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Re'em Sari

Publications and source records attributed to Re'em Sari.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Discrete Self Similarity in Filled Type I Strong Explosions

We present new solutions to the strong explosion problem in a non power law density profi{}le. The unperturbed self similar solutions developed by Sedov, Taylor and Von Neumann describe strong Newtonian shocks propagating into a cold gas with a density profile falling off as $r^{-ω}$, where $ω\le\frac{7-γ}{γ+1}$ (filled type I solutions), and $γ$ is the adiabatic index of the gas. The perturbations we consider are spherically symmetric and log periodic with respect to the radius. While the unperturbed solutions are continuously self similar, the log periodicity of the density perturbations leads to a discrete self similarity of the perturbations, i.e., the solution repeats itself up to a scaling at discrete time intervals. We discuss these solutions and verify them against numerical integrations of the time dependent hydrodynamic equations. This is an extension of a previous investigation on type II solutions and helps clarifying boundary conditions for perturbations to type I self similar solutions.

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Angular Density Perturbations to Filled Type I Strong Explosions

In this paper we extend the Sedov - Taylor - Von Neumann model for a strong explosion to account for small angular and radial variations in the density. We assume that the density profile is given by $ρ\left(r,θ,ϕ\right)=kr^{-ω}\left(1+\varepsilon\left(\frac{r}{r_{0}}\right)^{q}Y_{lm}\left(θ,ϕ\right)\right)$, where $\varepsilon\ll1$ and $ω\le\frac{7-γ}{γ+1}$. In order to verify our results we compare them to analytical approximations and full hydrodynamic simulations. We demonstrate how this method can be used to describe arbitrary (not just self similar) angular perturbations. This work complements our previous analysis on radial, spherically symmetric perturbations, and allows one to calculate the response of an explosion to arbitrary perturbations in the upstream density. Together, they settle an age old controversy about the inner boundary conditions

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Recombination Effects on Supernovae Light-Curves

Supernovae of type IIP are marked by the long plateau seen in their optical light curves. The plateau is believed to be the result of a recombination wave that propagates through the outflowing massive hydrogen envelope. Here, we analytically investigate the transition from a fully ionized envelope to a partially recombined one and its effects on the SN light curve. The motivation is to establish the underlying processes which dominate the evolution at late times when recombination takes place in the envelope, yet early enough so that $^{56}$Ni decay is a negligible source of energy. We assume a simple, yet adequate, hydrodynamic profile of the envelope and study the mechanisms which dominate the energy emission and the observed temperature. We consider the diffusion of photons through the envelope while analyzing the ionization fraction and the coupling between radiation and gas. We find that once recombination starts, the observed temperature decreases slowly in time. However, in a typical red supergiant (RSG) explosion, the recombination wave does not affect the bolometric luminosity immediately. Only at later times, the cooling wave may reach layers that are deep enough to affect the luminosity. We find that the plateau is not a generic result of a recombination process in expanding gas. Instead it depends on the density profile of the parts of the envelope which undergo recombination. Our results are useful to investigate the light curves of RSG explosions. We show the resulting light curves of two examples of RSG explosions according to our model and discuss their compatibility with observations. In addition, we improve the analytical relations between the plateau luminosity and plateau duration to the properties of the pre-explosion progenitor (Arnett 1980; Popov 1993).

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A new rare type of supernovae: hypervelocity stellar collisions at galactic centers

When a binary star system is tidally disrupted by a supermassive black hole at a galactic nucleus, one star is ejected at a high speed while the other remains in a tightly bound orbit around the black hole. The cluster of tightly bound stars builds over time, eventually creating a steady state in which the rate of collisions between these stars is similar to the rate of capturing new stars. A large fraction of the collisions occur near the periapsis of the orbits around the black hole, where the kinetic energies are sufficient to generate an explosive disruption of the two stars involved. The typical flare brightens for several days, with a peak luminosity that is comparable to the lower-luminosity end of known supernovae. The explosion lightcurve is followed by a longer flare due to accretion of ejected matter onto the black hole. Dedicated searches in the near universe could observe several such "collisional-supernovae" per year.

