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  • Plasma Physics and Pulsars
    Plasma Physics and Pulsars On the evolution of compact o bjects and plasma physics in weak and strong gravitational and electromagnetic fields by Anouk Ehreiser supervised by Axel Jessner, Maria Massi and Li Kejia as part of an internship at the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, Bonn March 2010 2 This composition was written as part of two internships at the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy in April 2009 at the Radiotelescope in Effelsberg and in February/March 2010 at the Institute in Bonn. I am very grateful for the support, expertise and patience of Axel Jessner, Maria Massi and Li Kejia, who supervised my internship and introduced me to the basic concepts and the current research in the field. Contents I. Life-cycle of stars 1. Formation and inner structure 2. Gravitational collapse and supernova 3. Star remnants II. Properties of Compact Objects 1. White Dwarfs 2. Neutron Stars 3. Black Holes 4. Hypothetical Quark Stars 5. Relativistic Effects III. Plasma Physics 1. Essentials 2. Single Particle Motion in a magnetic field 3. Interaction of plasma flows with magnetic fields – the aurora as an example IV. Pulsars 1. The Discovery of Pulsars 2. Basic Features of Pulsar Signals 3. Theoretical models for the Pulsar Magnetosphere and Emission Mechanism 4. Towards a Dynamical Model of Pulsar Electrodynamics References 3 Plasma Physics and Pulsars I. The life-cycle of stars 1. Formation and inner structure Stars are formed in molecular clouds in the interstellar medium, which consist mostly of molecular hydrogen (primordial elements made a few minutes after the beginning of the universe) and dust.
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  • Surface Structure of Quark Stars with Magnetic Fields
    PRAMANA °c Indian Academy of Sciences Vol. 67, No. 5 | journal of November 2006 physics pp. 937{949 Surface structure of quark stars with magnetic ¯elds PRASHANTH JAIKUMAR Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. We investigate the impact of magnetic ¯elds on the electron distribution of the electrosphere of quark stars. For moderately strong magnetic ¯elds of B » 1013 G, quantization e®ects are generally weak due to the large number density of electrons at surface, but can nevertheless a®ect the photon emission properties of quark stars. We outline the main observational characteristics of quark stars as determined by their surface emission, and briefly discuss their formation in explosive events termed as quark-novae, which may be connected to the r-process. Keywords. Quark stars; magnetic ¯elds; nucleosynthesis. PACS Nos 26.60.+c; 24.85.+p; 97.60.Jd 1. Introduction There is a renewed interest in the theory and observation of strange quark stars, which are believed to contain, or be entirely composed of, decon¯ned quark mat- ter [1]. An observational con¯rmation of their existence would be conclusive ev- idence of quark decon¯nement at large baryon densities, an expected feature of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Furthermore, discovery of a stable bare quark star a±rms the Bodmer{Terazawa{Witten conjecture [2], that at high enough den- sity, strange quark matter, composed of up, down and strange quarks, is absolutely stable with respect to nuclear matter. This intriguing hypothesis is over three decades old, and bare quark stars are but one possible realization put forward in the intervening years.
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  • Collapsing Supra-Massive Magnetars: Frbs, the Repeating FRB121102 and Grbs
    J. Astrophys. Astr. (2018) 39:14 © Indian Academy of Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/s12036-017-9499-9 Review Collapsing supra-massive magnetars: FRBs, the repeating FRB121102 and GRBs PATRICK DAS GUPTA∗ and NIDHI SAINI Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India. ∗Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] MS received 30 August 2017; accepted 3 October 2017; published online 10 February 2018 Abstract. Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) last for ∼ few milli-seconds and, hence, are likely to arise from the gravitational collapse of supra-massive, spinning neutron stars after they lose the centrifugal support (Falcke & Rezzolla 2014). In this paper, we provide arguments to show that the repeating burst, FRB 121102, can also be modeled in the collapse framework provided the supra-massive object implodes either into a Kerr black hole surrounded by highly magnetized plasma or into a strange quark star. Since the estimated rates of FRBs and SN Ib/c are comparable, we put forward a common progenitor scenario for FRBs and long GRBs in which only those compact remnants entail prompt γ -emission whose kick velocities are almost aligned or anti-aligned with the stellar spin axes. In such a scenario, emission of detectable gravitational radiation and, possibly, of neutrinos are expected to occur during the SN Ib/c explosion as well as, later, at the time of magnetar implosion. Keywords. FRBs—FRB 121102—Kerr black holes—Blandford–Znajek process—strange stars—GRBs— pre-natal kicks. 1. Introduction 43% linear polarization and 3% circular polarization (Petroff et al.
