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At least 1,567 records · Page 87

TADPOL: A 1.3 mm SURVEY OF DUST POLARIZATION IN STAR-FORMING CORES AND REGIONS

We present λ 1.3 mm Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy observations of dust polarization toward 30 star-forming cores and eight star-forming regions from the TADPOL survey. We show maps of all sources, and compare the ∼2.''5 resolution TADPOL maps with ∼20'' resolution polarization maps from single-dish submillimeter telescopes. Here we do not attempt to interpret the detailed B-field morphology of each object. Rather, we use average B-field orientations to derive conclusions in a statistical sense from the ensemble of sources, bearing in mind that these average orientations can be quite uncertain. We discuss three main findings. (1) A subset of the sources have consistent magnetic field (B-field) orientations between large (∼20'') and small (∼2.''5) scales. Those same sources also tend to have higher fractional polarizations than the sources with inconsistent large-to-small-scale fields. We interpret this to mean that in at least some cases B-fields play a role in regulating the infall of material all the way down to the ∼1000 AU scales of protostellar envelopes. (2) Outflows appear to be randomly aligned with B-fields; although, in sources with low polarization fractions there is a hint that outflows are preferentially perpendicular to small-scale B-fields, which suggests that in these sources the fields have been wrapped up by envelope rotation. (3) Finally, even at ∼2.''5 resolution we see the so-called polarization hole effect, where the fractional polarization drops significantly near the total intensity peak. All data are publicly available in the electronic edition of this article.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Einstein@Home DISCOVERY OF A PALFA MILLISECOND PULSAR IN AN ECCENTRIC BINARY ORBIT

We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J1950+2414 (P = 4.3 ms) in a binary system with an eccentric (e = 0.08) 22 day orbit in Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array survey observations with the Arecibo telescope. Its companion star has a median mass of 0.3 M{sub ⊙} and is most likely a white dwarf (WD). Fully recycled MSPs like this one are thought to be old neutron stars spun-up by mass transfer from a companion star. This process should circularize the orbit, as is observed for the vast majority of binary MSPs, which predominantly have orbital eccentricities e < 0.001. However, four recently discovered binary MSPs have orbits with 0. 027 < e < 0.44; PSR J1950+2414 is the fifth such system to be discovered. The upper limits for its intrinsic spin period derivative and inferred surface magnetic field strength are comparable to those of the general MSP population. The large eccentricities are incompatible with the predictions of the standard recycling scenario: something unusual happened during their evolution. Proposed scenarios are (a) initial evolution of the pulsar in a triple system which became dynamically unstable, (b) origin in an exchange encounter in an environment with high stellar density, (c) rotationally delayed accretion-induced collapse of a super-Chandrasekhar WD, and (d) dynamical interaction of the binary with a circumbinary disk. We compare the properties of all five known eccentric MSPs with the predictions of these formation channels. Future measurements of the masses and proper motion might allow us to firmly exclude some of the proposed formation scenarios.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Threatening Magnetic and Plasma Environment of the TRAPPIST-1 Planets

Recently, four additional Earth-mass planets were discovered orbiting the nearby ultracool M8 dwarf, TRAPPIST-1, making a remarkable total of seven planets with equilibrium temperatures compatible with the presence of liquid water on their surface. Temperate terrestrial planets around an M-dwarf orbit close to their parent star, rendering their atmospheres vulnerable to erosion by the stellar wind and energetic electromagnetic and particle radiation. Here, we use state-of-the-art 3D magnetohydrodynamic models to simulate the wind around TRAPPIST-1 and study the conditions at each planetary orbit. All planets experience a stellar wind pressure between 10{sup 3} and 10{sup 5} times the solar wind pressure on Earth. All orbits pass through wind pressure changes of an order of magnitude and most planets spend a large fraction of their orbital period in the sub-Alfvénic regime. For plausible planetary magnetic field strengths, all magnetospheres are greatly compressed and undergo much more dynamic change than that of the Earth. The planetary magnetic fields connect with the stellar radial field over much of the planetary surface, allowing the direct flow of stellar wind particles onto the planetary atmosphere. These conditions could result in strong atmospheric stripping and evaporation and should be taken into account for any realistic assessment of the evolution and habitability of the TRAPPIST-1 planets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

