arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Jorge A. Rueda.
The recent progress in the understanding the physical nature of neutron star equilibrium configurations and the first observational evidence of a genuinely short gamma-ray burst, GRB 090227B, allows to give an estimate of the gravitational waves versus the X and Gamma-ray emission in a short gamma-ray burst.
It has been shown recently that taking into account strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational interactions, and fulfilling the global charge neutrality of the system, a transition layer will happen between the core and crust of neutron stars, at the nuclear saturation density. We use relativistic mean field theory together with the Thomas-Fermi approximation to study the detailed structure of this transition layer and calculate its surface and Coulomb energy. We find that the surface tension is proportional to a power-law function of the baryon number density in the core bulk region. We also analyze the influence of the electron component and the gravitational field on the structure of the transition layer and the value of the surface tension to compare and contrast with known phenomenological results in nuclear physics. Based on the above results we study the instability against Bohr-Wheeler surface deformations in the case of neutron stars obeying global charge neutrality. Assuming the core-crust transition at nuclear density $ρ_{core}\approx 2.7 * 10^{14}$ g cm$^{-3}$, we find that the instability sets the upper limit to the crust density, $ρ_{crust}^{crit}\approx 1.2 * 10^{14}$ g cm$^{-3}$. This result implies a nonzero lower limit to the maximum electric field of the core-crust transition surface and makes inaccessible a limit of quasilocal charge neutrality in the limit $ρ_{crust}=ρ_{core}$. The general framework presented here can be also applied to study the stability of sharp phase transitions in hybrid stars as well as in strange stars, both bare and with outer crust. The results of this work open the way to a more general analysis of the stability of these transition surfaces, accounting for other effects such as gravitational binding, centrifugal repulsion, magnetic field induced by rotating electric field, and therefore magnetic dipole-dipole interactions.
The Feynman-Metropolis-Teller treatment of compressed atoms has been recently generalized to relativistic regimes and applied to the description of static and rotating white dwarfs in general relativity. We present here the extension of this treatment to the case of finite temperatures and construct the corresponding equation of state (EOS) of the system; applicable in a wide regime of densities that includes both white dwarfs and neutron star outer crusts. We construct the mass-radius relation of white dwarfs at finite temperatures obeying this new EOS and apply it to the analysis of ultra low-mass white dwarfs with $M\lesssim 0.2 M_\odot$. In particular, we analyze the case of the white dwarf companion of PSR J1738+0333. The formulation is then extrapolated to compressed nuclear matter cores of stellar dimensions, systems with mass numbers $A\approx (m_{\rm Planck}/m_n)^3$ or mass $M_{\rm core}\approx M_{\odot}$, where $m_{\rm Planck}$ and $m_n$ are the Planck and the nucleon mass. For $T \ll m_e c^2/k_B \approx 5.9\times 10^9$ K, a family of equilibrium configurations can be obtained with analytic solutions of the ultra-relativistic Thomas-Fermi equation at finite temperatures. Such configurations fulfill global but not local charge neutrality and have strong electric fields on the core surface. We find that the maximum electric field at the core surface is enhanced at finite temperatures with respect to the degenerate case.
In our previous treatment of neutron stars, we have developed the model fulfilling global and not local charge neutrality. In order to implement such a model, we have shown the essential role by the Thomas-Fermi equations, duly generalized to the case of electromagnetic field equations in a general relativistic framework, forming a coupled system of equations that we have denominated Einstein-Maxwell-Thomas-Fermi (EMTF) equations. From the microphysical point of view, the weak interactions are accounted for by requesting the β stability of the system, and the strong interactions by using the σ-ω-ρ nuclear model, where σ, ω and ρ are the mediator massive vector mesons. Here we examine the equilibrium configurations of slowly rotating neutron stars by using the Hartle formalism in the case of the EMTF equations indicated above. We integrate these equations of equilibrium for different central densities and circular angular velocities and compute the mass, polar and equatorial radii, angular momentum, eccentricity, moment of inertia, as well as quadrupole moment of the configurations. Both the Keplerian mass-shedding limit and the axisymmetric secular instability are used to construct the new mass-radius relation. We compute the maximum and minimum masses and rotation frequencies of neutron stars. We compare and contrast all the results for the global and local charge neutrality cases.