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  • When Neutron Stars Melt, What’S Left Behind Is Spectacular Explosion
    Space oddity implodes. The outer layers are cast off in a When neutron stars melt, what’s left behind is spectacular explosion. What’s left behind is truly strange. Anil Ananthaswamy reports a rapidly spinning neutron star, which as the name implies is made mainly of neutrons, with a crust of iron. Whirling up to 1000 times per second, a neutron star is constantly shedding magnetic fields. Over time, this loss of energy causes the star to spin slower and slower. As it spins down, the centrifugal forces that kept gravity at bay start weakening, allowing gravity to squish the star still further. In what is a blink of an eye in cosmic time, the neutrons can be converted to strange N 22 September last year, the website of fundamental building blocks of matter in quark matter, which is a soup of up, down and The Astronomer’s Telegram alerted ways that even machines like the Large strange quarks. In theory, this unusual change Oresearchers to a supernova explosion in Hadron Collider cannot. happens when the density inside the neutron a spiral galaxy about 84 million light years Astrophysicists can thank string theorist star starts increasing. New particles called away. There was just one problem. The same Edward Witten for quark stars. In 1984, he hyperons begin forming that contain at least object, SN 2009ip, had blown up in a similarly hypothesised that protons and neutrons one strange quark bound to others. spectacular fashion just weeks earlier. Such may not be the most stable forms of matter. However, the appearance of hyperons stars shouldn’t go supernova twice, let alone Both are made of two types of smaller marks the beginning of the end of the neutron in quick succession.
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  • Probing the Nuclear Equation of State from the Existence of a 2.6 M Neutron Star: the GW190814 Puzzle
    S S symmetry Article Probing the Nuclear Equation of State from the Existence of a ∼2.6 M Neutron Star: The GW190814 Puzzle Alkiviadis Kanakis-Pegios †,‡ , Polychronis S. Koliogiannis ∗,†,‡ and Charalampos C. Moustakidis †,‡ Department of Theoretical Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; [email protected] (A.K.P.); [email protected] (C.C.M.) * Correspondence: [email protected] † Current address: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece. ‡ These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: On 14 August 2019, the LIGO/Virgo collaboration observed a compact object with mass +0.08 2.59 0.09 M , as a component of a system where the main companion was a black hole with mass ∼ − 23 M . A scientific debate initiated concerning the identification of the low mass component, as ∼ it falls into the neutron star–black hole mass gap. The understanding of the nature of GW190814 event will offer rich information concerning open issues, the speed of sound and the possible phase transition into other degrees of freedom. In the present work, we made an effort to probe the nuclear equation of state along with the GW190814 event. Firstly, we examine possible constraints on the nuclear equation of state inferred from the consideration that the low mass companion is a slow or rapidly rotating neutron star. In this case, the role of the upper bounds on the speed of sound is revealed, in connection with the dense nuclear matter properties. Secondly, we systematically study the tidal deformability of a possible high mass candidate existing as an individual star or as a component one in a binary neutron star system.
