119277245
Outflow activities in the young high‐mass stellar object G23.44−0.18
We present an observational study towards the young high-mass star-forming region G23.44-0.18 using the Submillimeter Array. Two massive, radio-quiet dusty cores MM1 and MM2 are observed in 1.3-mm continuum emission and dense molecular gas tracers including thermal CH3OH, CH3CN, HNCO, SO, and OCS lines. The 12CO (2–1) line reveals a strong bipolar outflow originating from MM2. The outflow consists of a low-velocity component with wide-angle quasi-parabolic shape and a more compact and collimated high-velocity component. The overall geometry resembles the outflow system observed in the low-mass protostar which has a jet-driven fast flow and entrained gas shell. The outflow has a dynamical age of 6 × 103 yr and a mass loss rate ∼10−3 M ⊙ yr−1. A prominent shock emission in the outflow is observed in SO and OCS, and also detected in CH3OH and HNCO. We investigated the chemistry of MM1, MM2 and the shocked region. The dense core MM2 have molecular abundances of three to four times higher than those in MM1. The abundance excess, we suggest, can be a net effect of the stellar evolution and embedded shocks in MM2 that calls for further inspection.
10326293
New light on time machines: Against the chronology protection conjecture.
I construct a spacetime with closed timelike curves and without closed causal geodesics. There is a noncompactly generated Cauchy horizon separating the region with closed timelike curves from that without closed causal curves. This spacetime might be stable against the vacuum fluctuation of matter fields. Whether such a spacetime is stable against the vacuum fluctuation of a gravitational field is an open question.
11909154
The X‐ray transient 080109 in NGC 2770: an X‐ray flash associated with a normal core‐collapse supernova
Although it is generally thought that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) are associated with core-collapse supernovae (SNe), so far only four pairs of GRBs and SNe with firmly established connection have been found. All the four GRB-SNe belong to special class of Type Ic – called the broad-lined SNe indicative of a large explosion energy, suggesting that only a small fraction of SNe Ibc have GRBs associated with them. This scheme has been refreshed by the discovery of a bright X-ray transient in NGC 2770 on 2008 January 9, which was followed by a rather normal Type Ib SN 2008D. In this paper, I argue that the transient 080109 is an X-ray flash (XRF, the soft version of a GRB) because of the following evidence. (1) The transient cannot be interpreted as a SN shock breakout event. (2) The GRB X-ray flare interpretation is not supported by the high-energy observation. I then show that XRF 080109 satisfies the well-known relation between the isotropic-equivalent energy and the peak spectral energy for LGRBs, which highly strengthens the XRF interpretation. Finally, I point out that the peak spectral energy of XRF 080109 and the maximum bolometric luminosity of SN 2008D agree with the E γ, peak–LSN,max relationship of Li, strengthening the validity of the relationship. I speculate that events like XRF 080109 may occur at a rate comparable to SNe Ibc, and a soft X-ray telescope devoted to surveying for nearby X-ray flares will be very fruitful in discovering them.
11692409
Electromagnetic energy for a charged Kerr black hole in a uniform magnetic field
With the Komar mass formula we calculate the electromagnetic energy for a charged Kerr black hole in a uniform magnetic field. We find that the total electromagnetic energy takes the minimum when the Kerr black hole possesses a nonzero net charge $Q=2\ensuremath{\xi}{B}_{0}{J}_{H}$ where ${B}_{0}$ is the strength of the magnetic field, ${J}_{H}$ is the angular momentum of the black hole, and $\ensuremath{\xi}$ is a dimensionless parameter determined by the spin of the black hole. However, the Wald state with ${Q=2B}_{0}{J}_{H}$ does not minimize the electromagnetic energy.
39373169
Can the universe create itself
The question of first-cause has troubled philosophers and cosmologists alike. Now that it is apparent that our universe began in a Big Bang explosion, the question of what happened before the Big Bang arises. Inflation seems like a very promising answer, but as Borde and Vilenkin have shown, the inflationary state preceding the Big Bang must have had a beginning also. Ultimately, the difficult question seems to be how to make something out of nothing. This paper explores the idea that this is the wrong question --- that that is not how the Universe got here. Instead, we explore the idea of whether there is anything in the laws of physics that would prevent the Universe from creating itself. Because spacetimes can be curved and multiply connected, general relativity allows for the possibility of closed timelike curves (CTCs). Thus, tracing backwards in time through the original inflationary state we may eventually encounter a region of CTCs giving no first-cause. This region of CTCs, may well be over by now (being bounded toward the future by a Cauchy horizon). We illustrate that such models --- with CTCs --- are not necessarily inconsistent by demonstrating self-consistent vacuums for Misner space and a multiply connected de Sitter space in which the renormalized energy-momentum tensor does not diverge as one approaches the Cauchy horizon and solves Einstein's equations. We show such a Universe can be classically stable and self-consistent if and only if the potentials are retarded, giving a natural explanation of the arrow of time. Some specific scenarios (out of many possible ones) for this type of model are described. For example: an inflationary universe gives rise to baby universes, one of which turns out to be itself. Interestingly, the laws of physics may allow the Universe to be its own mother.
118518653
Constraining fast radio burst progenitors with gravitational lensing
Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are new transient radio sources discovered recently. Because of the angular resolution restriction in radio surveys, no optical counter part has been identified yet so it is hard to determine the progenitor of FRBs. In this paper we propose to use radio lensing survey to constrain FRB progenitors. We show that, different types of progenitors lead to different probabilities for a FRB to be gravitationally lensed by dark matter halos in foreground galaxies, since different type progenitors result in different redshift distributions of FRBs. For example, the redshift distribution of FRBs arising from double stars shifts toward lower redshift than of the FRBs arising from single stars, because double stars and single stars have different evolution timescales. With detailed calculations, we predict that the FRB sample size for producing one lensing event varies significantly for different FRB progenitor models. We argue that this fact can be used to distinguish different FRB models and also discuss the practical possibility of using lensing observation in radio surveys to constrain FRB progenitors.
