Papers for Tuesday, Dec 19 2023

We explore large-scale cosmic structure using the spatial distribution of 542 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) having accurately measured positions and spectroscopic redshifts. Prominent cosmological clusters are identified in both the northern and southern galactic hemispheres (avoiding extinction effects in the plane of the Milky Way) using the Bootstrap Point-Radius method. The Northern Galactic hemisphere contains a significant group of four GRBs in the redshift range 0.59 < z < 0.62 (with a Bootstrap probability of p = 0.012) along with the previously-identified Hercules-Corona Borealis GreatWall (in the revised redshift range 0.9 < z < 2.1, p = 0.017). The Southern Galactic hemisphere contains the previously-identified Giant GRB Ring (p = 0.022) along with another possible cluster of 7 - 9 GRBs at 1.179 < z < 1.444 (p = 0.031). Additionally, both the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall and the Giant GRB Ring have become more prominent as the GRB sample size has grown. The approach used here underscores the potential value of GRB clustering as a probe of large-scale cosmic structure, complementary to galaxy and quasar clustering. Because of the vast scale on which GRB clustering provides valuable insights, it is important that optical GRB monitoring continue so that additional spectroscopic redshift measurements should be obtained.

On the example of the exoplanet HD 189733 an influence of stellar activity on the efficiency of the plasma mechanism of radio emission generation of the exoplanet and the properties of this emission are considered. The plasma generation mechanism can be effectively implemented in the plasmasphere of exoplanets with a weak magnetic field and a relatively high electron plasma density, when the electron cyclotron maser is not efficient. The plasma mechanism depends essentially on the parameters of the plasma and involves the generation of plasma waves by energetic electrons and a conversion of these waves into electromagnetic radiation. The stellar wind can significantly modify the exoplanet plasmasphere, which was not taken into account in the first studies of the plasma mechanism in the plasmasphere of HD 189733b. In present study we used a three-dimensional model of the interaction of the exoplanet HD189733b with the stellar wind for cases of moderate and intense stellar winds. The study shows that the implementation of plasma mechanism is possible at any intensity of the stellar wind. However, depending on the intensity, the requirements for the parameters of plasma mechanism change. In particular, the plasma waves energy which is required to generate the radio emission available for registration by modern radio telescopes changes. Besides, the frequency range of the radio emission changes. The latter will make it possible to use the detected radio emission as an indicator of the activity of the parent star.

The large-scale environment of the cosmic web is believed to impact galaxy evolution, but there is still no consensus regarding the mechanisms. We use a semi-analytic model (SAM) galaxy catalog to study the star formation and dust content of local galaxies in different cosmic environments of the cosmic web, namely voids, filaments, walls, and nodes. We find a strong impact of the environment only for galaxies with $M_{\rm stars}\lesssim10^{10.8}\, M_\odot$: the less dense the environment, the larger the star formation rate and dust content at fixed stellar mass. This is attributed to the fact that galaxies in less dense environments typically feature younger stellar populations, a slower evolution of their stellar mass and a delayed star formation compared to galaxies in denser environments. As for galaxies with $M_{\rm stars}\gtrsim 10^{10.8}\, M_\odot$ differences among environments are milder due to the disc instability (DI) driven supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth implemented in the SAM, which makes SMBH growth, and thus galaxy quenching, environment insensitive. We qualitatively test our predictions against observations by identifying environments in the SDSS-DR16 using dust masses derived from the GAMA survey. The agreement is encouraging, particularly at ${\rm log} \, M_{\rm stars}/M_\odot\gtrsim 10.5-11$, where sSFRs and dust masses appear quite environment-insensitive. This result confirms the importance of in situ growth channels of SMBHs.

We present the star-formation-rate -- stellar-mass (SFR-M$_\ast$) relation for galaxies in the CEERS survey at $4.5\leq z\leq 12$. We model the \jwst\ and \hst\ rest-UV and rest-optical photometry of galaxies with flexible star-formation histories (SFHs) using \bagpipes. We consider SFRs averaged from the SFHs over 10~Myr (\sfrten) and 100~Myr (\sfrcen), where the photometry probes SFRs on these timescales, effectively tracing nebular emission lines in the rest-optical (on $\sim10$~Myr timescales) and the UV/optical continuum (on $\sim100$ Myr timescales). We measure the slope, normalization and intrinsic scatter of the SFR-M$_\ast$ relation, taking into account the uncertainty and the covariance of galaxy SFRs and $M_\ast$. From $z\sim 5-9$ there is larger scatter in the $\sfrten-M_\ast$ relation, with $\sigma(\log \sfrcen)=0.4$~dex, compared to the $\sfrcen-M_\ast$ relation, with $\sigma(\log \sfrten)=0.1$~dex. This scatter increases with redshift and increasing stellar mass, at least out to $z\sim 7$. These results can be explained if galaxies at higher redshift experience an increase in star-formation variability and form primarily in short, active periods, followed by a lull in star formation (i.e. ``napping'' phases). We see a significant trend in the ratio $R_\mathrm{SFR}=\log(\sfrten/\sfrcen)$ in which, on average, $R_\mathrm{SFR}$ decreases with increasing stellar mass and increasing redshift. This yields a star-formation ``duty cycle'' of $\sim40\%$ for galaxies with $\log M_\ast/M_\odot\geq 9.3$, at $z\sim5$, declining to $\sim20\%$ at $z\sim9$. Galaxies also experience longer lulls in star formation at higher redshift and at higher stellar mass, such that galaxies transition from periods of higher SFR variability at $z\gtrsim~6$ to smoother SFR evolution at $z\lesssim~4.5$.

We present the discovery and multi-wavelength characterisation of VVV J1438-6158 AB, a new field wide-binary system consisting of a 4.6(+5.5-2.4) Gyr and Teff = 9500+/-125 K DA white dwarf (WD) and a Teff = 2400+/-50 K M8 ultracool dwarf (UCD). The projected separation of the system is a = 1236.73 au (~13.8"), and although along the line-of-sight towards the Scorpius-Centaurus (Sco-Cen) stellar association, VVV J1438-6158 AB is likely to be a field star, from a kinematic 6D probabilistic analysis. We estimated the physical, and dynamical parameters of both components via interpolations with theoretical models and evolutionary tracks, which allowed us to retrieve a mass of 0.62+/-0.18 MSun for the WD, and a mass of 98.5+/-6.2 MJup (~0.094+/-0.006 MSun) for the UCD. The radii of the two components were also estimated at 0.01309+/-0.0003 RSun and 1.22+/-0.05 RJup, respectively. VVV J1438-6158 AB stands out as a benchmark system for comprehending the evolution of WDs and low-mass companions given its status as one of the most widely separated WD+UCD systems known to date, which likely indicates that both components may have evolved independently of each other, and also being characterised by a large mass-ratio (q = 0.15+/-0.04), which likely indicates a formation pathway similar to that of stellar binary systems.

We present a comprehensive study of the physical origin of radio emission in optical quasars at redshifts z < 2.5. We focus particularly on the associations between compact radio emission, dust reddening, and outflows identified in our earlier work. Leveraging the deepest low-frequency radio data available to date (LoTSS Deep DR1), we achieve radio detection fractions of up to 94%, demonstrating the virtual ubiquity of radio emission in quasars, and a continuous distribution in radio loudness. Through our analysis of radio properties, combined with spectral energy distribution modeling of multiwavelength photometry, we establish that the primary source of radio emission in quasars is the AGN, rather than star formation. Modeling the dust reddening of the accretion disk emission shows a continuous increase in radio detection in quasars as a function of the reddening parameter E(B-V), suggesting a causal link between radio emission and dust reddening. Confirming previous findings, we observe that the radio excess in red quasars is most pronounced for sources with compact radio morphologies and intermediate radio loudness. We find a significant increase in [Oiii] and Civ outflow velocities for red quasars not seen in our control sample, with particularly powerful [Oiii] winds in those around the radio-quiet/radio-loud threshold. Based on the combined characterisation of radio, reddening, and wind properties in our sample, we favor a model in which the compact radio emission observed in quasars originates in compact radio jets and their interaction with a dusty, circumnuclear environment. Our results align with the theory that jet-induced winds and shocks resulting from this interaction are the origin of the enhanced radio emission in red quasars. Further investigation of this model is crucial for advancing our understanding of quasar feedback mechanisms and their role in galaxy evolution.

To study the role of environment in galaxy evolution, we reconstruct the underlying density field of galaxies in COSMOS2020 (The Farmer catalog) and provide the density catalog for a magnitude limited ($K_{s}<24.5$) sample of $\sim 210 \, k$ galaxies at $0.4<z<5$ within the COSMOS field. The environmental densities are calculated using weighted Kernel Density Estimation (wKDE) approach with the choice of von Mises-Fisher kernel, an analog of the Gaussian kernel for periodic data. Additionally, we make corrections for the edge effect and masked regions in the field. We utilize physical properties extracted by LePhare to investigate the connection between star formation activity and the environmental density of galaxies in six mass-complete sub-samples at different cosmic epochs within $0.4<z<4$. Our findings confirm a strong anti-correlation between star formation rate (SFR)/specific SFR (sSFR) and environmental density out to $z \sim 1.1$. At intermediate redshifts $1.1<z<2$, there is no significant correlation between SFR/sSFR and density. At higher redshifts $2<z<4$ we observe a reversal of the SFR/sSFR-density relation such that the SFR increases by a factor of $\sim 10$ with increasing density contrast, $\delta$, from -0.4 to 5. This observed trend might be due to the greater availability of gas-content in high-density environments, potentially leading to increased star formation rates in galaxies residing in rich environments at $z>2$.

Pulsars are observed to emit bright and spatially extended emission at multi-TeV energies. Although such "TeV halos" appear to be an approximately universal feature of middle-aged pulsars, there remains much to be understood about these systems. In this paper, we project the ability of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to measure the properties of TeV halos, focusing on the case of the nearby Geminga pulsar. We conclude that CTA will be able to provide important information about this source, allowing us to discriminate between a range of different models that are currently consistent with all existing data. In particular, such observations will help us to measure the normalization, energy dependence, and spatial dependence of the diffusion coefficient in the region that surrounds Geminga, as well as the spectrum of the electrons that are injected from this source.

