Environmental Impact on the Southeast Limb of the Cygnus Loop

We analyze observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory of the southeast knot of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. In this region, the blast wave propagates through an inhomogeneous environment. Extrinsic differences and subsequent multiple projections along the line of sight rather than intrinsic shock variations, such as fluid instabilities, account for the apparent complexity of the images. Interactions between the supernova blast wave and density enhancements of a large interstellar cloud can produce the morphological and spectral characteristics. Most of the X-ray flux arises in such interactions, not in the diffuse interior of the supernova remnant. Additional observations at optical and radio wavelengths support this account of the existing interstellar medium and its role in shaping the Cygnus Loop, and they demonstrate that the southeast knot is not a small cloud that the blast wave has engulfed. These data are consistent with rapid equilibration of electron and ion temperatures behind the shock front, and the current blast wave velocity v_{bw} approx 330 km/s. Most of this area does not show strong evidence for non-equilibrium ionization conditions, which may be a consequence of the high densities of the bright emission regions.Comment: To appear in ApJ, April 1, 200

Density-Dependent Response of an Ultracold Plasma to Few-Cycle Radio-Frequency Pulses

Ultracold neutral plasmas exhibit a density-dependent resonant response to applied radio-frequency (RF) fields in the frequency range of several MHz to hundreds of MHz for achievable densities. We have conducted measurements where short bursts of RF were applied to these plasmas, with pulse durations as short as two cycles. We still observed a density-dependent resonant response to these short pulses. However, the too rapid timescale of the response, the dependence of the response on the sign of the driving field, the response as the number of pulses was increased, and the difference in plasma response to radial and axially applied RF fields are inconsistent with the plasma response being due to local resonant heating of electrons in the plasma. Instead, our results are consistent with rapid energy transfer from collective motion of the entire electron cloud to electrons in high-energy orbits. In addition to providing a potentially more robust way to measure ultracold neutral plasma densities, these measurements demonstrate the importance of collective motion in the energy transport in these systems.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Electron Temperature of Ultracold Plasmas

We study the evolution of ultracold plasmas by measuring the electron temperature. Shortly after plasma formation, competition between heating and cooling mechanisms drives the electron temperature to a value within a narrow range regardless of the initial energy imparted to the electrons. In agreement with theory predictions, plasmas exhibit values of the Coulomb coupling parameter $\Gamma$ less than 1.Comment: 4 pages, plus four figure

Binaries and Globular Cluster Dynamics

We summarize the results of recent theoretical work on the dynamical evolution of globular clusters containing primordial binaries. Even a very small initial binary fraction (e.g., 10%) can play a key role in supporting a cluster against gravothermal collapse for many relaxation times. Inelastic encounters between binaries and single stars or other binaries provide a very significant energy source for the cluster. These dynamical interactions also lead to the production of large numbers of exotic systems such as ultracompact X-ray binaries, recycled radio pulsars, double degenerate systems, and blue stragglers. Our work is based on a new parallel supercomputer code implementing Henon's Monte Carlo method for simulating the dynamical evolution of dense stellar systems in the Fokker-Planck approximation. This new code allows us to calculate very accurately the evolution of a cluster containing a realistic number of stars (N ~ 10^5 - 10^6) in typically a few hours to a few days of computing time. The discrete, star-by-star representation of the cluster in the simulation makes it possible to treat naturally a number of important processes, including single and binary star evolution, all dynamical interactions of single stars and binaries, and tidal interactions with the Galaxy.Comment: 15 pages, to appear in `The Influence of Binaries on Stellar Population Studies', ed. D. Vanbeveren (Kluwer

Information-theoretic determination of ponderomotive forces

From the equilibrium condition $\delta S=0$ applied to an isolated thermodynamic system of electrically charged particles and the fundamental equation of thermodynamics ($dU = T dS-(\mathbf{f}\cdot d\mathbf{r})$) subject to a new procedure, it is obtained the Lorentz's force together with non-inertial terms of mechanical nature. Other well known ponderomotive forces, like the Stern-Gerlach's force and a force term related to the Einstein-de Haas's effect are also obtained. In addition, a new force term appears, possibly related to a change in weight when a system of charged particles is accelerated.Comment: 10 page

A supersymmetric model for triggering Supernova Ia in isolated white dwarfs

We propose a model for supernovae Ia explosions based on a phase transition to a supersymmetric state which becomes the active trigger for the deflagration starting the explosion in an isolated sub-Chandrasekhar white dwarf star. With two free parameters we fit the rate and several properties of type Ia supernovae and address the gap in the supermassive black hole mass distribution. One parameter is a critical density fit to about $3 \cdot 10^7$ g/cc while the other has the units of a space time volume and is found to be of order $0.05\,$ Gyr $R_E^3$ where $R_E$ is the earth radius. The model involves a phase transition to an exact supersymmetry in a small core of a dense star.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, expanded version to be published in Physical Review

