arXiv subjects

Simon Portegies Zwart

Publications and source records attributed to Simon Portegies Zwart.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

Star cluster ecology V: Dissection of an open star cluster--spectroscopy

We have modeled in detail the evolution of rich open star clusters such as the Pleiades, Praesepe and Hyades, using simulations that include stellar dynamics as well as the effects of stellar evolution. The dynamics is modeled via direct N-body integration, while the evolution of single stars and binaries is followed through the use of fitting formulae and recipes. The feedback of stellar and binary evolution on the dynamical evolution of the stellar system is taken into account self-consistently. Our model clusters dissolve in the tidal field of the Galaxy in a time span on the order of a billion years. The rate of mass loss is rather constant, about 1Msun per million years. The binary fraction at first is nearly constant in time, then increases slowly near the end of a cluster's lifetime. For clusters which are more than about 100 million years old the fractions of stars in the form of binaries, giants and collision products in the inner few core radii are considerably higher than in the outer regions, beyond the cluster's half mass radius. When stars with masses >2Msun escape from the cluster, they tend to do so with velocities higher than average....

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arXiv2002

A dozen colliding wind X-ray binaries in the star cluster R136 in the 30Doradus region

We analyzed archival Chandra X-ray observations of the central portion of the 30 Doradus region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The image contains 20 X-ray point sources with luminosities between $5 \times 10^{32}$ and $2 \times 10^{35}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (0.2 -- 3.5 keV). A dozen sources have bright WN Wolf-Rayet or spectral type O stars as optical counterparts. Nine of these are within $\sim 3.4$pc of R136, the central star cluster of NGC2070. We derive an empirical relation between the X-ray luminosity and the parameters for the stellar wind of the optical counterpart. The relation gives good agreement for known colliding wind binaries in the Milky Way Galaxy and for the identified X-ray sources in NGC2070. We conclude that probably all identified X-ray sources in NGC2070 are colliding wind binaries and that they are not associated with compact objects. This conclusion contradicts Wang (1995) who argued, using ROSAT data, that two earlier discovered X-ray sources are accreting black-hole binaries. Five of the eighteen brightest stars in R136 are not visible in our X-ray observations. These stars are either single, have low mass companions or very wide orbits. The resulting binary fraction among early type stars is then unusually high (at least 70%).

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arXiv2001

Theory in a Virtual Observatory

During the last couple of years, observers have started to make plans for a Virtual Observatory, as a federation of existing data bases, connected through levels of software that enable rapid searches, correlations, and various forms of data mining. We propose to extend the notion of a Virtual Observatory by adding archives of simulations, together with interactive query and visualization capabilities, as well as ways to simulate observations of simulations in order to compare them with observations. For this purpose, we have already organized two small workshops, earlier in 2001, in Tucson and Aspen. We have also provided concrete examples of theory data, designed to be federated with a Virtual Observatory. These data stem from a project to construct an archive for our large-scale simulations using the GRAPE-6 (a 32-Teraflops special purpose computer for stellar dynamics). We are constructing interfaces by which remote observers can observe these simulations. In addition, these data will enable detailed comparisons between different simulations.

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arXiv2001

The lives and deaths of star clusters near the Galactic center

We study the evolution and observability of young, compact star clusters near the Galactic center, such as the Arches and Quintuplet systems. The clusters are modeled by integrating the equations of motion of all stars while accounting for the internal evolution of stars and binaries, as well as the effect of the Galactic tidal field. We find that clusters within 150 pc of the Galactic center dissolve within ~55 Myr, but their projected densities drop below the background density in the direction of the Galactic center within only a few Myr, effectively making these clusters undetectable after that time. Detailed observations of the Arches cluster, taken at face value, suggest that its mass function is unusually flat and that the cluster contains an overabundance of stars more massive than 20 Msun. Our dynamical analysis, however, shows that the observed characteristics of the Arches cluster are consistent with a perfectly normal initial mass function. The observed anomalies are then caused by a combination of observational selection effects and the dynamical evolution of the cluster. We calibrate the current parameters of the Arches cluster using a normal initial mass function and conclude that the cluster is more massive than 40000 Msun, has a half mass radius of about 0.35 pc and is located between 50 and 90 pc from the Galactic center.

