INTEGRAL/XMM views on the MeV source GRO J1411-64

The COMPTEL unidentified source GRO J 1411-64 was observed by INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton in 2005. The Circinus Galaxy is the only source detected within the 4σ location error of GRO J1411-64, but in here excluded as the possible counterpart. At soft X-rays, 22 reliable and statistically significant sources (likelihood >10) were extracted and analyzed from XMM-Newton data. Only one of these sources, XMMU J141255.6-635932, is spectrally compatible with GRO J1411-64 although the fact the soft X-ray observations do not cover the full extent of the COMPTEL source position uncertainty make an association hard to quantify and thus risky. At the best location of the source, detections at hard X-rays show only upper limits, which, together with MeV results obtained by COMPTEL suggest the existence of a peak in power output located somewhere between 300–700 keV for the so-called low state. Such a spectrum resembles those in blazars or microquasars, and might suggest at work by the models accordingly. However, an analysis using a microquasar model consisting on a magnetized conical jet filled with relativistic electrons, shows that it is hard to comply with all observational constrains. This fact and the non-detection at hard X-rays introduce an a-posteriori question mark upon the physical reality of this source, what is discussed here.     

2011年7月29日山西大暴雨过程的多尺度特征

利用1°×1°的NCEP再分析资料、红外辐射亮温（TBB）、多普勒雷达和气柱水汽总量等资料,对2011年7月28-29日发生在山西境内的区域性暴雨进行多尺度特征分析。结果表明：（1）乌拉尔山阻高崩溃,西风槽东移、副高进退是此次暴雨发生的环流特征;（2）850 hPa低涡切变和700 hPa暖式切变线及地面冷锋是暴雨发生的中α尺度触发系统;（3）〉30 dBZ的雷达回波呈南北向位于地面冷锋与700 hPa切变线之间,雷达回波随地面冷锋和700 hPa切变线的东移而东移;（4）低空低涡切变受500 hPa强盛西南气流的引导向东北移动,暴雨落区始终与低涡切变相伴随;（5）暴雨过程山西境内共有9个中β尺度对流云团活动,山西西南部的暴雨主要由5个中β尺度对流云团的相继移入并在自动站极大风速风场切变线附近触发对流发展所致;山西东南部的大暴雨则是3个中β尺度对流云团合并发展的结果,中γ尺度气旋是导致局地大暴雨发生的直接影响系统;（6）暴雨发生在气柱水汽总量空间分布图中水汽锋的南部和东部及靠近气柱水汽总量的大值区一侧,水汽锋的形成比降水开始提前17 h,比暴雨发生提前24 h以上,对暴雨的短期、短时预报有指示意义。     

Beaming Effects in GRBs and Orphan Afterglows

The overall dynamical evolution and radiation mechanism of γ-ray burst (GRB) jets are briefly introduced. Various interesting topics concerning beaming in GRBs are discussed, including jet structures, orphan afterglows and cylindrical jets. The possible connection between GRBs and neutron stars is also addressed.     

Evidence for a new MeV source observed by the COMPTEL experiment aboard CGRO

We report first evidence for a new unidentified and variable MeV source, located near the galactic plane at (l,b)∼(284.5°, 2.5°). The source, GRO J1036-55, is found at a significance level of ∼5.6σ by COMPTEL in its 3–10 MeV band. The energy spectrum indicates a spectral maximum at 3–4.3 MeV with a steep slope at higher energies. Since the COMPTEL 3–4.3 MeV data contain contamination by an instrumental background line, we performed several consistency checks, which all are consistent with an astrophysical nature of this emission feature.     

Type I supernovae and iron nucleosynthesis in the universe

It is argued that the iron nucleosynthesis rate in the universe due to SNI outbursts is dependent on the mass function of star formation. Since the mass function depends on the chemical composition and since the masses of SNI precursors have upper limits, the iron nucleosynthesis rate was low at an earlier evolutionary epoch of the universe when mainly massive stars were formed. The iron nucleosynthesis rate should reach a maximum near z ∼ 0.5. At such or similar value of z the well-known ‘step’ in the cosmic γ-ray background spectrum may be explained by the presence of γ-gray quanta accompanying the radioactive⁵⁶Co →⁵⁶Fe decay. An argument is presented against the identification of the hidden mass of the universe with black-hole remnants of ‘type III’ stars.     

The Effect of the Initial Mass Function of Stars on the Burst Rate of GRBs

For the mechanism of production of γ-ray bursts (GRBs) it is rather generally recognized that the long-term γ-ray burst (LGRB) originates from the deaths of massive stars while the short-term γ-ray burst (SGRB) originates from the merging of close binaries. Therefore the speculation naturally follows that the number of LGRBs is directly proportional to the star formation rate (SFR). However, it is indicated from recent data analyses that this speculation does not fit the observations very well. It is considered that only massive stars with masses greater than a certain critical mass can produce the LGRB, so the initial mass function (IMF) of stars can significantly affect the production rate of LGRBs. In this paper it is considered that the IMF of stars can be used to explain the observed number distribution of the LGRBs with the redshift, and this has led to some good results.     

The revival of white holes as Small Bangs

Black holes are extremely dense and compact objects from which light cannot escape. There is an overall consensus that black holes exist and many astronomical objects are identified with black holes. White holes were understood as the exact time reversal of black holes, therefore they should continuously throw away material. It is accepted, however, that a persistent ejection of mass leads to gravitational pressure, the formation of a black hole and thus to the “death of while holes”. So far, no astronomical source has been successfully tagged a white hole. The only known white hole is the Big Bang which was instantaneous rather than continuous or long-lasting. We thus suggest that the emergence of a white hole, which we name a ‘Small Bang’, is spontaneous - all the matter is ejected at a single pulse. Thus, unlike black holes, white holes cannot be continuously observed rather their effect can only be detected around the event itself. γ-ray bursts are the most energetic explosions in the universe. Long γ-ray bursts were connected with supernova eruptions. There is a new group of γ-ray bursts, which are relatively close to Earth, but surprisingly lack any supernova emission. We propose identifying these bursts with white holes. White holes seem like the best explanation of γ-ray bursts that appear in voids. We also predict the detection of rare gigantic γ-ray bursts with energies much higher than typically observed.