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Results for “relativistic processes”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Full Transport General Relativistic Radiation Magnetohydrodynamics for Nucleosynthesis in Collapsars

We model a compact black hole-accretion disk system in the collapsar scenario with full transport, frequency dependent, general relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamics. We examine whether or not winds from a collapsar disk can undergo rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis and significantly contribute to solar r-process abundances. We find the inclusion of accurate transport has significant effects on outflows, raising the electron fraction above ${Y}_{{\rm{e}}}\sim 0.3$ and preventing third-peak r-process material from being synthesized. We analyze the time evolution of neutrino processes and electron fraction in the disk and present a simple one-dimensional model for the vertical structure that emerges. Finally, we compare our simulation to semi-analytic expectations and argue that accurate neutrino transport and realistic initial and boundary conditions are required to capture the dynamics and nucleosynthetic outcome of a collapsar.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Spectral function for 4 He using the Chebyshev expansion in coupled-cluster theory

Here, we compute spectral function for 4 He by combining coupled-cluster theory with an expansion of integral transforms into Chebyshev polynomials. Our method allows us to estimate the uncertainty of spectral reconstruction. The properties of the Chebyshev polynomials make the procedure numerically stable and considerably lower in memory usage than the typically employed Lanczos algorithm. We benchmark our predictions with other calculations in the literature and with electron-scattering data in the quasi-elastic peak. The spectral function formalism allows one to extend ab initio lepton-nucleus cross sections into the relativistic regime. This makes it a promising tool for modeling this process at higher-energy transfers. The results we present open the door for studies of heavier nuclei, important for the neutrino oscillation programs.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1978

Are supernovae radio sources - A search for radio emission from young supernova remnants

A search has been conducted for radio emission at 11 and 3.7 cm from 46 recent supernovae having accurately determined positions and ages of a few months to 79 years. None of these supernovae was detected at a flux density greater than 5-10 mJy. These negative results cannot be explained by internal absorption and are thus due to intrinsically weak synchrotron emission in young supernova remnants. There are two possibilities: either (1) relativistic particles are accelerated not by the supernova outburst but by processes occurring much later (at least about 75 years) in the remnant or (2) the magnetic field in the young remnants evolves very slowly, in proportion to the inverse square root of time, so that its value in the remnants observed was no more than about 0.002 gauss. The constraints the observations place on these possibilities and on the energy in cosmic rays in young remnants are discussed. Gamma-ray observations at times of no more than about 1 year following an outburst will allow one to discriminate between the two alternative explanations of the radio results.

Brown, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Limits of X-ray variability in active galactic nuclei

A significant correlation is demonstrataed here between the X-ray luminosity and the timescale of X-ray variability for Seyfert galaxies and quasars. This is interpreted as evidence that the emitting plasma is near the limit of being dominated by electron-positron pairs. BL Lac objects do not follow this pattern; this may be due either to relativistic beaming or to the differing importance of the pair production process.

Barr, P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The diffuse ionized interstellar medium perpendicular to the plane of NGC 891

In an attempt to study the structure and the properties of the diffuse ionized interstellar medium perpendicular to the plane of disk galaxies researchers obtained H alpha images and spectra of NGC 891. Perhaps the most remarkable property of the H alpha emission line in NGC 891 is its extension out of the plane of the galaxy: researchers are able to measure the H alpha line out to more than 30 seconds (1.4 kpc) from the midplane. This means that the ionized hydrogen extends at least four times higher than the neutral hydrogen layer. An anomalously large scale-height for the ionized gas of approx. equals 1 kpc is also found in the Milky Way. The echelle spectra show a changing ratio of NII to H alpha. This excludes the possibility that the large scaleheight of the emission is due to scattering of disk emission by dust high above the plane. The z-extent of the H alpha emission is confirmed by the imaging result. The large z-extent of the ionized gas is confined to the inner half of the visible disk. In this inner region the H alpha distribution also shows a filamentary structure of the diffuse ionized medium. These filaments, sticking out of the plane, originate in HII regions in the plane. The H alpha image also shows a large scale asymmetry if the NE and SW parts of the disk are compared. The NE part is more prominent and extended in H alpha. The same asymmetry is also seen in the radio continuum distribution. This correlation between the diffuse ionized medium and the distribution of relativistic electrons is one example of a relation between star formation processes in the disk and the various components of the halo. Thermal filaments or spurs which are related to HII regions are also known in the Galaxy. These filamentary structures perpendicular to the galactic planes may represent the chimneys which result in the supernova dominated model of the Interstellar Medium by Norman and Ikeuchi (1989).

