XMM-Newton observation of the supernova remnant Kes 78 (G32.8-0.1): Evidence for shock-cloud interaction

The Galactic supernova remnant Kes 78 is surrounded by dense molecular clouds, whose projected position overlaps with the extended HESS gamma-ray source HESS J1852-000. The X-ray emission from the remnant has been recently revealed by Suzaku observations, which have shown indications for a hard X-ray component in the spectra, possibly associated with synchrotron radiation. We aim at describing the spatial distribution of the physical properties of the X-ray emitting plasma and at revealing the effects of the interaction of the remnant with the inhomogeneous ambient medium. We also aim at investigating the origin of the gamma-ray emission, which may be Inverse Compton radiation associated wi…

Effects of Flaring Activity on Dynamics of Accretion Disks in YSOs

We investigate the effects of strong flares on the accretion phenomena in YSOs. Among all classical assumptions, the model accounts magnetic-field oriented thermal conduction. We study the global dynamics of the system for two positions of the heating release triggering the flare.

Generation of radiative knots in a randomly pulsed protostellar jet

HH objects are characterized by a complex knotty morphology detected mainly along the axis of protostellar jets in a wide range of bands. Evidence of interactions between knots formed in different epochs have been found, suggesting that jets may result from the ejection of plasma blobs from the source. We aim at investigating the physical mechanism leading to the irregular knotty structure observed in jets in different bands and the complex interactions occurring among blobs of plasma ejected from the stellar source. We perform 2D axisymmetric HD simulations of a randomly ejected pulsed jet. The jet consists of a train of blobs which ram with supersonic speed into the ambient medium. The in…

I traffici illeciti nel Mediterraneo. Persone, stupefacenti, tabacco. Report Spagna

Il Report analizza il sistema penale spagnolo attraverso la disciplina di contrasto a quattro diversi traffici: favoreggiamento dell'immigrazione clandestina, tratta di esseri umani, traffico di stupefacenti e contrabbando di sigarette. Il Report è parte di una più vasta ricerca ("The New Era of Smuggling in the Mediterranean Sea", NESMeS) volta ad analizzare i suddetti traffici all'interno del Mediterraneo, con specifico riferimento ai seguenti Paesi: Germania, Grecia, Italia, Portogallo e Spagna. Oltre al Report spagnolo, la ricerca NESMeS ha realizzato altri contributi: uno per ciascun Paese, un report criminologico e un libro finale ("I traffici illeciti nel Mediterraneo. Persone, stupe…

The fully developed remnant of a neutrino-driven supernova: Evolution of ejecta structure and asymmetries in SNR Cassiopeia A

Abridged. We aim at exploring to which extent the remnant keeps memory of the asymmetries that develop stochastically in the neutrino-heating layer due to hydrodynamic instabilities (e.g., convective overturn and the standing accretion shock instability) during the first second after core bounce. We coupled a 3D HD model of a neutrino-driven SN explosion with 3D MHD/HD simulations of the remnant formation. The simulations cover 2000 years of expansion and include all physical processes relevant to describe the complexities in the SN evolution and the subsequent interaction of the stellar debris with the wind of the progenitor star. The interaction of large-scale asymmetries left from the ea…

The EM(T) of stellar coronae

Studying the solar corona, due to its vicinity, is the starting point to understand stellar activity. The emission measure distribution vs temperature, EM(T), is a useful tool to study coronal plasmas, in fact it allows: to investigate the energy balance of coronal plasmas, to easily compare different stars, and also to compare the solar corona to that of other active stars irrespective of the very different observing techniques. The EM(T) of the solar corona differs significantly, in terms of average plasma temperatures, peak temperatures, and total emission measure, with respect to that of active stars. In this work it is discussed how the evaluation of the EM(T) of the solar corona, and …

Discovery of a jet-like structure with overionized plasma in the SNR IC443

IC443 is a supernova remnant located in a quite complex environment since it interacts with nearby clouds. Indications for the presence of overionized plasma have been found though the possible physical causes of overionization are still debated. Moreover, because of its peculiar position and proper motion, it is not clear if the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) within the remnant is the relic of the IC443 progenitor star or just a rambling one seen in projection on the remnant. Here we address the study of IC443 plasma in order to clarify the relationship PWN-remnant, the presence of overionization and the origin of the latter. We analyzed two \emph{XMM-Newton} observations producing background-su…

The X-ray emission mechanism in the protostellar jet HH 154

We study the mechanism causing the X-ray emission recently detected in protostellar jets, by performing a detailed modeling of the interaction between a supersonic jet originating from a young stellar object and the ambient medium, for various values of density contrast, ν, between the ambient density and the jet, and of Mach number, M; radiative losses and thermal conduction have been taken into account. Here we report a representative case which reproduces, without any ad hoc assumption, the characteristics of the X-ray emission recently observed in the protostellar jet HH 154. We find that the X-ray emission originates from a localized blob, consistent with observations, which moves with…

Generation of Knots in a Randomly Pulsed Protostellar Jet: Synthesis of the X-ray Emission

MHD modeling of supernova remnants expanding through inhomogeneous interstellar medium

Viewing the Sun as an X-ray star

The Sun is the late-type star we can study with the highest level of detail. In the interpretation of stellar data, therefore, it is often assumed that the physical processes of the coronae of late-type stars are similar to those of the solar corona, i.e. the "solar-stellar analogy". In order to investigate the validity of this assumption, we have started a program to study systematically the Sun as an X-ray star. Our program aims to explore how far the solar model can be applied to other stars. In this paper we review the results obtained from these studies and, in particular, we discuss the variability of a star identical to the Sun during its cycle, the contribution of different coronal …

MODELING SNR CASSIOPEIA A from the SUPERNOVA EXPLOSION to ITS CURRENT AGE: The ROLE of POST-EXPLOSION ANISOTROPIES of EJECTA

The remnants of core-collapse supernovae (SNe) have complex morphologies that may reflect asymmetries and structures developed during the progenitor SN explosion. Here we investigate how the morphology of the SNR Cassiopeia A (Cas A) reflects the characteristics of the progenitor SN with the aim to derive the energies and masses of the post-explosion anisotropies responsible for the observed spatial distribution of Fe and Si/S. We model the evolution of Cas A from the immediate aftermath of the progenitor SN to the three-dimensional interaction of the remnant with the surrounding medium. The post-explosion structure of the ejecta is described by small-scale clumping of material and larger-s…

3D MHD MODELING of TWISTED CORONAL LOOPS

We perform MHD modeling of a single bright coronal loop to include the interaction with a non-uniform magnetic field. The field is stressed by random footpoint rotation in the central region and its energy is dissipated into heating by growing currents through anomalous magnetic diffusivity that switches on in the corona above a current density threshold. We model an entire single magnetic flux tube, in the solar atmosphere extending from the high-beta chromosphere to the low-beta corona through the steep transition region. The magnetic field expands from the chromosphere to the corona. The maximum resolution is ~30 km. We obtain an overall evolution typical of loop models and realistic loo…

X-rays from protostellar jets: emission from continuous flows

Recently X-ray emission from protostellar jets has been detected with both XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites, but the physical mechanism which can give rise to this emission is still unclear. We performed an extensive exploration of a wide space of the main parameters influencing the jet/ambient interaction. Aims include: 1) to constrain the jet/ambient interaction regimes leading to the X-ray emission observed in Herbig-Haro objects in terms of the emission by a shock forming at the interaction front between a continuous supersonic jet and the surrounding medium; 2) to derive detailed predictions to be compared with optical and X-ray observations of protostellar jets; 3) to get insight int…

Hydrodynamic modeling of ejecta shrapnels in the Vela SNR

Radiative accretion shocks along nonuniform stellar magnetic fields in classical T Tauri stars

(abridged) AIMS. We investigate the dynamics and stability of post-shock plasma streaming along nonuniform stellar magnetic fields at the impact region of accretion columns. We study how the magnetic field configuration and strength determine the structure, geometry, and location of the shock-heated plasma. METHODS. We model the impact of an accretion stream onto the chromosphere of a CTTS by 2D axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic simulations. Our model takes into account the gravity, the radiative cooling, and the magnetic-field-oriented thermal conduction. RESULTS. The structure, stability, and location of the shocked plasma strongly depend on the configuration and strength of the magnetic f…

High Energy Emission from Shocks Due to Jets and Accretion in Young Stars with Disks: Combining Observations, Numerical Models, and Laboratory Experiments

High energy emission from young stars with disks, with all their components due to accretion and outflow activity, can have a deep impact on the evolution of their disks and on the formation of exo-planetary systems. An inter-disciplinary approach, which combines multi-wavelength observations, magnetohydrodynamical models, and laboratory experiments, allows us to get a more complete description of the accretion/ejection phenomena characterizing young stars. We discuss the case of the HH 154 jet, its X-ray emission localized at the base of the jet and its complex morphology, comparing observations, models, and laser experiments. We present the comparison between magnetohydrodynamical models …

Are Coronae of Late‐Type Stars Made of Solar‐like Structures? The X‐Ray Surface Flux versus Hardness Ratio Diagram and the Pressure‐Temperature Correlation

This work is dedicated to the solar-stellar connection, i.e., the close similarity of the Sun and late-type stars; in particular, this work shows that stellar coronae can be composed of X-ray-emitting structures similar to those present in the solar corona. To this end we use a large set of ROSAT PSPC observations of late-type stars of all spectral types and activity levels and a large set of solar X-ray data collected with Yohkoh SXT. Solar data have been analyzed and formatted to study the Sun as an X-ray star; they include observations of the solar corona at various phases of the solar cycle and data on various kinds of X-ray coronal structures, from flares to the background corona, i.e.…

X-ray emission from stellar jets by collision against high-density molecular clouds: an application to HH 248

We investigate the plausibility of detecting X-ray emission from a stellar jet that impacts against a dense molecular cloud. This scenario may be usual for classical T Tauri stars with jets in dense star-forming complexes. We first model the impact of a jet against a dense cloud by 2D axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations, exploring different configurations of the ambient environment. Then, we compare our results with XMM-Newton observations of the Herbig-Haro object HH 248, where extended X-ray emission aligned with the optical knots is detected at the edge of the nearby IC 434 cloud. Our simulations show that a jet can produce plasma with temperatures up to 10 MK, consistent with producti…

3D MHD modeling of the expanding remnant of SN 1987A : role of magnetic field and non-thermal radio emission

Aims. We investigate the role played by a pre-supernova (SN) ambient magnetic field on the dynamics of the expanding remnant of SN 1987A and the origin and evolution of the radio emission from the remnant, in particular, during the interaction of the blast wave with the nebula surrounding the SN. Methods. We model the evolution of SN 1987A from the breakout of the shock wave at the stellar surface to the expansion of its remnant through the surrounding nebula by 3D MHD simulations. The model considers the radiative cooling, the deviations from equilibrium of ionization, the deviation from temperature-equilibration between electrons and ions, and a plausible configuration of the pre-SN ambie…

The shape of the cutoff in the synchrotron emission of SN 1006 observed with XMM-Newton

