Papers for Tuesday, Jun 08 2021

We describe the public release of the Cluster Monte Carlo Code (CMC) a parallel, star-by-star $N$-body code for modeling dense star clusters. CMC treats collisional stellar dynamics using H\'enon's method, where the cumulative effect of many two-body encounters is statistically reproduced as a single effective encounter between nearest-neighbor particles on a relaxation timescale. The star-by-star approach allows for the inclusion of additional physics, including strong gravitational three- and four-body encounters, two-body tidal and gravitational-wave captures, mass loss in arbitrary galactic tidal fields, and stellar evolution for both single and binary stars. The public release of CMC is pinned directly to the COSMIC population synthesis code, allowing dynamical star cluster simulations and population synthesis studies to be performed using identical assumptions about the stellar physics and initial conditions. As a demonstration, we present two examples of star cluster modeling: first, we perform the largest ($N = 10^8$) star-by-star $N$-body simulation of a Plummer sphere evolving to core collapse, reproducing the expected self-similar density profile over more than 15 orders of magnitude; second, we generate realistic models for typical globular clusters, and we show that their dynamical evolution can produce significant numbers of black hole mergers with masses greater than those produced from isolated binary evolution (such as GW190521, a recently reported merger with component masses in the pulsational pair-instability mass gap).

Measurement of macroscopic properties of neutron stars, whether in binary or in an isolated system, provides us a key opportunity to place a stringent constraint on its equation of state. In this {\em letter}, we perform Bayesian model-selection on a wide variety of neutron star equation of state using multi-messenger observations. In particular, (i) we use the mass and tidal deformability measurement from two binary neutron star merger event, GW170817 and GW190425; (ii) simultaneous mass-radius measurement of PSR J0030+0451 and PSR J0740+6620 by NICER collaboration, while the latter has been analyzed by joint NICER/radio/XMM-Newton collaboration. Among the 31 equations of state considered in this analysis, we are able to rule out 7 of them decisively, which are either extremely stiff or soft equations of state. The most preferred equation of state model turns out to be AP3, which predicts the radius and tidal deformability of a $1.4 M_{\odot}$ neutron star to be 12.10 km and 393 respectively.

Red quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) are a subset of the quasar population with colours consistent with reddening due to intervening dust. Recent work has demonstrated that red QSOs show special radio properties that fundamentally distinguish them from normal blue QSOs, specifically a higher incidence of low-power radio emission (1.4 GHz luminosities L$_{\rm 1.4} \approx 10^{25}$ - $10^{27}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) that is physically compact when imaged by arcsecond-resolution radio surveys such as FIRST. In this work, we present e-MERLIN imaging of a set of intermediate-redshift ($1.0<z<1.55$), luminous (bolometric luminosities L$_{bol} \approx 10^{46}$ - $10^{47}$ erg s$^{-1}$) red and normal QSOs carefully selected to have radio properties that span the range over which red QSOs show the most divergence from the general population. With an angular resolution $\times25$ better than FIRST, we resolve structures within the host galaxies of these QSOs ($> 2$ kpc). We report a statistically significant difference in the incidence of extended kpc-scale emission in red QSOs. From an analysis of the radio size distributions of the sample, we find that the excess radio emission in red QSOs can be attributed to structures that are confined to galaxy scales ($< 10$ kpc), while we confirm previous results that red and normal QSOs have similar incidences of radio jets and lobes on circumgalactic or larger scales ($> 10$ kpc). Our results indicate that the primary mechanism that generates the enhanced radio emission in red QSOs is not directly connected with the nuclear engine or accretion disc, but is likely to arise from extended components such as AGN-driven jets or winds.

The interpretation of potentially new and already known stellar structures located at low-latitudes is hindered by the presence of dense gas and dust, as observations toward these sight-lines are limited. We have identified APOGEE stars belonging to the low-latitude globular clusters 2MASS-GC02 and Terzan 4, presenting the first chemical element abundances of stars residing in these poorly studied clusters. As expected, the signature of multiple populations co-existing in these metal-rich clusters is evident. We redetermine the radial velocity of 2MASS-GC02 to be -87 +- 7 km/s, finding that this cluster's heliocentric radial velocity is offset by more than 150 km/s from the literature value. We investigate a potentially new low-latitude stellar structure, a kiloparsec-scale nuclear disk (or ring) which has been put forward to explain a high-velocity (V_{GSR} ~200 km/s) peak reported in several Galactic bulge fields based on the APOGEE commissioning observations. New radial velocities of field stars at (l,b)=(-6,0) are presented and combined with the APOGEE observations at negative longitudes to carry out this search. Unfortunately no prominent -200 km/s peak at negative longitudes along the plane of the Milky Way is apparent, as predicted for the signature of a nuclear feature. The distances and Gaia EDR3 proper motions of the high-V_{GSR} stars do not support the current models of stars on bar-supporting orbits as an explanation of the +200 km/s peak.

Narrow-band imaging surveys allow the study of the spectral characteristics of galaxies without the need of performing their spectroscopic follow-up. In this work, we forward-model the Physics of the Accelerating Universe Survey (PAUS) narrow-band data. The aim is to improve the constraints on the spectral coefficients used to create the galaxy spectral energy distributions (SED) of the galaxy population model in Tortorelli et al. 2020. In that work, the model parameters were inferred from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey (CFHTLS) data using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). This led to stringent constraints on the B-band galaxy luminosity function parameters, but left the spectral coefficients only broadly constrained. To address that, we perform an ABC inference using CFHTLS and PAUS data. This is the first time our approach combining forward-modelling and ABC is applied simultaneously to multiple datasets. We test the results of the ABC inference by comparing the narrow-band magnitudes of the observed and simulated galaxies using Principal Component Analysis, finding a very good agreement. Furthermore, we prove the scientific potential of the constrained galaxy population model to provide realistic stellar population properties by measuring them with the SED fitting code CIGALE. We use CFHTLS broad-band and PAUS narrow-band photometry for a flux-limited ($\mathrm{i}<22.5$) sample of galaxies spanning the redshift range $\mathrm{0<z<1.0}$. We find that properties like stellar masses, star-formation rates, mass-weighted stellar ages and metallicities are in agreement within errors between observations and simulations. Overall, this work shows the ability of our galaxy population model to correctly forward-model a complex dataset such as PAUS and the ability to reproduce the diversity of galaxy properties at the redshift range spanned by CFHTLS and PAUS.

We present follow-up photometry and spectroscopy of ZTF J0328$-$1219 strengthening its status as a white dwarf exhibiting transiting planetary debris. Using TESS and Zwicky Transient Facility photometry, along with follow-up high speed photometry from various observatories, we find evidence for two significant periods of variability at 9.937 and 11.2 hr. We interpret these as most likely the orbital periods of different debris clumps. Changes in the detailed dip structures within the light curves are observed on nightly, weekly, and monthly timescales, reminiscent of the dynamic behavior observed in the first white dwarf discovered to harbor a disintegrating asteroid, WD 1145+017. We fit previously published spectroscopy along with broadband photometry to obtain new atmospheric parameters for the white dwarf, with $M_{\star} = 0.731 \pm 0.023\,M_{\odot}$, $T_{\mathrm{eff}} = 7630 \pm 140\,$K, and $\mathrm{[Ca/He]}=-9.55\pm0.12$. With new high-resolution spectroscopy, we detect prominent and narrow Na D absorption features likely of circumstellar origin, with velocities $21.4\pm1.0$ km s$^{-1}$ blue-shifted relative to atmospheric lines. We attribute the periodically modulated photometric signal to dusty effluents from small orbiting bodies such as asteroids or comets, but are unable to identify the most likely material that is being sublimated, or otherwise ejected, as the environmental temperatures range from roughly 400K to 600K.

Circumstellar discs may become warped or broken into distinct planes if there is a stellar or planetary companion with an orbit that is misaligned with respect to the disc. There is mounting observational evidence for protoplanetary discs with misaligned inner discs and warps that may be caused by such interactions with a previously undetected companion, giving us a tantalising indication of possible planets forming there. Hydrodynamical and radiative transfer models indicate that the temperature varies azimuthally in warped discs due to the variable angle at which the disc surface faces the star and this impacts the disc chemistry. We perform chemical modelling based on a hydrodynamical model of a protoplanetary disc with an embedded planet orbiting at a 12$^{\circ}$ inclination to the disc. Even for this small misalignment, abundances of species including CO and HCO$^+$ vary azimuthally and this results in detectable azimuthal variations in submillimetre line emission. Azimuthal variations in line emission may therefore indicate the presence of an unseen embedded companion. Nonaxisymmetric chemical abundances should be considered when interpreting molecular line maps of warped or shadowed protoplanetary discs.

The NASA concept mission ORCAS (Orbiting Configurable Artificial Star) aims to provide near diffraction-limited angular resolution at visible and near-infrared wavelengths using laser signals from space-based cubesats as Adaptive Optics beacons for ground-based 8-30 meter telescopes, in particular the 10 meter Keck Telescopes. When built as designed, ORCAS+Keck would deliver images of ~0.01-0.02" FWHM at 0.5-1.2 micron wavelength that reach AB<31 mag for point sources in a few hours over a 5x5" FOV that includes IFU capabilities. We summarize the potential of high-resolution faint galaxy science with ORCAS. We show that the ability to detect optical-near-IR point sources with r_e>0.01" FWHM to AB<31 mag will yield about 5.0x10^6 faint star-forming (SF) clumps per square degree, or ~0.4 per arcsec^2. From recent HST lensing data, the typical intrinsic (unlensed) sizes of SF clumps at z~1-7 will be r_e ~1-80 m.a.s. to AB<31 mag, with intrinsic (unmagnified) fluxes as faint as AB<35-36 mag when searching with ORCAS around the critical curves of lensing clusters imaged with HST and JWST. About half of these SF clumps will have sizes below the ORCAS diffraction limit, and the other half will be slightly resolved, but still mostly above the ORCAS surface brightness (SB) limits. ORCAS will address how galaxies assemble from smaller clumps to stable disks by measuring ages, metallicities, and gradients of clumps within galaxies. ORCAS can monitor caustic transits of individual stars in SF clumps at z>1-2 that have been detected with HST, and those that may be detected with JWST at z>6 at extreme magnifications (mu>10^3-10^5) for the first stars and their stellar mass black hole accretion disks. ORCAS provides a unique opportunity to obtain a statistical census of individual stars at cosmological distances, leveraging the largest telescopes only available on the ground.

The $\Lambda$CDM cosmology passes demanding tests that establish it as a good approximation to reality, but it could be improved. I present a list of possibly interesting and less well explored things that might yield hints to a better theory.

