Papers for Wednesday, Apr 14 2021

We analyze the CORALIE/HARPS sample of exoplanets (Mayor et al. 2011) found by the Doppler radial velocity method for signs of the predicted "desert" at 10-$100 M_\odot$ caused by runaway gas accretion at semimajor axes of $< 3\,$AU. We find that these data are not consistent with this prediction. This result is similar to the finding by the MOA gravitational microlensing survey that found no desert in the exoplanet distribution for exoplanets in slightly longer period orbits and somewhat lower host masses (Suzuki et al. 2018). Together, these results imply that the runaway accretion scenario of the core accretion theory does not have a large influence on the final mass and semimajor axis distribution of exoplanets.

Dark matter substructure, such as primordial black holes (PBHs) and axion miniclusters, can induce phase shifts in pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) due to gravitational effects. In order to gain a more realistic forecast for the detectability of such models of dark matter with PTAs, we propose a Bayesian inference framework to search for phase shifts generated by PBHs and perform the analysis on mock PTA data with the software \texttt{enterprise}. For most PBH masses the constraints on the dark matter abundance agree with previous (frequentist) analyses (without mock data) to $\mathcal{O}(1)$ factors. This further motivates a dedicated search for PBHs (and dense small scale structures) in the mass range from $10^{-8}\,M_{\odot}$ to well above $10^2\,M_{\odot}$ with the Square Kilometer Array. Moreover, with a more optimistic set of timing parameters, future PTAs are predicted to constrain PBHs down to $10^{-11}\,M_{\odot}$. Lastly, we discuss the impact of backgrounds, such as Supermassive Black Hole Mergers, on detection prospects, suggesting a future program to separate a dark matter signal from other astrophysical sources.

We present polarization profiles for 24 millisecond pulsars observed at 820 and 1500 MHz with the Green Bank Telescope by the NANOGrav pulsar timing array. We use Mueller matrix solutions calculated from observations of PSRs B1929+10 and J1022+1001 to calibrate the data. We discuss the polarization profiles, which can be used to constrain pulsar emission geometry, and also present the discovery of very low intensity average profile components ("microcomponents") in four pulsars. Using the rotation measures we measured for each pulsar, we calculate the Galactic magnetic field parallel to the line of sight for different lines of sight through the interstellar medium. We fit for linear and sinusoidal trends in time in the rotation measure, dispersion measure, and Galactic magnetic field. We detect rotation measure variations with a period of one year in some pulsars but overall find that the variations in these parameters are more consistent with a stochastic origin.

Aquila X-1 is a prototypical neutron star low mass X-ray binary and one of the most studied X-ray transients. We present optical spectroscopy obtained with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (10.4 m) during the 2016 outburst, the brightest in recent times, which showed a standard evolution with hard and soft accretion states. Our data set includes a dense coverage of the brightest phases of the event, as well as the decay towards quiescence. We searched for optical winds by studying the profiles and evolution of the main emission lines and found no indisputable wind signatures, such as P-Cyg profiles. Nonetheless, our detailed analysis of the particularly strong and broad Halpha emission line, detected at the end of the outburst, is consistent with the presence of a nebular phase produced by optically thin ejecta at ~800 km/s or, alternatively, an extended disc atmosphere. We discuss these possibilities as well as the similarities with the phenomenology observed in other black hole and neutron star systems. Our study suggests that optical nebular phases might be a relatively common observational feature during the late stages of low mass X-ray binaries outbursts, enabling to probe the presence of outflows at low-to-intermediate orbital inclinations.

We interpret the correlation between local \sbg positions and ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) directions, recently reported by the Pierre Auger Observatory, in terms of physical parameters: the local density of sources and the magnetic fields governing the UHECR propagation. We include a Galactic magnetic field model on top of a random extragalactic magnetic field description to determine the level of UHECR deflections expected from an ensemble of source positions. Besides deflections in magnetic fields, we also take into account energy losses with background photon fields as well as spectrum and composition measurements by Auger. We find consistency between the Auger anisotropy measurement and the local \sbg density for large extragalactic magnetic field strengths with $B > 0.6 \ \rm nG$ (for a coherence length of $1 \ \rm Mpc$) at the $5\sigma$ confidence level. Larger source densities lead to more isotropic background and consequently allow for weaker extragalactic magnetic fields. However, the acceleration of UHECR by such abundant sources is more challenging to motivate. Too large source densities and extragalactic magnetic field strengths, on the other hand, are also disfavored as that decreases the expected level of anisotropy. This leads to upper limits of $B < 24 \ \rm nG$ and $\rho_0 < 9.0 \cdot 10^{-2} \ \rm Mpc^{-3}$ at the 90% confidence level.

This document provides recommendations to the Government of Canada and the Canadian Space Agency in response to their call for feedback on the future of Canadian space exploration. The report focuses on how the construction and long-term placement of mega-constellations of satellites into Earth orbit will affect astronomy and the view of the night sky by all peoples, with attention to all Canadians. The broader discussion highlights several environmental concerns associated with the construction and maintenance of these mega-constellations. The eight recommendations here address ways that Canada can play a role in mitigating some of these negative effects through national and international initiatives. In drafting the recommendations, we take the approach that space needs to be developed sustainably. In this regard, we use the Brundtland Report's definition: "Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Thus, all recommendations here are made with the intent of minimizing the negative consequences of mega-constellations, while also recognizing that their development will continue.

We present a kinematic study of ionised extraplanar gas in two low-inclination late-type galaxies (NGC 3982 and NGC 4152) using integral field spectroscopy data from the DiskMass H$\alpha$ sample. We first isolate the extraplanar gas emission by masking the H$\alpha$ flux from the regularly rotating disc. The extraplanar gas emission is then modelled in the three-dimensional position-velocity domain using a parametric model described by three structural and four kinematic parameters. Best-fit values for the model are determined via a Bayesian MCMC approach. The reliability and accuracy of our modelling method are carefully determined via tests using mock data. We detect ionised extraplanar gas in both galaxies, with scale heights $0.83^{+0.27}_{-0.40}\,\mathrm{kpc}$ (NGC 3982) and $1.87^{+0.43}_{-0.56}\,\mathrm{kpc}$ (NGC 4152) and flux fraction between the extraplanar gas and the regularly rotating gas within the disc of 27% and 15% respectively, consistent with previous determinations in other systems. We find lagging rotation of the ionized extraplanar gas in both galaxies, with vertical rotational gradients $-22.24^{+6.60}_{-13.13} \,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}\,kpc^{-1}}$ and $-11.18^{+3.49}_{-4.06}\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}\,kpc^{-1}}$, respectively, and weak evidence for vertical and radial inflow in both galaxies. The above results are similar to the kinematics of the neutral extraplanar gas found in several galaxies, though this is the first time that 3D kinematic modelling of ionised extraplanar gas has been carried out. Our results are broadly consistent with a galactic fountain origin combined with gas accretion. However, a dynamical model is required to better understand the formation of ionised extraplanar gas.

In the present work, we study the large scale matter power spectrum as well as the observed galaxy power spectrum for non-canonical tachyon field dark energy model considering the full general relativistic perturbation equations. We form a set of coupled autonomous equations including both the background and linearly perturbed quantities and obtain their solutions numerically with proper set of initial conditions. We consider different scalar field potentials for our study. Deviations from concordance $\Lambda$CDM model are studied for different relevant quantities. Our study shows that non-canonical tachyon dark energy model produces enhanced gravitational potentials, comoving density contrast as well as linear growth factor for matter perturbations compared to $\Lambda$CDM. It is also observed that for tachyon dark energy models, there is suppression of power on large scales compared to both $\Lambda$CDM model as well as previously studied canonical scalar field models.

We describe the families of periodic orbits in the 2-dimensional 1/2 retrograde resonance at mass ratio 0.001, analyzing their stability and bifurcations into 3-dimensional periodic orbits. We explain the role played by periodic orbits in adiabatic resonance capture, in particular how the proximity between a stable family and an unstable family with a nearly critical segment, associated with Kozai separatrices, determines the transition between distinct resonant modes observed in numerical simulations. Combining the identification of stable, critical and unstable periodic orbits with analytical modeling, resonance capture simulations and computation of stability maps helps to unveil the complex 3-dimensional structure of resonances.

