Search

A mass paucity of compact objects in the range of ∼2–5 M⊙ has been suggested by X-ray binary observations, namely, the "lower mass gap." Gravitational wave detections have unlocked another mass measurement method, and aLIGO/Virgo has observed some candidates in the gap. We revisit the numerical simulations on the core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) for ∼20–40 M⊙ progenitor stars with different initial explosion energies. As a result, the lower explosion energy naturally causes more efficient fallback accretion for low-metallicity progenitors, and then the newborn black holes (BHs) in the center of the CCSNe can escape from the gap, but neutron stars cannot easily collapse into BHs in the gap; nevertheless, the final remnants of the solar-metallicity progenitors stick to the gap. If we consider that only drastic CCSNe can be observed and that those with lower explosion energies are universal, the lower mass gap can be reasonably built. The width and depth of the gap are mainly determined by the typical CCSN initial explosion energy and metallicity. One can expect that the future multimessenger observations of compact objects delineate the shape of the gap, which might constrain the properties of the CCSNe and their progenitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) in globular clusters (GCs) remains a crucial problem. Searching for IMBHs in GCs reveals a discrepancy between radio observations and dynamical modelings: the upper mass limits constrained by radio observations are systematically lower than that of dynamical modelings. One possibility for such a discrepancy is that, as we suggest in this work, there exist outflows in accretion flows. Our results indicate that, for most sources, current radio observations cannot rule out the possibility that IMBHs may exist in GCs. In addition, we adopt an relation to revisit this issue, which confirms the results obtained by the fundamental plane relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid temporal variability has been widely observed in the light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). One possible mechanism for such variability is related to the relativistic eddies in the jet. In this paper, we include the contribution of the inter-eddy medium together with the eddies to the gamma-ray emission. We show that the gamma-ray emission can either lead or lag behind the observed synchrotron emission, where the latter originates in the inter-eddy medium and provides most of the seed photons for producing gamma-ray emission through inverse Compton scattering. As a consequence, we argue that the lead/lag found in non-stationary short-lived light curves may not reveal the intrinsic lead/lag of different emission components. In addition, our results may explain the lead of gamma-ray emission with respect to optical emission observed in GRB 080319B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double gamma-ray bursts (DGRBs) have two well-separated sub-bursts in the main prompt emission and the typical time interval between them is in the hundreds of seconds. Among DGRBs, gamma-ray bursts (DGRBs) 110801A and 120716A are the ones with known redshifts. However, unlike GRB 110801A, we show that the two sub-bursts of GRB 120716A is severally similar to the short- and long-duration GRBs, thus it is difficult to explain the origin of GRB 120716A by the popular models on the central engine of GRBs. We suggest that some mechanisms of x-ray flares in GRBs, i.e., a post-merger millisecond pulsars or the jet precession in a black hole hyperaccretion system may produce the DGRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the fluctuations of standard thin accretion disks by linear analysis of the time-dependent energy equation together with the vertical hydrostatic equilibrium and the equation of state. We show that some of the simulation results in Hirose et al., such as the time delay, the relationship of power spectra, and the correlation between magnetic energy and radiation energy, can be understood well by our analytic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical nature of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is believed to involve an ultra-relativistic jet. The observed complex structure of light curves motivates the idea of jet precession. In this work, we study the gravitational waves of jet precession based on neutrino-dominated accretion disks around black holes, which may account for the central engine of GRBs. In our model, the jet and the inner part of the disk may precess along with the black hole, which is driven by the outer part of the disk. Gravitational waves are therefore expected to be significant from this black-hole-inner-disk precession system. By comparing our numerical results with the sensitivity of some detectors, we find that it is possible for DECIGO and BBO to detect such gravitational waves, particularly for GRBs in the Local Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]