Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Ya-Ping Li

Publications and source records attributed to Ya-Ping Li.

68 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Active Galactic Nuclei Feedback in an Elliptical Galaxy with the Most Updated AGN Physics (I): Low-angular Momentum Case

We investigate the effects of AGN feedback on the cosmological evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy by performing two-dimensional high-resolution hydrodynamical numerical simulations. The inner boundary of the simulation is chosen so that the Bondi radius is resolved. Compared to previous works, the two accretion modes, namely hot and cold, which correspond to different accretion rates and have different radiation and wind outputs, are carefully discriminated and the feedback effects by radiation and wind in each mode are taken into account. The most updated AGN physics, including the descriptions of radiation and wind from the hot accretion flows and wind from cold accretion disks, are adopted. Physical processes like star formation, Type Ia and Type II supernovae are taken into account. We study the AGN light curve, typical AGN lifetime, growth of the black hole mass, AGN duty-cycle, star formation, and the X-ray surface brightness of the galaxy. We compare our simulation results with observations and find general consistency. Comparisons with previous simulation works find significant differences, indicating the importance of AGN physics. The respective roles of radiation and wind feedbacks are examined and it is found that they are different for different problems of interest such as AGN luminosity and star formation. We find that it is hard to neglect any of them, so we suggest to use the names of "cold feedback mode" and "hot feedback mode" to replace the currently used ones.

astro-ph.HE↗

The Profiles of Fe Kα Line From the Inhomogeneous Accretion Flow

The clumpy disc, or inhomogeneous accretion flow, has been proposed to explain the properties of accreting black hole systems. However, the observational evidences remain to be explored. In this work, we calculate the profiles of Fe Kα lines emitted from the inhomogeneous accretion flow through the ray-tracing technique, in order to find possible observable signals of the clumps. Compared with the skewed doublepeaked profile of the continuous standard accretion disc, the lines show a multi-peak structure when the emissivity index is not very steep. The peaks and wings are affected by the position and size of the cold clumps. When the clump is small and is located in the innermost region, due to the significant gravitational redshift, the blue wing can overlap with the red wing of the outer cold disc/clump, forming a fake peak or greatly enhancing the red peak. Given high enough resolution, it is easier to constrain the clumps around the supermassive black holes than the clumps in stellar mass black holes due to the thermal Doppler effect.

astro-ph.HE↗

The spectral symmetry of weakly irreducible nonnegative tensors and connected hypergraphs

Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a weakly irreducible nonnegative tensor with spectral radius $ρ(\mathcal{A})$. Let $\mathfrak{D}$ (respectively, $\mathfrak{D}^{(0)}$) be the set of normalized diagonal matrices arising from the eigenvectors of $\mathcal{A}$ corresponding to the eigenvalues with modulus $ρ(\mathcal{A})$ (respectively, the eigenvalue $ρ(\mathcal{A})$). It is shown that $\mathfrak{D}$ is an abelian group containing $\mathfrak{D}^{(0)}$ as a subgroup, which acts transitively on the set $\{e^{\mathbf{i} \frac{2 πj}{\ell}}\mathcal{A}:j =0,1, \ldots,\ell-1\}$, where $|\mathfrak{D}/\mathfrak{D}^{(0)}|=\ell$ and $\mathfrak{D}^{(0)}$ is the stabilizer of $\mathcal{A}$. The spectral symmetry of $\mathcal{A}$ is characterized by the group $\mathfrak{D}/\mathfrak{D}^{(0)}$, and $\mathcal{A}$ is called spectral $\ell$-symmetric. We obtain the structural information of $\mathcal{A}$ by analyzing the property of $\mathfrak{D}$, especially for connected hypergraphs we get some results on the edge distribution and coloring. If moreover $\mathcal{A}$ is symmetric, we prove that $\mathcal{A}$ is spectral $\ell$-symmetric if and only if it is $(m,\ell)$-colorable. We characterize the spectral $\ell$-symmetry of a tensor by using its generalized traces, and show that for an arbitrarily given integer $m \ge 3$ and each positive integer $\ell$ with $\ell \mid m$, there always exists an $m$-uniform hypergraph $G$ such that $G$ is spectral $\ell$-symmetric.