The outer solar system exhibits an anomalous pattern of orbital clustering, characterized by an approximate alignment of the apsidal lines and angular momentum vectors of distant, long-term stable Kuiper belt objects. One explanation for this dynamical confinement is the existence of a yet-undetected planetary-mass object, "Planet Nine (P9)". Previous work has shown that trans-Neptunian objects, which originate within the scattered disk population of the Kuiper belt, can be corralled into orbital alignment by Planet Nine's gravity over ~Gyr timescales, and characteristic P9 parameters have been derived by matching the properties of a synthetic Kuiper belt generated within numerical simulations to the available observational data. In this work, we show that an additional dynamical process is in play within the framework of the Planet Nine hypothesis, and demonstrate that P9-induced dynamical evolution facilitates orbital variations within the otherwise dynamically frozen inner Oort cloud. As a result of this evolution, inner Oort cloud bodies can acquire orbits characteristic of the distant scattered disk, implying that if Planet Nine exists, the observed census of long-period trans-Neptunian objects is comprised of a mixture of Oort cloud and Kuiper belt objects. Our simulations further show that although inward-injected inner Oort cloud objects exhibit P9-driven orbital confinement, the degree of clustering is weaker than that of objects originating within the Kuiper belt. Cumulatively, our results suggest that a more eccentric Planet Nine is likely necessary to explain the data than previously thought.

We present a new time-series VI CCD photometry of the globular cluster NGC 6397, from which we obtained and analysed the light curves of 35 variables carefully identified in the cluster field. We assessed the membership of the variables with an astrometric analysis based on \emph{Gaia} DR2 data. The cluster colour-magnitude diagram was differentially dereddened and cleaned of non members, which allowed us to fit isochrones for [Fe/H]$ = -2.0$ dex in the range 13.0--13.5 Gyr, for a mean reddening $E(B-V)=0.19$, and a distance of 2.5 kpc. This distance was confirmed using the period-luminosity relation for the cluster's five SX Phoenicis variables (V10, V11, V15, V21, and V23) present among its blue stragglers, yielding $2.24\pm0.13$ kpc. We also modelled the light curves of four eclipsing binaries (V4, V5, V7, and V8), and gave the parameters of the systems; the contact binaries V7 and V8 have distances consistent with that of the cluster. NGC 6397 appears to harbour no RR Lyrae stars, being its horizontal branch remarkably blue, much like that of its analogous cluster, M10. To match the blue tail of the horizontal branch population, models of 0.64--0.66 $M_\odot$ with mass loss at the RGB are required, indicating rather thin shell masses for the HB stars.

The dispersal of protoplanetary disks sets the timescale available for planets to assemble, and thus it is one of the fundamental parameters in theories of planetary formation. Disk dispersal is determined by several properties of the central star, the disk itself, and the surrounding environment. In particular, the metallicity of disks may impact their evolution, even if to date controversial results exist: in low-metallicity clusters disks seem to rapidly disperse, while in the Magellanic Clouds some evidence supports the existence of accreting disks few tens of Myrs old. In this paper we study the dispersal timescale of disks in Dolidze~25, the young cluster in proximity of the Sun with lowest metallicity, with the aim of understanding whether disk evolution is impacted by the low-metallicity of the cluster. We have analyzed Chandra/ACIS-I observations of the cluster and combined the resulting source catalog with existing optical and infrared catalogs of the region. We selected the disk-bearing population and the disk-less population of Dolidze 25. We have derived stellar parameters from isochrones fitted to color-magnitude diagrams. We derived a disk fraction of about 34% and a median age of 1.2 Myrs. By comparing this estimate with existing estimates of the disk fraction of clusters younger than 10 Myrs, our study suggests that the disk fraction of Dolidze 25 is lower than what is expected from its age alone. Even if our results are not conclusive given the intrinsic uncertainty on stellar ages estimated from isochrones fitting to color-magnitude diagrams, we suggest that disk evolution in Dolidze 25 may be impacted by the environment. Given the poor O star population and low stellar density of the cluster, it is more likely that disks dispersal timescale is dictated more by the low metallicity of the cluster rather than external photoevaporation or dynamical encounters.

The connection between the nature of a protoplanetary disk and that of a debris disk is not well understood. Dust evolution, planet formation, and disk dissipation likely play a role in the processes involved. We aim to reconcile both manifestations of dusty circumstellar disks through a study of optically thin Class III disks and how they correlate to younger and older disks. In this work, we collect literature and ALMA archival millimeter fluxes for 85 disks (8%) of all Class III disks across nearby star-forming regions. We derive millimeter-dust masses and compare these with Class II and debris disk samples in the context of excess infrared luminosity, accretion rate, and age. The mean dust mass $M_{\text{dust}}$ of Class III disks is $0.29 \pm 0.19~M_{\oplus}$. We propose a new evolutionary scenario wherein radial drift is very efficient for non-structured disks during the Class II phase resulting in a rapid decrease of $M_{\text{dust}}$, whereas disk dissipation is a more gradual process. We find long infrared protoplanetary disk timescales of ${\sim}$9-10 Myr, which are also consistent with slow disk evolution. Finally, in structured disks, the presence of dust traps allows for the formation of planetesimal belts at large radii, such as those observed in debris disks. We propose that structured disks are thus directly connected to debris disks in one evolutionary pathway, in contrast to radial drift dominated disks which evolve to near diskless stars. These results set the scene for a novel view of disk evolution.

Binary millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are detached binary systems consisting of a MSP and a He white dwarf. If the initial orbital periods of binary MSPs are less than 0.3 day, they would evolve toward ultra-compact binary pulsars due to the rapid orbital shrinkage by the gravitational wave (GW) radiation. During the orbital decay, the MSP with an ellipticity would spin down by the GW radiation and the magnetic dipole radiation. Our calculations indicate that the angular momentum loss is dominated by the GW radiation when the ellipticities of the neutron stars (NSs) are in the range of $(1-50)\times 10^{-7}$, and the frequencies of high-frequency GW signals from the rotating NSs are $10-100$ Hz when the binary pulsars can be visible as low-frequency GW sources. These high-frequency GW signals are possible to be detected by the aLIGO and the third-generation GW detectors such as Einstein Telescope, depending on the frequencies and the distances. Therefore, some ultra-compact binary pulsars have an opportunity to become intriguing dual-line GW sources. By detecting the low-frequency GW signals, the NS mass can be accurately derived. A dual-line detection of two band GW signals could provide a constraint on the moment of inertia and the ellipticity of the NS. Thus the dual-line GW sources can be potentially applied to constrain the equation of state of the NS.

We improve the model presented in Contini & Gu 2020 that describes the radial mass distribution of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and the diffuse component also known as intra-cluster light (ICL), by assuming that the global BCG+ICL radial mass distribution follows the sum of three profiles: a Jaffe and an exponential profiles for the bulge and disk of the BCG, respectively, and a modified version of an NFW profile for the ICL. We take advantage of a wide sample of BCG+ICL systems simulated with our state-of-art semi-analytic model to: (a) investigate the reliability of our BCG+ICL distribution by looking at several scaling relations between the BCG+ICL stellar mass within different apertures and the total BCG+ICL/halo mass, at different redshift; (b) make a prediction of the distance where the radial distribution transitions from BCG to ICL dominated. We find that our model nicely reproduces all the observed scaling relations investigated at the present time with a compelling degree of precision, but slightly biased-low with respect to observations at higher redshifts ($z\gtrsim 0.5$). The transition radius predicted by our model is in good agreement with recent observational results, and spans a range between $\sim 15$ kpc and $\sim 100$ kpc. It mostly depends on the morphology of the BCG, whether it is bulge or disk dominated, on the amount of ICL with respect to the bulge and/or disk, and on the dynamical state of the group/cluster.

The polarimetric observations on the protoplanetary disk around HL Tau have shown the scattering-induced polarization at ALMA Band 7, which indicates that the maximum dust size is $\sim 100~{\rm \mu m}$, while the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) has suggested that the maximum dust size is $\sim$ mm. To solve the contradiction, we investigate the impact of differential settling of dust grains on the SED and polarization. If the disk is optically thick, longer observing wavelength traces more interior layer which would be dominated by larger grains. We find that, the SED of the center part of the HL Tau disk can be explained with mm-sized grains for a broad range of turbulence strength, while $160~{\rm \mu m}$-sized grains can explain barely only if the turbulence strength parameter $\alpha_{\rm t}$ is lower than $10^{-5}$. We also find that the observed polarization fraction can be potentially explained with the maximum dust size of $1~{\rm mm}$ if $\alpha_{\rm t}\lesssim10^{-5}$, although models with $160~{\rm \mu m}$-sized grains are also acceptable. However, if the maximum dust size is $\sim3~{\rm mm}$, the simulated polarization fraction is too low to explain the observations even if the turbulence strength is extremely small, indicating the maximum dust size of $\lesssim1$ mm. The degeneracy between 100 ${\rm \mu m}$-sized and mm-sized grains can be solved by improving the ALMA calibration accuracy or polarimetric observations at (sub-)cm wavelengths.

