5357494
On the Relative Surface Density Change of Thermally Unstable Accretion Disks
The relations among the relative changes of surface density, temperature, disk height, and vertically integrated pressure in three kinds of thermally unstable accretion disks are quantitatively investigated, assuming local perturbations. The surface density change is found to be very small in the long perturbation wavelength case but cannot be ignored in the short-wavelength case. It becomes significant in an optically thin, radiative cooling-dominated disk when the perturbation wavelength is shorter than 15H (where H is the scale height of disk) and in a geometrically thin, optically thick and radiation pressure-dominated disk when the perturbation wavelength is shorter than 50H. In an optically thick, advection-dominated disk, which is thermally unstable against short-wavelength perturbations, the relative surface density change is much larger. We prove the positive correlation between the changes of surface density and temperature in an optically thick, advection-dominated disk that has previously been claimed to be the essential point of its thermal instability. Moreover, we find an anticorrelation between the changes of disk height and temperature in an optically thick, advection-dominated disk. This is the natural result of the absence of appreciable vertically integrated pressure change.
2227030
Testing the transition layer model of quasi-periodic oscillations in neutron star X-ray binaries
We compare the theoretical predictions of the transition layer model with some observational features of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in neutron star X-ray binaries. We found that the correlation between horizontal branch oscillation (HBO) frequencies and kilohertz (kHz) QPO frequencies, the difference between the low-frequency QPOs in atoll sources and HBOs in Z sources, and the correlation between the frequencies of low-frequency QPOs and break frequencies can be well explained by the transition layer model, provided the neutron star mass is around 1.4 M☉ and the angle between magnetosphere equator and accretion disk plane is around 6°. The observed decrease of peak separation between the two kHz QPO frequencies with the increase of the kHz QPO frequencies and the increase of QPO frequencies with the increase of inferred mass accretion rate are also consistent with the theoretical predictions of the transition layer model. In addition, we derive a simple equation that can be adopted to estimate the angle (δ) between magnetosphere equator and accretion disk plane by use of the simultaneously observed QPO frequency data. We estimate this angle, in the range of 4°-8°, for five Z sources and two atoll sources. The nearly constant δ value for each source, derived from the different sets of simultaneously observed QPO frequency data, provides a strong test of the theoretical model. Finally, we suggest that similar transition layer oscillations may be responsible for the observed QPOs in accretion-powered millisecond X-ray pulsars and Galactic black hole candidates.
199676816
Discovering the missing bright quasars at intermediate redshifts based on the optical/near-IR color selections
118357880
ON THE STRUCTURE OF ACCRETION DISKS WITH OUTFLOWS
To study the outflows from accretion disks, we solve the set of hydrodynamic equations for accretion disks in spherical coordinates (rθ) to obtain the explicit structure along the θ-direction. Using self-similar assumptions in the radial direction, we change the equations to a set of ordinary differential equations about the θ-coordinate, which are then solved with symmetrical boundary conditions in the equatorial plane; the velocity field is then obtained. The α viscosity prescription is applied and an advective factor f is used to simplify the energy equation. The results display thinner, quasi-Keplerian disks for Shakura-Sunyaev disks; thicker, sub-Keplerian disks for advection-dominated accretion flows; and slim disks which are consistent with previous popular analytical models. However, an inflow region and an outflow region always exist, except when the viscosity parameter α is too large, which supports the results of some recent numerical simulation works. Our results indicate that the outflows should be common in various accretion disks and may be stronger in slim disks, where both advection and radiation pressure are dominant. We also present the structure's dependence on the input parameters and discuss their physical meanings. The caveats of this work and possible improvements for the future are discussed.
