arXiv subjects

Jose A. Pons

Publications and source records attributed to Jose A. Pons.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

A unified model of the magnetar and radio pulsar bursting phenomenology

Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters (SGRs) are young neutron stars (NSs) characterized by high X-ray quiescent luminosities, outbursts, and, in the case of SGRs, sporadic giant flares. They are believed to be powered by ultra-strong magnetic fields (hence dubbed magnetars). The diversity of their observed behaviours is however not understood, and made even more puzzling by the discovery of magnetar-like bursts from "low-field" pulsars. Here we perform long-term 2D simulations that follow the evolution of magnetic stresses in the crust; these, together with recent calculations of the breaking stress of the neutron star crust, allow us to establish when starquakes occur. For the first time, we provide a quantitative estimate of the burst energetics, event rate, and location on the neutron star surface, which bear a direct relevance for the interpretation of the overall magnetar phenomenology. Typically, an "SGR-like" object tends to be more active than an "AXP-like" object or a "high-$B$ radio pulsar", but there is no fundamental separation among what constitutes the apparent different classes. Among the key elements that create the variety of observed phenomena, age is more important than a small variation in magnetic field strength. We find that outbursts can also be produced in old, lower-field pulsars (B ~ a few x 10^{12} G), but those events are much less frequent than in young, high-field magnetars.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Confirmation of the occurrence of the Hall instability in the non-linear regime

The non-linear Hall term present in the induction equation in the electron-magneto-hydrodynamics limit is responsible for the Hall drift of the magnetic field and, in some cases, for the so-called Hall instability. We investigate whether or not the growth rates and eigenfunctions found in the linear analysis are consistent with the results of non-linear numerical simulations. Following the linear analysis of Rheinhardt & Geppert, we study the same cases for which the Hall instability was predicted by solving the non-linear Hall induction equation using a two-dimensional conservative and divergence-free finite difference scheme that overcomes intrinsic difficulties of pseudo-spectral methods and can describe situations with arbitrarily high magnetic Reynolds numbers. We show that unstable modes can grow to the level of the background field without being overwhelmed by the Hall cascade, and cause a complete rearrangement of the field geometry. We confirm both the growth rates and eigenfunctions found in the linearized analysis and hence the instability. In the non-linear regime, after the unstable modes grow to the background level, the naturally selected modes become stable and oscillatory. Later on, the evolution tends to select the modes with the longest possible wavelengths, but this process occurs on the magnetic diffusion timescale. We confirm the existence of the Hall instability. We argue against using the misleading terminology that associates the non-linear Hall term with a turbulent Hall cascade, since small-scale structures are not created everywhere. The field evolves instead in a Burgers-like manner, forms local structures with strong gradients which become shocks in the zero resistivity limit, and Hall waves are launched and propagated through the entire domain.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2007

Joule heating in the cooling of magnetized neutron stars

We present 2D simulations of the cooling of neutron stars with strong magnetic fields (B \geq 10^{13} G). We solve the diffusion equation in axial symmetry including the state of the art microphysics that controls the cooling such as slow/fast neutrino processes, superfluidity, as well as possible heating mechanisms. We study how the cooling curves depend on the the magnetic field strength and geometry. Special attention is given to discuss the influence of magnetic field decay. We show that Joule heating effects are very large and in some cases control the thermal evolution. We characterize the temperature anisotropy induced by the magnetic field for the early and late stages of the evolution of isolated neutron stars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

The exact solution of the Riemann problem in relativistic MHD with tangential magnetic fields

We have extended the procedure to find the exact solution of the Riemann problem in relativistic hydrodynamics to a particular case of relativistic magnetohydrodynamics in which the magnetic field of the initial states is tangential to the discontinuity and orthogonal to the flow velocity. The wave pattern produced after the break up of the initial discontinuity is analogous to the non--magnetic case and we show that the problem can be understood as a purely relativistic hydrodynamical problem with a modified equation of state. The new degree of freedom introduced by the non-zero component of the magnetic field results in interesting effects consisting in the change of the wave patterns for given initial thermodynamical states, in a similar way to the effects arising from the introduction of tangential velocities. Secondly, when the magnetic field dominates the thermodynamical pressure and energy, the wave speeds approach the speed of light leading to fast shocks and fast and arbitrarily thin rarefaction waves. Our approach is the first non-trivial exact solution of a Riemann problem in relativistic magnetohydrodynamics and it can also be of great interest to test numerical codes against known analytical or exact solutions.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Accretion-driven gravitational radiation from nonrotating compact objects. Infalling quadrupolar shells