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  • Variable Star Classification and Light Curves Manual
    Variable Star Classification and Light Curves An AAVSO course for the Carolyn Hurless Online Institute for Continuing Education in Astronomy (CHOICE) This is copyrighted material meant only for official enrollees in this online course. Do not share this document with others. Please do not quote from it without prior permission from the AAVSO. Table of Contents Course Description and Requirements for Completion Chapter One- 1. Introduction . What are variable stars? . The first known variable stars 2. Variable Star Names . Constellation names . Greek letters (Bayer letters) . GCVS naming scheme . Other naming conventions . Naming variable star types 3. The Main Types of variability Extrinsic . Eclipsing . Rotating . Microlensing Intrinsic . Pulsating . Eruptive . Cataclysmic . X-Ray 4. The Variability Tree Chapter Two- 1. Rotating Variables . The Sun . BY Dra stars . RS CVn stars . Rotating ellipsoidal variables 2. Eclipsing Variables . EA . EB . EW . EP . Roche Lobes 1 Chapter Three- 1. Pulsating Variables . Classical Cepheids . Type II Cepheids . RV Tau stars . Delta Sct stars . RR Lyr stars . Miras . Semi-regular stars 2. Eruptive Variables . Young Stellar Objects . T Tau stars . FUOrs . EXOrs . UXOrs . UV Cet stars . Gamma Cas stars . S Dor stars . R CrB stars Chapter Four- 1. Cataclysmic Variables . Dwarf Novae . Novae . Recurrent Novae . Magnetic CVs . Symbiotic Variables . Supernovae 2. Other Variables . Gamma-Ray Bursters . Active Galactic Nuclei 2 Course Description and Requirements for Completion This course is an overview of the types of variable stars most commonly observed by AAVSO observers. We discuss the physical processes behind what makes each type variable and how this is demonstrated in their light curves. Variable star names and nomenclature are placed in a historical context to aid in understanding today’s classification scheme.
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  • Mass-Radius Relation of Compact Stars with Quark Matter INT Summer Program "QCD and Dense Matter: from Lattices to Stars", June 2004, INT, Seattle, Washington, USA
    Mass-Radius Relation of Compact Stars with Quark Matter INT Summer Program "QCD and Dense Matter: From Lattices to Stars", June 2004, INT, Seattle, Washington, USA JurgenÄ Schaffner{Bielich Institut furÄ Theoretische Physik/Astrophysik J. W. Goethe UniversitÄat Frankfurt am Main { p.1 Phase Diagram of QCD T early universe RHIC Tc Quark-Gluon Plasma Hadrons Color Superconductivity nuclei neutron stars µ mN / 3 c µ ² Early universe at zero density and high temperature ² neutron star matter at zero temperature and high density ² lattice gauge simulations at ¹ = 0: phase transition at Tc ¼ 170 MeV { p.2 Neutron Stars ² produced in supernova explosions (type II) ² compact, massive objects: radius ¼ 10 km, mass 1 ¡ 2M¯ 14 3 ² extreme densities, several times nuclear density: n À n0 = 3 ¢ 10 g/cm { p.3 Masses of Pulsars (Thorsett and Chakrabarty (1999)) ² more than 1200 pulsars known ² best determined mass: M = (1:4411 § 0:00035)M¯ (Hulse-Taylor-Pulsar) ² shortest rotation period: 1.557 ms (PSR 1937+21) { p.4 ² n = 104 ¡ 4 ¢ 1011 g/cm3: outer crust or envelope (free e¡, lattice of nuclei) ² n = 4 ¢ 1011 ¡ 1014 g/cm3: Inner crust (lattice of nuclei with free neutrons and e¡) Structure of Neutron Stars — the Crust (Dany Page) ² n · 104 g/cm3: atmosphere (atoms) { p.5 ² n = 4 ¢ 1011 ¡ 1014 g/cm3: Inner crust (lattice of nuclei with free neutrons and e¡) Structure of Neutron Stars — the Crust (Dany Page) ² n · 104 g/cm3: atmosphere (atoms) ² n = 104 ¡ 4 ¢ 1011 g/cm3: outer crust or envelope (free e¡, lattice of nuclei) { p.5 Structure of Neutron
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  • Cygnus X-3 and the Case for Simultaneous Multifrequency
