arXiv subjects

Alexander Heger

Publications and source records attributed to Alexander Heger.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

High-energy transients: thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray bursts

Many distinct classes of high-energy variability have been observed in astrophysical sources, on a range of timescales. The widest range (spanning microseconds-decades) is found in accreting, stellar-mass compact objects, including neutron stars and black holes. Neutron stars are of particular observational interest, as they exhibit surface effects giving rise to phenomena (thermonuclear bursts and pulsations) not seen in black holes. Here we briefly review the present understanding of thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray bursts. These events are powered by an extensive chain of nuclear reactions, which are in many cases unique to these environments. Thermonuclear bursts have been exploited over the last few years as an avenue to measure the neutron star mass and radius, although the contribution of systematic errors to these measurements remains contentious. We describe recent efforts to better match burst models to observations, with a view to resolving some of the astrophysical uncertainties related to these events. These efforts have good prospects for providing complementary information to nuclear experiments.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Emission From Core-collapse Supernovae: Comparison of Three-dimensional Neutrino-driven Explosions With SN 1987A

During the first few hundred days after the explosion, core-collapse supernovae (SNe) emit down-scattered X-rays and gamma-rays originating from radioactive line emissions, primarily from the $^{56}$Ni $\rightarrow$ $^{56}$Co $\rightarrow$ $^{56}$Fe chain. We use SN models based on three-dimensional neutrino-driven explosion simulations of single stars and mergers to compute this emission and compare the predictions with observations of SN 1987A. A number of models are clearly excluded, showing that high-energy emission is a powerful way of discriminating between models. The best models are almost consistent with the observations, but differences that cannot be matched by a suitable choice of viewing angle are evident. Therefore, our self-consistent models suggest that neutrino-driven explosions are able to produce, in principle, sufficient mixing, although remaining discrepancies may require small changes to the progenitor structures. The soft X-ray cutoff is primarily determined by the metallicity of the progenitor envelope. The main effect of asymmetries is to vary the flux level by a factor of ${\sim}$3. For the more asymmetric models, the shapes of the light curves also change. In addition to the models of SN 1987A, we investigate two models of Type II-P SNe and one model of a stripped-envelope Type IIb SN. The Type II-P models have similar observables as the models of SN 1987A, but the stripped-envelope SN model is significantly more luminous and evolves faster. Finally, we make simple predictions for future observations of nearby SNe.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

On the Detection of Supermassive Primordial Stars. II. Blue Supergiants

Supermassive primordial stars in hot, atomically-cooling haloes at $z \sim$ 15 - 20 may have given birth to the first quasars in the universe. Most simulations of these rapidly accreting stars suggest that they are red, cool hypergiants, but more recent models indicate that some may have been bluer and hotter, with surface temperatures of 20,000 - 40,000 K. These stars have spectral features that are quite distinct from those of cooler stars and may have different detection limits in the near infrared (NIR) today. Here, we present spectra and AB magnitudes for hot, blue supermassive primordial stars calculated with the TLUSTY and CLOUDY codes. We find that photometric detections of these stars by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be limited to $z \lesssim$ 10 - 12, lower redshifts than those at which red stars can be found, because of quenching by their accretion envelopes. With moderate gravitational lensing, Euclid and the Wide-Field Infrared Space Telescope (WFIRST) could detect blue supermassive stars out to similar redshifts in wide-field surveys.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

The $ν$-process with fully time-dependent supernova neutrino emission spectra

The neutrino process that occurs in the outer stellar shells during a supernova explosion and involves neutrino-nucleus reactions produces a range of rare, stable and radioactive isotopes. We improve previous $ν$-process studies by using, for the first time, the time-dependent neutrino emission spectra, as predicted from supernova simulations, rather than a simplified parametric description modeled after the neutron-star cooling phase. In particular, our calculations use time-dependent neutrino spectra for all neutrino species, consider their deviation from a Fermi-Dirac distribution and account for the neutrino emission from the neutrino burst and accretion phases. We find that the time-dependent treatment of the neutrino emission spectra results in higher yields for the selected nuclei produced by the $ν$~process as compared to previous studies and also compared to the approximation of assuming constant neutrino energies corresponding to the time-averaged mean energy radiated in each species. The effect is largest for nuclides produced by charged-current reactions. Our results reflect the dynamical competition between neutrino-induced reactions and the effect of the shock passage through the star. By varying the neutrino burst luminosity and the duration of the accretion phase, we study the impact of these early emission phases and their uncertainties on the $ν$-process nucleosynthesis. We find that the deviation of the neutrino spectra from a Fermi-Dirac distribution calculated in supernova simulations has a negligible effect on the $ν$-process yields.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Presupernova neutrino signals as potential probes of neutrino mass hierarchy

