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B. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to B. Zhang.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
arXiv2004

A model for the challenging "bi-drifting" phenomenon in PSR J0815+09

A new drifting pulsar, PSR J0815+09, was discovered in the Arecibo drift-scan searches. An intriguing feature of this source is that within the four pulse components in the integrated pulse profile, the sub-pulse drifting direction in the two leading components is opposite from that in the two trailing components. In view that the leading theoretical model for pulsar sub-pulse drifting can only interpret one-direction sub-pulse drifting, the observed "bi-drifting" phenomenon from PSR J0815+09 poses a great challenge to the pulsar theory. The inner annular gap (IAG), a new type of inner particle accelerator, was recently proposed to explain both $γ$-ray and radio emission from pulsars. Here we show that the coexistence of the IAG and the conventional inner core gap (ICG) offers a natural interpretation to the bi-drifting phenomenon. In particular, the peculiar drifting behavior in PSR J0815+09 can be reproduced within the inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model for pulsar radio emission.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2004

The Higgs Working Group: Summary Report 2003

Theoretical progress in Higgs boson production and background processes is discussed with particular emphasis on QCD corrections at and beyond next-to-leading order as well as next-to-leading order electroweak corrections. The residual theoretical uncertainties of the investigated processes are estimated in detail. Moreover, recent investigations of the MSSM Higgs sector and other extensions of the SM Higgs sector are presented. The potential of the LHC and a high-energy linear e+e- collider for the measurement of Higgs couplings is analyzed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2004

W^+ W^+ Scattering as a Sensitive Test of the Anomalous Gauge Couplings of the Higgs Boson at the LHC

We propose a sensitive way to test the anomalous HVV couplings (V=W^\pm, Z^0) of the Higgs boson (H), which can arise from either the dimension-3 effective operator in a nonlinearly realized Higgs sector or the dimension-6 effective operators in a linearly realized Higgs sector, via studying the VV scattering processes at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We show that, with an integrated luminosity of 300 fb^{-1} and sufficient kinematical cuts for suppressing the backgrounds, studying the process pp \to W^+ W^+ j j \to ł^+ νł^+ νj j can probe the anomalous HWW couplings at a few tens of percent level for the nonlinearly realized Higgs sector, and at the level of 0.01-0.08 TeV^{-1} for the linearly realized effective Lagrangian.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Chemical compositions of four barium stars

Chemical compositions of four barium stars HD 26886, HD 27271, HD 50082 and HD 98839 are studied based on high resolution, high signal-to-noise Echelle spectra. Results show that all of them are disk stars. Their αand iron peak elements are similar to the solar abundances. The neutron-capture process elements are overabundant relative to the Solar. The heavy-element abundances of the strong Ba star HD 50082 are higher than those of other three mild Ba stars. Its mass is 1.32Msun (+0.28,-0.22Msun), and is consistent with the average mass of strong Ba stars (1.5Msun). For mild Ba star HD 27271 and HD 26886, the derived masses are 1.90Msun (+0.25,-0.20Msun) and 2.78Msun (+0.75,-0.78M_sun), respectively, which are consistent with the average mass of mild Ba stars. We also calculate the theoretical abundances of Ba stars by combining the AGB stars nucleosynthesis and wind accretion formation scenario of Ba binary systems. The comparisons between the observed abundance patterns of the sample stars with the theoretical results show that wind accretion scenario can explain the abundance patterns of HD 50082 and HD 27271 well, but fail to explain the abundances of HD 26886. It means that the mild Ba star HD 26886, with shorter orbital period (P<1600 d), may be formed from other scenarios. The high mass mild Ba star HD 98839, with 3.62M_sun, and with very long orbital period (P>11000 d), may be either a star with the heavy elements enriched by itself or a "true Ba" star.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2003

Detectability of Long GRB Afterglows from Very High Redshifts

Gamma-ray bursts are promising tools for tracing the formation of high redshift stars, including the first generation. At very high redshifts the reverse shock emission lasts longer in the observer frame, and its importance for detection and analysis purposes relative to the forward shock increases. We consider two different models for the GRB environment, based on current ideas about the redshift dependence of gas properties in galaxies and primordial star formation. We calculate the observed flux as a function of the redshift and observer time for typical GRB afterglows, taking into account intergalactic photoionization and Lyman-$α$ absorption opacity as well as extinction by the Milky Way Galaxy. The fluxes in the X-ray and near IR bands are compared with the sensitivity of different detectors such as Chandra, XMM, Swift XRT and JWST. Using standard assumptions, we find that Chandra, XMM and Swift XRT can potentially detect GRBs in the X-ray band out to very high redshifts $z\gtrsim$ 30. In the K and M bands, the JWST and ground-based telescopes are potentially able to detect GRBs even one day after the trigger out to $z\sim$ 16 and 33, if present. While the X-ray band is insensitive to the external density and to reverse shocks, the near IR bands provide a sensitive tool for diagnosing both the environment and the reverse shock component.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2003

