Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

C. -H. Lee

Publications and source records attributed to C. -H. Lee.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2000

Evolution of Neutron-Star, Carbon-Oxygen White-Dwarf Binaries

At least one, but more likely two or more, eccentric neutron-star, carbon-oxygen white-dwarf binaries with an unrecycled pulsar have been observed. According to the standard scenario for evolving neutron stars which are recycled in common envelope evolution we expect to observe $\gsim 50$ such circular neutron star-carbon oxygen white dwarf binaries, since their formation rate is roughly equal to that of the eccentric binaries and the time over which they can be observed is two orders of magnitude longer, as we shall outline. We observe at most one or two such circular binaries and from that we conclude that the standard scenario must be revised. Introducing hypercritical accretion into common envelope evolution removes the discrepancy by converting the neutron star into a black hole which does not emit radio waves, and therefore would not be observed.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

A Theory of Gamma-Ray Bursts

We present a specific scenario for the link between GRB and hypernovae, based on Blandford-Znajek extraction of black-hole spin energy. Such a mechanism requires a high angular momentum in the progenitor object. The observed association of gamma-ray bursts with type Ibc supernovae leads us to consider massive helium stars that form black holes at the end of their lives as progenitors. We combine the numerical work of MacFadyen & Woosley with analytic calculations, to show that about 1E53 erg each are available to drive the fast GRB ejecta and the supernova. The GRB ejecta are driven by the power output through the open field lines, whereas the supernova is powered by closed filed lines and jet shocks. We also present a much simplified approximate derivation of these energetics. Helium stars that leave massive black-hole remnants in special ways, namely via soft X-ray transients or very massive WNL stars. Since binaries naturally have high angular momentum, we propose a link between black-hole transients and gamma-ray bursts. Recent observations of one such transient, GRO J1655-40/Nova Scorpii 1994, explicitly support this connection: its high space velocity indicates that substantial mass was ejected in the formation of the black hole, and the overabundance of alpha-nuclei, especially sulphur, indicates that the explosion energy was extreme, as in SN 1998bw/GRB 980425. (abstract shortened)

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

Hypercritical Advection Dominated Accretion Flow

In this note we study the accretion disc that arises in hypercritical accretion of $\dot M\sim 10^8 M_{\rm Edd}$ onto a neutron star while it is in common envelope evolution with a massive companion. In order to raise the temperature high enough that the disc might cool by neutrino emission, Chevalier found a small value of the $α$-parameter, where the kinematic coefficient of shear viscosity is $ν=αc_s H$, with $c_s$ the velocity of sound and $H$ the disc height; namely, $α\sim 10^{-6}$ was necessary for gas pressure to dominate. He also considered results with higher values of $α$, pointing out that radiation pressure would then predominate. With these larger $α$'s, the temperatures of the accreting material are much lower, $\lsim 0.35$ MeV. The result is that neutrino cooling during the flow is negligible, satisfying very well the advection dominating conditions. The low temperature of the accreting material means that it cannot get rid of its energy rapidly by neutrino emission, so it piles up, pushing its way through the accretion disc. An accretion shock is formed, far beyond the neutron star, at a radius $\gsim 10^8$ cm, much as in the earlier spherically symmetric calculation, but in rotation. Two-dimensional numerical simulation shows that an accretion disc is reformed inside of the accretion shock, allowing matter to accrete onto the neutron star with pressure high enough so that neutrinos can carry off the energy.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

Is Nova Sco 1994 (GRO 1655-40) a Relic of a GRB ?

We suggest Nova Sco 1994 (GRO 1655-40) as a possible relic of a Gamma Ray Burster (GRB) and Type Ib supernova (SN) explosion, showing that there is evidence both that the black hole was spun up by accretion and that there was a supernova explosion. We use the disc energy delivered from the rotational energy of the black hole to power the SN, and give arguments that roughly equal energy goes into the GRB and into the accretion disc to power the supernova.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

Evolution of Black Holes in the Galaxy

In this article we consider the formation and evolution of black holes, especially those in binary stars where radiation from the matter falling on them can be seen. We consider a number of effects introduced by some of us, which are not traditionally included in binary evolution of massive stars. These are (i) hypercritical accretion, which allows neutron stars to accrete enough matter to collapse to a black hole during their spiral-in into another star. (ii) the strong mass loss of helium stars, which causes their evolution to differ from that of the helium core of a massive star. (iii) The direct formation of low-mass black holes ($M\sim2\msun$) from single stars, a consequence of a significant strange-matter content of the nuclear-matter equation of state at high density. We discuss these processes here, and then review how they affect various populations of binaries with black holes and neutron stars.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

High Mass Black Holes in Soft X-Ray Transients: Gap in Black Hole Masses ?