Synchrotron X-ray emission from the rims of young supernova remnants allows us to study the high-energy tail of the electrons accelerated at the shock front. The analysis of X-ray spectra can provide information on the physical mechanisms that limit the energy achieved by the electrons in the acceleration process. We aim at verifying whether the maximum electron energy in SN 1006 is limited by synchrotron losses and at obtaining information on the shape of the cutoff in the X-ray synchrotron emission. We analyzed the deep observations of the XMM-Newton SN 1006 Large Program. We performed spatially resolved spectral analysis of a set of small regions in the nonthermal limbs and studied the X…

The Corona of the Sun as a Star

We study the physics of the solar corona as a whole, i.e. of the Sun as a Star, in order to understand its global features and to provide a template for stellar coronae. In this process we strive to understand the features of various structures which compose the solar corona. This process in not straightforward given the problems of observing the Sun as a whole: e.g., no recent X‐ray wide‐band, medium‐resolution, spectrum of the Sun is avaible, unlike stars and no X‐ray spectral monitoring of the Sun at various activity phases is available. The presentation will discuss our work in this field; we present the method we have devised, based on Yohkoh/SXT data, to derive the Differential Emissi…

Hydrodynamic Modeling of Accretion Shock on CTTSs

High resolution (R ~ 600) X-ray observations of some classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) (TW Hya, BP Tau, V4046 Sgr, MP Mus and RU Lupi) have shown the presence of X-ray plasma at T ~ 2–3 × 106 K and denser than n e ~ 1011 cm-3 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], which suggests an origin different from the coronal one (n e ~ 1010 cm_3). Stationary models demonstrated that X-ray emission from CTTSs could also be produced by the accreting material [6]. We address this issue with the aid of a time-dependent hydrodynamic numerical model describing the impact of an accretion stream onto the chromosphere of a CTTS (see [7] for more details). Our simulations include the effects of gravity, radiative losses from opticall…

Laboratory evidence for asymmetric accretion structure upon slanted matter impact in young stars

Aims. Investigating the process of matter accretion onto forming stars through scaled experiments in the laboratory is important in order to better understand star and planetary system formation and evolution. Such experiments can indeed complement observations by providing access to the processes with spatial and temporal resolution. A previous investigation revealed the existence of a two-component stream: a hot shell surrounding a cooler inner stream. The shell was formed by matter laterally ejected upon impact and refocused by the local magnetic field. That laboratory investigation was limited to normal incidence impacts. However, in young stellar objects, the complex structure of magne…

Accretion in young stars: measure of the stream velocity of TW Hya from the X-ray Doppler shift

High-resolution X-ray spectra are a unique tool to investigate the accretion process in young stars. In fact X-rays allow to investigate the accretion-shock region, where the infalling material is heated by strong shocks due to the impact with the denser stellar atmosphere. Here we show for the first time that it is possible to constrain the velocity of the accretion stream by measuring the Doppler shift of the emitted X-rays. To this aim we analyzed the deep Chandra/HETGS observation of the accreting young star TW Hya. We selected a sample of emission lines free from significant blends, fitted them with gaussian profiles, computed the radial velocity corresponding to each line, and average…

X-raying the interstellar medium: the study of SNR shells at the OAPa

Generation of radiative knots in a randomly pulsed protostellar jet. II. X-ray emission

Protostellar jets are known to emit in a wide range of bands, from radio to IR to optical bands, and to date also about ten X-ray emitting jets have been detected, with a rate of discovery of about one per year. We aim at investigating the mechanism leading to the X-ray emission detected in protostellar jets and at constraining the physical parameters that describe the jet/ambient interaction by comparing our model predictions with observations. We perform 2D axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of the interaction between a supersonic jet and the ambient. The jet is described as a train of plasma blobs randomly ejected by the stellar source along the jet axis. We explore the parameter spac…

X-ray and optical emission in protostellar jets: model predictions and comparison with observations

Indications of a Si-rich bilateral jet of ejecta in the Vela SNR observed with XMM-Newton

Context. The Vela supernova remnant displays several ejecta, which are fragment-like features protruding beyond the front of its primary blast shock wave. They appear to be "shrapnel", bowshock-shaped relics of the supernova explosion. One of these pieces of shrapnel (A), located in the northeastern edge of the remnant, is peculiar because its X-ray spectrum exhibits a high Si abundance, in contrast to the other observed ejecta fragments, which show enhanced O, Ne, and Mg abundances. Aims. In this Letter we present the analysis of another ejecta fragment located opposite to shrapnel A with respect to the center of the shell, in the southwestern boundary of the remnant, named shrapnel G. We …

Responsabilità giuridica e politica della Procura Europea nell'esercizio dell'azione penale e nello svolgimento delle indagini: l'asimmetria dei controlli condivisi

The Complex Morphology of the X-ray and Optical Emission from HH 154: The Pulsed Jet Scenario

We study the optical and X-ray emission from protostellar jets, focusing, in particular, on the case of HH 154. This project consists of two different and complementary approaches: the development of hydrodynamical models of the jet/ambient interaction, and the analysis of multi-wavelength observations. Comparing the results derived from the simulations with the observations we can infer the physical mechanisms leading to the complex morphology of the X-rays source observed at the base of HH 154.

Modeling the shock-cloud interaction in SN 1006: unveiling the origin of nonthermal X-ray and gamma-ray emission

The supernova remnant SN 1006 is a source of high-energy particles and its southwestern limb is interacting with a dense ambient cloud, thus being a promising region for gamma-ray hadronic emission. We aim at describing the physics and the nonthermal emission associated with the shock-cloud interaction to derive the physical parameters of the cloud (poorly constrained by the data analysis), to ascertain the origin of the observed spatial variations in the spectral properties of the X-ray synchrotron emission, and to predict spectral and morphological features of the resulting gamma-ray emission. We performed 3-D magnetohydrodynamic simulations modeling the evolution of SN 1006 and its inter…

L'assistenza umanitaria delle ONG sotto inchiesta

Lo scorso giugno, l’Agenzia dell’Unione europea per i diritti fondamentali (FRA) ha pubblicato il consueto aggiornamento semestrale sulle operazioni di Search and Rescue (SAR) nel Mediterraneo. Il documento evidenza le difficoltà di condurre le operazioni di salvataggio da parte delle imbarcazioni delle ONG, molte delle quali sono state (e continuano ad essere) sottoposte a procedimenti giudiziari e fermi amministrativi nelle giurisdizioni degli Stati membri dell’UE. Nel quadro del contrasto al traffico di migranti, infatti, è ormai impellente una riforma del Facilitator Package quantomeno nel senso di vietare agli Stati membri di criminalizzare l’attività di assistenza umanitaria delle ONG…

The Sun as an X-ray star: Active region evolution, rotational modulation, and implications for stellar X-ray variability

We study the contribution of an active region and its core to the luminosity and the spectrum of the Sun in the X-ray band and to the relevant solar emission measure vs. temperature distribution, EM(T). We also study the relevant changes in the course of four solar rotations, and the solar rotational modulation due to this active region, the only one present at that time. To this end, we have used a large sample of full-disk Yohkoh/SXT observations taken between July and October 1996, covering most of the active region evolution. From the Yohkoh/SXT data we have synthesized the X-ray spectra of the whole solar corona, and the focal plane data as they would be collected with Rosat/PSPC, XMM-…

The Sun as an X‐Ray Star. I. Deriving the Emission Measure Distribution versus Temperature of the Whole Solar Corona from theYohkoh/Soft X‐Ray Telescope Data

The scope of this work is to obtain the emission measure distributions versus temperature, EM(T ), of the whole solar corona from Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope images. As discussed in Paper II, the EM(T ) is our starting point for studying the Sun as an X-ray star. To this purpose, we need to extract as much information as possible from the Yohkoh/SXT data covering the whole range of the Yohkoh/SXT tem- perature sensitivity, i.e., 5.5 \ log T (K) \ 8. In particular at low photon counts and temperatures below 106 K, errors on the temperature and emission measure determination are expected to be large. To this end, we have made an extensive set of simulations to explore the nominal performance …

Il traffico di migranti nel Mediterraneo: validità della legge penale e tutela della persona

Studio giuridico comparato in materia di repressione al traffico di migranti nell'ambito dell'Unione Europea con specifico riguardo al reato di favoreggiamento dell'immigrazione clandestina in Italia, Spagna e Germania e i relativi problemi di giurisdizione penale che solleva questo specifico fenomeno all'interno del bacino mediterraneo. Comparative analysis on the repression of smuggling of migrants within the EU legal framework with specific regard to domestic legislations in Italy, Spain and Germany and the jurisdictional issues which arise in such specific phenomenon. This work is part of the final deliverable of a Research Project funded by Philip Morris International (PMI-Impact) ("Th…

Formation of X-ray emitting stationary shocks in magnetized protostellar jets

X-ray observations of protostellar jets show evidence of strong shocks heating the plasma up to temperatures of a few million degrees. In some cases, the shocked features appear to be stationary. They are interpreted as shock diamonds. We aim at investigating the physics that guides the formation of X-ray emitting stationary shocks in protostellar jets, the role of the magnetic field in determining the location, stability, and detectability in X-rays of these shocks, and the physical properties of the shocked plasma. We performed a set of 2.5-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations modelling supersonic jets ramming into a magnetized medium and explored different configurations…

A Spatially Resolved Study of Hard X-Ray Emission in Kepler’s Supernova Remnant: Indications of Different Regimes of Particle Acceleration

Abstract Synchrotron X-ray emission in young supernova remnants (SNRs) is a powerful diagnostic tool to study the population of high-energy electrons accelerated at the shock front and the acceleration process. We performed a spatially resolved spectral analysis of NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations of the young Kepler’s SNR, aiming to study in detail its nonthermal emission in hard X-rays. We selected a set of regions all around the rim of the shell and extracted the corresponding spectra. The spectra were analyzed by adopting a model of synchrotron radiation in the loss-limited regime, to constrain the dependence of the cutoff energy of the synchrotron radiation on the shock velocity. We …

Role of local absorption on the X-ray emission from MHD accretion shocks in classical T Tauri stars

Accretion processes onto classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) are believed to generate shocks at the stellar surface due to the impact of supersonic downflowing plasma. Although current models of accretion streams provide a plausible global picture of this process, several aspects are still unclear. For example, the observed X-ray luminosity in accretion shocks is, in general, well below the predicted value. A possible explanation discussed in the literature is in terms of significant absorption of the emission due to the thick surrounding medium. Here we consider a 2D MHD model describing an accretion stream propagating through the atmosphere of a CTTS and impacting onto its chromosphere. The m…

Collimation and asymmetry of the hot blast wave from the recurrent nova V745 Scorpii

The recurrent symbiotic nova V745 Sco exploded on 2014 February 6 and was observed on February 22 and 23 by the Chandra X-ray Observatory Transmission Grating Spectrometers. By that time the supersoft source phase had already ended and Chandra spectra are consistent with emission from a hot, shock-heated circumstellar medium with temperatures exceeding 10^7K. X-ray line profiles are more sharply peaked than expected for a spherically-symmetric blast wave, with a full width at zero intensity of approximately 2400 km/s, a full width at half maximum of 1200 +/- 30 km/s and an average net blueshift of 165 +/- 10 km/s. The red wings of lines are increasingly absorbed toward longer wavelengths by…

Bright hot impacts by erupted fragments falling back on the Sun: UV redshifts in stellar accretion

A solar eruption after a flare on 7 Jun 2011 produced EUV-bright impacts of fallbacks far from the eruption site, observed with the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These impacts can be taken as a template for the impact of stellar accretion flows. Broad red-shifted UV lines have been commonly observed in young accreting stars. Here we study the emission from the impacts in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly's UV channels and compare the inferred velocity distribution to stellar observations. We model the impacts with 2D hydrodynamic simulations. We find that the localised UV 1600A emission and its timing with respect to the EUV emission can be explained by the impact of a cloud of fragments. The …

Bright hot impacts by erupted fragments falling back on the Sun: a template for stellar accretion.