The TOFp/pVPD Time of Flight System for STAR

A time-of-flight system was constructed for the STAR Experiment for the direct identification of hadrons produced in 197Au+197Au collisions at RHIC. The system consists of two separate detector subsystems, one called the pVPD (the "start" detector) and the other called the TOFp tray (the "stop" detector). Each detector is based on conventional scintillator/phototube technology and includes custom high-performance front-end electronics and a common CAMAC-based digitization and read-out. The design of the system and its performance during the 2001 RHIC run will be described. The start resolution attained by the pVPD was 24 ps, implying a pVPD single-detector resolution of 58 ps. The total time resolution of the system averaged over all detector channels was 87 ps, allowing direct pi/K/p discrimination for momenta up to 1.8 GeV/c, and direct (pi+K)/p discrimination up to 3 GeV/c.

nucl-ex↗
arXiv2003

High Energy Photons, Neutrinos and Gravitational Waves from Gamma-Ray Bursts

Most of the current knowldege about GRB is based on electromagnetic observations at MeV and lower energies. Here we focus on some recent theoretical work on GRB, in particular the higher energy (GeV-TeV) photon emission, and two potentially important non-electromagnetic channels, the TeV and higher energy neutrino signals, and the gravitational wave signals expected from GRB.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2003

GRB 021004: a Massive Progenitor Star Surrounded by Shells

We present spectra of the optical transient of GRB021004 obtained with the Hobby-Eberly telescope starting 15.48, 20.31 hours, and 4.84 days after the burst and a spectrum obtained with the H. J. Smith 2.7 m Telescope starting 14.31 hours after the burst. GRB021004 is the first afterglow whose spectrum is dominated by absorption lines from high ionization species with multiple velocity components separated by up to 3000 km/s. We argue that these lines are likely to come from shells around a massive progenitor star. The high velocities and high ionizations arise from a combination of acceleration and flash-ionization by the burst photons and the wind velocity and steady ionization by the progenitor. We also analyze the broad-band spectrum and the light curve. We distinguish six components along the line of sight: (1) The z~2.293 absorption lines arise from the wind of a massive star. For a mass loss rate of ~6 x 10^{-5} solar masses per year, this component also provides the external medium to create the afterglow light. (2) A second shell produces absorption lines with a relative velocity of 560 km/s, and this is associated with the shell created by the fast massive star wind blowing a bubble in the preceding slow wind at a radial distance of order 10 pc. (3) More distant clouds within the host galaxy lie between 30-2500 pc, where they have been ionized by the burst. (4-6) The massive star wind has clumps with radii and over-densities of 0.022, 0.063, and 0.12 parsecs and 50%, 10%, and 10% respectively. The immediate progenitor of the burster could either be a WC-type Wolf-Rayet star or a highly evolved star whose original mass was just too small for it to become a WN-type Wolf-Rayet star.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2002

GeV Emission from TeV Blazars and Intergalactic Magnetic Fields

Several high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects such as Mrk 501 are strong TeV emitters. However, a significant fraction of the TeV gamma rays emitted are likely to be absorbed in interactions with the diffuse IR background, yielding electron-positron pairs. Hence, the observed TeV spectrum must be steeper than the intrinsic one. Using the recently derived intrinsic $γ$-ray spectrum of Mrk 501 during its 1997 high state, we study the inverse-Compton scattering of cosmic microwave photons by the resulting electron-positron pairs, which implies the existence of a hitherto undiscovered GeV emission. The typical duration of the GeV emission is determined by the flaring activity time and the energy-dependent magnetic deflection time. We numerically calculate the scattered photon spectrum for different intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) strengths, and find a spectral turnover and flare duration at GeV energies which are dependent on the field strength. We also estimate the scattered photon flux in the quiescent state of Mrk 501. The GeV flux levels predicted are consistent with existing EGRET upper limits, and should be detectable above the synchrotron -- self Compton (SSC) component with the {\em Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope} ({\em GLAST}) for IGMFs $\lesssim 10^{-16}$ G, as expected in voids. Such detections would provide constraints on the strength of weak IGMFs.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2002

