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Papers for Monday, Mar 25 2024

Papers with local authors

B. Margalef-Bentabol, L. Wang, A. La Marca1, C. Blanco-Prieto, D. Chudy, H. Domínguez-Sánchez, A. D. Goulding, A. Guzmán-Ortega, M. Huertas-Company, G. Martin, W.J. Pearson, V. Rodriguez-Gomez, M. Walmsley, R.W. Bickley, C. Bottrell, C. Conselice, D. O'Ryan
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Paper 27 — arXiv:2403.15118
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Paper 27 — arXiv:2403.15118

Various galaxy merger detection methods have been applied to diverse datasets. However, it is difficult to understand how they compare. We aim to benchmark the relative performance of machine learning (ML) merger detection methods. We explore six leading ML methods using three main datasets. The first one (the training data) consists of mock observations from the IllustrisTNG simulations and allows us to quantify the performance metrics of the detection methods. The second one consists of mock observations from the Horizon-AGN simulations, introduced to evaluate the performance of classifiers trained on different, but comparable data. The third one consists of real observations from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) survey. For the binary classification task (mergers vs. non-mergers), all methods perform reasonably well in the domain of the training data. At $0.1<z<0.3$, precision and recall range between $\sim$70\% and 80\%, both of which decrease with increasing $z$ as expected (by $\sim$5\% for precision and $\sim$10\% for recall at $0.76<z<1.0$). When transferred to a different domain, the precision of all classifiers is only slightly reduced, but the recall is significantly worse (by $\sim$20-40\% depending on the method). Zoobot offers the best overall performance in terms of precision and F1 score. When applied to real HSC observations, all methods agree well with visual labels of clear mergers but can differ by more than an order of magnitude in predicting the overall fraction of major mergers. For the multi-class classification task to distinguish pre-, post- and non-mergers, none of the methods offer a good performance, which could be partly due to limitations in resolution and depth of the data. With the advent of better quality data (e.g. JWST and Euclid), it is important to improve our ability to detect mergers and distinguish between merger stages.

All other papers

Rithwik Gupta, Daniel Muthukrishna, Michelle Lochner

16 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, submitted to MNRAS

Automating real-time anomaly detection is essential for identifying rare transients in the era of large-scale astronomical surveys. Modern survey telescopes are generating tens of thousands of alerts per night, and future telescopes, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, are projected to increase this number dramatically. Currently, most anomaly detection algorithms for astronomical transients rely either on hand-crafted features extracted from light curves or on features generated through unsupervised representation learning, which are then coupled with standard machine learning anomaly detection algorithms. In this work, we introduce an alternative approach to detecting anomalies: using the penultimate layer of a neural network classifier as the latent space for anomaly detection. We then propose a novel method, named Multi-Class Isolation Forests (MCIF), which trains separate isolation forests for each class to derive an anomaly score for a light curve from the latent space representation given by the classifier. This approach significantly outperforms a standard isolation forest. We also use a simpler input method for real-time transient classifiers which circumvents the need for interpolation in light curves and helps the neural network model inter-passband relationships and handle irregular sampling. Our anomaly detection pipeline identifies rare classes including kilonovae, pair-instability supernovae, and intermediate luminosity transients shortly after trigger on simulated Zwicky Transient Facility light curves. Using a sample of our simulations that matched the population of anomalies expected in nature (54 anomalies and 12,040 common transients), our method was able to discover $41\pm3$ anomalies (~75% recall) after following up the top 2000 (~15%) ranked transients. Our novel method shows that classifiers can be effectively repurposed for real-time anomaly detection.

Ethan Poore, Michael Carini, Ryne Dingler, Ann E. Wehrle, Paul J. Wiita

18 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables

Blazars are characterized by largely aperiodic variability on timescales ranging from minutes to decades across the electromagnetic spectrum. The TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission provides continuous sampling of blazar variability on timescales ranging from tens of minutes to 27 days for a single sector observation. Proper removal of the background, thermal ramping, and onboard systematic effects are crucial to the extraction of a reliable blazar light curve. Multiple publicly available procedures have been created to correct for these effects. Using ground based observations from the Zwicky Transit Facility (ZTF) and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) as ``ground truth'' observations, we compare 6 different methods (Regression, Cotrending Basis Vectors (CBV), Pixel Level Decorrelation (PLD), eleanor, quaver, and simple differential photometry (SDP)) to each other, and to our ``ground truth'' observations, to identify which methods properly correct light curves of a sample of 11 bright blazars, including the suspected neutrino source TXS~0506+056. In addition to comparing the resulting light curves, we compare the slopes of the power spectral densities, perform least-square fitting to simultaneous ZTF data, and quantify other statistical qualities generated from the light curves of each method. We find that only three of the six methods compared (Simple Differential Photometry, eleanor, and quaver) produce TESS light curves consistent with the ground-based ZTF and ATLAS observations.

Orsolya E. Kovacs, Akos Bogdan, Priyamvada Natarajan, Norbert Werner, Mojegan Azadi, Marta Volonteri, Grant R. Tremblay, Urmila Chadayammuri, William R. Forman, Christine Jones, Ralph P. Kraft

9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

While supermassive black holes (BHs) are widely observed in the nearby and distant universe, their origin remains debated with two viable formation scenarios with light and heavy seeds. In the light seeding model, the first BHs form from the collapse of massive stars with masses of $10-100 \ \rm{M_{\odot}}$, while the heavy seeding model posits the formation of $10^{4-5} \ \rm{M_{\odot}}$ seeds from direct collapse. The detection of BHs at redshifts $z\gtrsim10$, edging closer to their formation epoch, provides critical observational discrimination between these scenarios. Here, we focus on the JWST-detected galaxy, GHZ 9, at $z\approx10$ that is lensed by the foreground cluster, Abell 2744. Based on 2.1 Ms deep Chandra observations, we detect a candidate X-ray AGN, which is spatially coincident with the high-redshift galaxy, GHZ 9. The BH candidate is inferred to have a bolometric luminosity of $(1.0^{+0.5}_{-0.4})\times10^{46} \ \rm{erg \ s^{-1}}$, which corresponds to a BH mass of $(8.0^{+3.7}_{-3.2})\times10^7 \ \rm{M_{\odot}}$ assuming Eddington-limited accretion. This extreme mass at such an early cosmic epoch suggests the heavy seed origin for this BH candidate. Based on the Chandra and JWST discoveries of extremely high-redshift quasars, we have constructed the first simple AGN luminosity function extending to $z\approx10$. Comparison of this luminosity function with theoretical models indicates an over-abundant $z\approx10$ BH population, consistent with a higher-than-expected seed formation efficiency.