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Optical to X-rays supernovae light curves following shock breakout through a thick wind

Recent supernovae (SNe) observations have motivated renewed interest in SN shock breakouts from stars surrounded by thick winds. In such events the interaction with the wind powers the observed luminosity, and predictions include observable hard X-rays. Wind breakouts on timescales of a day or longer are currently the most probable for detection. Here we study the signal that follows such events. We start from the breakout of the radiation mediated shock, finding that the breakout temperature can vary significantly from one event to another ($10^4 - 5 \times 10^6$ K) due to possible deviation from thermal equilibrium. In general, events with longer breakout pulse duration, $t_{bo}$, are softer. We follow the observed radiation through the evolution of the collisionless shock which forms after the breakout of the radiation mediated shock. We restrict the study of the collisionless shock evolution to cases where the breakout itself is in thermal equilibrium, peaking in optical/UV. In these cases the post-breakout emission contains two spectral components - soft (optical/UV) and hard (X-rays and possibly soft $γ$-rays). Right after the breakout pulse X-rays are strongly suppressed, and they carry only a small fraction of the total luminosity. The hard component becomes harder and its luminosity rises quickly afterwards, gaining dominance at $\sim 10-50 \,t_{bo}$. The ratio of the peak optical/UV to the peak X-ray luminosity depends mostly on the breakout time. In terms of prospects for X-ray and soft gamma-ray detections, it is best to observe 100-500 days after explosions with breakout timescales between a week and a month.

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Measuring the Abundance of sub-kilometer sized Kuiper Belt Objects using Stellar Occultations

We present here the analysis of about 19,500 new star hours of low ecliptic latitude observations (|b| < 20 deg) obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope's FGS over a time span of more than nine years; which is an addition to the 12,000 star hours previously analyzed by Schlichting et al. (2009). Our search for stellar occultations by small Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) yielded one new candidate event corresponding to a body with a 530 +/-70m radius at a distance of about 40AU. Using bootstrap simulations, we estimate a probability of approx 5%, that this event is due to random statistical fluctuations within the new data set. Combining this new event with the single KBO occultation reported by Schlichting et al. (2009) we arrive at the following results: 1) The ecliptic latitudes of 6.6 deg and 14.4 deg of the two events are consistent with the observed inclination distribution of larger, 100km-sized KBOs. 2) Assuming that small, sub-km sized KBOs have the same ecliptic latitude distribution as their larger counterparts, we find an ecliptic surface density of KBOs with radii larger than 250m of N(r>250m) = 1.1^{+1.5}_{-0.7} x 10^7 deg^{-2}; if sub-km sized KBOs have instead a uniform ecliptic latitude distribution for -20 deg < b< 20 deg then N(r>250m) = 4.4^{+5.8}_{-2.8} x 10^6 deg^{-2}. This is the best measurement of the surface density of sub-km sized KBOs to date. 3) Assuming the KBO size distribution can be well described by a single power law given by N(>r) \propto r^{1-q}, where N(>r) is the number of KBOs with radii greater than r, and q is the power law index, we find q=3.8+/-0.2 for a KBO ecliptic latitude distribution that follows the observed distribution for larger, 100-km sized KBOs. 4) Regardless of the exact power law, our results suggest that small KBOs are numerous enough to satisfy the required supply rate for the Jupiter family comets. (Abridged)

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Consequences of Strong Compression in Tidal Disruption Events

The tidal disruption of a star by a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is a highly energetic event with consequences dependent on the degree to which the star plunges inside the SMBH's tidal sphere. We introduce a new analytic model for tidal disruption events (TDEs) to analyze the dependence of these events on beta, the ratio of the tidal radius to the orbital pericenter. We find, contrary to most previous work, that the spread in debris energy for a TDE is largely constant for all beta. This result has important consequences for optical transient searches targeting TDEs, which we discuss. We quantify leading-order general relativistic corrections to this spread in energy and find that they are small. We also examine the role of stellar spin, and find that a combination of spin-orbit misalignment, rapid rotation, and high beta may increase the spread in debris energy. Finally, we quantify for the first time the gravitational wave emission due to the strong compression of a star in a high-beta TDE. Although this signal is unlikely to be detectable for disruptions of main sequence stars, the tidal disruption of a white dwarf by an intermediate mass black hole can produce a strong signal visible to Advanced LIGO at tens of megaparsecs.

