On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ∼ 1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40 − 8 + 8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 M ⊙ . An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ∼ 40 Mpc ) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One-Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ∼10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ∼ 9 and ∼ 16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta.

A semiclassical calculation of particle production by a scalar field in a potential is performed. We focus on the particular case of production of fermions by a Nambu-Goldstone boson θ. We have derived a (non)local equation of motion for the θ-field with the backreaction of the produced particles taken into account. The equation is solved in some special cases, namely for purely Nambu-Goldstone bosons and for the tilted potential U (θ) ∝ m 2 θ 2. Enhanced production of bosons due to parametric resonance is investigated; we argue that the resonance probably disappears when the expansion of the universe is included. Application of our work on particle production to reheating and an idea for baryogenesis in inflation are mentioned.

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ForewordThe Pierre Auger Observatory has begun a major Upgrade of its already impressive capabilities, with an emphasis on improved mass composition determination using the surface detectors of the Observatory. Known as AugerPrime, the upgrade will include new 4 m 2 plastic scintillator detectors on top of all 1660 water-Cherenkov detectors, updated and more flexible surface detector electronics, a large array of buried muon detectors, and an extended duty cycle for operations of the fluorescence detectors.This Preliminary Design Report was produced by the Collaboration in April 2015 as an internal document and information for funding agencies. It outlines the scientific and technical case for AugerPrime 1 . We now release it to the public via the arXiv server. We invite you to review the large number of fundamental results already achieved by the Observatory and our plans for the future.The Pierre Auger Collaboration 1 As a result of continuing R&D, slight changes have been implemented in the baseline design since this Report was written. These changes will be documented in a forthcoming Technical Design Report. ix x Executive Summary Present Results from the Pierre Auger ObservatoryMeasurements of the Auger Observatory have dramatically advanced our understanding of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. The suppression of the flux around 5×10 19 eV is now confirmed without any doubt. Strong limits have been placed on the photon and neutrino components of the flux indicating that "top-down" source processes, such as the decay of superheavy particles, cannot account for a significant part of the observed particle flux. A largescale dipole anisotropy of ∼7% amplitude has been found for energies above 8×10 18 eV. In addition there is also an indication of the presence of a large scale anisotropy below the ankle. Particularly exciting is the observed behavior of the depth of shower maximum with energy, which changes in an unexpected, non-trivial way. Around 3×10 18 eV it shows a distinct change of slope with energy, and the shower-to-shower variance decreases. Interpreted with the leading LHC-tuned shower models, this implies a gradual shift to a heavier composition. A number of fundamentally different astrophysical model scenarios have been developed to describe this evolution. The high degree of isotropy observed in numerous tests of the small-scale angular distribution of UHECR above 4×10 19 eV is remarkable, challenging original expectations that assumed only a few cosmic ray sources with a light composition at the highest energies. Interestingly, the largest departures from isotropy are observed for cosmic rays with E > 5.8×10 19 eV in ∼20 • sky-windows. Due to a duty cycle of ∼15% of the fluorescence telescopes, the data on the depth of shower maximum extend only up to the flux suppression region, i.e. 4×10 19 eV. Obtaining more information on the composition of cosmic rays at higher energies will provide crucial means to discriminate between the model classes and to understand the origin of the observed flux suppre...

A pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson, with a potential of the form V (φ) = Λ 4 [1 ± cos(φ/f )], can naturally give rise to an epoch of inflation in the early universe, if f ∼ M P l and Λ ∼ M GU T . Such mass scales arise in particle physics models with a gauge group that becomes strongly interacting at the GUT scale. We explore the particle physics basis for these models, focusing on technicolor and superstring theories, and work out a specific example based on the multiple gaugino condensation scenario in string/supergravity theory. We study the cosmological evolution of and constraints upon these models numerically and analytically. To obtain a sufficiently high post-inflation reheat temperature for baryosynthesis to occur we require f ∼ > 0.3M pl . The primordial density fluctuation spectrum generated by quantum fluctuations in φ is a non-scale-invariant power law, P (k) ∝ k n s , with n s ≃ 1 − (M 2 P l /8πf 2 ), leading to more power on large length scales than the n s = 1 Harrison-Zeldovich spectrum. We pay special attention to the prospects of using the enhanced power to explain the otherwise puzzling large-scale clustering of galaxies and clusters and their flows. We find that the standard cold dark matter model with 0 ∼ < n s ∼ < 0.6 could in principle explain this data. However, the microwave background anisotropies recently detected by COBE imply such low primordial amplitudes (that is, bias factors b 8 ∼ > 2) for these CDM models that galaxy formation would occur too late to be viable and the large-scale galaxy flows would be too small; when combined with COBE, these each lead to the constraint n s ∼ > 0.6, hence f > 0.3M P l , comparable to the bound from baryogenesis. For other inflation models which give rise to initial fluctuation spectra that are power laws through the 3 decades in wavelength