We assess the potential of using presupernova neutrino signals at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) to probe the yet-unknown neutrino mass hierarchy. Using models for stars of 12, 15, 20, and 25 solar masses, we find that if the electron antineutrino signals from such a star can be predicted precisely and the star is within ~440-880 pc, the number of events of electron antineutrino captures on protons detected within one day of its explosion allows to determine the hierarchy at the > ~95% confidence level. For determination at this level using such signals from Betelgeuse, which is at a distance of ~222 pc, the uncertainty in the predicted number of signals needs to be < ~14-30%. In view of more realistic uncertainties, we discuss and advocate a model-independent determination using both electron neutrino and antineutrino signals from Betelgeuse. This method is feasible if the cosmogenic background for neutrino-electron scattering events can be reduced by a factor of ~2.5-10 from the current estimate. Such reduction might be achieved by using coincidence of the background events, the exploration of which for JUNO is highly desirable.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Fallback accretion powered supernova light curves based on a neutrino-driven explosion simulation of a 40 Msun star

We present synthetic light curves of fallback-powered supernovae based on a neutrino-driven explosion of a 40 Msun zero-metallicity star with significant fallback accretion onto a black hole that was previously simulated by Chan et al. (2018) until shock breakout. Here, we investigate the light curve properties of the explosion after shock breakout for various fallback models. Without extra power from fallback accretion, the light curve is that of a Type IIP supernova with a plateau magnitude of around -14 mag and a plateau duration of 40 days. With extra power for the light curve from fallback accretion, however, we find that the transient can be significantly more luminous. The light-curve shape can be SN 1987A-like or Type IIP-like, depending on the efficiency of the fallback engine. If the accretion disk forms soon after the collapse and more than 1% of the accretion energy is released as the central engine, fallback accretion powered supernovae become as luminous as superluminous supernovae. We suggest that Type II superluminous supernovae with broad hydrogen features could be related to such hydrogen-rich supernovae powered by fallback accretion. In the future, such superluminous supernovae powered by fallback accretion might be found among the supernovae from the first stars in addition to pair-instability supernovae and pulstational pair-instability supernovae.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Titans of the Early Universe: The Prato Statement on the Origin of the First Supermassive Black Holes

In recent years, the discovery of massive quasars at z~7 has provided a striking challenge to our understanding of the origin and growth of supermassive black holes in the early Universe. Mounting observational and theoretical evidence indicates the viability of massive seeds, formed by the collapse of supermassive stars, as a progenitor model for such early, massive accreting black holes. Although considerable progress has been made in our theoretical understanding, many questions remain regarding how (and how often) such objects may form, how they live and die, and how next generation observatories may yield new insight into the origin of these primordial titans. This review focusses on our present understanding of this remarkable formation scenario, based on discussions held at the Monash Prato Centre from November 20--24, 2017, during the workshop "Titans of the Early Universe: The Origin of the First Supermassive Black Holes."

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Near-Earth Supernova Explosions: Evidence, Implications, and Opportunities

There is now solid experimental evidence of at least one supernova explosion within 100 pc of Earth within the last few million years, from measurements of the short-lived isotope 60Fe in widespread deep-ocean samples, as well as in the lunar regolith and cosmic rays. This is the first established example of a specific dated astrophysical event outside the Solar System having a measurable impact on the Earth, offering new probes of stellar evolution, nuclear astrophysics, the astrophysics of the solar neighborhood, cosmic-ray sources and acceleration, multi-messenger astronomy, and astrobiology. Interdisciplinary connections reach broadly to include heliophysics, geology, and evolutionary biology. Objectives for the future include pinning down the nature and location of the established near-Earth supernova explosions, seeking evidence for others, and searching for other short-lived isotopes such as 26Al and 244Pu. The unique information provided by geological and lunar detections of radioactive 60Fe to assess nearby supernova explosions make now a compelling time for the astronomy community to advocate for supporting multi-disciplinary, cross-cutting research programs.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2019