HESS J1825-137 is one of the most powerful and luminous TeV gamma-ray pulsar wind nebulae (PWN). To the south of HESS J1825-137, Fermi-LAT observation revealed a new region of GeV gamma-ray emission with three apparent peaks (termed here, GeV-ABC). This study presents interstellar medium (ISM) data and spectral energy distribution (SED) modelling towards the GeV emission to understand the underlying particle acceleration. We considered several particle accelerator scenarios - the PWN associated with HESS J1825-137, the progenitor SNR also associated with HESS J1825-137, plus the gamma-ray binary system LS\,5039. It was found that the progenitor SNR of HESS J1825-137 has insufficient energetics to account for all GeV emission. GeV-ABC may be a reflection of an earlier epoch in the history of the PWN associated with HESS\,1825-137, assuming fast diffusion perhaps including advection. LS\,5039 cannot meet the required energetics to be the source of particle acceleration. A combination of HESS J1825-137 and LS 5039 could be plausible sources.

Unveiling the fate of ultra-short period (USP) planets may help us understand the qualitative agreement between tidal theory and the observed exoplanet distribution. Nevertheless, due to the time-varying interchange of spin-orbit angular momentum in star-planet systems, the expected amount of tidal friction is unknown and depends on the dissipative properties of stellar and planetary interiors. In this work, we couple structural changes in the star and the planet resulting from the energy released per tidal cycle and simulate the orbital evolution of USP planets and the spin-up produced on their host star. For the first time, we allow the strength of magnetic braking to vary within a model that includes photo-evaporation, drag caused by the stellar wind, stellar mass loss, and stellar wind enhancement due to the in-falling USP planet. We apply our model to the two exoplanets with the shortest periods known to date, NGTS-10b and WASP-19b. We predict they will undergo orbital decay in time-scales that depend on the evolution of the tidal dissipation reservoir inside the star, as well as the contribution of the stellar convective envelope to the transfer of angular momentum. Contrary to previous work, which predicted mid-transit time shifts of $\sim30-190$ s over 10 years, we found that such changes would be smaller than 10 s. We note this is sensitive to the assumptions about the dissipative properties of the system. Our results have important implications for the search for observational evidence of orbital decay in USP planets, using present and future observational campaigns.

Magnetic interactions between a planet and its environment are known to lead to aurorae and shocks in the solar system. The large number of close-in exoplanets that have been discovered so far triggered a renewed interest in understanding magnetic interactions in other star-planet systems. Multiple magnetic effects were then unveiled, such as planet inflation or heating, planet migration, planetary material escape, and even some modifications of the host star apparent activity. Our goal here is to lay out the basic physical principles underlying star- planet magnetic interactions. We first briefly review the hot exoplanets' population as we know it. We then move to a general description of star-planet magnetic interactions, and finally focus on the fundamental concept of Alfv\'en wings and its implication for exosystems.

Using the atomic carbon [CI](1$-$0) and [CI](2$-$1) emission maps observed with the $Herschel\ Space\ Observatory$, and CO(1$-$0), HI, infrared and submm maps from literatures, we estimate the [CI]-to-H$_2$ and CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factors of $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](1-0)}$, $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$, and $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ at a linear resolution $\sim1\,$kpc scale for six nearby galaxies of M 51, M 83, NGC 3627, NGC 4736, NGC 5055, and NGC 6946. This is perhaps the first effort, to our knowledge, in calibrating both [CI]-to-H$_2$ conversion factors across the spiral disks at spatially resolved $\sim1\,$kpc scale though such studies have been discussed globally in galaxies near and far. In order to derive the conversion factors and achieve these calibrations, we adopt three different dust-to-gas ratio (DGR) assumptions which scale approximately with metallicity taken from precursory results. We find that for all DGR assumptions, the $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](1-0)}$, $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$, and $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ are mostly flat with galactocentric radii, whereas both $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$ and $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ show decrease in the inner regions of galaxies. And the central $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ and $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$ values are on average $\sim 2.2$ and $1.8$ times lower than its galaxy averages. The obtained carbon abundances from different DGR assumptions show flat profiles with galactocentric radii, and the average carbon abundance of the galaxies is comparable to the usually adopted value of $3 \times 10^{-5}$. We find that both metallicity and infrared luminosity correlate moderately with the $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ whereas only weakly with either the $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](1-0)}$ or carbon abundance, and not at all with the $\alpha_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$.

Observations have revealed that disturbances in the cold neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) in galaxies are ubiquitous, but the reasons for these disturbances remain unclear. While some studies suggest that asymmetries in integrated HI spectra (global HI asymmetry) are higher in HI-rich systems, others claim that they are preferentially found in HI-poor galaxies. In this work, we utilise the ALFALFA and xGASS surveys, plus a sample of post-merger galaxies, to clarify the link between global HI asymmetry and the gas properties of galaxies. Focusing on star-forming galaxies in ALFALFA, we find that elevated global HI asymmetry is not associated with a change in the HI content of a galaxy, and that only the galaxies with the highest global HI asymmetry show a small increase in specific star-formation rate (sSFR). However, we show that the lack of a trend with HI content is because ALFALFA misses the gas-poor tail of the star-forming main-sequence. Using xGASS to obtain a sample of star-forming galaxies that is representative in both sSFR and HI content, we find that global HI asymmetric galaxies are typically more gas-poor than symmetric ones at fixed stellar mass, with no change in sSFR. Our results highlight the complexity of the connection between galaxy properties and global HI asymmetry. This is further confirmed by the fact that even post-merger galaxies show both symmetric and asymmetric HI spectra, demonstrating that merger activity does not always lead to an asymmetric global HI spectrum.

We present the results of data analysis of the [CI] ($^{3}P_{1}$-$^{3}P_{0}$) emission from the $\rho$ Ophiuchi A photon-dominated region (PDR) obtained in the ALMA ACA stand-alone mode with a spatial resolution of 2.''6 (360 au). The [CI] emission shows filamentary structures with a width of $\sim$1000 au, which are adjacent to the shell structure seen in the 4.5 $\mu$m map. We found that the 4.5 $\mu$m emission, C$^0$, and CO are distributed in this order from the excitation star (S1) in a complementary pattern. These results indicate that [CI] is emitted from a thin layer in the PDR generated by the excitation star, as predicted in the plane-parallel PDR model. In addition, extended [CI] emission was also detected, which shows nearly uniform integrated intensity over the entire field-of-view (1.'6$\times$1.'6). The line profile of the extended component is different from that of the above shell component. The column density ratio of C$^0$ to CO in the extended component was $\sim$2, which is significantly higher than those of Galactic massive star-forming regions (0.1-0.2). These results suggest that [CI] is emitted also from the low-density extended gas, which is not greatly affected by the excitation star.

Context. Kepler-444 is one of the oldest planetary systems known thus far. Its peculiar configuration consisting of five sub-Earth-sized planets orbiting the companion to a binary stellar system makes its early history puzzling. Moreover, observations of HI-Ly-$\rm \alpha$ variations raise many questions about the potential presence of escaping atmospheres today. Aims. We aim to study the orbital evolution of Kepler-444-d and Kepler-444-e and the impact of atmospheric evaporation on Kepler-444-e. Methods. Rotating stellar models of Kepler-444-A were computed with the Geneva stellar evolution code and coupled to an orbital evolution code, accounting for the effects of dynamical, equilibrium tides and atmospheric evaporation. The impacts of multiple stellar rotational histories and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) luminosity evolutionary tracks are explored. Results. Using detailed rotating stellar models able to reproduce the rotation rate of Kepler-444-A, we find that its observed rotation rate is perfectly in line with what is expected for this old K0-type star, indicating that there is no reason for it to be exceptionally active as would be required to explain the observed HI-Ly-$\rm \alpha$ variations from a stellar origin. We show that given the low planetary mass ($\sim$ 0.03 M$_{\rm \oplus}$) and relatively large orbital distance ($\sim$ 0.06 AU) of Kepler-444-d and e, dynamical tides negligibly affect their orbits, regardless of the stellar rotational history considered. We point out instead how remarkable the impact is of the stellar rotational history on the estimation of the lifetime mass loss for Kepler-444-e. We show that, even in the case of an extremely slow rotating star, it seems unlikely that such a planet could retain a fraction of the initial water-ice content if we assume that it formed with a Ganymede-like composition.