Intergalactic magnetic fields in the voids of the large-scale structure can be probed via measurements of secondary gamma-ray emission from gamma-ray interactions with extragalactic background light. Lower bounds on the magnetic field in the voids were derived from the non-detection of this emission. It is not clear a-priori what kind of magnetic field is responsible for the suppression of the secondary gamma-ray flux: a cosmological magnetic field that might be filling the voids or the field spread by galactic winds driven by star formation and active galactic nuclei. Here we use IllustrisTNG cosmological simulations to study the influence of magnetized galactic wind bubbles on the secondary gamma-ray flux. We show that within the IllustrisTNG model of baryonic feedback, the galactic wind bubbles typically provide energy-independent secondary flux suppression at the level of about 10%. The observed flux suppression effect has to be due to the cosmological magnetic field in the voids. This might not be the case for a special case when the primary gamma-ray source has a hard intrinsic gamma-ray spectrum peaking in the energy range above 50 TeV. In this case, the observational data may be strongly affected by the magnetized bubble blown by the source host galaxy.

The mass of a supermassive black hole ($M_\mathrm{BH}$) is a fundamental property that can be obtained through observational methods. Constraining $M_\mathrm{BH}$ through multiple methods for an individual galaxy is important for verifying the accuracy of different techniques, and for investigating the assumptions inherent in each method. NGC 4151 is one of those rare galaxies for which multiple methods can be used: stellar and gas dynamical modeling because of its proximity ($D=15.8\pm0.4$ Mpc from Cepheids), and reverberation mapping because of its active accretion. In this work, we re-analyzed $H-$band integral field spectroscopy of the nucleus of NGC 4151 from Gemini NIFS, improving the analysis at several key steps. We then constructed a wide range of axisymmetric dynamical models with the new orbit-superposition code Forstand. One of our primary goals is to quantify the systematic uncertainties in $M_\mathrm{BH}$ arising from different combinations of the deprojected density profile, inclination, intrinsic flattening, and mass-to-light ratio. As a consequence of uncertainties on the stellar luminosity profile arising from the presence of the AGN, our constraints on \mbh are rather weak. Models with a steep central cusp are consistent with no black hole; however, in models with more moderate cusps, the black hole mass lies within the range of $0.25\times10^7\,M_\odot \lesssim M_\mathrm{BH} \lesssim 3\times10^7\,M_\odot$. This measurement is somewhat smaller than the earlier analysis presented by Onken et al., but agrees with previous $M_\mathrm{BH}$ values from gas dynamical modeling and reverberation mapping. Future dynamical modeling of reverberation data, as well as IFU observations with JWST, will aid in further constraining $M_\mathrm{BH}$ in NGC 4151.

{In order to understand the emergence of the active region, we investigate the emerging process and magnetic properties of a naked anti-Hale active region during the period between August 24 to 25, 2018.} {Using the data from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Soar Dynamic Observatory and the New Vacuum Solar Telescope, we calculated different evolving parameters (such as pole separation, tilt angle) and magnetic parameters (such as vertical electric current, force-free parameter, relative magnetic helicity) during the emergence of the active region. With these calculated parameters and some reasonable assumptions, we use two different methods to estimate the twist of the active region.} {The magnetic flux and pole separation continue increasing while the tilt angle exhibits a decreasing pattern during the emergence of the active region. The increase of the pole separation is mainly contributed as a result of the enhancement in the longitude direction. A power-law relationship between pole separation and total flux is found during the emergence of the active region. On the other hand, it is found that both the positive and negative electric currents increased equivalently and the average flux-weighted force-free parameter $\tilde \alpha$ remains almost consistently positive, on the order of $\sim$ 10$^{-8}$ m$^{-1}$. The relative magnetic helicity is mainly contributed by the shear term, while the relative magnetic helicity injection flux of the shear term changes its sign at the latter stage of the emergence. The twist number of the whole active region remains on the order of 10$^{-1}$ turns during the emergence of the active region.} {We find that the magnetic flux tube with low twist also could emerge into the solar atmosphere.}

The so-called regularized Biot-Savart laws (RBSLs) provide an efficient and flexible method for modeling pre-eruptive magnetic configurations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) whose characteristics are constrained by observational images and magnetic-field data. This method allows one to calculate the field of magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) with small circular cross-sections and an arbitrary axis shape. The field of the whole configuration is constructed as a superposition of (1) such a flux-rope field and (2) an ambient potential field derived, for example, from an observed magnetogram. The RBSL kernels are determined from the requirement that the MFR field for a straight cylinder must be exactly force-free. For a curved MFR, however, the magnetic forces are generally unbalanced over the whole path of the MFR. To minimize these forces, we apply a modified Gauss-Newton method to find optimal MFR parameters. This is done by iteratively adjusting the MFR axis path and axial current. We then try to relax the resulting optimized configuration in a subsequent line-tied zero-beta magnetohydrodynamic simulation toward a force-free equilibrium. By considering two models of the sigmoidal pre-eruption configuration for the 2009 February 13 CME, we demonstrate how this approach works and what it is capable of. We show, in particular, that the building blocks of the core magnetic structure described by these models match to morphological features typically observed in such type of configurations. Our method will be useful for both the modeling of particular eruptive events and theoretical studies of idealized pre-eruptive MFR configurations.

Magnetic reconnection, a plasma process converting magnetic energy to particle kinetic energy, is often invoked to explain magnetic energy releases powering high-energy flares in astrophysical sources including pulsar wind nebulae and black hole jets. Reconnection is usually seen as the (essentially 2D) nonlinear evolution of the tearing instability disrupting a thin current sheet. To test how this process operates in 3D, we conduct a comprehensive particle-in-cell simulation study comparing 2D and 3D evolution of long, thin current sheets in moderately-magnetized, collisionless, relativistically-hot electron-positron plasma, and find dramatic differences. We first systematically characterize this process in 2D, where classic, hierarchical plasmoid-chain reconnection determines energy release, and explore a wide range of initial configurations, guide magnetic field strengths, and system sizes. We then show that 3D simulations of similar configurations exhibit a diversity of behaviours, including some where energy release is determined by the nonlinear relativistic drift-kink instability. Thus, 3D current-sheet evolution is not always fundamentally classical reconnection with perturbing 3D effects, but, rather, a complex interplay of multiple linear and nonlinear instabilities whose relative importance depends sensitively on the ambient plasma, minor configuration details, and even stochastic events. It often yields slower but longer-lasting and ultimately greater magnetic energy release than in 2D. Intriguingly, nonthermal particle acceleration is astonishingly robust, depending on the upstream magnetization and guide field, but otherwise yielding similar particle energy spectra in 2D and 3D. Though the variety of underlying current-sheet behaviours is interesting, the similarities in overall energy release and particle spectra may be more remarkable.

Within the framework of Galileon inflation with quartic and natural potentials, we investigate generation of the primordial black holes (PBHs) and induced gravitational waves (GWs). In this setup, we consider a Galileon function as $G(\phi)=g_I(\phi)\big(1+g_{II}(\phi)\big)$ and show that in the presence of first term $g_I(\phi)$ both quartic and natural potentials, in contrast to the standard model of inflation, can be consistent, with the 68\% CL of Planck observations. Besides, the second term $g_{II}(\phi)$ can cause a significant enhancement in the primordial curvature perturbations at the small scales which results the PBHs formation. For the both potentials, we obtain an enhancement in the scalar power spectrum at the scales $k\sim10^{12}~\rm Mpc^{-1}$, $10^{8}~\rm Mpc^{-1}$, and $10^{5}~\rm Mpc^{-1}$, which causes PBHs production in mass scales around $10^{-13}M_{\odot}$, $10^{-5}M_{\odot}$, and $10 M_{\odot}$, respectively. Observational constraints confirm that PBHs with a mass scale of $10^{-13}M_{\odot}$ can constitute the total of dark matter in the universe. Furthermore, we estimate the energy density parameter of induced GWs which can be examined by the observation. Also we conclude that it can be parametrized as a power-law function $\Omega_{\rm GW}\sim (f/f_c)^n$, where the power index equals $n=3-2/\ln(f_c/f)$ in the infrared limit $f\ll f_{c}$.

We analyse photometry of $\sim$2000 Galactic Cepheids available in the OGLE Collection of Variable Stars. We analyse both Galactic disk and Galactic bulge fields; stars classified both as single- and multi-periodic. Our goal was to search for additional low-amplitude variability. We extend the sample of multi-mode radial pulsators by identifying ten new candidates for double-mode and six new candidates for triple-mode pulsation. In the first overtone OGLE sample, we found twelve Cepheids with additional periodicity having period ratio $P_{\rm x}/P_{\rm 1O}\in (0.60,\, 0.65)$. These periodicities do not correspond to any other radial mode. While such variables are abundant in the Magellanic Clouds, only one Cepheid of this class was known in the Galaxy before our analysis. Comparing our sample with the Magellanic Cloud Cepheids we note a systematic shift towards longer pulsation periods for more metal rich Galactic stars. Moreover in eleven stars we find one more type of additional variability, with characteristic frequencies close to half of that reported in the group with (0.60,\, 0.65) period ratios. Two out of the above inventory show simultaneous presence of both signals. Most likely, origin of these signals is connected to excitation of non-radial pulsation modes. We report three Cepheids with low-amplitude periodic modulation of pulsation: two stars are single-mode fundamental and first overtone Cepheids and one is a double-mode Cepheid pulsating simultaneously in fundamental and in first overtone modes. Only the former mode is modulated. It is a first detection of periodic modulation of pulsation in this type of double-mode Cepheids.

We develop a model for the radio afterglow of the giant flare of SGR 1806-20 arising due to the interaction of magnetically-dominated cloud, an analogue of Solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), with the interstellar medium (ISM). The CME is modeled as a spheromak-like configuration. The CME is first advected with the magnetar's wind and later interacts with the ISM, creating a strong forward shock and complicated backwards exhaust flow. Using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we study various relative configurations of the magnetic field of the CME with respect to the ISM's magnetic field. We show that the dynamics of the forward shock mostly follows the Sedov-Taylor blastwave, while the internal structure of the shocked medium is considerably modified by the back flow, creating a multiple shock configuration. We calculate synthetic synchrotron emissivity maps and light curves using two assumptions: (i) magnetic field compression; (ii) amplification of the magnetic field at the shock.We find that models with magnetic field amplification account better for the observed radio emission.

