arXiv subjects

Arnon Dar

Publications and source records attributed to Arnon Dar.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv1998

Tidal Effects of Passing Planets and Mass Extinctions

Recent observations suggest that many planetary-mass objects may be present in the outer solar system between the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud. Gravitational perturbations may occasionally bring them into the inner solar system. Their passage near Earth could have generated gigantic tidal waves, large volcanic eruptions, sea regressions, large meteoritic impacts and drastic changes in global climate. They could have caused the major biological mass extinctions in the past 600 My as documented in the geological records.

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arXiv1998

Can Fireball or Firecone Models Explain Gamma Ray Bursts?

The observed afterglows of gamma ray bursts, in particular that of GRB 970228 six months later, seem to rule out relativistic fireballs and relativistic firecones driven by merger or accretion induced collapse of compact stellar objects in galaxies as the origin of GRBs. GRBs can be produced by superluminal jets from such events.

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arXiv1997

Cometary Knots and Broad Emission Lines, Gamma Rays And Neutrinos From AGN

Recent observations with the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered in the nearest planetary nebula, the Helix Nebula, thousands of gigantic comet-like objects with planet like masses in a ring around the central brilliant star at a distance comparable to our own Oort cloud of comets. We propose that such circumstellar rings of planets exist around most stars and that the gas clouds which emit the broad optical lines from quasars are radiation ablated planets which have been stripped off by gravitational collisions from stars that orbit near the central massive black hole. We propose that collisions of jet accelerated particles with these targets crossing the line of sight produce TeV $γ$-ray flares (GRFs) from blazars like Markarian 421 and Markarian 501. Hadronic production of TeV GRFs from blazars implies that they are accompanied by a simultaneous emission of high energy neutrinos, and of electrons and positrons with similar intensities, light curves and energy spectra. Cooling of these electrons and positrons by emission of synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering produces $γ$-ray, X-ray, optical and radio afterglows.

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arXiv1997

Cometary Knots and High Energy Photons And Neutrinos From Gamma Ray Bursts

The Hubble Space Telescope has recently discovered thousands of gigantic comet-like objects in a ring around the central star in the nearest planetary nebula. We suggest that such circumstellar rings exist around most stars. Collisions of the relativistic debris from gamma ray bursts in dense stellar regions with such gigantic comet-like objects, which have been stripped off from the circumstellar rings by gravitational perturbations, produce detectable fluxes of high energy $γ$-rays and neutrinos.

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arXiv1997

Supernova 1987A - Ten Years After

Supernova 1987A became a milestone in physics and astronomy. The most important things that have been learned from it, the most important problems yet to be solved and the prospects for learning important new physics from future observations of nearby supernova explosions are shortly summarized.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Solar Neutrinos and The Standard Solar Model

The standard solar model (SSM) yield a $^8$B solar neutrino flux which is consistent within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties with that observed at Super-Kamiokande. The combined results from the Super- Kamiokande and the Chlorine solar neutrino experiments do not provide a solid evidence for neutrino properties beyond the minimal standard electroweak model. The results from the Gallium experiments and independently the combined results from Super-Kamiokande and the Chlorine experiment imply that the $^7$Be solar neutrino flux is strongly suppressed compared with that predicted by the SSM. This conclusion, however, is valid only if the neutrino absorption cross sections near threshold in Gallium and Chlorine do not differ significantly from their theoretical estimates. Such a departure has not been ruled out by the Chromium source experiments in Gallium. Even if the $^7$Be solar neutrino flux is suppressed compared with that predicted by the SSM, still it can be due to astrophysical effects not included in the simplistic SSM. Such effects include spatial and/or temporal variations in the temperature in the solar core induced by the convective layer through g-modes or by rotational mixing in the solar core, and dense plasma effects which may strongly enhance p-capture by $^7$Be relative to e-capture. The new generation of solar observations, which already look non stop deep into the sun, like Super-Kamiokande through neutrinos, and SOHO and GONG through acoustic waves, may be able to point at the correct solution; astrophysical solutions if they detect unexpected temporal and/or spatial behaviour, or particle physics solutions if Super-Kamiokande detects characteristic spectral distortion or temporal variations (e.g., the day-night effect) of the $^8$B solar neutrino flux . If

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arXiv1997

Life Extinctions By Cosmic Ray Bursts

High energy cosmic ray jets from nearby mergers or accretion induced collapse (AIC) of neutron stars (NS) that hit the atmosphere can produce lethal fluxes of atmospheric muons at ground level, underground and underwater, destroy the ozone layer and radioactivate the environment. They could have caused most of the massive life extinctions on planet Earth in the past 600 My. Biological mutations due to ionizing radiations could have caused the fast appearance of new species after the massive extinctions. An early warning of future extinctions due to NS mergers may be obtained by identifying, mapping and timing all the nearby binary neutron stars systems. A warning of an approaching cosmic ray burst from a nearby NS merger/AIC may be provided by a very intense gamma ray burst which preceeds it.

