arXiv subjects

En-Wei Liang

Publications and source records attributed to En-Wei Liang.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Radiation Spectrum of the Photospheric Emission for a Turbulent Relativistic Jet

The prompt $γ$-rays of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may originate from the photosphere of a relativistic jet. However, only a few GRBs have been observed with evident blackbody-like emission, for example, GRB~090902B. It has been demonstrated that internal dissipation processes, such as magnetic reconnection, can occur within the relativistic jet and thereby drive violent turbulence in the dissipation region. In this paper, we study the photospheric emission of a jet with turbulence below its photosphere. Here, the turbulence is modeled phenomenological under the assumption that the four-velocity of its eddies follows a Gaussian distribution in the jet's co-moving frame. It is found that the turbulence scatters photons to high energies and thus intensifies the emission in the high-energy regime. The corresponding distortion of the radiation field can be preserved if and only if the turbulence occurs in a region with incomplete photon-electron coupling. Consequently, the observed radiation spectrum can be reshaped into a Band-like spectrum.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Jet precession in gamma-ray bursts: The roles of fallback accretion and disk dynamics

The precession phenomenon of the jet in a gamma-ray burst (GRB) is a key probe of the physics of the central engine. Previous studies generally assumed a fixed precession period when analysing the temporal profiles in GRBs; however, the dynamic evolution of the fallback process and accretion disk can significantly affect the precession behaviour. In this work we present a jet precession model that incorporates the co-evolution of fallback accretion and the central black hole (BH). Our model demonstrates that the jet precession period initially decreases rapidly during the early fallback phase and subsequently increases nearly linearly as the disk evolves. We find that a higher accretion disk viscosity and a slower BH spin lead to longer precession periods and faster precession period growth rates, and that the geometric structure of the precession system modulates the pulse amplitude of the light curve. By fitting the model to observational data of GRBs with multi-pulse structures, we show that jet precession can naturally explain the increasing pulse intervals and broadened pulse widths observed in both long and short GRBs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Black hole images under spherical-shell and circular-annulus accretion models in Schwarzschild spacetime: a semianalytical approach

In the static and infalling spherical-shell models of optically thin accretion on Schwarzschild black hole, the formulas for the integrated intensities observed by a distant observer are derived, and by taking the monochromatic emission pattern with a $1/r^{2}$ radial profile as example, the black hole images for the spherical shell with different boundaries are plotted. For these BH images, the geometric and luminosity features are summarized, and the qualitative explanations of the luminosity variations between the static and infalling spherical-shell models are provided. A notable feature of the black hole image in the infalling spherical-shell model is that when the inner boundary of the spherical shell is far from the bound photon orbit, the observed luminosity near the exterior of the shadow is enhanced. The circular-annulus models of optically and geometrically thin accretion on Schwarzschild black hole are further explored. For a lightlike geodesic, the analytical forms of the transfer functions working for all impact parameter values are first given, and the redshift factors in the static, infalling, and rotating circular-annulus models are then deduced. With these results, in the three situations, the formulas for the integrated intensities observed by a distant observer viewing the circular annulus at an inclination angle are derived, and the corresponding black hole images for each emission pattern provided in Phys. Rev. D \textbf{100} (2019) 024018 are plotted. Finally, for the BH images of arbitrary order, the geometric and luminosity features are also summarized, and the qualitative explanations of the luminosity variations between different CA models are also given.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Variabilities of Gamma-ray Bursts from the Dynamics of Fallback Material after Tidal Disruption

The gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 211211A and GRB 060614, believed to originate from the merger of compact objects, exhibit similarities to the jetted tidal disruption event (TDE) Sw J1644+57, by showing violent variabilities in the light-curve during the decay phase. Previous studies suggest that such fluctuations in TDE may arise from the fallback of tidal disrupted debris. In this paper, we introduce the fluctuations of the mass distribution ${\rm d}M/{\rm d}E$ for the debris ejected during the tidal disruption (with energy $E$) and study their impact on jet power. Turbulence induced by tidal force and the self-gravity of the debris may imprint variabilities in ${\rm d}M/{\rm d}E$ during fallback. We model these fluctuations with a power density spectrum $\propto f_{\rm E}^β$, where $f_{\rm E} = 1/E$ and $β$ is the power-law index. We find that the resulting light curve can preserve the fluctuation characteristics from ${\rm d}M/{\rm d}E$. In addition, the observed fluctuations in the light-curves can be reproduced for a given suitable $β$. Based on the observations, we find that the value of $β$ should be around $-1$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Event Rate Density and Luminosity Function of Newborn-Magnetar-Driven X-Ray Transients from Neutron Star Binary Mergers

X-ray transients (XTs) driven by newborn magnetars from mergers of neutron star binaries (NSBs) were occasionally detected in the narrow-field {\it Chandra} Deep Field-South survey (CDF-S) and the {\it Swift}/XRT observations of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs). Quantifying their event rate density (ERD) and luminosity function (LF) is critical for understanding NSB coalescence and magnetar formation. Utilizing population synthesis calculations incorporating various equations of state (EoS), we derive a local ERD of $\sim 300\,{\rm Gpc^{-3}\,yr^{-1}}$ and a redshift-dependent ERD profile peaking at $z=1.81$ followed by rapid decline beyond $z \sim 4$. Constructing an XT sample based on CDF-S and {\it Swift} observations, we characterize the LF by a single power-law function at $L \leq 4.75 \times 10^{46}\;{\rm erg\;s^{-1}}$ with a slope of $-1.03$, following by a broken power-law function in which the break luminosity is $L_{\rm b} = 4.38 \times 10^{47}\;{\rm erg\;s^{-1}}$ and the slopes are $-0.28$ and $-1.66$. Based on the ERD and the LF, we estimate that the {\it Einstein Probe} ({\it EP}) detection rate is $\sim 31\;{\rm yr^{-1}}$, adopting a conservative threshold flux of $10^{-9}\;{\rm erg}\;{\rm s^{-1}}$, an luminosity range of $L \in [2\times 10^{44},2\times 10^{49}]\;{\rm erg\;s^{-1}}$, and a correction for jet opening angle of $\sim 16^{\circ}$. This detection rate is consistent with the {\it EP} observations during its first-year operation. It is important to note that our estimation is subject to uncertainties arising from the LF derivation. Future {\it EP} observations of these XT events will be crucial in reducing these uncertainties.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

A two-hump spectrum in the prompt emission of GRB 240825A

An extra hard spectral component that extends to GeV energies, in additional to the typical sub- MeV Band component, appears in several gamma-ray burst (GRBs) detected by Fermi Large Area Telescopes (LAT). Only in one case (i.e., GRB 090926A), a spectral break feature at the high energy end is identified in the extra hard component, but the photon counts are not enough to distinguish between the cutoff model and the broken power law model for the spectral break. In this work, we report the detection of an extra hard component showing the spectral break in GRB 240825A. We find that a broken power-law model fits the spectral data of the extra component better than a single power-law with an exponential cutoff in the time resolved spectrum for the second emission pulse, with a break at about 50 MeV. This spectral feature disfavors the gamma-ray opacity to pair creation as the origin of the spectral break, but points to an intrinsic peak for the extra component. The low ratio between the peak of the extra hard component and that of the Band component challenges the synchrotron self-Compton origin for the extra component. Alternative scenarios, such as the inverse Compton scattering of the photosphere emission, are discussed. In addition, we find a clear transition from the prompt emission to afterglow emission at GeV energies in GRB 240825A, manifested by a temporal steep decay and an unique spectral evolution.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

GRB 170519A: Thermal Radiation in an X-ray Flare and Decaying Magnetic Fields for the Early-Time Afterglow