X-ray Rich GRB, Photospheres and Variability

We investigate the relationship between the quasi-thermal baryon-related photosphere in relativistic outflows, and the internal shocks arising outside them, which out to a limiting radius may be able to create enough pairs to extend the optically thick region. Variable gamma-ray light curves are likely to arise outside this limiting pair-forming shock radius, while X-ray excess bursts may arise from shocks occurring below it; a possible relation to X-ray flashes is discussed. This model leads to a simple physical interpretation of the observational gamma-ray variability-luminosity relation.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2001

An inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model of pulsar emission: II. frequency behavior of pulse profiles

The shapes of pulse profiles, especially their variations with respect to observing frequencies, are very important to understand emission mechanisms of pulsars, while no previous attempt has been made in interpreting the complicated phenomenology. In this paper, we present theoretical simulations for the integrated pulse profiles and their frequency evolution within the framework of the inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model proposed by Qiao (1988) and Qiao & Lin (1998). Using the phase positions of the pulse components predicted by the ``beam-frequency figure'' of the ICS model, we present Gaussian fits to the multi-frequency pulse profiles for some pulsars. It is shown that the model can reproduce various types of the frequency evolution behaviors of pulse profiles observed.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

The heavy-element abundances of AGB stars and the angular momentum conservation model of wind accretion for barium stars

Adpoting new s-process nucleosynthesis scenario and branch s-process path, we calculate the heavy-element abundances and C/O ratio of solar metallicity 3M_sun TP-AGB stars. The evolutionary sequence from M to S to C stars of AGB stars is explained naturally by the calculated results. Then combining the angular momentum conservation model of wind accretion with the heavy-element abundances on the surface of TP-AGB stars, we calculate the heavy-element overabundances of barium stars via successive pulsed accreting and mixing. Our results support that the barium stars with longer orbital period, P>1600 days, form through wind accretion scenario.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

Orbital elements of barium stars formed through a wind accretion scenario

Taking the total angular momentum conservation in place of the tangential momentum conservation, and considering the square and higher power terms of orbital eccentricity e, the changes of orbital elements of binaries are calculated for wind accretion scenario. These new equations are used to quantitatively explain the observed (e,logP) properties of normal G, K giants and barium stars. Our results reflect the evolution from G, K giant binaries to barium binaries, moreover, the barium stars with longer orbital periods P>1600 days may be formed by accreting part of the ejecta from the intrinsic AGB stars through wind accretion scenario.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

On the inverse Compton scattering model of radio pulsars

Some characteristics of the inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model are reviewed. At least the following properties of radio pulsars can be reproduced in the model: core or central emission beam, one or two hollow emission cones, different emission heights of these components, diverse pulse profiles at various frequencies, linear and circular polarization features of core and cones.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

Possible re-acceleration regions above the inner gap and pulsar gamma-ray emission

We propose that the violent breakdown of the Ruderman-Sutherland type vacuum gap above the pulsar polar cap region may produce copious primary particles and make the charge density above the gap in excess of the Goldreich-Julian density. Such an excess residue of charge density may arise some re-acceleration regions above the gap due to the space-charge-limited flow mechanism. Such re-acceleration regions, if exist, may accelerate particles to carry away more spin-down energy, and may have some implications for pulsar $γ$-ray emission.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

Are Pulsars Bare Strange Stars?

It is believed that pulsars are neutron stars or strange stars with crusts. However we suggest here that pulsars may be bare strange stars (i.e., strange stars without crust). Due to rapid rotation and strong emission, young strange stars produced in supernova explosions should be bare when they act as radio pulsars. Because of strong magnetic field, two polar-crusts would shield the polar caps of an accreting strange star. Such a suggestion can be checked by further observations.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

High-energy accelerators above pulsar polar caps

Similar to the terrestrial collision accelerators of electron-antielectron, another kind of accelerator is above a positively or negatively charged pulsar polar cap. In the case of pulsars with magnetic axis parallel (anti-parallel) to rotational axis, relativistic antielectron (electron) with Lorentz factor about 10^6 hit the electrons in the polar caps. These scenarios are investigated both for pulsars being bare strange stars and for pulsars being neutron stars. Such a study may be valuable to differentiate neutron stars and bare strange stars observationally.

astro-ph↗