Quark-Novae Ia in the Hubble diagram: implications for dark energy

The accelerated expansion of the Universe was proposed through the use of Type-Ia supernovae （SNe） as standard candles. The standardization depends on an empirical correlation between the stretch/color and peak luminosity of the light curves. The use of Type-Ia SNe as standard candles rests on the assumption that their properties （and this correlation） do not vary with redshift. We consider the possibility that the majority of Type-Ia SNe are in fact caused by a Quark-Nova detonation in a tight neutron-star-CO-white-dwarf binary system, which forms a Quark-Nova Ia （QN-Ia）. The spin-down energy injected by the Quark-Nova remnant （the quark star） contributes to the post-peak light curve and neatly explains the observed correlation between peak luminosity and light curve shape. We demonstrate that the parameters describing QN-Ia are NOT constant in redshift. Simulated QN-Ia light curves provide a test of the stretch/color correlation by comparing the true distance modulus with that determined using SN light curve fitters. We determine a correction between the true and fitted distance moduli, which when applied to Type-Ia SNe in the Hubble diagram recovers the ΩM = 1 cosmology. We conclude that Type-Ia SNe observations do not necessitate the need for an accelerating expansion of the Universe （if the observed SNe Ia are dominated by QNe Ia） and by association the need for dark energy.     

SN 2009ip and SN 2010mc as dual-shock Quark-Novae

In recent years a number of double-humped supernovae （SNe） have been discovered. This is a feature predicted by the dual-shock Quark-Nova （QN） model where an SN explosion is followed （a few days to a few weeks later） by a QN explo- sion. SN 2009ip and SN 2010mc are the best observed examples of double-humped SNe. Here, we show that the dual-shock QN model naturally explains their light curves including the late time emission, which we attribute to the interaction between the mixed SN and QN ejecta and the surrounding circumstellar matter. Our model applies to any star （O-stars, luminous blue variables, Wolf-Rayet stars, etc.） provided that the mass involved in the SN explosion is ~ 20 Mo which provides good conditions for forming a QN.     

Hints of a second explosion(a quark nova) in Cassiopeia A supernova

We show that the explosive transition of the neutron star(NS)to a quark star(QS)(a Quark Nova)in Cassiopeia A(Cas A)a few days following the supernova(SN)proper can account for several of the puzzling kinematic and nucleosynthetic features that are observed.The observed decoupling between Fe and44Ti and the lack of Fe emission within44Ti regions is expected in the QN model owing to the spallation of the inner SN ejecta by relativistic QN neutrons.Our model predicts the44Ti to be more prominent to the NW of the central compact object(CCO)than in the SE and little of it along the NE-SW jets,in agreement with Nu Star observations.Other intriguing features of Cas A are addressed,such as the lack of a pulsar wind nebula and the reported few percent drop in the CCO temperature over a period of 10 yr.     

Quark nova model for fast radio bursts

Fast radio bursts(FRBs) are puzzling, millisecond, energetic radio transients with no discernible source; observations show no counterparts in other frequency bands. The birth of a quark star from a parent neutron star experiencing a quark nova- previously thought undetectable when born in isolation- provides a natural explanation for the emission characteristics of FRBs. The generation of unstable r-process elements in the quark nova ejecta provides millisecond exponential injection of electrons into the surrounding strong magnetic field at the parent neutron star's light cylinder via β-decay. This radio synchrotron emission has a total duration of hundreds of milliseconds and matches the observed spectrum while reducing the inferred dispersion measure by approximately 200 cm~(-3)pc. The model allows indirect measurement of neutron star magnetic fields and periods in addition to providing astronomical measurements of β-decay chains of unstable neutron rich nuclei. Using this model, we can calculate expected FRB average energies(~10~(41)erg) and spectral shapes, and provide a theoretical framework for determining distances.     

