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J. M. Bai

Publications and source records attributed to J. M. Bai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The Most Luminous H$β$ Reverberation Mapping of E1821+643 Indicates the Lower Boundary of the Radius-Luminosity Relation

The radius-luminosity ($R_{\rm BLR}$-$L_{5100}$) relation is fundamental to active galactic nucleus (AGN) studies, enabling supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass estimates and AGN-based cosmology applications. However, its high-luminosity end remains poorly calibrated due to insufficient reliable reverberation mapping (RM) data. We present a four-year RM campaign of the luminous quasar E1821+643 using the Lijiang 2.4-m telescope, supplemented by archival multi-wavelength data. E1821+643 is the most luminous AGN with an \hb\ RM measurement to date. The measured time lag of $83.2_{-18.7}^{+17.5}$ days is a factor of 5.6 shorter than predicted by the canonical $R_{\rm BLR}$-$L_{5100}$ relation. By compiling the full \hb\ RM sample, we find that such deviation defines a lower envelope ($0.2R_{\rm BLR}$) of measured lags across the entire luminosity range, while the upper envelope lies near $2R_{\rm BLR}$, implying that the scatter for individual AGNs can reach 1 dex. Spectral decomposition reveals two distinct \hb\ components: a core component with a lag of $267.0_{-17.6}^{+16.6}$ days closer to the $R_{\rm BLR}$-$L_{5100}$ relation, and a redshifted tail with a much shorter lag of $-49.0_{-34.5}^{+50.5}$ days. The short-lag component not only accounts for the significantly shortened overall lag, but also leads to an opposite interpretation of the intrinsic BLR kinematics. These effects can introduce systematic uncertainties in black hole mass estimates by factors of up to tens. Our findings demonstrate that shortened lags in high-accretion-rate AGNs arise from multi-component BLR structures, posing substantial challenges to single-epoch mass estimates and impacting SMBH demographics and cosmological applications.

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Discovery of a Luminosity-dependent Continuum Lag in NGC 4151 from Photometric and Spectroscopic Continuum Reverberation Mapping

Accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs) powers active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and drives feedback that shapes galaxy evolution. Constraining AGN accretion disk structure is therefore essential for understanding black hole growth and feedback processes. However, direct constraints on disk size remain rare -- particularly from long-term, multi-season spectroscopic reverberation mapping (RM), which is critical for isolating the intrinsic disk response from the broad-line region (BLR). We present results from an intensive multi-wavelength RM campaign of NGC 4151 during its brightest state in nearly two decades. This represents the third high-cadence monitoring over the past decade, capturing accretion states spanning the transitional regime between thin and thick disks, making NGC 4151 the only AGN with continuum RM observations across such a wide range in accretion states. Combining spectroscopy from the Lijiang 2.4 m telescope with coordinated Swift UV/X-ray monitoring, we measure inter-band continuum lags from UV to optical. The wavelength-dependent lags follow a tight $τ\propto λ^{4/3}$ relation, consistent with reprocessing in a thin disk, but exceed theoretical predictions by a factor of 6.6. Our lag spectrum reveals clear excesses near the Balmer and possibly Paschen jumps, confirming diffuse continuum (DC) contamination from the BLR. By comparing the three campaigns, we discover a non-monotonic lag-luminosity trend ($>3σ$), which cannot be explained by DC emission alone. We propose the lags reflect combined disk and BLR contributions, and present the first evidence that the DC component follows an intrinsic Baldwin effect. These results offer new insights into SMBH mass measurements and theoretical models of AGN inner structure.

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Morpho-Photometric Classification of KiDS DR5 Sources Based on Neural Networks: A Comprehensive Star-Quasar-Galaxy Catalog