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Short vs Long and Collapsars vs. non-Collapsar: a quantitative classification of GRBs

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are traditionally divided to long and short according to their durations (>/< 2 sec). It was generally believed that this reflects a different physical origin: Collapsars (long) and non-Collapsars (short). We have recently shown that the duration distribution of Collapsars is flat, namely independent of the duration, at short durations. Using this model for the distribution of Collapsars we determine the duration distribution of non-Collapsars and estimate the probability that a burst with a given duration (and hardness) is a Collapsar or not. We find that this probability depends strongly on the spectral window of the observing detector. While the commonly used limit of 2 sec is conservative and suitable for BATSE bursts, 40% of swift's bursts shorter than 2 sec are Collapsars and division >/<0.8 sec is more suitable for swift. We find that the duration overlap of the two populations is very large. On the one hand there is a non-negligible fraction of non-Collapsars longer than 10 sec, while on the other hand even bursts shorter than 0.5 sec in the swift sample have a non-negligible probability to be Collapsars. Our results enable the construction of non-Collapsar samples while controlling the Collapsar contamination. They also highlight that no firm conclusions can be drawn based on a single burst and they have numerous implications concerning previous studies of non-Collapsar properties that were based on the current significantly contaminated swift samples of localized short GRBs. Specifically: (i) all known short bursts with z>1 are most likely Collapsars, (ii) the only short burst with a clear jet break is most likely a Collapsar, indicating our lack of knowledge concerning non-Collapsar beaming (iii) the existence of non-Collapsars with durations up to 10 sec impose new challenges to non-Collapsar models.

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The Long, the Short and the Weak - the origin of GRBs

The origin of Gamma-Ray Bursts is one of the most interesting puzzles in recent astronomy. During the last decade a consensus formed that long GRBs (LGRBs) arise from the collapse of massive stars and that short GRBs (SGRBs) have a different origin, most likely neutron star mergers. A key ingredient of the Collapsar model that explains how the collapse of massive stars produces a GRB is the emergence of a relativistic jet that penetrates the stellar envelope. The condition that the emerging jet penetrates the envelope poses strong constraints on the system. Using these constraints we show that: (i) Low luminosity GRBs (llGRBs), a sub population of GRBs with a very low luminosities (and other peculiar properties: single peaked, smooth and soft) cannot be formed by Collapsars. llGRBs must have a different origin (most likely a shock breakout). (ii) On the other hand regular LGRBs must be formed by Collapsars. (iii) While for BATSE the dividing duration between Collapsars and non-Collapsar is indeed at $\sim 2$ sec, the dividing duration is different for other GRBs detectors. In particular most Swift bursts longer than 0.8 sec are of a Collapsar origin. This last results requires a revision of many conclusions concerning the origin of Swift SGRBs which were based on the commonly used 2 sec limit.

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Sterile and Fertile Planetary Systems - Statistical Analysis of Multi-Planet Systems in Kepler's data

The Kepler mission has discovered a large number of planetary systems. We analyze the implications of the discovered single/multi-exoplanet systems from Kepler's data. As done in previous works, we test a simple model in which the intrinsic occurrence of planet is an independent process, and with equal probability around all planet producing stars. This leads to a Poisson distribution for the intrinsic number of planets around each host. However, the possibility of zero/low mutual inclination is taken into account, creating a correlation between detecting different planets in a given stellar system, leading to a non Poisson distribution for the number of transiting planets per system. Comparing the model's predictions with the observations made by Kepler, we find that the correlation produced by planarity is insufficient and a higher correlation is needed; either the formation of one planet in the system enhances the likelihood of other planets to form, and/or that some stars are considerably more fertile than others. Kepler's data presents evidences that both correlations might play a part, in particular a significant dependency in the radial distribution of planets in multi-planet systems is shown. Followup observations on Kepler planet's hosts can help pinpoint the physical nature of this correlation.

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Ejection and Capture Dynamics in Restricted Three-Body Encounters

We study the tidal disruption of binaries by a massive point mass (e.g. the black hole at the Galactic center), and we discuss how the ejection and capture preference between unequal-mass binary members depends on which orbit they approach the massive object. We show that the restricted three-body approximation provides a simple and clear description of the dynamics. The orbit of a binary with mass m around a massive object M should be almost parabolic with an eccentricity |1-e| < (m/M)^{1/3} << 1 for a member to be captured, while the other is ejected. Indeed, the energy change of the members obtained for a parabolic orbit can be used to describe non-parabolic cases. If a binary has an encounter velocity much larger than (M/m)^{1/3} times the binary rotation velocity, it would be abruptly disrupted, and the energy change at the encounter can be evaluated in a simple disruption model. We evaluate the probability distributions for the ejection and capture of circular binary members and for the final energies. In principle, for any hyperbolic (elliptic) orbit, the heavier member has more chance to be ejected (captured), because it carries a larger fraction of the orbital energy. However, if the orbital energy is close to zero, the difference between the two members becomes small, and there is practically no ejection and capture preference. The preference becomes significant when the orbital energy is comparable to the typical energy change at the encounter. We discuss its implications to hypervelocity stars and irregular satellites around giant planets.