We have analyzed archival spectra of the hot UV-bright star ZNG 1 in the globular cluster M5 (NGC 5904) obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). From these data, we derive an effective temperature $T_{\rm eff} = 43{,}000 \pm 1400$ K, a surface gravity $\log g = 4.47 \pm 0.08$, a rotational velocity $v \sin i = 157 \pm 12$ km s$^{-1}$, and a mass $M = 0.92 \pm 0.17 \, M_{\odot}$. The atmosphere is helium-rich ($Y = 0.99$) and enhanced in CNO (relative to the cluster). The spectrum exhibits wind features with a terminal velocity near 1500 km s$^{-1}$ and strong discrete absorption components (DACs). The high helium abundance, stellar mass, and rotational velocity suggest that the star is a merger remnant, and its parameters are consistent with models of a pair of merging He-core white dwarfs.

The extent of the effect of active galactic nuclei (AGN) on their host galaxies at high-redshift is not apparent and studying this effect in the distant universe is a difficult process as the mechanisms of tracing AGN activity can often be inaccurately associated with intense star formation and vice versa. Our aim is to better understand the processes governing the interstellar medium (ISM) of the quasar BRI0952-0952 at z = 4.432, specifically with regard to the individual heating processes at work and to place the quasar in an evolutionary context. We analyzed ALMA archival bands 3, 4, and 6 data and combined the results with high-resolution band-7 ALMA observations of the quasar. We detect [C I] (2-1), [C II], CO(5-4), CO(7-6), CO(12-11), OH, H2O, and we report a tentative detection of OH+. We update the lensing model from Kade et al. (2023) and use the radiative transfer code MOLPOP-CEP to constrain the properties of the CO, [CI], and [CII] emission and suggest different possible scenarios for heating mechanisms within the quasar. Modeling from the CO SLED suggests that there are extreme heating mechanisms operating within the quasar in the form of star formation or AGN activity; however, with the current data it remains unclear which of the two is the preferred mechanism. The updated lensing model suggests a velocity gradient across the [C II] line, suggestive of on-going kinematical processes within the quasar. We find that the H2O emission in BRI0952 is likely correlated with star-forming regions of the ISM. We use the molecular gas mass from [C I] to calculate a depletion time for the quasar. We conclude that BRI 0952-0952 is a quasar with a significant AGN contribution while also showing signs of extreme starburst activity, indicating that the quasar could be in a transitional phase between a starburst-dominated stage and an AGN-dominated stage.

Nova Her 2021 or V1674 Her was one of the fastest novae to be observed so far. We report here the results from our timing and spectral studies of the source observed at multiple epochs with AstroSat. We report the detection of a periodicity in the source in soft X-rays at a period of 501.4--501.5 s which was detected with high significance after the peak of the super-soft phase, but was not detected in the far ultraviolet (FUV) band of AstroSat. The shape of the phase-folded X-ray light curves has varied significantly as the nova evolved. The phase-resolved spectral studies reveal the likely presence of various absorption features in the soft X-ray band of 0.5--2 keV, and suggest that the optical depth of these absorption features may be marginally dependent on the pulse phase. Strong emission lines from Si, N and O are detected in the FUV, and their strength declined continuously as the nova evolved and went through a bright X-ray state.

Here we present an approach to the measurement of extragalactic distances using twin SNe Ia, taken from the early down to the nebular phase. The approach is purely empirical, although we can give a theoretical background on why the method is reliable. Studying those twins in galaxies where peculiar velocities are relatively unimportant, we can tackle the H$_{0}$ tension problem. Here we apply the method to the determination of the distances to NGC 7250 and NGC 2525, who hosted respectively SN 2013dy and SN 2018gv, twins of two different SNe Ia prototypes: SN 2013aa/SN 2017cbv and SN2011fe. From the study of the SN 2013aa and SN 2017cbv twin pair, by comparing it with 2011fe and applying the difference between the SN 2013aa/2017cbv and the SN 2011fe class, we find as well a good estimate of the distance to NGC 5643. Our study points to distances consistent with the Cepheids distance estimates by {\it SH0ES} in NGC 7250 and NGC 2525 (within 1$\sigma$ errors). (Note that no TRGB distances are available for NGC 7250 and NGC 2525). We get, on the other hand, a good agreement with the distance estimates for M101 and NGC 5643 with the TRGB method. We just have started to measure distances with this method for the samples in Freedman et al (2019) and Riess et al (2022). Though there are differences in measured distances to the same galaxy using Cepheids or he TRGB, the Hubble tension can arise as well from the corrections of peculiar velocities of nearby galaxies which are not in the Hubble flow. Thus, we expect to apply the method in galaxies with z $>$0.02--0.03 well into the Hubble flow to obtain a reliable value for H$_{0}$ with the use of the {\it ELT} or the {\it JWST}.

The nonlinear evolution of Alfv\'en waves in the solar corona leads to the generation of Alfv\'enic turbulence. This description of the Alfv\'en waves involves parametric instabilities where the parent wave decays into slow mode waves giving rise to density fluctuations. These density fluctuations, in turn, play a crucial role in the modulation of the dynamic spectrum of type III radio bursts, which are observed at the fundamental of local plasma frequency and are sensitive to the local density. During observations of such radio bursts, fine structures are detected across different temporal ranges. In this study, we examine density fluctuations generated through the parametric decay instability (PDI) of Alfv\'en waves as a mechanism to generate striations in the dynamic spectrum of type III radio bursts using magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the solar corona. An Alfv\'en wave is injected into the quiet solar wind by perturbing the transverse magnetic field and velocity components which subsequently undergo the PDI instability. The type III burst is modelled as a fast-moving radiation source that samples the background solar wind as it propagates to emit radio waves. We find the simulated dynamic spectrum to contain striations directly affected by the multi-scale density fluctuations in the wind.

The gravitational wave signature of a binary black hole (BBH) merger is dependent on its component mass and spin. If such black holes originate from rapidly rotating progenitors, the large angular momentum reserve in the star could drive a collapsar-like supernova explosion, hence substantially impacting these characteristics of the black holes in the binary. To examine the effect of stellar rotation on the resulting black hole mass and spin, we conduct a 1D general relativistic study of the end phase of the collapse. We find that the resulting black hole mass at times differ significantly from the previously assumed values. We quantify the dependence of the black hole spin magnitude on the hydrodynamics of the accretion flow, providing analytical relations for calculating the mass and spin based on the progenitor's pre-collapse properties. Depending on the nature of the accretion flow, our findings have implications for the black hole upper mass gap resulting from pair-instability supernovae, the maximum mass of a maximally rotating stellar black hole ($M_{\rm BH, max} \approx 35M_\odot$), and the maximum effective spin of a BBH formed in tidally locked helium star - black hole binary ($\chi_{\rm eff, max} \approx 0.325$).

$R^2$-Higgs inflation stands out as one of the best-fit models of Planck data. Using a covariant formalism for the inflationary dynamics and the production of helical gauge fields, we show that the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) can be obtained when this model is supplemented by a dimension-six CP-violating term $\sim (R/\Lambda^2)\, B_{\mu\nu} \widetilde{B}^{\mu\nu}$ in the hypercharge sector. At linear order, values of $\Lambda\simeq 2.5\times10^{-5}\ M_{\rm P}$ produce, in the $R^2$-like regime, sufficient helical hypermagnetic fields to create the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry during the electroweak crossover. However, the Schwinger effect of fermion pair production can play a critical role in this context, and that scale is significantly lowered when the backreaction of the fermion fields on the gauge field production is included. In all cases, the helical field configurations can remain robust against washout after the end of inflation.

This paper gives an overview of TEMPLATES, a JWST Early Release Science program that targeted four extremely bright, gravitationally lensed galaxies: two extremely dusty, two with low attenuation, as templates for galaxy evolution studies with JWST. TEMPLATES obtains a common set of spectral diagnostics for these 1.3 < z < 4.2 galaxies, in particular H alpha, Paschen alpha, and the rest-frame optical and near-infrared continua. In addition, two of the four targets have JWST coverage of [O III] 5007 Angstrom and H beta; the other two targets have have JWST coverage of PAH 3.3 micron and complementary ALMA data covering the [C II] 158 micron emission line. The science goals of TEMPLATES are to demonstrate attenuation-robust diagnostics of star formation, map the distribution of star formation, compare the young and old stellar populations, and measure the physical conditions of star formation and their spatial variation across the galaxies. In addition, TEMPLATES has technical goals to establish best practices for the Integral Field Units (IFU) within the NIRSpec and MIRI instruments, both in terms of observing strategy and in terms of data reduction. The paper describes TEMPLATES's observing program, scientific and technical goals, data reduction methods, and deliverables, including high-level data products and data reduction cookbooks.

Modified gravity models with scale-dependent linear growth typically exhibit an enhancement in the power spectrum beyond a certain scale. The conventional methods for extracting cosmological information usually involve inferring modified gravity effects via Redshift Space Distortions (RSD), particularly through the time evolution of $f\sigma_8$. However, classical galaxy RSD clustering analyses encounter difficulties in accurately capturing the spectrum's enhanced power, which is better obtained from the broad-band power spectrum. In this sense, full-shape analyses aim to consider survey data using comprehensive and precise models of the whole power spectrum. Yet, a major challenge in this approach is the slow computation of non-linear loop integrals for scale-dependent modified gravity, precluding the estimation of cosmological parameters using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. Based on recent studies, in this work we develop a perturbation theory tailored for Modified Gravity, or analogous scenarios introducing additional scales, such as in the presence of massive neutrinos. Our approach only needs the calculation of the scale-dependent growth rate $f(k,t)$ and the limit of the perturbative kernels at large scales. We called this approximate technique as fk-Perturbation Theory and implemented it into the code fkpt, capable of computing the redshift space galaxy power spectrum in a fraction of a second. We validate our modeling and code with the $f(R)$ theory MG-GLAM and General Relativity NSeries sets of simulations. The code is available at https://github.com/alejandroaviles/fkpt

The acquisition of high-quality deep images of planetary nebulae (PNe) has allowed the detection of a wealth of small-scale features, which highlight the complexity of the formation history and physical processes shaping PNe. Here we present the discovery of three groups of clumps embedded within the nebular shell of the evolved PN NGC3587, the Owl Nebula, that had escaped previous detections. The analysis of multi-wavelength GEMINI GMOS, NOT ALFOSC, Aristarchos Andor optical, CFHT WIRCam and Spitzer IRAC and MIPS infrared (IR) images indicates that these clumps are formed by material denser and colder than the surrounding nebula, with a notable content of molecular H2, but negligible or null amounts of dust. The presence of H2-rich pockets embedded within the ionized shell of this evolved PN is suggestive of the survival of high-density condensations of material created at the onset of the PN stage.