Impacts of falling fragments observed after the eruption of a filament in a solar flare on 7 June 2011 are similar to those inferred for accretion flows on young stellar objects. As imaged in the ultraviolet (UV)-extreme UV range by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, many impacts of dark, dense matter display uncommonly intense, compact brightenings. High-resolution hydrodynamic simulations show that such bright spots, with plasma temperatures increasing from ~10(4) to ~10(6) kelvin, occur when high-density plasma (>>10(10) particles per cubic centimeter) hits the solar surface at several hundred kilometers per second, producing high-energy emission as …

Origin of asymmetries in X-ray emission lines from the blast wave of the 2014 outburst of nova V745 Sco

The symbiotic nova V745 Sco was observed in outburst on 2014 February 6. Its observations by the Chandra X-ray Observatory at days 16 and 17 have revealed a spectrum characterized by asymmetric and blue-shifted emission lines. Here we investigate the origin of these asymmetries through three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations describing the outburst during the first 20 days of evolution. The model takes into account thermal conduction and radiative cooling and assumes a blast wave propagates through an equatorial density enhancement. From the simulations, we synthesize the X-ray emission and derive the spectra as they would be observed with Chandra. We find that both the blast wave and th…

ROLE OF EJECTA CLUMPING AND BACK-REACTION OF ACCELERATED COSMIC RAYS IN THE EVOLUTION OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

We investigate the role played by initial clumping of ejecta and by efficient acceleration of cosmic rays (CRs) in determining the density structure of the post-shock region of a Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) through detailed 3D MHD modeling. Our model describes the expansion of a SNR through a magnetized interstellar medium (ISM), including the initial clumping of ejecta and the effects on shock dynamics due to back-reaction of accelerated CRs. The model predictions are compared to the observations of SN 1006. We found that the back-reaction of accelerated CRs alone cannot reproduce the observed separation between the forward shock (FS) and the contact discontinuity (CD) unless the energ…

CALOS: an experiment to study the solar corona with an array of NTD Ge microcalorimeters

In response to the Italian Space Agency announcement "New Ideas for Space Missions", we have proposed an observatory "CALorimetri per Osservazioni Solari" (CALOS) that will perform spatially resolved (Deltatheta similar to 2) X-ray spectroscopy of the solar corona over the 0.1 - 10 keV band using an array of NTD germanium microcalorimeters. The observatory will also include an X-ray polarimeter of radically new design that will study the hard X-ray solar emission and its polarization and will serve as a flare alarm.

Laboratory disruption of scaled astrophysical outflows by a misaligned magnetic field

The shaping of astrophysical outflows into bright, dense, and collimated jets due to magnetic pressure is here investigated using laboratory experiments. Here we look at the impact on jet collimation of a misalignment between the outflow, as it stems from the source, and the magnetic field. For small misalignments, a magnetic nozzle forms and redirects the outflow in a collimated jet. For growing misalignments, this nozzle becomes increasingly asymmetric, disrupting jet formation. Our results thus suggest outflow/magnetic field misalignment to be a plausible key process regulating jet collimation in a variety of objects from our Sun’s outflows to extragalatic jets. Furthermore, they provide…

Laboratory evidence for proton energization by collisionless shock surfing

Charged particles can be accelerated to high energies by collisionless shock waves in astrophysical environments, such as supernova remnants. By interacting with the magnetized ambient medium, these shocks can transfer energy to particles. Despite increasing efforts in the characterization of these shocks from satellite measurements at Earth’s bow shock as well as powerful numerical simulations, the underlying acceleration mechanism or a combination thereof is still widely debated. Here we show that astrophysically relevant super-critical quasi-perpendicular magnetized collisionless shocks can be produced and characterized in the laboratory. We observe the characteristics of super-criticali…

MHD modelling of coronal loops: injection of high-speed chromospheric flows

Observations reveal a correspondence between chromospheric type II spicules and bright upwardly moving fronts in the corona observed in the EUV band. However, theoretical considerations suggest that these flows are unlikely to be the main source of heating in coronal magnetic loops. We investigate the propagation of high-speed chromospheric flows into coronal magnetic flux tubes, and the possible production of emission in the EUV band. We simulate the propagation of a dense $10^4$ K chromospheric jet upwards along a coronal loop, by means of a 2-D cylindrical MHD model, including gravity, radiative losses, thermal conduction and magnetic induction. The jet propagates in a complete atmospher…

MHD evolution of a fragment of a CME core in the outer solar corona

Detailed hydrodynamic modeling explained several features of a fragment of the core of a Coronal Mass Ejection observed with SoHO/UVCS at 1.7 Ro on 12 December 1997, but some questions remained unsolved. We investigate the role of the magnetic fields in the thermal insulation and the expansion of an ejected fragment (cloud) traveling upwards in the outer corona. We perform MHD simulations including the effects of thermal conduction and radiative losses of a dense spherical or cylindrical cloud launched upwards in the outer corona, with various assumptions on the strength and topology of the ambient magnetic field; we also consider the case of a cylindrical cloud with an internal magnetic fi…

X-rays from accretion shocks in classical T Tauri stars: 2D MHD modeling and the role of local absorption

AbstractIn classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) strong shocks are formed where the accretion funnel impacts with the denser stellar chromosphere. Although current models of accretion provide a plausible global picture of this process, some fundamental aspects are still unclear: the observed X-ray luminosity in accretion shocks is order of magnitudes lower than predicted; the observed density and temperature structures of the hot post-shock region are puzzling and still unexplained by models.To address these issues we performed 2D MHD simulations describing an accretion stream impacting onto the chromosphere of a CTTS, exploring different configurations and strengths of the magnetic field. From th…

Bright Hot Impacts by Erupted Fragments Falling Back on the Sun: Magnetic Channelling

Dense plasma fragments were observed to fall back on the solar surface by the Solar Dynamics Observatory after an eruption on 7 June 2011, producing strong EUV brightenings. Previous studies investigated impacts in regions of weak magnetic field. Here we model the $\sim~300$ km/s impact of fragments channelled by the magnetic field close to active regions. In the observations, the magnetic channel brightens before the fragment impact. We use a 3D-MHD model of spherical blobs downfalling in a magnetized atmosphere. The blob parameters are constrained from the observation. We run numerical simulations with different ambient density and magnetic field intensity. We compare the model emission i…

Multi-wavelength diagnostics of accretion in an X-ray selected sample of CTTSs

High resolution X-ray spectroscopy has revealed soft X-rays from high density plasma in Classical T-Tauri stars (CTTSs), probably arising from the accretion shock region. However, the mass accretion rates derived from the X-ray observations are consistently lower than those derived from UV/optical/NIR studies. We aim to test the hypothesis that the high density soft X-ray emission is from accretion by analysing optical accretion tracers from an X-ray selected sample of CTTSs in a homogeneous manner. We analyse optical spectra of a sample of CTTSs and calculate the accretion rates based on measuring optical emission lines. These are then compared to the accretion rates derived from the X-ray…

On stellar coronae and solar active regions

Based on Yohkoh Soft X-Ray Telescope (SXT) observations of the Sun near peak activity level obtained on 1992 January 6, we search for coronal structures that have emission measure distributions EM(T ) that match the observed stellar coronal emission measure distributions derived for the intermediate-activity stars v Eri (K2 V) and m Boo A (G8 V) from Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer spectro- scopic observations. We —nd that the temperatures of the peaks of the observed stellar distributions EM(T ), as well as their slopes in the temperature range are very similar to those 6.0 ( log T ( 6.5, obtained for the brightest of the solar active regions in the 1992 January 6 SXT images. The observed slo…

Collisionless shock heating of heavy ions in SN 1987A

Astrophysical shocks at all scales, from those in the heliosphere up to the cosmological shock waves, are typically "collisionless", because the thickness of their jump region is much shorter than the collisional mean free path. Across these jumps, electrons, protons, and ions are expected to be heated at different temperatures. Supernova remnants (SNRs) are ideal targets to study collisionless processes because of their bright post-shock emission and fast shocks. Although optical observations of Balmer-dominated shocks in young SNRs showed that the post-shock proton temperature is higher than the electron temperature, the actual dependence of the post-shock temperature on the particle mass…

Crushing of interstellar gas clouds in supernova remnants. I. The role of thermal conduction and radiative losses

We model the hydrodynamic interaction of a shock wave of an evolved supernova remnant with a small interstellar gas cloud like the ones observed in the Cygnus loop and in the Vela SNR. We investigate the interplay between radiative cooling and thermal conduction during cloud evolution and their effect on the mass and energy exchange between the cloud and the surrounding medium. Through the study of two cases characterized by different Mach numbers of the primary shock (M = 30 and 50, corresponding to a post-shock temperature $T\approx 1.7\times 10^6$ K and $\approx 4.7\times 10^6$ K, respectively), we explore two very different physical regimes: for M = 30, the radiative losses dominate the…

Accretion disk coronae of intermediate polar cataclysmic variables

Context. Intermediate polar cataclysmic variables (IPCV) contain a magnetic, rotating white dwarf surrounded by a magnetically truncated accretion disk. To explain their strong flickering X-ray emission, accretion has been successfully taken into account. Nevertheless, observations suggest that accretion phenomena might not be the only process behind it. An intense flaring activity occurring on the surface of the disk may generate a corona, contribute to the thermal X-ray emission, and influence the system stability. Aims. Our purposes are: investigating the formation of an extended corona above the accretion disk, due to an intense flaring activity occurring on the disk surface; studying t…

X-RAY SPECTROSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS OF A WIND-COLLIMATED BLAST WAVE AND METAL-RICH EJECTA FROM THE 2006 EXPLOSION OF RS OPHIUCHI

Chandra HETG observations of RS Ophiuchi at day 13.9 of the 2006 outburst reveal a rich spectrum of emission lines from abundant ions formed over a wide temperature range (∼ 3 × 10 6 to 60 × 10 6 K) indicative of shock heating of the circumstellar medium by the expanding blast wave. Lines are asymmetric and strongly broadened (v ∼ 2400 km s −1 at zero intensity). Using simple analytical model profiles, we show how the lines are shaped by differential absorption in the red giant wind and explosion ejecta, and that shock heating to multimillion degree temperatures appears to have occurred preferentially in the direction perpendicular to the line of sight. We conclude that the asymmetric natur…

