arXiv subjects

M. Kachelriess

Publications and source records attributed to M. Kachelriess.

118 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv1997

Neutrino self-energy and pair creation in neutron stars

Massless neutrino exchange leads to a new long-range force between matter. Recently, it was claimed both that the potential energy due to this interaction i) dominates the total energy of neutron stars and ii) that it is zero. We recalculate the energy of a neutrino propagating in a classical, uniform background of neutrons and find a negligible, but non-zero contribution to the total energy of neutron stars. We estimate the neutrino pair creation rate of a neutron star caused by a density gradient of the background neutrons but found it too small to be observable.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Ultra-high energy LSP

We argue that the lightest supersymmetric particles (LSP) can be produced with extremely high energies $E\gsim 10^{10}$ GeV in the Universe at the present epoch. Their most probable sources are decaying superheavy particles produced by topological defects or as relic Big Bang particle. We discuss the mechanisms of production of LSP at ultra-high energies (UHE) and the interaction of the UHE LSP with matter. The most attention is given to the neutralino as LSP, although the gluino is also considered as a phenomenological possibility.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Are strongly magnetized degenerate stars cooling by axion emission?

We considered recently as a new axion production mechanism the process $e^- \to e^- +a$ in a strong magnetic field $B$. Requiring that for a strongly magnetized neutron star the axion luminosity is smaller than the neutrino luminosity we obtained the bound $g_{ae} \lsim 10^{-10}$ for the axion electron coupling constant. This limit is considerably weaker than the bound derived earlier by Borisov and Grishina using the same method. Applying a similar argument to magnetic white dwarf stars we obtained $g_{ae}\lsim 9 \cdot 10^{-13} (T/10^7)^{5/4} (B/10^{10})^{-2}$, where $T$ is the internal temperature of the white dwarf. Here we note that the observed lack of magnetized white dwarfs with low-temperature in the galactic disc could also be interpreted as a signature of axion emission. Moreover, we speculate that axion emission could explain why the putative galactic halo population of white dwarfs is so dim.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

Ultra-high energy cosmic rays without GZK cutoff

We study the decays of ultraheavy (m_X \geq 10^{13}GeV) and quasistable (lifetime τ_X much larger than the age of the Universe t_0) particles as the source of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHE CR). These particles are assumed to constitute a tiny fraction ξ_X of CDM in the Universe, with ξ_X being the same in the halo of our Galaxy and in the intergalactic space. The elementary-particle and cosmological scenarios for these particles are briefly outlined. The UHE CR fluxes produced at the decays of X- particles are calculated. The dominant contribution is given by fluxes of photons and nucleons from the halo of our Galaxy and thus they do not exibit the GZK cutoff. The extragalactic components of UHE CR are suppressed by the smaller extragalactic density of X-particles and hence the cascade limit is relaxed. We discuss the spectrum of produced Extensive Air Showers (EAS) and a signal from Virgo cluster as signatures of this model.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

Axion cyclotron emissivity of magnetized white dwarfs and neutron stars

The energy loss rate of a magnetized electron gas emitting axions a due to the process $e^- \to e^- +a$ is derived for arbitrary magnetic field strength B. Requiring that for a strongly magnetized neutron star the axion luminosity is smaller than the neutrino luminosity we obtain the bound $g_{ae}\lsim 10^{-10}$ for the axion electron coupling constant. This limit is considerably weaker than the bound derived earlier by Borisov and Grishina using the same method. Applying a similar argument to magnetic white dwarf stars results in the more stringent bound $g_{ae}\lsim 9x10^{-13} (T/10^7 K)^{5/4} (B/10^{10} G)^{-2}$ where T is the internal temperature of the white dwarf.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1996

Radiative neutrino decays in very strong magnetic fields

The radiative decay $ν_H \to ν_L + γ$ of massive neutrinos is analyzed in the framework of the standard model with lepton mixing for very strong magnetic fields $B\gg B_{cr} = m_e^2/e \sim 4.14 \times 10^{13}$G. The analysis is based on the approximate decay amplitude obtained by Gvozdev et al. Numerical results as well as analytical approximations for the decay rate are obtained for energies of the initial neutrino below and {\em above} the electron-positron pair creation threshold $2m_e$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Unstable states in QED of strong magnetic fields

We question the use of stable asymptotic scattering states in QED of strong magnetic fields. To correctly describe excited Landau states and photons above the pair creation threshold the asymptotic fields are chosen as generalized Licht fields. In this way the off-shell behavior of unstable particles is automatically taken into account, and the resonant divergences that occur in scattering cross sections in the presence of a strong external magnetic field are avoided. While in a limiting case the conventional electron propagator with Breit-Wigner form is obtained, in this formalism it is also possible to calculate $S$-matrix elements with external unstable particles.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1995

Curvature Radiation by Ultrarelativistic Protons

We study pion curvature radiation by a proton, i.e. pion emission by a proton moving along a curved trajectory. We suggest an approximate semiclassical solution and the exact solution for which we assume that a proton moves in a fictitious magnetic field with the Larmor radius equal to the curvature radius of the real trajectory. As possible application we consider the pion radiation by ultrahigh energy protons moving along curved magnetic field lines. Such situation can occur in the magnetosphere of a young pulsar, in the magnetosphere of the accretion disk around a black hole, and in the vicinity of a superconducting cosmic string. The decay products of these pions, such as high energy photons or neutrinos, can give the observable consequences of the considered mechanism.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1994

Is Compton scattering in strong magnetic fields really infrared divergent?

The infrared behavior of QED changes drastically in the presence of a strong magnetic field: the electron self-energy and the vertex function are infrared {\em finite}, in contrast with field-free QED, while new infrared divergences appear that are absent in free space. One famous example of the latter is the infrared catastrophe of magnetic Compton scattering, where the cross section for scattering of photons from electrons which undergo a transition to the Landau ground state {\em diverges} as the frequency of the incoming photon goes to zero. We examine this divergence in more detail and prove that the singularity of the cross section is {\em removed} as soon as proper account is taken of all quantum electrodynamical processes that become indistinguishable from Compton scattering in the limit of vanishing frequency of the incident photon.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1994

6Li Inelastic Form Factors in a Cluster Model

Longitudinal and transverse form factors are calculated for the transition into the low lying excited T=0 and T=1 states of 6Li in the framework of the resonating group model. All form factors are reproduced simultaneously using three cluster-wavefunctions. Meson exchange currents yield only minor corrections and do not lead to any specific structures at large momentum transfers.

nucl-th↗