RADIO TRANSIENTS FROM THE ACCRETION-INDUCED COLLAPSE OF WHITE DWARFS

It has long been expected that in some scenarios when a white dwarf (WD) grows to the Chandrasekhar limit, it can undergo an accretion-induced collapse (AIC) to form a rapidly rotating neutron star. Nevertheless, the detection of such events has so far evaded discovery, likely because the optical, supernova-like emission is expected to be dim and short-lived. Here we propose a novel signature of AIC: a transient radio source lasting for a few months. Rapid rotation along with flux freezing and dynamo action can grow the WD's magnetic field to magnetar strengths during collapse. The spin-down of this newly born magnetar generates a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) within the {approx}10{sup -3}-10{sup -1} M{sub Sun} of ejecta surrounding it. Our calculations show that synchrotron emission from the PWN may be detectable in the radio, even if the magnetar has a rather modest magnetic field of {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} G and an initial spin period of {approx}10 ms. An all-sky survey with a detection limit of 1 mJy at 1.4 GHz would see {approx}4(f/10{sup -2}) above threshold at any given time, where f is the ratio of the AIC rate to Type Ia supernova rate. A similar scenario may result from binary neutron stars if some mergers produce massive neutron stars rather than black holes. We conclude with a discussion of the detectability of these types of transient radio sources in an era of facilities with high mapping speeds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

THE GALACTIC PLANE INFRARED POLARIZATION SURVEY (GPIPS)

The scientific motivation, data collection strategy, data reduction, and analysis methods are presented for the Galactic Plane Infrared Polarization Survey (GPIPS). The chief goal for the Survey was to reveal the nature of the magnetic field threading the Galactic disk, in particular through regions of low to moderate extinction (1-20 mag of A{sub V} ) and star formation in the cool interstellar medium. The Survey region spans 76 deg{sup 2} of the northern Milky Way disk, from l = 18 Degree-Sign to 56 Degree-Sign and b =-1 Degree-Sign to +1 Degree-Sign . Linear polarimetric imaging observations began in 2006 in the near-infrared H band (1.6 {mu}m) using the Mimir instrument on the 1.8 m Perkins telescope, located outside Flagstaff, AZ. Mimir used a cold, fixed wire grid and a rotateable cold, compound half-wave plate to obtain 'step-and-integrate' polarimetry over its full 10 Multiplication-Sign 10 arcmin field of view. The GPIPS bright and faint polarimetric limits are approximately 7th and 15th mag, respectively, set by saturation and photon noise. Polarimetric uncertainties track with stellar magnitude, from about 0.1% to 25%, on average, from the brightest to faintest stars. Across the 3237 field GPIPS region, approximately 0.5 million stars are estimated to show detectable linear polarization (P/{sigma}{sub P} > 3); most of these have m{sub H} < 12. This represents many orders of magnitude improvement in the number of polarization measurements across this region. GPIPS observations are more than 90% complete and should finish in 2012.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A NuSTAR observation of the reflection spectrum of the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1728-34

We report on a simultaneous NuSTAR and Swift observation of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1728-34. We identified and removed four Type I X-ray bursts during the observation in order to study the persistent emission. The continuum spectrum is hard and described well by a blackbody with kT = 1.5 keV and a cutoff power law with Γ = 1.5, and a cutoff temperature of 25 keV. Residuals between 6 and 8 keV provide strong evidence of a broad Fe Kα line. By modeling the spectrum with a relativistically blurred reflection model, we find an upper limit for the inner disk radius of R{sub in}⩽2R{sub ISCO}. Consequently, we find that R {sub NS} ≤ 23 km, assuming M = 1.4 M {sub ⊙} and a = 0.15. We also find an upper limit on the magnetic field of B ≤ 2 × 10{sup 8} G.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

FORMING HABITABLE PLANETS AROUND DWARF STARS: APPLICATION TO OGLE-06-109L

Dwarf stars are believed to have a small protostar disk where planets may grow up. During the planet formation stage, embryos undergoing type I migration are expected to be stalled at an inner edge of the magnetically inactive disk (a{sub crit} {approx} 0.2-0.3 AU). This mechanism makes the location around a{sub crit} a 'sweet spot' for forming planets. In dwarf stars with masses {approx}0.5 M{sub sun}, a{sub crit} is roughly inside the habitable zone of the system. In this paper, we study the formation of habitable planets due to this mechanism using model system OGLE-06-109L, which has a 0.51 M{sub sun} dwarf star with two giant planets in 2.3 and 4.6 AU observed by microlensing. We model the embryos undergoing type I migration in the gas disk with a constant disk-accretion rate ( M-dot ). Giant planets in outside orbits affect the formation of habitable planets through secular perturbations at the early stage and secular resonance at the late stage. We find that the existence and the masses of the habitable planets in the OGLE-06-109L system depend on both M-dot and the speed of type I migration. If planets are formed earlier, so that M-dot is larger ({approx}10{sup -7} M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}), terrestrial planets cannot survive unless the type I migration rate is an order of magnitude less. If planets are formed later, so that M-dot is smaller ({approx}10{sup -8} M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}), single and high-mass terrestrial planets with high water contents ({approx}5%) will be formed by inward migration of outer planet cores. A slower-speed migration will result in several planets via collisions of embryos, and thus their water contents will be low ({approx}2%). Mean motion resonances or apsidal resonances among planets may be observed if multiple planets survive in the inner system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Increasing Black Hole Feedback-induced Quenching with Anisotropic Thermal Conduction

