We study the properties of dense matter at finite temperature with various proton fractions for use in supernova simulations. The relativistic mean-field theory is used to describe homogeneous nuclear matter, while th...We study the properties of dense matter at finite temperature with various proton fractions for use in supernova simulations. The relativistic mean-field theory is used to describe homogeneous nuclear matter, while the Thomas-Fermi approximation is adopted to describe inhomogeneous matter. We also discuss the equation of state of neutron star matter at zero temperature in a wide density range. The equation of state at high densities can be significantly softened by the inclusion of hyperons.展开更多
We report on a pilot study on identifying metal-poor stars pre-enriched by Pair-Instability Supernovae（PISNe）.Very massive,first generation（Population Ⅲ） stars（140 M⊙≤M≤260 M⊙）end their lives as PISNe,which...We report on a pilot study on identifying metal-poor stars pre-enriched by Pair-Instability Supernovae（PISNe）.Very massive,first generation（Population Ⅲ） stars（140 M⊙≤M≤260 M⊙）end their lives as PISNe,which have been predicted by theories,but no relics of PISNe have been observed yet.Among the distinct characteristics of the yields of PISNe,as predicted by theoretical calculations,are a strong odd-even effect,and a strong overabundance of Ca with respect to iron and the solar ratio.We use the latter characteristic to identify metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo that have been pre-enriched by PISNe,by comparing metallicites derived from strong, co-added Fe lines detected in low-resolution（i.e.,R=λ/△λ～2000）spectra of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey（SDSS）,with metallicities determined by the SDSS Stellar Parameters Pipeline（SSPP）.The latter are based on the strength of the CaⅡ K line and assumptions on the Ca/Fe abundance ratio.Stars are selected as candidates if their metallicity derived from Fe lines is significantly lower than the SSPP metallicities.In a sample of 12 300 stars for which SDSS spectroscopy is available,we have identified 18 candidate stars.Higher resolution and signal-to-noise ratio spectra of these candidates are being obtained with the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory and the XSHOOTER spectrograph,to determine their abundance patterns,and to verify our selection method.We plan to apply our method to the database of several million stellar spectra to be acquired with the Guo Shou Jing Telescope （LAMOST）in the next five years.展开更多
With the advancement of astronomical observation technology,people have a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies,but many details of our own Milky Way and other external galaxies are still unk...With the advancement of astronomical observation technology,people have a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies,but many details of our own Milky Way and other external galaxies are still unknown.Therefore,by studying the formation and orbital transformation mechanism of satellites,planets and stars,the author puts forward a new theory on the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies,thus revealing the hierarchical structure of galaxies and the formation and evolution laws of main sequence stars,red giants,white dwarfs,black dwarfs,supernovae,neutron stars,black holes and quasars.Some special phenomena in the course of star formation and evolution,such as sunspots,flares,fast radio bursts and gamma-ray bursts,have also been revealed.展开更多
The nature of progenitors of Type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)and their explosion mechanism remains unclear.It has been suggested that SNe Ia may have resulted from thermonuclear explosions of hybrid carbon-oxygen-neon white...The nature of progenitors of Type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)and their explosion mechanism remains unclear.It has been suggested that SNe Ia may have resulted from thermonuclear explosions of hybrid carbon-oxygen-neon white dwarfs(CONe WDs)when they grow in mass to approach the Chandrasekhar mass limit by accreting matter from a binary main-sequence(MS)companion.In this work,we combine the results of detailed binary evolution calculations with population synthesis models to investigate the rates and delay times of SNe Ia in the CONe WD+MS channel at a low metallicity environment of Z=0.0001.For a constant star formation rate of 5M_(⊙)yr^(−1),our calculations predict that the SN Ia rates in the CONe WD+MS channel at low metallicity of Z=0.0001 is about 0.11−3.89×10^(−4) yr^(−1).In addition,delay times in this channel cover a wide range of 0.05−2.5 Gyr.We further compare our results to those given by a previous study for the CONe WD+MS channel with a higher metallicity of Z=0.02 to explore the influence of metallicity on the results.We find that these two metallicity environments give a slight difference in rates and delay times of SNe Ia from the CONe WD+MS channel,although SNe Ia produced at a low metallicity environment of Z=0.0001 have relatively longer delay times.展开更多
We use a simple dynamical scheme to simulate the ejecta of type Ⅰa supernova(SN Ia) scenarios with two exploding white dwarfs(WDs) and find that the velocity distribution of the ejecta has difficulties accounting for...We use a simple dynamical scheme to simulate the ejecta of type Ⅰa supernova(SN Ia) scenarios with two exploding white dwarfs(WDs) and find that the velocity distribution of the ejecta has difficulties accounting for bimodal emission line profiles with a large separation between the two emission peaks.The essence of the dynamical code is in including the fact that the ejecta does not leave the system instantaneously.We find that the final separation velocity between the centers of masses of the two WDs' ejecta is ≃80% of the pre-explosion WDs' orbital velocity,i.e.,we find separation velocities of 4200-5400 km s^(-1) for two WDs of masses M_(1)=M_(2)=0.94 M⊙.The lower separation velocities we find challenge scenarios with two exploding WDs to explain bimodal emission line profiles with observed velocity separations of up to ≃7000 km s^(-1).Only the mass in the ejecta of one WD with an explosion velocity lower than the separation velocity contributes to one peak of the bimodal profile;this is the inner ejecta.We find the inner ejecta to be only≲15% of the ejecta mass in energetic explosions.Less energetic explosions yield higher inner mass but lower separation velocities.We encourage searching for alternative explanations of bimodal line profiles.展开更多
