arXiv subjects

R. X. Xu

Publications and source records attributed to R. X. Xu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Pulsating magneto-dipole radiation of a quaking neutron star powered by energy of Alfven seismic vibrations

We compute the characteristic parameters of magnetic dipole radiation of a neutron star undergoing torsional seismic vibrations under the action of Lorentz restoring force about axis of a dipolar magnetic field experiencing decay. After brief outline of general theoretical background of the model of vibration powered neutron star, we present numerical estimates of basic vibration and radiation characteristics, such as the oscillation frequency, lifetime, luminosity of radiation, and investigate their time dependence upon magnetic field decay. The presented analysis suggests that gradual decrease in frequencies of pulsating high-energy emission detected from a handful of currently monitored AXP/SGR-like X-ray sources can be explained as being produced by vibration powered magneto-dipole radiation of quaking magnetars. \keywords{neutron stars, torsion Alfvén vibrations, vibration powered radiation, magnetic field decay, magnetars}

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Constraint on parameters of the Inverse Compton Scattering model for radio pulsars

The inverse Compton scattering (ICS) model can explain various pulse profile shapes and diversity of pulse profile evolution based on the mechanism that the radio emission is generated through inverse Compton scattering between secondary relativistic particles and radio waves from polar gap avalanches. In this paper, we study the parameter space of ICS model for 15 pulsars, which share the common pulse profile evolution phenomena that the pulse profiles are narrower at higher observing frequencies. Two key parameters, the initial Lorentz factor and the energy loss factor of secondary particles are constrained using the least square fitting method, where we fit the theoretical curve of the "beam-frequency mapping" of the ICS model to the observed pulse widths at multiple frequencies. The uncertainty of the inclination and viewing angles are taken into account in the fitting process. It is found that the initial Lorentz factor is larger than 4000, and the energy loss factor is between 20 and 560. The Lorentz factor is consistent with the prediction of the inner vacuum gap model. Such high energy loss factors suggest significant energy loss for secondary particles at altitudes of a few tens to hundreds of kilometers.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2011

AXPs and SGRs in the outer gap model: confronting Fermi observations

Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) are magnetar candidates, i.e., neutron stars powered by strong magnetic field. If they are indeed magnetars, they will emit high-energy gamma-rays which are detectable by Fermi-LAT according to the outer gap model. However, no significant detection is reported in recent Fermi-LAT observations of all known AXPs and SGRs. Considering the discrepancy between theory and observations, we calculate the theoretical spectra for all AXPs and SGRs with sufficient observational parameters. Our results show that most AXPs and SGRs are high-energy gamma-ray emitters if they are really magnetars. The four AXPs 1E 1547.0-5408, XTE J1810-197, 1E 1048.1-5937, and 4U 0142+61 should have been detected by Fermi-LAT. Then there is conflict between out gap model in the case of magnetars and Fermi observations. Possible explanations in the magnetar model are discussed. On the other hand, if AXPs and SGRs are fallback disk systems, i.e., accretion-powered for the persistent emissions, most of them are not high-energy gamma-ray emitters. Future deep Fermi-LAT observations of AXPs and SGRs will help us make clear whether they are magnetars or fallback disk systems.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Strong pulses detected from a rotating radio transient J1819$-$1458

We analyze individual pulses detected from RRAT J1819$-$1458. From April 2007 to April 2010, we carried out observations using the Nanshan 25-m radio telescope of Urumqi Observatory at a central frequency of 1541.25 MHz. We obtain a dispersion measure $DM=195.7\pm0.3$ pc cm^{-3} by analyzing all the 423 detected bursts. The tri-band pattern of arrival time residuals is confirmed by a single pulse timing analysis. Twenty-seven bimodal bursts located in the middle residual band are detected, and, profiles of two typical bimodal bursts and two individual single-peak pulses are presented. We determine the statistical properties of SNR and W$_{50}$ of bursts in different residual bands. The W$_{50}$ variation with SNR shows that the shapes of bursts are quite different from each other. The cumulative probability distribution of intensity for a possible power law with index $α=1.6\pm0.2$ is inferred from the number of those bursts with $SNR\ge6$ and high intensities.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

On Hoyle-Narlikar-Wheeler mechanism of vibration energy powered magneto-dipole emission of neutron stars