We present a novel multimodal neural network (MNN) for classifying astronomical sources in multiband ground-based observations, from optical to near infrared, to separate sources in stars, galaxies and quasars. Our approach combines a convolutional neural network branch for learning morphological features from $r$-band images with an artificial neural network branch for extracting spectral energy distribution (SED) information. Specifically, we have used 9-band optical ($ugri$) and NIR ($ZYHJK_s$) data from the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) Data Release 5. The two branches of the network are concatenated and feed into fully-connected layers for final classification. We train the network on a spectroscopically confirmed sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey cross-matched with KiDS. The trained model achieves 98.76\% overall accuracy on an independent testing dataset, with F1 scores exceeding 95\% for each class. Raising the output probability threshold, we obtain higher purity at the cost of a lower completeness. We have also validated the network using external catalogs cross-matched with KiDS, correctly classifying 99.74\% of a pure star sample selected from Gaia parallaxes and proper motions, and 99.74\% of an external galaxy sample from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey, adjusted for low-redshift contamination. We apply the trained network to 27,335,836 KiDS DR5 sources with $r \leqslant 23$ mag to generate a new classification catalog. This MNN successfully leverages both morphological and SED information to enable efficient and robust classification of stars, quasars, and galaxies in large photometric surveys.

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Reverberation Mapping of Two Variable Active Galactic Nuclei: Probing the Distinct Characteristics of the Inner and Outer Broad-line Regions

Current reverberation mapping (RM) studies primarily focus on single emission lines, particularly the \hb\ line, which may not fully reveal the geometry and kinematic properties of the broad-line region (BLR). To overcome this limitation, we conducted multiline RM observations on two highly variable active galactic nuclei (AGNs), KUG 1141+371 and UGC 3374, using the Lijiang 2.4 m telescope. Our goal was to investigate the detailed structure of different regions within the BLR. We measured the time lags of multiple broad emission lines (\ha, \hb, \hg, \hei, and \heii) and found clear evidence of radial ionization stratification in the BLRs of both AGNs. Velocity-resolved RM analysis revealed distinct geometry and kinematics between the inner and outer regions of the BLRs. Assuming that velocity-resolved lags reflect the kinematics of BLR, our observations indicate that: (1) in KUG 1141+371, the inner BLR exhibits outflow signatures, while the outer region is consistent with virialized motion; (2) in UGC 3374, the inner region displays virial motion, while the outer region shows inflow. Furthermore, we detected ``breathing" behavior in the outer BLR regions of both AGN, while the inner BLR regions show ``anti-breathing", which may be linked to intrinsic BLR properties. We discuss these findings in the context of various BLR formation models, highlighting importance of long-term, multiline RM campaigns in understanding of BLR structure and evolution. Additionally, our results suggest that the observed stratification in BLR geometry and kinematics may contribute to the scatter in black hole mass estimates and the rapid changes in velocity-resolved RM signatures reported in recent studies.

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Velocity-resolved Reverberation Mapping of Changing-look Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 4151 during Outburst Stage. II. Four Season Observation Results

We present the results of a four-year velocity-resolved reverberation mapping (RM) campaign of the changing-look active galactic nucleus (CL-AGN) NGC 4151 during its outburst phase. By measuring the time lags of the \ha, \hb, \hg, \hei, and \heii\ emission lines, we confirm a stratified broad-line region (BLR) structure that aligns with predictions from photoionization models. Intriguingly, we observed an ``anti-breathing" phenomenon, where the lags of broad emission lines decreased with increasing luminosity, contrary to the typical expectation. This anomaly may be attributed to the influence of the ultraviolet-optical lag or non-virialized motions in the BLR gas. Velocity-resolved RM and ionization mapping analyses revealed rapid and significant changes in the BLR geometry and kinematics on timescales within one year, which cannot be interpreted by any single mechanism, such as an inhomogeneous BLR, variations in radiation pressure, or changes in the illuminated ionizing field. Additionally, the \hb\ lags of NGC 4151 and other CL-AGNs agree with the radius-luminosity relationship established for AGNs with low accretion rates, implying that the CL phenomenon is more likely driven by intrinsic changes in the accretion rate rather than obscuration. These findings provide new insights into the complex internal processes of CL-AGNs and highlight the importance of long-term, multi-line RM for understanding BLR structures, geometry, and kinematics.

