Abstract
We report on analysis of observations of the bright transient X-ray pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 obtained during its 2017-2018 giant outburst with Insight-HXMT, NuSTAR, and Swift observatories. ...We focus on the discovery of a sharp state transition of the timing and spectral properties of the source at super-Eddington accretion rates, which we associate with the transition of the accretion disk to a radiation pressure dominated (RPD) state, the first ever directly observed for magnetized neutron star. This transition occurs at slightly higher luminosity compared to already reported transition of the source from sub- to super-critical accretion regime associate with onset of an accretion column. We argue that this scenario can only be realized for comparatively weakly magnetized neutron star, not dissimilar to other ultra-luminous X-ray pulsars (ULPs), which accrete at similar rates. Further evidence for this conclusion is provided by the non-detection of the transition to the propeller state in quiescence which strongly implies compact magnetosphere and thus rules out magnetar-like fields.
Accurate determination of stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances is crucial for Galactic archaeology via large-scale spectroscopic surveys. In this paper, we estimate stellar ...atmospheric parameters -- effective temperature T sub( eff), surface gravity log g and metallicity Fe/H, absolute magnitudes M sub( V) and M sub( Ks), ...-element to metal (and iron) abundance ratio .../M (and .../Fe), as well as carbon and nitrogen abundances C/H and N/H from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) spectra with a multivariate regression method based on kernel-based principal component analysis, using stars in common with other surveys (Hipparcos, Kepler, Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment) as training data sets. Both internal and external examinations indicate that given a spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) better than 50, our method is capable of delivering stellar parameters with a precision of ~100 K for T sub( eff), ~0.1 dex for log g, 0.3-0.4 mag for M sub( V) and M sub( Ks), 0.1 dex for Fe/H, C/H and N/H, and better than 0.05 dex for .../M (.../Fe). The results are satisfactory even for a spectral SNR of 20. The work presents first determinations of C/H and N/H abundances from a vast data set of LAMOST, and, to our knowledge, the first reported implementation of absolute magnitude estimation directly based on a vast data set of observed spectra. The derived stellar parameters for millions of stars from the LAMOST surveys will be publicly available in the form of value-added catalogues. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
This Letter reports the first extraction of individual antineutrino spectra from ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu fission and an improved measurement of the prompt energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos at ...Daya Bay. The analysis uses 3.5×10^{6} inverse beta-decay candidates in four near antineutrino detectors in 1958 days. The individual antineutrino spectra of the two dominant isotopes, ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu, are extracted using the evolution of the prompt spectrum as a function of the isotope fission fractions. In the energy window of 4-6 MeV, a 7% (9%) excess of events is observed for the ^{235}U (^{239}Pu) spectrum compared with the normalized Huber-Mueller model prediction. The significance of discrepancy is 4.0σ for ^{235}U spectral shape compared with the Huber-Mueller model prediction. The shape of the measured inverse beta-decay prompt energy spectrum disagrees with the prediction of the Huber-Mueller model at 5.3σ. In the energy range of 4-6 MeV, a maximal local discrepancy of 6.3σ is observed.
We report a measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment with nearly 4 million reactor νover ¯_{e} inverse β decay candidates observed over 1958 days ...of data collection. The installation of a flash analog-to-digital converter readout system and a special calibration campaign using different source enclosures reduce uncertainties in the absolute energy calibration to less than 0.5% for visible energies larger than 2 MeV. The uncertainty in the cosmogenic ^{9}Li and ^{8}He background is reduced from 45% to 30% in the near detectors. A detailed investigation of the spent nuclear fuel history improves its uncertainty from 100% to 30%. Analysis of the relative νover ¯_{e} rates and energy spectra among detectors yields sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0856±0.0029 and Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.471_{-0.070}^{+0.068})×10^{-3} eV^{2} assuming the normal hierarchy, and Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.575_{-0.070}^{+0.068})×10^{-3} eV^{2} assuming the inverted hierarchy.