math.CO↗

A resource-saving realization of the polarization-independent orbital-angular-momentum-preserving tunable beam splitter

Tunable beam splitter (TBS) is a fundamental component which has been widely used in optical experiments. We realize a polarization-independent orbital-angular-momentum-preserving TBS based on the combination of modified polarization beam splitters and half-wave plates. Greater than 30 dB of the extinction ratio of tunableness, lower than $6\%$ of polarization dependence and more than 20 dB of the extinction ratio of OAM preservation show the relatively good performance of the TBS. In addition, the TBS can save about 3/4 of the optical elements compared with the existing scheme to implement the same function\cite{yang2016experimental}, which makes it have great advantages in scalable applications. Using this TBS, we experimentally built a Sagnac interferometer with the mean visibility of more than $99\%$, which demonstrates its potential applications in quantum information process, such as quantum cryptography.

quant-ph↗

Dove prism in single-path Sagnac interferometer for orbital-angular-momentum photon states

The degree of freedom of orbital angular momentum (OAM) is an important resource in high-dimensional quantum information processing, as the quantum number of OAM can be infinite. The Dove prism (DP) is a most common tool to manipulate the OAM light, such as in interferometers. However, the Dove prism does not preserve the polarization of the photon states and decreases the sorting fidelity of the interferometer. In this work, we analyze the polarization-dependent effect of the DP on single-path Sagnac interferometers. The results are instructive to quantum information processing with OAM light. We also proposed a modified single-path beam splitter Sagnac interferometer (BSSI), of which the sorting fidelity is independent on input polarization and can be 100\% in principle. The single-path BSSI is stable for free running. These merits are crucial in quantum information processing, such as quantum cryptography.

quant-ph↗

A Monte Carlo Study of the Spectra from Inhomogeneous Accretion Flow

The model of inhomogeneous accretion flow, in which cold clumps are surrounded by hot gas or corona, has been proposed to explain the spectral features of black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs). In this work, we try to find possible observational features in the continuum that can indicate the existence of clumps. The spectra of inhomogeneous accretion flow are calculated via the Monte Carlo method. Since the corresponding accretion flow is unsteady and complex, the accretion flow is described by a set of free parameters, the ranges of which can include the real cases. The influences of the parameters are investigated. It is found that the thermal component of the spectra deviates from the multi-color black body spectra in the middle power-law part. On the one hand, a warp appears due to the gap region between the clumps and the outer cold disk, and on the other hand, the slope of the line connecting the thermal peaks deviates from 4/3. The warp feature, as well as the correlation between the thermal peak at higher frequency and the spectral index, are possible to indicate the existence of clumps, and are worthy of further investigation with more self-consistent models.

astro-ph.HE↗

A magnetohydrodynamic model for multi-wavelength flares from Sagittarius~A$^\star$ (I): model and the near-infrared and X-ray flares

Flares from the supermassive black hole in our Galaxy, Sagittarius~A$^\star$ (Sgr A$^\star$), are routinely observed over the last decade or so. Despite numerous observational and theoretical efforts, the nature of such flares still remains poorly understood, although a few phenomenological scenarios have been proposed. In this work, we develop the Yuan et al. (2009) scenario into a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model for Sgr A$^\star$ flares. This model is analogous with the theory of solar flares and coronal mass ejection in solar physics. In the model, magnetic field loops emerge from the accretion flow onto Sgr A$^\star$ and are twisted to form flux ropes because of shear and turbulence. The magnetic energy is also accumulated in this process until a threshold is reached. This then results in a catastrophic evolution of a flux rope with the help of magnetic reconnection in the current sheet. In this catastrophic process, the magnetic energy is partially converted into the energy of non-thermal electrons. We have quantitatively calculated the dynamical evolution of the height, size, and velocity of the flux rope, as well as the magnetic field in the flare regions, and the energy distribution of relativistic electrons in this process. We further calculate the synchrotron radiation from these electrons and compare the obtained light curves with the observed ones. We find that the model can reasonably explain the main observations of near-infrared (NIR) and X-ray flares including their light curves and spectra. It can also potentially explain the frequency-dependent time delay seen in radio flare light curves.

