arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N. Bucciantini.
This is a White Paper in support of the mission concept of the Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT), proposed as a medium-sized ESA mission. We discuss the potential of LOFT for the study of gamma-ray bursts. For a summary, we refer to the paper.
This is a White Paper in support of the mission concept of the Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT), proposed as a medium-sized ESA mission. We discuss the potential of LOFT for the study of magnetospheres of isolated neutron stars. For a summary, we refer to the paper.
Magnetic fields play a critical role in the phenomenology of neutron stars. There is virtually no observable aspect which is not governed by them. Despite this, only recently efforts have been done to model magnetic fields in the correct general relativistic regime, characteristic of these compact objects. In this work we present, for the first time a comprehensive and detailed parameter study, in general relativity, of the role that the current distribution, and the related magnetic field structure, have in determining the precise structure of neutron stars. In particular, we show how the presence of localized currents can modify the field strength at the stellar surface, and we look for general trends, both in terms of energetic properties, and magnetic field configurations. Here we verify that, among other things, for a large class of different current distributions the resulting magnetic configurations are always dominated by the poloidal component of the current.
Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars are extreme manifestations of the most magnetized neutron stars: magnetars. The phenomenology of their emission and spectral properties strongly support the idea that the magnetospheres of these astrophysical objects are tightly twisted in the vicinity of the star. Previous studies on equilibrium configurations have so far focused on either the internal or the external magnetic field configuration, without considering a real coupling between the two fields. Here we investigate numerical equilibrium models of magnetized neutron stars endowed with a confined twisted magnetosphere, solving the general relativistic Grad-Shafranov equation both in the interior and in the exterior of the compact object. A comprehensive study of the parameters space is provided to investigate the effects of different current distributions on the overall magnetic field structure.
The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) was studied within ESA M3 Cosmic Vision framework and participated in the final down-selection for a launch slot in 2022-2024. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument, LOFT will study the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions, such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions of accretion flows close to black holes and neutron stars, and the supra-nuclear densities in the interior of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, 10 m 2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1 deg collimated field of view) and a WideField Monitor (WFM, 2-50 keV, 4 steradian field of view, 1 arcmin source location accuracy, 300 eV spectral resolution). The WFM is equipped with an on-board system for bright events (e.g. GRB) localization. The trigger time and position of these events are broadcast to the ground within 30 s from discovery. In this paper we present the status of the mission at the end of its Phase A study.
Extremely magnetized neutron stars with magnetic fields as strong as $\sim 10^{15-16}$ G, or magnetars, have received considerable attention in the last decade due to their identification as a plausible source for Soft Gamma Repeaters and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars. Moreover, this class of compact objects has been proposed as a possible engine capable of powering both Long and Short Gamma-Ray Bursts, if the rotation period in their formation stage is short enough (~1 ms). Such strong fields are expected to induce substantial deformations of the star and thus to produce the emission of gravitational waves. Here we investigate, by means of numerical modeling, axisymmetric static equilibria of polytropic and strongly magnetized stars in full general relativity, within the ideal magneto-hydrodynamic regime. The eXtended Conformally Flat Condition (XCFC) for the metric is assumed, allowing us to employ the techniques introduced for the X-ECHO code [Bucciantini & Del Zanna, 2011, Astron. Astrophys. 528, A101], proven to be accurate, efficient, and stable. The updated XNS code for magnetized neutron star equilibria is made publicly available for the community (see www.arcetri.astro.it/science/ahead/XNS). Several sequences of models are here retrieved, from the purely toroidal (resolving a controversy in the literature) or poloidal cases, to the so-called twisted torus mixed configurations, expected to be dynamically stable, which are solved for the first time in the non-perturbative regime.
We present the first kinematic study of an $αΩ$-dynamo in the General Relativistic Magneto-HydroDynamics (GRMHD) regime, applied to thick disks orbiting around Kerr black holes and using a fully covariant mean field dynamo closure for the Ohm law. We show that the $αΩ$-dynamo mechanism leads to a continuous exponential growth of the magnetic field within the disk and to the formation of dynamo waves drifting away or toward the equatorial plane. Since the evolution of the magnetic field occurs qualitatively in the same fashion as in the Sun, we present also butterfly diagrams that characterize our models and show the establishment of an additional timescale, which depends on the microscopic properties of the turbulent motions, possibly providing an alternative explanation to periodicities observed in many high-energy astrophysical sources where accretion onto a rotating black hole is believed to operate.