Catching Element Formation In The Act

Gamma-ray astronomy explores the most energetic photons in nature to address some of the most pressing puzzles in contemporary astrophysics. It encompasses a wide range of objects and phenomena: stars, supernovae, novae, neutron stars, stellar-mass black holes, nucleosynthesis, the interstellar medium, cosmic rays and relativistic-particle acceleration, and the evolution of galaxies. MeV gamma-rays provide a unique probe of nuclear processes in astronomy, directly measuring radioactive decay, nuclear de-excitation, and positron annihilation. The substantial information carried by gamma-ray photons allows us to see deeper into these objects, the bulk of the power is often emitted at gamma-ray energies, and radioactivity provides a natural physical clock that adds unique information. New science will be driven by time-domain population studies at gamma-ray energies. This science is enabled by next-generation gamma-ray instruments with one to two orders of magnitude better sensitivity, larger sky coverage, and faster cadence than all previous gamma-ray instruments. This transformative capability permits: (a) the accurate identification of the gamma-ray emitting objects and correlations with observations taken at other wavelengths and with other messengers; (b) construction of new gamma-ray maps of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies where extended regions are distinguished from point sources; and (c) considerable serendipitous science of scarce events -- nearby neutron star mergers, for example. Advances in technology push the performance of new gamma-ray instruments to address a wide set of astrophysical questions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Neutrino Losses in Type I Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts: An Improved Nuclear Energy Generation Approximation

Type I X-ray bursts are thermonuclear explosions on the surface of accreting neutron stars. Hydrogen rich X-ray bursts burn protons far from the line of stability and can release energy in the form of neutrinos from $β$-decays. We have estimated, for the first time, the neutrino fluxes of Type I bursts for a range of initial conditions based on the predictions of a 1D implicit hydrodynamics code, KEPLER, which calculates the complete nuclear reaction network. We find that neutrino losses are between $6.7 \times 10^{-5}$ and $0.14$ of the total energy per nucleon, Q$_{nuc}$, depending upon the hydrogen fraction in the fuel. These values are significantly below the $35\,\%$ value for neutrino losses often adopted in recent literature for the rp-process. The discrepancy arises because it is only at $β$-decays that $\approx35\,\%$ of energy is lost due to neutrino emission, whereas there are no neutrino losses in $(p,γ)$ and $(α,p)$ reactions. Using the total measured burst energies from KEPLER for a range of initial conditions, we have determined an approximation formula for the total energy per nucleon released during an X-ray burst, Q$_{nuc}$=1.31+6.95$\bar{X} - 1.92\bar{X}^2 $MeV/nucleon, where $\bar{X}$ is the average hydrogen mass fraction of the ignition column, with an RMS error of $0.052\,$Mev/nucleon. We provide a detailed analysis of the nuclear energy output of a burst and find an incomplete extraction of mass excess in the burst fuel, with $14\,\%$ of the mass excess in the fuel not being extracted.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

On the Detection of Supermassive Primordial Stars

The collapse of supermassive primordial stars in hot, atomically-cooled halos may have given birth to the first quasars at $z \sim$ 15 - 20. Recent numerical simulations of these rapidly accreting stars reveal that they are cool, red hypergiants shrouded by dense envelopes of pristine atomically-cooled gas at 6,000 - 8,000 K, with luminosities $L$ $\gtrsim$ 10$^{10}$ L$_{\odot}$. Could such luminous but cool objects be detected as the first stage of quasar formation in future near infrared (NIR) surveys? We have now calculated the spectra of supermassive primordial stars in their birth envelopes with the Cloudy code. We find that some of these stars will be visible to JWST at $z \lesssim$ 20 and that with modest gravitational lensing Euclid and WFIRST could detect them out to $z \sim$ 10 - 12. Rather than obscuring the star, its accretion envelope enhances its visibility in the NIR today by reprocessing its short-wavelength flux into photons that are just redward of the Lyman limit in the rest frame of the star.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Observatory science with eXTP

In this White Paper we present the potential of the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for studies related to Observatory Science targets. These include flaring stars, supernova remnants, accreting white dwarfs, low and high mass X-ray binaries, radio quiet and radio loud active galactic nuclei, tidal disruption events, and gamma-ray bursts. eXTP will be excellently suited to study one common aspect of these objects: their often transient nature. Developed by an international Consortium led by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science, the eXTP mission is expected to be launched in the mid 2020s.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Dense matter with eXTP

In this White Paper we present the potential of the Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for determining the nature of dense matter; neutron star cores host an extreme density regime which cannot be replicated in a terrestrial laboratory. The tightest statistical constraints on the dense matter equation of state will come from pulse profile modelling of accretion-powered pulsars, burst oscillation sources, and rotation-powered pulsars. Additional constraints will derive from spin measurements, burst spectra, and properties of the accretion flows in the vicinity of the neutron star. Under development by an international Consortium led by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science, the eXTP mission is expected to be launched in the mid 2020s.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Accretion in Strong Field Gravity with eXTP

In this paper we describe the potential of the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for studies related to accretion flows in the strong field gravity regime around both stellar-mass and supermassive black-holes. eXTP has the unique capability of using advanced 'spectral-timing-polarimetry' techniques to analyze the rapid variations with three orthogonal diagnostics of the flow and its geometry, yielding unprecedented insight into the inner accreting regions, the effects of strong field gravity on the material within them and the powerful outflows which are driven by the accretion process.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Explosions of blue supergiants from binary mergers for SN 1987A