Dettmar, Ralf-Juergen↗
NASA NTRS1989

Relativistic electrons at geosynchronous orbit, interplanetary electron flux, and the 13-month Jovian synodic year

Results are reported from a search to determine the correlation, if any, between the temporal behaviors of 0.2-7 MeV or higher electrons at GEO (6.6 earth radii) and 6-10 MeV electrons in the interplanetary region near earth at the period of the Jovian synodic year (about 13 months). The 13-month intensity variation results from the synodic interplanetary magnetic field conection of earth to Jupiter. Direct compariosn of intensity-time flux profiles for the years 1976-1984, about 7 synodic Jovian electron seasons, shows that the intensity envelope of peak electron flux at GEO does not appear to be correlated to the observed 13 month intensity envelope of relativistic electron flux in the interplanetary region near earth. A persistent 13-month variation of GEO flux is not obvious, thus indicating that the intensity of electron flux at GEO is not directly and soley related to the intensity of Jovian electron flux near earth. It is concluded that dynamic erergization and redistribution processes in earth's magnetosphere must be invoked to produce the intensity variations of relativistic electron flux at GEO and not interplanetary magnetic field connection to Jupiter.

Christon, S. P.↗
NASA NTRS1983

First-order Fermi acceleration in solar flares as a mechanism for the second-step acceleration of prompt protons and relativistic electrons

Solar flare data from June 27, 1980 balloon-based observations were studied in terms of the hard X ray component. A temporal delay of 3 sec was observed for the X ray emissions above 235 keV. The delay occurred relative to the low-energy electrons and indicated a second acceleration stage. An estimation of the acceleration rate of the first-order Fermi process operating in a closed flare loop was found to be in agreement with the resulting data, including the acceleration of both protons and relativistic electrons. Additional support for the first-order Fermi process is noted in the fact that flares generally occur in magnetic loops, a condition which allows energetic particles to continually interact with the upward moving shock fronts. A correlation has also been observed between the delay times and the H-alpha areas, encouraging the interpretation that the delay times are the shock transit times.

Bai, T.↗
DOE OSTI2024

How macroscopic limits on neutron-star baryon loss yield microscopic limits on non-standard-model baryon decay

We investigate how our baryon-loss limits from anomalous binary-pulsar period lengthening can be interpreted microscopically to yield specific constraints on the particle physics of baryon number violation within a neutron star. We focus on the possibility of anomalous baryon disappearance via dark baryon processes and on scenarios in which the produced dark-sector particles do not survive to influence the response of the star to baryon-number-violating effects. We flesh out the conditions for which this may occur, as well as other key assumptions. We then turn to the analysis of particle processes in the dense nuclear medium found at the core of a neutron star, employing the techniques of relativistic mean-field theory. Using our study of in-medium effects and limits on macroscopic baryon number violation, we extract limits on in-vacuum baryon-number-violating processes, and we determine them for various equations of state. We conclude by noting the implications of our results for models of dark-sector-enabled baryogenesis. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bulk viscosity from Urca processes: npeμ matter in the neutrino-trapped regime

In this work, we extend our previous study of the bulk viscosity of hot and dense npe matter induced by the Urca process in the neutrino trapped regime to npeμ matter by adding the muonic Urca processes as well as the purely leptonic electroweak processes involving electron-muon transition. Here, the nuclear matter is modeled in a relativistic density functional approach with two different parametrizations which predict neutrino dominated matter (DDME2 model) and anti-neutrino dominated matter (NL3 model) at temperatures for which neutrinos/anti-neutrinos are trapped. In the case of neutrino-dominated matter, the main equilibration mechanism is lepton capture, whereas in the case of antineutrino-dominated matter this is due to neutron decay. We find that the equilibration rates of Urca processes are higher than that of the pure leptonic processes, which implies that the Urca bulk viscosity can be computed with the leptonic reactions assumed to be frozen. We find that the bulk viscosity decreases with temperature as ζ~T –2 at moderate temperatures. At high temperatures this scaling breaks down by sharp drops of the bulk viscosity close to the temperature where the proton fraction is density-independent and the matter becomes scale-invariant. This occurs also when the matter undergoes a transition from the antineutrino-dominated regime to the neutrino-dominated regime where the bulk viscosity attains a local maximum. We also estimate the bulk viscous dissipation timescales and find that these are in the range ≳ 1 s for temperatures above the neutrino trapping temperature. These timescales would be relevant only for long-lived objects formed in binary neutron star mergers and hot proto-neutron stars formed in core-collapse supernovas.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Analysis of the multicomponent relativistic Boltzmann equation for electron scattering in big bang nucleosynthesis