Spectral Evolution of the X-Ray Remnant of SN 1987A: A High-Resolution $Chandra$ HETG Study

Based on observations with the $Chandra$ X-ray Observatory, we present the latest spectral evolution of the X-ray remnant of SN 1987A (SNR 1987A). We present a high-resolution spectroscopic analysis using our new deep ($\sim$312 ks) $Chandra$ HETG observation taken in March 2018, as well as archival $Chandra$ gratings spectroscopic data taken in 2004, 2007, and 2011 with similarly deep exposures ($\sim$170 - 350 ks). We perform detailed spectral model fits to quantify changing plasma conditions over the last 14 years. Recent changes in electron temperatures and volume emission measures suggest that the shocks moving through the inner ring have started interacting with less dense circumstell…

Unveiling the spatial structure of the overionized plasma in the supernova remnant W49B

W49B is a mixed-morphology supernova remnant with thermal X-ray emission dominated by the ejecta. In this remnant, the presence of overionized plasma has been directly established, with information about its spatial structure. However, the physical origin of the overionized plasma in W49B has not yet been understood. We investigate this intriguing issue through a 2D hydrodynamic model that takes into account, for the first time, the mixing of ejecta with the inhomogeneous circumstellar and interstellar medium, the thermal conduction, the radiative losses from optically thin plasma, and the deviations from equilibrium of ionization induced by plasma dynamics. The model was set up on the basi…

3D modeling from the onset of the SN to the full-fledged SNR: Role of an initial ejecta anisotropy on matter mixing

The aim of this work is to bridge the gap between CC SNe and their remnants by investigating how post-explosion anisotropies in the ejecta influence the structure and chemical properties of the remnant at later times. We performed three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamical simulations starting soon after the SN event and following the evolution of the system in the circumstellar medium (consisting of the wind of the stellar progenitor), for 5000 years, obtaining the physical scenario of a SNR. Here we focused the analysis on the case of a progenitor red supergiant of 19.8 M_sun. We also investigated how a post-explosion large-scale anisotropy in the SN affects the ejecta distribution and the …

Using AMR to Simulate the 3-D Hydrodynamic Interaction of Supernova Shocks with Interstellar Gas Clouds

X-ray Emission Mechanisms in Herbig - Haro objects .

X-raying hadronic acceleration at the SN 1006 shock front

Shock fronts in young supernova remnants are the best candidates for being sites of cosmic rays acceleration up to a few PeV, though conclusive experimental evidence is still lacking. Theoretical models predict that particle acceleration can modify the post-shock properties, e. g. by increasing the plasma density. We exploited the Large Program of deep XMM-Newton observations of SN 1006 to verify this prediction. We focused on the rim of the supernova remnant and by performing spatially resolved spectral analysis, we found that the shock compression ratio significantly increases in regions where particle acceleration is efficient, in agreement with expectations. Our results provide observat…

The discovery of an expanding X-ray source in the HH 154 protostellar jet

We have performed, in October 2005, a deep Chandra X-ray observation of HH 154. Comparison with the previous (2001) Chandra observation allows to detect proper motion down to the level predicted by models of X-ray emitting shocks in the jet. The 2005 Chandra observation of HH 154 shows unexpected morphological changes of the X-ray emission in comparison with the 2001 data. Two components are present: a stronger, point-like component with no detectable motion and a weaker component which has expanded in size by approximately 300 AU over the 4 years time base of the two observations. This expansion corresponds to approximately 500 km/s, very close to the velocity of the X-ray emitting shock i…

Mhd-Modeling of the Propagation of a Coronal Mass Ejection

Hydrodynamic modeling of the propagation of a density perturbation launched upwards in the solar corona has been shown to explain some features of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) observed in detail with the SoHO/UVCS, but left open the questions of the evidence of thermal insulation of the CME and of its large expansion factor. We investigate whether the interaction with the coronal magnetic field is able to explain these aspects, by performing magnetohydrodynamic simulations. We solve the ideal MHD equations for a fully ionized compressible plasma with different assumptions on the ambient magnetic field, using the FLASH code. We include the effect of the directional thermal conduction. Preli…

Linking gamma-ray spectra of supernova remnants to the cosmic ray injection properties in the aftermath of supernovae

The acceleration times of the highest-energy particles which emit gamma-rays in young and middle-age SNRs are comparable with SNR age. If the number of particles starting acceleration was varying during early times after the supernova explosion then this variation should be reflected in the shape of the gamma-ray spectrum. We use the solution of the non-stationary equation for particle acceleration in order to analyze this effect. As a test case, we apply our method to describe gamma-rays from IC443. As a proxy of the IC443 parent supernova we consider SN1987A. First, we infer the time dependence of injection efficiency from evolution of the radio spectral index in SN1987A. Then, we use the…

Nonequilibrium of Ionization and the Detection of Hot Plasma in Nanoflare‐heated Coronal Loops

Impulsive nanoflares are expected to transiently heat the plasma confined in coronal loops to temperatures of the order of 10 MK. Such hot plasma is hardly detected in quiet and active regions, outside flares. During rapid and short heat pulses in rarified loops the plasma can be highly out of equilibrium of ionization. Here we investigate the effects of the non-equilibrium of ionization (NEI) on the detection of hot plasma in coronal loops. Time-dependent loop hydrodynamic simulations are specifically devoted to this task, including saturated thermal conduction, and coupled to the detailed solution of the equations of ionization rate for several abundant elements. In our simulations, initi…

Hydrodynamic interaction of SNR shocks with thermally conducting, radiative clouds .

Probing the effects of hadronic acceleration at the SN 1006 shock front

AbstractSupernova remnant shocks are strong candidates for being the source of energetic cosmic rays and hadron acceleration is expected to increase the shock compression ratio, providing higher post-shock densities. We exploited the deep observations of the XMM-Newton Large Program on SN 1006 to verify this prediction. Spatially resolved spectral analysis led us to detect X-ray emission from the shocked ambient medium in SN 1006 and to find that its density significantly increases in regions where particle acceleration is efficient. Our results provide evidence for the effects of acceleration of cosmic ray hadrons on the post-shock plasma in supernova remnants.

Effects of non-uniform interstellar magnetic field on synchrotron and inverse compton emission of SNRs

Modeling the mixed-morphology supernova remnant IC 443. Origin of its complex morphology and X-ray emission

The morphology and the distribution of material observed in SNRs reflect the interaction of the SN blast wave with the ambient environment, the physical processes associated with the SN explosion and the internal structure of the progenitor star. IC 443 is a MM SNR located in a quite complex environment: it interacts with a molecular cloud in the NW and SE areas and with an atomic cloud in the NE. In this work we aim at investigating the origin of the complex morphology and multi-thermal X-ray emission observed in SNR IC 443, through the study of the effect of the inhomogeneous ambient medium in shaping its observed structure, and the exploration of the main parameters characterizing the re…

Radio polarization maps of shell-type SNRs II. Sedov models with evolution of turbulent magnetic field

Polarized radio emission has been mapped with great detail in several Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs), but has not yet been exploited to the extent it deserves. We have developed a method to model maps of the Stokes parameters for shell-like SNRs during their Sedov evolution phase. At first, 3-dimensional structure of a SNR has been computed, by modeling the distribution of the magnetohydrodynamic parameters and of the accelerated particles. The generation and dissipation of the turbulent component of magnetic field everywhere in SNR are also considered taking into account its interaction with accelerated particles. Then, in order to model the emission, we have used a generalization of t…

Mass Accretion Impacts in Classical T Tauri Stars: A Multi-disciplinary Approach

Accretion of matter is a process that plays a central role in the physics of young stellar objects. The analysis of the structure by which matter settles on the star can unveil key information about the process of star formation by providing details on mass accretion rates, stellar magnetic field configurations, possible effects of accretion on the stellar coronal activity, etc. Here we review some of the achievements obtained by our group by exploiting a multi-disciplinary approach based on the analysis of multi-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations, multi-wavelength observations, and laboratory experiments of accretion impacts occurring onto the surface of classical T Tauri stars (C…

Shock-cloud interaction in the Vela SNR II. Hydrodynamic model

In the framework of the study of the X-ray and optical emission in supernova remnants we focus on an isolated X-ray knot in the northern rim of the Vela SNR (Vela FilD), whose X-ray emission has been studied and discussed in Paper I. We aim at understanding the physical origin of the X-ray and optical emission in FilD, at understanding the role of the different physical processes at work, and at obtaining a key for the interpretation of future X-ray observations of SNRs. To this end we have pursued an accurate ``forward'' modeling of the interaction of the Vela SNR shock with an ISM cloud. We perform hydrodynamic simulations and we directly compare the observables synthesized from the simul…

Predicting the time variation of radio emission from MHD simulations of a flaring T-Tauri star

ABSTRACT We model the time-dependent radio emission from a disc accretion event in a T-Tauri star using 3D, ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations combined with a gyrosynchrotron emission and radiative transfer model. We predict for the first time, the multifrequency (1–1000 GHz) intensity and circular polarization from a flaring T-Tauri star. A flux tube, connecting the star with its circumstellar disc, is populated with a distribution of non-thermal electrons that is allowed to decay exponentially after a heating event in the disc and the system is allowed to evolve. The energy distribution of the electrons, as well as the non-thermal power-law index and loss rate, are varied to see their …

Matter Mixing in Aspherical Core-collapse Supernovae: Three-dimensional Simulations with Single Star and Binary Merger Progenitor Models for SN 1987A

We perform three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of aspherical core-collapse supernovae focusing on the matter mixing in SN 1987A. The impacts of four progenitor (pre-supernova) models and parameterized aspherical explosions are investigated. The four pre-supernova models include a blue supergiant (BSG) model based on a slow merger scenario developed recently for the progenitor of SN 1987A (Urushibata et al. 2018). The others are a BSG model based on a single star evolution and two red supergiant (RSG) models. Among the investigated explosion (simulation) models, a model with the binary merger progenitor model and with an asymmetric bipolar-like explosion, which invokes a jetlike explo…

X-ray emitting structures in the Vela SNR: ejecta anisotropies and progenitor stellar wind residuals

The Vela supernova remnant (SNR) shows several ejecta fragments protruding beyond the forward shock (shrapnel). Recent studies have revealed high Si abundance in two shrapnel (A and G), located in opposite directions with respect to the SNR center. This suggests the possible existence of a Si-rich jet-counterjet structure. We analyzed an XMM-Newton observation of a bright clump, behind shrapnel G, which lies along the direction connecting A and G. The aim is to study the physical and chemical properties of this clump to ascertain whether it is part of this putative jet-like structure. We produced background-corrected and adaptively-smoothed count-rate images and median photon energy maps, a…

Redshifted X-rays from the material accreting onto TW Hya: evidence of a low-latitude accretion spot

High resolution spectroscopy, providing constraints on plasma motions and temperatures, is a powerful means to investigate the structure of accretion streams in CTTS. In particular, the accretion shock region, where the accreting material is heated to temperatures of a few MK as it continues its inward bulk motion, can be probed by X-ray spectroscopy. To attempt to detect for the first time the motion of this X-ray-emitting post-shock material, we searched for a Doppler shift in the deep Chandra/HETGS observation of the CTTS TW Hya. This test should unveil the nature of this X-ray emitting plasma component in CTTS, and constrain the accretion stream geometry. We searched for a Doppler shift…