We identify a point-symmetric morphology of three pairs of ears/clumps in the core-collapse supernova remnant(CCSNR)Puppis A,supporting the jittering jets explosion mechanism(JJEM).In the JJEM,the three pairs of jets ...We identify a point-symmetric morphology of three pairs of ears/clumps in the core-collapse supernova remnant(CCSNR)Puppis A,supporting the jittering jets explosion mechanism(JJEM).In the JJEM,the three pairs of jets that shaped the three pairs of ears/clumps in Puppis A are part of a large set,about 10–30 pairs of jets,that exploded Puppis A.Some similarities in morphological features between CCSNR Puppis A and three multipolar planetary nebulae considered to have been shaped by jets solidify the claim for shaping by jets.Puppis A has a prominent dipole structure,where one side is bright with a well-defined boundary,while the other is faint and defused.The neutron star(NS)has a natal kick velocity in the opposite direction to the denser part of the dipole structure.We propose a new mechanism in the frame of the JJEM that imparts a natal kick to the NS,the kick-byearly asymmetrical pair(kick-BEAP)mechanism.At the early phase of the explosion process,the NS launches a pair of jets where one jet is much more energetic than the counter jet.The more energetic jet compresses a dense side to the CCSNR,and,by momentum conservation,the NS recoils in the opposite direction.Our study supports the JJEM as the primary explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae and enriches this explosion mechanism by introducing the novel kick-BEAP mechanism.展开更多
Superluminous supernovae(SLSNe)and luminous supernovae(LSNe)exhibit extreme luminosities,which require additional energy supply mechanisms such as central engines or circumstellar interaction.In the centralengine scen...Superluminous supernovae(SLSNe)and luminous supernovae(LSNe)exhibit extreme luminosities,which require additional energy supply mechanisms such as central engines or circumstellar interaction.In the centralengine scenario,jets inject energy into the polar ejecta,modifying its evolution and shaping the explosion geometry.This study investigates the polarization signatures of jet-driven bipolar explosions in SLSNe/LSNe,where the asymmetric ejecta structure and differential photospheric evolution imprint distinct observational features.We develop a two-component ejecta model,consisting of fast-expanding polar ejecta(powered by jets)and slower equatorial ejecta.We find that polarization exhibits complex temporal evolution,where the ejecta geometry and flux asymmetry between the two regions jointly produce a double-peaked feature.In addition,the line opacity in the polar region further enhances the wavelength dependence of the polarization.Spectropolarimetric observations,particularly during early phases,can constrain the geometry and energy sources of SLSNe/LSNe,advancing our understanding of their explosion mechanisms.展开更多
The white dwarf(WD)+helium(He)star binary channel plays an important role in the single degenerate scenario for the progenitors of type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia).Previous studies on the WD+main sequence star evolution hav...The white dwarf(WD)+helium(He)star binary channel plays an important role in the single degenerate scenario for the progenitors of type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia).Previous studies on the WD+main sequence star evolution have shown that the magnetic fields of WDs may significantly influence their accretion and nuclear burning processes.In this work we focus on the evolution of magnetized WD+He star binaries with detailed stellar evolution and binary population synthesis(BPS)calculations.In the case of magnetized WDs,the magnetic fields may disrupt the inner regions of the accretion disk,funnel the accretion flow onto the polar caps and even confine helium burning within the caps.We find that,for WDs with sufficiently strong magnetic fields,the parameter space of the potential SN Ia progenitor systems shrinks toward shorter orbital periods and lower donor masses compared with that in the non-magnetized WD case.The reason is that the magnetic confinement usually works with relatively high mass transfer rates,which can trigger strong wind mass loss from the WD,thus limiting the He-rich mass accumulation efficiency.The surviving companion stars are likely of low-mass at the moment of the SN explosions,which can be regarded as a possible explanation for the non-detection of surviving companions after the SNe or inside the SN remnants.However,the corresponding birthrate of Galactic SNe Ia in our high-magnetic models is estimated to be~(0.08–0.13)×10^(-3)yr^(-1)(~0.17–0.28×10^(-3)yr^(-1)for the non-magnetic models),significantly lower than the observed Galactic SN Ia birthrate.展开更多
I present a novel mechanism to boost magnetic field amplification of newly born neutron stars in core collapse supernovae.In this mechanism,that operates in the jittering jets explosion mechanism and comes on top of t...I present a novel mechanism to boost magnetic field amplification of newly born neutron stars in core collapse supernovae.In this mechanism,that operates in the jittering jets explosion mechanism and comes on top of the regular magnetic field amplification by turbulence,the accretion of stochastic angular momentum in core collapse supernovae forms a neutron star with strong initial magnetic fields but with a slow rotation.The varying angular momentum of the accreted gas,which is unique to the jittering jets explosion mechanism,exerts a varying azimuthal shear on the magnetic fields of the accreted mass near the surface of the neutron star.This,I argue,can form an amplifying effect which I term the stochastic omega(Sω) effect.In the common αω dynamo the rotation has constant direction and value,and hence supplies a constant azimuthal shear,while the convection has a stochastic behavior.In the Sω dynamo the stochastic angular momentum is different from turbulence in that it operates on a large scale,and it is different from a regular rotational shear in being stochastic.The basic assumption is that because of the varying direction of the angular momentum axis from one accretion episode to the next,the rotational flow of an accretion episode stretches the magnetic fields that were amplified in the previous episode.I estimate the amplification factor of the Sω dynamo alone to be ≈ 10.I speculate that the Sω effect accounts for a recent finding that many neutron stars are born with strong magnetic fields.展开更多
We show that, by appealing to a Quark-Nova （QN） in a tight binary system containing a massive neutron star and a CO white dwarf （WD）, a Type Ia explosion could occur. The QN ejecta collides with the WD, driving a ...We show that, by appealing to a Quark-Nova （QN） in a tight binary system containing a massive neutron star and a CO white dwarf （WD）, a Type Ia explosion could occur. The QN ejecta collides with the WD, driving a shock that triggers carbon burning under degenerate conditions （the QN-Ia）. The conditions in the compressed low-mass WD （MwD 〈 0.9 M） in our model mimic those of a Chandrasekhar mass WD. The spin-down luminosity from the QN compact remnant （the quark star） pro- vides additional power that makes the QN-Ia light-curve brighter and broader than a standard SN-Ia with similar 56Ni yield. In QNe-Ia, photometry and spectroscopy are not necessarily linked since the kinetic energy of the ejecta has a contribution from spin-down power and nuclear decay. Although QNe-Ia may not obey the Phillips relationship, their brightness and their relatively ＂normal looking＂ light-curves mean they could be included in the cosmological sample. Light-curve fitters would be con- fused by the discrepancy between spectroscopy at peak and photometry and would correct for it by effectively brightening or dimming the QNe-Ia apparent magnitudes, thus over- or under-estimating the true magnitude of these spin-down powered SNe-Ia. Contamination of QNe-Ia in samples of SNe-Ia used for cosmological analyses could systematically bias measurements of cosmological parameters if QNe-Ia are numerous enough at high-redshift. The strong mixing induced by spin-down wind combined with the low 56Ni yields in QNe-Ia means that these would lack a secondary maximum in the/-band despite their luminous nature. We discuss possible QNe-Ia progenitors.展开更多