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arXiv2001

Precessing jets interacting with interstellar material as the origin for the light curves of gamma-ray bursts

We present an internal shock model with external characteristics for explaining the complicated light curves of gamma-ray bursts. Shocks produce gamma-rays in the interaction between a precessing beam of relativistic particles and the interstellar medium. Each time the particle beam passes the same line of sight with the observer the inter stellar medium is pushed outward. Subsequent interactions between the medium and the beam are delayed by the extra distance to be traveled for the particles before the shock can form. This results in a natural retardation and leads to an intrinsic asymmetry in the produced light curves for gamma-ray bursts. In addition we account for the cooling of the electron-proton plasma in the shocked region, which gives rise to an exponential decay in the gamma-ray flux. The combination of these effects and the precessing jet of ultra relativistic particles produces light curves which can be directly compared with observed gamma-ray burst light curves. We illustrate the model by fitting a number of observed gamma-ray bursts which are hard to explain with only a precessing jet. With a genetic algorithm we are able to fit several observed gamma-ray bursts with remarkable accuracy. We find that for different bursts the observed fluence, assuming isotropic emission, easily varies over four orders of magnitude from the energy generated intrinsically.

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arXiv2001

Missing Link Found? --- The ``runaway'' path to supermassive black holes

Observations of stellar kinematics, gas dynamics and masers around galactic nuclei have now firmly established that many galaxies host central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with masses in the range $10^6 \sim 10^9$M$_{\odot}$. However, how these SMBHs formed is not well understood. One reason for this situation is the lack of observations of intermediate-mass BHs (IMBHs), which could bridge the gap between stellar-mass BHs and SMBHs. Recently, this missing link (i.e., an IMBH) has been found in observations made by the ASCA and the Chandra of the central region of the starburst galaxy M82 \citep{MT99, PG99, MT01, Ka01}. Subsequent observations by SUBARU have revealed that this IMBH apparently coincides with a young compact star cluster. Based on these findings, we suggest a new formation scenario for SMBHs. In this scenario, IMBHs first form in young compact star clusters through runaway merging of massive stars. While these IMBHs are forming, the host star clusters sink toward the galactic nucleus through dynamical friction, and upon evaporation deposit their IMBHs near the galactic center. The IMBHs then form binaries and eventually merge via gravitational radiation, forming an SMBH.

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arXiv2001

Immersive 4D Interactive Visualization of Large-Scale Simulations

In dense clusters a bewildering variety of interactions between stars can be observed, ranging from simple encounters to collisions and other mass-transfer encounters. With faster and special-purpose computers like GRAPE, the amount of data per simulation is now exceeding 1TB. Visualization of such data has now become a complex 4D data-mining problem, combining space and time, and finding interesting events in these large datasets. We have recently starting using the virtual reality simulator, installed in the Hayden Planetarium in the American Museum for Natural History, to tackle some of these problem. This work (http://www.astro.umd.edu/nemo/amnh/) reports on our first ``observations'', modifications needed for our specific experiments, and perhaps field ideas for other fields in science which can benefit from such immersion. We also discuss how our normal analysis programs can be interfaced with this kind of visualization.

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arXiv2000

How many young star clusters exist in the Galactic center?

We study the evolution and observability of young compact star clusters within about 200pc of the Galactic center. Calculations are performed using direct N-body integration on the GRAPE-4, including the effects of both stellar and binary evolution and the external influence of the Galaxy. The results of these detailed calculations are used to calibrate a simplified model applicable over a wider range of cluster initial conditions. We find that clusters within 200 pc from the Galactic center dissolve within about 70 Myr. However, their projected densities drop below the background density in the direction of the Galactic center within 20 Myr, effectively making these clusters undetectable after that time. Clusters farther from the Galactic center but at the same projected distance are more strongly affected by this selection effect, and may go undetected for their entire lifetimes. Based on these findings, we conclude that the region within 200 pc of the Galactic center could easily harbor some 50 clusters with properties similar to those of the Arches or the Quintuplet systems.