A study of the global magnetic activity of the star Kepler-17 using light curve inversion with bipartite regularization

A new method of light curve inversion with bipartite regularization(LIBR),which is complementary to the previous treatments by Bonomo and Lanza and Estrela and Valio,is used to reconstruct the physical properties of star spots on the solar-type star Kepler-17 by using the full Q1-Q17 data set.The Markov Chain Monte Carlo(MCMC) method was applied to find the best profile of the reconstructed surface.The known value of the rotation inclination of Kepler-17 allows the generation of a star spot model in a sequence of stellar rotation with a period of 12.26 d.Because of the nature of the light curve inversion,the spot model is limited to the equatorial region.We also investigated the starspot lifetimes of Kepler-17 utilizing the MCMC method.Combined with the LIBR inversion results,it was found that the star spots typically last from one to several stellar rotations.From the time evolution of the spot size,a magnetic cycle period of 437 d can be derived.This value is comparatively shorter than the solar cycle which might be a consequence of the younger age(～1.78 Gyr) of Kepler-17.The light curve of Kepler-17 is characterized by the presence of large-amplitude variation caused by star spots but no superflare activity.An interesting possibility is that the magnetic energy stored in the star spot regions could have been constantly dissipated by electrodynamic interaction between the central star and the hot Jupiter,Kepler-17 b,via a lower-level energy release process.     

V2551 Cyg:a pulsating star with enigmatic peculiarities

Intensive photometric and spectral observations of the variable star V2551 Cyg are presented.The light curve shape reveals that the target is a pulsating star, contrary to its previous classification as an eclipsing binary. The period and amplitude of the light curve, the amplitudes of color changes and the radial velocity curve of V2551 Cyg are similar to those of a high-amplitude δ Scuti variable. The target seems to pulsate with the fundamental mode. However, V2551 Cyg exhibits several important peculiarities:(i) the decreasing branch of its light curve is steeper than the increasing one;(ii) the radial velocity curve has a flat section in the phase range 0.7–1.2 and short increase of the negative radial velocity at phase 0.7;(iii) the rotational velocity is quite big for a HADS star;(iv) the Fourier coefficients of V2551 Cyg are quite different from those of HADS stars. The target classification is difficult due to these peculiarities.     

The surviving companions in type Ia supernova remnants

The single-degenerate(SD)model is one of the most popular progenitor models of type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia),in which the companion star can survive after an SN Ia explosion and show peculiar properties.Therefore,searching for the surviving companion in type Ia supernova remnants(SNRs)is a potential method to verify the SD model.In the SN 1604 remnant(Kepler’s SNR),although Chandra X-ray observation suggests that the progenitor is most likely a WD+AGB system,the surviving companion has not been found.One possible reason is rapid rotation of the white dwarf(WD),causing explosion of the WD to be delayed for a spin-down timescale,and then the companion evolved into a WD before the supernova explosion,so the companion is too dim to be detected.We aim to verify this possible explanation by carrying out binary evolution calculations.In this paper,we use Eggleton’s stellar evolution code to calculate the evolution of binaries consisting of a WD+red giant(RG).We assume that the rapidly rotating WD can continuously increase its mass when its mass exceeds the Chandrasekhar mass limit(MCh=1.378 M_⊙)until the mass-transfer rate decreases to be lower than a critical value.Eventually,we obtain the final masses of a WD in the range 1.378 M_⊙ to 2.707 M_⊙.We also show that if the spin-down time is less than 10~6 yr,the companion star will be very bright and easily observed;but if the spin-down time is as long as~10~7 yr,the luminosities of the surviving companion would be lower than the detection limit.Our simulation provides guidance in hunting for the surviving companion stars in SNRs,and the fact that no surviving companion has been found in Kepler’s SNR may not be definite evidence disfavoring the SD origin of Kepler’s SN.     