Recent studies have suggested that type lax supernovae(SNe lax) are likely to result from a weak deflagration explosion of a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf in a binary system with a helium(He)-star companion.Assuming ...Recent studies have suggested that type lax supernovae(SNe lax) are likely to result from a weak deflagration explosion of a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf in a binary system with a helium(He)-star companion.Assuming that most SNe Iax are produced from this scenario,in this work we extend our previous work on the threedimensional hydrodynamical simulation of ejecta-companion interaction by taking the orbital and spin velocities of the progenitor system into account.We then follow the post-impact evolution of a surviving He-star companion by using the one-dimensional stellar evolution code MESA.We aim to investigate the post-explosion rotation properties of a He-star companion in SNe Iax.We find that the He-star companion spins down after the impact due to the angular-momentum loss and expansion caused by the mass-stripping and shock heating during the interaction.This leads to the situation where the surface rotational speed of the surviving companion can drop to one-third of its pre-explosion value when it expands to a maximum radius a few years after the impact.Subsequently,the star shrinks and spins up again once the deposited energy is released.This spin-switching feature of the surviving He-star companions of SNe Iax may be useful for the identification of such objects in future observations.展开更多
The Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO) 0.6 m telescope has been used for nearby supernova survey in more than 3000 fields, covering a total area of 235 deg2. More than 260000 CCD images have been collected since A...The Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO) 0.6 m telescope has been used for nearby supernova survey in more than 3000 fields, covering a total area of 235 deg2. More than 260000 CCD images have been collected since April 1996, with 45 supernovae discovered. We searched for variables in about 90000 images taken during 1996-1998. For the fields in which long period variables (LPVs) were discovered, we reduced further images taken from 1999 to 2000, for the period estimation. Among the 280000 stars selected from the survey fields, i.e., brighter than 18 mag, we discovered seven new LPVs and reconfirmed three known LPVs. Additionally, we found 146 variable star candidates, and reconfirmed about 20 previously known or suspected objects.展开更多
The single degenerate model is the most widely accepted progenitor model of type Ia supernovae （SNe Ia）, in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf （CO WD） accretes hydrogen-rich material from a main sequence or a sligh...The single degenerate model is the most widely accepted progenitor model of type Ia supernovae （SNe Ia）, in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf （CO WD） accretes hydrogen-rich material from a main sequence or a slightly evolved star （WD＋MS） to increase its mass, and explodes when its mass approaches the Chandrasekhar mass limit. During the mass transfer phase between the two components, an optically thick wind may occur and the material lost as wind may exist as circumstellar material （CSM）. Searching for the CSM around a progenitor star is helpful for discriminating different progenitor models of SNe Ia. In addition, the CSM is a source of color excess. The purpose of this paper is to study the color excess produced from the single-degenerate progenitor model with an optically thick wind, and reproduce the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia. Meng et al. systemically carded out binary evolution calculations of the WD ＋MS systems for various metallicities and showed the parameters of the systems before Roche lobe overflow and at the moment of supernova explosion in Meng ＆ Yang. With the results of Meng et al., we calculate the color excesses of SNe Ia at maximum light via a simple analytic method. We reproduce the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia by our binary population synthesis approach if the velocity of the optically thick wind is taken to be an order of magnitude of 10km s^-1. However, if the wind velocity is larger than 100km s^-1, the reproduction is bad.展开更多
The neutrino burst detected during supernova SN 1987A is explained in a strangeon star model, in which it is proposed that a pulsar-like compact object is composed of strangeons （strangeon： an abbreviation for ＂str...The neutrino burst detected during supernova SN 1987A is explained in a strangeon star model, in which it is proposed that a pulsar-like compact object is composed of strangeons （strangeon： an abbreviation for ＂strange nucleon＂）. A nascent strangeon star＇s initial internal energy is calculated, with the inclusion of pion excitation （energy around 1053 erg, comparable to the gravitational binding energy of a collapsed core）. A liquid-solid phase transition at temperature - 1 - 2 MeV may occur only a few tens of seconds after core collapse, and the thermal evolution of a strangeon star is then modeled. It is found that the neutrino burst observed from SN 1987A can be reproduced in such a cooling model.展开更多
The ＂vip star＂ of AD185, recorded in the ancient Chinese history the Houhanshu, has been widely regarded as a supernova. However, some authors have suggested that the vip star might have been a comet. It has als...The ＂vip star＂ of AD185, recorded in the ancient Chinese history the Houhanshu, has been widely regarded as a supernova. However, some authors have suggested that the vip star might have been a comet. It has also been proposed that the record is the concatenation of a nova with a comet made by an early compiler. We have checked the record of the vip star, comparing it with records of comets in the same history. We find that most descriptions of comets clearly indicate motion, whereas the record of the vip star does not. We further argue that the term ＂yan＂ used to describe the star＇s ＂size＂ might be short for yanchuang （seat bed）, and ＂half a yan＂ would be simply as an imaginary figuration of the ancient observer. Moreover, we show that the term ＂hou -year＂ （hou-nian） most probably means the year after next. We argue that the asterism Southern Gate consisted of the stars α andβ Cen. We conclude that the record describing the vip star of AD 185 is completely different from any comet record in the same history, and that it almost certainly was a supernova.展开更多
