars are consistent with known
H-alpha emission sources, indicating they are likely to be Be type X-ray binary
star systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
X-ray Pulsars in the Small Magellanic Cloud
XMM-Newton archival data for the Small Magellanic Cloud have been examined
for the presence of previously undetected X-ray pulsars. One such pulsar, with
a period of 202 s, is detected. Its position is consistent with an early B star
in the SMC and we identify it as a high mass X-ray binary (HMXB). In the course
of this study we determined the pulse period of the possible AXP CXOU
J010043.1-721134 to be 8.0 s, correcting an earlier report (Lamb et al 2002b)
of a 5.4 s period for this object. Pulse profiles and spectra for each of these
objects are presented as well as for a recently discovered (Haberl & Pietsch
2004) 263 s X-ray pulsar. Properties of an ensemble of 24 optically identified
HMXB pulsars from the SMC are investigated. The locations of the pulsars and an
additional 22 X-ray pulsars not yet identified as having high mass companions
are located predominately in the young (ages years) star
forming regions of the SMC as expected on the basis of binary evolution models.
We find no significant difference between the distribution of spin periods for
the HMXB pulsars of the SMC compared with that of the Milky Way. For those HMXB
pulsars which have Be companions we note an inverse correlation between spin
period and maximum X-ray flux density. (This anti-correlation has been
previously noted for all X-ray binary pulsars by Stella, White & Rosner 1986).
The anti-correlation for the Be binaries may be a reflection of the fact that
the spin periods and orbital periods of Be HMXBs are correlated. We note a
similar correlation between X-ray luminosity and spin period for the Be HMXB
pulsars of the Milky Way and speculate that exploitation of the correlation
could serve as a distance indicator.Comment: final version accepted in The Astrophysical Journa
Cross-sections of Andreev scattering by quantized vortex rings in 3He-B
We studied numerically the Andreev scattering cross-sections of
three-dimensional isolated quantized vortex rings in superfluid 3He-B at
ultra-low temperatures. We calculated the dependence of the cross-section on
the ring's size and on the angle between the beam of incident thermal
quasiparticle excitations and the direction of the ring's motion. We also
introduced, and investigated numerically, the cross-section averaged over all
possible orientations of the vortex ring; such a cross-section may be
particularly relevant for the analysis of experimental data. We also analyzed
the role of screening effects for Andreev reflection of quasiparticles by
systems of vortex rings. Using the results obtained for isolated rings we found
that the screening factor for a system of unlinked rings depends strongly on
the average radius of the vortex ring, and that the screening effects increase
with decreasing the rings' size.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures ; submitted to Physical Review
Timing Features of the Accretion--driven Millisecond X-Ray Pulsar XTE J1807--294 in 2003 March Outburst
In order to probe the activity of the inner disk flow and its effect on the
neutron star surface emissions, we carried out the timing analysis of the Rossi
X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of the millisecond X-ray pulsar XTE
J1807--294, focusing on its correlated behaviors in X-ray intensities, hardness
ratios, pulse profiles and power density spectra. The source was observed to
have a serial of broad "puny" flares on a timescale of hours to days on the top
of a decaying outburst in March 2003. In the flares, the spectra are softened
and the pulse profiles become more sinusoidal. The frequency of kilohertz
quasi-periodic oscillation (kHz QPO) is found to be positively related to the
X-ray count rate in the flares. These features observed in the flares could be
due to the accreting flow inhomogeneities. It is noticed that the fractional
pulse amplitude increases with the flare intensities in a range of , comparable to those observed in the thermonuclear bursts of the
millisecond X-ray pulsar XTE J1814--338, whereas it remains at about 6.5% in
the normal state. Such a significant variation of the pulse profile in the
"puny" flares may reflect the changes of physical parameters in the inner disk
accretion region. Furthermore, we noticed an overall positive correlation
between the kHz QPO frequency and the fractional pulse amplitude, which could
be the first evidence representing that the neutron-star surface emission
properties are very sensitive to the disk flow inhomogeneities. This effect
should be cautiously considered in the burst oscillation studies.Comment: Accepted by ApJ, 23 pages, 7 figures, 3 table
Proton imaging of stochastic magnetic fields
Recent laser-plasma experiments report the existence of dynamically
significant magnetic fields, whose statistical characterisation is essential
for understanding the physical processes these experiments are attempting to
investigate. In this paper, we show how a proton imaging diagnostic can be used
to determine a range of relevant magnetic field statistics, including the
magnetic-energy spectrum. To achieve this goal, we explore the properties of an
analytic relation between a stochastic magnetic field and the image-flux
distribution created upon imaging that field. We conclude that features of the
beam's final image-flux distribution often display a universal character
determined by a single, field-scale dependent parameter - the contrast
parameter - which quantifies the relative size of the correlation length of the
stochastic field, proton displacements due to magnetic deflections, and the
image magnification. For stochastic magnetic fields, we establish the existence
of four contrast regimes - linear, nonlinear injective, caustic and diffusive -
under which proton-flux images relate to their parent fields in a qualitatively
distinct manner. As a consequence, it is demonstrated that in the linear or
nonlinear injective regimes, the path-integrated magnetic field experienced by
the beam can be extracted uniquely, as can the magnetic-energy spectrum under a
further statistical assumption of isotropy. This is no longer the case in the
caustic or diffusive regimes. We also discuss complications to the
contrast-regime characterisation arising for inhomogeneous, multi-scale
stochastic fields, as well as limitations currently placed by experimental
capabilities on extracting magnetic field statistics. The results presented in
this paper provide a comprehensive description of proton images of stochastic
magnetic fields, with applications for improved analysis of given proton-flux
images.Comment: Main paper pp. 1-29; appendices pp. 30-84. 24 figures, 2 table
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