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New insights on the duration distribution of long GRBs from Collapsars

According the Collapsar model long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) involve relativistic jets that puncture the envelope of a collapsing star, and produced the γ-rays after they break out. This model provides a theoretical framework for the well known association between LGRBs and massive stars. However although this association is supported by a wealth of observations, to this date there is no direct observational evidence for the emergence of the jet from the star. In other words there is no direct evidence for the Collapsar model. Here we show that a distinct signature of the Collapsar model is the appearance of a plateau in the duration distribution of the prompt GRB emission at times much shorter than the typical breakout time of the jet. This plateau is evident in the data of all major GRB satellites, and provides a direct evidence supporting the Collapsar model. It also enables us to place limits on the sizes and masses of LGRB progenitors; suggests the existence of a large population of choked (failed) GRBs; and indicates that the 2 s duration commonly used to separate Collapsars and non-Collapsars holds for BATSE and possibly Fermi GBM GRBs, but it is inconsistent with the duration distributions of Swift GRBs.

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An observational imprint of the Collapsar model of long Gamma Ray Bursts

The Collapsar model provides a theoretical framework for the well known association between long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and collapsing massive stars. A bipolar relativistic jet, launched at the core of a collapsing star, drills its way through the stellar envelope and breaks out of the surface before producing the observed gamma-rays. While a wealth of observations associate GRBs with the death of massive stars, as yet there is no direct evidence for the Collapsar model itself. Here we show that a distinct signature of the Collapsar model is the appearance of a plateau in the duration distribution of the prompt GRB emission at times much shorter than the typical breakout time of the jet. This plateau is evident in the data of all three major satellites. These findings provide an evidence that directly supports the Collapsar model. Additionally, it suggests the existence of a large population of choked (failed) GRBs and that the 2 s duration commonly used to separate Collapsars and non-Collapasars is inconsistent with the duration distributions of {\it Swift} and Fermi GRBs and only holds for BATSE GRBs.

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Slightly Two or Three Dimensional Self-Similar Solutions

Self similarity allows for analytic or semi-analytic solutions to many hydrodynamics problems. Most of these solutions are one dimensional. Using linear perturbation theory, expanded around such a one-dimensional solution, we find self-similar hydrodynamic solutions that are two- or three-dimensional. Since the deviation from a one-dimensional solution is small, we call these slightly two-dimensional and slightly three-dimensional self-similar solutions, respectively. As an example, we treat strong spherical explosions of the second type. A strong explosion propagates into an ideal gas with negligible temperature and density profile of the form rho(r,theta,phi)=r^{-omega}[1+sigma*F(theta,phi)], where omega>3 and sigma << 1. Analytical solutions are obtained by expanding the arbitrary function F(theta,phi) in spherical harmonics. We compare our results with two dimensional numerical simulations, and find good agreement.

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The propagation of relativistic jets in external media

Relativistic jets are ubiquitous in astrophysical systems that contain compact objects. They transport large amounts of energy to large distances from the source, and their interaction with the ambient medium has a crucial effect on the evolution of the system. The propagation of the jet is characterized by the formation of a shocked "head" at the front of the jet which dissipates the jet's energy and a cocoon that surrounds the jet and potentially collimates it. We present here a self consistent, analytic model that follows the evolution of the jet and its cocoon, and describes their interaction. We show that the critical parameter that determines the properties of the jet-cocoon system is the dimensionless ratio between the jet's energy density and the rest-mass energy density of the ambient medium. This parameter, together with the jet's injection angle, also determines whether the jet is collimated by the cocoon or not. The model is applicable to relativistic, unmagnetized, jets on all scales and may be used to determine the conditions in AGNs jets as well as in GRBs or microquasars. It shows that AGN and microquasar jets are hydrodynamically collimated due to the interaction with the ambient medium, while GRB jets can be collimated only inside a star and become uncollimated once they breakout.