Distribution of 56↑Ni Yields of Type Ia Supernovae and its Implication for Progenitors

The amount of 56↑Ni produced in Type Ia supernova （SN Ia） explosion is probably the most important physical parameter underlying the observed correlation of SN Ia luminosities with their light curves. Based on an empirical relation between the 56↑Ni mass and the light curve parameter △m15, we obtained rough estimates of the 56↑Ni mass for a large sample of nearby SNe Ia with the aim of exploring the diversity in SN Ia. We found that the derived 56↑Ni masses for different SNe Ia could vary by a factor of ten （e.g., MNi = 0.1 - 1.3 M⊙）, which cannot be explained in terms of the standard Chandrasekhar-mass model （with a 56↑Ni mass production of 0.4 - 0.8 M⊙）. Different explosion and/or progenitor models are clearly required for various SNe Ia, in particular, for those extremely nickel-poor and nickel-rich producers. The nickel-rich （with MNi 〉 0.8 M⊙） SNe Ia are very luminous and may have massive progenitors exceeding the Chandrasekhar-mass limit since extra progenitor fuel is required to produce more 56↑Ni to power the light curve. This is also consistent with the finding that the intrinsically bright SNe Ia prefer to occur in stellar environments of young and massive stars. For example, 75% SNe Ia in spirals have △ml5 〈 1.2 while this ratio is only 18% in E/S0 galaxies. The nickel-poor SNe Ia （with MNi 〈 0.2 M⊙） may invoke the sub- Chandrasekhar model, as most of them were found in early-type E/S0 galaxies dominated by the older and low-mass stellar populations. This indicates that SNe Ia in spiral and E/S0 galaxies have progenitors of different properties.     

Distribution of 56Ni Yields of Type Ia Supernovae and its Implication for Progenitors

The amount of 56Ni produced in Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) explosion is probably the most important physical parameter underlying the observed correlation of SN Ia lumi-nosities with their light curves. Based on an empirical relation between the 56Ni mass and the light curve parameter △m15, we obtained rough estimates of the 56Ni mass for a large sample of nearby SNe Ia with the aim of exploring the diversity in SN Ia. We found that the derived 56Ni masses for different SNe Ia could vary by a factor of ten (e.g., MNi = 0.1 - 1.3 M⊙),which cannot be explained in terms of the standard Chandraseldaar-mass model (with a 56Ni mass production of 0.4 - 0.8 M⊙). Different explosion and/or progenitor models are clearly required for various SNe Ia, in particular, for those extremely nickel-poor and nickel-rich producers. The nickel-rich (with MNi 0.8 M⊙) SNe Ia are very luminous and may have massive progenitors exceeding the Chandrasekhar-mass limit since extra progenitor fuel is required to produce more 56Ni to power the light curve. This is also consistent with the find-ing that the intrinsically bright SNe Ia prefer to occur in stellar environments of young and massive stars. For example, 75% SNe Ia in spirals have △m15 < 1.2 while this ratio is only 18% in E/S0 galaxies. The nickel-poor SNe Ia (with MNi < 0.2 M⊙) may invoke the sub-Chandrasekhar model, as most of them were found in early-type E/S0 galaxies dominated by the older and low-mass stellar populations. This indicates that SNe Ia in spiral and E/S0 galaxies have progenitors of different properties.     

An Exact Anisotropic Quark Star Model

We present an exact analytical solution of the gravitational field equations describing a static spherically symmetric anisotropic quark matter distribution. The radial pressure inside the star is assumed to obey a linear equation of state, while the tangential pressure is a complicated function of the radial coordinate. In order to obtain the general solution of the field equations a particular density profile inside the star is also assumed. The anisotropic pressure distribution leads to an increase in the maximum radius and mass of the quark star, which in the present model is around three solar masses.     