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Velocity-Resolved Ionization Mapping of Broad Line Region. I. Insights into Diverse Geometry and Kinematics

Broad emission lines of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) originate from the broad-line region (BLR), consisting of dense gas clouds in orbit around an accreting supermassive black hole. Understanding the geometry and kinematics of the region is crucial for gaining insights into the physics and evolution of AGNs. Conventional velocity-resolved reverberation mapping may face challenges in disentangling the degeneracy between intricate motion and geometry of this region. To address this challenge, new key constraints are required. Here, we report the discovery of an asymmetric BLR using a novel technique: velocity-resolved ionization mapping, which can map the distance of emitting gas clouds by measuring Hydrogen line ratios at different velocities. By analyzing spectroscopic monitoring data, we find that the Balmer decrement is anticorrelated with the continuum and correlated with the lags across broad emission line velocities. Some line ratio profiles deviate from the expectations for a symmetrically virialized BLR, suggesting that the red-shifted and blue-shifted gas clouds may not be equidistant from the supermassive black hole (SMBH). This asymmetric geometry might represent a formation imprint, provide new perspectives on the evolution of AGNs, and influence SMBH mass measurements.

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Measuring the Virial Factor in SDSS DR7 AGNs with Redshifted H$β$ and H$α$ Broad Emission Lines

Under the hypothesis of gravitational redshift induced by the central supermassive black hole, and based on line widths and shifts of redward shifted H$β$ and H$α$ broad emission lines for more than 8000 SDSS DR7 AGNs, we measure the virial factor in determining supermassive black hole masses. The virial factor had been believed to be independent of accretion radiation pressure on gas clouds in broad-line region (BLR), and only dependent on inclination effects of BLR. The virial factor measured spans a very large range. For the vast majority of AGNs ($>$96%) in our samples, the virial factor is larger than $f=1$ usually used in literatures. The $f$ correction makes the percent of high-accreting AGNs decrease by about 100 times. There are positive correlations of $f$ with the dimensionless accretion rate and Eddington ratio. The redward shifts of H$β$ and H$α$ are mainly the gravitational origin, confirmed by a negative correlation between the redward shift and the dimensionless radius of BLR. Our results show that radiation pressure force is a significant contributor to the measured virial factor, containing the inclination effects of BLR. The usually used values of $f$ should be corrected for high-accreting AGNs, especially high redshift quasars. The $f$ correction increases their masses by one--two orders of magnitude, which will make it more challenging to explain the formation and growth of supermassive black holes at high redshifts.

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Expected Signature For the Lorentz Invariance Violation Effects on $γ-γ$ Absorption

There are still some {significant and} unanswered questions about the {incredible} {very high energy (VHE)} $γ$-ray signatures. To help understand the mechanism, focusing on the linear and quadratic perturbation mode for the subluminal regime, the present paper revisited the expected signature for the Lorentz invariance violation effects on $γ-γ$ absorption in TeV spectra of Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We note that there is {a critical energy} for the pair production process, which is sensitive to the assumed quantum gravity energy scale. We suggest that a {reemergence of the energy spectrum of $γ$-rays} at the several tens of TeV is a rough observational diagnostic for the Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) effects. The expected spectra characteristics are applied to a GRB 221009A. The results show that the cosmic opacity with LIV effects considered here {can} roughly reproduce the observed $γ$-ray spectra for the source, which enabled us to constrain the upper limit of the values of energy scale at $E_{\rm QG,~1}\leq3.35\times10^{20}$ GeV for the linear perturbation and $E_{\rm QG,~2}\leq9.19\times10^{12}$ GeV for the quadratic perturbation. {These scenarios would update the bound of the LIV coefficient with $ξ_{\rm 1}^{\prime}\geq 3.62\times10^{-2}$ for the linear perturbation, and $ξ_{\rm 2}^{\prime}\geq 1.33\times10^{6}$ for the quadratic perturbation in the standard model extension (SME) framework, respectively. }

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Velocity-resolved Reverberation Mapping of Changing-look Active Galactic Nucleus NGC~4151 During Outburst Stage: Evidence for Kinematics Evolution of Broad-line Region

