56252745
Weak gravitational lensing effects on cosmological parameters and dark energy from gamma-ray bursts
Context. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are attractive objects for constraining the nature of dark energy in a way complementary to other cosmological probes, especially at high redshifts. However, the apparent magnitude of distant GRBs can be distorted by the gravitational lensing from the density fluctuations along the line of sight . Aims. We investigate the gravitational lensing effect on the cosmological parameters and dark energy equation of state from GRBs. Methods. We first calibrated the GRB luminosity relations without ass uming any cosmological models. The luminosity distances of low-redshift GRBs were calibrated with the cosmography method using a latest type Ia supernova (SNe Ia) sample. The luminosity distances of high-redshift GRBs were derived by assuming that the luminosity relations do not evolve with redshift. Then we investigated the non-Gaussian nature of the magnification probability distribution funct ions and the magnification bias of the gravitational lensing . Results. We find that the gravitational lensing has non-negligible e ffects on the determination of cosmological parameters and dark energy. The gravitational lensing shifts the best-fit constraints o n cosmological parameters and dark energy. Because high-redshift GRBs are more
44994799
Internal shock model for the X-ray flares of Swift J1644+57
Swift J1644+57 is an unusual transient event, likely powered by the tidal disruption of a star by a massive black hole. Multiple short time-scale X-ray flares were seen over a span of several days. We propose that these flares could be produced by internal shocks. In the internal shock model, the forward and reverse shocks are produced by collisions between relativistic shells ejected from a central engine. The synchrotron emission from the forward and reverse shocks could dominate in two quite different energy bands; under some conditions, the relativistic reverse shock dominates the X-ray emission and the Newtonian forward shock dominates the infrared and optical emission. We show that the spectral energy distribution of Swift J1644+57 could be explained by an internal shock model.
124365356
Current constraints on early dark energy and growth index using latest observations
Aims. In this paper we study observational constraints on early dark energy model proposed by Doran & Robbers and growth index using the latest Union2 type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the large-scale correlation function of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Two-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey, cosmic microwave background (CMB) from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe seven-year data, the linear growth factors data and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Methods. By using the χ 2 statics method, we constrain the early dark energy model and growth factor from the above datasets. When including the GRB data, we use the cosmographic parameters to calibrate the GRB luminosity relations using SNe Ia. Results. At 2σ confidence level, we find that the fractional dark energy density at early times is Ω e < 0.05 using SNe Ia, CMB and BAO. When we include high-redshift probes, such as measurements of the linear growth factors and GRBs, the constraint is tightened considerably and becomes Ω e < 0.03 at 2σ confidence level. We also discuss the growth rate index γ .W e f indγ = 0.661 +0.302 −0.203 (1σ) using the SNe Ia, CMB, BAO and linear growth factor data. After including high-redshift GRB data, the growth index is γ = 0.653 +0.372 −0.363 .
119245048
An Evolving Stellar Initial Mass Function and the Gamma-ray Burst Redshift Distribution
Recent studies suggest that Swift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may not trace an ordinary star formation history (SFH). Here, we show that the GRB rate turns out to be consistent with the SFH with an evolving stellar initial mass function (IMF). We first show that the latest Swift sample of GRBs reveals an increasing evolution in the GRB rate relative to the ordinary star formation rate at high redshifts. We then assume only massive stars with masses greater than the critical value to produce GRBs and use an evolving stellar IMF suggested by Dave to fit the latest GRB redshift distribution. This evolving IMF would increase the relative number of massive stars, which could lead to more GRB explosions at high redshifts. We find that the evolving IMF can well reproduce the observed redshift distribution of Swift GRBs.
18159661
Constraining Dark Energy and Cosmological Transition Redshift with Type Ia Supernovae
The property of dark energy and the physical reason for the acceleration of the present universe are two of the most difficult problems in modern cosmology. The dark energy contributes about two-thirds of the critical density of the present universe from the observations of type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and anisotropy of cosmic microwave background (CMB). The SN Ia observations also suggest that the universe expanded from a deceleration to an acceleration phase at some redshift, implying the existence of a nearly uniform component of dark energy with negative pressure. We use the ``Gold'' sample containing 157 SNe Ia and two recent well-measured additions, SNe Ia 1994ae and 1998aq to explore the properties of dark energy and the transition redshift. For a flat universe with the cosmological constant, we measure Ω M = 0.28 −0.05 +0.04 , which is consistent with Riess et al. The transition redshift is z T = 0.60 −0.08 +0.06 . We also discuss several dark energy models that define w ( z ) of the parameterized equation of state of dark energy including one parameter and two parameters ( w ( z ) being the ratio of the pressure to energy density). Our calculations show that the accurately calculated transition redshift varies from z T = 0.29 −0.06 +0.07 to z T = 0.60 −0.08 +0.06 across these models. We also calculate the minimum redshift z c at which the current observations need the universe to accelerate.