Strangeon stars,which are proposed to describe the nature of pulsar-like compact stars,have passed various observational tests.The maximum mass of a non-rotating strangeon star could be high,which implies that the rem...Strangeon stars,which are proposed to describe the nature of pulsar-like compact stars,have passed various observational tests.The maximum mass of a non-rotating strangeon star could be high,which implies that the remnants of binary strangeon star mergers could even be long-lived massive strangeon stars.We study rigidly rotating strangeon stars in the slowly rotating approximation,using the Lennard-Jones model for the equation of state.Rotation can significantly increase the maximum mass of strangeon stars with unchanged baryon numbers,enlarging the mass-range of long-lived strangeon stars.During spin-down after merger,the decrease of radius of the remnant will lead to the release of gravitational energy.Taking into account the efficiency of converting the gravitational energy luminosity to the observed X-ray luminosity,we find that the gravitational energy could provide an alternative energy source for the plateau emission of X-ray afterglow.The fitting results of X-ray plateau emission of some short gamma-ray bursts suggest that the magnetic dipole field strength of the remnants can be much smaller than that of expected when the plateau emission is powered only by spin-down luminosity of magnetars.展开更多
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 e...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.展开更多
I review studies of core collapse supernovae(CCSNe) and similar transient events that attribute major roles to jets in powering most CCSNe and in shaping their ejecta. I start with reviewing the jittering jets explosi...I review studies of core collapse supernovae(CCSNe) and similar transient events that attribute major roles to jets in powering most CCSNe and in shaping their ejecta. I start with reviewing the jittering jets explosion mechanism that I take to power most CCSN explosions. Neutrino heating does play a role in boosting the jets. I compare the morphologies of some CCSN remnants to planetary nebulae to conclude that jets and instabilities are behind the shaping of their ejecta. I then discuss CCSNe that are descendants of rapidly rotating collapsing cores that result in fixed-axis jets(with small jittering) that shape bipolar ejecta. A large fraction of the bipolar CCSNe are superluminous supernovae(SLSNe). I conclude that modeling of SLSN light curves and bumps in the light curves must include jets, even when considering energetic magnetars and/or ejecta interaction with the circumstellar matter(CSM). I connect the properties of bipolar CCSNe to common envelope jets supernovae(CEJSNe) where an old neutron star or a black hole spirals-in inside the envelope and then inside the core of a red supergiant. I discuss how jets can shape the pre-explosion CSM, as in Supernova 1987A, and can power pre-explosion outbursts(precursors)in binary system progenitors of CCSNe and CEJSNe. Binary interaction also facilitates the launching of postexplosion jets.展开更多
I further study the manner by which a pair of opposite jets shape the“keyhole”morphological structure of the core-collapse supernova(CCSN)SN 1997A,now the CCSN remnant(CCSNR)1987A.By doing so,I strengthen the claim ...I further study the manner by which a pair of opposite jets shape the“keyhole”morphological structure of the core-collapse supernova(CCSN)SN 1997A,now the CCSN remnant(CCSNR)1987A.By doing so,I strengthen the claim that the jittering-jet explosion mechanism accounts for most,likely all,CCSNe.The“keyhole”structure comprises a northern low-intensity zone closed with a bright rim on its front and an elongated low-intensity nozzle in the south.This rim-nozzle asymmetry is observed in some cooling flow clusters and planetary nebulae that are observed to be shaped by jets.I build a toy model that uses the planar jittering jets pattern,where consecutive pairs of jets tend to jitter in a common plane,implying that the accreted gas onto the newly born neutron star at the late explosion phase flows perpendicular to that plane.This allows for a long-lived jet-launching episode.This long-lasting jet-launching episode launches more mass into the jets that can inflate larger pairs of ears or bubbles,forming the main jets'axis of the CCSNR that is not necessarily related to a possible pre-collapse core rotation.I discuss the relation of the main jets'axis to the neutron star's natal kick velocity.展开更多
Type Ia supernovae （SNe Ia） play a key role in measuring cosmological parameters, in which the Phillips relation is adopted. However, the origin of the relation is still unclear. Several parameters are suggested, e....Type Ia supernovae （SNe Ia） play a key role in measuring cosmological parameters, in which the Phillips relation is adopted. However, the origin of the relation is still unclear. Several parameters are suggested, e.g. the relative content of carbon to oxygen （C/O） and the central density of the white dwarf （WD） at ignition. These parameters are mainly determined by the WD＇s initial mass and its cooling time, respectively. Using the progenitor model developed by Meng ＆ Yang, we present the distributions of the initial WD mass and the cooling time. We do not find any correlation between these parameters. However, we notice that as the range of the WD＇s mass decreases, its average value increases with the cooling time. These results could provide a constraint when simulating the SN Ia explosion, i.e. the WDs with a high C/O ratio usually have a lower central density at ignition, while those having the highest central density at ignition generally have a lower C/O ratio. The cooling time is mainly determined by the evolutionary age of secondaries, and the scatter of the cooling time decreases with the evolutionary age. Our results may indicate that WDs with a long cooling time have more uniform properties than those with a short cooling time, which may be helpful to explain why SNe Ia in elliptical galaxies have a more uniform maximum luminosity than those in spiral galaxies.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.10675064,11075082)
文摘We study the properties of dense matter at finite temperature with various proton fractions for use in supernova simulations. The relativistic mean-field theory is used to describe homogeneous nuclear matter, while the Thomas-Fermi approximation is adopted to describe inhomogeneous matter. We also discuss the equation of state of neutron star matter at zero temperature in a wide density range. The equation of state at high densities can be significantly softened by the inclusion of hyperons.