Spatial distribution of X-ray emitting ejecta in Tychos SNR: indications of shocked Titanium

Young supernova remnants show a characteristic ejecta-dominated X-ray emission that allows us to probe the products of the explosive nucleosynthesis processes and to ascertain important information about the physics of the supernova explosions. Hard X-ray observations have recently revealed the radioactive decay lines of 44Ti at ~67.9 keV and ~78.4 keV in the Tycho's SNR. We here analyze the set of XMM-Newton archive observations of the Tycho's SNR. We produce equivalent width maps of the Fe K and Ca XIX emission lines and find indications for a stratification of the abundances of these elements and significant anisotropies. We then perform a spatially resolved spectral analysis by identify…

A stellar flare-coronal mass ejection event revealed by X-ray plasma motions

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), often associated with flares, are the most powerful magnetic phenomena occurring on the Sun. Stars show magnetic activity levels up to 10^4 times higher, and CME effects on stellar physics and circumstellar environments are predicted to be significant. However, stellar CMEs remain observationally unexplored. Using time-resolved high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of a stellar flare on the active star HR 9024 observed with Chandra/HETGS, we distinctly detected Doppler shifts in S XVI, Si XIV, and Mg XII lines that indicate upward and downward motions of hot plasmas (~10-25 MK) within the flaring loop, with velocity v~100-400 km/s, in agreement with a model of fl…

Traffici illeciti nell'area del Mediterraneo. Prevenzione e repressione nel diritto interno, europeo e internazionale

Recensione del "Corso di Formazione interdottorale di Diritto e Procedura Penale Giuliano Vassalli" svolto a Noto (SR) dal 23 al 25 novembre 2017, organizzato dall'Association international de droit penal" - Italian Group (AIDP) e dal Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights (SII) e dedicato all'analisi dei "Traffici illeciti nel Mediterraneo. Prevenzione e repressione nel diritto interno, europeo e internazionale" Review of the "Corso di Formazione interdottorale di Diritto e Procedura Penale Giuliano Vassalli" held in Noto (SR) on 23rd-25th November 2017, organized together with the "Association international de droit penal" - Italian Group (AIDP) and the Sir…

Constraints on the local interstellar magnetic field from non-thermal emission of SN1006

The synchrotron radio morphology of bilateral supernova remnants depends on the mechanisms of particle acceleration and on the viewing geometry. However, unlike X-ray and $\gamma$-ray morphologies, the radio emission does not depend on the cut-off region of the parent electron population, making it a simpler and more straightforward tool to investigate the physics of cosmic ray production in SNRs. Our aim is to derive from the radio morphology tight constraints on the direction of the local magnetic field and its gradient, and on the obliquity dependence of the electron injection efficiency. We perform a set of 3D MHD simulations describing the expansion of a spherical SNR through a magneti…

Modeling accretion shocks on CTTSs and their X-ray emission

Recent high spectral resolution X-ray observations of some CTTSs show the presence of high density plasma (ne=10^{11}-10^{13} cm^{-3}) at temperature T=2-3 MK. This plasma is likely heated up by an accretion shock on the star surface. We investigate this issue by an accurate modelling of the impact of an accretion stream onto the stellar chromosphere. Specifically, we present a large set of 1D hydrodynamical simulations aimed at investigating the physical properties of the system as a function of the density, and the velocity of the accretion stream and of the abundances of the heavy elements. We also synthesize the plasma X-ray emission from the simulations results, in order to link the ob…

New view of the corona of classical T Tauri stars: Effects of flaring activity in circumstellar disks

Classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) are young low-mass stellar objects accreting mass from their circumstellar disks. They are characterized by high levels of coronal activity as revealed by X-ray observations. This activity may affect the disk stability and the circumstellar environment. Here we investigate if an intense coronal activity due to flares occurring close to the accretion disk may perturb the inner disk stability, disrupt the inner part of the disk and, possibly, trigger accretion phenomena with rates comparable with those observed. We model a magnetized protostar surrounded by an accretion disk through 3D magnetohydrodinamic simulations. We explore cases characterized by a dipole …

Sorveglianza, indagati e diritti fondamentali: sfide nella lotta al terrorismo UE

Post-adiabatic supernova remnants in an interstellar magnetic field: oblique shocks and non-uniform environment

Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 479(3), 4253 - 4270 (2018). doi:10.1093/mnras/sty1750

X-ray emission in protostellar jets: comparison between model predictions and observations

I limiti della tutela penale del trattamento illecito dei dati personali nello spazio digitale

L’incessante scambio di dati ed informazioni nel mondo del web ha imposto una rivisitazione dei paradigmi classici del bene giuridico della privacy. Emblematico è, in tal senso, il reato di trattamento illecito dei dati personali, di cui all’art. 167 Codice privacy (D. Lgs. 196/2003), oggetto di numerosi interventi correttivi per adeguarloalle moderne e mutevoli esigenze di tutela. L’indagine riflette dunque sulla recente riforma (D. Lgs. 101/2018)che sembra voler recuperare l’offensività del tipo delittuoso attraverso la formulazione di un reato di evento ilcui disvalore è incentrato sul nocumento all’interessato: tuttavia, in modo apparentemente inconciliabile, viene mantenuto un dolo speci…

Deep XMM-Newton Observations Reveal the Origin of Recombining Plasma in the Supernova Remnant W44

Recent X-ray studies revealed over-ionized recombining plasmas (RPs) in a dozen mixed-morphology (MM) supernova remnants (SNRs). However, the physical process of the over-ionization has not been fully understood yet. Here we report on spatially resolved spectroscopy of X-ray emission from W44, one of the over-ionized MM-SNRs, using XMM-Newton data from deep observations, aiming to clarify the physical origin of the over-ionization. We find that combination of low electron temperature and low recombination timescale is achieved in the region interacting with dense molecular clouds. Moreover, a clear anti-correlation between the electron temperature and the recombining timescale is obtained f…

Hydrodynamic Modeling of Accretion Impacts in Classical T Tauri Stars: Radiative Heating of the Pre-shock Plasma

Context. It is generally accepted that, in classical T Tauri stars, the plasma from the circumstellar disc accretes onto the stellar surface with free-fall velocity and the impact generates a shock. The impact region is expected to contribute to emission in different spectral bands; many studies have confirmed that the X-rays arise from the post-shock plasma but, otherwise, there are no studies in the literature investigating the origin of the observed UV emission which is apparently correlated to accretion. Aims: We investigated the effect of radiative heating of the infalling material by the post-shock plasma at the base of the accretion stream, with the aim to identify in which region a …

Fiscal competition. Definizioni e modalità concrete

Questo lavoro si propone di analizzare le caratteristiche della competizione fiscale, nel framework della globalizzazione reale e finanziaria, e le sue implicazioni nelle relazioni tra Stati e imprese multinazionali. Peraltro, lo stesso rappresenta la prima tappa di un più complesso studio che si propone di analizzare gli effetti positivi e negativi della tax competition e bank secrecy competition. Di fatti, il risultato della fiscal competition è dato da due differenti, ma relazionati, tipi di competizione: quella più propriamente tributaria e quella " bancaria ". Quanto alla prima, la nostra analisi mira a rivelare il fenomeno per il quale gli Stati sovrani cercano di attrarre sia gli inv…

Three-dimensional Simulations from Supernovae to Their Supernova Remnants: The Dynamical and Chemical Evolution of Supernova 1987A

Observability and diagnostics in the X-ray band of shock-cloud interactions in supernova remnants

X-ray emitting features originating from the interaction of supernova shock waves with small interstellar gas clouds are revealed in many X-ray observations of evolved supernova remnants (e.g. Cygnus Loop and Vela), but their interpretation is not straightforward. We develop a self-consistent method for the analysis and interpretation of shock-cloud interactions in middle-aged supernova remnants, which can provide the key parameters of the system and the role of relevant physical effects like the thermal conduction, without the need to run ad-hoc numerical simulations and to bother of morphology details. We explore all the possible values of the shock speed and cloud density contrast releva…

XMM-Newton evidence of shocked ISM in SN 1006: indications of hadronic acceleration

Shock fronts in young supernova remnants are the best candidates for being sites of cosmic ray acceleration up to a few PeV, though conclusive experimental evidence is still lacking. Hadron acceleration is expected to increase the shock compression ratio, providing higher postshock densities, but X-ray emission from shocked ambient medium has not firmly been detected yet in remnants where particle acceleration is at work. We exploited the deep observations of the XMM-Newton Large Program on SN 1006 to verify this prediction. We performed spatially resolved spectral analysis of a set of regions covering the southeastern rim of SN 1006. We studied the spatial distribution of the thermodynamic…

Modeling the X-ray emission from jets observed with Chandra

Mass accretion to young stars triggered by flaring activity in circumstellar discs

Young low-mass stars are characterized by ejection of collimated outflows and by circumstellar disks which they interact with through accretion of mass. The accretion builds up the star to its final mass and is also believed to power the mass outflows, which may in turn remove the excess angular momentum from the star-disk system. However, although the process of mass accretion is a critical aspect of star formation, some of its mechanisms are still to be fully understood. A point not considered to date and relevant for the accretion process is the evidence of very energetic and frequent flaring events in these stars. Flares may easily perturb the stability of the disks, thus influencing th…

Il delitto di "caporalato" tra diritti minimi della persona e tutela del mercato del lavoro

Il contributo analizza il reato di intermediazione illecita e sfruttamento lavorativo, offrendo un’analisi comparata con il sistema repressivo tedesco. Lo studio si sofferma, in particolare, sui limiti di legittimazione del diritto penale nella punizione dei fatti di “caporalato”, nel tentativo di scongiurare che l’intervento repressivo nelle dinamiche economiche e contrattuali, di natura sinallagmatica, possa assumere una portata tale da porsi in contrasto con il canone della sussidiarietà. A tal fine, si suggerisce una prospettiva ermeneutica che incentri il disvalore penale del reato di cui all’art. 603-bis c.p. sulla lesione dei diritti fondamentali del lavoratore – riconducibili agli a…

Modeling particle acceleration and non-thermal emission in supernova remnants

According to the most popular model for the origin of cosmic rays (CRs), supernova remnants (SNRs) are the site where CRs are accelerated. Observations across the electromagnetic spectrum support this picture through the detection of non-thermal emission that is compatible with being synchrotron or inverse Compton radiation from high energy electrons, or pion decay due to proton-proton interactions. These observations of growing quantity and quality promise to unveil many aspects of CRs acceleration and require more and more accurate tools for their interpretation. Here, we show how multi-dimensional MHD models of SNRs, including the effects on shock dynamics due to back-reaction of acceler…

Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of the Accretion Shocks in Classical T Tauri Stars: The Role of Local Absorption in the X-Ray Emission

We investigate the properties of X-ray emission from accretion shocks in classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs), generated where the infalling material impacts the stellar surface. Both observations and models of the accretion process reveal several aspects that are still unclear: the observed X-ray luminosity in accretion shocks is below the predicted value, and the density versus temperature structure of the shocked plasma, with increasing densities at higher temperature, deduced from the observations, is at odds with that proposed in the current picture of accretion shocks. To address these open issues we investigate whether a correct treatment of the local absorption by the surrounding medium …

Numerical Simulations and Diagnostics in Astrophysics: A few Magnetohydrodynamics Examples

We discuss some issues related to numerical simulations in Astrophysics and, in particular, to their use both as a theoretical tool and as a diagnostic tool, to gain insight into the physical phenomena at work. We make our point presenting some examples of Magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) simulations of astrophysical plasmas and illustrating their use. In particular we show the need for appropriate tools to interpret, visualize and present results in an adequate form, and the importance of spectral synthesis for a direct comparison with observations.