Feedback from central supermassive black holes is often invoked to explain the low star formation rates (SFRs) in the massive galaxies at the centers of galaxy clusters. However, the detailed physics of the coupling of the injected feedback energy with the intracluster medium (ICM) is still unclear. Using high-resolution magnetohydrodynamic cosmological simulations of galaxy cluster formation, we investigate the role of anisotropic thermal conduction in shaping the thermodynamic structure of clusters, and in particular, in modifying the impact of black hole feedback. Stratified anisotropically conducting plasmas are formally always unstable, and thus more prone to mixing, an expectation borne out by our results. The increased mixing efficiently isotropizes the injected feedback energy, which in turn significantly improves the coupling between the feedback energy and the ICM. This facilitates an earlier disruption of the cool-core, reduces the SFR by more than an order of magnitude, and results in earlier quenching despite an overall lower amount of feedback energy injected into the cluster core. With conduction, the metallicity gradients and dispersions are lowered, aligning them better with observational constraints. These results highlight the important role of thermal conduction in establishing and maintaining the quiescence of massive galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Orbital ferromagnetism and the Chandrasekhar mass-limit

In this paper, we use quantum magnetohydrodynamic as well as magnetohydrostatic (MHS) models for a zero-temperature Fermi-Dirac plasma to show the fundamental role of Landau orbital ferromagnetism (LOFER) on the magnetohydrostatic stability of compact stars. It is revealed that the generalized flux-conserved equation of state of form B={beta}{rho}{sup 2s/3} only with conditions 0{<=}s{<=}1 and 0{<=}{beta}<{radical}(2{pi}) can lead to a stable compact stellar configuration. The distinct critical value {beta}{sub cr}={radical}(2{pi}) is shown to affect the magnetohydrostatic stability of the LOFER (s = 1) state and the magnetic field strength limit on the compact stellar configuration. Furthermore, the value of the parameter {beta} is remarked to fundamentally alter the Chandrasekhar mass-radius relation and the known mass-limit on white dwarfs when the star is in LOFER state. Current findings can help to understand the role of flux-frozen ferromagnetism and its fundamental role on hydrostatic stability of relativistically degenerate super-dense plasmas such as white dwarfs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Neutrino signal from proto-neutron star evolution: Effects of opacities from charged-current–neutrino interactions and inverse neutron decay

In this work, we investigate the impact of charged-current–neutrino processes on the formation and evolution of neutrino spectra during the deleptonization of proto-neutron stars. To this end we develop the full kinematics of these reaction rates consistent with the nuclear equation of state, including weak magnetism contributions. This allows us to systematically study the impact of inelastic contributions and weak magnetism on the $ν_e$ and $\bar{ν}_e$ luminosities and average energies. Furthermore, we explore the role of the inverse neutron decay, also known as the direct Urca process, on the emitted spectra of $\bar{ν}_e$. This process is commonly considered in the cooling scenario of cold neutron stars but has so far been neglected in the evolution of hot proto-neutron stars. We find that the inverse neutron decay becomes the dominating opacity source for low-energy $\bar{ν}_e$. Accurate three-flavor Boltzmann neutrino transport enables us to relate the magnitude of neutrino fluxes and spectra to details of the treatment of weak processes. This allows us to quantify the corresponding impact on the conditions relevant for the nucleosynthesis in the neutrino-driven wind, which is ejected from the proto-neutron star surface during the deleptonization phase.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Tuning the structure and habit of iron oxide mesocrystals

A precise control over the meso- and microstructure of ordered and aligned nanoparticle assemblies, i.e., mesocrystals, is essential in the quest for exploiting the collective material properties for potential applications. In this work, we produced evaporation-induced self-assembled mesocrystals with different mesostructures and crystal habits based on iron oxide nanocubes by varying the nanocube size and shape and by applying magnetic fields. A full 3D characterization of the mesocrystals was performed using image analysis, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS). This enabled the structural determination of e.g. multi-domain mesocrystals with complex crystal habits and the quantification of interparticle distances with sub-nm precision. Mesocrystals of small nanocubes (l = 8.6 12.6 nm) are isostructural with a body centred tetragonal (bct ) lattice whereas assemblies of the largest nanocubes in this study (l = 13.6 nm) additionally form a simple cubic (sc) lattice. The mesocrystal habit can be tuned from a square, hexagonal to star-like and pillar shapes depending on the particle size and shape and the strength of the applied magnetic field. Finally, we outline a qualitative phase diagram of the evaporation-induced self-assembled superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocube mesocrystals based on nanocube edge length and magnetic field strength.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