Response of Turtlegrass to Natural and Reduced Light Regimes Under Conditions of Rhizome Isolation

To evaluate if rhizome integrity influenced the response of turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) shoots to experimental light reduction, we performed a field experiment in Perdido Bay, FL, from May to Oct. 2001. We used a factorial design, with light, rhizome integrity, and time as main factors. Light was reduced to about 40% with respect to ambient irradiance by means of a polyethylene mesh, and rhizomes along the external border of the 0.5-m2 experimental plots were severed with a knife at the beginning and middle of the experiment. Severing surrounding rhizomes had a significant (P \u3c .05) negative effect on net aboveground primary production (NAPP), but this was only apparent from June to July, and there were no significant severing effects on aboveground biomass. Shading showed negative effects through time on aboveground biomass and NAPP, although the differences were not significant. Time was significant for belowground biomass, NAPP, shoot density, and leaf length and width and there were significant time-by-shading interactions for NAPP, aboveground biomass, and density. We conclude that the results of turtlegrass shading studies done over several months during the peak of the growing season are not influenced to any large extent by whether rhizomes are intact or not, indicating that previous studies of the effects of shading on turtlegrass can be compared without bias

On the fraction of dark matter in charged massive particles (CHAMPs)

From various cosmological, astrophysical and terrestrial requirements, we derive conservative upper bounds on the present-day fraction of the mass of the Galactic dark matter (DM) halo in charged massive particles (CHAMPs). If dark matter particles are neutral but decay lately into CHAMPs, the lack of detection of heavy hydrogen in sea water and the vertical pressure equilibrium in the Galactic disc turn out to put the most stringent bounds. Adopting very conservative assumptions about the recoiling velocity of CHAMPs in the decay and on the decay energy deposited in baryonic gas, we find that the lifetime for decaying neutral DM must be > (0.9-3.4)x 10^3 Gyr. Even assuming the gyroradii of CHAMPs in the Galactic magnetic field are too small for halo CHAMPs to reach Earth, the present-day fraction of the mass of the Galactic halo in CHAMPs should be < (0.4-1.4)x 10^{-2}. We show that redistributing the DM through the coupling between CHAMPs and the ubiquitous magnetic fields cannot be a solution to the cuspy halo problem in dwarf galaxies.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures. To appear in JCA

Universal Non-Gaussian Velocity Distribution in Violent Gravitational Processes

We study the velocity distribution in spherical collapses and cluster-pair collisions by use of N-body simulations. Reflecting the violent gravitational processes, the velocity distribution of the resultant quasi-stationary state generally becomes non-Gaussian. Through the strong mixing of the violent process, there appears a universal non-Gaussian velocity distribution, which is a democratic (equal-weighted) superposition of many Gaussian distributions (DT distribution). This is deeply related with the local virial equilibrium and the linear mass-temperature relation which characterize the system. We show the robustness of this distribution function against various initial conditions which leads to the violent gravitational process. The DT distribution has a positive correlation with the energy fluctuation of the system. On the other hand, the coherent motion such as the radial motion in the spherical collapse and the rotation with the angular momentum suppress the appearance of the DT distribution.Comment: 11 pages, 19 eps figures, RevTex, submitted to PRE, Revised version, minor change

Evolution of magnetized, differentially rotating neutron stars: Simulations in full general relativity

We study the effects of magnetic fields on the evolution of differentially rotating neutron stars, which can form in stellar core collapse or binary neutron star coalescence. Magnetic braking and the magnetorotational instability (MRI) both redistribute angular momentum; the outcome of the evolution depends on the star's mass and spin. Simulations are carried out in axisymmetry using our recently developed codes which integrate the coupled Einstein-Maxwell-MHD equations. For initial data, we consider three categories of differentially rotating, equilibrium configurations, which we label normal, hypermassive and ultraspinning. Hypermassive stars have rest masses exceeding the mass limit for uniform rotation. Ultraspinning stars are not hypermassive, but have angular momentum exceeding the maximum for uniform rotation at the same rest mass. We show that a normal star will evolve to a uniformly rotating equilibrium configuration. An ultraspinning star evolves to an equilibrium state consisting of a nearly uniformly rotating central core, surrounded by a differentially rotating torus with constant angular velocity along magnetic field lines, so that differential rotation ceases to wind the magnetic field. In addition, the final state is stable against the MRI, although it has differential rotation. For a hypermassive neutron star, the MHD-driven angular momentum transport leads to catastrophic collapse of the core. The resulting rotating black hole is surrounded by a hot, massive, magnetized torus undergoing quasistationary accretion, and a magnetic field collimated along the spin axis--a promising candidate for the central engine of a short gamma-ray burst. (Abridged)Comment: 27 pages, 30 figure