Changing-look active galactic nucleus NGC~4151, which has attracted a lot of attention, is undergoing the second dramatic outburst stage in its evolutionary history. To investigate the geometry and kinematics of the broad-line region (BLR), and measure the mass of supermassive black hole in NGC~4151, we perform a seven-month photometric and spectroscopic monitoring program in 2020--2021, using the 2.4 m telescope at Lijiang Observatory. We successfully measure the time lags of the responses from broad \ha, \hb, \hg, \hei, and \heii\ emission lines to continuum variation, which are $7.63_{-2.62}^{+1.85}$, $6.21_{-1.13}^{+1.41}$, $5.67_{-1.94}^{+1.65}$, $1.59_{-1.11}^{+0.86}$, and $0.46_{-1.06}^{+1.22}$ days, respectively, following radial stratification. The ratios of time lags among these lines are $1.23 : 1.00 : 0.91 : 0.26 : 0.07$. We find that the continuum lag between the ultraviolet and optical bands can significantly affect the lag measurements of \hei\ and \heii. Virial and infalling gas motions coexist in this campaign, which is different from previous results, implying the evolutionary kinematics of BLR. Based on our measurements and previous ones in the literature, we confirm that the BLR of NGC~4151 is basically virialized. Finally, we compute the black hole mass through multiple lines, and the measurement from \hb\ to be $ 3.94_{-0.72}^{+0.90} \times 10^7 M_{\odot}$, which is consistent with previous results. The corresponding accretion rate is $0.02_{-0.01}^{+0.01} L_{\rm Edd} c^{-2}$, implying a sub-Eddington accretor.

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Measuring the Virial Factor in SDSS DR5 Quasars with Redshifted H$β$ and Fe ii Broad Emission Lines

Under the hypothesis of gravitational redshift induced by the central supermassive black hole, and based on line widths and shifts of redward shifted H$β$ and Fe ii broad emission lines for a sample of 1973 $z<0.8$ SDSS DR5 quasars, we measured the virial factor in determining supermassive black hole masses, usually estimated by the reverberation mapping (RM) method or the relevant secondary methods. The virial factor had been believed to be from the geometric effect of broad-line region. The measured virial factor of Fe ii is larger than that of H$β$ for 98% of these quasars. The virial factor is very different from object to object and for different emission lines. For most of these quasars, the virial factor of H$β$ is larger than these averages that were usually used in determining the masses of black holes. There are three positive correlations among the measured virial factor of H$β$, dimensionless accretion rate and Fe ii/H$β$ line ratio. A positive three-dimensional correlation is found among these three quantities, and this correlation indicates that the virial factor is likely dominated by the dimensionless accretion rate and metallicity. A negative correlation is found between the redward shift of H$β$ and the scaled size of broad-line region radius in units of the gravitational radius of black hole. This negative correlation will be expected naturally if the redward shift of H$β$ is mainly from the gravity of black hole. Radiation pressure from accretion disk may be a significant contributor to the virial factor.

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The afterglow emission from a stratified jet in GRB 170817A

The afterglow of GRB 170817A has been detected for more than three years, but the origin of the multi-band afterglow light curves remains under debate. A classical top-hat jet model is faced with difficulties in producing a shallow rise of the afterglow light curves as observed $(F_ν \propto T^{0.8})$. Here we reconsider the model of stratified ejecta with energy profile of $E(>Γβ)=E_0(Γβ)^{-k}$ as the origin of the afterglow light curves of the burst, where $Γ$ and $β$ are the Lorentz factor and speed of the ejecta, respectively. $k$ is the power-law slope of the energy profile. We consider the ejecta are collimated into jets. Two kinds of jet evolutions are investigated, including a lateral-spreading jet and a non-lateral-spreading jet. We fit the multi-band afterglow light curves, including the X-ray data at one thousand days post-burst, and find that both the models of the spreading and non-spreading jets can fit the light curves well, but the observed angular size of the source and the apparent velocity of the flux centroid for the spreading jet model are beyond the observation limits, while the non-spreading jet model meets the observation limits. Some of the best-fit parameters for the non-spreading jet model, such as the number density of the circumburst medium $\sim10^{-2}$ cm$^{-3}$ and the total jet kinetic energy $E \sim 4.8\times 10^{51}$ erg, also appear plausible. The best-fit slope of the jet energy profile is $k \sim 7.1$. Our results suggest that the afterglow of GRB 170817A may arise from the stratified jet and that the lateral spreading of the jet is not significant.

