Microlensing of Sub-parsec Massive Binary Black Holes in Lensed QSOs: Light Curves and Size-Wavelength Relation

Sub-parsec binary massive black holes (BBHs) are long anticipated to exist in many QSOs but remain observationally elusive. In this paper, we propose a novel method to probe sub-parsec BBHs through microlensing of lensed QSOs. If a QSO hosts a sub-parsec BBH in its center, it is expected that the BBH is surrounded by a circum-binary disk, each component of the BBH is surrounded by a small accretion disk, and a gap is opened by the secondary component in between the circum-binary disk and the two small disks. Assuming such a BBH structure, we generate mock microlensing light curves for some QSO systems that host BBHs with typical physical parameters. We show that microlensing light curves of a BBH QSO system at the infrared-optical-UV bands can be significantly different from those of corresponding QSO system with a single massive black hole (MBH), mainly because of the existence of the gap and the rotation of the BBH (and its associated small disks) around the center of mass. We estimate the half-light radii of the emission region at different wavelengths from mock light curves and find that the obtained half-light radius vs. wavelength relations of BBH QSO systems can be much flatter than those of single MBH QSO systems at a wavelength range determined by the BBH parameters, such as the total mass, mass ratio, separation, accretion rates, etc. The difference is primarily due to the existence of the gap. Such unique features on the light curves and half-light radius-wavelength relations of BBH QSO systems can be used to select and probe sub-parsec BBHs in a large number of lensed QSOs to be discovered by current and future surveys, including the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), the Large Synoptic Survey telescope (LSST) and Euclid.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Calorimetric Evidence of Strong-Coupling Multiband Superconductivity in Fe(Te0.57Se0.43) Single Crystal

We have investigated the specific heat of optimally-doped iron chalcogenide superconductor Fe(Te0.57Se0.43) with a high-quality single crystal sample. The electronic specific heat Ce of this sample has been successfully separated from the phonon contribution using the specific heat of a non-superconducting sample (Fe0.90Cu0.10)(Te0.57Se0.43) as a reference. The normal state Sommerfeld coefficient gamma_n of the superconducting sample is found to be ~ 26.6 mJ/mol K^2, indicating intermediate electronic correlation. The temperature dependence of Ce in the superconducting state can be best fitted using a double-gap model with 2Delta_s(0)/kBTc = 3.92 and 2Delta_l(0)/kBTc = 5.84. The large gap magnitudes derived from fitting, as well as the large specific heat jump of Delta_Ce(Tc)/gamma_n*Tc ~ 2.11, indicate strong-coupling superconductivity. Furthermore, the magnetic field dependence of specific heat shows strong evidence for multiband superconductivity

Weak anisotropy of the superconducting upper critical field in Fe1.11Te0.6Se0.4 single crystals

We have determined the resistive upper critical field Hc2 for single crystals of the superconductor Fe1.11Te0.6Se0.4 using pulsed magnetic fields of up to 60T. A rather high zero-temperature upper critical field of mu0Hc2(0) approx 47T is obtained, in spite of the relatively low superconducting transition temperature (Tc approx 14K). Moreover, Hc2 follows an unusual temperature dependence, becoming almost independent of the magnetic field orientation as the temperature T=0. We suggest that the isotropic superconductivity in Fe1.11Te0.6Se0.4 is a consequence of its three-dimensional Fermi-surface topology. An analogous result was obtained for (Ba,K)Fe2As2, indicating that all layered iron-based superconductors exhibit generic behavior that is significantly different from that of the high-Tc cuprates.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submit to PR

Enhanced superconductivity at the interface of W/Sr2_{2}RuO4_{4} point contact

Differential resistance measurements are conducted for point contacts (PCs) between tungsten tip approaching along the $c$ axis direction and the $ab$ plane of Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$ single crystal. Three key features are found. Firstly, within 0.2 mV there is a dome like conductance enhancement due to Andreev reflection at the normal-superconducting interface. By pushing the W tip further, the conductance enhancement increases from 3\% to more than 20\%, much larger than that was previously reported, probably due to the pressure exerted by the tip. Secondly, there are also superconducting like features at bias higher than 0.2 mV which persists up to 6.2 K, resembling the enhanced superconductivity under uniaxial pressure for bulk Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$ crystals but more pronounced here. Third, the logarithmic background can be fitted with the Altshuler-Aronov theory of tunneling into quasi two dimensional electron system, consistent with the highly anisotropic electronic system in Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$.Comment: prb style, 9 pages, 8 fig