Daniel DeFelippis, Frédéric Bournaud, Nicolas F. Bouché, Edouard Tollet, Marion Farcy, Maxime Rey, Joakim Rosdahl, Jérémy Blaizot

Accepted to MNRAS. 14 pages, 10 figures

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) contains information on the cumulative effect of galactic outflows over time, generally thought to be caused by feedback from star formation and active galactic nuclei. Observations of such outflows via absorption in CGM gas of quasar sightlines show a significant amount of cold ($\lesssim 10^4 \; \rm{K}$) gas which cosmological simulations struggle to reproduce. Here, we use the adaptive mesh refinement hydrodynamical code RAMSES to investigate the effect of cosmic rays (CR) on the cold gas content of the CGM using three zoom realizations of a $z=1$ star-forming galaxy with supernova mechanical feedback: one with no CR feedback (referred to as no-CR), one with a medium CR diffusion coefficient $\kappa = 10^{28} \; \rm{cm^{2}\; s^{-1}}$ (CR$-\kappa_{\rm med}$), and one with a high rate of diffusion of $\kappa = 3\times10^{29} \; \rm{cm^{2}\; s^{-1}}$ (CR$-\kappa_{\rm high}$). We find that, for CR$-\kappa_{\rm med}$, the effects of CRs are largely confined to the galaxy itself as CRs do not extend far into the CGM. However, for CR$-\kappa_{\rm high}$, the CGM temperature is lowered and the amount of outflowing gas is boosted. Our CR simulations fall short of the observed Mg II covering fraction, a tracer of gas at temperatures $\lesssim 10^4 \; \rm{K}$, but the CR$-\kappa_{\rm high}$ simulation is more in agreement with covering fractions of C IV and O VI, which trace higher temperature gas.

Jinning Liang (1 and 2), Fangzhou Jiang (1), Houjun Mo (3 and 4), Andrew Benson (5), Avishai Dekel (6), Noa Tavron (6), Philip F. Hopkins (7), Luis C. Ho (1) ((1) KIAA Peking University, (2) ICC Durham University, (3) UMass, (4) TDLI SJTU, (5) Carnegie, (6) HUJI, (7) Caltech)

20 pages, 17 figures, submitted to MNRAS

We present a series of studies on the connection between galaxy morphology and the structure of host dark-matter (DM) haloes using cosmological simulations. In this work, we introduce a new kinematic decomposition scheme that features physical identification of morphological components, enabling robust separation of thin and thick discs; and measure a wide range of halo properties, including their locations in the cosmic web, internal structures, and assembly histories. Our analysis of the TNG50 simulation reveals that the orbital-circularity threshold for disc differentiation varies across galaxies, with systematic trends in mass and redshift, so the widely used decomposition method with constant circularity cuts is oversimplified and underestimates thin disc at JWST redshifts. The energy threshold between the stellar halo and the inner galaxy is also a function of mass and redshift, minimizing at the sub-Galactic halo mass, where the circularity threshold peaks. Revisiting the issue of galaxy size predictor, we show that disc sizes in TNG50 exhibit correlations with three structural parameters besides virial mass and redshift: 1) a positive correlation with halo spin $\lambda$ across redshifts -- stronger than previously reported for zoom-in simulations but still weaker than the simple $r_{1/2}/R_{\rm vir} \propto \lambda$ scaling; 2) an anti-correlation with DM concentration $c$ that is well described by $r_{1/2}/R_{\rm vir} \propto c^{-0.7}$ even when $c$ is measured in the DM only run; 3) more actively accreting haloes having slightly larger discs, as well as more significant stellar haloes and lower thin-to-thick ratio. Disc mass fraction is higher in rounder haloes and in cosmic knots and filaments, implying that disc development needs both stable halo conditions and continuous material supply. Our methodology is public and adaptable to other simulations.

Guillermo Franco Abellán, Guadalupe Cañas Herrera, Matteo Martinelli, Oleg Savchenko, Davide Sciotti, Christoph Weniger

25 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. Comments welcome!

Forthcoming large-scale structure (LSS) Stage IV surveys will provide us with unprecedented data to probe the nature of dark matter and dark energy. However, analysing these data with conventional Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods will be challenging, due to the increase in the number of nuisance parameters and the presence of intractable likelihoods. In light of this, we present the first application of Marginal Neural Ratio Estimation (MNRE) (a recent approach in simulation-based inference) to LSS photometric probes: weak lensing, galaxy clustering and the cross-correlation power spectra. In order to analyse the hundreds of spectra simultaneously, we find that a pre-compression of data using principal component analysis, as well as parameter-specific data summaries lead to highly accurate results. Using expected Stage IV experimental noise, we are able to recover the posterior distribution for the cosmological parameters with a speedup factor of $\sim 40-60$ compared to classical MCMC methods. To illustrate that the performance of MNRE is not impeded when posteriors are highly non-Gaussian, we test a scenario of two-body decaying dark matter, finding that Stage IV surveys can improve current bounds on the model by up to one order of magnitude. This result supports that MNRE is a powerful framework to constrain the standard cosmological model and its extensions with next-generation LSS surveys.

Thomas Bohn, Hanae Inami, Aditya Togi, Lee Armus, Thomas S.-Y. Lai, Loreto Barcos-Munoz, Yiqing Song, Sean T. Linden, Jason Surace, Marina Bianchin, Vivian U, Aaron S. Evans, Torsten Böker, Matthew A. Malkan, Kirsten L. Larson, Sabrina Stierwalt, Victorine A. Buiten, Vassilis Charmandaris, Tanio Diaz-Santos, Justin H. Howell, George C. Privon, Claudio Ricci, Paul P. van der Werf, Susanne Aalto, Christopher C. Hayward, Justin A. Kader, Joseph M. Mazzarella, Francisco Muller-Sanchez, David B. Sanders

16 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to ApJ

We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Integral Field Spectrograph observations of NGC 3256, a local infrared-luminous late-stage merging system with two nuclei about 1 kpc apart, both of which have evidence of cold molecular outflows. Using JWST NIRSpec and MIRI datasets, we investigate this morphologically complex system on spatial scales of $<$100 pc, where we focus on the warm molecular H$_2$ gas surrounding the nuclei. We detect collimated outflowing warm H$_2$ gas originating from the southern nucleus, though we do not find significant outflowing warm H$_2$ gas surrounding the northern nucleus. Within the observed region, the maximum intrinsic velocities of the outflow reach up to $\sim$1,000 km s$^{-1}$, and extend out to a distance of 0.7 kpc. Based on H$_2$ S(7)/S(1) line ratios, we find a larger fraction of warmer gas near the S nucleus, which decreases with increasing distance from the nucleus, signifying the S nucleus as a primary source of H$_2$ heating. The gas mass of the warm H$_2$ outflow component is estimated to be $M\rm{_{warm,out}}$ = 8.9$\times$10$^5\;M_{\odot}$, as much as 4$\%$ of the cold H$_2$ mass as estimated using ALMA CO data. The outflow time scale is about $7\times10^5$ yr, resulting in a mass outflow rate of $\dot{M}\rm{_{warm,out}}$ = 1.3 M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ and kinetic power of $P\rm{_{warm,out}}\;\sim\;2\times10^{41}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Lastly, the regions where the outflowing gas reside show high [FeII]/Pa$\beta$ and H$_2$/Br$\gamma$ line ratios, indicating enhanced mechanical heating caused by the outflows. At the same time, the 3.3 $\mu$m and 6.2 $\mu$m Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon fluxes in these regions are not significantly suppressed compared to those outside the outflows, suggesting the outflows have no clear negative feedback effect on the local star formation.