Two types of distance measurement are important in cosmological observations, the angular diameter distance $d_A$ and the luminosity distance $d_L$. In the present work, we carried out an assessment of the theoretical relation between these two distance measurements, namely the cosmic distance duality relation, from type Ia supernovae (SN-Ia) data, the Cosmic Chronometer (CC) Hubble parameter data, and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data using Gaussian Process. The luminosity distance curve and the angular diameter distance curve are extracted from the SN-Ia data and the combination of BAO and CC data respectively using the Gaussian Process. The distance duality relation is checked by a non-parametric reconstruction using the reconstructed $H$, $d_L$, and the volume-averaged distance $D_v$. We compare the results obtained for different choices of the covariance function employed in the Gaussian Process. It is observed that the theoretical distance duality relation is in well agreement with the present analysis in 2$\sigma$ for the overlapping redshift domain $0 \leq z \leq 2$ of the reconstruction.

Mergers and tidal interactions between massive galaxies and their dwarf satellites are a fundamental prediction of the Lambda-Cold Dark Matter cosmology. These events are thought to provide important observational diagnostics of nonlinear structure formation. Stellar streams in the Milky Way and Andromeda are spectacular evidence for ongoing satellite disruption. However, constructing a statistically meaningful sample of tidal streams beyond the Local Group has proven a daunting observational challenge, and the full potential for deepening our understanding of galaxy assembly using stellar streams has yet to be realised. Here we introduce the Stellar Stream Legacy Survey, a systematic imaging survey of tidal features associated with dwarf galaxy accretion around a sample of ~3100 nearby galaxies within z~0.02, including about 940 Milky Way analogues. Our survey exploits public deep imaging data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which reach surface brightness as faint as ~29 mag/arcsec^2 in the r band. As a proof of concept of our survey, we report the detection and broad-band photometry of 24 new stellar streams in the local Universe. We discuss how these observations can yield new constraints on galaxy formation theory through comparison to mock observations from cosmological galaxy simulations. These tests will probe the present-day mass assembly rate of galaxies, the stellar populations and orbits of satellites, the growth of stellar halos and the resilience of stellar disks to satellite bombardment.

Stellar activity due to different processes (magnetic activity, photospheric flows) affects the measurement of radial velocities (RV). Radial velocities have been widely used to detect exoplanets, although the stellar signal significantly impacts the detection and characterisation performance, especially for low mass planets. On the other hand, RV time series are also very rich in information on stellar processes. In this lecture, I review the context of RV observations, describe how radial velocities are measured, and the properties of typical observations. I present the challenges represented by stellar activity for exoplanet studies, and describe the processes at play. Finally, I review the approaches which have been developed, including observations and simulations, as well as solar and stellar comparisons.

ESA's INTEGRAL space mission has achieved unique results for solar and terrestrial physics, although spacecraft operations nominally excluded the possibility to point at the Sun or the Earth. The Earth avoidance was, however, exceptionally relaxed for special occultation observations of the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB), which on some occasions allowed the detection of strong X-ray auroral emission. In addition, the most intense solar flares can be bright enough to be detectable from outside the field of view of the main instruments. This article presents for the first time the auroral observations by INTEGRAL and reviews earlier studies of the most intense solar flares. We end by briefly summarising the studies of the Earth's radiation belts, which can be considered as another topic of serendipitous science with INTEGRAL.

A model of unified dark matter and dark energy based on a Dynamical Spacetime Theory (DST) is studied. By introducing a Dynamical Spacetime vector field $\chi_\mu$, a conservation of an energy momentum tensor $T^{\mu\nu}_{(\chi)}$ emerges. The action allows for two different potentials, while one represents a dark energy. For constant potentials, the cosmological solution yields a non singular bouncing solutions that rapidly approaches the $\Lambda$CDM model. The Dynamical Time corresponds to the cosmic time as well. The theory fits with the late time expansion data of the Universe. With higher dimensions a mechanism for inflation and compactification appears, with exponential growth for some dimensions and exponential contraction of the others. By demanding that the Dynamical Spacetime vector field be a gradient of a scalar the DST becomes a theory with diffusive interacting, which asymptotically returns to the $\Lambda$CDM model as a stable point. These formulations lead to scenarios which address our understanding about the origin of the Universe.

The mechanism by which the radiation received from obliquely rotating neutron stars is generated remains an open question half a century after the discovery of pulsars. In contrast, considerable progress has recently been made in determining the structure of the magnetosphere that surrounds these objects: numerical computations based on the force-free, magnetohydrodynamic and particle-in-cell formalisms have now established that the magnetosphere of an oblique rotator entails a current sheet outside its light cylinder whose rotating distribution pattern moves with linear speeds exceeding the speed of light in vacuum. Here we insert the description of the current sheet provided by the numerical simulations in the classical expression for the retarded potential and thereby calculate the radiation field generated by this source in the time domain. We find a radiation consisting of highly focused pulses whose (i) spectrum can extend from radio waves to gamma rays, (ii) brightness temperature can exceed 10^(40) K, (iii) linear polarization can be 100%, (iv) two concurrent polarization position angles are approximately orthogonal often and swing through 180 deg across the pulse profile in most cases, (v) circular polarization reverses sense across some components of the pulse profile, (vi) microstructure is determined by the thickness of the current sheet, and (vii) whose flux density diminishes with the distance D from the star as D^(-3/2) (rather than D^(-2)) in certain directions. The intrinsically transient radiation process analysed here is thus capable of generating an emission whose features are strikingly similar to those of the emissions received from pulsars and magnetars and from the sources of fast radio bursts and gamma-ray bursts.

Pulsating ultra-luminous X-ray sources (PULXs) are characterised by an extremely large luminosity ($ > 10^{40} \text{erg s}^{-1}$). While there is a general consensus that they host an accreting, magnetized neutron star (NS), the problem of how to produce luminosities $> 100$ times the Eddington limit, $L_E$, of a solar mass object is still debated. A promising explanation relies on the reduction of the opacities in the presence of a strong magnetic field, which allows for the local flux to be much larger than the Eddington flux. However, avoiding the onset of the propeller effect may be a serious problem. Here, we reconsider the problem of column accretion onto a highly magnetized NS, extending previously published calculations by relaxing the assumption of a pure dipolar field and allowing for more complex magnetic field topologies. We find that the maximum luminosity is determined primarily by the magnetic field strength near the NS surface. We also investigate other factors determining the accretion column geometry and the emergent luminosity, such as the assumptions on the parameters governing the accretion flow at the disk-magnetosphere boundary. We conclude that a strongly magnetized NS with a dipole component of $\sim 10^{13} \text{G}$, octupole component of $\sim10^{14} \text{G}$ and spin period $\sim1 \text{s}$ can produce a luminosity of $\sim 10^{41} \text{erg s}^{-1}$ while avoiding the propeller regime. We apply our model to two PULXs, NGC 5907 ULX-1 and NGC 7793 P13, and discuss how their luminosity and spin period rate can be explained in terms of different configurations, either with or without multipolar magnetic components.

From an observational standpoint, stellar activity poses a critical challenge to exoplanet science, as it inhibits the detection of planets and the precise measurement of their parameters. Radial velocity and transit searches revealed a significant fraction of exoplanet hosts is active, and showed the need to fully understand the different facets of stellar activity and its impact on observables. Moreover, the activity correction is of prime importance for the detection and characterisation of Earth analogues. We present a review of the effects that stellar activity features such as starspots, faculae, and stellar granulation have on photometric and low-resolution spectroscopic observations of exoplanets, and discuss the main aspects of the techniques which were developed to reduce their impact.

We comprehensively model the X-ray luminosity emergent from time dependent relativistic accretion discs, developing analytical models of the X-ray luminosity of thermal disc systems as a function of black hole mass $M$, disc mass $M_d$, and disc $\alpha$-parameter. The X-ray properties of these solutions will be directly relevant for understanding TDE observations. We demonstrate an extremely strong suppression of thermal X-ray luminosity from large mass black holes, $L_X \sim \exp(-m^{7/6})$, where $m$ is a dimensionless mass, roughly the the black hole mass in unity of $10^6$M$_\odot$. This strong suppression results in upper-observable black hole mass limits, which we demonstrate to be of order $M_{\rm lim} \simeq 3 \times 10^7 M_\odot$, above which thermal X-ray emission will not be observable. This upper observable black hole mass limit is a function of the remaining disc parameters, and the full dependence can be described analytically (eq. 82). We demonstrate that the current population of observed X-ray TDEs is indeed consistent with an upper black hole mass limit of order $M \sim 10^7M_\odot$, consistent with our analysis.