We propose an analytical parametrization of the comoving distance and Hubble parameter to study the cosmic expansion history beyond the vanilla $\Lambda$CDM model. The parametrization is generalized enough to include the contribution of spatial curvature and to capture the higher redshift behaviors. With this parameterization, we study the late time cosmic behavior and put constraints on the cosmological parameters like present values of Hubble parameter ($H_{0}$), matter energy density parameter ($\Omega_{m0}$), spatial curvature energy density parameter ($\Omega_{k0}$) and baryonic matter energy density parameter ($\Omega_{b0}$) using different combinations data like CMB (Cosmic microwave background), BAO (baryon acoustic oscillation), and SN (Pantheon sample for type Ia supernovae). We also rigorously study the Hubble tension in the framework of late time modification from the standard $\Lambda$CDM model. We find that the late time modification of the cosmic expansion can solve the Hubble tension between CMB $\&$ SHOES (local distance ladder observation for $H_{0}$), between CMB+BAO $\&$ SHOES and between CMB+SN $\&$ SHOES, but the late time modification can not solve the Hubble tension between CMB+BAO+SN and SHOES. That means CMB, BAO, and SN data combined put strong enough constraints on $H_{0}$ (even with varying $\Omega_{k0}$) and on other background cosmological parameters so that the addition of $H_{0}$ prior from SHOES (or from similar other local distance observations) can not significantly pull the $H_{0}$ value towards the corresponding SHOES value.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are one of the most energetic explosions in the solar atmosphere, and their occurrence rates exhibit obvious solar cycle dependence with more events taking place around solar maximum. Composition of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs), referring to the charge states and elemental abundances of ions, opens an important avenue to investigate CMEs. In this paper, we conduct a statistical study on the charge states of five elements (Mg, Fe, Si, C, and O) and the relative abundances of six elements (Mg/O, Fe/O, Si/O, C/O, Ne/O, and He/O) within ICMEs from 1998 to 2011, and find that all the ICME compositions possess the solar cycle dependence. All of the ionic charge states and most of the relative elemental abundances are positively correlated with sunspot numbers (SSNs), and only the C/O ratios are inversely correlated with the SSNs. The compositions (except the C/O) increase with the SSNs during the ascending phase (1998--2000 and 2009--2011) and remain elevated during solar maximum and descending phase (2000--2005) compared to solar minimum (2007--2009). The charge states of low-FIP (first ionization potential) elements (Mg, Fe, and Si) and their relative abundances are correlated well, while no clear correlation is observed between the C$^{6+}$/C$^{5+}$ or C$^{6+}$/C$^{4+}$ and C/O. Most interestingly, we find that the Ne/O ratios of ICMEs and slow solar wind have the opposite solar cycle dependence.

In recent years some efforts have been made to identify active sources capable of accelerating particles up to $10^{15}$ eV, known as PeVatrons. Measurements of TeV ($10^{12}$ eV) gamma-rays from supernova remnants (SNRs) have shown that efficient particle acceleration can occur in SNR diffusive shocks. In this paper, we obtain the contribution to the high energy and very-high-energy gamma-ray (VHE, $E > 100$ GeV) emission due to cosmic-ray acceleration from Supernova Remnant G57.2+0.8 hosting the Soft Gamma Repeater (SGR) J1935+2154 with the use of the GALPROP code. To do so, we take into account the SNR + SGR association as a single source close to the Galactic center. We propose that the above setting can provide a more comprehensive scenario for the generation of GeV-TeV gamma-rays. We also discuss the contribution from the SNR G57.2+0.8 and SGR J1935+2154 region to the diffusive TeV energy gamma-ray emission from the Galactic center.

Using hydrodynamical simulations, we study how well the underlying gravitational potential of a galaxy cluster can be modelled dynamically with different types of tracers. In order to segregate different systematics and the effects of varying estimator performances, we first focus on applying a generic minimal assumption method (oPDF) to model the simulated haloes using the full 6-D phasespace information. We show that the halo mass and concentration can be recovered in an ensemble unbiased way, with a stochastic bias that varies from halo to halo, mostly reflecting deviations from steady state in the tracer distribution. The typical systematic uncertainty is $\sim 0.17$ dex in the virial mass and $\sim 0.17$ dex in the concentration as well when dark matter particles are used as tracers. The dynamical state of satellite galaxies are close to that of dark matter particles, while intracluster stars are less in a steady state, resulting in a $\sim$ 0.26 dex systematic uncertainty in mass. Compared with galactic haloes hosting Milky-Way-like galaxies, cluster haloes show a larger stochastic bias in the recovered mass profiles. We also test the accuracy of using intracluster gas as a dynamical tracer modelled through a generalised hydrostatic equilibrium equation, and find a comparable systematic uncertainty in the estimated mass to that using dark matter. Lastly, we demonstrate that our conclusions are largely applicable to other steady-state dynamical models including the spherical Jeans equation, by quantitatively segregating their statistical efficiencies and robustness to systematics. We also estimate the limiting number of tracers that leads to the systematics-dominated regime in each case.

The physical mechanism for triggering the changing-look phenomenon in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is still unclear. We explore this issue based on the multi-wavelength spectral and flux variations for a changing-look AGN Mrk~1018 with long-term observations in the X-ray, optical/ultraviolet(UV), and radio bands. Both the optical and the X-ray emission experience rapid decay in changing-look phase during 2010--2015, where a re-flare appears in the optical/UV and X-ray bands. We find a time lag of $\sim 20 $ days of optical/UV behind X-ray variations in type 1.9 phase. The 5 GHz radio flux decreases by $\sim 20$\% in type 1.9 phase during 2016--2017. We find both X-ray photon index ($\Gamma$) and the optical-to-X-ray spectral index (\alphaox\,) are anti-correlated with the Eddington scaled 2--10~keV X-ray luminosity ($L_\mathrm{X}/L_\mathrm{Edd}$) in the type 1.9 phase. However, the type 1 phase deviates from these two anti-correlations, which suggests that the change of broad emission lines might be regulated by the evolution of accretion disk (e.g., disappearing of the inner cold disk in the type 1.9 phase).

The phenomenon of Faraday rotation of linearly polarized synchrotron emission in a magneto-ionized medium has been understood and studied for decades. But since the sense of the rotation itself is irrelevant in most contexts, some uncertainty and inconsistencies have arisen in the literature about this detail. Here, we start from basic plasma theory to describe the propagation of polarized emission from a background radio source through a magnetized, ionized medium in order to rederive the correct sense of Faraday rotation. We present simple graphics to illustrate the decomposition of a linearly polarized wave into right and left circularly polarized modes, the temporal and spatial propagation of the phases of those modes, and the resulting physical rotation of the polarization orientation. We then re-examine the case of a medium that both Faraday-rotates and emits polarized radiation and show how a helical magnetic field can construct or destruct the Faraday rotation. This paper aims to resolve a source of confusion that has arisen between the plasma physics and radio astronomy communities and to help avoid common pitfalls when working with this unintuitive phenomenon.

The distribution of visual interstellar extinction $A_V$ has been mapped in selected areas over the Northern sky, using available LAMOST DR5 and Gaia DR2/EDR3 data. $A_V$ was modelled as a barometric function of galactic latitude and distance. The function parameters were then approximated by spherical harmonics. The resulting analytical tridimensional model of the interstellar extinction can be used to predict $A_V$ values for stars with known parallaxes, as well as the total Galactic extinction in a given location in the sky.

The continuum-fitting and the iron-line methods are currently the two leading techniques for measuring the spins of accreting black holes. In the past few years, these two methods have been developed for testing fundamental physics. In the present work, we employ state-of-the-art models to test black holes through the continuum-fitting and the iron-line methods and we analyze three NuSTAR observations of the black hole binary GRS 1716-249 during its outburst in 2016-2017. In these three observations, the source was in a hard-intermediate state and the spectra show both a strong thermal component and prominent relativistic reflection features. Our analysis confirms the Kerr nature of the black hole in GRS 1716-249 and provides quite stringent constraints on possible deviations from the predictions of general relativity.

We consider a scenario of modified gravity, which is generic to late-time acceleration, namely, acceleration in the Jordan frame and no acceleration in the Einstein frame. The possibility is realized by assuming an interaction between dark matter and the baryonic component in the Einstein frame which is removed by going to the Jordan frame using a disformal transformation giving rise to an exotic effective fluid responsible for causing phantom crossing at late times. In this scenario, past evolution is not distinguished from $\Lambda$CDM but late time dynamics is generically different due to the presence of phantom crossing that causes a monotonous increase in the expansion rate giving rise to distinctive late-time cosmic feature. The latter can play a crucial role in addressing the tension between the observed value of Hubble parameter by CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background) measurements and the local observations. We demonstrate that the Hubble tension significantly reduces in the scenario under consideration for the chosen scale factor parametrizations. The estimated age of the universe in the model is well within the observational bounds in the low and high red-shift regimes.

Hot accretion flows contain collisionless plasmas that are believed to be capable of accelerating particles to very high energies, as a result of turbulence generated by the magnetorotational instability (MRI). We conduct unstratified shearing-box simulations of the MRI turbulence in ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), and inject energetic (relativistic) test particles in simulation snapshots to conduct a detailed investigation on particle diffusion and stochastic acceleration. We consider different amount of net vertical magnetic flux to achieve different disk magnetizations levels at saturated states, with sufficiently high resolution to resolve the gyro-radii ($R_g$) of most particles. Particles with large $R_g$ ($\gtrsim0.03$ disk scale height $H$) show spatial diffusion coefficients of $\sim30$ and $\sim5$ times Bohm values in the azimuthal and poloidal directions, respectively. We further measure particle momentum diffusion coefficient $D(p)$ by applying the Fokker-Planck equation to particle momentum evolution. For these particles, contribution from turbulent fluctuations scales as $D(p)\propto p$, and shear acceleration takes over when $R_g\gtrsim0.1H$, characterized by $D(p)\propto p^3$. For particles with smaller $R_g$ ($\lesssim0.03H$), their spatial diffusion coefficients roughly scale as $\sim p^{-1}$, and show evidence of $D(p)\propto p^2$ scaling in momentum diffusion but with large uncertainties. We find that multiple effects contribute to stochastic acceleration/deceleration, and the process is also likely affected by intermittency in the MRI turbulence. We also discuss the potential of accelerating PeV cosmic-rays in hot accretion flows around supermassive black holes.

In the late 1990's, observations of 93 Type Ia supernovae were analysed in the framework of the FLRW cosmology assuming these to be `standard(isable) candles'. It was thus inferred that the Hubble expansion rate is accelerating as if driven by a positive Cosmological Constant $\Lambda$. This is still the only direct evidence for the `dark energy' that is the dominant component of the standard $\Lambda$CDM cosmological model. Other data such as BAO, CMB anisotropies, stellar ages, the rate of structure growth, etc are all `concordant' with this model but do not provide independent evidence for accelerated expansion. Analysis of a larger sample of 740 SNe Ia shows that these are not quite standard candles, and highlights the "corrections" applied to analyse the data in the FLRW framework. The latter holds in the reference frame in which the CMB is isotropic, whereas observations are made in our heliocentric frame in which the CMB has a large dipole anisotropy. This is assumed to be of kinematic origin i.e. due to our non-Hubble motion driven by local inhomogeneity in the matter distribution. The $\Lambda$CDM model predicts how this peculiar velocity should fall off as the averaging scale is raised and the universe becomes sensibly homogeneous. However observations of the local `bulk flow' are inconsistent with this expectation and convergence to the CMB frame is not seen. Moreover the kinematic interpretation implies a corresponding dipole in the sky distribution of high redshift quasars, which is rejected by observations at 4.9$\sigma$. The acceleration of the Hubble expansion rate is also anisotropic at 3.9$\sigma$ and aligned with the bulk flow. Thus dark energy may be an artefact of analysing data assuming that we are idealised observers in an FLRW universe, when in fact the real universe is inhomogeneous and anisotropic out to distances large enough to impact on cosmological analyses.