Based on the work of Menon & Heger (2017), we present the bolometric light curvesand spectra of the explosions of blue supergiant progenitors from binary mergers. We study SN 1987A and two other peculiar Type IIP supernovae: SN 1998A and SN 2006V. The progenitor models were produced using the stellar evolution code Keplerand then exploded using the 1D radiation hydrodynamic code Crab. The explosions of binary merger models exhibit an overall better fit to the light curve of SN 1987A than previous single star models, because of their lower helium-core masses, larger envelope masses, and smaller radii. The merger model that best matches the observational constraints of the progenitor of SN 1987A and the light curve is a model with a radius of 37 solar radii, an ejecta mass of 20.6 solar masses, an explosion energy of 1.7 Bethe, a nickel mass of 0.073 solar masses, and a nickel mixing velocity of 3,000 km/s. This model also works for SN 1998A and is comparable with earlier estimates from semi-analytic models. In the case of SN 2006V, however, a model with a radius of 150 solar radii and ejecta mass of 19.1 solar masses matches the light curve. These parameters are significantly higher than predictions from semi-analytic models for the progenitor of this supernova.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

$s$-Process in Massive Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor Stars

Observations suggest that the interstellar medium (ISM) might have been highly enriched in carbon at very early times. We explore nucleosynthesis in massive carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars of $12$--$40\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ formed from such an ISM with ${\rm [Fe]}\leq-2$. We find substantial production of elements heavier than Fe, mostly up to Sr, by the weak \textsl{s}-process in stars with initial abundances of ${\rm [CNO]}\gtrsim-1.5$. Even heavier elements, up to Ba, can be produced for ${\rm [CNO]}\gtrsim-0.5$. The efficiency of this \textsl{s}-process is sensitive to the initial enhancement of C (or more generally, CNO) and mass of the star, with the yield increasing approximately linearly with the initial Fe abundance. The \textsl{s}-process in CEMP stars of $\gtrsim 20 \,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ with ${\rm [CNO]}\gtrsim -1.5$ can be an important source for heavy elements in the Early Galaxy.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

New Neutron-Capture Site in Massive Pop III and Pop II Stars as a Source for Heavy Elements in the Early Galaxy

We propose a new neutron-capture site in early metal-poor and metal-free stars of $\sim 20$--$30 \,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ that results from proton ingestion in the He shell during late stages of the stars' lives. Most of the neutron capture occurs in the first $\lesssim 10^6\,$s following proton ingestion when $^{13}{\rm C}(α,\mathrm{n})^{16}\mathrm{O}$ produces neutron densities typical of the intermediate neutron-capture process. This phase may be followed by another lasting $\gtrsim 10^7\,$s with $^{17}\mathrm{O}(α,\mathrm{n})^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$ producing much lower neutron densities typical of the slow neutron-capture process. We explore the dependence of the proposed neutron-capture nucleosynthesis on the amount and time of proton ingestion, the initial metallicity, and the ensuing supernova shock. We obtain a range of heavy element abundance patterns including those attributed to the slow neutron-capture process or a combination of the slow and rapid neutron-capture processes. Our results can account for the observed ubiquity of heavy elements such as Sr and Ba in the early Galaxy and explain puzzling abundance patterns of these elements in at least some very metal-poor (VMP) stars including those of the carbon-enhanced varieties. In the latter case, the explanation by the single site proposed here differs from the existing paradigm that attributes various classes of VMP stars to enrichment by multiple different sites.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

Nucleosynthesis in Primordial Hypernovae

We investigate the relationship between explosion energy and nucleosynthesis in Population III supernovae and provide nucleosynthetic results for the explosions of stars with progenitor masses of $15\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, $20\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, $30\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, $40\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, $60\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, and $80\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, and explosion energies between approximately $10^{50}$ erg and $10^{53}$ erg. We find that the typical abundance pattern observed in metal-poor stars are best matched by supernovae with progenitor mass in the range $15\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ - $30\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, and explosion energy of $\sim$ ($5$ - $10$) $\times$ $10^{51}$ erg. In these models, a reverse shock caused by jumps in density between shells of different composition serves to decrease synthesis of chromium and manganese, which is favourable to matching the observed abundances in metal-poor stars. Spherically symmetric explosions of our models with progenitor mass $\geq$ $40\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ do not provide yields that are compatible with the iron-peak abundances that are typically observed in metal-poor stars, however, by approximating the yields that we might expect from these models in highly aspherical explosions, we find indications that explosions of stars $40\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ - $80\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ with bipolar jets may be good candidates for the enrichment sources of metal-poor stars with enhanced carbon abundances.

astro-ph.HE↗