Strange quark star in dilaton gravity

In this work, we first obtain the hydrostatic equilibrium equation in dilaton gravity. Then, we examine some of the structural characteristics of a strange quark star in dilaton gravity in the context of Einstein gravity. We show that the variations of dilaton parameter do not affect the maximum mass, but variations in the cosmological constant lead to changes in the structural characteristics of the quark star. We investigate the stability of strange quark stars by applying the MIT bag model with dilaton gravity. We also provide limiting values for the dilaton field parameter and cosmological constant. We also study the effects of dilaton gravity on the other properties of a quark star such as the mean density and gravitational redshift.We conclude that the last reported value for the cosmological constant does not affect the maximum mass of a strange quark star.     

Strange star candidates revised within a quark model with chiral mass scaling

We calculate the properties of static strange stars using a quark model with chiral mass scaling.The results are characterized by a large maximum mass (～ 1.6 M) and radius (～10 km).Together with a broad collection of modern neutron star models,we discuss some recent astrophysical observational data that could shed new light on the possible presence of strange quark matter in compact stars.We conclude that none of the present astrophysical observations can prove or confute the existence of strange stars.     

A low-mass-ratio and deep contact binary as the progenitor of the merger V1309 Sco

Nova Sco 2008(=V1309 Sco) is an example of a V838 Mon type eruption rather than a typical classical nova. This enigmatic object was recently shown to have resulted from the merger of two stars in a contact binary. It is the first stellar merger that was identified to be undergoing a common envelope transient. To understand the properties of its binary progenitor, the pre-outburst light curves were analyzed by using the W-D method. The photometric solution of the 2002 light curve shows that it is a deep contact binary(f = 89.5(±40.5)%) with a mass ratio of 0.094. The asymmetry of the light curve is explained by the presence of a dark spot on the more massive component. The extremely high fill-out factor suggests that the merging of the contact binary is driven by dynamical mass loss from the outer Lagrange point. However,the analysis of the 2004 light curve indicates that no solutions were obtained even at an extremely low mass ratio of q = 0.03. This suggests that the common convective envelope of the binary system disappeared and the secondary component spiraled into the envelope of the primary in 2004. Finally, the ejection of the envelope of the primary produced the outburst.     

Shallow Decay of X-ray Afterglows in Short GRBs： Energy Injection from a Millisecond Magnetar？

With the successful launch of Swift satellite,more and more data of early X-ray afterglows from short gamma-ray bursts have been collected.Some interesting features such as unusual afterglow light curves and unexpected X-ray flares are revealed.Especially,in some cases,there is a fiat segment in the X-ray afterglow light curve.Here we present a simplified model in which we believe that the flattening part is due to energy injection from the central engine.We assume that this energy injection arises from the magnetic dipole radiation of a millisecond pulsar formed after the merger of two neutron stars.We check this model with the short GRB 060313.Our numerical results suggest that energy injection from a millisecond magnetar could make part of the X-ray afterglow light curve flat.     

AD Cancri：A Contact Binary with Components in Poor Thermal Contact

We present the light curve and photometric solutions of the contact binary AD Cnc. The light curve appears to exhibit a typical O'Connell effect, with Maximum I brighter than Maximum II by 0.010 mag. in V. From 1987 to 2000, the light curve showed changes of shape: the depth of the primary eclipse increased by about 0.056m while that of the secondary eclipse decreased by about 0.032m, so the difference between the primary and the secondary eclipses increased by about 0.088m, while there was no obvious variation in the O'Connell effect. Using the present and past times of minimum light, the changes in the orbital period of the system are analyzed. The result reveals that the orbital period of AD Cnc has continuously increased at a rate of dp/dt = 4.4 ×10-7day yr-1. The light curve is analyzed by means of the latest version of the Wilson-Devinney code. The results show that AD Cnc is a W-subtype contact binary with a small mass ratio of 0.267 and the two components are in poor thermal contact. AD Cnc has     

Chaotic Feature in the Light Curve of 3C 273

Some nonlinear dynamical techniques, including state-space reconstruction and correlation integral, are used to analyze the light curve of 3C 273. The result is compared with a chaotic model. The similarities between them suggest there is a low-dimension chaotic attractor in the light curve of 3C 273.     

