No supernovae associated with two long-duration gamma-ray bursts

It is now accepted that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced during the collapse of a massive star. The standard 'collapsar' model predicts that a broad-lined and luminous type Ic core-collapse supernova accompanies every long-duration GRB. This association has been confirmed in observations of several nearby GRBs. Here we report that GRB 060505 (ref. 10) and GRB 060614 (ref. 11) were not accompanied by supernova emission down to limits hundreds of times fainter than the archetypal supernova SN 1998bw that accompanied GRB 980425, and fainter than any type Ic supernova ever observed. Multi-band observations of the early afterglows, as well as spectroscopy of the host galaxies, exclude the possibility of significant dust obscuration and show that the bursts originated in actively star-forming regions. The absence of a supernova to such deep limits is qualitatively different from all previous nearby long-duration GRBs and suggests a new phenomenological type of massive stellar death.     

核心坍缩超新星中心黑洞超吸积在星系尺度上的贡献

核心坍缩超新星(Core-Collapse Supernova,CCSN)是大质量恒星演化末期的爆发现象,产生了宇宙中大多数的中子星和恒星级黑洞等致密天体.爆发可能伴随着强磁场中子星或黑洞超吸积引发的剧烈长时标伽马射线暴.CCSN还被认为是宇宙重元素的主要来源之一.本综述介绍了我们近期对CCSN中心黑洞超吸积过程的系列研究成果,主要包括研究了大质量星系中心附近伽马射线暴余辉阶段,因大量暗物质粒子湮灭电子注入而引发的光变和能谱的形态变化,探讨了其作为暗物质探测手段的可能性;研究了坍缩星框架下,中微子主导吸积流外流对核合成的贡献,及对太阳临近空间、(活动)星系等化学组分和演化的影响;最后,从数值模拟角度讨论了CCSN起源的致密天体质量分布,给出了低质量间隙可能起源于CCSN爆发能量分布的结论.     

A link between prompt optical and prompt gamma-ray emission in gamma-ray bursts

The prompt optical emission that arrives with the gamma-rays from a cosmic gamma-ray burst (GRB) is a signature of the engine powering the burst, the properties of the ultra-relativistic ejecta of the explosion, and the ejecta's interactions with the surroundings. Until now, only GRB 990123 had been detected at optical wavelengths during the burst phase. Its prompt optical emission was variable and uncorrelated with the prompt gamma-ray emission, suggesting that the optical emission was generated by a reverse shock arising from the ejecta's collision with surrounding material. Here we report prompt optical emission from GRB 041219a. It is variable and correlated with the prompt gamma-rays, indicating a common origin for the optical light and the gamma-rays. Within the context of the standard fireball model of GRBs, we attribute this new optical component to internal shocks driven into the burst ejecta by variations of the inner engine. The correlated optical emission is a direct probe of the jet isolated from the medium. The timing of the uncorrelated optical emission is strongly dependent on the nature of the medium.     

一种对伽玛暴瞬时谱的新解释

研究了幂律分布电子的同步曲率辐射在伽玛暴（gamma-ray burst,GRB）的物理条件下的表现,并用同步曲率辐射机制代替同步辐射来解释伽玛暴的瞬时谱,尤其是那些出现拐点和高能过剩的谱,还拟合了几个实际的有拐点和高能过剩的伽玛射线暴的瞬时谱.从中可以看出,同步曲率辐射机制对整个瞬时谱能够做出统一和合理的解释.在对高能过剩部分的解释中,同步曲率辐射机制不需再人为引入任何其他机制,因此可调参数少.此外,该机制还能对发射区磁场给出更加详细的描述,尤其是对磁场的曲率半径有了严格的约束,因此对磁场的形成机制给出严格的限制,支持了磁场产生于激波的理论模型.将来对更高能部分的更精细的观测将能够对我们的模型进行进一步检验.最后用同步曲率辐射对GRB 941017的谱的瞬时谱部分的演化进行了拟合和讨论.     

大统一理论,轻子星和γ射线暴,类星体

 在超重质量星无限塌缩的过程中,其能量标度达到足够大时,此时就可以应用粒子物理中的大统一理论,并提出一个新的模型:核子衰变后一个超重质量星将把它的几乎所有质量转化为能量,从而变为可能是亚稳定或不稳定的轻子星.按照这一模型,就可以解释超高能宇宙射线和高能天体物理中的下列疑难:类星体和γ-射线暴等.轻子星也许就是真实的白洞.     

伽玛射线暴内光度和峰值能量关系的统计分析

以前的研究表明:在伽玛射线暴(简称伽玛暴)间各向同性等值光度Liso和静止系中vFv谱的峰值能量E′p之间存在关系式LisooE′p2.Liang等人用Preece等人给出的91个BATSE伽玛暴的2408个时间分辨谱样本对这一关系式进行了验证,得出这一关系式不但在伽玛暴内成立,而且在伽玛暴之间也是成立的.为了进一步验证这一关系式,我们收集了Kaneko等人2006年发表的350个BATSE伽玛暴能谱的数据,并对其中185个伽玛暴能谱的5218个时间分辨谱样本进行统计分析,我们得出的结果与Liang等人的结果是一致的.     

