arXiv subjects

B. Theodore Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to B. Theodore Zhang.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Candidate Tidal Disruption Event AT2019fdr Coincident with a High-Energy Neutrino

The origins of the high-energy cosmic neutrino flux remain largely unknown. Recently, one high-energy neutrino was associated with a tidal disruption event (TDE). Here we present AT2019fdr, an exceptionally luminous TDE candidate, coincident with another high-energy neutrino. Our observations, including a bright dust echo and soft late-time X-ray emission, further support a TDE origin of this flare. The probability of finding two such bright events by chance is just 0.034%. We evaluate several models for neutrino production and show that AT2019fdr is capable of producing the observed high-energy neutrino, reinforcing the case for TDEs as neutrino sources.

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arXiv2021

Energetics of ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray nuclei

Energetics of the ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) generated in the universe is crucial for pinning down their candidate sources. Using the recent Auger data on UHECR spectra, we calculate the UHECR energy generation rate density for different species of nuclei at the injection, considering intermediate and heavy nuclei as well as protons, through scanning over source parameters on the spectral index, maximum energy and redshift evolution. We find the resulting UHECR energy generation rate density to be $\approx(0.2-2)\times$10$^{44}$~erg~Mpc$^{-3}$~yr$^{-1}$ at $10^{19.5}$~eV with a nontrivial dependence on the spectral index. Nuclei other than protons and irons favor hard spectral indices at the injection, and the required value of energy budget is smaller for intermediate nuclei. Given significant uncertainties in hadronic interaction models and astrophysical models for the Galactic-extragalactic transition, our results can be regarded as conservative. The composition data on $X_{\rm max}$ give additional constraints, but the results are consistent within the model uncertainties.

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arXiv2021

External Inverse-Compton Emission from Low-Luminosity Gamma-Ray Bursts: Application to GRB 190829A

The detection of TeV gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) brought new opportunities for studying the physics of particle acceleration at relativistic shocks. The \hess telescopes recently observed very-high-energy (VHE) emission from a nearby low-luminosity GRB, GRB 190829A. Follow-up observations with, e.g., Swift-XRT, revealed unusual flare activities at $\sim 10^3\rm~s$, which can be caused by a long-lasting central engine. We show that the VHE emission during the H.E.S.S. observation time is naturally produced in the external inverse-Compton (EIC) scenario, where seed photons supplied by the flares or other late-time dissipation are upscattered to VHE energies by the non-thermal electrons accelerated at the external forward shock. Our calculations show that the EIC flare nearly coincides with the late-prompt flare, but extends $\sim3-4$ times longer than the duration of the late-prompt flare. The preferred kinetic energy and initial Lorentz factor used in our model are $\sim 10^{52}\rm~erg$ and $\sim 20$, respectively. Understanding the mechanisms of the VHE emission from low-luminosity GRBs will help us constrain the properties of the outflow and the central engine activities, as well as the particle acceleration mechanism.

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arXiv2021

Post-Merger Jets from Supermassive Black Hole Coalescences as Electromagnetic Counterparts of Gravitational Wave Emission

As a powerful source of gravitational waves (GW), a supermassive black hole (SMBH) merger may be accompanied by a relativistic jet that leads to detectable electromagnetic (EM) emission. We model the propagation of post-merger jets inside a pre-merger circumnuclear environment formed by disk winds, and calculate multi-wavelength EM spectra from the forward shock region. We show that the non-thermal EM signals from SMBH mergers are detectable up to the detection horizon of future GW facilities such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Calculations based on our model predict slowly fading transients with time delays from days to months after the coalescence, leading to implications for EM follow-up observations after the GW detection.

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arXiv2021

External Inverse-Compton Emission Associated with Extended and Plateau Emission of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts: Application to GRB 160821B

The recent detection of TeV photons from two gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), GRB 190114C and GRB 180720B, has opened a new window for multi-messenger and multi-wavelength astrophysics of high-energy transients. We study the origin of very-high-energy (VHE) $γ$-rays from the short GRB 160821B, for which the MAGIC Collaboration reported a $\sim 3 σ$ statistical significance. Short GRBs are often accompanied by extended and plateau emission, which is attributed to internal dissipation resulting from activities of a long-lasting central engine, and Murase et al. (2018) recently suggested the external inverse-Compton (EIC) scenario for VHE counterparts of short GRBs and neutron star mergers. Applying this scenario to GRB 160821B, we show that the EIC flux can reach $\sim 10^{-12}\rm~erg~cm^{-2}~s^{-1}$ within a time period of $\sim 10^3 - 10^4\rm~s$, which is consistent with the MAGIC observations. EIC $γ$-rays expected during the extended and plateau emission will be detectable with greater significance by future detectors such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The resulting light curve has a distinguishable feature, where the VHE emission is predicted to reach the peak around the end of the seed emission.