GRB 170519A was discovered by \emph{Swift}/BAT, and then observed by \emph{Swift}/XRT, \emph{Swift}/UVOT, and ground-based telescopes. We report Lick/KAIT observations of GRB 170519A, and make temporal analysis and spectral joint fits of its multiwavelength light curves. The observations present a relatively complete afterglow structure, including two X-ray flares (Flares I and II), optical onset (Slice 1), normal decay (Slices 2 and 3), and a possible jet break. The spectrum of the bright X-ray flare (Flare II) indicates that a thermal component exists at $t = 190$--240~s. \textbf{The blackbody emits in the photospheric radius $R_{\rm ph}\sim 10^{11}$ cm,} and its temperature ($kT$) decreases with time from \textbf{1.08 to 0.37 keV, its Lorentz factor of blackbody ($Γ_{\rm BB}$) decreases with time from 67.71 to 46.70. The luminosity of the blackbody ($L_{\rm BB}$), $kT$ and $Γ_{\rm BB}$ follow the relations $\bf L_{\rm BB} \propto kT^{2.49\pm 0.03}$ and $Γ_{\rm BB}\propto L_{\rm BB}^{0.27}$ (estimated from \cite{fan2012}).} In the optical light curves, there is an onset bump in the early-time afterglow, rising with an index $α_{O,1} \approx -0.43$ and peaking $\sim1174.9$ s since the BAT trigger. The bump then decays with $\bf α_{O,2} \approx 0.88$ in the normal decay phase, and the X-ray flux decays with a similar index of $\bf α_{X,1} \approx 0.95$. There is no obvious spectral evolution in the normal decay phases, with photon index $\hatΓ = 1.86$ and 1.92 in Slices 2 and 3, respectively. We find that the multiwavelength light curves of the GRB 170519A afterglow can be well fitted by an external shock with time-dependent $ε_B$. In the early afterglow, the value of $ε_B$ decays rapidly from $\bf 4.29\times10^{-2}$ to $\bf 8.23\times10^{-3}$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Constraining the parameters of heavy dark matter and memory-burdened primordial black holes with DAMPE electron measurements

The DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is a space-based instrument for detecting GeV-TeV cosmic rays and gamma rays. High-energy cosmic rays could be emitted from several dark matter candidates theoretically, such as the heavy dark matter (HDM) and the primordial black holes (PBHs). HDM particles with a mass of $>100\,{\rm TeV}$ could decay into $\gtrsim 10\,{\rm TeV}$ electron/positron pairs. PBHs with a mass of $\lesssim 10^{10}\,{\rm g}$ would survive to the present day if the Hawking radiation is significantly suppressed due to the memory burden effect and can also lead to the emission of $\gtrsim 10\,{\rm TeV}$ electrons. In this work, we use the DAMPE electron measurements to obtain the constraints on the decay lifetime $τ$ of HDM and the entropy index $k$ of memory-burdened PBHs at $95 \%$ confidence level. The constraints on the fraction $f_{\rm PBH}$ are also derived with a fixed $k$. Furthermore, the high-energy tail of the DAMPE electron spectrum shows a sign of going upwards, possibly suggesting the presence of an additional component; we discuss if this spectral behavior is real, which parameter space is required for it to be attributed to HDM or PBH. We will show that the required parameters have been constrained by existing limits.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Constraining the Nuclear Equation of State of neutron star via high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation in short gamma-ray bursts