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Velocity-resolved Reverberation Mapping of Changing-look AGN NGC 2617

NGC 2617 has attracted a lot of attention after the detection of the changes in spectral type, and its geometry and kinematics of broad-line region (BLR) are still ambiguous. In this paper, we present the high cadence ($\sim$ 2 days) reverberation mapping campaign of NGC 2617 from 2019 October to 2020 May undertaken at Lijiang 2.4 m telescope. For the first time, the velocity-resolved reverberation signature of the object was successfully detected. Both H$α$ and H$β$ show an asymmetrical profile with a peak in the velocity-resolved time lags. For each of both lines, the lag of the line core is longer than those of the relevant wings, and the peak of the velocity-resolved lags is slightly blueshifted. These characteristics are not consistent with the theoretical prediction of the inflow, outflow or Keplerian disk model. Our observations give the time lags ofH$α$, H$β$, H$γ$, and He I, with a ratio of $τ_{\rm{H}α}$:$τ_{\rm{H}β}$:$τ_{\rm{H}γ}$:$τ_{\rm{He~I}}$ = 1.27:1.00:0.89:0.20, which indicates a stratified structure in the BLR of the object. It is the first time that the lags of H$α$ and He I are obtained. Assuming a virial factor of $f$ = 5.5 for dispersion width of line, the masses of black hole derived from H$α$ and H$β$ are $\rm{23.8^{+5.4}_{-2.7}}$ and $\rm{21.1^{+3.8}_{-4.4}} \times 10^{6}M_{\odot}$, respectively. Our observed results indicate the complexity of the BLR of NGC 2617.

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Reverberation Mapping of Changing-look Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 3516

The changes of broad emission lines should be a crucial issue to understanding the physical properties of changing-look active galactic nucleus (CL-AGN). Here, we present the results of an intensive and homogeneous 6-month long reverberation mapping (RM) monitoring campaign during a low-activity state of the CL-AGN Seyfert galaxy NGC 3516. Photometric and spectroscopic monitoring was carried out during 2018--2019 with the Lijiang 2.4 m telescope. The sampling is 2 days in most nights, and the average sampling is $\sim$3 days. The rest frame time lags of H$α$ and H$β$ are $τ_{\rm{H}α}=7.56^{+4.42}_{-2.10}$ days and $τ_{\rm{H}β}=7.50^{+2.05}_{-0.77}$ days, respectively. From a RMS H$β$ line dispersion of $σ_{\rm{line}} = 1713.3 \pm 46.7$ $\rm{km}$ $\rm{s^{-1}}$ and a virial factor of $f_σ$ = 5.5, the central black hole mass of NGC 3516 is estimated to be $M_{\rm{BH}}= 2.4^{+0.7}_{-0.3} \times 10^{7} M_{\odot}$, which is in agreement with previous estimates. The velocity-resolved delays show that the time lags increase towards negative velocity for both H$α$ and H$β$. The velocity-resolved RM of H$α$ is done for the first time. These RM results are consistent with other observations before the spectral type change, indicating a basically constant BLR structure during the changing-look process. The CL model of changes of accretion rate seems to be favored by long-term H$β$ variability and RM observations of NGC 3516.

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A time-dependent particle acceleration and emission model: Understanding the particle spectral evolution and blazar flares

The jets of blazars are renowned for their multi-wavelength flares and rapid extreme variability; however, there are still some important unanswered questions about the physical processes responsible for these spectral and temporal changes in emission properties. In this paper, we develop a time-dependent particle evolution model for the time-varying emission spectrum of blazars. In the model, we introduce time-dependent electric and magnetic fields, which consistently include the variability of relevant physical quantities in the transport equation. The evolution on the electron distribution is numerically solved from a generalized transport equation that contains the terms describing the electrostatic, first-order and second-order \emph{Fermi} acceleration, escape of particles due to both advection and spatial diffusion, as well as energy losses due to the synchrotron emission and inverse-Compton scattering of both synchrotron and external ambient photon fields. We find that the light curve profiles of blazars are consistent with the particle spectral evolution resulting from time-dependent electric and magnetic fields, rather than the effects of the acceleration or the cooling processes. The proposed model is able to simultaneously account for the variability of both the energy spectrum and the light curve profile of the BL Lac object Mrk 421 with reasonable assumptions about the physical parameters. The results strongly indicate that the magnetic field evolution in the dissipated region of a blazar jet can account for the variabilities.