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arXiv2020

High-Energy Neutrino and Gamma-Ray Emission from Tidal Disruption Events

Tidal disruption events (TDE) have been considered as cosmic-ray and neutrino sources for a decade. We suggest two classes of new scenarios for high-energy multi-messenger emission from TDEs that do not have to harbor powerful jets. First, we investigate high-energy neutrino and gamma-ray production in the core region of a supermassive black hole. In particular, we show that about 1-100 TeV neutrinos and MeV gamma-rays can efficiently be produced in hot coronae around an accretion disk. We also study the consequences of particle acceleration in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs). Second, we consider possible cosmic-ray acceleration by sub-relativistic disk-driven winds or interactions between tidal streams, and show that subsequent hadronuclear and photohadronic interactions inside the TDE debris lead to GeV-PeV neutrinos and sub-GeV cascade gamma-rays. We demonstrate that these models should be accompanied by soft gamma-rays or hard X-rays as well as optical/UV emission, which can be used for future observational tests. Although this work aims to present models of non-jetted high-energy emission, we discuss the implications of the TDE AT2019dsg that might coincide with the high-energy neutrino IceCube-191001A, by considering the corona, RIAF, hidden sub-relativistic wind, and hidden jet models. It is not yet possible to be conclusive about their physical association and the expected number of neutrinos is typically much less than unity. We find that the most optimistic cases of the corona and hidden wind models could be consistent with the observation of IceCube-191001A, whereas jet models are unlikely to explain the multi-messenger observations.

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arXiv2019

A Neutral Beam Model for High-Energy Neutrino Emission from the Blazar TXS 0506+056

The IceCube collaboration reported a $\sim 3.5σ$ excess of $13\pm5$ neutrino events in the direction of the blazar TXS 0506+56 during a $\sim$6 month period in 2014-2015, as well as the ($\sim3σ$) detection of a high-energy muon neutrino during an electromagnetic flare in 2017. We explore the possibility that the 2014-2015 neutrino excess and the 2017 multi-messenger flare are both explained in a common physical framework that relies on the emergence of a relativistic neutral beam in the blazar jet due to interactions of accelerated cosmic rays (CRs) with photons. We demonstrate that the neutral beam model provides an explanation for the 2014-2015 neutrino excess without violating X-ray and $γ$-ray constraints, and also yields results consistent with the detection of one high-energy neutrino during the 2017 flare. If both neutrino associations with TXS 05065+056 are real, our model requires that (i) the composition of accelerated CRs is light, with a ratio of helium nuclei to protons $\gtrsim5$, (ii) a luminous external photon field ($\sim 10^{46}$ erg s$^{-1}$) variable (on year-long timescales) is present, and (iii) the CR injection luminosity as well as the properties of the dissipation region (i.e., Lorentz factor, magnetic field, and size) vary on year-long timescales.

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arXiv2019

Ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray nuclei and neutrinos from engine-driven supernovae

Transrelativistic supernovae (SNe), which are likely driven by central engines via jets or winds, have been among candidate sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). We investigate acceleration and survival of UHECR nuclei in the external reverse shock scenario. With composition models used in Zhang et al. (2018), we calculate spectra of escaping cosmic rays and secondary neutrinos. If their local rate is $\sim1$% of the core-collapse supernova rate, the observed UHECR spectrum and composition can be explained with the total cosmic-ray energy ${\mathcal E}_{\rm cr}\sim10^{51}$ erg. The maximum energy of UHECR nuclei can reach $\sim 10^{20}-{10}^{21}\rm~eV$. The diffuse flux of source neutrinos is predicted to be $\sim 10^{-11} - 10^{-10}~{\rm GeV}~{\rm cm}^{-2}~{\rm s}^{-1}~{\rm sr}^{-1}$ in the 0.1-1 EeV range, satisfying nucleus-survival bounds. The associated cosmogenic neutrino flux is calculated, and shown to be comparable or even higher than the source neutrino flux. These ultrahigh-energy neutrinos can be detected by ultimate detectors such as the Giant Radio Askaryan Neutrino Detector and Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics.

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arXiv2019

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND): Science and Design

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) is a planned large-scale observatory of ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic particles, with energies exceeding 10^8 GeV. Its goal is to solve the long-standing mystery of the origin of UHE cosmic rays. To do this, GRAND will detect an unprecedented number of UHE cosmic rays and search for the undiscovered UHE neutrinos and gamma rays associated to them with unmatched sensitivity. GRAND will use large arrays of antennas to detect the radio emission coming from extensive air showers initiated by UHE particles in the atmosphere. Its design is modular: 20 separate, independent sub-arrays, each of 10 000 radio antennas deployed over 10 000 km^2. A staged construction plan will validate key detection techniques while achieving important science goals early. Here we present the science goals, detection strategy, preliminary design, performance goals, and construction plans for GRAND.

