arXiv subjects

Xufen Wu

Publications and source records attributed to Xufen Wu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Rapid cooling of the Cassiopeia A neutron star due to superfluid quantum criticality

The rapid cooling of the neutron star in Cassiopeia A is speculated to arise from an enhanced neutrino emission caused by the onset of $^3P_2$-wave neutron superfluidity in the core. However, the neutrino emissivity due to Cooper-pair breaking and formation is in tension with the requirements for explaining the observed cooling rate. Here, we show that such a rapid cooling can be explained once the non-Fermi liquid behavior of the non-superfluid neutron liquid induced by superfluid quantum criticality is included into the theoretical description of neutron star cooling, without assuming the existence of additional energy loss processes. Our results indicate that the neutron star in Cassiopeia A remains in the thermal relaxation stage, which is greatly prolonged by the non-Fermi liquid behavior. The good agreement between our theoretical results and recent observational cooling data points to the pivotal role played by superfluid quantum criticality in neutron stars.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

New solution to the hyperon puzzle of neutron stars: Quantum many-body effects

The hyperon puzzle refers to the challenge of reconciling the existence of hyperons in neutron star cores and the observed high masses of neutron stars. The recent discovery of PSR J0952-0607 ($2.35\pm0.17 M_{\odot}$) has intensified this challenge. Existing solutions fail to achieve such a high mass, and often predict unrealistically fast cooling that is at odds with observations. Here, we propose a novel solution to the hyperon puzzle. Using the Dyson-Schwinger equation approach, we incorporate the quantum many-body effects caused by strong baryon-meson interactions into the equation of state for cold baryonic matter and find it stiff enough to support a maximum hyperon-star mass of $M_{\mathrm{max}} \approx 2.59 M_{\odot}$, which can explain all the observed high neutron-star masses. The resulting proton and hyperon fractions are remarkably low, thus the nucleonic and hyperonic direct Urca processes are significantly suppressed. As a result, fast cooling typically does not occur in ordinary neutron stars.

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arXiv2025

Superfluid quantum criticality and the thermal evolution of neutron stars

The neutron star starts to cool down shortly after its birth by emitting neutrinos. As it becomes cold enough, the Cooper pairs of neutrons are formed, triggering a superfluid transition. Previous studies on neutron superfluidity focused on finite-temperature transitions, with little attention paid to the potentially important quantum critical phenomena associated with superfluidity. Here, we provide the first theoretical analysis of superfluid quantum criticality, concentrating on its impact on neutron star cooling. Extensive calculations found that superfluidity occurs within a finite range of neutron star density $ρ$. The density serves as a nonthermal parameter for a superfluid quantum phase transition. In a broad quantum critical region, gapless neutrons are strongly coupled to the quantum critical fluctuations of the superfluid order parameter. We handle this coupling using both perturbation theory and renormalization group methods and find that it leads to non-Fermi liquid behavior, which yields a logarithmic $T\ln(1/T)$ correction to the neutron specific heat $c_{\mathrm{n}}\propto T$ and also dramatically alters the neutrino emissivity. Quantum critical phenomena emerge much earlier than the onset of superfluidity and persist throughout almost the entire lifetime of a neutron star. At low temperatures, these phenomena coexist with superfluidity in the neutron star interior but occupy different layers. We incorporate superfluid quantum criticality into the theoretical description of neutron star cooling and show that it substantially prolongs the thermal relaxation time. By varying the strength of superfluid fluctuations and other quantities, we obtain an excellent fit to the observed cooling data of a number of neutron stars. Our results indicate an intriguing correlation between superfluid quantum criticality and the thermal evolution of neutron stars.

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arXiv2025

Comparison of Bar Formation Mechanisms. II. Does a Tidally Induced Bar Grow Faster Than an Internally Developed Bar?

