scholarly journals The Gravothermal Instability at All Scales: From Turnaround Radius to Supernovae

Universe ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zacharias Roupas

The gravitational instability, responsible for the formation of the structure of the Universe, occurs below energy thresholds and above spatial scales of a self-gravitating expanding region, when thermal energy can no longer counterbalance self-gravity. I argue that at sufficiently-large scales, dark energy may restore thermal stability. This stability re-entrance of an isothermal sphere defines a turnaround radius, which dictates the maximum allowed size of any structure generated by gravitational instability. On the opposite limit of high energies and small scales, I will show that an ideal, quantum or classical, self-gravitating gas is subject to a high-energy relativistic gravothermal instability. It occurs at sufficiently-high energy and small radii, when thermal energy cannot support its own gravitational attraction. Applications of the phenomenon include neutron stars and core-collapse supernovae. I also extend the original Oppenheimer–Volkov calculation of the maximum mass limit of ideal neutron cores to the non-zero temperature regime, relevant to the whole cooling stage from a hot proto-neutron star down to the final cold state.

Symmetry ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zacharias Roupas

Thermal energy points towards a disordered, completely uniform state act to counter gravity’s tendency to generate order and structure through gravitational collapse. It is, therefore, expected to contribute to the stabilization of a self-gravitating, classical ideal gas over collapse. However, I identified an instability that always occurs at sufficiently high energies: the high-energy or relativistic gravothermal instability. I argue here that this instability presents an analogous core–halo structure as its Newtonian counterpart, the Antonov instability. The main difference is that in the former case the core is dominated by the gravitation of thermal energy and not rest mass energy. A relativistic generalization of Antonov’s instability—the low-energy gravothermal instability—also occurs. The two turning points, which make themselves evident as a double spiral of the caloric curve, approach each other as relativistic effects become more intense and eventually merge in a single point. Thus, the high and low-energy cases may be realized as two aspects of a single phenomenon—the gravothermal instability—which involves a core–halo separation and an intrinsic heat flow. Finally, I argue that the core formed during a core-collapse supernova is subject to the relativistic gravothermal instability if it becomes sufficiently hot and compactified at the time of the bounce. In this case, it will continue to collapse towards the formation of a black hole.


Author(s):  
Phil Uttley ◽  
Roland den Hartog ◽  
Cosimo Bambi ◽  
Didier Barret ◽  
Stefano Bianchi ◽  
...  

AbstractWe propose the development of X-ray interferometry (XRI), to reveal the Universe at high energies with ultra-high spatial resolution. With baselines which can be accommodated on a single spacecraft, XRI can reach 100 μ as resolution at 10 Å (1.2 keV) and 20 μ as at 2 Å (6 keV), enabling imaging and imaging-spectroscopy of (for example) X-ray coronae of nearby accreting supermassive black holes (SMBH) and the SMBH ‘shadow’; SMBH accretion flows and outflows; X-ray binary winds and orbits; stellar coronae within $\sim $ ∼ 100 pc and many exoplanets which transit across them. For sufficiently luminous sources XRI will resolve sub-pc scales across the entire observable Universe, revealing accreting binary SMBHs and enabling trigonometric measurements of the Hubble constant with X-ray light echoes from quasars or explosive transients. A multi-spacecraft ‘constellation’ interferometer would resolve well below 1 μ as, enabling SMBH event horizons to be resolved in many active galaxies and the detailed study of the effects of strong field gravity on the dynamics and emission from accreting gas close to the black hole.


2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Troitsky

AbstractThe propagation length of high-energy photons through the Universe is limited by $$e^{+}e^{-}$$ e + e - pair production on the extragalactic background radiation. Previous studies reported discrepancies between predicted and observed attenuation, suggesting explanations in terms of new physics. However, these effects are dominated by a limited number of observed sources, while many do not show any discrepancy. Here, we consider the distribution in the sky of these apparently anomalous objects, selected in two very different approaches: the study of unphysical hardenings at distance-dependent energies in deabsorbed spectra of TeV blazars, and the observation of ultra-high-energy air showers from the directions of BL Lac type objects. In both cases, directions to the anomalous sources follow the projected local distribution of galaxies: all the distant sources, contributing to the anomalies, are seen through the local filament. This matches the prediction of the proposed earlier explanation of the anomalies based on mixing of photons with axion-like particles in the filament’s magnetic field. For ultra-high energies, this axion interpretation may be tested by the search of primary gamma rays.


2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.V. Korobkin ◽  
M.Yu. Romanovskiy ◽  
V.A. Trofimov ◽  
O.B. Shiryaev

AbstractA new concept of generating tight bunches of electrons accelerated to high energies is proposed. The electrons are born via ionization of a low-density neutral gas by laser radiation, and the concept is based on the electrons acceleration in traps arising within the pattern of interference of several relativistically intense laser pulses with amplitude fronts tilted relative to their phase fronts. The traps move with the speed of light and (1) collect electrons; (2) compress them to extremely high density in all dimensions, forming electron bunches; and (3) accelerate the resulting bunches to energies of at least several GeV per electron. The simulations of bunch formation employ the Newton equation with the corresponding Lorentz force.


Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Emil Khalikov

The intrinsic spectra of some distant blazars known as “extreme TeV blazars” have shown a hint at an anomalous hardening in the TeV energy region. Several extragalactic propagation models have been proposed to explain this possible excess transparency of the Universe to gamma-rays starting from a model which assumes the existence of so-called axion-like particles (ALPs) and the new process of gamma-ALP oscillations. Alternative models suppose that some of the observable gamma-rays are produced in the intergalactic cascades. This work focuses on investigating the spectral and angular features of one of the cascade models, the Intergalactic Hadronic Cascade Model (IHCM) in the contemporary astrophysical models of Extragalactic Magnetic Field (EGMF). For IHCM, EGMF largely determines the deflection of primary cosmic rays and electrons of intergalactic cascades and, thus, is of vital importance. Contemporary Hackstein models are considered in this paper and compared to the model of Dolag. The models assumed are based on simulations of the local part of large-scale structure of the Universe and differ in the assumptions for the seed field. This work provides spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and angular extensions of two extreme TeV blazars, 1ES 0229+200 and 1ES 0414+009. It is demonstrated that observable SEDs inside a typical point spread function of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) for IHCM would exhibit a characteristic high-energy attenuation compared to the ones obtained in hadronic models that do not consider EGMF, which makes it possible to distinguish among these models. At the same time, the spectra for IHCM models would have longer high energy tails than some available spectra for the ALP models and the universal spectra for the Electromagnetic Cascade Model (ECM). The analysis of the IHCM observable angular extensions shows that the sources would likely be identified by most IACTs not as point sources but rather as extended ones. These spectra could later be compared with future observation data of such instruments as Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and LHAASO.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1360
Author(s):  
Teodora M. Șoimoșan ◽  
Ligia M. Moga ◽  
Livia Anastasiu ◽  
Daniela L. Manea ◽  
Aurica Căzilă ◽  
...  

Harnessing renewable energy sources (RES) using hybrid systems for buildings is almost a deontological obligation for engineers and researchers in the energy field, and increasing the percentage of renewables within the energy mix represents an important target. In crowded urban areas, on-site energy production and storage from renewables can be a real challenge from a technical point of view. The main objectives of this paper are quantification of the impact of the consumer’s profile on overall energy efficiency for on-site storage and final use of solar thermal energy, as well as developing a multicriteria assessment in order to provide a methodology for selection in prioritizing investments. Buildings with various consumption profiles lead to achieving different values of performance indicators in similar configurations of storage and energy supply. In this regard, an analysis of the consumption profile’s impact on overall energy efficiency, achieved in the case of on-site generation and storage of solar thermal energy, was performed. The obtained results validate the following conclusion: On-site integration of solar systems allowed the consumers to use RES at the desired coverage rates, while restricted by on-site available mounting areas for solar fields and thermal storage, under conditions of high energy efficiencies. In order to segregate the results and support optimal selection, a multicriteria analysis was carried out, having as the main criteria the energy efficiency indicators achieved by hybrid heating systems.


Author(s):  
Karthik Nithyanandam ◽  
Ranga Pitchumani

Latent thermal energy storage (LTES) system offers high energy storage density and nearly isothermal operation for concentrating solar power generation. However, the low thermal conductivity possessed by the phase change material (PCM) used in LTES system limits the heat transfer rates. Utilizing thermosyphons to charge or discharge a LTES system offers a promising engineering solution to compensate for the low thermal conductivity of the PCM. The present work numerically investigates the enhancement in the thermal performance of charging and discharging process of LTES system by embedding thermosyphons. A transient, computational analysis of the LTES system with embedded thermosyphons is performed for both charging and discharging cycles. The influence of the design configuration of the system and the arrangement of the thermosyphons on the charge and discharge performance of the LTES installed in a concentrating solar power plant (CSP) is analyzed to identify configurations that lead to improved effectiveness.


2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (03) ◽  
pp. 317-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNA M. STAŚTO

Ultrahigh energy neutrinos can provide important information about the distant astronomical objects and the origin of the Universe. Precise knowledge about neutrino interactions and production rates is essential for estimating background, expected fluxes and detection probabilities. In this paper we review the applications of the high energy QCD to the calculations of the interaction cross-sections of the neutrinos. We also study the production of the ultrahigh energy neutrinos in the atmosphere due to the charm and beauty decays.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S268) ◽  
pp. 463-468
Author(s):  
Ko Nakamura ◽  
Takashi Yoshida ◽  
Toshikazu Shigeyama ◽  
Toshitaka Kajino

AbstractType Ic supernova (SN Ic) is the gravitational collapse of a massive star without H and He layers. It propels several solar masses of material to the typical velocity of 10,000 km/s, a very small fraction of the ejecta nearly to the speed of light. We investigate SNe Ic as production sites for the light elements Li, Be, and B, via the neutrino-process and spallations. As massive stars collapse, neutrinos are emitted in large numbers from the central remnants. Some of the neutrinos interact with nuclei in the exploding materials and mainly 7Li and 11B are produced. Subsequently, the ejected materials with very high energy impinge on the interstellar/circumstellar matter and spall into light elements. We find that the ν-process in the current SN Ic model produces a significant amount of 11B, consistent with observations if combined with B isotopes from the following spallation production.


2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 627-641
Author(s):  
BHASKAR DE ◽  
S. K. BISWAS ◽  
S. BHATTACHARYYA

The measured data on production of π0 and η mesons at large transverse momenta in high energy π-P and π-Be interactions have here been analyzed with the help of a newly-developed phenomenological model, called Combinational Approach(CA). The results so obtained on the basis of the CA are seen to be in fair agreement with the measured data. Furthermore, the results so obtained have been compared with both some previous measuremnts by the same group and some models of the standard variety type, e.g., PYTHIA, HERWIG.


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