Big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) is valuable as a means to constrain the physics of the early universe and it is the only probe of the radiation-dominated epoch. A fundamental assumption in BBN is that the nuclear velocity distributions obey Maxwell-Boltzmann (MB) statistics as they do in stars. Specifically, the BBN epoch is characterized by a dilute baryon plasma for which the velocity distribution of nuclei is mainly determined by the dominant Coulomb elastic scattering with mildly relativistic electrons. One must therefore deduce the momentum distribution for reacting nuclei from the multicomponent relativistic Boltzmann equation. However, the full multicomponent relativistic Boltzmann equation has only recently been analyzed and its solution has only been worked out in special cases. Moreover, a variety of schemes have been proposed that introduce nonthermal components into the BBN environment which can alter the thermal distribution of reacting nuclei. Here, we construct the relativistic Boltzmann equation in the context of BBN. We also derive a Langevin model and perform relativistic Monte-Carlo simulations which clarify the baryon distribution during BBN and can be used to analyze any relaxation from a nonthermal injection. Further, we show by these analyses that the thermalization process leads to a nuclear distribution function that remains very close to MB statistics even during the most relativistic environment relevant to BBN. Hence, the predictions of standard BBN remain unchanged.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evidence for a high-energy tail in the gamma-ray spectra of globular clusters

Millisecond pulsars are very likely the main source of gamma-ray emission from globular clusters. However, the relative contributions of two separate emission processes – curvature radiation from millisecond pulsar magnetospheres versus inverse Compton emission from relativistic pairs launched into the globular cluster environment by millisecond pulsars – have long been unclear. To address this, we search for evidence of inverse Compton emission in 8-yr Fermi–LAT data from the directions of 157 Milky Way globular clusters. We find a mildly statistically significant (3.8σ) correlation between the measured globular cluster gamma-ray luminosities and their photon field energy densities. However, this may also be explained by a hidden correlation between the photon field densities and the stellar encounter rates of globular clusters. Analysed in toto, we demonstrate that the gamma-ray emission of globular clusters can be resolved spectrally into two components: (i) an exponentially cut-off power law and (ii) a pure power law. The latter component – which we uncover at a significance of 8.2σ – has a power index of 2.79 ± 0.25. It is most naturally interpreted as inverse Compton emission by cosmic-ray electrons and positrons injected by millisecond pulsars. Here, we find the luminosity of this power-law component is comparable to, or slightly smaller than, the luminosity of the curved component, suggesting the fraction of millisecond pulsar spin-down luminosity into relativistic leptons is similar to the fraction of the spin-down luminosity into prompt magnetospheric radiation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2002

Evidence of Spin and Energy Extraction in a Galactic Black Hole Candidate: The XMM-NEWTON/EPIC SPECTRUM of XTE 11650-500

We observed the Galactic black hole candidate XTE J1650-500 early in its fall of 2001 outburst with the XMM-Newton European Photon Imaging pn Camera (EPIC-pn). The observed spectrum is consistent with the source having been in the very high state. We h d a broad, skewed Fe Kar emission line that suggests the primary in this system may be a Kerr black hole and that indicates a steep disk emissivity profile that is hard to explain in terms of a standard accretion disk model. These results are quantitatively and qualitatively similar to those from an XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert galaxy MCG -6-30-15. The steep emissivity in MCG -6-30-15 may be explained by the extraction and dissipation of rotational energy from a black hole with nearly maximal angular momentum or from material in the plunging region via magnetic connections to the inner accretion disk. If this process is at work in both sources, an exotic but fundamental general relativistic prediction may be confirmed across a factor of l0(exp 6) in black hole mass. We discuss these results in terms of the accretion flow geometry in stellar-mass black holes and the variety of enigmatic phenomena often observed in the very high state.

Miller, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2021

The impact of r -process heating on the dynamics of neutron star merger accretion disc winds and their electromagnetic radiation

Neutron star merger accretion discs can launch neutron-rich winds of >10 -2 M⊙. This ejecta is a prime site for r-process nucleosynthesis, which will produce a range of radioactive heavy nuclei. The decay of these nuclei releases enough energy to accelerate portions of the wind by ~0.1c. Here, we investigate the effect of r-process heating on the dynamical evolution of disc winds. We extract the wind from a 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a disc from a post-merger system. This is used to create inner boundary conditions for 2D hydrodynamic simulations that continue the original 3D simulation. We perform two such simulations: one that includes the r-process heating, and another one that does not. We follow the hydrodynamic simulations until the winds reach homology (60 s). Using time-dependent multifrequency multidimensional Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations, we then calculate the kilonova light curves from the winds with and without dynamical r-process heating. We find that the r-process heating can substantially alter the velocity distribution of the wind, shifting the mass-weighted median velocity from 0.06c to 0.12c. The inclusion of the dynamical r-process heating makes the light curve brighter and bluer at $\sim 1\, \mathrm{d}$ post-merger. However, the high-velocity tail of the ejecta distribution and the early ($\lesssim 1\, \mathrm{d}$) light curves are largely unaffected.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2002