The flaring and quiescent components of the solar corona

The solar corona is a template to understand stellar activity. The Sun is a moderately active star, and its corona differs from active stars: active stellar coronae have a double-peaked EM(T) with the hot peak at 8-20 MK, while the non flaring solar corona has one peak at 1-2 MK. We study the average contribution of flares to the solar EM(T) to investigate indirectly the hypothesis that the hot peak of the EM(T) of active stellar coronae is due to a large number of unresolved solar-like flares, and to infer properties on the flare distribution from nano- to macro-flares. We measure the disk-integrated time-averaged emission measure, EM_F(T), of an unbiased sample of solar flares analyzing u…

3D YSO accretion shock simulations: a study of the magnetic, chromospheric and stochastic flow effects

AbstractThe structure and dynamics of young stellar object (YSO) accretion shocks depend strongly on the local magnetic field strength and configuration, as well as on the radiative transfer effects responsible for the energy losses. We present the first 3D YSO shock simulations of the interior of the stream, assuming a uniform background magnetic field, a clumpy infalling gas, and an acoustic energy flux flowing at the base of the chromosphere. We study the dynamical evolution and the post-shock structure as a function of the plasma-beta (thermal pressure over magnetic pressure). We find that a strong magnetic field (~hundreds of Gauss) leads to the formation of fibrils in the shocked gas …

The Integration and Sharing of Resources for a New Quality of Living

In questo capitolo, il tema della condivisione è trattato anche dal punto di vista giuridico attraverso una discussione caratterizzante il dibattito rilevante. Sono quindi approfondite le questioni inerenti le funzioni e la forma urbana. L’IT infatti può interagire con problemi operativi della città e con l’uso delle risorse ambientali (energia, suolo, acqua…), parametro indicativo su cui devono essere sviluppate le trasformazioni urbane. Come condividere gli spazi e le funzioni urbane costituisce la nuova frontiera nel campo dell’innovazione urbana. In this chapter, the issues of sharing of information and of information technologies use are dealt with from the juridical point of view, thr…

Unveiling pure-metal ejecta X-ray emission in supernova remnants through their radiative recombination continuum

Spectral analysis of X-ray emission from ejecta in supernova remnants (SNRs) is hampered by the low spectral resolution of CCD cameras, which creates a degeneracy between the best-fit values of abundances and emission measure. The combined contribution of shocked ambient medium and ejecta to the X-ray emission complicates the determination of the ejecta mass and chemical composition, leading to big uncertainties in mass estimates and it can introduce a bias in the comparison between the observed ejecta composition and the yields predicted by explosive nucleosynthesis. We explore the capabilities of present and future spectral instruments with the aim of identifying a spectral feature which …

X-ray emission from dense plasma in classical T Tauri stars: hydrodynamic modeling of the accretion shock

Context: High spectral resolution X-ray observations of classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) demonstrate the presence of plasma at temperature T~2-3×10^6 K and density n_e~10^11-10^13 cm^-3, which are unobserved in non-accreting stars. Stationary models suggest that this emission is due to shock-heated accreting material, but do not allow us to analyze the stability of the material and its position in the stellar atmosphere. Aims: We investigate the dynamics and stability of shock-heated accreting material in classical T Tauri stars and the role of the stellar chromosphere in determining the position and thickness of the shocked region. Methods: We perform one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation…

Structure of X-ray emitting jets close to the launching site: from embedded to disk-bearing sources

Several observations of stellar jets show evidence of X-ray emitting shocks close to the launching site. In some cases, the shocked features appear to be stationary, also for YSOs at different stages of evolution. We study the case of HH 154, the jet originating from the embedded binary Class 0/I protostar IRS 5, and the case of the jet associated to DG Tau, a more evolved Class II disk-bearing source or Classical T Tauri star (CTTS), both located in the Taurus star-forming region. We aim at investigating the effect of perturbations in X-ray emitting stationary shocks in stellar jets; the stability and detectability in X-rays of these shocks; and explore the differences in jets from Class 0…

Post-flare Ultraviolet Light Curves Explained with Thermal Instability of Loop Plasma

In the present work, we study the C8 flare that occurred on 2000 September 26 at 19:49 UT and observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Solar Ultraviolet Measurement of Emitted Radiation spectrometer from the beginning of the impulsive phase to well beyond the disappearance in the X-rays. The emission first decayed progressively through equilibrium states until the plasma reached 2-3 MK. Then, a series of cooler lines, i.e., Ca X, Ca VII, Ne VI, O IV, and Si III (formed in the temperature range log T = 4.3-6.3 under equilibrium conditions), are emitted at the same time and all evolve in a similar way. Here, we show that the simultaneous emission of lines with such a different forma…

Effects of radiation in accretion regions of classical T Tauri stars

Models and observations indicate that the impact of matter accreting onto the surface of young stars produces regions at the base of accretion columns, in which optically thin and thick plasma components coexist. Thus an accurate description of these impacts requires to account for the effects of absorption and emission of radiation. We study the effects of radiation emerging from shock-heated plasma in impact regions on the structure of the pre-shock downfalling material. We investigate if a significant absorption of radiation occurs and if it leads to a pre-shock heating of the accreting gas. We developed a radiation hydrodynamics model describing an accretion column impacting onto the su…

On the Origin of the X-Ray Emission in Protostellar Jets Close to the Launching Site

Observations of stellar jets show evidence of X-ray emitting shocks close to the launching site. In some cases, the shocked features appear to be stationary (e.g. HH 154 and DG Tau). We aim at investigating the origin of X-ray emission and the effect of perturbations in X-ray emitting stationary shocks in stellar jets. We performed a set of 2.5-dimensional MHD numerical simulations modelling supersonic pulsed jets ramming into a magnetized medium, exploring different parameters for the model. We consider two cases: a jet less dense than the ambient medium (HH 154), and a jet denser than the ambient (DG Tau). In both cases, we found that the jet is collimated by the magnetic field forming a …

On the Origin of Asymmetries in Bilateral Supernova Remnants

AIMS: We investigate whether the morphology of bilateral supernova remnants (BSNRs) observed in the radio band is determined mainly either by a non-uniform interstellar medium (ISM) or by a non-uniform ambient magnetic field. METHODS: We perform 3-D MHD simulations of a spherical SNR shock propagating through a magnetized ISM. Two cases of shock propagation are considered: 1) through a gradient of ambient density with a uniform ambient magnetic field; 2) through a homogeneous medium with a gradient of ambient magnetic field strength. From the simulations, we synthesize the synchrotron radio emission, making different assumptions about the details of acceleration and injection of relativisti…

The Sun as an X‐Ray Star. IV. The Contribution of Different Regions of the Corona to Its X‐Ray Spectrum

We study X-ray-synthesized spectra of solar regions as templates to interpret analogous stellar spectra. We define three classes of coronal structures of different brightness, low (background quiet corona), medium (active regions), and high (active region cores), and determine their contribution to the solar X-ray emission measure versus temperature, EM(T), luminosity, and spectrum. This study defines the extent of the solar analogy quantitatively and accurately. To this end, we have selected a large sample of full-disk Yohkoh soft X-ray telescope observations taken between the maximum and the minimum of solar cycle 22, obtaining the contribution of each class to the whole Sun's EM(T). From…

The supernova remnant SN 1006 as a Galactic particle accelerator

The origin of cosmic rays is a pivotal open issue of high-energy astrophysics. Supernova remnants are strong candidates to be the Galactic factory of cosmic rays, their blast waves being powerful particle accelerators. However, supernova remnants can power the observed flux of cosmic rays only if they transfer a significant fraction of their kinetic energy to the accelerated particles, but conclusive evidence for such efficient acceleration is still lacking. In this scenario, the shock energy channeled to cosmic rays should induce a higher post-shock density than that predicted by standard shock conditions. Here we show this effect, and probe its dependence on the orientation of the ambient…

X-RAY EMISSION FROM PROTOSTELLAR JET HH 154: THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF A DIAMOND SHOCK?

X-ray emission from about ten protostellar jets has been discovered and it appears as a feature common to the most energetic jets. Although X-ray emission seems to originate from shocks internal to jets, the mechanism forming these shocks remains controversial. One of the best studied X-ray jet is HH 154 that has been observed by Chandra over a time base of about 10 years. We analyze the Chandra observations of HH 154 by investigating the evolution of its X-ray source. We show that the X-ray emission consists of a bright stationary component and a faint elongated component. We interpret the observations by developing a hydrodynamic model describing a protostellar jet originating from a nozz…

Additional Evidence for a Pulsar Wind Nebula in the Heart of SN 1987A from Multiepoch X-Ray Data and MHD Modeling

Since the day of its explosion, supernova (SN) 1987A has been closely monitored to study its evolution and to detect its central compact relic. In fact, the formation of a neutron star is strongly supported by the detection of neutrinos from the SN. However, besides the detection in the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) data of a feature that is compatible with the emission arising from a proto-pulsar wind nebula (PWN), the only hint for the existence of such elusive compact object is provided by the detection of hard emission in NuSTAR data up to ~ 20 keV. We report on the simultaneous analysis of multi-epoch observations of SN 1987A performed with Chandra, XMM-Newton and…

X-ray emission from protostellar jet HH 154: first evidence of a diamond shock?

Hydrodynamic modelling of ejecta shrapnel in the Vela supernova remnant

Many supernova remnants (SNRs) are characterized by a knotty ejecta structure. The Vela SNR is an excellent example of remnant in which detached clumps of ejecta are visible as X-ray emitting bullets that have been observed and studied in great detail. We aim at modelling the evolution of ejecta shrapnel in the Vela SNR, investigating the role of their initial parameters (position and density) and addressing the effects of thermal conduction and radiative losses. We performed a set of 2-D hydrodynamic simulations describing the evolution of a density inhomogeneity in the ejecta profile. We explored different initial setups. We found that the final position of the shrapnel is very sensitive …

UV And X-Ray Emission from Impacts of Fragmented Accretion Streams on Classical T Tauri Stars

According to the magnetoshperic accretion scenario, during their evo- lution, Classical T Tauri stars accrete material from their circumstellar disk. The accretion process is regulated by the stellar magnetic eld and produces hot and dense post-shocks on the stellar surface as a result of impacts of the downfalling material. The impact regions are expected to strongly radiate in UV and X-rays. Several lines of evidence support the magnetospheric accretion scenario, especially in optical and infrared bands. However several points still remain unclear as, for instance,where the complex-pro le UV lines originate, or whether and how UV and X-ray emission is produced in the same shock region. Th…

Rehabilitation of Mediterranean anthropogenic soils using symbiotic wild legume shrubs: Plant establishment and impact on the soil bacterial community structure.