P. Rodríguez-Beltrán, M. Cerviño, A. Vazdekis, M. A. Beasley

25 pages, 14 figures, 5 tables, accepted by A&A

The goal of this work is to scrutinise the surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) calculation methodology. We analysed the SBF derivation procedure, measured the accuracy of the fitted SBF under controlled conditions, retrieved the uncertainty associated with the variability of a system that is inherently stochastic, and studied the SBF reliability under a wide range of conditions. Additionally, we address the possibility of an SBF gradient detection. We also examine the problems related with biased measurements of the SBF and low luminosity sources. All of this information allows us to put forward guidelines to ensure a valid SBF retrieval. To perform all these experiments, we carried out Monte Carlo simulations of mock galaxies as an ideal laboratory. Knowing its underlying properties, we attempted to retrieve SBFs under different conditions. We show how the SBF uncertainty can be obtained and we present a collection of qualitative recommendations for a safe SBF retrieval: it is important to model the instrumental noise, rather than fitting it; the target galaxies must be observed under appropriate observational conditions; in a traditional SBF derivation, one should avoid pixels with fluxes lower than ten times the SBF estimate to prevent biased results. We offer our computational implementation in the form of a simple code designed to estimate the uncertainty of the SBF measurement. This code can be used to predict the quality of future observations or to evaluate the reliability of those already conducted.

R. Pascale, C. Nipoti, F. Calura, A. Della Croce

Accepted for publication in A&A Letters

It has been recently claimed that a surprisingly massive black hole (BH) is present in the core of the dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) Leo I. Based on integral field spectroscopy, this finding challenges the typical expectation of dSphs hosting BHs of intermediate-mass, since such a BH would better be classified as supermassive. Indeed, the analysis points toward Leo I harboring a BH with a lower mass limit exceeding a few $10^6M_\odot$ at $1\sigma$, and the no BH case excluded at 95\% significance. Such a value, comparable to the entire stellar mass of the galaxy, makes Leo I a unique system that warrants further investigations. Using equilibrium models based on distribution functions (DFs) depending on actions $f({\boldsymbol J})$ coupled with the same integral field spectroscopy data and an extensive exploration of a very large parameter space, we demonstrate, within a comprehensive Bayesian framework of model-data comparison, that the posterior on the BH mass is flat towards the low-mass end and, thus, that the kinematics of the central galaxy region only imposes an upper limit on the BH mass of few $10^5M_\odot$ (at $3\sigma$). Such an upper limit brings back the putative BH of Leo I under the category of intermediate-mass BHs, and it is also in line with formation scenarios and expectations from scaling relations at the mass regime of dwarf galaxies.

Michael Zingale, Zhi Chen, Eric T. Johnson, Max P. Katz, Alexander Smith Clark

submitted to ApJ

We build on the simplified spectral deferred corrections (SDC) coupling of hydrodynamics and reactions to handle the case of nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) and electron/positron captures/decays in the cores of massive stars. Our approach blends a traditional reaction network on the grid with a tabulated NSE state from a very large, $\mathcal{O}(100)$ nuclei, network. We demonstrate how to achieve second-order accuracy in the simplified-SDC framework when coupling NSE to hydrodynamics, with the ability to evolve the star on the hydrodynamics timestep. We discuss the application of this method to convection in massive stars leading up to core-collapse. We also show how to initialize the initial convective state from a 1D model in a self-consistent fashion. All of these developments are done in the publicly available Castro simulation code and the entire simulation methodology is fully GPU accelerated.

Arianna I. Renzini, Thomas A. Callister, Katerina Chatziioannou, Will M. Farr

16 pages, 6 figures

The vast majority of gravitational-wave signals from stellar-mass compact binary mergers are too weak to be individually detected with present-day instruments and instead contribute to a faint, persistent background. This astrophysical background is targeted by searches that model the gravitational-wave ensemble collectively with a small set of parameters. The traditional search models the background as a stochastic field and estimates its amplitude by cross-correlating data from multiple interferometers. A different search uses gravitational-wave templates to marginalize over all individual event parameters and measure the duty cycle and population properties of binary mergers. Both searches ultimately estimate the total merger rate of compact binaries and are expected to yield a detection in the coming years. Given the conceptual and methodological differences between them, though, it is not well understood how their results should be mutually interpreted. In this paper, we use the Fisher information to study the implications of a background detection in terms of which region of the Universe each approach probes. Specifically, we quantify how information about the compact binary merger rate is accumulated by each search as a function of the event redshift. For the LIGO Design sensitivity and a uniform-in-comoving-volume distribution of equal-mass 30M_sol binaries, the traditional cross-correlation search obtains 99% of its information from binaries up to redshift 2.5 (average signal-to-noise-ratio <8), and the template-based search from binaries up to redshift 1.0 (average signal-to-noise-ratio ~8). While we do not calculate the total information accumulated by each search, our analysis emphasizes the need to pair any claimed detection of the stochastic background with an assessment of which binaries contribute to said detection.

Shang-Min Tsai, Hamish Innes, Nicholas F. Wogan, Edward W. Schwieterman

9 pages, 4 figures, revised after the initial review

Theoretical predictions and observational data indicate a class of sub-Neptune exoplanets may have water-rich interiors covered by hydrogen-dominated atmospheres. Provided suitable climate conditions, such planets could host surface liquid oceans. Motivated by recent JWST observations of K2-18 b, we self-consistently model the photochemistry and potential detectability of biogenic sulfur gases in the atmospheres of temperate sub-Neptune waterworlds for the first time. On Earth today, organic sulfur compounds produced by marine biota are rapidly destroyed by photochemical processes before they can accumulate to significant levels. Shawn et al. (2011) suggest that detectable biogenic sulfur signatures could emerge in Archean-like atmospheres with higher biological production or low UV flux. In this study, we explore biogenic sulfur across a wide range of biological fluxes and stellar UV environments. Critically, the main photochemical sinks are absent on the nightside of tidally locked planets. To address this, we further perform experiments with a 3D GCM and a 2D photochemical model (VULCAN 2D (Tsai et al. 2024)) to simulate the global distribution of biogenic gases to investigate their terminator concentrations as seen via transmission spectroscopy. Our models indicate that biogenic sulfur gases can rise to potentially detectable levels on hydrogen-rich water worlds, but only for enhanced global biosulfur flux ($\gtrsim$20 times modern Earth's flux). We find that it is challenging to identify DMS at 3.4 $\mu m$ where it strongly overlaps with CH$_4$, whereas it is more plausible to detect DMS and companion byproducts, ethylene (C$_2$H$_4$) and ethane (C$_2$H$_6$), in the mid-infrared between 9 and 13 $\mu m$.

Alberto Rodriguez-Ardila (1, 2), Marcos Antonio Fonseca-Faria (1), Denimara Dias dos Santos (2, 3), Swayamtrupta Panda (1), Murilo Marinello (1) ((1) Laboratorio Nacional de Astrofisica- Brazil (2) Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - Brazil, (3) Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) - Italy)

21 pages, 11 figures. Accepted to The Astronomical Journal

We use near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy covering simultaneously the $zJHK$ bands to look for outflowing gas from the nuclear environment of 1H0707-495 taking advantage that this region is dominated by low-ionization broad line region (BLR) lines, most of them isolated. We detect broad components in HI, FeII and OI, at rest to the systemic velocity, displaying full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of ~500 km s$^{-1}$, consistent with its classification as a narrow-line Seyfert~1 AGN. Moreover, most lines display a conspicuous blue-asymmetric profile, modeled using a blueshifted component, whose velocity shift reaches up to ~826 km s$^{-1}$. This last feature can be interpreted in terms of outflowing gas already observed in X-ray and UV lines in 1H0707-495 but not detected before in the low-ionization lines. We discuss the relevance of our findings within the framework of the wind scenario already proposed for this source and suggest that the wind extends well into the narrow line region due to the observation of a blueshifted component in the forbidden line of [SIII] $\lambda$9531.