Following Malheiro et al. (2012) we describe the so-called low magnetic field magnetars, SGR 0418+5729, Swift J1822.3--1606, as well as the AXP prototype 1E 2259+586 as massive fast rotating highly magnetized white dwarfs. We give bounds for the mass, radius, moment of inertia, and magnetic field for these sources by requesting the stability of realistic general relativistic uniformly rotating configurations. Based on these parameters, we improve the theoretical prediction of the lower limit of the spindown rate of SGR 0418+5729; for a white dwarf close to its maximum stable we obtain the very stringent interval for the spindown rate of 4.1E-16< dP/dt < 6E-15, where the upper value is the known observational limit. A lower limit has been also set for Swift J1822.3-1606 for which a fully observationally accepted spin-down rate is still lacking. The white dwarf model provides for this source dP/dt> 2.13E-15, if the star is close to its maximum stable mass. We also present the theoretical expectation of the infrared, optical and ultraviolet emission of these objects and show their consistency with the current available observational data. We give in addition the frequencies at which absorption features could be present in the spectrum of these sources as the result of the scattering of photons with the quantized electrons by the surface magnetic field.
The properties of uniformly rotating white dwarfs (RWDs) are analyzed within the framework of general relativity. Hartle's formalism is applied to construct the internal and external solutions to the Einstein equations. The WD matter is described by the relativistic Feynman-Metropolis-Teller equation of state which generalizes the Salpeter's one by taking into account the finite size of the nuclei, the Coulomb interactions as well as electroweak equilibrium in a self-consistent relativistic fashion. The mass $M$, radius $R$, angular momentum $J$, eccentricity $ε$, and quadrupole moment $Q$ of RWDs are calculated as a function of the central density $ρ_c$ and rotation angular velocity $Ω$. We construct the region of stability of RWDs ($J$-$M$ plane) taking into account the mass-shedding limit, inverse $β$-decay instability, and the boundary established by the turning-points of constant $J$ sequences which separates stable from secularly unstable configurations. We found the minimum rotation periods $\sim 0.3$, 0.5, 0.7 and 2.2 seconds and maximum masses $\sim 1.500$, 1.474, 1.467, 1.202 $M_\odot$ for $^{4}$He, $^{12}$C, $^{16}$O, and $^{56}$Fe WDs respectively. By using the turning-point method we found that RWDs can indeed be axisymmetrically unstable and we give the range of WD parameters where it occurs. We also construct constant rest-mass evolution tracks of RWDs at fixed chemical composition and show that, by loosing angular momentum, sub-Chandrasekhar RWDs (mass smaller than maximum static one) can experience both spin-up and spin-down epochs depending on their initial mass and rotation period while, super-Chandrasekhar RWDs (mass larger than maximum static one), only spin-up.
A novel concept has been recently proposed for explaining the temporal coincidence of some Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) with an associated Supernova (SN) in terms of the gravitational collapse of a neutron star (NS) to a Black Hole (BH), induced by a type Ib/c SN explosion. We apply these considerations to the exceptional case of GRB 090618, for which there is evidence of a SN $\sim 10$ days after the GRB occurrence. We calculate the accretion rate and total accreted mass onto a NS from a SN Ib/c originated from a companion evolved star. It is shown that the NS reaches in a few seconds the critical mass and undergoes gravitational collapse to a BH leading to the emission of a GRB. We find for the mass of the NS companion, $M_{\rm NS}$, and for the SN core progenitor, $M_{\rm core}$, the following mass ranges: $1.8\lesssim M_{NS}/M_\odot \lesssim 2.1$ and $3\leq M_{\rm core}/M_\odot \leq 8$. Finally, we discuss the complementarity of these considerations to alternative processes explaining long and short GRBs.
It is understood that the Supernovae (SNe) associated to Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are of type Ib/c. The temporal coincidence of the GRB and the SN represents still a major enigma of Relativistic Astrophysics. We elaborate here, from the earlier paradigm, that the concept of induced gravitational collapse is essential to explain the GRB-SN connection. The specific case of a close (orbital period <1 h) binary system composed of an evolved star with a Neutron Star (NS) companion is considered. We evaluate the accretion rate onto the NS of the material expelled from the explosion of the core progenitor as a type Ib/c SN, and give the explicit expression of the accreted mass as a function of the nature of the components and binary parameters. We show that the NS can reach, in a few seconds, the critical mass and consequently gravitationally collapses to a Black Hole. This gravitational collapse process leads to the emission of the GRB.
