12246797
The molecular emissions and the infall motion in the high-mass young stellar object G8.68−0.37
We present a multi-wavelength observational study towards the high-mass young stellar object G8.68−0.37. A single massive gas-and-dust core is observed in the (sub)millimetre continuum and molecular line emissions. We fitted the spectral energy distribution (SED) from the dust continuum emission. The best-fitting SED suggests the presence of two components with temperature of T_d = 20 and 120 K, respectively. The core has a total mass of up to 1.5 × 10^3 M_⊙ and a bolometric luminosity of 2.3 × 10^4 L_⊙. Both the mass and luminosity are dominated by the cold component (T_d= 20 K). The molecular lines of C^(18)O, C^(34)S, DCN and thermally excited CH_(3)OH are detected in this core. Prominent infall signatures are observed in the ^(12)CO (1 − 0) and (2 − 1). We estimated an infall velocity of 0.45 km s^(−1) and a mass infall rate of 7 × 10^(−4) M_⊙ yr^(−1). From the molecular lines, we have found a high DCN-to-HCN abundance ratio of 0.07. The overabundant DCN may originate from a significant deuteration in the previous cold pre-protostellar phase. And the DCN should now be rapidly sublimated from the grain mantles to maintain the overabundance in the gas phase.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
118624166
Averaged null energy condition in loop quantum cosmology
Wormholes and time machines are objects of great interest in general relativity. However, to support them it needs exotic matters which are impossible at the classical level. Semiclassical gravity introduces the quantum effects into the stress-energy tensor and constructs many self-consistent wormholes. But they are not traversable due to the averaged null energy condition. Loop quantum gravity (LQG) significantly modifies the Einstein equation in the deep quantum region. If we write the modified Einstein equation in the form of the standard one but with an effective stress-energy tensor, it is convenient to analyze the geometry in LQG through the energy condition. Loop quantum cosmology (LQC), an application of LQG, has an effective stress-energy tensor which violates some kinds of local energy conditions. So it is natural that the inflation emerges in LQC. In this paper, we investigate the averaged null energy condition in LQC in the framework of the effective Hamiltonian, and we find that the effective stress-energy tensor in LQC violates the averaged null energy condition in the massless scalar field coupled model.
118856665
The binary merger channel for the progenitor of the fastest rotating O-type star VFTS 102
VFTS 102 has a projected rotational velocity (>500 km s(-1)) and would appear to be the fastest rotating O-type star. We show that its high rotational velocity could be understood within the framework of the binary merger. In the binary merger channel, the progenitor binary of VFTS 102 would evolve into contact while two components are still on the main sequence, and then merge into a rapidly rotating single star. Employing Eggleton's stellar evolution code, we performed binary stellar evolution calculations and mapped out the initial parameters of the progenitor of VFTS 102 in the orbital period-mass ratio (P-q) plane. We found that the progenitor binary of VFTS 102 with initial mass ratio q(0) less than or similar to 0.7 should have an initial orbital period shorter than 3.76-4.25 d, while above this mass ratio it should have an initial orbital period shorter than 1.44-1.55 d. The progenitor of VFTS 102 would evolve into contact during the rapid mass transfer phase or during the subsequent slow mass transfer phase, and might ultimately merge into a rapidly rotating massive star. In addition, we performed Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the binary merger channel. We estimated the fraction of binaries that would merge into single stars and the fraction of single stars that might be produced from the binary merger channel. It is found that about 8.7 per cent of binaries would evolve into contact and merge into rapidly rotating single stars, and about 17.1 per cent of single stars might be produced from the binary merger channel and should have similar properties to VFTS 102. This suggests that the binary merger channel might be one of the main channels for the formation of rapidly rotating massive stars like VFTS 102.
54197110
A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF GAMMA-RAY BURST OPTICAL EMISSION. II. AFTERGLOW ONSET AND LATE RE-BRIGHTENING COMPONENTS
We continue our systematic statistical study of various components of gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical light curves. We decompose the early onset bump and the late re-brightening bump with empirical fits and analyze their statistical properties. Among the 146 GRBs that have well-sampled optical light curves, the onset and re-brightening bumps are observed in 38 and 26 GRBs, respectively. It is found that the typical rising and decaying slopes for both the onset and re-brightening bumps are similar to 1.5 and similar to-1.15, respectively. No early onset bumps in the X-ray band are detected to be associated with the optical onset bumps, while an X-ray re-brightening bump is detected for half of the re-brightening optical bumps. The peak luminosity is anti-correlated with the peak time L-p proportional to t(p)(-1.81 +/- 0.32) for the onset bumps and L-p proportional to t(p)(-0.83 +/- 0.17) for the re-brightening bumps. Both L-p and the isotropic energy release of the onset bumps are correlated with E-gamma,E- iso, whereas no similar correlation is found for the re-brightening bumps. These results suggest that the afterglow onset bumps are likely due to the deceleration of the GRB fireballs. Taking the onset bumps as probes for the properties of the fireballs and their ambient medium, we find that the typical power-law index of the relativistic electrons is 2.5 and the medium density profile behaves as n proportional to r(-1) within the framework of the synchrotron external shock models. With the medium density profile obtained from our analysis, we also confirm the correlation between the initial Lorentz factor (Gamma(0)) and E-iso,E-gamma in our previous work. The jet component that produces the re-brightening bump seems to be on-axis and independent of the prompt emission jet component. Its typical kinetic energy budget would be about one order of magnitude larger than the prompt emission component, but with a lower Gamma(0), typically several tens.
16037742
Attenuation correction of L-shell X-ray fluorescence computed tomography imaging *
X-ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography (XFCT) is a widely-used experimental technique for investigating the spatial distribution of elements in a sample. However, image reconstruction for this technique is more difficult than for transmission tomography, one problem being self-absorption. In this work, we make use of known quantities and unknown density of elements of interest to express unknown attenuation maps. The attenuation maps are added to the contribution value of the pixel in the Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization (MLEM) reconstruction method. Results indicate that the relative error is less than 14.1%, which shows that this method can effectively correct L-shell XFCT.
15791171
Energy transfer and its effects on the secondaries in W Ursae Majoris type contact binaries
Based on the physical parameters of 133 W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) type contact binaries, energy transfer and its effects on the secondaries in W UMa contact binaries are investigated. Relations are given between the mass ratio (q) for W UMa contact binaries and the relative energy transfer rates, i.e. U(1), the ratio of the transferred luminosity to the surface luminosity of the primary, and U(2), the ratio of the transferred luminosity to the nuclear luminosity of the secondary. The theoretical curves(U(1) versus q and U(2) versus q) are derived based on various assumptions: that the two components in each W UMa system are nearly identical in effective temperature and just fill their inner Roche lobes, and the primaries are zero-age main-sequence stars. Although these curves can reflect the distribution of U(1) and U(2) versus q, some observational systems deviate significantly from these curves. This results mainly from the difference in effective temperatures of the components of W UMa systems. The radius and the density of the secondary are related to the relative energy transfer rate U(2): the higher U(2), the greater the expansion and the lower the density of the secondary in a W UMa system. In addition, it is found that the temperature difference of W UMa binary components is correlated with the relative energy transfer rate U(1) and decreases with increasing U(1). This might suggest that there is a thermal coupling between the two components in W UMa contact binaries, and that the classification of W UMa contact binaries into A or W types depends on the energy transfer from the primary to the secondary. The temperature difference of W UMa binary components is poorly correlated with the mass of the primary. This suggests that the properties of the common envelope of a W UMa contact binary might not have a significant effect on the energy transfer between the two components.