Abstract Susceptibility to desertification in southern Europe is increasing and rehabilitation of desertification-threatened Mediterranean soils is a challenge due to the inhospitality of the environment. In particular, recovery of anthropogenic soils (mainly human-derived artefacts from housing construction and other inert materials or topsoil of terminal phase municipal landfills) cannot rely on spontaneous processes and low-cost/low-impact strategies are needed to prevent desertification. Mediterranean wild legume shrubs have great potential for soil recovery and conservation against desertification, thanks to drought resistance, and their symbiosis with N2-fixing rhizobia and arbuscular…

Traffico di migranti: Sicilia, Italia, Europa?

Abstract of the conference held in Palermo on 19-20th November 2014 organized in the framework of the Research Project "Reati transnazionali e esigenze di cooperazione giudiziaria", coordinated by Prof. Vincenzo Militello (Professor of Law, University of Palermo), together with the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, The German Embassy in Italy and Goethe Institut.

Hydrodynamic simulations unravel the progenitor-supernova-remnant connection in SN 1987A

(Abridged) We aim at linking the dynamical and radiative properties of the remnant of SN 1987A to the geometrical and physical characteristics of the parent aspherical SN explosion and to the internal structure of its progenitor star. We performed 3D hydrodynamic simulations which describe the long-term evolution of SN 1987A from the onset of the SN to the full-fledged remnant at the age of 50 years, accounting for the pre-SN structure of the progenitor star. The simulations include all physical processes relevant for the complex phases of SN evolution and for the interaction of the SNR with the highly inhomogeneous ambient environment around SN 1987A. From the simulations, we synthesize ob…

Effects of non-uniform interstellar magnetic field on synchrotron X-ray and inverse-Compton γ-ray morphology of supernova remnants

Context. Observations of SuperNova Remnants (SNRs) in X-ray and γ-ray bands promise to contribute important information to our understanding of the kinematics of charged particles and magnetic fields in the vicinity of strong non-relativistic shocks and, therefore, the nature of Galactic cosmic rays. The accurate analysis of SNR images collected in different energy bands requires theoretical modeling of synchrotron and inverse Compton emission from SNRs. Aims. We develop a numerical code (remlight) to synthesize, from MHD simulations, the synchrotron radio, X-ray, and inverse Compton γ-ray emission originating in SNRs expanding in a non-uniform interstellar medium (ISM) and/or non-uniform i…

Indication of a Pulsar Wind Nebula in the Hard X-Ray Emission from SN 1987A

Since the day of its explosion, SN 1987A (SN87A) was closely monitored with the aim to study its evolution and to detect its central compact relic. The detection of neutrinos from the supernova strongly supports the formation of a neutron star (NS). However, the constant and fruitless search for this object has led to different hypotheses on its nature. Up to date, the detection in the ALMA data of a feature somehow compatible with the emission arising from a proto Pulsar Wind Nebula (PWN) is the only hint of the existence of such elusive compact object. Here we tackle this 33-years old issue by analyzing archived observations of SN87A performed Chandra and NuSTAR in different years. We fir…

The importance of magnetic-field-oriented thermal conduction in the interaction of SNR shocks with interstellar clouds

We explore the importance of magnetic-field-oriented thermal conduction in the interaction of supernova remnant (SNR) shocks with radiative gas clouds and in determining the mass and energy exchange between the clouds and the hot surrounding medium. We perform 2.5D MHD simulations of a shock impacting on an isolated gas cloud, including anisotropic thermal conduction and radiative cooling; we consider the representative case of a Mach 50 shock impacting on a cloud ten-fold denser than the ambient medium. We consider different configurations of the ambient magnetic field and compare MHD models with or without the thermal conduction. The efficiency of the thermal conduction in the presence of…

Fisiologia e patologia della fiscal competition

L’articolo ha ad oggetto gli effetti della fiscal competition, analizzati sotto il duplice aspetto fisiologico e patologico del fenomeno. In primo luogo, esso evidenzia che la fiscal competition è il risvolto naturale (i) della competizione fra Stati e imprese multinazionali, (ii) della globalizzazione economica e (iii) della propensione alla sovranazionalità dei singoli ordinamenti giuridici.Pertanto, innanzitutto, la fiscal competition è sostanzialmente un fenomeno fisiologico. Tuttavia, il presente elaborato evidenzia che la fiscal competition ha effetti negativi su alcuni importanti principi: la sovranità statale, l’equità fiscale e l’efficienza generale del sistema economico. In questo…

X-ray emitting MHD accretion shocks in classical T Tauri stars. Case for moderate to high plasma-beta values

AIMS. We investigate the stability and dynamics of accretion shocks in CTTSs, considering the case of beta >= 1 in the post-shock region. In these cases the 1D approximation is not valid and a multi-dimensional MHD approach is necessary. METHODS. We model an accretion stream propagating through the atmosphere of a CTTS and impacting onto its chromosphere, by performing 2D axisymmetric MHD simulations. The model takes into account the stellar magnetic field, the gravity, the radiative cooling, and the thermal conduction (including the effects of heat flux saturation). RESULTS. The dynamics and stability of the accretion shock strongly depends on the plasma beta. In the case of shocks with…

Supernova 1987A: a Template to Link Supernovae to their Remnants

The emission of supernova remnants reflects the properties of both the progenitor supernovae and the surrounding environment. The complex morphology of the remnants, however, hampers the disentanglement of the two contributions. Here we aim at identifying the imprint of SN 1987A on the X-ray emission of its remnant and at constraining the structure of the environment surrounding the supernova. We performed high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations describing SN 1987A soon after the core-collapse and the following three-dimensional expansion of its remnant between days 1 and 15000 after the supernova. We demonstrated that the physical model reproducing the main observables of SN 1987A during …

X-ray emission mechanisms in protostellar jets

Prompted by the recent detection of X-ray emission from Herbig-Haro objects, we studied the interaction between a supersonic jet originating from a young stellar object and the ambient medium; our aim is to investigate the mechanisms causing the X-ray emission. Our model takes into account the radiative losses from optically in plasmas and Spitzer's thermal conduction including saturation effects. We explored the parameter space defined by the density contrast between the ambient medium and the jet and by the Mach number, to infer the configurations which can give rise to X-ray emission. From the models, we derived the X-ray emission as it would be observed with Chandra/ACIS-I and XMM-Newto…

Mobilità dei reati nello spazio transfrontaliero e nuovi confini delle norme penali: verso una giurisdizione “a geometria variabile”?

The actual empirical reality, in which the most important criminal manifestations are articulated according to modalities which cross the territorial frontiers of the States, imposes new normative solutions which - in the attempt not to leave 'pockets' of impunity - can redraw the traditional boundaries of the criminal regulations. In a context pervaded by international interventions of criminalization of the most serious forms of manifestation of crime (above all, the Palermo Convention and its Protocols), there is, first of all, at the domestic level, a change of the same territorial paradigm of the criminal law, which adapts the exercise of jurisdiction according to "variable geometries"…

Problemi di giurisdizione nel contrasto al traffico di migranti via mare

I trafficanti di esseri umani si avvalgono con sempre più insistenza di ben collaudati protocolli operativi. Questi ultimi consentono loro di sottrarsi alla giurisdizione penale italiana che non si radica qualora – in ossequio ai criteri di cui all’art. 6 c.p.ed in conformità alla Convenzione sull’Alto Mare– l’azione illecita avvenga in acque internazionali.Così, premesse alcune linee concettuali sui limiti spaziali alla efficacia della legge penale, l’indagine si sofferma sulla soluzione ermeneutica offerta dallaCassazione che, apparentemente in modo sbrigativo e per esigenze di effettività della risposta punitiva, ha fatto ricorso alla controversa figura dell’autore mediato per sanzionare condott…

Three-dimensional modeling from the onset of the SN to the full-fledged SNR. Role of an initial ejecta anisotropy on matter mixing

Context. The manifold phases in the evolution of a core-collapse (CC) supernova (SN) play an important role in determining the physical properties and morphology of the resulting supernova remnant (SNR). Thus, the complex morphology of SNRs is expected to reflect possible asymmetries and structures developed during and soon after the SN explosion. Aims. The aim of this work is to bridge the gap between CC SNe and their remnants by investigating how post-explosion anisotropies in the ejecta influence the structure and chemical properties of the remnant at later times. Methods. We performed three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamical simulations starting soon after the SN event and following the…

Stationary and Flaring Heating Effect on the Coronal Emission Measure .

Crushing of interstellar gas clouds in supernova remnants II. X-ray emission

AIMS. We study and discuss the time-dependent X-ray emission predicted by hydrodynamic modeling of the interaction of a SNR shock wave with an interstellar gas cloud. The scope includes: 1) to study the correspondence between modeled and X-ray emitting structures, 2) to explore two different physical regimes in which either thermal conduction or radiative cooling plays a dominant role, and 3) to investigate the effects of the physical processes at work on the emission of the shocked cloud in the two different regimes. METHODS. We use a detailed hydrodynamic model, including thermal conduction and radiation, and explore two cases characterized by different Mach numbers of the primary shock: …

Mass Accretion Processes in Young Stellar Objects: Role of Intense Flaring Activity

According to the magnetospheric accretion scenario, young low-mass stars are surrounded by circumstellar disks which they interact with through accretion of mass. The accretion builds up the star to its final mass and is also believed to power the mass outflows, which may in turn have a significant role in removing the excess angular momentum from the star-disk system. Although the process of mass accretion is a critical aspect of star formation, some of its mechanisms are still to be fully understood. On the other hand, strong flaring activity is a common feature of young stellar objects (YSOs). In the Sun, such events give rise to perturbations of the interplanetary medium. Similar but mo…

Impacts of fragmented accretion streams onto Classical T Tauri Stars: UV and X-ray emission lines

Context. The accretion process in Classical T Tauri Stars (CTTSs) can be studied through the analysis of some UV and X-ray emission lines which trace hot gas flows and act as diagnostics of the post-shock downfalling plasma. In the UV band, where higher spectral resolution is available, these lines are characterized by rather complex profiles whose origin is still not clear. Aims. We investigate the origin of UV and X-ray emission at impact regions of density structured (fragmented) accretion streams.We study if and how the stream fragmentation and the resulting structure of the post-shock region determine the observed profiles of UV and X-ray emission lines. Methods. We model the impact of…

3D numerical modeling of YSO accretion shocks

International audience; The dynamics of YSO accretion shocks is determined by radiative processes as well as the strength and structure of the magnetic field. A quasi-periodic emission signature is theoretically expected to be observed, but observations do not confirm any such pattern. In this work, we assume a uniform background field, in the regime of optically thin energy losses, and we study the multi-dimensional shock evolution in the presence of perturbations, i.e. clumps in the stream and an acoustic energy flux flowing at the base of the chromosphere. We perform 3D MHD simulations using the PLUTO code, modeling locally the impact of the infalling gas onto the chromosphere. We find t…

Temperature and density structure of hot and cool loops derived from the analysis of TRACE data

We address the plasma structuring both across and along the magnetic field in two sets of solar coronal loops, observed with TRACE in the 17lÅ and 195Å passbands. We derive, after proper background removal, the density stratification and the thermal structure of the plasma in the fibrils forming the loops with two techniques: a) filter ratio diagnostic (195 Å/171 Å) and b) modeling intensity profiles along the fibrils with hydrostatic models. We find evidence of a hot fibril (T ∼ 5·106 K), with temperature and density stratification well-described with a typical non-isothermal hydrostatic loop model, and evidence of rather cold fibrils (T ∼ 2 · 105 K), isothermal and probably in dynamic con…

Predicted gamma-ray image of SN 1006 due to inverse Compton emission

We propose a method to synthesize the inverse Compton (IC) gamma-ray image of a supernova remnant starting from the radio (or hard X-ray) map and using results of the spatially resolved X-ray spectral analysis. The method is successfully applied to SN 1006. We found that synthesized IC gamma-ray images of SN 1006 show morphology in nice agreement with that reported by the H.E.S.S. collaboration. The good correlation found between the observed very-high energy gamma-ray and X-ray/radio appearance can be considered as an evidence that the gamma-ray emission of SN 1006 observed by H.E.S.S. is leptonic in origin, though the hadronic origin may not be excluded.