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arXiv2018

Low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts as the sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray nuclei

Recent results from the Pierre Auger Collaboration have shown that the composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) becomes gradually heavier with increasing energy. Although gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been promising sources of UHECRs, it is still unclear whether they can account for the Auger results because of their unknown nuclear composition of ejected UHECRs. In this work, we revisit the possibility that low-luminosity GRBs (LL GRBs) act as the sources of UHECR nuclei, and give new predictions based on the intrajet nuclear composition models considering progenitor dependencies. We find that the nuclear component in the jet can be divided into two groups according to the mass fraction of silicon nuclei, Si-free and Si-rich. Motivated by the connection between LL GRBs and transrelativistic supernovae, we also consider the hypernova ejecta composition. Then, we discuss the survivability of UHECR nuclei in the jet base and internal shocks of the jets, and show that it is easier for nuclei to survive for typical LL GRBs. Finally, we numerically propagate UHECR nuclei ejected from LL GRBs with different composition models and compare the resulting spectra and composition to Auger data. Our results show that both the Si-rich progenitor and hypernova ejecta models match the Auger data well, while the Si-free progenitor models have more difficulty in fitting the spectrum. We argue that our model is consistent with the newly reported cross correlation between the UHECRs and starburst galaxies, since both LL GRBs and hypernovae are expected to be tracers of the star-formation activity. LL GRBs have also been suggested as the dominant origin of IceCube neutrinos in the PeV range, and the LL GRB origin of UHECRs can be critically tested by near-future multimessenger observations.

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arXiv2018

Ultrahigh-energy Cosmic-ray Nuclei from Black Hole Jets: Recycling Galactic Cosmic Rays through Shear Acceleration

We perform Monte Carlo simulations of transrelativistic shear acceleration dedicated to a jet-cocoon system of active galactic nuclei. A certain fraction of galactic cosmic rays in a halo is entrained, and sufficiently high-energy particles can be injected to the reacceleration process and further accelerated up to 100 EeV. We show that the shear reacceleration mechanism leads to a hard spectrum of escaping cosmic rays, $dL_E/dE\propto E^{-1}-E^0$, distinct from a conventional $E^{-2}$ spectrum. The supersolar abundance of ultrahigh-energy nuclei is achieved due to injections at TeV-PeV energies. As a result, we find that the highest-energy spectrum and mass composition can be reasonably explained by our model without contradictions with the anisotropy data.

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arXiv2017

High-energy cosmic ray nuclei from tidal disruption events: Origin, survival, and implications

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) by supermassive or intermediate mass black holes have been suggested as candidate sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and high-energy neutrinos. Motivated by the recent measurements from the Pierre Auger Observatory, which indicates a metal-rich cosmic-ray composition at ultrahigh energies, we investigate the fate of UHECR nuclei loaded in TDE jets. First, we consider the production and survival of UHECR nuclei at internal shocks, external forward and reverse shocks, and nonrelativistic winds. Based on the observations of Swift J1644+57, we show that the UHECRs can survive for external reverse and forward shocks, and disk winds. On the other hand, UHECR nuclei are significantly disintegrated in internal shocks, although they could survive for low-luminosity TDE jets. Assuming that UHECR nuclei can survive, we consider implications of different composition models of TDEs. We find that the tidal disruption of main sequence stars or carbon-oxygen white dwarfs does not successfully reproduce UHECR observations, namely the observed composition or spectrum. The observed mean depth of the shower maximum and its deviation could be explained by oxygen-neon-magnesium white dwarfs, but they may be too rare to be the sources of UHECRs.

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arXiv2017

Constraints on cosmic ray loading and PeV neutrino production in blazars

IceCube has detected a cumulative flux of PeV neutrinos, which origin is unknown. Blazars, active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets pointing to us, are long and widely expected to be one of the strong candidates of high energy neutrino sources. The neutrino production depends strongly on the cosmic ray power of blazar jets, which is largely unknown. The recent null results in stacking searches of neutrinos for several blazar samples by IceCube put upper limits on the neutrino fluxes from these blazars. Here we compute the cosmic ray power and PeV neutrino flux of Fermi-LAT blazars, and find that the upper limits for known blazar sources give stringent constraint on the cosmic ray loading factor of blazar jets (i.e., the ratio of the cosmic ray to bolometric radiation luminosity of blazar jets), $ξ_{\rm cr}\la(2-10)ζ^{-1}$ (with $ζ\la1$ the remained fraction of cosmic ray energy when propagate into the blazar broad line region) for flat cosmic ray spectrum, and that the cumulative PeV neutrino flux contributed by all-sky blazars is a fraction $\la(10-50)\%$ of the IceCube detected flux.

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