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arXiv1999

Monte-Carlo Simulations of Globular Cluster Evolution - I. Method and Test Calculations

We present a new parallel supercomputer implementation of the Monte-Carlo method for simulating the dynamical evolution of globular star clusters. Our method is based on a modified version of Henon's Monte-Carlo algorithm for solving the Fokker-Planck equation. Our code allows us to follow the evolution of a cluster containing up to 5x10^5 stars to core collapse in < 40 hours of computing time. In this paper we present the results of test calculations for clusters with equal-mass stars, starting from both Plummer and King model initial conditions. We consider isolated as well as tidally truncated clusters. Our results are compared to those obtained from approximate, self-similar analytic solutions, from direct numerical integrations of the Fokker-Planck equation, and from direct N-body integrations performed on a GRAPE-4 special-purpose computer with N=16384. In all cases we find excellent agreement with other methods, establishing our new code as a robust tool for the numerical study of globular cluster dynamics using a realistic number of stars.

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arXiv1999

Collisions in compact star clusters

The high stellar densities in young compact star clusters, such as the star cluster R 136 in the 30 Doradus region, may lead to a large number of stellar collisions. Such collisions were recently found to be much more frequent than previous estimates. The number of collisions scales with the number of stars for clusters with the same initial relaxation time. These collisions take place in a few million years. The collision products may finally collapse into massive black holes. The fraction of the total mass in the star cluster which ends up in a single massive object scales with the total mass of the cluster and its relaxation time. This mass fraction is rather constant, within a factor two or so. Wild extrapolation from the relatively small masses of the studied systems to the cores of galactic nuclei may indicate that the massive black holes in these systems have formed in a similar way.

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arXiv1999

Merger rates of black hole binaries: prospects for gravitational wave detectors

Mergers of black-hole binaries are expected to release large amounts of energy in the form of gravitational radiation. However, binary evolution models predict merger rates too low to be of observational interest. In this paper we explore the possibility that black holes become members of close binaries via dynamical interactions with other stars in dense stellar systems. In star clusters, black holes become the most massive objects within a few tens of millions of years; dynamical relaxation then causes them to sink to the cluster core, where they form binaries. These black-hole binaries become more tightly bound by superelastic encounters with other cluster members, and are ultimately ejected from the cluster. The majority of escaping black-hole binaries have orbital periods short enough and eccentricities high enough that the emission of gravitational waves causes them to coalesce within a few billion years. We predict a black-hole merger rate of 10^-8 to 10^-7 per year per cubic megaparsec, implying gravity-wave detection rates substantially greater than the corresponding rates from neutron star mergers. For the first generation Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO-I), we expect about one detection during the first two years of operation. For its successor LIGO-II, the rate rises to roughly one detection per day. There is about an order of magnitude uncertainty in these numbers.

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arXiv1999

Black hole mergers in the universe

Mergers of black-hole binaries are expected to release large amounts of energy in the form of gravitational radiation. However, binary evolution models predict merger rates too low to be of observational interest. In this paper we explore the possibility that black holes become members of close binaries via dynamical interactions with other stars in dense stellar systems. In star clusters, black holes become the most massive objects within a few tens of millions of years; dynamical relaxation then causes them to sink to the cluster core, where they form binaries. These black-hole binaries become more tightly bound by superelastic encounters with other cluster members, and are ultimately ejected from the cluster. The majority of escaping black-hole binaries have orbital periods short enough and eccentricities high enough that the emission of gravitational radiation causes them to coalesce within a few billion years. We predict a black-hole merger rate of about $1.6 \times 10^{-7}$ per year per cubic megaparsec, implying gravity wave detection rates substantially greater than the corresponding rates from neutron star mergers. For the first generation Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO-I), we expect about one detection during the first two years of operation. For its successor LIGO-II, the rate rises to roughly one detection per day. The uncertainties in these numbers are large. Event rates may drop by about an order of magnitude if the most massive clusters eject their black hole binaries early in their evolution.