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Relativistic shock breakouts - a variety of gamma-ray flares: from low luminosity gamma-ray bursts to type Ia supernovae

A large variety of explosions result in mildly or ultra relativistic shock breakouts. Here we calculate the luminosity and spectrum that these breakouts produce. In order to do so we improve an analytic description of relativistic radiation mediated shocks and follow the system from the breakout itself, through the planar phase and into the spherical phase. We limit our calculation to cases where the post breakout acceleration of the gas ends during the planar phase. (i.e., the final gas Lorentz factor <~30). We find that spherical relativistic breakouts produce a flash of gamma-rays with energy, temperature, and duration that always satisfy a specific relation between them as well as providing the breakout radius and Lorentz factor. The breakout flare is typically followed, on longer time scales, by X-rays that carry a comparable energy. We apply our model to a variety of explosions, including Ia and .Ia supernovae (SNe), AIC, energetic SNe and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We find that all these events produce detectable gamma-ray signals, some of which may have already been seen. Some particular examples are: (i) Relativistic shock breakouts provide a natural explanation to the energy, temperature and time scales, as well as many other observed features, of all low luminosity GRBs. (ii) Nearby broad-line Ib/c (like SN 2002ap) may produce a detectable gamma-ray signal. (iii) Galactic Ia SNe produce detectable gamma-ray flares, if their progenitors are single degenerate. We conclude that relativistic shock breakout is a generic process for the production of gamma-ray flares, which opens a new window for the study and detection of a variety of stellar explosions.

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Binary YORP and Evolution of Binary Asteroids

The rotation states of kilometer sized near earth asteroids are known to be affected by the YORP effect. In a related effect, Binary YORP (BYORP) the orbital properties of a binary asteroid evolves under a radiation effect mostly acting on a tidally locked secondary. The BYORP effect can alter the orbital elements in $\sim 10^{4-5}$ years for a $D_{p}=2\;km$ primary with a $D_{s}=0.4\; km$ secondary at $1\; AU$. It can either separate the binary components or cause them to collide. In this paper we devise a simple approach to calculate the YORP effect on asteroids and BYORP effect on binaries including $J_2$ effects due to primary oblateness and the sun. We apply this to asteroids with known shapes as well as a set of randomly generated bodies with various degrees of smoothness. We find a strong correlation between the strengths of an asteroid's YORP and BYORP effects. Therefore, a statistical knowledge on one, could be used to estimate the effect of the other. We show that the action of BYORP preferentially shrinks rather than expands the binary orbit and that YORP preferentially slows down asteroids. This conclusion holds for the two extremes of thermal conductivities studied in this work and assuming the asteroid reaches a stable point, but may break down for moderate thermal conductivity. The YORP and BYORP effects are shown to be smaller than what could be naively expected due to near cancellation of the effects on small scales. Taking this near cancellation into account, a simple order of magnitude estimate of the YORP and BYORP effects as function of the sizes and smoothness of the bodies is calculated. Finally, we provide a simple proof showing that there is no secular effect due to absorption of radiation in BYORP.

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Early supernovae light-curves following the shock-breakout

The first light from a supernova (SN) emerges once the SN shock breaks out of the stellar surface. The first light, typically a UV or X-ray flash, is followed by a broken power-law decay of the luminosity generated by radiation that leaks out of the expanding gas sphere. Motivated by recent detection of emission from very early stages of several SNe, we revisit the theory of shock breakout and the following emission. We derive analytic light curves, paying special attention to the photon-gas coupling and deviations from thermal equilibrium. We then consider the breakout from several SNe progenitors. We find that for more compact progenitors, white dwarfs, Wolf-Rayet stars (WRs) and possibly more energetic blue-supergiant explosions, the observed radiation is out of thermal equilibrium at the breakout, during the planar phase (i.e., before the expanding gas doubles its radius), and during the early spherical phase. Therefore, during these phases we predict significantly higher temperatures than previous analysis that assumed equilibrium. When thermal equilibrium prevails, we find the location of the thermalization depth and its temporal evolution. Our results are useful for interpretation of early SN light curves. Some examples are: (i) Red supergiant SNe have an early bright peak in optical and UV flux, less than an hour after breakout. It is followed by a minimum at the end of the planar phase (about 10 hr), before it peaks again once the temperature drops to the observed frequency range. In contrast WRs show only the latter peak in optical and UV. (ii) Bright X-ray flares are expected from all core-collapse SNe types. (iii) The light curve and spectrum of the initial breakout pulse holds information on the explosion geometry and progenitor wind opacity. Its spectrum in compact progenitors shows a (non-thermal) power-law.

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