X-Ray Emission from Candidate Stellar Merger Remnant TYC 2597-735-1 and Its Blue Ring Nebula
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Hans Moritz Günther↗
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Modeling the radial distribution of blue stragglers in M3
Recent surveys of the blue straggler (BS) population in the Galactic globular cluster M3 (NGC 5272) give the first complete characterization of the number density of BSs as a function of radius over an entire globular cluster. The BSs in M3 are overabundant at large radii and significantly underabundant at intermediate radii. Here we present the result of a simulation of the dynamical evolution of a population of BSs in a multimass model of M3. Assuming the BSs were formed in the core through binary interactions (Hut & Verbundt 1983; Leonard 1989; Sigurdsson & Phinney 1993; Hut et al. 1992b; Davies, Benz & Hills 1994), and given some very general assumptions about the recoil that occurs during stellar mergers in interacting binaries, we find an excellent fit to the observed radial distribution of BSs, suggesting strongly that most of the BSs in M3 were formed through binary collisions in the core.
Sigurdsson, Steinn↗
The Effects of Surface Fossil Magnetic Fields on Massive Star Evolution – III. the Case of τ Sco
τ Sco, a well-studied magnetic B-type star in the Upper Sco association, has a number of surprising characteristics. It rotates very slowly and shows nitrogen excess. Its surface magnetic field is much more complex than a purely dipolar configuration which is unusual for a magnetic massive star. We employ the CMFGEN radiative transfer code to determine the fundamental parameters and surface CNO and helium abundances. Then, we employ MESA and GENEC stellar evolution models accounting for the effects of surface magnetic fields. To reconcile τ Sco’s properties with single-star models, an increase is necessary in the efficiency of rotational mixing by a factor of 3–10 and in the efficiency of magnetic braking by a factor of 10. The spin-down could be explained by assuming a magnetic field decay scenario. However, the simultaneous chemical enrichment challenges the single-star scenario. Previous works indeed suggested a stellar merger origin for τ Sco. However, the merger scenario also faces similar challenges as our magnetic single-star models to explain τ Sco’s simultaneous slow rotation and nitrogen excess. In conclusion, the single-star channel seems less likely and versatile to explain these discrepancies, while the merger scenario and other potential binary-evolution channels still require further assessment as to whether they may self-consistently explain the observables of τ Sco.
stars: evolution↗
The Effects of Surface Fossil Magnetic Fields on Massive Star Evolution - III. The Case of τSco
τSco, a well-studied magnetic B-type star in the Upper Sco association, has a number of surprising characteristics. It rotates very slowly and shows nitrogen excess. Its surface magnetic field is much more complex than a purely dipolar configuration which is unusual for a magnetic massive star. We employ the CMFGEN radiative transfer code to determine the fundamental parameters and surface CNO and helium abundances. Then, we employ MESA and GENEC stellar evolution models accounting for the effects of surface magnetic fields. To reconcileτSco’s properties with single-star models, an increase is necessary in the efficiency of rotational mixing by a factor of 3–10 and in the efficiency of magnetic braking by a factor of 10. The spin-down could be explained by assuming a magnetic field decay scenario. However, the simultaneous chemical enrichment challenges the single-star scenario. Previous works indeed suggested a stellar merger origin forτSco. However, the merger scenario also faces similar challenges as our magnetic single-star models to explainτSco’s simultaneous slow rotation and nitrogen excess. In conclusion, the single-star channel seems less likely and versatile to explain these discrepancies, while the merger scenario and other potential binary-evolution channels still require further assessment as to whether they may self-consistently explain the observables of τSco.
Z Keszthelyi↗
Dense stellar cores in merger remnants
We use numerical models which include star formation to analyze the mass profiles of remnants formed by mergers of disk galaxies. During a merger, dissipation in gas and ensuing star formation leave behind a dense stellar core in the remnant. Rather than joining smoothly onto a de Vaucouleurs profile, the starburst population leads to a sharp break in the surface density profile at a few percent of the effective radius. While our results are preliminary, the lack of such signatures in most elliptical galaxies suggests that mergers of gas-rich disk galaxies may not have contributed greatly to the populations of present-day ellipticals.
