121 research outputs found
Young Crab-like pulsars and luminous X-ray sources in starbursts and optically dull galaxies
Recent Chandra observations of nearby galaxies have revealed a number of
ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with super-Eddington luminosities, away from
the central regions of non-active galaxies. The nature of these sources is
still debated. We argue that a fraction of them could be young, Crab-like
pulsars, the X-ray luminosity of which is powered by rotation. We use the
pulsar birth parameters estimated from radio pulsar data to compute the
steady-state pulsar X-ray luminosity distribution as a function of the star
formation rate (SFR) in the galaxy. We find that ~10% of optically dull
galaxies are expected to have a source with L_x >~ 10^{39} erg/s, while
starbursts galaxies should each have several of these sources. We estimate that
the X-ray luminosity of a few percents of galaxies is dominated by a single
bright pulsar with L_x >~10^{39} erg/s, roughly independently of its SFR. We
discuss observational diagnostics that can help distinguish the young pulsar
population in ULXs.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, accepted to Ap
Deep Radio Imaging of Globular Clusters and the Cluster Pulsar Population
We have obtained deep multifrequency radio observations of seven globular
clusters using the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array.
Five of these, NGC 6440, NGC 6539, NGC 6544, NGC 6624 and Terzan 5 had
previously been detected in a shallower survey for steep spectrum radio sources
in globular clusters (Fruchter and Goss 1990). The sixth, the rich globular
cluster, Liller 1, had heretofore been undetected in the radio, and the
seventh, 47 Tucanae, was not included in our original survey. High resolution 6
and 20 cm images of three of the clusters, NGC 6440, NGC 6539, NGC 6624 reveal
only point sources coincident with pulsars which have been discovered
subsequent to our first imaging survey. 21 and 18 cm images reveal several
point sources within a few core-radii of the center of 47 Tuc. Two of these are
identified pulsars, and a third, which is both variable and has a steep
spectrum, is also most likely a pulsar previously identified by a pulsed
survey. However, the 6, 20 and 90 cm images of NGC 6544, Liller 1 and Terzan 5
display strong steep-spectrum emission which cannot be associated with known
pulsars. The image of the rich cluster Terzan 5 displays numerous point sources
within , or 4 core radii of the cluster center. The density of these
objects rises rapidly toward the core, where an elongated region of emission is
found. The brightest individual sources, as well as the extended emission,
possess the steep spectra expected of pulsars. Furthermore, the flux
distribution of the sources agrees well with the standard pulsar luminosity
function. The total luminosity and number of objects observed suggest that
Terzan 5 contains more pulsars than any other Galactic globular cluster.Comment: 33 pages, 6 Postscript figures; Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal; abstract abridged. PDF version also available at
http://nemesis.stsci.edu/~fruchter/fg99/fg99.pd
The Halo Beaming Model for Gamma-Ray Bursts
We consider a model for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from high-velocity neutron
stars in the galactic halo. In this model, bursters are born in the galactic
disk with large recoil velocities V_r, and GRBs are beamed to within emission
cones of half-angle \phi centered on V_r. We describe scenarios for
magnetically -channeled GRBs that have such beaming characteristics. We then
make detailed comparisons of this halo beaming model (HBM) to BATSE and PVO
data for GRB intensity & angular position distributions. Acceptable fits to
observations of over 1000 bursts are obtained for \phi = 15 - 30 degrees and
for a BATSE sampling depth ~ 180 kpc. Present data favor a truly isotropic
(cosmological) model over the HBM, but not by a statistically compelling
margin. Bursters born in nearby external galaxies, such as M31, are almost
entirely undetectable in the HBM because of misdirected beaming. We analyze
several refinements of the basic HBM: gamma-ray intensities that vary with
angle from the beam axis; non-standard-candle GRB luminosity functions; and
models including a subset of bursters that do not escape from the galaxy. We
also discuss the energy budgets for the bursters, the origins of their recoils,
and the physics of burst beaming and alignment. One possible physical model is
based on the magnetar model of soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). Empirical bounds on
the rate of formation and peculiar velocities of SGRs imply that there exist ~
10^4 to ~ 10^7 aged SGRs in the galactic halo within a distance of 100 kpc. The
HBM gives an acceptable fit to observations only if it satisfies certain
conditions (e.g. \phi ~ 20 deg) which are possible, but for which there exist
no clear & compelling theoretical justifications. The cosmological burster
hypothesis is more generic and thus more attractive in this sense. (Abbreviated
Abstract).Comment: ApJ accepted, 9 figures, AASTE
Are Supershells Powered by Multiple Supernovae? Modeling the Radio Pulsar Population Produced by OB Associations
Traditional searches for radio pulsars have targeted individual small regions
such as supernova remnants or globular clusters, or have covered large
contiguous regions of the sky. None of these searches has been specifically
directed towards giant supershells, some of which are likely to have been
produced by multiple supernova (SN) explosions from an OB association. Here we
perform a Montecarlo simulation of the pulsar population associated with
supershells powered by multiple SNe. We predict that several tens of radio
pulsars could be detected with current instruments associated with the largest
Galactic supershells (with kinetic energies >~ 10^{53} ergs), and a few pulsars
with the smaller ones. We test these predictions for some of the supershells
which lie in regions covered by past pulsar surveys. For the smaller
supershells, our results are consistent with the few detected pulsars per
bubble. For the giant supershell GSH 242-03+37, we find the multiple SN
hypothesis inconsistent with current data at the 95% level. We stress the
importance of undertaking deep pulsar surveys in correlation with supershells.
