2,285 research outputs found
Pulse profiles from thermally emitting neutron stars
The problem of computing the pulse profiles from thermally emitting spots on
the surface of a neutron star in general relativity is reconsidered. We show
that it is possible to extend Beloborodov (2002) approach to include (multiple)
spots of finite size in different positions on the star surface. Results for
the pulse profiles are expressed by comparatively simple analytical formulas
which involve only elementary functions.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
On the Mathematical Character of the Relativistic Transfer Moment Equations
General--relativistic, frequency--dependent radiative transfer in spherical,
differentially--moving media is considered. In particular we investigate the
character of the differential operator defined by the first two moment
equations in the stationary case. We prove that the moment equations form a
hyperbolic system when the logarithmic velocity gradient is positive, provided
that a reasonable condition on the Eddington factors is met. The operator,
however, may become elliptic in accretion flows and, in general, when gravity
is taken into account. Finally we show that, in an optically thick medium, one
of the characteristics becomes infinite when the flow velocity equals . Both high--speed, stationary inflows and outflows may therefore
contain regions which are ``causally'' disconnected.Comment: 16 pages, PlainTex, accepted for publication in MNRA
Dynamical Comptonization in spherical flows: black hole accretion and stellar winds
The transport of photons in steady, spherical, scattering flows is
investigated. The moment equations are solved analytically for accretion onto a
Schwarzschild black hole, taking into full account relativistic effects. We
show that the emergent radiation spectrum is a power law at high frequencies
with a spectral index smaller (harder spectrum) than in the non--relativistic
case. Radiative transfer in an expanding envelope is also analyzed. We find
that adiabatic expansion produces a drift of injected monochromatic photons
towards lower frequencies and the formation of a power--law, low--energy tail
with spectral index .Comment: 11 pages with 3 ps figures, MNRAS to appea
Maintenance of heterozygosity at the mt locus after autogamy in Euplotes minuta (Ciliata Hypotrichida).
The genetic consequences of autogamy have been analysed in the autogamous strain A-25 of E. minuta. During autogamy as well as during conjugation four pronuclei (two genetically identical pairs) are formed in each individual. In conjugating pairs, any two of the four pronuclei of the autogamous conjugant may participate in synkaryon formation. Consequently, an 8:13 segregation ratio of clonal and synclonal mating-type inheritance has been found to occur in the progeny obtained by crossing A-25 animals with non-autogamous animals. During autogamy, synkaryon formation appears to be brought about by a preferential karyogamy of genetically dissimilar nuclei more often than is expected on a random basis. Therefore, heterozygosity is usually maintained after autogamy in spite of the extreme inbreeding characteristics of this sexual process
An unified timing and spectral model for the Anomalous X-ray Pulsars XTE J1810-197 and CXOU J164710.2-455216
Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) are two small
classes of X-ray sources strongly suspected to host a magnetar, i.e. an
ultra-magnetized neutron star with $B\approx 10^14-10^15 G. Many SGRs/AXPs are
known to be variable, and recently the existence of genuinely "transient"
magnetars was discovered. Here we present a comprehensive study of the pulse
profile and spectral evolution of the two transient AXPs (TAXPs) XTE J1810-197
and CXOU J164710.2-455216. Our analysis was carried out in the framework of the
twisted magnetosphere model for magnetar emission. Starting from 3D Monte Carlo
simulations of the emerging spectrum, we produced a large database of synthetic
pulse profiles which was fitted to observed lightcurves in different spectral
bands and at different epochs. This allowed us to derive the physical
parameters of the model and their evolution with time, together with the
geometry of the two sources, i.e. the inclination of the line-of-sight and of
the magnetic axis with respect to the rotation axis. We then fitted the
(phase-averaged) spectra of the two TAXPs at different epochs using a model
similar to that used to calculate the pulse profiles ntzang in XSPEC) freezing
all parameters to the values obtained from the timing analysis, and leaving
only the normalization free to vary. This provided acceptable fits to
XMM-Newton data in all the observations we analyzed. Our results support a
picture in which a limited portion of the star surface close to one of the
magnetic poles is heated at the outburst onset. The subsequent evolution is
driven both by the cooling/varying size of the heated cap and by a progressive
untwisting of the magnetosphere.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The chaotic behavior of the black hole system GRS 1915+105
A modified non-linear time series analysis technique, which computes the
correlation dimension , is used to analyze the X-ray light curves of the
black hole system GRS 1915+105 in all twelve temporal classes. For four of
these temporal classes saturates to which indicates that
the underlying dynamical mechanism is a low dimensional chaotic system. Of the
other eight classes, three show stochastic behavior while five show deviation
from randomness. The light curves for four classes which depict chaotic
behavior have the smallest ratio of the expected Poisson noise to the
variability () while those for the three classes which depict
stochastic behavior is the highest (). This suggests that the temporal
behavior of the black hole system is governed by a low dimensional chaotic
system, whose nature is detectable only when the Poisson fluctuations are much
smaller than the variability.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa
PHASE BEHAVIOR OF THE PRIMARIES IN DISTORTION PRODUCT ANALYSIS
Current analysis of nonlinear distortion phenomena is often based on the perturbation approximation assumption that the response of the basilar membrane (BM) to a pair of input tones is a simple superposition of the responses to the tones as if they were separately inputted [1]. Moreover, the estimate of the phase delays between the distortion product (DP) responses on the BM and those detected as frequency components of otoacoustic emissions are based on the concept that the cochlear partition behaves as a transmission line. Frequency-domain simulations based on a nonlinear hydrodynamic model of the human cochlea [2,3] lead to results that contrast both such beliefs
Does Alumina Coating Alter the Solid Permeable Interphase Dynamics in LiMn2O4 Cathodes?
It is well known that the Al2O3 coating of the LiMn2O4 cathodes leads to improvement of the performance of these electrodes. However, the effect of the coating on the fundamental processes occurring on the interface with the active material which results in the formation of the solid permeable interphase is yet to be investigated. These effects should be more pronounced in the first cycle when a dynamic interaction of the active material at high voltage with the electrolyte and binder leads to the formation of this passivation layer. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the solid permeable interphase formation in alumina-coated and uncoated LiMn2O4 electrodes using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and analysis on the electrodes at the predesigned charging/ discharging states. We demonstrate that the alumina coating leads to modification of the solid permeable layer and its dynamics. We also discuss the possible influences of interface modifications via coating on the battery performance
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