Following the recent theoretical interpretation of GRB 090618 and GRB 101023, we here interpret GRB 970828 in terms of a double episode emission: the first episode, observed in the first 40 s of the emission, is interpreted as the proto-black-hole emission; the second episode, observed after t$_0$+50 s, as a canonical gamma ray burst. The transition between the two episodes marks the black hole formation. The characteristics of the real GRB, in the second episode, are an energy of $E_{tot}^{e^+e^-} = 1.60 \times 10^{53}$ erg, a baryon load of $B = 7 \times 10^{-3}$ and a bulk Lorentz factor at transparency of $Γ= 142.5$. The clear analogy with GRB 090618 would require also in GRB 970828 the presence of a possible supernova. We also infer that the GRB exploded in an environment with a large average particle density $ \, \approx 10^3$ part/cm$^3$ and dense clouds characterized by typical dimensions of $(4 - 8) \times 10^{14}$ cm and $δn/n \propto 10$. Such an environment is in line with the observed large column density absorption, which might have darkened both the supernova emission and the GRB optical afterglow.
Whether analytic exact vacuum(electrovacuum) solutions of the Einstein(Einstein-Maxwell) field equations can accurately describe or not the exterior spacetime of compact stars remains still an interesting open question in Relativistic Astrophysics. As an attempt to establish their level of accuracy, the radii of the Innermost Stable Circular Orbits (ISCOs) of test particles given by analytic exterior spacetime geometries have been compared with the ones given by numerical solutions for neutron stars (NSs) obeying a realistic equation of state (EoS). It has been so shown that the six-parametric solution of Pachón, Rueda, and Sanabria (2006) (hereafter PRS) is more accurate to describe the NS ISCO radii than other analytic models. We propose here an additional test of accuracy for analytic exterior geometries based on the comparison of orbital frequencies of neutral test particles. We compute the Keplerian, frame-dragging, as well as the precession and oscillation frequencies of the radial and vertical motions of neutral test particles for the Kerr and PRS geometries; then we compare them with the numerical values obtained by Morsink and Stella (1999) for realistic NSs. We identify the role of high-order multipole moments such as the mass quadrupole and current octupole in the determination of the orbital frequencies especially in the rapid rotation regime. The results of this work are relevant to cast a separatrix between black hole (BH) and NS signatures as well as probe the nuclear matter EoS and NS parameters from the Quasi-Periodic Oscillations (QPOs) observed in Low Mass X-Ray Binaries.
Recent observations of the late ($t=10^8$--$10^9$ s) emission of supernovae (SNe) associated to GRBs (GRB-SN) show a distinctive emission in the X-ray regime consistent with temperatures $10^7$--$10^8$ K. Similar features have been also observed in the two Type Ic SNe SN 2002ap and SN 1994I that are not associated to GRBs. We advance the possibility that the late X-ray emission observed in GRB-SN and in isolated SN is associated to a hot neutron star (NS) just formed in the SN event, here defined as a neo-NS. We discuss the thermal evolution of neo-NS in the age regime that spans from $\sim 1$ minute (just after the proto-NS phase) up to ages <10-100 yr. We examine the key factor governing the neo-NS cooling emphasizing on the neutrino emission. A phenomenological heating source and new boundary conditions are introduced to mimic the high-temperature atmosphere of young NSs. We match the neo-NS luminosity to the late X-ray emission of the GRB-SN events URCA-1 in GRB980425-SN1998bw, URCA-2 in GRB030329-SN2003dh, and URCA-3 in GRB031203-SN2003lw. By calibrating our additional heating source at early times to $\sim 10^{12}$--$10^{15}$ erg/g/s, we find a striking agreement of the luminosity obtained from the cooling of neo-NSs with the late ($t=10^{8}$--$10^{9}$ s) X-ray emission observed in GRB-SN. It is therefore appropriate to revise the boundary conditions used in the cooling theory of NSs, to match the proper conditions of the atmosphere at young ages. Additional heating processes that are still not studied within this context, such as e+e- pair creation by overcritical fields and nuclear fusion and fission energy release, might also take place under such conditions and deserve further analysis. Observation of GRB-SN has shown the possibility of witnessing the thermal evolution of neo-NSs. A new campaign of dedicated observations is recommended both of GRB-SN and of isolated Type Ic SN.
