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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Gamma-Ray Bursts Induced By Turbulent Reconnection, A. Lazarian, Bing Zhang, Siyao Xu Sep 2019

Gamma-Ray Bursts Induced By Turbulent Reconnection, A. Lazarian, Bing Zhang, Siyao Xu

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

We revisit the Internal-Collision-induced MAgnetic Reconnection and Turbulence model of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in view of the advances made in understanding of both relativistic magnetic turbulence and relativistic turbulent magnetic reconnection. We identify the kink instability as the most natural way of changing the magnetic configuration to release the magnetic free energy through magnetic reconnection, as well as driving turbulence that enables fast turbulent reconnection. We show that this double role of the kink instability is important for explaining the prompt emission of GRBs. Our study confirms the critical role that turbulence plays in boosting reconnection efficiency in GRBs and …


Rotational Quenching Of Hd Induced By Collisions With H2 Molecules, Yier Wan, Nadulvalath Balakrishnan, B. H. Yang, R. C. Forrey, P. C. Stancil Jun 2019

Rotational Quenching Of Hd Induced By Collisions With H2 Molecules, Yier Wan, Nadulvalath Balakrishnan, B. H. Yang, R. C. Forrey, P. C. Stancil

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Research

Rate coefficients for rotational transitions in HD induced by H2 impact for rotational levels of HD j ≤ 8 and temperatures 10 K ≤ T ≤ 5000 K are reported. The quantum mechanical close-coupling (CC) method and the coupled-states (CS) decoupling approximation are used to obtain the cross-sections employing the most recent highly accurate H2–H2 potential energy surface (PES). Our results are in good agreement with previous calculations for low-lying rotational transitions The cooling efficiency of HD compared with H2 and astrophysical applications are briefly discussed.


How Bright Are Fast Optical Bursts Associated With Fast Radio Bursts?, Yuan-Pei Yang, Bing Zhang, Jian-Yan Wei Jun 2019

How Bright Are Fast Optical Bursts Associated With Fast Radio Bursts?, Yuan-Pei Yang, Bing Zhang, Jian-Yan Wei

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

The origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs) is still unknown. Multiwavelength observations during or shortly after the FRB phase would be essential to identify the counterpart of an FRB and to constrain its progenitor and environment. In this work, we investigate the brightness of the “fast optical bursts” (FOBs) associated with FRBs and the prospects of detecting them. We investigate several inverse Compton (IC) scattering processes that might produce an FOB, including both the one-zone and two-zone models. We also investigate the extension of the same mechanism of FRB emission to the optical band. We find that a detectable FOB …


Kondo Signatures Of A Quantum Magnetic Impurity In Topological Superconductors, Rui Wang, Wei-Yi Su, Jian-Xin Zhu, Chin-Sen Ting, Hai Li, Changfeng Chen, Baigeng Wang, Xiaoqun Wang Mar 2019

Kondo Signatures Of A Quantum Magnetic Impurity In Topological Superconductors, Rui Wang, Wei-Yi Su, Jian-Xin Zhu, Chin-Sen Ting, Hai Li, Changfeng Chen, Baigeng Wang, Xiaoqun Wang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

We study the Kondo physics of a quantum magnetic impurity in two-dimensional topological superconductors (TSCs), either intrinsic or induced on the surface of a bulk topological insulator, using a numerical renormalization group technique. We show that, despite sharing the p+ip pairing symmetry, intrinsic and extrinsic TSCs host different physical processes that produce distinct Kondo signatures. Extrinsic TSCs harbor an unusual screening mechanism involving both electron and orbital degrees of freedom that produces rich and prominent Kondo phenomena, especially an intriguing pseudospin Kondo singlet state in the superconducting gap and a spatially anisotropic spin correlation. In sharp contrast, intrinsic TSCs support …