High-energy phenomena in astrophysics involve quite generally a combination of relativistic motions and strong gravity. The simultaneous solution of Einstein equations and General Relativistic MHD equations is thus necessary to model with accuracy such phenomena. The so-called Conformally Flat Condition (CFC) allows a simplified treatment of Einstein equations, that can be particularly efficient in those contexts where gravitational wave emission is negligible, like core-collapse, or the formation/evolution of neutron stars. We have developed a set of codes to model axisymmetric MHD flows, in General Relativity, where the solution of Einstein equations is achieved with a semi-spectral scheme. Here, we will show how this framework is particularly well suited to investigate neutron star equilibrium models in the presence of strong magnetic fields and we will present the XNS code, that has been recently developed and here updated to treat poloidal and mixed configurations.
We present the first astrophysical application of the ECHO code in its recent version supplemented by a generalized Ohm law, namely a kinematic study of dynamo effects in thick accretion disks. High-order \emph{implicit-explicit} Runge-Kutta time-stepping routines are implemented and validated within $3+1$ \emph{General Relativistic MagnetoHydroDynamics} (GRMHD). The scheme is applied to a differentially rotating torus orbiting a Kerr black hole, where the mean-field dynamo process leads to strong amplification of seed magnetic fields. We show that the interplay between the toroidal and poloidal components occurs qualitatively in the same fashion as in the Sun, butterfly diagrams are reproduced, and a typical time-scale for the field evolution is found, depending on the dynamo and resistivity numbers, which could explain periodicities as observed in several accreting systems.
Magnetic fields play a crucial role in many astrophysical scenarios and, in particular, are of paramount importance in the emission mechanism and evolution of Neutron Stars (NSs). To understand the role of the magnetic field in compact objects it is important to obtain, as a first step, accurate equilibrium models for magnetized NSs. Using the conformally flat approximation we solve the Einstein's equations together with the GRMHD equations in the case of a static axisymmetryc NS taking into account different types of magnetic configuration. This allows us to investigate the effect of the magnetic field on global properties of NSs such as their deformation.
Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) are ideal astrophysical laboratories where high energy relativistic phenomena can be investigated. They are close, well resolved in our observations, and the knowledge derived in their study has a strong impact in many other fields, from AGNs to GRBs. Yet there are still unresolved issues, that prevent us from a full clear understanding of these objects. The lucky combination of high resolution X-ray imaging and numerical codes to handle the outflow and dynamical properties of relativistic MHD, has opened a new avenue of investigation that has lead to interesting progresses in the last years. Despite all of this, we do not understand yet how particles are accelerated, and the functioning of the pulsar wind and pulsar magnetosphere, that power PWNe. I will review what is now commonly known as the MHD paradigm, and in particular I will focus on various approaches that have been and are currently used to model these systems. For each I will highlight its advantages, limitations, and degree of applicability.
Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) are ideal astrophysical laboratories where high energy relativistic phenomena can be investigated. They are close, well resolved in our observations, and the knowledg derived in their study has a strong impact in many other fields, from AGNs to GRBs. Yet there are still unresolved issues, that prevent us from a full clear understanding of these objects. The lucky combination of high resolution X-ray imaging and numerical codes to handle the outflow and dynamical properties of relativistic MHD, has opened a new avenue of investigation that has lead to interesting progressed in the last years. Despite all of these, we do not understand yet how particles are accelerated, and the functioning of the pulsar wind and pulsar magnetosphere, that power PWNe. I will review what is now commonly known as the MHD paradigm, and in particular I will focus on various approaches that have been and are currently used to model these systems. For each I will highlight its advantages and limitations, and degree of applicability.
We present new imaging and spectral analysis of the recently discovered extended X-ray emission around the high-magnetic-field rotating radio transient RRAT J1819-1458. We used two Chandra observations, taken on 2008 May 31 and 2011 May 28. The diffuse X-ray emission was detected with a significance of ~19sigma in the image obtained by combining the two observations. Long-term spectral variability has not been observed. Possible scenarios for the origin of this diffuse X-ray emission, further detailed in Camero-Arranz et al. (2012), are here discussed.