Spectropolarimetric measurements of gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical afterglows contain polarization information for both continuum and absorption lines. Based on the Zeeman effect, an absorption line in a strong magnetic field is polarized and split into a triplet. In this paper, we solve the polarization radiative transfer equations of the absorption lines, and obtain the degree of linear polarization of the absorption lines as a function of the optical depth. In order to effectively measure the degree of linear polarization for the absorption lines, a magnetic field strength of at least $10^3$ G is required. The metal elements that produce the polarized absorption lines should be sufficiently abundant and have large oscillation strengths or Einstein absorption coefficients. We encourage both polarization measurements and high-dispersion observations of the absorption lines in order to detect the triplet structure in early GRB optical afterglows.

It is a fact that interstellar formation processes are thermodynamically affected. Based on this, the seven heterocycles; imidazole, pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrrole, quinoline, isoquinoline and furan that have been searched for from different astronomical sources with only upper limits of their column density determined without any successful detection remain the best candidates for astronomical observation with respect to their isomers. These molecules are believed to be formed on the surface of the interstellar dust grains and as such, they are susceptible to interstellar hydrogen bonding. In this study, a two way approach using ab initio quantum chemical simulations is considered in optimizing the searches for these molecules in interstellar medium. Firstly, these molecules and their isomers are subjected to the effect of interstellar hydrogen bonding. Secondly, the deuterated analogues of these heterocycles are examined for their possible detectability. From the results, all the heterocycles except furan are found to be strongly bonded to the surfaces of the interstellar dust grains thereby reducing their abundances, thus contributing to their unsuccessful detection. Successful detection of furan remains highly feasible. With respect to their D-analogues, the computed Boltzmann factor indicates that they are formed under the dense molecular cloud conditions where major deuterium fractionation dominates implying very high D/H ratio above the cosmic D/H ratio which suggests the detectability of these deuterated species.

Primordial black holes (PBH) could account for all or part of dark matter, as well as for some LIGO events. We discuss the spins of primordial black holes produced in different cosmological scenarios, with the emphasis on recently discovered possibilities. PBHs produced as a horizon-size collapse of density perturbations are known to have very small spins. In contrast, PBHs resulting from assembly of matter-like objects (particles, Q-balls, oscillons, etc.) can have large or small spins depending on their formation history and the efficiency of radiative cooling. Gravitational waves astronomy offers an opportunity to determine the spins of black holes, opening a new window on the early universe if, indeed, some black holes have primordial origin.

We present a database created within the project on studying edge-on galaxies. These galaxies provide a unique opportunity to study the three-dimensional distribution of the matter in galaxy disks, which is extremely important for analyzing the influence of internal and external factors on the evolution of galaxies. For the moment, extensive observed material has been accumulated on the kinematics and photometry of such galaxies. The database is designed to organize information, make it easier to visualize, and to improve works on studying this type of objects. The database combines information from previous catalogs on edge-on galaxies and data from current projects; provides access to astrometric and photometric data; carries out interconnection with other databases. The present paper describes the structure and web-access to the database: https://www.sao.ru/edgeon/

The highly-substructured outskirts of the Magellanic Clouds provide ideal locations for studying the complex interaction history between both Clouds and the Milky Way (MW). In this paper, we investigate the origin of a >20$^\circ$ long arm-like feature in the northern outskirts of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using data from the Magellanic Edges Survey (MagES) and Gaia EDR3. We study the metallicity, structure, and kinematics of the arm, finding it has a similar geometry and [Fe/H] abundance to the nearby outer LMC disk, and is likely comprised of perturbed disk material. Whilst the azimuthal velocity and velocity dispersions along the arm are consistent with those in the outer LMC, the in-plane radial velocity and out-of-plane vertical velocity are significantly perturbed from equilibrium disk kinematics. Comparison with a new suite of dynamical models of the Magellanic/MW system reveals the tidal force of the MW during the LMC's infall is primarily responsible for the formation of the arm. Close LMC/SMC interactions within the past Gyr, particularly the SMC's pericentric passage ~150 Myr ago and a recent SMC crossing of the LMC disk plane ~400 Myr ago, do not perturb stars that today comprise the arm, and are instead likely responsible for structures in the western LMC disk. Nonetheless, historical interactions with the SMC prior to ~1 Gyr ago may be required to explain some of the observed kinematic properties of the arm, in particular a strongly negative in-plane radial velocity.

We present LMT/AzTEC 1.1mm observations of $\sim100$ luminous high-redshift dusty star-forming galaxy candidates from the $\sim600\,$sq.deg $Herschel$-ATLAS survey, selected on the basis of their SPIRE red far-infrared colours and with $S_{500\mu\rm m}=35-80$ mJy. With an effective $\theta_{\rm FWHM}\approx9.5\,$ arcsec angular resolution, our observations reveal that at least 9 per cent of the targets break into multiple systems with SNR $\geq 4$ members. The fraction of multiple systems increases to $\sim23\,$ per cent (or more) if some non-detected targets are considered multiples, as suggested by the data. Combining the new AzTEC and deblended $Herschel$ photometry we derive photometric redshifts, IR luminosities, and star formation rates. While the median redshifts of the multiple and single systems are similar $(z_{\rm med}\approx3.6)$, the redshift distribution of the latter is skewed towards higher redshifts. Of the AzTEC sources $\sim85\,$ per cent lie at $z_{\rm phot}>3$ while $\sim33\,$ per cent are at $z_{\rm phot}>4$. This corresponds to a lower limit on the space density of ultra-red sources at $4<z<6$ of $\sim3\times10^{-7}\, \textrm{Mpc}^{-3}$ with a contribution to the obscured star-formation of $\gtrsim 8\times10^{-4}\, \textrm{M}_\odot \textrm{yr}^{-1} \textrm{Mpc}^{-3}$. Some of the multiple systems have members with photometric redshifts consistent among them suggesting possible physical associations. Given their angular separations, these systems are most likely galaxy over-densities and/or early-stage pre-coalescence mergers. Finally, we present 3mm LMT/RSR spectroscopic redshifts of six red-$Herschel$ galaxies at $z_{\rm spec}=3.85-6.03$, two of them (at $z \sim 4.7$) representing new redshift confirmations. Here we release the AzTEC and deblended $Herschel$ photometry as well as catalogues of the most promising interacting systems and $z>4$ galaxies.

Small-scale magnetic fields are not only the fundamental element of the solar magnetism, but also closely related to the structure of the solar atmosphere. The observations have shown that there is a ubiquitous tangled small-scale magnetic field with a strength of 60 $\sim$ 130\,G in the canopy forming layer of the quiet solar photosphere. On the other hand, the multi-dimensional MHD simulations show that the convective overshooting expels the magnetic field to form the magnetic canopies at a height of about 500\,km in the upper photosphere. However, the distribution of such small-scale ``canopies" in the solar photosphere cannot be rigorously constrained by either observations and numerical simulations. Based on stellar standard models, we identify that these magnetic canopies can act as a global magnetic-arch splicing layer, and find that the reflections of the solar p-mode oscillations at this magnetic-arch splicing layer results in significant improvement on the discrepancy between the observed and calculated p-mode frequencies. The location of the magnetic-arch splicing layer is determined at a height of about 630\,km, and the inferred strength of the magnetic field is about 90\,G. These features of the magnetic-arch splicing layer derived independently in the present study are quantitatively in agreement with the presence of small-scale magnetic canopies as those obtained by the observations and 3-D MHD simulations.

We discover a linear relation between two sets of galaxy-lensing cross-correlations. This linear relation holds, as long as light follows the geodesic and the metric is Friedmann-Lema\^{i}tre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW). Violation of the cosmological principle (and equivalently the FLRW metric) will break this linear relation. Therefore it provides a powerful test of the cosmological principle, based on direct observables and relied on no specific cosmological models. We demonstrate that stage IV galaxy surveys and CMB-S4 experiments will be able to test this linear relation stringently and therefore test the cosmological principle robustly.

Active regions are thought to be one contributor to the slow solar wind. Upflows in EUV coronal spectral lines are routinely osberved at their boundaries, and provide the most direct way for upflowing material to escape into the heliosphere. The mechanisms that form and drive these upflows, however, remain to be fully characterised. It is unclear how quickly they form, or how long they exist during their lifetimes. They could be initiated low in the atmosphere during magnetic flux emergence, or as a response to processes occuring high in the corona when the active region is fully developed. On 2019, March 31, a simple bipolar active region (AR 12737) emerged and upflows developed on each side. We used observations from Hinode, SDO, IRIS, and Parker Solar Probe (PSP) to investigate the formation and development of the upflows from the eastern side. We used the spectroscopic data to detect the upflow, and then used the imaging data to try to trace its signature back to earlier in the active region emergence phase. We find that the upflow forms quickly, low down in the atmosphere, and that its initiation appears associated with a small field-opening eruption and the onset of a radio noise storm detected by PSP. We also confirmed that the upflows existed for the vast majority of the time the active region was observed. These results suggest that the contribution to the solar wind occurs even when the region is small, and continues for most of its lifetime.

PSR J0537$-$6910 is the most active glitching pulsar with a glitch rate $\sim0.3$ yr $^{-1}$. We have reanalysed 45 glitches of PSR J0537$-$6910 published in the literature and have done post-glitch timing fits within the vortex creep model. Moment of inertia fractions of the superfluid regions participating in glitches are obtained for each event and the model predictions for the inter-glitch time are confronted with the observed time-scales. Similarities and differences with the glitching behaviours of the well studied Crab and Vela pulsars are highlighted. From superfluid recoupling time-scales we estimate an inner crust temperature of $T=0.9\times10^{8}$ K for PSR J0537$-$6910. It is found that PSR J0537$-$6910 glitches leave behind persistent shifts similar to those observed from the Crab pulsar. These persistent shifts are responsible for the long term increase of the spin-down rate of PSR J0537$-$6910 and the apparent negative trend in its braking. Glitch magnitudes and persistent shifts of PSR J0537$-$6910 are consistent with the scenario that this is a young pulsar in the process of developing new vortex traps. We determine a braking index $n=2.7(4)$ after glitch induced contributions to the rotational evolution have been removed.

The origin of supermassive black holes (with $\gtrsim\!10^9\,M_{\odot}$) in the early universe (redshift $z \sim 7$) remains poorly understood. Gravitational collapse of a massive primordial gas cloud is a promising initial process, but theoretical studies have difficulty growing the black hole fast enough. We focus on the magnetic effects on star formation that occurs in an atomic-cooling gas cloud. Using a set of three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, we investigate the star formation process in the magnetized atomic-cooling gas cloud with different initial magnetic field strengths. Our simulations show that the primordial magnetic seed field can be quickly amplified during the early accretion phase after the first protostar formation. The strong magnetic field efficiently extracts angular momentum from accreting gas and increases the accretion rate, which results in the high fragmentation rate in the gravitationally unstable disk region. On the other hand, the coalescence rate of fragments is also enhanced by the angular momentum transfer due to the magnetic effects. Almost all the fragments coalesce to the primary star, so the mass growth rate of the massive star increases due to the magnetic effects. We conclude that the magnetic effects support the direct collapse scenario of supermassive star formation.