The determination of the equation of state (EOS) of a neutron star (NS) and its maximum mass is very important for understanding the formation and properties of NSs under extreme conditions, but they remain open questions. Short-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to originate from the merger of binary NSs or giant flares (GFs) of soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). Recently, the high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) have been claimed to be identified from two short GRBs (GRB 931101B and GRB 910711). In this paper, we propose that the observed high-frequency QPOs in these two short GRBs result from torsional oscillations in the GFs of SGRs associated with cold NSs, or from radial oscillations of hypermassive NSs as the hot remnants of binary NS mergers, and then to constrain the EOS of NSs. For torsional oscillations, the six selected EOSs (TM1, NL3, APR, SLy4, DDME2, and GM1) of NSs suitable for the zero-temperature condition exhibit significant overlap in mass ranges, suggesting that we cannot constrain the EOS of NSs. For radial oscillations, the six selected EOSs (IUF, TM1, TMA, FSG, BHBLp, and NL3) of NSs suitable for the high-temperature condition cannot be ruled out when redshift is considered. However, it is found that the EOS can only be constrained if the redshift and temperature of the remnant can be measured.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Discovery of high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation in short-duration gamma-ray bursts

Rapidly rotating newborn magnetars, which originate from binary neutron star (NS) mergers and serve as the central engines of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), may leave some imprints on their prompt gamma-ray light curves even though they are far from their radiating fireballs. A high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) would be a unique feature for the magnetar central engine, especially a hypermassive magnetar. By conducting a systematic analysis of the prompt gamma-ray light curves from 605 short GRBs observed by {\em Fermi}/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, we have identified such QPO signals in three GRBs (e.g. GRB 120323A, GRB 181222B, and GRB 190606A). The QPOs that peaked at $1258^{+6}_{-6}$ Hz for GRB 120323A, $623^{+4}_{-4}$ Hz for GRB 181222B, and $1410^{+4}_{-5}$ Hz for GRB 190606A are all with a confidence level above 5.2 $σ$. The high-frequency QPO signals of those three short GRBs may be caused by a hypermassive magnetar acting as the central engine in a binary NS merger of a binary NS.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Shear Particle Acceleration in Structured Gamma-Ray Burst Jets: II. Viewing Angle Effect on the Prompt Emission and Application to GRB 170817A

Multi-messenger observations suggest that the gamma-ray burst on Aug. 17, 2017 (GRB 170817A) resulted from off-axial observations of its structured jet, which consists of a narrow ultra-relativistic jet core surrounded by a wide mild-relativistic cocoon. In a serious paper, we explore the emission of shear-accelerated electrons in the mixed jet-cocoon (MJC) region in a series of papers. This paper focuses on the viewing angle effect for a structured jet by considering the emission from the shear-accelerated electrons. It is found that the observed synchrotron emission peaks at the Infrared band and the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) emission peaks at the band of hundreds of keV. They are not sensitive to the viewing angle. In the off-axis observations scenario, the prompt emission spectrum is dominated by the emission of the shear-accelerated electrons. The prompt gamma-ray spectrum of GRB 170817A can be well explained with our model by setting the velocity of the inner edge of the cocoon region as 0.9c, the magnetic field strength as 21 G, the injected initial electron Lorentz factor as $10^3$, and the viewing angle as 0.44 rad. We argue that the joint observations in the Infrared/optical and X-ray bands are critical to verify our model.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Repeating fast radio bursts from synchrotron maser radiation in localized plasma blobs: Application to FRB 20121102A

The radiation physics of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) remains enigmatic. Motivated by the observed narrow-banded emission spectrum and ambiguous fringe pattern of the spectral peak frequency ($ν_{\rm pk}$) distribution of some repeating FRBs, such as FRB 20121102A, we propose that the bursts from repeating FRBs arise from synchrotron maser radiation in localized blobs within weakly magnetized plasma that relativistically moves toward observers. Assuming the plasma moves toward the observers with a bulk Lorentz factor of $Γ=100$ and the electron distribution in an individual blob is monoenergetic ($γ_{\rm e}\sim300$), our analysis shows that bright and narrow-banded radio bursts with peak flux density $\sim$ 1 ${\rm Jy}$ at peak frequency ($ν_{\rm pk}$) $\sim 3.85$ GHz can be produced by the synchrotron maser emission if the plasma blob has a magnetization factor of $σ\sim10^{-5}$ and a frequency of $ν_{\rm P}\sim 4.5$ MHz. The spectrum of bursts with lower $ν_{\rm pk}$ tends to be narrower. Applying our model to the bursts of FRB 20121102A, the distributions of both the observed $ν_{\rm pk}$ and isotropic energy $E_{\rm iso}$ detected by the Arecibo telescope at the L band and the Green Bank Telescope at the C band are successfully reproduced. We find that the $ν_{\rm P}$ distribution exhibits several peaks, similar to those observed in the $ν_{\rm pk}$ distribution of FRB 20121102A. This implies that the synchrotron maser emission in FRB 20121102A is triggered in different plasma blobs with varying $ν_{\rm P}$, likely due to the inhomogeneity of relativistic electron number density.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Kilonova Emission from Neutron Star Mergers with Different Equations of State