    by France Anne-Dominic Cordova lthough the visible radiation of Cygnus A X-3 is absorbed in a dusty spiral arm of our gal- axy, its radiation in other spectral regions is observed to be extraordinary. In a recent effort to better understand the causes of that radiation, a group of astrophysicists, including the author, carried 39 Cygnus X-3 out an unprecedented experiment. For two days in October 1985 they directed toward the source a variety of instru- ments, located in the United States, Europe, and space, hoping to observe, for the first time simultaneously, its emissions 9 18 Gamma Rays at frequencies ranging from 10 to 10 Radiation hertz. The battery of detectors included a very-long-baseline interferometer consist- ing of six radio telescopes scattered across the United States and Europe; the Na- tional Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Large Array in New Mexico; Caltech’s millimeter-wavelength inter- ferometer at the Owens Valley Radio Ob- servatory in California; NASA’s 3-meter infrared telescope on Mauna Kea in Ha- waii; and the x-ray monitor aboard the European Space Agency’s EXOSAT, a sat- ellite in a highly elliptical, nearly polar orbit, whose apogee is halfway between the earth and the moon. In addition, gamma- Wavelength (m) ray detectors on Mount Hopkins in Ari- zona, on the rim of Haleakala Crater in Fig. 1. The energy flux at the earth due to electromagnetic radiation from Cygnus X-3 as a Hawaii, and near Leeds, England, covered function of the frequency and, equivalently, energy and wavelength of the radiation.
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  • Cosmic Matter Under Extreme Conditions: CSQCD II Summary
    Compact stars in the QCD phase diagram II (CSQCD II) May 20-24, 2009, KIAA at Peking University, Beijing - P. R. China http://vega.bac.pku.edu.cn/rxxu/csqcd.htm Cosmic Matter under Extreme Conditions: CSQCD II Summary Jochen Wambach Institut f¨ur Kernphysik Technical University Darmstadt Schlossgartenstr. 9 D-64289 Darmstadt Germany Email: [email protected] Abstract After the first meeting in Copenhagen in 2001 QSQCD II is the second workshop in this series dealing with cosmic matter at very high density and its astrophysical implications. The aim is to bring together reseachers in the physics of compact stars, both theoretical and observational. Consequently a broad range of topics was presented, reviewing extremely energetic cosmolog- ical events and their relation to the high-density equation of state of strong- interaction matter. This summary elucidates recent progress in the field, as presented by the participants, and comments on pertinent questions for future developments. 1 Introduction Compact stars such as white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes are the densest objects in the Universe. They are the final product of stellar evolution. Which object is formed depends on the mass of the progenitor star. Since at least half of the stars in our galaxy are bound in pairs one is often dealing with binary systems with interesting evolution histories such as merger events or complex accretion phenomena. Neutron- hyprid- or quark stars are the most compact objects without an event horizon. Their observational signatures, composition and evolution and arXiv:0912.0100v1 [astro-ph.SR] 1 Dec 2009 the relation to states of strong-interaction matter was the major focus of this workshop.
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  • Quark Nova with the Producing of Color-Flavor Locked Quark Matter
    Quark Nova with the Producing of Color-Flavor Locked Quark Matter Jia-rui Guo NanKai University, Tianjin 300071, China ∗ September 3, 2021 Abstract In this paper, we suggest that the process in quark nova explosion may exist widely in various kinds of supernova, although it only happens in a small part in the core in most cases. And the contribution to the en- ergy releasing of whole supernova explosion can also be provided by QCD interacting term. In this way we derive a general equation of energy quan- tity to be released in quark nova process related to several parameters. After quark nova explosion process, the remnant can be a quark star, or a neutron star with quark matter core if this process only happens in a small part inside the compact star instead of a \full" quark nova. We will also use a more generalized approach to analyse the strangelets released from quark nova and will draw a possible interpretation of why effects caused by strangelets have not been observed yet. Our result suggests that the ordinary matter can only spontaneously transform into strange quark matter by crushing them into high pressure under the extreme con- dition in compact star, although generally the reaction would really be exergonic. I Introduction Quark nova is a secondary collapsing after neutron stars preliminary formed and it can possibly give a considerable effect to the whole supernova event. It releases energy because the quark matter state is believed to be the ground state of matter [1]. In an environment of high density and high pressure, the quark matter is believed to be in Color-Flavor Locked (CFL) phase in the compact stars [2].