伽玛暴内秉持续时间的分布

利用卡方检验的方法对SWIFT仪器观测的438个暴样本(其中143个暴有红移)的T90分布进行统计检验,找寻是否存在第三个子类暴.研究表明,在观测系的T90分布没有发现有第三个子类暴,但暴源的T90却存在第三个子类暴.     

An origin in the local Universe for some short gamma-ray bursts

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) divide into two classes: 'long', which typically have initial durations of T90 > 2 s, and 'short', with durations of T90 < 2 s (where T90 is the time to detect 90% of the observed fluence). Long bursts, which on average have softer gamma-ray spectra, are known to be associated with stellar core-collapse events-in some cases simultaneously producing powerful type Ic supernovae. In contrast, the origin of short bursts has remained mysterious until recently. A subsecond intense 'spike' of gamma-rays during a giant flare from the Galactic soft gamma-ray repeater, SGR 1806-20, reopened an old debate over whether some short GRBs could be similar events seen in galaxies out to approximately 70 Mpc (refs 6-10; redshift z approximately 0.016). Shortly after that, localizations of a few short GRBs (with optical afterglows detected in two cases) have shown an apparent association with a variety of host galaxies at moderate redshifts. Here we report a correlation between the locations of previously observed short bursts and the positions of galaxies in the local Universe, indicating that between 10 and 25 per cent of short GRBs originate at low redshifts (z < 0.025).     

An origin for short gamma-ray bursts unassociated with current star formation

Two short (< 2 s) gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have recently been localized and fading afterglow counterparts detected. The combination of these two results left unclear the nature of the host galaxies of the bursts, because one was a star-forming dwarf, while the other was probably an elliptical galaxy. Here we report the X-ray localization of a short burst (GRB 050724) with unusual gamma-ray and X-ray properties. The X-ray afterglow lies off the centre of an elliptical galaxy at a redshift of z = 0.258 (ref. 5), coincident with the position determined by ground-based optical and radio observations. The low level of star formation typical for elliptical galaxies makes it unlikely that the burst originated in a supernova explosion. A supernova origin was also ruled out for GRB 050709 (refs 3, 31), even though that burst took place in a galaxy with current star formation. The isotropic energy for the short bursts is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that for the long bursts. Our results therefore suggest that an alternative source of bursts--the coalescence of binary systems of neutron stars or a neutron star-black hole pair--are the progenitors of short bursts.     

The afterglow of GRB 050709 and the nature of the short-hard gamma-ray bursts

The final chapter in the long-standing mystery of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) centres on the origin of the short-hard class of bursts, which are suspected on theoretical grounds to result from the coalescence of neutron-star or black-hole binary systems. Numerous searches for the afterglows of short-hard bursts have been made, galvanized by the revolution in our understanding of long-duration GRBs that followed the discovery in 1997 of their broadband (X-ray, optical and radio) afterglow emission. Here we present the discovery of the X-ray afterglow of a short-hard burst, GRB 050709, whose accurate position allows us to associate it unambiguously with a star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.160, and whose optical lightcurve definitively excludes a supernova association. Together with results from three other recent short-hard bursts, this suggests that short-hard bursts release much less energy than the long-duration GRBs. Models requiring young stellar populations, such as magnetars and collapsars, are ruled out, while coalescing degenerate binaries remain the most promising progenitor candidates.     

Energy input and response from prompt and early optical afterglow emission in gamma-ray bursts

The taxonomy of optical emission detected during the critical first few minutes after the onset of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) defines two broad classes: prompt optical emission correlated with prompt gamma-ray emission, and early optical afterglow emission uncorrelated with the gamma-ray emission. The standard theoretical interpretation attributes prompt emission to internal shocks in the ultra-relativistic outflow generated by the internal engine; early afterglow emission is attributed to shocks generated by interaction with the surrounding medium. Here we report on observations of a bright GRB that, for the first time, clearly show the temporal relationship and relative strength of the two optical components. The observations indicate that early afterglow emission can be understood as reverberation of the energy input measured by prompt emission. Measurements of the early afterglow reverberations therefore probe the structure of the environment around the burst, whereas the subsequent response to late-time impulsive energy releases reveals how earlier flaring episodes have altered the jet and environment parameters. Many GRBs are generated by the death of massive stars that were born and died before the Universe was ten per cent of its current age, so GRB afterglow reverberations provide clues about the environments around some of the first stars.     

