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I. Domínguez

Publications and source records attributed to I. Domínguez.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Status and initial physics performance studies of the MPD experiment at NICA

The Nuclotron-base Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), with commissioning of the facility expected in late 2022. The Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) has been designed to operate at NICA and its components are currently in production. The detector is expected to be ready for data taking with the first beams from NICA. This document provides an overview of the landscape of the investigation of the QCD phase diagram in the region of maximum baryonic density, where NICA and MPD will be able to provide significant and unique input. It also provides a detailed description of the MPD set-up, including its various subsystems as well as its support and computing infrastructures. Selected performance studies for particular physics measurements at MPD are presented and discussed in the context of existing data and theoretical expectations.

physics.ins-det

Two-component source to explain $Λ$ and $\barΛ$ global polarization in non-central heavy-ion collisions

The STAR Beam Energy Scan program has found a difference in the global polarization of $Λ$s and $\barΛ$s produced in $Au+Au$ collisions. This difference is larger for lower center of mass collision energies. In this work we show that a two-component source, consisting of a high density core and a lower density corona, can describe quantitatively the $Λ$ and $\barΛ$ polarization as a function of collision energy.

hep-ph

Sensitivity for four-body tau-lepton decays at Belle and Belle II experiments

We study the expected sensitivity at Belle and Belle II for four-body $τ^\mp \to X^\pm l^\mp l^\mp ν_τ$ decays where $l=e$ or $μ$ and $X=π$, $K$, $ρ$ and $K^*$ mesons. These decay processes violate the total lepton number ($|ΔL|=2$ ) and they can be induced by the exchange of Majorana neutrinos. In particular, we consider lifetimes in the accessible ranges of $τ_N$ = 5, 100 ps and extract the limits on $|V_{\ell N}|^2$ without any additional assumption on the relative size of the mixing matrix elements. For an integrated luminosity collected of 1 ab$^{-1}$ at Belle, we found significant sensitivity on branching fractions of the order BR($τ^\mp \to X^\pm l^\mp l^\mp ν_τ$) $\sim 10^{-8}$. For an integrated luminosity expected of 50 ab$^{-1}$ and intermediate luminosity of 10 ab$^{-1}$ at the Belle II, we found significant sensitivity on branching fractions of the order BR($τ^\mp \to X^\pm l^\mp l^\mp ν_τ$) $\sim 10^{-9}-10^{-8}$. We use these sensitivities to set limits for the exclusion regions on the parameter space $(m_N, |V_{\ell N}|^2)$ associated with the heavy neutrino; such that for a $|V_{\ell N}|^2 \sim \mathcal{O}(10^{-5})$ at $τ_N = 100$ ps, we find the bounds as $0.140 < m_N < 1.776$ GeV for $τ^- \to X^+ e^- e^- ν_τ$ and $0.245 < m_N < 1.671 $ GeV for $τ^- \to X^+ μ^- μ^- ν_τ$.

hep-ph

PISCO: The Pmas/ppak Integral-field Supernova hosts COmpilation

We present the Pmas/ppak Integral-field Supernova hosts COmpilation (PISCO) which comprises Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) of 232 supernova (SN) host galaxies, that hosted 272 SNe, observed over several semesters with the 3.5m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory (CAHA). PISCO is the largest collection of SN host galaxies observed with wide-field IFS, totaling 466,347 individual spectra covering a typical spatial resolution of $\sim$380 pc. While focused studies regarding specific SN Ia- related topics will be published elsewhere, this paper aims to present the properties of the SN environments with stellar population (SP) synthesis and the gas-phase ISM, providing additional results separating stripped-envelope SNe into their subtypes. With 11,270 HII regions detected in all galaxies, we present for the first time an HII region statistical analysis, that puts HII regions that have hosted SNe in context with all other SF clumps within their galaxies. SNe Ic are associated to more metal-rich, higher EW(Hα) and higher SF rate environments within their host galaxies than the mean of all HII regions detected within each host, on contrary SNe IIb occur at the most different environments compared to other CC SNe types. We find two clear components of young and old SP at SNe IIn locations. We find that SNe II fast-decliners (IIL) tend to explode at locations where ΣSFR is more intense. Finally, we outline how a future dedicated IFS survey of galaxies in parallel to an untargeted SN search would overcome the biases in current environmental studies.