Kilonova is an optical-infrared transient powered by the radioactive decay of heavy nuclei from binary neutron star mergers. Its observational characteristics depend on the mass and the nuclide composition of meger ejecta, which are sensitive to the equation of state (EoS) of neutron star. We use astrophysical conditions derived from different EoSs as nucleosynthesis inputs to explore the impact of various EoS on the $r$-process nucleosynthesis and the kilonova emission. Our results show that both the abundance patterns of merger ejecta and kilonova light curves are strongly dependent on the neutron star EoSs. Given the mass of two neutron stars, the merger with a softer EoS tends to generate a larger amount of ejected material, and may lead to a brighter kilonova peak luminosity. The relationship between the neutron star EoS and the peak luminosity provides a probe for constraining the properties of EoS in multi-messenger observations of neutron star mergers.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

A central tidal disruption event candidate in high redshift quasar SDSS J000118.70+003314.0

We report a high-redshift ($z=1.404$) tidal disruption event (TDE) candidate in SDSS J000118.70+003314.0 (SDSS J0001), which is a quasar with apparent broad Mg~{\sc ii} emission line. The long-term variability in its nine-year photometric $ugriz$-band light curves, obtained from the SDSS Stripe82 and the PHOTOOBJALL databases, can be described by the conventional TDE model. Our results suggest that the TDE is a main-sequence star with mass of $1.905_{-0.009}^{+0.023}{\rm M_\odot}$ tidally disrupted by a black hole (BH) with mass {$6.5_{-2.6}^{+3.5}\times10^7{\rm M_\odot}$}. The BH mass is about 7.5 times smaller than the virial BH mass derived from the broad Mg~{\sc ii} emission line, which can be explained by non-virial dynamic properties of broad emission lines from TDEs debris. Furthermore, we examine the probability that the event results from intrinsic variability of quasars, which is about $0.009\%$, through applications of the DRW/CAR process. Alternative explanations for the event are also discussed, such as the scenarios of dust obscurations, microlensing and accretion. Our results provide clues to support that TDEs could be detectable in broad line quasars as well as in quiescent galaxies, and to indicate the variability of some active galactic nuclei may be partly attributed to central TDEs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Impact of nuclear mass models on $r$-process nucleosynthesis and heavy element abundances in $r$-process enhanced metal-poor stars

Due to the lack of experimental data on extremely neutron-rich nuclei, theoretical values derived from nuclear physics models are essential for the rapid neutron capture process ($r$-process). Metal-poor stars enriched by the $r$-process offer valuable cases for studying the impact of nuclear physics models on $r$-process nucleosynthesis. This study analyzes four widely used nuclear physics models in detail: Finite-Range Droplet Model, Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov, Duflo-Zuker, and Weizs$\ddot{\rm a}$cker-Skyrme (WS4). Theoretical values predicted by the WS4 model are found to be in good agreement with experimental data, with deviations significantly smaller than those predicted by other models. The heavy element abundances observed in $r$-process enhanced metal-poor stars can be accurately reproduced by $r$-process nucleosynthesis simulations using the WS4 model, particularly for the rare earth elements. This suggests that nuclear data provided by nuclear physics model like WS4 are both essential and crucial for $r$-process nucleosynthesis studies.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Neutrino constraints and detection prospects from gamma-ray bursts with different jet compositions

