Sir Arnold Whittaker Wolfendale. 25 June 1927—21 December 2020

For over 50 years Arnold Wolfendale was an international leader in the fields of cosmic ray and gamma ray astronomy, making many seminal contributions. His extensive studies of the muon particle culminated in 1965 when, using an installation in the Kolar Gold Mine in India, he played a major role in the first detection of the neutrinos associated with muons produced in the atmosphere. His interests in the origin of high-energy cosmic rays were extensive and required the development of a better understanding of particle physics at energies beyond those accessible at accelerators. Recognizing that high-energy gamma rays can arise from cosmic ray interactions with the interstellar gas, he used early satellite data to argue for the galactic origin of intermediate-energy cosmic rays and for studies of the distribution of molecular hydrogen. His interests in astronomy, which he firmly held to be a branch of physics, drove him to develop a world-class activity in this area at Durham University. This achievement, in part, led to him being appointed Astronomer Royal in 1991. He used this position, and his roles as president of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Institute of Physics and the European Physical Society, to lobby tirelessly for more governmental support for science. He was an early advocate for improvements in the public understanding of science, leading by example. In his later years Arnold's interests extended to cosmology and horology, and he argued against a possible connection between cosmic rays and global warming. A brilliant communicator, Arnold gave a huge number of lectures each year to general audiences, almost to the end of his life.

Interaction of a singular surface with a strong shock in the interstellar gas clouds

We investigate the interaction between a singular surface and a strong shock in the self-gravitating interstellar gas clouds with the assumption of spherical symmetry. Using the method of the Lie group of transformations, a particular solution of the flow variables and the cooling–heating function for an infinitely strong shock is obtained. This paper explores an application of the singular surface theory in the evolution of an acceleration wave front propagating through an unperturbed medium. We discuss the formation of an acceleration, considering the cases of compression and expansion waves. The influence of the cooling–heating function on a shock formation is explained. The results of a collision between a strong shock and an acceleration wave are discussed using the Lax evolutionary conditions. doi:10.1017/S1446181121000328

INTERACTION OF A SINGULAR SURFACE WITH A STRONG SHOCK IN THE INTERSTELLAR GAS CLOUDS

We investigate the interaction between a singular surface and a strong shock in the self-gravitating interstellar gas clouds with the assumption of spherical symmetry. Using the method of the Lie group of transformations, a particular solution of the flow variables and the cooling–heating function for an infinitely strong shock is obtained. This paper explores an application of the singular surface theory in the evolution of an acceleration wave front propagating through an unperturbed medium. We discuss the formation of an acceleration, considering the cases of compression and expansion waves. The influence of the cooling–heating function on a shock formation is explained. The results of a collision between a strong shock and an acceleration wave are discussed using the Lax evolutionary conditions.

Quantification of Sub-Solar Star Ages from the Symmetry of Conjugate Histograms of Spin Period and Angular Velocity

Empirical laws proposed for the decline in star spin with time have heretofore been tested using ambiguous fitting models. We develop an analytical inverse model that uses histogram data to unequivocally determine the physical law governing how dwarf star spin depends on time (t) and mass (M). We analyze shapes of paired histograms of axial rotation period (П) and angular velocity (ω = 2π/П) to utilize the fact that a variable and its reciprocal are governed by the same physics. Copious data on open clusters are used to test the formula ∂ω/∂t ∝ − ωn where n is unrestricted, and thus covers diverse possibilities. Histogram conjugates for each of 15 clusters with 120 to 812 measurements provide n = 1.13 ± 0.19. Results are independent of initial spin rate, bin size, cluster parameters, and star mass. Notably, 11 large clusters with mostly M-types yield fits with n = 1.07 ± 0.12. Associations behave similarly. Only exponential decay (n = 1) explains the similar shapes of the conjugate histograms for the spin period and angular velocity, despite the asymmetric (inverse) relationship of these variables. This rate law is consistent with viscous dissipation. Forward modeling confirms that n is near unity and further shows that coeval formation of all stars in a cluster does not occur. We therefore explore a constant rate of star production, which is reasonable for tiny stars. Inverse models show that episodic production increases with mass, but is unimportant below ~0.55 MSun. We infer star and cluster ages, and find that star production becomes less regular with time, as interstellar gas and dust are progressively depleted. Our new analytical approach of extracting a physical law from conjugate histograms is general and widely applicable.

The interstellar medium in young supernova remnants: key to the production of cosmic X-rays and $\gamma $-rays

We review recent progress in elucidating the relationship between high-energy radiation and the interstellar medium (ISM) in young supernova remnants (SNRs) with ages of ∼2000 yr, focusing in particular on RX J1713.7−3946 and RCW 86. Both SNRs emit strong nonthermal X-rays and TeV $\gamma $ γ -rays, and they contain clumpy distributions of interstellar gas that includes both atomic and molecular hydrogen. We find that shock–cloud interactions provide a viable explanation for the spatial correlation between the X-rays and ISM. In these interactions, the supernova shocks hit the typically pc-scale dense cores, generating a highly turbulent velocity field that amplifies the magnetic field up to 0.1–1 mG. This amplification leads to enhanced nonthermal synchrotron emission around the clumps, whereas the cosmic-ray electrons do not penetrate the clumps. Accordingly, the nonthermal X-rays exhibit a spatial distribution similar to that of the ISM on the pc scale, while they are anticorrelated at sub-pc scales. These results predict that hadronic $\gamma $ γ -rays can be emitted from the dense cores, resulting in a spatial correspondence between the $\gamma $ γ -rays and the ISM. The current pc-scale resolution of $\gamma $ γ -ray observations is too low to resolve this correspondence. Future $\gamma $ γ -ray observations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array will be able to resolve the sub-pc-scale $\gamma $ γ -ray distribution and provide clues to the origin of these cosmic $\gamma $ γ -rays.

Catalytic Role of Refractory Interstellar Grain Analogs on H2 Formation

Refractory dust grains have an important role to play in the chemistry of star and planet-forming regions. Their surfaces interact with interstellar gas and act as a catalyst for the formation of simple and complex molecules in space. Several mechanisms have been invoked to explain how molecular hydrogen is formed in reactions on dust grain surfaces in different regions of space. In this article, we give an overview of our understanding of the laboratory experiments, conducted over the last 20 years, that deal with H2 formation on interstellar grain analogs in space simulated conditions.

A constraint on light primordial black holes from the interstellar medium temperature

Primordial black holes are a viable dark matter candidate. They decay via Hawking evaporation. Energetic particles from the Hawking radiation interact with interstellar gas, depositing their energy as heat and ionization. For a sufficiently high Hawking temperature, fast electrons produced by black holes deposit a substantial fraction of energy as heat through the Coulomb interaction. Using the dwarf galaxy Leo T, we place an upper bound on the fraction of primordial black hole dark matter. For M < 5 × 10−17M⊙, our bound is competitive with or stronger than other bounds.