We extend the relativistic time-dependent thin-disc TDE model to describe nonthermal X-ray emission produced by the Compton up-scattering of thermal disc photons by a compact electron corona, developing analytical and numerical models of the evolving nonthermal X-ray light curves. In the simplest cases, these X-ray light curves follow power-law profiles in time. We suggest that TDE discs act in many respects as scaled-up versions of XRB discs, and that such discs should undergo state transitions into harder accretion states. XRB state transitions typically occur when the disc luminosity becomes roughly one percent of its Eddington value. We show that if the same is true for TDE discs then this, in turn, implies that TDEs with nonthermal X-ray spectra should come preferentially from large-mass black holes. The characteristic hard-state transition mass is $M_{\rm HS} \simeq 2\times10^7 M_\odot$. Hence, subpopulations of thermal and nonthermal X-ray TDEs should come from systematically different black hole masses. We demonstrate that the known populations of thermal and nonthermal X-ray TDEs do indeed come from different distributions of black hole masses. The null-hypothesis of identical black hole mass distributions is rejected by a two-sample Anderson-Darling test with a $p$-value $< 0.01$. Finally, we present a model for the X-ray rebrightening of TDEs at late times as they transition into the hard state. These models of evolving TDE light curves are the first to join both thermal and nonthermal X-ray components in a unified scenario.

Many new strong gravitational lensing (SGL) systems have been discovered in the last two decades with the advent of powerful new space and ground-based telescopes. The effect of the lens mass model (usually the power-law mass model) on cosmological parameters constraints has been performed recently in literature. In this paper, by using SGL systems and Supernovae type Ia observations, we explore if the power-law mass density profile is consistent with the cosmic distance duality relation (CDDR), $D_L(1+z)^{-2}/D_A=\eta(z)=1$, by considering different lens mass intervals. It has been obtained that the verification of the CDDR validity is significantly dependent on lens mass interval considered: the sub-sample with $\sigma_{ap} \geq 300$ km/s (where $\sigma_{ap}$ is the lens apparent stellar velocity dispersion) is in full agreement with the CDDR validity, the sub-sample with intermediate $\sigma_{ap}$ values ($200 \leq \sigma_{ap} < 300)$ km/s is marginally consistent with $\eta=1$ and, finally, the sub-sample with low $\sigma_{ap}$ values ($\sigma_{ap} < 200$ km/s) ruled out the CDDR validity with high statistical confidence.

We develop a model describing the dynamical and observed properties of disc-dominated TDEs around black holes with the lowest masses ($M \lesssim {\rm few} \times 10^{6} M_\odot$). TDEs around black holes with the lowest masses are most likely to reach super-Eddington luminosities at early times in their evolution. By assuming that the amount of stellar debris which can form into a compact accretion disc is set dynamically by the Eddington luminosity, we make a number of interesting and testable predictions about the observed properties of bright soft-state X-ray TDEs and optically bright, X-ray dim TDEs. We argue that TDEs around black holes of the lowest masses will expel the vast majority of their gravitationally bound debris into a radiatively driven outflow. A large-mass outflow will obscure the innermost X-ray producing regions, leading to a population of low black hole mass TDEs which are only observed at optical & UV energies. TDE discs evolving with bolometric luminosities comparable to their Eddington luminosity will have near constant (i.e. black hole mass independent) X-ray luminosities, of order $L_{\rm X, max} \equiv L_M \sim 10^{43} - 10^{44}$ erg/s. The range of luminosity values stems primarily from the range of allowed black hole spins. A similar X-ray luminosity limit exists for X-ray TDEs in the hard (Compton scattering dominated) state, and we therefore predict that the X-ray luminosity of the brightest X-ray TDEs will be at the scale $L_M(a) \sim 10^{43}-10^{44}$ erg/s, independent of black hole mass and accretion state. These predictions are in strong agreement with the properties of the existing population ($\sim 40$ sources) of observed TDEs.

We develop a unification scheme which explains the varied observed properties of TDEs in terms of simple disc physics. The unification scheme postulates that the different observed properties of TDEs are controlled by the peak Eddington ratio of the accretion discs which form following a stellar disruption. Our primary result is that the TDE population can be split into four subpopulations, which are (in order of decreasing peak Eddington ratio): "obscured" UV-bright and X-ray dim TDEs; X-ray bright soft-state TDEs; UV-bright and X-ray dim "cool" TDEs; and X-ray bright hard-state TDEs. These 4 subpopulations of TDEs will occur around black holes of well defined masses, and our unification scheme is therefore directly testable with observations. As an initial test, we model the X-ray and UV light curves of six TDEs taken from three of the four subpopulations: ASASSN-14ae, ASASSN-15oi, ASASSN-18pg, AT2019dsg, XMMSL1 J0740 & XMMSL2 J1446. We show that all six TDEs, spanning a wide range of observed properties, are well modelled by evolving relativistic thin discs. The peak Eddington ratio's of the six best-fitting disc solutions lie exactly as predicted by the unified model. The mean stellar mass of the six sources is $\left\langle M_\star \right\rangle \sim 0.24 M_\odot$. The so-called `missing energy problem' is resolved by demonstrating that only $\sim 1\%$ of the radiated accretion disc energy is observed at X-ray and UV frequencies. Finally, we present an empirical, approximately linear, relationship between the total radiated energy of the accretion disc and the total radiated energy of an early-time, rapidly-decaying, UV component, seen in all TDEs.

Understanding when global glaciations occur on Earth-like planets is a major challenge in climate evolution research. Most models of how greenhouse gases like CO2 evolve with time on terrestrial planets are deterministic, but the complex, nonlinear nature of Earth's climate history motivates study of non-deterministic climate models. Here a maximally simple stochastic model of CO2 evolution and climate on an Earth-like planet with an imperfect CO2 thermostat is investigated. It is shown that as stellar luminosity is increased in this model, the decrease in the average atmospheric CO concentration renders the climate increasingly unstable, with excursions to a low-temperature state common once the received stellar flux approaches that of present-day Earth. Unless climate feedbacks always force the variance in CO2 concentration to decline rapidly with received stellar flux, this means that terrestrial planets near the inner edge of the habitable zone may enter Snowball states quite frequently. Observations of the albedos and color variation of terrestrial-type exoplanets should allow this prediction to be tested directly in the future.

We present and analyze optical photometry and high resolution SALT spectra of the symbiotic recurrent nova V3890 Sgr at quiescence. The orbital period, P=747.6 days has been derived from both photometric and spectroscopic data. Our double-line spectroscopic orbits indicate that the mass ratio is q=M_g/M_WD=0.78+/-0.05, and that the component masses are M_WD=1.35+/-0.13 Msun, and M_g=1.05+/-0.11 Msun. The orbit inclination is approximately 67-69 degr. The red giant is filling (or nearly filling) its Roche lobe, and the distance set by its Roche lobe radius, d=9 kpc, is consistent with that resulting from the giant pulsation period. The outburst magnitude of V3890 Sgr is then very similar to those of RNe in the Large Magellanic Cloud. V3890 Sgr shows remarkable photometric and spectroscopic activity between the nova eruptions with timescales similar to those observed in the symbiotic recurrent novae T CrB and RS Oph and Z And-type symbiotic systems. The active source has a double-temperature structure which we have associated with the presence of an accretion disc. The activity would be then caused by changes in the accretion rate. We also provide evidence that V3890 Sgr contains a CO WD accreting at a high, a few 1e-8 - 1e-7 Msun/yr, rate. The WD is growing in mass, and should give rise to a Type Ia supernova within about 1,000,000 yrs - the expected lifetime of the red giant.