118854953
High-redshift star formation rate up to z~8.3 derived from gamma-ray bursts and influence of background cosmology
The high-redshift star formation rate (SFR) is difficult to measure directly even by modern approaches. Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can be detected to the edge of the visible universe because of their high luminosities. The collapsar model of long GRBs indicates that they may trace the star formation history. So, long GRBs may be a useful tool of measuring the high-redshift SFR. Observations show that long GRBs prefer to form in a low-metallicity environment. We study the high-redshift SFR up to z∼ 8.3 considering the Swift GRBs tracing the star formation history and the cosmic metallicity evolution in different background cosmological models including Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM), quintessence, quintessence with a time-varying equation of state and brane-world model. We use latest Swift GRBs including two highest-z GRBs, GRB 080913 at z= 6.7 and GRB 090423 at z= 8.3. We find that the SFR at z > 4 shows a steep decay with a slope of ∼−5.0 in ΛCDM. In the other three models, the high-redshift SFR is slightly different from ΛCDM model and also shows a steep decay.
121335136
Design and field measurement of the BEPC-II interaction region dual-aperture quadrupoles
With the Beijing Electron Positron Collider upgrade project (BEPC-II), two dual-aperture septum-style quadrupole magnets are used in the interaction region for the final focusing of the electron and positron beams. The BEPC-II lattice design calls for the same high quality integral quadrupole field and large good field region in both apertures for each magnet. Two-dimensional contour optimization and pole-end chamfer iteration are used to minimize the systematic harmonic errors. Unexpected non-systematic errors induced by the unsymmetrical structure and the manufacturing errors are compensated with the pole-end shimming. Magnet measurements with rotating coils are performed to guide and confirm the magnet design. This paper discusses the design consideration, optimizing procedure and measurement results of these dual-aperture magnets.
14421267
Constraining the evolution of dark energy with type Ia supernovae and gamma-ray bursts
Aims. The behavior of the dark energy equation of state (EOS) is crucial in distinguishing different cosmological models. With a model independent approach, we constrain the possible evolution of the dark energy EOS. Methods. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) of redshifts up to z > 6 are used, in addition to type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We separate the redshifts into 4 bins and assume a constant EOS parameter for dark energy in each bin. The EOS parameters are decorrelated by diagonalizing the covariance matrix. And the evolution of dark energy is estimated out of the uncorrelated EOS parameters. Results. By including GRB luminosity data, we significantly reduce the confidence interval of the uncorrelated EOS parameter whose contribution mostly comes from the redshift bin of 0.5 < z < 1.8. At high redshift where we only have GRBs, the constraints on the dark energy EOS are still very weak. However, we can see an obvious cut at about zero in the probability plot of the EOS parameter, from which we can infer that the ratio of dark energy to matter most probably continues to decrease beyond redshift 1.8. We carried out analyses with and without including the latest BAO measurements, which themselves favor a dark energy EOS of w< −1. If they are included, the results show some evidence of an evolving dark energy EOS. If not included, however, the results are consistent with the cosmological constant within 1σ for redshift 0 < z 0. 5a nd 2σ for 0.5 z < 1.8.
206352395
The attachment of amino fragment to purine: inner-shell structures and spectra.
The impact of the amino fragment (-NH(2)) attachment on the inner-shell structures and spectra of unsubstituted purine and the purine ring of adenine are studied. Density functional theory calculations, using the LB94/TZ2P//B3LYP/TZVP model, reveal significant site-dependent electronic structural changes in the inner shell of the species. A condensed Fukui function indicates that all of the N and C sites, except for N((1)) and C((5)), demonstrate significant electrophilic reactivity (f(-) > 0.5 in |e|) in the unsubstituted purine. Once the amino fragment binds to the C((6)) position of purine to form adenine, the electrophilic reactivity of these N and C sites is greatly reduced. As expected, the C((6)) position experiences substantial changes in energy and charge transfer, owing to the formation of the C-NH(2) bond in adenine. The present study reveals that the N1s spectra of adenine inherit the N1s spectra of the unsubstituted purine, whereas the C1s spectra experience significant changes although purine and adenine have geometrically similar carbon frames. The findings also indicate that the attachment of the NH(2) fragment to purine exhibits deeply rooted influences to the inner-shell structures of DNA/RNA bases. The present study suggests that some fragment-based methods may not be applicable to spectral analyses in the inner shell.
119254658
Deviation from the Cosmological Constant or Systematic Errors
In the work of Qi, Wang & Lu, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are used together with an earlier Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) data set to constrain the dark energy equation of state (EOS) in a nearly model-independent way. The improvements made by including GRBs show a slight shift of the dark energy EOS toward w > -1 at redshifts z greater than or similar to 0.5. It is interesting that, when we have more SNe Ia, SNe Ia themselves also show the same trend. Motivated by the fact that both SNe Ia and GRBs seem to prefer a dark energy EOS greater than -1 at redshifts z greater than or similar to 0.5, we perform a careful investigation of this situation, including more careful treatments of measurement errors of GRBs and cross-checking the results by using different ways of including GRBs. We find that the deviation of dark energy from the cosmological constant at redshifts z greater than or similar to 0.5 is large enough that we should pay close attention to it with future observational data. Such a deviation may arise from some biasing systematic errors in the handling of SNe Ia and/or GRBs, or more interestingly from the nature of the dark energy itself.
13276418
Generating monoenergetic heavy-ion bunches with laser-induced electrostatic shocks.
A method for efficient laser acceleration of heavy ions by electrostatic shock is investigated using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation and analytical modeling. When a small number of heavy ions are mixed with light ions, the heavy ions can be accelerated to the same velocity as the light ions so that they gain much higher energy because of their large mass. Accordingly, a sandwich target design with a thin compound ion layer between two light-ion layers and a micro-structured target design are proposed for obtaining monoenergetic heavy-ion beams.