Light pollution is recognized as a global issue that, like other forms of anthropogenic pollution, has significant impact on ecosystems and adverse effects on living organisms. Multiple evidence suggests that it has been increasing at an unprecedented rate at all spatial scales. Chile, which thanks to its unique environmental conditions has become one of the most prominent astronomical hubs of the world, seems to be no exception. In this paper we present the results of the first observing campaign aimed at quantifying the effects of artificial lights at night (ALAN) on the brightness and colors of Chilean sky. Through the analysis of photometrically calibrated all-sky images captured at four representative sites with an increasing degree of anthropization, and the comparison with state-of-the-art numerical models, we show that significant levels of light pollution have already altered the appearance of the natural sky even in remote areas. Our observations reveal that the light pollution level recorded in a small town of the Coquimbo Region is comparable with that of Flagstaff, a ten times larger Dark Sky city, and that a mid-size urban area door to the Atacama Desert displays photometric indicators of night sky quality that are typical of the most densely populated regions of Europe. Our results suggest that there is still much to be done in Chile to keep the light pollution phenomenon under control and thus preserve the darkness of its night sky - a natural and cultural heritage that is our responsibility to protect.

Robust galaxy cluster mass estimates are fundamental for constraining cosmological parameters from counts. For this reason, it is essential to search for tracers that, independent of the cluster's dynamical state, have a small intrinsic scatter and can be easily inferred from observations. This work uses a simulated data set to focus on photometric properties and explores different optical mass proxies including richness, optical luminosity, and total stellar mass. We have developed a probabilistic membership assignment that makes minimal assumptions about the galaxy cluster properties, limited to a characteristic radius, velocity dispersion, and spatial distribution. Applying the estimator to over 919 galaxy clusters with $z_{phot}<$0.45 within a mass range of $10^{12.8}$ to $10^{15}$ M$_\odot$, we obtain robust richness estimates that deviate from the median true value (from simulations) by -0.01$ \pm $0.12. The scatter in the mass-observable relations is $\sigma_{log_{10}(M|\mathcal{R})}=$0.181 $\pm$ 0.009 dex for richness, $\sigma_{log_{10}(M|L_\lambda)}=$0.151 $\pm$ 0.007 dex for optical luminosity, and $\sigma_{log_{10}(M|M_\lambda^*)}=$0.097 $\pm$ 0.005 dex for stellar mass. We also discuss membership assignment, completeness and purity, and the consequences of small centre and redshift offsets. We conclude that the application of our method for photometric surveys delivers competitive cluster mass proxies.

By means of three dimensional resistive-magnetohydrodynamical models, we study the evolution of the so-called dead zones focused on the magnitude of the Reynolds and Maxwell stresses. We consider two different types of static resistivity radial profiles which give rise to an intermediate dead zone or an intermediate active zone. As we are interested in analyzing the strength of angular momentum transport in these intermediate regions of the disc, we use as free parameters the radial extent of the intermediate dead ($\Delta r_\mathrm{idz}$) or active ($\Delta r_\mathrm{iact}$) zones, and the widths of the inner ($H_{b_1}$) and outer ($H_{b_2}$) transitions. We find that regardless of the width or radial extent of the intermediate zones, Rossby wave instability (RWI) develops at these transition boundaries, leading to the emergence of vortices and spiral waves. In the case of an intermediate dead zone, when $H_{b_1}\,,H_{b_2}\leq0.8$, the vortices are almost completely confined to the dead zone. Remarkably, we find that the formation of vortices at the inner transition can drag magnetic field lines into the dead zone stirring up the region that the vortex covers (reaching an $\alpha\approx10^{-2}$ value similar to that of an active zone). Vortices formed in the outer transition only modify the Reynolds stress tensor. Our results can be important to understanding angular momentum transport in poorly ionized regions within the disc due to magnetized vortices within dead zones.

In this paper, we look to analyse the spiral features of grand-design, multiarmed, and flocculent spiral galaxies using deep optical imaging from DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. We explore the resulting distributions of various characteristics of spiral structure beyond the optical radius, such as the distributions of azimuthal angle, the extent of spiral arms, and of the spiral arm widths for the aforementioned galaxy classes. We also compare the measured properties for isolated galaxies and galaxies in groups and clusters. We find that, on average, compared to multiarmed and flocculent spiral galaxies, the spiral arms of grand-design galaxies exhibit slightly larger azimuthal angles, greater extent, and larger widths in the periphery of the galaxy. Furthermore, on average, isolated galaxies tend to have slightly smaller widths of outer spiral arms compared to galaxies in tight environments, which is likely related to the tidally-induced mechanism for generating wider outer spiral arms. We also report that breaks of the disc surface brightness profiles are often related to the truncation of spiral arms in galaxies.

Jupiter's atmosphere comprises several dynamical regimes: the equatorial eastward flows and surrounding retrograde jets; the midlatitudes, with the eddy-driven, alternating jet-streams and meridional circulation cells; and the jet-free turbulent polar region. Despite intensive research conducted on each of these dynamical regimes over the past decades, they remain only partially understood. Saturn's atmosphere also encompasses similar distinguishable regimes, but observational evidence for midlatitude deep meridional cells is lacking. Models offer a variety of explanations for each of these regions, but only a few are capable of simulating more than one of the regimes at once. This study presents new numerical simulations using a 3D deep anelastic model that can reproduce the equatorial flows as well as the midlatitudinal pattern of the mostly barotropic, alternating eddy-driven jets and the meridional circulation cells accompanying them. These simulations are consistent with recent Juno mission gravity and microwave data. We find that the vertical eddy momentum fluxes are as important as the meridional eddy momentum fluxes, which drive the midlatitudinal circulation on Earth. In addition, we discuss the parameters controlling the number of midlatitudinal jets/cells, their extent, strength, and location. We identify the strong relationship between meridional circulation and the zonal jets in a deep convection setup, and analyze the mechanism responsible for their generation and maintenance. The analysis presented here provides another step in the ongoing pursuit of understanding the deep atmospheres of gas giants.

We perform the first broadband study of Mrk421 from radio to TeV gamma rays with simultaneous measurements of the X-ray polarization from IXPE. The data were collected within an extensive multiwavelength campaign organized between May and June 2022 using MAGIC, Fermi-LAT, NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, Swift, and several optical and radio telescopes to complement IXPE. During the IXPE exposures, the measured 0.2-1 TeV flux is close to the quiescent state and ranges from 25% to 50% of the Crab Nebula without intra-night variability. Throughout the campaign, the VHE and X-ray emission are positively correlated at a $4\sigma$ significance level. The IXPE measurements unveil a X-ray polarization degree that is a factor of 2-5 higher than in the optical/radio bands; that implies an energy-stratified jet in which the VHE photons are emitted co-spatially with the X-rays, in the vicinity of a shock front. The June 2022 observations exhibit a rotation of the X-ray polarization angle. Despite no simultaneous VHE coverage being available during a large fraction of the swing, the Swift-XRT monitoring unveils an X-ray flux increase with a clear spectral hardening. It suggests that flares in high synchrotron peaked blazars can be accompanied by a polarization angle rotation, as observed in some flat spectrum radio quasars. Finally, during the polarization angle rotation, NuSTAR data reveal two contiguous spectral hysteresis loops in opposite directions (clockwise and counter-clockwise), implying important changes in the particle acceleration efficiency on $\sim$hour timescales.

Fuzzy dark matter (FDM) is an intriguing candidate alternative to the standard cold dark matter (CDM). The FDM model predicts that dark halos have characteristic core structure generated by the effect of quantum pressure, which is different from the structure of CDM halos. We devise a semi-analytic model of a FDM halo density profile by assuming that the density distribution results from the redistribution of mass in a halo with the Navarro-Frenk-White profile. We calculate the mass redistribution radius by considering dynamical relaxation within the FDM halo. We adopt a concentration-halo mass relation with lower concentration compared to that in the CDM model below the half mode mass, which originates from the suppressed matter density fluctuations at small length scales. Our model reproduces the core-halo mass relation (CHMR) found in the numerical simulation of \citet{2014NatPh..10..496S} at $z<1$. We show that the CHMR is well described by a double power law, unlike previous studies that approximate it by a single power law. Our model predictions are in reasonable agreement with the results of the largest FDM simulation of \citet{2021MNRAS.506.2603M} at $z=3$. We argue that the scatter of the CHMR might originate from the scatter of the concentration-halo mass relation.

Fuzzy dark matter (FDM) is a promising candidate for dark matter, characterized by its ultra-light mass, which gives rise to wave effects at astrophysical scales. These effects offer potential solutions to the small-scale issues encountered within the standard cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm. In this paper, we investigate the large-scale structure of the cosmic web using FDM simulations, comparing them to CDM-only simulations and a simulation incorporating baryonic effects. Our study employs the nearest neighbor (NN) analysis as a new statistical tool for examining the structure and statistics of the cosmic web in an FDM universe. This analysis could capture the information absent in the two-point correlation functions. In particular, we analyze data related to the spherical contact, nearest neighbor distances, and the angle between the first and second nearest neighbors of halos. Specifically, we utilize probability distribution functions, statistical moments, and fitting parameters, as well as G(x), F(x), and J(x) functions to analyze the above data. Remarkably, the results from the FDM simulations differ significantly from the others across these analyses, while no noticeable distinction is observed between the baryonic and CDM-only simulations. Moreover, the lower FDM mass leads to more significant deviations from the CDM simulations. These compelling results highlight the efficiency of the NN analysis - mainly through the use of the J(x) function, $s_3$, $l_{3}$ and $a_4$ parameters - as a prominent new tool for investigating FDM on large scales and making observational predictions.