基金J.R.and N.C.acknowledge financial support by the Global Networks program of Universitt Heidelbergby Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through grant CH 214/5-1+3 种基金Sonderforschungsbereich SFB 881"The Milky Way System"(subproject A4)J.Ren and G.Zhao acknowledge the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11233004 and 11243004)J.Ren acknowledges partial financial support from the Shandong University Fund for Graduate Study AbroadFunding for the SDSS and SDSS-II has been provided by the Alfred P.Sloan Foundation,the Participating Institutions,the National Science Foundation,the U.S.Department of Energy,the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,the Japanese Monbukagakusho,the Max Planck Society,and the Higher Education Funding Council for England
文摘We report on a pilot study on identifying metal-poor stars pre-enriched by Pair-Instability Supernovae（PISNe）.Very massive,first generation（Population Ⅲ） stars（140 M⊙≤M≤260 M⊙）end their lives as PISNe,which have been predicted by theories,but no relics of PISNe have been observed yet.Among the distinct characteristics of the yields of PISNe,as predicted by theoretical calculations,are a strong odd-even effect,and a strong overabundance of Ca with respect to iron and the solar ratio.We use the latter characteristic to identify metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo that have been pre-enriched by PISNe,by comparing metallicites derived from strong, co-added Fe lines detected in low-resolution（i.e.,R=λ/△λ～2000）spectra of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey（SDSS）,with metallicities determined by the SDSS Stellar Parameters Pipeline（SSPP）.The latter are based on the strength of the CaⅡ K line and assumptions on the Ca/Fe abundance ratio.Stars are selected as candidates if their metallicity derived from Fe lines is significantly lower than the SSPP metallicities.In a sample of 12 300 stars for which SDSS spectroscopy is available,we have identified 18 candidate stars.Higher resolution and signal-to-noise ratio spectra of these candidates are being obtained with the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory and the XSHOOTER spectrograph,to determine their abundance patterns,and to verify our selection method.We plan to apply our method to the database of several million stellar spectra to be acquired with the Guo Shou Jing Telescope （LAMOST）in the next five years.
文摘With the advancement of astronomical observation technology,people have a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies,but many details of our own Milky Way and other external galaxies are still unknown.Therefore,by studying the formation and orbital transformation mechanism of satellites,planets and stars,the author puts forward a new theory on the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies,thus revealing the hierarchical structure of galaxies and the formation and evolution laws of main sequence stars,red giants,white dwarfs,black dwarfs,supernovae,neutron stars,black holes and quasars.Some special phenomena in the course of star formation and evolution,such as sunspots,flares,fast radio bursts and gamma-ray bursts,have also been revealed.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(grant Nos.XDB1160303,XDB1160000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,Nos.12288102,12333008,12090040/1,11873016,11973080,and 11803030)+3 种基金the National Key R&D Program of China(Nos.2021YFA1600403,2021YFA1600401 and 2021YFA1600400)the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS),the Yunnan Ten Thousand Talents Plan–Young&Elite Talents Project,and the CAS“Light of West China”Program,the International Centre of Supernovae,Yunnan Key Laboratory(No.202302AN360001)the Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects(grant Nos.202401BC070007,202201BC070003,and 202001AW070007)the“Yunnan Revitalization Talent Support Program”—Science&Technology Champion Project and Yunling Scholar Project(No.202305AB350003).
文摘The nature of progenitors of Type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)and their explosion mechanism remains unclear.It has been suggested that SNe Ia may have resulted from thermonuclear explosions of hybrid carbon-oxygen-neon white dwarfs(CONe WDs)when they grow in mass to approach the Chandrasekhar mass limit by accreting matter from a binary main-sequence(MS)companion.In this work,we combine the results of detailed binary evolution calculations with population synthesis models to investigate the rates and delay times of SNe Ia in the CONe WD+MS channel at a low metallicity environment of Z=0.0001.For a constant star formation rate of 5M_(⊙)yr^(−1),our calculations predict that the SN Ia rates in the CONe WD+MS channel at low metallicity of Z=0.0001 is about 0.11−3.89×10^(−4) yr^(−1).In addition,delay times in this channel cover a wide range of 0.05−2.5 Gyr.We further compare our results to those given by a previous study for the CONe WD+MS channel with a higher metallicity of Z=0.02 to explore the influence of metallicity on the results.We find that these two metallicity environments give a slight difference in rates and delay times of SNe Ia from the CONe WD+MS channel,although SNe Ia produced at a low metallicity environment of Z=0.0001 have relatively longer delay times.
