arXiv subjects

S. B. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to S. B. Zhang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Unusual Emission Variations Near the Eclipse of A Black Widow PSR J1720$-$0533

We report on an {unusually} bright observation of PSR J1720$-$0533 using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). The pulsar is in a black widow system that {was discovered by the Commensal Radio Astronomy FAST Survey (CRAFTS). By coincidence, a bright scintillation maximum was simultaneous with the eclipse in our observation which allowed for precise measurements of flux density variations, as well as dispersion measure (DM) and polarization.} We found that there are quasi-periodic pulse emission variations with a modulation period of $\sim$ {22\,s} during the ingress of the eclipse, which could be caused by plasma lensing. {No such periodic modulation was found during the egress of the eclipse. } {The linear polarization of the pulsar disappears before the eclipse, even before there is a visually obvious change in DM. We also found that the pulse scattering maybe play an important role in the eclipse of PSR J1720$-$0533.}

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

A single pulse study of a millisecond pulsar PSR J0621+1002

We present radio observation of a millisecond pulsar PSR J0621+1002 using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). The pulsar shows periodic pulse intensity modulations for both the first and the third pulse components. The fluctuation spectrum of the first pulse component has one peak of 3.0$\pm$0.1 pulse periods, while that of the third pulse component has two diffused peaks of 3.0$\pm$0.1 and 200$\pm$1 pulse periods. The single pulse timing analysis is carried out for this pulsar and the single pulses can be divided into two classes based on the post-fit timing residuals. We examined the achievable timing precision using only the pulses in one class or bright pulses. However, the timing precision improvement is not achievable.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Diverse polarization angle swings from a repeating fast radio burst source

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients of unknown origin. Two possible mechanisms that could generate extremely coherent emission from FRBs invoke neutron star magnetospheres or relativistic shocks far from the central energy source. Detailed polarization observations may help us to understand the emission mechanism. However, the available FRB polarization data have been perplexing, because they show a host of polarimetric properties, including either a constant polarization angle during each burst for some repeaters or variable polarization angles in some other apparently one-off events. Here we report observations of 15 bursts from FRB 180301 and find various polarization angle swings in seven of them. The diversity of the polarization angle features of these bursts is consistent with a magnetospheric origin of the radio emission, and disfavours the radiation models invoking relativistic shocks.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

The two emission states of PSR B1534+12

We have observed PSR~B1534+12 (J1537+1155), a pulsar with a neutron star companion, using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). We found that this pulsar shows two distinct emission states: a weak state with a wide pulse profile and a burst state with a narrow pulse profile. The weak state is always present. We cannot, with our current data, determine whether the pulse energy of the weak state follows a normal or a log-normal distribution. The burst state energy distribution follows a power-law. The amplitude of the single pulse emission in the burst state varies significantly; the peak flux intensity of the brightest pulse is 334 times stronger than that of the average pulse. We also examined the timing precision achievable using only bright pulses, which showed no demonstrable improvement because of pulse jitter and therefore quantified the jitter noise level for this pulsar.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

An in-depth investigation of 11 pulsars discovered by FAST

We present timing solutions and analyses of 11 pulsars discovered by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). These pulsars were discovered using an ultra-wide bandwidth receiver in drift-scan observations made during the commissioning phase of FAST, and were then confirmed and timed using the 64-m Parkes Radio Telescope. Each pulsar has been observed over a span of at least one year. Highlighted discoveries include PSR J0344-0901, which displays mode-changing behaviour and may belong to the class of so-called `swooshing' pulsars (alongside PSRs B0919+06 and B1859+07); PSR J0803-0942, whose emission is almost completely linearly polarised; and PSRs J1900-0134 and J1945+1211, whose well defined polarisation angle curves place stringent constraints on their emission geometry. We further discuss the detectability of these pulsars by earlier surveys, and highlight lessons learned from our work in carrying out confirmation and monitoring observations of pulsars discovered by a highly sensitive telescope, many of which may be applicable to next-generation pulsar surveys. This paper marks one of the first major releases of FAST-discovered pulsars, and paves the way for future discoveries anticipated from the Commensal Radio Astronomy FAST Survey (CRAFTS).

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Radio observations of two intermittent pulsars: PSRs J1832+0029 and J1841-0500

We present long-term observations of two intermittent pulsars, PSRs~J1832+0029 and J1841$-$0500 using the Parkes 64\,m radio telescope. The radio emission for these pulsars switches "off" for year-long durations. Our new observations have enabled us to improve the determination of the on-off timescales and the spin down rates during those emission states. In general our results agree with previous studies of these pulsars, but we now have significantly longer data spans. We have identified two unexpected signatures in the data. Weak emission was detected in a single observation of PSR~J1832$+$0029 during an "off" emission state. For PSR~J1841$-$0500, we identified a quasi-periodic fluctuation in the intensities of the detectable single pulses, with a modulation period between 21 and 36 pulse periods.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Edge Temperature Ring Oscillation Modulated by Turbulence Transition for Sustaining Stationary Improved Energy Confinement Plasmas