Brian R. Dennis, Kenneth J. H. Phillips

14 pages, 5 figures. To be published in Solar Physics

We review the terms, spectral radiance and spectral irradiance, and show how their precise definitions are crucial for interpreting observations made with different instruments covering widely different energy or wavelength ranges. We show how the use of column and volume emission measures in different solar physics and astrophysics communities has led to confusion in relating measured extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray spectra with theoretical spectra generated, in particular, using CHIANTI. We describe a method for obtaining spatially integrated X-ray line and continuum spectra using CHIANTI that requires a column emission measure when only the plasma temperature and volume emission measure, but not the source area, are known from observations.

Emilio J. B. Zanatta, Ruben Sanchéz-Janssen, Rafael S. de Souza, Ana L. Chies-Santos, John P. Blakeslee

20 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in the MNRAS

Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are dense star clusters located at the centre of galaxies spanning a wide range of masses and morphologies. Analysing NSC occupation statistics in different environments provides an invaluable window into investigating early conditions of high-density star formation and mass assembly in clusters and group galaxies. We use HST/ACS deep imaging to obtain a catalogue of dwarf galaxies in two galaxy clusters in the Shapley Supercluster: the central cluster Abell 3558 and the northern Abell 1736a. The Shapley region is an ideal laboratory to study nucleation as it stands as the highest mass concentration in the nearby Universe. We investigate the NSC occurrence in quiescent dwarf galaxies as faint as $M_{I} = -10$ mag and compare it with all other environments where nucleation data is available. We use galaxy cluster/group halo mass as a proxy for the environment and employ a Bayesian logistic regression framework to model the nucleation fraction ($f_{n}$) as a function of galaxy luminosity and environment. We find a notably high $f_n$ in Abell 3558: at $M_{I} \approx -13.1$ mag, half the galaxies in the cluster host NSCs. This is higher than in the Virgo and Fornax clusters but comparable to the Coma Cluster. On the other hand, the $f_n$ in Abell 1736a is relatively lower, comparable to groups in the Local Volume. We find that the probability of nucleation varies with galaxy luminosity remarkably similarly in galaxy clusters. These results reinforce previous findings of the important role of the environment in NSC formation/growth.

Gary P. Zank, Lingling Zhao, Laxman Adhikari, Daniele Telloni, Prashant Baruwal, Prashrit Baruwal, Xingyu Zhu, Masaru Nakanotani, Alexander Pitna, Justin C. Kasper, Stuart D. Bale

Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observed sub-Alfvenic solar wind intervals during encounters 8 - 14, and low-frequency magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in these regions may differ from that in super-Alfvenic wind. We apply a new mode-decomposition analysis (Zank et al 2023) to the sub-Alfv\'enic flow observed by PSP on 2021 April 28, identifying and characterizing entropy, magnetic islands, forward and backward Alfv\'en waves, including weakly/non-propagating Alfv\'en vortices, forward and backward fast and slow magnetosonic modes. Density fluctuations are primarily and almost equally entropy and backward propagating slow magnetosonic modes. The mode-decomposition provides phase information (frequency and wavenumber k) for each mode. Entropy-density fluctuations have a wavenumber anisotropy k_{||} >> k_{perp} whereas slow mode density fluctuations have k_{perp} > k_{||}. Magnetic field fluctuations are primarily magnetic island modes (delta B^i) with an O(1) smaller contribution from uni-directionally propagating Alfven waves (delta B^{A+}) giving a variance anisotropy of <{\delta B^i}^2> / <delta B^A}^2> = 4.1. Incompressible magnetic fluctuations dominate compressible contributions from fast and slow magnetosonic modes. The magnetic island spectrum is Kolmogorov-like k_{perp}^{-1.6} in perpendicular wavenumber and the uni-directional Alfven wave spectra are k_{||}^{-1.6} and k_{perp}^{-1.5}. Fast magnetosonic modes propagate at essentially the Alfv\'en speed with anti-correlated transverse velocity and magnetic field fluctuations and are almost exclusively magnetic due to beta_p<<1. Transverse velocity fluctuations are the dominant velocity component in fast magnetosonic modes and longitudinal fluctuations dominate in slow modes. Mode-decomposition is an effective tool in identifying the basic building blocks of MHD turbulence and provides detailed phase information about each of the modes.

Joel Pfeffer, Steven R. Janssens, Maria Luisa Buzzo, Jonah S. Gannon, Nate Bastian, Kenji Bekki, Jean P. Brodie, Warrick J. Couch, Robert A. Crain, Duncan A. Forbes, J. M. Diederik Kruijssen, Aaron J. Romanowsky

16 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Observational surveys have found that the dynamical masses of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) correlate with the richness of their globular cluster (GC) system. This could be explained if GC-rich galaxies formed in more massive dark matter haloes. We use simulations of galaxies and their GC systems from the E-MOSAICS project to test whether the simulations reproduce such a trend. We find that GC-rich simulated galaxies in galaxy groups have enclosed masses that are consistent with the dynamical masses of observed GC-rich UDGs. However, simulated GC-poor galaxies in galaxy groups have higher enclosed masses than those observed. We argue that GC-poor UDGs with low stellar velocity dispersions are discs observed nearly face on, such that their true mass is underestimated by observations. Using the simulations, we show that galactic star-formation conditions resulting in dispersion-supported stellar systems also leads to efficient GC formation. Conversely, conditions leading to rotationally-supported discs leads to inefficient GC formation. This result may explain why early-type galaxies typically have richer GC systems than late-type galaxies. This is also supported by comparisons of stellar axis ratios and GC specific frequencies in observed dwarf galaxy samples, which show GC-rich systems are consistent with being spheroidal, while GC-poor systems are consistent with being discs. Therefore, particularly for GC-poor galaxies, rotation should be included in dynamical mass measurements from stellar dynamics.

Bestin James, Agnieszka Janiuk, Vladimir Karas

Submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics

Accreting black hole sources show variable outflows at different mass scales. For instance, in the case of galactic nuclei, our own galactic center Sgr A* exhibits flares and outbursts in the X-ray and infrared bands. Recent studies suggest that the inner magnetospheres of these sources have a pronounced effect on such emissions. Accreting plasma carries the frozen-in magnetic flux along with it down to the black hole horizon. During the in-fall, the magnetic field intensifies and it can lead to a magnetically arrested state. We investigate the competing effects of inflows at the black hole horizon and the outflows developed in the accreting plasma due to the action of magnetic field in the inner magnetosphere and their implications. We start with a spherically symmetric Bondi-type inflow and introduce the magnetic field. In order to understand the influence of the initial configuration, we start the computations with an aligned magnetic field with respect to the black hole rotation axis. Then we proceed to the case of magnetic fields inclined to the black hole rotation axis. We employ the 2D and 3D versions of HARM code for the aligned field models while using the 3D version for the inclined field and compare the results of computations against each other. We observe how the magnetic lines of force start accreting with the plasma while an equatorial intermittent outflow develops and goes on pushing some material away from the black hole partially along the equatorial plane, and partly ejecting it out of the plane in the vertical direction. In consequence, the accretion rate also fluctuates. The black hole spin direction prevails at later stages and it determines the flow geometry near the event horizon, whereas on larger scales the flow geometry stays influenced by the initial inclination of the field.