We suggest that high-mass black holes; i.e., black holes of several solar masses, can be formed in binaries with low-mass main-sequence companions, provided that the hydrogen envelope of the massive star is removed in common envelope evolution which begins only after the massive star has finished He core burning. Our evolution scenario naturally explains the gap (low probability region) in the observed black hole masses.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

Brightness from the Blackest Night: Bursts of Gamma Rays and Gravity Waves from Black Hole Binaries

We use recent results in binary stellar evolution to argue that binaries with at least one black hole dominate the rate of compact-object mergers. Two phenomena generally attributable to such mergers, gamma-ray bursts and gravity-wave bursts, are therefore likely to originate from near the event horizon of a black hole. In addition to sheer numbers, black holes have an added advantage over neutron stars in both phenomena. For gamma-ray bursts, the presence of an event horizon eases the baryon pollution problem, because energy can be stored into rotation until most baryons have been swallowed, and then released into a cleaner environment via the Blandford-Znajek process. For gravity-wave bursts, black holes offer higher luminosities due to their higher masses, thus enabling detection out to larger distances, which leads to a 30-fold increase in the predicted LIGO event rate.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1999

The Formation of High-Mass Black Holes in Low Mass X-ray Binaries

In this note we suggest that high-mass black holes; i.e., black holes of several solar masses, can be formed in binaries with low-mass main-sequence companions, provided that the hydrogen envelope of the massive star is removed in common envelope evolution which begins only after the massive star has finished He core burning. That is, the massive star is in the supergiant stage, which lasts only $\sim 10^4$ years, so effects of mass loss by He winds are small. Since the removal of the hydrogen envelope of the massive star occurs so late, it evolves essentially as a single star, rather than one in a binary. Thus, we can use evolutionary calculations of Woosley & Weaver (1995) of single stars. We find that the black holes in transient sources can be formed from stars with ZAMS masses in the interval $20-35\msun$. The black hole mass is only slightly smaller than the He core mass, typically $\sim 7\msun$.

astro-ph↗
arXiv1998

Thermal Dileptons from a Nonperturbative Quark-Gluon Phase

Assuming that gluon condensates are important even above the deconfining phase transition, we develop a model for the dilepton yield from a quark gluon plasma. Using a simple fire ball description of a heavy ion collision, and various estimates of the strengths of the gluon condensates, we compare our predicted dilepton yields with those observed in the CERES and HELIOS experiments at CERN. The simple model gives an adequate description of the data, and in particular it explains the observed considerable enhancement of the yield in the low mass region.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1998

Master Formulae Approach to Photon Fusion Reactions

We analyze the $γγ\to ππ, KK, ηη, πη$ reactions through $\sqrt{s}=2$ GeV, using the master formula approach to QCD with three flavors. In this approach, the constraints of broken chiral symmetry, unitarity and crossing symmetry are manifest in all channels. The pertinent vacuum correlators are analyzed at tree level using straightforward resonance saturation methods. A one-loop chiral power counting analysis at treshold is also carried out and compared to standard chiral perturbation theory. Our results are in overall agreement with the existing data in all channels. We predict the strange meson polarizabilities and a very small cross section for $γγ\toηη$.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1998

Dilepton and Photon Emission Rates from a Hadronic Gas III

We extend our early analyses of the dilepton and photon emission rates from a hadronic gas to account for strange mesons using a density expansion. The emission rates are reduced to vacuum correlation functions using three-flavor chiral reduction formulas, and the latters are assessed in terms of empirical data. Using a fire-ball, we compare our results to the low and intermediate mass dilepton data available from CERN. Our results suggest that a baryon free hadronic gas does not account for the excess of low mass dielectrons observed at CERES but do well in accounting for the intermediate dimuons at HELIOS. The same observations apply to the recent low and high $p_t$ dielectron rates from CERES.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1997

Strange Particles in Dense Matter and Kaon Condensates

We discuss the role of strangeness in dense matter and especially in neutron stars. The early (in density) introduction of hyperons found in many calculations is probably delayed by the decrease in vector mean field acting on the neutron. The decrease results from both conventional many-body rescattering effects and from the movement towards asymptotic freedom at high densities. Subthreshold $K^-$-meson production by the KaoS collaboration at GSI shows that the $K^-$-mass must be substantially lowered, by $\gtrsim$ 200 MeV at $ρ\sim 2ρ_0$. It is shown that explicit chiral symmetry breaking through the kaon mass may be responsible for $Σ^-$-nucleon and $Ξ^-$-nucleon scalar attraction being weaker than obtained by simple quark scaling. The normal mode of the strangeness minus, charge $e^-$, excitation is constructed as a linear combination of $K^-$-meson and $Σ^-$, neutron-hole state. Except for zero momentum, where the terms are unmixed the "kaesobar" is a linear combination of these two components.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1997

