High-energy emissions from neutron star mergers

In 2017, LIGO-Virgo collaborations reported detection of the first neutron star merger event, GW170817, which is accompanied by electromagnetic counterparts from radio to gamma rays. Although high-energy neutrinos were not detected from this event, mergers of neutron stars are expected to produce such high-energy particles. Relativistic jets are launched when neutron stars merge. If the jets contain protons, they can emit high-energy neutrinos through photomeson production. In addition, neutron star mergers produce massive and fast ejecta, which can be a source of Galactic high-energy cosmic rays above the knee. We briefly review what we learned from the multi-messenger event, GW170817, and discuss prospects for multi-messenger detections and hadronic cosmic-ray production related to the neutron star mergers.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables, conference proceedings of UHECR 201

Anisotropic Electronic Structure of the Kondo Semiconductor CeFe2Al10 Studied by Optical Conductivity

We report temperature-dependent polarized optical conductivity [$\sigma(\omega)$] spectra of CeFe$_2$Al$_{10}$, which is a reference material for CeRu$_2$Al$_{10}$ and CeOs$_2$Al$_{10}$ with an anomalous magnetic transition at 28 K. The $\sigma(\omega)$ spectrum along the b-axis differs greatly from that in the $ac$-plane, indicating that this material has an anisotropic electronic structure. At low temperatures, in all axes, a shoulder structure due to the optical transition across the hybridization gap between the conduction band and the localized $4f$ states, namely $c$-$f$ hybridization, appears at 55 meV. However, the gap opening temperature and the temperature of appearance of the quasiparticle Drude weight are strongly anisotropic indicating the anisotropic Kondo temperature. The strong anisotropic nature in both electronic structure and Kondo temperature is considered to be relevant the anomalous magnetic phase transition in CeRu$_2$Al$_{10}$ and CeOs$_2$Al$_{10}$.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Nonlocal spin Hall effect and spin-orbit interaction in nonmagnetic metals

Spin Hall effect in a nonlocal spin-injection device is theoretically studied. Using a nonlocal spin-injection technique, a pure spin current is created in a nonmagnetic metal (N). The spin current flowing in N is deflected by spin-orbit scattering to induce the Hall current in the transverse direction and accumulate charge at the edges of N, yielding the spin-current induced Hall effect. We propose a method for extracting information for spin-orbit scattering in nonmagnetic metals.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figures; accepted in JMMM (Proceedings of ICM2006, Kyoto

Infrared spectroscopy under multi-extreme conditions: Direct observation of pseudo gap formation and collapse in CeSb

Infrared reflectivity measurements of CeSb under multi-extreme conditions (low temperatures, high pressures and high magnetic fields) were performed. A pseudo gap structure, which originates from the magnetic band folding effect, responsible for the large enhancement in the electrical resistivity in the single-layered antiferromagnetic structure (AF-1 phase) was found at a pressure of 4 GPa and at temperatures of 35 - 50 K. The optical spectrum of the pseudo gap changes to that of a metallic structure with increasing magnetic field strength and increasing temperature. This change is the result of the magnetic phase transition from the AF-1 phase to other phases as a function of the magnetic field strength and temperature. This result is the first optical observation of the formation and collapse of a pseudo gap under multi-extreme conditions.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Effect of lift force on the aerodynamics of dust grains in the protoplanetary disk

We newly introduce lift force into the aerodynamics of dust grains in the protoplanetary disk. Although many authors have so far investigated the effects of the drag force, gravitational force and electric force on the dust grains, the lift force has never been considered as a force exerted on the dust grains in the gas disk. If the grains are spinning and moving in the fluid, then the lift force is exerted on them. We show in this paper that the dust grains can be continuously spinning due to the frequent collisions so that the lift force continues to be exerted on them, which is valid in a certain parameter space where the grain size is larger than ~ 1 m and where the distance from the central star is larger than 1 AU for the minimum mass solar nebula. In addition, we estimate the effects of the force on the grain motion and obtain the result that the mean relative velocity between the grains due to the lift force is comparable to the gas velocity in the Kepler rotational frame when the Stokes number and lift-drag ratio are both ~ 1. This estimation is performed under the assumptions of the steady state and the isotropic spin angular momentum. We also estimate the mean relative velocity when the grains keep spinning and conclude that the lift force marginally affects the mean relative velocity in the minimum mass solar nebula. If there is a grain-concentrated part in the disk, the relative velocity due to the lift force may dominate there because of high collision rate.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Earth, Planets and Spac

Conditions for Gravitational Instability in Protoplanetary Disks

Gravitational instability is one of considerable mechanisms to explain the formation of giant planets. We study the gravitational stability for the protoplanetary disks around a protostar. The temperature and Toomre's Q-value are calculated by assuming local equilibrium between viscous heating and radiative cooling (local thermal equilibrium). We assume constant $\alpha$ viscosity and use a cooling function with realistic opacity. Then, we derive the critical surface density $\Sigma_{\rm{c}}$ that is necessary for a disk to become gravitationally unstable as a function of $r$. This critical surface density $\Sigma_{\rm c}$ is strongly affected by the temperature dependence of the opacity. At the radius $r_{\rm c}\sim 20$AU, where ices form, the value of $\Sigma_{\rm c}$ changes discontinuously by one order of magnitude. This $\Sigma_{\rm c}$ is determined only by local thermal process and criterion of gravitational instability. By comparing a given surface density profile to $\Sigma_{\rm c}$, one can discuss the gravitational instability of protoplanetary disks. As an example, we discuss the gravitational instability of two semi-analytic models for protoplanetary disks. One is the steady state accretion disk, which is realized after the viscous evolution. The other is the disk that has the same angular momentum distribution with its parent cloud core, which corresponds to the disk that has just formed. As a result, it is found that the disks tend to become gravitationally unstable for $r\ge r_{\rm c}$ because ices enable the disks to become low temperature. In the region closer to the protostar than $r_{\rm c}$, it is difficult for a typical protoplanetary disk to fragment because of the high temperature and the large Coriolis force. From this result, we conclude that the fragmentation near the central star is possible but difficult.Comment: accepted for publication in PASJ. Draft version with 26 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Quasi-particle scattering and protected nature of topological states in a parent topological insulator Bi2_2Se3_3

We report on angle resolved photoemission spectroscopic studies on a parent topological insulator (TI), Bi$_2$Se$_3$. The line width of the spectral function (inverse of the quasi-particle lifetime) of the topological metallic (TM) states shows an anomalous behavior. This behavior can be reasonably accounted for by assuming decay of the quasi-particles predominantly into bulk electronic states through electron-electron interaction and defect scattering. Studies on aged surfaces reveal that topological metallic states are very much unaffected by the potentials created by adsorbed atoms or molecules on the surface, indicating that topological states could be indeed protected against weak perturbations.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B(R