Chengye Cao, Zhao-Yu Li, Ralph Schönrich, Teresa Antoja

Submitted to ApJ, 13 pages, 8 figures, comments welcome

Decoding the key dynamical processes that shape the Galactic disk structure is crucial for reconstructing the Milky Way's evolution history. The second Gaia data release unveils a novel wave pattern in the $L_Z-\langle V_R\rangle$ space, but its formation mechanism remains elusive due to the intricate nature of involved perturbations and the challenges in disentangling their effects. Utilizing the latest Gaia DR3 data, we find that the $L_Z-\langle V_R\rangle$ wave systematically shifts towards lower $L_Z$ for dynamically hotter stars. The amplitude of this phase shift between stars of different dynamical hotness ($\Delta L_Z$) peaks around $\mathrm{2300\,km\,s^{-1}\,kpc}$. To differentiate the role of different perturbations, we perform three sets of test particle simulations, wherein a satellite galaxy, corotating transient spiral arms, and a bar plus the corotating transient spiral arms act as the sole perturber, respectively. Under the satellite impact, the phase shift amplitude decreases towards higher $L_Z$, which we interpret through a toy model of radial phase mixing. While the corotating transient spiral arms do not generate an azimuthally universal phase shift variation pattern, combining the bar and spirals generates a characteristic $\Delta L_Z$ peak at 2:1 Outer Lindblad Resonance, qualitatively resembling the observed feature. Therefore, the $L_Z-\langle V_R\rangle$ is more likely of internal origin. Furthermore, linking the $\Delta L_Z$ peak to the 2:1 Lindblad resonance offers a novel approach to estimating the pattern speed of the Galactic Bar, supporting the long/slow bar model.

Agnieszka Janiuk, Joseph Saji, Gerardo Urrutia (CTP PAS)

6 pages; submitted to the Proceedings of the Polish Astronomical Society Meeting 2023

Compact binary mergers are sources of gravitational waves, and can be accompanied by electromagnetic signals. We discuss the possible features in the kilonova emissions which may help distinguish the black hole - neutron star mergers from the binary neutron stars. In addition, the amount of ejected material may depend on whether the system undergoes the creation of a transient hyper-massive, differentially rotating neutron star. In this context, the numerical simulations of post-merger systems and their outflows are important for our understanding of the nature of short GRB progenitor systems. In this article, we present a suite of GR MHD simulations performed by the CTP PAS astrophysics group, to model the neutrino driven disk winds and their contribution to the kilonova emissions. The contribution of the disk wind to the jet collimation and variability is also briefly discussed.

G. Rauw, S. Lizin, S. Rosu, E. Mossoux

Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

We investigated the X-ray emission of HD 149404, a 9.81-day period O-star binary in a post-Roche lobe overflow evolutionary stage. X-ray emission of O-star binaries consists of the intrinsic emission of the individual O stars and a putative additional component arising from the wind-wind interaction. Phase-locked variations in the X-ray spectra can be used to probe the properties of the stellar winds of such systems. XMM-Newton observations of HD 149404 collected at two conjunction phases and a quadrature phase were analysed. X-ray spectra were extracted and flux variations as a function of orbital phase were inferred. The flux ratios were analysed with models considering various origins for the X-ray emission. The highest and lowest X-ray fluxes are observed at conjunction phases respectively with the primary and secondary star in front. The flux variations are nearly grey with only marginal energy dependence. None of the models accounting for photoelectric absorption by homogeneous stellar winds perfectly reproduces the observed variations. Whilst the overall X-ray luminosity is consistent with a pure intrinsic emission, the best formal agreement with the observed variations is obtained with a model assuming pure wind-wind collision X-ray emission. The lack of significant energy-dependence of the opacity most likely hints at the presence of optically thick clumps in the winds of HD 149404.

Mitsunori Araki, Valerio Lattanzi, Christian P. Endres, Paula Caselli

Seven rotational and fine-structure transitions of the deuterated molecular ion SD+ in the X 3S- ground electronic state have been measured in the 271-863 GHz region in the laboratory. This ion has been produced by DC-glow discharge using a mixture of D2S and argon in a free space cell in a temperature range of -140 to -160C. The rotational, centrifugal distortion, spin-spin interaction, and hyperfine constants have been determined; the standard deviation of the residuals in the fitting is 109 kHz. The set of obtained spectroscopic parameters provides a list of accurate sub-millimeter rest frequencies of SD+ for astronomical detection. We have investigated lines of SD+ toward the quasar PKS 1830-211 using the ALMA archive, as the z = 0.89 molecular absorber exists in front of this quasar. A data set covering the 297 GHz region includes the N_J = 2_3-1_2 transition at 561 GHz due to redshift, providing an upper limit of the column density Ntot = 3 x 10^12 cm-2 for SD+.

Andrew Williams, Aaron Boley, Giuliana Rotola, Richard Green

The rapid launch of hundreds of thousands of satellites into Low Earth Orbit will significantly alter our view of the sky and raise concerns about the sustainability of Earth's orbital space. A new framework for sustainable space development must balance technological advancement, protection of space environments, and our capacity to explore the Universe.

F. P. Callan, S. A. Sim, C. E. Collins, L. J. Shingles, F. Lach, F. K. Roepke, R. Pakmor, M. Kromer, S. Srivastav

Accepted by MNRAS

Type Iax supernovae (SNe Iax) are proposed to arise from deflagrations of Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs. Previous deflagration simulations have achieved good agreement with the light curves and spectra of intermediate-luminosity and bright SNe Iax. However, the model light curves decline too quickly after peak, particularly in red optical and NIR bands. Deflagration models with a variety of ignition configurations do not fully unbind the white dwarf, leaving a remnant polluted with $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$. Emission from such a remnant may contribute to the luminosity of SNe Iax. Here we investigate the impact of adding a central energy source, assuming instantaneous powering by $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ decay in the remnant, in radiative transfer calculations of deflagration models. Including the remnant contribution improves agreement with the light curves of SNe Iax, particularly due to the slower post-maximum decline of the models. Spectroscopic agreement is also improved, with intermediate-luminosity and faint models showing greatest improvement. We adopt the full remnant $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ mass predicted for bright models, but good agreement with intermediate-luminosity and faint SNe Iax is only possible for remnant $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ masses significantly lower than those predicted. This may indicate that some of the $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ decay energy in the remnant does not contribute to the radiative luminosity but instead drives mass ejection, or that escape of energy from the remnant is significantly delayed. Future work should investigate the structure of remnants predicted by deflagration models and the potential roles of winds and delayed energy escape, as well as extend radiative transfer simulations to late times.

Ali M. Hasan, Walid J. Azzam

37 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, 45 references

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are extremely powerful explosions that have been traditionally classified into two categories: long bursts (LGRBs) with an observed duration T90 > 2 s, and short bursts (SGRBs) with an observed duration T90 < 2 s, where T90 is the time interval during which 90% of the fluence is detected. LGRBs are believed to emanate from the core-collapse of massive stars, while SGRBs are believed to result from the merging of two compact objects, like two neutron stars. Because LGRBs are produced by the violent death of massive stars, we expect that their redshift distribution should trace the star-formation rate (SFR). The purpose of our study is to investigate the extent to which the redshift distribution of LGRBs follows and reflects the SFR. We use a sample of 370 LGRBs taken from the Swift catalog, and we investigate different models for the LGRB redshift distribution. We also carry out Monte Carlo simulations to check the consistency of our results. Our results indicate that the SFR can describe the LGRB redshift distribution well for high redshift bursts, but it needs an evolution term to fit the distribution well at low redshift.