A reproducible stationary improved confinement mode (I-mode) has been achieved recently in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, featuring good confinement without particle transport barrier, which could be beneficial to solving the heat flux problem caused by edge localized modes (ELM) and the helium ash problem for future fusion reactors. The microscopic mechanism of sustaining stationary I-mode, based on the coupling between turbulence transition and the edge temperature oscillation, has been discovered for the first time. A radially localized edge temperature ring oscillation (ETRO) with azimuthally symmetric structure ($n=0$,$m=0$) has been identified and it is caused by alternative turbulence transitions between ion temperature gradient modes (ITG) and trapped electron modes (TEM). The ITG-TEM transition is controlled by local electron temperature gradient and consistent with the gyrokinetic simulations. The self-organizing system consisting with ETRO, turbulence and transport transitions plays the key role in sustaining the I-mode confinement. These results provide a novel physics basis for accessing, maintaining and controlling stationary I-mode in the future.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Searching for further evidence for cloud-cloud collisions in L1188

In order to search for further observational evidence of cloud-cloud collisions in one of the promising candidates, L1188, we carried out observations of multiple molecular lines toward the intersection region of the two nearly orthogonal filamentary molecular clouds in L1188. Based on these observations, we find two parallel filamentary structures, both of which have at least two velocity components being connected with broad bridging features. We also found a spatially complementary distribution between the two molecular clouds, as well as enhanced $^{13}$CO emission and $^{12}$CO self-absorption toward their abutting regions. At the most blueshifted velocities, we unveil a 1~pc-long arc ubiquitously showing $^{12}$CO line wings. We discover two 22 GHz water masers, which are the first maser detections in L1188. An analysis of line ratios at a linear resolution of 0.2 pc suggests that L1188 is characterised by kinetic temperatures of 13--23~K and H$_{2}$ number densities of 10$^{3}$--10$^{3.6}$ cm$^{-3}$. On the basis of previous theoretical predictions and simulations, we suggest that these observational features can be naturally explained by the scenario of a cloud-cloud collision in L1188, although an additional contribution of stellar feedback from low-mass young stellar objects cannot be ruled out.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

The International Pulsar Timing Array: Second data release

In this paper, we describe the International Pulsar Timing Array second data release, which includes recent pulsar timing data obtained by three regional consortia: the European Pulsar Timing Array, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, and the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. We analyse and where possible combine high-precision timing data for 65 millisecond pulsars which are regularly observed by these groups. A basic noise analysis, including the processes which are both correlated and uncorrelated in time, provides noise models and timing ephemerides for the pulsars. We find that the timing precisions of pulsars are generally improved compared to the previous data release, mainly due to the addition of new data in the combination. The main purpose of this work is to create the most up-to-date IPTA data release. These data are publicly available for searches for low-frequency gravitational waves and other pulsar science.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

I-mode investigation on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

By analyzing large quantities of discharges in the unfavorable ion $ \vec B\times \nabla B $ drift direction, the I-mode operation has been confirmed in EAST tokamak. During the L-mode to I-mode transition, the energy confinement has a prominent improvement by the formation of a high-temperature edge pedestal, while the particle confinement remains almost identical to that in the L-mode. Similar with the I-mode observation on other devices, the $ E_r $ profiles obtained by the eight-channel Doppler backscattering system (DBS8)\cite{J.Q.Hu} show a deeper edge $ E_r $ well in the I-mode than that in the L-mode. And a weak coherent mode (WCM) with the frequency range of 40-150 kHz is observed at the edge plasma with the radial extend of about 2-3 cm. WCM could be observed in both density fluctuation and radial electric field fluctuation, and the bicoherence analyses showed significant couplings between WCM and high frequency turbulence, implying that the $ E_r $ fluctuation and the caused flow shear from WCM should play an important role during I-mode. In addition, a low-frequency oscillation with a frequency range of 5-10 kHz is always accompanied with WCM, where GAM intensity is decreased or disappeared. Many evidences show that the a low-frequency oscillation may be a novel kind of limited cycle oscillation but further investigations are needed to explain the new properties such as the harmonics and obvious magnetical perturbations.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Ultrafast carrier relaxation and its Pauli drag in photo-enhanced melting of solids

Ultrafast light-matter interaction is a powerful tool for the study of solids. Upon laser excitation, carrier multiplication and lattice acceleration beyond thermal velocity can occur, as a result of far-from-equilibrium carrier relaxation. The roles of electron-electron and electron-phonon scatterings are identified by first-principles dynamic simulations, from which a unified phase diagram emerges. It not only explains the experimentally-observed "inertial" melting but also predicts abnormal damping by Pauli Exclusion Principle with a new perspective on ultrahigh-intensity laser applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Ferromagnetism and Wigner crystallization in Kagome graphene and related structures