119302057
REVISITING THE EMISSION FROM RELATIVISTIC BLAST WAVES IN A DENSITY-JUMP MEDIUM
Re-brightening bumps are frequently observed in gamma-ray burst afterglows. Many scenarios have been proposed to interpret the origin of these bumps, of which a blast wave encountering a density-jump in the circumburst environment has been questioned by recent works. We develop a set of differential equations to calculate the relativistic outflow encountering the density-jump by extending the work of Huang et al. This approach is a semi-analytic method and is very convenient. Our results show that late high-amplitude bumps cannot be produced under common conditions, rather only a short plateau may emerge even when the encounter occurs at an early time (< 10(4) s). In general, our results disfavor the density-jump origin for those observed bumps, which is consistent with the conclusion drawn from full hydrodynamics studies. The bumps thus should be caused by other scenarios.
17840889
The evolutionary status of W Ursae Majoris‐type systems
Well-determined physical parameters of 130 W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) systems were collected from the literature. Based on these data, the evolutionary status and dynamical evolution of W UMa systems are investigated. It is found that there is no evolutionary difference between W- and A-type systems in the M-J diagram, which is consistent with the results derived from the analysis of observed spectral type and of M-R and M-L diagrams of W UMa systems. M-R and M-L diagrams of W- and A-type systems indicate that a large amount of energy should be transferred from the more massive to the less massive component, so that they are not in thermal equilibrium and undergo thermal relaxation oscillation. Moreover, the distribution of angular momentum, together with the distribution of the mass ratio, suggests that the mass ratio of the observed W UMa systems decreases with decreasing total mass. This could be the result of the dynamical evolution of W UMa systems, which suffer angular momentum loss and mass loss as a result of the magnetic stellar wind. Consequently, the tidal instability forces these systems towards lower q values and finally to rapidly rotating single stars.
1551177
The dynamical stability of W Ursae Majoris-type systems
Theoretical study indicates that a contact binary system would merge into a rapidly rotating single star due to tidal instability when the spin angular momentum of the system is more than a third of its orbital angular momentum. Assuming that W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) contact binary systems rigorously comply with the Roche geometry and the dynamical stability limit is at a contact degree of about 70 per cent, we obtain that W UMa systems might suffer Darwin's instability when their mass ratios are in a region of about 0.076-0.078 and merge into the fast-rotating stars. This suggests that the W UMa systems with mass ratio q <= 0.076 cannot be observed. Meanwhile, we find that the observed W UMa systems with a mass ratio of about 0.077, corresponding to a contact degree of about 86 per cent would suffer tidal instability and merge into the single fast-rotating stars. This suggests that the dynamical stability limit for the observed W UMa systems is higher than the theoretical value, implying that the observed systems have probably suffered the loss of angular momentum due to gravitational wave radiation (GR) or magnetic stellar wind (MSW).
24114301
Discovery of a selective inhibitor of oncogenic B-Raf kinase with potent antimelanoma activity
BRAFV600E is the most frequent oncogenic protein kinase mutation known. Furthermore, inhibitors targeting “active” protein kinases have demonstrated significant utility in the therapeutic repertoire against cancer. Therefore, we pursued the development of specific kinase inhibitors targeting B-Raf, and the V600E allele in particular. By using a structure-guided discovery approach, a potent and selective inhibitor of active B-Raf has been discovered. PLX4720, a 7-azaindole derivative that inhibits B-RafV600E with an IC50 of 13 nM, defines a class of kinase inhibitor with marked selectivity in both biochemical and cellular assays. PLX4720 preferentially inhibits the active B-RafV600E kinase compared with a broad spectrum of other kinases, and potent cytotoxic effects are also exclusive to cells bearing the V600E allele. Consistent with the high degree of selectivity, ERK phosphorylation is potently inhibited by PLX4720 in B-RafV600E-bearing tumor cell lines but not in cells lacking oncogenic B-Raf. In melanoma models, PLX4720 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis exclusively in B-RafV600E-positive cells. In B-RafV600E-dependent tumor xenograft models, orally dosed PLX4720 causes significant tumor growth delays, including tumor regressions, without evidence of toxicity. The work described here represents the entire discovery process, from initial identification through structural and biological studies in animal models to a promising therapeutic for testing in cancer patients bearing B-RafV600E-driven tumors.
118371809
The Laser Beacon: A survey system for the torsion-free alignment and monitoring of the L3 Muon Spectrometer octants
Given the small sagitta of a few millimeters of high energetic muons in the L3 Muon Spectrometer at LEP (CERN) and the enormous dimensions (75 m2 × 14 m) of this instrument, it is evident that alignment is the most critical task for its proper evaluation. In the chambers of each of the sixteen modules (“octants”), which form the spectrometer, wire planes are precisely positioned with respect to the front side and the rear side centerlines. A novel system - the Laser Beacon System - allows to make these centerlines coplanar within 25 μ rad by the aid of a reference plane defined by a sweeping laser beam. This restricts a possible torsion induced systematic momentum error for a 50 GeV/c muon to 0.25%. The main design and production features of the Laser Beacon System are described. Results of measurements in test assemblies and in the octants are given.