OSCILLATION-DRIVEN MAGNETOSPHERIC ACTIVITY IN PULSARS

We study the magnetospheric activity in the polar cap region of pulsars under stellar oscillations. The toroidal oscillation of the star propagates into the magnetosphere, which provides additional voltage due to unipolar induction, changes Goldreich-Julian charge density from the traditional value due to rotation, and hence influences particle acceleration. We present a general solution of the effect of oscillations within the framework of the inner vacuum gap model and consider three different inner gap modes controlled by curvature radiation, inverse Compton scattering, and two-photon annihilation, respectively. With different pulsar parameters and oscillation amplitudes, one of three modes would play a dominant role in defining the gap properties. When the amplitude of oscillation exceeds a critical value, mode changing occurs. Oscillations also lead to a change of the size of the polar cap. As applications, we show the inner gap properties under oscillations in both normal pulsars and anomalous X-ray pulsars/soft gamma-ray repeaters (AXPs/SGRs). We interpret the onset of radio emission after glitches/flares in AXPs/SGRs as due to oscillation-driven magnetic activities in these objects, within the framework of both the magnetar model and the solid quark star model. Within the magnetar model, radio activation may be caused by the enlargement of the effective polar cap angle and the radio emission beam due to oscillation, whereas within the solid quark star angle, it may be caused by activation of the pulsar inner gap from below the radio emission death line due to an oscillation-induced voltage enhancement. The model can also explain the glitch-induced radio profile change observed in PSR J1119–6127.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

FRAME DRAGGING, DISK WARPING, JET PRECESSING, AND DIPPED X-RAY LIGHT CURVE OF Sw J1644+57

The X-ray transient source Sw J1644+57 recently discovered by Swift is believed to be triggered by tidal disruption of a star by a rapidly spinning supermassive black hole (SMBH). For such events, the outer disk is very likely misaligned with respect to the equatorial plane of the spinning SMBH, since the incoming star before disruption most likely has an inclined orbital plane. The tilted disk is subject to the Lense-Thirring torque, which tends to twist and warp due to the Bardeen-Petterson effect. The inner disk tends to align with the SMBH spin, while the outer region tends to remain in the stellar orbital plane, with a transition zone around the Bardeen-Petterson radius. The relativistic jet launched from the spinning SMBH would undergo precession. The 5-30 day X-ray light curve of Sw J1644+57 shows a quasi-periodic (2.7 day) variation with noticeable narrow dips. We numerically solve a warped disk and propose a jet-precessing model by invoking a Blandford-Znajek jet collimated by a wind launched near the Bardeen-Petterson radius. Through simulations, we show that the narrow dips in the X-ray light curve can be reproduced for a range of geometric configurations. From the data we infer that the inclination angle of the initial stellar orbit is in the range of 10 Degree-Sign -20 Degree-Sign from the SMBH equatorial plane, that the jet should have a moderately high Lorentz factor, and that the inclination angle, jet opening angle, and observer's viewing angle are such that the duty cycle of the line of sight sweeping the jet cone is somewhat less than 0.5.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Soft X-ray extended emissions of short gamma-ray bursts as electromagnetic counterparts of compact binary mergers: possible origin and detectability

We investigate the possible origin of extended emissions (EEs) of short gamma-ray bursts with an isotropic energy of ∼10{sup 50-51} erg and a duration of a few 10 s to ∼100 s, based on a compact binary (neutron star (NS)-NS or NS-black hole (BH)) merger scenario. We analyze the evolution of magnetized neutrino-dominated accretion disks of mass ∼0.1 M {sub ☉} around BHs formed after the mergers and estimate the power of relativistic outflows via the Blandford-Znajek (BZ) process. We show that a rotation energy of the BH up to ≳ 10{sup 52} erg can be extracted with an observed timescale of ≳ 30(1 + z) s with a relatively small disk viscosity parameter of α < 0.01. Such a BZ power dissipates by clashing with non-relativistic pre-ejected matter of mass M ∼ 10{sup –(2-4)} M {sub ☉}, and forms a mildly relativistic fireball. We show that the dissipative photospheric emissions from such fireballs are likely in the soft X-ray band (1-10 keV) for M ∼ 10{sup –2} M {sub ☉}, possibly in NS-NS mergers, and in the BAT band (15-150 keV) for M ∼ 10{sup –4} M {sub ☉}, possibly in NS-BH mergers. In the former case, such soft EEs can provide a good chance of ∼6 yr{sup −1} (ΔΩ{sub softEE}/4π) (R{sub GW}/40 yr{sup −1}) for simultaneous detections of the gravitational waves with a ∼0.°1 angular resolution by soft X-ray survey facilities like the Wide-Field MAXI. Here, ΔΩ{sub softEE} is the beaming factor of the soft EEs and R{sub GW} is the NS-NS merger rate detectable by the advanced LIGO, the advanced Virgo, and KAGRA.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Can we observe the ion-neutral drift velocity in prestellar cores?