This paper aims at revisit the physical and dynamical properties of the warm atomic gas in the inner disk region of classical T Tauri stars (CTTs) and relate them to the properties of the outer dusty disk. We used the high resolution (R=115,000) spectra of 36 CTTs observed as part of the GHOsT project and analysed the profile and luminosity of the brightest optical forbidden lines, namely [OI]630 and 557nm, [SII]406 and 673nm, and [NII]658nm. We find that in about 40% of sources the so-called narrow low-velocity component (NLVC) display a peak velocity compatible with the stellar velocity. In these sources, that typically show lower mass accretion rates and the absence of a jet, the [OI]630nm profiles are well fitted by a simple Keplerian disk model, indicating that the emission from the disk is dominant with respect to the wind contribution. For transitional disks (TD), no correlation is found between $R_{kep}$, derived from the line HWHM, and the size of the dust cavity. We also see an anti-correlation between the [OI] 557/630 nm ratio and $R_{kep}$, which suggests that the [OI] emitting region expands as the gas cools and becomes less dense. We confirmed previous findings on the density and temperature ranges implied by the line ratios, and additionally constrained the ionisation fraction in the NLVC to be < 0.1. We however discuss the limits of applying this diagnostic to winds that are not spatially resolved. For the outflow component, we estimated the mass-loss for both the disk winds and jets and compared the results with X-ray photoevaporative models. We conclude that without better knowledge of the wind geometry, and given the limitation of the diagnostics, the mass-loss in the wind traced by the LVC cannot be constrained better than a factor of 100, with a mass-loss/mass-accretion ratio spanning between ~ 0.01 and more than 1.

Extragalactic fast X-ray transients (FXTs) are a class of soft (0.3-10 keV) X-ray transients lasting a few hundred seconds to several hours. Several progenitor mechanisms have been suggested to produce FXTs, including supernova shock breakouts, binary neutron star mergers, or tidal disruptions involving an intermediate-mass black hole and a white dwarf. We present detailed host studies, including spectroscopic observations of the host galaxies of 7 XMM-Newton-discovered FXTs. The candidate hosts lie at redshifts 0.0928 $< z <$ 0.645 implying peak X-ray luminosities of 10$^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$ $< L_X <$ 10$^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$,and physical offsets of 1 kpc < $r_\mathrm{proj}$ < 22 kpc. These observations increase the number of FXTs with a spectroscopic redshift measurement by a factor of 2, although we note that one event is re-identified as a Galactic flare star. We infer host star formation rates and stellar masses by fitting the combined spectroscopic and archival photometric data. We also report on a contemporaneous optical counterpart search to the FXTs in Pan-STARRS and ATLAS by performing forced photometry at the position of the FXTs. We do not find any counterpart in our search. Given our constraints, including peak X-ray luminosities, optical limits, and host properties, we find that XRT 110621 is consistent with a SN SBO event. Spectroscopic redshifts of likely host galaxies for four events imply peak X-ray luminosities that are too high to be consistent with SN SBOs, but we are unable to discard either the BNS or WD-IMBH TDE scenarios for these FXTs.

Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) is a phenomenon featuring in various quantum gravity models whereby Lorentz symmetry is broken at high energies, potentially impacting the behaviour of particles and their interactions. Here we investigate the phenomenology of LIV within the context of gamma-ray-induced electromagnetic cascades. We conduct detailed numerical simulations to explore the expected manifestations of LIV on gamma-ray fluxes, taking into account relevant effects such as pair production and inverse Compton scattering. Additionally, we consider processes forbidden in the Standard Model, namely vacuum Cherenkov emission and photon decay. Our analysis reveals that these modifications result in distinct characteristics within the measured particle fluxes at Earth, which have the potential to be observed in high-energy gamma-ray observations.

Strong accretion outbursts onto protostars are associated with emission dominated by a viscously heated disk, which is characterized by high luminosities. We report the discovery and characterization of a strong mid-IR (3.4, 4.6 $\mu$m) outburst in the embedded protostar SSTgbs J21470601+4739394 (hereafter SSTgbsJ214706). SSTgbsJ214706 has steadily brightened in the mid-infrared by $\sim2$ magnitudes over the past decade, as observed by NEOWISE. Follow-up investigations with the Gemini near-IR spectrograph reveal that SSTgbsJ214706 is a binary system with a spatially extended outflow. The outburst is occurring on the more embedded southeast (SE) component, which dominates the mid- and far-infrared emission from the source. The outbursting component exhibits a spectrum consistent with an FU Ori-type outburst, including the presence of enhanced absorption observed in the molecular bands of CO. The luminosity of the SE component is estimated to be $\sim 0.23\,$ L$_\odot$ before the outburst and $\sim 0.95\,$ L$_\odot$ during the outburst, which is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude fainter than bonafide FU Ori outbursts. We interpret this eruption as an FU Ori-type outburst, although the possibility of brightening following an extinction episode cannot be ruled out. We discuss the implications and potential explanations for such a low-luminosity eruption.

The wide binary fraction of planetary mass objects in the Trapezium cluster is much greater than implied by extrapolation to lower masses of the wide binary fraction of stars. Wide binaries may be produced by gravitational collapse of a medium with fluid vorticity. In a uniform medium with uniform vorticity the criterion for collapse is independent of the size and mass of the collapsing region, which would imply a wide binary fraction independent of mass, in contradiction to observation. The excess of Jupiter Mass Binary Objects in the Trapezium cluster may be attributed to cosmic ray viscosity that transports angular momentum to surrounding material. Viscosity is more effective in smaller and less massive collapsing regions, preferentially producing planetary mass wide binaries.

Context. Radial velocities (RVs) of stars contain both the Doppler reflex motion of potential planetary companions and the drowning and sometimes imitating effect of stellar activity. To separate the two, previous efforts have sought for proxys which only trace the activity signals, yet the sub-meter-per-second floor required for the detection of Earth-like planets remains difficult to break. Aims. In this work, we analyze a sample of 12 G- to early M-type stars in order to investigate the feasibility of detecting a differential effect of stellar activity with photospheric depth, as traced by the spectral line-forming temperature, for observations with different sampling and noise levels. Methods. We computed the average line formation temperature for each point in the observed wavelength grids using the spectral synthesis code PySME. The final line selection was curated to exclude blended and poorly synthesized lines. We thereafter computed the convective blueshift (CB) of the line cores of our master spectra (composed of the stacked individual spectra for each star). Finally, we extract RV time series for certain intervals of formation temperature using a template-matching approach. Results. We find the CB to follow a linear relation with the formation temperature of the line cores, and the CB slope to be steeper with increasing effective temperature. For the RV time series derived for different intervals of formation temperature, we find the RVs of line parts formed at higher temperatures, close to the spectral continuum, to be generally correlated with the S index, and RVs of line parts formed at cooler temperatures, close to the spectral line cores, to be generally anti-correlated, especially for stars with low noise levels and significant variations over their magnetic cycles.

We previously built a sample of 14,012 extremely variable quasars (EVQs) based on SDSS and Pan-STARRS1 photometric observations. In this work we present the spectral fitting to their SDSS spectra, and study the spectral variation in 1,259 EVQs with multi-epoch SDSS spectra (after prudently excluding spectra with potentially unreliable spectroscopic photometry). We find clear "bluer-when-brighter" trend in EVQs, consistent with previous findings of normal quasars and AGNs. We detect significant intrinsic Baldwin effect (iBeff, i.e., smaller line EW at higher continuum flux in individual AGNs) in the broad MgII and CIV lines of EVQs. Meanwhile, no systematical iBeff is found for the broad Hb line, which could be attributed to strong host contamination at longer wavelengths. Remarkably, by comparing the iBeff slope of EVQs with archived changing-look quasars (CLQs), we show that the CLQs identified in literature are mostly likely a biased (due to its definition) sub-population of EVQs, rather than a distinct population of quasars. We also found no significant broad line breathing of either Hb, MgII or CIV, suggesting the broad line breathing in quasars may disappear at longer timescales ($\sim$ 3000 days).

We study a generalization of the the Starobinsky model adding a term of the form $R^{2p}$ to the Einstien-Hilbert action. We take the power $p$ as a parameter of the model and explore the constraints from CMB plus BAO data through a Bayesian analysis, thus exploring a range of values for the exponent parameter. We incorporate a reheating phase to the model through the background matter content (equation of state) and the duration of this period (number of $e$-foldings of reheating). We find that incorporating information from reheating imposes constraints on cosmological quantities, more stringent than the case of no reheating when tested with the Planck+BAO data. The inferred value of the exponent parameter is statistically consistent with $p=1$, favoring the original Starobinsky potential. Moreover, we report tighter constraints on $p$ and the number of $e$-folds in comparison with previous works. The obtained values for other inflationary observational parameters, such as the scalar spectral index $n_s$ and the scalar amplitude of perturbations $A_s$, are consistent with prior measurements. Finally we present the alternative use of consistency relations in order to simplify the parameter space and test the generalized Starobinsky potential even more efficiently.

A statistical model is used to determine how stochastic fluctuations in the intensities of orthogonal polarization modes contribute to the modulation and depolarization of pulsar radio emission. General expressions for the distributions of the Stokes parameters, linear polarization, polarization position angle, and fractional polarization are derived when the mode intensities follow the same or different probability distributions. The transition between modes is examined. When the mode intensities follow the same distribution, the fractional linear polarization and modulation index are symmetric about the transition. The symmetry is disrupted when the mode intensities follow different distributions. The fractional linear polarization is minimum and the mode frequency of occurrence changes rapidly at transitions where the mode intensity distributions are the same and the modulation index is small. A lower limit on the fractional linear polarization that can be attained via the simultaneous occurrence of the modes as a function of modulation index is quantified.

The population of radio-loud stars has to date been studied primarily through either targeted observations of a small number of highly active stars or widefield, single-epoch surveys that cannot easily distinguish stellar emission from background extra-Galactic sources. As a result it has been difficult to constrain population statistics such as the surface density and fraction of the population producing radio emission in a particular variable or spectral class. In this paper we present a sample of 36 radio stars detected in a circular polarisation search of the multi-epoch Variables and Slow Transients (VAST) pilot survey with ASKAP at 887.5~MHz. Through repeat sampling of the VAST pilot survey footprint we find an upper limit to the duty cycle of M-dwarf radio bursts of 8.5 per cent, and that at least $10 \pm 3$ per cent of the population should produce radio bursts more luminous than $10^{15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ Hz$^{-1}$. We infer a lower limit on the long-term surface density of such bursts in a shallow 1.25 mJy PSF$^{-1}$ sensitivity survey of $9^{+11}_{-7} \times 10^{-3}$ deg$^{-2}$ and an instantaneous radio star surface density of $1.7 \pm 0.2 \times 10^{-3}$ deg$^{-2}$ on 12 min timescales. Based on these rates we anticipate ${\sim}200 \pm 50$ new radio star detections per year over the full VAST survey and ${\sim}41\,000^{+10\,000}_{-9\,000}$ in next-generation all-sky surveys with the Square Kilometre Array.