In order to gauge the role that active galactic nuclei (AGN) play in the evolution of galaxies via the effect of kinetic feedback in nearby QSO$\,$2's ($z\sim0.3$), we observed eight such objects with bolometric luminosities $L_{bol} \sim 10^{46}\rm{erg\,s^{-1}}$ using Gemini GMOS-IFU's. The emission lines were fitted with at least two Gaussian curves, the broadest of which we attributed to gas kinetically disturbed by an outflow. We found that the maximum extent of the outflow ranges from $\sim$1 to 8 kpc, being ${\sim}\,0.5\,{\pm}\,0.3$ times the extent of the [O$\,$III] ionized gas region. Our `${\tt default}$' assumptions for the gas density (obtained from the {[S$\,$II] doublet) and outflow velocities resulted in peak mass outflow rates of $\dot{M}_{out}^{{\tt defa}}{\sim}\,3\,{-}\,30\,\rm{M_{\odot}}\,yr^{-1}$ and outflow power of $\dot{E}_{out}^{{\tt defa}}\sim\,10^{41}\,{-}\,10^{43}\,\mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$. The corresponding kinetic coupling efficiencies are $\varepsilon_f^{{\tt defa}}=\dot{E}_{out}^{{\tt defa}}/L_{bol}\,\sim7\times10^{-4}\,{-}\,0.5\,\%$, with the average efficiency being only $0.06\,\%$ ($0.01\,\%$ median), implying little feedback powers from ionized gas outflows in the host galaxies. We investigated the effects of varying assumptions and calculations on $\dot{M}_{out}$ and $\dot{E}_{out}$ regarding the ionized gas densities, velocities, masses and inclinations of the outflow relative to the plane of the sky, resulting in average uncertainties of one dex. In particular, we found that better indicators of the [O$\,$III] emitting gas density than the default [S$\,$II] line ratio, such as the [Ar$\,$IV]$\lambda\lambda$4711,40 line ratio, result in almost an order of magnitude decrease in the $\varepsilon_f$.

Star-forming galaxies are rich reservoirs of dust, both warm and cold. But the cold dust emission is faint alongside the relatively bright and ubiquitous warm dust emission. Recently, evidence for a very cold dust component has also been revealed via millimeter/submillimeter photometry of some galaxies. This component, despite being the most massive of the three dust components in star-forming galaxies, is by virtue of its very low temperature, faint and hard to detect together with the relatively bright emission from warmer dust. Here we analyze the dust content of a carefully selected sample of four galaxies detected by IRAS, WISE, and SPT, whose spectral energy distributions (SEDs) were modeled to constrain their potential cold dust content. Low-frequency radio observations using the GMRT were carried out to segregate cold dust emission from non-thermal emission in millimeter/submillimeter wavebands. We also carried out AstroSat/UVIT observations for some galaxies to constrain their SED at shorter wavelengths so as to enforce energy balance for the SED modeling. We constructed their SEDs across a vast wavelength range (extending from ultraviolet to radio frequencies) by assembling global photometry from GALEX FUV+NUV, UVIT, Johnson BRI, 2MASS, WISE, IRAC, IRAS, AKARI, ISOPHOT, Planck HFI, SPT, and GMRT. The SEDs were modeled with CIGALE to estimate their basic properties, in particular to constrain the masses of their total and very cold dust components. Although the galaxies' dust masses are dominated by warmer dust, there are hints of very cold dust in two of the targets, NGC 7496 and NGC 7590.

Experiments, analyses, and simulations have shown that the engine exhaust plume of a Mars lander large enough for human spaceflight will create a deep crater in the martian soil, blowing ejecta to approximately 1 km distance, damaging the bottom of the lander with high-momentum rock impacts, and possibly tilting the lander as the excavated hole collapses to become a broad residual crater upon engine cutoff. Because of this, we deem that we will not have adequate safety margins to land humans on Mars unless we robotically stabilize the soil to form in situ landing pads prior to the mission. It will take a significant amount of time working in a harsh off-planet environment to develop and certify the new technologies and procedures for in situ landing pad construction. The only place to reasonably accomplish this is on the Moon.

In recent years, understanding asteroids has shifted from light worlds to geological worlds by exploring modern spacecraft and advanced radar and telescopic surveys. Apophis' near-Earth. However, flyby in 2029 will be an opportunity to conduct an internal geophysical study and test the current hypothesis on the effects of tidal forces on asteroids. The Earth-Apophis mission is driven by additional factors and scientific goals beyond the unique opportunity for natural experimentation. However, the internal geophysical structures remain largely unknown. Understanding the strength and internal integrity of asteroids is not just a matter of scientific curiosity. It is a practical imperative to advance knowledge for planetary defense against the possibility of an asteroid impact. The mounting of theoretical studies and physical evidence of tidal forces altering the shapes, spins, and surfaces of near-Earth asteroids indicates that these Earth-Apophis interactions are fundamental to the problem of asteroid risk as impact studies themselves. This paper presents a conceptual robotics system required for efficiency at every stage from entry to post-landing and for asteroid monitoring. In short, asteroid surveillance missions are futuristic frontiers, with the potential for technological growth that could revolutionize space exploration. Advanced space technologies and robotic systems are needed to minimize risk and prepare these technologies for future missions. A neural network model is implemented to track and predict asteroids' orbits. Advanced algorithms are also needed to numerically predict orbital events to minimize errors.

Massive star evolution is still poorly understood, and observational tests are required to discriminate between different implementations of physical phenomenon in stellar evolution codes. By confronting stellar evolution models with observed properties of blue supergiants, such as pulsations, chemical composition and position in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, we aim at determining which of the criterion used for convection (Schwarzschild or Ledoux) is best able to explain the observations. We compute state-of-the-art stellar evolution models with either the Schwarzschild or the Ledoux criterion for convection. Models are for $14$ to $35\,M_\odot$ at solar or Large Magellanic Cloud metallicity. For each model, we compute the pulsation properties to know when radial modes are excited. We then compare our results with the position of blue supergiants in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, with their surface chemical composition, and with their variability. Our results at Large Magellanic Cloud metallicity shows only a slight preference for the Ledoux criterion over the Schwarzschild one in reproducing at the same time the observed properties of blue supergiants, even if the Schwarzschild criterion cannot be excluded at this metallicity. We check that changing the overshoot parameter at solar metallicity does not improve the situation. We also check that our models are able to reproduce the position of Galactic blue supergiant in the flux-weighted-gravity -- luminosity relation. We confirm that overall, models computed with the Ledoux criterion are slightly better in matching observations. Our results also support the idea that most Galactic $\alpha$ Cyg variables are blue supergiants of the group 2, i.e. stars that have been through a previous red supergiant phase where they have lost large amount of mass.

Recent astronomical observations of high redshift quasars, dark matter-dominated galaxies, mergers of neutron stars, glitch phenomena in pulsars, cosmic microwave background and experimental data from hadronic colliders do not rule out, but they even support the hypothesis that the energy-density in our universe most likely is upper-limited by $\rho^{uni}_{max},$ which is predicted to lie between $2$ to $3$ the nuclear density $\rho_0.$ Quantum fluids in the cores of massive NSs with $\rho \approx \rho^{uni}_{max}$ reach the maximum compressibility state, where they become insensitive to further compression by the embedding spacetime and undergo a phase transition into the purely incompressible gluon-quark superfluid state. A direct correspondence between the positive energy stored in the embedding spacetime and the degree of compressibility and superfluidity of the trapped matter is proposed. In this paper relevant observation signatures that support the maximum density hypothesis are reviewed, a possible origin of $\rho^{uni}_{max}$ is proposed and finally the consequences of this scenario on the spacetime's topology of the universe as well as on the mechanisms underlying the growth rate and power of the high redshift QSOs are discussed.

We have performed a quantum mechanical analysis of travelling-wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs) in order to investigate five experimental phenomena related to their operations, namely the effect of impedance mismatch, the presence of upper idler modes, the presence of quantum and thermal noise, the generation of squeezed states, and the preservation of pre-squeezed states during amplification. Our analysis uses momentum operators to describe the spatial evolution of quantised modes along a TWPA. We calculate the restriction placed on pump amplitude as well as amplifier gain as a result of impedance mismatch between a TWPA and its external system. We apply our analysis to upper idler modes and demonstrate that they will result in suppressed gain. We show that an ideal TWPA is indeed quantum-limited - i.e. it introduces a half-quantum of zero-point fluctuation which is the minimum possible noise contribution for a phase-preserving linear amplifier. We analyse the thermal noise associated with a TWPA by considering the effect of distributed sources along an amplifier transmission line. Our analysis predicts a doubling of thermal noise in the high gain limit as a result of wave-mixing between signal and idler modes. We study the operation of a TWPA in the presence of a DC bias current, and have shown that highly squeezed states can in principle be generated. However, amplifying a pre-squeezed state using a non-degenerate TWPA generally reduces the squeezing advantage.