We formulate the equations of equilibrium of neutron stars taking into account strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational interactions within the framework of general relativity. The nuclear interactions are described by the exchange of the sigma, omega, and rho virtual mesons. The equilibrium conditions are given by our recently developed theoretical framework based on the Einstein-Maxwell-Thomas-Fermi equations along with the constancy of the general relativistic Fermi energies of particles, the "Klein potentials", throughout the configuration. The equations are solved numerically in the case of zero temperatures and for selected parametrization of the nuclear models. The solutions lead to a new structure of the star: a positively charged core at supranuclear densities surrounded by an electronic distribution of thickness $\sim \hbar/(m_e c)$ of opposite charge, as well as a neutral crust at lower densities. Inside the core there is a Coulomb potential well of depth $\sim m_πc^2/e$. The constancy of the Klein potentials in the transition from the core to the crust, impose the presence of an overcritical electric field $\sim (m_π/m_e)^2 E_c$, the critical field being $E_c=m^2_e c^3/(e \hbar)$. The electron chemical potential and the density decrease, in the boundary interface, until values $μ^{\rm crust}_e < μ^{\rm core}_e$ and $ρ_{\rm crust}<ρ_{\rm core}$. For each central density, an entire family of core-crust interface boundaries and, correspondingly, an entire family of crusts with different mass and thickness, exist. The configuration with $ρ_{\rm crust}=ρ_{\rm drip}\sim 4.3\times 10^{11}$ g/cm$^3$ separates neutron stars with and without inner crust. We present here the novel neutron star mass-radius for the case $ρ_{\rm crust}=ρ_{\rm drip}$ and compare and contrast it with the one obtained from the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff treatment.
The joint X and gamma-ray observations of GRB 090618 by a large number of satellites offer an unprecedented possibility of testing crucial aspects of theoretical models. In particular, it allows us to test (a) the formation of an optically thick e+e- baryon plasma self-accelerating to Lorentz factors in the range 200 < g < 3000; (b) its transparency condition with the emission of a component of 10^{53-54} baryons in the TeV region and (c) the collision of these baryons with the circumburst medium clouds, characterized by dimensions of 10^{15-16} cm. In addition, these observations offer the possibility of testing a new understanding of the thermal and power-law components in the early phase of this GRB. We test the fireshell model of GRBs in one of the closest (z = 0.54) and most energetic (Eiso = 2.90 x 10^{53} ergs) GRBs, namely GRB 090618. We analyze its emission using several spectral models, with special attention to the thermal and power-law components. We determine the fundamental parameters of a canonical GRB within the context of the fireshell model. We find evidences of the existence of two different episodes in GRB 090618. The first episode lasts 50 s and is characterized by a spectrum consisting of thermal component, which evolves between kT = 54 keV and kT = 12 keV. The second episode, which lasts for \sim 100s, behaves as a canonical long GRB with a Lorentz gamma factor at transparency of g = 495, a temperature at transparency of 29.22 keV and with characteristic masses of the surrounding clouds of \sim 10^{22-24} g. We support the recently proposed two-component nature of GRB 090618 by using specific theoretical analysis and illustrate that the episode 1 cannot be considered to be either a GRB or a part of a GRB event, but it appears to be related to the progenitor of the collapsing bare core leading to the formation of the black hole which we call a proto-black hole.
SGR 0418+5729 is a "Rosetta Stone" for deciphering the energy source of Soft Gamma Ray Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs). We show a model based on canonical physics and astrophysics for SGRs and AXPs powered by massive highly magnetized rotating white dwarfs (WDs), in total analogy with pulsars powered by rotating neutron stars (NSs). We predict for SGR 0418+5729 a lower limit for its spin-down rate, $\dot{P} \geq L_X P^3/(4π^2 I)=1.18\times 10^{-16}$ where $I$ is the moment of inertia of the WD. We show for SGRs and AXPs that, the occurrence of the glitch and the gain of rotational energy, is due to the release of gravitational energy associated to the contraction and decrease of the moment of inertia of the WDs. The steady emission and the outburst following the glitch are explained by the loss of rotational energy of the Wds, in view of the much larger moment of inertia of the WDs, as compared to the one of NSs and/or quark stars. There is no need here to invoke the unorthodox concept of magnetic energy release due to decay of overcritical magnetic fields, as assumed in the magnetar model. A new astrophysical scenario for the SGRs and AXPs associated to Supernova remnants is presented. The observational campaigns of the X-ray Japanese satellite Suzaku on AE Aquarii and the corresponding theoretical works by Japanese groups and recent results of the Hubble Space Telescope, give crucial information for our theoretical model. Follow-on missions of Hubble Telescope and VLT are highly recommended to give further observational evidence of this most fundamental issue of relativistic astrophysics: the identification of the true SGRs/AXPs energy source.