Given the low-ionization fraction of molecular clouds, ambipolar diffusion is thought to be an integral process in star formation. However, chemical and radiative-transfer effects, observational challenges, and the fact that the ion-neutral drift velocity is inherently very small render a definite detection of ambipolar diffusion extremely non-trivial. Here, we study the ion-neutral drift velocity in a suite of chemodynamical, non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), two-dimensional axisymmetric simulations of prestellar cores where we alter the temperature, cosmic-ray ionization rate, visual extinction, mass-to-flux ratio, and chemical evolution. Subsequently, we perform a number of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative-transfer calculations considering various idealized and non-idealized scenarios in order to assess which factor (chemistry, radiative transfer, and/or observational difficulties) is the most challenging to overcome in our efforts to detect the ion-neutral drift velocity. We find that temperature has a significant effect in the amplitude of the drift velocity with the coldest modelled cores (T = 6 K) exhibiting drift velocities comparable to the sound speed. Against expectations, we find that in idealized scenarios (where two species are perfectly chemically co-evolving) the drift velocity ‘survives’ radiative-transfer effects and can in principle be observed. However, we find that observational challenges and chemical effects can significantly hinder our view of the ion-neutral drift velocity. Finally, we propose that HCN and HCNH + ⁠, being chemically co-evolving, could be used in future observational studies aiming to measure the ion-neutral drift velocity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The {sup 13}C(α,n){sup 16}O reaction as a neutron source for the s-process in AGB low-mass stars

The {sup 13}C(α,n){sup 16}O reaction is considered to be the most important neutron source for producing the main component of the s-process in low mass stars. In this paper we focus our attention on two of the main open problems concerning its operation as a driver for the slow neutron captures. Recently, a new measurement of the {sup 13}C(α,n){sup 16}O reaction rate was performed via the Trojan Horse Method greatly increasing the accuracy. Contemporarily, on the modelling side, magnetic mechanisms were suggested to justify the production of the {sup 13}C pocket, thus putting the s-process in stars on safe physical ground. These inputs allow us to reproduce satisfactorily the solar distribution of elements.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

RADIO ASTROMETRY OF THE CLOSE ACTIVE BINARY HR 5110

The close active binary HR 5110 was observed at six epochs over 26 days using a global very long baseline interferometry array at 15.4 GHz. We used phase referencing to determine the position of the radio centroid at each epoch with an uncertainty significantly smaller than the component separation. After correcting for proper motion and parallax, we find that the centroid locations of all six epochs have barycenter separations consistent with an emission source located on the KIV secondary, and not in an interaction region between the stars or on the F primary. We used a homogeneous power-law gyrosynchrotron emission model to reproduce the observed flux densities and fractional circular polarization. The resulting ranges of mean magnetic field strength and relativistic electron densities are of the order of 10 G and 10{sup 5} cm{sup −3}, respectively, in the source region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY DATA RELEASE 7 SPECTROSCOPIC M DWARF CATALOG. I. DATA

We present a spectroscopic catalog of 70,841 visually inspected M dwarfs from the seventh data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For each spectrum, we provide measurements of the spectral type, a number of molecular band heads, and the H{alpha}, H{beta}, H{gamma}, H{delta}, and Ca II K emission lines. In addition, we calculate the metallicity-sensitive parameter {zeta} and identify a relationship between {zeta} and the g - r and r - z colors of M dwarfs. We assess the precision of our spectral types (which were assigned by individual examination), review the bulk attributes of the sample, and examine the magnetic activity properties of M dwarfs, in particular those traced by the higher order Balmer transitions. Our catalog is cross-matched to Two Micron All Sky Survey infrared data, and contains photometric distances for each star. Finally, we identify eight new late-type M dwarfs that are possibly within 25 pc of the Sun. Future studies will use these data to thoroughly examine magnetic activity and kinematics in late-type M dwarfs and examine the chemical and dynamical history of the local Milky Way.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