We employ neural networks for classification of data of the TUS fluorescence telescope, the world's first orbital detector of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. We focus on two particular types of signals in the TUS data: track-like flashes produced by cosmic ray hits of the photodetector and flashes that originated from distant lightnings. We demonstrate that even simple neural networks combined with certain conventional methods of data analysis can be highly effective in tasks of classification of data of fluorescence telescopes.

We present the discovery of J22564-5910, a new type of hot subdwarf (sdB) which shows evidence of gas present in the system and has shallow, multi-peaked hydrogen and helium lines which vary in shape over time. All observational evidence points towards J22564-5910 being observed very shortly after the merger phase that formed it. Using high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectroscopy, combined with multi-band photometry, Gaia astrometry, and TESS light curves, we aim to interpret these unusual spectral features. The photometry, spectra and light curves are all analyzed, and their results are combined in order to support our interpretation of the observations: the likely presence of a magnetic field combined with gas features around the sdB. Based on the triple-peaked H lines, the magnetic field strength is estimated and, by using the shellspec code, qualitative models of gas configurations are fitted to the observations. All observations can either be explained by a magnetic field of ~650 kG which enables the formation of a centrifugal magnetosphere, or a non-magnetic hot subdwarf surrounded by a circumstellar gas disk/torus. Both scenarios are not mutually exclusive and both can be explained by a recent merger. J22564-5910 is the first object of its kind. It is a rapidly spinning sdB with gas still present in the system. It is the first post-merger star observed this early after the merger event, and as such is very valuable system to test merger theories. If the magnetic field can be confirmed, it is not only the first magnetic sdB, but it hosts the strongest magnetic field ever found in a pre-white dwarf object. Thus, it could represent the long-sought for immediate ancestor of strongly magnetic WDs.

According to the classical view of globular clusters, stars inside globular clusters are evolved from the same giant molecular cloud. Then their stars' chemical compositions must be the same. But recent photometric and spectroscopic studies of globular clusters reveal the presence of more-than-one stellar populations inside globular clusters. This finding challenges our classical view of globular clusters. In this work, we investigated the possibility of solving multiple stellar populations problem in globular clusters using dark matter assumptions. We showed that the presence of dark matter inside globular clusters changes the physical parameters (e.g. chemical composition, luminosity, temperature, age, etc.) of stars inside them. We supposed that dark matter distributed non-uniformly inside globular clusters. It means stars in high dark matter density environments (like the central region of globular clusters) are more affected by the presence of dark matter. Using this assumption, we showed that stars in different locations of globular clusters (corresponding to different dark matter densities) follow different evolutionary paths (e.g. on Hertzsprung-Russell diagram). We used this note to infer that the presence of dark matter inside globular clusters can be the reason for the multiple stellar populations.

We report the first detection in space of the single deuterated isotopologue of methylcyanoacetylene, CH$_2$DC$_3$N. A total of fifteen rotational transitions, with $J$ = 8-12 and $K_a$ = 0 and 1, were identified for this species in TMC-1 in the 31.0-50.4 GHz range using the Yebes 40m radio telescope. The observed frequencies were used to derive for the first time the spectroscopic parameters of this deuterated isotopologue. We derive a column density of $(8.0\pm 0.4) \times 10^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$. The abundance ratio between CH$_3$C$_3$N and CH$_2$DC$_3$N is $\sim$22. We also theoretically computed the principal spectroscopic constants of $^{13}$C isotopologues of CH$_3$C$_3$N and CH$_3$C$_4$H and those of the deuterated isotopologues of CH$_3$C$_4$H for which we could expect a similar degree of deuteration enhancement. However, we have not detected either CH$_2$DC$_4$H nor CH$_3$C$_4$D nor any $^{13}$C isotopologue. The different observed deuterium ratios in TMC-1 are reasonably accounted for by a gas phase chemical model where the low temperature conditions favor deuteron transfer through reactions with H$_2$D$^+$.

We evaluate the rotational velocity of stars observed by the Pristine survey towards the Galactic anticenter, spanning a wide range of metallicities from the extremely metal-poor regime ($\mathrm{[Fe/H]}<-3$ dex) to nearly solar metallicity. In the Galactic anticenter direction, the rotational velocity ($V_{\phi}$) is similar to the tangential velocity in the galactic longitude direction ($V_{\ell}$). This allows us to estimate $V_{\phi}$ from Gaia early data-release 3 (Gaia EDR3) proper motions for stars without radial velocity measurements. This substantially increases the sample of stars in the outer disc with estimated rotational velocities. Our stellar sample towards the anticenter is dominated by a kinematical thin disc with a mean rotation of $\sim -220$ kms. However, our analysis reveals the presence of more stellar substructures. The most intriguing is a well populated extension of the kinematical thin disc down to $\mathrm{[Fe/H]} \sim -2$ dex, with a scarser extension reaching the extremely metal-poor regime, down to $\mathrm{[Fe/H]} \sim -3.5$ dex. In addition, a more slowly rotating kinematical thick disc component is also required to explain the observed $V_{\ell}$ distribution at $\mathrm{[Fe/H]} > -1.5$ dex. Furthermore, we detect signatures of a ''heated disc'', the so-called $Splash$, at metallicities higher than $\sim-1.5$ dex. Finally, at $\mathrm{[Fe/H]} < -1.5$ dex our anticenter sample is dominated by a kinematical halo with a net prograde motion.

The growing interest in axion-like particles (ALPs) stems from the fact that they provide successful theoretical explanations of physics phenomena, from the anomaly of the CP-symmetry conservation in strong interactions to the observation of an unexpectedly large TeV photon flux from astrophysical sources, at distances where the strong absorption by the intergalactic medium should make the signal very dim. In this latter condition, which is the focus of this review, a possible explanation is that TeV photons convert to ALPs in the presence of strong and/or extended magnetic fields, such as those in the core of galaxy clusters or around compact objects, or even those in the intergalactic space. This mixing affects the observed ${\gamma}$-ray spectrum of distant sources, either by signal recovery or the production of irregularities in the spectrum, called "wiggles", according to the specific microscopic realization of the ALP and the ambient magnetic field at the source, and in the Milky Way, where ALPs may be converted back to ${\gamma}$ rays. ALPs are also proposed as candidate particles for the Dark Matter. Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) have the potential to detect the imprint of ALPs in the TeV spectrum from several classes of sources. In this contribution, we present the ALP case and review the past decade of searches for ALPs with this class of instruments.

A three-dimensional picture of the solar atmosphere's thermodynamics can be obtained by jointly analyzing multiple spectral lines that span many formation heights. In paper I, we found strong correlations between spectral shapes from a variety of different ions during solar flares in comparison to the quiet Sun. We extend these techniques to address the following questions: which regions of the solar atmosphere are most connected during a solar flare, and what are the most likely responses across several spectral windows based on the observation of a single Mg II spectrum? Our models are derived from several million IRIS spectra collected from 21 M- and X-class flares. We applied this framework to archetypal Mg II flare spectra, and analyzed the results from a multi-line perspective. We find that (1) the line correlations from the photosphere to the transition region are highest in flare ribbons. (2) Blue-shifted reversals appear simultaneously in Mg II, C II, and Si IV during the impulsive phase, with Si IV displaying possible optical depth effects. Fe II shows signs of strong emission, indicating deep early heating. (3) The Mg II line appears to typically evolve a blue-shifted reversal that later returns to line center and becomes single peaked within 1-3 minutes. The widths of these single peaked profiles slowly erode with time. During the later flare stages, strong red wing enhancements indicating coronal rain are evident in Mg II, C II, and Si IV. Our framework is easily adaptable to any multi-line data set, and enables comprehensive statistical analyses of the atmospheric behavior in different spectral windows.

We present a self-consistent paradigm for interpreting the striking features of nearby low-luminosity GRB~190829A. Its prompt gamma-ray lightcurve has two separated pulses. We propose that the interaction of the hard prompt gamma-ray photons ($E_p= 624_{-303}^{+2432}$ keV) of its initial pulse with the dusty medium ($A_{\rm V}=2.33$) does not only result in the second soft gamma-ray pulse ($E_p\sim 12$ keV), but also makes a pre-accelerated $e^{\pm}$-rich medium shell via the $\gamma\gamma$ annihilation.In this paradigm, we show that the observed radio, optical, and X-ray afterglow lightcurves are well fit with the forward shock model. Its jet is almost isotropic ($\theta_j>1.0$ rad) with a Lorentz factor of $\sim 35$, and the electron density of the $e^{\pm}$-rich medium shell is $\sim 15$ cm$^{-3}$, about 7~times higher than the electron density of its normal surrounding medium. The GRB ejecta catches up with and propagates into the $e^{\pm}$-rich medium shell at a region of $R=(4.07-6.46)\times 10^{16}~\rm cm$, resulting in a bright afterglow bump at $\sim 10^3$ seconds post the GRB trigger. The predicted very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from the synchrotron self-Compton process agrees with the H.E.S.S. observation. The derived broadband spectral energy distribution shows that GRB~190829A like nearby GRBs would be promising targets of the VHE gamma-ray telescopes, such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Arrays).

We apply the squeezed state formalism to scalar field dark matter (e.g. axion) perturbations generated during inflation. As for the inflationary perturbations, the scalar field state becomes highly squeezed as modes exit the horizon. For as long as $H>m_\phi$ (with $H$ the Hubble rate and $m_\phi$ the scalar mass) the scalar field field does not interact during reheating, and we follow its evolution exactly as modes re-enter the horizon. We find that the quantum state remains squeezed after horizon re-entry during the hot big bang. This demonstrates a fact well-known in the theory of inflation: cosmological observables for scalar dark matter are accurately modelled by a classical stochastic field with a fixed phase. Our calculation covers all modes smaller than the present-day cosmic de Broglie wavelength. Larger scale modes mix gravitationally with the environment when $H<m_\phi$, and are thus expected to decohere.

The Sun is the only star where the superficial turbulent convection can be observed at very high spatial resolution. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has continuously observed the full Sun from space with multi-wavelength filters since July 2010. In particular, the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument takes high-cadence frames (45 seconds) of continuum intensity in which solar granulation is visible. We aimed to follow the evolution of the solar granules over an activity cycle and look for changes in their spatial properties. We investigated the density of granules and their mean area derived directly from the segmentation of deconvolved images from SDO/HMI. To perform the segmentation, we define granules as convex elements of images. We measured an approximately 2% variation in the density and the mean area of granules over the cycle, the density of granules being greater at solar maximum with a smaller granule mean area. The maximum density appears to be delayed by about one year compared to classical activity indicators, such as the sunspot number. We complemented this study with high-spatial-resolution observations obtained with Hinode/SOTBFI (Solar Optical Telescope Broadband Filter Imager), which are consistent with our results. The observed variations in solar granulation at the disc centre reveal a direct insight into the change in the physical properties that occur in the upper convective zone during a solar cycle. These variations can be due to interactions between convection and magnetic fields, either at the global scale or, locally, at the granulation scale.