The isothermal Tolman condition and the constancy of the Klein potentials originally expressed for the sole gravitational interaction in a single fluid are here generalized to the case of a three quantum fermion fluid duly taking into account the strong, electromagnetic, weak and gravitational interactions. The set of constitutive equations including the Einstein-Maxwell-Thomas-Fermi equations as well as the ones corresponding to the strong interaction description are here presented in the most general relativistic isothermal case. This treatment represents an essential step to correctly formulate a self-consistent relativistic field theoretical approach of neutron stars.
The recent formulation of the relativistic Thomas-Fermi model within the Feynman-Metropolis-Teller theory for compressed atoms is applied to the study of general relativistic white dwarf equilibrium configurations. The equation of state, which takes into account the β-equilibrium, the nuclear and the Coulomb interactions between the nuclei and the surrounding electrons, is obtained as a function of the compression by considering each atom constrained in a Wigner-Seitz cell. The contribution of quantum statistics, weak, nuclear, and electromagnetic interactions is obtained by the determination of the chemical potential of the Wigner-Seitz cell. The further contribution of the general relativistic equilibrium of white dwarf matter is expressed by the simple formula $\sqrt{g_{00}}μ_{\rm ws}$= constant, which links the chemical potential of the Wigner-Seitz cell $μ_{\rm ws}$ with the general relativistic gravitational potential $g_{00}$ at each point of the configuration. The configuration outside each Wigner-Seitz cell is strictly neutral and therefore no global electric field is necessary to warranty the equilibrium of the white dwarf. These equations modify the ones used by Chandrasekhar by taking into due account the Coulomb interaction between the nuclei and the electrons as well as inverse β-decay. They also generalize the work of Salpeter by considering a unified self-consistent approach to the Coulomb interaction in each Wigner-Seitz cell. The consequences on the numerical value of the Chandrasekhar-Landau mass limit as well as on the mass-radius relation of $^4$He, $^{12}$C, $^{16}$O and $^{56}$Fe white dwarfs are presented. All these effects should be taken into account in processes requiring a precision knowledge of the white dwarf parameters.
We have recently proved the impossibility of imposing the condition of local charge neutrality in a self-gravitating system of degenerate neutrons, protons and electrons in $β$-equilibrium. The coupled system of the general relativistic Thomas-Fermi equations and the Einstein-Maxwell equations have been shown to supersede the traditional Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations. Here we present the Newtonian limit of the new equilibrium equations. We also extend the treatment to the case of finite temperatures and finally we give the explicit demonstration of the constancy of the Klein potentials in the case of finite temperatures generalizing the condition of constancy of the general relativistic Fermi energies in the case of zero temperatures.
We present the self-consistent treatment of the simplest, nontrivial, self-gravitating system of degenerate neutrons, protons and electrons in $β$-equilibrium within relativistic quantum statistics and the Einstein-Maxwell equations. The impossibility of imposing the condition of local charge neutrality on such systems is proved, consequently overcoming the traditional Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff treatment. We emphasize the crucial role of imposing the constancy of the generalized Fermi energies. A new approach based on the coupled system of the general relativistic Thomas-Fermi-Einstein-Maxwell equations is presented and solved. We obtain an explicit solution fulfilling global and not local charge neutrality by solving a sophisticated eigenvalue problem of the general relativistic Thomas-Fermi equation. The value of the Coulomb potential at the center of the configuration is $eV(0)\simeq m_πc^2$ and the system is intrinsically stable against Coulomb repulsion in the proton component. This approach is necessary, but not sufficient, when strong interactions are introduced.