Bar structures can form internally due to the instability of their host galaxies or externally due to perturbations from other galaxies. We systematically quantify the growth timescales ($τ_\mathrm{bar}$) of bars formed through these two mechanisms with a series of controlled $N$-body simulations. In galaxies susceptible to bar instability, tidally induced bars display $τ_\mathrm{bar}$ values comparable to those of internally developed bars within the same disk. Tidal perturbations promote(delay) bar formation by advancing(postponing) its onset, but the growth rate of the bar structure remains largely unchanged. In these interaction scenarios, the bar formation is still driven primarily by the galaxy's internal nature, which remains unaffected by tidal perturbations. As the external perturbation wave reaches the galaxy's center, it evokes a "seed bar" that is then swing amplified. In this scenario, the onset of bar formation is advanced. Conversely, bar formation may be delayed if the external perturbation wave is out of phase with the preexisting spontaneously developed "seed bar", which causes destructive interference and limits the bar growth. In the hot disk model that resists bar formation in isolation, the $τ_\mathrm{bar}$ of the tidally forced bar correlates with the strength of the perturbation. The bar growth in this model deviates from an exponential profile and is better described by a linear function. The varied $τ_\mathrm{bar}$ and the preference for linear growth contrast with bars formed in galaxies inherently susceptible to bar instability. These tidally forced bars may not adhere to the swing amplification mechanism that predicts exponential bar growth.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Measuring Mass of Gas in Central Galaxies using weak lensing and satellite kinematics in MOND

In Milgrom's modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) framework, the dynamical mass of a galaxy is fully determined by its baryonic matter distribution. We fit the distribution of cold and hot gas halos, focusing on hot gas, around SDSS central galaxies using weak lensing signals from the DECaLS survey in MOND. The central galaxies are classified into two samples, the total galaxies and star-forming galaxies. We find that hot gas halo densities nearly follow Plummer's profile for both samples across all mass bins. The rotation curves of the galaxy samples are also demonstrated. The efficiency of converting gas into stars, $M_*/(M_* + M_{\rm g})$, is between 0.3 and 0.8 in all mass bins of the star-forming sample, which is higher than in the total sample. We also calculate gas mass using the satellite kinematics method in MOND. A constant, mildly radial anisotropy or isotropy in satellite motion leads to good agreement between the satellite kinematics and weak lensing methods. Combining both methods, we observe a baryonic mass to line-of-sight velocity dispersion of satellites ($M_{\rm b}$-$σ_{\rm s}$) relation. In addition, we examine more sophisticated models in MOND, including external field effects and Osipkov-Merritt anisotropy profiles, and find them unnecessary. A simple, mildly radial constant anisotropic model or an isotropic model, even when isolated, already aligns with observations. The strong concordance between the two methods suggests that weak lensing signals reliably measure the dynamical mass of central galaxies and can constrain the distribution of missing baryons in galaxy clusters.

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arXiv2024

Nonperturbative study of quantum many-body correlation effects in neutron stars: Equation of state

Although neutron stars have been studied for decades, their internal structure remains enigmatic, mainly due to large uncertainties in the equation of state. In neutron stars, the nucleons are strongly interacting by exchanging mesons, which can lead to significant quantum many-body correlation effects. Mean-field calculations failed to capture these effects. Here, we develop a nonperturbative quantum field-theoretic approach to handle strongly correlated dense nuclear matter within the framework of quantum hadrodynamics. We show that the many-body effects can be incorporated in the Dyson-Schwinger equation of the nucleon propagator. Based on a linear $σ$-$ω$-$ρ$ model, we successfully reproduce six empirical observable quantities of saturation nuclear matter by tuning six parameters. After including the many-body effects into the equation of state of realistic neutron star matter, we obtain a mass-radius relation that is comparable with recent astrophysical observations of neutron stars.

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arXiv2024

Energy evolution in the progenitor of galaxy shells: a semi-analytical model

The stellar shells surrounding an elliptical galaxy, as remnants of a dwarf galaxy disrupted during merging, reveal the distribution of energy and angular momentum of the progenitor dwarf galaxy. We develop a semi-analytical model to describe the changes of energy $ΔE_i$ and angular momentum $ΔLz_i$ for particles during the first infall. We show that these changes, induced by the self-gravity of the progenitor, are important in broadening the initial energy distribution of the Plummer or Hernquist progenitor model. Consequently, these changes are crucial in shaping the shells. In the free fall stage following the disintegration of the progenitor potential, particles are no longer bound by self-gravity but move within the gravitational potential of the target galaxy. We investigate the relationship between the radial period and the energy of particles undergoing radial motion. We show that an accurate model of the energy range of the dwarf galaxy at disruption is essential to predict the number of observable shells.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Formation of collisional ring galaxies in Milgromian dynamics