The Breakthrough Starshot Initiative aims to send a gram-scale probe to Proxima Centuri B using a high-power laser-accelerated lightsail traveling at relativistic speeds. Thermal degradation is a key consideration in the design of lightsails because the intense laser power required will heat sails to extreme temperatures. Previous work has evaluated lightsails primarily based on their acceleration distance, with thermal considerations being a secondary concern. In this work, we demonstrate co-optimization of accelerative and thermal performance for sail designs that use a multilayer connected photonic crystal composed of layered 2H-phase Molybdenum Disulfide and crystalline Silicon Nitride. We highlight the inverse relationship between thermal band extinction coefficient and lightsail maximum steady state temperature, then characterize the trade-off between acceleration distance and maximum sail temperature. Additionally, we introduce thermally endurable acceleration minimum (TEAM) as a summary result that characterizes the best realistic acceleration distance achievable within a sail design space, and report a TEAM value of 16.2 Gm for our class of designs. We conclude by demonstrating a multiscale Mie resonance-based approach to enhancing sail emissivity over infrared wavelengths that simultaneously preserves favorable lightsail acceleration distance characteristics.

$TESS$ photometric data of LS~Cam from sectors 19, 20 and 26 are analysed. The obtained power spectra from sectors 19 and 20 show multiple periodicities - orbital variations ($P_{orb} = 0.14237$ days), slightly fluctuating superorbital variation ($ P_{so} \approx 4.03$ days) and permanent negative superhump ($P_{-sh} = 0.1375$ days). In sector 26 an additional positive superhump ($P_{+sh} = 0.155$ days) is present. Using relations from literature, the mass ratio and the masses of the two components are estimated to be $q =0.24$, $M_1 = 1.26M_\odot$, and $M_2 = 0.30 M_\odot$ respectively.

Ganymede's atmosphere is produced by charged particle sputtering and sublimation of its icy surface. Previous far-ultraviolet observations of the OI1356-A and OI1304-A oxygen emissions were used to derive sputtered molecular oxygen (O$_2$) as an atmospheric constituent but an expected sublimated water (H$_2$O) component remained undetected. Here we present an analysis of high-sensitivity spectra and spectral images acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope revealing H$_2$O in Ganymede's atmosphere. The relative intensity of the oxygen emissions requires contributions from dissociative excitation of water vapor, indicating that H$_2$O is more abundant than O$_2$ around the sub-solar point. Away from the sub-solar region, the emissions are consistent with a pure O$_2$ atmosphere. Eclipse observations constrain atomic oxygen to be at least two orders of magnitude less abundant than these other species. The higher H$_2$O/O$_2$ ratio above the warmer trailing hemisphere compared to the colder leading hemisphere, the spatial concentration to the sub-solar region, and the estimated abundance of $\sim$10$^{15}$ H$_2$O/cm$^{2}$ are consistent with sublimation of the icy surface as source.

Considering the spatially separated polarization radiation and Faraday rotation regions to simulate complex interstellar media, we study synchrotron polarization gradient techniques' measurement capabilities. We explore how to trace the direction of projected magnetic field of emitting-source region at the multi-frequency bands, using the gradient technique compared with the traditional polarization vector method. Furthermore, we study how Faraday rotation density in the foreground region, i.e., a product of electron number density and parallel component of magnetic fields along the line of sight, affects the measurement of projected magnetic field. Numerical results show that synchrotron polarization gradient technique could successfully trace projected magnetic field within emitting-source region independent of radio frequency. Accordingly, the gradient technique can measure the magnetic field properties for a complex astrophysical environment.

Astrophysical observations provide strong evidence that more than 80% of all matter in the Universe is in the form of dark matter (DM). Two leading candidates of particles beyond the Standard Model that could constitute all or a fraction of the DM content are the so-called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and Axion-Like Particles (ALPs). The upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array, which will observe gamma rays between 20 GeV and 300 TeV with unprecedented sensitivity, will have unique capabilities to search for these DM candidates. A particularly promising target for WIMP searches is the Galactic Center. WIMPs with annihilation cross sections correctly producing the DM relic density will be detectable with CTA, assuming an Einasto-like density profile and WIMP masses between 200 GeV and 10 TeV. Regarding new physics beyond DM, CTA observations will also enable tests of fundamental symmetries of nature such as Lorentz invariance.

This white paper briefly summarizes the importance of the study of relativistic cosmic rays, both as a constituent of our Universe, and through their impact on stellar and galactic evolution. The focus is on what can be learned over the coming decade through ground-based gamma-ray observations over the 20 GeV to 300 TeV range. The majority of the material is drawn directly from "Science with the Cherenkov Telescope Array", which describes the overall science case for CTA. We request that authors wishing to cite results contained in this white paper cite the original work.

Context. The Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf galaxy is merging with the Milky Way, and the study of its globular clusters (GCs) is important to understand the history and outcome of this ongoing process. Aims. Our main goal is to characterize the GC system of the Sgr dwarf galaxy. This task is hampered by high foreground stellar contamination, mostly from the Galactic bulge. Methods. We performed a GC search specifically tailored to find new GC members within the main body of this dwarf galaxy using the combined data of the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea Extended Survey (VVVX) near-infrared survey and the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) optical database. Results. We applied proper motion (PM) cuts to discard foreground bulge and disk stars, and we found a number of GC candidates in the main body of the Sgr dwarf galaxy. We selected the best GCs as those objects that have significant overdensities above the stellar background of the Sgr galaxy and that possess color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) with well-defined red giant branches (RGBs) consistent with the distance and reddening of this galaxy. Conclusions. We discover eight new GC members of the Sgr galaxy, which adds up to 29 total GCs known in this dwarf galaxy. This total number of GCs shows that the Sgr dwarf galaxy hosts a rather rich GC system. Most of the new GCs appear to be predominantly metal-rich and have low luminosity. In addition, we identify ten other GC candidates that are more uncertain and need more data for proper confirmation.

Aims. We aim to detect molecules in the atmosphere of the young forming companion PDS70 b by searching for atmospheric absorption features typical of substellar objects. Methods. We obtained medium-resolution (R$\approx$5075) spectra of the PDS70 planetary system with the SINFONI integral field spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope. We applied molecular mapping, based on cross-correlation with synthetic spectra, to identify signatures of molecular species in the atmosphere of the planet. Results. Although the planet emission is clearly detected when resampling the data to lower resolution, no molecular species could be identified with the cross-correlation technique. We estimated upper limits on the abundances of H$_2$O, CO and CH$_4$ ($\log(X_\mathrm{mol}) < -4.0$, $-4.1$ and $-4.9$, respectively) assuming a clear atmosphere, and we explored the impact of clouds, which increase the upper limits by a factor up to 0.7 dex. Assuming that the observations directly probe the planet's atmosphere, we found a lack of molecular species compared to other directly imaged companions or field objects. Under the assumption that the planet atmosphere presents similar characteristics to other directly imaged planets, we conclude that a dusty environment surrounds the planet, effectively obscuring any feature generated in its atmosphere. We quantify the extinction necessary to impede the detection ($A_V\approx16-17$ mag), pointing to the possibility of higher optical thickness than previously estimated from other studies. Finally, the non-detection of molecular species conflicts with atmospheric models previously proposed to describe the forming planet. Conclusions. To unveil how giant planets form, a comprehensive approach that includes constraints from multiple techniques needs to be undertaken. Molecular mapping emerges as an alternative to more classical techniques like SED fitting.

The discovery of gravitational waves, high-energy neutrinos or the very-high-energy counterpart of gamma-ray bursts has revolutionized the high-energy and transient astrophysics community. The development of new instruments and analysis techniques will allow the discovery and/or follow-up of new transient sources. We describe the prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory, for multi-messenger and transient astrophysics in the decade ahead. CTA will explore the most extreme environments via very-high-energy observations of compact objects, stellar collapse events, mergers and cosmic-ray accelerators.

We use Gemini GMOS-IFU observations of three luminous nearby Seyfert galaxies (Mrk79, Mrk348 and Mrk607) to estimate the electron temperature ($T_{\rm e}$) fluctuations in the inner 0.4--1.1 kpc region of these galaxies. Based on $T_{\rm e}$ determinations through the [\ion{O}{iii}]($\lambda4959$+$\lambda5007$)/$\lambda4363$ emission line ratio of each spaxel, temperature variations are quantified by computing the integrated value of the temperature fluctuation parameter ($t^{\rm 2}$) projected in the plane of the sky $t_{\rm A}^{\rm 2}$, for the first time in Active Galactic Nuclei. We find $t_{\rm A}^{\rm 2}$ values of 0.135, 0.039, and 0.015 for Mrk79, Mrk348, and Mrk607, respectively, which are of the same order or larger than the maximum values reported in star-forming regions and planetary nebulae. Taking into account that $t_{\rm A}^{\rm 2}$ should be considered a lower limit of the total $t^2$ in the nebular volume, the results suggest that the impact of such fluctuations on chemical abundance determinations can be important in some AGNs.

The Sun is the primary source of energy for the Earth. The small changes in total solar irradiance (TSI) can affect our climate in the longer timescale. In the evolutionary timescale, the TSI varies by a large amount and hence its influence on the Earth's mean surface temperature (T$_{s}$) also increases significantly. We develop a mass-loss dependent analytical model of TSI in the evolutionary timescale and evaluated its influence on the T$_{s}$. We determined the numerical solution of TSI for the next 8.23 Gyrs to be used as an input to evaluate the T$_{s}$ which formulated based on a zero-dimensional energy balance model. We used the present-day albedo and bulk atmospheric emissivity of the Earth and Mars as initial and final boundary conditions, respectively. We found that the TSI increases by 10\% in 1.42 Gyr, by 40\% in about 3.4 Gyrs, and by 120\% in about 5.229 Gyrs from now, while the T$_{s}$ shows an insignificant change in 1.644 Gyrs and increases to 298.86 K in about 3.4 Gyrs. The T$_{s}$ attains the peak value of 2319.2 K as the Sun evolves to the red giant and emits the enormous TSI of 7.93$\times10^{6} Wm^{-2}$ in 7.676 Gys. At this temperature Earth likely evolves to be a liquid planet. In our finding, the absorbed and emitted flux equally increases and approaches the surface flux in the main sequence, and they are nearly equal beyond the main sequence, while the flux absorbed by the cloud shows opposite trend.