The very first light captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealed a population of galaxies at very high redshifts more massive than expected in the canonical $\Lambda$CDM model of structure formation. Barring, among others, a systematic origin of the issue, in this paper, we test alternative cosmological perturbation histories. We argue that models with a larger matter component $\Omega_m$ and/or a larger scalar spectral index $n_s$ can substantially improve the fit to JWST measurements. In this regard, phenomenological extensions related to the dark energy sector of the theory are appealing alternatives, with Early Dark Energy emerging as an excellent candidate to explain (at least in part) the unexpected JWST preference for larger stellar mass densities. Conversely, Interacting Dark Energy models, despite producing higher values of matter clustering parameters such as $\sigma_8$, are generally disfavored by JWST measurements. This is due to the energy-momentum flow from the dark matter to the dark energy sector, implying a smaller matter energy density. Upcoming observations may either strengthen the evidence or falsify some of these appealing phenomenological alternatives to the simplest $\Lambda$CDM picture.

In the latest Gaia third data release one can find extremely small proper motion components for the star HD 7977. This, together with the radial velocity measurement lead to the conclusion that this star passed very close to the Sun in the recent past. Such a very close approach of a one solar mass star must result in noticeable changes in the motion of all Solar System bodies, especially those on less tight orbits, namely long-period comets (LPCs) and Kuiper belt objects. We estimate and present these effects. Our current knowledge on the stellar surroundings of the Sun found in the latest Gaia catalogues allowed us to perform numerical integrations and prepare a list of potential stellar perturbers of LPCs. We use this list, made available in the StePPeD database. To study the past motion of LPCs under the simultaneous action of the Galactic potential and passing stars, we use precise original cometary orbits taken from the current CODE catalogue. We examine the reliability of the extremely small proper motion of HD 7977 concluding that this star can be an unresolved binary but according to the astrometry covering more than a century, the current Gaia results cannot be ruled out. We present the parameters of a very close passage of this star near the Sun. We also show examples of the strong influence of this passage on the past motion of some LPCs. We also discuss the possible influence of this perturber on other Solar System bodies. It is possible that 2.47 Myr ago the one solar mass star HD 7977 passed as close as one thousand au from the Sun. Such an event constitutes a kind of dynamical horizon for all studies of the past Solar System bodies' dynamics.

Supernova (SN) 1987A is one of the best candidates to exploit the capabilities of the freshly launched XRISM satellite. This celestial object offers the unique opportunity to study the evolution of a SN into a young supernova remnant. To date, the X-ray emission has been dominated by the shocked circumstellar medium (CSM), with no shocked ejecta firmly detected. However, recent studies provide compelling evidence that in the forthcoming years the X-ray emission from SN 1987A will increasingly stem from the ejecta. Our aim is to assess the proficiency of XRISM-Resolve high resolution spectrometer in pinpointing signatures of the shocked ejecta in SN 1987A. Taking advantage of a self consistent state-of-art magneto-hydrodynamic simulation that describes the evolution from SN 1987A to its remnant, we synthesized the XRISM-Resolve spectrum of SN 1987A, as it would be collected in the allocated observation during the performance verification phase, which is foreseen for 2024. Our predictions clearly show the leading role of shocked ejecta in shaping the profile of the emission lines. The Doppler broadening associated with the bulk motion along the line of sight of the rapidly expanding ejecta is shown to increase the line widths well above the values observed so far. The quantitative comparison between our synthetic spectra and the XRISM spectra will enable us to establish a strong connection between the broadened line emission and the freshly shocked ejecta. This, in turn, will allow us to retrieve the ejecta dynamics and chemical composition from the X-ray emission.

As the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres proceeds, providing insights into atmospheric chemistry and composition, a key question is how much deeper into the planet we might be able to see from its atmospheric properties alone. For small planets with modest atmospheres and equilibrium temperatures, the first layer below the atmosphere will be their rocky surface. For such warm rocky planets, broadly Venus-like planets, the high temperatures and moderate pressures at the base of their atmospheres may enable thermochemical equilibrium between rock and gas. This links the composition of the surface to that of the observable atmosphere. Using an equilibrium chemistry code, we find a boundary in surface pressure-temperature space which simultaneously separates distinct mineralogical regimes and atmospheric regimes, potentially enabling inference of surface mineralogy from spectroscopic observations of the atmosphere. Weak constraints on the surface pressure and temperature also emerge. This regime boundary corresponds to conditions under which SO2 is oxidized and absorbed by calcium-bearing minerals in the crust, thus the two regimes reflect the sulphidation of the crust. The existence of these atmospheric regimes for Venus-like planets is robust to plausible changes in the elemental composition. Our results pave the way to the prospect of characterizing exoplanetary surfaces as new data for short period rocky planet atmospheres emerge.

Active galactic nucleus (AGN) outflows including jets and ionized winds have been key phenomena such as jet collimation and AGN feedback to the host galaxy in astrophysics. Radio galaxies, a type of AGN with misaligned jets, have provided valuable insights into the properties and relationships of these outflows. However, several aspects regarding AGN outflows remain unclarified, such as the relationship between jets and ultrafast outflows (UFOs) and the differences between the properties of radio-loud AGN disk winds and radio-quiet AGN ionized winds. To clarify these aspects, radio galaxies containing UFOs and warm absorbers (WAs) must be studied. Currently, both UFOs and WAs have been reported in only two radio galaxies, 3C 390.3 and 4C $+$74.26. To enhance our understanding of the connection between the jets and ionized winds, we conducted a study on Mrk 6, a potential candidate for the third case of a radio galaxy displaying these characteristics. Using X-ray spectra obtained from {\it XMM-Newton}, we performed photoionization modeling using the SPEX code. The best-fit model analysis results revealed the presence of a UFO component with a relatively low ionization parameter (Fe {\sc xix}/{\sc xviii} lines blueshifted by $-34700^{+400}_{-200}~{\rm km~s^{-1}}$) and a WA component with an outflow velocity of $-7600 \pm 200~{\rm km~s }^{-1}$. To further confirm the nature of the UFO and WA in Mrk 6, we simulated the X-ray imagining and spectroscopy mission spectra.

We report the discovery of energy-dependent morphology for the GeV gamma-ray emission from HESS J1857+026 with more than 13 years of {\it Fermi} Large Area Telescope (LAT) data. The GeV gamma-ray emission from this region is composed of two extended components. The hard component with an index of $1.74 \pm 0.07$ in the energy range of 0.5-500 GeV is spatially coincident with HESS J1857+026, and its 68\% containment radius varies from $\sim 0.44^\circ$ below 40 GeV to $\sim 0.30^\circ$ above 140 GeV. The hard GeV gamma-ray spectrum and the energy-dependent morphology of HESS J1857+026 make it favor a PWN origin, which is associated with the energetic pulsar, PSR J1856+0245. The soft component with an index of $2.70 \pm 0.16$ and another extended gamma-ray source detected in this region, 4FGL J1857.9+0313e with an index of $2.55 \pm 0.07$, are spatially coincidence with two molecular clumps in the northeast and southwest of HESS J1857+026, which favors the hadronic process, and the protons could be accelerated by the hypothetical SNR associated with PSR J1856+0245.

Context: The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) internal kinematics have been studied in unprecedented depth thanks to the excellent quality of the Gaia mission data, revealing the disc's non-axisymmetric structure. Aims: We want to constrain the LMC bar pattern speed using the astrometric and spectroscopic data from the Gaia mission. Methods: We apply three methods to evaluate the bar pattern speed: it is measured through the Tremaine-Weinberg (TW) method, the Dehnen method and a bisymmetric velocity (BV) model. The methods provide additional information on the bar properties such as the corotation radius and the bar length and strength. The validity of the methods is tested with numerical simulations. Results: A wide range of pattern speeds are inferred by the TW method, owing to a strong dependency on the orientation of the galaxy frame and the viewing angle of the bar perturbation. The simulated bar pattern speeds (corotation radii, respectively) are well recovered by the Dehnen method (BV model). Applied to the LMC data, the Dehnen method finds a pattern speed Omega_p = -1.0 +/- 0.5 km s-1 kpc-1, thus corresponding to a bar which barely rotates, slightly counter-rotating with respect to the LMC disc. The BV method finds a LMC bar corotation radius of Rc = 4.20 +/- 0.25 kpc, corresponding to a pattern speed Omega_p = 18.5^{+1.2}_{-1.1} km s-1 kpc-1. Conclusions: It is not possible to decide which global value best represents an LMC bar pattern speed with the TW method, due to the strong variation with the orientation of the reference frame. The non-rotating bar from the Dehnen method would be at odds with the structure and kinematics of the LMC disc. The BV method result is consistent with previous estimates and gives a bar corotation-to-length ratio of 1.8 +/- 0.1, which makes the LMC hosting a slow bar.

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are weak and broad interstellar absorption features in astronomical spectra originating from unknown molecules. To measure DIBs in spectra of late-type stars more accurately and more efficiently, we developed a Random Forest model to isolate the DIB features from the stellar components and applied this method to 780 thousand spectra collected by the Gaia Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) that were published in the third data release (DR3). After subtracting the stellar components, we modeled the DIBs $\lambda$8621 and $\lambda$8648. After quality control, we selected 7619 reliable measurements. The rest-frame wavelength of DIB $\lambda$8621 was updated as $\lambda_0\,{=}\,8623.141\,{\pm}\,0.030$ AA in vacuum, corresponding to 8620.766 AA in air, which was determined by 77 DIB measurements toward the Galactic anti-center. With the peak finding method and a coarse analysis, DIB $\lambda$8621 was found to correlate better with the neutral hydrogen than the molecular hydrogen (represented by $^{12}$CO $J\,{=}\,(1{-}0)$ emission). We also obtained 179 reliable measurements of DIB $\lambda$8648 in the RVS spectra of individual stars for the first time, further confirming this very broad DIB feature. A rough estimation of $\lambda_0$ for DIB $\lambda$8648 was 8646.31 AA in vacuum, corresponding to 8643.93 AA in air, assuming that the carriers of $\lambda$8621 and $\lambda$8648 are co-moving. We confirmed the impact of stellar residuals on the DIB measurements in Gaia DR3, which led to a distortion of the DIB profile and a shift of the center ($\lesssim0.5$ AA), but the EW was consistent with our new measurements. With our measurements and analyses, we propose that the machine-learning-based approach can be widely applied to measure DIBs in numerous spectra from spectroscopic surveys.