Ring galaxies are rare in the Universe. A head-on or off-centre collision between an intruder galaxy and a disc galaxy leads to a collisional ring galaxy (CRG) when the intruder-to-target mass ratio (ITMR) is over 0.1 in Newtonian dynamics. Within the framework of Milgromian dynamics, the strong equivalence principle is violated due to the presence of an external field. When two galaxies collide towards each other, the dynamical mass of the phantom dark halo in a galaxy is suppressed by the external field induced by the other galaxy. As a consequence of such suppression, the gravitational perturbation for the target galaxy introduced by a collision is weakened. In this case, a minor collision may not be capable of generating a CRG. In this work, we address this issue and perform a series of numerical simulations of collisions by tuning the values of ITMR. We find that the critical ITMR is 0.5 in MOND, which is much larger than that in Newtonian dynamics. The observed massive ring galaxies, such as Arp 147, can be effectively interpreted by CRGs in MOND. This interpretation does not necessitate the presence of dark matter halos for either the target or intruder galaxies. Moreover, for a larger inclination angle or a larger impact parameter, the off-centred ring structure is fainter. The larger critical ITMR indicates that it is harder to form a CRG in Milgrom's Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). To account for the observed ring structures of the NGC 922-like galaxies in MOND, it is necessary to invoke other scenarios than a dry minor collision.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Shape asymmetries and the relation between lopsidedness and radial alignment in simulated galaxies

Galaxies are observed to be lopsided, meaning that they are more massive and more extended along one direction than the opposite. In this work, we provide a statistical analysis of the lopsided morphology of 1780 isolated satellite galaxies generated by TNG50-1 simulation, incorporating the effect of tidal fields from halo centres. The isolated satellites are galaxies without nearby substructures whose mass is over $1\%$ of the satellites within their virial radii. We study the radial alignment (RA) between the major axes of satellites and the radial direction of their halo centres in radial ranges of $0$-$2R_{\rm h}$, $2$-$5R_{\rm h}$ and $5$-$10R_{\rm h}$ with $R_{\rm h}$ being the stellar half mass radius. According to our results, the RA is virtually undetectable in inner and intermediate regions, yet it is significantly evident in outer regions. We also calculate the far-to-near-side semi-axial ratios of the major axes, denoted by $a_-/a_+$, which measures the semi-axial ratios of the major axes in the hemispheres between backwards (far side) and facing (near side) the halo centres. In all the radial bins of the satellites, the numbers of satellites with longer semi-axes on the far side are found to be almost equal to those with longer semi-axes on the near side. Therefore, the tidal fields from halo centres play a minor role in the generation of lopsided satellites. The long semi-major-axes radial alignment (LRA), i.e., an alignment between the long semi-major-axes of satellite galaxies and the radial directions to their halo centres, is further studied. No clear evidence of LRA is found in our sample within the framework of $Λ$CDM Newtonian dynamics. Finally, we briefly discuss the possible origins of the asymmetry of galaxies in TNG50-1.

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arXiv2022

Asymmetrical tidal tails of open star clusters: stars crossing their cluster's prah challenge Newtonian gravitation

After their birth a significant fraction of all stars pass through the tidal threshold (prah) of their cluster of origin into the classical tidal tails. The asymmetry between the number of stars in the leading and trailing tails tests gravitational theory. All five open clusters with tail data (Hyades, Praesepe, Coma Berenices, COIN-Gaia 13, NGC 752) have visibly more stars within dcl = 50 pc of their centre in their leading than their trailing tail. Using the Jerabkova-compact-convergent-point (CCP) method, the extended tails have been mapped out for four nearby 600-2000 Myr old open clusters to dcl>50 pc. These are on near-circular Galactocentric orbits, a formula for estimating the orbital eccentricity of an open cluster being derived. Applying the Phantom of Ramses code to this problem, in Newtonian gravitation the tails are near-symmetrical. In Milgromian dynamics (MOND) the asymmetry reaches the observed values for 50 < dcl/pc < 200, being maximal near peri-galacticon, and can slightly invert near apo-galacticon, and the Küpper epicyclic overdensities are asymmetrically spaced. Clusters on circular orbits develop orbital eccentricity due to the asymmetrical spill-out, therewith spinning up opposite to their orbital angular momentum. This positive dynamical feedback suggests Milgromian open clusters to demise rapidly as their orbital eccentricity keeps increasing. Future work is necessary to better delineate the tidal tails around open clusters of different ages and to develop a Milgromian direct n-body code.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Collisions of young disc galaxies in the early universe