We revisit the well-known Hoyle-Narlikar-Wheeler proposition that neutron star emerging in the magnetic-flux-conserving process of core-collapse supernova can convert the stored energy of Alfven vibrations into power of magneto-dipole radiation. We show that the necessary requirement for the energy conversion is the decay of internal magnetic field. In this case the loss of vibration energy of the star causes its vibration period, equal to period of pulsating emission, to lengthen at a rate proportional to the rate of magnetic field decay. These prediction of the model of vibration powered neutron star are discussed in juxtaposition with data on pulsating emission of magnetars whose radiative activity is generally associated with the decay of ultra strong magnetic field.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Radiative activity of magnetic white dwarf undergoing Lorentz-force-driven torsional vibrations

We study radiative activity of magnetic white dwarf undergoing torsional vibrations about axis of its own dipole magnetic moment under the action of Lorentz restoring force. It is shown that pulsating white dwarf can convert its vibration energy into the energy of magneto-dipole emission, oscillating with the frequency equal to the frequency of Alfvén torsional vibrations, provided that internal magnetic field is decayed. The most conspicuous feature of the vibration energy powered radiation in question is the lengthening of periods of oscillating emission; the rate of period elongation is determined by the rate magnetic field decay.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Alfven seismic vibrations of crustal solid-state plasma in quaking paramagnetic neutron star

Magneto-solid-mechanical model of two-component, core-crust, paramagnetic neutron star responding to quake-induced perturbation by differentially rotational, torsional, oscillations of crustal electron-nuclear solid-state plasma about axis of magnetic field frozen in the immobile paramagnetic core is developed. Particular attention is given to the node-free torsional crust-against-core vibrations under combined action of Lorentz magnetic and Hooke's elastic forces; the damping is attributed to Newtonian force of shear viscose stresses in crustal solid-state plasma. The spectral formulae for the frequency and lifetime of this toroidal mode are derived in analytic form and discussed in the context of quasi-periodic oscillations of the X-ray outburst flux from quaking magnetars. The application of obtained theoretical spectra to modal analysis of available data on frequencies of oscillating outburst emission suggests that detected variability is the manifestation of crustal Alfven's seismic vibrations restored by Lorentz force of magnetic field stresses.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Non-detection in a Fermi/LAT observation of AXP 4U 0142+61: magnetars?

Significant research in compact stars is currently focused on two kinds of enigmatic sources: anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs). Although AXPs and SGRs are popularly thought to be magnetars, other models (e.g. the accretion model) to understand the observations can still not be ruled out. It is worth noting that a non-detection in a Fermi/LAT observation of AXP 4U 0142+61 has been reported recently by Sasmaz Mus & Gogus. We propose here that Fermi/LAT observations may distinguish between the magnetar model and the accretion model for AXPs and SGRs. We explain how this null observation of AXP 4U 0142+61 favors the accretion model. Future Fermi/LAT observations of AXP 1E 1547.0-5408 and AXP 1E 1048.1-5937 are highly recommended.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

A note on the discovery of a 2M_\odot pulsar

It is conventionally thought that the state equation of dense matter softens and thus cannot result in high maximum mass if pulsars are quark stars, and that a recently discovered $2M_\odot$ pulsar (PSR J1614-2230) may make quark stars to be unlikely. However, this standard point of view would be revisited and updated if quark clustering could occur in cold quark matter because of the strong coupling between quarks at realistic baryon densities of compact stars, and it is addressed that the state equation of clustering quark matter stiffs to support compact stars with maximum mass $M_{\rm max}>2M_\odot$. In this brief note, it is demonstrated that large parameter spaces are allowed for $M_{\rm max}>2M_\odot$ in a Lennard-Jones model of clustered quark matter, and the newly measured highest mass of PSR J1614-2230 would be meaningful to constrain the number of quarks inside single quark-cluster, to be $N_q<\sim 10^3$.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Toward an understanding of thermal X-ray emission of pulsars

