1,304 research outputs found
Mass Limits For Black Hole Formation
We present a series of two-dimensional core-collapse supernova simulations
for a range of progenitor masses and different input physics. These models
predict a range of supernova energies and compact remnant masses. In
particular, we study two mechanisms for black hole formation: prompt collapse
and delayed collapse due to fallback. For massive progenitors above 20 solar
masses, after a hydrodynamic time for the helium core (a few minutes to a few
hours), fallback drives the compact object beyond the maximum neutron star mass
causing it to collapse into a black hole. With the current accuracy of the
models, progenitors more massive than 40 solar masses form black holes directly
with no supernova explosion (if rotating, these black holes may be the
progenitors of gamma-ray bursts). We calculate the mass distribution of black
holes formed, and compare these predictions to the observations, which
represent a small biased subset of the black hole population. Uncertainties in
these estimates are discussed.Comment: 15 pages total, 4 figures, Modifications in Conclusion, accepted by
Ap
A pilgrimage to gravity on GPUs
In this short review we present the developments over the last 5 decades that
have led to the use of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for astrophysical
simulations. Since the introduction of NVIDIA's Compute Unified Device
Architecture (CUDA) in 2007 the GPU has become a valuable tool for N-body
simulations and is so popular these days that almost all papers about high
precision N-body simulations use methods that are accelerated by GPUs. With the
GPU hardware becoming more advanced and being used for more advanced algorithms
like gravitational tree-codes we see a bright future for GPU like hardware in
computational astrophysics.Comment: To appear in: European Physical Journal "Special Topics" : "Computer
Simulations on Graphics Processing Units" . 18 pages, 8 figure
Interactions of Ar(9+) and metastable Ar(8+) with a Si(100) surface at velocities near the image acceleration limit
Auger LMM spectra and preliminary model simulations of Ar(9+) and metastable
Ar(8+) ions interacting with a clean monocrystalline n-doped Si(100) surface
are presented. By varying the experimental parameters, several yet undiscovered
spectroscopic features have been observed providing valuable hints for the
development of an adequate interaction model. On our apparatus the ion beam
energy can be lowered to almost mere image charge attraction. High data
acquisition rates could still be maintained yielding an unprecedented
statistical quality of the Auger spectra.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figures, http://pikp28.uni-muenster.de/~ducree
Dynamical Processes in Globular Clusters
Globular clusters are among the most congested stellar systems in the
Universe. Internal dynamical evolution drives them toward states of high
central density, while simultaneously concentrating the most massive stars and
binary systems in their cores. As a result, these clusters are expected to be
sites of frequent close encounters and physical collisions between stars and
binaries, making them efficient factories for the production of interesting and
observable astrophysical exotica. I describe some elements of the competition
among stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, and other processes that control
globular cluster dynamics, with particular emphasis on pathways that may lead
to the formation of blue stragglers.Comment: Chapter 10, in Ecology of Blue Straggler Stars, H.M.J. Boffin, G.
Carraro & G. Beccari (Eds), Astrophysics and Space Science Library, Springe
Gravitational waves from inspiraling binary black holes
Binary black holes are the most promising candidate sources for the first
generation of earth-based interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. We
summarize and discuss the state-of-the-art analytic techniques developed during
the last years to better describe the late dynamical evolution of binary black
holes of comparable masses.Comment: References added and updated; few typos correcte
Second post-Newtonian gravitational wave polarizations for compact binaries in elliptical orbits
The second post-Newtonian (2PN) contribution to the `plus' and `cross'
gravitational wave polarizations associated with gravitational radiation from
non-spinning, compact binaries moving in elliptic orbits is computed. The
computation starts from our earlier results on 2PN generation, crucially
employs the 2PN accurate generalized quasi-Keplerian parametrization of
elliptic orbits by Damour, Sch\"afer and Wex and provides 2PN accurate
expressions modulo the tail terms for gravitational wave polarizations
incorporating effects of eccentricity and periastron precession.Comment: 40 pages, 10 figures, To appear in Phys. Rev.
Star cluster dynamics
Dynamical evolution plays a key role in shaping the current properties of
star clusters and star cluster systems. A detailed understanding of the effects
of evolutionary processes is essential to be able to disentangle the properties
which result from dynamical evolution from those imprinted at the time of
cluster formation. In this review, we focus our attention on globular clusters
and review the main physical ingredients driving their early and long-term
evolution, describe the possible evolutionary routes and show how cluster
structure and stellar content are affected by dynamical evolution.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures. To appear as invited review article in a special
issue of the Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. A: Ch. 7 "Star clusters as tracers of
galactic star-formation histories" (ed. R. de Grijs). Fully peer reviewed.
LaTeX, requires rspublic.cls style fil
The lives and deaths of star clusters near the Galactic center
We study the evolution and observability of young, compact star clusters near
the Galactic center, such as the Arches and Quintuplet systems. The clusters
are modeled by integrating the equations of motion of all stars while
accounting for the internal evolution of stars and binaries, as well as the
effect of the Galactic tidal field. We find that clusters within 150 pc of the
Galactic center dissolve within ~55 Myr, but their projected densities drop
below the background density in the direction of the Galactic center within
only a few Myr, effectively making these clusters undetectable after that time.
Detailed observations of the Arches cluster, taken at face value, suggest that
its mass function is unusually flat and that the cluster contains an
overabundance of stars more massive than 20 Msun. Our dynamical analysis,
however, shows that the observed characteristics of the Arches cluster are
consistent with a perfectly normal initial mass function. The observed
anomalies are then caused by a combination of observational selection effects
and the dynamical evolution of the cluster. We calibrate the current parameters
of the Arches cluster using a normal initial mass function and conclude that
the cluster is more massive than 40000 Msun, has a half mass radius of about
0.35 pc and is located between 50 and 90 pc from the Galactic center.Comment: 21 pages, to be published on Januari 1, 2001 in ApJ v56
Population synthesis of neutron stars, strange (quark) stars and black holes
We compute and present the distribution in mass of single and binary neutron
stars, strange stars, and black holes. The calculations were performed using a
stellar population synthesis code. We follow all phases of single and binary
evolution, starting from a ZAMS binary and ending in the creation of one
compact object (neutron star, black hole, strange star) and a white dwarf, or
two compact objects (single or binary). We assume that neutron stars are formed
in the collapse of iron/nickel cores in the mass range M0 < M < M1, quark stars
in the range M1 M2 and find that
the population of quark stars can easily be as large as the population of black
holes, even if there is only a small mass window for their formation.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the proceedings of "The 4th Integral
Workshop
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