Kaon production in heavy-ion collisions and maximum mass of neutron stars

We determine an `empirical' kaon dispersion relation by analysing and fitting recent experimental data on kaon production in heavy-ion collisions. We then investigate its effects on hadronic equation of state at high densities and on neutron star properties. We find that the maximum mass of neutron stars can be lowered by about 0.4$M_\odot$, once kaon condensation as constrained by our empirical dispersion relation is introduced. We emphasize the growing interplay between hadron physics, relativistic heavy-ion physics and the physics of compact objects in astrophysics.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1997

Kaon Production in Heavy-Ion Collisions and Kaon Condensation in Neutron Stars

The recent past witnesses the growing interdependence between the physics of hadrons, the physics of relativistic heavy-ion collisions, and the physics of compact objects in astrophysics. A notable example is the kaon which plays special roles in all the three fields. In this talk, we first review the various theoretical investigations of kaon properties in nuclear medium. We then present a detailed transport model study of kaon production and flow in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies. Finally, We discuss the effects of the kaon in-medium properties extracted from heavy-ion data on neutron star properties, especially on the lowering of maximum mass of neutron stars with the onset of kaon condensation around $3ρ_0$.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1997

Kaons in dense matter, kaon production in heavy-ion collisions, and kaon condensation in neutron stars

The recent past witnesses the growing interdependence between the physics of hadrons, the physics of relativistic heavy-ion collisions, and the physics of compact objects in astrophysics. A notable example is the kaon which plays special roles in all the three fields. In this paper, we first review the various theoretical investigations of kaon properties in nuclear medium, focusing on possible uncertainties in each model. We then present a detailed transport model study of kaon production in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies. We shall discuss especially the elementary kaon and antikaon production cross sections in hadron-hadron interactions, that represent one of the most serious uncertainties in the transport model study of particle production in heavy-ion collisions. The main purpose of such a study is to constrain kaon in-medium properties from the heavy-ion data. This can provide useful guidances for the development of theoretical models of the kaon in medium. In the last part of the paper, we apply the kaon in-medium properties extracted from heavy-ion data to the study of neutron star properties. Based on a conventional equation of state of nuclear matter that can be considered as one of the best constrained by available experimental data on finite nuclei, we find that the maximum mass of neutron stars is about 2$M_\odot$, which is reduced to about 1.5$M_\odot$ once kaon condensation as constrained by heavy-ion data is introduced.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1997

Momentum Dependence of Single Particle Potential in Dirac Brueckner Approach

The momentum dependence of the empirical scalar and vector potentials needed for describing relativistic heavy-ion collisions at 1 GeV/nucleon is compared with that derived from self-consistent Dirac-Brueckner calculations using the Bonn-A potential. Our calculated scalar and vector potentials exhibit a weak momentum dependence and their magnitudes decrease with nucleon momentum, in close similarity with the momentum dependence required by the empirical potentials. The effects of explicit momentum dependence on the properties of equilibrium nuclear matter are found to be small.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1997

Strangeness production and flow in heavy-ion collisions

We study strangeness (K^+, K^-, and Lambda) production and flow in Ni+Ni collisions at 1-2 AGeV, based on the relativistic transport model including the strangeness degrees of freedom. We find that strangeness spectra and flow are sensitive to the properties of strange hadrons in nuclear medium. The predictions of the chiral perturbation theory that the K^+ feels a weak repulsive potential and K^- feels a strong attractive potential are in good agreement with recent experimental data from FOPI and KaoS collaborations.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1997

Symmetry energy of nuclear matter and properties of neutron statrs in a relativistic approach

Asymmetric nuclear matter is treated in the formalism of Dirac-Brueckner approach with Bonn one-boson-exchange nucleon-nucleon interaction. We extract the symmetry energy coefficient at the saturation to be about 31 MeV, which is in good agreement with empirical value of $30\pm 4$ MeV. The symmetry energy is found to increase almost linearly with the density, which differs considerably from the results of non-relativistic approaches. This finding also supports the linear parameterization of Prakash, Ainsworth and Lattimer. We find, furthermore, that the higher-order dependence of the nuclear equation of state on the asymmetry parameter is unimportant up to densities relevant for neutron stars. The resulting equation of state of neutron-rich matter is used to calculate the maximum mass of neutron star, and we find it to be about 2.1$M_\odot$. Possible mechanisms for the softening of the equation of state are also discussed.

nucl-th↗