This paper reports results from numerical simulations of the gravitational radiation emitted from non--rotating compact objects(both neutron stars and Schwarzschild black holes) as a result of the accretion of matter. A hybrid procedure is adopted: we evolve, in axisymmetry, the linearized equations describing metric and fluid perturbations, coupled with a nonlinear hydrodynamics code that calculates the motion of the accreting matter. The initial matter distribution is shaped in the form of extended quadrupolar shells of dust or perfect fluid. Self--gravity and radiation reaction effects of the accreting fluid are neglected. This idealized setup is used to understand the qualitative features appearing in the energy spectrum of the gravitational wave emission from compact stars or black holes, subject to accretion processes involving extended objects. A comparison for the case of point--like particles falling radially onto black holes is also provided. Our results show that, when the central object is a black hole, the spectrum is far from having only one clear, monochromatic peak at the frequency of the fundamental quasi-normal mode, but it shows a complex pattern, with interference fringes produced by the interaction between the infalling matter and the underlying perturbed spacetime: most of the energy is emitted at frequencies lower than that of the fundamental mode of the black hole. Similar results are obtained for extended shells accreting onto neutron stars, but in this case the stellar fundamental mode is clearly excited. Our analysis shows that the gravitational wave signal driven by accretion is influenced more by the details and dynamics of the process, than by the quasi--normal mode structure of the central object.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2004

Evolutionary sequences of rotating protoneutron stars

We investigate the evolution of rigidly and differentially rotating protoneutron stars (PNSs) during the first twenty seconds of their life. We solve the equations describing stationary axisymmetric configurations in general relativity coupled to a finite temperature, relativistic equation of state, to obtain a sequence of quasi-equilibrium configurations describing the evolution of newly born neutron stars. Our estimates show that the scale of variation of the angular velocity in a PNSs is of the order of 7-10 km. We obtain the maximum rotation frequency that can be reached as the protoneutron stars deleptonizes and cools down, as well as other relevant parameters such as total angular momentum or |T/W|. Our study shows that imposing physical constraints (conservation of baryonic mass and angular momentum) and choosing reasonable thermodynamical profiles as the star evolves gives results consistent with the energetics of more complex simulations of non-rotating PNSs. It appears to be unlikely that PNSs formed in nearly axisymmetric core collapse reach the critical angular velocity to undergo the bar mode instability. They could, however, undergo secular or low |T/W| rotational instabilities a few seconds after birth, resulting in a strong emission of gravitational waves retarded with respect to the neutrino luminosity peak. We also found that the geometry of strongly differentially rotating protoneutron stars can become toroidal-like for large values of the angular velocity, before reaching the mass shedding limit.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Hydromagnetic instabilities in protoneutron stars

The stability properties of newly born neutron stars, or proto--neutron stars, are considered. We take into account dissipative processes, such as neutrino transport and viscosity, in the presence of a magnetic field. In order to find the regions of the star subject to different sorts of instability, we derive the general instability criteria and apply it to evolutionary models of PNSs. The influence of the magnetic field on instabilities is analyzed and the critical magnetic field stabilizing the star is obtained. In the light of our results, we estimate of the maximum poloidal magnetic field that might be present in young pulsars or magnetars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Towards a Mass and Radius Determination of the Nearby Isolated Neutron Star RX J185635-3754

We discuss efforts to determine the mass, radius, and surface composition of the nearby compact object RX J185635-3754 from its multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution. We compute non-magnetized model atmospheres and emergent spectra for selected compositions and gravities, and discuss efforts to fit existing and new observational data from ROSAT, EUVE and the HST. The spectral energy distribution matches that expected from a heavy-element dominated atmosphere, but not from a uniform temperature blackbody. Non-magnetic light element atmospheres cannot be simultaneously reconciled with the optical and X-ray data. We extend previous studies, which were limited to one fixed neutron star mass and radius. For uniform temperature models dominated by heavy elements, the redshift z is constrained to be 0.3 < z < 0.4 and the best-fit mass and radius are M approx 0.9 solar masses and R approx 6 km (for a 61 pc distance). These values for M and R together are not permitted for any plausible equation of state, including that of a self-bound strange quark star. A simplified two-temperature model allows masses and radii up to about 50% larger, or a factor of 2 in the case of a black body. The observed luminosity is consistent with the thermal emission of an isolated neutron star no older than about 1 million years, the age inferred from available proper motion and parallax information

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Evolution of Proto-Neutron Stars with Quarks

Neutrino fluxes from proto-neutron stars with and without quarks are studied. Observable differences become apparent after 10--20 s of evolution. Sufficiently massive stars containing negatively-charged, strongly interacting, particles collapse to black holes during the first minute of evolution. Since the neutrino flux vanishes when a black hole forms, this is the most obvious signal that quarks (or other types of strange matter) have appeared. The metastability timescales for stars with quarks are intermediate between those containing hyperons and kaon condensates.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

The likelihood of GODs' existence: Improving the SN1987a constraint on the size of large compact dimensions

The existence of compact dimensions which are accessible only to gravity represents an intriguing possible solution to the hierarchy problem. At present the strongest constraint on the existence of such compact Gravity-Only Dimensions (GODs) comes from SN1987a. Here we report on the first self-consistent simulations of the early, neutrino-emitting phase of a proto-neutron star which include energy losses due to the coupling of the Kaluza-Klein modes of the graviton which arise in a world with GODs. We compare the neutrino signals from these simulations to that from SN1987a and use a rigorous probabilistic analysis to derive improved bounds for the radii of such GODs. We find that the possibility that there are two compact extra dimensions with radii larger than 0.66 $μ$m is excluded at the 95% confidence level---as is the possibility that there are three compact extra dimensions larger than 0.8 nm.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Evolution of Proto-Neutron stars with kaon condensates