The prompt emission mechanism of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is a long-standing open question, and GRBs have been considered as potential sources of high-energy neutrinos. Despite many years of search for the neutrino events associated with GRBs from IceCube, there were no results. However, the absence of search results for neutrinos provides a unique opportunity to constrain the parameter space of GRB jet models. In this paper, we chose four peculiar GRBs with two different types of jet composition to investigate neutrino emission. It is found that only GRB 211211A could be well constrained within the dissipative photosphere model. By adopting the specific parameters of the photosphere, one can obtain $\varepsilon _{\rm p}/\varepsilon_{\rm e}<8$ for $f_{\rm p}>0.2$ from GRB 211211A. For the Internal-collision-induced Magnetic Reconnection and Turbulence (ICMART) model, we can effectively constrain neither GRB 230307A nor GRB 080916C. Moreover, we also investigate the detection prospects of high-energy neutrinos from GRBs and find that it is difficult to detect at least one high-energy neutrino associated with GRBs from the ICMART model even during the IceCube-Gen2 operation. For the GRB 211211A-like events, it is possible to detect at least one neutrino coincident with the gravitational wave during the IceCube-Gen2 operation, if such an event originated from mergers of compact stars within the photosphere dissipation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Shear Particle Acceleration in Structured Gamma-Ray Burst Jets: I. Physical Origin of the Band Function and Application to GRBs 090926A, 131108A, and 160509A

The radiation physics of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) remains an open question. Based on the simulation analysis and recent observations, it was proposed that GRB jets are composed of a narrow ultra-relativistic core surrounded by a wide sub-relativistic cocoon. We show that emission from the synchrotron radiations and the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) process of shear-accelerated electrons in the mixed jet-cocoon (MJC) region and internal-shock-accelerated electrons in the jet core is potentially explained the spectral characteristics of the prompt gamma-rays. Assuming an exponential-decay velocity profile, the shear flow in the MJC region can accelerate electrons up to $γ_{\rm e,\max} \sim 10^4$ for injected electrons with $γ_{\rm e,inject}=3 \times 10^2$, if its magnetic field strength ($B_{\rm cn}$) is $100$ G and its inner-edge velocity ($β_{\rm cn, 0}$) is 0.9c. The cooling of these electrons is dominated by the SSC process, and the emission flux peaks at the keV band. In addition, the energy flux of synchrotron radiations of internal-shock-accelerated electrons ($γ_e=10^{4}\sim 10^{5}$) peaks at around the keV$-$MeV band, assuming a bulk Lorentz factor of 300, a magnetic field strength of $\sim 10^{6}$ G for the jet core. Adding the flux from both the jet core and the MJC region, the total spectral energy distribution (SED) illustrates similar characteristics as the broadband observations of GRBs. The bimodal and Band-Cut spectra observed in GRBs 090926A, 131108A, and 160509A can be well fit with our model. The derived $B_{\rm cn}$ varies from 54 G to 450 G and $β_{\rm cn,0}=0. 83\sim 0.91$c.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Kinematics of Young Stellar Objects Under Various Stellar Feedback

Based on the Gaia Data Release 3 and APOGEE datasets, we investigate the kinematic differences between young stellar objects (YSOs) and their parent clouds in five nearby star-forming regions. Overall, the 1D velocity differences between Class II YSOs and their parent molecular cloud range from [0, 1.4] km/s. In feedback environments dominated by outflows, massive stars, and supernova feedback, the corresponding velocity differences range from [0, 1.4] km/s, [0.1, 0.4] km/s, and [0.1, 1] km/s, respectively. These results indicate that YSO kinematics are not significantly affected by these different types of feedback environment. Additionally, compared to the Class II YSOs, Class III YSOs have slightly larger velocities and dispersions.

astro-ph.GA↗