We investigate whether the swirling cold front in the core of the Perseus Cluster of galaxies has affected the outer buoyant bubbles that originated from jets from the Active Galactic Nucleus in the central galaxy NGC1275. The inner bubbles and the Outer Southern bubble lie along a North-South axis through the nucleus, whereas the Outer Northern bubble appears rotated about 45 deg from that axis. Detailed numerical simulations of the interaction indicates that the Outer Northern bubble may have been pushed clockwise accounting for its current location. Given the common occurrence of cold fronts in cool core clusters, we raise the possibility that the lack of many clear outer bubbles in such environments may be due to their disruption by cold fronts.

Recent progress of nucleosynthesis work as well as the discovery of a kilonova associated with the gravitational-wave source GW170817 indicates that neutron star mergers (NSM) can be a site of the r-process. Several studies of galactic chemical evolution, however, have pointed out inconsistencies between this idea and the observed stellar abundance signatures in the Milky Way: (a) the presence of Eu at low (halo) metallicity and (b) the descending trend of Eu/Fe at high (disc) metallicity. In this study, we explore the galactic chemical evolution of the Milky Way's halo, disc and satellite dwarf galaxies. Particular attention is payed to the forms of delay-time distributions for both type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) and NSMs. The Galactic halo is modeled as an ensemble of independently evolving building-block galaxies with different masses. The single building blocks as well as the disc and satellite dwarfs are treated as well-mixed one-zone systems. Our results indicate that the aforementioned inconsistencies can be resolved and thus NSMs can be the unique r-process site in the Milky Way, provided that the delay-time distributions satisfy the following conditions: (i) a long delay (~1 Gyr) for the appearance of the first SN Ia (or a slow early increase of its number) and (ii) an additional early component providing >~ 50% of all NSMs with a delay of ~0.1 Gyr. In our model, r-process-enhanced and r-process-deficient stars in the halo appear to have originated from ultra-faint dwarf-sized and massive building blocks, respectively. Our results also imply that the natal kicks of binary neutron stars have a little impact on the evolution of Eu in the disc.

Matched filters are routinely used in cosmology in order to detect galaxy clusters from mm observations through their thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) signature. In addition, they naturally provide an observable, the detection signal-to-noise or significance, which can be used as a mass proxy in number counts analyses of tSZ-selected cluster samples. In this work, we show that this observable is, in general, non-Gaussian, and that it suffers from a positive bias, which we refer to as optimisation bias. Both aspects arise from the fact that the signal-to-noise is constructed through an optimisation operation on noisy data, and hold even if the cluster signal is modelled perfectly well, no foregrounds are present, and the noise is Gaussian. After reviewing the general mathematical formalism underlying matched filters, we study the statistics of the signal-to-noise with a set Monte Carlo mock observations, finding it to be well-described by a unit-variance Gaussian for signal-to-noise values of 6 and above, and quantify the magnitude of the optimisation bias, for which we give an approximate expression that may be used in practice. We also consider the impact of the bias on the cluster number counts of Planck and the Simons Observatory (SO), finding it to be negligible for the former and potentially significant for the latter.

We perform a super-resolution analysis of the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) images to estimate the major merger fractions of z~4-7 dropout galaxies at the bright end of galaxy UV luminosity functions (LFs). Our super-resolution technique improves the spatial resolution of the ground-based HSC images, from ~1" to <~0."1, which is comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope, allowing us to identify z~4-7 bright major mergers at a high completeness value of >~90%. We apply the super-resolution technique to 6535 very bright dropout galaxies in a UV luminosity range of L_UV~3-15 L_UV* corresponding to -24<~M_UV<~-22. The major merger fractions are estimated to be f_merger~5-20% at z~4 and ~50-80% at z~5-7, which shows no f_merger difference compared to those of a control faint galaxy sample. Based on the f_merger estimates, we verify contributions of source blending effects and major mergers to the bright-end of double power-law (DPL) shape of z~4-7 galaxy UV LFs. While these two effects partly explain the DPL shape at L_UV~3-10 L_UV*, the DPL shape cannot be explained at the very bright end of L_UV>~10 L_UV*, even after the AGN contribution is subtracted. The results support scenarios in which other additional mechanisms such as insignificant mass quenching effects and the low dust obscuration contribute to the DPL shape of galaxy UV LFs.

In the new era of very large telescopes, where data is crucial to expand scientific knowledge, we have witnessed many deep learning applications for the automatic classification of lightcurves. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are one of the models used for these applications, and the LSTM unit stands out for being an excellent choice for the representation of long time series. In general, RNNs assume observations at discrete times, which may not suit the irregular sampling of lightcurves. A traditional technique to address irregular sequences consists of adding the sampling time to the network's input, but this is not guaranteed to capture sampling irregularities during training. Alternatively, the Phased LSTM unit has been created to address this problem by updating its state using the sampling times explicitly. In this work, we study the effectiveness of the LSTM and Phased LSTM based architectures for the classification of astronomical lightcurves. We use seven catalogs containing periodic and nonperiodic astronomical objects. Our findings show that LSTM outperformed PLSTM on 6/7 datasets. However, the combination of both units enhances the results in all datasets.

Compact binary systems emit gravitational radiation which is potentially detectable by current Earth bound detectors. Extracting these signals from the instruments' background noise is a complex problem and the computational cost of most current searches depends on the complexity of the source model. Deep learning may be capable of finding signals where current algorithms hit computational limits. Here we restrict our analysis to signals from non-spinning binary black holes and systematically test different strategies by which training data is presented to the networks. To assess the impact of the training strategies, we re-analyze the first published networks and directly compare them to an equivalent matched-filter search. We find that the deep learning algorithms can generalize low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) signals to high SNR ones but not vice versa. As such, it is not beneficial to provide high SNR signals during training, and fastest convergence is achieved when low SNR samples are provided early on. During testing we found that the networks are sometimes unable to recover any signals when a false alarm probability $<10^{-3}$ is required. We resolve this restriction by applying a modification we call unbounded Softmax replacement (USR) after training. With this alteration we find that the machine learning search retains $\geq 97.5\%$ of the sensitivity of the matched-filter search down to a false-alarm rate of 1 per month.

PSR B1259-63 is a gamma-ray binary system hosting a radio pulsar orbiting around a O9.5Ve star, LS 2883, with a period of ~3.4 years. The interaction of the pulsar wind with the LS 2883 outflow leads to unpulsed broadband emission in the radio, X-ray, GeV, and TeV domains. One of the most unusual features of the system is an outburst at GeV energies around the periastron, during which the energy release substantially exceeds the spin down luminosity under the assumption of the isotropic energy release. In this paper, we present the first results of a recent multi-wavelength campaign (radio, optical, and X-ray bands) accompanied by the analysis of publicly available GeV Fermi/LAT data. The campaign covered a period of more than 100 days around the 2021 periastron and revealed substantial differences from previously observed passages. We report a major delay of the GeV flare, weaker X-ray flux during the peaks, which are typically attributed to the times when the pulsar crosses the disk, and the appearance of a third X-ray peak never observed before. We argue that these features are consistent with the emission cone model of Chernyakova et al (2020) in the case of a sparser and clumpier disk of the Be star.

Mid-infrared photometry of the Wolf-Rayet star HD 38030 in the Large Magellanic Cloud from the NEOWISE-R mission show it to have undergone a dust-formation episode in 2018 and the dust to have cooled in 2019-20. New spectroscopy with the MagE spectrograph on the Magellan I Baade Telescope in 2019 and 2020 show absorption lines attributable to a companion of type near O9.7III-IV. We found a significant shift in the radial velocity of the C IV 5801-12 blend compared with the RVs measured in 1984 and 1993. The results combine to suggest that HD 38030 is a colliding-wind binary having short-lived dust formation episodes, like the Galactic systems WR 140 and WR 19, but at intervals in excess of 20 yr.

We study the effects of pre-recombination physics on the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background (SGWB) anisotropies induced by the propagation of gravitons through the large-scale density perturbations and their cross-correlation with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature and E-mode polarization ones. As examples of Early Universe extensions to the $\Lambda$CDM model, we consider popular models featuring extra relativistic degrees of freedom, a massless non-minimally coupled scalar field, and an Early Dark Energy component. Assuming the detection of a SGWB, we perform a Fisher analysis to assess in a quantitative way the capability of future gravitational wave interferometers (GWIs) in conjunction with a future large-scale CMB polarization experiment to constrain such variations. Our results show that the cross-correlation of CMB and SGWB anisotropies will help tighten the constraints obtained with CMB alone, with an improvement that significantly depends on the specific model as well as the maximum angular resolution $\ell_{\rm max}^{\rm GW}$ of the GWIs, their designed sensitivity, and the amplitude $A_*$ of the monopole of the SGWB.

We report analysis of sub-Alfv\'enic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) perturbations in the low-\b{eta} radial-field solar wind using the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft data from 31 October to 12 November 2018. We calculate wave vectors using the singular value decomposition method and separate the MHD perturbations into three types of linear eigenmodes (Alfv\'en, fast, and slow modes) to explore the properties of the sub-Alfv\'enic perturbations and the role of compressible perturbations in solar wind heating. The MHD perturbations there show a high degree of Alfv\'enicity in the radial-field solar wind, with the energy fraction of Alfv\'en modes dominating (~45%-83%) over those of fast modes (~16%-43%) and slow modes (~1%-19%). We present a detailed analysis of a representative event on 10 November 2018. Observations show that fast modes dominate magnetic compressibility, whereas slow modes dominate density compressibility. The energy damping rate of compressible modes is comparable to the heating rate, suggesting the collisionless damping of compressible modes could be significant for solar wind heating. These results are valuable for further studies of the imbalanced turbulence near the Sun and possible heating effects of compressible modes at MHD scales in low-\b{eta} plasma.

We present $\it{CosmoPower}$, a suite of neural cosmological power spectrum emulators providing orders-of-magnitude acceleration for parameter estimation from two-point statistics analyses of Large-Scale Structure (LSS) and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) surveys. The emulators replace the computation of matter and CMB power spectra from Boltzmann codes; thus, they do not need to be re-trained for different choices of astrophysical nuisance parameters or redshift distributions. The matter power spectrum emulation error is less than $0.4\%$ in the wavenumber range $k \in [10^{-5}, 10] \, \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$, for redshift $z \in [0, 5]$. $\it{CosmoPower}$ emulates CMB temperature, polarisation and lensing potential power spectra in the $5\sigma$ region of parameter space around the $\it{Planck}$ best fit values with an error $\lesssim 20\%$ of the expected shot noise for the forthcoming Simons Observatory. $\it{CosmoPower}$ is showcased on a joint cosmic shear and galaxy clustering analysis from the Kilo-Degree Survey, as well as on a Stage IV $\it{Euclid}$-like simulated cosmic shear analysis. For the CMB case, $\it{CosmoPower}$ is tested on a $\it{Planck}$ 2018 CMB temperature and polarisation analysis. The emulators always recover the fiducial cosmological constraints with differences in the posteriors smaller than sampling noise, while providing a speed-up factor up to $O(10^4)$ to the complete inference pipeline. This acceleration allows posterior distributions to be recovered in just a few seconds, as we demonstrate in the $\it{Planck}$ likelihood case. $\it{CosmoPower}$ is written entirely in Python, can be interfaced with all commonly used cosmological samplers and is publicly available https://github.com/alessiospuriomancini/cosmopower .