In the local universe, disc galaxies are generally well evolved and Toomre stable. Their collisions with satellite galaxies naturally produce ring structures, which has been observed and extensively studied. In contrast, at high redshifts, disc galaxies are still developing and clumpy. These young galaxies interact with each other more frequently. However, the products of their collisions remain elusive. Here we systematically study the minor collisions between a clumpy galaxy and a satellite on orbits with different initial conditions, and find a new structure that is different from the local collisional ring galaxies. The clumpness of the target galaxy is fine-tuned by the values of Toomre parameter, $Q$. Interestingly, a thick and knotty ring structure is formed without any sign of a central nucleus in the target galaxy. Our results provide a promising explanation of the empty ring galaxy recently observed in R5519 at redshift $z=2.19$. Moreover, we show that the clumpy state of the collided galaxy exists for a much longer timescale, compared to isolated self-evolved clumpy galaxies that have been widely investigated.

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arXiv2019

A new formulation of the external field effect in MOND and numerical simulations of ultra-diffuse dwarf galaxies $-$ application to NGC 1052-DF2 and NGC 1052-DF4

The ultra-diffuse dwarf galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 (DF2) has ten (eleven) measured globular clusters (GCs) with a line-of-sight velocity dispersion of $σ=7.8^{+5.2}_{-2.2}\,$km/s ($σ=10.6^{+3.9}_{-2.3}\,$km/s). Our conventional statistical analysis of the original ten GCs gives $σ=8.0^{+4.3}_{-3.0}\,$km/s. The overall distribution of velocities agrees well with a Gaussian of this width. Due to the non-linear Poisson equation in MOND, a dwarf galaxy has weaker self-gravity when in close proximity to a massive host. This external field effect is investigated using a new analytic formulation and fully self-consistent live $N$-body models in MOND. Our formulation agrees well with that of Famaey and McGaugh (2012). These new simulations confirm our analytic results and suggest that DF2 may be in a deep-freeze state unique to MOND. The correctly calculated MOND velocity dispersion agrees with our inferred dispersion and that of van Dokkum et al. (2018b) if DF2 is within 150 kpc of NGC 1052 and both are 20 Mpc away. The GCs of DF2 are however significantly brighter and larger than normal GCs, a problem which disappears if DF2 is significantly closer to us. A distance of 10-13 Mpc makes DF2 a normal dwarf galaxy even more consistent with MOND and the 13 Mpc distance reported by Trujillo et. al. (2019). We discuss the similar dwarf DF4, finding good agreement with MOND. We also discuss possible massive galaxies near DF2 and DF4 along with their distances and peculiar velocities, noting that NGC 1052 may lie at a distance near 10 Mpc.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

The kinematics of star clusters undergoing gas expulsion in Newtonian and Milgromian dynamics

We study the kinematics of stars in clusters undergoing gas expulsion in standard Newtonian dynamics and also in Milgromian dynamics (MOND). Gas expulsion can explain the observed line-of-sight (LoS) velocity dispersion profile of NGC 2419 in Newtonian dynamics. For a given star formation efficiency (SFE), the shapes of the velocity dispersion profiles, which are normalised by the velocity dispersion at the projected half-mass radius, are almost indistinguishable for different SFE models in Newtonian dynamics. The velocity dispersion of a star cluster in the outer halo of a galaxy can indeed have a strong radial anisotropy in Newtonian dynamics after gas expulsion. MOND displays several different properties from Newtonian dynamics. In particular, the slope of the central velocity dispersion profile is less steep in MOND for the same SFE. Moreover, for a given SFE, more massive embedded cluster models result in more rapidly declining central velocity dispersion profiles for the final star clusters, while less massive embedded cluster models lead to flatter velocity dispersion profiles for the final products. The onset of the radial-orbit instability in post-gas-expulsion MOND models is discussed. SFEs as low as a few percent, typical of molecular clouds, lead to surviving ultra-diffuse objects. Gas expulsion alone is unlikely the physical mechanism for the observed velocity dispersion profile of NGC 2419 in MOND.

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arXiv2019

Does the galaxy NGC1052-DF2 falsify Milgromian dynamics?

A great challenge in present-day physics is to understand whether the observed internal dynamics of galaxies is due to dark matter matter or due to a modification of the law of gravity. Recently, van Dokkum et al. reported that the ultra-diffuse dwarf galaxy NGC1052-DF2 lacks dark matter, and they claimed that this would -- paradoxically -- be problematic for modified gravity theories like Milgromian dynamics (MOND). However, NGC1052-DF2 is not isolated, so that a valid prediction of its internal dynamics in MOND cannot be made without properly accounting for the external gravitational fields from neighbouring galaxies. Including this external field effect following Haghi et al. shows that NGC1052-DF2 is consistent with MOND.