3-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Interaction of a Supernova Remnant Shock with an Isolated Cloud

We report on a computational key-project in astrophysics. The project is aimed at studying the interaction of a supernova shock wave with interstellar clouds. We describe the numerical code used, namely FLASH, a multi-dimensional astrophysical hydrodynamics code for parallel computers developed at the FLASH center (The University of Chicago); our team collaborates with, and contributes to, the FLASH project. We discuss the resources required for the whole project, the I/O management, the performance and the scalability of the code on IBM/Sp4 at CINECA. Finally, we present a selection of results. © 2005 IEEE.

Non-LTE radiation hydrodynamics in PLUTO

Modeling the dynamics of most astrophysical structures requires an adequate description of the radiation-matter interaction. Several numerical (magneto)hydrodynamics codes were upgraded with a radiation module to fulfill this request. However, those among them that use either the flux-limited diffusion (FLD) or the M1 radiation moment approaches are restricted to the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). This assumption may be not valid in some astrophysical cases. We present an upgraded version of the LTE radiation-hydrodynamics module implemented in the PLUTO code, originally developed by Kolb et al. (2013), which we have extended to handle non-LTE regimes. Starting from the general freq…

I traffici illeciti nel Mediterraneo. Persone, stupefacenti, tabacco. Report Germania

Il Report analizza il diritto penale tedesco relativo a quattro diversi tipi di traffico: il traffico di migranti, la tratta di esseri umani, il traffico di stupefacenti e il contrabbando di sigarette. Il Report fa parte di una più ampia ricerca ("The New Era of Smuggling in the Mediterranean Sea", NESMeS) volta ad analizzare i suddetti traffici illeciti nell'area del Mediterraneo, con particolare riguardo ai seguenti paesi: Germania, Grecia, Italia, Portogallo e Spagna. Insieme al Rapporto tedesco e ai Report dei singoli ordinamenti giuridici interessati, la ricerca NESMeS ha prodotto un Report criminologico e un libro finale ("I traffici illeciti nel Mediterraneo. Persone, stupefacenti, t…

Herbig-Haro objects: model prediction and comparison with X-ray and optical observations

YSO accretion shocks: magnetic, chromospheric or stochastic flow effects can suppress fluctuations of X-ray emission

Context. Theoretical arguments and numerical simulations of radiative shocks produced by the impact of the accreting gas onto young stars predict quasi-periodic oscillations in the emitted radiation. However, observational data do not show evidence of such periodicity. Aims. We investigate whether physically plausible perturbations in the accretion column or in the chromosphere could disrupt the shock structure influencing the observability of the oscillatory behavior. Methods. We performed local 2D magneto-hydrodynamical simulations of an accretion shock impacting a chromosphere, taking optically thin radiation losses and thermal conduction into account. We investigated the effects of seve…

3D Gray Radiative Properties of Accretion Shocks in Young Stellar Objects

International audience; We address the problem of the contribution of radiation to the structure and dynamics of accretion shocks on Young Stellar Objects. Solving the 3D RTE (radiative transfer equation) under our "gray LTE approach", i.e., using appropriate mean opacities computed in local thermodynamic equilibrium, we post-process the 3D MHD (magne-tohydrodynamic) structure of an accretion stream impacting the stellar chromosphere. We find a radiation flux of ten orders of magnitude larger than the accreting energy rate, which is due to a large overestimation of the radiative cooling. A gray LTE radiative transfer approximation is therefore not consistent with the given MHD structure of …

Thermal emission, shock modification, and X-ray emitting ejecta in SN 1006

Efficient particle acceleration can modify the structure of supernova remnants. In this context we present the results of the combined analysis of the XMM-Newton EPIC archive observations of SN 1006. We aim at describing the spatial distribution of the physical and chemical properties of the X-ray emitting plasma at the shock front. We investigate the contribution of thermal and non-thermal emission to the X-ray spectrum at the rim of the remnant to study how the acceleration processes affect the X-ray emitting plasma. We perform a spatially resolved spectral analysis on a set of regions covering the whole rim of the shell and we exploit the results of the spectral analysis to produce a cou…

Laboratory unraveling of matter accretion in young stars

When matter accretes onto a young star, a shell of dense material can form around the impact, reducing its x-ray emission.

Radiation Magnetohydrodynamic Models and Spectral Signatures of Plasma Flows Accreting onto Classical T Tauri Stars

CTTSs are young stars accreting mass from their circumstellar disks. The material falls into the star at free fall velocity and hits the stellar surface producing shocks, that heat the plasma at few million degrees. In the last twenty years the X-ray and UV observations of these systems have raised several questions. In particular, the observed X-ray luminosity is systematically below the value predicted by theoretical models, and the UV lines show complex profiles which cannot be easily interpreted with current accretion models based only on magnetohydrodynamical effects. To tackle these problems we modeled the structure and the dynamics of the plasma in the impact region using 3D magnetoh…

On the observability of T Tauri accretion shocks in the X-ray band

Context. High resolution X-ray observations of classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) show a soft X-ray excess due to high density plasma (n_e=10^11-10^13 cm^-3). This emission has been attributed to shock-heated accreting material impacting onto the stellar surface. Aims. We investigate the observability of the shock-heated accreting material in the X-ray band as a function of the accretion stream properties (velocity, density, and metal abundance) in the case of plasma-beta<<1 in the post-shock zone. Methods. We use a 1-D hydrodynamic model describing the impact of an accretion stream onto the chromosphere, including the effects of radiative cooling, gravity and thermal conduction. We expl…

Inferring possible magnetic field strength of accreting inflows in EXor-type objects from scaled laboratory experiments

Aims. EXor-type objects are protostars that display powerful UV-optical outbursts caused by intermittent and powerful events of magnetospheric accretion. These objects are not yet well investigated and are quite difficult to characterize. Several parameters, such as plasma stream velocities, characteristic densities, and temperatures, can be retrieved from present observations. As of yet, however, there is no information about the magnetic field values and the exact underlying accretion scenario is also under discussion. Methods. We use laboratory plasmas, created by a high power laser impacting a solid target or by a plasma gun injector, and make these plasmas propagate perpendicularly to …

Modeling the remnants of core-collapse supernovae from luminous blue variable stars

LBVs are massive evolved stars that suffer sporadic and violent mass-loss events. They have been proposed as the progenitors of some core-collapse SNe, but this idea is still debated due to the lack of direct evidence. Since SNRs can carry in their morphology the fingerprints of the progenitor stars as well as of the inhomogeneous CSM sculpted by the progenitors, the study of SNRs from LBVs could help to place core-collapse SNe in context with the evolution of massive stars. We investigate the physical, chemical and morphological properties of the remnants of SNe originating from LBVs, in order to search for signatures, revealing the nature of the progenitors, in the ejecta distribution and…

Modeling magnetohydrodynamics and non equilibrium SoHO/UVCS line emission of CME shocks

We provide a guideline to interpret the UVCS emission lines (in particular O VI and Si XII) during shock wave propagation in the outer solar corona. We use a numerical MHD model performing a set of simulations of shock waves generated in the corona and from the result we compute the plasma emission for the O VI and Si XII including the effects of NEI. We analyze the radiative and spectral properties of our model with the support of a detailed radiation model including Doppler dimming and an analytical model for shocks, and, finally, we synthesize the expected O VI 1032A line profile. We explain several spectral features of the observations like the absence of discontinuities in the O VI emi…

MHD modeling of coronal loops: the transition region throat

The expansion of coronal loops in the transition region may considerably influence the diagnostics of the plasma emission measure. The cross sectional area of the loops is expected to depend on the temperature and pressure, and might be sensitive to the heating rate. The approach here is to study the area response to slow changes in the coronal heating rate, and check the current interpretation in terms of steady heating models. We study the area response with a time-dependent 2D MHD loop model, including the description of the expanding magnetic field, coronal heating and losses by thermal conduction and radiation from optically thin plasma. We run a simulation for a loop 50 Mm long and qu…

Magnetic shuffling of coronal downdrafts

Channelled fragmented downflows are ubiquitous in magnetized atmospheres, and have been recently addressed from an observation after a solar eruption. We study the possible back-effect of the magnetic field on the propagation of confined flows. We compare two 3D MHD simulations of dense supersonic plasma blobs downfalling along a coronal magnetic flux tube. In one, the blobs move strictly along the field lines; in the other, the initial velocity of the blobs is not perfectly aligned to the magnetic field and the field is weaker. The aligned blobs remain compact while flowing along the tube, with the generated shocks. The misaligned blobs are disrupted and merged by the chaotic shuffling of …

Crushing of Interstellar Gas Clouds in Supernova Remnants: the Role of Thermal Conduction and Radiative Losses

We model hydrodynamic interactions of an old supernova remnant shock wave with a small interstellar gas cloud, taking into account the effects of thermal conduction and radiative losses. In particular, we consider a representative case of a Mach 30 shock impacting on an isolated cloud with density contrast χ = 10 with respect to the ambient medium. Thermal conduction appears to be effective in suppressing the Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities which would develop at the cloud boundaries. We demonstrate that the radiative losses play a crucial role in the dynamics of the shock-cloud interaction, dominating evolution of the shocked cloud medium.

X-ray emission from fast moving shocks in the protostellar jet HH 154: a binding diagnostic of the emission mechanism

We propose to determine the proper motion of the X-ray source associated with HH 154, the only known protostellar jet in which the X-ray emission mechanism can be studied in detail. Our numerical simulations indicate that the X-rays are produced in a fast-moving (500 km/s) post-shock region, and our HST observations show high proper motion shocked material moving at similar speed. Detection (or lack of) of proper motion of the X-ray source will strongly confirm (or falsify) our model, and constitute the basis for a general theory of X-ray emission in protostellar jets. Understanding and modeling the emission mechanism is key to assess the lifetime of the X-ray emission and thus the influenc…