A Conversation with Robert F. Christy – Part II

Robert F. Christy, Institute Professor of Theoretical Physics Emeritus at Caltech, recalls his wartime work at Los Alamos on the critical assembly for the plutonium bomb (“the Christy bomb”); the Alamogordo test, July 16, 1945; the postwar concerns of ALAS (Association of Los Alamos Scientists); his brief return to the University of Chicago and move to Caltech; friendship with and later alienation from Edward Teller; work with Charles and Tommy Lauritsen and William A. Fowler in Caltech’s Kellogg Radiation Laboratory; Freeman Dyson’s Orion Project; work on the meson and RR Lyrae stars; fellowship at Cambridge University; 1950s Vista Project at Caltech; his opposition to the Strategic Defense Initiative; and his post-retirement work for the National Research Council’s Committee on Dosimetry and on inertial-confinement fusion.     

Proof that static stellar models are spherical

We give a proof that static general-relativistic stellar models, in other words static perfect fluid stars in asymptotically-flat spacetimes, are spherically symmetric for physically reasonable equations of state. The analysis may also be of independent interest for differential geometric rigidity theorems.     

Properties of hybrid stars in an extended MIT bag model

The properties of hybrid stars are investigated in the framework of the relativistic mean field theory (RMFT) and an MIT bag model with density-dependent bag constant to describe the hadron phase (HP) and quark phase (QP), respectively. We find that the density-dependent B(p) decreases with baryon density p; this decrement makes the strange quark matter become more energetically favorable than ever, which makes the threshold densities of the hadron-quark phase transition lower than those of the original bag constant case. In this case, the hyperon degrees of freedom can not be considered. As a result, the equations of state of a star in the mixed phase (MP) become softer whereas those in the QP become stiffer, and the radii of the star obviously decrease. This indicates that the extended MIT bag model is more suitable to describe hybrid stars with small radii.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Stimuli‐Responsive Star‐Like Polypept(o)ides: Introducing Biodegradable PeptoStars

Star‐like polymers are one of the smallest systems in the class of core crosslinked polymeric nanoparticles. This article reports on a versatile, straightforward synthesis of three‐arm star‐like polypept(o)ide (polysarcosine‐block‐polylysine) polymers, which are designed to be either stable or degradable at elevated levels of glutathione. Polypept(o)ides are a recently introduced class of polymers combining the stealth‐like properties of the polypeptoid polysarcosine with the functionality of polypeptides, thus enabling the synthesis of materials completely based on endogenous amino acids. The star‐like homo and block copolymers are synthesized by living nucleophilic ring opening polymerization of the corresponding N‐carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) yielding polymeric stars with precise control over the degree of polymerization (X _n = 25, 50, 100), Poisson‐like molecular weight distributions, and low dispersities (Đ = 1.06–1.15). Star‐like polypept(o)ides display a hydrodynamic radius of 5 nm (μ₂ < 0.05) as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). While star‐like polysarcosines and polypept(o)ides based on disulfide containing initiators are stable in solution, degradation occurs at 100 × 10^–3m glutathione concentration. The disulfide cleavage yields the respective polymeric arms, which possess Poisson‐like molecular weight distributions and low dispersities (Đ = 1.05–1.12). Initial cellular uptake and toxicity studies reveal that PeptoStars are well tolerated by HeLa, HEK 293, and DC 2.4 cells.

     

Abundance gradients in the galactic disk

The relationship between abundances and orbital parameters for 235 F- and G-type intermediate- and low- mass stars in the Galaxy is analyzed. We foundthat there are abundance gradients in the thin disk in both radial and verticaldirections (-0.116 dex kpc-1 and -0.309 dex kpc-1 respectively). The gradients appear to be flatter as the Galaxy evolves. No gradient is found in the thick disk based on 18 thick disk stars. These results indicate that the ELS model is mainly suitable for the evolution of the thin disk, while the SZ model is more suitable for the evolution of the thick disk. Additionally, these results indicate that in-fall and out-flow processes play important roles in the chemical evolution of the Galaxy.     