astro-ph.GA

Gamma-Ray emission from SN2014J near maximum optical light

The optical light curve of Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) is powered by thermalized gamma-rays produced by the decay of 56Ni and 56Co, the main radioactive isotopes synthesized by the thermonuclear explosion of a C/O white dwarf. Gamma-rays escaping the ejecta can be used as a diagnostic tool for studying the characteristics of the explosion. In particular, it is expected that the analysis of the early gamma emission, near the maximum of the optical light curve, could provide information about the distribution of the radioactive elements in the debris. In this paper, the gamma data obtained from SN2014J in M82 by the instruments on board of INTEGRAL are analyzed taking special care of the impact that the detailed spectral response has on the measurements of the intensity of the lines. The 158 keV emission of 56Ni has been detected in SN2014J at ~5 sigma at low energy with both ISGRI and SPI around the maximum of the optical light curve. After correcting the spectral response of the detector, the fluxes in the lines suggest that, in addition to the bulk of radioactive elements buried in the central layers of the debris, there is a plume of 56Ni, with a significance of ~3 sigma, moving at high velocity and receding from the observer. The mass of the plume is in the range of ~ 0.03-0.08 solar masses. No SNIa explosion model had predicted the mass and geometrical distribution of 56Ni suggested here. According to its optical properties, SN2014J looks as a normal SNIa. So it is extremely important to discern if it is also representative in the gamma-ray band.

astro-ph.HE

SN 2014J at M82: I. A middle-class type Ia supernova by all spectroscopic metrics

We present the intensive spectroscopic follow up of the type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2014J in the starburst galaxy M82. Twenty-seven optical spectra have been acquired from January 22nd to September 1st 2014 with the Isaac Newton (INT) and William Herschel (WHT) Telescopes. After correcting the observations for the recession velocity of M82 and for Milky Way and host galaxy extinction, we measured expansion velocities from spectral line blueshifts and pseudo-equivalent width of the strongest features in the spectra, which gives an idea on how elements are distributed within the ejecta. We position SN 2014J in the Benetti (2005), Branch et al. (2006) and Wang et al. (2009) diagrams. These diagrams are based on properties of the Si II features and provide dynamical and chemical information about the SN ejecta. The nearby SN 2011fe, which showed little evidence for reddening in its host galaxy, is shown as a reference for comparisons. SN 2014J is a border-line object between the Core-normal (CN) and Broad-line (BL) groups, which corresponds to an intermediate position between Low Velocity Gradient (LVG) and High Velocity Gradient (HVG) objects. SN 2014J follows the R(Si II)-Δm15 correlation, which confirms its classification as a relatively normal SN Ia. Our description of the SN Ia in terms of the evolution of the pseudo-equivalent width of various ions as well as the position in the various diagrams put this specific SN Ia into the overall sample of SN Ia.

astro-ph.SR

Type Ia Supernovae: Can Coriolis force break the symmetry of the gravitational confined detonation explosion mechanism?

Nowadays the number of models aimed at explaining the Type Ia supernova phenomenon is high and discriminating between them is a must-do. In this work we explore the influence of rotation in the evolution of the nuclear flame which drives the explosion in the so called gravitational confined detonation models. Assuming that the flame starts in a point-like region slightly above the center of the white dwarf (WD) and adding a moderate amount of angular velocity to the star we follow the evolution of the deflagration using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. We find that the results are very dependent on the angle between the rotational axis and the line connecting the initial bubble of burned material with the center of the white dwarf at the moment of the ignition. The impact of rotation is larger for angles close to 90° because the Coriolis force on a floating element of fluid is maximum, and its principal effect is to break the symmetry of the deflagration. Such symmetry breaking weakens the convergence of the nuclear flame at the antipodes of the initial ignition volume, changing the environmental conditions around the convergence region with respect to non-rotating models. These changes seem to disfavor the emergence of a detonation in the compressed volume at the antipodes, thus compromising the viability of the so called gravitational confined detonation mechanism.

astro-ph.HE

Nitrogen isotopes in AGB carbon stars and presolar SiC grains: a challenge for stellar nucleosynthesis

Isotopic ratios of C, N, Si, and trace heavy elements in presolar SiC grains from meteorites provide crucial constraints to nucleosynthesis. A long-debated issue is the origin of the so-called A+B grains, as for them no stellar progenitor has so far been clearly identified on observational grounds. We report the first spectroscopic measurements of 14N/15N ratios in Galactic carbon stars of different spectral types and show that J- and some SC-type stars might produce A+B grains, even for 15N enrichments previously attributed to novae. We also show that most mainstream (MS) grains are compatible with the composition of N-type stars, but might also descend, in some cases, from SC stars. From the theoretical point of view, no astrophysical scenario can explain the C and N isotopic ratios of SC, J and N-type carbon stars together, as well as those of many grains produced by them. This poses urgent questions to stellar physics.