ASAS J174406+2446.8 is identified as a marginal-contact binary with a possible cool third body

ASAS J174406+2446.8 was originally found as a δ Scuti-type pulsating star with the period P=0.189068 d by ASAS survey.However,the LAMOST stellar parameters reveal that it is far beyond the red edge of pulsational instability strip on the log g-T diagram of δ Scuti pulsating stars.To understand the physical properties of the variable star,we observed it by the 1.0-m Cassegrain reflecting telescope at Yunnan Observatories.Multi-color light curves in B,V,R_c and I_c bands were obtained and are analyzed by using the W-D program.It is found that this variable star is a shallow-contact binary with an EB-type light curve and an orbital period of 0.3781 d rather than a δ Scuti star.It is a W-subtype contact binary with a mass ratio of 1.135(±0.019) and a fill-out factor of 10.4%(±5.6)%.The situation of ASAS J174406+2446.8 resembles those of other EB-type marginal-contact binaries such as UU Lyn,Ⅱ Per and GW Tau.All of them are at a key evolutionary phase from a semi-detached configuration to a contact system predicted by the thermal relaxation oscillation theory.The linear ephemeris was corrected by using 303 new determined times of light minimum.It is detected that the O-C curve shows a sinusoidal variation that could be explained by the light-travel-time effect via the presence of a cool red dwarf.The present investigation reveals that some of the δ Scuti-type stars beyond the red edge of pulsating instability strip on the log g-T diagram are misclassified eclipsing binaries.To understand their structures and evolutionary states,more studies are required in the future.     

Photometric investigation on the W-subtype contact binary V1197 Her

Multi-color light curves of V1197 Her were obtained with the 2.4 meter optical telescope at the Thai National Observatory and the Wilson-Devinney(W-D) program was used to model the observational light curves. The photometric solutions reveal that V1197 Her is a W-subtype shallow contact binary system with a mass ratio of q = 2.61 and a fill-out factor of f = 15.7%. The temperature difference between the primary star and secondary star is only 140 K in spite of the low degree of contact, which means that V1197 Her is not only in geometrical contact configuration but is also already under thermal contact status.The orbital inclination of V1197 Her is as high as i = 82.7?, and the primary star is completely eclipsed at the primary minimum. The totally eclipsing characteristic implies that the determined physical parameters are highly reliable. The masses, radii and luminosities of the primary star(star 1) and secondary star(star2) are estimated to be M1 = 0.30(1) M_⊙, M2 = 0.77(2) M_⊙, R1 = 0.54(1) R_⊙, R2 = 0.83(1) R_⊙,L1 = 0.18(1) L_⊙and L2 = 0.38(1) L_⊙. The evolutionary statuses of the two component stars are drawn in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, showing that the less massive but hotter primary star is more evolved than the secondary star. The period of V1197 Her is decreasing continuously at a rate of d P/dt =-2.58 ×10-7 day · year-1, which can be explained by mass transfer from the more massive star to the less massive one at a rate of dM_2/dt=-1.61 × 10~(-7) M_⊙year~(-1). The light curves of V1197 Her are reported to show the O'Connell effect. Thus, a cool spot is added to the more massive star to model the asymmetry in the light curves.     

A Two—Temperature Supernova Fallback Disk Model for Anomalous X—ray Pulsars

We present a case study of the relevance of the radially pulsational instability of a two-temperature accretion disk around a neutron star to anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs). Our estimates are based on the approximation that such a neutron star disk with mass in the range of 10^-6-10^-5M⊙ is formed by supernova fallback. We derive several peculiar properties of the accretion disk instability: a narrow interval of X-ray pulse periods; lower X-ray luminosities; a period derivative and an evolution time scale. All these results are in good agreement with the observations of the AXPs.