文摘We use a simple dynamical scheme to simulate the ejecta of type Ⅰa supernova(SN Ia) scenarios with two exploding white dwarfs(WDs) and find that the velocity distribution of the ejecta has difficulties accounting for bimodal emission line profiles with a large separation between the two emission peaks.The essence of the dynamical code is in including the fact that the ejecta does not leave the system instantaneously.We find that the final separation velocity between the centers of masses of the two WDs' ejecta is ≃80% of the pre-explosion WDs' orbital velocity,i.e.,we find separation velocities of 4200-5400 km s^(-1) for two WDs of masses M_(1)=M_(2)=0.94 M⊙.The lower separation velocities we find challenge scenarios with two exploding WDs to explain bimodal emission line profiles with observed velocity separations of up to ≃7000 km s^(-1).Only the mass in the ejecta of one WD with an explosion velocity lower than the separation velocity contributes to one peak of the bimodal profile;this is the inner ejecta.We find the inner ejecta to be only≲15% of the ejecta mass in energetic explosions.Less energetic explosions yield higher inner mass but lower separation velocities.We encourage searching for alternative explanations of bimodal line profiles.
基金A grant from the Pazy Foundation supported this research。
文摘We identify a point-symmetric morphology of three pairs of ears/clumps in the core-collapse supernova remnant(CCSNR)Puppis A,supporting the jittering jets explosion mechanism(JJEM).In the JJEM,the three pairs of jets that shaped the three pairs of ears/clumps in Puppis A are part of a large set,about 10–30 pairs of jets,that exploded Puppis A.Some similarities in morphological features between CCSNR Puppis A and three multipolar planetary nebulae considered to have been shaped by jets solidify the claim for shaping by jets.Puppis A has a prominent dipole structure,where one side is bright with a well-defined boundary,while the other is faint and defused.The neutron star(NS)has a natal kick velocity in the opposite direction to the denser part of the dipole structure.We propose a new mechanism in the frame of the JJEM that imparts a natal kick to the NS,the kick-byearly asymmetrical pair(kick-BEAP)mechanism.At the early phase of the explosion process,the NS launches a pair of jets where one jet is much more energetic than the counter jet.The more energetic jet compresses a dense side to the CCSNR,and,by momentum conservation,the NS recoils in the opposite direction.Our study supports the JJEM as the primary explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae and enriches this explosion mechanism by introducing the novel kick-BEAP mechanism.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Projects 12373040 and 12021003)the National SKA Program of China(2022SKA0130100)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
文摘Superluminous supernovae(SLSNe)and luminous supernovae(LSNe)exhibit extreme luminosities,which require additional energy supply mechanisms such as central engines or circumstellar interaction.In the centralengine scenario,jets inject energy into the polar ejecta,modifying its evolution and shaping the explosion geometry.This study investigates the polarization signatures of jet-driven bipolar explosions in SLSNe/LSNe,where the asymmetric ejecta structure and differential photospheric evolution imprint distinct observational features.We develop a two-component ejecta model,consisting of fast-expanding polar ejecta(powered by jets)and slower equatorial ejecta.We find that polarization exhibits complex temporal evolution,where the ejecta geometry and flux asymmetry between the two regions jointly produce a double-peaked feature.In addition,the line opacity in the polar region further enhances the wavelength dependence of the polarization.Spectropolarimetric observations,particularly during early phases,can constrain the geometry and energy sources of SLSNe/LSNe,advancing our understanding of their explosion mechanisms.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11773015,12121003,12041301)Project U1838201 supported by NSFC and CAS。
文摘The white dwarf(WD)+helium(He)star binary channel plays an important role in the single degenerate scenario for the progenitors of type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia).Previous studies on the WD+main sequence star evolution have shown that the magnetic fields of WDs may significantly influence their accretion and nuclear burning processes.In this work we focus on the evolution of magnetized WD+He star binaries with detailed stellar evolution and binary population synthesis(BPS)calculations.In the case of magnetized WDs,the magnetic fields may disrupt the inner regions of the accretion disk,funnel the accretion flow onto the polar caps and even confine helium burning within the caps.We find that,for WDs with sufficiently strong magnetic fields,the parameter space of the potential SN Ia progenitor systems shrinks toward shorter orbital periods and lower donor masses compared with that in the non-magnetized WD case.The reason is that the magnetic confinement usually works with relatively high mass transfer rates,which can trigger strong wind mass loss from the WD,thus limiting the He-rich mass accumulation efficiency.The surviving companion stars are likely of low-mass at the moment of the SN explosions,which can be regarded as a possible explanation for the non-detection of surviving companions after the SNe or inside the SN remnants.However,the corresponding birthrate of Galactic SNe Ia in our high-magnetic models is estimated to be~(0.08–0.13)×10^(-3)yr^(-1)(~0.17–0.28×10^(-3)yr^(-1)for the non-magnetic models),significantly lower than the observed Galactic SN Ia birthrate.
基金supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation
文摘I present a novel mechanism to boost magnetic field amplification of newly born neutron stars in core collapse supernovae.In this mechanism,that operates in the jittering jets explosion mechanism and comes on top of the regular magnetic field amplification by turbulence,the accretion of stochastic angular momentum in core collapse supernovae forms a neutron star with strong initial magnetic fields but with a slow rotation.The varying angular momentum of the accreted gas,which is unique to the jittering jets explosion mechanism,exerts a varying azimuthal shear on the magnetic fields of the accreted mass near the surface of the neutron star.This,I argue,can form an amplifying effect which I term the stochastic omega(Sω) effect.In the common αω dynamo the rotation has constant direction and value,and hence supplies a constant azimuthal shear,while the convection has a stochastic behavior.In the Sω dynamo the stochastic angular momentum is different from turbulence in that it operates on a large scale,and it is different from a regular rotational shear in being stochastic.The basic assumption is that because of the varying direction of the angular momentum axis from one accretion episode to the next,the rotational flow of an accretion episode stretches the magnetic fields that were amplified in the previous episode.I estimate the amplification factor of the Sω dynamo alone to be ≈ 10.I speculate that the Sω effect accounts for a recent finding that many neutron stars are born with strong magnetic fields.