Olmo Piana, Hung-Yi Pu, Kinwah Wu

20 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

In this work we study the co-evolution of central black holes (BHs) and host galaxies by utilizing an advanced iteration of the DELPHI semi-analytical model of galaxy formation and evolution. Based on dark matter halo merger trees spanning the redshift range from $z=20$ to $z=4$, it now incorporates essential components such as gas heating and cooling, cold and hot BH accretion, jet and radiative AGN feedback. We show how different BH growth models impact quasar and galaxy observables at $z \geq 5$, providing predictions that will help discriminate between super-Eddington and Eddington-limited accretion models: despite being both consistent with observed properties of SMBHs and their host galaxies at $z \sim 5-7$, they become very clearly distinguishable at higher redshift and in the intermediate mass regime. We find that the super-Eddington model, unlike the Eddington-limited scenario, predicts a gap in the BH mass function corresponding to the intermediate-mass range $10^4 \mathrm{M_\odot} < M_\mathrm{bh} < 10^6 \mathrm{M_\odot}$. Additionally, it predicts black holes up to two orders of magnitude more massive for the same stellar mass at $z=9$. The resulting velocity dispersion - BH mass relation at $z \geq 5$ is consistent with local measurements, suggesting that its slope and normalisation are independent of redshift. Depending on the Eddington ratio, we also model the emergence of AGN jets, predicting their duty cycle across as a function of BH mass and their potential impact on the observed number density distribution of high-redshift AGN in the hard X-ray band.

If an early matter phase of the Universe existed after inflation with the proper power spectrum, enhanced density perturbations can decouple from the Hubble flow, turn around and collapse. In contrast to what happens in a radiation dominated Universe where pressure nullifies deviations from sphericity in these perturbations, in a matter dominated Universe, the lack of pressure although on the one hand facilitates the gravitational collapse, it allows small deviations from sphericity to grow substantially as the collapse takes place. The subsequent collapse is complicated: initially as non-spherical deviations grow, the collapsing cloud takes the form of a ``Zel'dovich pancake". After that, the more chaotic and nonlinear stage of violent relaxation begins where shells of the cloud cross and the matter is redistributed within a factor of a few of the free fall timescale, reaching a spherical virialized state. During the whole process, strong gravitational waves are emitted due to the anisotropy of the collapse and the small time interval that the effect takes place. The emission of gravitational waves during the stage of the violent relaxation cannot be easily estimated with an analytical model. We perform an $N$-body simulation to capture the behaviour of matter during this stage in order to estimate the precise spectrum of gravitational waves produced in this scenario.

Michael J. Williams, Hayley J. Macpherson, David L. Wiltshire, Chris Stevens

15 pages, 14 figures

We apply and extend standard tools for void statistics to cosmological simulations that solve Einstein's equations with numerical relativity (NR). We obtain a simulated void catalogue without Newtonian approximations, using a new watershed void finder which operates on fluid-based NR simulations produced with the Einstein Toolkit. We compare and contrast measures of void size and void fraction, and compare radial stacked density profiles to empirically-derived Hamaus-Sutter-Wandelt (HSW) density profiles and profiles based on distance to void boundaries. We recover statistics roughly consistent with Newtonian N-body simulations where such a comparison is meaningful. We study variation of dynamical spatial curvature and local expansion explicitly demonstrating the spatial fluctuations of these quantities in void regions. We find that voids in our simulations expand ~10-30% faster than the global average and the kinetic curvature density parameter in the centre of voids reaches ~60-80%. Within the limits of resolution of the simulations, the results are consistent with the parameters of the Timescape model of cosmological backreaction.

Oliver Shorttle, Paul B. Rimmer

26 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to Life (MDPI Journal) after one round of reviews. We welcome comments from the community at this stage, while the paper is still under consideration

Giant impacts can generate transient hydrogen-rich atmospheres, reducing atmospheric carbon. The reduced carbon will form hazes that rain out onto the surface and can become incorporated into the crust. Once heated, a large fraction of the carbon would be converted into graphite. The result is that local regions of the Hadean crust were plausibly saturated with graphite. We explore the consequences of such a crust for a prebiotic surface hydrothermal vent scenario. We model a surface vent fed by nitrogen-rich volcanic gas from high-temperature magmas passing through graphite-saturated crust. We consider this occurring at pressures of 1-1000 bar and temperatures of 1500-1700 degC. The equilibrium with graphite purifies the left-over gas, resulting in substantial quantities of nitriles (0.1% HCN and 1 ppm HC3N) and isonitriles (0.01% HNC) relevant for prebiotic chemistry. We use these results to predict gas-phase concentrations of methyl isonitrile of ~ 1 ppm. Methyl isocyanide can participate in the non-enzymatic activation and ligation of the monomeric building blocks of life, and surface, or shallow, hydrothermal environments provide its only known equilibrium geochemical source.

Han He, Bei You, Ning Jiang, Xinwu Cao, Jingfu Hu, Zhenfeng Sheng, Su Yao, Bozena Czerny

10 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

A sample of 17 FR I radio galaxies constructed from the 3CR catalog, which is characterized by edge-darkened radio structures, is studied. The optical core luminosities derived from Hubble Space Telescope observation are used to estimate the Eddington ratios which are found to be below $10^{-3.4}$ for this sample. This is supported by the Baldwin-Phillips-Terlevich optical diagnostic diagrams derived with the spectroscopic observation of Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, suggesting that these sources are of low ionization nuclear Emission-line Regions (LINERs). It implies that the accretion in these FR I sources can be modeled as advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs). Given the low accretion rate, the predicted jet power with a fast-spinning black hole (BH) $a=0.95$ in the Blandford-Znajek mechanics is lower than the estimated one for almost all the sources in our sample. Such powerful jets indicate the presence of magnetically arrested disks (MAD) in the inner region of the ADAF, in the sense that the magnetic fields in the inner accretion zone are strong. Moreover, we show that, even in the MAD scenario, the BH spins in the sample are most likely moderate and/or fast with $a\gtrsim0.5$.

Masoume Reyhani, Mahdi Najafi, Javad T. Firouzjaee, Eleonora Di Valentino

This research investigates the impact of the nature of Dark Energy (DE) on structure formation, focusing on the matter power spectrum and the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect (ISW). By analyzing the matter power spectrum at redshifts $z = 0$ and $z = 5$, as well as the ISW effect on the scale of $\ell = 10-100$, the study provides valuable insights into the influence of DE equations of state (EoS) on structure formation. The findings reveal that dynamical DE models exhibit a stronger matter power spectrum compared to constant DE models, with the JBP model demonstrating the highest amplitude and the CPL model the weakest. Additionally, the study delves into the ISW effect, highlighting the time evolution of the ISW source term $\mathcal{F}(a)$ and its derivative $d\mathcal{F}(a)/da$, and demonstrating that models with constant DE EoS exhibit a stronger amplitude of $\mathcal{F}(a)$ overall, while dynamical models such as CPL exhibit the highest amplitude among the dynamical models, whereas JBP has the lowest. The study also explores the ISW auto-correlation power spectrum and the ISW cross-correlation power spectrum, revealing that dynamical DE models dominate over those with constant DE EoS across various surveys. Moreover, it emphasizes the potential of studying the non-linear matter power spectrum and incorporating datasets from the small scales to further elucidate the dynamical nature of dark energy. This comprehensive analysis underscores the significance of both the matter power spectrum and the ISW signal in discerning the nature of dark energy, paving the way for future research to explore the matter power spectrum at higher redshifts and in the non-linear regime, providing deeper insights into the dynamical nature of dark energy.