We present simulations of the evolution of a proto-neutron star in which kaon-condensed matter might exist, including the effects of finite temperature and trapped neutrinos. The phase transition from pure nucleonic matter to the kaon condensate phase is described using Gibbs' rules for phase equilibrium, which permit the existence of a mixed phase. A general property of neutron stars containing kaon condensates, as well as other forms of strangeness, is that the maximum mass for cold, neutrino-free matter can be less than the maximum mass for matter containing trapped neutrinos or which has a finite entropy. A proto-neutron star formed with a baryon mass exceeding that of the maximum mass of cold, neutrino-free matter is therefore metastable, that is, it will collapse to a black hole at some time during the Kelvin-Helmholtz cooling stage. The effects of kaon condensation on metastable stars are dramatic. In these cases, the neutrino signal from a hypothetical galactic supernova (distance $\sim8.5$ kpc) will stop suddenly, generally at a level above the background in the SuperK and SNO detectors, which have low energy thresholds and backgrounds. This is in contrast to the case of a stable star, for which the signal exponentially decays, eventually disappearing into the background. We find the lifetimes of kaon-condensed metastable stars to be restricted to the range 40--70 s and weakly dependent on the proto-neutron star mass, in sharp contrast to the significantly larger mass dependence and range (1--100 s) of hyperon-rich metastable stars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Convective instability in proto-neutron stars

The linear hydrodynamic stability of proto-neutron stars (PNSs) is considered taking into account dissipative processes such as neutrino transport and viscosity. We obtain the general instability criteria which differ essentially from the well-known Ledoux criterion used in previous studies. We apply the criteria to evolutive models of PNSs that, in general, can be subject to the various known regimes such as neutron fingers and convective instabilities. Our results indicate that the fingers instability arises in a more extended region of the stellar volume and lasts a longer time than expected.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Hyperbolic character of the angular moment equations of radiative transfer and numerical methods

We study the mathematical character of the angular moment equations of radiative transfer in spherical symmetry and conclude that the system is hyperbolic for general forms of the closure relation found in the literature. Hyperbolicity and causality preservation lead to mathematical conditions allowing to establish a useful characterization of the closure relations. We apply numerical methods specifically designed to solve hyperbolic systems of conservation laws (the so-called Godunov-type methods), to calculate numerical solutions of the radiation transport equations in a static background. The feasibility of the method in any kind of regime, from diffusion to free-streaming, is demonstrated by a number of numerical tests and the effect of the choice of the closure relation on the results is discussed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The exact solution of the Riemann problem with non-zero tangential velocities in relativistic hydrodynamics

We have generalised the exact solution of the Riemann problem in special relativistic hydrodynamics for arbitrary tangential flow velocities. The solution is obtained by solving the jump conditions across shocks plus an ordinary differential equation arising from the self-similarity condition along rarefaction waves, in a similar way as in purely normal flow. The dependence of the solution on the tangential velocities is analysed, and the impact of this result on the development of multidimensional relativistic hydrodynamic codes (of Godunov type) is discussed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Effects of Strong and Electromagnetic Correlations on Neutrino Interactions in Dense Matter

An extensive study of the effects of correlations on both charged and neutral current weak interaction rates in dense matter is performed. Both strong and electromagnetic correlations are considered.The propagation of particle-hole interactions in the medium plays an important role in determining the neutrino mean free paths. The effects due to Pauli-Blocking and density, spin, and isospin correlations in the medium significantly reduce the neutrino cross sections. Due to the lack of experimental information at high density, these correlations are necessarily model dependent. For example, spin correlations in nonrelativistic models are found to lead to larger suppressions of neutrino cross sections compared to those of relativistic models. This is due to the tendency of the nonrelativistic models to develop spin instabilities. Notwithstanding the above caveats, and the differences between nonrelativistic and relativistic approaches such as the spin- and isospin-dependent interactions and the nucleon effective masses, suppressions of order 2--3, relative to the case in which correlations are ignored, are obtained. Neutrino interactions in dense matter are especially important for supernova and early neutron star evolution calculations. The effects of correlations for protoneutron star evolution are calculated. Large effects on the internal thermodynamic properties of protoneutron stars, such as the temperature, are found. These translate into significant early enhancements in the emitted neutrino energies and fluxes, especially after a few seconds. At late times, beyond about 10 seconds, the emitted neutrino fluxes decrease more rapidly compared to simulations without the effects of correlations, due to the more rapid onset of neutrino transparency in the protoneutron star

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

General Relativistic Hydrodynamics with Special Relativistic Riemann Solvers

We present a general and practical procedure to solve the general relativistic hydrodynamic equations by using any of the special relativistic Riemann solvers recently developed for describing the evolution of special relativistic flows. Our proposal relies on a local change of coordinates in terms of which the spacetime metric is locally Minkowskian and permits accurate numerical calculations of general relativistic hydrodynamics problems using the numerical tools developed for the special relativistic case with negligible computational cost. The feasibility of the method has been confirmed by a number of numerical experiments.

astro-ph↗