Failure to detect any pulsar enhancement in the largest of them would put
serious constraints on the multiple SN origin for them. Conversely, the
discovery of the pulsar population associated with a supershell would allow a
different/independent approach to the study of pulsar properties.Comment: accepted to ApJ; 17 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl
Birth and Evolution of Isolated Radio Pulsars
We investigate the birth and evolution of Galactic isolated radio pulsars. We
begin by estimating their birth space velocity distribution from proper motion
measurements of Brisken et al. (2002, 2003). We find no evidence for
multimodality of the distribution and favor one in which the absolute
one-dimensional velocity components are exponentially distributed and with a
three-dimensional mean velocity of 380^{+40}_{-60} km s^-1. We then proceed
with a Monte Carlo-based population synthesis, modelling the birth properties
of the pulsars, their time evolution, and their detection in the Parkes and
Swinburne Multibeam surveys. We present a population model that appears
generally consistent with the observations. Our results suggest that pulsars
are born in the spiral arms, with a Galactocentric radial distribution that is
well described by the functional form proposed by Yusifov & Kucuk (2004), in
which the pulsar surface density peaks at radius ~3 kpc. The birth spin period
distribution extends to several hundred milliseconds, with no evidence of
multimodality. Models which assume the radio luminosities of pulsars to be
independent of the spin periods and period derivatives are inadequate, as they
lead to the detection of too many old simulated pulsars in our simulations.
Dithered radio luminosities proportional to the square root of the spin-down
luminosity accommodate the observations well and provide a natural mechanism
for the pulsars to dim uniformly as they approach the death line, avoiding an
observed pile-up on the latter. There is no evidence for significant torque
decay (due to magnetic field decay or otherwise) over the lifetime of the
pulsars as radio sources (~100 Myr). Finally, we estimate the pulsar birthrate
and total number of pulsars in the Galaxy.Comment: 27 pages, including 15 figures, accepted by Ap
Thin accretion disc with a corona in a central magnetic field
We study the steady-state structure of an accretion disc with a corona
surrounding a central, rotating, magnetized star. We assume that the
magneto-rotational instability is the dominant mechanism of angular momentum
transport inside the disc and is responsible for producing magnetic tubes above
the disc. In our model, a fraction of the dissipated energy inside the disc is
transported to the corona via these magnetic tubes. This energy exchange from
the disc to the corona which depends on the disc physical properties is
modified because of the magnetic interaction between the stellar magnetic field
and the accretion disc. According to our fully analytical solutions for such a
system, the existence of a corona not only increases the surface density but
reduces the temperature of the accretion disc. Also, the presence of a corona
enhances the ratio of gas pressure to the total pressure. Our solutions show
that when the strength of the magnetic field of the central neutron star is
large or the star is rotating fast enough, profiles of the physical variables
of the disc significantly modify due to the existence of a corona.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
Monitoring response to anti-angiogenic mTOR inhibitor therapy in vivo using 111In-bevacizumab
The influence of Mechanical bowel preparation in elective colorectal surgery for diverticulitis
Background: Mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) has been shown to have no influence on the incidenc
Controversies in the Surgical Management of Sigmoid Diverticulitis
The timing and appropriateness of surgical treatment of sigmoid diverticular disease remain a topic of controversy. We have reviewed the current literature on this topic, focusing on issues related to the indications and types of surgery. Current evidence would suggest that elective surgery for diverticulitis can be avoided in patients with uncomplicated disease, regardless of the number of recurrent episodes. Furthermore, the need for elective surgey should not be influenced by the age of the patient. Operation should be undertaken in patients with severe attacks, as determined by their clinical and radiological evaluation
- âŠ