F. Chioma Onyeagusi, Jens Teiser, Tim Becker, Gerhard Wurm

Planetesimals or smaller bodies in protoplanetary disks are often considered to form as pebble piles in current planet formation models. They are supposed to be large but loose, weakly bound clusters of more robust dust aggregates. This makes them easy prey for destructive processes. In microgravity experiments, we apply strong electric fields on clusters of slightly conductive dust aggregates. We find that this generates enough tensile stress on the fragile clusters to sequentially rip off the aggregates from the cluster. These experiments imply that electric fields in protoplanetary disks can dissolve pebble pile planetesimals. This process might induce a bias for the local planetesimal reservoir in regions with strong fields. Planetesimals prevail with certain kinds of compositions where they are either good isolators or compacted bodies. The less lucky ones generate pebble clouds which might be observable as signposts of electrostatic activity in protoplanetary disks.

Accreting black-hole binaries change their properties during evolution, passing through two main luminous states, dominated by either hard or soft X-rays. In the hard state, steady compact jets emitting multiwavelength radiation are present. Those jets are usually observed in radio, and when resolved, their extent is $\lesssim\!10^{15}$ cm. Then, during hard-to-soft transitions, powerful ejecta in the form of blobs appear. They are observed up to distances of $\sim\!10^{18}$ cm, which are $\gtrsim$1000 times larger than the extent of hard-state jets. On the other hand, estimates of the accretion rates during most luminous hard states and the hard-to-soft transitions are very similar, implying that maximum achievable powers of both types of jets are similar and cannot cause the huge difference in their propagation. Instead, we explain the difference in the propagation length by postulating that the ejecta consist of electron-ion plasmas, whereas the hard-state jets consist mostly of electron-positron pairs. The inertia of the ejecta are then much higher than those of compact jets, and the former are not readily stopped by ambient media. A related result is that the accretion flow during the hard state is of Standard and Normal Evolution (SANE), while it is a Magnetically Arrested Disk (MAD) during transient ejections. The pairs in hard-state jets can be produced by collisions of photons of the hard spectrum emitted by hot accretion flows within the jet base. On the other hand, the X-ray spectra during the state transitions are relatively soft and the same process produces much fewer pairs.

V.F. Suleimanov, K.V. Belyakov, J.M. Perales, V.V. Neustroev

11 pages, 12 figures, s.ubmitted to A&A. Comments are welcome

We present a comparative analysis of photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable TT Ari in its bright state, obtained by the TESS orbital observatory in 2021 and 2023 and by ground-based amateur telescopes in 2022. The light curves from 2021 and 2022 are dominated by modulations with a period slightly shorter than the orbital one (negative superhumps), 0.13293 and 0.13273$\,$d respectively. In 2023, much stronger modulations appeared on a much longer time scale of a few days with an amplitude of up to 0.5 mag, compared to 0.2 mag in 2021. The negative superhump variability with the period of 0.13376$\,$d was also found in the first half of the 2023 observations, but then negative superhumps suddenly almost disappeared. Less significant additional modulations with a period exceeding the orbital one (positive superhumps) were detected in 2021 and 2022. Their periods were 0.15106 and 0.1523$\,$d, correspondingly. We also found a previously unnoticed periodic signal corresponding to the orbital period of 0.13755$\,$d in the TESS observations in 2021. Theoretical models of tidal precession of an elliptical disk predict a decrease in the precession period with increasing disk radius, which is consistent with the observed photometric behavior of the system. It enables us to estimate the mass ratio of the components in TT$\,$Ari to be $q\approx 0.235$. The tilted disk precession model predicts a period of nodal precession whose value is in general agreement with observations.

Lijun Wang, Zhuo Cao, Xiaodan Fan, Hua-bai Li

accepted by The Astrophysical Journal

The formation of protostellar disks is still a mystery, largely due to the difficulties in observations that can constrain theories. For example, the 3D alignment between the rotation of the disk and the magnetic fields (B-fields) in the formation environment is critical in some models, but so far impossible to observe. Here, we study the possibility of probing the alignment between B-field and disk rotation using ``polarization holes'' (PHs). PHs are widely observed and are caused by unresolved B-field structures. With ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, we demonstrate that different initial alignments between B-field and angular momentum (AM) can result in B-field structures that are distinct enough to produce distinguishable PHs. Thus PHs can potentially serve as probes for alignments between B-field and AM in disk formation.

Jerry Jun-Yan Zhang, Nicolas Lodieu, Eduardo Martín

9 pages, 4 figures, 3 appendices, accepted for publication in A&A on Mar 12 2024

Context. Euclid will carry out a deep survey benefiting the discovery and characterisation of ultracool dwarfs (UCDs), especially in the Euclid Deep Fields (EDFs), which the telescope will scan repeatedly throughout its mission. The photometric and spectroscopic standards in the EDFs are important benchmarks, crucial for the classification and characterisation of new UCD discoveries and for the calibration of the mission itself. Aims. We aim to provide a list of photometric UCD candidates and collect near-infrared reconnaissance spectra for M, L, and T-type UCDs in the EDFs as future Euclid UCD references. Methods. In EDF North, we cross-matched public optical and infrared surveys with certain photometric criteria to select UCDs. In EDF Fornax and EDF South, we used photometrically classified samples from the literature. We also include UCDs identified by Gaia DR2. We selected 7 UCD targets with different spectral types from the lists and obtained low-resolution 0.9-2.5 {\mu}m spectra of them using GTC/EMIR and the VLT/X-shooter. We also selected a young, bright L dwarf near EDF Fornax to test the coherence of these two facilities. We included an extra T dwarf in EDF North with its published J-band spectrum. Results. We retrieved a list of 92 (49, 231) M, 33 (29, 115) L, and 1 (0, 2) T dwarf candidates in EDF North, Fornax, and South, respectively. They are provided to guide future UCD discoveries and characterisations by Euclid. In total, we collected near-infrared spectra for 9 UCDs, including 2 M types, 3 L types, and 4 T types in or close to the 3 EDFs. The Euclidised spectra show consistency in their spectral classification, which demonstrates that slitless Euclid spectroscopy will recover the spectral types with high fidelity for UCDs, both in the EDFs and in the wide survey. We also demonstrate that Euclid will be able to distinguish different age groups of UCDs.