While optical surveys regularly discover slow transients like supernovae on their own, the most common way to discover extragalactic fast transients, fading away in a few nights, is via follow-up observations of gamma-ray burst and gravitational-wave triggers. However, wide-field surveys have the potential to also identify rapidly fading transients independently of such external triggers. The volumetric survey speed of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) makes it sensitive to faint and fast-fading objects as kilonovae, the optical counterparts to binary neutron stars and neutron star-black hole mergers, out to almost 200Mpc. We introduce an open-source software infrastructure, the ZTF REaltime Search and Triggering, ZTFReST, designed to identify kilonovae and fast optical transients in ZTF data. Using the ZTF alert stream combined with forced photometry, we have implemented automated candidate ranking based on their photometric evolution and fitting to kilonova models. Automated triggering of follow-up systems, such as Las Cumbres Observatory, has also been implemented. In 13 months of science validation, we found several extragalactic fast transients independent of any external trigger (though some counterparts were identified later), including at least one supernova with post-shock cooling emission, two known afterglows with an associated gamma-ray burst, two known afterglows without any known gamma-ray counterpart, and three new fast-declining sources (ZTF20abtxwfx, ZTF20acozryr, and ZTF21aagwbjr) that are likely associated with GRB200817A, GRB201103B, and GRB210204A. However, we have not found any objects which appear to be kilonovae; therefore, we constrain the rate of GW170817-like kilonovae to $R < 900$Gpc$^{-3}$yr$^{-1}$. A framework such as ZTFReST could become a prime tool for kilonova and fast transient discovery with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

We present a brief overview of the main effects by which a star will have an impact (positive or negative) on the surface habitability of planets in orbit around it. Specifically, we review how spectral, spatial and temporal variations in the incident flux on a planet can alter the atmosphere and climate of a planet and thus its surface habitability. For illustrative purposes, we emphasize the differences between planets orbiting solar-type stars and late M-stars. The latter are of particular interest as they constitute the first sample of potentially habitable exoplanets accessible for surface and atmospheric characterization in the coming years.

We investigate the kinematic properties of nine nearby early-type galaxies with evidence of a disk-like component. Three of these galaxies are located in the field, five in the group and only one in the cluster environment. By combining the kinematics of the stars with those of the globular clusters (GCs) and planetary nebulae (PNe), we probe the outer regions of our galaxies out to $\sim$4-6 Re. Six galaxies have PNe and red GCs that show good kinematic alignment with the stars, whose rotation occurs along the photometric major-axis of the galaxies, suggesting that both the PNe and red GCs are good tracers of the underlying stellar population beyond that traced by the stars. Additionally, the blue GCs also show rotation that is overall consistent with that of the red GCs in these six galaxies. The remaining three galaxies show kinematic twists and misalignment of the PNe and GCs with respect to the underlying stars, suggesting recent galaxy interactions. From the comparison with simulations, we propose that all six aligned galaxies that show similar dispersion-dominated kinematics at large radii (>2-3 Re) had similar late ($z<1$) assembly histories characterised by mini mergers (mass-ratio <1:10). The different Vrot/$\sigma$ profiles are then the result of an early ($z>1$) minor merger (1:10< mass-ratio <1:4) for the four galaxies with peaked and decreasing Vrot/$\sigma$ profiles and of a late minor merger for the two galaxies with flat Vrot/$\sigma$ profiles. The three mis-aligned galaxies likely formed through multiple late minor mergers that enhanced their velocity dispersion at all radii, or a late major merger that spun-up both the GC sub-populations at large radii. Therefore, lenticular galaxies can have complex merger histories that shape their characteristic kinematic profile shapes.

We study here the observational constraints on single-field inflationary models achievable with the next generation of CMB experiments. We particularly focus on a Stage-IV like experiment and forecasts its constraints on inflationary parameters in the context of $\alpha$-attractor inflation comprising a large class of single-field models. To tailor our forecasts we use as a fiducial model the results obtained with current CMB and LSS data, assuming the $\alpha$-model a priori. We found that current CMB data are able to place a tight bound on the ratio of the tensor-to-scalar ratio with the alpha parameter $r/\alpha = 3.87^{+0.78}_{-0.94}\cdot 10^{-3}$ and on the running of the scalar index $\alpha_S = -6.4^{+1.6}_{-1.3}\cdot 10^{-4}$ with a value of the scalar index consistent with current constraints. In the optimistic scenario of detection of primordial gravitational waves in the CMB B-mode polarization power spectra, we found that CMB-S4 will be able to achieve a $15\%$ bound on the value of the parameter $\alpha = 1.01^{+0.14}_{-0.18}$. This bound clearly show the ability of CMB-S4 to constrain not only the energy scale of inflation but also the shape of its potential. Enlarging the baseline model to also include the neutrino sector merely reduce the accuracy of $5\%$ leading to $\alpha = 1.07^{+0.18}_{-0.23}$ so that our main conclusions are still valid.

It was recently pointed out that very energetic subclasses of supernovae (SNe), like hypernovae and superluminous SNe, might host ultra-strong magnetic fields in their core. Such fields may catalyze the production of feebly interacting particles, changing the predicted emission rates. Here we consider the case of axion-like particles (ALPs) and show that the predicted large scale magnetic fields in the core contribute significantly to the ALP production, via a coherent conversion of thermal photons. Using recent state-of-the-art SN simulations including magnetohydrodynamics, we find that if ALPs have masses $m_a \sim {\mathcal O}(10)\, \rm MeV$, their emissivity via magnetic conversions is over two orders of magnitude larger than previously estimated. Moreover, the radiative decay of these massive ALPs would lead to a peculiar delay in the arrival times of the daughter photons. Therefore, high-statistics gamma-ray satellites can potentially discover MeV ALPs in an unprobed region of the parameter space and shed light on the magnetohydrodinamical nature of the SN explosion.

We utilize a recently proposed cubic nilpotent superfield to realize inflation in supergravity with the minimal degrees of freedom: the inflaton, graviton, and massive gravitino. As an advantage, the resultant model is free from the catastrophic production of gravitinos due to its vanishing propagation speed. However, the model suffers from the standard gravitino problem, and its viability depends on the mass spectrum and the thermal history of the universe.

We have studied systematically various microscopic properties of a quantum vortex in neutron matter at different temperatures and densities corresponding to different layers of the inner crust of a neutron star. To this end, we have carried out fully self-consistent 3D Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations, using one of the latest nuclear energy-density functionals from the Brussels-Montreal family, which has been developed specifically for applications to neutron superfluidity in neutron-star crusts. By analyzing the flow around the vortex, we have determined the effective radius relevant for the vortex filament model. We have also calculated the specific heat in the presence of the quantum vortex and have shown that it is substantially larger than for a uniform system at low temperatures. We have identified the low temperature limit of the specific heat as being determined by Andreev states inside the vortex core. The typical energy scale associated with Andreev states is defined by the minigap, which we have extracted for various neutron-matter densities. Our results suggest that vortices may be spin-polarized in the crust of magnetars. Finally, we have discussed how to evaluate the specific heat for an arbitrary surface density of vortices, taking into account both the contributions from the vortex core states and from the hydrodynamic flow.

Recently, based on the theory of teleparallel gravity, a simple and ghost free parity violating gravity model was proposed in arXiv:2007.08038, where the Weitzenb\"{o}ck connection was adopted for simplifying the calculations but breaks the local Lorentz symmetry explicitly. In this paper, we restore the local Lorentz symmetry of this model by giving up the Weitzenb\"{o}ck condition or any other extra constraint on the connection. With full local Lorentz covariance, this model is not a pure tetrad theory any more. We also apply the new version of this model to the universe with general Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background. This further generalizes the studies of arXiv:2007.08038 where only the spatially flat background was considered. Through the investigations of this paper, we confirm the results obtained in arXiv:2007.08038 and in addition get some new results.

We systematically study the properties of pure nucleonic and hyperonic magnetic stars using a density-dependent relativistic mean-field (DD-RMF) equations of state. We explore several parameter sets and hyperon coupling schemes within the DD-RMF formalism. We focus on sets that agree with nuclear and other astrophysical data, while generating heavy neutron stars. Magnetic field effects are included in the matter equation of state and in general relativity solutions, which in addition fulfill Maxwell's equations. We find that pure nucleonic matter, even without magnetic field effects, generates neutron stars that satisfy the potential GW190814 mass constraint. However, this is not the case for hyperonic matter, which instead only satisfies the more conservative 2.1 M$_{\odot}$ constraint. In the presence of strong but still realistic internal magnetic fields $\approx 10^{17}$ G, the stellar charged particle population re-leptonizes and de-hyperonizes. As a consequence, magnetic fields stiffen hyperonic equations of state and generate more massive neutron stars, which can satisfy the possible GW190814 mass constraint but present a large deformation with respect to spherical symmetry.