We present a theoretical model for the thermal X-ray emission and cooling of isolated pulsars, assuming that pulsars are solid quark stars. We calculate the heat capacity for such a quark star, and the results show that the residual thermal energy cannot sustain the observed thermal X-ray luminosities seen in typical isolated X-ray pulsars. We conclude that other heating mechanisms must be in operation if the pulsars are in fact solid quark stars. Two possible heating mechanisms are explored. Firstly, for pulsars with little magnetospheric activities, accretion from the interstellar medium or from the material in the associated supernova remnants may power the observed thermal emission. In the propeller regime, a disk-accretion rate ${\dot M}\sim$1% of the Eddington rate with an accretion onto the stellar surface at a rate of $\sim 0.1% {\dot M}$ could explain the observed emission luminosities of the dim isolated neutron stars and the central compact objects. Secondly, for pulsars with significant magnetospheric activities, the pulsar spindown luminosities may have been as the sources of the thermal energy via reversing plasma current flows. A phenomenological study between pulsar bolometric X-ray luminosities and the spin energy loss rates presents the probable existence of a 1/2-law or a linear law, i.e. $L_{\rm bol}^{\infty}\propto\dot{E}^{1/2}$ or $L_{\rm bol}^{\infty}\propto\dot{E}$. This result together with the thermal properties of solid quark stars allow us to calculate the thermal evolution of such stars. Thermal evolution curves, or cooling curves, are calculated and compared with the `temperature-age' data obtained from 17 active X-ray pulsars. It is shown that the bolometric X-ray observations of these sources are consistent with the solid quark star pulsar model.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

A new parametric equation of state and quark stars

It is still a matter of debate to understand the equation of state of cold supra-nuclear matter in compact stars because of unknown on-perturbative strong interaction between quarks. Nevertheless, it is speculated from an astrophysical view point that quark clusters could form in cold quark matter due to strong coupling at realistic baryon densities. Although it is hard to calculate this conjectured matter from first principles, one can expect the inter-cluster interaction to share some general features to nucleon-nucleon interaction. We adopt a two-Gaussian component soft-core potential with these general features and show that quark clusters can form stable simple cubic crystal structure if we assume Gaussian form wave function. With this parameterizing, Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation is solved with reasonable constrained parameter space to give mass-radius relation of crystalline solid quark star. With baryon densities truncated at 2 times nuclear density at surface and range of interaction fixed at 2fm we can reproduce similar mass-radius relation to that obtained with bag model equations of state. The maximum mass ranges from about 0.5 to 3 solar mass. Observed maximum pulsar mass (about 2 solar mass) is then used to constrain parameters of this simple interaction potential.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Lower bounds of altitudes for pulsar $γ$-ray radiation

Determining radiation location observationally plays a very important role in testing the pulsar radiation models. One-photon pair production in the strong magnetic field, $γ-e^{+}e^{1}$, is one of the important physical processes in pulsar radiation mechanisms. Photons near pulsar surface with sufficient energy will be absorbed in the magnetosphere and the absorption optical depth for these GeV $γ$-ray photons is usually large. In this paper, we include the aberrational, rotational and general relativistic effects and calculate the $γ$-B optical depth for $γ$-ray photons. Then we use the derived optical depth to determine the radiation altitude lower bounds for photons with given energies. As a case study, we calculate the lower bounds of radiation altitudes of Crab pulsar for photons with energy from 5 GeV to 1 TeV.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Quaking neutron star deriving radiative power of oscillating magneto-dipole emission from energy of Alfvén seismic vibrations

It is shown that depletion of the magnetic field pressure in a quaking neutron star undergoing Lorentz-force-driven torsional seismic vibrations about axis of its dipole magnetic moment is accompanied by the loss of vibration energy of the star that causes its vibration period to lengthen at a rate proportional to the rate of magnetic field decay. Highlighted is the magnetic-field-decay induced conversion of the energy of differentially rotational Alfvén vibrations into the energy of oscillating magneto-dipole radiation. A set of representative examples of magnetic field decay illustrating the vibration energy powered emission with elongating periods produced by quaking neutron star are considered and discussed in the context of theory of magnetars.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Microlensing pulsars

We investigate the possibilities that pulsars act as the lens in gravitational microlensing events towards the galactic bulge or a spiral arm. Our estimation is based on expectant survey and observations of FAST (Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope) and SKA (Square Kilometer Array), and two different models of pulsar distribution are used. We find that the lensing rate is > 1 event/decade, being high enough to search the real events. Therefore, the microlensing observations focusing on pulsars identified by FAST or SKA in the future are meaningful. As an independent determination of pulsar mass, a future detection of microlensing pulsars should be significant in the history of studying pulsars, especially in constraining the state of matter (either hadronic or quark matter) at supra-nuclear densities. The observations of such events by using advanced optical facilities (e.g., the James Webb Space Telescope and the Thirty Meter Telescope) in future are highly suggested.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Are AXPs/SGRs magnetars?