Mihos, J. Christopher↗
Structure of merger remnants. II - Progenitors with rotating bulges
Mergers of identical galaxies consisting of self-gravitating disks, bulges, and halos are examined in the context of the suggestion that such events may form elliptical galaxies. Unlike earlier studies, the simulations reported here include effects arising from intrinsic spin of bulges. It is found that the disks and bulges are able to redistribute their angular momentum so that the luminous remnants rotate slowly near their centers. In addition, if the bulges are sufficiently concentrated, the core radii of the remnants are significantly reduced relative to those of end-states formed in mergers between pure stellar disks to the extent that the remnants share structural properties with observed elliptical galaxies. Nevertheless, it does appear that stellar-dynamical mergers between spiral progenitors will represent a viable mechanism for the production of massive elliptical galaxies only if sufficient mass resides already in dense, spheroidal components. These results suggest that any ellipticals formed in this manner having featureless light profiles were victims of a 'disk-bulge conspiracy' analogous to the disk-halo conspiracy thought to give rise to smooth rotation curves in spiral galaxies. Possible observational signatures of mergers are discussed, along with implications of the findings for our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.
Hernquist, Lars↗
Induced population gradients in galaxy merger remnants
We use numerical models to investigate the nature of induced population gradients in merger remnants. As noted by White, we find that the population mixing in stellar-dynamical mergers is rather moderate, leading to metallicity gradients in the remnant that are closely tied to gradients in the progenitor galaxies. Furthermore, the resultant metallicity gradients are poorly fitted by power laws, showing significant nonlinearities within an effective radius. If constant metallicity bulges are added to the progenitor disks, the strong relation between final and initial metallicity gradients is diluted, but the final gradients are still not well fitted by power laws. Detailed studies of the shape of the metallicity gradients in elliptical galaxies should help determine the degree to which stellar-dynamical mergers have contributed to the population of present-day ellipticals. We also consider the effects of centrally concentrated starbursts on metallicity gradients. Using simple models for metallicity enhancement, we find that addition of a metal-rich starburst population can reproduce the magnitude and shape of metallicity gradients observed in elliptical galaxies. However, even in such cases the metallicity gradients in the merger remnant should steepen significantly beyond an effective radius. Modelling such merger-induced starbursts with population synthesis techniques, we find that if the starburst is characterized by solar metallicity, it should be detectable as a bluing of the nuclear regions for several Gyr. However, if the starburst is metal-rich, the reddening effects of higher metallicity makes the broad-band signature of the starburst much more difficult to detect.
Mihos, J. Christopher↗
Cosmic Evolution of Stellar-mass Black Hole Merger Rate in Active Galactic Nuclei
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Y. Yang↗
NASA's Gravitational - Wave Mission Concept Study
With the conclusion of the NASA/ESA partnership on the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Project, NASA initiated a study to explore mission concepts that will accomplish some or all of the LISA science objectives at lower cost. The Gravitational-Wave Mission Concept Study consisted of a public Request for Information (RFI), a Core Team of NASA engineers and scientists, a Community Science Team, a Science Task Force, and an open workshop. The RFI yielded were 12 mission concepts, 3 instrument concepts and 2 technologies. The responses ranged from concepts that eliminated the drag-free test mass of LISA to concepts that replace the test mass with an atom interferometer. The Core Team reviewed the noise budgets and sensitivity curves, the payload and spacecraft designs and requirements, orbits and trajectories and technical readiness and risk. The Science Task Force assessed the science performance by calculating the horizons. the detection rates and the accuracy of astrophysical parameter estimation for massive black hole mergers, stellar-mass compact objects inspiraling into central engines. and close compact binary systems. Three mission concepts have been studied by Team-X, JPL's concurrent design facility. to define a conceptual design evaluate kt,y performance parameters. assess risk and estimate cost and schedule. The Study results are summarized.
Stebbins, Robin↗
Modeling Gravitational Radiation Waveforms from Black Hole Mergers
Gravitational radiation from merging binary black hole systems is anticipated as a key source for gravitational wave observations. Ground-based instruments, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) may observe mergers of stellar-scale black holes, while the space-based Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) observatory will be sensitive to mergers of massive galactic-center black holes over a broad range of mass scales. These cataclysmic events may emit an enormous amount of energy in a brief time. Gravitational waves from comparable mass mergers carry away a few percent of the system's mass-energy in just a few wave cycles, with peak gravitational wave luminosities on the order of 10^23 L_Sun. Optimal analysis and interpretation of merger observation data will depend on developing a detailed understanding, based on general relativistic modeling, of the radiation waveforms. We discuss recent progress in modeling radiation from equal mass mergers using numerical simulations of Einstein's gravitational field equations, known as numerical relativity. Our simulations utilize Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) to allow high-resolution near the black holes while simultaneously keeping the outer boundary of the computational domain far from the black holes, and making it possible to read out gravitational radiation waveforms in the weak-field wave zone. We discuss the results from simulations beginning with the black holes orbiting near the system's innermost stable orbit, comparing the recent simulations with earlier "Lazarus" waveform estimates based on an approximate hybrid numerical/perturbative technique.