2377462
Galaxy bulge formation: Interplay with dark matter halo and central supermassive black hole
We present a simple scenario where the formation of galactic bulges was regulated by the dark halo gravity and regulates the growth of the central supermassive black hole. Assuming the angular momentum is low, we suggest that bulges form in a runaway collapse due to the "gravothermal" instability once the central gas density or pressure exceeds a certain threshold. We emphasize that the threshold is nearly universal, set by the background NFW dark matter gravity gDM ~ 1.2 × 10-8 cm s-2 in the central cusps of halos. Unlike known thresholds for gradual formation of galaxy disks, we show that the universal "halo-regulated" star formation threshold for spheroids matches the very high star formation rate and star formation efficiency seen in high-redshift observations of central starburst regions. The starburst feedback also builds up a pressure shortly after the collapse. This large pressure could act both outward to halt further infall of gas from larger scales and inward to counter the Compton-thick wind launched from the central black hole in an Eddington accretion. Assuming the feedback balances inward and outward forces, our scenario naturally gives rise to the black hole-bulge relationships observed in the local universe.
2132712
Inclinations and black hole masses of Seyfert 1 galaxies
A tight correlation between black hole mass (MBH) and central velocity dispersion (σ) has been found recently for both active and quiescent galaxies. By applying this correlation, we develop a simple method to derive the inclination angles for a sample of 11 Seyfert 1 galaxies that have both measured central velocity dispersions and black hole masses estimated by reverberation mapping. These angles, with a mean value of 36° that agrees well with the result obtained by fitting the iron Kα lines of Seyfert 1 galaxies observed with ASCA, provide further support to the orientation-dependent unification scheme of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A positive correlation of the inclinations with observed FWHMs of the Hβ line and a possible anticorrelation with the nuclear radio loudness have been found. We conclude that more accurate knowledge of inclinations and broad-line region dynamics is needed to improve the black hole mass determination of AGNs with the reverberation mapping technique.
118633399
Next-to-leading order QCD corrections for the charmonium production via the channel $e^+ e^- \to H(|c\bar{c}\rangle) + \gamma$ round the $Z^0$ peak
In our previous work [2], it has been found that sizable charmonium events via the channel $e^+e^- \to \gamma^*/Z^0 \to H(|c\bar{c}\rangle) +\gamma$ can be produced at the suggested super $Z$ factory, where $H(|c\bar{c}\rangle)$ represents the dominant color-singlet $S$-wave and $P$-wave charmonium states $J/\psi$, $\eta_c$, $h_c$ and $\chi_{cJ}$ ($J=0, 1, 2$), respectively. As an important step forward, in the present paper, we present a next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD analysis within the framework of nonrelativistic QCD. In different to the case of $B$ factory in which the single charmonium production is dominated by the channel via a virtual photon, at the super $Z$ factory, its cross-section is dominated by the channel via a $Z^0$ boson. Estimations up to NLO level are done at both the $B$ factory and the super $Z$ factory experimental conditions. We observe that the NLO distributions have the same shapes as those of LO distributions, but their differences are sizable. This indicates that a NLO calculation is necessary and important to achieve a more accurate estimation. Due to $Z^0$ boson resonance effect, at the super $Z$ factory with a high luminosity up to $10^{36}{\rm cm}^{-2}{\rm s}^{-1}$, when summing all the color-singlet states' contribution together, one may observe about $8.0\times10^{4}$ charmonium events via the channel $e^+e^-\to Z^0 \to H(|c\bar{c}\rangle)+\gamma$ in one operation year. Then, such super $Z$ factory could provide another useful platform to study the charmonium properties, even for the higher charmonium states.
5502533
A trick to improve the efficiency of generating unweighted Bc events from BCVEGPY
In the present paper, we provide an addendum to improve the efficiency of generating unweighted events within PYTHIA environment for the generator BCVEGPY2.1 [C.H. Chang, J.X. Wang, X.G. Wu, Comput. Phys. Commun. 174 (2006) 241]. This trick is helpful for experimental simulation. Moreover, the BCVEGPY output has also been improved, i.e. one Les Houches Event common block has been added so as to generate a standard Les Houches Event file that contains the information of the generated Bc meson and the accompanying partons, which can be more conveniently used for further simulation.
