492 research outputs found
Liftable vector fields over corank one multigerms
In this paper, a systematic method is given to construct all liftable vector
fields over an analytic multigerm of
corank at most one admitting a one-parameter stable unfolding.Comment: 34 pages. In ver. 2, several careless mistakes for calculations in
Section 6 were correcte
NuSTAR Tests of Sterile-Neutrino Dark Matter: New Galactic Bulge Observations and Combined Impact
We analyze two dedicated NuSTAR observations with exposure ks
located from the Galactic plane, one above and the other
below, to search for x-ray lines from the radiative decay of sterile-neutrino
dark matter. These fields were chosen to minimize astrophysical x-ray
backgrounds while remaining near the densest region of the dark matter halo. We
find no evidence of anomalous x-ray lines in the energy range 5--20 keV,
corresponding to sterile neutrino masses 10--40 keV. Interpreted in the context
of sterile neutrinos produced via neutrino mixing, these observations provide
the leading constraints in the mass range 10--12 keV, improving upon previous
constraints in this range by a factor . We also compare our results to
Monte Carlo simulations, showing that the fluctuations in our derived limit are
not dominated by systematic effects. An updated model of the instrumental
background, which is currently under development, will improve NuSTAR's
sensitivity to anomalous x-ray lines, particularly for energies 3--5 keV.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures. Text updated to match published version in PRD.
Conclusions unchange
On the absence of radio halos in clusters with double relics
Pairs of radio relics are believed to form during cluster mergers, and are
best observed when the merger occurs in the plane of the sky. Mergers can also
produce radio halos, through complex processes likely linked to turbulent
re-acceleration of cosmic-ray electrons. However, only some clusters with
double relics also show a radio halo. Here, we present a novel method to derive
upper limits on the radio halo emission, and analyse archival X-ray Chandra
data, as well as galaxy velocity dispersions and lensing data, in order to
understand the key parameter that switches on radio halo emission. We place
upper limits on the halo power below the
correlation for some clusters, confirming that clusters with double relics have
different radio properties. Computing X-ray morphological indicators, we find
that clusters with double relics are associated with the most disturbed
clusters. We also investigate the role of different mass-ratios and
time-since-merger. Data do not indicate that the merger mass ratio has an
impact on the presence or absence of radio halos (the null hypothesis that the
clusters belong to the same group cannot be rejected). However, the data
suggests that the absence of radio halos could be associated with early and
late mergers, but the sample is too small to perform a statistical test. Our
study is limited by the small number of clusters with double relics. Future
surveys with LOFAR, ASKAP, MeerKat and SKA will provide larger samples to
better address this issue.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, MNRAS accepte
GRB 000418: A Hidden Jet Revealed?
We report on optical, near-infrared and centimeter radio observations of
GRB000418 which allow us to follow the evolution of the afterglow from 2 to 200
days after the gamma-ray burst. In modeling these broad-band data, we find that
an isotropic explosion in a constant density medium is unable to simultaneously
fit both the radio and optical data. However, a jet-like outflow with an
opening angle of 10-20 degress provides a good description of the data. The
evidence in favor of a jet interpretation is based on the behavior of the radio
light curves, since the expected jet break is masked at optical wavelengths by
the light of the host galaxy. We also find evidence for extinction, presumably
arising from within the host galaxy, with A(V)=0.4 mag, and host flux densities
of F_R=1.1 uJy and F_K=1.7 uJy. These values supercede previous work on this
burst due to the availability of a broad-band data set allowing a global
fitting approach. A model in which the GRB explodes into a wind-stratified
circumburst medium cannot be ruled out by these data. However, in examining a
sample of other bursts (e.g. GRB990510, GRB000301C) we favor the jet
interpretation for GRB000418.Comment: ApJ, submitte
Supermodel Analysis of the Hard X-Ray Excess in the Coma Cluster
The Supermodel provides an accurate description of the thermal contribution
by the hot intracluster plasma which is crucial for the analysis of the hard
excess. In this paper the thermal emissivity in the Coma cluster is derived
starting from the intracluster gas temperature and density profiles obtained by
the Supermodel analysis of X-ray observables: the XMM-Newton temperature
profile and the Rosat brightness distribution. The Supermodel analysis of the
BeppoSAX/PDS hard X-ray spectrum confirms our previous results, namely an
excess at the c.l. of ~4.8sigma and a nonthermal flux of 1.30+-0.40x 10^-11 erg
cm^-2 s^-1 in the energy range 20-80 keV. A recent joint XMM-Newton/Suzaku
analysis reports an upper limit of ~6x10^-12 erg cm^-2 s^-1 in the energy range
20-80 keV for the nonthermal flux with an average gas temperature of 8.45+-0.06
keV, and an excess of nonthermal radiation at a confidence level above 4sigma,
without including systematic effects, for an average XMM-Newton temperature of
8.2 keV in the Suzaku/HXD-PIN FOV, in agreement with our earlier PDS analysis.