Baker, J. G.↗
Localization of Binary Black Hole Mergers with Known Inclination
The localization of stellar-mass binary black hole mergers using gravitational waves is critical in understanding the properties of the binaries' host galaxies, observing possible electromagnetic emission from the mergers, or using them as a cosmological distance ladder. The precision of this localization can be substantially increased with prior astrophysical information about the binary system. In particular, constraining the inclination of the binary can reduce the distance uncertainty of the source. Here we present the first realistic set of localizations for binary black hole mergers, including different prior constraints on the binaries' inclinations. We find that prior information on the inclination can reduce the localization volume by a factor of 3. We discuss two astrophysical scenarios of interest: (i) follow-up searches for beamed electromagnetic/neutrino counterparts and (ii) mergers in the accretion disks of active galactic nuclei.
Corley, K. Rainer↗
A post-core-collapse model for the nucleus of M33
A model for the post-collapse core of M33 is proposed. By analogy with globular clusters, the formation of tight binary systems powers the reexpansion of the core, and it is expected that low-mass X-ray binaries form at a rate about equal to that of all galactic globular clusters combined. About a dozen such binaries should be present, and their combined emission may explain the large and enigmatic unresolved X-ray emission from the nucleus of M33. In addition, tidal formation of cataclysmic binaries may lead to a nova rate of more than about one per century. Numerous blue stragglers have probably formed through mergers caused by stellar collisions, but their density is probably too low to explain the blue color of the nucleus. Young stars are the likely cause for the color, and their presence may complicate the simple dynamical picture presented here.
Hernquist, Lars↗
Structure of merger remnants. I - Bulgeless progenitors
The study examines mergers of identical galaxies consisting of self-gravitating disks and halos in the context of the suggestion that such events may form elliptical galaxies. It is shown that the luminous remnants of such mergers do indeed share many common properties with observed ellipticals. Specifically, the end states of the simulations considered rotate slowly in regions of relatively high surface density, having typical values of less than about 0.2 there. Morphologically, the remnants display a variety of structures, including shells and loops comprising loosely bound material and boxy and disky isophotes. The luminous matter is well-fitted by ellipsoidal generalizations of Hernquists's (1990, 1992) model for elliptical galaxies, implying that the surface brightness profiles are essentially de Vaucouleurs-like over a large radial interval. It is proposed that mergers of pure stellar disks do not represent an attractive mechanism for the production of massive elliptical galaxies.
Hernquist, Lars↗
Machine-z: Rapid Machine-Learned Redshift Indicator for Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts
Studies of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide important information about the early Universe such as the rates of stellar collapsars and mergers, the metallicity content, constraints on the re-ionization period, and probes of the Hubble expansion. Rapid selection of high-z candidates from GRB samples reported in real time by dedicated space missions such as Swift is the key to identifying the most distant bursts before the optical afterglow becomes too dim to warrant a good spectrum. Here, we introduce 'machine-z', a redshift prediction algorithm and a 'high-z' classifier for Swift GRBs based on machine learning. Our method relies exclusively on canonical data commonly available within the first few hours after the GRB trigger. Using a sample of 284 bursts with measured redshifts, we trained a randomized ensemble of decision trees (random forest) to perform both regression and classification. Cross-validated performance studies show that the correlation coefficient between machine-z predictions and the true redshift is nearly 0.6. At the same time, our high-z classifier can achieve 80 per cent recall of true high-redshift bursts, while incurring a false positive rate of 20 per cent. With 40 per cent false positive rate the classifier can achieve approximately 100 per cent recall. The most reliable selection of high-redshift GRBs is obtained by combining predictions from both the high-z classifier and the machine-z regressor.
gamma-ray burst: general↗
Galaxy Mergers from the Largest to the Smallest Scales: Introduction and Overview
Galaxy mergers encompass a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including cosmological considerations, gas and stellar dynamics, AGN evolution, and mergers of the central SMBHs. Astrophysical signatures of galaxy mergers can be observed across most of the electromagnetic spectrum and through gravitational radiation. This talk provides an introduction and overview of the meeting, highlighting the key aspects of galaxy mergers from large to small scales.