文摘We show that, by appealing to a Quark-Nova （QN） in a tight binary system containing a massive neutron star and a CO white dwarf （WD）, a Type Ia explosion could occur. The QN ejecta collides with the WD, driving a shock that triggers carbon burning under degenerate conditions （the QN-Ia）. The conditions in the compressed low-mass WD （MwD 〈 0.9 M） in our model mimic those of a Chandrasekhar mass WD. The spin-down luminosity from the QN compact remnant （the quark star） pro- vides additional power that makes the QN-Ia light-curve brighter and broader than a standard SN-Ia with similar 56Ni yield. In QNe-Ia, photometry and spectroscopy are not necessarily linked since the kinetic energy of the ejecta has a contribution from spin-down power and nuclear decay. Although QNe-Ia may not obey the Phillips relationship, their brightness and their relatively ＂normal looking＂ light-curves mean they could be included in the cosmological sample. Light-curve fitters would be con- fused by the discrepancy between spectroscopy at peak and photometry and would correct for it by effectively brightening or dimming the QNe-Ia apparent magnitudes, thus over- or under-estimating the true magnitude of these spin-down powered SNe-Ia. Contamination of QNe-Ia in samples of SNe-Ia used for cosmological analyses could systematically bias measurements of cosmological parameters if QNe-Ia are numerous enough at high-redshift. The strong mixing induced by spin-down wind combined with the low 56Ni yields in QNe-Ia means that these would lack a secondary maximum in the/-band despite their luminous nature. We discuss possible QNe-Ia progenitors.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Nos. 2021YFA1600400, 2021YFA1600401)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant Nos. 11873016, 11973080, and 11733008)+2 种基金the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Yunnan Province (Nos. 12090040, 12090043, 202001AW070007, 2019HA012, and 2017HC018)support from the Yunnan Ten Thousand Talents Plan–Young & Elite Talents Projectthe CAS “Light of West China” Program。
文摘Recent studies have suggested that type lax supernovae(SNe lax) are likely to result from a weak deflagration explosion of a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf in a binary system with a helium(He)-star companion.Assuming that most SNe Iax are produced from this scenario,in this work we extend our previous work on the threedimensional hydrodynamical simulation of ejecta-companion interaction by taking the orbital and spin velocities of the progenitor system into account.We then follow the post-impact evolution of a surviving He-star companion by using the one-dimensional stellar evolution code MESA.We aim to investigate the post-explosion rotation properties of a He-star companion in SNe Iax.We find that the He-star companion spins down after the impact due to the angular-momentum loss and expansion caused by the mass-stripping and shock heating during the interaction.This leads to the situation where the surface rotational speed of the surviving companion can drop to one-third of its pre-explosion value when it expands to a maximum radius a few years after the impact.Subsequently,the star shrinks and spins up again once the deposited energy is released.This spin-switching feature of the surviving He-star companions of SNe Iax may be useful for the identification of such objects in future observations.
基金This project was partly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the grant NKBRSF G19990754.
文摘The Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO) 0.6 m telescope has been used for nearby supernova survey in more than 3000 fields, covering a total area of 235 deg2. More than 260000 CCD images have been collected since April 1996, with 45 supernovae discovered. We searched for variables in about 90000 images taken during 1996-1998. For the fields in which long period variables (LPVs) were discovered, we reduced further images taken from 1999 to 2000, for the period estimation. Among the 280000 stars selected from the survey fields, i.e., brighter than 18 mag, we discovered seven new LPVs and reconfirmed three known LPVs. Additionally, we found 146 variable star candidates, and reconfirmed about 20 previously known or suspected objects.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC Grant Nos.11080922 and 12345678)
文摘The single degenerate model is the most widely accepted progenitor model of type Ia supernovae （SNe Ia）, in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf （CO WD） accretes hydrogen-rich material from a main sequence or a slightly evolved star （WD＋MS） to increase its mass, and explodes when its mass approaches the Chandrasekhar mass limit. During the mass transfer phase between the two components, an optically thick wind may occur and the material lost as wind may exist as circumstellar material （CSM）. Searching for the CSM around a progenitor star is helpful for discriminating different progenitor models of SNe Ia. In addition, the CSM is a source of color excess. The purpose of this paper is to study the color excess produced from the single-degenerate progenitor model with an optically thick wind, and reproduce the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia. Meng et al. systemically carded out binary evolution calculations of the WD ＋MS systems for various metallicities and showed the parameters of the systems before Roche lobe overflow and at the moment of supernova explosion in Meng ＆ Yang. With the results of Meng et al., we calculate the color excesses of SNe Ia at maximum light via a simple analytic method. We reproduce the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia by our binary population synthesis approach if the velocity of the optically thick wind is taken to be an order of magnitude of 10km s^-1. However, if the wind velocity is larger than 100km s^-1, the reproduction is bad.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11673002,U1531243 and 11373011)the Strategic Priority Research Program of CAS(No.XDB23010200)
文摘The neutrino burst detected during supernova SN 1987A is explained in a strangeon star model, in which it is proposed that a pulsar-like compact object is composed of strangeons （strangeon： an abbreviation for ＂strange nucleon＂）. A nascent strangeon star＇s initial internal energy is calculated, with the inclusion of pion excitation （energy around 1053 erg, comparable to the gravitational binding energy of a collapsed core）. A liquid-solid phase transition at temperature - 1 - 2 MeV may occur only a few tens of seconds after core collapse, and the thermal evolution of a strangeon star is then modeled. It is found that the neutrino burst observed from SN 1987A can be reproduced in such a cooling model.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘The ＂vip star＂ of AD185, recorded in the ancient Chinese history the Houhanshu, has been widely regarded as a supernova. However, some authors have suggested that the vip star might have been a comet. It has also been proposed that the record is the concatenation of a nova with a comet made by an early compiler. We have checked the record of the vip star, comparing it with records of comets in the same history. We find that most descriptions of comets clearly indicate motion, whereas the record of the vip star does not. We further argue that the term ＂yan＂ used to describe the star＇s ＂size＂ might be short for yanchuang （seat bed）, and ＂half a yan＂ would be simply as an imaginary figuration of the ancient observer. Moreover, we show that the term ＂hou -year＂ （hou-nian） most probably means the year after next. We argue that the asterism Southern Gate consisted of the stars α andβ Cen. We conclude that the record describing the vip star of AD 185 is completely different from any comet record in the same history, and that it almost certainly was a supernova.