astro-ph.HE↗

Exploring the accretion model of M87 and 3C 84 with the Faraday rotation measure observations

Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) are believed to be powered by an accretion-jet model, consisting of an inner advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF), an outer truncated standard thin disk, and a jet. But model degeneracy still exists in this framework. For example, the X-ray emission can originate from either the ADAF or jet. The aim of the present work is to check these models with the Faraday rotation measure (RM) observations recently detected for two LLAGNs, M87 and 3C 84, in the sub-mm band. For M87, we find that the RM predicted by the model in which the X-ray emission originates from the ADAF is larger than the observed upper limit of RM by over two orders of magnitude, while the model in which the X-ray emission originates from the jet predicts a RM lower than the observed upper limit. For 3C 84, the sub-mm emission is found to be dominated by the jet component, while the Faraday screen is attributed to the ADAFs. This scenario can naturally explain the observed {\it external} origin of the RM and why RM is found to be stable during a two-year interval although the sub-mm emission increases at the same period.

astro-ph.HE↗

Non-Markovian property of afterpulsing effect in single-photon avalanche detector

The single-photon avalanche photodiode(SPAD) has been widely used in research on quantum optics. The afterpulsing effect, which is an intrinsic character of SPAD, affects the system performance in most experiments and needs to be carefully handled. For a long time, afterpulsing has been presumed to be determined by the pre-ignition avalanche. We studied the afterpulsing effect of a commercial InGaAs/InP SPAD (The avalanche photodiode model is: Princeton Lightwave PGA-300) and demonstrated that its afterpulsing is non-Markovian, with a memory effect in the avalanching history. Theoretical analysis and experimental results clearly indicate that the embodiment of this memory effect is the afterpulsing probability, which increases as the number of ignition-avalanche pulses increase. This conclusion makes the principle of the afterpulsing effect clearer and is instructive to the manufacturing processes and afterpulsing evaluation of high-count-rate SPADs. It can also be regarded as a fundamental premise to handle the afterpulsing signals in many applications, such as quantum communication and quantum random number generation.

physics.ins-det↗

Non-Markov property of afterpulsing effect in single-photon avalanche detector

Single-photon avalanche photodiode(SPAD) has been widely used in researching of quantum optics. Afterpulsing effect, which is an intrinsic character of SPAD, affects the system performance in most of the experiments and needs to be carefully handled. For a long time, afterpulsing has been presumed to be determined by the pre-ignition avalanche. We studied the afterpulsing effect of a commercial InGaAs/InP SPAD (APD: Princeton Lightwave PGA-300) and demonstrated that its afterpulsing is non-Markov, which has memory effect of the avalanching history. Theoretical analysis and the experimental results clearly indicate that the embodiment of this memory effect is the afterpulsing probability, which increases as the number of ignition-avalanche pulses increase. The conclusion makes the principle of afterpulsing effect clearer and is instructive to the manufacturing processes and afterpulsing evaluation of high-count-rate SPADs. It can also be regarded as an fundamental premise to handle the afterpulsing signals in many applications, such as quantum communication and quantum random number generator.

physics.ins-det↗

Statistics of X-ray flares of Sagittarius A*: evidence for solar-like self-organized criticality phenomenon