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arXiv1997

The Afterglow of GRBs

Models where relativistic jets from merger or accretion induced collapse in compact binary systems produce cosmological gamma ray bursts (GRBs) also predict that GRBs are accompanied by delayed emission of high energy photons, TeV neutrinos, X-rays, optical photons and radio waves. Their emission mechanisms are similar to those responsible for their emissions by blazars during gamma ray flares. The recently observed afterglow of GRB 970228 in X-rays and optical photons is well accounted by such models. In particular, the predicted power-law spectrum, time delay which is inversely proportional to frequency and a power-law decay with time which is energy independent, are all in excellent agreement with the observations.

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arXiv1997

Hadronic Production of TeV Gamma Ray Flares from Blazars

We propose that TeV $γ$-ray emission from blazars is produced by collisions near the line of sight of high energy jet protons with gas targets (``clouds'') from the broad emission-line region (BLR). Intense TeV $γ$-ray flares (GRFs) are produced when BLR clouds cross the line of sight close to the black hole. The model reproduces the observed properties of the recently reported very short and intense TeV GRFs from the blazar Markarian 421. Hadronic production of TeV GRF from blazars implies that it is accompanied by a simultaneous emission of high energy neutrinos, and of electrons and positrons with similar intensities, light curves and energy spectra. Cooling of these electrons and positrons by emission of synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering produces delayed optical, X-ray and $γ$-ray flares.

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arXiv1996

Life Extinction Due To Neutron Star Mergers

Cosmic ray bursts (CRBs) from mergers or accretion induced collapse of neutron stars that hit an Earth-like planet closer than $\sim 1 kpc$ from the explosion produce lethal fluxes of atmospheric muons at ground level, underground and underwater. These CRBs also destroy the ozone layer and radioactivate the environment. The mean rate of such life devastating CRBs is one in 100 million years (Myr), consistent with the observed 5 ``great'' extinctions in the past 600 Myr. Unlike the previously suggested extraterrestrial extinction mechanisms the CRBs explain massive life extinction on the ground, underground and underwater and the higher survival levels of radiation resistant species and of terrain sheltered species. More distant mergers can cause smaller extinctions. Biological mutations caused by ionizing radiation produced by the CRB may explain a fast appearance of new species after mass extinctions. The CRB extinction predicts detectable enrichment of rock layers which formed during the extinction periods with cosmogenically produced radioactive nucleides such as $^{129}$I, $^{146}$Sm, $^{205}$Pb with and $^{244}$Pu. Tracks of high energy particles in rock layers on Earth and on the moon may also contain records of intense CRBs. An early warning of future extinctions due to neutron star mergers can be obtained by identifying, mapping and timing all the nearby binary neutron stars systems. A final warning of an approaching CRB from a nearby neutron stars merger will be provided by a gamma ray burst a few days before the arrival of the CRB.

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arXiv1996

Standard Physics Solution To The Solar Neutrino Problem?

The $^8$B solar neutrino flux predicted by the standard solar model (SSM) is consistent within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties with that observed at Kamiokande. The Gallium and Chlorine solar neutrino experiments, however, seem to imply that the $^7$Be solar neutrino flux is strongly suppressed compared with that predicted by the SSM. If the $^7$Be solar neutrino flux is suppressed, still it can be due to astrophysical effects not included in the simplistic SSM. Such effects include short term fluctuations or periodic variation of the temperature in the solar core, rotational mixing of $^3$He in the solar core, and dense plasma effects which may strongly enhance p-capture by $^7$Be relative to e-capture. The new generation of solar observations which already look non stop deep into the sun, like Superkamiokande through neutrinos, and SOHO and GONG through acoustic waves, may point at the correct solution. Only Superkamiokande and/or future solar neutrino experiments, such as SNO, BOREXINO and HELLAZ, will be able to find out whether the solar neutrino problem is caused by neutrino properties beyond the minimal standard electroweak model or whether it is just a problem of the too simplistic standard solar model.

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arXiv1996

Solution To The Gamma Ray Burst Mystery?

Photoexcitation and ionization of partially ionized heavy atoms in highly relativistic flows by interstellar photons, followed by their reemission in radiative recombination and decay, boost star-light into beamed $γ$ rays along the flow direction. Repeated excitation/decay of highly relativistic baryonic ejecta from merger or accretion induced collapse of neutron stars in dense stellar regions (DSRs), like galactic cores, globular clusters and super star-clusters, can convert enough kinetic energy in such events in distant galaxies into cosmological gamma ray bursts (GRBs). The model predicts remarkably well all the main observed temporal and spectral properties of GRBs. Its success strongly suggests that GRBs are $γ$ ray tomography pictures of DSRs in galaxies at cosmological distances with unprecedented resolution: A time resolution of $dt\sim 1~ms$ in a GRB can resolve stars at a Hubble distance which are separated by only $D\sim 10^{10}cm$. This is equivalent to the resolving power of an optical telescope with a diameter larger than one Astronomical Unit!