基金supported by the National SKA Program of China(Nos.2020SKA0120300,2020SKA0120100)the Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Science and Technology Innovation Teams from Hubei colleges and universities(No.T2021026)the Young Top-notch Talent Cultivation Program of Hubei Province,and the Key Laboratory Opening Fund(MOE)of China(grant No.QLPL2021P01)。
文摘Strangeon stars,which are proposed to describe the nature of pulsar-like compact stars,have passed various observational tests.The maximum mass of a non-rotating strangeon star could be high,which implies that the remnants of binary strangeon star mergers could even be long-lived massive strangeon stars.We study rigidly rotating strangeon stars in the slowly rotating approximation,using the Lennard-Jones model for the equation of state.Rotation can significantly increase the maximum mass of strangeon stars with unchanged baryon numbers,enlarging the mass-range of long-lived strangeon stars.During spin-down after merger,the decrease of radius of the remnant will lead to the release of gravitational energy.Taking into account the efficiency of converting the gravitational energy luminosity to the observed X-ray luminosity,we find that the gravitational energy could provide an alternative energy source for the plateau emission of X-ray afterglow.The fitting results of X-ray plateau emission of some short gamma-ray bursts suggest that the magnetic dipole field strength of the remnants can be much smaller than that of expected when the plateau emission is powered only by spin-down luminosity of magnetars.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘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.
基金supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation (769/20)。
文摘I review studies of core collapse supernovae(CCSNe) and similar transient events that attribute major roles to jets in powering most CCSNe and in shaping their ejecta. I start with reviewing the jittering jets explosion mechanism that I take to power most CCSN explosions. Neutrino heating does play a role in boosting the jets. I compare the morphologies of some CCSN remnants to planetary nebulae to conclude that jets and instabilities are behind the shaping of their ejecta. I then discuss CCSNe that are descendants of rapidly rotating collapsing cores that result in fixed-axis jets(with small jittering) that shape bipolar ejecta. A large fraction of the bipolar CCSNe are superluminous supernovae(SLSNe). I conclude that modeling of SLSN light curves and bumps in the light curves must include jets, even when considering energetic magnetars and/or ejecta interaction with the circumstellar matter(CSM). I connect the properties of bipolar CCSNe to common envelope jets supernovae(CEJSNe) where an old neutron star or a black hole spirals-in inside the envelope and then inside the core of a red supergiant. I discuss how jets can shape the pre-explosion CSM, as in Supernova 1987A, and can power pre-explosion outbursts(precursors)in binary system progenitors of CCSNe and CEJSNe. Binary interaction also facilitates the launching of postexplosion jets.
文摘I further study the manner by which a pair of opposite jets shape the“keyhole”morphological structure of the core-collapse supernova(CCSN)SN 1997A,now the CCSN remnant(CCSNR)1987A.By doing so,I strengthen the claim that the jittering-jet explosion mechanism accounts for most,likely all,CCSNe.The“keyhole”structure comprises a northern low-intensity zone closed with a bright rim on its front and an elongated low-intensity nozzle in the south.This rim-nozzle asymmetry is observed in some cooling flow clusters and planetary nebulae that are observed to be shaped by jets.I build a toy model that uses the planar jittering jets pattern,where consecutive pairs of jets tend to jitter in a common plane,implying that the accreted gas onto the newly born neutron star at the late explosion phase flows perpendicular to that plane.This allows for a long-lived jet-launching episode.This long-lasting jet-launching episode launches more mass into the jets that can inflate larger pairs of ears or bubbles,forming the main jets'axis of the CCSNR that is not necessarily related to a possible pre-collapse core rotation.I discuss the relation of the main jets'axis to the neutron star's natal kick velocity.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10963001)the Project of the Fundamental and Frontier Research of Henan Province (Grant No. 102300410223)
文摘Type Ia supernovae （SNe Ia） play a key role in measuring cosmological parameters, in which the Phillips relation is adopted. However, the origin of the relation is still unclear. Several parameters are suggested, e.g. the relative content of carbon to oxygen （C/O） and the central density of the white dwarf （WD） at ignition. These parameters are mainly determined by the WD＇s initial mass and its cooling time, respectively. Using the progenitor model developed by Meng ＆ Yang, we present the distributions of the initial WD mass and the cooling time. We do not find any correlation between these parameters. However, we notice that as the range of the WD＇s mass decreases, its average value increases with the cooling time. These results could provide a constraint when simulating the SN Ia explosion, i.e. the WDs with a high C/O ratio usually have a lower central density at ignition, while those having the highest central density at ignition generally have a lower C/O ratio. The cooling time is mainly determined by the evolutionary age of secondaries, and the scatter of the cooling time decreases with the evolutionary age. Our results may indicate that WDs with a long cooling time have more uniform properties than those with a short cooling time, which may be helpful to explain why SNe Ia in elliptical galaxies have a more uniform maximum luminosity than those in spiral galaxies.