Broadband Observations and Modeling of the Shell-Type Supernova Remnant G347.3-0.5

The supernova remnant G347.3-0.5 emits a featureless power law in X-rays, thought to indicate shock acceleration of electrons to high energies. We here produce a broadband spectrum of the bright northwest limb of this source by combining radio observations from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), X-ray observations from the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA), and TeV gamma-ray observations from the CANGAROO imaging Cerenkov telescope. We assume that this emission is produced by an electron population generated by diffusive shock acceleration at the remnant forward shock. The nonlinear aspects of the particle acceleration force a connection between the widely different wavelength bands and between the electrons and the unseen ions, presumably accelerated simultaneously with the electrons. This allows us to infer the relativistic proton spectrum and estimate ambient parameters such as the supernova explosion energy, magnetic field, matter density in the emission region, and efficiency of the shock acceleration process. We find convincing evidence that the shock acceleration is efficient, placing greater than 25% of the shock kinetic energy flux into relativistic ions. Despite this high efficiency, the maximum electron and proton energies, while depending somewhat on assumptions for the compression of the magnetic field in the shock, are well below the observed 'knee' at 10(exp 15) eV in the Galactic cosmic-ray spectrum.

Ellison, Donald C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Bulk Viscosity of Relativistic npeμ Matter in Neutron-Star Mergers

We discuss the bulk viscosity of hot and dense npeμ matter arising from weak-interaction direct Urca processes. We consider two regimes of interest: (a) the neutrino-transparent regime with T ≤ T tr (T tr ≃ 5 ÷ 10 MeV is the neutrino-trapping temperature); and (b) the neutrino-trapped regime with T ≥ T tr . Nuclear matter is modeled in relativistic density functional approach with density-dependent parametrization DDME2. The maximum of the bulk viscosity is achieved at temperatures T ≃ 5 ÷ 6 MeV in the neutrino-transparent regime, then it drops rapidly at higher temperatures where neutrino-trapping occurs. As an astrophysical application, we estimate the damping timescales of density oscillations by the bulk viscosity in neutron star mergers and find that, e.g., at the oscillation frequency f = 10 kHz, the damping will be very efficient at temperatures 4 ≤ T ≤ 7 MeV where the bulk viscosity might affect the evolution of the post-merger object.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Neutrino transport in general relativistic neutron star merger simulations

Abstract Numerical simulations of neutron star–neutron star and neutron star–black hole binaries play an important role in our ability to model gravitational-wave and electromagnetic signals powered by these systems. These simulations have to take into account a wide range of physical processes including general relativity, magnetohydrodynamics, and neutrino radiation transport. The latter is particularly important in order to understand the properties of the matter ejected by many mergers, the optical/infrared signals powered by nuclear reactions in the ejecta, and the contribution of that ejecta to astrophysical nucleosynthesis. However, accurate evolutions of the neutrino transport equations that include all relevant physical processes remain beyond our current reach. In this review, I will discuss the current state of neutrino modeling in general relativistic simulations of neutron star mergers and of their post-merger remnants. I will focus on the three main types of algorithms used in simulations so far: leakage, moments, and Monte-Carlo scheme. I will review the advantages and limitations of each scheme, as well as the various neutrino–matter interactions that should be included in simulations. We will see that the quality of the treatment of neutrinos in merger simulations has greatly increased over the last decade, but also that many potentially important interactions remain difficult to take into account in simulations (pair annihilation, oscillations, inelastic scattering).

Foucart, Francois (ORCID:0000000346174738)↗
NASA NTRS2008

3D RMHD Simulations of Magnetized Spine-Sheath Relativistic Jets

We have performed numerical simulations of weakly and strongly magnetized relativistic jets embedded in a weakly and strongly magnetized stationary or mildly relativistic (0.5c) sheath flow using the RAISHIN code. In the numerical simulations a jet with Lorentz factor gamma=2.5 is processed to break the initial equilibrium configuration. Results of the numerical simulations are compared to theoretical predictions from a normal mode analysis of the linearized RMHD equations describing a uniform axially magnetized cylindrical relativistic jet embedded in a uniform axially magnetized sheath flow. The prediction of increased stability of a weakly-magnetized system with mildly relativistic sheath flow to Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and the stabilization of a strongly magnetized system with mildly relativistic sheath flow is confirmed by the numerical simulations.

Mizuno, Yosuke↗