Anomalous X-ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters have been generally recognized as neutron stars with super strong magnetic fields, namely "magnetars". The "magnetars" manifest that the luminosity in X-ray band are larger than the rotational energy loss rate, i.e. $L_{X}>\dot {E}_{\rm rot}$, and then the radiation energy is coming from the energy of magnetic field. Here it is argued that magnetars may not really exist. Some X-ray and radio observational results are contradicted with the magnetar model. (1) The X-ray luminosity of PSR J1852+0040 is much larger than the rotational energy loss rate ($L_{X}/\dot {E}_{\rm rot}\simeq 18)$, but the magnetic field is just $3.1\times 10^{11}$ G. Does this X-ray radiation energy come from the magnetic field? (2) In contrast to the above, the magnetic fields of radio pulsars J1847-0130 and PSR J1718-3718 are higher than that of AXP 1E 2259+586, why is the radiation energy of those two radio pulsars still coming from rotational energy? Furthermore, the magnetic field of the newly discovered SGR 0418+5729 with the lowest magnetic field is 3.0 e13 G, lower than the critical magnetic field $B_{\rm C}=4.414$ e13 G) (Esposito et al. 2010). (3) Some "magnetars" also emit normal transient radio pulses, what is the essential difference between radio pulsars and the "magnetars"? The observational fact arguments will be presented at first, then we discuss in what situation the conventional method to obtain magnetic field could not be correct.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

The annular gap model for gamma-ray emission from young and millisecond pulsars

Pulsed high energy radiation from pulsars is not yet completely understood. In this paper, we use the 3D self-consistent annular gap model to study light curves for both young and millisecond pulsars observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The annular gap can generate high energy emission for short-period pulsars. The annular gap regions are so large that they have enough electric potential drop to accelerate charged particles to produce gamma-ray photons. For young pulsars, the emission region is from the neutron star surface to about half of the light cylinder radius, and the peak emissivity is in the vicinity of the null charge surface. The emission region for the millisecond pulsars is located much lower than that of the young pulsars. The higher energy gamma-ray emission comes from higher altitudes in the magnetosphere. We present the simulated light curves for three young pulsars (the Crab, the Vela, the Geminga) and three millisecond pulsars (PSR J0030+0451, PSR J0218+4232, PSR J0437-3715) using the annular gap model. Our simulations can reproduce the main properties of observed light curves.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Hurst parameter analysis of radio pulsar timing noise

We present an analysis of timing residual (noise) of 54 pulsars obtained from 25-m radio telescope at Urumqi Observatory with a time span of 5~8 years, dealing with statistics of the Hurst parameter. The majority of these pulsars were selected to have timing noise that look like white noise rather than smooth curves. The results are compared with artificial series of different constant pairwise covariances. Despite the noise like appearance, many timing residual series showed Hurst parameters significantly deviated from that of independent series. We concluded that Hurst parameter may be capable of detecting dependence in timing residual and of distinguishing chaotic behavior from random processes.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2009

Formation of Sub-millisecond Pulsars and Possibility of Detection

Pulsars have been recognized as normal neutron stars, but sometimes argued as quark stars. {\it Sub-millisecond pulsars, if detected, would play an essential and important role in distinguishing quark stars from neutron stars.} We focus on the formation of such sub-millisecond pulsars in this paper. A new approach to form a sub-millisecond pulsar (quark star) via accretion induced collapse (AIC) of a white dwarf is investigated here. Under this AIC process, we found that: (1) almost all the newborn quark stars could have an initial spin period of $\sim 0.1$ ms; (2) the nascent quark stars (even with a low mass) have sufficiently high spin-down luminosity and satisfy the conditions for pair production and sparking process to be as sub-millisecond radio pulsars; (3) in most cases, the timescales of newborn quark stars in the phase of spin period $< 1$ (or $<0.5$) ms can be long enough to be detected. As a comparison, an accretion spin-up process (for both neutron and quark stars) is also investigated. It is found that, quark stars formed through AIC process can have shorter periods ($\leq$ 0.5 ms); while the periods of neutron stars formed in accretion spin-up process must be longer than 0.5ms. Thus if a pulsar with a period less than 0.5 ms can be identified in the future, it should be a quark star.

astro-ph.SR↗