astro-ph.SR

Observation of SN2011fe with INTEGRAL. I. Pre--maximum phase

SN2011fe was detected by the Palomar Transient Factory on August 24th 2011 in M101 a few hours after the explosion. From the early optical spectra it was immediately realized that it was a Type Ia supernova thus making this event the brightest one discovered in the last twenty years. The distance of the event offered the rare opportunity to perform a detailed observation with the instruments on board of INTEGRAL to detect the gamma-ray emission expected from the decay chains of $^{56}$Ni. The observations were performed in two runs, one before and around the optical maximum, aimed to detect the early emission from the decay of $^{56}$Ni and another after this maximum aimed to detect the emission of $^{56}$Co. The observations performed with the instruments on board of INTEGRAL (SPI, IBIS/ISGRI, JEMX and OMC) have been analyzed and compared with the existing models of gamma-ray emission from such kind of supernovae. In this paper, the analysis of the gamma-ray emission has been restricted to the first epoch. Both, SPI and IBIS/ISGRI, only provide upper-limits to the expected emission due to the decay of $^{56}$Ni. These upper-limits on the gamma-ray flux are of 7.1 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ ph/s/cm$^2$ for the 158 keV line and of 2.3 $\times$ 10$^{-4}$ ph/s/cm$^2$ for the 812 keV line. These bounds allow to reject at the $2σ$ level explosions involving a massive white dwarf, $\sim 1$ M$\odot$ in the sub--Chandrasekhar scenario and specifically all models that would have substantial amounts of radioactive $^{56}$Ni in the outer layers of the exploding star responsible of the SN2011fe event. The optical light curve obtained with the OMC camera also suggests that SN2011fe was the outcome of the explosion, possibly a delayed detonation although other models are possible, of a CO white dwarf that synthesized $\sim 0.55$ M$_\odot$ of $^{56}$Ni. For this specific model.

astro-ph.HE

Type Ia supernovae and the ^{12}C+^{12}C reaction rate

The experimental determination of the cross-section of the ^{12}C+^{12}C reaction has never been made at astrophysically relevant energies (E<2 MeV). The profusion of resonances throughout the measured energy range has led to speculation that there is an unknown resonance at E\sim1.5 MeV possibly as strong as the one measured for the resonance at 2.14 MeV. We study the implications that such a resonance would have for the physics of SNIa, paying special attention to the phases that go from the crossing of the ignition curve to the dynamical event. We use one-dimensional hydrostatic and hydrodynamic codes to follow the evolution of accreting white dwarfs until they grow close to the Chandrasekhar mass and explode as SNIa. In our simulations, we account for a low-energy resonance by exploring the parameter space allowed by experimental data. A change in the ^{12}C+^{12}C rate similar to the one explored here would have profound consequences for the physical conditions in the SNIa explosion, namely the central density, neutronization, thermal profile, mass of the convective core, location of the runaway hot spot, or time elapsed since crossing the ignition curve. For instance, with the largest resonance strength we use, the time elapsed since crossing the ignition curve to the supernova event is shorter by a factor ten than for models using the standard rate of ^{12}C+^{12}C, and the runaway temperature is reduced from \sim8.14\times10^{8} K to \sim4.26\times10^{8} K. On the other hand, a resonance at 1.5 MeV, with a strength ten thousand times smaller than the one measured at 2.14 MeV, but with an α/p yield ratio substantially different from 1 would have a sizeable impact on the degree of neutronization of matter during carbon simmering. We conclude that a robust understanding of the links between SNIa properties and their progenitors will not be attained until the ^{12}C+^{12}C reaction rate is measured at energies \sim1.5 MeV.

astro-ph.SR

The First Fluorine Abundance Determinations in Extragalactic AGB Carbon Stars

Fluorine (19F) abundances (or upper limits) are derived in six extragalactic AGB carbon stars from the HF(1-0) R9 line at 2.3358 mu in high resolution spectra. The stars belong to the Local Group galaxies LMC, SMC and Carina dwarf spheroidal, spanning more than a factor 50 in metallicity. This is the first study to probe the behaviour of F with metallicity in intrinsic extragalactic C-rich AGB stars. Fluorine could be measured only in four of the target stars, showing a wide range in F-enhancements. Our F abundance measurements together with those recently derived in Galactic AGB carbon stars show a correlation with the observed carbon and s-element enhancements. The observed correlations however, display a different dependence on the stellar metallicity with respect to theoretical predictions in low mass, low metallicity AGB models. We briefly discuss the possible reasons for this discrepancy. If our findings are confirmed in a larger number of metal-poor AGBs, the issue of F production in AGB stars will need to be revisited.

astro-ph.SR