Debris discs around nearby solar analogues

An unbiased search for debris discs around nearby Sun-like stars is reported. 13 G-dwarfs at 12–15 parsec distance were searched at 850 μm wavelength, and a disc is confirmed around HD 30495. The estimated dust mass is  0.008 M_⊕  with a net limit  ≲0.0025 M_⊕  for the average disc of the other stars. The results suggest there is not a large missed population of substantial cold discs around Sun-like stars – HD 30495 is a bright rather than unusually cool disc, and may belong to a few hundred Myr old population of greater dust luminosity. The far-infrared and millimetre survey data for Sun-like stars are well fitted by either steady state or stirred models, provided that typical comet belts are comparable in size to that in the Solar system.     

Dissipationless mergers of elliptical galaxies and the evolution of the fundamental plane

We carry out numerical simulations of dissipationless major mergers of elliptical galaxies using initial galaxy models that consist of a dark matter haloes and a stellar bulge with properties consistent with the observed fundamental plane. By varying the density profile of the dark matter haloes [standard Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) profile versus adiabatically contracted NFW profile], the global stellar to dark matter mass ratio and the orbit of the merging galaxies, we are able to assess the impact of each of these factors on the structure of the merger remnant. Our results indicate that the properties of the remnant bulge depend primarily on the angular momentum and energy of the orbit; for a cosmologically motivated orbit, the effective radius and velocity dispersion of the remnant bulge remain approximately on the fundamental plane. This indicates that the observed properties of elliptical galaxies are consistent with significant growth via late dissipationless mergers. We also find that the dark matter fraction within the effective radius of our remnants increases after the merger, consistent with the hypothesis that the tilt of the fundamental plane from the virial theorem is due to a varying dark matter fraction as a function of galaxy mass.     

Fast rotation of neutron stars and equation of state of dense matter

Fast rotation of compact stars (at sub-millisecond period) and, in particular, their stability, are sensitive to the equation of state (EOS) of dense matter. Recent observations of XTE J1739-285 suggest that it contains a neutron star rotating at 1122 Hz. At such rotational frequency the effects of rotation on star’s structure are significant. We study the interplay of fast rotation, EOS, and gravitational mass of a sub-millisecond pulsar. We discuss the EOS dependence of spin-up to a sub-millisecond period, via mass accretion from a disk in a low-mass X-ray binary.     

Cosmic-ray positrons: are there primary sources?

Galactic cosmic rays consist of primary and secondary particles. Primary cosmic rays are thought to be energized by first order Fermi acceleration processes at supernova shock fronts within our Galaxy. The cosmic rays that eventually reach the Earth from this source are mainly protons and atomic nuclei, but also include electrons. Secondary cosmic rays are created in collisions of primary particles with the diffuse interstellar gas. They are relatively rare but carry important information on the Galactic propagation of the primary particles. The secondary component includes a small fraction of antimatter particles, positrons and antiprotons. In addition, positrons and antiprotons may also come from unusual sources and possibly provide insight into new physics. For instance, the annihilation of heavy supersymmetric dark matter particles within the Galactic halo could lead to positrons or antiprotons with distinctive energy signatures. With the High-Energy Antimatter Telescope (HEAT) balloon-borne instrument, we have measured the abundances of positrons and electrons at energies between 1 and 50 GeV. The data suggest that indeed a small additional antimatter component may be present that cannot be explained by a purely secondary production mechanism. Here we describe the signature of the effect and discuss its possible origin.