Very High Energy Neutrinos Originating from Kaons in Gamma-Ray Bursts

We simulate neutrino production in a gamma-ray burst (GRB) with the most detailed method to date. We show that the highest energy neutrinos from GRBs mainly come from kaons. Although there is little chance to detect such neutrinos, attempts of detection are very important to prove physical conditions in GRBs.Comment: 4 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

Boltzmann Equation with a Large Potential in a Periodic Box

The stability of the Maxwellian of the Boltzmann equation with a large amplitude external potential $\Phi$ has been an important open problem. In this paper, we resolve this problem with a large $C3-$potential in a periodic box $\mathbb{T}^d$, $d \geq 3$. We use [1] in $L^p-L^{\infty}$ framework to establish the well-posedness and the $L^{\infty}-$stability of the Maxwellian $\mu_E(x,v)=\exp\{-\frac{|v|^2}{2}-\Phi(x)\}$

Usability of the NFW Galaxy Profile as a Cosmological Tool Estimated from 2-Image Gravitational Lens Systems

The profile of Navarro, Frenk, and White (the NFW profile), which was derived from the {\it N}-body simulations of cold dark-matter halos, is a strong candidate for a galaxy or cluster profile. In order to check the usability of the NFW profile as a first approximation of a galaxy model, we studied the characteristic overdensity and scale radius of galaxies by reproducing the image positions and flux ratios of 2-image gravitational lens systems, under the following simple assumptions: the galaxies are spherically symmetric, and stars and external shear do not contribute to the gravitational lens. The scale radii of the lensing galaxies are smaller, and the characteristic overdensities are larger than the predicted value in the {\it N}-body simulations. These results indicate that our assumptions are overly simplified. It may be impossible to simply adopt the NFW profile, which does not include stars, to probe the cosmological parameters or the light propagation in an inhomogeneous universe and so on. If we adopt a softened isothermal profile to the lensing galaxies, the scale radii and the central matter densities agree with models which are derived from other observational results for early-type galaxies and which are independent of gravitational lensing. The isothermal sphere as a first approximation of a galaxy model has no serious problem.Comment: 17 pages 3 figures PASJadd.sty PASJ95.sty to appear in PAS

Prompt GeV-TeV Emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts Due to High-Energy Protons, Muons and Electron-Positron Pairs

In the framework of the internal shock scenario, we model the broadband prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with emphasis on the GeV-TeV bands, utilizing Monte Carlo simulations that include various processes associated with electrons and protons accelerated to high energies. While inverse Compton emission from primary electrons is often dominant, different proton-induced mechanisms can also give rise to distinct high-energy components, such as synchrotron emission from protons, muons or secondary electrons/positrons injected via photomeson interactions. In some cases, they give rise to double spectral breaks that can serve as unique signatures of ultra-high-energy protons. We discuss the conditions favorable for such emission, and how they are related to the production of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and neutrinos in internal shocks. Ongoing and upcoming observations by {\it GLAST}, atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes and other facilities will test these expectations and provide important information on the physical conditions in GRB outflows.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures and 14 appendix figures, accepted for publication in ApJ vol. 671 with minor revision

Cooling of Accelerated Nucleons and Neutrino Emission in Gamma-Ray Bursts

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate photopion production from Fermi-accelerated protons and the resulting neutrino production in gamma-ray bursts. Unless internal shocks occur at quite large distance from the center, ultra high-energy protons are depleted by photopion production and synchrotron radiation. Internal shocks at fiducial distance cause neutrino bursts, which accompany gamma-ray bursts originating from electromagnetic cascades.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ 624, #

Gamma Ray Bursts: recent results and connections to very high energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos

Gamma-ray bursts are the most concentrated explosions in the Universe. They have been detected electromagnetically at energies up to tens of GeV, and it is suspected that they could be active at least up to TeV energies. It is also speculated that they could emit cosmic rays and neutrinos at energies reaching up to the $10^{18}-10^{20}$ eV range. Here we review the recent developments in the photon phenomenology in the light of \swift and \fermi satellite observations, as well as recent IceCube upper limits on their neutrino luminosity. We discuss some of the theoretical models developed to explain these observations and their possible contribution to a very high energy cosmic ray and neutrino background.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Text of a plenary lecture at the PASCOS 12 conference, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, June 2012; to appear in J.Phys. (Conf. Series

Baryon Loading of AGN Jets Mediated by Neutrons

Plasmas of geometrically thick, black hole (BH) accretion flows in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are generally collisionless for protons, and involve magnetic field turbulence. Under such conditions a fraction of protons can be accelerated stochastically and create relativistic neutrons via nuclear collisions. These neutrons can freely escape from the accretion flow and decay into protons in dilute polar region above the rotating BH to form relativistic jets. We calculate geometric efficiencies of the neutron energy and mass injections into the polar region, and show that this process can deposit luminosity as high as L_j ~ 2e-3 dot{M} c^2 and mass loading dot{M}_j ~ 6e-4 dot{M} for the case of the BH mass M ~ 1e8 M_sun, where dot{M} is mass accretion rate. The terminal Lorentz factors of the jets are Gamma ~ 3, and they may explain the AGN jets having low luminosities. For higher luminosity jets, which can be produced by additional energy inputs such as Poynting flux, the neutron decay still can be a dominant mass loading process, leading to e.g., Gamma ~ 50 for L_{j,tot} ~ 3e-2 dot{M}c^2.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in Ap