Corona cooling was detected previously from stacking a series of short type I bursts that occurred during the low/hard state of an atoll outburst. Type I bursts are hence regarded as sharp probes ...used to better our understanding of the basic properties of the corona. The first Chinese X-ray satellite, Insight-HXMT, has a large detection area at hard X-rays that provides a unique opportunity to move further in this research field. We report the first detection of corona cooling by Insight-HXMT from a single short type I burst appearing during the flare of 4U 1636-536. This type I X-ray burst has a duration of ∼13 s and hard X-ray shortage is detected with a significance of 6.2 in 40-70 keV. A cross-correlation analysis between the light curves of the soft and hard X-ray band shows that the corona shortage lags the burst emission by 1.6 1.2 s. These results are consistent with those derived previously from stacking a large amount of bursts detected by RXTE/PCA within a series of flares of 4U 1636-536. Moreover, the broad bandwidth of Insight-HXMT also allows, for the first time, one to infer the burst influence upon the continuum spectrum via performing the spectral fitting of the burst, which points to the finding that hard X-ray shortage appears at around 40 keV in the continuum spectrum. These results suggest that the evolution of the corona, along with the outburst/flare of NS XRB, may be traced via analyzing a series of embedded type I bursts using Insight-HXMT.
Abstract
A quantum thermal machine is an open quantum system coupled to hot and cold thermal baths. Thus, its dynamics can be well understood using the concepts and tools from non-Hermitian quantum ...systems. A hallmark of non-Hermiticity is the existence of exceptional points where the eigenvalues of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian or a Liouvillian superoperator and their associated eigenvectors coalesce. Here, we report the experimental realization of a single-ion heat engine and demonstrate the effect of Liouvillian exceptional points on the dynamics and the performance of a quantum heat engine. Our experiments have revealed that operating the engine in the exact- and broken-phases, separated by a Liouvillian exceptional point, respectively during the isochoric heating and cooling strokes of an Otto cycle produces more work and output power and achieves higher efficiency than executing the Otto cycle completely in the exact phase where the system has an oscillatory dynamics and higher coherence. This result opens interesting possibilities for the control of quantum heat engines and will be of interest to other research areas that are concerned with the role of coherence and exceptional points in quantum processes and in work extraction by thermal machines.
In this work, we report the in-orbit demonstration of X-ray pulsar navigation with Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) Satellite, which was launched on 2017 June 15. The new pulsar ...navigation method "Significance Enhancement of Pulse-profile with Orbit-dynamics" is adopted to determine the orbit with observations of only one pulsar. In this test, the Crab pulsar is chosen and observed by Insight-HXMT from 2017 August 31 to September 5. Using the five-day long observation data, the orbit of Insight-HXMT is determined successfully with the three telescopes onboard: High Energy X-ray Telescope, Medium Energy X-ray Telescope, and Low Energy X-ray Telescope, respectively. By combining all the data, the position and velocity of the Insight-HXMT are pinpointed to within 10 km (3 ) and 10 m s−1 (3 ), respectively.
Gravitational‐wave high‐energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All‐sky Monitor (GECAM) is a space‐borne instrument dedicated to monitoring high‐energy transients, including Terrestrial Gamma‐ray Flashes ...(TGFs) and Terrestrial Electron Beams (TEBs). We implemented a TGF/TEB search algorithm for GECAM, with which 147 bright TGFs, 2 typical TEBs and 2 special TEB‐like events are identified during an effective observation time of ∼9 months. We show that, with gamma‐ray and charged particle detectors, GECAM can effectively identify and distinguish TGFs and TEBs, and measure their temporal and spectral properties in detail. A very high TGF‐lightning association rate of ∼80% is obtained between GECAM and GLD360 in east Asia region.
Plain Language Summary
Terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) and Terrestrial Electron Beams (TEBs) represent the most energetic radioactive phenomena in the atmosphere of the Earth. They reflect a natural particle accelerator that can boost electrons up to at least several tens of mega electron volts and produce gamma‐ray radiation. With novel detection technologies, Gravitational‐wave high‐energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All‐sky Monitor (GECAM) is a new powerful instrument to observe TGFs and TEBs, as well as study their properties. For example, it is difficult for most space‐borne high‐energy instruments to distinguish between TGFs and TEBs. However, we show here that, with the joint observation of gamma‐ray and charged particle detectors, GECAM can effectively identify TGFs and TEBs. GECAM can also reveal their fine features in the light curves and spectra.
Key Points
During 9‐month observation, Gravitational‐wave high‐energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All‐sky Monitor (GECAM) has detected 147 bright Terrestrial Gamma‐ray Flashes (TGFs), 2 typical Terrestrial Electron Beams (TEBs), and 2 special TEB‐like events
With novel detector design, GECAM can effectively classify TGFs and TEBs, and reveal their fine temporal features
We obtained a very high TGF‐lightning association rate (∼80%) between GECAM and GLD360 in east Asia region
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