An unexpectedly rapid decline in the X-ray afterglow emission of long gamma-ray bursts

'Long' gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are commonly accepted to originate in the explosion of particularly massive stars, which give rise to highly relativistic jets. Inhomogeneities in the expanding flow result in internal shock waves that are believed to produce the gamma-rays we see. As the jet travels further outward into the surrounding circumstellar medium, 'external' shocks create the afterglow emission seen in the X-ray, optical and radio bands. Here we report observations of the early phases of the X-ray emission of five GRBs. Their X-ray light curves are characterised by a surprisingly rapid fall-off for the first few hundred seconds, followed by a less rapid decline lasting several hours. This steep decline, together with detailed spectral properties of two particular bursts, shows that violent shock interactions take place in the early jet outflows.     

曲率效应导致的伽马暴高能尾

根据"曲率效应",预言伽马暴随动谱中高能端的一根发射线可以形成观测谱中的一个翘起的高能尾.这解释了为什么从来没有在伽马暴中观测到窄发射线.翘尾的峰是洛仑兹因子的线性函数.这表明,当该发射线被证认时,翘尾峰可成为火球膨胀速度的指示器.     

An exceptionally bright flare from SGR 1806-20 and the origins of short-duration gamma-ray bursts

Soft-gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) are galactic X-ray stars that emit numerous short-duration (about 0.1 s) bursts of hard X-rays during sporadic active periods. They are thought to be magnetars: strongly magnetized neutron stars with emissions powered by the dissipation of magnetic energy. Here we report the detection of a long (380 s) giant flare from SGR 1806-20, which was much more luminous than any previous transient event observed in our Galaxy. (In the first 0.2 s, the flare released as much energy as the Sun radiates in a quarter of a million years.) Its power can be explained by a catastrophic instability involving global crust failure and magnetic reconnection on a magnetar, with possible large-scale untwisting of magnetic field lines outside the star. From a great distance this event would appear to be a short-duration, hard-spectrum cosmic gamma-ray burst. At least a significant fraction of the mysterious short-duration gamma-ray bursts may therefore come from extragalactic magnetars.     

Why animals have different muscle fibre types

Animals have different muscle fibre types: slow fibres with a low maximum velocity of shortening (Vmax) and fast fibres with a high Vmax. An advantage conferred by the use of different fibre types during locomotion has been proposed solely on the basis of their in vitro properties. Isolated muscle experiments show that force generation, mechanical power production and efficiency are all functions of V/Vmax, where V is the velocity of muscle shortening. But it is not known whether animals actually use the different fibres at shortening velocities that are optimal for mechanical power production and efficiency. Here we compare the V of muscle fibres during locomotion with their Vmax. This comparison shows that during slow locomotion, the slow fibres shorten at a velocity that gives peak mechanical power and efficiency and the fast fibres shorten at their optimal velocity when powering maximal movements. Our results also show that maximal movements are impossible without fast fibres because the slow ones cannot shorten rapidly enough.     

不同环境中胞外多糖产生菌的初步研究(英文)

从不同的环境中采集样品,采用LB平板稀释法和苯胺蓝法分析样品中胞外多糖产生菌的丰度并分离胞外多糖产生菌;以发酵产糖量分析进行复筛,对产糖量较高的菌株进行常规生理生化分析和16SrDNA序列分析.结果表明:不同环境中胞外多糖产生菌的数量和类别有较大差异,其中活性污泥中胞外多糖产生菌数量最多;复筛得到89个菌株,选择其中8个产糖量较高的菌株进行生理生化实验和16SrDNA序列分析,结果显示:4个菌株属于芽孢杆菌属,另外4个可能属于新的细菌菌株.     

Relationship between magnetic fabric parameters and dynamic characteristics of deposits in different environments

Comparison of magnetic fabric parameters of deposits in different modern sedimentary environments indicates that values ofP, F andL of eolian deposits are lower obviously than those of hydrogenic ones respectively. On relationship diagrams of magnetic fabric parameters, data points of eolian samples concentrated in limited area near origin of coordinates indicate that dynamic intensity is lower with less variation; while those of hydrogenic ones depart from origin of coordinates suggest higher intensity of sedimentary dynamics. Analyses of dynamic characteristics of different sedimentary environments indicate that values of magnetic fabric parameters of deposits are determined by dynamic types and characteristics of depositional processes. Magnetic fabric analyses of deposits are effective in determination of sedimentary environments.     

不同环境下混凝土动态直接拉伸特性研究

在MTS810电液伺服万能试验机上对47个哑铃形混凝土试件进行了不同应变速率(10-5～10-0.3s-1)下的直接拉伸试验,系统研究了两种湿度、两种温度混凝土在不同加载速率下抗拉强度、初始弹性模量、泊松比、临界应变,以及吸能能力与应变速率之间的关系.试验结果表明,混凝土速率敏感性是由混凝土中自由水产生的粘滞性以及破裂形式的改变引起的;随着含水量的增加,混凝土的拟静态强度有降低的趋势,对应变速率的敏感性有所提高;在低温条件下混凝土的拟静态强度较室温条件下有所提高,对应变速率的敏感性却有所降低.