3,209 research outputs found
Pulsar kicks by anisotropic neutrino emission from quark matter
We discuss an acceleration mechanism for pulsars out of their supernova
remnants based on asymmetric neutrino emission from quark matter in the
presence of a strong magnetic field. The polarized electron spin fixes the
neutrino emission from the direct quark Urca process in one direction along the
magnetic field. We calculate the magnetic field strength which is required to
polarize the electron spin as well as the required initial proto-neutron star
temperature for a successfull acceleration mechanism. In addition we discuss
the neutrino mean free paths in quark as well as in neutron matter which turn
out to be very small. Consequently, the high neutrino interaction rates will
wash out the asymmetry in neutrino emission. As a possible solution to this
problem we take into account effects from colour superconductivity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, poster contribution at the conference "Nuclear
Physics in Astrophysics III",Dresden,March 26-31,200
Mass, radius, and composition of the outer crust of nonaccreting cold neutron stars
The properties and composition of the outer crust of nonaccreting cold
neutron stars are studied by applying the model of Baym, Pethick, and
Sutherland, which was extended by including higher order corrections of the
atomic binding, screening, exchange and zero-point energy. The most recent
experimental nuclear data from the atomic mass table of Audi, Wapstra, and
Thibault from 2003 is used. Extrapolation to the drip line is utilized by
various state-of-the-art theoretical nuclear models (finite range droplet,
relativistic nuclear field and non-relativistic Skyrme Hartree-Fock
parameterizations). The different nuclear models are compared with respect to
the mass and radius of the outer crust for different neutron star
configurations and the nuclear compositions of the outer crust.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, submitted to J. Phys. G, part of the proceedings
of the Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics III conference in Dresde
Observation Of Turbulent Intermittency Scaling With Magnetic Helicity In An MHD Plasma Wind Tunnel
The intermittency in turbulent magnetic field fluctuations has been observed to scale with the amount of magnetic helicity injected into a laboratory plasma. An unstable spheromak injected into the MHD wind tunnel of the Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment displays turbulent magnetic and plasma fluctuations as it relaxes into a Taylor state. The level of intermittency of this turbulence is determined by finding the flatness of the probability distribution function of increments for magnetic pickup coil fluctuations B(t). The intermittency increases with the injected helicity, but spectral indices are unaffected by this variation. While evidence is provided which supports the hypothesis that current sheets and reconnection sites are related to the generation of this intermittent signal, the true nature of the observed intermittency remains unknown
Open-charm enhancement at FAIR?
We have calculated the D-meson spectral density at finite temperature within
a self-consistent coupled-channel approach that generates dynamically the
(2593) resonance. We find a small mass shift for the D-meson in
this hot and dense medium while the spectral density develops a sizeable width.
The reduced attraction felt by the D-meson in hot and dense matter together
with the large width observed have important consequences for the D-meson
production in the future CBM experiment at FAIR.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of 9th International
Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter (SQM2006), Los Angeles, USA, March
26-31, 200
Strange Exotic States and Compact Stars
We discuss the possible appearance of strange exotic multi-quark states in
the interior of neutron stars and signals for the existence of strange quark
matter in the core of compact stars. We show how the in-medium properties of
possible pentaquark states are constrained by pulsar mass measurements. The
possibility of generating the observed large pulsar kick velocities by
asymmetric emission of neutrinos from strange quark matter in magnetic fields
is outlined.Comment: 10 pages, invited talk given at the International Conference on
Strangeness in Quark Matter 2006 (SQM2006), UCLA, USA, March 26-31, 2006,
Journal of Physics G in press, refs. adde
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