Detecting axionic dark matter (DM) could be possible in an X-ray spectrum from strongly magnetized neutron stars (NSs). We examine the possibility of axion-photon conversion in the magnetospheres of strongly magnetized NSs. In the current work, we investigate how the modified Tolman Oppenheimer Volkoff (TOV) system of equations (in the presence of a magnetic field) affects the energy spectrum of axions and axions-converted photon flux. We have considered the distance-dependent magnetic field in the modified TOV equations. We employ three different equations of states (EoSs) to solve these equations. We obtain the axions emission rate by including the Cooper-pair-breaking formation process (PBF) and Bremsstrahlung process in the core of NSs using the NSCool code. We primarily focus on three NSs: PSR B0531+21, PSR J0538+2817, and one Magnificient seven (M7) star RXJ 1856.5-3754. We further investigate the impact of the magnetic field on the actual observables, such as axion`s energy spectrum and axion-photon flux. We also compare our calculated axion-photon flux from all available archival data from PN+MOS+Chandra. Our predicted axion-photon flux values as a function of axion`s energy closely follow the experimentally archival data, which allows us to put bounds on the axion`s mass for the three different EoS.13

Simon De Kockere, Dieder Van den Broeck, Uzair Abdul Latif, Krijn D. de Vries, Nick van Eijndhoven, Tim Huege, Stijn Buitink

17 pages, 18 figures

A new generation of neutrino observatories, including RNO-G and RET, will search for PeV-EeV neutrinos interacting in the ice by detecting radio pulses. Extended air showers propagating into the ice will form an important background and could be a valuable calibration signal. We present results from a Monte-Carlo simulation framework developed to fully simulate radio emission from cosmic-ray particle cascades as observed by in-ice radio detectors in the polar regions. The framework involves a modified version of CoREAS (a module of CORSIKA 7) to simulate in-air radio emission and a GEANT4-based framework for simulating in-ice radio emission from cosmic-ray showers as observed by in-ice antennas. The particles that reach the surface of the polar ice sheet at the end of the CORSIKA 7 simulation are injected into the GEANT4-based shower simulation code that takes the particles and propagates them further into the ice sheet, using an exponential density profile for the ice. The framework takes into account curved ray paths caused by the exponential refractive index profiles of air and ice. We present the framework and discuss some key features of the radio signal and radio shower footprint for in-ice observers.

Matteo Califano, Rocco D'Agostino, Daniele Vernieri

10 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review D

The theory of inflation provides an elegant explanation for the nearly flat universe observed today, which represents one of the pillars of the standard cosmological model. However, recent studies have reported some deviations from a flat geometry, arguing that a closed universe would be instead favored by observations. Given its central role played in the cosmological context, this paper revisits the issue of spatial curvature in light of the stochastic gravitational wave background signal recently detected by the NANOGrav collaboration. For this purpose, we investigate the primordial gravitational waves generated during inflation and their propagation in the post-inflationary universe. We propose a new parametrization of the gravitational wave power spectrum, taking into account spatial curvature, the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the spectral index of tensor perturbations. Therefore, we compare the theoretical predictions with NANOGrav data to possibly constrain the geometry of the universe. We find that the choice of the priors has a significant effect on the computed posterior distributions. In particular, using flat uniform priors results in $\Omega_{\mathcal{K},0}= 0.00 \pm 0.67$ at the 68\% confidence level. On the other hand, imposing a Planck prior, we obtain $\Omega_{\mathcal{K},0}= -0.05 \pm 0.17$ at the 68\% confidence level. This result aligns with the analysis of the cosmic microwave background radiation, and no deviations from a flat universe are found.

Antonio Capanema, Yago Porto, Maria Manuela Saez

6 pages + references, 2 figures

We show that standard matter effects in the outer layers of core-collapse supernovae significantly constrain the flavor composition of the neutrino flux, even with the enormous uncertainties originating from self-induced flavor conversions in the supernova core. Under certain conditions, the neutrino flux resulting from self-induced conversions can be represented as a combination of flavor eigenstates in an arbitrary flavor ratio configuration. In this scenario, we find that, for the normal mass ordering, the fraction of neutrinos with electron flavor reaching the Earth, denoted as $f_{\nu_e}$, is constrained to be less than $0.5$ for all energies throughout the emission phase, whereas, for inverted mass ordering, we anticipate neutrinos arriving in near flavor equipartition ($f_{\nu_e}\approx 1/3$). In case adiabaticity is violated in the region of standard matter effects, the result is flavor equipartition for both mass orderings. Subsequently, we elaborate on the impact of wave-packet decoherence during self-induced conversions and explore alternative scenarios that could affect the aforementioned results.

Yago Bea, Raul Jimenez, David Mateos, Shuheng Liu, Pavlos Protopapas, Pedro Tarancón-Álvarez, Pablo Tejerina-Pérez

Holography relates gravitational theories in five dimensions to four-dimensional quantum field theories in flat space. Under this map, the equation of state of the field theory is encoded in the black hole solutions of the gravitational theory. Solving the five-dimensional Einstein's equations to determine the equation of state is an algorithmic, direct problem. Determining the gravitational theory that gives rise to a prescribed equation of state is a much more challenging, inverse problem. We present a novel approach to solve this problem based on physics-informed neural networks. The resulting algorithm is not only data-driven but also informed by the physics of the Einstein's equations. We successfully apply it to theories with crossovers, first- and second-order phase transitions.

Theoretical considerations motivate us to consider vacuum energy to be able to decay and to assume that the spatial geometry of the universe is closed. Combining both aspects leads to the possibility that the universe, or certain regions thereof, can collapse and subsequently undergo a curvature bounce. This may have occurred in the very early universe, in a pre-inflationary phase. We discuss the construction of the corresponding no-boundary instantons and show that they indeed reproduce a bouncing history of the universe, interestingly with a small and potentially observable departure from classicality during the contracting phase. Such an early bouncing history receives a large weighting and provides competition for a more standard inflationary branch of the wave function. Curvature bounces may also occur in the future. We discuss the conditions under which they may take place, allowing for density fluctuations in the matter distribution in the universe. Overall, we find that curvature bounces require a delicate combination of matter content and initial conditions to occur, though with significant consequences if these conditions are met.

Stefan H. Strub, Luigi Ferraioli, Cédric Schmelzbach, Simon C. Stähler, Domenico Giardini

13 pages, 11 figures

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a planned space-based observatory to measure gravitational waves in the millihertz frequency band. This frequency band is expected to be dominated by signals from millions of Galactic binaries and tens of merging massive black hole binaries. The LISA Data Challenge 2a is focused on the robust signal extraction from a blend of these two types of gravitational wave signals. Here, we introduce a novel high performance and cost-effective global fit pipeline extracting and characterizing galactic binary and massive black hole binary signals and estimate the noise of the residual. We preform the pipeline in a time-evolving weekly analysis starting with and observation time of 1 week until we reach a full year. As expected we detect more galactic binaries and massive black hole binaries bringing the noise estimate of the residual closer to the instrument noise by each week of additional observation time. Furthermore, we present a novel maximum likelihood estimate-based algorithm for extracting multiple massive black hole binaries. Additionally we demonstrate a massive black hole binary signal extraction with a more accurate LISA response, considering higher harmonic modes, in a noisy data set.

Anirban Das, Tim Herbermann, Manibrata Sen, Volodymyr Takhistov

22 pages, 7 figures, comments welcome

Diffuse neutrinos from past supernovae in the Universe present us with a unique opportunity to test dark matter (DM) interactions. These neutrinos can scatter and boost the DM particles in the Milky Way halo to relativistic energies allowing us to detect them in terrestrial laboratories. Focusing on generic models of DM-neutrino and electron interactions, mediated by a vector or a scalar boson, we implement energy-dependent scattering cross-sections and perform detailed numerical analysis of DM attenuation due to electron scattering in-medium while propagating towards terrestrial experiments. We set new limits on DM-neutrino and electron interactions for DM with masses in the range $\sim (0.1, 10^4)~$MeV, using recent data from XENONnT, LUX-ZEPLIN, and PandaX-4T direct detection experiments. We demonstrate that consideration of energy-dependent cross-sections for DM interactions can significantly affect constraints previously derived under the assumption of constant cross-sections, modifying them by multiple orders of magnitude.