Influences of the bag constant on properties of hybrid stars

Influences of the bag constant on the properties of hybrid stars are investigated by using relativistic mean field theory and the MIT bag model to describe the hadron phase and quark phase in the interior of neutron stars, respectively. Our results indicate that the onset of hadron-quark phase transition is put off and the appearance of hyperon species is increased with the increase in bag constant. As a result, the hybrid star equation of state for a mixed phase range stiffens whereas that of the quark phase range softens, and the gravitational mass as well as the corresponding radius of hybrid stars are increased obviously. The gravitational mass of a hybrid star is increased from 1.42 M_⊙ (M_⊙ is solar mass) to 1.63 M_⊙ and the corresponding radius is changed from 9.1 km to 12.2 km when the bag constant (B^1/4) is increased from 170 MeV to 200 MeV. It is interesting to find that hybrid star equations of state become non-smooth when the TM2 parameter sets in the framework of relativistic mean field theory used to describe the hadronic matter, and consequently, the third family of compact stars appear in the mass-radius relations of hybrid stars in the narrow scope of the bag constant from 175 MeV to 180 MeV. These show that the choice of the bag constant in the MIT bag model has significant influence on the properties of hybrid stars.     

夸克物质中的色超导性理论简介

夸克-夸克通过单胶子交换的相互作用在其反对称态上是相互吸引的,在致密夸克物质里,这种吸引相互作用会导致费米面上的双夸克凝聚,这就是所谓的夸克配对或色超导现象。本文介绍了夸克配对或色超导现象的基本知识和一些新进展。色超导是一个对称性自发破坏现象,有非常丰富的破缺方式,我们介绍了色超导对称性及其自发破坏模式的分析方法,介绍了怎样计算色超导体两个最基本的变量：能隙和迈斯纳质量。然后我们介绍了描述色超导现象的有效理论。最后是这些理论的一个应用,即计算色超导体里的中微子发射率以及其它输运性质。本文可以作为研究夸克物质理论的入门参考资料。     

Short-range correlation effects in neutron star's radial and non-radial oscillations

In this study, we determine the influence of the nucleon-nucleon short range correlation (SRC) on static spherically symmetric neutron stars (NSs) from the perspectives of radial and nonradial oscillations for the first time. We revise the equation of state and coupling parameters in the relativistic mean field theory after considering the SRC effect, and select the hyperon coupling parameters as the SU(3) model. For the non-radial oscillations, the SRC effect decreases the \begin{document}$ f $\end{document}-mode frequency by \begin{document}$ 0.2\sim0.3 $\end{document} kHz. For the radial oscillations, it decreases the fundamental radial frequency \begin{document}$ f_{1} $\end{document} by 0.75 ~ 0.85 kHz. Additionally, we refit the linear relationship between the average density and \begin{document}$ f $\end{document}-mode frequency for SRC. Combining the characteristics of the radial and non-radial frequencies, we provide a view of inferring the maximum mass of NSs. Owing to the characteristics of the SRC influence on the radial frequency, we expect that the SRC can be tested by future observation and can also be used as a probe for the structure inside NSs.     

Determining the long living quasi-normal modes of relativistic stars

Methods of finding quasi-normal modes of non-rotating relativistic stars have been well established,however,none of the existing treatments which take spacetime and fluid oscillations fully into account can determine modes of long decay time,e.g.,the p and g mode series,or the f modes for stars with low compactness ratio (M/R). In this paper we show how the quasi-normal modes of long lifetime can be determined through refinements of a treatment originally due to Detweiler and Lindblom. The determination of the p mode series has been argued in the literature to have implication on the life time of gravitational wave sources and stellar stability. In this paper we 1) provide detailed steps in our treatment to facilitate future effort in this direction; 2) correct mistakes in the literature on the formulation; and 3) analyse the accuracy of the quasi-normal mode frequencies obtained and the limitations of the treatment.     

Search for Short-Duration Transient Gravitational Waves Emitted by Neutron Star Glitches

Neutron stars are known to show an accelerated spin-up of their rotational frequency on a short time scale of around 40 s, called a “glitch” in the neutron star. These neutron star glitches can emit short-duration transient gravitational wave signals as f-mode oscillations at frequencies between 1.5 and 3 kHz and damping times of less than a few seconds. The observed rate of neutron star glitches are currently limited by their electromagnetic observations. There could be a population of the isolated neutron stars in the galaxy for which there is no electromagnetic observation, but they can produce gravitational wave signals. Here, the sensitivity of the generic all-sky search for short-duration transients towards neutron star glitches during the Advanced LIGO and Virgo's third observing run using the Coherent WaveBurst algorithm is presented. The prospects of detecting signals from such glitching neutron stars for the upcoming fourth and fifth observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors are also described.