Photometric time series gathered by space telescopes such as CoRoT and Kepler allow to detect solar-like oscillations in red-giant stars and to measure their global seismic constraints, which can be used to infer global stellar properties (e.g. masses, radii, evolutionary states). Combining such precise constraints with photospheric abundances provides a means of testing mixing processes that occur inside red-giant stars. In this work, we conduct a detailed spectroscopic and seismic analysis of nine nearby (d < 200 pc) red-giant stars observed by Kepler. Both seismic constraints and grid-based modelling approaches are used to determine precise fundamental parameters for those evolved stars. We compare distances and radii derived from Gaia Data Release 3 parallaxes with those inferred by a combination of seismic, spectroscopic and photometric constraints. We find no deviations within errorsbars, however the small sample size and the associated uncertainties are a limiting factor for such comparison. We use the period spacing of mixed modes to distinguish between ascending red-giants and red-clump stars. Based on the evolutionary status, we apply corrections to the values of $\Delta\nu$ for some stars, resulting in a slight improvement to the agreement between seismic and photometric distances. Finally, we couple constraints on detailed chemical abundances with the inferred masses, radii and evolutionary states. Our results corroborate previous studies that show that observed abundances of lithium and carbon isotopic ratio are in contrast with predictions from standard models, giving robust evidence for the occurrence of additional mixing during the red-giant phase.

We utilize the Magneticum suite of state-of-the-art hydrodynamical, as well as dark-matter-only simulations to investigate the effects of baryonic physics on cosmic voids in the highest-resolution study of its kind. This includes the size, shape and inner density distributions of voids, as well as their radial density and velocity profiles traced by halos, baryonic and cold dark matter particles. Our results reveal observationally insignificant effects that slightly increase with the inner densities of voids and are exclusively relevant on scales of only a few Mpc. Most notably, we identify deviations in the distributions of baryons and cold dark matter around halo-defined voids, relevant for weak lensing studies. In contrast, we find that voids identified in cold dark matter, as well as in halos of fixed tracer density exhibit nearly indistinguishable distributions and profiles between hydrodynamical and dark-matter-only simulations, consolidating the universality and robustness of the latter for comparisons of void statistics with observations in upcoming surveys. This corroborates that voids are the components of the cosmic web that are least affected by baryonic physics, further enhancing their use as cosmological probes.

Interstellar radio wave scattering leads to flux density fluctuations and pulse broadening of pulsar signals. However, Galactic distribution and the structure of the scattering medium are still poorly understood. Pulsar pulse broadening data available for a relatively large number of pulsars is well suited for such investigations. We collected an up-to-date sample of publicly available pulsar scattering data and introduced a new quantity -- the reduced scattering strength $\tilde{\tau}$ to study the Galactic distribution of pulsar scattering in the Milky Way. We show that the current observations are dominated by two distinct pulsar populations: a local and an inner-Galactic one separated by $\tilde{\tau }=10^{-5.1}\,{\rm s}\,{\rm cm}^{6}\,{\rm pc}^{-1}$. The stronger electron density fluctuations associated with the inner-Galactic population naturally explain the observed steepening of pulsar scattering time $\tau$ - dispersion measure relation. We measure an inner disc region with $3\,{\rm kpc}<\rm r< 5.5\,{\rm kpc}$ from the Galactic centre to have a scattering scale height of about $0.28\,{\rm kpc}$, supporting a correlation between interstellar radio scattering and structures associating with the ionized gas and stellar activities.

We introduce a novel technique within the Nested Sampling framework to enhance efficiency of the computation of Bayesian evidence, a critical component in scientific data analysis. In higher dimensions, Nested Sampling relies on Markov Chain-based likelihood-constrained prior samplers, which generate numerous 'phantom points' during parameter space exploration. These points are too auto-correlated to be used in the standard Nested Sampling scheme and so are conventionally discarded, leading to waste. Our approach discovers a way to integrate these phantom points into the evidence calculation, thereby improving the efficiency of Nested Sampling without sacrificing accuracy. This is achieved by ensuring the points within the live set remain asymptotically i.i.d. uniformly distributed, allowing these points to contribute meaningfully to the final evidence estimation. We apply our method on several models, demonstrating substantial enhancements in sampling efficiency, that scales well in high-dimension. Our findings suggest that this approach can reduce the number of required likelihood evaluations by at least a factor of 5. This advancement holds considerable promise for improving the robustness and speed of statistical analyses over a wide range of fields, from astrophysics and cosmology to climate modelling.

Observations of low-mass stars have frequently shown a disagreement between observed stellar radii and radii predicted by theoretical stellar structure models. This ``radius inflation'' problem could have an impact on both stellar and exoplanetary science. We present the final results of our observation programme with the CHEOPS satellite to obtain high-precision light curves of eclipsing binaries with low mass stellar companions (EBLMs). Combined with the spectroscopic orbits of the solar-type companion, we can derive the masses, radii and effective temperatures of 23 M-dwarf stars. We use the PYCHEOPS data analysis software to analyse their primary and secondary occultations. For all but one target, we also perform analyses with TESS light curves for comparison. We have assessed the impact of starspot-induced variation on our derived parameters and account for this in our radius and effective temperature uncertainties using simulated light curves. We observe trends for inflation with both metallicity and orbital separation. We also observe a strong trend in the difference between theoretical and observational effective temperatures with metallicity. There is no such trend with orbital separation. These results are not consistent with the idea that observed inflation in stellar radius combines with lower effective temperature to preserve the luminosity predicted by low-mass stellar models. Our EBLM systems are high-quality and homogeneous measurements that can be used in further studies into radius inflation.

Dark matter-deficient galaxies (DMDGs) discovered in the survey of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs), in apparent conflict with standard CDM, may be produced by high-velocity galaxy-galaxy collisions, the {\it {Mini-bullet}} scenario. Recent observations of an aligned trail of $7 - 11$ UDGs near NGC1052, including DMDGs DF2 and DF4, suggesting a common formation site and time, $\sim 8.9 \pm 1.5$ Gyr ago, provide a test. Hydro/N-body simulations are presented here with initial conditions for colliding satellites tailored to match the observed UDGs in the NGC1052 group, supplemented by galaxy orbit integrations. We demonstrate the formation of a trail of $\sim10$ DMDGs, including two massive ones that replicate the observed motions of DF2 and DF4. The linear relation, $v=Ax+v_{0}$, conjectured previously to relate positions ($x$) and velocities ($v$) of the aligned DMDGs as a signature of the collision event, is approximately obeyed, but individual DMDGs can deviate significantly from it. The progenitors whose collision spawned the trail of DMDGs survive the collision without, themselves, becoming DMDGs. We predict one progenitor is located at the end of the trail, testable by observing the difference between its stars, formed pre-collision, from those of the DMDGs, formed post-collision. By contrast, stellar ages and metallicities of the DMDGs are nearly identical. We further offer a hint that the tidal field of host NGC1052 may contribute to making DMDGs diffuse. $\Lambda$CDM simulation in a 100 cMpc box finds our required initial conditions $\sim 10$ times at $z<3$. These results indicate current observations are consistent with the {\it{Mini-bullet}} scenario.

Recent measurements revealed the presence of several features in the cosmic ray spectrum. In particular, the proton and helium spectra exhibit a spectral hardening at $\approx$ 300 GV and a spectral steeping at $\approx$ 15 TV, followed by the well known knee-likefeature at $\approx$ 3 TV. The spectra of heavier nuclei also harden at $\approx$ 300 GV, while no claim can be currently done about the presence of the $\approx$ 15 TV softening, due to low statistics. In addition, the B/C ratio flattens at $\approx$ 1 TeV/n. We present a novel scenario for cosmic ray sources and transport in the Galaxy that may explain all of the observed spectral features. The proposed scenario is based mainly on two assumptions. First, in the Galactic disk, where magnetic field lines are mainly oriented along the Galactic plane, particle scattering is assumed to be very inefficient. Therefore, the transport of cosmic rays from the disk to the halo is set by the magnetic field line random walk induced by large scale turbulence. Second, we propose that the spectral steepening at $\approx$ 15 TV is related to the typical maximum rigidity reached in the acceleration of cosmic rays by the majority of supernova remnants, while we assume that only a fraction of sources, contributing to $\approx$ 10-20% of the cosmic ray population, can accelerate particles up to $\sim$ PV. We show that, within this framework, it is possible to reproduce the proton and helium spectra from GV to multi-PV, and the p/He ratio, the spectra of cosmic ray from lithium to iron, the $\bar{p}$ flux and the $\bar{p}$/p ratio and the abundance ratios B/C, B/O, C/O, Be/C, Be/O, Be/B. We also discuss the $^{10}$Be/ $ ^9$Be ratio in view of the recent AMS02 preliminary measurements.

We report superluminal jet motion with an apparent speed of $\beta_\mathrm{app}=1.65\pm0.57$ in the radio-quiet (RQ) low ionisation nuclear emission line region (LINER) galaxy, KISSR872. This result comes from two epoch phase-referenced very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations at 5 GHz. The detection of bulk relativistic motion in the jet of this extremely radio faint AGN, with a total 1.4 GHz flux density of 5 mJy in the 5.4 arcsec resolution Very Large Array (VLA) FIRST survey image and 1.5 mJy in the $\sim5$ milli-arcsec resolution Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) image, is the first of its kind in a RQ LINER galaxy. The presence of relativistic jets in lower accretion rate objects like KISSR872, with an Eddington ratio of 0.04, reveals that even RQ AGN can harbor relativistic jets, and evidentiates their universality over a wide range of accretion powers.

The primary goal of this paper is to derive precise Fourier parameters of the radial velocity (RV) curves for fundamental and first-overtone Galactic Cepheids. For each star, we carefully selected RV measurements available in the literature which yield the highest precision of Fourier parameters. We performed a Fourier decomposition of the RV curves. We subtracted RV modulations caused by binary motion and have removed other residual trends. Finally, we have displayed and analyzed qualitatively the progressions found for Fourier parameters. We applied a standard identification of their pulsation mode based on their Fourier phase $\phi_{21}$. Our final sample includes 178 fundamental-mode and 33 first overtone pulsators, as well as 7 additional Cepheids whose pulsation mode is uncertain or undetermined according to our criteria. For the fundamental-mode Cepheids, we improved the precision of Fourier parameters in comparison of previous results from the literature. We are able to firmly identify V495 Cyg as a new first-overtone Cepheid. We confirm first-overtone nature of several other stars. We also show that $\alpha$ UMi should be definitely classified as a first-overtone pulsator. In 3 objects (VY Per, AQ Pup and QZ Nor) we found significant $\gamma$-velocity variations that we attribute to spectroscopic binarity. Finally, the analysis of the F-mode Fourier parameters up to 7th order reveals tight progression of Fourier phases. For $P<10\,$day we find a well defined upper limit for the Fourier amplitude $A_1$. The pulsation period coverage and the precision obtained, in particular for Fourier phase $\phi_{21}$, will be useful for studying the dynamics of Cepheid pulsations with the help of hydrodynamical models. Further radial velocity measurements from modern high-resolution spectroscopic instruments will be important to improve these results.