Interaction in a flat band is magnified due to the divergence in the density of states, which gives rise to a variety of many-body phenomena such as ferromagnetism and Wigner crystallization. Until now, however, most studies of the flat band physics are based on model systems, making their experimental realization a distant future. Here, we propose a class of systems made of real atoms, namely, carbon atoms with realistic physical interactions (dubbed here as Kagome graphene/graphyne). Density functional theory calculations reveal that these Kagome lattices offer a controllable way to realize robust flat bands sufficiently close to the Fermi level. Upon hole doping, they split into spin-polarized bands at different energies to result in a flat-band ferromagnetism. At a half filling, this splitting reaches its highest level of 768 meV. At smaller fillings, e.g., when ν=1/6, on the other hand, a Wigner crystal spontaneously forms, where the electrons form closed loops localized on the grid points of a regular triangular lattice. It breaks the translational symmetry of the original Kagome lattice. We further show that the Kagome lattices exhibit good mechanical stabilities, based on which a possible route for experimental realization of the Kagome graphene is also proposed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Effect of Hartree-Fock Pseudopotential on the First-principles Electronic Structure

Density functional theory (DFT) can run into serious difficulties with localized states in elements such as transition metals with occupied-d states and oxygen. In contrast, Hartree-Fock (HF) method can be a better approach for such localized states. Here, we develop HF pseudopotentials to be used alongside with DFT for solids. The computation cost is on par with standard DFT. Calculations for a range of II-VI, III-V and group-IV semiconductors with diverse physical properties show observably improved band gap for systems containing d-electrons, whereby pointing to a new direction in electronic theory.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Effective chemical potential for non-equilibrium systems and its application to molecular beam epitaxy of Bi2Se3

First-principles studies often rely on the assumption of equilibrium, which can be a poor approximation, e.g., for growth. Here, an effective chemical potential method for non-equilibrium systems is developed. A salient feature of the theory is that it maintains the equilibrium limits as the correct limit. In application to molecular beam epitaxy, rate equations are solved for the concentrations of small clusters, which serve as feedstock for growth. We find that the effective chemical potential is determined by the most probable, rather than by the lowest-energy, cluster. In the case of Bi2Se3, the chemical potential is found to be highly supersaturated, leading to a high nucleus concentration in agreement with experiment.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

$\textit{Ab initio}$ evidence for nonthermal characteristics in ultrafast laser melting

Laser melting of semiconductors has been observed for almost 40 years; surprisingly, it is not well understood where most theoretical simulations show a laser-induced thermal process. $\textit{Ab initio}$ nonadiabatic simulations based on real-time time-dependent density functional theory reveal intrinsic nonthermal melting of silicon, at a temperature far below the thermal melting temperature of 1680 K. Both excitation threshold and time evolution of diffraction intensity agree well with experiment. Nonthermal melting is attributed to excitation-induced drastic changes in bonding electron density, and the subsequent decrease in the melting barrier, rather than lattice heating as previously assumed in the two-temperature models.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Universal stability of two-dimensional traditional semiconductors

Interest in two dimensional materials has exploded in recent years. Not only are they studied due to their novel electronic properties, such as the emergent Dirac Fermion in graphene, but also as a new paradigm in which stacking layers of distinct two dimensional materials may enable different functionality or devices. Here, through first-principles theory, we reveal a large new class of two dimensional materials which are derived from traditional III-V, II-VI, and I-VII semiconductors. It is found that in the ultra-thin limit all of the traditional binary semi-conductors studied (a series of 26 semiconductors) stabilize in a two dimensional double layer honeycomb (DLHC) structure, as opposed to the wurtzite or zinc-blende structures associated with three dimensional bulk. Not only does this greatly increase the landscape of two-dimensional materials, but it is shown that in the double layer honeycomb form, even ordinary semiconductors, such as GaAs, can exhibit exotic topological properties.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Carrier Multiplication-Induced Structural Change during Ultrafast Carrier Relaxation and Non-Thermal Phase Transition in Semiconductors

While being extensively studied as an important physical process to alter exciton population in nanostructures at fs time scale, carrier multiplication has not been considered seriously as a major mechanism for phase transition. Real-time time-dependent density functional theory study of Ge2Sb2Te5 reveals that carrier multiplication can induce ultrafast phase transition in solid state despite that the lattice remains cold. The results also unify the experimental findings in other semiconductors for which the explanation remains to be the 30-year old phenomenological plasma annealing model.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Toward the intrinsic limit of topological insulator Bi2Se3

Combining high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and first principle calculations, we identified the major native defects, in particular the Se vacancies and Se interstitial defects that are responsible for the bulk conduction and nanoscale potential fluctuation in single crystals of archetypal topological insulator Bi2Se3. Here it is established that the defect concentrations in Bi2Se3 are far above the thermodynamic limit, and that the growth kinetics dominate the observed defect concentrations. Furthermore, through careful control of the synthesis, our tunneling spectroscopy suggests that our best samples are approaching the intrinsic limit with the Fermi level inside the band gap without introducing extrinsic dopants.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