118371472
Holographic entanglement entropy and thermodynamic instability of planar R-charged black holes
The holographic entanglement entropy of an infinite strip subsystem on the asymptotic AdS boundary is used as a probe to study the thermodynamic instabilities of planar R-charged black holes (or their dual field theories). We focus on the single-charge AdS black holes in $D=5$, which correspond to spinning D3-branes with one non-vanishing angular momentum. Our results show that the holographic entanglement entropy indeed exhibits the thermodynamic instability associated with the divergence of the specific heat. When the width of the strip is large enough, the finite part of the holographic entanglement entropy as a function of the temperature resembles the thermal entropy, as is expected. As the width becomes smaller, however, the two entropies behave differently. In particular, there exists a critical value for the width of the strip, below which the finite part of the holographic entanglement entropy as a function of the temperature develops a self-intersection. We also find similar behavior in the single-charge black holes in $D=4$ and $7$.
62897747
Self-Consistency Requirements of the Renormalization Group for Setting the Renormalization Scale
In conventional treatments, predictions from fixed-order perturbative QCD calculations cannot be fixed with certainty due to ambiguities in the choice of the renormalization scale as well as the renormalization scheme. In this paper we present a general discussion of the constraints of the renormalization group (RG) invariance on the choice of the renormalization scale. We adopt the RG based equations, which incorporate the scheme parameters, for a general exposition of RG invariance, since they simultaneously express the invariance of physical observables under both the variation of the renormalization scale and the renormalization scheme parameters. We then discuss the self-consistency requirements of the RG, such as reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity, which must be satisfied by the scale-setting method. The Principle of Minimal Sensitivity (PMS) requires the slope of the approximant of an observable to vanish at the renormalization point. This criterion provides a scheme-independent estimation, but it violates the symmetry and transitivity properties of the RG and does not reproduce the Gell-Mann-Low scale for QED observables. The Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC) satisfies all of the deductions of the RG invariance - reflectivity, symmetry, and transitivity. Using the PMC, all non-conformal {βRi}-terms (R stands for an arbitrary renormalization scheme) in themore » perturbative expansion series are summed into the running coupling, and one obtains a unique, scale-fixed, scheme-independent prediction at any finite order. The PMC scales and the resulting finite-order PMC predictions are both to high accuracy independent of the choice of initial renormalization scale, consistent with RG invariance.« less
53329928
Application of the Principle of Maximum Conformality to Top-Pair Production
at the Tevatron and LHC even for the present NNLO level. The Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC) eliminates the renormalization scale ambiguity in precision tests of Abelian QED and non-Abelian QCD theories. By using the PMC, all nonconformal {βi}-terms in the perturbative expansion series are summed into the running coupling constant, and the resulting scale-fixed predictions are independent of the renormalization scheme. The correct scale-displacement between the arguments of different renormalization schemes is automatically set, and the number of active flavors nf in the {βi}-function is correctly determined. The PMC is consistent with the renormalization group property that a physical result is independent of the renormalization scheme and the choice of the initial renormalization scale μ r . The PMC scale μ r is unambiguous at finite order. Any residual dependence on μ init r for a finite-order calculation will be highly suppressed since the unknown higher-order {βi}-terms will be absorbed into the PMC scales’ higher-order perturbative terms. We find that such renormalization group invariance can be satisfied to high accuracy for σtt̄ at the NNLO level. In this paper we apply PMC scale setting to predict the tt̄ cross-section σtt̄ at the Tevatron and LHC colliders. It is found that σtt̄ remains almost unchanged by varying μ init r within the region of [mt/4, 4mt]. The convergence of the expansion series is greatly improved. For the (qq̄)-channel, which is dominant at the Tevatron, its NLO PMC scale is much smaller than the top-quark mass in the small x-region, and thus its NLO cross-section is increased by about a factor of two. In the case of the (gg)-channel, which is dominant at the LHC, its NLO PMC scale slightly increases with the subprocess collision energy √ s, but it is still smaller than mt for √ s ∼ 1 TeV, and the resulting NLO cross-section is increased by ∼ 20%. As a result, a larger σtt̄ is obtained in comparison to the conventional scale setting method, which agrees well with the present Tevatron and LHC data. More explicitly, by setting mt = 172.9 ± 1.1 GeV, we predict σTevatron, 1.96 TeV = 7.626 +0.265 −0.257 pb, σLHC, 7TeV = 171.8 +5.8 −5.6 pb and σLHC, 14 TeV = 941.3 +28.4 −26.5 pb.