We examine the evolution of magnetic fields in an expanding fluid composed of matter and radiation with particular interest in the evolution of cosmic magnetic fields. We derive the propagation velocities and damping rates for relativistic and non-relativistic fast and slow magnetosonic, and Alfvén waves in the presence of viscous and heat conducting processes. The analysis covers all MHD modes in the radiation diffusion and the free-streaming regimes. When our results are applied to the evolution of magnetic fields in the early universe, we find that cosmic magnetic fields are damped from prior to the epoch of neutrino decoupling up to recombination. Similar to the case of sound waves propagating in a demagnetized plasma, fast magnetosonic waves are damped by radiation diffusion on all scales smaller than the radiation diffusion length. The characteristic damping scales are the horizon scale at neutrino decoupling (Mν ≈ 10 −4 M⊙ in baryons) and the Silk mass at recombination (Mγ ≈ 10 13 M⊙ in baryons). In contrast, the oscillations of slow magnetosonic and Alfvén waves get overdamped in the radiation diffusion regime, resulting in frozen-in magnetic field perturbations. Further damping of these perturbations is possible only if before recombination the wave enters a regime in which radiation free-streams on the scale of the perturbation. The maximum damping scale of slow magnetosonic and Alfvén modes is always smaller than or equal to the damping scale of fast magnetosonic waves, and depends on the magnetic field strength and its direction relative to the wave vector.Our findings have multifold implications for cosmology. The dissipation of magnetic field energy into heat during the epoch of neutrino decoupling ensures that most magnetic field configurations generated in the very early universe satisfy big bang nucleosynthesis constraints. Further dissipation before recombination constrains models in which primordial magnetic fields give rise to galactic magnetic fields or density perturbations. Finally, the survival of Alfvén and slow magnetosonic modes on scales well below the Silk mass may be of significance for the formation of structure on small scales.

Abstract. While propagating from their source to the observer, ultrahigh energy cosmic rays interact with cosmological photon backgrounds and generate to the socalled "cosmogenic neutrinos". Here we study the parameter space of the cosmogenic neutrino flux given recent cosmic ray data and updates on plausible source evolution models. The shape and normalization of the cosmogenic neutrino flux are very sensitive to some of the current unknowns of ultrahigh energy cosmic ray sources and composition. We investigate various chemical compositions and maximum proton acceleration energies E p,max which are allowed by current observations. We consider different models of source evolution in redshift and three possible scenarios for the Galactic to extragalactic transition.We summarize the parameter space for cosmogenic neutrinos into three regions: an optimistic scenario that is currently being constrained by observations, a plausible range of models in which we base many of our rate estimates, and a pessimistic scenario that will postpone detection for decades to come. We present the implications of these three scenarios for the detection of cosmogenic neutrinos from PeV to ZeV (10 14−21 eV) with the existing and upcoming instruments. In the plausible range of parameters, the narrow flux variability in the EeV energy region assures low but detectable rates for IceCube (0.06 − 0.2 neutrino per year) and the Pierre Auger Observatory (0.03 − 0.06 neutrino per year), and detection should happen in the next decade. If EeV neutrinos are detected, PeV information can help select between competing models of cosmic ray composition at the highest energy and the Galactic to extragalactic transition at ankle energies. With improved sensitivity, ZeV neutrino observatories, such as ANITA and JEM-EUSO could explore and place limits on the maximum acceleration energy.

The origin of the highest energy cosmic rays is still unknown. The discovery of their sources will reveal the workings of the most energetic astrophysical accelerators in the universe. Current observations show a spectrum consistent with an origin in extragalactic astrophysical sources. Candidate sources range from the birth of compact objects to explosions related to gamma-ray bursts or to events in active galaxies. We discuss the main effects of propagation from cosmologically distant sources including interactions with cosmic background radiation and magnetic fields. We examine possible acceleration mechanisms leading to a survey of candidate sources and their signatures. New questions arise from an observed hint of sky anisotropies and an unexpected evolution of composition indicators. Future observations may reach the necessary sensitivity to achieve charged particle astronomy and to observe ultrahigh energy photons and neutrinos, which will further illuminate the workings of the universe at these extreme energies. In addition to fostering a new understanding of highenergy astrophysical phenomena, the study of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays can constrain the structure of the Galactic and extragalactic magnetic fields as well as probe particle interactions at energies orders of magnitude higher than achieved in terrestrial accelerators. arXiv:1101.4256v1 [astro-ph.HE]