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An Explanation for 13 consecutive days activities of Mrk 421

It is surprising to find a fact for migration in the peak positions of synchrotron spectra energy distribution component during in the activity epochs of Mrk 421, accompanying with an orphan flaring at the X-ray and GeV-TeV $γ$-ray bands. A geometric interpretation and standard shock or stochastic acceleration models of blazar emission have difficulty reproducing these observed behaviours. The present paper introduces a linear acceleration by integrating the reconnection electric field into the particle transport model for the observed behaviours of Mrk 421. We note that the strong evidence for evolution of multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution characteristic by shifting the peak frequency, accompanying with an orphan flaring at the X-ray and GeV-TeV $γ$-ray bands provides an important electrostatic acceleration diagnostic in blazar jet. Assuming suitable model parameters, we apply the results of the simulation to the 13-day flaring event in 2010 March of Mrk 421, concentrating on the evolution of multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution characteristic by shifting the peak frequency. It is clear that the ratio of the electric field and magnetic field strength plays an important role in temporal evolution of the peak frequency of synchrotron spectral energy distribution component. We suggest the electrostatic acceleration responsible for the evolution of multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution characteristic by shifting the peak frequency is reasonable. Based on the model results, we issue that the peak frequency of the synchrotron spectral energy distribution component may denote a temporary characteristic of blazars, rather than a permanent one.

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Spectroscopic Monitoring of Blazar S5 0716+714: Brightness-Dependent Spectral Behavior

In this paper, we report the new results of spectroscopic observations of $γ$-ray blazar S5 0716+714 from 2019 September to 2020 March with the 2.4 m optical telescope at Lijiang Observatory of Yunnan Observatories. The median cadence of observations is $\sim$ 1 day. During the second observation period (Epoch2), the observational data reveal an extremely bright state and a bluer-when-brighter (BWB) chromatism. The BWB trend of Epoch2 differs significantly from that of the first observation period (Epoch1). A significantly brightness-dependent BWB chromatism emerges in the total data of Epoch1 and Epoch2. The BWB trend becomes weaker towards the brighter states, and likely becomes saturated at the highest state. Based on a log-parabolic function, a power-law of synchrotron peak flux and frequency $ν_{\rm{p}}$, and a power-law of the curvature of synchrotron spectrum and its $ν_{\rm{p}}$, simulation well reproduces the brightness-dependent BWB trend of S5 0716+714. The BWB trend is seemingly controlled by the shift of $ν_{\rm{p}}$ with respect to the observational window, and effectively may be dominated by the variations of electron average energy and magnetic field in emitting region.

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The Synchrotron Polarization in Decaying Magnetic Field in Gamma-Ray Bursts

Polarization can serve as a probe of the radiation mechanism and magnetic field (MF) configuration in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In the case of constant MF, the synchrotron polarization in the prompt phase of GRBs has been widely studied. In this paper, we consider the case of the decaying MF. We calculate the time-averaged and instantaneous synchrotron polarizations in a pulse for different viewing angles and for the large-scale decaying MF model, which can explain the so-called Band spectrum. We find that the on-axis time-averaged polarization degree (PD) in the energy band of 50-500 keV for the decaying large-scale MF model ($\sim 0.6$ for typical parameters) is higher than that in the constant MF model ($\sim 0.5$). An interesting result is the instantaneous PD in the off-axis case will experience a turnover, i.e., the PD will evolve from a positive value to a negative one. This suggests the polarization angle (PA) change by an angle of $90^\circ$. Such a result is roughly consistent with the discovery of the PA evolution within a pulse in some bursts, such as GRB 170114A and GRB 160821A. Our result implies at least a part of bursts (off-axis bursts) should have the PA evolution in a pulse.

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Grandma: a network to coordinate them all

GRANDMA is an international project that coordinates telescope observations of transient sources with large localization uncertainties. Such sources include gravitational wave events, gamma-ray bursts and neutrino events. GRANDMA currently coordinates 25 telescopes (70 scientists), with the aim of optimizing the imaging strategy to maximize the probability of identifying an optical counterpart of a transient source. This paper describes the motivation for the project, organizational structure, methodology and initial results.

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