Here we present a further evidence of the compatibility between the Suzaku and
BeppoSAX spectra, obtained by our Supermodel analysis of the PDS data, when the
smaller size of the HXD-PIN FOV and the two different average temperatures
derived by XMM-Newton and by the joint XMM-Newton/Suzaku analysis are taken
into account. The consistency of the PDS and HXD-PIN spectra reaffirms the
presence of a nonthermal component in the hard X-ray spectrum of the Coma
cluster. The Supermodel analysis of the PDS data reports an excess at c.l.
above 4sigma also for the higher average temperature of 8.45 keV thanks to the
PDS FOV considerably greater than the HXD-PIN FOV.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Astro 2020 Science White Paper: Time Domain Studies of Neutron Star and Black Hole Populations: X-ray Identification of Compact Object Types
What are the most important conditions and processes governing the growth of
stellar-origin compact objects? The identification of compact object type as
either black hole (BH) or neutron star (NS) is fundamental to understanding
their formation and evolution. To date, time-domain determination of compact
object type remains a relatively untapped tool. Measurement of orbital periods,
pulsations, and bursts will lead to a revolution in the study of the
demographics of NS and BH populations, linking source phenomena to accretion
and galaxy parameters (e.g., star formation, metallicity). To perform these
measurements over sufficient parameter space, a combination of a wide-field
(>5000 deg^2) transient X-ray monitor over a dynamic energy range (~1-100 keV)
and an X-ray telescope for deep surveys with <5 arcsec PSF half-energy width
(HEW) angular resolution are required. Synergy with multiwavelength data for
characterizing the underlying stellar population will transform our
understanding of the time domain properties of transient sources, helping to
explain details of supernova explosions and gravitational wave event rates.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to the Astro2020 Decadal Surve
The Impact of Galaxy Cluster Mergers on Cosmological Parameter Estimation from Surveys of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect
Sensitive surveys of the Cosmic Microwave Background will detect thousands of
galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. Two SZ observables, the
central or maximum and integrated Comptonization parameters y_max and Y, relate
in a simple way to the total cluster mass, which allow the construction of mass
functions (MFs) that can be used to estimate cosmological parameters such as
Omega_M, sigma_8, and the dark energy parameter w. However, clusters form from
the mergers of smaller structures, events that can disrupt the equilibrium of
intracluster gas upon which SZ-M relations rely. From a set of
N-body/hydrodynamical simulations of binary cluster mergers, we calculate the
evolution of Y and y_max over the course of merger events and find that both
parameters are transiently "boosted," primarily during the first core passage.
We then use a semi-analytic technique developed by Randall et al. (2002) to
estimate the effect of merger boosts on the distribution functions YF and yF of
Y and y_max, respectively, via cluster merger histories determined from
extended Press-Schechter (PS) merger trees. We find that boosts do not induce
an overall systematic effect on YFs, and the values of Omega_M, sigma_8, and w
were returned to within 2% of values expected from the nonboosted YFs. The
boosted yFs are significantly biased, however, causing Omega_M to be
underestimated by 15-45%, sigma_8 to be overestimated by 10-25%, and w to be
pushed to more negative values by 25-45%. We confirm that the integrated SZ
effect, Y, is far more robust to mergers than y_max, as previously reported by
Motl et al. (2005) and similarly found for the X-ray equivalent Y_X, and we
conclude that Y is the superior choice for constraining cosmological
parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
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