Centrella, Joan↗
Search for Intermediate Mass Black Hole Binaries in the First and Second Observing Runs of the Advanced LIGO and VIRGO Network
Gravitational-wave astronomy has been firmly established with the detection of gravitational waves from the merger of ten stellar-mass binary black holes and a neutron star binary. This paper reports on the all-sky search for gravitational waves from intermediate mass black hole binaries in the first and second observing runs of the Advanced LIGO and Virgo network. The search uses three independent algorithms: two based on matched filtering of the data with waveform templates of gravitational-wave signals from compact binaries, and a third, model-independent algorithm that employs no signal model for the incoming signal. No intermediate mass black hole binary event is detected in this search. Consequently, we place upper limits on the merger rate density for a family of intermediate mass black hole binaries. In particular, we choose sources with total masses 𝑀=𝑚1+𝑚2∈[120,800] 𝑀⊙ and mass ratios 𝑞=𝑚2/𝑚1∈[0.1,1.0]. For the first time, this calculation is done using numerical relativity waveforms (which include higher modes) as models of the real emitted signal. We place a most stringent upper limit of 0.20 Gpc−3 yr−1 (in comoving units at the 90% confidence level) for equal-mass binaries with individual masses 𝑚1,2=100 𝑀⊙ and dimensionless spins 𝜒1,2=0.8 aligned with the orbital angular momentum of the binary. This improves by a factor of ∼5 that reported after Advanced LIGO’s first observing run.
B. P. Abbott↗
Intergalactic HI in the NGC5018 group
The cold interstellar and intergalactic medium is in the small group of galaxies whose brightest member is the elliptical galaxy NGC5018. Researchers' attention was first drawn to this galaxy as possibly containing cold interstellar gas by the detection by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) of emission at lambda 60 microns and lambda 100 microns at an intensity of about 1 Jy (Knapp et al. 1989), which is relatively strong for an elliptical (Jura et al. 1987). These data showed that the temperature of the infrared emission is less than 30K and that its likely source is therefore interstellar dust. A preliminary search for neutral hydrogen (HI) emission from this galaxy using the Very Large Array (VLA) showed that there appears to be HI flowing between NGC5018 and the nearby Sc galaxy NGC5022 (Kim et al. 1988). Since NGC5018 has a well-developed system of optical shells (cf. Malin and Carter 1983; Schweizer 1987) this observation suggests that NGC5018 may be in the process of forming its shell system by the merger of a cold stellar system with the elliptical, as suggested by Quinn (1984). Researchers describe follow-up HI observations of improved sensitivity and spatial resolution, and confirm that HI is flowing between NCG5022 and NGC5018, and around NGC5018. The data show, however, that the HI bridge actually connects NGC5022 and another spiral in the group, MCG03-34-013, both spatially and in radial velocity, and that in doing so it flows through and around NGC5018, which lies between the spiral galaxies. This is shown by the total HI map, with the optical positions of the above three galaxies labelled.
Guhathakurta, P.↗
Unsteady outflow models for cosmological gamma-ray bursts
The 'event' that triggers a gamma-ray burst cannot last for more than a few seconds. This is, however, long compared with the dynamical timescale of a compact stellar-mass object (approximately 10 (exp-3) s). Energy is assumed to be released as an outflow with high mean Lorentz factor Gamma. But a compact stellar-mass collapse or merger is, realistically, likely to generate a mass (or energy) flux that is unsteady on some timescales in the range 10(exp -3) - 10 s. If Gamma fluctuates by a factor of approximately 2 around its mean value, relative motions within the outflowing material will themselves (in the comoving frame) be relativistic, and can give rise to internal shocks. For Gamma approximately 10(exp 2), the resultant dissipation occurs outside the 'photosphere' and can convert a substantial fraction of the overall outflow energy into nonthermal radiation. This suggests a mechanism for cosmological bursts that demands less extreme assumptions (in respect of Gamma-values, freedom from baryonic contamination, etc.) than earlier proposals.
Rees, M. J.↗