Typically, integrated radio frequency continuum spectra of supernova remnants (SNRs) exhibit a power-law form due to their synchrotron emission. In numerous cases, these spectra show an exponential turnover, long assumed due to thermal free-free absorption in the interstellar medium. We use a compilation of Galactic radio continuum SNR spectra, with and without turnovers, to constrain the distribution of the absorbing ionized gas. We introduce a novel parameterization of SNR spectra in terms of a characteristic frequency v_*, which depends both on the absorption turnover frequency and the power-law slope. Normalizing to v_* and to the corresponding flux density, S_*, we demonstrate that the stacked spectra of our sample reveal a similarity in behavior with low scatter (r.m.s. ~15%), and a unique exponential drop-off fully consistent with the predictions of a free-free absorption process. Observed SNRs, whether exhibiting spectral turnovers or not, appear to be spatially well mixed in the Galaxy without any evident segregation between them. Moreover, their Galactic distribution does not show a correlation with general properties such as heliocentric distance or Galactic longitude, as might have been expected if the absorption were due to a continuous distribution of ionized gas. However, it naturally arises if the absorbers are discretely distributed, as suggested by early low-frequency observations. Modeling based on HII regions tracking Galactic spiral arms successfully reproduces the patchy absorption observed to date. While more extensive statistical datasets should yield more precise spatial models of the absorbing gas distribution, our present conclusion regarding its inhomogeneity will remain robust.

Primordial magnetic fields (PMFs) may explain observations of magnetic fields on extragalactic scales. They are most cleanly constrained by observations of details of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) Their effects on cosmic recombination may even be at the heart of the resolution of the Hubble tension. We present an in-detail analysis of the effects of PMFs on cosmic recombination taking into account of all so far known relevant physical processes. To this end we extend the public magneto-hydrodynamic code ENZO with a new cosmic recombination routine, Monte-Carlo simulations of Lyman-$\alpha$ photon transport, and a Compton drag term in the baryon momentum equation. The resulting code allows us to predict the impact of PMFs on the cosmic ionization history and the clumping of baryons during cosmic recombination. We study the specific case of non-helical PMFs with a Batchelor spectrum. Our results identify the importance of mixing of Lyman-$\alpha$ photons between overdense- and underdense- regions for small PMF strength. This mixing shows an attractor to the fully mixed case and speeds up recombination beyond the speed-up due to clumping. It leads to enhanced Silk damping which is strongly constrained by CMB observations. We also show that the increase in the ionization fraction at low redshift by hydrodynamic baryon heating due to PMF dissipation is completely compensated by the faster recombination from baryon clumping. We describe and explain the significant differences of these 3D simulations over earlier three-zone models.

In this study, we extend the standard cosmological model within the quadratic energy-momentum squared gravity (qEMSG) framework, introducing a nonminimal interaction between the usual material field ($T_{\mu\nu}$) and its accompanying quadratic energy-momentum squared field (qEMSF, $T_{\mu\nu}^{\rm qEMSF}$), defined by $f(\mathbf{T}^2) = \alpha \mathbf{T}^2$ with $\mathbf{T^2}=T_{\mu\nu}T^{\mu\nu}$. Focusing on high energy scales relevant to big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), we employ $^4$He abundance to constrain the parameter $\alpha$. Our analysis selects the radiation-dominated universe solution compatible with the standard cosmological model limit as $\alpha \rightarrow 0$ and reveals that qEMSF interaction model can modify the radiation energy density's evolution, potentially altering neutron-proton interconversion rates and consequently affecting $^4$He abundance in various ways. We establish the most stringent cosmological bounds on $\alpha$: $(-8.81 \leq \alpha \leq 8.14) \times 10^{-27} \, \mathrm{eV}^{-4}$ (68\% CL) from Aver \textit{et al.}'s primordial $^4$He abundance measurements, aligning with $\alpha=0$. Additionally, $(3.48 \leq\alpha \leq 4.43)\,\times 10^{-27} \rm{eV}^{-4}$ (68\% CL) from Fields \textit{et al.}'s estimates, utilizing the Planck-CMB estimated baryon density within the standard cosmological model framework, diverges from $\alpha=0$, thereby lending support to the qEMSF interaction model. The study also highlights the bidirectional nature of energy-momentum/entropy transfer in qEMSF interaction model, depending on the sign of $\alpha$. The implications of qEMSF in the presence of additional relativistic relics are also explored, showcasing the model's potential to accommodate deviations from standard cosmology and the Standard Model of particle physics.

Simulations predict that the galaxy populations inhabiting protoclusters may contribute considerably to the total amount of stellar mass growth of galaxies in the early universe. In this study, we test these predictions observationally, focusing on the Taralay protocluster (formerly PCl J1001+0220) at $z \sim 4.57$ in the COSMOS field. Leveraging data from the Charting Cluster Construction with VUDS and ORELSE (C3VO) survey, we spectroscopically confirmed 44 galaxies within the adopted redshift range of the protocluster ($4.48 < z < 4.64$) and incorporate an additional 18 such galaxies from ancillary spectroscopic surveys. Using a density mapping technique, we estimate the total mass of Taralay to be $\sim 1.7 \times 10^{15}$ M$_\odot$, sufficient to form a massive cluster by the present day. By comparing the star formation rate density (SFRD) within the protocluster (SFRD$_\text{pc}$) to that of the coeval field (SFRD$_\text{field}$), we find that SFRD$_\text{pc}$ surpasses the SFRD$_\text{field}$ by $\Delta$log(SFRD/$M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-3}$) = $1.08 \pm 0.32$ (or $\sim$ 12$\times$). The observed contribution fraction of protoclusters to the cosmic SFRD adopting Taralay as a proxy for typical protoclusters is $33.5\%^{+8.0\%}_{-4.3\%}$, a value $\sim$2$\sigma$ in excess of the predictions from simulations. Taralay contains three peaks that are $5\sigma$ above the average density at these redshifts. Their SFRD is $\sim$0.5 dex higher than the value derived for the overall protocluster. We show that 68% of all star formation in the protocluster takes place within these peaks, and that the innermost regions of the peaks encase $\sim 50\%$ of the total star formation in the protocluster. This study strongly suggests that protoclusters drive stellar mass growth in the early universe and that this growth may proceed in an inside-out manner.

The vision of 2030STEM is to address systemic barriers in institutional structures and funding mechanisms required to achieve full inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and accelerate leadership pathways for individuals from underrepresented populations across STEM sectors. 2030STEM takes a systems-level approach to create a community of practice that can test, learn and promote programs and policies that affirm and value cultural identities in STEM. To achieve parity and full representation in the STEM workforce, a variety of changes are needed across academia and STEM professional industries (e.g., business, finance, biotech, government) to accelerate underrepresented groups into positions of leadership throughout the STEM ecosystem. Through a series of subject matter interviews, roundtables, and curated analysis four major themes have surfaced, which, if implemented, could exponentially accelerate the creation of critical pathways to leadership, break down pre-existing barriers and biases, intentionally elevate the voices, value, and research of underrepresented groups in STEM, and implement new structural strategies at scale. This white paper provides a summary of innovative new practices designed to accelerate inclusion, including expanding on known global toolkits, new funding strategies, and the structural changes required throughout various STEM professions to propel pathways to leadership for underrepresented groups.

We examine which first order phase transitions are consistent with today's astrophysical constraints. In particular, we explore how a well-constrained mass-radius data point would restrict the admissible parameter space and to this end, we employ the most likely candidates of the recent NICER limits of PSR J0030+0451. To systematically vary the stiffness of the equation of state, we employ a parameterizable relativistic mean field equation of state, which is in compliance with results from chiral effective field theory. We model phase transitions via Maxwell constructions and parameterize them by means of the transitional pressure $p_{\rm trans}$ and the jump in energy density $\Delta\epsilon$. This provides us with a generic setup that allows for rather general conclusions to be drawn. We outline some regions in the $p_{\rm trans}$-$\Delta\epsilon$ parameter space that may allow for a phase transition identification in the near future. We also find that a strongly constrained data point, at either exceptionally large or small radii, would reduce the parameter space to such an extent that mass and radius become insufficient indicators of a phase transition.

Dark (hidden) photons are widely recognised as well motivated candidates for physics beyond the standard model, and have been invoked for the solution of several outstanding problems, including to account for the dark matter in the universe. In this paper, we consider a simple model for dark photons, which is coupled to ordinary matter only through kinetic mixing with ordinary photons. Within this framework, we calculate the flux of solar dark photons on Earth and revise the potential to detect it with the next generation of axion helioscopes, particularly with the International AXion Observatory (IAXO). This paper extends on previous theoretical analyses in two main ways. Firstly, it includes a more complete analysis of the possible sources of dark photons from the sun, including the contribution of the solar magnetic field and of nuclear processes, and secondly it includes predictions on the parameter space accessible in the gas-filled phase of IAXO.

We consider antisymmetric Metric-Affine Theories of Gravity with a Lagrangian containing the most general terms up to dimension four and search for theories that are ghost- and tachyon-free when expanded around flat space. We find new examples that propagate only the graviton and one other massive degree of freedom of spin zero, one or two. These models require terms of the form $(\nabla T)^2$ in the Lagrangian, that have been largely ignored in the literature.

I present a brief review of the history of the Instituto Argentino de Radioastronom\'ia, a description of its current facilities and projects, and a view of his prospects for the future.

Neutrinos in core-collapse supernovae and neutron-star mergers are susceptible to flavor instabilities of three kinds: slow, fast, and collisional. Prior work has established mappings of the first two onto abstract mechanical systems in flavor space, respectively named the slow and fast flavor pendula. Here we introduce and analyze the flavor pendulum associated with the third class. We explain our results in terms of the recently developed theory of neutrino quantum thermodynamics. Perhaps our most surprising finding is that there exists a limit in which decoherent interactions drive perfectly coherent flavor conversion.