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arXiv1999

The possible companions of young radio pulsars

We discuss the formation of pulsars with massive companions in eccentric orbits. We demonstrate that the probability for a non-recycled radio pulsar to have a white dwarf as a companion is comparable to that of having an old neutron star as a companion. Special emphasis is given to PSR B1820-11 and PSR B2303+46. Based on population synthesis calculations we argue that PSR B1820-11 and PSR B2303+46 could very well be accompanied by white dwarfs with mass > 1.1Msun. For PSR B1820-11, however, we can not exclude the possibility that its companion is a main-sequence star with a mass between about 0.7Msun and 5Msun.

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arXiv1999

Explaining the light curves of Gamma-ray Bursts with precessing jets

A phenomenological model is presented to explain the light curves of gamma-ray bursts. Gamma-rays are produced in a narrow beam which sweeps through space due to the precession of a slaved accretion disc. The light curve expected from such a precessing luminosity cone can explain the complex temporal behavior of bright gamma-ray bursts.

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arXiv1999

Can precessing jets explain the light curves of Gamma-ray Bursts?

We present a phenomenological model to explain the light curves of gamma-ray bursts. In the model a black hole is orbited by a precessing accretion disc which is fed by a neutron star. Gamma-rays are produced in a highly collimated beam via the Blandford-Znajek mechanism. The gamma-ray beam sweeps through space due to the precession of the slaved accretion disc. The light curve expected from such a precessing luminosity cone can explain the complex temporal behavior of observed bright gamma-ray bursts.

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arXiv1999

Star cluster ecology III: Runaway collisions in young compact star clusters

The evolution of young compact star clusters is studied using N-body simulations in which both stellar evolution and physical collisions between stars are taken into account. The initial conditions are chosen to represent R136, a compact star cluster in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The present runs do not include the effects of primordial binaries. We find that physical collisions between stars in these models are frequent, and that the evolution of the most massive stars and the dynamical evolution of the cluster are closely coupled. In all cases, a single star grows steadily in mass through mergers with other stars, forming a very massive (>100 Msun) star in less than 3-4 Myr. The growth rate of this runaway merger is much larger than estimates based on simple cross-section arguments, mainly because the star is typically found in the core and tends to form binaries with other massive stars there. The runaway is ``rejuvenated'' by each new collision, and its lifetime is extended considerably as a consequence. Observationally, such a star will appear in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram as a blue straggler. When the runaway forms a black hole, the binary in which it is found is usually dissociated.

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arXiv1999

The origin of single radio pulsars

By comparing relative rates of supernovae versus formation rates of single radio pulsars, recycled pulsars, binary pulsars and X-ray binaries we put strong limits on the progenitors of radio pulsars and on the requirement of an asymmetry in the supernova. The assumption that radio pulsars are only formed in type Ib and type Ic supernovae from interacting binaries (Iben & Tutukov 1996) breaks down on the implication that in that case either the formation rate of binary pulsars (double neutron stars) should be of the order of 20%, of the single pulsar birthrate or, alternatively, almost all single pulsars (85% to 98%) should originate from Thorne-Zytkow stars. In the latter case the pulsar velocity distribution is inconsistent with observations. Also, in that case the difference between the supernova rate and the pulsar formation rate would be about one order of magnitude, i.e.: much larger than observed. Allowing type II supernovae from single stars and non-interacting binaries to form radio pulsars solves this conundrum, but then a kick is required in order to explain the high velocities of single radio pulsars. A kick is also required to understand the small birthrate, relative to the supernova rate, of binary pulsars consisting of two neutron stars.

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arXiv1998

Gamma-ray binaries: stable mass transfer from neutron star to black hole

Gamma-ray bursts are characterized by a duration of milliseconds to several minutes in which an enormous amount of radiation is emitted. The origin of these phenomena is still unknown because proposed models fail to explain all the observed features. Our proposed solution to this conundrum is a new class of mass-exchanging binaries in which a neutron star transfers mass to a black hole. According to recent studies binaries which contain a neutron star and a black hole are much more frequent than was previously believed. Mass exchange is driven by the emission of gravitational waves but the redistribution of mass in the binary system prevents coalescence. The phase of mass transfer is surprisingly stable and lasts for several thousands of orbital revolutions (about a minute). With a simple analytic model we demonstrated that this new class of binaries could provide an excellent candidate for the observed phenomena known as gamma-ray bursts.

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