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arXiv2018

A common Milgromian acceleration scale in nature

A central problem of contemporary physics is whether the law of gravity is non-Newtonian on galaxy scales. Rodrigues et al. argue that Milgromian gravitation, which solves the flat rotation curve problem without the need for dark matter particles, is ruled out at > 10σ significance. To a large extent, this conclusion relies on galaxies with very uncertain distances and/or nearly edge-on orientations, where dust obscuration often becomes significant. Applying appropriate quality cuts to the data leaves only a handful of outliers to the predictions of Milgromian gravitation according to the analysis of Rodrigues et al., but even these outliers can be explained with Milgromian gravitation.

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arXiv2018

Ring Galaxies Through Off-center Minor Collisions by Tuning Bulge-to-disk Mass Ratio of Progenitors

Collisional ring galaxies (CRGs) are formed through off-center collisions between a target galaxy and an intruder dwarf galaxy. We study the mass distribution and kinematics of the CRGs by tuning the bulge-to-disk mass ratio ($B/D$) for the progenitor; i.e., the target galaxy. We find that the lifetime of the ring correlates with the initial impact velocity vertical to the disk plane (i.e., $v_{z0}$). Three orbits for the collisional galaxy pair, on which clear and asymmetric rings form after collisions, are selected to perform the \textit{N}-body simulations at different values of $B/D$ for the progenitor. It is found that the ring structures are the strongest for the CRGs with small values of $B/D$. The Sérsic index, $n$, of the central remnant in the target galaxy becomes larger after collision. Moreover, the Sérsic index of a central remnant strongly correlates with the initial value of $B/D$ for the progenitor. A bulge-less progenitor results in a late-type object in the center of the ring galaxy, whereas a bulge-dominated progenitor leads to an early-type central remnant. Progenitors with $B/D\in [0.1,~0.3]$ (i.e., minor bulges) leave central remnants with $n\approx 4$. These results provide a possible explanation for the formation of a recently observed CRG with an early-type central nucleus, SDSS J1634+2049. In addition, we find that the radial and azimuthal velocity profiles for a ring galaxy are more sensitive to the $B/D$ than the initial relative velocity of the progenitor.

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arXiv2017

Gas expulsion in MOND: the possible origin of diffuse globular clusters and ultra-faint dwarf galaxies

We study the evolution of star clusters located in the outer regions of a galaxy undergoing a sudden mass loss through gas expulsion in the framework of Milgromian dynamics (MOND) by means of N-body simulations. We find that, to leave a bound star cluster, the star formation efficiency (SFE) of an embedded cluster dominated by deep MOND gravity can be reduced down to $2.5\%$. For a given SFE, the star clusters that survive in MOND can bind a larger fraction of mass compared to the Newtonian dynamics. Moreover, the more diffuse the embedded cluster is, the less substantial the size expansion of the final star cluster is. The density profiles of a surviving star cluster are more cuspy in the centre for more massive embedded clusters, and the central density profiles are flatter for less massive embedded clusters or for lower SFE. This work may help to understand the low concentration and extension of the distant low-density globular clusters (GCs) and ultra-faint and diffuse satellite galaxies around the Milky Way.

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arXiv2017

Lopsidedness of self-consistent galaxies by the external field effect of clusters

Adopting Schwarzschild's orbit-superposition technique, we construct a series of self-consistent galaxy models, embedded in the external field of galaxy clusters in the framework of Milgrom's MOdified Newtonian Dynamics. These models represent relatively massive ellipticals with a Hernquist radial profile at various distances from the cluster centre. Using $N$-body simulations, we perform a first analysis of these models and their evolution. We find that self-gravitating axisymmetric density models, even under a weak external field, lose their symmetry by instability and generally evolve to triaxial configurations. A kinematic analysis suggests that the instability originates from both box and non-classified orbits with low angular momentum. We also consider a self-consistent isolated system which is then placed in a strong external field and allowed to evolve freely. This model, just as the corresponding equilibrium model in the same external field, eventually settles to a triaxial equilibrium as well, but has a higher velocity radial anisotropy and is rounder. The presence of an external field in MOND universe generically predicts some lopsidedness of galaxy shapes.

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