We present new imaging and spectral analysis of the recently discovered extended X-ray emission around the high magnetic field rotating radio transient RRAT J1819-1458. We used two Chandra observations performed for this object in 2008 May 31 and 2011 May 28, respectively. The diffuse X-ray emission was detected with a significance of \sim19 sigma in the image obtained by combining the two observations. Neither long-term spectral nor timing variability have been observed from the source or the nebula. RRAT J1819-1458 shows an unusual high X-ray efficiency of L_x(0.3-5 keV)/Edot_{rot} \sim 0.15 at converting spin-down power into X-ray luminosity. The most favourable scenario for the origin of this extended X-ray emission is either a pulsar-wind nebula (PWN) or a scattering halo. A magnetically powered scenario for the extended emission is viable only in the case of a Compton nebula, while can be tentatively disfavoured in the case of synchrotron emission.
The powerful high-energy phenomena typically encountered in astrophysics invariably involve physical engines, like neutron stars and black hole accretion disks, characterized by a combination of highly magnetized plasmas, strong gravitational fields, and relativistic motions. In recent years numerical schemes for General Relativistic MHD (GRMHD) have been developed to model the multidimensional dynamics of such systems, including the possibility of an evolving spacetime. Such schemes have been also extended beyond the ideal limit including the effects of resistivity, in an attempt to model dissipative physical processes acting on small scales (sub-grid effects) over the global dynamics. Along the same lines, magnetic fields could be amplified by the presence of turbulent dynamo processes, as often invoked to explain the high values of magnetization required in accretion disks and neutron stars. Here we present, for the first time, a further extension to include the possibility of a mean-field dynamo action within the framework of numerical 3+1 (resistive) GRMHD. A fully covariant dynamo closure is proposed, in analogy with the classical theory, assuming a simple alpha-effect in the comoving frame. Its implementation into a finite-difference scheme for GRMHD in dynamical spacetimes [the X-ECHO code: (Bucciantini and Del Zanna 2011)] is described, and a set of numerical test is presented and compared with analytical solutions wherever possible.
The LOFT mission concept is one of four candidates selected by ESA for the M3 launch opportunity as Medium Size missions of the Cosmic Vision programme. The launch window is currently planned for between 2022 and 2024. LOFT is designed to exploit the diagnostics of rapid X-ray flux and spectral variability that directly probe the motion of matter down to distances very close to black holes and neutron stars, as well as the physical state of ultra-dense matter. These primary science goals will be addressed by a payload composed of a Large Area Detector (LAD) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM). The LAD is a collimated (<1 degree field of view) experiment operating in the energy range 2-50 keV, with a 10 m^2 peak effective area and an energy resolution of 260 eV at 6 keV. The WFM will operate in the same energy range as the LAD, enabling simultaneous monitoring of a few-steradian wide field of view, with an angular resolution of <5 arcmin. The LAD and WFM experiments will allow us to investigate variability from submillisecond QPO's to year-long transient outbursts. In this paper we report the current status of the project.
In the last few years, evidences for a long-lived and sustained engine in Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) have increased the attention to the so called millisecond-magnetar model, as a competitive alternative to the standard collapsar scenario. I will review here the key aspects of the {\it millisecond magnetar} model for Long Duration Gamma Ray Bursts (LGRBs). I will briefly describe what constraints, present observations put on any engine model, both in term of energetic, outflow properties, and the relation with the associated Supernova (SN). For each of these I will show how the millisecond magnetar model satisfies the requirements, what are the limits of the model, how can it be further tested, and what observations might be used to discriminate against it. I will also discuss numerical results that show the importance of the confinement by the progenitor star in explaining the formation of a collimated outflow, how a detailed model for the evolution of the central engine can be built, and show that a wide variety of explosive events can be explained by different magnetar parameters. I will conclude with a suggestion that magnetars might be at the origin of the Extended Emission (EE) observed in a significant fraction of Short GRBs.
The Frying Pan (G315.9-0.0) is a radio supernova remnant with a peculiar linear feature (G315.78-0.23) extending 10' radially outward from the rim of the shell. We present radio imaging and polarization observations obtained from the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, confirming G315.78-0.23 as a bow-shock pulsar wind nebula (PWN) powered by the young pulsar J1437-5959. This is one of the longest pulsar tails observed in radio and it has a physical extent over 20 pc. We found a bow-shock stand-off distance of 0.002 pc, smallest among similar systems, suggesting a large pulsar velocity over 1000 km/s and a high Mach number ~200. The magnetic field geometry inferred from radio polarimetry shows a good alignment with the tail orientation, which could be a result of high flow speed. There are also hints that the postshock wind has a low magnetization and is dominated by electrons and positrons in energy. This study shows that PWNe can offer a powerful probe of their local environment, particularly for the case of a bow shock where the parent supernova shell is also detected.