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  • Magnetars As Highly Magnetized Quark Stars: an Analytical Treatment
    The Astrophysical Journal, 734:41 (5pp), 2011 June 10 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/734/1/41 °C 2011. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. MAGNETARS AS HIGHLY MAGNETIZED QUARK STARS: AN ANALYTICAL TREATMENT M. Orsaria1,2, Ignacio F. Ranea-Sandoval1,2, and H. Vucetich1 1 Gravitation, Astrophysics and Cosmology Group, Facultad de Ciencias Astronomicas´ y Geof´ısicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata UNLP, Paseo del Bosque S/N (1900), La Plata, Argentina 2 CONICET, Rivadavia 1917, 1033 Buenos Aires, Argentina Received 2010 October 15; accepted 2011 March 30; published 2011 May 24 ABSTRACT We present an analytical model of a magnetar as a high-density magnetized quark bag. The effect of strong magnetic fields (B>5×1016 G) in the equation of state is considered. An analytic expression for the mass–radius relationship is found from the energy variational principle in general relativity. Our results are compared with observational evidence of possible quark and/or hybrid stars. Key words: dense matter – magnetic fields – methods: analytical – stars: individual (Quark Stars) – stars: magnetars 1. INTRODUCTION on some parameters. At this particular point astrophysical stud- ies become of great importance since they could shed some light The fundamental aspects of the physics involved in the de- on understanding fundamental aspects of matter: microphysics scription of the matter inside a white dwarf are well understood could be inferred from macrophysics. Here lies the great impor- (Shapiro & Teukolsky 1983), but in the case of neutron stars the tance of the studies related to ultracompact objects. For instance, situation is rather different because the equation of state (EoS) Lattimer & Prakash (2001, 2007) contrast some M–R relation- of neutron matter at very high densities is still unknown.
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  • State of Matter for Quark Stars
    Compact stars in the QCD phase diagram II (CSQCD II) May 20-24, 2009, KIAA at Peking University, Beijing - P. R. China http://vega.bac.pku.edu.cn/rxxu/csqcd.htm State of matter for quark stars Xiaoyu Lai Department of Astronomy School of Physics Peking University Beijing 100871 P. R. China Email: [email protected] Abstract It depends on the state of matter at supra-nuclear density to model pulsar’s structure, which is unfortunately not certain due to the difficulties in physics. In cold quark matter at realistic baryon densities of compact stars (with an average value of ∼ 2−3ρ0), the interaction between quarks is so strong that they would condensate in position space to form quark-clusters. We argue that quarks in quark stars are grouped in clusters, then we apply two phenomenological models for quark stars, the polytropic model and Lennard-Jones model. Both of the two models have stiffer EoS, and larger maximum mass for quark stars (larger than 2 M⊙). The gravitational energy releases during the AIQ process could explain the observed energy of three supergiant flares from soft gamma-ray repeaters (∼ 1047 ergs). 1 Introduction It depends on the state of matter at supra-nuclear density to model pulsar’s structure, which is unfortunately not certain due to the difficulties in physics although some efforts have been made for understanding the behavior of quantum chromo-dynamics (QCD) at high density. Of particular interest is whether the density in such compact stars could be high enough to result in unconfined quarks (quark matter). Stars composed of quarks (and possible gluons) as the dominant degrees of freedom are called quark stars, and there is possible observational evidence that pulsar-like stars arXiv:0912.0054v4 [astro-ph.SR] 8 Dec 2009 could be quark stars(see reviews, e.g., [1, 2]).
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