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arXiv1996

On The Origin of Gamma Ray Bursts

We propose that repeated photoexcitation/ionization of high Z atoms of highly relativistic flows by star light in dense stellar regions followed by emission of decay/recombination photons, which are beamed and boosted to gamma ray energies in the observer frame, produce gamma ray bursts (GRBs). We show that this overlooked mechanism, which is able to convert efficiently baryonic kinetic energy release in merger or accretion induced collapse of neutron stars into cosmological GRBs, reproduces remarkably well all the main observed properties of GRBs.

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arXiv1996

Standard Solar Neutrinos

The predictions of an improved standard solar model are compared with the observations of the four solar neutrino experiments. The improved model includes premain sequence evolution, element diffusion, partial ionization effects, and all the possible nuclear reactions between the main elements. It uses updated values for the initial solar element abundances, the solar age, the solar luminosity, the nuclear reaction rates and the radiative opacities. Neither nuclear equilibrium, nor complete ionization are assumed. The calculated $^8$B solar neutrino flux is consistent, within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties, with the solar neutrino flux measured by Kamiokande. The results from the $^{37}$Cl and $^{71}$Ga radiochemical experiments seem to suggest that the terrestrial $^7$Be solar neutrino flux is much smaller than that predicted. However, the present terrestrial ``defecit'' of $^7$Be solar neutrinos may be due to the use of inaccurate theoretical neutrino absorption cross sections near threshold for extracting solar neutrino fluxes from production rates. Conclusive evidence for a real deficit of $^7$Be solar neutrinos will require experiments such as BOREXINO or HELLAZ. A real defecit of $^7$Be solar neutrinos can be due to either astrophysical reasons or neutrino properties beyond the standard electroweak model. Only future neutrino experiments, such as SNO, Superkamiokande, BOREXINO and HELLAZ, will be able to provide conclusive evidence that the solar neutrino problem is a consequence of neutrino properties beyond the standard electroweak model. Earlier indications may be provided by long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.

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arXiv1995

Fireballs in Dense Stellar Regions as an explanation of Gamma Ray Bursts

We study a cosmological scenario for gamma ray bursts (GRBs) where relativistic flows interact with dense radiation fields. It is shown that this scenario is plausible in very dense stellar regions which are known to exist in collapsed cores of globular clusters or dense nuclei of galaxies. It yields a correct quantitative description of the temporal behavior of GRBs. Several other properties of GRBs are easily explained.

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arXiv1995

The Extragalactic Neutrino Background Radiations From Blazars and Cosmic Rays

Blazar emission of gamma rays and cosmic ray production of gamma rays in gas-rich clusters have been proposed recently as alternative sources of the high energy extragalactic diffuse gamma ray background radiation. We show that these sources also produce a very different high energy extragalactic diffuse neutrino background radiation. This neutrino background may be detected by the new generation of large neutrino telescopes under construction and may be used to trace the origin of the extragalactic gamma radiation.

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arXiv1995

Dark Matter and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

The recently observed Deuterium abundance in a low- metallicity high-redshift hydrogen cloud, which is about ten times larger than that observed in the near interstellar medium, is that expected from the Standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis theory and the observed abundances of $^4$He and $^7$Li extrapolated to their primordial values. The inferred cosmic baryon to photon ratio, $η=(1.60\pm 0.1)\times 10^{-10},$ yields a mean cosmic baryon density, in critical mass units, of $Ω_b\approx (0.6\pm 0.1)\times 10^{-2}h^{-2},$ with $h$ being the Hubble constant in units of $100 km~s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}$. This baryon density is consistent with the mean cosmic density of matter visible optically and in X-rays. It implies that most of the baryons in the Universe are visible and are not dark. Combined with the observed ratio of baryons to light in X-ray emitting clusters, it yields the value $Ω\approx 0.15$ for the mean mass density of the Universe, which is consistent with that obtained from the mass to light ratio in clusters. This mass density is about ten times larger than the mean baryon mass density. It indicates that most of the matter in the Universe consists of nonbaryonic dark matter.

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arXiv1995

ASTROPHYSICAL EVIDENCE ON PHYSICS BEYOND THE STANDARD MODEL

Astrophysics and cosmology can be used to test the standard model of particle physics under conditions and over distance and time scales not accessible to laboratory experiments. Most of the astrophysical observations are in good agreement with the standard model. In particular, primordial nucleosynthesis, supernova explosions, stellar evolution and cosmic background radiations have been used to derive strong limits on physics beyond the standard model. However, the solution of some important astrophysical and cosmological problems may require new physics beyond the standard model. These include the origin of the initial conditions, large scale structure formation, the baryon asymmetry in the observed Universe, the dark matter problem, the solar neutrino problem and some cosmic ray puzzles. Here I review some important developments relevant to some of these problems, which took place most recently.

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