We examined the output of a quantum Michelson interferometer incorporating the combined effects of nonlinear optomechanical interaction and time-varying gravitational fields. Our findings indicate a deviation from the standard relationship between the phase shift of the interferometer's output and the amplitude of gravitational waves. This deviation, a slight offset in direct proportionality, is associated with the velocity memory effect of gravitational waves. Furthermore, the results suggest that consecutive gravitational wave memory, or the stochastic gravitational wave memory background, contributes not only to the classical displacement-induced red noise spectrum but also to a quantum noise spectrum through a new mechanism associated with velocity memory background. This leads to a novel quantum noise limit for interferometers, which may be crucial for higher precision detection system. Our analysis potentially offers a more accurate description of quantum interferometers responding to gravitational waves and applies to other scenarios involving time-varying gravitational fields. It also provides insights and experimental approaches for exploring how to unify the quantum effects of macroscopic objects and gravitation.

There is no evidence that the universe must have been homogeneous and isotropic before the big bang nucleosynthesis. The Bianchi type-I cosmology is the simplest homogeneous but anisotropic cosmology. In this work, we investigate thermal leptogenesis, as a baryogenesis scenario, in the Bianchi type-I cosmology. Our results show that for specific values of the anisotropy, the modified thermal leptogenesis generated more baryon asymmetry than the standard one. In this way, anisotropy can help to achieve low-scale leptogenesis.

Recently, evidence of stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) signals observed by pulsar timing array (PTA) collaborations, has prompted investigations into their origins. We explore the compatibility of a proposed inflationary scenario, incorporating an intermediate null energy condition (NEC)-violating phase, with the PTA observations. The NEC violation potentially amplifies the primordial tensor power spectrum, offering a promising explanation for PTA observations. Numerical analyses, primarily focused on NANOGrav's 15-year results, reveal the model's compatibility with PTA data. Notably, the model predicts a nearly scale-invariant GW spectrum in the mHz frequency range, which sets our scenario apart from other interpretations predicting a red primordial GW spectrum on smaller scales.

A $SU(2)_D \times U(1)_D$ gauge-Higgs sector, an exact dark copy of the Standard Model (SM) one, is proposed. It is demonstrated that the dark gauge bosons ${\cal W}^{(p,m)}$, in analogous to the SM $W^\pm$, can fulfill the role as a self-interacting vector dark matter candidate, solving the core versus cusp and missing satellites problems faced by the conventional paradigm of collisionless weakly interacting massive particle. Constraints from collider, astroparticle and cosmology on such a self-interacting vector dark matter candidate are scrutinized. Implications for the future searches of ${\cal W}^{(p,m)}$ in direct detection experiments are discussed.

We employ the formalism developed in \cite{Mentasti:2023gmg} and \cite{Bartolo_2022} to study the prospect of detecting an anisotropic Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background (SGWB) with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) alone, and combined with the proposed space-based interferometer Taiji. Previous analyses have been performed in the frequency domain only. Here, we study the detectability of the individual coefficients of the expansion of the SGWB in spherical harmonics, by taking into account the specific motion of the satellites. This requires the use of time-dependent response functions, which we include in our analysis to obtain an optimal estimate of the anisotropic signal. We focus on two applications. Firstly, the reconstruction of the anisotropic galactic signal without assuming any prior knowledge of its spatial distribution. We find that both LISA and LISA with Taiji cannot put tight constraints on the harmonic coefficients for realistic models of the galactic SGWB. We then focus on the discrimination between a galactic signal of known morphology but unknown overall amplitude and an isotropic extragalactic SGWB component of astrophysical origin. In this case, we find that the two surveys can confirm, at a confidence level $\gtrsim 3\sigma$, the existence of both the galactic and extragalactic background if both have amplitudes as predicted in standard models. We also find that, in the LISA-only case, the analysis in the frequency domain (under the assumption of a time average of data taken homogeneously across the year) provides a nearly identical determination of the two amplitudes as compared to the optimal analysis.

Dark matter accounts for 26% of the mass-energy density of the Universe, however, its nature and origins remain the most important open questions in physics. The search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), one of the leading dark matter particle candidates, is now in a decisive phase, with experiments targeting both the high-mass and the low-mass (1-10 GeV) WIMP scenarios. The status of the leading experimental searches is discussed, together with their prospects and challenges they are facing. Searches of heavy non-WIMP dark matter candidates are also briefly summarized.

The discovery of gravitational waves, first observed in September 2015 following the merger of a binary black hole system, has already revolutionised our understanding of the Universe. This was further enhanced in August 2017, when the coalescence of a binary neutron star system was observed both with gravitational waves and a variety of electromagnetic counterparts; this joint observation marked the beginning of gravitational multimessenger astronomy. The Einstein Telescope, a proposed next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave observatory, will dramatically increase the sensitivity to sources: the number of observations of gravitational waves is expected to increase from roughly 100 per year to roughly 100'000 per year, and signals may be visible for hours at a time, given the low frequency cutoff of the planned instrument. This increase in the number of observed events, and the duration with which they are observed, is hugely beneficial to the scientific goals of the community but poses a number of significant computing challenges. Moreover, the currently used computing algorithms do not scale to this new environment, both in terms of the amount of resources required and the speed with which each signal must be characterised. This contribution will discuss the Einstein Telescope's computing challenges, and the activities that are underway to prepare for them. Available computing resources and technologies will greatly evolve in the years ahead, and those working to develop the Einstein Telescope data analysis algorithms will need to take this into account. It will also be important to factor into the initial development of the experiment's computing model the availability of huge parallel HPC systems and ubiquitous Cloud computing; the design of the model will also, for the first time, include the environmental impact as one of the optimisation metrics.

We present an empirical model for auroral (90--150 km) electron--ion pair production rates, ionization rates for short, derived from SSUSI (Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager) electron energy and flux data. Using the Fang et al., 2010 parametrization for mono-energetic electrons, and the NRLMSISE-00 neutral atmosphere model, the calculated ionization rate profiles are binned in 2-h magnetic local time (MLT) and 3.6$^{\circ}$ geomagnetic latitude to yield time series of ionization rates at 5-km altitude steps. We fit each of these time series to the geomagnetic indices Kp, PC, and Ap, the 81-day averaged solar F$_{\text{10.7}}$ radio flux index, and a constant term. The resulting empirical model can easily be incorporated into coupled chemistry--climate models to include particle precipitation effects.

This study presents 3D resistive Hall-magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations focusing on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) dynamics at Earth's magnetospheric flanks during northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) periods. Through a comparative analysis of two simulations, we explore the impact of distinct magnetic field orientations on plasma dynamics and magnetic reconnection events. In one configuration, a uniform magnetic field results in (double) Mid-Latitude Reconnection (MLR), while in the second configuration, a magnetic shear induces both Type I Vortex Induced Reconnection and MLR. Key findings include the symmetries and asymmetries in the latitudinal distribution of KHI vortices and current sheets and a quantitative comparison of reconnection events. Particularly noteworthy is the quantification of newly closed field lines that experienced double reconnection, ultimately becoming embedded in solar wind plasma at low latitudes while remaining connected to magnetospheric plasma at high latitudes. The varying abundance of such lines in the two simulations holds implications for plasma transport at the magnetopause. This work significantly advances our understanding of magnetospheric processes, emphasizing the essential role of a three-dimensional perspective in accurately simulating magnetospheric plasma phenomena.

Driven by the desire to find positions that satisfy keepout constraints for a space-based telescope mission, this work develops a process for tracing a point in space in the regime of the restricted three-body problem to a halo orbit, characterized by its out-of-plane amplitude, and its position on that halo orbit, denoted by the halo orbit time. This process utilizes third-order solutions from the Lindstedt-Poincare method, which have been partially inverted to expect a point in space as an input. Three different methodologies that use these partially inverted expressions are presented. Results are produced for 1,000 randomly selected points using all three methods and are compared to truth. Ultimately, the method that employed two distinct accuracy metrics yielded the most accurate results for the dataset.

New physics beyond General Relativity can modify image features of black holes and horizonless spacetimes and increase the separation between photon rings. This motivates us to explore synthetic images consisting of two thin rings. Our synthetic images are parameterized by the separation as well as the relative flux density of the two rings. We perform fits to the visibility amplitude and analyze closure quantities. The current Event Horizon Telescope array cannot detect the presence of a second ring in the region of parameters motivated by particular new-physics cases. We show that this can be improved in three ways: first, if the array is upgraded with Earth-based telescopes with sufficiently high sensitivity, second, if the array is upgraded with a space-based station and third, if super-resolution techniques are used for the data obtained by the array.

We investigate entanglement generation between the sub- and super-Hubble modes of inflaton fluctuations, in the context of particle production from perturbations during inflation. We consider a large-field inflationary scenario where inflation is driven by a vacuum energy symmetry breaking potential and the scalar inflaton field is nonminimally coupled to spacetime curvature. In particular, we focus on the slow-roll phase, adopting a quasi-de Sitter scale factor to properly account for the presence of perturbations and computing the pair production probability associated to the coupling between the inflaton and spacetime inhomogeneities. The interaction Lagrangian at first order is constructed from inhomogeneities induced by the inflaton dynamics, and the initial Bunch-Davies vacuum state of the field evolves under the action of such Lagrangian. In this framework, we quantify the total amount of entanglement via the von Neumann entropy of the reduced density operator for superhorizon modes, tracing out sub-Hubble degrees of freedom. We then compare these outcomes with entanglement production for quadratic chaotic inflation and for a small-field quadratic hilltop scenario, preserving field-curvature coupling in both cases and pointing out the main differences between large and small-field approaches. We show that the amount of entanglement entropy arising from such geometric production grows rapidly in slow-roll regime and that it is typically higher in large-field scenarios. We also discuss our outcomes in light of recent findings for the squeezing entropy of cosmological perturbations and cubic nonlinearities in de Sitter space.

In general relativity, all vacuum black holes are described by the Kerr solution. Beyond general relativity, there is a prevailing expectation that deviations from the Kerr solution increase with the horizon curvature. We challenge this expectation by showing that, in a scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory, black holes scalarize in a finite, adjustable window of black-hole masses, bounded from above and below. In this theory, there is an interplay between curvature scales and compactness, which we expect to protect neutron stars and other less compact objects from scalarization. In particular, black-hole uniqueness can be broken at supermassive black-hole scales, while solar-mass black holes remain well-described by the Kerr solution. To probe this scenario, observations targeting supermassive black holes are necessary.