X-ray flares have routinely been observed from the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A$^\star$ (Sgr A$^\star$), at our Galactic center. The nature of these flares remains largely unclear, despite of many theoretical models. In this paper, we study the statistical properties of the Sgr A$^\star$ X-ray flares, by fitting the count rate (CR) distribution and the structure function (SF) of the light curve with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. With the 3 million second \textit{Chandra} observations accumulated in the Sgr A$^\star$ X-ray Visionary Project, we construct the theoretical light curves through Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the $2-8$ keV X-ray light curve can be decomposed into a quiescent component with a constant count rate of $\sim6\times10^{-3}~$count s$^{-1}$ and a flare component with a power-law fluence distribution $dN/dE\propto E^{-α_{\rm E}}$ with $α_{\rm E}=1.65\pm0.17$. The duration-fluence correlation can also be modelled as a power-law $T\propto E^{α_{\rm ET}}$ with $α_{\rm ET} < 0.55$ ($95\%$ confidence). These statistical properties are consistent with the theoretical prediction of the self-organized criticality (SOC) system with the spatial dimension $S = 3$. We suggest that the X-ray flares represent plasmoid ejections driven by magnetic reconnection (similar to solar flares) in the accretion flow onto the black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗

Confronting the jet model of Sgr A* with the Faraday rotation measure observations

Sgr A* is probably the supermassive black hole being investigated most extensively due to its proximity. Several theoretical models for its steady state emission have been proposed in the past two decades. Both the radiative-inefficient accretion flow and the jet model have been shown to well explain the observed spectral energy distribution. Faraday rotation measure (RM) has been unambiguously measured at submillimeter wavelength, but has only been tested against the accretion flow model. Here we first calculate the RM based on the jet model and find that the predicted value is two orders of magnitude lower than the measured value. We then include an additional contribution from the accretion flow in front of the jet and show that the measured RM may be reconciled with the model under some tight constraints. The main constraint is that the inclination angle should be greater than $\sim 73^{\circ}$. But this requirement is not consistent with an existing observational estimate of the inclination angle.

astro-ph.HE↗

Variability of the giant X-ray bump in GRB 121027A and possible origin

The particular giant X-ray bump of GRB 121027A triggered by \emph{Swift} is quite different from the typical X-ray flares in gamma-ray bursts. There exhibit four parts of the observed structural variabilities in the rise and decay phase of the bump. Considering the quality of four parts of the data, we can only analyze the data from about 5300 s to about 6100 s in the bump using the stepwise filter correlation method (Gao et al. 2012), and find that the $86^{+5.9}_{-9.4}~\rm s$ periodic oscillation may exist, which is confirmed by the Lomb-Scargle method (Scargle 1982). Furthermore, a jet precession model (Liu et al. 2010) is proposed to account for such a variability.

astro-ph.HE↗

Shell Collision Induced Kilo-Hertz Quasi-Periodic Oscillation in X-Ray Binaries

Twin kilo-Hertz Quasi-periodic oscillation with ratio 3/2 has been found in some compact sources, which is believed to be related with their innermost regions of accretion disks, and hence carrying information of gravity in strong regime. However, more complicated phenomena have been revealed, e.g., the twin kilo-Hertz Quasi-periodic oscillation of 4U 1820-20 start increasing at certain spectral state and then saturate upon reaching certain level. Moreover, such quasi-periodic oscillation is not uniform and has multiple peaks, which displays random feature. This letter suggests that these challenges could be easy to understand if the quasi-periodic oscillation originates in jets of compact objects. With a seed periodicity originating in either neutron star spin or accretion, shell collision develops in jet. The corresponding twin kilo-Hertz quasi-periodic oscillations automatically carry random feature, vary in frequency; and couple with luminosity, spectral properties, which well account for the observation of 4U 1820-30. New quasi-periodic oscillation of 4U 1820-30 is predicted, which can test the validity of this model. And the scenario is applicable to other compact object like AGN.

astro-ph.HE↗