The amount of nebular gas that a planet can bind is limited by its cooling rate, which is set by the opacity of its envelope. Accreting dust and pebbles contribute to the envelope opacity and, thus, influence the outcome of planet formation. Our aim is to model the size evolution and opacity contribution of solids inside planetary envelopes. We then use the resultant opacity relations to study emergent trends in planet formation. We design a model for the opacity of solids in planetary envelopes that accounts for the growth, fragmentation and erosion of pebbles during their sedimentation. We formulate analytical expressions for the opacity of pebbles and dust and map out their trends as a function of depth, planet mass, distance and accretion rate. We find that the accretion of pebbles rather than planetesimals can produce fully convective envelopes, but only in lower-mass planets that reside in the outer disk or in those that are accreting pebbles at a high rate. In these conditions, pebble sizes are limited by fragmentation and erosion, allowing them to pile up in the envelope. At higher planetary masses or reduced accretion rates, a different regime applies where the sizes of sedimenting pebbles are only limited by their rate of growth. The opacity in this growth-limited regime is much lower, steeply declines with depth and planet mass but is invariant with the pebble mass flux. Our results imply that the opacity of a forming planetary envelope can not be approximated by a value that is constant with either depth or planet mass. When applied to the Solar System, we argue that Uranus and Neptune could not have maintained a sufficiently high opacity to avoid runaway gas accretion unless they both experienced sufficiently rapid accretion of solids and formed late.

Defining a scale of $k$-modes of the quantum fluctuations during inflation through the dynamical horizon crossing condition $k = aH$ we go from the physical $t$ variable to $k$ variable and solve the equations of cosmological perturbations self consistently, with chaotic $\alpha$-attractor type potentials. This enables us to study the behaviour of $n_{s}$, $r$, $n_{h}$ and $N$ in the $k$-space. Comparison of our results in the low-$k$ regime with the Planck data puts constraints on the values of the $\alpha$ parameter through microscopic calculations. Both for the $E$-model and the $T$-model potentials, low values of $\alpha$ are experimentally favoured. For the $E$-model ($T$-model) the values of $\alpha<5$ ($\alpha<10$) are consistent with the Planck-2018 data in the $n_{s}$-$r$ plane at $95\%$ CL. The relevance of this study in the context of large scale structure of the universe is pointed out.

Binary black hole may form near a supermassive black hole. The background black hole (BH) will affect the gravitational wave (GW) generated by the binary black hole. It is well known that the Penrose process may provide extra energy due to the ergosphere. In the present paper we investigate the energy amplification of the gravitational wave by a Kerr black hole background. In particular and different from the earlier studies, we compare the energies of the waves in the cases with and without a nearby Kerr BH. We find that only when the binary black hole is moving relative to the Kerr background can the GW energy be amplified. Otherwise, the energy will be suppressed by the background Kerr black hole. This finding is consistent with the inequality found by Wald for Penrose process. Taking into account realistic astrophysical scenarios, we find that the Kerr black hole background can amplify the GW energy by at most 5 times.

We study ionization and transport processes in partially ionized multicomponent plasmas. The plasma composition is calculated via a system of coupled mass action laws. The electronic transport properties are determined by the electron-ion and electron-neutral transport cross sections. The influence of electron-electron scattering is considered via a correction factor to the electron-ion contribution. Based on this data, the electrical and thermal conductivity as well as the Lorenz number are calculated. For the thermal conductivity, we consider also the contributions of the translational motion of neutral particles and of the dissociation, ionization, and recombination reactions. We apply our approach to a partially ionized plasma composed of hydrogen, helium, and a small fraction of metals (Li, Na, Ca, Fe, K, Rb, Cs) as typical for hot Jupiter atmospheres. We present results for the plasma composition and the transport properties as function of density and temperature and then along typical P-T profiles for the outer part of the hot Jupiter HD 209458b. The electrical conductivity profile allows revising the Ohmic heating power related to the fierce winds in the planet's atmosphere. We show that the higher temperatures suggested by recent interior models could boost the conductivity and thus the Ohmic heating power to values large enough to explain the observed inflation of HD 209458b.

We investigate the behavior of null geodesics near future null infinity in asymptotically flat spacetimes. In particular, we focus on the asymptotic behavior of null geodesics that correspond to worldlines of photons initially emitted in the directions tangential to the constant radial surfaces in the Bondi coordinates. The analysis is performed for general dimensions, and the difference between the four-dimensional cases and the higher-dimensional cases is stressed. In four dimensions, some assumptions are required to guarantee the null geodesics to reach future null infinity, in addition to the conditions of asymptotic flatness. Without these assumptions, gravitational waves may prevent photons from reaching null infinity. In higher dimensions, by contrast, such assumptions are not necessary and gravitational waves do not affect the asymptotic behavior of null geodesics.

We investigate the possibility of simultaneously explaining inflation, the neutrino masses and the baryon asymmetry through extending the Standard Model by a triplet Higgs. The neutrino masses are generated by the vacuum expectation value of the triplet Higgs, while a combination of the triplet and doublet Higgs' plays the role of the inflaton. Additionally, the dynamics of the triplet, and its inherent lepton number violating interactions, lead to the generation of a lepton asymmetry during inflation. The resultant baryon asymmetry, inflationary predictions and neutrino masses are consistent with current observational and experimental results.

In this paper, we present a systematic investigation on simple inverse seesaw models for neutrino masses and flavor mixing based on the modular $S^{}_4$ symmetry. Two right-handed neutrinos and three extra fermion singlets are introduced to account for light neutrino masses through the inverse seesaw mechanism, and to provide a keV-mass sterile neutrino as the candidate for warm dark matter in our Universe. Considering all possible modular forms with weights no larger than four, we obtain twelve models, among which we find one is in excellent agreement with the observed lepton mass spectra and flavor mixing. Moreover, we explore the allowed range of the sterile neutrino mass and mixing angles, by taking into account the direct search of $X$-ray line and the Lyman-$\alpha$ observations. The model predictions for neutrino mixing parameters and the dark matter abundance will be readily testable in future neutrino oscillation experiments and cosmological observations.

Possibility of kaon-condensed phase in hyperon-mixed matter is considered on the basis of chiral symmetry for kaon-baryon and kaon-kaon interactions, being combined with the relativistic mean-field theory for two-body baryon interaction. In addition, universal three-baryon repulsive force in the string-junction model and phenomenological three-nucleon attractive force are introduced. It is shown that softening of the equation of state stemming from both kaon condensation and mixing of hyperons is compensated with the repulsive effect of the three-baryon force and the relativistic effect for two-body baryon-baryon interaction. The latter effect reflects the density-dependence of scalar and vector meson mean-fields, which is constrained by the contribution of the attractive three-nucleon force to the binding energy at saturation density. The kaon-condensed phase in hyperon-mixed matter becomes stiff enough to be consistent with recent observations of massive neutron stars.

In this conference paper I present the first full global fit of a dark matter effective field theory with the global fitting framework GAMBIT. I show the results of exhaustive parameter space explorations of the effective dark matter model, including a general set of operators up to dimension 7, and using the most up-to-date constraints from direct and indirect detection of dark matter, relic abundance requirements and collider searches for dark matter candidates.

It is known that the gravitational analogue of the Faraday rotation arises in the rotating spacetime due to the non-zero gravitomagnetic field. In this paper, we show that it also arises in the `non-rotating' Reissner-Nordstr\"om spacetime, if it is immersed in a uniform magnetic field. The non-zero angular momentum (due to the presence of electric charge and magnetic field) of the electromagnetic field acts as the twist potential to raise the gravitational Faraday rotation in the said spacetime. The twisting can still exist even if the mass of the spacetime vanishes. In other words, the massless charged particle(s) immersed in a uniform magnetic field, able to twist the spacetime in principle, and responsible for the rotation of the plane of polarization of light. This, in fact, could have some applications in the basic physics and the analogue models of gravity. Here, we also study the effect of magnetic fields in the Kerr and Reissner-Nordstr\"om spacetimes, and derive the exact expressions for the gravitational Faraday rotation in the magnetized Kerr and Reissner-Nordstr\"om spacetimes. Considering the correction due to the magnetic field in the lowest possible order, we show that the logarithm correction of the distance of the source and observer in the gravitational Faraday rotation for the said spacetimes is an important consequence of the presence of magnetic field. From the astrophysical point of view, our result could be helpful to study the effects of (gravito-)magnetic fields on the propagation of polarized photons in the strong gravity regime of the rapidly rotating collapsed object.

The effect of temperature on the crust-core transition of a magnetar is studied. The thermodynamical spinodals are used to calculate the transition region within a relativistic mean-field approach for the equation of state. Magnetic fields with intensities $5\times 10^{16}$ G and $5\times 10 ^{17}$ G are considered. It is shown that the effect on the extension of the crust-core transition is washed away for temperatures above $10^{9}$ K for magnetic field intensities $ \lesssim 5\times 10^{16}$ G but may still persist if a magnetic field as high as $5\times 10 ^{17}$G is considered. For temperatures below that value, the effect of the magnetic field on crust-core transition is noticeable and grows as the temperature decreases and, in particular, it is interesting to identify the existence of disconnected non-homogeneous matter above the $B=0$ crust core transition density. Models with different symmetry energy slopes at saturation show quite different behaviors. In particular, a model with a large slope, as suggested by the recent results of PREX-2, predicts the existence of up to four disconnected regions of non-homogeneous matter above the zero magnetic field crust-core transition density.

Imaging methods often rely on Bayesian statistical inference strategies to solve difficult imaging problems. Applying Bayesian methodology to imaging requires the specification of a likelihood function and a prior distribution, which define the Bayesian statistical model from which the posterior distribution of the image is derived. Specifying a suitable model for a specific application can be very challenging, particularly when there is no reliable ground truth data available. Bayesian model selection provides a framework for selecting the most appropriate model directly from the observed data, without reference to ground truth data. However, Bayesian model selection requires the computation of the marginal likelihood (Bayesian evidence), which is computationally challenging, prohibiting its use in high-dimensional imaging problems. In this work we present the proximal nested sampling methodology to objectively compare alternative Bayesian imaging models, without reference to ground truth data. The methodology is based on nested sampling, a Monte Carlo approach specialised for model comparison, and exploits proximal Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques to scale efficiently to large problems and to tackle models that are log-concave and not necessarily smooth (e.g., involving L1 or total-variation priors). The proposed approach can be applied computationally to problems of dimension O(10^6) and beyond, making it suitable for high-dimensional inverse imaging problems. It is validated on large Gaussian models, for which the likelihood is available analytically, and subsequently illustrated on a range of imaging problems where it is used to analyse different choices for the sparsifying dictionary and measurement model.