In this work, in the context of modified gravity, a curved spacetime analogous to the "canonical acoustic black hole" is constructed. The source is a self-interacting scalar field which is non-minimally coupled to gravity through the Gauss-Bonnet invariant. The scalar-Gauss-Bonnet coupling function is characterized by three positive parameters: $\sigma$ with units of $(length)$, $\mu$ with units of $(length)^{4}$, and a dimensionless parameter $s$, thus defining a three-parameter model for which the line element of canonical acoustic black hole is a solution. The spacetime is equipped with spherical and static symmetry and has a single horizon determined in Schwarzschild coordinates by the region $r=\mu^{1/4}$. The solution admits a photon sphere at $r=(3\mu)^{1/4}$, and it is shown that in the region $(3\mu)^{1/4}\leq r<\infty$ the scalar field satisfies the null, weak, and strong energy conditions. Nonetheless, the model with $s=1$ has major physical relevance since for this case the scalar field is well defined in the entire region $r\geq\mu^{1/4}$, while for $s\neq1$ the scalar field blows up on the horizon.

We investigate the effect of feeble interaction of dark matter (DM) with hadronic matter on the equation of state (EoS) and structural properties of neutron stars (NSs) in static conditions. For the purpose we adopt the effective chiral model for the hadronic sector and for the first time in the context of possible existence of DM inside NSs, we introduce DM-SM interaction through light new physics mediator. Moreover, the mass of DM fermion, the mediator and the coupling are adopted from the self-interaction constraint from Bullet cluster and from present day relic abundance. Within the considered framework, the work highlights the underlying stiffening of EoS in presence of DM fermion of mass of the order of a few GeV compared to the no-DM scenario. Consequently, the maximum gravitational mass of NS is obtained consistent with the bounds from the most massive pulsars which were not satisfied with the hadronic matter EoS alone. The estimates of radius and tidal deformability of 1.4 $M_{\odot}$ NS and the tidal deformabilities of the individual components of the binary neutron stars (BNS) associated with GW170817 are all in good agreement with the individual constraints obtained from GW170817 observation of BNS merger.

The indirect detection of dark matter particles with mass below the GeV scale has recently received significant attention. Future space-borne gamma-ray telescopes, including All-Sky-ASTROGAM, AMEGO, and GECCO, will probe the MeV gamma-ray sky with unprecedented precision, offering an exciting test of particle dark matter in the MeV-GeV mass range. While it is typically assumed that dark matter annihilates into only one Standard Model final state, this is not the case for realistic dark matter models. In this work we analyze existing indirect detection constraints and the discovery reach of future detectors for the well-motivated Higgs and vector-portal models using our publicly-available code Hazma. In particular, we show how to leverage chiral perturbation theory to compute the dark matter self-annihilation cross sections into final states containing mesons, the strongly-interacting Standard Model dynamical degrees of freedom below the GeV scale. We find that future telescopes could probe dark matter self-annihilation cross sections orders of magnitude smaller than those presently constrained by cosmic microwave background, gamma-ray and terrestrial observations.

The unplaced Fragment D of the Antikythera Mechanism with unknown operation, was a mystery since the beginning of its discovery. The gear r1, which was detected on the Fragment radiographies by C. Karakalos, is preserved in very good condition, but this was not enough to correlate it to the existing gear trainings of the Mechanism. According to recent researches and observations, the planet gearing indication on the Antikythera Mechanism is not probable, so the operation and position of gear r1, was still unknown. Based on Fragment A gearing trains, an ideal operation and proper position of this enigmatic gear/part of the Mechanism, is presented, analyzed and discussed, taking into account all of the mechanical characteristics and the other two parts of the Fragment D, visible in AMRP tomographies. The described operation and position of Fragment D, gives answers on several questions and improves the Mechanism functionality, contributing to the completion of the Antikythera Mechanism puzzle.

Art and science are different ways of exploring the world, but together they have the potential to be thought-provoking, facilitate a science-society dialogue, raise public awareness of science, and develop an understanding of art. For several years, we have been teaching an astro-animation class at the Maryland Institute College of Art as a collaboration between students and NASA scientists. Working in small groups, the students create short animations based on the research of the scientists who are going to follow the projects as mentors. By creating these animations, students bring the power of their imagination to see the research of the scientists through a different lens. Astro-animation is an undergraduate-level course jointly taught by an astrophysicist and an animator. In this paper we present the motivation behind the class, describe the details of how it is carried out, and discuss the interactions between artists and scientists. We describe how such a program offers an effective way for art students, not only to learn about science but to have a glimpse of "science in action". The students have the opportunity to become involved in the process of science as artists, as observers first and potentially through their own art research. Every year, one or more internships at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center have been available for our students in the summer. Two students describe their experiences undertaking these internships and how science affects their creation of animations for this program and in general. We also explain the genesis of our astro-animation program, how it is taught in our animation department, and we present the highlights of an investigation of the effectiveness of this program we carried out with the support of an NEA research grant. In conclusion we discuss how the program may grow in new directions, such as contributing to informal STE(A)M learning.

We present a scalar-tensor theory of gravity on a torsion-free and metric compatible Lyra manifold. This is obtained by generalizing the concept of physical reference frame by considering a scale function defined over the manifold. The choice of a specific frame induces a local base, naturally non-holonomic, whose structure constants give rise to extra terms in the expression of the connection coefficients and in the expression for the covariant derivative. In the Lyra manifold, transformations between reference frames involving both coordinates and scale change the transformation law of tensor fields, when compared to those of the Riemann manifold. From a direct generalization of the Einstein-Hilbert minimal action coupled with a matter term, it was possible to build a Lyra invariant action, which gives rise to the associated Lyra Scalar-Tensor theory of gravity (LyST), with field equations for $g_{\mu\nu}$ and $\phi$. These equations have a well-defined Newtonian limit, from which it can be seen that both metric and scale play a role in the description gravitational interaction. We present a spherically symmetric solution for the LyST gravity field equations. It dependent on two parameters $m$ and $r_{L}$, whose physical meaning is carefully investigated. We highlight the properties of LyST spherically symmetric line element and compare it to Schwarzchild solution.

We shall describe the various activities done by us in Covid Times including outreach and educational workshops in Physics and Astronomy. We shall discuss the caveats in virtual teaching of Astronomy and the lessons learnt in the process.

Previously we presented a numerical model that predicts trajectories of lunar dust, soil, and gravel blown by the engine exhaust of a lunar lander. The model uses the gas density, velocity vector field, and temperature predicted by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) simulations to compute the forces and accelerations acting on the regolith particles, one particle at a time (ignoring particle collisions until more advanced models are developed). Here we present significant improvements to the model, including the implementation of particle drag and lift formulas to account for the rarefaction and compressibility of the flow. It turns out that the drag force is reduced due to the rarefaction, but the lift is increased due to several effects such as particle rotation. A data matrix of particle sizes, engine thrusts (descent and ascent values for Altair), horizontal and vertical starting distances, and lander height above ground, have been tested using the latest version of the software. These results suggest that the previously reported 3 degree trajectory angle limit can be exceeded in several cases by as much as a factor of five. Particles that originate at a height of 1 cm above the surface from an outer crater rim can be propelled to angles of 5 degrees or more. Particles that start at 10 cm above the surface can be ejected with angles of up to 15 degrees. Mechanisms responsible for placing particles at starting heights above the surface may include the kinetics of horizontal collisions, as suggested by Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. We also present results showing the distance particles travel and their impact velocities. We then use the model to evaluate the effectiveness of berms or other methods to block the spray of soil at a lunar landing site.

In the era of gravitational-wave astronomy, general-relativistic simulations of compact objects play a role of paramount importance. These calculations can be performed with the Einstein Toolkit, an open-source and community-supported software for numerical-relativity and relativistic astrophysics. The code comes with multiple solvers for Einstein's equations and for the equations of general-relativistic magneto-hydrodynamics, along with a series of useful diagnostics. However, analyzing the output of the Einstein Toolkit can be a challenging task. Usually, the process involves a series of technical obstacles, like combining data from different restarts or working with HDF5 files. Here, we present kuibit, a Python library that takes care of all these low-level details (and many other more) and that provides high-level, intuitive, representations of the data. Kuibit ships with a wide range of features that include full support for 1-3D ASCII and HDF5 grid data, time and frequency series, gravitational waves, and apparent horizons. With kuibit, users can inspect most of the content of a simulation with just a few lines of code. Importantly, kuibit is designed to be a code for the community: it is user-friendly and does not require any proprietary software to run, it has documentation and examples, and it is openly developed with emphasis on extensibility and maintainability.